Its odd that someone brought up the ol "all stories that can be told already have been" nonsense in here. Someone just came at me with that bullshit in real life like 2 days ago and we had a good ol debate. At some point, some moron who was obviously a very epic troll started that , most likely to create a debate and provoke people INTO having original thought to refute it.
Kind of ironic really, that in order to prove their point that their is no originality left in the world, people resort to a tired, and untrue cliche.
The OP is only trying to cause a flame war. He is baiting anyone who enjoys Bioware games to respond.
If people genuinely don't like the stories Bioware tells in their games, that is completely their perogative. Obviously every game will appeal to some people and not to others. But the argument Autrarch is making about SW:TOR being a single-player game is just ignorant and stupid.
If you still deny SW:TOR is an MMO after watching that video, please provide your proof for that belief Autarch. I dare you.
Sounds a lot like Guild Wars to me.
You know, that game made by the development company that outright states it isn't an MMO?
Please enlighten me as to which elements of TOR displayed in that video sound like Guild Wars to you...
You have no specific information and no proof to back up your claims. You are just spouting ignorant comments with nothing to back it up. Show me specifics and backup your arguments. I will be happy to debate you. Right now you have about 0 credibility.
Well, since SW:TOR appears to be mainly a single player game, it might as well get compared to single player games.
And, what's with this sudden obsession with MMOs having storylines focusing on the individual? Fuck that, really. I want a world, not a single player game that I can PLAY ON ZE NETS.
I agree with this.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Crafting=Solo Crafting facillitated by Auction House
PvP=Battlegrounds"
That video contradicts itself on multiple occassions.
( Stop making up percentages, it's really making you look stupid. )
Those percentages were given by Bioware themseleves. You may have known that if you spent any time researching the subject. You are the one who looks stupid attempting to debate without facts to backup your claims.
Your agenda regarding TOR is clear... but please don't make baseless arguments.
Its odd that someone brought up the ol "all stories that can be told already have been" nonsense in here. Someone just came at me with that bullshit in real life like 2 days ago and we had a good ol debate.
Given the quality of this post, I rather doubt that.
At some point, some moron who was obviously a very epic troll started that , most likely to create a debate and provoke people INTO having original thought to refute it.
Name-calling always wins the argument, right?
Kind of ironic really, that in order to prove their point that their is no originality left in the world, people resort to a tired, and untrue cliche.
Most stories will seem new and original - if you never read anything.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Bioware is a company full of talentless hacks. Nowadays, at the very least.
Giving them credit where it's due: Their voice acting is of top quality, the combat is ( usually ) quite well designed and the graphical style of their games allows them to run on pretty much any system.
But, their plot lines are cliché and pretty much exactly the same ( the only exception was Neverwinter Nights, and that was milked to hell ), the out-of-company sequels to their games are far better than their in company ones ( and the only reason they're considered not comparable is because those companies get rushed due to not being Bioware ) and they steal concepts from other books and games, such as Dragon Age - the Darkspawn of which are a blatant rip of R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series.
All Bioware is capable of these days is repeating their same old crap sequel after sequel after new franchise. Character suffers tragedy, goes into universe / world, joins extra-special order, recruits companions, does series of pretty much linear zones interspered with "side quests", fights disappointing boss, saves day.
And, if you're expecting anything seriously different from SW:TOR, you're sadly mistaken.
I guess you are entirely unaware of the Jungian conventions in epic storytelling. "Stealing concepts" is itself a pretty much ridiculous concept when it comes to the fantasy genre, given they're not copying and pasting entire sequences.
The epic form strives to be the stomping grounds of the collective unconscious, so there are lots of interchangeable motifs and mythemes. Bioware smartly build on these (they actually impress me each time with their grasp on and knowledge of the genre), but they always have that bit of extra there, their own way of weaving those raw materials, which makes their stories feel like a relatively new take on old material.
As an example, Dragon Age has much more similarity to the Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire books. It also lifts from classic texts like Beowulf and of course the granddaddy of all Western fantasy epics, Snorri Edda (which is the blueprint for Tolkien's work). This is perfectly natural and calling someone a "talentless hack" because of it makes no sense at all - this is pretty much epic text analysis 101.
