Bioware have recently finished a Q&A session on Raptr.com, the social network for gamers. They held an open forum allowing fans to ask questions about their highly anticipated title Dragon Age: Inquisition. After navigating the torrential flood of comments, I gathered together what information I could and put this article together for your attention.
Character Creation
Beginning with the initial stages of the game, the process of creating your Inquisitor has been made to sound particularly intricate. There is an option to adjust the color of both the outer and inner color of your Iris. If creating a Qunari character sounds like your kinda thing,(and lets be honest playing as a Qunari is going to be top of most our lists) there will be multiple styles of horns available. It wasn’t officially confirmed, but the chance of a video showcasing Inquisition’s Character Creator was given as a possibility.
Yes, once you complete the game you can continue exploring Thedas instead of starting over.
Skills/Abilities
Specializations was the subject I was keeping a particular eye out for. One per character is how it’s going to be, unfortunately. The level cap is said to be around 25-30, with game areas of high difficulty best left until you’ve completed the main story.
Yes, once you complete the game you can continue exploring Thedas instead of starting over.
As before, weapons are restricted by a character’s class. Varric was mentioned specifically at this point, stating he will only use Bianca while avoiding any other bow. Twin daggers will be an option for our favorite storyteller however.
While still on the subject of specializations, one fan asked how the team decide on what specializations to include in the game. This was their answer:
During early concepts for DAI, I sat down with the combat team and we developed three ‘fantasy archetypes’ we wanted to deliver for each class. Our goal was to develop abilities that let you feel like you were pushing your class in a specific direction, like being a “Walking Fortress” as a warrior, or a “Controller” as a mage.
Those core fantasies influenced all of our ability designs.
Crafting
Dragon Age’s crafting system was also discussed at length, while touching upon the plants that are included in the gameplay demo. These are in fact alchemy ingredients, although it should be noted that only some of which will regrow after being picked.
Specifics regarding armour customization was also covered. In particular the ability to craft rogue armour with the look of mage armour if the necessary items are sourced. The crafting system has been described as being based on templates, as opposed to recipes granting a wider option of materials that can be used. These multiple combinations yield a higher variety of appearances and statistics, going towards ensuring a unique experience on every play through.
Various potions & bombs are another possibility. Crafting hilts separate from a blade before combining them is also possible, along with the capacity to enchant your chosen weapon.
The Keep
Information could have become lost amongst the thousands of comments left on the page, but pertinent information regarding The Keep seemed elusive. What was found however, a description of the Keep being a place where the player can set every decision made in the previous games in order to lay the foundation of the adventure before them.
More information about The Keep is said to be released around August/September.
Companions and Advisors
The company you will keep on your travels has also been a hot topic of discussion amongst Dragon Age fans. Bioware stated that the overall dynamic between the Inquisitor and the companions is impacted by things he/she says and does. On another note regarding relationships, there was mention of there being no universal gifts.
It has been shown that each of the individual followers that are available to be recruited across the course of the game, possess their own distinct personality. Although the nature of these personas now seem to possess a fluid aspect, in that Bioware have commented that their opinions can be altered and their fundamental personality can be changed.
While riding gallantly across the landscape of Thedas on one of the many mounts available in Dragon Age: Inquisition, the companions will not be visible, rather they will vanish until you dismount, making the navigating process a lot smoother.
Advisors, another important aspect of Inquisition, will not be traveling with your party, but will be available for interaction at the home base. Specifics were not found, but compared to your companions it was stated that the approval of Advisors are handled differently.
The Verdict?
After reading through the endless pages of comments, it’s obvious that the fans still have a lot of love for Bioware. The hype surrounding Inquisition is mounting every day. If the new Dragon Age is a success it will surely put the franchise back on top as one of this generations greatest roleplaying games.
Precisely where it belongs, in my opinion.
