Other Games. Playing, Getting & Tribute - All Discussion thread

[Ashpolt]

For anyone else here playing Dragon Age 2, is it just me or is the Ancient Rock Wraith (in the Deep Roads) fight a massive, massive difficulty spike? I mean, seriously. This thing must have 10 times the HP of any other enemy I've fought so far, and it does ridiculous damage with every attack, even against my tank. It's about as fun as rug burn.

[wheresmyskulgun]

Originally Posted by Ashpolt

For anyone else here playing Dragon Age 2, is it just me or is the Ancient Rock Wraith (in the Deep Roads) fight a massive, massive difficulty spike? I mean, seriously. This thing must have 10 times the HP of any other enemy I've fought so far, and it does ridiculous damage with every attack, even against my tank. It's about as fun as rug burn.

Dragon Age 2 is to Dragon Age as I am desperately hoping Deus Ex 3 won't be to Deus Ex. And yes, I realize this in no way answers your question. I went with Warrior Hawke and did ok after spamming stamina potions. Oh, and ice spells seem to do about 250% damage.

No offense if you're enjoying it- I understand many do- it just no longer has any of the things I loved about the first game. Big reasons:

1)The sense of exploration, of seeing new things, is gone. The moment when I made it to Haven and wondered what felt so weird about this beautiful mountaintop town, or first stepped into Orzammar and spent hours discovering the secret items hidden in it (Ageless, anyone? Key to the City?) just is gone.

The same goes for enemies. I killed a mature dragon at level 6 and an Arcane Horror at level 4. I killed some Revenants at level 4, too. There is no longer that sense of "oh, *crap*" which sounds bad but is actually awesome, because you've discovered a legitimately challenging and interesting enemy which- and this is the key point- will make you feel awesome when you defeat.

2) I loved collecting cool armor and weapons from lore-rich places. Finding the magic armor hidden away and protected by undead spirits by an ancient blood mage, or reforging the scattered pieces of a mysterious warrior's sword; very cool. In DA2, most items are called either 'ring' or 'belt' or something, and you can't even use 75% of loot since only your main character can change armor.

3) Maybe this is just because I only played halfway or so before losing interest, but the characters just aren't well written the way the first one's were. I blame the whole 'Hawke' thing; with all the focus on the player, the supporting cast loses importance and characterization.

4) The UI is fine, and this is a tiny detail but for some reason they dropped the baroque, gilted interface of Dragon Age for an arcadey, primary-color space-age look. I miss the richness of the original. The same actually goes for nearly every aspect.

5) Finally, there is literally no good reason why they removed the overhead camera. I actually like most of the changes they made to the combat (gasp) but why remove the feature altogether?

...sorry to be the forums designated whiner.

[K^2]

This explains a lot about why I didn't care for the demo. That and having "press this button to win" for most battles. Not bosses, granted, but all of the minor encounters I've solved by using "target nearest and attack" button.

Maybe I'll give first game a chance one of these days. Sounds like it was significantly more fun.

[Cronstintein]

Originally Posted by Ashpolt

For anyone else here playing Dragon Age 2, is it just me or is the Ancient Rock Wraith (in the Deep Roads) fight a massive, massive difficulty spike? I mean, seriously. This thing must have 10 times the HP of any other enemy I've fought so far, and it does ridiculous damage with every attack, even against my tank. It's about as fun as rug burn.

You're talking about the lightning guys right? If you're talking about the boss,

yeah that was a pain and I had to go down to normal just to make it take less than 20 minutes to eat through his ridiculous hp.

If you've got ranged it's not so bad, you can hang back and focus fire them but if you're melee heavy I could see them being pretty brutal. Also, getting some elemental protection on your tank is a good idea as from here on there's more magic than in act 1.

[wheresmyskulgun]

Originally Posted by K^2

This explains a lot about why I didn't care for the demo. That and having "press this button to win" for most battles. Not bosses, granted, but all of the minor encounters I've solved by using "target nearest and attack" button.

Maybe I'll give first game a chance one of these days. Sounds like it was significantly more fun.

