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[Carmen_Willow]

Folks, is the an example of a really wonderful love interest that you would like to hold up to Bioware as guide for future romancable characters?  Please include them in this topic.  My favorite character example for this particular game is listed below.

[Edited to change content]

Modifié par Carmen_Willow, 20 mars 2011 - 11:30 .

[Carmen_Willow]

I've played the game through twice now as a Femme-Hawke and you've given me as an LI either the a) broody, moody terrorist mage who blows things up in an emotional meltdown worth of Branka at her best; or, the moody broody elf who has become hate and rage addicted (you seem to like rage addicted characters, Bioware). I felt like was caught in some Marlon Brando/James Dean nightmare where the rebel without a cause meets Stanley. Or perhaps Darcy goes insane v. Heathcliff comes home with a new look and sword!

The two decent real manly men are A templar who has good cause to be suspicious of mages, and a Dwarf who has an unusual relationship with is cross-bow.

Although I found the elf slightly more attractive because in our first interaction with the Qunari we discover him to have a brain and some education to go with it. This is entirely negated; however, by the moody, broody stuff.

Bioware writers, may I refer you to Roberta Gellis? Author of three medieval historical romances written at the time of the rebellion of Henry of Anjou against Stephen of Blois for the throne of England, she uses the Gesta Stephani to provide some historical grounding to her excellent bodice rippers. In particular, her hero in the novel Knight's Honor would serve you well as a template. Based on Roger, Earl of Hereford, who came into his earldom at age 14 or so, due to his father's death in a hunting accident. Roger immediately had to take up arms with his vassals to secure his lands, and by his late twenties had not only done so, but had sworn fealty to Henry of Anjou, later Henry II of England was Henry's field commander for the rebel forces attempting to remove Stephen from the throne.

No one knows what Roger was really like, but in the novel, he manages to protect his mother, secure a good political marriage for his sister, and secure HIS marriage to the daughter of the Earl of Chester. His military campaigns are historical fact and are used in the novel -- let us say he's no wooosie on the battlefield. But despite being a genuine dyed-in-the-wool medieval BAD****, he doesn't beat his women and in fact is pretty kind to them. He's a guy who likes women, likes sleeping with women and keeps his fears about the future mostly to himself
.
One of my favorite scenes in the novel however involve Roger being terribly frustrated, angry, tired and worried because despite winning his battles, he has a foreshadowing of failure to his campaign. He is so upset that that night in bed with his wife in the keep -- he cries tears of frustration in her arms and falls asleep. Next day, he's buckling on armor again and going out to beseige keeps and kill enemies again. What I loved, is that he trusted his wife enough to let her see that he was a human being underneath the persona of confident, fearless leader. Loved it. Now THAT'S great emo. Oh, and Roger has a real sense of humor.

Next time, could be please have a good, decent regular sort of real man back. On who kicks ****, takes names but then comes home and says , In a cheerful voice, "Hi, honey, what's for dinner?" And you can answer back, "We're going out because I just took out Meredith and Orsino"

[Edited for content]

[Zing Freelancer]

When I read the end of your post, the only thing that came to my mind was "Duke Nukem"...

[Xrissie]

My advice: go lesbian.

[Lithuasil]

We already have Garrus for that. Also, Merill can turn *anyone* bi.

[Foolsfolly]

Heh. Regular guys.

None of your companions are regular people. They all have their own set of problems. Think about us guys for a moment. We have the naive little girl who's hellbent on using Blood Magic and becoming an Abomination no matter the risks or Isabella....who hasn't met a person she hasn't slept with.

They all have issues. I actually started an Isabella romance once...got bored of it because she's just not that interesting. She's funny to have around for banter though.

[Bioras]

Xrissie wrote...

My advice: go lesbian.

Typical...

As far as I can tell, it's a pattern for Bioware. I am not sure if you play Mass Effect. In ME 2 we straight females could select from a sexy ....shallow moron.....or a complex lizzard with a terminal skin condition.
Origins gave us what many were wanting. Then Came DA 2. I have to admit they did a far better job creating the characters.  Yet have you noticed, all three of them whine the entire game? Fenris will talk to Hawke about few things that are not anti-mage. The bulk of the conversations with Anders is about mages. And I won't even go into alter boy. (Sebastian)
Maybe there is hope in the 3rd?
Also...nice to know I am not the only one that thinks Cullen has grown into his character.

[Carmen_Willow]

Bioras wrote...

Xrissie wrote...

My advice: go lesbian.

Typical...

