Dragon Age Dragon Age: Origins is ten years old today

[ADULF HITLOR FAN KLUB]

Zevran

He is back in Baldur's Gate 3. Or at least his spirit is.

Sigh.

 

[Ardun]

Imagine not killing Zevran the moment you meet him.

Dude exactly. Although I later started to let him flee alive in hopes that he will make an appearance in later games (which isn't the case afaik).

 

[Roguey]

Although I later started to let him flee alive in hopes that he will make an appearance in later games (which isn't the case afaik).

He shows up in DA2.

 

[Delterius]

Spoiler

and this is why recruiting zevran makes sense

 

[Bad Sector]

Last time i played the game i made some sainty white knight who loved everyone, so this time around i decided to make a misanthropic spiteful dalish - which is great because the game actually offers a lot of options for going that route (with often funny outcomes).

So of course the assassin had to die (with an appropriately spiteful kill animation that brought me a smile).

I do like Oghren though, i keep him around with other female companions in Awakening just for the banter (also i found it funny that when you decide to accept Sigrun in your party you get a +2 like from her and a +8 like from Oghren :-P).

 

[Cael]

Imagine not killing Zevran the moment you meet him.

Dude exactly. Although I later started to let him flee alive in hopes that he will make an appearance in later games (which isn't the case afaik).

He was good for the Dex boost when stashed in a crate in the dwarf merchant's cart.

 

[oldmanpaco]

Imagine not killing Zevran the moment you meet him.

Dude exactly. Although I later started to let him flee alive in hopes that he will make an appearance in later games (which isn't the case afaik).

He was good for the Dex boost when stashed in a crate in the dwarf merchant's cart.

One of the funniest things I remember about DA:O was that bioware had to change the zevran sex scene to make him more of a top because all the biofag fans are bottoms and the scene just didn't work for them.

 

[baud]

Imagine not killing Zevran the moment you meet him.

Dude exactly. Although I later started to let him flee alive in hopes that he will make an appearance in later games (which isn't the case afaik).

He was good for the Dex boost when stashed in a crate in the dwarf merchant's cart.

One of the funniest things I remember about DA:O was that bioware had to change the zevran sex scene to make him more of a top because all the biofag fans are bottoms and the scene just didn't work for them.

it would depends about when it was changed, but from what I remember of his character, he's more of a top guy by default

 

[Falksi]

I actually thought Zevran was a decent character. His bummerness was well written into his story - a bought child opportunist who would steal, kill, and fuck anything that moved as it suited him - and so it didn't feel out of place or rammed in your face just to highlight the fact that bummers exist.

The dude himself was an overconfident dick who did try and fuck every other character going, but that came across as a personality angle, not as some agenda driven angle.

 

[fantadomat]

I actually thought Zevran was a decent character. His bummerness was well written into his story - a bought child opportunist who would steal, kill, and fuck anything that moved as it suited him - and so it didn't feel out of place or rammed in your face just to highlight the fact that bummers exist.

Yup,he was not annoying faggot,had some pretty good stories too. Another good faggot character was the dwarf from spellforce 3,really well written.

 

[Volourn]

"It was the ideal solution, and it was handed on a silver platter. There were three possible solutions there: Elves kill werewolves, werewolves kill elves, and you find a way for everyone to live (except Zathrian). You're directly guided to the last one, so you have to go out of your way for people to end up dead. It's dumb."

I saw a playthrough of someone playing a good elf who 'always does the right' fanwink into claiming thw werewolves were 100% evil and Zathrian was the absolute hero of the story and made sure to side against the werewolves because 'they deserved it'. They also claimed that Zathrian earned the the right to be immortal because his children were murdered and that the murderer's children deserrved to be cursed as werewovles. Plus, the current werewolves were innately evil because they attacked the elves. Ignoring the fact that Zathrian had turned all the humans into literal monsters so he should take some responsibility and how the elves would not have been attacked by the werewolves if not for HIS choice. Then you try to point out that even if one agrees the werewolves are evil and deserve destruction, you'd also have to pretend this 'nature loving elf' chose to curse a nature spirit into being trapped inside humans for all eternity. *sigh*

This person also claimed the mages shouldn't be blamed because other mages turned to demons.


*sigh* Fanwanking is good shit!


Fuck Zathrian. He deserved to meet his justified end.

Just another arrogant elf.

 

[Cael]

"It was the ideal solution, and it was handed on a silver platter. There were three possible solutions there: Elves kill werewolves, werewolves kill elves, and you find a way for everyone to live (except Zathrian). You're directly guided to the last one, so you have to go out of your way for people to end up dead. It's dumb."

