Dragon Age: Inquisition (and the Dragon Age Universe)

[paramitch]

So I have to post this as a total Dragon Age: Inquisition nerd and convert: I am so knocked out by this game.

 

I've always been a gamer (and have been an MMORPGer for over a decade), but just got into the Bioware RPG games in Summer of 2015, when I got addicted to the Mass Effect series (to the extent that I played the entire trilogy three times through). ME had already set a very high bar for me (especially ME2), but DAI has honestly exceeded it. I mean, I love it like I love Tolkien. Tolkien.

 

While I was dying to play DAI, I prepared by playing Dragon Age: Origins first, and really enjoyed it. It sets up the chessboard beautifully and introduces you to the universe's main regions and races, their politics, religions, and strifes. And while the graphics and mechanics do age a bit, DAO offers incredible characters, and I loved the richness and complexity of Morrigan, Sten, Alistair, Zevran, Leliana, Wynne, Shale, and others -- all beautifully performed, especially by Mark Hildreth, Claudia Black, Kate Mulgrew and more. I grew to love them.

 

So I loved DAO, attempted DA2 but didn't really like it (it felt very claustrophobic to me), so I noted my choices in the Dragon Age Keep  (Bioware's new system for noting your DA in-game choices from game to game) then moved right on to Dragon Age: Inquisition. 

 

And DAI was where I fell flat. Everything that was great about DAO -- and Mass Effect -- is even better in DAI -- more immersive, a rich and thoughtfully written fantasy world, and wonderful characters. Dragon Age: Inquisition's worldbuilding is astonishing -- massive, detailed, exquisitely rendered. The game offers a breathtaking range of settings and experiences, and can be tailored to accommodate a multitude of playstyles. You can rush through in a few dozen hours or leisure your way in hundreds. Combat is pretty seamless (and as always with BW, you can tailor gameplay from "casual" to nightmare combat settings). The quests and storylines are terrific, and, just as in DAO or ME, you'll be faced with complex and incredibly difficult choices that will have big in-game repercussions.

 

Like Mass Effect, the story options allow you to roleplay a truly complex character in a universe you either pick up from your decisions in Dragon Age: Origins (via Dragon Age Keep), or to even change and experiment with alternate universes, changing those decisions with each new game or character you begin.

 

But as gorgeous as the game is, it's the characters that knocked me out, all just so vivid, entertaining, and beautifully written (my personal favorites were Iron Bull, Solas, Cassandra, Sera, Dorian, Cole, and Varric, though in the end I truly loved them all). Once again, the caliber of the voice actors is superb -- Freddie Prinze Jr. is a scene-stealer as Iron Bull, but you also have amazing people like Claudia Black, Gareth David-Lloyd (of Torchwood), Indira Varma, Kate Mulgrew, etc., among a cast of terrific performers and they are predictably wonderful.

 

And -- even more than in Mass Effect -- these supporting characters in DAI evolve and grow. They vary in their reactions and approvals (or disapprovals) of your protagonist's decisions, and will like you, hate you, grow into appreciation or respect, or even fall in love -- with you, or with each other (if you don't romance them), growing and changing across dozens or hundreds of hours. Best of all, if you've played the other Dragon Age games, like "Origins" or "Dragon Age II," you'll potentially encounter several old friends, including Leliana, Alistair, Morrigan, Hawke, and more.

 

The game's romances are also beautifully written -- from Bull's hilarious and mature romance, to Solas's poignant and romantic one, to  nearly a dozen other optional and equally satisfying and thoughtful romances for an assortment of wonderful characters, male and female, gay, straight, or bi, across the board. 

 

Which is the coolest part of DAI: The entire game offers a lovely and celebratory, inclusive attitude toward gender, race, and sexual orientation. Except for one male character's jerky nobleman of a father who disapproves of his 'preferences for men' (in a thoughtful and moving subplot), nobody has hangups about what consenting adults choose to do, and to me it's a welcome view of the way the world should be. There are gay characters, pansexual/bi characters, straight characters, and even a terrific trans character named Krem. There are romances that begin with sex and fall into love, and others that are pretty adorable and Disneyfied, and still others that are unexpectedly tragic.

 

DAI also has several big moments that are as surprisingly moving, majestic and lovely as any in a feature film, incredibly complex decision-making, a gorgeous soundtrack, and delightful easter eggs and extras. Even the music in these games is on par with the best soundtracks for film or television out there, and while playing, you may just find yourself hanging around the local taverns simply to listen to the beautiful original bard songs there.

 

And in case it helps, upon finishing DAI, I also enjoyed the three added DLC's -- from the moody "Descent" to the vibrant "Jaws of Hakkon," and crowned by the moving and exciting DAI conclusion "Trespasser," and each provided over a dozen hours or more of added gameplay, and was worth the purchase.

 

In short, it's a gorgeous game -- offering the chance for a terrific playthrough, or for opportunities for hours of immersion and replay. There's also a pretty jaw-dropping reveal at the end of DAI that will make most want to replay it again almost immediately.

 

So just my 2 cents on a stunning game I will definitely replay many times in the future. Bioware really outdid themselves on this one, and it shows.

[Glory]

This is a super old thread and a forum that maybe doesn't get a lot of traffic, but I just saw this post and I agree with everything you said. 

It's been 4 years since this game came out and it is still absolutely a phenomenal game play. I just made up a new Quizzy this past weekend and I'm playing through and making different choices and seeing different dialogue options after FOUR years and hundreds of hours of gameplay. It's so richly detailed. 

The relationships are my favorite part and I find myself thinking very seriously about my character, what her motivations are, the decisions she'd realistically make and who she would romance. I sit through each cut scene thinking "how would this specific character react to this situation." It's so much fun and so very immersive. 

[paramitch]

On 10/24/2018 at 11:29 AM, Glory said:

This is a super old thread and a forum that maybe doesn't get a lot of traffic, but I just saw this post and I agree with everything you said. 

It's been 4 years since this game came out and it is still absolutely a phenomenal game play. I just made up a new Quizzy this past weekend and I'm playing through and making different choices and seeing different dialogue options after FOUR years and hundreds of hours of gameplay. It's so richly detailed. 

The relationships are my favorite part and I find myself thinking very seriously about my character, what her motivations are, the decisions she'd realistically make and who she would romance. I sit through each cut scene thinking "how would this specific character react to this situation." It's so much fun and so very immersive. 

I'm so glad you posted! I'm delighted someone else here loves the game as much as I do, no matter how much time has gone by. (Side Note: I did end up playing DA2 and LOVED it once I gave it a chance -- it's not perfect, but it's a lot of fun. So please ignore my snark on that -- it's worth a playthrough and it's also doable in 12-14 hours.)

And I'm so glad you're still playing and on your fourth Inquisitor!  I've played several different options and characters now as well, and I still discover something new every single time.

The relationships, characters, and romances are absolutely my favorite aspect as well. So much beautiful writing goes into them, and the characters really evolve or change depending on our decisions and relationships. My favorite characters are Bull and Solas, because they're so complex, but I love pretty much everyone.

PS -- Just in case it's of interest, I was such a die-hard fan that I started a blog about Dragon Age ("Dumped, Drunk and Dalish") that analyzes several of the major characters and companions, and also write regularly about Dragon Age now for "The Fandomentals." I'd welcome for you to check it out and offer any further thoughts or feedback!

[Glory]

OMG!!! I know who you are! I read your blog all the time!! I really appreciated your recent post about mind chess and Solas and Iron Bull!! 

