Topic: Dragon Age: Origins -> Update: DAO Ultimate joins GOG

[Pugnate]

Once we’ve ambiguously agreed to her advances a couple of times, it cuts to a glimpse of an awkward sex scene that saw everyone in the room burst out laughing

Oh no.

[MysterD]

David Gaider responds to all the hoopla about Morrigan and Leliana on RPGWatch's Boards -- confirming pretty much what I hoped, considering it is a Bioware RPG.

To even get to any of those elements, you're gonna half to spend a lot of time and say the "right" things and do the "right" things to push them to actually get to those points -- like most of Bioware's stuff.

MORE Morrigan and Leilana Romance QUEST Spoilers

(click to show/hide)

Here's what David Gaider said....

I don't know what the presentation itself looked like, but it probably needed to be stressed more that this was a story element shown out of context (whether or not that is a good idea to do being an entirely different discussion). Prior to getting to that point, the player would have had to spend a lot of time developing the romances for both Morrigan and Leliana-- and I'll stress that, myself: Morrigan does not sleep with you just because you gave her a book. The book is a quest item that, in this case, happened to push her approval into the point where she would make a sexual advance in camp.

 It should also be pointed out that Leliana isn't reacting to the fact that you slept with Morrigan. She doesn't, in fact, even know that's what you did. She's responding to the fact that your romance with Morrigan has reached a point where she objects. It sounds like the writer of the article expected her to be more angry, and perhaps that's where the comments on the acting comes from, I don't know. It's too bad -- Leliana is, in my opinion, one of the better voices of the game. Perhaps the French accent threw him off? I'm not sure. Chances are he wasn't inclined to be charitable by that point.

Even so, I can't really blame some of the perceptions of these events if this is the order in which they were shown. Personally showing the latter part of a romance plot isn't likely to be of much interest to anyone who hasn't bought into it already and been through all the lead up. Maybe I'm wrong. Either way, the romances are pretty complex and it's a mistake to write them off as superficial -- for the people who like romance plots, they'll be in for a treat.

[PyroMenace]

I was listening to the GWJ podcast talking about Dragon Age at E3, couldn't help but agree how they should really axe the marketing team. The aspects they are focusing on seem meaningless to what Dragon Age is about.

[MysterD]

AtomicGamer seems more pleased about their impressions from DA: Origins from E3 2009

[Pugnate]

I was listening to the GWJ podcast talking about Dragon Age at E3, couldn't help but agree how they should really axe the marketing team. The aspects they are focusing on seem meaningless to what Dragon Age is about.

Yea, I was bitchin' a lot about it earlier, but here is the thing. The game is an old-school CRPG, and a homage to how things were once done. If they are going to market it as such, none of the console crowd will go for it.

Right now, the game is generating a lot of excitement amongst the masses. Just check the comments on Youtube.

Sex sells, and I bet this will push at least 2 million units.

The only reason I find this to be a necessary evil is that I want to see a sequel, and this game won't be a success unless the console audience is in the bag.

[MysterD]

Dragon Age: Origins (PC Version) - System Requirements revealed

Windows XP Minimum Specifications

    * OS: Windows XP with SP3
    * CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.4Ghz or greater
    * AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 1.8Ghz or greater
    * RAM: 1GB or more
    * Video: ATI Radeon X850 128MB or greater
    * NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater
    * DVD ROM (Physical copy)
    * 20 GB HD space

Windows Vista Minimum Specifications

    * OS: Windows Vista with SP1
    * CPU: Intel Core 2 (or equivalent) running at 1.6Ghz or greater
    * AMD X2 (or equivalent) running at 2.2GHZ or greater
    * RAM: 1.5 GB or more
    * Video: ATI Radeon X1550 256MB or greater
    * NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT 256MB or greater
    * DVD ROM (Physical copy)
    * 20 GB HD space

Recommended Specifications

    * CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad 2.4Ghz Processor or equivalent
    * RAM: 4 GB (Vista) or 2 GB (XP)
    * Video: ATI 3850 512 MB or greater
    * NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB or greater
    * DVD ROM (Physical copy)
    * 20 GB HD space

[MysterD]

On Bioware's boards, been a lot of questions from different kind of processors owners about if the game will run on different kind of processors and whatnot -- such as single-core P4's, Intel Core 2 Single Core processors, AMD 64 X2's, etc etc.

