I am getting the game I wan't and that is all that matters.
Win/Win situation I think it's called?

You know what's really funny about this? This is the score GT gave to ME2

OVERALL:99
So suddenly GT is not behind this anymore? Suddenly using the experience from one success is a bad idea?

Given what Sarkus wrote(I didn't know the difference was that big) then apparently Razgon and Ceekay is in the minority so maybe the
task of being humble belongs to the minority in this case? It's the fucking idiots who rant and rave while not having anything to back it up with who
should be humble not the other way around.

Like I said, they are learning from Mass Effect 2, losing some gamers stuck in arcane ways won't really matter since
general sales willl go up.

Why are you so condescending in your posts? Its fine to have opinions, but to negate others isnt really very helpfull in anyway.

So? I have my opinion you have your opinion. My opinion is that the changes are good and you are free to buy something else as usual.
If I was an owner of Bioware I too would look into increasing sales, not reducing them to satisfy some gamers who really should be looking at indie rpgs like those godawful ones from Spiderweb, if they
wan't stats and numbers rather than fun gameplay.

Didn't Youtube ban these remakes? Well if HItler likes the old way I think I will go with the new .

Like I said, they are learning from Mass Effect 2, losing some gamers stuck in arcane ways won't really matter since
general sales willl go up.

My guess is complicated licensing issues that needed resolving.

I thought the first was linear too so why would number 2 be any different? This was never a GTA type game.

As a side note, as expensive as developers in Norway are it would be intersting to hear how they handle feature requests there .

But they lose, since options take time to create (unless you hare satisfied with a couple of textboxes that look cool).

I also like options but they have to make sense.

Are you serious? So, if they make the overhead view, the game will suffer horribly? And making it doesnt make sense?

That was probably a design decision more than anything, I was thinking of fancy spells and stats and stuff.

Well, I am sure EAs financing department would like to hear from you if you have extra cash lying around for investments. I thought you said
you were a developer? Everything costs, even an extra dot.

But they lose, since options take time to create (unless you hare satisfied with a couple of textboxes that look cool).

I also like options but they have to make sense.

Well since I mostly played the 360 version I do (just starting out on PC just to compare). What you lose with the overhead view, is the closeness to your characters. Remember that the most sought after hak for NWN was the first person view. So some clearly prefer that way of playing (Oblivion/Fallout3 anyone?).

With PnP it was clearly nice to have figurines and tactical paper but not in any way necessary. We rarely used any figures with Call of Cthulhu for instance. Mapping yes but nothing else. These things usually detracts from the story which is bad in my book.

I think the console version of DA mainly sufferd from being thought out after the PC version. This time it is integral in the development process and I expect a much better console version.

The control system killed NWN2 for me, also, the best module developers from NWN seemed to have moved on so that part was also worse. The best NWN campaigns were user developed in my book.

Why can't we get a CRPG based on Paranoia btw? Of all the PnP systems I think this would have worked best on a PC/Console. Much better than D&D for instance.

Variety is nice if it means something. Not sure if it was TiLT but we all know that BG2 contained alot of spells that were totally useless, even Oblivion contains alot of crappy spells.

Dragon Age got it fairly right with it's useful spell mix(not all but most).

Because of this I have felt the need to start the PC version of DA just to see what's so much better compared to the 360 version. Rogue/Assassin/Elf maybe?

Yet again people think that tons of stats and shit makes for a good roleplaying game. The term moron seem to fit the Dungeon Masters some
of you guys played with. Dungeon & Dragons was never really complex, it wasn't the point with that RPG (Gary Gygax himself told me in person so I know this for a fact).

The best RPGs like Traveller, Call of Cthulhu, D&D and Runequest were all quite simple to understand. Anything that detracts from telling and playing through a great story, is per defintion a crap system.
Only accountants and similar boring people like such game systems.

AD&D tried to make it more complex than was intended.

Is that just the way it is, or do you think there is room in there for some personal preferences as well?

Yes, this is why there are hundreds of PnP systems to choose from, some (accountants maybe?) want thousands of stats, they can find such systems or even make their own. With computer games you get indie RPGs that cater for the obscure demands. Bioware has to think of millions of sales so they have to use what works for the majority.

The series should have stopped with Bioware.

Yet again people think that tons of stats and shit makes for a good roleplaying game. The term moron seem to fit the Dungeon Masters some
of you guys played with. Dungeon & Dragons was never really complex, it wasn't the point with that RPG (Gary Gygax himself told me in person so I know this for a fact).

The best RPGs like Traveller, Call of Cthulhu, D&D and Runequest were all quite simple to understand. Anything that detracts from telling and playing through a great story, is per defintion a crap system.
Only accountants and similar boring people like such game systems.

AD&D tried to make it more complex than was intended.

Do not forget that BOTH the market and reviewers agreed that ME2 worked better in most departments.
And what about Fallout3 in that case? It was always more streamlined and simplified compared to games like BG/Fallout1, most here seem to like it.

Let's face it, times move on and so does game technology. What worked before doesn't necessarily work today.

