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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 11:46:04 GMT
I'm re reading. Why does the Quiz get 4 voice actors and the Tevinter only 2? Also, although it'd be extra, was wondering if there could be a kidnapping of a Quiz LI from Inquisition. Like in DA2? So, we could see them and not just ketter write. 💜 I did make this project with Budgetary concerns in mind when I wrote this up. It was a challenge to myself for a little added fun, as I did truly wish to take as many appropriate steps as would be required to help justify the additional costs that absolutely would be ultimately needed for this game to exist. The Inquisitor had four Voice Actors in DA:I so no matter what a requirement for their return was to retain those four original voice actors. Not much one could do about it if we wanted them back. The Tevinter PC got two as a method to compensate for the extra expense required to make a second set of quests on top of the Inquisitor's (15 Main Tevinter Quests with all 4 Origins included and then side quests to boot of course). Plus, since the Tevinter PC (due entirely to their story's requirements and not out of any budgetary restrictions) has a heavier restriction on race than the Inquisitor PC (Human and Elf only) I felt the loss of the extra voice actors would be an acceptable sacrifice since those two races have roughly the same size and stature. Get a single good voice actor/actress for each gender and it should even out pretty nicely. As for the kidnapping, it is possible, though it would definitely be more of a side-quest and would probably work better if such a story element went to the Tevinter PC, rather than the Inquisitor PC. There are a number of potent issues with the story and setting that get in the way of an DA:I LI being kidnapped, especially in regards to the Inquisitor's ability to actually save them. There are also issues with Dorian, Bull, & Solas Inquisitors, or those that don't have romances at all (the default world state) since their LI's can't really be kidnapped. Plus, there are some pretty big reasons I decided to exclude most of the LI's. Some of them budgetary, most of them story related. Dorian was the exception to this rule due to the setting, but even then he is no longer a Follower as a result. The interactive letters from home was my method of attempting to alleviate the necessary lack of the LI's physical presence in the game, at least a little bit, until the Inquisitor can return home.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 23:39:39 GMT
Primary Characters of Dragon Age 4: Imperium
Characters ... are not my strength. I wouldn't say I'm a strong writer in general, but generating characters from scratch has always been a bit of a weakness for me; though I'm not bad at growing upon, or using, previously existing characters. That being said it has become apparent that this project would benefit from a little rundown of the Primary Characters (and Bosses) that will be playing important parts throughout this story and game. I will edit these following sections as best I can so the new characters do not come off as super trope-y. However, while the Advisers are fairly set in stone due to their importance to the story, many of the Companions are not and remain merely suggestions on how Companion characters could be approached in such a system (though they were designed for this specific story in mind due to their practical functions).
Advisers:
Adviser 1: Dorian Pavus - Available Love Interest (Male Only)
If the setting is Tevinter for the next game then there really is no way to avoid Dorian being a pivotal figure within any story told there. With this in mind, I used Dorian in such a way so that he would serve a remarkably complex series of roles. Beyond simply being the Inquistor's core adviser throughout the game, in ACT 1 Dorian will serve as an additional antagonist getting in the way of the forces of Calpernia and the Tevinter PC (he is not a villain, but he and his Lucerni Faction do have ideological differences that clash with those held by Calpernia and the Praesumptors) and in ACT 2, due to the crisis afflicting the nation, he will be forced to work together with the Tevinter PC out of necessity and slowly transition into a third and final Adviser for them as the game progresses. He will also reprise his role as an available Inquisitor PC romance option for both new and returning Inquisitor PCs.
Due to the unique set of circumstances in social standing of Dorian and his lowly "servant" the Inquisitor PC there is enough flexibility in the resulting living arrangement to create dialogue to not only fit NEW Dorian LI's, but also returning ones ... as the level of direct interaction between the two characters will be relatively limited in early game. Dorian has always been an interesting character, but I do kind of feel that he should have matured a bit by now. He has accepted his father's role as Magister and the responsibility that comes with it, he is a Co-Founder of the Lucerni faction pushing for progressive reform, and should be under an enormous amount of social and political pressure as a result (and as a result of his ACT 1 actions of Calpernia & the Tevinter PC). He's been put into a position where he's forced to essentially "Grow Up" and he should. Personality-wise he will still be his snarky, witty self, but there should be a tiredness to him that wasn't there before. With a few choice alteration in the dialogue within those early ACTs (especially ACT 1) players will be allowed to start/continue a romance with "Magister Pavus", rather than just Dorian. It would be like getting to know a new side of him, a new, older version of him... and rather than considering this a simple continuation of a romance with Dorian, it may be better to consider it a romance with another side of him entirely, for both new and old PCs alike.
- Advisor Facets: Dorian as an Adviser is concerned with Tevinter Reform and Stopping Solas.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 23:41:21 GMT
Adviser 2: Calpernia - Available Love Interest (Male Only)
Calpernia, like Dorian, is also an interesting prospect for an "Advisor" character if we are returning to Tevinter. Whether the Inquisitor PC has met her before or not, the fact remains that she is a hard-core Tevinter Nationalist that is not adverse to attempting radical change. She is also a freed-slave who desperately wants freedom for all those that remain in bondage within the nation (so they can "reach their true potential") and she does genuinely care for Tevinter as a nation (even if her form of care has been a bit twisted in the past). Calpernia's guilt over the methods she employed in the past in her attempts to raise Tevinter to a new age of glory could serve as a remarkable way of giving her the motivation she needs to lead a perspective Tevinter revolution and lead the Tevinter PC.
Character-wise I also find the prospect of her being somewhat scarred from the events that occurred in a previous game a compelling one, as sort of a mirror of the Inquisitor PC as they both have lost things due to those events. Whether it's as a result of her previous Master (if the Inquisitor PC joined the Rebel Mages and never encountered her), her fall from the cliff (If the Inquisitor joined the Templars, yet battled against her in the Temple of Mythal), or her battle against Corypheus (If the Inquisitor PC joined the Templars, but revealed Corypheus' betrayal) ... she will simply claim that her "disfigurement/scars" are a punishment for past mistakes. She will serve as the Tevinter PC's core Advisor from ACT 1 (though will assist the Inquisitor PC from ACT 2 onward as well) and will be an available romance option for the Tevinter PC. Calpernia has a sort of obsessive personality and I think this could translate into a compulsory need to fix her past mistakes, which when combined with her internal strength and drive to succeed, she could prove a remarkable character as a whole, let alone an LI.
- Adviser Facets: Calpernia as an Adviser is concerned with Tevinter Reform and with the Slave Rebellion.
Adviser 3: Marius
Marius is a late addition to this story, but in all honestly he worked out so well for a role I really felt needed to be filled, I couldn't help but add him. Marius is a citizen of Tevinter and has thus a history there, but unlike Dorian he shares no real sense of innate responsibility for the nation itself due to his lower social standing and profession. At the same time he is/was a member of the Inquisition and appears to be working directly with Leliana by the end of his respective comic series. When these two facets of his character are combined with his remarkable skills as a "Mage Hunter", he represents a very direct connection between the Inquisition and Tevinter; which is something that this story desperately needed. His history with Calpernia will be enough of an incentive to help her while he remains and works in Tevinter and Marius also remains wanted by the Archon himself, so he'll begin by serving in an advisory role and as a combat mentor for the Tevinter PC throughout the game. Prior to the assassination of Archon Radonis in Quest 5, Marius will remain fairly stationary as he is severely impeded by his "wanted" status, but after the assassination is complete he will become far more mobile as he works on his own assigned tasks.
Marius has second purpose in returning to Tevinter beyond just wanting to help his past-lover Calpernia in her endeavors, which he will reveal during the events of ACT 2. He was hired, independently by Leliana (regardless of her current status), to recruit and train Tevinter agents to assist in the efforts against Solas. His intimate knowledge of Tevinter and his skills at killing Mages would make him a shoe-in for the job of choosing, augmenting and leading perspective assets who could remain unknown to Solas' network of agents and spies. The Tevinter PC was chosen as one such perspective student, as were many of the "Preasumptors", even if they do not know it during the events of ACT 1. However, prior to ACT 2, Marius will not be aware that the Inquisitor PC was sent to Tevinter as well, with both of them being sent separately to pursue their own various avenues of attacking a demi-god. In a funny way Marius has been placed in the role the Inquisitor would have taken if they weren't a playable PC. As for Marius' potential Tevinter PC Love Interest spot ... I have finally decided against it. He will not be romancable by the Tevinter PC, but he will pick up his romance Calpernia again if she remains single.
