635 réponses à ce sujet

[Dlokir]

Mmmm it's complicate. I tried read many posts and see many arguments in all sides.

If it's just about my feeling and I don't try analyze too much nor try find any alternate solution :

• DAO Camp system is very static and not merged to the global gameplay.
• DAA item system during exploring is much better merged to the gameplay.
• DAO Camp system allows very long and deep dialogs with companions.
• DAO Camp system has a mood that fits much better some sort of conversation, mainly very private dialogs about personal past, and romance.
• DAA item system during exploring allows much better short talks and dialogs.
• DAA item system during exploring allows much better various sort of companions talks and dialogs, like comments the area explored, provide some historical background, provide their feeling about a situation or a location, provides some mood elements.
• DAO Camp system lacks of a clear hint to let know there's more dialog available.
• DAA Item system looks often a bit weird when used as often and systematically as it's done in DAA.
• To make it clear I hate all those romance things in CRPG, only Alistair one had some charm but was a bit embarrassing for the male I am when playing a woman character.
• DAA Item system makes your companions much more living throughout the game unlike DAO camp making them living only in camp but deeper dialogs could allow give them more depth particularly for their personal past story.
• Both system merges with companions dialogs a point system and for me it's the worse design choice to make. I look at it just like a weird trick to push some players trigger the dialogs and not let this large part of the game in the void.
• Overall I can see positive and negative in both system but overall I prefer DAA approach because of its better general merging.

Now if I try analyze a bit more:

• The point system is a very bad thing in both games, at least for me because too often it made me scary of dialog choices I could made when only enjoy the dialogs would have setup much better a personality to companions.
• Both systems aren't really competitive if it wasn't a cost problem. They fit different goals. Well written both can setup very well companion personalities. But DAO camp allows build better a past story of the companion and intimate relationship. And DAA items during exploration allow make companions be much more living during the adventure and allow use companion talks for many other purpose like providing more related background information, provide more mood elements and much more.

That leads me to a more general design point, the gameplay merging. Some people complained in DAO of too long dungeons with ton of fights, or some of too long dialogs. That's in fact a DAO general design approach weakness that DAA team seems have tried solve in Awakening. in DAO you have dungeon with series of fights, then you have long talks in camps, then you have many social interaction dialogs in towns. Very bad merging of all those various game elements.

At the opposite DAA tried merge dungeons with a lot of story stuff, they even tried sometimes and not always succeed to build story and fight at same time like the mages to hunt in the town. And they tried merge game exploration with companion dialogs.

It's weird to deny that more living of companions during exploration is bad, I won't argue much as it's clearly good as soon as the CRPG isn't just a fight system generator. But this involve some huge problems:

• When the dialog can occurs.
• How not have it interrupted.

I think those two problems are the cause of the original choice made in DAA, but not a fully satisfying system in practice:

• One problem of this system is to be original, we aren't used of it, it's a convention, and most players will have hard time to find it natural and be used to it. But there are ton of conventions in CRPG like silent and quiet companions if we don't talk to them.
• Much more natural would be talks triggered by companions. But this involve many problems, for example:
  
• The player isn't in the mood to talk and is in hurry to jump in a fight with monsters he saw further in the road.
• An army of monsters is attacking few after the dialog/talk started.
• The player attention is focused on finding the chest with a ton of jewels and didn't even notice the talk or dialog.
• Many more.

The item system could be not that good but it targets not fully but a lot of those problems. An alternate solution would be dialogs that popup freezing the game, but now AAA game want fake be real time and not many players are anymore ready to a different approach.

[Nightfish103]

I prefer the camp system by a landslide. Especially when I have many more companions than I can take with me. I shouldn't really have to play the game 3 times just to hear what other party members have to say. There is already enough of that in the regular DA:O, there is no need to make everything like that. The random dialogue various party members share with each other as we run around places is quite fun and a good reason to bring different people on different playthroughs, but that shouldn't mean I can't talk to people anymore.

It has already been said, but the DA:A characters are far less memorable then the DA:O ones. Even if some of them had great potential. At the end of the day, the felt much more like henchmen to me than real "friends" of the protagonist. But that might be more of a general gripe I have with Awakenings. It just seems to be done to satisfy the bare minimum and nothing beyond that. Very little of the extra attention to detail that made DA:O stand out.

