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* [[Fiona]]: Former [[Grand Enchanter]] of the [[Circle of Magi]], now leader of the mage rebellion. She is also a former [[Grey Wardens|Grey Warden]].
 
* [[Fiona]]: Former [[Grand Enchanter]] of the [[Circle of Magi]], now leader of the mage rebellion. She is also a former [[Grey Wardens|Grey Warden]].
 
* [[Flemeth]]: The legendary Asha'bellanar, Witch of the Wilds, and mother of Morrigan.
 
* [[Flemeth]]: The legendary Asha'bellanar, Witch of the Wilds, and mother of Morrigan.
* [[Gaspard de Chalons]]: Grand Duke of Orlais, rival of Celene in the [[Orlesian Civil War]].
+
* [[Gaspard de Chalons]]: Grand Duke of Orlais, rival of Celene in the [[War of the Lions|Orlesian Civil War]].
 
* [[Harding]]: The [[Dwarf|dwarven]] head scout and lieutenant of the [[Inquisition]].
 
* [[Harding]]: The [[Dwarf|dwarven]] head scout and lieutenant of the [[Inquisition]].
 
* [[Hawke]]: The protagonist of ''[[Dragon Age II]]'', Champion of [[Kirkwall]] and, depending on player choice, Viscount of Kirkwall.
 
* [[Hawke]]: The protagonist of ''[[Dragon Age II]]'', Champion of [[Kirkwall]] and, depending on player choice, Viscount of Kirkwall.

Revision as of 18:59, 9 February 2015

Dragon Age: Inquisition wallpaper

Dragon Age: Inquisition is Bioware's third installment in the Dragon Age series, continuing the fantastic journey throughout the medieval-themed continent of Thedas, introduced in Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II.[2][3]

Announcement and Release Timeline

On the evening of May 19th, 2011, BioWare Creative Lead Alistair McNally informally announced the game via Twitter.[3]

The title was formally confirmed as Dragon Age III: Inquisition on September 17th, 2012 in an open letter by Executive Producer Mark Darrah.[4]

During its 2013 E3 press conference, publishing house Electronic Arts announced that Dragon Age: Inquisition was due for release in the Autumn of 2014.

On April 22nd, 2014, BioWare released a trailer confirming an October 7th, 2014 release date for Dragon Age: Inquisition.[5]

On July 22nd, 2014, the release was delayed to November 18th for North America and November 21st for Europe.[6]

On November 18th 2014, Electronic Arts released the title on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC (Origin) in North America.

The European release for these platforms was delayed until November 21st2014 in Europe.[7]

On December 15th, 2014 a multiplayer pack called Destruction became available as free DLC.[8]

Also, on December 15th, 2014 a Deluxe Upgrade was made available in some regions as DLC costing $9.99 USD. This upgrade essentially grants the "Inquisitor's Edition" preorder items to the Player.

Development

Development of Inquisition began prior to the release of Dragon Age II, and it was originally conceived as a multiplayer-only game, codenamed "Blackfoot" during development.[9]

BioWare originally planned on combining elements of earlier installments in the series (Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II) into the creation of Dragon Age: Inquisition.[2]

Combat also differs somewhat from its predecessors, focusing more on a player's ability to prepare, position and form a cohesive team with their party members, requiring fewer repetitive finger strikes and more tactical thinking.[10] The armor customization also differs from both Dragon Age: Origins and Dragon Age II, in that each party member has interchangeable armor pieces that customize the look according to its specification and class.[11] Reuse of environments is avoided: a common criticism of Dragon Age II.[12] Cinematic designer Jon Perry said that "one level in Dragon Age 3 is as big as all of the levels in Dragon Age 2."[13]

BioWare uses a brand new game engine founded upon Frostbite 3.[14]

The game introduces new creatures and enemies.[15]

Regarding character creation, the advent of multiple playable races by necessity requires different body and armor models for the protagonist.[16] This aspect, according to Mike Laidlaw, takes precedence over any potential body shape choices or sliders in the Inquisition character creator.[17] Additionally, according to David Gaider, Inquisition features more race-specific content than was planned for the protagonist backgrounds originally designed for the game.[18]

Trevor Morris is responsible for the composition of the soundtracks.

Data transfer and world-states

DA Keep

Selecting a custom Warden in the Keep-Beta version

On August 28, 2013, it was announced that players will be able to create their own specific canon and customize all important decisions from previous games in a cloud-based system called Dragon Age Keep. This new system will prevent plot logic issues that have occurred when importing save-games in other titles.[19][20]

Dragon Age Keep also has the ability to give a narrative based on the world state to players, using the framing device of Varric telling a story, to reacquaint returning players to the significance of their choices and to introduce new players to the world's lore and backstory.

