Monte Carlo

I'm not really. What I'm saying is that the traditional ambiguous origin (which I'll concede isn't necessarily great for story development) coupled with character customisation seems to have been moved on in DA. Hey, that's a decision for Bioware. But this game looks astonishingly linear. You can be a peasant, a ranger or a noble and still the Jedi guy is going to turn up and give you a light sabre. I don't want to be an extra in someone elses story. Yes, I'm a sandbox gamer at heart, I suppose.

Will this game be for online distribution only?

I saw the human noble 'origin' video. And it got me thinking - Bio are gently moving 'traditional' RPGs towards an action-console model in that you don't really get to make a character. In fact, you are choosing a character on a fairly pre-determined arc. In this case you even get your name given to you - Cousland. OK, there are what, six, to choose from? Nonetheless, lets face it, the 'origin' is in fact a story template, and whatever your choice you become a Grey Warden anyway. And Bio are claiming that this gives you more choice? Henry T Ford and the colour options of Model T's springs to mind. And... Does Dragon Age come with a shoe-horn taped to the box? Cheers MC

Check out their website.

Ha ha ha. Hilarious, y'know, putting deliberately misleading in-jokes into a news item.

1. It looks like it will be proper old-skool fun 2. I like graphics like that 3. So I want to play it 3. But the "combat demo is due in December 2012" 4. Ergo, vapourware 5. Shame, really

You've probably articulated everything I'm feeling perfectly, I just find myself having too much fun being bitchy. But, just now and then, I have to beg to differ... The crux, sir, of the argument. More than the optimists think, I fear. That 'lurvve' scene has seared indelibly on my retinas. And not in a good way. Cheers MC

It's sooo hot in SE England today thatPimms I can't even muster the energy to snipe pettily at Dragon Age. I am instead preparing a big jug of Pimms and trying to think positively. Bioware's NPC AI is legendary in it's badness. Imperial Stormtroopers show more initative and accuracy. Therefore, hurrah and huzzah, Dragon Age has Bioware showing the sage wisdom of old-skool full party control. This is my Positive Dragon Age Musing of the day. OTOH it also prolly means even more cut-scenes. Cheers MC

Go on, it's Torn, isn't it?

In a bit of a gaming hiatus, the only thing that looks appealing at the moment is Overlord 2 which I might pick up next week. I re-installed Sacred and am enjoying twitchy hacknslash fun and detailed but old-skool graphics. The horses are cool too. Have really got into it, in fact it's making me really excited about Diablo 3. Cheers MC

The powerful villain and his guards should also all look like the guards in Prince of Persia 1: The hero is also saved from being slaughtered with his entire village at the last minute by a mysterious bardette who only joins the party early in Act II (if there's 3 acts. Act III if there's five), called Cheery Topping, who sings in rhyming couplets, forcing the guards to dance in circles. She's an old enemy of the Moderate Bad who attacks the hero's village, and her presence annoys him immensely. Or is that too absurd? More Utter Genius. Cheery Topping is definitely in, as is bowl world and sticky things. All of the evil sultan's guards will look like their uniforms were designed by Liberace. All of the evil baron's guards will look like their uniforms were designed by Marilyn Manson. Many thanks for the kind words about my Narcoleptic Lich, he is seeking the power of the widget so he can combine it with sticky stuff and create a potent Gatorade / Red Bull type brew that will keep him awake long enough to CONQUER BOWL WORLD. He also wants Cheery Topping's mortal essence, Cheery is in fact a fallen Warrior Maiden of Laaaa. Hot cleric chick distrusts her, not least because she looks fantastic in leather armour. Farm boy will be taken under dark elven psycho-warrior's tutelage and learn the Ways of Sword, Spear and Bow. The corsairs of Odge will do battle with the wandering gypsy folk, Farm Boy will make a faltering but heart-warming speech on the eve of battle.. We still need a dragon and a demon to make this work, but generally this stiff is red hot. It's so bad that I'm wondering if it could make a half decent Forgotten Realms supplement.

There are fans of BioWare in this thread? Could've fooled me Seriously, some of the Bio-butthurt I read on here makes me do a double-take to make sure I'm not at the Codex. You are Dave Gaider and I claim my twenty Canadian Dollars

I'm sure you'll get to the option to enslave nations via ponderous cut-scenes.

