I seek bonuses elsewhere like higher terrain for archers, and to delay opponent responses.
It was not my intention to put myself down.
Enjoying DA:I in a way similar to how I enjoyed the previous BioWare titles I played appears to take a lot more imagination, if Elhanan is to be trusted. Something I and others disappointed by the way DA:I plays seem to lack.
I was expressing my hope for the developers to take the less imaginative crowd into consideration a bit more for possible future releases and go back to a more focused narrative. I apologize that I did not express myself clearly.
That said, on a different note, I also hope for the combat system to develop more into the direction of previous DA titles as well.
Ah, it seemed like you actually thought you are less of a player for wanting more engaging story. Sorry for that interpretation.
Well, if Elhanan is to be trusted... 
You can trust him on the fact, that the game is more enjoyable if you imagine things in your head. But so is watching a paint dry if you imagine something awesome is happening instead. You can't really turn a turd into a gem in your head if you also don't choose to be completely oblivious to any issues the game has.
The game doesn't really encourage imagination, it even restricts it in the way you can imagine things and holds your fantasy back, because it is not a sandbox rpg, but a story driven action adventure rpg. It only leaves some space for imagination because of how lifeless and utterly static the majority of the zones are and how short and terribly paced the main story is. It is not by design (and if by the chance it is, then they failed at it as well). The devs didn't target the grindy, dull and boring content on the more imaginative crowd, they put it in the game for a lack of time and limited resources or they actually thought, judging by the success of WoW, Skyrim and AC games, that this is what the majority of players like. But they forgot that one is an actual MMO, the other one is a sandbox game (and highly moddable) and the collecting of stuff in AC works only because of parkour and mostly seemless gameplay.
I will write a story right now, here goes:
There was a puppy. It walked down the sidewalk. It then sat down. *the next 299 pages are blank* The end.
Aren't I an awesome writer? Just use your imagination to make up the rest of the 300 page novel and pretend there's a multitude of twists and turns and interesting characters, mystery, drama, romance, action, imagine what you think is best and give me the credit for writing such an awesome book kthanx.
I will write a story right now, here goes:
There was a puppy. It walked down the sidewalk. It then sat down. *the next 299 pages are blank* The end.
Aren't I an awesome writer? Just use your imagination to make up the rest of the 300 page novel and pretend there's a multitude of twists and turns and interesting characters, mystery, drama, romance, action, imagine what you think is best and give me the credit for writing such an awesome book kthanx.
Awesome bloody story. I especially liked the bit where the puppy climbed the mountain then base jumped off it.
And solving that murder and discovering the butler did it. I was sure it was the maid. Oops spoilers. Sorry.
Awesome bloody story. I especially liked the bit where the puppy climbed the mountain then base jumped off it.
And solving that murder and discovering the butler did it. I was sure it was the maid. Oops spoilers. Sorry.
I will write a story right now, here goes:
There was a puppy. It walked down the sidewalk. It then sat down. *the next 299 pages are blank* The end.
Aren't I an awesome writer? Just use your imagination to make up the rest of the 300 page novel and pretend there's a multitude of twists and turns and interesting characters, mystery, drama, romance, action, imagine what you think is best and give me the credit for writing such an awesome book kthanx.
is that a try to compare the content of your story with the content of the main story from dai or with the whole content from dai?
in dai you must use your imagination to be able to have a romance? in dai you can have only interesting characters if you use your imagination ? in dai you have only the feeling of drama or action and mystery if you use your imagination?
dai is only a blank page for you.. and you must fill it with your imagination?
aside the fact that it would be nice to use his imagination in general if you play a fantasy roleplay game...
do yourself a favor.. never ever touch a rpg in the future again.
the best would be that you look only movie...that ensure that you mustn't use your imagination or your brain.
is that a try to compare the content of your story with the content of the main story from dai or with the whole content from dai?
in dai you must use your imagination to be able to have a romance? in dai you can have only interesting characters if you use your imagination ? in dai you have only the feeling of drama or action and mystery if you use your imagination?
dai is only a blank page for you.. and you must fill it with your imagination?
aside the fact that it would be nice to use his imagination in general if you play a fantasy roleplay game...
do yourself a favor.. never ever touch a rpg in the future again.
the best would be that you look only movie...that ensure that you mustn't use your imagination or your brain.