Some people said a lot of the dialogue was unnecessary. Well, if you're not interested in hearing what a party member has to say... Don't talk to him or her?

Another argument was that it's hard to tell when someone has something new to say. Yea, I guess. But you could try talking to people after something has happened. Like, after you finish a major quest or something. That usually works. Or dialogue could be tied to levels, as it was in KOTOR. That let's you catch up when you get someone late in the game but still gradually gives you something new to learn about your party as you progress.

Modifié par Nightfish103, 17 avril 2010 - 04:19 .

[Aeropostle]

There is no conversation system in this game. Origins had it right. This game just fails on so many levels.

[Leon Evelake]

Origins was better in terms of depth and immersion. It was much harder to care about the characters in awakening and that system just resulted in people taking different groups in to various locations in order to find reactive objects. I really hope they use the origins system or a combination for the sequel.

[Ariella]

I figure I'll shove more of my 2 cents in quickly here. My largest problem with the Awakening system is that the tags are material based (ie click on the cask, one certain tree in the middle of the wilderness etc). I would rather have a system akin to Kotor/BG2 where the NPCs did come to you to talk, but you could turn to them (mostly in KOTOR).

[asaiasai]

David Gaider wrote...

Default137 wrote...

Just wanted to say this to Bioware, in the hopes they keep with it, and keep making it better,

I've always hated going back to my camp after missions, because it means I would have to get some popcorn, and set myself up for 30-45 minutes of talking to people to make them like me, even if I could care less about them. And in many cases it just felt like a really odd system, that was more of a chore then an actual fun thing to do.

This new conversation system is great, it allows me to ignore the childhood of everyone, and actually learn about them as a character, and it never feels like a chore, in fact I often get a childlike glee seeing a new person that wans't standing there before, or finding an object near them that has the clickable mark over it, because it means I'm going to learn something about the world, and how at least one of my characters view it.

Keep up the good work Bioware, this is a great game!

Glad you liked it!

I think it could use some refinement, and I imagine some people are going to mistake the volume of dialogue itself (in an expansion) for the system, but overall I think it's a better way to go.

I hope not, ME2's conversation system was weak in comparison to DAO. You do not have to go back to camp to trigger conversations with the NPCs. You could talk to them anywhere, the only real time it was necessary was on a few occasions you would have to enter camp to spark a revelation but i found that most of the time you could have just about every conversation with a NPC where ever you wanted. Walking up to a tree or a shrine someplace to trigger a conversation was ok but i think the DAO system was better all around.

Asai

[Elhanan]

I believe I would prefer a mix of both. I like the Camp chats, as this seemed to feel right as opposed to great amounts of dialogue near combat zones. And I like to hear the occasional insight from a comrade on the road.



My own difficulty comes from clicking on place markers or NPC's in error based on my own choices of camera angles during travels. This is when in depth conversation seems a bit off for me, as I am usually more focussed on some other objective.

[soteria]

Overall, I really do prefer the system in Awakening, if it's a choice between the two. A number of times in Origins I would do something or kill an enemy and be like, "What, no one has ANYTHING to say about that?" and I never really felt like that in Awakening.   And yeah, the camp chats could be really time-consumng.  I set a rule for myself very quickly that I was only going to do one line of questions with each character per camp visit, and it worked better for me than having long spells where all I did was pick dialogue options.  This is probably a case where limiting player choice would have improved plot pacing.

The only downside was, at times, feeling like maybe I should walk through a zone again with different party members to see if there were any clickables to talk about. Well, I guess there were two downsides. Maybe I'll find them in subsequent playthroughs, but I didn't unlock a single specialization, despite having a few companions near max approval. It was probably *too* easy for some specializations in Origins--Zevran is, all around, very, uh "easy"--but in Awakening I never got anyone to teach me anything and I never picked up any hints as to how to learn them, short of buying a book.

Modifié par soteria, 20 avril 2010 - 02:56 .

[JaegerBane]

Nightfish103 wrote...

I prefer the camp system by a landslide. Especially when I have many more companions than I can take with me. I shouldn't really have to play the game 3 times just to hear what other party members have to say. There is already enough of that in the regular DA:O, there is no need to make everything like that. The random dialogue various party members share with each other as we run around places is quite fun and a good reason to bring different people on different playthroughs, but that shouldn't mean I can't talk to people anymore.

