Dragon Age 2 - Preview Roundup

[Dhruin]

The first wave of Dragon Age 2 previews from that Edmonton junket are finally here. First, The Escapist, and Mike Laidlaw who won't win any points here:

The tactical side of combat returns, allowing you to pause the game and form a cohesive plan based on your current party, but the quick pace of fights has been ramped up for those favoring a more action-oriented combat style. Combat in Origins often got bogged down by fighting animations - rather than actually throwing a spell or shooting an arrow, a character would go through a big windup and then, eventually, get around to actually doing whatever it was you they were commanded to do. According to Laidlaw, BioWare wanted the fighting in DA2 to feel more immediate and less like "some invisible person rolling D20s behind the scenes." [...]
The conversation in DA2 plays out much like that in Mass Effect, with players selecting a paraphrase of a dialog option from various points on a wheel. Hoping to avoid those situations where you think you're being flirty but end up sounding like a jerk, the wheel in DA2 adds an icon in the center to give you a better idea of the vibe you're about to convey. A heart is flirty, angel's wings indicate your goody-goody nature, and so on. There's still a bit of wiggle room, but you should always end up saying pretty much exactly what you meant to say. (During my playthrough, I wanted to just tell someone I thought they were cute and ended up inviting them to bed, but flirting is open to all manner of interpretation, I suppose.)

RPG Fan:

Second only to story in the hierarchy of fan concerns, gameplay has undergone a somewhat less significant change, but one that I found refreshing. Battles are quicker, requiring consistent button pressing to fight. Characters move more fluidly, more quickly, and more realistically, with mages fighting more like staff-weilding Shaolin monks at close range, and archers getting away from enemies instead of shooting arrows point-blank. Even the rogues act more like rogues, employing tactics such as disappearing, poisoning, and hopping around like rabid ninjas.

...and Destructoid:

You'll notice, perhaps, that the fundamentals of combat in Dragon Age 2 haven't changed much vis-a-vis their Origins counterparts. Mark Darrah's go-to comment on the combat has been that, "When you push a button, something awesome happens." But Darrah needs clarification: the presentation layer has changed, but the mechanics haven't. Dragon Age 2 is still a stat-driven, Dungeons and Dragons-based game -- replete with inventory screens, if-then tactical Rube Goldberg machines, and little numbers coming out of heads.
Standard melee attacks trigger a little bit faster -- thanks in large part to smoother animations -- and while it looks like a kind of combo, there's nothing mathematically different than four straight melee attacks from Origins. However, the combat has changed somewhat: BioWare has added a layer of spatial awareness to each character's skillset, which the team call "closing attacks.

More information.

 

[Thaurin]

With the exception of that dialogue wheel, this doesn't sound all that bad, now. Does it?

 

[DArtagnan]

Depends on whether you like a more action-based approach, which is clearly what they've chosen for the sequel.

Personally, I like action if it's done well - so this will have to be released before I can comment on whether I like the changes or not.

I think many RPG fans prefer a more cerebral/tactical approach, though, so I can see why they might be concerned by needing "spatial awareness" and "more consistent button pressing."

What I have to question is whether these changes were done for the game itself, or because they feel they needed more people to buy it. Generally, I think games are better served if they're designed according to a clear vision - rather than to appeal to as many people as possible. It's pretty rare, in my experience, that you can successfully combine the two and come up with a better game.

 

[Thaurin]

That's not what I'm getting from these reviewers. It sounds like they adjusted the flow of combat a bit, as in tweaked the animation, etc. to be slightly faster. The same sort of tactical choices can be made as in the first game, according to what I read. They think the combat is comparable. Right?

I think (hope) those BioWare interviews were just marketing.

