Multiple Platforms Dragon Age II

[Sir Kenneth]

I'm loving the new art direction. The darkspawn now look a lot less like they were lifted straight out of LOTR. Hawke also looks totally badass. I might actually just go with the default look this time around He sort of looks like a medieval GI Joe doll haha

 

[Sultan]

Come on, the Darkspawn didn't look all -that- like the Orcs...maybe the murlocks..a little bit >_>. What practicality do the new armor designs serve for the darkspawn? Or their swords for that matter? =p And why does the Ogre's mouth look like one of those Abominations from World of Warcraft? I agree though, Hawke -does- look badass. This wasn't the direction that I was expecting, but I won't judge. Too little, too soon. And on that note:

MOAR UPDATES

the story confirms that with Dragon Age 2's new hero, Hawke, being fully voiced, the game will eschew the dialogue trees of the first Dragon Age for a "dialogue wheel" system similar to Mass Effect. One new wrinkle, though, is that Dragon Age 2's dialogue wheel will show you exactly what type of response each option will give, noting whether it's "anger" or "flirting," and so on.
Interestingly, though, a whole new character with his (or her) own personality doesn't mean everything you did in the first Dragon Age doesn't matter. Dragon Age 1 save files can still be transferred over to Dragon Age 2, which actually begins during the final moments of the first game. Exactly what will cross-over into Dragon Age 2 wasn't detailed, but presumably the bigger world-affecting choices you made in the first game will have some influence in the second, even if you're playing a different character.
And lastly -- and potentially most controversially -- BioWare revealed that only the PC version of Dragon Age 2 will feature "strategic combat," with the console versions featuring a new system. "Rather than try to mimic the PC experience on consoles, Dragon Age 2 has a battle system more tailored to the strengths of the PS3 and 360," the GI story reads.
Again, no details were passed on as to how this new console battle system will work, so we'll have to wait and see what specific changes BioWare has in mind for console gamers.


Extracted from this article:

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3180357

Furthermore:
a preview in the most recent Game Informer print magazine brings a slew of other details related to Dragon Age 2. We already knew from the official announcement that the story of the game would take place over a span of ten years but it seems that there will be more than one narrator who details each chapter with the action linked by small details and not evolving chronologically. It seems that the BioWare method of creating a starting area and then four game hubs will not be returning in Dragon Age 2.

The developers at BioWare are also saying that because of the length of the game players will have a chance to directly see the effects of their actions. Mike Laidlaw, one of the designers working on Dragon Age 2, is quoted as saying “This is, I think, the most reactive game we've ever done”.

The Game Informer preview also saying that Hawke, the main character, will get companions that will stick with him for certain portions of the experience without reacting to his moral alignment and his choices. There is also talk of more collaboration options between different classes, a sort of combo system involving special attacks from more than one character, which will go along with a reduction in the number of spells and the introduction of a new system to boost their power.

Reference: http://news.softpedia.com/news/More-Details-Emerge-About-Dragon-Age-2-147344.shtml

 

[Sir Kenneth]

Come on, the Darkspawn didn't look all -that- like the Orcs...maybe the murlocks..a little bit >_>. What practicality do the new armor designs serve for the darkspawn? Or their swords for that matter? =p And why does the Ogre's mouth look like one of those Abominations from World of Warcraft? I agree though, Hawke -does- look badass. This wasn't the direction that I was expecting, but I won't judge. Too little, too soon. And on that note:

Dude, the Darkspawn totally looked like LOTR orcs, and any other generic video game orc we've seen since LOTR for that matter. Admittedly, "lifted straight out of" was probably too strong a term, but it did seem like it was completely the same design aesthetic and feel they were going for. I do agree about the Ogre though. On that one, I definitely prefer the design from DAO...

As far as practicality goes, I don't really care. It IS a videogame after all, and I like that their armour and weaponry now looks far less like that worn by humans/elves/dwarves/etc. Bring on the spikes I say

A new combat system for the console versions sounds good. It was blatantly obvious that the combat system in DAO was designed for the PC where you have a hotbar and plenty of keys to bind your abilities to.

