Dragon Age 2 shorter than Dragon Age - "a bit longer than Mass Effect 2"
- Thread starter Tinman
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Duke Dude
New member
I was one of those that loved the length of DA:O! ME2 was a nice length but it did feel a bit short, now DA (Who's setting is my favourite, fantasy) is almost half the length of DA:O
Damn it!!!
Lycanthrope
New member
I was a bit of a completionist during all my playthroughs in DA:O, I think one playthrough (all side-quests, chantry boards, etc) took maybe 70 hours to do.
In essence, Dragon Age: Origins was a short game. You basically just did three things (get the dwarves, Dalish and humans to side with you) then you wiggled your fingers and killed the Arch Demon. It was hardly a "long" game. The part that took the longest was the Deep Roads and, facing facts, character side quests (not to even mention the chantry board/mage collective ones) were exceptionally short and only modestly gratifying.
As I said, Dragon Age: was already a "short" (read: average-length) RPG, only about a few hours (10-15?) longer than The Witcher. The idea of it being shorter than that just makes me worry about how much there actually is to do in the world of DA2.
Much of Dragon Age: Origins' appeal was in the replay value (different origins, genders, classes and ways of dealing with situations). According to XFire, I've raked up 204 hours in Dragon Age over three (full) playthroughs including all the DLC. That's 68 hours per playthrough.
Dragon Age: Origins was definitely not a "long" game and many of the side-quests felt like "run over there, kill this" so hardly anything challenging or immersive. I only have one playthrough of The Witcher logged on XFire and that stands at 54 hours. So, basically, DA2 will be the same length as The Witcher. Interesting and somewhat disappointing.
Strangely, The Witcher felt like a much more cohesive experience than Dragon Age: Origins.
Bah.. speculation won't get me anywhere. Will judge DA2 (and its shortness) when I've played it. I just hope that much of its 50 hours aren't made up of dragged out areas.
Duke Dude
New member
I always dig reading your views mate
!You get them across is such clear and cohesive ways
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
In an industry where the majority of titles last between 6 - 8 hours and u get the odd 20 hour game 70 hours is long.
Dentar
New member
I agree. Origins might have been long in hours, but not so much in content.
Lycanthrope
New member
*nod* That's my point in a nutshell. Longevity means nothing without content. Some people can play Diablo or Titan Quest for hours upon hours upon hours that could put the time people have spent with a gem like Dragon Age to shame, but without content, hours mean nothing.
I always dig reading your views mate
You get them across is such clear and cohesive ways
Thanks, although Dentar has a way of cutting through my verbosity and succinctly articulating my point
Ah, but I don't have much of an interest in the majority of titles. I have higher expectations and standards when it comes to RPGs since it's my favourite genre.
Don't get me wrong, Duke Nukem Forever, for example, I'd be happy with the 10-15 hours it promises which, for a FPS, is a lot of time. However, for an RPG, I want more content, more time to live in and love the world
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
I think Elder scroll V will the next 120 + hour epic. BioWare will deliver another top notch story with DA2.
I think what is key to BioWare is story, yes some other titles may have been longer but DA, ME 1 & 2 all had epic stories.
Oblivion and the like, maybe even the witcher, was more of a "create your own adventure" game. I personally could never get into the Witcher.
I think what is key to BioWare is story, yes some other titles may have been longer but DA, ME 1 & 2 all had epic stories.
Oblivion and the like, maybe even the witcher, was more of a "create your own adventure" game. I personally could never get into the Witcher.
Lycanthrope
New member
My problem with the Elder Scrolls is that they lack story, choice and tangible consequence. In the great tapestries of interwoven choices, consequences and drama, Elder Scrolls is what Days of Our Lives is to Star Wars.
Yes, Elder Scrolls has a market and there are people who enjoy it but... I'm not one of those people. Skyrim may be different, it may be that Bethesda have finally learnt what makes an RPG tick rather than just creating another pretty world with lifeless characters and meaningless character development. I doubt it, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Stories are the key to any real RPG. A story that you, as the role-player, affect.
Incorrect. Oblivion was a sandbox RPG. And even as an RPG, it was more of an action-adventure game with some RPG mechanics than an actual born-and-bred RPG. The Witcher was a true, die-hard RPG no different to Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Planescape, Arcanum or others.
Other sandbox RPGs include Two Worlds, Gothic and Risen.
Also, can't believe you never managed to get into The Witcher. It was a beautiful and amazing game. Plus, it had boobies
Also, I feel The Witcher is a much darker RPG than Dragon Age and that is a large part in what captivates my heart.
Duke Dude
New member
The gospel!
I too love (If not live
) for RPG games, and therefore have high expectations as well.One thing I have to disagree on, DA:O's actual story may have been short but - like all RPG games - it's the side quests that give it it's longevity. Look at Mass Effect 2 it only had 4 main missions (Which weren't long at all) save the colony on Horizon, investigate the abandoned Collector ship, investigate the derelict Reaper and then finally Suicide mission. The rest of the game was getting your crew loyal, and completing the odd mission you found whilst scanning a planet.