So, here's Ross Gardner of Bioware -- who is a Principal Designers on DA -- on some of this stuff.

For those concerned...

Speaking to the single core questions, the game actually runs OK on a single core depending on the clock speed. We change the threading model slightly to take that into account and Andreas is saying it is about 20% slower, with likely a few dips in a larger heated combat. The min-spec was actually supposed to be an Intel Core 2 (single core) although that is not very clear. If it was a single core though, I'd want to run at higher than 1.4Ghz.

To the older AMD questions I ran the game all through development on the following system:

AMD 64 X2 Dual 4400+ 2.21Ghz w/ 3 gigs of RAM which I assume is DDR 2 without pulling the box apart. I tried and it runs really well on 1.5 Gigs but I constantly had a crapload of other apps running so hence the 3.
The video card I had was a 256MB 7800GT.
OS was XP

I ran on medium settings and the game ran really well - 99% of the time about 20fps and usually between 25-40.

Most of our single core work was done on a similar system with 1 core disabled.

We did a lot of work to make it run on lower end PC's well and if you have the minimum you will have an OK gaming experience. If anything I'd recommend closer to a 2Ghz and above processor before upgrading to a dual core (or a quad) if you can do that cheaply. And before upgrading you should try the game - because it might just surprise you

Another post from Ross

That is some good feedback, and we certainly have a chance to change what min/recommended specs actually make it onto the box. Based on the feedback we are getting for the min and recommended one change that comes to mind is lowering recommended to 3Ghz+ dual core. Another might be to specify single core, but with 2Ghz. We have some time still to do some more in depth tests in-house.

It is always tough as min and recommended mean different things to different people and from developer to developer. Our goal for these specs was to give playable specs (not runnable) if that makes sense. So minimum is actually playable, even though it will run on less. And for recommended you will get 100% of the game at an FPS that never drops below 30 (and frequently sits well above 40).

In any case our goal is to be as up front as we can about what sort of machine you will need to run the game, so keep the questions coming and we'll take the feedback to heart.

An exchange b/t Ross and Bob McCabe on Bioware's boards.

... I ran the game all through development on the following system:

AMD 64 X2 Dual 4400+ 2.21Ghz... it runs really well on 1.5 Gigs... The video card I had was a 256MB 7800GT. OS was XP ... I ran on medium settings and the game ran really well - 99% of the time about 20fps and usually between 25-40.

Hey Ross!

That's my home PC almost exactly (I have 2 GB of RAM, not your 3, and I run Vista). Thank you for sharing the average FPS totals. Makes me feel confident that I can get it on the 360 or the PC. Decisions, decisions.

Hey Bob. Ya, you're good to go buddy - at least at 1024 by 768. Oddly enough it runs slightly better in windowed mode on the 7000 series due to the way our renderer works with that series of Nvidia cards.

EDIT:
Ross says lowest supported resolution is 800x600.

Also, NVidia PhysX will be supported, for those owning NVidia cards that support it.

[MysterD]

Preview from ComputerandVideoGames

EDIT - July 1, 2009:
Human Noble Origin video from DAO.

[MysterD]

Greg Zeschuk of Bioware speaks to Videogamer.com....
...On BG series and DA:O
Greg Zeschuk of Bioware has no regrets about not doing a Baldur's Gate 3 -- especially since BG2: TOB finished their story in the BG Universe and since DA: Origins they feel is the spiritual successor to that.

...On Nudity
Greg Z. says Bioware has not decided on if there will be nudity in DA:O.
Sex will only be in cut-scenes ONLY, so they won't be a gameplay element.


