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I love nailing asari. So ageless and superior -- then you get them and they squeal like school girls
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Post by gplayer on Jun 30, 2017 15:29:45 GMT
My first BW game was KOTOR. But I did not know it was Bioware, I thought it was Lucas Arts. Had me scratching my head as to how that game turned out so good (Every other Lucas Arts game with me was a disappointment). Its more than a decade later and I enjoy KOTOR now on my Shield Tablet. Perfect way to pass the time at the airport or on a flight, and it still engages well with me.
The first BW game I knew was BW was ME1. Still one of the best games I ever played. But what really got me hooked on BW was DAO. It came out at a time when I got laid off, was very depressed. I spent most of my time job hunting, but DAO was a welcome distraction and got me through a very difficult time in my life. BW was the first company I followed and diligently watched for every release since Origin (for those who remember it) was bought out by EA.
What I like about BW games is also the reason I hate the story/plot of MEA so much. To me BW games are great voice acting, epic stories with tough choices and compromise. I also loved the way I could kick out or eliminate characters that annoyed me. I never had to endure Wynne's sanctimonious dribble for long (or not at all in other playthroughs). Though I love Wrex and Garrus, I can choose just one in ME1. In ME2 the suicide mission opens up infinite possibility of elimination!
But utlimately for me BW games are about the endless variations in the stories. Its best exemplified into two sub plots of two games, and these to me are really what make BW so appealing to me:
1. The Brecilian forest in DAO: In terms of outcomes you can side with elves or the werewolves. You can end the curse, you can kill the Lady of the Forest and kill Zathrian too. Each of these leads to endings that are different. In the same forest you encountered the trap spirit of the Arcane Warrior, weaving an interesting tale and making you wonder if you will ever know the full story. You could have helped the tribe in several sidequests or sabotage them at every turn, or everything in between. There was Grand Oak tree, the trap set up by the Sloth demon. The crazy mage. Each one of these with separate outcomes weaved togther to tell a fantastic tale, and thats really only 1/4 (or less) of the game!
2. Tuchanka in ME3/OT: I really loved how BW tied together all the threads from ME1 and ME2 into this wonderful finale. Wrex can be alive dead, as can Eve. And each of them or their replacements shape the stories in different ways and presents completely different outcomes. Every single decision you made before on this issue affects the choices available to you and the outcome. For me it was BW at its finest and what the ME3 ending *should* have been like.
In MEA the VA was good, the story/plot was very bad and the dialogue had moments where I just took my headset off and did something in another window while I wait for them to be done talking or I have to pick something from the conversation wheel. I love the game play though and thats mainly why I repeat playthroughs.
What makes me sad now is that I see the same trend with BW that I saw with Origin. To me its like history repeating itself. As for future games like Anthem - if I ever invest that much time into multiplayer again it will probably be a subscription game with no micro transactions like EvE-O. I'll keep an open mind but they are moving towards genres and play styles that really don't interest me.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2017 15:33:38 GMT
So been sitting on this one for a while and given the recent news it seemed like a good time to post it. Now awhile ago I made a comment in a thread (I forget which one) that BioWare made stories like no one else in gaming. Instantly someone said 'well, that's not true.' But in thinking about it, and in anylizing the problem, what I mean is that BioWare writes about families. Or groups of people who would then become families. And a sense of family, is something I really appreciate in fiction. Whether it was SG-1, Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor, the crews of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. Family is important for me to enjoy my fiction. And this is something the gaming industry really lacks. Most gaming companies and protagonists are usually one in a game, and then they go off and do a bunch of missions in a game interacting with other characters only when barely neccessary. There are a few examples these days where games have now had two major characters. Like, the Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite. But, the games that have...diverse casts...that aren't BioWare games? I can think of pretty much a single game. The Witcher 3. Geralt and his girls. But BioWare? Every single game they have wonderful diverse casts who come together, often hating or disliking each other, and in the end they become like family to one another. Even Mass Effect Andromeda, though its cast may have not been the 'strongest', the crew at the end...after facing adversity and challenges, came together to be a family in the end. And that is why this game is special. That is why BioWare is