Dragon Age: the load times... oh, god, the LOAD TIMES
Jonah Falcon
times for so little. The game isn't exactly a graphic powerhouse, but the
load times are often 2 minutes long, and in one case, FOUR MINUTES.
I'm TRYING to enjoy the story, but when it takes a 4 minute load time to go
from ONE part of a forest to THE OTHER, it's just hard as hell to keep
interest.
And unlike Mass Effect, all you have is the logo screen to wait at.
Jonah Falcon
"Jonah Falcon" <jonah...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:f4OdnQwejJJOjWzX...@earthlink.com...
Some people are reporting 5-7 minute load times the longer you go.
Also, there seems to be a major memory leak in the game, too.
Nostromo
00:29:50 -0500, Anno Domini:
ROFLMFAO! That load screen sure must have one helluva 'glimmering sheen' you
twat. >8^D
--
Nostromo
Leo
<jonah...@mindspring.com> blabbed:
That's odd, my load times have been fine. Faster than
borderlands (which aren't too bad for me either) which I'm also
playing at the moment. amd 64x2, vista, and a geforce 8800, 4 gigs of
ram. Guess I'm just lucky.
The last game I had w/excruciating load times was the witcher
when it first came out. Patches significantly helped down the road,
but it was brutal at first release so I feel the pain (I liked the
witcher enough to enjoy it despite the load times, but it was pretty
bad on my machine till they fixed it). Maybe they'll do the same and
patch away the problem.
Leo
EMan
> On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:29:50 -0500, "Jonah Falcon"
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> >"Jonah Falcon" <jonahny...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>
> - Show quoted text -
Same here, load times are no where near 4 minutes, maybe 30 secs?
But the fact that there are load times in such a small area is reason
enough to complain.
Jonah Falcon
>But the fact that there are load times in such a small area is reason
>enough to complain.
It's a memory leak. Just play a little longer. The load times get longer....
and longer.......
and longer..................
And the graphics come to a screeching halt when the action gets busy.
Justisaur
Another game I won't get. I just couldn't get through Witcher due to
the load times, It's inexcusable to have load times that long.
- Justisaur
Warewolf
Megabyte: You can't blame me for this one, Bob.
*makes it a point to Reboot his system*
Mark Morrison
Weird, they're ok on my system - 30 secs, seems like.
Memnoch
wrote:
And yet the big patch for The Witcher solved that. You missed a great game
there.
WDS
This sort of thing isn't uncommon on release for big games and has been
done forever. Fallout 2 was almost unplayable at release and then they
kept screwing it up (sometimes worse!) with many of the patches they
released.
John Lewis
It does seem that waiting for 2-3 weeks before purchasing any
newly-released PC game is a rather sensible exercise.
Why?
1. Sufficient USER-comments to be well-informed before deciding on a
purchase... or not.... Especially, if after all the maketing hype, a
game turns out to be a rapid descent into the bargain bin. Not to say
that Dragon Age is in that category... yet... Remember Age of
Conan???
2. Have an amusing time witnessing the screaming and hollering over
release bugs by the "must-have-it-now" sheep....
3. Maybe enough time for the first patch to quell the screaming and
hollering.
4. Very likely to be on sale at 20% or more discount.
Of course , another way to check out a game quickly without any worry
or financial hassle is to pirate it. Not that anybody subscribing to
this newsgroup would ever stoop so low.........
John Lewis
Mark Morrison
wrote:
>Of course , another way to check out a game quickly without any worry
>or financial hassle is to pirate it. Not that anybody subscribing to
>this newsgroup would ever stoop so low.........
Who, us ? :)
Insane Ranter
> On Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:45:09 GMT, john....@verizon.net (John Lewis)
> wrote:
>
> >Of course , another way to check out a game quickly without any worry
> >or financial hassle is to pirate it. Not that anybody subscribing to
> >this newsgroup would ever stoop so low.........
>
> Who, us ? :)
OMG we have to wait a little!!! Guess it would annoy the give it to me
now now now generations
=)p
Andrew Rybenkov
>
dammit, 30 secs is too much too. What is it: a game or hiccup session?
