"EXCELLENT writing" is an opinion and does not belong in a review. If the writing diserves to be emphisised above other games you need to explain what it has that the other games do not and only then can you actually say weather the writing is excellent or not. Also what exactly does deep dialogue mean, I take it you mean that it makes you think, but so do a lot of other games so that is nothing really special. As for choices, there are dozens of less famous RPGs from consols like the SNES and PS1 which have what you described, where one action can totally alter the plot, who joins you and what happens so basically is a more modern interprretation of the concept.
Ok, excellent writing: a plot which isn't easily guessable. Dragon Age sorta suffers from some predictability, but there are alot of twists and turns in the story which help to unique it out of the mass of other fantasy stories. The main villain themselves (the Darkspawn) are pretty much generic Fantasy Monster Horde, but it is in fact the other parts of the story, like Loghain, which are the really good parts and which actually make you interested in the story and makes you wonder what happens next. Excellent writing is almost something that, after beating the game, you are left with this fulfilled feeling, like you've gone through an epic journey and really feel like you finally completed it.
Deep dialogue is something which makes you think, but also is something which is excellent, as in it is consistent with the setting and the conversation, and it's also something which actually sounds logical and something which you'd feel like you'd reply in the setting. Excellent dialogue doesn't force words into the players mouth and always gives a choice. Excellent and deep dialogue also doesn't give you fake choices, as is "oh you can say this but the outcome will still be exactly the same".
Very strange, I found FFXIII enjoyable since the far beginnning. Yes you do not particually want to replay that 20 hours repetetivly and thus why the free play is at the end but while playing it it is perfectly exciting and fun. People just blew it out of proportion that it was a problem. All the time the stages are absolutly beautiful, almost completly bug free and you will find yourself stopping often to take in where you are and think what is happening.
When alot of people complain that the game takes too long to get interesting, then we are in fact dealing with a real problem. Yes, Dragon Age has suffered from people whining about things like bugs and etc. but the overall opinnion which I've seen from forums and fellow gamers that the game is still good and captivates you from the beginning. If a game does not make you want to finish it since the beginning then it is not a good game!
Well FFXIII actually did a good job at avoiding this. Yes some skill are of limited use noteably the resist X element buffs from the synergist, but even they will be useful to cut your healing in some battles. In contrast in a few of the user written guides I read of DA there are noticable skills which they say to avoid as their use is no where near as effective as another skill also available to you.
Welcome to the world of RPGs. Also, I wouldn't say that there are necessarily useless skills, it's just that some skills are situational and very strict when it comes to builds. Each skill has their use somewhere, it's just that some tend to be more universal than others. Then again, all RPGs suffer from this, atleast all I've played (both JRPGs and WRPGs).
Well the comment this was from I did not fully get why it was there. All I know is that dragon age rattings certainly were higher than they should have been as they were matching or better than the rattings the same companies gave games which gamers voted the best games in the world.
Once again: YOU. HAVE. NOT. PLAYED. THE. GAME!
Well yes this might not be all too clear to some people. Yes they are made by different companies and different engines and even different storys but there are still multiple similar aspects. Most noticable is the fact that some of the mod support sites support games like fallout 3 (yes simalarity is shared with this to a degrree in some of the concepts behind character development) or TES oblivion as well as dragon age mods. The fact that the same site would support such apparenntly different games must mean there is atleast some part of simalarity in it. Infact you could probably compare it with WC3 (a sort of RPG RTS combo) and SC2 (a designed pure RTS), being totally different in many axpects while still being very simlar in a lot of ways so attracting people of simlar mindset. Using your argument you could call WC3 a totally different game from SC2 however you can not argue that they do have some bond between them. Basically dragon age is the modable singleplayer RPG of 2009/10 just like fallout III and TES oblivion were of previous years and thats actually about the largest similarity next to them all having RPG aspects which are related in some ways.
Yes, nexus supports DA:O and FO 3 and TES:Oblivion, and you know why? BECAUSE THESE GAMES ARE HIGHLY MODDABLE! Modability does not similar game make. Both TES Oblivion and DA:O are generic fantasy settings yes, but even they have alot of similarities, in terms of setting, story and even gameplay. Comparing them due to their modability and being fantasy RPGs just sound stupid. And yes, WC 3 and SC 2 have a bond between since they are made by the SAME EXACT COMPANY!
Well unfortunatly I would have to counter that by asking you the same thing. It probably is a lot easier than you would like to imagine as it is basicly weighing up risks and then basing AI response on that (WC3 AI even has this to a degree where the enemy will try atleast to save some of its units). Obviously it would vary from stage to stage as in some situations it would probably call for them being a lot more willing to sacrafice themselves but overall it makes more sense. If you are refering to the dragons and other wild life in it by "mindless monsters" then the game must be rather shallow as most things that size that are living can not be mindless or monsters. Logically if they are artificially created, conjured up (not truely living) or controled in some way by an idiot then it would be valid.
Well yes, depending on how advanced you want to make the system, then sure coding would be easy. However, I'd argue that to make it actually an engaging and interesting system you'd need to put alot of resources to it, perhaps even so much that the question would rise if it's truly worth it.
With mindless monsters I meant undergound beasts, zombies and other beings which are either: 1. possessed by demons (as there are alot in DA:O) or 2. summoned with magic. The dragons attack you because usually in the game you are entering their nests. You know how birds defend their nets furiously? Well these dragons are doing the same thing. Also alot of times the wildlife in the game has also been infected by the Taint (something which happens during the Darkspawn invasion), which in turn makes them highly aggressive and almost mindless.
Yes it does and I did it for most games before I get them. This is how I discovered how good the castlevania RPGs were by watching their tool assisted speedruns. Infact this was how I even discovered how good WC3 was. A few hours of gameplay footage tells you more than all the nonsense words from all the professional reviewers in the world.
I find it funny that you claim that all professional reviewers just spat nonsense? Perhaps you should actually read some reviews and realize that they do in fact bring alot of valid points and are not as biased as you'd think. Sure there are some reviewers who obviously wrote their reviews while smelling money, but there are alot of professional ones who actually know what they're talking about.
Dragon Age is also more than combat. There are lots of great dialogue in it, something which you simply CANNOT experience thought a video. It's something you have to play yourself.
Frankly from all the concept art and fan art you can clearly see that blood and killing was a major part of DA, and frankly I do not want to be seen playing such a game where so much processing power goes wasted into making sure your character gets unnescescarilly plastered with blood.
Believe it or not, but the goryness and the grittiness actually aid the atmosphere. It aids in the game's grimdark feeling and makes it feel consistent. Sure there are a few points where getting covered with blood and initiating dialogue just feels silly, but all in all the blood feels like part of the game, and to be honest doesn't feel all that excessive. It's something that is there and suits it. It doesn't break the immersion, rather it helps it.