special. So, what say you BSN? I so agree with you on the sense of family. Most of my favorite TV shows, movies and games have that sense of family. I think it's almost a prerequisite for me in how much or if I like something (show, movie, game) that it have that sort of family feel. I remember loving Star Trek Voyager because it had that feeling. So many didn't like that show but I felt it had even more of a family feeling than any of the others. One of the reasons I loved Dragon's Dogma was that I could build a family of pawns. There was no real dialogue for them to flesh them out so it was all about the character I gave them from the response styles, but I used to run through that game building my pawns and it felt like I was with my clan. So much fun. One of my very first games ever and my very first RPG was ME1. They won me over with that one. From there it was pretty much done. |
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Post by tatann on Jun 30, 2017 15:50:40 GMT
How Bioware is special (to me)  Just kidding, they're still special to me, they just went a little derp with MEA
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WickedValkyrie15
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Post by WickedValkyrie15 on Jun 30, 2017 16:09:35 GMT
So been sitting on this one for a while and given the recent news it seemed like a good time to post it. Now awhile ago I made a comment in a thread (I forget which one) that BioWare made stories like no one else in gaming. Instantly someone said 'well, that's not true.' But in thinking about it, and in anylizing the problem, what I mean is that BioWare writes about families. Or groups of people who would then become families. And a sense of family, is something I really appreciate in fiction. Whether it was SG-1, Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor, the crews of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. Family is important for me to enjoy my fiction. And this is something the gaming industry really lacks. Most gaming companies and protagonists are usually one in a game, and then they go off and do a bunch of missions in a game interacting with other characters only when barely neccessary. There are a few examples these days where games have now had two major characters. Like, the Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite. But, the games that have...diverse casts...that aren't BioWare games? I can think of pretty much a single game. The Witcher 3. Geralt and his girls. But BioWare? Every single game they have wonderful diverse casts who come together, often hating or disliking each other, and in the end they become like family to one another. Even Mass Effect Andromeda, though its cast may have not been the 'strongest', the crew at the end...after facing adversity and challenges, came together to be a family in the end. And that is why this game is special. That is why BioWare is special. So, what say you BSN? I so agree with you on the sense of family. Most of my favorite TV shows, movies and games have that sense of family. I think it's almost a prerequisite for me in how much or if I like something (show, movie, game) that it have that sort of family feel. I remember loving Star Trek Voyager because it had that feeling. So many didn't like that show but I felt it had even more of a family feeling than any of the others. One of the reasons I loved Dragon's Dogma was that I could build a family of pawns. There was no real dialogue for them to flesh them out so it was all about the character I gave them from the response styles, but I used to run through that game building my pawns and it felt like I was with my clan. So much fun. One of my very first games ever and my very first RPG was ME1. They won me over with that one. From there it was pretty much done. Gave you a like for the Voyager mention. Which got me thinking why I liked both Voyager and Mass Effect so much, and I came to a similar conclusion that while I like science fiction as a genre (which is what launched my foray into playing Mass Effect in the first place. Other than it being a Bioware title) it was the togetherness and sense of family aspect that keeps me around. Then I took a look at other media that I enjoy, such as Harry Potter, Dark Matter, Lost Girl, Kotor and so on and while the genre may change, it was the central theme of family/togetherness that remained. |
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EllanyaWindkeeper
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard
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Post by EllanyaWindkeeper on Jun 30, 2017 16:12:02 GMT
