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[Zjarcal]

Monica21 wrote...

Also, I wanted to kill myself on the Wounded Coast. Please tell me I don't have to go back. *whimper*

You do... in both Act 2 and 3.

>.>

<.<

I actually liked it there. :happy:

[CalJones]

I liked it there too.
I've finished my Dalish run, all the way through Origins, Awakening and Witch Hunt...and to be honest, I'm feeling a little relieved to move on to DA2 again with the new import. Certainly the environments are repetitive, the mobs a little daft, but I like the mechanics much more. I'm looking forward to finally being able to play the DLC too.

[KnightofPhoenix]

I would say I dislike it, but honestly I do not remember a single place I actually liked or found memorable. Aesthetically or otherwise.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

Looking forward to reading your detailed review Skadi, should you be interested in writing one.

Oh, I will. I will probably donate my "constructive criticism" over on the DA2 fan review forums, lol. As far as a story/plot review, I find the only way to make any of it inetresting is to look at it from my Warden's perspective, lol.

The game certainly has its charms, but I saw alot more of failed potential in which they could have made DA2 a much better, epic game.

[Monica21]

Zjarcal wrote...

Monica21 wrote...

Also, I wanted to kill myself on the Wounded Coast. Please tell me I don't have to go back. *whimper*

You do... in both Act 2 and 3.

Oh, poo.

I actually liked it there. :happy:

lol.... If I said I was really trying to give the game a fair chance would you believe me? 

[Monica21]

CalJones wrote...

Monica - you should have seen it before the patch where they toned down the exploding/chunking finishers. (Helps just to think of it as Varric's exagerration, really).

I'm getting used to it even though I still think it's pretty over the top. (Maybe that's the point? I dunno.) I'm reminded of the demo Bioware showed. Most people said, "uh, that's the combat?" And it sounds like they didn't tone it down much from that until after release. See, Bioware? Sometimes people can what they like and don't like from a demo.

It feels like a lot of foolishness going from one place to another and being Kirkwall's go-to sword for hire. (And we just won't talk about how long it took me to figure out how to get somewhere at night.  Manuals are handy.) I'm getting the hints about the mage/templar business, but not much else between running around.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

I actually liked the Wounded coast, because it got me the hell out of Kirkwall, which was driving me nuts. Fresh air and storm clouds.

Yeah, the combat is annoying. I do like the smoothness and execution of many manuevers, as well as the management of sustained talents being invisible outside combat. But some of the ridiculous enemy moves as well as some seriously lol WTF moves for hawke and companions, it became tiresome. This whole game has too many JRPG elements, and I outgrew JRPGS and anime years ago. it really does get juvenile.

[CalJones]

The first time I saw Meredith pull out that big sword, I LOLd. That whole end fight is ridiculous.
I must admit I've never played a JRPG, even though I was the RPG specialist on the magazine I used to work for. They just didn't appeal to me. I'm not into teenagers with ridiculous spiky hair and giant swords.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

CalJones wrote...

The first time I saw Meredith pull out that big sword, I LOLd. That whole end fight is ridiculous.
I must admit I've never played a JRPG, even though I was the RPG specialist on the magazine I used to work for. They just didn't appeal to me. I'm not into teenagers with ridiculous spiky hair and giant swords.

My sentiments exactly. I used to play JRPGs years ago when I had consoles. They were fun simply for the bright colors and often beautiful backgrounds and such, but were really lacking in plot, character depth, development, ect. And I outgrew anime/Manga pretty quick. Western RPGs, while lacking the "awesome graphics" of JRPGs, tend to be 1000 times better storywise, even the cliche "heroic epics" have more meat and originality than the Asian RPGs tend to. My opinion, of course.

Fenris was the most obvious example of a character model and general persona taken from a generic JRPG. Though his character was alot more interesting than any RPG emo brooding beautiful boy. But many of the aesthetics, models, animations, and plotlines were too much like anime genres. I missed the ruggedness and variation of facial models in DAO.

Yeah, Meredith and her big giant glowing red lyrium ****** of awesome doom animating all the Voltron statues was something I might have liked when I was 8 years old. It wasn't even tacky, it's just juvenile.

[CalJones]

The statue thing was rather Ray Harryhausen, actually. I minded that part less than the ninja rocket jumps and ugly sword.
My friend dragged me along to see the last Harry Potter movie and one of the Hogwarts teachers animates a whole bunch of statues to fight against Voldemort's army - I just thought "LOL, DA2!"

[Persephone]

Monica21 wrote...

Just started playing DA2 last night. I backstab a darkspawn and it explodes? Really Bioware? So far the combat is the most irritating part.

Install Patch 1.03. The constant exploding is a bug and tnhe Patch will clear that up. --> Explosions only happen when you land a critical hit.

