30 réponses à ce sujet

[someguy1231]

This is not a comparison thread. Just getting that out of the way.

I'm contemplating buying the Ultimate Edition of DA when it's released, but I want to make sure I'm getting my money's worth. I'm greatly enjoying the game Elder Scrolls 4:Oblivion, and I'm wondering if that means I'll also like this game. Anyway, I hope there's lots of people here who've also played Oblivion, cause I have three questions for you:

1. Is the world of DA as massive and in-depth as Oblivion's?
2. Does DA provide the same degree of freedom as Oblivion? (ie can explore and do quests on my own terms, etc)
3. Overall, if I greatly enjoy Oblivion, am I likely to feel the same way about Dragon Age?

(My apologies if a topic like this already exists)

[AvivHighwind]

1. Personally, I think DA's world is more in-depth than Oblivion's. Your choices directly impact the world around you in DA, and the effects carry over to the other DA Games(Awakening & DA2).

2. This is a tough one. DA's class system is more restricted then Oblivion's, but you can visit multiple areas and move about during any quests.

3. Personally, I enjoyed DA more than Oblivion.

[Esbatty]

I did this in reverse myself I bought Oblivion because I kepy hearing it being used to compare to DAO. Having enjoyed Fallout 3, I figured why the heck not. So i bought it and it scares me.



Its almost... too much freedom as I have no clue what the hell to do. In Fallout 3 I know I have to find my dad but I can do exactly that or anything else I feel like doing. But in Oblivion it was kind of overwhelming I went from talking to a King in my prison cell to fighting rats and zombies through the sewers. I have no clue how to heal myself I should really read the f**kin' manual but I like to test out games to see how the ingame learning curve is.



So yes Oblivion waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay more open than Dragon Age in terms of accomplishing missions and objectives and things to do BUT I do find myself feeling rather... alone. Which is appropriate for Fallout 3 but I dunno... I'm used to fantasy games having a "party" feel to it, and its just so damn lonely in Oblivion its almost depressing.



But yes there is exploring in DAO, there is alot of sidequests and some things only have certain windows of time to be done and choices and conversations you have defintely effect the outcome of future things, so its not really a sandbox game but it does have a good amount of freedom. That and I find Dragon Age Origins has a more entertaining story.



But all that is just my opinion and experiences. YMMV.

[Ace22]

I recently started playing DAO and the game is amazing! Nothing like Oblivion though aside from the Orcs and Elves setting. The gameplay is way different, Oblivion was more of a action game where as DAO is a tactic based RPG like KOTOR much slower combat and you cant just play "Whack a mole" with bosses its stategy based here with constant pausing. The Dragon age world is not as free roam as Oblivion, as with most Bioware games its on rails of sorts limiting where you can go, Don;t let that shy you away from the game though... As with all Bioware games it works and works well.



I enjoyed Oblivion but to me this is a superior game . Oblivion may give you freedom to go where ever you want but Dragon age gives you the freedom to change the world and the characters in it. If you have never played a Bioware game then I would say to watch some video's of the gameplay so you know what you are getting into, and if you have played a Bioware game in the past then I wouls say WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?? Pick up this game , On PC of course.

[termokanden]

someguy1231 wrote...

1. Is the world of DA as massive and in-depth as Oblivion's?

No. It's big, but it's not as big. It's more focused, however, and you'll find plenty to do in all areas.

2. Does DA provide the same degree of freedom as Oblivion? (ie can explore and do quests on my own terms, etc)

You can generally do quests in any order you want, but unlike Oblivion it's not an open world game. There's not much exploration that's not tied to the main storyline.

3. Overall, if I greatly enjoy Oblivion, am I likely to feel the same way about Dragon Age?

Not a clue. I was a big Morrowind fan (The Elder Scrolls 3), but didn't like Oblivion. I do like Dragon Age, however. Not sure if this means you're going to like it or not!

But do not expect it to be an open world game at least. Exploration is much, much more restricted in this game.

[ham99]

someguy1231 wrote...

This is not a comparison thread. Just getting that out of the way.

Ok.

1. Is the world of DA as massive and in-depth as Oblivion's?

Not anywhere near as massive in size, but the setting is pretty well thought out and the world has depth.

2. Does DA provide the same degree of freedom as Oblivion? (ie can explore and do quests on my own terms, etc)

Nope. Nowhere near. Basically you are on rails, more or less, the whole game. You can make minor choices regarding some content and timing. There's pretty much no exploring in the Morrowind/Oblivion/Fallout 3 sense.

3. Overall, if I greatly enjoy Oblivion, am I likely to feel the same way about Dragon Age?

I have played Morrowind/Oblivion/Fallout 3 waayy too many hours, and I atleast greatly enjoyed Dragon Age. It's totally different sort of RPG-game than Bethesda's works, but if you set your mind right, you'll get a lot out of it.

