72 réponses à ce sujet

[silver-crescent]

He doesn't have ANY plot relevance save for being Bartrand's brother, his personaly quests are all about Bartrand too, and worst of all he has absolutely no character development, is a smooth talking smartass in year 1, stays exactly the same during the whole decade.

And to top it off he kinda fails at comedic relief, I for one thought Isabella was 50x times funnier.

It was very disappointing I thought. All the other companions are so well developped and all of them evolve through the years, but Varric never really gets anywhere.

[Beerfish]

He is the story teller and lore perosn talking to Cassandra, pretty important. He's very useful with his cross bow and is a guy that likes his lifestyle but has a bit of a conscience. Not every one can be a central figure and when you look at it there are a few that could dissappear wiuth no problem at all.

[bleetman]

Saving Merrill from her own naivety.

[silver-crescent]

Beerfish wrote...

He is the story teller and lore perosn talking to Cassandra, pretty important. He's very useful with his cross bow and is a guy that likes his lifestyle but has a bit of a conscience. Not every one can be a central figure and when you look at it there are a few that could dissappear wiuth no problem at all.

Yeah I know that he is the story teller, but the problem is outside from that he's an incredibly shallow character. Guess he should have embelished his personaly as well 

[Kawamura]

Bromancing Anders and my Hawke?

I dunno, I played a not-at-all-serious Hawke, and I thought Varric and him were both pretty not shallow. But I'm prone to filling in the gaps, so who knows?

[Maria Caliban]

I agree Varric is shallow (or flat or simple or 1 dimensional). Not that this has anything to do with whether there's a point to the character.

As for his function:
1. He provides us with a storyteller who knew Hawke.
2. He gives us the main quest line for Act 1.
3. He's a 'bro.' The other two male characters have issues while he's friendly and level-headed.
4. He provides comedy. That you don't think he's funny is fine, but he's obviously intended to be humorous.

Modifié par Maria Caliban, 26 mars 2011 - 07:35 .

[Kawamura]

Maria Caliban wrote...

I agree Varric is shallow (or flat or simple or 1 dimensional). Not that this has anything to do with whether there's a point to the character.

As for his function:
1. He provides us with a storyteller who knew Hawke.
2. He gives us the main quest line for Act 1.
3. He's a 'bro.' The other two male characters have issues while he's friendly and level-headed.
4. He provides comedy. That you don't think he's funny is fine, but he's obviously intended to be humorous.

I dunno that he's flat/one-dimensional. He just doesn't hit you over the head with his personality.

A lot of his personality comes out at the sides, I think, in the party banter (especially the evolving banter with Anders). It just isn't so -- obvious. Which is nice. He's got issues. He just doesn't hit you with them at every moment.

[mesmerizedish]

Kawamura wrote...

I dunno that he's flat/one-dimensional. He just doesn't hit you over the head with his personality.

A lot of his personality comes out at the sides, I think, in the party banter (especially the evolving banter with Anders). It just isn't so -- obvious. Which is nice. He's got issues. He just doesn't hit you with them at every moment.

I agree with Maria (and not just for the sake of agreeing with Maria). He has a personality, for sure, but there's just not a lot going on. When I'm playing a game like Dragon Age, any issues I'm not being hit over the head with might as well not exist.

He's actually a lot like the PC in that he's surrounded by a bunch of ****ed-uppedness that he's not really involved with except by his own choice. Varric chooses to get himself involved with the other companions and with Hawke, but the only real issue he's got of his own is Bartrand. Who, compared to almost anyone else, isn't really that big of an issue.

[Maria Caliban]

Kawamura wrote...

I dunno that he's flat/one-dimensional. He just doesn't hit you over the head with his personality.

He does hit you over the head with his personality.

He's dragged through a dark corridor, tossed in a chair, and faces a a mysterious religious inquisitioner... at which point he begins cracking jokes and shows little sign of being bothered.

There's little subtle about it.

He's got issues.

No, he doesn't. Varric has problems but shows no sign of having issues.

[Laurelinde]

I would have to say, "being awesome".

[silver-crescent]

Laurelinde wrote...

I would have to say, "being awesome".

He certainly seems to think he's awesome, but really falls flat.

