Dragon Age 3

I'd be fine with a tactics style DA game, as long as it keeps the character customization, character/party interaction, and storytelling of the main DA games.

if you are forced to play as premade characters with preset classes and the whole game is just about completing random missions with a thin storyline, then I can't say I'd be that interested.
 
I'm ready for the next Dragon Age!! Bring it, Bioware!!

and let's hope it's an improvement over DAI........lol.
 
well, if not a new DA game, then I want a new KOTOR style Star Wars RPG.
 
Bioware Gets a New Leader, EA Worldwide Studios Formed



Posted Sep 13, 2016
General News | 14 Comments


EA has placed several of its game studios under the banner of EA Worldwide Studios. Maxis and EA Mobile are now the foundation studios in EA Worldwide Studios with Patrick Soderlund taking the helm. In addition, EA announced that EA Senior Vice President Samantha Ryan is taking charge of Bioware.
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source: MMORPG.com
 
For those wondering about the previous game, the mystery has finally been solved!

@MikeLaidlaw said:
Okay, folks have some questions about the Exalted March cancelled expansion for DAII. So…First off? Why did we cancel it? Easy to assume it was “the reaction” to DAII, but not so! It was the move to Frostbite.

We had an opportunity to do [the DLC and the engine switch] at the same time, but knew as it would be the first time that engine did 'RPG stuff' it would be hard," he says. "As most everything in making games, it certainly was challenging. Great engine, but took tons of time. Had we tried to do both EM and the Frostbite transition, both would have suffered a lot, especially from lack of engineering folks. [Mark Darrah] made the call to stop development on EM and go all in on what would become Dragon Age: Inquisition.

Exalted March didn’t make it too far past concept. The idea, however, was that it followed the red lyrium chicanery of DA2 with the Chantry becoming VERY UPSET, while various aspects of the Qunari started to make moves on the turbulent Free Marches. And thus it fell to Hawke to stop things from going to hell (again) while working with Starkhaven and the pirates of the Armada.
Click to expand...
 
I've now played all three Dragon Age games. Here is what I'd like to see in the next one in terms of gameplay, if they make a Dragon Age 4.

Roll back some of the restrictions on the builds and customization that were in DAII and Inquisition, in terms of what weapons and armor you could equip for your characters. Give me more freedom for my builds again.

I'd love to see the return of brutal kill animations (like in Origins) where you can cut people's heads off. Maybe bring them back as finishers/takedowns that the player can control, like when you get a critical hit on an enemy it then unlocks a finisher (and stores it automatically), and then you can execute it with a button combo (like pressing R2 and X at the same time, if you are playing on a PS4). This would allow you to one shot kill grunts, and finish off bosses when their health is nearly depleted (and take a big portion of their health if they aren't near death). Have it be an up-gradable skill where you start off with two slots that you can store finishers on at one time, and max it out at eight when fully upgraded (like the fear takedowns in Batman Arkham Knight).

Being able to alternate my basic weapon/Mage staff attacks with a rapid fire attack (by rapidly tapping the attack button) and a big heavy strike (by holding it down, like in Skyrim). The rapid fire attacks increase your DPS, and the heavy ones do big damage with one strike. Balance it out by having both of those attacks affect your stamina/mana, so players can't spam them (and it makes sense that by doing a big strike or increasing the tempo of your attacks you are using more energy).

To add to that, what about being able to do heavy versions of your ability/talent attacks, and give you extra damage on them (at the cost of more stamina/mana)? I know the games already have upgraded versions of these attacks but I'd like to be able to have control of when I do the upgraded versions, rather then being locked in permanently after I put my skill point into it.

I think these things would bring more variety to the gameplay, and make it less repetitive (and faster paced).

To that end, what about bosses that are tougher to kill in ways that are more than just giving them a bigger heath bar? That doesn't necessarily make them harder to kill, it just makes killing them take longer (and artificially making it harder by hampering your ability to heal your character with heavy restrictions on healing potions doesn't cut it), leading to repetitive gameplay.

How about instead you have certain bosses where you go to attack them they can block, parry, and dodge your basic attacks like in a real sword fight? This would then force you to alternate your attacks, like switching to rapid fire attacks and or heavy attacks to keep the boss off balance, and stun them so you can get more hits in. Origins had something like this where you automatically blocked attacks from low-tier enemies with your weapon if you had a high defense rating, so I know its possible to program that in.

