3321

There was one dialogue I watched last night (I didn’t get very far) where Duncan was standing mostly rigid, blathering on about something, yet his head was moving back and forth ever so slightly and he was staring oddly offscreen. I started giggling because it looked exactly like he was reading his lines off a prompter.

3322

Yeah, I guess can accept that this just isn’t hitting that warm fuzzy RPG of yore cord for me. I guess I was thinking it would be more of the cinematic experience that Mass Effect was, so I’m a bit let down.

I’m glad the story is as cool and layered as it is, at least that is keeping me playing. Ah well, at least it’s a damn good puppet show. :)

(hehe…course Lego:LoTR would probably be a better puppet show…)

3323

So I have all these gems and bowls and vases in the “Other” part of my inventory where Gifts are kept. Can I sell these, or will they be used later by some sort of crafting or such?

3324

I’m glad I didn’t get the bland, poorly designed, crappy-looking version of this game that some of you did. I’m enjoying the hell out of a fun, engaging, challenging, fine-looking RPG.

3325

It took me six hours last night to download these two DLC packs after finally solving my Bioware account issues on their awful social website. The download kept timing out but luckily the downloader resumed from where it last dc’d. Not sure what the issue was - maybe the servers were horribly overloaded.

3326

I’m also having problems with the DLC. Most notably I finally got the blood dragon armor code to register, and now Stone Prisoner is saying I have to buy it even though it accepted the code on the 2nd.

This whole crappy “Bundled DLC!” instead of being content on the disc and their stupid social networking thing are really irritating the piss out of me.

3327

yeah I really hate the whole idea of Day 1 DLC, because it’s contents that were already worked on during game production.

3328

Heh, I’ll have to look for that on my second playthrough. I turned on subtitles so I’ve usually got an eye on the text even though it’s not really necessary.

3329

It is mentioned in the description of the Warden’s Keep DLC (access to which is included with the Digital Deluxe editions from Steam and Impulse, otherwise you can purchase it separately):

  • New items and abilities - talents and spells from the Power of Blood school, unique achievements, and powerful items including a set of Grey Warden Commander armor
3330

That’s cool. At least you didn’t disagree and then childishly insult me.

Just as earlier in this thread you missed the blood literally under your own nose – and under your boots, on your cheek, and probably even getting in your mouth – I’m surprised to hear this criticism leveled by anyone who’s actually played through Dragon Age. And you have played through Dragon Age, right?

Oh, never mind, silly me. And you exaggerate the blood tremendously. I’ve been specifically looking for it since you listed all the “hyperviolent” moments and it’s frankly uncommon. Often entire rooms of corpses lack the blood pools that so traumatize you, but the number of weird bugs I’ve encountered involving the graphical effects leads me to take your word for it that what you played was substantially more crimson than what I’m playing.

I’m 18 hours into Dragon Age. Honestly if it weren’t for all the people raving about how much better it gets as the full scope of the story unfolds (some of them not even bothering to imply that I’m ignorant or a liar!), I’d have stopped and moved on to another game by now. At this point I’m impressed enough by how the quests interleave that I’m compelled to see how the events I’m involved in turn out. It was a pretty rocky beginning, though, outside of the well-structured origin part (human noble).

These things that you dismiss with a hand-wavy “dull and uninvolved” are parts of the gameplay and the world-building.

Yes, dull and uninvolving parts of the gameplay and world-building. I did not feel this way about the same game elements in Mass Effect, Baldur’s Gate, KotOR, or even NWN. The way Dragon Age presents its world is not engaging to me, both because of the well-worn fantasy elements and the lecture-based presentation of them.

So yeah, I disagree with you and I have explained why. I look forward to your passive-aggressive implications that I’m somehow mentally deficient or unsophisticated for doing so.

3331

All I did was explain how you were wrong when you told folks the only occurrence of blood was during decapitations. I’m not sure how you figure I was exaggerating by pointing out something you somehow missed. And there’s no shame in admitting you were wrong rather than trying to invent something like this:

I’m not sure how you figure I was traumatized, much less that I objected to the gore. For the record, I quite enjoyed the level of gore in Dragon Age.

Ouch. It’s one thing for you to be inarticulate about what you’re trying to say. It’s something else entirely for you to make up things other people are trying to tell you.

If Dragon Age isn’t your bag, that’s cool. I imagine it’s not going to work for a lot of people. But just as you were flat-out wrong about the amount of blood in the game, you have no idea what you’re talking about when you try to dismiss Dragon Age with some pat saying about “show don’t tell”, specifically when the examples you use are explicitly shown in the game.

-Tom

3332

I’ve liked the blood so far, although i wish it cleared from skin quicker and especially during conversations. Of course if you’re going wild in a crowd with a great sword you’re going to get blood on you!

My fire/heal mage (hoping to be an arcane warrior) has been doing quite well on nightmare. level 7 now, time to see if i can be an arcane warrior somehow.

