157 réponses à ce sujet

[Denlath Vestor]

WaltC wrote...


BTW, I spoke with your boss, the Senior RPG Wizard-in-Chief, and he agrees with me that you probably should have waited on the reviews--as in plural--before buying the game and finding it lacking.  He says he's quite satisfied with the game, actually.

ZING!
DOH!

[Survalli]

[quote]The length is filled with well thought out dialogue and obstacles, well thought out as in, made you think you were choosing your own course and making your own choices. Your not. /quote]

the next gen games need to deal with this problem..games are too linear.  content and paths are forced.   i agree with this post 100 percent. 

[Spaceweed10]

chiliztri wrote...

TL;DR

Enchantment?

This ^^.

[EncasedMeats]

TheChemicals wrote...
[*]I did give specific examples to every claim and those same issues are addressed in the tech support section. Use the search engine and youll see.

No, you didn't. You mention many frustrations with the game. Some that I suspect I share (2H feeling slow, many useless-seeming abilities, unpredictable dialog options that lead to phat lewtz or complete failure) but I can't tell because you didn't actually say what they were.

Also, what's this about using the search engine to understand your argument? Please don't make readers do that. They won't.

Youy did mention that you didn't like the way the game is structured but I have to tell you, those of us who like these kinds of games used to get a few every year. Now we get one every few years. This, as you may have guessed from some of my fellow posters' responses, is not sufficient.

A post like yours feels incomplete because I'm left wondering what it is that you're *really* upset about.  The niggles I have with the game don't make me feel the way you seem to be feeling, which is not to say that you and I couldn't have the same experience and come out of it feeling very differently. I just can't tell with the information you've given me.

I am not trying to be disrespectful here, just trying to help you in your future writng endeavors.

[iGaming]

[quote]Survalli wrote...

[quote]The length is filled with well thought out dialogue and obstacles, well thought out as in, made you think you were choosing your own course and making your own choices. Your not. /quote]

the next gen games need to deal with this problem..games are too linear.  content and paths are forced.   i agree with this post 100 percent. 

[/quote]

We are seemingly a minority, being that it's just action oriented rpgs coming out nowadays. And you might have already noticed the people complaining about DA having too much dialogue...

[Fluffykeith]

I read the OP, and didn't agree with it, but in fairness I decided to reread it just to go over his points again.



Unfortunately all I could see on the page was "Waaaaaa!!!! Waaaaaa!!!! Waaaaaa!!!! Waaaaaa!!!!"



So I suggest giving him some cheese to go with his whine.

[Duck and Cover]

wow (to the op story) I wonder if we are playing the same game.



I wonder which sustained abilities he says are broke. I wish he was more specific on what spells aren't working. Without a combat log (still on my wish list) I have no way of determining what is broke. Unless I pause the game every few seconds record the numbers and do some number crunching (not gonna happen).



He's right on the characters they are good. Though I'm not so sure they are the best bioware has done. I actually seem to like the characters in Knights of the Old Republic better. But that's just me. There are certain things that are better with these characters, however.



Didn't like the story? This is where I question if he's playing the same game I am. It was a great story. The whole Grey Warden thing is incredibly interesting. I also find the magic lore interesting. And the Fade. Who doesn't think a thing like the black city isn't cool? My only minor complaint is you only save Fereldan and not the entire world. Considering they built the lore from scratch (and in only a couple years unlike things like Warcraft which has over a decade to build up their lore), I think they did a fantastic job with story and lore.



I will agree with him partially on DLC. It sucks in just about every way. It's a scam to get power gamers who want gear and/or abilities. It adds nearly nothing to the story and has no epicness. I want an epic expansion like Mask of the Betrayer, or Hordes of the Underdark. Not a cheesy small area contained within the storyline of the main game. I will gladly pay for an expansion, not the crap that is Wardens keep.

[jasonirma]

I thought the OP's thoughts were well constructed, even if I disagree. It actually was an interesting read.

I wish to offer a couple of points of my own, only because I can .

***No story is original. George Polti and Carlos Gozzi concluded separately that there are exactly 36 dramatic situations into which characters in any drama can interact. Only 36. Therefore, all stories incorporate one of these 36 elements. You can see these here: http://en.wikipedia....tic_Situations. Now what's important here is to echo that there are no original ideas in any story. HOWEVER, how you weave those dramatic elements is what makes a story unique. To that end, BW has done an amazing job of placing a series of conflicts, betrayals, choices, and interactions in a surprisingly cohesive plot unlike any I've experienced. I'm not a fanboi (a copout used by those who hate the game to explain the reasons people like the game). I read avidly, am well versed in literature, and in my mind, this is on the order of an incredibly well written novel with butter and waffles on top. Here's to hoping someday BW will invent a game with a 37th dramatic element so that "unoriginal" can never again be thrown against these forums' walls .

