In an attempt to make my feedback more useful: what I would really like, the more I think about it, would be some sort of gameplay option (in a patch, I presume) to revert combat to the older style -- slower-paced, fewer but more powerful enemies (with none spawning in from thin air), finishing moves, and no leaping in general combat. Thus, a win-win situation for those who liked the old combat and those who prefer the new style.
Unfortunately, I'd bet it wouldn't work, though -- too many AoE abilities on all of the classes tailored for the faster action, so the talent tree wouldn't really work as-is unless recharge on those AoE abilities was slower for non-mages, which would effectively make them bad choices to take anyway, etc, etc, overall limiting the choices. Pity. Well, maybe just "slower and without so much fluff like exploding bodies and weird leaping" could work as a gameplay option somehow. It'd help keep us tactically-oriented folks mentally in the game.
Constructive Criticism
Débuté par
HawXV2
, mars 15 2011 06:50
Retour en haut
#252
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:23
EugeneBi
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The game was obviously rushed - numeruos bugs, dungeon reuse, etc. I feel cheated. Everything else - if I can change companion look or not - is simply not that important.
Constructive feedback: please, bake up your games appropriately, like you did with DAO.
Constructive feedback: please, bake up your games appropriately, like you did with DAO.
#253
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:25
Arontala22
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Please, remove that idiotic stagger thing that mages and rouges do when getting hit. I've been trying to complete the mission to get Fenris, but those Rage demons will just hit them once, then again, and again, as my mage Hawke and Isabella dance around, unable to do anything, even move. It's probably my main gripe with the game so far. It really isn't needed, and all it does is add artificial difficulty and extreme annoyance.
Another thing that i think could be improved, is the Friendship/Rivalry thing. While it says more than Like/Dislike did, it feels odd in some situations, like when doing something that you would assume one companion would hate, you would merely get rival points. In this aspect, it's merely a re-named Like/Dislike system. To fix this, I would like to propose the idea of having both Like/Dislike, AND Friendship/rivalry systems. This way, you could actually get a good feel for what the other party members thought about you, and they could both feel like two unique concepts, with neither overly ripping off the other.
Another thing that i think could be improved, is the Friendship/Rivalry thing. While it says more than Like/Dislike did, it feels odd in some situations, like when doing something that you would assume one companion would hate, you would merely get rival points. In this aspect, it's merely a re-named Like/Dislike system. To fix this, I would like to propose the idea of having both Like/Dislike, AND Friendship/rivalry systems. This way, you could actually get a good feel for what the other party members thought about you, and they could both feel like two unique concepts, with neither overly ripping off the other.
Modifié par Arontala22, 16 mars 2011 - 02:48 .
#254
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:27
contown
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-The copy/paste dungeons came off as lazy and rushed.
-The combat: A lot of the over-the-top combat animations and exploding bodies just seemed childish, not bad-ass. The more grounded realistic feel of DAO was better. Maybe you could find a balance in between the two styles? Flashy, but still grounded enough to be believable? Also, console player here, having to mash the A button in every fight got tiresome. I think I heard an auto-attack was being patched in, hopefully that's true. And the continuous waves of the same enemies appearing out of thin air got old.
-Not being able to fully customize your companions' gear was dissapointing.
-While the conflict between the mages and templars was well done and it was hard to pick a side, the story lacked direction and a sense of rising action. Also, all of act 1 and the first two thirds of act 3 were just plain dull. It could have been paced better.
-The Merrill romance was poorly executed. One romance scene, they sleep together once, and then they're professing their love for each other and wanting to move in together? That's kind of ridiculous. And Mr. Gaider, I saw your post and I'm sorry, but Twilight's romance is just not good in any way, shape, or form. Please don't use that as an example.
-Isabella, Aveline, and Varric were pretty good, but Anders, Bethany, and Carver had little to no life or personality to them. And Merrill was Liara.
Though having a family around this time was a nice touch, and the companion-companion interaction was nice. (Such as walking in on Varric drinking with Anders, Isabella telling stories to Aveline, etc.) It made the characters seem much more lifelike. In past bioware games, it seemed like your companions never really knew there were other members in the group other than you. I'm glad this was improved, and I hope to see it more in the future.
