238 réponses à ce sujet

[upsettingshorts]

JohnEpler wrote...

To address a (seemingly minor) quibble -

So long as you can adjust your eye size and shape, it is difficult-to-impossible to get a good looking 'cry' on the main
character. We actually gave it a few shots, and nothing that came together really looked good. I wouldn't mind getting the opportunity to do it on a future project, but it could end up with some really weird stuff going on.

How about watery/red eyes? Is that something that just would come off as odd looking?

TheOneAndOni wrote...

I think this is a pretty legitimate criticism. Even in Mass Effect, you can engage your crewmates in conversations about the latest mission and/or get to know them...it does seem like a glaring omission frankly.

In ME1-2 your crew, whether you take them on the mission or not, are still present on the ship and are aware of the events that took place and can comment on them - having likely read the mission reports or heard from others what was going on, if not listened in in real time (like Joker).

In DA2, companions you don't take with you are off doing their own thing, living their own lives.  I don't really think they're comparable.  That isn't to say interactions couldn't be improved, but I think they ought to be improved in ways that specifically address the "they live elsewhere and have their own objectives and priorities beyond the protagonist" thing - because I like that.

Modifié par Upsettingshorts, 14 mars 2011 - 06:39 .

[solution_nine]

I would've liked the opportunity to interrogate all my companions and ask them embarrassing questions. The party banter was a lot of fun, especially when three (or four!) characters are involved in a given wandering-around-conversation, but I really missed the extended chats I could have with everybody in Origins. I had to make up for it by keeping save files before important parts and checking out the multiple responses.

[John Epler]

Upsettingshorts wrote...

JohnEpler wrote...

To address a (seemingly minor) quibble -

So long as you can adjust your eye size and shape, it is difficult-to-impossible to get a good looking 'cry' on the main
character. We actually gave it a few shots, and nothing that came together really looked good. I wouldn't mind getting the opportunity to do it on a future project, but it could end up with some really weird stuff going on.

How about watery/red eyes? Is that something that just would come off as odd looking?

TheOneAndOni wrote...

I think this is a pretty legitimate criticism. Even in Mass Effect, you can engage your crewmates in conversations about the latest mission and/or get to know them...it does seem like a glaring omission frankly.

In ME1-2 your crew, whether you take them on the mission or not, are still present on the ship and are aware of the events that took place and can comment on them - having likely read the mission reports or heard from others what was going on, if not listened in in real time (like Joker).

In DA2, companions you don't take with you are off doing their own thing, living their own lives.  I don't really think they're comparable.  That isn't to say interactions couldn't be improved, but I think they ought to be improved in ways that specifically address the "they live elsewhere and have their own objectives and priorities beyond the protagonist" thing - because I like that.

Red eyes would be okay, as that's just a texture change. Watery eyes, however, require a VFX, and those are -very- difficult to make both A) look good and change shape properly. That's not to say it can't be done, just that it's one of those things where the time and resources spent are way out of whack compared to what you're actually gaining.

The best I was able to do was combine a sad emotion with a smile to get that 'sad but trying to put on a brave face'. I don't know if it worked as well as I'd like, and it's certainly something I'm going to be trying to perfect for any future projects, whether DA or ME related. FaceFX is a harsh mistress.

[Camilladilla]

JohnEpler wrote...
The best I was able to do was combine a sad emotion with a smile to get that 'sad but trying to put on a brave face'. I don't know if it worked as well as I'd like, and it's certainly something I'm going to be trying to perfect for any future projects, whether DA or ME related. FaceFX is a harsh mistress.

Actually that brave face Hawke put on when I chose the "Don't I always" option combined with Boulton's stellar acting during Leandra's death scene nearly broke my heart.

[John Epler]

Camilladilla wrote...

JohnEpler wrote...
The best I was able to do was combine a sad emotion with a smile to get that 'sad but trying to put on a brave face'. I don't know if it worked as well as I'd like, and it's certainly something I'm going to be trying to perfect for any future projects, whether DA or ME related. FaceFX is a harsh mistress.

