39 réponses à ce sujet

[Adria Teksuni]

Actually, killling the Archdemon is the climax, not the ending. The meeting in the palace hall afterwards is the denouement. Epilogues are not necessary for a good story, but denouements have become a pretty necessary addition to modern writing.



The ending ending was standard Bioware for me, as in, no more ability to wander around. That didn't bug me too much.



But yes, meeting with everyone and so forth is definitely something of a letdown, but then it generally is for me. At least we GOT one with DA:O, so I suppose I shouldn't complain too much!

[Leftnt Sharpe]

I think I must be the only person who liked the way that the PC and Morrigan separated, it just struck me as being so tragic. Admittedly twas frustrating as hell, but it was all so well done and I think the fact that many people didn't get a happy ending suits the tone of the game.

[Adria Teksuni]

Haven't done the male PC/Morrigan romance yet, so no opinion on that ending.

However that a "happy ending doesn't suit the game" is most definitely your opinion and not a fact.  For my particular opinion, I don't think the option for at least ONE fairy tale ending would have been so bad, although NO idea how to finagle for a male Gray Warden PC.  If you're playing a good character trying hard to be good and do the right thing, you want good things to happen for them.  The closest one I've found is the kill Loghain, have Alistair sleep with Morrigan ending, but even then, you force Alistair to sleep with Morrigan and have possibly set some sort of Lovecraftian horror upon Thedas.

A Gray Warden as king rings wrong (for the fairy tale ending) as it becomes something of a problem for both longeveity and heir producing questions.  Reduced to an adulturer is not romantic.  Royally dumping or getting royally dumped by your romantic interest even though it's the right thing for Ferelden is no more appetizing.

Give us our brief moment in the sun.  We're Gray Wardens, we know it cannot possibly last between the nightmares and the suicide by darkspawn ending.

But that's just me.

Modifié par Adria Teksuni, 09 décembre 2009 - 12:22 .

[Korva]

I honestly don't understand what people are complaining about.

Bioware has never made a game that does not end with the final battle, and I for one am very happy with that because running around afterwards would definitely cheapen the whole emotionally intense and challenging endgame experience. It would also create the illusion that the game isn't over when it fact it is. And people would always demand more, more, more ... before they're willing to "let go" and accept that the game is over.

I think the ending is perfect as it is. Then again, I didn't chicken out but struck the killing blow myself -- you get excellent closure that way. The edge-of-the-seat thrill of the final battle is followed by a spectacular lightshow underlining your heroic sacrifice. As Duncan says, "And then it was over." You can lean back knowing you did your duty and slowly drift back out of the adrenaline rush into that pleasant if melancholic "afterglow" of a job well done while you watch the fruits of your labor. I think it really is the best imaginable conclusion to this story. And the way the epilogue progresses from full cutscene (coronation/eulogy) to image-and-text (place epilogues) down to bare-bones-text (companion epilogues) actually works really well to "easy you out of the game" I think. Yes it would have been nicer to have a full voiceover and for all the companion epilogues to be accompanied by their images, instead of only that stupid (b/w)itch Morrigan getting special treatment ... But overall it works well and I am very happy.

If you survive the final battle, isn't it more satisfying to flesh out the details of what will happen next yourself, instead of having it all spelled out for you? That way we can all paint our very own epilogues instead of being forced on a track that does not necessarily "work" for our characters or our enjoyment.

Modifié par Korva, 09 décembre 2009 - 02:31 .

[HAGA NAGA]

Korva wrote...

I honestly don't understand what people are complaining about.

Bioware has never made a game that does not end with the final battle, and I for one am very happy with that because running around afterwards would definitely cheapen the whole emotionally intense and challenging endgame experience.

Not everyone is complaining.  I am.  It felt "empty", "generic", "unresolved" and "lack-luster". 

Then there is the "free-to-roam" discussion.  A lot of people make the argument that bioware's never done it, so therefore, they never should.  I disagree.  I love bioware's games, but this is always what i wish for when the credits are done rolling.  A chance to return to the game and wander and return to visit those whose worlds i've saved/ruined.  I can't believe people think that would "cheapen the endgame experience" as you say. ridiculous.