-The combat: A lot of the over-the-top combat animations and exploding bodies just seemed childish, not bad-ass. The more grounded realistic feel of DAO was better. Maybe you could find a balance in between the two styles? Flashy, but still grounded enough to be believable? Also, console player here, having to mash the A button in every fight got tiresome. I think I heard an auto-attack was being patched in, hopefully that's true. And the continuous waves of the same enemies appearing out of thin air got old.
-Not being able to fully customize your companions' gear was dissapointing.
-While the conflict between the mages and templars was well done and it was hard to pick a side, the story lacked direction and a sense of rising action. Also, all of act 1 and the first two thirds of act 3 were just plain dull. It could have been paced better.
-The Merrill romance was poorly executed. One romance scene, they sleep together once, and then they're professing their love for each other and wanting to move in together? That's kind of ridiculous. And Mr. Gaider, I saw your post and I'm sorry, but Twilight's romance is just not good in any way, shape, or form. Please don't use that as an example.
-Isabella, Aveline, and Varric were pretty good, but Anders, Bethany, and Carver had little to no life or personality to them. And Merrill was Liara.
Though having a family around this time was a nice touch, and the companion-companion interaction was nice. (Such as walking in on Varric drinking with Anders, Isabella telling stories to Aveline, etc.) It made the characters seem much more lifelike. In past bioware games, it seemed like your companions never really knew there were other members in the group other than you. I'm glad this was improved, and I hope to see it more in the future.
Modifié par contown, 16 mars 2011 - 02:39 .
#255
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:29
HawXV2
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EugeneBi wrote...
The game was obviously rushed - numeruos bugs, dungeon reuse, etc. I feel cheated. Everything else - if I can change companion look or not - is simply not that important.
Constructive feedback: please, bake up your games appropriately, like you did with DAO.
Give us details, otherwise you're just "BioWare make it better!"
That doesn't help them with production at all.
#256
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:30
Vamphuntr
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Here are mine :
-Recycled dungeons is one of the big offender here. In ME they were bad but at least there were some real dungeons out there. Only the sidequest had recycled warehouse layouts. In DAII every single dungeons are recycled without even trying to hide it. It really felt shoddy to me.
-I want more exploration. Making the game centered on Kirkwall was a big mistake. After 2 hours I knew the city by heart and didn't feel like there was much to discover. Instead you get to fight thug over and over again in the same boring streets.
-Plot fell flat. Too few story missions and too much emphasis on ridiculous fetch quests. The main story quest didn't feel as epic as the main quest form DAO. On paper Hawke's quest to fame seem to have been written gracefully but the execution here is lacking. His rise to power is only the result of 2 short main story missions. Never really felt connected to Hawke either. The result was a disappointing campaign.
-Don't introduce a final boss out of the blue in the last quarter of the game.
-Bring back party members' armors. It was disappointing to find a nice godly armor plate only to find it's pointless to me because my character is a mage.
-What was the point of Flemmeth in the game? She absolutely had next to no role to play and yet you hyped her as she was important to the plot.
-Recycled dungeons is one of the big offender here. In ME they were bad but at least there were some real dungeons out there. Only the sidequest had recycled warehouse layouts. In DAII every single dungeons are recycled without even trying to hide it. It really felt shoddy to me.
-I want more exploration. Making the game centered on Kirkwall was a big mistake. After 2 hours I knew the city by heart and didn't feel like there was much to discover. Instead you get to fight thug over and over again in the same boring streets.
-Plot fell flat. Too few story missions and too much emphasis on ridiculous fetch quests. The main story quest didn't feel as epic as the main quest form DAO. On paper Hawke's quest to fame seem to have been written gracefully but the execution here is lacking. His rise to power is only the result of 2 short main story missions. Never really felt connected to Hawke either. The result was a disappointing campaign.
-Don't introduce a final boss out of the blue in the last quarter of the game.
-Bring back party members' armors. It was disappointing to find a nice godly armor plate only to find it's pointless to me because my character is a mage.
-What was the point of Flemmeth in the game? She absolutely had next to no role to play and yet you hyped her as she was important to the plot.
#257
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:35
Quionic
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1) The old level up system. I don't like the new one. I decided not to be a rogue because of it (I didn't like the fact that I had to use my points on cunning (10) just to unlock....)
2)get more dungeon
3) I wanted to play Dragon Age, not Dragon Effect (Mass Effect players will know what I mean).
