252 Antworten in diesem Thema

[teh DRUMPf!!]

 There's a thread like this in DAO forums, so I figured there ought to be one for the DA2 section as well...

 

... minus British style English in the title; "U-S-A! U-S-A!" and all that jazz.

 

So, on to the topic. Given the first post of the thread, I'll use it to the fullest. Here's my list in Top-5 countdown form...

 

 

5.) Alone.

 

 

IMO, this is by far the most interesting companion quest, because there's lots of hype about Fenris's former master. Then, you finally get to face the Tevinter magister for yourself. Additionally, Fenris is a pretty polarizing character. At that stage in the game, he may be your Hawke's good friend or bitter rival, and perhaps even lover as well. In short, dramatic showdown with solid build-up, one of those missions I get excited for on every subsequent play.

 

4.) Demands of the Qun, "Worthy Rival."

 

 

 

As an adversary character, the Arishok truly rocked IMO. He had style, was well voice-acted, got the necessary amount of both screen-time and interaction with the player. Above all else, he engaged the protagonist in an ideological battle in which both sides are portrayed as -- more or less -- valid, which makes this conflict feel natural, complex, and dramatic. Capping off this conflict with earning the enemy's respect and dueling him to the death is just icing on the cake. Alternatively, you can spit on this offer and kill off his whole platoon before taking him down. You can even give him what he wants, if you're so inclined, so another thumbs-up goes to this quest -- this time for player agency.

 

To give you an idea of how much this weight this quest carries for me, I define my characters in large part on whether or not they get the Arishok's respect (I've done four characters, where two get it, and two do not). Also, if I plan to duel him with any of my Hawkes, it is one of the foremost things on my mind when I spend level-up points.

 

 

3.) The Last Straw, pro-mage ending.

 

 

 

It's you and the lowly Circle mages against Kirkwall's army of Templars, and against all odds, Hawke prevails against what can be seen as an attempted brutal injustice by tyrant rule. In taking down Meredith, there's hope for peace as the 'Order is no longer subject to the whims of an extremist, and the mages no longer oppressed as a result.

 

A lot of people knock the story of DA2 for lacking a sufficient sense of accomplishment, but I think they're selling it short. To defy the Templars and live to tell the tale is truly an amazing feat. It also seems to better fit the direction the world of Thedas seems to be going in the next story, which can make the player feel like they perhaps had an impact (BTW: that's one of my Hawkes)!

 

 

 

2.) The Last Straw, pro-Templar ending.

 

 

 

While I like both endings to the story, I've come to prefer siding with the Templars -- especially while playing as an apostate-mage Hawke. It may seem counter-intuitive, but I saw it as the best of both worlds, perhaps even modeling the best, most balanced solution to the whole issue: mages and Templars working together, to fight evil on both sides.

 

Meredith invokes the Rite of Annulment rather questionably in the events of The Last Straw. However, supporting the Templars in this crisis doesn't have to be dirty. Meredith is clearly going to stand in the way of any peaceful compromise, no matter which side you take. In choosing the mages, you're standing with every mage, whether they're innocent or not. No mercy can be shown for you or them so long as the line between friend and enemy remains that unclear to the Templars. But in choosing the Templars, Hawke can still state the desire to limit bloodshed as much as possible, and -- more importantly -- can rule against the execution of some surrendering mages in one of the mission's defining moments (for which there is no equivalent on the pro-mage side). Consider that those mages would almost certainly be killed by Meredith had you not been there to stop it.

 

You also get to face Orsino as an enemy rather than see him become an almost "Jesus"-like sacrificial figure, which he simply does not deserve given what he's done. So when it's all said and done: Orsino gets his for condoning corrupt mages; Meredith gets hers for knowingly aggravating the situation; Hawke can step in to prevent wrongful killings during the 'Rite and can feel like he/she did the best they could have done to save mages given the circumstances...

 

... then it all ends with the Templars kneeling and bow down respectfully to Hawke. And again, if Hawke is a mage, this moment becomes particularly powerful in what it symbolizes: mages and Templars working together -- something that Anders didn't get, IMO. Lastly, it gets the proverbial cherry-on-top with the implication of Hawke rising to Viscount.

 

 

1.) Shepherding Wolves, Saarebas.

 

 

 

The #1 spot for my favorite moment in DA2 goes to a character's supporting role in all of one assignment in the story: Saarebas (I won't disrespect him with Sister Petrice's nickname!) in the Shepherding Wolves quest.

 

To start off with, I almost always run with parties balanced in rogue, warrior, and mage skills. So, given the option to call on mage companions, I prefer to incite Arvaraad with the presence of one of my own mages. In doing so, Hawke gets the opportunity (without first being culturally ingnorant and/or insensitive) to speak to Saarebas personally and hear his chilling last words: ... "Take this secret item, Basvaraad. Remember this day."

