Why I think that DA2's protagonist has been designed as such...

[SpellAndShield]

I am convinced that there is going to be a lot of ME series influence on the up and coming 2nd installment of DA.

 

The obvious give away is the voiced character but everyone could have guessed that. More to the point, it has been my subjective impression that overall, the ME series (it is older but I don't think that is the reason) has had more success and it is not just the voiced character. There seems to be a certain appeal to playing a single character, hand picked to do great things and then moulding that character into what you want him to be. There is also a certain bad-ass-ness to playing such an individual that has a personality behind it; Shepard of ME is a character meant to save the galaxy and so is your Warden on a smaller scale but the Warden's personality is not so well defined and you don't have an opportunity to really sculp him. This is why I think, ultimately, DA2 will be going a more ME style of play regarding the protagonist. I don't think they will be using paragon and renegade bars but there might be something comparable to that in the forthcoming DA installment, as it is you who shapes Hawke's personality. The other element is more streamlining. A lot of people like the meandering about in DA (I do too to a certain extent) but I think, similar to ME, they are going to make a somewhat more linear game, also I believe under influence of ME. All in all, I think (and it's not a bad idea) that DA2 will have a character that might be called a mediaeval Shepard (with the name Hawke). All just speculation and theory but I think it is well founded based on my observations. The well known hero type is just too popular...

[danscott84]

I personally hope the voiced character aspect is as far as they go, but I think you are more on track than I really want. Which is a shame, because it takes away from the character influence that set DAO apart, IMO. In ME there are romances, but it's not based on what choices you make rather than dialogue about your feeling towards them. The whole gaining influence to even get the dialogue about feelings is much more appealing. Don't get me wrong, I like both games a lot, but I also like their differences. However, knowing how EA tends to approach gaming, the dollar will win out of quality of the game. Making ME and DA formulaic to each other is, again IMO, a huge mistake. We'll have to wait and seee what happens. I have a hunch you are right, but REALLY hope you are wrong.

 

As far as combat goes, I don't see a huge change coming since there are huge differences in the game engines, but I would suspect a closer quest approach that was in KOTOR 2, where you are set for a very long time on a linear path before getting a chance to branch out into a little variance.

[SpellAndShield]

I personally hope the voiced character aspect is as far as they go, but I think you are more on track than I really want. Which is a shame, because it takes away from the character influence that set DAO apart, IMO. In ME there are romances, but it's not based on what choices you make rather than dialogue about your feeling towards them. The whole gaining influence to even get the dialogue about feelings is much more appealing. Don't get me wrong, I like both games a lot, but I also like their differences. However, knowing how EA tends to approach gaming, the dollar will win out of quality of the game. Making ME and DA formulaic to each other is, again IMO, a huge mistake. We'll have to wait and seee what happens. I have a hunch you are right, but REALLY hope you are wrong.

 

As far as combat goes, I don't see a huge change coming since there are huge differences in the game engines, but I would suspect a closer quest approach that was in KOTOR 2, where you are set for a very long time on a linear path before getting a chance to branch out into a little variance.

 

I agree. I should have mentioned this. EA is about profits and I figure they think it will be more profitable as such. The buck is king.

[brokenergy]

I kind of agree with you with the EA thing but I assume that it is a creative design as well (BW never stated that the Warden's story is over). I think that "Hawke" is going to play a major role in the DA franchise (well he is the most important man in Thedas) and along side the Warden will be pivotal in the future of the story. IDK that's just me having some faith that my story from Origins will continue

[DarkSpiral]

I kind of agree with you with the EA thing but I assume that it is a creative design as well (BW never stated that the Warden's story is over). I think that "Hawke" is going to play a major role in the DA franchise (well he is the most important man in Thedas) and along side the Warden will be pivotal in the future of the story. IDK that's just me having some faith that my story from Origins will continue

 

They have insinuated fairly heavily that the story of the Warden isn't over. But they've also insinuated fairly heavily over the last few days (at the DA2 forum) that the sotry will wrap up in DLC, rather than a sequel. At this point, I'm not sure if that makes me happy or not.

 

I'm curious, the three of you; what really do you mean by a "ME style" of gameplay? A lot of nerd rage is occurring over on the Bioware forums, and that phrase is getting tossed around a lot, by a lot of people, all of who seem to intend slightly different meanings.

 

Stardusk, DA is actually Bioware's most financially successful title worldwide right now, exceeding ME2. So if that truly was a source of worry for you, don't be worried. That info is from a interview of Rob Bartel (lead designer), so I imagine it's reliable. Of ocurse it was also released for an extra platform than the other games, but....er...um...that doesn't help, does it :P

[brokenergy]

ME=dialogue wheel, paragon/renegade choices, voiced protagonist, meh story etc

 

Essentially it means ME style of gaming without using the Unreal engine. DarkSpiral a question; where did you get the info for a DLC that deals with the Morrigan & Warden subplot? I don't think that something as massive as DR and the whole "Warden's adventures not over" could fit in a 2 hr DLC and sounds more like an insult to all those who done the romance and the DR. If it is true then it is very distasteful in BW's part and will cause a huge uproar in the official forums.

