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Post by majesticjazz on Jul 28, 2017 19:42:47 GMT
Based on the feedback from both DAI and MEA, what lessons learned do you think will/should be applied to Dragon Age 4?
For me its this:
1) Ditch the open world/environment approach....Bioware sucks at it. Go back to the DAO approach where therr are many "levels" that are large enough to seem expansive but not too big to where it feels empty and content feels forced.
2) If they do keep the open world, Biowae needs to step into the 21st Century and finally have day/night cycles and dynamic weather.
3) Use the DAI model for character creation, not MEA.
4) Improve the quality of their side quest.
5) Have the options for a squadmate to die due to your actions or simply leave you. MEA played it too safe.
6) Improved villian, Bioware is like Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have great heros but POOR villians. MEA and DAI are huge examples. Bioware villains tend to be too cliche, too cartoon like or Power Rangers like. Only Jade Empire and DAO imo had great villians.
7) Instead of DAI armor dyes, DA4 should allow you to change your uniform color any way you want with no requires resources like with MEA.
8) Have a "Black Emporium" mirror at launch and noth weeks/months after.
9) Do not have a 10-hour pre-release trial.
10) Hubs needs to be more lively and dense. The Orlais market in DAI was just sad.....so sad. Stationary NPCs, no imergent gameplay, just a "movie set". This ties back into point #1.
11) Allow the ability if the player to play as a ruthless/renegade style hero. The IQ was too goody2shoes and Ryder was even worse and always joking. More variance like DA2.
12) Release the game when its ready. Most likely DA4 will release around the time Cyberpunk 2077 comes out so Bioware has no room for error.
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boxofscreaming
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Post by boxofscreaming on Jul 28, 2017 19:49:33 GMT
Well, I think DAI did a lot more right than wrong, but I'd appreciate more cutscene conversations like in the first two games.
Oh, and better hairdos.
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Post by Catilina on Jul 28, 2017 19:55:46 GMT
Well, I think DAI did a lot more right than wrong, but I'd appreciate more cutscene conversations like in the first two games. Oh, and better hairdos. The DAI's best weakness is the open world. And the Inquisitor was too kind. And need better hair...
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wright1978
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Post by wright1978 on Jul 28, 2017 21:19:37 GMT
Based on the feedback from both DAI and MEA, what lessons learned do you think will/should be applied to Dragon Age 4? For me its this: 1) Ditch the open world/environment approach....Bioware sucks at it. Go back to the DAO approach where therr are many "levels" that are large enough to seem expansive but not too big to where it feels empty and content feels forced. 2) If they do keep the open world, Biowae needs to step into the 21st Century and finally have day/night cycles and dynamic weather. 3) Use the DAI model for character creation, not MEA. 4) Improve the quality of their side quest. 5) Have the options for a squadmate to die due to your actions or simply leave you. MEA played it too safe. 6) Improved villian, Bioware is like Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have great heros but POOR villians. MEA and DAI are huge examples. Bioware villains tend to be too cliche, too cartoon like or Power Rangers like. Only Jade Empire and DAO imo had great villians. 7) Instead of DAI armor dyes, DA4 should allow you to change your uniform color any way you want with no requires resources like with MEA. 8) Have a "Black Emporium" mirror at launch and noth weeks/months after. 9) Do not have a 10-hour pre-release trial. 10) Hubs needs to be more lively and dense. The Orlais market in DAI was just sad.....so sad. Stationary NPCs, no imergent gameplay, just a "movie set". This ties back into point #1. 11) Allow the ability if the player to play as a ruthless/renegade style hero. The IQ was too goody2shoes and Ryder was even worse and always joking. More variance like DA2. 12) Release the game when its ready. Most likely DA4 will release around the time Cyberpunk 2077 comes out so Bioware has no room for error. Agree with most of that. Really need a proper major city hub, not atrocious orlais and just wilderness. I'd like more of mea's approach to companion loyalty missions or better yet da2's multi arc ones. Hardening/softening to return. Wasn't dual Leliana paths fantastic. Hoping for more direct control over decisions and less 'Wicked hearts and wicked eyes' approach. Personally hope Female LI are more akin to MEA than DAI Not sure what was wrong with pre-release trial though. It definitely stoked my excitement.
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Cantina
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Post by Cantina on Jul 28, 2017 21:37:11 GMT
Interesting you bring this topic up.
I'm currently working on my reply. Be a bit before its done.
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boxofscreaming
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Post by boxofscreaming on Jul 28, 2017 21:50:28 GMT
I do think, though, if I'd been asked after playing Dragon Age Origins what I wanted from the sequel, I probably wouldn't have described anything like Dragon Age 2, but it turned out to be my favourite game in the series.
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Post by Iakus on Jul 28, 2017 22:56:23 GMT
13) Let the player have access to all unlocked skills at once. Even if it means bringing back power wheels. No, don't use profiles again. They are too awkward and the cooldowns render them nigh-useless.
14) Let players have some control over their companions in combat. "Use this power", "don't use this power", and "use this power a lot" is not enough.
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Post by dragontartare on Jul 28, 2017 23:09:40 GMT
I agree with so much of what you said that I'm just going to reply inside your quote Based on the feedback from both DAI and MEA, what lessons learned do you think will/should be applied to Dragon Age 4? For me its this: 1) Ditch the open world/environment approach....Bioware sucks at it. Go back to the DAO approach where therr are many "levels" that are large enough to seem expansive but not too big to where it feels empty and content feels forced. Agreed. I think MEA was actually a step backwards from DAI with regards to areas feeling empty and content feeling forced, but that might be because we had a vehicle and therefore greater distances to traverse.
If they feel they really need to do an open world because that's just what RPGs are doing now, then I'd like to see greater diversity in the types of biomes we get. Again, DAI did a better job than MEA with that. 2) If they do keep the open world, Biowae needs to step into the 21st Century and finally have day/night cycles and dynamic weather. I would even accept separate day/night maps like DA2 had, if they cannot do a true day/night cycle. Dynamic weather might be nice, but if it rains as much as it does in Witcher 3, I'm going to use console commands or a mod to turn off the rain anyway 3) Use the DAI model for character creation, not MEA. Agreed, mostly. The one thing I appreciated about the MEA character creator was that the way Ryder appeared in the CC was the exact same as the way she appeared in-game. All of my Inquisitors so far have looked somewhat different in-game. I'm not sure why this is.4) Improve the quality of their side quest. Agreed, but how would you improve them? I would appreciate it if side quests (and companion quests, Peebee) didn't send me all over the damn place collecting crap just to complete them. This is why I no longer bother with shards or astrariums. I'd prefer self-contained quests, or quests that can be completed as I explore an area for the main story. Don't send me back somewhere that I already explored thoroughly ten levels ago.
