Dragon Age News Thread

Well, it didn't work out, did it? The devs were less and less on forums, likely because it was harder and harder to respond aside from the so-so atmosphere. 

IMO, a forum isn't really the best medium to communicate between, say, an author/dev and fans - especially this big -  it's prolly the best medium for talks between fans, or whatever the forum was focused on. Also because topics and opinions tend to meander about. I mean: look at Blanketfort. Heck: look at this thread. It's specifically about devs' twitter posts and we're now talking about forum usage  

Yeah, but it didn't work out - and we're still on topic because we're discussing devs and twitter...



It didn't work out not because it was harder to to respond - it didn't work out because different technology came along that let the devs do all the things I've already mentioned with one app - on their phone. Plus, they could ignore people without relying on a moderator - more of a factor back then than now where we have the "ignore" function in modern forums. 

Meandering topics is not exclusive to forum boards - as I've pointed out it's definitely a draw-back of Twitter where the dev is mixing in game talk with stuff about their favorite books and giggling about insider baseball with their work buddies. 

I would love it if this guy voiced a character in the next DA. His laugh is infectious.

So the Xbox UK facebook page has just posted that DA:O is now playable via Backward Compatibility, although I've just tried my dragon age ultimate edition disc 1 and it didn't work.

Ok good news first, disc one works fine. bad news if you have the dragon age ultimate edition (Like I do) the second disc will work the same as the first and so you won't be able to get the DLC unless you pay for it again.

Update
I've Tweeted Mike Laidlaw, the Xbox Uk, and the dragon age twtters

Magic City Con @almagiccitycon
YA'LL!!! This is happening!! @mike_Laidlaw will be at Magic City Con!! 💚💚💚

FreeTheEnterprise ‏@freeusse
Will you guys be at PAX South again this year?

Mike Laidlaw @mike_Laidlaw
I will be. On a panel on Saturday.

Damn, wish I had seen this in time.

@mike_Laidlaw: Sandal

@patrickweekes: LEGO Solas

@mattrhodesart: Dog

Mike Laidlaw ‏@mike_Laidlaw
Okay, folks have some questions about the Exalted March cancelled expansion for DAII. So…

First off? Why did we cancel it? Easy to assume it was “the reaction” to DAII, but not so! It was the move to Frostbite.

We had an opportunity to do so at the same time, but knew as it would be the first time that engine did “RPG stuff” we knew it would be hard

As most everything in making games, it certainly was challenging. Great engine, but took tons of time. Had we tried to do both EM ….

… and the Frostbite transition, both would have suffered a lot, esp. from lack of engineering folks.

So @biomarkdarrah made the call to stop development on EM and go all in on what would become DAI.

I’m trying to remember which of the two was jokingly code named “Project Nugstorm.”

Mark has a rule that codenames should be ridiculous enough that you don’t get attached to them and call the final product that codename.

In this goal, we were VERY successful. Various orgs around EA wrote concerned letters asking what the hell it was

So anyway! Exalted March didn’t make it too far past concept. The idea, however, was that it followed the red lyrium chicanery of DAII with

The Chantry becoming VERY UPSET while various aspects of the qunari started to make moves on the turbulent Free Marches.

And this it fell to Hawke to stop things from going to hell (again) while working with Starkhaven and the pirates of the Armada.

I recall fondly that for the big first panel we did at PAX west (prime back then) we all had shirts with missing letters.

You know… like hang man. Because the story would start at…yeah, the Hanged Man.

I still have mine. The missing letters spell out Estwatch, which is where the Felicisima Armada missions were based.

The Internet, as it does, had guessed all of the locations within minutes of the panel starting. You guys rule

Beyond that, there were some really interesting stories to tell, and a chance to learn more about Sebastian’s family.

But as it stood, I think shutting it down was the right call to focus on the engine change.

One last anecdote: our marketing liaison at the time was -certain- our PAX panel would get no people.

9:00 at night, basement room (though big! Held 900). But you folks proved him wrong. We had to turn hundred away.

And let me tell you. After parts of DAII’s “feedback cycle” that meant a LOT to me. And then we all sang Mark happy birthday. So good.

I’m pretty sure that experience was why Mark and I were so committed to a big gameplay demo for DAI at PAX. A way to say thank you.

And that’s my story! Thanks for reading along. /endMarch

Mark Darrah ‏@biomarkdarrah
Here you go: Exalted March

John Epler ‏@eplerjc
@mike_Laidlaw I remember a meeting where we suggested having templars hacking off bits of Red Lyrium Meredith and then shooting up.

That was a great thread. I remember those t-shirts.

SHODANFreeman @shodanfreeman
This still doesn't explain what happened to Sandal. His story must be told.

Mark Darrah ‏@biomarkdarrah
I can explain about Sandal
I specifically told the writers that if he was in #DAI then "it was a thing" and he would be in all DA
Forever

David Gaider ‏@davidgaider
And I refused.

Mike Laidlaw ‏@mike_Laidlaw
But as it stood, I think shutting it down was the right call to focus on the engine change.

David Gaider ‏@davidgaider
Me too. Though I still took a month off to mourn.


- Agreed. Definitely the right call...