chevalier
Sat, 20th Nov '04, 5:06am
Here are today's Dragon Age forum highlights, collected by NWVault (http://nwvault.ign.com). Please take into account that these are only single parts of various threads and should not be taken out of context. Bear in mind also that the posts presented here are copied as-is, and that any bad spelling and grammar does not get corrected on our end.
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">David Gaider, Designer</font>
Dragon Age = SW:KotOR+More? but Not Like NWN (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395196&post=3264927&forum=84&highlight=)
<hr />i agree. it's obvious to anyone whose been following Bio's hints about DA that they are aiming for a cross between San Andreas and Half Life 2. admittedly this will be a new direction for fantasy CRPGs, but i don't think anyone will say it's been done before.<hr />Hmmm. And said with a straight face, too. Freaky.
I don't think anything we've said would point towards play that's anything like San Andreas or HL2. One is an open-exploration game with missions and the other is a first-person shooter. Unless you're exaggerating just for effect in which case I'll just roll my eyes and wonder why we bother to say anything at all.
Dragon Age will play a lot like BG, in my view, but with some important refinements from KotOR and NWN.
DEVS READ --> A fair stat generation system. (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395280&post=3264951&forum=84&highlight=)
Hmmm. First off, I'm not sure that the system suggested would provide greater variety. In fact, it would probably provide less over time. Characters that didn't get the initial boost from stats would get extra points from skills and thus everyone meets somewhere around the middle.
Secondly, I don't think it's our obligation to provide players with the ability to play a "gimp" or "munchkin". I think it's our obligation to provide a system whereby a player can create a viable character within the campaign and not inadvertantly screw themselves.
Thirdly, I would suggest that variety doesn't lie in the stats one has. If you simply must have very high or very low stats, then so be it, but claiming a need for variety is a bit specious. Hopefully we can provide access to character stats for those players who want to do whgat they wish to their characters in the single-player environment, or for DM's who wish to do... well, whatever, as they normally will. http://forums.bioware.com/_global/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif
What sort of experience do you look for in an RPG? (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395255&post=3264981&forum=84&highlight=)
I want an RPG that validates my inner child as well as does my laundry. For cheap.
In-game languages (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=393776&post=3264987&forum=84&highlight=)
<hr />w00t! i'll be betting we'll actually start to pick up some of the languages then... http://forums.bioware.com/_global/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif<hr />Well, technically you could learn the entire language, though I doubt anyone would be that geeky.
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">Brenon Holmes, Programmer</font>
Dragon Age = SW:KotOR+More? but Not Like NWN (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395196&post=3264346&forum=84&highlight=)
A comment... there might be some vague kernels of fact that the original post was based on, but as other posters have mentioned... I think you might be taking it a bit far. We'll be taking the features we enjoyed and that our fans enjoyed from KotOR and moving forward with those - the most obvious of which (at the current time) is the view, which is our 'explore mode' view. We're not out to make a 'movie' that the player has only minor control over. Where's the fun in that? http://forums.bioware.com/_global/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">Stanley Woo, Quality Assurance</font>
Storyline Tone - Now new and improved! (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=394385&post=3264350&forum=84&highlight=)
I think Navon's got the gist of it. Talented creators can evoke extreme emotions regardless of medium. In an issue of Astonishing X-Men I read recently, I was floored by a shocking revelation therein. This was the same shock I felt at the end of "Angel," Season 1; at the end of "The Usual Suspects"; when Caramon faces Astinus at the end of the world in the "DragonLance Legends" trilogy; and at the end of the anime "Perfect Blue." It's not the medium, it's how much the viewer/reader gets immersed into the world that's been created.
CRPGs have a higher immersion factor because of the interactiviy. Because you are choosing what character to play, where Joe Barbarian goes, which Smalltown faction to help, which hench-thing to use, what weapon to specialize in, whether to double-cross The Dude, what pants to wear or how exactly to get rid of Dr. Sinister Evil, of course you're going to have more of a stake in how the story or your character turns out.