Actually that brave face Hawke put on when I chose the "Don't I always" option combined with Boulton's stellar acting during Leandra's death scene nearly broke my heart.

That wasn't me! That was the talented Mr. Samuel Irwin.

I did it for a couple of earlier scenes. Late, late Act One. I don't want to spoil them, but if you've finished Act One you likely know what I mean.

[Zenstrive]

They simply chose this route to "simplify" the experience and cut some "dialogues fat" that have been plaguing games like DA:O. I simply find it slightly annoyint that I am able to talk about world philosophies with Morrigan after slaying some monsters deep in a volcano, or exchanging snarks with Alistair while some mages are ready to explode next door. In DA-2, the companions will make you feel that you are adventuring when you are adventurig and chit-chats can be had back home. And hey, their banters are even more entertaining than reloading again and again because Morrigan
is a thick **** and refuse to be a normal female human that can be wooed without giving gifts.

[nicodeemus327]

I loved the spread out dialogue.The story and relationships with the characters flowed much better unlike DAO where I could max or nearly max character approval right after lothering.

[Angela1027]

I can really appriciate what BioWare was trying to do with the companion interactions to flesh them out as real people you get to know over the course of 10 years.  They are interesting and individual and their voice acting is great (with maybe the expection of Anders, who sounds so wooden when he's voicing anything other than his passion for mage rights), and they have interesting party banter.  Plus, you get to see that they spend time with each other (through the cutscenes).  So, kudos to BioWare for accopmplishing this. 

Unfortuantely, I felt like a kid in a candy store without any money.  All these great characters that you want to get to know, but you aren't able to because the conversation system is so restrictive. 

'Is it me?"  In the cutscene where Anders leaves as you're coming to talk to Varric, Varric says that he's been talking with Anders about his Grey Warden adventures.  *I* wanted to be able to find out about Anders' time prior to DA:2.  Or when Varric is telling a joke to Aveline, why couldn't I have been a part of it?  Why doesn't Varric tell *me* funny jokes?  Maybe my character had bad breath or something, because every time she entered the room with two companions doing something, invariably one of them left.  The moments of getting to know the companions is there, but it seems it was built so that the companions could get to know *each other* rather than *my* getting to know *them*.  I felt kinda left out from all the fun.  In the end, even with all the great, polished cutscene convos, the game felt kinda lonely.

"Go to point A on the map to process conversation plot point B"  The system felt so mechanical.  It was immersion defeating to know that you could only have converstions with companions when you received a little plot note telling you to get to their home. You could inititate the conversations in DA:O just about whenever you wanted.  (And in those moments when the companions initiated the conversations in DA:O, it was great fun anticipating what they wanted to talk about).  Granted, in DA:O, you could sometimes have deep conversations at seemingly inappropriate times (like having a conversation about your place in the future of the cirlce when you're in the werewolves' lair).  But this could be fixed by only having real conversations in safer areas--when you're in town, for instance.  Another poster had a great idea of sprinkling in some conversations where we could be the initiator (i.e. not have to wait for a plot cue), but to spread them out so that we haven't burned through all the conversations in the first two hours.  You could do all this while still having the plot-cued conversations a la DA:2.

"It's quanity time, not quality time."  The plot-cued conversations were all very well done, deep and significant.  But for some reason, I really didn't feel like I had a handle on my companions as real individuals.  Instead, I knew them as 'issues'.   I knew the general history about each ot them,  but somehow I still didn't quite get what made them tick (with maybe the exception of Aveline and Varric).  In DA:O, you could ask your companions about their backgrounds.  Where are the conversaions about fashionable shoes, lamposts, rememberences of a stolen hand mirror, or how you like cookies?  Minor stuff, maybe,  but all these sorts of conversations give you a better understanding of the companions--along with all the deep, plot-cued conversations used in DA:2.