[paramitch]

18 hours ago, Glory said:

OMG!!! I know who you are! I read your blog all the time!! I really appreciated your recent post about mind chess and Solas and Iron Bull!! 

Holy crap, @Glory, that's the best compliment ever -- you seriously just made my millennium. I'm so glad you enjoy the blog! (Obviously, I'm a little obsessed...)

And I'm so glad you liked the Mind-Chess banter -- it's such a great example of the care that went into the game. I mean -- it's a BANTER -- something many many players will never even encounter at all depending on their game choices and which companions they bring with them, etc. And yet it's crafted by Patrick Weekes with so much care, and tells us so much about Bull and Solas as characters. It always kills me that Solas

Spoiler

actually achieves victory by (1) sacrificing his QUEEN (the feels!) and (2) with a mage who comes out of nowhere.

The fact that it's based on "The Immortal Game" just makes it even cooler.

[xaxat]

Another DAI fan! Great music (I fire it up once or twice a year and never tire of it). Great voice acting. (And not just for the main cast. Sera is not the only one with a thing for the Vidisala.) Great relationships. (I always tell myself to romance someone different, but it's always Casandra.) etc.

I can't wait for Anthem to be released. Not because I have any interest in playing it, but because it means BioWare can get back to developing the next Dragon Age.

[Unusual Suspect]

I have a love/hate relationship with DA:I. The voice actors are top notch, and some of the writing is pretty cool. I love all the characters, I think they all shine. I have the soundtrack and will listen to it by itself.

OTOH, I find the game tediously large. The maps are more frustrating than interesting to wander through, if you're one of the OCD completionists, this game is a nightmare (I can be, but not always), and I don't find combat that fun.

Also, one of the best features of the Bioware RPGs is when your companions start bantering and holding side conversations. And I found they are parcelled out so infrequently. I used to just put a random party together in DA2 and just wander around, and shortly there'd be something amusing to listen to. Not worth it in DA:I.

[paramitch]

On 11/6/2018 at 4:10 PM, xaxat said:

Another DAI fan! Great music (I fire it up once or twice a year and never tire of it). Great voice acting. (And not just for the main cast. Sera is not the only one with a thing for the Vidisala.) Great relationships. (I always tell myself to romance someone different, but it's always Casandra.) etc.

I can't wait for Anthem to be released. Not because I have any interest in playing it, but because it means BioWare can get back to developing the next Dragon Age.

Yay! I so agree. The voice actors are (typical for BioWare) absolutely fantastic, principles and side characters. They're all just wonderful.

If it helps, my favorite romances are Solas, Bull, Sera, Cullen, Dorian, and Cass.  Solas's especially is so tied to the core subtext and story, and it's incredibly satisfying in Trespasser, albeit bittersweet.

If you get stuck or feel stagnant, I definitely recommend other genders/romances though -- they so open up the game, especially if you replay. I'm looking forward to Anthem, but my heart is with the future release of DA4. ;) 

Also, on the music, I so agree -- and Trevor Morris's score was amazing. It was equally fantastic (even better) on the DLCs "The Descent," "Jaws of Hakkon" and especially the sublime "Trespasser." Also, I hope you got all the bard songs! Not just from DAI but the ones from "Trespasser" are gorgeous and BIoWare offered them all free for many years.

On 11/8/2018 at 8:18 AM, Unusual Suspect said:

I have a love/hate relationship with DA:I. The voice actors are top notch, and some of the writing is pretty cool. I love all the characters, I think they all shine. I have the soundtrack and will listen to it by itself.

OTOH, I find the game tediously large. The maps are more frustrating than interesting to wander through, if you're one of the OCD completionists, this game is a nightmare (I can be, but not always), and I don't find combat that fun.

Also, one of the best features of the Bioware RPGs is when your companions start bantering and holding side conversations. And I found they are parcelled out so infrequently. I used to just put a random party together in DA2 and just wander around, and shortly there'd be something amusing to listen to. Not worth it in DA:I.

If it helps, the open world concept is optional -- you can skip a lot of that if you need to. So, in case it helps, a few suggestions:

• If you want to finish quickly, stick go the Inquisitor's quest path (but I do suggest doing all companion loyalty missions at minimum -- also, SAVE THE CHARGERS!)
• You don't have to go anywhere you don't want to -- some later areas are mostly skippable
• I do suggest grabbing as much power early as you can (it gives you the most options). Discover camps and close rifts!
• The banters in DAI are the best across the entire trilogy. If yours aren't triggering, it's a bug. You can trigger them with mods (PC) at Nexus, or read them all here: https://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Iron_Bull/Dialogue (click on each companion dialogue to read theirs). The banters are AMAZING. When in doubt, bring out Bull and Solas, Bull and Dorian, Bull and Vivienne, Sera and Blackwall, and Cole with EVERYONE. They're fantastic.
• When in doubt, follow the "Inquisitor" quest path
• GET OUT OF THE HINTERLANDS. Get over to Val Royeaux, go recruit Sera, Bull, and Viv, and mix it up. Take Sera, Bull and Solas on all Hinterlands "helping people" quests for max approval.
• Support mages -- IT'S A BETTER STORYLINE
• Romance Solas (seriously, it's tied to the main story and so moving)

ALSO -- I blog about Dragon Age with thoughts and tips on characters at DumpedDrunkDalish.com. BUT NO PRESSURE. And LOTS OF SPOILERS. Also, sorry. I'm a fan. It's bad.

I hope it helps! And I'm so tickled you posted here! I was the ONLY ONE HERE FOR TWO YEARS. I'm just sayin'. 
 

Edited November 12, 2018 by paramitch

[Glory]

On 11/6/2018 at 6:10 PM, xaxat said:

Another DAI fan! Great music (I fire it up once or twice a year and never tire of it). Great voice acting. (And not just for the main cast. Sera is not the only one with a thing for the Vidisala.) Great relationships. (I always tell myself to romance someone different, but it's always Casandra.) etc.

I can't wait for Anthem to be released. Not because I have any interest in playing it, but because it means BioWare can get back to developing the next Dragon Age.

The sound tracks to all the DA games are on a permanent play list that I listen to while I'm working. They're all so great. 

And I'm right there with you on Anthem. I'm not sure, exactly, what they're going for with this game. But I will definitely be happy when they can stop all the coy "maybe we'll work on a dragon age game again, soon" nonsense. Just admit that you're working on it, Jesus. Whether or not you admit to the development does not mean I'm any more inclined to play Anthem. I prefer single player RPGs for a reason. I don't really like MMOs - hence, not interested. 

Also - I wonder how truly burned they got on Andromeda. My husband (a big Mass Effect fan) only played through Andromeda once and then put it away. Contrast that to the other games in which he's played through multiple times. 

I just really enjoy the Dragon Age series - I've tried the Witcher and I've spent a lot of time in Skyrim - but Dragon Age is a class above, IMO. 

[xaxat]

On 11/12/2018 at 5:44 AM, paramitch said:

If it helps, my favorite romances are Solas,

It's kind of funny, but finding out who Solas and Blackwall really were has pretty much eliminated me from giving them a shot. 

On 11/13/2018 at 10:30 AM, Glory said:

Also - I wonder how truly burned they got on Andromeda. My husband (a big Mass Effect fan) only played through Andromeda once and then put it away. Contrast that to the other games in which he's played through multiple times. 

I'm close to a completionist on most BioWare games, but I still haven't finished MEA. 

[paramitch]

16 hours ago, xaxat said:

It's kind of funny, but finding out who Solas and Blackwall really were has pretty much eliminated me from giving them a shot. 

I'm close to a completionist on most BioWare games, but I still haven't finished MEA. 

