Dragon Age III Details

[Aiddon_v1legacy]

Why give us different backgrounds if you're going to lock us into being human? Being able to play as elves or dwarves was one of my favorite parts..

Social strata; maybe you're a Noble, a street rat, a vagrant, etc.

 

[ex275w]

anc[is]Hang on, this guy wrote Fenris? All this time I've been blaming Hepler for that obnoxious broody pre-teen girl's wet dream. This does not bode well at all.

Did he?
Oh....... [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3zCXzJ3NBs]
Does anyone like Fenris? He has to be the most one-note and out-of-place (in his visual design) characters in RPGs. I know he had to write DA2 in a hurry, but geez.

Though I have to say this: Much of what Gaider has written have been good enough for what they are. Origins being one example. He wrote Shale (and HK-47, the original Shale), for crying out loud. How can the same man who wrote Shale also write Fenris? It's like Hepler. She wrote the Dwarven Commoner origin (which is actually my favorite in the first game), but also wrote Anders in DA2.

I guess everyone is capable of stumbling into something bad. Or they can stumble into something good, depending on your perspective.

I like Fenris because he's the best character gameplay wise. Story wise I was bewildered talking to him, I befriended him but the problem was that he seemed angsty for the sake of being angsty like David Gaider was like: "this is was angry and depressed people do, I guess?" Also David Gaider wrote Orsino and Meredith, the biggest strawmen in the series barring the Nazi templar.

Bioware has gone rotten from getting stupid praises from the Biodrones, if they were negatively criticized more they would step off their egos and start writing good like they did before they became lazy writers in Dragon Age 2.

 

[Exius Xavarus]

Why give us different backgrounds if you're going to lock us into being human? Being able to play as elves or dwarves was one of my favorite parts..

Social strata; maybe you're a Noble, a street rat, a vagrant, etc.

Do I get to walk around at night singing One Jump Ahead(Reprise) if I become a street rat? ;D

I'd still prefer to have the ability to play an elf or dwarf, though. Although humans were rather limited in their social strata in Origins. Either an noble or a mage. And we all know how awful the standing of a mage is. It might be interesting to see what else we can make of our humans.

 

[Baralak]

You know, I just started Dragon Age 2, and I'm really enjoying it so far. The re-used areas are a bit annoying, but not a game breaker, and I'm loving deciding how my Hawke acts out the events. In addition I LOVE the idea of the story, of one man's rise from a poverty-living refugee, to an international hero. I'm beginning to agree with the press reviews, this game is really good! I don't know why this game got so much hate. I'm loving it more than Origins currently, because the combat is so much more action packed (On PS3 at least, the game doesn't like my laptop).


If 3 will be like this, it'll be a day 1 buy from me.

 

[RobfromtheGulag]

Ha! Not this time Bioware! Fool me once, shame on you. Fool my twice...

An apt phrase. I agree.

DA:O was my first Bioware game, and their reputation exploded into existance in my book. It has since dwindled to near nothing.

 

[Smertnik]

I, for one, am looking forward to the game. I enjoyed DA2 a lot despite its many shortcomings (in some ways even a bit more than DA:O, especially combat wise) and as long as DA3 is at least on par with its predecessor without the dungeons consisting of a single map I'll most probably enjoy it, too.

 

[Fr]anc[is]

But then you had the KOTOR 2 development for HK-47, placing him in a situation where he was coming to question his own individuality. After he "broke" (read, got his memories back from Revan) in K1, he starts hiding things from his owners, like he does to the Exile in KOTOR 2. It makes him much more interesting, because he is putting up his psychopathic traits as a cover for his more sophisticated views.

Kotor 2 was done by Obsidian, not Bioware. The only one with less character development in the original Kotor was T3.

 

[psicat]

I can't wait for this. Concept art looks great. It sounds like they are keeping many of the improvements from Dragon Age 2 without it falling victim to the faults of it's rushed development cycle. Thankfully, they didn't go back to the boring combat style, and one dimensional characters, of Dragon Age: Origins.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

anc[is]

But then you had the KOTOR 2 development for HK-47, placing him in a situation where he was coming to question his own individuality. After he "broke" (read, got his memories back from Revan) in K1, he starts hiding things from his owners, like he does to the Exile in KOTOR 2. It makes him much more interesting, because he is putting up his psychopathic traits as a cover for his more sophisticated views.

Kotor 2 was done by Obsidian, not Bioware. The only one with less character development in the original Kotor was T3.

I know, but I look at the two KOTOR games as one, despite their different outlooks on Star Wars. So while HK might not have had as much depth to him beyond killbot 9000 in K1, in K2, you really get to see a side of him that wasn't apparent before.

 

[Tigerlily Warrior]

David Gaider? No thanks, I'll pass. Anders will probably come back from the Dead to continue being Thedas Al Quaeda.

Actually, Hepler wrote Anders in Dragon Age 2 (Gaider wrote him in Awakening). I think Gaider can be OK, if a little boring and safe. Hepler varies wildly, though. She wrote most of the Orzammar stuff in Origins (including the Dwarven Commoner story). But then she wrote so much tripe for Dragon Age 2 (Anders, Sebastian, the Hawke siblings and Leandra). It seems like she also did most of Legacy too, though. That was all right.

I'm a fan of David Gaider from the books so I'm happy with that decision. Not sure how much freedom he and the team will have with whoever at EA is running Bioware. We'll see.

