2816 réponses à ce sujet

[Wulfram]

It's true that DA2 crafting wasn't really crafting, and the same could be said for giving dragon scales to Wade in Origins. That was why it wasn't awful - unbalanced, tedious and nonsensical - like every crafting system in single player story driven CRPGs that I've encountered.

For actual crafting systems, the only thing I want is that they be extremely optional.

Quests for ingredients for powerful items can be fun. Again, because they're not really crafting. They're sidequests, just with you having a good idea what the item reward will be up front.

[Wulfram]

Tezzajh wrote...

Have more than 1 voice per gender 99% of the time I was female because I hated the male voice that much, a posh refugee does not sound convincing plus we all knew he was Vaughan from DAO so I kept thinking of him

Lady Hawke is at least as posh as Man Hawke.  Probably more so.

Since their mother is a noble, it makes sense really.

[Sylvius the Mad]

In principle I like Skyrim's crafting, but I recognise that there isn't much there that resembles gameplay. It's more just clicking through a spreadsheet to assemble the ingredients and then you're done.

The last time I recall seeing crafting turned into something resembling gameplay was in Everquest 2. EQ2 crafting was a mini-game.

[Parkimus]

My wants for DA3 are;

1) Stop using areas over & over again
2) Duel-wielding for Warriors again! (I realize this most likely won't happen but I gotta try!)
3) Previous customization choices (PC's race, origins, etc, and companions' armour)
4) No generic items (I can't tell you tell amount of times my loot was just "Amulet")
5) Less over-the-top combat animations (I liked the Mage's combat animation though)

And I'm sure there's other stuff I want but can't think of right now haha. Thanks, guys at Bioware!

[the_one_54321]

I don't want to hear the name "Hawke," or the "Champion of Kirkwall" mentioned to my character in DAIII. Not even once. In fact, don't even reference Kirkwall. Just say "the start of the mage war" or whatever. The more freedom I have to pretend that the events in DAII didn't happen, the happier I will be.

[LPPrince]

Sylvius the Mad wrote...

Fast Jimmy wrote...

What I would suggest is not making a type of game, with certain features or characteristics, but rather create something that is FUN.

But what's fun?

The features and characteristics that make a game fun for you might be different from those than make the game fun for me.  Whose fun are they chasing?

This is the crux between DAO and DA2 fans.

DAO was fun in one way- DA2 in another.

Some fans liked both, but the majority seemed to split, either on DAO's side or DA2's side.

The PR speak is always, "we'll combine the best of both", but the lack of clarity in that statement does nothing but make me worry-

I didn't find a lot of good things to take from DA2. I want my DAO2, as I thought I should've gotten originally.

With Mike Laidlaw's earlier statement made a looong time ago about not doing another 180º turn-

It scares me. That tells me they're likely sticking with the DA2 side. I'd HATE that.

I think its bollocks that DA2 is a better foundation than DAO- DAO sold so well because its what people wanted, DA2 didn't sell nearly as well because its not what people wanted, at least not so soon.

Combining the best of both games isn't hard- whats hard is finding out what IS the best of both.

That's what they are trying to accomplish here, by accepting our feedback. Reading through our ideas, getting new theories.

"Fun" for me is a DAO2. Not a direct sequel, but a game that follows DAO's framework- that has its essence, that's built from the ground up in DAO's image. a game where you can play it and say, "Damn, this is totally DAO2".

It wouldn't be fair to those who enjoyed DA2 if Bioware just dropped all things Dragon Age 2, and they shouldn't. Even it did some things right over DAO(Qunari and Flemeth redesign, archery).



I just think they need to split the next game 80/20 DAO/DA2.

That would be "fun" for me.

[fritzywiggins]

I had actually been jotting down notes on what I like and dislike about the DA games, as suggested by my brother-in-law who dreams of designing his own RPG game.  I figured I should post these while this discussion is still active!

They're organized by what facet of the DA games the suggestion refers to (interface, aesthetics, combat system, etc.), and I made an active attempt while writing them to avoid redundancy (although some suggestions span different facets).  It's...remarkable how much I've written down over time. 

Thanks being so active in taking user feedback, Mike Darrah!


