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Former BioWare developer David Gaider recently revealed that the original Dragon Age trilogy suffered from a lack of unified vision during its early development. According to Gaider, the project was initially defined by internal factionalism, as different departments struggled to agree on the core fantasy inspiration for the series.
A significant rift occurred between the art and design departments. The art team pushed for a style inspired by Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, featuring bare-chested fighters and sorceresses. Conversely, the design team insisted on a Lord of the Rings aesthetic. Gaider noted that this tension resulted in a final product that blended a Conan-inspired art style with Tolkien-esque writing.
Production staff also attempted to influence the game's direction by pushing for a Diablo-like experience. They specifically requested that creatures explode in blood, a theme Gaider described as lacking substance. While the design and art teams largely ignored the Diablo mandate, the producers successfully pushed for a high level of gore, which the developers eventually had to tone down.
Gaider contrasted these struggles with the development of Mass Effect, which benefited from project director Casey Hudson establishing a singular vision early on. He suggested that Dragon Age remained a jumble, with the team figuring out the world's identity reactively across subsequent releases like Dragon Age II and Dragon Age: Inquisition.