Possibly they need to pace the main story out a bit better? More main story, fewer side quests? 5) Have the options for a squadmate to die due to your actions or simply leave you. MEA played it too safe. To an extent, sure. I know it was a fun surprise last night when I was playing my religious zealot Inquisitor and Dorian threatened to leave. (To be clear, I knew that could happen, I just didn't realize that the Inquisitor had already pissed him off that much. He only just got to Skyhold like an hour before that.) It adds to the realism when not all the companions think your farts smell like roses.6) Improved villian, Bioware is like Marvel Cinematic Universe. They have great heros but POOR villians. MEA and DAI are huge examples. Bioware villains tend to be too cliche, too cartoon like or Power Rangers like. Only Jade Empire and DAO imo had great villians. I liked the Arishok the best, and even Meredith was an interesting antagonist, but I think DA4 has potentially the best set-up for a villain of any of the games. I feel optimistic about that part.7) Instead of DAI armor dyes, DA4 should allow you to change your uniform color any way you want with no requires resources like with MEA. 8) Have a "Black Emporium" mirror at launch and noth weeks/months after. A nice touch, yes. Especially if the CC is like DAI's and requires tweaking your character after the prologue.9) Do not have a 10-hour pre-release trial. Why?10) Hubs needs to be more lively and dense. The Orlais market in DAI was just sad.....so sad. Stationary NPCs, no imergent gameplay, just a "movie set". This ties back into point #1. Agreed. I want to see bustling Minrathous in DA4. I hate to bring up the game-which-must-not-be-named, but one of my favorite things about it was just wandering around Novigrad and Beauclair, and taking in the city feel.11) Allow the ability if the player to play as a ruthless/renegade style hero. The IQ was too goody2shoes and Ryder was even worse and always joking. More variance like DA2. GOD YES. Or at least a rude/sarcastic/completely inappropriate hero. Four shades of nice gets really boring. I would love a DA2 style protagonist again.12) Release the game when its ready. Most likely DA4 will release around the time Cyberpunk 2077 comes out so Bioware has no room for error. I'd like to add: bring back quicksave! It's so easy and instinctual to hit F5 right before I jump my protagonist into a situation that I'm not sure they'll survive, or even a situation that can be tedious to get through if I were to have to start from the beginning again (such as jumping puzzles), and not having the ability in MEA was very frustrating for me. It boggles my mind why they would take quicksaving away. Edit: also agree with Iakus. Let me use all the abilities I've unlocked, such as in DAO and DA2. Even DAI was acceptable compared to what they did to MEA. Full companion control is a must.
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Post by Iakus on Jul 28, 2017 23:15:15 GMT
Edit: also agree with Iakus . Let me use all the abilities I've unlocked, such as in DAO and DA2. Even DAI was acceptable compared to what they did to MEA. Full companion control is a must. I did not like how DAI handled powers. But MEA managed to take something I didn't like, and actually make it WORSE! Frankly, DA2 handled powers best. The problem with them was the silly button-awesome animations. Slow it down a bit and make the combat look less cartoonish and it would have been fine.
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Post by themikefest on Jul 28, 2017 23:30:44 GMT
I did not like how DAI handled powers. It didn't bother me. Though I like the way it was in DAO/DA2 where I could access all powers. My biggest issue with that is the removal of the power wheel
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Post by dragontartare on Jul 28, 2017 23:41:48 GMT
Edit: also agree with Iakus . Let me use all the abilities I've unlocked, such as in DAO and DA2. Even DAI was acceptable compared to what they did to MEA. Full companion control is a must. I did not like how DAI handled powers. But MEA managed to take something I didn't like, and actually make it WORSE! Frankly, DA2 handled powers best. The problem with them was the silly button-awesome animations. Slow it down a bit and make the combat look less cartoonish and it would have been fine. What I meant by accepting a system similar to DAI is that I wouldn't despise combat due to the limitations, like I did in MEA. I too would prefer a system like DA2.
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Post by Cantina on Jul 29, 2017 9:07:54 GMT
This will be long.
So, if you’re expecting a summary at the bottom or plan to complain about how long my post is, best to just move on and not bother reading.
If you choose to stay and read, grab a cup of coffee (or a margarita) and take a seat.
I have not played nor have any intentions of playing Mass Effect. I will however give you a long ass reply of why Inquisition was worse than Origins and DA2.
When it comes to Inquisition, there were some good things, but, mostly bad.
I felt Origins was an amazing game – hell, it still is. Was it perfect? No. But what the game did was make you feel completely in control; from your character to your companions, even the choices you made through-out the game. There was no hand-holding what-so-ever.
Dragon 2 was (and still is) debated to this day, if it was good or not. I for one encountered a lot of issues, from the graphics to the whinny character writing. The story was good. Sure, it needed some polish, but you never knew what to expect. That kind of story telling brought back fond memories of how the Origins story played out. Furthermore, a lot of game mechanics were moved over and/or improved.
Then we get to Inquisition.
Let us remove the obvious here. Yes, the graphics were great-mostly. Yes, the voice acting was well done. Yes, the music was good.
Now, let us put that to the side and start dissecting the game.
The Character Creation:
Good: Able to create a unique character from pretty to down-right “E-gads! No!”
Bad: The obvious is: hairstyles -worst I’ve seen in any game I’ve played [to date] and I've been playing games for a very long time. Unable to customize your character’s body. Want a scar on your back? Denied. Want a tattoo on your upper-thigh? Denied.
Improvements: While I understand it is difficult to adjust the character’s body style do to how the player’s character interacts with others. I however, feel there is no reason said player cannot plaster their body with scars/tattoos/moles.
Also, I do not give a rat’s ass if my character’s hair clips in her armor every time or some of the time she moves. I much rather deal with the clipping then choose between an 80s mullet or a military buzz cut. Furthermore, Races should have one or two styles that is just for them. Say, you have a Dwarven female. Why not give her a haircut that is popular among that woman’s race. Finally, female and male’s hair should have different styles too. There is nothing like running through an area to see a dwarven male with Celene’s hairstyle. Gosh, that was bizarre. Bonus Improvement: Starter outfit should match whatever your character is. One thing in Origins that fit very well was: if you choose to play a Mage, your Mage starter outfit was a robe. In Inquisition, it did not matter what class you choose, you ended wearing the same ugly ass mercenary outfit, which ruins the role play for me. Yep. Nothing like being a noble mage and being forced to wear a mercenary outfit during the prologue. Good times. I’m not expecting some fancy dress. I am expecting a nice robe to represent what I am.
Attributes:
Good: Getting a bonus to your Attribute by whatever ability you take and/or by crafting.
Bad:
Dear Bioware,
I have been playing videos games for 30+ years of my life. I do not need my hand-held when it comes to you choosing the game to distribute my attributes for me.
