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Dragon Age: Inquisition machinima (2019): A cinematic take on my favorite in-game party banter, in which Solas and Iron Bull reenact the legendary 1851 chess game played by Anderssen and Kieseritzky. My primary goal was to make it a bit easier to follow along for viewers unfamilliar with chess. My Dragon Age: Inquisition machinima is made with DAI Cinematic Tools, created by Matti Hietanen. The toolset lets me move the viewpoint camera around freely, change its field of view, and also add several visual effects -- depth of field, for instance. Equally important is a Cheat Engine script to trigger and toggle through randomized in-game party banter by pressing a hotkey. However, a significant part of the creative process usually takes place outside of the game, in Adobe After Effects. TRANSCRIPT: Act I SOLAS: How do you feel, Iron Bull? Do you need a distraction to focus your mind? IRON BULL: Well, this area's low on dancing girls, sadly. SOLAS: King's pawn to E4. IRON BULL: You're shitting me. We don't even have a board! SOLAS: Too complicated for a savage Tal-Vashoth? IRON BULL: Smug little asshole. Pawn to E5. SOLAS: Pawn to F4. King's Gambit. IRON BULL: Accepted. Pawn takes pawn. Give me a bit to get the pieces set in my head. Then we'll see what you've got. Act II SOLAS: So, where were we? Ah, yes. Mage to C4. IRON BULL: Little aggressive. Arishok to H4. Check. SOLAS: Speaking of aggressive. I assume Arishok is your term for the Queen? King to F1. IRON BULL: Pawn to B5. SOLAS: All right. You have my curiosity. Mage takes Pawn. IRON BULL: You call your Tamassrans Mages? Ben-Hassrath to F6. SOLAS: You call your Knights Ben-Hassrath? Incidentally, Knight to F3. IRON BULL: Ben-Hassrath makes more sense than horses. They're sneaky, and they can move through enemy lines. Arishok to H6. SOLAS: Pawn to D3. IRON BULL: Ben-Hassrath to H5. Hah! All right, take some time. Think about your life choices. a bit to get the pieces set in my head. Then we'll see what you've got. Act III SOLAS: All right, Bull. If you are prepared: Knight to H4. IRON BULL: Arishok to G5. So, you giving up the Tamassran at B5 or the Ben-Hassrath at H4? SOLAS: Neither. Knight to F5. IRON BULL: Pawn to C6. Left your Tamassran hanging out. SOLAS: And you, your Knight. Or Ben-Hassrath, if you will. Pawn to G4. IRON BULL: Ben-Hassrath to F6. SOLAS: Hmm. Tower to G1. IRON BULL: Hah! Pawn takes your Tamassran - or Mage, or whatever it is. SOLAS: I get the idea. IRON BULL: Too much time playing with spirits, Fade Walker. SOLAS: We shall see. Act IV SOLAS: If you have a moment, Bull: Pawn to H4 IRON BULL: Arishok to G6. SOLAS: Pawn to H5. Careful. IRON BULL: You're the one who lost his Mage. Arishok to G5. SOLAS: Queen to F3. IRON BULL: Oh, clever. Almost trapped my Arishok. Ben-Hassrath to G8. SOLAS: Mage takes Pawn, threatens Queen. IRON BULL: Arishok to F6. SOLAS: Knight to C3. You've developed nothing but your Queen. IRON BULL: Don't get cocky, you're still one Tamassran down. Tamassran to C5, by the way. SOLAS: Hmm. I will need to consider. Act V SOLAS: After careful consideration: Knight to D5. IRON BULL: Arishok takes Pawn at B2. SOLAS: Mage to D6. IRON BULL: Arishok takes Tower. Check. What are you doing, Solas? SOLAS: King to E2. IRON BULL: All right, Tamassran takes Tower. Your last Tower, by the way. SOLAS: Pawn to E5. IRON BULL: Really. I've got my whole army bearing down on your King, and you're moving a Pawn? IRON BULL: Are you even trying anymore? SOLAS: Think about it, my friend. Act VI IRON BULL: All right, Solas. I've thought about it. Ready to finish this? Ben-Hassrath to A6. SOLAS: Knight takes Pawn at G7. Check. IRON BULL: Uh-huh. King to D8. SOLAS: Queen to F6, Check. IRON BULL: And now my Ben-Hassrath takes your Queen. IRON BULL: You've got no Towers. You're down to a single Mage. Too bad you wasted time moving that Pawn to… to… IRON BULL: You sneaky son of a bitch. SOLAS: Mage to E7. Checkmate. IRON BULL: Nice game, mage. SOLAS: And you as well, Tal-Vashoth.
