Dragon Age II

[JocktheMotie]

The crap AI drives me nuts. As well as the fact that you can't tell your companions to hold position individually.
Seriously, your companions often don't have any danger sense. They'll just stand there being blasted by whatever magic, when they should move (changing 'ranged' 'aggressive' etc doesn't change this). Enemies likewise.

Given how repetitive the game already is, I'm not going to play it again.

Hmm...I didn't really have any of these problems? Do you set custom tactics? Anders Cone of Cold's when he's under attack and moves, likewise with Varric. But for me, setting tactics is half the fun of the game for me, whether I need to or not.

Some spoilers here, but I'll avoid conclusions beyond the obvious.

I finished the game, looking forward to another playthrough. Going to try to hack the savegame so I can get Bethany instead of that worthless husk of an individual, Carver, while still playing a mage.

As for comments on the story, I'm left...satisfied, but I really shouldn't be. While one can make an argument that the world can only need saving so many times within a 10 year period, there still isn't any reason why Hawke is a compelling character or the storyline interesting at all, on its own terms. The only reason why it ended up being interesting to me was because I carried over some emotional dispositions towards the Circle, Chantry, and Templars that the story evoked, however I still couldn't see why Hawke would care at all. Throughout the story, Hawke never has his own agenda [I suppose to allow for the player to determine agenda, but there's still nothing there] or has a personal quest to discover anything about himself, or overcome something in his past, or anything else of any kind of importance.

What I've noticed is that the designers borrowed a lot of ME2's systems without bothering to wonder if Dragon Age and ME2 appealed to the same consumer at all. I worry that Bioware is essentially creating a single formula for their games, and they just sub in whatever theme and content the particular IP is about. Unfortunately, they seem to NOT have borrowed New Game + But that's what the savegame editor is for

Still like the combat though. Sucking everyone to one spot with that Force Mage spell, having Fenris Whirlwind for the AOE stagger, followed up with Fist of the Maker for +900% damage never, ever gets old.

 

[Totenkindly]

Still like the combat though. Sucking everyone to one spot with that Force Mage spell, having Fenris Whirlwind for the AOE stagger, followed up with Fist of the Maker for +900% damage never, ever gets old.

Oh, geez... I didn't notice that Force Mage spell yet. Fenris's Whirl is pretty cool -- I usually have maxed out Lightning/Fire storms in play on the same mage and just pound an area, though. The mages can be so damn powerful that pretty much the rest of the team is just along to tank, although they do can do great single-mob damage.


I had Bethany on my first run (as a rogue). I think you get two other mages along with Bethany if you are not a mage, which is quite a variety that you can stack spells up on. Sometimes I run a party with two different mages, which again is crazy with one doing damage and the other running heal and jack-of-all-trade (along with more damage) spells.

As far as Bethany and Carver go, there are many potential outcomes for each character during the plot; and depending on what you do, whichever one you're grouped with can live, die, disappear for awhile, etc. Just gotta watch it if you waste a lot of time on a build for them and then the game takes them away.

 

[Totenkindly]

Just finished it tonight with my rogue. I think I maybe had 37 hours accumulated, as per the last save game?

i can't say it was awful, and in some ways it was enjoyable (and I have to say, my team kicked ass), but it was mostly a questing/fighting grind; and worst, when I got to the end, it just felt anti-climactic. I mean, a "big battle" does not an endgame make. I'm there for a narrative, and... just not really sure what the point to this story was.

And it was also kind of disappointing in how the entire story never really leaves one main location. It felt very small in scope, story-wise.

If I had been able to play it first before paying, I would have paid maybe $30-35 for it but no more than that.

About my favorite part of the game was Flemeth. I found her more interesting in this game than the first one. Merrill and Anders both had interesting storylines, although I kinda thought Anders was over the top (and he's no longer my boyfriend, that freak). At one point, a lot of familiar characters started showing up. Two of the ones I recall now were pretty much true to form and I enjoyed seeing them, but the other one did not seem to very much fit the characterization/tone from DAO in terms of personality and I was disappointed.

 

[Atomic Fiend]

I found Flemeth more interesting the rest of the game.

And you only see her twice...

So how did your Anders and Merril turn out? Just visitor message me if you don't want to spoiler it here.

 

[KDude]

This isn't nearly as bad as some made it out to be. I like the improvements.. especially the graphics (which blew in the first) and direction they've taken with giving your character a voice and a name.

 

[Seymour]

I liked it, but I agree that the choke/decision points feel very forced. In many senses, it doesn't matter what you do in between, because there is going to be a fundamental, A/B decision you have to make that determines the next segment of the game. I also agree that the constrained geographic region was a bit disappointing.

On the plus side, I still liked the dialog and the characters and side interaction. Anders was totally my boyfriend, even if he was

a freaking terrorist.

Force magery does rule, though.

