The lore didn't take that much time, since we had Ostagar and the Sacred Ashes temple being made in vintage Aurora engine. No, it was actually designing the game and reworking the engine repeatedly that took time, not the lore.
Writing the history, the flora, the fauna, all the organizations, history of each land dating thousands of years back. The mythology. That takes time. Believe me. I get paid to write stuff like that.
Dude I do understand your position. I've been in this thread arguing for your position lol!! I see the oversimplification that has been done to Inqusition and think it's horrible. DA was suppose to be a tactic base game, and BW stripped it all away. Which was stupid IMO. Nonetheless, I still like the combat. It's fun, and that's all it needs to be for me.DA2 was victim to overly rushed development and very limited world.. BUT, I really enjoyed the game too, I enjoyed inquisition, just not as much as DA2, or DAO.
Combat? Felt more tuned surprisingly than did DA:I, DA2 did. Didn't feel like specializations were so broken as they are in inquisition..
But the hack and slash in DA:2 was my first turn off and "ewww..." the second I played the game I felt like they took something good and said "well now that we got a sequel, we don't need combat AI to be good, or combat to feel compelling for baldurs gate fans"..
Consider it from our position, the first game was catered strategy and slow paced combat with good positioning.. Then we go into something we'd expect from a devil may cry game in the sequel. So, i'll respectfully say that we disagree on combat systems.
Writing the history, the flora, the fauna, all the organizations, history of each land dating thousands of years back. The mythology. That takes time. Believe me. I get paid to write stuff like that.
Sure it does, but it should be painfully apparent by this point that Bioware (1) makes this up as they go along in part and (2) constantly revise/re-write their own lore. I'm sure that they did some work to concept out a world history. But I think you vastly over-estimate the extent to which they fleshed it out besides the broad strokes.
Not as significant but it does play toward the, "tries to please everyone" crowd.. Had a situation where a demon mimics Leliana's appearance and makes erm, a scene with your character if you chose to accept it.. It was taken out because a focus group, had females that complained it felt rather 'rapey' because it wasn't really her.. The guys in the focus group were passive and didn't object to their complaints.
DA:O had outright said that one of the elf characters in the alienage was defiled by a human. They tried too hard not to offend people that it felt rather hollow in comparison to prior DA's.
The romance scenes and overall synergy between the characters did not feel even close to Origins as well in terms of substance, maybe again they were trying to please everyone..
As 10k said, felt really dumbed down in terms of strategy in comparison to prior games too..
I would love DLC, but I hope the next game isn't so err.. hollow, if they continue the series.
Seeing as how I curbstomped BG1 without very much effort ..
That can be said of literally any Bioware game. They can all be "curbstomped", what of it?
Difference is, now "curbstomping" the latest Bioware games is even more effortless. There was never a moment in any Bioware game which was a genuine challenge, but some of the earlier ones required the player to pay attention. There's no need to pay attention even on "hard" difficulty in DA:I during fights, but you'd at least have to have the lights on while playing BG.
Sure it does, but it should be painfully apparent by this point that Bioware (1) makes this up as they go along in part and (2) constantly revise/re-write their own lore. I'm sure that they did some work to concept out a world history. But I think you vastly over-estimate the extent to which they fleshed it out besides the broad strokes.
Quite right. But the lore was there before the first game, and it was pretty solid. All the crap happened when EA took over, and the people who made DA:O (and ME for that matter) left.
Eh, guys, can we stop with the epeening please? Some people "curbstomp" theoretical physics, some people "curbstomp" marathons, some people "curbstomp" computer games. What of it? It'd be nonsensical to suddenly demand that all marathons must be 84km instead of 42km because some people are able to "curbstomp" the default distance.
@Vargh: I very much agree. I cannot stand this awful trend to remove anything that could possibly offend. It's like salt in a soup: Put too much in and you have a problem. Put too little in and nobody will want to eat that bland excuse for a soup.
I doubt anyone curbstomped BG1 one their first try. Pretty much impossible to do without knowing about ambushes and traps beforehand.
Does it matter, though?
Edit: Eh, stupid question. It's a discussion yeah. I just don't think that line of thought brings us forward much.
<snip>
Can't speak for others but, conspiracy theories aren't good to dismiss. It keeps people on their toes. We're afraid they did indeed deviate from their original plan and have no true intention to go back to making games like DA:O.
It appears to us (or me at the least), that they no longer care about the DA:O population which built their base for DA:2, and DA:i. Whether it's truly EA's work or not, it looks suspicious nonetheless. They look at the new population they gained from DA:I and may indeed find that it's not only easier to take this route, but they profit more so from this than trying to make a game that caters to the original crowd's interests and improving upon it.
