First we had Evercrack.....now, Biometh.

If people thought Everquest was to gamers what crack was to junkies ...well Bioware the entire company is our new drug.

Thats the feeling you get once you`ve gotten over an addiction to Mass Effect, only to realize that Dragon Age is just down the street at the next corner. A little further down the road they`ve gotten Mass Effect 2. Then on the other side of town they`ve got all the fancy lights ready for their next big party to introduce us to TOR.

Upon completing Mass Effect I realized they really do get you with the story driven elements of their gameplay. I could hardly wait to play the game again and again untill it was complete. Even then I went through the game again making different choices at different points I felt to be significant. They really pull you into the game world they set out before you.

Dragon Age looks even more fantastic than Mass Effect. Let us all not forget that Mass Effect 2 is coming soon. Now Bioware is entering the MMO market only to bring us their addictive drug all day long, ever day of the week, ever week of the year.

Welcome to the world of Biometh. Tread carfully friends for you may be the next junkie.

I love Bioware.

I was hardly romantising drugs...considering I've never used them. I was meerly trying to point out Biowares tactic or approach to gaming and the effects there methods are having.

Are you saying that anyone who ever used the term evercrack was a drug user?

Adolescent? I'm 40 so not sure how you worked that out.

Can you say forum troll?

Sounds like you really enjoy the formula and its execution that bioware uses on making their games.  I am happy for you. I wish I was as engrosed.   

Re storyless: people like yourself are why others do drugs.

@ OP: Yeah, from the looks of the 20 minute demo, SWTOR will be just as addictive, if not more so.  They have proven they can write a good story.  Hell, I'd take KoTOR I and II over any of the episodes 1-3 any day.  I'd rather be addicted to the story and design of Bioware, than the grind and leveling of other games.

It looks very exciting. This game might actually make me drop everquest 2 if its good.

Originally posted by Ruwin

 

Thats the feeling you get once you`ve gotten over an addiction to Mass Effect,

 

Addicted to Mass Effect?

It is so hard to get addicted to such small, limited, action/rpg game.

Get KOTOR and dumb it down then mix it with a clunky  version of  Gears of War then get all the SCI FI cliches with uninspired characters , you will get Mass Effect.

CD Projekt showed how a storyline RPG should be and Demon´s Souls is here to show how an action RPG should be.

The Witcher is far, far, far superior to any of Bioware recent releases.

The last SWTOR videos already showed how goofy, unimpressive and not massive the game will be.

Yes, Bioware was impressive when they released Baldur's Gate not today.

 edit- I hope Dragon Age will be different, deeper, more unique than ME, NWN2 and what I saw of SW... lets wait and see.

I waiting as much as anyone for Dragon age but I think the OP should take a few months away from his computers.

Addiction is never good, mmmOK?

Keep playing guys and buy more mmos, some of my stock symbols are blizzard activision a biowares parent company.....which reminds me....

Can't wait for Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2.  I'm actually least excited about TOR.  I'll play it, but SW has lost some of it's appeal to me due to it's largely juvenile leanings, and mmorpg's in general grow more tiresome with each new copycat release.

I'm hoping Bioware will reinvigorate the genre for me, but I'd prefer they do it with an original IP like Dragon Age or whatever.

Originally posted by Kryziz

Keep playing guys and buy more mmos, some of my stock symbols are blizzard activision a biowares parent company.....which reminds me....

No Bioware is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts corporation. For Blizzard Activision you need to root for WoW.

Originally posted by Umbral

Originally posted by Ruwin

 

Thats the feeling you get once you`ve gotten over an addiction to Mass Effect,

 

 

Addicted to Mass Effect?

It is so hard to get addicted to such small, limited, action/rpg game.

Get KOTOR and dumb it down then mix it with a clunky  version of  Gears of War then get all the SCI FI cliches with uninspired characters , you will get Mass Effect.

CD Projekt showed how a storyline RPG should be and Demon´s Souls is here to show how an action RPG should be.

The Witcher is far, far, far superior to any of Bioware recent releases.

The last SWTOR videos already showed how goofy, unimpressive and not massive the game will be.

Yes, Bioware was impressive when they released Baldur's Gate not today.

 edit- I hope Dragon Age will be different, deeper, more unique than ME, NWN2 and what I saw of SW... lets wait and see.

