73 réponses à ce sujet

[CM_Aurelius]

I miss being able to talk to my team mates whenever I want, so far I haven't found a moment where I can just sit around and talk with them and get to know them more, have been playing for three hours now, can't level up my attributes the way I see fit really, sure the game map seeems huge but I hope I end up doing more than just scavenging things and establishing base camps, I'm starting to wonder whether a bigger map is actually helping this game or hindering it.

 

I guess you can call it tip that worked for me and made the game more fun was:

• Empty your bags/pockets, equip stuff on all characters, sell the rest.
• When you start a new zone, don't look at the quest list, just roam.
• Don't open the map just use your compass map for now.
• Whatever you find, you find, whatever you solve you solve.
• Worry about the quests and other stuff later, enjoy the exploring.

When there was too much stuff to do I just roamed, and had fun looking around exploring. This lead to probably the best moments for example when you find a small cave or something fun to do by random that you wouldn't have found when looking at a long quest list.

[Wolven_Soul]

So don't do them.

I think they do serve a purpose, though. The shards do, certainly.

They're giving you an incentive to explore. You don't have to if you don't want to, but this helps you start out by giving a short-term objective, and in pursuing that you will get to see more content you might otherwise have missed.

 

Hmm, can I say that the things outside of the main quest stuff has a purpose?  I suppose I can, they are a time sink after all, they pad the game out.  Are they fun to do?  Not even remotely.  At no point in this game did I really feel much incentive to explore other than to look at cool looking things in the well designed maps. 

 

For me, incentive to explore is to go out, meet interesting people, see interesting places, and find interesting quests to do.  The last of those three is the most important for me.  Without fun things to do, oohing and ahhing over the prettiness gets old for me quick.

 

Yeah collecting the shards serves a purpose, but the rewards that you get for them do not make up anywhere near enough for the tedium of collecting them.  Outside of the increased resistances and the essences, the rest of the loot you get by opening the doors and killing the things therein was weak, but then that was true of the entire game.  I was expecting to get some really cool stuff from collecting those things but...didn't really feel like I did.

[Sylvius the Mad]

Hmm, can I say that the things outside of the main quest stuff has a purpose? I suppose I can, they are a time sink after all, they pad the game out. Are they fun to do? Not even remotely. At no point in this game did I really feel much incentive to explore other than to look at cool looking things in the well designed maps.

For me, incentive to explore is to go out, meet interesting people, see interesting places, and find interesting quests to do. The last of those three is the most important for me. Without fun things to do, oohing and ahhing over the prettiness gets old for me quick.

Yeah collecting the shards serves a purpose, but the rewards that you get for them do not make up anywhere near enough for the tedium of collecting them. Outside of the increased resistances and the essences, the rest of the loot you get by opening the doors and killing the things therein was weak, but then that was true of the entire game. I was expecting to get some really cool stuff from collecting those things but...didn't really feel like I did.

Which is why DAI needs the collection quests to create an incentive.

Skyrim doesn't need to do that, because there's always interesting stuff to do along the way. I never fast travel in Skyrim unless I've already travelled that route a lot on foot, because I like finding new caves to explore (and bandits to kill).

I almost always fast travel in DAI (even though I said I wouldn't before release) to minimise the amount of time I spend walking.

[Darkly Tranquil]

I actually found myself getting bored of Witcher 3 and returning to DAI. I love this universe and lore.

I feel a bit similar. I think TW3 is technically a better game overall than DAI, but I care far more about DA's world and characters than I do about TW's, and in the end it's that that pulls me back more than gameplay (or in DAI's case, in spite of the gameplay).

[Faust1979]

After playing for 40 hours I just can't be bothered to finish the game it's just to tedious and boring even the story despite some cool stuff happening once in awhile it's just so routine and mundane. The main villain isn't even interesting or well written.  He can't hold a candle to the likes of Saren or Loghain or Darth Malak. The maps are to boring, the game is to limiting in regards to character creation. Dragon Age Origins was a much better and written game, even though Dragon Age 2 had repetitive maps it was still great, the writing was fantastic I loved the different approach to the story and the gameplay and the way things were done were focused and still let me develop the character in my own way as I leveled up. It also had good loot. This is the first Bioware game in a long time that I can't be bothered to finish despite my earlier perception when I thought the game was really starting to get good

[JeffZero]

This is why I was a bit cagey with my earlier comment. "In Your Heart Shall Burn" is a terrific quest, and there are good quests afterward to be sure, but many receive IYHSB as the beginning of a newfound focus on narrative and urgency, and that... simply never materializes. It is easier to make peace with on subsequent playthroughs, as I've come to accept that the balance between exploration and story is not what I wanted. But yeah.

