8 réponses à ce sujet

[Carmen_Willow]

There are three things I would really like to see return in the next game that have nothing to do with story-telling. I'd like to list my 3 and perhaps there are some you'd like to name.

 

1. I want a more sophisticated tactics set-up.  In Origins and 2, we had a lovely programmable tactics set up that made it easy to set up your NPC companions to do what you wanted them to do. Since I prefer to play real time as opposed to tactical, I'd love to see this return in the next game. I know with the new game engine it might require some fancy programming, but I think it would be worth it. Bioware had the Cadillac of Tactics and they traded it in for a Yugo.

 

2.  I want to be able to use all of my abilities in combat again. Hey guys, IRL, you'd use all the tools in your toolbox to stay alive. You wouldn't go "Oh I can't use static cage because I left that spell at home. Please figure out a way for use to use all our stuff in combat again. Eight spells/abilities just isn't enough.

 

3. I want to be able to switch weapons in combat!  Dang it, people carry more than one weapon at a time and they use them. Our characters should have the same privilege. In order to have the right weapon, you have to meta-game if you are playing in real time--that's an immersion breaker. Give me back at least two weapons please.

[PapaCharlie9]

I'll comment on yours and add my own.
 

1. I want a more sophisticated tactics set-up.  In Origins and 2, we had a lovely programmable tactics set up that made it easy to set up your NPC companions to do what you wanted them to do. Since I prefer to play real time as opposed to tactical, I'd love to see this return in the next game. I know with the new game engine it might require some fancy programming, but I think it would be worth it. Bioware had the Cadillac of Tactics and they traded it in for a Yugo.

I agree, but they should carry the current trend to the logical conclusion. If the reason they dumbed down the tactical planner from DAO was to "broaden the audience", the next game should have a fully scriptable AI interface for pro gamers as well. In other words, they went to one extreme of the spectrum in DAI, add the other end in DA4. That's maximum audience coverage.

Add Lua or Python or Groovy, or whatever the flavor of the month scripting language is, and an API at least on a par with DAO. Or, provide a proper modding API to add our own tactical planner UI. One way or the other, expose the combat AI knobs and dials and let the community do the rest.
 

2.  I want to be able to use all of my abilities in combat again. Hey guys, IRL, you'd use all the tools in your toolbox to stay alive. You wouldn't go "Oh I can't use static cage because I left that spell at home. Please figure out a way for use to use all our stuff in combat again. Eight spells/abilities just isn't enough.

This I disagree with. Limiting the number of actives actually increases the interest of min/maxing builds. Otherwise, every build is effectively the same after a certain experience level.

Besides, FT mats capture some of the best actives anyway, like Hidden Blades and Shield Bash. They could keep that mechanism and expand it just a little more so that any active worth having on the battlefield can be enchanted onto gear, at some sort of penalty, like only 50% power or whatever. For things that aren't appropriate for on hit, enchant into tonics or grenades. Being a consumable with a limited inventory is enough of a handicap by itself. It would be great to be able to drink a Fade Cloak tonic or throw a Static Cage grenade and not have to burn an active slot for either.
 

3. I want to be able to switch weapons in combat!  Dang it, people carry more than one weapon at a time and they use them. Our characters should have the same privilege. In order to have the right weapon, you have to meta-game if you are playing in real time--that's an immersion breaker. Give me back at least two weapons please.

I'd agree to a limited form of this: a primary and a secondary, with some classes being able to dual wield. So a mage could have a primary fire staff, but if fire resistant reinforcements show up, switch to the secondary ice staff. A warrior could either switch between a sword and an axe, with a shield in the off hand, or dual wield sword and axe.

Other mechanics:

* Each class should have a tree of focus abilities and pick one from that tree. It doesn't have to be a huge tree, three would be fine. And don't count the focus ability against the 8 active slots (assuming there are active slots).

* Priority target lock, regardless of AI setting. Once I set Cass on a target, she should stick on that target until the target is dead or until I explicitly give her a new target. If I'm controlling my IQ and set a target for my IQ, Cass should not switch to my target just because she has "Follow Controlled" set for AI.