To that end, what about being able to disarm enemies (and also be disarmed yourself), making them vulnerable to attack? Allow you to attack with punches/kicks if you don't have a weapon equipped (you can do this in Skyrim, and you could also do it in Origins too).

Other things:

Go back to the Origins merchant system where when I go to buy something I can see my inventory side by side with what the seller has, so its easier to compare them without constantly having to press a button in order to switch from buying to selling.

Being able to mark items/loot on my map when I can't equip them right away (like say if my inventory capacity is full), so I can find them later.
 
AndrewGilkison said:
I've now played all three Dragon Age games. Here is what I'd like to see in the next one in terms of gameplay, if they make a Dragon Age 4.

Roll back some of the restrictions on the builds and customization that were in DAII and Inquisition, in terms of what weapons and armor you could equip for your characters. Give me more freedom for my builds again.

I'd love to see the return of brutal kill animations (like in Origins) where you can cut people's heads off. Maybe bring them back as finishers/takedowns that the player can control, like when you get a critical hit on an enemy it then unlocks a finisher (and stores it automatically), and then you can execute it with a button combo (like pressing R2 and X at the same time, if you are playing on a PS4). This would allow you to one shot kill grunts, and finish off bosses when their health is nearly depleted (and take a big portion of their health if they aren't near death). Have it be an up-gradable skill where you start off with two slots that you can store finishers on at one time, and max it out at eight when fully upgraded (like the fear takedowns in Batman Arkham Knight).

Being able to alternate my basic weapon/Mage staff attacks with a rapid fire attack (by rapidly tapping the attack button) and a big heavy strike (by holding it down, like in Skyrim). The rapid fire attacks increase your DPS, and the heavy ones do big damage with one strike. Balance it out by having both of those attacks affect your stamina/mana, so players can't spam them (and it makes sense that by doing a big strike or increasing the tempo of your attacks you are using more energy).

To add to that, what about being able to do heavy versions of your ability/talent attacks, and give you extra damage on them (at the cost of more stamina/mana)? I know the games already have upgraded versions of these attacks but I'd like to be able to have control of when I do the upgraded versions, rather then being locked in permanently after I put my skill point into it.

I think these things would bring more variety to the gameplay, and make it less repetitive (and faster paced).

To that end, what about bosses that are tougher to kill in ways that are more than just giving them a bigger heath bar? That doesn't necessarily make them harder to kill, it just makes killing them take longer (and artificially making it harder by hampering your ability to heal your character with heavy restrictions on healing potions doesn't cut it), leading to repetitive gameplay.

How about instead you have certain bosses where you go to attack them they can block, parry, and dodge your basic attacks like in a real sword fight? This would then force you to alternate your attacks, like switching to rapid fire attacks and or heavy attacks to keep the boss off balance, and stun them so you can get more hits in. Origins had something like this where you automatically blocked attacks from low-tier enemies with your weapon if you had a high defense rating, so I know its possible to program that in.

To that end, what about being able to disarm enemies (and also be disarmed yourself), making them vulnerable to attack? Allow you to attack with punches/kicks if you don't have a weapon equipped (you can do this in Skyrim, and you could also do it in Origins too).

Other things:

Go back to the Origins merchant system where when I go to buy something I can see my inventory side by side with what the seller has, so its easier to compare them without constantly having to press a button in order to switch from buying to selling.

Being able to mark items/loot on my map when I can't equip them right away (like say if my inventory capacity is full), so I can find them later.
Click to expand...

those are some great ideas.

I don't know if I quite want them going all "actiony" with the combat, though the series seems to be heading that way. but greater variety of basic attacks ( and abilities ) would be welcome.

as for mages, there needs to be a greater variety of spells. In DAI, the spell variety felt sorely lacking. Some ( like the mines ) were basically just reskins of each other.

And yes, mages need a staff melee strike back - whether it's like DAII or how you described. Or else, give mages a separate secondary weapon like the spirit blades that the Knight Enchanters use in DAI. Some weapons that they introduced in Trespasser DLC had spirit/elemental blades, so I felt that's a step towards an actual spirit blade for mages.

