Dragon Age: Origins?

[Grif]

Despite the archaic graphics and clunky mechanics, I still view DAO as the best of the bunch. DAI is more polished but less involving and a bit of a grind to play through. DA2 has its positives but is undermined by those recycled dungeons and repetitive waves of enemies.



Yes, though it will probably take a while for DAO to get to Steam.

https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/3...rning-to-steam

Uh. It's already out, no?

I even bought it, though I haven't tried installing it yet.

[DeTess]

From the sounds of it they'd be stuck with Origin regardless--even if you purchase the game on Steam it will launch via Origin, according to the article. Ubisoft did something similar with a game I have (I think it was Driver: San Francisco?) where, when you launch the game from Steam, it fires up UPlay and then launches the game from there.

I think Ubisoft has doen that with every single game of theirs that was released on steam in the past decade or so. It's annoying, but at least most of my games are still visible in the same library.

[Grif]

From loading the game, there isn't any Origins in sight, which is good news to some of you.

Downsides? Since the old Bioware store is closed, you probably need to "hack" the DLCs into the game. And I'm not sure where to get Awakening either.

EDIT: Awakening is sold separately. I guess I'll grab it at the Christmas sale.

[Giggling Ghast]

Uh. It's already out, no?

I even bought it, though I haven't tried installing it yet.

Well, I’ll be a nug’s uncle.

[factotum]

Downsides? Since the old Bioware store is closed, you probably need to "hack" the DLCs into the game. And I'm not sure where to get Awakening either.

Steam has the Ultimate Edition which includes all DLC, so I seriously doubt they're requiring you to hack anything if you buy that one.

[Grif]

Steam has the Ultimate Edition which includes all DLC, so I seriously doubt they're requiring you to hack anything if you buy that one.

I did put hack in quotes.

(You mostly need to download the dazip files manually, and then install them with the game DLC installer. Ah, a primitive way for a more primitive time.) I can confirm that they work without a hitch so long you have the files on hand.

[halfeye]

Overall it's a good game, but it definitely cheats against the player at several points. First off, you can't save in combat. That's horrible: when a fight comes in definite sections, any of which can go badly, and you can't save a good position because it's only halfway through a fight, that's just taking the mickey. Second, most of the time you want to leave most of your characters safe, run up to the bad guys and then run back to your friends, but they have a cut-scene animation that takes all of your friends to the bad guys, so you have to fight them at a disadvantage. Thirdly (this is only annoying, not hurtful to your figthing chances as such), since all fights start in a cutscene, you can't save after the cutscene, so you have to go through the thing every blinking time you lose the fight.

I've probably said all of this before, but it's annoyed me the same way again today.

Overall it is good, but it could have been so much better.

[Giggling Ghast]

First off, you can't save in combat. That's horrible: when a fight comes in definite sections, any of which can go badly, and you can't save a good position because it's only halfway through a fight, that's just taking the mickey.

Save mid-combat? Blasphemy.

Actually, I don't think I've ever encountered an RPG where you can save mid-combat. Certainly none of the Dragon Age games allow it.

[Rynjin]

Saving against combat is not a "cheat against the player", it's intended to prevent you from soft-locking your game by saving it in an unwinnable position.

[factotum]

Saving against combat is not a "cheat against the player", it's intended to prevent you from soft-locking your game by saving it in an unwinnable position.

That's only really an issue if there's only one save slot, which is generally not the case--plus, a lot of more modern games also have autosaves designed specifically to avoid the "Oh, damn, I just died and I haven't saved for six hours" issue.

[Rynjin]

That's only really an issue if there's only one save slot, which is generally not the case--plus, a lot of more modern games also have autosaves designed specifically to avoid the "Oh, damn, I just died and I haven't saved for six hours" issue.

It's idiot proofing, more than anything.

[Giggling Ghast]

That's only really an issue if there's only one save slot, which is generally not the case--plus, a lot of more modern games also have autosaves designed specifically to avoid the "Oh, damn, I just died and I haven't saved for six hours" issue.

There IS an auto save in DAO. I’m a Save Scummer so I never use it.

Saving mid-combat is a different issue, however.

[LibraryOgre]

Moving forward in DAO, I have dragged Alistair to Denerim and said he should be the next king. I am now robbing everything I can find, again.

[SerTabris]

For those interested, GOG has the Ultimate Edition of DA:O also.

[thirsting]

I tried to play it, and liked the little I saw, but the Ultimate Edition on steam just keeps crashing in random points, and I'm so tired of troubleshooting it. Ended up uninstalling.

I'd just like to know, do Duncan / Grey Wardens have a GOOD reason to just out right murder those who don't consent to drinking darkspawn blood during initiation? That was a little bit too grimdark for me. :[

[Rynjin]

I tried to play it, and liked the little I saw, but the Ultimate Edition on steam just keeps crashing in random points, and I'm so tired of troubleshooting it. Ended up uninstalling.

I'd just like to know, do Duncan / Grey Wardens have a GOOD reason to just out right murder those who don't consent to drinking darkspawn blood during initiation? That was a little bit too grimdark for me. :[

A very good reason, yes. They were given a chance to back out and then tried to wimp out past the point of no return. The ritual for making a Warden is secret and for good reason; once it's revealed there's no going back, lest the secret get out.

[thirsting]

Because otherwise recruiting would become way more difficult? Still sounds awfully scummy thing to do.

[Morty]

Because otherwise recruiting would become way more difficult? Still sounds awfully scummy thing to do.

Doing scummy things for the sake of defeating the Blight is more or less the Grey Wardens' entire deal.