* "Don't be an idiot," AI improvement. Oft repeated scenario: IQ is on frontal assault on some boss, Sera is flanking at range, i.e., far away from the IQ. Sera is set to "Follow Controlled." Sera is plinking away at the distant boss's flank, while some add right behind her is chewing her ass off, literally. She completely ignores the nearby threat to slavishly plink away at the distant target set by the IQ. C'mon! If some monster is biting a non-controlled character on the ass, have them defend themselves without me having to "Simon Says". Switching all characters to Follow Self is not the answer, since sometimes we want concentrated fire on a single target.

[DarkAmaranth1966]

I totally agree. AI should have DEFEND SELF first, then AI as the player chose if there is nothing attacking the character.  Eight slots is not enough for abilities unless we can only earn eight active abilities, in which case, those had best be some helatious abilities.

[Patchwork]

ITA with most of what you proposed.

 

Keep the simplified tactics menu of DAI but also have an Advanced Tactics option for players who want fiddle about with that type of thing.

 

Getting rid of the 8 ability limit is a must, I have no desire to re-do mine and my companions' abilities layout for every zone/enemy or choose between the more circumstantial ones verses something that can be used more often.

 

I would keep the Inventory lockout during combat but bring back DAO's Switch Weapons so you can have two sets on each character.

 

A big one for me is being able to allocate stats and a if you meet the requirement then you can use any equipment you like.  

[Carmen_Willow]

ITA with most of what you proposed.

 

Keep the simplified tactics menu of DAI can stay but also have an Advanced Tactics option for players who want fiddle about with that type of thing.

 

Getting rid of the 8 ability limit is a must, I have no desire to re-do mine and my companions' abilities layout for every zone/enemy or choose between the more circumstantial ones verses something that can be used more often.

 

I would keep the Inventory lockout during combat but bring back DAO's Switch Weapons so you can have two sets on each character.

 

A big one for me is being able to allocate stats and a if you meet the requirement than you can use any equipment you like.  

DAO's ability to switch weapons was exactly what I had in mind.  Only being able to use eight abilities breaks immersion. If you have the wrong eight up and running, you die, you reload and redo, meta-gaming at its worst.

[Carmen_Willow]

I'll comment on yours and add my own.
 
I agree, but they should carry the current trend to the logical conclusion. If the reason they dumbed down the tactical planner from DAO was to "broaden the audience", the next game should have a fully scriptable AI interface for pro gamers as well. In other words, they went to one extreme of the spectrum in DAI, add the other end in DA4. That's maximum audience coverage.

Add Lua or Python or Groovy, or whatever the flavor of the month scripting language is, and an API at least on a par with DAO. Or, provide a proper modding API to add our own tactical planner UI. One way or the other, expose the combat AI knobs and dials and let the community do the rest.
 
This I disagree with. Limiting the number of actives actually increases the interest of min/maxing builds. Otherwise, every build is effectively the same after a certain experience level.

Besides, FT mats capture some of the best actives anyway, like Hidden Blades and Shield Bash. They could keep that mechanism and expand it just a little more so that any active worth having on the battlefield can be enchanted onto gear, at some sort of penalty, like only 50% power or whatever. For things that aren't appropriate for on hit, enchant into tonics or grenades. Being a consumable with a limited inventory is enough of a handicap by itself. It would be great to be able to drink a Fade Cloak tonic or throw a Static Cage grenade and not have to burn an active slot for either.
 
I'd agree to a limited form of this: a primary and a secondary, with some classes being able to dual wield. So a mage could have a primary fire staff, but if fire resistant reinforcements show up, switch to the secondary ice staff. A warrior could either switch between a sword and an axe, with a shield in the off hand, or dual wield sword and axe.

Other mechanics:

* Each class should have a tree of focus abilities and pick one from that tree. It doesn't have to be a huge tree, three would be fine. And don't count the focus ability against the 8 active slots (assuming there are active slots).

* Priority target lock, regardless of AI setting. Once I set Cass on a target, she should stick on that target until the target is dead or until I explicitly give her a new target. If I'm controlling my IQ and set a target for my IQ, Cass should not switch to my target just because she has "Follow Controlled" set for AI.