@ bolded - Kinda, yes. The thing is, in an rpg you should use your imagination to roleplay your character the way you want them to be, and the options to express what you've imagined should be more or less offered to you in the dialog. The world around your character, including other characters, romance paths, action, etc should be already there, as the arena on which you can then use your imagination by making choices that affect it in ways you imagine your PC would want to.
The way DAI is, it is basically a movie, with the (minuscule) amount of influence you can exert over the half empty, static world. It actually actively limits our imaginations, unless one confuses 'imaginative' with 'deluded'. The content I need to express what I imagine just isn't there. I can do a thing or not do a thing, but both these (uninteresting) choices lead nowhere - the ending will be the same because the directors wrote it out for us. I can imagine all the drama I want, but apparently I'm the most stoic person in Thedas because I will never express it, and the supposedly interesting characters will not react to it. The romance subplot will begin and end within five lines of dialog, and my supposed love interest will then proceed to ignore me for the next 80 hours of this bloody long, abysmally boring movie.
Oh wait, I guess I can just close my eyes and imagine all the interesting stuff that could be going on while button mashing blindly to win the game. A viable tactic, actually.
The romance subplot will begin and end within five lines of dialog, and my supposed love interest will then proceed to ignore me for the next 80 hours of this bloody long, abysmally boring movie.
That's another point I wanted to make but I couldn't figure out how to put it! I'm not completely crazy about romances in games, but with Dragon Age it's kind of expected that they be a somewhat important, memorable part of your character's journey.
Instead I find that I'm scared to progress one in fear of it being over too soon, leaving me to play through the rest of the game with a horrible sense of alone-ness. This applies to the other party members too actually, even if you're not romancing them. I'm pacing myself through their quests and dialogues because I exhausted them way too early in my first play through. I tip toe through them now, restricting myself through most of the game just so I can preserve some of their unique conversations as rewards for those long stretches of grinding.
Like I'm hoarding a secret stash of candy under my bed for later -.-
I will write a story right now, here goes:
There was a puppy. It walked down the sidewalk. It then sat down. *the next 299 pages are blank* The end.
Aren't I an awesome writer? Just use your imagination to make up the rest of the 300 page novel and pretend there's a multitude of twists and turns and interesting characters, mystery, drama, romance, action, imagine what you think is best and give me the credit for writing such an awesome book kthanx.
I do hope that you secured the rights to turn this into a movie, it really has the makings of a blockbuster.
is that a try to compare the content of your story with the content of the main story from dai or with the whole content from dai?
in dai you must use your imagination to be able to have a romance? in dai you can have only interesting characters if you use your imagination ? in dai you have only the feeling of drama or action and mystery if you use your imagination?
dai is only a blank page for you.. and you must fill it with your imagination?
aside the fact that it would be nice to use his imagination in general if you play a fantasy roleplay game...
do yourself a favor.. never ever touch a rpg in the future again.
the best would be that you look only movie...that ensure that you mustn't use your imagination or your brain.
For me personally it's just as I have explained above that in order to enjoy the game to a smiliar extent like I enjoyed both previous installments in the series, I woudl require much more imagination as I'd have to make up a whole lot more in terms of character interaction and background stories for the NPCs whom I talk to.
Which is not to say that the game does not have engaging elements at all. I did like eavesdropping on fugitives, when I came across them while exploring maps.
But their lines were limited in scope and I lacked the possiblity to interact with them if it were just to give them some copper or gold in this case.
Banter between my companions seemed stretched too thin, though that might just have given me the wrong impression as a result of the large maps. Nevertheless it felt lesser than in both previous games as well.
I also liked the companion quests, though I would have liked for them to intertwine with the main plot line a little more, especially have some impact on the story's outcome or at least their own page in the past-ending slide show.
These are all possibilities to get immersed in the storyline, mostly the same other DA games used as well, if i recall correctly.
My problem is that in DA:I there's far too little of them for me to enjoy the game like i did its predecessors. They get lost amidst the large zones and inbetween the long hours I spent simply walking, killing and collecting. Which is why I said, that in order for me to enjoy the game more I would have had to make up much more stuff myself and focus on different aspects than I did in other games of the series.
Since I appear to be lacking in imagination compared to some, this would be far too exhausting for me, which is why I'd like the series to develop back to its roots where this was not necessary for me to immerse myself in the game's world.
