Dragon Age should have been “PC-centric” and mod-friendly, says former Bioware manager
Missed opportunity
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Former Bioware general manager Aaryn Flynn weighed in onDragon Age’s past, stating that the game should have been “PC-centric” and mod-friendly like previous fantasy titles from the studio.
In an interview withEdge magazine, Flynn outlined his wish that fantasy RPGDragon Agehad kept a “Neverwinter-like identity”, prizing versatility and scope for modding. As part of the interview, Flynn spoke fondly of the design approach behindNeverwinter Nights. One of thebest RPGsof its time, this earlier title from BioWare spawned an active and long-lived community sustained by fan content and mods.
“We wanted everybody to be able to say ‘I, as a modder, can build the same thing that Bioware does.’,” said Flynn. “We didn’t want any exceptions to that.”
Speaking on how this approach influencedDragon Age Origins, Flynn made it clear that the first entry in theDragon Ageseries “had its fair share of identity crises. Was it going to be a tools-driven, modding-driven game likeNeverwinter Nights? Was it going to be a big single-player RPG likeThe Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion?”
Though Flynn was happy that"Dragon Age [Origins]on PC shipped with the toolset", he expressed his disappointment that this trend didn’t continue forDragon Age 2andDragon Age: Inquisition.“I wish we’d kept that up and stuck to that. Unfortunately, we got, I’d say, a little too homogenous betweenMass EffectandDragon Age.I wish we would have kept more of a PC-centric, Neverwinter-like identity forDragon Age.”
Having departed Bioware, Flynn became founder and CEO of Inflexion Games, who are currently working on upcomingVictorian-inspired survival titleNightingale.
Though we do not yet know the extent to whichDragon Age: Dreadwolfwill return to these mod-friendly roots (if at all),wildly popularfantasy RPGBaldur’s Gate 3is set to receiveofficial mod supportof its own in the near future, perhaps ushering in areturn to the eraof open-ended, mod-friendly RPGs.
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Excited for Dragon Age: Dreadwolf? While you wait, check out our list of thebest story gamesas well as our guide to thebest single-player games.
An editor and freelance journalist, Cat Bussell has been writing about video games for more than four years and, frankly, she’s developed a taste for it. As seen on TechRadar, Technopedia, The Gamer, Wargamer, and SUPERJUMP, Cat’s reviews, features, and guides are lovingly curated for your reading pleasure.
A Cambridge graduate, recovering bartender, and Cloud Strife enjoyer, Cat’s foremost mission is to bring you the best coverage she can, whether that’s through helpful guides, even-handed reviews, or thought-provoking features. She’s interviewed indie darlings, triple-A greats, and legendary voice actors, all to help you get closer to the action. When she’s not writing, Cat can be found sticking her neck into a fresh RPG or running yet another Dungeons & Dragons game.
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