163 réponses à ce sujet

[LTD]

* Title. Dragon Age 2 is a fine name for a video game. It kinda implies sequel to well beloved and excellent RPG Dragon Age: Origins. So I'd like to see Dragon Age 2 that is not complete sh!t.

This concludes the listing of Dragon Age 2 elements that should be discussed.

[calvinien]

Darth Krytie wrote...

Renmiri1 wrote...

- Dragons ? Yup
- Magic ? Yup
- Half dead beasts (darkspawn) ? Yup
- Monsters ? Yup
- Equal representations of all genders ? YOU CAN'T DO THAT, IT IS NOT REALISTIC!

This is getting soooo old -.-

So much this.

I don't get why people are so hung up on that on those aspects being like real life. We can have monsters and hit points and learn abilities through levels....but all bi love interests? Preposterous. Women aren't treated like vermin in a 'middle ages setting?' How dare they! Why isn't there more bigotry and oppression based on my real life hang ups, Dragon Age?!  I want this world to represent all the ****ty aspects of real world inequality!

Indeed. Besides, the lore of dragon age CLEARLY indicates that same sex relationships are not taboo. They are at worst considered odd or quirky. Meghren gets exiled to ferelden not for having an affair with a man, but with a cousin.
The current divine was at least Bi.(she was seduced by marjolaine on one occasion), And there's no scandal with femhawke bringing in a woman to live with her...but there is for bringing in an elf.

Thedas has no abrahamic religions to give it thousand year old hangups about sex.Hell, visiting a brothel is considered about on par with drinking too much at a seedy bar.

IN many ancient cultures in the real world, THERE WAS NO CONCEPT OF ORIENTATION. Ancient greece was full of guys having sex with younger guys. The only shame was being the catcher because that made you the 'girl' in the relationship and the greeks thought women were useless. In many aboriginal cultures, homosexuality was seen as a sign that you were supposed to be a shaman becausde it meant you had an extra spirit or two in you.

The only analog for our world's gays in thedas would be mages.

[Plaintiff]

calvinien wrote...
The only analog for our world's gays in thedas would be mages.

We gays do present a grave threat to the rest of society. And we are frequently possessed by the spirit of dance.

[Plaintiff]

Ukki wrote...
Maybe, then again calling people bigots just because their preference differs is to do the same thing. 
Some people enjoy realism to be the basics of their fantasy. Personally I have never liked fantasy where people can reproduce by duplicating or by laying eggs, or talking animal kingdom. For it is just too much for me. Thats why I don´t like DA2 combat and oversized weapons, no one could fight like that nor could they fight with such weapons, defying the laws of physics if you will.

You must find Skyrim to be pretty ridiculous too.

The presence of bisexuals in fantasy is on par with talking animals, or a species of oviparous humanoids? Really?

If DA2 had no oversized weapons or physics-defying combat, would the game then have an acceptable level of "realism"? Or do the bisexual party members ruin the game all by themselves, regardless of other elements?

Modifié par Plaintiff, 20 mars 2013 - 02:28 .

[philippe willaume]

Plaintiff wrote...

Ukki wrote...
Maybe, then again calling people bigots just because their preference differs is to do the same thing. 
Some people enjoy realism to be the basics of their fantasy. Personally I have never liked fantasy where people can reproduce by duplicating or by laying eggs, or talking animal kingdom. For it is just too much for me. Thats why I don´t like DA2 combat and oversized weapons, no one could fight like that nor could they fight with such weapons, defying the laws of physics if you will.

You must find Skyrim to be pretty ridiculous too.

The presence of bisexuals in fantasy is on par with talking animals, or a species of oviparous humanoids? Really?

If DA2 had no oversized weapons or physics-defying combat, would the game then have an acceptable level of "realism"? Or do the bisexual party members ruin the game all by themselves, regardless of other elements?

Realism as in the hunderd years wars where noble women would be exepected to run the show, when the kightly dude is faffing about for king and country and where men of lesser nobility would have to do what the said women said?

or if based on more classical culture  where you would be seen as a more usefull warrior if you and another man where in love wich each other and still have wife and are execpted to have children.

If that the realism we are talking about then may be we could do with more realism .

phil

[calvinien]

Plaintiff wrote...

calvinien wrote...
The only analog for our world's gays in thedas would be mages.

We gays do present a grave threat to the rest of society. And we are frequently possessed by the spirit of dance.