I would not even be complaining if DA:I were used to pilot a new franchise, but for me after DA:O and DA2 the series had already established an "identity" with certain features at its core (strong narrative, engaging quests, well written characters, choice and consequence, etc.), which I expected to find in DA:I as well, but either did not or to a much simpler extent. This is what disappoints me.
In my opinion, DA:I is no bad game in any way, but it does not feel like a Dragon Age game to me.
To get the devs to think hard about whether they wish to continues down this part for possible sequels is why I'm writing this. They would most likely not be making bad games, it's just I personally would not enjoy them, which would make me sad; since all criticism aside, I do like the Dragon Age series.
@ bolded - Kinda, yes. The thing is, in an rpg you should use your imagination to roleplay your character the way you want them to be, and the options to express what you've imagined should be more or less offered to you in the dialog. The world around your character, including other characters, romance paths, action, etc should be already there, as the arena on which you can then use your imagination by making choices that affect it in ways you imagine your PC would want to.
The way DAI is, it is basically a movie, with the (minuscule) amount of influence you can exert over the half empty, static world. It actually actively limits our imaginations, unless one confuses 'imaginative' with 'deluded'. The content I need to express what I imagine just isn't there. I can do a thing or not do a thing, but both these (uninteresting) choices lead nowhere - the ending will be the same because the directors wrote it out for us. I can imagine all the drama I want, but apparently I'm the most stoic person in Thedas because I will never express it, and the supposedly interesting characters will not react to it. The romance subplot will begin and end within five lines of dialog, and my supposed love interest will then proceed to ignore me for the next 80 hours of this bloody long, abysmally boring movie.
Oh wait, I guess I can just close my eyes and imagine all the interesting stuff that could be going on while button mashing blindly to win the game. A viable tactic, actually.
we mustn't realy talk about that dai looks like a telltale game....in the case that someone did'nt know telltale games like 'the walking dead' or 'game of thrones' : these games are movies wit a little part of a game.
dai is totally different as telltale games .
is that a try to compare the content of your story with the content of the main story from dai or with the whole content from dai?
in dai you must use your imagination to be able to have a romance? in dai you can have only interesting characters if you use your imagination ? in dai you have only the feeling of drama or action and mystery if you use your imagination?
dai is only a blank page for you.. and you must fill it with your imagination?
aside the fact that it would be nice to use his imagination in general if you play a fantasy roleplay game...
do yourself a favor.. never ever touch a rpg in the future again.
the best would be that you look only movie...that ensure that you mustn't use your imagination or your brain.
Sorry, I don't speak gibberish. 
And if you rushed through all of those locations as quickly as possible, you wouldn't really be getting the "main story" because the main story is revealed through lots and lots of interesting conversations with NPCs. You'd be getting a watered-down main story that barely makes sense.
I'm not sure I'd agree with that. None of the npc's on Tatooine, for example, contribute to the main story. They're mostly mercs chilling in a bar. Actually, the whole point of Tatooine is that it doesn't even really have a main story. It's a dead rock filled with Scavengers. Everything you need to know is filled in by the Czerka Officer and the hunter outside the Krayt Dragon cave.
Now Kashykk has a bit more of a main narrative to it, but likewise everything you need to know is contained in Zaalbar's brother, the Czerka officers you encounter, and their father. Likewise for Manaan and Korriban.
This does not appear to be the case, as this very thread was based on the premise of including more cinematics; more film, and not less.
Erm ... no, Elhanan. "Including more cinematics" was not the premise of my original post. Please don't put words into my mouth.
Kindly go back and read said post, and then tell me exactly how many times I use the word "cinematics" (or a synonym thereof). My count is "zero".
Cinematic conversations are just one of many ways to enhance the overall storytelling and roleplaying experience. Lots of close-ups wouldn't save Inquisition's lifeless side quests -- not by a long shot.
Some of the side quests are quite fun -- like the ones you mentioned. But would it really have been that hard to include cinematic dialogue in a few of them? Almost every quest in DA:O and DA:2 had cinematics! Inquisition can't even manage one cinematic conversation per region.
(Actually, I take that back. We always get one when we meet Scout Harding. Just one. lol)
So while I half enjoy some of the quests, it frustrates me that they could so easily be better, and that there are so many more besides that are just mind numbing.
Sorry, I don't speak gibberish.
use your brain or your imagination or better as that.. use both....even it is hard for you....and then you could understand... and you would be fine
if you are too lazy .. never mind... you mustn't understand everything...like it seems anyways
First page; part of the full context of this thread.