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">David Gaider, Designer</font>
Dragon Age = SW:KotOR+More? but Not Like NWN (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395196&post=3264927&forum=84&highlight=)
<hr />i agree. it's obvious to anyone whose been following Bio's hints about DA that they are aiming for a cross between San Andreas and Half Life 2. admittedly this will be a new direction for fantasy CRPGs, but i don't think anyone will say it's been done before.<hr />Hmmm. And said with a straight face, too. Freaky.
I don't think anything we've said would point towards play that's anything like San Andreas or HL2. One is an open-exploration game with missions and the other is a first-person shooter. Unless you're exaggerating just for effect in which case I'll just roll my eyes and wonder why we bother to say anything at all.
Dragon Age will play a lot like BG, in my view, but with some important refinements from KotOR and NWN.
DEVS READ --> A fair stat generation system. (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395280&post=3264951&forum=84&highlight=)
Hmmm. First off, I'm not sure that the system suggested would provide greater variety. In fact, it would probably provide less over time. Characters that didn't get the initial boost from stats would get extra points from skills and thus everyone meets somewhere around the middle.
Secondly, I don't think it's our obligation to provide players with the ability to play a "gimp" or "munchkin". I think it's our obligation to provide a system whereby a player can create a viable character within the campaign and not inadvertantly screw themselves.
Thirdly, I would suggest that variety doesn't lie in the stats one has. If you simply must have very high or very low stats, then so be it, but claiming a need for variety is a bit specious. Hopefully we can provide access to character stats for those players who want to do whgat they wish to their characters in the single-player environment, or for DM's who wish to do... well, whatever, as they normally will. http://forums.bioware.com/_global/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif
What sort of experience do you look for in an RPG? (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395255&post=3264981&forum=84&highlight=)
I want an RPG that validates my inner child as well as does my laundry. For cheap.
In-game languages (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=393776&post=3264987&forum=84&highlight=)
<hr />w00t! i'll be betting we'll actually start to pick up some of the languages then... http://forums.bioware.com/_global/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif<hr />Well, technically you could learn the entire language, though I doubt anyone would be that geeky.
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">Brenon Holmes, Programmer</font>
Dragon Age = SW:KotOR+More? but Not Like NWN (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=395196&post=3264346&forum=84&highlight=)
A comment... there might be some vague kernels of fact that the original post was based on, but as other posters have mentioned... I think you might be taking it a bit far. We'll be taking the features we enjoyed and that our fans enjoyed from KotOR and moving forward with those - the most obvious of which (at the current time) is the view, which is our 'explore mode' view. We're not out to make a 'movie' that the player has only minor control over. Where's the fun in that? http://forums.bioware.com/_global/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif
<font size="3" face="Verdana, Arial" color="#cc6600">Stanley Woo, Quality Assurance</font>
Storyline Tone - Now new and improved! (http://forums.bioware.com//viewpost.html?topic=394385&post=3264350&forum=84&highlight=)
I think Navon's got the gist of it. Talented creators can evoke extreme emotions regardless of medium. In an issue of Astonishing X-Men I read recently, I was floored by a shocking revelation therein. This was the same shock I felt at the end of "Angel," Season 1; at the end of "The Usual Suspects"; when Caramon faces Astinus at the end of the world in the "DragonLance Legends" trilogy; and at the end of the anime "Perfect Blue." It's not the medium, it's how much the viewer/reader gets immersed into the world that's been created.
CRPGs have a higher immersion factor because of the interactiviy. Because you are choosing what character to play, where Joe Barbarian goes, which Smalltown faction to help, which hench-thing to use, what weapon to specialize in, whether to double-cross The Dude, what pants to wear or how exactly to get rid of Dr. Sinister Evil, of course you're going to have more of a stake in how the story or your character turns out.