270 réponses à ce sujet

[Cutlass Jack]

Taken as a whole, I was far more connected to my DA2 companions than my DAO ones. Varric, Isabela, Bethany, Merril and even Anders felt much more like true friends and family to both me and each other.

Exceptions in both directions of course. I wasn't terribly attached to Fenris or Sebastian, and liked Alistair and Leliana quite a bit.

My dog was equally loved in both games.

[csfteeeer]

Huh...

It's Interesting to see that so many people say they like Anders, as in most places i go that are DA2 related, everyone Seems to HATE Anders, like, A LOT of people hate Anders.


Then again this is the DA2 thread and as such DA2 will win.

[Tragic_Arsenic]

I was attached to a higher number of characters in DA2 than DA:O, but I felt I wasn't "as" highly attached to them as I was to the characters in DA:O, specifically Alistair, Leliana, and Morrigan.

[Apollo Starflare]

Upsettingshorts wrote...

I like most the Dragon Age characters (Origins and DA2) at about the same success rate in both games.

In
fact, I often say I play Dragon Age games for the characters and Mass
Effect games for the setting. That's a simplification, but for the
purposes of this thread it works.

Upsettingshorts wrote...

lazuli wrote...

 Oh, except for Oghren of course.

It will never cease to amaze me how many people dislike Oghren.  He's not just a series of fart jokes.  He's an incredibly tragic figure, something DAA makes very very clear.  But I'm not sure this is the time or place to mount such a defense of Oghren.

I agree with Shorts in both posts actually. I like some ME characters well enough, but the DA series definitely has the edge in that regard - much as the 'universe' of ME draws me in more than Thedas does currently.

Always liked Oghren too. Not as much as Sten or anything, but he's up there. He was in my party the first time I took on the archdemon for a reason. The only gripe I have with him is I find him a lot harder to get to grips with in DAOA than in Origins, although I think that is as much my fault as anything to do with the game. *shrugs*

There is something incredibly tragic about his epilogue card if you never do his personal quest in Awakening however, it underlines how much he hides behind his brazen and crude surface persona.

[element eater]

I was only attached to Bethany and a little bit to Merril the lack of companion dialogue and the fact that i didn't like Hawke made it difficult for me to realy enjoy the characters

da2 is the first game in which ive allowed the death of any of the companions which from my personal perspective is quite telling as i usualy do my utmost to make sure everyone makes it through the game

Modifié par element eater, 31 juillet 2011 - 12:48 .

[Morroian]

csfteeeer wrote...

Huh...

It's Interesting to see that so many people say they like Anders, as in most places i go that are DA2 related, everyone Seems to HATE Anders, like, A LOT of people hate Anders.

I don't like Anders but I think he's a good character.

[AmstradHero]

Teddie Sage wrote...
Okay... He's my take on the characters I love and hate...

The Hero of Ferelden - Hate

Orlesian GW PC - Hate

I'm sorry, I just don't get this. How is it possible for you to hate a blank slate character that you're responsible for defining? You hate your own characterisation? Or you hate that you're forced to do it?

[nijnij]

How can you not be attached to Merrill, Varric or Aveline ? Though one thing that perhaps insidiously contributes to making DA:O's companions special is that it feels like one big, hard journey with little time for chatter, which creates an implicit connection between the characters.

DA2 on the other hand, spans over 6 years with many gaps and not necessarily permanent danger during those gaps, which leaves you with the impression that despite having many opportunities for deepening their friendship, Hawke and his companions aren't that interested in each other.

So I think it's a question of setting but if you look at the dialogue and characters themselves, they're just as sympathetic as DA:O's companions, if not more. Maybe it has something to do with Hawke sounding so superior too.

Modifié par nijnij, 31 juillet 2011 - 01:21 .

[Teddie Sage]

AmstradHero wrote...

Teddie Sage wrote...
Okay... He's my take on the characters I love and hate...

The Hero of Ferelden - Hate

Orlesian GW PC - Hate

I'm sorry, I just don't get this. How is it possible for you to hate a blank slate character that you're responsible for defining? You hate your own characterisation? Or you hate that you're forced to do it?

I always hated silent protagonists in video games. I'm not reading a book, I'm playing a game. This is the big difference for me. Which is why I would prefer playing The Witcher 2 or Dragon Age 2 over Dragon Age Origins. If the other characters are voiced, why not the PCs of Origins and Awakening? Blank slate or not, it's not how I play my games. I'd rather have them voiced.