"Part of the full context of this thread"? I thought it was the "premise" on which this thread was founded a moment ago?
And it's implied that the cinematic conversations I want should incorporate more interesting conversational options than Inquisition currently boasts.
You have played previous BioWare games, right? That's obviously want I want. More depth in all aspects -- including the writing.
Not just cinematics and 'splosions. That's what everyone here has been saying, and it's explicitly stated in my OP.
Why on earth would I repeat myself in a follow-up post on the same page? I'm not that in love with the sound of my own opinions. You're supposed to read that follow-up post in the context of my first post, naturally. Not take it as a whole new argument. I'm not bi-polar.
Don't play dumb (because I know you're not), and don't twist my words to make the point of this thread seem more shallow than it is.
Those who read my OP and liked it didn't do so because they want more close-ups, and nothing else, trust me.
The cinematics are just one part of a larger narrative problem.
P.S. Yes, I got a little peeved there. lol
But I haven't said anything petty to you, Elhanan. I may disagree with your opinions on Inquisition, but I respect them as your opinions, so please don't distort something I've said to support your case. That's all I'm sayin'.
I think I've been pretttty clear about what I think.
use your brain or your imagination or better as that.. use both....even it is hard for you....and then you could understand... and you would be fine
if you are too lazy .. never mind... you mustn't understand everything...like it seems anyways
Use your imagination on what? On those ciphers you speak in? So if I imagined instead of those nonsenses you wrote an elaborate and eloquent text, I could finally understand it? Hey, if I use my imagination, I can even picture you wrote something that supports my point of view about the side content being dull and I can agree with you Isn't imagination a wonderful thing...
And I did not respond in this thread until after this quoted post, I believe. That said, I only speak for myself, and nobody else.
That's good to hear. By all means, keep on doin' that. 
As there are ten books worth of text, believe that is more than adequate.
I'm not sure what you're saying here. So ... I accept your apology. 
And I did not respond in this thread until after this quoted post, I believe. That said, I only speak for myself, and nobody else.
As there are ten books worth of text, believe that is more than adequate.
The large quantity of text isn't necessarily a good thing.
Personally I'd settle for 5 books filled with engaging text than 10 books full of what is presented anytime.
we mustn't realy talk about that dai looks like a telltale game....in the case that someone did'nt know telltale games like 'the walking dead' or 'game of thrones' : these games are movies wit a little part of a game.
dai is totally different as telltale games .
Quite right. In the Telltale game your choices actually affect the story and the ending of the game. This isn't the case in DA:I.
The large quantity of text isn't necessarily a good thing.
Personally I'd settle for 5 books filled with engaging text than 10 books full of what is presented anytime.
Quite right. In the Telltale game your choices actually affect the story and the ending of the game. This isn't the case in DA:I.
Erm ... no, Elhanan. "Including more cinematics" was not the premise of my original post. Please don't put words into my mouth.
if you both wanna have dai/dao/da2 as telltale game then send a e mail with that to bioware or telltale games or write that all into the telltale topic.... the one made by regan_cousland.
but a telltale game is 98 percent movie and 2 percent gameplay.
But then those open areas would have less banter; less dialogue.
The point I was trying to make was that large quantity of text does not make up for a lack of quality and can even be detrimental for my personal enjoyment of a game.
This is not to say I did not enjoy the party banter in DA:I; i quite liked it, though I never really got the feeling to have heard whole books worth of it. The sound I probably remind best of DA:I would be my Inq walking. 
Judging from my experience though, I doubt that most of the used text makes up party banter, but reading your posts in this thread you have spent considerably more time in the game than I have, so I cannot really prove that.
The whole 10 books worth of text was news to me anyway; were Codex entries and War Table mission descriptions included in that count ?
if you both wanna have dai as telltale game then send a e mail with that to bioware or telltale games or write that all into the telltale topic.... the one made by regan_cousland.
but a telltale game is 98 percent movie and 2 percent gameplay.
The ones I played (TWD 1&2) were 100% engaging though, and especially the first one still has one of the best and most memorable endings of all video games I recently played.
That said, I do not want the DA series to adapt the Telltale style for their releases; however if Bioware were to look to other games for inspiration; I'd personally rather they look at recent Telltale games than sandboxes like Skyrim. ( in terms of storytelling and -design. )
Retour en haut