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Didn't really understand what you said there Defiled.
But I think they said somewhere that this was the last DLC.
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Dragon Age: Origins
Started by
Caelumeg
, Oct 25 2008 07:10 PM
#261
Posted 10 September 2010 - 01:52 PM
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#262
Posted 30 September 2010 - 02:31 PM
Caelumeg
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(Much of this was taken directly from here, with some bits and pieces added by me. I'll update this post later to add new info as it comes out.)
So here it is: anything and EVERYTHING currently KNOWN about Dragon Age 2 (version 1.0)
Keep in mind: at the moment, the overall info we currently have about the game still sums up to very little. I'll try to keep this as clean and objective as possible. Everything here is confirmed fact and nothing more (I'm too lazy to source everything but rest assured they're all collected facts from interviews, the DA Wiki and the BW forums). Whatever is my own personal speculation will be highlighted in green so try not to take it at face value.
(MINOR DA:2 SPOILERS AND SOME ORIGINS SPOILERS HEREIN, BE WARNED.)
GENERAL
1. DA2 will be released on March 8th, 2011 (in North America) and March 11th, 2011 (in Europe).
2. DA2 will be a single-player only game. (No talks have been made about a Toolset like in DA:O, yet.)
3. No special-edition releases have been confirmed, yet.
4. As in DA:O, there will be no "morality-meter" (good/evil).
5. Decisions made in DA:O WILL carry over to DA2 and have an impact on the world/story. (It has been mentioned that there may be a way to import those decisions across platforms too, however it hasn't been specified yet.)
6. As Witch Hunt has been released, there is no more DLC planned for Origins before DA2 is released.
7. The player's decision regarding Morrigan's Dark Ritual in Origins is not canon for DA2, nor is any other ending. CLARIFICATION: THAT IS TO SAY BioWare acknowledges this was the biggest single decision for the player to make in Origins and will not force a specific ending on the player.
There will be a default decision regarding the Dark Ritual for players who haven't played Origins - however, it will not be canon; "canon" would mean it's the same for everyone (much like BW decided to go with the 'Good' Jedi ending for KOTOR as they sat down to write The Old Republic later.)
8. There will still be an inventory.
9. The codex will not be voiced.
SETTING
1. DA2's story will span 10 years. (for comparison, DA:O spun roughly a year, maybe two.)
2. One of the major purposes for DA2 will be to get the player to know the world of Thedas better. (curious unrelated piece of trivia: "Thedas" is actually an acronym for "The Dragon Age Setting". It's true!)
3. Part of the story will overlap with the events of DA:O. The story begins shortly before the Darkspawn sacked Lothering in Origins.
4. Hawke escapes Lothering with "his family" and eventually makes his way to Kirkwall.
5. Kirkwall is located on the southern edge of the Vimmark Mountains, north of Ferelden, in a region known as the Free Marches.
6. Kirkwall is "quite a bit" larger than Denerim.
7. Hawke will also travel across other parts of the Free Marches.
8. There is still slavery in the Tevinter Imperium, mostly Elves, and it's a big part of their culture.
9. Kirkwall was once the center of slave trade in the Tevinter Imperium. There is an old quarry where slaves used to work. The area in and around that basin is called Low Town, and is populated by the poor. The area above the basin is called High Town and is home to the more wealthy.
10. Kirkwall is ruled by a Viscount named Dumar.
11. There is a race native to Par Vollen called the Fex.
12. Kirkwall has one of the largest Mage circles in Eastern Thedas, larger than the one in Ferelden. It is also "the center of Templar power in Eastern Thedas," and is host to a Templar army.
13. The Free Marches are a loosely-aligned collection of city-states. They have no common ruler except very rarely, and even then only temporarily, during times of crisis, such as during the New Exalted Marches against the Qunari. They have, on some occasions, banded together and cooperated to fight against a common enemy. Other than that, they often squabble amongst themselves.
14. The Free Marches and Ferelden are generally reasonably friendly, but due to the Blight and droves of Fereldan refugees, there is some tension between Free Marchers and Fereldans, and refugees (including Hawke) are often treated with dismissiveness or disdain.