2)get more dungeon
3) I wanted to play Dragon Age, not Dragon Effect (Mass Effect players will know what I mean).
#258
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:37
Noodlewidagun
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For fear of getting flamed to oblivion.. despite it's balding frustration, i actually like nightmare.. and the long heal CD's, makes you think of more than just using heals to stay alive and get past tough fights. thanks for breaking the mold in that respect!
#259
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:39
IrishSpectre257
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I liked mostly everything about this game. The gameplay was great, the art drction was much more unqiue than Origins, and the writing was just as good, if not better.
Criticisms:
-Like everyone else, the recycled dungeons bothered me. Please don't repeat yourselves while developing DLC. There is nothing worse than paying for content that you already partially own (like how Origins DLC mostly recycled areas from the full game.)
-Junk items. What is the point? They were barely worth anything, and looting a corpse or chest only to find some junk is a complete waste of time.
-Kirkwall felt too small and empty. Considering that we spend the entire game in and around Kirkwall, 4 small districts isn't enough. There is a noticeable lack of ambient noise. This is supposed to be a bustling city, but our party banter echoes like it's a ghost town.
-Kirkwall barely physically changed over the course of 7 years. The only thing I noticed was a statue of Hawke after becoming the Champion.
Criticisms:
-Like everyone else, the recycled dungeons bothered me. Please don't repeat yourselves while developing DLC. There is nothing worse than paying for content that you already partially own (like how Origins DLC mostly recycled areas from the full game.)
-Junk items. What is the point? They were barely worth anything, and looting a corpse or chest only to find some junk is a complete waste of time.
-Kirkwall felt too small and empty. Considering that we spend the entire game in and around Kirkwall, 4 small districts isn't enough. There is a noticeable lack of ambient noise. This is supposed to be a bustling city, but our party banter echoes like it's a ghost town.
-Kirkwall barely physically changed over the course of 7 years. The only thing I noticed was a statue of Hawke after becoming the Champion.
Modifié par IrishSpectre257, 16 mars 2011 - 02:49 .
#260
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:45
Sen4lifE
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Enemy encounters
Why do they randomly appear? In Origins, you guys had it perfectly. Behind a door they would come streaming, or when you turn the corner, bam! Darkspawn! Now, they just...apear. Literally. I've defeated many a wave quickly, just to see a warrior phase through like Star Trek! Very immersion breaking.
Though you might not have noticed, this did happen in the original Dragon Age, also. I definately noticed at the end in the final battle, where I very quickly killed the darkspawn, waiting 10-20 seconds, and saw the new men get "beamed down." Doesn't really bother me, TBH.
#261
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:48
Destrega
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One thing that i noticed about DA2 is that almost all the fights felt like "Trash mob" fights, where they were just in the way of you achieving the goal instead of something you had to overcome. I think that fights could have been made less commonplace but each fight feel more important with difficulty/rewards adjusted appropriately.
That concept can also be carried over to itemization, you went halfway with the removal of party members armor so why go halfway with me still having to deal with a ton of garbage to sort through in my inventory? Either have it like origins where i can use the drops more, or make it so when you do find loot its actually loot and not junk or some crappy ring that you have 10 of already. Touching on that, loot tables don't seem to be set up quite right. Especially locked boxes.
That concept can also be carried over to itemization, you went halfway with the removal of party members armor so why go halfway with me still having to deal with a ton of garbage to sort through in my inventory? Either have it like origins where i can use the drops more, or make it so when you do find loot its actually loot and not junk or some crappy ring that you have 10 of already. Touching on that, loot tables don't seem to be set up quite right. Especially locked boxes.
Modifié par Destrega, 16 mars 2011 - 02:52 .
#262
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:49
Ellestor
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While I agree, criticals in Origins also resulted in explosions, so I'm not sure why this keeps getting brought up only now.HawXV2 wrote...
Enemy deaths
Some of these are just ludicrous. I stab a guy in the back and he explodes? What? This does feel a bit childish, and only leads to more immersion breaking.
Not to mention that in DA2, most reinforcements arrive through the environment, now, such as swinging out of windows, jumping down from rooftops, and so on. The teleporting in occurs much less frequently than in Origins, as far as I've seen, contrary to HawXV2's experience. I wonder if this has something to do with, as you said, how quickly you drop the previous wave.Sen4lifE wrote...