--
Andrew Rybenkov
Ceowulf
> On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:29:50 -0500, "Jonah Falcon"
> <jonah...@mindspring.com> blabbed:
>
>> "Jonah Falcon" <jonah...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>> news:f4OdnQwejJJOjWzX...@earthlink.com...
>>> Who coded this game, a bunch of monkeys? I've never seen such long load
>>> times for so little. The game isn't exactly a graphic powerhouse, but the
>>> load times are often 2 minutes long, and in one case, FOUR MINUTES.
>>>
>>> I'm TRYING to enjoy the story, but when it takes a 4 minute load time to
>>> go from ONE part of a forest to THE OTHER, it's just hard as hell to keep
>>> interest.
>>>
>>> And unlike Mass Effect, all you have is the logo screen to wait at.
>> Some people are reporting 5-7 minute load times the longer you go.
>>
>> Also, there seems to be a major memory leak in the game, too.
>
> That's odd, my load times have been fine. Faster than
> borderlands (which aren't too bad for me either) which I'm also
> playing at the moment. amd 64x2, vista, and a geforce 8800, 4 gigs of
> ram. Guess I'm just lucky.
Hrmmm, I've got a crappy old machine now with a Rad 4870 1gig, running
at 1280x1024, 2x AA and high texture settings and my load times are
usually around 30 seconds each so far?
I'm about 8 hours into the game.
You might want to check your drivers etc Jonah.
The game itself: fantastic, no bugs as of yet, the one Jonah mentions in
the post up above didn't happen to me and it's been smooth sailing. I'm
loving the game in more ways than one; graphics are unreal, I really
really love them, the story is extremely engaging and the NPC's have
real personality (even the damn DOG which I LOVE that I can have as my
mages pet "meat" arrow :D), AND the combat is actually quite in depth if
you make use of the pause features.
I fully recommend this game to anyone and everyone.
Ceo-
Ceowulf
... I've been playing for about the same time as Jonah now I'd say based
on his posts.
The game runs well in all situations so far and I've got an old machine,
32bit XP, 2 gig of ram, 4870 Radeon and an old Intel Core2 6600 @2.40Ghz.
I'm running the game in a high graphics mode at 1280x1024 (mind you I'm
only using 2x AA which is a concession to my machines age)
You will be doing yourself a disservice if you throw the game away
because a few people's machines are buggy with the program. It's
currently the best RPG I've played in more than a few years.
Ceo-
Ceowulf
> On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:29:50 -0500, "Jonah Falcon"
> <jonah...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>
>> "Jonah Falcon" <jonah...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
>> news:f4OdnQwejJJOjWzX...@earthlink.com...
>>> Who coded this game, a bunch of monkeys? I've never seen such long load
>>> times for so little. The game isn't exactly a graphic powerhouse, but the
>>> load times are often 2 minutes long, and in one case, FOUR MINUTES.
>>>
>>> I'm TRYING to enjoy the story, but when it takes a 4 minute load time to
>>> go from ONE part of a forest to THE OTHER, it's just hard as hell to keep
>>> interest.
>>>
>>> And unlike Mass Effect, all you have is the logo screen to wait at.
>> Some people are reporting 5-7 minute load times the longer you go.
>>
>> Also, there seems to be a major memory leak in the game, too.
>>
>
> It does seem that waiting for 2-3 weeks before purchasing any
> newly-released PC game is a rather sensible exercise.
>
> Why?
>
> 1. Sufficient USER-comments to be well-informed before deciding on a
> purchase... or not.... Especially, if after all the maketing hype, a
> game turns out to be a rapid descent into the bargain bin. Not to say
> that Dragon Age is in that category... yet... Remember Age of
> Conan???
>
> 2. Have an amusing time witnessing the screaming and hollering over
> release bugs by the "must-have-it-now" sheep....
lol, sheep huh? Well if you really do follow this philosophy you preach
here John you should greatly appreciate the fact that there are people
out there who are willing to preorder games as I'm sure if everyone
waited around till the game was reduced in prices most of these
companies wouldn't exist anymore and you wouldn't have your bargain bin
games to buy anyway.
