Dragon Age 2

[Bos_hybrid]

Mike Laidlaw wrote...

 

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..

[Volourn]

So, in essence, people shouldn't take what they ehar as gospel until they hear from the horse's mouth first.

[sorophx]

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

and I always thought the key to tactical play was actually being able to see the whole damn battlefield

[mr insomniac]

What they'll have is better than nothing at all. Still unsure about DA2, but I won't write it off as a loss yet.

[WorstUsernameEver]

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.

 

The tactical camera in DA:O was already too close to the battlefield.

Can't say I'm pleased about this.

[Morgoth]

Good then I never used the tactical camera in DAO.

[Gromnir]

wtf is the "tactical view"? when we play da we pretty much have camera pulled back as far as possible, particularly when combat starts. am not recalling having a specific "tactical view" setting.

 

"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."

 

honestly, this doesn't tell me much. mike clearly has a different notion than Gromnir regarding what is "key elements" o' the tactical experience.

 

...

 

show us some freaking screenshots that explain, 'cause biowarian words continue to leave us with more questions than answers.

 

HA! Good Fun!

Edited August 8, 2010 by Gromnir

[Spider]

Given the current backlash to their plans for the camera, if they are still working on the tactical view, the chance still exists they will realize the best fix it to keep it as close to the original as possible. but we'll see.

 

Currently they're doing nothing to make me believe I'll like DA2 as much as I liked the first one. So I'll just have to wait and see how things appear closer to release. The only thing that's still sure is that this won't be an auto-buy for me.

[SteveThaiBinh]

I use tactical view sometimes, for very difficult battles. I hope they keep it or find something to replace it, and don't just make all the battles easier.

[Sannom]

honestly, this doesn't tell me much. mike clearly has a different notion than Gromnir regarding what is "key elements" o' the tactical experience.

 

I suppose it means that even if there isn't a top-down view, it won't be a KOTOR/NWN2-without-patch system where the camera is automatically glued to the character that is controlled, instead giving you the opportunity to choose your point of view and then give orders.

[Volourn]

"Given the current backlash to their plans for the camera,"

 

The 'backlash' is meaningless. People were bashing BIO before ME2, and DA and we know the result of all that.

[Nightshape]

I'm not even a tiny bit excited about this game .

[Nightshape]

"No tool-set either? LAME"

 

DA's toolset sucked anyways. No great loss.

 

 

"What about their set goals and vision for DA being the successor of BG."

 

That was DA1. Not DA2.

 

PLus, ME2's greater success proves that BIO's fans don't want a successor to BG. I blame the Codex, btw, since they much prefer ME2 to DA anyways.

 

I think the community is split, those that have been playing Bioware games since BG, having experienced the PC only titles, and those that started with KOTOR, and the console titles.

 

It's sad to say, and I'm sure Bioware will enjoy alot of success, but I doubt we're going to see anything like what we've seen in the past from BIO again. Much as Bethesda with FO3, they don't need the core hardcore crowd, so f*** 'em. Out with the old in with the new.

 

This isn't a good or bad thing mind, just means that BIO is different.

[Nihilus5078]

Not to mention BIO is shifting from their classic RPG style to more MMORPG.

[Kaftan Barlast]

I'm not even a tiny bit excited about this game .

 

 

Needless to say, me neither. BioWare should do something useful with the DA team like a cookie rpg

[Nightshape]

I'm not even a tiny bit excited about this game .

 

 

Needless to say, me neither. BioWare should do something useful with the DA team like a cookie rpg

 

DA2 will probably sell more copies, I'd like a cookie RPG though.

[Azure79]

Why would they get rid of top down view? I played all the battles that way and it was fun and easy to issue orders.

 

"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."

 

Reading that it seems like you'll be able to take the camera where you want it, instead of having it fixed on your selected character. I'm all for that and it looks like top down view is still there.

 

Guess I'll wait for the trailer.