[Persephone]

CalJones wrote...

The statue thing was rather Ray Harryhausen, actually. I minded that part less than the ninja rocket jumps and ugly sword.
My friend dragged me along to see the last Harry Potter movie and one of the Hogwarts teachers animates a whole bunch of statues to fight against Voldemort's army - I just thought "LOL, DA2!"

"I always wanted to use that spell....."  

[Monica21]

CalJones wrote...

The first time I saw Meredith pull out that big sword, I LOLd. That whole end fight is ridiculous.
I must admit I've never played a JRPG, even though I was the RPG specialist on the magazine I used to work for. They just didn't appeal to me. I'm not into teenagers with ridiculous spiky hair and giant swords.

I lol'd when I saw the name of Carver's sword. I think it's Something Something Shaving Razor? And it's as tall and nearly as wide as he is. Dude, you really can't shave with that.

[Addai]

Hayder's Razor. I always make Carver use that. It fits his "dumb jock" personality. lol

[MKDAWUSS]

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf wrote...

CalJones wrote...

The first time I saw Meredith pull out that big sword, I LOLd. That whole end fight is ridiculous.
I must admit I've never played a JRPG, even though I was the RPG specialist on the magazine I used to work for. They just didn't appeal to me. I'm not into teenagers with ridiculous spiky hair and giant swords.

My sentiments exactly. I used to play JRPGs years ago when I had consoles. They were fun simply for the bright colors and often beautiful backgrounds and such, but were really lacking in plot, character depth, development, ect. And I outgrew anime/Manga pretty quick. Western RPGs, while lacking the "awesome graphics" of JRPGs, tend to be 1000 times better storywise, even the cliche "heroic epics" have more meat and originality than the Asian RPGs tend to. My opinion, of course.

Fenris was the most obvious example of a character model and general persona taken from a generic JRPG. Though his character was alot more interesting than any RPG emo brooding beautiful boy. But many of the aesthetics, models, animations, and plotlines were too much like anime genres. I missed the ruggedness and variation of facial models in DAO.

Yeah, Meredith and her big giant glowing red lyrium ****** of awesome doom animating all the Voltron statues was something I might have liked when I was 8 years old. It wasn't even tacky, it's just juvenile.

I wonder if that entire ending would be among the first DA2 content mods if/once a DA2 toolset is released...

The weird thing is, after all that, I thought about the entire list of Dragon Age characters and realized that many of them would be out of place during that entire sequence.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

Addai67 wrote...

Hayder's Razor. I always make Carver use that. It fits his "dumb jock" personality. lol

Oh, thank you. You just gave me the perfect tag for carver: dumb jock brother, lol. I knew there was a certain classic archetype of some sort that he fit, but couldn't put my finger on it. But yeah. Total dumb jock. Needs to overcompensate for his lack of inner manliness. Which is blatantly obvious to everyone but him.

My Hawke would still bone him, though, lol. She doesn't really give a ****. She can just smack him everytime he opens his mouth to complain.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

MKDAWUSS wrote...

I wonder if that entire ending would be among the first DA2 content mods if/once a DA2 toolset is released...

The weird thing is, after all that, I thought about the entire list of Dragon Age characters and realized that many of them would be out of place during that entire sequence.

Oh trust me, at that point, I had pretty much left the Dragon age universe as I knew it behind, and had been transported to LOLWTFville. the archdemon might have been an uninspired final boss, but there was nothing out of setting or excessively ridiculous about the final battle. Getting swarmed by darkspawn is naturally what you should expect when you are attacking their dark master. Templars with nonsesnically glowing giant swords suddenly becoming golem master ninjas capable of animating sh*t mages don't even know how, does not make sense at all. On any level.

And of course, the battle with the AD wasn't the most epic part of the DAO ending. Whether refused the DR, Alistair or Loghain, whoever is there, will step forward, and perhaps the most tear jerking, emotionally moving endings can result from these final conversations. I am totally serious when I say that DAO was the first game in history that's ending could move me to tears.

When Meredith finally got eaten alibe by her giant ****** and turned into more glowy evil red lyrium, the scwene was more comical than anything. The templars slowly walking towards Meredit warily, then looking at hawke, Hawke looking at them. Then looking at meredith fossil. At that point,  the only thing I could really feel my hawke saying  was "Eh....right. Uhh, just so you all know, i didn't have f*ck all to do with this sh*t. Really. In fact, I'm pretty sure that half of the laws of physics and magic in Thedas have just been violated. Now if you'll excuse me, I was just on my way out."

It was a mild lol moment. That's all. The only thing that might have brought tears to my eyes at this point was that this just took place ion the Dragon Age universe.

[LobselVith8]

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf wrote...

