One question though: if they are going to fix the wartable bug, how are we going to use it to fix the disappearing sound later on? That is the only working method that can give a constant boost for my game to get the battle cries, sometimes the battle music or the background music or even the bard to sing.
The music not playing Val Royeux and Skyhold is a bug. It's not intentional. You're not fixing the game. You're breaking it.
A new blog post clarifies how banter and music work.
They've said they'll increase the banter frequency in the future (not in tomorrow's patch), but there's no identified bug that's preventing it from firing (just some rare instances where the delay between banters could be excessive).
Hearing music in Haven, Skyhold, and Val Royeaux is confirmed to be a bug.
http://blog.bioware....for-dragon-age/
And this:) upcoming schedule for patches
Glad they made these posts. At least we have an idea of how it's supposed to work now. However, I do think that the edge scenarios they mention ("We have also identified that in some edge scenarios, banter isn’t firing as often as we’d like, so we’ll be increasing the percentage chance of it happening.") are a lot more widespread than they make it sound. Obviously these scenarios happen a lot more than they should, resulting in the issues we're having.
The music not playing Val Royeux and Skyhold is a bug. It's not intentional. You're not fixing the game. You're breaking it.
Can't they set it up so a "blocked" banter will play as soon as the blocking condition clears up, rather than just being skipped?
I'm really rather worried by that blog post. If this is the intended experience, then the intended experience gives me very little idea of how the characters interact with one another.
On average, you have an opportunity to hear banter every 10-15 minutes. [...]
The element of chance is also influenced by what you are doing and what is going on around you at any given time. How you play the game can and does affect how often you hear banter.(Source)
Is that every 10-15 minutes on average over the entire game or every 10-15 minutes during 'idle' time only, i.e. when not doing things or being in places that suppress banter? Because that would make a huge difference.If the first, on average over the entire game, then say 80 hours would result in 320 instances of banter (assuming every 15 minutes). That seems an unlikely huge amount. So, then the latter, only counting 'idle' time?In my case, I'm guessing (could be wrong), maybe 20% of the game is spent in non-banter-suppressing situations (without using mounts or it would be less). Again assuming 80 hours, that's 16 hours * 4 (every 15 minutes) = 64 instances of banter or a banter every 1.25 hours on average in game. And that's about what I'm seeing. A pity though, I'd have liked to hear more banter.
There is an estimated 3 hrs of banter in the game. So using your assumptions, 3 hrs / 320 = 0.5mins per banter, 30 secs - perfectly reasonable on average.
I'm trying to retrace my steps on when I noticed the sound vastly improved in the game. I was messing around the sound settings on my PS4 trying to figure out why certain sounds kept cutting in and out. I remember closing the game, going into the PS4 audio settings and changing the output from Linear to Bitstream (Dolby). Then I relaunched the game and zoned from the war table into Western Approach and thats when I noticed the audio improved and those armor sounds I never heard before. But once I zoned out of Western Approach the armor sounds disappeared and the audio quality (cutting in and out) came back.
Ok an update on this. I found that the sound effects improve just after leaving dialogue cut-scenes, and the armor sounds appear. But as soon as I load a new zone they disappear. Something happens during cut-scene dialogue that prompts all these sound effects to start playing, music, armor sounds, backgrounds, etc., and on head-phones I can hear the quality of the sound improve. Then once I travel and load a new area, the sounds disappear.
Glad there going to do something about banter in a later patch
This appears to be normal. The game can also occasionally starve the audio thread, leading to stuttering or skipping in playback (I notice this most during cutscenes, or with music during loading screens).The only thing is sounds effects sometimes seem to lag when I've just loaded a new area (like footsteps not being audible until I jump, or sounds effects being delayed, this even extends to the menu sounds), it's especially noticeable in Skyhold.
The warping for story missions properly turns off the music (if you have fast traveled and do have the constant music, you can fix it by leaving the war room or by doing the next story mission).And I'm still not doing anything special other than avoiding war table travel altogether, apart from the story quests where you're not given the choice. And those do not seem to be causing the Skyhold drums bug.
It's a good question, but I'd suggest that they purposely stated you have the opportunity to hear banter every 10-15 minutes (mean over 150 hours of gameplay).Is that every 10-15 minutes on average over the entire game or every 10-15 minutes during 'idle' time only, i.e. when not doing things or being in places that suppress banter? Because that would make a huge difference.
Here's to hoping the patch they release today actually fixed the banter/music bug without them realizing it. The post did say "audio/voice glitches" and "conversations" were being fixed.
maker pls
It's a good question, but I'd suggest that they purposely stated you have the opportunity to hear banter every 10-15 minutes (mean over 150 hours of gameplay).
Whether you're actually in a position to hear the banter when the opportunity arises is another matter (and they go on to suggest some of the situations that can make you ineligible).
