19 réponses à ce sujet

[Toasted Llama]

And that means; along the lines of a Suicide Mission.

 

Now that Solas has been revealed as a big powerful baddy and the Inquisitor talked about needing a team of specialists that Solas does not know, you've got a great opportunity to focus on that with the ME2 recipe:

 

Most of the story focuses around getting that specialized team, with the Inquisitor or her/his advisors (in case people don't want their Inq to become an NPC) acting as a (benevolent) TIM, while gradually unraveling Solas' plan as well as the resources he has.

And then in the final mission, you take down Solas, your success depending on how well you've taken care of your squad.

 

I know many developers are all about innovation and creating new and exciting things (not wanting to turn into the likes of Activision with CoD/Ubisoft with AC), but so far they've shot and missed with DA2, ME3 and DA:I (as much as I love the latter 2 games, the general public thought they were okay-ish games, not along the lines of the groundbreaking ME2/DA:O) when trying to do 'new' things or follow the success of other games.

 

They HAVE a golden recipe: ME2 was hailed as the best game out of the ME trilogy and now they HAVE the story to fit that recipe: Trespasser's ending.

 

Anyway; a question from me:

 

Would you prefer they follow CD Projeckt Red and the Witcher 3 (open world with exciting and meaningful sidequests -though unrelated to companions- with the main plot scattered on points across the map)?

OR

Would you prefer they follow their ME team and ME2 (Areas only accessible for the duration of the quest and these quests focussing on companions/main Solas plot)?

 

I don't think they have the resources to combine these two concepts, judging from the types of content/amount of content in DA:I and dev comments.

[Heimdall]

I think it would be best to have a few open areas (Like DAI areas, but not as many), combined with a larger number of those ME2 style areas.

I think that is where they're headed given Trespasser.

[Al Foley]

I agree...with Heimdall.  And you are right.  Could be an interesting way to go with it especially if its a no-win scenario.  Really make the suicide mission a suicide mission because I suspect, given everything BioWare is leading up to, there may not be an actual way to stop Solas from tearing the Veil asunder.  Given that we know they at least want to make more games and that the Solas plot is not the end game.  Wheels within wheels. 

[Toasted Llama]

Some open areas like DA:I had could work, but I think they would need to update the quests in those areas. Lots of players weren't a fan of the fetch-quests.

 

 

Could be an interesting way to go with it especially if its a no-win scenario.  Really make the suicide mission a suicide mission because I suspect, given everything BioWare is leading up to, there may not be an actual way to stop Solas from tearing the Veil asunder.

 

I can already hear the disappointed fans and people yelling "nothing we did in the game made a difference!". It would be cool and make the story unpredictable, but it's also super tough to pull off without making the game feel meaningless.

[9TailsFox]

Yes I prefer ME2 style hub areas. With focus on story.

 

"Open world" in DA:I

Spoiler

[Al Foley]

Some open areas like DA:I had could work, but I think they would need to update the quests in those areas. Lots of players weren't a fan of the fetch-quests.

 

 

 

I can already hear the disappointed fans and people yelling "nothing we did in the game made a difference!". It would be cool and make the story unpredictable, but it's also super tough to pull off without making the game feel meaningless.

I know, but then the idea here...relies on a false assumption on my part.  But it assumes that DA 4 will not be the last DA game but DA 5 will.  That what the intention of the writers is to do a story in five acts similar to such tv shows as Babylon 5, Farscape (attempted...succeeded with PK wars) and the new BSG (failed, because Sci Fi).  Now the developers behind DA has said they have no intention of neccessarily ending the series after 5 games so this theory is already at a distinct disadvantage but what my idea does with this failure/ copromised victory (you don't stop Solas from opening the Veil but you do succeed in doing something else) will set up the bridge for DA 5.  Reveal the ultimate threat of the franchise, Insane Elven Gods.  

