[Suntory_Times]

The Witcher 2: Assasains of Kings  (everything maxed out at 1080p, including ubersampling) [right click and open in new tab to see in all of its glory]
 
This is probably the best game I have yet to ever play.  Not something I say lightly.  They are bringing it to the 360, but the games controls really don't wrok well on a 360 controller.  Besides the number of new load screens and reduction of 'things' present will likely neuter the game (it will probably start felling to game like and not like a real world).  Wither that or there will be constant long loading screens, I do hope i'm wrong though.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 

 

[Exediron]

Frankly, the Witcher looks so much like Dragon Age 2 to me (not counting the interface) that if I didn't know better I'd think the two were the same.
 
Anyway, I suppose I should add a few of my own since I've commented. Since I was talking about Dragon Age, here's a few from there (2 from one and 2 from two):
 

 

 

 

 
The first two are older screenshots from my last monitor, and so the native resolution was slightly lower.
 
Dragon Age is the only game I usually actually take screenshots of during play, because it's usually more photogenic than others. The most demanding game I own in terms of system performance is probably either Medieval II or Empire Total War, assuming a huge army is onscreen. I might try to get a good battle scene in one of those later. Mafia II and Test Drive Unlimited II are also both system hogs.

 

[Suntory_Times]

Quote:

Frankly, the Witcher looks so much like Dragon Age 2 to me (not counting the interface) that if I didn't know better I'd think the two were the same.
 
Anyway, I suppose I should add a few of my own since I've commented. Since I was talking about Dragon Age, here's a few from there (2 from one and 2 from two):
 
 
The first two are older screenshots from my last monitor, and so the native resolution was slightly lower.
 
Dragon Age is the only game I usually actually take screenshots of during play, because it's usually more photogenic than others. The most demanding game I own in terms of system performance is probably either Medieval II or Empire Total War, assuming a huge army is onscreen. I might try to get a good battle scene in one of those later. Mafia II and Test Drive Unlimited II are also both system hogs.

 
You really have to see the two in motion, graphically the Witcher 2 is leagues ahead of Dragon Age 2.  But much more importantly the way the game plays and the story is on another level (so much better in Witcher 2).  The world feels real and you action effect the world but not int he forced obvious way and your actions aren't obviously good or evil, more shades of grey (something that is missing in DA2).  Now the first Dragon Age, that is an rpg to fall in love with and the one I shall be playing again soon.
 
In fact the Dragon Age series and Witcher series have done a switchero this year for me.  The first dragon age was marvelous and the first witcher was essentially a mmorpg that you played on your own (the said it had an amazing story).  The second dragon age is average with a story that goes no where, the second witcher is marvelous in all areas more or less.
 
 

 

[Exediron]

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You really have to see the two in motion, graphically the Witcher 2 is leagues ahead of Dragon Age 2.  But much more importantly the way the game plays and the story is on another level (so much better in Witcher 2).  The world feels real and you action effect the world but not int he forced obvious way and your actions aren't obviously good or evil, more shades of grey (something that is missing in DA2).  Now the first Dragon Age, that is an rpg to fall in love with and the one I shall be playing again soon.

That certainly may be true - all I've seen of the game are screenshots. I don't have the game, after all, and I don't expect to.
 
I do completely agree with you that in every conceivable way except for graphically (but certainly artistically) Dragon Age I is superior to Dragon Age II. However, the most important reason for that feeling is something which also rules the Witcher out; for me to truly enjoy an RPG, I have to be able to really create my character. I have nothing against interactive storytelling, but it's not the same thing as a roleplaying game. Dragon Age I probably allows the greatest freedom of character creation since the classic Black Isle games - Dragon Age II barely allows enough to satisfy me. I happen to consider the story in Dragon Age II to be much weaker and less compelling than that of Dragon Age II (the whole thing in Kirkwall would be barely a footnote to the Warden Commander, after all), but compared to the problem of your character it's a small one.
 
I've played Dragon Age all the way through, including all DLCs and Awakening, 4 times. I've only played Dragon Age II once, and I only ever will, because you just can't do anything to make your second character actually different. The problem with integration of character and storyline is that if you play the game a second time it doesn't feel like you're playing a different character, it feels like you're playing the same character - wrong. They may look different, but they have the same story, the same voice, the same family. In the Witcher, they wouldn't even look different, because you aren't making a character there, you're being allowed to play one that the developers already came up with. It may be a good character and a good story, but it isn't your character. And in my opinion, that means it isn't an RPG.
 
