User blog comment:James12708/Bioware Hasn't written themselves into a corner/@comment-2228120-20121109205052/@comment-4721065-20121112072647

@Temp: So nice to see another Warhammer fan here! BTW, are you on Lexicanum? Personally, I think that the two universes are pretty even, although WHFB is considerably easier to play. Regarding the Space Magic question, neither universe is "pure": WH40K is mostly sci-fi, whereas WHFB is mostly fantasy: one of its nations, Skaven, have flamethrowers, electricity, cyborgs, mechanical constructs and even micronukes.

Now, the main discussion has stopped being serious approx. 15 posts ago, but anyway:


 * Many of DA:O enemies actually gain NEW skills as they level up, whereas ME adversaries only gain increases in health/shielding. This makes encounters far more challenging, especially since it is almost impossible to retreat from combat into "peaceful" zone to regenerate health.


 * The overall number of skills is MUCH higher in DA:O than in ME, and their effects are more diverse than in Mass Effect.


 * As I have mentioned before, no morality bar. The conversation is further freed by not including the dialogue wheel "good, neutral, evil" layout. Your ability to persuade others is also not tied to whether you have made consistent choices but to the persuasion skill, which is available to all classes and requires considerable sacrifices to max out.


 * Generally greater leeway on whether or not you have to fight, as well as being able to skip most of fighting through stealth if you're rogue.


 * Greater differences in classes and associated gameplay, as well as far more fleshed out specialisations, which can make your class and your combat role DRASTICALLY different from what it used to be before.


 * Companions react to your choices in a more detailed manner and there is greater scope for influencing them.


 * A LOT more items, EVERY one of which has some kind of text description, (usually about 20-40, but occassionaly numbering in hundreds.)