Dragon Age

[Knight of Heaven]

I found the wicther quite linear to be honest. Origins is more RPG then wicther games at anycase, and imo more fantastical.

[Kanaric]

I found the wicther quite linear to be honest. Origins is more RPG then wicther games at anycase, and imo more fantastical.

witcher is definately a linear game, event the company that makes it admits that and one of their touted features in the next game is sandbox gameplay and nonlinearity

It it turned based though, the difference is the actions are taken in real time instead of what most people think of as turn based. Basically the only difference is is how it's visually shown. i.e: Instead of taking a turn one at a time the "turns" are in time cycles, so say every 5 secs you can either attack once, use an item, move 10 ft, etc. So everyone takes their actions during that 5 sec period at the same time.

it's no more turn based than world of warcraft

I wouldn't be so sure about that. Even though DA:O is a very fine game, it's still "the same" in terms of general structure as most other Bioware RPGs. So if you already hate most/all of those, it's unlikely you'll like DA:O all of a sudden. Still, I'd say just try it out. You can get it cheap already.

well it's certainly better quality than the KOTOR games and certainly different gameplay than mass effect.

[Slaytaninc]

I think I was the one who first complained about it, but I find it hilarious that Dragon Age has old people with the bodies of young people. Then I look at the Witcher, which came out 2 years before Bioware released Dragon Age, and which used an older engine, and that at least has several different appearances, and that's just for the generic characters.

So it's kind of silly IMO, esp. since the only characters you see without armor on are your party. Still it feels like something could have been done.

[Stavroforos]

I think I was the one who first complained about it, but I find it hilarious that Dragon Age has old people with the bodies of young people. Then I look at the Witcher, which came out 2 years before Bioware released Dragon Age, and which used an older engine, and that at least has several different appearances, and that's just for the generic characters.

So it's kind of silly IMO, esp. since the only characters you see without armor on are your party. Still it feels like something could have been done.

Well there were a few characters with different body types. The tavern owner in Redcliffe for example, or that elderly couple who comes across the crashed meteor in the Superman parody.

[Sir Adrian]

Yeah but those were like 3-4 characters. Everyone else is built like a long distance runner and either hung like a horse or endowed with two melons.

[Slaytaninc]

Well there were a few characters with different body types. The tavern owner in Redcliffe for example, or that elderly couple who comes across the crashed meteor in the Superman parody.

I didn't expect perfection or even a Witcher 2 level of variation, but it's kind of sad that with a game with an older engine did better in that regard than DA:O did. Granted The Witcher didn't have the ability to create a customized character

Yeah but those were like 3-4 characters. Everyone else is built like a long distance runner and either hung like a horse or endowed with two melons.

Like I said a few pages ago, Bioware did a lot of things right with this game, but that is not one of them.

[Stavroforos]

I'm wondering whether it was simply a case of "giving unique bodies to each age and character is low on our priorities" and they never got around to it, or whether it was a deliberate attempt to make Wynne have a smokin' bod.

[kostas84]

This is kind of frustrating

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I am at the landsmeet, i have set up for Alistair and Anora to marry beforehand and rule, but i want Loghain to live and fight against the Darkspawn, but this isnt possible, or it is and i dont know about it, i dont know what to do, can someone help me?

I have seen that Alistair is a better ruler because he will try to mend the relationship between the Elves and the Humans but all the outcomes of him ruling as far as i know(i havent progressed beyond the point of choosing alistair as ruler)lead to Loghain dying.

[Stavroforos]

If you want Alistair to marry Anora and have Loghain live, I believe Alistair has to be hardened and that you had to bring up marriage to Anora both to Alistair and Anora before the Landsmeet.

[kostas84]

If you want Alistair to marry Anora and have Loghain live, I believe Alistair has to be hardened and that you had to bring up marriage to Anora both to Alistair and Anora before the Landsmeet.

Whats hardened and how do i do it? I have a save just before the landsmeet(before the big showdown), will i be able to do it?

[PGeo36]

Whats hardened and how do i do it? I have a save just before the landsmeet(before the big showdown), will i be able to do it?

After the quest with his sister you have to say something along the lines of "everyone just looks out for themselves, it's time you learned that." and then convince him you're right and he'll be hardened.

[Stavroforos]

Whats hardened and how do i do it? I have a save just before the landsmeet(before the big showdown), will i be able to do it?

Have you already done his personal quest? If not, then you can still get him hardened, but if you have done it...well...don't think it will be happening.

[kostas84]

Have you already done his personal quest? If not, then you can still get him hardened, but if you have done it...well...don't think it will be happening.

I have said "everyones out for themselves" but theres no proof that hes hardened.

[Stavroforos]

When you went back to camp after his quest, he should have told you something like "I heard what you said and am going to look out for myself more now" or something along those lines. That's the only difference in knowing that he's hardened.

[kostas84]

I read that his approval needed to be upped so i upped it to 80 and he hardened.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Alistair became king(taking the god damned Blood Dragon DLC armor with him, grrr), i accepted Morrigans request(i know this will have concequences, but its better than anyone dying now) and Loghain has good equipment by default so i guess not much harm was done, i just hope it goes well and my choices were the correct ones.

I have another question, is the final battle straightforward(meaning battle after battle) or does it have any more puzzles or choices?

[Stavroforos]

Nope, no puzzles, just fighting.

[Sir Adrian]

Final battle is quite easy actually. Darkspawn die in one hit and the Archdemon can be exploited to the afterlife, especially if you chose your allies well.

[Stavroforos]

Broodmother was much more challenging than Archdemon, IMO.

[Sir Adrian]

Indeed. As far as I'm concerned the High Dragon, Brood Mother and Flemeth were the only real boss battles in this game.

[PGeo36]

The Harvester is by far the hardest boss in the game. That is the only boss I've had to retry multiple times every time I fight it, even with fully leveled 35 characters.