Co-Optimus - News: Co-op Possible for future Dragon Age and Mass Effect games

Co-op Possible for future Dragon Age and Mass Effect games

Katrina "ShadokatRegn" Pawlowski November 17th, 2009 at 4:35 PM

In a recent interview with Videogamer.com, Mass Effect and Dragon Age developer Bioware had offered the possibility of co-op in future games. Western RPG's are becoming more interesting with co-op, mimicking the popularity of MMO's in a controlled environment. We are already well aware that they support social gaming, so this would be the next logical step to us. When asked about the possibility of co-op in future titles, BioWare co-founder and CEO Dr. Ray Muzyka replied:

"Sure, we would consider it. We haven't announced anything on that front yet, but those are interesting ideas. They could make a great gameplay experience. Whether we'll do them or not remains to be decided."

He also warns that co-op may take away from the experience, so they'd have to be careful about how they execute co-op to preserve some of our favorites. Of course, nothing is official at this point, but we always like to imagine co-op makes things better. What about you guys? Would co-op in Dragon Age or Mass Effect diminish the experience, or do you think Bioware could pull it off?

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out our interview with Dr. Greg Zeschuk and Mac Walters on Dragon Age Origins and Mass Effect respectively. They give some more insight into the co-op decisions on these games, or lack there of.

Source: Link

Tags: industry news mass effect dragon age bioware

17 Total Reader Comments

DarkSynopsis at 11:37 AM on 11.17.2009

I feel any game that gives you a squad should allow drop in/out co-op!

Even if it does ruin the story experience a little it should be an option on the users end.

Maybe playing through Single-Player first to grab the story and since most good RPGs end with a 2nd playthrough the next time round you could play it with a buddy.

txshurricane at 11:39 AM on 11.17.2009

Urgh. I always hate that response.

smurphster at 11:43 AM on 11.17.2009

i've heard this multiple times and i don't understand it. if you're going to have co-op, make it available up-front. i guarantee you, more people would buy it. you can be damn sure i wouldn't buy it if i had to go through the campaign once just so my wife can join in on the second round. that just makes no sense to me. we don't have enough time to game as it is so i wouldn't waste my time with a game like that.

i'd love to see those games co-op. they seem interesting but like i said, i don't have much time for solo gaming.

MisterDeeth at 11:53 AM on 11.17.2009

Judging from the glowing things I've heard about Dragon Age, I'd love to see it get a sequel with co-op available. It doesn't have to be Ultimate Alliance, but something similar would be nice.

DarkSynopsis at 11:58 AM on 11.17.2009

I'm not saying have it locked till the game has been finished once, I just meant if people really can't grasp the story while playing co-op they can always play it single-player first and co-op next time round.

I personally would play any RPG co-op right from start if the option was there, I much prefer the co-op experience even if its harder to pay attention to the storyline itself.

smurphster at 12:09 PM on 11.17.2009

@ DarkSynopsis: ah ok... much better

ShadokatRegn at 01:06 PM on 11.17.2009

Kind of like Resident Evil 5

Jackel at 01:14 PM on 11.17.2009

Considering I played the shit out of Baldurs Gate 2 in co-op mode (lan plan) I really don't see how it could be that difficult.

Deriaz at 01:15 PM on 11.17.2009

Co-op for Dragon Age would be nice; lack of it is what's keeping me on the fence. Mass Effect was terribly mediocre, so I wouldn't care either way, but more co-operative RPGs? Yes please.

Bakken Hood at 03:37 PM on 11.17.2009

Two comments on Mass Effect 1) It would be AWESOME to have a competent human controlling Garrus, rather than the weak squad AI; and 2) I wouldn't want to direct Garrus to follow Shepard through a string of talky missions. The second player in a decision-driven RPG is doomed to boredom. I can see letting a splitscreen player-- wife, kid, roommate-- jump in for the combat segments, then go make a sandwich when the words start flying in place of the bullets. Jumping in online seems like more trouble than it's worth, but I suppose it's nice to have that option.

ShadokatRegn at 03:43 PM on 11.17.2009

The only time that boredom would take place is if the other player didn't care about the story/dialog as much as you - in which case, I wouldn't want to play with that person anyway. Co-op for decision making sections could be really interesting for the morality gray area in the game, especially if all of your answers/responses are different.

Bakken Hood at 04:44 PM on 11.17.2009

I see what you're saying, but we're talking about a whole different kind of game now. What I meant is that putting co-op in ME1, or something that plays the same way, would make for some long boring moments; a few minutes of actual co-op followed by a long stretch of watching someone else play. It's true; the idea of a game that forces player 1 to live with player 2's choices and vice versa is tantalizing. Could be a headache, though, since you're stuck linking your "career" to another person. You need a separate playthrough for every co-op partner, and that pretty much rules out key features like drop-in/drop-out and-- heresy alert-- the option to play solo.

VenpaCasa at 05:24 PM on 11.17.2009

I don't think it'll be that hard honestly they can have the second player create a character with you if u guys start together or u can bring your own character from your game and have it say new squad member joined or w/e (lazy way of doing it) but the way i would love to see it happen is both player actually have dialog and input to the story weather the co-op partner is a created character or one of the other squad members. Cuz we all know that in ME1 and DAO when ur in a convo ur squad mates usually add their 2cents anyways so why not let player 2 decide what they say. anyone agree? ps. im new here sorta, in commenting anyways but just have to say i love the idea of a site all about coop

ShadokatRegn at 07:14 PM on 11.17.2009

@Bakken Hood - Not even making player one live with player twos choices, but maybe mix things up where both decisions matter, and different reactions could be available based on BOTH decisions. I dunno, I don't make games, I'm just being theoretical

rafoca at 09:23 AM on 11.18.2009

Both games are essentially co-op, cause we are always with some recruits in our party. The difference is that these characters are not controllable by human players. Let our friends control these characters and I will be happy.

Remember neverwinter nights. If that game managed to have a good co-op, Mass Effect and Dragon Age can also deliver.

Deriaz at 11:51 AM on 11.18.2009

See, that's what I've said on another forum. Yet people still bring up that it would "ruin the experience". Bleh. Nonsense.

I think letting the other party members be controlled is a great idea. If you're going to join random people in an RPG, you have to expect that there's the chance they want to know the story. Otherwise, friends are usually much more at ease about taking your time, and may even be as interested in the story as you are.

ong_elvin at 03:32 PM on 11.18.2009

Squad-based games would work with co-op for the combat, but for Mass Effect as we know it, co-op would be boring. You spend less time in combat as you do outside of it, and the combat sequences do not last long enough. Only at the end do you get a sufficiently enduring combat sequence to justify co-op. The Mako sequences might work, but you'd need something for the third player to do.

The problem with Mass Effect and other games like it is when you're not in combat. Players just want to get to the combat. On the other hand, that could be fixed by making the storyline focus on several protaganists, rather than just Shepard, and allowing multiplayer dialog trees, and allowing all characters to branch off. But then it plays a bit like MMO.

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