@Cal: Ahh well. Guess it's too late to get Fenris in the sack, then. I got Isabella's sweet booty, guess I won't get a piece of Fenris and will have to move on the the final conquest, Anders. Meriil, however, remains off limits. She's an idiot, but adorably so, and for some strange reason, she appeals strongly to my maternal instincts (yes, I posses them from being mother to countless animals, lol) and thus, she is unromancable for me. I'd much rather take Merril for a Sunday stroll through Lowtown so she can have some ice cream and watch some muggings.

Does Merrill really stand out to you as an idiot when you're playing as Hawke? It bothers me that a supporting character like Merrill is proactive while the protagonist, Hawke, does nothing but wear silk robes and fail the people around him or go into a coma for three years. For all the controversy that Loghain's actions elicited in Origins, I'd have to imagine how bad things would have gotten if Hawke was at the helm of such events instead of Loghain. Even the ending of Legacy illustrates that thinking doesn't figure into Hawke's persona.

Skadi_the_Evil_Elf wrote...

Like I said, I'm just playing through for the lulz, as well as to get aquainted with game mechanics and get a better idea of the game. I will probably do a more "canon" playthrough once I've figured everything out. For now, shallow horny i-don't-give-a-f*ck hawke is fine for this playthrough.

I honestly can't imagine playing Dragon Age 2 for the lulz.

[KnightofPhoenix]

I think the entire mage / Templar conflict was bordering on comical throughout. Meredith / Orsino were just the punchline to me.

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

Which brings me to another on topic observation. Loghain was widely admired and appreciated as an antagonist in DAO. He did not needs swords of awesome or some funky ninja moves bruce Lee would admire. he was an awesome villian/antagonist  and didn't need red lyrium to drive him bonkers. The duel with him, mechanically, is little different than any other SS mega boss in the game. Yet he is far more epic than meredith, because he is a very well written character on many levels, and Simeon Templeman's VA for Loghain is still, after more playthroughs than I can count, epic.

Meredith could have been written pretty epic had the developers decided to focus more on the meat and less on the "awesome". There was ample opportunity and chance to flesh her out like Loghain, but no. Mac Guffin blade is much more awesome.  Hell, my first actual encounter with meredith was at the end of Act 2, along with orsino, and they like come out of nowhere. meredith shows up, kills the saarebas. Orsino shows up, roasts a couple more qunari. The two of them start bickering in the middle of an invasion when the city is getting overun by qunari and people are running amok torching things and setting fire. hawke is standing there dumbfounded, as she gazes upon perhaps two of the most important and signifigant figures in Kirkwall, and asks "Ok. Who the f*ck are you,. and who the f*ck are you, and why should I care? By the way, you do know Kirkwall is about to get "enlightened" by the Qun whether it likes it or not?"  Compare to Loghain's passionate ranting and raging at the Landsmeet, or when he explodes at the suggestion of getting help from Orlais.

There were alot of moments in DA2 that were really surreal like that. Didn't know whether I should be laughing or just disembowel these idiots and sort it all out later. I ended up just saying, Ok, lol, it might help if instead of seeing Kirkwall as a vital, manjor city in thedas, i will instead pretend that it is really a giant nuthouse, and everyone is just pretending there's govornment and order, and that they really are running a major port city. It's like one big, fun game of Charades at the Koo-Koo Cabana. And Hawke and co have all been unknowingly committed. That's part of the charm of Kirkwall State Hospital. All the inmates think they are living in a real city.

If I were to describe Kirkwall and the experiences I've had there, I'd say it's a mutant hybrid multi crossing of Pulp Fiction, The Hills have Eyes, the city of Zoso in Final Fantasy 3 (or 6 depending), The Island of Doctor Moreau, and Silent Hill. Even the random ambient street chatter from various NPCs was chock full of loony lushness. Ferelden had a Blight and a Civil War, and I don't remember being assaulted by waves of babbling shrieking moon bats waving knives around.

To Be honest, my whole DA playthrough in Kirkwall was too disturbingly similar to most of my family reunions.<_<

[MKDAWUSS]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

I think the entire mage / Templar conflict was bordering on comical throughout. Meredith / Orsino were just the punchline to me.

There's a part of me that wonders if that entire conflict was promoted to the main storyline at the last second, and the Qunari conflict was intended to be the main conflict of DA2...

[Zjarcal]

CalJones wrote...

I liked it there too.
I've finished my Dalish run, all the way through Origins, Awakening and Witch Hunt...and to be honest, I'm feeling a little relieved to move on to DA2 again with the new import. Certainly the environments are repetitive, the mobs a little daft, but I like the mechanics much more. I'm looking forward to finally being able to play the DLC too.

I feel the same way actually, mechanics wise at least. The gameplay is much more enjoyable for me.