Interface:
- DA2's GUI was a great improvement on DAO.
- Savegame decision import system should make it easier to identify flawed imports early on. Should be able to correct decision flag errors easily.
- Bring back weapon switching hotkeys
- Tactics improvements: 
     *Some way to make specific skill chaining possible (ex. Use Spirit Bolt on enemy that has Walking Bomb; ex2. use Explosive Strike after 10 melee attacks if enemy has >=25% health)
     *Should be possible to save and name custom tactics and use them between savegames 
     *Some way for the game to "suggest" tactics for custom tactics sets instead of it being all automated or all manually defined
- Make it possible to pause during cutscenes 
- Make it possible to cancel all sustainable skills on a single character simultaneously, or on the whole party simultaneously
- Keep mirror of transfiguration from DA2, which does a great job combining an interface for changing character appearance with a narrative context

Aesthetics (Audio & Visual):
- Allow players to choose armor and weapons based on appearance, not just stats
     *One way to do this is to make items upgradeable (perhaps via a blacksmith NPC, or maybe via crafting)
- Game environments should feel more dynamic.  Denerim and Kirkwall didn't feel like a living-breathing city.
- Avoid overly exaggerated combat illustrations (like the goopy blood explosion animation for blood fury in DAO, or the Arishok's attack where he impales Hawke on a spear) 
- Give players more unique hair and facial customization options, so they don't end up looking like all of the NPC's
- Character appearance customization could use more options:
     *Provide darker skin color options (and other ways of making a main character more ethnic looking)
     *Male characters should be able to not have facial hair
     *More facial tinting and makeup options for male and female characters (so that I could make a male character with a flushed face, or a character of either gender with eyeliner)
     *More hair color options (like shades of gray, more shades of brown)
- Bring back DA2's more dynamic, fluid character movements and facial expressions
- Bring back DA2's less intrusive sustainable skill auras and weapon special effects (don't bring back the constantly glowing lightning or flamey weapons from DAO)
- Players want to customize their character's voice somehow.  Consider making it possible to modulate pitch.
- Don't bring back map deja-vu

Leveling System (Character improvement system--classes, skills, traits, items, etc.): 
- Bring back active investment in non-combat skills, like herbalism, poison-making, trapmaking, persuasion, etc. There should be crafting and conversational skills.  There should not be a tradeoff between combat and non-combat skills (i.e. you shouldn't have to sacrifice combat effectiveness to be able to open locks, like in DAO)
- Any sort of crafting system should be optional--players should still have access to basic items created through the crafting system (unlike the runecrafting system in DA: Awakening).
- Crafting systems should allow for experimentation and discovery of recipes, unlike where you can only buy recipes in DAO, and unlike the dreadfully mathematical runecrafting system in DA: Awakening.
- Attribute system doesn't allow for much creativity.  Just not very exciting.  Maybe there should be rewards other than weapons and armor tied to attribute points, like how skills were tied to attribute points in DAO.  
- Keep the talent tree and upgrading system introduced in DA2, which allows players to form more strategic builds.  Don't revert to the DAO talent system, which tended to result in an accumulation of too many unwanted talents.
- Attribute system should be easy to understand.  DA2 does a pretty good job of explaining what each element does.
 - Fatigue should not be brought back, because it's difficult to measure the impact of fatigue.  Attribute points should have some noticable impact.
- Lockpicking shouldn't be tied to the rogue class and a specific fighting style like in DA2--it doesn't make sense that, just because you use a bow or dual-wield daggers, you also pick locks. Sebastian is a good example of a character for whom lockpicking didn't really make sense.  It should instead be non-combat skill available to all classes, so that the player can decide whether their character is the type who knows how to pick locks or not.
- Players should be able to choose their very first skill, instead of the game deciding for them and the player having to use a Maker's Sigh potion or Manual of Focus or a mod.
- DA2 does a good job providing weapons and armor that visually show level growth.  However, players should also be able to upgrade weapon and armor stats so that they can make their character look however they'd like, without making unacceptable sacrifices to weapon bonuses.
- It doesn't feel like there's enough variety to class and weapon options. Suggestions:
     *Differentiate weapons like axes, hammers, maces, and two-handed swords by providing talents specific to each weapon type
     *Introduce talents that increase the effectiveness of potion grenades, making grenades into an official weapon weapon line
     *Bring back different types of ammo for bows, and bring back crossbows

