“Sexy sorceresses” and “bare-chested fighters”: Dragon Age’s original artists wanted to base it on Conan the Barbarian, much to the outrage of the designers

David Gaider says Dragon Age: Origins was shaped by disagreements at BioWare over what kind of fantasy world the game should be. Artists favoured a Conan the Barbarian style, while designers wanted something closer to The Lord of the Rings; the clash helps explain the series’ changing feel across releases.

The production team proposed a third direction, inspired by Diablo, including a world “dripping with blood”, but both groups resisted and the violence was later toned down. Gaider argues that the project lacked a clearly defined creative vision, allowing departments to pull in different directions. He says Origins ultimately combined Conan-like visuals with writing closer to Tolkien.