I guess when i invest that much time into building a character and building relationships with my companions I don't appreciate being rewarded with a horribly weak last conversation with them, some crappy music & credits and bam! nothing else.  Huge Disappointment.

[Giltspur]

Yeah, on the one hand I'd like "free to roam" so I could finish of party sidequests I didn't do on the characters that I didn't play as much. I mean, I was caught up enough in the main narrative that I didn't want to dawdle along doing a lot of the extras.



But one happy possibility is that BioWare shuts down the main section of the game and puts the DLC before the final battle due to some plan of theirs to pick DA2 up right after DAO along with a plan to support the various endings.



As for if I was disappointed. Not really, no. I mean, do we want one generic cutscene or a lot of text notes at the end that change from game to game. I prefer the latter. Now doing everything in cutscenes would be awesome. And highly unrealistic. Bioware admitted they were running out of cinematics budget at the end. So yeah just give me the multiple text endings if you have to. It's the thought that counts. I'd rather them do that and compromise on just one "polished" ending.

[Xandurpein]

I felt a bit disappointed too, but I honestly put it down to the massive sense of emptiness I felt att having turned the final page. I found the Post-Coronation scene a nice way to sort of come down gently. Talk to the NPC, reload and talk again with different responses and try to come to terms with the fact that this epic wonderful experience was... over.

Modifié par Xandurpein, 09 décembre 2009 - 06:35 .

[SleepyBird]

The idea of running around the map to get all the NPC's you've met along the way to say "thanks" sounds really odd to me. And not just because my character is dead.



I can understand the desire for more closure though. After 70+ hours of becoming emotionally invested in this game, the end felt a little bit sudden. I've played other games I enjoyed less overall, but which had endings that made me choke back tears. That's the one way this game failed me.

[MGeezer]

As some else said, try the Ultimate Sacrifice" ending--and watch evreyone honor you at your own funeral. Cool and tear jerking.



As to running around after the ending--you can do DLC afterwards even with the Ultimate Sacrifice. What's the big deal? As some pointed out, not running around the general map afterwards is the usual way with Bioware games.

[AiyanaLindari]

I just finished my first playthrough. I found the ending conversations in the Coronation hall very well done. It provided a sense of closure to be able to speak to my closest friends before we parted ways. Sure, they could have added a cutscene of being cheered by the masses but it wasn't really necessary.
In most games that don't 'end', I don't get the same satisfaction. One can keep going in a free roaming world but to what end? With this kind of ending, I feel a sense of 'mission accomplished'. I can now start anew with a character knowing there is still plenty of other paths to explore.

Modifié par AiyanaLindari, 09 décembre 2009 - 07:15 .

[Korva]

HAGA NAGA wrote...

Not everyone is complaining.  I am.  It felt "empty", "generic", "unresolved" and "lack-luster".

Why? I'm not being facetious, I'm honestly curious. Are there games which you would consider as having a "proper" ending?

Then there is the "free-to-roam" discussion.  A lot of people make the argument that bioware's never done it, so therefore, they never should.  I disagree.  I love bioware's games, but this is always what i wish for when the credits are done rolling.  A chance to return to the game and wander and return to visit those whose worlds i've saved/ruined.  I can't believe people think that would "cheapen the endgame experience" as you say. ridiculous.

Not at all. To me, nothing could come close to being "worthy" of following this sort of spectacular endgame, and I'm not just saying that because my virtual self is deader than dust. Or at least nothing that could realistically be included in the epilogue of a single-player game. This is not a persistent world that just goes on and on and never ends.

Could it really ever live up to your expectations? How much time and money (!) would they have to throw at the post-ending gameplay to make it satisfying? Which parts and aspects of the actual game would you sacrifice in exchange for the playable epilogue you want? As I said, I think people would always demand more and more because as long as they can play, they can deceive themselves into thinking "It's not over yet!" But it is.

