Favorite Romance?
#51
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 01:50
#52
Guest_laecraft_*
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 02:22
Guest_laecraft_*
After finishing my first playthrough with Anders' romance and picking myself up from the thousand tiny pieces, I decided to try someone else. Someone, I reasoned, who will not use my love for his personal goals, who will not blatantly manipulate me in cold blood, who will not betray my trust, and who will not make me the bottom of his priority list. I figured that at least in a computer game I should be able to see that "true love triumphs everything" fantasy thing.
Not to mention that immersion breaking thing where Anders won't trust you with his goals even if you're totally on his side.
Anders: "I didn't tell you because I knew you would feel honor-bound to stop me."
Mage Hawke, arcane defender, who'd never sided with templars during the entire game and who would rather spare an abomination than let a templar live: "Anders, we really need to work on that communication thing."
So I decided I'd go for Fenris.
Somewhere in the middle of the act 2...You know where this is leading already, don't you? He has a one-night stand with you and then dumps you with a half-baked explanation. Worse yet, he is wearing a ribbon that looked like all he wanted was an achievement for having sex with a Hawke, and now that he has that badge in his collection, he doesn't need you anymore. My jaw completely dropped to the floor when it happened. I think he actually still considers himself in romance with Hawke. Even though if you did something like that to any of your companions, they'd never welcome you back. It made Anders look downright honorable in comparison.
I heard that Fenris comes back to you in act 3...several years later. If you played through this, how does he explain it? His flashes went away, or something? If it was such a deal-breaker for him, how was it resolved?
It helped, though, that my Hawke was sarcastic during that playthrough with Fenris. Hawke just laughed it off. Actually, it helps a lot to play a sarcastic Hawke, because the humor won't be coming from the story events in act 2. So at least Hawke gets to laugh at it through tears.
Well, I understand why it all happens, of course. If you LI stays with you during act 2, you don't have any additional conversations, which sucks, and so they made LI go away until later. But since it's so obvious it's rather immersion-breaking.
#53
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 02:52
I wanted to grab Hawke and shake him then. I was like "NO DON'T TELL HIM YOU UNDERSTOOD YOU NEVER UNDERSTOOD, TELL HIM IT'S NOT OKAY TO DO THAT AAAAH!"
Sigh.
#54
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 03:10
The assumption is that if you don't romance anyone else and don't break it off with Fenris, Hawke is still waiting for him. And when he's finally free of his past it gives him the push he needs to go for what he wants.
Call me crazy, but him breaking it off was maybe my favorite thing about his romance. Before the game came out I was hoping for something like that, an argument or an obstacle for the relationship to overcome. With all the talk of 'relationships built over years', it was the perfect opportunity to shake up the boring, straight path of flirt -> kiss -> sex -> love.
I do think three years is kind of ridiculous, though. But unfortunately, they couldn't have had a reconciliation happen any sooner with how the game is laid out. (Why it HAD to be a three year break, I'll never know. What all has happened that couldn't have happened in say, six months?)
Modifié par Aris Ravenstar, 05 avril 2011 - 03:15 .
#55
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 03:12
#56
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 03:15
Aris Ravenstar wrote...
He wears the ribbon to show -you- the player that they're still in a relationship and you haven't messed anything up, but as far as I'm concerned I think they were essentially broken up. The whole 'I wanted you to hate me' thing is a dead giveaway that he was trying to break it off. Basically they were at a stalemate because Fenris thinks he basically ruined his chances and Hawke thinks he just needs time to come around.
The assumption is that if you don't romance anyone else and don't break it off with Fenris, Hawke is still waiting for him. And when he's finally free of his past it gives him the push he needs to go for what he wants.
Call me crazy, but him breaking it off was maybe my favorite thing about his romance. Before the game came out I was hoping for something like that, an argument or an obstacle for the relationship to overcome. With all the talk of 'relationships built over years', it was the perfect opportunity to shake up the boring, straight path of flirt -> kiss -> sex -> love.
