181 réponses à ce sujet

[Iakus]

Definitely Sheparding Wolves and the Long Road. 

The first emphasized just how different qunari society is from human or elf or dwarf.  The nobles, the Chantry, the templars simply don't get them or their values any more than the qunari understand humans.  Here the Circle and templars are struggling over how free mages should be.  Yet we have the qunari who treat their mages like...that.  And the mages accept it as their place!  Definitely one of the most dramatic quests.  I actually wasn't sure how I was going to handle the confrontation at the end, since I was unwilling to hand the mage over, but didn't want to pick a fight either, since we were having such a calm discussion.  Pointing out Merrill was a mage too kinda solved that dilemma for me.

The Long Road was a very refreshing romantic comedy amidst an overall pretty dark story ("Maker!  She's really bad at this!).  Taking Isabela with me on those quests really kicked up the humor. 

[Iakus]

double post

Modifié par iakus, 26 mars 2011 - 04:21 .

[LT123]

All That Remains was brilliant. Hawke's desperate "We need to find my mother RIGHT NOW" comments throughout the quest were very well done. I haven't seen the other LI's scenes, but Anders and Aveline coming by to console Hawke was touching. The conversation with Gamlen was as well, especially when he started yelling at Hawke for not being fast enough and then being angry at him/her and himself when Hawke told him what the mage did to Leandra. When he told Hawke to take care, that was the first point in the game when I started to like Gamlen.

[David Gaider]

RosaAquafire wrote...
~ A Bitter Pill - there's just an amazing MOOD to this quest, and I found myself totally possessed by Fenris's feelings. I'm really curious who the HELL did animation for Fenris, because his subtle facial expressions and eye movements were just amazing, you can see entire novels written in his face and this quest (and Alone, which I LIKED better but wasn't quite as well written, imo) was awesome for that. Fenris's face is so expressive, far and away the best animated character. He's like a real person.

That would have been Sarah, the cinematic designer on my team. She would come into my office almost every day asking for background on what Fenris was like, how he might move, etc. If you can imagine me mimicking Fenris ("he sort of turns his head aside, like 'no, I can't...'") and she would get all excited and run off to make it perfect.

I'm really happy with how those scenes turned out.

[David Gaider]

Lilunebrium wrote...
Definitely All That Remains.

I mean, my God. The complete shock at the beginning, the suspense, the terror, the loss, the amazing voice acting of Jo Wyatt (have yet to play a BeardHawke), it's all just so wonderfully macabre.
It had me crying like a little girl at the end. Which is actually a first when it comes to games.

Whoever wrote that questline has gained an infinite amount of approval points, as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks! That would have been Sheryl and myself. It was probably my favorite quest to design, and almost got cut twice. The fact the artists got excited about it and made a new body for Leandra without us even asking for one made it impossible for us to refuse to do the extra work.

[Astranagant]

RPGamer13 wrote...

Anything involving Isabela, she has the best party banter with the other characters to me, especially when she is dealing with Merrill.

Wat.

Anyway...

I have to give props for the Fenris-related dialogue when you go to meet the Arishok in the Blackpowder Promise quest and let Fenris do the talking.

I found I had a growing lack of disgust for Fenris at that point.

iakus wrote...

Definitely Sheparding Wolves and the Long Road. 

The first emphasized just how different qunari society is from human or elf or dwarf.  The nobles, the Chantry, the templars simply don't get them or their values any more than the qunari understand humans.  Here the Circle and templars are struggling over how free mages should be.  Yet we have the qunari who treat their mages like...that.  And the mages accept it as their place!  Definitely one of the most dramatic quests.  I actually wasn't sure how I was going to handle the confrontation at the end, since I was unwilling to hand the mage over, but didn't want to pick a fight either, since we were having such a calm discussion.  Pointing out Merrill was a mage too kinda solved that dilemma for me.

The Long Road was a very refreshing romantic comedy amidst an overall pretty dark story ("Maker!  She's really bad at this!).  Taking Isabela with me on those quests really kicked up the humor. 

I still wish you could have sided with the Qunari and brought the Qun to the purposeless savages of Kirkwall.

Modifié par Astranagant, 26 mars 2011 - 04:37 .