Combat System:
- Keep DA2's more responsive combat.
- Use enemy spawning during the middle of combat only when it makes narrative sense.  Bring back enemies using pulling tactics like in DAO.
- Allow opportunities to use stealth and plan a fight out before entering combat, like in DAO, by using enemy spawning sparingly
- Have variety in enemy skills--let some use the skills players have access to like in DAO, and let some have unique skills like in DA2. More variety increases challenge.
- Bring back overhead combat--made strategizing easier, and has nostalgic appeal
- Bring back damage-type prevention salves, like the rock and lightning salves from DAO.  Allows players to be more prepared. 
- Friendly fire: separate from the rest of the difficult settings, so that people can turn it on and off. Also, consider incorporating friendly fire prevention into the story and lore (see story/lore section)
- Bring back military or large scale strategy like in the DAO final battle 

Story & Lore:
- Game environments should respond more to players:
     *Reactions to using magic in a city/in public
     *Reactions to combat in a city area (DA2 addresses this somewhat, but people should really be running away, not just cowering in fear)
     *Reactions to highly unusual attire (ex. people should pick up on your identity if you're wearing a robe and staff; ex2. Anora should comment if you're wearing King Cailan's armor; one exception is the City Elf Origin, when the guards attack if you have a weapon equipped)
     *Keep DA2 system of disabling skills while not in combat (which at least prevents the need for NPC's in the environment to respond in the first place)
     *class specializations should provoke responses (blood mage especially, but reaver and ranger specializations are certainly worthy of dialogue)
- class specializations should have some narrative context (doesn't even have to be as complex as learning the arcane warrior or reaver specializations, could just be a question from a companion or something) 
- Bring back item descriptions and lore, and consider having a way to identify or find more information out about certain items
- Dying characters in cinematic dialogue should either be gruesomely maimed or healable- Any sort of pet should be nameable 
- Returning characters and cameo characters should much more accurately respond to imported savegame decisions
- Most players want some way to tie up loose ends from both DAO and DA2 
- Bring back the level of customization put into Hawke's family.  Family members should having matching appearances.
- Bring back the different Hawke personalities (angry Hawke, comedic Hawke, sincere/"good" Hawke)
- No friendly fire (except on nightmare) isn't explained narratively, but potentially could be

Party & Companions:
- Bring back DA2's more dynamic friendship/rivalry system
- Combine the amount of prompted companion dialogue in DAO with the amount of unprompted side-commentary of DA2 
- Companion responses should be more specific to the area they're in, like in Awakening- More relationship-specific companion click responses (ex. companion with maxed out friendship responding, "Yes my friend?")
     *Avoid inappropriate responses like in DAO and DAA--companions with no approval points are really disrespectful, while companions with maxed out approval are creepily overfamiliar at times
     *In DA2, Hawke had click responses as well.  Relationship should define's Hawke's response more than what 'personality' dialogue options the player chooses (ex. when I click on Hawke as Bethany, he should be like, "Yes sister?" instead of "I don't like people interrupting my thoughts!")
- Bring back customizable pets (like the mabari), but make them summonables or sustainable skills, not party members
- Bring back DA2's more natural feeling dialogue over a time scale.  In DAO, it felt unnatural that you could have three major conversations with a character all in the same visit to camp.
- Bring back unique party member appearances (like in DA2, where companions select their own appearance), but allow more opportunities to influence the way they appear (like the small changes in appearance induced by romances in DA2)
- Don't bring back DAO's gift system.  It's cheap that you can win a companion over with gold wristbands.

Sideplots & Mini-games: 
- Avoid rote quests that have little challenge or narrative value (like the "give 10 health poultices to the chantry" quests in DAO)
- Introduce more mini-games, collectibles, and achievements
     *Don't bring back "junk," like the moth-eaten scarves of DA2 and the Silk carpets of DAO. These items should have some kind of purpose (like crafting or decorating)
     *Crafting systems are the best mini-games
- Bring back optional, actively sought out combat, like gangs in Kirkwall in DA2 or the practice Provings in DAO- Have more optional areas to explore

Modifié par fritzywiggins, 21 mars 2012 - 03:45 .

[Wulfram]

I'd rather have archery than dual wielding for warriors. I dislike having party members who can't fight at range if the situation calls for it.

[darksnow]

Hi devs! I'm mostly a lurker on these forums but thought maybe I could pop in for a (hopefully) quick remark or two.

I won't go into gameplay and rpg talks and so on since people like Sylvius the Mad, Brockololly, Yrkoon and Melca already managed to express everything I think about it and in much more detail. I share their opinions completely.