I heartily suggest you read some Claude Lévi-Strauss, Joseph Campbell and Vladimir Propp.
Comparing the plot of games like Bioshock/Systemshock and especially Deus Ex with Mass Effect it is easy to realise Bioware may know how to tell the story, but the amount of cliches and lack of depth in their creations is astonishing
Bioware games usually lacks on combat balance, interesting bosses, character development/useful skills/spells and gearing but usually the storyline is polished. The main issue is how every moral and fantasy cliche is always there on their games.
Even worse is the fact that after KOTOR we had Kotor meets Asia (Jade Empire), KOTOR meets Gears of War (Mass Effect), KOTOR meets Baldur's Gate (and evey possible western fantasy cliche) Dragon Age.
Personally, I enjoy their games (played all of them) even if they are not on my top list but they are for sure over hyped these days.
Seriously? Final Fantasy? The Witcher? I'm sorry but they storylines have been done to death... each rendition continues to push the storyline along but its always the same storyline just with different characters. Saying Metal Gear has a great story after so many renditions of the same'ol is like saying Mario or Zelda are good stories.
Overhyped or not.. you have to think about what hype consists of -- people being excited about a game. if the games were consistently rehashed with terrible storylines you would think the community wouldn't buy them because they already know whats going to happen. Thats not the case... the point of the system BioWare puts in place is to create a story that gives choices on a moment to moment basis. Your characters story. This could consist of helping a beggar one minute and then killing a different beggar the next. The story lines are scripted and holds your hand through it all but allows you to make choices at integral parts of the story. If the story is boring then perhaps its the choices you made?
.
I mentioned that Square follows its own patterns on Final Fantasy stories and not every unoriginal fantasy pattern you can find just like Bioware do. A lot of what you find in Final Fantasy you will find inside the serie at least Square created its own cliches, we can't say the same about Bioware.
And yes, the plot you have and the choices you have in The Witcher are not as original like what we see in Folklore and Planescape, but are much less cliche than Bioware storylines, especially the moral patterns.
You avoided to comment on games that I mentioned that have really unique plot like Folklore, Syberia, Silent Hill 2 ...why?
You are wrong about Metal Gear Solid, the serie follow one main Storyline it is NOT like Zelda or Mario, far from it.
I never said the stories in Bioware games are boring, cliche and unoriginal yes. The dialogue system in Bioware games are nice and usually a good point that overcome the silly plot but the game is not open enough for you to use the argument you used.
Metal Gear, Final Fantasy and many other games are just as popular as Bioware games and worldwide they sell even more the fact that Bioware's games sell well has nothing to do with the argument of good, original or cliche stories.
As I said before, Bioware's games like Konami, Square, Santa Monica 's games are quality games for sure, it is pretty understandable that they sell well even with all the cliches and unbalanced mechanics.
Those percentages were given by Bioware themseleves. You may have known that if you spent any time researching the subject. You are the one who looks stupid attempting to debate without facts to backup your claims.
Your agenda regarding TOR is clear... but please don't make baseless arguments.
Until the percentages are given by a source that isn't trying to directly promote their game, I don't trust it.
Especially since marketting spin usually ends up with public meaning that everyone can experience that quest, whilst instanced is of a specific class.
( Here's a clue, to be a good consumer: Don't trust what people tell you when they're trying to sell you something. )
Crafting=Solo Crafting facillitated by Auction House
PvP=Battlegrounds"
That video contradicts itself on multiple occassions.
[Mod Edit]
HAHAHA I'm making this up?
Quote time
Quote from James Olhen: "Our public areas are one contiguous world", "Not just our cities - 90% of the game, actually, will be areas where you can run into other players" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Quote from James Olhen: "Its not going to feel like a heavily instanced game" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
"We're going to have open world PvP, As for the more structured PvP, I can't going into details but we will have it" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Those percentages were given by Bioware themseleves. You may have known that if you spent any time researching the subject. You are the one who looks stupid attempting to debate without facts to backup your claims.