So been sitting on this one for a while and given the recent news it seemed like a good time to post it. Now awhile ago I made a comment in a thread (I forget which one) that BioWare made stories like no one else in gaming. Instantly someone said 'well, that's not true.' But in thinking about it, and in anylizing the problem, what I mean is that BioWare writes about families. Or groups of people who would then become families. And a sense of family, is something I really appreciate in fiction. Whether it was SG-1, Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor, the crews of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. Family is important for me to enjoy my fiction. And this is something the gaming industry really lacks. Most gaming companies and protagonists are usually one in a game, and then they go off and do a bunch of missions in a game interacting with other characters only when barely neccessary. There are a few examples these days where games have now had two major characters. Like, the Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite. But, the games that have...diverse casts...that aren't BioWare games? I can think of pretty much a single game. The Witcher 3. Geralt and his girls. But BioWare? Every single game they have wonderful diverse casts who come together, often hating or disliking each other, and in the end they become like family to one another. Even Mass Effect Andromeda, though its cast may have not been the 'strongest', the crew at the end...after facing adversity and challenges, came together to be a family in the end. And that is why this game is special. That is why BioWare is special. So, what say you BSN? I agree with every word! Bioware very private for me. For me, in 2010 world went dark. I lost my husband. I thought my life was over. Until that time, I did't play Bioware's games, only Morrowind and Oblivion - I always liked RPG. My friends wanted to help me - they gave me CD with DAO, and it literally brought me back to life! I fell in love with warden, I lived her life, it was so dramatic, so emotional! I found out what is the real role play! From that time I played all games of Bioware, with all DLC. I had 9 PT in DAO, 7-DA2, 4-DAI. And I'm going to keep playing more.Then I found old games Bio - NW, Jade Empire - and got a lot of fun. With ME it was amusing. I didn't want to play it at first, didn't liked shooters, but after DA2 I found out old BSN forum and read there reviews about ME. I said to myself - it's BIOWARE, baby, they don't make boring games, you will get a lot of emotions and adventures. I wasn't mistaken! It was great, I was shocked again! I have 11 PT ME, 9 PT ME2, 6 - ME3. And I am also ready to continue playing. Andromeda again amazed me! I'm on the second PT and I'm eager looking forward to DLC. I want to be fair - I also love games of Bethesda, I enjoyed playing Morrowind, , Oblivion and great Skyrim, and I liked The Witcher3 very much, but Bioware's games are something special, really.  They have wonderful stories, romances, adventures. They have amazing writers, artists, voice actors, programmers and many other very talented people, and I very grateful to them all! (I apologize for my weak English, it's hard for me to express all my emotions, I hope I got it  ) |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2017 16:26:01 GMT
One thing I did notice is that their games are always hugely popular with chicks, even with not your typical gamers. In game stores, you usually have people simply silently browsing and whatnot, but drama never leaves in BW section.
Oh, my God...did you SEE Alistair? He's so cute!
Shut up! Garrus is so much better!
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2017 16:30:30 GMT
One thing I did notice is that their games are always hugely popular with chicks, even with not your typical gamers. In game stores, you usually have people simply silently browsing and whatnot, but drama never leaves in BW section. Oh, my God...did you SEE Alistair? He's so cute!Shut up! Garrus is so much better!Well BW makes the kind of guys that don't exist in our world, so we have to make do.  |
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kino
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The path up and down are one and the same.
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard
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Post by kino on Jun 30, 2017 16:30:57 GMT
So been sitting on this one for a while and given the recent news it seemed like a good time to post it. Now awhile ago I made a comment in a thread (I forget which one) that BioWare made stories like no one else in gaming. Instantly someone said 'well, that's not true.' But in thinking about it, and in anylizing the problem, what I mean is that BioWare writes about families. Or groups of people who would then become families. And a sense of family, is something I really appreciate in fiction. Whether it was SG-1, Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor, the crews of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. Family is important for me to enjoy my fiction. And this is something the gaming industry really lacks. Most gaming companies and protagonists are usually one in a game, and then they go off and do a bunch of missions in a game interacting with other characters only when barely neccessary. There are a few examples these days where games have now had two major characters. Like, the Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite. But, the games that have...diverse casts...that aren't BioWare games? I can think of pretty much a single game. The Witcher 3. Geralt and his girls. But BioWare? Every single game they have wonderful diverse casts who come together, often hating or disliking each other, and in the end they become like family to one another. Even Mass Effect Andromeda, though its cast may have not been the 'strongest', the crew at the end...after facing adversity and challenges, came together to be a family in the end. And that is why this game is special. That is why BioWare is