If you have played any Bioware games, you know what to expect. Dragon Age doesn't really differ from their formula that much.

If free exploring in vast world is critical to your enjoyment, then DA:O might not be the game for you, you'll get frustrated with the smallish areas and railroading. I thought I was like that, but taking the proper attitude to the game I enjoyed it a lot. It is, after all, a very good game.

[JayTheWolf]

Oblivion is more of a non-linear game. Dragon Age has a main plot with small side missions. Dragon Age is not like Oblivion in the sense of gameplay. The only thing the two have in common (In my opinion) is the type of setting. Armor, swords, and magic. Dragon Age is a structured game that heavily relies on timing and a sense of "you have to save the world, and therefore cannot travel wherever you please all the time", whereas Oblivion is like, "you could save the world... OR you could pillage Chorrol and beat the crap out of whomever you please".

But I love both games. I like Oblivion when I feel like slaughtering innocents, and I love Dragon Age when I want the world to change based on my decisions.



Both games are amazing, but nothing like each other.

[Khayness]

I hope you know Dragon Age isn't a sandbox game.

[Ashaman X]

I still haven't finished Oblivion, whereas I've finished Origins twice now. I love both games, but the key difference is that in Oblivion, you never feel any time constraints or pressure, except perhaps during the Kvatch siege. Origins on the other hand has a nice subtle reminder as the Blight keeps growing on your map, plus the random attacks. Two very different styles of play, but both excellent examples of RPG.

[Tigress M]

I came straight from Oblivion to DA:O and at first, Origins was a shock with it's very limited, linear maps. I honestly wasn't sure I would like it because I'd lost the complete open feeling of Oblivion. Then, finding myself stuck lugging other party members around, I was again having doubts about Origins because I liked just being on my own in Oblivion.

But, all of that changed as I realized just how in depth the character development was in Origins. The linear maps didn't matter because my interaction with the world around me was vastly superior to Oblivion. And, I realized how much I'd come to enjoy my traveling companions when I hit a portion of the game that I was forced to play without them along and found myself truly missing them!

The result? I played Oblivion for a couple of months. I've been playing Origins for 10 months now and have no plans to set it down before DA2 comes out next year. Up until Origins I thought Morrowind and Oblivion were the absolute best RPGs I'd ever played but now, DAO wins out, hands down.

[Loerwyn]

The Ethereal Writer wrote...

Personally, I hated Oblivion. I couldn't take any of the characters seriously because they had incredibly cartoonish faces. I tried getting into it, but it was just impossible. I mean, I'm sure there are some people who love Oblivion's cartoony characters and if I draw the ire of those people, then go ahead. Anyway...

Uh... Oblivion isn't a "cartoony" game, it's just that Bethesda really screwed up with faces and facial textures. Everyone looks seriously ill or very similar, rather than cartoony.

As for the OP; I don't know where to start. If you like Oblivion, there's no guarantee you'll like Dragon Age. The difference is like that between Civilization and Empire Earth or Age of Empires. Sure, both take place over a period of time and both are heavily based in realism (Technologies, units, buildings, factions etc), but they're totally different kinds of game.

If you go into Dragon Age expecting Oblivion, you will be disappointed. Dragon Age is somewhat linear, with the major choices in what you do revolving around the order in which you do zones and which origin you choose to do. There are no massively expansive areas where you can do what you want, as each "area" is divided up into smaller sections - Think along the lines of the Imperial City or exploring ruins in Oblivion.

It's much more story-based than Oblivion, too. You're not making your own story, shaping the world in the way you want. You're living the life of your Warden, saving the world one area at a time. There's much greater character depth for both you (in that you have a past, a set history and so forth) and other characters in game.

In terms of story, Oblivion is a comic book to Dragon Age's novel.

[Tigress M]

Oh, one other thing I have to point out... it's relatively minor but very noticeable, coming from Oblivion. They use dozens of VO actors for the dialog, meaning you rarely hear the same voice twice, and I do mean *rarely*. It really adds a whole other level of realism to the game because you don't meet 10 different vendors with the same voice.

[Bane of Revenants]

someguy1231 wrote...



2. Does DA provide the same degree of freedom as Oblivion? (ie can explore and do quests on my own terms, etc)

If you like open world freedom and exploration, you may not like DA as well.

One big advantage Oblivion has over a lot of other games is you can continue to play after completing the main quest.

[simpatikool]

I have played both games...extensively.



For me it is simple. The game play in DAO is vastly superior in detail and tactical fulfillment. You have to interract with the characters and use your party to work together to overcome your objectives.



Oblivion is more like a fantasy RPG shooter. Its one player.



The character development and RPG element of DAO is extrememly rewarding. Oblivion, not so much.



