Dragon Age: Inquisition Pre-Release Thread

[Necroscope]

After the DA2 fiasco, ME3 backslash and TORTANIC all they want is something safe, so my guess is it's gonna be DA:O v2.0, just a little more dumbed down in order to achieve further accessibility. Then they gonna milk it with nonillion DLCs and maybe some built-in microtransactio *burp*... This Nero d'Avola vine is pretty good.

 

[Jick Magger]

We want the Call of Duty Audience

 

[Infinitron]

My prediction is that Dragon Age 3 will turn out to be a Witcher 2 clone with KOTOR-style rudimentary party control.

 

[Delterius]

After the DA2 fiasco, ME3 backslash and TORTANIC all they want is something safe, so my guess is it's gonna be DA:O v2.0, just a little more dumbed down in order to achieve further accessibility. Then they gonna milk it with nonillion DLCs and maybe some built-in microtransactio *burp*... This Nero d'Avola vine is pretty good.

And give up on their artistic vision and principles?!!

In all seriousness, I don't think they've mentioned anything that points this game in a direction of DA:O 2.0, quite the contrary.

 

[Jick Magger]

If anything, I'd imagine it'd motivate them to take the further plunge in attracting the casual audience. The best-selling and most well-recieved game they've released in the past two years is Mass Effect 3, and that barely fucking qualifies as an RPG with how much it abandons and butchers. Next thing we'll probably see is a hack n' slash, PRESS X TO ROMANCE, "I WANT TO BE A DRAGON" tier writing all over the place and added multiplayer.

 

[Roguey]

My prediction is that Dragon Age 3 will turn out to be a Witcher 2 clone with KOTOR-style rudimentary party control.

I predict your prediction is false.

 

[Infinitron]

I predict your prediction is false.

What else do you predict?

 

[Roguey]

I predict your prediction is false.

What else do you predict?

It'll be a Bioware game with all that entails.

 

[Harold]

David Gaider:

All I said to Mike one time was that "If we go to Orlais, I want a masquerade ball. I want a masquerade ball and dancing."

So I predict I will laugh even harder reading the Codex LP than I did with DA2

 

[Infinitron]

It'll be a Bioware game with all that entails.

I meant that it will be a Witcher 2 clone in terms of gameplay, map size, graphics and perspective, but certainly not in terms of storyline or overall tone.

 

[Roguey]

It'll be a Bioware game with all that entails.

I meant that it will be a Witcher 2 clone in terms of gameplay, map size, graphics and perspective, but certainly not in terms of storyline or overall tone.

And I believe that won't happen. Mike Laidlaw's been consistent about how he wants to emphasize party-based gameplay. I'm sure they'll find many ways to fuck it up, but it's not moving towards "single character action game." I'm also pretty certain it's going to retain DA2's art style, more or less. They said they were going to tone down the weapon sizes and elves, but also asserted they're not going for photorealism.

 

[racofer]

David Gaider:

All I said to Mike one time was that "If we go to Orlais, I want a masquerade ball. I want a masquerade ball and dancing."

So I predict I will laugh even harder reading the Codex LP than I did with DA2

 

[Harold]

^
I admire your speed, good sir.

 

[Rhalle]

And I believe that won't happen. Mike Laidlaw's been consistent about how he wants to emphasize party-based gameplay. I'm sure they'll find many ways to fuck it up, but it's not moving towards "single character action game." I'm also pretty certain it's going to retain DA2's art style, more or less. They said they were going to tone down the weapon sizes and elves, but also asserted they're not going for photorealism.

Party-based gameplay: telling the fans who liked DA1 what they want to hear.

They'll find ways to fuck it up: yes, yes they will.

Not moving towards single-character action: it's not going to move anywhere.

DA2 Art Style: DA2 Art Style.

Tone down weapon sizes: what players have been asking for since NWN.

Not going for photorealism: DA2 Art Style.

Mike Laidlaw: Press a button; something awesome has to happen. Button. Awesome.

After the DA2 fiasco, ME3 backslash and TORTANIC all they want is something safe, so my guess is it's gonna be DA:O v2.0, just a little more dumbed down in order to achieve further accessibility. Then they gonna milk it with nonillion DLCs and maybe some built-in microtransactio *burp*... This Nero d'Avola vine is pretty good.

DA3 and ME4 and then Bioware will cease to exist.

 

[Delterius]

And I believe that won't happen. Mike Laidlaw's been consistent about how he wants to emphasize party-based gameplay. I'm sure they'll find many ways to fuck it up, but it's not moving towards "single character action game." I'm also pretty certain it's going to retain DA2's art style, more or less. They said they were going to tone down the weapon sizes and elves, but also asserted they're not going for photorealism.

Party-based gameplay: telling the fans who liked DA1 what they want to hear.

I don't think DA2 actually got away from that format. Rather managed to get worse, much worse, when there was so much room for improvement in the first. That is as far as PCs go.

