Indeed, Gwent is polarizing, lol. From what I've seen around the internet, you either love it or hate it. Probably why they should keep mini-games like that out of games, but man, am I pleased they included it.
Well I certainly love it, even more than the dice poker. Probably the only game where I am actively looking forward to meeting another Gwent player... and to expand my collection. 
Siegemaster Northern Realms deck FTW!
To be honest, I prefer dice poker.
I feel the exact same way. Not that Gwent isn't fun and addictive, but I really loved dice poker. I miss it.
New Gwent deck in the next free TW3 DLC ...
Well I certainly love it, even more than the dice poker. Probably the only game where I am actively looking forward to meeting another Gwent player... and to expand my collection.
Siegemaster Northern Realms deck FTW!
This sounds like it could be fun. I also wish we had the option to play wicked grace for real. There aren't any "quirky" regional rules that spread like STDs in this one, are there?
And I'm assuming it's better than dice poker? Dice poker is terrible.
Maybe throwing a few invitations to your companions for a game of your own. It'd be tricky on resources and lines maybe. I liked what Poker Night 2 at the Inventory did. I'm not saying copy that but take some hints from the tells that certain players give off or something along that line. I think it'd be a fantastic idea for Dragon Age. Approval bonus or something as a form of incentive to play with your team!
To add onto that bit about pokernight 2.. I really liked how they made it feel like an actual conversation at a table. You had your nervous player (Ash or the guy with the shotgun and steel arm from the evil dead series) start off with a not so convincing hand already, then you become THAT guy (the player character) by raising the pot high, causing some frustration to Brock (Adventure Brothers), someone with a decent hand speaks up and matches too (Sam from Sam and Max<3), come the flop, you raise again (being that guy again..), another outburst from claptrap in response to your raise, after brief murmurs, they all fold and you take the pot.
Not necessarily steal the idea, but I think Bioware can easily make it a reactive game where people respond and have their own unique way of keeping the conversation going, even if it means them pestering you when your taking forever with your turn. Hah. If they did make "Wicked Grace" into a minigame you could have with your companions, it would add a little more atmosphere to one of Bioware's strongest points, companion conversations and interactions.
Indeed, Gwent is polarizing, lol. From what I've seen around the internet, you either love it or hate it. Probably why they should keep mini-games like that out of games, but man, am I pleased they included it.
I have a friend who is completely obsessed with it. He texts me all hours to tell me about a new card or how he "reamed" this guy or whatever. When I told him the next free dlc is a gwent pack, he freaked. Most people I have spoken with love it, too. It is nice to add these little games. It alows the player to take a little break within the world. I hope DA does this with Wicked Grace. Could be fun.
In Exile, on 09 Jun 2015 - 6:27 PM, said:
I hated dice poker. It was just random chance I felt.
Pfft. Life is all about rolling that dice and taking a chance! 
Clearly you've never been to Vegas. I have, and let's just say that dice games give you a marginally better chance than the slots.
I gotta agree with you on the public beta testing initiative. It can only be a benefit really. Witcher 3 does have a few annoyances I wouldn't mind seeing patched out.Bioware also provides free DLC, 'expansions', patches, Beta testing for patches (a positive; not negative), and forums for those of noble character to bond over good times. Have fun storming the castle!
I... uh, what?
Central and Eastern European countries have experienced their share of bad things, especially in fairly recent history, but our lands are hardly populated with just Vlads Impalers and Elisabeths of Bathory.
Actually, Stefan Bathory - an UNCLE of Elizabeth (whose murderous spree has been largely exaggerated) and Prince of Transylvania (I kid you not) before his election, is considered one of the best kings we had, and certainly not because he was a bloodthirsty monster....
In fact, compared to what was happening at that time in Europe, Poland was a safe haven for many repressed minorities. I'm not going to sit here and claim that it was anything on the level of acceptance we have today - far from it - but relatively speaking, for quite some time Poland was a bastion of tolerance (http://en.wikipedia....w_Confederation) and a melting pot of cultures and various ethnicities. The testament to that is a near 1000 years old relationship with Jews and - believe it or not - most of it was actually friendly. They had special privileges and protection here, guaranteed by our rulers. In fact, their own religious and cultural center grew along our religious and cultural center (Kazimierz near Krakow).
