380 réponses à ce sujet

[Marshal Moriarty]

Well, fair play to Elthanan for sticking his neck and actually giving some examples. Unsurprisingly, i don't agree at all with any of them. I will say that the mission in Crestwood, and the one in the Fallow Mire with the Avvar came the closest to being of at least average quality. I found them both desperately disappointing, but they were at least somewhat intriguing, even if the execution, development and engagement (or complete lack of it) was so utterly underwhelming. Another couple of passes, some more content to actually engage you and your party and invest them in what's going on, and they would have been fine. (Although again, it is very disappointing that for Crestwood, they just recycled a side quest from Tien's Landing in Jade Empire).

 

The rest have no narrative worth whatsoever in my opinion. There are a few germs of interesting ideas here and there (the Blades of Hessarian for example, but theiir questline - you can even call it that - ends as soon as it begins. I was moderately interested to see what was going on, only to think 'Is that it?!' about 5 minutes later. As for the Dragons... meh. The routine of seeing and slaying multiple dragons holds no inherent appeal to me. Like the Dragons of Origins, I was disappointed ot see (with one obvious shapeshifting exception) they had no personalities and were just hanging around minding their own business. If the game had shown them attacking populated areas etc etc, then I might have had some incentive to go after them. I have killed them, because I tried very hard to find something, anything to interest me in this game. But the fights were dull, grindy affairs. I'm no particular fan of Skyrim, but I thought that game's dragon fights were much better (and I wasn't much of a fan of either, to be honest).

 

I won't belabour this further. IMO, the game is full of meaningless busy work, with no reasons narratively or in terms of gameplay fulfillment to want to do any of it. I don't particularly care about the latter, but I do care about the former. Bioware games have always had silly quests that feel extremely unlikely that you would be doing, but its how they are presented, what dressing they put around it to draw you in. This game doesn't have that, and the sheer amount of such content actively works against it. Sadly, its not even as though I can say its stopping us from seeing the content which actually matters, because I think the Main Quest are awful too.

 

Just a deflating experience all round. I've had my problems with some of Bioware games in the past, but this game (along with perhaps Jade Empire) stands out as being possessed of basically nothing that appealed to me. I've been around the block with gaming, I'm not much interested in gameplay these days. Narrative, story, but overall a sense of the unexpected, of that extra something which hooks me and convinces me that I haven''t seen it all... that's what I look for now. And some games can still provide that, but this one definately did not.

 

It was safe, it was boring, it was time spent rather time well spent.

[Elhanan]

Prefer my opinion, and those of others; Thanks.

[Domiel Angelus]

 

 Like the Dragons of Origins, I was disappointed ot see (with one obvious shapeshifting exception) they had no personalities and were just hanging around minding their own business. If the game had shown them attacking populated areas etc etc, then I might have had some incentive to go after them. I have killed them, because I tried very hard to find something, anything to interest me in this game.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to pop right in there on this point alone, the dragons in this one did have a bit of personality. There are two that you find fighting for their own territory against giants of all things (The Vinsomer in Storm Coast and the Greater Mistral in Emerald Graves), the three in Emprise are guarding their burial grounds as well as their breeding ground, the Sandy Howler that's hanging out in Hissing Wastes is guarding buried Dwarven treasure either because it was tamed to do so or because it was so greedy that it didn't want to share with anyone else, the Abyssal is just hunting and you ruin its day by bringing it down and the Frostback is in its own little corner of the world with its brood and its nest (its the last landmark on the map). 

 

Very few of them don't have some form of motive for being where they are and each one has a unique habitat, markings and an elemental resistance/weakness that ties in with that habitat. If anything they have at least as much personality as some of the quest NPCs you deal with, I know that's not saying much but its a clear mile ahead of the Dragons in the previous two titles. 

[VelvetV]

It was safe, it was boring, it was time spent rather time well spent.

 

Everything about side quests agreed, but I personally found other content in the game that I liked. Otherwise I wouldn't even be here.

 

I dislike how people often bring up the costs when they have to admit that something is lacking. Cinematics and branched voiced dialogue may be a lot more expensive than writing hundreds of crappy pop-up letters, but it's no excuse. If something is lacking it's lacking, no matter the reason.

[Wolven_Soul]

Good side quests:

* All of the Dragon encounters, though the ones on the Storm Coast and Western Approach are personal faves. And all are optional.
* Ally with the aggressors on the Storm Coast, or not. Both have been done.
* Capturing the Keeps in the Western Approach, Crestwood, The Lion, The Fallow Mire.
* Seeking the lost tombs in the Hissing Wastes.
* Capturing foes to be placed on trial, and the trials themselves.
* Uncovering the mystery in Crestwood.
* Aiding the refugees in the Emerald Graves. Also using a Noble as an Agent, or not.
* Helping Companions with their personal quests (eg; Cassandra, Cullen, Cole, Varric).
* Saving and seeing what happened to the Haven NPC's.