[Faust1979]

This is why I was a bit cagey with my earlier comment. "In Your Heart Shall Burn" is a terrific quest, and there are good quests afterward to be sure, but many receive IYHSB as the beginning of a newfound focus on narrative and urgency, and that... simply never materializes. It is easier to make peace with on subsequent playthroughs, as I've come to accept that the balance between exploration and story is not what I wanted. But yeah.

 

I finished the well quest yesterday but I'm just not feeling a drive to play through the rest. It seems like Bioware was trying to do a mix of Skyrim and Dragons Dogma a game I loved. But they weren't playing up to their strengths with this game, I think Bioware makes great games but their strengths aren't in vast open worlds and exploration. 

[Dai Grepher]

I don't think open world is the problem. It's the lack of pursuit battles and exploration quests that makes the map feel boring. At first it's okay because a random encounter feels like part of the story. But then it gets to be repetitive. You realize quickly that there is no real strategy to random encounters. A group of enemies spawn in one small area and they never leave that area. If you could chase after them or cut them off by taking a different route, or take higher ground and snipe them, then it would add more to the combat.

 

By comparison, the mission to clear out the bandits actually does require some strategy, and there are multiple methods to choose from. If the whole game had been like that, like Origins, then it would be much more interesting and entertaining.

 

As for exploration, I think the map is too generic in some places. You're just wandering through wilderness for the most part, and a cave or temple just seems too obviously placed. I like to have to find secret passages or clear certain obstacles in order to get to a secret place. A place that feels like you weren't supposed to find it. I actually think the Frostback Basin in Jaws of Hakkon got this right. There were many places where there were multiple paths to take, and some secret passages that are easy to miss unless you are actively looking for places to explore. Walking on tree limbs was also fun.

 

I also think the maps could have benefited from backtracking. Getting a new ability should allow you to get to new places you couldn't before. Like the Blizzard spell for example. There should have been a watery cave somewhere that you could go into but not explore fully until after you get Blizzard and freeze a deep pool of water that you can then walk across. There could have also been a drawbridge that could be pulled down from the other side by two Grappling Chain warriors. There could have also been a group of gunpowder kegs that an archer rogue could blow up with Exploding Shot to break down a wall or kill a group of enemies. The game flirted with this concept. There is a wooden flood in the Forbidden Oasis that a 2H warrior can break with that move that smashes the ground (Mighty Blow?), and there were barriers for mages to destroy of course, but that's it. Everything else was scripted with bash/energize/pick lock. Energize was fun though. I think it's what makes the mage playthrough a lot better than the others, especially when energizing the magical table in the Emerald Graves and the potion table in the Frostback Basin.

[Erstus]

I feel a bit similar. I think TW3 is technically a better game overall than DAI, but I care far more about DA's world and characters than I do about TW's, and in the end it's that that pulls me back more than gameplay (or in DAI's case, in spite of the gameplay).

Exactly my thoughts. I love the Witcher 3 and the whole series but the DA universe and party/companion-based system really reels me in.

[Erstus]

DAI just has a lot of "filler" in between the story and actual decent quests. One example is the Wardens on the Coast quest in Stormcoast. Completing it led to nothing. You read a few notes by a Warden and then basically respond with "Welp!".

DAI needed more quality quests. The open-world aspect is fine. Oh, there is also the matter of stale towns and villages with little character interaction. The zones do feel rather empty and devoid of any interactions.

[Serza]

You don't seem like a bad person.

 

Why not drop by in the DrinkQuisition (unfortunately, it's in the Spoilers section, so eyes off the thread titles as much as possible) and talk about it? We all love the Inquisition over there.

 

 

Also, talk to your people at Haven. And GET OUT OF THE HINTERLANDS. I love the Hinterlands, but they're not to everyone's taste.

[Faust1979]

You don't seem like a bad person.

 

Why not drop by in the DrinkQuisition (unfortunately, it's in the Spoilers section, so eyes off the thread titles as much as possible) and talk about it? We all love the Inquisition over there.

 

 

Also, talk to your people at Haven. And GET OUT OF THE HINTERLANDS. I love the Hinterlands, but they're not to everyone's taste.

 

I have been out of the Hinterlands for quite awhile now and the game hasn't gotten much better, though I previously thought it would get better

[Dai Grepher]

It gets better. It just takes a while, depending on how you play it.

