332 réponses à ce sujet

[n2nw]

I think a good game is both. The overall theme should be threatening and dark as you don't want to save the world from happiness and light...well, most people don't, but there should be moments of them (happiness and light) in the game. Even in a bleak life, people can still find joy in various places. As you trod through several dismal places, killing bad guys and monsters, there should be a village here...a weird little cave there...a place or two that offers a moment of levity or happiness in an otherwise grim situation.

And I don't care if there's a possibility for a truly horrid ending so long as there is a possibility for a truly happy ending with no bad surprises to make the happy happen (I'm looking at you, DAO). I can live with certain conditions for a happy ending so long as they're not deal-breaker bad (such as the whole Morrigan thing or what happens if you're not a noble and you don't harden Alistair). The DA2 endings were okay. I can live with sacrificing a companion (especially one I don't especially like) to end up with my LI and save the day. And the world wasn't saved at the end of DA2, but I ended up with my LI, so life was good. I want a better epilogue, though, such as in DAO. Talking to your companions about what they're going to do is just pure awesome. (And then reading what went on to happen....loved it!)

I wouldn't complain if it ended with the LI grabbing me and kissing me as the camera fades away to our entwined silhouettes pasted against the sun setting brilliantly in the Western sky, though. (Fade to memories of the Kaiden farewell kiss from ME3....brilliant, only not a farewell but a promise...*sighs*)

[Dhiro]

I think that people put far too much weight in the idea that dark = realistic = mature = not for children = good. Give me a good story and I honestly won't care.

[xAmilli0n]

Dhiro wrote...

I think that people put far too much weight in the idea that dark = realistic = mature = not for children = good. Give me a good story and I honestly won't care.

Yeah of course.  But give me both and I'll preorder your next game.

[Shadow of Light Dragon]

Knight of Dane wrote...

Neither, I want a sweet ride through all emotions.

I hate dark fantasy, why can't it just be "fantasy" and not focus on any specific emotion?

This.

[vortex216]

In both Dragon Age games I never felt it to be dark or depressing even though the themes were there. It definetley felt more adverture-y.

[Orian Tabris]

I do not want to see:
the act of dismemberment (beheading is OK)
the act of disembowelment
dead or dying organs (bodiless)
the act of vomiting
vomit
the act of impalement
griffins
eye gouging
guns
surgery

I am fine with:
male sex organs
impaled dead bodies or body parts (no organs)
body parts
severed heads
orgies
cannibals
new creatures
gentle swearing (see Ned Flanders from the Simpsons)
teeth being knocked out

I would like to see:
full frontal nudity (not previously mentioned)
sex
kissing and holding hands
marriage
swearing
touching in intimate places and/or ways
blood
punching and kicking
contact violence (including stabbing)
comedy (all kinds, from dark comedy, to regular comedy, to bad comedy - such as bad jokes)
rape (involving humans, elves, dwarves and qunari)
marital themes (children, cheating, etc.)
the act of slavery (sexual and non-sexual)

Modifié par Orian Tabris, 25 janvier 2013 - 02:53 .

[Duster_Brosca]

Orian Tabris wrote...

I would like to see:

rape (involving humans, elves, dwarves and qunari)

A lot of people, myself included, would not like to see this. Not just out of decency but out of the fact that I don't want my favourite game series making me violently ill and catatonic. Some themes are very hard to explore gently, let alone SEE. I've seen this mentioned in another thread, rape for the sake of making things 'dark'. There's dark, and there's exploitation that can trigger a Hell of a bad reaction from some players. Just needed to get that out, because a lot of people seem into the idea of seeing rape in a DA game.

[Orian Tabris]

Duster_Brosca wrote...

Orian Tabris wrote...

I would like to see:

rape (involving humans, elves, dwarves and qunari)

A lot of people, myself included, would not like to see this. Not just out of decency but out of the fact that I don't want my favourite game series making me violently ill and catatonic. Some themes are very hard to explore gently, let alone SEE. I've seen this mentioned in another thread, rape for the sake of making things 'dark'. There's dark, and there's exploitation that can trigger a Hell of a bad reaction from some players. Just needed to get that out, because a lot of people seem into the idea of seeing rape in a DA game.

I can understand that. I'd be fine with it, as it's a rather dark theme, but if people don't want to see such a theme, they won't be hearing complaints from me.

I actually knew that there likely won't be rape in DA3, since David Gaider told the internet about one writer's idea that some female writers found to be too much like rape (no doubt they changed it to feel less like rape). I was really just stating things that I would and wouldn't like to see (and that, of the latter, there are some I'd be OK with seeing).

I did say that there were things that I don't want to SEE the process of, but I am fine with seeing results of such things.

[Stella-Arc]

I want it to be slightly more darker than DA:O but not "ridiculous dark" like in DA2 where I felt like throwing my character off a cliff. It's like I had no control over the things that happened to my Hawke (However, the mother quest was tear-worthy, I actually cried). I like tragic heroes but ****, my poor Hawke was plague with misfortune throughout the game.

[LPPrince]

Yeeeah, not keen on actually seeing rape, and I'm sure they'd never do that.

But hearing about someone or knowing someone who was raped or having the implication that someone was raped(Shianni in the City Elf Origin in DAO, the Tranquils in DA2) is fine. As long as its not focused on too much as that is a veeery delicate subject.

