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Dragon Age: Origins: Dragons and Dalish and Darkspawn Oh My! (Gameplay tips in OP)

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Posts

  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Yeah Dragon Age looks pretty crap

    The animation is a little shit at times too (Leliana's song)

    It's not bad enough that it hurts the game but it sure ain't impressing anyone

    Olivaw on
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    PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
  • Iron WeaselIron Weasel Dillon! You son of a bitch!Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Uh, you know that Pancake posted those terrible screens as a joke, right?

    Have you seen some of the 'real' screens she's posted? Looks pretty good!

    Iron Weasel on
    Currently Playing:
    The Division, Warframe (XB1)
    GT: Tanith 6227
  • JoshmviiJoshmvii Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    And I swear to god, no one cares about your furniture.

    Let me tell you about this couch I have. It's so comfortable it is ridiculous.

    Joshmvii on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    akeso wrote: »
    Rius wrote: »
    I'd also like to point out that the linked mod also makes Rogue ranged attacks able to backstab stunned/paralyzed targets with that one Rogue talent, so you don't always need to position oddly if your party is throwing out stuns and paralyzes. Which they should be doing ^^

    Then say good fucking bye to your tank any time he gets stunned if there are a few archers sitting around if the moder didn't eliminate that from the enemy standardized talent build.

    You're exactly right, which is why the modder did rework enemy archers so that, en masse, they do not destroy PCs.

    He's put a lot of effort into rebalancing archery, and if you'd take a few minutes to actually read the linked mod, you'd realize that and wouldn't be spewing obscenities =)

    Rius on
  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I think you guys have ridiculously high standards if you're calling DA's graphics crap.

    chrono_traveller on
    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • akesoakeso Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Yeah Dragon Age looks pretty crap

    The animation is a little shit at times too (Leliana's song)

    It's not bad enough that it hurts the game but it sure ain't impressing anyone

    I'm still not sure where along the line they decided that song was something that belonged in the game.
    Seriously, I nearly kicked her out of my party for that.
    I made it very clear when I recruited everyone that this was a no singing adventure, and that went double for the damn bard.

    akeso on
    primeval-warrior-sig.jpg
  • Delta AssaultDelta Assault Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Uh, you know that Pancake posted those terrible screens as a joke, right?

    Have you seen some of the 'real' screens she's posted? Looks pretty good!

    Yep, I've seen em all.

    Delta Assault on
  • RiusRius Globex CEO Nobody ever says ItalyRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I think it looks pretty good on the PC. But then again, I don't own any consoles, so I'm biased.

    Rius on
  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    akeso wrote: »
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Yeah Dragon Age looks pretty crap

    The animation is a little shit at times too (Leliana's song)

    It's not bad enough that it hurts the game but it sure ain't impressing anyone

    I'm still not sure where along the line they decided that song was something that belonged in the game.
    Seriously, I nearly kicked her out of my party for that.
    I made it very clear when I recruited everyone that this was a no singing adventure, and that went double for the damn bard.

    Yet you brought along a bard. Its kinda what they do.

    chrono_traveller on
    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    The only really immersion-destroying bits are when they try to do complex animations with the character models (really, just the sex scenes.) Engine just isn't built for that.

    Anyway, I am having pretty tremendous fun with a female city elf rogue who takes every opportunity to be an asshole to someone, ever. There are some hilarious choices!
    like the small time merchant arguing with the chantry sister in lothering. "You're making a killing eh? So am I!" *stab*

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    NREqxl5.jpg
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
  • EgosEgos Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    It was so horrid though...

    I wanted Sten to growl at her. It was like "Lets enter Disney Princess/ Enya mode"

    Egos on
  • akesoakeso Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Rius wrote: »
    akeso wrote: »
    Rius wrote: »
    I'd also like to point out that the linked mod also makes Rogue ranged attacks able to backstab stunned/paralyzed targets with that one Rogue talent, so you don't always need to position oddly if your party is throwing out stuns and paralyzes. Which they should be doing ^^

    Then say good fucking bye to your tank any time he gets stunned if there are a few archers sitting around if the moder didn't eliminate that from the enemy standardized talent build.

    You're exactly right, which is why the modder did rework enemy archers so that, en masse, they do not destroy PCs.

    He's put a lot of effort into rebalancing archery, and if you'd take a few minutes to actually read the linked mod, you'd realize that and wouldn't be spewing obscenities =)
    I just see that rapid shot allows for backstabbing. It looks like enemy npc's can still have that and coup de grace though.
    It looks like he mostly mucked around in archery, I don't see any mention of editing the rogue portion of enemy talent allocation.

    akeso on
    primeval-warrior-sig.jpg
  • tbloxhamtbloxham Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Pancake wrote: »
    Can we get back to talking about Dragon Age? That'd be awesome, thanks.