 

You should break things up. Meet with Giselle, clear out the area of mages and templars. Then do as Giselle recommends and meet with the Chantry in Val Royeaux. After this you can retrun to Haven and update your advisors. From here you can meet Blackwall and The Iron Bull. Meet Bull first, then Blackwall. Then meet Horse Master Denet. Clear out the bandits. Then meet with Fiona if you want. Leave, check out the Fallow Mire and save your troops. Leave. Do the mages or templars path. Go back to the mire with Dorian after Haven and complete the Veilfire markers. Hunt down the apostate. Meet up with Hawke in Crestwood. Help the town. Leave.

 

Basically, break things up to give yourself more variety. Switch companions often to make battles different. Also feel free to ignore quests that seem boring or pointless.

[JeffZero]

Folks, while I know you all mean well, you should note that he reached the endgame now. He's decided the game is not for him, though.

[The Night Haunter]

DAI in a nutshell:

1) AMAZING main story quests. In Your Heart Shall Burn is especially awesome, but the mage recruitment stuff was pretty damn cool as well. Ending mission was far too short imo, but Elven Temple was cool.

2) Incredibly boring side content. Fetch quests, kill X enemies, almost no conversations, just running around killing the same enemies over and over in each map.

3) Side Content ~ 85% of content, Main story content ~15% of content.

[JeffZero]

In some ways it is reminiscent of ME1 to me, except ME1 gets a definitive edge. ME1 had plenty of sidequests that didn't suck, despite the raw tedium that was traversing most assignment worlds. It also had a stronger climax, which goes a tremendously long way with me.

Inquisition has better companions, though -- a real saving grace. If the main quest and companion content were longer I would probably love the game. As it stands, the narrative feela about as long as DA2 to me, perhaps a touch longer, and when pinned against all the filler found elsewhere, I can merely say I like the game.

[Dai Grepher]

Jaws of Hakkon was a great addition. And I got mine for just $11 because I waited. The story was good. The quests were meaningful. The exploration was fun. The combat was repetitive and frustrating, but not too bad. The character dialogue was fitting for my custom character.

[The Night Haunter]

Jaws of Hakkon was a great addition. And I got mine for just $11 because I waited. The story was good. The quests were meaningful. The exploration was fun. The combat was repetitive and frustrating, but not too bad. The character dialogue was fitting for my custom character.

I loved all three DLCs.

 

Descent is exactly what Side Quests should have been. Conversation intensive, filled with Lore and characters you care about. Plus it has the only real dungeon crawl in DAI, a feature that I absolutely love and missed in vanilla.

 

Jaws of Hakkon greatly expanded our understanding of the Avvar, they went from random barbarians to having an awesome belief system that fits DAI perfectly. It had some better side quests than vanilla, but was still a bit on the random exploring for no reason side.

 

Trespasser is what all of DAI should have been. Lots of convo's, decisions, emotions, meaningful exploration (lots of lore is found through exploring, as is several pieces of awesome equipment).

[JeffZero]

I'm hopeful that Weekes, Laidlaw, Darrah, et al will try to marry a stronger execution of their open world aspirations from DAI to a more "conventionally" cinematic approach to side content as they slowly plot out the key bullet points for the next game. Feedback, as far as I can tell, has been fairly uniform on this subject.

[Greetsme]

If you need to say that your not sure if you enjoy the game then, you must hate it, but not sure if you should say that here.

[JeffZero]

That seems a bit extreme IMO.

[Realyn]

For a long time I agreed with the OP's point... mostly. But I feel that the new trials have really added something important to the game that I felt it was missing. Things like not outleveling zones, randomly promoted elite units that make random trash groups anywhere from slightly more difficult to highly entertaining fights. Things like trying to find a way to kill that upgraded mage with a massive barrier, having to plan around unexpected resistances popping up on upgraded mobs and finding those same mobs using new and different skills compared to their normal counterparts.

 

This is all mainly because my biggest peeve about the game was the grindy and extremely predictable combat. I can live with fetch quests, but on my way to fetch items for said quest, I want to be caught unawares by a mini-boss fight that doesn't just have me go through the motions. It makes the world around you seem more dynamic.

 

Seriously, stepping into the Hinterlands on a new character, only to find myself in a huge fight against 2/3 groups, with 2-handed douchebag bodyguards for the mage side (instead of the usual sellswords), elite templar mobs with full guard and twice your level, mages with epic barrier shields and all of 'm flinging around skills/spells that you normally don't see pre-Skyhold. I actually felt like there was a conflict going on as I nearly died instead of it being a field for me to roflstomp my way through on the way to the next objective.

