Dragon Age 2 - Here be spoilers.

[Sjofn]

The game is coming out on March 8th, the 11th in Europe (I think?) so it's probably safe to start a new thread? I think?

Here is the cliff notes of zomgstuffweknow!

Um. Yeah!


EDIT: Fixed my FALSE RELEASE DATE error.

[Reg]

I've already pre-ordered the sooper-dooper extra stuff edition on Impulse because it wasn't available on Steam!  I'm THAT confident that I'm going to love this game. 

And I bought Civ 5 and Elemental at release so I'm never wrong about that kind of thing.

[Sjofn]

I preordered on Steam and am going to be one of those morons that drops seven bucks on the extra companion as a result. But I don't care, because he is hot. 

[Merusk]

And I bought Civ 5 and Elemental at release so I'm never wrong about that kind of thing.

These two purchases are what made me realize I just have to stop buying new games.  DA2 gets to sit unpurchased until I can get it for $10 like I did Oblivion, which I only just started playing.

[Paelos]

I'll let DA2 release and sit for a month until the shine wears off. Also I'll be in tax season and have fuckall time to play games. 

[ghost]

And I bought Civ 5 and Elemental at release so I'm never wrong about that kind of thing.

These two purchases are what made me realize I just have to stop buying new games.  DA2 gets to sit unpurchased until I can get it for $10 like I did Oblivion, which I only just started playing.

I have the same philosophy for the most part.  Unfortunately, I tend to buy almost everything at 10 bucks and so now my Steam account has like 50 unplayed games.  I'll be waiting on DA II

[Morfiend]

DA was one of the few games I actually finished recently, so DA2 is a no brainer for me, especially as I like the direction they are headed. I will buy it on Steam at release.

[Reg]

Well, so far I have never once experienced buyer's regret after buying a Bioware game. Now that they've been bought out by the Evil Empire it's only a matter of time until I can't say that anymore but until I get burned I'll keep buying their games at release.

[Sky]

And I bought Civ 5 and Elemental at release so I'm never wrong about that kind of thing.

These two purchases are what made me realize I just have to stop buying new games.  DA2 gets to sit unpurchased until I can get it for $10 like I did Oblivion, which I only just started playing.

Spore and Civ V for me. Also, Dragon Age was merely ok imo. Definitely want to play DA2, but with my budget and backlog, no need to rush into it.

[Paelos]

If I'd actually ever finished DA:O, I would probably buy this at release. I always get bored when I get to the final battle.

[Sky]

You know, I don't think I finished DA:O, either. I was pretty close to the end, I think.

[Sjofn]

If I'd actually ever finished DA:O, I would probably buy this at release. I always get bored when I get to the final battle.

You should power through it at least once, the after-the-fight stuff is pretty swell.


I do enjoy that they realised having your family look nothing like you was sort of stupid, so they changed it. 

[Strazos]

I have never been burned on a Bioware game (KOTOR 2 is arguable, damn you Pandemic), so I reserved this on Steam.

[Mosesandstick]

I'm definintely going to wait and see. Considering how long DA:O took I don't know how they can release this game so quickly.

[Riggswolfe]

I'm definintely going to wait and see. Considering how long DA:O took I don't know how they can release this game so quickly.

DA:O was a new game on a new engine. I'm willing to bet the DA2 engine is just an evolution of the first game's engine. Still, if Awakening is anything to go by I expect DA2 to have tons of bugs.

[Lantyssa]

You should power through it at least once, the after-the-fight stuff is pretty swell.

Unless you're a city elf.  Then it still kind of sucks.

[Sjofn]

Aw, my city elf endings felt satisfying to me, especially the one where I done killed myself rather than making THE DEAL. I mean, yes, I was dead, and I didn't magically make everyone love elves, but expecting that would've been ... unreasonable. Being a city elf just sucks, period.

[rk47]

Voiced protagonist. Oh well, nothing better to play on March I bet. Hope no memory leaks this time.

[FatuousTwat]

I had a windows install shit itself the day after I finished the first one, and I lost the save.

I'm wondering if I should bother replaying it in order to have a save that import to DA2... I got about 3/4 into it and got pretty bored, I barely powered through to the ending the first time.

Maybe someone make another savegame website like the one that was set up for ME->ME2.

[Merusk]

Nothing really carries over, does it?  You're not playing your DA1 char in DA2 (who may or may not have died) so what is there to import that couldn't be handled with a few toggles set by questions like, "Is Alistair king?"

[Lantyssa]

Aw, my city elf endings felt satisfying to me, especially the one where I done killed myself rather than making THE DEAL. I mean, yes, I was dead, and I didn't magically make everyone love elves, but expecting that would've been ... unreasonable. Being a city elf just sucks, period.

I didn't get to kill all the humans off.  Alistair left because I didn't chew him out over his sister.  I had to romance crazy lady (because the Morrigan mod wasn't out yet).  I forget what else went wrong, but despite 'winning' she was thoroughly unhappy.

Not a real pleasant way to end the game that already felt like a long slog.

[Ingmar]

You didn't have to romance anyone!

[Paelos]

You didn't have to romance anyone!

But, but, everyone is so SLUTTY!

[Strazos]

Wait, you needed a mod to romance Morrigan?

[Ingmar]

Wait, you needed a mod to romance Morrigan?

As a female.

[Sjofn]

Aw, my city elf endings felt satisfying to me, especially the one where I done killed myself rather than making THE DEAL. I mean, yes, I was dead, and I didn't magically make everyone love elves, but expecting that would've been ... unreasonable. Being a city elf just sucks, period.

