I'm curious what everyone thinks of the Bioware Social Networking Site? I find that it was a neat twist to have my character information uploaded complete with screenshots. #demontits
@BahamutNeo: I think it's lame that you MUST be logged into it to play with DLC. The whole service is a thinly veiled bit of DRM, and personally I haven't looked at my characters page once. #demontits
@BahamutNeo: I think their social website is a pain in the ass to navigate. It's one of the worst designs and navigations I've seen from a big company #demontits
@BahamutNeo: It might be nice if I could actually get onto the site. You need an EA login AND a BioWare login (that is separate from your SWtOR BioWare login btw). It logs me in halfway with my EA login, but I need a BioWare screen name login which it tells me is already taken (yes, by me) but won't let me verify that the screen name belongs to me. there's broken and then there's broken. #demontits
Good. Now how about you gives us a crate to store our extra items. I shouldn't have to pay for DLC just to get someplace to put my stuff. The inventory system is broken and they really need to patch it. #demontits
The achievements on the 360 version are still buggered to hell for the DLC.
Because the Microsoft servers weren't updated yet, the infamous Fallout 3 problem happened where they unlocked, but didn't contribute to GS and didn't show up, so its like they weren't really there.
The solution has always been account recovery and redo once the servers were up. Well, acct recovery removed the bugged achievements, but then re-doing them didn't unlock them anymore. Not even in the bugged way.
The servers updated today meaning people could actually achieve them, but for those of us who had them before, they still aren't unlocking. Someone said that you had to get one more achievement and they would be there, that turned out to be bs.
I think part of the problem (or all of the problem) is the achievements are registering with Biowares social website, meaning you already have them. But you dont, really, and now can't get them.
A title update is going to be necessary for this, but I'm pissed at having such broken mismanagement of the whole issue for such a great game. #demontits
@the wiseass: Back when I was in high school, they too banned any facial hair on students. My hair grows very fast so I often tried to see how far I could push the rule, only to be... sent to the office, given a razor, and told to shave.
True story. #demontits
@Sheik: I didn't realize how tiny my Elf Mage was until I looked at yours and Octaslash's screenies. I've also noticed that a large number of my screenshots are just of Alistair smiling into the "camera". #demontits
@octaslash: Hahah. I know just what school you go to. I tease a friend of mine about that all the time, telling him I'm going to visit and strut in with a full beard one day. Such a scandal, you know. #demontits
@Sovin: How are you playing it? If you play it like a tactics game it gets easier than if you play it like an action-RPG. Though I do admit that the lack of healing items really suck and makes the game harder.
Is it so wrong that I prefer to head into battle well-equipped? #demontits
I just installed the PC version, I guess I'll patch it up. I know this has been said many times, but damn, the quality of the PC version blows the console versions out the water.
I originally bought the PS3 version and the framerate and console interface annoyed the hell out of me. #demontits
There was this one quest I just did...and after I killed it(won't spoil) I clicked on a character I need to talk to...and the game jumped in a time machine and went back to a previous cut scene/dialog....but the characters I killed were invisible...but talking...
Once the conversation was over....It jumped to a new conversation stating I killed them....yay!
Really...really weird.
Also a few instances where people stopped talking but their mouths moved... #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: Dunno if its a bug or not, but my Elf lady mage person keeps getting these weird eye ticks during some cutscenes. (also playing the 360 version btw) more hilarious than anything else, but still.
But what I want more than anything else to be fixed is that damned camera. just give me an option to turn of that annoying auto track function or whatever it is called, and possibly let me zoom out just a wee bit? I understand the console versions can't get the tactical view, but just gimme a little bit o zoom and I'm happy. #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: The 360 version is bad in every way. The combat is bad, the graphics are bad, there are glitches everywhere, etc. The story and dialogue are also terrible but that's not exclusive to the 360 one. At least the PC version has better combat and graphics, and the glitches can be patched faster.
If you have a pc capable of running it, get it on PC. I'm definitely glad I rented it on 360 first. #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: That uh. That happened to me in Jade Empire earlier today. I've been replaying it, and came across one very weird glitch. I accepted a quest at the end of a dialog tree, and the whole conversation suddenly started over as though it had never happened. :D
Oh Bioware, you try to cover up your mistakes but we can see them over the years. #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: Baldur's Gate. Any other game by Bioware. Fallout. Planescape: Torment.
Seriously I really like Bioware but Dragon Age is just so... Bland. Everything about it was yawn-inducing. The Dwarf Commoner origin was the only one that didn't have me almost falling asleep.
