Editorial Archetypes/Stereotypes in Dragon Age

[Monolith]

Tags: BioWare; Dragon Age

Escapist's Shamus Young had a look at the NPCs the writers at BioWare came up with and notices that specific archetypes make an appearance in most of their games. <a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/columns/experienced-points/6862-Experienced-Points-The-Writers-of-BioWare">Here's the article</a> with the NPCs categorized accordingly.
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<blockquote><b>The Remorseless Killer</b>
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Examples: Sten (Dragon Age), Canderous Ordo (KOTOR), Sagacious Zu (Jade Empire)
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The product of a warrior culture, the Remorseless Killer is just doing his job. His grim, scorched-earth, genocidal, baby-killing job. Don't take it personally. Most of the time his awful deeds served the greater good. Or seemed to. He thinks. It's all sort of a blur now. Still, he can't help it so it's best not to dwell on the past anyway.
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<b>The Mentor</b>
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Examples: Wynne (Dragon Age), Jolee Bindo (KOTOR), David Anderson (Mass Effect)
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You see son, back in my day [insert plot exposition here].
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There's nothing more handy in a big game with a new setting than an old-timer who can fill in the blanks for you while doing a lot of the "I'm too old for this" shtick.</blockquote>
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And a <a href="http://greywardens.com/2009/12/of-elves-archetypes-and-derivative-fantasy/">fanboy at greywardens.com</a> argues that generic fantasy isn't generic if it mirrors real life social issues.
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<blockquote>When I look at that fantasy staple, the elven race as presented by Tolkien, I see beautiful, magical, nature-communing people, yes. But, I also see a statement about a world turning away from those things. Tolkien’s elves were leaving a Middle Earth that no longer had any place for them. The Lios Alfar in Guy Gavriel Kay’s Fionavar Tapestries have withdrawn behind a veil of mist as their numbers dwindle.
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In Ferelden’s elves, I see a different message – but one given layers of meaning because of the vocabulary provided by previous works. These elves aren’t withdrawing. They can’t. Neither Tolkien nor Kay uses the elves – or any other of the races – as a mirror for our own society, and how we treat the poor and vulnerable.
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...
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So, why are these elves ‘cliché’? Why is it that the solid background of literature about elves doesn’t give them a place as archetype, a base on which to build new stories?</blockquote>
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They are cliché because CD Projekt was faster.
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Spotted at: <a href="http://www.rpgwatch.com">RPG Watch</a>

 

[hiver]

Neither Tolkien nor Kay uses the elves – or any other of the races – as a mirror for our own society, and how we treat the poor and vulnerable.

I wouldnt jump at that conclusion so quickly. There are direct and indirect ways of using imaginary races as mirrors to certain phenomena or behaviour of human race.

Other then that; good morning Columbus.

 

[denizsi]

Sherlock has gone out of trend?

 

[Xor]

Glad to see someone else noticed that Bioware uses the same 9 or so characters in every game they make.

 

[Lesifoere]

I love it when some fanboy tries to pass Bioware's writing off as serious literature equivalent.

 

[Gragt]

Ah, he's with The Escapiss now. Makes sense.

 

[made]

SHREW: You must go north now.

PLAYER: I'd rather go south.

SHREW: Why, because you're to stupid to comprehend the idea of north?

PLAYER: No.

SHREW: I see. So you're a coward, then?

PLAYER: I just like south better.

SHREW: Fine, I will follow you on your feeble journey south, if only to laugh at your miserable failure.

PLAYER: Geeze, what's your problem, lady?

SHREW: Oh, did I hurt your feelings? Poor baby. Your childish tears amuse me.

Quite funny, and a fitting representation of DA dialogue.

 

[Volourn]

Nikce attenpt, but the listings fial. Since when is Bastila a 'shrew'? That doesn't even make sense. Morrigan, yes. Bastila, no. It also shows how desperate the author is when out fo thge blue they throw a non joinable character in there. Moron.