special. So, what say you BSN? I agree with every word! Bioware very private for me. For me, in 2010 world went dark. I lost my husband. I thought my life was over. Until that time, I did't play Bioware's games, only Morrowind and Oblivion - I always liked RPG. My friends wanted to help me - they gave me CD with DAO, and it literally brought me back to life! I fell in love with warden, I lived her life, it was so dramatic, so emotional! I found out what is the real role play! From that time I played all games of Bioware, with all DLC. I had 9 PT in DAO, 7-DA2, 4-DAI. And I'm going to keep playing more.Then I found old games Bio - NW, Jade Empire - and got a lot of fun. With ME it was amusing. I didn't want to play it at first, didn't liked shooters, but after DA2 I found out old BSN forum and read there reviews about ME. I said to myself - it's BIOWARE, baby, they don't make boring games, you will get a lot of emotions and adventures. I wasn't mistaken! It was great, I was shocked again! I have 11 PT ME, 9 PT ME2, 6 - ME3. And I am also ready to continue playing. Andromeda again amazed me! I'm on the second PT and I'm eager looking forward to DLC. I want to be fair - I also love games of Bethesda, I enjoyed playing Morrowind, , Oblivion and great Skyrim, and I liked The Witcher3 very much, but Bioware's games are something special, really. They have wonderful stories, romances, adventures. They have amazing writers, artists, voice actors, programmers and many other very talented people, and I very grateful to them all! (I apologize for my weak English, it's hard for me to express all my emotions, I hope I got it ) Nothing to apologize for. You nailed it. |
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Post by majesticjazz on Jun 30, 2017 16:41:12 GMT
So am I wrong in saying that in many other fronts (using people of color to market their games) many devs are catching up to the "progressiveness" of Bioware? Am I wrong in saying thaf KOTOR and DAO were better in allowing the player to insert their "voice" and personality into the character? You're not wrong in saying it as you just did now; but it's not what you said in your previous post... which instead was focused on essentially mocking the fans who had posted before you. Hence, my objection (written using the exact same tone as your previous post). I'm not sure it was mocking, just point out an opinion from my perspective. I just feel that hardcore Bioware fans likes to use The Witcher 3 as some sort of punching bag or "villain" if you will. I mean, I guess I can see where some of that may come from as the concept behind TW3 is like the "anti-Bioware" game. It features a hetero-sexual male with a grizzly voice and with hyper masculinity. While strong and independent in their own right, the feature women in TW3 are visually portrayed with supermodel looks and are very liberal with their sexuality. Also the story and tone is very dark/mature which is opposite from what Bioware has done recently with DAI/MEA which tend to be more light-hearted and "safe". To top it off, TW3 sold WELL and was critically acclaimed not only by professional reviewers but by fans as well. I bring it up because not only in this thread, but just here at BSN/Reddit as a whole, people like to mention TW3 whenever explaining why they like Bioware or a particular Bioware game like DAI and MEA. Why that is? I don't know but like I said, perhaps games like TW3 present a threat to the type of games that publishers view as marketable and a fear that all games would follow the TW3 formula as opposed to the Bioware formula. Maybe I am just rambling but just something I noticed. There are people here who also like TW3, but for some reason, there are many people who really hate it with a passion. Not really the story or gameplay that they hate or dislike, but just the popularity of the game and how a game that is so "un-Bioware like" can receive such critical praise. |
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Post by Trilobite Derby on Jun 30, 2017 16:52:17 GMT
Okay, so.
I spent the first half of my childhood without electricity, and most of my life without television. So I read in self defense. Like, a lot. I still average four novels a week, and I've cranked it way back now that I have the magic picture box that talks to me. I also ran around the woods with a stick that I pretended was a sword, having adventures, when I was THAT age. Fantasy, science writing, and space operas were absolutely my jam.
I won't say I'm picky, because I'm not. But I know what I like. And while a lot of games are more like watching a TV show, I've always felt like Bioware's games were more like playing a book. There's more cracks to jam your imagination in, while still enough structure so that I don't internally go "I should be writing my book right now if it's sitting down time". Freedom is a very evanescent concept, but Bioware usually seems to deliver it to me. I will say I'm not really a gamer in some ways. I don't like most games. I like MMO PvP, where I can just take out some aggressions on someone who also wants to FITE (though I've had to give that up in the past few years THANKS SLOW INTERNET). I like a certain alien fighting strategy game with lots of Varric's voice. And I like my Bioware games. All of them, so far. Most other games are "Play once, if that, and wander off".