 

[Sultan]

More or less, I suppose. They did an okay job at making DAO console friendly but couldn't we at least zoom out if we wanted to? The camera controls in FFXII would've been ideal for DAO, I felt. (Minus the fact that you couldn't invert the Y and X axis in that game)

By the way, I was searching on google images for comparisons and came across this win photo

 

[SapphireStar]

By the way, I was searching on google images for comparisons and came across this win photo

Such a win lol. Wonder if Morrigans child will put in an apperance? Then again, would everyone have had that ending?

 

[Sir Kenneth]

Such a win lol. Wonder if Morrigans child will put in an apperance? Then again, would everyone have had that ending?

They probably wouldn't no. I totally get why people want to see Morrigan and Alistair make an appearance, but due to all the variables regarding the fate of those 2 characters, it just doesn't seem feasible. Especially not Alistair (unfortunately)

Hawke DOES start in Lothering though and it would be roughly around the time that the Grey Warden passes through, so maybe we'll be able to snatch up Sten (and perhaps even Liliana) before the Grey Warden gets them? It might be a bit far fetched, but not impossible

 

[Sultan]

At fist I didn't think if this would pass as a legitimate update. But having read the article in its entirety, I felt that some of you might be interested in what it contains.


If you've been using the Internet for longer than a week, you may have predicted the reaction to Dragon Age II and the Mass Effect-style changes to its characterization and dialogue system. To put it bluntly: many hate it.
BioWare is ever diligent, responding to fans on its forums, asking them for a little faith and clarifying a few important points. You'd think after about eight solid RPGs, they'd assume the best, but that's not the case, so here's us bringing some reason to the table.
Firstly, the changes. We've known the lead character is Hawke (last name), a human survivor of the Blight who goes on to do great things. Unlike in Origins, Hawke is not completely customizable, though you can choose class and gender. We also know Hawke will be fully voiced, taking a step away from the Baldur's Gate roots of the series.
The main concern stemming from these changes seem to be despite Dragon Age: Origins being possibly BioWare's best selling game ever, its sequel is catering to a less hardcore audience (e.g. the Mass Effect audience). If you can't see the sarcasm there, have another read.
Series lead writer David Gaider is quick to put fans in their place, reminding there's lots more to be revealed.

"People appear to be acting as if the scant details we've revealed are all they'll ever learn about the game ever, and they're thus required to render judgment immediately," he says.

"You're really not. You might, in fact, want to see exactly how we're implementing these features you dislike and seeing for yourself whether they differ from, say, Mass Effect's. There are similarities, of course, but there are also differences."
​

He later remarks they're certainly not using Mass Effect's exact implementation or even overall style.
Also, it's not at all intended as a "slap in the face" as some are taking it, merely a choice in creative direction. As noted in our previous article, it could be argued this new approach makes more sense for the Dragon Age universe. While traditional dialogue mechanics are a nice homage in a way, it's hard to say confidently they're best in a game that features otherwise full voice acting (unlike the Baldur's Gate series). Besides that, Dragon Age broke the mold in many other ways (and fans decried BioWare for it then, too), so it's not as if this is anything altogether new, or bad.
Meanwhile, writer Mary Kirby comments Hawke is not a specific character like Shepard is, and as was stated from the beginning (perhaps we didn't emphasize that point enough), you will have great influence on exactly how he or she evolves.
To be fair, we haven't played the game yet, and we could very well dislike the changes. The designers aren't afraid to concede on this and know they won't please everyone no matter what they do or don't do. But somehow, after all this time, we have the feeling it'll be as solid as ever, and hopefully even better than Origins (no small feat).
On a happier note, Gaider says we "might recognize a few people" from Origins, though the details seem to be up in the air at the moment.


Reference: http://www.neoseeker.com/news/14341-bioware-responds-to-dragon-age-ii-hate/

 

[Channizard]

"People appear to be acting as if the scant details we've revealed are all they'll ever learn about the game ever, and they're thus required to render judgment immediately," he says.