What concerns me are cinematics relating to NPCs, the lack of it in DA2 and the wish for those to return in DA3. 

In DA:O a part of the cinematics was dedicated to certain characters while the PC was absent and those were, IMO, something that partially helped flesh out the world without taking anything away from the player roleplaying. I'm talking about scenes with Duncan, like his death at Ostagar, Loghain and Arl Howe and later Anora, Teagan talking to Loghain in Denerim or turning to look at Fort Drakon at the end.

A few were stunning. Riordan jumping on the Archdemon's back and battling it in the sky over Denerim before falling to his death was a breathtaking scene and what really drove home (at least to me) what being a Grey Warden entailed.

If I'm not mistaken (I could be, I only played DA2 twice and the second time only to make a friend happy because "if you don't romance anders you don't know what you're missing, trytrytry please?"<_<) there's none of that in DA2. Everything requires Hawke present. Even if you take Cassandra interrogating Varric years afterwards, Hawke is definitely present, albeit in his memory.

I miss those cinematic cutscenes which let me see who or what some of the characters populating the world were. They made Ferelden come alive for me and they're probably another reason why I never connected to Kirkwall and its denizens.

I also miss the cutscenes in which companions do their finishing moves. They felt right, no matter how slow the game turned. But that's another story 

Thanks for your attention. Darksnow out lurking again.

[the_one_54321]

LPPrince wrote...
The PR speak is always, "we'll combine the best of both", but the lack of clarity in that statement does nothing but make me worry-

It's not a lack of clarity that's the problem. It's the fact that this statement is a categorical impossibility. Though there are people that like aspects of both games, there is a distinct and permanent line between what makes many fans of DA:O enjoy DA:O and what makes many fans of DAII enjoy DAII. You can't give the DA:O fans what they want because those things are precisely what the DAII fans don't want. And you can't give the DAII fans what they want because those things are precisely what the DA:O fans don't want.

Dragon Age PR has written itself into a corner here. The simple fact of the matter is that you can't make one side happy without pissing off the other side. I want DA:O-2. I don't want anything with any relation to DAII, at all. I want to pretend DAII didn't happen. That's my position, and to some degree or variation the position of many other DA:O fans.

[LPPrince]

Actually, why have classes at all for the main characters?

Why not just let us pick and choose between abilities and attacks from all three trees so we can "create" our own class?

It would work similar to Skyrim or Kingdoms of Amalur- You're not an outset warrior, mage, or rogue- you're whatever you want to be.

The game can even have a system in place to change dialogue based on your abilities-

If you have a majority of certain abilities, the game will make note of it and you'll hear in dialogue how, (example name being The Warden)

"The Warden prefers to use the sword. I've seen her swing it beautifully."

"The Warden is a fine shot. Arrows fly from her body faster than the eye can see."

"The Warden wields a mighty hammer. I would not get in her way."

"The Warden is a mage. Apostate maybe, be wary."

"The Warden uses short blades. Maker forbid she gets behind you in combat."

etc etc

[eyesofastorm]

the_one_54321 wrote...

LPPrince wrote...
The PR speak is always, "we'll combine the best of both", but the lack of clarity in that statement does nothing but make me worry-

It's not a lack of clarity that's the problem. It's the fact that this statement is a categorical impossibility. Though there are people that like aspects of both games, there is a distinct and permanent line between what makes many fans of DA:O enjoy DA:O and what makes many fans of DAII enjoy DAII. You can't give the DA:O fans what they want because those things are precisely what the DAII fans don't want. And you can't give the DAII fans what they want because those things are precisely what the DA:O fans don't want.

Dragon Age PR has written itself into a corner here. The simple fact of the matter is that you can't make one side happy without pissing off the other side. I want DA:O-2. I don't want anything with any relation to DAII, at all. I want to pretend DAII didn't happen. That's my position, and to some degree or variation the position of many other DA:O fans.

Sorry about your luck...

Mark Darrah wrote...

Maybe I should just put a stop to something right now.
We ARE NOT going to:
* Burn DA2 to the ground
* Pretend it doesn't exists
* etc...
I am proud of what DA2 accomplished in several areas. It is certainly not without flaws.
We have things to learn from BOTH Dragon Age games as well as other titles.
Starting your post by telling me to ignore the hard work of over a hundred people is NOT a good way to start a dialogue with me.