 

Anyways I do really like BioWare when they focus on their characters.  ME 2 and DA 2 were awesome games in their own right because they focused on the games respective characters.  And their narratives was all about them.  Just the problem, with DA 2, is that some of the characters weren't very interesting or memorable...they had a great set up, terrible execution.  And DA I, while not focusing on the characters as much as the above, did have a wonderful cast.  I would be amazing to see a DA game go back to the character focused structure of ME 2/ DA 2 but with a significant and well established threat (Solas) and a story line similar to DA Is...but with the connectivity of DA Os side quests and zones.  

 

Make it hapen BioWare! lol. 

[Al Foley]

So going among the 'wheels within wheels' concept DA O handed the plot of the franchise over to future games via Witch Hunt, DA 2 handed the plot over to DA I with Legacy and DA I has handed the plot over to DA 4 via Tresspasser.  Wheels, within wheels, within wheels.  One game hands over to the next game via DLC, which is risky as hell, but it works considering it keeps the main plot of the game relatively self contained while allowing for definite transitions.  Lets just hope Solas does not get the Cory treatment. 

[Heimdall]

Some open areas like DA:I had could work, but I think they would need to update the quests in those areas. Lots of players weren't a fan of the fetch-quests.

Think in terms of the best DAI areas and things Bioware themselves remarked as being surprisingly successful, like Crestwood's environment changing after a particular quest was completed or what they did with JoH.

It can be done interestingly, especially if they change as the plot advances.

I wouldn't want more than three however. I'm also on the fence about whether I want explorable Minrathous to be one of those areas or a series of smaller areas like Kirkwall.

[Guitar-Hero]

I like the idea of following ME2's model. I really don't want to see devs trying to emmulat W3 too much, now dont get me wrong W3 is one of the best games i have played but i fear they take the wrong things from it instead of seeing what made it amazing. Also DAI open-esque world was by far the worst part of the game.

[Al Foley]

I like the idea of following ME2's model. I really don't want to see devs trying to emmulat W3 too much, now dont get me wrong W3 is one of the best games i have played but i fear they take the wrong things from it instead of seeing what made it amazing. Also DAI open-esque world was by far the worst part of the game.

And yet W3 pulled it off almost flawlessly.  Aside from some bull **** navigational problems the game was open world, but did not suffer for it. 

[Heimdall]

And yet W3 pulled it off almost flawlessly. Aside from some bull **** navigational problems the game was open world, but did not suffer for it.

Yes, but I really don't want Bioware to shy away from smaller more linearly designed environments. Trespasser showed they could be used to great affect. I think DA4 needs less (but not none), rather than more open world.

[Al Foley]

Yes, but I really don't want Bioware to shy away from smaller more linearly designed environments. Trespasser showed they could be used to great affect. I think DA4 needs less (but not none), rather than more open world.

Tell me about it.  I honestly think my ideal vision for DA 4 is to have smaller zones all over for the plot/ characters/ some side quests and then have one (maybe 2...like a city) HUGE zones for people to scratch their exploration itches.  Here is where you get to do only random side quests and stuff.  

[KaiserShep]

Yes I prefer ME2 style hub areas. With focus on story.

 

"Open world" in DA:I

Spoiler

 

 

I think ME3 is better designed in this respect than ME2. ME2 is far too small. Their hub worlds are miniscule and the battle maps are rather poor and far too obvious. 

[Heimdall]

Tell me about it. I honestly think my ideal vision for DA 4 is to have smaller zones all over for the plot/ characters/ some side quests and then have one (maybe 2...like a city) HUGE zones for people to scratch their exploration itches. Here is where you get to do only random side quests and stuff.

The advantage of such areas is that the side quests can be used to enhance the main plot if they do it right, which they often didn't in DAI (Or they were just not very engaging).

For example, if we're in Tevinter in DA4, I expect to have a great many side quests deal with the effects of the Qunari invasion. TW3 had some great quests involving the reprocussions of the Nilfgaardian invasion for example. I want to see an explorable area where we see the visible carnage of the fighting.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Anyway; a question from me:

 

Would you prefer they follow CD Projeckt Red and the Witcher 3 (open world with exciting and meaningful sidequests -though unrelated to companions- with the main plot scattered on points across the map)?