[Rheia]

I pretty much can't really picture what a playthrough wihtout Varrick would be like . It always feels wrong to leave him out for some reason..

[Herr Uhl]

To have a character that won't betray you or hit you on the head with their tragic life?

[berelinde]

silver-crescent wrote...

Laurelinde wrote...

I would have to say, "being awesome".

He certainly seems to think he's awesome, but really falls flat.

According to you.

By my compass, he's the most entertaining character in the game.

[Laurelinde]

silver-crescent wrote...

Laurelinde wrote...

I would have to say, "being awesome".

He certainly seems to think he's awesome, but really falls flat.

Dunno, I liked him.  He was pretty mean with that crossbow, tough on his feet, made sarcastic wisecracks and most importantly, did not at any point try to screw over Hawke or tell him/her that they were a horrible, horrible person.  He was the steady, loyal friend that had your back and didn't ask for a lot in return.  He was a moment of sanity in a time of...well...Anders, Meredith and Orsino.

I think maybe he only seems "boring" because he's pretty well-adjusted and not totally barking.

[Boss Fog]

silver-crescent wrote...

Laurelinde wrote...

I would have to say, "being awesome".

He certainly seems to think he's awesome, but really falls flat.

So you say, if you don't think he's funny that's one thing.  He certainly isn't the FUNNIEST character in the game, that title goes to sarcastic Hawke.

Honestly, I just found myself attached to Varric in every playthrough I've done.  I love the fact that he protects Anders and Merril from muggings, I love the fact that he plays cards with Donnic and Fenris, I also love the fact that he is a pain in Aveline's arse in regards to his stories and her guardsmen.  I honestly don't see personally how you cannot like him.

[bleetman]

He's also the only thing that made All That Remains bearable.

[Dan-mac RI]

As far as Varric not changing, I defer to Bartrand, "Dwarves haven't changed much." If this applies to an entire people across millennia, surely it applies to individuals too.

[Sarah1281]

As far as the 'points' of characters go...

Isabela is important because she steals the relic. Anders is important because he blows up the Chantry. Varric is important because without him you'd never have gotten on Bartrand's expedition and become rich and Meredith got her hands on the relic. Those are definitely important.

Then there's MAYBE important. Aveline is the reason you are in to see the Arishok when the invasion starts but do you really have to be there for that? And you can even tell Aveline that the viscount easily could have mentioned his son to you. Fenris and his problems with Danarius have no actual plot relevance. Merrill's only plot-relevance is in being the one to help bring Flemeth from the amulet which the Keeper or any other Dalish mage could do. The Keeper could have even taught you how to do it so as long as you were a mage or Bethany or Anders was in the party it could be done. And even if it was Merrill, her plot-relevance ended there when her role could have easily been done by someone else. Sebastian was eager to protect Elthina but ultimately he's a DLC so the game HAS to be able to function just fine without him. Even your sibling is only there to further tie you to the mess in Kirkwall.

Really, as far as 'important' characters go...none of it would have been possible with Varric. Without him, you're just another refugee.

[PlumPaul93]

comic relief and apparently the only real bromance for a male hawke

[Maria Caliban]

Sarah1281 wrote...

As far as the 'points' of characters go...

I agree with what you said as to the relevance of various companions to the plot, but you seem to suggest that a character's only 'point' is related to plot. If so, I disagree with it.

Modifié par Maria Caliban, 26 mars 2011 - 08:35 .

[Dave of Canada]

To be your friend through everything.

[Maria Caliban]

What is his rival path, anyway?

[Malevolence65]

He's there so Bioware can retcon everything. They're going to say that Varric exaggerated/changed it all. Actually, if I remember correctly, Gaider (could have been another dev) said something like "You don't know how much Varric has exaggerated/changed about the story."

[Sarah1281]

Maria Caliban wrote...

Sarah1281 wrote...

As far as the 'points' of characters go...

I agree with what you said as to the relevance of various companions to the plot, but you seem to suggest that a character's only 'point' is related to plot. If so, I disagree with it.

The first thing the OP charged Varric with was not having much of a relevance to the plot. And while plot relevance may not be everything, it is certainly very important in the point of characters.