Game News Dragon Age semi-annual update

[Jim Kata]

Am I the only one who just can't seem to care the slightest for this game?

 

[Volourn]

Be quiet, coward. The Codex is many things; but cowardly is not one of them. Cowards don't belong on this Great Site tm.

COWARD.

 

[Shoelip]

Be quiet, coward. The Codex is many things; but cowardly is not one of them. Cowards don't belong on this Great Site tm.

COWARD.

Hey, Volourn learned a new insult!

 

[Sarvis]

Am I the only one who just can't seem to care the slightest for this game?

I'm kind of, sort of interested but not really. I'd be creaming my pants if it were turn based, but I've never managed to get through an RTwP game and that is enough to make me question it.

Well, ok... it kind of worked for NWN, but it had a different dynamic because there was no party.

 

[TheGreatGodPan]

Am I the only one who just can't seem to care the slightest for this game?

Well, me as well, but I'm basically just interested in AoD and interactive fiction at this point.

 

[Jed]

Am I the only one who just can't seem to care the slightest for this game?

Not interested in the least. I gave up on the BioWare-style "RPG" after NWN. I trudged through my little brother's copy of KotOR out of boredom. If *somehow* DA turns out to be a good game, and certain people with whom I share certain expectations of RPGs play it and say it's worth it, then I would be willing to give it a try.

But I've already been to the future and I know the game will get back-burnered until 2009, end up a shitty port of a console version, *and* suck on it's own merits. :D

 

[Shevek]

Man, Dragon Age is sounding great. This and NwN2 is pretty much all I have on my gaming mind right now. Kudos to Bio. From the looks of it, it may well be the swan song for the cRPG.

 

[Deacdo]

Am I the only one who just can't seem to care the slightest for this game?

Not interested in the least. I gave up on the BioWare-style "RPG" after NWN. I trudged through my little brother's copy of KotOR out of boredom. If *somehow* DA turns out to be a good game, and certain people with whom I share certain expectations of RPGs play it and say it's worth it, then I would be willing to give it a try.

But I've already been to the future and I know the game will get back-burnered until 2009, end up a shitty port of a console version, *and* suck on it's own merits. :D

Heh. Pretty much. I'm curious about the system and the mod possibilities. Bioware games sell well enough that it could be the next NWN for modders (since it is probably a long way off) and if it doesn't suck too badly modders will make a better RPG out of it than Bioware. Personally I think the single player game has no chance of being good (it just isn't the focus).

 

[Volourn]

"Personally I think the single player game has no chance of being good (it just isn't the focus)."

Youa re stupid. The focus for DA is the SP. Dumbass. They aren't even sure what form the toolset will be in; and it likely won't be as 'easy to use' as NWN's.

Idiot.

 

[OccupatedVoid]

Personally I think the single player game has no chance of being good (it just isn't the focus).

Are you suggesting they should make an MMO?
Also, do you have inside info we don't have yet?

 

[Llyranor]

I'm interested. I want to see what their new writers can do.

 

[sheek]

Since there's a dev here, I feel like touting my favored system of party. The members should be randomly generated NPCs you can recruit. The only limit is cost (you can't feed your children or yourself with stories about hanging out with The Chosen One). If an NPC dies, get a new one. Don't like some of them? Boot 'em out. You'll want to keep on old ones like in X-Com because they'll get better with experience. Sure, it will put a crimp in hand-crafted storylines involving the characters, but those always suck anyways.

100% agreement with that. A good, large pool of pregens is an alternative.

I don't care about every NPC having a unique story and background. A few, important to the plot, fine but I don't want to have to worry about every single one of my companions. Pointless dialogue, 'characterization' or 'cross-party banter' is unnecessary and boring. I want to go through by the dozens before the game is over.

One modification I'd make to TGGP's system is about recruitment. Brings up a 'Negotiation Screen ®'. Use a persuasion type skill, based on your level, fame/reputation, charisma, alignment whatever which you roll against to recruit them. Optionally add another modifier dependent on what stage of the main plot(s) you're at. If your next stage is the legendary Deathtrap Dungeon of Ultimate Evil they were sacred with as kids you'll need to offer higher rewards.

Second have each randomly generated NPC have its own motivations/conditions - some will want money, some adventure/EXP, fighting evil, acquiring 'glory' or whatever.

Third, add the length of time they want to stay with you... two weeks or until you reach a certain town (you go East instead of West from recruitment place they'll quit). Obviously add scripts so they only leave at convenient moment.

The idea is you play on what you can offer them through the NS ® to get the best possible deal.

Egs
A character promised money will take a share of the loot but no experience while the young fighter looking for adventure will take a greater share of EXP. A character who with a grudge against elves will start a renegotiation dialogue (recruitment conditions) if you sign up for a quest with the Elf King. Paladin dude will quit if you do bad shit. The NPC out for 'glory' will quit if you start exclusively doing FedEx quests and avoid the main plot(s). Etc

 

[TheGreatGodPan]

I immediately surrender my plans to your modifications. They are excellent.

 

[Shoelip]

Sounds kind of like you're asking for an RTS game.

 

[Zomg]

I think it might be cool to have a system where you have prewritten characters or storylines that "incarnate" in generated NPCs. Combine that with a few backgrounds and generalized quirks - for example, you recruit a generated ex-soldier who is veteran of some war in the setting, comes from urban laborer stock, et cetera, and after some trigger (amount of time used, a close fight, the character accumulates a certain amount of money, etc.) he gets some short storylines to flesh him out as an actual character. Not typical Bioware party drama, that's too specific, but maybe he asks to go somewhere for a personal reason, or he makes an investment, or whatever, but have it reveal personality.

 

[Admiral Rimjob POOBUM]

I'm interested. I want to see what their new writers can do.

Write, hopefully, but from experience... I doubt it.

 

[TheGreatGodPan]

Sounds kind of like you're asking for an RTS game.

In an RTS you are restricted to a certain area and all you really did is defeat the enemy to take over the map. I want something like X-Com (a strategy game, though not real time) that features more than just fighting the opposing army. I also want my own character to be distinct from any hangers-on, and I'm not so keen on controlling them.

 

[Shoelip]

I like these ideas, but I don't think they would be good for Dragon Age. They just aren't Bioware's style and even if they did consider them they might not implement them all that well. Someone should put them in some game though. Probably gonna have to be an indie.

 

[suibhne]

Those ideas would be great in some future title with well-developed possibilities for procedural content. Without the game itself being able to create complex interrelationships between procedurally-generated characters, tho, all this would do is give you a pool of bland recruitables with no pasts, no futures, and no ability to relate to each other. I think that's a step back from pre-gen NPCs or even from just creating them yourself at the beginning.

 

[TheGreatGodPan]

I don't want relationships between characters. Game designers suck at making them. I don't particularly care about the pasts of the characters either. Their history with me that I'll play through is what I'm interested in.

 

[Voss]

Watch what you wish for. You want a blank slate like that and you end up with sandbox shit like Oblivion.

 

[sheek]

Lol. Except nobody of any importance wil ever read this thread.

 

[TheGreatGodPan]

Watch what you wish for. You want a blank slate like that and you end up with sandbox shit like Oblivion.

I was operating under the assumption that you could have companions, which is not the case in Oblivion, which isn't even all that representative of solo RPGs.