Preview Dragon Age sightings at 1UP

[Diogo Ribeiro]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age

<a href=http://www.1up.com/>1UP</a> has scored a <a href=http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=0&cId=3155733>preview</a> of <a href=http://www.bioware.com>Bioware</a>'s upcoming title, <a href=http://dragonage.bioware.com/>Dragon Age</a>. In between the usual fawning over Bioware and the developers talking about how the game's coreographed combat is so going to look like an action movie, there are some bits of info <a href=http://www.rpgcodex.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=10515>which may or may not be true</a>:
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As in any BioWare game, characters--and moral choices--tower over everything, though Greig says it isn't as simple as light-side points and dark-side points, open palm and closed fist. "Yes, you're the hero, or the antihero, depending on how you play, but it's going to be a lot more organic. You basically have to save the world, but what the world is like when you're done--that's totally up to you and the choices you make throughout the game. You're literally going to decide the fate of nations, who's becoming king, what nations are actually around after...what races are around. You're going to have to make some hard choices in the game, but we want all the choices to be clear. The player's gonna know if he does this, there's a really horrific consequence. Decisions are gonna be hard...and sort of shocking."
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I'm sure many people will not be seeing that YOU ARE THE CHOSEN DRAGON!
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch</A>

 

[Bradylama]

Well that's fine enough. Now all they have to do is make us care.

 

[Slith]

You basically have to save the world,

And with those faithful words, I'm suddenly much less interested in the game. Can we ever have an RPG where the world isn't in immediate danger, requiring the chosen one to come along and fix everything for everybody else? I mean jesus christ, get these people to save their own goddamn world.

 

[Paranoid Jack]

Well I am heading over to view the preview but that paragraph you posted with the news blurb is word for word right out of the recent issue of Games for Windows the magazine.

EDIT: I'm back I stopped after the first few paragraphs it is parts of... if not the exact same article. Meh! I must be out of it... not in the in crowd. Is this 1UP like the MySpace of Gamers? As for the article I wonder why they didn't just post the following interview also?

 

[Castanova]

You basically have to save the world,

And with those faithful words, I'm suddenly much less interested in the game. Can we ever have an RPG where the world isn't in immediate danger, requiring the chosen one to come along and fix everything for everybody else? I mean jesus christ, get these people to save their own goddamn world.

*sigh* Bitching about this is like bitching that a James Patterson book has a serial killer in it.

 

[galsiah]

I mean jesus christ, get these people to save their own goddamn world.

Fat lot of good it did him.

 

[RAG]

I really like what I read in this paragraph. I don't mind the world being in immediate danger and you being the chosen one. Fallout was like that and we didn't concentrate on that. If what they say is true we MIGHT have some true consequences in our actions and might be able to shape the game or the story as we see fit.

It seems that Bioware with its console games try to cater the biggest part of the market.
But they also want to give something to the people that really brought them where they are today (that's the pc gamers) and try not to forget where they came from by making something that tries to be closer to the roots.

Since Gaider visits occasionally the codex I would like to assume that he knows what we are looking for in rpgs and his intentions is to create something that we'll enjoy too without being a complete disaster as far as sales go. If I am right Kudos to him.

P.S. I might have not enjoyed all the games that Bioware made but I respect the fact that when he posts here he is not discouraged by unfounded or valid attacks and stands his ground. Brave christian in the roman arena

 

[Elwro]

You're literally going to decide the fate of nations

It's still not as fun as enslaving them with necromancy.

 

[aweigh]

Goddamn that's still funny.

Enslaving nations with necromancy.

 

[Twinfalls]

Hey, Westphalia coulda happened in Dragonworld!

 

[Dgaider]

I don't mind the world being in immediate danger and you being the chosen one.

Insofar as saving the world goes, the game actually allows you to be the reluctant hero -- this is something that you get dragged into, more or less. I know that won't be consolation for some, but this is heroic fantasy. Hopefully we can present the story in an interesting way even if the plot points, on cursory examination, aren't exploding with teh innovashun.

Insofar as the "chosen one" goes, that at least we don't have -- beyond the player being the protaganist of the story, of course, and thus technically 'chosen' by destiny or what have you. There's no prophecy that's foretold of your coming, however, and you're not the only one who can save the world, etc.

