I realize that after playing Dragon Age for a while, the same exact problems I had with Mass Effect are showing up here again. The engine is janky. The way characters move, the switch between non-combat stance and combat stance, times where characters move and say nothing (sound didn't load), etc is really weighing down such a great game.
 
Also, there's a lot of communication problems between the game and me. After dumping six skill points to get Tier 3 Herbalism and Trapmaking, I find out that you get no additional recipies -- you have to buy or find them on your own. Great, so now I'm potion/trap-less, skill-less, and broke in the game. My character also has two points in 'More Tactics Slots' skill which was utterly pointless. The difference between me dying and living in almost every case is whether or not my party actually performed what their tactics said they would perform (also, whether or not an enemy repeatedly resists all my highest level spells or not).
 
In playing the game (just like in Mass Effect), I find a lot of problems with a really common sense solution (it's a wonder that no tester mentioned all the typos I have found in item descriptions). Slow ass world map 'blood' footprint trail, I mean c'mon. Accidentally talking to my party member while I try looting shit (nothing is more uncomfortable and inaccurate than D-Padding and pressing A while moving your character around with the stick). My roommate was watching me and asked, "Did that Dwarf just say he was from Orgrimmar?" BioWare, the name is so obviously similar that it doesn't even take a second guess, what were you thinking? You should've taken the gameplay concepts from WoW (like talent respecs), not names and culture. [I'm reminded of a talk JJ Abrams did about how 'ripping off' a franchise should be done in a non-superficial way: copy the inner workings which make it great, not the outwardly glitter that doesn't mean jack].
 
Yet I keep playing. I'm really attached to my character and I blame the great dialog and story sequences for that. This game is the first of its kind where the story and immersion perform beautifully yet technically, the engine is shit-buggy and only performs well graphically (even then I've seen tons of graphic anomalies).
 
I think this is why no one can fully put their finger on why they don't like Dragon Age yet continue to play it. I wonder if it's because I'm on the console. As a mage, I feel weak because there are certain spells I just don't use anymore because going into the radial menu is too much of a hassle. On another note, I have a huge problem with my guy shooting spells at the completely wrong person, even though I've been targeting the right person the whole time (I think it's related to char-switching mid combat).
 
Anywho, that's my impression of the game. I will play it to the end it seems, though I won't do any side quests or commit to a second playthrough.
 
Q: Give very specific reasons why you like/dislike the game.
 
EDIT: The engine is called 'Eclipse', not 'Infinity'.

Um.. Dragon Age isn't on the Infinity Engine, btw. It would be more 2d and top-down view. And also from like eight years ago.

" Um.. Dragon Age isn't on the Infinity Engine, btw. It would be more 2d and top-down view. And also from like eight years ago. "

" Um.. Dragon Age isn't on the Infinity Engine, btw. It would be more 2d and top-down view. And also from like eight years ago. "

" Mass Effect 1 looks far better than DA:O "

It runs on the Eclipse engine. But I do agree with everything you said. The Infinity engine does suck, and Dragon Age does have the issues you said (except I played it on PC, so I didn't have the radial/A issue).

" It runs on the Eclipse engine. But I do agree with everything you said. The Infinity engine does suck, and Dragon Age does have the issues you said (except I played it on PC, so I didn't have the radial/A issue). "

" @PureRok said:

" It runs on the Eclipse engine. But I do agree with everything you said. The Infinity engine does suck, and Dragon Age does have the issues you said (except I played it on PC, so I didn't have the radial/A issue). "

Come on bro. Planescape: Torment was made with the Infinity Engine. Sure now it's showing it's age but back then it looked awesome.  "

" @Icil: Are you implying ME is using the Infinity engine as well? ME uses UE3. "

" @Mordukai said:

" @PureRok said:

" It runs on the Eclipse engine. But I do agree with everything you said. The Infinity engine does suck, and Dragon Age does have the issues you said (except I played it on PC, so I didn't have the radial/A issue). "

Come on bro. Planescape: Torment was made with the Infinity Engine. Sure now it's showing it's age but back then it looked awesome.  "

I hated that game. "  

Mass Effect runs on Unreal Engine 3, so I don't get the comparison.

