136 réponses à ce sujet

[Fast Jimmy]

Scarlet Rabbi wrote...

Good interview.

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

Yeah, but it sounds like it is going to be very nerfed in its impact. You won't have the OGB playing a major role in anything, more maybe just a scene with Morrigan and the little tyke that is a Easter Egg. Which is a shame, because that could be an epic storyline. And it seems like those who DIDN'T take the Dark Ritual, the easy way out so to speak, are being penalized. I always assumed that taking the Dark Ritual would have negative downstream impact, but it seems like if they make content solely for those who did the DR and not do anything for those who took the US route, that is penalizing those who did the more noble act.

Whatever, I am very curious about this supposed hint at things to come. DA3 announcement, I would assume.

[tmp7704]

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

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

Should be kept on mind that the interpretation of the Band could be very well just a crackpot conspiracy theory. It is not unusual to find patterns where none were intended and/or realized by the original builders/whatever. A simple example would be how many letters like L, H, T, Y etc can be found in street plans of our own cities. With enough effort one could even compose messages out of these. Etc. 

[Wulfram]

The interview reinforces my belief that the "Enigma of Kirkwall" stuff was added late in the day when the writers realised that there were crazy numbers of blood mages about. Which is why it only comes up in content which didn't need any voice acting.

[Frybread76]

Interesting. In this interview it's apparent how much the short development time negatively impacted the writing and design of the game. I hope EA/Bioware has learned its lesson and will take longer than 12-18 months to make games.

[Satyricon331]

"As to what the Tevinters were up to in Kirkwall, when they realized what they had available, you had some mentions of it in the codex. I don't know whether we'll ever follow up on that story."

Oh no! Whether the Enigma of Kirkwall stuff was a last-minute add-on or what, I still thought it was the most interesting part of DA2.

To me, the most notable part of the interview was where DG sounds so uncertain about a DA4.

[Atakuma]

Satyricon331 wrote...

To me, the most notable part of the interview was where DG sounds so uncertain about a DA4.

Why would he be certain about DA4 when they haven't even made DA3 yet?

[thats1evildude]

Satyricon331 wrote...

"As to what the Tevinters were up to in Kirkwall, when they realized what they had available, you had some mentions of it in the codex. I don't know whether we'll ever follow up on that story."

Oh no! Whether the Enigma of Kirkwall stuff was a last-minute add-on or what, I still thought it was the most interesting part of DA2.

The Enigma of Kirkwall clearly relates back to the Forbidden Ones written about in Tarohne's journals. I think we've been following up on that story thread all along, though we never realized it.

Modifié par thats1evildude, 31 janvier 2012 - 07:58 .

[esper]

simfamSP wrote...

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.

Isn't that what they did with DA2?

Yeah, that is what they did and in my opnion it worked fine. Some just had some wildly unrealistic expatation to it. I liked that (besides bug, which they needs to find a way to fix per game) I had a sense that the warden I created existed in the world. I expected nothing more. Which I also why I don't want to see my warden again. It will shatter the illussion.

[Dave of Canada]

1. Bit disappointed we're (possibly) not going to figure out more from Band of Three.

2. Masquerade ball in Orlais would be absolutely amazing.

3. Importing will only keep causing issues, so something like ME's comic which allows the bigger variables to be decided would probably be wiser than simply importing over and over, as the problems stack with the more one imports. Would also help with all the bugged playthroughs in DA2 that change choices drastically from what we've actually done.

4. Future origins being similar to ME's backrounds would work pretty well if it's handled like it was in ME1.

Modifié par Dave of Canada, 31 janvier 2012 - 07:59 .

[esper]

Dave of Canada wrote...

1. Bit disappointed we're (possibly) not going to figure out more from Band of Three.

2. Masquerade ball in Orlais would be absolutely amazing.

3. Importing will only keep causing issues, so something like ME's comic which allows the bigger variables to be decided would probably be wiser than simply importing over and over, as the problems stack with the more one imports. Would also help with all the bugged playthroughs in DA2 that change choices drastically from what we've actually done.

4. Future origins being similar to ME's backrounds would work pretty well if it's handled like it was in ME1.

They should defintily keep the imports (the little decision are the ones that makes the flavours and they don't really need to be more than a codex entry or a single line from some npc) also dlc needs to be kept in account, but they should make a save game generator for each game., so that bugs can be worked around. Perhaps we should importat into a save generator so we can see the flags and then redo them if they are not correct.

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

tmp7704 wrote...

Shadow of Light Dragon wrote...

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

Should be kept on mind that the interpretation of the Band could be very well just a crackpot conspiracy theory. It is not unusual to find patterns where none were intended and/or realized by the original builders/whatever. A simple example would be how many letters like L, H, T, Y etc can be found in street plans of our own cities. With enough effort one could even compose messages out of these. Etc. 

Always possible, but in light of the rest of the Enigma of Kirkwall entries I can't quite dismiss them. Plus, having the mess of streets as a deliberate pattern is a cool concept I don't want to dismiss.

Wulfram wrote...

