Dragon Age 2 Message Board

This year? THIS YEAR? Why was I not told of this? (I was. It’s just that I have the memory of a Leveson Inquiry witness these days). Yes, fantasy RPG sequel Dragon Age Inquistion is due this Autumn/Fall, and much as Bioware have some faith-rebuilding to do after the double-whammy of Dragon Age II and Mass Effect Ending-Gate, I really would like a big, fat, indulgent, glossy RPG on my hard drive right now. Will it be Dragon Age Not-III? The trailer below, which focuses on Frostbite 3 engine-powered environments, suggests I will at least be cooing at its surface. … [visit site to read more]

I actually don’t think Dragon Age II was all that terrible. Or rather, I fully understand that elements of it were very, very bad (it had more caves than Ron Gilbert’s The Cave, for instance; and not on purpose), but others were incredibly fascinating. Party members lived their own lives, themes like racism and security-vs-freedom got the spotlight, and your choices really, really didn’t matter all that much. Was it a game whose budgetary and time constraints hung about its neck like a noose, leaving only gasping wisps of potential? Absolutely. But those limits also shaped it, so it was interesting to see a less powerful BioWare craft a narrative about, well, powerlessness. After discussing the baffling impracticality of sexism, Dragon Age lead writer David Gaider and I talked about the ups and downs of Dragon Age II and how they’ve ultimately guided Dragon Age III to a very different place.

(more…)

All this talk of sexism isn’t going away, nor should it. The gaming industry’s sick, and the symptoms are plain as day. Mystifyingly often, however, the immediate reaction to even the faintest hint of that suggestion is “No, nuh-uh! You just want to censor expression! Give me one good reason we actually need to change.”* Well, if you really want to move beyond “Because jeez, it’s basic human decency to treat someone else the way you’d like to be treated,” Dragon Age III lead writer David Gaider’s got a laundry list of practical reasons for you. 14 years at one of the most influential studios out there, after all, will do that to you. Especially when it’s one that’s certainly not innocent of mistakes and missteps of its own. Prior to Gaider’s GDC talk on the very same subject, I caught up with him to discuss why sexism (and any sort of “-ism,” really) is bad for everyone: you, me, the industry, and of course, women or anyone else directly affected.

(more…)

#bioware It can't be easy to be a BioWare writer. You and your co-workers run yourselves ragged crafting huge, sprawling stories, and afterwards you're subjected to all manner of intense feedback, much of it shouted by the more extreme corners of your fanbase. More »

This is a weekly column from freelancer Rowan Kaiser, which focuses on "Western" role-playing games: their stories, their histories, their mechanics, their insanity, and their inanity. Dragon Age 2 is one of the most controversial role-playing games of recent years. Highly anticipated after the successes of BioWare's previous two games, Dragon Age: Origins and Mass Effect 2, it was released to strong sales and initially positive reviews. Yet it didn't take long before there was both fan and critical backlash to the game. What seemed like an unambiguously promising release turned into a lightning rod, and Dragon Age 2 went missing from many Game Of The Year lists. On the other hand, I noticed a small but extremely devoted cadre of fans, including some people who loved it so much that they immediately replayed it, four or five times, touching no other games for months.

So it was with both trepidation and excitement that I finally approached Dragon Age 2, as I missed it on initial release and then was warned off of it afterward. Having finally played it, I can see what the fuss was about, both good and bad. Dragon Age 2 almost demanded to be controversial thanks to its structure. In a genre filled with narratively complete, balanced games, DA2 ambitions push it in less balanced and incomplete directions. That's risky.

With Mass Effect now concluded, at least until the inevitable announcement of a new trilogy, a first-person shooter and a free-to-play god-knows-what, and SWTOR currently being fitted into its microtransacted iron lung, all eyes turn to the core Bioware team’s next roleplaying move. The smart money is surely on a new Dragon Age game, and tiny wee scraps of hint have seemed to support this. Today we got significantly more than tiny wee scraps, as an alleged survey allegedly leaked by alleged specially-selected community members offers all manner of alleged potential details on a third Dragon Age game.(more…)

Deal-hunting RPG fanatics have reason to be happy today, as the entire Dragon Age series and its expansions are ridiculously cheap on Amazon this week. The digital deals drop all games in the BioWare-developed series below $10 for PC and Mac:

• Dragon Age Dual Pack (Origins Ultimate Edition & Dragon Age 2): $9.99
• Dragon Age Origins: $4.99
• Dragon Age Origins Awakening: $4.99
• Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition: $7.49
• Dragon Age 2: $4.99

#dragonage When we get mired in arguing over whether or not games are harmful to impressionable young players, it's easy to forget that sometimes, they can be amazingly inspirational, or even helpful. More »

Rumours are flying that Dragon Age 3 might be something more like the sequel to Dragon Age we’ve been hoping for. After Dragon Age 2 came out feeling more like a side-project, BioWare have dropped some hefty hints that they’re looking to redress much of that in an unannounced third game for the series. At a PAX East panel, as spotted by Eurogamer and recorded by Gamespot, Dragon Age developers discussed what a hypothetical game might contain, were it to exist, which it currently doesn’t, but obviously does. It’s to be a far more varied game, with new locales, and decisions that carry over from previous games.

(more…)

BioWare's Dragon Age 2 team has officially packed up its tents, put out the fires and left camp, executive producer Mark Darrah announced on the BioWare forums.

"While we will still be keeping an eye out for any issues that might crop up in DAII and supporting the community should any emergencies should [sic] arise, we're moving the entire team's focus to the next phase of Dragon Age's future," Darrah wrote.

The "next phase of Dragon Age's future" could be too vague for some, so creative director Mike Laidlaw clarified in a TL;DR Twitter update: "We're done development on Dragon Age II, and the team has fully moved onto The Next Thing(tm)."

BioWare halted production on Exalted March, an expansion pack for Dragon Age 2, because "other Dragon Age opportunities came up," Darrah tweeted. It's safe to reason that stopping production on DLC probably wouldn't happen for anything less than work on a shiny new title, and with these scraps of evidence and previous unintentional outings, we feel safe to propose that BioWare is now working on Dragon Age 3.

Moving the franchise into the future involves looking at the past, Darrah said. "This past year, we've spent a lot of time both going back to the 'BioWare vault' of games and re-examining them, and looking at some new possibilities that today's industry allows," he wrote. The Dragon Age team may not have to look very far in BioWare's history to find things it should avoid, such as "endings."

#dragonage With Mass Effect 3 hogging the headlines for all the right (and wrong) reasons this month, BioWare feels now is the time to reveal that the Dragon Age series is in for what sounds like a serious bout of self-reflection. More »

------------------------
Dragon Age II 1.04
------------------------

GAMEPLAY
­- The warrior talent Sunder will continue to work after saving and loading the game.
- Players can now disable the snap feature for area-of-effect attacks by holding the 'shift' key.

QUESTS (SPOILER WARNING)
­- When Isabela is present in "Magistrate's Orders," Bethany no longer receives incorrect friendship or rivalry points after the player decides Kelder's fate.
- In "Magistrate's Orders," Carver now receives +5 friendship if Fenris kills Kelder or +10 friendship if the player kills him.
- Isabela no longer has a plot marker in the post-game save if the player failed to complete "No Rest for the Wicked."
- Aveline's head no longer vibrates in "Finders Keepers" when conversing with the warehouse guard.

FUNCTIONALITY (SPOILER WARNING)
- Resource loading and memory handling in conversations has improved to address sporadic crashes occurring for some users. The bulk of the resulting crashes were occurring in the conversation after Isabela's sex scene in Hawke's Estate and a conversation with Aveline in Viscount's Keep after she is promised her captaincy.
- Handling has improved for login, messaging, and authentication during periods of server disruption.
- Players who choose not to log in will no longer be presented with recurring Lost Connection errors.
- Certain ambient audio no longer cuts in and out when switching between characters.

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT - "THE EXILED PRINCE"
- Sebastian's plot marker, if present, has been removed when bringing him into other downloadable content.

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT - "LEGACY" (SPOILER WARNING)
­- Players are no longer able to re-use the Memento of Legacy to access the Legacy downloadable content multiple times in a single play-through.
- Players now receive an item reward when completing "Malcolm's Honor" with Carver in the party.
- An issue that caused close to 200 banter lines between Hawke and the followers not to fire has been fixed.
- A case where certain follower banter wouldn't appear when playing from a post-game save has been fixed.
- Isabela's romance banter now properly checks to see if the player is still eligible for a romance with her.
- Fenris's romance banter now properly checks to see if Fenris and the player slept together, but have not yet made up.
- A ghostly Bethany no longer joins in conversations from beyond the grave.
- Sebastian and Anders no longer talk about Bethany or Carver as if they are not present.
- Carver no longer mentions Leandra after her death.

