143 réponses à ce sujet

[sniper_arrow]

I'm glad they didn't kill Varric. He and Harding are the only dwarves I care to keep around. 

 

What about Sigrun?

[Heimdall]

I seem to remember him saying in a different interview that the scope was originally twice as big, but the depth was much more superficial because the total resources able to be devoted to the game was the same. So twice the plot, half the depth. And since Inquisition already seems... not as deep as most would prefer, the smaller scope is incredibly beneficial.

Maybe, but I definitely think they could have cut a few of the non-critical areas in favor of more plot.

[MaxQuartiroli]

So we could have had a Dragon Age: Inquisition without Varric?

 

That was the original plan, according to DG.

 

But who knows? Maybe they were going to change their mind during the development of Exalted March and that he could also survive. But I have the feeling that, no matter how they would end it, if Exalted March was released Hawke and Varric would not have been present in DA:I or, if they were, their role would have been very different.

[RoseLawliet]

Maybe, but I definitely think they could have cut a few of the non-critical areas in favor of more plot.

 

I agree, but it sounds like their original vision was going to have just as much. Then again, maybe the original plan was to have these areas be critical. I guess we'll never know.

[vbibbi]

So now that Gaider isn't working for Bioware, is this the time to pester him to reveal all of the cut content, canceled expansion content, behind the scenes drama?

[Apollexander]

Does anyone know how much had been cut out in DAO?

[PhroXenGold]

Does anyone know how much had been cut out in DAO?

 

I'm guessing somewhere in the region of a metric butt-ton. I mean, they went as far as to cut the entire multiplayer mode from the game, so chances are the original story concept probably took a pretty heavy hit.

[wright1978]

Is it odd that I still wish they had gone through with Exalted March? Losing Varric would have been one of those legendarily agonizing RPG moments, and it would have been a nice capper to the Hawke story.

 

I still wish we'd got the Hawke expansion even if Varric's death would have been traumatic. Would have likely felt better than his recycling in inquisition.

[AnimalBoy]

I'd be fine if Varric had died. Leave Isabela/Bethany alone.

[Andraste_Reborn]

I'm guessing somewhere in the region of a metric butt-ton. I mean, they went as far as to cut the entire multiplayer mode from the game, so chances are the original story concept probably took a pretty heavy hit.

 

'A metric butt-ton' is probably a good estimate. Stuff that we know was cut:

 

- The entire multiplayer option.

 

- Two origin stories, specifically an Avvar barbarian and a human commoner. The Avvar story was cut early because it didn't really connect to anything else, the commoner story was cut late because it was terrible.

 

- Jowan was going to be a full companion.

 

- The original plot outline involved an appearance from Celene, who would have been visiting Denerim. This would have further expanded on the idea that Cailan planning to divorce Anora and marry the Empress.

 

- Your non-Warden companions were originally meant to start suffering from the taint and be turned into Wardens towards the end of the game. I think it's a real shame that they didn't go through with this, although it would have caused plot problems for some characters down the line, notably Leliana.

- I believe some kind of lyrium addiction mechanic was also mooted at some point, but proved difficult to implement.
 

- We also know about some side quests that were planned but not implemented, as well as some plot options that didn't happen like having Alistair and Loghain in the party at the same time and denouncing Morrigan as an apostate at the Circle tower.

 

So Origins may not have had half its original storyline moved forward into a whole different game, but there was certainly hacking and slashing going on. Just like with every other BioWare game. (I love the story David Gaider told once about how they cut so much stuff out of BG2 he was convinced it was terrible and everybody would hate it. You can tell it was the first video game he worked on ...)

[vbibbi]

- We also know about some side quests that were planned but not implemented, as well as some plot options that didn't happen like having Alistair and Loghain in the party at the same time and denouncing Morrigan as an apostate at the Circle tower.

 

So Origins may not have had half its original storyline moved forward into a whole different game, but there was certainly hacking and slashing going on. Just like with every other BioWare game. (I love the story David Gaider told once about how they cut so much stuff out of BG2 he was convinced it was terrible and everybody would hate it. You can tell it was the first video game he worked on ...)

Interesting, would you happen to have any details on the side quests that we know were cut? Did Gaider list them on his blog before it shut down?

 

From what I recall of his statements, most of what was cut was more because it ended up not fitting with the final product rather than because they ran out of time and resources. It sounded like the cuts were a conscious decision rather than just because of deadlines.

 

Of course, as you point out, he said a lot of the things in BG2 that were cut were not great, but I think the mods that restore content are fairly popular (not to mention romance mods adding back in Valygar and Haer'Dalis content).

 

DA2 seems like a much more obvious case of cut content because of deadlines. Not just the entire Exalted Marches, which sounds more like it was cut due to the base game's unpopularity, but the rushed Act 3, recycled maps, some rushed plots.

