Related Sections: Game Diaries
Dragon Age: read all about it
There's a lot of text in Dragon Age. As with previous Bioware games, as you play, you fill a codex with entries, divided into categories. There are sections for politics, history, characters, special items, and so forth. I'm like a lot of gamers in that I tend to skip this stuff. But that wasn't quite how it worked out in Dragon Age.
Read about the reading after the jump.
I don't normally read chunks of text in a videogame. There are two reasons for this: 1) it's rarely necessary, and 2) it's usually poorly written. Yeah, sure, when I get stuck on a quest, I'll pore over the necessary text to see what I missed. "Oh, I'm supposed to use Item A at Location B instead of giving it to Character C at Location D! I see." Not everyone conveniently highlights these details as MMOs are wont to do.
At first, Dragon Age was no exception. There are a handful of quests that are impossible to finish unless you read the associated text. I read those. Meanwhile, I let the new codex entries roll in and stack up, neglecting the plaintive white highlighting that indicated I hadn't read an entry. Occasionally, I'd read an optional codex entry, but usually to try to glean some gameplay advantage. Like trying to find out how best to kill an ogre. Or what gifts Sten would like. But for the most part, I ignored the codex whenever possible.
But as I played, as I got more invested in the game systems, as I saw more of the world, I sometimes wanted to peer a little deeper. This was especially true when I started having to make Dragon Age's big decisions. This is a world of realpolitik, and not the facile good/evil choice of feeding the puppy or kicking the puppy. From years of playing videogames with good/evil decisions -- many of them by Bioware -- I know well the difference between feeding a puppy and kicking a puppy. The former lets you shoot blue lightning, the latter lets you shoot red lightning. But I wasn't quite up on the finer points of supporting the [spoiler deleted] or the [spoiler deleted], much less the consequences of such a decision.
So I found myself picking through a few codex entries, curious about why Bioware did some of the things they did. Why would the [spoiler deleted] do something like [spoiler deleted]? What do the [spoiler deleted] have to do with the [spoiler deleted]? Is [spoiler deleted] really [spoiler deleted]?
And although I ended the game with far more codex entries unread than read, I will say this: there is not a single codex entry I read in Dragon Age that I didn't feel was worth the time it took to read. On the contrary, many of the things I read directly resulted in me enjoying the game more, and more willingly suspending my disbelief. It's another example of how Dragon Age gives back to you in proportion to what you give it.
However, I would like to say that elf poetry is horrible. Just horrible. And nothing the elves have written can hold a candle to "Nug Pancakes", a dwarven song about...well, you have to read about nugs to know what it's about. I refer you to the codex entry on nugs.
Up next: Dragon Age's biggest buts
(Click here for the previous Dragon Age entry.)
By Christopher at 8:22 AM ON 11/06/09
It's interesting that they included a codex with this game to provide some backstory on the world. They did this for Mass Effect, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading that encyclopedia. The story behind the story sometimes can be just as fun, and it becomes clear early on that someone put a lot of work into crafting the background props.
By Balasarius at 9:25 AM ON 11/06/09
Tom, I would like to take exception to your previous claims that the game only got "tough" once you encountered the two ogres. I just finished Lothering and I've died /countless/ times. Countless! How dare you set my expectations so.
Those packs of bandits outside Lothering? So many deaths... I can't flippin' believe Morrigan doesn't come with a healing spell! When she /finally/ levelled up and I gave her one, the game got soo much easier. Though, still not the walk in the park you previously described.
I'm also deeply upset they took away the vendor in Ostagar after you return from your quest in the Wilds. You're overflowing with gear, you can't sell it because the vendor is gone, NOR can you buy his backpack... because he's gone. You couldn't buy it previously because the game had just started and you don't have enough money. You then get to spend the next 3-4 hours while the game moves you through plot areas fully loaded with the gear you found in the Wilds. Sigh.
Otherwise, best RPG in a decade.
By endaround at 11:15 AM ON 11/06/09
He isn't gone. He was there until you left for the tower for me. Are you on the PC? If so that would explain why you found it harder. The bandits were nothing compared to the wolves the first time. My dog charged and before I knew it I was surrounded by 20 wolves and soon torn apart. You can lure individual ones via bows which makes it much, much easier.
By WCG at 11:44 AM ON 11/06/09
You usually skip the text (i.e. the story) in a game? Do you normally play RPGs at all, or is it usually just action games for you?
I'm enjoying your write-up, but you seem to be an odd kind of RPG enthusiast. Or maybe this is just the difference between a console gamer and a PC gamer. Heh, heh. Or maybe it's just me. :)
By Jay at 12:04 PM ON 11/06/09
I don't know about the PC, but playing it on normal on the 360 was super easy, I haven't been stuck at a fight for a while, and I am just playing really sloppy with the AOE's, I kinda want to turn up the diffuculty a bit.
By MoonDevil at 4:15 PM ON 11/06/09
Good reviews of the game so far, like your intrinsic look into the game, instead of just fanboy stuff.
I'm curious to the fact of you saying, "Having finished the game..." and such. Now ...after playing... what do you do?
Can you create more than one character at a time? Or do you try it again with the same character, or create a new one, to try different paths, etc? Or do you just wait for DLC? Just curious, as I do like RPG like this, played WoW for a long while... and was excited to see this coming out. Just wonder about replay value, or continuation possibilities...
By Tom Chick at 4:31 PM ON 11/06/09
MoonDevil, it's a single player RPG, so it's not going to have the long-term viability of an MMO like World of Warcraft. Once you complete the storyline, you're closed out of the rest of the gameworld, with the exception of any DLC episodes. However, the storyline is full of significant either/or choices. If you really dig the game, it'll probably hold up for a second play-through to explore the roads not taken as a brand new character. Also, there are six "prologues" for various types of characters that are worth exploring even if you don't plan to play through the whole game.
By xenoss at 3:47 AM ON 11/09/09
This blog is nice in that I have the same opinion as the author. The difference is, I don't like DA. I still play it and will play until I finish it, but I must say that despite all the positive reviews and praise I see for this game, I cannot agree with any of them now that I've played this game for so many hours.
This is far from the best RPG. It is barely a good RPG. I say this with BG, Fallout background. This does not compare to the old classics. I generally dislike the Bethesda games (Morrowind, Oblivion and Fallout 3). I find DA similar to Oblivion, only it is even worse.
By alpinecalm at 4:31 AM ON 11/09/09
Tom...followed you for years, CGW and on. I feel it is high time I assigned you an immortal quest...cough... asked a favor. As you will soon find out and as the forums prove; archers are gimped. BG1, BG2, NWN1, NWN2 and now DA...archers ALWAYs gimped. Every time I am disappointed then I wait a few more years for Bioware to come out with a new fantasy RPG. I mend my tights and polish my replica composite bow all ready to don leather only so I can start pinsticking greenskins. DA was my last hope...again my Legolas ears will have to go back into my treehouse. I am not alone in my quest to role-play the most effeminate and deadly of Tolkien's characters...why won't they give us this dream? You seem to have caught their attention with the inventory thing...maybe you can drop a blog post about the persecution of archer wannabes? Please, for old times sake? I can't ask Jeff Green, he has some kind of dwarf, gnome fetish. Would never understand. Sigh, if not, then's it time to boot up Pool of Radiance again, the last game that actually made archers viable.
By puppy at 2:02 PM ON 11/10/09
lol , archers were so OP in bg 1 and 2 ; in DA they start being more effective in higher lvls , also bioware intend on buffing them in a future patch
puppy:
lol , archers were so OP in bg 1 and 2 ; in DA they start being more effective in higher lvls , also bioware intend...More »