Dragon Age - Preview @ Kotaku

Kotaku serves up a preview of Dragon Age from a demo of Red Cliffs (see the videos linked recently), with coverage of the relationship system and a detailed account of the battle. Here's a bit on that relationship system:

BioWare didn't confirm or deny the depth of the relationship system in the game (e.g. we do know that you can have more than one relationship at a time, but we don't know if homosexual relationships are possible for both genders). They did insist that it was "classy" and highlighted a new gift system where you have to find out what characters like and give them those things to raise their approval rating. For example, Morrigan likes jewelry, but she doesn't like rocks; she will take a rock if you give it to her, but you have to load her up with trinkets to get a spike in her approval rating. Sounds like a dating sim, really – but if jewelry is what it takes to bump Morrigan's approval up enough to unlock her best spells (or at the very least keep her from turning on me), then so be it.

…and an interesting bit on the status the console control schemes:

It all sounds very spiffy – and given BioWare's track record, there's no reason to doubt that they can inject new life into a hackneyed genre with decent writing and voice acting. But I'm worried about the challenge of getting this experience on console intact. When I sat down to this demo, Laidlaw admitted that they hadn't even tested a controller scheme yet – not a good sign. At best, we'll get a clunky controller system that doesn't do as easily what the PC version does (think The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion). In the worst case, they'll have to actually change the game, cutting things from the console release or dumbing-down the PC version altogether.

More information.

It's starting to sound a little like a fable clone.

Originally Posted by Nathanyl
It's starting to sound a little like a fable clone.

That's what I thought reading the first quote… Fable oh dear.

Wake me up in November, if the console versions haven't pushed the PC version even further

a dumbdowned game, then a no buy.
regardless, i do have fate in bioware.

I hope there will be someone who likes rocks.

Originally Posted by ikbenrichard
a dumbdowned game, then a no buy.
regardless, i do have fate in bioware.

Dude, what? Did you just return from a trip to the coffee shop or what?

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Dude, what? Did you just return from a trip to the coffee shop or what?

Don't we all have fate in Bioware? Usually, our fate is that we are the chosen ones who save the world in every Bioware game . At least Jade Empire told me so about one hundred times during my recent playthrough. If that isn't fate enough, I don't know .

Still…..trying…..to hope…..

Anyway I just hope they won't screw this up.

a new gift system

This has me worried a bit. I mean, I hope this doesn't screw up anything in the "decisions and consequences" department.

The battle system, on the other hand, sounds promising!

For the romance quest, you probably have to lay a string of earrings, bracelets and necklace to the bedroom.

At best, we'll get a clunky controller system that doesn't do as easily what the PC version does (think The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion).

Ah… wha??? How can Oblivion be an example of a game where the console interface was hampered by anything about the PC version?!?

Originally Posted by hackbod
Ah… wha??? How can Oblivion be an example of a game where the console interface was hampered by anything about the PC version?!?

I don't know either. I always thought Oblivion's PC control scheme suffered from consolitis.

Yeah, but that's not what he is complaining about. He wants consolitis - he's worried they've focused on the PC and the console interface may not be as good.

Which makes Oblivion a rather bad example.