"Zero to sixty in ten seconds"  Some aspects of the L.I. relationships were very well done.  For example, the L.I. coming to console you about your mother's death was touching.  But  wow!  Where was the progression to get to this level in the relationship?  One offhand 'heart' choice on the convo wheel at my first conversation with Anders, and then three years later he's telling my character how he burns for her and then they go bed.  What?  Did I miss something along the way?  It felt like my character didn't know anything about this companion and suddenly, they were making out.  Where are the not-so-sly hints that he thinks my character is attactive, for instance?  Where's the flirting, the testing of the waters?  Where did the fun part of this go?  The Aveline relationship progression with Donnic, on the other hand was done much better and seemed more fleshed out.  The main character's seemed flat (the beginning anyway).

Varric and Aveline are the exception for the most part.  There seemed to be more 'incidental' conversations with them rather than conversations that were there to convey some plot or issue element.  Again, appreciate the effort.  Just felt like the cutscene convos were
like these precious gems that sparkled, but had no warmth. 

[txgoldrush]

Camilladilla wrote...

JohnEpler wrote...
The best I was able to do was combine a sad emotion with a smile to get that 'sad but trying to put on a brave face'. I don't know if it worked as well as I'd like, and it's certainly something I'm going to be trying to perfect for any future projects, whether DA or ME related. FaceFX is a harsh mistress.

Actually that brave face Hawke put on when I chose the "Don't I always" option combined with Boulton's stellar acting during Leandra's death scene nearly broke my heart.

Jo Wyatt was even better...wow, the female Hawke is great. Better than the male. Just like Shepard.

[Cutlasskiwi]

I just finished DA2 late last night and in the end I got more attached to the characters than I did in DAO. The friendships and characters felt more believable to me. Banter can go a long way to gaining insight in the character but as some people have pointed out, if you don't bring the character's with you in the beginning you miss out on that. But I don't really miss running in a circle around camp to talk to everyone. More dialoge would have been great but since that isn't free to add I'm happy with the result.

The banter was great. It made me pick which followers to come with me, for the most part, based on how the characters had acted towards each other during the game.

[forestmaiden86]

MerchantGOL wrote...

DA2 has better companions for one simple reason

The DA2 crew actually interact and tend to like each other, in DA0 they all hated each other at worse, or were annoyed by each other at best [Sten and Shales budding romance an exemption]

Avaline and Isabella go from Being ****es to each other to BFFs

Verric Becomes Merril's big brother practically, The new Companions also have lives that don't revolve around the Main character, You cant go "Here have some whine and change your world views"

I would disagree with this the characters didnt hate each other in DAO sure Morrigan and Alistair (well actually Morrigan and all others) but Leliana got along with Sten and Alistair... Alistair thought of Wunne as a mother figure and Zevran and Oghren werent hated but poked fun at. While DA2 I found Caver hated everyone, Anders only got with a couple, in fact Isabelle, Varic and Anders were the only ones I found got along with each other... and they werent the characters I had in my party often.

[Icy Magebane]

I disagree. The companions were fine this time around. I thought I'd miss being able to talk to them whenever I wanted to, but I didn't. I enjoyed their banter, and especially liked the way some companions were visiting others when I stopped by for a quest or to drop off a gift.

[cephasjames]

David Gaider wrote...

_Loc_N_lol_ wrote...
An interesting point. I think the structure of the interacitons (home-base or quest-specific only) is interesting, but most companions could use a more lengthy introduction. I think that's the problem, before entrusting someone with watching my back on a regular basis, I'd like to get to know them a little more, sooner rather than later.

Yes, when the writers talked about how things ended up, one of our own observations was that Act 1 ended up being considerably longer than was intended-- so players went a fair length of time after that first dialogue without anything extensive. Front-loading the conversations a bit more, rather than having the sole post-recruitment dialogue, would probably have worked a little better insofar as getting to know characters went.