Your agenda regarding TOR is clear... but please don't make baseless arguments.
Agendas can work both ways.
MMOs are about interacting with many other players. You aren't interacting with anyone when watching a cutscene or listening to a voiceover.
When a dev says "Don't worry" - you better start worrying.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Those percentages were given by Bioware themseleves. You may have known that if you spent any time researching the subject. You are the one who looks stupid attempting to debate without facts to backup your claims.
Your agenda regarding TOR is clear... but please don't make baseless arguments.
Agendas can work both ways.
MMOs are about interacting with many other players. You aren't interacting with anyone when watching a cutscene or listening to a voiceover.
When a dev says "Don't worry" - you better start worrying.
oh wow, please reach deeper for stuff like this. I lost 30 sec of general chat, HALP.
Having players in your party gives them the oppurtunity of interacting in the scene as well.
Quote from James Olhen: "Our public areas are one contiguous world", "Not just our cities - 90% of the game, actually, will be areas where you can run into other players" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Quote from James Olhen: "Its not going to feel like a heavily instanced game" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
"We're going to have open world PvP, As for the more structured PvP, I can't going into details but we will have it" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Since day 1 they have been making great games. If you do not like their games that is one thing but calling them talentless hacks is totally way off base.
Those percentages were given by Bioware themseleves. You may have known that if you spent any time researching the subject. You are the one who looks stupid attempting to debate without facts to backup your claims.
Your agenda regarding TOR is clear... but please don't make baseless arguments.
Until the percentages are given by a source that isn't trying to directly promote their game, I don't trust it.
Especially since marketting spin usually ends up with public meaning that everyone can experience that quest, whilst instanced is of a specific class.
( Here's a clue, to be a good consumer: Don't trust what people tell you when they're trying to sell you something. )
Does this logic apply to people trying to "sell" ideas as well? Ideas such as Bioware being talentless hacks, mayhapse?
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
Bioware is a company full of talentless hacks. Nowadays, at the very least.
Giving them credit where it's due: Their voice acting is of top quality, the combat is ( usually ) quite well designed and the graphical style of their games allows them to run on pretty much any system.
But, their plot lines are cliché and pretty much exactly the same ( the only exception was Neverwinter Nights, and that was milked to hell ), the out-of-company sequels to their games are far better than their in company ones ( and the only reason they're considered not comparable is because those companies get rushed due to not being Bioware ) and they steal concepts from other books and games, such as Dragon Age - the Darkspawn of which are a blatant rip of R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series.
All Bioware is capable of these days is repeating their same old crap sequel after sequel after new franchise. Character suffers tragedy, goes into universe / world, joins extra-special order, recruits companions, does series of pretty much linear zones interspered with "side quests", fights disappointing boss, saves day.
And, if you're expecting anything seriously different from SW:TOR, you're sadly mistaken.
No they are obviously not full of talentless hacks. The positive points in your own post already show they are not. Its just that your exaggeration doesnt have a limit.
There is also more to a MMO or single player game then just story. Even if the developer claims that the story will be embedded in an unique way. It still can be very immersive despite the cliche plot.
Even in a cliche plot, the dialogue can be fresh and highly entertaining. Just look at the original Star Wars movies. Cliche plot, but still a very good movie in the way that the story is told. Its just one of many examples where the story doesnt have to be original.
Quote from James Olhen: "Our public areas are one contiguous world", "Not just our cities - 90% of the game, actually, will be areas where you can run into other players" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Quote from James Olhen: "Its not going to feel like a heavily instanced game" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
"We're going to have open world PvP, As for the more structured PvP, I can't going into details but we will have it" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Having players in your party gives them the oppurtunity of interacting in the scene as well.
Explain to me how that works - or rather, how the devs claim it will work.
Oh greed, all knowing please explain to me how things work, I've not yet figured out what google is, I've never researched anything, I always make inane assumptions. Is why I'm so unhappy and patrol a board about games while not so secretly hating them.
