So Dragon Age 3.... No Pressure?

[Nero18]

I think that if SW:TOR enters 2013 with less than 500k subs, BioWare will be shut down and this won't see the light of day.

They probably have charts and stuff that predict the number of subs, if it looks bad im sure they will start to look att the free2play model if they havent already. BioWare has been a big asset to EA and they are in no way shutting them down.

Like they didn't shut down Bullfrog, Westwood, and a large et cetera?

OH WAIT, they did!
The moment the Bioware brand (because Bioware is now an EA brand, the same way EASports is) stops turning in a profit, the studios will be sold out. Business as usual.
As for DA3, I'm not buying it. Unless they drop the paraphrase system and go back to full line.

BW is worth more than those other stuidos. If there ever comes a time when BW are going terribly bad im sure they will fire som of the leaders and get their own people in. BW is still an asset to the game and they are only expanding the BW brand as you said yourself.

 

[Kargathia]

...but the thought of witnessing another Bioware induced shitstorm of online bickering is not a particularly appealing one.

On the contrary, that would definitely be the highlight of DA3 for me.

I won't be buying anything solely released on Origin, but I honestly considered all the internet drama around ME3 to be worth the game's price already. Nothing is quite as entertaining as the anguished cries of a million fanboys.

 

[votemarvel]

I played Dragon Age II on the PC, so the actual combat played near identically to Origins. That being the case I never understood the praise the console versions got for having to hammer a button to do basic attacks. For me that simply detracts from the tactical elements of the combat.

For me if they wanted to have a 'hack and slash' combat then they should have gone completely that way, instead of hiding the dice-roll system it still used behind hammering one button.

The characters were the saving grace of the game for me. I loved the interactions between Merril and Varrik/Isabella, some of the funniest stuff I've ever heard was between them.

However the story was just so disjointed. The time jumps especially annoyed as I always got the impression that some of the most exciting stuff that happened to Hawke took place during them.

The repetition of environments was shocking and for what was meant to be a packed city, Kirkwall was surprisingly life-less.

I do have a little faith that Dragon Age 3 will be a great game. I loved Origins and DA2 had brilliant characters. So hopefully the Dragon Age team will produce something brilliant.

The only shame for me really is that I don't think we'll be seeing the Warden, from Origins, again. There would simply be too many variables for them to include and voice.

Ignoring the ending, ME3 was a spectacularly good game; probably one of my favourites of all time. Bioware is still a great developer and I will be watching DA3 with interest.

Now see I disagree, I don't think ME3 was a good game.

It had comedy animations, poor lip-synch, a terrible journal, pointless eaves-dropping side-quests, a face import system that doesn't work correctly even after Bioware's fix, most missions are poorly designed shooting galleries, reduction of player input into dialogue and far too many passive "Zaeed from ME2" style conversations. I could go on but I don't want to take this thread too far off-topic.

Really for me I struggle to see this 99% brilliant game that others do.

 

[chiefohara]

Don't know if i'd buy it first day.Im kinda torn.

I bought DA:2 good and cheap well after the release date (i was still playing DA:O for the first time and was late to the DA party)

I went into DA2 forewarned expecting a poor game because of all the complaints, and yeah.... it wasn't great. I wouldn't have bothered finishing it if it was anything other than Bioware. Story was lacklustre, combat just seemed silly, my warden didn't need to do summersaults in combat to impress me whereas Hawke bouncing all over the place with unnatural speed with a complete disregard for things like gravity was a complete immersion breaker to me (weird i know considering the game has things like magic/demons etc. but thats just me)

The main story line didn't really engage me because it took place over too long a time period so there was no real sense of urgency or crisis for the character to endure. The Warden had the blight, Shep had the reapers hanging over him for 3 games whereas Hawke had a civil war in a city i didn't really care for that took too long to heat up. I can see how it was a potentially very good idea seeing racial/ethnic tension grow from its roots to a full on street conflict, but Bioware didn't pull it off. The extended timeline killed the pace of the story.

