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Dragon Age 2
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The rumors about DA2 floating around the internet are not making me terribly happy: it's going the way of Mass Effect (not necessarily a bad thing). Your playable character is named Hawke (last name), and human, with a choice between male and female. No dwarves or elves for you. PC dialogue is voiced, so it will likely end up like Mass Effect's dialogue system (which bugged me: you'd select something like "I need more information" and Shepard would actually say "Shut your mouth and tell me about the Thing before I put a bullet in you.")
I enjoyed Mass Effect, so it's not all bad, but I'm not sure it's a great direction for Dragon Age. The one advantage may be better character development.
I enjoyed Mass Effect, so it's not all bad, but I'm not sure it's a great direction for Dragon Age. The one advantage may be better character development.
G4 got a hand-on look at DA2, here's their musings.
At least Bioware has an excuse for some of the crap issues in DA:O, they must have been working on this when DA:O was being released for them to already have a working engine.
Still not liking the human only thing...
At least Bioware has an excuse for some of the crap issues in DA:O, they must have been working on this when DA:O was being released for them to already have a working engine.
Still not liking the human only thing...
Oh I really don't like the human only thing. I guess that means our characters from saved games won't transfer over.
I don't like the human/Hawke only bit either, even though my first playthrough with this sort of choice is always human anyway. But playing the City Elf and Dwarf origins were fun too.
I do recommend that everyone try their hand at writing a video-game RPG module. It shows you all the pros and cons of silent/talky protagonists and nonlinear storytelling. Stories on rails vs. sandboxes. I mean, I could write out a long post about it, but I don't see why I should bother when you can form your own opinions.
Dragon Age going the way of Mass Effect will be a good thing only if the Dragon Age writers are skilled at that sort of writing, which draws on different (but related) skills.
Dragon Age going the way of Mass Effect will be a good thing only if the Dragon Age writers are skilled at that sort of writing, which draws on different (but related) skills.
I've been meaning to do this for so long, I really can't think of a better reason than this to actually give it a try.
I do like that they're will to experiment with the DA series. But I hope they go back to the silent main character. Silent as in not having a voice. It's probably easier to script more dialoge choices without the pov character having to say them. And of course it's likely simplier to make multiple pov characters that way, rather than just being a human noble. Also... I'm going to miss being a city elf. 
It's much easier to write a more compelling narrative with fewer variables in the main character, provided your skills are oriented more toward writing linear narratives. Besides, in Dragon Age 1, it was mostly the same game forall characters once you got past the origin stories.
I have an obscure urge to ride on a Strider...
I wish we had the RP option to just be totally evil. I want to help the Old Gods destroy Thedas.
The Darkspawn Chronicles are not a sufficient replacement...
Also, for some reason, although Hawke is clearly male, we have the option to choose between Male/Female, and still be a Warrior, Mage or Rogue.
That makes no sense.
I wish we had the RP option to just be totally evil. I want to help the Old Gods destroy Thedas.
The Darkspawn Chronicles are not a sufficient replacement...
Also, for some reason, although Hawke is clearly male, we have the option to choose between Male/Female, and still be a Warrior, Mage or Rogue.
That makes no sense.
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I just saw the extended CGI trailer of DA2...
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-extended-dragon-age-2/703489?type=flv
... and while the trailer of DA1 grabbed my attention (I love that trailer), this trailer is seemed to me as the worst cliche parade in a very cheap anime scene, combined with quality CGI. I would expect a bit more from BioWare. This trailer was a disappointment to me.
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/exclusive-extended-dragon-age-2/703489?type=flv
... and while the trailer of DA1 grabbed my attention (I love that trailer), this trailer is seemed to me as the worst cliche parade in a very cheap anime scene, combined with quality CGI. I would expect a bit more from BioWare. This trailer was a disappointment to me.
I have heard that you will be able to import Dragon Age: Origins savegame data into Dragon Age 2, so that while you aren't playing as the Grey Warden, the choices and such that you made and the world you ended up with will impact the story directly.
I'm still looking forward to it. Bioware has let to yet me down, and I'm completely on board for their future offerings.
I'm still looking forward to it.
Bioware has let to yet me down, and I'm completely on board for their future offerings.
That video had horrible sound quality and was jerky, even after buffering. Blegh.
I believe this game is going to be centered a lot more on Hawke then on other characters. Kind of like in KOTOR, it was all about you.
Granted, in DA, you were still very important, but your importance arose from your status/abilities as a Grey Warden, not from you as an individual.
If there's a "#$%& Destiny" option, I'm taking it.
What kind of oxymoron is that anyway?
"Yep, it's an RP, you make your own choices to change the outcomes!"
Then they tell us there's all this destiny stuff going on apparently.