The story of Dragon Age: Origins revolves primarily around stopping the Blight and secondarily (partly as a means to an end for the primary goal) around stabilizing Ferelden under a new legitimate monarch. Well, the archdemon is dead (or in the case of the baby ending, hopefully dead). Ferelden has a new monarch, maybe even with a consort. Everything else is a matter for the history books, or for a seqeuel which likely won't star the same protagonist.

I guess when i invest that much time into building a character and building relationships with my companions I don't appreciate being rewarded with a horribly weak last conversation with them, some crappy music & credits and bam! nothing else.  Huge Disappointment.

I invested a lot of emotion into the game as well, but I don't mind "letting go" especially when there is the option for such a spectacular and heroic death. I'm curious how you'd feel about the ultimate sacrifice if or when you play it. Maybe that really just "works" better as the conclusion of this story. You get a lot less, but it is closure, and appropriate.

[SleepyBird]

AiyanaLindari wrote...

I just finished my first playthrough. I found the ending conversations in the Coronation hall very well done. It provided a sense of closure to be able to speak to my closest friends before we parted ways. Sure, they could have added a cutscene of being cheered by the masses but it wasn't really necessary.
In most games that don't 'end', I don't get the same satisfaction. One can keep going in a free roaming world but to what end? With this kind of ending, I feel a sense of 'mission accomplished'. I can now start anew with a character knowing there is still plenty of other paths to explore.

On my first playthrough those conversations were brutally hollow and painful.  I had blindly thought I could keep Alistair away from the arch demon in the last battle just by telling him to hold his position on the other side of the tower, so winding up with him dead and me having to accept congratulations from my friends for it was just miserable.  I wanted to throw my controller at the screen I was so unhappy.  Having to watch a parade in my honor would have just made it all worse.

Replaying so I could make the sacrifice was much much much better.  Sad, but fitting and with more closure.  So I really have no desire to come back as a zombie and roam the world some more.

Modifié par SleepyBird, 09 décembre 2009 - 07:56 .

[AiyanaLindari]

SleepyBird wrote...

AiyanaLindari wrote...

I just finished my first playthrough. I found the ending conversations in the Coronation hall very well done. It provided a sense of closure to be able to speak to my closest friends before we parted ways. Sure, they could have added a cutscene of being cheered by the masses but it wasn't really necessary.
In most games that don't 'end', I don't get the same satisfaction. One can keep going in a free roaming world but to what end? With this kind of ending, I feel a sense of 'mission accomplished'. I can now start anew with a character knowing there is still plenty of other paths to explore.

On my first playthrough those conversations were brutally hollow and painful.  I had blindly thought I could keep Alistair away from the arch demon in the last battle just by telling him to hold his position on the other side of the tower, so winding up with him dead and me having to accept congratulations from my friends for it was just miserable.  I wanted to throw my controller at the screen I was so unhappy.  Having to watch a parade in my honor would have just made it all worse.

Replaying so I could make the sacrifice was much much much better.  Sad, but fitting and with more closure.  So I really have no desire to come back as a zombie and roam the world some more.

Ah, my character made the deal with Morrigan so that she and Alistair could have a future together.
I shall have to do a few more playthroughs to see how the other endings will feel.

Modifié par AiyanaLindari, 09 décembre 2009 - 08:06 .

[SSH83]

I think these people are looking for a holywood ending, like in final fantasy games. The current endings are fine in CRPG style, but no pre-rendered movie ending.



It would've been great to shorten most of the pre-rendered cut scenes throughout the game and put more for the ending (like with the crowd for happy ending or with each characters you have high approval with).

[AtreiyaN7]

There's still DLC coming out, so hypothetically you will be able to go running around more eventually (and users creating content & whatnot in time I expect). Eh, maybe a final kiss with Alistair or something would have been nice, but overall I was satisfied with the ceremony/epilogue. Like I've said before, you get more closure here than you do in most games - I refer in particular to Fallout 3 again, which I love dearly but which also had a not entirely satisfactory ending.