I’ve played the previous two games and a variety of other RPG games that allowed me to choose which points I wanted to go where.
Thus, you making this choice was one big bone-head maneuver.
Signed, Cantina
Improvements: Allow players to distribute their attributes how they see fit (As was done in the previous DA games). It was annoying to see my attribute stats and not being able to do anything about it. Furthermore, this allows the player to have more control on how he/she wishes to build their character.
Bonus Improvements: Every ten levels the player and companions should obtain an extra Attribute point. Also, points could be awarded to you for completing a specific task.
Level Cap:
Good: Uh. Yeah, right.
The Bad: When it comes to putting a cap on a level, I am for a high cap on single and/or MMP game. But the problem is the cap in Inquisition is just, well, laughable. A cap of this nature I’d expect to see on some random late 90s game. Then you tack on DLCs. If a player reaches the DLCs once he/or she has completed all that was available in the base game, then they are no longer improving their character. All they are doing is trying to find some reason to even do the DLC. Generally, that reason is because, “Oh! new content!” But with new content should come with more levels. This allows their character to expand beyond what the base game offered. Limiting the player even with such a low cap is just ludicrous and serves no purpose other than the developers being, well, dumb.
Improvement: Increase the cap to 40. If you [developers] notice that players have reached said level by the release of the final DLC, then add in a couple more levels.
Tactic Screen:
Good: (Laughs)
Bad: (Still laughing). Seriously? After two Dragon Age games, the developers choose to give us some half-ass tactic screen?!? I recall when I started DAI. I was excited to set-up my companions’ tactics. Then I saw what was given, turned to my husband and said, “What is this shit? Where is the tactic screen?” I read way back when, something along the lines, that they ran out of time. Yeah, right. My ass they did. The developers could have updated the tactic screen in patch. There is no excuse to remove such a good feature and replace it with some watered-down version. I believe the real reason was: “We were too busy making pretty trees to care about features that was enjoyed in previous DA games.”
Improvement: Bring. It. Back.
Zones:
Good: Nice, open areas.
Bad: Let me say this to anyone out there who is still calling this game -open world. It is not. It is more, open zone. A true open world game is going from one area to the next. So, if your character could walk from Skyhold to the Emerald Graves without a loading screen, then yes, yes it would be an open-world game. The open zones were pretty much how DAO and DA2 were, but bigger. However, if you look back at DAO or even DA 2, the space was filled. You walked into an area and the filling seemed to be just right. Were as with DAI, the zones were over-sized with not much in them. Take the Hinterlands. You and your party could run from one end of the zone to the other and not encounter much.
Where are the random dungeons? Why must I fight the same critters all the time? “Oh look, there is a bear. Oh, look another bear.” Joy of Joys. Beyond that, some zones where utterly pointless to go to. Yep. Hissing Wastes. Go there to stop some of Cory’s minions from uncovering an artifact. And guess what impact it has on the main story? None.
Improvements: The size of the zone should reflect the content within and vice versa. Add in more enemies, more content and be sure the content is not only interesting but worth doing. Yeah, I’m looking at you Druffalo.
Class and Special Class:
Good: Brought back the classic classes from the previous games.
Bad: OK. So, the developers gave Warriors the ability to smash down walls. Um. OK. What happened to the Rogue being able to disarm traps? Aren’t dungeons supposed to be dangerous? You would think that if a bunch of Smugglers are moving lyrium they have the place lined with traps.
That is a small, but still annoying feature they removed.
The large one is: Forcing the player to go on some mad Easter Egg hunt to complete their special class quest. Beyond that, telling a player not only can they choose only one of special classes, but inform them once they choose it is permanent. What happens if said player chooses a special class then down the road decides they do not like it?!? Well, to frickening bad! Your stuck with it.
Improvements: Remove the damn special class quest. Allow a player to mix and match special classes like in the previous two games, also change said special class or classes if they wish too. Places should have traps and Rogues should be able to disarm them.
Abilities:
Good: Again, some classics were brought back and/or improved upon.
Bad: Ah yes. Another hand-holding situation. Good Times. If you paid attention to the abilities screen most of the abilities were nothing but automatic. And the rest of the powers could not all fit on your tactics bar. So, you ended up taking more automatic powers, and having very little in terms of attacks. Even if you managed to get more attacks then what your bar could hold, well you were screwed. I ended up using the same powers repeatedly, while the others sat in screen collecting dust. Yep, well worth getting that power. Since your character had more auto attacks then actual attacks, it made combat very boring. Lighting strike, Immolate, Ice ball, repeat. At least in the previous two games, if there was not enough room on your tactic bar the rest went on the combat wheel. Instead the combat wheel turned into a spam fest of given your party directions. Ugh.
Improvements: Tone down the number of automatic abilities and replace them with more interesting powers. Bring back the combat wheel; which will allow players access to powers that cannot fit on their tactic bar. Doing this and bringing back the set-up tactics screen, will make combat not only more in line with how the other two games handled it, but also give the player more control in not only how they want combat to play out. It would also make the player feel they are in fact in control and the developers are not spoon feeding their progression. ‘
Main Story:
Good: Was interesting -mostly at the start of the game. However, once you reached Haven, the story started to slide down hill and ended up in a damn mud puddle at the end.
Bad: I have a feeling the writers, tore a page out of Todd Howard’s book of how to start a story. “Let us make them a prisoner.”
After playing three of the Elder Scrolls games and having to start out as a prisoner, it does not bother me. It’s kind of Bethesda’s hallmark. When Bioware does it to start a story, it feels cheap and cheesy. There was no interaction what-so-ever with the Conclave and those within. So, it made it difficult for me to feel raw anger or even sadness when it came to their deaths and the Divine’s. The whole time through the game I wanted to stop the bad guy not because of what Cory did and the feelings I had for him and what was happening, but because the story was “forcing” me to do so.
Let us look at Origins.
In Origins, you were there at Ostagar. You got to meet people, do things for them. Then saw how things went completely pear shaped. I felted angry. I want my Warden to get justice.
Whereas with DAI, I was more like, “Yeah, some old prune lady died. I’m forced to be here and seek justice for her.”
Perhaps, if we were at the Conclave and interact with people, maybe we could have better understood and relate to people like Cassandra or Lelianna of how they are feeling.
Cory as the main villain, was dumb, boring and just plain uneventful. I felt Pinky and Brain whispering in my ear, “The same thing we do every day! Let us destroy the world.”
Such, a cartoonish and cliché forum of writing. The other villains in the series had no desire to destroy the world, well aside from the Darkspawn, but that is what they do. Furthermore, the other villains had layers. Where is Cory’s layers?
Then to make matters worse, Cory just pops-in like some jack-in-the box without the surprise and fades back into the background.
