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Your premise, in part, was that it didn't make sense that the Black Ring could be strong enough to force the dragons into hiding and yet weak enough a dragon knight could do so much damage. I proposed a much more logical assumption than yours.

Assuming the dragons left because of the Black Ring is just as much playing with your imagination as thinking it was a reaction to the formation of the slayers.

Do you have a proof that I'm wrong or not? That's EXACTLY the point. Where is the proof we an rely on.
"Tits^W Post it or GTFO".

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You don't start off weak, get strong and win the day?

You do. That's how RPG is done mostly...

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If your party dies the game keeps going, the army gets formed anyway and the darkspawn army is defeated? If you sit around doing nothing, someone else solves the quests and gets everyone ready?

Oh c'mon.
This is way too silly and way fat and even you must understand. I believe.

The game is made for player. He must be the center of everything, the action/reaction of env. must depend on his actions (but that does not mean the RPG must be all about gameplay). This is like.. obvious? Why do you question it? To change the direction of the convo and avoid the point I stated?
C'mon, stop doing it, your tactics pretty primitive to use on me and it never gonna work. I have a troll experiecne as well :P

So, back to the point. In D2 we alone kill the whole army and nothing can stop you. In DAO, we (TEAM!) gather the and no on can stop you.
Rsolution: I believe in DAO because it more realistic. Games don't need top reflect real life, but being more realistic and plot-orientired is always good (as far as it in balance with gameplay). That's why D2 plot and realism is sooo cheap.

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Answer nr.1 - because they are imbeciles.
Answer nr.2 - because Larian though it was shmart for great dark wizards to not protect their only chance of victory
Answer nr.3 - both

That's "stupid evil Sauron" syndrome. The bad guy SITS THE WHOLE STORY IN HIS TOWER DOING NOTHING and start to act only @ the end. And always loses coz IT'S TOO LATE :P