Edited by Manuel Calavera, Reaper Supreme at 11/06/09 9:10 PM
Manuel Calavera, Reaper Supreme was starred
Manuel Calavera, Reaper Supreme was unstarred
@Vecha: One more Month: Sure doesn't look like it. And yeah I liked Mass Effect. But then it had characters with personality. The thing is, when you're going to have a game with such emphasis on dialogue, it needs to be well-written. Dragon Age just doesn't have that. It's all YOUR PHYLACTERY HAS BEEN SENT TO DENERIM and GREY WARDEN GREY WARDEN GREY WARDEN. I didn't give two shits about any of the characters I encountered. Hey look, it's Carth. Again. Except he's a knight this time.
I talked to someone who said that games should strive to get to the point and have less dialog. Mass Effect had less dialog. Do you think there is a connection there? #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: My favorite part of Mass Effect was how the big plot twist at the end is that the ancient artifact you've spent the entire game searching for is just a teleporter that sends you back to your home base.
I would have just stopped playing the game right there if I wasn't right in front of the final battle anyway.
That aside, I've found Dragon Age's plot to be a little disappointing compared to some of BioWare's earlier offerings. The world itself is very interesting and well-crafted, and there are lots of good histories, but the story they're telling in the game just isn't very interesting. #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: If the dialogue is done well, they can pile it on, I enjoy it. I'm a big fan of adventure games, and those are basically nothing but talking with an occasional puzzle. Yes, you COULD reverse it in regards to any game, but it wouldn't make a lot of sense. The thing is, in most Bioware games I fully expect the combat and general gameplay to be bad, but redeemed by an interesting story/characters/conversations. Funnily enough, Dragon Age is the opposite, where the combat is fun (at least on PC) but the story is just an utter bore.
Really, thinking about it, I'm not sure if the dialogue itself, as written, was the problem, or it was other factors. The voice actors seemed as though they were about to fall asleep during every line, and the character models were so laughable when trying to convey any sort of emotion. Mass Effect might not have had the best-written script in gaming history, but it was acted well enough and the characters looked good enough that it sort of made up for it.
Actually, no, the writing was just bad. My favorite part is in the human origin story where the king's advisor (no way) played by Tim Curry (no way!) was... Wait for it... EVIL (NO WAYYYYY) Is there really a lot more cliche than that? I mean, I doubt they had Tim Curry in mind when they wrote it, but I would have loved it if they had made him, say, Duncan. He'd show up and you'd totally think he was evil until it turns out you were wrong. It wouldn't be a huge twist or anything but it would provide more depth than this kiddie pool of a game has now. #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: Are you kidding me?! PLEASE find a copy and play it immediately! I will even let you BORROW my copy if you shoot me a mailing address. #demontits
Before anyone jumps and screams how patches give developers a reason to ship unpolished code, also remember that most games will ship with blemishes regardless of any patches, so at least a patch can be a situation of "better late than never". But I'm an optimist. From what I can see, we're a lonely crowd, us half-full types. #demontits
@omgwtflolbbqbye: I know how you feel. I made a new character just to glitch to level 25. Still, though, it's pretty badass to see my dalish rogue do 1000 dmg with an arrow of slaying. #demontits
Oh thank GOD. For the past three days I thought I just SUCKED at role playing games suddenly.
My day:
Me: "I'm a mage! I have a staff"
Ogre: "I OGRE"
Me: "Have at thee!"
*spell-fling!*
*3 damage*
Me: "..."
Ogre: "..." *throws a rock*
Me: *dies* X_x #demontits
@ReaveT: No offense, but you do suck. The game isn't that hard even on the harder difficulties as long as you play competently. Have a warrior taunt while you spam disabling spells so the ogre can do nothing but stand there with a mean look on his face. Their rocks are also pitifully easy to dodge, just keep an eye out.
That said, once an ogre decided my mage was being mean and went after him and no amount of taunting could take the ogre off, so I just ran in circles while the warriors smacked him around :D
Me: "I'm an Elf warrior! Rawr!"
Ogre: "Yummmm"
Me: "Ha, I switched to the mage in my party! Fear my lightening!"
From there on it goes identical to the way you described it.
Sure, there are "ways" to get around his situation..but 3 damage? Are you seriously saying there is nothing wrong with that?
It's a bug...It was fixed. Doesn't mean people suck.