It really was. There are some quirks; the graphics are so-so, the character animations a little weird, and if you don't hold down [TAB] you can miss a lot of secrets that are really, really awesome (for example, a tiny note in the corner of a library which, when clicked, gives you information which launches you on a two-hour long sidequest to kill an ancient demon which has been preying on curious travelers for centuries, but which you would never have seen if you hadn't highlighted it DX:HR style). I'm split on this: honestly I recommend playing through the first time with no guide/wiki/TAB, then playing through again with them just so you can experience the hours and hours of cool content you are guaranteed to have missed the first time. I'm not sure if I really am explaining the dilemma well; I'm glad I got to see an awesome, beautiful armor set which tied into the lore of the game's world and took a long, difficult quest to obtain, but I also know I'd never have found it if I hadn't been holding down TAB when the

gravestone

came into view.

BUT: The characters were superb, nearly all of them. Everyone in your party was a unique individual with truly good writing and often hilarious dialogue; even the merchants in your party camp had a solid back story which you gradually become more and more invested in (or didn't, if you didn't feel like talking to them).

The exploration was probably the best of any game I've ever played. Not just secret areas but entire secret worlds, which you could approach in any order and truly feel like you were discovering something. The best part was sometimes you got your ass kicked; if blowing on that horn summons the High Dragon, and you're level ten when you blow it, the game doesn't neuter the dragon, it sets you on fire and gleefully chomps on you.

And the combat was both fun and tactical; not as fast-paced as DA2, but much more into overhead cameras, setting up spell radii, positioning rogues behind enemies for the backstab, and using special effects tactically instead of just spamming the same spells over and over a la DA2.

Ok I could go on for hours, but I just talked myself into re-installing Dragon Age so I'm off to play that. Again. Night all.

[MaxxQ1]

Originally Posted by Ashpolt

For anyone else here playing Dragon Age 2, is it just me or is the Ancient Rock Wraith (in the Deep Roads) fight a massive, massive difficulty spike? I mean, seriously. This thing must have 10 times the HP of any other enemy I've fought so far, and it does ridiculous damage with every attack, even against my tank. It's about as fun as rug burn.

Yeah, that thing is a cast-iron * to kill. I finally settled for dropping the difficulty level. I don't think I would have gotten so frustrated with it if I hadn't just fought a dragon a few minutes prior. From what I understand, it seems more of a wear the er down-type battle, rather than get big hits for the kill sort. You just gotta keep getting your peeps behind the pillars when that thing does whatever it is that it does. Cold spells help a lot, and I imagine petrify probably would as well. Unfortunately, none of my mages had either, and I wasn't about to backtrack a few saves to give them to the mage(s).

I had another battle earlier today that was starting to piss me off as well. It's in the Forbidden Knowledge quest, and I'll try not to give out any spoilers, but let's just say that several revenants, rage demons, abominations, shades, and a desire demon, all at once, are a pain. And that's just the *first* wave. On top of that, once you get through all that, the loot sucks (unless you're about level 12-14 - I was at 17), and I had to wonder if the 2 free attribute points I got were worth it.

Still, despite that and also the other things mentioned by wheresmyskulgun (I agree with everything he said), I'm still enjoying it, although that enjoyment is somewhat diminished.

I still can't help wondering if it should have been left in the oven a few more months to a year. I haven't found or experienced any serious bugs (just one secondary/side quest that won't clear - no big deal), but I guess some folks have had troubles, and a couple friends from work said they found an infinite XP exploit - they got to level 50, the cap, before starting Act II. They're playing on the 360, but supposedly, it works on PC as well. I haven't tried it yet, and don't plan to until I do another playthrough. Even then, it'll just be for giggles (being maxxed out level-wise doesn't help with ty first act equipment).

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

It really was. There are some quirks; the graphics are so-so, the character animations a little weird, and if you don't hold down [TAB] you can miss a lot of secrets that are really, really awesome (for example, a tiny note in the corner of a library which, when clicked, gives you information which launches you on a two-hour long sidequest to kill an ancient demon which has been preying on curious travelers for centuries, but which you would never have seen if you hadn't highlighted it DX:HR style). I'm split on this: honestly I recommend playing through the first time with no guide/wiki/TAB, then playing through again with them just so you can experience the hours and hours of cool content you are guaranteed to have missed the first time.

BUT: The characters were superb, nearly all of them. Everyone in your party was a unique individual with truly good writing and often hilarious dialogue; even the merchants in your party camp had a solid back story which you gradually become more and more invested in (or didn't, if you didn't feel like talking to them).