What if I linked a video would that destroy the "claims" remark?
Bioware is a company full of talentless hacks. Nowadays, at the very least.
Giving them credit where it's due: Their voice acting is of top quality, the combat is ( usually ) quite well designed and the graphical style of their games allows them to run on pretty much any system.
But, their plot lines are cliché and pretty much exactly the same ( the only exception was Neverwinter Nights, and that was milked to hell ), the out-of-company sequels to their games are far better than their in company ones ( and the only reason they're considered not comparable is because those companies get rushed due to not being Bioware ) and they steal concepts from other books and games, such as Dragon Age - the Darkspawn of which are a blatant rip of R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series.
All Bioware is capable of these days is repeating their same old crap sequel after sequel after new franchise. Character suffers tragedy, goes into universe / world, joins extra-special order, recruits companions, does series of pretty much linear zones interspered with "side quests", fights disappointing boss, saves day.
And, if you're expecting anything seriously different from SW:TOR, you're sadly mistaken.
I guess you are entirely unaware of the Jungian conventions in epic storytelling. "Stealing concepts" is itself a pretty much ridiculous concept when it comes to the fantasy genre, given they're not copying and pasting entire sequences.
The epic form strives to be the stomping grounds of the collective unconscious, so there are lots of interchangeable motifs and mythemes. Bioware smartly build on these (they actually impress me each time with their grasp on and knowledge of the genre), but they always have that bit of extra there, their own way of weaving those raw materials, which makes their stories feel like a relatively new take on old material.
As an example, Dragon Age has much more similarity to the Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire books. It also lifts from classic texts like Beowulf and of course the granddaddy of all Western fantasy epics, Snorri Edda (which is the blueprint for Tolkien's work). This is perfectly natural and calling someone a "talentless hack" because of it makes no sense at all - this is pretty much epic text analysis 101.
I heartily suggest you read some Claude Lévi-Strauss, Joseph Campbell and Vladimir Propp.
I feel it is safe to assume that most modern individuals are unaware of quite a number of things, and are quite happy to remain so. That is most likely why fantasy merchants find so much money in making frivolous, time wasting twaddle, to appease the masses.
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
Bioware is a company full of talentless hacks. Nowadays, at the very least.
Giving them credit where it's due: Their voice acting is of top quality, the combat is ( usually ) quite well designed and the graphical style of their games allows them to run on pretty much any system.
But, their plot lines are cliché and pretty much exactly the same ( the only exception was Neverwinter Nights, and that was milked to hell ), the out-of-company sequels to their games are far better than their in company ones ( and the only reason they're considered not comparable is because those companies get rushed due to not being Bioware ) and they steal concepts from other books and games, such as Dragon Age - the Darkspawn of which are a blatant rip of R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series.
All Bioware is capable of these days is repeating their same old crap sequel after sequel after new franchise. Character suffers tragedy, goes into universe / world, joins extra-special order, recruits companions, does series of pretty much linear zones interspered with "side quests", fights disappointing boss, saves day.
And, if you're expecting anything seriously different from SW:TOR, you're sadly mistaken.
Bioware is a company full of talentless hacks. Nowadays, at the very least.
I think Bioware's one of the top 2 RPG companies on the planet atm (bethesda being the other). I miss the days when i could say SqEnix games could torch anything BioWare puts out but these days BioWare could blow a snot rocket onto a blank CD and it would be a better game than the drivel SqEnix has been releasing.
though, hopefully this turns around with FFXIV because i loved XI and have high hopes for it :]
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Good one. Now you can appologize for saying I lied? I'll take a card or maybe a delicious cupcake.
The trouble is, chap, you did lie. He said it's "areas where you can run into other players" not "public areas". Good show, though.
@Tardcore: No, not really. I gain no benefit from you believing what I'm saying, or even taking it into account. I am merely being helpful. Nice try, however.
@someforumguy: As someone else said, Star Wars was pretty crappy, but it was the characters and how the plot effect them that was good. DA:O has tired, boring and rather dull characters, even if their voice actors are go.
