sjsharp2010
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Go Team!
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard
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Post by sjsharp2010 on Aug 6, 2017 18:31:14 GMT
I personally prefer Andromeda over Inquisition, I think Inquisition had a bit of an advantage in some areas since it did have some returning characters to help give more depth to the world and if you paid $15 for a DLC ending it had a better conclusion. The problem is in more areas I think Andromeda was superior for my play style. Yeah I think of the 2 I prefer MEA but mainly because I prefer a more sci fi story than a fantasy one but I think both games are very good and I'd say DAI is definitely the best of the DA games but I wouldn't compare it with ME tbh given they're 2 different universes with different rules to follow. For me personally I think MEA does open world better than DAI and I think the graphics on the whole are an improvement on DAI's. Also I think combat is better in MEA as well but then for me I prefer shooter combat than hack and slash and always have. There are obviously areas where DAI is still superior though but they are story and character s but I think they were helped by the fact that a lot of the characters were returners from previous games who had established personalities which meant Bioware could focus more on just building a story around them which made it easier to pull off I think. MEA's characters were pretty new from the ground up so pretty much everything had to be built in MEA's case with the exception of the powers and everything. |
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Post by SofaJockey on Aug 6, 2017 18:33:32 GMT
DAI also had a troubled development (Frostbite) but got away with it. It was a step up from DA2 whereas MEA had to better the Trilogy (ending excepted). DAI's solid animations (except on last gen) and decent enough story (pre-Witcher III) allowed it to thrive and even be GOTY. Cemented by memorable characters including those returning from past games. DAI's plot is arguably stronger in the first act, and Trespasser was necessary to end the game strongly as well. Because the plot and characters in DAI are strong, the weak side-content was forgiven (or at least didn't kill the game) in reviews. MEA's side-content is marginally better but it's cut from the same cloth. On balance I probably spent similar amounts of time playing both. They are probably more alike than unalike, with DAI's characters giving that game the edge. (my personal view)  |
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Post by Sharable Horizon on Aug 6, 2017 18:38:32 GMT
Honestly I adore both games and find it really hard to pick a favourite. I love inquisition as it's the continuation of an ongoing storyline that I'm really invested in. It gave me the chance to right the wrongs of Thedas as I saw them (Mage oppression, the chantry) and left some great mysteries that I can't wait to dig into in the next game (I'm a sucker for ancient myths!) On the flip side I found that I hated the vast majority of your companions bar Cass, Varric and Dorian. The main reason being that I loved the collection of oddballs and misfits that joined me throughout DA2! Compared to them, Cole, Blackwall and Bull were duller than dishwater. The less said about that obnoxious bitch Sera the better! For Andromeda I really took my time playing it. I fully bought into the narrative and was really invested in exploring every nook and cranny of worlds I found myself on trying to help the initiative recover and thrive in Heleus. This combined with its lighter tone and "planet of the week" storytelling really helped it feel like the sci fi shows I fell in love with as a kid (Farscape, TNG and Deep space 9 for those wondering!) Despite not having a lot to say onboard the tempest I found that I really related to and enjoyed my squad mates and the conversations between them on the nomad never got boring to me. The biggest downside for me was the disjointed narrative with the Archon. He never felt like a genuine threat. Now since I'm being forced to choose, I have to base my decision on the gameplay it self and on that Andromeda wins every time. It's combat was fast, frantic and really engaging for me. Despite being really sceptical of the profile system, I found that I actually loved the freedom that it gave me to switch up my play style at any time. Also it has Fryda and Toms voice acting, which I happen to love too!  |
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Post by slimgrin727 on Aug 6, 2017 18:46:01 GMT
DAI also had a troubled development (Frostbite) but got away with it. It was a step up from DA2 whereas MEA had to better the Trilogy (ending excepted). DAI's solid animations (except on last gen) and decent enough story (pre-Witcher III) allowed it to thrive and even be GOTY. Cemented by memorable characters including those returning from past games. DAI's plot is arguably stronger in the first act, and Trespasser was necessary to end the game strongly as well. Because the plot and characters in DAI are strong, the weak side-content was forgiven (or at least didn't kill the game) in reviews. MEA's side-content is marginally better but it's cut from the same cloth. On balance I probably spent similar amounts of time playing both. They are probably more alike than unalike, with DAI's characters giving that game the edge. (my personal view) I have to wonder, given the troubles Bioware encountered with Frostbyte, if that move was a top-down decision from EA made without input from the devs, and ultimately very harmful. With both games, the devs stressed how much they had to add or change because Frostbyte just wasn't suited for RPGs. |
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Post by colfoley on Aug 6, 2017 18:53:18 GMT
DAI is my favorite game of all time...MEA is my fourth favorite game of all time.
