Game News The Technology of Dragon Age II, Part 1

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age 2

<p>Have a look at the technological improvements of <strong>Dragon Age 2</strong> <a href="http://blog.bioware.com/2011/02/16/the-technology-of-dragon-age-ii-%E2%80%93-part-1/" target="_blank">at the BioBlog</a>.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Overall, we feel that the technology changes have empowered our content creators to create clean, pretty, more consistent, very often visually striking areas that look and flow great throughout the game.</p>
<p>Next time we&rsquo;ll cover more advanced DirectX 11 features of the engine, how they complement the base technology and how, while not required for enjoying the game itself, should improve the visual experience for players with higher end PCs.</p>
<p>Thanks to our lead environment artist, Ben McGrath, for capturing the screenshots in this post. The screenshots are taken from the DirectX 9 PC version of the game, but the visual output would be almost identical on consoles.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/101611-the-technology-of-dragon-age-ii-part-1.html">GB</a></p>

 

[hanssolo]

too bad about the buttugly models/textures.

 

[Angthoron]

Well, it definitely is clean, especially that mountain slope screenshot, where it becomes apparent that the game is actually post-apoc, what with complete lack of vegetation and the ground being covered by a more consistent layer of green plastic.

What the hell is wrong with these guys? The graphical tech they seem to have there is great, but the design is just horrible. It's hard to be more bland if you had to try. Everything screams "generic", and if these are the examples of visually striking areas, I'd hate to see the visually boring areas.

No, really. I don't need alien landscapes and works of great imagination. I'll be content with the level of detail put into the boring Bree-Land of LotRO. How hard is that?

 

[Excommunicator]

The worst things about showing vistas like that is that you know that it is all just show. You can't actually go to 95% of it. It will be nothing but a little barely curved line between a couple of points of interest, with the rest covered in invisible walls.

It is taking superficiality to a whole other level.

 

[MetalCraze]

Next time we’ll cover more advanced DirectX 11 features of the engine

Hey guise we'll just make boobs rounder through using more polys and call it tessellation. And that will be all DX11.

The graphical tech they seem to have there is great

I believe the tech of XBox360 is called less positively

 

[Twinkle]

Next time we’ll cover more advanced DirectX 11 features of the engine

Hey guise we'll just make boobs rounder through using more polys and call it tessellation. And that will be all DX11.

Unfortunately, no. Tessellation works only with the distant terrain. Talk about missed opportunity. :/

The graphical tech they seem to have there is great

Yeah, they can't stop rehashing Aurora.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

I'm really tempted to LP this. Everything about it just seems so amazingly bad, it's like they decided to go out of their way to design the ultimate anti-Codex game.

 

[MetalCraze]

Actually the current ultimate anti-Codex game is Fallout 3.
But do that. DA2 must be televITZed!

Will Jimbob beat DriacKin?

 

[Black Cat]

I'm really tempted to LP this. Everything about it just seems so amazingly bad, it's like they decided to go out of their way to design the ultimate anti-Codex game.

Please do. :3

It really seems to be pretty wrong, in particular when even production values seems to be shit. It's pretty weird for Bio, given how the only certainty we used to have about their games was that no matter how bad everything else was, it was going to be one polished and pretty high society piece of shit, with lots of special effects and stuffies.

Now it seems only Blizzard remains in the quality turd market.

 

[Angthoron]

The graphical tech they seem to have there is great

I believe the tech of XBox360 is called less positively

Well, alright. I mean it in the sense of it actually being polished and all that. They seem to have gotten anti-aliasing working fairly decently for a DX9 system for one.

Unfortunately, despite seemingly decent tech, they manage to produce something horribly boring and generic-looking anyway, and then have an article saying how the sceneries are often captivating and awesome.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

It's pretty weird for Bio, given how the only certainty we used to have about their games was that no matter how bad everything else was, it was going to be one polished and pretty high society piece of shit, with lots of special effects and stuffies.

This is the part that amuses me the most. The EA takeover was obviously going to lead to Bioware going down the "push out manufactured sequels every year until being renamed EA North and assimilated" route, but I didn't think it would happen quite as quickly and transparently.