15. It is revealed in DA2 that most Qunari are actually horned; that is why ogres are also horned.
16. Qunari that are born without horns are not treated as defects. On the contrary, it is considered "special" as these Qunari are meant for a special purpose in Qunari society such as Ben-Hassrath (Qunari tasked with enforcing religious law) or as envoys to other races (Sten falls under this category.)
17. Some Qunari betray their beliefs and remove their own horns (as in the case of Armass from Awakening), however the exact reason for this is still unclear.
18. Darkspawn are still enemies in DA2; however, without an archdemon, they're different, and far less of a threat than during a Blight.
ABOUT HAWKE
1. The main character's surname is Hawke.
2. Male Hawke's default first name is Garrett, can be changed by the player.
3. Female Hawke's default first name is Marian, can be changed by the player.
4. Hawke can be male or female.
5. Hawke is human. While the race cannot be changed, Hawke's appearance is fully customizable.
6. Hawke will be voiced.
7. Hawke survived "the Blight".
8. Hawke is known as "the Champion of Kirkwall".
9. Hakwe's mother's maiden name is Amell, and her side of the family is nobility and lives in Kirkwall. The "Hawke" family name is not nobility.
10. Hawke is not related to Andraste, Flemeth, or Maric.
12. Hawke's father was an apostate mage, and tutored Bethany (and Hawke if he is a mage) in magic.
13. Morrigan is NOT Hawke's mother; Hawke is NOT the "god baby".
14. "Hawke can, indeed, be a mage."
15. All Hawke voiceover artists have already been cast.
16. "we refer to the DA2 player far less often as Hawke than we referred to the player as Warden in DAO. Only people who know you intimately use the name, and even then we tend to avoid direct references as a rule to avoid repetition. Most people who don't know you will use an honorific (or even by race, if they're not human)."
17. Hawke is sometimes called Hawke, sometimes as "the Champion," sometimes "Fereldan," and "Brother" or "Sister" by Hawke's siblings.
18. Hawke lived in Lothering during the events of DA:O, fled north to Kirkwall.
STORY/PLOT
1. Unlike other BioWare games, DA2 will have a "Framed Narrative" telling, meaning Hawke's exploits occurred in the past, but are being retold in the present. It also means we're playing the story being told, and not necessarily how it actually literally happened. (This is also a story, gameplay and artistic element BW are using to their advantage. They refer to it as an "unreliable storyteller", we'll get back to it in a bit.)
2. The story plays out as it is being told by Varric, a dwarven rogue, to Cassandra, a human Chantry inquisitor.
3. Cassandra is interested in Hawke's exploits as she is trying to better understand how the world came to be on the brink of war. Cassandra believes understanding that will help her stop another world war that is brewing in the present.
4. The story follows Hawke's exploits as he rises to power and eventually becomes known as the "Champion of Kirkwall".
5. "No exclusive organization. No saving the world. No ancient evil."
6. "The player decides whether Hawke is a kind ruler or an unscrupulous despot. He's called Champion - the question is: 'By whom?'"
7. Flemeth saves Hawke and co. and asks that he deliver a package for her in repayment.
8. Boons granted at the end of Origins may be mentioned and/or affect the story of DA2 and in the future.
9. "Family" will play a big motif in the story.
10. The Framed Narrative perspective allows the story to focus only on the most exciting parts of Hawke's journey. Unlike other BioWare games where the format was quite clear (prologue, go through several separate levels/storylines on the way to complete the main quest, final mission), DA2's Framed Narrative allows BioWare to break the formula, so we will instead have time jumps. This allows the consequences of your actions to be apparent relatively much sooner than in most previous games.
NPC'S/COMPANIONS
1. There will be companions/followers.
2. There will be romanceable characters.
3. "...the DLC from Origins will be tied to this game as well. You will see characters from that DLC in this game."
4. Hawke's party will still be limited to 4 (Hawke + 3 followers).
5. There will be at least 2 of each class as potential companions.
6. Party composition may affect dialogue with NPCs.
7. It is likely that Nathaniel Howe will appear, as he spent time in Kirkwall before the events of Awakening.
8. Unlike DA:O, where players often had to placate every companion to level their abilities up, instead of treating them like they actually would, DA2 will allow players to develop a rivalry with the NPC's and still get bonuses. "You can even be openly hostile to your party members and still unlock combat bonuses."
9. Hawke can get quests from and even romance companions regardless of where you are on the friendship/rivalry scale you are. But it may play out
differently.
