Dragon Age II Exclusive Dev Diary - The Story

can you do magic even though your ...let say a warrior or something else?

i dont care much about graphics, aslong and the game is awsome, and has gud story im ok with it :P

people is crying about graphics,and they don't even have a good gaming computer,you think if your Pc is wake your games are going to look good,just admit your pc is wack and stop blaming the game.....you know what i think it,s them wack console players,that is coming on here crying about graphics,because no real pc gamer will ever come on here and cry about graphics,because we pc gamers have the option to get 100% out of any game,anything we are not getting isn't there yet.

I think the graphics looking a little weak is because of the cinematic feel of the game. When you have a scene with a sword up in someone's face and it's taking up half the screen, the textures are going to look a little blocky. You normally don't notice this on games like The Witcher because they don't use those cinematic camera angles. It'd be great to have super-hi-res textures for everything, but the technology is still not there yet. Textures take a lot of memory and a lot of bandwidth.

I don't mean to be arrogant, but it's much too noticeable how bland and just generally weak the graphics look compared to game like, Witcher 2. They're easy to get used to though, as they remind me of Arcade Gaming, I enjoy playing old-school.

I loved the idea of DAO, and the graphics weren't too bad, and the lore was amazing, but I could only get an hour into it before I couldn't handle the combat anymore. It was just so tedious and repetitive, reminded me of Summoner 1 for PS2. Though Summoner had a chain attack feature. I'm REALLY REALLY REALLY hoping this is changed in DA2...

AAaahh!!!!!! johnners2981 dont count out the 2009 game of the year Demons soul's theoretic sequel, Dark Souls (most anticipated game of the year). Great year for RPGs , better play them while you can befor we are scavenging for berries and clean water after the apocolypse of 2012. . . . tehe........

@poovannaorcbane I'm not too bothered about graphics as long as the story and gameplay are top notch, graphics are a bonus.

@Count_Conrad why can't both win. Dragon Age 2 and Skyrim will hopefully be two of the best rpgs in years. Fingers crossed for War in The North too.

I like this new story approach their taking. I liked Dragon Age Origins but my only complaint would be that the story was kind of lacking. It wasn't bad I just didn't like it to much. This new story they have going sounds a little more interesting. Will see how it turns out.

just waiting like everyone else.

I like it,Only interested in Story:)

*SPOILER* It seems this game is going to be different when it comes to character creation, right? There doesn't seem to be character creation such as in the first DA:O (Human, Dwarf, Elf, and then Warrior, Rogue, Mage, and etc.). Am I wrong? I'm getting it anyways. I enjoy the first too much. This second one looks very promising in a way of gaming that I have not experienced yet.

I would like to see some actual combat footage. I can understand the complaints some people have of DA:O. I loved Dragon Age but the combat could get a bit tedious. After a while in the same dungeon it started to feel like rinse and repeat. The swarming/ swooping(even alistair thinks swooping is bad) at some points took away all means of control or strategy on the battlefield. Also, it doesn't feel quite as satysfying winning an against all odds battle when the enemie A.I. fails. Like when you run around the corner to buy some time or trap your enemies and half of them don't follow. It's fortunate for me, but if the archers or mage just stand idly by, while i slaughter their comrades in another room, it doesn't feel like a victory. I hope they corrected some issues, but please don't simplefy it, just balance it out more.. As it stands it looks awesome, interesting story and the rogue is already altered in a very good way!

@SilverTemjin : even i need games wit great story or else i will get bored even if it has great gameplay so hope bioware hasnt compromised on either. hope the graphics will be better than oblivion and risen. cause these games were very visually appealing compared to DA:O. so.... graphics, story and gameplay must be great for an rpg to get 10/10 in my book. these are my scores Risen 8.5 elder scrolls: oblivion: 9.2 Dragon age origins : 9.4 ( would have got 10/10 if it had better graphics/lighting) thumbs up if u agree wit me :D :D

I did not specify the "Tank's" archetype class because i've heard, with proper secondary professions, of each class being able to tank. I personally used a warrior tank.

@boomer0901- Here are some easy tactics for DA:O. Try using the "holy trinity" of almost every group style RPG which is the way you comprise your group. Which is made up of 1 a "tank", someone who can withstand/absorb a lot of damage and keep foe's attention aimed at them 2 a Healer, someone who can revive health and give their members beneficial effects 3 DPS (damage per second), characters who can dish it out but not take it. So essentially 1 Dps and the Healer should be Mage architypes and the other dps should be a melee rogue. Both mages should go to 2 different weapon damage enhancements ie one fire weapon and one ice. This will increase your rogue's dmg a lot because he should be focused on backstabbing and the skill that makes him attack very fast. The Healer mage's skill should focus on the ground glyphs, heals, and ways to "shut down" other enemies until your dps classes have woodchipped their way to them and are ready to kill them, ie paralyze, mass paralyze. Your Tank needs a lot of HP and Agi, for dodge, also ways to threaten and taunt enemies to him. Use his skills to disable enemies as well like a shield bash to knock someone down then switch targets to help dps. Finally, if you make it to awakening try the "shockwave" ice blast thingy, that never hits any friendly targets even in nightmare, and freezes multiple opponents, then use the rogue's flicker to shatter many of them. If your not able to play on nightmare by taking this advise i dont know what to say.

I will miss the origins and story of playing as a different race...I loved that in DA:O it made each play through feel very unique.

I have found another gamer hypocrisy... Gamers always complain about how things need to be changed but are then afraid of devs changing games.

