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Post by Lebanese Dude on Sept 10, 2019 3:05:07 GMT
Yes but only if they serve a greater narrative purpose, or if they are heavily built up beforehand.
The Kaidan/Ashley decision is one of my favorites.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Jul 24, 2019 22:55:44 GMT
Crunching isnt inherently bad as long as it's done judiciously, in moderation, and compensated.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 4, 2019 13:05:15 GMT
Well if there's a silver lining to all this Anthem debacle is that they will hopefully resolve many of these issues before and during Dragon Age 4's development, which hopefully means a great game waiting for all of us!
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 4, 2019 12:47:53 GMT
Also, he lied about Anthem microtransactions scheme and never retracted. He has no credibility, he is fully committed to feeding off internet outrage regardless of truth. You do know that he also makes positive reviews of games that are actually good, right?
The badmouthing of any reviewer on BSN who dares say something negative about Bioware at this point is hilarious.
I've always liked Angry Joe. I find him authentic and his slaptick stuff with Other Joe quite funny. But that's beside the point.
He has a pro consumer stance that I enjoy and support. He may not be the most intellectual person and sometimes doesn't understand game mechanics properly and thus gives false info in his reviews. But hey, he's a human being. I too sometimes don't understand how something works even after dozens of hours. I'd like to point out that Angry Joe himself has been subject to "toxic" people on the internet. Almost quit his channel. Suffered from depression, I think, due to how ungrateful people are.
How does crucifying a Youtuber over mistakes in their videos compute with the "nitpicking anything Bioware does is baddie bad" crowd here? The hypocricy sometimes...
And as far as Schreier's article goes: I find it disgusting how some people here are still in denial about Bioware's unsustainable company culture and mismanagement and are even trying to downplay it by latching onto ONE person's report who may as well be making shit up if we want to doubt credibility here, it goes both ways, that it wasn't THAT bad? Stop enabling mismanagement and awful working conditions!!!
Bioware has been near destroyed by bad leadership and lack of people who can work with Frostbite. Deal with it. Six years in pre-production, are you kidding me??? Then hacking a game together in a year?! That's unacceptable on so many levels. To the devs who worked without direction and had all their hard work ditched, to the consumer who buys a broken game and even EA, who is wondering where all their money is going. I cannot blame EA for asking for results after SEVEN YEARS.
It's not quite as bad is not what anybody should be taking away from this mess. Seeing your favorite company in shambles like this sucks. But this is the reality. The sooner you deal with it the better. Five stages of grief and all that. Without acceptance of how bad things are, nothing will ever change for your beloved company and any future game they may still produce.
What I find disgusting is how you blatantly ignore the article itself saying this is a general issue in the gaming industry with multiple other sources verifying this as actually being part of their companies as well, even for great games that your streamer of choice supports. Just because a game turns out good, doesn't mean it didn't burn out its employees. The main difference here is that there's a problem in management, as you said. Perhaps you should reconsider your praise for the great video games without fully understanding what went on behind the scenes as we all seem to have had the luxury of getting when it comes to BioWare due to its hilariously over the top scrutiny. Otherwise you look like a hypocrite. Actually not even that, just another biased person with an agenda to fulfill... like your dear streamer of choice.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 4, 2019 12:43:01 GMT
Point me a Bioware game that isn't polarizing. Even their greatest hits have harsh critics, haters even. For example I put down ME1, JE, DAI and Anthem as the worst Bioware games. Guess how many here think of them as Bioware's best and think KOTOR, ME2/3, DA2, DAO are boring? 😁 There will always be critics for every game. The PS4 God Of Wat for example is an astounding game that won almost universal praise. Almost. Similarly, even Baldur's Gate 2 has its critics. For myself, as an example, Neverwinter Nights 1? Didn't care much for it. Jade Empire? Neither. ME1? Was OK. However, I believe there was a real decline in DA2/ME3, mainly because of a small production cycle and regardless of how impressive the final product is for that production cycle, these games did not reach the level of quality that the titles deserved. I understand criticism and even hate, because something isn't to one's taste, but we can all see, I think, and identify the drop in quality, regardless of personal preference. I've argued against this in the past but I think BioWare should reconsider being platform accessible. It's evident that the less platforms a game has to support, the more polished it ends up being. This is natural, since platform support takes a significant amount of resources. PS4 exclusives get the benefit of exclusivity deals as well, but I don't think PS4 would be the right platform. PC makes the most sense to me,. Not sure if players would accept this. I imagine it might be too late at this point. Of course I doubt EA would go along with it too.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 4, 2019 12:39:13 GMT
It's unsurprising that the Kotaku article employs sensationalism to make the situation seem more dramatic and dire than it really is, but I still think the overall message of the game industry as a whole having unsustainable issues needs to be addressed, from both the developer and consumer standpoint.