The exploration was probably the best of any game I've ever played. Not just secret areas but entire secret worlds, which you could approach in any order and truly feel like you were discovering something. The best part was sometimes you got your ass kicked; if blowing on that horn summons the High Dragon, and you're level ten when you blow it, the game doesn't neuter the dragon, it sets you on fire and gleefully chomps on you.

And the combat was both fun and tactical; not as fast-paced as DA2, but much more into overhead cameras, setting up spell radii, positioning rogues behind enemies for the backstab, and using special effects tactically instead of just spamming the same spells over and over a la DA2.

Ok I could go on for hours, but I just talked myself into re-installing Dragon Age so I'm off to play that. Again. Night all.

^^^What he said. Especially the hilarious dialogue stuff. Especially, especially when you play as any two of your party when they try to rescue your main character from somewhere. And *REALLY* especially when you have Sten and Leliana in your party at the same time.

[wheresmyskulgun]

Originally Posted by MaxxQ1

I still can't help wondering if it should have been left in the oven a few more months to a year. I haven't found or experienced any serious bugs (just one secondary/side quest that won't clear - no big deal), but I guess some folks have had troubles, and a couple friends from work said they found an infinite XP exploit - they got to level 50, the cap, before starting Act II. They're playing on the 360, but supposedly, it works on PC as well. I haven't tried it yet, and don't plan to until I do another playthrough. Even then, it'll just be for giggles (being maxxed out level-wise doesn't help with ty first act equipment).

Yeah, it does feel rushed, especially the endless reuse of the same maps/dungeons over and over again for different quests. You also raise a really good point with the equipment; part of the joy for me in the original was sneaking into

Andraste's Temple

at the beginning to snatch the helmet for a particular armor set I was too low-leveled to actually fight my way to, then stealing the boots from the Chantry in Lothering, and finally assembling the rest of it in the Brecilian Forest. I used that armor for a good chunk of the game, even after I found some with slightly betters stats, because it looked cool and I'd worked for it. Getting some random loot for a random dead character doesn't even compare, especially when you can't even equip it because Hawke is the wrong class and nobody else can change equipment.

And *REALLY* especially when you have Sten and Leliana in your party at the same time.

Their dialogue is great, but I'd argue that Morrigan/Alistair and Wynne/Oghren take the cake. If you got the Stone Prisoner DLC, Shale's dialogue is pretty great too.

[K^2]

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

And the combat was both fun and tactical; not as fast-paced as DA2, but much more into overhead cameras, setting up spell radii, positioning rogues behind enemies for the backstab, and using special effects tactically instead of just spamming the same spells over and over a la DA2.

This is the part that sold me. I'm going to try the first DA.

[Ashpolt]

Well, got past that fight - and when I finally did it, it took me around 40 minutes. In a game where fights normally take no longer than 2 minutes. I'm all for a challenge, but this was a massive leap in difficulty from the rest of the game up to that point. Really bad design.

Proud to say i didn't turn the difficulty down though. I'm playing on hard, incidentally.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

No offense if you're enjoying it- I understand many do- it just no longer has any of the things I loved about the first game. Big reasons:

I'm frustrated by it. There are, IMO, a lot of improvements in Dragon Age 2:

1) The combat, aside from lack of overhead camera (which makes positioning some AoE spells really awkward) is a big improvement IMO - especially for rogues. In the first game, rogues bored me senseless. After playing the demo for DA2 with all three classes, I'm actually using a rogue Hawke. Warriors are still a bit dull though IMO - may be the source of some of your woes with the game?

2) The spell / talent trees are a massive improvement over the linear "blocks" of the original, and I really like being able to upgrade individual spells / talents.

3) The graphics, despite what 4chan may tell you, are noticeably better. (Note: I'm playing on PC, with the high res texture pack)

4) Unlike you, I actually think the characterisation is at least as good as DA1, and tbh I like Merrill more than any of the original game's companions.

5) While the story isn't as good as DA1's (at least so far) it is told better: the conversations are a lot more dynamic (in the sense that characters move around more when talking, etc) and the framing device of Varric telling the story works really well. The time jumps also let your actions have longer term repurcussions.

...But, for every improvement, there's a handful of backwards steps. To name a few (some points the same as yours):

1) The UI is much worse, not in a functional sense so much, but definitely in a style sense. I can't understand their thinking here at all: rather than simply using the UI they had, they went to the effort of creating a new one which is actually worse. Really dull.