10. Hawke's companions will have particular ways of interacting with each other, possibly including romance.
11. Cassandra is an "Inquisitor" with an interest in Hawke's activities.
12. Cassandra is an Inquisitor in the employ of the Chantry.
13. Cassandra is Nevarran.
14. Varric is a Dwarf who was with Hawke on his travels and is the narrator of the story.
15. "Varric is most definitely not a king."
16. "Varric was born in Kirkwall. His family was noble before they became skyers. He is, therefore, a merchant prince among the surface dwarves. And that's probably all I can tell you about him for now."
17. Varric is a Rogue.
18. Varric is a follower. (Possible romance option? Still no talks about that, but, we'll see.)
19. Varric is the younger son in the Tethras family, who discreetly "maintains a spy network" for the family. Varric's older brother is the head of the family and runs the family business. Their family is part of the Dwarven Merchants Guild.
20. Flemeth will appear. Also, the "god baby" will play some role in the story. (It is still unknown whether or not Morrigan herself will appear and in what way, but it has been confirmed that her story will continue.)
21. Flemeth is once again voiced by Kate Mulgrew.
22. Hawke meets Wesley, an injured Templar, and Aveline, his wife, while fleeing Lothering.
23. Aveline's arms were modeled after a muscular man's.
24. Hawke has a brother named Carver (a Warrior) and a sister named Bethany (an apostate Mage), both accompany Hawke as they flee Lothering.
25 .Hawke's mother also accompanies him during the escape from Lothering.
26. At least a couple of Hawke's starting companions don't make it through the opening chapters. (They possibly don't even survive the escape from Lothering.)
26. You won't, after all, be able to romance Bethany. In case you were wondering.
27. If you give your Hawke dark skin, your family's skin will be changed to match.
COMBAT/GAMEPLAY
1. Combat on consoles has been changed to "better suit the consoles' strengths", in the sense that pressing a button will directly translate to a character performing an action (consider every button press = an attack, for instance.)
2. PC and Consoles both have auto-attack functionality, but pressing A/X on XBox 360/PS3, respectively, will perform a basic attack. To make a character auto-attack, you can select it from the radial menu.
3. The same classes are returning: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior.
4. May be fewer mage spells, but they will be much more customizable/upgradable separately, so players can customize their mage to perform the spells they way that suits their style of play.
5. Combat should be much more reactive. Companions will leap straight into battle instead of shuffling forward and getting into position.
6. Combat on the consoles is being streamlined to better utilize the controller interface. Combat on the PC should be largely the same.
7. Melee characters can participate in combinations like mages could in Origins.
8. Mages now have "finishing moves" like melee characters did in Origins. For instance, "Crushing Prison", as a finishing move, will visibly crush the victim into a bloody mush.
9. There are still class specializations.
10. There is a tactical camera in the PC version, which is similar to the one in Origins.
11. "Unreliable Narrator": Occasionally, Varric will be "embellishing" his retelling, which will result in wildly exaggerated combat for the duration of the sequence (until Cassandra calls him out on it). We know this will be used for character introductions and dramatic effect in key moments, and possibly more. We don't know how often this will be used (although BW mentioned it be used "sparingly"), and in at least one instance Cassandra does call Varric out and makes him retell that part the way it really happened, and the combat mechanics shift back to normal; this may happen more than once.
12. Console players can order companions to move to a location instead of having to manually run them there.
13. Potions (mana and stamina) will have a shared cooldown timer.
14. There is a similar, but not identical, travel system to Origins (points on a map).
15. When in melee range, mages will use their staffs as a melee weapon, rather than just standing there firing ("pew pew pew").
DIALOGUE
1. The dialogue wheel will have up to 5 choice options and up to 5 "investigate options" (to leave room for "investigate" and "return" options, respectively).
2. There will be an icon that illustrates the tone of each dialogue response (snarky, aggressive, peaceful, romantic, etc.) For instance an olive branch for "peaceful" lines and a closed fist for "aggressive" lines. This has been implemented as a lesson learned from Mass Effect where players occasionally didn't properly predict Shepard's delivery of some lines.
