This is my second post, my first being way back on page 62. I have played 2 characters up to level 15 and I feel the need to rant alittle bit. Sorry if I appear to be angry, well I am angry.
I am not going to rant about the controls because I gave in to their way of playing and bought a controller, shame on me. My thinking was if I could atleast play the game maybe it would be worth my using a controller. Unfortunately the longer I play the more disappointted I become.
This game is just designed badly. They seemed have lost the focus of what a good rpg game really is, story, challenge, purpose, reward, satisfaction...
These focused on scenery, crafting, large areas, gathering...
The game doesn't feel like there is any balance.
There are lord knows how many cutscenes in this game, but they couldn't add one at the beginning to gave your character some kind of back story. It is lazy to just jump into a story like that. DA:O was the only game in this series to get it right. It was one of the things that really hooked me when I first played it. If I were to have DM'd games like this back ib the day no one would have wanted to play. I wanted players to have a good back story, and that determined how their characters would reacted. They have done away with the principle of character alignment. Let's face it these games are no more than everybody is a theif. The main purpose is to take what ever you want when ever you want. You are the "Choosen One" which means when you enter someones house you may just take all their stuff. That's lazy story telling. It is one thing to loot your fallen foes but not common folks. And your companions should react to your actions in turn. A rogue might be okay with it but most anyone else should question your motives.
Remember how everyone complained about DA2 reusing areas, well this game is reusing characters. Not enough imagination to come up with new characters. I know alot of people wanted some of the characters to return but really they went alittle too far in my opinion.
What is an open world? I mean you can't just go anywhere you want right off the bat. I actually see more restrictions to areas in this layout than the other games. The other games restricted some areas but here you must earn power points to open areas. I've heard that it means that if you go to the wrong area too soon you won't be high enough level to survive. But if it is story related it tells you what levels you should be. I think what it really means is, an area with really bad mini-maps and travel that gives me a headache. Lord just going from one point to another can be so frustrating. Come on these maps really are bad. And the underground maps are even worse, they look like they were drawn by a pre-schooler. One of the reasons this game can take 100 plus hours to play is that it might take that long to go from one spot on the map to another. I found a couple of maps to areas but they're not maps persay, crude drawings would be a better term.
So basically they forwent a really good story with more over all purpose to a hunter gather and make shiny stuff story. Please this is simple stuff I am referring to. Your main misssion should not be collecting rocks and roots. That is what your folllowers should doing instead of hanging out at your stronghold doing nothing. You are the "Choosen One." And crafting is fine but don't make it such a big part of the game. I much perfer to win really good stuff from combat. I have played for 15 levels and really don't find much stuff better than what I already have. I have a master smith that can't make a weapon without a pattern to go by, please give a break.
All in all this game is not even close to what DA:O was. Yeah you can jump, big deal, you can ride a horse that apparently has no saddlebags for carrying more stuff, you can craft to your hearts content, you have lots of pretty scenery to look at if you can play on those settings without crashing your computer, and so on and so on...
My only advice to bioware is to go back to what brought to the dance, compelling, rich, indepth storytelling. Bells and whistles are nice but a good story and rewarding battles are what makes a Great RPG game.
This could have been a truly great game if only you would have better priorities, Game controls, abilities, indepth story, meaningful quests, page layouts (inventory, character), etc...
Something to think about if anyone at Bioware reads this, a writer does not always write a story the way they think is the best, they write it the way they think the reader thinks it's the best.
Just my opinions, thanks for listening