I meant they play the same social role. Religion doens't like them, but enoucrages them to think that religion is "helping them". They are feared and look down upon for soemthing they can't control and are born with.

It's liek mutants in xmen being a metaphor for 'insert opressed minority here'

[Plaintiff]

calvinien wrote...

Plaintiff wrote...

calvinien wrote...
The only analog for our world's gays in thedas would be mages.

We gays do present a grave threat to the rest of society. And we are frequently possessed by the spirit of dance.

I meant they play the same social role. Religion doens't like them, but enoucrages them to think that religion is "helping them". They are feared and look down upon for soemthing they can't control and are born with.

It's liek mutants in xmen being a metaphor for 'insert opressed minority here'

I know what you meant. I was just trying to be funny.

Evidently it didn't work.

[UndeadStev]

I really liked the companion quests on DA2. They were just a lot longer then the ones in Origins and I liked how there were multiple companion quests rather then just one for each character.

[Renmiri1]

Plaintiff wrote...

Ukki wrote...
Maybe, then again calling people bigots just because their preference differs is to do the same thing. 
Some people enjoy realism to be the basics of their fantasy. Personally I have never liked fantasy where people can reproduce by duplicating or by laying eggs, or talking animal kingdom. For it is just too much for me. Thats why I don´t like DA2 combat and oversized weapons, no one could fight like that nor could they fight with such weapons, defying the laws of physics if you will.

You must find Skyrim to be pretty ridiculous too.

The presence of bisexuals in fantasy is on par with talking animals, or a species of oviparous humanoids? Really?

If DA2 had no oversized weapons or physics-defying combat, would the game then have an acceptable level of "realism"? Or do the bisexual party members ruin the game all by themselves, regardless of other elements?

Ahem..

Ukki, have you heard of "willing suspension of disbelief" ?

poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge,.. suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative. Suspension of disbelief often applies to fictional works of the action, comedy, fantasy, and horror genres.... 
Suspension of disbelief is often an essential element for a magic act or a circus sideshow act. For example, an audience is not expected to actually believe that a woman is cut in half or transforms into a gorilla[2] in order to enjoy the performance.
..According to the theory, suspension of disbelief is an essential ingredient for any kind of storytelling. With any film, the viewer has to ignore the reality that they are viewing a two-dimensional moving image on a screen and temporarily accept it as reality in order to be entertained. Black & White films provide an obvious early example that audiences are willing to suspend disbelief, no matter how unreal the images appear, for the sake of entertainment. With the exception of totally color blind people (See: Achromatopsia), no person viewing these films sees the real world without color, but they are still willing to suspend disbelief and accept the images in order to be entertained

What you and others are basically doing is refusing to suspend your disbelief that Thedas has a more open approach to sexuality. Yet you are perfectly willing to suspend your disbelief that dragons, magic and darkspawn don't exist.

Guess what  ? Bioware and David Gaider have been pretty clear that the gender roles openness is here to stay. So it is part of the deal and you either learn to suspend your disbelief for gender as you do for magic, or you stop playing the game. Onus is on you, not on others.

Sheesh!

Modifié par Renmiri1, 20 mars 2013 - 06:43 .

[Sylvius the Mad]

EntropicAngel wrote...

I would argue that there are different levels of meta, and thus different levels of metagaming. I would argue that one level is the game world you are in, as that character. The next is the game world in and of itself, as a whole, regardless of the character. I would argue that while what I say is metagaming in the first level, it is not in the second.

As an example I point to things like Leliana, like Zevran (though I may be wrong on him). People whom the protagonist killed in DA:O but were alive in DA ][. People didn't like this, they complained. They complained because within the game world, not within the character's world (their character was gone--replaced by Hawke), there was an inconsistency.

I understand why people are objecting, but I insist that this inconsistency is one of their own making.  Only because they insist on examining the game from a metagame standpoint does the inconsistency appear.

For an extreme example, if the next DA game decided that magic isn't in fact an inheent trait, but enabled through the inventive use of small colored orbs, would that be a problem? I say yes, because within the game world, not within the character world (we're playing a new character, right?), something has changed. Would you disagree? Is my example not analogous?

Absolutely it is.  That is perfectly analogous.

But if I complained about this is wouldn't be because of inconsistency - it would be because they'd ruined the game (assuming they had - maybe the coloured orbs mechanic would be awesome).