* "Don't be an idiot," AI improvement. Oft repeated scenario: IQ is on frontal assault on some boss, Sera is flanking at range, i.e., far away from the IQ. Sera is set to "Follow Controlled." Sera is plinking away at the distant boss's flank, while some add right behind her is chewing her ass off, literally. She completely ignores the nearby threat to slavishly plink away at the distant target set by the IQ. C'mon! If some monster is biting a non-controlled character on the ass, have them defend themselves without me having to "Simon Says". Switching all characters to Follow Self is not the answer, since sometimes we want concentrated fire on a single target.

I already save my Fade-touched 3 and 5 guard per hit stuff for my rogues' and mages' armor later in the game. By the time I hit the bigs, my mages and rogues earn as much guard as my warriors do. I always associate abilities with the things I've learned through training over the course of the game. Why wouldn't I have access to all of them? IRL, you would have access to all your sword, knife and archery techniques, right?   You wouldn't be in the middle of combat going "I can't shield bash because I don't have that training manual with me today." By the end of the game, I want to be a magical/mystical/biotic god, smiting all before me with my powerful whatevers.

[kimgoold]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record ..

 

Bring Back The Radial Wheel for Talents/Spells.

 

Tactics from DAO

 

Specialisations from DAO and DA2

 

Dual Wield for Warriors (even if only Elves)

 

And finally the ability to change from Melee to Ranged Weapons IN BATTLE for each character (Like DAO)

[PapaCharlie9]

By the end of the game, I want to be a magical/mystical/biotic god, smiting all before me with my powerful whatevers.

Hmmm, I kind of think that's already possible, even with the 8 slot limit.

I can't argue with the immersion point, you are right about that. But I'm willing to sacrifice some immersion, if it means my build decisions make a difference.

Besides, why would you want to use a sub-optimal skill, ever? Why, for example, would you ever use Lightning Bolt when Stonefist is better in every conceivable way, for every conceivable combat situation? If, in the case of Templar, Wrath of Heaven followed by Spell Purge takes care of just about every combat situation, why do you need even 8 slots, let alone 20+?

There is one potential good thing about making every ability available: it forces the game designers to balance skills a bit more, so that they are all useful in some context. There are too many abilities (like Lightning Bolt) that are useless in every context. On the other hand, Bioware's idea of balance is to nerf everything to the least common denominator. I'm not sure I want more of that.

[Patchwork]

Hmmm, I kind of think that's already possible, even with the 8 slot limit.

I can't argue with the immersion point, you are right about that. But I'm willing to sacrifice some immersion, if it means my build decisions make a difference.

Besides, why would you want to use a sub-optimal skill, ever? Why, for example, would you ever use Lightning Bolt when Stonefist is better in every conceivable way, for every conceivable combat situation? If, in the case of Templar, Wrath of Heaven followed by Spell Purge takes care of just about every combat situation, why do you need even 8 slots, let alone 20+?

There is one potential good thing about making every ability available: it forces the game designers to balance skills a bit more, so that they are all useful in some context. There are too many abilities (like Lightning Bolt) that are useless in every context. On the other hand, Bioware's idea of balance is to nerf everything to the least common denominator. I'm not sure I want more of that.

 

 

Unfortunately with the current system many former basic spells are now part of a specialisation so you can only choose between Lightning Bolt and Stonefist if you're a Rift Mage. Which is another thing that annoys me about DAI's magic. 

 

In previous games nothing is stopping players like you who want to min/max and use only the optimal set-up from removing less powerful abilities from your skill bar and forgetting they exist. Where as in DAI I have to choose, I can't pick something for role play reasons, there's just not enough room on that bar. You lose one slot for your Focus ability, your specialisation takes up 3 or 4 depending on the spec so it's down to 3 or 2 slots, and while everything on the Spirit tree is useful it's only useful in certain circumstances so it's probably better to give those slots to elemental spells but then again Barrier is Barrier...

 

8 slots, so arbitrary, so pointlessly restricting. There's nothing about that that's fun for me but you can have your fun even with a skill bar that stretches as far as the player's PC screen.