Realmzmaster wrote...
CoS Sarah Jinstar wrote...
At the end of the day Bioware had two distinct series, Dragon Age was the throw back to Baldur's gate, Mass Effect was the action game. It's a shame it can't stay that way because EA won't allow longer dev cycles, or less of a focus on things like Day 1 DLC and cutting out chunks of the core game to sell later on.
Why should it stay that way? Why can't Bioware borrow elements from its other games like ME. I for one have no interest in a sci-fi setting since I like medieval fantasy, but certain aspects in the ME series appeals to me. So why cannot those eleemts be adpated to enrich my gameplaying experience in the DA setting? I like the voiced protagonist. The combat for me is better (especially rogue and mage).
A In your opinion DAO is a throw back to BG2. In my opinion it is not. There are too many differences between BG2 and DAO to call DAO a throwback. In fact more differences than between DAO and DA2.
As far as first day dlc sales it does not bother me. I usually pre-order and most if not all the dlc is avaialble for download if you purchase the Collector's or Signature edition. Exiled Priince was available for anyone who bought a new copy. The choice is to buy or not to buy. In fact I finished both DAO and DA2 before downloading either Stone Prisoner or Exiled Prince. Both games completed successfully with out either of the dlc. The games were complete. The buying of any dlc is a choice.
IMO DA2's combat was not tactical. Pause and play did not work any where near how it has in previous Bioware party based RPG's due to how "actioned up" for lack of a better term for it, it became. It's extremely difficult to position members of your party to be effective against an encounter when you have enemies falling out of the sky on top of them.
As an example, you send your tank in first, and keep your mage in the back picking off targets and laying down spells and crowd control from afar. A couple enemies are dispatched and you look down to see your mage surrounded and half dead because 4 more enemies spawned out of thin air on top of her. So not only are you fighting the camera and DA2's absolutely horrendous path finding, to send in assistance or relocate your mage, since you can no longer zoom out to an clear, concise over view of the battle, the tactical approach itself gives way to spaming health pots/heals and the battle becomes a frantic button masher action game.
Bioware themselves called DA:O A spiritial successor to Baldur's Gate before they shifted the marketing to heavy Marilyn Manson type rock and blood splatter. When the dev team themselves calls something a throw back, which they did many many times, how is it not? DA:O had all the trappings of past classic Bioware RPG's. Full party customization, multiple endings based on (and this is a big one) player choice. Specialization unlocks based on your actions during the course of the game, distinct visual customization, tons of side quests that didn't all consist of recycled areas and fed ex quests. Multiple races to choose from for your PC, elves, dwarves etc.
Where as DA2, much like ME, forces you to be human. And forces you into a set protagonist and uses the dreaded conversation wheel/paraphrase guess system. I think it's pretty safe to say Origins has alot more in common with a Baldur's Gate than DA:Kirkwall Edition ever could.
I don't hate DLC, I perfer full fledged expansion packs since I feel they give more value for the money. I would say Javik is pretty integral to the ME story, yet he was stripped to sell as DLC, ME3 doesn't have many companions to begin with compared to the previous two titles in the series, remove Javik and you're left with what 4? 5 tops? Ashley and Kaiden technically counting as one since you can't have both at the same time.
While Shale and Sebastian were less so, it's still removing planned companions to dangle as a carrot to get players to spend more. Shale was originally part of the core game, they miraculously found a way to get her path finding working to sell her day 1, fancy that.
I'd much rather they add larger quest chains as DLC, not strip out companions. Ultimately I'd perfer Tales of the Sword Coast, or Throne of Bhall type expansions in the first place but I understand the reality of a industry that has been over taken by pure greed on the publisher's end the last few years.
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