"You're really not. You might, in fact, want to see exactly how we're implementing these features you dislike and seeing for yourself whether they differ from, say, Mass Effect's. There are similarities, of course, but there are also differences."

hah pwned. I don't see why people are throwing a shit fit anyway.. I think implementing some of ME's greater options is an epic way of joining two great games with faults together. Adding VA for the main character, even if he's not completely customizable is a huge step, and something I wanted in DA in the first place. Watching/playing was so dull with a silent character.

 

[Sir Kenneth]

http://greywardens.com/2010/07/new-dragon-age-2-concept-art-shots/

Some new concept art from Dragon Age 2. There's some concept art of the new darkspawn which looks pretty much like the screen shots GameMage posted in this thread earlier. What's more interesting though, is the concept art of a dark haired woman clad in black armour with a white sun on her chest, and a pretty rogue-ish looking dwarf male. New companion characters perhaps?

 

[Sultan]

Sweet find, Sir Kenneth. I'll embed these for you:

I'm starting to like the new Darkspawn design.Ogre will take some getting used to, though. I do like the concept design of the Dwarf as well; can be fooled for a short human .


UPDATE: They've posted a time-line for Thedas:


1195 Ancient Times: By magic and steel, Darinius seized the great city of Minrathous and declared himself Archon – both king and high enchanter. Those who supported him became Magisters, mage-lords of the realm. At Darinius’ command, they conquered all neighboring lands and the rise of the Tevinter Imperium in Thedas began.

981 Ancient Times: The hostility that festered between the Tevinter Imperium and the elves finally turned into open war. Armies of the Imperium surrounded the fabled elven city of Arlathan in a siege that lasted six long years… until the Magisters resorted to a horrifying blood ritual that sank Arlathan into the earth, destroying it utterly. The conquest of the elven kingdom was complete: All those who did not perish with their city were enslaved, their spirit crushed and their ancient culture destroyed forever.

620 Ancient Times: Kirkwall, the last of the great Imperial cities, is founded in the distant Free Marches by the powerful archmage, Eremius Krayvan. Elven slaves were brought in by the thousands to work the stone quarries, and suffered hardships that would give the city a dark and bloody reputation. In time it became known as the “City of Chains,” the center of the Imperial slave market and the destination of all those captured by the spread of arcane rule.

395 Ancient Times: In secret, a group of the most powerful Magisters of the Imperium opened a gate into the heavenly Golden City, seat of the Maker and birthplace of all creation. They were cursed for their trespass, cast violently back into the world as corrupted, horrific monsters – the first of the darkspawn. The Archdemon Dumat arose and the First Blight began, starting a terrible war that destroyed the dwarven kingdoms and almost annihilated humanity. Only the creation of the Grey Wardens saved the lands, as those desperate heroes finally pushed back the darkspawn after a century of warfare. The Tevinter Imperium was left weak, but humanity was triumphant.

170 Ancient Times: The Prophet Andraste and her husband, the warlord Maferath, led an army of barbarians across the Waking Sea to assault the weakened Imperium. They incited revolution against the mages across Thedas, and soon their army stood at the gates of Minrathous itself. On the verge of final victory over the Imperium, Maferath betrayed Andraste and she was burned at the stake – but her memory would live on, inspiring the creation of a religion that would one day cover all of Thedas. The Chantry was born.

25 Ancient Times: As the borders of the Imperium receded, Kirkwall became one of their lone outposts within a distant and violent frontier. The surrounding territory was quickly divided into what would become Orlais, the barbarian Free Marches, as well as the new elven homeland of the Dales. Despite its isolation, Kirkwall fought off many invading armies and did not fall until the slaves within the city finally rebelled, executing their Tevinter rulers in an orgy of violence. Possession of the fortress city remained contested for centuries to come, but it would never again rejoin the Imperium.

1:01 Divine Age: The Chantry named its first Divine, Justinia I, giving the first age of the new calendar its name. This age saw the expansion of the Chantry’s influence throughout Thedas, aided by the eager conversion of the Grey Wardens. The order championed the Chantry’s growth, spreading Andraste’s teachings across Thedas.

