The Dragon Age: Inquisition Thread

[Infinitron]

 

[Mustawd]

The interviewer's obvious pandering gave me cancer. Actually, that whole interview gave me cancer. Just awful.

 

[Jaesun]

When did Weekes start writing for Dragon Age?

 

[pippin]

When did Weekes start writing for Dragon Age?

Patrick Weekes originally worked for the Mass Effect writing team, writing for characters including Jack, Tali, Kasumi and Mordin, as well as the Rannoch and Tuchanka story arcs of Mass Effect 3 among many other contributions. Following completion of Mass Effect 3, he moved to the Dragon Age writing team.

Hate Tali, but like Mordin and Jack.
However at this point I don't give a fuck.

 

[Jaesun]

What Dragon Age has he worked on? Or is he just starting to work on the new one?

 

[Roguey]

What Dragon Age has he worked on? Or is he just starting to work on the new one?

He was a writer on Inquisition. He wrote Solas, the Iron Bull, Cole, the transman, and transitioned into Lead for the Trespasser epilogue DLC.

Solas was all right, didn't care for the others.

 

[Jaesun]

Interesting, I didn't know he got stuck into writing for this shithole of a game series. Sorry to see his talent actually being wasted.

 

[Roguey]

Ah yes, the prestigious Mass Effect series--

 

[Abu Antar]

Cole is actually one of my least favorite characters in any game alongside Sera or whatever her name was.

I didn't mind Solas or Iron Bull.

 

[Rahdulan]

That thing he says about making characters layered by making them have gentler aspects underneath their HULK SMASH strong persona just doesn't work for me, and usually doesn't in general for Bioware characters, because it's not believable at all in how it's executed. It simply doesn't gel, so to speak, in order to form a complete character. People don't act like they have this ON/OFF switch and going full 180 personality-wise that way. I know he didn't write her, but Cassandra Pentaghast in particular stuck with me for this and how they tried to "humanize" her by making her have a secret hobby about reading smutty literature or something. In the end she just comes off as a shitty anime tsundere character switching between two mental states. I couldn't care less about Cole personally.

 

[Durian Eater]

Cassandra getting giddy over the release of her latest bodice-ripper--and they drag this sideplot out for a long time--while supposedly fighting against world-destroying evil at overwhelming odds is just one of the many not-well-thought-out ways in which the game no-sells the primary antagonist, who's probably the least threatening Big Bad in anything Bioware's made. And with a weak (and boring) enemy, the game gets swallowed up by its inane MMO quests, collect-a-thons and cutesy banter.

Creating a gripping narrative is not compatible with making a fanfiction-inspired fantasy hugbox. There's a reason Mass Effect confined most of that stuff to the post-campaign DLC.

 

[Roguey]

Pretty sure real life soldiers in war zones blow off steam now and then. Comic books were huge during World War II.

https://historyrat.wordpress.com/2015/05/25/comic-books-and-world-war-ii-buying-into-the-war/

When the war began, 15 million comic books were being published a month. Two and a half years later, 25 million copies were sold a month. Superman and Captain each sold over 1 million editions a month. And the largest single customer in the period was the United States Army. Originally, the Army was buying comic books as diversions, but soon many of the soldiers became hooked on the story lines, character development, and the virtuous fight against evil and oppression.

Cassandra is also just yet another variation of David Gaider's tsundere, following Viconia, Bastila, and Morrigan. Cold exterior, gooey interior

 

[yes plz]

iirc, Cassandra was actually a product of Hepler before she left, Gaider just polished it. Plus, I don't think she's much like Viconia or Morrigan. Jaheira would probably be a more apt comparison.

 

[Xor]

I didn't mind Cassandra, I thought she was one of the better characters actually. But the tsundere girl is usually my favorite.

Durian's right, though. Corypheus is probably the least effective antagonist of any Bioware game. Even the snake bitch from NWN1 was a more imminent threat. Let's do a quick check:
Sarevok: murders your foster father in front of you, sends assassins after you, creates an iron crisis that fucks up your non-magical gear, gets you framed for murder
Irenicus: kidnaps your sister, steals your soul, sics his crazy bitch of a sister on you
Malak: repeatedly sends waves of low-level sith after you, nukes a world from orbit to try to kill you, kidnaps Bastilla and turns her to the dark side (although that's arguably helping you)
Dude from Jade Empire: makes you chase him halfway across not-China, betrays and murders you, sends an entire army to besiege you and your nine or so buddies in a temple
Sovereign/Saren: Basically the entire game revolves around chasing these two down
Loghain: frames you for regecide, sends assassins after you, dicks you around politically
Harbinger: makes fights longer by possessing enemies when they're almost dead, throws mud pies at you, taunts you
Corypheus: has a pretty awesome intro attacking your base, and then takes no direct action for the remainder of the game until you directly confront him in the final mission

Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect 3 basically don't have main villains. Technically DA2 has that crazy templar bitch at the end but you only find out she's the main villain about 5 minutes before you fight her, and in ME3 you're just wandering aimlessly from set piece to set piece without any real clear goals or enemies besides TIM and the reapers as a whole, and TIM isn't really the main villain because killing him does nothing to stop the main threat.

 

[Jick Magger]

Don't forget that you literally begin the game having irreparably fucked up his plan for world domination. Not by finding the magical talisman of the maker or whatever, not by going to three different kingdoms and finding ancient scrolls that will tell you how to defeat him, not even by straight-up confronting him and trying to stop him with force. You do it solely by existing and being in the right place at the right time.