    And honestly, bringing up the better textures of the PC version is a little silly, cause the game still looks like crap. This isn't Crysis.

    Saying it looks like crap is going a bit overboard. It doesn't look top of the line, no, but it doesn't look bad. A game doesn't have to be Crysis to look good enough.

    Yea... I dunno. You yourself have posted screenshots in this thread that are... pretty darn bad. Really pretty... not good. Not great. Kinda bad. Mediocre. Subpar.

    I would say the graphics are actually excellent. If the primary view is the zoomed out view, then looking good in that view is what counts, and DA certainly does. The environments are interesting, the enemies cool and so on.

    tbloxham on
    "That is cool" - Abraham Lincoln
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    akeso wrote: »
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Yeah Dragon Age looks pretty crap

    The animation is a little shit at times too (Leliana's song)

    It's not bad enough that it hurts the game but it sure ain't impressing anyone

    I'm still not sure where along the line they decided that song was something that belonged in the game.
    Seriously, I nearly kicked her out of my party for that.
    I made it very clear when I recruited everyone that this was a no singing adventure, and that went double for the damn bard.

    Yet you brought along a bard. Its kinda what they do.

    I dunno she mostly just yells when she uses her battle songs

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    NREqxl5.jpg
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
  • Iron WeaselIron Weasel Dillon! You son of a bitch!Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Yeah, that's not exactly what I expected.

    "Darkspawn everywhere! Leliana, sing us a song of courage that we might send these beasts back to the darkness from whence they came!"

    "GYYYYAAAAAAARGH!"

    "Uh, yeah ok, that'll work I guess."

    Iron Weasel on
    Currently Playing:
    The Division, Warframe (XB1)
    GT: Tanith 6227
  • jefe414jefe414 "My Other Drill Hole is a Teleporter" Mechagodzilla is Best GodzillaRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Blackjack wrote: »
    So, about Pre-Landsmeet Fort Drakon:
    Obviously, Zevran and Oghren is the best combination, but what other ones are good?

    Well my favorite so far are:
    Morrigan and Oghren.

    Very Tango and Cash. "Bad cop, worse cop".

    jefe414 on
    Xbox Live: Jefe414
  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Dyscord wrote: »
    akeso wrote: »
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Yeah Dragon Age looks pretty crap

    The animation is a little shit at times too (Leliana's song)

    It's not bad enough that it hurts the game but it sure ain't impressing anyone

    I'm still not sure where along the line they decided that song was something that belonged in the game.
    Seriously, I nearly kicked her out of my party for that.
    I made it very clear when I recruited everyone that this was a no singing adventure, and that went double for the damn bard.

    Yet you brought along a bard. Its kinda what they do.

    I dunno she mostly just yells when she uses her battle songs

    I mean, you can criticize her songs, but I mean just calling it yelling seems pretty mean. What did she ever do to you?

    chrono_traveller on
    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I think you guys have ridiculously high standards if you're calling DA's graphics crap.

    Not really

    Olivaw on
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  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    the first time I activated it I actually thought it was something else that had made that noise

    then I thought that maybe mine was playing the wrong soundfile somehow

    I mean even back in BG1-2 they had the bardsong just play a couple bars of harp music, I would have been happy with that

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    NREqxl5.jpg
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
  • Delta AssaultDelta Assault Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    tbloxham wrote: »
    I would say the graphics are actually excellent. If the primary view is the zoomed out view, then looking good in that view is what counts, and DA certainly does. The environments are interesting, the enemies cool and so on.

    Yea, see... that's uh, that's kinda not what I'm doing at all. I don't look at the zoomed out view. The zoomed out view is such a cop out. Anything's going to look better if you zoom out and kinda squint at what's down below there. You're really far away, up in the sky. No shit it's going to be more forgiving.

    But no, I look at the third person view. Down below. That's the view I like. That's the view I want to experience the game in. And the developers, they give you that third person view. They never said the zoomed out view was the primary view. I never figured the zoomed out view was the primary. The zoomed out view isn't even available to the console versions. Not really sure how you can call it the primary view when it's absent in 2 out of 3 of the versions.