We'll have to decide if it was worthwhile having all the companion quests. That's where a good deal of the word budget for companions went in comparison (remember in DAO you had one very short quest, if anything at all). From a writing perspective it's a much better way to get to know a companion, but perhaps it simply didn't come soon enough (the first personal quest starts in Act 2, after all) or perhaps that's not what some people want. Perhaps what they want is to ask their companions a bunch of questions, instead? Whether or not I think that's a less desireable way to approach it, if many people felt less connected it might have to be considered.

Regardless, I know that many will take the standard "well, why not do both?" approach to an answer. Yes, ideally you'd want to have lots of personal quests, be able to talk to companions whenever you wanted and ask them lots of questions, etc. etc. That's simply not practical, however. This is not the "talk to companions" game, and thus only so much of our resources can be devoted to it.

I think the companion quests are great. I wish that DAO had longer ones! What would be great is to start the companion quests in Act 1, as a way to get to know the companions better. Also, now that the Player is voiced and we can kind of pick a personality, why not have the Player banter with the traveling party as well? The banter, imo, helps to get to know the companions better too.

[XOGHunter246]

I feel in fights the comment said after are better in DA2 as well like when Varrick died Anders actually made a comment on it "you bastard you killed Varrick" unlike DAO. At first in DA2 he would not things like this then as I progress the comments changed in fights, I like the banter in DA2 good job on that part.

Modifié par XOGHunter246, 14 mars 2011 - 01:18 .

[Phex]

I think this is the single biggest shortcoming of DA2. Origins was exceptional in the depth that all your companions had. I spent hours in camp talking to my friends and I enjoyed getting to do it when I wanted to, in between quests. It was a nice break from all the violence and slaughter, just to listen to Leliana's stories or watch Alistair ramble. That element was completely stripped in DA2, and I really hope BioWare will bring it back for DA3, if there is one.

However I did enjoy the interaction my companions had with each other in DA2 through the cut-scenes, it was nice learning that Varric and Anders were actually quite good friends and played cards together (with Anders always losing). Origins didn't really have anything like that besides the randomly triggered banter.

Modifié par Sefferz, 14 mars 2011 - 01:27 .

[FoxholeHunter]

Maybe it was a case of too many cooks, Origins had less companions to use but they overall seemed better than DA2's larger cast of companions and so they perhaps had to cut down on the time invested on each character this time. Maybe its just a case that they are not quite as well written as last time. Cant be perfect every time.

I remember a lot people complained that Origins characters weren't as good as Mass Effect's when it came out so maybe people just need more time to get used to all of them again.

[Dean_the_Young]

After reading through, I find myself falling into both camps somewhat: the lack of being able to talk at any time was jarring, especially for the romances, but the increased interweaving of characters and their mission was a very good experiment. It's easy to forget how new this sort of 'epic RPG' genre is: there's no set formula for what will always work, and there may never be.

Two things that stood out to me as missing actually surprised me: epilogue investment, and the traditional duty of characters as walking lore-compendiums.

The first doesn't seem like much, since it's not voice work in and of itself, but one of the functions of the end-game epilogue slides was always to give us an idea of how our characters turned out. The differences between, say, hearing Alistair turned into a drunk, or a maleable king, or even a skilled ruler, were all pieces that not only gave closure, but also connection to the character. What we did, mattered.

Now, in some respects this seems implausible for DA2, for reasons that should be obvious: Varric is telling this story, and in the first fifteen minutes claims not to know where the Champion is. The ambiguity is a large part of the story. On the other hand, there still could have been 'epilogue rumor' slides: nothing too obvious, but also give some sense of direction. All in all, the Origins epilogue slides before you went to Awakening, if that makes any sense. The point being, the closure also brings the characters to being a bit more relevant: people like knowing how they affect the cast.


The second traditional role of a character, as a lore encyclopedia, might also have mitigated the feeling of being all hit-or-miss. That's a staple of characters like, say, Tali in Mass Effect 1: they have their personal stories, which are usually one at a time, but at the same time you could go back to them to re-hear exposition about their pasts, culture, etc. It's not particularly glamorous, but if you do it well, with slowly-expanding repeatable dialogue options (like Leliana's increasing number of stories), you both have progression and the ability to get dialogue at any time.

