Interview Dragon Age: Inquisition Interview at CVG

[jiujitsu]

More PR vomit from Bioshit. Fuck them. They aren't who they used to be. Don't even cover their bullshit games anymore plskthnx.

 

[commie]

I get the feeling that even EA can't really be arsed with this, seeing it as a stop gap left over title to cater for the 'obsolete' consoles while EA proper move forward with the 'next gen gayming' systems.

 

[Zeriel]

Thought this was next-gen? It comes out next year, which puts it solidly in the territory of the new consoles coming out. More to the point, that "next-gen" stuff is mostly nonsense. Next-gen is "what the PC can already handle", the only thing that will change is that we will see the mass-market console developers start to use a little more of that muscle, because the new consoles are a little closer to modern PCs (and then shittier and shittier as time goes on and the PC keeps improving, and the cycle continues).

 

[Delterius]

You're being contradictory: the 'next-gen' stuff is only irrelevant to exclusive PC gaming. Which is 90% of what these forums care about, with the exception of this very thread.

And DA3 is 'multi-gen' since it will be out on both generations. Which is telling - they are most likely porting a late-gen title into the next consoles. Meaning that it won't be 'what your PC can already handle, at worst with some changes on the video options', rather 'what your PC has already handled since 2006'.

 

[Roguey]

I get the feeling that even EA can't really be arsed with this, seeing it as a stop gap left over title to cater for the 'obsolete' consoles while EA proper move forward with the 'next gen gayming' systems.

They gave it a one-year extension, that's a pretty big deal budget-wise.

 

[Average Manatee]

I get the feeling that even EA can't really be arsed with this, seeing it as a stop gap left over title to cater for the 'obsolete' consoles while EA proper move forward with the 'next gen gayming' systems.

No one even knows if the new consoles will be successful, and it's not like DA3 really needs super-graphics to compete for the affection of the biotards. It just needs to be less shit.

 

[Gurkog]

No one even knows if the new consoles will be successful, and it's not like DA3 really needs super-graphics to compete for the affection of the biotards. It just needs more awkward wrestling in underwear scenes.

*improvedforbiotards

 

[commie]

I get the feeling that even EA can't really be arsed with this, seeing it as a stop gap left over title to cater for the 'obsolete' consoles while EA proper move forward with the 'next gen gayming' systems.

They gave it a one-year extension, that's a pretty big deal budget-wise.

Yeah so they could try and sell a port on the PS4/XBone, not cause they think much of the title. Otherwise it would have to be released now and they'd be praying it recoups some money on aging systems which after DA2 isn't all that guaranteed. Like this they think that a cheap port with extra HD graphics might be enough to sell at least a million extra copies on the newer systems and thus the year extention to make a 'better' game could make sense.

 

[Septaryeth]

"I think for us when you see the Inquisition trailer you'll see that it's such a radical leap in character fidelity. These are characters that now feel alive"

Interesting...because for some reasons, DAII characters look even more lifeless than the ones from DAO.
Something about the lighting just ticked me off; the atmosphere and the characters just don't match.
This is even more obvious during conversations - their faces are usually covered by shades and appeared to be flat.

Or maybe it was the lack of mods that gave me such impressions.

 

[Ivory Samoan]

The name of this game, brings me only pain, in Spain(ish Inquisition).

 

[Xor]

I imagine someone at EA saw how well Skyrim sold, and insisted that Bioware make their next game an open world RPG, despite them having no real experience with that. Hell, Bioware games typically have environments so small and linear that they're basically the exact opposite of open world games, so I kind of doubt they'll do anything even approaching competent with their new approach.

I don't know what the marketing doublespeak about using the best parts of the DA1 and DA2 combat systems means, because I don't really see too big of a difference between those two combat systems. I mean, sure, DA2's is a little more flashy, but it's basically the same thing as DA1 underneath all those animations: tactics slots for your companions, abilities with cooldowns, and very few practical choices for where to put your ability points. Nothing about the combat system in DA1 was more tactical than DA2, and even on the hardest difficulty 90% of fights can be resolved without micromanaging your companions in both games.

