Since it's the only game in the series I never officially finished, I think I'll attempt a replay of Dragon Age II.

(May 4, 2021 at 8:51 pm)Eleven Wrote: Since it's the only game in the series I never officially finished, I think I'll attempt a replay of Dragon Age II.

I really wish I could replay the original Dragon Age (with mods), but the thing keeps crashing on newer Windows.  It was always very buggy.  That was one of my favorite games of all time when it worked.

Dragon Age II looked good on paper, but it was rushed out the door with minimal design or the dungeons or surroundings.  It could've been a great game if it had a year or two more of development (gee, didn't I see this dungeon before?).  Still, it is fun (if claustrophobic in scale).

The next one ... again had a good idea to make the world larger and more open, and got bogged down in mindless grinding tasks.  Very boring.

Thanks for reminding me of this!  I am going to pull out Dragon Age II again!  I have played it through at least twice, but that was a long time ago.

(May 5, 2021 at 4:42 pm)HappySkeptic Wrote:

(May 4, 2021 at 8:51 pm)Eleven Wrote: Since it's the only game in the series I never officially finished, I think I'll attempt a replay of Dragon Age II.

I really wish I could replay the original Dragon Age (with mods), but the thing keeps crashing on newer Windows.  It was always very buggy.  That was one of my favorite games of all time when it worked.

Dragon Age II looked good on paper, but it was rushed out the door with minimal design or the dungeons or surroundings.  It could've been a great game if it had a year or two more of development (gee, didn't I see this dungeon before?).  Still, it is fun (if claustrophobic in scale).

The next one ... again had a good idea to make the world larger and more open, and got bogged down in mindless grinding tasks.  Very boring.

Thanks for reminding me of this!  I am going to pull out Dragon Age II again!  I have played it through at least twice, but that was a long time ago.

Oof to Dragon Age 2. 

It feels like a "spin-off" rather than a sequel. I bought Dragon Age 2 on release day expecting to end up worshipping it. But it's the only game in the series I abandoned before finishing. Have not finished it to this day.

IDK why Bioware feels the need to "improve on" the Baldur's Gate formula. It's RPG perfection. They need to enhance the formula rather than revise it.

I'm currently playing a bit of Universe Sandbox.





As you can see it's about doing crazy stuff with stellar physics.

@HappySkeptic
@vulcanlogician

I began DAII having the same issues I have in the past. I tried the mage, then the rogue, and even on casual setting I just could not invest myself into the gameplay. I usually avoid playing a warrior, because I tend to prefer being a ranged class. However, with DAII, I have learned that I prefer playing the warrior, but only the sword & shield spec. Two handed is too grindy, but sword & shield is actually enjoyable. It's weird, because in DAO, I prefer the archer rogue while in DAI I prefer the mage. Anwho, now that I have figured out the issue, I'm invested in finishing the game.

(May 6, 2021 at 9:49 pm)Eleven Wrote: @HappySkeptic
@vulcanlogician

I began DAII having the same issues I have in the past. I tried the mage, then the rogue, and even on casual setting I just could not invest myself into the gameplay. I usually avoid playing a warrior, because I tend to prefer being a ranged class. However, with DAII, I have learned that I prefer playing the warrior, but only the sword & shield spec. Two handed is too grindy, but sword & shield is actually enjoyable. It's weird, because in DAO, I prefer the archer rogue while in DAI I prefer the mage. Anwho, now that I have figured out the issue, I'm invested in finishing the game.

My favorite DAO run was a warrior (weapon & shield) and three mages. The treasures that having a rogue allows you to access just aren't worth it in DAO. And I much prefer mages spamming aoe/paralysis to the stuff rogues can do. My main strat was to find a bottleneck and put a Glyph of Paralysis (or two) there. Then cast an aeo. The paralyzed enemies stopped the onslaught of melee.

@HappySkeptic @Eleven

What is your favorite game from the Dragon Age franchise?

