Dragon Age™: The Veilguard is a Return To Form

[rusty_shackleford]

Broke: Skipping the Fade

I like the Fade, never understood why it was so hated

It's fine to go through once, but it's going to play the exact same way on a replay which is pretty lousy for an RPG.

Stop replaying the same game?

[Roguey]

Stop replaying the same game?

The idea of classes and character building is that each time you play it should feel different enough. The Fade disregards all of that and makes you play as particular creatures you shapeshift into.

[J1M]

What about a mod that lets you freely respecialize your character in Dragon Age Origins? Withers is my favorite BG3 character.

that's called cheating

I finished the game on Nightmare the first time I played it. I don't agree that one should replay the entire game to try another character build. For one, because I will never do that so it's either a respec feature or I will never see that part of the combat design.

[Xenich]

I like the Fade, never understood why it was so hated

It's fine to go through once, but it's going to play the exact same way on a replay which is pretty lousy for an RPG.

Stop replaying the same game?

THIS!

I am so sick of hearing "replay ability" as a component of game design. It was the biggest argument to justify RNG loot which allowed devs to be lazy in their design. It is fine for roguelikes, but this design focus kills normal games. Loot for instance is supposed to have character, back history, relevance to its find... not this generated junk.

Here is a thought... instead of spending an enormous amount of time trying to make a bunch of systems for "replay ability", how about they make a solid engine with a good one play through experience and release numerous expansions building on that engine and expanding that experience?

Maybe I am alone in this, but I liked having a main game release and numerous side expansions that was the same game, engine, etc... but added a bit more and continued the journey. NWN Baldur's gate, Icewind Dale, etc... were good examples. It makes business sense as well. Once your engine is done, all that is left is world building and maybe adding a couple new features here and there with each expansion that didn't make it into the first release. You get to reduce the number of your teams and put them on new projects. Not only that, but in pushing an engine to its limits, you learn about various things you can do better once you move to a new engine, but no... we get a brand new engine, often crap and feature limited with a bunch of focus on ******** graphics and "replay ability" focus while the actual "game play" gets thrown out the window!

Maybe people have bad memories but I rarely play games over again. It is like reading a novel over again, the moment I get into the first few pages, the story completely comes back and replays in my head. I really can't understand the "replay" logic unless its been maybe 20 years and you can't remember anything about the game.

[Acrux]

Counterpoint: Modern games suck so playing 20 year old or older games is the only fun part of this hobby.

[TheEmptyRoad]

Seriously? I don't know how many people are on the ******* Bioware Discord but I refuse to believe that there weren't more interesting questions than "****** tho", "gender tho" and "can I nag NPCs about my gender".

This game is going to be absolutely putrid.

The majority of comments in the discord during the Q and A were about how the spells and abilities work. The person in charge of finding questions to ask the team wasted everyone’s time either cherrypicking the most nonsensical BS or questions that had already been answered in other press releases. Infuriating incompetence.

Most of the normies and even the hardcore BioWare fans are getting increasingly frustrated at not having their questions about the apparently even more limited combat system answered.

If they don’t do an ACTUAL gameplay showcase soon they’re going to be in even deeper ****. This marketing is some of the most tone-deaf I’ve ever seen.

[Shillitron]

Seriously? I don't know how many people are on the ******* Bioware Discord but I refuse to believe that there weren't more interesting questions than "****** tho", "gender tho" and "can I nag NPCs about my gender".

This game is going to be absolutely putrid.

The majority of comments in the discord during the Q and A were about how the spells and abilities work. The person in charge of finding questions to ask the team wasted everyone’s time either cherrypicking the most nonsensical BS or questions that had already been answered in other press releases. Infuriating incompetence.

Most of the normies and even the hardcore BioWare fans are getting increasingly frustrated at not having their questions about the apparently even more limited combat system answered.

If they don’t do an ACTUAL gameplay showcase soon they’re going to be in even deeper ****. This marketing is some of the most tone-deaf I’ve ever seen.

It's intentionally tone-deaf.
They shot their shot. Not sure if this was a hero shooter before or what but if they had budget to redo the combat system, they would of done it 2 years ago. They can't redesign the combat system now.

So the only answers / clarifications they can give now - will lose sales. Better to plug their ears, close their eyes and let go of the steering wheel. Hopefully they crash into a pillow factory.