3. There are "personality choices" and "action choices." The tone icons for the former affect your personality, and depending on your choices, you will develop a "dominant personality" that can affect how Hawke delivers lines throughout the game, so if you generally pick the "snarky" option, you may become a generally snarky Hawke and deliver other lines in a rather snarky manner. The icons for the action choices indicate intent.
4. Party member approval is based on your actions, not your personality/tone.
5. Hawke will participate in part banter to a limited extent.
6. The left side of the dialogue wheel may feature opportunities for companions to interact with the NPC Hawke is speaking to.
QUESTS
1. Some sidequests can become unavailable after a time jump, some will still be able to be completed, and some may change in their circumstances.
2. There will be some "Chanter's Board"-style quests that are not heavily involved with the main plot, and other sidequests of varying complexity and plot involvement.
ART/MUSIC
1. The graphics are one of the major aspects of the games that are being improved for DA2, both technologically (the Eclipse engine is receiving a lot of work) and artistically.
2. The team felt DA:O's art direction did not always capture the correct feel and mood of the world. Some parts were "whimsical" and the art was overall somewhat "generic". DA2's art team is trying to go for a more uniquely Dragon Age look and less of a "generic medieval" look.
3. Female bodies have their own separate shape, and no longer resemble men in the shoulders and hips.
4. Different characters do not always share animations.
5. Elves, Dwarves, and Qunari will have updated looks.
6. The armor Hawke is wearing in the Destiny trailer is already in-game.
7. No bowstrings, cloaks, or horses.
8. We will not see any female Qunari in DA2.
9. Hawke will encounter some "leashed" Qunari mages.
10. There is flowing hair "in certain circumstances," as well as some "flowing" armor too.
11. Characters' poses will be a lot more natural, and walking animations will vary based on gender and personality.
12. Mages will appear less muscular than warriors and rogues.
13. Underwear is getting redesigned.
14. Dark complexions have been redesigned to look better.
15. Ferelden accents are still English mostly, and City Elf and Dwarf ones are still American. The Orlesians still speak with a French accent, and Antivans with Spanish. Dalish Elves now have Welsh accents.
16. Inon Zur is again composing the game's score.
17. The music in the trailer is a remix of music that is part of Dragon Age 2 (but the electric guitars were added for the trailer). The trailer includes what is called "Hawke's Theme."
18. The darkspawn have been redesigned to seem more like they're from the same unified army rather than a collection of demon races.
19. The blood splatter during combat has been improved (and reduced?).
SOME AWESOME SCREENSHOTS:
Default female Hawke
Hawke & Bethany (close-up, with dialog wheel)
Hawke & Bethany (smoke in the background)
Qunari
Flemeth (close-up, with the gang)
Flemeth
Flemeth (dragon form)
Hurlocks
Battle w/ darkspawn
Hawke vs. high-ranking Qunari stand off
SOME AWESOME CONCEPT:
Varric & Cassandra
Varric
Cassandra
Hawke
Hurlock
Ogre
Qunari
More Qunari
Qunari, humans, elves, dwarves
Dragon
So here it is: anything and EVERYTHING currently KNOWN about Dragon Age 2 (version 1.0)
Keep in mind: at the moment, the overall info we currently have about the game still sums up to very little. I'll try to keep this as clean and objective as possible. Everything here is confirmed fact and nothing more (I'm too lazy to source everything but rest assured they're all collected facts from interviews, the DA Wiki and the BW forums). Whatever is my own personal speculation will be highlighted in green so try not to take it at face value.
(MINOR DA:2 SPOILERS AND SOME ORIGINS SPOILERS HEREIN, BE WARNED.)
GENERAL
1. DA2 will be released on March 8th, 2011 (in North America) and March 11th, 2011 (in Europe).
2. DA2 will be a single-player only game. (No talks have been made about a Toolset like in DA:O, yet.)
3. No special-edition releases have been confirmed, yet.
4. As in DA:O, there will be no "morality-meter" (good/evil).
5. Decisions made in DA:O WILL carry over to DA2 and have an impact on the world/story. (It has been mentioned that there may be a way to import those decisions across platforms too, however it hasn't been specified yet.)
6. As Witch Hunt has been released, there is no more DLC planned for Origins before DA2 is released.
7. The player's decision regarding Morrigan's Dark Ritual in Origins is not canon for DA2, nor is any other ending. CLARIFICATION: THAT IS TO SAY BioWare acknowledges this was the biggest single decision for the player to make in Origins and will not force a specific ending on the player.