You're summoning the wrath of Dave Snider with this thread title. Careful what you wish for. Beardfury might smash you!

What...version of this game...are you playing? You say console I can't speak for you I am playing the game on the PC and it is a Gorgeous game works perfectly no issues yet I haven't seen Item typos or anything the game seems like a well polished Bioware game.

Mass Effect used Unreal 3.0, not the Eclipse engine.
 
With that said, yea the graphics in DA are pretty mediocre.

" What...version of this game...are you playing? You say console I can't speak for you I am playing the game on the PC and it is a Gorgeous game works perfectly no issues yet I haven't seen Item typos or anything the game seems like a well polished Bioware game. "

Well at first you were talking about the Engine, then you just criticized the gameplay instead. You derailed your own thread. But yeah the console version is definitely inferior. That is a well-known fact at this point. 
 
There is a easily-installed mod on the PC that lets you respec your characters, as well as a storage mod for the party camp. Features that should have been included anyway.(yes I know about the storage at soldier's peak)
 
The "spells i don't use anymore because of the radial menus" thing is a bummer, but maybe try to do a little research before you commit to buying a console version of a game. Thats pretty pompous I know, but it's a good habit to get into.

" @Icil: ... But either way, I don't like the tactics system. If a character is low on health, using a health potion should be their immediate priority. I don't care if it is number 1 or number 8 on the list. The whole priority system is whack if ask me. "I need healing!" Then heal yourself, damnit, and stop trying to shield bash that damn tree! "

" Well at first you were talking about the Engine, then you just criticized the gameplay instead. ... There is a easily-installed mod on the PC that lets you respec your characters, as well as a storage mod for the party camp. Features that should have been included anyway.(yes I know about the storage at soldier's peak)  The "spells i don't use anymore because of the radial menus" thing is a bummer, but maybe try to do a little research before you commit to buying a console version of a game. Thats pretty pompous I know, but it's a good habit to get into. "

I have a feeling that Snide is going to school this thread at some point. 
 
Also, Infinity Engine games were excellent.  Anyone that can actually speak poorly about Icewind Dale or Baldur's Gate II needs some education. 
 
As for everyone bitching about the inability to respec...seriously, folks...SERIOUSLY?  Put a little more time and thought into your character than saying "ah, man, I don't want that, so I'm going to spend money to respec because I didn't care enough to think about what I was doing".  This is why it can take quite some time just to spend one skill point in D&D tabletop.

" Mass Effect 1 looks far better than DA:O "

I think the game looks beautiful everything max'd up on PC. It's true, though, it's not as good looking as Mass Effect, but somehow, i don't mind one bit.

I was about to say "fuck off," but since you got the name of the engine wrong...

I have NO idea what the f youre talking about. everything works great. and the fact that you get some annoyances like these doesnt mean the game isnt good. DA: O is awesome. reviewers agree. if there were such HUGE problems wouldnt anyone else complain?

" My roommate was watching me and asked, "Did that Dwarf just say he was from Orgrimmar?" BioWare, the name is so obviously similar that it doesn't even take a second guess, what were you thinking? You should've taken the gameplay concepts from WoW (like talent respecs), not names and culture. [I'm reminded of a talk JJ Abrams did about how 'ripping off' a franchise should be done in a non-superficial way: copy the inner workings which make it great, not the outwardly glitter that doesn't mean jack].  "

The UE3 is far worse than this engine.

" Orgrimmar is on the horde side, which means no dwarves there. If it was something like "Iron gorge" then maybe you'd have a point. But having a SINGLE name in a whole 50+ hour game that sounds SIMILAR to another name in a different game is hardly worth getting your panties in such a twist. "

The Infinity Engine is the best engine ever, just ask Dave.
 
I miss thee, '90s RPG.

I have only ever experienced 1 of those problems, and that's the slow blood trail. I started noticing severe slowdowns after even minutes of playing.
Restarting the application would actually fix this, so I think there's a memory leak somewhere in the game that obviously causes slowdowns.

