Our love interests in the new Dragon Age don’t necessarily have to ‘like us’, teases BioWare. We’re also warned about over-hunting, and the emphasis on exploration.
The studio wants each area to provide variety and to have meaning to the Inquisitor as to why they’re there, reveals LadyInsanity’s blog. Exploration is key to their design.
One area described is an entirely optional challenge for the Inquisitor to undertake or decide to ignore. The Highlands hosts a large Red Templar presence that we can uproot if we put the time in to probe and exploit their weaknesses. We won’t be facing just some stragglers on a path either but a full war camp of soldiers.
There are numerous situations such as these in Dragon Age: Inquisition where scouts will report to us certain areas of interest and the likely rewards we can get from doing something about them. BioWare also touched on hunting and gathering, warning us that grinding/farming isn’t the best idea long-term as resources deplete.
The encounters with dragons are also unique from one another - they aren’t spawned like in Skyrim. Each requires a deal of preparation before you start trying to claim their scales and they react to certain variables about your party.
BioWare also said they spent considering time in pre-production just tinkering with DICE’s Frostbite engine because it was suited primarily for shooters, and needed to accommodate dialogue etc. for Dragon Age.
Check out LadyInsanity’s full blog write up for more on Dragon Age: Inquisition from PAX East.