Dragon Age - Interview @ GameBanshee

BioWare's Dan Tudge has been interviewed at GameBanshee about Dragon Age.  Jon Birnbaum tries to tease out some interesting questions but Dan sticks to the company line:

GB: How many attributes, skills, spells, and other character traits do you intend to implement into the game? How can such abilities be utilized during non-combat situations?

Dan: We’re not revealing specific numbers but I can say that customization and character progression are key design pillars in all of BioWare’s games. The character creation system is very robust, so you can make your character male or female, and customize their appearance in great detail. There are a wide variety of talents and spells available, and you can choose to progress those down a number of different paths and specializations. A character who has a high “Persuade” ability, for example, may get different dialogue options, which may lead to different character reactions and storyline outcomes.

GB: Are there any factions we'll be aligning with or opposing during the game? If so, are there any notable ones you can tell us more about?

Dan: You’ll be recruited into the Grey Wardens who are a legendary group of warriors charged with defending Ferelden against the darkspawn. There are many different types of darkspawn, like the Hurlocks and Genlocks we’ve shown in our demos, but there are plenty more types of creatures that have yet to be revealed.