- Advisor Facets: Marius rounds out the Advisers with being concerned both with the Slave Rebellion and defeating Solas, however he has little patients with reforming Tevinter itself.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 23:42:24 GMT
Companions:
The new companions I've designed for this fan-project don't have names. I suck at naming characters and really don't know enough about the naming system of Tevinter to make them anyway, so they'll be referred to by the role they were designed to fill instead. The Inquisitor PC companions are primarily designed in such a way so they can reinforce the Inquisitor's cover and provide resources for them without calling attention upon them. As for the Tevinter PC, I focused more on creating a set of companions that would be useful not just to the PC, but the "Praesumptor" faction in general. Companions for the Tevinter PC were chosen to be multifaceted in their skill-sets. In essence for both PCs, since there are less of them per party to write around I wanted to take the opportunity and make them a bit more integral their respective stories (unlike the Companions of DA:I where all but 3 were entirely optional).
- Note: If anyone has any good suggestions for names for these guys, I'm more than willing to add them later!
Inquisitor Companion 1: Lace Harding - (Tempest)
What can I say, I really like Lace Harding and I would love to give her some moments to shine. Beyond this factor, every one of the three companions given to the Inquisitor PC was meant serve a purpose and Harding is no exception to this. Harding is an expert scout, a dwarf (a race that cannot be enslaved in Tevinter), and remains Low Key and in the field enough so that she would not be missed if she were to go MIA to help the Inquisitor PC actively. Even she openly admits to having this amazing ability to have missed all of the action in the previous game. On top of this she serves as an additional Contact to the South and a direct Contact with Leliana (and the Inquisition if it still exists), while also serving as the caretaker to the Inquisitor while they are recovering from the side-effects of their new prosthetic. I also figured she would be a good "****-blocking monster" for any Inquisitor PC who would try to cheat on any LI left back home (she likes them all, she doesn't want to see them hurt) and providing a natural avenue for reflecting on current/past Inquisitor LI's. Officially, she is in Tevinter as a Liaison for Leliana and/or the Inquisition, working with Dorian. There is also a part of me that would like Harding to get a bit of grooming as a potential successor to the Inquisitor, (much like Charter is to Leliana), but keeping that concept subtle throughout dialogue with her.
- Note: She will be an available romance option for Inquisitor PCs of Any Gender/Race who do not have a previous LI (the default world state), romanced a Qun aligned Bull, or is a Solas LI who no longer wishes to pursue that relationship.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 23:43:10 GMT
Inquisitor Companion 2: "Handler" - (Champion)
"Handler" is a bit different. A member of the Soporati caste officially, he has for many years served as a high-ranking servant of the Pavus household and is responsible for training new "acquisitions" (both slaves and Liberati) in their day to day duties. As such, he is responsible for training the Inquisitor PC in their new role as a servant working under Dorian and as a second additional more subtle way of communication between the Inquisitor and their Advisor (outside of the Communication crystal). He also is quite skilled at combat, perhaps explaining the families' (and Dorian's) trust in him and services as an additional line of defense against perspective threats against the family. In short what he is functionally is a Companion created to preserve the Inquisitor's cover, both in interactions with Dorian (as it would be unusual for a newly acquired servant to talk to a Magister regularly) and within Tevinter as a whole. In the eyes of the public he is the Inquisitor's boss, not the other way around. He'll also serve as a natural method of giving plot-relevant setting (political and social) exposition when it is required. Personality wise I was thinking of a mix between of Alfred Penniworth and Barriston Selmy, just a younger edition of both. In his early to mid 40s, he's calm, quiet, and confident, yet there is room for a turbulent past (I'm thinking he's a widower). While it may seem weird, as he would be one of the older Love Interest ever to be made available, the idea of a having a more "mature" character, who's also not completely angst ridden, as an option is kind of interesting ... both as a companion and as a LI.
- Note: He will be an available romance option for female Inquisitor PCs of any race who do not have a previous LI (the default world state), romanced a Qun aligned Bull, or is a Solas LI who no longer wishes to pursue that relationship.
Inquisitor Companion 3: "Protégé"- (Blood Mage)
"Protégé" will serve doubly as the Mage of the Inquisitor's party and as a contact to Magister Maevaris Tilani and therefore by association, Varric in Kirkwall. Since she will be met within the Circle of Magi and the break in itself is so high risk that it would be foolish to attempt it a second time (for all involved), she will also serve as a an continual access point for further magical research throughout the game (she is a student within the Circle and has strong connections with a Magister, she can come and go as she pleases). A Blood Mage of the Laetan class, this character serves more practical functions in a narrative sense, rather than a practical sense, than do the other two Inquisitor PC companions. I wanted a character who could be a source of Tevinter academic information and history (in counter to "Handler's" wealth of information in current events, social norms and politics), along with a Companion who would see the Inquisitor as someone to look up to and gain information from. What can I say, it would be nice to have at least one companion in a Bioware game that can look to a PC for advice, rather than the other way around. Therefore, practically, she would be good to use as an outlet for some select important information from DA:I told from the Inquisitor's perspective (which they will be allowed to "embellish" if they so choose). The only way I can describe her personality is ... clever, and she knows it, but also inexperienced. While not technically arrogant, she does display much of that stereotypical Pride common to a Circle Mage of Tevinter.
- Note: "Protégé" will not be an available romance option.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 23:44:02 GMT
Tevinter Companion 1: Tessa Forsythia - (Duelist)
The female counterpart of Marius and the more proactive of the two within this story. Tessa is the original recruiter of the Tevinter PC after their fall from status in their respective Origin story and should show up in each version of that introduction to the new PC (at some point). In a strange sense she has taken on a sort of pseudo-Duncan role within this tale. Her character is more or less the same since the Mage Killer comic, though she has matured a little bit since then. This is especially due to her blooming relationship with Scout Charter, who remains in the South undergoing training to become Leliana's successor (again regardless of Leliana's current role). Tessa will take on a companion role throughout my version of DA4, as despite her wanted status in Tevinter, she is not a local and therefore not as well known, or as noticeable. Outside of that there is nothing particularly interesting about her. She will assist in the Tevinter PC's training and like Marius serves as an additional later link to the Inquisition, but that's about it beyond serving as an actual combat mentor that survives throughout a Bioware game (looking at you Duncan).
- Note: Because she is in a pre-existing relationship already, she will not be available as a romance option.
Tevinter Companion 2: "Diplomat" - (Spirit Warrior)
A "Representative of the Preasumptors" and a character crafted far more out of necessity than many of his counterparts. A Liberati intended to represent what it means to be successful as an city elf (even within Tevinter), this guy is a fast talker. Remarkably skilled at debate and bargaining he is damned good at convincing people to do what he wants them to. This is the kind of character that can talk himself out of almost anything if he wants to, but is by no means bad in a fight and he serves the "Praesumptors" as a diplomat, working as a contact between the various slave factions and slave sympathizers throughout the nation. However, in a strange contrast with Sera from DA:I, he is also less than enthusiastic about Elven heritage and tradition, but unlike with her it's not that it confuses him. He fully comprehends Elven "mythos" ... he simply does not care. If following the old ways does nothing but hold him back in life, why should he bother with them? This character excels in the Tevinter Urban environment in which he was raised and holds a pretty good repore, even amongst local spirits. He also tends to suffer from a lack of attachment to things or people. Narratively, with "Diplomat" I thought it be interesting if was one of the very rare exceptions of a Elven Slave convincing their master to grant them their freedom, rather than the master being the one that held all of the cards in that decision. "Light" and "Breezy", with a lack of easily-defined attachments, is all I can think of to describe this guys personality. He is the younger sibling of "Broker".
- Note: He will be an available romance option for a Tevinter PC of either gender and race.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 23:44:40 GMT
Tevinter Companion 3: "Broker" - (Necromancer)
She's fun ... and sort of ended up being my favorite idea for a Tevinter PC companion. I thought of this character on a particularly rainy day, but she turned out to be a little more twisted than even I initially intended. Another "Representative of the Preasumptors" she serves as an information broker and spy. A Liberati with quite a bit of talent for Necromancy, she finds herself in the strange position where she is considered a commodity within the upper echelon members of Tevinter society. Making her official living by being "traded" amongst numerous Leatan and Altus families for her services. Without a more subtle way of saying it, she is hired to raise the corpses of recently dead slaves to make sure that their owners get the most out of their investments. This grim profession has given her plenty of chances to gather and sell valuable intel, but has also resulted in a rather twisted disposition and an intriguing relationship with death. Especially her sense of humor, which can get rather ... morbid. She's not a grim or sorrowful individual and normally comes off as intelligent, pleasant, but inexplicably unnerving. She's just weird, which is why I'm partial to her. I was also toying with the idea that she is a Solas operative working as an agent in Tevinter, that would get turned at some point during the story, but I remain undecided on this facet of her character. She is the older sibling of "Diplomat" and gained her freedom with him.