Though you might not have noticed, this did happen in the original Dragon Age, also. I definately noticed at the end in the final battle, where I very quickly killed the darkspawn, waiting 10-20 seconds, and saw the new men get "beamed down." Doesn't really bother me, TBH.Enemy encounters
Why do they randomly appear? In Origins, you guys had it perfectly. Behind a door they would come streaming, or when you turn the corner, bam! Darkspawn! Now, they just...apear. Literally. I've defeated many a wave quickly, just to see a warrior phase through like Star Trek! Very immersion breaking.
Modifié par Ellestor, 16 mars 2011 - 02:56 .
#263
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:54
HawXV2
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Sen4lifE wrote...
Enemy encounters
Why do they randomly appear? In Origins, you guys had it perfectly. Behind a door they would come streaming, or when you turn the corner, bam! Darkspawn! Now, they just...apear. Literally. I've defeated many a wave quickly, just to see a warrior phase through like Star Trek! Very immersion breaking.
Though you might not have noticed, this did happen in the original Dragon Age, also. I definately noticed at the end in the final battle, where I very quickly killed the darkspawn, waiting 10-20 seconds, and saw the new men get "beamed down." Doesn't really bother me, TBH.
Yes, but it was much less commonplace. The only problems I have with it are my mages suddenly in danger, and the fact that they just shouldn't do it.
#264
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:54
Addai
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This may just be teh stupid on my part but I have trouble casting AoE spells. Often the circle just stays there all derpity derp and nothing happens. Someone told me "the cursor needs to be gold to cast" and that seems to be true, but why? It's very tedious. This never happened in Origins that I can recall. (PC version)
Some of the boss battles were too difficult even on Casual. The one that really pounded me into the dust was the high dragon. It seemed like pointless grinding and not tactical, with wave after wave of dragonlings and drakes.
I love the new mage animations and skill trees. The casting feels and looks more appropriate to the type of spell you're using and I really like the physicality of mage fighting. Big win for me.
Even as less than a fan of the voiced PC, the dialogue all blended very well and I didn't notice any glaring "hey I didn't want to say that" moments. I was worried that too much control would be taken over by the PC reacting to situations without my input, but those fears proved mostly unfounded. Sarcastic Hawke made me laugh on more than one occasion. Nicely done.
Varric is genius. That is all.
Some of the boss battles were too difficult even on Casual. The one that really pounded me into the dust was the high dragon. It seemed like pointless grinding and not tactical, with wave after wave of dragonlings and drakes.
I love the new mage animations and skill trees. The casting feels and looks more appropriate to the type of spell you're using and I really like the physicality of mage fighting. Big win for me.
Even as less than a fan of the voiced PC, the dialogue all blended very well and I didn't notice any glaring "hey I didn't want to say that" moments. I was worried that too much control would be taken over by the PC reacting to situations without my input, but those fears proved mostly unfounded. Sarcastic Hawke made me laugh on more than one occasion. Nicely done.
Varric is genius. That is all.
#265
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:55
VanTesla
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I feel more restricted with companions approval/disapproval when it comes to getting the results I want. If I stay in character most would not be friend/rival and their personality matching with class gaming is horrible... I have to do things that I dont want too so I can have them on my good side or bad side. By trying to please or tick some off I am possibly making big choices that effect my end game in a way that will tick me off. I hate having to bring X character just for some points and find out the others are opposite.
I could atleast max approval without going mad in DAO and having to compromise my character to do it. I rather they make it more easy or go back to how it was or give more silly gifts to offset the some one getting ticked for me doing right or wrong. I am not saying to make it easy but just make it where I dont have to have Issy for most of act 1 and two so I can keep her.
I could atleast max approval without going mad in DAO and having to compromise my character to do it. I rather they make it more easy or go back to how it was or give more silly gifts to offset the some one getting ticked for me doing right or wrong. I am not saying to make it easy but just make it where I dont have to have Issy for most of act 1 and two so I can keep her.
#266
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:56
HawXV2
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Ellestor wrote...
While I agree, criticals in Origins also resulted in explosions, so I'm not sure why this keeps getting brought up only now.HawXV2 wrote...