The Keep system aims to allow the player to customize cross-generational and cross-console world-states, ideally circumventing import bugs or other issues. According to Mark Darrah, BioWare is looking into the possibility of traditional save game transfers via the Keep, as well.[21] Unconnected consoles will not be able to access the Dragon Age Keep,[22] though it will be able to be downloaded onto a PC or tablet initially and then introduced to a console.[23]

DA Keep 2

Selecting a custom Hawke in the Keep-Beta version

Players who do not have or choose not to import a world-state into Inquisition will be provided a default "canon" as in Dragon Age II: an "Ultimate Sacrifice" Dalish Warden, Alistair made King, and Hawke a male mage who sided with the mages in DA2.[24] Mark Darrah and Aaryn Flynn indicated as well that choices from Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening and other DLC will also impact playthroughs.[25][26] The prologue of the game is designed in a manner that players new to the series will not be overwhelmed.[27]

Players will not be able to directly import save files from previous games into the Keep, regardless of the platform the games were played on. However, Inquisition save files will import into the Keep if you're online while playing (or they will import next time you go online).[28][29]

Plot

The game starts in 9:41 Dragon, one year after the end of Dragon Age II.

According to Aaryn Flynn from BioWare, the narrative of Dragon Age: Inquisition will involve investigating a tear in the Veil, a breach into the Fade.[30]

The protagonist of this installment will be known as the Inquisitor, following the player characters of previous two games: the Warden, the Warden-Commander, and the Champion.[30] As was the case in Dragon Age: Origins, players will be able to choose from multiple races, including a new playable race that was not available in the first game. With four playable races available this time for the Inquisitor, and the game will recognize race flags, class flags, or a combination of the two depending on the situation. There would be no option, however, to create a dwarf mage for lore reasons.[31][32]

The game will be set in Thedas, covering parts of Orlais and Ferelden.[33] The game will cover more geographic territory than its predecessors, with one map being described as four to five times the size of Ferelden, the setting of the first game in the series.[10]

Mike Laidlaw and Cameron Lee have stated that the main quest alone will be 50 hours long and sidequests are 100 hours long, making a total of 150 hours of gameplay overall. Choices made by the players will impact the game's ending, with 40 different variations reported to be present, from a best to a worst possible outcome.[31][34]

E3 2013 Screen21

Planning the battle

BioWare mentioned that the main plot will be "saving the world from itself," sealing the Breach and defeating the Elder One.[35] The plot will also involve the Mage-Templar War, the foundations of which comprise the main plot of Dragon Age II. Along with the larger size of the game map, the player will be able to travel to various areas to either calm or encourage the fighting.[10]

The subtitle Inquisition has been previously hinted by the Dragon Age 2 strategy guide's epilogue, which asked "Will some kind of inquisition be at the heart of events of the next Dragon Age title?"[36] David Gaider has also said, "It'd be interesting to see if the Inquisition ever rose up again."[37]

Characters

For information about recruitable companions, see Companions (Inquisition).
Inquisition members

The core members of the Inquisition

Major characters

Companions

Inquisition character Icons

Dragon Age: Inquisition character Icons

Secondary characters

Romance

Main article: Romance (Inquisition)

There are eight[39] romances available in Inquisition. Six are companions and two are advisors. Some romances are restricted by gender,[40] and two have been confirmed to be restricted by race.[41]

Gameplay and Combat

Although touted as an "open world" game at E3 2013 presentation, the developers quickly clarified that Inquisition will not be open world in the same way as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but instead simply feature larger locations (than, presumably, Origins and Dragon Age II) with more exploration freedom.[42] There are 10 large "open world" locations in the game. Gameplay continues post story completion, as opposed to retroactive DLC such as in Dragon Age II.

It is the first game in the series to feature mounts.[43] The dialogue wheel, first featured in Dragon Age II, returns. Like in Dragon Age II, the wheel will display the type of emotion that matches your dialogue choice.

As in both previous installments, the player character can be one of three classes: warrior, rogue, or mage, with three specializations for each available later in the game. The player has the ability to choose one of 4 playable races - human, dwarf, elf or qunari - of either male or female gender. Body sliders are unavailable to customize the player character's physique; rather, the engine supports differing body shapes for each race.[44] Two voice sets are available for each gender: in the English-language version of the game, one has a British accent, and the other an American one.

Like the Warden, the Warden-Commander, and Hawke in previous titles, the Inquisitor can recruit companions. There are a total of 9 possible party members that can be recruited. All companions can be customized via armor and in-class weapon style.