- Note: She will be an available romance option for a Tevinter PC of either gender and race.
Tevinter Companion 4: "Brawler" - (Reaver)
This is a Female Qunari gained through an early game side quest (much like how many of the DA:I Companions were attained) and is meant to sort of represent the worst parts of Tevinter and the Qunari simultaneously. To be honest, I'm not really sure how dark Bioware would be willing to go with her, but she is a character that ended up being plunged into the life of a Tevinter slave as a direct result of the actions of the Qun. Essentially, while they didn't outright sell her she was placed in a position where a very function oriented society sacrificed her like a pawn on a chessboard. Functionally speaking I wanted character who hated both Tevinter and the Qun (a Qunari even more so because of their previous relationship with the Qun society that betrayed them so utterly) but still remains sympathetic in that they do have every reason in the world for that hatred. A character who was in stark contrast to Iron Bull in how they were forced to abandon the teachings of the Qun (If he left the Qun, his separation was rather civil all things considered). Also, I'm not sure on what her actual position within the "Servus Publicus" should be. I'm leaning towards a pit fighter due to her physical prowess as a Qunari, but regardless she should be a bundle of rage, confusion, and bitterness. Damaged inside and out she could be difficult to write, but she should prove a worthwhile character to have in the Tevinter PC's story.
- Note: She will be an available Love Interest for a female Tevinter PC of either race.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 15, 2016 23:45:30 GMT
Tevinter Companion 5: "Carta" - (Assassin)
An "Ex"-Carta member of some repute, functionally this companion is the third and final "Representative of the Preasumptors" the Tevinter PC will have in their party and serves as a hit-man and a requisitions officer for the organization. He is a non-citizen of the Imperium, but since he is a Dwarf he was never a slave despite his work with slaves in the past. He's an interesting take on a Dwarf for me as I sort of built him in direct response to the characters of the previous two male Dwarfs we've had already as companions in DA. Oghren was the epitome of a Dwarven stereotype, beard, booze, and all, Varric was a charming, snarky, storyteller who frustratingly shows up in everything. While still likable, I wanted this guy to be a bit more grim, with a darker sense of humor and is remarkably brutal and efficient in his "business" methods. He still remains quite active in his criminal activities and is remarkably well connected throughout Lower Minrathous and the Carta, proving himself a multifaceted asset for a up and coming slave rebellion. More than making up for his shady demeanor and trouble with the law. He's meant to be entertaining, yet shrewd and vicious, with a moral compass that doesn't always point North. - Note: "Carta" will not be an available romance option. Tevinter Companion 6: "Ambassador" - (Knight Enchanter)The last of the Tevinter PC companions, and the last to join. Another character centered around a need to fill a functional roll in the Tevinter PC's story. I needed an expert on the higher echelons of Tevinter society that could represent the people of that High Tevinter Society for Tevinter PC's party, along with a a person who can represent the "Praesumptors" to the wealthy people of this world. An ambassador of the rich, as it were. As such, the concept of this Altus came to mind, considering the point in the story I intended for him to encounter the Tevinter's group (the on the run in Upper Minrathous stage of ACT 2). For lack of a better term, he's a bit of an ideological extremist, even among the Progressives Lucerni within the Altus factions of the government. A second son of a Magister and a acquaintance of Dorian, he's sort of an odd mixture of Vivienne and Gambit. On the surface he seems as if he is a fickle, impulsive individual, with a remarkable lack of self control, yet in reality he is a strong advocate for radical social change within the Altus community (especially abolishing Slavery) and has a very analytical political mind. Personality-wize I'd like this guy to be a real charmer, but more representative of a Gambit style charm and less Dorian. Confident, flirty, intuitive and very crass in the way he approaches both life and conversations, his "foolishness" at times borders on absurdity. He is a personality of extremes and plays the fool very well, but "play" is all it really is. I guess in a strange way I wanted a character who presented himself at surface value as the least tactful of the group, despite being of the highest social class. - Note: He will be an available romance option for a Tevinter PC of either gender and race....bosses are next! I shall post them soon!
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 16, 2016 23:08:42 GMT
Boss Battles of Dragon Age 4: Imperium
OK ... this entry is going to be framed a little bit differently than its predecessors and is sort of intended as a rather rough overview of the way in which each of the Major Boss Battles "could" be approached within this game, along with providing minor character bios for each of the major Antagonists. Each entry will start by first introducing the character (or event) in question and then move on from their onto the architecture of the battles themselves. In a short way of saying it, I approached these bosses as an additional way to improve combat variety within the game. Aesthetically many of them will mirror each other in many ways, but at a technical standpoint I feel boss fights in RPGs should exist to spice up the monotony of the grind that comprises traditional RPG combat. As such (with the exception of the addition of the Dual PC mechanic) I've attempted to make use of as many of the mechanics exhibited by previous games as possible and augmented them as much as I could to work with the "new" mechanics.
- Note: This section does not pertain to standard Quest events like the "High Dragon Defense" of Quest 13, nor does it include side quest events and bosses. High Dragons are intended to be included in this concept game and there is enough room for anywhere from 6 to 12 of them, but they will not be discussed here as they hold no real importance to the main story.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 16, 2016 23:09:26 GMT
Boss Battle 1: Saraath (Inquisitor PC)
In terms of personality, not much to say on this guy. His character is an exact duplicate of what it was in DA:I "Trespasser", which means there really isn't a lot to discuss. The Saraath was big, intimidating, and silent, with no substantial dialogue to speak of ... and that's what makes him honestly perfect for what is needed for a Prologue Tutorial Boss. Like with his personality the way he fights should be more or less the same as well, with the only major changes stemming from the slight movement revamp needed to facilitate players new ability to be able to move and auto-attack simultaneously (which is the bare minimum change needed to improve combat). Lowering the Saraath down to the appropriate level to oppose the dream Inquisitor PC he'll play out in a simple single phase boss fight which really exists to show off the game's battle mechanics, both new and old ... while simultaneously giving players a brief taste of higher level play.
- Story Boss: Prologue "On the Road to Tevinter"
Boss Battle 2: Archon Radonis (Tevinter PC)
While initially designing this game my hope was to give the Grand Leader of the Tevinter Imperium a little bit of well deserved time to show off his character. The readers of "Mage Killer"got a brief taste of who he is as a character, but the players of DA:4 should get to experience quite a bit more and in order to go about presenting him as a person I'm relying heavily on the dual protagonist system of this game. Before his "untimely" death in Quest 5 the Inquisitor PC, due to their high society living conditions, will have numerous close encounters with the Archon, so much so that one would swear he was stalking the unfortunate PC. Radonis will make appearances in Quest 3 "A Gilded Collar" and Quest 4 "Crash Course Academia" either from afar, or in brief moments of hectic, direct contact, and should appear passively in side quests for both PCs so that the player gets a chance to perceive him as members of the multiple social classes of Tevinter do. As a side note, Magister Maevaris Tilani will make guaranteed appearances in both Quest 4 "Crash Course Academia" and Quest 6 "The Path to Solas" and may make minor appearances in later quests depending Player choices.
- Phase 1: Intended as more of an event boss than a straight up fight, with the battle being meant to be an example of just how powerful an apex mage can truly be ... along with showing just how weak our up-and-coming Mage Hunter currently is. It should be made apparent very early on during this bout with the Archon that even with Mage Hunting skills at the group's disposal if it were not for the poison coursing through the his veins the Tevinter PC's party wouldn't have had a chance in hell of taking this guy (even with Marius in tow). A group of 8, comprised of The Tevinter PC, their party, Marius, "Carta", and two additional "Preasumptors" (the player will only control their own party) will be sent for the assassination, yet a mage of Radonis' caliber does not go down easy. This boss battle will play out as a sort of war of attrition. Radonis' physical movements are slow, labored and hindered by moments of severe exhaustion, as he remains crippled by his forced condition. His magical Barrier is remarkably powerful however and is something a players will have to break through, but his actual health is very weak so once the Barrier is broken down he's fairly squishy. This battle will reward hit and run tactics, but severely punish sustained battles, due to Radonis throwing a large amount of massively powerful but slow spells. The two minor NPC Preasumptors will fall to the Archon's wrath before he finally expires.
