14 réponses à ce sujet

[ashwind]

Many hold the opinion that DA:I has underwhelming side quests and I will say that they are mostly right. Many compares side quests from The Elder Scrolls series to Dragon Age Inquisition and claim that TES generally has far superior sides quests. Again I absolutely agree.

 

For those who are not familiar with TES side quests, I will try to give some of my favourite TES side quests as examples and hopefully Bioware will consider some of these ideas in the future.

 

In TES, the interesting side quests gets initiated automatically and it sort of thrown you into the quest. For eaxmple:

 

1 ) I went to sleep in a ship turned Inn in Oblivion, when I woke up... they inn... the ship has been hijacked/stolen and it has sailed off... the side quest begins.

 

2 ) Challenge someone to a drinking contest in Skyrim and welp... ended up half way across Skyrim and was in a lot of trouble... someone even claimed that you married them but you recall non of it... the side quest begins.

 

3 ) And there is the famous talking dog... people breaking into your house to confront you about something you did or did not do.. etc.

 

These side quests feels very natural. These side quest are far superior to those offered in DAI and I cannot deny it.

 

These are all the strengths of TES games. What they lack on the other hand is the main story quest and the characters. Morrowind is the best and I still dont think that it is on the same level as DAO and DAI. DAI has far superior characters and main quest, especially characters.

 

It is unfair to compare the weakness of DAI to the strengths of other games without acknowledging their weaknesses. DAI focuses on its characters first then main quest and finally side quests. Other games with great side quests simply focus more on the side quests.

 

Now, take all the great side quests of the other games as one and compare it to DA's main quest. Does the collection of excellent side quests out do the main quest and the characters of DA? I personally think not.

 

Of course, I wish Bioware's future games; Mass Effect & Dragon Age will have Bioware Characters and Main quest + TES style side quest. I wont mind paying more for such a game seriously.

 

 

[Chari]

Comparing weak points to weak points and strong points to strong points only is like comparing a beautiful necklace to a tasty soup - it just makes no sense

Things of the same category are compared. That's common sense

Still, thank for acknowledging that side quests are weak indeed

[StingingVelvet]

Inquisition does excel in other areas, but the best RPGs excel in those areas AND have good side content. It's not an unreasonable expectation at all.

[ashwind]

Comparing weak points to weak points and strong points to strong points only is like comparing a beautiful necklace to a tasty soup - it just makes no sense

Things of the same category are compared. That's common sense

Still, thank for acknowledging that side quests are weak indeed

I am only saying, while comparing the strong points of one game to another, one must also acknowledge the weaknesses of the said game. Otherwise it would not be a fair comparison. Each game has a budget and development time line. Concentrate on characters and story, you have to cut some corners elsewhere. Concentrate of side quests, cut corners else where.

[ashwind]

Inquisition does excel in other areas, but the best RPGs excel in those areas AND have good side content. It's not an unreasonable expectation at all.

 

I have not seen a AAA title that does both well. No studio has unlimited time and money.

[Chari]

I am only saying, while comparing the strong points of one game to another, one must also acknowledge the weaknesses of the said game. Otherwise it would not be a fair comparison. Each game has a budget and development time line. Concentrate on characters and story, you have to cut some corners elsewhere. Concentrate of side quests, cut corners else where.

Well, obviously folk like me and Sb remember their weak points. But in this example we compare games by a specific category of content - side quests. In this case, it's all fair

[StingingVelvet]

I have not seen a AAA title that does both well. No studio has unlimited time and money.

 

I mean Fallout: New Vegas might have crappy animations and tech issues, but in the end its actual content is ten times more interesting, and I think that's a lot more important. DA:I is beautiful and massive but if the things I'm doing most of the time aren't interesting or fun then what is that worth?

[Twinklesz]

Personally dont find the main quest to be all that either to be fair, though when you have to struggle through hours of monotony and a plethora of issues then to me it isn't even worth it. I enjoyed DA2 more and i never thought id say that. Least there is some interaction and narrative in the side content.