Oh, and my biggest pet peeve? Choosing between the Mages and Templars. We are at war. We were at war in Origins. My Warden did not have a choice between the elves or dwarves, they were able to peruse both. And to make matters worse which ever faction we choose gave us whatever mini-boss at the end. And finally we have the topping. Being dropped off in front of the boss with no build-up. (Rubs forehead) Please, Bioware, just make this nonsense stop.
Improvements: If your character is at war and needs to recruit people, then let them recruit all allies – not some of them. And then tell yourself its creative writing. It’s not. Its lazy writing. It leaves far too many strings and nothing to attach them too. I pursed Samson. I should have pursed Calpernia too. You did not see your Warden, going just after Howe or whatever that lady name was. You pursed both, because both were an equal threat (depending on how you saw them and the outcome was).
Make the main bad guy/girl have layers. And move away from this, “Going to destroy the world.” And one last thing, never-ever again do time distortion. It’s been done far too many times, from movies to comics, to video games. The main story or any story should be told with interest/depth. Not coming off as something scribbled on a cocktail napkin.
War Table:
Good: Interesting.
Bad: You know the game has some seriously issues when the very War Table missions are more interesting than those your character can participate in. Want to help save your Elven clan? You can’t. But you can lead this Druffalo back to its owner.
Improvements: As the game goes on, allow the player to participate in whatever quest he/she unlocked on the table. If the player is or is not successful the next War Table quest will change as will the over-all story. Perhaps even your companions/advisors could make comments.
Advisors:
Good: Nice to have three people who help you out.
Bad: While it was nice to have the advisors, they seem to come off as nothing but, “Yes, men/women,” most of the time. They would voice their opinion but nothing more. My Inquisitor could leap up on the War Table, drop her pants and take a big shit. And the Advisors would smile and clap in approval.
Improvements: Advisors should have their own approval/disapproval system. And depending on how high or low the approval is, they treat you as such.
Choices:
Good: Glad to see choices are back.
Bad: In the previous two games any choice you made, had some forum of return where it be then or later. In DAI, most choices became no more than illusions. I remember when I first played the game and agonized over which path to take; charge or the mountain path. I ended up taking the mountain path. I am thinking since I save the scouts, I’ll get to Haven, get a nice reward from her and possibly even a quest. Nope. The scouts pretty much disappear from the game. WTF was the point of having me choose if there was no damn reason to do so?!? That is like someone saying, “Do you want grape or a cherry soda?” “Cherry!” I reply. “Sorry, you do not get either.”
Improvement: Simple. If you give a player a choice in the game, then said choice should have a good/bad or neutral effect within the game. Having illusion choices are pointless.
Player Base:
Good: Having your own place is always nice.
Bad: Skyhold was an improvement from the camp and the house. However, it felt like not much thought went into it at all. To me it felt more like a fort then a castle. So, you give players the option to upgrade the place. So, why the hell cannot I fix the walls, like I could in Awakening? Or for goodness sake fix Cullen’s roof!?! How about having choose between a medical facility to a sparring ring. They do not even use the same space. There was no reason not to do both. I was peeved to talk to Josephine about the guests and unable to explore said guests’ rooms and meet the guests. Or even my companions’ rooms. Where the hell does Varric, Dorian, or even Lilly sleep!?! Nothing like running past the tents and seeing corpses laying there from over two years ago. I think Bioware is obsessed with leaving corpses laying around; they did the same thing in DA2 – poor Feneris.
Improvements: If you’re going to give the player a big castle to have as a base, then allow the space to be utilized AND allow the player to explore the base. Also, it would be nice for companions to have their own rooms and they wander from their area around the castle; instead of being frozen in the same spot.
The above were serious problems with the game that need explaining. The following are a problem, but do not need to be explained in depth.
Multiplayer: Remove it. Set it on fire. Throw it into the Fade. You took content way from the main game to create something that most did not want.
Mounts: Useless. I can see mounts being needed in a game such as Skyrim or even The Wicther 3, but for Dragon Age considering you have companions, it’s pointless. Nothing like seeing your companions get sucked up the horse’s butt. Know how many times I used a horse in the game? Zero. I do not need nor want a damn horse. I want my dog back.
Arms/Armor: I swear as the games go on the arms and armor get uglier. Origins had nice armor/arms. Then DA2 came and it was like no one cared about the armor. DAI comes and what happens? I get a trench coat and a pair of hooker boots, while my PJs stick through, all the while wielding a staff that looks like Zoidberg’s head on a stick. Speaking of PJs: No more please. I should not be forced to wear some ugly ass outfit. If I want to run around in my underwear, I should be allowed to do so. This is after all an RPG. IF I want to run around my base in my armor, so what. The ugly PJ outfit should be an option in the dresser section, not a damn requirement.
Dyes: Thanks, Bioware for bringing in dyes. However, your system of dyes is sad. So, very sad. Instead of players choosing a different color for whatever piece of armor from whatever crafting material they have, you could have given us a color palette like in the character creation screen. And for the love of cookies, let people choose a different color for their weapons and shields. I recall playing a game that was years older than Dragon Age. You could dye your arms and armor any color you wanted using a color palette. It’s what…. nine years later and we get the crap we got in the game. Lovely. (Coughs)Lazy(Coughs) Sorry, had a tickle in my throat.
Cities: In DAI, they were a joke. Oh wait, there was only one major city we could visit and it was...sad. So very sad. For years, we hear and read about Orlais. We finally go there and its a big fat raspberry. I so wanted to see the Grand Cathedral and/or the White Spire. Instead, I received a cookie cutter version that I or any other Modder could create. It was disappointing and pathetic. Older games have massive cities and we get that...in 2017? Come on.
Companions: ALL. Not some. ALL companions should have the option to leave if you maxed out their hate towards your character. And, you should have the option to remove the companion before it drops that low if you wish.
Day/Night: As I have said in the post, I've played many games and some games that much older then DA had a day/night cycle.
Enclosing...
I know from Origins as the DA games roll out there will be changes. However, the changes should be simple and make sense. Taking away the Tactic Screen? Stupid choice. Improving the Character Creation screen? Good -mostly.
Bioware, needs to stop trying to be like every other game out there and just be what they were when they started -themselves.
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by Catilina on Jul 29, 2017 10:41:58 GMT
This will be long.
So, if you’re expecting a summary at the bottom or plan to complain about how long my post is, best to just move on and not bother reading.
If you choose to stay and read, grab a cup of coffee (or a margarita) and take a seat.
I have not played nor have any intentions of playing Mass Effect. I will however give you a long ass reply of why Inquisition was worse than Origins and DA2.
When it comes to Inquisition, there were some good things, but, mostly bad.
I felt Origins was an amazing game – hell, it still is. Was it perfect? No. But what the game did was make you feel completely in control; from your character to your companions, even the choices you made through-out the game. There was no hand-holding what-so-ever.