It has already been said, but the DA:A characters are far less memorable then the DA:O ones. Even if some of them had great potential. At the end of the day, the felt much more like henchmen to me than real "friends" of the protagonist. But that might be more of a general gripe I have with Awakenings. It just seems to be done to satisfy the bare minimum and nothing beyond that. Very little of the extra attention to detail that made DA:O stand out.

Some people said a lot of the dialogue was unnecessary. Well, if you're not interested in hearing what a party member has to say... Don't talk to him or her?

Another argument was that it's hard to tell when someone has something new to say. Yea, I guess. But you could try talking to people after something has happened. Like, after you finish a major quest or something. That usually works. Or dialogue could be tied to levels, as it was in KOTOR. That let's you catch up when you get someone late in the game but still gradually gives you something new to learn about your party as you progress.

That pretty much sums up my thoughts on the matter. Arguments such as it being difficult to tell if someone had something to say in the old system are a bit... well, weak. I suppose, yes, it was slightly more difficult... but was it really an issue?

I still think Mass Effect's conversation system is the best I've seen so far. It stuck the right balance between content and fluidity.

[asaiasai]

Dear Mr. Gaider
 
I would first off at the risk of becoming too wordy like to say that I am a 43 year old male, I do recognize that I am not your typical gamer, not your target demographic, but none the less I am here every night on the forums either helping people as best as I can with some of the trickier aspects of the game or discussing the choices I have made with others. I have had on these very forums some of the most interesting conversations concerning the moral ambiguity of the game, the concepts of character development, and the emotional attachment I have developed with the wonderful characters you have created. I feel for them as strongly as I did for Frodo Baggins, Legolis, Rob Stark, Anna Karenina, Tristessa, I think you get my drift.
 
My major concern is that the franchise Dragon Age might suffer what I will call for lack of a better term The Mass Effect, effect. DAO was as good as it was because of the character interactions. As a player who has completed 15 plays now I can honestly say that I have experienced something different each time, and the biggest hook for me with DAO is the depth I as a player can get with every party member regardless of whether they ever leave the camp again. I am not going to yell moar because you are correct moar is not always the answer, sometimes one can do more with less, but regardless more from less requires signifigant planning.
 
I am not going to presume that I know the solution to this quandary, but that I have read some real good suggestions so far and I think some are a fair compromise for both your budgetary personel, and we the loyal fans. The trick is to create same level of immersion that I have come to expect in DAO to DA2, but with all sincerity Mass Effect 2 while a good game is not even in the same league as DAO. In DAO I am the warden, my party members are my people, they trust my warden to lead them. In DAO I am the first one out of the trenches, I execute a smart about face turning my back to the enemy and blow my whistle, executing another about face I lead my men across no man’s land. In ME2 I just pushed a pin around on a map. I feel this way about the characters because you allowed me an opportunity to share their stories, no matter how horrific they may have been. This sharing took place through camp interactions, party banter while on the move, and their reactions to the decisions I made during the game.
 
I really liked a few suggestions that had the NPCs doing something different when they had an issue to discuss with the warden. To return to camp and see Leliana pacing because she has an issue with Marjoline, or Sten stomping about the camp angry because the PC can not be a woman or a warden. I really think that camp should be expanded on, in this fashion but also to create a more organic experience the NPCs should also interact with out the PC initiating any conversation. Sten and Allistair are sitting around the fire poking it with sticks as Allistair talks to Sten about being a templar, or Sten talks about Quin, they are not interacting with the PC per say, but yet they are. Allow the NPCs to take on a life of their own, let them form relationships with each other, and allow the warden to observe those interactions and participate where aproiate. Camp should be a place where the warden and party can let their hair down, play a few games like horse shoes where we find Shale is a good player but a pouty looser.
 
I need to slip OT for a sec because as I believe camp should be a more interactive environment I think crafting should also be tagged to camp. I should not have to leave camp to make runes or potions. I think a better way to do this is to give each party member with a craft skill a chest where the player can add reagents and select items they would like the particular NPC to make with those reagents. The player could before leaving camp either raid the chests for the items or they could just appear in inventory as the party leaves camp. Camp for me the player was a place to unwind after a difficult slog through a dungeon, a place to hide from the responsibilities of being the warden, even if it is just for a little while, to push back and shake the tension out of my hands and i may need to freshen my drink and grab a smoke.
 