Also, I love the character creator and making all my gang look different. It's probably an important factor in what I like.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2017 17:00:46 GMT
You're not wrong in saying it as you just did now; but it's not what you said in your previous post... which instead was focused on essentially mocking the fans who had posted before you. Hence, my objection (written using the exact same tone as your previous post). I'm not sure it was mocking, just point out an opinion from my perspective. I just feel that hardcore Bioware fans likes to use The Witcher 3 as some sort of punching bag or "villain" if you will. I mean, I guess I can see where some of that may come from as the concept behind TW3 is like the "anti-Bioware" game. It features a hetero-sexual male with a grizzly voice and with hyper masculinity. While strong and independent in their own right, the feature women in TW3 are visually portrayed with supermodel looks and are very liberal with their sexuality. Also the story and tone is very dark/mature which is opposite from what Bioware has done recently with DAI/MEA which tend to be more light-hearted and "safe". To top it off, TW3 sold WELL and was critically acclaimed not only by professional reviewers but by fans as well. I bring it up because not only in this thread, but just here at BSN/Reddit as a whole, people like to mention TW3 whenever explaining why they like Bioware or a particular Bioware game like DAI and MEA. Why that is? I don't know but like I said, perhaps games like TW3 present a threat to the type of games that publishers view as marketable and a fear that all games would follow the TW3 formula as opposed to the Bioware formula. Maybe I am just rambling but just something I noticed. There are people here who also like TW3, but for some reason, there are many people who really hate it with a passion. Not really the story or gameplay that they hate or dislike, but just the popularity of the game and how a game that is so "un-Bioware like" can receive such critical praise. I am a person who tried to get through TW3 twice and literally hated it both times. That doesn't mean that a comparison between two very different styles of story telling is not warranted. The focus of the story in TW3 is clearly not on Geralt's psychie, the choices involved in TW3 are not about changing his personality; whereas, in the ME series, the choices are all about shaping the PCs personality in different ways. Sure, the range of difference is now somewhat more limited than it was in the past because of voice acted scenes... but the actual focus Bioware puts into its writing hasn't changed. We have yet to see a PC in a Bioware game whose personality cannot be altered. Geralt's personality cannot be altered in TW3. Part of the reason why I disliked TW3 is because of that difference in focus of the writing. Note: I'm not saying one is written better than the other (I'm intentionally avoiding even getting into that - although that's a pet peeve of some "fans" here)... What I'm saying is they focus on different things. I have a preference for Bioware's style - much in the same way I prefer mysteries to westerns. You can put it off as people hating the popularity of TW3, but in my case, you'd be making a wrong assumption... thinking you know what shapes my own opinions better than I do. I'm of the view that some people are overtly defensive about TW3 because they love it so much.... They pounce on anyone who dares to even come close of offering any sort of minute criticism. They've put it on a pedestal such that now, it seems, even criticism-less comparisons are not to be tolerated by them (shrug). |
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LogicGunn
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I'll relinquish one bullet. Where do you want it?
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: LogicGunn
PSN: LogicGunn
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Post by LogicGunn on Jun 30, 2017 17:46:42 GMT
I so agree with you on the sense of family. Most of my favorite TV shows, movies and games have that sense of family. I think it's almost a prerequisite for me in how much or if I like something (show, movie, game) that it have that sort of family feel. I remember loving Star Trek Voyager because it had that feeling. So many didn't like that show but I felt it had even more of a family feeling than any of the others. One of the reasons I loved Dragon's Dogma was that I could build a family of pawns. There was no real dialogue for them to flesh them out so it was all about the character I gave them from the response styles, but I used to run through that game building my pawns and it felt like I was with my clan. So much fun. One of my very first games ever and my very first RPG was ME1. They won me over with that one. From there it was pretty much done. Gave you a like for the Voyager mention. Which got me thinking why I liked both Voyager and Mass Effect so much, and I came to a similar conclusion that while I like science fiction as a genre (which is what launched my foray into playing Mass Effect in the first place. Other than it being a Bioware title) it was the togetherness and sense of family aspect that keeps me around. Then I took a look at other media that I enjoy, such as Harry Potter, Dark Matter, Lost Girl, Kotor and so on and while the genre may change, it was the central theme of family/togetherness that remained. I loved that about Voyager too. The previous Star Treks were a slow burn with character relationships because so much protocol. But Voyager's unique situation turned that on it's head. Not everyone likes Voyager, but it was probably my favourite ST because it was so character based. |
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Post by themikefest on Jun 30, 2017 17:59:44 GMT
I like their games because of the replay value
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Post by AnDromedary on Jun 30, 2017 18:27:04 GMT
The main character is ME and not opposite.
It is hard to describe.
In wicther3 i was geralt.
