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BioWare Producer Asks If You'd Play a Dragon Age "Tactics" Game

Something similar to XCOM or Fire Emblem, Mark Darrah says.

By Eddie Makuch on February 21, 2016 at 2:42PM PST

252 Comments

Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah has a question for you: "Would you play a Dragon Age Tactics game?" He's launched a Twitter poll asking fans to weigh in. Something to note here is that by "tactics" he says he means something along the lines of tactical franchises like XCOM or Fire Emblem.

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Would you play a Dragon Age Tactics game?
— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) February 19, 2016

Your options are "Yes," "No," "Only on PC," and "Only mobile/handheld." Voting closes later today, so if you want your voice heard, now is the time to submit your response.

There is no guarantee that BioWare will indeed make a turn-based Dragon Age tactics game, of course, but it's still interesting to think about.

Darrah also clarified that if this game were to happen, it would not replace the mainline Dragon Age series, something fans will probably enjoy hearing.

@TalionGamer this would be in addition to the main series line as opposed to instead of
— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) February 19, 2016

This would also be a "full game," he mentioned.

@ersa_scout full game
— Mark Darrah (@BioMarkDarrah) February 19, 2016

Like the first Dragon Age, 2014's Dragon Age Inquisition allowed you to play from a top-down view for some portions, which amounted to something of a more tactical experience.

Inquisition is the latest entry in the main series; no new games have been announced.

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DraconisRex

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DraconisRex

No, they'd screw it up. Have Day 1 DLC. Add MMO-like features to pad it plus hundreds of meaningless side-quests. And, of course, pad it with poorly thought-out relationships and clumsily executed 'bedroom' scenes.

6 • 8 years ago

velcroboy

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velcroboy

Dragon Age is dead to me.

3 • 8 years ago

TruthSerum808

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TruthSerum808

I would like a Dragon Age game with better twitch/combat controls.

(Braces for impact from Dragon Age "purists")

Upvote • 8 years ago

RS13

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RS13

@TruthSerum808:I don't think the problem is that DA is too actiony, it's that it's a bad combination of actiony and tactical. IMO, they should go all-out one direction or the other. Ditch any semblance of mass effect appeal and go full turn-based or ditch any old-school rpg appeal and go full action game.

Upvote • 8 years ago

Beniboybling

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Edited By Beniboybling

More games like Fire Emblem would be great.

2 • 8 years ago

BigFeef

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Edited By BigFeef

I'd play a Dragon Age tactics game if it was good; but that's probably not going to happen with this current iteration of Bioware that has EA's filthy hands all over it. Origins was a very tactical game until they decided that it needed more action to spice it up and then completely ruined the combat in the next game of the series. If it wasn't for the story, the best in the series so far, Dragon Age 2 would have been a disaster. Inquisition tried to go back to Origin's tactical roots but it felt slapped on and, in most cases, was completely useless.

That they're asking this question in the first place, and the options they gave for their poll, indicates where this is headed: A Dragon Age spin-off series that's fully tactical instead of integrating tactics into combat like they did with Origins. But nah; gotta have that flashy button-mashing combat nowadays or the game won't be good... in the minds of EA at any rate.

2 • 8 years ago

placksheep

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placksheep

@BigFeef: I 100% agree on this one. Inquisition was laughably easy, and the tactical depth was akin to a kiddie pool. I loved that you could edit the AI in Origins. Companion characters are too dumb and I'd like to be able to play a party-based RPG where I could make them useful without having to explicitly tell them what to do/ pause every other second.

Upvote • 8 years ago

mogan

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Edited By mogan Moderator

@BigFeef: For all it's many failings I actually found DAII more tactically satisfying than Origins was because of the more interesting skill trees and the cross-class combos. DAII was more difficult to control, for sure, since it was lacking the overhead tactical camera, but Origins tactics, even on Nightmare, tended to begin and end at: Put the fighter in the front so the mage can destroy everything in peace.

Upvote • 8 years ago

luert

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luert

inquisition was just fine to me, won't even try harder mode than the hard one because overall it's enough challenging, the dragon fights are quite the thing and even without those there are other really hard fight in the expansion, the main story fights aren't that hard but that's how it's suppost to be generally to let things go smooth, so I wouldn't play a turn based dragon age

2 • 8 years ago

ExoticCharm

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ExoticCharm

I always felt the series was tactical enough as is.