Edit: I will get tomatoes trown at me for this, but I think Hawke is by far more developped than the Hero of Ferelden and the Orlesian Warden. *shrugs* Plus, the DLCs are developping him even more.

Edit 2: I realised that I didn't answer your question. I couldn't care less about blank slate characters because they are boring, they have no personality, hence, I don't like them. Defining their personality myself? They DON'T have any personality. With the voice, the tone and the way Hawke spoke, (I made him sarcastic/diplomatic), that was more like it. This is why I prefered Hawke over any silent protagonist. Not only did I chose what he would say, but at least he felt more lively as a character and had more expressions.

Modifié par Teddie Sage, 31 juillet 2011 - 02:06 .

[Saintthanksgiving]

Within five minutes of meeting Carver I was praying that I got to kill him myself.

Also.... Mama Hawkes obvious and assured demise could not come quickly enought

I cared about bethany so much I didn't lift a finger to stop her from being arrested. Strange how I had no problem murdering Templar in any other situation... I wonder why I chose to be so cooperative at that juncture?

[FenrisDeSolar]

It could almost be the other way around. I reacted quite a lot stronger to the characters in DA2.

In DA:O I really like Zevran, Morrigan, Sten, Shale and Alistair. The dog is also awesome, btw. I really dislike Leliana and Wynne. Both to a point that I don't necessarily recruit them, or kill them. As for Oghren, I am neutral towards him. He is not the funniest, the smartest, the strongest or the most attractive. But his story is very interesting.

In Dragon Age 2, I really like Varric, Fenris, Anders and Carver. Oh, and Aveline. I did like Isabela at first, but then she started talking and she wouldn't stop being BLARGH and now I just can't stand her. She's another character I don't always recruit, and even when I recruit her, I still end up giving her to the Arishok. Merrill. :/ Can't stand her. I don't like stupid, and that is precisely what I think she is. Bethany annoys me, too. Don't even get me started on Mama Hawke, though.

Either way, both games have amazing characters. I think Anders and Fenris are the ones who really wind me up, though, in different ways mind you. Anders frustrates me because I agree with him, but not his methods. He also makes me d'aww a lot, and I shamelessly admit that he made me want to cry at one point... :| Fenris frustrates me with all his, "You don't know how I feel, you weren't there"-****tery. He doesn't ****ing know what I feel, or where I've been, so he can go and **** himself. And invite me to join in. Because he's sexy.

Even in the first few playthroughs of DA:O I was never that pulled in by the characters. They were all too reasonable, and that made them feel too digital. I guess. But still. I play Origins far more often than DA2, but I produce more fanart and fanfiction for DA2.

Did I at all say something relevant just now...? Not sure. But whatevs. That's my take on it.

[AtreiyaN7]

I'd rather hang out with Hawke than my Warden. At least he/she actually talks instead of staring at everyone creepily and is also capable of actual emoting. I liked most of the DA:O companions, although I found Leliana a tad annoying. And of course, Morrigan was a royal pain when I wanted to do anything even remotely nice (doesn't mean I hated Morrigan - liked her as a character, but she could be a real pain in the butt).

I liked most of the DA2 companions. I just didn't particularly like/care for Fenris and Merrill (despite it being Gwen from Torchwood) because they didn't really click with me. Varric was brilliant, though, and I liked him more than almost anyone from DA:O. Aside from Shale, he's the one character I'd probably enjoy hanging out with the most.

[Savber100]

Sutekh wrote...

@Savber100

You forgot Zevran. 

And now he's crying in Aveline's bosom.

Forget about that perverted 'ol rascal!

I went back and fixed my list. Here's slightly down there but mainly because I disliked how he attempted to woo my Warden.

[AmstradHero]

Teddie Sage wrote...

AmstradHero wrote...

Teddie Sage wrote...
Okay... He's my take on the characters I love and hate...

The Hero of Ferelden - Hate

Orlesian GW PC - Hate

I'm sorry, I just don't get this. How is it possible for you to hate a blank slate character that you're responsible for defining? You hate your own characterisation? Or you hate that you're forced to do it?