I think a compromise for a talking point on the map could be, either you have the conversation then or a journal entry is made so that the player can have the conversation back at camp. For example in Kal Shirok the lyrium deposit by the repair golem I think belongs to Anders, the PC could decide to have that conversation right then or the journal entry would remind the player back at camp to talk to Anders about the deposit. In having the conversation at camp the player and Anders would be transported to the deposit again but in a “ghost” form, where Anders would tell his tale concerning the lyrium. I do not think the player should get any negative points about not having the conversation just then, so long as the player has it sooner rather than later. It kind of flows like real life where sometimes having a conversation is not possible due to environmental factors about an object, but it is discussed at a later more calm time. A soldier does not discuss their family while in hostile territory, but the discussion takes place over beers in the EM club if they survive.
 
I guess that is pretty much it, I would like to say that the art you folks have created, just because your medium is digital as opposed to a piece of canvas does not diminish it in any way, is a fantastic experience. I am in all sincerity rooting for you to surpass DAO, I wish you the best of luck because folks your going to need it, but I will keep my fingers and toes crossed. I think it is important to note here that in Awakenings and ME i never felt like i was sold the characters. The question is how are you going to tell me the story, codex entries, let the characters tell me, a voice over monologue delivered like Harrison Ford in Blade Runner, there are many possibilities, but the current system as flawed(?) as it is worked very well. 

Asai 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Modifié par asaiasai, 26 avril 2010 - 02:08 .

[Leon Evelake]

Elhanan wrote...

I believe I would prefer a mix of both. I like the Camp chats, as this seemed to feel right as opposed to great amounts of dialogue near combat zones. And I like to hear the occasional insight from a comrade on the road.

My own difficulty comes from clicking on place markers or NPC's in error based on my own choices of camera angles during travels. This is when in depth conversation seems a bit off for me, as I am usually more focussed on some other objective.

Agreed i really hope they do not go the mass effect route with it it is an intreasting system but for dragon age it would be a down grade.

[2papercuts]

I don't like being only able to understand the characters i party with, or being forced to walk through the game a few times to talk to people. in awakening i only used really sigrun, anders, and velana so i couldn't tell you anything really about the others.

[Kacynski]

As said in the post above mine, I think this is a big drawback of the new systems. I did not learn too much about the companions I left at the keep, thus also not getting the feeling I should bring them with me and then I even got less and less chance to learn about them. I finished the game with Justice, Velenna and Nathaniel, without knowing anything about the other three, just because they had no chance to raise my interest in them.

As opposed in Origins, I left Sten in the camp most of the time, just because I didn't need another warrior at the point I got him. But you can talk to him in the camp and you will get some very interesting conversations - thus I decided to spend some time with him in the party and really got to know him. Without this initial conversation I would have completly ignored him, as I did with some of the Awakening companions.

Taking this idea further, I would like to see something like this: First there is some dialogue to be had with each companion, up to a point where you could reach a more or less friendly status. No real deep relation, but get a sympathetic feeling, which lets you bring the particular companion to your party. This would be the point where the "conversation triggers" become available in the game world and where you could talk the same way like in Awakenings. And then, after the relation has become stronger and stronger through actions in the game world, items you talked about and decisions the PC has made in the game - then would be the time to have some real deep conversations like the companion finally admitting he/she fell in love with you.
I see this as three stages: The first stage lets you find out the basics about each companion any time you want to talk to him/her, at camp, in battle, exploring where or whenever and should be allways initiated by the player. At least some questions are quite logical to be asked by the squad leader to his newest recruit. The second stage gives you a deeper insight in the companions you are travelling with through interaction in the game world, much like in awakening, allthough I'd prefer the companion initiating the conversation, if only by briefly mentioning "This looks interesting" or something like that, just some hint that there is something to talk about, without abusing the TAB - key. I would also love, if one of your active companions would say something like: "I'm sure Anders would be interested in this pile of lyrium" to let you know it might be worth to bring Anders at that particular location. You can allways decide to skip it anyway. Or, in order not to make you go to an allready explored area, a short conversation with an active companion about why he/she thinks Anders would be interested in the lyrium, would let you bring a sample of it to the camp and have the conversation about the topic at camp. Allthough I would prefer to be only able to talk at the spot, as it means you only get the companions story if at least you invest something. To let you bring items to them will again result in the "Laundry List of Questions". Alternativly to one of your companions mentioning a site of interest for an absent companion could be a codex entry, that informs you about the interaction possibility.
And then, as a third stage having formed a relation with the companion allready, I would like to see in-depth conversation at camp or other dediated locations. Like bringing a mage companion to lake Calenhad, look at the Mage Tower and having a talk about something personal. I would like to see this only happen if the PC and companion are in the party just by themselves, and of course, there should be a more or less clear hint from that companion which location he/she would like to visit with you.

