Game News Five Facts About Hawke In Dragon Age II

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age 2

<p>Gameinformer <a href="http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/07/09/five-facts-about-hawke-in-dragon-age-ii.aspx" target="_blank">informs us</a> about Commander Hawke in the upcoming sequel to Dragon Age.</p>
<blockquote>
<p><strong>1. Hawke will be a voiced character.<br /></strong>Unlike Dragon Age: Origins, the player's character in Dragon Age II will be fully voiced. This opens the door for a more cinematic approach to dialogue and creates an identity for the character outside of the text you see on-screen. It also eliminates those awkward scenarios where you feel like your character should be reacting, but instead just stares blankly without so much as a grunt.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>And here we have it, a more cinematic approach. Finally. This is exactly what Dragon Age needed so desperately. Xtreme Hawke to the rescue!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I'd like to mention that you can't play as a dwarf.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/98685-five-facts-about-hawke-in-dragon-age-ii.html">GB</a></p>

 

[Ruprekt]

I would have liked a more original name.

 

[Raghar]

I'd like to mention you can't play as an elf.

 

[Ruprekt]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Hawke

Jason Hawke is a popular gay pornographic actor/model

 

[Dyspaire]

The voices already in my head will not be happy about this.

 

[Brother None]

Ahahahahahah
4) We're getting the ME2 conversation wheel, but this time instead of having some dialogue be a particular color the center of the wheel will show a symbol to show what kind of reply it is. (The article uses the examples of them being something like aggressive or sarcastic)

*sob*

 

[Shannow]

So he was that little kid in Lothering that was unkillable?

But Bio's listening to the codex again. Last time they gave us C&C, this time we don't have to save the land, continent, world, universe, multiverse from the ancient evil (tm). This time it will be a personal, cinematic story about love, heroes and Hawky's rise to power. Yay.
And I can play as a phalanx of one. That'll be awesome.

 

[Kthan75]

Ahahahahahah
4) We're getting the ME2 conversation wheel, but this time instead of having some dialogue be a particular color the center of the wheel will show a symbol to show what kind of reply it is. (The article uses the examples of them being something like aggressive or sarcastic)

*sob*

fuck

This is much worse than I thought.

 

[Raghar]

1) We will be able to import our DA:O games into DA2.

2) We will see Flemeth at some point.

3) Pissing off party members won't always be a bad thing. "They won't necessarily leave. They may still join you, but they're going to try to show you up, and that may influence battle in a different way."

4) We're getting the ME2 conversation wheel, but this time instead of having some dialogue be a particular color the center of the wheel will show a symbol to show what kind of reply it is. (The article uses the examples of them being something like aggressive or sarcastic)

5) The way the story unfolds will be very different compared to the past Bioware games. "Dragon Age II has a framed narrative structure, which means that the exploits of Hawke occured in the past, but are being retold in the present." "Narrators with unique insights into the events in question tell the tale of his past adventures."

6) We may get to see some of the DA:O events at the start from a different perspective. "Dragon Age II begins as the events of Origins are still taking place, so you may see some familiar events from a different angle."

7) Because of the game spanning a decade, we get to see the consequences of our actions sooner, rather than in a little text at the end of the game.

8) The PC version's combat system remains mostly the same. "The PC version implements the same strategic approach afforded by a mouse-and-keyboard control scheme." "Rather than try to mimic the PC experience on consoles, Dragon Age II has a battle system more tailored to the strengths of the PS3 and 360."

This is the whole quote. The same boring combat, the same bad interface at PC...

 

[Roguey]

3) Pissing off party members won't always be a bad thing. "They won't necessarily leave. They may still join you, but they're going to try to show you up, and that may influence battle in a different way."

4) We're getting the ME2 conversation wheel, but this time instead of having some dialogue be a particular color the center of the wheel will show a symbol to show what kind of reply it is. (The article uses the examples of them being something like aggressive or sarcastic)

5) The way the story unfolds will be very different compared to the past Bioware games. "Dragon Age II has a framed narrative structure, which means that the exploits of Hawke occured in the past, but are being retold in the present." "Narrators with unique insights into the events in question tell the tale of his past adventures."

So it's Dragon Protocol?

 

[Rhalle]

Actually sounds like a halfway house instead of full retard.

Someone on the Bio-boards observed that 'Hawke' is the kid at the bridge looking for his parents from...um...that fucking town in DA:O.

Surely that is the other perspective and how we get the passing of '10 years'.

 

[coaster]

We can only hope the plot is as good as...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORXmKxe-iHk

 

[J1M]

I like how they are going to try a different narrative structure and that consequences will be in more than just the epilogue.

Other than that this doesn't sound very good.

 

[Micmu]

I wonder what color will they use (green?) for "Buy DLC to advance the plot" "dialogue" responses in their pathetic wheel.

 

[Hamster]

I wonder what color will they use (green?) for "Buy DLC to advance the plot" "dialogue" responses in their pathetic wheel.