I should have been clearer--"by" doesn't always mean "through the power of", but sometimes "as a result of." That's what I meant, that her sexuality is the result of a particular aspect of the PC.

Sure, but why is that a problem?  Butterfly effect.

Modifié par Sylvius the Mad, 20 mars 2013 - 10:15 .

[grumpymooselion]

The female voice actor for Hawke was glorious. No doubt.

The non-typical plot of DA2 as a concept was also perfectly sound, it's all in the follow through and DA3 doesn't have to have the same follow through. Another unique approach would not only be wanted, but, if followed through with this time, could be a game changer.

The Mage Templar conflict is ripe for exploitation, hopefully it's used to its full potential.

The approach to female clothing and armor they took in DA2 was appreciated.

I did like the character design as well.

I could care less about the romances, but, objectively allowing more people to experience them isn't a bad thing. I thought DA2 was fine in that respect, though I could do without some of the characters being so forward. That's just me though, and I understand other people have differing tastes, and that Bioware are not amiss to keep many people in mind, and not just myself. I support, mostly, the decisions they made in regard to romance in DA2.

I still feel combat in DA:O and DA2 has a long way to go, but requiring tactical and thoughtful approaches to combat are fully appreciated.

Importing saves is good. That many of the things imported resulted in only very minor differences was iffy though. In addition, import choices being entirely ignored . . . was not appreciated at all. I'm looking at you Leliana . . . your head was gone. No coming back from that. Also my Arl of Redcliff decisions didn't seem to import correctly either, as it seemed to think the boy was still alive . . . In my DA:O play through the kid had died, while the mother and father went on to have a daughter, also magically attuned, who ended up being sent to the circle. I assume to the circle with the statue in front of it that was made in honor of my warden to sacrificed herself.

I hope Bodan and Sandal made it out alright, I imagine Sandal definitely did, "Not Enchantment" and all. Bodan told me he'd gotten a position in the area DA3 will be taking part in, so I imagine it's fully possible we'll see him again.

The Sarcastic Hawke options were one of the best things about the game, and, that combined with the Female Hawke voice actor became one of the best and most definitive things about DA2 for me.

The friendship rivalry system was a neat idea, but I do feel it could use some tweaking here and there still.

The variety of Light Mage Armor in DA2 was appreciated, but more variety would be even more appreciated. :3

Mage Staff weapons in DA2 were on the road to going where I thought Staff weapons for magic users in many setting should have gone. It annoys me, so much, when I see a staff be little more than a stat stick, and DA2 solved that. The Staff weapons Mages used were weapons, and not just magical weapons as they often had very deadly looking blades, spikes, and other forms of nasty attached to them.

I adored Kirkwall's art style in the statues and some of the more particularly designed buildings. The concept art for DA2's architecture was pretty neat too. It had a very distinct style to some of the major buildings like the Chantry and the Gallows, and it was much adored on my part.

The Force magic was great, and I'd love to see the concept expanded upon. Better ways to upgrade its control and damage would be very appreciated as well, because many mobs, even basic mobs, completely ignored the effects as the game went on. Many of the elemental spells had significant upgrades to damage type and control effects, and the Force magic could have benefited from this.

The non-typical approach to story and character motivations that stayed far away from 'hero saved the world from ____" approach is something I want more of.

Companions having minds of their own is a good thing, and companions not agreeing with you is a good thing. Companions doing what suits 'them' and their wants and needs, serving their goals rather than yours, is perfectly sensible unless they have just come very close to you on a friendship or romance level. Isabella in DA2 was an example of this done right. Anders was an example of this done wrong.

I liked the new talent trees, but I'd prefer they be further expanded to the point where you were making 'choices' as to the evolution of specific abilities in a tree. Actual choices, that could lock out alternative evolutions of an ability.

The Divine in Kirkwall's Chantry I adored, a great character in a leading position that I wanted to get to know more and support. I just never had the option to support her in DA2, and I wanted that above everything. Her actions when you're framed during the Qunari storyline are exactly what made me fall in love with the character, and her reaction when the (*^*&%* that framed me got shot was 'exactly' perfect. This is who I wanted deciding who would be Kirkwall's new leader. Utterly practical and sensible, knew what needed done and could do it, but was humble enough to not be arrogant. Loved her loved her loved her.

Elves that didn't look just like Humans with pointy ears was much appreciated, and I'd support them becoming even less Human looking.

