Dragon Age: Origins Forum Round-up

Two separate “Talk to the Devs” threads (here and here) have recently been opened up on BioWare’s official Dragon Age: Origins forums, with many of the game’s developers already having dropped by to answer some questions. There’s a lot to quote over there, so here are just some notables…

Senior Designer Ferret Baudoin:

Name: Ferret Baudoin

Job: Senior Technical Designer, although I do a bit of everything. I script, I write, I made some levels (but am by no means a level artist like the spiffy Mr. Stubbington). Think of me as a utility infielder for design.

Boss: The one, the only (until cloning technology is invented) Brent Knowles.

Subordinates: None.

Tour of Duty: Been on DA since May ’06.

Treat of Choice: Cookies are great. But so is pumpkin pie. Mmmm.

Opinion on Forum Users: I really like reading what people that are similarly passionate about the game have to say. Even the nay-sayers bring up things to think about. Some folk seem to be Negative Nancies (no offense to actual Nancy-s out there), but that’s the internet for you.

Favorite Non-BioWare Game: Sheesh, that’s tough. My favorite changes on my mood, really. In alphabetical order I’ll name a few: Fallout 1 & 2, Final Fantasy Tactics, Martian Dreams, Planescape: Torment, Star Control 2, and the Ultima series.

Favorite BioWare Game: Knights of the Old Republic, but man does that barely pull ahead of Baldur’s Gate 2. But every BioWare title has been on my fave list. One of the reasons I wanted to work here so bad.

Companions: I love deep and interesting companions. But I’ll never forget Boo and Minsc. Even if it made no sense to have a ranger in my party, Minsc was always there to brighten up my journeys.

Race and Class: XXXXXX and XXXXXX. (Info redacted so I don’t get disappeared by the bad men. Brrr.)

Best Part of Working on DA: The people. There are some seriously talented people here that are also great people. I’ve felt very welcomed since Day 1.

Personal OP: I’m very happy that we can talk more about things. Yay! On a personal front I’m working with some others on finishing up a couple of areas. So there’s bitter-sweet happiness, nervousness, and some impatience. Kaelin (another of the tech designers) probably thinks I’m one of those stereotypical kids in the back-seat, “Are we there yet? Can I play it now? How about now?”

And I’m the early bird on the project. So give the others time to filter in.

Senior Programmer Scott Meadows:

Guinness

My job here is to work on the tools that everyone on the team uses.
This can be as simple as creating a system that emails a user when a bad resource gets checked in to a full blown Editor that the designers use to place all sorts of goodies into the levels.

Guinness

I have been on DA since May ’04 with a few months break to work on the handheld project, Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood.

Guinness

My favorite game is more of a series, Civilization.
I am still trying to catch up on my sleep for the past 6 years.
(One more turn)

Guinness

My favorite BioWare game is whichever one I am playing.
Seriously, I had a blast paying BG, NWN, KoTOR, JE, ME and Sonic.
Currently I am having a blast with DA.
If I had to pick one though, it would be between BG and ME.
I think BG would get the nod, just for being there first.

Guinness

And I think all of you are crazy, just like us.

Lead Environment Artist Ian Stubbington:

Hey all

OK, here goes a quick intro.

I’m the Lead environment artist on DA:O.
The basically means that if you can see it, and it doesn’t move, I’m probably responsible for the art. Now being responsible doesn’t mean I created it. I have an amazing team of artists working with me. I get to influence the style of the architecture for example, and then work with writers and designers to build levels.

one of the questions asked me to describe my boss !… hmm, how do you describe a being like Sauron

Ive been working on DA:O for just over two years now, since coming over to Canada with my family from England.

My favorite part of DA is the depth, Ive spent a LOT of time just walking around the kings camp talking to people and finding out little stories and history.

Favorite Bioware game is NWN.
Favorite non Bioware game…. hmm, tricky… would probably have to say WoW, but I really enjoyed SWG back in the early days. (was there on day 1)

Designer James Henley:

Name: James Henley

Job: Cinematic Designer back when I was on DA

Boss: Back then, James Ohlen

Subordinates: I was the only CD on the project at the time

Tour of Duty: Early ramp up as a Tech Designer back in 2004, returned to the project for a half year stint in 2005 after Jade shipped and before Mass Effect grabbed me

Treat of Choice: Forumite souls

Opinion on Forum Users: It takes all kinds; forums prove that without a doubt.

Favorite Non-BioWare Game: Persona 3, Rock Band, Disgaea, Final Fantasy Tactics, Gears of War, Diablo 2, Starcraft

Favorite BioWare Game: Neverwinter Nights got more of my time than any other title, thanks to the toolset and DM client.

Companions: It’s a mixed bag for me. I love having good characters to promote and propel the story, especially in an RPG. However, if they’re plagued with insufferable AI that negatively impacts gameplay, I’d rather not have them around at all. Fortunately, the AI issue doesn’t tend to crop up so much with an RPG.

Race and Class: No comment

Best Part of Working on DA: Sharing an office with people that were actually crazier, and possibly more cynical, than I was back then. I doubt that’s the case anymore.

Personal OP: I’m glad to see things propelling forward for the time, after all of the work they’ve put into this. Keep at it guys and girls; make us proud.

Environment Artist Andrew Eric Knight:

Name: Look Left (some other Andrew Knight imposter took my name yonks ago)

Job: Environment Artist

Boss: Ian slaps me when I do something wrong

Subordinates: My two cats

Tour of Duty: Schooling in ACAD. MOD work here and there. Worked with DAoC as a Class Lead for Infiltrator, then moved to London to work. Moved back to Edmonton to Bioware. Been on DA about 1.5 years, was on another Bioware project before that.

