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!

BioWare's Brianne Battye Answers our Silliest Questions (and Some Serious Ones Too)!

As most of us Dragon Age fans already know, Brianne Battye is a talented writer at BioWare who contributed her talents to Dragon Age Inquisition, Tevinter Nights, and who is also a poet in her own right.

Here, to celebrate #DragonAgeDay, she's provided us with an inside look at her own answers to our silliest (and not quite silliest) questions for 2020!

Here goes!

So, Brianne! Warden, Hawke, or Inky – which are you, at heart?

BRIANNE: Hawke. Mostly Purple Hawke.

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

1. Panic.

2. Poke at it.

3. Panic.

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

Have we seen an Anxiety demon? It would be an Anxiety demon.

I feel this on a very personal level. If there was a 2020 demon, it would totally be Anxiety, right?

Onward!

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

Could I still be a writer? Maybe Varric could introduce me to his publisher. I hope I’d survive, but this IS Thedas.

Favorite Dragon Age herb or plant?

Dawn lotus. They look like lily pads and I love lily pads.

Which quarters at Skyhold would YOU pick for yourself?

I mean, there’s a lot of spare rooms so probably a room no one’s using. If it’s out of the follower, advisor, or Inquisitor rooms… Leliana’s space. It’s quiet, not too bright, has a proper roof. I’d make friends with the messenger birds.

What's your favorite Dragon Age creature?

Definitely fennecs! I would love a fennec friend.

Favorite Inquisitor mount?

All of the harts!

What are your feelings on Plaidweave?

Okay, I’m one of those Canadians with five different button-down plaid shirts in her closet. So, it’s all good.

What’s your favorite book?

It changes depending on when you ask me. A book I read this year and loved: This is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone.

What’s your favorite movie?

Like books, this answer changes when you ask me, but a lot of the time it’s Howl’s Moving Castle.

What part of your work is most challenging or satisfying for you?

I love writing and creating stories, but work isn’t always easy. There have been a lot of challenging and stressful times over the years. When I’ve heard from people that something I helped create meant something to them—something serious or something that just made them smile—I can’t express how much that means to me.

Which Dragon Age team members did you always want to call out as deserving of special praise?

Our transfer to Work From Home was very abrupt. Everyone working on IT support has done an incredible job getting the team set-up and (virtually) coming to the rescue when issues arise. I also want to call out our Facilities team who helped coordinate our transfer to Work From Home and who continue to arrange virtual events to help people feel connected.

Thank you so much, Brianne! And happy DRAGON AGE DAY!

 

Sylvia Feketekuty Answers Silly Questions for Dragon Age Day 2020!

Happy Dragon Age Day 2020!

Hello all you amazing Thedosians! Thanks to our wonderful friends at BioWare, we've gotten some fabulous responses to the incredibly silly list of questions I sent over to them for 2020. We're so proud that this is our third consecutive year for #DragonAgeDay, and this year we're raising money and awareness for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund!

Sylvia Feketekuty is a brilliant writer on the BioWare team, and she was nice enough to respond to my silly questions list with the following wonderful and whimsical answers!

ME: Sylvia, you wake up with the Anchor/Mark. What do you do?

SYLVIA: Probably panic!

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

I prefer mages in RPGs. That said, when I was playing through my content during DA:I’s development, I created a dwarf warrior just to change things up. I’d like to replay Inquisition as my standard female human mage one day, maybe just before the game I’m working on now releases. I think that could be fun.

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

This is tough! Fear, sloth, despair? All good candidates.

Who's your favorite Dragon Age villain and why? 

Probably one of the ones I’m working on now.

SO EVIL! (sigh)

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

As Josephine’s writer, she’ll always be my favorite!

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

If I can read the language: time to be a Chantry clerk! My survival probably depends on whether a fresh disaster is rolling across Thedas or not.

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

I’m very curious about Swords and Shields, after Cassandra’s reluctant endorsement.

Favorite Dragon Age herb or plant? 

Crystal Grace. The bellflowers are beautiful.

Favorite Inquisitor mount? 

The harts, because I was not prepared for the sound they make when I first tried them out.

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

I’m True Neutral on Plaidweave.

And now, for a few more serious questions! What was your role (or roles) in working on the Dragon Age games?

I’ve been a writer at BioWare for eleven years now, but Inquisition was my first Dragon Age game. When I came on, I remember a whiteboard with quick descriptions of the core cast. “Diplomat?” was scribbled under the advisors. Our lead writer at the time, David Gaider, told me I could pitch that character, and that was the start of Josephine.

I was also the writer on three wildernesses, developing quests with the level designers for Crestwood, the Fallow Mire, and the Hissing Wastes. For our critical path story, I wrote “Champions of the Just” (though most of Abernache was Luke Kristjanson) and “What Pride Had Wrought” (though Dave did some of the conversations inside the temple). And I was also one of the writers on Jaws of Hakkon and Trespasser.

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

For anyone who wants to make a game to be able to do so in safe, supportive environment. That’s a pretty broad statement, but I think removing extra hurdles and bad practices is the only way forward. 

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

Playing games as a kid. They were these weird, wonderful worlds you had to explore on their own terms. That’s still very special. The magic’s never left.

What was a favorite team or collaboration moment for you? 

I wasn’t positive we could get a sword duel for Josephine’s romance. Then her cine designer, Richard Boisvert, arranged for motion capture of people dueling and was able to craft the scene. I was amazed, and still am, he figured out a way.

Another favorite collaboration was developing Crestwood with level designer Raylene Deck. Because we had a dungeon available, we were able to tie it into the Fade Rift in the lake and the dam and the overall story of the area. I was really pleased with that, because I’d always wanted to write an old-fashioned dungeon jaunt.

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

Good question! Probably “what little-seen people or places in the Dragon Age universe would you like to explore?” Which is a tease, because that’s exactly what I’m doing now at work. One day!

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

It’s not one single moment, but I’m grateful every day for my friends for keeping in touch, playing games with me over the internet, and generally helping me through.

Thank you to Sylvia for sharing her thoughts with us! And HAPPY DRAGON AGE DAY!