Author Topic: Dragon Age 2  (Read 50258 times)

Offline MysterD

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Dragon Age 2
« on: Monday, September 07, 2009, 04:27:36 PM »
NEWEST -> 3-19-2012
GameTrailers -> BioWare axes a DA2 Expansion to focus on other "DA opportunities."

DA2: Mark of the Assassin DLC
DA2: Mark of the Assassin DLC [starring Felicia Day] -> TRAILER.

DA2: Legacy (DLC) Reviews
GameSpot - 5.5 [of 10] - Video Review; Written Review.
GamerLimit - 8.0.
GameEffect - 8.3.
Gamefront - 95 [of 100].
EmptyLifeBar - 4 [of 5].
VideoGameWriters - 3 [of 5].
PolushTheConsole - 4 [of 4].

NEWER:
Patch released - 1.04 on PC; 1.04 on PS3; 1.03 on X360.
EA responds to DA2 being pulled from Steam.

DA2 PC pulled from Steam...probably b/c Legacy DLC exclusive to Origin.
DA2: Legacy - Trailer.
DA2: Legacy DLC info.
NEXT Dragon Age 2 DLC to incorporate fan feedback.
Patch 1.03 released (cumulative patch).
Upcoming Patch 1.03 for DA2 on all platforms is going to have around 200+ bug-fixes and changes.
Dragon Age 2 PC - Patch 1.02 released.
GameBanshee -> 4-page Review.
Chris Priestly of Bioware speaks on next DA2 patch that'll be eventually coming - it'll have over 100 bug-fixes.
PC Gamer -> Dragon Age 2 PC Tweak Guide.
RockPaperShotgun -> Dragon Age 2 - Analysis On "What Went Wrong In Dragon Age II".
Zero Punctuation -> Dragon Age 2 - Comedic Editorial/Review.
IGN -> Bioware's Favorite Dragon Age 2 Dialogues.
EvilAvatar -> Some up in arms over Anders' portrayal in DA2; Ken Levine's response...
Brent Knowles (the lead guy on DA:O) gives his two cents on Dragon Age 2 Demo [X360].
PC World Australia - 4 1/2 stars for DA2 (out of 5).
GameSpot -> Interview w/ Mike Laidlaw's with his "Final Thoughts" on DA2.
1Up -> 6-page interview w/ Mike Laidlaw on afterthoughts on DA2.
Bioware Forums -> Stanley Woo talks a lot in this thread about the "rushed development cycle" for DA2.
DA2 PC Version -> Patch 1.01 released.
IGN -> Inon Zur felt Bioware and EA rushed his score to be finished for DA2.
Tor.com -> Interview w/ David Gaider and Mike Laidlaw.
Eurogamer -> Mike Laidlaw (lead designer on DA2) tries to defend DA2.
Bluesnews -> "Crushbug" Derek French of Bioware speaks on Bluesnews forums about the DA2 DRM.
Blues News -> Does DA2 PC contain Securom?
Blue News -> Do EA Forum Bans Roll Over To Preventing Game Access?