 

I'm not sure what others think of him, his decision, and this event altogether. I've gathered that many people find Qunari in general to be crazy. I have a couple objections of my own here. But on the whole, this character and the events of the quest made an impression on me, one where I really grew to respect the general values that he and his beliefs stood for: the collective over the self, balancing choice and order, conviction in what's most important to our world.

 

I, and by extension, many of my Hawkes, will remember that day.

 

 

So there. Those are the top-5 of many memorable DA2 moments. What are yours? Don't be intimidated by my tl;dr post. You don't need to do anything so fanciful. I just had to do something special with the thread OP (yes, had to).

[renfrees]

In non-consecutive order:

 

Dammit, Anders!

Bait & Switch, alienage's ladder

Quentin's confrontation

Arishok's final speech before the duel

"Blessed are those who stand..."

[CronoDragoon]

5. Bethany returning as a Grey Warden

The game in general does a good job of keeping you on your toes regarding the fate of your family. Is this a tragedy? Or will things kind of sort of work out? Oh, maybe not. Oh, maybe so! Seeing Bethany alive and (sort of) well was both unexpected in the moment and brought a stupid grin to my face.

 

4. Arishock duel

 

I respected him, he respected me. But he puffed himself up too much and needed checking. So I checked him. Also the first time that it feels you are really making a difference in Kirkwall.

 

3. Anders blowing up the Chantry

 

I consider this separate from #1 because it was a completely different emotional reaction. Pure shock. Looking back at helping him collect ingredients. Things he said during the course of the game. How did I not see something like this coming? God damnit Anders.

 

2. Isabela returning with the book

 

Early in Dragon Age 2 I learned just how horribly things could go wrong when I took Bethany to the Deep Roads without Anders. It had its desired effect: I was on edge the rest of the game when making decisions, never knowing if I had missed something important or how things would turn out. When Isabela left, I was sad. I truly thought she was gone and not coming back. When she returned with the book, I was doing that meme where the dudes point at the screen and flip out. This is really the only BioWare game where I felt dramatic tension with my choices. In DA:O, there was usually a third option that suited most parties involved. In the ME series, P/R saved the day. In this game, sometimes things just went horribly wrong.

 

1. Deciding whether to kill Anders

 

I must say, I spent even longer debating this choice than ME3's ending. I'm lucky my plasma didn't get burn-in. Ultimately, I decided to kill him. The rhetoric of letting him live to atone for his mistakes rang false when regarding someone who feels no regret over his actions. I had every indication that he would commit another heinous act, and another, whenever he deemed it necessary. He wanted to die, and I gave him death.

[CuriousArtemis]

Some of my favorites, though I won't order them:

 

Fenris and "Alone" -- I agree with what the OP said. Really, Fenris' whole "I am not a slave!" arc. Twice Hawke has the chance to declare that Fenris is a free man. My heart bursts each time. And the friendmance make-up scene at the end is the icing on the cake.

 

Isabela returning -- So agree with this; she is often my Hawke's bestie, and the little ribbing Hawke gives her when she returns is so cute; she kind of admits she was wrong and they both kind of wink at each other to let the other know it's all good. Hawke is warmed that she returned, and Isabela is having to admit that she actually has a friend (and if this is a romance, oh god, it's even more emotional). Then Hawke gets to refuse to hand her back. Awesome.

 

The Arishok turns on Hawke and Aveline -- I love this scene for some reason. I love how Aveline takes charge as they flee, I love how her guards nevertheless are quickly slaughtered (that sounds horrible; I mean I love the intensity of the scene), I love the look the Arishok and Hawke exchange. A brutal, intense moment.

 

And a minor shout-out to:

 

The encounter with Idunna -- It was very cool and very shocking when I hit a snarky response and suddenly my Hawke says something else. Then I get genuinely worried when his hand reaches for his dagger and brings it up against his own throat...!! Good moment in the game.

[EmissaryofLies]

MoA - The Party. Threatening Tallis with violence. Isabela being called out on her promiscuous nature, "you there, ho!"

 

Legacy - Gettin' down with Corypheus. The deranged dwarves. Janders cameo. Killing that uppity condescending b*tch right before Corypheus. 

 

Main Game - Mostly banters. The banters between Anders and Fenris. Isabela and Aveline especially, "If you stick your thumb up his ass, I win". That elf in the blooming rose who apparently liked to work stiff. Standing up to the Meredith at the end and putting her in her place. Watching the Chantry being blown sky high. I simply wish that I'd been able to plant the bomb myself. interactions with the Arishok, he did not strike me as an enemy as a person, rather than the philosophy he perpetuates and represents. The best was him shutting down Javaris about how he failed at the task he assigned himself. It was very matter of fact. Almost felt bad for the man. 

