Editorial Is DA 2 the End of BioWare as a Traditional RPG Creator?

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age 2

<p>The Greywardens seem a bit concerned. They're so concerned that they <a href="http://greywardens.com/2010/07/is-dragon-age-2-the-end-of-bioware-as-a-traditional-rpg-creator/" target="_blank">indeed uttered some vague words of critique</a>, which is not typical for them.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>So I must admit to some irritation with the future of the Dragon Age games series. Don&rsquo;t get me wrong, I am fairly open minded as a gamer, and the story of Dragon Age 2 seems epic in scale &mdash; but the fact that the true role playing element of choice&nbsp; has been removed is a bit of a slap in the face to those of us who played and enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins as an RPG. As a sequel to a game that is considered by the creators as the spiritual successor to one of the most popular roleplaying games of all time, I am left wondering this: what crushed that spirit?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Yes BioWare, what crushed that spirit?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://greywardens.com/2010/07/is-dragon-age-2-the-end-of-bioware-as-a-traditional-rpg-creator/">Greywardens.com</a></p>

 

[Dyspaire]

Yes BioWare, what crushed that spirit?

They got rich, forgot their roots, and started listening to the marketing dept. too much?

Just a shot.

 

[KalosKagathos]

That's a fucked up world we live in if an RTwP RPG is considered traditional. No comment on "epic scale" implied to be a redeeming factor.

 

[Brother None]

Whoa whoa whoa...

When was BioWare a traditional RPG creator?

 

[Shannow]

Whoa whoa whoa...

When was BioWare a traditional RPG creator?

It says so in the press releases. Didn't you read them? What kind of journalist are you anyway?

 

[Carlos' Bitch1]

Ahh, and so another generation is let down. First it was mine whinging in the early 90's as things dumbed down (with a brief, sort of, renaissance later in the decade), then another in the start of the early 2000's, and now...another.

The amusing thing is each generation has ever more dumbing down to dislike compared to the last one.

As for the actual topic game, I thought they did the same with that space game they made, Mass Effect. Didn't they dumb that down from the first game and remove (more) CRPG mechanics?

 

[Undead Phoenix]

Good riddance if it is true.

Games like Dragon Age do more harm than good to the genre.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

It actually worked for Mass Effect, though. It was barely an RPG to begin with, and the "RPG" elements just served to make the combat less exciting without making it remotely tactical by consolation; making it pretty much a full action game worked in its favour.

 

[Rhalle]

Posted a few things to this effect myself on the Bioboards yesterday.

Bioware is now 100% dead as a traditional RPG maker. The announcement of DA2 as Mass Effect with Swords built on the Unreal Engine pretty much makes it official.

Yes BioWare, what crushed that spirit?

They got fucked to death by EA. (And Jews-- don't forget Jews, EA Jews.)

I can't wait for the announcement, a couple of years from now, that Bioware has been liquidated and become 'EA North'. It is as inevitable as the sun rising in the East.

 

[Brother None]

PThey got fucked to death by EA. (And Jews-- don't forget Jews, EA Jews.)

Hahahaha, ahaahah, oh wow.

Seriously tho, EA is in no way to blame, BioWare turned more and more mainstream long before the purchase, they're just continuing the process now.

 

[Trash]

What crushed their spirit? EA, did as it is what they do. Look up what happens with any development house they ever aqcuired and weep.

 

[kanenas]

What crushed their spirit? EA, did as it is what they do. Look up what happens with any development house they ever aqcuired and weep.

But....but...They learned from their mistakes!!!

 

[Brother None]

Are you guys really so tarded as not to see BioWare is just continuing on the same path they've been on for 10 years, if not since their inception, and EA has dick-all to do with it (other than forcing them to produce a LOT of games)

 

[Gylfi.Fenriz.Conquests]

choices will disappear only regarding character creation(so useless parts), there will still be many during the actual plot...

Why does the writer say there's no choices at all?

 

[kanenas]

Are you guys really so tarded as not to see BioWare is just continuing on the same path they've been on for 10 years, if not since their inception, and EA has dick-all to do with it (other than forcing them to produce a LOT of games)

Its true that they've been streamlining since TOB but their sales-pitch was always "We make ar-pee-gees"
after ME2 they are like "Ar-pee-gee-ness is hurting our narrative s we have to tone it down" so i am attributing that to the change in marketing departments

 

[Alex]

I don't know, Brother None. That story about combat working differently in the PC version from the console versions, it looks a lot like a small compromise in a big list of changes. If I had to guess, I would wage that at least a few people working in the project disliked the new changes but couldn't do anything about it. It could just as well be pressure from Bioware's own management, instead from EA, though the drama would still be the same, either way you have the people creating the game lose the ability to make decisions on their own project.

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

They say different combat now.... but as day 0 approaches and they're going to be short on resources, the first thing to get scrapped will be the tactical combat on the PC version.

The game is going to be shit. No shocker there.

 

[Forest Dweller]

Don’t get me wrong, I am fairly open minded as a gamer, and the story of Dragon Age 2 seems epic in scale — but the fact that the true role playing element of choice has been removed is a bit of a slap in the face to those of us who played and enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins as an RPG.

Why? Because you can't pick your initial startup character? Please.

 

[Brother None]

Because picking your initial startup character and background was one of the key gimmick selling points for DA:O, perhaps, ya tard?

's why it was called Origins SUBTLEHINT

 

[Admiral jimbob]

What I like about that is that the apologists are going "well, uh, that was because that was ORIGINS. This is a different game, so obviously that element's not going to be there".

Being able to pick your race is now a one-off gimmick.

 

[circ]

So... What the fuck happened to being able to import saves? If you don't get to pick your dodo. LET'S RETCON THE SHIT OUT OF THIS MOTHER GUYS.

 

[Jaesun]

The golden age of Bioware rpgs coincided with the existence of Black Isle Studios Interplay as the publisher and assistant designers of Bioware cRPGs.

The facts speak for themselves: If Obsidian and Bioware reuinted the world would return to that golden age.

Fucking newfags.

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[racofer]

Still

I see.

 

[bhlaab]

It actually worked for Mass Effect, though. It was barely an RPG to begin with, and the "RPG" elements just served to make the combat less exciting without making it remotely tactical by consolation; making it pretty much a full action game worked in its favour.

Yeah, unless you directly compare it to other action games in which case it's rubbish.

 

[Jaesun]

Still

I see.

Exactly. All these fucking newfags are making me