- Story Boss: Quest 5 "Archon Assassination, Anarchy"
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 16, 2016 23:10:06 GMT
Boss Battle 3: Agent of the Wolf (Inquisitor PC)
Cocky and diligent, there is very little to say about the "Agent of Solas" or her character beyond her simply having met the Inquisitor PC during the events of DA:I "Trespasser". She will be the first enemy within the game to recognize the Inquisitor as the Inquisitor, rather than the part they play as they have met before, which makes her a very dangerous to the Inquisitor's plan. In all honesty, back when I was designing this project I actually never had any intention of giving the Inquisitor PC a boss fight during ACT 1. I felt that with the Inquisitor still being portrayed as recovering from their prosthetic and therefore being a "non" combatant within those early quests it would be a bit of a stretch to justify them battling against some superior opponent ... until I remembered about this Agent. What this boss fight is, and what this character is, is a startling reminder of how weak the Inquisitor has become. If the previous Boss showed the Tevinter PC's weakness due to their simple lack of experience, the Inquisitor's weakness stems from their now missing appendage ... and the repercussions incurred by its dangerous replacement. While she is no means weak by any stretch of the imagination, the "Agent of Solas'" skills pale in comparison to those the Inquisitor had just 10 months ago and the PC (and players) will be very much reminded of that fact before the battle is done.
- Phase 1: Unlike with the previous two boss battles the Agent of Solas does not do battle alone and will comes with a set of slightly weaker "doppelgangers" that assist her throughout the fight (3 in total). As a sort of reverse-mirror to the last battle it is the Inquisitor PC that is the one playing defensive, battling against a much healthier, more agile, group of combatants that plague an harass them at every turn. Like with their new combat style, the Inquisitor packs a serious punch, but their speed is far lower, not to mention they are by no means fully recovered and their prosthesis still hinders them heavily (though they are significantly improved since the beginning of ACT 1). The Agent of Solas and her entourage are glass cannons and battle like the rogues they are: High mobility, high damage, but low health. Nimble and avoiding prolonged conflicts it's the Boss this time that fights using hit and run tactics. Block their strikes with Barriers, slow them down with AOE's and lock them down with stuns and grapples for the win. It's a war of attrition, all the Inquisitor PC needs to do be last one still standing in the end.
- Story Boss: Quest 6 "The Path to Solas"
Boss Battle 4: Magister Dorian Pavus (Tevinter PC)
In regards to his character Dorian has already been discussed pretty thoroughly within the previous Advisers section, so not much on him here outside of the fact that his relations with the Inquisition have made him pretty good in a crisis. Dorian is an additional Antagonist for the Tevinter PC during ACT 1, but he's not really a villain. He is an ideological rival to Calpernia and his methods run counter to those employed by the Tevinter PC, Calpernia, and their allies. The two groups ("Lucerni" and "Praesumptor") are simply getting in each other's way as a byproduct of their efforts to improve the country, hence the antagonism between two groups and therefore Dorian must be dealt with (though not necessarily with as much finality as with the Archon).
- Phase 1: The Tevinter PC encounters Magister Pavus during the final push through Upper Minrathous as he is attempting to rally the remaining Altus and Legionnaire forces now scattered and disorganized by the slave uprising. Dorian is clever in everything he does and combat should be no exception and his boss fight should reflect that. He specializes in defensive battles with an emphasis on controlling the battlefield (like playing chess) with crowd control and Necromantic swarms. He's not even really trying to outright kill his opponents, merely trying to get the situation under control and suppress them, so fighting like this makes a lot of sense for him from a practical standpoint. Like all Mage bosses he will come with a standard Barrier that needs to be brought down periodically, but unlike with the Archon it will not be nearly as powerful and he'll make up for it with a reasonably sized health pool. The point this battle is stay in control of the battlefield by balancing out the players time with avoiding damaging spells, dealing with the occasional trapped party members, and clearing swarms of undead in a timely manner.
- Story Boss: Quest 7 "From Hell's Heart ..."
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 16, 2016 23:10:46 GMT
Boss Battle 5: The Defense of Ath Velanis (Inquisitor PC)
Very little to discuss in regards to character here as its more of a defensive event battle than an actual boss. Magister Titus is a constant presence during the Inquisitor PC's time at the fortress of Ath Velanis and will serve from the rear during Phase 1 of the siege and will battle along side the PC actively during Phase 2. While Titus' magical prowess has certainly improved since his time in his respective comic series, its actually his personality that has gone through the most fundamental changes. His experiments with King Marric and Dragon's Blood did not have the end results that he intended, as he did not become a Dreamer of the Fade and rather through his fumbling to become such a being, he instead woke one up. The Magister's subsequent encounters with Razikale in his dreams have simultaneously made him more humble, somewhat more frantic, and a fare more zealous in his worship of his ancient Gods. This dude should have some seriously dark charisma going for him, befitting the status of leader of a prominent ancient cult. Motivational, but in a somewhat terrifying way. The mission will start off with the Inquisitor PC bolstering defenses and exploring the fortress before the actually "Boss Event Occurs".
- Phase 1: This battle will rely heavily on similar mechanics to those shown in the DA:I DLC "The Descent". A horde battle with waves of various enemies crashing against the Inquisitor PC's and Magister Titus' defenses, with the occasional elite "Lieutenant" Class Unit breaking through and doing considerable damage. In a strange way I created this "Boss Event" in an attempt to rectify a bit of content I felt was missing from the previous game. We the players spent so much time building up Skyhold, recruiting agents, spreading our influence, gaining resources ... just for it to amount to nothing in the end. Nothing ever came from Skyhold, no assault ever occurred to the defenses players spent ages preparing and that's truly a shame. Hence, that is partly why this battle exists. To give players the fortress defense experience we really missed out on last game. Phase 1 will occur in the outer bulwarks with the Inquisitor PC attempting to hold the walls and defending key objectives as long as they can, but inevitably being pushed back to the inner garrison.
- Phase 2: Qunari forces push through the outer defenses, slaughtering much of what was left of Titus remaining cultists and forcing the Inquisitor PC and Titus both to escape further into the keep. With Titus' forces all but spent he takes on a more proactive role and assists the Inquisitor on the front lines against the enemies now continually surging through the breaks in the garrison walls. Cannon fire now becomes a more persistent issue for the player to avoid, along with a trilogy of three lieutenants now joining the fray. The battle of the inner garrison progressively gets more and more hectic as more and more openings appear in the Inner defenses. Gatlock charges opening up new avenues of attack and where there was once one choke point to hold at the beginning of Phase 2, there will be 3 by its conclusion. Unlike Phase 1 that is more "protect these objectives", phase 2 plays more like "hold out as long as you can (until three Lieutenants are dead)". Once they are, its time to retreat and a decision needs to be made.
- Story Quest: Quest 14 "Onion Trade"
Boss Battle 6: Sten (Tevinter PC)
Sten ... is Sten. If there is any character that could weather the years since DA:O without changing in the slightest, it would be this stubborn fool. Luckily, for the sake of this story, none of the characters in either party have had any firsthand experience with him and thus he should prove remarkably easy to write as a character in this game. There are really only two variations of his character that can exist anyway, one in which he was left to die in Lothering and another where in which he joined the party ... that's it. Sten has now become the Arishok of the Qunari Military forces and as such is the one overseeing the invasion of Tevinter. His character, for what little there need be, will be primarily gathered through a series of correspondence and military communications (optional codex entries which should reflect both potential Sten save states) gathered from Qunari forces by both PC's throughout the entirety of ACT 2. By the time you get to face him in the Finale, the player should have a pretty solid gist of what his personality is like ... regardless of how literal and dry it can be at times and should have come to understand his actions up until this point. It should be made apparent however that this attack has been fully sanctioned by the Qun Hierarchy, including the Matriarchy and the Priesthood. It was not his decision alone to make, regardless of any personal feelings he had on the matter.
