[ SECRET POST #2683 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2683 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 013 secrets from Secret Submission Post #383.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

Dragon Age Origins

[(Anonymous)]

Is on sale this week-end (4,99 euros instead of 19,99 yeah)

If I liked Skyrim should I buy this? Do I have to play the other games to understand the plot?

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[(Anonymous)]

Dragon Age Origins is the first game in the Dragon Age series so you don't have to play anything else to understand it.

As for the Skyrim thing, maybe? Aside from the general medieval-like setting and the presence of Dragons, (though they appear rarely in Dragon Age) they don't have a whole lot in common. Dragon Age is a lot more story and character driven, which is something I like. The combat system is a lot different than Skyrim's but I liked that more as well (YMMV on that, I've seen some people who didn't care for it). I loved Origins and I definitely recommend it, especially since it's only five bucks. Unless you're seriously strapped for money and this would be your only luxury purchase for the whole month or whatever, you don't have anything to lose

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[(Anonymous)]

Origins is the first game, so no, you don't have to buy the others to understand it.

It's quite different from Skyrim. While it does give you some choices and there are some side quests, DA:O is downright linear in comparison. The combat is also quite a bit different; more often than not, you're running a party rather than going solo, and in order to survive, you've got to do some tactical maneuvering (e.g. pause; figure out where you want to position each character; figure out whether you want certain characters to be able to move freely about or stay rooted where you place them; figure out the most favorable composition in terms of healing, tanking, etc).

If you enjoy RPGs in general, then you'll probably like it. It's got some fantastic world-building (if you liked collecting and reading books in Skyrim, then you'll love the codecs that pop up), some decent characters, and a lot of fun possibilities in terms of building relationships.

+1

[elaminator]

Origins is much different but has a fantastic story and a great cast of characters. If you dig the thought of a more linear experience (while still getting to make plenty of important decisions that will effect your game and cast of characters) then you should give it a shot.

Skyrim gives you more freedom, but at least for me...the cast isn't anywhere near as likable. With so many characters and little chance to really bond with them, they can become pretty forgettable. You can talk your companions ears off in Dragon Age.

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[feotakahari]

Bioware has made a lot of games like Dragon Age (most obviously Baldur's Gate), but apart from Avadon, I can't think of a non-Bioware game that's comparable to the full Bioware style. Dragon Age is probably more accessible than their older stuff, so if you're not a shooter fan and don't want to try Mass Effect, Dragon Age is probably the best way to determine if you like their style. (I dislike it myself.)

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[cbrachyrhynchos]

Obsidian did a fair job with a number of Bioware sequels (allowing for licensing issues and budget cuts). I'd put Spiderweb's Geneforge on par with Baldur's Gate, although with less pretty scenery.

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[feotakahari]

Spiderweb is the same dev that did Avadon, but I don't think Geneforge is as directly comparable to Dragon Age as Avadon is. Geneforge is more like if you take Shin Megami Tensei, remove any explicit references to religion (which is a bit like taking the salt out of the ocean), and replace it all with ideas from Bioshock. As for Obsidian, I didn't really keep track of who did the Bioware sequels--the only ones I've played are Mass Effect 2 and a bit of Baldur's Gate 2.

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[cbrachyrhynchos]

DA:O is more NWN than Skyrim, but without the potential for D&D rules cheese.

DA2 is closer to Jade Empire, with less variety in tactics, and you actually have to take control of your companions now and then.

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[(Anonymous)]

I can't say much on the story compared to skyrim, but the combat isn't similar to skyrim. Speaking of combat, make sure you get the hang of combat before you get to the point of being able to choose where to go on the map; I never got the hang of it, and even on the lowest difficulty setting I get my ass kicked repeatedly in what most people would consider easy fights. But don't let that discourage you, I'm probably some anomaly in the total experience of people who've played DA:O.

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[(Anonymous)]

It's stand alone (and the first in its series), so no, you don't need any other games! Yes, you should play. It is awesome, and pretty similar in genre to Skyrim. Less open world and super freedom in what you do, but more story and characters (you use a party instead of just one) and I think ultimately more memorable, but that's just my opinion.

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[kallanda_lee]

No, this is the first game in the series, so you don't need any prior knowledge.

It's different than Skyrim, though. I mean, it's similar in the sense that it's a medieval setting. Bu, DA has a very different fighting mechanic, and you're basically switching around a team of 4.

It's even more RP-driven, and has romance and friendship interactions with your companions to a much greater extent.

The leveling/abilities system is nowhere as refined as Skyrim, though still allows you to create characters with very distinct abilities, fighting style, and feel (For example, as warrior, sword&shield feels different from dual wielding or longsword. Same for mages, you can have very different styles).

The landscapes are not quite as stunning as Skyrim.

It's one of my favorite games ever, though, so there's that.

Re: Dragon Age Origins

[darkmanifest]

The combat is nothing like Skyrim. It's third person only, and basically click-and-do-predefined-attack-sequence instead of click-and-swing/block; it's best played with a keyboard, not a gamepad. I think the spellcasting is similar enough, though. It's also like traditional RPs in that your feet never leave the ground, you have to go around or through obstacles instead of jumping over them. Much less of the environment is can be interacted with - no swimming and so on. Enemies are the same, wolves and dragons and spiders, oh my.

Where Origins shines over Skyrim is characters and story. You pick an origin (hence the name) and you play through a unique story for that origin, and by the end of it, the chances that you'll be really invested in your player character and what they have to go through are high. Story's very linear, point A to point B to final battle, but very lovingly detailed and easy to follow via NPCs conversations and codexes (that you collect during gameplay for experience points), you won't be able to wander around willy-nilly, but the choices are many within the storyline. You recruit companions along the way and you develop relationships with them through your actions and conversations, from strong platonic friendships to select romances to hostile rivalries. The game is rigged to play on every emotion you have, from amusement to sorrow to fear to rage. And, like Skyrim, the available PC mods (including brand new campaigns) improve the base game astronomically, and are still being added to today.

Origins was my very first RPG, and it took me minute to warm up to it, but once I was into it, I was a lost cause. I'm on my third and fourth (simultaneous) playthroughs now.

Get the Ultimate Edition if you have three more dollars to spare. Several of all of the DLC packaged in that edition add important aspects to the original story (though not so critical it's unpleasant to play without them), so if you end up enjoying the game, you'll appreciate not having to buy the DLC separately (I hated having to do that with Dragon Age 2, which never got an ultimate edition).

Aaaaand that's enough pimping for today.