    So, using that third person, close to the ground perspective... the game is going to be judged worse then when looking at it from the isometric view. Isometric view... that's just a complete capitulation to BioWare. From an isometric view, you might as well say that Company of Heroes looks as detailed as Crysis. Who can tell? Everything's so damn small.

    To be brutally honest, I would say that DA looks worse then WoW. That's really what I think. This is not me joking or trolling or anything. Obviously, WoW has much worse technology behind it, being about five years old and all, but the great art direction makes up for it. DA has a pretty dated engine and also... really bad art direction. Like, the Korcari Wilds... I remember just playing through it and thinking to myself how incredibly bad it looked, especially compared to most outdoor locales in WoW. That's not helped by the fact that for some reason, most of the levels in DA are just really really small. Like, I'm not asking for an Oblivion-style open world here, this is a different sort of RPG, but the levels in DA just seem cramped for the most part, except for some of the dungeons which are understandably larger. But uh, most of the hubs and levels in DA look like they were made to actually fit onto someone's coffee table, like a actual D&D map.

    Actually, let me amend this. DA has really bad art direction in certain areas. Korcari Wilds look terrible, but I did think the Temple with the Urn looked pretty good. So, it's not bad across the board.

    Delta Assault on
  • PancakePancake Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    After reading reviews prior to the game's release, the game really does look better than I was expecting.

    And say what you will, but I think that the game's lighting can be downright beautiful at times. If it does anything right, it's that.

    As for the animations, show me a BioWare with great animations and I'll show you a game that wasn't actually made by BioWare.

    Pancake on
    wAgWt.jpg
  • ZzuluZzulu Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    akeso wrote: »
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Yeah Dragon Age looks pretty crap

    The animation is a little shit at times too (Leliana's song)

    It's not bad enough that it hurts the game but it sure ain't impressing anyone

    I'm still not sure where along the line they decided that song was something that belonged in the game.
    Seriously, I nearly kicked her out of my party for that.
    I made it very clear when I recruited everyone that this was a no singing adventure, and that went double for the damn bard.

    The song was fucking awesome

    but the facial animations just made the whole thing fall apart really. Animations (facial) in this game were just all around awful. While I recognize the graphics weren't particularly impressive in DA, they worked and I didn't mind them much. The facial animations did stand out as really just bad though - especially since I thought the VA was so good. It just didn't mesh.

    Zzulu on
    t5qfc9.jpg
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Zzulu wrote: »
    akeso wrote: »
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Yeah Dragon Age looks pretty crap

    The animation is a little shit at times too (Leliana's song)

    It's not bad enough that it hurts the game but it sure ain't impressing anyone

    I'm still not sure where along the line they decided that song was something that belonged in the game.
    Seriously, I nearly kicked her out of my party for that.
    I made it very clear when I recruited everyone that this was a no singing adventure, and that went double for the damn bard.

    The song was fucking awesome

    but the facial animations just made the whole thing fall apart really. Animations (facial) in this game were just all around awful

    yeah, thinking about it, that scene would have been about a million times better had they just not shown you leliana's face while she was fishsinging it. Most of the shots of the other characters were at least not-bad.

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    NREqxl5.jpg
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
  • Toxic PickleToxic Pickle Thash grape! Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Yeah the biggest problem with the Leliana singing scene was that it looked like someone had stiched the corners of her mouth together so she couldn't open it properly. When the camera cut away and showed other members of the party reacting, I thought the scene came off really well. But then it'd cut back to a close-up of Leliana and I'd cringe all over again.

    But I didn't dislike the facial animations in general... to the contrary, I thought they did a good job of showing emotion and the lip-synching was excellent. Whenever Alistair was talking in particular, the facial expressions really helped to deliver his lines when he was being sarcastic.

    Toxic Pickle on
  • chamberlainchamberlain Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Olivaw wrote: »
    I think you guys have ridiculously high standards if you're calling DA's graphics crap.

    Not really

    I agree. Mass Effect looked better.

    chamberlain on
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Saying the zoomed-out view is the primary view isn't even correct since that view isn't even available on the 360 version of the game

    Olivaw on
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  • JohnDoeJohnDoe Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Its the primary view in the version that matters.

    JohnDoe on
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    JohnDoe wrote: »
    Its the primary view in the version that matters.

    I never really used it at all!

    Olivaw on
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  • chrono_travellerchrono_traveller Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Olivaw wrote: »
    I think you guys have ridiculously high standards if you're calling DA's graphics crap.

    Not really

    I agree. Mass Effect looked better.

    So, anything worse than ME is considered crap?