Also some days I feel reddit needs to be purged. The anthem subreddit is nothing but a whiny echo chamber right now.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 3, 2019 20:37:43 GMT
I personally do find it hilarious how BioWare is taking the entire brunt of an epidemic that plagues the entire gaming industry. The very same article mentions how great games that faced the very same issues it did. However BioWare is consistently under disproportionately large scrutiny. What I also find hilarious is how gamers think they aren't complicit in this problem, as if their increasingly irrational demands and inapplicable comparisons wouldn't cause issues. Particularly RPGs, where every aspect of the game has to be flawless while also being the least popular game paradigm. It would be a very cheap exercise to please me, considering I don't care for top notch graphics, I don't care for voice acting, and I don't care for motion capture. So I don't see how I am part of the problem :S As a gamer of predominantly AA or indie games my demands are not so ... demanding. AAA games need to bring in ALL THE PEOPLE though, and one of the key method of doing this is increasing the graphics, and increasing the marketing push, both exponentially increasing costs. This exponential increase in costs means they need to please even more ALL THE PEOPLE. The problem is ALL THE PEOPLE want different things, so while pleasing one person isn't too hard, pleasing 20 million people who all want different things is much harder. And it's these 20 million conflicting demands which is the problem. When I read criticisms about games, often I just see comparisons to other games. What X did right and what Y did better. Plenty of times those changes didn't exist on that game's release, yet gamers expect their shared experience to be reflected across both games.... as if developers just play each other's during development and always have time to adapt to that feedback in time. Worse yet is when those comparisons are inapplicable. A legendary comparison around these parts is the Witcher, as if that game has to deal with far more content through companions throughout the entire game while also supporting team-based combat.... And what sucks the most to developers nowadays, despite different players having different perspectives and requirements, we see those same players form a collective hive mind where they share their grievances with a game and then adopt other people's criticisms as their own and then unfairly judging the game based on what EVERYONE views as problematic rather than just themselves. Games are buggy as ever. People think they are getting worse. That's hilarious to anyone who picked up a game that wasn't Tic-Tac-Toe level of complexity from a decade ago. The main difference is that internet culture was far younger and people didn't discover everything that was wrong with a game within a click. I'm not advocating for ignorance, but when it comes to entertainment, looking up what's explicitly wrong with a game is akin to reading all the plot holes of a movie or book and ruining it for yourself even if it would have otherwise been a pleasant experience. Dragon Age Origins is a hilarious example of this. That god awful memory leak... Missing conversations... mismatched animations... So while you are correct in that AAA try to do too much to please as many people as possible, the bigger problem is how our very, very young internal culture has easily become a hive mind wherever it sets its sights on....and it definitely feels that BioWare is a target.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 3, 2019 17:01:20 GMT
I personally do find it hilarious how BioWare is taking the entire brunt of an epidemic that plagues the entire gaming industry.
The very same article mentions how great games that faced the very same issues it did. However BioWare is consistently under disproportionately large scrutiny.
