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How does the writing in DA:II compare to Origins?

Débuté par Guest_DSerpa_* , nov. 05 2010 08:36

176 réponses à ce sujet

#1
Guest_DSerpa_*
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 08:36

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Based upon some of the changes we’ve read about, it seems that Dragon Age II will be quite different from Origins:

  • Updated Darkspawn/Qunari Appearance
  • "Mass Effect"-Style Companion Inventory
  • Voiced Protagonist
  • "Mission-Style" Framed Narrative
  • Combat System Overhaul
I'm not saying that I'm opposed to these changes, nor would I presume to know how the complete game compares to Origins 5 months before it's even released. I’m just wondering if the writing philosophy has changed between DA: O and DA: II. To me, the atmosphere and plot of DA: II is infinitely more important than any changes made in game play design.

Dragon Age: Origins had a very mature tone to it, dealing with issues such as slavery, rape, murder, genocide, torture, racism, etc. It was a very dark, very gritty, very depressing story and I loved every minute of it. The writers avoided clear-cut right and wrong and opted instead for situations with morally ambiguous solutions. There are still debates on the Origins forums about who would best lead Orzammar, or whether or not Loghain deserves to die, or if killing the biggest douche in the universe is worth the repercussions for the Alienage (it is).

Mass Effect (I and II), by comparison, had an average story. It wasn’t bad at all, it just wasn’t otherwise remarkable. It felt like one of the B-grades that air on the SciFi—sorry, SyFy *shudder*—channel every Saturday night. I know Mass Effect is completely different from Dragon Age, but it is Bioware's other (and arguably more popular) franchise and a likely template for some of these changes.

I suppose I’m just worried that with all of the changes designed to make Dragon Age II more accessible to a larger audience, the writing might suffer and leave us with an average RPG.

Modifié par DSerpa, 05 novembre 2010 - 08:41 .

#2
PseudoEthnic
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 08:42

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Simple answer:



THE GAME DIDN'T COME OUT YET!!!

#3
DarthCaine
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 08:44

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DSerpa wrote...

Dragon Age: Origins had a very mature tone to it, dealing with issues such as slavery, rape, murder, genocide, torture, racism, etc. It was a very dark, very gritty, very depressing story and I loved every minute of it. The writers avoided clear-cut right and wrong and opted instead for situations with morally ambiguous solutions.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wait, you're serious !?

I'm not gonna get into this argument again, but please play The Witcher or read A Song of Ice and Fire to see what dark fantasy is. DAO is high fantasy plain and simple, no darker than LOTR or DnD.

Modifié par DarthCaine, 05 novembre 2010 - 08:46 .

#4
ErichHartmann
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 08:46

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DarthCaine wrote...

DSerpa wrote...

Dragon Age: Origins had a very mature tone to it, dealing with issues such as slavery, rape, murder, genocide, torture, racism, etc. It was a very dark, very gritty, very depressing story and I loved every minute of it. The writers avoided clear-cut right and wrong and opted instead for situations with morally ambiguous solutions.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Wait, you're serious !?


You know you want to say it.  "The Witcher has the darkest and grittiest story ever!"

:happy:

#5
DarthCaine
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 08:48

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ErichHartmann wrote...

You know you want to say it.  "The Witcher has the darkest and grittiest story ever!"

I edited that lol.

Compared to RPGs? Yes I'd say it is. But my argument has always been that DAO is not dark fantasy, not about The Witcher.

Though, some day when I'll make a game, you'll see what true dark fantasy is.

#6
John Epler
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 08:49

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Oh god, no. Not the 'what is dark fantasy' road again.



For my sanity, please. Let's stay away from that path.

#7
Ulicus
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 08:51

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Huh? Dark fantasy?



What's that?

#8
TimelordDC
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 09:21

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It's the same writing team so I expect DA2 will also be as well-written as DA:O. Though I would love it if the common man/woman didn't sound as if they'd come out of college, speaking clean-cut sentences. Mix in some wrong words, write it so they speak their thoughts directly without formulating them into complete sentences, things like that so they appear more authentic.

#9
Maria Caliban
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 09:24

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I'm only picking up DA II if the writers can promise me x2.5 more darkiness.

#10
DarthCaine
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 09:25

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Maria Caliban wrote...

I'm only picking up DA II if the writers can promise me x2.5 more darkiness.

You could always turn down the brightness and contrast levels

#11
lv12medic
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 09:25

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TimelordDC wrote...

It's the same writing team so I expect DA2 will also be as well-written as DA:O. Though I would love it if the common man/woman didn't sound as if they'd come out of college, speaking clean-cut sentences. Mix in some wrong words, write it so they speak their thoughts directly without formulating them into complete sentences, things like that so they appear more authentic.


Some of the kids you talk to in DA:O were like that, but yeah, every adult character minus maybe the bumbling bandit outside Lothering spoke quite well.  Oh, and the drunk elves in the City Elf origin... though they were under the influence of alcoholic beverages.