3333

I haven’t played as a human noble but as a city elf all the elven drama is very well explained, and you feel its impact throughout the game. I’ll leave it at that, I don’t want to go into it very much because folks should experience it themselves.

3334

I feel no need to admit I was wrong because I’m not wrong. I don’t find it particularly gory, I would not categorize the game as “hyperviolent,” and what you describe simply doesn’t match up to what I’m seeing on my television. It’s hardly any surprise that you and I have vastly different definitions of “hyperviolent,” but usually I at least see what you mean even when I disagree. This time it seriously doesn’t feel like you’re describing the same game I’m playing.

Ouch. It’s one thing for you to be inarticulate about what you’re trying to say. It’s something else entirely for you to make up things other people are trying to tell you.

You’re the only one who seems to think I’m grunting in caveman, Tom. Exactly how is one meant to take the accusation that they haven’t played the game they’re critiquing if not “are you lying about this”? Or are you implying that I shouldn’t talk about such things until I’ve seen the whole game? In that case, why are people even posting opinions at all, or does that only apply to negative ones?

I’m surprised you’re actually trying to play the “who, me?” card here. You have a very abrasive attitude toward people whose opinions differ from yours on certain issues, and you take a snide tone with me at the drop of a hat. I’m sick of it and at this point the only reason I don’t flat out dismiss you as a troll is because you run the site and I generally enjoy reading your reviews.

If Dragon Age isn’t your bag, that’s cool. I imagine it’s not going to work for a lot of people. But just as you were flat-out wrong about the amount of blood in the game, you have no idea what you’re talking about when you try to dismiss Dragon Age with some pat saying about “show don’t tell”, specifically when the examples you use are explicitly shown in the game.

Great. We disagree about the writing in a videogame. Alert the press and sound the alarms. I am not flat out wrong, I judge the game by (apparently) different criteria than you. It has not grabbed my attention, it does not present the material in an engaging way, and it takes the lazy way out when it comes to introducing backstory and elements about the world necessary to fully appreciate the present events of the main quest.

To me, they spend too much time narrating things out of a talking head and not enough demonstrating the state of things. I need more Circle of Magi and nan abusing the elf servants and less droning history lessons. I am not discounting the possibility that this changes for the better later on. In fact, the statements of people who have played further in (including your vehemence on the subject) is what’s encouraging me to keep going.

I’d love to love Dragon Age in the end, but if I don’t, and we disagree, maybe you should try to understand that it’s possible for two people to have totally different views on something and for neither to be “flat out wrong.” Considering the reaction many had to your choice of Far Cry 2 as 2008 GotY, I’d have thought you’d be a little slower to judge minority opinions.

3335

I have a sword with “Messy Kills” in green text that I haven’t used yet, but I am guessing that it doesn’t have anything to do with post-kill social awkwardness.

3336

“You’ve got some red on you.”

3337

I guess I’m just puzzled because as far as I can tell the storytelling in Dragon Age, thus far, has been essentially the same approach as in Mass Effect except that Dragon Age is a more sedate game all around. If anything, it’s better. (I loved Mass Effect, but I honestly didn’t find a lot of the setting that exciting aside from the simple fact that it was SF for once.) Oh, also Dragon Age has the origins, which I think is a wonderful move.

3338

The playable characters I’ve encountered are all great so far. I just wish I could use all of them at once and hear all of their banter instead of just four.

3339

So the Digital CE comes with the soundtrack. Anyone knows where Steam hides it?

3340

I honestly couldn’t care less how gory you find the game. I did, however, want to correct you when you said the only blood is a two-second spurt after decapitations. Someone was asking about the level of gore. You and idrisz misrepresented it when you replied. I’m not sure why you get all whiny and feel the need to play martyr when I correct you for something you apparently didn’t even see.

Certain issues? Sure. Guilty as charged. Particularly when the “opinion” is presented as a fact, and it’s based on limited knowledge. You will see examples of the stuff you criticized the game for “telling not showing”. There’s no need to go all whiny when someone tells you that you’re wrong about something very specific: namely whether Dragon Age “shows” any instances of Magi/Templar tension and the treatment of the elves at the hands of the humans.

If someone doesn’t like Dragon Age, it doesn’t bother me in the least. What would bother me is someone who didn’t like Dragon Age holding forth with complaints like “it doesn’t have any dragons”, “dwarven civilization isn’t well developed”, and “there isn’t much combat”. I’d correct him, too, without feeling the need to address whether he liked the game.

Or, to put it another way, just because two people have totally different views doesn’t mean one of them isn’t wrong.

Wait, you think liking Far Cry 2 is a minority opinion? Or just choosing it as my personal favorite? Because I don’t think you’re going to get a consensus when you’re talking people’s personal favorite games. More to the point, do you think I care how widely held an opinion is? Good lord.

Anyway, don’t sell yourself short. I’m sure there will be lots of people who can’t get into Dragon Age, for a wide variety of reasons. I love the game, but it’s got its share of problems.

-Tom