Dragon Age Discussion Forum

big aaron 501

I think the ability to write your own story in a game is amazing. My favorite games are rpgs that let you make your own choices. Being able to make choices is what sets you aside from the rest of the gamers. It makes us each unique. having someone else decide who I am and what I do makes me feel confined.

big aaron 501

I think a olng game is the way to go. Nothing upsets me more than getting to the end of a good game.I've logged over 250 hours in Oblivion and still going strong. The best games are the ones that you don't want to end. I have already beaten Dragon Age and started a new game. I can't see myself getting another game until Mass Effect 2 comes out. I feel sorry for all of the games that are foolish to release that close to two Bioware titans. I also want to know why the hell gameinformer gave Dragon Age an 8.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ehLcMvM4-g&feature=PlayList&p=0334DCE29D...
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I haven't purchased any games after I bought Dragon Age. I am still playing through the main quest on one character and have 58 hours logged into that character. I have two other characters that are at or about 20 hours. I can't foresee myself buying another game for the rest of the year. I normally buy anywhere from 6-10 games a year and rent a ton. However, with Dragon Age I feel I have no need, since this game meets all my requirements as a consumer. I haven't even touched the DLC yet.

Factor in all the possible party combinations along with character builds and persuasion options that can greatly change the way the game is played, man. Dragon Age has a ton of content. Makes things easier on my wallet. When you add all this up and remember that the game is insanely fun to boot, then you know you have a gem of a game.

Seems like the general concensus is "there's no such thing as too much single-player game." Does that depend on the number of games you buy and play a month/year? If you bought DAO and have played through the single-player campaign, how many other games have you bought in the weeks after that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-4v65FFxM&feature=related

To answer your question about the length of the game. I'll be very brief and to the point.

About damn time.

I think long games are great. People who play multiplayer games can get 100s of hours of play time, but not everyone is into that. So, single player gamers should have options to get tons of hours for their 60 bucks, and there's always other games for gamers that aren't looking for such a lengthy experience. So I think it's good though it shouldn't be the norm. I think sexuality is perfectly fine since it really helps to make a more believable game world (especially in games as expansive as Dragon Age). The voice acting ranges from really great to just getting the job done, but I don't think it ever gets truly "bad".

A long game is a good thing in my mind. That means plenty of play for your pay. I can clearly recall my "final save point" on Final Fantasy VII was at over 97 hours. Granted, I did most of the side quests and got special magic and whatnot, but I loved playing that game! And when I finally beat it, I believe I jumped up and shouted.

Growing up playing RPGs starting with FFVII and up, I loved having a game where a single play through would span 60+ hours just with the main story, not to mention how many more hours you could tack on with side quests. I feel more developers should go back to having more substance and story that actually takes some time, rather than something that can be beaten in a day or two's worth of 4-6 hours of play. If this continues, what reason is there to still pay such high prices for games when they last you a week?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-4v65FFxM&feature=related

I unlocked one romance and I found the experience to be very rewarding. This was nothing like Mass Effect. Honestly, it's about time a fantasy rpg like this had sex and adult themes. Have you read any of the Dragon Lance books. They were filled with sex, love, lust, violence and adult issues. Dragon Age harkens back to this more than anything, I think. To tell you the truth console rpg's of this nature need this type of stuff. Many people think oh, it's fantasy but ya know what. Those were people too. Just because it's fantasy doesn't mean you can get away from real life issues. Those issues have been around before our time and aren't going away in the future either.

While I understand that it was simply a suggestion, I am appalled at the thought that any amount of single player campaign is too much.

It is a terrible trend in modern games where the developers hash together 5-10 hours of campaign and then throw together a "stellar" multiplayer experience and yet still managed to get praise as if they were gods. *Cough cough Modern Warfare 2 cough cough*.

Of all games coming out this season I bought DAO and DAO alone for the sole reason that Bioware aren't the money hungry pigs that Activision is. Have you even read the interviews and quotes of Bobby Kotick, CEO of Activision? The fact is in a world where the gaming genre is dying, and doing it fast, DAO is a shining star compared the rehash mainstream bullshit that we see every year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qs-4v65FFxM&feature=related

The thing I like the most about Dragon Age is this. Now you may agree or disagree with me. That's not the point. This is just an observation.

I really enjoy the way Dragon Age combat plays similar to a MMO akin to Final Fantasy XI. In some areas the combat is different but the same principals apply. Ie- tank, damage dealer, healer, floater...

The combat can be very unforgiving at times, especially on the hard and nightmare settings. With that said solving the puzzle that is each encounter is very rewarding when you complete the challenge doing it your way. So far, it seems that you can actually select the kind of party you want and still find a way to complete the quest. That is very rare rpg's as you tend to get pigeon holed into certain party builds.