So while I like this game, It's still going to be not as good as DA:O, or DA:2 for that matter (Might change that priority if I can mod the game where I can buy schematics and practically eliminate RNG from my playthroughs on what I can gear my party with). and I really hope they don't continue down this pathway of developing DA to be a single player mmo experience.
I feel obligated to respond since it seems you were talking to me specifically.
If I can summarize: it seems to me you think because Bioware is now part of EA that their integrity is lost and now all they care about is $$$. You think they tried to make the franchise more appealing to the masses by making it more of an MMO style game instead of sticking with what they had in Origins and thus, made it not fun to play. They tried to make the game too big and ended up cutting corners on the details. Is that about right?
Personally, I do think EA may be tying Bioware's hands a bit in some regard, which made it harder for them, perhaps, to do what they wanted with this game. Making them use the Frostbite engine, for example.
I do think that there are creative and passionate people working at Bioware who care about the franchise, the product, and the fans and I want them to know that THIS lady, at least, is appreciative of their hard work.
I would agree that they bit off more than they could chew with DA:I. I also believe that they'll try to do what they can to add more content to the game, some of which they had initially intended to be there from the start and couldn't make it in for whatever reason.
I am here to lend my voice to say what I'd liked about the game and what I didn't like. I'm really not interested in conspiracy theories about EA and Bioware, chasing the almighty dollar, purchasing GOTY awards, etc. I think that sort of thing brings down this community and does nothing to add to it but negativity.
Okay I hear you!
And I must say: I agree with almost your entire response completely!
Firstly, thanks for your answer 
Well, I wanna say that I too want Bioware to succeed and even though it might seem I am a bit negative in that posting of mine, because it was so very one-sided. I don't wish Bioware or EA any harm. I want them both to succeed! (That is the only reason why I am even in this forum !!!) I am glad that you can agree with the point that they have "bit of more than they can chew". Because it is a very important factor to me. But I also believe that EA has strategies and ways of financing their publishing that aim a little too much towards the "allegedly" mainstream consumers than really is necessary and in my (subjective) opinion really is beneficial for the product and thereby reason enough for me to critizise the negative impact of this strategy. I honestly believe that some things are absolutely not beneficial at all. Like for example, when it comes to the formerly complex combat system (DA:O & DA2) that is loved by so very many! One does not simply go ahead and oversimplify such a thing or cut out huge parts (example: tactics!) of it completely! Who the hell decided this crap? ...
In the current installment of DA, Bioware proved to me (subjective I know ...) that they have "adapted" certain strategies for their product placement from EA - if they are as free as you claim they are, that is! (I would love them to be fully independent but I doubt that they are.)
And I fully stand by my first posting to you and behind every word in it. Anyway ...
It is just, I am not saying by any means, that I do not appreciate their hard work or anything like it!
The exact opposit is the case: I b*itch about this stuff because I care about their product, their franchise and the company - PERIOD!
It is just that I am deeply concerned about how much has changed for the worse since DA:O (even though many things have also improved - naturally) and that all the things that many fans here in the forum, including me, would like to get changed - will never be fixed! Because there is a huge chance it will never be changed or be fixed because of time and money constraints.
And to critizise the streamlining of RPG's to make them more mainstream compatible instead of too much niche and critizising the overdoing of this well-intended but completely derailed process of streamlining which slowly but surely erodes the entire substance of the product and the substance of the entire franchise is not a conspiracy - it is necessary !!!
The fans are the installbase. I am a fan and this is my feedback for them!
If I stop buying their products, they will have lost my money. I have said it before and I will say it again: RPG-fans buy RPG's not the Candy-Crush-crowd! And in my opinion there is also no need to oversimplify complex systems to death! The usage of these systems is optional not mandatory.
Since I don't want to talk about this forever and I am well aware that you, Elsariel, are more than intelligent enough to know and understand what I am going on about anyway - I will try to cut it short here. ("short" - that's a laugh 
) Even though I am not even half done ...
My conclusion on the other hand would be,
that I am most worried about the money involved in all of these processes. I think that the budget for a VG is so enormous these days that it implies a lot of pressure for the devs and the publishers. And I have the impression (and I bet I am not alone on this) that the publishers see it as their responsibility to try to access new markets with products which don't belong there to minimize the risks. But in my honest and ("moderatly" 
) humble opinion it is not working and will end in disaster! The RPG games will not sell more but less in markets were nobody cares about them. A COD player (as a very simple example) does not want to exchange his or her favorite genre titles for RPG's. He or she might give it a try and enjoy one or two playthroughs (generally speaking). But they will not love it and buy every title and every DLC for it like the genre enthusiasts. And to disregard the needs and wants of the longtime genre fans is poisonous for the future installbase of the franchise, the company and the publishers as well.