 

The very last cut-scene of the game where Hawke stares down Cullen and his goons and they back off. Add that with the epilogue and It becomes a beautiful pro-mage ending. 

[Lulupab]

Many of my favorite moments of the game is accompanied by my favorite rock song in this video. I recommend it for everyone

 

[Sifr]

5: Isabela's Big Damn Heroes Moment in "Demands of the Qun"

 

The title pretty much says it all. Her return complete with witty one liner and Hawke eventually having to fighting the Arishok over her has to be one of the best moments in the game, especially if you're romancing her at the time. Similarly, I love her line "This is your damned influence, Hawke!" and the codex mentioning that afterwards, they ended up having an argument where a romanced Isabela stormed out after saying;

 

Isabela: I didn't do it for them. I did it for you. It was always about you!

 

4: Ketojan / Saarebas in "Shepherding Wolves".

 

Much like my Qunari entry later in the list, I adore the Qunari and seeing their perspective and this was an incredibly bittersweet quest. And despite this, they are surprisingly some really funny moments as well, such as Hawke nonchalanatly mentioning that they are the only mundane in the group, while Bethany, Anders and Merrill are all mages... cue the Arvaraad immediately soiling himself.

 

3: Meeting Feynriel in "Wayward Son"

 

While Rogue/Warrior Hawke's comment about Bethany is sweet, I think Mage Hawke's simple response is better.

 

Feynriel: Why do you care, you don't even know me?

*Hawke creates a ball of light in their hand*

Mage Hawke: I am you.

 

2: Whenever Hawke is compared to the Qunari.

 

I love the interaction with Hawke and various Qunari, especially when they lampshade Hawke having several similar qualities to themselves. I like the Arishok's comment that Hawke is like a Qunari without their principles, Saarebas declaring them bas-Arvaraad (equivalent to a Templar) and both Taarbas in "The Lost Blades" and the leader of the Tal'Vashoth in "Greypowder Promise" suggesting Hawke would make a good Ben-Hassrath, or mistaking them for being one already. Even Tallis seems to suggest something similar in "Mark of the Assassin".

 

1: Mage Hawke in Legacy.

 

C'mon, winning a magical duel against an ancient Tevinter Magister who if you sided with Janeka, he had earlier mopped the floor with? Even if he wasn't at full strength at the time, it still counts as being one of the most badass Mage Hawke moments.

 

---

 

And for great moments that didn't make the list, Aveline's woefully incompetent courtship of Donnic is definitely at the top of them, as well as most of the companions badass introduction scenes, such as Varric's, Aveline's and Fenris' in particular. Even Sebastian has a surprisingly good one, truth be told.

[themikefest]

meeting Meredith

killing Anders

seeing the grey wardens and hearing the music

killing Arishok

siding with Meredith and then killing Orsino after learning the idiot knew about Quentin.

[Viktoria Landers]

5. Trying to remain undetected in Chateau Haine.

4. Handing Fenris over to Danirius.

3. Making fun with Viscount about his dead son.

2. Siding with Sister Petrice in Act 2.

1. Handing Isabela over to the Qunari.

[KaiserShep]

I agree about DA2 being sold short in terms of its writing and story.

 

My top five would have to be:

 

5. A New Path - Marethari's death/wiping out the Dalish: I genuinely did not expect Marethari to have served herself up as a prison for a demon just to protect Merrill, so I loved the moment when Marethari tells her "Dareth shiral" just before turning into a massive pride demon. This scene likely has a bigger impact on those who played the Dalish origin in DA:O, but having this regular character that's been with us since possibly the beginning of Act 1 made it all the more dramatic.

 

While I canonically opt to take responsibility for Merrill's actions, sparing the Dalish clan their certain demise, I was seriously surprised by how much that escalated into a full assault on an entire tribe on my first run, especially as one who actually likes the Dalish in general.

 

 

4. The Last Straw - Destruction of the Chantry/Killing Anders: I went into this game blind, but did not help Anders distract the Grand Cleric because I had a feeling that he was up to something so left that out in my first playthrough, but thought it was more interesting when you play the dupe and go along with that plan. During The Last Straw, I actually felt excited to see his buildup to the final act. I thought it was a great moment to kick off the rebellion of the Circle. As frustrating as the Grand Cleric was, I genuinely wanted her to live, so having an ally kill her along with the other people in the Chantry, whether they were templar or not, felt like a betrayal. Opting to kill him afterward served up some effective drama, I thought. It's not even a decision that I particularly like, which actually makes it better for this scene for me, but aside from that, I genuinely felt that he deserved to die, not just for what he did to the Chantry, but also that he proved himself to be a genuine threat, even in smaller moments like the end of Dissent. This was basically the straw that broke the camel's back. It's a treat having such a rare moment when deciding the ultimate fate of a companion in response to his crime after being able to establish some kind of relationship outside of a mechanic akin to the Suicide Mission or the Virmire survivor choice.