What I also find hilarious is how gamers think they aren't complicit in this problem, as if their increasingly irrational demands and inapplicable comparisons wouldn't cause issues. Particularly RPGs, where every aspect of the game has to be flawless while also being the least popular game paradigm.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 3, 2019 2:15:10 GMT
Jason Schreier @jasonschreierI've spoken to several current and former BioWare employees since my article went live today, including some I hadn't interviewed earlier. General consensus has been sadness and disappointment at BioWare's statement, which read as disheartening to those who hoped for change. Thats...worrisome. Nah that's just sensationalism. It's standard procedure to issue responses like these to external clientele. Our hope from a realistic perspective is that they will be held accountable from within moving forward.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 3, 2019 1:30:54 GMT
The gaming industry should be progressing on all fronts but IMO it's increasing popularity has not always translated into better products, especially in BioWares case. Consumer entitlement and toxicity has definitely progressed as well. Gamers are just a big an issue as developers. Until everyone sees that, we're stuck in an endless loop of salt.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 3, 2019 0:59:43 GMT
A very informative read. It's a little depressing really, particularly as a software developer myself who has been fortunate enough to work on things that generally had far looser timetables. I'm honestly glad I never went into game development. Management seems far too ignorant of the realities, and consumers can be far too ruthless.
I hope things improve.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Apr 3, 2019 0:25:07 GMT
No. If anything we might see reform.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 28, 2019 3:39:31 GMT
I contracted cancer going through the Anthem reddit.
I feel like no BioWare game is safe. If there's any flaw the outrage will be felt.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 20, 2019 12:07:59 GMT
I should continue FF14 at some point for nothing other than the story. I just wish it wasn't so... FF. lol
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 12, 2019 12:40:45 GMT
I'm sure most of us on these forums don't care for either as we're here for the lore and dating simulators but ignoring the inevitable is pointless. I just think the term "microtransaction" is misleading/harmful. It suggests that the purchase has no impact on one's finances, or should not be regarded with the same scrutiny as any other transaction. Well no this is hyperbolic. Microtransactions are just transactions engaged in the game that are typically between 1-20$ in value. The nomenclature is irrelevant. You're still spending money and it doesn't affect your finances any more than any other expense. Your argument implies that humans don't typically approve of smaller purchases in any field. 5$ here. 5$ there. It racks up, but that applies to any expense we have even in the real world. It is not specific to the term "microtransaction" nor does it fool anyone in any unique manner. And you are perceiving the amount (as your above post mentions) out of context. One can spend "hundreds of dollars in microtransactions" as you said, but that's money they spend on a particular hobby they play. How much did that person play Farmville? Dozens of hours? Hundreds? Thousands? When viewed from a holistic perspective compared to other forms of entertainment, it's the summary equivalent of buying concert tickets and merchandise from your favorite artist, buying drinks at a bar after paying an entry fee, or buying a movie on Amazon prime or going to the movies to watch while purchasing food items. One can easily spend "hundreds of dollars" over time either way, and in most cases they are also engaging in "microtransactions". Would you fault people for doing so? Once again this is an example of video games being held to an unfair standard. One can argue that video games, as a relatively new industry, are just picking up what we consider normal for most other forms of entertainment, but being in the digital sphere somehow makes their sales more sketchy for some reason. Microtransactions are ONLY problematic when they affect all players' experience (pay to win), are arguably forced (progression limitations), or are held under the sway of RNG (as this should be considered gambling). There is absolutely nothing wrong with a video game having an in-game store for cosmetic and booster purchases. If one considers that a problem, then why dont you consider game memorabilia shops problematic? They are arguably the same thing. In single-player games, the actual impact of gameplay-beneficial purchases is even more of a grey area than in multiplayer. As long as the game is balanced around the base experience, why would you care if someone wanted to buy a Staff of Overpowered Early Levels? It's what made me laugh in ACO. I didn't spend one penny and I completed the game easily while looking swag. If someone wanted some of those store items, more power to them. One particular point of contention is how microtransactions can affect modding experiences, as the former inevitably DOES detract from the potential of the for the latter. This is probably the single best argument against microtransactions in a game like Dragon Age. Fantasy RPGs typically attract a much larger modding crowd than other genres as they usually have the highest concentration of roleplayers. It's why I would personally prefer Dragon Age feature a multiplayer rather than a microtransaction shop. I want modders to have relatively unrestricted access, and frankly I have faith that BioWare sees that too. Although I do recall even DA games having some items you can purchase (DA2 had some class packs) and you could still mod the game normally, so even then it might not even be an issue. One can argue that additional packs unlock aesthetic options that can later be used by modders (just like in DA2 and Skyrim).
