60 réponses à ce sujet

[Addictress]

I keep bashing the main game but this is my first time doing the Descent on second play through. It's such quality ;__; more quality than main game.

Fights are so hard. Music is so dramatic and properly synced to the battles. Level design is complex and interesting. Cut scenes and voice acting are strong.

Everything like a good RPG should be.

[CoM Solaufein]

Yes it is. Anytime I can visit dwarf cities or ruins, it makes the game even more great.

[Regan_Cousland]

I found the ending a little disappointing (and the final boss a little infuriating, on Nightmare difficulty, as a dual-wielding rogue), but the general quality of the DLC is good. Better than many of the quests we encountered in the main game. And the Deep Roads have never looked prettier.

 

But I subscribe to Dwarven Master Race Weekly ... sooo, yeah. My opinion probably isn't that shocking. lol

 

#BringbackOrzammarBioWare!

[Darkly Tranquil]

It was definitely a highlight. I love a good dungeon grind.

[thats1evildude]

That Emissary Alpha is reaming my butthole, though. What sadist put him after two goddamn ogres?

[lynroy]

Meh. It was alright.

[Addictress]

That Emissary Alpha is reaming my butthole, though. What sadist put him after two goddamn ogres?

Yeah that's been the hardest battle so far.

[Cantina]

Yes, I love standing there hitting the "A"button repeatedly for several of those fights. Next time I am going to tape the "A" button down and walk off to bake a cake. Come back and see what happened.

 

But seriously though since the bad guys did nothing but the same attacks over and over again, I really was nodding off.

[Addictress]

Yes, I love standing there hitting the "A"button repeatedly for several of those fights. Next time I am going to tape the "A" button down and walk off to bake a cake. Come back and see what happened.

But seriously though since the bad guys did nothing but the same attacks over and over again, I really was nodding off.

I had to re-position my ranged characters a lot and use lots of potions, and finally used Varric's caltrops and trap abilities. The arcanw horror and terror bosses seemed to have more random and frequent teleportation patterns than in the main game, too. And it took forever to take those ogres down.

I mean this is coming from someone who most recently was impressed by the frog prince battle in TW3. The Descent battles were pretty good.

It's a completely different style anyways.

[Cantina]

I had to re-position my ranged characters a lot and use lots of potions, and finally used Varric's caltrops and trap abilities. The arcanw horror and terror bosses seemed to have more random and frequent teleportation patterns than in the main game, too. And it took forever to take those ogres down.

I mean this is coming from someone who most recently was impressed by the frog prince battle in TW3. The Descent battles were pretty good.

It's a completely different style anyways.

 

LOL! I positioned my range characters on rocks to where the baddies could not reach em, then let the melee people do there thing. Nothing funnier then seeing a Genlock staring at a wall trying to reach us only to get a sword in his kidney.

[Akrabra]

I loved it. It was abit straight forward and had some boring exploration, but the graphics, music, dialogue and combat was just out of this world. 

[vbibbi]

I loved it. It was abit straight forward and had some boring exploration, but the graphics, music, dialogue and combat was just out of this world. 

I did enjoy the scenery and the quasi-companions, but I don't know that I would say the dialogue was wonderful. It was definitely interesting exploring past the Deep Roads, and I enjoyed what little lore reveals we received. But the ending was very abrupt and jarring and left me frustrated. As has been lampooned often by now, our PC should not be saying "I'm leaving with more questions than answers!" ever in a game, if these questions won't be answered until the next game.

 

It also felt a bit short. JOH was a large exploration area so its size and time spent on it felt good for its price. Descent was such a closed set (albeit an impressive and gorgeous one) that I felt there should have been more levels to justify its price and expand the time spent playing. The fourth and sixth level, especially, were very small, and the first level was really just the camp, so the entire dungeon was really just four levels (one each for 2, 3, and 5, and half for 4 and 6).

 

I felt like this highlighted the padding in the main game: if the rest of DAI had been as straightforward as Descent, it would have been a much shorter game. Much of the content in the zones is filler, especially after the first play through when we've already explored all of the maps (if you play completionist like I do in my first run through) and the impetus to explore isn't as great since there's nothing different from the last time.

[Aeratus]

I felt like this highlighted the padding in the main game: if the rest of DAI had been as straightforward as Descent, it would have been a much shorter game. Much of the content in the zones is filler, especially after the first play through when we've already explored all of the maps (if you play completionist like I do in my first run through) and the impetus to explore isn't as great since there's nothing different from the last time.