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Post by themikefest on Aug 6, 2017 18:54:13 GMT
I know we don't agree on MEA and that's fine but you've been polite and I think I've done the same, or tried to. Anyway what's your thoughts? I liked Origins but I just kinda focused more on ME. Do you think I'd like it?(The rest of the series.) If you played DAO, you might like DA2 and DAI. For me, DA2 is great because you can play as a diplomat, sarcastic or an aggressive Hawke. Sarcastic I would say is the favorite. The game has its flaws. Those will vary from person-to-person. Depending on what you did in DAO, a few characters will have cameos. I would suggest getting the Legacy dlc. It will explain stuff in DAI. I don't know what the current price is for the game, but if its cheap enough for you to get, I would. The other thing is go on youtube to watch some gameplay to see if it would interest you. Anyways. Here's one of the best scenes, for me anyways, in the game
DAI isn't bad. You can play as a human, dwarf, elf and even as a qunari. The player gets to play judge, jury and executioner after being named Inquisitor. Two major characters from DAO will be in the game. The companions are ok. One of them will be from DA2. The quests related to them are good. The combat I like. The tactical cam I really like. There are different mounts to choose from to getting around. Watch a couple of gamplay videos to decide if its something that would catch your interest. When I got my ps4, I bought the DAI game of the year edition for $40. That was in March 2016. I'm sure the price is lower now. |
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Post by abaris on Aug 6, 2017 18:56:34 GMT
They are probably more alike than unalike, with DAI's characters giving that game the edge. (my personal view) That being the operative word here. Also I would say the Inquisitor was a stronger lead than Ryder. |
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Cyan_Griffonclaw
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Uncle Cyan
Dang it.
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Shattered Steel, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by Cyan_Griffonclaw on Aug 6, 2017 19:08:52 GMT
DAI is my favorite game of all time...MEA is my fourth favorite game of all time. For me on the Frostbite canvas: It's Inquisition then Andromeda. As time goes by and more features are added that were missing on Frostbite will only make each successive title to be potentially better than the last installment. Both titles are strong platforms for DLC (Inquisition proved it) and for future sequels. I want to see Origins and DA2 merged together on Frostbite one day. The Grey Warden and Hawke in Origins. Add Awakenings (fix the FADE issue with the party limit.) and you have a collector's edition with a modified toolset. After of course, DA4 and DA5. Then do it. I wish I were EA's CEO. The power... |
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Post by griffith82 on Aug 6, 2017 19:10:13 GMT
I know we don't agree on MEA and that's fine but you've been polite and I think I've done the same, or tried to. Anyway what's your thoughts? I liked Origins but I just kinda focused more on ME. Do you think I'd like it?(The rest of the series.) If you played DAO, you might like DA2 and DAI. For me, DA2 is great because you can play as a diplomat, sarcastic or an aggressive Hawke. Sarcastic I would say is the favorite. The game has its flaws. Those will vary from person-to-person. Depending on what you did in DAO, a few characters will have cameos. I would suggest getting the Legacy dlc. It will explain stuff in DAI. I don't know what the current price is for the game, but if its cheap enough for you to get, I would. The other thing is go on youtube to watch some gameplay to see if it would interest you. Anyways. Here's one of the best scenes, for me anyways, in the game
DAI isn't bad. You can play as a human, dwarf, elf and even as a qunari. The player gets to play judge, jury and executioner after being named Inquisitor. Two major characters from DAO will be in the game. The companions are ok. One of them will be from DA2. The quests related to them are good. The combat I like. The tactical cam I really like. There are different mounts to choose from to getting around. Watch a couple of gamplay videos to decide if its something that would catch your interest. When I got my ps4, I bought the DAI game of the year edition for $40. That was in March 2016. I'm sure the price is lower now. To purchase DA 2 it's $17.99 plus the dlc so around $30i guess. DAI GOTY is $35.99 and includes all dlc. |
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Post by duckley on Aug 6, 2017 19:10:16 GMT
DAI was a much better game... mostly because I love the series, the lore, the characters, and because I much prefer fantasy to sci fi.