2) Too much repetition of location. Setting the whole game in one city may work for narrative purposes, but does every slumb house, dungeon, cave etc have to look the same as all the others?

3) Really lazy item naming. "Ring." "Belt." "Heavy shield." But confusingly, some of the items do have special names....but it doesn't necessarily correspond to particularly special stats.

4) Lack of overhead camera. Argh.

5) Waves of enemies, frequently spawning out of thin air, which means you can't adequately plan for battles: there may be 8 enemies here now, but who knows how many you'll actually have to fight before the battle's over? 16? 24? More?

6) Far less interactive objects / people to talk to. As a general rule, if it's not part of a mission, you can't interact with it / speak to it.

7) Getting stunlocked by enemies. Doesn't happen in every fight, but when it does, it's really annoying.

....And a bunch more, but it's nearly 6am here, and I should go to bed.

Overall, I'm still having fun, but Dragon Age 2 represents exactly what I fear I'll find with DXHR: overall I'm having a good time, but there are constant annoyances that make what should (and could) have been a brilliant game into merely a good one. Like eating the most tasty ice cream you've ever eaten, but there's a shard of glass in every mouthful.

[wheresmyskulgun]

Originally Posted by Ashpolt

I'm frustrated by it. There are, IMO, a lot of improvements in Dragon Age 2:

1) The combat, aside from lack of overhead camera (which makes positioning some AoE spells really awkward) is a big improvement IMO - especially for rogues. In the first game, rogues bored me senseless. After playing the demo for DA2 with all three classes, I'm actually using a rogue Hawke. Warriors are still a bit dull though IMO - may be the source of some of your woes with the game?

2) The spell / talent trees are a massive improvement over the linear "blocks" of the original, and I really like being able to upgrade individual spells / talents.

3) The graphics, despite what 4chan may tell you, are noticeably better. (Note: I'm playing on PC, with the high res texture pack)

4) Unlike you, I actually think the characterisation is at least as good as DA1, and tbh I like Merrill more than any of the original game's companions.

5) While the story isn't as good as DA1's (at least so far) it is told better: the conversations are a lot more dynamic (in the sense that characters move around more when talking, etc) and the framing device of Varric telling the story works really well. The time jumps also let your actions have longer term repurcussions.

...But, for every improvement, there's a handful of backwards steps. To name a few (some points the same as yours):

1) The UI is much worse, not in a functional sense so much, but definitely in a style sense. I can't understand their thinking here at all: rather than simply using the UI they had, they went to the effort of creating a new one which is actually worse. Really dull.

2) Too much repetition of location. Setting the whole game in one city may work for narrative purposes, but does every slumb house, dungeon, cave etc have to look the same as all the others?

3) Really lazy item naming. "Ring." "Belt." "Heavy shield." But confusingly, some of the items do have special names....but it doesn't necessarily correspond to particularly special stats.

4) Lack of overhead camera. Argh.

5) Waves of enemies, frequently spawning out of thin air, which means you can't adequately plan for battles: there may be 8 enemies here now, but who knows how many you'll actually have to fight before the battle's over? 16? 24? More?

6) Far less interactive objects / people to talk to. As a general rule, if it's not part of a mission, you can't interact with it / speak to it.

7) Getting stunlocked by enemies. Doesn't happen in every fight, but when it does, it's really annoying.

....And a bunch more, but it's nearly 6am here, and I should go to bed.

Overall, I'm still having fun, but Dragon Age 2 represents exactly what I fear I'll find with DXHR: overall I'm having a good time, but there are constant annoyances that make what should (and could) have been a brilliant game into merely a good one. Like eating the most tasty ice cream you've ever eaten, but there's a shard of glass in every mouthful.

I just played through the Dwarf Noble origin story (remember those? ). Ahhhhh.

1) I agree and disagree. Rogues are a lot more action-ey, which is fun, and they definitely crank up the cool factor. On the other hand, the actual strategy seems to have taken a backseat; you no longer need to manage threat so that they can sneak up for that backstabbing attack. Also connected to Rogues is the whole interactivity issue; you can no longer steal, learn skills to lockpick, etc. There aren't even conversation challenges, as far as I can tell. The reason we disagree a little bit is probably because my first play through I played Leliana as an archer, not Zevran as a dual-wielder, so it was a very different Rogue experience. My second play through my Dwarf was a rogue, and he dual wielded with high strength and heavy armor (I know it's not efficient, but it was cool). So very much an idiosyncratic experience.

