Bioware creative director Mike Laidlaw says that players new to the franchise shouldn’t have any problem picking up the upcoming game. It won’t be necessary to have played either of the first two games to get caught up to speed in the third—although it wouldn’t hurt.
He dropped even more odds and ends regarding Dragon Age: Inquisition on Twitter, notably including a rebuttal of an earlier exclusive news piece about the Free Marches.
So, 1st things 1st, PC users who’re defaulting to their keyboard and mouse instead of a game controller will get a completely different interface to better suit the setup. I don’t see any reason why Bioware would not do this, but if you were wondering, there’s your answer.
Class restricted abilities will also come back, presumably to emphasize the need for party based gameplay. The example Laidlaw uses here (and what he was asked about) is lockpick.
Now, regarding that roll move that you ought to be able to purchase, it will be a little different for mages. Mages will not roll, but instead do a very quick ‘blink’ move. The funny thing is Laidlaw emphasized the move is not a teleport. Mages cannot teleport in Dragon Age lore, but for all intents and purposes, the move is a teleport except in name.
Laidlaw has also clarified that talents are not purchasable in the same way the roll move is. These can be acquired via talent points.
@apmd Nope. Only themes were carried forward, not locations.
— Mike Laidlaw (@Mike_Laidlaw) April 2, 2014
@TemplarCode Nevarra's not a playable space in #DAI. It's referenced heavily, but you won't go there directly.
— Mike Laidlaw (@Mike_Laidlaw) April 2, 2014
Lastly, dispelling earlier misinformation, Laidlaw explained that the Free Marches cities are not making the trip to Inquisition. The stories and themes from Exalted March are going to be there, to provide continuity to the series, but you’re going to wholly different locations. Similarly, Nevarra will be mentioned, but not actually visitable in Inquisition.