[Punahedan]

These were all already mentioned, but I would like to reinforce how awesome they were: A Bitter Pill (and Fenris' questline in general), All That Remains, The Long Road (Funniest quest EVER), Shepherding Wolves (I can't explain how awesome this is, I LOVE this quest and the mere thought of Petrice makes me want to rip someone's eyeballs out), the quest Meredith gives you with the De Launcets ("Oh, but the 'Anged Man is so FEEEEEELTHY!" "It IS filthy." "Sigh. Orlesians."), everything associated with the qunari (ARISHOK  And Fenris being able to talk to them like that and just knowing their culture was... probably the sexiest part of it all XD), Best Served Cold, Merrill's questline, Haunted, the BS part of Family Matter, Magistrate's Orders (D: Kelder), Gamlen's quest (not everyone in our family is insane! We have a nice cousin!), the Tahrone quest where you have to talk to the Tramp from Darktown (lulz), Carver's attitude as a whole, the Deep Roads expeditions (both of them - yay Nate!), Cullen redeemed himself nicely... I could go on.

But definitely A Bitter Pill, All That Remains, The Long Road, and Shepherding Wolves are my top favorites. They're so memorable for their own reasons, and stand out as unique stories and daring plots. The latter end of Act 1 and the whole of Act 2 were by far the high points of the game.

David Gaider wrote...

RosaAquafire wrote...
~ A Bitter Pill - there's just an amazing MOOD to this quest, and I found myself totally possessed by Fenris's feelings. I'm really curious who the HELL did animation for Fenris, because his subtle facial expressions and eye movements were just amazing, you can see entire novels written in his face and this quest (and Alone, which I LIKED better but wasn't quite as well written, imo) was awesome for that. Fenris's face is so expressive, far and away the best animated character. He's like a real person.

That would have been Sarah, the cinematic designer on my team. She would come into my office almost every day asking for background on what Fenris was like, how he might move, etc. If you can imagine me mimicking Fenris ("he sort of turns his head aside, like 'no, I can't...'") and she would get all excited and run off to make it perfect.

I'm really happy with how those scenes turned out.

I can't agree enough - Fenris' animations, the way he slumps and I think even the way he runs is completely different. Kudos to Sarah, then.

Modifié par Hawkeyed Cai Li, 26 mars 2011 - 04:52 .

[jadefishes]

David Gaider wrote...

Thanks! That would have been Sheryl and myself. It was probably my favorite quest to design, and almost got cut twice. The fact the artists got excited about it and made a new body for Leandra without us even asking for one made it impossible for us to refuse to do the extra work.

I have told many friends who know what a fan of DA I am and knew that I was eagerly awaiting DA2 that while I have some reservations about the game, the characterization and jaw dropping plot events made the game worth playing.

I have to offer direct praise to you and to Sheryl for All That Remains. Yes, it's dark. Yes, it's tragic. But it really drew me in, made me care, and brought tears to my eyes at its culmination, and if it had been cut, it would have cut what I consider to be a very important point in the character's decision-makiing in The Last Straw.

The game is better for its inclusion.

[Helen0rz]

David Gaider wrote...

Lilunebrium wrote...
Definitely All That Remains.

I mean, my God. The complete shock at the beginning, the suspense, the terror, the loss, the amazing voice acting of Jo Wyatt (have yet to play a BeardHawke), it's all just so wonderfully macabre.
It had me crying like a little girl at the end. Which is actually a first when it comes to games.

Whoever wrote that questline has gained an infinite amount of approval points, as far as I'm concerned.

Thanks! That would have been Sheryl and myself. It was probably my favorite quest to design, and almost got cut twice. The fact the artists got excited about it and made a new body for Leandra without us even asking for one made it impossible for us to refuse to do the extra work.

Aside from the fact that I was completely shocked at Leandra's death, I was a bit freaked out by the zombie-like Leandra walking towards Hawke not knowing her intention at first. After that, I couldn't stop staring at the stitches on the neck till the scene was over. 

[David Gaider]

Helen0rz wrote...
Aside from the fact that I was completely shocked at Leandra's death, I was a bit freaked out by the zombie-like Leandra walking towards Hawke not knowing her intention at first. After that, I couldn't stop staring at the stitches on the neck till the scene was over. 

When I tell somone at work the plan for a plot and there stare at me in horror and say something along the lines of "OMG you can't DO THAT" that's when I know it's a keeper. We were discussing another plot recently that got an even bigger reaction from people outside the writing room... and that's when the writers and I look at each other and share a moment of deliciously evil glee.

But that's how we roll, I guess. When I look for writers to put on my team, I ask for the sadists.

How I ended up with most of the girls is a question best left to sociologists, I suspect.

[Bryy_Miller]

David Gaider wrote...
When I look for writers to put on my team, I ask for the sadists.

I can't imagine BioWare employs a lot of writers, since you guys only have two franchises and one MMO going on right now. 

[jadefishes]

David Gaider wrote...

Helen0rz wrote...
Aside from the fact that I was completely shocked at Leandra's death, I was a bit freaked out by the zombie-like Leandra walking towards Hawke not knowing her intention at first. After that, I couldn't stop staring at the stitches on the neck till the scene was over. 