[factotum]

Because otherwise recruiting would become way more difficult? Still sounds awfully scummy thing to do.

Drinking Darkspawn blood is a pretty scummy thing to be doing in the first place, which is why the Grey Wardens keep that part of the initiation ceremony quiet. If the world at large knew they did that they'd lose the trust people have in them.

[Zevox]

Because otherwise recruiting would become way more difficult? Still sounds awfully scummy thing to do.

There's also the little matter that it is literally impossible for anyone who isn't a Grey Warden (and very specifically went through that ritual of drinking darkspawn blood) to ever successfully kill an Archdemon and end a Blight, for reasons you learn near the end of the game.

[LibraryOgre]

I tried to play it, and liked the little I saw, but the Ultimate Edition on steam just keeps crashing in random points, and I'm so tired of troubleshooting it. Ended up uninstalling.

I'd just like to know, do Duncan / Grey Wardens have a GOOD reason to just out right murder those who don't consent to drinking darkspawn blood during initiation? That was a little bit too grimdark for me. :[

Yeah, I still have that. I've been dealing with it through the game, but I've been TRYING to play this game for so long that I've been perservering.

A few notes: I did beat Flemeth and the Dragon near Haven. With Flemeth, I had Shale draw aggro with RangerLeilana's Bear, while Wynne, Leilana, and I (a Duelist/Assassin) shot her with magic and magic arrows. It was surprisingly effective and relatively boring. The dragon near Haven was similar, but it was no Leilana, and instead Morrigan.

Do we ever find out more about the dwarf Dagna, who left Orzamar to join the Circle? And how are all these dwarves fighting on the surface if going to the surface means you stop being a dwarf, in the eyes of the dwarves?

[Keltest]

Yeah, I still have that. I've been dealing with it through the game, but I've been TRYING to play this game for so long that I've been perservering.

A few notes: I did beat Flemeth and the Dragon near Haven. With Flemeth, I had Shale draw aggro with RangerLeilana's Bear, while Wynne, Leilana, and I (a Duelist/Assassin) shot her with magic and magic arrows. It was surprisingly effective and relatively boring. The dragon near Haven was similar, but it was no Leilana, and instead Morrigan.

Do we ever find out more about the dwarf Dagna, who left Orzamar to join the Circle? And how are all these dwarves fighting on the surface if going to the surface means you stop being a dwarf, in the eyes of the dwarves?

Dagna shows up again in Inquisition. And simply being on the surface is not, by itself, generally enough to completely remove your stone sense immediately. Its more of a drain over time. But for the high ranking shapers, who rely on an extremely sensitive stone sense, even a small loss is dangerous to their station.

[Morty]

I think there's some kind of special dispensation given to the dwarves who leave to fight on the surface according to the treaties. The Legion of the Dead officer might mention it at some point.

[Giggling Ghast]

Because otherwise recruiting would become way more difficult? Still sounds awfully scummy thing to do.

The Grey Wardens will do whatever they perceive as necessary to defeat the Blight.

Unfortunately, this also means they do things they definitely should NOT do because they think it’s necessary.

[LaZodiac]

It's almost as if the game that removed a binary good/evil meter and instead gave you personal "do they like me or think I'm an ass" meters for each character, that named the organization you're part of the GREY Wardens, is morally in the middle as opposed to really being a force of light or darkness.

I don't know it's just a feeling I get.

[Winthur]

It's almost as if the game that removed a binary good/evil meter and instead gave you personal "do they like me or think I'm an ass" meters for each character, that named the organization you're part of the GREY Wardens, is morally in the middle as opposed to really being a force of light or darkness.

I don't know it's just a feeling I get.

but why are Morrigan and Sten judging me for wasting my time on some stupid villagers when there's bigger fish to fry, I'm supposed to be the good guy and savior of this land

[Keltest]

but why are Morrigan and Sten judging me for wasting my time on some stupid villagers when there's bigger fish to fry, I'm supposed to be the good guy and savior of this land

Morrigan just hates everything. Sten is more interesting in that he believes inaction against the blight to be both morally irresponsible and against your duty, and doesn't really understand how your various side quests help to fight it.

[Morty]

Origins is still ultimately a very traditional fantasy RPG adventure, the Grey Wardens notwithstanding.

[Giggling Ghast]

ten is more interesting in that he believes inaction against the blight to be both morally irresponsible and against your duty, and doesn't really understand how your various side quests help to fight it.

Actually, I think Sten would just prefer to get "be murdered by the darkspawn for failing in his duty" off his to-do list. You prancing around on a mountain trying to find the charred remnants of a dead woman, for instance, doesn't achieve that goal.

[LaZodiac]

but why are Morrigan and Sten judging me for wasting my time on some stupid villagers when there's bigger fish to fry, I'm supposed to be the good guy and savior of this land

They have their reasons, as explained by someone else, and that's something I actually really like. It leads to some interesting character stuff. What's his nut, the dwarf who's name I forget even though he's the best, despite everything he says, still has dwarven pride and feels kinda ****ty about it when you do stuff against it. It's cool, subtle characterization that I like.

Even if sometimes we get "Morrigan Disapproves" on everything. Or, if you're in DA2, Fenris Disapproves.

Origins is still ultimately a very traditional fantasy RPG adventure, the Grey Wardens notwithstanding.

I mean this is true. You can definitely murder all the wizards and the wild elves, but the templers and the city folk? No dice, you're always saving them no matter what.

Not that this is even bad, necessarily. The game just isn't as grey as they think it is.