As far as I can tell, it's a pattern for Bioware. I am not sure if you play Mass Effect. In ME 2 we straight females could select from a sexy ....shallow moron.....or a complex lizzard with a terminal skin condition.
Origins gave us what many were wanting. Then Came DA 2. I have to admit they did a far better job creating the characters.  Yet have you noticed, all three of them whine the entire game? Fenris will talk to Hawke about few things that are not anti-mage. The bulk of the conversations with Anders is about mages. And I won't even go into alter boy. (Sebastian)
Maybe there is hope in the 3rd?
Also...nice to know I am not the only one that thinks Cullen has grown into his character.

I SO wanted to romance Cullen this time around.  He seemed so grown-up compared to the other two.  A real "sadder but wiser" guy.

[Carmen_Willow]

Xrissie wrote...

My advice: go lesbian.

Didn't see much there to like, either IMO.  Merrill was sweet but I couldn't see myself as her (the thing I have to do when I play a male role and romance someone).  The other one?  Can't see myself as her either---evah.

[Lithuasil]

Carmen_Willow wrote...


I SO wanted to romance Cullen this time around.  He seemed so grown-up compared to the other two.  A real "sadder but wiser" guy.

We ARE talking about the templar knight captain, the guy who manages to make a regular templar (who, let's face it, is on the intellectual level of a marbari) look like a pure, pristine genius?

[Carmen_Willow]

I got rather tired of the "do I want to sympathize about the mean templars or do I want to sympatize about the mean Tevinters?" mode. I am not the NPC's mommy, and I don't want to have to fix him. I have a heart just like everyone else, but I am already trying to fix a city. I didn't need to be fixing my boyfriend as well.

[Lithuasil]

I completely agree that Anders and Fenris aren't exactly first rate boyfriend material, but Cullen? Seriously, that's like the second least likeable character in the game, and at least you can murder the Arishok.

[Carmen_Willow]

Lithuasil wrote...

Carmen_Willow wrote...


I SO wanted to romance Cullen this time around.  He seemed so grown-up compared to the other two.  A real "sadder but wiser" guy.

We ARE talking about the templar knight captain, the guy who manages to make a regular templar (who, let's face it, is on the intellectual level of a marbari) look like a pure, pristine genius?

Yep, the one who had the hots for a Mage in DA:O and went slightly crazy from the torture.  By the end of this go-round, he'd moved from "Kill them all and let the Maker sort it out!"  to "It was worse in Ferelden and we spared some of those Mages.  Aren't you going a little nuts, Meredith?"   He wasn't my ideal LI, but he was a lot further along the road to my ideal than either choice I actually had.  (And that ain't sayin' much.)

[Talogrungi]

Male HeteroHawkes have a similar problem.

It's either Mental Merril (admittedly adorable) or Isabonka.

There's a distinct lack of normality in DA2 romances. At least we get a bit of contrast though, whereas the Lady HeteroHawkes just have two flavours of emo to choose from.

Aveline + Sebastian for LI's!

[Bioras]

I understand. As much as you can interact with him....not even a single flirt option.
The first time you meet him him...steeled and poised to strike. After come to find, there is thought and a heart under there. **sigh**
However the end scene gives me hope he'll return.
At the very least he would make an excellent party member.

[Zandilar]

Are you sure you want to open that can of worms? Straight women at least had love interests in the base ME2, so be happy. Us not so straight women had to deal with umm... Kelly, which was a fling - had no depth to it at all. Liara was only included in a short DLC, which allowed those Sheperds (male and female) who had romanced her the first game to continue the story, but I suppose that was better than nothing. (We also had the indignity of being told that fem!Sheperd/Liara wasn't really a same-sex relationship because Liara wasn't really female, and that because of that there'd been no same sex romance in the ME series at all. *rolls eyes*) Not so straight guys had nothing at all, so I suppose we were better off.

However, having said that. I agree with the OP wholeheartedly. It seems to me that male LI characters in Bioware games seem to subscribe to the same dark and broody (or broken winged) school of romance. It would be nice to have a male character in the game who is different. Not all women are attracted to broken men they have to fix, you know. (It goes the other way too, but female LIs don't seem to suffer from the issue (as much).)

[Tainan7509]

Yeah TBH when i play as F!Hawke in my second play through, i did not have romance with anyone because i knew none of them are good. The only thing i did are family things like let Hawke's sister to become warden. Just don't have romance interest in DA2 and maybe hoping there are better option in DA3. 

Modifié par Tainan7509, 20 mars 2011 - 12:14 .

[Bioras]

Lithuasil wrote...

