Dragon Age 2 - Catch All

I thought it was awesome. The features on the teaser page make it sound like they're building on some of the management mechanics that they introduced in the Awakenings expansion.

If the sequel makes it out for February I'll eat my hat.

Hmmm...

So much for continuing the whimsical adventures of Hogren the Clumsy Dwarven Protagonist, then.

Scratched wrote:

http://kotaku.com/5582435/dragon-age...

Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age. Known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, the legend around Hawke's rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor. Featuring an all-new story spanning 10 years, players will help tell that tale by making tough moral choices, gathering the deadliest of allies, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history. The way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.

Like Mass Effect, you play a set human character, but you can choose your gender.

Interest waning even faster.

Nightmare wrote:
Scratched wrote:

Like Mass Effect, you play a set human character, but you can choose your gender.

Not as psyched about this :(

Tboon prefers to play a hermaphrodite.

Nightmare wrote:
Scratched wrote:

http://kotaku.com/5582435/dragon-age...

Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age. Known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, the legend around Hawke's rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor. Featuring an all-new story spanning 10 years, players will help tell that tale by making tough moral choices, gathering the deadliest of allies, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history. The way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.

Like Mass Effect, you play a set human character, but you can choose your gender.

Not as psyched about this :(

Agreed. The whole origin aspect of DA was great, now you are limited to a human character? That's disappointing. Not enough to put me off totally, but it's giving me pause.

*edit*

Although, to be less of a downer at least this means your character can be voice acted.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

:( Agreed. The whole origin aspect of DA was great, now you are limited to a human character? That's disappointing. Not enough to put me off totally, but it's giving me pause.

Wasn't the whole point of DA to go back to Bioware's D&D roots like in BG with a more open RPG experience for the player character? Seems kind of odd that they're essentially making the PC so set in stone.

Here's my dream for Dragon Age II... that it would be animated to look like one of the concept art pictures... cell-shaded, but dark.

IMAGE(http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/9/2010/07/500x_da2concept1.jpg)

I know the graphics will be updated/changed a bit, but it sure would be sweet if they went out on a limb and did something completely different.

Certis wrote:

If the sequel makes it out for February I'll eat my hat.

Considering your accuracy with the last Dragon Age prediction you made, you may want to decide how you want your hat grilled and with what seasonings and/or sauces you want on it.

Nightmare wrote:
Scratched wrote:

http://kotaku.com/5582435/dragon-age...

Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age. Known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, the legend around Hawke's rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor. Featuring an all-new story spanning 10 years, players will help tell that tale by making tough moral choices, gathering the deadliest of allies, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history. The way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.

Like Mass Effect, you play a set human character, but you can choose your gender.

Not as psyched about this :(

Me either but I expect this of the new Bioware. "Remember the 100+ hours of character building you did in the first game? Well f*ck 'em! We have something lamer--more Fableish--in mind."

Captain_Arrrg wrote:
Nightmare wrote:
Scratched wrote:

http://kotaku.com/5582435/dragon-age...

Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age. Known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, the legend around Hawke's rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor. Featuring an all-new story spanning 10 years, players will help tell that tale by making tough moral choices, gathering the deadliest of allies, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history. The way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.

Like Mass Effect, you play a set human character, but you can choose your gender.

Not as psyched about this :(

Me either but I expect this of the new Bioware. "Remember the 100+ hours of character building you did in the first game? Well f*ck 'em! We have something lamer--more Fableish--in mind."

I wasn't thinking Fable, more like Mass Effect. Which is a fine game, don't get me wrong. But DA2 looks like it may well be Medieval Mass Effect, which is less interesting to me than a real sequel to DA:O. I now also assume that the inventory and skill management will be "simplified" as well.

Yeah, I don't mind that it's a new character, but I reeeaaallyyyy don't want Mass Effect: Fantasy or The Witcher: Bioware Edition. I already have Mass Effect and The Witcher, those are nice but I want my Dragon Age to be Dragon Age.

*deep breath*

Okay, I'm not going to get too worried yet, it's too soon for outrage. But I'm definitely pensive.

I suddenly know what the Diablo fanboys felt like with the rainbows in Diablo 3.

I'm willing to give them a shot with the "fixed character." It was nice being able to pick different origins in the first game but after you left that starting area it wasn't of much consequence. I played a city elf, one of the most hated races in Ferelden. Nobody really seemed to notice. There was also all that other great content that I didn't see simply because of my choice of race, origin and gender. If there was only one origin - the one I chose - would my experience have been better since they could have put all that additional work into my game? Probably. That isn't to say there's nothing to be lost from second, third, fourth playthroughs.