OR

Would you prefer they follow their ME team and ME2 (Areas only accessible for the duration of the quest and these quests focussing on companions/main Solas plot)?

Neither. 

I am not a fan of the Witcher franchise at all and Mass Effect 2 is easily the worst Mass Effect game. 

[Gervaise]

To be honest I was hoping that an ME2 style finish was the direction we were going with DAI, at least so far as the Skyhold upgrades were concerned.   I thought that the final confrontation was going to be in/around Skyhold and our survival and that of my team was going to depend on whether I had done them or not, plus doing the personal quests, etc.    However, it was not to be and everything was purely cosmetic.

 

Having the Inquisitor as a sort of TIM character directing events and suggesting where to go next would work for me but I'm not too sure how the rest of it would work.

 

I have to admit I feel ME2 deserved its plaudits.    Having smallish areas for each of the quests worked well because it kept things tight, although I didn't think they were that small.    Going around scanning planets was made more than a mere collection exercise because how the upgrades impacted on the end result.    Making an effort to get to know companions also had real bearing on how things turned out.   I felt the best bit, though, was being asked who should do various tasks and if you chose wrong seeing real negative consequences.   I guessed this was what would happen (only actually saw them on You Tube) because I chose the right people and so felt a real sense of achievement and leadership when we all survived.  

 

I really would like Dragon Age to have something like that in a future game; I fear the Solas plot may end in something more like the end to ME3.

[Toasted Llama]

Neither. 

I am not a fan of the Witcher franchise at all and Mass Effect 2 is easily the worst Mass Effect game. 

 

What direction would you like to see the Solas plot going then? DA:O? ME3?

 

To be honest I was hoping that an ME2 style finish was the direction we were going with DAI, at least so far as the Skyhold upgrades were concerned.   I thought that the final confrontation was going to be in/around Skyhold and our survival and that of my team was going to depend on whether I had done them or not, plus doing the personal quests, etc.    However, it was not to be and everything was purely cosmetic.

 

This confused me as well, the Skyhold upgrades seemed to be of importance or have some level of effect on the battle with Coryfish/the ending.  But nope. Missed opportunity here or perhaps it was cut content.

[Deebo305]

I actually think they should attempt to do what they failed at with DA2 and put the focus on on city

 

Inquisition lacked any real cities and Kirkwall was bland, They should set it in Minrathos(mispelled?) and really flesh the city with crowd and outskirt that would make AC games blush. Say what you want about Ubisoft but they know how to make a city actually feel lived in

 

As for the story, I actually hope Solas takes a backseat to the Qunari, they need more exposure. I say let Solas wait until DA5 if the 5 game plan holds true

[AlanC9]

Doesn't the issue of hubs depend on the plot? ME2's hubs worked because a lot of the missions could have happened on any colonized world. For instance, it just happens by coincidence that Morinth goes from Ilium to Omega.

[Blood Mage Reaver]

The only real problem with DAI's huge open areas are the lack of content to fill them with.

 

You waste a good 30% of the game going to point A to point B because the map is just that large and most of what is in between is either respawning enemies or untrespassable terrain.

 

I don't like the idea of creating hub worlds for linear missions, ME2 and ME3 felt too small because you only saw a very limited part of what was supposed to be a galaxy wide conflict.

 

Bioware should follow what Bethesda has been doing since Fallout 3, a huge single world with several fast travel points which allows for the player to move across it as they see fit.

 

Not just that, we desperately need a day and night as well as weather system to make sense of the world around us instead of having every place with a fixed time and weather.

 

In Mass Effect this doesn't matter because we are travelling through space and can choose whento land on a planet on our preferable weather and time but in Thedas we are travelling by animals so it doesn't really cut when we appear in a certain place every time at the same time of the day.

 

Dragon Age should have more dungeons like Zelda where you need to develop new skill in order to unlock more areas connected by the hub world, this is something Trespasser got right as the Anchor's development played an integral part on advancing through an expanding world.

 

The only thing in Mass Effect 2 which was suberb and needs to be brought to every Bioware game was the integration of the main characters with the plot.