Game News Dragon Age official FAQ posted

[Vault Dweller]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age

<a href=http://www.bioware.com>Bioware</a> has posted <a href=http://www.bioware.com/games/dragon_age/faq/index.html>Dragon Age FAQ</a> dealing with all sorta questions, except "What's with all the hype?"
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<blockquote><b>What is the storyline of Dragon Age?</b>
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<u>For the first time</u>, you choose how your character’s story begins and that choice changes how your story unfolds. From a grim barbarian wanderer who is the last of his kind, to an exiled dwarven prince betrayed by his brother; each of the many 'origin' stories spins its own heroic tale of intrigue and romance.
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Each origin story completely changes the setting and events of the game's first chapter and unlocks different storylines, villains, romances and items throughout the course of the game.
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As you play, your actions shape the destiny of the world. Unite a powerful kingdom under your wise and just rule, enslave nations beneath the tyranny of your powerful necromancy or forge a legend of your own making.
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Hero or villain, the choice is yours. Dragon Age features an awesome storyline and epic exploration in the BioWare RPG tradition. </blockquote>OMG! Bio's just invented vignettes!
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[StraitLacedDeviant]

Amazing, where do they come up with these ideas. I mean whatever they have in the water coolers at bioware they should share with the rest of the world, they could usher in a whole new era of peace and prosperity, or crush us under a tyrannical necromantical reign of ickyness

 

[DemonKing]

Come on - be fair - they're not vignettes - they're "origin stories".

To be honest, the opening vignettes in TOEE were pretty lame (at least the ones I tried)...if your choice of "Origin Story" alters the way the entire game plays it *might* be interesting.

Saying that it looks like this is another title like BG where even if you create an entire party you will have to nominate one guy to be the "story focus", although getting to pick an "Origin Story" for every party member which has influence throughout the entire game would be a decent achievement.

 

[Oyarsa]

Grey skies over Miami, Ohio

Exiled dwarven prince? Wasn't this the game that wasn't going to have dwaves, just dwarf-like creatures?

Or is that some other CRPG I am completely disinterested in?

 

[Vault Dweller]

Are you sure it says "dwarven" and not dvarwen, d'warven, or dwaarven? Hmm, I guess, you're right. Looks like the uber original never seen before totally cool new Bio setting took another step back toward its done-to-death, utterly generic roots.

 

[EEVIAC]

I think I've worked Bioware out. They hype to elicit sarcastic comment (as well as inevitable defense,) which then becomes its own form of hype.

Anyway, well done Bioware. I'm all for taking inspiration/appropriating good ideas, and having multiple starting scenarios is a bloody good idea, especially in a single player game. They'd have to based on class, surely. I'm just hoping they don't turn into bonehead, non-skipable tutorials that take you through class specialties.

 

[Whipporowill]

No matter that didn't do the vignette thingie first - IF they deliver what they're hyping here it'll be all that the ToEE ones should've been.

 

[Vault Dweller]

IF they deliver what they're hyping here it'll be all that the ToEE ones should've been.

Then it would be the first time they deliver something they hyped

 

[Whipporowill]

Re: Grey skies over Miami, Ohio

Exiled dwarven prince? Wasn't this the game that wasn't going to have dwaves, just dwarf-like creatures?

Or is that some other CRPG I am completely disinterested in?

Guess they reneged on it

1.10: What playable races will be available in Dragon Age? (Back to Top)

Elves, dwarves and humans will be included as playable races. There are other playable races as well, which will be revealed at a later date.

 

[Spazmo]

I agree with Whippo. If they manage to deliver all they promise there, they would be the first to properly exploit the promise of the vignette.

Then again, they might just have one where you're a dark elph who, dang it, was just too noble hearted for the evil underground city of the dark elphs and had to flee to the surface with his trusty twin swords. That'd just torpedo the whole thing.

 

[Vault Dweller]

If they manage to deliver all they promise there, they would be the first to properly exploit the promise of the vignette.

I prefer the term "build on what's already done" instead of some "the first" silliness. It's always easier to develop somebody else's idea then to come up with one of your own as the setting clearly shows.

 

[StraitLacedDeviant]

Its not all biowares fault. A lot of the blame has to go to those soppy twats that continuosly buy their products and assure bioware that committing heinous crimes against rpg kind reaps benefits, which it seems to do.

 

[Volourn]

1. Are you sure that the phrase 'for the first time" means for all games or just BIO games or are you just twisting it so you can bash BIO more.

2. These 'origin stories' are more than the ultra lame vignettes which were hyped up to be the best thing ever. Besides, it's not like TOEE was ever the first game that had something like vignettes. The 'origin stories' seem to effect the entire game not just the first 2 minutes of it. That's already 1 million steps above the overrated vignettes that many of you cum over.

3. My biggest worry about the 'origin stories' is that they will force you into a specific role. I just hope it is a case of all 'dwarven princes' being the same. That would be lame.

4. The whole dwarves will be dwarf like is a quote that was twisted. Dwarves supposedly will have differences from their typical self. This was explained on the forums. They will be dwarves; but they won't neccessarily be the stereotypical cave dwelling gold hoarding honourable creatures. I think it'll be more along the lines of say the difference between Dark Sun halflings and 'normal' halflings.