I do hope that they don't force us to become wardens again. I found that aspect of the first game to be extremely depressing. Even though the game experience would have been identical if my character died 3 years after the game, 30, or 300, I didn't enjoy the death sentence. They also managed to undermine its significance with:

Spoiler:

Oghren, who treated the joining as little more than another night out drinking, with about the same degree of consequence. I almost felt insulted. People could and did die during the joining. Those who survived were condemned to a short life of struggle and pain. He burps.

I don't think you're a warden this time around. I think perhaps it's going to be an option you can choose, but I don't think we'll be pigeon-holed into it.

My hope here is that, with only 1 male/female human character, you have a ton of different endings and options so that every playthrough is as different as the first game's playthrough. My friends and I had a 500+ post thread on gmail comparing and contrasting our different playthroughs. It was wonderful.

Declare us human? Fine. Decide our name? Also fine. Restrict us down to a level of freedom present in Mass Effect? Deal breaker.

We'll see. I think I'm over my knee-jerk reactionary... ness. I'm good. Besides, it's Bioware. When have they steered us wrong (*cough*jadeempire*cough*)?

I'm confident they have a firm grasp of the freedom we require, the magic that sets DA apart from other modern RPGs. We'll see =)

oilypenguin wrote:

I don't think you're a warden this time around. I think perhaps it's going to be an option you can choose, but I don't think we'll be pigeon-holed into it.

My hope here is that, with only 1 male/female human character, you have a ton of different endings and options so that every playthrough is as different as the first game's playthrough. My friends and I had a 500+ post thread on gmail comparing and contrasting our different playthroughs. It was wonderful.

Declare us human? Fine. Decide our name? Also fine. Restrict us down to a level of freedom present in Mass Effect? Deal breaker.

We'll see. I think I'm over my knee-jerk reactionary... ness. I'm good. Besides, it's Bioware. When have they steered us wrong (*cough*jadeempire*cough*)?

I'm confident they have a firm grasp of the freedom we require, the magic that sets DA apart from other modern RPGs. We'll see =)

And here's the perfect example of a one-character RPG:
IMAGE(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/06/Planescape-torment-box.jpg/256px-Planescape-torment-box.jpg)

I'm perfectly willing to cut Bioware slack until they fall on their faces; they've earned it with near consistent success.

If that's true and you can't choose from as many origins as were present in Dragon Age, then I'm willing to wait for a price drop. A sequel in February of 2011 feels too soon anyway. I mean, it took them what, five years to complete Dragon Age: Origins? Now they've rushed a sequel out in less than two? Screw that.

I'll play it, but not for $60. They have to really wow me if they think I'm going to drop that sort of cash.

Hmm...probably a tad too early to work up an indignant PC gamer rage but....

....NOT liking what I'm hearing thus far, I have to say.

Scratched wrote:

I'm wondering what story arc they want to tell over the series. Putting 'Dragon' in the name of the game makes me think they're the real thing to be concerned about, and the darkspawn in DA:O will turn into another (unwelcome) faction in the world.

Given that...

Spoiler:

They completely undermind the uniqueness of the darkspawn in the expansion pack by pretty much turning them into generic fantasy Orcs

...unwelcome is certainly the word I would use.

* Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.

So basically, a console game.

(ok...still judging too early, note to self : wait for official press release and info THEN go sulk :P)

stevenmack wrote:

Given that...

Spoiler:

They completely undermind the uniqueness of the darkspawn in the expansion pack by pretty much turning them into generic fantasy Orcs

...unwelcome is certainly the word I would use.

My reaction was the opposite to that. I thought that Awakening made the darkspawn less generic.

Rat Boy wrote:
Scratched wrote:

http://kotaku.com/5582435/dragon-age...

Dragon Age 2 thrusts players into the role of Hawke, a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age. Known to be a survivor of the Blight and the Champion of Kirkwall, the legend around Hawke's rise to power is shrouded in myth and rumor. Featuring an all-new story spanning 10 years, players will help tell that tale by making tough moral choices, gathering the deadliest of allies, amassing fame and fortune, and sealing their place in history. The way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.

Like Mass Effect, you play a set human character, but you can choose your gender.

Interest waning even faster.

So, my Dwarf warrior that I loved in DA:O was just a throw away character? And DA2-DAx will be this new guy?

Bah.

Bioware has never made a game I didn't like.

Vector wrote:

Bioware has never made a game I didn't like.

Although I am kind of disappointed I don't get to continue my Warden's story in DA2, I'll have to agree with your statement and hope for the best.

Oh yea, and while I'm at it....