DA2 Reviews
RPGCodex -> DA2 Review - "Dragon Age 2 is a mediocre and deeply flawed action RPG".
GameCritics -> X360 Review - 2.5 (out of 10).
Edge Magazine's -> 6.0 for DA2 for all platforms [out of 10].
Worthplaying -> 6.5 (out of 10) for PS3 and X360.
Destructoid -> 7 (out of 10).
Videogamer.com -> 7 (out of 10) for X360 and PS3.
Bit-Tech -> 7 (out of 10) for PC version.
IncGamer -> 7.2 (out of 10) for PC version.
GamersHell -> 7.5 for X360 version (out of 10).
Computergames.Ro -> PC Review - 75 [out of 100].
ActionTrip -> 7.6 for PC version [out of 10].
Gameplaymonthly.com -> X360 Review - C+ grade.
G4TV -> 3 stars (out of 5).
AtomicGamer -> 8 [out of 10] for PC version.
Eurogamer -> 8 (out of 10) for all platforms.
GameSpot -> 8.0 from GameSpot for PC, PS3, and X360 (out of 10).
Telegraph UK -> 8 (out of 10).
GameSpy -> 4 stars (out of 5) for X360.
Gameshark.com -> PC Review - B grade.
IGN -> 8.5 for all platforms (out of 10).
IGN -> Their opinion on the DA2 DLC that's available now.
TenTonHammer -> 86 (out of 100).
GamePro - 4 stars (out of 5) for all platforms.
Joystiq -> 4 stars (out of 5) for X360 version.
Cheat Code Central -> 4 stars (out of 5) for all versions.
Games.On.Net -> 4 stars [out of 5] for PC version.
1Up -> B+ for X360 and PS3 versions.
PC World Australia - 4 1/2 stars for DA2 (out of 5).
GameTrailers -> 9.2 (out of 10) for all platforms.
PC Gamer -> 94% for PC version [out of 100].
PC Format -> 95 for PC version (out of 100).

G4TV - Reviews and Discussions
G4TV -> Review - 3 stars (out of 5).
G4TV -> Sessler discusses more about Dragon Age 2.
G4TV -> Dragon Age 2 - Pro's and Con's -> discussion from 26m58s until 48m6s.
G4TV -> Dragon Age 2 - "Loving Is Free!" on choice and freedom on your character's sexuality.
G4TV -> Unlimited XP and Money glitch found in DA2.

Game Informer - Review
PC Review -> 7.75 (out of 10).
X360 and PS3 Review - 8.25 (out of 10).


OLDER
GameBanshee - DA2 Item pack coming next week; New DA2 DLC to be announced at PAX.
DA2 PC - High Res Texture Pack Released by Bioware to download for 1 GB Vid card owners and DX11 users.
DA2 PC - Finalized DRM Details from Bioware's very own Chris Priestly.
HookedGamers -> 3-page article on Dragon Age II and The Decline Of The Classic RPG.
GameInformer -> Article on "10 Things You Should Know About DA2", since they've already finished it.

NEWER
Gamesutra -> 4-page Interview w/ Mike Laidlaw on DA2.
DA2 Website -> DA2 DEMO released - around 1.9 GB.

Bioware Forums -> German reviews for DA2 are popping up, as Gamestar + PCGames.DE reviewed it - they ain't as great as DAO's.

Bioware -> Dragon Age 2 DEMO coming on Feb 22nd for ALL platforms. If they get over 1 mill DL's, more in-game items will be unlocked for full version.

Destructoid -> ESRB lists some of the sexual content included in DA2.
Bioware Forums -> Chris Priestly lists DA2 PC Version's DRM Details.
Eurogamer -> DA2 has about 103 mins worth of cut-scenes.
PCG -> DA2 Preview.

DA2: The Exiled Prince DLC
Price = $7.00; or 560 MS Points; or FREE w/ Sig. Edition

Trailer.; Info.

NEWER:
Sarcasticgamer.com -> Interview on DA2 w/ the game's Lead Writer, David Gaider of Bioware.
DA2 Website -> DA2 PC's System Requirements revealed.
YouTube -> Mike Laidlaw shows off DA2 PC's Combat.
GameSpot -> Making of Dragon Age II - Part 1.
Bioware Forums -> Mike Laidlaw says DA2 probably will have a Helmet toggle.
Gamespot -> Heather Rabatich of Bioware explains some of the changes in DA2.
Youtube -> Dragon Age 2 - In-Game Footage from GameCity Vienna 2010.
PCG -> Approval System for Companions = GONE.
Kotaku -> DA II Preview - Overhead Tactical View & Command Stacking Removed for ALL Versions.
Nowgamer.com -> Interview w/ Mike Laidlow of Bioware.
Joystiq -> Preview on DA2 - and about improving Rogue class.
Bioware's DA Site -> DA2 - "Rise To Power" Trailer - 720p.
GameSpot -> Dragon Age 2 - "Rise To Power" Trailer. - Standard Def.
Joystiq -> DA2 will have also have DLC like that of Mass Effect 2's Cerebus Network DLC's.

