Earlier this week BioWare released a video detailing crafting and cusomization in Dragon Age: Inquisition, no matter how detailed the video was…there were plenty of questions from the community.
Luckily for us, BioWare is a very loving developer. They took all of the major questions from the community and answered them.
Here's a highlight of the questions:
If I choose not to craft, will I still be able to find unique or powerful weapons and armor? —Evgeny Negurista, VK.com, Russia
[Chris Pickford, Producer]: Absolutely, the game doesn't rely on crafting as a necessary component. There are plenty of shiny things to find in Thedas!
[Mike Laidlaw, Creative Director]: One of our goals is to let you play the game you want to, so if you want to loot only, loot on!
How will the inventory of your backpack be managed in DAI? Will it be determined by number of slots or weight of objects? —Bejita Saiyajin, Facebook, France
[CP]: Inventory is determined by number of slots. We found this worked better because for most people, it's easier to keep mental track of a straightforward number. Additionally, as you power up your Inquisition, you can improve your inventory slots via Inquisition customization.
Are craftable weapons comparably strong to looted ones? —Jannis Fritsche, Facebook, Germany
[CP]: They can be, yes. It depends how you manage your crafting materials. For instance, dragon bone is one of the hardest crafting materials you can get. Do you put it into an armor slot to harden your defense? Or do you put it into an attacking slot for high damage per second? Or maybe a utility slot for a strength upgrade? Or what about a masterwork slot for a chance to cast a special attack? Powerful items like these take time, effort, and planning to create.
Can we craft weapons with elemental effects? —@yohanksm, Twitter
[CP]: Absolutely. Both the masterworking system and the runes system can apply elemental effects, some of which can help trigger cross-class combos with other abilities. An example is a masterwork material that gives a chance to cast Chain Lightning on a hit, shocking enemies and setting them up for a detonation attack such as Explosive Shot. Runes are exceptionally useful for targeting specific faction groups such as dragons, demons, and undead.
[ML]: In addition to the rarer systems Chris points out, base enchanting applies visual effects to your weapons as well. The writers have gotten a little competitive in the past few weeks, trying to out-craft one another. A greataxe crackling with electricity is a heck of a thing on the battlefield.
Can mage staves also be modified? —Mari Villoz, Facebook, Spain
[CP]: Yes, staves can also be modified, and they even get some special runes that apply only to them.
[ML]: You can also change the shape of the bottom's blade and the grip, and as with every other modification, you can also build custom mods that apply exactly the properties you want and install them, should off-the-shelf purchased modifications not suit.
Can you craft absolutely unique armor or weapons? —Mikhail Panasyuk, VK.com, Russia
[CP]: Yes, and we even let you name your equipment at the end! Between item creation, modification, runes, and masterworking—you've got a lot to play with.
Is there an opportunity to change colors of armor and robes? Also, are there cloaks and hoods in the game? —@Worlddragonage, Twitter
[CP]: All companions have the same customization system as the Inquisitor, so all characters can be modified to your will.
[ML]: The characters do have their own themes, though, so an Enchanter Mail (as referenced above) will look different on Dorian, Solas, Vivienne, and the Inquisitor. Many properties do carry over, though, especially colors, so predominantly red outfits will still be red across characters—they'll just be styled to better reflect their personalities. We figure that, with its army of smiths, the Inquisition can handle a few tweaks here and there. Of course, if you find more emblematic armor, like, say, Grey Warden mail, you can expect that to look like its namesake on whoever wears it.
Regarding mounts, will we be able to modify the accessories, color, etc.? —Eaven D. R. Redondo, Facebook, Spain
[CP]: As you progress through Dragon Age: Inquisition, you'll get access to sturdier mounts of different styles and patterns. While you won't be able tweak each component for mounts, we do allow you to choose from different styles and colors for your steed.
Inquisition is releasing on November 18 for the PlayStation 3, Playstation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and the PC.
You can find the questions not included right here. If you have any more questions you can head over to BioWare's Twitter and Facebook DA: I pages and ask away, maybe they will answer!