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 12, 2019 3:17:22 GMT
I'd be perfectly ok if I never heard "live service" or "microtransaction" again in my life. I'm sure most of us on these forums don't care for either as we're here for the lore and dating simulators but ignoring the inevitable is pointless.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 11, 2019 23:50:47 GMT
I agree. I think a vocal minority on Reddit are grossly exaggerating the situation and spamming the thread for likes (I think Anthem has far more pressing issues than this) but it's BioWare's fault for dropping that faulty loot situation to begin with and regardless it's almost a PR crisis that they need to get a handle on.
It's not really a win-win situation. If they do up drop rates to the point of that patch level then people will max out pretty quickly, and given the lack of PvP in this game, will inevitably tire of the game quickly even if the gameplay is fun. It's just reality. But if they don't up drop rates, then the shitstorm continues.
So I think what you suggested in terms of events with bonus drop rates and other forms of "carrots" would be a good middle ground. I wonder how long it would take to implement in practice.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 11, 2019 20:43:55 GMT
Reading all this loot talk and I'm fascinated by how different genres can have such different perspectives. In MMOs loot is far more scarce with a lot more effort to obtain them, yet the reaction is far more muted.
Fast-paced action would result in an almost hypertensive need for loot so I think BioWare should just concede and up loot drop rates.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 11, 2019 14:37:11 GMT
I hope they go the way of Mass Effect 3 when it comes to the ultimate decision.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 9, 2019 13:16:29 GMT
Dragon Age 2 was definitely my favorite Dragon Age game.
Would be my favorite BioWare game if Mass Effect 3 didn't exist.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 9, 2019 11:46:42 GMT
Ah cannot wait to read all the reddi threads about how this is trash because it does not address issue X, even if it's already been slated for a future patch.
LOL, I know.
Some people bought a brand new car with three regular wheels and the fourth in the shape being octagonal. Imagine their nerve for complaining about a bumpy ride. ... they still complain when the dealer says look, I will upgrade that fourth wheel to a decagon in a month or so . Bad analogy, as the implication is nonfunctionality until everything is completely fixed. It's more like buying a car that you presumably really like but is still missing some features, is not as fuel efficient as you thought, and that has some weird dashboard design. Company has already provided some of those features, upgraded the dashboard a bit, upgraded the fuel system, promised to continue upgrading and fixing but you say all those upgrades are trash because they havent fixed something yet even though they said it'll take some time to import from Japan.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 9, 2019 3:45:41 GMT
Is that an ice sculpture? Fancy.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 9, 2019 3:30:13 GMT
Today in Anthem I rotated seals to figure out different combinations for my Storm. I feel like I barely use my weapon lol
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 9, 2019 1:30:44 GMT
Ah cannot wait to read all the reddi threads about how this is trash because it does not address issue X, even if it's already been slated for a future patch.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Mar 9, 2019 1:20:10 GMT
If they do go with microtransactions a store with listed items would be a much better idea honestly. Leave the RNG to drops from boss kills.
Anthem has gone the way of a rotating store that can still push for microtransactions via in-game currency or dollars. I believe there is a mildly negative reaction to not having the complete store available, much to my surprise. Perhaps they were a little too cautious? Unsure. Still this is a looter shooter with no lootboxes, which is definitely something I did not expect.
It shows that EA might be aware of this and aren't pushing lootboxes as hard on future titles. Given that DA is a single player game, I genuinely think there's a better chance they'll go the ACO route to supplement the SP/MP experience.
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