2) I can't make my mind up on the Talent tree. There are slightly fewer, and you're much more limited in which characters can learn which moves. I do agree, however, that the general set-up is much improved.

3) The graphics are way better, except for the environments, which are what I loved so much in the first game. Oh, and the enemy design. In general I would say the technical details are much improved, but the assets, models, and art design are a huge step back.

4) This is probably just a matter of personal preference. I never laughed out loud at the companion dialogue the way I did with Morrigan and Alistair, for example, but I also might just be using the wrong characters.

5) This is probably the area where I agree with you the most. The technique and conversations are much better, particularly in terms of the overarching plot; however, I'd still maintain your one-on-one conversations with NPCs and party members is much less engaging because of structural issues. Case in point; all those 'sidequests' where you find something random in the world, like a book of elvish history, and then you randomly meet someone who pays you for it and says 'thanks.' In the first one, that wouldn't ever have happened.

In terms of things you didn't like, I basically just agree with all of them without comment, though (5) deserves special highlighting (oh god, I can't even say that word anymore). The enemies which randomly appear out of thin air basically remove any incentive to be tactical at all. Why arrange your party formation if a whole bunch of ninjas are going to appear in the center of the battle anyways?

I think we basically agree overall, I just probably am letting my disappointment cloud my objectivity a bit more than you are. I definitely admire your ability to enjoy the good parts of the new game without letting the bad parts hold you back too much.

Last thing I want to mention before I dive back in; I'm STILL discovering new secrets/items/bosses/quests, and I've played through four times now. Minor spoilers ahead for those who haven't played it yet:

I literally just discovered the best bow in the game on my last playthrough. It requires that you basically be a dick go out of your way to ensure an innocent girl dies for no particular reason- and, in the process, pass up the substantial reward offered for her safety. Her father kills himself, another merchant takes over his business, and he sells the bow. But how many people found that?

Other awesome rewards for quests: The Key to the City, Ageless, Yusaris, The Keening Blade & The Fade Wall (those two were impossible to get, but so worth it), Topsider's Honor, Juggernaut's Armor, Effort's Armor, The Imperium Defender, and probably dozens more I never even saw. Which, paradoxically, doesn't frustrate but rather excites.

[Wilks]

Just finished Dragon Age 2. I have to say, the story is miles better than the first. I'm actually sort of impressed with Bioware. Very political, factions acting against each other behind the scenes, fringe elements rousing the rabble, propagandists, culture clash. None of the demon horde threatens the world generic garbage of the first. Some of the intrigue is a little lost, I think, due to the nature of how a Bioware game is played. Approached from the direction of something more like TES, you might have a better vantage through which to explore some of different factions.

Have to agree with Ashpolt, that Rock Wraith was ridiculous. Two of my companions where killed in a single swipe. Had to lower the difficulty, I was completely unequiped to deal with anything like that. This is the one thing I dislike about Bioware's style. Everything inevitably boils down to combat, and so I'm forced to always run around with a tank and a spellcaster and a rogue and whatever. I really didn't care for any of the warriors I had at my disposal. I wanted to run around with my rogues and wizards. This setup was usually okay until you happened upon something like the rock wraith.

I'm a little disappointed with how frequent

dragon battles are.

Sort of a big deal in the first game. Too commonplace in the sequel to really feel important.

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

I'm waiting for 10AM local time to come so I can pick up Crysis 2.

While the MP seems somewhat interesting to me, I'm more interested in the SP campaign. The imagery reminds me of Cloverfield, which I love. A friend of mine got Crysis 2 early (mom and pop store) and he told me he took his time exploring and getting collectibles and he beat the SP campaign in approx. 14 hours. Most mags and websites have said an average playthrough is approx. 10-12 hours, so I'm confident that the length will be fine for me.

ATM, I'm playing one of my favorite games of this generation: The Darkness.

[BigBoss]

Originally Posted by Deus_Ex_Machina

I'm waiting for 10AM local time to come so I can pick up Crysis 2.