A case example of what might have been: let's take Anders.

In Act 1, Anders starts off with a basic 'who I am' repeatable dialogue list, or even the same one from when you first met him. He was/is a Warden, he dislikes the Circle, he had a cat. One past, one personal, one codex-worthy exposition on the Circle.

In Act 2, Anders can be spoken at any time for those same three prompts, but adds another two: you can ask Anders more about his time in the Wardens (giving both personal accounting and character inflection), and his insight from having been within the Circle Tower.

In Act 3, Anders gives another two to be accessed at any time: maybe something about apostate societies in general (giving us a nice codex about how they might be organized and run), and spirits with the veil.


In essence, these aren't anything that haven't been done, but rather making the codex-exposition pieces accessible at any time for later chatup and review. You might get much the same influence if you just took what they already told you in an arc (Fenrir's exposition about Tevinter, for example), and made it so that after you did their loyalty mission you could go back and pick up that Act's exposition.

It's something to do, and it can allow for some avoiding of the 'must memorize all investigation options the first/only time I see them' syndrome that I notice.



And just to throw out a third thing, you could throw in a 'spend time with your pal' dialogue/fade to black. Nothing fancy, even just a line, but reflective of your current state of relations: Rival, Friend, Neither, Love Interest. For love interests it might be your 'let's spend time together' fade to black, but everyone could have a basis for a platonic fade to black: Merril tells you about the Dalish, knock back a few beers with Isabella, play cards with Varric, brood with Fenrir...

[aox_general]

There's so much love and attention that went into the creation of all the companions in DAO, and it showed, it really showed. Similarly, lack of love shows in DA2 companions. Everything feels so hurried and somehow stripped of extras even though there are pleasant surprised and extras that weren't there in DAO. But...I don't know, there isn't one single character that I can become totally charmed by in DA2, while in DAO it was pure sweet sweet torture trying to make them all happy because I liked them all and wanted them to be happy. In DA2 at this point (beginning of act3) I don't give a rat's **** if Isabela decides to grace me with her presence again. It's not like when she's actually there she does much else other than ask me it I think she needs a bath. And after running off on me and staying away for 3 years all she can say on our first meeting is "perhaps it's time to stop hiding, I miss all the trouble we used to get into". Uhuh. That's all you miss? Really? If you've gone for the romancing Isabela option, how is this supposed to be emotionally engaging for the player? She leaves, she comes back, and we have a superficial emotionless conversation about it and that's that, I'm supposed to be satisfied with this?? Well, it's not good enough. Not when I have DAO to compare it with.

DAO benefited a lot from the fantastic voice acting on Morrigan, Alistair, Leliana, etc. (Claudia Black has the most amazing voice ever!!). The DAO companions felt like real people because they each had individual and detailed peculiarities which endeared them to me. I *loved* that Leliana had a slight lisp, I *loved* that Morrigan said "tis" all the time, I *loved* that Alistair was constantly funny and charming, I *loved* that Oghren had the social grace of a donkey, etc. This is what real people are like - different, specific, unique.

Let's see what I loved about the DA2 companions. ... well, Isabela has an impressive chest, but that's a very cheap way to endear her to the player. And it's hardly enough to make up for her lack of personality. Both companion elves are entirely too anorectic and physically unappealing (what's up with the ugly ears, why the change in elf looks since DAO??). Anders was boring already in Awakening. Well, I can't even remember the names of the rest of the companions even though I'm playing the game right now, they're all boring and ugly (except Isabela).

I obviously wanted and expected a DAO2, not just a DA2. DA2 is a nice "first draft" for a game, but it just doesn't feel like a completed ready product. DAO was superb, superior, awesome and amazing, genius work. Hard act to follow.

On the other hand, hat down to Bioware for making all major companions available for romance to both female and male heroes in DA2. That feels very right, that's the way it should be. It contributes a lot to suspending the player's disbelief and making the world feel more real.

