Goddamnit Bioware

[kjempff]

Bioware has always been an icon to me, those who made games like they thought a game should be. They kept to their style and copied over and over, so you knew what to expect of a Bioware game. Maybe they just can't sell the same thing anymore and need new thinking.

If you don't know Bioware and go play Dragon Age as the first Bioware game, you might like it alot. But if you know Bioware games from the past, you can only think this a step down. A watered down console style type of game. Older Bioware games were always very linear with acts, but it felt different than these new Orchestrated games.
There is a fine line for me, and when you cross that line of orchestrated linear gameplay, the games just fails for me. Take a peek at what WoW has developed into, it started out with a linear gameplay but with some degree of freedom, but now it is a handholding linear game that moved across the thin line. The same thing is happened with Bioware games, they in the name of marketing and sales, moved in the boring direction.

It is not so much that Bioware did it (alot of other game developers do it aswell), but rather the fact that it is BIOWARE.. we just feel betrayed hehe.

 

[CaptainLoserPants]

Well, in the immortal words of the Dude:

 

[Shaoken]

Here's a ground-breaking, insane idea: if you hate the company so much, go tell them on THEIR forums in a constructice, well-written post, and stop buying their games.

I'm not sure if you are joking with him or just unaware, but complaining on the Bioware forums about a Bioware game is a bannable offense; see Dragon Age 2, when customers had their games shut off because they vocally complained about the quality on the Bioware forums.

*sigh* We got over that two months ago; he was banned by EA, and they accidently banned him from their servers instead of just their forums. Once he complained about it he was promptly unbanned so he could play his game again.

And he wasn't complaining, he was flat out trolling. Because there are plenty of people who complain on Bioware forums who don't even recieve a slap on the wrist.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

To add to the last half of the title "My opinion should matter more to you, DAMNIT!"

And as for my opinion, Bioware is still a success for me. Although I do agree, the development time for Dragon Age 2 soured the game somewhat, but fuck if I didn't enjoy every last minute of it nonetheless.

So to repeat once again.. you know, totally, like, my opinion man.

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

I don't have too many problems with Bioware at all. Sure there are choices they've made that I feel are mistakes, but overall I don't feel like they've fucked over their different series, as I've had tons of fun in ME2 and DA2 hasn't been as bad as all those complainers have made it out to be.

You may not like their games, that's cool, but I do. So yeah, nice opinion and all. And I for one liked the new design of the elves. Made them less "pointy eared, short humans" and more a different race.

hahaha i gotta say that is an amazing gif, whoever made that is a pro

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I've enjoyed all of Bioware's games so far and I even liked the absolutely hated Dragon Age 2, despite its drawbacks. You aren't going to get games with nearly as many options nowadays, it just isn't going to happen. Its unfair to expect something like Planescape: Torment or Baldurs Gate.
Once you throw in the insanely high production values of AAA titles nowadays, and the fact everything is fully voiced. You are far less likely to get the many options and choices you want. Its just not feasible. I guess I've learned to just accept the limitations and still enjoy the titles.

 

[GodEmperor47]

Here's a ground-breaking, insane idea: if you hate the company so much, go tell them on THEIR forums in a constructice, well-written post, and stop buying their games.

I'm not sure if you are joking with him or just unaware, but complaining on the Bioware forums about a Bioware game is a bannable offense; see Dragon Age 2, when customers had their games shut off because they vocally complained about the quality on the Bioware forums.

Even if that's the case, it doesn't make posting here any more effective at changing anything whatsoever. Really there's nothing to be done to make Bioware stop doing things "wrong" aside from refusing to play the games any more. And that won't stop them, it'll just allow the buyer to find other games to spend their gaming dollar on so they won't complain so damned much. I really don't care if Bioware are jerks and throw their weight around on their own forums; they are, after all, BIOWARE'S forums. Likely the people who were banned were very mouthy and profane, as is the case with nearly all angry anonymous posts on the internet. Even if they weren't, if you don't like the game (completely subjective with no concrete way to "prove" it was a "bad" game in most cases) then anything short of it flat out not working in some fashion is an invalid argument. You paid for the game, you didn't like it, next time research more or, in the case of DA2, rent it first.

Note that I don't mean "you" specifically, it's just the way I type.

 

[rsvp42]

Elf designs were much better in DA2. They actually had character. They weren't just short humans with pointy ears (DA:O). Say what you want about everything else--I don't agree, but that's the beauty of opinion--but the elf designs were greatly improved.

 

[Still Life]

I don't give a flying fuck about what they've done with the inventory or the combat. I couldn't care less how "streamlined" they want to make it.
The reason I've no interest in getting Mass Effect 3 is that the last two games they've released have dissappointed me story-wise. Their characters have been dull. The designs have been stagnant.

I have to disagree on the Mass Effect side of things.

I caught a lot of character progression in ME2, though I felt that the larger cast limited the interactions of individual characters more (especially with Garrus). ME2's narrative felt a lot less focused than ME's because of two things:

1. Character stories essentially take center stage.

2. Middle chapter blues.

It's really up to the individual to decide whether or not they like scattered narrative structure of ME2 over the tight-beam approach of ME1. Both have their strengths and weaknesses, and I felt that ME2 had great narrative elements which flowed well for the most part. Also, being the second installment of the trilogy, I found that ME2's narrative developed some of the bigger story arcs to a point where they were ready for a conclusion in the final chapter.

In all my years of gaming I have never seen a series as ambitious as ME in trying to tell a cohesive and player nuanced story. It may not be perfect, but Bioware have done more things right than they have wrong and it's a shame that you haven't taken the same amount of enjoyment. I'm really looking forward to ME3 and if you pick it up I hope you enjoy it also.

 

[LordRoyal]

I didn't think a "They changed it now it sucks" thread would get 5 pages of simple arguing about trivialities.

 

[Angerwing]

I honestly think we need to see the result before we can actually judge it. EA might be spewing crap to drum up more Shooter sales, but hopefully we'll get Bioware level story-telling.

 

[GrizzlerBorno]

Seriously though, obviously I missed something because I thought:Garrus, Tali and

Are some of the best characters that bioware have come up with to date... and I will disagree with the elves from DA2. I think they look better as "James Cameron" Elves... much better.

Spoiler: Seriously

This

looks way better than this

I'm only a third way done with Dragon Age 2 and.....I dunno about Merrill. Her Bizarre and broken Irish accent seems quite out of place to me. I'm not sure why but it's snapped me out of the "moment" quite a few times....

And I totally agree with the new elven design. Atleast the elves are distinctive now....

 

[Yureina]

Finally someone else who feels the same way I do about Bioware's most recent ventures. I remain silent however as I do not wish to be lynched by the community.

You dare even hint at a non-positive opinion about Bioware?

GET A ROPE! Looks like we are gonna have ourselves an execution...

Ok, more seriously I can see where this is coming from. While I have enjoyed Bioware's more recent releases, they just don't seem as... "Great" as their older games. Mass Effect does pretty good, but Dragon Age... not so much. Baldur's Gate was better. Much better.

Some might call that nostalgia, but... seriously. Baldur's Gate, and especially the second one, had some incredible storytelling/character development that just isn't quite there anymore.

 

[aaronobst]

Also, fuck those James Cameron elves in DA2. Seriously. Fuck those pointy, plate-faced fluff sniffers. I doubt they could have fucked up Elf design any more than they did.

Wow thats alot of F-bombs... I see why the username

Personally I liked the Elf redesigns, it made them look less human which I think was the point

I dunno about Merrill. Her Bizarre and broken Irish accent seems quite out of place to me

The voice actress is Welsh