I changed my mind for preorder after this exact article. Just I read it copied on to some forum.

Those big companies really ruin everything they touch.

Yeah Game Informer that bastion of good games journalism. :\

I wouldn't trust a word they write as they have reviewed games without even playing them. I highly doubt that guy has indeed played all possible sidequests and missions.

Well, if you've got the Signature Edition you can always sell it on ebay, apparently they're selling quite well there...

Just why are all these things considered 'good' things?
- Inventory Management Is Better (it's not better, it's removed)
- Skills Are Gone (wat)
- Conversation Flows Better (is reading really that hard for gamers today?)
Thank god for previews, canceled my pre-order after reading that article. Even though it was the signature editon, Bioware / EA doesn't deserve my money.

Are you being sarcastic?
I want a proper RPG like a spiritual successor to Baldur's Gate should be. DAO is good but nowhere epic or deep like BG. And DA2 is heading the direction of pure dumbing down. If you remove the stats, inventory and make the combat more action like. I rather you make the DA2 a pure adventure game than call it an RPG. I'm not interested in more action, there's enough action games in the market already. And I seriously don't see how's there more story.

I may get booed at for saying this, but I think BioWare has a better idea of what an RPG should be than any other developer, past or present. When I play an RPG, I want to be immersed in the world and its inhabitants. Nothing takes you out of that world faster than stat-tweaking. If Hawke's world was real, he wouldn't be entering a menu and plunking a few points down for Constitution and Intelligence. In addition, he wouldn't be mandating the equipment each party member had to carry.

Stat-tweaking has always been unneeded fluff that artificially padded out the game. Any dolt can properly distribute stats, and in the end, BioWare's auto-levelling system for your party members has the exact same result as the manual process; the characters become stronger, faster, better at magic, and more likely to persuade others. It's not like racing, where minute changes to the engine and wheels make all the difference.

I have a hard time understanding why stat-tweaking is held up like it's some sort of amazing feature that sets the RPG genre apart from the rest. The only thing it contributes is yet another menial task you have to complete before getting in on the action.

"not interested in more action"? You're talking about a genre where action is the most important part. Even Bauldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and all those other classics lived and died on the quality of its action. If you can list a few decent RPGs where action is not the most important aspect of the entire product, then I may listen.

Well then it's pretty clear that you don't like RPG but prefer "adventure" games (adventure as in "third person action-adventure" not as in "point & click") Saying that the thing you don't like in RPG is "stats tweaking" is like saying that the thing you don't like in turn based strategy game is that it's not in real time.

It's true for Mass Effect where most stats are useless, but try the same for "real" old-school RPG and you are in for a very bad and frustrating surprise at higher difficulty.

Just off the top of my head : Planescape Torment, Arcanum, NWN2:MotB.

Have to disagree on stat-tweaking too. If the rule system is good enough, stat tweaking can end up adding replayability and helps make your character unique. The more you limit choices, the less interesting the character building becomes, as far as I'm concerned.

Like I said some time ago, Bioware games don't really feel like RPGs to me. If I really want to scratch that RPG itch, I have to go back to a D&D game or something like Fallout or Arcanum. I love Bioware games, but they're really more like action games with dialog choices.

I could see that. Guess I'm not really in the market for RPGs, then...

No, you aren't. By the things I see you like, action games are your choice. Fancy and spectacular combat moves and nice story. No stats and character development.

I think thats the evil plan of EA, to lure as many as possible different players. Screw up the old RPG fans, but lure many new players from genres like Action.

EA are just doing what they are supposed to do: make money. Action RPGs sell better than other ones, that's just the facts of life.

I am surprised at how similar DA2 is to DA:O, to be honest. It is much more of a tactical RPG than I expected when it was announced. Turn off auto-tactics and it's a lovely little pause-and-command tactical RPG. At least it was for me.

I agree, why do developers think they're making it better by removing features. Theres a difference between simplifying and dumbing down. The thing that really turned me off from Dragon Age 2 from the start was that its a pre-made character. And you can't change your party members equipment? This seems like a big disappointment coming from Bioware.

Putting points in attributes is what an RPG is about, that's character building in a way. So is changing your items, choosing between items to see what was best for the adventures ahead.