 

[Space Satan]

Bioware writing degraded to a fanfic crap so fast. A staple of teenage fanfics is that they create infailable, flawless, uberperfect protagonist...which we saw in DA:I. Entire game about Inquisitor the Magnificent, foiling stupid villain's plans and making him a laughing stock.

 

[Rahdulan]

Durian's right, though. Corypheus is probably the least effective antagonist of any Bioware game. Even the snake bitch from NWN1 was a more imminent threat. Let's do a quick check:

Dude from Jade Empire: makes you chase him halfway across not-China, betrays and murders you, sends an entire army to besiege you and your nine or so buddies in a temple

I actually think he's one of the more unjustly overlooked Bioware villains. Hell, he bamboozled EVERYONE with his master plan and not just the player's party.

 

[Roguey]

I've seen similar "incompetent villain who never wins or does anything" complaints leveled at Sauron.

 

[Immortal]

I've seen similar "incompetent villain who never wins or does anything" complaints leveled at Sauron.

Isn't that the point of the entire story? Or were you being facetious to prove a point?

 

[Delterius]

I didn't see anything wrong with this plot, but Dorian is totally a David Gaider self-insert. So much sass.

My issue with that plot point is that it comes across as a very roundabout way to introduce gay acceptance issues into a world where just about everyone is either bisexual or ok with homossexuality.

As you play the game you pass by Orlais, which boils down to a Marie Antoinette 2006 production of debauchery and open mindedness, you hear from Qunari whose culture is more than OK with transexuality. Going by codex entries Ferelden is at most prudish about the bedroom and, all of a sudden, the Tevinter mind gayness because of eugenics? As though gay men can't father children?

I mean, if you can use mind magic to change someone's sexual orientation you might as well figure out a ritual to impregnate women with the best of seeds. Just go full nazi already.

Nevermind how the dialogue also brings up the issue of arranged marriage, which Dorian also disliked.

I confess that part of my issues with this plot point stems from how Dragon Age deals with sexuality. Its a world with totalitarian theocractic States that brainwash people to keep them from demons but apparently doesn't care about the human body and sexuality. I get how that fantasy can appeal to a lot of people but I, personally, found that a bad part of the setting. That said, when you go that route you should really stay consistent.

 

[Xor]

Durian's right, though. Corypheus is probably the least effective antagonist of any Bioware game. Even the snake bitch from NWN1 was a more imminent threat. Let's do a quick check:

Dude from Jade Empire: makes you chase him halfway across not-China, betrays and murders you, sends an entire army to besiege you and your nine or so buddies in a temple

I actually think he's one of the more unjustly overlooked Bioware villains. Hell, he bamboozled EVERYONE with his master plan and not just the player's party.

I think Jade Empire overall is pretty underrated. It's not a masterpiece or anything, but the wuxia-inspired setting is something you don't see very much of in western games, the story is pretty well done and comes with a much better twist than KOTOR, and it's got a very unique visual style. The main area where it fails (aside from the usual Bioware foibles) is in the combat, which is...just awful. Personally I still rate it above KOTOR.

 

[Roguey]

Sauron wasn't a literal cuck like Corypheus was tho

The idea that the fellowship would actually want to destroy the ring was inconceivable to him.

Corypheus was similarly tunnel-visioned. He was an old brute who was handed a MacGuffin he didn't completely understand by someone comparably inept, and only had the one plan. I thought it was pretty funny how even in the Darkest Timeline, where everything else worked smoothly going forward, he still couldn't get what he wanted. This was all intended.

 

[yes plz]

Don't forget that you literally begin the game having irreparably fucked up his plan for world domination. Not by finding the magical talisman of the maker or whatever, not by going to three different kingdoms and finding ancient scrolls that will tell you how to defeat him, not even by straight-up confronting him and trying to stop him with force. You do it solely by existing and being in the right place at the right time.

Especially funny is the fact that the plot kicks off because an extremely powerful monstrosity's grip couldn't withstand a slap from an old lady, causing him to drop his most coveted possession and have it almost literally roll into the hands of the main character. I guess he developed arthritis in his old age.

 

[Roguey]

Solas wasn't inept, he was expecting the thingie to blow his retarded ass up. People don't usually factor "What if this human is actually an archdemon tho" in their plans.

People doing dumb things without regard for the consequence is a recurring thing in DA. It happened when Solas put up the veil, then it happened again when he was too impatient to wait until he could unlock his device himself and gave it to a magical darkspawn.

In the Darkest Timeline Cory got everything he wanted. Army of mind-controlled Grey Wardens, swarms of demons conquering the entire world, killing the empress of Orlais....

He wanted to travel into the fade itself and that was proving impossible. He was pissed off at the time-mage because he told him he couldn't travel back so he could get his precious anchor back. Relevant codex entry:

Nothing works. I have tried countless times to go back before the Conclave explosion, before Felix's caravan was attacked by darkspawn, before the Venatori first arrived in Minrathous - without success. The Breach is the wellspring that makes this magic possible, and travel outside of its timeline is impossible. The Elder One's demand that I change the events of the Conclave can never be fulfilled. He may kill me for failing him, but I must protect Felix from his wrath.

 

[Nihiliste]

I never finished this game but I heard that they released a DLC to finish the plot. I'm amazed that in this day and age, companies can get away with leaving their base storyline unfinished to sell more DLC.