Think back to Origins’ situation with the possessed boy, Connor, in Redcliffe. Do what you think is appropriate, and there will be consequences.”
“We’re not forced to make the call between good and evil, and we’re not forcing you to make that call. “When the team starts applying their own morality to the system, then you’re forcing the player onto your morality,” Darrah explains. Players won’t always be choosing whether to save a burning orphanage or watch as the flames devour it the pivotal decisions are interesting because there is no clear correct path – just action and consequence.
Like Origins, Dragon Age II won’t use a bar to gauge your moral progress, because the situations Hawke will encounter in the Free Marches fall into more of a gray area. I’m not saying that as a bad thing – it makes the choices a bit easier without taking the choice away completely.” “It’s like watching a cartoon, to a certain degree. “The thing about the morality bar is that it gives players a choice, but it simplifies it,” says Darrah. It requires that every choice you make be classified as good or evil, leading players to behave as ruthless despots or selfless paragons, but without much room for anything in between.
While it’s fun to see concrete evidence of your choices, the morality bar imposes a restriction on them, too. You’ve undoubtedly seen one before – a scale with good and evil at each end, and a slider that moves according to the nature of your actions. One reason why Origins could take a more nuanced approach to decision-making was the elimination of a feature that BioWare itself had helped popularize: the morality bar. Of course, Darrah didn’t want to spoil any of the tough decisions players will have to make as Hawke in Dragon Age II, but he did discuss the philosophies that guide the creation of significant, memorable choices – without resorting to the simplified good-or-evil dynamic. Dragon Age: Origins successfully presented a world full of choices that went beyond traditional black-and-white options, and Dragon Age II will continue the trend.ĭuring our visit to BioWare’s Edmonton studio, we sat to chat with Dragon Age II executive director Mark Darrah about the team’s approach to morality in its fantasy universe. Whether you’re earning Light Side points or racking up bad karma, morality in gaming has traditionally relied on the extremes of good and evil. We have been making choices in games for years.
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