In Mass effect Shepard was me. That's really interesting. I never felt that Shepard was me any more than Geralt. Shep speaks with their own voice, has a background, a look (you can change that but it's still a character we see like in a movie). I wouldn't even want Shepard to be me. I am happy where and who I am, I wouldn't want to run around shooting people. But for me, the great thing about Mass Effect was that I could experience the life of someone who would fly through space haing all these adventures, just like I would in a movie, with the added coolness of having the freedom to interact. As you say, it's hard to describe. What makes BioWare special for me? I am tempted to quote Joker "Like some creepy kid staring at the back of your head in comp sci. You just want to... punch him... but he's "special" and sets fires or something."  But seriouslt, BW became really special for me when they started their own IPs. Don't get me wrong, I already loved KotOR but what made the studio really special to me was that for a while there, they managed to create extremely believable, detailed and well thought out worlds. I started with Jade Empire and then really hit its stride with Dragon Age and of course Mass Effect. Unfortunately, I fell like over time, they lost a lot of that ability. Especially Mass Effect got less and less world driven and more and more drama driven as the series continued (and with Andromeda, there is hardly any believably left in this world for me). They still write some of the best stories and characters in the industry (even when they're not on their best) but I do miss that feeling of a cohesive world that these stories and character just seem to happen to be in rather than the world that is clearly specifically written just for the story. I would love to see that specialnes return some day. |
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Post by colfoley on Jun 30, 2017 18:43:17 GMT
I like to tease you about your love for ME:A. But this is your love for it putting me and the OT on trial... i don't think I've ever been paid a greater complement on this board. Lol |
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Post by colfoley on Jun 30, 2017 18:48:57 GMT
So been sitting on this one for a while and given the recent news it seemed like a good time to post it. Now awhile ago I made a comment in a thread (I forget which one) that BioWare made stories like no one else in gaming. Instantly someone said 'well, that's not true.' But in thinking about it, and in anylizing the problem, what I mean is that BioWare writes about families. Or groups of people who would then become families. And a sense of family, is something I really appreciate in fiction. Whether it was SG-1, Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor, the crews of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. Family is important for me to enjoy my fiction. And this is something the gaming industry really lacks. Most gaming companies and protagonists are usually one in a game, and then they go off and do a bunch of missions in a game interacting with other characters only when barely neccessary. There are a few examples these days where games have now had two major characters. Like, the Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite. But, the games that have...diverse casts...that aren't BioWare games? I can think of pretty much a single game. The Witcher 3. Geralt and his girls. But BioWare? Every single game they have wonderful diverse casts who come together, often hating or disliking each other, and in the end they become like family to one another. Even Mass Effect Andromeda, though its cast may have not been the 'strongest', the crew at the end...after facing adversity and challenges, came together to be a family in the end. And that is why this game is special. That is why BioWare is special. So, what say you BSN? I agree with every word! Bioware very private for me. For me, in 2010 world went dark. I lost my husband. I thought my life was over. Until that time, I did't play Bioware's games, only Morrowind and Oblivion - I always liked RPG. My friends wanted to help me - they gave me CD with DAO, and it literally brought me back to life! I fell in love with warden, I lived her life, it was so dramatic, so emotional! I found out what is the real role play! From that time I played all games of Bioware, with all DLC. I had 9 PT in DAO, 7-DA2, 4-DAI. And I'm going to keep playing more.Then I found old games Bio - NW, Jade Empire - and got a lot of fun. With ME it was amusing. I didn't want to play it at first, didn't liked shooters, but after DA2 I found out old BSN forum and read there reviews about ME. I said to myself - it's BIOWARE, baby, they don't make boring games, you will get a lot of emotions and adventures. I wasn't mistaken! It was great, I was shocked again! I have 11 PT ME, 9 PT ME2, 6 - ME3. And I am also ready to continue playing. Andromeda again amazed me! I'm on the second PT and I'm eager looking forward to DLC. I want to be fair - I also love games of Bethesda, I enjoyed playing Morrowind, , Oblivion and great Skyrim, and I liked The Witcher3 very much, but Bioware's games are something special, really. They have wonderful stories, romances, adventures. They have amazing writers, artists, voice actors, programmers and many other very talented people, and I very grateful to them all! (I apologize for my weak English, it's hard for me to express all my emotions, I hope I got it ) i feel very similarly. DA I helped me through a very dark time in my.life and it reminded me that i can get through it. Everyone needs that reminder. |
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Cyan_Griffonclaw
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Post by Cyan_Griffonclaw on Jun 30, 2017 18:50:12 GMT
I like their games because of the replay value Amen. I never replayed a game after I beat it. It was one and done. Then came BioWare. An amalgamation of music, art, cinema-type scenes and dialogue also supported by great storytelling. |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2017 19:08:24 GMT
inb4 any mention of TW3.
Oops. Too late.
I've never really considered BioWare to be great storytellers, but then my purpose in gaming is to play a character where I can create my own narrative. The story components they provide have always been adequate for my purposes.
The attraction for me has always been their well-developed characters in general, and the party-based companions in particular.
Also, the world-building and lore. They generally do a great job of setting up conflicts with varying shades of gray, and gradually revealing bits of the backgrounds and events that shape those conflicts until you reach a point where your character is asked to make some decisions to resolve that conflict. The ongoing nature of these worlds allows these things to build over multiple games, which is something that few (if any) other developers offer.
All that and inclusive romance makes BioWare very special to me.