It wouldn't be so much automated that a mage should pump in nothing but intel but DAO is like that. In their older RPGs and some other modern RPGs for instance, you had stuff like dual-classing, you could pair a mage with a warrior and level up as a mage/warrior. After which u really had to think about what attribute to level and what character class you want stronger. Same thing for some other open world RPGs like Divinity 2 where I'm playing a mage/warrior. I pump more on Intel and Vitality and 1/3 of the points in Str. So I nuke the enemy first and when they close in on me, I could still melee them to death. I could also put everything in Intel and choose to max the summon spells and have my summons do the fighting for me while I nuke away. This is what choice in character leveling in RPGs is about. Take away that and inventory management, you're left with an action game with RPG elements, but no means it's an RPG. Dynasty Warriors is a clear example of that, so is God of War. And those games oversaturate the game market already, namely on the consoles. Even the once hardcore Final Fantasy titles are turning more and more into action titles.
No thanks, I have not much interest in action titles. It's good to have action games and I play them too but I don't want them to invade the genres I care most about, namely RPG and strategy. I rather play the old KOEI 4X turn-based strategy game of Romance of the Three Kingdoms than play Dynasty Warriors.

I don't know what you mean by action. If you meant combat, then ya I agree with you that combat is one of the most important parts of BG. But there's NO way that BG is an action RPG. Combat in BG wasn't about action. It's more about how you planned the fights, what tactics and strategies to use, what spells to use and what abilities to churn before any encounter. You needed to make sure you had the items to fight certain monsters before even engaging. You had to prepare for the spells the monsters will cast on you. Different strategies for different monsters like a Mindflayer, Dragon, Beholder, Drow, Demons, etc. It isn't about blindly bum rushing all the monsters and hoping to win all the fights. Getting good items after fighting powerful monsters was incredibly satisfying and that's about inventory management.
And even so, BG wasn't just about the combat, it had a great story(lesser only to Planescape for the IE games), very memorable characters you party with, great conversations, great sidequests which had plots that rivals the main plots of today's games.

And yeah, like someone mentioned Planescape is the example of a game where the action is not the most impt aspect.

I think I remember that you like RollerCoaster Tycoon which so happens to be one of my fav games of all time. How would you like it if they removed all the shops, the decorations, the static rides and gave you the chance to only make rollercoasters which happens to be automated for the most parts of it and had no "Excitement", "Intensity", "Nausea", "Top Speed", "G-Force" stats.

cw8: I'll preface this by saying I agree with almost everything you say with respect to RPGs, but (and forgive me if I tend to ramble):

Taking the mage as an example,

BG and the D&D system in general is very much like that as well. While you can choose to dual class with mages (or multiclass in the 3.x + rules), you're far better off going single class and pumping INT sky high.

As well, in DA:O there are concerns such as Mana and some abilities/specialization that may make you look at another stat other than INT for the mage (blood mage comes to mind)

DA2 looks to be very similar in that you might want to consider how you're building your mage if you're looking at specific talents and specialization. As well Warriors and Rogues need to consider whether they want to go STR/DEX/CUN etc.

So the stat allocation aspect is still there (and I believe in DA2 you get to allocate your companions' stats and talents too)

Again, this is still in DA2, except the only thing you can't do is change your companions' armor. There are still rings, ammys, etc. that you can equip on them, so that element of finding the right gear for the right situation still applies.

As for strategy, this is addressed with Nightmare mode (which really is the only mode for the hardcore RPGer in DA2). You have friendly fire, and you absolutely need to use tactics to overcome the battles or you'll be taking dirt naps and nuking your companions.

As well, if anything, DA2 seems to be a movement back to the really retro D&D style game in that you must make sure your party is balanced with the different classes. It appears that you need a healer a nuker and a tank to be successful. And there are many cross class combos that really on you tactically setting up the battle and enemies in such a fashion that your talents and abilities will come into play in the most effective manner.

Call me crazy, but after playing through the DA2 demo several times, I actually got the impression that there's going to be a really decent story involved with the game.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not trying to take the position of DA2 apologist, but it seems there's a wide-spread hysteria about the 'dumbing down' of the game. Granted, the interface is definitely changed to accommodate consoles, but I don't feel the cries of the death of RPGs with respect to DA2 is warranted. Of course, once I play the game, it's quite possible I may change my tune.

Anyway, hope I made sense here. Doing a very quick reply while I get some dinner going for the family.