Dragon Age 3 - Artist Praises Frostbite 2

BioWare artist Neil Thompson has told OXM UK he was disappointed with how Dragon Age 1 and 2 looked but the new Frostbite 2 engine looks "stunningly beautiful":

The Dragon Age artists were always slightly disappointed at how their work was visualised in the final product with Eclipse, but with Frostbite, they've just done some amazing stuff," he went on.
"There was a pre-production period where almost on a weekly basis I'd be sitting in the environment reviews and being blown away by what was coming out - it looks stunningly beautiful. So I think when we do start releasing screenshots, people won't be disappointed."
In Thompson's view, companion series Mass Effect is "the perfect example of a game that transcends its technology", using skilled visual design to hide or make a point of the limitations of the engine. By the sounds of it, Dragon Age 3's art direction is similarly ambitious.

"Can you make fantasy beautiful in a different way? We think we have something special for Dragon Age 3: Inquisition," he mused, adding that the game will shun the "subdued colour palette and harsh brown feel" typical of much current fantasy media.

More information.

I've always wondered why RPGs have to be so drab and brown…

The most important part of that interview is:

We think we have something special for Dragon Age 3: Inquisition," he mused, adding that the game will shun the "subdued colour palette and harsh brown feel" typical of much current fantasy media.

The game won't look at all like DAO that almost introduced the concept of brown, light brown, red brown and more brown when it come to the color palette.

Well, that should make Alric happy.

Between this and increased customization, aesthetics certainly seem to be a high priority for Dragon Age 3.

Mmm… we'll see. I'm all for marvelous graphics, but, by itself, a great look does not make a game great.

This is a thinly veiled news announcement about a news announcement…

Originally Posted by Dhruin
BioWare artist Neil Thompson has told OXM UK he was disappointed with how Dragon Age 1 and 2 looked but the new Frostbite 2 engine looks "stunningly beautiful":
More information.

Great jab at your programmer colleagues (who develloped the inhouse eclipse engine)!

If they want Dragon Age 3 to be a success they should be less woried about the engine and worry more about the underlying concept and guard for repetitive leveldesign.

Originally Posted by jwmeep
Well, that should make Alric happy.

Yes, I guess so.

After happily playing Star Wars Battlefront 1 (still the only shooter i play), I finally bought Star Wars Bttlefront 2, sarted it, - and thought : "What colourless shit is THAT ???"

On the other hand World Of Warcraft looks too colourful to me. Well, colourfulness isn't bad as such, but combined with its "comic-like look", it is something I just can't stand.

"Beyond God & Evil is imho one of the few gmes that made it - imho - right : Combining both colourfullness with no-so-bright colours within in-game enviroments.

Of all recent RPGs, Drakensang met my "need for colourfulness" to the greatest extend - which was one of several factors which made me becoming a fan of the short-lived series.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Yes, I guess so.

After happily playing Star Wars Battlefront 1 (still the only shooter i play), I finally bought Star Wars Bttlefront 2, sarted it, - and thought : "What colourless shit is THAT ???"

On the other hand World Of Warcraft looks too colourful to me. Well, colourfulness isn't bad as such, but combined with its "comic-like look", it is something I just can't stand.

"Beyond God & Evil is imho one of the few gmes that made it - imho - right : Combining both colourfullness with no-so-bright colours within in-game enviroments.

Of all recent RPGs, Drakensang met my "need for colourfulness" to the greatest extend - which was one of several factors which made me becoming a fan of the short-lived series.

BTW have you played a game called outcast? ( http://www.gog.com/gamecard/outcast ) Imo one of the best use of vivid and lush colour palette. Everything in that game feels organic and like from an other world Graphics look a bit dated now, but imo the game feels gorgeus still in it's own way.

Judge for yourself: http://dakkster.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/364.jpg

I wouldn't guess While reading news and spotting some comments, that the major discussion here will be about da kolor paleta xD

For me this whole hype (its starting to be that) about graphics is a bad sign. Most of us hadn't complaints about visuals in DA2 - it was the gameplay, rush etc.
For the first info about DA3 I would like characterisation of game mechanics, plot, new 'awesome' elements, INFO ABOUT RPG elements!

I want to know wheter they move forward with their sense of evolution (please God, no!) or the return to roots.
For those who do not know what BW evolution is, please let me explain:
.e. sidequests: Baldurs: conversation->background->mix of fights and talking.
then DA:O hell with talking - here you got THE QUESTBAGS!
and finally DA2 - questbags are tiresome, you have to read [sic!] infos on a board, so here: we give you an object on the ground and hey! in city there is a fellow who accidently lost it and is very happy you have found it!

I want to know asap if they go on with this evolution - because if yes I will be free from watching every other news about this game

Dragon Age 3 - Artist Is Forced to Praise Frostbite 2 Because That's What EA Wants

I really hate these kinds of claims, even if they totally make sense. One should remain objective when he is explaining his own work. You've done something amazing? Great. Publish it and let others judge. I mean every time I hear or read main-stream developers interviews, they constantly use words like cool, awesome, etc to describe different aspect of their works. It's like if they don't, they get fired or something.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Of all recent RPGs, Drakensang met my "need for colourfulness" to the greatest extend - which was one of several factors which made me becoming a fan of the short-lived series.

Drakensang is on my list. I also notice they made a sequel, but don't see it available anywhere, the original is on Steam. I played some of the realms of Arkania games in days of yore.