Did you play the "Trespasser" DLC? Just curious -- it definitely provides a more complex overview of who Solas is. But I'm so biased, since I think he's the best character in the game, along with Bull. There are things you will learn about Solas (and the core game story) that you'll only get if you romance him. Or, on the flip side, things Solas only reveals to a deeply loathed, low-approval Inquisitor there, too. 

(Although I was the opposite -- I played DAI through the first time as a Bull romancer, and totally loved the storyline, then when the end postscript scene happened, I basically let out a screech and immediately started a new playthrough romancing Solas. It was really funny.)

I admit that I have a tougher time with Blackwall -- Solas did what he did in a genuine attempt to save the world.  Blackwall did what he did for money, which will always ick me out, although I do like his redemption path.

I loved some aspects of MEA but I felt like it was sometimes jarring -- some writing and character moments would be really lovely and complex, then others would be seriously clunky. Like, I romanced Jaal with a FemRyder, but by the end I hated the romance (and found Jaal adolescent and disappointing), and worst of all, I felt like my character was objectified in a creepy way during their cringeworthy love scene. 

But some of the game's moments I thought were gorgeous, and it was fun to play overall. Not anywhere near as good as the original ME trilogy though. I just felt like it was obviously, painfully rushed to release (all the Asari with the same faces!). The saddest thing for me is that within two weeks of release, so much had been fixed and improved, but there was a really toxic, vocal portion of the fanbase that had already written MEA off completely, and I don't think that was deserved. It ended up being a decent game -- I'd give it a 7 overall. And I do plan to play it again eventually at least once more.

On 11/13/2018 at 7:30 AM, Glory said:

The sound tracks to all the DA games are on a permanent play list that I listen to while I'm working. They're all so great. 

And I'm right there with you on Anthem. I'm not sure, exactly, what they're going for with this game. But I will definitely be happy when they can stop all the coy "maybe we'll work on a dragon age game again, soon" nonsense. Just admit that you're working on it, Jesus. Whether or not you admit to the development does not mean I'm any more inclined to play Anthem. I prefer single player RPGs for a reason. I don't really like MMOs - hence, not interested. 

Also - I wonder how truly burned they got on Andromeda. My husband (a big Mass Effect fan) only played through Andromeda once and then put it away. Contrast that to the other games in which he's played through multiple times. 

I just really enjoy the Dragon Age series - I've tried the Witcher and I've spent a lot of time in Skyrim - but Dragon Age is a class above, IMO. 

That's awesome. I love Trevor Morris's work for DAI -- it's just so sweeping and cinematic -- but Inon Zur's work for Origins and DA2 was wonderful too. It's darker and more haunting, I think. And I love all the bard songs (and the instrumental versions too).

I'm so with you on Anthem -- I'm going to support Anthem as a BioWare fan, and I'll give it a shot, although I admit that the fact that it won't have any romanceable characters is a bummer for me -- it lessens the immersion.  But all I want is for Anthem to come out so DA4 can show back up on the radar!

As I mentioned above, I feel bad for BioWare about MEA -- my perception is that the team on the project was a little inexperienced, so they got bogged down during production on a few elements that (for instance) took over a year but were then completely abandoned. And then they ended up having to crunch like crazy (and bring in some of the Edmonton folks) to meet deadlines, and I really do think the release should have been delayed so that the game's little weak spots could have been tweaked. The fans were just savage over little things (like the dead-eyed character faces) that were 100% improved within just a few weeks, but that badly affected sales (because the word was out).

I did enjoy it, and know a ton of people who did, but I also found it a little disappointing and ultimately not as memorable as it could have been -- the characters were just so tepid, and felt very young and naive. By the end, I felt like I was playing a teenaged character in a group of other very nice teenagers... which is part of the problem for me -- compare the nice MEA crew to the complex very grown-up people we met in Mass Effect 2 or Dragon Age: Inquisition -- characters who were lofty or lonely, cruel or kind, honest or deceptive, seeking redemption or coldly following orders...? There's just no comparison for me.

Meanwhile, I definitely feel the same way about Dragon Age! In terms of the fantasy series, while I liked Skyrim, it didn't have the same dramatic impact (and I couldn't get into Witcher -- the fact that I had to play Gerault just irked me, since I like building my own characters and prefer playing females). For me it just comes down to the characters and the writing, and that's where I think a lot of games let you down. It's also why thousands of people still play Dragon Age: Origins or Mass Effect a decade later. (I also love DA2 and feel like it's underrated -- it's so much fun, and the characters are fantastic.)

I do love several other titles -- The Last of Us was gorgeous (but so tough!), as was Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but Dragon Age will always have a special place for me.

[Glory]

On 11/15/2018 at 5:45 AM, paramitch said:

(I also love DA2 and feel like it's underrated -- it's so much fun, and the characters are fantastic.)

 

I was late to the DA2 love. I bought it when it came out, tried it for a hot minute and got annoyed and then it took me years to get back to it. Now, I love it though. And I especially love that it's a quick game to play through. I can get through the whole story in a long weekend and it will take over my life for a few days. It's really great and definitely underrated. 

[Unusual Suspect]

3 hours ago, Glory said:

I was late to the DA2 love. I bought it when it came out, tried it for a hot minute and got annoyed and then it took me years to get back to it. Now, I love it though. And I especially love that it's a quick game to play through. I can get through the whole story in a long weekend and it will take over my life for a few days. It's really great and definitely underrated. 

DA2 is definitely my favourite DA. Mainly because I find Hawke to be one of the best Bioware protagonists (Yes, I like playing Hawke more than Shepard). Sarcastic Hawke and Varric on a snark--fest all across Kirkwall is just the best thing. Also, I like how events are coming to a head around Hawke, but while they have some power and money they're not "THE CHOSEN ONE" like the other Bioware protagonists. 

[xaxat]

Casey Hudson teased a the reveal of some Dragon Age news in the Bioware blog.  

Quote

If you’ve been following these blogs, or myself and Mark Darrah on Twitter, you know we’re also working on some secret Dragon Age stuff.  Dragon Age is an incredibly important franchise in our studio, and we’re excited to continue its legacy.  Look for more on this in the coming month (though I won’t tell you where to look…)

I'm actually kind of worried. I hope it's not some dumbed down mobile game. But given that they are only a couple of years out from ME:A and have been working on Anthem, I really doubt it's the next full release in the series.

(Unless they do what Bethesda's Todd Howard did with Elder Scrolls recently. "Hey, here's some cool graphics. . . of a map. . . with that music you love. . . and a placeholder name. .  and absolutely no release date.)

Edited December 1, 2018 by xaxat

[salmondean]

On 11/19/2018 at 2:27 PM, Unusual Suspect said:

DA2 is definitely my favourite DA. Mainly because I find Hawke to be one of the best Bioware protagonists (Yes, I like playing Hawke more than Shepard). Sarcastic Hawke and Varric on a snark--fest all across Kirkwall is just the best thing. Also, I like how events are coming to a head around Hawke, but while they have some power and money they're not "THE CHOSEN ONE" like the other Bioware protagonists. 

DA2 wasn't my overall favorite game (mostly due to the fact that, as admitted by the creators, the game was extremely rushed in some parts and it shows), but I definitely agree that Hawke is my favorite protagonist and you make a good point by saying that it's partly due to the fact that Hawke isn't the Chosen One. They felt a lot more grounded and fleshed out than the other DA protags and I really liked that the game had such a strong focus on their family life. I also loved that there are some major consequences in the game that are just inevitable-- at least one of Hawke's siblings has to die in the game (sometimes both of them depending on what you do), Anders will always become a terrorist, and Hawke's mother will always die. At first when I was playing the game, I kept looking up various walkthroughs because I was like "wait, how do I stop this from happening??" but eventually I realized that it made the story more interesting and I'm glad those things happened. 

