Poll: Dragon Age 2 was it that bad?

[Sonic Doctor]

I played them both on the console, but that is besides the point. The only thing that might come into play between platforms is the controls.

But unless on the PC version of Origins I could have control on where my special attacks hit(not just meaning the one I target) and they are performed faster, and I would have control of my normal attack, then my clunky complaint still stands.

The not being able to control how fast my character attacks in battle was the biggest problem.

My warrior in Origins: The normal swords attack was out of my control. My warrior did this: Swing sword......swing sword......swing sword.

My warrior in DA2: Swing, swing, swing. I don't even have the time to say "Swing sword".

Well, it's hardly beside the point - it actually explains things quite a bit. From what I hear, the console port of DA:O was pretty terrible. It also seems like you played DA:O controlling a single character, which would also explain why you preferred DA2's system.

DA:O is more optimized towards m+k and controlling an entire party, and unfortunately tactical party-based games* and RTS games have yet to have their Halo, and generally have issues on the console. Even though DA2 gutted the tactical aspects of DA:O's combat, one thing it did do right was the console port.

*with the exception of Tales games, which get around this issue with co-op.

EDIT: And RE:Keosgg's point, the silliness with rogues teleporting, warriors leaping around in plate armor, and Templar paratroopers is generally seen as a minus, not a plus.

First off I did switch between the characters when I played Origins, mainly because the whole tactics didn't work because in the time it took to compute to do the tactic, the time had passed. Something as simple as imputing that I want my party members to drink a health potion when they get below 50% health didn't work, one one of them would get below 50% health, it would take 5 or more seconds before they actually did it, and by that time they were usually dead, so they never drank it of course.

But really, you totally didn't read what I said.

I had no control over my standard/normal attack, in no game should attacks be on auto. There shouldn't be 4 seconds or more between attacks. My characters act like they are in some world where the air is really thick and they have to cut through it to get the sword to the enemy.

On the area of effect and what special attacks hit, I look at shield bash.

When I shield bash in Origins, it hits only the targeted enemy, it doesn't matter if there is another enemy standing right next to me, or the targeted enemy.

When I shield bash in DA2, I hit the target and there are two guys standing next to him or just behind him, they are all going to fall down.

My shield and the enemy is a solid object, my shield when it hits the target and keeps going it isn't going to all of a sudden become like air and the other enemies pass right through it. Same goes for the enemies when the guy that gets shield bashed falls back on the guys that are right behind him, he will knock them down.

So read what I said from the first post, and don't even bring tactics into play because it has nothing to do with it, especially not with the snail speed of the automatic normal attack.

 

[ResonanceSD]

It was a mediocre sequel to an excellent RPG. So naturally, the game felt like a terrible money-grab.

 

[Mustang678]

DA2 had been the first game I ever preordered and subsequently reminded me why I don't buy games until I've read reviews. Unless the game is absolutely outstanding I only borrow copies from friends.
I did get a free copy of ME2 out of it though. I think DA2 would've stood up better if they'd spent another year on it

 

[Sonic Doctor]

All there is here, is a change of style, lets not say its better or worse, both of them worked equally good in my opinion. DA:O Had a slower more realistic look of combat (which I personally prefer being a pen and paper rper), which matched perfectly the more tactical side to it.

DA:O did not have realistic combat. In real life, medieval warriors would be able to swing a sword faster than my warrior did.

If swords are swung that slowly in real life, medieval combat scenes in movies and television would take twice as long, at least.

I have held replicas of blades used in such movies. They are of normal weight of the real thing used throughout medieval history, and I was able to swing faster than my warrior in DA:O, and keep it up for several minutes.

So combat in DA:O is not real.

 

[Aizsaule]

The constant enemy's who where warping into battle was very annoying, and the game wasn't dragon age origins which was also disappointing.

 

[jackdaniel0001]

Its a good game, definitely didn't deserve all the vitriol flowing around the internet. It is sort of interesting to see that fans turn 180 deg from saying Origin sucks to Origin is perfect, either that or BioWare fanbase is just that divided.

I'd say they are going to be better off just ignoring the 'fans', pleasing some will just leave others embittered.

 

[satsugaikaze]

I think fans of Origins were really just expecting the same everything as Origins (and Awakening) - the same two-dice-shy-of-D&D gameplay, the same open-ended story and the same grand old high-fantasy stuff.

Dragon Age II was just a huge step in a very lateral direction that caught a lot of the original's fans off guard, and it really seemed to me that they were experimenting with the RPG format in terms of plot structure, gameplay and characters.

Personally, I goddamn applaud Bioware for having the balls to try something different, whether or not it was good. I think people who consider the effort put into the story and characters as being "lazy" aren't really on the same wavelength as the people who wrote them. It's true that things like the copy-pasted dungeons are very indicative of the very short development cycle and the need for more work on the game, but it's not as big a cause of the game's faults as people think it is.