Indeed, I'd like the DA series to adopt the more open, less restrictive system ME: Andromeda seems to be adopting. I'm eager to see how that performs in Andromeda.

If I want a dual wielding warrior, I should be able to create that character and not feel restricted to being a rogue.

If I want a dual wielding mage, why not? a sword and shield mage, why not?

a single blade/rapier style rogue, why not?

The DA series has been feeling more and more restrictive with each passing game. I hope DA4 doesn't continue that direction.

Oh, and bring back the Origins concept from DAO, or let us choose our little backstory backgrounds like in Mass Effect. And if specs return, I'd like those to actually be part of the character's backstory. Don't just let me drink lyrium and suddenly let me wield Templar powers. Actually make being a Templar ( or Seeker ) part of my character's story.

Let my character actually be a Blood Mage or Knight Enchanter with the backstory to match.

Let my Assassin Rogue actually be an assassin instead of just merely learning a set of new skills.
 
X Knight said:
those are some great ideas.

I don't know if I quite want them going all "actiony" with the combat, though the series seems to be heading that way. but greater variety of basic attacks ( and abilities ) would be welcome.

as for mages, there needs to be a greater variety of spells. In DAI, the spell variety felt sorely lacking. Some ( like the mines ) were basically just reskins of each other.

And yes, mages need a staff melee strike back - whether it's like DAII or how you described. Or else, give mages a separate secondary weapon like the spirit blades that the Knight Enchanters use in DAI. Some weapons that they introduced in Trespasser DLC had spirit/elemental blades, so I felt that's a step towards an actual spirit blade for mages.

Indeed, I'd like the DA series to adopt the more open, less restrictive system ME: Andromeda seems to be adopting. I'm eager to see how that performs in Andromeda.

If I want a dual wielding warrior, I should be able to create that character and not feel restricted to being a rogue.

If I want a dual wielding mage, why not? a sword and shield mage, why not?

a single blade/rapier style rogue, why not?

The DA series has been feeling more and more restrictive with each passing game. I hope DA4 doesn't continue that direction.

Oh, and bring back the Origins concept from DAO, or let us choose our little backstory backgrounds like in Mass Effect. And if specs return, I'd like those to actually be part of the character's backstory. Don't just let me drink lyrium and suddenly let me wield Templar powers. Actually make being a Templar ( or Seeker ) part of my character's story.

Let my character actually be a Blood Mage or Knight Enchanter with the backstory to match.

Let my Assassin Rogue actually be an assassin instead of just merely learning a set of new skills.
Click to expand...

I am in agreement with a lot of this.

To expand on your thoughts, maybe in the next game they can expand the class system beyond the main basic ones (Warrior, Rogue, Mage) and add hybrid classes, such as...

A Mage/Warrior hybrid, which would be a natural evolution of the Arcane Warrior specialization, fully developed.

Warrior/Rogue hybrid (combining power with speed and quickness).

Mage/Rogue hybrid perhaps(a Mage that can pick locks?)? Not sure.

I would like to see a Rogue have the same amount of weapon talents that a Warrior does, but replace S&S and two handed sword/axe with two talents that would be best suited for a Rogue, and emphasize speed and quickness over strength and power (Warrior class).

Warrior:
Sword & Shield
Duel Blades
Archery
Two Handed

Rogue:
Single Blade/Rapier
Duel Blades
Archery
Bow Staff

This would allow a Rogue to be competitive with the Warrior without so many restrictions. A bow staff could be medium size (while Mages have bigger ones), and allow a Rogue to crowd control like a two handed warrior, and a single blade style would replace bashing someone with a shield with quick attacks and using the free hand to punch and grab an enemy.

To your point about the story specific content for when you unlock specializations, there is that Dark Wolf quest in Origins that I thought was cool (if you had points put into pick pocketing/stealing). So obviously there is precedent for that. I think the idea behind the specs is that because you unlock them as you play the game they are new skills you learn while on your journey, things you learn from other people and your companions as you go through the main story. Maybe if you expand on them and make them classes onto themselves (as opposed to specs) you could make them part of your characters backstory.

But barring that, maybe in the next game if you unlock a specialization you unlock quests to go with them.