I have an awesome idea - what if player will be able to bribe in-game NPC's with real money by connecting his credit card to DA2, like it's done in paypal? Instead of persuasion skill in each conversation there will be a green sector on dialogue wheel with $ sign. People who want to play diplomats are supposedly very elite so they should have a lot of money :D

 

[sportforredneck]

Doesn't this sound cool at least?:

Dragon Age II is not about killing an ancient evil or about quelling another blight; Hawke is the driving force behind the narrative. Over the course of the game's 10-year timeline, players' actions and choices will determine Hawke's history, relationships, and regrets...all in service to answering the larger question: Who is the Champion of Kirkwall?

 

[Hamster]

Doesn't this sound cool at least?:

Dragon Age II is not about killing an ancient evil or about quelling another blight; Hawke is the driving force behind the narrative. Over the course of the game's 10-year timeline, players' actions and choices will determine Hawke's history, relationships, and regrets...all in service to answering the larger question: Who is the Champion of Kirkwall?

No.

 

[racofer]

I, for one, am grateful Bioware had opted for this much better approach at dialog. It was really awkward playing DA:O after playing both ME games and finding out my characters lacked personality, thus hurting the immersion severely.

 

[random_encounter]

1. Hawke will be a voiced character.
Unlike Dragon Age: Origins, the player's character in Dragon Age II will be fully voiced. This opens the door for a more cinematic approach to dialogue and creates an identity for the character outside of the text you see on-screen. It also eliminates those awkward scenarios where you feel like your character should be reacting, but instead just stares blankly without so much as a grunt.

The most generically named hero in recent RPGs is Commander Shephard's distant ancestor. Who is next? Commander Stonewall?

2. Hawke is human.
Yes, that means that you won't be able to select Hawke's race. However, just because that one aspect of Hawke's backstory is set doesn't mean BioWare is eliminating character creation. You can still choose your class and customize your appearance. When we visited BioWare's studio, we only saw (and heard) the male Hawke in action, but the team promises that players can select either gender for the character.

I like how this tries to play off the fact that losing out on race is not as bad as it seems. You'd think that they'd come up with a better fall back than ye olde "but...but you can still customize shit!" schtick. Don't even go there, just tell us why being human is better than apologize for the decision with a staple we already expect.

3. Hawke didn't just survive the blight...he escaped it.
As the Grey Warden from Dragon Age: Origins was fighting darkspawn, Hawke was living in Lothering. Fans will remember that the small village was raided and destroyed (an event that occurred off-screen in Origins), and Hawke was one of the survivors. However, rather than stay and fight the darkspawn menace, Hawke flees Ferelden and heads north.

So is he a coward-that-makes-good? One of many scattered throughout RPGdom? For some reason, the image of Jason Statham from Uwe Bolle's Dungeon Siege popped into my head, so that's who I'll customize Hawke as. But it better feature a mage as hammy as Ray Liotta.

4. Hawke is the Champion of Kirkwall.
Kirkwall is a major population center in the Free Marches, a collection of city-states north of Ferelden. This means that at least some of the action in Dragon Age II will be set in Kirkwall itself, though Hawke will also spend time in other areas of the Free Marches. What exactly Hawke does to earn the honorary title of Champion, however, is up to you.

So he's the Champion, yet not. WTF?

5. Hawke drives the story.
Dragon Age II is not about killing an ancient evil or about quelling another blight; Hawke is the driving force behind the narrative. Over the course of the game's 10-year timeline, players' actions and choices will determine Hawke's history, relationships, and regrets...all in service to answering the larger question: Who is the Champion of Kirkwall?

I like the idea of a 'personal' adventure in exploring the motivations of a single character and fleshing them out to a greater degree, but it sounds like a lot of was sacrificed above in order to make it work. Oh Bioware. Experimenting again?

The other bits that say that the game is going to parallel (at least early on) the events in Origins could be interesting, but it also sounds like it could be a lengthy Q&A session the player will go through to determine just what events occurred in their version of DA if they don't have a save handy...before hopping forward to Ten Years Later as someone else had pointed out elsewhere.

Too early to tell, but I'm not feeling the same anticipation level that I had before for DA.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

I, for one, am grateful Bioware had opted for this much better approach at dialog. It was really awkward playing DA:O after playing both ME games and finding out my characters lacked personality, thus hurting the immersion severely.

 

[Texas Red]

DA sold more than ME. Why do they have to change it in to a fantasy ME clone, then?

 

[racofer]

image

Oblivion is no longer there. Your argument fails.

 

[Micmu]

DA sold more than ME. Why do they have to change it in to a fantasy ME clone, then?

Because it's faster to produce?

Look at the rate they are excrementing their products.

 

[Xor]

Stupidity.

 

[Shannow]

I like how they are going to try a different narrative structure and that consequences will be in more than just the epilogue.

DA:O: Play through game with decisions at A, B, C, D, etc. Get to the end and see consequences a, b, c, d, etc.
DA2: "Hey Hawky, do you remember when we...?" play past make A --> a in the present.
Next: "Hey Hawky, do you remember when we...?" play past make B --> b in the present.
etc.

I guess a storyfag may see this as an improvement.
Unless the present then advances to the future mid-game while your choices all continue mattering (huge waste of resources) I don't see a difference between having the green guys as allies in the end instead of the red guys and seeing some different ending slides, and having some fluff text and an ending mid-game slide before revisiting the next heroic deed.