Cautiously optimistic. Very cautious, but still optimistic.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Spoiler: inflammatory language ahead

GODDAMMIT BIOWARE. WHAT THE FUCK? Give us back our fucking choices, you asshats! I can go to any other damn game and be a human. I'm tired of being human. I'm human, and being human is fucking boring. Stop it, you miserable fucking twats. Different possible backgrounds? Taking control of a castle? What the hell is that shit? DA:O had actual different backgrounds, and you took control of a castle in Warden's Keep and Awakening, and that wasn't all that exciting. Christ, do you fucks know what we want? We didn't buy DA2 en masse because we wanted to be a boring twat. We bought it because DA:O was awesome, had enormous replayability, and felt like a full world, and we thought the trend would continue. And then you pull this shit? Elves, Dwarves, Humans, Kossith, Tal-Vashoth, these are all choices that should be possible as the series develops. Not "human" or "slightly different human". I don't care what you think would be fun to play, because I'm not you! My interests are different! I hate playing human in a world so richly populated, because it feels like I'm missing the point of a large fantasy world! Sheperd was was fine, but there's so much more already available in the Dragon Age games, so why reduce it down? You are better than this! I know you are, you know you are, so deliver! Stop screwing around and do it right! You don't broaden and improve a series by removing features!

Er...sorry. I suppose saying that here is not really effective. I'll copy this response, and post it somewhere on the Bioware social page. Also, no disrespect to anyone offended by the words used, I mean them not against you, but because their syllables come together to form really good swears, and I want to point out that there's nothing wrong with the words in question, but that I'm slightly irked that all the best words to chastise someone are being taken back. Thanks for the sandwich, but cordiality was not maintained.

 

[Nerexor]

I really don't see why we're stuck as a human for a completely new character. It would make sense if we were continuing as Hawke, because they already forced that choice on us once. But if they're going all new guy on us then why not open it up to more possibilities?

On the plus side hopefully no Hawke means no Fenris Emopants Clearly-inserted-for-girls-who-like-yaoi the Third in DA3.

Either way I'll definitely be waiting for the reviews before I even consider buying this game.

 

[In Search of Username]

I'm not too excited, I never enjoyed the Dragon Age games as much as the Mass Effects, but I'll probably get it at some point. Hopefully it'll be good, though with EA's influence it's more likely to be just slightly disappointing.

 

[spartan231490]

inb4 Anthraxus

Anyway... eh. I enjoyed DA2 but I doubt I'll get this until it goes down in price a bit. DA2 wasn't all that great and the ME3 ending kinda... well, it was the ME3 ending. So yeah.

Almost exactly this. Bioware titles haven't lived up lately, and I certainly won't be buying this at full price, if at all.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Considering how hated the non-humans are in Thedas it makes sense that the payer character would be human.

It makes even more sense then to be someone else, fighting not just against something bigger than themselves, but against the rest of the world as well.

 

[Zetatrain]

Yes, but it still rail roaded you into "Good", "Neutral", and "Evil" conversation "choices"

Speaking of choices, there is no such thing as "choices" in a Bioware game. You are either another generic goody two shoes hero, or a douchebag who seemingly has no motivation for being such a dick.

Did we play the same game. The moral choice system was there in DA 2, no doubt. But in Origins you had multiple Conversation Options, which at least to me, made perfect sense.
For example joining with the cult, while searching for andrastes ashes, would be considered an "evil" choice, but it was reasonsable as well, since they promise you an reward and you won't have to fight them.
What important is, and i think this shows in the game very well, that the conversation options were not chosen with a moral choice system in mind. Of course you can be still "good" and "evil" but they wouldn't give you much of a choice if that would not be the case, wouldn't they?
When you look for one, you can find "moral choice systems" in every rpg, because when they let you choose conversations, they will give you the option to be nice or an asshole.
The point is:
As it stands Origins has no moral choice system. Even the more "evil" options are still reasonable and there are some choices were there is just no choice between good and evil.
One thing i liked in particular was choosing between the dwarven kings. It was a choice between the tyrannical, but smart and modern king. And the good, but kinda stupid and backwards king. I always chose the Tyrann, because i was not playing a good guy, but rather a guy, who wants whats best for everyone in the long run.

OK I'm confused how did DA2 have a moral choice system.

 

[MDSnowman]

Let's not pretend DA:O was perfect. I had to go back and replay it because I reformatted my laptop and lost my original save file (My Human Noble Rogue Warden must be heard!!)and I'm a little crushed by how poorly the game holds up.

The combat is clunky, the visual style leaves interesting characters all clad in the same hideous armor styles (Wynn looks the same in her skivvies as Leliana, that's not right). Some of the talent trees are just poorly designed, and the choices are occasionally just stupid (No, let Jowan conduct his horrible ritual because I don't feel like walking back to the circle of mages). Not to mention that the epic story of DA:O was pretty generic.

The combat in DA2 was more fun, more dynamic. The Talent trees made more sense, and the story was more personal and engaging. The maps were recycled crap, and some of the characters were downright pointless (Fenris, Sebastian, I'm looking at you boys). It was by no means perfect, I just felt as though they traded their DA:O problems for new ones in DA2.

So given that DA3 is being given a proper development cycle I'm looking forward to DA3.

 

[Knight Templar]

(No, let Jowan conduct his horrible ritual because I don't feel like walking back to the circle of mages)

Sorry for what is a bit of a tangent but I doubt that motive for picking the option was common at all.
First you need to have the option in the first place, and if you sided against the mages then they are not available to aid you, or dead. If it is an option you need to consider the risk. On my first playthrough I took his ritual because I had yet to do the Mages quest, but already knew something had gone wrong there and the Templars had it locked down. So not only did I not know if they could even help me, but I didn't know if I could go there, get aid and come back before things got worse. Best case scenario I'm leaving a demon possesed child alone for a couple of days with only one misguided blood mage to keep things safe.

 

[Terrible Opinions]

That doesn't change the fact that it was far-and-away the best solution.

Like, once you know it's possible, what was once a legitimate quandary just becomes laughable.