NOTES:
1Up -> Dragon Age 2 - Bioware Signature Edition announced - for those who Pre-Order DA2 before 1-11-2011.

Sign-up for Bioware newsletter or already be on the Newsletter, you'll get a code to unlock an "epic" item in your e-mail box that you can use once DA2 is out.
« Last Edit: Saturday, May 23, 2015, 05:42:41 AM by MysterD »

Offline PyroMenace

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Bioware is already working on it
« Reply #1 on: Monday, September 07, 2009, 08:51:19 PM »
I really hate this trilogy marketing bullshit. Announcing a sequel when the first game isnt even out says to me, "We're not putting all of our time and effort into the first to make sure its good, because we have sequels to work on." Which is a really stupid backward ass business decision.

Offline Quemaqua

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Bioware is already working on it
« Reply #2 on: Monday, September 07, 2009, 08:56:37 PM »
Agreed.  I mean, it isn't so much a big deal in and of itself, because most staff that stop needing to work on the current project will begin working on other projects, but companies don't care much anymore about making it seem like they give a shit about the games they're releasing.  They just immediately start trying to get people hyped for the next thing to spend their money on instead of trying to get more people to get interested in the current product.  I find this extremely irritating.

天才的な閃きと平均以下のテクニックやな。 課長有野

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Bioware is already working on it
« Reply #3 on: Saturday, January 30, 2010, 02:21:14 PM »
News, Info, Links, Etc
Shacknews -> Here's what DA2 will import for data from those who import their DAO saved games: the "world".
PCG -> DA2 - Huge Preview.
Kotaku -> What Female Hawke looks like.
Dealspwn.com -> DA2 Preview.
StrategyInformer -> DA2 Preview.
Kotaku -> Impressions from DA2 at GC 2010.
1Up -> Impressions from DA2 - GC 2010 Demo.
Shacknews -> Dragon Age 2 - "Destiny" Trailer.
Bioware Forums - Analysis/Speculations on "Destiny" Trailer.
RPS - New screens.
Mike Laidlaw's response to the "rumors" of PC version's tactical viewpoint and Toolset removal from Joystick.
G4TV - Impressions on DA2 from Comic-Con.
GameInformer - Written Preview on DA2.
GameInformer - Early in-game footage and interviews on DA2.
GameInformer - A Look at the Qunari, evolved.
Preview from GamingShogun.com.
Game Informer - NEW 3 page Preview on the art style and graphics.
1Up Preview.
Joystiq preview.
Bioware quickly responds to this saying there are more options to the dialogue trees.
DA2's dialogue trees...

Dragon Age 2 - Podcast with Victor Wachter and Mike Laidlaw.
Here's the official thread on Bioware's site in which people are discussing the podcast and the info revealed.
DA2 Theory on the concept art picture of the girl - DAO spoilers included.
GamingEverything.com - Some details from GI issue w/ DA2.
1Up - Talks about "Medieval Shepard" AKA Hawke.
Kotaku - Dragon Age 2 is official now w/ Hawke as your lead character - Thanks Pug!
Kotaku - DA2 seems different - Thanks, Pug!
Bioware's teasing that an announcement will come "2morrow." Emphasis on the "2" here.
Patrick Weekes of Bioware says Bioware writers are working on Dragon Age 2.

OLD:
Greg Zeschuk of Bioware says that in Dragon Age 2, they're going to work on overhauling the engine itself and its graphics.