Dragon 2 was (and still is) debated to this day, if it was good or not. I for one encountered a lot of issues, from the graphics to the whinny character writing. The story was good. Sure, it needed some polish, but you never knew what to expect. That kind of story telling brought back fond memories of how the Origins story played out. Furthermore, a lot of game mechanics were moved over and/or improved.
Then we get to Inquisition.
Let us remove the obvious here. Yes, the graphics were great-mostly. Yes, the voice acting was well done. Yes, the music was good.
Now, let us put that to the side and start dissecting the game.
The Character Creation:
Good: Able to create a unique character from pretty to down-right “E-gads! No!”
Bad: The obvious is: hairstyles -worst I’ve seen in any game I’ve played [to date] and I've been playing games for a very long time. Unable to customize your character’s body. Want a scar on your back? Denied. Want a tattoo on your upper-thigh? Denied.
Improvements: While I understand it is difficult to adjust the character’s body style do to how the player’s character interacts with others. I however, feel there is no reason said player cannot plaster their body with scars/tattoos/moles.
Also, I do not give a rat’s ass if my character’s hair clips in her armor every time or some of the time she moves. I much rather deal with the clipping then choose between an 80s mullet or a military buzz cut. Furthermore, Races should have one or two styles that is just for them. Say, you have a Dwarven female. Why not give her a haircut that is popular among that woman’s race. Finally, female and male’s hair should have different styles too. There is nothing like running through an area to see a dwarven male with Celene’s hairstyle. Gosh, that was bizarre. Bonus Improvement: Starter outfit should match whatever your character is. One thing in Origins that fit very well was: if you choose to play a Mage, your Mage starter outfit was a robe. In Inquisition, it did not matter what class you choose, you ended wearing the same ugly ass mercenary outfit, which ruins the role play for me. Yep. Nothing like being a noble mage and being forced to wear a mercenary outfit during the prologue. Good times. I’m not expecting some fancy dress. I am expecting a nice robe to represent what I am.
Attributes:
Good: Getting a bonus to your Attribute by whatever ability you take and/or by crafting.
Bad:
Dear Bioware,
I have been playing videos games for 30+ years of my life. I do not need my hand-held when it comes to you choosing the game to distribute my attributes for me.
I’ve played the previous two games and a variety of other RPG games that allowed me to choose which points I wanted to go where.
Thus, you making this choice was one big bone-head maneuver.
Signed, Cantina
Improvements: Allow players to distribute their attributes how they see fit (As was done in the previous DA games). It was annoying to see my attribute stats and not being able to do anything about it. Furthermore, this allows the player to have more control on how he/she wishes to build their character.
Bonus Improvements: Every ten levels the player and companions should obtain an extra Attribute point. Also, points could be awarded to you for completing a specific task.
Level Cap:
Good: Uh. Yeah, right.
The Bad: When it comes to putting a cap on a level, I am for a high cap on single and/or MMP game. But the problem is the cap in Inquisition is just, well, laughable. A cap of this nature I’d expect to see on some random late 90s game. Then you tack on DLCs. If a player reaches the DLCs once he/or she has completed all that was available in the base game, then they are no longer improving their character. All they are doing is trying to find some reason to even do the DLC. Generally, that reason is because, “Oh! new content!” But with new content should come with more levels. This allows their character to expand beyond what the base game offered. Limiting the player even with such a low cap is just ludicrous and serves no purpose other than the developers being, well, dumb.
Improvement: Increase the cap to 40. If you [developers] notice that players have reached said level by the release of the final DLC, then add in a couple more levels.
Tactic Screen:
Good: (Laughs)
Bad: (Still laughing). Seriously? After two Dragon Age games, the developers choose to give us some half-ass tactic screen?!? I recall when I started DAI. I was excited to set-up my companions’ tactics. Then I saw what was given, turned to my husband and said, “What is this shit? Where is the tactic screen?” I read way back when, something along the lines, that they ran out of time. Yeah, right. My ass they did. The developers could have updated the tactic screen in patch. There is no excuse to remove such a good feature and replace it with some watered-down version. I believe the real reason was: “We were too busy making pretty trees to care about features that was enjoyed in previous DA games.”
Improvement: Bring. It. Back.
Zones:
Good: Nice, open areas.
Bad: Let me say this to anyone out there who is still calling this game -open world. It is not. It is more, open zone. A true open world game is going from one area to the next. So, if your character could walk from Skyhold to the Emerald Graves without a loading screen, then yes, yes it would be an open-world game. The open zones were pretty much how DAO and DA2 were, but bigger. However, if you look back at DAO or even DA 2, the space was filled. You walked into an area and the filling seemed to be just right. Were as with DAI, the zones were over-sized with not much in them. Take the Hinterlands. You and your party could run from one end of the zone to the other and not encounter much.
Where are the random dungeons? Why must I fight the same critters all the time? “Oh look, there is a bear. Oh, look another bear.” Joy of Joys. Beyond that, some zones where utterly pointless to go to. Yep. Hissing Wastes. Go there to stop some of Cory’s minions from uncovering an artifact. And guess what impact it has on the main story? None.
Improvements: The size of the zone should reflect the content within and vice versa. Add in more enemies, more content and be sure the content is not only interesting but worth doing. Yeah, I’m looking at you Druffalo.
Class and Special Class:
Good: Brought back the classic classes from the previous games.
Bad: OK. So, the developers gave Warriors the ability to smash down walls. Um. OK. What happened to the Rogue being able to disarm traps? Aren’t dungeons supposed to be dangerous? You would think that if a bunch of Smugglers are moving lyrium they have the place lined with traps.
That is a small, but still annoying feature they removed.
The large one is: Forcing the player to go on some mad Easter Egg hunt to complete their special class quest. Beyond that, telling a player not only can they choose only one of special classes, but inform them once they choose it is permanent. What happens if said player chooses a special class then down the road decides they do not like it?!? Well, to frickening bad! Your stuck with it.
Improvements: Remove the damn special class quest. Allow a player to mix and match special classes like in the previous two games, also change said special class or classes if they wish too. Places should have traps and Rogues should be able to disarm them.
Abilities:
Good: Again, some classics were brought back and/or improved upon.
Bad: Ah yes. Another hand-holding situation. Good Times. If you paid attention to the abilities screen most of the abilities were nothing but automatic. And the rest of the powers could not all fit on your tactics bar. So, you ended up taking more automatic powers, and having very little in terms of attacks. Even if you managed to get more attacks then what your bar could hold, well you were screwed. I ended up using the same powers repeatedly, while the others sat in screen collecting dust. Yep, well worth getting that power. Since your character had more auto attacks then actual attacks, it made combat very boring. Lighting strike, Immolate, Ice ball, repeat. At least in the previous two games, if there was not enough room on your tactic bar the rest went on the combat wheel. Instead the combat wheel turned into a spam fest of given your party directions. Ugh.