There will be a default decision regarding the Dark Ritual for players who haven't played Origins - however, it will not be canon; "canon" would mean it's the same for everyone (much like BW decided to go with the 'Good' Jedi ending for KOTOR as they sat down to write The Old Republic later.)
8. There will still be an inventory.
9. The codex will not be voiced.
SETTING
1. DA2's story will span 10 years. (for comparison, DA:O spun roughly a year, maybe two.)
2. One of the major purposes for DA2 will be to get the player to know the world of Thedas better. (curious unrelated piece of trivia: "Thedas" is actually an acronym for "The Dragon Age Setting". It's true!)
3. Part of the story will overlap with the events of DA:O. The story begins shortly before the Darkspawn sacked Lothering in Origins.
4. Hawke escapes Lothering with "his family" and eventually makes his way to Kirkwall.
5. Kirkwall is located on the southern edge of the Vimmark Mountains, north of Ferelden, in a region known as the Free Marches.
6. Kirkwall is "quite a bit" larger than Denerim.
7. Hawke will also travel across other parts of the Free Marches.
8. There is still slavery in the Tevinter Imperium, mostly Elves, and it's a big part of their culture.
9. Kirkwall was once the center of slave trade in the Tevinter Imperium. There is an old quarry where slaves used to work. The area in and around that basin is called Low Town, and is populated by the poor. The area above the basin is called High Town and is home to the more wealthy.
10. Kirkwall is ruled by a Viscount named Dumar.
11. There is a race native to Par Vollen called the Fex.
12. Kirkwall has one of the largest Mage circles in Eastern Thedas, larger than the one in Ferelden. It is also "the center of Templar power in Eastern Thedas," and is host to a Templar army.
13. The Free Marches are a loosely-aligned collection of city-states. They have no common ruler except very rarely, and even then only temporarily, during times of crisis, such as during the New Exalted Marches against the Qunari. They have, on some occasions, banded together and cooperated to fight against a common enemy. Other than that, they often squabble amongst themselves.
14. The Free Marches and Ferelden are generally reasonably friendly, but due to the Blight and droves of Fereldan refugees, there is some tension between Free Marchers and Fereldans, and refugees (including Hawke) are often treated with dismissiveness or disdain.
15. It is revealed in DA2 that most Qunari are actually horned; that is why ogres are also horned.
16. Qunari that are born without horns are not treated as defects. On the contrary, it is considered "special" as these Qunari are meant for a special purpose in Qunari society such as Ben-Hassrath (Qunari tasked with enforcing religious law) or as envoys to other races (Sten falls under this category.)
17. Some Qunari betray their beliefs and remove their own horns (as in the case of Armass from Awakening), however the exact reason for this is still unclear.
18. Darkspawn are still enemies in DA2; however, without an archdemon, they're different, and far less of a threat than during a Blight.
ABOUT HAWKE
1. The main character's surname is Hawke.
2. Male Hawke's default first name is Garrett, can be changed by the player.
3. Female Hawke's default first name is Marian, can be changed by the player.
4. Hawke can be male or female.
5. Hawke is human. While the race cannot be changed, Hawke's appearance is fully customizable.
6. Hawke will be voiced.
7. Hawke survived "the Blight".
8. Hawke is known as "the Champion of Kirkwall".
9. Hakwe's mother's maiden name is Amell, and her side of the family is nobility and lives in Kirkwall. The "Hawke" family name is not nobility.
10. Hawke is not related to Andraste, Flemeth, or Maric.
12. Hawke's father was an apostate mage, and tutored Bethany (and Hawke if he is a mage) in magic.
13. Morrigan is NOT Hawke's mother; Hawke is NOT the "god baby".
14. "Hawke can, indeed, be a mage."
15. All Hawke voiceover artists have already been cast.
16. "we refer to the DA2 player far less often as Hawke than we referred to the player as Warden in DAO. Only people who know you intimately use the name, and even then we tend to avoid direct references as a rule to avoid repetition. Most people who don't know you will use an honorific (or even by race, if they're not human)."
17. Hawke is sometimes called Hawke, sometimes as "the Champion," sometimes "Fereldan," and "Brother" or "Sister" by Hawke's siblings.