5. Stop whining. Lots of you are saying you aren't interested in the game yet you continue to discuss it. Stop lying.

Straitlaced: You mean the soppy twats like VD and Spazmo and SP? Hhahaha. That wans't very nice of you to say that about them.

 

[Spazmo]

1-4: And?

5: Volourn, you should know as well as any that it's much more fun complaining about BioWare games than actually playing them. Besides that, it's good to accumulate more reasons not to play this game. Not that I'm saying that properly fleshed out vignettes are a strike against Dragon Age, of course.

 

[Volourn]

Yet we both know that ultimately you will play this game so stop pretending otherwsie when you know will.

 

[Spazmo]

No, no I won't. How many times am I going to have to say this: I will not buy Dragon Age. I will not download Dragon Age. I will not borrow Dragon Age. I will not play a demo of Dragon Age. If I ever break but one of these promises, I'll resign immediately from the RPG Codex.

If it's still not clear, I do not want nor will I ever want to play Dragon Age.

 

[Volourn]

LOL RPGCodex will miss you.

 

[Jed]

Don't you two-thirdslings? Or helflings? Or shortlings? Or hobbits?

 

[Anonymous]

'Half-men'

 

[Vault Dweller]

1. Are you sure that the phrase 'for the first time" means for all games or just BIO games or are you just twisting it so you can bash BIO more.

I pick C: twisting it so I can bash Bio more. Was it wrong of me? Seriously though, things are always subject to interpretation, and I didn't see anything even remotely suggesting that "first time" was a reference to Bio prev games. Disagree?

2. These 'origin stories' are more than the ultra lame vignettes which were hyped up to be the best thing ever. Besides, it's not like TOEE ever had something like vignettes. The 'origin stories' seem to effect the entire game not just the first 2 minutes of it. That's already 1 million steps above the overrated vignettes that many of you cum over.

First of all, there is no doubt that if Bio implements "the origin stories" as hyped, it would be very, very, very cool. But even then it wouldn't be an uber original idea, it would only be the best implementation ever which is I doubt, btw. Second, ToEE's vignettes weren't lame, they were short. There is a difference. Third, "seem" in "seem to effect the entire game" is a big assumption. Let's read together: Each origin story completely changes the setting and events of the game's first chapter and unlocks different storylines, villains, romances and items throughout the course of the game. How long the first chapter is nobody knows, as for the rest it looks that a few side quests with romances, mini-villains, and of course uber itamz are added. Yay!

3. My biggest worry about the 'origin stories' is that they will force you into a specific role. I just hope it is a case of all 'dwarven princes' being the same. That would be lame.

Bio forces you into a specific role? Noooo

4. The whole dwarves will be dwarf like is a quote that was twisted.

Maybe, maybe not.

They will be dwarves; but they won't neccessarily be the stereotypical cave dwelling gold hoarding honourable creatures.

They will be tall money-spending good for nothing city slickers?

5. Stop whining. Lots of you are saying you aren't interested in the game yet you continue to discuss it. Stop lying.

I know you didn't mean me, but just for the record, I'm interested in it.

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe dwarves are really humans and the rest of the races in the game are giants.

 

[DemonKing]

I think it'll be more along the lines of say the difference between Dark Sun halflings and 'normal' halflings.

Forgive me here but I seem to remember that the difference between DS halflings and normal halflings was that normal halflings are comfort-loving, hairy-toed little blokes that live in holes in the ground while DS halflings are primitve, savage little cannibals that live in steaming jungles. The only similarity seems to be that both are little...

I somehow doubt that Bio will go this far out on a limb but I don't mind admitting I'll give it a whirl when it comes out...I haven't agreed with every design decision Bio have made in their games, but all of their games I've played has at least been enjoyable enough for me to finish at least once through (even the NWN OC).

 

[taks]

Or hobbits?

D&D actually started out using the term "hobbit" and was forced to change it since it is a name unique to the tolkein world...

taks

 

[MrBrown]

The origin stories seem to be a group of pre-generated backgrounss the player can choose for their character, that also affect some of the stuff that happens during the game. I guess the deal-breaker will be how they implement them so that they actually have some sort of meaning but don't get too restrictive towards other choice (ie, only dwarven princes could get the best axe in the game, or something...)

Apparently you can also not choose any of the backgrounds, and just be 'someone from somewhere else'.

 

[Shevek]

I think it's great that Bio is learning from what others in the industry have done (imitation is the highest form of flattery). Troika really got the ball rolling on varying starting vignettes (you know, simplistic as they were, I still perfered having them to not having them at all - kudos to Troika, IMHO) and its good to see other developers expanding on this concept. Hopefully, developers, like Bio and others, will try to imitate Troika's ability (showcased primarily in Arcanum and Fallout) to deliver a strong story while still allowing for satisfying nonlinear play as well (the faq seemed to suggest that some considerable player choice will be possible but I am curious just how nonlinear the game will be). Certainly, even coming to grips that more than one path is a good thing is a step in the right direction for Bio.

Frankly, all this news just cements my already strong feelings that Troika is at the forefront of cRPG innovation. I can't wait till we start getting word over their next TB cRPG and all the goodies they plan on putting in it.