[1998]

Seriously? I don't know how many people are on the ******* Bioware Discord but I refuse to believe that there weren't more interesting questions than "****** tho", "gender tho" and "can I nag NPCs about my gender".

This game is going to be absolutely putrid.

The majority of comments in the discord during the Q and A were about how the spells and abilities work. The person in charge of finding questions to ask the team wasted everyone’s time either cherrypicking the most nonsensical BS or questions that had already been answered in other press releases. Infuriating incompetence.

Most of the normies and even the hardcore BioWare fans are getting increasingly frustrated at not having their questions about the apparently even more limited combat system answered.

If they don’t do an ACTUAL gameplay showcase soon they’re going to be in even deeper ****. This marketing is some of the most tone-deaf I’ve ever seen.

There is nothing marketing can do at this stage. I am sure the two reasonable marketing dudes in their department already know that this game is beyond saving. There is no point in showcasing gameplay, it will be bad, real bad...

[Brother Chad]

Seriously? I don't know how many people are on the ******* Bioware Discord but I refuse to believe that there weren't more interesting questions than "****** tho", "gender tho" and "can I nag NPCs about my gender".

This game is going to be absolutely putrid.

The majority of comments in the discord during the Q and A were about how the spells and abilities work. The person in charge of finding questions to ask the team wasted everyone’s time either cherrypicking the most nonsensical BS or questions that had already been answered in other press releases. Infuriating incompetence.

Most of the normies and even the hardcore BioWare fans are getting increasingly frustrated at not having their questions about the apparently even more limited combat system answered.

If they don’t do an ACTUAL gameplay showcase soon they’re going to be in even deeper ****. This marketing is some of the most tone-deaf I’ve ever seen.

There is nothing marketing can do at this stage. I am sure the two reasonable marketing dudes in their department already know that this game is beyond saving. There is no point in showcasing gameplay, it will be bad, real bad...

Oh it's going to be glorious popcorn times.

Even hardcore bioware "fans" are having difficulty defending this ****, so you know it's going to be good.

[KOS-MOS]

then raping your butt for picking a wrong dialogue answer

I haven't played DA2. Is this is meant literally or is just being used as an expression?

the game had this friendship/rivalry system where you party members would react differently depending on your decisions and the way you treat them during the dialogues. So if you wanted to stay friends with someone, you had to agree with them, and pick the nice dialogue options. Anders was a romancible companion, and if you weren't paying attention to the dialogue icons (romance dialogues were marked with a heart icon) you could've romanced him by accident.

I remember this happening to me during my very first playthrough (I was a kid back then... ), but it was with that elven girl with the alien head (never understood that sudden design change, honestly). I was playing as femHawke and just wanted to say something nice to her, when suddenly the screen faded to black and they were in my Hawke's bedroom out of nowhere. Like... what just happened?

I was young and completely confused at this time.

[wndrbr]

► Show Spoiler

[Godjjjita]

► Show Spoiler

The game will be carried by activists and brand recognition.
I think the game will pay itself in the end but it will be so bad they won't release another.
MAYBE if they invest in some good animations and drastically reduce the woke in it, they can pull an inquisition and recover from failure. Quality aside inquisition was a victory for sales and much better than DA:2 in that department but only a miracle will give back the goodwill of those that still care about the IP.

[Breathe]

I 100% believe they will lose money on this release. They will not recoup dev costs. It's been 9 years since they started development.

[Shillitron]

► Show Spoiler

Game Informer went out of business AND Dragon Age 4 got ****** on their marketing budget?

Stop.. please.. I can only get so hard..

[Element]

Never knew Gamestop was the parent company

[KnightoftheWind]

Well, as BioWare's final game, at least the lead up to it's collapse is entertaining enough.

[rusty_shackleford]

feels very fitting that this dead-on-arrival game is being made by a 41%er

[rusty_shackleford]

I think I only played a demo of DA2 and didn't like it. Tried Inquisition in the last year or two and just couldn't get into it. I take it neither of these are recommended?

Yeah, DA2 is pretty ****. DAI is **** AND full of progressive faggotry.

DA2 was maybe 10, but DAI was limited to 8, wasn't it?

DA2 had a lot more than 10. It also had a slot bar the length of the screen.
DAI does have an 8 slot limit.
I don't have DA2 or DAI installed (and I'm not gonna bother pirating either of them just for this post), but here are the screenshots from the random nexusmods mods.

It should be considered a crime against humanity that the last iteration of the Aurora engine, and the best version, was used to make Dragon Age 2.