I do think three years is kind of ridiculous, though. But unfortunately, they couldn't have had a reconciliation happen any sooner with how the game is laid out. (Why it HAD to be a three year break, I'll never know. What all has happened that couldn't have happened in say, six months?)
I totally agree. When I read the codex, it said something like "Hawke and Fenris never spoke of their night together". What??? Have they talked at all? It must have come up at some point.
#57
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 03:20
Hawke mentions that Fenris 'didn't want to talk about it', so it seems like Hawke tried to bring it up and Fenris was shutting down any conversation on that topic.Elfman wrote...
I totally agree. When I read the codex, it said something like "Hawke and Fenris never spoke of their night together". What??? Have they talked at all? It must have come up at some point.
#58
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 03:24
Aris Ravenstar wrote...
Hawke mentions that Fenris 'didn't want to talk about it', so it seems like Hawke tried to bring it up and Fenris was shutting down any conversation on that topic.Elfman wrote...
I totally agree. When I read the codex, it said something like "Hawke and Fenris never spoke of their night together". What??? Have they talked at all? It must have come up at some point.
I would have got that impression from the original conversation after the...you know what. But still, 3 YEARS!
#59
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 03:30
He ended up reminding me of Valen, and that's a good thing. I would have liked a little bit of silly from him, like when Valen was singing a song in the beholders' lair.
The Anders romance started off great, but it just fizzled out at the end. I wasn't angry for what he did, but it made me doubt that he had ever loved Hawke at all. I still re-load my first Hawke from time to time just to see DAT KISS, but he will always be branded a liar in my book. It's a shame, because he is SO hot...
Modifié par Miss Greyjoy, 05 avril 2011 - 03:31 .
#60
Guest_laecraft_*
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 04:43
Guest_laecraft_*
Miss Greyjoy wrote...
I wasn't angry for what he did, but it made me doubt that he had ever loved Hawke at all.
Exactly. My favourite point in his romance is where he tells mage Hawke "I would drown us in blood to keep you safe," and I wish something would come out of it. Maybe Hawke was threatened by the templars, and that would cause Anders to snap. Anything to show that his actions at the end were affected at all by the romance with Hawke. As it stands, after listening to him blackmailing Hawke into helping him with the potion, I have doubts Anders had any feeling for Hawke at all. He's the only one I know who actually asks rather insistently to move in. Maybe he was just using Hawke to get a shelter from the templars.
#61
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 05:02
laecraft wrote...
Miss Greyjoy wrote...
I wasn't angry for what he did, but it made me doubt that he had ever loved Hawke at all.
He's the only one I know who actually asks rather insistently to move in. Maybe he was just using Hawke to get a shelter from the templars.
Yeah i keep pondering things like this ^^, the first 2 acts hes all lovely, but by the third its like hes not even listening to hawke at all, in one of his convos in act 3 it can play out as:
Hawke: i love you
Anders: war is coming!
Which makes me wonder all kinds of dark things.....
Also his end fight speech is terrible, still ranting on about damn templars and no kisses >< I want kisses before battles god dammit!
#62
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 05:09
I can't even bring myself to play the others. Isabela's fun as a pal, but a bit too diseased and a bit too glib about what happened in Kirkwall. Anders is locked in the padded room of creepy, overdone romances. Merrill could well be in there, too. There doesn't seem to be any good outcome with either of those two. With Merrill you either support her fascination with demons or you act as parent figure withholding her toys. Ugh.
#63
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 05:15
#64
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 05:25
As for the character who actually responds to Hawke...either rivalry Merrill or friendly Fenris (Hawke still gets thrown up against the wall if they argue about mages).
One of my Hawkes friend-romanced Anders, and I kept feeling like some of the conversation lines weren't connecting. It felt like my choices were bouncing off his forehead as he responded to what he wanted Hawke to say.
Modifié par LadyJaneGrey, 05 avril 2011 - 05:26 .
#65
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 05:27
laecraft wrote...
Miss Greyjoy wrote...
I wasn't angry for what he did, but it made me doubt that he had ever loved Hawke at all.