I really like this game. I feel it's the best rpg available on the 360, right NOW.

this game rocks I've played it

i played it its Awesome [IMG]http://i1021.photobucket.com/albums/af334/Wings_05/ac_second.jpg[/IMG]

Haha wow, some people LOVE to complain. How dare you prompt game discussion OXM!

60 hours is a little crazy, at least if that's just the main quest. I prefer my RPG games to have about a 20 hour main quest, but have a plethora of side missions. Oblivion did that perfectly, I don't think I even started on the main quest until the 10 hour mark.

I agree with the first post, where was OXM on this game? I like to think of myself as an up to date gamer but had not hear a peep about this game. I love everything BIOWARE has developed and will be waiting in lines to get Mass Effect 2, but there should have at least been some exclusive pages in the magazine devoted to this game as well.

I haven't seen a single word about Dragon Age in OXM even though it was in development for almost 5 years. Now that it's out, you want user comments on whether it's too long or has gratuitous sex?
So instead of covering the actual content and gameplay of a developing game, you decide to cover user philosophy of game development on an already released game. At least you're not wasting magazine pages on the topic.
Where were you guys? OXM should have been a source of information about this game, not a pollster.

I've put way more than 60 hours into pretty much every RPG I've ever played so why should this one be any different?

Mass Effect was played over and over and over to try and see everything the game has too offer, Fallout 3 the same so 60 hours to get through this is no big deal.

It's nice to see developers putting more focus on the single player game, I know this is an RPG and that should always be the case, but it really winds me up when you see a game put so much emphasis on the multiplayer at the expense of the single player game... Halo 2 and 3 being a prime example.

60 hours is a long time to invest in a game, but if that's the amount of time that the developers are willing to give us in straight content, not counting time spent wandering around after the game is over, more power to them. I'd much rather play an epic story that is 20 or more hours than be stuck with a short story of less than 10 (and it seems usually 8 or less with shooters). Just like with a book though, if the story isn't engaging, it shouldn't be drug out. A book like Atlas Shrugged justified all 1200 pages it was printed on. I hope Dragon Age's story can justify such a length.
Just like with the story, character sexuality must be handled properly. Don't do it for its own sake. If it makes sense for 2 characters to get together (see Mass Effect's or Knights of the Old Republic's romance lines, which made complete sense in the grand scheme of the story), then, by all means, get them together. But adding sex or romance to a game just to say that you have a "romance sub-story" is stupid and ruins the game. It shatters the suspension of disbelief and makes the game less than what it would have been before. But this being Bioware, I have complete faith that any romance they put in the game will make sense, won't be forced, and will come about naturally (as in their previous games).
The game needs a certain amount of hand-holding. It has to have some sort of over-branching story that can keep the game together. That said, choose-your-own-adventure games are definitely a good thing. Bioware should certainly make different endings based on the different ways people choose to play. It shouldn't be a simple black or white ending, however. It should have shades of grey (and therefore at least 3 endings, if not more), with player choice determining the final end result. If the story is not unified enough, however, the game simply won't be cohesive and players will likely begin to lose sight of the story. So to answer the question, it should be a meld of the two: just enough hand holding and leading to keep the story together, but with enough player choice to make the game satisfying.
The best voice acting I've heard in a game was probably in Mass Effect (it really was pro, it had the right level of emotion and inflection, and certainly fit the game well) or Fallout 3 (something about it just clicks... the screaming of the Super Mutants, the soothing voice of your father, the crazed ramblings of a wanderer, it works together, even if the dialogue is sometimes lame). The worst was probably Dynasty Warriors. Any of those games. The dialogue is just generally terrible and super awkward, and the voice actors just sound fake. A close second would be Oblivion, minus Liam Neeson... they sound like people just pulled off the street who were nervous to record themselves talking.
All said, I am looking forward to Dragon Age. Bioware is one of my favorite studios, always providing solid RPGs. The game looks stellar, and I really hope it lives up to the hype.

I myself haven't felt so excited for a game in awhile. To me, this game is going to be the perfect blend of fantasy-story, strong combat, and excellent atmosphere. The graphics aren't anything special, but they aren't bad, and they aren't amazing, but graphics don't make the game. I certainly hope Bioware makes this new series a great and long lasting one.

there's no such thing as "too long"

Sexuality in mature rated games should be explored more. Parents want to complain? Stop buying M rated games for 8 year olds.

As far as mapping out your own adventure, I believe we should have a choice between a set storyline and make-it-your-own.

Can't really say as far as voice acting, but i DO love the jobs done in Mass Effect and Fallout 3.

Welcome Wardens...
However far and deep you've delved into the politics, squabbles, and relationships among the folk and factions of Dragon Age: Orgins, you should have opinions. The world is vast and its politics complex. The game mechanics offer broad tactical options. Can you help fellow gamers (without giving away spoilers)? What hidden Achievements did you unlock along the way?

This is the forum to chat away, so welcome, and have at it.