Treat of Choice: Tea (PG Tips)

Opinion on Forum Users: Criticism makes better games, even flames help us learn, as long as they are eloquent

Favorite Non-BioWare Game: F.E.A.R was good, Portal, TF2 is my addiction.

Favorite BioWare Game: Would have to say Mass Effect, then MDK.

Race and Class: Anything Sneaky

Best Part of Working on DA: The people, they… understand, /sniff.

Personal OP: Every developer has some sort of mental illness is my belief. It take a certain mindset to constantly optimize, push UV’s and vertices, track graphs to cater to different video cards… etc. I think perfectly sane people would have their brains melted within a week.

Lead Writer David Gaider:

Well, okay, you guys probably hear enough from me on this forum anyhow, but since I’m waiting for an update to finish…

Describe your job at Bioware, (and what you do on the Dragon Age: Origins team)?

I write. Occasionally I get angry about stuff and storm into other peoples’ offices to rant. Every few years I get the opportunity to put my head together with the other writers to come up with a new story, then I spend the rest of my life repeatedly re-writing it.

Describe your immediate boss?

Brent is outrage made flesh.

Describe your immediate subordinates?

Sheryl and Mary are deceptively female.

Tell us how long you have worked on the project (Dragon Age: Origins)?

ONE MILLION YEARS. Not kidding.

Do you have a desire for some other brand of treat then cookies?

Schnitzel. Definitely schnitzel. And possibly strudel.

What do you think of the forum users?

They are like me, but they get paid less. Or, if they get paid more, it’s to do other things. More boring things. Occasionally their whining can hit that keening note that only dogs and RPG Codex forum-goers can properly hear.

What is your favorite non-Bioware game?

Hmm. Tough. X-Com, I’d think.

What is your favorite Bioware game?

Also tough. By the time I finish working on a game, I loathe it with every fibre of my being. I’d have to say BG2 — mainly because it took the longest to finish working on it (we had, in fact, already shipped by that point).

Do you enjoy fully fleshed-out companions in your games to adventure with? If so, which of all Bioware’s character companions did you most enjoy or find interesting?

I hope I enjoy them — they’re my bread and butter. Of the ones I didn’t write, I enjoyed Jaheira the most. Of the ones I wrote? Well, I enjoyed writing Jan Jansen the most. Spec the Beholder comes in at a possible second, even though he never actually got to join a party (damn it!).

Do you enjoy romances in your games? If so, which of all Bioware’s romances is the most interesting or comely to you? Why?

How much I enjoy romances varies from day to day. Today the answer is no. I hates them. As for which romance was the most appealing? Ummm… Carth? You can tease him. And he got all emo and stuff, it was cute.

What’s the best part of working on DA?

Knowing that someday it will all end. I hear of something called the Apocalypse and I heartily approve.

Do you guys think DA will be successful? With just old-schoolers or no?

It’s tough to say. Sometimes it seems like we almost have to apologize in some corners for making a PC RPG. I really hope the market is out there to support it.

Lead QA Nathan Frederick:

Name: Nathan Frederick

Job: Principal Quality Assurance Lead. Which translates into “I’m responsible for making sure everything gets tested – the game, the tools we use, the art, the writing, the pipeline the game goes through, everything.” I also write a few small programs which assist in assorted testing tasks.

Boss: Dan Tudge

Subordinates: Mr Woo, and all the other QA members.

Tour of Duty: I’ve been on Dragon Age since inception, with a few small breaks of a couple months along the way to help ship the other projects over the years.

Treat of Choice: Salty or Sour snacks, depending on my mood.

Opinion on Forum Users: I’m amused by “the speculation machine”. It’s also nice to see what people’s reactions + interests are in respects to different parts of the game.

Favorite Non-BioWare Game: Very difficult question. The XCom series (and the similar UFO series), Fallout2, the Gothic Series, Thief3, Hitman:Blood Money, Civ series… and probably others, depending on my mood. Favorite tends to vary in definition as well, due to years of taking games apart, very few games are enjoyed “as intended” by me anymore.

Favorite BioWare Game: As it is hard to form a proper opinion working on the project, I’d have to go with BG1, as it’s the only one I haven’t worked on.

Companions: I’ve fond of them being as interactive as possible. My favorites from our games so far are probably Minsc and HK47, at least, that I can think of right now.

Race and Class: Baja 1000, and Chemistry?

Best Part of Working on DA: Its a great team, and I’m really enjoying working on this type of game again – I’m a PC RPG gamer at heart.

Senior Technical Designer Georg Zoeller:

Job:
Daytime : DA’s Combat, Rules and Game Systems Designer. Short: I make things hurt other things.
Nighttime: Chief Technology Officer at CyberDyne Systems (don’t ask).

Boss:
Brent Knowles

Subordinates:
They can speak for themselves.

Tour of Duty:
On DA since late 2006. Before that Mass Effect, Jade Empire, NWN:HotU.

Treat of Choice:
Jaeger Schnitzel.

Opinion on Forum Users:
I was recruited from the NWN Community after creating a lot of mods (like several other Designers working on DA). The community keeps us honest and provides us with information which, understood in context, can guide us to make better games.

Favorite Non-BioWare Game:
Present: TF2. Valve created a monster.
Past: Ultima VI – Every byte of it.

Favorite BioWare Game:
I’d have to say NWN, because without this game, I’d still be writing boring code for German Financial institutions. But it’s really a tie with BG2.

Companions: Minsc/Boo, though I did have fun scripting the custom version of Deekin’s Bard Song.

Race and Class: Human, Mage.

Best Part of Working on DA:
* Tools – I frequently bring sacrifices to the Shrine of Smeadows to ensure the continued awesomeness of the designer tools on DA.
* Working on the spiritual successor to BG, one of my favourite games of all times.

Personal OP:
We’ve started to show gameplay and talk about it. Makes me happy.