Dragon Age 2: Gameplay and Discussion

**Kekvit Irae** · 03-09-2011, 19:55

That implies there's no inventory, because you know: Mass Effect 2 didn't have one. That's so incredibly untrue in for Dragon Age 2.

I was able to buy/switch out arms and armor in ME2, or was that just a dream?

I don't even know what you're talking about. Things like lockpicking and crafting? Uh.. rogues can lockpick still and the crafting system is more open. You find recipes, NPCs make stuff.

News flash: Lockpicking was a talent, not a skill. I'm talking about things like Survival and Coersion. Having a character able to do everything, based on class or ability scores, takes out the stategic element in leveling up.

Well.. people were complaining that Bioware only tells the same structured story when DA:O came out. I remember that as one of the major complaints of the game.. same old Bioware.

The plot of Origins was certainly not bad. I'd rather have something familiar (and something a company excels in) than something completely new. I didn't have to stay in Denerim if I didn't want to.

I do, thanks!

Good for you. But for those of us who want more than just Good/Neutral/Bad/Investigate, I'll take the expansive dialogue choices of DA:O.

Um. What? I've run into countless people from Origins that my warden left around. In fact I'd think bioware put way too many ties into my playthrough of the first game, it feels like half the people i knew ended up in Kirkwall.

Then please explain to me why Connor was freed from the desire demon when I loaded up a save where I allowed the demon to have her way with him? Talent point > some dumb kid's soul.

Origins took me 23 hours to complete on Normal in my final go through. Hour count is pretty unreliable.

And your first playthrough?

I'm not saying the game is bad, I'm saying the same is not what I expected nor wanted.

**Beskar** · 03-09-2011, 20:41

It was pretty obvious what you were getting with Dragon Age 2 and it was obvious from the 'get go' that it will be different.

- From what I have seen from the combat system, it is an improvement over DA:O. I rather have "raindance" which looks stylish combat wise, then "uuuuuhuhhhhhoooooooooo uuuhhhttttttthhhhhhh" slowmo action the mage did in DA:O. The speed ups were much needed.
- As for 'skills', they were pretty useless in DA:O, since I went exactly the same way each time, there was no need for variation since they threw lots of skills at you anyway. As for "I HAD CHOICE", no you never, only rogues could lock pick, and it wasted a ton of points which would have been better spent elsewhere, it is an improvement.
- Inventory was an improvement for the party members, since they keep their own personal styles. In real life, I wouldn't be holding down Alistair, stripping him naked and forcing him to wear some other random gear than his beloved heirloom templar armour.
- Mass Effect dialogue wheel and voice acting was an improvement and so far, it seems to be the same about of choices.

**Monk** · 03-09-2011, 21:25

I was able to buy/switch out arms and armor in ME2, or was that just a dream?

Dragon age 2 hasn't been perfect but let's be honest about it please. The inventory system in DA2 through simplistic, is far more than ME2 ever had. You actually pick up items, potions, and junk that you can exchange with a vendor. ME2 had sliders that determined what armor/weapons you carried.

News flash: Lockpicking was a talent, not a skill. I'm talking about things like Survival and Coersion. Having a character able to do everything, based on class or ability scores, takes out the stategic element in leveling up.

Point taken. But can do without the NEWS FLASH next time.

Then please explain to me why Connor was freed from the desire demon when I loaded up a save where I allowed the demon to have her way with him? Talent point > some dumb kid's soul.

Haven't experienced anything like that. Could be an oversight like what happened with Conrad in ME2. No matter how you treat him in ME1, he still thinks you were a total jerk who put a gun to his face. Thus far everything i've seen has been in line with what I did in Origins.

And your first playthrough?

34-36ish. Second playthrough was 25. Seriously, i have no idea how people ended up with these crazy numbers of 90 and 100 hours of play for origins. But I guess i just finish RPGs quicker than some

I'm not saying the game is bad, I'm saying the same is not what I expected nor wanted.

There's been things i dislike strongly about the game thus far so I'd wager you and I might agree on a certain number of points. But some things i've seen claimed online I just don't see in the final product. I don't know how else I can describe that.

**Kekvit Irae** · 03-09-2011, 21:58

Originally Posted by Monk

Dragon age 2 hasn't been perfect but let's be honest about it please. The inventory system in DA2 through simplistic, is far more than ME2 ever had. You actually pick up items, potions, and junk that you can exchange with a vendor. ME2 had sliders that determined what armor/weapons you carried.

Point. However, there are those, like me, in the gaming community who actually complexity in their inventory management systems or whatever. My loudest complaint about ME2 (besides being a Gears of War wannabe) was the removal of the strategic element in picking the right mods, weapons, and armor for the right situation. If balance was an issue- and it was, since you could blow through the game holding down the fire button with the right mods- then they could have nerfed/toned down the mods, weapons, and skills, not completely remove them.