Upvote • 8 years ago

archav3n

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archav3n

@ExoticCharm: inquisition is very plain boring in terms of combat.

3 • 8 years ago

mogan

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@archav3n: The AI is abysmal, and the game isn't really built to completely control all four characters, and those are both real bummers, but I think Inquisition's combat is better than Origins', and would have been better than DAII's if only they'd kept the AI tactics options and allowed you to queue up orders.

Upvote • 8 years ago

Gamer_4_Fun

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Gamer_4_Fun

In essence, how Dragon Age Origin(ally)s was? YES.

Upvote • 8 years ago

alldaelong

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alldaelong

I touch nothing EA

Upvote • 8 years ago

RS13

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RS13

@alldaelong: I buy nothing EA. But that's what piracy is for!

Upvote • 8 years ago

Mezzanine58

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Mezzanine58

@alldaelong: Well isn't that nice? Now you go play over there while the grown-ups talk.

2 • 8 years ago

IAmMcGruber

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IAmMcGruber

@alldaelong: Sucks to be you

Upvote • 8 years ago

Sgt-Damain

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Edited By Sgt-Damain

If Bioware understood anything about tactics, sure. But the "mash the X button and watch something awesomehappen" guys probably aren't up to the task.

7 • 8 years ago

archav3n

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archav3n

@Sgt-Damain: this guys know what's he talking. *thumbs*

Upvote • 8 years ago

Salt_AU

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Edited By Salt_AU

@Sgt-Damain: Inquisition, hardest difficulty and turn OFF your companion AI so that they only auto attack, really good fun and certainly uses tactics, in fact without planning you'd get schooled.

Upvote • 8 years ago

gamingdevil800

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gamingdevil800

@Salt_AU: The tactical mode in Inquisition was awful I gave up on trying to complete the game on nightmare with it. I can remember issuing commands then as soon as I switch to a different character, they will move away or ignore my previous commands.

4 • 8 years ago

archav3n

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archav3n

@Salt_AU: try playing older games like baldur's gate 2 and compare the AI. it has better AI than Inquisition after MORE than a decade. just mind blowing. when game goes big it really has to be dumbed down for the brainless

2 • 8 years ago

DraconisRex

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DraconisRex

@archav3n: The only part of combat that the Dragon Age series has done well is party movement. Other than that the BG games were vastly superior in combat, though not perfect as we had to deal with micro-managing movement due to the abysmally bad path-finding in the game.

Upvote • 8 years ago

Gamer_4_Fun

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Edited By Gamer_4_Fun

@Salt_AU: The game has no mechanics for tactics. Origins for example had a purpose for the top view of the battle and layers up layers of tactical options like if-this-then-that system which allowed you get nitty gritty with your AI companions. Inquisition only tells gives you the option to tell your teammate to go there and do whatever the hell they want -- they basically go to their random spots right after a few seconds.

Upvote • 8 years ago

GNS

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GNS

@Salt_AU: In Inquisition the companion AI was dumbed-down to such a level that it was nothing to do with it (you just choose who they defend and or if they attack only. That's it. Oh, right, and when to drink potions). Seriously, I go to the AI tactics and all I see is choose who to defend and when to drink potions. What AI tactics of your companions are we talking about now?

3 • 8 years ago

mogan

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@gns: He didn't say anything about AI tactics, he said to turn the AI off and hand walk your party through the game. That's pretty much how I've played every BG and DA game so far. I do with the AI had more customization options in DAI though.

2 • 8 years ago

Salt_AU

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Edited By Salt_AU

Absolutely, why not? I love tactical turn based games like Xcom and I'm a big fan of Origins and Inquisition, Inquisition was great game with a lot of depth to the lore.

8 • 8 years ago

tanerb

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tanerb

@Salt_AU: lol@fanboy.com

2 • 8 years ago

tanerb

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tanerb

nope, I am not playing anything you guys do. because you only do half assed games since DA:2. DA;I, ME:3 and swtor are all crap, half assed games.

3 • 8 years ago

Salt_AU

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Salt_AU

@tanerb: Jesus mate would you like a tissue or two?

2 • 8 years ago

Abberon

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Abberon

@Salt_AU:

Tissue for what? Bioware's brand is in the toilet now and it's because they really don't get ANYTHING right anymore. Lame stories, rushed production and truly awful gameplay is what I expect from that studio now. Inquisition was the first game I ever asked for a refund for on Steam.

