Dragon Age: console or PC - Page 8

Tim James · 11-10-2009, 08:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Nahr

Everyone who complains about the PSN store requiring too many clicks should be forced to buy some Dragon Age DLC on the PC. This platform is so doomed.

I think we're all hoping that PC DLC just goes away. I can't wait to dive into some user-made content though. I never had any interest in NWN modules because I missed the boat, but DA seems like a nice game to integrate a few fan-made quests here and there.

Chris Nahr · 11-10-2009, 09:36 AM

Oh, another PC quirk I noticed: the game preselects the wrong screen resolution! I have my desktop set to 1920x1200 which is also the native resolution of my LCD screen. My rig should easily be powerful enough to handle that resolution in Dragon Age, yet the configuration utility selects... 1680x1050. WTF? That's not even so much lower than 1920x1200 to provide any significant performance boost. People who complained about the PC graphics might want to check if they are unknowingly running at such an oddball resolution...

Chris Nahr · 11-14-2009, 12:16 AM

As it turns out the game contains tons of text. Which is not scaled and presented in a non-resizable window. Which means that at 1920x1200, there's one small window with tiny text in the middle of the screen. Which means I had to drop down to a 720p console resolution (actually 1280x800) so that I can read Codex entries. :(

And what's up with requiring the disk in the drive? All this phoning home for DLC, and we still have a disk check like in 1985?

Chris Nahr · 11-14-2009, 06:39 AM

Gee, I just noticed that Dragon Age dumps not only the current saves but also eight hundred megabytes of DLC data in My Documents! Hey guys, ever heard of the local AppData folder? Thanks for bloating my user data backups by a factor of five. (Of course I excluded those files from my backup once I had noticed them.)

The more I look at the PC version, the worse it gets. It looks and behaves just like a mediocre console port -- I'd never guess that it was originally developed for the PC, much less that it's the great white hope of PC gaming or whatever. The only thing the PC version still has going for it is the RTS-like overhead view in combat. Otherwise, players of the console versions certainly have no reason to be jealous.

Alistair · 11-14-2009, 08:06 AM

I'm not actually a fan of that overhead view. The way it locks the angle is just annoying. I don't think it's quite accurate to say it's a port - NWN2 was much clunkier and it was PC only. I think that's just Bioware.

Chris Nahr · 11-14-2009, 08:10 AM

Yeah, I'm aware that the game is not actually a console port -- it's just strangely clunky and unpolished in some ways as if it was one.

After all those complaints I should add that the game itself (gameplay & writing) is fantastic -- I've played through the origin story and the first wilderness, and so far I'm loving the game. Thankfully I haven't hit any bugs either, and even the 1.01 patch worked fine.

Dave Long · 11-21-2009, 11:09 PM

It looks like I can run Dragon Age despite thinking originally that I can't. The system requirements as printed online are kind of misleading depending where you look.

Has anyone played the game on a system with a single core processor and a relatively high end video card like an 8800GT? If you have, I'm curious what kind of performance you got. From what I'm seeing online, it looks like I should be able to get around 24-30fps at Med-High graphic detail. That's perfectly acceptable to me.

unbongwah · 11-23-2009, 07:05 AM

Based on this article, it looks like DA benefits a lot from multi-core CPUs.

Dave Long · 11-23-2009, 07:23 AM

I'm sure it does, but I've read enough now to see that the game was definitely not developed to lock out people like me. In fact, most say the game runs great on similar hardware to mine. Given the resolution my monitor is at and the lack of interest in spending $800 or so on a new PC, I'll probably play it on here.

I'm just waiting now to see if there is a discount on Steam this coming weekend.

Chris Nahr · 11-24-2009, 03:02 AM

This is probably specific to the PC version: Help, I need more hotkeys! My mages have too many spells to fit them all on the activation bar at the bottom. Is there some way to make it bigger, or to cast spells directly from the spell inventory or something?

Athryn · 11-24-2009, 03:25 AM

You can drag it to make it longer.

Chris Nahr · 11-24-2009, 04:04 AM

Awesome, thanks! It's even mentioned in the manual...

Dave Long · 12-04-2009, 07:42 AM

Just thought I'd point out that folks with single core processors and a good video card should not shy away from the PC version of Dragon Age. Performance is great on my Athlon 64 3500+ w/2GB RAM and 8800GT. Resolution is only 1024x768, but if you're running an older box, you're probably already running lower resolutions in current games anyway so that's ok.

The benefits of being able to play with mouse and keyboard are huge also, IMO. Really impressed with what I've played so far.

tiohn · 02-27-2010, 04:55 PM

Here's a twist: Is it worth my time and money to grab the Mac version of this? Having recently gone Mac and being unable to find my XP disc at the moment, I am wondering if the Mac version would be a waste of time. I think my main concern is that some huge patch might be upcoming that will never be completed for the Mac version. Is the game solid as-is, or are there things that are still being ironed out?

