Dragon Age: Inquisition

[casterofdreams]

Contemplating buying 2 for the PS3, it's only $6.

For $6 I would with out a doubt. Even with the negativity (which isn't all that bad, its still quite a competent game) $6 will go a long way.

[dsheinem]

So I've finally gotten some quality time with the game - about 12 hours so far - and I defintely fall into that "left the Hinterlands only after I cleared most of the map" category of folks...it is just so fun to explore and do everything.

Dear god, the scope of this game is unlike anything I ever played. I mean, I was impressed by the size of Skyrim's world but really only did the minimum needed to clear the game and do some sidequests along the way because I found the story and characters to be boring as fuck. I think I cleared it in around 30-35 hours. I've heard rumors that this game is closer to 75-80 hours without doing everything, and thus far I am inclined to believe those projections.

I'm loving it, though. Everything I'd have wanted from what is easily the best RPG series of this century...

[isiolia]

I've got about the same time in (Origin says 13 hours, but there's some AFK in there). I want to say I've just gotten past what's probably the first big decision point. Really enjoying it though.

[MrPopo]

I'm 20 hours in and just hit a major point in the story. I'm pretty sure the part you're in now is the prologue, Dsh.

And this game so far definitely rewards those who have played the previous ones and those who have read the books. Everything is part of an interconnected world. They aren't just isolated stories.

So far I've run into a few crashes (which I expect) but I have hit one major bug that's due to be patched; at the point I've reached there's something that can cause your Inquisitor's voice to reset to the default for that race. I can't explain more without spoilers, but it's very jarring especially with how the American vs. British voices (at least the female ones) have very different pitches. My female Qunari mage went from a sassy British to a more serious deep voiced American.

[dsheinem]

I'm 20 hours in and just hit a major point in the story. I'm pretty sure the part you're in now is the prologue, Dsh.

And this game so far definitely rewards those who have played the previous ones and those who have read the books. Everything is part of an interconnected world. They aren't just isolated stories.

So far I've run into a few crashes (which I expect) but I have hit one major bug that's due to be patched; at the point I've reached there's something that can cause your Inquisitor's voice to reset to the default for that race. I can't explain more without spoilers, but it's very jarring especially with how the American vs. British voices (at least the female ones) have very different pitches. My female Qunari mage went from a sassy British to a more serious deep voiced American.

Yeah I am now past the Hinterlands and things are picking up in the story department.

Which books have you read, Popo? I've just read the first one (and the comics, seen the animated film, etc.) but intend to read the others at some point (perhaps this winter). Have you read the non-Gaider ones?

[Xeogred]

Well everybody seems to be a big fan of the series all around, what about those who are not fans? Is this one worth checking out?

I really did not like Origins at all (played a good chunk too) and nothing about 2 looked interesting to me. This one has me wondering again a bit though...

Origins had fun gameplay and that's about all I can give it probably. I liked the expansive dialogue and that it wasn't so black and white... but also coming out of Mass Effect where we have a voiced avatar, it was kind of funny to go back to a mute. None of these games look good graphically either, but it's an RPG so I can cut some slack there. But I mainly just remember not caring about the story/characters at all so after awhile I just didn't have any motivation to keep going.

[MrPopo]

I've read all the novels but I haven't read the comics. I also saw the Felicia Day webseries, but that one is more of a "here's an intro to the DA2 world for those who haven't played any DA games".

Xeogred, why was nothing about 2 seeming interesting to you? The reason I ask is that DA:I has a very similar combat system (so if you didn't like the look of 2's combat that's bad) and still uses the dialog wheel, though it's modified a bit from how DA2 used it. Most of your choices fall into either "get info" or "continue the conversation", and then every so often you'll get more specific things (be angry vs. weepy). Whereas DA2 most of the continue conversation ones were "I can be an asshole, a comedian, or whatever the option I never picked was".

The characters are probably closer to DA:O in terms of how they get rolled in. It's another "there's bad shit going down and I need help" story, whereas your companions in DA2 tended to get attached to you because you got inserted into their affairs somehow and they think you won't be boring to hang around.

As I mentioned, the skill system is fairly similar to DA2's, but with a bit more freedom (just need to connect a line, no minimum number of points).

The big thing they've got is the faction of the Inquisition that you head up. This means that in addition to the boots on the ground stuff you do in any RPG there's a lot of missions you can send the other agents of the Inquisition on, which might be diplomats, soldiers, or spies (which presumably will change the rewards/consequences). You influence the world in a larger way so you don't get some of that RPG feeling of "no one does anything but me."

And you also get to be Brian from Life of Brian if you want. I'm doing that and it's lots of fun.

[dsheinem]

I've read all the novels but I haven't read the comics. I also saw the Felicia Day webseries, but that one is more of a "here's an intro to the DA2 world for those who haven't played any DA games".

So...how are the ones not written by Gaider?

And you also get to be Brian from Life of Brian if you want. I'm doing that and it's lots of fun.

I am doing this too. I really hope in some post-coitus scene we get to hear "He's not the messiah...he's a very naughty boy!"

[MrPopo]

I've read all the novels but I haven't read the comics. I also saw the Felicia Day webseries, but that one is more of a "here's an intro to the DA2 world for those who haven't played any DA games".

So...how are the ones not written by Gaider?

The Masked Empire was pretty good; there's some good twists and turns and it helps set up Orlais a lot which factors in to a lot of what's going on in Inquisition. I'm looking forward to encountering the various people from the book and see how they relate to my mission.

The Last Flight is a framing story around the Fourth Blight, the last time Griffons were available. When we stopped the Fifth Blight in DA:O in standard video game time it felt normal, so the perspective of previous blights being decades long is lost. You get a notion of just how terrible the blights are, and a deeper look into the Grey Wardens.

Both are worth reading.

And yeah, at this point my people are like "Only the Messiah would deny his greatness!"

[MrPopo]

Oh yeah, another thing. I've unlocked specializations and I went for Knight-Commander on my mage and it's greatly changed how I play. The basic ability is that you get a sword that does 300% of your weapon damage as spirit damage and costs 10 mana per swing. Then there are support abilities that do things like build you a barrier as you do damage based on how much you do and increase your mana regen if there's a lot of enemies. So now my magic usage has completely shifted from tons of good nuke spells that I cast when I can and then auto attack at range into running up on the front lines and spam my huge blade (which has the range of a 2 hander) and then use my magic for CC. I respecced once when I unlocked the specialization so I could dump a bunch of points into it and I think I'm going to respec again to readjust my spells into more CC.

It feels like this is what they wanted Arcane Warrior to be but this feels more balanced. You have to be actively working to maintain your defenses, you aren't just passively loltank.