Does anyone else think Dragon Age is a huge disappointment?

[Xandax]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Curry I guess I feel disappointed mostly because I had very high expectations and Dragon Age didn't really meet them. <snip>

I think that properly is the most pressing issue.

I had pretty much no expectations about DA:O until Buck previewed it when I started to be convinced it was something worthwhile and not just a hack n' slash diablo clone type game.
Therefor DA:O could not in any way disappoint me, because I had no high expectations - and in fact I find the game having quite good quality compared to so many other recent cRPGs.
I knew we weren't getting Baldur's Gate 2, despite what people and Bioware might claim with the "spiritual successor". So I never fell for that hype.

But compared to the RPGs I've played since Baldur's Gate 2 - DA:O ranks very high amongst those.

[fable]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Attle One thing that bothers me are the soulless mmorpgish side-quests. Go to location X, kill X amount of mob X, get reward. Other than that not much to complain about. Though I am more of a BG-fan.

I'm afraid there's a lot of kill quests in most RPGs, where the quests are simply added on top of the the plot to provide experience and hours of play. Exceptions would be BG2 (for the most part), PS:T, and Anito, to name a few. But those are all a decade or so old, or more. The dumbing down of RPGs to reach a lower age group has arguably meant less time spent on story-related elements, and more on graphics and sound.

[endboss]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gauda Also, many of the side quests are really short and MMORPGish (fetch 10 health/lyrium pouchers, 10 mushrooms and so on). I really miss the long and involved side quests from BG2 such as the one involving the shadow and red dragon in BG2. But otherwise, the game seems great untill now, but as Xandax said: that might change. But as of now the game claims I'm finished with 19% of it, which is rather extraordinary since I've, also according to the game, spent about 40 hours on it untill now. So we'll see.

... now that's a complaint. Since I'm still unsure whether or not to get this, only because I've promised to myself I wouldn't waste anymore cash on games out of newly released expectations... I have to ask. I wonder, maybe you have 19% after 40 hours because you've been caught up in fetch quests? I would hope that they're just there as extra padding in addition to all the great BG style side quests and the massive main quest.

[GoldDragon]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippythezip The graphics are not that bad, only I notice that dental care in the game is pretty poor Guess we all have different oppinions eh?

On another forum, I heard someone made a mod to fix this "little problem"....

[Gauda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by endboss ... now that's a complaint. Since I'm still unsure whether or not to get this, only because I've promised to myself I wouldn't waste anymore cash on games out of newly released expectations... I have to ask. I wonder, maybe you have 19% after 40 hours because you've been caught up in fetch quests? I would hope that they're just there as extra padding in addition to all the great BG style side quests and the massive main quest.

Well, yes I've been using most of my time doing side quests - and there are a lot of them, bioware obviously focused on quantity rather than quality this time around. However, though many side quests are fetch-quests, I would say that it is not true for the majority of the quests, most of them actually have some background story and is enjoyable to do. Also, the fetch quests do them selves if you are like me: I just pick up everything I see on the ground (Yes, I've been playing Monkey Island and other adventure games a lot) (There is plenty of inventory space, so you will not have to go to town to sell your stuff that often).

[Sayne]

The quests do seem MMORPGish, but more glaring is the way the quest-givers stand around blankly staring at you with a big yellow 3D "!" over their heads. Rather jarring, actually. Though you can turn off the "!"s.

In terms of immersion, where Dragon Age falls short for me (other than the yellow 3D exclamation marks) is in the lack of day-night cycles. Hell, BG1 had day-night cycles eleven years ago. It's always night in your camp and always a designated time of day in cities / dungeons. Hurk?

Third comment: the graphics issues don't seem to me to be a product of the engine, more the art direction (odd for me to say that about the company whose art direction came up with the gorgeous 2D backgrounds for the Baldur's Gate series). The Witcher uses the Aurora engine and its cities seem much more alive and vibrant than Dragon Age. Load up The Witcher and walk down the streets of Vizima and compare them to Denerim. Denerim and Redcliffe seemed bland and empty in comparison to me. CD Projekt seemed to spend more time making the buildings and streets feel like a real, gritty, medieval place.
Now, in terms of dungeons' BioWare's are much better than CD Projekt's, to me anyhow.

Also, The Witcher's characters are scaled properly for the size of the buildings. It seems to me that in Dragon Age, much like in Neverwinter Nights, the characters seem too small in comparison to buildings in exterior areas, when in over-the-shoulder view. In top-down view the scaling seems OK. Maybe that's the root of the problem.


That said, I still love the game, and plan on playing through it several times.

[Hryunir]

Played it for some time, then deleted it. Crappy balance, boring story, outdated graphics and combat animations... better go back to replaying Baldur's Gate. Or even something older.

[Gauda]

If interesting story, modern graphics and good combat animations are important for you, it seems odd indeed to go back to Baldur's Gate :P

[stanolis]

NO! i have no idea why, but i am so attached to these characters. the decisions of kings and sacrifices, etc are plaguing my soul. (see below too). i want to help them, but i can't decide on what to do. AND i hate replaying a game 10 times to get it right.

AND

YES! for the lack of perfect endings. it is a game and as such there should be a freaking happy ending. i'm not sure that i can finish the game knowing that i have to lose Al by saving loghain, or force Al to become king or sleep with morrigan. i'll guess i'll have to make a new character. in my world, nobody dies. i hate morrigan.

plus, game is hard as hell to play fluidly. i was running on normal for quite a bit. i finally gave up and am playing on super easy. yes, it is too easy now. the graphics do not bother me anymore.

[Elevoros]

Quote:

Originally Posted by zippythezip The graphics are not that bad, only I notice that dental care in the game is pretty poor Guess we all have different oppinions eh?

