[Morgoth]

the only problem is that if you made a proper strong character and transfer it to the expansion, you'll walk it on nightmare as if the enemy was all made of papyrus.

My top lvl cunning based rouge with sash of the maker, ring of the ages, key of the city, that absurd dagger you can buy in Orzamar and so on, did not need to use a single healing potion through the entire game.

Still, I enjoyed the expansion. Worth it I though, if nothing else to further solidify you character as awesome.

[Gothos]

Properly build characters like cun rogues and blood mages are absurdly powerful in this game, true that. But this was true with the core game as well.
Edit: archer rogues own cun rogues in the expansion dps-wise

This post has been edited by Gothos: 31 July 2010 - 10:44 AM

[Grimjust Bearegular]

Although I normally don't like these types of games, I'm more of a FPS kind of girl, I really enjoyed this game. But in my next playthrough I'll build a much better character, because my skills and perks and such were all over the place:P

I really like games that force me to make difficult decisions. I always make the "right" ones, because being evil always makes me feel really bad:P

[Traveller]

Anybody else read the preview of Dragon Age 2 in Pc Gamer? I haven't replayed DA origins, as I found that the characters, including my own, annoyed me by the end, with their repetitive in-game phrases being a big factor. Also, I get fed up with great long winded conversations during a game, especially when your own character appears to be a mute. I liked the battle strategy, but playing as a rogue didn't seem to bring many really obvious benefits, it was more like playing a warrior that couldn't wear full armour. Those cheesy campfire conversations bugged me too - having to brown-nose a character you don't like just to get a new mission (and then being 'treated' to the sight of two badly animated people dry-humping) made the whole thing look cheap, and aimed at 12 year olds. If you're going to put that sort of thing in a game, at least be funny and 'God of War' like about it - don't try and make out that it's a serious aspect to the game.

(Additionally, the story - thousands of evil dark creatures overunning the good clean countryside? OMG I am so bored of this. Darkspawn, Mutants, Locust, who cares, they're all generic orc-clones. This is used so much it is ridiculous. What do these bad black evil killing machines intend to do when the ground is all black and shrivelled and everyone is dead? It's never made any sense. Why not have some good old human armies, maybe with a few monstrous allies. Like an army from the swamps with a few units of lizardmen, an army from the mountains with some trolls etc. Human battles and motives at least have a point to them. Armies like those in MBotF or GRRM's (units with wolves, dragons, sappers with munitions, the odd mage - you and you party could the fight for the cause of the one you like against the others, with side quests along the way. I'm very bored of mindless Zombie-Uruk Hai's in every game).

DA 2 looks to have addressed some of these problems. You don't have such a hand in choosing yor character - you play someone called Hawk, although you pick male or female. Who can actually speak! They have a menu of responses for your character to use, in shorthand (or just the gist) so you don't have to read something, then hear it said. (More like the Mass Effect paraphrase system). Each response also has an icon to show what effect it will have. Also your character will react to things in the game, without having to rely on the others to do so. Hopefully this will mean a bit more of a connection with your character - in DA-O's, supposedly an RPG, I felt none of that, as my character continually responded to commands with things like 'Oh, I have to do that do I?' instead of just doing it. I felt more connection with Marston in Red Dead, a pre-made character, than anyone in DA.

Another change is the other characters. They will have more of a life - rather than sitting round the campfire twiddling their thumbs while you go of with another party, they have their own homes and lives to get on with. Decisions you make through the game effect what happens say, half way through, rather than a sum-up at the end of the game. You will be able to change the story from the start by your decisions. Gameplay has also evolved, the rogue especially being made a bit more distinctive, spells 'upgrades' more interesting and devastating.

Looks good so far. I will see what everyone else thinks before I get it though - if they still insist on the main character making sarcastic comments every time you swing a sword or open a chest, I will think twice.

This is the only link I can find so far, it's not got a lot of info yet though. http://dragonage.bioware.com/da2/

This post has been edited by Traveller: 01 August 2010 - 05:08 PM

[Aptorian]

Installed the Ultimate Edition today, planning to spend my Sunday afternoon playing DA:O. But Noooooo. After finishing the download I tried redeeming the code that came with the game that unlocks all the DLC. Only when I then try to start a game I am told that the DLC is unauthorised and thus will not be included if I start a game now. Tried troubleshooting it. Logged in and out. Closed and opened the game. Even tried rebooting the computer. It just doesn't work. And apparently the bullshit authentication process only redeems the code once and then it is locked. So I don't know if that is the issue.

I tried contacting EA support but their motherfucking servers are down and so I can't do anything. This might be the reason why it isn't working in the first place. BUT I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING!

What kind of bullshit is this. Why didn't they you put the fucking DLC on my fucking CDs, you fucking idiots! RAAARRRRRHHH!!! WHY DO I HAVE TO AUTHENTICATE IT WHEN I ALREADY BOUGHT A HARDCOPY!

I hate all this DRM bullshit so much. Very tempted to go looking for a crack.

This post has been edited by Battle Plaptypus: 10 April 2011 - 01:22 PM

[King Bear]

Grimface Insultbear, on 01 August 2010 - 11:09 AM, said:

I really like games that force me to make difficult decisions. I always make the "right" ones, because being evil always makes me feel really bad:P

I'm the same. I just can't take the evil options. To hugely oversimplify myself, I'd say that my real life alignment is neutral good, and I identify with my characters in crpgs so much that they always end up doing the neutral good thing.

Battle Plaptypus, on 10 April 2011 - 01:13 PM, said:

Installed the Ultimate Edition today, planning to spend my Sunday afternoon playing DA:O. But Noooooo. After finishing the download I tried redeeming the code that came with the game that unlocks all the DLC. Only when I then try to start a game I am told that the DLC is unauthorised and thus will not be included if I start a game now. Tried troubleshooting it. Logged in and out. Closed and opened the game. Even tried rebooting the computer. It just doesn't work. And apparently the bullshit authentication process only redeems the code once and then it is locked. So I don't know if that is the issue.

I tried contacting EA support but their motherfucking servers are down and so I can't do anything. This might be the reason why it isn't working in the first place. BUT I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING!

What kind of bullshit is this. Why didn't they you put the fucking DLC on my fucking CDs, you fucking idiots! RAAARRRRRHHH!!! WHY DO I HAVE TO AUTHENTICATE IT WHEN I ALREADY BOUGHT A HARDCOPY!

I hate all this DRM bullshit so much. Very tempted to go looking for a crack.

That's annoying and ridiculous. They should seriously have included the DLC on your discs. The fact that you're considering a crack shows that penalising paying customers with over-the-top DRMs probably won't ameliorate piracy but might do the opposite. I always pay for my games, but I'm getting seriously exhausted by ever more restrictive and punishing copy-protections. And do these protections have much effect on piracy? Wouldn't pirates just download the cracked version anyway?

[MTS]

The point is to stop them being cracked in the first place, but DA2 was cracked in a day, so yeah, they don't work at all really, just frustrates paying customers.

Although apparently it's much more difficult to crack something for online play.

[Euler]

DRM only effect the paying customers, a pirated version is pretty much always better then a legal one. The game industry only hurt themself by makeig these draconic DRM things. One exception seems to be CD projekt red, doing the witcher 2. if you get it from there website GOG.com they promise no DRM on your copy, so some have noticed it does more harm then good.

[Tapper]

Stardock also has a great policy towards pirating and protection.

It earns them so much sympathy from me that I always purchase their games for the full price straight after release, despite them nearly always needing a year or so to patch it to the level of awesomeness they promised upon release.