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Post by warrior on Jun 30, 2017 19:08:52 GMT
You're not wrong in saying it as you just did now; but it's not what you said in your previous post... which instead was focused on essentially mocking the fans who had posted before you. Hence, my objection (written using the exact same tone as your previous post). I'm not sure it was mocking, just point out an opinion from my perspective. I just feel that hardcore Bioware fans likes to use The Witcher 3 as some sort of punching bag or "villain" if you will. I mean, I guess I can see where some of that may come from as the concept behind TW3 is like the "anti-Bioware" game. It features a hetero-sexual male with a grizzly voice and with hyper masculinity. While strong and independent in their own right, the feature women in TW3 are visually portrayed with supermodel looks and are very liberal with their sexuality. Also the story and tone is very dark/mature which is opposite from what Bioware has done recently with DAI/MEA which tend to be more light-hearted and "safe". To top it off, TW3 sold WELL and was critically acclaimed not only by professional reviewers but by fans as well. I bring it up because not only in this thread, but just here at BSN/Reddit as a whole, people like to mention TW3 whenever explaining why they like Bioware or a particular Bioware game like DAI and MEA. Why that is? I don't know but like I said, perhaps games like TW3 present a threat to the type of games that publishers view as marketable and a fear that all games would follow the TW3 formula as opposed to the Bioware formula. Maybe I am just rambling but just something I noticed. There are people here who also like TW3, but for some reason, there are many people who really hate it with a passion. Not really the story or gameplay that they hate or dislike, but just the popularity of the game and how a game that is so "un-Bioware like" can receive such critical praise.
And I say it again, Bioware while always being praised as progressive....has yet to use a female exclusively in their marketing and they have yet to use a non white person in their marketing even though other developers have.Agreed that BW could do this better, but not sure what this has to do with the OP's post?... I think by "diverse casts" he means "different characters with different stories and personalities," not diverse in terms of race or gender. I am on 4 hours of sleep from that other thread/trashfire and won't be commenting extensively on diversity/progressiveness in video games anytime soon. But while "Geralt and his girls" is kind of accurate (lol), I thought TW3 was quite moving at times for a video game, re: Geralt's relationship with Ciri, and Vesemir, and some moments with Yen. TW3 is very much about family relationships and certainly has more heart in it than any Bethesda RPG, and more emotionally resonant moments than MEA or DAI (for me, anyway). It's not really that dark, either, imo...Darker than MEA and DAI, yes, but it's not even approaching the darkness of the MET for me, which most here obviously love, and which is still lighter than many games out there. I don't think that's why most people don't like it. I really think people just don't like that you can't create a unique character, as they're saying. BW allows you to (1) create a character with a unique appearance, (2) make decisions with that character that either change the course of the narrative or say something about the personality of your character, and (3) play as part of a "crew" with a range of personalities + (mostly) memorable loyalty missions that reveal things about who they are as "people" (some members that you hate and never take with you, some you love to hate, and some you really like). There aren't too many other options in gaming for this, and that is what makes BW games different and special. (Or did, if DA4 is the last of this and Anthem is the new future... :/ ) Ryder and the Inquistor may not have the range of dialogue options as Shepard and the Warden, and there may be more auto-dialogue in both, but you do craft a face in CC and make behaviorial and narrative choices throughout the entire game, the kinds (and #) of choices that are not available in TW3, HZD, any other game, or are only available at rare moments. And then the TW3 has no companions, as the OP points out. And other games with companions implement them differently. Bethesda's companions mostly feel like guns for hire instead of your character's friends. I felt a little attached to my dog in FO4, I guess... but after their individual quests, I mostly left the rest at the gas station and played without them... Walking around with Garrus is really different than walking around with Deacon. BW games have a certain "feel" to them, and revolve around virtual "friendship" in ways other games don't. This is I think in part why people find them so comforting to play. (Including me!) Maybe it's just okay that people don't like TW3 as much as BW games for these differences or other reasons, and state this publicly as often as they'd like -- no need to psychoanalyze them. |
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Post by Pokemario on Jun 30, 2017 19:09:55 GMT
