Dragon Age: Origins

[FridgeMagnet]

Tanks have always existed in rl, with tough armoured troops protecting generals and archers and siege engines etc, and they've always been a part of heroic fantasy in both myth (the warrior protecting his liege or family to the death by taking enemy blows) and gaming.

What irritates me is the pampered muhmorpig bastards who think that all you have to do for that is to have some sort of "aggro" skill. In the past you had to get your fighters in the way to stop the orcs going straight for your magic user, use the terrain, make defensive groups; there were tactics involved. Now, oh no, we can just sit there and click a button and the monsters will just completely ignore their own best interests and attack the hardest thing to kill. Lazy fuckers.

 

[tommers]

Tanks have always existed in rl, with tough armoured troops protecting generals and archers and siege engines etc, and they've always been a part of heroic fantasy in both myth (the warrior protecting his liege or family to the death by taking enemy blows) and gaming.

What irritates me is the pampered muhmorpig bastards who think that all you have to do for that is to have some sort of "aggro" skill. In the past you had to get your fighters in the way to stop the orcs going straight for your magic user, use the terrain, make defensive groups; there were tactics involved. Now, oh no, we can just sit there and click a button and the monsters will just completely ignore their own best interests and attack the hardest thing to kill. Lazy fuckers.

*applause*

you said it better than i ever could.

 

[tommers]

well... I've played through a couple of origins. Did the mage one and just finished the dalish elf one...

it's very KOTOR isn't it?

I'm going with a kind of errol flynn character.

 

[Vintage Paw]

I finished my first playthrough the other night. Played a male human rogue. Thoroughly enjoyed it. As I want my cake and to eat it too, I wished the last questy/mission thing lasted longer - it seemed like some of the treaties quests were longer and more satisfying (esp. the dwarf one).

I'm so lacking a life, I started a new game of it yesterday, female elf rogue this time (I like the rogue's flexibility). Just arrived in Lothering.

 

[tommers]

I have to play it in between feeding and changing the baby so I've just got to lothering for the 2nd time. Rogue this time, I like them too... Combat seems to go much quicker than when i was a mage, and it was annoying that there were chests I couldn't open.

One thing I'm not sure about are the weapon skills - they seem quite samey.

For example you can have "Shield Cover", which raises missile defence with a loss of attack and you can have "Shield Defence", which raises missile defence and normal defence with a loss of attack.... I just seem to be adding more special attacks which do much the same.

Anyway, it's not quite as amazing as I thought it was going to be but it's good enough to be getting on with! Hopefully things will improve once I finally get out of Lothering.

 

[Vintage Paw]

Yes, the skills are a bit hit and miss, pardon the pun. I let my team auto-level up last time, because I'm not that used to proper RPG games and it was enough to get to grips with my own character. This time I'm making sure they get what I want out of them. Plus, I was a little all over the place with my own rogue, not really knowing what to focus on, ending up spending wasted points on too much herbalism and poison-making etc. A good tip I saw online was save those for members you'll always leave back in camp so they can make all your stuff for you and you get the free slots for more important stuff. This is why I'm crap at strategy - I fail at thinking of these things for myself.

I also found out an easy money exploit. I know I shouldn't, but I got so pissed off never being able to get that tantalising expensive stuff in the shops that I'm willing to sacrifice my integrity this time around

 

[Vintage Paw]

Oh, and I'm going to pick up a copy of KotOR. I've been reliably informed that because I love ME and DAO I'll love KotOR. I believe it is backwards compatible and will work on the 360.

I have more time (and money) than sense. Better this than being stuck watching re-runs on Dave though

 

[tommers]

Yeah Kotor is really good. You will notice certain similarities.

 

[Awesome Wells]

great game, poor port.

the ps3 version is filled with glitches.

 

[fen_boy]

great game, poor port.

the ps3 version is filled with glitches.

Yeah, the ps3 version is really badly done.

 

[The Groke]

great game, poor port.

the ps3 version is filled with glitches.

I am so glad I went with the PC version after much deliberation.

 

[Awesome Wells]

Yeah, the ps3 version is really badly done.

i hear its better tan the 360.

also why do you have piss few tactics slots which you need to help your team not shoot each other or fail to heal and generally not die.

 

[pboi]

so I have done about 5 hours, PS3 version, Magi, just going with the flow.

I have this annoying niggle that infact I am not doing everything I should be. I am not bothering talking to my party, or examining anything I pick up.

Am I missing out any anything major? Or can I just carry on with building a healbot for my peeps my virtual computer peeps!! argh how sad

 

[The Groke]

I am not bothering talking to my party,

You have lots of time left to do this if you are only 5 hours in but it is worth it as:

1) When your party like you enough, they get permanent stat/skill bonuses
2) There are quests for most (all?) of your party members which open up when you have built enough of a bond up with them.