DOWNLOADABLE CONTENT - "MARK OF THE ASSASSIN"
- Removed the autosave immediately following the dungeon capture scene as it was corrupting subsequent saves for a small number of users.

#dragonage I have a lot of fun ripping on Dragon Age II. BioWare's 2011 follow-up to their epic and beloved Dragon Age: Origins disappointed and frustrated me in many, many ways. More »

#dragonage This must be weird. Nerd starlet Felicia Day, who stars in not just a Dragon Age web series but some Dragon Age II DLC, sits down here to play...Dragon Age II. As herself. More »

A mysterious woman hoping to use you for a heist during a rich guy's party, her motivations much more complicated than they initially seem... wait a minute. Dragon Age 2: Mark of the Assassin, the second major DLC release for Bioware's current fantasy RPG series, has a strikingly familiar premise. Similar, even, to Mass Effect 2's Stolen Memory downloadable add-on, which also featured an enigmatic female thief looking to use Shepard to robin-hood somebody.

But that's where the similarities end. Where Stolen Memory felt like a tight, fast, well-paced attempt to tell a character's story, Mark of the Assassin is a much more sprawling exercise. Unfortunately, that's generally to its detriment.

#dragonage At NYCC last weekend, BioWare was in attendance talking about the upcoming Dragon Age comic series, which will follow Alistair, Isabella, and Varric as they perform some sleuthing into Alistair's past. Well then, that's three of my favorite characters doing stuff that certainly sounds fun. I'd love to see how virginal Alistair and worldly Isabella get on in particular. More »

The teaser trailer for the live-action Dragon Age TV series, starring that woman people on Twitter all have a crush on, and it’s… Well.. It’s. Well. Well, it makes Dragon Age II seem an awful lot more palatable all of a sudden. Bless everyone involved, but the budget’s just not there, is it?

(more…)

Felicia Day likes Dragon Age 2 so much she almost got me killed.

In Dragon Age 2, I mean.

Last week I hung out with the actress as she showed me Dragon Age 2's new DLC, Mark of the Assassin, starring ... well, her. "I created the character with BioWare inputs," Day told me. "I played through the game several more times, you know? It was the best kind of research."

#dragonage Let's start with my love of the Dragon Age universe, as well as Dragon Age: Origins. Man, I loved that game. Okay, we've got that out of the way? Good. Because I've made no bones about the fact that I was profoundly disappointed with Dragon Age II. More »

#dragonage Ripped from the trailer for Dragon Age II's Mark of the Assassin downloadable content, two screenshots of a blood-splattered Felicia Day in action and a picture of a courtyard. Man, courtyards are so hot. More »

The Felicia Day-fronted live-action web series based in the Dragon Age 2 universe has been delayed until October. Fortunately, it'll be paired with a companion piece that'll be infinitely more playable. BioWare recently announced a DLC pack for the Kirkwallian RPG titled "Mark of the Assassin," which sees you teaming up with Day's "Tallis" character from Dragon Age: Redemption, and diving through a trap-riddled dungeon in search of a precious gem.

The expansion will be available on October 11 for an undisclosed price. Really, though, how much is too much to ask for being able to hang out with Felicia Day without waiting in a week-long line at Comic-Con?

#dragonageii On October 11, BioWare will release new DLC for Dragon Age II called Mark of the Assassin, which is interesting in that it features the talents (and face) of The Guild star Felicia Day. More »

BioWare have just released a trailer for a fresh chunk of Dragon Age 2 DLC, Mark of the Assassin. I’m not sure how big a chunk is – in fact, all I know about this one is that it involves an “impregnable fortress” that you’ll end up pregnating, “monsters” that you’ll end up killing and an elf voiced by Felicia Day, she of The Guild and Dr Horrible, among other things (presumably) that I don’t know about. In fact, that seems to be the main selling point. It’s mentioned well before any details regarding content other than voice recordings. In fact, it’s pretty much the only detail mentioned at all, apart from the fact that this is “story” DLC rather than “item” DLC. Who wants more Dragon Age narrative? Anyone? See what you can glean below.

