BioWare talks about the next Dragon Age.

[Stormz]

They dumbed down the game for the masses with DA2. I can only imagine what they plan to ruin next. It's a shame that true rpgs are starting to disappear. DAO was a masterpiece Imo and no DA is going to top it unless they go back to that formula and ditch DA2 completely, which they won't because real rpgs won't make them billions of dollars.

Also Day one DLC and Plot essential DLC is a given, oh and Origin of course. Because this is Bioware/EA we're talking about.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

Faster combat is okay as long as it is tactical and the RPG elements are intact. I liked some of what they did in DA2's combat, but it was poorly executed. Please, no endlessly respawning enemies in the middle of combat!

DA1 was a game that drew a lot of the RPG purists, and those purists dont like the faster combat.

there will be rage over the simple fact it is faster because it isnt pure enough for them.

I can't speak for anyone but myself here, but the reason I disliked DA2's combat was because it lacked the isometric camera, not because it was too fast. The animations were poor, but then so were animations from the heyday of tactical RPG combat.

The big reason for me was that the way encounters were set up, they managed to nullify strategy completely, making segments where strategy was vital (Wrock Wraith, Arishock) horrifically difficult to manage.

As for the video, apart from Laidlaw sounding like a jackass (I really dislike his voice and his rather lame attempts to get laughs), I did find one thing interesting. Placing different armors on Companions, but letting the armors maintain the look of the character. So a Seeker wearing a plate helmet will look different than a warden wearing the same plate helmet. That is actually a really cool compromise.

 

[Seventh Actuality]

So long as Thedas is stuck as a bland animesque sand-coloured shithole instead of a standardish fantasy setting brought to life through interesting touches and excellent worldbuilding, I can't bring myself to care about Dragon Age as a franchise. Out of all the ways DA2 was shit, the one that tends not to be overlooked is that it reimagined away the tone and flavour of the original setting for the sake of trying desperately hard to be unique and "stylized."

If BioWare can make a Dragon Age sequel that actually feels like I'm in the same world as DA:O, I'll overlook all their copy-pasted dungeons and boring fuck Commander Shepard-wannabe protagonists.

 

[Xanthious]

Look at all you people talking like Bioware still exists. That's funny. Bioware's dead and gone and the sooner you all accept that EA just has their hand up the ass of Bioware's rotting and bloated corpse to part foolish gamers with their money the better off you'll be.

 

[Samantha Burt]

Ah, the game's industry. Where you're only as good as the rage surrounding your last game.

Actually, it's a genuinely accepted thing in any circumstance: "you're only as good as your last success." So it could be a job, a concert or, in this case, a game.

 

[JediMB]

Faster combat is okay as long as it is tactical and the RPG elements are intact. I liked some of what they did in DA2's combat, but it was poorly executed. Please, no endlessly respawning enemies in the middle of combat!

I agree with this completely.

And it would be even better if they let the player choose between more actiony or more tactical battle in the game's options, so people can be pleased on both sides of the fence.

Personally I find both types of gameplay appealing, and would perhaps switch between the two depending on what I feel like playing at the moment.

 

[Imbechile]

If this game turns out to be a hit and Bioware pulls a 180 we will have a lot of people utterly confused here on the Escapist. I will be man enough to post a picture of my foot in my mouth.

Old school is good in my book.

Bioware already said it is keeping the faster pased combat of DA2

90% of people will hate it for that reason alone, because if it doesn't take 10 seconds to swing a two-handed sword IT ISNT A REAL RPG

Dragon age 2's combat wan't shit because "IT ISNT A REAL RPG" as you say.
It could have been a good hack and slash, but the constant 2,3-wave spawns of the same enemies is what killed it. Plus in the later stages most of the enemies have a bloated HP bar, which means in order to defeate them you need patience instead of skill.

But nevermind me. Please, continue hating on those pesky old-skool elitists ruining the fun for everyone.
Keep on the good fight! salute.jpg

 

[deleted_by_strongbad]

I know this won't win much support, but I look forward to this. Not for any claims they are making, but because I've never played a Bioware game that wasn't worth playing. They always have fairly interesting plots and are generally good looking for the time the game is coming out. I think all of their 'not-baldur's gate' games are more action-adventure than rpg when it comes to the mechanics which I'm fine with, though I am more of a fan of RPG's than adventure games.

Speaking of which, what is this about DA:O being for rpg purists and 'true rpgs are going away?' The whole genre has been drastically changing ever since the genre existed, there has never been a 'true rpg.' That term is based most likely on the first rpg you really liked, so for me it is looking up conversation in a massive real world book when the game feeds me a few numbers ala 'Dragon Wars' or 'Bard's Tale.' That doesn't mean Skyrim isn't just as much a true-RPG just because it uses a different (and much better cuz I'm lazy) system.

There would be no video game RPG without pen and paper RPG's, and you can find those that resolve everything with elaborate math and charts to rock paper scissors and with themes ranging from very dark, dire, and grim to as casual as bejeweled, they are all still rpg's. Accept variation in implementation as part of an ill-defined genre that is better for it in the end.