18. Hawke lived in Lothering during the events of DA:O, fled north to Kirkwall.
STORY/PLOT
1. Unlike other BioWare games, DA2 will have a "Framed Narrative" telling, meaning Hawke's exploits occurred in the past, but are being retold in the present. It also means we're playing the story being told, and not necessarily how it actually literally happened. (This is also a story, gameplay and artistic element BW are using to their advantage. They refer to it as an "unreliable storyteller", we'll get back to it in a bit.)
2. The story plays out as it is being told by Varric, a dwarven rogue, to Cassandra, a human Chantry inquisitor.
3. Cassandra is interested in Hawke's exploits as she is trying to better understand how the world came to be on the brink of war. Cassandra believes understanding that will help her stop another world war that is brewing in the present.
4. The story follows Hawke's exploits as he rises to power and eventually becomes known as the "Champion of Kirkwall".
5. "No exclusive organization. No saving the world. No ancient evil."
6. "The player decides whether Hawke is a kind ruler or an unscrupulous despot. He's called Champion - the question is: 'By whom?'"
7. Flemeth saves Hawke and co. and asks that he deliver a package for her in repayment.
8. Boons granted at the end of Origins may be mentioned and/or affect the story of DA2 and in the future.
9. "Family" will play a big motif in the story.
10. The Framed Narrative perspective allows the story to focus only on the most exciting parts of Hawke's journey. Unlike other BioWare games where the format was quite clear (prologue, go through several separate levels/storylines on the way to complete the main quest, final mission), DA2's Framed Narrative allows BioWare to break the formula, so we will instead have time jumps. This allows the consequences of your actions to be apparent relatively much sooner than in most previous games.
NPC'S/COMPANIONS
1. There will be companions/followers.
2. There will be romanceable characters.
3. "...the DLC from Origins will be tied to this game as well. You will see characters from that DLC in this game."
4. Hawke's party will still be limited to 4 (Hawke + 3 followers).
5. There will be at least 2 of each class as potential companions.
6. Party composition may affect dialogue with NPCs.
7. It is likely that Nathaniel Howe will appear, as he spent time in Kirkwall before the events of Awakening.
8. Unlike DA:O, where players often had to placate every companion to level their abilities up, instead of treating them like they actually would, DA2 will allow players to develop a rivalry with the NPC's and still get bonuses. "You can even be openly hostile to your party members and still unlock combat bonuses."
9. Hawke can get quests from and even romance companions regardless of where you are on the friendship/rivalry scale you are. But it may play out
differently.
10. Hawke's companions will have particular ways of interacting with each other, possibly including romance.
11. Cassandra is an "Inquisitor" with an interest in Hawke's activities.
12. Cassandra is an Inquisitor in the employ of the Chantry.
13. Cassandra is Nevarran.
14. Varric is a Dwarf who was with Hawke on his travels and is the narrator of the story.
15. "Varric is most definitely not a king."
16. "Varric was born in Kirkwall. His family was noble before they became skyers. He is, therefore, a merchant prince among the surface dwarves. And that's probably all I can tell you about him for now."
17. Varric is a Rogue.
18. Varric is a follower. (Possible romance option? Still no talks about that, but, we'll see.)
19. Varric is the younger son in the Tethras family, who discreetly "maintains a spy network" for the family. Varric's older brother is the head of the family and runs the family business. Their family is part of the Dwarven Merchants Guild.
20. Flemeth will appear. Also, the "god baby" will play some role in the story. (It is still unknown whether or not Morrigan herself will appear and in what way, but it has been confirmed that her story will continue.)
21. Flemeth is once again voiced by Kate Mulgrew.
22. Hawke meets Wesley, an injured Templar, and Aveline, his wife, while fleeing Lothering.
23. Aveline's arms were modeled after a muscular man's.
24. Hawke has a brother named Carver (a Warrior) and a sister named Bethany (an apostate Mage), both accompany Hawke as they flee Lothering.
25 .Hawke's mother also accompanies him during the escape from Lothering.
26. At least a couple of Hawke's starting companions don't make it through the opening chapters. (They possibly don't even survive the escape from Lothering.)