Mainly, the 'disjointed' linear structure of the story doesn't feel the same as the Journey (with a capital J!) taken in Origins. Let's face it, guys, Dragon Age: Origins was as Joseph Campbell as you could get in "dark" fantasy. At least, much more so than II was.

 

[Mr Dizazta]

It was a good game. I am currently doing a second playthough. The problem I had with DA2 was the recycling of dungeons, Act 3 just being batshit crazy for no reason, and Kirkwall never feeling like a huge city.

 

[Kahunaburger]

snip

I'm not entirely sure you addressed what I was saying. Short version: DA:O is deeper, but optimized for PC. Not all of the tactical elements (positioning chief among them) got translated over to console very well. DA2 is optimized for console. It's shallower, but plays better as an action game vs. a tactical game. So if you're playing on a console, DA2's combat system is better, and it doesn't surprise me that you like DA2 more.

The rest of your issues with DA:O are basically subjective - IMO, shield bashes targeting individual enemies vs. shield bashes knocking down groups of enemies, fast attacking vs. slow attacking, and so on are basically six of one, half dozen of the other. Personally, I'm more interested in the tactical element, but it's okay if you're not, especially because the tactical element never worked well on your platform.

 

[Kahunaburger]

All there is here, is a change of style, lets not say its better or worse, both of them worked equally good in my opinion. DA:O Had a slower more realistic look of combat (which I personally prefer being a pen and paper rper), which matched perfectly the more tactical side to it.

DA:O did not have realistic combat. In real life, medieval warriors would be able to swing a sword faster than my warrior did.

If swords are swung that slowly in real life, medieval combat scenes in movies and television would take twice as long, at least.

I have held replicas of blades used in such movies. They are of normal weight of the real thing used throughout medieval history, and I was able to swing faster than my warrior in DA:O, and keep it up for several minutes.

So combat in DA:O is not real.

Can you teleport? If so, teach me plz.

 

[Kahunaburger]

I think people who consider the effort put into the story and characters as being "lazy" aren't really on the same wavelength as the people who wrote them.

I'd say less "lazy" and more "they needed more time to edit."

This stuff isn't exactly final draft material:


But these guys were the people who wrote DA:O, which while not exactly great writing, was at the very least good writing. So I'm less inclined to blame them for messing up DA2's writing and more inclined to blame EA for rushing them.

 

[lion el jhonson]

Two reasons why Dragon Age 2 blew ass...
(spoilers)
1:when the qunari started destroying Kirkwall, I wanted to side with them, Why? BECAUSE EVERYONE IN THAT CITY IS A FUCKING DUMB ASS AND A DICK... sorry I really dont like this game but the qunari are justified because everyone in the city (except shameus) is an ingnorant zealot who thinks that just because the qunari are there they think it to be a challenge to the religion. When you want to side with the villains of a story, you have failed in telling a story.

2:FUCKING ANDERS!!!!

 

[Bobbity]

I liked it, but it was still a disappointment to me, in that it had amazing potential, but the developers completely failed to capitalise on that.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

DA:O did not have realistic combat. In real life, medieval warriors would be able to swing a sword faster than my warrior did.

If swords are swung that slowly in real life, medieval combat scenes in movies and television would take twice as long, at least.

I have held replicas of blades used in such movies. They are of normal weight of the real thing used throughout medieval history, and I was able to swing faster than my warrior in DA:O, and keep it up for several minutes.

So combat in DA:O is not real.

Can you teleport? If so, teach me plz.

Is there some kind of joke in what you said? I mentioned nothing about magic, just about simple sword swinging.

And on the video you posted above, on the writing, it really says nothing about the writing. There isn't one grand right way on how stories and dialogue should be written. I found nothing wrong with those scenes in the video.

I graduated from college specifically in the area of English, having studied a great deal on the art of writing stories.

My professors were keen on saying that while they don't particularly like certain ways of writing, they know that there are certain tastes in writing people have and it doesn't mean the writing is bad.

 

[MisterFrodo17]

As a huge Bioware fan, I enjoyed the game, but found it to be quite disappointing in some aspects. Recycled dungeons, the city barely changing, and your companions kinda dropping important moments in their character developments... It really stunk because there were parts I loved, like all the party banter and interaction between them. Having Anders stop me while exploring a dungeon and warn me about romancing Merrill due to her blood magic ways was pretty freaking cool. It just felt really lazy and rushed in some areas; I wish EA would've given Bioware more time with it (or maybe Bioware should've asked for more time). I still need to finish the darn thing, though I'm not really looking forward to trudging to the ending. All in all, I enjoyed it, but it's definitely my least favorite Bioware game.