[Sah291]

Wow, I kind of figured the ending would be tragic, and that some of the companions, and possibly even Hawke, would have died. But I hadn't really thought about Varric being one of them... I wonder how it would have played out. I guess it makes sense, given Varric was pretty much the default best friend, and Hawke could have lost some of the others already. There was the whole red lyrium idol subplot with his brother too. Maybe he would have gotten sick.

I still wish it would have been made.

[BansheeOwnage]

 

- Jowan was going to be a full companion.

 

- The original plot outline involved an appearance from Celene, who would have been visiting Denerim. This would have further expanded on the idea that Cailan planning to divorce Anora and marry the Empress.

I guarantee she would have had better hair And I thought Jowan might have been intended to be a companion.

[vertigomez]

Poor Hawke, especially if they lost a sibling in the Deep Roads and had to kill their LI in Act III. Of course Varric was going to die on them, too!

[Iakus]

Is there a transcript of this Q&A somewhere?  This article isn't exactly informative

[vbibbi]

Poor Hawke, especially if they lost a sibling in the Deep Roads and had to kill their LI in Act III. Of course Varric was going to die on them, too!

It makes sense from a gameplay perspective that Varric would definitely die. He's the only companion who will definitely be with Hawke by the end. Isabela could run away in Act 2, Fenris Merrill and Anders could die by the end of the game, Aveline and Sebastian could leave in disgust. So if they wanted to guarantee at least one death, it would have to be Varric, unless they introduced a new companion for the DLC. And a new companion wouldn't have nearly the impact.

[BansheeOwnage]

It makes sense from a gameplay perspective that Varric would definitely die. He's the only companion who will definitely be with Hawke by the end. Isabela could run away in Act 2, Fenris Merrill and Anders could die by the end of the game, Aveline and Sebastian could leave in disgust. So if they wanted to guarantee at least one death, it would have to be Varric, unless they introduced a new companion for the DLC. And a new companion wouldn't have nearly the impact.

That's true, but still, poor Alternate-Universe!Hawke

[vbibbi]

Gaider is all about the angst. I wonder if Hawke's story was planned to wrap up in the DLC or if they were still going to be in DAI. It would have been interesting if the DLC dealt with an Exalted March and by the end Hawke is alone and a captive of the Inquisition.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Gaider is all about the angst. I wonder if Hawke's story was planned to wrap up in the DLC or if they were still going to be in DAI. It would have been interesting if the DLC dealt with an Exalted March and by the end Hawke is alone and a captive of the Inquisition.

Well, there is that rumor that Hawke was originally going to be the Inquisitor but due to the negative reaction to DA2 they scrapped that plan and created a new protagonist, the Inquisitor we all know. 

 

 

That was the original plan, according to DG.

 

But who knows? Maybe they were going to change their mind during the development of Exalted March and that he could also survive. But I have the feeling that, no matter how they would end it, if Exalted March was released Hawke and Varric would not have been present in DA:I or, if they were, their role would have been very different.

I would have loved that. I was never a fan of Varric and they butchered my Hawke in Inquisition so neither showing up would have been a boon. 

[vertigomez]

It makes sense from a gameplay perspective that Varric would definitely die. He's the only companion who will definitely be with Hawke by the end. Isabela could run away in Act 2, Fenris Merrill and Anders could die by the end of the game, Aveline and Sebastian could leave in disgust. So if they wanted to guarantee at least one death, it would have to be Varric, unless they introduced a new companion for the DLC. And a new companion wouldn't have nearly the impact.

It makes perfect sense. Still a gutpunch, though.

[Jedi Master of Orion]

He'd implied the fans wouldn't have liked the tragic ending of certain characters in Exalted March before, so this doesn't exactly surprise me.

[vbibbi]

Well, there is that rumor that Hawke was originally going to be the Inquisitor but due to the negative reaction to DA2 they scrapped that plan and created a new protagonist, the Inquisitor we all know.



I would have loved that. I was never a fan of Varric and they butchered my Hawke in Inquisition so neither showing up would have been a boon.

I can see Hawke being Inquisitor, but it could have also been cool to have them be an NPC in DAI, in a position like the PC is at the beginning of the game. Or like Varric, a prisoner on a short leash.

[Dabrikishaw]

I wouldn't have minded Varric dying.

[Andraste_Reborn]

Interesting, would you happen to have any details on the side quests that we know were cut? Did Gaider list them on his blog before it shut down?

 

 

There's a whole article about cut content on the Dragon Age wiki - we know about most of it because of various writer forum posts and interviews.

[sniper_arrow]

He'd implied the fans wouldn't have liked the tragic ending of certain characters in Exalted March before, so this doesn't exactly surprise me.

 

I'm kind of curious now who were suppose to die, aside from Varric.