136 réponses à ce sujet

[surfgirlusa_2006]

Hi all,

I'm not sure if anyone posted this yet; if so, I apologize.  I found this link on the Dragon Age wiki, and thought I would pass it along: http://swooping-is-b...om/1286233.html

Have fun reading!

[Icinix]

Adult Content Notice.

You must be at least 14?

What the...doesn't take much to be an adult these days eh?

Anyway - cheers for the post - started reading.

[Madcat 124]

Nice, will start reading.

*EDIT* Skimmed through it. It's a shame that he said they most likely won't go back to having origin stories, but I'm still hoping for the different race selection.

Modifié par Madcat 124, 31 janvier 2012 - 04:34 .

[Andraste_Reborn]

I am interested to know about the new writer! Does this Tanya person have a surname?

[TEWR]

I too agree with Sheryl. Monkeys and all other primates are the answer to everything.

[TEWR]

Also, Bioware better make their cities look and feel more alive, and they better get Val Royeaux to actually capture Orlesian society if we ever go there.

[HiroVoid]

I've said it before, and I'll say it now, they REALLY need to scrap the import mechanic. It just seems far more trouble than its worth, and when making a new game, it seems they have to go, 'Okay. We can't do this because imagine how much trouble it would be to import this.' I would rather have single games that let my character have very divergent paths in that game, then having cosmetic changes happen between multiple games.

I do like that they brought up the conversations you could have with companions without having to go to their house and others. I personally think having different dialogue between what you can talk to a companion with outside of a set place, and where you can have a more interactive scene would be the best in that area. I also think it would be neat if they added the ability for a player to ask said companion about their opinion of the area you're travelling in, or their opinion on what quest you're taking.

One thing it also seems like they should try cooperating and working on more is doing their best to keep gameplay and story elements cohesive. This was one of the more obvious aspects in DA2 as far as gameplay separation goes from story.

That's my two cents anyway.

Also, Bioware better make their
cities look and feel more alive, and they better get Val Royeaux to
actually capture Orlesian society if we ever go there.

Also, this.  I remember mentioning it to John Epler in another thread, and it seems like one of those things a lot of people would like.  It was just really obvious in Kirkwall.

Modifié par HiroVoid, 31 janvier 2012 - 06:15 .

[Brockololly]

HiroVoid wrote...

I've said it before, and I'll say it now, they REALLY need to scrap the import mechanic. It just seems far more trouble than its worth, and when making a new game, it seems they have to go, 'Okay. We can't do this because imagine how much trouble it would be to import this.' I would rather have single games that let my character have very divergent paths in that game, then having cosmetic changes happen between multiple games.

I don't know that they need to scrap the import mechanic but they need to sit down and figure out how they want to best utilize it. If they're going with new PC's each game, I'd prefer they try to keep the stories as self contained as possible with Alpha Protocol or The Witcher 2 levels of divergence within the individual game. Then when you move to a sequel, set it in a geographic area far away from the last game and use the import for adding in little references to things that happened in whatever far away nation the last game was set in, so they can accurately account for those past events and not handwave them away like they seem destined to do.


Good interview though. It really reinforces the view that DA2 was a massive rush job though. Just look at all the references to not having enough time to do things or having to cut plots due to time. To be fair he brings up stuff like how they handled the Dark Ritual as getting cut due to time. But add in how Gaider says DA2's overall plot wasn't what he would have imagined 2-3 years ago, really reinforces my perception that when Knowles and Tudge left, DA as a franchise was effectively rebooted from whatever plans they had originally.

[HiroVoid]

Yeah. The fans'll uproar if it doesn't import in the next game. The truth is though they probably can't just constantly continue to import. I don't even know if the saves'll transfer to the next generation of consoles. Mass Effect works(to a point)because it was designed to be a trilogy, and even they'll have to ultimately choose canon events for the future universe if they're going to continue it. Also, this reminds me of when Mac Walters talked about how the suicide mission while very awesome ultimately became a pain due to all of the variables it made for importing. That's one of the downsides of importing that I'm talking about.

Also, I really do hope we get some kind of Origin form even if it's not to the point that DAO was. To me, it just really helps me play a more different playstyle when I can have a character come from different backgrounds.

[TEWR]

I'd prefer that the games from here on out have game-changing stories -- which doesn't necessarily mean divergent paths where you make one choice and go to Land A and make a separate choice in a new file and go to Land B -- and have as few world-changing decisions as possible.

And for the record, companion deaths shouldn't ever be among them. I want Bioware to stop killing off companions as a way to get rid of them.