I didn't get to kill all the humans off.  Alistair left because I didn't chew him out over his sister.  I had to romance crazy lady (because the Morrigan mod wasn't out yet).  I forget what else went wrong, but despite 'winning' she was thoroughly unhappy.

Not a real pleasant way to end the game that already felt like a long slog.

Why would Alistair leave, unless you decided to recruit Loghain? In which case, why on earth would you want to do that as a city elf? The shit in the alienage is his fault. He gets stabbed right in the face in my city elf playthroughs. If Anora is LUCKY, I will marry her to Alistair, but since the bad shit PRIOR to Loghain happened under her and Cailin, her talk about how she was an awesome queen the last five years actually counts against her in my city elf's book. 

Anyway, those mostly don't sound city-elf specific, more "I didn't especially like the game." Which I actually find more understandable, so uh. Yeah.

As for importing a save, I doubt very, very much it will be anywhere near as important as it is in Mass Effect. It's mostly going to be flags like "who is ruling Fereldan" and "who is in charge of the dwarves" and shit, I reckon. Which is sort of sad, but also understandable. Worst case, if it does turn out to be super important, you can tell me what flags are important to you and we can see if I have a save for you to steal from me. Chances are I have something close. 

[Lantyssa]

Why would Alistair leave, unless you decided to recruit Loghain? In which case, why on earth would you want to do that as a city elf? The shit in the alienage is his fault. He gets stabbed right in the face in my city elf playthroughs. If Anora is LUCKY, I will marry her to Alistair, but since the bad shit PRIOR to Loghain happened under her and Cailin, her talk about how she was an awesome queen the last five years actually counts against her in my city elf's book. 

I wanted that bastard to suffer.  He was either going to choke on Darkspawn blood or be forced to fight them until either cut down by the Blight he ignored, was driven mad by his tainted blood, or left to wander the Deep Roads.  I wasn't offering him redemption, I was condemning him to the same Hell I was in.  All the better to be there to watch it in person.

Also many of the choices I would have made weren't available.  Killing him outright wasn't rewarding enough.

You didn't have to romance anyone!

LIES!

[Sjofn]

Ah, see, Loghain suffering wasn't worth losing Alistair for any of my elves. Alistair has a shitfit and he's my friend (and in one case, my boyfriend until goddammit). My city elves were all cool with being a Grey Warden anyway, though, so didn't see being made one as an actual punishment, which makes Alistair's "Are you fucking kidding me?" resonate for them even more.

[Lantyssa]

I didn't know Alistair would leave.  I managed to play DA without any spoilers at all.

[tmp]

You should power through it at least once, the after-the-fight stuff is pretty swell.

Unless you're a city elf.  Then it still kind of sucks.

I quite liked it, "kind of sucks" is par for the course for CE so it was fitting.

There's some more of that in the latest DLC and may be supposedly some in DA2 as well -- the alienage apparently being the least rebuilt part of the city years after the Blight.

Nothing really carries over, does it?  You're not playing your DA1 char in DA2 (who may or may not have died) so what is there to import that couldn't be handled with a few toggles set by questions like, "Is Alistair king?"

Number of things/decisions apparently get imported and referenced in some way, to the point where they give three different choices of "what happened in DAO" for the people who didn't play it. I'd figure just having their own warden referenced with proper species/gender/origin combination be nice enough for some people.

[Sjofn]

I didn't know Alistair would leave.  I managed to play DA without any spoilers at all.

There's a chance to back out of it after his bitchfit. I found his FUCK YOU I WILL LEAVE convincing enough not to press him on it, but I suppose one's mileage may vary on that. Alistair in particular did not give a shit who was holding the mouse, he was doing shit his way, story-wise.

[MournelitheCalix]

This game is going to be very interesting on multiple levels that have nothing to do with the game.  IMHO its going to speak to what kind of changes we will see in Bioware post EA.  I for one am really curious to see what happens to quality and length.  Sorry to sidetrack the discussion a bit here but this is the first time I am really cautious towards buying a Bioware game and strangely my reasons have nothing to do with past experience.

[ghost]

This game is going to be very interesting on multiple levels that have nothing to do with the game.

[Sophismata]

I for one am really curious to see what happens to quality and length.

I don't think EA's that much of an influence. Bioware's games have been kinda crappy as far as I'm concerned, since ME1. I really think they need to break away from a lot of RPG cliches and tropes if they want to convey this idea that you're a real hero and part of an epic story.

The constant looting of people's safeboxes in ME2 really got to me. Also, while ME2 was way better than ME1, Bioware still have problems with making balanced or mechanically sound games.

Oddly enough, I loved Jade Empire (played on the XBox), and I know that's gotten a bunch of bad rap, so treat my opinions as esoteric.

[ghost]

I for one am really curious to see what happens to quality and length.

I don't think EA's that much of an influence. Bioware's games have been kinda crappy as far as I'm concerned, since ME1. I really think they need to break away from a lot of RPG cliches and tropes if they want to convey this idea that you're a real hero and part of an epic story.

The constant looting of people's safeboxes in ME2 really got to me. Also, while ME2 was way better than ME1, Bioware still have problems with making balanced or mechanically sound games.

Oddly enough, I loved Jade Empire (played on the XBox), and I know that's gotten a bunch of bad rap, so treat my opinions as esoteric.

ME1 started the beginning of Bioware's crappiness.  Hmm.