The Witcher may have felt more fulfilling because it didn't have that many side quests but it did have quite a long story (When measured in mission).
Now I don't want DA2 to fall into the groove along side ME2. Getting your crew loyal was fun but it was also VERY repetitive. DA2 need a good story with lots of side quests. Which by the sounds of it won't be happening like all us RPG fans want
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
My problem with the Elder Scrolls is that they lack story, choice and tangible consequence. In the great tapestries of interwoven choices, consequences and drama, Elder Scrolls is what Days of Our Lives is to Star Wars.
Yes, Elder Scrolls has a market and there are people who enjoy it but... I'm not one of those people. Skyrim may be different, it may be that Bethesda have finally learnt what makes an RPG tick rather than just creating another pretty world with lifeless characters and meaningless character development. I doubt it, but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Stories are the key to any real RPG. A story that you, as the role-player, affect.
Incorrect. Oblivion was a sandbox RPG. And even as an RPG, it was more of an action-adventure game with some RPG mechanics than an actual born-and-bred RPG. The Witcher was a true, die-hard RPG no different to Dragon Age, Mass Effect, Planescape, Arcanum or others.
Other sandbox RPGs include Two Worlds, Gothic and Risen.
Also, can't believe you never managed to get into The Witcher. It was a beautiful and amazing game. Plus, it had boobies
It was its flaunting of the boobs and the ingame sex that pissed me off, found the whole shebang rather juvenile. All you have to do is give a chic a pair of gloves and she would be jumping up and down on your +5 staff of penetration.
I much Prefer ME 1 & 2's approach to sex. Much more mature.
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/22-The-Witcher
Tsar
The thing that should not be
Lycanthrope
New member
Amen, brother! Definitely live for RPGs here as well <3 Well, not exclusively, but I find it to be one of life's greatest pleasures <3
*grin* Not often I get to discuss RPGs, so forgive me if I relish this :3
One tiny little detail you're forgetting is that there were tangible consequences for NOT doing the side-quests in Mass Effect 2. By doing the side-quests you gain the loyalty of your followers, increase their survivability in the suicide mission, which upgrades your ship will have as well as some minor other benefits. By choosing not to do the side-quests, you could change the outcome of your game.
Can you think of so much as one tangible consequence for not doing a side-quest (chantry boards, mage collective) in Dragon Age: Origins?
Agreed
Sheesh, I'm actually finding it difficult to remember events in The Witcher, must be time for another playthrough Especially since I no longer have my previous saves (must have them for when Witcher 2 is released!) Now I don't want DA2 to fall into the groove along side ME2. Getting your crew loyal was fun but it was also VERY repetitive. DA2 need a good story with lots of side quests. Which by the sounds of it won't be happening like all us RPG fans want
*nod* I have no doubts that I will enjoy Dragon Age 2. I just find it difficult to grasp a few... changes. A mage jumping around like a ninja on crack, for example, bugs me :/
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
Says the man who posts boobs on tk
Yep, But posting boobs in tk is suppose to be juvinile and silly since there is no context. The Witcher's foray into spreading his seed with everything that has 2 legs and a vagina, inside the context of the game brought the entire experience down. The game tries to tell a serious story but breaks off every now and again, gives the player a post card with tits on it like its trying to keep u interested.
Lycanthrope
New member
*shrug* You're no doubt aware that boobs and sex don't really appeal to me, so it's hardly as though I ever really pursued those options. In my second or third play-through I did, just to find out more about the background and all that.
I wouldn't really call it juvenile and it's not often that they flaunted boobs (outside of the cards). The dryad, for example, I thought was brilliantly done, boobs and all because it was... believable. A dryad, a creature of nature, walking around all green and... boobed, for lack of a better description. It worked and it worked well.
So Geralt is a sex object, I'm sure he can handle it
Lycanthrope
New member
*gasp* Heathen!
Witchers are sterile, he's not spreading seed so much as being used by the boobed ones for their own wicked intentions!
Anyway, I wasn't fond of the sleep-with-everything-that-moves aspect, but that aspect was still, entirely, a choice. It was there and available if you wanted it and not if you didn't
Ooooh... or maybe you couldn't resist knocking on heaven's door? *GRIN*
OmegaFenix
The Legendary Troll Hunter
*gasp* Heathen!
Witchers are sterile, he's not spreading seed so much as being used by the boobed ones for their own wicked intentions!
Anyway, I wasn't fond of the sleep-with-everything-that-moves aspect, but that aspect was still, entirely, a choice. It was there and available if you wanted it and not if you didn't
Ooooh... or maybe you couldn't resist knocking on heaven's door? *GRIN*
Oh well Having not finished it I can't say that I really that I am missing anything. I much Prefered Demon's Souls.