Realisticly buddy I'd call you a "jaded chin stroker", which has a far
more negative connotation imho ;)
> 3. Maybe enough time for the first patch to quell the screaming and
> hollering.
>
> 4. Very likely to be on sale at 20% or more discount.
You'll be waiting a very long while for this to be on discount I'm happy
to say. It's a great game.
Ceo-
Ceowulf
>> Weird, they're ok on my system - 30 secs, seems like.
>>
>
> dammit, 30 secs is too much too. What is it: a game or hiccup session?
Mhmmm, maybe 30 seconds is too much (which is also what I experience),
but so far I haven't been changing zones frequently enough that a short
pause here and there is frustrating.
The thing that no one has mentioned yet is that the game is STUNNING,
the world and environment are fantastic. They are worth a short wait.
Ceo-
Ceowulf
> I fully recommend this game to anyone and everyone.
>
> Ceo-
Gawd... I don't think I've gushed like that since I was in high school
and Red Alert came out :O
Ceo-
Andrew Rybenkov
> and Red Alert came out
... out of control ... terminating...
:))
--
Andrew Rybenkov
John Lewis
wrote:
Nope. Not for the PC version. I'll remember to let you know when it
goes on retail sale at a price less than $40. And again when the price
drops below $30.
FYI: Currently $42.90 at Gogamer.com (plus $2.99 dirt-cheap shipping
via US media-mail to anywhere in the continental US). $49.99 on Steam.
The retail disc version has only the usual disk-based protection. No
on-line authentication.
.
> It's a great game.
No doubt. Even better after it has a patch or three....
John Lewis
>
>Ceo-
Ceowulf
>> You'll be waiting a very long while for this to be on discount I'm happy
>> to say.
>
> Nope. Not for the PC version. I'll remember to let you know when it
> goes on retail sale at a price less than $40. And again when the price
> drops below $30.
*shrug* fair enough John, I guess then I hope for your sake it does drop
faster so you can get your hands on it sooner and become a 'believer' ;)
> FYI: Currently $42.90 at Gogamer.com (plus $2.99 dirt-cheap shipping
> via US media-mail to anywhere in the continental US). $49.99 on Steam.
> The retail disc version has only the usual disk-based protection. No
> on-line authentication.
This is USD yes? Hrmmm I think in general you guys get your games a fair
bit cheaper than we do anyway (AUD), despite our exchange rate nearly at
parity now days anyway. I spent $109 on it from EB :( Not good I know,
over priced really now that I think about it since most PC games are
never more than $80 now days, it's definetely more in line with the
pricing for consoles which over here are almost always $109 upon release.
>> It's a great game.
>
> No doubt. Even better after it has a patch or three....
Luckily for me, the game IS good enough that it warranted the cost (in
this case, I've been stung by buying straight off the bat before :p).
Ceo-
Nostromo
(PST), Anno Domini:
Instant gratification is for kids. Buyer-beware, OTOH, is for discerning
adult consumers who have at least as much brains as money. Torrents (& other
P2P networks) provide us, the consumer, with a very sharp edge to our
wallets . So, why wait until it's old news when you can get a 'sneak peak'
for free, some times even before the game is officially released! >;-p.
--
Nostromo
Nostromo
+0800, Anno Domini:
Are you speaking as a graphics whore who plays console games...or is that
genuine pc crpg drool I detect on your chin there Ceo...? ;-p
--
Nostromo
Ceowulf
> Are you speaking as a graphics whore who plays console games...or is that
> genuine pc crpg drool I detect on your chin there Ceo...? ;-p
It's drool :(
lol
PBDepot
> Leo wrote:
> > On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 00:29:50 -0500, "Jonah Falcon"
>
> >> "Jonah Falcon" <jonahny...@mindspring.com> wrote in message
I agree. Even if the load times do eventually get as bad as some are
saying, it wouldn't bother me too much. The game is still seriously
fun to play... and besides it's not like other games haven't had
similar problems. Mass Effect anyone? Those elevator load times were
atrocious, yet I still consider it one of my favorite RPGs and played
through multiple times. I spec I'll be doing the same with this
masterpiece of storytelling.
