26 réponses à ce sujet

[Matriarch]

Any chance this new upcoming DAI expansion will be AMAZING as it is Gaider's last work on the DA series?

 

Please let it be!

[devSin]

David left a long time ago. Whatever is coming out, he won't have had anything to do with it.

It will be Mary's last work, though, assuming it's the thing releasing next month.

[Ulv Elskeren]

next month.

 

Next.  Month? 

 

Is there a definite "nothing-coming-in-July" dev note somewhere?   

 

*prepares to hibernate for yet another month*

[Matriarch]

David left a long time ago. Whatever is coming out, he won't have had anything to do with it.

It will be Mary's last work, though, assuming it's the thing releasing next month.

 

I meant the expansion rumored to be the Inquisition's "last mission". That, hopefully, concludes the thingies with Solas 

[Sunnie]

Gaider moved on a while ago, and he is not working on the hypothetical DLC that was outlined in an EA survey. Need to direct your questions @Weekes on Twiddler.

[ThePhoenixKing]

Mary Kirby's leaving the Dragon Age team? That sucks.

[geth47]

But is she leaving Bioware? Or merely moving to another project divorced from Dragon Age?

[Lee80]

But is she leaving Bioware? Or merely moving to another project divorced from Dragon Age?

She's Following Gaider to his new project (whatever that is). 

[midnight tea]

But is she leaving Bioware? Or merely moving to another project divorced from Dragon Age?

 

She's still working for Bioware - she's working with David Gaider on secret IP, in fact.

[CDR Aedan Cousland]

Damn... Mary too. That's news to me.

 

Tbh, there isn't a lot I've enjoyed from Weekes (liked his novel though). I was hoping someone like Mary became the lead.. now I know why.

 

I'm usually open-minded about new people taking the reigns (provided they've studied the story, characters, and lore), but considering how badly he screwed up the lore, I really don't like having him around.

 

I mean, I know retcons are what Bioware does best, honestly, but oftentimes the changes are so drastic, they're heinous. Consistency was never a skill of theirs, though, so it doesn't surprise me. (Well, except they consistently retcon their lore, consistently have awful hair and anatomy, and consistently have shoddy animations. That's about it.)

[Akrabra]

I'm usually open-minded about new people taking the reigns (provided they've studied the story, characters, and lore), but considering how badly he screwed up the lore, I really don't like having him around.

What did he do to the lore?

 

I am pretty sure that Gaider have been lead writer on everything Dragon Age Inquisition. As the writing is done long before any game content is done it is safe to say he wrote the DLC. I could be wrong ofc, but he needs a proper send off. 

[CDR Aedan Cousland]

What did he do to the lore?

 

I am pretty sure that Gaider have been lead writer on everything Dragon Age Inquisition. As the writing is done long before any game content is done it is safe to say he wrote the DLC. I could be wrong ofc, but he needs a proper send off. 

 

I'm talking about the qunari lore, specifically. They were retconned into being politically correct and into being somewhat human-like, society-wise.

 

The main/basic lore is more or less intact, I guess? Except for the fact that the game play doesn't really reflect that.

 

Edit: I'd love to have Gaider back, though. While his political stance is obvious, he never really shoved it into his stories. He wasn't afraid of dark, gritty themes, nor was he afraid to allow the player character to have negative opinions on things.

[CDR Aedan Cousland]

I wouldn't say Weekes mangled any lore. I think they have enough loopholes to wiggle around (like with the seemingly fresh take on a more "flexible" Qun).

 

I just haven't cared for things he's addressed so far. Which is basically spirits. And spirits. And Qunari. Oh, and Tali. And he also seems a bit iconoclastic to me, in general.... but that's just an impression. I don't know what his thoughts are on the other things in this setting, but so far, he takes on the road less traveled and tries to be challenging. But I don't always want that. Not everything has to be strange.

 

Fair enough. I personally felt he played it too safe, despite shoving strange circumstances into everything and everyone.

 

Actually, that reminds me of when Dorian called Solas a special snowflake. The same really could have been said about any other character Weekes wrote, but it just made me love Dorian even more than I already did. Calling it when he sees it, and all that.