The interview reinforces my belief that the "Enigma of Kirkwall" stuff was added late in the day when the writers realised that there were crazy numbers of blood mages about. Which is why it only comes up in content which didn't need any voice acting.

A sad truth. Even sadder that a lot of people interested in DA lore find the BoT stuff to be some of the most compelling reading in the DA2, and it's only purpose for existing seems to be to try and explain why so many blood mages are running around.

[JasonPogo]

DA2 killed almost all my expectations for DA3. I am still hopeful that Bioware will get their act together and make DA3 into a good game. However this interview dose not make me very hopeful. He shoots down Origins. Says they want a middle ground. If that end up as my human main character could have been a good solider or a bad solider before the game started I will be unimpressed. Let us pick out race please! Also saying that the DLC is where they are heading for the gameplay is another let down. Having us fight 20 bad guys is a row should not be how you make the game more challenging. Instead build a good engine that has smart challenging enemys. Also adding more hitpoints to things should not be what makes the game go from normal to hard...

Ok rant over sorry everyone....

[Dave of Canada]

esper wrote...

They should defintily keep the imports (the little decision are the ones that makes the flavours and they don't really need to be more than a codex entry or a single line from some npc) also dlc needs to be kept in account, but they should make a save game generator for each game., so that bugs can be worked around. Perhaps we should importat into a save generator so we can see the flags and then redo them if they are not correct.

Of course, that'd be fine for the short term and it's actually something I'd advocate keeping if it wasn't harmful in the long term. We're going to keep pilling imports and bugs up until it all collapses and it isn't going to be pretty. We're barely even capable of getting imports to work in DA2. D:

[Mike_Neel]

They should keep the imports up to DA3 at least. After that I wouldn't mind if they split off. Especially since everything seems to indicate your actions in 1 and 2 are leading up to 3. Then you could make 4 stand alone.

As for origins I'd be fine not having a race specific chapter at the beginning of the game but I really want race selection back in some form. I miss playing as an elf or dwarf. That said it seems like Bioware wants to keep the personal experience but doesn't have the time or energy or resources to do unique chapters so they'd rather just stick to one experience though its only as a human. Id be ok with a more vague back story to my character similar to the elder scrolls, but Bioware doesn't seem to want to do that. Oh well.

[Morroian]

JasonPogo wrote...

Also saying that the DLC is where they are heading for the gameplay is another let down. Having us fight 20 bad guys is a row should not be how you make the game more challenging. Instead build a good engine that has smart challenging enemys.

But thats what the dlc did or at least its what they are aiming for and the DLC is the first step.

[Dave of Canada]

A way of handling imports in DA4 (if such a thing existed) is setting up DA3 to devastate the world big time, something large enough which previous choices don't matter anymore. For example, go with the prophecy where everybody turns into mages and have civilizations and such fall due to everybody turning into abominations and the like.

Enough that most of the choices we've done so far won't really matter because there's more pressing matters at hand and civilization collapsed.

[Jamie_edmo]

Interesting read, especially regarding reboots, if DA3 is a success and DA4 is authorised (or what ever business phrase is used), then most likely by then the next-gen consoles will be out and so imports probably wont transfer between the PS3 and PS4 for example, obviously PC's wont have this problem, but I wonder if a "series rebooting event" will take place at the end of DA3, or if DA4 will take place decades after DA3 in order to temporally do away with save imports while the console transition to next-gen, then if the series is still going on next-gen machines they will resume again.

Of course that's if DA lasts that long.

EDIT: ^ Bloody ninja'd haha

Modifié par Jamie_edmo, 31 janvier 2012 - 10:41 .

[Brockololly]

Fast Jimmy wrote...
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.

Money. EA wanted to cash in on Origins' success and they wanted DA2 to boost their Q4 bottom line for the fiscal year. Combined with new people in charge in Laidlaw and Darrah, trying to make drastic changes to the Origins formula and you get an unpolished, rushed game like DA2.

Fast Jimmy wrote...
Yeah, but it sounds like it is going to be very nerfed in its impact. You won't have the OGB playing a major role
in anything, more maybe just a scene with Morrigan and the little tyke  that is a Easter Egg. Which is a shame, because that could be an epic  storyline. And it seems like those who DIDN'T take the Dark Ritual, the
easy way out so to speak, are being penalized. I always assumed that  taking the Dark Ritual would have negative downstream impact, but it  seems like if they make content solely for those who did the DR and not  do anything for those who took the US route, that is penalizing those  who did the more noble act.

Ideally, they'd create content for those that did the DR and separate unique content if you didn't do the DR. But BioWare doesn't do significant unique content.

Really, I just wish they used Witch Hunt as one last expansion pack to DAO where they could have totally tied off those loose ends with Morrigan, the Warden and OGB and not worry about importing that into future games.

simfamSP wrote...
Isn't that what they did with DA2?

Sort of.

The problems I had with DA2's import of DAO was mostly the bugs combined with old companions showing up again in ways where it wasn't clear if they were bugged or were just being retconned. So I want more drastic divergence in an individual game  with any new game having totally new characters alltogether and only previous events being minor references. But have them fairly numerous as rumors, books, articles and so forth. So don't bring back old companions as companions for a new PC which ends with them being drastically different, like Anders or Leliana magically resurrecting without explanation.  And then maybe only take one big, huge choice from a prior game and have it show up as unique content in a significant way- the same scope content wise as an Origin story in DAO.