Where Oblivion shines is that you can do whatever you want for the most part in a fantasy RPG. You want to focus on developing a power mage and blowing stuff up. No problem. Lots of ways to do that, and an endless (well, not really, but huge) amount of targets to practice with. You want to play a warrior and explore dungeons. Oblivion has plenty. When I play DAO, I miss the character class and skill selections I had. DAO everything seems more cookie cutter. I can play Mage, Rogue or Warrior with some variations. But not really. In DAO I can't be a Paladin (Warrior with healing/blessing capabilities) Sure I could mold an Arcane Warrior to try and fit this role, but it is not really the same. I can't create an uber Necromancer etc. I have some strong and unique options in DAO, but I feel limited, when compared to other RPGs.



But like I said, where DAO really makes up for this is the sheer quality of the game play, the interractions with the world, character development. (Stories suck you in)

[Kevin Lynch]

someguy1231 wrote...

1. Is the world of DA as massive and in-depth as Oblivion's?
2. Does DA provide the same degree of freedom as Oblivion? (ie can explore and do quests on my own terms, etc)
3. Overall, if I greatly enjoy Oblivion, am I likely to feel the same way about Dragon Age?

1. No, it won't feel as "massive" because Oblivion's world is open and you freely explore the entire landscape. DA:O's world is cut into smaller pieces and you can't explore the areas between those pieces. Whether one is more "in-depth" than the other, though, depends on what you mean by each. Oblivion's world felt more "real" to me, I suppose, because of it's immersive quality, but DA:O's world seemed more fleshed out with history and character.

2. No, Oblivion, as a sandbox game, has far more freedom to do what you want, when you want. DA:O is story-driven and, while it has points where you can choose the order you can do things, how to accomplish them, and which things you want skip, you are forced along the story by accomplishing the goals of the world.

3. It cannot be said whether liking Oblivion means liking DA:O. They are two very different style RPGs. I like both styles, although DA:O is a better fit for me than Oblivion. It's one of those things you'll just have to decide on your own.

[someguy1231]

Thanks for the responses. I have played through Mass Effect 1 and 2 and loved those games, and it sounds like DA is much more similar (in structure) to those games than Oblivion. Would it be more accurate to describe DA as "Mass Effect in a Sword and Sorcery world"? If so, I'm definitely buying this game.

Modifié par someguy1231, 18 octobre 2010 - 05:04 .

[DarthMuffin]

Short answer: it depends.

Long answer:

1. It depends on what you mean. The background lore and general storyline of the world is definitely massive and deep, but in terms of actual content it feels smaller since there's no free roaming like Oblivion. In general, it could be said that DAO focuses more on details whereas Oblivion gives you huge but generic areas.

2. Definitely not. Despite claims to the contrary, Dragon Age is a rather linear game. Yes you have some degree of freedom over which quests you want to do and when, but it's not a sandbox game like Oblivion. The race and class system is also much more restrictive. The freedom in DAO comes from how you interact with people and solve quests more than anything else. In that line of thought, I think it's pertinent to mention that DAO is dialogues-heavy. So if that's not your bag, you may want to stay clear of it.

3. Once again, it depends. ES4 and DAO are completely different games. Note that this doesn't mean you won't enjoy it - what I'm saying is that most of the features of Oblivion are not in DAO, just like most of DAO's features are not in Oblivion. You may very well end up liking DAO a lot, but it won't be for the same reasons.

Personally, I like both precisely because they're different. Each one allows me to experience a different style of play (though I belong to the school of people who believe that Morrowind was vastly superior to Oblivion).

someguy1231 wrote...

Thanks for the responses. I have played through Mass Effect 1 and 2 and loved those games, and it sounds like DA is much more similar (in structure) to those games than Oblivion. Would it be more accurate to describe DA as "Mass Effect in a Sword and Sorcery world"? If so, I'm definitely buying this game.

DAO is definitely closer to Mass Effect than to Oblivion, but it's still not the same. DAO is more tactical, less real-time action. You won't be clicking repeatedly  to attack, you give orders.

Modifié par DarthMuffin, 18 octobre 2010 - 05:14 .

[ChickenDownUnder]

someguy1231 wrote...

This is not a comparison thread. Just getting that out of the way.

I am confused.

#1. Well... let's see... in both games you spend time in just one country, though with plenty of references and so on to being part of a much bigger world. Both have a variety of races you can encounter, albeit the ones in Oblivion are more original. Can't really make a fair comparison when it comes to the depth of the game world history, Oblivion wins that by a land slide; something to do with it being game #4. DA I believe deserves some slack in that regard since it is just the first game in a brand new thought up world.

When it comes to sidequests and dungeon crawling, Oblivion has quite a few more than DA as well. DA has better quests when you only compare it to the ones in Oblivion that involved trekking through Ruins #243. Yet if one compares the thief/assassin quests in DA to the ones in Oblivion, DA loses out greatly. There is nothing really like breaking into a house, moving quietly pass the sleeping accupants, and patiently waiting in a hidden pocket between walls so that you can drop a hunting trophy on a guy's head to kill him, and sneak out again.