 

And I liked the fact that while Anders and Fenris had opposite viewpoints, I was able to understand where both of them were coming from even if they both had tunnel vision at many points (Fenris was raised in a world where his people were enslaved by mages, many of whom dabbled in blood magic-- of course he's distrustful of of magic users. Anders grew up in a world where his people are thrown into prisons for being magic users and face what is essentially lobotimization if they don't stay in line-- of course he's bitter and willing to go to extremes to rectify this)

[xaxat]

On 11/30/2018 at 6:14 PM, xaxat said:

Casey Hudson teased a the reveal of some Dragon Age news in the Bioware blog.  

I'm actually kind of worried. I hope it's not some dumbed down mobile game. But given that they are only a couple of years out from ME:A and have been working on Anthem, I really doubt it's the next full release in the series.

(Unless they do what Bethesda's Todd Howard did with Elder Scrolls recently. "Hey, here's some cool graphics. . . of a map. . . with that music you love. . . and a placeholder name. .  and absolutely no release date.)

 

Looks like it's the latter. "Rumour: Dragon Age 4 is being announced at The Game Awards. But we'll apparently be waiting for the game for at least three years."

ETA

 

That really wasn't worth my time. I'm guessing the release date will be 2022?

Edited December 7, 2018 by xaxat

[Unusual Suspect]

That was a whole lot of nothing. I mean, I'm pleased that DA4 is underway, and if it's that far from release date, I wouldn't expect much to be revealed. But still, if they were expecting hype from me for that ... no.

[Danny Franks]

Since the disappointment of Mass Effect: Andromeda, I'm wary of any 'long awaited sequels' being announced, but I do love the Dragon Age universe, and there's so much more than can be done with it.

Dragon Age 4 will need to be something truly spectacular, to catch up with and overhaul the other games that have done such a great job with the open world RPG platform - The Witcher 3, Red Dead 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn etc.

[xaxat]

I was watching the Syfy show Nightflyers (not recommended!) and one of the actors on the show (the botanist) seemed familiar. I looked her up on IMDB and it turns out she's Miranda Raison, the voice of the best DA NPC, Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast.

I'd never seen her as an actor before, so I suppose it was her voice that tipped me off, even though she wasn't doing her Cassandra accent. I wonder if she will be back in the recording studio soon.

[Joe]

I recently bought DAO, and wondering about anything I should especially do or avoid, or any useful tricks. You know how in KOTOR you should avoid levelling up on Taris, so you can get more Jedi powers? That kind of thing.

[SilverShadow]

Depending how you play I would look up outcomes of the Landsmeet before you do it if you're not opposed to having foreknowledge because some paths preclude others, same for the final fight against the main blight demon. Doing so will give story spoilers, hence the caveats.  The game overall is very choices affecting outcomes for the story. So if you like to know what your options are and craft specific paths for how things unfold look up everything. If you want to roleplay as your character blind, do the opposite. 

I like the mage, human, and city elf protagonists best for DAO for different reasons. 

[Joe]

7 hours ago, SilverShadow said:

Depending how you play I would look up outcomes of the Landsmeet before you do it if you're not opposed to having foreknowledge because some paths preclude others, same for the final fight against the main blight demon. Doing so will give story spoilers, hence the caveats.  The game overall is very choices affecting outcomes for the story. So if you like to know what your options are and craft specific paths for how things unfold look up everything. If you want to roleplay as your character blind, do the opposite. 

I like the mage, human, and city elf protagonists best for DAO for different reasons. 

Thanks, I'll give it a look.

[BK1978]

I must have played the original and second game twenty times each.  Though I thought the first game was far superior and loved all of the origin stories.

 

Not so much with Inquisition.  I mean the game was fine itself, but it had a lot of bugs and it came out during that weird time when XBOX360 (which is what I have it for) was coming to an end.  Therefore, I played it and beat it once and never played it again.  I have been meaning to go back, but the simple fact of the matter is I am not sure I can now that I have an XBOX One-X I can go back to playing games on the 360.  Which is odd because I will still play games on my Sega Genesis. 

[junemeatcleaver]

The game of the year edition of Inquisition is regularly on sale for less than $20 now.  The DLC, especially the last one, was pretty good, it's worth the upgrade to current gen imo.

[jade.black]

I never realized there were gaming forums on PTV and am so excited to find this! I just played Dragon Age: Inquisition (my first DA game) for the first time a few months ago and this is by far my favorite gaming franchise ever. I was always a big fan of Skyrim, my first open world RPG, and the other Elder Scrolls games (as well as Fallout etc), and to this point nothing had surpassed it. After completing Dragon Age now, however, this should be the bar set for RPG gaming.

The characters have so much depth and I'm in awe of the layers it must take to write the scripts with the different outcomes based on choices. I was so attached to every one of my companions by the end of Inquistion (well, maybe not Blackwall, eh) that I was practically euphoric to find Trespasser and play through. I romanced Iron Bull throughout which was hilarious and sexy (the scene where your advisors walk in on you had me dying), but I'm definitely going to need another playthrough with Solas (although I'll stick with Iron Bull as canon- his alternate ending in Trespasser is also heartbreaking, but I saved the Crusaders so luckily I only had to watch that on YouTube).

Even just little touches like Cassandra reading through excerpts about your companions from Varric's book through the end credits of Trespasser are amazing and you can tell that the creators really love their franchise. Plus the fact that your character truly feels like your own. I've watched a few clips of other Inquisitors or Wardens that people have made and they feel 100% detached from who my main characters have been.

I went back and downloaded the older games for my PC afterwards, and I've finished Origins. The graphics were a little jarring at first going backwards, but I quickly got used to them and was just as immersed in the game as Inquisition. The Alistair romance, for me, was so perfect and organic to the story line (plus he's hot, sarcastic, and romantic, what more could you want), and it made the twist decision at the end all the more shocking-

Spoiler

let the love of your life procreate with Morrigan-oh, and here, watch their sex scene too- or one of you will die, awesome!

Honestly the complicated and morally grey decisions are one of the best parts of the game, as much as I wish they'd be a bit more clear cut at times. I've been painfully waiting until the DLCs for Dragon Age 2 go on sale again on Origin- I paid $5 for the base game and don't want to pay $25 for the DLC pack- but I'm excited for that too. 

[paramitch]

On 12/5/2018 at 5:37 PM, xaxat said:

Looks like it's the latter. "Rumour: Dragon Age 4 is being announced at The Game Awards. But we'll apparently be waiting for the game for at least three years."

ETA

That really wasn't worth my time. I'm guessing the release date will be 2022?

It's definitely short, but there's actually a surprising amount of potential lore in that short teaser, depending on how into Dragon Age you are. If it helps, I did some in-depth analyses here (no pressure) on my "Dumped, Drunk & Dalish" blog:

Part 1 of Teaser Analysis:

http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/12/when-he-rises-everyone-will-see.html

Part 2 of Teaser Analysis:

http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2018/12/the-dread-wolf-rises-teaser-breakdown.html

On 12/8/2018 at 11:37 AM, Danny Franks said:

Since the disappointment of Mass Effect: Andromeda, I'm wary of any 'long awaited sequels' being announced, but I do love the Dragon Age universe, and there's so much more than can be done with it.

Dragon Age 4 will need to be something truly spectacular, to catch up with and overhaul the other games that have done such a great job with the open world RPG platform - The Witcher 3, Red Dead 2, Horizon: Zero Dawn etc.

