This year in particular has shown us the sometimes-brutal outcome from difficult game development cycles. Gruelling hours with mechanical and creative decisions to make at every step; most games are full of war stories. One series that is not excluded from this conversation is Bioware’s Dragon Age series. Dragon Age: Origins definitely added some grey hairs to its developers but it might have been worth it.
Masters of the Art
Before Dragon Age came to fruition, Bioware were already flying in the Western RPG space. Influential hits like Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic proved that Bioware had talent for this genre. However, these were already established IPs and whilst Bioware were creating genuinely beloved things with these properties, they wanted something they could call their own.
The writers of the Edmonton-based studio had proven themselves superb storytellers; even in the restrictive realm of other people’s properties. It was these same writers who, driven by their achievements and ambitions, wanted to create a game that stemmed from a world of their own creation.
Chronicle
According to a GVMERS‘ YouTube documentary, The History of Dragon Age Origins, Bioware began work on a small demo in 2002, titled Chronicle. Touted as a spiritual successor to Baldur’s Gate, the aim for this high fantasy project was to replicate and refine the different systems seen in classic RPG games. An identity that the studio eventually welcomed, hoping to attract veteran fans of this genre.
The first few years of development were difficult. At the time Bioware were working on Jade Empire which created many obstacles around team sizes and the development tools for this secondary project. Eventually this skeleton crew working on the game managed to steady the ship and bring its design into focus as more and more things started coming together.
Creating Thedas
A large part of this breakthrough came from one of the series most senior writers, David Gaider, who had started to materialise this fantasy world and bring it to fruition. In a retrospective interview with MCVUK.com, Gaider spoke in detail about the inspirations behind the fantasy setting of Thedas. He also addressed many problems that the team faced and had to overcome when trying to build a setting from a blank canvas.
“I may not have known what the story was going to be for the initial game, but once I had Ferelden, Orlais and the Tevinter Imperium in my head, I started to get a sense of Thedas as a real place.”
Some of Gaider’s inspiration came from James Ohlen (lead designer on Dragon Age: Origins), who suggested basing the world around a pseudo-medieval Europe, reminiscent of Tolkien or George RR Martin. This allowed the setting of Dragon Age to not only be particularly bleak and mature, but also very comparable to certain social/political themes that we deal with in our own world.
The Big Reveal
At the 2004 Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Bioware gave audiences their first look at what they had been working on. Simply titled Dragon Age, fans of the studio were treated to multiple demos, including an impressive CG trailer that showed sword-wielding soldiers battle with humanoid monsters atop a snowy mountain.
The game was described by IGN in a 2004 preview as a party-based RPG like Baldur’s Gate. It had also been revealed that the game would feature a multiplayer component, but with Bioware stating that the project was only 18 months underway, not much else was shown or revealed.
Radio Silence
After its E3 reveal, Bioware said nothing about its new project for a while. The decision was made to ensure that the game’s core mechanics and features were prioritised whilst the technology around them improved.
One such feature was the idea to implement specific prologues for player characters, depending on what race, class, or background they chose from. This “Origins” idea had been there since early conception of the project, even before its E3 showing. Over this period of radio silence and focus, this feature would be further defined and scoped in to keep the game ambitious, but achievable.
Kill Your Darlings
Similar to the decision to cut down the amount of origin stories, this time of focus saw Bioware have a lot of conversations about scope and general ambition of the project. In a genre where dialogue choices and complex battle systems can be worked on for an infinite amount of time, it was important for big production decisions to be made.
The choice to go dark and work on the game’s fundamental aspects would turn out to be the right one. Over the years following its 2004 reveal, the game’s core features were chiselled with care and the team’s focus on tethering ambitions helped move development along steadily. Some things were sacrificed, like the Multiplayer component, but this is an example of the team cutting what’s necessary for the betterment of the final product.
To the Highest Bidder
In 2007, just before the release of Mass Effect, Bioware were acquired by Electronic Arts. Plans were put in motion by EA to have their newly acquired studio work on a new MMORPG. This space was ripe for financial reaping and Bioware had vast talent in creating engaging RPG games.
Fortunately, nothing concrete was put in place until after Dragon Age was completed. The game had been in development for long enough and EA understood that meddling in this project would be a terrible move. This didn’t stop fans of Bioware from sharing their concerns about the corporate powerhouse’s plans for their beloved studio.
Origins
In 2008, the revamped Dragon Age: Origins was unveiled. What was initially a concept piece for the fantasy setting of Thedas was now a fully-fledged story for the player to experience. This story followed the player character as they join the mysterious Grey Wardens and uncover a dark plot full of political and social intrigue.
Initially suspected as a PC exclusive, it was also revealed that the game would be coming to Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. It was promised that Dragon Age had a “console future” which pleased many, but this didn’t come with its own complications.
Mike Laidlaw (lead designer) mentioned that having the game ported to console was not easy. Having to repurpose the game’s UI and general navigation would be quite a task and one that was given to partnered studio, Edge of Reality.
Reservations
Fans of Bioware were eagerly anticipating Dragon Age: Origins as soon as it was revealed. The game looked striking, large in scope and reminiscent of the early RPG’s it was trying to replicate. Unfortunately, Bioware were wary about its chances of commercial success. Other Western RPG’s of the time had gone for more streamlined, action orientated approaches.
This gave Bioware reason to believe that their gritty, systems focused RPG would be too niche to compete. This thought would bring on a huge decision from Bioware which caused a ripple effect still felt today in the latest entries to the series.
Concerned that there would be no room for a sequel, Bioware decided to end the game with a written epilogue that explains and ties up all possible loose ends. This would mean that even those who enjoyed this niche experience would be able to get a proper ending without having to extend the game itself with sequels or DLC.
Release
Dragon Age: Origins released in November of 2009 to massive acclaim and success with critics and fans loving it. It was praised for its incredible setting and fantastically executed characters, as well as a rich combat system which allowed for deep customisation. This kind of involved RPG system was always reserved for more hardcore games, but Dragon Age: Origins was open to a far wider audience.
Its console ports were important for the large-scale support that the game received but faced several problems when compared to the PC version. Both versions shared some creative criticisms however, with some uninterested in the game’s overarching narrative and others being stumped by unforgiving difficulty spikes.
Awakening
To supplement its release, Bioware continued to work on Origins until 2010. A modding tool was released for the PC version, allowing enthusiasts to customise their game experience. Throughout the same period small DLC campaigns and addons also were released to mixed, but mostly positive reception.
The standout expansion for the game was Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening. A chunky continuation of your hero’s playthrough which sees new characters and gameplay features enter the fray. Awakening was adored by fans of the original game, but it was also very important to the series future. Influential characters are introduced, and its new kingdom management angle would be a sign of Bioware’s ambitions for the future.
The Future
With hindsight and context of what came next for Dragon Age, some of these creative decisions are far more interesting.
Choosing to cap off the player’s story, due to worries about success, was a problematic oversight when Dragon Age: Origins was very successful. This was detrimental to the series future, but the creatives were confident that they could forge new stories and characters in this brilliant world.
Now tasked with following up their hit new property with a brand-new adventure, Bioware had an uphill start to planning out the game’s sequel. Not only would it be a difficult creative undertaking, but the influence of their new corporate masters would begin to take effect.
