Elhanan wrote...
Kirkwall was beseiged by demons and corruption that aided madness to occur and grow. This seems most evident when following the the path of the recovered idol. When Flemeth is among the more reasoned Mages seen in an area, there might be concern....
When you make all the mage antagonists into complete idiots, I don't find it to be a compelling story. You can say it's because of the Band of Three codex entries and what the Tevinters did in Kirkwall centuries ago, but that doesn't change the poor quality of the story for me. I know DA2 has its fans, and there are parts of it that I like (such as the companions), but for me, the story is ineffectual. In Skyrim, a place that is beseiged by dragons and the threat of the Thalmor looms, we see two factions with flaws without the writers villifying either one. I don't need Tullius or Ulfric to turn into a Harveser or become possessed by a macguffin to oppose them, and I appreciate the writers giving depth to the story by making them antagonists (if the protagonist opposes them) and not villians. While some antagonists are clearly mad, it's not the case for every single one, like it is in Kirkwall (to the point of absurdity). When Decimus thinks that a human apostate, a Dalish elf, a Tevinter elf, and a dwarf are templars, then I can't take it seriously anymore.
Elhanan wrote...
While there are those that do not enjoy the storyline, there is a reason for encountering the insanity. Guess I like it much more than others.
The Band of Three doesn't explain the stupidity aspect to all of these antagonists.
Elhanan wrote...
And I have no problems with a game allowing choices; prefer DAO to DA2 as a personal example.
But the same Dragonborn exalted here can go to great lengths to create a truce and peace between the Imperials and Stormcloaks, and have the entire event ignored. And I have seemingly missed the option to dismantle the TG and/or Maven Blackbriar. Or wonder over a Magika challenged Archer becoming the Archmage of the College of Magic. Even minor Reliant generated clients of the Dark Brotherhood are seemingly immortal. Etc.
The truce was never supposed to last, both sides held back because of a greater threat that is now gone. And while the Dragonborn can't take down the Thieves Guild or Maven Blackbriar, he can still do plenty of other things that make him a proactive character. It's not as though Maven claims she's going to incite a religious war that's going to kill innocent people, and the Dragonborn simply stands there and does nothing... like we saw with Hawke and Sister Petrice. Or how Hawke stands idly by while Grace kills Thrask after ranting and raving for a long time, while the Dragonborn can stop murder attempts in Markarth and Windhelm by actually doing something about it.
And if I want to pursue the College of Winterhold, I'll create a mage so the narrative makes sense for me - like my Tribunal Dunmer mage. Or if I want an assassin to join the Dark Brotherhood, I'll have my Spellsword Dunmer invest time into becoming an effective killer who can use illusion to become invisible without making a noise, and can use his blade to take down enemies. And in Skyrim, people notice when I use magic.
As for people who can't get killed, I understand the criticism, but at least the protagonist isn't put in a position where he has valid reasons to kill someone - from stopping a religious war, saving a sister from a corrupt Circle of Magi where mages are being made tranquil illegally, or stopping a murder - and then doesn't do anything but stand there like a piece of furniture.
Elhanan wrote...
Skyrim has some obvious flaws too; choices or not.
I do not mind playing a scripted story, or having a single area of exploration. What I disliked about DA2 was the restrictions in armor, weapons, classes, etc; the gameplay issues, and hope the recent announcement concerning DA3 will see improvements here.
Yes; Orsino seems fairly heavy handed, but I have no problems with Meredith being portrayed as the Queen of Hearts in this particular Looking Glass. This was the story being told, and I enjoyed it.
I didn't enjoy Orsino or Meredith because they became caricatures at the end. They held such promise to be serious characters who would offer opposing but valid reasons for their convictions, but instead they were driven insane by a paper-thin plot that made no sense. How did Orsino know Quentin, who was either an apostate or a member of the Starkhaven Circle? Why would Orsino care about research that seems to have no value and is only going to endanger the lives of the Circle of Kirkwall? How would he even remember a ritual that can apparently only be done once, three years after Quentin died? Why would Meredith purchase a lyrium idol? Why would Meredith even care about the idol, and how would she have even known about it in the first place? Why would she order the mages of the Circle killed but ignore Anders? Orsino becomes insane and a monster because the Plot Demands It, and Meredith loses her mind and is possessed by a sword because the Plot Demands It. Any serious look into the dichotomy between mages and templars is effectively lost because neither mages nor templars are treated seriously, and neither are the leaders of the opposing factions.
In contrast, my Dragonborn can oppose Tullius or Ulfric, and neither one of them needs to become a monster or insane in order for them to be someone my protagonist will oppose. Yes, there are flaws to both groups, and both leaders are imperfect, but neither one needs to be villified for my protagonist to oppose them.
Elhanan wrote...
I haven't seen the last DA2 DLC yet, but read some fairly positive reviews and praise of future projects. And as one that specifically changed into Gregory House concerning some of these so called fans, I have little empathy for them.
Haters gotta hate, and then vote on Metacritic....
I've seen MoTA, and it wasn't to my taste, especially given how it has the same problem of making Hawke into an overly passive character that the main game and Legacy did. Ignoring and contradicting decisions made in Origins hasn't really helped me get into the sequel or possible additions to the franchise, either. That's my opinion, of course. I guess we can simply agree to disagree about this issue, since we aren't likely to reach a consensus on it.
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