Dragon Age: does it get any better?

[Danpascooch]

snip

I dunno. I'm finding the Dialogue pretty fun. I played the Human Noble origin, and it actually felt like I was part of that family.

I guess I just like the fantasy setting more than you do. Seeing as I prefer Oblivion and DA:O to Fallout and Mass Effect

It just seemed like there was so much of it, to say so little.

I just expect things to either be thoroughly entertaining, or as short as possible (to get to the entertaining stuff) the dialogue in this particular game didn't do either for me.

 

[e2density]

I've played it and tried to get in to it...but I've decided on this idea:

"I don't like WoW, so I won't like this"

And it's true.

 

[Pimppeter2]

snip

I dunno. I'm finding the Dialogue pretty fun. I played the Human Noble origin, and it actually felt like I was part of that family.

I guess I just like the fantasy setting more than you do. Seeing as I prefer Oblivion and DA:O to Fallout and Mass Effect

It just seemed like there was so much of it, to say so little.

I just expect things to either be thoroughly entertaining, or as short as possible (to get to the entertaining stuff) the dialogue in this particular game didn't do either for me.

Each to his own I guess.

I am loving the game. I'm about 20 hours in. But I don't think this has the replay value that Oblivion had.

 

[StonkThis]

Same thing for me with Borderlands. Couldn't get into it. I haven't played DA yet, but if I do, I'm pretty sure it'll end the same way.

 

[Durxom]

I think I might just try getting into Fallout 3 again since I have all the DLCs for it now, since I thought up an idea for a new long running character. I enjoy that kind of game, it doesnt really need replayablity, since it is practically "endless", but the problem is there is a lack of "unique" items most of the time, and such, while rpgs like DA:O, while having a deep story, and all that, lose some of the replayability and the like, and only having a set path.

 

[Danpascooch]

snip

I dunno. I'm finding the Dialogue pretty fun. I played the Human Noble origin, and it actually felt like I was part of that family.

I guess I just like the fantasy setting more than you do. Seeing as I prefer Oblivion and DA:O to Fallout and Mass Effect

It just seemed like there was so much of it, to say so little.

I just expect things to either be thoroughly entertaining, or as short as possible (to get to the entertaining stuff) the dialogue in this particular game didn't do either for me.

Each to his own I guess.

I am loving the game. I'm about 20 hours in. But I don't think this has the replay value that Oblivion had.

No No No!!! None of that "we have different tastes" stop that right now!

Agree with me. AGREE WITH ME!!!!!!

Rofl, but seriously, I did enjoy the game, I just didn't think it measured up to Bioware's standards or that of RPG's I find worth purchasing in general, if you disagree, that's great, I just didn't feel very invested in the details of the story.

 

[Lyri]

I've played it and tried to get in to it...but I've decided on this idea:

"I don't like WoW, so I won't like this"

And it's true.

But...those games are nothing the same.
Just pointing that out.

 

[Lambi]

I love this game, but I've had to pull out and start to 'grind' a little. I haven't gone back to some of the places (like the abandoned house in Denerim).

I like the party I use almost all the time, the main character, Alistair, Morrigan and the rouge bard (I think her name is Leslie). Two tankers, a mage (who doubles as a healer) and someone to pick the locks on chests.

 

[Pimppeter2]

snip

I dunno. I'm finding the Dialogue pretty fun. I played the Human Noble origin, and it actually felt like I was part of that family.

I guess I just like the fantasy setting more than you do. Seeing as I prefer Oblivion and DA:O to Fallout and Mass Effect

It just seemed like there was so much of it, to say so little.

I just expect things to either be thoroughly entertaining, or as short as possible (to get to the entertaining stuff) the dialogue in this particular game didn't do either for me.

Each to his own I guess.

I am loving the game. I'm about 20 hours in. But I don't think this has the replay value that Oblivion had.

No No No!!! None of that "we have different tastes" stop that right now!

Agree with me. AGREE WITH ME!!!!!!

Rofl, but seriously, I did enjoy the game, I just didn't think it measured up to Bioware's standards or that of RPG's I find worth purchasing in general, if you disagree, that's great, I just didn't feel very invested in the details of the story.

I agree.

Mass effect was CINEMATIC!

[sub]I hope you get the reference[/sub]

Rofl, but seriously, I did enjoy the game, I just didn't think it measured up to Bioware's standards or that of RPG's I find worth purchasing in general, if you disagree, that's great, I just didn't feel very invested in the details of the story

Out of curiosity, who did you have in your party?

 

[annil8tion]

to me, its just boring cause it feels exactly like KOTOR, just without the lightsabers

 

[annil8tion]

I've played it and tried to get in to it...but I've decided on this idea:

"I don't like WoW, so I won't like this"

And it's true.

But...those games are nothing the same.
Just pointing that out.

They are a tad alike, if you compare the combat, especially the melee moves and such, there isn't a big difference

 

[FluffyNeurosis]

It gets better as you go on and the fights become easier once you get used to them. (for me this happened when I learned how to not kill my own guys with the mage) Your right about how tiny the game is, after playing BG2 I was pissed off at how small this game was. The monster fights get repetitive but you can make some really cool choices in this game.