To briefly and hopefully explain a bit better:

IMO had DAII had 3 options for what one could do in Act II as something separate from the Qunari plot as a sort of way to head into Act III, it would be better. You could aid the Templars by working at the Chanter's Board, to which you would eventually be given some honor or commendation. Varric would then talk about your support of the Templars to Cassandra and how you rooted out rogue mages after the Arishok's defeat.

Or you could aid the Mage Underground, to which you'd be named Champion/Saviour of the Underground. Varric would then talk about your support of the mages to Cassandra and how you helped them in the years after the Arishok's defeat.

Or you could just be neutral and not pick a side like DAII made you be, and Act III would begin just the same way Varric introduced us to it.

Three game changing stories that would be recognized and reflected in the game itself, but don't need to be world-changing decisions. The only Mage-Templar conflict one that would be world-changing would've been the endgame choice.

Well, and Feynriel. But you get what I mean.

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 31 janvier 2012 - 06:59 .

[Brockololly]

HiroVoid wrote...
Also, I really do hope we get some kind of Origin form even if it's not to the point that DAO was. To me, it just really helps me play a more different playstyle when I can have a character come from different backgrounds.

The lack of Origins in DA2 seems to just get back to lack of unique content and BioWare's complete aversion to any kind of substantial branching or unique content in their games. Yeah, I'm going to bring up The Witcher 2, but whatever your thoughts on it, that game narratively raised the bar in terms of choice and  more importantly consequences. I have a hard time being overly sympathetic to BioWare when they claim they can't do things like have meaningful unique divergent content for people when The Witcher 2's entire second act is completely different as a consequence of a choice you make.

Even look at Alpha Protocol. There is no excuse for not having more meaningful branching narratives and meaningful unique content for consequences when other RPG developers are managing to do so. The whole illusion of choice that BioWare's been doing for a while now doesn't hold up when compared to what Obsidian and CD Projekt is doing. BioWare needs to step their game up.

Modifié par Brockololly, 31 janvier 2012 - 07:03 .

[HolyAvenger]

Interesting interview. I agree that they've written themselves into a bit of a problem with the imports and the changing nature of the gameworld.

[Ponendus]

Wonderful interview. Mr Gaider is always very generous with his time; I really hope all the other developers take his lead and do interviews like this. I'd love to hear from them too!

I too agree that importing must cause so many problems for the developers, particularly the writers. I think it is nice to have 'little things' referenced in subsequent games. It gives a sense of tying things together, you snicker a little when you reflect on those adventures past. However 'big' decisions seem to just open up a whole world of complications. I personally would be quite happy if there was no import option at all.

The thing that really interests me is that they appear to really be looking for a middle ground between DAO and DA2 in so many aspects. I genuinely think that is the best route to take and every time I hear the devs talk about this stuff lately I get a little more interested and excited.

To the team behind it: thanks for doing, and posting, a great interview. You chose really meaningful and interesting questions.

[ElitePinecone]

I think that's the first instance I've seen the short development time for DA2 and the level of polish for Act 2 being discussed openly.

It does worry me, though, that he almost speaks about DA2 DLC in the past tense.

[Salaya]

Whoa Very interesting indeed. Gaider seems a very frank and talkative guy

One of the things he says, though, worries me. A middle ground between origins and fixed character? I hope this does not mean another fixed human character with more customization sliders. I would be very disappointed if the team does not implement race-selection for the next DA ._.

At any rate, the more I read about the things they are planning for DA3, the more discouraged I get. I don't think that Mark of the Assasin battles are the objective to follow.

Modifié par Salaya, 31 janvier 2012 - 10:33 .

[Ponendus]

Salaya wrote...

At any rate, the more I read about the things they are planning for DA3, the more discouraged I get. I don't think that Mark of the Assasin battles are the objective to follow.

Would you at least agree that they are better than the core DA2 game? If they are heading 'away' from that at least that is something don't you think? Or are you a supporter of the DA2 battles?

[Zanallen]

Brockololly wrote...

The lack of Origins in DA2 seems to just get back to lack of unique content and BioWare's complete aversion to any kind of substantial branching or unique content in their games. Yeah, I'm going to bring up The Witcher 2, but whatever your thoughts on it, that game narratively raised the bar in terms of choice and  more importantly consequences. I have a hard time being overly sympathetic to BioWare when they claim they can't do things like have meaningful unique divergent content for people when The Witcher 2's entire second act is completely different as a consequence of a choice you make.

