Dragon Age 2

[stoffe]

If they must go wheel-style word-based choices, I hope they take Human Revolution's idea of blending both word-based and full-sentence options.

 

Indeed, the "what you pick is what you say" and "fully voiced protagonist" dialog features are not mutually exclusive in any way. For example the Deus Ex games both had full Voice over for the protagonist and showed you what Denton would say in the list of response options. This is the variant I personally prefer since you don't get any silly dialog surprises like in Mass Effect and it's easier to relate to a character who actively takes part in the conversation and not just stands there nodding.

 

Is there any word on when DA2 is set? Hawke is apparently a Blight survivor, but which one? The one in DA1 (the 4th) or some other one? I kind of got the impression from the initial info and the whole "spans a decade" thing that it might be a prequel.

 

It has to be the 5th Blight, the one you deal with in ÐA:Origins (the 4th was the one ended by the dalish Grey Warden Garahel 4 centuries earlier). Since the game is still called Ðragon Age, each Age in the Chantry calendar is a century long, and there is a few centuries between each Blight where the Darkspawn rebuild their numbers and find the next Archdemon.

 

It's also the only one that would make sense if your character's actions in ÐA:Origins will have some consequences in ÐA2, which one of the developers claimed.

[DarthParametric]

Ah 5th - sorry. Guess I fail the DA history test.

[DarthParametric]

Some snippets from the upcoming magazine article have been posted by Game Informer - http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/07/09/five-facts-about-hawke-in-dragon-age-ii.aspx

 

It confirms that there is indeed full PC voice-over. Seems Hawke was in Lothering during DA1 and survived the Darkspawn attack. No word of how old he/she was at this point - but possibly reasonably youngish if DA2 spans 10 years.

[Sabretooth]

So it does take place in the same era as the first game. Weird, since a lot of people were blabbering that it will take place at a different time altogether. The rest of the stuff sounds too much like Fable to me, though.

[Pavlos]

Hawke is the Champion of Kirkwall

This sounds far less impressive when you remember that Kirkwall is the capital of Orkney, a small archipelago just north of Scotland.

[Sabretooth]

The world of Dragon Age is loosely inspired by Medieval Europe.

[Ztalker]

This sounds far less impressive when you remember that Kirkwall is the capital of Orkney, a small archipelago just north of Scotland.

 

He's is the HIGHLANDER!!! :|

 

Anyways, still funny. In the first DA you are the most epic hero on the face of the earth. Basher of Blights, King of the Keep, casually slaying Dragons on your path.

And this guy....he has a lot to do to live up with his predecessor.

 

By the way, that little kid that was looking for his mother in Lothering...the mother who was killed? Was he ever named? Because that little quest-chain is still on my mind...

[Laar_Dha]

By the way, that little kid that was looking for his mother in Lothering...the mother who was killed? Was he ever named? Because that little quest-chain is still on my mind...

 

That is kind of a neat idea. Although, supposedly Hawke can be male or female, so I guess the little redheaded boy won't quite work.

[DarthParametric]

I haven't seen it myself, but apparently the Game Informer article confirms that DA2 does indeed use the ME dialogue wheel. Interestingly, it also says that DA2 imports a DA1 save, the same as ME2 did with ME1 saves. I gather the effect will be about the same - just a couple of lines of differing dialogue for most things, with maybe a bit more emphasis on major decisions. Oh, and Flemeth puts in an appearance supposedly.

[Pavlos]

The world of Dragon Age is loosely inspired by Medieval Europe.

Yes but it's rather like saying that your character is 'the Champion of Tunbridge Wells' .

[igyman]

Some more bits of info on the dialog system - it will use the dialog wheel and paraphrases, but apparently each choice will also have an emotion icon to go along with it (something along the lines of flirty, angry, serious...). Also, according to David Gaider, one of the writers, they "won't use the exact same system as they did in Awakening" (source), which could unfortunately mean they haven't dumped that concept entirely.

 

On another note, when asked about returning characters, the answer from David Gaider was "You might recognize a few faces, yes."

[swphreak]

I like Mass Effect's dialogue wheel and player character voice overs. It makes for a more cinematic experience. Plus, it would be redundant reading exact words and then having the player character say what you just read.

 

All this talk of importing charcters is going to make me replay DA:O. Maybe that's the idea? Pretty darn devious of them.

[Laar_Dha]

I really hoped they wouldn't go with the dialog wheel and voiced character. I really disliked it in Mass Effect: enough that I've never finished the game. I prefer the voice in my head. The voiced character may indeed be more cinematic, but I find it pushes me into the role of viewer instead of character.

[igyman]

I don't mind the voiced character, unless it limits dialogs and dialog choices. As for the wheel, it worked well for Mass Effect, but I'm not so sure it is an improvement over the classic dialog system and thus I don't think it will improve the gameplay of Dragon Age, but still I'll wait for more information and perhaps even some clips before I decide one way or the other.

[DarthParametric]

I think the biggest problem with VO for DA2 is what you have to give up for it. Namely, the option of playing as a non-human race because of the costs associated with recording all the extra dialogue. It's OK in ME because that was how it was from the start, but with DA2 it is a step backwards from DA1. Although perhaps that shouldn't be overly surprising given that ME2 was, in many respects, a step back from ME1.

