Dragon Age - Details @ Eurogamer

Release date said to be early next year and other tidbits.

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.

Full press release.

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.

Originally Posted by 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.

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…

"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.

I thought BG2 somewhat fit that description.

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.

Originally Posted by Holly Avenger
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.

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.

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……

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

Originally Posted by Morbus
I take it they are using version 4 of D&D?

AFAIK they're not licensing any existing rule set.

http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/arti…4005226759.jpg looks cool

Originally Posted by Morbus
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.

Originally Posted by Dagon
http://pcmedia.ign.com/pc/image/arti…4005226759.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.

Originally Posted by zakhal
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

Originally Posted by zakhal
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.

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.

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

Originally Posted by doctor_kaz
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.