42 réponses à ce sujet

[TaHol]

Gawd how I hated that quest. And only because of timer. All kinds of timers get me stressed out IN A BIG WAY. Give me a quick-time event and I quit the game. You know, I love and adore first Witcher-game. Like I worship it. I was so anxious when they made second. I started it...and then comes quick-time event. I sat for a while with a blank stare on my face and then uninstalled. That is how much I dislike timers and quick-time events. So, Halamshiral could have been even worse for me if they would have added a quick-time event here and there. Buuuut the Halla-statues were a deal-breaker too, I hesitate to say this but I found the whole idea of them to be childish. Really, doors are locked with Halla-statues that are then put here and there? I can stretch my imagination quite a lot but it has some limits. I met my limits here.

 

I can take timer if it is RELEVANT, like you have to dismantle a bomb. It makes sense. It is in context. But timer in court approval does not make any sense for me, and it made me just run through the quest like there was fire in my Inquisitors butt. If developers decide that this is a route they will follow even more, I quit. For real.

 

For me timers and such are just a way to torture me. Why do developers want to torture me, their paying customer, is beyond me. This one quest was a biggest, largest SIGN for me that DA is going in the direction I don't care much and if it goes this road even more I don't want to have anything to do with it anymore. I abandoned Witcher and you don't believe how much I liked the first one. I will never go back. I can abandon this too. There just are symptoms in some games that tell me I don't want to have anything to do with it anymore.

 

If there are people who really love so much to be stressed out with unneeded timers and such, then ok, but make it a toggle. Two modes of game, one full of timers and quick times, then un-stressfull mode for us who have enough stress in our daily life we don't have to seek for more of it.

 

The general idea of the quest might have been nice and good, but honestly I have no idea. I run it through 3 times so quickly I hardly understood what I was doing. Yes, timers stress me that much. This is Thee Moment I really would like to sit down with developers and tell how I felt and ask if it was their intention and what the hell they were trying to accomplish.

[b10d1v]

This makes me think about Mass Effect 3: Citadel, and how the companion you take with you to the casino can distract the guard while you mess with the security system.

That was actually pretty interesting, done by the frostbite crew if I recall, and it was obvious that the neurotic watanabe was going to turn at some point, still not bad!

[wintersdreaming]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets that stressed over timers. I'll admit there have been games I have abandoned when timers started popping up in too many quests. Bioware games would be the only ones were I'd be reluctant to do so, so I hope it doesn't ever come to that.

 

BUT, the reason I feel that way is because I get so engrossed in the worlds bioware builds and the storytelling.

And you're right, if I'm rushing head-long through a quest it throws me out of the story completely for that quest and probably whatever part is supposed to follow. Not what I want in a game like this.

 

I understand how some people thrive off of building up a little extra pressure because it makes the achievement more worthwhile, but it doesn't work that way for everyone. For some people it has just the opposite effect.

I really like your idea of two gameplay modes if developers could make that work. 

 

 

 

As for Mass Effect: Citadel? I'm afraid I never got to play it, so I really can't say. For work reasons I'm stuck on an un-partioned Mac and I refuse to play it on my 360 (I caved on this for DA:I only and I regret everything) so I probably never will. I may try to hunt down a video though, just to see what it's like.

[b10d1v]

If only you guys were listed to QA, what a better world it could have been :-)  I hope the QA process improves in the near future for all activities.  This update and the game crashes or behaves in such a clumsy manner is unacceptable. 

[Domiel Angelus]

I hit the point in my playthroughs where my approval was so far off the scale that it broke and couldn't be lowered even when I was super late to events. It was mildly amusing to hear my inquisitor complaining about the lateness at which he would attempt something only to see the bar stay right where it was at 100.

[KaiserShep]

Really, doors are locked with Halla-statues that are then put here and there? I can stretch my imagination quite a lot but it has some limits. I met my limits here.

 

I think the problem with this bit is that it's essentially the same exact mechanic as the shards, since you need a certain number to open certain doors. Only thing is, if it was a key, the key would be for a specific door, but then you have to hunt down which door works with it.

[Elista]

Yeah, it would have been great to gain court approval by political ways...to play the Game, a bit more. I still find silly that everybody let his secret documents on benches or in the grass, just for you to find. And people are seriously not very discrete. 30 dirty secrets just waiting for someone to fall on them. Your companions are useless, even Leliana, Vivienne and Cole, who could have gone anywhere and pick everything for you while you would have stay in the ballroom gaining favors from dialogues... Leliana could have gathered secrets before the ball so you can blackmail people, or put shame on them in public, weakening one candidate or another through his followers... Vivienne could have use her wit to help you in dialogues if you play a brutal character... etc.