Quote
BioWare says Dragon Age 2 to look 'super hot'

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 29th 2010 at 4:40PM } Xbox PlayStation PC
Dragon Age: Origins presents strong evidence that great games can overcome gawd-awful graphics, but BioWare isn't about to test that theory -- and the limits of our forgiveness -- again in the sequel. "I think one of the key things we're working on in Dragon Age 2 is the technology," BioWare VP Greg Zeschuk recently told Joystiq. "I can confirm that we're doing a lot of work on the Dragon Age engine, and doing a lot of stuff to pump it -- to make it visually super hot."

Now, to clarify, frisky rogue foursomes and lesbian alien sex are measured on different "super hot" scales, as Zeschuk conceded, "Dragon Age is, in the structural sense, a fundamentally different game than Mass Effect ... You have to make different technical considerations." Certainly, with Dragon Age: Origins, those considerations were designed to benefit the superior PC version.

Still, there's hope for a console sequel makeover, since, in Zeschuk's words, the process of iteration allows a developer to "get to a much higher level." "I think the overall visual style we're going to continue to evolve in Dragon Age," Zeschuk added. "People are going to see some cool ... I can't really say too much, but I think Dragon Age as a world is interesting. It's a timeline, and you can go anywhere." Go anywhere, huh? So, like the future Ferelden, where a race of sexy blue aliens has been possessed by horny desire demons? Super hot.
« Last Edit: Monday, March 19, 2012, 02:56:08 PM by MysterD »

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: Bioware to overhaul graphics engine for DA2 (Reply 3)
« Reply #4 on: Saturday, January 30, 2010, 11:49:08 PM »
Gosh, you know what I am worried about? That they take everything away that made the game great, and turn it into a more actiony game like ME2.

Offline PyroMenace

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: Bioware to overhaul graphics engine for DA2 (Reply 3)
« Reply #5 on: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 12:06:44 AM »
Yea, I was thinking along the same lines as you Pug. I mean its the same thing with DA, something alot of Baldur's Gate fans were thinking it was going to be geared more on consoles, but it turned out to be a fantastic game on the PC. However I do think Bioware knows what made it so good on PC and they will keep things that way, I hope anyway.

Offline iPPi

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: Bioware to overhaul graphics engine for DA2 (Reply 3)
« Reply #6 on: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 01:10:35 AM »
I'm actually hoping that they will improve performance and the technical issues the game has on consoles and keep everything else the same.  It's a great game... it just need more polish on the console ports.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: Bioware to overhaul graphics engine for DA2 (Reply 3)
« Reply #7 on: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 07:04:47 AM »
Gosh, you know what I am worried about? That they take everything away that made the game great, and turn it into a more actiony game like ME2.

Ugh, I hope not @ DAO going to get more action-esque. I like that's PC-style, built for KB/mouse - very stragetic and BG2-like. DAO is the best of that kind of "full-control RPG-strategy" game since BG2, probably. Sure, NWN2: OC, NWN2: Mask expansion, and Drakensang: The Dark Eye were all ranging from good to great - but hell, they ain't as great BG2 and they ain't DAO. BG2 and DAO are masterpieces from Bioware.

Mass Effect was originally on X360 and is more of a direct-style control kind of thing (since it runs on a modified UE3) - so inherently, it's going to feel more like an action game by nature (in the combat), despite it having plenty of RPG elements (leveling-up your character; decision-making impacts the game's main quest, side quest, NPC's, and gameworld; loot-swapping; socketed loot that can be improved; etc etc). I just think ME PC, DemiUrge and Bioware got smart and decided, "How can we make this feel more at home on the PC?" And well - they easily figured that one out.

DAO PC, even though you can use direct-style control play (WSAD for movement or cursors - similar to what's in KOTOR), you can use click-and-point. Decent-sized party (four) and that extra overhead isometric-view - that speaks of strategy to me - that just seems more fitting for a KB/mouse. In fact, if Bioware was smart and didn't want to "dumb down" the console version, they'd ALSO just allow for additional KB/mouse support on the X360 for this game.

