DA:O Played an hour or so - some questions / comments

Dragon Age: Origins
Just started playing and loving it. Just a few things that has already been covered. One the blood. I'm getting rid of persistent gore it just looks gross.

Second, the codex is great. Tons of lore on top of the story.

I'm playing a 'dark' wizard. I'm going to go the blood mage route as soon as I'm able. So far, I like how everything isn't totally black or white. During the origin story for the mage you encounter situations where you could answer that maybe they just did what they needed to survive. I like that a lot better than the usual:

Evil = Biggest jerk known to mankind
Good = Goody two shoes

Ok then, gotta get back to slaying darkspawn.
 
Joined
Feb 3, 2007
Messages
5,347
Location
Taiwan
Well, I broke down and bought it. After about two hours, all I can say is this is a hard game to navigate. After a couple hours of this, I can't believe people complain about Gothic1 controls. I guess I'm not used to this sort of game but just going where I want to go (and seeing where I'm going at the same time) is quite a challenge. The character motion and the camera are disconnected! I really need to play around with the default controls.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
421
Location
by the sea
Well, I broke down and bought it. After about two hours, all I can say is this is a hard game to navigate. After a couple hours of this, I can't believe people complain about Gothic1 controls. I guess I'm not used to this sort of game but just going where I want to go (and seeing where I'm going at the same time) is quite a challenge. The character motion and the camera are disconnected! I really need to play around with the default controls.

I feel the control in Gothic 1 is harder and less user friendly comparing DA.
 
Joined
Oct 19, 2006
Messages
1,028
Location
Malaysia
Well, I broke down and bought it. After about two hours, all I can say is this is a hard game to navigate. After a couple hours of this, I can't believe people complain about Gothic1 controls. I guess I'm not used to this sort of game but just going where I want to go (and seeing where I'm going at the same time) is quite a challenge. The character motion and the camera are disconnected! I really need to play around with the default controls.

Um, this should be pretty simple...if you want to control it like a 3rd person game....scroll so that your view is behind the character. then you can do everything with the mouse. Other wise its a point and click from above(I only use this in big battles) Gothic 1 was horrible for controls...not even close.
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
5,749
Just the opposite here. I am really enjoying DA, but so far I don't feel much of a connection to any of the NPCs. The characters in BG 1/2 were more varied and interesting to me.

I think you need to go back and play the BG series again...I always felt the characters were disjointed from the world. In part I think the engine back then and the depth of scripting was at fault.

The amount of character interaction and some of the areas in Dragon age just sweep you up. If you have seen anything involving ashes (I won't get into detail) but that area was just awesome. Lots of cool npc companions, and I think it being free of the AD&D liscense actually really helps.
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
5,749
Interestingly, (and especially in the "Wilds" area (pre-initiation ritual)) It started to feel to me just like Drakensang. The "feel" of it, somehow - even if the ruleset and character models are rather different. I was wondering if perhaps the same/very similar engine was used?
 
Joined
Nov 23, 2007
Messages
744
Played quite a while now, at level 12 or so, and I must say I enjoy it a lot. However, I feel the controls could've been better. Among other things, I would've preferred if the camera was more flexible when zoomed out (the angle/height is stuck). If I zoom in, the camera is fairly flexible, but then it's usually too close to control the characters properly in difficult fights.

Also, I've had problems with the DLCs (as have many). To me, Warden's Keep was just fine, but there was no way to trigger the Stone Prisoner. I'm trying a re-install now to see if that fixes the issue.

Oh, and don't download patch 1.01. It breaks the game completely - when you press the "Play" button on the launcher after downloading it, nothing happens.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
7,583
Location
Bergen
Hmm, 1.01 works fine for me.

I'm loving the game. Just hit level 12, 26 hours in on my Mage main. Have also played 6 or 7 hours on alts.
 
Joined
Jul 26, 2007
Messages
473
Location
Australia
The camera isn't perfect, for sure. That said, at least I don't have to fight it - pull out indoors or for battles, zoom in to see further in outdoor areas.

Just finished the Warden's Quest - pretty straight forward but I still enjoyed the story presentation.
 
Joined
Aug 30, 2006
Messages
11,842
Location
Sydney, Australia
Been playing it a bit and I'm really quite enjoying it. On hard difficulty the game is nice and challenging, playing intelligently in the harder battles is vital. The character system is quite nice, a lot more intuitive than DnD and warriors have a lot more they can do in a fight. The spell list offers a nice variety without offering too many useless or sub-par spells.