 

I always loved Bioware games, but I must say....The Witcher puts them to shame (especially in recent years).

It was a grammar mistake I should have ended it off with a period....my bad I have the symbols for both on my quotestream app.

The Witcher is far, far, far superior to any of Bioware recent releases.

^^^^^^

This

The Witcher and Dead Space are the two best single player games in recent and not-so-recent memory.

Originally posted by Kryziz

The Witcher is far, far, far superior to any of Bioware recent releases.

 

^^^^^^

This

Really. Name one thing it has that no other game does. Bioware has instroduced a bunch of new things to the MMO world with this game, including the ability to take cover.

Yes, the Witcher is a good game, but it wasn't innovative in any way. Beautiful graphics, but lots of games have beautiful graphics. Lots of games have "timed hits" that give you more power at the apex of the energy build.

Bioware, on the other hand, has fantastic stories, and is pioneering some very interesting things in this MMO, including the ability to change your future choices based on your current one. Something the witcher didn't do.

Originally posted by Moirae

 

Really. Name one thing it has that no other game does. Bioware has instroduced a bunch of new things to the MMO world with this game, including the ability to take cover.

 

Yes, the Witcher is a good game, but it wasn't innovative in any way. Beautiful graphics, but lots of games have beautiful graphics. Lots of games have "timed hits" that give you more power at the apex of the energy build.

 

Bioware, on the other hand, has fantastic stories, and is pioneering some very interesting things in this MMO, including the ability to change your future choices based on your current one. Something the witcher didn't do.

Moirae

Graphics in the Witcher are average, nothing special.

The combat/stats and character progression in the Witcher matters. You can't say the same about NWN2 and Mass Effect. Every build will kill everything in those games, Bioware RPGs have no challenge.

Story? The strong point of The Witcher is the story.

Moirae you change the future choices based on your curret one in The Witcher. Did you really played The Witcher?

What is so fantastic about Bioware's stories? The dull and cliche moral concept they always use? Characters whithout charisma who act as lifeless dolls who are always bounded by the most simplistic concept of good or evil?

The Witcher take a low fantasy approach with much more into it than the cliche evil guy and the dumb good hero.

Games like The Witcher, Silent Hill 2 and even Mafia showed it is possible to incorporate mature stories with a bit of depth in moral aspects and character behavior. Bioware don't go beyond the old tale about the silly hero, pure but dumb or the evil guy who uses black and don't like children.

You know why you think The Witcher has better graphics? Because its art style. The Witcher uses the SAME engine NWN1 and 2 uses.

Bioware is pretty poor when we talk about art style.

I am sorry to say, but I am under the impression you didn't really play The Witcher.

edit- we can't use SWTOR as example, not yet. But what you said about choices and story didn't start with Bioware JRPGs and games like SH already had this kind of story progression before... and as I said you have these choices in The Witcher.

...

Another issues among Bioware's games are the combat mechanic, item progression and character development.

What we see in the 3 last Bioware's games is simplistic and dull, every build, every non developed character can go thru all the game.

If you compare Mass Effect and NWN (1and2) with The Witcher and Last Remnant (especially Last Remnant)  you will notice how the system  behind Bioware's games is simplistic and has no challenge.

I can be wrong, but using Bioware's single player games as examples I belive Bioware just can't build a complex mechanic behind a MMO with balance, classes and group content.

When we talk about single player RPGs and analyze Square Enix games we realize they know how to build  group oriented, complex dynamics. I am not sure about Bioware.

New drug ? I been playing Bioware games since NWN and haven't stopped since. I think them making a mmo makes them more noticeable to a much broader audience now than ever before. Old drug but same great results.

---

Originally posted by Umbral
 
Another issues among Bioware's games are the combat mechanic, item progression and character development.
What we see in the 3 last Bioware's games is simplistic and dull, every build, every non developed character can go thru all the game.
If you compare Mass Effect and NWN (1and2) with The Witcher and Last Remnant (especially Last Remnant)  you will notice how the system  behind Bioware's games is simplistic and has no challenge.
I can be wrong, but using Bioware's single player games as examples I belive Bioware just can't build a complex mechanic behind a MMO with balance, classes and group content.
When we talk about single player RPGs and analyze Square Enix games we realize they know how to build  group oriented, complex dynamics. I am not sure about Bioware.
 

