One of the things I loved about Dragon Age is there was often times the harsh and difficult choices between two morally grey points, such as killing Isolde or Connor. You ponder on these choices, you sit there and cry as you're about to pick that one importa- Wait a minute. What's with the "Go to the Mage Tower" option?
Third options are the options that present the best alternative for everybody, such as the one mentioned above or curing the werewolves. I could mention a few others from Mass Effect as well but I won't bother. I'm curious how the community feels about this, in Dragon Age 2 do you want more of these third options or would you prefer them removed completely? What is your reasoning?
Myself I'd remove them, I love to have these tough decisions that people would argue for days on the forums about what one is the right and wrong choice. You wouldn't be able to walk away into the sunset with a smile on your face.
Thoughts?
Do you want the "third option" in Dragon Age 2?
Débuté par
Dave of Canada
, oct. 07 2010 12:01
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#2
Posté 07 octobre 2010 - 01:41
Lukas Kristjanson
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- BioWare Employees
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- 237 messages
Eh, in hindsight there are perhaps better ways to present an option like the Circle solution to the Connor plot. Maybe telegraphing it earlier in a less direct way, before you get anywhere near the choke point. “Sounds like mage work.” “Yes, but the Circle is busy with their own problems.” Then when the choice comes, only show the Circle as an option if you have already gone to the tower and gained the mages as allies. That way it’s still a reward for exploration and investigation, but is not out of the blue.
Because that’s what these are intended to be, rewards for the player who does the legwork, which has to balance in that weird zone between random and obvious. When you deal with the size of weave that we tend to produce, it's good and interesting when plots affect each other. Like the “rally the crowd” option in Tali’s loyalty mission in ME2. Players who got it thought it was a really cool result for consistent support of various quarian interests. Those who didn’t see it had no idea it was even possible. I’m on the fence about the visibility of it, but I would definitely rather have it present than not at all.
So we’re always looking to balance this sort of thing. Will we remove “third options” simply for the sake of satisfying those who think every plot should be a choice between suck and blow? Nope. But neither will we add them just for the sake of making everything rosey. And I do agree they can bring other consequences depending on what you have to do to get them.
By the way, “trope” is getting a little overused lately. Why don’t people trot out the “mistakes video game villains make so the plot is somewhat interesting and longer than the time it takes to cap your hero in the back of the head” lists again? Those made people feel smart too, you know.
Because that’s what these are intended to be, rewards for the player who does the legwork, which has to balance in that weird zone between random and obvious. When you deal with the size of weave that we tend to produce, it's good and interesting when plots affect each other. Like the “rally the crowd” option in Tali’s loyalty mission in ME2. Players who got it thought it was a really cool result for consistent support of various quarian interests. Those who didn’t see it had no idea it was even possible. I’m on the fence about the visibility of it, but I would definitely rather have it present than not at all.
So we’re always looking to balance this sort of thing. Will we remove “third options” simply for the sake of satisfying those who think every plot should be a choice between suck and blow? Nope. But neither will we add them just for the sake of making everything rosey. And I do agree they can bring other consequences depending on what you have to do to get them.
By the way, “trope” is getting a little overused lately. Why don’t people trot out the “mistakes video game villains make so the plot is somewhat interesting and longer than the time it takes to cap your hero in the back of the head” lists again? Those made people feel smart too, you know.