Templar: You are offered to join the Order officially, and can go on Templar related missions (hunting apostates on the run, etc).

Assassination: An assassin guild like the Crows tries to recruit you, and you get hired to do actual assassinations (like posing as a waiter to serve a poison drink to a target, sniping someone who is in a public place from a high vantage point, etc).

You get the idea.
 
AndrewGilkison said:
I am in agreement with a lot of this.

To expand on your thoughts, maybe in the next game they can expand the class system beyond the main basic ones (Warrior, Rogue, Mage) and add hybrid classes, such as...

A Mage/Warrior hybrid, which would be a natural evolution of the Arcane Warrior specialization, fully developed.

Warrior/Rogue hybrid (combining power with speed and quickness).

Mage/Rogue hybrid perhaps(a Mage that can pick locks?)? Not sure.

I would like to see a Rogue have the same amount of weapon talents that a Warrior does, but replace S&S and two handed sword/axe with two talents that would be best suited for a Rogue, and emphasize speed and quickness over strength and power (Warrior class).

Warrior:
Sword & Shield
Duel Blades
Archery
Two Handed

Rogue:
Single Blade/Rapier
Duel Blades
Archery
Bow Staff

This would allow a Rogue to be competitive with the Warrior without so many restrictions. A bow staff could be medium size (while Mages have bigger ones), and allow a Rogue to crowd control like a two handed warrior, and a single blade style would replace bashing someone with a shield with quick attacks and using the free hand to punch and grab an enemy.

To your point about the story specific content for when you unlock specializations, there is that Dark Wolf quest in Origins that I thought was cool (if you had points put into pick pocketing/stealing). So obviously there is precedent for that. I think the idea behind the specs is that because you unlock them as you play the game they are new skills you learn while on your journey, things you learn from other people and your companions as you go through the main story. Maybe if you expand on them and make them classes onto themselves (as opposed to specs) you could make them part of your characters backstory.

But barring that, maybe in the next game if you unlock a specialization you unlock quests to go with them.

Templar: You are offered to join the Order officially, and can go on Templar related missions (hunting apostates on the run, etc).

Assassination: An assassin guild like the Crows tries to recruit you, and you get hired to do actual assassinations (like posing as a waiter to serve a poison drink to a target, sniping someone who is in a public place from a high vantage point, etc).

You get the idea.
Click to expand...

those are some great ideas.

I'd welcome a hybrid class system. Again, similar to ME.

That would open up more possibilities, especially if they continue the weapon-class restrictions.

For example, while a Rogue can only dual wield daggers/short swords, and a Warrior can't dual wield at all, the Rogue/Warrior hybrid class would allow you to dual wield long swords, or long sword + dagger. Similar to DAO.

As for a Mage/Rogue hybrid, I'd think that would be something like a "shadow mage" or something. Indeed, if you look at a lot of the Rogue abilities in DAI, they had the Rogues "moving through shadows" to attack. There was even one focus attack ( Thousand Cuts, I think ) that had the Rogue basically teleport around and attack multiple enemies.

Well, for the Mage/Rogue hybrid, I'd like them to actually run with that concept of "shadow attacks." These shadow mages manipulate shadows in their spells. They can teleport around the battlefield to attack, evade, or position themselves. They can use shadows to confuse enemies or attack from a distance. They can create shadow clones of themselves. etc.

As for weapons, shadow mages probably wouldn't rely on staves. dual "spirit" daggers might suit them better.

There are lots of creative possibilities. much more interesting, imo, than what we got in DAI.
 
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I'm far behind, but finally started Inquisition. I was a huge fan of DA Origins. DA II tho, got mid way through, and quit. Several times I forced myself to play an hour or two just to get my save file ready for Inquisition. With DA Origins I had 3 full playthrough dagger Rogues, a Dwarf warrior, Elf mage, and a human female archer (for romance trophies), including running them through the expansions. DA Origins was the first game I platinumed, DA II took everything I had just to finish once. So going into Inquisition, I was worried.

I was pleasantly surprised. Starting with Dragon Age Keep. I was worried it would trivialize our previous choices. It was very in depth, and allowed me to continue the storyline of the characters I didn't take through DA II. My only complaint is it got a few things wrong when initially choosing my rogue, didn't show he romanced Morrigan for example.

