GWJ Conference Call Episode 231

Question about Dragon Age 2 combat:

In DA:O, I started a game on the default difficulty and found it insanely, ridiculously, stupidly hard. I don't know if I was speccing my characters wrong or not doing enough side quests to level or if I just don't have the brains for that kind of tactical combat or what, but I was dying over and over no matter what I did and not having fun.

So I started a new game and dropped the difficulty level down a peg, and now the game was stupidly, boringly easy. I murdered everything without trying, but the game was still not fun. Combat was do-able, but it still seemed to take forever. I liked the story stuff okay, but since 90% of my play time was taken up by this tedious combat stuff, I eventually wound up giving up on the game entirely.

By contrast, in the Mass Effect games, I also dropped the difficulty down because I didn't care about the combat and just wanted the story, but there, it was FUN to curb stomp dudes in every battle. It felt natural and right; my character is a badass special ops secret agent, so of COURSE I can totally own anything the enemy throws at me. There was no challenge, but I didn't care. I was still enjoying myself.

I keep hearing about how DA2 is more Mass-Effect-y than DA:O. My question is, is the combat engaging enough to still be fun (or at least bearable) if you're a wuss like me and drop down the difficulty? Or is it more like DA:O, where the easy combat is just boring?

True, but I don't think we are yet at the point where we have totally lost contact the pre-electronic media culture when traditional print was the dominant form of cultural discourse.

I also sometimes wonder if people won't become more conscious of this type of behavior in a similar way to the way we are now becoming more conscious of eating right and excercise. We try to put limits on things that may impact our bodies, but don't yet put much thought on keeping our minds healthy.

In short, in fifty years will people look back and say "Oh my god, they were on their cellphones and the internet all the time?!" in a voice that indicates horror similar to the way we may now think about sending little kids off to work in the factory or lead paint?

We certainly are, culturally, going through a learning process in terms of what's "good" internet and how much is too much. But I also understand if a student in a nutrition class questions the wisdom or necessity of an assignment to fast for 24 hours.

That would just make you sound even more like Cory.

/applause