Dragon Age II
- Thread starter Tharros
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My view on the Demo
I think the biggest thing wrong with this game is the millions of people who will get arthritis in there thumbs from mashing "a"
I played a two handed warrior in DA:O and I loved the shear power of 1 heavy swing, In DA2 it seems toned down and the only real way to do massive damage is to use talents.
I was also hoping for more specific talents - I.e. If you choose to deicate your mage to fire there would be more specific fire abilites etc etc.
But all in all im very much looking forward to this game
I think the biggest thing wrong with this game is the millions of people who will get arthritis in there thumbs from mashing "a"
I played a two handed warrior in DA:O and I loved the shear power of 1 heavy swing, In DA2 it seems toned down and the only real way to do massive damage is to use talents.
I was also hoping for more specific talents - I.e. If you choose to deicate your mage to fire there would be more specific fire abilites etc etc.
But all in all im very much looking forward to this game
Can i recommend to everyone to sign up at the bioware forums and subscribe to the newsletter you get an exclusive in game staff thinks it the Staff of Parthalan im a massive fan of origins bought every DLC plenty of hours into it im so hyped for the game
Yes, that is a well know problem with the console version of the demo. The PC version of the demo had auto-attack so I'm not sure what happened to the console version. Bioware has already said this has been fixed in the release version.
In Origins, the only way to do lots of damage was to use abilities as well, so I'm not sure where you are going with that argument...
IMO the game will get more interesting ability wise the higher level your character is, thus you will have more abilities at your disposal, just like in Origins. I'm not sure about the simplification of some gameplay elements - rogue's grenades becoming a skill rather than using a crafted item for example. But then again this is just a demo. We will have to see how everything fits into place. Other feature may have been added to make up for those lost.
Dragon Age: Origins was one of my favorite games of 2009 – as long as we’re talking about the PC version. On consoles, the game was a diminished port of the original, offering only a shadow of the tactical combat that made the PC release so satisfying. With Dragon Age II, BioWare has turned the tables. The sequel’s action-oriented battle system is clearly tailored to accommodate Xbox 360 and PS3 gamers, and the hardcore PC faithful (at whom the original title was explicitly targeted) get snubbed with an inferior adaptation.
Despite what you may have heard, Dragon Age II on PC does not have the same tactical pause-and-play combat as its predecessor. The battle system is essentially ported straight from the console iterations. I won’t rail against Dragon Age II’s shift to fast-paced fighting just because it’s different; as I said in my review of the console versions, the combat is well suited to the new action/RPG style. Though battles are not as rewarding as the previous entry’s strategic encounters, faster and more responsive combat isn’t inherently bad. The problem is the PC version’s inability to deliver the intended action at the heart of the new mechanics.
With its third-person camera and button-mashing attacks, the combat system in Dragon Age II is designed with a controller in mind, but BioWare doesn’t offer native gamepad support, restricting you to mouse-and-keyboard controls on PC. This approach may have worked well in Origins, but it doesn’t transition well to the new system. Movement feels clumsy, and pausing to readjust the camera and select targets for your abilities just muddles the flow of combat.
Maybe this decision was made to retain a shred of the tactical combat that distinguished Origins, but if that’s the case, the attempt is meager and insufficient. You have no zoomed out isometric view, and the waves and waves of filler enemies that pad out encounters make strategy futile. Yes, you can pause and issue commands, but this maneuvering is pointless when you never know how many more bad guys will jump from the rooftops, rise from the ground, or simply materialize out of nowhere. Even with more foes, the fights are considerably easier (unless you really crank up the difficulty), so planning is a waste of time. You can win most fights without worrying about strategy, so why invest unnecessary time and effort in the tactical approach? This conundrum creates a combat system that does not convey the thrill of controlling an unstoppable hero, but also doesn’t accommodate the strategy that is supposed to serve as an alternative.
While Dragon Age II on PC fares poorly in most comparisons, it isn’t all bad. It has a leg up on the console versions in the graphical department, with noticeably better textures and support for DirectX 11. The performance is also better, including a better framerate, shorter load times, and less pop-up objects in the distance.
Apart from combat issues, the highlights from the console version make a seamless transition. The cool quests, solid writing, and interesting characters are enough to make Dragon Age II worth checking out as long as you keep your expectations in check.