According to Mike Laidlaw, as in Dragon Age: Origins, the Inquisitor can speak to companions as desired, though not necessarily in every location.[45]

Also according to Mike Laidlaw in an interview with Eurogamer, companions leave the party if approval ratings are too low, similar to Dragon age: Origins, and it is possible to only have one companion remaining in the end. It's also possible for the companion to betray the Inquisitor depending on the choices made by the player.

Part of the gameplay of Inquisition involves obtaining and maintaining power in various regions of the map. In part, this is done through strongholds, which can be seized and used to accomplish various tasks, and which serve as a hub for promoting the interests of the Inquisition.

While playing, the GUI for Dragon Age: Inquisition includes a radar displaying important points and foes. Mike Laidlaw stated that it's better for battles.[46] The game can be played using a tactical camera view (where the party is controlled from overhead), or from the third person.[27]

Combat in Dragon Age: Inquisition has a greater focus on strategy than does Dragon Age II. Party health doesn't regenerate automatically after an encounter as it did in Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Origins, and mage characters will not be able to repeatedly cast, or "spam," healing spells. Similarly, the ability to carry healing items will be limited, to instill a need to adequately prepare for combat and exploration.[47]

With regards to the PC edition of Inquisition, Laidlaw revealed that the tactical quickbar will be locked at 8 slots, because "32 abilities (along with passives/upgrades) across the party provides a broad spectrum of tactical options."[48]

Griffon Wing

Griffon Wing Keep, A possible Inquisition stronghold

During fights, the environments may be exploited and manipulated to a greater degree than in Dragon Age II. This capacity goes both ways, however. For example, a mage character may cast an "ice wall" spell to create cover on a battlefield or hem an enemy into a corner—a similar idea to a mage casting a fire spell after using a grease spell in Dragon Age: Origins—but the enemy may respond by melting the ice wall, eliminating the player's advantage.[47]

Abilities

Main article: Abilities (Inquisition)

Multiplayer

Main article: Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer
DAI MP

Character selection in Dragon Age: Inquisition multiplayer

Dragon Age: Inquisition will feature a four player co-op mode. At launch there will be three multiplayer campaigns. Maps will be randomly generated and BioWare expects the matches will last between 20–30 minutes.[49]

Initially there will be twelve heroes to choose from, four rogues, four warriors, and four mages. All will have distinctive looks and abilities. The player will be part of the Inquisition, running a behind the scenes operation.[49]

There will be no subscription or premium services. However, you can purchase platinum, which is described as a "time saver" currency.[49]

Multiplayer characters

Warriors
Rogues
Mages

Equipment
A list of available weapons, armor, runes, upgrades, and crafting items can be found on the BioWare Social Network.

Locations

  • Halamshiral, once the capital city of the elven nation of the Dales

Factions

Quests

Main article: Quests (Inquisition)

Crafting

Main article: Crafting (Inquisition)

Crafting returns in Inquisition, which according to Cameron Lee, is the deepest BioWare has ever created. In addition to crafting items from raw materials, players can create different parts of the final product and then combine them (e.g. different sections of a staff may be crafted before combining them). The materials used to create the item determine its appearance.[27]

New creatures

See also: Category:Dragon Age: Inquisition creature images
Promotional demon DAI

Fear demon

System requirements

System PC
Recommended Minimum
OS Windows 7 or 8.1 64-bit Windows 7 or 8.1 64-bit
CPU AMD six core @ 3.2 GHz
Intel quad core @ 3.0 GHz
AMD quad core @ 2.5 GHz
Intel quad core @ 2.0 GHz
System RAM 8 GB 4 GB
Graphics Card AMD Radeon HD 7870 or R9 270
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660
AMD Radeon HD 4870
NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT
Graphics Memory 2 GB 512 MB
Hard Drive 26 GB 26 GB
Miscellaneous DirectX 11 DirectX 10

Trivia

According to the developers, Dragon Age: Inquisition has 88,000 lines of voiced dialogue and there are nearly 1 million voiced and written words in the game.[52]