****Amazingly, life tends to proceed as the OP stated was untrue about this story. He stated that only 10% of choices change the plot "originally", and generally only if shocking lapses in mental status have the floor. To that end, I would argue 90% of life occurs without choice. You breathe, defecate, urinate, have cardiac output, defecate, and defecate all without choice. It just happens. Most people get up at roughly the same time of day, repeat tasks they do daily on a subconsious level (N.B., see defecate above). Choices, actual choices, are few against the volume of things you end up getting to decide IRL. Now, since a videogame is a contrived story, most of the background of the game is likewise contrived. Most of the story has to play out with a common theme. Too many choices will lead to an untenable game. Oblivion was okay--even had things that made it wonderful. But the problem is that everything came down to either completing a relatively short story or taking generic side quests in beautiful locations. DA:O, however, is a solid story told without much freedom. Given the choice, I definitely prefer the latter.

****I'm uncertain how the game failed to live up to expectations for some, but understand we're all different. That said, the gameplay was better to me than I could have hoped for. Some of the stuff I'd have preferred, like a combat log, are fluff on a solid game that just feels right. It's strategic, fun to watch (I love some of the incredibly cool finishing moves) with a good pace. Yet, I find that so many people are dissatisfied with it for a number of reasons (often vaguely worded). Were people expecting to see a game as staggering as the TV commercials? Going to IGN.com provided an incredible amount of prepurchase prerelease footage and backdrop to show how the game would play out. It's hard to think people couldn't have made an informed decision due to "lies". If anything, I found that the amount of information provided me MORE than ample decision making on the purchase. I got to a point where I COULDN'T watch anymore for fear of ruining some of the surprises or plots. I also, FWIW, don't ever skip down a page when reading even when a plot twist is so evidently a paragraph away, nor will I ever read the last page of a book first (a la my wife).

****Anyone who was paying attention to the OP's sentiments would know that HE LIKED THE GAME...he just felt it wasn't ready for primetime. That said, I'm inclined to think of his review as a weird "backwards complement", sort of like saying, "Yes honey...you look nice....this time." It's a complement, but it isn't. And that's sort of the way it was written.

****Okay---waffles for all.  But, where DLC is concerned, what can I say?  Do you want a company to keep making games you like?  Huge episodic releases like sequels cost a HUGE amount of money.  Not only is DLC more financially attractive to the companies because they can continue to fund ongoing, continuously improving games, and even fund new games without taking an equity risk, but they also soak up a bit of the one-time payment costs charged for epic releases (MW2 anyone?).  I cannot accept that DLC is unfair, is a a quasi-subscription, or that it sucks.  It's not required, if you're so tempted to sample the product, but feel it's unreasonable to pay $5-7 for it, then don't.  For an MMO, subscription required, or you're character's toast.  That's life.  But I still think this is the best deal going in the gaming industry now.

****I'm having a hard time finding any Yahoo game of any caliber even remotely close to DA:O.  Can you please put up a link...because I want that free content.  I'm thinking that's not going to happen, though.  It's noteworthy that people who argue that there are free games out there are missing a lot of points.  Almost never does someone truly create a free game.  Frequently programmers may want to use a free-to-play game as a resume item.  Some people just like to code for fun.  But something as intricate as creating a tangible lore such as in DA:O really is not reality.  Please don't even think about countering unless someone has a link to a totally free equivalent game with voice acting, 3D modeling, etc.  If you do have one: I want it .

Reply complete.

Modifié par jasonirma, 24 novembre 2009 - 10:43 .

[Survalli]

im glad so many people are flaming this guy...it means people will buy RPG again no matter what the quality is. this means continued funding of RPGS. in all seriousness. this is the weaker of the 5 games in its "family." this is probably the first RPG ive ever played where it felt like loot/gear was meaningless.

Kotor
Jade Empire
Mass Effect
Kotor II
Dragon Age

Modifié par Survalli, 24 novembre 2009 - 10:37 .