I thought Mass Effect: Andromeda was a decent game that was a classic victim of fandom toxicity. People went in expecting old-school Mass Effect characters and situations and were absolutely savage when it didn't meet their expectations. Even the biggest issues -- the expression and dead-eyed issues people had -- were patched within days.

I did think MEA showed occasional roughness around the edges (the cookie-cutter Asaris were nearly unforgivable for me), and the team's inexperience (as basically the younger BioWare "B Team") was often on full display (I thought the characters were a bit bland and the love scenes were utterly awful and male-gaze-ey). But I really enjoyed the game's overall story, the worldbuilding and combat were fun. To me it was worth the money, and I'm still sad we'll never get the Quarian arc DLC.

I wasn't a fan of Witcher 3 -- it was gorgeous, but I thought it was often misogynistic and lazily plotted, so for me Dragon Age: Inquisition (which also let me play a female protagonist) was much richer, and I thought it was a pretty fantastic attempt at an open-world RPG (although I do think Skyrim was more successful at some elements). But what put it over the top for me was the characters. It's why I'm still a Dragon Age blogger and active participant in the community.

On 12/13/2018 at 8:46 AM, xaxat said:

I was watching the Syfy show Nightflyers (not recommended!) and one of the actors on the show (the botanist) seemed familiar. I looked her up on IMDB and it turns out she's Miranda Raison, the voice of the best DA NPC, Cassandra Allegra Portia Calogera Filomena Pentaghast.

I'd never seen her as an actor before, so I suppose it was her voice that tipped me off, even though she wasn't doing her Cassandra accent. I wonder if she will be back in the recording studio soon.

Miranda is such a chameleon! She was also in that Doctor Who two-parter (I think it's called "Daleks in Manhattan) way back when.

I'm not sure on whether I think Cass will be back -- I'm guessing maybe in a small cameo, because she's one of those whose story feels more finished to me (depending on whether you make her Divine). I'm guessing if she returns, it's because she rebuilt the Seekers.

On 1/5/2019 at 3:39 PM, Joe said:

I recently bought DAO, and wondering about anything I should especially do or avoid, or any useful tricks. You know how in KOTOR you should avoid levelling up on Taris, so you can get more Jedi powers? That kind of thing.

I'm so sorry to be late on this -- I do have a few suggestions, if it helps:

• Save Barkspawn (the Mabari)!
• Make sure you recruited both Sten and Leliana before leaving Lothering
• Be aware that if you play a female and have your eye on Alistair, that your potential endings can vary enormously from triumph to tragedy. I'll keep it vague but: If you want the happiest ending, play a human noble non-mage. If you romance him with anyone else, it gets potentially dicey.
• Check EVERY SINGLE VENDOR you meet for a backpack and buy that sucker. You won't regret it.
• Use this if you need help on who should get what gifts: https://dragonage.fandom.com/wiki/Gifts_(Origins)
• Take a ton of potions to the Deep Roads. A ton. Then take more.
• Don't kill Zevran (he's awesome). Do make sure he has high approval by the midpoint of the game.
• Keep leveling up your persuasion, and make sure Morrigan can do advanced potions and that Leliana can do advanced lockpicking (poor Zev. He's useless!)
• Save before the Landsmeet
• Harden Alistair if you want him to stick around for some of the more unpleasant choices
• Don't take Leliana with you if you plan to defile the ashes
• Don't take Shale with you if you plan to save the Anvil
• If you want to better the lives of the Dwarves, Bhelen is actually the better choice for King
• Consider taking Riordan up on his suggestion to make ________ a Grey Warden. Definitely try it in a future playthrough. ________ is an amazing character once he's calmed down and we can talk to him directly.
• Do the Dark Ritual
• Have fun!

On 1/7/2019 at 6:26 AM, SilverShadow said:

Depending how you play I would look up outcomes of the Landsmeet before you do it if you're not opposed to having foreknowledge because some paths preclude others, same for the final fight against the main blight demon. Doing so will give story spoilers, hence the caveats.  The game overall is very choices affecting outcomes for the story. So if you like to know what your options are and craft specific paths for how things unfold look up everything. If you want to roleplay as your character blind, do the opposite. 

I like the mage, human, and city elf protagonists best for DAO for different reasons. 

Great advice.

On 1/8/2019 at 1:01 AM, BK1978 said:

I must have played the original and second game twenty times each.  Though I thought the first game was far superior and loved all of the origin stories.

Not so much with Inquisition.  I mean the game was fine itself, but it had a lot of bugs and it came out during that weird time when XBOX360 (which is what I have it for) was coming to an end.  Therefore, I played it and beat it once and never played it again.  I have been meaning to go back, but the simple fact of the matter is I am not sure I can now that I have an XBOX One-X I can go back to playing games on the 360.  Which is odd because I will still play games on my Sega Genesis. 

I love DAO and always will, but I do admit that the voiceless protagonist means I've never felt 100% invested in my Warden. But it's a wonderful game.

I loved DAI -- for me it's the best, richest RPG I've ever played (although Mass Effect 2 is a close second for me). I know it had major issues on the 360 -- I hope you're able to try it on a different platform. On PC it looks absolutely amazing, and the ability to mod is a lot of fun, too.

On 1/20/2019 at 10:22 AM, junemeatcleaver said:

The game of the year edition of Inquisition is regularly on sale for less than $20 now.  The DLC, especially the last one, was pretty good, it's worth the upgrade to current gen imo.

I loved "Trespasser" and thought it was basically a love letter to "Dragon Age" fans.

On 3/4/2019 at 9:48 AM, jade.black said:

I never realized there were gaming forums on PTV and am so excited to find this! I just played Dragon Age: Inquisition (my first DA game) for the first time a few months ago and this is by far my favorite gaming franchise ever. I was always a big fan of Skyrim, my first open world RPG, and the other Elder Scrolls games (as well as Fallout etc), and to this point nothing had surpassed it. After completing Dragon Age now, however, this should be the bar set for RPG gaming.

The characters have so much depth and I'm in awe of the layers it must take to write the scripts with the different outcomes based on choices. I was so attached to every one of my companions by the end of Inquistion (well, maybe not Blackwall, eh) that I was practically euphoric to find Trespasser and play through. I romanced Iron Bull throughout which was hilarious and sexy (the scene where your advisors walk in on you had me dying), but I'm definitely going to need another playthrough with Solas (although I'll stick with Iron Bull as canon- his alternate ending in Trespasser is also heartbreaking, but I saved the Crusaders so luckily I only had to watch that on YouTube).

Even just little touches like Cassandra reading through excerpts about your companions from Varric's book through the end credits of Trespasser are amazing and you can tell that the creators really love their franchise. Plus the fact that your character truly feels like your own. I've watched a few clips of other Inquisitors or Wardens that people have made and they feel 100% detached from who my main characters have been.

I went back and downloaded the older games for my PC afterwards, and I've finished Origins. The graphics were a little jarring at first going backwards, but I quickly got used to them and was just as immersed in the game as Inquisition. The Alistair romance, for me, was so perfect and organic to the story line (plus he's hot, sarcastic, and romantic, what more could you want), and it made the twist decision at the end all the more shocking-

  Reveal spoiler

let the love of your life procreate with Morrigan-oh, and here, watch their sex scene too- or one of you will die, awesome!

Honestly the complicated and morally grey decisions are one of the best parts of the game, as much as I wish they'd be a bit more clear cut at times. I've been painfully waiting until the DLCs for Dragon Age 2 go on sale again on Origin- I paid $5 for the base game and don't want to pay $25 for the DLC pack- but I'm excited for that too. 