Gallery

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Dragon Age Inquisition Update
  2. 2.0 2.1 Jessica Conditt [1] "Muzyka: Bioware to throws previous Dragon Age games into a blender for next title". 2011-08-21. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  3. 3.0 3.1 James Ransom-Wiley [2] "Dragon Age 3 artists wanted, Bioware sr. director tweets". 2011-05-20. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  4. [3]
  5. http://www.gameinformer.com/games/dragon_age_inquisition/b/pc/archive/2014/04/22/dragon-age-inquisition-dated-for-october-in-new-trailer.aspx
  6. Dragon Age news
  7. http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/371/index/16836310&lf=8
  8. http://www.dragonage.com/#!/en_US/news/new-multiplayer-pack-and-digital-upgrade-offer
  9. Makuch, Eddie (2014-11-04). Dragon Age Inquisition Began As A Multiplayer-Only Game. GameSpot. Retrieved 2014-04-11
  10. 10.0 10.1 10.2 Mike Scramm [4] "Bioware hints at the future of Dragon Age DLC and 3". 2011-08-31. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  11. David Gaider [5] "Follower Customization in Dragon Age". 13th of April, 2012. Retrieved 10th of May, 2012.
  12. Tom Senior [6] "Dragon Age 3 won’t reuse levels, will feature follower customization". 13th of April, 2012. Retrieved 10th of May, 2012.
  13. Castles and Customization Among First Details to Emerge on Dragon Age III
  14. Gaston, Martin (2013-03-28). "Next Mass Effect and Dragon Age games using Frostbite 3". GameSpot. Retrieved 2013-03-28.
  15. "You should see at least one new major type of demon in DA3." BSN David Gaider. "There should be a Despair Demon" . BioWare Social Network. Retrieved on July 8, 2013.
  16. The Return of Races in Dragon Age: Inquisition. https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/08/14/the-return-of-races-in-dragon-age-inquisition.aspx
  17. Mike Laidlaw Twitter. https://twitter.com/Mike_Laidlaw/status/368794406670712832
  18. David Gaider. "So now that we will get our multiple races..." http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/371/index/17202661/3#17214530
  19. http://blog.bioware.com/2013/08/28/the-dragon-age-keep/
  20. The Dragon Age Keep homepage. https://dragonagekeep.com/.
  21. Mark Darrah Twitter. https://twitter.com/BioMarkDarrah/status/372785630163779584.
  22. Mark Darrah Twitter. https://twitter.com/BioMarkDarrah/status/372780509538951169.
  23. Mark Darrah Twitter. https://twitter.com/BioMarkDarrah/status/372836354071490560.
  24. https://twitter.com/BioMarkDarrah/status/364898334911115264
  25. https://twitter.com/BioMarkDarrah/status/368364359715524608
  26. Aaryn Flynn Twitter.
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 Dragon Age: Inquisition, the Baldur's Gate Legacy, and the Value of an Open World
  28. BSN The BioWare Forum.
  29. Dragon Age Keep Frequently Asked Questions
  30. 30.0 30.1 Interview with Aaryn Flynn by Gametrailers.com
  31. 31.0 31.1 Cameron Lee Twitter:https://twitter.com/Cameron__Lee
  32. Mike Laidlaw Twitter:https://twitter.com/Mike_Laidlaw/status/365832599630913536</ref [7] "Dragon Age 3 will feature a new protagonist". 2011-08-07. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
  33. PC Gamer Magazine: Issue 246, pp 24-25
  34. Mark Darrah Twitter:https://twitter.com/BioMarkDarrah/status/476842711853432832
  35. Skyhold Interview, Part I.
  36. Dragon Age II: The Complete Official Guide, p. 271.
  37. Thedas UK (January 14, 2012). "David Gaider Interview". Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  38. Cole's companion profile on the official Dragon Age: Inquisition website.
  39. http://raptr.com/BioWareDAI/news/53b458118d24e1eb29/raptr-q-a-dragon-age-inquisition-developers?comment_id=53bc6c98a9636b28c5
  40. BSN David Gaider"Romance Discussion" . The BioWare Forum.
  41. http://www.ladyinsanity.com/blog/gaymerx2-building-better-romance
  42. Allan Schumacher Forum post in the thread "DA: Inquisition at E3 Thread - DAI Interview with Aaryn Flynn". 2013-06-11. Retrieved 2013-06-16.
  43. Mark Darrah, Twitter
  44. Mike Laidlaw Twitter.
  45. Mike Laidlaw Twitter. https://twitter.com/Mike_Laidlaw/status/397891280773992448.
  46. Mike Laidlaw Twitter:https://twitter.com/Mike_Laidlaw/status/478247966457597952
  47. 47.0 47.1 Official XBox Magazine. May 2014, Issue 161, pg. 47.
  48. Mike Laidlaw's Tweeter 29 August 2014
  49. 49.0 49.1 49.2 Dragon Age: Inquisitions co-op multiplayer is all about loot
  50. Official Xbox Magazine http://forum.bioware.com/topic/497878-official-xbox-magazine-dragon-age-inquisition-preview
  51. 51.0 51.1 Dragon Age Twitter
  52. kotaku.com, "4,158,323 Creatures 'Died' in Last Six Months of Dragon Age Development"
  53. Aaryn Flynn Twitter.
  54. 54.0 54.1 Bioware Blog - Discover the Dragon Age

External links