[aox_general]

I just met Leliana in DA2. LELIANA!!! I love her so so much, and yet ... the moments with her left me ...unsatisfied and unhappy. And I don't know why, it's really frustrating!!! Maybe because everything is too short and rushed, and it felt like they're just trying to fulfill so many promises with this game by packing it full of everything but at the same time, everything is just briefly touched upon, and not EVER fully explored to my satisfaction, so it just seems superficial. I can't get into it. I really really want to. But I can't! I think I'll go play DAO again to make myself feel better.

[BiowarEA]

Agree with OP! The problem with DA2 companions is that no dialog at all is available with party members outside their specific quests. You can't just go have a chat with them as you can do in both ME games and Origins. In Origins you could talk with any party member at any time and discuss whatever you wanted. Some dialogs triggered only when you were back at your camp but those usually happened after you completed a main quest.

DA2? Nothing, nada, niente. Unless the party member wants to speak with you there's no way in hell to have any sort of dialog with them. They merely say something meaningless as if you clicked at a random npc in the city areas.

Also add the fact their quests are exactly like any other fedex quest you would gather from random npcs that you never saw before in your life. There's no chance of failure nor anything to be resolved based on your character skills. You just chose if your Hawke will respond with a Blue/Purple/Red dialog option and that's it.

[Azzlee]

David Gaider wrote...

_Loc_N_lol_ wrote...
An interesting point. I think the structure of the interacitons (home-base or quest-specific only) is interesting, but most companions could use a more lengthy introduction. I think that's the problem, before entrusting someone with watching my back on a regular basis, I'd like to get to know them a little more, sooner rather than later.

Yes, when the writers talked about how things ended up, one of our own observations was that Act 1 ended up being considerably longer than was intended-- so players went a fair length of time after that first dialogue without anything extensive. Front-loading the conversations a bit more, rather than having the sole post-recruitment dialogue, would probably have worked a little better insofar as getting to know characters went.

We'll have to decide if it was worthwhile having all the companion quests. That's where a good deal of the word budget for companions went in comparison (remember in DAO you had one very short quest, if anything at all). From a writing perspective it's a much better way to get to know a companion, but perhaps it simply didn't come soon enough (the first personal quest starts in Act 2, after all) or perhaps that's not what some people want. Perhaps what they want is to ask their companions a bunch of questions, instead? Whether or not I think that's a less desireable way to approach it, if many people felt less connected it might have to be considered.

Regardless, I know that many will take the standard "well, why not do both?" approach to an answer. Yes, ideally you'd want to have lots of personal quests, be able to talk to companions whenever you wanted and ask them lots of questions, etc. etc. That's simply not practical, however. This is not the "talk to companions" game, and thus only so much of our resources can be devoted to it.

Mr Gaider, I have nothing but respect for you and your team (especially Mary Kirby for giving me Sten and you for giving me Morrigan). I also envy your position in Bioware and wish I had the skills to come in with my 2 cents so that they actually meant something. However, I am somewhat lost on your second paragraph. If my memory serves me correctly, I came on to this forum the night I completed DA:O desperatly looking for a way to keep Morrigan not only at the end of my game of DA:O, or at least when I refused her. And so did hunderds, if not thousands. Now whilst my personal opinion as an individual means nothing, I believe that not only was Claudia Black *THE* best person to voice her, but the time and effort that was very clearly evident in her writing was simply above all else I have ever witnessed in a game.

Towards the end, the bit in Origins before you go into the Market where you talk with all your companions, was where it hit home just how much I had got to know my companions. My god when Wynne comes up and I believe the line is "No matter what happens, I want you to know that I am proud, infinitly proud, to have called you friend" sent tingles down the spine much like all the others did in their speech ( again <3 Sten)

This I believe was simply down to the fact that I stood there, with her in the DA:O camp along with the others, and spoke with them. I could, if I so chose, romance Morrigan, kiss her whenever I wanted talk to her etc. But what made her, and all the other companions in DA:O better by a very very large margin compared to those in DA2, was that I personally got to know them, then, when trusted or liked, I did their quest and there was a true purpose to doing it. Loose ends for the potential end of the world had to be address by all characters, bar Zevran, who was the only one not to have an end quest.