11-10-2009, 09:36 AM	#212
Chris Nahr How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Aurora Posts: 12,768	Oh, another PC quirk I noticed: the game preselects the wrong screen resolution! I have my desktop set to 1920x1200 which is also the native resolution of my LCD screen. My rig should easily be powerful enough to handle that resolution in Dragon Age, yet the configuration utility selects... 1680x1050. WTF? That's not even so much lower than 1920x1200 to provide any significant performance boost. People who complained about the PC graphics might want to check if they are unknowingly running at such an oddball resolution...

11-14-2009, 12:16 AM	#213
Chris Nahr How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Aurora Posts: 12,768	As it turns out the game contains tons of text. Which is not scaled and presented in a non-resizable window. Which means that at 1920x1200, there's one small window with tiny text in the middle of the screen. Which means I had to drop down to a 720p console resolution (actually 1280x800) so that I can read Codex entries. :( And what's up with requiring the disk in the drive? All this phoning home for DLC, and we still have a disk check like in 1985?

11-14-2009, 06:39 AM	#214
Chris Nahr How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Aurora Posts: 12,768	Gee, I just noticed that Dragon Age dumps not only the current saves but also eight hundred megabytes of DLC data in My Documents! Hey guys, ever heard of the local AppData folder? Thanks for bloating my user data backups by a factor of five. (Of course I excluded those files from my backup once I had noticed them.) The more I look at the PC version, the worse it gets. It looks and behaves just like a mediocre console port -- I'd never guess that it was originally developed for the PC, much less that it's the great white hope of PC gaming or whatever. The only thing the PC version still has going for it is the RTS-like overhead view in combat. Otherwise, players of the console versions certainly have no reason to be jealous.

11-14-2009, 08:06 AM	#215
Alistair Social Worker Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 2,000	I'm not actually a fan of that overhead view. The way it locks the angle is just annoying. I don't think it's quite accurate to say it's a port - NWN2 was much clunkier and it was PC only. I think that's just Bioware.

11-14-2009, 08:10 AM	#216
Chris Nahr How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Aurora Posts: 12,768	Yeah, I'm aware that the game is not actually a console port -- it's just strangely clunky and unpolished in some ways as if it was one. After all those complaints I should add that the game itself (gameplay & writing) is fantastic -- I've played through the origin story and the first wilderness, and so far I'm loving the game. Thankfully I haven't hit any bugs either, and even the 1.01 patch worked fine.

11-21-2009, 11:09 PM	#217
Dave Long How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 14,204	It looks like I can run Dragon Age despite thinking originally that I can't. The system requirements as printed online are kind of misleading depending where you look. Has anyone played the game on a system with a single core processor and a relatively high end video card like an 8800GT? If you have, I'm curious what kind of performance you got. From what I'm seeing online, it looks like I should be able to get around 24-30fps at Med-High graphic detail. That's perfectly acceptable to me.

11-23-2009, 07:05 AM	#218
unbongwah New Romantic Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Somewhere sekrit near Washington, DC Posts: 7,998	Based on this article, it looks like DA benefits a lot from multi-core CPUs.

11-23-2009, 07:23 AM	#219
Dave Long How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 14,204	I'm sure it does, but I've read enough now to see that the game was definitely not developed to lock out people like me. In fact, most say the game runs great on similar hardware to mine. Given the resolution my monitor is at and the lack of interest in spending $800 or so on a new PC, I'll probably play it on here. I'm just waiting now to see if there is a discount on Steam this coming weekend.

11-24-2009, 03:02 AM	#220
Chris Nahr How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Aurora Posts: 12,768	This is probably specific to the PC version: Help, I need more hotkeys! My mages have too many spells to fit them all on the activation bar at the bottom. Is there some way to make it bigger, or to cast spells directly from the spell inventory or something?

11-24-2009, 03:25 AM	#221
Athryn New Romantic Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Type /release to return to your last bind point. Posts: 9,653	You can drag it to make it longer.

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Dragon Age: console or PC

11-24-2009, 04:04 AM	#222
Chris Nahr How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Aurora Posts: 12,768	Awesome, thanks! It's even mentioned in the manual...

12-04-2009, 07:42 AM	#223
Dave Long How To Go Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Reading, PA Posts: 14,204	Just thought I'd point out that folks with single core processors and a good video card should not shy away from the PC version of Dragon Age. Performance is great on my Athlon 64 3500+ w/2GB RAM and 8800GT. Resolution is only 1024x768, but if you're running an older box, you're probably already running lower resolutions in current games anyway so that's ok. The benefits of being able to play with mouse and keyboard are huge also, IMO. Really impressed with what I've played so far.

02-27-2010, 04:55 PM	#224
tiohn Social Worker Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 4,412	Here's a twist: Is it worth my time and money to grab the Mac version of this? Having recently gone Mac and being unable to find my XP disc at the moment, I am wondering if the Mac version would be a waste of time. I think my main concern is that some huge patch might be upcoming that will never be completed for the Mac version. Is the game solid as-is, or are there things that are still being ironed out?