Dragon Age - Tutorial Video 3 (German)

The third tutorial video in German of Dragon Age shows game menus that gives a lot of information about the user interface. Even for non-Germans this video can be really informative.

More information.

OK, this may seem rather mundane, but what a neat friggin GUI idea at 2 min 20 sec. I hope I see more of this type of creativity. Now, why, oh why, can't someone do this exact review in English? Is it ever too early to start the hype? All right, I am only somewhat serious about that part. But I do get all geeked out over an in depth character interface system.

It does appear to be a very well designed user interface for the PC and not a simple copy from the XBox 360 interface, which makes me wonder a bit how well they will be able to get equal functionality on that platform.
And yes it is even more informative if you can understand German.

Looks rather nice and functional. Sorta like a more streamlined NWN2 version.

Very nice interface indeed. I just wish the font can be changed.

Any idea if the inventory can be accessed while in battle? I mean can you switch equipment in mid battle?

The pc version was in development before the xbox 360 version so the gui was designed for the pc. Most companies just develop one interface and screw other platforms so I wouldn't be suprised if the console gui is simular.

The three German videos have been very good. There is usually a long indepth look at gameplay and trying out features.

They must have RPG fans doing their marketing. Or RPGs might be quite popular there.

only one bar?

i use 8 in WoW!

Yes, RPGs are fairly popular in Germany. Both the Gothic Games as well as the game 'Drakensang' have sold fairly well in Germany, I think?

Is it me or does this game visually look like Oblivion and Fallout 3?

RPGs are indeed very popular here. I suppose DACH is the world's 2nd most important market for PC RPGs, behind North America.

Gothic 2, Night of the Raven and Gothic 3 were no.1 hits. Drakensang too. Bethesda's games, many Bioware games (but not all of them) and The Witcher also sold very well.

A bit LTTP, but… nice! That's a very slick and usable-looking interface, and going by it the game sure as hell doesn't look "dumbed-down" in any meaningful sense of the word. I like the way the quickslots can be expanded, and the inventory looks like it could well be possibly the best one in any party-based cRPG yet.

Yep-o, I'm starting to like this again. And all they had to do was shut up Marilyn Manson and actually show off the game.

Originally Posted by Prime Junta
and the inventory looks like it could well be possibly the best one in any party-based cRPG yet.

Really?

It's a shared inventory. Meaning, a party memeber standing 1 km away from the other can quaff the same potion. No more worries about who you give potions to..

It doesn't have any weight or volume limit. It only has a limit on the numer of items you can carry in your inventory, which is very high. This limit is imposed due to engine limitations as to not let the player accidentally prolong his loading times by a few seconds. But 99 same armors or swords, for example, count as 1 item.

Originally Posted by Tan
Really?

It's a shared inventory. Meaning, a party memeber standing 1 km away from the other can quaff the same potion. No more worries about who you give potions to..

I was referring to the user interface, not the limitations or lack thereof.

In fact, I didn't catch anything about limitations, other than that it was a party inventory. Given the fact that all BioWare games to date (and most party-based cRPG's) have had the functional equivalent of a party inventory, since you could "toss" stuff from character to character exactly as easily as if they were in your own inventory to start with, all this does is streamline the process; it doesn't affect actual gameplay the least bit.

Whether ridiculously big inventories that allow you to lug along multiple suits of full plate armor are a good thing is another question, but like it or not, they've been a feature of party-based cRPG's since they even existed.

Well it seems a lot more realistic to me if one party member at least has to give someone a potion before they can use it. Very disappointed to hear about the shared inventory…

Sure, it's a matter of preferences after all. Although, I must admit that inventory management is one the gameplay elements I care/worry about the least.
I'm more worried about the combat mechanics, e.g. lightning fast regeneration of hp and stamina/mana outside of combat, stamina/mana reg. during combat and sensible balance of various fighting styles - which, I think, is something bioware will fail achieving. But that's another topic.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Well it seems a lot more realistic to me if one party member at least has to give someone a potion before they can use it. Very disappointed to hear about the shared inventory…

It would be, if it actually entailed *doing* something -- e.g., running up to the character and giving the potion. But it doesn't work like this in any of the games we're considering -- you pop open the inventory, grab a potion, and drag it on the target's portrait, and ZING! the target drinks it, with nobody having to move.

I would very much like to play a game with a more realistic inventory -- carry limits determined by what real people can actually carry; having to drop your pack when the fighting starts (or getting hit by massive penalties for the extra encumbrance), with a consequence of not being able to reach the stuff that's in the pack; no digging through the pack in mid-combat either, with only items in pockets, belt slots or similar being accessible; not being able to magically transfer stuff between party members. That sort of thing.

It's clear that DA isn't that game. In fact, I can't think of any party-based cRPG that works remotely like this. All of them are based on the fiction of an absurdly big inventory and the ability to do stuff to stuff that's not really physically possible if you think about it too hard. The party inventory just takes out some extra clicks from this fiction. IMO that's a clear improvement.

Originally Posted by Tan
Sure, it's a matter of preferences after all. Although, I must admit that inventory management is one the gameplay elements I care/worry about the least.
I'm more worried about the combat mechanics, e.g. lightning fast regeneration of hp and stamina/mana outside of combat, stamina/mana reg. during combat and sensible balance of various fighting styles - which, I think, is something bioware will fail achieving. But that's another topic.

Any particular reason you think BioWare will fail in this respect? I'm pretty optimistic about it myself -- after all, that sort of thing is their bread and butter; they've been doing it since there WAS a BioWare.

Have to agree with Tan here. The inventory in BG2 wasn't perfect, but it worked well, and was a hell of a lot more realistic than what DA seems to be.

Other than when characters were miles away (say, a thief scouting ahead), I don't recall ever having to think about character's swapping items, either. In most cases, the other chars were essentially pack mules for when the main char was full. Given that - and until a game includes pack limitations as an integral part of the gameplay - the difference is meaningless and a shared inventory is actually a step forward by recognising the reality of the gameplay.

Originally Posted by Prime Junta
I would very much like to play a game with a more realistic inventory -- carry limits determined by what real people can actually carry; having to drop your pack when the fighting starts (or getting hit by massive penalties for the extra encumbrance), with a consequence of not being able to reach the stuff that's in the pack; no digging through the pack in mid-combat either, with only items in pockets, belt slots or similar being accessible; not being able to magically transfer stuff between party members. That sort of thing.

(..)I can't think of any party-based cRPG that works remotely like this.

The legendary Realms of Arkania trilogy comes to mind. Limited inventory space, movement penalties for encumbrance; equiping another weapon, drinking potions or even getting them out of the inventory during combat took up action points just like any other action, IIRC. Of course, the RoA games were turnbased, but I guess those things could probably work just as well in real-time, if the combat system was designed with it in mind.

As for a shared inventory, I agree that if individual inventories aren't integral to the gameplay, it doesn't really matter either way. But still … "unified ammo," anyone? Where's the diversity in that?