Justisaur
<memn...@nospampleaseimbritish.ntlworld.com> wrote:
> On Wed, 4 Nov 2009 10:49:47 -0800 (PST), Justisaur <justis...@gmail.com>
It didn't solve it for me.
- Justisaur
Toolpackinmama
Yeah I have had a couple of load screens that seemed annoyingly long,
but never more than a minute, I'm sure.
Toolpackinmama
> The game itself: fantastic, no bugs as of yet
I have encountered no bugs worth mentioning, and IMHO the load times
have been a very minor annoyance.
I haven't had this much fun with a single-player since Oblivion. This
game in many ways is very reminiscent of Oblivion, but Oblivion was a
much more open world.
I do dislike is that we are forced to walk on paths. Very little of the
Dragon Age world is free for roaming. And no swimming. No skipping
merrily off a cliff... no climbing up a rocky slope to make yourself a
short-cut. None of that.
Nostromo
06:02:22 -0500, Anno Domini:
The on-rails aspect you mention in the other post + these load times are
almost unforgivable on high-end rigs in this day & age. The game had better
be a gem in all other aspects & patch the load times ASAP (ala The Witched);
coupled with the mediocre same-ol-same-ol visuals/gameplay (from what I've
seen so far), it's bargain basement inside a couple months. John will be
happy, but a turd is a turd at any price I say. Game over.
--
Nostromo
Vincenzo Beretta
> almost unforgivable on high-end rigs in this day & age. The game had
> better
> be a gem in all other aspects & patch the load times ASAP (ala The
> Witched);
> coupled with the mediocre same-ol-same-ol visuals/gameplay (from what I've
> seen so far), it's bargain basement inside a couple months. John will be
> happy, but a turd is a turd at any price I say. Game over.
Sorry, but I must have missed something: about what game are you talking?
Leo
blabbed:
It opens up a bit later in the game, you can go on the world
map to wherever you want, so its less on rails later int eh game. But
it does have the GW feeling when you're walking around of 'why can't I
walk over this hill or jump over this piece of rubble? I can shoot
lightning from my hands, change into a giant spider, command the
elements, but this piece of rubble gives me difficulty'. hehe
Anyhow, compared to oblivion/fallout it is on rails, but its
not totally on rails, at least not after you hit your first hub. Once
you start certain quests, however, the progression through the quests
can be very linear (w/some KOTOR type choices to make that might
change how they play out). Reminds me a lot of NWN/NWN2 if NWN had a
better engine - i.e. the companion ai isn't nearly as much of a
headache, though I still have to manage my companions (at least I
don't have issues with starting a combat only to find that one of my
companions is on the other side of the map because he got stuck
somewhere when I was walking around). It even has similar right click
wheels and such. The overland map is like pre-storm_of_zehir though,
just a 2d thing you click on.
One thing I dislike is that right out of the box, they are
already trying to sell me a DLC. Very annoying to think that this
content is done already, at the time of release, yet they didn't
include it w/the game, you have to pay even more if you want it. I
understand charging for the labor of making additional content,
especially in a game w/no monthly fee, but this content was done
already at the time of release, so it sits wrong w/me. 2 big DLC's
(one w/a shared stash type deal, so you have to pay an extra 20 bucks
or whatever if you want a shared stash), and then some small unlocks
besides. I think one of 'em comes w/the collector's edition.
Luckily, the game has an editor so its not that big of a deal, I'm
sure like w/oblivion there will soon be a ton of user made mods one
can get for free that will include all sorts of interesting things
(assuming the editor is powerful), and in the long run, maybe some
amazing things.
I'm liking the combat. Even on normal difficulty I'm having
to do some fights several times just to find a strategy that works. I
don't imagine being able to solo a character through the game (though
it may get easier later or or may even scale to party size for all I
know).