When I tell somone at work the plan for a plot and there stare at me in horror and say something along the lines of "OMG you can't DO THAT" that's when I know it's a keeper. We were discussing another plot recently that got an even bigger reaction from people outside the writing room... and that's when the writers and I look at each other and share a moment of deliciously evil glee.

But that's how we roll, I guess. When I look for writers to put on my team, I ask for the sadists.

How I ended up with most of the girls is a question best left to sociologists, I suspect.

Tch, "the female of the species" etc., etc.

I'm well known among my writer friends for my love of being sadistic to my characters. Nothing like a good dose of betrayal to make me a happy camper.

[John Epler]

Bryy_Miller wrote...

David Gaider wrote...
When I look for writers to put on my team, I ask for the sadists.

I can't imagine BioWare employs a lot of writers, since you guys only have two franchises and one MMO going on right now. 

They tend to keep the majority of the same writers on the same franchise - this tends to help with maintaining consistent tone, writing style, that sort of thing.

Not like us poor Cinematic Designers. Shipped from project to project like so many Philips screwdrivers.

[David Gaider]

JohnEpler wrote...
Not like us poor Cinematic Designers. Shipped from project to project like so many Philips screwdrivers.

Dance, Cinematic Money! Dance for our amusement!

[Addai]

David Gaider wrote...

RosaAquafire wrote...
~ A Bitter Pill - there's just an amazing MOOD to this quest, and I found myself totally possessed by Fenris's feelings. I'm really curious who the HELL did animation for Fenris, because his subtle facial expressions and eye movements were just amazing, you can see entire novels written in his face and this quest (and Alone, which I LIKED better but wasn't quite as well written, imo) was awesome for that. Fenris's face is so expressive, far and away the best animated character. He's like a real person.

That would have been Sarah, the cinematic designer on my team. She would come into my office almost every day asking for background on what Fenris was like, how he might move, etc. If you can imagine me mimicking Fenris ("he sort of turns his head aside, like 'no, I can't...'") and she would get all excited and run off to make it perfect.

I'm really happy with how those scenes turned out.

You don't have any behind the scenes video of that?  Who do we bribe to get it? 

That woman needs a raise!  We commented on this numerous times in the Fenris thread.  The camera work in all of Fenris' quests is superb.  Brings out the drama without announcing "hello drama."  Just an example, this death stare in A Bitter Pill.

[RosaAquafire]

David Gaider wrote...

RosaAquafire wrote...
~ A Bitter Pill - there's just an amazing MOOD to this quest, and I found myself totally possessed by Fenris's feelings. I'm really curious who the HELL did animation for Fenris, because his subtle facial expressions and eye movements were just amazing, you can see entire novels written in his face and this quest (and Alone, which I LIKED better but wasn't quite as well written, imo) was awesome for that. Fenris's face is so expressive, far and away the best animated character. He's like a real person.

That would have been Sarah, the cinematic designer on my team. She would come into my office almost every day asking for background on what Fenris was like, how he might move, etc. If you can imagine me mimicking Fenris ("he sort of turns his head aside, like 'no, I can't...'") and she would get all excited and run off to make it perfect.

I'm really happy with how those scenes turned out.

Thank you so much for the answer! Now I know who to send flowers and other creepy tokens of affection to.

Let her know for me, if you could, what an AMAZING job I think that she did. Animation in this game was rockin' in general, but Fenris's face was really in a completely different league. I've seen other people mentioning this, too. I don't know if it was Sarah's brilliance, or your examples, or something about his model, or what, but he was just seriously almost real in the level of nuance in his expressions. Out-of-the-park work on him all around, visually.

And, you know, in every other way. Yep

[Dave of Canada]

Personally, I loved the quests where Hawke was pretty much powerless to do anything. In other orders, the majority of them! They made Hawke feel less like a protagonist in a game and more like an actual character having hardships and having to deal with them, liked how Hawke could threaten people and they'd simply mention the authorities and then you'd realize: "Dammit, I don't have special permission to kill everybody for no reason".

Though for the writing, I'd probably have to say both of Varric's sidequests were amazing. Choosing how to handle Bartrand (without Anders intervention) or dealing with the shard were probably the toughest decisions I had to do in the entire game simply because I was worried of what might happen.

They were probably tougher than the final choices in the game because there at least I was pushed to the Templar side by what Anders had done, this was just a choice that smacked me in the face and had me thinking long and hard.

[AKOdin]

I really enjoyed the Qunari quests in general, shepherding wolves in particular. I may have reloaded the save point right before the conversation with the Qunari party multiple times to explore every possible branch of dialogue before continuing the game.