It's like with certain bosses on old RPGs...where the only way to beat them was finding an exploit. That's isn't being a "non-sucky" player...that's finding a way around a bug. #demontits
@ReaveT: Ugh, Dude, mages have to keep their distance. Lightening and arcane bolt brought it down pretty quickly. Do head blast to help out your party with plenty of lyrium potions and heals to whoever needed them. OMG it's so obvious! Everybody knows that. JEEZ. #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: What bug was fixed? I see nothing about fixing a bug with spell damage. They made easy and normal both a bit easier. Unless your character stats were corrupted, that was the correct damage.
Direct spell damage is almost never the way to win, especially early on in a game. Physical warriors do high direct damage, mages buff/debuff and do some good AoE damage, but generally not direct stuff. Smacking stuff with sharp things is just too effective. Smacking enemies that can't move, can't defend, and can be shattered instantly on a critical hit (Hint Hint: Cone of Cold) pretty much wins the majority of battles.
3 damage sounds just fine for certain spells. Ever consider that a big hulking ogre might have resistance to certain things? Or are you less focused on magic/spellpower then perhaps you should be?
IMO, rather then lowering the difficulty Bioware should be patching in some pre-made builds for players who aren't too keen on the character building. If you pick bad things and try to do too many things at once, or don't cover enough, its easy to make the game substantially harder then it should be. Kotor/NWN had this, and characters in BG pretty much built themselves as long as you started out with stats appropriate to your character.
@jsparakov: I realize this - my mage is tough, it just can't take being hit by a boulder, followed quickly by the ogre running through my melee fighters and using 'grab' to, well... grab my mage. Then my mage is kinda dead. #demontits
@Vecha: One more Month: 3 damage sounds low, but I haven't been playing a great deal of time, and I don't know the specific spells or enemies and their resistances well enough to say whether its supposed to be happening or not. On harder difficulties where FF is an issue, mages are generally best at immobilizing enemies and, if allies are not near, nuking. If nuking isn't an option, I incapacitate so they can't move/attack then take down enemies with a constant rain of arrows.
That said, I have a direct single damage spell, but its far from the most effective one I possess since it can't be spammed and isn't too efficient as far as mana usage goes. Its good for spiking down single, weak targets afflicted with Walking Bomb though (causes enemies to explode on death, dealing large AoE damage and infected them with walking bomb. Think Diablo 2 Corpse Explosion awesome with this skill).
Playing a mage, you really need to spend your time looking over the spells to get a general idea of what you want to do. Unfortunately there are no hints as to which skills are good or bad, and starting off there are 17 different lines of spells you can get, each with 4 different spells in them. So there is no way to slowly ease into the spell casting as you might expect from other RPG's, you have to start picking stuff you can use to fight with right from the start. There is actually an auto-level button (forgot about that for my prior post), but I have no idea whether it gives you an effective build or not.
Sadly this patch does not fix the problems that many are having with the Radeon 3870 cards.
The game plays fine until you get to Ostagar, and then it locks up the computer and requires a reboot. As far as I know Bioware has not even acknowledged the problem yet. Hopefully it gets fixed soon, as I really want to play this. #demontits
@Jedi924: It seems that under clocking the GPU helps with the issue. I don't know if anyone here is having problems, but I thought I would pass along the info just in case. #demontits
Off-topic: Is there any way to save in this game (for PC)? I played up until you killed 9Toes or w/e his name was, and then I talked to one of the respawning portals and quit the game. When I later tried to continue that game, I could only find "New character" in the load menu. (There is nothing at My Games\Borderlands) #borderlands
@NickBomb: You don't need to talk to the New-U stations (respawn portals) to save. There are other little beacons which auto-save when you go near them as well. Exiting the game should save it. The thing to look out for is not exiting the game while it auto-saves as that could possibly corrupt it (not sure on that one). Or, if you're playing multiplayer, make sure everyone but the host quits first.
When you're going to single-player in the menu is there not an option to use 'Existing Character'? From there it should find a save file. #borderlands
@hot_heart: Nope, unfortunately not. I've tried this several times with new characters, none of them has showed up in Single Player, though.
I have found a fix, though: If I start a LAN game with only myself my character is selected by default (I still can't choose him under "Select character")
Thanks for the tips, though! #borderlands
11/07/09
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*Sarcasm note for the sarcasm impaired* #demontits
11/06/09
11/06/09
Because the Microsoft servers weren't updated yet, the infamous Fallout 3 problem happened where they unlocked, but didn't contribute to GS and didn't show up, so its like they weren't really there.
The solution has always been account recovery and redo once the servers were up. Well, acct recovery removed the bugged achievements, but then re-doing them didn't unlock them anymore. Not even in the bugged way.
The servers updated today meaning people could actually achieve them, but for those of us who had them before, they still aren't unlocking. Someone said that you had to get one more achievement and they would be there, that turned out to be bs.