 

[The Last Nomad]

I love how the youtube comments signify that anyone who likes a Bioware game is a Biodrone and should die in a fire.

That might be the stupidest thing I've ever read on the site.

Although I never read the youtube comments so maybe those people should all die in a fire... But certainly not anyone who likes any Bioware game.

 

[Twyce]

I can't watch the video (yet). But I really hope people notice and react to you if you're a mage. DA2 BARELY did that. Characters/npcs make mention of it here and there, but with the whole Mages vs Templars theme the game had going, it was very minimal.

I found it hard to believe templars were always so eager for my help, even after I force slammed a group of enemies into the ground. I mean, even Meredith was like "I saw you're a mage, but I'll let it slide." o_0

 

[Issurru]

I hope the bosses are fun and not just given 1000000000000000000 health.

Bioware generally isn't all that good at boss fights unfortunately. Lair of the Shadowbroker bosses were pretty decent, but I can't remember any bosses from either DA title that was really fun to fight.

I'd disagree, I thought the fight with the Arishok was really fun. The fight with the rock monster in the Deep Roads was good. Orsino was a pain in the ass but still a valid boss fight if you ask me, and of course Everyone Vs Meredith was really cool (I liked how all the NPCs, including your entire party (even the ones not in the squad you're controlling), were there for the fight.

DA:0 had the High Dragon and the Arch Demon along with the Brood Mother and the king of golems (or Branka) and a slew of other unique and interesting bosses.

Really I'd say that both DA games have lots of challenging and fun boss fights, more so than the ME universe which considers most bosses as "This is just an upgraded version of the mercs/pirates/whatever you've already been fighting in this place...see? We even gave him/her a name!"

I fought the Arishok as a melee Rogue... that was NOT fun at all

Depends on your spec...and whether you thought to keep summoning your dog every time the Arishok took it out. Have the dog tank him then sneak around back and get your backstab on! Better than fighting him as a mage which is an in-depth course on kiting.

That's a reason I didn't enjoy that fight very much, even hooking up the lyrium potion iv straight into my heart didn't matter I was too busy sustaining shit to have a lot of mana. That fight took forever

OT: while I kinda agree to the anger towards bioware since that's how rpg's should be but if nobody has really noticed rpg's aren't what they used to be, well at least to me anyways. So sometimes you need to go back to the genres roots, which is where the fancy suited pr team comes in and claims that they are reinventing the wheel. It's what they do, you need to get the attention of the masses somehow

 

[RJ 17]

That's a reason I didn't enjoy that fight very much, even hooking up the lyrium potion iv straight into my heart didn't matter I was too busy sustaining shit to have a lot of mana. That fight took forever

I didn't find this out until about my 3rd playthrough or so as a mage, but Force Magic is the best school in the game. The AoE slow spell makes the Arishok fight ridiculously easy...quite simply: he can never catch you. Combine it with Blood Magic because...well...it's frickin' blood magic, and yeah, the Arishok shouldn't be that big of a problem.

 

[LHZA]

God I hope it's good. I didn't absolutely hate DA2, but it was a step down for me. I kind of wished they had a whole continuity thing with one character like in Mass Effect (please don't hurt me !) but I'm glad it's going to be a voice character again.

 

[Harb]

I watched the 40 minute DA panel. They pretty much confirmed that DA3 will have a voiced protagonist. That's a deal breaker for me.

Agreed mate. Voiced protagonist (no matter how hard the developers try) always takes away the sheer amount of different conversation choices, which are (in my point of view) detrimental to any good RPG. What's the point of RPG if you can't shape the character to your own thoughts? This change is very obvious with the transformation DA:O -> DA2 conversation system went through. The wheel isn't there just for fun . It's there because three choices would look empty otherwise.

More silenced dialogue choices > 3 voiced answers. EVERY_SINGLE_TIME.

There are guys who understand this (Mr. Fargo&spol). And they already have my money .


Back to Dragon Age 3:
I will be very, very, very careful with my purchase (most likely will ignore the game), the stabs I got from Bioware through Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3 ending (no derails intended) are hard to heal.

If Bioware is going back to the mindset that was present back in the day when Baldurs Gate and Planescape: Torment were created, good for them. It seems that the threat of "classic RPGs" via kickstarters is real afterall.

 

[Mylinkay Asdara]

I think it is significant that they are explicit about not making "graven promises" here.

I'm not ready to trust yet on "decisions that matter" but I am hopeful about it. Trust is earned, but hope springs eternal.

I am liking the direction they are taking on amor appearance - I like some agency and I like the iconic look too and a compromise seems like the best of both worlds.

Overall: we'll see. I want to continue the series I am totally infatuated with (yes, even to the point of overlooking the many obvious shortcomings of DA2 and focusing on its better points, which I do contend exist to be focused on). A lot of this though is inextricably bound up with their other actions right now pertaining to the ME series, unfortunately.

 

[chuckfails]

Thank you kind sir, may you find green pastures for your deeds today.