I don't think you're playing the game wrong, though maybe you're not playing the game enough? All their responses seem to indicate that they want the banter to be able to last for 100s of hours of gameplay.When I'm not trying various fixes, I'm lucky to get one banter an hour or so. Varric and Cass didn't say a word to each other until I was 40 hours in. Am I playing the game wrong, then? That's a general question, not really pointed to anyone in particular and I'm not trying to be hostile or snarky; I'm genuinely curious as to how I can mitigate those factors that apparently render me ineligible for banter to actually fire. (Assuming there isn't some underlying error at work.)
Combat should prevent banter, but in my experience it won't interrupt it.Side note - entering combat doesn't always interrupt banter, at least based on one memorable occasion when Solas and Varric continued their nice chat about Orzammar as a hyena ran up and started gnawing my leg.
I sometimes get banter exclusively during combat. Weird thing, right. And it happens more often than not actually, that's the only way I get regular banter.
It's a good question, but I'd suggest that they purposely stated you have the opportunity to hear banter every 10-15 minutes (mean over 150 hours of gameplay).
Whether you're actually in a position to hear the banter when the opportunity arises is another matter (and they go on to suggest some of the situations that can make you ineligible).
I wondered about the wording, "opportunity", as well. If it is as you suggest, then the question is: what is on average the chance for a banter opportunity to result in actual banter? Without that additional info the 10-15 minute figure would be a little meaningless.
Edited to add: perhaps that is the problem, that the observed chance for an opportunity to result in actual banter varies too greatly depending on playing style?
If patch 2 fixed the bug for you today please report. Thanks.
Currently downloading. If it does fix it I'm definitely restarting the game.
I've been getting plenty of banter throughout the 150h I've spent in the game, but on the other hand, I've been getting next to no music apart from the drums at the war table, the music played by bards in the inns, and the theme music on the main menu. Occasionally when traveling to a new area or waiting around music will start up for a few seconds and then die away.
It is really bizarre. Based on YouTube gameplay videos, I can hear that the game is supposed to have excellent ambient music, but during my play I have heard little of it, which is a crying shame.
Not a single banter in an hour of playing after updating the game. I actually had more prior to the patch.
EDIT: Scratch that, one (a quite cute one) happened between Dorian and Blackwall. I'm currently in the Exalted Plains, but have been there for quite some time now, so it's possible that the banter is just worn out. Will have to check other areas.
I vehemently refute devSin’s view that this is working as intended, simply because I don’t believe anybody in professional game development at the level of BioWare could possibly implement such a stupid system. It’s bugged.
I do believe it was intended to be designed this way. Tweets stated it wasn't a timer exactly. It has a random chance. If you put both together then you get what we have now; wildly varying degrees of banter going off.
What I find baffling is the idea that this would be acceptable. I would have preferred a consistent timer. Seriously. A locked timer instead of any form of chance.
I played through DA2 multiple times and I never got all the banter because it was scripted. I actually loaded levels to trigger it so I could hear what they had to say...but this? Going five hours and not hearing but a handful of banter is not useful for a good gaming experience. I don't want to feel like I am missing things and this system makes me feel that way.
Seriously, I give up. I'll continue to clean the journal/codex inventory, and I have started to load the last autosave when I travel to a new zone. I will also run three times around the statue in the Hinterlands if someone starts claiming that this will fix the banter but I will stop wasting my time "testing" if my banter is bugged or not. It comes and goes and I don't know why. Maker's breath. Yesterday I tried to test my "gamepad" theory after I had spent another session without any banter whatsoever. Result - it has nothing to do with anything I got banter every ten minutes. While TESTING damn it, not while PLAYING (I idled in the Hinterlands with the occasional bear attack).
Then today I got nice banter every 10-15 minutes while playing, at least 5-6 times. Why? No clue. Maybe Blackwall felt inspired by all the trees in the Emerald Graves or he was trying to hit on Vivienne (*glares*) - I even got my very first banter that commented on my active romance (with Blackwall. I'm watching you!), and as of writing this I have sunk about 160 hours over three playthroughs into this game without this happening before.
I love DA:I, but it completely transforms the game when the banter works and it breaks my heart to think what I might have missed - I'm quite far into the game in this playthrough and the banter I get reflects that, but I never got the previous banter.
I'm kind of worried that Bioware might overcompensate - if the banter works the timing is great and I wouldn't want it to occur more often. But if it doesn't work (because of THE BUG) then increasing the frequency will most likely do nothing anyway (Well except for the Western Approach. The zone is bugged. Fix it!)
I have a lingering suspicion that the banter is tied to the zones - Western Approach and Exalted Plains are dead silent for me, Storm Coast and Hinterlands are silent but I get some banter, Hissing Wastes, Emerald Graves and Emprise du Lion are quite chatty, but I'm done testing and I don't see why the banter should behave differently in different regions anyway.
Btw - I'm very sure that this has no connection to the patch. I have installed it (runs great for me) but I think I would have gotten the banter without the patch as well.