I agree that a compendium of creature types should contain their immunities and such. Being used to D&D, either spell descriptions stated specific effects on targets or inspecting a creature would show it's immunities.

The tactics system is great for anyone with a small sense of If-Else checks, it has bugs but with innovative use of slots (requires Combat Tactics :( ) these can be avoided.

Off-Topic: The Infinity Engine is the most solid engine ever made, on both new and old hardware it works really well. It allowed modders to create fixes for several problems [these bug fixes eventually made it into official patches!] etc.

" @IzzyGraze said:

" Orgrimmar is on the horde side, which means no dwarves there. If it was something like "Iron gorge" then maybe you'd have a point. But having a SINGLE name in a whole 50+ hour game that sounds SIMILAR to another name in a different game is hardly worth getting your panties in such a twist. "

No. I said that DA:O has influences from WoW and that is okay. The problem is that the influences from WoW are all negative. It's like they weren't trying to make a better game in taking things from WoW's style, but rather they just wanted the similarities to exist (maybe so that it resonates in MMO players easier). And that is bad.  Regardless, I am still playing this game. Any so called 'bitching' in this thread by me is an exaggeration. I just get disappointed when a potentially legendary game like this one is stopped short by some bad choices. "

A lot of your complaints seem to be that the game won't hold your hand, and that you have to actually try things for yourself.  Should the game be telling you all 10 spell combinations from the get-go so you can choose which you want? No, the system is as it has always been - try it and see.  Some you come across by accident, others make sense.  In terms of taking 3 tiers of herbs and traps before realising you had to buy designs - did you see the designs in shops? It was quite apparent.  A respec ability might make it a bit easier and allow powerbuilds, but like pretty much every DnD game you make do with what you choose. I find it amusing that you say its like WoW and then ask for things that WoW introduced.

 
I think you're seeing things that aren't there. Some of the streamlining was influenced by WoW, just like half the other RPGs made these days because WoW's interface is such an improvement on the past. As for the setting? It's a Tolkien/D&D inspired setting. So is Warcraft. All of these stories have some common elements. I really don't see any significant similarity where I can't draw an equally significant similarity between it and any other setting from the genre.  
 
The game itself is, in my opinion, awesome. An old school RPG of the caliber I though the industry was simply incapable of making these days. The writing is not of the quality of Planescape: Torment, but it easily matches Baulders Gate II. I have noticed issues where I can't hear the dialog, but that doesn't bother me overly much because I know how to read. Also, you absolutely should have bought the game for the PC. I'm still in Redcliff, and already I can't imagine fighting some of those battles without the control over my characters that the old-school overhead system gives me. "

This game reminds me so much of KOTOR and the problems it had as well. 
 
Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure they re-used a lot of the animation from Mass Effect. Like the walking and movement ones. Not related, I know, but still.

KOTOR is crap by comparison.

" This game reminds me so much of KOTOR and the problems it had as well.  Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure they re-used a lot of the animation from Mass Effect. Like the walking and movement ones. Not related, I know, but still. "

" @xyzygy said:

" This game reminds me so much of KOTOR and the problems it had as well.  Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure they re-used a lot of the animation from Mass Effect. Like the walking and movement ones. Not related, I know, but still. "

This game has none of the problems kotor had.  This game is fun and interesting and the ending doesn't totally suck. "

" KOTOR is crap by comparison. "

I don't judge games based on criteria that would make that relevant.

" @Teran said:

" @xyzygy said:

" This game reminds me so much of KOTOR and the problems it had as well.  Oh yeah, and I'm pretty sure they re-used a lot of the animation from Mass Effect. Like the walking and movement ones. Not related, I know, but still. "

This game has none of the problems kotor had.  This game is fun and interesting and the ending doesn't totally suck. "

Dude, I'm not complaining about the game at all. I'm just saying that it shares some technical issues that KoToR had as I remember playing it years ago. I love both of them dearly, they are both awesome games. The ending to KOTOR doesn't totally suck, but I guess that's just your opinion. I loved the ending.