For me it's DAO. No doubt about it. I wish the series would return to it's quasi-isometric roots. Or at least make one game in that fashion.

(May 7, 2021 at 10:17 am)vulcanlogician Wrote: What is your favorite game from the Dragon Age franchise?

Depends on where I'm playing it. If I'm playing it on the console, DAO is my favorite. Unfortunately, the PC version doesn't do the game any justice.

Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoy DAI. Some people think the gameplay is too long, but I like that about it.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what DA IV has to offer when it's finally released.

Side note: I was thinking of purchasing the Mass Effect bundle for the PC since I never played the first two games. I have played Andromeda on the PS4, and enjoyed it.

(May 7, 2021 at 10:22 am)Eleven Wrote: Side note: I was thinking of purchasing the Mass Effect bundle for the PC since I never played the first two games. I have played Andromeda on the PS4, and enjoyed it.

Mass Effect trilogy is awesome. With the second two they really cleaned up the shooter aspect of the game. In Mass Effect 1, the shooting is clunky. And you can start really abusing the weapon cooldown system later in the game.

The atmosphere they create in Mass Effect (all 3 games) is awesome. Especially with the alien nightclubs.

(May 7, 2021 at 10:17 am)vulcanlogician Wrote:

(May 6, 2021 at 9:49 pm)Eleven Wrote: @HappySkeptic
@vulcanlogician

I began DAII having the same issues I have in the past. I tried the mage, then the rogue, and even on casual setting I just could not invest myself into the gameplay. I usually avoid playing a warrior, because I tend to prefer being a ranged class. However, with DAII, I have learned that I prefer playing the warrior, but only the sword & shield spec. Two handed is too grindy, but sword & shield is actually enjoyable. It's weird, because in DAO, I prefer the archer rogue while in DAI I prefer the mage. Anwho, now that I have figured out the issue, I'm invested in finishing the game.

My favorite DAO run was a warrior (weapon & shield) and three mages. The treasures that having a rogue allows you to access just aren't worth it in DAO. And I much prefer mages spamming aoe/paralysis to the stuff rogues can do. My main strat was to find a bottleneck and put a Glyph of Paralysis (or two) there. Then cast an aeo. The paralyzed enemies stopped the onslaught of melee.

@HappySkeptic @Eleven

What is your favorite game from the Dragon Age franchise?

For me it's DAO. No doubt about it. I wish the series would return to it's quasi-isometric roots. Or at least make one game in that fashion.

Yes, DAO is my favorite.  I loved the balance of strategy and build that came into play.  I do love mindless hack-and-slash that relies only on build (like Diablo III), but I like some strategy as well.  I also enjoyed the mods that were available.

DAO has issues with crafting being boring, but the story line with all the downloadable content was awesome.  I will play it again if I can find out how not to have it crash.  I like a mage, and one scene at the end of the origin-story Fade crashes 100% of the time.  If I can find a mod to skip that part, I will.  The other classes usually crash in different spots, but perhaps one of them might work.

I have some hopes for DA 4 in a few years.

DA Inquisition had real flaws.  The romance had no real payoff, and the gameplay was mostly a boring grind.

(May 7, 2021 at 10:31 am)HappySkeptic Wrote: DA Inquisition had real flaws.  The romance had no real payoff, and the gameplay was mostly a boring grind.

DAI is so much of a sandbox that it breaks immersion. You feel no real connection to the world. Romances and quests may as well have well been accomplished by selecting items on a drop down list.

Like DA2, it's too streamlined. They wanted to make the game "gamer friendly" and modern. That's a bad call. DAO was about recapturing the magic of Baldur's Gate. It was an exploration of RPG roots. It looked to the past for inspiration. That's what the series needs to do. When it looks to the future (streamlined, modern, "gamer" experience) it loses what made it special in the first place.

This question is for @Eleven too:

Have either of you played Baldur's Gate?