Game News Dragon Age forum update

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: BioWare; David Gaider; Dragon Age

Some <a href=http://dragonage.bioware.com/>Dragon Age</a> forum highlights for you, the <b>Dave Gaider</b> collection:
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<blockquote>Jade Empire was what we refer to as an Action RPG <i>(I hope Volourn will shut up now - VD)</i>. It focused a lot more on the action, which was perhaps more animation-driven than stats-driven, though it still had character advancement in it as well as a deep story with lots of dialogue. So I'm not sure I would call it "story-lite", just a change in focus.
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Most games we make are more traditional RPG's, though even in that category there's plenty of room for people to have different definitions. Someone recently was saying that we didn't make RPG's at all because they weren't sandbox-style games where you could wander a simulated world at will. Your mileage may vary.
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Dragon Age is not what we'd call an Action RPG. It's much more like a next-generation Baldur's Gate, with a party and a story style pretty similar to that. What you make of that is up to you, but to us the focus here is very much on the storytelling and not so much on the combat (not that there won't be plenty of that, too).
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Developing games partly consists of us making games that we want to make ourselves (and, yes, sometimes this involves trying new things and not making the exact same game every time out -- as much as this might make some NWN fans howl or made BG2 fans howl before when NWN was being made) and partly of making games that we think want to be played <i>(I hope Volourn will shut up now - VD)</i>. And the latter is not an exact science, to be sure, because as has been mentioned if we simply made a new BG1 it would not fly. And updating any part of that (such as making it 3D) means making changes which I suspect would be sacrilege to you.
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There are neither health potions nor mana potions, not in the sense that they instantly refresh your health bar or mana bar. The closest we come is a potion that lets you stretch what mana you have a little further, but it has drawbacks to consider as well, making it more of a tactical consideration instead of a no-brainer.</blockquote>The potion design sounds interesting. Tactical considerations are always nice.
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[rpgmaniac]

I agree a game i had NO interest in at all suddenly has one minor blip of interest i'll honour it with my "I'll pick it up if its on the walmart $10 software rack."

 

[Volourn]

"Jade Empire was what we refer to as an Action RPG (I hope Volourn will shut up now - VD). It focused a lot more on the action, which was perhaps more animation-driven than stats-driven, though it still had character advancement in it as well as a deep story with lots of dialogue. So I'm not sure I would call it "story-lite", just a change in focus."

Eh? What ar eya babbling about? I always said that JE was an Action RPG... probably because that is exactly what it is. But, like Gaider stated quite clearly, JE also has a deep story, character advancement, and lots of dialogue. Perhaps read the whole thing. He says the same exact thing as I always have. Tool.

Of course, I'd like to point out that ALL BIO games have a high focus on action ie combat. DA will likely be no different. Dumbass.


"Developing games partly consists of us making games that we want to make ourselves (and, yes, sometimes this involves trying new things and not making the exact same game every time out -- as much as this might make some NWN fans howl or made BG2 fans howl before when NWN was being made) and partly of making games that we think want to be played (I hope Volourn will shut up now - VD)."

You aren't making sense at all. I never once said that DA should be exactly like NWN. Are you purposely being retardedly daft?

As for shutting up? Hahahahaha.

As for the potion deal. That's not news. That's been known for a long time now. Dumbass.

 

[Vault Dweller]

I agree a game i had NO interest in at all suddenly has one minor blip of interest i'll honour it with my "I'll pick it up if its on the walmart $10 software rack."

Is there a reason why you express yourself in such a fucked up way? Do you have a physical disability (maybe you lost one hand to obsessive masturbation or something equally tragic)? Are you taking a stand against the nazi-like rules of grammar and syntax?

 

[Vault Dweller]

<snip>

*sigh* I guess, you are not going to shut up. Oh, well. It was a beautiful dream.

Tool. ... Dumbass. ... Dumbass.

Aren't you one angry fucker?

"Developing games partly consists of us making games that we want to make ourselves (and, yes, sometimes this involves trying new things and not making the exact same game every time out -- as much as this might make some NWN fans howl or made BG2 fans howl before when NWN was being made) and partly of making games that we think want to be played (I hope Volourn will shut up now - VD)."

You aren't making sense at all. I never once said that DA should be exactly like NWN. Are you purposely being retardedly daft?

I refuse to believe that you are as stupid as you are implying here. I'll give you a hint: No, it's not about NWN.

 

[SanguinePenguin]

I do like the potion idea a lot. It's always kind of strange in RPGs when characters manage to carry around a bunch of little bottles, without any of them breaking, and quaff them right in the middle of combat.

 

[aweigh]

IMMERSION!

 

[Mantiis]

By the sounds of it I can start getting excited about this game again. Shame it won't be out for a couple of years yet

 

[spacemoose]

We still don't have any concrete information about the game, just broad promises from developers. So I'm setting my expectations low - Dungeon Siege low.

The word 'Dragon' in the title doesn't reflect highly on the game either.

 

[Drakron]

You know ... after finding the joys of emulation and playing such ancient pearls of the SNES days as Chrono Trigger and Tales of Phantasia I look at those times and we got now and ... wonder.

