Dragon Age 2 official announcement

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

Victor managed to hunt me down, and I wanted to clear up a few things with regards to what I'm seeing as the two major concerns on this thread.

First off, let's talk about the toolset issue. Obviously in this community there's going to be some concern that we wouldn't release a toolset, so let me clear the air a little: The tools we're using to make Dragon Age 2 are very, very close to the tools you guys have used to make your mods for DA:O. They're not identical, as we've made a few in-house improvements, but they're almost identical. As such, there isn't a new toolset to release, per se.

While we won't be releasing a toolset update in tandem with Dragon Age 2, we ARE investigating what it would take to update the community toolset to match ours, along with providing DA2 content in the future.

As to the subject of tactical view, I can confirm that we will not be doing a tactical view on consoles, though we are looking into some expanded party control that I think will make console players quite happy.

On the PC, however, we are still working with the camera to keep the key elements of the tactical experience there. I was actually playtesting some new camera code when Victor found me, in fact, so I can give you the latest news on that front.

While we likely won't pull as far up as we did in DA:O, I have always felt that the key to tactical play was actually freeing your camera from the character you're controlling to issue precise orders, which is what we're tuning now. So, this means you can still maneuver the camera around the battlefield and issue orders from a remote location, just as you could in Origins.

As you can probably tell from my phrasing, all of this is a bit in-flux right now, so things may change between now and ship, but I wanted to update you guys on the current direction of things.

[Sebastian]

The more they reveal about Dragon Age 2, the less I want it. I didn't even use the isometric view much (because you couldn't zoom out far enough) but it seems like another step in the wrong direction. It's almost as if they actually want to alienate fans of the first game (and their ealier games).

[Deluge]

The more they reveal about Dragon Age 2, the less I want it. I didn't even use the isometric view much (because you couldn't zoom out far enough) but it seems like another step in the wrong direction. It's almost as if they actually want to alienate fans of the first game (and their ealier games).

Agreed. I'll probably get it, since I want it to be good, but I'm becoming more and more wary the more I find out.

[Shaun Snow]

I'm of the opinion that while none of the things they're talking about including in the game sound bad exactly there seems to be disturbingly little continuity between this and the first game.

If we were talking of a completely new game franchise I'd be pretty hyped, I love Mass Effect and a fantasy version thereof would be great, but this is not a sequel to Dragon Age.

[WhiteHaven]

I'm of the opinion that while none of the things they're talking about including in the game sound bad exactly there seems to be disturbingly little continuity between this and the first game.

If we were talking of a completely new game franchise I'd be pretty hyped, I love Mass Effect and a fantasy version thereof would be great, but this is not a sequel to Dragon Age.

Well, they want to sell more copies of the game. The console version of DA:O was really bad. I think it's normal that they try to focus on the console-gameplay. It's sad, yes - but normal.

[Shaun Snow]

Well, they want to sell more copies of the game. The console version of DA:O was really bad. I think it's normal that they try to focus on the console-gameplay. It's sad, yes - but normal.

Agreed. I'm not even mad about it really. In fact I'll probably buy DA2 on day of release and I very rarely do that.

[Odie]

I totally agree with those saying they're alienating their fans and this truly isn't a sequel at all. And I've felt this way since the first day they started releasing info. I won't be buying this one, and if my gut is right and this becomes the prevailing tread of BiowEAre games, I'm pretty much writing them off forever.

Which really makes me sad 'cause I loved Origins. I wanted a sequel SO BAD. And look at what we're getting, and being told to suck it up. Sorry BiowEAre. I have better things to do with 60 bucks.

[Ratatoskr]

Looks like the overhead isometric style view will be gone for the PC version. No toolset, too, although there weren't any good mods for DA:O anyway so that might not be much of a loss.

Source

I am losing all interest in this game.

This sucks. I play DA:O almost exclusively in isometric view. I can't imagine doing proper positioning in combat otherwise.

[HP Loveshaft]

What are they doing. The first game you could basically play like Baldur's Gate, it was wonderful. I don't understand what they're doing at all. Why even bother calling this Dragon Age 2.

[HP Loveshaft]

After looking through the thread linked, it looks like this isn't entirely true. Here's a post from one of the devs:

Hey folks,

Victor managed to hunt me down, and I wanted to clear up a few things with regards to what I'm seeing as the two major concerns on this thread.

First off, let's talk about the toolset issue. Obviously in this community there's going to be some concern that we wouldn't release a toolset, so let me clear the air a little: The tools we're using to make Dragon Age 2 are very, very close to the tools you guys have used to make your mods for DA:O. They're not identical, as we've made a few in-house improvements, but they're almost identical. As such, there isn't a new toolset to release, per se.

