Although BioWare recently shut down, discussions about its legacy continue. Former executive producer Mark Darrah shared development details. On his YouTube channel, he revealed how the fourth installment of Dragon Age was originally conceived.
The basis was an internal confidential document designed in the form of a small book. It was prepared back in mid-2016, but until now the materials had never been published.
The main objective of the document was to maintain publisher interest and secure funding for the next major project. The developers wanted to remind EA leadership of the success of Dragon Age: Inquisition and gain approval for the new game, which was being created under the codename Joplin.
BioWare planned to make the world much more dynamic and interactive than in previous installments. Ideas included an environmental destruction system, realistic changing weather, and new ways to interact with NPCs. The developers wanted to add a heist system in which players could directly participate. The environment was supposed to react naturally to user actions, creating the feeling of a living world.
Darrah admits that even without production issues, many of the ideas might not have made it into the final version. In 2017, the team abandoned the concept of large-scale heists. The documents show that BioWare considered serious development of the series and wanted to take a big step forward.