DA3 will probably still sell decently well. Bioware still has their reputation, even though they haven't deserved it for years. And anyway, they're pretty much the only company making wish fulfillment romance simulator action games, so they have that going for them.

 

[Hepler's Vagina]

Nothing about the combat system in DA1 was more tactical than DA2, and even on the hardest difficulty 90% of fights can be resolved without micromanaging your companions in both games.

Either your confusing games or you were playing on a console, or on one of the lower difficulties (especially post 'easy-patch' aka 1.2). There are only a few fights in the whole game on PC hard pre 1.2 that can be won without serious micromanaging. I mean cleanly won without having 3 of your party members knocked out or chugging 20 health potions. Or meta-gaming and setting complex tactics based on the specific encounter you know is coming up. That's why patch 1.2 was released unto the world - a majority of people were getting their asses handed to them in most encounters on normal. There was lots of ragequitting that resulted in Laidlaw telling the DA2 team to make 'normal' micro management free (in contrast to DA:O). Maybe the 'majority ragequitting' telemetry was just bullshit to justify all the accessibility innovations in DA2, but I'm inclined to believe that particular line. It's believable simply because of the shitty balancing of classes and builds. 1 Blood Mage plus 1 Arcane Warrior plus 1 Sword&Board plus Shale = god mode on any difficulty pre or post patch. 0 mages plus carelessly built Leliana Zevran and Sten = ragequit mode.

 

[Shannow]

I imagine someone at EA saw how well Skyrim sold, and insisted that Bioware make their next game an open world RPG, despite them having no real experience with that. Hell, Bioware games typically have environments so small and linear that they're basically the exact opposite of open world games, so I kind of doubt they'll do anything even approaching competent with their new approach.

One of the most uniform complaints about DA2 was the shameless re-using of area maps. This was only compounded by their corridoor-ness. Don't think this change has much to do with other games/a general trend towards games with open spaces.

 

[Xor]

Nothing about the combat system in DA1 was more tactical than DA2, and even on the hardest difficulty 90% of fights can be resolved without micromanaging your companions in both games.

Either your confusing games or you were playing on a console, or on one of the lower difficulties (especially post 'easy-patch' aka 1.2). There are only a few fights in the whole game on PC hard pre 1.2 that can be won without serious micromanaging. I mean cleanly won without having 3 of your party members knocked out or chugging 20 health potions. Or meta-gaming and setting complex tactics based on the specific encounter you know is coming up. That's why patch 1.2 was released unto the world - a majority of people were getting their asses handed to them in most encounters on normal. There was lots of ragequitting that resulted in Laidlaw telling the DA2 team to make 'normal' micro management free (in contrast to DA:O). Maybe the 'majority ragequitting' telemetry was just bullshit to justify all the accessibility innovations in DA2, but I'm inclined to believe that particular line. It's believable simply because of the shitty balancing of classes and builds. 1 Blood Mage plus 1 Arcane Warrior plus 1 Sword&Board plus Shale = god mode on any difficulty pre or post patch. 0 mages plus carelessly built Leliana Zevran and Sten = ragequit mode.

I played on hard when it first came out and didn't have to do much micromanaging outside of boss fights and a few specific dungeons like the house full of blood mages, and I played through again recently on nightmare and had pretty much the same experience. No idea which patches they were on. I do remember having to switch characters a lot to make them drink potions early in the game, but once I picked up Wynne the game almost played itself.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

Maybe the 'majority ragequitting' telemetry was just bullshit to justify all the accessibility innovations in DA2, but I'm inclined to believe that particular line. It's believable simply because of the shitty balancing of classes and builds. 1 Blood Mage plus 1 Arcane Warrior plus 1 Sword&Board plus Shale = god mode on any difficulty pre or post patch. 0 mages plus carelessly built Leliana Zevran and Sten = ragequit mode.

But the first is clearly a very powerful party, and the latter is clearly a very shitty party. It's not shitty balancing. The second player deserves to have a hard time. If anything, the first group needed to be nerfed (one arcane warrior is godmode by itself)

 

[IDtenT]

Wynne is probably the most overpowered companion I've ever had in any game.

 

[Cowboy Moment]

This was my experience on the hardest difficulty in DA as well. Fights ranged from "need to pay attention" to "fairly challenging", and then it switched to total autopilot once I got Wynne.

