Bioware has revealed new information on the upcoming Dragon Age Inquisition, on an official blog post, and courtesy Creative Director Mike Laidlaw.
The blog post has simply revealed the newest set of character kits, sharing story and design details for Cassandra Pentaghast and Varric Tethras.
Cassandra was born in a silver spoon in her mouth, and is righteous fighter, under the order of the Seekers of Truth. The Seekers are basically in charge of the Chantry, and Cassandra plays the role of street cop to the hilt.
Varric is biologically a dwarf, but separated in spirit from his own kind. As a member of the Merchant Guild, he shuns both his fellow bourgeois and his kind, for the company of heroes and knaves alike. He has much to tell of the history of Thedas to those who have an ear for it.
Cassandra’s design seems a little bit more fully fleshed out than Varric. It’s possible she will be one of the main characters, or at least someone you will be spending the lion’s share of time with. Please not that these characters will be customizable, so you will be able to change their cloths in-game to your liking.
Mike has shared these tidbits on Twitter:
Please note: the chest plate is -not- mandatory, should you be looking for, say, a more classic, "open" look. #CHESTHAIRCONFIRMED
— Mike Laidlaw (@Mike_Laidlaw) February 21, 2014
Chest plates are also not going to be mandatory, so if you want characters to show a bit more torso (Mike refers to chest hair) it’s totally possible. I am guessing this means wilfully missing out on some armor and stat bonuses though…
@TheAgentSambora Writing style is very similar to DAII.
— Mike Laidlaw (@Mike_Laidlaw) February 17, 2014
In terms of writing, Dragon Age Inquisition will be similar to Dragon Age 2. So it seems they went by that old maxim about things that aren’t broken.
@UNSCSpartin Our game is focused on the party, not on RTS military action.
— Mike Laidlaw (@Mike_Laidlaw) February 13, 2014
The game will not be Total War-esque at all. It would have been interesting if they implemented this, but Mike clarifies it will be more of a party-based adventure than an RTS.
@TomorrowNvrDies Simultaneously on all. Constant builds.
— Mike Laidlaw (@Mike_Laidlaw) February 17, 2014
Finally, Bioware is doing multiplatform development simultaneously, with builds constantly being iterated on. This should serve as a comfort to players looking forward to the final product this Q3 2014. The game will be released on Windows, Xbox 360, Playstation 3, Xbox One, and Playstation 4.