Crafting=Solo Crafting facillitated by Auction House
PvP=Battlegrounds"
That video contradicts itself on multiple occassions.
[Mod Edit]
HAHAHA I'm making this up?
Quote time
Quote from James Olhen: "Our public areas are one contiguous world", "Not just our cities - 90% of the game, actually, will be areas where you can run into other players" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Quote from James Olhen: "Its not going to feel like a heavily instanced game" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
"We're going to have open world PvP, As for the more structured PvP, I can't going into details but we will have it" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
This could mean that 90% of the world is instanced and that a limit amount of players can be in that zone at the same time as you. The spare 10% will be Singleplayer.
When James Olhen says: "Its not going to feel like an heavily instanced game" It pretty much gives avay that the game will be instanced.
And for the PvP- Just one "planet"/Area for PvP:ers to duell.
Comments
Its odd that someone brought up the ol "all stories that can be told already have been" nonsense in here. Someone just came at me with that bullshit in real life like 2 days ago and we had a good ol debate. At some point, some moron who was obviously a very epic troll started that , most likely to create a debate and provoke people INTO having original thought to refute it.
Kind of ironic really, that in order to prove their point that their is no originality left in the world, people resort to a tired, and untrue cliche.
Please enlighten me as to which elements of TOR displayed in that video sound like Guild Wars to you...
You have no specific information and no proof to back up your claims. You are just spouting ignorant comments with nothing to back it up. Show me specifics and backup your arguments. I will be happy to debate you. Right now you have about 0 credibility.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqflV4zsTqQ
"All the classic MMO elements:
Trading=Auction house
Raids=Instanced PvE
Group Play=Instances
Crafting=Solo Crafting facillitated by Auction House
PvP=Battlegrounds"
That video contradicts itself on multiple occassions.
[Mod Edit]
I agree with this.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Those percentages were given by Bioware themseleves. You may have known that if you spent any time researching the subject. You are the one who looks stupid attempting to debate without facts to backup your claims.
Your agenda regarding TOR is clear... but please don't make baseless arguments.
Most stories will seem new and original - if you never read anything.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
I guess you are entirely unaware of the Jungian conventions in epic storytelling. "Stealing concepts" is itself a pretty much ridiculous concept when it comes to the fantasy genre, given they're not copying and pasting entire sequences.
The epic form strives to be the stomping grounds of the collective unconscious, so there are lots of interchangeable motifs and mythemes. Bioware smartly build on these (they actually impress me each time with their grasp on and knowledge of the genre), but they always have that bit of extra there, their own way of weaving those raw materials, which makes their stories feel like a relatively new take on old material.
As an example, Dragon Age has much more similarity to the Wheel of Time and A Song of Ice and Fire books. It also lifts from classic texts like Beowulf and of course the granddaddy of all Western fantasy epics, Snorri Edda (which is the blueprint for Tolkien's work). This is perfectly natural and calling someone a "talentless hack" because of it makes no sense at all - this is pretty much epic text analysis 101.
I heartily suggest you read some Claude Lévi-Strauss, Joseph Campbell and Vladimir Propp.
I mentioned that Square follows its own patterns on Final Fantasy stories and not every unoriginal fantasy pattern you can find just like Bioware do. A lot of what you find in Final Fantasy you will find inside the serie at least Square created its own cliches, we can't say the same about Bioware.
And yes, the plot you have and the choices you have in The Witcher are not as original like what we see in Folklore and Planescape, but are much less cliche than Bioware storylines, especially the moral patterns.
You avoided to comment on games that I mentioned that have really unique plot like Folklore, Syberia, Silent Hill 2 ...why?
You are wrong about Metal Gear Solid, the serie follow one main Storyline it is NOT like Zelda or Mario, far from it.
I never said the stories in Bioware games are boring, cliche and unoriginal yes. The dialogue system in Bioware games are nice and usually a good point that overcome the silly plot but the game is not open enough for you to use the argument you used.
Metal Gear, Final Fantasy and many other games are just as popular as Bioware games and worldwide they sell even more the fact that Bioware's games sell well has nothing to do with the argument of good, original or cliche stories.