NowGamer
NowGamer has a 4-page preview on DA:O

IGN UK
2 page preview on DA:O


1Up
1UP discusses the latest build of DA:O for the X360 -- and do compare some of it to (earlier) PC builds.

[MysterD]

Looks like there's going to be a DAO: Collector's Edition coming.

Here's some details.

   
Dragon Age Origins Collector's Edition Bonuses
   
[Jul 15, 2009, 4:39 pm ET] - Share - Viewing Comments
A Dragon Age Origins Collector's Edition is now listed on GameStop, carrying a $64.99 price tag for the Windows edition. The SKU carries several bonuses to put the C in CE, and these include a tin case, a bonus DVD, a cloth map, three pieces of exclusive in game Dragon Age Origins content, additional (presumably non-exclusive) in-game Dragon Age Origins content, as well as an exclusive unlockable in-game item for Mass Effect 2.

GameStop is also offering a preorder bonus of still two more in-game items, and they also offer street-date guaranteed shipping so mail order customers will get the game on October 20, when it will show up in stores. Thanks Destructoid.

There's a DAO: Bioware Edition planned, as well -- but no real details on that yet more expensive planned CE.
But, it will go for $100.

[Pugnate]

I thought the CE was pretty standard.

[MysterD]

GameSpy has a preview of the DOA PC version's Toolkit that will ship with the game.

Bioware's Community Network

It starts with the new BioWare Community Network site.

It's described as Facebook meets SourceForge, equal parts social networking site and software development/project management resource. The idea is that the BioWare community will have a single destination to meet and connect with other players, to discuss their favorite games, and to download and share original community-crafted adventures. The new community site will replace the existing forums and includes a variety of social networking tools, including blogs, polls, forums, and album creation.

What makes the BioWare Community Network unique is how it also presents the project management and content distribution elements. You'll be able to find community creations here, finished and unfinished, and take part in the building process by offering up your services. The site will also link to the extensive builder wiki, a comprehensive resource for module-creators that should expand with the community.

The cooperative module creation that the new social networking site and builder tools facilitate will be responsible for bringing together modders with different skillsets and proficiencies. Bringing together a disparate set of skills will allow groups to create finished modules that can far exceed what any one member could have put together. Members of the community site can outline their talents and join group projects that can make use of their expertise. These teams can upload their works-in-progress, complete with version control. It's an effort to make it easier for anyone, be they artists, writers, voice actors, or programmers, to find ways to contribute to the creation of new adventures, without having to be a jack-of-all-trades.

Level Building

Level creation is handled from a very painterly perspective, with a palette-driven interface that will feel at home to those familiar with 3DS Max. You can even select 3DS Max-style controls, if that's your thing, as an alternative to the NWN controls. You can control all sorts of different visuals, from the lighting to the shrubbery. You can lay down bricks and stones, and you can control the wind, defining exactly how your flags will flutter. Laying down objects is far easier than I'd have expected, as you can set objects to "snap to" the terrain, aligning themselves perfectly with the groundwork you've laid.

Conversation Editor

The conversation editor allows you to do far more than choose what lines are spoken. You can attach plot flags and scripts to any given line in a dialogue sequence, assign camera and actor positions, smoothly integrate cut-scenes, cinematics, and animation to these lines, and so on.

Popular User-Mods Mights Could Get Turned Into Premium DLC

From Gold Pieces to Real-world Currency

While the console audience will miss out on being able to create their own adventures, BioWare's Online Producer Fernando Melo explained that the most popular content created by the builder community could conceivably be packaged and sold in the in-game store. Possible scenarios include taking over community adventures and adding BioWare's level of polish, adding voice overs, and repackaging the newly finished product for the console audience. Don't get too frightened, PC gamers. The approach to community-created content is still going to be to present it free of charge. The paid model is an option being considered where added value can be provided.

While the legality of all this is still up in the air (and EA's lawyers are no doubt hard at work hashing out the details), the builder community was quite intrigued by this development. What was once a labor of love for many of them could well end up being something that could make a tidy sum.