So, I'll bow out of this threat and thank the maker for every banter I'll get and curse Coryphefish for every prolonged silence. I don't think there is anything that can be done about it and I don't think that there will be a fix for it (not because I think Bioware isn't trying - I'm sure they are. I just don't see how something like this can be fixed when there is no discernable reason for it to behave that way).
Pi2r Epsilon: you are able to fast travel from the War Table: simply click on any unlocked region (the little pyramids on the table), and "Fast Travel" will show up in the bottom left corner. It's only Val Royeaux that you can't fast travel to via the War Table.
I do believe it was intended to be designed this way. Tweets stated it wasn't a timer exactly. It has a random chance. If you put both together then you get what we have now; wildly varying degrees of banter going off.
What I find baffling is the idea that this would be acceptable. I would have preferred a consistent timer. Seriously. A locked timer instead of any form of chance.
Spot on. After reading that blog post its pretty clear what is going on. ****** RNG, I hate it. Its a badly designed system and why they thought it would be a good idea...................................
So i decided to do some play testing after the new patch. Yes I know the patch did not address the banter but still
I had Dorian, Blackwall and Cole, three people who never spoke to each other (but were taken together before.
I did not clear the codex/journal.inventory (and they needed to be cleared, lots of stars after the last play session) Played offline. I travelled to the Storm Coast, Storm coast is cleared apart of the closed off area and the lyrium falls. Went there to do the darkspawn quest.
9.15 - arrival
9.25 - D and C banter
9.34 - Blackwall after fight "everyone alright?" after fighting a Darkspawn Hurlock
9.35 entered the lyrium falls cave, lots of combat due to the crazy fast respawn of spiders there. Seriously though, you look the other way and they just appear behind you,
9.36 - Blackwall - it's over - between wave 1 and 2 while closing the rift
9.42 Blackwall - that's the end of that - i suspect it had to be said after the combat finish and rift closing, but maybe it got delayed because i started looting straight away?
9.43 - C and D
9.45 -B environmental
9.50 - B and D
9.54 - Exit the damn cave
9. 55 - B environmental
9.56 - B and C
10.00 - C and D- not interrupted by a stupid bear which attacked us
10.01 - B - its over (after fight)
10.02 - B environmental
10.07 - quick save/load for an experiment
10.08 - mounted
10.10 - dismount
10.15 fast travel to camp
10.20 B and C - possibly an environmental comment together (does that exist?) Paraphrasing: C - they laughed while drowning in the sea. The rest of the poem is sad. B - yes, because the beginning is so cheery.
10.25 - travel to hinterlands. Area cleared, went there to kill some imperials for Dorian
10.29 B and C - extremely short, like 7 seconds (but complete by the sound of it)
10.35 - quick save/load
10.39 - 45 idle standing in one place
10.45 - travel to Val R - music present
10.49 - travel to Skyhold. Music present!
At this point I am not sure if music is supposed to be in Val R and Skyhold. Are they really supposed to be silent?
Combat sounds present. It looks like after combat comment is sometimes activated when the fight is relatively long. Although i found it strange its just Blackwall saying it all the time. Also it is triggered and not part of combat sounds because this phrase has subtitles.
Music was pretty often with the wait no longer than 1 minute between them.
Apparently we are also supposed to have armour making sound - can anyone confirm that? Preferably with a video. Coz for me its just footsteps.
Overall i think it was good, and I wouldn't mind if the whole game was like that. In the future ill try a new zone I have not been to before, but I gotta go and write some assignments 
Also I hope it is not a placebo effect, and that the patch accidentally at least IMPROVED the banter rate. Would love to hear opinions of others about their experience with this patch.
Also the first convo ever Between Cole and Dorian was about the winter palace mission (I took Cole with me), which I have recently done. Which makes me think if there is supposed to be any "intrductionary" banter, and if:
A - story banter takes priority
B - banter is randomised to a certain extend
C - some banter gets locked off after some missions. Which potentially means I missed everything companions said to each other prior to the Winter Palace mission, without hoping to hear it during this play through
Interestingly, people on GAF are saying they're getting a lot more banter, too. (ie. Exalted Plains, with previous sound issues? Could obviously be coincidental.) I wonder if whatever process was getting in the way of the banter (or blocking sound from triggering in general) accidentally got fixed. I'd been wary about installing the patch, but PS4 patch seems to be fine, so I'll have a look later.
Interestingly, people on GAF are saying they're getting a lot more banter, too. (ie. Exalted Plains, with previous sound issues? Could obviously be coincidental.) I wonder if whatever process was getting in the way of the banter (or blocking sound from triggering in general) accidentally got fixed. I'd been wary about installing the patch, but PS4 patch seems to be fine, so I'll have a look later.
When i get a chance I will give those areas which seem to be most problematic a chance (its Exalted Plains and Western Approach right?)nI have not been to them yet so I will see how completely fresh areas will work
Retour en haut