 

[wolfgrimdark]

There is a good review over at France RPG. There is a translation of the review, plus interview transcripts, on BSN - some new information I have not seen:

France RPG: http://www.rpgfrance.com/taverne/in...iew-et-interview-exclusives-de-dragon-age-ii/

BSN: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/5522817

A few highlights:

- Inon Zur and Aubrey Ashburn will return to give us some good themes and voiced chants.
-The max level a player could reach is about the 50, but be warned that it won't be too easily to reach this level.
-The Kirkwall's map is build upon 6 or 7 maps, and for some of them, there will be a night/day cycle system-like.
-It appears that the "gameplay walkthrough trailer is set to a the normal level (difficulty), as some numbers looks familiar with the coming screenshots

Mike Interview:
* How long will DA2 be? We already know it’s going to be longer than Awakening, but shorter than Origins...

As with all estimations of time, that’s going to vary by player. It’s “around” the length of Mass Effect 2, but there’s a very heavy emphasis on playstyle in Dragon Age II. If you rush to complete it, it can be done reasonably quickly, but you’ll miss a lot of growth of your companions, subtle parts of the story and more. If you take your time and explore, it will take far longer.

* Concerning the “level-up”, is it similar with Origins? Do the companions still scale their levels to the Hawke’s one? And for those who stay longer ar base? Is there any auto-scalling?

It’s very similar to Origins. Everyone, including companions not in the party, receive experience points and level up at roughly the same rate as Hawke. There is an auto-level system (though it wasn’t active in the build you played here at the office), which lets you individually auto-spend points for any companion you like. Of course, players who want to customize their followers fully may do so. In fact, we’re even being more lenient about how your companions progress: while they will all have some abilities when they first join your party, they won’t be fully spent, letting you start customizing them earlier than you could in Origins.

* Concerning the romances and love interest, are all the followers subject to this if I take in account the two genders of Hawke?

Not every follower is interested romantically in Hawke, though there are options for players of all genders and orientations.

* Will it still be possible to have a pet? I’m thinking about the mabari or something else.

We haven’t announced anything as of yet, but I certainly wouldn’t rule it out.

... visit the links for more.

 

[Couchpotato]

I knew the game would be shorter than origins when it was announced you play a voiced character. Vary by player is a vague way of saying its short. For me I beat Massefect with all the dlc in 25 hrs and Dragonage took me about 45 with all the dlc and Exps.

I never hated the new combat or graphics my concerns were companions will only have one set of armor and game length.

 

[JDR13]

and Dragonage took me about 45 with all the dlc and Exps.

Huh? You're saying you finished DA:O + Awakenings + all DLC in 45 hours?

Sorry, but I have to call "bullshit" on that one.

 

[Dwagginz]

Huh? You're saying you finished DA:O + Awakenings + all DLC in 45 hours?

Sorry, but I have to call "bullshit" on that one.

It pains me to do this, but I think he could be right. I have a finished (Not completed) DA:O save at around the 27hr mark (I think that had the 3 base DLC packs - Stone, Keep and Ostagar), Awakening at ~13hrs, which makes 40. I've not bought the four other packs, but it's possible, although 45hrs is at the lower end and it absolutely could not be a fully complete run.

 

[JDR13]

I spent well over 60 hours on just DA:Origins by itself. I'm a completist though, and I explored every possible inch, and completed every possible quest.

I could see his claim being realistic only if he skipped nearly every sidequest.

 

[DeepO]

Huh? You're saying you finished DA:O + Awakenings + all DLC in 45 hours?

Sorry, but I have to call "bullshit" on that one.

Play on easy, fast-quick through dialogues often, don´t bother with companions´ interactions, ignore most of the sidequests and you´re at 45 hours.

 

[Dwagginz]

It is realistic, but it does require missing a lot of the game's fluff and non-essential pathways. Funnily enough, I'm utterly perplexed as to how people can spend 100hrs+ per playthrough, excluding expansion and non-base DLC.

Anyway, back to Dragon Fail 2. It sounded a little better in that it's slightly quicker paced (Origins dragged for me), but an ME2 length playthrough? Damn. ME2 took me 18-19hrs for the first run (Release weekend), and if I did post-release DLC and all side quests I can see it going to maybe 25-30, so it's not really that long a game. I'd guess the initial playthrough for me would be about 17-18hrs, then, based on ME2 and my own play style.

I'd still have to look at it, though, so it's a no-sale. I'm just not as interested in RPGs as I was when Origins released (And I can't stomach Origins anymore), and DA2 offers me nothing at all.