This I could hardly do in DA2. I personally failed to connect with the DA:2 companions and whilst I appreciate this is not a "talk to your companions all the time" game, your games are about facing an enemy with a team by your side and getting to know them. If that wasn't the case there would be no approval system or companions in the first place. Origins is the pinnacle of Bioware writing skills. In terms of English football, DA:O was Manchester United, DA2 was pub team.

Now, I don't believe your budget was anywhere near as big as that from DA:O. There has been "resource" and "deadline" thrown around this forum by Bioware employees on more than one occasion. But I hope, that for me to continue to enjoy what I personally found special about DA:O and very much dislike in DA2, that you very much look at the DA:O approach and take your time with your characters that I know, as well as anyone else here on this forum knows, that you can do.

Modifié par Azzlee, 14 mars 2011 - 10:28 .

[Logikal1]

David Gaider wrote...

_Loc_N_lol_ wrote...
An interesting point. I think the structure of the interacitons (home-base or quest-specific only) is interesting, but most companions could use a more lengthy introduction. I think that's the problem, before entrusting someone with watching my back on a regular basis, I'd like to get to know them a little more, sooner rather than later.

Yes, when the writers talked about how things ended up, one of our own observations was that Act 1 ended up being considerably longer than was intended-- so players went a fair length of time after that first dialogue without anything extensive. Front-loading the conversations a bit more, rather than having the sole post-recruitment dialogue, would probably have worked a little better insofar as getting to know characters went.

We'll have to decide if it was worthwhile having all the companion quests. That's where a good deal of the word budget for companions went in comparison (remember in DAO you had one very short quest, if anything at all). From a writing perspective it's a much better way to get to know a companion, but perhaps it simply didn't come soon enough (the first personal quest starts in Act 2, after all) or perhaps that's not what some people want. Perhaps what they want is to ask their companions a bunch of questions, instead? Whether or not I think that's a less desireable way to approach it, if many people felt less connected it might have to be considered.

Regardless, I know that many will take the standard "well, why not do both?" approach to an answer. Yes, ideally you'd want to have lots of personal quests, be able to talk to companions whenever you wanted and ask them lots of questions, etc. etc. That's simply not practical, however. This is not the "talk to companions" game, and thus only so much of our resources can be devoted to it.

If Bioware didn't have the assets to create the ideal RPG (If we define an ideal RPG as one which all aspects of an RPG are ideally met which they clearly aren't regardless of how different our aspects of an RPG may be) then why go about creating it at all?

Is there any way for us to see the budget you were given as well as the total budget that includes what EA spent on marketing as well?

Thanks.

[solution_nine]

cephasjames wrote... Also, now that the Player is voiced and we can kind of pick a personality, why not have the Player banter with the traveling party as well? The banter, imo, helps to get to know the companions better too.

S/he does! I was pleasantly surprised to see Hawke get involved in some of the random party banter.

[PSUHammer]

I have to say, as an aside, this has been one of the most enlightening and entertaining threads in the forum, so far. Very respectful constructive criticism, developer reaction/comments, lack of immature vitriol. Thanks for the read, folks!

[Kimberly Shaw]

Just wanted to add my agreeing with the OP, the lack of conversation choices with your party members unless they have a quest going on (or want to play with the dog) is very weak.

I felt no connection to my mother or most party members except Varric, Anders and astonishingly Merril, who I wanted to hate but ended up actually really liking by the end despite everything (a well written character I must say). At one point when Meredith threatens Anders I was telling my computer to "back off b1tch" and looking for the "don't you threaten him!" option but it wasn't there. Good stuff.

But really would it have taken THAT much resource to add a few dozen lines of dialogue for the companions?