Of course, these are only my opinions. I also enjoyed helping the war refugees, and then seeing them later, but this was with beneficial Inq's.

 

The dragons?  No, they were pretty much all exactly the same thing.  The only difference between one dragon battle and another was what kind of element they used for their breath weapon.  They really dropped the ball with the dragons in this game.  They had a chance to make them really special.  I was hoping for big, multi-area, knock down, drag out wars with these dragons.  I wanted to fight one in a keep as it circled around us, having to pull it down with a ballistae or something.  I wanted to be able to prepare the battleground with traps and lure the dragon into them.  I wanted to explode pockets of gas around them in the swamps, I wanted to crumble the ground beneath the one in the Hinterlands and drop it back down to where we could hit it.  Instead all we got was bland fights that were just a little harder than other ones.  They dropped the ball here.

 

The people on the Storm Coast?  Doesn't all that really do is add a mission or two on the war board if you ally with them?  I remember it being pretty underwhelming.

 

The keeps were okay, but just okay.  They really could have done more with those.  They didn't really impact anything at all as I recall.

 

The lost tombs...that was the temple area where you take the shards to and you go through unlocking all the doors?  Okay, that one was pretty cool, that one I will give you.  But besides that, the only other side content that was any good was some of the companion quests.  Though I hated running around and collecting the danged things.

 

The trials were okay, but again, just okay.  I was hoping for a few more random trials and to have those trials actually have some kind of in game consequences other than just your companions approving or disapproving.

 

Alright the Crestwood mystery was alright.  But they failed to give us any meaningful choices with as with most of the rest of the game.  Only during the trial after the fact.  We should have had the option not to turn the mayor dude in.

 

Never got far enough into the game to do the Emerald Graves thing, but I have heard it was good, so you might be right on that one.

 

Some of the Companion Quests were good, other's not so much.  Really liked Dorian's, Cassandra's, Solas', Blackwall's, and Bull's. didn't care for Joesephine's, Sera's, or Vivienne's.

 

The Haven NPC's?  That really didn't affect anything either.  No matter what you do, they still all get replaced in Skyhold.  

 

Oh, and I really liked the constellation puzzles.  Those were pretty cool.  Though, the rewards for solving all of them in an area were underwhelming, but then the loot in his game was probably the worst I have ever seen in any RPG ever.

[Elhanan]

I seem to recall the attack patterns of most of the Dragons being varied, though the two airborne Dragons used similar forms. This is difficult to describe in a Spoiler free forum, but unless my memory is totally gone, an ambush from one is certainly different than luring another to land.

Think some people wish to ignore that which does not prove their opinions. One has the right to be wrong if they wish, but the facts do tend to get in the way of a good story.

[LiaraShepard]

 

Alright the Crestwood mystery was alright.  But they failed to give us any meaningful choices with as with most of the rest of the game.  Only during the trial after the fact.  We should have had the option not to turn the mayor dude in.

 

 

It's not nearly as good implemented as the same scenario in Tiens Landing from the game Jade Empire. In that game, you actually felt with the people who lost their home or who died during the flood and came back as ghosts. It was more emotional because everyone had something to say and the fate that came onto the villagers was tangible. And you really had the choice to make things better or to doom them forever. I was much more affected than in DAI. In DAI you learn nothing about them. You just know, there was a flood and that was it. You don't actually feel with anyone and you don't have room for action or good/evil choices. 

 

The same thing happens in the oasis. In SW Kotor you get to know a lot of things about the problems with the sand people. The miner planned to strike camps but they were still there and you learned many things about the problems on Tatooine and could decide on which side you want to fight. But in the oasis in DAI, you only learn things about former miner and their work through kodex entries. It's so bland and boring. 

 

I always felt like walking through a lifeless static world without real people and real consequences.

[Elhanan]

Seem to recall hearing from the refugees helped in the game; those that were aided, fed, sheltered, and clothed due to the actions of the Inquisition. Yet some feel these type of quests are beneath the role, even though they can help bring empathy to their situation.

Also recall hearing from Spirits and commoners that were in need of assistance, soldiers that were rescued, fellow members of the Inquisition that were able to survive, etc. One of the more touching tales was overhearing from one that had lost some turnips that was made into soup. That is when I chose to embrace Cole as my fave new NPC. Examples abound.

Some may not be spending as much time listening as they did in prior games.