26. You won't, after all, be able to romance Bethany. In case you were wondering.
27. If you give your Hawke dark skin, your family's skin will be changed to match.
COMBAT/GAMEPLAY
1. Combat on consoles has been changed to "better suit the consoles' strengths", in the sense that pressing a button will directly translate to a character performing an action (consider every button press = an attack, for instance.)
2. PC and Consoles both have auto-attack functionality, but pressing A/X on XBox 360/PS3, respectively, will perform a basic attack. To make a character auto-attack, you can select it from the radial menu.
3. The same classes are returning: Mage, Rogue, and Warrior.
4. May be fewer mage spells, but they will be much more customizable/upgradable separately, so players can customize their mage to perform the spells they way that suits their style of play.
5. Combat should be much more reactive. Companions will leap straight into battle instead of shuffling forward and getting into position.
6. Combat on the consoles is being streamlined to better utilize the controller interface. Combat on the PC should be largely the same.
7. Melee characters can participate in combinations like mages could in Origins.
8. Mages now have "finishing moves" like melee characters did in Origins. For instance, "Crushing Prison", as a finishing move, will visibly crush the victim into a bloody mush.
9. There are still class specializations.
10. There is a tactical camera in the PC version, which is similar to the one in Origins.
11. "Unreliable Narrator": Occasionally, Varric will be "embellishing" his retelling, which will result in wildly exaggerated combat for the duration of the sequence (until Cassandra calls him out on it). We know this will be used for character introductions and dramatic effect in key moments, and possibly more. We don't know how often this will be used (although BW mentioned it be used "sparingly"), and in at least one instance Cassandra does call Varric out and makes him retell that part the way it really happened, and the combat mechanics shift back to normal; this may happen more than once.
12. Console players can order companions to move to a location instead of having to manually run them there.
13. Potions (mana and stamina) will have a shared cooldown timer.
14. There is a similar, but not identical, travel system to Origins (points on a map).
15. When in melee range, mages will use their staffs as a melee weapon, rather than just standing there firing ("pew pew pew").
DIALOGUE
1. The dialogue wheel will have up to 5 choice options and up to 5 "investigate options" (to leave room for "investigate" and "return" options, respectively).
2. There will be an icon that illustrates the tone of each dialogue response (snarky, aggressive, peaceful, romantic, etc.) For instance an olive branch for "peaceful" lines and a closed fist for "aggressive" lines. This has been implemented as a lesson learned from Mass Effect where players occasionally didn't properly predict Shepard's delivery of some lines.
3. There are "personality choices" and "action choices." The tone icons for the former affect your personality, and depending on your choices, you will develop a "dominant personality" that can affect how Hawke delivers lines throughout the game, so if you generally pick the "snarky" option, you may become a generally snarky Hawke and deliver other lines in a rather snarky manner. The icons for the action choices indicate intent.
4. Party member approval is based on your actions, not your personality/tone.
5. Hawke will participate in part banter to a limited extent.
6. The left side of the dialogue wheel may feature opportunities for companions to interact with the NPC Hawke is speaking to.
QUESTS
1. Some sidequests can become unavailable after a time jump, some will still be able to be completed, and some may change in their circumstances.
2. There will be some "Chanter's Board"-style quests that are not heavily involved with the main plot, and other sidequests of varying complexity and plot involvement.
ART/MUSIC
1. The graphics are one of the major aspects of the games that are being improved for DA2, both technologically (the Eclipse engine is receiving a lot of work) and artistically.
2. The team felt DA:O's art direction did not always capture the correct feel and mood of the world. Some parts were "whimsical" and the art was overall somewhat "generic". DA2's art team is trying to go for a more uniquely Dragon Age look and less of a "generic medieval" look.
3. Female bodies have their own separate shape, and no longer resemble men in the shoulders and hips.
4. Different characters do not always share animations.
5. Elves, Dwarves, and Qunari will have updated looks.
6. The armor Hawke is wearing in the Destiny trailer is already in-game.
7. No bowstrings, cloaks, or horses.
8. We will not see any female Qunari in DA2.
9. Hawke will encounter some "leashed" Qunari mages.
10. There is flowing hair "in certain circumstances," as well as some "flowing" armor too.
11. Characters' poses will be a lot more natural, and walking animations will vary based on gender and personality.
12. Mages will appear less muscular than warriors and rogues.
13. Underwear is getting redesigned.
14. Dark complexions have been redesigned to look better.
15. Ferelden accents are still English mostly, and City Elf and Dwarf ones are still American. The Orlesians still speak with a French accent, and Antivans with Spanish. Dalish Elves now have Welsh accents.