Oh, I haven't checked - but since this game is also on the 360, does DAO PC version support 360 controller?

On another note, my nephew has DAO for the X360 and freakin' loves it.

Offline Quemaqua

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: Bioware to overhaul graphics engine for DA2 (Reply 3)
« Reply #8 on: Sunday, January 31, 2010, 10:21:45 AM »
I don't think they'd take DA2 and make it actiony.  The first game wasn't aiming for that and people liked the formula.  Mass Effect *was* trying to be actiony, though, so it only made sense to take that a step further, really.

天才的な閃きと平均以下のテクニックやな。 課長有野

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: Bioware to overhaul graphics engine for DA2 (Reply 3)
« Reply #9 on: Wednesday, July 07, 2010, 07:22:58 PM »
Bioware's teasing that an announcement will come "2morrow." Emphasis on the "2" here.

I'm smelling Dragon Age 2.

I don't think it would be Jade Empire 2, even though it has been a while since the first Jade Empire...



Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #10 on: Wednesday, July 07, 2010, 11:19:39 PM »
I don't think they'd take DA2 and make it actiony.  The first game wasn't aiming for that and people liked the formula.  Mass Effect *was* trying to be actiony, though, so it only made sense to take that a step further, really.

Plus the game sold an incredible 3.5 million copies across all platforms. It could have been the marketing, because the expansions didn't do so well, but who knows.

Meanwhile ME2 sold 1.6 and EA's response was that ME3 will ship with multiplayer.

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #11 on: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 01:13:05 PM »
http://kotaku.com/5582435/dragon-age-ii-pulls-a-commander-shepard

We discussed this before, and we all thought Bioware would have the good sense not to do something like this.

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #12 on: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 01:16:29 PM »
http://kotaku.com/5582305/dragon-age-2-seems-like-it-will-be-very-different

OK what the hell are Bioware doing? This isn't ME2.

Dragon Age was a lot like Baldur's Gate, and it sold 3.5 million copies, so wtf?

Quote
"Think like a general and fight like a Spartan with dynamic new combat
mechanics that put you right in the heart of battle whether you are a
mage, rogue, or warrior."

Bioware, you better not fuck with the overhead camera and the original gameplay style. I hope this is just some PR b.s.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #13 on: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 01:43:52 PM »
I'm betting already that...

DAO Spoilers....
(click to show/hide)

Offline Xessive

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #14 on: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 05:49:52 PM »
Whatever they do, as long as the end result is a fun game, an enthralling story, and an immersive experience I'm sold.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #15 on: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 06:19:37 PM »
I hope the strategic battles and the extra top-down perspective camera remain the PC version...

Offline Quemaqua

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #16 on: Thursday, July 08, 2010, 10:05:38 PM »
I hope they have the same obscenely generic fantasy world that couldn't possibly interest anyone even though it apparently did.

天才的な閃きと平均以下のテクニックやな。 課長有野

Offline sirean_syan

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #17 on: Friday, July 09, 2010, 08:11:34 AM »
It's all out there now.

So.... Different part of the world. New art style. New game style (a more consolized approach). Not really a continuation of the previous story.

Why is this Dragon Age?

Also, March 2011? That seems pretty soon for a game as supposedly as big as Dragon Age. Only a year and a half of development time. Don't get your hopes up folks.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Dragon Age as, by the time I was done, I had been done with the game for a good 20 hours. It dragged by for a lot of the end and I pushed myself to see it through. I have a feeling that I still won't be ready for more Dragon Age for another couple years... unless it's all about Oghren getting drunk and kicking ass.

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #18 on: Friday, July 09, 2010, 08:29:55 AM »
The combat and the RPG mechanics were the strongest aspect of Dragon Age.

I am still not 100% convinced that this game will be the consolized catastrophe that people are fearing. I think all of this could be marketing spin, and the final game will be closer to the original Dragon Age, at least in terms of mechanics.

