[EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW] Dragon Age: The Veilguard Developers on Weaving Past and Present in a New Dragon Age

We were recently invited by the team behind Dragon Age: The Veilguard for a media event held in San Francisco to experience the game firsthand and engage with the development team, hearing insights on the newest game in the beloved Dragon Age franchise.

Our interview kicked off with an exclusive, with Art Director Matt Rhodes and Level Design Director Francois Chaput as well as Game Director Corinne Busche and Producer Jen Cheverie. Following these one-on-one interviews, we participated in a group Q&A session with Creative Director John Epler, providing a comprehensive look into the game’s development.

Together, these interviews paint a vivid picture of the design philosophy, innovative features, and evolutionary changes that are shaping this exciting new chapter in the Dragon Age saga.

Art Direction and Environmental Design 

Art Director Matt Rhodes discussed the game’s visual direction, emphasizing a continuation and evolution of the style established in Dragon Age: Inquisition. The team focused on creating a visual language that prioritizes storytelling and character development.

Rhodes explained, “What we consider the look of the Veilguard is a very intentional continuation of what Inquisition set in motion. With the Veilguard, what we were trying to do was kind of finish that step, to go one step further.” Rhodes also touched on the challenges and excitement of designing Tevinter, a location previously only hinted at in the series. “Designing Tevinter was incredibly fun,” he said. 

“Because we’ve only ever really hinted at it in previous games. You’ve seen a character here, a piece of ancient architecture there. So, we wanted to make sure that there was a sense of continuation with that,” Rhodes added. 

The team grabbed from existing lore to create a comprehensive visual language for Tevinter, considering aspects like shape, color, and the practical needs of a thriving civilization.

In discussing the design of the Elven Gods, Rhodes revealed their approach: “We’ve kind of seen what very, very powerful people who have kind of brushed up against that power end up looking like. We have Corypheus and the Architect and things like that. So, we wanted to] draw. What’s the design? What’s the original or like the concentrate form of that?” 

He provided an example with Elgar’nan’s design, explaining how they incorporated elements reminiscent of dictators’ military regalia to symbolize power and past victories.

Level Design and Factions 

Level Design Director Francois Chaput explained the team’s approach to creating a more focused and meaningful experience. “The main thing that we wanted to focus on this time was to have a focused and meaningful experience,” Chaput stated.

“It’s more curated. So, we really looked at what are the narratives we’re trying to tell, what are the things we’re trying to sell.”

The game features various factions, each with distinct themes and missions. Chaput highlighted the Veil Jumpers faction, noting their focus on ancient artifacts and the mysterious Arlathan Forest. “For the Veil Jumpers, their key thing is artifacts. Ancient artifacts, rediscovering the past,” he explained. 

“But also, it takes place in the Arlathan Forest. And one of the themes about the Arlathan Forest is it’s not quite haunted, but there’s a lot of odd magical artifacts happening,” Chaput added.

Chaput also discussed how they approached designing missions for different factions: “Really, we would think about what’s the core of fantasy for these factions? What are they all about? Are they an underground faction? Are they necromancy?” He emphasized the importance of creating distinct themes for each faction to ensure variety in gameplay experiences.

Combat System Evolution 

In our exclusive interview with Game Director Corinne Busche and Producer Jen Cheverie who addressed the shift towards a more action-oriented combat system. Busche explained that while the game features fluid, real-time combat, it retains the series’ signature pause-and-play tactical layer.

Busche elaborated, “Dragon Age as a franchise has always reinvented itself. Each game has a unique combat system, a unique approach to the world, [and] level design. Fundamentally, we wanted this to be a very immersive experience where you feel like you’re inhabiting the shoes of Rook.” This design choice aims to create an immersive experience while maintaining strategic depth. “Really, the through line between all of the Dragon Age titles has been that pause-and-play tactical layer,” Busche added. 

“And that’s really where the RPG depth comes into play, no matter if you’re talking Origins, Inquisition, and of course, Veilguard.”

Busche also discussed the flexibility of the combat system, noting that players can approach battles in different ways. Some might prefer a slower, more tactical approach using the wheel interface, while others might use shortcuts to maintain action without pausing. The developers designed this flexibility to accommodate the diverse preferences of Dragon Age players.

Character Customization and Companions

Producer Jen Cheverie discussed the extensive character creation system, describing it as a collaborative effort across multiple disciplines. “The character creator is touched by basically every discipline that we have, I think, on the project,” Cheverie noted. 

“So it really is a heat of collaboration and bringing everybody’s ideas and hopes and wishes together to try and figure out how we can make a character creator where players can see themselves?”

Busche elaborated on the decision to focus player control solely on the protagonist, Rook, rather than allowing direct control of companions. “We wanted the companions to feel like they are literally fully fleshed out people. They’re fighting alongside you, but you’re not inhabiting them,” she explained. The developers made this change to enhance immersion and emphasize the companions as fully-realized characters. The team also visually represented character growth and changes.

Cheverie mentioned, “I love the storytelling we do through the visuals of some of the returning characters as well. Morgan’s been with the series since Dragon Age [Origins] since writing, but she’s looked a little different with each one. And there are some clues about her appearance and what happened in Inquisition”

Class Balance and Party Composition 

The developers addressed questions about class balance and party composition. Busche explained that while each class shares similar baseline abilities, they are balanced through sophisticated underlying systems. 

“We know how much pressure we should be applying towards Rook at any given point in time and the game actually adapts to that based on certain conditions,” she said.

The game allows for more flexibility in party composition compared to previous titles, reducing the need for traditional tank-healer-DPS setups. Busche noted, “What we found is it actually created a lot of friction for players in feeling like they had to bring certain party compositions and that limited maybe bringing some of their favorite characters with them into the battlefield. So we knew we wanted to lighten that.”

This flexibility extends to the point where players can experiment with unconventional party compositions. Cheverie mentioned, “Yeah, it’s pretty cool. You don’t have to rely on those archetypes like you need a tank and you need a healer and you need a DPS, right? You can focus on crowd control. Sometimes you don’t plan and just go in and hope things work.”

Storyline Continuity and Player Choices 

Regarding the game’s connection to previous titles, Busche mentioned that players will be able to revisit some key decisions from past games during character creation. 

“As you go through character creation, you’ll be able to revisit some of those decisions. Maybe it’s been a minute since you’ve played and it’ll be a nice refresher into what those decisions were and why they maybe mattered,” she explained. The game aims to provide answers to long-standing mysteries while introducing new ones, maintaining the series’ tradition of player choice impacting the narrative.

Busche added, “If you’re a fan of the series in general, themes that have been prevalent throughout all three prior games, some of those deepest mysteries and secrets are finally coming to a head. Answers are finally coming to light while we establish brand new mysteries.”

Busche also touched on the challenge of incorporating past decisions into the new game, stating, “It’s one of the most challenging aspects of designing a Dragon Age game. First of all, part of it is returning characters, situations that are relevant to the story that this game is telling. So we know where the real opportunities are.”

Dragon Age: The Veilguard appears to be making significant changes to the series formula while attempting to maintain core elements that fans have come to expect. The developers’ comments suggest a focus on player immersion, character depth, and strategic combat within a richly detailed world, promising an engaging experience for both longtime fans and newcomers to the series.

Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Publisher: EA

Developer: BioWare

Release Date: 2024-10-31

Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, Steam, Xbox Series X|S

Enter the world of Thedas, a vibrant land of rugged wilderness, treacherous labyrinths, and glittering cities – steeped in conflict and secret magics. Now, a pair of corrupt ancient gods have broken free from centuries of darkness and are hellbent on destroying the world.

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