Point taken. But can do without the NEWS FLASH next time.

My apologies. From the way you were writing, I felt like you were being antagonistic.

Haven't experienced anything like that. Could be an oversight like what happened with Conrad in ME2. No matter how you treat him in ME1, he still thinks you were a total jerk who put a gun to his face. Thus far everything i've seen has been in line with what I did in Origins.

I hope that it wont effect my game very much, if at all. I'm very careful about the choices I make in roleplaying games. My character wanted more power, and didn't give a single thought to the safety of that little kid. Having it retconned felt like a slap in the face. It was a choice that was more personally involving than Conrad sidequest.

34-36ish. Second playthrough was 25. Seriously, i have no idea how people ended up with these crazy numbers of 90 and 100 hours of play for origins. But I guess i just finish RPGs quicker than some

I believe mine was around 50-60ish. Most of that time was spent hunting down side quests and being utterly confused as to what to do or what choices I should make. And save-scumming. Lots of save-scumming.

There's been things i dislike strongly about the game thus far so I'd wager you and I might agree on a certain number of points. But some things i've seen claimed online I just don't see in the final product. I don't know how else I can describe that.

I wont have a complete opinion until I play the game the entire way through, and it'll have to wait until I have completed my Awakening game to see what else can transfer.

**Monk** · 03-09-2011, 22:15

Originally Posted by Kekvit Irae

My apologies. From the way you were writing, I felt like you were being antagonistic.

My bad then.

I believe mine was around 50-60ish. Most of that time was spent hunting down side quests and being utterly confused as to what to do or what choices I should make. And save-scumming. Lots of save-scumming.

That may be it then. I normally restrict myself to main-plot and all companion quests, simply because i tend to 'get lost' and lose interest if i try to hunt down everything. I also tend to ignore DLC on subsequent play throughs.. except for Shale. Loves me that Shale.

Originally Posted by Beskar

- From what I have seen from the combat system, it is an improvement over DA:O. I rather have "raindance" which looks stylish combat wise, then "uuuuuhuhhhhhoooooooooo uuuhhhttttttthhhhhhh" slowmo action the mage did in DA:O. The speed ups were much needed.
- Mass Effect dialogue wheel and voice acting was an improvement and so far, it seems to be the same about of choices.

Combat feels really fun as do some of the bigger boss battles. The Deep Roads has to be my favorite thus far in terms of boss movement, positioning and tactics. Really, it reminds me of running raids in WoW. Telling people to not stand in fire and then starring at disbelief when they do anyway. Can't count the times i've muttered a variety of curses towards Anders. Always finding ways to stand where he shouldn't...

As for the wheel system it has for the most part been a change I like, but I am really hating party interaction. Without spoiling too much my party doesnt feel like my team, like they did in Origins. They just feel like friends who hang around and get into trouble with me from time to time. It makes sense, i guess, since we're not out to save the world - but I'd be lying if i said i didn't miss feeling like The A Team.

**Kekvit Irae** · 03-09-2011, 22:26

Originally Posted by Monk

Really, it reminds me of running raids in WoW. Telling people to not stand in fire and then starring at disbelief when they do anyway.

Oh man, tell me about it. I hate running Cata Heroics. There's always that *one* person in the group. DA:O wasn't much better, but at least I could pause and take control.

**TinCow** · 03-10-2011, 15:03

Played a few hours now and have some more comments.

-I'm getting used to the camera and am able to manage it, but it's still a horrible system which was clearly imposed due to console requirements. Stupid consoles.

-I'm startled by the load speeds of pretty much everything. My computer is decent but certainly not a speed machine by modern standards, yet everything, from the game to saves to new areas, loads in about 5 seconds flat. I've never seen a game load that fast.
-I like combat. It's quick and intuitive and sufficiently challenging to be interesting (playing on Hard, though had to drop to Normal for the early-game Ogre fight). I love me some Infinity Engine style tactical combat and I love me some ME2 style action combat. Everything that tries to be halfway between those seems to be less enjoyable than the extremes, and I count DA:O in that category. I'm glad they didn't try to stay in the middle with DA2.
-I like the ME2 conversation wheel in ME2, but for some reason it doesn't seem to fit as well in DA2. Yes, it works, but it makes me far more aware that I'm playing an RPG-on-rails. ME1 was on rails, so that was fine for ME2, but DA:O kept trying to insist it wasn't on rails, so their decision to not even try and disguise it in DA2 is a bit jarring.
-Inventory system is fine. Here they walk the line between Infinity Engine and ME2 and succeed. We get loot, but management of it is easy and I don't have to do the hand-me-down dance with my entire party every single time I get a new piece of armor. I approve.