Dragon Age and Me

[Christemo]

if you arent very happy about extremely slow-paced combat, or dont have a powerhouse PC, i suggest getting the console version. i got the ps3 collectors edition, and i love the game, altho it is flawed a bit.


if you can take some under average graphics, and a lot of dialogue (altho well written without many cheesy lines), then i would recommend it.

 

[Christemo]

The WRPG is a rare genre, Dragon Age is a step in the right direction and I want more games to play, so I'm going to be selfish and recommend the game to a complete stranger asking for advice.

Dragon Age is awesome! Buy today!

What's funny is that it's not really a step in the right direction. Instead it's a resurrection of the old Infinity Engine style of games. But since it's been a long time now since we last had one of those, a lot of the new batch of gamers are kind of unaware of their existence. They are just now realizing how ridiculously awesome they are with Dragon Age: Origins. The classics will always be the best.

um, dude? i think your probation marker is there for a reason. dont state your opinion as a fact, thats better known as flaming.

 

[FallenRainbows]

I am confused of this game. I have only explored 50% apparently. I have completed the game though. I am confused.

Also Russ said he was 30 hours in and 1/3 in. I did the whole game in 30 hours...

Yes I am replaying it. Yes it is an awesome game.

 

[teijakool]

I'm with you on BG2 being better in some respects, but I don't think it's fair to call the DA:O story boring and generic after only going through 30% of the game. A quarter of the way into BG2 I wouldn't have thought it would be an all-time great, either.

Some generic undead demonic horde is about to overrun the world, and you are it's only hope.
If that isn't generic for you, I can't help it. The storyLINE did have some minor unexpected situations, but nothing big.

Also, I get that a lot of game developers are using sex as a cheap marketing ploy, and that the way it's implemented is often silly or otherwise ludicrous. But, shouldn't we push them to keep at it until we get it right? If we want our games (especially our RPGs) to be "realistic" and for art to imitate life...don't we really need the sex/romance aspects? Granted, I know sex isn't a huge part of most gamers' lives, but still...

You could also have a child with Aerie in BG2. Also, BG2 didn't have it's women running around half-naked on the cover, which is a plus for BG2. I do not say romantic interaction is wrong or does not belong here, it does.
But if I want to watch porn, I do not play a bloody game till I get the cutscene, I go to the internet... or play Leisure Suit Larry or something.
By making it appear like an achievement, it becomes demeaning, and sort of... unrealistic. Gah, hard to get into words.

 

[TOGSolid]

The WRPG is a rare genre, Dragon Age is a step in the right direction and I want more games to play, so I'm going to be selfish and recommend the game to a complete stranger asking for advice.

Dragon Age is awesome! Buy today!

What's funny is that it's not really a step in the right direction. Instead it's a resurrection of the old Infinity Engine style of games. But since it's been a long time now since we last had one of those, a lot of the new batch of gamers are kind of unaware of their existence. They are just now realizing how ridiculously awesome they are with Dragon Age: Origins. The classics will always be the best.

um, dude? i think your probation marker is there for a reason. dont state your opinion as a fact, thats better known as flaming.

Feel free to point out at what point I was flaming or being mean. Or are you just trying to start a fight? That's better known as trolling.

You could also have a child with Aerie in BG2.

Huh, I never had her in my party for all that long so I was totally unaware of that. Years later and that game still manages to surprise me.

 

[nYuknYuknYuk]

Try to become involved with morrigan....the result was one of the most heartbreaking endings ever...We were good friends...lovers i did all her side quests....

Only in the end for to ask to have my baby so that the archdemons soul would be absorbed by it and spare my life...Oh yea the kid would be fine but she left and i never got to see her or my baby...

Or i could kill it myself and die...

Or let someone else kill it but morrigan leaves anyway...

spoiler tags would have been appreciated.

 

[Ben7]

Best RPG of the last decade, it has amazing story and depth which alone demands a playthrough!

Nope. BG2 is. The story of DA:O is boring and generic, and it cannot even touch the depth of BG2 in any aspect.
About that.

I played it myself for about 30% through, then put it away. It's fun while it's new, and running around blood-splattered also can be fun if you like this sort of thing or need to blow some steam off. But after that, it's just a graphic engine that got a story, some archetype characters, some characters that are different in a archetypical way, and spellcasting boobies. Yes the sex in it was made up to be one of its selling points, which was one of the reasons I was disgusted enough to put it away.

Matter of opinion I suppose, I never played BG so I can't comment on that but its a little unfair to call the story boring and generic. I really enjoyed the dwarf politics of Orzimmar or the tribulations of the werewolves, pretty heavy stuff and the decisions you make feel like they have an impact, then theres the characters who are actually for the first time in many a game not wooden planks.

Yeah theres sex in it, so what? your not forced to bone, its all upto you, to bone or not to bone is the question. And whats wrong with spellcasting boobies?

Meh Ive enjoyed every last second of it but I'll see if I can grab a copy of BG and see whats so awesome about that.

