Dragon Age - Details @ Eurogamer

[woges]

Release date said to be early next year and other tidbits. (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=180452)
A release window has been officially confirmed as early next year, and the game will ship exclusively on PC.
Lots is being made of its dark fantasy setting, which promises to be mature and littered with "credible" characters and voice acting. It is expected to be a "gritty" and "emotionally intense" epic.
Specifically we're told to expect a party-based system that scales from small encounters up to "hordes" of baddies and "massive creatures".
Players will be able to combine spells to create new effects, and there will be spells, skills and talents to customise characters with. Also, lots of magical loot.
More information. (http://www.rpgwatch.com/show/newsbit?newsbit=9600)

[Brother None]

Full press release (http://www.gamebanshee.com/forums/gamebanshee-news-73/dragon-age-origins-detailed-100704.html).

[Remus]

Based on previous titles, i doubt Bioware could produces a "mature", "gritty" and "emotionally intense" games. I'm not saying Bioware never produced a good games but BG, NWN and ME never fit the those descriptions.

[Holly Avenger]

Based on previous titles, i doubt Bioware could produces a "mature", "gritty" and "emotionally intense" games. I'm not saying Bioware never produced a good games but BG, NWN and ME never fit the those descriptions.

But then were any of those games ever touted as being "mature, gritty and emotionally intense"? Can't blame Bioware for failing to deliver what they never promised.

And then why is it impossible for a company to create something in a new style? Based on previous titles, they should never have been able to create BG...

[Rizzla]

"Based on previous titles, i doubt Bioware could produces a "mature", "gritty" and "emotionally intense" games. "

Bring on the lesbians! I don't want to sound shallow, but I hope we can at least see a bit of flange this time.

[blatantninja]

I thought BG2 somewhat fit that description.

[doctor_kaz]

The comment about hordes of baddies intrigues me, since other than Icewind Dale 2, I can't think of an RPG that has had good large-scale battles.

[Remus]

But then were any of those games ever touted as being "mature, gritty and emotionally intense"? Can't blame Bioware for failing to deliver what they never promised.

No, and read the Bioware PR announcement “Dragon Age: Origins is a dark heroic fantasy that doesn’t pull any punches. Our fans are in for the most emotionally intense gaming experience we’ve ever created, and we hope to surprise them with just how dark and gritty it gets!”

They never touted/created that kind of game before (for me). Sure, they could surprise me, i'm all for that.

[Yeesh]

I am a little nervous about this dark and gritty stuff, since typically devs implement the 14 year-olds' version of 'mature' subject matter. But I'm just going to keep my fingers crossed and my disposition sunny.

[Remus]

In ME you have seen the inter-species love scenes, so in DA Bioware decided to up the ante: you would see your character with a female dwarf......

[Morbus]

I take it they are using version 4 of D&D?

[Marquess Cornwallis]

I take it they are using version 4 of D&D?

AFAIK they're not licensing any existing rule set.

[Dagon]

http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/888/888796/dragon-age-origins-20080714005226759.jpg looks cool

[danutz_plusplus]

I take it they are using version 4 of D&D?

Nope. Dragon Age does not use D&D or any other licenced gameplay mechanic. It's a whole new set of rules, and game world.

[zakhal]

http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/article/888/888796/dragon-age-origins-20080714005226759.jpg looks cool

Action or turn based? I have never liked the idea of trying to control 4 characters in real time or trust that
their AI can handle it. Also I miss most of the action because I have only one pair of eyes not four.

[Dagon]

Action or turn based? I have never liked the idea of trying to control 4 characters in real time or trust that
their AI can handle it. Also I miss most of the action because I have only one pair of eyes not four.

I guess it's realtime & pause as usual for Bioware. But this time it looks pretty simmillar to Baldur's Gate

[Yeesh]

Action or turn based? I have never liked the idea of trying to control 4 characters in real time or trust that
their AI can handle it. Also I miss most of the action because I have only one pair of eyes not four.

I hear that. I cherish a good action RPG, and for that I won't apologize. But real-time party combat is just messy. The more complex the combat system, the less you can expect teh AI to help. Turn-based combat shines with a complex system where you can maximize your characters' abilities and so overcome the enemy with superior tactics. In real time games, it's a lot harder to get multiple charactes working together coherently. You just end up dragging boxes around 3 of your guys and clicking on an enemy, and then you control the mage and hope nobody dies.

Unfortunately, I don't think the days of turn-based combat are coming back.

[doctor_kaz]

I'm pretty sure that this game is real-time with pause. You only have four party members (vs. six with Baldurs Gate) so I guess that makes it a bit easier.

[Dyne]

Is the four person party limit something they've clarified, or could it be that in that screenshot, you've only recruited 3 chums?

[Alrik Fassbauer]

I'm pretty sure that this game is real-time with pause.

It's always real time with pause.

No-one does turn-based anymore, at least not in RPGs.

[Maylander]

That particular screenshot is the single most promising screenshot I've seen in a very long time. Looks great, let's hope they deliver! :D

[danutz_plusplus]

The http://dragonage.bioware.com/ site is up, and contain new info, and new screenshots. Looks pretty awesome.:D

Plus some cool screenshots that you can see only if you login with your bioware account. :D

Links:
http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_1.jpg
http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_2.jpg
http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_3.jpg
http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_4.jpg
http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_5.jpg

It really looks great.

[elikal]

So far Bioware never disappointed me, and though knowing little about this game yet, I am sure it too will be fun to play and a great story.

[Stanza]

Plus some cool screenshots that you can see only if you login with your bioware account.

Everything looks wet and shiny. Even the dog's fur. I can't wait to get to the next Next Gen graphics where fetishists haven't slathered petroleum jelly all over every surface, including the poor animals.

The Uncanny Valley yawns before me, and I yawn back.

[Maylander]

Look at screenshot 4 and 5 - sweeeet! This is looking better and better!

[danutz_plusplus]

Look at screenshot 4 and 5 - sweeeet! This is looking better and better!

The first thing that comes to mind when I see them is some of the starting areas in Baldur's Gate 2(when trying to escape from Irenicus's stronghold/keep/prison). Imo they really look very similar to the 2D hand-painted artwork that was used in BG2 and IWD. Which is great.:D

[booboo]

Everything looks wet and shiny. Even the dog's fur. I can't wait to get to the next Next Gen graphics where fetishists haven't slathered petroleum jelly all over every surface, including the poor animals.

The Uncanny Valley yawns before me, and I yawn back.

Oh yeah baby! Bring on the petroleum jelly :biggrin: And there I was moaning about bloom ...hehe

[doctor_kaz]

Isometric combat looks great but that's only because nobody does it anymore. Other than that, the screens themselves look pretty ugly and outdated. The dungeons in NWN2 looked better and that's saying a lot since the game came out almost two years ago.

[danutz_plusplus]

Isometric combat looks great but that's only because nobody does it anymore. Other than that, the screens themselves look pretty ugly and outdated. The dungeons in NWN2 looked better and that's saying a lot since the game came out almost two years ago.

Ugly? Outdated? Better than NWN2? I completely disagree. DA looks a lot better than NWN2 imo. Just look at the detail on this (http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_1.jpg) screenshot, or this (http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_2.jpg) one. And I just love the atmosphere in this (http://dragonage.bioware.com/_commonext/images/dragonage/gallery/gallery_zoomer_exc_3.jpg) one. Plus the character is also very detailed.

The last two screenshots which feature the top-down camera also look really nice. And I still hold my opinion that they look better than NWN2. Actually NWN2 looked kinda meh imo. At least compared to what system requirements it had.