Cause I LOVE it! (Fooled you, didn't I?) One of my BIGGEST problems with the first game (besides every character model having the same sized hands...go back and look, I'll wait...WEIRD, right? Morrigan has man-hands!) was the fact that the so-called "Darkspawn" were really just orks by another name. Which is fine, orks make fine fodder for fantasy game heroes, but it felt a little disingenuous. Now they look like monstrous, vaguely undead humans/dwarves/Qu'nari, which is PERFECT. Anyone else think that was one of the most striking things about the new demo?
They don't show off any Genlocks in the demo did they? Wondering what kind of fetish attire they're currently donning these days. With that said, I don't mind the Darkspawn redesign (well the Hurlocks at least) all too much, though they don't look nearly as menacing, and a little silly even.
I think they look like a bunch of gay monks with those chainmail cowls they wear. The ogres look basically the same.
Thing is that Darkspawn are supposed to have crappy, cobbled-up amor they salved a hundred years ago from a guy who was dead for another 60 years. Now they're too clean and look like oddly matching fashionistas. It just doesn't work.
They look like skeletons and their animations went from murdering monsters to swordwielding clowns. Watch em jump around and swing that blade around (in the air, not human flesh) like its a goddamn juggle act.
But hey, I don't expect much Darkspawn after the intro, maybe in the deep roads!
" Cause I LOVE it! (Fooled you, didn't I?) One of my BIGGEST problems with the first game (besides every character model having the same sized hands...go back and look, I'll wait...WEIRD, right? Morrigan has man-hands!) was the fact that the so-called "Darkspawn" were really just orks by another name. Which is fine, orks make fine fodder for fantasy game heroes, but it felt a little disingenuous. Now they look like monstrous, vaguely undead humans/dwarves/Qu'nari, which is PERFECT. Anyone else think that was one of the most striking things about the new demo? "
the redesign on one of the characters from the first game who makes a brief appearance really struck me as great, the game looks a lot better but then again i really just love the gameplay.
I didn't get orks, they have more features commonly associated with fish and aquatic creatures (the milky eyes and skin color, the lack of a nose or lips). Orks usually have more piglike features.
One cool little thing I noticed in the new design of the darkspawn: the "Ogres" look like massive, mutated versions of the genlocks from the first game. If the new genlocks look like small and weak versions of ogres, I think that will be kind of cool. The Ogres just turn out to be genetic freaks of an existing darkspawn species instead of it's own species. I might be reading too much into it, but I really like design theory if that is the case.
" Cause I LOVE it! (Fooled you, didn't I?) One of my BIGGEST problems with the first game (besides every character model having the same sized hands...go back and look, I'll wait...WEIRD, right? Morrigan has man-hands!) was the fact that the so-called "Darkspawn" were really just orks by another name. Which is fine, orks make fine fodder for fantasy game heroes, but it felt a little disingenuous. Now they look like monstrous, vaguely undead humans/dwarves/Qu'nari, which is PERFECT. Anyone else think that was one of the most striking things about the new demo? "
I completely fully agree. I felt the same way in the first game with the darkspawn. No, it wasn't their faces that looked like orcs, but their builds mostly, their movements, their personalities to an extent. But yeah, if you played zoomed out (which I often did), they could totally look like orcs. I also feel the same way about the changes to the darkspawn. Love them. The new look lends itself better to the darkspawn being a disease that turned them from their prior (assumably human) form.
I don't get though what people are saying about the ogres. The ogres, to me, look very much like they did before, just more detailed, and larger.
@Bocam: Maybe, much as Flemeth can shape-change, she can change how she looks, too. Maybe in Origins, it made more sense for her to look like a pitiful old lady so we'd be more likely to trust her.
" One cool little thing I noticed in the new design of the darkspawn: the "Ogres" look like massive, mutated versions of the genlocks from the first game. If the new genlocks look like small and weak versions of ogres, I think that will be kind of cool. The Ogres just turn out to be genetic freaks of an existing darkspawn species instead of it's own species. I might be reading too much into it, but I really like design theory if that is the case. "
I think the ogres, according the first game's lore, are Qu'nari who were twisted and mutated just like hurlocks were humans and elves and genlocks were dwarves.