[pdusen]

Even with the fetchiest of fetch quests, there was no point at which I felt I was doing what I was doing for no reason.

 

But then, my Inquisition was there to help people. I don't know what your Inquisition was there for.

[jds1bio]

After doubling my time with this game now, I can confidently say this - those who say there are little to no meaningful choices in this game can't possibly be following along with the story.  The cutscenes (of which there are plenty), conversations with companions (which you do have to initiate yourself), or the war table missions lay it all out for you.  You can influence who people are and what they become - in fascinating ways.  The decisions you are confronted to make are huge, and the zones and NPC convos change as you make progress with them.  But if you're not so big on reading or listening, or don't find the world of Thedas appealing, I suppose you'll quickly reach a ceiling as to how much this game will give you.

 

But for those who are such fans of DA going back to DAO, how could you not be interested in the lore in this game?  In this game the lore is the rug that ties the whole room together.  Yes you have to do a bit of exploration, reading, and collecting - but all of the places on the map relate to the lore, and you may find the place before you find the lore, or vice-versa.  The lore also relates to the people and the states they find themselves in during the game, and as long as you follow through with the inner circle quests, some of the revelations about the lore are frankly shocking and will turn what you thought about this world upside down.  The war table also tells stories across multiple missions, some of which have branching paths and varying rewards depending on the decisions you make.

 

I think at this point I'm going to join you in saying "I just don't get it", but for very different reasons.

[jds1bio]

Even with the fetchiest of fetch quests, there was no point at which I felt I was doing what I was doing for no reason.

 

But then, my Inquisition was there to help people. I don't know what your Inquisition was there for.

And even the fetchiest of fetch quests make an impact, depending on who is in your party when you complete them.

[Sylvius the Mad]

Now, if the option to do as such only appeared after you completed your first play through, that would make more sense. Then it would be understandable not to want to do some of the same stuff over again, especially as the only content that had more than one possible outcome was the character specific missions.

No, I would hate this, just as I hate much NewGame+ content.

If there's an alternative game mode, it should be available right out of the box. There shouldn't be restrictions on the order in which I consume content.

[Elhanan]

No, I would hate this, just as I hate much NewGame+ content.

If there's an alternative game mode, it should be available right out of the box. There shouldn't be restrictions on the order in which I consume content.

I have mixed feelings of this approach, as the ME1 achievements are the only ones I have experienced that actually were useful in collecting for whatever reason. They opened up abilities, gold, items, etc that may not have been easily accessible earlier (cannot recall if anything new appeared or not). This was a plus for all those virtual collectables that are forced on my games. And my fave ME3 weapon is discovered near the end content; rather like using it for an entire session for NG+ material.

But I also loathe the notion of restricted content. It seems to be a better methodology to allow the Players the choice; not game mechanics.

[Foadumf]

Personally the game started out slow due to the building up power through fetch quests to unlock other areas.  I got excited about halfway through (the story really is great) and then got into the tedious power grab and got to a point where it just needed to end.  The final fight was a huge let down and I really felt I could have stabbed the guy in the face some 70+ hours earlier and been just as satisfied.

[Majestic Jazz]

I love the move away from cinematic conversations.  I hope they keep heading in that direction with future games.

 

Well keep hoping because I doubt Bioware will push forward with this dialog style. Especially in ME4 which is part of a series that really put Bioware on the map when it came to cinematic interactive dialog. Cinematic conversations has become a signature for Bioware dating all the way back to KOTOR. With DAI, it was one big "experiment". They REALLY went out of their way to make Dragon Age: Skyrim and they were successful. I doubt Mass Effect 4 or the new IP will follow suit. DAI got away with it because it is Dragon Age but if this happened in ME4, there will be a HUGE uproar. I mean, you thought that the heat regarding ME3's ending was bad.....just wait and see when people find out that ME4 is essentially Dragon Age: Inquisition - Space Edition. People at the ME forums now are already worried that ME4 would be a DAI game reskinned with Mass Effect themes. 

 

Hell, there is even a mod out there that brings back the zoomed in camera for conversations. 

[Sylvius the Mad]

Well keep hoping because I doubt Bioware will push forward with this dialog style. Especially in ME4 which is part of a series that really put Bioware on the map when it came to cinematic interactive dialog. Cinematic conversations has become a signature for Bioware dating all the way back to KOTOR. With DAI, it was one big "experiment". They REALLY went out of their way to make Dragon Age: Skyrim and they were successful. I doubt Mass Effect 4 or the new IP will follow suit. DAI got away with it because it is Dragon Age but if this happened in ME4, there will be a HUGE uproar. I mean, you thought that the heat regarding ME3's ending was bad.....just wait and see when people find out that ME4 is essentially Dragon Age: Inquisition - Space Edition. People at the ME forums now are already worried that ME4 would be a DAI game reskinned with Mass Effect themes.