(more…)

#dragonage PAX Prime was a great place to catch some cosplay, and if you looked closely enough, find some sassy new friends to help keep you from blowing up the entire convention center in a fit of anger. More »

Yes, obviously there’s going to be a third game. It’s a long way off, still. But what are they going to do with it? Match-3 puzzler? We should be so lucky. Instead it’s going to feature an art style similar to DA2, and you’ll be able to full tinker with the loadouts of your party members. Fighting will also be encounter-based, rather than surviving waves of enemies. Hooray!

You see, using my sneaky internet-enabled “eyes” to read this comprehensive thread on NeoGaf, I am able reveal that the game is about “Saving the world from… itself” (and you have to include a little pause there when speaking aloud) and that whether you play as a set character as in Dragon Age II, or as a player-created character, has yet to be decided and will based on player feedback. Hmm, I think I’ll use my magical ear-trumpet to collect that feedback for you from the howling winds of the internet, Bioware: player-created character. Lots more detail in the thread. There might even be co-op! Maybe. A yes please there, too.

"... a fine tale, Gwen, and well told! And now, Sir Hawke, you promised to favor us with the tale of how you acquired that fantastic blade!"

"Oh no, Lordanon, I'd really rather not. It's not such a great story and --"

"Nonsense! A weapon like that, the quest to procure it must have been epic! Did you plunge a dagger between the scales of a frost dragon?"

"Well, no."

"Oh, well, then surely you must have artfully plucked it from the lair of a sleeping golem."

"Nah, it's just --"

"Perhaps a duel with a villainous wizard who threatened your vil--"

"Look, I downloaded it, OK?! It's from the Dragon Age 2 Warrior Pack II DLC that just came out today. It was $3. I could have downloaded the All-Class Pack II for $5, but I'm not a mage or rogue, so I didn't. I bought it on 360, but I assume it'll be on PC and PSN today too. Is that enough for you? Are you sated now? ... Whatever, I'm going to bed."

"...Sir Hawke?"

"... Yes, Lordanon?"

"Why does your bedroll read L.L. Bean? Is that the elf who wove it?"

"Go to sleep, Lordanon."

[Thanks, Lafu.]

BioWare co-founder and unflappable optimist, Dr. Ray Muzyka.

Has a more polarizing game been released in 2011 than Dragon Age 2? Whether it was the increased pace, changes to the battle system, limitation in scope, off-kilter storyline, or whatever else, few games of recent memory have split critics and players alike so far down the love it/hate it line.

Regardless as to whether you hyperbolically thought Dragon Age 2's direction for the series heralded the demise of BioWare as a maker of quality titles, or felt that it was a phenomenal evolution of style over the first game and superior in every way (those people do exist), you may find yourself unsure as to what to make BioWare co-founder Dr. Ray Muzyka's latest comments to PC Gamer. Speaking on the subject of the upcoming third game in the series, Dr. Ray made an attempt to assuage the fears of any players who may have been alienated by Dragon Age 2 by explaining that BioWare's current plan is to combine the best pieces of both previous titles into one drastically improved sequel.

“What we need to do as developers is take that feedback from both sets of fans to heart and see about marrying that in future games in the Dragon Age franchise. I think that the team has actually got a great plan. I think the team is going to have some things that are going to surprise both sets of fans, both core fans and new fans with a marriage of these… the best from both games, Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age 2. And we look forward more to talking about that in the future.”

What, exactly, the "best" pieces of both games are, Dr. Ray was not terribly forthcoming on. However, he did address the dichotomous reaction to Dragon Age 2, chalking up some of the more negative reactions to a "misalignment of expectation" for those who simply expected another heaping helping of Dragon Age: Origins. Still, the negative feedback has not fallen on deaf ears, so sayeth Dr. Ray.

“One of the core values of Bioware is that we take feedback really seriously, and we know that the core fans who were expecting more Dragon Age Origins – we have to respond to that – we’re not willing to ignore that, we’re going to take that head on.”

While that statement may instill a sense of relief in those who felt slighted by such things as the more action-oriented combat and a perceived "dumbing-down" of the action, Dr. Ray's follow-up statement will probably shatter that relief into several jagged pieces.

“We also have an obligation to our new fans,” adds Dr. Ray, “the ones who were surprised and delighted with some new approaches and accessibility in terms of action and combat”

That low moaning sound you hear off in the distance is the sound of a confused and dejected Vinny Caravella, suddenly resigned to countless more hours playing a Dragon Age game he can't be certain he will even enjoy, but will continue to endure regardless of quality, out of some bizarre, completionistic drive ingrained within his very soul. Let's hope for his, and really all of our sake, that this turns out for the best.