Even look at Alpha Protocol. There is no excuse for not having more meaningful branching narratives and meaningful unique content for consequences when other RPG developers are managing to do so. The whole illusion of choice that BioWare's been doing for a while now doesn't hold up when compared to what Obsidian and CD Projekt is doing. BioWare needs to step their game up.

But the problem comes when you attempt to take those divergent paths and try and import them into the sequel. If Bioware would scrap their import system, they would be able to do much more with the choices and consequences in each game. Not having to worry about how some such choice will effect the next game or what effect it will have three games from now would be a huge load off the writer's minds.

[Salaya]

Ponendus wrote...

...

Would you at least agree that they are better than the core DA2 game? If they are heading 'away' from that at least that is something don't you think? Or are you a supporter of the DA2 battles?

Yes, I agree. I think battle pace and waves were better implemented on DLCs -the whole battle thing in DA2 was extremely disappointing for me.

But, on Mark of the assasin, some battles and combat events seemed way too exaggerated to me -and Gaider seems to have MoTA batles on high regard-. To my tastes, waves were not the only problem with DA2 battles; anime-style with "cool" animations like the last boss in MoTA make me feel worried about DA future. 

I have the feeling that they are going to delve deeper in the childish tone of MoTA -a tone that many people like, and I respect that; but I find it very disgusting. 

[Wulfram]

Knights Divine? What about that Knight-Vigilant guy? If the Templars really want to torment the mages, they should make them try to understand their leadership structure.

I'm sure Mr Gaider didn't intend to imply Alistair and Morrigan could be in a romance...

I really don't think the import stuff added much to DA2. Really, I'd rather have the consequences left to my imagination than done in a half hearted way. And the hassle it seems to cause the writers, the number of bugs it introduces and the quests I end up missing because of it all don't really seem worth it when all I really get out of it that I care about is a few pronouns shifted and a single sentence from the LI.

[nightscrawl]

Man, this is pure gold! Thanks for the link. I'll have to add it to my other saved David Gaider interview and start a collection. I'm happy I have a LJ account so I can reply to this person.

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

TUK: Were the Magisters trying to accomplish anything in particular with what they were doing in Kirkwall, or was it just a convenient location?

DG: It was a convenient location. It wasn't like they created Kirkwall in order to do something sinister, it's that Kirkwall having A) a ready available of sacrifices and a very thin Veil, I mean why do they put the Circles of Magi wherever there's a thin Veil? It's really dangerous, but it's sort of a chicken-egg thing. Even if they did build a Circle where there wasn't a thin Veil eventually over time the Veil would thin anyhow. And it happens to be that these are the more magical places, the thinner the Veil is the more magic you have available. It's arguable, you could say 'Well if we want to control mages, maybe we should them in places where there isn't a lot of magic!

Now this intrigues me somewhat, since in the notes by the Band of Three they apparently discovered Kirkwall had been built for a specific magical purpose.

Quoting the Enigma of Kirkwall:

The mason showed me a plan of the city, and my heart skipped a beat. There were patterns in the intersections, back alleys, and boulevards. Some magisters believed in the power of symbols or shapes. In the oldest parts of the city, one can make out the outlines of glyphs in the very streets! What manner of magic is this?

While Kirkwall may not have been designed for sinister purpose, it was clearly designed for something--at least according to the Band of Three.

Re: Templars and Lyrium

I'd wondered about this, especially since the description of the Templar class in DA2 says people can get the abilities through mere discipline.

Re: Demons and Possession

So they can just tempt mages without being summoned, and even possess them insidiously....

Interesting read. Thanks for linking

Modifié par Shadow of Light Dragon, 31 janvier 2012 - 12:31 .

[Kail Ashton]

Good read, somewhat unprofesional interview but David NinjaGaider always has interesting & informative interviews. Nice to see Cullen has female fans at Bioware too lol

[Fast Jimmy]

Its disappointing that we won't get a true delve-in of the Enigma of Kirkwall story, as I feel like that was one of the cooler "background" things going on in Kirkwall, something that gave the bland city some flavor. Especially the lines in the Codex about Kirkwall's streets being built into the very shapes of spell forms, like they were casting one giant spell... figures it was just a plot hole to throw some blood mages at us.

Still, a very good and hope-lifting interview. I still don't know WHY the time table was so rushed for DA2, it never really delves into that for some reason. Mass Effect 3 wasn't a factor, and neither was TOR, honestly. A summer or even fall 2011 release would have been no big deal, in the overall scheme of the schedules. But... que sera.

[Scarlet Rabbi]

Good interview.

So, it looks like there is going to be some mention/consequence of the Dark Ritual in upcoming games...nice.