Offline sirean_syan

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #19 on: Friday, July 09, 2010, 10:35:35 AM »
While the combat was great, I would hardly consider it actiony. Maybe I just played too old school and more or less turned it into a turn-based thing with the pause button.

You could be right about the marketing though. Lord knows they didn't know how to market the first game. Maybe that'll be a common theme with the franchise.

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #20 on: Friday, July 09, 2010, 10:42:54 AM »
Well, the game was very different from what the advertising showed. It may have not been accurate, but it worked, because the game sold insanely well.

The only thing I fear is that DA2 will basically be what DA1 was marketed as, because that's what the console crowd was excited for.

Again, I don't think they are going to shit over their PC fanbase.

edit:

The fact that this sequel has been readied so quickly has me wondering if it was development even before DA1 was complete

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #21 on: Friday, July 09, 2010, 01:42:13 PM »
While the combat was great, I would hardly consider it actiony. Maybe I just played too old school and more or less turned it into a turn-based thing with the pause button.
@Sirean
Well, playing on "Easy" on DAO PC version makes it less strategy needed to win, right?
Well..at least according to the manual...

EDIT:
Well, the game was very different from what the advertising showed. It may have not been accurate, but it worked, because the game sold insanely well.

The only thing I fear is that DA2 will basically be what DA1 was marketed as, because that's what the console crowd was excited for.

Again, I don't think they are going to shit over their PC fanbase.

edit:

The fact that this sequel has been readied so quickly has me wondering if it was development even before DA1 was complete
@Pug...
I think they might've just took the same Engine framework and improved the graphics quality and performance - especially since we're getting a sequel so quickly

But, yeah - I wouldn't be surprised if they were working on content for DA2, when DAO and DAO: Awakening were in the making.

About DAO - I had that feeling it wasn't going to be much like the marketing, when I saw gameplay vids from Gamespot and other places, BEFORE the marketing campaign began - it looked like BG3, for crying out loud, w/ its decision-making from dialogue-trees matter and the typical strategic combat. Basically, all the marketing told me was there would be (ALSO) violence and sex.



Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #22 on: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 05:45:50 AM »
Some details from GI.

Looks like we can import data from the original DAO. Either though you are Hawke in DA2, DAO's Hero and his/her choices that you made will have impact on DA2.

DA2's story begins during some of the events of DAO.

Story is told w/ a framed narrative, meaning there will be multiple narrators telling Hawke's story - now THIS sounds interesting to me.

PC version keeps the strategic elements for the KB/mouse, while console versions (PS3 and 360) will have a different combat system more tailored for their style of controls (gamepad).

Mass Effect 2 dialogue wheel is here now - but w/ additional extra icons added to it to express the emotional intent (aggressive, sarcastic, etc).


Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #23 on: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 06:08:42 AM »
yayyy

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #24 on: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 06:14:57 AM »
yayyy

I don't really know if I'm too fond of the Mass Effect dialogue wheel showing up here in DA2. That to me just seems like a ME Thing...
*shrug*

I do like the idea of the framed narrative structure, though - w/ multiple narrators helping tell Hawke's story. Sounds like we just need nighttime, a campfire, and some marshmallows. ;)

Offline PyroMenace

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #25 on: Tuesday, July 13, 2010, 07:20:27 PM »
Here are the first screenshots for DA2.

I kind of like it, theres obviously much more work for it to be done but so far so good.

Edit: I'll just post them here.



« Last Edit: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 06:14:45 AM by PyroMenace »

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #26 on: Wednesday, July 14, 2010, 10:24:01 AM »
It... looks very similar.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #27 on: Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 04:25:58 PM »
From the new DA2 podcast with Bioware.

