Computer and Console RPGs

Discussions of games for Xbox 360, Nintendo DS, PC, Mac and other platforms.
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erilar
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

Post by erilar »

Hardcorhobbs wrote: Idaknow what the heck that was supposed to be. It was certainly a wasteland... and it was supposed to be the edge of the forest... It looked like it was hit with an atomic bomb! Or a spell plague!
I'm thinking they are showing what happens to the land under the full extent of The Blight?
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

Post by Hardcorhobbs »

erilar wrote:I'm thinking they are showing what happens to the land under the full extent of The Blight?
I'd agree... except that the blight JUST got there. Definitely an odd design choice.

Unless they have worms that eat everything in site...
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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I feel a little less crazy. The internet community has released a not-barfy texture pack for DA2:
http://nohighscores.com/node/178

Cory, please post your DA2 impressions. Really interested to hear what you think of the gameplay and story.

I've been playing Oblivion to get my fantasy fix, but as cool as it is in places, there's just some really janky stuff to deal with in that game... Tonight, however, I will be smishing monsters by the metric buttload in my quest for more Ember... Mo' Emba, mo' betta.
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

Post by EvilGenius »

erilar wrote:Then there's DC Universe Online. I was kind of surprised that Bob hadn't jumped on that one,
Well, I broke down and picked it up last night. :) Now that my Tues/Thurs class is over I'll have a little more free time for at least a few months and I couldn't resist any longer.

I'm installing now. Lance, we'll have to coordinate some play time soon.
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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EvilGenius wrote:Lance, we'll have to coordinate some play time soon.

Change that to "we'll have to coordinate some play time A LONG TIME FROM NOW!!! LOL!! It's STILLLLL INSTALLLLLINNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!! :P
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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erilar wrote:Cory, please post your DA2 impressions. Really interested to hear what you think of the gameplay and story.
I was only a few hours in before my xbox died. What I can say is the "action" gameplay was already bothering me less. I was really enjoying the story, though the side quests seemed much more compartmental. I'm also not sure about the new equipment system. You only equip armor for your character, everyone else has set armor. You can still equip weapons and accessories as normal. Yet, I was getting enough equipment to outfit the whole party. Seemed odd.

The other thing I'm not sure if I liked was the new friend/rival system. I was constantly going up and down with each character because I was choosing the "nice guy" dialog in all cases. Some characters liked what I said, and others didn't. Then in another situation it was reversed. The system seems to have something else going on, and unlike all the other Bioware games sticking to a particular type of response doesn't move you one way or another. It's something I need to spend more time with (eventually).

Overall I was really enjoying it, but I was getting the Mass Effect 2 feeling: 5 steps forward, two steps back.
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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EvilGenius wrote:Change that to "we'll have to coordinate some play time A LONG TIME FROM NOW!!! LOL!! It's STILLLLL INSTALLLLLINNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!! :P
That WAS a big damn download. Couple that with people's experiences re the PS3 system and title updates, and it seems that Sony assumes everyone had incredibly fast Japan-scale bandwidth.
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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EvilGenius wrote:Well, I broke down and picked it up last night. :) Now that my Tues/Thurs class is over I'll have a little more free time for at least a few months and I couldn't resist any longer.

I'm installing now. Lance, we'll have to coordinate some play time soon.
Let me know what evenings will be good for you this week.
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

Post by EvilGenius »

erilar wrote:Let me know what evenings will be good for you this week.
Probably the only night that will work this week is Thursday. I can probably be on around 7-7:30ish.
I have a Tech character, 6th level. Batman is my Mentor, and I'm a Flying Martial Artist. I love the Tech tree because I can use a Scorpion-style-"GetOverHere!!" attack. Character name is Angelius (I think).

I've completed the Scarecrow missions and had his butt thrown back in Arkham. Now I've got some Bane missions. :)
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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EvilGenius wrote: Probably the only night that will work this week is Thursday.
I think I can make that slot. Lemme know as it draws closer.
EvilGenius wrote:I've completed the Scarecrow missions and had his butt thrown back in Arkham. Now I've got some Bane missions. :)
I thought the Scarecrow boss fight was a hoot, and Bane was also very fun. (Not sure who the crap "Batwoman" is though, since Oracle is on my comlink and still crippled AFAIK?!?) Wait till you see who your teammate is for Bane!

I started out with an Ice-powered / Martial Artist / Acrobat / Batman mentor char who looks like a cat - Sno Leopard, hehe. I decided I wanted to re-start as a flyer though, so my main is now Callista, the Fire-meta / Brawler / Flyer / Superman mentor. She kicks much villain ass.

Don't get me wrong - acrobatics is actually very cool - but flying over Gotham or Metropolis is just sooo sublime!