- Phase 1: Perhaps in an attempt to soothe the very valid concerns of the Qunari Matriarchy over the prospect of losing another Arishok in so few years, Sten begins this battle by taking in a highly defensive stance. Guarded by 4 elite soldiers Sten wades through combat slowly dealing a reasonable amount of damage to any party member unlucky enough to get in his way, while his troops support him elsewhere on the field. While a player can do damage to Sten if they would like during this phase, in fact doing enough of it will temporarily stall out his movement and reduce his health for Phase 2, but he will take reduced damage throughout Phase 1. The primary objective however is to take down his chaperones. They may not be super beefy, but they are capable of doing a decent amount of damage if left alone. Once the last of them is defeated Sten will transition directly into Phase 2. Also a reminder, Sten will receive a stacking buff during this battle for each time a player chose to sacrifice troops in Quest 11: "Juggernaut" and Quest 12: "The Eastern Front".
- Phase 2: Once his guards are defeated Sten will stop issuing orders and this battle takes on a very different tone. Abandoning defense for full out offense the Arishok now battles much like his predecessor did in DA2. Hulking, aggressive, and relentless, but by no means stupid, this is meant to be a repeat performance of IMO one of the most impressive boss fights in all of DA. Players who diminished his health in the previous phase before striking down his guards will have an advantage here. With the ability to actually move while auto-attacking being the only major change to combat this boss should conceivably work with most of the combat mechanics exhibited within DA:I. A full fledged, plate mail wearing hardened warrior should be pretty fun for a PC specialized in hunting Mages to deal with. Takes them a bit out of their comfort zone!
- Story Quest: Quest 15 "To Hunt and Arishok"
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 16, 2016 23:12:01 GMT
Boss Battle 7: Visions of Seven (Tevinter PC + Inquisitor PC)
Another boss "event" like Ath Velanis, but this one plays out a bit different in terms of combat architecture. Included within are 7 Magisters Sidereal, each being a shadowed representation of the people they once where and the monsters they would become (for a reference, picture Cory from DA:I "The Wrath of Heaven"). What I wanted from this battle was a chance for the Tevinter PC to face off against one of the most tumultuous parts of Tevinter's past, but I also wanted to use this fight to create a teaser for future "antagonists" to come, so many of these characters will remain rather obscure. It's a taste, including one big secret and placed in a very cool package, nothing more. That's all I really wanted from it in a narrative sense. In regards to the combat let's get the bad news out of the way first. I could not think of a functional way to have the player battle against all 7 Magisters. There are two parties included in this battle and I felt cheap to have one group simply sitting on the side lines. As a solution I crafted this boss battle in such a way so that the player is allowed to actively clash against 5 of the Magister, with the remaining 2 hammering away at the non player controlled party. This is also the first of the two boss battles that will use the Character Switching mechanic actively within combat, transitioning the player between the two PC's periodically as it fight progresses. Each Magister should combat the player a little bit differently from the last with some being rabid berserkers, some spastic rogues, and some chaotic spell casters, in order to give some personality to each of these monsters and the Boss some variety. The Magisters themselves will be in a themed order, rather than in order from first to last like their Old God counterparts and the two of them that the Player has faced already within previous DA installments (The Conductor and The Architect) have been set as the two opponents the player will not actively face. The point was to set up new potential villains, not to focus too much on the already existing ones.
- Note: Unfortunately there are no existing titles of the remaining 5 Magisters Sidereal like there are for the Magister of Dumat, Corypheus (The Conductor) and the Magister of Urthemiel (The Architect), as they have yet to be introduced. Therefore for now I'll be referring to them by their respective Dragon God, rather than by any inherent name.
- Phase 1: Up to bat for the first round of combat is the Magister of Zazikale (Chaos) and the Magister of Toth (Fire) vs the Tevinter PC, with the Inquisitor PC (uncontrolled) squaring off against the Magister of Dumat (Silence). The way this works is that the overall battle is split between a series of 3 Phases, divided much like the rest of the game is between the two PCs and their respective parties. The Magisters themselves will also be divided, with a total of 3 assaulting the Inquisitor PC and the remaining 4 ultimately attacking the Tevinter PC. Phase 1 plays out from the Tevinter PCs perspective as they face down 2 of the 3 Magisters who fall first to the Blight, Chaos and Fire. The Inquisitor PC's party will be altogether distracted fending off the third of the first wave to fall to corruption, an old foe Corypheus elsewhere on the field. Phase 1 Begins with only a single Magister actively wreaking havoc and then a second one entering the fray once the original reaches 1/2 health.
- Phase 2: With both of the Tevinter's opponents taken down Phase 2 now switches the player's perspective to the Inquisitor PC, just as the unplayed Tevinter PC's team is assaulted by the Magister of Urthemiel (Beauty). As a sort of poetic irony the Inquisitor now faces off against the very two Magisters whose masters they've now condemned the world to once again endure due to their actions taken to stop Solas; and both will attack simultaneously. The Magister of Mystery battles like a Mage and fights from the rear, its magic chaotic and sometimes explosively violent ... unpredictable to say the least. The Magister of Night stalks its prey, an animal who is capable of using teleportation, obscuring vision and magical stealth to its advantage. Taking on two at the same time will be no easy task, choose your primary target wisely.
- Phase 3: As the final Magister falls to corruption he crashes upon the Inquisitor PC's group just as they are downing their second foe, incapacitating the party. The perspective is then once again changed to that of the Tevinter PC and their party who has been tasked with felling this final corrupted being in this final phase of the fight. The Magister of Andoral (Slaves) is unique in comparison to his rabid counterparts in that he battles as if he were a combination of the remaining 4. He is a jack of all trades or a bard of DnD. Capable of doing a little bit of everything from each, but not nearly as proficiently nor as specialized as his fallen counterparts. His versatility and unpredictability however is what should make him dangerous, capable of utilizing a plethora of abilities ranging from feral berserker strikes, evasive and stealth magic, or periodic long range spells (whether or not he happens to actually be at long range or not). His health and defensive abilities should reflect this lack of specialization as well. Once this final Magister is defeated the room clears, showing the secret of the Golden City and forcing upon the Tevinter PC with an important choice.
- Story Quest: Quest 20 "The Sin of Tevinter"
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 16, 2016 23:12:30 GMT
Boss Battle 8: Solas (Inquisitor PC + Tevinter PC)
Like with the previous battle this one shall once again make use of the Dual Protagonist system to switch between the two PC's through the series of phases that comprise this fight. Phase 1 is from the Inquisitor PC's perspective, Phase 2 by the Tevinter PC, and the final Phase is something a bit more ... special and the primary reason I worked in accompanying NPCs for many of the main story quests; to create the framework necessary to pull this finale off. In terms of Solas' personality, it's doubtful he's changed much. The guy has been the same person for eons now, so regardless of the relationship he built with Inquisitor in the events of DA:I it really is doubtful he's evolved much. Perhaps a bit more somber, a bit more business oriented, and a bit more desperate; but he'll be the same guilt ridden, short sighted, talky bald exposition monster that he always was ... oh and exposition he shall if the player lets him. His interaction with the PC's party will vary a little bit depending on their decisions. He and his agents have kept an ever increasingly close eye on the Tevinter PC, who began as a hero to the slaves, then a hero of Tevinter, and now attempts to become a hero to the world and will have brief commentary or criticism depending on their actions. The Inquisitor PC's dialogue however is dependent heavily on three factors: 1) Previous relationship with the Inquisitor; 2) Whether the Inquisitor managed to keep their cover or not; and 3) Whether the Inquisitor has turned themselves into something monstrous in the name of stopping him (the Arm for sure, darker actions assuredly, the Abomination perhaps), either way Solas' will briefly discuss on those things that apply. He will also monologue about the truth of what this Ancient City in the Fade truly is (Arlathan) and what he really intends to achieve by bringing down the Fade during the battle.
- Note: As stated during the Quest 21 section, if the Inquisitor PC has failed to retain their cover throughout their adventures in Tevinter by amassing too much "Fame" then Solas will gain an additional damage buff making this battle quite a bit more difficult.