I think part of the problem (or all of the problem) is the achievements are registering with Biowares social website, meaning you already have them. But you dont, really, and now can't get them.
A title update is going to be necessary for this, but I'm pissed at having such broken mismanagement of the whole issue for such a great game. #demontits
11/06/09
7:04:34
The village of Redcliffe was suffering nightly attacks from vast numbers of strange creatures streaming from the castle.
The profile stuff is also working.
And woah, I need to turn on the privacy before somebody finds about my Dwarf tranny fetish. #demontits
11/06/09
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@octaslash: I see your screenshot and i raise you mine #demontits
11/06/09
True story. #demontits
11/06/09
@Sheik: I didn't realize how tiny my Elf Mage was until I looked at yours and Octaslash's screenies. I've also noticed that a large number of my screenshots are just of Alistair smiling into the "camera". #demontits
11/07/09
11/07/09
@octaslash: Huzzah! #demontits
11/07/09
@octaslash: It's sad how this dude is actually getting with Morrigan. #demontits
11/06/09
11/07/09
Is it so wrong that I prefer to head into battle well-equipped? #demontits
11/06/09
I originally bought the PS3 version and the framerate and console interface annoyed the hell out of me. #demontits
11/06/09
There was this one quest I just did...and after I killed it(won't spoil) I clicked on a character I need to talk to...and the game jumped in a time machine and went back to a previous cut scene/dialog....but the characters I killed were invisible...but talking...
Once the conversation was over....It jumped to a new conversation stating I killed them....yay!
Really...really weird.
Also a few instances where people stopped talking but their mouths moved... #demontits
11/06/09
But what I want more than anything else to be fixed is that damned camera. just give me an option to turn of that annoying auto track function or whatever it is called, and possibly let me zoom out just a wee bit? I understand the console versions can't get the tactical view, but just gimme a little bit o zoom and I'm happy. #demontits
11/06/09
If you have a pc capable of running it, get it on PC. I'm definitely glad I rented it on 360 first. #demontits
11/06/09
I have it on PC as well.
If you think the story is terrible...perhaps you shouldn't buy future bioware products.
Just out of curiosity, what's another RPG with a superior story? One with choices and consequences? #demontits
11/06/09
The Witcher. #demontits
11/06/09
11/06/09
Oh Bioware, you try to cover up your mistakes but we can see them over the years. #demontits
11/06/09
Haven't played Dues Ex.
Played the Witcher though. Have to say I've enjoyed other RPGs more, but the Witcher is quite a good rpg.
Just don't see how Dragon Age: Origins is terrible though. #demontits
11/06/09
Seriously I really like Bioware but Dragon Age is just so... Bland. Everything about it was yawn-inducing. The Dwarf Commoner origin was the only one that didn't have me almost falling asleep.
11/06/09
@Vecha: One more Month: Actually here's a picture of how I think the conference for Dragon Age went. #demontits
11/06/09
Really?
I've only tried one. The elf story...really like it.
Did you have problems with Mass Effect?
I feel Dragon Age: Origins is close to the roots. Really like how the characters have deeper backstories compared to mass effect. #demontits
11/06/09
Except...the game has been in development for several years... #demontits
11/06/09
Wrex. Shepard. Wrex. Shepard. Wrex. Sherpard. #demontits
11/06/09
I could reverse that for Mass Effect. Or any game.
Spectre Spectre Spectre. Reapers Reapers Reapers. Must save the universe!
I enjoy the back stories for the characters in Dragon Age.
For example, Lelianna. She has an interesting back story concerning Bards and Assassins. #demontits
11/06/09
Another thing I'd like to ask.
You think there is too much dialog in Dragon Age?
I talked to someone who said that games should strive to get to the point and have less dialog. Mass Effect had less dialog. Do you think there is a connection there? #demontits
11/06/09
I would have just stopped playing the game right there if I wasn't right in front of the final battle anyway.
That aside, I've found Dragon Age's plot to be a little disappointing compared to some of BioWare's earlier offerings. The world itself is very interesting and well-crafted, and there are lots of good histories, but the story they're telling in the game just isn't very interesting. #demontits
11/06/09
Really, thinking about it, I'm not sure if the dialogue itself, as written, was the problem, or it was other factors. The voice actors seemed as though they were about to fall asleep during every line, and the character models were so laughable when trying to convey any sort of emotion. Mass Effect might not have had the best-written script in gaming history, but it was acted well enough and the characters looked good enough that it sort of made up for it.
