Dragon Age: Origins Toolset Preview
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Those familiar with BioWare's Neverwinter Nights Aurora Engine toolset will quickly find that the Dragon Age toolkit presents a far more powerful array of powers for the budding world builder. I sat in on an event held for the established NWN builder community, who are expected to remain loyal to BioWare and make the transition to Dragon Age. Reactions from these experienced modders were overwhelmingly positive.
Scripting is at the core of the Dragon Age toolset, allowing you to customize nearly every possible aspect of the game experience. It's both powerful and easier to use than in previous engines. I have minimal experience with coding, but was somehow able to follow along during demonstrations thanks to a handy autocomplete function that made it easy to fill out lines of code with minimal busywork.
Level creation is handled from a very painterly perspective, with a palette-driven interface that will feel at home to those familiar with 3DS Max. You can even select 3DS Max-style controls, if that's your thing, as an alternative to the NWN controls. You can control all sorts of different visuals, from the lighting to the shrubbery. You can lay down bricks and stones, and you can control the wind, defining exactly how your flags will flutter. Laying down objects is far easier than I'd have expected, as you can set objects to "snap to" the terrain, aligning themselves perfectly with the groundwork you've laid.