@melcene: Exactly! I think the close-up of the poster in this thread really cements it: that is an ORK. And not even an Tolkien ork where they started as elves and got all fucked up.
@Bocam said:
" Why does Flemeth look so different? Doesn't the demo take place right after the fall of Ostagar? "
That is an interesting point, what I think happened is-SMOKE BOMB!*vanishes* In seriousness, they MAY explain it, but probably won't, so my only guess is that she wanted to look a little bit more humble so that she could gauge the reaction of the Grey Wardens. In this, she'd just transformed from a dragon so humility was pretty much out and she needed whatever it was delivered so she wanted to look regal and authoritative.
The new darkspawn look kinda scrawny. It looks like they are trying to give you lots more enemies on-screen at once, and to compensate for this they made them all slightly weaker, and this is reflected in their new aesthetic. I'm assuming this is a direct result of the hacky-slashy nature of the sequel?
It speaks to how generic the darkspawn were in the first game that I don't even really remember what they looked like. I do like the old ogres more though. Those fuckers were awesome.
Could have sworn Morrigan said that people could not alter there apearance to be other people. The darkspawn look like Deadly Premonition zombies. Their faces are white their eyes are surrounded in dark tears, the movementsa are just about as silly. Some Darkwpawn actually looked threatening before. Now they are silly and weak. Someone posted it before, they are kinda like Power Ranger henchmen.
" The original Darkspawn looked nothing like Orcs, they DID look like zombies or similar. I've never understood that argument. The new ones look silly. "
are you nuts...they looked like they were orcs ripped right out of the LoTR movies....lol..like...EXACTLY.
Well, BioWare's idea in TOR is that a large number of enemies fighting a small group of protagonists is "heroic". I'm not surprised to see that they want to up the EPIC factor of standing your ground being able to fight off a pile of Darkspawn grunts.
@Undeadpool: I would say that any and all of the visual and design changes (in terms of the lore itself) is the fact that Varric is telling the story of the champion. Like Varric said to the Seeker close to the beginning of the demo, how would she know if what he says is fictitious or not? I think we're going to have to trust him in the grander scheme of things, but some of the details such as Flemeth's and the Darkspawn's appearances could be changed or exaggerated. This probably isn't the best justification but it seems like the intended one based off of Bioware's decisions with this entry.
Wonder what the brood mothers are looking like now.. Would love to see how Varric would twist that up in his narration. Would just be a pile of tits, nothing more.
" The new darkspawn look kinda scrawny. It looks like they are trying to give you lots more enemies on-screen at once, and to compensate for this they made them all slightly weaker, and this is reflected in their new aesthetic. I'm assuming this is a direct result of the hacky-slashy nature of the sequel? "
Its not as hack and slash as everyone says. What is the definition of "hack and slash" anyways? I mean I hacked at enemies, and I did slash them with my sword. So does that make it "hack and slash"?
@Abyssfull: Lol, that would be quite the site. And depending on the orientation of the tit, there may be a few more tissues put to use... I am speaking on the behalf others, of course.
I haven't been able to see much past the opening few fights in the demo, but my gut opinion is that I wouldn't mind the generic Orc appearance of the Darkspawn compared to the more skeletal and weak looking Hurlocks. Yes, every time I've seen that opening combat (early tech showings, youtube videos, and now the demo), all I can see are the Puddies from Power Rangers. I swear that's where the animators got their inspiration from.
A lot of the animation I've seen looks a lot less "serious" (that's the best I can describe it). Comical, overdone. It's a stylistic choice, to be sure. I'm not sure I like it.
" Could have sworn Morrigan said that people could not alter there apearance to be other people.
Flemeth is not a person. "
She's not a fullon shapeshifter either. The dragon is the true form, and the body is her daughters', the current vessel in use. So that's 2 forms. Not unlike a werewolf.