- Phase 1: I wanted Solas to play a bit indirect in the way he battles during Phase 1 and 2. He's distracted with his task at bringing down the Veil and despite his opponents newfound apparent immunity to his petrifaction magic he really doesn't take them all that seriously. The Inquisitor PC may know him fairly well, but still remains a person he left crippled and is being forced to use a bastardized replacement to do battle. The Tevinter PC may specialize in hunting mages, but when it comes to the belief in the supremacy of magic Solas is pretty arrogant and its doubtful he has much respect for one of such a profession. Solas throughout the fight will utilize his Rift Magic to move around and crowd control his opponents, but for Phase 1 he will be primarily reliant on the Agents he brought with him to stall out the Tevinter PC's party and suppress the Inquisitor as they battle against him. The Tevinter PC is essentially removed from Phase 1 as they are dealing with the bulk of Solas' forces, while the Inquisitor PC deals with a minor amount of agents and a less than serious Solas. Solas should have a farely wide range of spells at his disposal, but for Phase 1 will be reliant mostly on defensive ones. Getting through his barrier will be a pain, but once Solas reaches a certain amount of health he will lock down the Inquisitor PC's party in a makeshift prison created by the petrified corpses of his fallen Agents (he can still petrify them after all) and it will be up to the Tevinter PC to take to the front lines for the next round of combat.
- Phase 2: Having finished off Solas' entourage and with the Inquisitor PC temporarily indisposed the Tevinter PC takes to the forefront of the fight. This phase should play out much like a mirror of the Archon fight at the beginning of the game, though in this case the experience makes all the difference in the world. Feeling a bit of the pressure the two PC's have instilled upon him and now denied the use of his agents Solas is now forced to focus more on offense and now will intermittently use far more powerful offensive spells in between his crowd control abilities, avoid them. The Player will need to get through another powerful and rejuvenated Barrier, while dodging the big spells and mitigating the Crowd Control as best they can. Solas has both a tough outer barrier and a decent health pool underneath, but thanks to the previous major Mage battles the Tevinter PC and their Mage Hunter abilities should be more than ready for the challenge. Once enough damage is done, the final round of this battle for the world will begin.
- Phase 3: Final phase and this one's special. With the Tevinter PC's party harassing him and the Inquisitor PC's party finally breaking free from their morbid stone cocoons in an act of deep frustration Solas scatters the remaining party leaving only the two PC's to fend him off. Solas has now lost all patients and has switched to full on attack mode. Players are allowed to switch to either PC and back again on the fly if they so wish (just like they would any other party member) and as the final portion of this battle continues slowly but assuredly the remaining 6 members of the group will return to to help ... until, finally its 8 vs 1, with both parties battling against a fully pissed off demi-god. Solas crowd control will come fast and hard and so will his big spells, along with having his own version of the Rift Mage meteor ultimate to show off. The leftover potions and support items from both group will be stockpiled from for this final bout along with each PC receiving a small bit of health returned after each Phase. Once defeated the final cut scene will play out one of the two ways. If the Inquisitor PC failed to keep their cover they are denied the opportunity to save him and instead will be the first to make a move to finish him, being struck with a lethal injury in the process. The Inquisitor will then go down restraining Solas' with the very arm he is partially responsible for them having and preventing him from escaping a final blow from the Tevinter PC. The Inquisitor will then expire shortly after Solas allowing enough time for a few choice last words. If the Inquisitor retained their cover however, then the Tevinter PC will first to move, "disabling" Solas' right arm and giving the Inquisitor PC enough time to land the finishing blow and transitioning into the final Inquisitor PC decision.
- Story Quest: Quest 21 "Fen'Harel"
AND THAT'S IT FOR CHARACTERS AND BOSSES! All that's left to post is the DLCs, which I'm re-editing atm so it might be a while. If I'm feeling game I might also take a crack at working on Epilogue write-ups for both the Base Game and Final Epilogue DLC, and for the "Personal Quests" serving as extensions of the PC origin stories.
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Post by phoray on Sept 19, 2016 19:50:11 GMT
Random interesting moral thing:
Buying a slave vs not buying a slave for "Cover" maintaining purposes.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 19, 2016 20:48:09 GMT
Random interesting moral thing: Buying a slave vs not buying a slave for "Cover" maintaining purposes. I'm actually totally game with this idea. The Inquisitor PC is effectively a Liberati (non-citizen/freed slave) and not actually a slave themselves. This was a method to allow them a little more free range when exploring Tevinter (provided they have a chaperone "Handler") and to deal with the issue of Dwarves not being able to be slaves. They just can't, there's nothing I can do about it lol! Putting an Inquisitor in a position where they would have to buy a slave/free a slave/abandon a slave would be an interesting bit of content. The thing I was going for with the PC's was to give both of them the ability to do darker things when dealing with tougher choices. The Inquisitor's role essentially puts them in the position where they might actually have to do horrible things in the name of retaining their Covor, and throw their Morality out the door for the greater good. The Tevinter PC was designed in such a way that they actually reflected a 5th Century B.C.E Greek City State Demagogue. They can do wonderful things and be a moral leader if they wish, but in many cases they will actually get more fame and popularity if they go with the more extreme route. The "Make a Statement", "Preserve the Troops", and "Execution of an Arishok" decisions of Quest 5, 12, and 15 are main quest example of this. The people will love you for choosing those options. Essentially the Tevinter PC can end up being a benevolent, understanding leader ... or a total Tyrant if they become Archon and it might actually easier to achieve that rank with the latter approach.
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Post by phoray on Sept 20, 2016 3:48:16 GMT
Budgetary Issues Cont:
- Combat Issues - There are a few additional budget increases for Combat, but not too many. I based this game HEAVILY off DA:I so the core mechanics will remain the same, with a few select changes. Because there are two PCs combat needs to have some variance in order to keep the two characters distinct enough to be worthwhile to play and to keep combat from getting too stale. Therefore there are a few mechanical components that will be employed to help with this (many of which have been discussed in the Class and PC Talent Specialization section), but the key variance will be done through aesthetics. 2 full sets of Combat Animations, based primarily around the main enemies that will be found in the game (the Qunari and the Elves) should be created and distributed amongst the PC and NPCs who fit those combat styles best. There is such huge physical and organizational differences between the two races that there is very little reason for them to be fighting with the same technique. The Tevinter PC, who is younger and a "Mage Hunter" will fight like an Elf ... smooth and fluidic, with a faster pace and high mobility, while the Inquisitor PC who is suffering from their handicap and therefore no longer proficient in extended bouts of combat will adopt the Qunari style; which uses sharp, disciplined, heavy in impact moves, but slower. In summation, the combat styles will be: Qunari Warrior Combat Styles, Elven Warrior Combat Styles, Qunari Rogue Combat Styles, Elven Rogue Combat Styles, Mage Universal, & Inquisitor Mage; in terms of both animation and abilities. - A few other small changes. DA:I had a grand total of 22 Talent trees spread across all classes and specializations including the Anchor, so to facilitate for both PC's an additional 4 and their corresponding animations will need to be added, bringing the total up to 26. Combine this with a slight change in how the auto-attack system works (my suggestions is being able to actually move while auto-attacking and while utilizing weaker abilities) and these small additions could prove immeasurably beneficial and relatively "cheap" to implement. Finally, Bioware simply needs to do better on their Companion tactics system, there is really no other way around it. They did a really good job with this in DA:O so I know it's possible to do, but the one they used in DA:I was kind of a joke. - A small system to allow for switching between the two PC's will also be required. Outside of these things (and they are substantial in their own small ways) the Combat budget remains the same and combat, for the most part, also remains the same. - As for things that will be getting removed ... obviously Skyhold style base-building is gone and have the budget repurposed elsewhere, as will War Table Ops and Judgements, as none of these three things are even remotely necessary for the narrative I've created for this fan game. I personally would also remove the Weapon and Armor crafting mechanics from DA:I and with it the resource gathering aspect. I know people will get pissed and even I admit that Bioware did excellent job implementing these features into DA:I, but honestly I did feel like the gathering of resources was nothing more than busywork and the crafted weapons and armor themselves where SO DAMNED GOOD that they actually detracted from weapon drops and Boss Rewards. I remember one of the best parts of DA:O was finishing a long side quest or exploring some side path and finding a rare, really good, item that I or my party could use ... but in DA:I once a crafted set of Tier 4 Gear was made I never used an item drop again outside of Amulets and Rings. As such I do feel that the budget required for these two features should be repurposed elsewhere and at most players should be given a re-skin and armor dye tool to allow for choice in basic aesthetics. Finally (and it's big one) since this game design was HEAVILY based on DA:I it may be a good idea for Bioware to take a page of Bethesda's book and recycle and improve on a previous Game Engine rather than crafting a new one from scratch, provided that engine can handle the necessary upgrades. Dragon Age has never been at the forefront of Game Graphics anyway (far from it) and if merely upgrading an old engine would save resources that could be used to improve story and game play ... I'm all for it. Stylizing the old graphics should suffice rather than overhauling them completely and allow for more of the budget to be allocated where it needs to be, in the story and game mechanics. - Note: Thats it for the boring nitty-gritty stuff! I will start posting content on the actual "Story" within a few days and then I'll move onto write ups for Primary "Characters, Boss Fights, and DLC's" after that. Heck I might actually improve on what I had previously posted on the official forums with a write up on "Epilogues" for both the base game and post-game DLC. So, the savings, as I understand it, are: - Reduced party banter
- Loss of crafting
- Skip the useless customizable stronghold
- Reuse the Frostbite engine with time spent on improving hair and maybe that clipping problem.