 

It's not only the contents in the zones that are fillers, but the zone themselves are fillers. 7 out of the 10 zones are entirely fillers since they are wholly separate from the main quest. Of those that involve the main quest (Hinterlands, Western Approach, Crestwood), only like 10-20% of the map is even involved. 

[Addictress]

I did enjoy the scenery and the quasi-companions, but I don't know that I would say the dialogue was wonderful. It was definitely interesting exploring past the Deep Roads, and I enjoyed what little lore reveals we received. But the ending was very abrupt and jarring and left me frustrated. As has been lampooned often by now, our PC should not be saying "I'm leaving with more questions than answers!" ever in a game, if these questions won't be answered until the next game.

It also felt a bit short. JOH was a large exploration area so its size and time spent on it felt good for its price. Descent was such a closed set (albeit an impressive and gorgeous one) that I felt there should have been more levels to justify its price and expand the time spent playing. The fourth and sixth level, especially, were very small, and the first level was really just the camp, so the entire dungeon was really just four levels (one each for 2, 3, and 5, and half for 4 and 6).

I felt like this highlighted the padding in the main game: if the rest of DAI had been as straightforward as Descent, it would have been a much shorter game. Much of the content in the zones is filler, especially after the first play through when we've already explored all of the maps (if you play completionist like I do in my first run through) and the impetus to explore isn't as great since there's nothing different from the last time.

I agree with the last paragraph, but I think the Descent is ridiculously huge actually and pretty worthy overall.

It definitely shows what the main game could've been.

[correctamundo]

It's not only the contents in the zones that are fillers, but the zone themselves are fillers. 7 out of the 10 zones are entirely fillers since they are wholly separate from the main quest. Of those that involve the main quest (Hinterlands, Western Approach, Crestwood), only like 10-20% of the map is even involved. 

 

"We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order. With or without your approval". That is the main quest. So the Exalted plains, Emerald graves and Emprise de Lion is very much within the context of the Inquisitions raison d'etre.
 

[vbibbi]

I agree with the last paragraph, but I think the Descent is ridiculously huge actually and pretty worthy overall.

It definitely shows what the main game could've been.

It definitely shows the technological capabilities missed out on with the old generation. I'm saying this as someone who had a PS3 and was furious with Bio's poor handling of the dropping of DLC support. I guess I prefer more character and narrative content over dungeon crawling, so obviously this DLC isn't catered to my tastes. But when this and Trespasser are both $15, I can see that Trespasser had to invest significant money into the voice acting, developing the golden nug and trials, along with the story, but Descent didn't seem worth the price.

 

I guess a lot of that could have been from designing the darkspawn, but the genlocks and shrieks and emissaries at least were based off of DA2 models, so weren't created from scratch. (I've seen that shrieks were cut from the Legacy DLC, so the models were created even though not in game). And Trespasser still has all of the Qunari models to create, as well as the new clothing for the Winter Palace NPCs (and the Divine's awesome armor).

 

So...I consider Trespasser worth the price tag but thought Descent was overpriced for its content. I didn't dislike it, just found its price unjustified.

 

Also, I would have loved for it to be more interactive with the Storm Coast. I liked that the entrance was through the waterfall cave, but would have liked the base game's otherwise superfluous zone to have stronger ties to the Deep Roads.

[Serza]

Meh. It was alright.

 

*shrug*

 

Not Elfy enough for me, either.

[Addictress]

It definitely shows the technological capabilities missed out on with the old generation. I'm saying this as someone who had a PS3 and was furious with Bio's poor handling of the dropping of DLC support. I guess I prefer more character and narrative content over dungeon crawling, so obviously this DLC isn't catered to my tastes. But when this and Trespasser are both $15, I can see that Trespasser had to invest significant money into the voice acting, developing the golden nug and trials, along with the story, but Descent didn't seem worth the price.

I guess a lot of that could have been from designing the darkspawn, but the genlocks and shrieks and emissaries at least were based off of DA2 models, so weren't created from scratch. (I've seen that shrieks were cut from the Legacy DLC, so the models were created even though not in game). And Trespasser still has all of the Qunari models to create, as well as the new clothing for the Winter Palace NPCs (and the Divine's awesome armor).

So...I consider Trespasser worth the price tag but thought Descent was overpriced for its content. I didn't dislike it, just found its price unjustified.

Also, I would have loved for it to be more interactive with the Storm Coast. I liked that the entrance was through the waterfall cave, but would have liked the base game's otherwise superfluous zone to have stronger ties to the Deep Roads.

