.@IATSE members (like myself) were told by leadership that the reason there were major concessions to the studios on the AI portion of the recent contract deal was because the studios were so scared of the copyright implications of the technology. 1/

Dragon Age: Veilguard | IGN Hands-On Impressions ▪️Was skeptical before playing, but now "I left feeling like these ten long years just might’ve been worth the wait", "much more hopeful that this could be the hit BioWare needs" ▪️"Walked away with excitement and curiosity, but mostly, relief to wave many of my concerns goodbye" ▪️While the game is not open world like Dragon Age: Inquisition, they were "impressed" by "how much exploration can still be done in the various regions", as well as the impact you can have on those regions ▪️Feels like a mix of Dragon Age 2 and Inquisition, with the more streamlined approach of DA2 and the geographical and sociopolitical diversity of Inquisition ▪️There is an "effective and succinct story recap from Varric" at the start of the game ▪️Combat feels like there is a lot of room to create "highly customized builds" of your Rook, companion abilities and combos build team synergy ▪️The "scrappiness" of Rook reminded them a bit of Hawke in DA2 rather than the more 'chosen one' of the Inquisitor ▪️Companions will sometimes drop useful hints during combat ▪️Your attitude and choices in dialogue will be noted and remembered in more detail, for example choosing to be antagonistic with Solas let you know you "traded verbal jabs with Solas", implying possible consequences later ▪️"Became clear that there would consistently be tons of choices in The Veilguard that’ll have lasting results", more than the usual BioWare game ▪️The initial prologue is linear in approach, but the game becomes "much more free" and opens up, tackle quests as you please and unlock more regions ▪️Mix of drastically different regions: Arlathan Forest is "gorgeous and colorful", nugs burrowing into grass, "vast array of nature", while Hossberg Wetlands is full of more "horror inspired" aesthetics, consumed by the Blight ▪️"Those who miss the gore and dark fantasy of Origins will find that too in places where the Blight has spread" ▪️Treviso is a bustling and lively city, "so much to explore that I kept getting sidetracked" ▪️Party banter pauses and picks up again later if you trigger combat, a cutscene, etc that interrupts their dialogue ▪️Customizable difficulty options allows you turn off things like navigation and look for in-game clues in the environment to follow to your goal ▪️BioWare listened to the complaints about "the Hinterlands" in Inquisition and tons of fetch quests, where in Veilguard the scope isn't nearly as bloated and quests point back to the main story, region, faction, or companions ▪️The two Elven god villains Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain feel much more present throughout the game compared to Corypheus in Inquisition ▪️The Lighthouse (hub) starts to feel more lived in as you play, characters/companions have unique quirks (Emmrich's skeleton assistant Manfred enjoys spending time on the balcony for example, you can play Rock, Paper, Scissors with him) ▪️Solas and his history are very important throughout the game Video ▶️ Article ➡️ #DragonAge

Sorry, @Amazon. This Echo frame is getting sold, traded in or recycled. That it would be free 24/7 ad space for you in my home wasn’t disclosed upon purchase and no-opt out? Absolutely not. You barely display my uploaded pictures as it is.