[MysterD]

Dunno if this is real or not, but it's still funny...

Video showing off Dragon Age: Origins - Ultimate Collector's Edition..

Actually, it would be cool if there was a CE that did come w/ box the PC and 360 version of a game.

LMAO @ the sausage.
LMAO @ the joke/stab thrown at COD: MW2's Prestige Edition.

[MysterD]

From Destructoid...
ESRB has revealed a lot of the sexual content that will be in the upcoming DA: Origins.

Click here, for all the details -- if you want SPOILERS.
If you don't want SPOILERS, ignore the link.

[Quemaqua]

This game interests me less by the day.

[MysterD]

This game interests me less by the day.

Complete opposite for me.

[Pugnate]

This game is so close to release and rather than hearing about how awesome the gameplay will be, we constantly hear about all the weird sex stuff.

[MysterD]

This game is so close to release and rather than hearing about how awesome the gameplay will be, we constantly hear about all the weird sex stuff.

I doubt DA: Origins will turn out worse than (what I thought was) the level of mediocrity that was the NWN: Original Campaign.

EDIT - July 27, 2009:
Desslock's impressions on DA: Origins, so far

This game is going to surprise a lot of the naysayers who have been turned off by the dumb advertising -- combat definitely has got a solid BG2 feel, the dialogue system seems a step above anything BioWare has previously done in terms of offering varied conversation choices that actually seem viable and have meaningful consequences, and the world and background lore seems deeper and more interesting than I expected.

From what I've played of the game (only about 8 hours), it actually seems great, and so far has far exceeded my expectations given some of the trailers and advertising.

[MysterD]

Delayed until Nov 3rd in USA and Nov 6th in Europe -- for PC and X360 versions.

PS3 version to be released later in November.

[idolminds]

I'm about to remove any remaining interest Que may have.

DLC n' shit

New copies have a code for a "DLC" adventure. If you buy a used copy, the "DLC" can be yours for $15! DLC is in quotes because I'm sure this is simply being locked away instead of actually being downloaded. Even if its downloaded I'm sure it was cut from the main game to do so. How else are you going to offer it on day one?

[MysterD]

I'm about to remove any remaining interest Que may have.

DLC n' shit

New copies have a code for a "DLC" adventure. If you buy a used copy, the "DLC" can be yours for $15! DLC is in quotes because I'm sure this is simply being locked away instead of actually being downloaded. Even if its downloaded I'm sure it was cut from the main game to do so. How else are you going to offer it on day one?

That's probably a pretty damn good guess, Idol.

I really wonder how big or small in size this DLC download will actually be and all. If it's big in siz, that'll be very interesting. I really wonder when these companies actually do ship the "Finished retail disc copy" off to the presses. I wonder how much of the game in that copy was was done and not done. If it's big in size -- I also wonder if they just decided even though the DLC was finished just not to ship the actual DLC assets on the disc.

I wonder how much of the DLC assets (art, voice-over files, writing/script/dialogue/prose, etc) and some of the content probably weren't completely done and/or fully polished by the time they wanted to get the actual game out. So, heck -- they'll just leverage it as future "pay-to-play DLC," instead of just giving it away as Free DLC.

You know, I wouldn't be surprised if say a company couldn't finish say certain quests by the time the published wants to ship the game by and really wanted to get them into the game, but couldn't get it done. So, they complete the content while the game is being shipped to stores for its release date and decide to sell that content once it's done as DLC -- just to make some more $.

[Quemaqua]

I'm about to remove any remaining interest Que may have.

Done and done.

[Pugnate]

Well, anyone who buys a new copy will get that stuff though.

[MysterD]

Well, anyone who buys a new copy will get that stuff though.

I think the point is that whether we buy it day of release or 1 year from now, it should be on the damn disc unlocked and all.

I mean, it's likely NOT like they decided to start developing this new content AFTER the game went GOLD or something...

[Pugnate]

As long as the copy is unopened, this content will be on CD.