[Kaerar]

Thing is even though I think the OP is correct and that DA2 will become a sort of ME in medieval fantasy setting clone, I wish that they had used the U3 engine for DAO, and that they had allowed people to edit it properly. It's a far better engine (just compare the detail of DA vs ME/ME2. They shot themselves in the foot by not acquiring the rights to make or allow the use of an editor for the ME series. They shot themselves again with ME2's gameplay which was utterly tedious and a backwards step from ME. Now they are attempting to shoot their nuts off by destroying that which made Origins so good. The ability to play with much more freedom over your characters. No defined Paragon/Renegade crap. If you wanted to act like an arse you could and suffer the effects. If you want to be honourable you can. As with reality it's not always obvious the route that's followed by doing such acts. You find out later, and therefore have no idea what the difference would have been had you done it a different way. Makes the game far more replayable as technically you can play the main campaign (Ostagar onwards) as good/neutral/bad as well as all 6 origins. 3 ways to play the main, as well as 3 ways for each origin? Much more involving.

 

I just hope the mod tools are more useful this time, instead of the mess the current ones are. Have Bioware worked out yet that ease of use equals far more content?

[SpellAndShield]

I kind of agree with you with the EA thing but I assume that it is a creative design as well (BW never stated that the Warden's story is over). I think that "Hawke" is going to play a major role in the DA franchise (well he is the most important man in Thedas) and along side the Warden will be pivotal in the future of the story. IDK that's just me having some faith that my story from Origins will continue

 

They have insinuated fairly heavily that the story of the Warden isn't over. But they've also insinuated fairly heavily over the last few days (at the DA2 forum) that the sotry will wrap up in DLC, rather than a sequel. At this point, I'm not sure if that makes me happy or not.

 

I'm curious, the three of you; what really do you mean by a "ME style" of gameplay? A lot of nerd rage is occurring over on the Bioware forums, and that phrase is getting tossed around a lot, by a lot of people, all of who seem to intend slightly different meanings.

 

Stardusk, DA is actually Bioware's most financially successful title worldwide right now, exceeding ME2. So if that truly was a source of worry for you, don't be worried. That info is from a interview of Rob Bartel (lead designer), so I imagine it's reliable. Of ocurse it was also released for an extra platform than the other games, but....er...um...that doesn't help, does it :P

 

ME style...hmm, I guess I mean you as an individual, well known...as opposed to some random guy; Hawke is to fantasy land what Shepard is to the galaxy. Still, I could be way off. I have been taking a break from DA and playing much more ME2 so it's more on my mind. I am more excited about ME3 than I am DA2...and maybe that is what I mean...you ARE Shepard, your decisions have consequences...everyone knows you; you are the commander who can take on anything and anyone...I think playing a protagonist like that is a powerful feeling and one (despite me loving the game) that DA never achieved. I think Bioware might be trying to capture that feeling in the character of Hawke. Just my opinion...

[Coous]

Most of the qq about the Sheaperdizing of the protagonist and many features from ME2 like the wheel being used is what's upsetting the people on the Bioware forums.

I personally after reading many many posts on that matter and pretty much all them having David Gaider coming in saying "wait and see how we are implementing the damn thing before you judge it as it will be used differently than in ME.". I'm also glad to hear that Brokenenergy that a dlc will be the ending of our Warden as it shall be a nice good bye for that part of Dragon Age. I feel that while we can discuss speculation all we want on here and on Bioware forums,but we don't know how they're taking the new stuff and implementing it in so no reason to be upset and punch babies yet folks.

 

everyone knows you; you are the commander who can take on anything and anyone...I think playing a protagonist like that is a powerful feeling and one (despite me loving the game) that DA never achieved. I think Bioware might be trying to capture that feeling in the character of Hawke. Just my opinion...

I think they are trying to hybrid it personally trying to get the best of both franchises in one game,but I'll admit I have yet dare to try ME series as sci-fi-ish stuff doesn't really interest me much though my friend has said he loved both and thinks they're great games. I have also attempted to watch JosefvStalin's LP's of his Mass Effect 1 & 2 and still nothing made want to try it. Now reading that all this stuff from Mass Effect is coming into DA2 I still welcome it and hope they're going to do right and won't judge their decision to do so until I see some actual gameplay.

 

I like to stress that some more folks keep in mind that really there's nothing to judge about this game yet and you're just burning yourself up and possibly frustrating yourself over something that might be a good change to the game.

[Kaerar]

That train of thought is based upon the need to feel superior (morally or physically) as well as garnering respect through good/bad deeds in the game.

 

IMO Dragon Age made the character more personal in that you could make it act like you would or do the opposite with far less obvious interference. Problem is people are so used to having everything spelt out for them that the use of imagination to increase immersion is disappearing. An interesting things is that you'll find people who like pen an paper/miniature games as well as reading will tend to prefer Dragon Age style gameplay, whereas those brought up on video games (little to no reading and physical game interests) will tend to prefer Mass Effect style play. Very interesting when you get into the psychology of it.

 

Personally I like the interaction with the squad, I can feel the different aspects of them and they are an assortment of disparate elements of the psyche rather than ME's rather cookie cutter and relatively bland supporting characters. Hell most of ME's characters have appeared in Star Trek at some point or another ;)