E3 - BioWare Shows Off Dragon Age Details

Thanks to GameSpy for the brief details and screenshots on BioWare's new RPG, Dragon Age, noting of the 2005-due PC title: "What makes the combat system unique is that the game can be played in the over-the-shoulder mode of Knights of the Old Republic or in the tactical overhead mode of Baldur's Gate... The game also utilizes the 'combat pause,' which allows players to plan strategy while the action is frozen." BioWare's Greg Zeschuk is quoted as suggesting the game "melds the fun of party interaction from Baldur's Gate, the community and multiplayer aspect of Neverwinter Nights and the tactical combat of Knights of the Old Republic." Elsewhere, there are new screenshots of Jade Empire, BioWare's Microsoft-published Xbox RPG, and IGN Xbox's preview of Star Wars: KOTOR 2, Obsidian-developed but BioWare engine-using.

Neverwinter Nights already does this:

[hexfortyfive]

What makes the combat system unique is that the game can be played in the over-the-shoulder mode of Knights of the Old Republic or in the tactical overhead mode of Baldur's Gate. The player can toggle back and forth in whatever way feels comfortable.
in NWN, press the NumPad-* changes between other-the-shoulder & bird's eye.
The game also utilizes the "combat pause," which allows players to plan strategy while the action is frozen.
NWN does this too; assigned to Spacebar by default.
So where's the inovation?

Indeed, I was wondering too.

[Anonymous Coward]

When I just read this I was wondering, too.

Additionally, the over the shoulder view isn't all too great for a rpg where you control more than one character.

If the controls are at least ok a good story is worth FAR more than those 'unique' things. Oh, and full multiplayer, please :).

Re:Neverwinter Nights already does this:

[Anonymous Coward]

Judging from the blue circle around that fighter on the one screenshot I would say that you have full party control (as opposed to one character in NWN).

Also it looks like you can zoom out a bit more than in NWN, in combination with the massive battles that are promised, this sounds a lot more like BG than NWN.

Personally, I can't wait to see more of this.

Re:Neverwinter Nights already does this:

[Anonymous Coward]

You've got to remember this is E3; a convention where a game company will try and pass off a bowl of chilli fries as innovation.

Re:Neverwinter Nights already does this:

[Jeranon]

Camera:
It did it after many patches (it was into the 20s IIRC). The hardcore would have all this, but for the rest who bought it on release (and did not continue the love affair after the lacklustre Official Campaign), all this was missing. Games only get noise to generate hype for release and the NWN hype did not have this to hype (in fact, Bioware actively fought this for many patch releases until the community convinced them that the game is meant for players, not designers).

Pausing:
No innovation here as this was present back in Baldur's Gate, but the context of this statement after the previous may lead to the innovation conclusion.

Re:Neverwinter Nights already does this:

[imr]

I think it was a fight between Q&A and players.

For Q&A this patch was unacceptable:
-you can have the camera sticked in zoom mode after a move around a corner or after a zone change and can't zoom anymore until you move or rotate the view.
-you can see that some parts of the world don't have textures. roofs in room? what roofs?
-you can see yourself drowned in a see of fog. The fog is meant in levels for the top down view an looks very odd from shoulder view.
-you can try to look at aribeth's panties.

Jade Empire vs. Dragon Age

[NeuroKoan]

Jade Empire looks more compelling then Dragon Age, but to be honest, both look good to me.

I can't wait till they both show up.

Speaking of immersion.

[Jon Kent]

Zeschuk said they are aiming for an immersive experience that will keep the player in the game for plenty of hours, although maybe not as long as Baldur's Gate or Baldur's Gate 2. "It may be a bit shorter, but it will be a wider experience and the immersion will be better," he said.

This Mr. Zeschuk and I have varying opinions, it seems, as to what makes an RPG "immersive". Specifically, Baldurs Gate, Baldur's Gate II and the associated exp packs were extremely immersive with a rich story line, excellent environments, non-liniarity, etc. and, quite frankly I have found very few CRPGs which compare to the franchise since.

It's going to take more than a third person perspective and a few million polygonal models that I'm sure will make my GeForce Ti4600 cry to make a truely immersive game.

A true sequel to Baldur's Gate?

[arhar]

I'm one of the few people that didn't like the hack-n-slash gameplay of Neverwinter Nights and felt that it was a dissapointment after the brilliance of Baldur's Gate I and II.

Maybe I'm having my expectations too high, but I am absolutely psyched about this game. Please, Bioware, not too much fighting, more memorable characters (I think Minsc (+ Boo) was a greatest character in history of games), and more great storyline twists!

Pause n Play Combat Design is not a fluffy comment

[rtrifts]

The point was not that adding pause was something special or new. NWN had a pause feature - just like BG - you hit the space bar. We all know this.

The point is that NWN was not *designed* as a pause n play game as BG/BGII and KotoR were.

With the reintroduction of a party and a campaign that focusses on the Single Player experience in Dragon Age to permit parties and more cinematics in game. Above all, it will feature a move back to pause n play tactics during combat.

The fact there is a pause button is drwan to your attention as it is to be an integral part of the game - something you use during combat often -not when you want to refill the coffee mug.

This was not a silly "tech feature" comment - it was an important comment on the expected style of gameplay. Less Diablo - more BGII.