Now, forced to fight for survival in an ever-changing world, you must gather the deadliest of allies, amass fame and fortune, and seal your place in history.

Again.

Really?

Shock twist : I'm betting there's a siege involved somewhere as well.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

My reaction was the opposite to that. I thought that Awakening made the darkspawn less generic.

To me , the only thing that differentiated them from Orcs in the first place was that they were this vast, unstoppable hive-minded horde that devoured (in one way or another) everything in it's past. Now that they are independent, chatty and forming their own little groups (even going off adventurin' in one particular case)...

Orcs. Just less green.

In my opinion anyway.

To clarify, when I said "and the darkspawn in DA:O will turn into another (unwelcome) faction in the world" I meant from the perspective of other races as:

"WTF we've fought you when you were blights slaughtering us, now you're talking and smart you expect us to like you?"

I'm expecting the dragons (archdemon without a blight?) to be the true enemy of the series, and I have to wonder about the bestial claws/hands in the art. There are already shapeshifters (Flemmeth) so I'm sure there will be a DA equivalent to 'Lady Katrana Prestor'.

I'd also wouldn't be surprised if your actions carry an effect into DA2, so it's not as though your campaign didn't mean anything. Beyond a certain point, they have to have some constraint on the story options as there's only so much complexity and content they can make. They have to make something where they can say 'this is the story we want to tell'.

I'm actually glad they're restricting the starting character. The one big complaint I had about DA:O (and this was true of the BG series as well) is that the main character had no personality. Because he/she could be any race or class the story has to accommodate all those combinations and watered down the narrative a bit for me.

I do agree that ME restricted the character a bit too much so I hope they don't go that far.

VTSupie wrote:
Vector wrote:

Bioware has never made a game I didn't like.

Although I am kind of disappointed I don't get to continue my Warden's story in DA2, I'll have to agree with your statement and hope for the best.

Honestly, it's the only way to look at the game. We...people...whoever...can talk about what the sequel may be like but right now the information we have is minimal and the rest is speculation. The only fact is that Bioware has never made a game I didn't like. And I hate Elves anyway.

Not sure when that Game Informer is due, but it looks like it's PC gamer UK's cover story for the next issue as well, so I guess we'll find out more on the 26th.

I'm in the, Who cares.. this is a Bioware game. I have no doubt it will be great.

I will preorder on Steam as soon as I can.

Guess I should finish DA:O finally

They should have called it Dragon Age: Fully Awake Now.

Tanglebones wrote:
oilypenguin wrote:

I don't think you're a warden this time around. I think perhaps it's going to be an option you can choose, but I don't think we'll be pigeon-holed into it.

My hope here is that, with only 1 male/female human character, you have a ton of different endings and options so that every playthrough is as different as the first game's playthrough. My friends and I had a 500+ post thread on gmail comparing and contrasting our different playthroughs. It was wonderful.

Declare us human? Fine. Decide our name? Also fine. Restrict us down to a level of freedom present in Mass Effect? Deal breaker.

We'll see. I think I'm over my knee-jerk reactionary... ness. I'm good. Besides, it's Bioware. When have they steered us wrong (*cough*jadeempire*cough*)?

I'm confident they have a firm grasp of the freedom we require, the magic that sets DA apart from other modern RPGs. We'll see =)

And here's the perfect example of a one-character RPG:
IMAGE(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/0/06/Planescape-torment-box.jpg/256px-Planescape-torment-box.jpg)

I'm perfectly willing to cut Bioware slack until they fall on their faces; they've earned it with near consistent success.

Got a couple more for you, with sex choice even:
IMAGE(http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/1/15687/608624-ultima7_1__large.jpg)
IMAGE(http://neverdie.ru/pics/fallout.jpg)

stevenmack wrote:
* Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a mage, rogue, or warrior.

So basically, a console game.

(ok...still judging too early, note to self : wait for official press release and info THEN go sulk :P)

This should probably make people worry the most. I don't get why Bioware suddenly thinks it needs to reinvent the wheel for DA2; it's not like hordes of people were complaining that the Warden had no personality or the combat wasn't "dynamic" enough.

Rat Boy wrote:

This should probably make people worry the most. I don't get why Bioware suddenly thinks it needs to reinvent the wheel for DA2; it's not like hordes of people were complaining that the Warden had no personality or the combat wasn't "dynamic" enough.

I would be more worried if they mentioned 'cinematic' combat.

Honestly, of everything that is what concerns me. I don't care about the story or my character nearly as much as I care about my pausable team combat.

But I'm hopeful it's just marketing buzz, which usually sounds like this.