Hell, there is even a mod out there that brings back the zoomed in camera for conversations.

I abandoned the ME series after the travesty that was ME2. I have little or no interest in the franchise.

KotOR was the first step in a long journey in the wrong direction. DAI shows that BioWare isn't trapped on that path. It's good news.

[Elhanan]

Do not mind cut-scenes and cinematics as tools in telling a story in the game; have problems when they seem to present the story and become the game. Am rather fond of moving the focus on these tools away from primary quests, missions, etc, and allowing the Player to regain control of the character and game.

And mods are seemingly created for both sides of various issues; only means when possible, folks would like to tailor their own games. And if done more from the on-set in the Vanilla games themselves, mods may not be as needed.

[Monica21]

These are interesting perspectives for me after being away from the game for awhile. When it first came out I had really hard time getting into it, mostly because of the PC controls, and then when I finally did it took multiple restarts to get past the arrival at Skyhold. The story elements of the gameplay are really engaging, and I still think that In Your Heart Shall Burn is one of most incredible quests of any game I've ever played. It was intriguing and fascinating from start to finish, and there are a lot of moments like that in the game. For me though, there's too much separation between those story elements and what I think are the least interesting parts of Inquisition, which is just going from region to region and doing stuff. There's little to tie those elements to the main story and I felt like I had to go only to gain some arbitrary power level so I could advance the story. I don't like it when I can see past the game to the mechanics, and that's the only purpose I thought the regions served.

 

A couple of months ago I got really busy with work and have only recently had time to come back to Inquisition. Unfortunately, I just can't bring myself to finish the character I was playing or even start a new one. I'm sure my mind will change, but I'm replaying Mass Effect right now and can't see getting back to Inquisition anytime soon.

[Sylvius the Mad]

I have yet to complete the game, but I've just done (in the past 4 days) both Jaws of Hakkon and What Pride Has Wrought, and more and more I think this game is brilliant.

Do I still think it would be better with a silent protagonist? Yes. But the rest of the game more than makes up for it.

[correctamundo]

I have yet to complete the game, but I've just done (in the past 4 days) both Jaws of Hakkon and What Pride Has Wrought, and more and more I think this game is brilliant.

Do I still think it would be better with a silent protagonist? Yes. But the rest of the game more than makes up for it.

 

I am with you on everything ecxept the voice-acting. =)

[Majestic Jazz]

I abandoned the ME series after the travesty that was ME2. I have little or no interest in the franchise.

KotOR was the first step in a long journey in the wrong direction. DAI shows that BioWare isn't trapped on that path. It's good news.

DAI was an experiment that went bad. People are divided in how DAI came out. Enjoy it now cause I doubt DA4 will be like DAI in terms of style.

Too many people hated the single player mmo approach of DAI

Too many people hated the blank state IQ

Too many people hated the lack of cinematics

Too many people hated the gameplay > story approach


Bioware has taken note and will make adjustments for DA4.

So again, enjoy DAI now cause Bioware WILL NOT stick with the same approach.

Bioware looked backwards and not forward with DAI. Now with TW3 out and ME4 and Fallout 4 on the horizon, there will be plenty of material to be inspired by outside of DAI. Think of DAI as an anomoly from Bioware, it wont happen again.

Players like you are in the minority and when a company looks to make profit, the majority rules.

[Sylvius the Mad]

DAI was an experiment that went bad. People are divided in how DAI came out. Enjoy it now cause I doubt DA4 will be like DAI in terms of style.

Too many people hated the single player mmo approach of DAI

Too many people hated the blank state IQ

Too many people hated the lack of cinematics

Too many people hated the gameplay > story approach


Bioware has taken note and will make adjustments for DA4.

So again, enjoy DAI now cause Bioware WILL NOT stick with the same approach.

Bioware looked backwards and not forward with DAI. Now with TW3 out and ME4 and Fallout 4 on the horizon, there will be plenty of material to be inspired by outside of DAI. Think of DAI as an anomoly from Bioware, it wont happen again.

Players like you are in the minority and when a company looks to make profit, the majority rules.

Why do you think we're the minority?  DAI sold better than either DAO or DA2.

[Majestic Jazz]

Why do you think we're the minority?  DAI sold better than either DAO or DA2.

