Game News The Dragon Age toolset is massive, just like the game.

[DarkUnderlord]

Tags: Dragon Age

<a href="http://au.pc.gamespy.com/pc/dragon-age/1005288p1.html">So sayeth Fernando over at GameSpy</a>:
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<blockquote><b>Fernando Melo:</b> One of the things that became apparent even with experienced Neverwinter Nights modders, was that the Dragon Age toolset is massive, just like the game. It's powerful, much more powerful than any of the previous tools. There are many more things that are exposed to scripting. If you want to go into it, you'll be able to make full-conversion mods and that kind of thing that you couldn't do before without making your own tools.
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But one of the things that we've noticed is that things are accessible, like the cut-scene editor and the head morphs. People with no experience with the toolset were creating amazing things in just half an hour.
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<b>Alan Miranda, CEO Ossian Studios</b>: First and foremost is that the new toolset, the Dragon Age toolset is, I would say, the most powerful toolset ever made. Really. Definitively. It's taken their experience from Neverwinter 1, it's watched the other toolsets that have appeared since that time, like Neverwinter 2, or The Witcher, and it's just taken the best parts of it and integrated it, and they've added their own thoughts, their new thoughts for Dragon Age into it. I think it's the most comprehensive toolset and the most powerful toolset to make the highest quality games.
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<b>GameSpy: What have you wanted to build in the past but couldn't that this new toolset will allow you to do?</b>
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<b>Alan Miranda</b>: I'd say really great cut-scenes, first off. Cinematic cut-scenes. Everyone talks about having a cinematic kind of game, and the cut-scene tool on this editor is very powerful but it's easy to use.</blockquote>
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Translation: <s>Fan-made mods will end up being better than the actual game itself</s>. Fan-made mods will mostly be a bunch of faggy in-game romance movies.
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Spotted @ <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPGWatch</a>

 

[Shannow]

At last. Cut scenes. It is a shame nobody ever thought of something like that before.

 

[Andhaira]

The only sad thing is that good mods only appear around 4-5 years after the game, when most people have lost even their original DVDs.

 

[getter77]

The only sad thing is that good mods only appear around 4-5 years after the game, when most people have lost even their original DVDs.

I'd imagine the whole DD angle should help prevent that from happening somewhat this time around. I mean, I know the only way I'll wind up with this is an awesome Steam/Impulse/Gamersgate sale at some point once I have a machine that could actually run it.

Gotta love tools though, especially ones like this that will probably be swarmed upon in short order as opposed to going under the radar.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

I want to find an RPG with a decent, large modding community again. Though the only one I can name that ever had one is Morrowind.

Come on AoD toolkit!!!!!

 

[Starwars]

Since they got Alan Miranda in there, I'd bet that Ossian will be involved in releasing some sort of premium module.

Anyways, I'm all for toolsets for games. But it's the gameplay I'm after, what about the ruleset for Dragon Age? I mean, D&D gone realtime in NWN2 is hardly the most optimal thing, but it wouldn't surprise me if it proves to be more varied and fun than Dragon Age's.

If people will create decent roleplaying modules with the help of the powah of the toolset, then I'm all for it. But yeah... Seems to me that we will mostly get semi-interactive movies.

 

[SimpleComplexity]

That`s actually good news, relatively speaking.

 

[Jaesun]

Can you hear the drums Fernando?

Since they got Alan Miranda in there, I'd bet that Ossian will be involved in releasing some sort of premium module.

Somehow I don't see EA doing some kind of Premium module thing like NWN. But who knows.

 

[MetalCraze]

Somehow I don't see EA doing some kind of Premium module thing like NWN. But who knows.

But EA is doing premium modules, and lots of them - see Sims and Spore.

 

[M_I_C_K_E_Y_M_O_U_S_E]

You're so cute when you complain about people who are better than you skyway. You almost appear jealous. Almost.

 

[Lingwe]

Personally I'm looking forward more to the extra gameplay provided by the mods than all the extra cutscenes we are going to get.

 

[Micmu]

Mr.Hands-scale butthurt detected

 

[Hoaxmetal]

If that tool also has option for making sex cutscenes - coun't me in.

 

[Shannow]

You're so cute when you complain about people who are better than you skyway. You almost appear jealous. Almost.

??? This doesn't even make sense. I demand that your insults make sense! Who is better than skyway? And why? EA? You call EA "people"? EA is "people" and "better" than skyway because...? Huh?!? So skyway realizes that EA people are better than him and that makes him sound jealous?

Behold skyway complaining being jealous: "But EA is doing premium modules, and lots of them - see Sims and Spore."
If someone else uttered that it'd be an opinion (definition of premium module = add-ons) and a statement of fact.

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/0

 

[bat_boro]

If this editor is easy to use and powerful enough maybe I'll finally get around to that idea I have in my head for awhile now

 

[poocolator]

But one of the things that we've noticed is that things are accessible, like the cut-scene editor and the head morphs. People with no experience with the toolset were creating amazing things in just half an hour.

Don't worry kids, it's about as easy to use as Spore was to play! Even consoltards can do it!! Soon.... everyone will be pumping out generic sex scenarios and cutscenes!

All this means is that we're going to have a hell of a lot of shit to sift through to find the good stuff.

 

[Raapys]

But is the editor also dark, gritty and mature?

 

[Jaesun]

But is the editor also dark, gritty and mature?

It does, and it loops Marylin Manson's The New Shit song in the background as well.

 

[Black]

Come on AoD!!!!!

*smirk*

 

[Volourn]

"The only sad thing is that good mods only appear around 4-5 years after the game"

Bullshit.

 

[CarnivalBizarre]

"The only sad thing is that good mods only appear around 4-5 years after the game"

Bullshit.

Bullshit indeed. Basically even before the first year has passed the mods destined to greatness are already out, might not be in their final form though.

 

[Hoaxmetal]

Depends on the game/editor. TES/F3 construction kits made it quite easy for people to make it less shity game.
4-5 years are for games with bad/no editors and, guess what, they're usually good (but maybe bug'sh) anyway. Generally speaking of RPGs, of course.

 

[WalterKinde]

Yeah the previews are shit and i dont expect anything great to come of this ,at best a mediocre rpg trying to be an action game, the addition of a toolset will give it life beyond what it should have if it was just the game alone.
Lets just hope the toolset is not completely crippled upon release.

 

[CarnivalBizarre]

Even though there is no editor/toolset, as long as it's text files I stand by the 1 year timeline.

If they actually tried to prevent users from making a mod by making no editor not editable formats for the game, that is pretty seldom in an rpg these days... but then it could take forever...

 

[bobo_monkey]

I dont understand

Why cant they spend more time on the game and turn it into a classic. I dont want a mediocore game with an awesome "toolset" bolted on. I want an awesome game with more awesome game bolted on and a bit more awesome bolted up my ass for luck.