 

[Sylvius the Mad]

DA2 did one thing fundamentally wrong that DAO did not do wrong. In DAO, I knew with certainty exactly what my character would say before I told him to say it.

In DA2, I did not.

That error needs to be corrected. If they fix that, DA3 will be worth playing. This is the hill on which I will die.

[LPPrince]

Sylvius the Mad wrote...

DA2 did one thing fundamentally wrong that DAO did not do wrong. In DAO, I knew with certainty exactly what my character would say before I told him to say it.

In DA2, I did not.

That error needs to be corrected. If they fix that, DA3 will be worth playing. This is the hill on which I will die.

Sylv, the next game will have a voiced PC like DA2- They are not wrong when they say its awkward when you read a line and hear the line performed afterward.

We've tried to solve this by suggesting the "scratch the wheel, give us paraphrased lines at the bottom of the screen, press a button or hover over it to see the whole line if desired" idea.

They seemed to like that.

[Wulfram]

LPPrince wrote...

Actually, why have classes at all for the main characters?

The distinction between mage and non-mage is fairly fundamental to the setting.  Though you could have the PC always be a mage and still allow them to focus on non-magical abilities I guess

Also, this is a party based game.  Enforced specialised roles creates more interesting tactics than you'd get by having the party full off Fighter-Mage-Rogues who can each do everything themselves.

[the_one_54321]

eyesofastorm wrote...

the_one_54321 wrote...

LPPrince wrote...
The PR speak is always, "we'll combine the best of both", but the lack of clarity in that statement does nothing but make me worry-

It's not a lack of clarity that's the problem. It's the fact that this statement is a categorical impossibility. Though there are people that like aspects of both games, there is a distinct and permanent line between what makes many fans of DA:O enjoy DA:O and what makes many fans of DAII enjoy DAII. You can't give the DA:O fans what they want because those things are precisely what the DAII fans don't want. And you can't give the DAII fans what they want because those things are precisely what the DA:O fans don't want.

Dragon Age PR has written itself into a corner here. The simple fact of the matter is that you can't make one side happy without pissing off the other side. I want DA:O-2. I don't want anything with any relation to DAII, at all. I want to pretend DAII didn't happen. That's my position, and to some degree or variation the position of many other DA:O fans.

Sorry about your luck...

Mark Darrah wrote...

Maybe I should just put a stop to something right now.
We ARE NOT going to:
* Burn DA2 to the ground
* Pretend it doesn't exists
* etc...
I am proud of what DA2 accomplished in several areas. It is certainly not without flaws.
We have things to learn from BOTH Dragon Age games as well as other titles.
Starting your post by telling me to ignore the hard work of over a hundred people is NOT a good way to start a dialogue with me.

They don't have to burn down DAII or pretend that it didn't happen. They just have to let me pretend it didn't happen. All I want is the mage war. That plot point sounds pretty cool. And I'd love the opportunity to take a steel boot heel to some not-Wyne mage skulls. But that's about it, in so far as the big changes that happened going into DAII.

LPPrince wrote...
They are not wrong when they say its awkward when you read a line and hear the line performed afterward.

In point of fact, they are wrong, because awkwardness is a subjective response. At this juncture, I'm plenty willing to make the claim that games were superior when they had no voices. Back when the PS2 started introducing voice overs to games, things could have gone down a very interesting path. At the point in game evolution we are now, it's become far too high of a cost to include voices in a way that adds to the immersion without devastating the content volume and variability.

Modifié par the_one_54321, 21 mars 2012 - 03:52 .

[LPPrince]

eyesofastorm wrote...

the_one_54321 wrote...

*snip*

Sorry about your luck...

Mark Darrah wrote...

Maybe I should just put a stop to something right now.
We ARE NOT going to:
* Burn DA2 to the ground
* Pretend it doesn't exists
* etc...
I am proud of what DA2 accomplished in several areas. It is certainly not without flaws.
We have things to learn from BOTH Dragon Age games as well as other titles.
Starting your post by telling me to ignore the hard work of over a hundred people is NOT a good way to start a dialogue with me.

 

Yeah, as I said before its not fair to those who enjoyed DA2. Plus, scrapping it entirely would mean the next game would lose the few good qualities and positives that can be found in DA2.

I still say the 80/20 split of DAO/DA2 would be wonderful.

[Sylvius the Mad]

LPPrince wrote...

