Dragon Age Writer Suggests That Everyone Just Calm Down

[JeanLuc761]

WTF Bioware?! So it's yet another RPG where I'm forced to play a male character, when the reason I've loved you so long is for actually letting me play as my own sex? WTF?!!!

You can play as a woman as well. You're just set as a human, you'll have a voice, and your surname is Hawke.

 

[daftalchemist]

WTF Bioware?! So it's yet another RPG where I'm forced to play a male character, when the reason I've loved you so long is for actually letting me play as my own sex? WTF?!!!

You can play as a woman as well. You're just set as a human, you'll have a voice, and your surname is Hawke.

Thank god. I don't mind playing as a human as that's my race of choice anyway. I was just worried for a moment (because of the screenshot) that you'd only get to be a guy. From any other developer I wouldn't mind just being a guy, but from Bioware I expect better.

 

[BloodSquirrel]

I'm optimistic about this. I really don't get it but I saw the rage coming, and sometimes the internet just boggles my mind, we'll complain that everything is the same then when a franchise changes directions (which to me is probably better than creating a new IP from the ground up) we act as if they killed our mothers and ate the corpse. Maybe some people prefer a streamlined game, that does NOT mean we're stupid or that we're not a true fan, it just means we prefer something different. We don't know if this is how the rest of the series will turn out, they might decide that this will be the only time they do it. Besides which the older game is still there, you could play that and not buy this, that would send a message more than simply bellyaching about it.

Problem- Dragon Age was different than anything else on the market. It was a style that nobody else was doing. Now it's being homogenized. Everything different about it is being stripped out.

 

[PanicxBoss]

As long as we don't have to play with only two preset looks for our Hawkes (the female default Shep was... well... extremely unappealing), I think I'll be okay with this. I think if Bioware took out the appearance customization option, the game would be rather unappealing to me. Ol' Beardo up there just seems to come off as the "generic brown-haired protagonist douchebag" character, rather than a personalized avatar. Also, while Mass Effect's TPS-style system benefited from being slimmed down, I think that simplifying the DA combat system would hurt the experience rather than enhance it. It was already pretty basic when I played it, but then again, the world has people who are more stupid than I am...

For all that whining, I'll probably still buy it. Probably.

 

[Outamyhead]

He's right, of course, but still:

"simplified combat."

Why does the combat need to be simplified? The nice thing about having Origins and ME2 at the same time was the way they both approached being RPGs in different ways. I.e. Origins was "hardcore".

It's not like the combat was difficult to get to grips with - although it was bastard hard to play in some cases. Still, I liked that.

Like Mr Gaider said, we don't know any details of how the game will work, look or play. So them saying simplified, may just mean every element of a skill type may randomly fire off in a fight, for all we know anyway, just let the game develop and when the demo gets released (there had better be one for the PC this time, if it wasn't for my nephew, I wouldn't have bought it until he told me Bioware made it!), see how it plays then.

 

[Mcface]

Isn't the game supposed to be the story of YOUR gray warden? I thought this was going to contiune his story. guess not. glad i didnt spend anymore money on this series.

 

[BloodSquirrel]

Like Mr Gaider said, we don't know any details of how the game will work, look or play.

We were just told a bunch of details. We don't like them. Now we're being told there, no, wait, there are other details, which we're not going to tell you, that you will like!

You don't go tossing around words like "simplified" unless you're making the game to appeal to a very different group of people than the one that the first game was made for.

 

[Dragon Zero]

I'm optimistic about this. I really don't get it but I saw the rage coming, and sometimes the internet just boggles my mind, we'll complain that everything is the same then when a franchise changes directions (which to me is probably better than creating a new IP from the ground up) we act as if they killed our mothers and ate the corpse. Maybe some people prefer a streamlined game, that does NOT mean we're stupid or that we're not a true fan, it just means we prefer something different. We don't know if this is how the rest of the series will turn out, they might decide that this will be the only time they do it. Besides which the older game is still there, you could play that and not buy this, that would send a message more than simply bellyaching about it.

Problem- Dragon Age was different than anything else on the market. It was a style that nobody else was doing. Now it's being homogenized. Everything different about it is being stripped out.

Well, I thought one of the reasons people liked it was because it was "Old School" not necessarily because it did anything new. Then again I do see your point of them trying to change things that you liked about it. And rereading my post four or five times I do realize that I came off as an incoherent prick (well, more so than usual) and for that I apologize, but I still stand with my statement that you really shouldn't try to write it off until they release more info. I mean the game was just announced this month, I don't think you can make a valid judgment when we don't have much information about it. Plus, as I've said, you still have the first one and simply because this changes a few things doesn't mean that you can't enjoy the first one.

 

[darkonnis]

I don't really get why it matters if you get to decide what you look like. There are millions of games were you don't get to choose what you look like. And being honest, you psend most of your time looking at the back of its head anyway as it fights through waves of enemies and talks to every villager in the universe. I would much rather have a (and i use this only as example) oblivion start, where you are always the same(yes you can choose what you look like but it really makes no odds), you always have the same backstory etc. If it means that the game is bigger, has more content, more side quests then i dont really care, aswell in DA the DLC is pretty linear, and very "meh" because it's not like they can jus throw in a "your first birthday" or whatever. it has to cater to every story so you end up playign as the darkspawn or getting shale or something really ish. as opposed to a whole new camapaign. Anyway, we'll see when its released. Im sure there will be a demo before its out

 

[Assassin Xaero]

simplified combat.

