There have been some discussions around “live elements,” which were mentioned in an article about Bioware for Dragon Age 4. Now, Casey Hudson, General Manager of the development studio, has spoken out.
“Live elements” is a broad term. When it came to light that a new Dragon Age should have such “live elements,” alarm bells went off for fans. Many associate “live elements” with pseudo-MMO games like Destiny or The Division. This is not what fans want for the series.
What is common with live elements?
- They could be loot boxes that you have to earn or purchase.
- There could be regular updates with new content or DLCs.
- Or it could be an online mode similar to Destiny 2, where you meet other players in a hub to experience adventures together that are continuously expanded.
Since only this term was mentioned without explanation in connection with Dragon Age 4, many players wondered what exactly is meant by it.
Live elements are supposed to continue the story
Now Casey Hudson, General Manager at Bioware, joined the discussion. He explains that Dragon Age 4 will continue to focus on what has made the series great and successful: story and interesting characters. Nothing is supposed to change in that regard.
As for the “live elements,” they are simply a game design through which stories can still be told even after the end of the main story. However, Dragon Age 4 is still in a very early phase of development, which is why it is too early to get more specific.
This means for the upcoming RPG that we are likely to receive elements like these:
- Regular content updates with new story content
- Multiple DLCs that continue the story
Dragon Age Destiny?
So far, there has been no talk of a multiplayer mode. This is also a rather tricky topic. Suddenly turning a story-driven, single-player-focused RPG into a kind of Destiny, where you meet other players to form groups, could not sit well with fans.
Therefore, steady expansions of the story through small and large updates seem more likely. We will know more once Bioware officially announces Dragon Age 4 and then discusses the game design in detail.