I always hated silent protagonists in video games. I'm not reading a book, I'm playing a game. This is the big difference for me. Which is why I would prefer playing The Witcher 2 or Dragon Age 2 over Dragon Age Origins. If the other characters are voiced, why not the PCs of Origins and Awakening? Blank slate or not, it's not how I play my games. I'd rather have them voiced.

Edit: I will get tomatoes trown at me for this, but I think Hawke is by far more developped than the Hero of Ferelden and the Orlesian Warden. *shrugs* Plus, the DLCs are developping him even more.

Edit 2: I realised that I didn't answer your question. I couldn't care less about blank slate characters because they are boring, they have no personality, hence, I don't like them. Defining their personality myself? They DON'T have any personality. With the voice, the tone and the way Hawke spoke, (I made him sarcastic/diplomatic), that was more like it. This is why I prefered Hawke over any silent protagonist. Not only did I chose what he would say, but at least he felt more lively as a character and had more expressions.

Interesting. I view the unvoiced protagonist as "my" character (not necessarily "me" as the character, though sometimes it can be), which means that I embody them with their own personality, motivations, thoughts and emotions. I pick conversation options based upon the character that I have decided that I am playing. As I proceed, I'm forced to analyse that character's psyche more to work out exactly how they would react and what choices they would make, which means that I gain greater insight into the character as I go.

With a voiced protagonist, I'm playing a particular "angle". I try to avoid the "all good" or "all evil" character for my first "canon" playthrough, but instead play someone who isn't straight down the line. They'll still tend towards one dominant mindset, but they won't always have that mindset. This is because if I don't do that, then it's quite possible to never actually be forced to make a "choice", because you're playing a character whose choices are already pre-determined simply because they are "good", "snarky" or "evil". At that point, I don't find dialogue anywhere near as engaging because I never actually have to decide anything - I just have to pick the options that match my chosen personality. To combat this, I take this type of approach:

• My canon Commander Shepard from ME is mostly good, but will occasionally do something renegade where he can see a fight is inevitable.
• Mike Thorton from Alpha Protocol was typically business-like, but would always turn on the charm with the ladies, and get very angry if push came to shove.
• Canon fem-Hawke was mostly snarky, but she cared deeply about family and close friends, and she'd kill anyone who threatened something or someone that meant something to her.

For me, I tend to consider the voiced protagonist slightly less complex. Because you're given the voice delivery to "help" with characterisation, I find that you lose some of the latitude you get with an unvoiced protagonist in "filling in the gaps" of the personality, so to speak. I understand where you're coming from though, in that you're given more personality rather than inventing it yourself.
I'd wholeheartedly disagree that DAO's protagonist is less developed than Hawke, mainly because my characterisation of the the Warden Commander is pretty strong in my mind - if I tried to transplant that character into Hawke's shoes, it wouldn't work because so of the decisions he would make wouldn't be done with the same spirit as Hawke performs them, even though the action/outcome would be the same. But again, this is a matter of how much of the slate you fill in and how much you expect it to be filled for you.

Of course, this has flow-on effects for how attached you feel to the protagonist, and subsequently all other characters in the story.  Hrm, I think you've given me some food for thought for a blog post or two.

Modifié par AmstradHero, 31 juillet 2011 - 04:02 .

[devSin]

I liked the Origins characters, and I guess there was some attachment (Alistair was good, Shale rocks harder than any other rock on the planet, and the others were memorable).

But I like the DA2 characters just as well, if not better. They actually seem to notice each other, and a lot of the character is conveyed through their interactions with other companions (in Origins, their banter didn't seem so much talking with each other but as one talking at the other). I think they interject much better than anyone in Origins ever did (that I can recall), and seem to be aware of more of what is actually happening beyond their selfish player-initiated talks (which never felt like much more than a single conversation split into chunks for gameplay purposes). They also seem to go places, unlike Origins (seriously, nobody in that camp ever changed except for liking you more than the time you last talked).

That said, there are a few weird assumptions that hamstring the characters, at least in part, for me. I think most except for your sibling and Aveline and Varric are presented without giving any motivation for you to care. So in the case of Origins, you get all these people to help you do great things, but in DA2, you get all these people... why? I love Fenris, but why do I help him out initially (and why does he stay afterward)? I love Isabela, but I just met her and I'm going to now fight a meaningless battle for her in a chantry (lady, I don't even know you)? Merrill the mighty chipmunk has to do some ritual, and now I'm going to escort her to the city for what reason? Anders... well, I don't think he worked out so much (his character is too schizophrenic for me to really latch on to); maybe Justice absorbed Ser Pounce-a-lot before merging with Anders and that's why he's so scatterbrained.