I don't know...the problem with the imports are the bugs plus retcons to the point where you don't necessarily know whats being overwritten by the writers versus whats a total screwup- like Zevran's throwaway cameo bug. 

simfamSP wrote...
The OGB was a bit of a trap. I wouldn't expect much to come out of it, and  even so, there is this whole Morrigan business whether she lived or died (I guess the knife stab wasn't fatal at the end.) It's very unfair for
us to expect much on the writers, because it's not up to them at the  end. Bioware can't make two seperate games in one, EA wouldn't allow  that and I don't think they would have the resources to do so. The OGB  will make a cameo I think, but that's all, I won't expect anything big  from him.

Thats a problem IMO though. If all the choices in DA games never amount to any genuine, branching consequences, whats the point? Especially choices like the DR where its framed as a big, huge choice that won't have a big consequence until presumably years down the road.

Its obviously not all on the writers, as they don't control everything with a game, but if BioWare wants to keep claiming that their games are all about the narrative and that they're master storytellers, then they can't let this sort of stuff slide or be handwaved. Again, CD Projekt and even Obsidian  completely outmatched any recent BioWare storytelling with TW2 and AP in terms of a reactive and flexible narrative with actual consequences to your choices. They've shown that its possible for a AAA developer to create big chunks of unique content.

So while it might not be all up to the writers, whoever is in charge- whether thats Zeschuk, Muzyka, Laidlaw, Darrah, Gibeau or Riccitiello- needs to be cognisant of how other devs have clearly surpassed them in interactive, reactive narratives. And if that means taking more time, then so be it.

Dave of Canada wrote...
Of course, that'd be fine for the short term and it's actually something I'd advocate keeping if it wasn't harmful in  the long term. We're going to keep pilling imports and bugs up until it  all collapses and it isn't going to be pretty. We're barely even capable of getting imports to work in DA2. D:

Hell, any Morrigan related import has been goofed up going back to Awakening.

I just wish they had some clearly defined story arcs in mind such that they could have imports in mind for DAO-DA3 maybe and then with DA4 (especially if its on new consoles by then) just have a survey type thing to fill in basics, but have it mostly a completely new, standalone game- new PC, new land, all new companions. Not unlike how they'll likely handle any future Mass Effect games- ME1-3 are linked with imports but 4 will presumably be detached from ME3.

Ultimately, the only real value I see in imports is for something like ME where you're importing one PC through and thus want continuity of character. Cause even if they have some consequence for the DR in some future game, it won't be the Warden PC dealing with it but some new guy who more than likely isn't nearly as personally invested in it. Its interesting in theory, but I question how engaging that will be in execution. As opposed to having closed those sorts of more personal plotlines off with the PCs that initiated them.

Modifié par Brockololly, 31 janvier 2012 - 10:48 .

[Atakuma]

Dave of Canada wrote...

A way of handling imports in DA4 (if such a thing existed) is setting up DA3 to devastate the world big time, something large enough which previous choices don't matter anymore. For example, go with the prophecy where everybody turns into mages and have civilizations and such fall due to everybody turning into abominations and the like.

Enough that most of the choices we've done so far won't really matter because there's more pressing matters at hand and civilization collapsed.

I don't see why you think they would need to go to such extremes. as long as they keep choice and concequences confined to the game and avoid anymore dark ritual situations they should be fine.

[Satyricon331]

Atakuma wrote...

Satyricon331 wrote...
To me, the most notable part of the interview was where DG sounds so uncertain about a DA4.

Why would he be certain about DA4 when they haven't even made DA3 yet?

Oh, it was just that in the past, he hasn't sounded so pessimistic when considering the prospect DA would not be a trilogy.  I wasn't saying he was ever certain about it.  It just made me wonder whether there may be greater pessimism in Bioware about the series - nothing definite.

[Blacklash93]

I really, really hope they follow up on the BoT Kirkwall plot, even if its conclusion is only in the codex or something. That was extremely interesting and I hope we get a reveal eventually.

Modifié par Blacklash93, 31 janvier 2012 - 11:36 .

[culletron1]

Wulfram wrote...

The interview reinforces my belief that the "Enigma of Kirkwall" stuff was added late in the day when the writers realised that there were crazy numbers of blood mages about. Which is why it only comes up in content which didn't need any voice acting.

I think you may be right

[John Epler]

Satyricon331 wrote...

Atakuma wrote...

Satyricon331 wrote...
To me, the most notable part of the interview was where DG sounds so uncertain about a DA4.

Why would he be certain about DA4 when they haven't even made DA3 yet?

Oh, it was just that in the past, he hasn't sounded so pessimistic when considering the prospect DA would not be a trilogy.  I wasn't saying he was ever certain about it.  It just made me wonder whether there may be greater pessimism in Bioware about the series - nothing definite.

I think you may be reading far too much into that.