Warning - the DCUO chat interface is beyond janky. Do you have a headset with a mic? If so, download Ventrilo (voice chat program & less of a bandwidth hog compared to Skype).
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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erilar wrote:
EvilGenius wrote: Probably the only night that will work this week is Thursday.
I think I can make that slot. Lemme know as it draws closer.
EvilGenius wrote:I've completed the Scarecrow missions and had his butt thrown back in Arkham. Now I've got some Bane missions. :)
I thought the Scarecrow boss fight was a hoot, and Bane was also very fun. (Not sure who the crap "Batwoman" is though, since Oracle is on my comlink and still crippled AFAIK?!?) Wait till you see who your teammate is for Bane!

I started out with an Ice-powered / Martial Artist / Acrobat / Batman mentor char who looks like a cat - Sno Leopard, hehe. I decided I wanted to re-start as a flyer though, so my main is now Callista, the Fire-meta / Brawler / Flyer / Superman mentor. She kicks much villain ass.

Don't get me wrong - acrobatics is actually very cool - but flying over Gotham or Metropolis is just sooo sublime!

Warning - the DCUO chat interface is beyond janky. Do you have a headset with a mic? If so, download Ventrilo (voice chat program & less of a bandwidth hog compared to Skype).
Yes, I still have Vent from our WoW days. I should be able to hook it up with little difficulty.

And I totally agree about flying. I just wanted to be able to see the cityscapes from a birdseye view. :)

Batwoman is a character who was introduced during 52. Since Batman, Nightwing and Robin were away for an extended period of time, someone else stepped in and took up the Mantle of the Bat (a wealthy socialite chick with a penchent for justice. Who's a lesbian and former bgff of Gotham PD's Detective Montoya. I find that part very cheesy.). Since I've stopped reading DC I'm not sure how she's developed since then.
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

Post by erilar »

[Cue Social Distortion's "I was Wrong"]

I decided to rent Dragon Age 2 and give it a whirl. I was surprised as heck to find out all my initial impressions about the game were basically 180 degrees off!

The graphics are not ugly, and the textures are not that bad. I'm not sure if Bioware shipped lower-res textures with the demo or what, but the retail game seems three times better than my memory, and a vast improvement over DA:O. It's not a gorgeous game, but I wouldn't kick it out of bed either, as they say.

Then there's the real-time/action-game-controls combat. I played a melee rogue in the demo, and the combat and animation seemed jerky, stilted and spastic. I'm playing a mage in the retail game, and freaking loving it. My direct-fire spells and "basic" magic-missile staff attack all fire off in real time, sticky-targeted by my POV. The system works great. When I decide to drop a crowd-pleaser, the action freezes, allowing you to strategically place your area template on the ground. This Matrix-style pause also gives you a mental breather and lets you assess the battle situation. You do have to lead any moving baddies by a bit, but that's part of the fun.

The decision to cede some martial competence to the mage class is brilliant. If you press the basic attack button when a baddie is close, your mage goes Shaolin on their ass with his staff - incredibly satisfying. I like the defiance of standard game tropes here. Ingold Inglorion was arguably the most deadly swordsman in all of Hambly's Darwath, and of course you don't want Gandalf opening up a can of Glamdring on your ass. Why fantasy games always seem to deny mages even a basic martial capability is beyond me.

Anyway, I'm actually preferring the real time combat to DA:O's nearly-mandatory party micromanagement. I am not pulled out of the moment, and can simply enjoy the fight. I do wish that one didn't have to spam the basic attack button for each blast/strike (holding it down doesn't auto-fire), but that's a minor bitch.

The conversations, of course, are fantastic. It's Bioware.

I am fairly certain that the reported environment recycling (a-la Mass Effect) will get on my nerves, but I haven't run into it yet. Apparently, there is only one generic building and two generic caves, and the devs simply block off certain passages to mix it up. Damningly, when one checks the map, the entire structure is displayed, even the blocked off passages. Pretty lazy stuff there.

So far, loving it way more than DA:O. :oops: :lol:
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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erilar
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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EvilGenius wrote: Probably the only night that will work this week is Thursday. I can probably be on around 7-7:30ish.
You still on for tonight, Bob?
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

Post by EvilGenius »

erilar wrote:
EvilGenius wrote: Probably the only night that will work this week is Thursday. I can probably be on around 7-7:30ish.
You still on for tonight, Bob?
Yes, I'll be there. Shall we shoot for 7pm?
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Re: Computer and Console RPGs

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EvilGenius wrote: Yes, I'll be there. Shall we shoot for 7pm?
Sounds good. However, I'm actually not feeling very well right now. I'm going to try to go home soon and get some rest, so not 100% if I'll be around. I'll text you either way.
"This enemy you cannot kill. You can only drive it back damaged into the depths, and teach your children to watch the waves for its return." - Quellcrist Falconer
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