[igniteip]

The Original Poster said that DAO is no good but compare to what? I would understand if one would compare to the BG series. I think with any measurement there has to be something by which it is measured against. Please give specific examples. And for Maker's sake, don't compare DAO to an FPS marketed as an RPG or an MMO marketed as an RPG because that is just slander on a genre that many of us grown up with and love.

[addiction21]

jasonirma wrote...


***No story is original. George Polti and Carlos Gozzi concluded separately that there are exactly 36 dramatic situations into which characters in any drama can interact. Only 36. Therefore, all stories incorporate one of these 36 elements. You can see these here: http://en.wikipedia....tic_Situations. Now what's important here is to echo that there are no original ideas in any story. HOWEVER, how you weave those dramatic elements is what makes a story unique. To that end, BW has done an amazing job of placing a series of conflicts, betrayals, choices, and interactions in a surprisingly cohesive plot unlike any I've experienced. I'm not a fanboi (a copout used by those who hate the game to explain the reasons people like the game). I read avidly, am well versed in literature, and in my mind, this is on the order of an incredibly well written novel with butter and waffles on top. Here's to hoping someday BW will invent a game with a 37th dramatic element so that "unoriginal" can never again be thrown against these forums' walls .


****Okay---waffles for all.

First.  I am stealing this paragraph because I have never been able to put it in such a eloquent way.
Second. I hand out the waffles around here GOT IT?!?!!

Heres your waffle

[DecKai]

Hm, I don´t understand why people are upset with "..Elves live in forests, dwarves live underground.." thats the way Elves and Dwarfs are. Its the same as with Ice Cream, you want your Chocolate Ice Cream taste like chocolate, sure you can add Vanilla sauce or nuss splitt.. but it still will be Chocolate Ice Cream... if it would taste like bananas you wouldn´t call it chololate Ice Cream ?!..... and that´s what Bioware did. They used Elves and Dwarf we know and added things to add some variety, like the ex-Slave Elves or the cast-system for the Dwarfs.



And now excuse me.. I need some Ice Cream

[AshedMan]

To quote The Dude, "That's just like your opinion man."

[TheChemicals]

jasonirma wrote...

I thought the OP's thoughts were well constructed, even if I disagree. It actually was an interesting read.

I wish to offer a couple of points of my own, only because I can .

***No story is original. George Polti and Carlos Gozzi concluded separately that there are exactly 36 dramatic situations into which characters in any drama can interact. Only 36. Therefore, all stories incorporate one of these 36 elements. You can see these here: http://en.wikipedia....tic_Situations. Now what's important here is to echo that there are no original ideas in any story. HOWEVER, how you weave those dramatic elements is what makes a story unique. To that end, BW has done an amazing job of placing a series of conflicts, betrayals, choices, and interactions in a surprisingly cohesive plot unlike any I've experienced. I'm not a fanboi (a copout used by those who hate the game to explain the reasons people like the game). I read avidly, am well versed in literature, and in my mind, this is on the order of an incredibly well written novel with butter and waffles on top. Here's to hoping someday BW will invent a game with a 37th dramatic element so that "unoriginal" can never again be thrown against these forums' walls .

****Amazingly, life tends to proceed as the OP stated was untrue about this story. He stated that only 10% of choices change the plot "originally", and generally only if shocking lapses in mental status have the floor. To that end, I would argue 90% of life occurs without choice. You breathe, defecate, urinate, have cardiac output, defecate, and defecate all without choice. It just happens. Most people get up at roughly the same time of day, repeat tasks they do daily on a subconsious level (N.B., see defecate above). Choices, actual choices, are few against the volume of things you end up getting to decide IRL. Now, since a videogame is a contrived story, most of the background of the game is likewise contrived. Most of the story has to play out with a common theme. Too many choices will lead to an untenable game. Oblivion was okay--even had things that made it wonderful. But the problem is that everything came down to either completing a relatively short story or taking generic side quests in beautiful locations. DA:O, however, is a solid story told without much freedom. Given the choice, I definitely prefer the latter.