I would say I'd like us to have to find/unlock Specializations like we did in DA:O rather than DA2's style where they were just handed to us as level 7 and 14 though.

[otis0310]

I want everything from DAO, especially origin stories and the ability to chose a non human protagonist. Go figure, in a universe filled with elves, dwarves, qunari and who know what else you might actually be able to play as one of these. Radical concept that.

The only thing from DA2 that was good was the player character having a voice. I also liked some of the characters in DA2, but they were not fleshed out as well, in my opinion.

[craigdolphin]

Personally, there's not much from DA2 that I'd want to see in the next installment. If it resembles da2 overly, or continues the process of turning thedas into a cartoonish parody of the world in dao even more, then there'll be nothing to even tempt me to buy the game.

I don't object to the voiced protagonist...although I'm ambivalent about it. I did like being able to dodge orge charges in combat. And the friendship rivalry system was ok (although i still missed gift giving).

Asde from that, i though every other aspect of the game was a step backwards.

[Biotic Sage]

Sacred_Fantasy wrote...

None.

I would have never predicted this post coming into this thread!!!  How did you come up with that?!?!

[katiebour]

 Maker's Balls, people.

The thread's topic and ending question of OP's post was "What are your favorite bits of DA2?"

If you have nothing to add, then don't.  There's no need to write a one-word post expressing your dislike of DA2 in a thread where the purpose is to discuss the features of DA2 that people liked.  You add absolutely nothing to the discussion at hand.

We've had a million threads complaining about DA2 in the DA2 section (and here in the DA:I section as well.)  If you want to go down that same tired path, then start another thread for it.  Title it something original, creative, and heretofore unseen on this board like "Things I Hated About DA2 That I Don't Want to See in DA:I."  /end sarcasm

Maybe your mother never taught you this little adage, but if so, let me edu-ma-cate you now.  It goes like this:

If you can't say anything nice, then don't say anything at all.

At least in a thread where the OP is soliciting positive feedback.  Make your own thread if you feel you haven't yet completely explored and (over)shared your disgust of DA2 over the past two damn years.

Anyway.

Things I liked about DA2 that I would like to see return in DA:I:
1)  Emotive facial expressions.  So, so much better in DA2.  And with Frostbite it's going to be A-MAY-ZING.
2)  Faster combat!  DA2 was also the first game where I enjoyed playing as a mage- my normal go-to class is warrior.  But those fireballs were fantastic.
3)  Unique character looks, including standalone bits unavailable in the CC, like Flemeth's hair or Fenris' markings.
4)  Elf and Qunari redesigns. Although I hope that my beloved Zevran will show up in DA:I if he lives, and that he will be both uniquely elvhen and as handsome as he ever was.
5)  The skill trees- SO MUCH EASIER TO TELL WHAT DOES WHAT.
6)  No "I win" button options to perfectly resolve conflict.  Choice either way requires meaningful sacrifice, and sometimes, there is no good choice.
7)  Voiced protag and the dialogue wheel- it was fun to choose something and then grin when Hawke said something slightly different, with a bit of flair or snark or what-have-you.  Kept me listening to the conversations.
8)  Ambience.  The Hanged Man felt alive to me, from Nora's conversations with the patrons, to speed griffons, to the scary room in the back from which no one ever returns.
9)  Snarky codex entries.  If I ever have a band I promise to name them the Dandy Lampreys.
10) LIs available to all Hawkes.  Content for everyone!
11) Non-standard camera angles, as when Leandra dies- that angled view adds to the cinematic nature of the scene.
12) Family genetics- it's nice to have parents and sibs that resemble the protag.
13) NPCs and companions romancing each other- the Longest Road was SUCH a great quest, and Fenris/Isabela, Bethany/Sebastian, and Carver/Merrill made me smile.

I'm sure I could think of more, but that's what comes to mind for now.

[Uccio]

Plaintiff wrote...

Ukki wrote...
Maybe, then again calling people bigots just because their preference differs is to do the same thing. 
Some people enjoy realism to be the basics of their fantasy. Personally I have never liked fantasy where people can reproduce by duplicating or by laying eggs, or talking animal kingdom. For it is just too much for me. Thats why I don´t like DA2 combat and oversized weapons, no one could fight like that nor could they fight with such weapons, defying the laws of physics if you will.

You must find Skyrim to be pretty ridiculous too.