The world is actually quite well done. It is a fairly standard fantasy setting, yes, but cohesive, well designed. Forgotten Realms is a mish-mash of every fantasy and mythology concept you can think of, DA feels more like a cohesive whole. The fantasy also leans even more towards medieval England than most fantasy (which tend to just steal the superficial stuff and leave it at that). The apostate mages, the Christian-like Chantry, the betrayed prophetess, the original sin idea and the tainting of "heaven", the Arls and Banns and Ser Knight types…all very quasi-medieval England. Even down to Liliana from the neighbouring country sounding fairly French. I like it, it feels like they focused on that theme for the entire setting and avoided adding extra stuff just because it is in other fantasy games. Creatures feel like they are there because they fit the lore, not just because the designers felt like adding them. The Fade and the forms of Demons, how they correspond to various types of sin is pretty neat.
 
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
Messages
195
I think you need to go back and play the BG series again…I always felt the characters were disjointed from the world. In part I think the engine back then and the depth of scripting was at fault.

The amount of character interaction and some of the areas in Dragon age just sweep you up. If you have seen anything involving ashes (I won't get into detail) but that area was just awesome. Lots of cool npc companions, and I think it being free of the AD&D liscense actually really helps.


Well I've been playing DA for the last 4 days, and so far it's very good, but it's not blowing me away. It sounds to me like you just weren't a big fan of D&D to begin with.

Baldur's Gate 1/2 were better for their time than DA is today. They were, and still are, more complex, with a greater variety of items, magic, and especially monsters. The backstory behind the Darkspawn is somewhat interesting, but the enemies themselves are somewhat lacking to me so far. Specifically the fact that there doesn't seem to be very many different variations.

Yes, I know what you mean about the ashes, I thought it was cool, but nothing extraordinary.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,138
Location
Florida, US
Oh, and don't download patch 1.01. It breaks the game completely - when you press the "Play" button on the launcher after downloading it, nothing happens.

Apparently, according to some one on the official forum, the patch requires a newer version of the C++ distributable than comes with the game.
 
Joined
Oct 18, 2006
Messages
421
Location
by the sea
Well I've been playing DA for the last 4 days, and so far it's very good, but it's not blowing me away. It sounds to me like you just weren't a big fan of D&D to begin with.

Baldur's Gate 1/2 were better for their time than DA is today. They were, and still are, more complex, with a greater variety of items, magic, and especially monsters. The backstory behind the Darkspawn is somewhat interesting, but the enemies themselves are somewhat lacking to me so far. Specifically the fact that there doesn't seem to be very many different variations.

Yes, I know what you mean about the ashes, I thought it was cool, but nothing extraordinary.

Nope I really like D&D however, I feel in this game I actually care more about the NPC's and the majority seem to have alot of great back ground. Already in the game there have been times you actually feel for what is happening. This is a great game to start out on. BG had alot of things but it felt like the story took a back stage to the combat, where here with DA I feel they blended them better.

I'm interested to see how far they will take this game. Will there be expansions? (I think there will be) and sequals?(after initial sales I'm willing to bet at least one) This could be the equivalent of BG1 for DA where part 2 will be there BG2 equivelent with a much bigger world...who knows.
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
5,749
I'm interested to see how far they will take this game. Will there be expansions? (I think there will be) and sequals?(after initial sales I'm willing to bet at least one) This could be the equivalent of BG1 for DA where part 2 will be there BG2 equivelent with a much bigger world…who knows.


I think a sequel is pretty much guaranteed already with the sales they've gotten. Also, DA is a little more accessible to the mainstream than any of the IE games were.

Still, I don't think it will be the equivalent of BG, at least not in terms of impact. BG was released during a time when the genre was extremely stagnant, DA has a lot more quality competition to go up against.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,138
Location
Florida, US
I'm at pretty much the end of the game and I've really enjoyed it so far. I've played a goody goody Human (male) noble.

Next game I'm going to play some sort of blood mage, and be super cool and evil.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Messages
2,299
Location
VA
I purposefully got way ahead of my grad school work load so I could play for a long period of time.

Although, I have to work on a paper today/tomorrow, and a problem set for Macro-economics during the same time frame. They're not due until Weds and Thurs respectively, but I want them done by tomorrow so I can:
1) Beat DA some time on Monday.
2) Pick up Assassin's Creed II and Modern Warfare II on Tuesday.
3) Probably play and beat Modern Warfare II on Tuesday.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Messages
2,299
Location
VA
3) Probably play and beat Modern Warfare II on Tuesday.


It's sad to say, but you probably will. The first Modern Warfare was a complete joke in terms of single-player campaign length, and I doubt the sequel will be any different. That's why there's no way I'm going to pay full price for MW2.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,138
Location
Florida, US
Mainly getting it for multiplayer, to be honest. A few of my friends are picking it up and harassed me into it. I also have a few friends who really want to do the co-op missions too.

I was considering getting borderlands but I don't know anyone who has it and wants to play it.
 
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Messages
2,299
Location
VA
Back
Top Bottom