#12
Guest_DSerpa_*
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:09

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DarthCaine wrote...

Posted Image Posted Image Posted Image

Wait, you're serious !?

I'm not gonna get into this argument again, but please play The Witcher or read A Song of Ice and Fire to see what dark fantasy is. DAO is high fantasy plain and simple, no darker than LOTR or DnD.


Please accept my humblest apologies, oh wisest of internet sages, for not knowing the difference between dark fantasy and high fantasy. Oh, what a fool I've been.

The story wasn't sunshine and ****ing rainbows and thats what I liked about it. Even though I never actually said "dark fantasy", I don't really care which descriptive qualifier is the correct one.

Modifié par DSerpa, 05 novembre 2010 - 10:11 .

#13
Ryzaki
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:12

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Yes my Hawke should be able to eat babies and hear the lamentations of the women.



...What?

#14
Ympulse
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:18

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As long as the gore stays on my armor after I'm done bathing in it, it's dark enough for me. =)



OT: As said before, it's the same writing team, so I don't expect it to go too off base.

#15
Guest_DSerpa_*
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:18

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TimelordDC wrote...

It's the same writing team so I expect DA2 will also be as well-written as DA:O.



I know it's the same writing team. I was just wondering if they decided to go with a different tone to make the sequel appeal to more people--less philosophically dubitable, more "bang-bang kill the bad space alien" in a sense.

#16
Mary Kirby
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:21

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DSerpa wrote...


I know it's the same writing team. I was just wondering if they decided to go with a different tone to make the sequel appeal to more people--less philosophically dubitable, more "bang-bang kill the bad space alien" in a sense.


We decided to replace all the words with electric guitar-playing steel scorpions on fire. We hear that's hot right now. Possibly in a literal sense.

#17
Dave of Canada
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:23

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Mary Kirby wrote...

We decided to replace all the words with electric guitar-playing steel scorpions on fire. We hear that's hot right now. Possibly in a literal sense.


Bethany: Hawke, save us!
Hawke: Be right there, si-
*Hawke gets sliced in half*
*electric guitar-playing steel scorpions on fire show up*
Random NPC 43: Our heroes have arrived!
*Bethany gets carried away by a guitar solo, everybody else is left to die*

Modifié par Dave of Canada, 05 novembre 2010 - 10:23 .

#18
_John Crichton
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:23

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Mary Kirby wrote...

DSerpa wrote...


I know it's the same writing team. I was just wondering if they decided to go with a different tone to make the sequel appeal to more people--less philosophically dubitable, more "bang-bang kill the bad space alien" in a sense.


We decided to replace all the words with electric guitar-playing steel scorpions on fire. We hear that's hot right now. Possibly in a literal sense.


This pleases me.

#19
Marionetten
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:24

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Mary Kirby wrote...

DSerpa wrote...


I know it's the same writing team. I was just wondering if they decided to go with a different tone to make the sequel appeal to more people--less philosophically dubitable, more "bang-bang kill the bad space alien" in a sense.


We decided to replace all the words with electric guitar-playing steel scorpions on fire. We hear that's hot right now. Possibly in a literal sense.

There better be some hot rod samurais in there or I'm going to be quite peeved. We were promised hot rod samurais!

Modifié par Marionetten, 05 novembre 2010 - 10:25 .

#20
Sheryl Chee
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:26

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Marionetten wrote...
There better be some hot rod samurais in there or I'm going to be quite peeved. We were promised hot rod samurais!


There are. Hot-rod samurais from outer space!

#21
Mary Kirby
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:27

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Sheryl Chee wrote...

There are. Hot-rod samurais from outer space!


*cues the Hot-rod samurai from outer space musical number*

#22
Lord_Valandil
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:27

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Sheryl Chee wrote...

Marionetten wrote...
There better be some hot rod samurais in there or I'm going to be quite peeved. We were promised hot rod samurais!


There are. Hot-rod samurais from outer space!


Sold!

#23
tmp7704
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:29

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Mary Kirby wrote...

We decided to replace all the words with electric guitar-playing steel scorpions on fire. We hear that's hot right now. Possibly in a literal sense.

Do the scorpions get to ride griffons while in the exaggerated story mode?

#24
Guest_DSerpa_*
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:29

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Mary Kirby wrote...

We decided to replace all the words with electric guitar-playing steel scorpions on fire. We hear that's hot right now. Possibly in a literal sense.


Sheryl Chee wrote...

Hot-rod samurais from outer space!



Posted Image

#25
Anacronian Stryx
Posté 05 novembre 2010 - 10:32

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Sheryl Chee wrote...

Marionetten wrote...
There better be some hot rod samurais in there or I'm going to be quite peeved. We were promised hot rod samurais!


There are. Hot-rod samurais from outer space!


In exaggerated story mode they better be from outer space AND a different time or I'll call shenanigans!!!
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