I guess I'm just used to paying a lot. $15 is like 3 lattes in Los Angeles. I spent two whole nights and I'm still not done with Descent I mean putting three lattes in one hand and three or more nights of epic dungeon crawling in the other, I feel it at least balances.

Shaper Valta pointing out the ancient runes is a bit like a dumb blockbuster I agree but I guess the surprise of the abyss and general Origins dwarviness of the decor and ambience wins me over, also the great party banter with Valta and that other Legion of the Dead guy, firing more frequently than party banter in the main.

I just think it's suspicious why the main game sucks so hard in comparison. It's like maybe they use the sales from the main game to fund more liberty and developer freedom in the DLC or something, which ends up costing the customer more, stringing us along for dlcs and microtransactions that are increasingly required for a wholesome game. I'm looking at you Biower

[vbibbi]

I guess I'm just used to paying a lot. $15 is like 3 lattes in Los Angeles. I spent two whole nights and I'm still not done with Descent I mean putting three lattes in one hand and three or more nights of epic dungeon crawling in the other, I feel it at least balances.

Shaper Valta pointing out the ancient runes is a bit like a dumb blockbuster I agree but I guess the surprise of the abyss and general Origins dwarviness of the decor and ambience wins me over, also the great party banter with Valta and that other Legion of the Dead guy, firing more frequently than party banter in the main.

I just think it's suspicious why the main game sucks so hard in comparison. It's like maybe they use the sales from the main game to fund more liberty and developer freedom in the DLC or something, which ends up costing the customer more, stringing us along for dlcs and microtransactions that are increasingly required for a wholesome game. I'm looking at you Biower

Three lattes will always trump a DLC, regardless of its price. Let's be real.

 

Since Descent was created by another Bioware studio, I would think they were given pretty rigid content to work with. I'd imagine Laidlaw/Gaider/Weekes would hand them the mostly finished script of what needed to happen by the end of the DLC and the team just followed it. And it showcases Bio's strengths: tight narrative and characters in a more confined setting. Hopefully they have learned enough through trial and error with DAI and JOH to improve upon this for DA4. What worries me is that arguably the best DLC, Trespasser, has a very restricted environment as well, so Bio will take the adulation from that and think they've perfected their "open world" storytelling.

[thats1evildude]

I think it would be fair to say that The Descent is generally better than the Golems of Amgarrak, which was also a fairly linear dungeon crawl where the main character was tangential to the plot.

[vbibbi]

I think it would be fair to say that The Descent is generally better than the Golems of Amgarrak, which was also a fairly linear dungeon crawl where the main character was tangential to the plot.

Both DA2 and DAI DLCs are leagues beyond any of DAO's DLCs. If we're counting Awakening as separate from a DLC. And although I love DAA, it still has many flaws and tons of bugs.

[berelinde]

I think it would be fair to say that The Descent is generally better than the Golems of Amgarrak, which was also a fairly linear dungeon crawl where the main character was tangential to the plot.

Oh, yeah, bigtime. The best thing about Golems of Amgarrak was that mace you could sell for a young fortune afterward.

[Incanus]

I didn´t like it in particular because they essentially introduced steampunk into the world by giving dwarves guns. For me thats a sin. Please lets stay in a fantasy medieval kind of world and not go World of Warcraft with cars, rockets etc.

[vbibbi]

I didn´t like it in particular because they essentially introduced steampunk into the world by giving dwarves guns. For me thats a sin. Please lets stay in a fantasy medieval kind of world and not go World of Warcraft with cars, rockets etc.

I wasn't a fan of the lyrium crossbows, either, and while they weren't 100% out of context, things like that provide a slippery slope for other such technologies.

 

I also dislike the theme of natives/exotic outsiders defending their home turf and fighting to the death with no method of communicating with them or trying to cease hostilities. First, it makes our characters look like dicks, because we're basically invading their homes and slaughtering them (yes, they shot first but does that justify us continuing to invade their lands?). And by having the Sha Brytol unwilling or unable to communicate, it allows players a "pass" to kill sentient beings rather than find other options for dealing with the problem. Most of the enemies in the DA series are darkspawn, demons, beasts, blood mages/abominations, so it's "easy" to fight them. But when it's bandits, templars, sane mages, etc etc the series has been fairly good about providing dialogue options to at least try to cease fire. I want more morally complex interactions with our enemies, darn it!

[thats1evildude]

The Sha Brytol barely count as sentient beings, though.