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The Dragon Age series lets gamers craft heroes, but those heroes' struggles are partially defined by the villains they face. Having a compelling antagonist helps get you invested in a story, especially when that character has interesting motives. The writers at BioWare recently talked about how the series addresses these points and how they apply to Dragon Age: Inquisition.
In a post on the official Dragon Age site, writers David Gaider, Sylvia Feketekuty, and Luke Kristjanson share their thoughts about the past, present, and future of evil in the Dragon Age universe. The whole Q&A is definitely worth reading, but you can find a few highlights below:
Is your process for writing enemies the same for writing heroes, or do you have to approach them differently?
[DG]: Very differently. The story is largely from the hero's perspective, so you have to account for the villain's presence from that hero's viewpoint. The player is only aware of who the villain is and what they're doing insomuch as their character is aware of it, and you have to write the villain with the core idea of motivating the player to care about stopping them.
Is it tough for you to get into the mindset of a villain?
[SF]: Not really. It's the old "everyone thinks they're the hero of their own story" chestnut. The important thing is to ground their motivations in something believable for the character and the tone of your story.
[DA]: In any story of good and evil, you have to have a powerful foe to stand in the hero's way. How would you describe the "Elder One" from Dragon Age: Inquisition in one word?
[LK]: Arrogance. Not "arrogant"—that's somehow not enough. He has a confidence born of absolute certainty that in his estimation no others can comprehend. He will do what needs be done.
For more Dragon Age: Inquisition, you can read about the many quests that await you in the Fallow Mire, or watch this video breaking down the tactical combat.
[Source: DragonAge.com]
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