Hehe don't forget that it is a world in the middle ages! They didn't have any dental care back then! so I guess it is a realistic comment of the game!

[fable]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Elevoros Hehe don't forget that it is a world in the middle ages! They didn't have any dental care back then! so I guess it is a realistic comment of the game!

They didn't have teeth back then, at least, not once you were into your middle years.

And if that freaks anyone out, consider that a combined archeological-and-dental-surgeon team decided a few years ago that on evidence taken from several hundred skulls of the Late Kingdom, Egyptians lost their teeth in their twenties or earlier due to sand contamination in food.

Just to make this comment honest, I'll add that the poisoning system frustrates me greatly, and I even gave it it's own thread.

[Cyro]

Having actually finished the whole game, I feel I can honestly say that Dragon Age is one of the best RPGs I have ever played.

A slightly dated graphics engine doesn't really bother me, my computer is slightly dated anyway so it evens out. The linear aspects of the game again, don't overly concern me. As with many RPGs the whole point of the game is the story, it has to get you for A to B, and Dragon Age plays to this linearity well, never feeling forced and very rarely staggering behind you as so many RPGs can be prone to, but continuing on at a very fluid pace. As someone mentioned before, a little greater urgency in the game by a countdown, calanders, etc would have been a nice touch but I'm just blueskying.

The story, the characters even the humour is all well written and (mostly) well implimented. The jumps in difficulty on the PC version are a little trying but it's nothing too serious. If I truely wanted to find fault with the game, I'm sure there are other bits I could pick out and drag through the mud, but I don't want to. I really enjoy this game.

I for one and a happy little boy again for Bioware to return to it's fantasy roots. It actually in a way feels like the production team has grown with me. The Forgetten Realms D&D setting was a bioware game for me at 15, Fereldan, is the world setting for me at 22. It just feels right.

Maybe they've been reading the same fiction as me?

[Phantom Lord]

My first post for years here.

At first I thought it was a disappointment, because DA:O was greeted as BG2's successor. Of course, no such successor will ever exist, for at least two reasons: BG2 was simply a unique masterwork and it was based on AD&D second edition, which is now dead.

DA:O seemed a bit too linear, or to say it in the words of my favorite comic I felt a bit "plot hammered" at first. But once the treaties need to be enforced, the world opens up and this feeling leaves.

The magic system is a bit weak, compared to BG2 / AD&D standards. One spell per level. Shattering being the only interesting combo (OMG what did we do with spells back in BG2 ...). Weapon talents are better developed, and planning a rogue or warrior can certainly be quite interesting. Controlling the party is difficult sometimes, basically because the GUI has some potential for improvement.

The storytelling level is quite high, some complexity seems to exist as well. Characters are well developed and are liked or disliked, which is great. And of course Bioware created a new world and a new game system, which is quite an accomplishment. Using AD&D is certainly easier.

Overall I try see DA:O as the BG1 of its era, because it's all new. Maybe there will be a BG2 of its era one day. And after being half through the game it's not a disappointment at all. It's just not the best RPG there ever was, but that may be accomplished by a successor.

[Da_venom]

to be honest i didn't expect much from Da

but when i played it, it was even worse xD

the graphics are ok animations also

story line a bit too linear

interactions are way too short(compared to bg2) those had fun comments
here is al serius and with purpose

the spells tottaly suck in my opinion like someone mention earlier what the hell hapenned to the spells from bg2?!?!

the combat system is interesting but lacks good control of your npc's

it's very easy to clamp enemies and launch a fireball to heaven for em:P

and the abilities tottaly ain't doing it(a rogue that can only pick locks) i mean what the hell?

with enough strenght u should be able to knock a chest open ^^

herbalism and the like i don't use em very often
since u can buy enough from the shops anyway
and if you got a healer in your party then you hardly need any extra potions

same goes for trap making

and your party only cositing of 4 people was also bad in my eyes
i liked the party of 6 people like in bg and iwd series

a party of 4 seems very small compared to a horde of darkspawn

well 6 too but well 6 is more a party

more interaction between the party members would also be a plus^^

on the other hand the voicing and character creation is very cool and nice

replayablity is also well done with the achievements
and different classes and races

but somehow i missed the dark elves and gnomes(A)

but oh well can't have it all

i think this game would score 7 or 8

it's beter than most rpg's i played since bg2
but still not topping with bg
:>

risen is also great game drakensang too

^^
divinity 2 also i hope have yet to install it xD

[Scottg]

I found that there were a lot of flaws to this game, and yet also a lot of fantastic virtues.

The one thing that always put a on my face was that nearly every character in the game had their own distinct personality (..even if they spouted the same lines over and over.) In that respect BG2 didn't even come close, nor Torment. *And* there was even some companion interaction, but they nerfed it a bit IMO with only interaction between 2 party members at a time, with reasonably identifiable locations where such interactions would ensue, and again - with repetitive dialog. In this respect BG2 was superior.

In the end though, (for me) it has become a "play once" game. I enjoyed it the first time, but it's all to linear, eminently memorable, often tedious, and with the use of companions (..and there own types of builds), just to *familiar* - even when using other types of characters beyond the Origin intro.s. Why play a Rogue, when you already have through Leliana or Zevran? Why play a mage when you already have through Morrigan or Wynn? etc.. Further, the dynamics of the build are just to simplistic (talents and skill) to go through permutations of "I wonder what this build would be like?". Only in this respect would I consider it a "huge disappointment".

Still, with that caveat - I *mostly* had a good time with the game, and at about 50+ hours of gameplay the 65 US I spent (collectors edition) seems like a bargain at my age. On the other hand on the basis of other comments here, I've just purchased both Drakensang and Risen.

So thanks for this thread!