Has someone been reading our thread in WOT? I predicted as much, Our World of Dreck setting is about to be ripped off. Oh well.

My next tip for 2010-2012 is that CRPG players will flock to free rogue-likes in their thousands. Would you like fries with your mainstream CRPG release?

Ha! The original and groundbreaking Warhammer setting meets Bios unique, rich story-telling experience. What could possibly go wrong? Monte Prediction - A massive assault on the MMO market for 2012 with an unholy legion of Mythic and Biowarians. Be afraid. Very afraid.

Yeah, I only ever played Doom 1 & 2 on the original Playstation and have nothing but fond memories. A big, scary, desolate sand box game full of strange places to explore, demons, a space marine guy with a skillz tree and lots and lots of guns / chainsaws / etc. Why not? Sounds cooler than Oblivion (etc). I'm thinking Diablo-esque RPG-lite fun. Cheers MC

:face palm: Great, now we'll have the DOOM SANDBOX GAME. Sorry, but that sounds quite cool.

^ Dude, I know it's a big ask but would enslaving nations with one of the other schools of magic be acceptable. I'm aware that "Enslaving Nations with Abjuration" or "Enslaving Nations with Conjuring" don't quite have the same ring about them, but it might be the best you can hope for.

We need to be careful with this stuff. It's freaking CRPG dynamite and we're just touting it around an open forum with no copyright.

Yes, but I maintain hope that it will be possible to join the Uber Bad Guy and wipe out humanity from the face of the planet. Or even better, enslave them. That would be in line with the origin of the character I'm planning to play, the poor City Elf bride whose life was ruined by the cruel human overlords. You sir, are an optimist of considerable proportions.

Naturally, by the way, Hot Cleric Chick is in fact the farm-boys long-lost sister. Cruelly scarred elf gets the girl, but not before he is turned to stone and captured by bounty hunters.

^ Good point, I'm wondering if hot cleric chick being possessed by an evil spirit would suffice? Being the Worst Fantasy Setting Ever this means that she can be redeemed, and indeed subsequently romanced in a series of unconvincing cut-scenes. Honestly, I'm expecting a PM from Bioware at, like, any minute. The snarky pet is too much fun. I'll not hog all the good stuff, someone else can have a go at that one. I'm trying to figure out where the psycho elven anti-hero fits in, don't worry I'll get there, will probably involve a portal or a curse or a djinn in a bottle. Cheers MC

Our heroes are a farm-boy who discovers a magic sword in a hay-bale, a mysterious wandering gypsy with a magical lute and the ability to charm snakes, a sullen elf hideously scarred after Torture By Orcs , a drunken dwarf with an axe and a ludicrously hot female cleric who has sworn a vow of Utter Chastity, which allows for moments of comic relief when the dwarf is even drunker than usual. They are brought together by a Very Old Wizard (who has a secret, oh yes he does) and given the Widget of Power, which must be taken to the King of the Dwarves. Drunken dwarf is banished from this clan for reasons of stubborn dwarven pride. Their enemy is Ifj'agy, a five hundred pound evil warrior with blue hair and a horned helmet in the shape of an octopus, a big Black Sword and a castle with a skull-shaped gate. He is in thrall to Xfoj'iad, a narcoleptic lich (slumbering evil, geddit?) who has stolen his mortal soul and is hawking it around to evil but hot demon chicks. Later in the plot drunken dwarf will find this hilarious. En route our heroes seek sanctuary in Cutehaven, home to the teddy-bear like Ewok / Hobbit hybrids called the H'zk'jop (one of whom joins them but is sadly slain saving the troupe of adventurers from an army of orcs led by Ifj'agy. After the Widget is delivered to the Dwarf King, hot cleric chick loses her powers after she declares her undying love for the farm-boy. Sullen, hideously scarred elf learns the folly of prejudice against dwarves and wandering gypsy becomes a powerful sorcerer. Honestly, this all comes naturally. What happens next?

I don't see why it shouldn't work. As long as it's handled properly, you get time to know the character and develop it yourself and they're aren't too many then it could be very cool. Working as three characters towards a common goal, and when you reach it the decisions you make impact on what character you play next... yeah I'm warming to that. It's a whole new way of looking to what we previously called 'NPCs'...