[Orogun01]

"No tool-set either? LAME"

 

DA's toolset sucked anyways. No great loss.

 

 

"What about their set goals and vision for DA being the successor of BG."

 

That was DA1. Not DA2.

 

PLus, ME2's greater success proves that BIO's fans don't want a successor to BG. I blame the Codex, btw, since they much prefer ME2 to DA anyways.

 

I think the community is split, those that have been playing Bioware games since BG, having experienced the PC only titles, and those that started with KOTOR, and the console titles.

 

It's sad to say, and I'm sure Bioware will enjoy alot of success, but I doubt we're going to see anything like what we've seen in the past from BIO again. Much as Bethesda with FO3, they don't need the core hardcore crowd, so f*** 'em. Out with the old in with the new.

 

This isn't a good or bad thing mind, just means that BIO is different.

Throw in those who just picked a copy of ME and believe that makes them BIOfans.

[Nepenthe]

Why would they get rid of top down view? I played all the battles that way and it was fun and easy to issue orders.

 

"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."

 

Mmh, even if I was particularly infatuated with the zoom after being forced to stare at the back of my character's head for three playthroughs on the PS3 (what can I say, I was bedridden for over a month), I used the full zoom only a couple of times (Branka). Still seems like a case of fixing something that wasn't broken - not on the PC, anyway.

[Tigranes]

It's not fixing, it's the fact that they feel it's more cost effective to make the game look good from KOTOR camera and then, as an afterthought, put in camera options as far as that policy allows. It's a repriotisation where they say people who play close up are more important - I suppose because research would have shown that the majority of their audience (console, obviously) did it that way.

[Gromnir]

Why would they get rid of top down view? I played all the battles that way and it was fun and easy to issue orders.

 

"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."

 

Mmh, even if I was particularly infatuated with the zoom after being forced to stare at the back of my character's head for three playthroughs on the PS3 (what can I say, I was bedridden for over a month), I used the full zoom only a couple of times (Branka). Still seems like a case of fixing something that wasn't broken - not on the PC, anyway.

 

 

is not fixing. is streamlining. bio is trimming the "fat" from da as much as they possibly can. mike says the key aspect o' the tactical experience is free camera movement, so bio will keep that which is "key" but sacrifice the rest upon the altar o' necessity.

 

*shrug*

 

am gonna call bs. free camera movement as key is more bio bs. bio feels they can readily keeps free camera movement, as 'posed to a true top-down view which has a tendency to slow frame rates. 'cause it is making more sense to cut top-down to save resources, free camera movement has sudden become key.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[sorophx]

Reading that it seems like you'll be able to take the camera where you want it, instead of having it fixed on your selected character. I'm all for that

I don't remember the game (games?), that had it this same way, but it was awful. you could unlock the camera and spin it around any way you wanted, it was pretty stupid. brought even more confusion into fights.

[Nepenthe]

It's not fixing, it's the fact that they feel it's more cost effective to make the game look good from KOTOR camera and then, as an afterthought, put in camera options as far as that policy allows. It's a repriotisation where they say people who play close up are more important - I suppose because research would have shown that the majority of their audience (console, obviously) did it that way.

 

Well, the console users obviously didn't have a choice.

 

All I know is that pre-release the forums were littered with posts full of PS3 users begging for an alternative keyboard/mouse input scheme (which the PS3 unlike the x360 officially supports). Of course, when the slideshow that is the PS3 version was released, it became obvious why no zooming had been implemented.

[Kaftan Barlast]

I'm not even a tiny bit excited about this game .

 

 

Needless to say, me neither. BioWare should do something useful with the DA team like a cookie rpg

 

DA2 will probably sell more copies, I'd like a cookie RPG though.

 

 

I imagine t would be something along the line of

 

[Wrath of Dagon]

PC version sold very little as it was mostly pirated. Bio doesn't want to spend a lot of money on the next PC version. Big surprise.