Regarding classes and races... Oblivion wins again. Especially considering how you can even name your class anything you want and so on. There's more benefit in picking different races, since being a lizardman in Oblivion will have a better access to underwater areas than a wood elf would. While an elf vs dwarf in DA the differences in the races are only apparent in how other characters treat yours.

What DA excels at is in the NPCs. Especially in the characters that can join you while defeating the great evil. They come across as far more individual and stick around for longer than one quest, unlike in Oblivion. There are only a few notable NPCs in Oblivion compared to the vast amounts in Dragon Age. Granted, the awesome that is Sheogorath is still unmatched.

#2. Not really, no. Dragon Age only has a select few locations that you can visit. There is no wandering around a forest, getting lost, and stumbling across a secluded town or Cave #109.

#3. If you're the type of Oblivion player that likes to decorate their character's house with every single book/weapon/whatsis you find in the game and want more of the same, then you'll be disappointed in DA. Dragon Age is a very different game, with a different focus to it. Still good, just different. Dragon Age--at least, so it seems to me--is about you playing a role and making choices in a specific story, and only in that story. Oblivion is all about doing what you wish, when you wish, with the "main quest" even being completely optional.

Modifié par ChickenDownUnder, 18 octobre 2010 - 06:48 .

[wendymoo]

I was/am a huge Oblivion fan. I love traveling the landscape and exploring all the different ruins and mines. However. DAO is AMAZING in terms of storyline, history, character development, and let's not forget how beautiful everything is.



I have gone back to Oblivion once or twice in between DAO playthroughs, and the quality difference is startling. And I say this not to bash on Oblivion - it just is what it is.



So, to answer your last question... bearing everything that has already been said in mind, I think you will enjoy the game. It's different, but still great.

[Tigress M]

someguy1231 wrote...
Thanks for the responses. I have played through Mass Effect 1 and 2 and loved those games, and it sounds like DA is much more similar (in structure) to those games than Oblivion. Would it be more accurate to describe DA as "Mass Effect in a Sword and Sorcery world"? If so, I'm definitely buying this game.

Yes and no.  

If it's the combat that attracts you to ME and ME2, you won't find the same thing with DAO.  Combat in DAO is more tactical than even ME and ME2 were, but unlike them, you don't have to worry about aiming (just click on a target and fire/swing/stab).  The game takes care of determining whether you hit or miss said target, not your personal hand to eye coordination.  

But, if you're talking about the immersion into the world around you and the unfolding story, then by all means you'll enjoy DAO because it's story is even richer than ME and ME2.  And the character interaction is out of this world.  You'll find more dialog choices, more chances to talk, and more interaction in DAO than ME and ME2.  It's just incredible.   

[Ulous]

Dragon Age origins is better than Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, I could spend the next hour typing the reasons why but there is no point, just buy the game.

[maxernst]

someguy1231 wrote...

Thanks for the responses. I have played through Mass Effect 1 and 2 and loved those games, and it sounds like DA is much more similar (in structure) to those games than Oblivion. Would it be more accurate to describe DA as "Mass Effect in a Sword and Sorcery world"? If so, I'm definitely buying this game.

Mass Effect is a much closer match than Oblivion.  The biggest difference is that it's not even remotely a shooter.  You have full control of your companion's actions, though you can let the AI take over if you don't want it and even modify the AI scripts for your companions. I'd say if you like ME, you'll probably like it.  But it's similar in that you will spend a lot of time interacting with, and even romancing, your squad members.

[Blado123]

The main differences between the two is that in Oblivion they throw you into a world where you can do whatever you want. In Dragon Age they throw you into an epic story where you play as the main character. Dragon age offers more in depth story telling and is much more immersive, but it is at the cost of greatly reduced freedom when it comes to exploring the world. And how is this not a comparison thread?

1. Lore-wise Its as massive, but game play wise is focuses on a smaller area. It is MUCH more in depth since it focuses on smaller areas though.

2. In some ways yes, in some ways no. You are free to do almost whatever you want after the prologue, but you can't explore. There are little sections on the map you fast travel to and do all your exploration there. The main quest is where a lot of the content is, and it offers much more freedom and is ten times better than the oblivion main quest. In oblivion you have to follow a set path in the main quest, but in Dragon age there are many decisions you can make on the main quest.

3. The games are pretty different, but I find it likely that you will find it enjoyable. It focuses much more on story, choices, and immersion rather than a big sandbox world. The voice acting is the same (although I consider it a little better, since there are more voice actors). The characters in Dragon age are MUCH more unique in general than in Oblivion.

Modifié par Blado123, 18 octobre 2010 - 09:04 .