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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.

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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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.

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

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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Fia1

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i'd say yes, at least they are not asking to be an mmo, please no more mmo out of big franchises.... tes online was an abomination, if the game is good and worthy of the "dragon age" ip then it will be a cool thing to see...

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Handheldhimself

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@Fia1: I disagree with the ESO comment.

It may not have been great when it was released by by god they have made the game incredible and they are really bringing the heat. Soon Dark brotherhood is coming and we just got thieves guild. There is talk of them eventually (Maybe) bringing tiber into the fold somehow which would be huge lorewise.

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Rmokeefe76

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@handheldhimself: Agreed. ESO is probably the fastest growing mmo out there at the moment. By this summer, they will have launched more content in one calendar year than any other mmo currently out there.

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ghost140

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@rmokeefe76: and it will probably never catch WoW in any significant way kinda unfortunate really.

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Rmokeefe76

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@ghost140: Well I'm not saying that it has to become more popular than WoW. No mmo might ever do that again.

However, WoW has really dropped off in terms of consistent updates/content in the last couple years.

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NTM23

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Edited By NTM23

Sure, just not a game that's in the canon... Or as nothing major. I don't know, I like Dragon Age as the RPG it is.

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Acheron18

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@NTM23: Do you mean Dragon Age as in Origins or Dragon Age as in the horribly dumbed down and consolized Inquisition?

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Stardogchampion

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Edited By Stardogchampion

Oh no they're trying to copy squaresoft's old "tactics".. See what i did there?

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katerinafm

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They mentioned it being like xcom (turn based, with a base I'm guessing) and they already tried that with Dragon Age Legends (a pretty sub-par browser game). But I can see the potential if real effort was put into it.

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Kunakai

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Nope. While I love most pause and play RPG's, I find turn based, tile RPG's to be dull as hell.

Ideally, I'd like to see Bioware do what BIoware do best and stop destroying the reputation of the studio (as they since merging with EA).

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regulas

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@Kunakai: +1

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Fia1

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@Kunakai: sometimes studios try to do something different, and it's not that way different in the sense their rpg's used to have "tactics" they have plenty of games to base this with, just as mentioned xcom and fire emblem formulas that are well stablished and they could pretty much take a chunk on that with their ip lore, of course i expect them to do more than just a copy, but if they do it correctly it this could be a nice game and a change of pace in their development health

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Kunakai

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@Fia1: The last time Bioware tried something different, we got SWTOR. I wouldn't expect them to innovate too much on any formula really, it's always been a back seat (again, SWTOR was more generic MMO and less KoTOR).

In any case, I couldn't imagine myself enjoying a tactics game half as much as I have previous Bioware titles.

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lordshifu

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Please keep it 3DS only release I dont want any stuffs from you guys coming out to PC!!

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sladey

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What I would like to play from Bioware and EA is Star Wars KOTOR 3 please. Make that and I can guarantee it'll make miles more money than any DA Tactics game ever would

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handofkain

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@sladey: Judging by what I've heard about EA's battlefront, I'm not sure any other star wars game from those guys (EA) would be any good, but that's just my opinion

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lordshifu

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Ahh the company I hate more than my ex speaks again, Listen up Dude I am not playing any game by Bioware.... doesnt matter what you make.... because it really doesnt matter what games you make- pointless and empty.

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Kunakai

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@lordshifu: Kinda like your comment eh?

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RS13

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1. This could be a huge improvement over the button mashing combat of DAI.

2. But it probably won't be, because it's probably a typical EA copy-cat money grab. Some EA exec saw that XCom 2 was the hot new thing and immediately started pushing Bioware to copy it.

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handofkain

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@RS13: If the 2nd point is true, it probably won't be long before we hear about mass effect tactics and star wars tactics too

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RS13

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Edited By RS13

@handofkain: Maybe. But EA might be worried those would be a little too rip-offy. I mean the hook for DA:Tactics would be XCom with dragons. What's the hook with ME: Tactics? Xcom with aliens? Also, dragon age fans have been bemoaning the loss of tactical combat in DA2 and 3. Mass effect never really catered to that type of gamer, so it's a less natural fit.

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handofkain

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@RS13: you say that as if xcom didn't already have aliens, nonetheless the variety of them in ME universe would make it probably awesome (alongside the playable races too, imagine the possibilities and tactical depth). On a second thought, take a minute and look what EA has done to an already amazing strategy franchise; Command and Conquer. This makes me wonder if they can even touch the strategy/tactics genre at all without ruining games

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RS13

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@handofkain: My point is that XCom already has aliens. That's why XCom with aliens isn't a good hook. But, yeah, EA will probably ruin anything they touch.