 

[pboi]

agh really? damn it, now it sounds worth my while. how big does the selection get for party members? I only just got to that selection screen...so figure its still early on.

im a little dazzled at how epic this game is going to be reading the thread. ( I dont like to watching movies/reviews for films or games, I find it really spoils it)

I have downloaded that stone golem but not enabled him yet, is it too late?

btw I was a massive WoW geek and well into my raiding. super geek in one of the best in the world at the time, so this is totally hitting my casual spot!! haha

 

[The Groke]

agh really? damn it, now it sounds worth my while. how big does the selection get for party members? I only just got to that selection screen...so figure its still early on.

Well it is entirely possible to not meet/not recruit certain characters due to your decisions in the game...

I think I have around 8 now @ about 65 hours in...

I have downloaded that stone golem but not enabled him yet, is it too late?

Shale is probably my favourite character in the game, both for entertainment and as the best tank available.

So yeah - get ye to the Golem quest and do it! I believe you can activate it whilst already in a game and pick up the quest.

 

[pboi]

and do you manage to switch between characters to carry out specials...or do you let the AI do its thing? also, do you have the team members taking potions ?

i find myself sticking to my mage and let the the rest do their thing..one imagines thats not possible for the big bosses

 

[The Groke]

I micromanage every single team member in every single fight!

Partly for fun, partly because the tougher fights warrant it IMO...

 

[Beanburger]

Yeah, the ps3 version is really badly done.

How badly? Really wanna play this from the comfort of the couch.

 

[tommers]

Shale is probably my favourite character in the game, both for entertainment and as the best tank available.

Without starting that argument again... when I saw a Golem I thought "wicked, bet he can throw people against walls, crush enemies' heads in his hands and chuck rocks."

Ummm..... well, he can go into "attack mode" - where he can "slam" people and bang the ground.... but he can also go into "support mode" and "defense mode".

yeahhhhh! what an awesome killing machine. "oi! golem! go smash those guys' heads in!" "Ok, but I'd rather sit here and make you regain stamina more quickly."



and! and! what is going on with the bloody bandits in this game? I'm stuck in Demerin fighting bloody pickpockets in back alleys and they're killing at least one party member in every fight, Pickpockets! I'm the bloody grey warden!

 

[The Groke]

Without starting that argument again... when I saw a Golem I thought "wicked, bet he can throw people against walls, crush enemies' heads in his hands and chuck rocks."

Ummm..... well, he can go into "attack mode" - where he can "slam" people and bang the ground.... but he can also go into "support mode" and "defense mode".

I think the game does a great job at tapping into mechanics one might reasonable associate with the characters elemental form:

1) Attributes/skills relating to damage reduction and durability
2) Attributes/skills relating to offensive bludgeoning.


Yeah, fair enough if you get him early on, he isn't as powerful as you might expect "out of the box" but as he has been levelling up, I have applied skills to him which allow:

1) Hurling bloody great boulders at groups of foes
2) Pounding the ground and creating a small earth-quake
3) "Killer blows" slow, chargable, single-hit massive attacks which floor opponents and shatter foes that are frozen
4) Hunker down and take large amounts of damage, distracting attackers from your other party members.

Does pretty much all I would want/expect and most of what you have listed TBH!



As for the bandits...well yes, they are a challenge, but mostly due to the fact that there tends to be about 10 of them, mixing up traps, magic and close-combat bad-guys against your team of four.

Grey Warden or no, any tough guy is going to have a fight on their hands in those circumstances surely!

 

[fen_boy]

How badly? Really wanna play this from the comfort of the couch.

Really badly chugging frame rate mainly, but it looks shit too.

 

[The Groke]

Really badly chugging frame rate mainly, but it looks shit too.

Can't imagine playing it without mouse and keyboard either TBH

 

[pboi]

i hope they patch it or something. it does chug

 

[tommers]

1) Hurling bloody great boulders at groups of foes

I look forward to that then. I've already got the others.

Don't get me wrong, it's a good game. I really enjoy having to make moral judgements (just done the first bit of the redcliffe quest), just the odd thing seems a bit incongruous.

And we've already covered the "attract enemies to hit the big rock" thing.

 

[The Groke]

just the odd thing seems a bit incongruous.

In some ways I think in modern games, this is often akin to an "Uncanny Valley" effect.

As games become more complex, more ambitious, offer more choice, a more immersive experience, more advanced mechanics, it can really bring you back to earth with a jolt when a relatively minor incongruity or forced mechanism slips in to the mix...

 

[tommers]

In some ways I think in modern games, this is often akin to an "Uncanny Valley" effect.

As games become more complex, more ambitious, offer more choice, a more immersive experience, more advanced mechanics, it can really bring you back to earth with a jolt when a relatively minor incongruity or forced mechanism slips in to the mix...

well the bit where the guy suddenly asked me to pay for DLC was jarring to say the least.

 

[The Groke]

well the bit where the guy suddenly asked me to pay for DLC was jarring to say the least.

Fortunately I was spared that as I had already bought the uber-mega pack...

 

[tommers]

Fortunately I was spared that as I had already bought the uber-mega pack...

I had something with shale and the armour but not the peak. Worth it?

 

[The Groke]

I had something with shale and the armour but not the peak. Worth it?

Ummm...yeah. I think so.

The peak was a pretty good quest with some interesting choices...dunno - how much is it as DLC?