What about grenades/flasks? Do we still get different lounging outfits? Because the beige Quiz outfit of awful comes to mind and I find it important to not be fugly when kissing my LI hahaha
Do you think this is enough cuts? I think the implication of what I've read is that between fewer locations and the organization of Acts, it creates a more linear and smaller world. Which I'm fine with but some folks will scream. Pretty lands full of nothing and content I don't see because I didn't do missions in the right order suck.
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Post by phoray on Sept 20, 2016 3:54:03 GMT
The Prosthetic "Artifice" (The Name is up for Debate).Simple Ideas for Practical Costs of the Artifice: By Dai Grepher- 1) A five second period of pain and flinching that slows movement speed and attack speed. - 2) If a spell or combat ability is used in this period, then it will cause a small amount of self-damage. - 3) Guard is Broken - 4) Focus is decreased - 5) A flash of pain, causing an interrupt to any action that was being taken. These costs would decrease over the span of the game as you got upgrades, correct?
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Post by phoray on Sept 20, 2016 4:05:37 GMT
Issues of DA: Inquisition Decisions:
-3) Mage/Templar Conflict: A small adjustment will be needed for this decision, because it shifts the Inquisitor PC's relationship to Calpernia if they sided with the Templars. Essentially there are three options: 1) Inquisitors who sided with the Rebel Mages will be meeting her for the first time, 2) Inquisitor's who "forced back" Calpernia have met her before, but she will not be all that happy to see them again, and 3) Inquisitors who convinced her to betray Corypheus have met her before and should have a more positive relationship with her. This decision fundamentally alters their previous relationship with her and therefore the initial dialogue once the Inquisitor meets her in Tevinter must reflect that. A few changes in dialogue when the two character first meet should suffice for this decision. -4) Save/Stop Solas: Very minor decision that serves only in an aesthetic purpose in the events of this game, primarily because if the Inquisitor is returning as a playable PC then that decision can be made once the final conflict occurs. Players may change their mind during the events of DA:4 and therefore this decision only serves as a character facet. All other previous game decisions, including LIs, can be facilitated through a DA: Keep system and may play small or aesthetic effects on the game. Rather than just dialogue, you could minus friendship points, neutral, or plus points on Calpernia's friend/enemy bar. Could there be dialogue from Dorian, even if it's just one line, about what you chose regarding Solas? I just love continuity recognition of my emotional decisions. It could even be the exact same line with a single word difference. Hunt versus help. Dorian: are you certain that this is the right choice for you? Hunting/helping Solas could be anyone's job."
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Post by phoray on Sept 20, 2016 4:19:52 GMT
Issues of Story-Quest Mechanics:
There are two ways to get a dual-PC storyline to work for a Bioware style RPG. The first method is like what games such as Halo 2 utilized to transition the player between the two different PCs. The player, at specific progression points during the story, is forcibly switched between the PCs as the story requires in order to get the two PCs where they need to be, when the story needs them to be there. The second method is the GTAV method, which allows players to switch between the different PCs at will, but then restricts forward story progression until certain quests are completed for certain PCs (namely in GTAV you could not progress very far in the story with Trevor, Franklin or Michael individually without being forced to switch to one of the other characters and progress their story first). Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The prior (forcibly switching the Player) limits player autonomy, but enforces story coherency. The story runs smoother, but the player is more restricted, even if they are able to do as much side content as they want before progressing the main story. The latter allows for more player freedom, but can disjoint the story if not done correctly and can prove frustrating due to the artificial restrictions on story progression placed on the player. Namely "No you are not allowed to do the main story until you've done the other characters to match! The God of Video Games commands it!" For the sake of my own sanity, I've relied on a bit of both. Some story quests (most often in the beginning and end of each arc) will be using the Halo 2 method of forcing players to switch between the two PCs as the game's story needs, to best coherently present what is going on. During these periods Players will be locked into playing a particular PC up until the point they finish a main story quest, but they will be allowed to do as much side content as is available as they would like before doing so. Once completed the Player is automatically switched to the other PC. This method is exclusively used when the two PC's main quests have a particular order they need to be completed in, in order for the story to make sense. This format is most heavily used in Act 2 during the Qunari conflict. The latter type (the GTA V method) will be used when the story doesn't need to be done in a particular order. There are a number of quests written for Act 1 and 3 where in which the order they are completed is relatively superfluous to the main story and are built to be done in a more flexible order to allow for more player freedom. Along with a reprieve INTERMISSION in Act 2, it will allow the player to switch between the two PCs at will provided they are not actively within a Story Mission and in within a safe zone when switching. This can be facilitated easy enough with a similar rudimentary system as was exhibited in GTAV where the other PC's portrait is shown on the Game UI. The portrait remains grayed out when the other PC is unavailable and is in color when freedom to switch is allowed. - Note: Side quests should probably be written individually for each PC, rather than the pool being shared.
- Note 2: Periods of Time During in which Free Switch between the two PCs is allowed will be Highlighted In Green! - ACT 1: After the Intro of Quest 3 (Inquisitor ACT 1 Quest 1) and before the conclusion to Quest 5, Free Switch Mode. - ACT 2: INTERMISSION during the eye of the storm, Free Switch Mode Enabled. - ACT 3: Quest 16 through Quest 19 can be done in a semi-flexible order, Free Switch Mode Enabled. I've not played either of these games but have read books that did something similar. My recommendation is to NOT leave one PC on a cliff Hanger. That is super frustrating to be switched when you are not mentally ready for the switch. Preferably, you should be able to finish a mission, return to home base, have a chat, and then click on something that says...you ready to switch now? I see your note now. Speaking of home bases, can Black Emporium be dropped regarding character customization, as cute as it is, and one just have a mirror at each home base? This was done in Kindom of Amalur. I just don't know why I need to deal with two loading screens just to get a hair cut. Alternatively, there could be some sort of fancy Minrathous barber shop that replaces the Tavern as a place for gossip. Hahaha
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 20, 2016 4:35:19 GMT
Budgetary Issues Cont:
[...] So, the savings, as I understand it, are: - Reduced party banter
- Loss of crafting
- Skip the useless customizable stronghold
- Reuse the Frostbite engine with time spent on improving hair and maybe that clipping problem.
What about grenades/flasks? Do we still get different lounging outfits? Because the beige Quiz outfit of awful comes to mind and I find it important to not be fugly when kissing my LI hahaha
Do you think this is enough cuts? I think the implication of what I've read is that between fewer locations and the organization of Acts, it creates a more linear and smaller world. Which I'm fine with but some folks will scream. Pretty lands full of nothing and content I don't see because I didn't do missions in the right order suck.