While we won't be releasing a toolset update in tandem with Dragon Age 2, we ARE investigating what it would take to update the community toolset to match ours, along with providing DA2 content in the future.

As to the subject of tactical view, I can confirm that we will not be doing a tactical view on consoles, though we are looking into some expanded party control that I think will make console players quite happy.

On the PC, however, we are still working with the camera to keep the key elements of the tactical experience there. I was actually playtesting some new camera code when Victor found me, in fact, so I can give you the latest news on that front.

While we likely won't pull as far up as we did in DA:O, I have always felt that the key to tactical play was actually freeing your camera from the character you're controlling to issue precise orders, which is what we're tuning now. So, this means you can still maneuver the camera around the battlefield and issue orders from a remote location, just as you could in Origins.

As you can probably tell from my phrasing, all of this is a bit in-flux right now, so things may change between now and ship, but I wanted to update you guys on the current direction of things.

Mike..

[Fez]

Why even bother calling this Dragon Age 2.

Well I do know that BioWare talked about how they already created the entire IP that Dragon Age was in, and that it was much, much larger than the area seen or talked about in the game. Furthermore there were plans for numerous games, books, comics, etc. to be set in the IP, with Dragon Age just being the first. So while I am disappointed by the (possible) lack of story continuity, the fact that gameplay might be very different doesn't bother me since the way I see it, its only being called Dragon Age so people know that its in the same IP. In the future there could be straight up first-person shooters, Oblivion-style rpgs, strategy games, etc. all called Dragon Age: something.

The canceled Starcraft: Ghost would've been nothing like the main starcraft games, but still had the same name.

[Darkostar]

Yeah, they've said that the main character is Thedas, not any specific person.

[Merentha]

You know, I'd be totally okay with the planned PC isometric view. Zoomed in more but with a camera unbound? One of my biggest frustrations with the DAO iso view was that the camera was bound to the person you were controlling, which occasionally meant you'd be shot at from areas you couldn't see.

[Tobin]

The more I hear, the more I cry a little inside -

I'll probably get the game anyway because I'm a total completist and still have some hope - but I don't think I'll be rushing to the store as early as I would have.

[HP Loveshaft]

Well I do know that BioWare talked about how they already created the entire IP that Dragon Age was in, and that it was much, much larger than the area seen or talked about in the game. Furthermore there were plans for numerous games, books, comics, etc. to be set in the IP, with Dragon Age just being the first. So while I am disappointed by the (possible) lack of story continuity, the fact that gameplay might be very different doesn't bother me since the way I see it, its only being called Dragon Age so people know that its in the same IP. In the future there could be straight up first-person shooters, Oblivion-style rpgs, strategy games, etc. all called Dragon Age: something.

The canceled Starcraft: Ghost would've been nothing like the main starcraft games, but still had the same name.

If they called it Dragon Age: Hawke, I wouldn't have an issue with all of the changes. The problem is they are calling it Dragon Age 2. The 2 makes me think it should have similar gameplay to the first, not some weird game that only cosmetically resembles the first.

[Lightsnake]

Where're some of these instances when Gaider acts like a dick, by the by?

[Week]

Wow, this thread is just 100% nerd rage. Get a grip. Origins wasn't as good as you think nor will the sequel be as bad as you probably think.

[Mackaxx]

As for the POV issues, I played through the console version myself. With the difficulty upped as well, which really was kinda pointless achievement wise but anyway. The over the shoulder zoomed out just fine and it was quite simple to get your 'combat positioning' right. Would a mouse be better, yep, but was this as horrific and people claim. Not at all.

The thing that gave me the irrits the most with the POV was the face that you kept bumping into invisible walls whilst running about, not a problem when the PC pathfinds for you I guess.

Anyway, would a mouse work better for mass effect 2? Definitely not. If DA2 goes for somethign like this then it's going to be much more fun.

For a long time there due to techical limitations RPGs really showed their table top origins. Its strange that the more we move away from clunky dice rolls, stop, direct pause gameplay and more toward the free flowing real worlk stuff the RPGs were trying to emulate, the more people bitch.

THe weird thing is with all this rageing is that the origins was pretty flawed anyway, not some classic to get all fired up about by any means.

[Max the Mostly Mediocre]

After looking through the thread linked, it looks like this isn't entirely true. Here's a post from one of the devs:

....

[Tobin]

You know....I'm feeling a little....better....

DA2: Destiny Trailer

Probably just the swordstaff envy talking though...