I have always enjoyed ME but I have always loved DA. I believe that part of why I enjoy MEA so much was that I was never a huge fan of the series and had no real preconceived ideas and expectations.
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Post by colfoley on Aug 6, 2017 19:15:39 GMT
DAI is my favorite game of all time...MEA is my fourth favorite game of all time. For me on the Frostbite canvas: It's Inquisition then Andromeda. As time goes by and more features are added that were missing on Frostbite will only make each successive title to be potentially better than the last installment. Both titles are strong platforms for DLC (Inquisition proved it) and for future sequels. I want to see Origins and DA2 merged together on Frostbite one day. The Grey Warden and Hawke in Origins. Add Awakenings (fix the FADE issue with the party limit.) and you have a collector's edition with a modified toolset. After of course, DA4 and DA5. Then do it. I wish I were EA's CEO. The power... i really think EA should get all their devs together to develop another frostbite that way they can craft it to all their individual needs. |
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Post by themikefest on Aug 6, 2017 19:22:19 GMT
To purchase DA 2 it's $17.99 plus the dlc so around $30i guess. DAI GOTY is $35.99 and includes all dlc. Surprised about the price for DAI. As I said, watch gameplay videos to see if its something that would interest you. Or if a friend has a copy that you can borrow to play, that would help in deciding if you want the game or not. |
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jaegerbane
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda
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Post by jaegerbane on Aug 6, 2017 19:23:07 GMT
So I'll go ahead and put it out there that DAI evolved into my favourite Fantasy RPG full stop (yes, that includes TW3, fight me). There were a number of reasons for this but the prime one was that it felt like a straight upgrade over everything DAO did, which IMHO is what a sequel should do and why I was so bitterly disappointed with DA2. That in itself is another issue in DAI's favour - I went in with low expectations and once all the DLCs had been released, it felt like a genuine epic.
In that context, I'm not really sure how to compare MEA. I actually thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and the character development and the Frostbite engine is IMHO the most visually spectacular engine on the market. When people were saying 'ermahgerd its just DAI in spaaaace' I actually didn't take that as a bad thing. The skills system was a straight upgrade over both the previous ME games and DAI and the crafting system was a logical progression of DAIs.
Both games are loaded with stuff that should never have made it into a final release and IIRC DAI was in a similar state on release. I don't hold that against the game itself, more the devs, and they've paid whatever price they owed now.
In that respect, I guess I prefer DAI in a straight match because it feels like a more polished and complete product... which is by virtue of having excellent DLC and a ton more patches that come with being out longer.
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Post by majesticjazz on Aug 6, 2017 19:29:37 GMT
After playing MEA, DAI is now more appealing. Still sucks, but better than MEA as indicated by its record sales and review scores.
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Post by griffith82 on Aug 6, 2017 19:42:38 GMT
To purchase DA 2 it's $17.99 plus the dlc so around $30i guess. DAI GOTY is $35.99 and includes all dlc. Surprised about the price for DAI. As I said, watch gameplay videos to see if its something that would interest you. Or if a friend has a copy that you can borrow to play, that would help in deciding if you want the game or not. Well I bit the bullet. I think dlc included I spen about $80 for both. I'm gonna have some fun after MEA run #2. |
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Post by alanc9 on Aug 6, 2017 19:45:30 GMT
Isn't this always going to be that DAI was better at some things, and ME:A was better at others, and the final rating is determined by which ones are more important to the individual player?
For instance, I though that the ME:A crafting and loot system was a lousy match for a game where you equip a single PC. In any game there's going to be a ton of noise from stuff your Ryder won't have any interest in. (DA2 had the same problem.) Of course, I'm something of an outlier here, since I'd be happy if we just went back to ME2's system. On the flip side, I thought that ME:A did better with the OW in general, particularly in integrating it with the main plot.