I saw a playthrough of someone playing a good elf who 'always does the right' fanwink into claiming thw werewolves were 100% evil and Zathrian was the absolute hero of the story and made sure to side against the werewolves because 'they deserved it'. They also claimed that Zathrian earned the the right to be immortal because his children were murdered and that the murderer's children deserrved to be cursed as werewovles. Plus, the current werewolves were innately evil because they attacked the elves. Ignoring the fact that Zathrian had turned all the humans into literal monsters so he should take some responsibility and how the elves would not have been attacked by the werewolves if not for HIS choice. Then you try to point out that even if one agrees the werewolves are evil and deserve destruction, you'd also have to pretend this 'nature loving elf' chose to curse a nature spirit into being trapped inside humans for all eternity. *sigh*

This person also claimed the mages shouldn't be blamed because other mages turned to demons.


*sigh* Fanwanking is good shit!


Fuck Zathrian. He deserved to meet his justified end.

Just another arrogant elf.

Zathrian's schtick was revenge. He cursed them for the rape and murder of his wife and children. Thing is, he used a form of blood magic to do it, and the curse caught him up into it as well.

By the time the present rolled around, several hundred years later, it really doesn't matter who did what and why any more. The wolves were in constant torment their entire existence over something they did not do. The Lady was suffering because she had no freedom and was trapped by the curse. Zathrian himself admitted in the end that he held on to his hate for too long and it had become habit. Everyone involved is unhappy. And that was the point. Ending the curse was the right way to go as it freed everyone. It was sad as hell, particularly that last scene with the Lady and the wolves, all done spectacularly without a single word spoken. But it was the right thing. It was not about revenge. It was about letting go.

 

[Volourn]

Yup which is why my little lame story is funny about how someone was justifying wiping out the werewolves was somehow the most moral choice. No, it was more 'Zathrian is an elf and I must side with elves even when they are wrong and even if I am being a hypocrite' choice. LMAO

Seriously, ending the curse is the clear cut moral choice in that situation - espicially when you get Zathrian to admit that he was wrong and he went too far in his vengeance. He gets the 'noble sacrifice' ending to his story, his precious elves are saved, the humans who had nothing to dow ith his children being murdered and raped get a real shot at life, and the nature spirit goes on her way.

Such a gift wrap bow of morals.

 

[anvi]

Funny to think of an entire generation of kids watching gay porn, and convincing themselves that they are progressive.

 

[Grunker]

Dragon Age: Origins is a good game

 

[Marat]

Quoting myself from another thread:

I have elected to finally acquaint myself with Dragon Age: Origins and successfully completed a playthrough. Peculiar game seemingly standing, legs apart, between two different styles of design, both mechanically and thematically.

Combat systems try to maintain the facade of being complex and tactical while being almost entirely MMO-style popamole. Dungeoning is mostly a painful slog, with tiresome, uninspired encounters through levels that (with the exception of the Deep Roads, where I felt it thematically appropriate and indeed adding to the experience) have no right to be as massive as they were. AoD spoiled me with its thieves hideout being an actual house with a few murder-minded people inside, not a gigantic base filled with a small army of killers that apparently flew in on a C-130 from around the world just to make sure our hero has a bad day, deadly traps around every corner, that I guess thieves jump around everytime they go to take a leak and mass of locked chests where the baddies keep their precious 1-2 crafting items and a fistful of coins. The sidequests also leave much to be desired, ranging from MMO-style busy-work of the "go there, kill those guys, bring me X of that and report on the ass end of the fucking country" variety to plain ridiculous "help Warden, I want to tap that ass, but I'm a wimp who can't hunt down a single creature so I'm technically a child and she won't let me smash". The board quests could be entirely removed and the game would be better for it.

Storywise, an attempt was made for a dark, opressive tone. At least that's the idea I got from cinematics, music and graphics. Yet this seems to falter in many places, with largely clichéd and naive plot or light-hearted banter between a rag-tag bunch of misfits on a quest to save the kingdom or quests like the aforementioned "help me smash".

Oddly enough, the game makes for a quaint experience, but the kind that I wouldn't want to ever repeat without mods to cut the tedium and fix the bugs. Which is what I'm doing now. And its all so much smoother with autoloot, countless bug- and rulefixes, sped-up running and the like. Will complete this way and try DLC stories.

 

[Nano]

to plain ridiculous "help Warden, I want to tap that ass, but I'm a wimp who can't hunt down a single creature so I'm technically a child and she won't let me smash".

There are ways of solving that quest that don't involve helping him, you know.

 

[Technomancer]

to plain ridiculous "help Warden, I want to tap that ass, but I'm a wimp who can't hunt down a single creature so I'm technically a child and she won't let me smash".

There are ways of solving that quest that don't involve helping him, you know.

This. It has like six different solutions including taping her yourself. Additionally you can straight-up drop the quest if you laugh at him. Also he never asked for your help, warden really has to impose himself. While wimpy he cannot hunt not because of that, but because there are werewolves and he is forbidden to leave the camp. If you skip the quest and then solve the curse he will hunt on his own.