Improvements: Tone down the number of automatic abilities and replace them with more interesting powers. Bring back the combat wheel; which will allow players access to powers that cannot fit on their tactic bar. Doing this and bringing back the set-up tactics screen, will make combat not only more in line with how the other two games handled it, but also give the player more control in not only how they want combat to play out. It would also make the player feel they are in fact in control and the developers are not spoon feeding their progression. ‘
Main Story:
Good: Was interesting -mostly at the start of the game. However, once you reached Haven, the story started to slide down hill and ended up in a damn mud puddle at the end.
Bad: I have a feeling the writers, tore a page out of Todd Howard’s book of how to start a story. “Let us make them a prisoner.”
After playing three of the Elder Scrolls games and having to start out as a prisoner, it does not bother me. It’s kind of Bethesda’s hallmark. When Bioware does it to start a story, it feels cheap and cheesy. There was no interaction what-so-ever with the Conclave and those within. So, it made it difficult for me to feel raw anger or even sadness when it came to their deaths and the Divine’s. The whole time through the game I wanted to stop the bad guy not because of what Cory did and the feelings I had for him and what was happening, but because the story was “forcing” me to do so.
Let us look at Origins.
In Origins, you were there at Ostagar. You got to meet people, do things for them. Then saw how things went completely pear shaped. I felted angry. I want my Warden to get justice.
Whereas with DAI, I was more like, “Yeah, some old prune lady died. I’m forced to be here and seek justice for her.”
Perhaps, if we were at the Conclave and interact with people, maybe we could have better understood and relate to people like Cassandra or Lelianna of how they are feeling.
Cory as the main villain, was dumb, boring and just plain uneventful. I felt Pinky and Brain whispering in my ear, “The same thing we do every day! Let us destroy the world.”
Such, a cartoonish and cliché forum of writing. The other villains in the series had no desire to destroy the world, well aside from the Darkspawn, but that is what they do. Furthermore, the other villains had layers. Where is Cory’s layers?
Then to make matters worse, Cory just pops-in like some jack-in-the box without the surprise and fades back into the background.
Oh, and my biggest pet peeve? Choosing between the Mages and Templars. We are at war. We were at war in Origins. My Warden did not have a choice between the elves or dwarves, they were able to peruse both. And to make matters worse which ever faction we choose gave us whatever mini-boss at the end. And finally we have the topping. Being dropped off in front of the boss with no build-up. (Rubs forehead) Please, Bioware, just make this nonsense stop.
Improvements: If your character is at war and needs to recruit people, then let them recruit all allies – not some of them. And then tell yourself its creative writing. It’s not. Its lazy writing. It leaves far too many strings and nothing to attach them too. I pursed Samson. I should have pursed Calpernia too. You did not see your Warden, going just after Howe or whatever that lady name was. You pursed both, because both were an equal threat (depending on how you saw them and the outcome was).
Make the main bad guy/girl have layers. And move away from this, “Going to destroy the world.” And one last thing, never-ever again do time distortion. It’s been done far too many times, from movies to comics, to video games. The main story or any story should be told with interest/depth. Not coming off as something scribbled on a cocktail napkin.
War Table:
Good: Interesting.
Bad:You know the game has some seriously issues when the very War Table missions are more interesting than those your character can participate in. Want to help save your Elven clan? You can’t. But you can lead this Druffalo back to its owner.
Improvements: As the game goes on, allow the player to participate in whatever quest he/she unlocked on the table. If the player is or is not successful the next War Table quest will change as will the over-all story. Perhaps even your companions/advisors could make comments.
Advisors:
Good:Nice to have three people who help you out.
Bad: While it was nice to have the advisors, they seem to come off as nothing but, “Yes, men/women,” most of the time. They would voice their opinion but nothing more. My Inquisitor could leap up on the War Table, drop her pants and take a big shit. And the Advisors would smile and clap in approval.
Improvements:Advisors should have their own approval/disapproval system. And depending on how high or low the approval is, they treat you as such.
Choices:
Good: Glad to see choices are back.
Bad:In the previous two games any choice you made, had some forum of return where it be then or later. In DAI, most choices became no more than illusions. I remember when I first played the game and agonized over which path to take; charge or the mountain path. I ended up taking the mountain path. I am thinking since I save the scouts, I’ll get to Haven, get a nice reward from her and possibly even a quest. Nope. The scouts pretty much disappear from the game. WTF was the point of having me choose if there was no damn reason to do so?!? That is like someone saying, “Do you want grape or a cherry soda?” “Cherry!” I reply. “Sorry, you do not get either.”
Improvement:Simple. If you give a player a choice in the game, then said choice should have a good/bad or neutral effect within the game. Having illusion choices are pointless.
Player Base:
Good: Having your own place is always nice.
Bad: Skyhold was an improvement from the camp and the house. However, it felt like not much thought went into it at all. To me it felt more like a fort then a castle. So, you give players the option to upgrade the place. So, why the hell cannot I fix the walls, like I could in Awakening? Or for goodness sake fix Cullen’s roof!?! How about having choose between a medical facility to a sparring ring. They do not even use the same space. There was no reason not to do both. I was peeved to talk to Josephine about the guests and unable to explore said guests’ rooms and meet the guests. Or even my companions’ rooms. Where the hell does Varric, Dorian, or even Lilly sleep!?! Nothing like running past the tents and seeing corpses laying there from over two years ago. I think Bioware is obsessed with leaving corpses laying around; they did the same thing in DA2 – poor Feneris.
Improvements: If you’re going to give the player a big castle to have as a base, then allow the space to be utilized AND allow the player to explore the base. Also, it would be nice for companions to have their own rooms and they wander from their area around the castle; instead of being frozen in the same spot.
The above were serious problems with the game that need explaining. The following are a problem, but do not need to be explained in depth.
Multiplayer: Remove it. Set it on fire. Throw it into the Fade. You took content way from the main game to create something that most did not want.
Mounts: Useless. I can see mounts being needed in a game such as Skyrim or even The Wicther 3, but for Dragon Age considering you have companions, it’s pointless. Nothing like seeing your companions get sucked up the horse’s butt. Know how many times I used a horse in the game? Zero. I do not need nor want a damn horse. I want my dog back.
Arms/Armor: I swear as the games go on the arms and armor get uglier. Origins had nice armor/arms. Then DA2 came and it was like no one cared about the armor. DAI comes and what happens? I get a trench coat and a pair of hooker boots, while my PJs stick through, all the while wielding a staff that looks like Zoidberg’s head on a stick. Speaking of PJs: No more please. I should not be forced to wear some ugly ass outfit. If I want to run around in my underwear, I should be allowed to do so. This is after all an RPG. IF I want to run around my base in my armor, so what. The ugly PJ outfit should be an option in the dresser section, not a damn requirement.
