Former Dragon Age executive producer Mark Darrah has shared his thoughts on what he would alter in each installment of the beloved RPG series. Speaking on TikTok, Darrah addressed the question of what elements he would remove or add to the games if given a chance to revisit them.
For Dragon Age: Origins, Darrah expressed a desire to cut or significantly reduce the "dream sequence" portion of the Mage Tower quest, calling it "filler" and noting that it was developed rapidly towards the end of production. He also suggested that the planned human origin featuring an avvar from the Korcari Wilds would have been a valuable, albeit costly, addition.
Discussing Dragon Age 2, Darrah highlighted the frustrating experience of being forced to fight both the templars and mages in the game's finale, regardless of player allegiance. He noted that even siding with the Circle of Magi leads to a scenario where their leader's actions seemingly validate the templars' fears. To improve the game, Darrah proposed adding a few more levels for players to utilize and increasing environmental variety. He also suggested reducing the amount of gold available during the Act Two main quest to better encourage sidequesting, as the current balance allows players to progress the critical path without needing additional funds.
Regarding Dragon Age: Inquisition, Darrah identified the open-world bloat as a significant issue, particularly in areas like the Hissing Wastes. He proposed cutting some of the larger zones to improve pacing. Furthermore, he suggested reducing the amount of "Power" required to access critical path missions, stating that this mechanic could be lowered by 40% to 60% without negatively impacting the game's flow.
For the upcoming Dragon Age: The Veilguard, Darrah expressed a desire to add the "Keep," a feature that allows players to import their world state from previous games, acknowledging that such an addition would be significant. When asked what he would remove from The Veilguard, Darrah stated he did not have a ready answer.