Personally I found Dragon Age on console great except the graphics were quite awful but gameplay is king so it won me over.

Using what works doesn't kill diversity. If something helps gameplay then by all means they should use it.
I don't see that many similarities in the story between DA and Mass Effect 1/2. Actually now when I think of it, maybe they should
use some copy writers from ME2 because that story is far stronger than DAs.

Before it was closed they came to basically the same conclusion I did, Mass Effect 2 was a huge hit due to streamlining so there are really
no reasons to stop doing it with Dragon Age 2. Apparently the toolkit is close enough to the old one that it doesn't make sense releasing a new one.

With Diablo 3 coming I don't see this having much of a chance really. Especially since D3 like it's predecessors will set standards for clones to follow, better to wait a year
and then do the clone .

I think they have realised that catering for a minimal customer group is not worth it. It is obvious that the market prefers
more streamlined gameplay like Mass Effect 2.

Has there even been one complete module made yet for DA? I think these tools are too difficult for the average person and maybe
not worth it. NWvault was a fantastic resource for NWN but they didn't even bother making a vault for DA.

About time we got the British I would say.

On the other hand, still waiting for the new FDFMod, it will blow other attempts away , the Finns are the best.
Some releases are already out. In my book the quality of the models etc surpasses the official content in every way.

http://www.fdfmod.org/

Now that beta 4 is soon out maybe it is time for our very first AAR here? Razgon, your vacation is over now .

Thank you for that Sarkus. Personally I like the more direct approach but the graphics could have done with some improvements.

Mass Effect 2 looks great so why can't Dragon Age?

As for streamlining, well I trust Bioware just like I always did to put together a solid game experience, hopefully some of the (great) lessons from ME2 makes it into DA2.

Yeah, you're sword will automatically upgrade to the best one and you'll have to research new stuff by finding resources via a mini game where you get to dig through piles of dragon poop.

If that means you get a good flow in the game then this is the best course of action. Only those who played PnP games with crap DMs had time to analyse their equipment, the good DMs made you forgot there
was a real world out there. This is how a good CRPG should be, ie, not too far from ME2.

Still not sure whether this preview concerns either of the consoles or the PC version, please clarify.

As for streamlining, well I trust Bioware just like I always did to put together a solid game experience, hopefully some of the (great) lessons from ME2 makes it into DA2.

I tried to get into NWN2 again but the camera just plain sucks, worst game camera ever in my book. I tried NWN for reference and it has a much more fluent UI, too old now though.

Go for Dragon Age, I think they really nailed the game mechanics even though the story is a bit so so.

Well too late but at least you got Mass Effect, one of my favourites (still going through ME2).

Just wondering if anyone here tried Sword of Damocles? It looks quite interesting with a complete kingdom management aspect thrown in.
It added some form of strategic layer on top of everything.


http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,52131.0.html

Sword of Damocles is most complex and advanced kingdom management mod. It does not simply add player's kingdom and lords under his command but it also tries to simulate kingdom management by adding population to fiefs, health, ability to create laws, reworking economy and adding new buildings. It also allows you to choose your faith which heavily influence your kingdom, allow you to build religious structures and eventually if you spread your faith ardently enough to upgrade your elite troops to unmatched holy warriors. You will also have to develop two new kingdom management skills, Administration and Intrigues to efficiently rule your kingdom.
Sword of Damocles also offers realistic army management system where you require military buildings to upgrade your faction exclusive troops, are able to create army detachments and can issue orders to all your lords through Strategic Map. Both you and enemy kings can hire independent factions - Mercenary Guilds to fight side by side your troops.
On top of that Sword of Damocles provides solid back story and a damocles sword hanging over your Royal head, The Legion which destroyed your homeland and now comes to gobble up another tasty morel which is Calradia, huge invasion is heard to come within one year.

Just about to try Britain at War (read too many Cornwell books I guess).

http://forums.taleworlds.com/index.php/topic,104386.0.html

Any other good mods I should try that works with 1.011(don't have Warband yet).

Scanning the bioware forums I read alot about startup issues but maybe that was tied to certain graphics cards rather than the OS?

Just wondering what other peoples experience is on this? Are there any issues I should be aware of?

I am tempted to install and try some good modules I might have missed.

Was the graphical improvements similar in the 360 version? What version were you testing?

What I meant was that I don't see them discontinuing Civ5 anytime soon unless it is a total fiasco. That would be tragic.

All games end up in some sale sooner or later, even Blizzard games, you just have to keep your eyes open for them.

Considering that Civ3 is still available I doubt it.

Well, hopefully cpu use gets toned down next patch, I really like this game.

Found a problem that more should be aware of, this game REALLY taxes cpu and gpu. My laptop gets ultra hot, not a good thing in this weather.

Some people report 100 degrees Celsius.

I guess it is the panic that makes you drop more boxes than necessary.

Anyone found the 2x damage bonus thing good?

I have problems handling those infestation issues. I end up clicking tons of times and leaving 10 med crates. What is the trick?

Updating Covert Action would have been the best course of action .