If i recall correctly, darkspawns are "made" from broodmothers.. Ogres comes from qu'nari broodmothers. Hurlocks from human broodmothers and genlock from dwarf broodmothers.
" If i recall correctly, darkspawns are "made" from broodmothers.. Ogres comes from qu'nari broodmothers. Hurlocks from human broodmothers and genlock from dwarf broodmothers. "
" Could have sworn Morrigan said that people could not alter there apearance to be other people.
Flemeth is not a person. "
She's not a fullon shapeshifter either. The dragon is the true form, and the body is her daughters', the current vessel in use. So that's 2 forms. Not unlike a werewolf. "
I don't believe the dragon is a true form. Merely a chosen form to fight the Warden with.
" @Undeadpool: I would say that any and all of the visual and design changes (in terms of the lore itself) is the fact that Varric is telling the story of the champion. Like Varric said to the Seeker close to the beginning of the demo, how would she know if what he says is fictitious or not? I think we're going to have to trust him in the grander scheme of things, but some of the details such as Flemeth's and the Darkspawn's appearances could be changed or exaggerated. This probably isn't the best justification but it seems like the intended one based off of Bioware's decisions with this entry. "
I like where you're going with this, but I also feel it kinda invalidates the story. I think the Darkspawn changes are fully "canon" and are more a result of Bioware tightening things up, though the appearance of Flemeth COULD be the crazy dwarf exaggerating things. I still say she wanted to go incognito for DA:O and isn't afraid to flaunt all of her power for the characters of DA2. I mean you don't even know her true power unless you take on Morrigan's quest and then also turn down Flemeth's offer of giving you a fake Grimoire.
They should take a page from Enslaved and fix blank stare every character has, especially during conversations. They're facial features are fine, but their eyes are always staring off into space.
They look less menacing and more like fodder. Or maybe that's just the demo being so easy. Yeah, they look better.@Bocam said:
" Why does Flemeth look so different? Doesn't the demo take place right after the fall of Ostagar? "
I imagine that's what she normally looks like. Given Morrigans look and all, the whole old lady dressed in peasant clothes was probably to help persuade the Warden to trust her and doubt she could be...
I don't understand why people are making a big fuss over the darkspawn. DA2 is not about the Blight, I'd bet that after the first little bit of escaping Lothering, you never see the darkspawn for the rest of the game, other than maybe in the deep roads.
" They look less menacing and more like fodder. Or maybe that's just the demo being so easy. Yeah, they look better.@Bocam said:
" Why does Flemeth look so different? Doesn't the demo take place right after the fall of Ostagar? "
I imagine that's what she normally looks like. Given Morrigans look and all, the whole old lady dressed in peasant clothes was probably to help persuade the Warden to trust her and doubt she could be...
...as bad as you and Morrigan eventually discover.
"
Design always change. Just look at how the Klingons have changed throughout the years in Star Trek. the old engine couldn't render that much detail. You might have a point about her trying to look more normal in DA:O though.
I don't really care about the grunts either way, but the old Ogre was way better. Not to be too negative in a Dragon Age 2 thread: The new Qunari look great. Flemeth looks better.
@jmic75: Nah, my brother got taken out since he was the scrappy DPS, but me (as a Mage) and Avaline (as the Tank) were able to control him and eventually beat him down. I knew I was in trouble when the character I'd assigned to be the healer died in the story, though.
" They look less menacing and more like fodder. Or maybe that's just the demo being so easy. Yeah, they look better.@Bocam said:
" Why does Flemeth look so different? Doesn't the demo take place right after the fall of Ostagar? "
I imagine that's what she normally looks like. Given Morrigans look and all, the whole old lady dressed in peasant clothes was probably to help persuade the Warden to trust her and doubt she could be...
...as bad as you and Morrigan eventually discover.
"
Design always change. Just look at how the Klingons have changed throughout the years in Star Trek. the old engine couldn't render that much detail. You might have a point about her trying to look more normal in DA:O though. "
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