 

[Nabirius]

Actually structurally looking at the combat, were you to set up your tactics well enough that all of the characters played like real people then completely controlled one character it would be very similar to WoW

 

[Lyri]

They are a tad alike, if you compare the combat, especially the melee moves and such, there isn't a big difference

I don't get where you're coming from with this, at all.
Explain further.

Actually structurally looking at the combat, were you to set up your tactics well enough that all of the characters played like real people then completely controlled one character it would be very similar to WoW

Why WoW?
I'm calling a troll, because "having AI play like players" wouldn't make it anything like WOW specifically at all.
You'd have a standard party of Tank & DPS found in any rpg fantasy game.

 

[GrimTuesday]

well I have no idea what your talking about I've been tanking through it like no ones buisness.

 

[gim73]

I found it to be a fun, yet at times frustratingly hard experience. I didn't do the circle of magi until the end, and morrigan was purely offensive, so I was pretty strapped for healing potions. Even normal is pretty hard if you don't make your own potions and rely solely on what you find/buy. Party banter makes the game worth playing with various different party members. Unlocking all the achivements requires multiple playthroughs. It's still a pretty long game. Looks like they will give us more downloadable content over a period of time, so that will be pretty good. Not as much replay as fallout 3, but it's still well worth playing.

 

[MmmFiber]

I would say it gets better, especially when you get the tactics down. The only few things I really don't like is that you don't really have any specific gear to get or ultimate weapons to use and no grinding. The grinding part might seem odd to some, "Why would you WANT to grind?" Well, I happen to like being ahead of the curve through preparation and forethought. So, grinding is pretty central in my philosophy for that.

Here are some battle tips:
1. Roll a mage
2. Attack casters first
3. Specialize characters(make the tank a high healthed aggro stealing brute and the damage dealers be good at dealing damage)
4. Make at least one of the mages in your party the healer and I usually have 2 with at least some healing spells set in the tactics
5. Roll a mage (no seriously)
6. Do all the side quests to at least attempt to give your characters an edge level/gear/gold-wise
7. Save often
8. Have one char do Herbalism and keep track of what merchant sells what crafting item. Look out for elfroot, distiller agent, concentrator agent, flasks, and (maybe) deep mushrooms.
9. If you play on normal which has no friendly fire, be fairly liberal with the amount of high damage area of effect spells your mage casts.
10. At the beginning when leveling up a mage, I suggest putting quite a bit of attribute points into magic so that it unlocks the more powerful spells in your talent trees(?) sooner. Casting chain-lightning into a group of enemies does ridiculous amounts of damage.
11. Personally, I like being the healer, because when you are in charge of the healing you can also take into account the rate of decline in a players health and are not completely reliant on the AI just determining if the character is under "X" percentage of health or not.
12. It doesn't hurt to have a lot of extra health and mana potions. And on the ps3 version, it doesn't matter whether you have 1 or 99 of something, it only takes of 1 inventory slot.

I hope this helps. The earlier stages of the game would have been more fun for me if I had known these things. Also, the battles/dungeons just get longer, give or take.

 

[Lyri]

*snip*

This right here is my main gripe with DA:O, rolling anything other than mage feels like you're purposefully gimping yourself in pretty much every way.
Considering that Mages hit like trucks when compared to any other class, and are far more useful than any other class.

Most of my fights consist of just using the Mage, whilst everyone else is basically a meatshield.
Even that point become disgustingly irrelevant when you have an Arcane Warrior with Bloodmage specs and then you're the best tank in the game with silly damage too.

This sums it up nicely. (Albeit in a silly fashion)

 

[targren]

I thought the game had a few fatal flaws.

The biggest of which was the fact that enemies NEVER respawn! EVER! Which means that there is pretty much a set amount of exp and cash you can earn. Ever throw out a crappy item? That is cash you can NEVER just grind back.

It is gone. Forever, deducted from that magical "total cash earn able in this game" number.

Really bothers me.

This. Although it's not really so much the cash that bothers me (then again, I didn't play long enough for them to sell anything that mattered). It's the "The Broken Boss is one-shotting your entire party on Normal mode? Turn it down to easy!" way of doing things. I'd rather go out and grind me a few more levels, though I dunno how that will help when friggin Alestair refuses to kite the ogre....

 

[Jenova65]

I would say it gets better, especially when you get the tactics down. The only few things I really don't like is that you don't really have any specific gear to get or ultimate weapons to use and no grinding. The grinding part might seem odd to some, "Why would you WANT to grind?" Well, I happen to like being ahead of the curve through preparation and forethought. So, grinding is pretty central in my philosophy for that.

I do the same, but with Bioware games the enemies pretty much all level up with you anyway, so you never get the advantage you would in say FFXII from grinding! Grinding in that game serves a very real purpose (and was a lot of fun, imo) if you want to get the drop on enemies anywhere, and the final boss is soooo easy if you go in a few levels above the recommended (maybe too easy, and I love FFXII)
The reason for really levelling up in Bioware games is that the skills are better (but the enemies skills are too)
Best way to deal with it (to the OP) is to dial down the difficulty as suggested, and remember with Bioware about 75% of dialogue in the game is optional and great for players who like that part of game (uncovering extra info etc.) which I personally really like, but I think Bioware are aware that not every one does, so you can coast through their games without having all the 'superfluous', dialogue.
If you find the battle engine dull, it's probably because you are just using A to hit rather than using all that the pause menu has to offer