Dragon Age 2 - Here be spoilers.

[Sjofn]

I kind of suspect DA2 was supposed to be the 2/1/2011 thing, but it got pushed back. They'd actually talked about the doofy facebook game before today, so I am thinking the announcement of the beta test was today just so SOMETHING happened. 

[tmp]

Possible, though on the other hand BioWare people supposedly insist it was never about the release date. Wasn't bored enough to try and find these posts though so that's very much hearsay.

[Sjofn]

Yeah, maybe. Really what I've learned over the past few years is Bioware's marketing department sucks ass.

[tmp]

Yah, though i guess seeing how a thread of outrage over the announcement exceeded 100 pages in less than 24 hours, some of them may believe the exact opposite

[Sjofn]

I won't lie, the outrage is pretty hilarious, and I am enjoying reading it.

[tmp]

Yeah i didn't have any expectations for this date thing so i just got a good laugh out of disparity between the date cards and what actually got announced, but the reactions are adding to the glee.



kinda sums it up

[Sheepherder]

Come on now, you can do better than that.

[tmp]

I found the shoddy quality kinda fitting the whole fiasco 

that said, apparently there's going to be DA2 demo available starting February 23rd.

[stu]

Yeah, maybe. Really what I've learned over the past few years is Bioware's marketing department sucks ass.

haha Remember when Blizzard was placing all those Diablo III mystery-game teasers and everyone was getting into a froth over them? And then BioWare launched a teaser site for DA, with a brown outline of the Dragon Age logo over a black background? BioWare totally trumped Blizz that day.

[Paelos]

I signed up for the stupid facebook game on my EA account. I'm weak and it's free. 

[Segoris]

Gigantic announcement of that beta aside, they did this with DA1 and I thought that game was a good time. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[tmp]

demo made official

To be released February 22nd, available for PC, Xbox and PS3

The entire world stands on the brink of war, and you are the one person at the center of it all. On February 22, 2011, BioWare™ will release a demo for Dragon Age™ 2, allowing gamers on all platforms to experience a portion of this epic action RPG. Featuring enhanced graphics, faster, more responsive combat and a gripping storyline, the Dragon Age 2 demo is your chance to find out firsthand why IGN, Game Informer, MTV and The New York Times' Seth Schiesel have endorsed Dragon Age 2 as one of the most anticipated games of 2011.

In the demo, players will venture through the game's prologue, choosing from three different character classes. They'll also learn more about Hawke and hone their skills and abilities that will make them the ultimate hero. After finishing the prologue, players will enter a key new location in the world of Dragon Age, Kirkwall, befriending Isabela, a romantic interest in the game who is also a deadly smuggler. Upon completion of the demo, players will unlock a special weapon, Hayder's Razor, an ancient dwarven blade which increases health, mana, and combat abilities, in the full release of Dragon Age 2.*

This demo represents just a small taste of what Dragon Age 2 has to offer. With a whole new realm to discover, and an all-new hero to become, players will go deeper into the world of Dragon Age unlike ever before in an adventure that shapes itself around every decision you make. The time has now come to engage in action-packed, dynamic combat that allows you to think like a general and fight like a Spartan! The legend of your rise to power, begins now!

Dragon Age 2 will be available on the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system Xbox 360® videogame and entertainment system and PC on March 8, 2011 in North America and March 11, 2011 in Europe.

*Offer expires May 31, 2011. Requires Internet connection, EA account, ownership of Dragon Age II ("Product") for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PC and completion of Product Demo ("Demo") on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 or PC. EA online Privacy Policy and Terms of Service are available at www.ea.com. Must be 13+ to create an EA account. Valid everywhere Dragon Age II is sold. To access the item in the Product, you must complete the Product demo using the same EA Account that you used to register your Product. Items are nontransferable. May not be combined with any other offer, gift card, rebate or discount coupon. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law.

planning to skip it to keep first impression of actual game first, but then the unlockable item...

[Ingmar]

I cannot resist the unlockables 

[Sjofn]

Yeah I'll be doing it for the unlockable too. Because I am also weak.

[AutomaticZen]

I played the browser game for unlockables in the first one.  Of course I'll play the demo.

[Velorath]

I'll probably try to play through with each of the classes just to get a feel for which one I like most.  I'm hoping the Rogue has been improved a bit, so I guess I'll find out in the demo.

[tmp]

Supposedly yup, they redesigned both the rogue and the warrior to be more on par with the mage.

[Velorath]

I've heard them say that but I'd like to see for myself.  Also, even if they've improved balance I'd like to see if the Rogue class is actually fun.  If it requires crafting a lot poisons with the bland crafting system from the first game for instance, I probably won't bother.

[Furiously]

I just watched the trailer, and for some reason every time someone said "Champion" I heard "Shepard".

[Goreschach]

Am I the last person left that still doesn't give a shit about these unlockables and preorder bonuses?

[Sjofn]

Yes.

[Paelos]

Am I the last person left that still doesn't give a shit about these unlockables and preorder bonuses?

Preorder bonuses, no. Unlockables...

[tmp]

Am I the last person left that still doesn't give a shit about these unlockables and preorder bonuses?

I ususally wind up turning the gear pieces off in game because they tend to be quite over the top compared to rest of stuff available... at least that's how it was with DAO. Still some other stuff like extra areas and companions is pretty neat and since they do choose to tie these to preorders, well.

[Riggswolfe]

Am I the last person left that still doesn't give a shit about these unlockables and preorder bonuses?

My problem is that with DA2 I'm actually kind of confused on what is available and where. It seems like everytime I turn around I hear about a new unlockable or a new bonus or something. I'm more...fatiqued than anything.

[rk47]

They tend to be overpowered - and had no narrative attached to them to make it more deliberate that you spent dime for virtual shiny.
It makes me angry for some reason when they just plopped it in my inventory.

Oh look, a city elf slummer with 10 gold worth of DLC in his backpack. It just spells a lack of effort. Why can't they do it like Warden's Keep quest or Shale's Village instead of just plopping it inside the backpack? Too cheap for writing? Too bad. It ain't hard to create custom items that has similar effect anyway, so screw them.

[Sjofn]

Hope you guys liked Anders! I didn't especially like him. And he's probably a love interest. 

There are some heavy hints in this thread (towards page 20, I think) that it's not just Anders. I haven't decided what I think about that yet.

I have to admit, the video made me go, "OK, maybe mages aren't 100% lame-asses this time." Something about the new staff animations instead of the hilariously underwhelming splutsplutsplut as their autoattack makes it way better. So maybe I WILL meet the sibling you get when you're a mage after all! 

[Mosesandstick]

I hope this means we see the cat.

[tmp]

The cat could be possessed for some extra points, too.

[Sky]

With all the cat people in the world, it still boggles that more games with mages don't use them as familiars. The fiancee more or less demands I play any class/race/game that has a cat for a pet or familiar.

[Merusk]

I read cat people and took it a totally different way, making me wonder wtf you were going on about at first. 

I was thinking more along these lines.

[tmp]

With all the cat people in the world, it still boggles that more games with mages don't use them as familiars.

That would pretty much have to result in the cat having the mage as familiar, and few players can stomach playing second fiddle. Well, the cat people could be more ok with that, i guess.

edit: that linked article is great, can't help but imagine Batman going "eeeeeEEEeee" now...

[tmp]

Official Anders reveal

looks i got part of the possessed cat right...

[Sjofn]

Poor Justice. 

[Tebonas]

Wow, poor Justice indeed. That is sad on a cosmic scale.

[Sjofn]

It's especially sad if you remember his banters with Nathaniel and Anders in Awakenings.