Monica21 wrote...

lol.... If I said I was really trying to give the game a fair chance would you believe me? 

Oh I believe you. Your opinion is shared by many here though. The game is really a hit or miss... on the Loggy thread it seems to be more of a miss though.

[KnightofPhoenix]

Zjarcal wrote...
Oh I believe you. Your opinion is shared by many here though. The game is really a hit or miss... on the Loggy thread it seems to be more of a miss though.

I think it may stem partially from us expecting another Loghain. And DA2 did not deliver in that regard. Closest thing that could is the Arishok, but he is not a person really, more like the physical manifestation of the Qun that he pulls out of rectum.  And for me, he ends up being a big miss.

Oh and after  reading your comment on cme's blog *hugs* <3

Modifié par KnightofPhoenix, 08 août 2011 - 09:10 .

[Skadi_the_Evil_Elf]

LobselVith8 wrote...

Does Merrill really stand out to you as an idiot when you're playing as Hawke? It bothers me that a supporting character like Merrill is proactive while the protagonist, Hawke, does nothing but wear silk robes and fail the people around him or go into a coma for three years. For all the controversy that Loghain's actions elicited in Origins, I'd have to imagine how bad things would have gotten if Hawke was at the helm of such events instead of Loghain. Even the ending of Legacy illustrates that thinking doesn't figure into Hawke's persona.

I decided to make merril a friend in my first playthrough, to see her character if one is supportive towards her goal of restoring the Eluvian. And my conclusion is yes, Merril is an idiot. An adorable idiot, mind you, and one you can't help but like. Certainly, her general views on the ethics of blood magic and spirts of the fade is alot more realistic than most Circle mages and the Chantry have. I just did not think Merilll was a sturdy, skilled, and competant enough mage to be screwing around with blood magic, let alone the eluvian. It would have been better off being done by another mage. Not that i think Merril is useless, she's certainly accomplished in her own right. I however do not believe she is the level and calibre of mage needed to not only master blood magic safely, but deal with a very mysterious and powerful artifact.

But in terms to your comparison to Hawke, yes, Merril, unlike Hawke, is actually spending her years trying to do something productive that she thinks will be of great value and benefit to her people. Even if I do think she should leave it alone for someone better equipped, ehr intent, work, and dedication are admirable if nothing else. And compared to hawke, yeah. I'm still yet to determine if its even possible for Hawke to pursue any ambition other than chillin out and killing crazy people for the moneez and lulz. For that matter, Anders is the same. He works in his clinic, as well as actively aids the mage resistance. Possesed and crazy as he gets, again, unl;ike hawke, he's been very busy and active in following his own goals and beliefs. not to mention provides free healthcare to refugees. it's more than hawke ever contributed.

Interestingly, it is really only the two mage companions, plus Avaline, who seem to take action and proactively pursue their goals or desires. Everyone else, including Hawke, sits around slumming for 7 years. Fenris hates mages. I get it. So if you believe mages to be such a menace to decency and goodness everywhere, why not do something other than squat in Danarius house for 7 years drinking wine made by Tevinter slaves? Why not volunteer to assist the templars? The Kirkwall templars would love him, hell, with his hate of all things Tevinter and magical, if nothing else, the templars would probably cover all his bar tabs in the city for life.Or go Dirty Harry on the numerous and unchecked slaver oeprations in the city. Hell, even pimping himself out at the Blooming Rose would have been far more than he did.

yeah, if it was up to hawke and co, at year ten when cassandra is grilling varrick, it would be because the Blight had pretty much consumed all of Thedas. Loghain's political ineptness, at least, can be reasonably forgiven, when you consider everything.

I honestly can't imagine playing Dragon Age 2 for the lulz.

For my first playthrough, i did, and helped me understand the game better by doping so. Nothing I did mattered, my choices were limited to pissing off my companions for amusement, and by act 3, I still had not come up with a sane, intelligent reason of why my apostate Hawke was still in kirkwall.

[Zjarcal]

KnightofPhoenix wrote...

Zjarcal wrote...
Oh I believe you. Your opinion is shared by many here though. The game is really a hit or miss... on the Loggy thread it seems to be more of a miss though.

I think it may stem partially from us expecting another Loghain. And DA2 did not deliver in that regard. Closest thing that could is the Arishok, but he is not a person really, more like the physical manifestation of the Qun that he pulls out of rectum.  And for me, he ends up being a big miss.

That's true, the game doesn't have a character that can compare to Loghain, neither in the role he plays or as an actual character. The Arishok is the closest thing in the role department, but he still doesn't really match him (I admit that I like him a lot more than you though).

I find it a bit funny that at one point you actually admired him (or at least liked him a lot).

Oh and after  reading your comment on cme's blog *hugs* <3

You know I love you! Not in that way though...