Enemy deaths
Some of these are just ludicrous. I stab a guy in the back and he explodes? What? This does feel a bit childish, and only leads to more immersion breaking.Not to mention that in DA2, most reinforcements arrive through the environment, now, such as swinging out of windows, jumping down from rooftops, and so on. The teleporting in occurs much less frequently than in Origins, as far as I've seen.Sen4lifE wrote...
Though you might not have noticed, this did happen in the original Dragon Age, also. I definately noticed at the end in the final battle, where I very quickly killed the darkspawn, waiting 10-20 seconds, and saw the new men get "beamed down." Doesn't really bother me, TBH.Enemy encounters
Why do they randomly appear? In Origins, you guys had it perfectly. Behind a door they would come streaming, or when you turn the corner, bam! Darkspawn! Now, they just...apear. Literally. I've defeated many a wave quickly, just to see a warrior phase through like Star Trek! Very immersion breaking.
I haven't played Origins in a while, so I can't remember much about the explosions on crits. I don't really remember it, though.
#267
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:57
Sen4lifE
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Combat:
Needs to be a little more realistic. I like the new fast paced combat, though it does distract me from paying attention to health and stamina more now, though that's my fault.
The problem is it looks too.. fantasy like. The leaping 20 feet thing, and the.. it looks like arcade fighting. Keep it nice and flashy, but more believable. And less repetitive. Not just one cycle of basic attacks, attacks need to be a little more.. randomized. Again, it made it look a little too arcade-like.
Clothing:
Yes, I know you get plenty of complaints about it, but I feel like I must add to the pile. Companion clothing. Maybe not let use customize down to the boots and gloves, but like, purchase full body uniforms and stuff. Maybe your companion points out "Oh, this looks nice." and you buy it.
The conversation wheel is nice. There's a lot of positive and negative stuff I can post, but my typing fingers are now criticizing me.
Oh, and too much recycling of icons and dungeons!
Needs to be a little more realistic. I like the new fast paced combat, though it does distract me from paying attention to health and stamina more now, though that's my fault.
The problem is it looks too.. fantasy like. The leaping 20 feet thing, and the.. it looks like arcade fighting. Keep it nice and flashy, but more believable. And less repetitive. Not just one cycle of basic attacks, attacks need to be a little more.. randomized. Again, it made it look a little too arcade-like.
Clothing:
Yes, I know you get plenty of complaints about it, but I feel like I must add to the pile. Companion clothing. Maybe not let use customize down to the boots and gloves, but like, purchase full body uniforms and stuff. Maybe your companion points out "Oh, this looks nice." and you buy it.
The conversation wheel is nice. There's a lot of positive and negative stuff I can post, but my typing fingers are now criticizing me.
Oh, and too much recycling of icons and dungeons!
#268
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 02:59
Evaine Dian
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The good:
+Companions:
I like all of them! They have loads of funny banters with each other and nice quests. And also more interjections than in DA:O, don’t they?
I love how they come visit Hawke's house and leave notes, books and other stuff all over the place. I love that they become friends with each other as well, not just with Hawke and socialise even when Hawke isn’t around. I like it when you get a feeling that they have lives of their own, as well, and not just exist for Hawke.
+ Plot:
I’m neither a fan of the Qunari nor did I care much for the Circle/Templars conflict in DA:O, but somehow by the end of Act 2, I was quite hooked on the story, and even more so in Act 3. In Act 2, I got the feeling that there was something serious going on behind the scenes, but I didn't quite know what. LikedMeredith and the escalation in Act 3! I think Meredith makes for a nice villain and I absolutely adore her visual design. I sincerely hope that this time we'll see where the Warden and Hawke disappeared to, not like in KotOR.
+ Story within the story:
Unreliable narrators are my favourite narrators in books, and I enjoyed it here, too, though you don't see much of it. I forgot all about it and was first confused, then amused when Varric was suddenly alone in his brother's house, single-handedlykilling his guards.
+ Cameos:
The cameos are a bit too clustered and some are a bit cheesy, but I enjoyed every single one of them. I didn’t expect Cullen to reappear, let alone play such a big role!
+ Importing a save game from DA:O:
I just loved the references to the Warden!
+ Codex:
So much better! DA:O’s codex gave me a headache, which was really sad as I was very interested in the DA setting.