Dragon Age II is the latest game to be caught in the middle of tensions between EA and Steam.

The continued, confusing relationship between Valve, Steam and Electronic Arts continues, with Dragon Age II coming down from the digital platform as the game's downloadable content launches.

Dragon Age II: Legacy, the first major expansion for the RPG sequel, launched this week. Soon after, Dragon Age II came down from Steam without an explanation.

As has been the case in the past, EA was quick to issue a statement about the reason why.

"At EA, we offer our games and content to all major download services including GameStop, Amazon, Direct2Drive and Steam," said EA senior VP of global e-commerce David DeMartini in an emailed statement. "Unfortunately, Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to sell downloadable content. No other download service has adopted this practice. Consequently some of our games have been removed by Steam."

"We hope to work out an agreement to keep our games on Steam," he continued.

So far, that hasn't happened. Dragon Age II still isn't available through Steam.

Crysis 2 still isn't available on Steam, after being pulled over downloadable content issues.

The erratic process of pulling EA games from Steam started a few weeks back, when Crysis 2 disappeared. EA said the reason was a change on policy regarding downloadable content, as EA and Crytek had brokered a deal for another distributor to be the exclusive host of that content.

Thus, Crysis 2 came down.

"It’s unfortunate that Steam has removed Crysis 2 from their service. This was not an EA decision or the result of any action by EA," said the company at the time. "Steam has imposed a set of business terms for developers hoping to sell content on that service--many of which are not imposed by other online game services. Unfortunately, Crytek has an agreement with another download service which violates the new rules from Steam and resulted in its expulsion of Crysis 2 from Steam."

Rumors persist Battlefield 3 will not be on Steam when it releases in October. A list of digital distributors on the official website didn't include Steam, but was eventually pulled down. EA has not officially commented, except to say the decision rested completely in the hands of Steam, not them.

When Crysis 2 came down from Steam, Alice: Madness Returns went up. I asked about Battlefield 3.

"No new information on BF3 or what Steam will decide to do with other EA titles," said the company. "We are glad they chose to post Alice on Steam."

You can still purchase Dragon Age: Origins on Steam.

Dragon Age II is the latest game to be caught in the middle of tensions between EA and Steam.

The continued, confusing relationship between Valve, Steam and Electronic Arts continues, with Dragon Age II coming down from the digital platform as the game's downloadable content launches.

Dragon Age II: Legacy, the first major expansion for the RPG sequel, launched this week. Soon after, Dragon Age II came down from Steam without an explanation.

As has been the case in the past, EA was quick to issue a statement about the reason why.

"At EA, we offer our games and content to all major download services including GameStop, Amazon, Direct2Drive and Steam," said EA senior VP of global e-commerce David DeMartini in an emailed statement. "Unfortunately, Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to sell downloadable content. No other download service has adopted this practice. Consequently some of our games have been removed by Steam."

"We hope to work out an agreement to keep our games on Steam," he continued.

So far, that hasn't happened. Dragon Age II still isn't available through Steam.

Crysis 2 still isn't available on Steam, after being pulled over downloadable content issues.

The erratic process of pulling EA games from Steam started a few weeks back, when Crysis 2 disappeared. EA said the reason was a change on policy regarding downloadable content, as EA and Crytek had brokered a deal for another distributor to be the exclusive host of that content.

Thus, Crysis 2 came down.

"It’s unfortunate that Steam has removed Crysis 2 from their service. This was not an EA decision or the result of any action by EA," said the company at the time. "Steam has imposed a set of business terms for developers hoping to sell content on that service--many of which are not imposed by other online game services. Unfortunately, Crytek has an agreement with another download service which violates the new rules from Steam and resulted in its expulsion of Crysis 2 from Steam."

Rumors persist Battlefield 3 will not be on Steam when it releases in October. A list of digital distributors on the official website didn't include Steam, but was eventually pulled down. EA has not officially commented, except to say the decision rested completely in the hands of Steam, not them.

When Crysis 2 came down from Steam, Alice: Madness Returns went up. I asked about Battlefield 3.

"No new information on BF3 or what Steam will decide to do with other EA titles," said the company. "We are glad they chose to post Alice on Steam."

You can still purchase Dragon Age: Origins on Steam.

#steam Crysis 2 has disappeared from Steam. Ditto for Dragon Age II. There's a war being waged between EA and Steam over online PC gaming, regardless of EA's stated hopes. More »