 

[Septaryeth]

I don't know what the marketing doublespeak about using the best parts of the DA1 and DA2 combat systems means, because I don't really see too big of a difference between those two combat systems. I mean, sure, DA2's is a little more flashy, but it's basically the same thing as DA1 underneath all those animations: tactics slots for your companions, abilities with cooldowns, and very few practical choices for where to put your ability points. Nothing about the combat system in DA1 was more tactical than DA2, and even on the hardest difficulty 90% of fights can be resolved without micromanaging your companions in both games.

DAO is slower paced and positions actually matter.
I think DA2 is...more chaotic, in a way. Enemies spawning at random positions in almost every battle.
It's not difficult, but it is certainly annoying; it makes close combat magic like mind blast into a requirement.
Taunting also became useless - the cooldown period is relatively too long for this kind of situation.
If only there was a skill tree for Arcane Warrior...mmm.

My memory doesn't serve me well, so correct me if I'm wrong. Were all magic combinations taken away?
I know cross-class combos are still there,
but basic tricks like "freezing cone+stonefist", "sleep+nightmare", "repulsion+paralyze glyphs" are gone, right?

 

[Xor]

I didn't play a mage in DA2, but I think they're gone. On the one hand, it sucks that they arbitrarily removed that feature, but on the other hand I never used the combo spells ever except on my first playthrough while defending the city gates from darkspawn, so I didn't exactly miss them.

 

[~RAGING BONER~]

This might sink BioWare...this is the company that has yet to implement horse/mount mechanics into their games "cuz hard" and now they want to jump into Skyrim territory?
EA bought themselves a lemon they can't even squeeze for lemonade.

 

[Space Satan]

BioWare now resemble an old feudal lord in his empty castle. Castle is filled with web-covered pictures of old glories, rusty armor and weapons of old heroes. They like to go and rattle their old sabres in front of audience in a way of "We still can *cough* fight!" and brag about their glorious lineage.
But debt collectors with young and ambitious competitors are encroaching on their territory of RPG making. Where once they had no competition, and grow fat and lazy with that self-confidence, now they suddenly realized they have to do something or be evicted.

 

[Cyberarmy]

DAO is slower paced and positions actually matter.
I think DA2 is...more chaotic, in a way. Enemies spawning at random positions in almost every battle.
It's not difficult, but it is certainly annoying; it makes close combat magic like mind blast into a requirement.
Taunting also became useless - the cooldown period is relatively too long for this kind of situation.
If only there was a skill tree for Arcane Warrior...mmm.

My memory doesn't serve me well, so correct me if I'm wrong. Were all magic combinations taken away?
I know cross-class combos are still there,
but basic tricks like "freezing cone+stonefist", "sleep+nightmare", "repulsion+paralyze glyphs" are gone, right?

Yeah they are gone, all are cross-class combos now. You need other classes to get effect(which are mostly damage ups...)

 

[Themadcow]

DAO is slower paced and positions actually matter.
I think DA2 is...more chaotic, in a way. ?

DA2 combat is basically Dynasty Warriors. I can only assume that people who didn't find much difference between DA2 and DA:O were people who played the first game on a console.

All these clowns had to do in DA2 was fine tune some of the classes (e.g. mage, rogue) and update the graphics. All they need to do in DA3 is forget they made DA2... how are they making this so hard for themselves?

 

[mikaelis]

Sugar-daddy EA left them to their own marketing, this does not bode well.

That actually changes a jack-shit. Except we may witness slightly less retarded PR campaign (blood over the DA:O cartoony characters with Manson playing in the background).

All of this will be irrelevant though with all the gay-porn-pedophilism for teenagers in the cutscenes.

EA never controlled Bioware's marketing. That dumb trailer and everything they've done till now was all the Bioware marketing department.

That was precisely what I'd tried to convene

Scratch that, sorry, missed your point. Didn't know that Biowhore was responsible for that shit.

In any case, it is the game that matters. And no PR can change shit into ice-creams.

 

[RPGMaster]

Interview:

Interviewer: Question?

BioWhore: No comment.

Repeat.