If you enjoy DAI, I blog at length about it over on my "Dumped, Drunk & Dalish" blog -- I'm a huge fan of the characters, and really believe it's a playable novel in many respects. The amount of lore and worldbuilding is just amazing, and I love the way those tie into the characters themselves.

For instance, take the chess game between The Iron Bull and Solas. It's built on the moves of the most famous chess game of all time, while also using those moves to actually tell us something about their characters:

http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/08/solas-bull-and-kings-gambit-little-game.html

Or then there's Solas, who's this fantastic, rich and literate character (with some very big secrets), and to illustrate that, Patrick Weekes put all of his most important monologues to the iambic rhythms of the Leonard Cohen song "Hallelujah:"

http://www.dumpeddrunkanddalish.com/2017/08/sing-song-of-solas-solas-dialogue-and.html

But it's not just Weekes, although he writes my two favorite characters (Bull and Solas) -- the entire team (and especially Gaider) accomplishes these gorgeous, entertaining and charming moments, and even the character romances tell us something about who they are. 

In the end, for me it offers enough lore riches and mysteries that it's a genuinely superb fantasy universe that I firmly feel can sit on the same shelf with Tolkien.

Sorry for the wall of text! (sheepish)

Edited March 6, 2019 by paramitch
aghghg typos

[jade.black]

10 hours ago, paramitch said:

If you enjoy DAI, I blog at length about it over on my "Dumped, Drunk & Dalish" blog -- I'm a huge fan of the characters, and really believe it's a playable novel in many respects. The amount of lore and worldbuilding is just amazing, and I love the way those tie into the characters themselves.

Thanks! I'll check it out, and I agree. The characters are what really made the games for me, and definitely what put it over the Elder Scrolls. I think Skyrim and Cyrodiil were more interesting landscapes to explore and the cities had more character to them than the maps in DA, but I never felt so attached to the story and characters as I do in the DA games. It's so well crafted and the creators have obviously put so much care into their universe. 

11 hours ago, paramitch said:

Be aware that if you play a female and have your eye on Alistair, that your potential endings can vary enormously from triumph to tragedy. I'll keep it vague but: If you want the happiest ending, play a human noble non-mage. If you romance him with anyone else, it gets potentially dicey.

I played as a Dalish female, didn't harden Alistair, and I had a happy ending. Just let him stick with the Wardens in the end as opposed to

Spoiler

becoming king which he doesn't want anyway. Then you both can leave together as Wardens after the Blight with no obligations to the throne. 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I love the Dragon Age games. You get hours and hours of play time with the in-depth story line and multitude of locations that you need to visit. I enjoy the character interactions and their storylines, along with the main quest story being so well thought out.

I remember when I first played DAO. As with any role playing game, I tend to want to do the heroic thing, who doesn’t, right? So first play through you make all the (right) choices, or the ones that at least seem the most heroic. Save the elves, help the dwarves, free the mage users, depose Logaine (was that the name of the guy who took the throne?), and let his daughter rule. So Mages, Dwarves and Elves show up at the end battle. Then once I’ve played the game, then I really play the game. First time is usually, for me, learn the mechanics and finish the game. Second play is to really look deeper into the game, find things I didn’t on the first play through, I mean this time, you know what you’re doing so you can really pay attention to a lot more. Second play through I also have a tendency to do the opposite of what I did the first time through. The character is more “out for themselves” .  Help the werewolves, make more Golems, side with the Templars (so you have these guys assisting you at the end), make Logaine a Grey Warden so Alister storms off and leaves.  Funny thing about that last choice, in DA2 you see a drunk Alister in the bar where Isabella hangs out mumbling about how he is supposed to be king. The romancing is fun also. First game (heroic) I romanced Morrigan, second game (roughish) I romanced everyone (yep I wanted to sleep with everyone), and Leliana called me out in the game. She confronted me about it and told me to choose, so I chose her.

The replay value of the game is off the charts. They are long games to begin with but when you switch up your character, it is well worth the $60 price tag of the game. I’ll usually play dual blade rogue first, then sword/shield warrior, then magic user offensive,  bow rogue, and finally magic user healer/defensive. Not to mention playing as different races during all of these character changes. Noble human, gutter dwarf, woodland elf, noble dwarf, city elf. The way NPC’s, as well as your companions, and the story itself changes because of this simple choice is truly astounding. I think this was also one of the first games, where what you wearing, what armor you had on, is what you saw during the cut-scenes, and that astounded me. I would wear lower ranked armor at times just because it looked better.

I also tended to keep my team (in all games) fairly static. If I liked a companion they were in my group, which usually consisted of 1 rogue, 1 warrior, 2 magic users (1 being a healer). Depending on the AT I was playing would mean who I was swapping in for. If I played an archer, Leliana was sidelined, playing a healer, Wynne was sidelined. It’s usually not until my 3rd or 4th play through on DAO that I also really got into the advance tactics mode. Setting up your companions to act a certain way in combat really advanced the game. Telling Wynne to heal someone when they hit 25% health, Morrigan to use a dispel spell when enemy defensive magic was in the air, etc. That’s also when I came to appreciate the Mabari war hound. I found him useless the first few times I played, but once the hounds skill tree is expanded on (he was like a mini-tank), and you used advanced tactics, he became indispensable. I set him up as my mage killer, since you are dealing with a lot of blood magic the first game.  If a mage was in the battle, he went straight for him, interrupting his spell casting and taking him down.

And then there are the companions, conversing with each other as you walk the land. When I had the hound in my group finally, I heard Leliana start to talk. “I think I will write a story about this, about you. How brave you are for doing this, your fearlessness.” *WOOF* “You have strength, and you are extremely loyal, not to mention handsome.” *WOOF*  It took me a bit to realize she was talking to the dog.

In DA2 I think my only disappointment was that a lot of the action took place in Kirkwall itself. That and having those one on one discussions with a companion meant running around town and find them, as opposed to DAO where everyone was just around the camp fire. I did like a lot about the game though. If you take Bethany (or the other sibling )to the deep roads, also take Anders, so when she gets attacked by the darkspawn he will rush her to a Grey Warden he knows who performs the ritual on her, and she comes back at the end game to help the town. I like Merrill a lot, as well as Isabella (and romanced both in separate games) and of course Varric. Sebastian became my mage killer in that game, he had a powerful one shot power.

For DAI I tended to romance Cassandra or Sera. Bull was always on the sidelines, didn’t care for him, and Vivian only came with me for Dragon Slaying, her Knight Enchanter shadow blade ?? (some power that formed a blade) was a must have when fighting the dragons, it totally decimate the dragon’s guard power, other than that I couldn’t stand her, she was too haughty. As much fun as Dorian’s banter was, I kept him sidelined as well. It was usually my character, Solas (I like his veil powers), Cassandra and Sera as a team, with Varric in once in a while for Sera’s spot. Blackwall sometimes in place of Cassandra, and Cole always sat out.

My biggest complaint (not against the game, but fate) is how after DAO, when you played DA2 it see the saved games from DAO and ask if you wanted to import you world decisions. Yes of course. In DA2 they came out with Dragon Keep so you can store all your saved games there, but fate was cruel and my PS hard drive crashed wiping out all my saved game data from both DAO and DA2. So when I played DAI I didn’t have anything to import from prior games decisions. Talk about being bummed out.

[paramitch]

On 3/13/2019 at 2:35 PM, Spaceman Spiff said:

I love the Dragon Age games. You get hours and hours of play time with the in-depth story line and multitude of locations that you need to visit. I enjoy the character interactions and their storylines, along with the main quest story being so well thought out.