The presence of bisexuals in fantasy is on par with talking animals, or a species of oviparous humanoids? Really?

If DA2 had no oversized weapons or physics-defying combat, would the game then have an acceptable level of "realism"? Or do the bisexual party members ruin the game all by themselves, regardless of other elements?

You made that bridge, I didn´t.

[Uccio]

Renmiri1 wrote...

Plaintiff wrote...

Ukki wrote...
Maybe, then again calling people bigots just because their preference differs is to do the same thing. 
Some people enjoy realism to be the basics of their fantasy. Personally I have never liked fantasy where people can reproduce by duplicating or by laying eggs, or talking animal kingdom. For it is just too much for me. Thats why I don´t like DA2 combat and oversized weapons, no one could fight like that nor could they fight with such weapons, defying the laws of physics if you will.

You must find Skyrim to be pretty ridiculous too.

The presence of bisexuals in fantasy is on par with talking animals, or a species of oviparous humanoids? Really?

If DA2 had no oversized weapons or physics-defying combat, would the game then have an acceptable level of "realism"? Or do the bisexual party members ruin the game all by themselves, regardless of other elements?

Ahem..

Ukki, have you heard of "willing suspension of disbelief" ?

poet and aesthetic philosopher Samuel Taylor Coleridge,.. suggested that if a writer could infuse a "human interest and a semblance of truth" into a fantastic tale, the reader would suspend judgment concerning the implausibility of the narrative. Suspension of disbelief often applies to fictional works of the action, comedy, fantasy, and horror genres.... 
Suspension of disbelief is often an essential element for a magic act or a circus sideshow act. For example, an audience is not expected to actually believe that a woman is cut in half or transforms into a gorilla[2] in order to enjoy the performance.
..According to the theory, suspension of disbelief is an essential ingredient for any kind of storytelling. With any film, the viewer has to ignore the reality that they are viewing a two-dimensional moving image on a screen and temporarily accept it as reality in order to be entertained. Black & White films provide an obvious early example that audiences are willing to suspend disbelief, no matter how unreal the images appear, for the sake of entertainment. With the exception of totally color blind people (See: Achromatopsia), no person viewing these films sees the real world without color, but they are still willing to suspend disbelief and accept the images in order to be entertained

What you and others are basically doing is refusing to suspend your disbelief that Thedas has a more open approach to sexuality. Yet you are perfectly willing to suspend your disbelief that dragons, magic and darkspawn don't exist.

Guess what  ? Bioware and David Gaider have been pretty clear that the gender roles openness is here to stay. So it is part of the deal and you either learn to suspend your disbelief for gender as you do for magic, or you stop playing the game. Onus is on you, not on others.

Sheesh!

Chill.

Go back and read my post again. I was talking about how I like my fantasy games with isms, not sexuality in my fantasy games.

Sheesh!

Modifié par Ukki, 21 mars 2013 - 08:05 .

[finalcabbage]

I personally liked the fast combat in DA 2 and loved the improvements to ranged characters. I would like ranged characters to continue being doom engines of death and destruction. Also I hope they add new magic trees like with mage hawke and the force skillset.

Also, all you folks who think gender roles in the DA universe are unrealistic need to learn a thing or two. Not all cultures in human history resemble the rigid eurocentric model. Some Native American cultures recognized more than two gender roles! So Thedas not being a carbon copy of traditional fantasy realms doesn't fly in the face of realism.

Modifié par finalcabbage, 21 mars 2013 - 08:14 .

[Walsh1980]

Personally the only things that truly bothered me about DA2 were the limited environments and the lame fetch quests. I love Hawke (especially FemHawke) and the dialogue stances, a minimum 3 playthroughs to see the 3(6) sides. I love all the companions, Merrill and Fenris especially, Fenris's grumpiness is still a running joke in my house. I actually like that each character has a look rather than everyone ending up in plate or leather armor (doesn't mean I don't want a more in depth equip system).

And I had no problem with the story (other than the part with your mother, not whar happens, just the lack of any true rage at it on Hawke's part, and Orsino all of a sudden proving the Templars right). I loved the Arishok and Meredith, the mystery with what you actually found in those ruins.

When I see all the talk about forgetting DA2, I get a little bummed because it was a flawed masterpiece in my opinion.

