Game News Dragon Age Preview on computerandvideogames.com

[JarlFrank]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age

There's a preview of Bioware's game Dragon Age which is in development right now [seems not to be vapourware after all] at computerandvideogames.com
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Hence Dragon Age's entirely new world of Ferelden, custom-written to emphasise the bleakness of existence. In the world of Dragon Age, magic is dangerous and weird, magic users feared, and the consequences of great spells still being felt by a downtrodden and broken populace. Gone are the D&D cliches: the flick-of-a-wrist fireball, the saving throw. In comes inter-species tension, religious hatred, and good old fashioned betrayal. </blockquote>
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Even though it doesn't have "enslaving nations with necromancy" listed as one of its features, the world sounds pretty interesting, and maybe Bioware manage to pull it off.
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<blockquote> Consider the elves: tall, slender, smarter, almost idealised humans in most fantasy. In Dragon Age, they're nothing of the sort: in Dragon Age they're terrorists or freedom fighters, depending on who you talk to. </blockquote>
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Sounds suspiciously similar to The Witcher in some aspects, though.
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Just follow the link below to read the full article.
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Thanks for the news to <strong>Suicidal</strong>.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=179021">computerandvideogames.com</A>

 

[Jora]

Consider the elves: tall, slender, smarter, almost idealised humans in most fantasy. In Dragon Age, they're nothing of the sort: in Dragon Age they're terrorists or freedom fighters, depending on who you talk to.

What's this usual fantasy people keep referring to? Hell, even Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance have elves that fit that description.

 

[CrimsonAngel]

Or the Witcher.

 

[doctor_kaz]

The "terrorists or freedom fighters!?" choice looks like it's on the verge of becoming an annoying RPG cliche. It's blatantly "ripped from the headlines" and usually a ham-fisted attempt to manufacture a moral dilemna. Deus Ex was the only game that I have seen that did this well. Even The Witcher didn't implement it in a way that was very satisfying to me.

 

[Mithter Thibbs]

1. Can't believe some of you clowns are still alluding to "vaporware" with this title.

2. Can't believe some of you clowns are still referring to a FAQ that's not only years out of date but well over a year removed from the Dragon Age section of the web site. If that's where you people are drawing your impressions from the game -- nonexistant information -- it's no wonder you don't know what you're talking about.

3. "Standard Elves" are, as mentioned, Tall, Beautiful, Idealized Humans... with ears of varying pointiness. Naturally, for any geek worth the name, there will be more "variety", but when the witless masses think Elf, what do you think comes to mind? Legolas. That's it. Not Feral Elves, not Dark Elves, Legolas. Your typical, Tolkeinian Elf.

Oh, and the Forgotten Realms has everything. It's one of the things that the pundits here like to whip out and bemoan every so often. Hardly a revelation, then, that DA should have something that sounds similar.

 

[doctor_kaz]

1. Can't believe some of you clowns are still alluding to "vaporware" with this title.

Why? Bioware announced that they were working on a new IP five and a half years ago and we have yet to see anything of substance on it at all.

 

[Saxon1974]

1. Can't believe some of you clowns are still alluding to "vaporware" with this title.

Why? Bioware announced that they were working on a new IP five and a half years ago and we have yet to see anything of substance on it at all.

Agree, I hope it's not vaporware, but there sure hasn't been much info on the game in and it has been announced for a very long time. The EA buy out doesn't help either.

Maybe what they are doing know is converting the game to a more console friendly format to be released for the kiddie masses.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

As a somewhat Bioware fan (loved NWN, KOTOR and JE) I too hope Dragon Age won't be vaporware, but the prospects of this game coming out within the next few years aren't good.

 

[Lumpy]

Wait, there's an entire race of freedom fighters?

 

[doctor_kaz]

Maybe what they are doing know is converting the game to a more console friendly format to be released for the kiddie masses.

I think that it's more likely that Bioware has never put serious resources into the game because they decided to focus on Jade Empire and Mass Effect instead.

 

[Kingston]

Where's Warden?

 

[Jasede]

Holy shit, posters with an old registration date ARE better.

 

[yns88]

Wait, there's an entire race of freedom fighters?

Quoted for motherfucking truth. While this trend is a giant leap forward for Bioware and cRPGs as a whole, I'd still prefer to have different species that are minimized in count and maximized in diversity. But perhaps it's several years too early to be making this argument. We must wait for this trend to get stale and cliched in RPGs first, then we can move on.

Also Bioware, plz keep your word and make majicks truly rare kthx.

 

[Volourn]

"Sounds suspiciously similar to The Witcher in some aspects, though."

Nah. Not more than any other game, movie, book, or whatnot.


"Wait, there's an entire race of freedom fighters?"

Previewer = Dumb


It doesn't even udnerstand that Feralden is not the world.

 

[Annonchinil]

If the races are actually different is racism more justfied?

Anyways why do people bemoan EA purchase of Bioware? Out of all the major publishers, other than perhaps THQ they release the most PC exlusive titles. Be glad that its not someone like UBIsoft

 

[Binary]

Anyways why do people bemoan EA purchase of Bioware?

EA aquisitions tend to do serious damage to brilliant RPG series. Main example: Origin.

 

[yns88]

Your main example wasn't fucking Ultima? wut.

 

[CrimsonAngel]

I most admit i still have hopes that this will be good becaus we can always use more good RPG's.

 

[elander_]

" Meanwhile, potions are simply excised from the game entirely, alongside healing spells. To get through a tricky fight, you'll need to rely on your wits, not a backpack full of red bottles."

Nobody makes an crpg without tons of healing potions. This game will most likely fail if it ever gets to be sold.

 

[aweigh]

The no-healing approach could work if the game was turn-based, otherwise bio's typical real-time monster-lawnmowing approach will have no room for such design decisions.

 

[NiM82]

They've probably just renamed potions to "bandages"

 

[Psycroptic]

It'll probably be something like, "Warrior needs food, badly." Then you have a ham sandwich and regain half your HP.

 

[Jaime Lannister]

Where's Warden?

Where's Waldo?

"Even if all the world is against you, you will have love, and friends that stand by you."

Yay subpar romance plots!

 

[kris]

3. "Standard Elves" are, as mentioned, Tall, Beautiful, Idealized Humans... with ears of varying pointiness. Naturally, for any geek worth the name, there will be more "variety", but when the witless masses think Elf, what do you think comes to mind? Legolas. That's it. Not Feral Elves, not Dark Elves, Legolas. Your typical, Tolkeinian Elf.

Tall is questionable, not even your example Legolas was/is particulary tall and he comes from the Tolkien wood elves, the ones least idealized. I believe the only common theme you can find when it comes to elves is that they are beautiful, that eternal youth and beauty is if anything their common theme. More than Idealised, i'd say the common perception is that they are "good guys".

 

[Suicidal]

I'm not sure why, but I think in a few years time, the "opressed freedom fighter" elves will become just as big of an RPG cliche as "tolkienesque" elves up to the point of all the cliche haters begging to have the "old" elves back in fantasy RPGs.

Also, speaking of stereotypical races, why aren't the dwarves ever changing?
In just about every fantasy RPG/movie/book I've played/watched/read dwarves always match the following criterias:
-Live in underground cities
-Have beards they can sweep the floor with
-Are greedy and grumpy
-Have a Scottish-like accent
-Don't have much liking for other races (especially elves) but help them or ally with them if need be
-Prefer steel and technology to magic
-Are expert blacksmiths, miners, etc...
-Did I miss anything?
In other words, are always exactly the same.