So no - not all that happened here was twisted and brutal and monstrous. It's completely unfair to paint history of our lands as such. Invasions, numerous partitions and World Wars (especially WWII) may have made local people perhaps somewhat more disillusioned and cynical, but at the same time one of more prominent "national traits" many people here still exhibit is unabashed ROMANTICISM.
Also... Hostel is an AMERICAN movie. It was set in Slovakia, but it's entirely FICTION. It wasn't based on anything that happened here or was rumored to happen in these parts.... though I suppose it should be expected that some think that way. Ever since Bram Stoker wrote "Dracula" it seems that quite a few people from Western countries like to think of Eastern/Central Europe as some sort of half-exotic, half-magical land where a lot of dark things happen :/
.... And now I'm getting worried that Witcher games will only strengthen that image *sigh*
This place will pull hostility out of anything, like "hello" or "I like your country," or yeah, just about anything.
It's always "I'd appreciate you not judging or damaging my reputation," it's like come on, first of all the only reason I found any of these things was just from some degree of interest in their history generally which is probably more than anyone else on this forum can say.
Anyway my only point was that TW has grimdark sort of aspects, Keira Metz being (spoiler) decapitated, the intro with the hunt, various aspects where kind of darkly violent things happen to people. The Hostel reference was literally intended as a joke, of course you don't take an American Movie as historical fact. Slavic/Polish history has some unique characters, and some that are pretty super grim.
So does like, I don't know, other countries histories, and neither is that all of Slavic history, wasn't making any blanket statements. I never "painted" any history as such, it was literally like, oh yeah Dracula was one of the things in that history. Germany also has some pretty unique characters, I mean, so does America, but TW didn't come from either place so no reason to bring them up.
Not everything everyone writes is intended to be some kind of criticism or something necessarily you know.
Anyway even Vlad the Impaler sounds like he was perhaps a competent ruler in many ways, as I was reading on the wikipedia yesterday. I'm also sure he wasn't the norm one way or another. And I think I've said multiple times I like the TW3 so...
Besides someone like Foltest (a highly aggressive kind of ruler) seems like a cool thing you don't really get in America or other places. Radovid is maybe the other side of that coin where aggression goes too far.
Clearly you've never been to Vegas. I have, and let's just say that dice games give you a marginally better chance than the slots.
I've been to Vegas...but didn't gamble! I'm not very good at it, so I stuck with cheering for my girlfriends. The closest thing I came to gambling was eating and drinking too much and seeing how many Elvis' I could meet.(Which wasn't as many as I was lead to believe there were)
I've been to Vegas...but didn't gamble! I'm not very good at it, so I stuck with cheering for my girlfriends. The closest thing I came to gambling was eating and drinking too much and seeing how many Elvis' I could meet.(Which wasn't as many as I was lead to believe there were)
I've been to Vegas...but didn't gamble! I'm not very good at it, so I stuck with cheering for my girlfriends. The closest thing I came to gambling was eating and drinking too much and seeing how many Elvis' I could meet.(Which wasn't as many as I was lead to believe there were)
The people-watching game my husband and I played while in Vegas was called "Spot the Escort." It wasn't too hard to tell, to be honest.
Anyway, getting this back on track, it sounds like a card/dice mini-game similar to what is in TW3 sounds like a good idea for future DA games. 
This place will pull hostility out of anything, like "hello" or "I like your country," or yeah, just about anything.
It's always "I'd appreciate you not judging or damaging my reputation," it's like come on, first of all the only reason I found any of these things was just from some degree of interest in their history generally which is probably more than anyone else on this forum can say.
.... Wut?
I'm sorry, but can anyone explain to me what exactly was hostile in my comment? Why is it that when people disagree or try to make a point, and politely explain their reasoning, give examples or information, for some people it's still "hostile" or "aggressive"?
