Asa Roos Gives the Scoop!

MORE GOODIES!

As we celebrate #DragonAgeDay 2020, BioWare's talented team has blessed us with an assortment of wonderful insights from its writers and creatives, and I'm so delighted to be able to share answers to our silliest questions from the talented Åsa Roos, a UX-designer at BioWare in Edmonton!

SILLY QUESTIONS

ME: Which would you pick? Earth 2020, or Thedas during Blight, Meredith’s Kirkwall, or the Breach?

ÅSA: Meredith’s Kirkwall. At least there wasn’t a pandemic and it’s close to the sea.

Warden, Hawke or Inky -- which are you, at heart?

I am totally Hawke. Not very important, really, just someone who wants to take care of their family.

You wake up with the Anchor/Mark. What do you do?

Scream for a few hours and proceed to find Solas to ask him what the hell he was thinking. Wasn’t once enough?

Would you undergo The Joining?

If I had a choice no. If I didn’t have a choice I would, and then promptly die.

What's your weapon of choice?

Sarcasm.

What do you name your Mabari?

This one I got from Karin and Patrick Weekes. The Dread Woof. Or just Dog, like in most of my playthroughs. I’m so lazy.

What's your personal canon/favorite race and class in Dragon Age?

Elf Rogue or Elf Mage. I prefer to keep the Darkspawn at a distance. And the Qunari. Pretty much everyone, now that I think about it.

Which demon would show up to tempt you at your personal Harrowing?

Pride, probably. Or Envy. Close call.

Which Dragon Age follower would you romance?

All of them. Well. I’d probably have a crush on Varric that I never told him about, and then I’d be best friends with Dorian and eat cheese with Alistair. I’d have a crush on Alistair as well, but I’d never tell him either.

Who's your favorite Dragon Age villain and why?

Solas, because he is multifaceted and very, very human in all his fallibility.

What's your favorite romance ship? (Canon or non-canon, platonic or romantic)?

I would really like it if Morrigan found a friend she could drink tea and talk magic with. She deserves it.

You get beamed to Thedas: What's your job--and would you survive?

I’d probably end up in Denerim, making rivets and chainmail for Wade and Herren, having Wade stress me to death with his attention to detail. Most likely I’d be killed in the siege of Denerim, but not in any noble fashion. I’d probably die from an ogre sitting down on me by accident or something.

Your literary read of the day: Swords and Shields or Hard in Hightown, or The Randy Dowager?

I’d slip Swords and Shields into a cover of Hard in Hightown.

Favorite Dragon Age herb or plant?

Bees. No wait. Dawn Lotus.

Who do you feel is the most misunderstood Dragon Age character?

That Chantry sister outside the Chantry in Denerim who just can’t seem to get the Chant of Light

right.

Which quarters at Skyhold would YOU pick for yours?

I would kick everyone out of the library and put a bed in there.

What would be your approval rating at Halamshiral during Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts? Are you prim and proper or dancing on tables?

Sad to say I’m prim and proper, but my sarcasm would probably tank my approval score.

Favorite Dragon Age creature?

Dragons. Especially the sleeping dragon in the Hissing Wastes. It’s so cute!

Favorite Qunari or Elven term?

Vashedan. It’s very useful and not many people who haven't played Dragon Age know what it means.

Favorite Inquisitor mount?

War nugs!

What would be your Dragon Age "watchword?"

Please don’t hurt me!

Last but not least... what are your feelings on Plaidweave?

If Anders wears it as a kilt, I’m all in favor!

UN-SILLY QUESTIONS

What was your role (or roles) in working on the Dragon Age games?

I am a UX designer on the coming Dragon Age game.

What does increasing inclusivity and diversity in the games industry mean to you?

A lot. This is why I eventually found my way to BioWare. These games have meant the world to me, and as a game developer, I wanted to be part of creating something that would mean just as much to new players and returning players.

What's your favorite book?

Unfair question. All of them! It’s actually a series of books. Martha Wells’ the Murderbot Diaries.

What's your favorite movie?

Another unfair question. It depends, but my fall back is always Alien or Mad Max Fury Road.

Who's your favorite artist?

The limitations! I really like Bat for Lashes almost all the time, but I also enjoy Puscifer.

Who or what inspired you to work in the games industry?

I started playing TTRPGs really early, and I was always fascinated by them, the fact that you could build a world and people could populate it but it didn’t really exist. When I had the opportunity to work in games, I took it.

What's your favorite thing about your work?

Everything. But I love problem-solving and systems so when I can dig into a really complex system and figure it out, that’s what keeps me going.

What's your favorite thing about being part of the BioWare team?

The people I get to work with. We have an outrageously smart team and people I really admire and appreciate working with.

What was your proudest accomplishment with BioWare so far?

I could tell you, but Darrah would kill me. No seriously, I can’t say anything about it because it’s part of development.

What was your proudest contribution to Dragon Age?

I can’t tell you that either.

EXCELLENT! Meanwhile, what part of your work is most challenging or satisfying for you?

The most satisfying part is when I find a solution to a really tricky problem that just works. I work with user experience design so a lot of what I do is smooth the way and enhance the work of other teams.

What’s your funniest moment on Dragon Age work?

When the puns about Darkspawn spun out of control in a meeting chat. People had to tell us to get serious. We punned about that as well.

What was a favorite team or collaboration moment for you?

All of them are. My team is amazing.

Which Dragon Age team member(s) did you always want to call out as deserving of special praise?

Game development is a team effort, and everyone does important work. I don’t think anyone specific should be called out. Everyone’s work is important for us to be able to build the game, from QV to programming via art and design and production.

Is there a song or music style that inspired your work on Dragon Age?

Not really, although I do spend a lot of time listening to game music because it’s instrumental and it helps me focus.

Is there anything we haven't asked that you always wished someone would ask about working on Dragon Age?

“Does Mark Darrah really drink that much tea?” Yes, yes he does.

Last but not least: What was your most inspiring moment in 2020, if you feel like sharing it?

I think any time we reach a point when a part of the game comes together and we can see all the work we’ve been doing is pretty amazing. Because we’ve done it while working from home, all of us.

Thank you so much, Åsa!