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mysticfeline
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Post by mysticfeline on Aug 6, 2017 19:45:32 GMT
I'm not crazy about the open world setup of either game but I still prefer ME:A
To me, nearly all of the side quests in DA:I felt like fetch quests while the side quests in ME:A reminded me more of ME1 style missions. Also, I felt like the ending of DA:I was anticlimactic considering how good some of the other main quests were.
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Post by jaegerbane on Aug 6, 2017 19:47:44 GMT
Surprised about the price for DAI. As I said, watch gameplay videos to see if its something that would interest you. Or if a friend has a copy that you can borrow to play, that would help in deciding if you want the game or not. Well I bit the bullet. I think dlc included I spen about $80 for both. I'm gonna have some fun after MEA run #2. Good stuff. You'll enjoy it. The only thing I will say is that, for levelling and story flow reasons, I'd do the DLC in the order of release (JoH, Descent, Trespasser), and all after the end of the base campaign. You can do the first two at any time but they've definitely been written for high-level characters and tbh, they don't make sense as something the Inquisitor would concern themselves with considering the world is literally going to hell in the main campaign. They do, however, make good quests to demonstrate the kind of thing the Inquisition does in the 2-year period between the end of the game and the start of Trespasser. |
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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 Aug 6, 2017 19:48:21 GMT
Actually, for enjoyment purposes, and that's because I honestly enjoy playing both, I find DA:I and ME:A about equal...though traveling in the Nomad does push ME:A up a little bit.
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Staff Mini-Profile Theme: Heimdall
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard
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Post by Heimdall on Aug 6, 2017 19:48:48 GMT
I preferred DAI, which I think benefitted from a stronger story and cast of characters.
Though ultimately I think they suffered from a lot of the same problems.
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Post by suikoden on Aug 6, 2017 19:55:52 GMT
For me on the Frostbite canvas: It's Inquisition then Andromeda. As time goes by and more features are added that were missing on Frostbite will only make each successive title to be potentially better than the last installment. Both titles are strong platforms for DLC (Inquisition proved it) and for future sequels. I want to see Origins and DA2 merged together on Frostbite one day. The Grey Warden and Hawke in Origins. Add Awakenings (fix the FADE issue with the party limit.) and you have a collector's edition with a modified toolset. After of course, DA4 and DA5. Then do it. I wish I were EA's CEO. The power... i really think EA should get all their devs together to develop another frostbite that way they can craft it to all their individual needs. They've been redeveloping it to suit their needs since 2008. |
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Post by suikoden on Aug 6, 2017 19:56:51 GMT
Inquisition was a 6/10, Andromeda is a 4/10.
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Post by Hanako Ikezawa on Aug 6, 2017 20:00:17 GMT
Inquisition was a 6/10, Andromeda is a 4/10.  |
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Post by abaris on Aug 6, 2017 20:00:24 GMT
For instance, I though that the ME:A crafting and loot system was a lousy match for a game where you equip a single PC. In any game there's going to be a ton of noise from stuff your Ryder won't have any interest in. (DA2 had the same problem.) Yup, but in the case of DA2, modders took care of the issue. Sadly I don't think this will happen with MEA and Frostbite. |
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Post by Andrew Waples on Aug 6, 2017 20:19:52 GMT
I feel that the quest design in DAI felt kinda flat. I mean, your closing 75 fade rifts, finding songs, bottles, mugs, skulls or herding (  ) animals that eats up a good chunk of the game. It's saving grace is Hakkon and Trespasser; which where that much better then the villania game. MEA's story I think is just slightly better then DAI. I enjoyed DAI's and MEA's companion's story archs, though with MEA some of them were drawn out a bit to much--especially Peebee. Cory and Archon are the same enemy--all their missing is the laughing. However, I think MEA's quests where so much better then DAI they didn't feel like filler, like so many of DAI's quests. |
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) animals that eats up a good chunk of the game. It's saving grace is Hakkon and Trespasser; which where that much better then the villania game. MEA's story I think is just slightly better then DAI. I enjoyed DAI's and MEA's companion's story archs, though with MEA some of them were drawn out a bit to much--especially Peebee. Cory and Archon are the same enemy--all their missing is the laughing. However, I think MEA's quests where so much better then DAI they didn't feel like filler, like so many of DAI's quests.