The replay value of the game is off the charts. They are long games to begin with but when you switch up your character, it is well worth the $60 price tag of the game. I’ll usually play dual blade rogue first, then sword/shield warrior, then magic user offensive,  bow rogue, and finally magic user healer/defensive. Not to mention playing as different races during all of these character changes. Noble human, gutter dwarf, woodland elf, noble dwarf, city elf. The way NPC’s, as well as your companions, and the story itself changes because of this simple choice is truly astounding. I think this was also one of the first games, where what you wearing, what armor you had on, is what you saw during the cut-scenes, and that astounded me. I would wear lower ranked armor at times just because it looked better.

I love them too! (Obviously, I'm a total fan of them -- I posted that topic here years ago, then was so obsessed I started blogging and writing articles about them. I just find them incredibly rich and well-written, and I love how the lore stands up really beautifully even against other high fantasy literature. The integration of choice and RPG into the mix makes it all that much more fun for me. And I love the fact that we can make choices in DAO that will resonate through the rest of the trilogy -- much as with "Mass Effect," but in a bigger tapestry than one character (although I will always love my FemShep).

You make one of my favorite points about the replay value of the games. I see a lot of gamers complaining about the prices of AAA games like this series, but -- ironically, for me -- games are the one purchases I never feel bad about. Not for a minute. If I buy a TV show, I have to ask myself if I'll watch it again. But with a great game, I end up paying pennies on the hour. I've played DAI several times over the past 5 years, so the game paid for itself many times over.

Quote

For DAI I tended to romance Cassandra or Sera. Bull was always on the sidelines, didn’t care for him, and Vivian only came with me for Dragon Slaying, her Knight Enchanter shadow blade ?? (some power that formed a blade) was a must have when fighting the dragons, it totally decimate the dragon’s guard power, other than that I couldn’t stand her, she was too haughty. As much fun as Dorian’s banter was, I kept him sidelined as well. It was usually my character, Solas (I like his veil powers), Cassandra and Sera as a team, with Varric in once in a while for Sera’s spot. Blackwall sometimes in place of Cassandra, and Cole always sat out.

Aw, Bull's one of my favorites! He's easily one of the most complicated characters in the game, and if he goes Tal-Vashoth and the Chargers are spared, I love his character arc toward the light. I've played the other side too, but (cries) NEVER AGAIN. Bull's relationships with Solas and Cole are also really lovely, and if I don't romance either of them, it's fun to get Bull and Dorian to hook up, because they're like a 1930s screwball rom-com.

Yeah, Viv's Knight-Enchanter abilities are amazing -- a KE can solo a dragon! She's also a lot of fun if you bring her out with Bull in your party -- she's really soft there (for her) and very funny with him (he is one of the few people she openly adores). I also definitely suggest bringing Cole out more in a future playthrough if you haven't, since he's basically constantly mindreading everyone and giving us all sorts of hints about what they're thinking (and it's even funnier if your character's romance is present. Blackwall and Sera are also adorable in a party together (it's the most I like Blackwall in the entire game). Cole and Cassandra also evolve their friendship if you bring them out together (and are very funny, as well).

For me, mixing up the companions so we hear a variety of different banters is so much fun, especially in DAI, because the relationships actually progress tangibly -- Bull and Solas become friends, Bull goes from distrustful demon-hater to Cole's adopted Dad, and Cass and Cole become real friends. 

Quote

My biggest complaint (not against the game, but fate) is how after DAO, when you played DA2 it see the saved games from DAO and ask if you wanted to import you world decisions. Yes of course. In DA2 they came out with Dragon Keep so you can store all your saved games there, but fate was cruel and my PS hard drive crashed wiping out all my saved game data from both DAO and DA2. So when I played DAI I didn’t have anything to import from prior games decisions. Talk about being bummed out.

So sorry to hear about your PS hard drive! If it helps -- while Dragon Age 2 imported decisions automatically from DAO, DAI *must* use the Keep in order to import all world state decisions. Which means hopefully most of those decisions you made are already saved in the Keep, and you can go into the Keep, double-check, save, then have DAI import from the Keep.

So going forward -- you can manually note all your choices in the Dragon Age Keep and then import that desired world state into DAI. Just save your choices, make sure everything's the way you want, then make sure you see the confirmation of the world state that was imported in Inquisition when you import it.

But that way you literally can start DAI exactly from where you left off before. All decisions are included:
https://dragonagekeep.com/en_US/

I've also enjoyed it because it's enabled me to play through different world states without actually having to replay the trilogy (changing decisions I made in DAO or DA2, for instance, on whether Leliana or Anders lived or died, etc).

Hope it helps!

[xaxat]

Jason Schreier of Kotaku has an epic story on what went wrong with BioWare's Anthem. I really, really, really hope that EA doesn't force BioWare to do this with DA.

Quote

Meanwhile, the gaming landscape was changing. Electronic Arts had gone all-in on regularly updated “games as a service” but was struggling in several key areas, closing Visceral Games in San Francisco and facing serious drama at its ambitious EA Motive studio in Montreal. The Star Wars Battlefront II pay-to-win debacle led to a reinvigorated public hatred for all things Electronic Arts and a publisher-wide reboot of all things loot box, even as EA executives continually pushed for all of their games to have long-term monetization plans, Anthem included. EA has been public about its distaste for linear games that can be easily returned to GameStop after a single playthrough.

If they go game as a service with DA I'm not buying it. And I suspect a lot of DA fans won't either. With BioWare I want a good story and sexy companions. Not a bunch of weapon and armor cosmetics.

The article also has a trailer for Anthem.

You make a solid RPG like that and you've got my money. 

PSST He also teases that he has a story coming up about DA4!

[paramitch]

On 4/4/2019 at 11:52 AM, xaxat said:

Jason Schreier of Kotaku has an epic story on what went wrong with BioWare's Anthem. I really, really, really hope that EA doesn't force BioWare to do this with DA.

If they go game as a service with DA I'm not buying it. And I suspect a lot of DA fans won't either. With BioWare I want a good story and sexy companions. Not a bunch of weapon and armor cosmetics.

The article also has a trailer for Anthem.

You make a solid RPG like that and you've got my money. 

PSST He also teases that he has a story coming up about DA4!

First off, if it helps, I have it on good authority from some friends within BioWare that there are zero plans for Dragon Age 4 to be a game-as-service title like Anthem.

Meanwhile, I'm very divided about the Kotaku piece. Jason's a great journalist and he knows a ton about the gaming industry. He specifically writes with a lot of passion about the issue of crunch and how toxic it is in game development. And I think that's so important. I loved that part of the piece, and he's written about it a lot before and since. He even published a piece calling for a union for game devs a few days later in The New York Times that's very much worth reading.

But Schreier also has this thing about RPG games, specifically BioWare. He just seems to go for the jugular. He did it on MEA, he does it on Dragon Age in this article (repeatedly), and in a different way here, he's even doing it on Anthem. This entire feature, for instance, rests on the fact that Anthem is a financial failure. And that the game's lifespan is over and it is "failed." When Anthem is a service title that is a constantly evolving work in progress (and this more balanced Forbes piece, for instance, examines that fact that Anthem could still end up a "Destiny" (meaning, a successful release). So what he's doing -- just as he did with Mass Effect Andromeda -- is actually helping to tank a title by painting the portrait of its failure as an established fact before it has actually done so.

