DAO2 to not have a toolset?

[Bateluer]

http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=259160

What happened to you Bioware? Reading some of their comments and information on DAO2, I get the impressions that they are being 'forced' to make the sequel before they really wanted to. You've got conflicting information coming out of different leads at Bioware regarding it.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/4376174/37

After making the initial announcement of a lack of toolset, and 37 pages of backlash, Laidlaw makes an appearance on the forums in an attempt to placate the PC fans by offering the possibility of updating the DAO1 toolset since the game engines are so similar.

BioWare has revealed that Dragon Age 2 will not contain the tactical view option from the first game, or have any new tools for modding - as the console community does not value them.

In an interview with French magazine Joystick, lead designer Mike Laidlaw revealed that development of the sequel to BioWare's hit RPG would be more console-focused.

"To be short, DAO 2 will not have a toolset. I think that DAO I toolset is very powerful but very complicated" said Laidlaw.

He later clarified on the BioWare forum that the feature was omitted because the tools for 'Dragon Age 2 are very, very close to the tools' used in the first game.

Laidlaw also confirmed that the game wouldn't have the overhead tactical view, a feature that PC players were particularly fond of.

While the tactical view was outright dismissed for the console, the PC version would be getting a modified version that has the 'key elements' of the view.

"As to the subject of tactical view, I can confirm that we will not be doing a tactical view on consoles, though we are looking into some expanded party control that I think will make console players quite happy."

"On the PC, however, we are still working with the camera to keep the key elements of the tactical experience there" said Laidlaw.

According to the translation of the magazine, the changes were inspired by the game's success on consoles.

It reads: "For budgetary reasons, we focused our work on a third person view, that asks for very detailed and nice textures so that the player can admire the game with a close-up view," he said. "With an aerial view [isometric] we should cover much more ground and so create other textures. Now, the game mainly sold on console, so we're going the way of the audience."

Bioware co-founder Dr. Greg Zeschuk recently said that 'consoles are the past', and encouraged studios to branch out, these changes indicate a conflicting attitude.