Actually, no, the writing was just bad. My favorite part is in the human origin story where the king's advisor (no way) played by Tim Curry (no way!) was... Wait for it... EVIL (NO WAYYYYY) Is there really a lot more cliche than that? I mean, I doubt they had Tim Curry in mind when they wrote it, but I would have loved it if they had made him, say, Duncan. He'd show up and you'd totally think he was evil until it turns out you were wrong. It wouldn't be a huge twist or anything but it would provide more depth than this kiddie pool of a game has now. #demontits
11/07/09
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I hope they did cause, as much as I tried to resist the temptation, I made myself a lvl 25 warrior before I was even made a Grey Warden.
I felt so dirty afterwards...
11/06/09
11/06/09
My day:
Me: "I'm a mage! I have a staff"
Ogre: "I OGRE"
Me: "Have at thee!"
*spell-fling!*
*3 damage*
Me: "..."
Ogre: "..." *throws a rock*
Me: *dies* X_x #demontits
11/06/09
11/06/09
That said, once an ogre decided my mage was being mean and went after him and no amount of taunting could take the ogre off, so I just ran in circles while the warriors smacked him around :D
11/06/09
11/06/09
Me: "I'm an Elf warrior! Rawr!"
Ogre: "Yummmm"
Me: "Ha, I switched to the mage in my party! Fear my lightening!"
From there on it goes identical to the way you described it.
*sigh* #demontits
11/06/09
Sure, there are "ways" to get around his situation..but 3 damage? Are you seriously saying there is nothing wrong with that?
It's a bug...It was fixed. Doesn't mean people suck.
It's like with certain bosses on old RPGs...where the only way to beat them was finding an exploit. That's isn't being a "non-sucky" player...that's finding a way around a bug. #demontits
11/06/09
11/06/09
"Hey a Dragon, I shall slay thee for thy loot!"
*Suddenly engulfed, terrified in a ball of utter flammable destruction.*
Nevermind tactics, that thing was indestructable. Well was I suppose. #demontits
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11/06/09
Direct spell damage is almost never the way to win, especially early on in a game. Physical warriors do high direct damage, mages buff/debuff and do some good AoE damage, but generally not direct stuff. Smacking stuff with sharp things is just too effective. Smacking enemies that can't move, can't defend, and can be shattered instantly on a critical hit (Hint Hint: Cone of Cold) pretty much wins the majority of battles.
3 damage sounds just fine for certain spells. Ever consider that a big hulking ogre might have resistance to certain things? Or are you less focused on magic/spellpower then perhaps you should be?
IMO, rather then lowering the difficulty Bioware should be patching in some pre-made builds for players who aren't too keen on the character building. If you pick bad things and try to do too many things at once, or don't cover enough, its easy to make the game substantially harder then it should be. Kotor/NWN had this, and characters in BG pretty much built themselves as long as you started out with stats appropriate to your character.
11/06/09
I actually haven't played a mage. If the ogre takes higher damage from a better spell..then I see no bug. If that is the case.
So, it is normal to do just 3 damage for all spells? Or no?
Is the game developed to where you must do AoE and Buffing? And not concern yourself with direct spells?
Is there any hints to this in the game? Or...is it a learn from mistakes?
Guess this game is not as dumb down as some try and make it out to be... :) #demontits
11/06/09
11/06/09
That said, I have a direct single damage spell, but its far from the most effective one I possess since it can't be spammed and isn't too efficient as far as mana usage goes. Its good for spiking down single, weak targets afflicted with Walking Bomb though (causes enemies to explode on death, dealing large AoE damage and infected them with walking bomb. Think Diablo 2 Corpse Explosion awesome with this skill).
Playing a mage, you really need to spend your time looking over the spells to get a general idea of what you want to do. Unfortunately there are no hints as to which skills are good or bad, and starting off there are 17 different lines of spells you can get, each with 4 different spells in them. So there is no way to slowly ease into the spell casting as you might expect from other RPG's, you have to start picking stuff you can use to fight with right from the start. There is actually an auto-level button (forgot about that for my prior post), but I have no idea whether it gives you an effective build or not.
11/06/09
The game plays fine until you get to Ostagar, and then it locks up the computer and requires a reboot. As far as I know Bioware has not even acknowledged the problem yet. Hopefully it gets fixed soon, as I really want to play this. #demontits
11/06/09
10/31/09
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10/31/09
When you're going to single-player in the menu is there not an option to use 'Existing Character'? From there it should find a save file. #borderlands
10/31/09
I have found a fix, though: If I start a LAN game with only myself my character is selected by default (I still can't choose him under "Select character")
Thanks for the tips, though! #borderlands