    I'm not saying that DA's graphics are the bee's knees or anything, but I think they're serviceable.

    chrono_traveller on
    The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Olivaw wrote: »
    I think you guys have ridiculously high standards if you're calling DA's graphics crap.

    Not really

    I agree. Mass Effect looked better.

    So, anything worse than ME is considered crap?

    I'm not saying that DA's graphics are the bee's knees or anything, but I think they're serviceable.

    That's what we're saying

    They're pretty crap

    They're not awful, but they are not lighting the world on fire either, and BioWare has shown they can do better

    I liked the sound design a lot, though. Good audio in the game for the most part

    Olivaw on
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  • NeliNeli Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I really liked the voice acting

    Neli on
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    I have stared into Satan's asshole, and it fucking winked at me.
    [/size]
  • PancakePancake Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Olivaw wrote: »
    I think you guys have ridiculously high standards if you're calling DA's graphics crap.

    Not really

    I agree. Mass Effect looked better.

    So, anything worse than ME is considered crap?

    I'm not saying that DA's graphics are the bee's knees or anything, but I think they're serviceable.

    You also have to consider that ME was developed in three years using the engine that still runs tons of modern games. It's a shooter engine built around being extremely pretty.

    Dragon Age was in development for almost six years and is using an engine they started to build up from scratch starting early in their development cycle.

    Given how long the game was in development, we're lucky Dragon Age looks as good as it does and runs as well as it does. Many games that find themselves in development this long usually end up being buggy, unoptimized messes that run like crap while looking like crap because they found themselves in development hell for all the wrong reasons.

    Pancake on
    wAgWt.jpg
  • OlivawOlivaw good name, isn't it? the foot of mt fujiRegistered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Neli wrote: »
    I really liked the voice acting

    Yeah it was pretty much great all around, with a few exceptions (french accents)

    Olivaw on
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    PSN ID : DetectiveOlivaw | TWITTER | STEAM ID | NEVER FORGET
  • JihadJesusJihadJesus Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Khavall wrote: »
    JihadJesus wrote: »
    did they fix the dagger issues on consoles yet? I think I'm going to roll a dual dagger ass kicking Dalish rogue to start. I guess it doesn't matter if I take Lethality, though. I'd be better off if it wasn't fixed, actually.

    They didn't, but any rogue who doesn't take lethality is dumb anyways. Also, Axe/Dagger is the best combination anyways, so only your off-hand will be affected for the most part, beyond the super-early levels where it really doesn't matter.

    I thought dagger/dagger was supposedly better as the game went on due to the extra armor piercing. Well, I'l going to build dagger/dagger anyway for RP reasons and probably still kick ass.

    Not sure exactly what to do for skills or talents, though. Definitely Momentum, Lethality, and the Assasin skills that boost backstab damage. Probably max out the Ranger tree. Other than that I have no idea.

    JihadJesus on
  • BlackjackBlackjack Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    If I remember correctly, Axe/Dagger was the best build until people found out that backstabs alternate between the main hand weapon and off hand weapon and then Dagger/Dagger was better.

    Also, if you're a DW Rogue, Bard and Assassin are basically your best bets. Assassin and Duelist is also a viable choice.

    Blackjack on
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  • meekermeeker Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    I just have to know, did anyone else name their
    Mabari Boo? I just wish Sten would yell, "Go for the eyes!"

    meeker on
  • CadeCade Eppur si muove.Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Neli wrote: »
    I really liked the voice acting

    Yeah it was pretty much great all around, with a few exceptions (french accents)

    Isn't Lelianna's VA though actually French.

    Cade on
  • PancakePancake Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    Cade wrote: »
    Olivaw wrote: »
    Neli wrote: »
    I really liked the voice acting

    Yeah it was pretty much great all around, with a few exceptions (french accents)

    Isn't Lelianna's VA though actually French.

    Yes, though that doesn't stop many people, especially Americans, from saying her accent is terrible and not French at all.

    She needs to watch some old comedies parodying the French accent so she can learn to speak properly.

    Pancake on
    wAgWt.jpg
  • NeliNeli Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    heh

    Neli on
    vhgb4m.jpg
    I have stared into Satan's asshole, and it fucking winked at me.
    [/size]
  • Eat it You Nasty Pig.Eat it You Nasty Pig. tell homeland security 'we are the bomb'Registered User regular
    edited December 2009
    it's not that she's not properly french-sounding it's that her voice is annoying

    Eat it You Nasty Pig. on
    NREqxl5.jpg
    hold your head high soldier, it ain't over yet
    that's why we call it the struggle, you're supposed to sweat
This discussion has been closed.