[fkirenicus]

It should be considered a crime against humanity that the last iteration of the Aurora engine, and the best version, was used to make Dragon Age 2.

Really? Was that (still) Aurora/Electron? I thought they scrapped that/those engine/s as early as back in 2009 with DA:O. But I see you are right (insofar as that after Aurora came its successors Electron (NWN2) , Eclipse (DA:O) and finally Lycium (DA:E)). Wow.

[rusty_shackleford]

It should be considered a crime against humanity that the last iteration of the Aurora engine, and the best version, was used to make Dragon Age 2.

Really? Was that (still) Aurora/Electron? I thought they scrapped that/those engine/s as early as back in 2009 with DA:O. But I see you are right (insofar as that after Aurora came its successors Electron (NWN2) , Eclipse (DA:O) and finally Lycium (DA:E)). Wow.

It's all just iterations of the same engine. Saw the biggest modifications with DAO for sure, tho.

[Shillitron]

It should be considered a crime against humanity that the last iteration of the Aurora engine, and the best version, was used to make Dragon Age 2.

Really? Was that (still) Aurora/Electron? I thought they scrapped that/those engine/s as early as back in 2009 with DA:O. But I see you are right (insofar as that after Aurora came its successors Electron (NWN2) , Eclipse (DA:O) and finally Lycium (DA:E)). Wow.

It's all just iterations of the same engine. Saw the biggest modifications with DAO for sure, tho.

I had to double check but I think your right. Witcher 2 abandoned Aurora in favor of RedEngine which was a rewrite.. So yea, Dragon Age 2 was the last Aurora/Infinity/Electron/etc based game ever made.

Yikes.

[J1M]

This gameinformer stuff sounds like nothing. The people getting excited about it sound confused about how contracts work.

[CSM-101]

Game Informer closing is kind of sad though. Also just a sign of the times. I remember I got a subscription when I got my first Gamestop Edge card.

[Shillitron]

This gameinformer stuff sounds like nothing. The people getting excited about it sound confused about how contracts work.

Go ahead and elaborate.

[J1M]

This gameinformer stuff sounds like nothing. The people getting excited about it sound confused about how contracts work.

Go ahead and elaborate.

BioWare wouldn't pay GameInformer to do an exclusive. GameInformer closing would void any contract they had, allowing them to send the same already created promo material to other news outlets. There's a parent company involved Bioware can deal with if GameInformer contact goes AWOL.

TLDR: If you really think this means the game will have no advertising I think you need to stop reading twitter.

[Shillitron]

This gameinformer stuff sounds like nothing. The people getting excited about it sound confused about how contracts work.

Go ahead and elaborate.

BioWare wouldn't pay GameInformer to do an exclusive. GameInformer closing would void any contract they had, allowing them to send the same already created promo material to other news outlets. There's a parent company involved Bioware can deal with if GameInformer contact goes AWOL.

TLDR: If you really think this means the game will have no advertising I think you need to stop reading twitter.

The argument wasn't "oh no Bioware can never advertise again!"

It was that all their promotional material to date is now 404ing.

[J1M]

Go ahead and elaborate.

BioWare wouldn't pay GameInformer to do an exclusive. GameInformer closing would void any contract they had, allowing them to send the same already created promo material to other news outlets. There's a parent company involved Bioware can deal with if GameInformer contact goes AWOL.

TLDR: If you really think this means the game will have no advertising I think you need to stop reading twitter.

The argument wasn't "oh no Bioware can never advertise again!"

It was that all their promotional material to date is now 404ing.

That would surely be a net benefit to them?

[rusty_shackleford]

You know it's game of the year when the site that gets exclusive access to your promotional material shuts down shortly after

[Bing_xiLim]

Counterpoint: Modern games suck so playing 20 year old or older games is the only fun part of this hobby.

B-b-but MuH indie games!!! Accessibility! You’re just nostalgic! High production values!

[Schizoid1488]

The worst thing is that Veilguard will most likely be the best selling BioWare game yet. It's coming a year after normalfags have for the most part finished playing BG3 and are yearning for a new AAA character-driven RPG fix. And considering how few big titles are going to be releasing in 2024, it'll also most likely be the GOTY just like CISquisition was in 2014. This is just going to invite more total decline in RPGs and more niggerification and troonification of everything. BioWare will never die. It will be there to taunt and **** on grognard chuds until every single one drops dead from seethe.