 

[Angthoron]

It's pretty weird for Bio, given how the only certainty we used to have about their games was that no matter how bad everything else was, it was going to be one polished and pretty high society piece of shit, with lots of special effects and stuffies.

This is the part that amuses me the most. The EA takeover was obviously going to lead to Bioware going down the "push out manufactured sequels every year until being renamed EA North and assimilated" route, but I didn't think it would happen quite as quickly and transparently.

Why not though? Is there a studio in the EA that wasn't quickly assimilated? Did the popularity of the Sims save Maxis from becoming a sequel/addon factory? It's EA's corporate culture, and all they do is offer optimized ways for their studios to make money.

To be honest though, BioWare was on that slope already before EA dropped in.

 

[MetalCraze]

That means that the next phase is Bioware getting dissolved as per EA tradition.

 

[baronjohn]

Bioware

high society

Have you seen Bioware employees? They're not high society, they're no society.

 

[abnaxus]

Awesome technology at work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRQzl5u5oeQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BlDtbXW3o4

 

[Arcanoix]

I'm really tempted to LP this. Everything about it just seems so amazingly bad, it's like they decided to go out of their way to design the ultimate anti-Codex game.

Please do. :3

It really seems to be pretty wrong, in particular when even production values seems to be shit. It's pretty weird for Bio, given how the only certainty we used to have about their games was that no matter how bad everything else was, it was going to be one polished and pretty high society piece of shit, with lots of special effects and stuffies.

Now it seems only Blizzard remains in the quality turd market.

Turds are turds chief.

 

[Arcanoix]

Someone beat me to it. Fuck.

 

[Arcanoix]

Awesome technology at work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRQzl5u5oeQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BlDtbXW3o4

You fucker. lol

 

[Roguey]

I'm really tempted to LP this. Everything about it just seems so amazingly bad, it's like they decided to go out of their way to design the ultimate anti-Codex game.

So you went from "I would pirate this, maybe, if I had absolutely nothing else to do" to "'I'm really tempted to LP" just from looking at a few screens? True to the spirit of flip flopping.

 

[racofer]

GOD FUCKING DAMNIT THE FEMALE VOICE ACTOR IS FUCKING ATROCIOUS!

 

[torpid]

That fucking giant sword

The graphics could be Crysis-level that I wouldn't be able to take my eyes off the giant sword. The hilt is the size of the guy's arm. Plus it probably bobs like crazy when the character is running. I hope the door frames are high enough or I can see some atrocious clipping going on.

 

[Angthoron]

Awesome technology at work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRQzl5u5oeQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BlDtbXW3o4

Is it just me or is their awesome technology freezes frame once in a while, especially with bigger effects, like fireball and shit?



Edit: Wow, voice acting in 2nd video is atrocious, right from the start. No heavy breathing, no emotion in the voices... Amazing. The sister character in particular.

:goes back to watch:

Edity-edit: Gotta love how auto-attacks look soooo impressive and dynamic, sure makes the combat system 10/10.

 

[Admiral jimbob]

I'm really tempted to LP this. Everything about it just seems so amazingly bad, it's like they decided to go out of their way to design the ultimate anti-Codex game.

So you went from "I would pirate this, maybe, if I had absolutely nothing else to do" to "'I'm really tempted to LP" just from looking at a few screens? True to the spirit of flip flopping.

Yep, that's all I've seen in the meantime.

 

[Roguey]

Keep making excuses, newshit cockslave. lololollolol this game looks really horrible i'm going to devote dozens of hours of my time to playing and writing about my experiences with it instead of doing something more worthwhile with my time roofles

 

[oneself]

The worst things about showing vistas like that is that you know that it is all just show. You can't actually go to 95% of it. It will be nothing but a little barely curved line between a couple of points of interest, with the rest covered in invisible walls.

It is taking superficiality to a whole other level.

I can understand why they would focus on the graphics rather than the story.
beautiful clouds and lighting are "tangible" and therefore marketable, a great questline or a good stat system is not.