Originally Posted by Dez
BTW have you played a game called outcast? ( http://www.gog.com/gamecard/outcast ) Imo one of the best use of vivid and lush colour palette. Everything in that game feels organic and like from an other world Graphics look a bit dated now, but imo the game feels gorgeus still in it's own way.

Judge for yourself: http://dakkster.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/364.jpg

Outcast is still on my "have to play" list.

Right now I'm happily playing SWTOR, which basically has the colour palette I like, too.

Originally Posted by Roq
Drakensang is on my list. I also notice they made a sequel, but don't see it available anywhere, the original is on Steam. I played some of the realms of Arkania games in days of yore.

That's because the distribution of Drakensang 2 was quite [zensored].

Currently Drakensang 2 : The River Of Time is in Steam's "Greenlight" process.

It is imho superior in nearly every aspect to the first Drakensang game.

Drakensang Online, by the way, only has brand name + assets, but no TDE license.
It is owned by Bigpoint, an online games firm/company.
They bought the developers (Radon Labs") of both Drakensang games when they went into insolvency.
Bernd Beyreuther, the chief of Radon Labs, once said to me that too few people bought Drakensang 2. And considering how bad the international distribution of it was, I'm sure he was right. Radon Labs NEEDED good international saled for the firm's survival - but because the international distribution was not really working, they never got what they needed (in terms of money).
So they went into insolvency, Bigpoint bought them, the rest is history.

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
So they went into insolvency, Bigpoint bought them, the rest is history.

No, RadonLabs is no more. Some of the employees were hired by Bigpoint - not the studio.

AFAIK the financial inability of DTP (went belly up some time later) of prefinancing another TDE game finished them off.

@Topic
I hate this. AFAIK Frostbite 2 is DX10+ only. I won't go Win7 before 1/1/14, so I cannot play it. Made the mistake with KRATER, won't fail again.

Originally Posted by Roq
Drakensang is on my list. I also notice they made a sequel, but don't see it available anywhere, the original is on Steam. I played some of the realms of Arkania games in days of yore.

Yeah, loved the look of the Drakensang series. All the small touches were very nice, like the swirling leaves on the stream in Avestrue or the turbulent river in Nadoret.

I picked up "Drakensang: Complete Saga", which includes all three releases on physical media. But I believe you can purchase a download for "River of Time" separately.

Originally Posted by rjshae
Yeah, loved the look of the Drakensang series. All the small touches were very nice, like the swirling leaves on the stream in Avestrue or the turbulent river in Nadoret.

I picked up "Drakensang: Complete Saga", which includes all three releases on physical media. But I believe you can purchase a download for "River of Time" separately.

Thanks a bunch - that was a really good tip. Found the Complete saga on Amazon (no less) and couldn't click the buttons fast enough for fear they would discontinue it before my order got through . Also the saga is the same price as just the original game on steam…

Originally Posted by Alrik Fassbauer
Currently Drakensang 2 : The River Of Time is in Steam's "Greenlight" process.

It is imho superior in nearly every aspect to the first Drakensang game.

Drakensang Online, by the way, only has brand name + assets, but no TDE license.
It is owned by Bigpoint, an online games firm/company.
They bought the developers (Radon Labs") of both Drakensang games when they went into insolvency.
Bernd Beyreuther, the chief of Radon Labs, once said to me that too few people bought Drakensang 2. And considering how bad the international distribution of it was, I'm sure he was right. Radon Labs NEEDED good international saled for the firm's survival - but because the international distribution was not really working, they never got what they needed (in terms of money).
So they went into insolvency, Bigpoint bought them, the rest is history.

Good Info - Many of those RPGs had distribution problems, remember it was the same with realms of Arkania.

I also remember that my copy of Wizardry 8 (one of the best RPGs of all time IMOP) came with a white paper manual because (I think) Sirtech, couldn't find a publisher and could not even afford the art work…

Originally Posted by azarhal
The most important part of that interview is:



The game won't look at all like DAO that almost introduced the concept of brown, light brown, red brown and more brown when it come to the color palette.

Would have to disagree with you there. I would say the whole point of the interview — especially since he's talking about art work and colour palettes without actually providing screenshots — is that "artist was disappointed with [past games] but thinks [upcoming game which you haven't made up your mind about yet] will be beautiful."

Is no more than the standard "attempt to draw back people who were disappointed with what came before by promising something different" interview.

This is one of those pieces where the phrase "put up or shut up" keeps running through my head. I don't want some artist to wax eloquent about how pretty the game is: just show me. It's not hard to do on the internet.

Am just surprised that they chose to waste such an interview on graphics when it'll be obvious from the very first screenshot whether those graphics appeal or not. I'd have thought they'd do it with an aspect of the game that doesn't come across 100% through a screenshot, like level or quest design; something for which I'd have to take them at their word until buying the game and playing it. (unless this is an attempt to mitigate Bioware's recent "Bullshit PR" reputation as well: "Artist says it's pretty… it IS pretty! WOW! They spoke true! We can believe EVERYTHING they say, now!")

(boy, did THAT ever come across as being cynical…. sorry. Still, it's true where BW is concerned these days, so… will leave it up)

Ah well. Hype hype hype, and all of it counts, I suppose. Gets the name out there again, and that's all that matters, eh?