Probably safer(and I don't think anyone would complain, at least I certainly wouldn't) if that subject was left out completely.

[Fredward]

I confess to confusion about what exactly "dark fantasy" is suppose to be. If it's just shoving stuff with some modicum of shock value into the game; pass. If it's making the game more "realistic" to what we believe such a setting should be like, then yes.

For instance in the coming game, war crimes. Atrocities from BOTH sides, towns getting caught in the crossfire, famine caused by mage fire lighting up crops because they're trying to starve the templars or something. That kinda thing. Not just like shoving organs in my face and demanding I look at them and be awed by the dark ominousity of it all.

[LPPrince]

Low and High Fantasy are easier to define.

[Cameron Lee]

As long as I can ride a pony called twinkles I’ll be happy.

Seriously though, this is a good topic and I’m interested in where on the "hug with a nug" scale people want their games.

Personally I’m a fan of leaning more towards dark, with enough contrast and comedy thrown in to give a game meaningful pacing, personalize the characters and to let me relax when I want to put up my +5 sword of smackdown and order ale from a tavern wench… or whatever you call a male wench?

[LPPrince]

Male wench=Wrench

[SafetyShattered]

Cameron Lee wrote...

Personally I’m a fan of leaning more towards dark, with enough contrast and comedy thrown in to give a game meaningful pacing

I feel the same way.

[Mark of the Dragon]

I am more of for the "dark" aspect. I want gut wrenching descisions and themes that surprise and unsettle me a bit. It makes the game more enjoyable and adds to the experience.. For example I loved the whole "Haven VIllage" in DAO on the Quest for the Urn of Sacred Ashes. I like when stories have tragic aspects as well.

Make no mistake not everything need be tragic or super serious. There needs to be light hearted moments, comedy, and laid back times as well.

Overall I feel the best descisions are ones that push morals or ask you to choose between the good of the few or the many, or to be a hero or self absorbed person.Those usuallt require darker themes to be pulled off well.

[Iakus]

Cameron Lee wrote...

As long as I can ride a pony called twinkles I’ll be happy.

Seriously though, this is a good topic and I’m interested in where on the "hug with a nug" scale people want their games.

Personally I’m a fan of leaning more towards dark, with enough contrast and comedy thrown in to give a game meaningful pacing, personalize the characters and to let me relax when I want to put up my +5 sword of smackdown and order ale from a tavern wench… or whatever you call a male wench?

Like I mentioned before, darkness is okay to help contrast the light.  I'm a big fan of Earn Your Happy Ending, which presupposes there is a "happy ending" to earn.  If it's basically all sacrifice and sadness without hope for Our Hero, we risk sliding into Darkness induced Audience Apathy.

[Fishy]

Not too much dark because I want to see what happens.

[74 Wrex]

What I like to see:
Blood Everywhere!!!!!!!!!!
Cutting of Bodies

[Xerxes52]

It could go a bit darker than DA:O I think, but still keep the light and humorous moments in to break it up.

[powerchoke1]

I would like a very dark atmosphere in the game so if you play a villain you fit in

[Sable Rhapsody]

n2nw wrote...

I think a good game is both. The overall theme should be threatening and dark as you don't want to save the world from happiness and light...well, most people don't, but there should be moments of them (happiness and light) in the game. Even in a bleak life, people can still find joy in various places. As you trod through several dismal places, killing bad guys and monsters, there should be a village here...a weird little cave there...a place or two that offers a moment of levity or happiness in an otherwise grim situation.

This, pretty much.

I've recently started running Call of Cthulhu in the Invictus setting (Ancient Rome).  You don't get much grimmer as settings go: your protagonists inevitably die or go insane, and the society you live in is often just as lethal as the Mythos.  But there was a bit in the advice for running a game that stuck with me.  For Call of Cthulhu to be convincing, the world and (by extension humanity) need to be worth saving.  Otherwise, why should the players even bother trying against such bitter odds?

I think a similar principle applies to DA3.  By all means, make it dark.  Make it grim and threatening and frightening.  But make it worth all that struggle and pain, because if there's no reason to care about Thedas, there's no reason to play.

Modifié par Sable Rhapsody, 25 janvier 2013 - 10:23 .

[JimboGee]

I think they have to be careful when writing some material. DA2 was pretty depressing for me. It wasn't necessarily dark just, a downer. If they are going to put certain themes in like rape or child killing then it has to be done right. The reaction should be "Holy **** this guys a bastard" not "awww".
But having said all of that there shouldn't be darkness all the way through or "just for the sake of it. It's a tricky one to navigate and write properly but done right it can really shock your audience.

[Yrkoon]

Sutekh wrote...

@OP: As dark as necessary. Meaning, don't shy away from darkness, but don't make it gratuitous either just to be edgy.

Yes.  This can't be overstated.  Everyone's asking for dark, which is great.  But Dark for the sake of Dark tends to fail horribly -  giving the game an Emo-like feel at every turn.  I do not want  that.   I don't want to feel like the game  is trying really hard to flood me with doom and gloon just to  be "cool"

A *good*, story has ebbs and flows, where the darks are really dark, the lights are really "feel good" and the comic relief is really funny.

Modifié par Yrkoon, 25 janvier 2013 - 10:58 .