7 réponses à ce sujet

[lummoxybez]

Howdy all,
First of all let me begin by saying that I am a massive fan of BG1, BG2, IWD, NWN1 and such other excellent RPGs out there. When I read all the reviews of DA and the opinions of other RPGers who I know and trust I was sure I would love the game. However, I now want to sell my copy of the game and get my money back.
Allow me to explain;

The graphics are beautiful and the cut scenes are incredibly immersing, but that's it. I don't feel like an interactive part of the DA world, more that I am a bystander in a story that is going on around me. Whereas in BG I could wander around wherever I wanted, I feel as though I'm being railroaded down the plotline with no opportunity to find my own way. This is exactly how NWN2 felt, where I ended up hanging out with a bunch of gimpy NPCs I had absolutely no interest in travelling with (especially when I'm trying to RP an insular loner.)

I started the game and made an elven mage character. The system seems to be elegant and I really like the background for the elven race (so different from other RPG standard elves). The magic system seems to be intuitive and simple, although I don't like the fact that I can only 'hot-key' 6 spells at a time. I did get the impression that there was a lot less to the magic system than say in BG or NWN, but that's cool and not a major failing. The start of the game was immersing right up to the point I decided that I couldn't make a decision that I wanted to. So much for 'every choice will have consequences' that the game is sold on. I'm still encountering conversation scripts that will allow me to say every choice on the list with no consequences too. I even reloaded at one point and had my character say something different, only to be given the same response by the NPC - that ain't right.

I can't help but make comparisons with Oblivion, even if that's comparitively old by gaming standards. At least in Oblivion I could wander about wherever I wanted and enjoy the beautifully rendered graphics of the game. When given a mission/quest I could approach it however I wanted and even delay it until I was a bit tougher if necessary. I could also pick up pretty much anything I came across, and even use a lot of it, rather than only being able to interact with the sparkling boxes etc... Even Morrowind provided me with more enjoyment, and I had to play that game on the lowest graphical settings on my old PC. My only complaint about Oblivion was that it had levelled encounters which seems to be the way games are going these days.

Anyhoo, I don't want to start a flame-war or even annoy people here, most of whom are probably from the well-loved forums I have frequented for years. I just wanted to see what other people thought about the game. Every review I've read and every friend I spoke to all rave about this game, but I'm fed up of the railroad plot and lack of choices. Maybe I was spoiled with the 'go anywhere' games like BG and NWN but I was expecting a lot more from DA.

Allow me to say that whoever came up with the setting, background and story is doing an amazing job. I love the world, but I'm struggling to be fully immersed in it like I was in the old 2D RPGs of 10 years ago. Perhaps this isn't the game for me and I should stick to replaying old RPGs again and again.

Any thoughts?

[David Gaider]

Kesica wrote...
I noticed my Me 2 has shipped and looks like sheppard will be saving the galaxy again, Look, Bw designs great games but this storyline of being the only person who can save everyone is just getting old.

We billed Dragon Age as a "dark heroic fantasy" for a reason. You are a hero... an anti-hero, if you wish, but still a hero. If you're looking to play a villain, you are looking in the wrong place.

[David Gaider]

OnionXI wrote...
But the games do seem to follow a basic formula. In every BioWare game you are the center of attention and the one hope for the Galaxy/Kingdom/Empire etc. You're accompanied by a group of henchmen to assist you and to have sex with you. Not that I'm complaining about the formula. Most games place the burden of someone's salvation on the main character because it's just heroic.

In fact the only game I can think of that had the main character take a back seat in importance to somebody else is Final Fantasy X.

Anyway, sorry to spin off-topic.

The player is the heroic protaganist, and what you speak of is essentially the Hero's Journey if you want to break it down into a generalization. Someone might not be interested in playing a hero (or even an anti-hero), and that's fine I think, but we're not going to change the entire nature of the games we make to satisfy the jaded who value novelty above all else. It's fine to request, if you wish, but expressing disappointment that an apple orchard doesn't make oranges because you're so tired of apples now doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

But that's my two cents, anyway. I'm sure everyone has their own ideas of what we should/should not be making.

[David Gaider]

Macadami wrote...
I would've loved to have 5 races, 10 classes, and 30 specializations and a difficulty 2 notches above the current nightmare with a loot table that's reminiscence of Diablo 2 and maybe after spending $200 it will be a possibility.

If we made such a game and charged $200 for it, I'm certain that the utter devotion and gratitude from those who played and happened to enjoy it would warm our hearts on the unemployment line.

[David Gaider]

Macadami wrote...
Heh, well the lack of variety in character builds and really really short skill trees is my main complaint about the game. Oh and nightmare feeling like BG2 normal.

Fear not of the economic doom, the pay to play MMO model hasn't shrunk, and it was just a natural progression for SP games to follow suite.  I just miss popping in a disc(or 8) and having access to more game than i could've possibly expected without the need to 'update' every month or two.

It's a big world, nice map, and I can only assume that in the coming years it will all be revealed....i do hope DA:O breaks ground by making it all accessible via 1 game though.

Incidentally, I find it interesting that everyone compares DA:O almost exclusively to BG2. The better comparison would be BG1. BG2 was an iteration of an exisitng engine we already knew how to use and could simply tweak and add content for, a situation we haven't been in since -- not until ME2, really. Or any potential full sequel to DA:O.

Modifié par David Gaider, 25 janvier 2010 - 11:54 .

[David Gaider]

Paromlin wrote...
So Bioware is an apple orchard that can produce only "hero saves the world" games? If it's so then it makes little sense indeed to suggest you try something different since it would go against your nature and beyond your capabilities.

If we make apples, it's because we want to make apples. It's because we like apples and because there's a market for it. Just because you happen to like fruit doesn't mean you necessarily want apples, and pissily demanding that we make something more suitable to your delicate, refined palate -- whether it's in our capabilities or not -- seems to indicate you're missing the point.

We grow fine apples, here. Any time you're interested in an apple, come on by. We'd be happy to serve.

[David Gaider]

Paromlin wrote...
Do you see anyone pissily demanding that you should make something else?

Err... yes? All the time. People buy bus tickets special to come here from the exotic fruit collective where they sit around and moan how they don't grow fruit like they used to in the old days.

I only see you pissily attacking people who suggest you *could* use a different story trope for a change, and I really can't see what's wrong with suggesting that. That's all.. no need to get worked up over it. As far as I'm concerned you can keep producing whatever you fancy (apples or coconuts or whatever) till the end of time.

Ah? I didn't realize the suggestions were so polite. It must be beyond my nature and capabilities to interpret it as such. My mistake.

Modifié par David Gaider, 26 janvier 2010 - 02:54 .

[David Gaider]

lummoxybez wrote...
I hope nobody thought I was demanding something from Bioware with regards to this game.

Not at all. I thought your post was very reasonable. I hope you keep playing and find something in the game you'll enjoy.

Writing an arsey post and then adding a smiley on the end (that is blatantly out of place) doesn't make it okay.

Well I wouldn't want anyone to think I was angry.

lummoxybez wrote...
I also expect more professionalism from a staff member of Bioware.

I keep expecting visitors to our forums to be more courteous with their responses (like yourself). It seems we all live to be disappointed.

Modifié par David Gaider, 26 janvier 2010 - 03:11 .