Honestly, these stereotypes are often just as bad as theya r ein real life - just an attempt to pegion hole people. One can call every character ever created some sort of streotype.


"They are cliché because CD Projekt was faster"

What's hialirous about this is that D&D/TSR was even faster than CD Projekt. Idiot. Plus, the DA eleves have very little in common with TW elves. They have more in common with various D&D elves. Tool.

 

[FeelTheRads]

Glad to see someone else noticed that Bioware uses the same 9 or so characters in every game they make.

LOL. LIES> FOORLES.

 

[Serious_Business]

Nikce attenpt, but the listings fial. Since when is Bastila a 'shrew'? That doesn't even make sense. Morrigan, yes. Bastila, no. It also shows how desperate the author is when out fo thge blue they throw a non joinable character in there. Moron.

Honestly, these stereotypes are often just as bad as theya r ein real life - just an attempt to pegion hole people. One can call every character ever created some sort of streotype.


"They are cliché because CD Projekt was faster"

What's hialirous about this is that D&D/TSR was even faster than CD Projekt. Idiot. Plus, the DA eleves have very little in common with TW elves. They have more in common with various D&D elves. Tool.

ARGHHH SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU'RE AN IGNORANT UNEDUCATED LOUD RETARD NO ONE CARES

except me.

i love you :wink:

 

[circ]

Nikce attenpt, but the listings fial. Since when is Bastila a 'shrew'? That doesn't even make sense. Morrigan, yes. Bastila, no. It also shows how desperate the author is when out fo thge blue they throw a non joinable character in there. Moron.

Just because Bastila is a hot piece of supple female fuckmeat doesn't make her any less the stereotypical shrew. Ok wait. Did you even play KotOR? Because if you did you'd know that Bastila very much acted like a bitch, aka a shrew.

 

[Volourn]

"Just because Bastila is a hot piece of supple female fuckmeat doesn't make her any less the stereotypical shrew. Ok wait. Did you even play KotOR? Because if you did you'd know that Bastila very much acted like a bitch, aka a shrew."

Your logic here is retarded. I even said that Morrigan was a shrew, and I sure as hell think she's hotter than the overrated piece of shit Bastila who is simply a wannabe Aribeth. Bastila is no shrew. Just because a woman has an attitude doens't make her a bitch or a shrew. Moron.

 

[Emotional Vampire]

In before TVTropes link.

 

[Lesifoere]

Just because a woman has an attitude doens't make her a bitch or a shrew. Moron.

Holy shit. Volly's a feminist.

 

[circ]

More like a sensitive rapist.

 

[Gay-Lussac]

"Just because Bastila is a hot piece of supple female fuckmeat doesn't make her any less the stereotypical shrew. Ok wait. Did you even play KotOR? Because if you did you'd know that Bastila very much acted like a bitch, aka a shrew."

Your logic here is retarded. I even said that Morrigan was a shrew, and I sure as hell think she's hotter than the overrated piece of shit Bastila who is simply a wannabe Aribeth. Bastila is no shrew. Just because a woman has an attitude doens't make her a bitch or a shrew. Moron.

But does she love you back?

 

[ElectricOtter]

Nikce attenpt, but the listings fial. Since when is Bastila a 'shrew'? That doesn't even make sense. Morrigan, yes. Bastila, no. It also shows how desperate the author is when out fo thge

get the cock out of your mouth and then try to type

 

[J1M]

The best part of DA: turning the elves into a werewolf army.

The worst part of DA: can't catch lycanthropy, even though an NPC teases the possibility.

 

[Norfleet]

Bastila is no shrew. Just because a woman has an attitude doens't make her a bitch or a shrew. Moron.

I'm not sure if that is necessarily true, but is being a bitch or a shrew really such a BAD thing?

 

[Crolug]

Escapist's Shamus Young>

Wasn't it Shamus that was almost ripped into pieces over Codex after his article about The Witcher back in a day?

 

[Wyrmlord]

lol Shamus Young