 

[MmmFiber]

if you arent very happy about extremely slow-paced combat, or dont have a powerhouse PC, i suggest getting the console version. i got the ps3 collectors edition, and i love the game, altho it is flawed a bit.


if you can take some under average graphics, and a lot of dialogue (altho well written without many cheesy lines), then i would recommend it.

yeah, I think the only really cheesy line i've heard so far is Allistair saying "It's frog time." And sometimes the dialogue gets a bit disjointed, as in the response the other characters gives you doesn't seem to match logically to the rest of the conversation.

The game is well made and enjoyable. One of my favorites of the moment.

It contains(PS3 version):

Lots of dialogue
Seemingly meaningful conversations
A good deal of character customization(both skills and appearance)
Classes of rogue, warrior, and mage... each having 4 specializations
Sometimes scantily clad spellcasters, spirits, and demons. (Hot Pixels!)
Traps/poisons/potions crafting
Stealing
Muddy moral descisions. AKA it's not "kill kittens or save a bus full of nuns and orphans"
Heaps and heaps of lore
Interesting characters
Group battle system that is roughly half tactical and half level/talents/equipment

The above is not complete. I have just ran out of things I can think of. The only thing I don't really like about the game is that I haven't really found a good way to actively level my characters. If anyone knows an effective way, send me a pm or something.

 

[Christemo]

The WRPG is a rare genre, Dragon Age is a step in the right direction and I want more games to play, so I'm going to be selfish and recommend the game to a complete stranger asking for advice.

Dragon Age is awesome! Buy today!

What's funny is that it's not really a step in the right direction. Instead it's a resurrection of the old Infinity Engine style of games. But since it's been a long time now since we last had one of those, a lot of the new batch of gamers are kind of unaware of their existence. They are just now realizing how ridiculously awesome they are with Dragon Age: Origins. The classics will always be the best.

um, dude? i think your probation marker is there for a reason. dont state your opinion as a fact, thats better known as flaming.

Feel free to point out at what point I was flaming or being mean. Or are you just trying to start a fight? That's better known as trolling.

im not trying on anything. "The classics will always be the best" just sounds more of a flame war fuse than an opinion. now i cant say ive played BG, or any other Bioware game really (except Mass Effect, but i found that game rubbish), so i cant really put my finger on whats best.

 

[Christemo]

if you arent very happy about extremely slow-paced combat, or dont have a powerhouse PC, i suggest getting the console version. i got the ps3 collectors edition, and i love the game, altho it is flawed a bit.


if you can take some under average graphics, and a lot of dialogue (altho well written without many cheesy lines), then i would recommend it.

yeah, I think the only really cheesy line i've heard so far is Allistair saying "It's frog time." And sometimes the dialogue gets a bit disjointed, as in the response the other characters gives you doesn't seem to match logically to the rest of the conversation.

The game is well made and enjoyable. One of my favorites of the moment.

i found a really cheesy line in the Human Noble origin from some fleeing servant: "*screams* AHHHH, they are right behind me" then he runs away, and first 20 seconds later some Howe ****** looks around the corner.

 

[Knight Templar]

Well I recommend that you at least try it out, but it is a Bioware game, so the starting stage isn't as open as the rest, it doesn't drag on thank the maker. It's a good game, rent it and spend a day or two playing, I loved playing as a Warrior but people say great things about Mage, I turned my Mage into a warrior so I kinda missed a lot of the more powerful attack spells, but I was all but immortal.
Keep in mind that different Origins stories matter, if you really dislike one then maybe do another, they change how people react to you, gender only seems to change how your companions act toward you for some odd reason.

How on earth does Dragon Age qualify as Dark Fantasy?

There are two kinds of fantasy, "High Fantasy" and "Dark Fantasy", with the latter sometimes called ?Low Fantasy?.

High Fantasy: Clear cut, good vs evil, the bad guys are daemons or some other monsters with no redeeming features.

Dark Fantasy: Blurry, the lines between good and evil are not well defined. The bad guys are not all bad, the good guys do bad things, ect. I don't know an example myself, but I am told Conan is one.

Dragon age is a bit of both, (which is what the Dev's intended) but for the most part it's Dark Fantasy.

Best RPG of the last decade, it has amazing story and depth which alone demands a playthrough!

Nope. BG2 is. The story of DA:O is boring and generic, and it cannot even touch the depth of BG2 in any aspect.

Oh yes Dragon Age isn't half the game Baldur's Gate 2 is, But that is how highly I think of BG2, Dragon age is still a wonderful game for me. I did expect bigger and better side missions however, but I guess from a navrative standpoint it wouldn't make sense.

 

[TOGSolid]

im not trying on anything. "The classics will always be the best" just sounds more of a flame war fuse than an opinion. now i cant say ive played BG, or any other Bioware game really (except Mass Effect, but i found that game rubbish), so i cant really put my finger on whats best.

To quote someone else: "Mass Effect is more of a console shooter with RPG elements." It is definitely not the highlight of Bioware's work and I can totally see how it may leave a bad taste in someone's mouth. I usually really enjoy their games, and even I was left feeling pretty 'meh' after playing ME through. I do recommend trying some of the oldies out, they really have stood the test of time. I think there's even a mod for BG2 that lets you play at modern resolutions, I'd have to double check though.