Of course, Dragon Age II has problems all of its own that the Witcher probably doesn't; the dialog wheel is a horribly stupid contrivance which exists only to serve the equally damaging character voice, your companions won't speak to you and can't change their clothing, and the backstory of your character is totally uncompelling compared to your Dragon Age I character, whom I'd rather be playing. And thanks to the character voice, if you don't want to play a hard and badass male character or a fluffy and light female character, you're out of luck - they're going to sound that way no matter what you want.
 
I've got other problems with the Legacy DLC, but I won't state them here because they amount to spoilers. I'll just say that it would have fit much better with the Warden's story and that it feels like Hawke is robbing the Warden by being there, and the backstory which ties Hawke to the module is tenuous at best. It was a good module, but it didn't fit with Dragon Age II.
 
Anyway, I've gone on long enough about Dragon Age II. I just get frustrated when I think what the series could have been like, but I'm pretty sure that Dragon Age II means I won't like 3 either. I could go on, but I probably shouldn't.
 
Random Minecraft screenshot to keep me on topic.

 

[JamesMcProgger]

Half Life 2. old screen cap, it was a bitch to put all  into place
 

 

 

[BobSaysHi]

hahaha
 
happy 4000th post frogger.

 

[Suntory_Times]

Quote:

That certainly may be true - all I've seen of the game are screenshots. I don't have the game, after all, and I don't expect to.
 
I do completely agree with you that in every conceivable way except for graphically (but certainly artistically) Dragon Age I is superior to Dragon Age II. However, the most important reason for that feeling is something which also rules the Witcher out; for me to truly enjoy an RPG, I have to be able to really create my character. I have nothing against interactive storytelling, but it's not the same thing as a roleplaying game. Dragon Age I probably allows the greatest freedom of character creation since the classic Black Isle games - Dragon Age II barely allows enough to satisfy me. I happen to consider the story in Dragon Age II to be much weaker and less compelling than that of Dragon Age II (the whole thing in Kirkwall would be barely a footnote to the Warden Commander, after all), but compared to the problem of your character it's a small one.
 
I've played Dragon Age all the way through, including all DLCs and Awakening, 4 times. I've only played Dragon Age II once, and I only ever will, because you just can't do anything to make your second character actually different. The problem with integration of character and storyline is that if you play the game a second time it doesn't feel like you're playing a different character, it feels like you're playing the same character - wrong. They may look different, but they have the same story, the same voice, the same family. In the Witcher, they wouldn't even look different, because you aren't making a character there, you're being allowed to play one that the developers already came up with. It may be a good character and a good story, but it isn't your character. And in my opinion, that means it isn't an RPG.
 
Of course, Dragon Age II has problems all of its own that the Witcher probably doesn't; the dialog wheel is a horribly stupid contrivance which exists only to serve the equally damaging character voice, your companions won't speak to you and can't change their clothing, and the backstory of your character is totally uncompelling compared to your Dragon Age I character, whom I'd rather be playing. And thanks to the character voice, if you don't want to play a hard and badass male character or a fluffy and light female character, you're out of luck - they're going to sound that way no matter what you want.
 
I've got other problems with the Legacy DLC, but I won't state them here because they amount to spoilers. I'll just say that it would have fit much better with the Warden's story and that it feels like Hawke is robbing the Warden by being there, and the backstory which ties Hawke to the module is tenuous at best. It was a good module, but it didn't fit with Dragon Age II.
 
Anyway, I've gone on long enough about Dragon Age II. I just get frustrated when I think what the series could have been like, but I'm pretty sure that Dragon Age II means I won't like 3 either. I could go on, but I probably shouldn't.
 
Random Minecraft screenshot to keep me on topic.

I agree with basically everthing you have said.  I would like to point out though, whilst you can't change the fact your playing as Geralt, your choices make massive differences to the story and the level of flexibility and change that occure is almost as large as in my playthroughs of dragon age 1.
 