I also take issue with the article's assumptions about Mass Effect: Andromeda and Dragon Age: Inquisition, its anti-Edmonton studio bias, the huge number of undisclosed sources (I think it's something like 19, and a large percentage of those are former employees who still won't go on the record?), and that imbalance, when Schreier calls out several past and present BioWare writers and developers by name for creative and development choices (and David Gaider is classy enough to respond on the record, even when his detractors don't), feels unnecessarily nasty to me. 

Look at the difference in tone between Paul Tassi's tone in the Forbes piece and with Jason Schreier's in Kotaku. Tassi writes objectively but there's no malice there. He's balanced but not scoring points off anyone. It's one thing to spotlight what a company (and industry) needs to do to change. It's another when even a company's successes are twisted into failure. As a Dragon Age blogger and analyst, the inclusion of Inquisition's huge critical and commercial success as simply a different kind of failure is especially painful to me. You're never, ever going to get me to believe BioWare people wanted DAI to fail.

Like I said, what's a shame to me is that the article does illuminate some elements that are important on a tech and industry level: The continued limitations of the Frostbite engine, the lack of access for BioWare RPG team members to the Frostbite team to get technical help to address bugs, etc.

And then there's the issue of crunch, of the obviously brutal man-hours and deadlines that were involved, and the fact that "stress-leave" had become a routine part of life. That's not acceptable. And it's part of a deeply troubling trend across the industry that absolutely needs addressing, and I'm glad Schreier did so.

Obviously Anthem had what sounds like an incredibly difficult genesis and development, especially that final year before release. And I agree that some of what this article brings to light about that process needed to be discussed so that BioWare and the industry as a whole can change and (especially) improve working conditions for its team members.

But unfortunately, there's an underlying venom in the piece, for me at least, against Dragon Age (Inquisition in particular), as well as BioWare's Edmonton team, and that's disappointing, and feels petty and unnecessary to me.

Still -- the issue of crunch desperately needs to be fixed both within BioWare and across the industry, and I'm definitely a supporter of unionizing game developers so they get better working conditions, benefits, overtime, etc. I love Dragon Age (and many, many BioWare games) but I definitely wouldn't want a single person on the BioWare team to suffer physically, mentally or emotionally in order to create them. No game is worth that. 

Meanwhile, Casey Hudson responded further, if it helps (a much better response than the noncommittal blog reply BioWare had posted previously).

Edited April 9, 2019 by paramitch
crucial missing word

[paramitch]

https://kotaku.com/the-past-and-present-of-dragon-age-4-1833913351

In light of Schreier's follow-up piece on Dragon Age 4 today in Kotaku (sigh)... just posting my take here, especially following the latest conversation since it's so tied to last week's article. 

I have issues with an entire new feature about a game (YEARS away from release) that already stamps it a potential failure because, sadly, one "cool concept" (Joplin) was abandoned or evolved. Then add in the phrase that has many Dragon Age fans running for the Hinterlands in fear: "Live-Service component," when those elements have been present for the past two games and DLCs.

By all means, let's end crunch culture, support developers for better health and unionization, etc. But for me, the bummer of the recent Schreier Kotaku features is that they present assumptions that one new game that's still evolving is a failure (despite revenues stating otherwise) and that the other big one in development (DA4) killed all its cool ideas already. 

As far as the live-service component discussed in the piece, the key word there is "component." It may just apply to DLCs and multiplayer elements (DAI had live-service components too, as did MEA). My guess is that they may follow a variation on ASSASSIN'S CREED ODYSSEY, which would still mean the core game and DLCs would remain consistent with past Dragon Age releases.

Anyway, it's been an interesting week for Dragon Age. I'm looking forward to getting back to discussing characters and plot points! 

[junemeatcleaver]

I had no problem with the Kotaku article.  IMO it was fair to report about the problems with development, the game has been in the works on and off for years and the last Dragon Age had the same problems behind the scenes as ME:  A and Anthem, Inquisition was just better received.

[paramitch]

4 hours ago, junemeatcleaver said:

I had no problem with the Kotaku article.  IMO it was fair to report about the problems with development, the game has been in the works on and off for years and the last Dragon Age had the same problems behind the scenes as ME:  A and Anthem, Inquisition was just better received.

I am a huge supporter of reportage on crunch and crunch culture, and think it needs to be called out wherever possible -- at BioWare, at Telltale, Rockstar, etc.

My problem with Schreier is the same one I had in his previous articles (also seen in BLOOD, SWEAT & PIXELS) -- he has very definite opinions about specific titles, so he'll either oversimplify or present his own opinions as facts on aspects like box office or critical acclaim because it's more dramatic that way. But that's my mileage.

I thought his NYT editorial calling for game developers to unionize was a lot more effective and powerful.

[xaxat]

EA (owner of Bioware) had its summer game reveal announcement today. And while I figured that there wasn't going to be a big Dragon Age reveal, I was actually kind of annoyed that they teased a couple of images that one day, perhaps, in the future, may be something you see in the next DA. Hopefully before the next pandemic a century from now.

Don't blink or you will miss it.

Edited June 19, 2020 by xaxat

[xaxat]

Unfortunately, it's still in early development so who knows how many years we'll have to wait. But it's real.

I want it NOW!

ETA, from Kotaku

Everything I, An Inquisitor Extraordinaire, Noticed In That Dragon Age 4 Gamescom Video

Definitely not a Solas stan.

Edited August 29, 2020 by xaxat

[xaxat]

They dropped another teaser during this year's Game Awards.

As I noted in the Mass Effect thread, it's probably years away, but I'm looking forward to it. I also find it interesting that they are apparently making a break with the mythos of DAI. "No glowing hand, no prophecy." I sincerely hope they do a better job of making the leap than Mass Effect.

ETA I'm slow. I just realized who the narrator is.

Edited December 18, 2020 by xaxat

[paramitch]

On 12/10/2020 at 8:22 PM, xaxat said:

They dropped another teaser during this year's Game Awards.

As I noted in the Mass Effect thread, it's probably years away, but I'm looking forward to it. I also find it interesting that they are apparently making a break with the mythos of DAI. "No glowing hand, no prophecy." I sincerely hope they do a better job of making the leap than Mass Effect.

ETA I'm slow. I just realized who the narrator is.

I was definitely so pleased to see this! 

Also, our Dragon Age Day team just had our most successful annual event ever (Dec 4), raising nearly $13,000 for NAACP, so it was a very good year for Dragon Age.

And meanwhile, my book on Dragon Age romances and characters will be out sometime in April 2021, so wish me luck! I'm working with BioWare and hope it's as good as we can possibly make it.

[xaxat]

On 12/31/2020 at 4:23 PM, paramitch said:

And meanwhile, my book on Dragon Age romances and characters will be out sometime in April 2021, so wish me luck! I'm working with BioWare and hope it's as good as we can possibly make it.

Congratulations! Please let us know when it is available.

There are a lot of good RPGs out there, but the romance options Bioware provides in the Mass Effect and Dragon Age series are so much better than the others.

 

[BetterButter]

[paramitch]

7 hours ago, BetterButter said:

I'm really excited that they continue to move forward with DA4, even if it still looks like it's gonna be 2023!

I wrote a blog post on what the new title might mean here (no pressure)!

[BetterButter]

 

[paramitch]

This was really cool to see yesterday -- I was so swamped with managing Dragon Age Day (our sixth year!) I barely watched it.

I just hope the game is good, especially since EA totally gutted BioWare of so many talented writers and artists in that last big layoff.

I still can't believe they let Mary Kirby and Luke Kristjanson go. I mean, Patrick Weekes can only do so much.

I just hope Dreadwolf is a good game.