[wintersdreaming]

Hmm, it might get a little complex, but the idea of being able to give your companions and advisors tasks during the party would probably be fun. It never made sense that you couldn't utilize Vivienne's familiarity with so many of the nobles at court (outside of one dialogue option when approaching Celene) or Leliana's skills as an ex-bard, and so on.

[wintersdreaming]

Also, I kind of wanted to play with the idea of the masks. Maybe you could pick which mask to bring to the ball and the one you picked might effect how people address or react to you? Showing up and wearing it the whole night could show your willingness to play by the rules that they've set, or you could choose not to wear it at all to make a statement against the Grand Game, or take it off at some point for further shock value. Just, something. The masks are an interesting concept and I wanted to play.

 

On another note though, why do all the male versions of the masks look so awful? 

[Mihura]

They probably run out of time to improve certain main quest locations. That is a common problem with DA:I, it does not use the side quest maps so in a way you are doing two games. One for the side quest and one for the main ones, that is why Orlais felt so small. I bet if they spend less time in the huge maps with nothing to do, the main quest would had been a lot better. Also all the quests should had been done in only one map.

[wintersdreaming]

Then I say they should have spent a hell of a lot less time filling the Hinterlands with useless crap 

[Mihura]

Then I say they should have spent a hell of a lot less time filling the Hinterlands with useless crap 

 

Oh ya, more quality less quantity and no, not like DA 2 just a middle ground. Maybe the DLCs or the next game will fair better. I sure hope so.

[Domiel Angelus]

Also, I kind of wanted to play with the idea of the masks. Maybe you could pick which mask to bring to the ball and the one you picked might effect how people address or react to you? Showing up and wearing it the whole night could show your willingness to play by the rules that they've set, or you could choose not to wear it at all to make a statement against the Grand Game, or take it off at some point for further shock value. Just, something. The masks are an interesting concept and I wanted to play.

 

On another note though, why do all the male versions of the masks look so awful? 

 

For the same reason the vast majority of statues got beards added to them even if the historical figure didn't have them, they're all using that as their ideal Orlesian face. A sharp nose, a small devious mustache and eyes that look like he's been sitting in the opium den far too long; that's their idea of a successful look.  

[Eternal Dust]

This was one of the worst main missions I have ever played. A palace full of royal snobs with political intrigue and I spent the entire time running around like a maniac and scanning for dirty laundry. They made this great looking place but you can't do squat in it. This would have been an excellent area where intelligence skills would have been useful. Oh, but they scrapped all of that, didn't they? 

[medusa_hair]

I hated that stupid party. The timer really made it too stressful and I was lost all the time. However, after the first couple of playthroughs I have it figured out now. you just can't be completionist or obsessed wtih this one. I did enjoy the verbal jousting part of it, that was my favorite part, which of course was the politics part of it. Also I like the dance at the end. :-)

[In Exile]

While I loathe timers, hoarding approval is so incredibly easy (at least I find) that I can't say it was really stressful for more than a few minutes. And in replays it's just a race to see how fast I can get it stuck at 100. 

[Dai Grepher]

I like all the suggestions on how to improve the ball. I liked it, but I still think these suggestions would make it even better.

 

I also think Abernache should have showed up if he lived through Theirinfall. I know most people don't like him, but I was amused by his character. I think he could have provided some interesting interactions at the ball as long as you didn't brush him off at the end. There could have even been a group of nobles talking to him about the events that transpired, and then one noble accuses Abernache of cowering in the corner and wetting himself. To which the Inquisitor can either throw him under the bus to gain approval from one set of nobles, or stand up for him and possibly lose support, but improve relations with Abernache and his allies.

 

I also like the masks idea someone posted above. I think we should have been able to at least get themed masks for each companion. Like Cassandra's would have been a skull with a crown to reflect her Nevarran lineage. Sera could make some ridiculous looking mask that is embarrassing to look at, or is just a mockery to Orlesian balls. Heh. See what I did there? Dorian's mask could be Tevinter theme and have many decorations to look fabulous. Cole would wear no mask and not be seen, and the mission should allow you to play as him and explore the area without any timer penalties.

[Fireheart]

If you want full court approval, just follow a YouTube guide like I did. There aren't any interesting things there anyway so you'd just be wasting your time, but if you want the trophy/pure satisfaction of getting full approval, then follow a guide. Honestly, I didn't even see the point of the approval system, unless you wanted to potentially avoid a boss fight, which you wouldn't even know about on a first playthrough.