16. Inon Zur is again composing the game's score.
17. The music in the trailer is a remix of music that is part of Dragon Age 2 (but the electric guitars were added for the trailer). The trailer includes what is called "Hawke's Theme."
18. The darkspawn have been redesigned to seem more like they're from the same unified army rather than a collection of demon races.
19. The blood splatter during combat has been improved (and reduced?).
SOME AWESOME SCREENSHOTS:
Default female Hawke
Hawke & Bethany (close-up, with dialog wheel)
Hawke & Bethany (smoke in the background)
Qunari
Flemeth (close-up, with the gang)
Flemeth
Flemeth (dragon form)
Hurlocks
Battle w/ darkspawn
Hawke vs. high-ranking Qunari stand off
SOME AWESOME CONCEPT:
Varric & Cassandra
Varric
Cassandra
Hawke
Hurlock
Ogre
Qunari
More Qunari
Qunari, humans, elves, dwarves
Dragon
Edited by Caelumeg, 30 September 2010 - 02:53 PM.
#263
Posted 30 September 2010 - 02:49 PM
Master C
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I think I'm going to the Eurogamer Expo this weekend and I believe they have a playable version of the game there. Will report back.
#264
Posted 30 September 2010 - 06:57 PM
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QUOTE (Master C @ Sep 30 2010, 03:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I think I'm going to the Eurogamer Expo this weekend and I believe they have a playable version of the game there. Will report back.
PLEASE DO!
#265
Posted 02 October 2010 - 10:56 PM
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Some real baller stuff. I might actually get this. Any thoughts?
#266
Posted 03 October 2010 - 07:00 PM
kmjnhb
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QUOTE (TheBase @ Oct 3 2010, 05:53 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Some real baller stuff. I might actually get this. Any thoughts?
already own all the stuff in that...
#267
Posted 03 October 2010 - 09:16 PM
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QUOTE (kmjnhb @ Oct 3 2010, 07:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
already own all the stuff in that...
But it's $50! And I only bought the original. I think it's worth it for me. It's a really good deal for those who haven't even bought Dragon Age.
#268
Posted 04 October 2010 - 05:06 AM
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QUOTE (TheBase @ Oct 4 2010, 04:13 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
But it's $50! And I only bought the original. I think it's worth it for me. It's a really good deal for those who haven't even bought Dragon Age.
If I actually had money, I might have bought it... already own 4 different copies of Monkey Island 1 and 2... so why not...
But atm I have to save whatever money I can get for food and rent :/
#269
Posted 04 October 2010 - 05:21 PM
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QUOTE (kmjnhb @ Oct 4 2010, 06:03 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
If I actually had money, I might have bought it... already own 4 different copies of Monkey Island 1 and 2... so why not...
But atm I have to save whatever money I can get for food and rent :/
But atm I have to save whatever money I can get for food and rent :/
Well... If you already have all of that... I really don't see any point in buying the Ultimate Edition. AND WHY DO YOU HAVE 4 DIFFERENT COPIESD OF MONKEY ISLAND 1/2?
Just work hard and save yo money for food/rent/liquor.
#270
Posted 04 October 2010 - 06:59 PM
kmjnhb
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QUOTE (TheBase @ Oct 5 2010, 12:18 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
AND WHY DO YOU HAVE 4 DIFFERENT COPIESD OF MONKEY ISLAND 1/2?
The original for each, on floppy and cd. The Bounty Pack which has MI 1, 2 and 3. And then I have the Special Edition for both on my 360 and on Steam.
I guess that's actually 5 copies of each...
Edited by kmjnhb, 04 October 2010 - 07:00 PM.
#271
Posted 04 October 2010 - 09:16 PM
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QUOTE (kmjnhb @ Oct 4 2010, 07:56 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
The original for each, on floppy and cd. The Bounty Pack which has MI 1, 2 and 3. And then I have the Special Edition for both on my 360 and on Steam.
I guess that's actually 5 copies of each...
I guess that's actually 5 copies of each...
Man. You crazy.
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