1:05 Divine Age: The Archdemon Zazikel awoke, and with him came the Second Blight. Darkspawn emerged from all corners of the continent to threaten the people of Thedas. Humanity found itself launched into a desperate battle for survival, one that would span almost a hundred years. The final battle took place in 1:95 Divine in Starkhaven, the largest city of the Free Marches. The human forces, led by an army of Grey Wardens, won a resounding victory against the darkspawn, driving them back into the Deep Roads for centuries to come.

2:10 Glory Age: The increasing hostility between the elves of the Dales and human missionaries led to the elven attack on the Orlesian town of Red Crossing. An outraged Chantry declared a holy war upon the elves, one that would become known in time as “the Exalted March of the Dales.” The new elven homeland was crushed, its people either forced to live under human rule and be denied worship of their elven gods or left to wander as homeless vagabonds.

3:10 Towers Age: With the awakening of the Archdemon Toth, the Third Blight erupted throughout Tevinter and Orlais. Only the swift response of the Grey Wardens prevented the darkspawn from overrunning both nations. Their armies met in Hunter Fell, where they obliterated the darkspawn army, felling its archdemon in the bloodiest battle in history. Legend has it that the piles of darkspawn corpses lay over a hundred feet deep and that their blood poisoned the land where they fell.

3:87 Towers Age: Chafing under the Chantry's restrictions on magic, the priests of the Tevinter Imperium broke from Orlesian leadership in "The Great Schism." Seeing Andraste not as a divine prophet but a mortal symbol of hope -- and likely a powerful mage herself -- the Imperial priests shockingly elected a male Divine at the Minrathous Cathedral. Known as the "Black Divine," he became a potent symbol for anti-Imperial propaganda and stirred rage against all mages.

4:40 Black Age: Incensed by the Great Schism, the Chantry gathered an army of the faithful from across Thedas and marched four times on the Imperium, intending to destroy the heathens and their false Chantry. These "Exalted Marches" devastated the land and eventually fell short of their goal: the Minrathous Cathedral remained standing. To this day the Schism remains unhealed, and the Imperial Chantry remains separate from their brothers and sisters in Orlais.

5:12 Exalted Age: The Exalted Marches ended with the beginning of the Fourth Blight. The Archdemon Andoral emerged in Antiva, leading the darkspawn horde into the Free Marches and the Anderfels. Refused aid, they were nearly destroyed… until the arrival of the heroic Grey Wardens atop their griffin steeds. The elven Warden Garahel finally defeated the archdemon at Ayesleigh, a battle that resulted in the loss of the griffins and was thought to have eliminated the darkspawn forever.

5:42 Exalted Age: Rising from humble beginnings to unite the warring barbarians of the distant south, Calenhad the Great is crowned as the first King of Ferelden, creating a legend that would long outlive him and inspire his descendants.

6:30 Steel Age: Whispers reached the lands of Thedas that strange men had arrived in the northern jungle islands of the Boeric Ocean, tall men with horns and ships that fired thunder. These men called themselves “qunari”, and invaded the mainland in a great wave that took humanity by surprise. They forced all they conquered to convert to the Qun, their oppressive religion that heralded all as equals but scorned all individual freedom. Humanity battled to drive the qunari from the mainland for centuries to come.

7:60 Storm Age: The brutal qunari occupation of Kirkwall was defeated by Orlesian forces, who installed a chevalier as interim ruler of the profitable trade city. The move was opposed by the allied cities of the Free Marches, as well as by many elves who briefly had become equal citizens under the Qun. Rebellions within Kirkwall and threats from other trading partners prompted Orlais to withdraw. For the first time, the nobles of Kirkwall were free to decide their own government, and the first Viscount of Kirkwall is appointed.


8:24 Blessed Age: After many years of decline into decadence, the Mad Emperor Reville of Orlais invaded and conquered Ferelden at the Battle of Lothering. The usurper Meghren was placed upon Ferelden’s throne, while the granddaughter of the rightful king continued her struggle as the notorious Rebel Queen. The Orlesian Empire enjoyed a resurgence of power thanks to the invasion, a period that Reville quickly squandered.