This three - stage scenario would allow for proper pacing of the conversation, would make the companions more attached to the game world and would still give the player the possibility to be initiate conversations at any time with a given companion, at least to a great extent.

EDIT: And I just want to second the idea, that companions that have nothing new to say, should have some "idle" animations, like the mentioned reading, cooking, music making, ... this would make for great atmoshpere. Just avoid quest markers, they destroy immersion in the camp setting (allthough I'm fond of them anywhere else)

Modifié par Kacynski, 11 mai 2010 - 04:23 .

[sassperella]

So, having read through all david gaider's responses it seems that it's too expensive and inefficient for the developers to spend real time on the conversations... pity.



If they're worried about having to talk to people all the time to see what they have to say even when they have nothing, then have some way of indicating that a companion has new dialogue. I like the idea of conversations being more story driven, ie your conversations progress through the story more, so you don't run out of conversation at the second village having talked them dry, but clicking on things in the world is a dumb way to do it. It was so annoying in awakenings and easy to miss dialogue. There's enough searching and clicking on random objects as it is without having to do it for conversation.



One of the initial things I felt when playing dragon age was how the character/npc interaction stood out from other games where you had scripted conversations at set points in the game and it was more fluid and you could chat to your crew when you wanted. It seems though that bioware want to go back to that system like every other game and it seems it's more to do with financial issues than with what their customers want.

[Leon Evelake]

sassperella wrote...

So, having read through all david gaider's responses it seems that it's too expensive and inefficient for the developers to spend real time on the conversations... pity.

If they're worried about having to talk to people all the time to see what they have to say even when they have nothing, then have some way of indicating that a companion has new dialogue. I like the idea of conversations being more story driven, ie your conversations progress through the story more, so you don't run out of conversation at the second village having talked them dry, but clicking on things in the world is a dumb way to do it. It was so annoying in awakenings and easy to miss dialogue. There's enough searching and clicking on random objects as it is without having to do it for conversation.

One of the initial things I felt when playing dragon age was how the character/npc interaction stood out from other games where you had scripted conversations at set points in the game and it was more fluid and you could chat to your crew when you wanted. It seems though that bioware want to go back to that system like every other game and it seems it's more to do with financial issues than with what their customers want.

Sadly I agree it seems they want to save time and money.  But if that's the case I am seriously disappointed the biggest draw to me was creating a character in terms of appearance, personality and relationships the original games conversation had such depth that it allowed me to do so quite well and feel like I truly knew what to expect from each character because I got to know them so well.  More so then any other game has pulled off.  If they cut it down to because its cheaper I will greatly reconsider buying the next game... Before it was a sure sell but even the debate over it makes me reconsider the thought of preodering it. I kind of wish I could talk to these developer and see just what they are thinking because it seems they are being torpid and cheap at the expense of game quality. 

[Tokion]

sassperella wrote...

So, having read through all david gaider's responses it seems that it's too expensive and inefficient for the developers to spend real time on the conversations... pity.

I am sure any developers would want unlimited resources and funding to produce the best product for their players, but in reality Bioware is a company, company being "inefficient" may find themself in insolvency if they are not being profitable. Therefore they would need to make use of their resources most 'efficiently' and produce the most satisfying game that they CAN create.

Also KUDOS for David for replying to the Fans! Why does he do it? I think it is because he cares and are listening to us. So stop attacking what he said and give him some actual constructive feedback on the topic.

ps. I liked the Awakening dialogue system although the "basecamp" gets abit dull, but bantering with companions on different scenery and atmosphere just feels more natural to me.

