John Epler @eplerjc The feedback process - @patrickweekes suggests a change, i grumpily tell them I’ll think about it but I’m probably not going to change it yet. Ten minutes later, walking to the bus - Slack message ‘okay here’s a solution I like and everything that is actually better’.
the magnificent presto, abd @bloodredrache i received a digital galley of @bioware/@dragonage’s TEVINTER NIGHTS this morning. because with great power comes great responsibility, i won’t spoil but i will post my reaction to each story in gif form on this thread and an overall review at the end.
HEROLD HAD THE PLAN by @el_cormier
AN OLD CROW’S OLD TRICKS by @arone_le_bray
EIGHT LITTLE TALONS by @courtneywoods
HALF UP FRONT by @eplerjc
and lastly, THE DREAD WOLF TAKE YOU by @patrickweekes (look they wrote this story so cleverly and precisely and deftly that anything else would spoil something)
i’ll write up a full review tomorrow, but let me just say this: every single story was absolutely incredible. i would happily read a novel from any of these stories. though i was never worried, i now know the future of dragon age is gonna be nothing less than exceptional.
Sylvf @sylvf1 I've finally hit my 10th year at BioWare! Looking forward to ditching the slightly awkward phrase "I've been here almost ten years" in favor of "Decade and counting, baybee!"
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes It has been a great decade with you, ma’am. Here’s to knocking this next one out of the park together.
Brianne Battye 🦇 @bbattye Dragon Age: Inquisition is 5 today. Wow. DAI was my first full-length game (worked on ME3 DLC before that) and making it was a journey. It is still very dear to me.
Karin Weekes @karinweekes DA: Inquisition was my 3rd DA game - can't believe it's already been 5 years! Here's my Celine cosplay from @patrickweekes' "The Masked Empire". @jessicamarzipan bravely tried teaching me the "suck in your cheeks" thing for the pic. ("I have too much cheeks for this to matter!")
Brianne Battye 🦇 @bbattye Dragon Age: Inquisition is 5 today. Wow. DAI was my first full-length game (worked on ME3 DLC before that) and making it was a journey. It is still very dear to me.
Brianne Battye 🦇 @bbattye Random fact: Cullen says Lake Calenhad looks like a bunny because I'd been staring at that map a long time and suddenly thought the top bit of the lake looked like the ears. I figured he'd been staring at the map even longer than me so...
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes Five years since: Luke unleashed Sera’s giggle @sylvf1 unleashed Josephine’s Disney Princess leg-lift-kiss @sherylchee unleashed Murder Pope @bbattye unleashed shirtless Cullen @davidgaider unleashed Dorian’s ass @biomarykirby unleashed Vivienne’s sass
Five years since @bengelinas and @genevrael and @karinweekes keeping us honest and fixing how I start every sentence with “So” as we laughed and argued and sighed and wondered how it would all come together.
(You approach a shirtless Solas, standing in just the right way to show off his muscles) 'Oh, hello Inquisitor. I did not see you there. You caught me at the end of a... challenging workout.'
(Solas is wearing only a pair of sweats, loosely tied around his waist.) The camera switches to over-the-shoulder, showing off the massive Dread Wolf tattoo on Solas' back.
(A single drop of sweat rolls down his face. He does not blink.) 'And now, Inquisitor. It is time for you to stop me. (Camera ZOOMS in on his face)... IF YOU CAN!'
Deeply regretting starting Solas off shirtless, since this would also be where he tears off his suit jacket and shirt in a single motion, Yakuza-style.
*watches google searches for 'what does a narrative director actually do' spike*
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes DRED across the right knuckles and WÜLF across the left.
Mary Kirby @biomarykirby In honor of Dragon Age: Inquisition turning 5 years old today, I'm just going to leave this here and suggest you mute the audio and play it with "Carry on My Wayward Son" by Kansas.
John Epler @eplerjc We had Swolas and the Dread Swolf earlier but I thought of The Shred Wolf in a meeting today and I needed to share it with the world.
(You approach a shirtless Solas, standing in just the right way to show off his muscles) 'Oh, hello Inquisitor. I did not see you there. You caught me at the end of a... challenging workout.'
(Solas is wearing only a pair of sweats, loosely tied around his waist.) The camera switches to over-the-shoulder, showing off the massive Dread Wolf tattoo on Solas' back.
(A single drop of sweat rolls down his face. He does not blink.) 'And now, Inquisitor. It is time for you to stop me. (Camera ZOOMS in on his face)... IF YOU CAN!'
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes Am requesting he cool off first with a big lyrium mug decorated with wolf art and labeled “Wolfin’ Stein”.