****I'm uncertain how the game failed to live up to expectations for some, but understand we're all different. That said, the gameplay was better to me than I could have hoped for. Some of the stuff I'd have preferred, like a combat log, are fluff on a solid game that just feels right. It's strategic, fun to watch (I love some of the incredibly cool finishing moves) with a good pace. Yet, I find that so many people are dissatisfied with it for a number of reasons (often vaguely worded). Were people expecting to see a game as staggering as the TV commercials? Going to IGN.com provided an incredible amount of prepurchase prerelease footage and backdrop to show how the game would play out. It's hard to think people couldn't have made an informed decision due to "lies". If anything, I found that the amount of information provided me MORE than ample decision making on the purchase. I got to a point where I COULDN'T watch anymore for fear of ruining some of the surprises or plots. I also, FWIW, don't ever skip down a page when reading even when a plot twist is so evidently a paragraph away, nor will I ever read the last page of a book first (a la my wife).

****Anyone who was paying attention to the OP's sentiments would know that HE LIKED THE GAME...he just felt it wasn't ready for primetime. That said, I'm inclined to think of his review as a weird "backwards complement", sort of like saying, "Yes honey...you look nice....this time." It's a complement, but it isn't. And that's sort of the way it was written.

****Okay---waffles for all.  But, where DLC is concerned, what can I say?  Do you want a company to keep making games you like?  Huge episodic releases like sequels cost a HUGE amount of money.  Not only is DLC more financially attractive to the companies because they can continue to fund ongoing, continuously improving games, and even fund new games without taking an equity risk, but they also soak up a bit of the one-time payment costs charged for epic releases (MW2 anyone?).  I cannot accept that DLC is unfair, is a a quasi-subscription, or that it sucks.  It's not required, if you're so tempted to sample the product, but feel it's unreasonable to pay $5-7 for it, then don't.  For an MMO, subscription required, or you're character's toast.  That's life.  But I still think this is the best deal going in the gaming industry now.

****I'm having a hard time finding any Yahoo game of any caliber even remotely close to DA:O.  Can you please put up a link...because I want that free content.  I'm thinking that's not going to happen, though.  It's noteworthy that people who argue that there are free games out there are missing a lot of points.  Almost never does someone truly create a free game.  Frequently programmers may want to use a free-to-play game as a resume item.  Some people just like to code for fun.  But something as intricate as creating a tangible lore such as in DA:O really is not reality.  Please don't even think about countering unless someone has a link to a totally free equivalent game with voice acting, 3D modeling, etc.  If you do have one: I want it .

Reply complete.

you are a very good writer and have some solid points. Thanks for the good read

[jasonirma]

addiction21 wrote...

jasonirma wrote...


***No story is original. George Polti and Carlos Gozzi concluded separately that there are exactly 36 dramatic situations into which characters in any drama can interact. Only 36. Therefore, all stories incorporate one of these 36 elements. You can see these here: http://en.wikipedia....tic_Situations. Now what's important here is to echo that there are no original ideas in any story. HOWEVER, how you weave those dramatic elements is what makes a story unique. To that end, BW has done an amazing job of placing a series of conflicts, betrayals, choices, and interactions in a surprisingly cohesive plot unlike any I've experienced. I'm not a fanboi (a copout used by those who hate the game to explain the reasons people like the game). I read avidly, am well versed in literature, and in my mind, this is on the order of an incredibly well written novel with butter and waffles on top. Here's to hoping someday BW will invent a game with a 37th dramatic element so that "unoriginal" can never again be thrown against these forums' walls .


****Okay---waffles for all.

First.  I am stealing this paragraph because I have never been able to put it in such a eloquent way.
Second. I hand out the waffles around here GOT IT?!?!!

Heres your waffle

YEAH!  I knew if I was witty I'd get one...cherry sauce please

[jasonirma]

TheChemicals wrote...

you are a very good writer and have some solid points. Thanks for the good read

/tips hat and nods respectfully

Well played, sir.

[WaltC]

igniteip wrote...

The Original Poster said that DAO is no good but compare to what? I would understand if one would compare to the BG series. I think with any measurement there has to be something by which it is measured against. Please give specific examples. And for Maker's sake, don't compare DAO to an FPS marketed as an RPG or an MMO marketed as an RPG because that is just slander on a genre that many of us grown up with and love.

The problem is that many people these days don't seem to know what a CRPG is!  Do you remember not so long ago--well, a few years--when people were writing stuff like, "Is the CRPG dead?"  I knew it wasn't.  It's just like reading, "Are PC games done and over?"  Stupid questions--I even got in a debate with some guy on another forum who talked about how he never even thought about PC gaming anymore because *there weren't any!*  I ticked off a long list of games that never made it to a console anywhere--and he shut up rather quickly.  The point is that this is the kind of crap people think.  I agree it's a travesty to see a real CRPG marketed like an "FPS"--but it happens.  I agree it's slur on a genre most of us love--but not talking about the stupid things people think won't better the situation, will it?