So been sitting on this one for a while and given the recent news it seemed like a good time to post it. Now awhile ago I made a comment in a thread (I forget which one) that BioWare made stories like no one else in gaming. Instantly someone said 'well, that's not true.' But in thinking about it, and in anylizing the problem, what I mean is that BioWare writes about families. Or groups of people who would then become families. And a sense of family, is something I really appreciate in fiction. Whether it was SG-1, Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor, the crews of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. Family is important for me to enjoy my fiction. And this is something the gaming industry really lacks. Most gaming companies and protagonists are usually one in a game, and then they go off and do a bunch of missions in a game interacting with other characters only when barely neccessary. There are a few examples these days where games have now had two major characters. Like, the Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite. But, the games that have...diverse casts...that aren't BioWare games? I can think of pretty much a single game. The Witcher 3. Geralt and his girls. But BioWare? Every single game they have wonderful diverse casts who come together, often hating or disliking each other, and in the end they become like family to one another. Even Mass Effect Andromeda, though its cast may have not been the 'strongest', the crew at the end...after facing adversity and challenges, came together to be a family in the end. And that is why this game is special. That is why BioWare is special. So, what say you BSN? YES YES YES YES YES. I felt that, with Andromeda, they kind of forgot that characters (which were fine, though not nearly as developed as companions from other BW games) and our relationship with them is what makes BioWare special. |
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Post by colfoley on Jun 30, 2017 20:04:10 GMT
So been sitting on this one for a while and given the recent news it seemed like a good time to post it. Now awhile ago I made a comment in a thread (I forget which one) that BioWare made stories like no one else in gaming. Instantly someone said 'well, that's not true.' But in thinking about it, and in anylizing the problem, what I mean is that BioWare writes about families. Or groups of people who would then become families. And a sense of family, is something I really appreciate in fiction. Whether it was SG-1, Amy, Rory, and the Eleventh Doctor, the crews of the Enterprise, and the list goes on. Family is important for me to enjoy my fiction. And this is something the gaming industry really lacks. Most gaming companies and protagonists are usually one in a game, and then they go off and do a bunch of missions in a game interacting with other characters only when barely neccessary. There are a few examples these days where games have now had two major characters. Like, the Last of Us, and Bioshock Infinite. But, the games that have...diverse casts...that aren't BioWare games? I can think of pretty much a single game. The Witcher 3. Geralt and his girls. But BioWare? Every single game they have wonderful diverse casts who come together, often hating or disliking each other, and in the end they become like family to one another. Even Mass Effect Andromeda, though its cast may have not been the 'strongest', the crew at the end...after facing adversity and challenges, came together to be a family in the end. And that is why this game is special. That is why BioWare is special. So, what say you BSN? YES YES YES YES YES. I felt that, with Andromeda, they kind of forgot that characters (which were fine, though not nearly as developed as companions from other BW games) and our relationship with them is what makes BioWare special. this brings up something i think might deserve its own thread. Think on pretty much every single long term series, from movies, to tv, to books the first installment is usually the weakest in terms of character development focusing instead on world building and setting up plot lines. Look at ME 1. I think it had the weakest cast but even if you disagree with that the characters almost got zero attention compared to future installments. Its one of the reasons i am so optimistic for MEA 2 because if they are getting their story writing right finally then MEA 2 which will focus on the characters will be better. |
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Post by sil on Jun 30, 2017 20:05:28 GMT
You brought up SG-1 in a positive manner.
How could I ever refuse to like such a post? More SG-1 love needed here.
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Post by LogicGunn on Jun 30, 2017 20:14:16 GMT
You brought up SG-1 in a positive manner. How could I ever refuse to like such a post? More SG-1 love needed here. Indeed. |
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Post by Kabraxal on Jun 30, 2017 20:28:35 GMT
I have always been a character driven kinda guy. Didn't really start to understand this til Bioware started releasing games and RDM's Battlestar Galactica finale and his mantra "it's the characters stupid" crystallised my understanding of my focus.
Bioware was and still is the absolute best and characters and character writing. I can't name one of their RPGs where there wernt 6 characters that fully engaged me. Squaresoft and Namco were teally the only other devs with that kind of scope and legacy, bu one is dead and the other now only pumps out flat cliches for characters.
Granted, Bioware has also managed to provide some damn good stories, but it is still the characters that make those stories special. Sane with their world design... they were probably the best at this from Jade Empire on, reaching the peak in entertainment overall with Thedas and Inquisition specifically, but it is the characters thar make being in those worlds worthwhile. They do what no other game company can manage... create fully realised characters then put those characters into amazing worlds and situations that draw out the personality.
TLDR Version: they have great stories and worlds, but the first things to come to mind when you say Bioware are the characters. No other dev can really claim that and keep a straight face.
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Post by colfoley on Jun 30, 2017 20:39:13 GMT
SG-1 Was always one of my favorite shows.
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They have wonderful stories, romances, adventures. They have amazing writers, artists, voice actors, programmers and many other very talented people, and I very grateful to them all!
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