[stoffe]

Namely, the option of playing as a non-human race because of the costs associated with recording all the extra dialogue.

 

Wonder if you can still choose a voice set for your character, like you can for combat shouts etc in Ðragon Age (1), and if the voice-overs will use that voice... or if there is only one male and one female voice set in the game?

[Sabretooth]

Wonder if you can still choose a voice set for your character, like you can for combat shouts etc in Ðragon Age (1), and if the voice-overs will use that voice... or if there is only one male and one female voice set in the game?

 

I think that would be far too expensive for a feature that can be omitted without worries. I really liked how in ME2 Shephard's voice became radio-ey when he spoke through a full helmet (don't remember if that happened in ME).

 

It'd be nice if speaking through a full plate helmet in DA2 made you sounds more metallickish.

[Astor]

I think the biggest problem with VO for DA2 is what you have to give up for it. Namely, the option of playing as a non-human race because of the costs associated with recording all the extra dialogue. It's OK in ME because that was how it was from the start, but with DA2 it is a step backwards from DA1. Although perhaps that shouldn't be overly surprising given that ME2 was, in many respects, a step back from ME1.

 

I really hope that's not what they've got planned. They're two completely different types of games (even if BioWare likes to call them both RPGs, they couldn't be much more different).

 

I don't like what i've been hearing so far - it sounds like they're trying to make Dragon Age into Mass Effect.

 

I think that would be far too expensive for a feature that can be omitted without worries. I really liked how in ME2 Shephard's voice became radio-ey when he spoke through a full helmet (don't remember if that happened in ME).

 

It'd be nice if speaking through a full plate helmet in DA2 made you sounds more metallickish.

 

I hope that we won't be forced into wearing full suits with permanent helmets (a la Mass Effect 2).

[Sabretooth]

I hope that we won't be forced into wearing full suits with permanent helmets (a la Mass Effect 2).

 

I'd rather wear a helmet. Not only is it cooler, but then it reminds me less of the horribly weird looking character I've created. >_>

[Ztalker]

The world of Dragon Age is loosely inspired by Medieval Europe.

 

This is true. I have a pet Dragon named Snibbles. And I take my Zweihänder to school every now and then to bash some punks

 

I hope that we won't be forced nto wearing full suits with permanent helmets (a la Mass Effect 2).

 

DA:O had that Warden Commander armor if I remember correctly. It didn't require a helmet.

And I've read online that going after set bonusses is sometimes worse then simply buying 'loose' equipment. I recall the best Rogue armor is Ferlon's coat, which isn't part of a set.

 

I did dislike the helmet thing in ME:2. It kinda makes all the cool customising options for the PC face quite useless.

[mimartin]

I hope that we won't be forced into wearing full suits with permanent helmets (a la Mass Effect 2).

I've only worn a helmet when there is no air or poison air in ME2. Of course, that means I wore the default armor, but with the customization of that armor I did not find it that much of a problem.

[Drunkside]

So it does take place in the same era as the first game. Weird, since a lot of people were blabbering that it will take place at a different time altogether. The rest of the stuff sounds too much like Fable to me, though.

 

Exactly what i thought... Im actually kinda hoping that the combat will be real time button smashing instead of what it is in DAO for some reason.

 

BTW to the people amazed by the fact that the main character has a set surname, so did your character in DAO. The human noble is a Cousland, cannot remember the others but they definetely have surnames.

 

Somehow all this feels like the beginning of the end for bioware...

[mimartin]

Somehow all this feels like the beginning of the end for bioware...

Yea, two best selling game franchises at the same time for one developer sure sounds like the end is coming to me.

 

I look at as the beginnings of the end for what we have defined as RPGs. RPGs are being dumb down in an attempt to appeal to a larger segment of the gaming market and unfortunately it seems to be working. Less reading, less worrying about skills, upgrades… blagh less thinking, but more sales. Can’t blame a developer for wanting to make money, but it still does not make me like it.

[Ztalker]

Yea, two best selling game franchises at the same time for one developer sure sounds like the end is coming to me.

 

I look at as the beginnings of the end for what we have defined as RPGs. RPGs are being dumb down in an attempt to appeal to a larger segment of the gaming market and unfortunately it seems to be working. Less reading, less worrying about skills, upgrades… blagh less thinking, but more sales. Can’t blame a developer for wanting to make money, but it still does not make me like it.

 

Which is quite ironic in this case, because DA was to be the spiritual succesor to Baldurs Gate...a hard-core RPG.

The way Mass Effect 2 was tone down...they made a shooter out of it. It has no connection to the old RPG-ing whatsoever. Only small, nowadays standard, RPG elements are there....

[DarthParametric]

The human noble is a Cousland, cannot remember the others but they definetely have surnames.

Dwarf Noble: Aeducan

Dwarf Commoner: Brosca

Dalish Elf: Mahariel

City Elf: Tabris

Elf Mage: Surana

Human Mage: Amell

 

To me the surname thing isn't a big deal. It's a useful ploy to allow NPCs to actually call you by your name (although it wasn't taken advantage of to any great extent in DA1 - you were invariably just referred to as "Warden"). I just don't like the whole PC VO path and the inherent limitations it brings.