While the MP seems somewhat interesting to me, I'm more interested in the SP campaign. The imagery reminds me of Cloverfield, which I love. A friend of mine got Crysis 2 early (mom and pop store) and he told me he took his time exploring and getting collectibles and he beat the SP campaign in approx. 14 hours. Most mags and websites have said an average playthrough is approx. 10-12 hours, so I'm confident that the length will be fine for me.

ATM, I'm playing one of my favorite games of this generation: The Darkness.

I can't get my copy till tomorrow That nano suit is a real game changer compared to how recycled cod is or just the general physical limitations of your character in multiplayer games. Even halo only lets you pick one extra ability, crysis gives you ALL OF THEM AT ONCE!!!!!!!

[MaxxQ1]

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

I just played through the Dwarf Noble origin story (remember those? ). Ahhhhh.

After I finish my current playthrough, I'm starting a new game of DA:O, Awakenings, and *all* the DLC - I just bought the Ultimate version (had some $5 off coupons for Best Buy from my BB Rewards card), and will be installing my old DA:O on the comp I'm building for my kids.

Reason being is because I didn't have any of my old saves to import into DA2, and I wanted to try the game with a real save, rather than one of the generic backhistories that are provided.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

1) I agree and disagree. Rogues are a lot more action-ey, which is fun, and they definitely crank up the cool factor. On the other hand, the actual strategy seems to have taken a backseat; you no longer need to manage threat so that they can sneak up for that backstabbing attack. Also connected to Rogues is the whole interactivity issue; you can no longer steal, learn skills to lockpick, etc. There aren't even conversation challenges, as far as I can tell. The reason we disagree a little bit is probably because my first play through I played Leliana as an archer, not Zevran as a dual-wielder, so it was a very different Rogue experience. My second play through my Dwarf was a rogue, and he dual wielded with high strength and heavy armor (I know it's not efficient, but it was cool). So very much an idiosyncratic experience.

I'm also disappointed that backstabbing is a simple button-push, rather than something you need to do manually. I tend to play Leli as a backup to my rogue, giving her a mix of dual and archery. I almost always play as a rogue, because something about the warriors classes (2-hand or sword and board), just doesn't feel right to me. I usually buff the lockpicking/disarm traps on myself, and have Leli do the pocket-picking.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

2) I can't make my mind up on the Talent tree. There are slightly fewer, and you're much more limited in which characters can learn which moves. I do agree, however, that the general set-up is much improved.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

3) The graphics are way better, except for the environments, which are what I loved so much in the first game. Oh, and the enemy design. In general I would say the technical details are much improved, but the assets, models, and art design are a huge step back.

Also agreed. I expected more from a game that's supposed to be DX11 capable, and was pretty disappointed when I saw there wasn't much difference from DX9. For now, I'll just chalk it up to them not wanting to do too much with it, since probably not many people have DX11-capable videocards.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

4) This is probably just a matter of personal preference. I never laughed out loud at the companion dialogue the way I did with Morrigan and Alistair, for example, but I also might just be using the wrong characters.

I've had a few LOL moments in DA2. Nowhere near as many as in DA:O, but still there are a couple, usually when Merril shows just how naive she really is, although Varric has the occasional good line as well.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

5) This is probably the area where I agree with you the most. The technique and conversations are much better, particularly in terms of the overarching plot; however, I'd still maintain your one-on-one conversations with NPCs and party members is much less engaging because of structural issues. Case in point; all those 'sidequests' where you find something random in the world, like a book of elvish history, and then you randomly meet someone who pays you for it and says 'thanks.' In the first one, that wouldn't ever have happened.

Agreed.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

In terms of things you didn't like, I basically just agree with all of them without comment, though (5) deserves special highlighting (oh god, I can't even say that word anymore). The enemies which randomly appear out of thin air basically remove any incentive to be tactical at all. Why arrange your party formation if a whole bunch of ninjas are going to appear in the center of the battle anyways?

Yeah, that can get annoying, but at this point, I'm used to it.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

I think we basically agree overall, I just probably am letting my disappointment cloud my objectivity a bit more than you are. I definitely admire your ability to enjoy the good parts of the new game without letting the bad parts hold you back too much.

I don't know about him, but I'm usually pretty easygoing with regards to games. Things people would ragequit over, I would probably just be mildly annoyed, and continue playing. There *are* exceptions, though. I didn't ragequit Far Cry 2, but I only played a few hours before uninstalling it.