You are right on the cuts. I don't really see the need to remove the casual clothing, though it is a little superfluous. Realistically considering their story the Inquisitor's lounge outfit would be their servants attire and the Tevinter PC would start with their slave clothes and then move onto their Preasumptor gear later. I figured both Characters would have small home bases that they operate out of (the Pavus Minrathous apartment for the Inquisitor & the Preasumptor's headquarters for the Tevinter), so they can wear them around those. Depending on how they do Minrathous itself, they could also wear their casual duds around the main 4 city zones as well. As for grenades and flasks since most of the combat mechanics are being brought back they should be fine. Whether that means that herbs you can gather in the field come back or their upgrades merely need to be purchased, that's up to the Devs. Unlike Armor/Weapon crafting, Trap-Making, Herbal-ism and Alchemy have been around since DA:O, it would be a shame to lose them now. As for the amount of cuts, no they are not enough to compensate for the added expenses. They are merely there to alleviate some of the added cost it would require for the secondary PC, I wasn't expecting them to deal with the total increase since the Voice work is the most expensive element. The reduced amount of total Open Zones was another attempt to do this, but most if not all of what was saved with that will be getting placed into the expense of the Minrathous City Zones. Instead the idea was having those 6 Large Zones exist and work for both PCs and their respective side quests, which would allow Bioware to recycle those zones use a little bit. By ACT 3 both PC's will have access to all the zones and have their own sets of quests to do in them. The two ACT 1 starting zones may also be somewhat altered to show the effects of the War. As for players missing things ... they would have to really try to pull that off. They will have access to every available side quest per act for as long as the Act lasts, and provided they actually pick them up from the givers. Some side-quests could be created to be available to be completed any time during the Game as well, regardless of ACT. While admittedly ACT 2 is extremely restrictive it should have the least amount of available side-quests anyway, with ACT 1 and especially ACT 3 being far more open and free-roamy. Yes, if they move onto the next Act before they finish all the side quests then they will miss things, but in order to do that they would have to rush through every single story quest for both PCs in order to do so. In some cases ( green highlighted quests) having to manually switch to the other PC in order to pull it off. I mean realistically just like with DA2 there is no surefire way of preventing these sort of things from happening outside of having a Quest Log showing just how many Quests are left and where each ACT ends that a player can view in the menu, but that seems a little ... odd and slightly spoilery. If a player wants to rush through the main story of a game story in a game split up into ACTs (and it will have a nice big title card whenever an ACT begins and ends), they better expect to miss out on some things. Not everything, but some things.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 20, 2016 4:44:36 GMT
The Prosthetic "Artifice" (The Name is up for Debate).[...] These costs would decrease over the span of the game as you got upgrades, correct? Yup, that was the plan ... well sorta. One of the benefits of it being split into ACTs is that it gives concrete beginnings and ends to each "Chapter", which allows for passive alterations to the Prosthetic. To prevent players from being forced to invest points or money in upgrading the Prosthetic (whichever they go with), as the game and story progresses there will be a few times it will adjust itself naturally. The Arm will continue to get better to a degree on its own as the player moves through the story as the Inquisitor is healing and merely becomming more proficient at using it, everything else in the "Aritifice" talent tree while useful, is extra. It seemed a little harsh to "Require" the resource investment into the Prosthetic.
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Post by phoray on Sept 20, 2016 4:51:09 GMT
So, the savings, as I understand it, are: - Reduced party banter
- Loss of crafting
- Skip the useless customizable stronghold
- Reuse the Frostbite engine with time spent on improving hair and maybe that clipping problem.
What about grenades/flasks? Do we still get different lounging outfits? Because the beige Quiz outfit of awful comes to mind and I find it important to not be fugly when kissing my LI hahaha
Do you think this is enough cuts? I think the implication of what I've read is that between fewer locations and the organization of Acts, it creates a more linear and smaller world. Which I'm fine with but some folks will scream. Pretty lands full of nothing and content I don't see because I didn't do missions in the right order suck.
You are right on the cuts. I don't really see the need to remove the casual clothing, though it is a little superfluous. Realistically considering their story the Inquisitor's lounge outfit would be their servants attire and the Tevinter PC would start with their slave clothes and then move onto their Preasumptor gear later. I figured both Characters would have small home bases that they operate out of (the Pavus Minrathous apartment for the Inquisitor & the Preasumptor's headquarters for the Tevinter), so they can wear them around those. Depending on how they do Minrathous itself, they could also wear their casual duds around the main 4 city zones as well. As for grenades and flasks since most of the combat mechanics are being brought back they should be fine. Whether that means that herbs you can gather in the field come back or their upgrades merely need to be purchased, that's up to the Devs. Unlike Armor/Weapon crafting, Trap-Making, Herbal-ism and Alchemy have been around since DA:O, it would be a shame to lose them now. As for the amount of cuts, no they are not enough to compensate for the added expenses. They are merely there to alleviate some of the added cost it would require for the secondary PC, I wasn't expecting them to deal with the total increase since the Voice work is the most expensive element. The reduced amount of total Open Zones was another attempt to do this, but most if not all of what was saved with that will be getting placed into the expense of the Minrathous City Zones. Instead the idea was having those 6 Large Zones exist and work for both PCs and their respective side quests, which would allow Bioware to recycle those zones use a little bit. By ACT 3 both PC's will have access to all the zones and have their own sets of quests to do in them. The two ACT 1 starting zones may also be somewhat altered to show the effects of the War. As for players missing things ... they would have to really try to pull that off. They will have access to every available side quest per act for as long as the Act lasts, and provided they actually pick them up from the givers. Some side-quests could be created to be available to be completed any time during the Game as well, regardless of ACT. While admittedly ACT 2 is extremely restrictive it should have the least amount of available side-quests anyway, with ACT 1 and especially ACT 3 being far more open and free-roamy. Yes, if they move onto the next Act before they finish all the side quests then they will miss things, but in order to do that they would have to rush through every single story quest for both PCs in order to do so. In some cases ( green highlighted quests) having to manually switch to the other PC in order to pull it off. I mean realistically just like with DA2 there is no surefire way of preventing these sort of things from happening outside of having a Quest Log showing just how many Quests are left and where each ACT ends that a player can view in the menu, but that seems a little ... odd and slightly spoilery. If a player wants to rush through the main story of a game story in a game split up into ACTs (and it will have a nice big title card whenever an ACT begins and ends), they better expect to miss out on some things. Not everything, but some things. You think DA2 way of handling quests was spoilers? I appreciated knowing exactly what kind of quest it was so I could decide to skip it. Those herbalists tasks were listed under secondary. The random items return to owner quests were listed as side. Then companion and...primary? Rather than by location, main, companion distinctions of DAI. But by missing content, I mean the nonlinear state if main missions in DAI. (That would be some savings there.) I had a world state where Alistair was warden. And because I didn't think about it enough, I played Adamant then Winter palace. Well, guess what, now I don't get the Alistair and Morrigan chat in the Garden. The casual clothing wouldn't have to be as extensive as DAI. Maybe 3 outfits with options to color it, instead of 9, of which 6 I hated. It'd be neat if jewelry got animated as well. I know a lot will be up to devs and such, but this is a fan game I will... *chokes on sadness* probably never see become reality. So, I may as well chip in my thoughts towards "perfecting" it.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 20, 2016 4:52:04 GMT
Issues of DA: Inquisition Decisions:
[...] Rather than just dialogue, you could minus friendship points, neutral, or plus points on Calpernia's friend/enemy bar. Could there be dialogue from Dorian, even if it's just one line, about what you chose regarding Solas? I just love continuity recognition of my emotional decisions. It could even be the exact same line with a single word difference. Hunt versus help. Dorian: are you certain that this is the right choice for you? Hunting/helping Solas could be anyone's job." Friendship points could work for her since Marius, Calpernia and Dorian are Advisors for both PC's by ACT 2. As for companions, they are pretty rigidly split between the two PC groups so maybe not all of them for both PCs. As for dialogue for Dorian or even Harding about the choice for Solas, yeah that was the plan. What I meant was because I was physically allowing players to replay (or for new players for play for the first time) the Trespasser decisions, the effect of the Solas choice as a "returning" choice was pretty minimal. Plus, depending on the events of the game a player may change their mind by the end of it all and decide he's not worth saving, or he's better off alive.
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Post by cardbutton on Sept 20, 2016 4:55:27 GMT
Issues of Story-Quest Mechanics:
[...] I've not played either of these games but have read books that did something similar. My recommendation is to NOT leave one PC on a cliff Hanger. That is super frustrating to be switched when you are not mentally ready for the switch. Preferably, you should be able to finish a mission, return to home base, have a chat, and then click on something that says...you ready to switch now? I see your note now. Speaking of home bases, can Black Emporium be dropped regarding character customization, as cute as it is, and one just have a mirror at each home base? This was done in Kindom of Amalur. I just don't know why I need to deal with two loading screens just to get a hair cut. Alternatively, there could be some sort of fancy Minrathous barber shop that replaces the Tavern as a place for gossip. Hahaha Yeah I mean anything is possible. I don't know how rare those Magic mirrors are but considering the setting it would be strange for either of the PC's to go all the Way to Kirkwall to just get a haircut or trim a little fat. If anything you could just have "The Black Barbershop", where that creepy old man decided to set up shop somewhere in Minrathous for a time and having himself and his mirror shipped there through express mail lol!
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