Dragon Age II: EA boogaloo

[GandALF]

Oh I see! You wanted show off how not-lazy you are by finding the old thread!

Anyway, I've probably posted this before but the Qun isn't really a religion, it's based on Plato's Republic like the Dominion in DS9, their situation in Kirkwall is like having a battalion of Jem'Hadar hanging around Federation colony.

Their ultimate goal is conquer Thedas and wipe out Adrastian civilization, so it's not entirely irrational bigotry to be wary of them.

[Asvarduil]

Is it just me, or is the audio and video of Part 5 falling further and further out of sync as the video continues on?

[Asvarduil]

I like toying with the idea DA shares a universe with Trek and there was a lost TOS episode where the crew comes down and helps someone fix a fence or something so they name it after the captain. over time the name was shortened to kirkwall drom from Kirk's wall. you know how these things go.

*Sigh* This would mean Andraste was a love child of James...TiBerius Kirk and...some woman. There's always a woman where Kirk is involved.*

Except for when there's not.

[GandALF]

I like toying with the idea DA shares a universe with Trek and there was a lost TOS episode where the crew comes down and helps someone fix a fence or something so they name it after the captain. over time the name was shortened to kirkwall drom from Kirk's wall. you know how these things go.

*Sigh* This would mean Andraste was a love child of James...TiBerius Kirk and...some woman. There's always a woman where Kirk is involved.*

Except for when there's not.

But what about the RL Kirkwall in Orkney? Time travel?

[name_here]

Personally, the serial killer questline was the one where I felt the lack of player agency most acutely, partially because of how personal the stakes ended up being. Hawke gets directly involved in the hunt for a serial killer, then the investigation dead-ends with only succeeding in killing a crazy vigilante hunting that killer, and then it rears back up to haunt Hawke directly. Failure is preordained and none of your choices even influence how the next phase plays out.

[Asvarduil]

I like toying with the idea DA shares a universe with Trek and there was a lost TOS episode where the crew comes down and helps someone fix a fence or something so they name it after the captain. over time the name was shortened to kirkwall drom from Kirk's wall. you know how these things go.

*Sigh* This would mean Andraste was a love child of James...TiBerius Kirk and...some woman. There's always a woman where Kirk is involved.*

Except for when there's not.

But what about the RL Kirkwall in Orkney? Time travel?

Dammit Janeway...

[Winter]

Talking about the Companions for a moment, for me my favorite in DA2 are Merrill, Isabella, Aveline, Bethany and Varric because Varric is awesome! I deeply dislike Fenris and Anders, Sebastian is boring and Carver is just so whiny. Honestly on my second playthrough and declined Fenris' offer to join me, ignored Sebastian, always played as a Rogue so I never have to put up with Carver again and just leave Anders in his clinic until I absolutely need him.

This way I had companions that at least got along and didn't have me wanting to murder all of Kirkwall myself my just hearing how much Fenris and Anders hated each other, Mages and Templars and all things related to that. I do want to note I never gave Fenris to the Tevinters as while I dislike the guy no one deserves that fate. But I did get what Chuck meant when he said he enslaved a elf just to annoy him because I just couldn't tolerate his BS about me being a mage.

My preferred companions of course have their flaws but at least they were fun to hang out with and nice people overall. I mean when I turn down Isabella's flirts she doesn't get annoyed at me and likes the idea of just being friends. I honestly fell in love with Merrill and would have married her if that was a option in DA2. While Aveline and I didn't always see eye to eye she was a loyal friend and a good person just trying to do her job and Varric is just awesome, looking forward to the real world release of his in universe novel Hard in Hightown.

It also really bugs me that Bethany never rejoined me or that I couldn't at least go and visit her in the Circle Tower. She's not on the other side of the country she's just a few blocks from where I live. I mean mom visits her, my uncle visits her why can't I just go and visit her?! And like with everyone else I really hate that you cannot change the fact that she and Carver will leave at the end of act 1 no matter what you do. For crying out loud I can go right in the middle of the Gallows with all my mage companions and rained down fire on everyone and the Templars will never even try complain about it.

I also don't like how your class determines which sibling your going to loss, I would like to be a mage and have Bethany on my team. BUT NOOO, you want to play as a cool mage you have to put up with your annoying younger brother all the way through the game.

Honestly after playing through DA2 and going back to DAI I had a new appreciation for Sera and Vivienne, sure they have their own set of issues but at least they can be reasonable or at the very least civil about it. Fenris and Anders are just twats who hate their respected opposite numbers and where Fenris acts like a jerk to every member of my team who just happens to be a mage, including Hawke, while Anders is rude to Aveline just because she happened to be married to a Templar, Sera actually gets along quite well with Dorian and a mage Inquisitor and Vivienne at least tries to get along with Solas and Blackwall even if she thinks they're both idiots.

Also Sera is willing to let people she hates go if you tell her to and Vivienne never tries to stab you in the back for doing things she doesn't like. Again their not flawless characters but at least I felt like they could be trusted to have my back and that they would, for the most part, act like professionals and even their relationship with each other was actually kind of fun to watch and listen to and they seem to have a little bit of respect for one another.

[GandALF]

"In the name of France" isn't right. William the Conqueror was Norman, not properly French. Normandy was land given to Rollo the Viking as a vassal not directly under the French crown. He held the titles of King of England and Duke of Normandy, the King of France was still a completely separate person.

There's also the rather big difference in that the Fereldens successfully rebelled against the Orlesians while the English never overthrew the Normans.

Orlais seems to be a mix of the Normans, Bourbon France and the Carolingian Empire with Kordillus Drakon being a lot like Charlemagne.

[Asvarduil]

In the 20 seconds of the Orlesian guy talking, I did wind up saying nearly everything that the French say to King Arthur in Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It was too outrageous and hammy to do otherwise. I would not have been surprised if he said, "Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!"

[SFDebris]

"In the name of France" isn't right. William the Conqueror was Norman, not properly French. Normandy was land given to Rollo the Viking as a vassal not directly under the French crown. He held the titles of King of England and Duke of Normandy, the King of France was still a completely separate person.

There's also the rather big difference in that the Fereldens successfully rebelled against the Orlesians while the English never overthrew the Normans.

Orlais seems to be a mix of the Normans, Bourbon France and the Carolingian Empire with Kordillus Drakon being a lot like Charlemagne.

I probably oversimplified that pronouncement. In my defense, DA2 was sapping my will to live at the time.