Modifié par Tokion, 16 mai 2010 - 05:39 .

[DanaScu]

sassperella wrote...

So, having read through all david gaider's responses it seems that it's too expensive and inefficient for the developers to spend real time on the conversations... pity.

If they're worried about having to talk to people all the time to see what they have to say even when they have nothing, then have some way of indicating that a companion has new dialogue. I like the idea of conversations being more story driven, ie your conversations progress through the story more, so you don't run out of conversation at the second village having talked them dry, but clicking on things in the world is a dumb way to do it. It was so annoying in awakenings and easy to miss dialogue. There's enough searching and clicking on random objects as it is without having to do it for conversation.

One of the initial things I felt when playing dragon age was how the character/npc interaction stood out from other games where you had scripted conversations at set points in the game and it was more fluid and you could chat to your crew when you wanted. It seems though that bioware want to go back to that system like every other game and it seems it's more to do with financial issues than with what their customers want.

They could use those barely noticeable giant glowing exclamation points floating over npc's heads. You know, like the barely noticeable npc standing in your camp with the sole purpose to talk about dlc that you may or may not want to buy. /sarcasm

I don't like the "new" conversation system. While I do replay games, being required to do it in order to run through areas with different party members to get conversations and do side quests is more "aggravation" than "playing".
I have yet to get Oghren's quest; I don't use him often, and abusing my tab key to find conversation triggers is more like "work" than a game.For that matter, I know I'm missing chunks of the dialogue/backstory/character development. I just can't force myself to care that much. Keeping the "new" conversation/dialogue system will be a factor in my decision to purchase the next game.

[Cristelkaa]

greenface21 wrote...

See you don't really have guess who gets the right gift if you had brought them along and initiated points of interest flags, or whatever they are called.

I am not huge fan of the new conversation system but i do like certain aspects of it.
The whole clicking on points of interest that have relevance to your companions seems to flow better and more naturally when it comes to character development, then having to wait until camp and talking to them about it.

I agree and going to camp was a choose but to take it away made the game less unique and quiet frankly a bit dull. So I am glad to see it is not only my opinion.

[Leon Evelake]

filasah wrote...

Cristelkaa wrote...

greenface21 wrote...

See you don't really have guess who gets the right gift if you had brought them along and initiated points of interest flags, or whatever they are called.

I am not huge fan of the new conversation system but i do like certain aspects of it.
The whole clicking on points of interest that have relevance to your companions seems to flow better and more naturally when it comes to character development, then having to wait until camp and talking to them about it.

I agree and going to camp was a choose but to take it away made the game less unique and quiet frankly a bit dull. So I am glad to see it is not only my opinion.

I am confused about the "having to wait until camp and talking to them...."  I had many conversations with all my companions while on the move, not just in camp. I talked to them a lot, in many places, Denerim, the Brecilian forest, Redcliffe, etc. I would just click on them when I wanted a conversation, and talk to them, and often they started talking to me first.  I had my best conversation with Alistair, about Duncan, away from camp. I liked that *much* better than having to look for triggers to conversation, as in Awakening. I thought Awakening's system felt less natural than the one in Origins.

I agree some of my most memorable conversations happened away from camp, i would hate to loose that.

[DerDestroyer]

I thought one of the most entertaining aspects of Dragon Age was just being able to sit around and chat with your party at camp. I also liked how they'd talk to you and reflect on the changing relationship you have with some of the other characters. I do agree that it's a flaw under the present system to be able to exhaust all the character development and conversation in a single chunk which doesn't make much sense. But I sincerely hope that streamlining conversations doesn't entail reducing conversations to a few one liners as a cost cutting measure. All that extensive dialogue is what added to immersion and gave the game character. Taking it out in favor of a few situational one liners will really take away from the fun of the game. DA:O set a standard with regards to character development and conversation and while I embrace change I hope that this change ultimately doesn't provide us with less than what we had originally.



From a role playing perspective it doesn't make sense to be able to have deep conversations with other characters who have spent most of the game in camp so I agree that this is a flaw. But I also hope that the amount of development and conversation that goes into each character will be at least as much as it was in DAO but just delivered differently so you don't consume it all at once.