Uhh, how much more simple can it get? You click on an enemy, your character attacks them until they die, you click on the next enemy. Hell, I was even distracted by a movie I was watching one day and my character just started attacking people without me doing a thing...

 

[wolf92]

Should give them chance though. I mean when has Bioware really disappointed?

Never, that's when

 

[Withall]

You've already announced that you are completely forgoing one of the most interesting and praised things about the first game.

Yeah, I think people have a right to question you and be pissed.

While I agree that people have a right to question what they don't like, they shouldn't take things at face value, and judge it from there on out. I like Mr. Gaider's statement. "Don't know it until you tried it for real", essentially.

 

[BloodSquirrel]

Well, I thought one of the reasons people liked it was because it was "Old School" not necessarily because it did anything new.

First off, being "Old School" doesn't mean it didn't do anything new. You can go back 10 or more years, pick up where they left off, and evolve it in a different direction.

Second, something that hasn't been done in 10 years is more "new" than something that's been done 10 times in the last year.

I mean the game was just announced this month, I don't think you can make a valid judgment when we don't have much information about it.

We have the information that they cherry-picked to tell us first. What that information is says a lot. The fact that they're doing damage control but aren't actually offereing any new information says even more. We should call this "Starcraft 2 will have no LAN" mode.

Moreover, a negative reaction from the fan base now actually has a slim chance to change something. Waiting and complaining latter has zero chance of changing anythig.

 

[JEBWrench]

At what time period does the game take place relevant to the original? Because if it's many years later....

I'm just gonna call it... You are Morrigans/demon/Gray Warden love child.

As far as i understand you start around 10 years after DA:O, you were alive during the Blight, you were stationed in Lothering but instead fighting you decided to escape to Free Marches. So no, you are not going to be tied to DA:O character in any way. Im more leaning towards the plot brining you at some point to meet with either Mori (which i would love due to Claudia Black VO) or her child.

As for the whole deal. Give them time. You so far know nothing about the gain except few very vague details. They said the combat still will be tactical on PCs and only consoles get a more pad-friendly system.
I also doubt they will go alignment way, circle is just much more convenient in choosing responses over numbered list.

According to Game Informer's exclusive, it will start during the Blight with Hawke escaping.

Also, they'll be doing the Mass Effect dialog wheel thing.

And you are obviously not Morrigan's baby.

 

[ImprovizoR]

Well I for one don't want t play the same game all over again. I welcome the changes. Bioware never failed me before. And I like having a character with a voice, and more engaging combat. But characters reactions to what you do should remain the same as they were in Dragon Age Origins. That was the most awesome part of Dragon Age. Characters had their own opinion and it actually mattered.

 

[Catalyst6]

The whole "make your own character" thing is an incredibly weak mechanic. Yes, you get to choose what you look like, but you're also removing most of the ability of the developers to give your avatar personality. They just have to give you some lame "choices" that don't really personalize your mute character at all.
...

This would be true if you were playing a game like D&D, where the entire world was infinitely customizable and dependent on your character. But let's face it, the conversation Three Option System that is roleplaying in these games is not going to develop a personality for your character, no matter how hard you try. Video games are simply not conductive towards personal creativity.

RPGs are designed to tell a story. The problem is that the story has to flow in pretty much the same way, otherwise the game could never fit on a disk. This means that the developer has two options:
1. Take control of the character's personality from the player
2. Make the "characterization" options so weak that they don't interrupt the plot as a whole.

There's really no better way to do it. Yes, it sucks, but that's the wonderful world of gaming. RPGs are designed around telling a story, not letting you play God.

That's why I play so many D20 games, really.

 

[Vranyr1016]

I liked what I saw when I first read the announcement. The story looks to be epic in scope, and that it is that elusive high quality storyline (as well as dialogue and immersion) that I value more than anything in a game; that is Bioware's strong suit, as I see it. Whatever changes to the combat/customization that they make, I doubt that the end product will be any worse than the original. Mass Effect 2 cut back on some of the customization, yet I found that I loved that game even more than the fantastic original.

That said, I found Dragon Age: Origins to be incredibly involving as well, so I wouldn't have been disappointed if they had decided to continue in that direction instead. I was especially pleased with the ambiguity of the moral choice system, which I hope remains the same if nothing else.

Ultimately, fear-mongering won't accomplish too much; just have faith. I think that by now, Bioware have proven that they know what they are doing.


Though, that is just my opinion..

EDIT: typo

 

[lumenadducere]

At what time period does the game take place relevant to the original? Because if it's many years later....

I'm just gonna call it... You are Morrigans/demon/Gray Warden love child.

OT: I agree, people need to calm the EF down. Bioware always delivers in the end.

And besides, I'm pretty confident that this will not be the only sequel to the game. So who's to say you won't revisit your beloved Gray Warden character in a later installment.

It starts off concurrent with the first game, and then spans 10 years. So no demon baby love child for you.

And while I definitely agree with Gaider's sentiment, it seems pretty futile. Telling people online to calm down and be rational never works.

 

[Talvrae]

You've already announced that you are completely forgoing one of the most interesting and praised things about the first game.

Yeah, I think people have a right to question you and be pissed.

^^Exactelly

The worst thing? I still will buy it. I'm that much of a Bioware fan girl, still i'm pissed off... Hawkes is an aweful name, even more of Hawkes is a female (wich will be the case in my game) And i still think reducing to one race is a magor dump down