Besides, Kefka, you didn't say "I like your country" or "Hello" - you've made specific points about specific region of the world that I happen to live with, openly admitted that you know very little of it and base your opinions on how they are on movies like "Hostel" (jokingly or not) and controversial figures like Vlad the Impaler and Elisabeth Bathory.
So you really shouldn't be surprised when people either correct your misconceptions or offer you a different perspective - in fact, if you are interested in history and like countries over here, shouldn't you be pleased that someone who happens to know a bit more about it takes his/her time to actually teach you some interesting (hopefully) historical facts???
*sigh*
Anyway my only point was that TW has grimdark sort of aspects, Keira Metz being (spoiler) decapitated, the intro with the hunt, various aspects where kind of darkly violent things happen to people. The Hostel reference was literally intended as a joke, of course you don't take an American Movie as historical fact. Slavic/Polish history has some unique characters, and some that are pretty super grim.
You've made it sound as if the grimdark aspect is based on reality - or at least the 'super-hardcore Slavic myths', as if there was something about Slavs and our myths or history is inherently darker than that of other regions of the world. It isn't - not overall.
Some Slavic or Polish or Easter European characters or historical figures are unique, true, but nothing makes them any more "grim" than those of other cultures or countries and it's weird to think that way.
Seriously, Witcher (especially the game) being more grimdarky can only tell you that its creators wanted it to be grimdarky - NOT that we like to keep our myths or stories more grim overall :/
So does like, I don't know, other countries histories, and neither is that all of Slavic history, wasn't making any blanket statements. I never "painted" any history as such, it was literally like, oh yeah Dracula was one of the things in that history. Germany also has some pretty unique characters, I mean, so does America, but TW didn't come from either place so no reason to bring them up.
... You've literally said this: "The Witcher is just a lot more grimdarky with more of a central Europe kind of knowing ethos whereas DA (at worst) drifts towards a kind of flimsy SJ pander land a bit (outside of Origins and parts of Inquisition), but neither is clearly in any extreme (either super pandering or super hardcore Eastern European Slavic myth) or massively extremely different from the other."
And if you recognize that Germany or other countries have some unique, dark characters, why make it sound like Witcher bases its grimdark tone specifically on Slavic myths of figures? It certainly bases quite a lot of its mythos on local myths or history, but not necessarily the tone. Its creators simply choose to take the franchise to pretty dark places at times... and that's about it.
Not everything everyone writes is intended to be some kind of criticism or something necessarily you know.
Just like not every comment made to you should be taken as some sort of hostile attack, when it clearly isn't :/
Anyway, getting this back on track, it sounds like a card/dice mini-game similar to what is in TW3 sounds like a good idea for future DA games.
Should those just be card games? Or would people be interested with horse racing as well?
Personally I wouldn't mind more puzzles in games. Like actual puzzles and not something that is only called 'a puzzle'.
The people-watching game my husband and I played while in Vegas was called "Spot the Escort." It wasn't too hard to tell, to be honest.
I've mentioned that I work in a winery tasting room? Well, the number the fifty to sixty something year old men who come in with their twenty year old "nieces." I swear. It's even more conspicuous when they're there to stay over at our guest cottages alone together. We place bets on how many of that sort of pairing we might get on a Saturday.
But about mini games inside of the main game, I think DA might benefit from something like that, definitely.
Should those just be card games? Or would people be interested with horse racing as well?
Personally I wouldn't mind more puzzles in games. Like actual puzzles and not something that is only called 'a puzzle'.
I would like to see horse races, we more uses for mounts since companions wasn't able to have one this game
No reason whatsoever? So ripping the Veil where it as the weakest and having a good shot of destroying everything (while Inquisition is unprepared for it, mind you) wasn't a good enough reason?
Mounts. Another possible take away Bioware could get from the Witcher is the amount of mounts. In Witcher 3 you have 1 and it is fine. i understand in DaI you need more than 1 because of the different races the protag could be. But you didn;t need 30 for goodness sake! I hope in the future it Bioware does mounts again they seriously reduce the number of them and focus their efforts elsewhere.
It doesn't seem rushed to me. Again, the counter-examples presented (like ME and ME2) are worse, to me, because they're so contrived.