 

[Suntory_Times]

Started Dragon Age 1 again:

 

 
 
 
and the game bugging out on me:
 

 

 

 

 

 

[Exediron]

I think that Jowan thinks your character is hot

 

 
A screenshot (cropped to avoid pause button and pennants) taken from my 8000 man battle test which I ran today in Medieval II: Total War. The test was to see how many frames per second I could pull in a battle with 8000 soldiers on screen, preferably all at the same time, although I couldn't get the idiots to stand still long enough for that part.
 
EDITED for additional content

 

[Suntory_Times]

I thought I may post the field of view (FOV) fix for crysis 2 as from the screenshoots taking here, not many are using it.
 
For full description:
http://www.blurayuser.com/2011/08/crysis-2-field-of-viw-fix.html

 

[Suntory_Times]

More Witcher 2 screens:

 

 

 

 

 

[Hellbishop]

Quote:

Half Life 2. old screen cap, it was a bitch to put all  into place
 

 

A most hurtful experiance indeed with plenty of visual flavor.
 
 
Some madness into the mix of OBLIVION from THE SHIVERING ISLES expansion-
 

A bit of modded MORROWIND-
 

 

[ssavage]

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Hmmm, it doesn't have to be anywhere near as pricey as some think.  But yeah, if you want to max out everything at 1080p (or above) you need to have a fairly powerfull system.
 
The Witcher 2: Assasains of Kings  (everything maxed out at 1080p, including ubersampling) [right click and oopen in new tab to see in all of its glory]
 
 
 
 

Well I dont live with my dad but how much should I give him to have a fairly good gaming pc? 
 

 

[Exediron]

It depends largely on what you're planning on running. A fairly good gaming PC, capable of maxing out all but the newest games, can be had for about $500-600, if you know what you're looking for and get decent prices. I ran Mafia II maxed out on a computer that cost about $500. My current computer cost about $2000, but it's actually overkill for any game I've ever tried - the performance is for photo editing with a safety factor on future games built in.
 
The resolution of the monitor you use also has an effect - if you play at 1440 x 900, you don't need anywhere near the power you do to max everything out at 2560 x 1600.
 
Anyway, a few more images - not exactly screenshots, not exactly not. I used both of these as backgrounds, and they were made using screenshots of my characters from Dragon Age I. I made two backgrounds for Dragon Age II as well, but I think I already posted them in the 'What's Your Desktop' thread.
 

Vespiried and Kelidriel
 

Vespiried and Sehalia
 
These were both designed as Windows XP backgrounds, which is why they have the bar of nothing at the bottom.

 

[Suntory_Times]

Quote:

It depends largely on what you're planning on running. A fairly good gaming PC, capable of maxing out all but the newest games, can be had for about $500-600, if you know what you're looking for and get decent prices. I ran Mafia II maxed out on a computer that cost about $500. My current computer cost about $2000, but it's actually overkill for any game I've ever tried - the performance is for photo editing with a safety factor on future games built in.
 
The resolution of the monitor you use also has an effect - if you play at 1440 x 900, you don't need anywhere near the power you do to max everything out at 2560 x 1600.
 
Anyway, a few more images - not exactly screenshots, not exactly not. I used both of these as backgrounds, and they were made using screenshots of my characters from Dragon Age I. I made two backgrounds for Dragon Age II as well, but I think I already posted them in the 'What's Your Desktop' thread.
 
 
Vespiried and Kelidriel
 
 
Vespiried and Sehalia
 
These were both designed as Windows XP backgrounds, which is why they have the bar of nothing at the bottom.

Indeed, it all depends on how picky one is.  I personally play nearly everything in 3d and like maxing everything out at 1080p, (which is essentially having to process 3840 x 1080.  To do that you have to have a powerful computer, but most games can be maxed out on a much more 'humble' system.  That being said to max out games like Witcher 2, crysis 2 (with dx11 patch and high res textures), Metro 2033 etc, will require a very powerful machine.  Whether it is worth it or not depends on the individual.  (Also remember this games remain gorgeous even when not maxed out).
 
The other thing to consider is how much PhysX etc you are happy to leave without as good implementation of such (eg: Alice Madness Returns) is extremely power hungry.
 
 
Some Red Faction Armageddon:  (Everything maxed out at 1080p).
Note this are poorly compressed and the game looks much better in reality.