Potions use because a issue with Diablo because a stategy was simply stockpile then and let it rip, of course in that game not even death had much consequences and I beat Diablo with stockpile/town portal stategy.

I got NOTHING from that interview burb besides the BioWare "mea culpa - we know what we are doing - trust us" that I am sick of hearing, potions are not a problem when the game makes potion issue a liability in combat (take FF for example, item use takes up a action) .

It seens some people cannot see the forest because of the tree.

 

[Mantiis]

You know ... after finding the joys of emulation and playing such ancient pearls of the SNES days as Chrono Trigger and Tales of Phantasia I look at those times and we got now and ... wonder.

Potions use because a issue with Diablo because a stategy was simply stockpile then and let it rip, of course in that game not even death had much consequences and I beat Diablo with stockpile/town portal stategy.

I got NOTHING from that interview burb besides the BioWare "mea culpa - we know what we are doing - trust us" that I am sick of hearing, potions are not a problem when the game makes potion issue a liability in combat (take FF for example, item use takes up a action) .

It seens some people cannot see the forest because of the tree.

killjoy

 

[Fresh]

I'm not at all up to date with DA, but haven't they've been working on this game forever now without even one screenshot? They going to show us something on E3?

 

[Vault Dweller]

The game was shown at E3 2004, scoring several The Best Of ... awards

http://www.actiontrip.com/rei/scr.phtml ... dragonage2
http://www.actiontrip.com/rei/scr.phtml ... dragonage3
http://www.actiontrip.com/rei/scr.phtml ... dragonage4
http://www.actiontrip.com/rei/scr.phtml ... dragonage5

 

[Volourn]

" potions are not a problem when the game makes potion issue a liability in combat (take FF for example, item use takes up a action) . "

FF is a horrible example. And, besides, using a potion in D&D games including NWN takes up an action too.

Moron.

 

[bryce777]

I don't have a big issue with SOME potions. Or with SOME magic items like fireball wands.

Magic is fun at time...the problem is just when there are no effect limits and when you have a game like BG where you can simply run in circles gulping potions a couple of rounds to turn any fight out there around.

In short, it is not the potions themselves but the idiotic combat system known as 'realtime'.

 

[Seboss]

Do every members which posts count exceeds 3000 get the Dumbfuck!! tag (except VD obviously) or are they just very perseverant trolls ?

 

[Stella Brando]

This looks cool, I loved BG 1 and 2. I expect the generic name has been picked to send an obvious "This game has sowrds and monstars" message to attract new players. Old RPGs with names like Siege of Khorghazz: Prophecy of the Elder Sucubus must have had them going "WTF?"

And I, too, hope Volourn will shut up now.

 

[Fresh]

Do every members which posts count exceeds 3000 get the Dumbfuck!! tag (except VD obviously) or are they just very perseverant trolls ?

Only those who insists saying "R00fles!".

 

[Volourn]

R00fles!

 

[Stella Brando]

Why do you play NWN? Baldurs Gate was cool, but I hated that game.

 

[Drain]

In short, it is not the potions themselves but the idiotic combat system known as 'realtime'.

If drinking potions weren't instanteneous, you wouldn't be able to:

simply run in circles gulping potions a couple of rounds to turn any fight out there around.

Its not about real time.

 

[kris]

In short, it is not the potions themselves but the idiotic combat system known as 'realtime'.

If drinking potions weren't instanteneous, you wouldn't be able to:

simply run in circles gulping potions a couple of rounds to turn any fight out there around.

Its not about real time.

But that is more about the problem of the character being able to run and drink at the same time. That's not to forget that I think insta-heal potions is retarded anyway. they should be more like "heal over time" or "recover health faster".

FF combat is hardly better in realism, since there you are looked in place when in combat. No placing, facing or maneuver. blah.

 

[FrancoTAU]

Basically, if you were looking foward to Baldur's Gate 3 than you should be looking foward to Dragon Age. To me right now it's a game that's borderline buy it when it comes out/buy it when it hits the bargain bins. Need more info though.

 

[bryce777]

In short, it is not the potions themselves but the idiotic combat system known as 'realtime'.

If drinking potions weren't instanteneous, you wouldn't be able to:

simply run in circles gulping potions a couple of rounds to turn any fight out there around.

Its not about real time.

Drinking potions isn't instantaneous in DnD - it takes a round. You can't drink 40 potions in a round in DnD. However, in the stupid, fake DnD implemetation the BG series uses, you can indefinitely waste time in virtually any combat by running in circles.

In games where drinking them is pretty much instant then you throw any attempt at game balance right out the window but that would be true with any effect - I mean, shit you can't cast 200 fireballs instantly from a wand. It should be a nobrainer that healing should not be so easy, but I guess a lot of companies just suck at design.

 

[kris]

Made me think of Fable again, where potions was more or less a extension to your health. they even had a potion that brought you back from life. No! Don't ask em how you are able to use that potion when you are dead and need ressurection... Potions made Fable one of the easiest games ever made.