Joshua Stiksma @joshstiksma 5 years since I managed to convince the senior leadership to let me make these glorious gals. Still super proud of them (and fortunate that we had a great team to execute the vision.) Happy 5 years #DAI. #DragonAge
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes Five years since: Luke unleashed Sera’s giggle @sylvf1 unleashed Josephine’s Disney Princess leg-lift-kiss @sherylchee unleashed Murder Pope @bbattye unleashed shirtless Cullen @davidgaider unleashed Dorian’s ass @biomarykirby unleashed Vivienne’s sass
Sheryl @sherylchee Very late reply but I'm surprise Murder Pope got the mention and not Liar, Liar Baby-Killer.
Mary Kirby @biomarykirby To be fair, that... could be a number of characters in DAI.
Sean Obrigewitch @shrimpbutch 5 years ago today, we shipped #DragonAgeInquistion. It was the first project I had the opportunity to work on at #BioWare. The 3 years of development on this project for me was a great time in my life and gave me many fond memories. Now back to work on the next one! @dragonage
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes I ground the entire Writer Pit to a halt with a five-minute video of Jessie Graff destroying an American Ninja Warrior course, and I’m counting that as team time well spent.
John Epler @eplerjc Funny memory that I don’t know if I ever told @patrickweekes. One time, @mike_Laidlaw invited me to play ME3 multiplayer. At that point I only knew Patrick by reputation and I found them incredibly intimidating in the most ‘oh god they’re so good at their job’ sort of way.
They were very nice to the cinematic designer they didn’t know at all and I think I came across like some kind of weirdo. Now they’re one of my best friends and I am incredibly privileged to get to work with them.
Just one of those things. If you ever have that ‘oh god they’re too cool to talk to -me-‘ feeling, they almost never are. Most of the time people are very chill.
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes I'm chill unless people don't get on the objective in money waves. (And I am glad you joined and glad I got to know you, dude.)
David Gaider @davidgaider Also if the subject of Supernatural boyfriends comes up.
seb hanlon @hanlsp True DAI story: 9AM, 3 months from cert, senior lead comes into the room and says, “Hey guys - what if we-“. I cut him off with “hold that thought. One sec.” Uncork bottle. Long drink directly from bottle. Recork bottle, back on shelf. “OKAY. Hit me with the idea now.”
Dragon Age: Blue Wraith #2 (of 3) Nunzio DeFilippis (W), Christina Weir (W), Fernando Heinz Furukawa (A), Michael Atiyeh (C), and Sachin Teng (Cover)
On sale Feb 19, 2020 FC, 32 pages $3.99 Miniseries
The Inquisition has sent some of its best agents on a mission of dire importance—steal back a powerful Tevinter relic before it can be used to unleash chaos across the land. If they are lucky, they can recruit Fenris—the Blue Wraith—whose vendetta against his former master has put him on a similar path.
☕ Autumn Witch 🍂 @dragon_Age_Fans Pick ONE character from Dragon Age that has never been a companion or advisor that you would like to see as a companion in DA-4? (For the sake of this post, Lace Harding is also not available.)
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes Oh that’s obvious, I’d go with (Reads parenthetical) THIS IS RIGGED
☕ Autumn Witch 🍂 @dragon_Age_Fans Pick ONE character from Dragon Age that has never been a companion or advisor that you would like to see as a companion in DA-4? (For the sake of this post, Lace Harding is also not available.)
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes Oh that’s obvious, I’d go with (Reads parenthetical) THIS IS RIGGED
John Epler @eplerjc Lord Trifles Minutiae
Sheryl @sherylchee Who's Lace Harding?
b]Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes[/b] I think she's the younger sister of the brothers that solve mysteries, the Harding Boys?
Sheryl @sherylchee Wait, I thought that person's name was Nancy.
b]Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes[/b] No, she's the one who dies in Stranger Things. The whole second season was about it.
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes Really disappointing lack of Lord Woolsley and Imshael in these replies.
John Epler @eplerjc An important realization I wish I’d had in the first half of my career - you are not going to be the best at everything, and confidence means being comfortable with that. That’s part of why you work with other people.
I still fall into this trap. But sometimes just being the person who can provide context and connections among the things you are definitely not-the-best-at is as important.
Letting myself be bad-to-mediocre at a bunch of stuff was very freeing.
Also, if you’re a lead or director, it’s okay to be publicly Wrong. @patrickweekes likes to describe it as ‘the bad idea that leads to the good idea’. I see it as ‘permission to pitch anything at the wall’.
Patrick Weekes @patrickweekes I don't know if this will make people annoyed or worried or hopeful or what, but I just made myself tear up reading a scene. Bear in mind that I'm a big sentimental softie, though.