About the bisexuality in the game, I have no problem with it, I just wish the scenes were unique and that it was built more into their character. I just don't buy a female Hawke and a male Hawke's relationship with say Fenris being exactly the same. If they're going to be bi, give me a reason to want to see the other side. I think they handled it well in ME3, it was actually fun getting shot down by Traynor, that's what I want, variety among playthroughs.

Modifié par Walsh1980, 21 mars 2013 - 08:58 .

[Flamingdropbear]

Like someone said in the 1st page there are many concepts from DA2 that I would love to see in DA]l[, as long as they are executed better than they were in DA2. These include:
The personal story and , non save they world plot was a lovely idea, getting to know characters, quests and a city over ten years, seeing how they change and react to your decisions. Having a parents and siblings to protect.
Pity all these ideas where not executed as well as they could have been, the physical city doesn't change (with the minor execption of a statue) from what I remember, the plot doesn't change depending on your decisions. Side with templars, mages go crazy, side with mages, mages go crazy.
Also given the lack of time with most of the family it was difficult to get too attached before they exited stage left (one by one).
Also they gaps between chapters were supposed to be 3 years, but could have been three months or even three days. Seeing the characters age would have helped (a few grey hairs or wrinkles).
I hope they take a lot of inspiration from DA2 but execute it better in DA]l[

[RaidenXS]

the visuals when it came to spells was nice. I especially liked cone of cold

[imbs]

Ukki wrote...

Chill.

Go back and read my post again. I was talking about how I like my fantasy games with isms, not sexuality in my fantasy games.

Sheesh!

You must be new here m8. Out-of-place, inappropriate self righteousness, people acting as though Bioware games should be dating simulators first and games second, and people who actually believe DA2 was a good game are the type of thing you will find here.

DA3 is almost certainly going to be terrible. We have the same people who made DA2 in charge, and also EA involvement from the start again. The "h8 is not a game" campaign EA has going combined with the ridiculous fans on these forums (i've even seen people say the wave combat was good in DA2... lmao) ensure that the new game cannot be good at the things that would get some of Bioware's reputation back. Let's not forget the quantity over quality approach EA have always had.

The inevitable lack of quality combined with the inevitable Day1 on disc DLC sets the perfect stage for failure. I wonder how likely always online DRM is too.

Don't get me wrong I'd love a good DA game. I didn't enjoy the Witcher games either and I am a big fantasy game fan. It won't happen though.

[BeatoSama]

Can you stop putting down people because they liked something you didn't?
I wasn't particularly fond of the wave combat either but some people like it and they have a right to do so without being mocked.
It's too bad for you that you didn't enjoy DA2. I did though and I'm tired of being put down and called ridiculous because I thought something was good.

[Sylvius the Mad]

EntropicAngel wrote...

Sylvius the Mad wrote...

I understand why people are objecting, but I insist that this inconsistency is one of their own making.  Only because they insist on examining the game from a metagame standpoint does the inconsistency appear.

The thing is, though, as I said--different levels of meta or "immersion" or whatever your chosen word is. What they're doing (and what I'm doing) is not meta to the game, but meta to a character. I don't believe the two are the same.

I would allow that meta to the world and meta to the character are different things.  Once you're even considering the game as a thing, though, you've completely left the world and the character behind.

Each playthrough is an entirely unrelated world.  Like bubble universes.

E.g., if they had just made them all bisexual, that would actually have been preferred. Because an aspect of the world--Merrill--would not have something about her predicated by the PC.

Except it's not.  You only see it that way because you're examining the game.

So you're saying you would not mind this? I can only refer back to what I said--this would be decried not because it violated the bounds of a character, but violated the bounds of the world.

I would mind them ruining the game.  But simply changing how it works to make it better?  No.

Compare the magic systems in Ultima IV, Ultima V, and Ultima Underworld.

U4 required spells be prepared in advance (outside of combat) by mixing reagents in appropriate combinations.
U5 required only that reagents be possessed in appropriate amounts, and mixed them on the fly when the spells were cast.
UU required the PC possess magical runes which were used to spell out the name of the spell.  No reagents.

All good magic systems.  All the same world.

Oh come now, Sylvius. We both know that someone's sexuality is not defined by the gender of a complete 'nother person.

And no one is claiming it is.  Instead, they could have a common cause in the distant past.  You keep assuming that a correlative relationship is a causal relationship.  Why?

Alternatively, we can just go back to the bubble universe explanation.  By selecting Hawke's gender, you choose in which bubble universe you're playing.