Dragon’s Dogma development diary discusses the Pawn system

Get a behind the scenes look at the making of Dragon's Dogma! In part two of the development diary, learn about the inspiration for the Pawn system, an inside look into what the team set out to do with these otherworldly companions and how they can help you along in battle. With up to three A.I. teammates, Dragon's Dogma is definitely going to be a full house, though computer-controlled partners have had a history of mucking things up. Here's hoping that DD's A.I. is top-notch!

Game info: Dragon's Dogma is an exciting new franchise which redefines the single player Action-RPG genre. Developed by the team that produced some of Capcom's greatest action games,Dragon's Dogma is set in a huge open-world environment that offers exhilarating and fulfilling action combat game with the freedom to explore and interact in a rich, living and breathing world. Additional features include: classic RPG questing gameplay and classes, unique flexible party combat using trainable AI companions known as Pawns, extreme customization of player characters and party companions, PlayStation Network integration that allows the sharing of Pawns, a dynamic in-game 24-hour day/night cycle, and post-launch downloadable content.

Innovative Team-Based AI Gameplay

Dragon's Dogma introduces an innovative team system to the genre. The player's three AI partners, known as "Pawns" fight independently, demonstrating prowess and ability they have developed based on traits learned over time from the player and their actions. Utilizing PlayStation Network, players will journey to the Rift where they can share their own Pawns with friends and be rewarded with treasure, knowledge of the world and strategies for taking down enemies. Conversely, players can borrow friends' Pawns with the specific skills or experience required to tackle a particular quest. In addition, Dragon's Dogma will ship with thousands of ready-made Pawns for players to select offline.

Key Game Features

• Highly Stylized Action Combat – The creators of this game were responsible for the action hits – Resident Evil 4 and Devil May Cry 4.
• Fight With Ability – The soul of combat comes down to how the game is played, where you strike the enemy, and how you react to their attacks.
• Pawn Them All – The Pawn system offers flexible combat assistance with a main pawn companion that you can train throughout the game and two secondary Pawns that can vary wildly to fit your combat style.
• Help Your Friends, Help Yourself – To enhance your battle experience, share your main Pawn with friends and others via PlayStation Network. Your Pawn's experience as a member of someone else's game will be passed on to you in loot, knowledge of the open world and strategies for taking down enemies. Or, you can choose one of the thousands of AI Pawns included with the game.
• Accessible Depth – Bringing an unprecedented level of depth to the action genre, every decision has an effect on gameplay in an intuitive way that does not require micromanagement. The weight of your weapon, the material of your armor — even the length of your legs — plays a role in how you fight your battles, but does not interrupt the flow of the action.
• Epic Adventure – Dragon's Dogma is built from the ground up as an action experience for consoles with a continuous, epic storyline that stands alone in style, scope and substance.
• Open World – Utilizing Capcom's proprietary MT Framework engine and the groundbreaking graphical styles and lighting effects used inResident Evil 5 and Lost Planet 2, Dragon's Dogma expands the environment to create a vast, richly detailed world, ripe for exploration.
• Night and Day – The open-world features a dynamic 24-hour day/night cycle that will offer different enemies and surprises depending on when you venture into the world.
• A Rich Population – In addition to interacting with hundreds of fully voiced NPCs, you'll be able to fight a large variety of creatures, from goblins to griffins and dragons. Each enemy requires a different strategy and provides a unique experience.
• Resident Evil 6 demo – Dragon's Dogma will ship with a redeemable token allowing purchasers early access to the Resident Evil 6 demo.