Those of you that have the game-is there any truth to the rumors floating around that the 360 version is considerably easier than the PC version? If so, would it be good for an RPG veteran to start on the equivalent of “hard”? Like previous Bioware games, can difficulty be changed on the fly?
I’m a Prime member and received a shipping notice last night that my CE order shipped via 2nd day air, and is scheduled to arrive Wednesday. It’s not Release Date Delivery, but I’ll take The-Day-Following-Release-Date Delivery as opposed to the 5th.
Haha, having a rough morning and this put a smile on my face.
I haven’t purchased many games at launch since Far Cry 2. As I’ve said many times, I liked the game but was disappointed by poorly-done early reviews that made me expect something else so I’ve been shy about launch day since then. I bought Torchlight but that was more like a candy snack for the weekend after a fun little demo.
I think for Dragon Age it was the Amazon pre-order bonus for $10 off a future title, since I’ll probably need to buy another game or two in the next few months. At an effective $37 it’ll probably be a while before a sale can get it that low. Bioware games haven’t gotten a rise out of me in a decade but the buzz here seems reasonable enough.
I normally make room in my backlog for the occasional new game that pops in. If I buy a game after the excitement dies down though, it usually gets shuffled into the middle. Next launch day game will probably be the new STALKER.
When did you place your order Mysterio? I placed mine on August 10th. If you placed yours before that, maybe yours is being shipped from an allotment already received and mine is coming from an allotment that hasn’t arrived yet. I really really hope the game comes tomorrow, but I expect it on the 4th, not the 5th, no matter what the estimate says. The Borderlands estimate was a day off too.
I’m in the same boat (Prime, CE shipped last night) but Amazon is estimating delivery tomorrow so here’s hoping they are right.
I’d preordered from amazon.ca two or three weeks back, and now the CE listing has gone from “pre-order” to “Sign up to be notified when this item becomes available”. I take this to mean that they’ve sold out their CE allotment.
On the other hand, when I checked my order just now, it said: “We are preparing these items for shipment and this portion of your order cannot be cancelled or changed.” Hopefully this means they’re rolling my copy off the shipping dock tonight, which means I’ll probably have it tomorrow or Wednesday. Woohoo! – provisionally. :)
Don’t forget the hot elfsex. I have not noticed any significant blood spray during regular slashes. I’m using a longsword and shield, and have been pretty underwhelmed by the amount of blood going on. I’m not saying it shouldn’t be an M, but I would definitely call it a fairly tame M on the overall M spectrum, considering what some games do.
You have to be pretty desensitized to poo-poo the level of gore in Dragon Age. It’s a graphically violent game with plenty of blood.
I’d say you’d have to be pretty oversensitive if the level of gore that I’ve seen in Dragon Age makes that much of an impression on you. But again, I’m not saying that what you’re describing isn’t gory. Squee’s screenshot is exceptionally gory. I’m saying that what you’re describing is not appearing on my television screen. Maybe I’m using the wrong weapons, maybe I’m on the wrong settings, maybe I need to kill more dragons. Again, I hope so, because what you describe sounds totally sweet.
I’m still early in the game and only level 7. Do higher level weapons/attacks cause greater splatter/kills? That screenshot squee posted has probably as much blood in it as I’ve seen in all my playtime to this point.
I believe it’s true that both console versions are easier than the PC version, or at least had encounters toned down, although I’ve heard different responses on whether that was through having you fight smaller bands of enemies (in the PC version, you can fight some huge groups) or otherwise adjusting the difficulty level.
I’d still recommend starting on default and seeing how it goes. The PC version is damn tough though - it’s probably the hardest RPG I’ve played since some of the Wizardry games.
On the blood point – agree with Tom - there’s a lot of blood in this game, at least in the PC version – pools of blood spread from every enemy; critical hits can cause gushing blood or finishing moves that involve decapitations, etc.; after every fight your melee fighters are literally bathed in blood.
If Matt K’s not seeing that, then they either toned it down for retail release or there’s a difference between console/PC, or there’s some setting that’s been added to adjust that.
Thanks Desslock, I will take your advice and start on default and raise it up if it is too easy-I like that Bioware usually lets you adjust difficulty on the fly.
So excited for this one, and my Prime release day shipping has yet to leave the warehouse!