Ethan Hawke as a character just seemed like a generic hero type for me. Perhaps i was spoilt being able to create my own shep and my own warden, but Hawke as a person just wasn't likeable enough for me. In DA:O choosing dialogue choices without a main character V/O was something i really liked, it meant i read the dialogue in my own voice in my head and personalised the story just a fraction more. Small thing but it really worked.... That said i adore ME and that was completely V/O throughout the series. If you are gonig to create a stock character ensure you have more development time than was allotted to DA2 i guess

Respect for your Lore, The deep roads was built up superbly in the first DA:O. like the ME2 suicide mission i didn't think my warden would be making it back, the fear awe and reverence of it was built up so superbly by the cast of characters. In DA:2 being sent back there to fetch errand quests after a kinda disappointing deep roads level only diminished it completely. They took an area that was brilliantly built up in the first game and wasted it because they used it as nothing more than a generic run of the mill location in the second.

All that said and done ill still keep an eye out for DA:3 but i probably won't buy it first day until i hear reviews from people as well as press. If they pull the day 1 DLC crap i may wait even longer.

I was gutted at the ME3 endings, but the free EC content renewed my faith in Bioware, and i genuinely think that they have learned from that and DA2. Considering the huge cost in man hours, customer loyalty and reputation DA2 and the need for ME3:EC did for them , i'd be surprised if the Execs at EA reverted back to unreasonable deadlines and shipping unpolished products. EA learned the very hard way that Its brutally bad business sense to shit all over your IP's and your customers. A good brand name is hard earned and easily lost, especially if its used as a cheap cash grab.

 

[Chairman Miaow]

Eh, Bioware are pretty much already in the pile of dead devs sucked dry by EA.

 

[TheRookie8]

I just want Orlais, is that too much to ask!?

Yes, the movie is in Orlais. BUT IT'S A MOVIE.

DA:O gave a lot of setup for Orlais. I was angry when I found out 2 wasn't there. I mean really....

- You know a lot about politics and how their games work, from Leliana
- You know a bit about the gender inequality from that woman in Denerim's market
- You know about their fashions and cities, from Leliana
- You know they have their own Grey Wardens thanks to Riordan.

Orlais sounds like a really great setting, why on earth did they ignore it in favor of KIRKWALL of all places?

Personally (and this is just my opinion) I wouldn't be too excited about DA3 taking place in Orlais. I don't see much happening there, aside from it being the Chantry capital of the world.

Nevarra, on the other hand, would be an excellent place for the next game. It's the dragon-hunting country with entire palaces built for the dead. Not only that, but Cumberland is there as well, and judging from the mage rebellion, I can see alot going on there. So if Bioware decides to allow you to play the game as a different class or race again, I can picture a mage character visiting Cumberland and other classes visiting Nevarra as some kind of mercenary or dragon hunter.

Hell, Tevinter, Llomerryn, Antiva, and Par Vollen all seem to have more interesting things happening as well. And what about good-old Ferelden? Orlais just seems so damn boring...except for the cheese and backstabbing (and vice-versa).

 

[Zhukov]

...but the thought of witnessing another Bioware induced shitstorm of online bickering is not a particularly appealing one.

On the contrary, that would definitely be the highlight of DA3 for me.

I won't be buying anything solely released on Origin, but I honestly considered all the internet drama around ME3 to be worth the game's price already. Nothing is quite as entertaining as the anguished cries of a million fanboys.

I suppose that's one way of looking at it.

I remember being highly entertained by the feeble mewling of those folks who tried to defend Alpha Protocol when it tanked.

 

[sheah1]

Well, as someone who enjoyed Dragon Age II and didn't ***** about the ME3 ending. I'm sure I'll be happy with what they give us.

As someone who found mass effects 3 ending interesting i also can not wait for dragon age 3 (although with the bioware releases lately i will be avoiding this forum the moment it comes out. Since it will probably be filled with people complaining anyway.

That they will. Never have I seen such a horrible fanbase as Biowares.

I want you two reasonable, brilliant people to have children together. And I will take one of those children as my own, as I could never produce a child so brilliant without your aid.

 

[Dandark]

I enjoyed DA:O but not enough to buy their extra endin....I mean totally worth it DLC that wasn't needed to continue the story at all.

I disliked DA2 but did have some fun with it but I didn't like it or it's DLC enough to make me want the sequel.