As for the game itself, even better. The combat improved from DA II, but more than that, I got that spark back for the series. I feel sucked into the lore again, and just like with DA Origins, I'm exploring every nook, and cranny. I stood at the edge of a cliff at one point looking out, and thought, "I missed this", lol. To me Elder Scrolls is my realistic medieval immersion game. Dragon Age is my game play, world building, and lore immersion game. So seeing Bioware correct so much of the mistakes with DA II was a relief.

I'm 14 hours in, still enjoying Hinterland side quests. My only downside so far is the companions. Casandra, and Solas come off as dry, and ho hum so far. Varric is Varric, but I already heard all his banter in DA II. Past that though, I'm loving the game so far. I bought the GOTY edition when it first came out, but had so many games to play (and was still gun shy from DA II) that I just finally took the packaging off the other day, and started playing.
 
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Get out of the Hinterlands. You can recruit other characters in the other areas.
 
It's really easy to get burned out in the Hinterlands. It just goes on and on.
 
Just realized I put just opened yesterday, meant the other day. Correcting that, because 14 hours in one day would be too much, lol, especially with work. I'd never sleep.

Anyway, I'm still enjoying it, I don't feel the urge to rush just yet. Getting more allies would be nice. I'm just the type that likes to take my time, and explore everything in an RPG. If it starts dragging on too long I'll take your advice though. I by accident ran into a dragon, so taking it I can't defeat everything here until I level more anyway. Did defeat the little dragonlings though.
 
I would still suggest moving on. You don't want to burn your time and effort in honestly one of the most boring levels of the game.
 
Going to Val Royeaux allows you to recruit two more companions, and there is another in the Hinterlands (I won't spoil it for you). You can always leave for a bit to go to other places and then come back to finish whatever quests are left, if it starts to get boring being in one place.

I really don't like the lack of regenerative health in this game, or the lack of health potions to loot. I am always having to backtrack after finishing a tough wave of enemies that suck all the health and health potions out of my party, and fast travel back to a camp to replenish my health/health potions.
 
I hate how they removed healing spells from mages. same with buff spells.

cure/healing/buff spells are RPG staples for mages, and that's all practically gone for DAI mages.

oh sure. NPC mages you see in the background can heal. but not your party's mages apparently.

I hope Spirit Healers and a wider variety of spells make a return in DA4.
 
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I took your advice, and moved on. I wasn't bored, or anything. I just wanted to advance the plot. I'm now about to meet Iron Bull.

My only problem is Mages, or Templars? In the previous two games it was more simple. I typically play my first character as a dagger Rogue who mirrors me a bit. I chose to help the mages both times as I saw them as oppressed, and didn't agree with killing them. In this game though both sides are messed up, and at the same time seem like they need help.

I'm actually leaning Mage again, but then there's a problem with my second playthrough. I play my second character as an Elf Mage angry at his lot in life. Already Elves are oppressed in Alienages, then he got locked up in the Mages Tower. In DAO I had him slaughter the Mages out of seeing them as weak, and a reminder of his imprisonment. If I had imported him to DA II, I would have continued with a Hawke Mage who hates Templars. With DA Keep I can continue that. Which means my second playthrough of DAI will probably once again be a "renegade" Mage who wants to consolidate Mages under himself.

So that would be two playthroughs choosing the Mages. I could just go Templar on my main char to see the storyline, and change it in Keep later I guess.
 
In my Mage playthrough I wound up picking the Templars by accident as I didn't realize choosing to advance that plotline first would cut off the Mage storyline and make it unable to progress.

In my current playthrough as a female Warrior I picked the Mages. I just to the part where I got sucked into the Fade along with Hawke and Grey Warden Shroud (cause Loghain is dead and Alister is King) and I am piecing back the memories of the Inquisitor to find out what really happened at the Conclave, and I notice that in the flashbacks my Inquisitor is wearing the same armor set that she was currently wearing in the present day (even though she wasn't wearing that at the beginning of the game).

That kind of took me out of the story a bit. I don't get it because these flashbacks were cut-scenes. They weren't gameplay. So why the continuity screw up? Was it a technical programing issue? Because the Mass Effect Citadal DLC has two Shepards on screen at the same time with two different armor sets, and that came out a year before this did.
 
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