Good ideas, flawed implementation:
* Timespan:
Good concept with much potential, but not done well. The places look identical and so do the people. As the setting of the whole game in Kirkwall is so very limited, you could have put more effort in depicting those seven years realistically, people aging/reproducing/leaving/dying, something, anything. (I liked the idea somebody mentioned here of having one big building started in the year 1 and completed by year 7, as an indicator of time).
There are elements of change like Aveline and Donnic getting together, but my immersion suffers when I can ask Donnic if he's alright THREE YEARS after he was ambushed, and this is just one of many instances.
* Romances:
The romances in BG2 were the reason why I got hooked on your games so much back in the olden days, and they were certainly nice in DA:O, but in DA2, they are lacking in content.
The long timeframe offers so much potential, but the way it is now it isn’t working for me. So you meet, flirt a little, but don’t really get to know each other. Three years later you still haven’t even kissed. Then you suddenly end up in bed, and cut to Act 3, again three years later. You’ve skipped all the exciting parts of getting to know each other, falling in love, etc. and fast-forwarded to three years in, when routine has kicked in and you're sick of his not loading the dishwasher properly and leaving used dental floss all over the place. And you don't even get the good parts of a long-term relationship, like trust, shared experiences, a feeling of comfort.
I’m notsaying the romances are bad, not at all. There are some beautiful moments in Anders’s romance, and it’s very moving and scary to have to watch him losing it, but I’d just love to see more content, there were just so very few romance related talks. I’d prefer fewer, but more fleshed out romances.
*Initiating dialogues with your companions:
I hate that you can’t just talk to your companions whenever you want to, but have to wait until they have a quest and are in their houses. The houses per se are a very nice touch, I just wish there was also different stuff you talk about on the road.
* Area design:
Not bad per se, especially Lowtown looks beautiful when you look up (love those long hangings between the buildings), but the recycled caves and warehouses got on my nerves.
* Dialogue wheel:
Having a voiced PC is very nice for a change, I’m a big sucker for voice-acting, but I don’t like that it’s immediately obvious by the hearts which replies are the flirty ones. I like a challenge!
* Inventory:
Neater, but very dumbed down. No quest items, no ingredients and no proper icons for random
junk. I’m obsessed with loot and I want it to look nice.
*Visual companion design:
I love that every character has a distinct set of clothes matching their backgrounds, but I’d love it if the upgrades you can do were in any way visible, or if they changed their clothes in the next Act. The romance/quest related changes aren’t enough I think.
The bad:
- Combat:
Chopped of body parts flying all over the place (is that Varric's imagination?). Waves of enemies appearing out of thin air. But I liked the slave statues come climbing down, that looked cool.
Combat isn't super easy, but... I don't know, it just got very boring very quickly. I got into a routine very fast and didn’t really have to think about what I was doing, as the routine worked for every type of enemy. I ended up clicking brainlessly just to get it over with. I think the combos you could do in DA:O were much better. Also, I’d prefer friendly fire on lower difficulty settings.
- Clipping:
Bad, bad clipping everywhere, especially on eyebrows. You could see Hawke's hair coming out of the back of her cowl half the time and some of the mage staffs with blades cut off her feet when walking.
Edit: Woops, wonky formating, sorry.
+Companions:
I like all of them! They have loads of funny banters with each other and nice quests. And also more interjections than in DA:O, don’t they?
I love how they come visit Hawke's house and leave notes, books and other stuff all over the place. I love that they become friends with each other as well, not just with Hawke and socialise even when Hawke isn’t around. I like it when you get a feeling that they have lives of their own, as well, and not just exist for Hawke.
+ Plot:
I’m neither a fan of the Qunari nor did I care much for the Circle/Templars conflict in DA:O, but somehow by the end of Act 2, I was quite hooked on the story, and even more so in Act 3. In Act 2, I got the feeling that there was something serious going on behind the scenes, but I didn't quite know what. LikedMeredith and the escalation in Act 3! I think Meredith makes for a nice villain and I absolutely adore her visual design. I sincerely hope that this time we'll see where the Warden and Hawke disappeared to, not like in KotOR.
+ Story within the story:
Unreliable narrators are my favourite narrators in books, and I enjoyed it here, too, though you don't see much of it. I forgot all about it and was first confused, then amused when Varric was suddenly alone in his brother's house, single-handedlykilling his guards.