Just thought I'd clarify that. Not that the Codex will ever give us a break or anything, but it behooves me to make sure the Codex's moaning is at least semi-informed from time to time.

 

[Volourn]

"But they also want to give something to the people that really brought them where they are today (that's the pc gamers)"

No. Stop the bullshit. BIO are the people who got them where theya re today. You give the idiotic fans way too much credit.

Anyways, there is good and bad in that article.

 

[Texas Red]

So, is the game, as I predicted, coming to the consoles instead of being PC exlusive as told before?

What I hope is that we wont see a generic evil wizard trying to conquer the world for no reason while occosinally indulging in sociopathic behaviour.

 

[Volourn]

Generic evil is what NWN2 is for. R00fles!

 

[Texas Red]

Generic evil is what NWN2 is for. R00fles!

What does it have to do with anything? If NWN 2 had it(although I cant comment since I didnt even finish the OC) then more the reason not to have one in DA.

 

[Voss]

I hope Bio holds to that 'hard and shocking decisions' thing. I want that. I want that a lot.

I do wish folks would dial it back though. Teh epic = saving teh world needs to go. Can we go for less absurd and say, fate of a kingdom/region? Dealing with the looming war between two countries, or something? Something that affects a lot of people but doesn't have absurd fantasy cliches dialed up to 11.

Lets have some grim and gritty fantasy.

 

[Claw]

Any game that allows me to enslave nations with necromancy would be a must-buy.

I know that won't be consolation for some, but this is heroic fantasy.

So? Heroic fantasy doesn't have to be about saving the world.

 

[Bradylama]

Besides, in Fallout you were only really saving a bombed-out Southern California.

You could also do, effectively more damage to the wastes than the Master, and arguably, the Master had a plan that could've better enabled the survival of civilization, and didn't actually threaten the "world" in any finality.

 

[Volourn]

Bradylama is spouting bullshit. The question is why?

 

[Bradylama]

Because you're a dumbfuck, is why.

 

[elander_]

Teh epic = saving teh world needs to go.

Unfortunaly thats not the way it works. As long as teens keep selecting theses games and complaining if they don't have an epic role thats what companies like Bioware will keep selling.

 

[galsiah]

I don't think that's a reasonable argument. It doesn't have to be epic / saving the world - it just needs to feel really important. Most people, teens included, are quite able to get involved with, and entertained by, the most mundane subjects - so long as the presentation is right.

It's also important to remember that the average gamer knows very little about design, and has spent very little time considering exactly why he wasn't gripped by the subject matter of a certain game.
Merely because the complaint is "it wasn't epic enough", doesn't make that the problem. Assuming that it is amounts to accepting the analysis of every random teenager who's considered the issue for less than 5 seconds as gospel truth.

Such feedback (if it exists) just indicates that an epic storyline is one way that can capture the interest of such people - and that without an epic storyline it's possible they won't be gripped. This is no evidence that epic storylines are the only way to grip such gamers, or that an epic storyline is guaranteed to achieve this.

Depending on the market, it might make sense to use such plots. However, if you're aiming for the majority of teenage males, I'd say that the character(s) and actions are much more important than the motivations in terms of image.
So long as you're someone cool doing cool stuff, it makes little difference what the ultimate goals are. Do GTA players worry that they're not saving the world? How often does anyone talk about the ultimate purpose in GTA?

Assuming that an epic plot is necessary without significant evidence to that effect is thoughtless and formulaic design. It's not something that bothers me much either way though. The only harm I see in it is that designers might think that any Epic-Adventure-To-Save-The-World plot will do just as well.
If the story were about saving one person, it'd be impossible (one hopes) for designers to ignore the need to create a really compelling plot. With saving the world, there's always the danger of falling back on "Of course it's important/compelling/interesting - the fate of the entire world is at stake.".

Hopefully Bioware will use "save the world" as a starting point, rather than a crutch.

 

[Volourn]

"Besides, in Fallout you were only really saving a bombed-out Southern California."

If that's your defintion of 'not saving the world' plots then JE, NWN1, SOU, BG1, and BG2 weren't 'save the world' plots either.

Heck. Neitehr is ME 'cause there it's about 'saving the universe'.

R00fles!

 

[Texas Red]

Drop the whole "saving the world" theme all together and create a story that focuses only around your character, I say.

 

[Volourn]

That be nice too.