Dyes: Thanks, Bioware for bringing in dyes. However, your system of dyes is sad. So, very sad. Instead of players choosing a different color for whatever piece of armor from whatever crafting material they have, you could have given us a color palette like in the character creation screen. And for the love of cookies, let people choose a different color for their weapons and shields. I recall playing a game that was years older than Dragon Age. You could dye your arms and armor any color you wanted using a color palette. It’s what…. nine years later and we get the crap we got in the game. Lovely. (Coughs)Lazy(Coughs) Sorry, had a tickle in my throat.
Cities: In DAI, they were a joke. Oh wait, there was only one major city we could visit and it was...sad. So very sad. For years, we hear and read about Orlais. We finally go there and its a big fat raspberry. I so wanted to see the Grand Cathedral and/or the White Spire. Instead, I received a cookie cutter version that I or any other Modder could create. It was disappointing and pathetic. Older games have massive cities and we get that...in 2017? Come on.
Companions: ALL. Not some. ALL companions should have the option to leave if you maxed out their hate towards your character. And, you should have the option to remove the companion before it drops that low if you wish.
Day/Night: As I have said in the post, I've played many games and some games that much older then DA had a day/night cycle.
Enclosing...
I know from Origins as the DA games roll out there will be changes. However, the changes should be simple and make sense. Taking away the Tactic Screen? Stupid choice. Improving the Character Creation screen? Good -mostly.
Bioware, needs to stop trying to be like every other game out there and just be what they were when they started -themselves.
I agree with every single word.
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Post by tacsear on Jul 29, 2017 11:13:22 GMT
I want a worthy sequel to DAI
-They will not ditch open world (it was confirmed) so area quests should be tied to the plot -Minimize fetch quests -Crafting was well done in DAI keep it. -LONGER MAIN STORY. -Bring back specs from Origins -Tone down the flashiness of the game. Make it darker. -Fire, ice and lightning spells should be under one tree -Add a decent tactics screen (this was lacking since origins) -Take JoH as an inspiration for open areas -GOOD LOOKING FEMALE LIs -Choices that matter (This was OK in DAI but it was terribly done in DA2 I still want it improved though) -Good hairs (needless to say) -No more Mage/Templar conflict
I will add when I think of more
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Post by naughtynomad on Jul 29, 2017 13:39:04 GMT
Based on the feedback from both DAI and MEA, what lessons learned do you think will/should be applied to Dragon Age 4? For me its this: 1) Ditch the open world/environment approach....Bioware sucks at it. Go back to the DAO approach where therr are many "levels" that are large enough to seem expansive but not too big to where it feels empty and content feels forced. I'm undecided on this. Open world is a lot of fun when done right, but it does take a lot of time and resources away from other parts of the game which badly need it. Pretty much every RPG game has an "open world" these days. Not including one could be a massive risk. I don't think this is needed. They do have day/night zones. I think whatever works best for the story in the zone should be used. The DA franchise has always had better CC than Mass Effect. I don't think we have much to worry about in that area. Yes, shard collecting was awful. The astrolab puzzles were great. DA2 had some of the best side quests of the franchise, and almost all of them had multiple ways you could complete them, with good, bad, or mixed routes you could take. Again, Dragon Age has always included this. It's not likely to change. Agreed. Agreed. Yes, but it seems to be standard issue for modern RPGs these days. Yes, building hype is a terrible idea for games in this day and age. Orlais was originally intended to be so much more. It got axed due to deadlines. YES!!! Need this. DA2 and Origins were so good at this. Inquisition fell flat big time in this regard. Sadly, this is not something likely to happen. EA does not have a good track record.
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Post by tacsear on Jul 29, 2017 14:49:50 GMT
To the people who think you cannot play as an evil character in DAI
Jon Curry is a goddamn mastermind
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wright1978
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR
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Post by wright1978 on Jul 29, 2017 15:08:41 GMT
Bad: You know the game has some seriously issues when the very War Table missions are more interesting than those your character can participate in. Want to help save your Elven clan? You can’t. But you can lead this Druffalo back to its owner. Mounts: Useless. I can see mounts being needed in a game such as Skyrim or even The Wicther 3, but for Dragon Age considering you have companions, it’s pointless. Nothing like seeing your companions get sucked up the horse’s butt. Know how many times I used a horse in the game? Zero. I do not need nor want a damn horse. I want my dog back. Companions: ALL. Not some. ALL companions should have the option to leave if you maxed out their hate towards your character. And, you should have the option to remove the companion before it drops that low if you wish. Your comparison of Druffalo to the war table missions made me smile. Agree wholeheartedly. Equally agree if your game series is party focused don't bring in a stupid mount system unless you work out a way to accommodate the party. If they don't want to give player option to remove companion because they want to integrate the companion into the story then they should at least go the friendship/rivalry system rather than approval.
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Post by tacsear on Jul 29, 2017 15:14:09 GMT
Bad: You know the game has some seriously issues when the very War Table missions are more interesting than those your character can participate in. Want to help save your Elven clan? You can’t. But you can lead this Druffalo back to its owner. Mounts: Useless. I can see mounts being needed in a game such as Skyrim or even The Wicther 3, but for Dragon Age considering you have companions, it’s pointless. Nothing like seeing your companions get sucked up the horse’s butt. Know how many times I used a horse in the game? Zero. I do not need nor want a damn horse. I want my dog back. Companions: ALL. Not some. ALL companions should have the option to leave if you maxed out their hate towards your character. And, you should have the option to remove the companion before it drops that low if you wish. Your comparison of Druffalo to the war table missions made me smile. Agree wholeheartedly. Equally agree if your game series is party focused don't bring in a stupid mount system unless you work out a way to accommodate the party. If they don't want to give player option to remove companion because they want to integrate the companion into the story then they should at least go the friendship/rivalry system rather than approval. 6 out of 9 companions are removable
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire
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Post by Frost on Jul 29, 2017 20:00:57 GMT
Here is my list: - (most important) Put enough resources into making high-quality side quests and only make as many zones as there are good quests to fill them
- DAO/DA2-style camera for side quests
- Not having too many respawning trash mobs (they had a lot of these in MEA, which was made worse by some quests requiring a lot of traveling around)
- Allow saving everywhere (do not disable it for main missions)
- Being able to use a lot of spells. I would really dislike being able to cast only 3 spells when playing as a mage. :sob:
- Bring back healing spells
- Third-person camera (hopefully this is a given but you never know!)