 

[JDR13]

Play on easy, fast-quick through dialogues often, don´t bother with companions´ interactions, ignore most of the sidequests and you´re at 45 hours.

Yep, that's what I was thinking.

I just don't get people who play that way. Seems like they're cheating themselves.

 

[Dwagginz]

Yep, that's what I was thinking.

I just don't get people who play that way. Seems like they're cheating themselves.

*Shrugs* I play with subtitles on, so I've generally read what they're saying before they've said it meaning skipping dialogue can be pretty efficient for me.

I also do a 'blitz' run first and then, on subsequent playthroughs, go back and do things I missed. It allows me to get a feel for the game and the ruleset, and then I'm better educated for those later playthroughs and, as such, be more efficient and get greater enjoyment.

 

[JDR13]

I also do a 'blitz' run first and then, on subsequent playthroughs, go back and do things I missed. It allows me to get a feel for the game and the ruleset, and then I'm better educated for those later playthroughs and, as such, be more efficient and get greater enjoyment.

Rushing through a game on the first playthrough would pretty much ruin it for me. If I'm going to do a speed run, it's going to be after I completed it normally at least once already. Being more efficient doesn't give me more enjoyment when I already know how the storyline and ending plays out.

 

[wolfgrimdark]

First game for me tends to be canon. I live with mistakes I make in my character and choices, I seldom reload (unless I totally screw up) and invest the most time (my first DAO was about 80 hours).

After the first game is when I play around with a few mods, tweak things, etc. I would hate to rush through a game just to get a feel - it would wreck all the mystery and fun of exploring.

 

[Dhruin]

80 hours for me, too. I can't imagine rushing through games on the first play through. Awful.

 

[xSamhainx]

These articles basically are telling me this: "It's been admittedly been streamlined and consolized, but that's fine because it's a cool game after all".

I'm not going to go as far back in RPG busywork as having to map everything out by hand, or suffering horrible graphics which are just rough blocks of color. However, the "rough edges" of Origins (inventory, strategy, tedium) are one of the main things it has going for it. It's kinda slow at times, but that's one of the joys of it as far as I'm concerned. Who wants an rpg to flash past them at 100 mph, just an explosion of blood and action??

Besides Sony, EA, and Microsoft

 

[Couchpotato]

Huh? You're saying you finished DA:O + Awakenings + all DLC in 45 hours?

Sorry, but I have to call "bullshit" on that one.

Thanks to a very good pc game trainer that lets me cheat any way I want.After playing a few origins the conversations all the same. The endings are all the same with just a little new dialogue. I don't have to worry about using tactics and spending hours fighting a boss battle. Yes so there cheating saves me time and before anyone says anything I didn't feel cheated by cheating.

 

[Dhruin]

OK, I'm sure everyone accepts you can cheat/skip/whatever through anything you like in record time if you try hard enough. That's not very informative when people are discussing the length - why did you raise 45 hours if you cheated through it (your prerogative but it hardly enlightens how long the game is)?

 

[Couchpotato]

OK, I'm sure everyone accepts you can cheat/skip/whatever through anything you like in record time if you try hard enough. That's not very informative when people are discussing the length - why did you raise 45 hours if you cheated through it (your prerogative but it hardly enlightens how long the game is)?

Cheating are not I beat the game in 45 hrs I did every companion quest and interaction and yes even the little sidequests thrown in the game. I read every line and didn't skip anything. Dragonage was a linear game and not open world so there wasn't much to explore.

When someone says they spent 70 or more hours on the game I wonder why. Sure you can add up the hours of each origin play through but why nothings different. Same quests and same locations. All that changed was dialog options.

Don't get me wrong the game was enjoyable but it did have flaws. Bioware just cant create beautiful worlds like Bethesda. There games are linear with dialog choices and no exploration. The last game with good exploration was Baldur's Gate 1+2. After that they abandoned open world exploration.

Lets see Jade Empire/Masseffect series you visit worlds but there is barely any exploring its a linear corridor once you enter a city or new world.