As I said before, Bioware's games like Konami, Square, Santa Monica 's games are quality games for sure, it is pretty understandable that they sell well even with all the cliches and unbalanced mechanics.
Until the percentages are given by a source that isn't trying to directly promote their game, I don't trust it.
Especially since marketting spin usually ends up with public meaning that everyone can experience that quest, whilst instanced is of a specific class.
( Here's a clue, to be a good consumer: Don't trust what people tell you when they're trying to sell you something. )
HAHAHA I'm making this up?
Quote time
Quote from James Olhen: "Our public areas are one contiguous world", "Not just our cities - 90% of the game, actually, will be areas where you can run into other players" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Quote from James Olhen: "Its not going to feel like a heavily instanced game" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
"We're going to have open world PvP, As for the more structured PvP, I can't going into details but we will have it" - PC Gamer UK April 2010
Agendas can work both ways.
MMOs are about interacting with many other players. You aren't interacting with anyone when watching a cutscene or listening to a voiceover.
When a dev says "Don't worry" - you better start worrying.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
BINGO.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
oh wow, please reach deeper for stuff like this. I lost 30 sec of general chat, HALP.
Having players in your party gives them the oppurtunity of interacting in the scene as well.
It sounds like it's time for a TVTropes article.
Explain to me how that works - or rather, how the devs claim it will work.
"" Voice acting isn't an RPG element....it's just a production value." - grumpymel2
Since day 1 they have been making great games. If you do not like their games that is one thing but calling them talentless hacks is totally way off base.
Does this logic apply to people trying to "sell" ideas as well? Ideas such as Bioware being talentless hacks, mayhapse?
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
No they are obviously not full of talentless hacks. The positive points in your own post already show they are not. Its just that your exaggeration doesnt have a limit.
There is also more to a MMO or single player game then just story. Even if the developer claims that the story will be embedded in an unique way. It still can be very immersive despite the cliche plot.
Even in a cliche plot, the dialogue can be fresh and highly entertaining. Just look at the original Star Wars movies. Cliche plot, but still a very good movie in the way that the story is told. Its just one of many examples where the story doesnt have to be original.
Good one. Now you can appologize for saying I lied? I'll take a card or maybe a delicious cupcake.
Oh greed, all knowing please explain to me how things work, I've not yet figured out what google is, I've never researched anything, I always make inane assumptions. Is why I'm so unhappy and patrol a board about games while not so secretly hating them.
What if I linked a video would that destroy the "claims" remark?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSqwPu6SeDY&feature=related
look the bounty hunter said something with the jedi :O
I feel it is safe to assume that most modern individuals are unaware of quite a number of things, and are quite happy to remain so. That is most likely why fantasy merchants find so much money in making frivolous, time wasting twaddle, to appease the masses.
"Gypsies, tramps, and thieves, we were called by the Admin of the site . . . "
I think Bioware's one of the top 2 RPG companies on the planet atm (bethesda being the other). I miss the days when i could say SqEnix games could torch anything BioWare puts out but these days BioWare could blow a snot rocket onto a blank CD and it would be a better game than the drivel SqEnix has been releasing.
though, hopefully this turns around with FFXIV because i loved XI and have high hopes for it :]
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins
The trouble is, chap, you did lie. He said it's "areas where you can run into other players" not "public areas". Good show, though.
@Tardcore: No, not really. I gain no benefit from you believing what I'm saying, or even taking it into account. I am merely being helpful. Nice try, however.
@someforumguy: As someone else said, Star Wars was pretty crappy, but it was the characters and how the plot effect them that was good. DA:O has tired, boring and rather dull characters, even if their voice actors are go.
This could mean that 90% of the world is instanced and that a limit amount of players can be in that zone at the same time as you. The spare 10% will be Singleplayer.
When James Olhen says: "Its not going to feel like an heavily instanced game" It pretty much gives avay that the game will be instanced.
And for the PvP- Just one "planet"/Area for PvP:ers to duell.