- Multiplayer (if there is one) and single player being completely separate as far as story and rewards
- Minimal autodialogue
- Better PC QA (I ran into some major bugs with DAI) and controls -- Option to move character with mouse
- Better female walking/running animations
- Make elves less skinny (both male and female) -- slender is fine but not malnourished
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Ser Barksalot - Hiatus
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shechinah
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquistion, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by shechinah on Jul 29, 2017 20:16:14 GMT
6 out of 9 companions are removable And given who the last three are, it makes sense that they are not removable.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 29, 2017 20:24:23 GMT
No open world. Even if i like them, i would prefer DAO style but just 2 or 3 times bigger.
Return of a lot of specializations, aviable to again take 2 or 3, and no reason why warriors shouldn't use bow/crossbow or even dual weild.
A personal character, not anymore premade characters (tho this goes more in the dream wish rather than a real one unfortunately)
Mix between DAO,and DA2 combat system.
Better and of course more impactful choices, and more dialogue and more dialogue options.
Another dream wish, import saves back again, dragon age keep it's just shit.
No multiplayer.
A lot better character creation sliders and options, plus more customizable gear appearance both gamplay wise and aesthetic
and final, remove the feeling that what i'm posting has already been posted and i'm just re posting.
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Cantina
N3
Vive la révolution mages!
Games: Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights
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Cantina
Vive la révolution mages!
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cantina
Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights
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Post by Cantina on Jul 30, 2017 0:03:52 GMT
Your comparison of Druffalo to the war table missions made me smile. Agree wholeheartedly. Equally agree if your game series is party focused don't bring in a stupid mount system unless you work out a way to accommodate the party. If they don't want to give player option to remove companion because they want to integrate the companion into the story then they should at least go the friendship/rivalry system rather than approval. 6 out of 9 companions are removable No offense, but I do not believe you understood my suggestion correctly. I am fully aware that there are some companions that cannot be removed do to story reasons. That is fine. This was a part of the game way back in Origins. I am also fully aware of companions having the option to leave if your dislike with them drops low enough. However, my suggestion was pertaining towards your character being able to remove said unneeded companion before the dislike dropped low enough. Look at Sera or even Lelianna (Origins) even after you recruited them, you had the option to remove them, whenever you chose. I should not need to bicker and piss a companion off just to get them to leave. If your referring to Varric being a part of the main story. Was he needed? Yes and no. After Adamant, it seems his need to be there is lessened. Just throwing this out here – what if you choose to leave Hawke in the Fade and Varric is so broken up he just needs to leave. One of similar nature happened in Origins and DA2. With Alistair, if you chose to make Lohgain a Grey Warden, Alistair leaves. If you choose to keep Anders alive, Seabass leaves. Here is my list: - (most important) Put enough resources into making high-quality side quests and only make as many zones as there are good quests to fill them
- DAO/DA2-style camera for side quests
- Not having too many respawning trash mobs (they had a lot of these in MEA, which was made worse by some quests requiring a lot of traveling around)
- Allow saving everywhere (do not disable it for main missions)
- Being able to use a lot of spells. I would really dislike being able to cast only 3 spells when playing as a mage. :sob:
- Bring back healing spells
- Third-person camera (hopefully this is a given but you never know!)
- Multiplayer (if there is one) and single player being completely separate as far as story and rewards
- Minimal autodialogue
- Better PC QA (I ran into some major bugs with DAI) and controls -- Option to move character with mouse
- Better female walking/running animations
- Make elves less skinny (both male and female) -- slender is fine but not malnourished
I agree. I had written so much in my post, I knew there was something important I was missing. But alas that does happen when you have so much to write about. So, Bioware, removed most healing spells and replaced them with barrier and guard. Um. Here me out here. When you have healing spells in the game, combat keeps up with those spells. Meaning, enemies hit harder, have more attacks etc. What happens when you remove healing spells? The combat becomes watered down. Enemies are less likely to be interesting much less do the appropriate damage. It was and still is mind boggling that in the previous two games you had healing spells and in DAI, all you hear about is how Mages can heal but your left with none of that. Sure, you could roll a Knight-Enchanter. However, the healing spell is more of an, “Oh shit” button, which in turn is barley used. Then a mage player almost feels forced, to play said class, simply because of the healing spell. Then in the Spirit Tree, you have Revive. That is all. Barrier and guard are nice add in, but they should not completely replace healing spells. Yes, instead of building an elemental/healing mage, I am now an elemental/spam barrier mage. Fear me! But as you progress in the game and get better gear, the need of using barrier becomes non-existent. To me: it was exhilarating running around in Origins and even DA2, keeping people alive with my spells, while in-between shooting out a damage spell. Not once did have that feeling in DAI. Oh, sure, in the options menu, you could check the enemies be more interesting in combat. But why should I need to turn that on for them to be interesting? Furthermore, if you made said enemies interesting, where the hell are my healing spells? What is next for DA4? Take away a Mage’s ability to use the elements and just throw rocks at the baddies?!? Oh, and Bioware… Removing my stone fist spell and putting in a specialized tree…you suck.
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Parachroma
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect Andromeda
Posts: 69 Likes: 98
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parachroma
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by Parachroma on Aug 2, 2017 0:06:01 GMT
Pretty much agree with the majority of suggestions. My highlights would be:
1. Less open area maps (not necessarily ditch it altogether, but use when appropriate) and more maps like The Descent DLC.
2. For the love of the Maker, bring a REAL tactics menu back.
3. More shock/surprise factor in maps/dungeons like "A Paragon of Her Kind" (broodmother) and "The Descent" (deep roads -> titan). Yes, I like dungeon crawls, lol. But seriously, for the most part in DAI you go into an area and clear it out, then the next and so on. Ho hum. Good maps need a sense of wonder to keep you emotionally engaged.
4. Enough of the stupid fetch quests! Spend more time creating good maps instead of tedious and annoying fetch quests.
5. Character creation. Improve it. Why is this so hard?
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boxofscreaming
N3
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect Andromeda
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boxofscreaming
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by boxofscreaming on Aug 2, 2017 0:11:38 GMT
Keep the cool passive talents like Flashpoint and Clean Burn. Passives were great in Inquisition.
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Post by naughtynomad on Aug 2, 2017 0:28:38 GMT
In both Inquisition and Andromeda, Bioware has made made smallnside quest for the purpose of building up your "power" or "viability" so you can progress the game. This is a clear effort slow the player down so they don't rush through the story too quickly. However, it also becomes meaningless in the long run. Completionist players end up doing all the side quests and having a mass quantity of these points with nothing to spend them on.
Side quests aren't bad but need to have a clear purpose for something you're working towards. I wouldn't mind doing trivial side quests if they helped build my fortresses and made noticable differences in the game. Arbitrary points dont do this. Building the Keep in Awakening was fun, and it had a tangible reward for building it strong enough.
Remove the arbitrary points meant to slow players down, and add in things that tangibly reward the player for slowing down. Also make multiple paths available to complete side quests like Origins and DA2 had.
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