 

[Marat]

Yes, I know there are multiple solutions. It doesn't change the ridiculously bad writing of this quest. And the werewolf excuse doesn't work - he said he's been an apprentice for two years or something. So either the entire clan has been suspended in spacetime on the verge of being overrun, just waiting for Warden to arrive and save them OR he is just a wimp. And that's just a highlight from the pool of side quests - they clearly went for quantity over quality. Side quests should be interesting, difficult and tied to the main story or otherwise to the goals of the main character. If you want to make them short, make them funny or perhaps meaningful down the road. DA:O goes the opposite way, having you accept meaningless errands from random nobodies, that go nowhere, present no challenge and only serve to take up your time for miniscule rewards.

On a more positive note, I had another thought: I like how Chantry is presented in the game world. Usually, fantasy settings have you accept deities and their shenanigans without question. In DA:O, characters sometimes note that exposition is a religious narrative and offer doubt to its veracity. Priests would tell you Andraste was a holy prophetess and the chosen of the Maker, while some literature notes that it's possible she might have been a powerful mage that waged war against Tevinter with her spells and the religion only grew around her deeds after her death. It was a very clever bit of worldbuilding and a stark contrast to D&D-style "gods exist, accept it or fuck off, ya filthy heathen". Similarly, Chantry sells fuzzy-wuzzies stories about how darkspawn came to be through hubris of Tevinter mages and that story is in conflict with explanations offered by a foreign branch of the same religion (where Tevinter branch distances itself from guilt) or a more rationally-minded Dwarven version.

I could really get into this setting, but I hear the series quickly went downhill when it comes to complex themes (what a shocker).

 

[Cael]

Yes, I know there are multiple solutions. It doesn't change the ridiculously bad writing of this quest. And the werewolf excuse doesn't work - he said he's been an apprentice for two years or something. So either the entire clan has been suspended in spacetime on the verge of being overrun, just waiting for Warden to arrive and save them OR he is just a wimp.

Wow. A guy on a RPG forum who doesn't know how RPG time works... Oh wait. Mainlander cunt. Explains everything.

 

[Falksi]

Funny to think of an entire generation of kids watching gay porn, and convincing themselves that they are progressive.

Funnier to think of the kids I'll be raising to beat the fuck out of generation 00's in 15-20 years time.

 

[Marat]

Yes, I know there are multiple solutions. It doesn't change the ridiculously bad writing of this quest. And the werewolf excuse doesn't work - he said he's been an apprentice for two years or something. So either the entire clan has been suspended in spacetime on the verge of being overrun, just waiting for Warden to arrive and save them OR he is just a wimp.

Wow. A guy on a RPG forum who doesn't know how RPG time works... Oh wait. Mainlander cunt. Explains everything.

Fuck off with your politics, you subhuman. And there is a difference between having MC "live in interesting times" and literally warping reality for him to always be wherever anything of import happens, as it was done in DA:O. In Orzammar Warden arrives during an interregnum, exactly in time to witness a would-be king argue his politics in front of the main gate to the city. In Redcliff he appears in just the right time to help villagers fend of a zombie invasion. In the Circle tower, he enters the scene right when templars are locking the door to defend against demons pouring through. In the Dalish encampment, all the warriors are almost lost to lycantropy as he waltzes in to save the day. At a certain point it is time to unsuspend disbelief - the entire kingdom seems to be a gentle breeze away from collapsing on itself.

 

[Nano]

Side quests should be [...] tied to the main story or otherwise to the goals of the main character.

But in practice, they almost never are. You might as well be whining about the entire CRPG genre, not just DA:O.

 

[Cael]

Yes, I know there are multiple solutions. It doesn't change the ridiculously bad writing of this quest. And the werewolf excuse doesn't work - he said he's been an apprentice for two years or something. So either the entire clan has been suspended in spacetime on the verge of being overrun, just waiting for Warden to arrive and save them OR he is just a wimp.

Wow. A guy on a RPG forum who doesn't know how RPG time works... Oh wait. Mainlander cunt. Explains everything.

Fuck off with your politics, you subhuman. And there is a difference between having MC "live in interesting times" and literally warping reality for him to always be wherever anything of import happens, as it was done in DA:O. In Orzammar Warden arrives during an interregnum, exactly in time to witness a would-be king argue his politics in front of the main gate to the city. In Redcliff he appears in just the right time to help villagers fend of a zombie invasion. In the Circle tower, he enters the scene right when templars are locking the door to defend against demons pouring through. In the Dalish encampment, all the warriors are almost lost to lycantropy as he waltzes in to save the day. At a certain point it is time to unsuspend disbelief - the entire kingdom seems to be a gentle breeze away from collapsing on itself.

Wow. It is like the stupid mainlander cunt is describing EXACTLY how RPG time works... But is far too stupid to realise the fact. Fascinating. I haven't seen this type of extreme ignorance for a very, very long time.

 

[Marat]

But in practice, they almost never are. You might as well be whining about the entire CRPG genre, not just DA:O.

"Everyone is doing it wrong so it's fine if I do it wrong too". Hardly an excuse, especially given how egregious an offender DA:O is in this regard.