Check Out the New Dragon Age 2 Combat Walkthrough Video

[NooNameLeft]

Really? Am I the only one seeing generic MMO-style "point and click" fighting here? What, they've added a pause button? WOOOHOO!

The attempt at "action!" seems particularly cynical. I see no crosshair (or aiming of any kind) for the ranged classes... At most an area of effect circle for AoE spells... Which is... something, I guess. All attacks seem conspicuously "homing" on the targets. And off course, there are those suspiciously-MMO-looking cooldowns.

And then the "strategy" mode, which is essentially the exact same thing, with a pause button.

Am I missing something?

I have a feeling you never played the first Dragon Age.

 

[Caliostro]

Well, it basically is am mmo-style (though, contrary to what you may think, this style has been out since before mmos) it's just that you control the entire party, so you need the pause option.

I know MMOs didn't invent it, but they're certainly the most prominent users of it. Namely because every MMO and their dog uses it.

The entire purpose for this style of control is to allow the player to be tactical with their combat. If you've ever played the Baldur's Gate games (the PC ones not those horrible Console ones), you needed the advanced options and coordination. They were hard games. I'm less than convinced that it will be successful as an action-rpg and am really sad that they're trying.

This isn't my gripe with it. Take Mount & Blade Warband for instances. You could achieve an equal level of control if you just gave it an actual in-battle minimap (as opposed to the current blank square), and paused the game when you brought it up.

The issue is that the base game mechanic is the terrible "point and click" combat. And that the only difference between "strategy mode" and the hilariously named "action mode" seems to be that you can pause the strategy mode. That's it.

I'm all for incorporating strategy in action, and vice versa, but, please, do it right. It's 2010. There's really no excuse to use that pitiful "point and click" system anymore.

They didn't add a Pause button it was there in other Bioware game a long time ago.
Anyways it seems to me nothing has changed.
It seems weild they put a trailer on nothing really.

Pause buttons have existed long before Bioware, really. But yeah, that's my point. Behind the smoke and mirrors of pretty words and flashy screens, it's the same old unimpressive shit we've seen a million times now.

I have a feeling you never played the first Dragon Age.

Never said I did. But hey, if I play the first, will it make this any less of a cynical attempt at mincing words to hide the fact they really got nothing new?

 

[FloodOne]

The tactical is way better, yet people still buy this on consoles...

Maybe people can't afford gaming rigs? Or maybe, just maybe, some people think that gaming on a PC sucks? Did you ever stop to consider that?

OT- Looks nice, but I had my pre order paid off weeks ago. This is only icing at this point.

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

At first I was nervous abut DA2, but now I'm believing that it will be great, only thing I'm still not sure about yet is if the story can top the first one yet. Only time can tell.

 

[Stormz]

Lordy, this game is turning out to be amazing, I seriously can't wait to get my hands on this.

 

[AsurasFinest]

You know what
I actually thought this game was going to turn out bad from the gameplay videos they showed us
It looked like some crappy hack and slash
This video made it look alot better

So my question is why not show this the first time
It would have made for a better example of how the gameplay is supposed to go

 

[IzisviAziria]

I guess I'm the only one that doesn't like it so far :/

The action-RPG fight looked really... cheap to me. I don't like the way they changed the art, I don't like the UI change.

And I'll probably buy it anyway, so none of that makes any difference.

 

[zedel]

I loved the original DA:O, but beardy-boy just doesn't seem to be that interesting. I mean, I don't care about his/her story. Perhaps if there was a gender neutral option or my character, I'd be intrigued. Maybe it's just not my kind of game. : / I mean, I've always gone to WRPGs to create my story, but JRPGs to see someone else's story. Bioware is trying to tell their story with a WRPG, which just isn't my thing. Whatever, I'll check it out once it's in the bargain bin or ebay for <=$10.

 

[JoshV]

I loved the original DA:O, but beardy-boy just doesn't seem to be that interesting. I mean, I don't care about his/her story. Perhaps if there was a gender neutral option or my character, I'd be intrigued. Maybe it's just not my kind of game. : / I mean, I've always gone to WRPGs to create my story, but JRPGs to see someone else's story. Bioware is trying to tell their story with a WRPG, which just isn't my thing. Whatever, I'll check it out once it's in the bargain bin or ebay for <=$10.

I imagine the "bearded Hawke" is just the default male appearance that Bioware likes to use in their promotional media (like "meathead" Shepard in ME1 and 2). I highly doubt there won't be any character customization at all.

 

[zedel]

I loved the original DA:O, but beardy-boy just doesn't seem to be that interesting. I mean, I don't care about his/her story. Perhaps if there was a gender neutral option or my character, I'd be intrigued. Maybe it's just not my kind of game. : / I mean, I've always gone to WRPGs to create my story, but JRPGs to see someone else's story. Bioware is trying to tell their story with a WRPG, which just isn't my thing. Whatever, I'll check it out once it's in the bargain bin or ebay for <=$10.

I imagine the "bearded Hawke" is just the default male appearance that Bioware likes to use in their promotional media (like "meathead" Shepard in ME1 and 2). I highly doubt there won't be any character customization at all.

Hmm...perhaps I wasn't as clear as I should have been. I am neither man nor woman. As such, I prefer games with predefined characters, such as mass effect, to be more androgynous or gender-neutral. Given that the character is voiced in this game, I consider the character to be predefined as the way a person says something gives quite a bit of insight into who they are. Thus there may be customization, but it will be in the same vein as the tyranny of freedom. Simply put, customization to make you forget that you are playing a predefined character. That's all well and good, but it isn't my thing. : /

 

[Ninjamedic]

The tactical is way better, yet people still buy this on consoles...

Our Necessary PC Elitist comment on a Bioware News page, And the universe is balanced.

OT: Consoles better have Tactical combat. I can't see why not.

 

[Knusper]

I think I'm liking the tactical mode more, it works well in several other games, such as Fallout and KOTOR.

 

[Krantos]

The entire purpose for this style of control is to allow the player to be tactical with their combat. If you've ever played the Baldur's Gate games (the PC ones not those horrible Console ones), you needed the advanced options and coordination. They were hard games. I'm less than convinced that it will be successful as an action-rpg and am really sad that they're trying.

This isn't my gripe with it. Take Mount & Blade Warband for instances. You could achieve an equal level of control if you just gave it an actual in-battle minimap (as opposed to the current blank square), and paused the game when you brought it up.

The issue is that the base game mechanic is the terrible "point and click" combat. And that the only difference between "strategy mode" and the hilariously named "action mode" seems to be that you can pause the strategy mode. That's it.

Yes, but the two games have completely different Combat mechanics. In M&B, whether you hit, get hit, or block is entirely up to player skill. Character Skill only determines speed and damage.

I've played both games and i like both games, but they're very different experiences. If you like the gameplay to be based more on your own reflexes and skill at controlling your character then you probably won't enjoy Dragon Age. Dragon Age's style is more about how you build and direct the character rather than having direct control over them. Different gameplay, different tastes. That's what it comes down to.