Home Gaming New approach to dialogue in Dragon Age: Inquisition

New approach to dialogue in Dragon Age: Inquisition

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Bioware has promised at PAX a bigger, better game with Dragon Age: Inquisition.  In fact, they purposely changed the name from Dragon Age III to show just how different it would be.  One key element is the dialogue, which will take a much less binary approach.

In previous Bioware games, the dialogue trees were fairly clear on the good vs. evil choices: do you want to save this innocent woman or this evil warlock? The new approach will write the the choices so that both look “right” depending on the player’s worldview and philosophy. These will be designed to make players genuinely debate about which choice to make. Additionally, Bioware is looking at other elements that might impact dialogue options, such as stats, which companions are present, or previous dialogue choices. The goal here is to add a sense of cause and effect throughout the game – if you take certain actions (or fail to do so), cities might be razed or saved.

On a different note, Dragon Age: Inquisition will return to the Bioware roots of exploration.  The player can explore maps, and discover dungeons big and small. Furthermore, there will be a diverse range of environments. We are assured that there won’t be the same cave repeated over and over; DA:I will showcase deserts, swamps, mountains, grasslands, ruins and snowy locations, to name a few.

I’m definitely looking forward to this game, even though it’s only supposed to come out next year. It looks like Bioware is learning from its mistakes and taking the best from the two previous Dragon Age games. Their plans sound ambitious, and I’m curious to see how successful they are. This is a franchise that I thoroughly enjoy – I even thought Dragon Age II was fun, despite its flaws. It would be really nice to feel like I was having a deeper impact on the game, something that these changes could fulfill, as well as some more believable dialogue.

Last Updated: July 22, 2013

25 Comments

  1. Admiral Chief Groot Wors

    July 22, 2013 at 12:07

    Cool, can’t wait to see if I am truly a CHAOTIC LAWFUL!!

    😛

    Reply

    • Vampyre Squirrel

      July 22, 2013 at 12:15

      I somehow doubt it… you’ll probably end up being chaotic evil or something in that line.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        July 22, 2013 at 12:15

        What, me? Never

        Reply

        • Kromas

          July 22, 2013 at 12:17

          He won’t steal candy from a baby, but replace the candy with a bacon and cheeseburger and anything can happen. 😛

          Reply

          • Vampyre Squirrel

            July 22, 2013 at 12:19

            No one should steal candy from a baby, you should give them more and then charge them for a weight loss program.

          • RinceWind

            July 22, 2013 at 12:19

            This, you get a thumbs up for.

    • Weanerdog

      July 22, 2013 at 20:51

      What pray tell is chaotic lawful. I on the other hand am totally Lawful Neutral.

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Groot Wors

        July 23, 2013 at 07:56

        I’m chaotic, but still do the right thing. In a chaotic way 😛

        Reply

        • Weanerdog

          July 23, 2013 at 12:13

          Oh so you’re neutral.

          Reply

        • Jeff Lange

          July 24, 2013 at 09:10

          Sounds like Chaotic Good. “Lawful” isn’t about doing the “right” thing, it’s about doing the… well, the lawful thing. It’s about order, not about ethics. Ethics appear in the “good/neutral/evil” part of the paradigm.

          Reply

  2. Hugh Lashbrooke

    July 22, 2013 at 12:09

    Sounds like the same approach to dialogue that they used in The Witcher. Makes all your decisions more meaningful instead of the usual “I’m going to pick this option because I want my character to be good/evil” type of stuff – definitely a good move.

    Reply

    • OVG

      July 22, 2013 at 13:12

      Darn the Withcer 2 was on another level. On multiple plays I see so many different outcomes not just with the narrative decisions but the story is totally different.
      Project Red did a better job than Bioware with story branches.

      Reply

  3. Ultimo_Cleric N7

    July 22, 2013 at 12:12

    In Bioware I trust. These guys DO learn from their mistakes…..come DA:I. Be the game I want you to be!

    Reply

    • Kromas

      July 22, 2013 at 12:16

      Can I hear an AMEN!

      Reply

  4. Vampyre Squirrel

    July 22, 2013 at 12:14

    Sounds good to me, but we’ll see how evil I turn out to be… I can’t seem to stay as a “good” person in games lol

    Reply

  5. RinceWind

    July 22, 2013 at 12:18

    So much win!

    Reply

  6. Pixel_ninja

    July 22, 2013 at 12:31

    Following in the footsteps of CD Projekt (still the only original games I own which are worth my money)

    Reply

  7. Umar Kiiroi Senk?

    July 22, 2013 at 12:37

    I wonder to what extent will these dialog choices affect the game.

    “My lord [your character] we need to save the king”

    …………………………… Yes, immediately! where is my stead!
    ………………………………………….Y……………………………………………………
    No!Let’s have Sexy Time……X………….B……Let the king die! I will rule this land now!
    ………………………………………….A……………………………………………………
    …………………………………I wan’t Donuts………………………………

    Now my question…will choosing sexy time over your king result in a game end ? or will choosing sexy time have no effect??

    Reply

    • OVG

      July 22, 2013 at 13:09

      A for effort 🙂

      Reply

      • Umar Kiiroi Senk?

        July 22, 2013 at 13:47

        Shoo thanx ……..!……….at least my life is worth something now

        Reply

  8. Trevor Davies

    July 22, 2013 at 12:48

    I hope the first cave (and only the first cave) you enter looks just like the one from DA2. That would make me kill myself laughing & give Bioware a “well trolled.”

    Reply

    • Johann

      July 22, 2013 at 14:54

      Nevermind enter, they should let the game start in that cave.

      Reply

    • Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

      July 22, 2013 at 15:03

      Better yet, what if every single cave is the same as the cave from DA2. Laughter would quickly become tears…. 🙂 🙁 :'(

      Reply

  9. Jim Lenoir (Banana Jim)

    July 22, 2013 at 15:08

    I’ll be cautiously optimistic , but I doubt it’s a game I’ll buy retail. The Dragon Age franchise has already been relegated to bargain bin fodder in my mind. Sadly, my peculiar mixture of mental illness, bunkalitis and old man socks make it impossible to break a boycott.

    But I’ll admit, they’ve been making the right mating calls these days… we’ll see if they can break the ol’ Jim resolve! STRONG AS GINGER BABY!

    Reply

    • Weanerdog

      July 22, 2013 at 20:53

      Boycotts ftw. I still have not eaten at a Ocean Basket since that crap (not carp) they gave me in 1999.

      Reply

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