Re: Dragon Age: Origins
Nostromo
14:30:06 +0000, Anno Domini:
>
>I know that Dragon Age is probably not an Action Game, but having now
>played some of the game, there are a couple of things that spring to
>mind about certain trends that are also starting to appear in my
>favourite genre.
>
>The first is the need to hold down a key or mouse button to switch to
>mouse look mode. I hate this requirement. It's hard work, it makes my
>right mouse button finger ache after a while, and it's just bloody
>annoyingly naff.
>
>I want to be able to move around freely, interact with environment
>freely, and to do those things seamlessly without having to drag my
>mind away from the immersion to become conscious of the fact that I
>need to carry out some keyboard or mouse action. This kind of
>irritation should stay in MMO's where it is rife.
It stems from having to interact with the environment a lot, where you need
the mouse pointer freedom just as much as looking/moving around. LOTRO does
this well, where left-click-hold is for panning/looking around only (with
spring-back) & right-click-hold is to steer/change direction & look around,
up/down. You can also make the right-click a toggle, which I think is what
you would prefer.
>In Dragon age an NPC will address you and ask questions. You select an
>answer from the dialogue options and then sit and stare at the stupid,
>bland, silent, unmoving face of your character whilst that (presumably
>ESP transmitted answer) triggers a further speech sequence from the
>NPC.
>
>I find that jarringly immersion breaking. Why can't we have speech
>dialogues from these sequences that actually feel like an interaction
>between two characters? It's like watching a double act where one half
>of the act has forgotten his lines whilst the other one blunders on
>with the show regardless.
>
>Garbage. No wonder FPS is my favourite genre.
Heh, yes, is it disappointing that crpgs have to play 2nd fiddle to
immersion & continuity in fps games. Why couldn't they have just had the
NPCs in DAO talk (With the text as a bubble or whatnot) & let you respond to
the multiple choice in-line using the game engine as is? If you move away
far enough, the conversation tree closes. Easy. Of course, they would have
needed to put in a proper zoom to 1st person & included the face detail at
that level, which is why I think they dropped the ball here.
I shudder to think how much programming effort has gone into those static,
collagen saturated faces, just as a mechanic 'hook', bleh.
--
Nostromo
johns
> collagen saturated faces, just as a mechanic 'hook', bleh.
.. just another Oblivion with prissy limp-wristed dialog.
And just like Oblivion, you'll keep trying things for no
apparent reason at all, and the game will force a
cultural theme on you that you will find disgusting.
I will never kiss a Royal Euroidian Ass.
johns
Unknown
wrote:
I can't admit to how much time I've consigned to the time dump that is
Oblivion, and now I'm into Shivering Isles. I didn't realize that the
decision between Mania and Dementia was disgusting, to some!
Usenet always proves that it takes all kinds.
Arccos
"Zaghadka" <zagh...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:6k81g5tgh3v89u46c...@4ax.com...
>>answer from the dialogue options and then sit and stare at the stupid,
>>bland, silent, unmoving face of your character whilst that (presumably
>>ESP transmitted answer) triggers a further speech sequence from the
>>NPC.
>>
>>I find that jarringly immersion breaking.
>
> Embellish with your own words if you don't like the words chosen for you.
> Does
> wonders for immersion, if you have the right voice for it.
>
> --
> Zag
Asking occasional NPCs if they would like to "go out back" or the equivalent
wouldn't go over well if I said them out loud in front of my wife. Not that
she would consider it cheating or anything... just really, really creepy.
She's just getting used to the idea that I often play female characters
because "they look better, Honey."
Mr Rob
In my case I would more likely be loudly asking "what the fork are you
on about you illiterate cnut".
I already get in enough trouble for swearing during multiplayer games
as it is.
--
Rob
Nostromo
Anno Domini:
>LOL. Touche. Get yourself an "office" and close the door. Be sure to have lots
>of tissues "on hand." ;^)
My Mrs had to look over my shoulder in VTMB just as I was watching my first
peepshow. So we watched a couple more to show her it was all very 'innocent'
& good roleplaying :).
--
Nostromo
Nostromo
17:38:23 +0000, Anno Domini:
>>Asking occasional NPCs if they would like to "go out back" or the equivalent
>>wouldn't go over well if I said them out loud in front of my wife. Not that
>>she would consider it cheating or anything... just really, really creepy.
>>
>>She's just getting used to the idea that I often play female characters
>>because "they look better, Honey."
>>
>
>In my case I would more likely be loudly asking "what the fork are you
>on about you illiterate cnut".
>
>I already get in enough trouble for swearing during multiplayer games
>as it is.
Heh, then I'm not the only one! ;)
--
Nostromo
Arccos
"Mr Rob" <noemail...@jsjsaiiowppw.com> wrote in message
news:0c33g5h23713rphg8...@4ax.com...
I had to stop playing online poker for similar reasons. That and my own
sanity.
John Lewis
wrote:
>> I shudder to think how much programming effort has gone into those static,
Speaking as an expert that bought the game, or just somebody blowing
fetid air out of his Royal Eurodian Ass??
John Lewis
>johns
Morgan
> I want to be able to move around freely, interact with environment
> freely, and to do those things seamlessly without having to drag my
> mind away from the immersion to become conscious of the fact that I
> need to carry out some keyboard or mouse action. This kind of
> irritation should stay in MMO's where it is rife.
It's not really all that uncommon, in PC gaming including non-MMo games.
> In Dragon age an NPC will address you and ask questions. You select an
> answer from the dialogue options and then sit and stare at the stupid,
> bland, silent, unmoving face of your character whilst that (presumably
> ESP transmitted answer) triggers a further speech sequence from the
> NPC.
>
> I find that jarringly immersion breaking. Why can't we have speech
> dialogues from these sequences that actually feel like an interaction
> between two characters? It's like watching a double act where one half
> of the act has forgotten his lines whilst the other one blunders on
> with the show regardless.
It's not that simple in RPGs, yes it would have been nice to see a fully
voiced player character like in Mass Effect. However in Dragon Age the
player character can be any combination of race/gender/class, so would
require many voice actors to portray the same character. Also
conversations have a lot more dialogue choices, it wouldn't have been
practical or cost effective to voice that much dialogue with so many
voice actors. This i part and parcel of an RPG.
> Garbage. No wonder FPS is my favourite genre.
No, not garbage, just a different genre with different constraints and a
different interface.
Morgan
Are you on crack?
Matt v3.3
>> I already get in enough trouble for swearing during multiplayer games
>> as it is.
>
> sanity.
It was the same for me. Except it was porn. That I had to stop swearing at.
"Poke'r! Poke'r!" - I'd be shouting. ;-P
(Ok, not *really* the same I guess ...)
--
};> Matt v3.3 <:{
Mr Rob
wrote:
>No, not garbage, just a different genre with different constraints and a
>different interface.
Oh dear.
I knew the cross-post was a bad idea. Come on. Own up. Who did it?
"Garbage" is simply a more polite expression of frustration, as in
"shit" "fuck" "bollocks" etc.
Fanboys can relax again.
--
Rob
Morgan
Odd, I'm not sure where you're getting fanboy from. If you're
referring to my post then all I've done is pointed out the differences
between the genres. I personally like action games, I also like RPG, I
do not however expect them to be the same thing. I don't like racing
games, I don't class these games as bad or flawed games, I simply class
them as games that are not to my own personal taste.