 

Or when recruiting Bull, the Venatori were nearly all elites instead of meat-pinatas waiting to be smashed. Or running into a dark random cave, only to be ambushed by elite deestalkers and spiders instead of things only slightly stronger then a critter. Or fade rifts that actually spawn stuff that can threaten you instead of it being 'just another rift to close' (I mean, they're demons ffs. Otherwise nobody would be scared of 'm and **** wouldn't have hit the fan since Origins).

 

I feel a lot more immersed in the game world now that stuff can actually threaten me properly. Love it.

[Marshal Moriarty]

For me, the game peaks in Act 1. After I was able to make some kind of peace with the (IMO) awful new conversation system, dull combat etc etc etc, I at least had some enjoyment out of the Breach questline. Breaking down Act 1, I felt the following:(there are no real spoilers here - its just general impressions).

 

Wrath of Heaven: A poor rushed start and my first exposure to the systems/combat of the game, all of which feel like a step backwards from previous games. However, it picks up towards the end and the sequence in the Temple of Sacred Ashes is one of the best in the game IMO.

 

Haven: I don't care how 'awesome' Skyhold supposedly is - Haven is much better. By grouping all the party members, facilities and War Room so close together, you can quickly and easily do a round trip of the camp, fix up and sell your gear, do your War Table stuff and then jet. Skyhold offers exactly the same thing, but spaces it all out and puts in stairs and loading screens to further waste time. For economy of time, Haven is by far the better of the 2 IMO.

 

The Hinterlands - Much maligned, but one of my favorite zones. It at least feels like stuff is going on here, and it has communities of people etc. Later maps feel much more empty and dead. Its not like its a massively fun place to game (quite the reverse), but at least I understand why I would be there, and feel like the stuff I'm doing (by and large) is stuff I should be doing.

 

Val Royeaux meeting - A short and pretty silly quest. Orlais and Orlesians are mostly played for laughs again in this game, which is extremely disappointing. Here, they just seem incompetant, and Lucius comes across like some kind of wrestling heel on Monday Night RAW. Fiona is more interesting, and is actually very well acted. Overall, the quest is short, silly and lacks credibility.

 

Hushed Whispers/Champions of the Just - Both quests have their moments, and IHW is very well written from a character standpoint. But its premise is extraordinarily silly for this game, and I can't accept it. Its a good quest - it just doesn't feel like it belongs in Dragon Age. Champions of the Just is the best quest of the whole game IMO. Lucius' voice actor hams it up terribly, but otherwise the quest is tense, action packed, has good characters and a tight, interesting plot. If only the whole game was this good.

 

In your Heart shall Burn - An awkward one, because it varies wildly from moment to moment in quality. The sealing of the Breach is an outrageous anti climax, the attack is excellent for the most part and one of the best parts of the game, the meeting with the main villain is atrocious (as is everything involving you directly in this quest - everyone praising you for pulling the lever on a Trebuchet that other people prepared and aimed, you later doing all these things by yourself, despite that being basically impossible for even a trained artillerist, let alone 1 untrained person who is under attack at the time etc etc).

 

And the Singing Scene... I'm sorry, but I just cannot stand that ridiculous scene. Its so unbelieveably hokey and cringe inducing. I still haven;t managed to listen to the whole thing all the way through with the sound up. Its just too embarassing.

 

 

So not exactly glowing praise, but I can deal with Act 1. Rushed as it is, the explanation for why your organisation needs to exist is reasonable enough at that point, From Act 2 onwards, the narrative plummets off a cliff, Skyhold's removed genre friendly atmosphere basically makes this into Liberal Fanservice: The Game, there is never any strong justification on why your organisation is still in existence when others could fill the role now that the Breach and Mark no longer matter. The threat from the enemy is kept nebulous and largely absent, so its never clear what level of actual threat is being posed etc etc etc.

 

And meanwhile the game rumbles on, drowning you in new zones of the same old boring crap. The game basically gives up on its narrative at this point, becoming a King Simulator of sorts, and tries to distract you with the idea of building up your faction's forces and lands, without actually being specific on why any of that is necessary, given that you seem to fighting a guerilla and espionage war, rather than an actual land based one.

 

Ultimately the game swings back and forth between being insufferably boring and occasionally stupifying you into a bored, but at a very basic level contented torpor, as you repeat the endless sequences of menial drudgery, before being fed tons more incredibly stiff and badly executed trying too hard fanservice. At least, that's how I feel about it.