I guess it just comes down to personal preference, but I think there's plenty in DA2 to like, as long as you're not expecting every conversation to revolve around you (the player).

Modifié par devSin, 31 juillet 2011 - 04:19 .

[NamiraWilhelm]

Both, though i definitely was more into DAO characters but given its better replay value i guess thats to be expected

[Shazzie]

I'm more attached to the DA:O characters overall, and I have more powerful memories of them.

However, Varric is all KINDS of awesome, and I really don't have anything bad to say about the DA2 characters. I mean, Merrill bugged the hell outta me (I wanted to shake sense into her SO BAD), but she was also cute as a button, so how could I not adore her? Anders evoked a lot of feeling from me, but much of that was because I also knew Anders from Awakening.

I'm not sure what it was that tied me to the DA:O party more. In DA:O you could exhaust your conversation options fairly quickly, though there was always chatter you could have. In DA2 your interactions were VERY rigidly assigned and limited. Perhaps it was that rigidity that caused me to feel withdrawn more from them. I hope in future games they're able to come up with a better 'flow' for relationship (friendship/rivalry/romance) growth, something more natural.

[PsychoBlonde]

 Well, Origins had my #1 all time favorite Bioware character: Sten.  However, I REALLY liked Aveline and Varric (about on par with how I liked Shale from Origins), so I can't say I'm not attached to the DA2 characters.  

[wright1978]

Was more attached to the DA2 companions than origins to be honest.

[dragonfire100]

wright1978 wrote...

Was more attached to the DA2 companions than origins to be honest.

Im with you!

[Bazedragon]

I don't know... I mean, Morrigan and Alistair were pretty awesome...
Merrill, is just hillarious at times, and definitely my favourite character (second only to Tali... and Leliana at times)
In general, I prefer characters from DA2 - there's a wider variety and they react slightly better toward eachother, though not so much toward your own actions. Legacy only improved upon them.

[ladyvader]

I think there is more emotion from the DA2 characters than the DA:O characters. But then I also like DA2 more. I know I'm in the minority on that and I'm fine with it too.

Sten-Hardly used him.
Aliastiar-I found him highly annoying
Wynne-Like her
Leilana-Loved her(only character I really loved in DA:O)
Morrigan-like her
Shale-liked (love the squishing heads comments)
Oghren-Liked him more in Awakenings than DA:O
Zevron-Was ok

Where the only character I really didn't like in DA2 was Merril. I found her highly annoying.
Fenris-grew on me the more I played
Isabela-LOVE HER!
Aveline-Comic gold with Isabela in party together.
Varric-Love that guy
Bethany-likes alot
Carver-Don't play as a mage much, so I didn't have him very often
Anders-indifferent to. Usually killed him after he blew up the Chantry.
Sabs-Too preachy, but alright

[Bombardist]

xnoxiousx wrote...

Even though my warden was not voice i cared deeply for him alot more than hawke. Even the party members in  da2 i did not like or thought were as good some were okay or good but i though da1 all of them were great and amazing.

I thought everyone felt this way untill i read a Guys review in the reviews section then i incidentally rioted about his post inmy review oops but the only ones i cared for were in my party and i dindt c1'care' for them i just liked their skills But Fenris & Anders  seems to be well developed him and Merril and Anders just because of the first game and i can relate to them becaue i played as a dalish warrior in the first one for my first and favorite playthrough and went through awakening which was a great expansion (stpid smithy quest after the sword and the items needed, i sold them:crying:. and SHE  reminds me of Tali who rocks
But no one rivals said Tali, Garrus , Alistair, or Morrigan, and we cant forget Anders and Ser Pounce-a-Lot who are awesome nor Justice who was just mystical and confounding these are my favorite charaters from the dragon age series aNd mine from the Mass Effect Series too.
but overall even someone such as i dont know Sten had about as much depth ,which i found to be very little, as anyone but anders merril or  fenris in DA2

Modifié par Bombardist, 31 juillet 2011 - 09:08 .

[Ryzaki]

Eh. The only DAO characters I was strongly attached to (without simply wanting them dead) was Alistair and the Warden. DA2 had just Fenris. So it's about the same amount.