---

I've enjoyed almost all of Bioware's games, but you may have a point. I think the simple character progression they used in their previous games worked for those games, but for an MMO I think they need to go deeper. They are completely untested in the areas of deep character progression, group mechanics, and pvp balance... all essential for a good MMO. So TOR is new territory for them, and it remains to be seen if they can create a good MMO. Still, Dragon Age should be awesome. :D

Never played The Witcher or Last Remnant, though if they're that awesome, I guess I should.

If you talk about clichés being present in their games though, you should also specify which ones.

What I mostly like about Bioware's games is how immersive they are, they create a story, a cliché hero story at times, and make it believable.

The atmosphere is always there in Bioware's games, and the art and gameplay fits in with the setting.

Very few RPG's I have played have had an extremely original plot, it's mostly about defeating evil X or doing heroic action Y. Those that did try to differ almost all ended up in a small 'alternative' niche.

Kotor isn't original in it's plot, but it does deliver that classy Star Wars feeling imo.

Mass Effect isn't super original either (though it was only the first game in a trilogy, so we should wait there), it re-uses a lot of scifi literature and ideas, but that's not necessarily a bad thing imo. I often smiled at the references made to great scifi artists.

In both games, the combat mechanic wasn't THE most innovative ever, but what is important is that it worked with the setting.

And that's what I like about them: they don't try to be the most innovative, but they deliver : they hit the goal their games are meant to hit.

Kotor delivers it's star warsy feel, Mass Effect delivers it's scifi cinematic experience.

Originally posted by Fdzzaigl

Never played The Witcher or Last Remnant, though if they're that awesome, I guess I should.

If you talk about clichés being present in their games though, you should also specify which ones.

 

What I mostly like about Bioware's games is how immersive they are, they create a story, a cliché hero story at times, and make it believable.

The atmosphere is always there in Bioware's games, and the art and gameplay fits in with the setting.

 

Very few RPG's I have played have had an extremely original plot, it's mostly about defeating evil X or doing heroic action Y. Those that did try to differ almost all ended up in a small 'alternative' niche.

 

Kotor isn't original in it's plot, but it does deliver that classy Star Wars feeling imo.

 

Mass Effect isn't super original either (though it was only the first game in a trilogy, so we should wait there), it re-uses a lot of scifi literature and ideas, but that's not necessarily a bad thing imo. I often smiled at the references made to great scifi artists.

 

In both games, the combat mechanic wasn't THE most innovative ever, but what is important is that it worked with the setting.

 

And that's what I like about them: they don't try to be the most innovative, but they deliver : they hit the goal their games are meant to hit.

 

Kotor delivers it's star warsy feel, Mass Effect delivers it's scifi cinematic experience.

Bioware's games are definitely good, but do your self a favor and try out The Witcher...It'll make you see these "great single player story games" in a new light.

Originally posted by demalus

Originally posted by Umbral

Originally posted by Ruwin

 

Thats the feeling you get once you`ve gotten over an addiction to Mass Effect,

 

 

Addicted to Mass Effect?

It is so hard to get addicted to such small, limited, action/rpg game.

Get KOTOR and dumb it down then mix it with a clunky  version of  Gears of War then get all the SCI FI cliches with uninspired characters , you will get Mass Effect.

CD Projekt showed how a storyline RPG should be and Demon´s Souls is here to show how an action RPG should be.

The Witcher is far, far, far superior to any of Bioware recent releases.

The last SWTOR videos already showed how goofy, unimpressive and not massive the game will be.

Yes, Bioware was impressive when they released Baldur's Gate not today.

 edit- I hope Dragon Age will be different, deeper, more unique than ME, NWN2 and what I saw of SW... lets wait and see.

 

 

I always loved Bioware games, but I must say....The Witcher puts them to shame (especially in recent years).

Well, that is your opinion. Metacritic disagrees. :P

Besides, their last few games were new IPs created for consoles first, the Witcher was from a series of novels and made for PC (with Bioware's engine), so of course it had more length and depth. Personally I thought it was a very mediocre RPG with boring combat and awful dialogue, but to each their own. 

Originally posted by Shazzel1

The Witcher and Dead Space are the two best single player games in recent and not-so-recent memory.

I thought BioShock was pretty amazing too.