Exactly. My favourite point in his romance is where he tells mage Hawke "I would drown us in blood to keep you safe," and I wish something would come out of it. Maybe Hawke was threatened by the templars, and that would cause Anders to snap. Anything to show that his actions at the end were affected at all by the romance with Hawke. As it stands, after listening to him blackmailing Hawke into helping him with the potion, I have doubts Anders had any feeling for Hawke at all. He's the only one I know who actually asks rather insistently to move in. Maybe he was just using Hawke to get a shelter from the templars.
I'm not entirely sure what you'd need to know he cared.
He's sorta got bigger things on his mind than just getting laid. Hawke, in the friendmance at least, is stable ground for him, and it's hard to imagine Anders not being emotionally invested in Hawke (he's pretty emotionally invested in a lot of things).
#66
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 05:42
Isabela was great. Easily my best and most memoriable playthrough. I wouldn't say if she's the best romance or not because her style is not everyone's cup of tea, but hoo boy. I was not even planning on romancing her. I was just going to chase after Fenris again because I wanted to repeat my romantic "high" from my first playthrough. Isabela ran off in my first game so I made a conscious effort to have her in my party more so she'd stick around. I ended up being totally charmed by her apology after the Fade and really zeroed in on her after that. Aveline is my favorite character (tied with Varric, actually) so those two women with their banters and their cutscenes gave me a wildly different gaming experience. I loved watching them bicker and yet grudgingly gain respect of the other. They just didn't mince their words. Isabela's regret scene in Act 3 seemed to resonate more from a lover's perspective because Hawke was this great big hero, the golden person, and what was Isabela in comparison? Why would Hawke be interested in someone like her? I was impressed with the vulnerability and how raw her feelings were. She can be exasperating with her games, but sticking with her long-term has its payoff. It's like Aveline says, "Oh, no, if anyone's kicking her ass, it'll be me."
Modifié par Gilsa, 05 avril 2011 - 05:47 .
#67
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 05:54
Kawamura wrote...
I'm not entirely sure what you'd need to know he cared.
He's sorta got bigger things on his mind than just getting laid. Hawke, in the friendmance at least, is stable ground for him, and it's hard to imagine Anders not being emotionally invested in Hawke (he's pretty emotionally invested in a lot of things).
Well, just speaking for myself, it's not about "getting laid" or anything like that. I agree with his cause, and I agree with his methods, surprisingly enough. It's more to do with his secrecy and his willingness to lie. Okay, he does explain that he didn't want Hawke to know about his plan for various reasons. But his tactic of using emotional blackmail to get what he wants ("If you LOVED me, you would do it!) and his deceitfulness (thinking of his conversation with Aveline about her husband) makes me feel like he was using Hawke as a cover for his cause. In other words, my Hawke loved Anders AND his cause, while he only loved his cause, if that makes sense. Of course, this is just me reading between the lines from a RP perspective, that's all.
#68
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 06:06
Miss Greyjoy wrote...
Kawamura wrote...
I'm not entirely sure what you'd need to know he cared.
He's sorta got bigger things on his mind than just getting laid. Hawke, in the friendmance at least, is stable ground for him, and it's hard to imagine Anders not being emotionally invested in Hawke (he's pretty emotionally invested in a lot of things).
Well, just speaking for myself, it's not about "getting laid" or anything like that. I agree with his cause, and I agree with his methods, surprisingly enough. It's more to do with his secrecy and his willingness to lie. Okay, he does explain that he didn't want Hawke to know about his plan for various reasons. But his tactic of using emotional blackmail to get what he wants ("If you LOVED me, you would do it!) and his deceitfulness (thinking of his conversation with Aveline about her husband) makes me feel like he was using Hawke as a cover for his cause. In other words, my Hawke loved Anders AND his cause, while he only loved his cause, if that makes sense. Of course, this is just me reading between the lines from a RP perspective, that's all.
Anders has already proven himself not the best of decision makers.
At that point, he's pretty all consumed. I don't see how that means he wouldn't love Hawke, he just ... has something very large that's taking up his time and attention. And it's swallowing him up. And he's running out of time.