When a plan comes together, things can move quickly. I much prefer this to a long ending sequence which can only exist if the enemy expected all along to face me there, thus invalidating the entire rest of the game.
Every interesting feature that Corypheus shows in "your heart shall burn" is completly lost in flavor of this insanity that ultimately is used to get riddance of the villain while enforce the self righteousness of the protagonist&companions,sadly this happens often with Bioware ,in DAI this feeling is evident to the point of queasiness
What makes you think that Corypheus in IYHSB wasn't as bonkers as he was in the last fight? The difference between Cory then and later was that when he attacked Haven, he had quite a few aces down his sleeve, which Inquisition then took months (years?) to effectively neutralize. Hence, he grew desperate and madness was all that was left.
Also... uh... enforce the self-righteousness of protagonists and companions??? Maybe in eyes of people of Thedas, but how self-righteous Inquisitor was is up to the player.
(The top point in which i was revolted being Cullen banter " I speak for all of us when i answer::we could ask for no finer cause" in which sadly was evident that Corypheus had completed is down grade to a more childish villain,while in the maintain the Inquisition rised as the rainbow of the world)
That's just nitpicking. I don't feel Cullen's words reflect anything about Cory being downgraded to "childish villain". Saving the world from an obvious threat is a fine cause indeed, even if things on either side are perfectly dark or 'rainbowish' on another.
From a multidimensional character that struggle to enforce the remains of an empire that is only a skull of what once was, he become a joke someone who has no interest other than as you said "destroy everything" maybe even himself in the process, suicide.
I'm not sure I get the complaint. From perspective of Corypheus this suicide is likely seen as 'noble sacrifice', since opening the Breach and obtaining godhood (or die trying) was his idea of saving the world from emptiness and darkness he experienced in golden/Black City.... THAT was his goal after all - him, seated on throne of gods. Only then he can really accomplish all his goals, which included re-vitalizing Tevinter.
Besides, Kefka, you didn't say "I like your country" or "Hello" - you've made specific points about specific region of the world that I happen to live with, openly admitted that you know very little of it and base your opinions on how they are on movies like "Hostel" (jokingly or not) and controversial figures like Vlad the Impaler and Elisabeth Bathory.
Well here lets try again, hello! I like some aspects of your country.
... You've literally said this: "The Witcher is just a lot more grimdarky with more of a central Europe kind of knowing ethos whereas DA (at worst) drifts towards a kind of flimsy SJ pander land a bit (outside of Origins and parts of Inquisition), but neither is clearly in any extreme (either super pandering or super hardcore Eastern European Slavic myth) or massively extremely different from the other."
And if you recognize that Germany or other countries have some unique, dark characters, why make it sound like Witcher bases its grimdark tone specifically on Slavic myths of figures? It certainly bases quite a lot of its mythos on local myths or history, but not necessarily the tone. Its creators simply choose to take the franchise to pretty dark places at times... and that's about it.
Well because TW is from Poland it makes sense that it would be more likely to include things from Slavic mythology or something rather than German, right? That seems to make sense to me. As for TW not being especially grimdark or something well you certainly don't see decapitated sorceresses or eyes being poked out or werewolves tearing peasant girls into shreds, or enormous evil crones with hands flopping around in their satchel in Tolkien or something.
I'm not really sure why you are sensitive about this though, because in some ways I don't automatically see this as a bad thing, at least it's an honest portrayal of violence. It's not like when people execute each other in DA:I where it's this this fade to black nonsense, DA:I is at least as wacky but is unwilling to be forthright in the portrayal quite frankly.
And with respect to leaders who aren't afraid to be aggressive eastern Europe or early medieval history is where a lot of those leaders came from, yes sometimes they have really sadistic or wayward people, but the complaint I was trying to suggest earlier in the American kind of sphere is that the leaders have the opposite problem, being too tepid. I don't think most people question the ability to be decisive in those types of kings, but rather the content of that decision.
Different countries should endeavor learn something from the others at times, in my opinion. Like you suggest, there are all kinds of people in Slavic history that weren't like Bathory or Dracula.
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