They have a lot of the 'companions-talk-to-eachother' type
things that bg, jagged alliance, etc... had, dunno if its just
interesting banter or if it has consequences (like jagged alliance
where if you pick the wrong combination of mercs they could literally
kill each other, hehe).
I also love that its not DnD. DnD is fine, but it gets
tiresome to have the same thing over and over again. Its fun to learn
a new system. I don't go into it already knowing the best picks /
specs, etc...
Anyhow, the more I play, the more I'm getting into it, which
is a good sign, usually it goes the other way for me w/most games.
Leo
Joe Mama
> Who coded this game, a bunch of monkeys? I've never seen such long load
> times for so little. The game isn't exactly a graphic powerhouse, but
> the load times are often 2 minutes long, and in one case, FOUR MINUTES.
>
> I'm TRYING to enjoy the story, but when it takes a 4 minute load time to
> go from ONE part of a forest to THE OTHER, it's just hard as hell to
> keep interest.
>
> And unlike Mass Effect, all you have is the logo screen to wait at.
>
>
than about 20 seconds or so. Most are under 15.
Justisaur
> Ceowulf wrote:
> > The game itself: fantastic, no bugs as of yet
>
> I have encountered no bugs worth mentioning, and IMHO the load times
> have been a very minor annoyance.
This is the part that really scares me. The patches never fixed
Witcher's 1-2 min frequent load times for me, yet other games people
have complained about load times I have no issues with.
>
> I haven't had this much fun with a single-player since Oblivion. This
> game in many ways is very reminiscent of Oblivion, but Oblivion was a
> much more open world.
Comparing to Oblivion is *not* a good sign in my book.
- Justisaur
Nostromo
-0800, Anno Domini:
>>The on-rails aspect you mention in the other post + these load times are
>>almost unforgivable on high-end rigs in this day & age. The game had better
>>be a gem in all other aspects & patch the load times ASAP (ala The Witched);
>>coupled with the mediocre same-ol-same-ol visuals/gameplay (from what I've
>>seen so far), it's bargain basement inside a couple months. John will be
>>happy, but a turd is a turd at any price I say. Game over.
>
> It opens up a bit later in the game, you can go on the world
>map to wherever you want, so its less on rails later int eh game. But
>it does have the GW feeling when you're walking around of 'why can't I
>walk over this hill or jump over this piece of rubble? I can shoot
>lightning from my hands, change into a giant spider, command the
>elements, but this piece of rubble gives me difficulty'. hehe
Except GW looked better, even 4 years ago imo.
When will someone, anyone ffs, make a crpg where you *truly* have 360
degrees of freedom in 3D? I mean, if I could climb it as a normal person, I
should be able to do so twice as easily as a muscular adventurer; if I can
fly using a spell or device, I should be able to do so to reach any & every
nook & cranny or mountaintop, however high or far (within the limits of the
game world of course); if I can breathe underwater I should be able to dive
as deep as reasonable pressure would allow a human without some extra force
field protection or whatnot, & I should be able to swim into underwater
caves & crevasses deep on the ocean floor & find all sorts of interesting
life & treasure/objects/monsters down there. Etc, etc. Why is this so
fucking hard for solo, offline crpg devs to grasp? Freedom of movement means
NO restrictions, nada, zip! Even mmorpg devs are starting to realise this
(ala CoX, EQ2, AoC, even WoW). The only offline crpg in recent years that
provides this level of freedom was G3 as far as I can remember.
> Anyhow, compared to oblivion/fallout it is on rails, but its
>not totally on rails, at least not after you hit your first hub. Once
>you start certain quests, however, the progression through the quests
>can be very linear (w/some KOTOR type choices to make that might
>change how they play out). Reminds me a lot of NWN/NWN2 if NWN had a
>better engine - i.e. the companion ai isn't nearly as much of a
>headache, though I still have to manage my companions (at least I
>don't have issues with starting a combat only to find that one of my
>companions is on the other side of the map because he got stuck
>somewhere when I was walking around). It even has similar right click
>wheels and such. The overland map is like pre-storm_of_zehir though,
>just a 2d thing you click on.
