According to the Twitter, the Dragon Age Keep Open Beta has officially landed! Sign up with Origin and start using the Keep today at http://dragonagekeep.com
And now that the NDA is out of the way, I can finally tell you how I feel about the Keep... *Deep breath*
It suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks!!! /end spoiler
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Ha ha, not really, but... yeah it kinda sucks. So here we are launching as an open beta. Why? I have no idea. Apparently BioWare thinks the customers are servants. And boy do we have our work cut out for us! That is... when we eventually get in. Yes, in anticipation for the flood of Keepers, BioWare has created a... wait for it... Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. Wait for it. ... ...waiting room. >:^( Oh what fun! |
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ackZxidcZ6Y/VFD6DrnN9lI/AAAAAAAAAOU/bTAwGoXwgtA/w400-h197-p/DA-Keep.jpg |
At least it's fast and easy to use once you're in. Or at least, that's how it was in the closed beta. Which should be expected, since all we get are cheesy graphics and some crappy Flash cartoon that's even worse than DA2's. The lame graphics are the first things you'll notice. I like the Keep concept, but the art could be a lot better.
The Keep's function is self-explanatory, but there's also a tutorial for people with low IQ. Oddly enough, the tutorial is inconveniently hidden. LOL! Just click the "list" looking icon in the top left to make a side panel shift out. The tutorial is in there along with other options, such as to see the achievements that carried over.
The Keep works by having your games upload your achievements and data to the BSN servers, and then the Keep accesses that information to load into itself. The Keep does not load your game choices. A fact that BioWare will constantly remind you of. You will have to select the game choices manually. Hints are provided to refresh your memory. Finally, you save all that by exporting your save state to Inquisition. You can make multiple world states and are in fact encouraged to do so. You should also be able to share your world states with other Keepers.
Also, some of your Heroes may not import because of some glitch. Something about x's in the character's name or profile. This might be fixed by now though.
The first things you won't notice... - because they're not there to be noticed - are all the absent choices. Yes, plenty of choices that were in DA:O/A are not present in the Keep. I suppose there is always time to add more things, but that kind of gives you a hint as to what WON'T appear in Inquisition. I find that disheartening. No option to choose whether you hardened Leliana or Alistiar? How is that not important to Inquisition?
There are some tiles where the art is unclear. Like if you sided with Branka and preserved the Anvil, the picture shows it as shattered. Or if you saved Deygan in the forest, it shows him standing in front of the camp even though in the game you had to carry him back because he was near death. Stuff like that.
There are some storyline conflicts that should not be, and there are options available that should present conflicts but don't. So, still some bugs to work out.
Also some storyline mistakes. One tile says you told Bann Sighard about his son being tortured, but in the game it was the son who told his father himself. Another says Kitty killed Matthias, which never happens. It is the Warden who kills a Kitty-possessed Matthias.
Anyway, I think you can see why Inquisition was delayed. Keep wasn't ready a month back from October 7th, and it technically isn't a finished product now. Still, the Keep was the only viable option that could provide an in-depth experience. I'm sure more will be added over time and it will just continue to improve. I recommend using it. Believe it!
Oh, and by the way...
I remember how quite a few people on here went round and round with me about the issue of the male Cousland becoming king in DA:O. They argued that it wasn't possible, that the law didn't allow it, that the game didn't allow it, that there was no cut-scene showing his coronation, that he wasn't Teyrn, etc.
Well aside from all the proof I posted before, Keep also confirms that the male human noble can become king...
Ahhhh, sweet vindication. King me! :D
DA Keep confirms that the male Cousland rules jointly with Anora just the same as Alistair possibly can.
Add that to the codex proof about how the Landsmeet elects the rulers, and how the male human noble clearly stated that he and Anora would rule. Also, Bodahn's DA2 comment about how the Warden is ruling Ferelden. Yeah, he even gets his own crown! Believe it!
That about wraps this up. Be sure to check out the Keep (beta) to see this option and hear Varric's telling of it.
Some people are having trouble logging in. Read this thread if you have any trouble. http://forum.bioware.com/topic/516923-how-to-troubleshoot/
Please also discuss the Dragon Age Keep in the comment section below. Maker bless thee and Keep thee. ;) Believe it! (talk) 19:18, October 29, 2014 (UTC)