On all platforms, Dragon Age II caters to an audience that didn’t connect with Origins, while alienating those who did. This may result in a better console experience, but considering that Dragon Age: Origins was a love letter to old-school PC RPGs, BioWare’s neglect of the sequel’s PC release is tragic. I appreciate the technical refinements, but improving the polish doesn’t do much good when the basics still need work.
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/d...ii-pc-review-a-port-caught-in-the-middle.aspx
Despite what you may have heard, Dragon Age II on PC does not have the same tactical pause-and-play combat as its predecessor. The battle system is essentially ported straight from the console iterations. I won’t rail against Dragon Age II’s shift to fast-paced fighting just because it’s different; as I said in my review of the console versions, the combat is well suited to the new action/RPG style. Though battles are not as rewarding as the previous entry’s strategic encounters, faster and more responsive combat isn’t inherently bad. The problem is the PC version’s inability to deliver the intended action at the heart of the new mechanics.
With its third-person camera and button-mashing attacks, the combat system in Dragon Age II is designed with a controller in mind, but BioWare doesn’t offer native gamepad support, restricting you to mouse-and-keyboard controls on PC. This approach may have worked well in Origins, but it doesn’t transition well to the new system. Movement feels clumsy, and pausing to readjust the camera and select targets for your abilities just muddles the flow of combat.
Maybe this decision was made to retain a shred of the tactical combat that distinguished Origins, but if that’s the case, the attempt is meager and insufficient. You have no zoomed out isometric view, and the waves and waves of filler enemies that pad out encounters make strategy futile. Yes, you can pause and issue commands, but this maneuvering is pointless when you never know how many more bad guys will jump from the rooftops, rise from the ground, or simply materialize out of nowhere. Even with more foes, the fights are considerably easier (unless you really crank up the difficulty), so planning is a waste of time. You can win most fights without worrying about strategy, so why invest unnecessary time and effort in the tactical approach? This conundrum creates a combat system that does not convey the thrill of controlling an unstoppable hero, but also doesn’t accommodate the strategy that is supposed to serve as an alternative.
While Dragon Age II on PC fares poorly in most comparisons, it isn’t all bad. It has a leg up on the console versions in the graphical department, with noticeably better textures and support for DirectX 11. The performance is also better, including a better framerate, shorter load times, and less pop-up objects in the distance.
Apart from combat issues, the highlights from the console version make a seamless transition. The cool quests, solid writing, and interesting characters are enough to make Dragon Age II worth checking out as long as you keep your expectations in check.
On all platforms, Dragon Age II caters to an audience that didn’t connect with Origins, while alienating those who did. This may result in a better console experience, but considering that Dragon Age: Origins was a love letter to old-school PC RPGs, BioWare’s neglect of the sequel’s PC release is tragic. I appreciate the technical refinements, but improving the polish doesn’t do much good when the basics still need work.
http://www.gameinformer.com/games/d...ii-pc-review-a-port-caught-in-the-middle.aspx
fuelledbypassion
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Nice to see that the console version shows signs of improvement (I will be buying on the PS3), even if it is at the expense of the PC. I think it shows that they are in it more for the money though, targeting the consoles where games retail at a higher price and there is a larger market
Sounds like some big game breakers there :'(
Beach Stud
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Dragon Age on the Xbox or PS3 is great unless you've already played the PC version.
It's like watching, say, Harry Potter and thinking "This is great," then you read the book and realise how **** the film actually is.
It's like watching, say, Harry Potter and thinking "This is great," then you read the book and realise how **** the film actually is.
CsAtlantis
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So inventory management.............basically only main character can use equipment? Party members just get their stuff upgraded
Bianca is not a bad name for a crossbow though i suppose..........
Bianca is not a bad name for a crossbow though i suppose..........
Beach Stud
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And how many sets of equipment do they have? For example, will a Warrior character have a sword & sheild and a two handed sword?
DAO was absolutely sexy and my favorite game ever so i couldn't wait for DA2. but when it came out the review sites only gave it a 7.5 to 8 so i started getting disappointed. but i played DA2 for a few hours today and i don't see what there problem was with it. the game looks amazing and runs smoothly. the only issue I have with it is that you play most of the game in Kirkwall.
just a little side note: Bulletstorm is also an awesome game, not much of a story but a solid FPS
just a little side note: Bulletstorm is also an awesome game, not much of a story but a solid FPS
I've played about 10 hours so far, on hard difficulty. It is decent so far, but no where near as good as Origins IMO. There are a few issues that are annoying me a bit so far, mainly:
1. The camera. Let me zoom out dammit... I really hope this is fixed via either a patch or a mod. I have been looking but there is nothing yet.
