@Rawrnosaurous: True, it remains to be seen if DA will become a 3 part series. I was speaking with a trilogy in mind, since most epics seem to fall into them. The more DA games, the better. As long as they hold the same level of quality we've learned to come to expect from Bioware. Personally, I think DA 2 is good, but not as good as the 1st. This doesn't mean it's bad, like some people seem to believe. It just doesn't seem to have the depth of story, the variety of locations and the feeling of adventure that the 1st had. My initial thoughts are along the same lines as many others, that the short development cycle is the primary cause. I also think they've stretched themselves too thin, with 3 IPs being developed simultaneously. Here's to hoping DA 3, if there is one, is everything we want and more. Thoughts?
I think I'd like to see 3 come full circle and take it back home to Ferelden. I know we've "been there, done that", however, that doesn't mean Bioware can't expand the locations from the first game or make completely new ones. Ferelden is a big place with a robust history and a familiarity which holds a precedence that the creators set originally. Somehow, this would just feel right and could turn out to be the bittersweet conclusion to the saga.
@CottonWolf: Interesting. I was under the impression from a friend who bought the game today that Awakening save games weren't importable. I've done some serarching and it seems Bioware hasn't made it clear exactly what DLC is importable, which leaves the issue clouded. I know you said you don't know the details, but if someone does, it would be vaulable info for interested parties. I've read on various forums that Witch Hunt is importable as well, but confirmation would be appreciated.
While I enjoyed Awakening, I would say that it isn't neccesary to play before DA2. Due to the manner in which the games are linked, i.e. story choices versus transferable player character, the impact of Awakening on DA 2 overall will be low. Besides, the choices you make in Awakening probably won't carry over because as far as I know, only a DA:O save game can be imported, not Awakening. So how could they?
Speaking strictly from an economic standpoint, BG&E is $10 vs. $15 for torchlight. That said, either is a good value for the money. Personally, if I had to choose, BG&E offers a deeply unique, rich and immersive experience, unlike Torchlight which is a Diablo clone. Even though I've played and beaten BG&E, I'm tempted to buy it to: 1. Play it again and 2. Support and bolster interest in a sequel, which would be a shame if it doesn't come to fruition.
@haggis: You make some good points. Anything done to make the game less tedious is an improvement. Having a mineral market would be a good addition to solve the excess/deficiency problem.
That being said, why should there be any tedium in a game. Is there some kind of rule stating games can't be all fun? I'd be in favor of having missions to hijack or "confiscate" goods or minerals from ne'er do-wells. At least then it wouldn't feel like work. Arguably the best part of playing ME is the action/shooting element. So why not play to their strengths?
@riffingt0n: I also pulled and released the trigger in order to speed up the mining process and was more selective in the planets I mined towards the end. Admittedly, I overmined quite a bit during my 1st playthrough, but more to the point, I think we'd all agree that doing the actual mining itself is in no way fun or enjoyable. But I like the suggestions, may help some ease the pain.
@Garrus: Don't sugar coat it, say it like it is. :)
@Alex_Murphy: You tolerated it to a point, which is the most, I think that the majority of people can do. You can excuse it only so far, thus the purpose of this blog. Man, I am totally with you on this. I've started my insanity playthough and the only thing that prevents me from plowing through it, is that damn mineral mining, I know awaits me. Good luck to you though.
@HitmanAgent47: I, like you, mined almost every planet. After beating the game, I had over 300,000 of every element except element 0. When I started my 2nd playthrough, it immediately gave me a bonus of 50,000 but when I got to my ship, I only had the 50,000 and not the 300,000+ that I mined the 1st time. So, I don't think they allow you to keep your minerals which is a major bummer, since I spent a few hours doing it the 1st time. Bioware should have said, "you know what, you were a good little worker bee, we won't bore you a 2nd time around, you can keep your minerals from the 1st playthrough." I don't think it would ruin the game, in fact, I think it would be more compelling for a 2nd playthrough, since you don't have to do the boring nonsense. It's kinda like you ate your vegetables, now you can get to the meat & potatoes. What do you think?
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