The music for that part was also killer.

Modifié par AKOdin, 26 mars 2011 - 06:17 .

[Bryy_Miller]

David Gaider wrote...

JohnEpler wrote...
Not like us poor Cinematic Designers. Shipped from project to project like so many Philips screwdrivers.

Dance, Cinematic Money! Dance for our amusement!

This typo almost makes the joke funnier.

[Esbatty]

A Little Problem/Haunted was hands down one of my favorite questlines. Having Hawke and co playing Scooby Doo was a total blast, especially with having Dog around to fill out the group. Isabela's shrieking when the ghost runs by. Merrill creeped out by floating books and odd sounds, and she dealt with demons! The companion reactions are just beautifully done. The Golem fight was brutal and a real test in teamwork. It was very well done overall, but the writing especially shone through especially as a Varric-centric piece.

Also the post-quest dialogue with Varric and the idol piece. He has been so supportive of Hawke but you know that thing is just pure evil, but he wants it. And Varric doesn't deny Hawke anything it just... its so conflicting. To me its one of the hardest choices in the game as to whether or not to let him have it.

But Dragon Age + Scooby Doo = Pure Sex.

Modifié par Esbatty, 26 mars 2011 - 06:38 .

[Bryy_Miller]

Haunted was a good sidequest, I agree. I think what really made it was that it told story, but really was just an upgrade quest.

[teknoarcanist]

I greatly enjoyed Shepherding Wolves.

Maybe I'm alone here, but I went to see the Arashok right before the quest, and he struck as completely BA. All his talk about how corrupt Kirkwall was -- didn't the beginning of the game pretty much hammer that home? But if you read about the Qun in the codex (incidentally, very similar to the Tao...so again, props to the writers) he's sort of misinterpreting.

Anywho, I like Arashok and I dig the Qunari, if they are a little misled. So I did Shepherding Wolves, and I asked questions and seriously considered it . . . but in the end, I handed the mage over. I wasn't about to start an international incident without even knowing what the guy really wanted.

And hell, even after the fight, I still felt like I did the right thing.  I wasn't even mad at the hunter guy (although that boss fight was a ****.)  My first thought when I found out how Petrice set it up was like "God damn it, that dumb **** just started a war."

But yeah. My whole point is that that quest did the Bioware thing, which is to really engage me at an intellectual level and get me considering diplomacy and political outcomes. And then it did the Bioware thing again, and shoehorned me into one course of action I didn't really agree with

I feel like if I'd been able to kill Petrice and take her head to the Arashok to explain the situation, he probably would have said it was cool, high-fived me, and joined the party.

Modifié par teknoarcanist, 26 mars 2011 - 07:14 .

[heretica]

Addai67 wrote...

David Gaider wrote...

RosaAquafire wrote...
~ A Bitter Pill - there's just an amazing MOOD to this quest, and I found myself totally possessed by Fenris's feelings. I'm really curious who the HELL did animation for Fenris, because his subtle facial expressions and eye movements were just amazing, you can see entire novels written in his face and this quest (and Alone, which I LIKED better but wasn't quite as well written, imo) was awesome for that. Fenris's face is so expressive, far and away the best animated character. He's like a real person.

That would have been Sarah, the cinematic designer on my team. She would come into my office almost every day asking for background on what Fenris was like, how he might move, etc. If you can imagine me mimicking Fenris ("he sort of turns his head aside, like 'no, I can't...'") and she would get all excited and run off to make it perfect.

I'm really happy with how those scenes turned out.

You don't have any behind the scenes video of that?  Who do we bribe to get it? 

That woman needs a raise!  We commented on this numerous times in the Fenris thread.  The camera work in all of Fenris' quests is superb.  Brings out the drama without announcing "hello drama."  Just an example, this death stare in A Bitter Pill.

/signed.

Yo they all did and awesome job and i'mma gonna let you finish but... Jennifer Hepler NEEDS a 30ft statue at BioWare HQ. Made of  pure gold and shiny diamonds as big as water melons. Just sayin'.

[txgoldrush]

I cannot believe anyone hasn't said "Mirror Image" yet. Merril was simply amazing here, wow what voice acting.

The part where after Anders confirm that her friend was dead (who ran into the Varritel), will alwyas remain with me. Merril suddenly sobs "Why did you run, you shouldn't have run".

David, who wrote Merrill and her quests?

Modifié par txgoldrush, 26 mars 2011 - 07:38 .

[ShrinkingFish]

I can't choose. There were so many amazing quests... I feel like mentioning only one wouldn't be fare to the brilliance of all of them and if I tried to list all the ones I liked I would inevitably forget one and never forgive myself for leaving it out...

I'm a bit dramatic like that.