8:99 Blessed Age: Dragons were thought to have been made extinct by the infamous dragon hunters of Nevarra almost three centuries before, but a High Dragon is spotted on a feeding rampage over the Frostback Mountains. Even though scholars claimed it a terrible omen, the Chantry declared it to be a sign of the Orlesian Empire’s glory and named the next century the Dragon Age. The rebels of Ferelden, however, saw it as a sign of their nation’s rebirth and successfully threw the Orlesians out three years later.

9:21 Dragon Age: Lord Marlowe Dumar is appointed the new Viscount of Kirkwall, replacing Perrin Threnhold, a tyrant killed by the city’s templars “for the good of all.” It is noted by many, however, that Threnhold’s abuses were only opposed after he tried to have the templar order expelled. It is said that Dumar holds power at the sufferance of the templars, and that their order has grown extremely powerful in Kirkwall during his reign. They have become the center of Chantry strength in eastern Thedas and hold their Circle of Magi in a terrifying, iron grip.

9:30 Dragon Age: The Fifth Blight began in the south of Ferelden with the rise of the Archdemon Urthemiel. What was seen as a disaster turned into a startling victory – a Grey Warden survivor united the kingdom against the darkspawn and slew the Archdemon at the Battle of Denerim, and was declared the Hero of Ferelden. The Fifth Blight was over before it truly began, and all of Thedas rejoiced.

Reference: http://gameinformer.com/b/news/arch...ge-ii-timeline-of-thedas.aspx?PostPageIndex=1

Enjoy the long read folks!

 

[Sir Kenneth]

More stuff from the amazing greywardens.com website.
http://greywardens.com/2010/07/dragon-age-2-preview-and-new-screenshots/#more-8976


New characters:

Hawke: The choice of male or female hero is the main character of Dragon Age 2, and leads the player through the 10-year history.
Bethany: Hawkes sister is a magician and supports her brother in the battle with fire spells.
Cassandra: The Inquisitor has a burning interest in the hero did Hawkes.
Varric: The dwarf Hawke has accompanied on his travels and is the storyteller in Dragon Age 2nd
Flemeth: The mighty shapeshifts and mother of Morrigan from Dragon Age: Origins is also in Dragon Age 2 again with the party.

I assume that Cassandra and Varric are the 2 characters we've seen in the concept art so far. Also very interesting to see Flemeth make a return (and as a party member this time it seems)

Finally some more screen shots:

 

[Sultan]

Flemeth? Interesting. I don't know how she's coming back

Spoiler

since I killed her in dragon form

. Oh well, she is a powerful witch. I look forward to seeing her again in a younger body I bet =p. Fire and blood in these screens look good.

MOD EDIT: Just merging these 2 posts, carry on.
New images

According to the article, this is Flemeth.

http://greywardens.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/flemeth_1920.jpg


I'm liking this site lots

 

[SapphireStar]

Flemeth? Interesting. I don't know how she's coming back

Spoiler

since I killed her in dragon form

.

Yeah same here :/

I like the idea of the game lasting a decade, its different and hopefully get more hours out of it. My first runthrough in DAO was 73 hours

 

[Zerokku]

Just glad they're not changing the combat system in the PC version. The console versions need the revamp badly, but the PC version was sublime, straight out of Baldur's gate and such.

 

[Sultan]

UPDATE TIME PEEPS!

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/110/1108057p1.html

Here at Comic-Con, BioWare is giving people the first look at Dragon Age 2, the sequel to the (not even a year old) Dragon Age: Origins. This will be another epic fantasy role-playing game, but some key changes are being made to the design.

