EA Dragon Age: The Veilguard

[Deck Rickard]

His concerns are valid, but I think that’s the sort of thing you have to just roll the dice on if you’re going to adapt a property like Dragon Age. I would also argue that while DAI allows users to customize their protagonist and there are version choices you make that impact the story, using (I think) only two voice actors for the male and female Inquisitors and structuring the game in a more linear way than something like Skyrim doesn’t allow for as much variation as he is suggesting. So I think that if you’re going to adapt DAI, it’s not as much of a blank slate as it might seem. Furthermore, you have built in personalities for your supporting cast, so whatever you might do with the Inquisitor, you can still ensure that those characters feel like their in-game counterparts.

Anyway, I hope that series happens. And more importantly, I hope DA4 happens… though last week’s news is troubling.

 

[metaphysician]

I can see the issue with Dragon Age, but IMO it is not really nearly as big a problem for Mass Effect. Yes, you theoretically can customize your Commander Shepard in various ways, buuuut. . . ultimately you operate within some fairly firm boundaries of who Shepard is, both solid and soft. Commander Shepard is closer to Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher games than your typical WRPG dial-a-protagonist: a defined character where the player chooses between options plausible to that character. Sure, you can go off-the-rails moreso than with Geralt, but the way the story flows points at a "Mostly Paragon, But Not Entirely" path as being the intended one. Consider the number of subplots where diverging too far from that concept leads to very obvious Bad Outcomes. Its not all that different from how you *can* get Ciri killed in Witcher 3, but its not an Intended Character Choice so much as a Game Over You Lose.

The biggest and most troublesome writing decision for Shepard would honestly be whether to go with MShep or FemShep.

 

[AndrewGilkison]

The main priority for doing a Mass Effect or Dragon Age TV show would be getting the worlds and characters right. Getting the lore and the settings right. Making the supporting characters like Garrus recognizable to their games counterpart and not completely out of left field.

Why should I care if they create their own Shepard for their own Mass Effect show? Why should I care if a Dragon Age TV show has their own version of The Warden or Hawke or the Inquisitor? As long as it doesn't affect the games I am playing, I am fine with it. Those characters are blank slates in the games for the purposes of those games. A TV show doesn't have to "protect" that.

 

[Deck Rickard]

The main priority for doing a Mass Effect or Dragon Age TV show would be getting the worlds and characters right. Getting the lore and the settings right. Making the supporting characters like Garrus recognizable to their games counterpart and not completely out of left field.

Why should I care if they create their own Shepard for their own Mass Effect show? Why should I care if a Dragon Age TV show has their own version of The Warden or Hawke or the Inquisitor? As long as it doesn't affect the games I am playing, I am fine with it. Those characters are blank slates in the games for the purposes of those games. A TV show doesn't have to "protect" that.

Agreed. As much as I would love to see my sexually fluid, Dalish Elf Warrior Inquisitor brought to life on a TV show, I know that there’s a good chance that the character on the TV show would be quite different than what I made up in my own game. Now, if you turned Cassandra into an absent-minded old sorcerer or made Dorian an ax-swinging barbarian, then I would have a problem. But those are different things.

 

[Iceman]

Agreed. As much as I would love to see my sexually fluid, Dalish Elf Warrior Inquisitor brought to life on a TV show, I know that there’s a good chance that the character on the TV show would be quite different than what I made up in my own game. Now, if you turned Cassandra into an absent-minded old sorcerer or made Dorian an ax-swinging barbarian, then I would have a problem. But those are different things.

I would also like to see this.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I would also like to see this.

Hey, if they want some pointers on how to write the character, I would be happy to oblige haha. But on a serious note, they could really make this show something special if they want to (and if the rumor is real). DAI was incredibly progressive in that most of the main characters are (or could be) LGBTQ+ and I would hope the show would be reflective of that. Dorian’s father trying to do magical conversion therapy in him was heartbreaking. And Krem’s story as a trans man is awesome. There is so much material here that they could explore that could really make this one stand out.