Meh. If you're talking FO3 I can't comment, but Oblivion, though it had the
'illusion' of complete freedom, didn't provide anything interesting off the
beaten path, other than random encounters artificially scaled to your level
(which was easily fixed with a mod or two). At least NWN1 had a massive d/b
of user modules & even a few good PW servers to recommend it, not to even
mention proper D&D DM-mode.
> One thing I dislike is that right out of the box, they are
>already trying to sell me a DLC. Very annoying to think that this
>content is done already, at the time of release, yet they didn't
>include it w/the game, you have to pay even more if you want it. I
>understand charging for the labor of making additional content,
>especially in a game w/no monthly fee, but this content was done
>already at the time of release, so it sits wrong w/me. 2 big DLC's
>(one w/a shared stash type deal, so you have to pay an extra 20 bucks
>or whatever if you want a shared stash), and then some small unlocks
>besides. I think one of 'em comes w/the collector's edition.
Bleh. Double-bleh! Why TF would you want a shared stash in a linear,
storyline-based offline crpg anyway? *boggle* It ain't Diablo or a mmo. How
many different char-types could you stand to play the same on-rails game
with anyway? What a rip.
>Luckily, the game has an editor so its not that big of a deal, I'm
>sure like w/oblivion there will soon be a ton of user made mods one
>can get for free that will include all sorts of interesting things
>(assuming the editor is powerful), and in the long run, maybe some
>amazing things.
Just torrent the DLC crap. Yes, they should have included it with the
premium price CE at the very least, or as free d/ls if they were late in
testing the mods. This kinda thing really gets my goat as well. Do they
think we are this stoopid that we can't smell the stink of micro-transaction
profiteering a mile away???
> I'm liking the combat. Even on normal difficulty I'm having
>to do some fights several times just to find a strategy that works. I
>don't imagine being able to solo a character through the game (though
>it may get easier later or or may even scale to party size for all I
>know).
At least this sounds like one thing to recommend it, but I'm yet to get far
enough into the game to get a companion or two & see how the oversimplified
combat pans out. I've started a mage-type char, but all the descriptions of
most skills/spells are very vague & who knows if I'm putting points into
utterly useless skills? Bleh.
> They have a lot of the 'companions-talk-to-eachother' type
>things that bg, jagged alliance, etc... had, dunno if its just
>interesting banter or if it has consequences (like jagged alliance
>where if you pick the wrong combination of mercs they could literally
>kill each other, hehe).
Lore & background story from NPC chatter is always a good way to progress to
storyline, if done well & not over-used so as to be annoying (ala Jan from
BG2 for most ppl, though I love him! ;).
> I also love that its not DnD. DnD is fine, but it gets
>tiresome to have the same thing over and over again. Its fun to learn
>a new system. I don't go into it already knowing the best picks /
>specs, etc...
Well, I'd at least like more info about irreversible choices from a game I'm
only likely to play through once. Unless they are reversible (ala mmos
giving you respecs), or there is more detailed in the manual, which
admittedly & extremely uncharacteristically for me I haven't even glanced at
as yet *blush*.
> Anyhow, the more I play, the more I'm getting into it, which
>is a good sign, usually it goes the other way for me w/most games.
Cool. Hope I go down the same path then. Tx again for the heads up dude.
--
Nostromo
Anders Karlsson
wrote:
I play in 1900x1200 everything on full (except anti alias), my loading
times are <20s (gtx 280/Q9450/4GB RAM/VistaHP32)
I think also this is the best rpg I have played in years.
Anders.
Vincenzo Beretta
> enough into the game to get a companion or two & see how the
> oversimplified
> combat
??????
If anything, this is the best tactical fantasy combat system in years.
Greg Johnson
The only skill that's of dubious use for the main character is
Tactics, which just provides you with an extra instruction slot. If
you're going to be controlling this character most of the time, this
isn't much good for you. None of the mage spells seem to be useless,
but be warned, you WILL be forced to solo for at least part of some
quests, so make sure you're capable of handling 2-3 darkspawn at once
without help from your party. I concentrated on buffs and am finding
this part a bit harder than I'd like, though the firebreath spell
seems to be handy when it hits properly. Oh, and the friendly fire
from spells can absolutely kill everyone you're trying to help if you
aren't careful.