4 • 8 years ago

Salt_AU

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Salt_AU

@Abberon: I thought Inquisition was great, but I didn't play it on casual. I played it on its hardest difficulty and turned the character AI off so they just auto attacked and not used any abilities allowing me to control all players. Great game.

Upvote • 8 years ago

walbo

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walbo

@Abberon: You realise that's just an opinion with that rant.sure recently they have made some mistakes that us gamers don't like but they sell by the millions so they are doing a better job than u or I so get off your high horse and start demanding kotor 3 or remaster like everybody else lol.

Upvote • 8 years ago

Abberon

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@walbo:

Of course it's an opinion you goof. That's the fundamental nature of any discussion on these topics. That being said, it's NOT an opinion that Bioware has torpedoed its own brand over the last 5-10 years. They've done much to alienate their fans since the days of ME1, KoToR and BG. People don't just assume their games will be good anymore like they still can with Bethesda.

Upvote • 8 years ago

DraconisRex

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DraconisRex

@walbo: When NWN sold 4 million copies, that was a peak-market big deal. But since then the CRPG market has grown dramatically (at least 4x) and their sales are shrinking (in absolute terms) in a growing market which is a double whammy.

SWTOR went from hundreds of servers to a small handful. ME3 sold fewer copies than ME2, which barely broke the 4 million mark. DAII sold around 600K in it's first two years which is absolutely pathetic in this market. DA:I sold poorly, but it did sell better than DA:II. EA never released the numbers but the charts said it sold the same in stores and EA said another 50%ish of its sales (for the title) were digital. So maybe 2 million for DA:I

So it's a little bit more than 'whiny opinion.' The bottom line is that BioWare is not really a major player even though they do spend (as part of EA) about a $1 billion a year in advertising and marketing which, obviously, pays the bills at the game sites and, without a doubt, influences rankings and press.

But the reality is, gamers are far less enthused with BioWare than in its glory days. Just like we became less than thrilled with Origin (when it was still a studio), Bullfrong, Maxis, etc.

EA destroys everything it touches. Games. Studios. The industry as a whole.

2 • 8 years ago

EcksTheory

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EcksTheory

As long as its a full game and not some pay to win trash I dont care what platform its on, Ill give it a fair shot.

3 • 8 years ago

deactivated-5abc14ca5e8cc

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deactivated-5abc14ca5e8cc

I just realized... I never finished Inquisition. Shit.

Upvote • 8 years ago

saint311

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saint311

@GreySeven: I still need to finish DA2 before I jump to DA:I =\

Upvote • 8 years ago

RS13

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RS13

@GreySeven: Yeah, that's pretty much how I was. Somehow I sank dozens of hours into the game and I hardly remember any of it.

Upvote • 8 years ago

mogan

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@GreySeven: It's pretty good, but I wouldn't get bogged down trying to do ALL the side content. I've only played the first two DLCs, and I enjoyed both of them, and I hear that last one is real good.

2 • 8 years ago

deactivated-5abc14ca5e8cc

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deactivated-5abc14ca5e8cc

@Mogan: I'll go back to it one day, but I've got too much other stuff started.

Upvote • 8 years ago

tanerb

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Edited By tanerb

@GreySeven: same, the game is boring. it is an offline mmo basically. entirely made up of fetch quests.

Upvote • 8 years ago

KaalKurayami

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@GreySeven: Really? I played it 3 times.

3 • 8 years ago

deactivated-5abc14ca5e8cc

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deactivated-5abc14ca5e8cc

@kaalkurayami: Yeah! I think something else came along or maybe I went on vacation somewhere and didn't go back to it. Now I feel like I have to start form the beginning.

Upvote • 8 years ago

vortexwx

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vortexwx

@GreySeven: I couldn't get into it either at first. Must have started 3 times and decided to try Origins again. Then I got DA2, which I had never played. I ended up playing all 3 in order many times to manipulate the storyline, which I really enjoyed. While the actual gameplay in DA2 wasn't great, the transition of the story into DAI was good. I liked seeing how my choices in DAO and DA2 changed which characters I encountered in DAI. I actually did play through almost every single quest with all DLC in DAI (once!), and it took me 152 hours to complete.

Upvote • 8 years ago