[MysterD]

As long as the copy is unopened, this content will be on CD.

On the game DVD?
Or on an additional disc?

[MysterD]

GameCom Interview w/ Mike Laidlaw of Bioware on DA: Origins.

This interview is focused on multiple decisions in quests and your own party members could turn on you b/c of your decisions.

[MysterD]

Ray Muzyka of Bioware is claiming in one play-through of DA: Origins, he spent around 120 hours total with it.

If you’re going to say Dragon Age is one of the best games you’ve ever played… I’ve finished Dragon Age. I’ve played it extensively on PC and console. I can really stand behind it. I’ve played it a lot. On one of the play-throughs I spent 120 hours. Two hours a day for 60 days, 90 percent of the game, according to the telemetry. And I loved it. Every minute of it. I couldn’t wait to come home. After about ten hours of gameplay, every day I was talking about coming home and I played it for two or three hours, or whatever time I had free, and play it to the early hours. Luckily I don’t sleep as much as my wife. I’d stay up till after midnight and play it after she was asleep.

[MysterD]

Gamesradar.com previews DA:O.

[Pugnate]

Jason Ocampo said the game was quite incredible. That's great to hear.

[MysterD]

Jason Ocampo said the game was quite incredible. That's great to hear.

Really? Was this on a message board or on IGN or QTT or anything?
Got a link to this, Pug?

Desslock's impressions -- which I linked up in this thread, a while ago -- were that he was pretty impressed, as well...

I just have the funny feeling -- like I did early on, after seeing many of the usual gameplay vids of the decision-making stuff (GameSpot had some good ones), the strategic combat like BG2 (and other past party RPG's -- like we saw from E3), and then the (marketing) violence/sex trailers -- this is what the whole game's gonna be: a seamless blend of all this together.

I'm looking forward to this majorly -- still.

[Pugnate]

It was either the IGN command prompt podcast 56 or 57.

He said it was insanely addictive, awesome etc.

[MysterD]

HUGE Six-Page GameBanshee preview on this game.
Page 1 - Intro and Character Customization + Advancement.
Page 2 - UI and Classes
Page 3 - Combat and Dialogue + Party Interaction
Page 4 - Equipment, Monsters, and The World Map
Page 5 - Quest, Codex + Tactics Systems; DLC, Achievements, and the Social Element
Page 6 - DAO Toolset + Outro

[MysterD]

"Choice & Results" Gameplay Vids for DAO

WARNING: These do have SPOILERS for specific quests in the game.

Bella's Quest.
Dwyn's Quest.

[MysterD]

This is ONLY for the PC version of Dragon Age: Origins.
DAO - Character Creation Program will be released on October 13th (stand-alone product).

It'll be around 320 MB to download.

So, all y'all can get a jump on thinking about what kind of character you want to create, before the game drops in November.

EDIT:
Official DAO Bioware Thread talking about this DAO - CC program.

EDIT #2 - Oct 4th:
USAToday.com has an interview w/ Kate Mulgrew, one of the voice-actresses in DAO; she does the voice of Flemeth.

[MysterD]

9.0 from GameInformer (out of 10) for DAO PC.

[Pugnate]

Asia is getting the CE in a wooden box...

Should I go for the USA steel case version or the wooden box? hmmmmmm....

I might go with the wooden box...

[MysterD]

Any pics online showing off the wooden box CE?

[Xessive]

Tempting.. I kinda miss the classic Bioware style. I might actually pick this one up!

[MysterD]

Tempting.. I kinda miss the classic Bioware style.

I've been missing those kind of strategic party-based RPG's for a while. Probably b/c in the 90's and very early 2000's -- with BG series; IWD series; Fallout series (before BethSoft); Planescape: Torment; etc etc -- we had an abundance of those kind of RPG's. There's been less and less of them, in recent years -- with the success of action-RPG's and more RPG's w/ emphasis on controlling one dude.

I think DAO looks to be that classic BG type of RPG w/ a grittier darker world that is more akin to The Witcher. I so can't wait.