Better yet, because DAO is so obviously not an "FPS", and so many people will buy it--that alone ensures that the genre will live long and prosper, imo. And I'm all for it.

[Duck and Cover]

yeah it was a good post. And I didn't realize someone thought the 36 dramatic points out. I have always known every story is just a rehash of the same themes but with different characters and different settings.



Same with comedy. Every joke has been done a million times. What makes a sitcom or comedy funny to me is funny and endearing (or revolting in some cases) characters.



So there are only so many different combinations you can do with plots. And sometimes movies and such try to hard to be "original" and have so many plot twists it gets confusing and even worse, has too many plot holes because of the twists. I'm actually glad there were no major twists in this game. they did that with Kotor (and kotor 2 but that was obsidian).

[DragonRageGT]

TheChemicals wrote...

http://www.escapistm...gon-Age-Origins

this is funny

ROFLMAO! So true... so true!!


Also, people might complain a lot less once they've found

The Secret Cow Level

http://social.biowar...16051218248.jpg

or The Headless & Horseless Horseman

http://social.biowar...14011559373.jpg


(hope the links work... where's the preview??)

=)

[JaegerBane]

0mar wrote...

He has some good points.

Dragon Age's storyline is cookie cutter original. Elves live in forests, dwarves live underground, etc etc. The main human villain is a completely unsympathetic character, willing to go to indefensible extremes.

I'm not really sure how you can label this as unoriginal. It's a bit like saying 'Aliens live in space, how original'. There comes a point where it helps to consider what you're saying. Would you prefer the Elves lived in seashells and Dwarves lived in my pants?

To be brutally honest the treatment of Elves and Dwarves in this game was quite a far cry from many RPGs. I don't remember Dwarves being treated like Protheans from MAss Effect and Elves being treated like slaves all that often.

The overarching villain is completely devoid of character, basically it's another monster to add to your mantle. There are really no major plot twists that weren't foreseeable.

This is a fair point. I did expect the archdemon to be a bit more... uh, how shall I say it.... a bit more like Asmodeus from FR?

Other than the Fade mythos, there's nothing really original about Dragon Age's setting. It's generic fantasy and I suppose that works for most people. I really was expected something a lot more indepth and thought-provoking, especially considering this game took nearly a decade to develop. In the end, the world was nothing we haven't all seen in a dozen different fantasy games.

This is deliberately harsh. There's absolutely no point in making arbitrary distinctions, as effectively what you've said above is 'Aside from the original parts, there is nothing original in this game'. No kidding, Sherlock. That tends to happen when you refuse to consider them.

To be honest, more of this game than not is fairly original when it comes to what RPGs have come before. The treatment of mages, for instance, is substantially different to what I'm used to. 'Undead' play virtually no part in this despite being staples of fantasy, instead being replaced by much more biblical horrors like demonic possesion, and demons themselves are treated much more like amorphous, otherworldy beings then horned bad guys as they normally are.

Pretty much the least original thing about the game is the simple fact it *has* dwarves and elves and demons. Their entire depiction is very different to usual fare.

[Joe Ronimo]

WaltC wrote...

The problem is that many people these days don't seem to know what a CRPG is!

So true.

I concur with the majority of the sensible problems (that others have listed) but a long rant that doesn't provide examples or compare the game to other games makes one wonder about the writer.

[Jensonagain]

SheffSteel wrote...

I got your RPG wizard right here.

 Enchantment!

rofl

[eifel_105]

I'm going to just go and assume that you like the game at least enough to play it right? Then everything I'll say makes sense.

I can honestly say that like many people I almost peed my pants with excitment when I finally held the game in my hands. I can also say that in some ways I was dissapointed, but this was mainly with story elements. I'm not a hardcore RPG player so I have no clue when it comes to combat systems, I kind of just hope they work. I play these games because I love to read and watch movie. This genre lets me become a part of a whole different world then I'm in everyday. It allows me to escape in other words.

Having said that, I can say that the characters are really quite deep and I love all of them, except Howe....not deep at all lol. The story does feel choking in some areas, I can agree with that. I'm finally on my second playthrough and close to completing it; during this experience I haven't deviated too much but that may be my own fault. The story can only go so far though, they spent an extremely long time on this game and in retrospect I got more than what most companies would hand out. I have played other Bioware games and been really dissapointed because I honestly did not care after a certain point. I wanted the world to end just so I wouldn't play anymore..  

