Dragon Age

[YellerDog]

So this game is kind of plain vanilla. What's the big appeal I'm missing here?

[bVork]

ITT: Lots of people who haven't played previous BioWare expansions like Throne of Bhaal or Hordes of the Underdark, which were larger and better than a lot of full-price games.

So this game is kind of plain vanilla. What's the big appeal I'm missing here?

Excellent tactical combat, a nice deep storyline that can change dramatically based on what you do, interesting characters and intra-party dynamics, and a well-realized world. Of course, all of this won't appeal to people who aren't smart enough to appreciate depth.

[YellerDog]

So when's the story get interesting? Or do I need a tattoo in elvish to like this bhoul-shit?

Lord of the Rings: The Elves Are Black People Edition

[bVork]

I found the story interesting from the get-go. But then, I don't need the ADD-influenced pacing of a game like Left 4 Dead 2 to retain my interest. Perhaps you are different.

[YellerDog]

Perhaps!

Lord of the Rings: Nobody's Gandalf Edition

OR

Generic Fantasy Island

[FirstBlood]

Yeah, the game grabbed me as soon as I finished my origin quest and went gladiator all over Orzamar's ass by sneaking into their sacred tournament and beating all of their noble fighters.

The next part with the grey wardens might be a little slow, but once you fight the ogre in the tower and everything goes to shit the game takes off like a bat out of hell and never stops being awesome.

also, more like
Lord of the Rings: Gandalf dies in the first hour

[A Robot Bit Me]

Generic Fantasy Island

If this is generic:

Then I don't want to be inspired. Some characters' ears are long, yellerdog. Look at the spectrum of colour ranging from brown to rust.

Surely these subtleties are not lost on an aesthete such as yourself?

[FirstBlood]

Did this thread really need another "I have selectively chosen a screenshot and declare this game Quake 2!" post?

[YellerDog]

I should say it did!

[Hero]

Granted I really like the combat, the skill trees, the conversation trees, the fact that you don't "grind" for good-guy/bad-guy points, the armor design...but...

The story really isn't much you haven't seen/read from other Bioware games or fantasy novels. Feels very RR Martin (good!) and notsomuch Robert Jordan (better!), but hardly waaaay original. LOL religions are evil. LOL humans are evil capitalist pigs. Yada yada yada. Now, the interactions between characters in this generica fantasy make it totally worthwhile, along with the actual gameplay, that's about as fun as KotOR and FFXII rolled into one.

BUT!

For real, the color range it brown. Straight brown. That's all I've seen, save the slate gray/dull blues in Warden's Keep and the Ruined Temple. To believe that someone Just Doesn't Get It because they don't care for a limited palette or generic fantasy backdrops is pretty narrowminded. It's a phenominal, engrossing game but let's not pretend they're breaking any ground in aspects where it's just the same ol'.

PS - What the fuck at having to strip down for the Urn Ashes? For a game people are touting as oh-so serious and mature that's a move straight out of 12-year old fan fiction. And rendered camel toe? Double WTF and 2x LOL at anyone who kids themselves into thinking this is High Class Shit. Good game? Oh yeah. But not High Class Shit.