I found the characters to be a little less humorous/interesting than they were in DAO. Still, I was satisfied with it, overall.

 

[JocktheMotie]

What is it with dudes named Anders, amirite?

 

[KDude]

Hah..

Well, I mostly play (straight) male characters, but since the default female looks like some badass Xena lookalike, I might play a warrior.. and hook up with Anders.

More than likely though, I'll just be a lesbian.

 

[Atomic Fiend]

What is it with dudes named Anders, amirite?

 

[KDude]

On an unrelated note, if you like the design of the "religion icon" type of art direction in the narration and menus, there's another game that kind of looks entirely like that.. and it rocks: Outland.

Just felt like mentioning it.. we're all fantasy gaming fans apparently.

 

[KDude]

Is it me or does it seem like Anders is based off of John Lennon? Same snarky, militant attitude.

 

[Octarine]

Is it me or does it seem like Anders is based off of John Lennon? Same snarky, militant attitude.

LOL.

Want to flesh that out a bit more?

 

[KDude]

LOL.

Want to flesh that out a bit more?

Heh. I don't know. I think he just has Beatle-esque humor or something... Umm, if you've ever seen Lennon in their films.

 

[KDude]

God, I hate Merrill. I wish I could just reject her right off the bat. But this game kind of shoes you in to doing certain questlines, rather than continuing a storyline that way.

I don't see why anyone finds her cute. She looks like a fish. But the worst thing is how naive she is.. and I hate people like this in real life. She reminds of the many drug users and alcoholics I know who are blind and arrogant and think they have their problems under control... and end up messing up everyone's lives around them.

Haha.. I sound genuinely pissed off. Just a rant. Some angles of the Dragon Age universe invoke genuine emotion about things, I guess. That's why I like it. Like Blood Magic, for example. It's deeper than some lame siding with the "Chantry" lore or whatnot. I think the reason why it's looked down upon in the game world is more practical than that. Blood Mage characters always tend to lose control of things. Even Morrigan, for all her bitchyness, has a lot of dialogue that actually opposed it. She valued her independence and survival. This included not being taken advantage of by demons.

edit: On a sidenote, that should be one of my main complaints about this game's mechanics (and there are others)..

Taking a Blood Mage specialization is a bit too easy. There should be quests related to all specs, like in a DA:O. And DA sort of did a good job of making you feel desperate and weak if you took Blood Mage. One, it indirectly compares you to Jowan, who's the ultimate in weak bitches. Second, you had to admit you couldn't fight a Desire demon in order to save a child. Same goes for Reaver.. you had to be so defiled that you would lose Wynne and Leliana if you did it.

It's kind of annoying that the game's marketing and trailers has Hawke as a Blood Mage himself/herself.. when it makes zero sense in the story itself (personally, my main character is also a mage, but he's a sarcastic sort who knows better).

 

[Octarine]

I was going to write a proper reply and everything, but to be honest, the whole game was meh, so...

 

[KDude]

I was going to write a proper reply and everything, but to be honest, the whole game was meh, so...

I bet your first mistake is picking the goody heroic dialogue options..which are dull. Be a smartass instead. This way you become medieval Tony Stark. The writing is better.

Btw if you didn't know, your first few dialogue choices stack greatly in setting what kind of personality hawke has.

Also, Varric shall be your permanent friend. Any party without him is fail. Fenris is not your friend, but that's good too..keep him in the party. the rivalry is better. The same probably goes for Aveline too.

 

[Ginkgo]

You guys make it sound like some sort of sick joke.

 

[Totenkindly]

Fenris is not your friend, but that's good too..keep him in the party.

I still wrapped his heart around my pinky finger.

And he kicked butt once I juiced his skillset.

 

[KDude]

I still wrapped his heart around my pinky finger.

And he kicked butt once I juiced his skillset.

OTOH, his skillset works well as a rival, I think. Unless he's your main tank.


Oh, and speaking of romances, I hated them here. I mean, for a male Hawke with female. If I was slightly more gay, Fenris would be cool. Haha. But no, I get the naive elf or the loose pirate wench. I like Isabella as a character, but they pushed her sluttiness too far for me to care. A little slutiness would be quite fine, but geez.

I can only hope Cassandra Pentaghast is in DA3. She's one of the best characters and not really in the game.

 

[Totenkindly]

I like Isabella as a character, but they pushed her sluttiness too far for me to care. A little slutiness would be quite fine, but geez.

She and I were an item too for awhile.

I dunno. I've already forgotten much of the game, it wasn't that memorable for me (altho I did enjoy Flemeth's cameo). I remember much more from DA:O.

Anders was such an over-dramatic INFP. He was cute, except when he got annoying with his drama.
Merrill actually didn't bother me much, although she seemed very clueless in some ways, and I think I ended up having to wipe out her tribe after her foolish indiscretion I tried to lead her away from.