[ashwind]

I mean Fallout: New Vegas might have crappy animations and tech issues, but in the end its actual content is ten times more interesting, and I think that's a lot more important. DA:I is beautiful and massive but if the things I'm doing most of the time aren't interesting or fun then what is that worth?

 

But Bioware is known for its companion characters, choices and its emotional stories. That is the "actual content" of Bioware games.

 

Also unlike DA2, this time around, the opinions on side quests are no longer united. Some enjoy it, some dont and some like me are neutral towards it. So it is an improvement.

[Laerune]

Indeed for me The Elder Scrolls games have bad main storyline, but the sidequests are alot of fun and have good stories. With Dragon Age its the other way around. What I do find odd is, that Mass Effect has both good main storyline and sidequests.

[Chari]

The problem is... beyond the main plot and companions' progression I've seen very little "emotional stories" so far. And what we have gets watered down due to all this annoying grinding and side-quests necessary to gain Power

[ashwind]

Indeed for me The Elder Scrolls games have bad main storyline, but the sidequests are alot of fun and have good stories. With Dragon Age its the other way around. What I do find odd is, that Mass Effect has both good main storyline and sidequests.

 

I hope you are not talking about ME1 I have horrid memories of trying to tame the Mako...

 

In ME2 and ME2, those side quests are actually optional main quest (want someone dead, dont do that mission ) and I recall people are complaining about boring loyalty missions Wish they would do something like that in DAI and replace some of the less appealing side quests. But it is a huge world... they need to make good use of the vast spaces.

[ashwind]

The problem is... beyond the main plot and companions' progression I've seen very little "emotional stories" so far. And what we have gets watered down due to all this annoying grinding and side-quests necessary to gain Power

 

That is what I dont get... seriously... I like wonder around Hinterlands for a couple of hours, order some jobs in the war chamber and by the time I have visited the east and west roads, the farm... my power is so overwhelming that I cant spend them fast enough. I dont hunt quests... I just do whatever completes naturally or what I feel I need to do for a better epilogue. Where is the grinding.... ? I have not grind a bit seriously.

[Chari]

That is what I dont get... seriously... I like wonder around Hinterlands for a couple of hours, order some jobs in the war chamber and by the time I have visited the east and west roads, the farm... my power is so overwhelming that I cant spend them fast enough. I dont hunt quests... I just do whatever completes naturally or what I feel I need to do for a better epilogue. Where is the grinding.... ? I have not grind a bit seriously.

Good for you, I guess

I usually get bored of running and killing respawning mobs in less than an hour. Pretty picture just isn't enough for me to become interested. Plus the fact that most locations are empty of people doesn't help (I love Val Royeux and Skyhold the most). It's the same thing that annoyed me about Skyrim: the locations are beautiful but without people, without proper cities, towns it means nothing to me. Small nord villages all looked the same I miss Morrowind and Oblivion towns. I like Crestwood and Redcliff because it actually feels like a place with real people: a village, some isolated huts, an old village etc. Too much mob killing and not enough friendly NPC are no fun. Especially since companions talk so rarely

Grinding? Well, for example right now I want to go to the GW Fortress but according to the level cap I'm two-three levels weaker. I can go now... but I don't want to get killed or stuck with a difficult boss

[Paragon Gabriel]

I disagree.

 

TES sure has more memorable quests (which are ones that are the most comical or strangest ones), but DAI quests is a nice system that actually incorporates to the story and the Inquisition as an organisation. And plus, a lot of quests can even be linked with each other.

 

For example, the quest at Hinterlands: A quest that requires you to gain horses for the Inquisition. The horse owner wants you to help with the farmlands. Different quests opens up to aid with that. One in particular has you putting up 3 locations to build Watchtowers (which when done, you visit the War Table to have them made and actually appear in the game in which you put the location markers, and has Inquisition soldiers patrolling the area). Return to the horse owner, he grants you horses and if persuaded, joins the Inquisition to tend to the horses.

 

That is a side quests and a bloody good one at that, that actually matters in a lot of ways and there are others similar quests like that. Sure, there are quests like "kill the wolves in the lair" but so did TES. DAI appeals more to me since basically major and minor side quests more or less influences and strengthens the Inquisition and makes sense for you to do (or if not, don't need to do them).