 

Weak argument. You just provoked the quantity over quality argument. Just cause something sells more than something does not mean that the quality is greater, I am sure you're smart enough to know that. Also just cause you buy something does not mean you value it. I bought the DAI $150 Inquisitor's Edition for the PS4. I put nearly 100 hours into the game and in the end, I was not satisfied with the product. DAI is the first Bioware game in which I am not excited to go back and do another playthrough and I am not the only one who shares this view.

 

Why do you think companies invest in "post experience" customer surveys? Yes, I might have went to Disney World for a week but Disney is not going to count that as me having a good time. Instead, they will send me an email later on asking me to rate my experience as many other companies in the product and service industry does. Why? Cause they want to know how we valued the product/experience so they know what to keep and what to change. Bioware/EA is no different. With DAI, main complaints are:

 

- Boring/bland protagonist that requires headcannon to enjoy

 

- Boring/bland antagonist

 

- Boring and uninspired fetch quest

 

- Beautiful looking worlds, but bland in life (look at TW3 for reference)

 

- Lack of cinematic conversations (Bioware has already addressed this by saying that they had limited resources so the decision was made to go with the camera style they went with. Considering that Bioware addressed this issue, it is safe to assume they are aware of the concerns and thus will try harder to not repeat with DA4) 

 

 

If you leave this bubble called BSN, and explore other gaming areas on the internet, you'll see that the DAI honeymoon is over and people are beginning to see the many flaws in the game. Additionally, Witcher 3 is out which has taken away some of the sweetness away from DAI. I mean lets admit it, part of DAI's appeal asside from it being a Bioware game and the 3rd game in a popular series, was that it was the first major WRPG for the current gen systems. It was the first one out of the gate so DAI had the novelty thing going for it. People compare Skyrim to DAI but at the end of the day, Skyrim is past gen, not current gen. With Witcher 3 out now, people finally has another current gen WRPG title to compare and contrast with DAI and one of the popular opinions out now is that TW3 does side quest better than DAI and TW3's cities/villages are more lively and vibrant than what you get in DAI. 

 

So my point is, what really matters is the post-release atmosphere. Dragon Age 2 sold more than DAO but guess what, DAI was NOWHERE similar to DA2. Why is that? Because despite DA2 selling better than DAO, people had many complaints about the game such as the lifeless city, rehash environments, and not being able to play as multiple races. So Bioware took note, adjustments were made and thus we got DAI. Now the same will happen again....DAI sold more than DA2, but like DA2, there are many complaints about DAI which you already know about....Bioware will take note (as well with what is going on with ME4) and make adjustments with DA4. Will Bioware take elements from DAI and carry them over to DA4? Yes, but do not expect DA4 to be a copy and paste of DAI. You seem to believe that Bioware made the conscious decision to ignore what they were building up since KOTOR and go back to an older style of WRPG which is a naive belief. Bioware wasn't not being nostalgic, Bioware was held back with DAI because they had to make the game for the 360 and PS3. Also Bioware wanted to emulate the Skyrim in many ways but it came out bland. It is sort of like finding out a recipe that many people like and you go home and try to emulate that same dish but because you lack the experience in making such dish, it comes out not so much as you envisioned. So with DA4, expect things such as the game being fully cinematic like Mass Effect and DA2 because they would have had the experience with DAI as well as not being held back by past gen hardware.

 

Like I said, DAI was an anomaly, not a new paradigm in which they will make their games. Expect Mass Effect 4 as well as the new IP to be nowhere near DAI in terms of style.

 

So I say again, eat it up now and enjoy DAI and all the future DLC cause by the time the first news/videos of DA4 come around sometime in 2017 or so (my estimate), do not expect to see DAI v2.0. In fact, expect something that is more in line with Witcher 3 and the upcoming Mass Effect 4. 

[Elhanan]

Positive reviews, sales, and telemetry data; may the next Bioware product do as poorly as DAI....
 

[Sylvius the Mad]

Dragon Age 2 sold more than DAO

DA2 sold more than DAO at release.  It was a sequel, and it came quick on the heels of DAO.  It had more pre-orders.  But I'm not confident DA2 sold more than DAO overall - just out of the gate.

 

And more importantly from EA's perspective, DA2 underperformed expectations.  DAO outperformed expectations.  DAI outperformed expectations.  They want games that outperform.

 

When I hear BioWare tell me that they're moving away from the blank slate protagonist (something they've had in nearly all of their games), then I'll start worrying about it.  Just as I listened when BioWare told me that they weren't trying to let me roleplay in ME2 (and as a result, I abandoned the ME series).

 

If BioWare were truly chasing gaming trends, they'd have stopped including pausable tactical combat years ago.

People compare Skyrim to DAI but at the end of the day, Skyrim is past gen, not current gen.

How is that even relevant?