So there you have my answer. I hope you could indulge me one more time. Even if I went on about it far too long once more ...
Take care, Elsariel!
Writing the history, the flora, the fauna, all the organizations, history of each land dating thousands of years back. The mythology. That takes time. Believe me. I get paid to write stuff like that.
You forgot to add that the writing team writing "the stuff" needs to be consistent with the Lore. Peer reviews are also necessary.
So, yes, I agree it takes time.
Can't speak for others but, conspiracy theories aren't good to dismiss. It keeps people on their toes. We're afraid they did indeed deviate from their original plan and have no true intention to go back to making games like DA:O.
It appears to us (or me at the least), that they no longer care about the DA:O population which built their base for DA:2, and DA:i. Whether it's truly EA's work or not, it looks suspicious nonetheless. They look at the new population they gained from DA:I and may indeed find that it's not only easier to take this route, but they profit more so from this than trying to make a game that caters to the original crowd's interests and improving upon it.
So while I like this game, It's still going to be not as good as DA:O, or DA:2 for that matter (Might change that priority if I can mod the game where I can buy schematics and practically eliminate RNG from my playthroughs on what I can gear my party with). and I really hope they don't continue down this pathway of developing DA to be a single player mmo experience.
Iconic = overused, from where I sit. I also wasn't all that impressed with having 350 spells. I agree that there's a skill aspect in learning how to sort through all the noise in the system, but hard to learn, easy to master isn't my idea of good game design.I'd say using buffs, spells, which character to attack which enemy, and how. What weapon's to use. Being prepared for any kind of encounter. Need blunt weapons vs golems etc. The positioning of the characters being a factor. The game has 350 spells. DA:I has what? 20 spells? Most of them just barriers and boosts. They even removed the Fireball. The most iconic spell in the rpg genre.
I doubt anyone curbstomped BG1 one their first try. Pretty much impossible to do without knowing about ambushes and traps beforehand.
You must be new to the genre.
I played basically all Bioware games: Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age franchise, etc. Also, I play RPG and JRPG games since 1990 and yes, Inquisition is the best one regarding Dragon Age franchise, IMO.
Comparing to Baldurs Gate and NWN, however, I think Bioware missed the opportunity to make Dragon Age fully playable in co-op too. Those who played BG and NWN in co-op know how awesome it was!
We just have different opinions. You only have to respect that
I doubt anyone curbstomped BG1 one their first try. Pretty much impossible to do without knowing about ambushes and traps beforehand.
Quite right. But the lore was there before the first game, and it was pretty solid. All the crap happened when EA took over, and the people who made DA:O (and ME for that matter) left.
I played basically all Bioware games: Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age franchise, etc. Also, I play RPG and JRPG games since 1990 and yes, Inquisition is the best one regarding Dragon Age franchise, IMO.
Comparing to Baldurs Gate and NWN, however, I think Bioware missed the opportunity to make Dragon Age fully playable in co-op too. Those who played BG and NWN in co-op know how awesome it was!
We just have different opinions. You only have to respect that
YESSSSSSSSS
i loved running around with my half orc barb making my friends get evil points
Origins is Bioware's best game? That is highly subjective. I still put the BG series above any of the other Bioware games.
Give me a game like BG2 with updated graphics and mechanics. If I cannot have that then DAI fits the bill quite nicely. IMHO but YMMV.
I played basically all Bioware games: Baldurs Gate 1 and 2, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon Age franchise, etc. Also, I play RPG and JRPG games since 1990 and yes, Inquisition is the best one regarding Dragon Age franchise, IMO.
Comparing to Baldurs Gate and NWN, however, I think Bioware missed the opportunity to make Dragon Age fully playable in co-op too. Those who played BG and NWN in co-op know how awesome it was!
We just have different opinions. You only have to respect that
I'm with you. My personal fav was NWN because of how honest it was with the DnD 3 game set. And the tool set. It gave me and my DnD buddies a chance to play without having to plan out a DnD gathering. In general the whole gaming industry has thrown out coop for the idea of online MP. Which sucks. I'm a fan of racing games for instance, but none of the new racing games let you do the whole split screen side by side racing anymore. And remember Tie Fighter, hook up two PC's with local LAN and go head to head or coop. Lan Parties with Masters of Orion or Civilizations, I miss those days.
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