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

Last thing I want to mention before I dive back in; I'm STILL discovering new secrets/items/bosses/quests, and I've played through four times now. Minor spoilers ahead for those who haven't played it yet:

I literally just discovered the best bow in the game on my last playthrough. It requires that you basically be a dick go out of your way to ensure an innocent girl dies for no particular reason- and, in the process, pass up the substantial reward offered for her safety. Her father kills himself, another merchant takes over his business, and he sells the bow. But how many people found that?

I found it accidentally my first playthrough because I forgot to rescue the daughter - ooops!

BTW, there's a mod at Dragon Age Nexus that allows you to get that bow without anyone dying. Also, there's a bit of debate as to whether that one is the best, or if it's the one you pick up in the dragon hoard inside the ruins in the Brecilian Forest after you fight that smallish dragon. Using the mod, I generally get both and use one for my rogue and give the other to Leli (I almost *never* use Zevran, except to just do his quest).

Originally Posted by wheresmyskulgun

Other awesome rewards for quests: The Key to the City, Ageless, Yusaris, The Keening Blade & The Fade Wall (those two were impossible to get, but so worth it), Topsider's Honor, Juggernaut's Armor, Effort's Armor, The Imperium Defender, and probably dozens more I never even saw. Which, paradoxically, doesn't frustrate but rather excites.

Yeah, those are all good, but for some odd reason, I never put my tanks in any of the massive armors available, like Juggernaut Plate, or the Blood Dragon stuff. At worst, I put Sten in heavy, but, like Zevran, I rarely use him, except for specific quests. I also almost never take Wynne along anywhere, or Shale.

I really ought to mix up my party more, but me, Al, Morri, and Leli (and Dog, with the Extra Dog slot mod), is my usual party, and I like the way they all "get along".

[Reven]

The ancient rock Wraith was one of the only two boss battles i turned the difficulty to casual for. the other was the battle against the Arishok as a lone rogue with the slow motion bug forcing me into a 20 minute battle were a few mistakes will get you killed in a matter of seconds.

Ps. if anyone else has the isabella thumbs up bug you need to fix it with the save editor.

[Badmaker]

Stop talking about that stupid game. Better install shogun 2 to see the real deal.

[sonicsidewinder]

Originally Posted by Badmaker

Stop talking about that stupid game. Better install shogun 2 to see the real deal.

Tell it how it is Badmaker!

Yesterday i became shogun as the Chosokabe clan. I thought that might be it...but no, the fuse had only been lit. 2 or 3 turns later, BOOM. Country wide conflict, alliances virtually making two opposing sides. It's gonna be a long war...

[MaxxQ1]

Originally Posted by Badmaker

Stop talking about that stupid game. Better install shogun 2 to see the real deal.

No, U!

Being more tactful now, I say that I play the DA games for a fun, actiony experience. Shogun 2 is more of a sim, which is srs bizness. The two are miles apart, and this thread is for "other games" (emphasis on the plural), not Shogun 2.

[Pretentious Old Man.]

Originally Posted by MaxxQ1

No, U!

Being more tactful now, I say that I play the DA games for a fun, actiony experience. Shogun 2 is more of a sim, which is srs bizness. The two are miles apart, and this thread is for "other games" (emphasis on the plural), not Shogun 2.

Also, Total War games are sims in the same sense that Big Rigs is a sim. In other words, it really isn't.

[Reven]

Speaking of Shogun i have at last got a few more turns into my Hojo campaign but iam at an impasse. the tokugawa are now to the west blocking my path to kyoto while the takada are to the north and some others are to my east. each of them as a mighty army in there capital leaving me trapped on the southern honshu shores with no clear option other then to sail an army west around the tokugawa and capture a town before attrition sets in.

[MaxxQ1]

Originally Posted by Pretentious Old Man.

Also, Total War games are sims in the same sense that Big Rigs is a sim. In other words, it really isn't.

I said *more* of a sim. Probably not a good choice of words, but it's closer to that than DA is. The basic point(s) still stand(s): DA and Shogun 2 are different genres, and this thread is for discussion of multiple games.

I was just trying to tell badmaker to off, and that we can discuss DA/DA2 if we wanted, but in a nice(r) way.