 

[tuluse]

And I believe that won't happen. Mike Laidlaw's been consistent about how he wants to emphasize party-based gameplay. I'm sure they'll find many ways to fuck it up, but it's not moving towards "single character action game." I'm also pretty certain it's going to retain DA2's art style, more or less. They said they were going to tone down the weapon sizes and elves, but also asserted they're not going for photorealism.

They're moving to Frostebyte engine, so I predict it's going to look quite different even if it's not attempting photorealism.

 

[racofer]

And I believe that won't happen. Mike Laidlaw's been consistent about how he wants to emphasize party-based gameplay. I'm sure they'll find many ways to fuck it up, but it's not moving towards "single character action game." I'm also pretty certain it's going to retain DA2's art style, more or less. They said they were going to tone down the weapon sizes and elves, but also asserted they're not going for photorealism.

They're moving to Frostebyte engine, so I predict it's going to look quite different even if it's not attempting photorealism.

So BiowarEA is basically going from this...

... to this ...

Impressive.

 

[Roguey]

They're moving to Frostebyte engine, so I predict it's going to look quite different even if it's not attempting photorealism.

Define "quite different." Engines aren't art assets and I'm positive they're going to recycle quite a lot of those.

 

[Infinitron]

They're moving to Frostebyte engine, so I predict it's going to look quite different even if it's not attempting photorealism.

Define "quite different." Engines aren't art assets and I'm positive they're going to recycle quite a lot of those.

Have you considered that your "inside information" about this game is becoming sorely out of date? If it's gonna be a next-gen title then that's years of dev time. Plenty of time to create new assets.

 

[Roguey]

Have you considered that your "inside information" about this game is becoming sorely out of date? If it's gonna be a next-gen title then that's years of dev time. Plenty of time to create new assets.

They didn't create a whole lot of new art for DA2 just to use it for one game and they don't have a sky's-the-limit budget here.

 

[Infinitron]

they don't have a sky's-the-limit budget here

Well, define "sky's-the-limit". I can definitely see EA funding a high stakes, last ditch effort to save Bioware's reputation by funding the next Skyrim-esque majestic AAA RPG. It's a genre that Bethesda has proven can sell ten million copies which is what Bioware so desperately wants. If you ask me, the writing is on the fucking wall.

(No, I'm not necessarily saying it will be open world like Skyrim, but something in that general direction. Something like say, Witcher 2.)

 

[Roguey]

Well, define "sky's-the-limit". I can definitely see EA funding a high stakes, last ditch effort to save Bioware's reputation by funding the next Skyrim-esque majestic AAA RPG. It's a genre that Bethesda has proven can sell ten million copies which is what Bioware so desperately wants. If you ask me, the writing is on the fucking wall.

Internet teeth gnashing aside, ME3 did well. Last ditch effort? Oh come on.
Also http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/371/index/14136995&lf=8

I actually agree that anyone expecting BF3 level of fidelity will probably be disappointed, but that's as much due to our art style goals than our actual abilities to make stuff look good.

 

[Infinitron]

Internet teeth gnashing aside, ME3 did well. Last ditch effort?

Did ME3 do "TEN. MILLION. COPIES!!!!1" well? I don't think so.

Also, notice I said reputation. And I hope you won't argue that Bioware's rep isn't shot to shit, they even renamed Mythic and Victory back because of it.

Also http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/371/index/14136995&lf=8

I actually agree that anyone expecting BF3 level of fidelity will probably be disappointed, but that's as much due to our art style goals than our actual abilities to make stuff look good.

Okay, but this is about more than the graphics/art style.

 

[Roguey]

Internet teeth gnashing aside, ME3 did well. Last ditch effort?

Did ME3 do "TEN. MILLION. COPIES!!!!1" well? I don't think so.

As Volourn would say, this is a bizarre metric to measure them by just because way-back-when the Biodocs said they'd like to sell over 10 million. They're still making DLC for it and they've already announced the farmed-out sequel from Montreal, so it did pretty well.

Also, notice I said reputation. And I hope you won't argue that Bioware's rep isn't shot to shit, they even renamed Mythic and Victory back because of it.

The name has a lot of baggage that Mythic and Victory can happily and easily do without, but it's not that bad yet.

Okay, but this is about more than the graphics/art style.

The art style will be similar to DA2's and it will also reuse (and tweak and reuse) some of its art is what I'm saying.

 

[Infinitron]

They're still making DLC for it

Slight topic change: You know, I'm not sure that the release of DLC is a sure sign that a game is a smashing success. Seems to me that large amounts of DLC are most common in games that are middling "cult hits", trying to make themselves more profitable by exploiting the dedicated fanbase as much as they possibly can.

Shitty sales = no DLC, epic sales = the game has paid for itself, make a few high quality DLCs that you are sure everybody will buy, use the rest of your time and profits to work on the sequel which is where the real money is