[Myusha]

Origins Camp-Style Dialogue, plus Awakening's Item System.

Best of both worlds.

[snfonseka]

David Gaider wrote...

Default137 wrote...
Well, the way its set up now is like this.

Basically, before you had to go to them in the camp, and go through the correct dialogue options to learn about "x", then you had to tell them how you feel about "x" and then after that, they get a boost, the problem is, after awhile you just gather so much "x" you have to talk to, and often its stuff that has NO connection to the game whatsoever, and is only mildly touching on things.

In Awakening, when you walk around with lets say Anders, he'll notice things, and suddenly say something about them, and you can turn to him and ask him how he feels about these things, its basically the same principle, but it actually makes the world feel more, well, real, hearing about it from another person while at a place like that, and seeing how they view such things, you still get the conversations, they are just split up a bit more, and allow a deeper understanding really.

A minor first example, I left my keep with Anders, and he noticed the statue to Andraste in my courtyard, and said a little bit about how he feels about Andraste, and the Chantry, and I was able to talk to him about it, and learn much more about the Chantry then I ever did from Morrigan and Wynne, however at the same time it was really fun, it didn't feel like he was reading it out of a book, I could feel how he felt about the Chantry, and it was just so much more interesting to see things from that angle.

Excellent example!

The drawback might be viewed as you being unable to go around in camp and chat with every party member, regardless of whether you spend any time adventuring with them. I don't know that this is necessarily a drawback, however, as I think you *should* only be building friendships with the characters in your active party. That and I think a system that doesn't make the player feel like they have to keep "checking in" with a character regularly to see if they have anything new to say is more natural -- saving their interactions for those times when what they have to say is more significant.

There's going to be some people who are going to miss the "laundry list" of questions, because as far as they're concerned any conversation they can have with a character they like is gravy -- it is, let's face it, MOAR! -- but I've always felt that such dialogues are often exposition-filled by necessity, and personally I think a system where a player feels compelled to sit in camp and drain a character of all their dialogue options (in a lengthy process) just to have a "complete" picture of a character isn't ideal.

The approval system itself needs some looking at, but insofar as the dialogues in Awakening go, consider it a work in progress.

I REALLY hope that you did some research before making this decision (to make sure that this is what the majority wants !!!!). Personally I DON'T like the idea, but lets hope that the mojority will...

[BloodsongVengeance]

there's a conversation system in awakenings??????


  because i am really PO'd that i try to talk to anders, or even oghren, and all they give me is a one-liner and basically say, 'quit bugging me, lets get going.'  when they talk TO EACH OTHER a tonne more than they talk to me!!!

  i really, REALLY wanted to drag anders aside and ask him some stuff that i think is important to find out (or at least try to find out, dont expect him to cooperate much) before hanging out with him a lot.  but no... i can't.  he just stares over my head and says 'lets get going.'  GRRRRRRRRR!  in the hall, in the courtyard, outside... no no no, just won't talk to me.


  all right, so you say there is a conversation system in there... i don't want to read to much, i JUST started awakenings for the first playthrough and i don't want to learn TOO much about it beforehand.  i sorta gather they talk to you when THEY want to?  hmm.  that's cool and all, but what about when *I* want to talk to THEM?



   just for those keeping statistics.... i'm one of those who *likes* chilling out in camp and hanging out and goofing around with everyone.  in fact, if there were a hack to make the dragon age game playable so you can make a character, and just talk to everybody and skip all the hacking 'n' slashing... i'd kinda go for that.  to me, doing all those missions is the grinding, and all the talking is the gravy   
   the job on the DAO characters and their personalities and conversations and like/dislike etc etc etc, is amazing!  i REALLY enjoyed the game, and the characters took up permanent residence in my brain.... just fantastic.



   anyway, i will hold out hope for more conversation in awakenings.  thanks guys!

[Alexander1136]

i honestly enjoyed it.  you could skip if you didnt like it.. the awakening system was half-ass in my opinion as was the entire xp. i want a true continuation of origins.

then again ive been begging for a socom2 remake since 2005 so i doubt i recieve that but who knows a diff developer company might actualy give a rats ass about the dedicated fan's OP.

Modifié par Alexander1136, 09 juillet 2010 - 04:12 .