Hawke
--> Hawke is a "mystery", "walking enigma", and "changes the world"
--> Hawke's story takes place for around over 10 years
--> Hawke escapes Lothering (during DAO's timeline) during the Blight and heads to Kirkwall, which is the gateway to the larger continent
--> Kirkwall is where the events when he/she changes the world begins, which is a very historic location
--> Cassandra (a representative from The Chantry) and Beric (spelling?) - are the narrators interrogating and telling Hawke's story in this "framed narrative" structure, since the world's on the brink of war and are trying to "fix things."

Combat
--> Bioware's tactical pause and queuing-up orders from DA:O stays.
--> Combat is more "responsive". Basically, your character basically JUMPS immediately right into combat w/ whomever and whatever you queue-up. There is NO real waiting for you to watch your character, if he's say on the other side of the battlefield, to shuffle and path-find their way over to battle after issuing an order to battle an enemy, line-up, and then combat starts - the combat begins basically right after the click ASAP.
--> There will be new and also improved AI and behaviors for teammates and enemies.
--> There will be more mage spell-combos
--> There will be also be special cross-class combo moves - i.e. mage and rogue got their own special cross-combos.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #28 on: Friday, July 23, 2010, 03:03:24 PM »
Man, DA2 is sounding more and more like Mass Effect 2 w/ its streamlined dialogue-trees...

EDIT:
Bioware quickly responds to this saying there are more options than that.

Quote below from Craig Graff of Bioware...
Quote
We put up to 5 choice options and 5 investigate options per dialog node. There is also a difference between choices (where you are actually deciding something) and giving you the opportunity to express yourself in different ways (which I think is quite cool, but not something I believe we have released any details on yet).

Quote below from Mike Laidlaw of Bioware...
Quote
I'm not really sure where the "there are only three options for dialog" impression they got came from. Perhaps it was when I showed one half of the dialog wheel with three options...which, you know, leaves another half open for...you know...other....options. *Shrug*

Also probably worth noting that we're not locked into specific icons per place in the wheel. Oh no. We have -much- more flexibility than that. We're like gymnasts.
« Last Edit: Friday, July 23, 2010, 04:33:07 PM by MysterD »

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Updated on 7/28/2010
« Reply #29 on: Monday, August 09, 2010, 11:07:41 PM »
OK I just read this, and this is the ultimate piece of bullshit:

Quote
An interview with Lead Designer Mark Laidlaw printed in French gaming mag Joystick  revealed details regarding the new game's camera options and mod support, namely that the PC version would no longer offer the overhead "strategic view" present in Origins, and that they had no plans to release a toolset for creating user-generated mods, citing that the original toolset was "very powerful but very complicated."

Fuck you Bioware.

Offline Xessive

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Updated on 7/28/2010
« Reply #30 on: Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 03:36:32 AM »
Oh man, that's bullcrap! Did they even see how much user-created content was out there?! Even if it is complicated people figure out how to use it. I'd rather have a complicated toolset than none at all!

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Updated on 7/28/2010
« Reply #31 on: Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 11:38:53 AM »
I am equally pissed off about the removal of the strategic view, which is what I mostly played it at.

In the end, the game will be still a top quality game, just like Mass Effect 2 was, but this seems to be shitting on the PC fanbase.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Updated on 7/28/2010
« Reply #32 on: Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 01:40:04 PM »
Mike Laidlaw of Bioware did respond to these "rumors", some THREE days ago...

DA2 Toolset is close to DAO's and "investigating" on just updating it
Quote from: Mike Laidlow
Hey folks,

Victor managed to hunt me down, and I wanted to clear up a few things with regards to what I'm seeing as the two major concerns on this thread.

First off, let's talk about the toolset issue. Obviously in this community there's going to be some concern that we wouldn't release a toolset, so let me clear the air a little: The tools we're using to make Dragon Age 2 are very, very close to the tools you guys have used to make your mods for DA:O. They're not identical, as we've made a few in-house improvements, but they're almost identical. As such, there isn't a new toolset to release, per se.