Sylv, the next game will have a voiced PC like DA2- They are not wrong when they say its awkward when you read a line and hear the line performed afterward.

I think they are wrong.  I don't see why that would be awkward at all.

And regardless of whether it's awkward, awkwardness is a small price to pay for the return of roleplaying.

We've tried to solve this by suggesting the "scratch the wheel, give us paraphrased lines at the bottom of the screen, press a button or hover over it to see the whole line if desired" idea.

They seemed to like that.

And if they use it, they win.

I don't care what means they use to provide us with this perfect knowledge.  But I insist they provide us perfect knowledge.

Modifié par Sylvius the Mad, 21 mars 2012 - 03:56 .

[LPPrince]

Wulfram wrote...

LPPrince wrote...

Actually, why have classes at all for the main characters?

The distinction between mage and non-mage is fairly fundamental to the setting.  Though you could have the PC always be a mage and still allow them to focus on non-magical abilities I guess

Also, this is a party based game.  Enforced specialised roles creates more interesting tactics than you'd get by having the party full off Fighter-Mage-Rogues who can each do everything themselves.

I should clarify-

The PLAYABLE character would be classless- able to create his own class picking from abilities from any tree.

The squadmates would be established classes- warrior, rogue, mage. Although with this system in mind, perhaps some squadmates could be molded by the developers into interesting mixed classes, like a magical archer, for example.

[Sylvius the Mad]

the_one_54321 wrote...

They don't have to burn down DAII or pretend that it didn't happen. They just have to let me pretend it didn't happen.

Ambiguity for the win.

[LPPrince]

Sylvius the Mad wrote...

LPPrince wrote...

Sylv, the next game will have a voiced PC like DA2- They are not wrong when they say its awkward when you read a line and hear the line performed afterward.

We've tried to solve this by suggesting the "scratch the wheel, give us paraphrased lines at the bottom of the screen, press a button or hover over it to see the whole line if desired" idea.

They seemed to like that.

And if they use it, they win.

I don't care what means they use to provide us with this perfect knowledge.  But I insist they provide us perfect knowledge.

Then I sincerely hope for your sake they take my idea and run with it.

I'd hate to find out you left the forums due to not even playing these anymore. Hah.

[x Fresh2Death o]

I wish you could import you original character and carry on with Him/Her like in the Mass Effect series !!! .. I would love to be a Grey Warden again

[Wulfram]

LPPrince wrote...

I should clarify-

The PLAYABLE character would be classless- able to create his own class picking from abilities from any tree.

The squadmates would be established classes- warrior, rogue, mage. Although with this system in mind, perhaps some squadmates could be molded by the developers into interesting mixed classes, like a magical archer, for example.

Well, I wouldn't want the player to be such a special snowflake.  And making the PC good at everything would still seem likely to take away from the party based nature of the game.

And risks taking away from replay value, since all PCs will likely end up feeling rather similar.

[the_one_54321]

Sylvius the Mad wrote...

the_one_54321 wrote...
They don't have to burn down DAII or pretend that it didn't happen. They just have to let me pretend it didn't happen.

Ambiguity for the win.

Seriously! It's not that hard. They just have to do the opposite of "hey, you know you rode off into the sunsett with Lelian and brutally slaughtered Zevran? Yeah, we're referencing that, but we didn't like the choices you made so we're over-writing them."

Just do the opposite of that, and we're golden.

Also, top-down camera. Top-down camera or I will go Hulk-rage all over the place.

[esper]

LPPrince wrote...

Wulfram wrote...

LPPrince wrote...

Actually, why have classes at all for the main characters?

The distinction between mage and non-mage is fairly fundamental to the setting.  Though you could have the PC always be a mage and still allow them to focus on non-magical abilities I guess

Also, this is a party based game.  Enforced specialised roles creates more interesting tactics than you'd get by having the party full off Fighter-Mage-Rogues who can each do everything themselves.

I should clarify-

The PLAYABLE character would be classless- able to create his own class picking from abilities from any tree.

The squadmates would be established classes- warrior, rogue, mage. Although with this system in mind, perhaps some squadmates could be molded by the developers into interesting mixed classes, like a magical archer, for example.

The playable characther would still have to be a mage for that to work, because lorewise you can't not stop being a mage if you have magic in da it is just not possible, and it would still be beyond weird, because it seems that there are no societies in da that really train mages in non-magical combat.