1. BioWare wants to improve the graphics.
During our play session, BioWare candidly admitted that Dragon Age Origins wasn't the best-looking game around, on console or PC. For the sequel the developer is refining the graphics engine and adjusting the art style with the goal of creating something instantly recognizable as Dragon Age. You should be able to look at a screenshot and tell what it is without any caption, BioWare says. The engine is also being improved to allow for more characters and creatures onscreen, which should allow for more epic battles. While there was some initial skepticism in the gaming community when the first Dragon Age 2 screenshots were released, what we saw today looked just fine. The character models have a subtle comic book look to them, which we liked.

2. The combat is being refined.
The combat in Dragon Age Origins was very tactical, allowing you to issue orders to the folks in your party. For the sequel, BioWare is aiming to keep that tactical aspect but also make it more action packed, if players wish it to be. Today we got a taste of the new combat system with a mountaintop battle against an army of orcs. They might have been imps or goblins or demons, actually. We're not nerdy enough to know the difference.

Different attacks are mapped to the X, Y, and B buttons of your controller (we were playing on an Xbox 360). Hawk, the hero of the game, had a typical sword swipe mapped to X, a thrust mapped to Y, and a twirl that would take down all the enemies around him mapped to B. By holding the right trigger you can access a second set of attacks, so it seems you'll have six moves available to you at a time. Each move has a recharge time, so you can't just keep mashing the X button to chop through enemies.

Speaking of chopping through enemies, you literally do that. The violence is quite visceral, as a sword swipe might leave just an enemy's torso or even their feet standing before you.

With the bumpers you can switch between characters in your party. Anyone you're not controlling will be handled by the AI. If the action is getting a little too hectic you can still stop it and issue commands to your party by holding the left trigger. This ability seems to work much like the squad commands in Mass Effect. You can also pause the action to carefully set spell target areas. Alongside our hero Hawk we had a female mage fighting with us in this battle. Her fire spells deal damage in a radius, and we were able to pause the fight and move the circle of death around the battlefield before casting.

We also got to see the new conversation system. Dialogue has been simplified so that you only have up to three choices. Each choice is represented by an icon that indicates whether or it's a "good," "nasty," or "badass" choice. Good choices are represented by an olive branch, nasty by a Greek comedy mask, and badass by a red fist. This is an easy way to gauge what response your dialogue choices will produce.

At key points in conversation you'll have the opportunity to let your companions handle a situation. When a fresh group of orcs approach, for instance, you can decide whether or not you want Hawk or his female companion to take care of them. Whomever you choose will dispatch them all in one shot during the cut scene.

We only got a small glimpse at what Dragon Age 2 has to offer, but it was enough to whet our appetite. The combat was satisfying and seems to offer something for action fans and more thoughtful gamers.

A couple other things we noticed:

- The intro cut scene recaps the story of Dragon Age Origins, so newcomers should be able to jump right in.
- The title screen already has a "Downloadable Content" option.

AND MORE SCREEN-SHOTS

*Dialogue system*

And check this link for some of the maps.
http://gameinformer.com/b/features/...teractive-map-of-the-world-of-dragon-age.aspx

 

[Sir Kenneth]

New Qunari look!

http://greywardens.com/2010/07/new-qunari-concepts/#more-9237

The Qunari in Dragon Age 2 appear to be palid, heavily tattooed, and horned! Certainly a big shift from the way they looked in Dragon Age Origins, but a welcome one if you ask me. The article also indicates that some changes will be made to the dwarves and elves...

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]

EA has confirmed the release date for Dragon Age 2, which will be released on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC. The sequel to the popular fantasy RPG will be released on March 8 in US and March 11 2011 in UK.

Dragon Age 2’s story will last ten years of game time, and set that player as Hawke, “a penniless refugee who rises to power to become the single most important character in the world of Dragon Age.”

Bioware has also promised “the way you play will write the story of how the world is changed forever.”

Only almost half a year to wait then.

http://www.vg247.com/2010/08/17/dragon-age-2-dated/

 

[Ohri-Jin]

so we cant create our own characters anymore? its bound to one race you can choose? its a bit bummer though...6 months to wait LOL LOL

 

[Rey]

Wow it is coming out so suddenly. I did not play the 1st one much but the 2nd one I shall pick up. I only tried DA briefly.

 

[Gingerbread Lesbian]