>.> -.- <.<
Also, I think that if they wanted to go so far as to trim it down to just one character, they should have just made it one character and left it at that. Not one character who can somehow become female, or a class archetype that has nothing to with how they are actually presented in canon.
Just make everyone work with Hawke, give him a unique talent set, then have all the other party members utilize the Warrior/Mage/Ranger thing.
Honestly, the only one who would really be disappointed IMO would be the men who can no longer stare at a women's buttocks all game long. Or undress her if they feel like it. >.> (We all know it happens. For both genders.)
In DA, it wasn't a problem because your nature as Grey Warden was left naturally ambiguous. But in DA2 it has been clearly shown; your name is Hawke, you carry a big sword, apparently have magical powers, and from the trailer, also a unique history.
But yeah, you can change all that, that makes sense. -.-
If they just cut out everything else besides Hawke, then they could spend a lot more time and effort on other things. Then maybe the community wouldn't need to fix BioWare's mistakes like last time...
I believe this game is going to be centered a lot more on Hawke then on other characters. Kind of like in KOTOR, it was all about you.
Granted, in DA, you were still very important, but your importance arose from your status/abilities as a Grey Warden, not from you as an individual.
If there's a "#$%& Destiny" option, I'm taking it.
What kind of oxymoron is that anyway?
"Yep, it's an RP, you make your own choices to change the outcomes!"
Then they tell us there's all this destiny stuff going on apparently.
>.> -.- <.<
Also, I think that if they wanted to go so far as to trim it down to just one character, they should have just made it one character and left it at that. Not one character who can somehow become female, or a class archetype that has nothing to with how they are actually presented in canon.
Just make everyone work with Hawke, give him a unique talent set, then have all the other party members utilize the Warrior/Mage/Ranger thing.
Honestly, the only one who would really be disappointed IMO would be the men who can no longer stare at a women's buttocks all game long. Or undress her if they feel like it. >.> (We all know it happens. For both genders.)
In DA, it wasn't a problem because your nature as Grey Warden was left naturally ambiguous. But in DA2 it has been clearly shown; your name is Hawke, you carry a big sword, apparently have magical powers, and from the trailer, also a unique history.
But yeah, you can change all that, that makes sense. -.-
If they just cut out everything else besides Hawke, then they could spend a lot more time and effort on other things. Then maybe the community wouldn't need to fix BioWare's mistakes like last time...
defcon6000
Banned
Fixed.
And if I strip my female avatar down, it's only for some gold. (JK)That trailer makes me want to play KOTOR. O.O
tbh, Hawke looks a little overpowered. He wears plate, wields a badass sword AND can cast some freaky awesome spells - looks like blood magic to me. I dunno, I like it better when the hero isn't all powerful and has to actually strategies with the skills he does have to defeat the bad guy, not just pull some abilities out of a hat. In the trailer, if Hawke could have summoned those demon hands all along, why didn't he just cut himself and cast the damn spell instead of wasting his energy duking it out? Blah! I hope the storyline isn't like that.
defcon6000
Banned
defcon6000
Banned
Not really. It's the separation of the physical (sex) from the social construct (gender). Gender can vary from society to society, but sex is universal.
My understanding is that the story is being told retrospectively -- that basically, someone in the future is telling the story of Hawke (whoever that is) and your actions in the game define how that story goes. If I'm getting it right, the fight in the trailer is toward the end of one of the character's possible evolutions. You don't have to be male, you don't have to wear plate, etc; that's just one possible permutation of it. Much like with DA, the media trailers had a big plate wearing guy ordering Sten to push darkspawn off a ledge. Didn't happen in my game, since I've played wee leather-wearing elf chicks and robe-wearing mages, and one human female noble so I could marry Alistair. D)
I trust Bioware to make sure there's flexibility. I'm pretty sure that the story of Hawke will be what you make it out to be. They've been really growing in terms of the ways they incorporate choice into their games - ME2 might be fairly linear, but the way it works in all of the various choices from both ME1 (if you import) and earlier in ME2 means it's really a little different each time it's played.
They're writing team is badass. If I was going to work for a game company (other than the one I work for) I would apply to them in a heartbeat. Of course it'd mean moving to Texas or Alberta, which I'm not super keen on. Still, it's tempting.
D)I trust Bioware to make sure there's flexibility. I'm pretty sure that the story of Hawke will be what you make it out to be. They've been really growing in terms of the ways they incorporate choice into their games - ME2 might be fairly linear, but the way it works in all of the various choices from both ME1 (if you import) and earlier in ME2 means it's really a little different each time it's played.
They're writing team is badass. If I was going to work for a game company (other than the one I work for) I would apply to them in a heartbeat. Of course it'd mean moving to Texas or Alberta, which I'm not super keen on. Still, it's tempting.
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