While we won't be releasing a toolset update in tandem with Dragon Age 2, we ARE investigating what it would take to update the community toolset to match ours, along with providing DA2 content in the future.

Tactical Viewpoint
Quote from: Mike Laidlaw
As to the subject of tactical view, I can confirm that we will not be doing a tactical view on consoles, though we are looking into some expanded party control that I think will make console players quite happy.

On the PC, however, we are still working with the camera to keep the key elements of the tactical experience there. I was actually playtesting some new camera code when Victor found me, in fact, so I can give you the latest news on that front.

While we likely won't pull as far up as we did in DA:O, I have always felt that the key to tactical play was actually freeing your camera from the character you're controlling to issue precise orders, which is what we're tuning now. So, this means you can still maneuver the camera around the battlefield and issue orders from a remote location, just as you could in Origins.


As you can probably tell from my phrasing, all of this is a bit in-flux right now, so things may change between now and ship, but I wanted to update you guys on the current direction of things.

Mike..

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 -> 8/17/2010 - Destiny Trailer released
« Reply #33 on: Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 07:44:49 PM »

Offline Pugnate

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Re: Dragon Age 2 -> 8/17/2010 - Destiny Trailer released
« Reply #34 on: Wednesday, August 18, 2010, 12:25:01 AM »
Watched the trailer. Didn't realize it was just an FMV.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #35 on: Thursday, August 26, 2010, 03:17:26 PM »
Dealspwn.com -> DA2 Preview.

PC Interface
Quote
The PC interface looks largely the same too, but with the addition of a couple of fully customisable hotkeys in the bottom right. Instead of having a confusing row of varying health potions and stat replenishment, quick health and quick stamina buttons will map the most readily available potion for the job to the corresponding button. Don’t like how it works? You’ll be able to tailor the buttons to work in the way you want.

Tactical Camera 2.0
Quote
Tactical Camera 2.0, as Laidlaw referred to it, is shaping up pretty nicely too. You’ll be able to pause the game and now take the camera for a little wander, scoping out the battlefield and the terrain, seeing where the enemies are emerging from, where their backup is, and where all of the best vantage points are to be found. There’s more freedom to survey the battleground before plunging into combat, something that will undoubtedly help preserve the tactical elements that at least the PC version had to offer.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2
« Reply #36 on: Tuesday, September 07, 2010, 04:24:05 PM »
Kotaku -> Female Hawke.

Female Hawke


Male Hawke (left) and Female Hawke (right)

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: PC Gamer preview (9-19-2010)
« Reply #37 on: Monday, October 04, 2010, 09:12:35 AM »
Heads-up...
Anyone who signs up for Bioware's newsletter OR has already signed-up for Bioware's newsletter...
You'll get an unlock code for a DA2 item called The Staff of Parthalan in your e-mail.
You can use this code, once DA2 is officially available.

Just saw this on their official Facebook and got the code in my e-mail.
"Yay" or something.

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: Join BW Newsletter, get epic item unlockable (10-4-2010)
« Reply #38 on: Wednesday, October 06, 2010, 03:35:20 PM »
Shacknews -> Here's what Dragon Age 2 will pull-in for data from those who import their DAO saved games.

Quote
In an interview with NowGamer, Dragon Age 2 lead designer Mike Laidlaw revealed that save file importing in the upcoming sequel will change "the world" to reflect how you left it in Origins.

"Who's in charge of Ferelden, what happened with the Dwarves, who's running Orzammar?" Laidlaw said. "All of these things are reflected and accounted for in Dragon Age 2."

Offline MysterD

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Re: Dragon Age 2 - Update: What DA2 will take from imported DAO saves (10-6-2010)
« Reply #39 on: Thursday, October 14, 2010, 03:02:39 PM »
1Up -> Dragon Age 2 - Bioware Signature Edition announced.
This Bioware Signature Edtion is a "Free Upgrade" for those who Pre-Order DA2 before Jan 11, 2011.
Here is what the box will contain: