Morrowind is very good. I managed to complete the main quest and some of the big guild quests in Oblivion but then the bastard started crashing and became unplayable. I never got to finish the Brotherhood quests which pisses me off. Fortunately, Fallout 3’s crashes were a bit more random and aside from the odd CTD, it ran pretty well.
Chris - are you sure David Gaider (writer of DA:O) is using the game as a soapbox, rather than trying to create a slightly darker-toned fantasy world? Honest question because I haven’t played it yet. I’m part of a RPG modding community, however, and no one else has commented on the game’s political overtones.
Worth noting that Gaider (who also worked on KOTOR, Mass Effect, Throne of Bhaal etc) has written novels to support Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Haven’t read them - I’m not geek enough to read books based on games - but I gather they’re OK although not what you’d call a literary triumph. He’s a better game designer than writer.
Either way it’s certainly not the first game to venture into this territory. The older Ultimas raised a lot of moral issues. I remember Ultima VII: Black Gate tackled racism and drug addiction, and this was around 1991 or so. (One of my all time favourite games, that one).
I bought Dragon Age a week ago, but haven’t had much time to play it. I will say, I think the combat system is AMAZING. A large part of being successful in combat is being smart about setting up each character’s tactics instead of just letting them play by themselves. I use Shale as a tank, Morrigan as a healer, and Leliana as a melee damager while I play as a mage.
With my tactics set up, I’ve been playing through most of the game on nightmare, only dropping down to hard after I fail horribly on a fight for more than a few tries.
If you don’t want to take the time to play the game like it should be played, drop the difficulty down to easy and quit your bitching.
Also, for the people that say the graphics suck, the PC version has the best visual experience, followed by the PS3 with the Xbox 360 in dead last.
Chris - are you sure David Gaider (writer of DA:O) is using the game as a soapbox, rather than trying to create a slightly darker-toned fantasy world? Honest question because I haven’t played it yet. I’m part of a RPG modding community, however, and no
one else has commented on the game’s political overtones.
Worth noting that Gaider (who also worked on KOTOR, Mass Effect, Throne of Bhaal etc) has written novels to support Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Haven’t read them - I’m not geek enough to read books based on games - but I gather they’re OK although not what you’d call a literary triumph. He’s a better game designer than writer.[/quote]
Actually no, I’m not sure. That was honestly the reason I started this thread to begin with. I suspected that to be the case upon visiting the website, and then I didn’t want to open the box and be unable to return the thing if that turned out to be true.
My suspicions stem from having visited the website, having played countless other games that are guilty of this, and from having played KOTOR back in the day after hearing all the tremendous hype and positive reviews. I got literally half an hour in and had to stop playing due to the awful, anachronistic dialogue. How, in a game that received raves for how “true to the movies” it was, could crap like that not only get written in, but slip by everyone and make it into the game?
I wish I could recall the specific line, but I literally finished the scene, turned the Xbox off, and traded the game in for store credit or whatever. I don’t want to hear a Jedi talk about how it’s “on like Donkey Kong,” or asking me “where’s the beef?” Maybe it wasn’t that flagrant, but it was bad.
Yeah, I guess that doesn’t bother me too much, although I would much prefer if they left it to the After School Specials to tackle the moral issues of our time. Next thing you know you’ll have the option of injecting some performance-enhancing substance that makes you gradually stronger and improves your physique, but doing so will cause you to flip out in violent, uncontrollable rages, and taking it will cause your “Purity Meter” to plummet.
When that day comes, we’ll see how some of the apologists respond. I wonder if they’ll still be calling it “adult” and “mature” that these “issues” are being tackled in the video game they bought to slay dragons and what not. Maybe they will, who knows.
By the way, I remember playing and enjoying Ultima VII: The Black Gate at a friend’s house back in the day (didn’t have a computer back then). Good times.
Yeah, “tackling” serious issues ought to be left to the after-school specials, but honestly I’d prefer more dark, real life shit in games.
A lot of the darkness and grittiness tends to get glossed over and “prettied up” in most video games.
Even ones like DA: O which claimed to have a much darker tone than many other RPG’s.
And while it was definitely darker it still didn’t feel too much departed from other happy-go-lucky fantasy worlds.
Probably would have been better, as others mentioned, if they had left the goddamn dwarves and elves out and actually created something of their own (a novel concept, I know).
I still thought it was a very good game, but I preferred Mass Effect for a number of reasons. I still think Bioware makes some of the best games out there, especially when most of the stuff out there is pure crap.
I consider turning a video game into an opportunity to espouse your ideological zealotry to be inappropriate and amateurish. If you think it qualifies as “mature,” then we simply have a difference of opinion.
Actually no, I’m not sure. That was honestly the reason I started this thread to begin with. I suspected that to be the case upon visiting the website, and then I didn’t want to open the box and be unable to return the thing if that turned out to be true.
My suspicions stem from having visited the website, having played countless other games that are guilty of this, and from having played KOTOR back in the day after hearing all the tremendous hype and positive reviews.
[/quote]
If you see “ideological zealotry” in a bunch of video games, maybe it isn’t the games… maybe its you.
Duke Nukem had steroids. And of course, all the Fallout games have drugs you can get hooked on (I can’t tell you how many times my Lone Wanderer got hooked on Buffout).
I actually really liked KotOR. The dialogue isn’t Planescape standard but I didn’t find it cringeworthy. Being an ex-games journalist I tend to be more critical than most, but I can’t remember anything really awful in this. (Perhaps I was too busy staring at Canderous’s butt. Mmm…Candy… Now that’s one thing that irks me about Bioware games - they never pick the male I’m interested in as the female player romance. Anyway…)
Ghost22 - I’ve heard a lot of that - that the game was touted as this dark, epic thing and is actually not half as dark as they’ve painted it. Which is a bit disappointing. I’ll make my own mind up once I play, though.
[quote]WolBarret wrote:
ChrisPowers wrote:
By the way, thanks, guys, for all the game recommendations. Witcher and Planescape: Torment have been added to my list. Fallout 1-3 are already on it. Mass Effect I’ll have to look into, and Oblivion I’m in the process of finishing at this very moment.
This list will probably never be fully checked off, which probably answers an earlier question regarding how people find time to play so many games. I play them, I just never finish them.
Elder Scrolls Oblivion For The WIN!
My Warrior Orc will bust your ass! [/quote]
I had a Tiger bowman. I would rape you with my arrows while you try to chase me
[quote]jasmincar wrote:
WolBarret wrote:
ChrisPowers wrote:
By the way, thanks, guys, for all the game recommendations. Witcher and Planescape: Torment have been added to my list. Fallout 1-3 are already on it. Mass Effect I’ll have to look into, and Oblivion I’m in the process of finishing at this very moment.
This list will probably never be fully checked off, which probably answers an earlier question regarding how people find time to play so many games. I play them, I just never finish them.
Elder Scrolls Oblivion For The WIN!
My Warrior Orc will bust your ass!
I had a Tiger bowman. I would rape you with my arrows while you try to chase me[/quote]
Only a pussy would become a bowman. I’ll block your arrows with my Dremora shild and bash your brains in with my mace.
I consider turning a video game into an opportunity to espouse your ideological zealotry to be inappropriate and amateurish. If you think it qualifies as “mature,” then we simply have a difference of opinion.
Actually no, I’m not sure. That was honestly the reason I started this thread to begin with. I suspected that to be the case upon visiting the website, and then I didn’t want to open the box and be unable to return the thing if that turned out to be true.
My suspicions stem from having visited the website, having played countless other games that are guilty of this, and from having played KOTOR back in the day after hearing all the tremendous hype and positive reviews.
If you see “ideological zealotry” in a bunch of video games, maybe it isn’t the games… maybe its you.[/quote]
A better term would be “issue advocacy.” I just don’t need to get it from video games. I consider it patronizing that some video game designer sees fit to teach me a lesson, that’s all. And that it’s presented as “adult” and “mature” only irks me more, considering the simplistic way with which the “issues” are generally dealt. That’s all.
Im enjoying DAO. Im almost through my 2nd play through and have to say the Mage/Arcane Warrior Is the best class in the game. They are the best tanks with light or no armor at all and have all the benefits of being able to use mage spells for dealing damage and/or CC.
The game is by no means perfect but I still think its the best RPG in a while. The Witcher was a good game but it had way to many bugs and wasn’t a very balanced game, and if you think DAO is to easy turn up the difficulty. If you didnt get it for PC you are selling yourself short b/c there is a good bit a strategy involved in the game if you play on hard or higher and I would imagine its hard to execute on the consoles not being able to zoom out to a top down view.
As far as the Ideology, meh, I think its what you make of it. If you think the writers and devs are taking shoots at 'The Man" be it religion or society thats fine but you as the char have the choice to do what you want. In a game like this there has to be some scocial, religious and political undertones to the game or your choices wouldn’t mean very much. I do see alot of The Witcher in this game however and there really isnt anything new. Its all stuff we have seen befor rolled into one package. The Dalish are more or less the Scoyatel(I think thats how it was spelled) Humans are on top the Dwarfs do their own thing for the most part and there are the elves that just go with the flow.
Ill finish up by saying you cant really compair this game with Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Yes they are RPGs but thats where it stops.
[quote]Himora22 wrote:
Im enjoying DAO. Im almost through my 2nd play through and have to say the Mage/Arcane Warrior Is the best class in the game. They are the best tanks with light or no armor at all and have all the benefits of being able to use mage spells for dealing damage and/or CC.
The game is by no means perfect but I still think its the best RPG in a while. The Witcher was a good game but it had way to many bugs and wasn’t a very balanced game, and if you think DAO is to easy turn up the difficulty. If you didnt get it for PC you are selling yourself short b/c there is a good bit a strategy involved in the game if you play on hard or higher and I would imagine its hard to execute on the consoles not being able to zoom out to a top down view.
As far as the Ideology, meh, I think its what you make of it. If you think the writers and devs are taking shoots at 'The Man" be it religion or society thats fine but you as the char have the choice to do what you want. In a game like this there has to be some scocial, religious and political undertones to the game or your choices wouldn’t mean very much. I do see alot of The Witcher in this game however and there really isnt anything new. Its all stuff we have seen befor rolled into one package. The Dalish are more or less the Scoyatel(I think thats how it was spelled) Humans are on top the Dwarfs do their own thing for the most part and there are the elves that just go with the flow.
Ill finish up by saying you cant really compair this game with Elder Scrolls or Fallout. Yes they are RPGs but thats where it stops. [/quote]
Whatever. Fuck Dragon Age. The battle system is fucking flawed. Mass Effect did it better.
I consider turning a video game into an opportunity to espouse your ideological zealotry to be inappropriate and amateurish. If you think it qualifies as “mature,” then we simply have a difference of opinion.
Actually no, I’m not sure. That was honestly the reason I started this thread to begin with. I suspected that to be the case upon visiting the website, and then I didn’t want to open the box and be unable to return the thing if that turned out to be true.
My suspicions stem from having visited the website, having played countless other games that are guilty of this, and from having played KOTOR back in the day after hearing all the tremendous hype and positive reviews.
If you see “ideological zealotry” in a bunch of video games, maybe it isn’t the games… maybe its you.[/quote]
A better term would be “issue advocacy.” I just don’t need to get it from video games. I consider it patronizing that some video game designer sees fit to teach me a lesson, that’s all. And that it’s presented as “adult” and “mature” only irks me more, considering the simplistic way with which the “issues” are generally dealt. That’s all.[/quote]
No one is trying to teach you a lesson. All they are trying to do is make a world that somewhat resembles reality. I honestly can’t understand how you consider this game to be preaching at you in any way.
[quote]WolBarret wrote:
Morrigan is gonna give up the pussy, one way or the other. And then I’ll go back to playing Modern Warfare 2.[/quote]
You’re lucky you’re only trying to romance Morrigan. If you’re female and try to romance Alistair, Morrigan fucks him behind your back. Fucking bitch whore.
[quote]WolBarret wrote:
Morrigan is gonna give up the pussy, one way or the other. And then I’ll go back to playing Modern Warfare 2.[/quote]
You’re lucky you’re only trying to romance Morrigan. If you’re female and try to romance Alistair, Morrigan fucks him behind your back. Fucking bitch whore.[/quote]
At least that part of the game is realistic. She vag blocked you.