[Akrabra]

I still think that DA:O is the highlight of Gaider's writing though. As you said he is not afraid to go dark and gritty. Touching themes they really haven't dared to do lately. While i am not bothered by that, i miss the Bioware that would show the ugly side of Thedas and really flesh it out. Same could be said for Mass Effect 2 which showed the dark side of the galaxy, which is why it is my faovurite Mass Effect game. 

[Sunnie]

Origins is always going to seem like the pinnacle because it was written and developed as a one-off game, they didn't make it with a sequel or series in mind, so it was a lot bigger and had more depth. This same thing happens to every game that goes from a single to an unexpected series. Knowing that you have to write and developed 3 or 4 more games means everything gets watered down and spread thin.

[Akrabra]

I think they improved the writing in DA2 myself... character-wise and hero wise. I liked they tried something different than the usual heroic formula. 

 

But DAO is the pinnacle though, you're right... it's got a little of everything and wasn't held back too much on most features. 

There is alot of good character writing in DA:II and the second act of the game is amazing. Actually it is on Origins level in quality in terms of writing and presentation. Also the Legacy DLC is still the best Dragon Age DLC to date, in every aspect. My problem with the game is that it was rushed, and act 3 never had a chance to prove its worth, and i feel that the first DA:I chapter had to clean up the mess that was Act 3 in DA:II. Which is a shame.

 

I will say this about DA:II though, it is funny. I laugh alot when playing that game and even Hawke is funny. How often is the protagonist the most funny character in a game, atleast when voiced. Small edit about the serious moments of the game. They are abit rushed, but there is one that just sticks out as one of my favourite Bioware/Dragon Age memory. I wanted to share it.

 

[ThePhoenixKing]

I will say this about DA:II though, it is funny. I laugh alot when playing that game and even Hawke is funny. How often is the protagonist the most funny character in a game, atleast when voiced. Small edit about the serious moments of the game. They are abit rushed, but there is one that just sticks out as one of my favourite Bioware/Dragon Age memory. I wanted to share it.

 

 

Yeah, that moment with Aveline is probably one of the best in the franchise. DAII was a bit hit-or-miss for me, more untapped potential than anything truly great, but  those good parts of the game are really good. It was also nice that the developers recognized that friendships are just as important as romances, which is increasingly rare in a lot of media these days.

 

Still, it'll be a shame to have Mary leave the Dragon Age team; Vivienne aside, pretty much every plot thread or character she wrote was awesome, and as much as I liked Weekes' ME3 stuff, his Dragon Age work hasn't been as good.

[Ieldra]

I still think that DA:O is the highlight of Gaider's writing though. As you said he is not afraid to go dark and gritty. Touching themes they really haven't dared to do lately. While i am not bothered by that, i miss the Bioware that would show the ugly side of Thedas and really flesh it out.

Indeed so. Bioware doesn't do controversy any more without resolving it in a conformist or politically correct way, and my impression is that Weekes has contributed to that development, so I'm somewhat wary of how things will go after DAI, his unquestioned competence as a writer notwithstanding. DAI already comes across as sanitized, I hope we won't see more of that.  

[TheOgre]

I think they improved the writing in DA2 myself... character-wise and hero wise. I liked that they tried something different than the usual heroic formula. 

 

But DAO is the pinnacle though, you're right... it's got a little of everything and wasn't held back too much on most features. 

 

[TheOgre]

I take that as sarcasm.

 

I mean, it wasn't the "hero's path" in the Campbellian sense. 

I am completely being serious here. I loved DA2, am sad not many did.

 

I guess that naturally happens when you only post a gif. 

 

Hawke -- was more memorable to me than say my hero.

 

Granted, I had a lot more tools to feel like the story felt fluid to my characters race... I liked how in every playthrough, I had at least one person recognize my character from the origin story or have some kind of history with that.

 

Yet I felt alive as Hawke. Hit with left, between my brother or sister dying off the start of the game. Being a mage, the uneasy relationship between Carver and my character.. I mean it felt like he actually progressed as a character! He became a templar in my play through, and still stood between me and Meredith when the time came. The little understanding we had shared together while Kirkwall burned around us..

 

I could actually influence my characters personality, and I could tell the difference too. The tone, the responses, they actually felt different. It didn't feel like I was being railroaded into a decent, or a 'good' character.

 

It was also a game I felt like I had to use group combined mechanics for on nightmare mode. Ahhh.. 

 

Of course, YMMV.