+ Cameos:
The cameos are a bit too clustered and some are a bit cheesy, but I enjoyed every single one of them. I didn’t expect Cullen to reappear, let alone play such a big role!
+ Importing a save game from DA:O:
I just loved the references to the Warden!
+ Codex:
So much better! DA:O’s codex gave me a headache, which was really sad as I was very interested in the DA setting.
Good ideas, flawed implementation:
* Timespan:
Good concept with much potential, but not done well. The places look identical and so do the people. As the setting of the whole game in Kirkwall is so very limited, you could have put more effort in depicting those seven years realistically, people aging/reproducing/leaving/dying, something, anything. (I liked the idea somebody mentioned here of having one big building started in the year 1 and completed by year 7, as an indicator of time).
There are elements of change like Aveline and Donnic getting together, but my immersion suffers when I can ask Donnic if he's alright THREE YEARS after he was ambushed, and this is just one of many instances.
* Romances:
The romances in BG2 were the reason why I got hooked on your games so much back in the olden days, and they were certainly nice in DA:O, but in DA2, they are lacking in content.
The long timeframe offers so much potential, but the way it is now it isn’t working for me. So you meet, flirt a little, but don’t really get to know each other. Three years later you still haven’t even kissed. Then you suddenly end up in bed, and cut to Act 3, again three years later. You’ve skipped all the exciting parts of getting to know each other, falling in love, etc. and fast-forwarded to three years in, when routine has kicked in and you're sick of his not loading the dishwasher properly and leaving used dental floss all over the place. And you don't even get the good parts of a long-term relationship, like trust, shared experiences, a feeling of comfort.
I’m notsaying the romances are bad, not at all. There are some beautiful moments in Anders’s romance, and it’s very moving and scary to have to watch him losing it, but I’d just love to see more content, there were just so very few romance related talks. I’d prefer fewer, but more fleshed out romances.
*Initiating dialogues with your companions:
I hate that you can’t just talk to your companions whenever you want to, but have to wait until they have a quest and are in their houses. The houses per se are a very nice touch, I just wish there was also different stuff you talk about on the road.
* Area design:
Not bad per se, especially Lowtown looks beautiful when you look up (love those long hangings between the buildings), but the recycled caves and warehouses got on my nerves.
* Dialogue wheel:
Having a voiced PC is very nice for a change, I’m a big sucker for voice-acting, but I don’t like that it’s immediately obvious by the hearts which replies are the flirty ones. I like a challenge!
* Inventory:
Neater, but very dumbed down. No quest items, no ingredients and no proper icons for random
junk. I’m obsessed with loot and I want it to look nice.
*Visual companion design:
I love that every character has a distinct set of clothes matching their backgrounds, but I’d love it if the upgrades you can do were in any way visible, or if they changed their clothes in the next Act. The romance/quest related changes aren’t enough I think.
The bad:
- Combat:
Chopped of body parts flying all over the place (is that Varric's imagination?). Waves of enemies appearing out of thin air. But I liked the slave statues come climbing down, that looked cool.
Combat isn't super easy, but... I don't know, it just got very boring very quickly. I got into a routine very fast and didn’t really have to think about what I was doing, as the routine worked for every type of enemy. I ended up clicking brainlessly just to get it over with. I think the combos you could do in DA:O were much better. Also, I’d prefer friendly fire on lower difficulty settings.
- Clipping:
Bad, bad clipping everywhere, especially on eyebrows. You could see Hawke's hair coming out of the back of her cowl half the time and some of the mage staffs with blades cut off her feet when walking.
Edit: Woops, wonky formating, sorry.
Modifié par Evaine Dian, 16 mars 2011 - 03:24 .
#269
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 03:00
Ellestor
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Mayme I'm mistaken about it happening for every critical, but I definitely had a lot of exploding darkspawn.HawXV2 wrote...
I haven't played Origins in a while, so I can't remember much about the explosions on crits. I don't really remember it, though.
#270
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 03:01
lltoon
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HawXV2 wrote...