In a less crazy example, I'm guessing most of us don't stop loving our significant others when we have a large project. We just... don't have time for them.
#69
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 06:27
My next playthrough I was a rogue... still pro-mage cuz of Bethany, but I was more aware of the douchey things that Anders did and said. The first go round I thought he whined too much, but I think if you aren't really good friends with him, that's when he's really a jerk. I decided to go for Fenris because I was intrigued with him the first time (I almost missed recruiting him and had to restart from a save before the Deep Roads) but I was faithful to Anders. Every time I hear his voice my tummy does little flips.
I think, every now and then you get to see the real Anders. Those sweet, tender moments that make the romance worth it. But he did warn you in the beginning that he would hurt you and it would not be a good idea to pursue a romance with him. So we may complain about what he did and how he broke our hearts, but he told us he was going to.... still... idk if I can go through that again.
And I agree about Merrill... too much of a young, naive, "no!-put-that-down!" type of companion to really romance.
#70
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 06:34
#71
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 06:50
As much as I love Anders, his romance felt too... sudden? Out of the blue? I honestly was taken aback when he started saying things like, "Stop, this isn't going to work out. I'll just hurt you!" two conversations into meeting him. I suppose one could chalk it up to him being unstable, but... eh. Had it been more fleshed out, or had there been more interactions with him apart from overly-sweet exchanges and discussions about mage oppression, I would have appreciated it more.
#72
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 06:56
Addai67 wrote...
Fenris rivalmance.
I can't even bring myself to play the others. Isabela's fun as a pal, but a bit too diseased and a bit too glib about what happened in Kirkwall. Anders is locked in the padded room of creepy, overdone romances. Merrill could well be in there, too. There doesn't seem to be any good outcome with either of those two. With Merrill you either support her fascination with demons or you act as parent figure withholding her toys. Ugh.
Same here. Only difference I had the Fenris friendmance on my first and last playthrough of this game and it was really satisfiying. Not only because he is one of the two characters I really like in DA2 (Varrik is the other), his romance was indeed engaging and well done in a non-creepy way. Which was not a given feat with the other romances imo, especially Anders *shudder* Padded room, indeed.
#73
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 07:10
errant_knight wrote...
I didn't find any of them appealing. I'm okay with that, though, since others did. Maybe in the next game, assuming that it's more to my liking. I didn't really expect to find any of these geared toward my taste, since I knew they'd be making a concerted effort to make them very different from the Origins romances and given that Alistair was very much to my taste--good, funny, upbeat, but resolute about his duty and moral boundries--I was fairly sure that these would be created with different appeal.
Alastair sigh - my first playthrough in DA:O I killed Conner <it broke my heart> and then to have Alastair scream at me about it - I never did romance Alastair past that point or in any other playthrough.
The only one I liked in DA2 is Merrill friendship but then I love the idea of restoring an ancient Elven device - made it easy to progress through the friendship side into a romance. Anders I never knew from the DLC - hes too creepy for me in this one Fenris I'm just a one night stand - wait 3 years are you kidding? Isabela I felt she would pull out her little black book and say "you can have Tuesday or Thursday night - the rest is full."
.
#74
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 07:25
Aw. I figure every LI is allowed one, maybe two, irrational moments. As long as they're not, y'know, blowing up a building in those moments. lolsphinxess wrote...
Alastair sigh - my first playthrough in DA:O I killed Conner <it broke my heart> and then to have Alastair scream at me about it - I never did romance Alastair past that point or in any other playthrough.
#75
Posté 05 avril 2011 - 07:27
Or running off to become a drunk when the final battle of the blight is nigh.Addai67 wrote...
Aw. I figure every LI is allowed one, maybe two, irrational moments. As long as they're not, y'know, blowing up a building in those moments. lolsphinxess wrote...
Alastair sigh - my first playthrough in DA:O I killed Conner <it broke my heart> and then to have Alastair scream at me about it - I never did romance Alastair past that point or in any other playthrough.





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