Dragon Age is unique though, because I do care and want to save Ferelden from itself. I think that's what makes this game what it is, it finally made me have......feelings.

I speeeke shmart. can i has wafffffles????//

[FatedHeart]

Hmm, id just like to interject a few thigns after reading your post.



From a game design point of view, (something that one of my two degrees are in, just to backup my point to not being 'opinion' but rather industry standard template). Games are there to make money, first and foremost, games houses and producers are there to make cash, if you can make a good enjoyable experience along the way then great.. but it really is just a means to an end.

This therefore means that if theres an avenue to exploit, then exploit it they shall, the market doesnt want "new" it doesnt want "innovative" as those methods of design require chances to be taken and failures to be made before something solid and well recieved is found. This isnt always the option in the current climate, less more so than it ever has been in the past.



The real market is popular well tried methods but done WELL, thats the key area, take fifa, GTA, and halo, all took a standard design template and made it, and made it... and made it.. and people brought it, they paid time and time again for essentially the same game.. that is what is happening here.



Stick to what you know, to expect a different style of game from Bioware is to expect something that doesnt hold a candle to past projects, it doesnt take a genius to realise that with the current success of mass effect and with the current generation of programmers that they employ that DA:O wasnt going to be overly-action based, it was going to have an alternative combat style with lots and lots of talking, which is what was delivered.



Secondly, to think of the game based upon its flaws is setting yourself up for dissapointment, flaws can be overlooked for good gameplay, gameplay that is measured by all aspects, not focusing on one, which DA:O provides. The gameplay takes the compelling and involving lore and gives you the chance to loser yourself within it, sure the dialogue choices are constructed and limited, theres only so far you can go without playing the same storyline over and over again.. but for the first few playthroughs its enough, It may be deciving and it may only be "kidding" you that its different each time, but it is enough, its enough to capture you in and make you feel its different each time.. thats the replayability, the fact that reguardless of the limited mechanics and dialogue options you can play it again and again and have a different experience.

[RampantBeaver]

It's easy to flame this post simply because it centers on a lot of perceived flaws by the OP. Instead I’ve decided to actually pick out the points I agree with or rather try and look at the criticism in a constructive way.



From viewing the commercials for DA:O plus a lot of the media released by Bioware one could be forgiven for thinking its an action RPG. Personally I knew exactly what to expect because I consider myself quite the die-hard fan of Bioware and have experienced, and enjoyed, most of their titles in the past. I could see however some of my more action orientated friends falling into the trap of thinking this is simply going to be like Oblivion.



However in this day and age I consider it common sense to not just decide based on one form of media. Trailers in almost all forms of entertainment can be misleading. The simple answer is if you’re not sure about a game, wait for reviews, and watch as many as you can. This is simply looking after your own interests as a consumer.



I mostly agree with what the OP has said in the second paragraph. Like Mass Effect, regardless of the choices you make, you still end up in the same place. However, thinking practically, asking for the reverse is asking no small feat, especially when a sequel is in the works. Think of the number of story branches that would need to be implemented and then followed through in further titles. DA:O already has countless hours of dialog. What you’re asking for would lead to much more and frankly in today’s world a game that would never be released, or at least, one with no sequels. So in response I say if it adds to the impact of the story then refine away Bioware. After all some linearity has to be sacrificed for a good story line otherwise you risk making choices that bypass the story altogether.



I consider the combat in this game to be far from perfect myself. It’s perhaps too reliant on the D&D rule set and poorly implemented. Making combat very frustrating in places. An example I would give is the frequent missing of targets sometimes even immobile ones and in two of my play throughs it has become impossible to use shale's abilities. However these are my only major gripes and are subject to change if resolved.



One could argue that the entire fantasy genre is based on JRR Tolkien's vision. One could also argue that it sells because it’s familiar and fans relate to elves with bows and dwarfs being underground. I too would welcome that something new, providing it’s as enjoyable, but in the mean time Bioware creates a great original story line in a familiar universe and for that I am grateful.



I hope overall you mostly enjoyed the game, which from reading your post I think you did, even if the story line didn’t blow you away. I personally preferred the Mass Effect story, perhaps for one of the reasons you stated. The fantasy genre has been thoroughly explored and space offers a much larger, more open theatre. Plus the music accompanying the game simply rocks.