 

[escapistrules]

imo it is a good game.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

Try to become involved with morrigan....the result was one of the most heartbreaking endings ever...We were good friends...lovers i did all her side quests....

Only in the end for to ask to have my baby so that the archdemons soul would be absorbed by it and spare my life...Oh yea the kid would be fine but she left and i never got to see her or my baby...

Or i could kill it myself and die...

Or let someone else kill it but morrigan leaves anyway...

*HEMS*

People dont like spoilers.

 

[Socius]

I'm wondering if Dragon Age is the right kind of game for me. I never really play RPGs and never was a huge fan of the fantasy settings. There are other games I'm looking to play, but I can't decide. What should I do?

you don't like RPG's, you don't like fantasy, why the hell do you even ask?

Dragonage is an awesome game, good in every possible way... almost. It does lack a few shapes and edges here and there, but nothing vital. It's a fantasy RPG though, you liked Oblivion? then buy it! You liked FF? Buy it damn you! You enjoed KOTOR? Why in the name of Hugh Jackman haven't you played trough it 5 times allredy! (I know I have) However from what you tell me of yourself, it would be a waste of time, money and a good game. unless this is the game that will turn the tide... where was I? Anyway, buy the darn game, if you dislike it you can't say you didn't try, and you will dream about a certein witch gone wild anyway... if you like it, welcome to the club, chump! enjoy my advises, lets just hope anything made sense. Maker preserve us.

(now you got to buy the game to understand the final part of my mindless libbering, mwahahaha)

 

[Axolotl]

There are two kinds of fantasy, "High Fantasy" and "Dark Fantasy", with the latter sometimes called ?Low Fantasy?.

High Fantasy: Clear cut, good vs evil, the bad guys are daemons or some other monsters with no redeeming features.

Dark Fantasy: Blurry, the lines between good and evil are not well defined. The bad guys are not all bad, the good guys do bad things, ect. I don't know an example myself, but I am told Conan is one.

Dragon age is a bit of both, (which is what the Dev's intended) but for the most part it's Dark Fantasy.

I know what dark fantasy is, Conan isn't the best example (although he applies to a degree), Stormbringer is Dark Fantasy, Warhammer is Dark Fantasy, Dragon Age is no darker than Lord of the Rings (hell I'd argue that LotR is much darker).

 

[Zephirius]

I didn't like it. But that's entirely my own fault. I get sick of games that are too repetitive, but for some reason I tried most of the origins and even redid the Dwarf Noble origin several times.

One of my problems with it is the DN origin was really engaging, but it seems like it hardly matters except for the occasional dialogue choice. I did hear that in the story you have to go (back, in my case) to the dwarven capital, so that could be interesting, but with regards to your dwarven bodyguard/righthand man, I read that...

Spoiler: Minor-medium Dwarf Noble origin spoiler

He just becomes a merchant in Denerim, and as your faithful servant he is proud to rejoin his former master and together save the world from certain doom give you an extra big discount. The fuck, Bioware? So much for my "loyal" second. I am aware of his story, but after telling me from the other side of the jail bars that he "would always be my man", I am rather disappointed.

Just gets on my nerves when they weasel out of any continuity like that. That guy was the only likable person I met in the early game anyway. Morrigan is, to quote my character, "a heartless shrew", and Alistair is just plain annoying. Anyone else doesn't matter because they're only temporary companions.

 

[AC Medina]

I actually like Alistair, but I think the companions' personal likability isn't even the issue. I think the point is: if someone is a "heartless shrew," does it make sense why or is it completely gratuitous? In Morrigan's case, given her history and circumstances...I think most people would argue that it's natural for her to be that way. Same thing with Alistair, even if you do find him and his endless crappy jokes annoying: given who he is and what he's been through, doesn't it make sense that he would try to deflect serious questions about his life with humor?

As for the storyline being generic...yeah, if you put it in that "you are good and you fight an evil demonic horde" way. But you could make that argument about most games (though I'll agree BG2 was a fantastic exception). The question is, does the game do enough within that "generic" framework to make it interesting and to deviate from what we've already seen? I think DA:O does, and I would think that anyone who actually gets through the entire game would agree, but in the end I guess it's a judgment call.

 

[veloper]

The WRPG is a rare genre, Dragon Age is a step in the right direction and I want more games to play, so I'm going to be selfish and recommend the game to a complete stranger asking for advice.

Dragon Age is awesome! Buy today!

What's funny is that it's not really a step in the right direction. Instead it's a resurrection of the old Infinity Engine style of games. But since it's been a long time now since we last had one of those, a lot of the new batch of gamers are kind of unaware of their existence. They are just now realizing how ridiculously awesome they are with Dragon Age: Origins. The classics will always be the best.

Sure, but I won't replay BG2 or planescape for the billionth time. Sometimes/mosttimes gamers want something they haven't played already yet.
Compared to NWN2, FO3, DD2 and other recent RPGs, DA:O IS a step in the right direction.