I have little faith in Bioware to make a dragon age 3 that I would enjoy so im not going to be getting it. I will wait untill it comes out and see what people think of it a few weeks after release. I highly doubt i'll be getting it though since I can't see them making a good enough game to make me overlook the EA logo on it.

 

[Amaror]

Look at the bright side.
I don't think there will be a shitstorm this time, because there is practically no way they could have set the expectations for this title any lower.

 

[ProtoChimp]

I understand the hate against Bioware as writers but why has everyone convinced themselves that they are EA's *****? I've even seen people say Bioware are going to start making (and I quote) Battlefield of Duty: Urban Warfare. And they weren't joking either. And it was on this site.

Okay that was off track but it needed to be said. I understand the hate against DA2 but I still enjoyed it, hell I loved it. I thought the combat was great and I loved the characters and most of the complaints everyone had only ever really peeved me at most, except the rehashed environments. That was bullshit.

 

[Fappy]

I suppose I should have expected this thread to break down into another DA2 thread D:

I thought we were done with those ages ago.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

Dragon Age II sold well and a lot more people liked it than didn't.

I don't know where people get this notion that forum rage is equal to actual broad opinion.

 

[Frankster]

I dont know about the devs, but I know Da3s gonna have its work cut out to impress me.

Da2 was enough to turn me off the series and i'm not well disposed towards bioware atm.

Dragon Age II sold well and a lot more people liked it than didn't.

I'll believe the sold well part, since im one of those idiots that payed full price at release for it.
But where do you get the "lot more people liked it than didn't" from? I don't remember there having been a survey of da2 players (and even then, would need to be a big sample considering how many people bought it).

 

[D Moness]

Dragon Age II sold well and a lot more people liked it than didn't.

I don't know where people get this notion that forum rage is equal to actual broad opinion.

It is always the loud minority that is annoying. Still remember people were accusing the escapist was being bribed when they had a positive review and when the game appeared in the 12 games of x-mas last year.

Some people just see conspiracies everywhere, what some people seem to forget is that not everyone has the same taste.

 

[Clearing the Eye]

Dragon Age II sold well and a lot more people liked it than didn't.

I don't know where people get this notion that forum rage is equal to actual broad opinion.

It is always the loud minority that is annoying. Still remember people were accusing the escapist was being bribed when they had a positive review and when the game appeared in the 12 games of x-mas last year.

Some people just see conspiracies everywhere, what some people seem to forget is that not everyone has the same taste.

Wait, wait, wait! People actually said The Escapist was bribed to give it a good review, as opposed to--you know--just liking it? Dear god. I was unaware the level of stupid had reached such critical mass!

 

[RedLister]

Expecting to see bioware hanging with westwood and bullfrog in the happy place up in the sky. Old Uncle EA wants he's massive profit and from what i have seen and heard The old Republic isn't doing as well as they hoped and additionally bioware are still licking there wounds from the ME3 ending so the presure is on with DA3. Knowing EA they will probably give bioware fuckall time to make the game and it will suffer for it and then EA will give them the boot. Even though little Bioware listened to Uncle EA's every word like a good little boy/?sellout?

Side note (VERY IMPORTANT): This is my own personal opinion and it is not some prophecy written in stone.

Really hope it don't come to this or something similar because im rather sick of history repeating itself of companies with protential biting the dust just because some insanely overpaid pen pushers want more dosh ASAP and rushing the creative cycle that is game developing.

 

[Fappy]

Dragon Age II sold well and a lot more people liked it than didn't.

I don't know where people get this notion that forum rage is equal to actual broad opinion.

It is always the loud minority that is annoying. Still remember people were accusing the escapist was being bribed when they had a positive review and when the game appeared in the 12 games of x-mas last year.

Some people just see conspiracies everywhere, what some people seem to forget is that not everyone has the same taste.

Wait, wait, wait! People actually said The Escapist was bribed to give it a good review, as opposed to--you know--just liking it? Dear god. I was unaware the level of stupid had reached such critical mass!

It was a huge deal. Some one got banned and they ended up changing the forum policy twice in the same week if I remember correctly.