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magnusstorm

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Edited By magnusstorm

You mean like Dragon Age Origin?

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Jasurim

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Sure, if it was done well with a full fleshed out story and everything else.

No cheap cash in though, I'd give that miss.

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DanceGDance

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Damn right I would!

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Super_Tramp

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I would play as long as it had a good story. Might even buy it!

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Archangel3371

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Sure I'd play that, I think it would be very cool.

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deactivated-58aa7e27264a0

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I voted "no" simply because I prefer my DA games as a third-person "OMG BEAUTIFUL ENVIRONMENTS AND LANDS TO EXPLORE" with awesome characters. I have no idea actually if a tactics game would allow this, since I'm not into that particular genre either.

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RS13

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@IIIMatricksIII: It depends. Because Bioware games have such a sharp line between combat and story, they could just make the combat Xcom-tastic and leave everything else pretty much as it is. Or they could go full XCom and divide the game up into distinct missions that play out like chess games. That would rule out exploration. They could still leave the interesting characters in place, and very likely would, but those characters might not be squad members/companions, especially if they adopted squad member perma-death from XCom.

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deactivated-58aa7e27264a0

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@RS13: True. It would be interesting to see what they could do with it, but survival and tactics games are the flavor of the month right now, so I'm of the mind that they don't need to jump into another game-type simply because other studios are having success in it. I'm also of the mind that we don't need these universes - Mass Effect and Dragon Age - spread thinly over genres and mediums just because we can. Look at Halo, a franchise that's arguably been spread too thinly over too many areas - books, animated and live-action features, mobile games, etc. It's not nearly as meaty as it used to be, and in fact is far more confusing when it comes to narrative now than it ever was if you haven't kept up with events in other mediums.

I'd hate to see the same thing happen with Bioware IPs.

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RS13

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@IIIMatricksIII:Bioware's already spread Mass Effect and especially Dragon Age out across mobile games, comics, books, and web series. And it's not like there's a really consistent plot behind all the games either. DA:O's about fighting darkspawn, DA2's central conflict is mages v. templars and that evil relic thing, and DAI is all about whatever Cariphy-face is.

But for what it's worth, going to tactical XCom-style combat would almost be a return to the combat in DA:O. And actually, I think that's the way DA2 and 3 should have gone.

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silversix_

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I would absolutely play it but a Mass Effect game with Xcom combat would be a metric ton better. In fact, Mass Effect fits the Xcom combat system perfectly.

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jinzo9988

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Yes. Add the Shining Force games to the list of "like" games for something like that. A heavy Shining Force inspiration on the combat with a heavy XCOM inspiration on the character development, equipment, and world management would be pretty cool. Please don't limit the game to having 4 characters on your side.

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RS13

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Edited By RS13

@jinzo9988: Shining Force. Old School points.

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RogerioFM

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Sure as shit would, if it wasn't f2p mobile game.

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deactivated-5bda06edf37ee

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hard to say. if it would be as extensive as Xcom, then... definetly maybe.

if it would not be as extensive, don't even bother with it.

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Stebsis

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@groowagon: I'd say it's guaranteed it would not. EA's not gonna put money on a AAA strategy game that's just guaranteed, so best we'll be most likely getting is a smaller indie type game that'll be held back by mobile game standards

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deactivated-5bda06edf37ee

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@Stebsis: my thoughts too. it would be doomed then. it's hard to sell turn-based games these days, unless it hits your face like a ten ton hammer. like Xcom.

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Rmokeefe76

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Yes, but I would really like a Dragon Age MMO done well.

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lordshifu

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@rmokeefe76: like the did with starwars something like that :O ??!

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Rmokeefe76

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@lordshifu: I said done well.

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Fartman7998

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I'd rather see another traditional Dragon Age game (eg Origins), but I'd give a Tactics-style Dragon Age game a shot. PC only please.

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Kunakai

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@Fartman7998: Why would you want it to be PC only? It's not as if a tactics game would make full use of the system.

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Fartman7998

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@Kunakai: I feel like being only on PC would shape the game in a certain way, making it a better game overall, instead of having to exist on multiple platforms and please multiple different crowds.

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RogerioFM

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Edited By RogerioFM

@Fartman7998: Fat chance of getting a PC only game.

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Fartman7998

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@RogerioFM: I know, that would upset the masses, wouldn't it.

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Rmokeefe76

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@Fartman7998: It would probably upset PC elitists more.

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Baconstrip78

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@Fartman7998: Would upset EA's bottom line.

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deactivated-60b838d2a137f

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Sounds more appealing than another traditional Dragon Age game to me!

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