Carmen_Willow wrote...


I SO wanted to romance Cullen this time around.  He seemed so grown-up compared to the other two.  A real "sadder but wiser" guy.

We ARE talking about the templar knight captain, the guy who manages to make a regular templar (who, let's face it, is on the intellectual level of a marbari) look like a pure, pristine genius?

Not sure you are really giving him a shot. IMO he seems the best option to bridge the mage templar issue. Any other chars in the game you feel are up to that?

[Lithuasil]

Carmen_Willow wrote...


Yep, the one who had the hots for a Mage in DA:O and went slightly crazy from the torture.  By the end of this go-round, he'd moved from "Kill them all and let the Maker sort it out!"  to "It was worse in Ferelden and we spared some of those Mages.  Aren't you going a little nuts, Meredith?"   He wasn't my ideal LI, but he was a lot further along the road to my ideal than either choice I actually had.  (And that ain't sayin' much.)

You know, as a female mage in origins, I actually really liked Cullen. He was kind of cute, embarassing me in front of everyone, and all that. (Just unfortunate that he never talks a word to you again, once you free him.
But in DA2, he leveled up from "cute, confused and whiny" which isn't perfect, but tolerable, to "Lawful righteous retard" and I just desperately want to murder him, so I don't have to see his godawful haircut again.

[caradoc2000]

Talogrungi wrote...

There's a distinct lack of normality in DA2 romances.

There is a distinct lack of normality in DA2 period. I mean look at the lily killer quest for example, it is straight from the Twilight Zone, for cryin out...

[Souris]

Talogrungi wrote...

Male HeteroHawkes have a similar problem.

It's either Mental Merril (admittedly adorable) or Isabonka.

There's a distinct lack of normality in DA2 romances. At least we get a bit of contrast though, whereas the Lady HeteroHawkes just have two flavours of emo to choose from.

Aveline + Sebastian for LI's!

You can have Sebastian..but he wants a Chaste marriage.

When I saw that I was like "Wtf, no?"

[Maria Caliban]

Dragon Age does not do normal love interests.

[Carmen_Willow]

Zandilar wrote...

Are you sure you want to open that can of worms? Straight women at least had love interests in the base ME2, so be happy. Us not so straight women had to deal with umm... Kelly, which was a fling - had no depth to it at all. Liara was only included in a short DLC, which allowed those Sheperds (male and female) who had romanced her the first game to continue the story, but I suppose that was better than nothing. (We also had the indignity of being told that fem!Sheperd/Liara wasn't really a same-sex relationship because Liara wasn't really female, and that because of that there'd been no same sex romance in the ME series at all. *rolls eyes*) Not so straight guys had nothing at all, so I suppose we were better off.

However, having said that. I agree with the OP wholeheartedly. It seems to me that male LI characters in Bioware games seem to subscribe to the same dark and broody (or broken winged) school of romance. It would be nice to have a male character in the game who is different. Not all women are attracted to broken men they have to fix, you know. (It goes the other way too, but female LIs don't seem to suffer from the issue (as much).)

And I agree with you as well.  I had no problem with the idea of making every character romancable from either sexual orientation.  Why not?  I was a little boring having to initiate most of the romances, but I can live with that small detail.  Everyone plunked down their money to play this game -- they should be able to pick their LI from all the available LI's.

And I, too, wasn't happy that my only LI choices in MA 2 were two Aliens and a guy who didn't seem to like me much and didn't seem that interested.  I like the guy to at least seem to like me.

[V_Burgh]

Talogrungi wrote...

Male HeteroHawkes have a similar problem.

It's either Mental Merril (admittedly adorable) or Isabonka.

There's a distinct lack of normality in DA2 romances. At least we get a bit of contrast though, whereas the Lady HeteroHawkes just have two flavours of emo to choose from.

Aveline + Sebastian for LI's!

Sebastian can be romanced at least according to the strategy guide. He's straight and will apparently lose interest in you if you flirt with anyone else, ever. It will also have to be a chaste relationship.

[Carmen_Willow]

Souris wrote...

Talogrungi wrote...

Male HeteroHawkes have a similar problem.

It's either Mental Merril (admittedly adorable) or Isabonka.

There's a distinct lack of normality in DA2 romances. At least we get a bit of contrast though, whereas the Lady HeteroHawkes just have two flavours of emo to choose from.

Aveline + Sebastian for LI's!

You can have Sebastian..but he wants a Chaste marriage.

When I saw that I was like "Wtf, no?"

And I thought,  "What a waste of gorgeous DNA.  No thanks."