Tyrion
2791
Looks like the $7 Warden’s Keep content might be only about 45 minutes long, maybe a bit longer for the PC version. Rather than making meaty, content-filled expansions like BG2’s Throne of Bhaal, Oblivion’s Shivering Isles, or GTA4’s Liberty City Episodes, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bioware’s two-year DLC plan for Dragon Age consists of lots of Mass Effect-style nickle-and-diming.
Yeah, they really killed us with those two additional missions they released over the course of two years.
Tyrion
2793
I meant “Mass Effect-style” in terms of the DLC being anemic and overpriced, not in terms of the overall plan being the same.
Cormac
2794
That might be it. I chickened out and only went for the standard edition. Just received an email from them stating the following:
Due to the industrial action by Royal Mail, we’re doing things a little bit differently to ensure we despatch your preorder in time for release day delivery. This includes processing your order early.
As a result, you may have received an email telling you that ‘your preorder is on its way’. You may even find that your account has been debited. Sadly this does not mean you’ll be getting your game early. It simply means we’ve started the ignition, our foot is to the floor, the wheels are spinning…
we only have to release the handbrake and your game is on its way!
In short, your preorder is ready and waiting and raring to go!
Curious to see if this applies to you guys too…
It does, just got it too >.<
Ah, gotcha. I thought Bring Down the Sky was fine, but I didn’t even bother getting the second DLC. That’s saying something given that Mass Effect with my GOTY of 2007. Bioware has been terrible about DLC since entering the console game business. I recall them promising DLC for KOTOR for God’s sake. Every time they release a console game they promise DLC, but have yet to deliver.
Sarkus
2797
It does seem pretty disappointing relative to what Bethesda did with the Fallout 3 DLC. Those were good for 3-4 hours minimum, while a lot of people regularly got more then that out of them. They cost more then $7, but not that much more.
I guess we’ll have to see. I kind of get the impression that the early DLC is really Bioware trying to capitalize on the lack of any early user made content. Once fans start putting stuff out, hopefully Bioware will realize that they need to offer something beefier.
Meanwhile, the hype for this game is really getting to me. I’m seriously thinking about hitting a 24 hour Walmart tonight and picking up a copy.
Gendal
2798
My PC collectors edition just showed up from Amazon. Like the tin case, cloth map not so much. It’s not stitched around the edges which adds to the frayed, old cloth impression, but leaves 6+ inch long fine strings hanging off all over. The map itself is very low contrast, making it slightly difficult to read, and it has blood smears that look like magenta tempera paint was spilled.
Also just finished the Stolen Throne, the first tie in novel. Surprisingly good for a game novel but disappointing as far as world building goes. I was hoping for more details and history to draw me into the game but it was surprisingly light on them. What was there I liked, I just wanted more.
Not sure where I sawit (might even have been here) but I read that, due to limitations in how many enemies can be onscreen on the console version, the game is balanced so that while you fight fewer enemies at a time, the enemies you fight do fight are a little tougher to compensate.
The example was something like on the PC you may fight two Level 3 guys, and four Level 1 guys (so six enemies total) while the same encounter on the console would be two Level 4 guys and one Level 2 guy (3 enemies total).
Yes, the console versions are easier than the PC version. This was necessary partly because the change in the interface, and the way characters shift completely over to AI when you soul-jump to another party member, as opposed to the PC version, where characters retain their command queue and movement orders even after you have selected another party member.
Also, with the PC difficulty, it was very unforgiving on a 360 controller because you couldn’t effectively control all the members of your party fast enough.
The amount of enemies in the game is more or less the same. They have been reduced somewhat, but the difficulty settings for the console also affect friendly fire, and damage mitigation. We found that these where the PC level of difficulty was particularly unforgiving. Because you can only move one character at a time in the console version, friendly fire damage from aoe spells (fireballs for example) had to be drastically reduced in all but the highest difficulties on console. On the PC, even on Normal, you can take some nasty damage from your own aoe spells if you aren’t careful…
In short, both versions are good, but the PC is more Baldur’s Gate 2 style with the ability to go top down, and because of the higher capacity for tactical strategy and a mouse interface, it is more difficult. The console version plays more like KOTOR, and is less about group tactics and more about the Player determining the greatest threats and dealing with them, while the AI controlled party members take out the rest.
*Disclaimer: I worked on the console versions, although my knowledge of the intimate details of the game design is not as great, as I worked on the audio aspect of the game.