[Ashpolt]

One more complaint to make about DA2: it completely lacks atmosphere. Whereas the first game felt like it was really set in an ancient fantasy land, Dragon Age 2 feels like a modern day re-enactment of an ancient fantasy land.

As for Shogun 2: I've got to the faction split on my campaign, but due to screwing up a fair amount earlier (3 years of famine!) I'm pretty much totally unprepared to deal with it. I'm thinking I'll probably start a new campaign. Damn awesome game though.

[AxiomaticBadger]

Originally Posted by Badmaker

Stop talking about that stupid game.

Shogun contains neither Magicians nor Busty Pirate Wenches.
Therefor: No.

@ Reven: Sooo, in DA2 Merrill dislikes you, and in Shogun you're getting mobbed by enemy clans. I sense a pattern emerging... Is your computer angry at you for some reason?
Alternatively, you may have inadvertently angered some Techno-Gypsies.

I find that I use just as many tactics in DA2 as in DAO, if not more: in the 2nd and 3rd act it's really easy to get swamped if you don't keep control of the battlefield, and for bosses you really need to time your attacks right so that the cooldown on your cross-class-combo powers sync up.

With your companions, I feel they've taken two steps forward and one step back.
The characters are stronger than thier predecessors, and thier personal storylines are just as important as yours, with a decent bevey of quests to back it up (finally they realise that companion quests are more interesting than general quests). Interparty banter has expanded to occasionally include all three active companions, and they seem to react to more inputs (Aveline noticed I had sold her starter shield! What other game does that?).
However, the fact that you can't just sit down and chat with them robs them of fine definition and detail.

[mentalkase]

Anyone here think 'anno 1404/Dawn of Discovery' (not sure what it's called in your respective countries) is worth a go?

A friend wants me to play it online so I thought I might get it. I'm not a fan of RTS's online at all really, but I tried the demo and the single player game seems like it could make it worth a purchase anyway.

[Deus_Ex_Machina]

Holy *** ! Say what you want about Crysis 2, but don't criticize the A.I.

I just picked up Crysis 2 on XB360 and played through the very beginning of the game. Visually, it is one of the best looking games on console, although I've seen better textures. The sound quality is amazing.

Anyway, I just got past the tutorial and had my first taste of the free-roaming, solve a problem how you want to gameplay, and the A.I. has shocked me.

I saw four enemies patrolling around a makeshift FB (firebase) and I wanted to take the stealth approach and take them down one by one. I noticed during the early parts of the tutorial that noises get the enemy's attention, and I spotted an empty enemy vehicle. I quickly formulated a plan that I would distract the enemy sentries by making noise with the car then I would sneak around and take them out one by one. Simple? Absolutely not.

I stealthed up to the vehicle, got in and revved the engine. This IMMEDIATELY got their attention. I bailed out just as shots were being fired in my direction, re-activated stealth mode (cloak) and began to slowly position myself behind the advancing enemy. As soon as the first sentry got to the vehicle, he checked the driver's side and actually said, "He's gone! Fan out and look for him. Stay frosty!". After this was said, the rest of the enemy sentries raised their weapons to an ADS (aiming down sights) firing position and began to slowly spread out and advance in different directions. This immediately piqued my interest so I hid behind a crate and just observed. They were careful to cover all four corners of a compass, covering every possible fire sector as they actually looked behind crates, bushes and other forms of cover and concealment. I became so distracted by what they were doing that I didn't notice my power supply for my stealth mode had nearly run out. So I quickly positioned myself so that I wouldn't be exposed when my power was drained. As soon as my power drained, I was brought out of stealth mode, only to find an enemy sentry had found me and immediately began opening fire as he yelled out "He's over here!". I quickly melee attacked the sentry and sprinted forward. I saw an overturned table and crouched behind it for cover. I immediately noticed two sentries providing cover fire as the third was attempting to flank me. I took out the third sentry and crouched behind the table again as my health was nearly depleted. As I waited for my health to recharge, I was cautiously glancing left and right, trying to figure out where the other two sentries were. As soon as my health was recharged halfway, I stood up and unloaded half a magazine into a nearby sentry. The next thing I knew, I was hearing gunfire and getting damage alerts and then I was dead. The last sentry had somehow flanked me from behind.

I haven't seen A.I. like Crysis 2 since the original F.E.A.R. I am EXTREMELY impressed with what I saw and can't wait to see how challenging this game can get.