2. Cooldowns. They are just too long IMO. Combat faster than Origins? Check. Less abilities than Origins? Check... Longer cooldowns? WTF oO)
3. Characters seem a bit shallow.
4. Questing is good, but it is easy to forget what was happening in each plotline when there are a lot at once.
5. Gameplay simplification - crafting simplified or gone, less abilities, trying to be tactical is usless because of the waved combat ect.
I really think Bioware have gone the wrong way about this. What they have done is completely alienate their original RPG fans and go for an entirely new market. You only have to look up DA2 on metacritic to see how many unhappy RPG fans there are... Saying that, I don't think it is a 'bad' game. I would probably give it a 7.5 or 8/10 so far.
Oh well, I hope Bioware get their house in order. ME2 and now DA2 have been pretty poor by there standards.
At least there is always other games to look forward to... Shogun 2, Portal 2 ect ect.
1. The camera. Let me zoom out dammit...
I really hope this is fixed via either a patch or a mod. I have been looking but there is nothing yet.2. Cooldowns. They are just too long IMO. Combat faster than Origins? Check. Less abilities than Origins? Check... Longer cooldowns? WTF oO)
3. Characters seem a bit shallow.
4. Questing is good, but it is easy to forget what was happening in each plotline when there are a lot at once.
5. Gameplay simplification - crafting simplified or gone, less abilities, trying to be tactical is usless because of the waved combat ect.
I really think Bioware have gone the wrong way about this. What they have done is completely alienate their original RPG fans and go for an entirely new market. You only have to look up DA2 on metacritic to see how many unhappy RPG fans there are... Saying that, I don't think it is a 'bad' game. I would probably give it a 7.5 or 8/10 so far.
Oh well, I hope Bioware get their house in order. ME2 and now DA2 have been pretty poor by there standards.
At least there is always other games to look forward to... Shogun 2, Portal 2 ect ect.
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I've played about 10 hours so far, on hard difficulty. It is decent so far, but no where near as good as Origins IMO. There are a few issues that are annoying me a bit so far, mainly:
1. The camera. Let me zoom out dammit...
2. Cooldowns. They are just too long IMO. Combat faster than Origins? Check. Less abilities than Origins? Check... Longer cooldowns? WTF oO)
3. Characters seem a bit shallow.
4. Questing is good, but it is easy to forget what was happening in each plotline when there are a lot at once.
5. Gameplay simplification - crafting simplified or gone, less abilities, trying to be tactical is usless because of the waved combat ect.
I really think Bioware have gone the wrong way about this. What they have done is completely alienate their original RPG fans and go for an entirely new market. You only have to look up DA2 on metacritic to see how many unhappy RPG fans there are... Saying that, I don't think it is a 'bad' game. I would probably give it a 7.5 or 8/10 so far.
Oh well, I hope Bioware get their house in order. ME2 and now DA2 have been pretty poor by there standards.
At least there is always other games to look forward to... Shogun 2, Portal 2 ect ect.
I agree mostly with you. I played this on PS3 and had no issues with camera. Agree with cooldowns.
Characters seem shallow cos there's nowhere near much interaction with them as there was in Origins. Balance between characters is bit off. I ended using same NPC's throughout the game.
Well questing... You get to be Fedex of Kirkwall and occasionally kill some random mobs. Not good. The Rise of Power is a joke. I would have liked to see more political manouvering.
Story is nowhere near Bioware standards. This is the area i'm most disappointed in. The story kicks in at the end and then its just over. There's no real decisions to do cos the same thing happens everytime.
My overall rating is 7. If this wouldnt be a Bioware game then 8, but I've been playing their games since BG so i have quite high expectations every time. It's far better than some games, but as a Bioware game one of their worst. Just feels like incomplete game. If they had 4-8months more time on this could be a lot better. I blame mostly EA.
Well, in the PC version of Origins you could zoom right out sort of like in BG - a tactical sort of view. So it feels weird being so close. It is harder to see what is going on and also it make casting abilities harder to aim properly.
Same... There are not many things worse than EA in the games industry.