Wolfing
Same here. Most 'load screens' have been like 5 second tops. The
longest ones maybe 15 seconds, and my computer is no powerhouse at
all, in fact, it's 3 years old already (still a bit above 'minimum
requirements')
Toolpackinmama
Oh? Why?
Toolpackinmama
> Oh, and the friendly fire
> from spells can absolutely kill everyone you're trying to help if you
> aren't careful.
I am a wuss, so I am playing on EASY, and there is no friendly-fire
concerns at that setting.
WDS
Oblivion is one of those games that people seem to either really love or
hate and the people who hate it are very vociferous about it.
WDS
> Who coded this game, a bunch of monkeys? I've never seen such long load
> times for so little. The game isn't exactly a graphic powerhouse, but
> the load times are often 2 minutes long, and in one case, FOUR MINUTES.
>
> I'm TRYING to enjoy the story, but when it takes a 4 minute load time to
> go from ONE part of a forest to THE OTHER, it's just hard as hell to
> keep interest.
Weird. My system (2 years old now) pauses no more than 20 seconds on
transitions, usually much less.
Greg Johnson
Be warned, that the no-friendly-fire thing ONLY applies to your own
party. I originally thought as you did until I accidentally
slaughtered a whole lot of allies with a single firebreath - friendly
forces not in your party are apparently still vulnerable.
Justisaur
I wouldn't go so far as to say I hate it. I did finish it *once*
after all. But it's very low on the quality. Poor voice acting,
terrible combat, very badly balanced skill system, and it feels
soulless. It just feels like a short MMO with no people in it to give
it any life. It had some moments. Actually I'd say it had a moment.
I thought the 'rat' quest was funny, and that's about it. I'm
actually quite surprised they did so much better with Fallout 3.
- Justisaur
Toolpackinmama
Thanks for the tip.
Ceowulf
<snip>
> The only skill that's of dubious use for the main character is
> Tactics, which just provides you with an extra instruction slot. If
> you're going to be controlling this character most of the time, this
> isn't much good for you. None of the mage spells seem to be useless,
Might want to check out some of the other spell paths Greg. Mages are by
far the most powerful characters in the game (as they are supposed to be
I guess).
Some advise would be:
Try the Rune path... they are extremely powerful if used situationally
and tactically.
Try the frost path, cone of cold is the best CC spell in the game and
the damage spells from that path are quite good.
Check out the virulent bombs, combine them with some CC and things just
go POP.
Last but not least, if you haven't already try casting prison on
something that you've just cast a force field on ;)
Mages are fantastic, I'm thinking about restarting on hard mode (on
normal now) because things are getting a little too easy.
Ceo-
Greg Johnson
wrote:
>Greg Johnson wrote:
>
><snip>
>
>> The only skill that's of dubious use for the main character is
>> Tactics, which just provides you with an extra instruction slot. If
>> you're going to be controlling this character most of the time, this
>> isn't much good for you. None of the mage spells seem to be useless,
>
>Might want to check out some of the other spell paths Greg. Mages are by
>far the most powerful characters in the game (as they are supposed to be
>I guess).
I suspect you misread. I said the spells were all good.
Ceowulf
*face palm*
:p
Ceo-
Joe Mama
>
> Comparing to Oblivion is *not* a good sign in my book.
>
> - Justisaur
FWIW I don't think that's a good comparison at all. I didn't much care
for Oblivion (couldn't finish it even once...zzzzzzz), but I'm really
enjoying Dragon Age.
WDS
OK, I've now played most of the way through and finally experienced the
long load times on area transition problem. It appears to be area
related for me, specifically in Orzimmar and the capital city. The
times are 3 to 5 times longer than usual (but still no where near 4
minutes). Amount of time played doesn't seem to matter before it
triggers, either.
I wonder if it is tied to what has happened recently in the game because
once I save/quit/reload and then try the same transitions things are
fine again.