Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

Picked mine up today. Unfortunately, between my day job, freelance work, and side projects, I have no clue when I'll actually be able to play it. D'oh!

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

How does this game compare to Oblivion? Graphics? Voice talent? That is my console RPG benchmark.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

This is the for both 360 versions...

Oblivion was stunning when it came out but it definitely has aged. Even when installed on the hard drive, the frame rate suffered a bit on the 360 (though the Hard Drive install helped A LOT!!!)...So far 10 hours into Dragon Age...no slowdown or frame rate issues. Some parts of Oblivion are still stunning, and I have yet to see anything like that in Dragon Age, but the graphics are still smother, and animate better than Oblivion. I loved Oblivion, but I can see this game holding its own...though I think it is a little slow to start...

Voice Talent, so far I give the edge to Dragon Age, though still early. There is a LOT more voice work in Dragon Age, and the characters animate realistically to the acting, unlike Oblivion that was a little stiff.

This game is every bit the quality product Oblivion was, and even though the action is different, and the quests seem to offer less options to complete compared to Oblivion, I can't see how you will not like this game if you like RPG games.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

So I haven't read much about this game, but I know it's been very highly reviewed.

Is this a traditional RPG when it comes to combat? As in...'turn based'? Or is the combat different?

If it's turn based, I probably will skip it.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I was watching a review of this on Gametrailers. Yeah, I was interested, but the length scared this dude off. The game looks really awesome though. However, you understand graphics continually get better, but I didn't realize how far the PC had come until the review showed screens from the 360 and PS3 versions of the game, after using the PC's graphics for most of the review.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

It's like kotor or WOW combat. You dont actually attack in real time. You're just watching your character perform the action.

So I'd say it's turn based.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

How do you access your EA account in the 360 version? I'm not seeing any login option and I didn't input any login info. I want the items I won from DA: Journeys.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

Combat is similar to Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights. You can pause at any time and give commands, select your targets, cast spells, etc. Then unpause and watch the action unfold.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I've only played a few hours so far and I'm totally hooked. I just got through the first boss fight I guess you could call it. The story just got pretty crazy. I see a lot of late nights in my future with this one.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I'd say it is more similar to Mass Effect and KOTOR. You can play turn based and queue up actions or you can play "live action" and although it is still turned based underneath the covers, it looks and feels real time.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I just finished the Elf Magi origin, and I can also see some long nights in my future. Unfortunately I haven't been able to play for more than an hour or so the last two days, but I can easily see spending 5+ hours on this on Saturday.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I did the same. My character is a Dalish Elf rouge. I'm probably 2 hours or so past the end of the Origin story. The whole dynamic of the game changes when you have a party of 4 you can switch between.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

So has anyone bought the Warden's Keep DLC? Is it worth the $7?

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I've only played Dragon Age about 3 hours so far, but you're certainly right about this. Although, any game that has more than 3-4 voices for hundreds of characters beats Oblivion in that department. ;)

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

You may have to go to ea.com and make sure your gamertag is associated with your EA account.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

You can mail it to me meantime.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

Around 7.5 or 8 hours in. Having a freaking blast.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

i don't play many RPG's, so I am a noob you could say. what character do i need to start with? i don't want to pick someone that i will struggle with.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

For people starting out, warriors tend to be easiest. Dwarves might be good because they have a natural resistance to magic. A human or dwarf warrior would be your best bet. I'm playing as an elven rogue and it ain't easy.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

Eventually you're going to have all classes in your party, so you'll have to deal with them all sooner or later.

For new players, there is a "pause at start of combat" option which you might find helpful.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

Threw this in last night to try and make some headway and after making my character I about fell asleep with all the talking. Clearly I'm not in the right headspace for this game at the moment. :(

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

The talking is the most fun. You can choose to just skip through it if you wanted. But why do that?

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I went to EA.com and registered my copy of the game, but I didn't see an option to associate my name with my gamertag.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I played the game a few hours and also having a blast. I'm playing as human noble warrior. I like it when you finish the battle the cutscene show you and your party members face and clothes splatter with blood.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I liked the blood effect, too. One of the reviews complained that his Mage was also bloody when he was nowhere near the battle. I have yet to see blood on the Mage in my party.

Also, I was thinking the graphics don't look bad at all to me. Maybe I just don't worry too much about stuff like that.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

actually some of the graphics now that I am so far in are actually good, but not great....

I don't like how the mission structure is handled in this game...not real intuitive. You get so many, and they are not always easy to understand or read...

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

How far are you Fox?

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I am still waiting for my copy from Amazon. Wish me luck I get it tonight.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I agree with the missions/quests. There's no real indication that you get them, they just appear in small text. I hate how small all the text is, even in HD it's hard to read.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

Hmm...in the PC version you get a nice little notification in the lower left indicating that a quest has been updated.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

You do in the 360 version as well. It'll say if a quest is updated or completed. And updates will show up as red text in the quest menu. Being able to mark one as the current quest is great (a feature that Betheda's games had too).

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

And also on PS3. No idea what he's talking about.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I got this and played through an origin story and then a little bit into the main story. It was intriguing and I want to keep playing, but I want to keep playing Borderlands more! And then Assassin's Creed II in a little over a week...

I have a feeling this one will be waiting till next year.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I am level 12...

Not sure what it is, but I just don't like how the game handles quests.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I thought the origins part was supposed to last a few hours? I'm a human noble and I think mine was done in thirty minutes.

And whoever said the text is too small is right on. I could not even imagine trying to play this in standard def.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I think it depends on the origin. The Elf Magi one I did lasted for about 2 1/2 hours I think.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

I am enjoying the game I just completed one of the main quests, the broken circle. I can see this game having so many play throughs since the decisions you make definitely have ramifications. I do wish the carried over. That was sort of neat.

I do agree the text is small for the quests, sometimes when in the middle of a main quest I don't want to pause the action all the time to see wait changes in a side quest just happened by picking up a piece of loot (I figure it gives me things to do in a future playthrough).

My character is a dwarf noble DPS warrior, though I find myself playing as alistair a lot as my tank.

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

This game is good...but man there have already been some TOUGH choices. It really has you pause for a LONG time on some of them. Just had to make one choice that might have been one of the hardest ever in a video game. BRAVO BIOWARE...they know how to do it.

Also, this game can get TOUGH!! I HATE HATE HATE how the enemies always zone in on your main character...no matter what!!! I am a wizard so that means I get my ass owned. I changed it so the other characters come to my aid when I am being attacked and that has helped. The fighting happens so fast, I have yet to get the hang of switching characters on the fly.

Then one thing happened that made my character bad-fuckin-ass instantly. I became an Arcane Warrior Mage. I don't really care about the spells it gave me, but you can now use your magic level instead of strength to use armor. My chick has the best armor class in the game now, and when they attack me I don't die in two hits (esp since I put ALL my points in will power and magic) HELL YEAH!

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

It is going to suck when Modern 2 shows up in three days...I am not going to be anywhere close to done with this game, but I want to play Modern as well...crap!

Re: Official Dragon Age: Origins thread
 

Do you find out later if Sten really killed the family? I didn't recruit him because he didn't give me a straight answer. I wasn't going to have a cold-blooded murderer in my party - and a very annoying one.