Arcane Warrior
Where is it? Hmm? This is the only thing that had me shaking my head at you, Bio! This was my favorite build! How could you? Nothing is better than weilding the force of magic as power in your hands. Put in this spec, and we'll be happy campers. ;D
Just a minor note I'd thought you need to know about Arcane Warrior. In DA:O you were taught the spec by a spirit that was trapped in a container. It promised to teach you a long forgotten elven skill of Arcane Warriors. After it has done so, you let it free.
Having Hawke know of Arcane warrior specs would conflict with the lore since the only person who can possibly know of it is now the Hero of Ferelden.
#271
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 03:02
pwnjuicesucka
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Well they did more things right in DA2 then they did wrong so I feel bad only listing my complaints. Combat, Story and Dialogue I feel were all improved although I do wish we had more interaction with our companions to let us know a little bit more about them and their history. (like another poster said Isabella talking about life at see ) and I also like that it isn´t always obvious what option is going to give you friendship points and what option is going to give you rivalry points.
So my most MAJOR complaint is the lack of customization. I want to be able to fit my companions with whatever or at least give the companions alot more options with their armor. I also miss being able to pick between Elf, Dwarf or Human.
Aside from that the same old complaints as have already been listed with the re-used dungeons and enemy spawning out of thin air.
Oh and they are better but the skill trees I feel STILL need to be tweaked. It seems like there is always a skill purposely created and put in a tree just to block me from getting to the ones I want.
So my most MAJOR complaint is the lack of customization. I want to be able to fit my companions with whatever or at least give the companions alot more options with their armor. I also miss being able to pick between Elf, Dwarf or Human.
Aside from that the same old complaints as have already been listed with the re-used dungeons and enemy spawning out of thin air.
Oh and they are better but the skill trees I feel STILL need to be tweaked. It seems like there is always a skill purposely created and put in a tree just to block me from getting to the ones I want.
#272
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 03:03
HawXV2
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lltoon wrote...
HawXV2 wrote...
Arcane Warrior
Where is it? Hmm? This is the only thing that had me shaking my head at you, Bio! This was my favorite build! How could you? Nothing is better than weilding the force of magic as power in your hands. Put in this spec, and we'll be happy campers. ;D
Just a minor note I'd thought you need to know about Arcane Warrior. In DA:O you were taught the spec by a spirit that was trapped in a container. It promised to teach you a long forgotten elven skill of Arcane Warriors. After it has done so, you let it free.
Having Hawke know of Arcane warrior specs would conflict with the lore since the only person who can possibly know of it is now the Hero of Ferelden.
Oh, great point! Removing it immediately.
#273
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 03:05
pwnjuicesucka
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OHHH I can´t believe I forgot...THE ELVES!!! What the HELL??? Elves have been replaced with Rat-Faced people???
#274
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 03:05
Noodlewidagun
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lltoon wrote...
HawXV2 wrote...
Arcane Warrior
Where is it? Hmm? This is the only thing that had me shaking my head at you, Bio! This was my favorite build! How could you? Nothing is better than weilding the force of magic as power in your hands. Put in this spec, and we'll be happy campers. ;D
Just a minor note I'd thought you need to know about Arcane Warrior. In DA:O you were taught the spec by a spirit that was trapped in a container. It promised to teach you a long forgotten elven skill of Arcane Warriors. After it has done so, you let it free.
Having Hawke know of Arcane warrior specs would conflict with the lore since the only person who can possibly know of it is now the Hero of Ferelden.
not to mention Arcane Warrior was hopelessly OP...
#275
Posté 16 mars 2011 - 03:08
Sen4lifE
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lltoon wrote...
HawXV2 wrote...
Arcane Warrior
Where is it? Hmm? This is the only thing that had me shaking my head at you, Bio! This was my favorite build! How could you? Nothing is better than weilding the force of magic as power in your hands. Put in this spec, and we'll be happy campers. ;D
Just a minor note I'd thought you need to know about Arcane Warrior. In DA:O you were taught the spec by a spirit that was trapped in a container. It promised to teach you a long forgotten elven skill of Arcane Warriors. After it has done so, you let it free.
Having Hawke know of Arcane warrior specs would conflict with the lore since the only person who can possibly know of it is now the Hero of Ferelden.
They could have implemented a way of him finding it out.
Another positive
The option to hide your helmet. This was a big one for me! The stats from the helmets were imparative at some points, but using a helmet could just well, ruin it for you really. Being able to control that was a plus in my opinion.