Dont tell me that you wouldnt like to see some good pvp aspect of this game?! and any opinions on which platform to get it on?? Im not getting on pc! (dont have a good pc).

Dragon Age 2 or TES 5... Easy win for TES...

Combat?? Press X..... Story is great, gameplay and graphics sucked.

story looks epic

this game will be sick if they just up date the graphics! loved the first games combat and mature rating good stuff!!

anyone like to p;ay Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 now

nice game but hope you can choose different characters like Elfs and Dowrfs ......If you cant wwwwaaaaaccckkkkkk!

Cassandra is hawt. I hope she joins my party and "swings both ways"...

Looks cool, but it feels like bu||$#!t. Not the item itself, but the way it is offered to the players. Games are not even similar. And besides items such as these, fit better in a game as easter eggs. In Baldur's Gate it all started with a pair of pants:)

@poovannaorcbane : Nice comment, I'd rather care more about the story personally. How tough the game is for me is more about replay value. The only really tough game with a bad storyline i liked was Demon's Soul.

MUST HAVE IT

Good, good. I like it.

Lucky pc owners it looks beautiful. Afraid im going to have to go with the ps3 version here till i can get a pc up and running, then maybe get the pc version with all the add ons. Sounds like a plan. Looking good though, cant wait for this, i have a countdown timer on my mobile phone lol. Just gotta get through the first again and create my save after losing them all with my hard drive crash :(

The story telling (except the framed narrative) has Mass Effect written all over it. They aren't trying something new, they are going with the better selling formula.

@faceless-mask totally agreee with u mate!!! i played in hard mode and trust me it was very tough. @boomer0901 increase ur difficulty and play DA:O then u will see and realize the need for tactics. else ur just not an rpg fan. too bad. and someone flagged my previous comment as inappropriate :/ har har har

@boomer0901 Tactic-A plan, procedure or expedient for promoting a desired end or result. Hmmm, considering that word for word definition, I'd say moving 4 characters you control, and commanding them to do something you want them to do, in such a manner that you can complete a certain task in the easiest manner possible, DOES require some tactical thinking. Also, try playing in Nightmare mode. And the Metal Gear series doesn't qualify as an RPG. AND, if you buy an RPG, whether or not it's renowned for its great STORY as well as gameplay, then I'm thinking that you should be expecting a few hours of story telling time mate. Especially since rpg's are basically games where you tell a story in a way you want. Oh, and please tell me the name of an rpg that doesn't have at least 2 hour of story telling in it.

Wow a couple of butt hurt ppl about the comment I made, I"ll stick by what I said, if you have to vigoursly defend it so with name calling, then you've already made my point for me. And obviously you don't know what tactics mean, what they're using is not tactics, tactics involve more than one actually person, if you have to play 4 toons at once at every turn or every action that toon makes that's not tactics that's just plain bad gameplay and planning on the designers part. And no Rpg's aren't necassarily all about mindless killing and I like a good story, but I also like to play the game as well and not listen to 200 hours of talking vs 10 hours of actually gameplay. And I never said the game wasn't bad or horrible I just said there is way to much backstory and talking even for a RPG, another I could mention off hand is the metal gear series, absolutely love the series, but you spend half the game in cut scenes and dialogue. To me I don't pay good money to listen to a story as much as I want to actually play the story. Probably don't even know what I'm talking about but that's ok, I don't expect you too.

But whatever's happened, the game is looking AWESOME!!!!! can't wait for march 8th.

True, they do say that they are limiting the area's we get to explore, but you guys have to remember that the storyline takes place over a period of 10 YEARS!!!!!! So I'm pretty sure that there will be a decently sized area for exploration, right?

@poovannorcbane I think he was playing in the beginner mode, you know, where there's no friendly fire, so spells can be cast without discretion, and where players don't have to use the in game pause feature, or customize AI tactics at all. Because in any OTHER mode, there would have been at least a MODERATE usage of tactics, if not more, right?

@cottonpanda-they say man OR woman who's shoes the player steps into. Meaning that you CAN play as a female. Pay attention. :\

@jhino7 you can't change the last name, the first name is changeable. I don't think they'd restrict us so much that the NAME can't be changed.

I remember the time when i downloaded a character creator for a certain game from bioware which intrigued me....I played and finished it by the second week it had released.....and two months later it snapped all the goty awards...that was 1 and a half years ago.....now i can't wait for march 8...

Didnt play origins, this looks intriguing tho. However, it wont hold a candle to SKYRIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

hope dragon age 2 wint be boring like the first one

count me in!

Great more talking, I like some action in my rpg's so far I just started DA:O played 12 hours so far, been listening to narration for 11.5 of those, I don't see the hype of this game, good graphics, great story, but this is a video game not a f-cking book, I got plenty of books to read, just praying this game gets better or at least more action. I keep hearing ppl talk about open world and all that crap there is no open world you go where they really want you to go you may get a choice, but each choice is still where they want you to go. I may not even buy the 2nd one depending on how this first goes for 2 reason. 1. I like some action in my rpg's it doesn't need to be all about the story all the time, mindless killing and good gameplay can be fun. 2. It's made my EA 3. I know I said I only had 2 but combat in this game is very boring and the tactics weren't really much of tactics, if you have to continually jump between 4 toons to kill a boss thats insane not tactics, how about a little smarter AI.

If I seriously have to read another comment about someone saying you cannot customize your gender or appearance I am going to get very angry. The video never says that so stop making assumptions and look it up for yourself and see that you are wrong.

damn it! why does i have to play as a human?!?! i hate humans!