 

[Kahunaburger]

DA:O did not have realistic combat. In real life, medieval warriors would be able to swing a sword faster than my warrior did.

If swords are swung that slowly in real life, medieval combat scenes in movies and television would take twice as long, at least.

I have held replicas of blades used in such movies. They are of normal weight of the real thing used throughout medieval history, and I was able to swing faster than my warrior in DA:O, and keep it up for several minutes.

So combat in DA:O is not real.

Can you teleport? If so, teach me plz.

Is there some kind of joke in what you said? I mentioned nothing about magic, just about simple sword swinging.

Remember the teleporting rogues?

And on the video you posted above, on the writing, it really says nothing about the writing. There isn't one grand right way on how stories and dialogue should be written. I found nothing wrong with those scenes in the video.

I graduated from college specifically in the area of English, having studied a great deal one the art of writing stories.

My professors were keen on saying that while they don't particularly like certain ways of writing, they know that there are certain tastes in writing people have and it doesn't mean the writing is bad.

I hope you got your money back. Good luck trying the "lol its subjective" line with an editor or publisher.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

DA:O did not have realistic combat. In real life, medieval warriors would be able to swing a sword faster than my warrior did.

If swords are swung that slowly in real life, medieval combat scenes in movies and television would take twice as long, at least.

I have held replicas of blades used in such movies. They are of normal weight of the real thing used throughout medieval history, and I was able to swing faster than my warrior in DA:O, and keep it up for several minutes.

So combat in DA:O is not real.

Can you teleport? If so, teach me plz.

Is there some kind of joke in what you said? I mentioned nothing about magic, just about simple sword swinging.

Remember the teleporting rogues?

And on the video you posted above, on the writing, it really says nothing about the writing. There isn't one grand right way on how stories and dialogue should be written. I found nothing wrong with those scenes in the video.

I graduated from college specifically in the area of English, having studied a great deal one the art of writing stories.

My professors were keen on saying that while they don't particularly like certain ways of writing, they know that there are certain tastes in writing people have and it doesn't mean the writing is bad.

No further comments.

The teleporting rogues are part of the fantasy of the game, of course it isn't real, that doesn't say or discredit anything about what I said. Other than that, there is no reason that warriors or rogues can't have quick and normal blade movements.

Oh, and on your pointing out of a simple typo, that says nothing either, everybody makes mistakes and typos occur.

Those same professors would tell you to concentrate on more important matters in what you are reading, not on something as trivial as a typo. Even with scanning for mistakes, a person can easily miss a typo, besides it is 5:38am and I haven't slept yet. Sue me.

 

[Electric_Sunshine]

Didn't enjoy it, played demo for half an hour and was dissapointed. However I wasn't really a fan on number 1, characters weren't very likable for me.

One thing I have been meaning to ask people that have a stance like yours, what was the demo like?

The reason I ask is that from experience, demos of late aren't a good measure of what the game will be like.

What was in the demo, what did you do in it?

I didn't get around to playing the demo before my pre-order copy arrived.

You say you weren't really a fan of DA:Origins. I am in the same boat, I still haven't got hardly anywhere in my first play through. But with that said, I loved DA2 and have set up two more play throughs and have been playing them.

Edit: If you have a console, give it a rent.

I got about 30 minutes into the demo, and again, the characters weren't interesting at all to me. Also the demo was much too hack n slash for me.

In the demo, from what I remember, your hometown was being destroyed and some darkspawn attacked you, then I found I could kill all of them in one swipe which I instantly hated. Then there was some dialogue which I didn't like much at all. And that's when I decided to stop since I felt I'd had a touch of everything it had to offer me.

I got about 40 hours into DA:O, playing a human warrior I think, and I had really enjoyed the mage tower and then afterwards I started doing the dwarves and didn't enjoy that at all so I stopped playing. I may go back to it eventually, but I doubt it.

And I played on PC so no rent for me.

 

[Sonic Doctor]

I hope you got your money back. Good luck trying the "lol its subjective" line with an editor or publisher.

I took and editing and publishing class as well. What do you think an editor is for? The editor is there to catch typos. But still, not everything will be caught, I have seen many books and magazines with typos.

Jay Leno would never have had any funny pieces for his headlines segment, and I would never have seen in my local paper, Pizza Hut's ad that they were hiring divers.

You think very much in black and white.

The problem is that the world is grey.

 

[keosegg]

EDIT: And RE:Keosgg's point, the silliness with rogues teleporting, warriors leaping around in plate armor, and Templar paratroopers is generally seen as a minus, not a plus.

In my opinion, it isn't. I play games to escape reality, I fully expect every single one of my characters to be able to punt a skyscraper halfway across the earth, in full plate armour, while on fire.

If I wanted realistic fighting, I'd watch it in real life.