 

[Iceman]

Dragon Age 4 "on schedule" but still "at least 18 months out" — report (trueachievements.com)

 

[Iceman]

Hey, if they want some pointers on how to write the character, I would be happy to oblige haha. But on a serious note, they could really make this show something special if they want to (and if the rumor is real). DAI was incredibly progressive in that most of the main characters are (or could be) LGBTQ+ and I would hope the show would be reflective of that. Dorian’s father trying to do magical conversion therapy in him was heartbreaking. And Krem’s story as a trans man is awesome. There is so much material here that they could explore that could really make this one stand out.

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case with a show coming out in 2022. It's sexually fluid, Dalish Elf Warrior Inquisitor or bust for me.

 

[Deck Rickard]

I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case with a show coming out in 2022. It's sexually fluid, Dalish Elf Warrior Inquisitor or bust for me.

Damn right!

 

[DarthSkywalker]

 

[Iceman]

Not a bad name. Changing thread title.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Finally. This is probably my most anticipated game. DAI will be hard to top but I have faith in them.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

Finally. This is probably my most anticipated game. DAI will be hard to top but I have faith in them.

How many of the DA games have you played, Deck?

 

[Iceman]

I'd love if Bioware could reclaim their old glories and bring back Dragon Age and Mass Effect to the top long term.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

I'd love if Bioware could reclaim their old glories and bring back Dragon Age and Mass Effect to the top long term.

Agreed. They've certainly got a lot to prove at this point (particularly their management :P)

 

[Deck Rickard]

How many of the DA games have you played, Deck?

Only DAI, but it’s probably my favorite game. I would love to play the older ones but they aren’t available for PS4. Though maybe I can get them on Steam? I hate playing games on a laptop though.

 

[Deck Rickard]

A Netflix animated series is on the way! A little disappointing that it won’t center on the characters from Inquisition but I’m down for this nonetheless.

Dragon Age Absolution is a Netflix show "authentic to" the lore

 

[Iceman]

A Netflix animated series is on the way! A little disappointing that it won’t center on the characters from Inquisition but I’m down for this nonetheless.

Dragon Age Absolution is a Netflix show "authentic to" the lore

Just read about that. Cool!

 

[metaphysician]

Eh, I take any claims with a grain of salt. Sure, Netflix brought us the very good Castlevania adaptation, but its also brought us stuff like Dragon's Dogma.

 

[Wolvieboy17]

So, we know the Netflix series is set in Tevinter, and in the trailer, a protag says "We're in!", like they just snuck in somewhere...

So I wonder if it's at all connected to that abandoned DAI narrative involving your party going undercover to heists etc in Tevinter?

SOURCE: Dragon Age 4: Original Version Featured Heists, Branching Stories, and More Details

 

[Iceman]

Eh, I take any claims with a grain of salt. Sure, Netflix brought us the very good Castlevania adaptation, but its also brought us stuff like Dragon's Dogma.

Oh is Dragon’s Dogma bad?

Sign up these Castlevania people and give them some other projects like this to work on.

 

[metaphysician]

Oh is Dragon’s Dogma bad?

Sign up these Castlevania people and give them some other projects like this to work on.

I admit, I have not played Dragons Dogma, nor watched the show. However, I've read detailed reviews of both, and watched some clips. The Dragon's Dogma show basically has absolutely nothing to do with the game: not just in world and story and characters, but also in tone and theme. Its basically a knockoff of grimdark anime like Goblin Hunter, and one that mostly relies on every character being as venal, stupid, and unsympathetic as possible.

 

[Iceman]

I admit, I have not played Dragons Dogma, nor watched the show. However, I've read detailed reviews of both, and watched some clips. The Dragon's Dogma show basically has absolutely nothing to do with the game: not just in world and story and characters, but also in tone and theme. Its basically a knockoff of grimdark anime like Goblin Hunter, and one that mostly relies on every character being as venal, stupid, and unsympathetic as possible.

I seriously hate when they make a show or film that has nothing to do with the source material, even if what they make happens to be good. It’s an unnecessary fraud IMO. Just call your project something else instead of trying to con fans of the original for some easy dollars.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Is Dragon’s Dogma even that popular? Seems like they wouldn’t have really lost anything if they didn’t try and associate it with the game.

 

[Iceman]

Is Dragon’s Dogma even that popular? Seems like they wouldn’t have really lost anything if they didn’t try and associate it with the game.

I doubt many non-gamers have heard of it, and it's not one of the big hitters in the gaming world.

FF: The Spirits Within really annoyed me for this reason too.