 

3. Demands of the Qun - Isabela's return/Defying the Arishok: I totally agree with the OP on how awesome the Arishok was, so getting the Worthy Rival achievement was easily one of my favorite things to get in the game. It made the moment all the sweeter when I refused to hand Isabela over to him. Of course, this moment is made better when you finally learn a proper tactic to fighting him without kiting around the map for 10 minutes. But anyway, the buildup of this rivalry was fantastic. I loved getting his perspective on Kirkwall and his reasoning behind his attack. One of my favorite moments leading to this was actually his shushing of Aveline at the Qunari compound. That part always makes me crack a smile. Isabela's return and subsequent dialogue with Hawke was both the icing on the cake, and the cherry on top.

 

2. Shepherding Wolves - exchange with the Saarebas: I love this quest, partly because I love the introduction to the sanctimonious snake that is Petrice, a character I kind of relish having a rivalry with, but also because I enjoyed the exchanges between Hawke and Arvaraad and Saarebas at the end much more than I expected to. I thought it was a rather indelible image, watching this qunari choose to kill himself than accept freedom. It's made even more effective if Anders is in the party, and Saarebas objects to his comment.

 

1. Alone - Varania: I'm of the opinion that this quest easily had the best buildup of anything in the entire game, and aside from that, it was made better by the fact that my progression in the game had me being annoyed with Fenris to genuinely starting to like him, so there was quite a lot of development on both fronts. That little moment that always gets me with each subsequent playthrough is when Fenris is speaking to Varania, and you realize that it's a trap. Having this quest end with the immensely satisfying death of Danarius makes this my favorite companion quest of all time.

 

I have so many others beyond these 5, but honorable mentions go to:

 

- MotA - Killing Duke Prosper - Never has an NPC's mannerisms amused me as much as this guy, and taking Varric along when I kick him off the cliff is satisfying as well as hilarious.

 

- Enemies Among Us - Defying Idunna's magic - I love having Bethany release the team from her grip, and ultimately driving a dagger into her. Isabela's "apostitute" joke makes everything better.

 

- Dissent - Killing Ser Alrik - I love everything about that moment. Varric telling him that Hawke is the Divine, come to tell him what a jackass he is, then killing him and his entire entourage.

 

- Following the Qun - The death of Petrice - As savory as the rivalry was, having it resolved with the murder of this insufferable holy roller was very fitting.

[KaiserShep]

One of my favorite moments of Feynriel's quest line is tossing the murder knife at Varian's neck as he's holding Feynriel hostage.

[KaiserShep]

As for Arianni, I feel sorry for her in my mage Hawke playthrough, since the clan gets wiped out.

[KaiserShep]

I consider my pro-mage rogue to be my primary playthrough, and the clan is spared in that one so she can at least live on in the "canon" run. I've been considering a total pro templar warrior d-bag that kills anyone and everyone I can, and gets all of my mages killed, including Bethany, but I'm sure I'll feel dirty afterwards.

[Tranter88]

The opening credits....after that not a lot.

 

I don't know I just can't get to like DA2 at all. It's just a bad GAME. I can see what they tried to do with the story, taking the politicking from DA:O that everyone enjoyed and making a game from it. It's just very disjointed. It's like that episode of The Big Bang Theory when Amy ruins Raiders of the Lost Ark by pointing out the complete irrelevance of Indy. You kinda feel that when playing DA2, everything would probably have happened like it did even if Hawke had stayed home and got eaten by Darkspawn.

 

My 'main' Warden was meticulously put together until I'd made every decision the way I wanted them for the continuing story. I just can't find a Hawke I'm happy with and will probably just use my first ever playthrough as it was the most honest (I generally play a game through first, make the decisions I get a feel for and see what happens, then go back for playthroughs making the decisions that give me the outcomes at the end I want). It basically started off pro-mage and ended with me siding with Meredith, mages just annoyed me far too much. "Hi Dave", "RARRR Blood Mage Abomination, I'm Phil, Daves my brother"

[Darth Krytie]

--snip--

There are a million and one posts complaining about the game. This was supposed to be about favourite moments. So...I dunno why you felt the need to post here with that.

 

Favourite moments:

 

Definitely agree with everyone with the Arishok duel. I loved the little cutscenes as you earn his respect. Being his rival was awesome.

 

Talking to Senashal Bran after Saemus' death. I didn't even know you could until my last playthrough, but it was a really touching scene.

 

Aveline's companion quest. It's one of my favourite things in the world to watch her flirt so badly, especially if you have Isabela in the party. It made everything twice as awesome.

 

I actually loved all the scenes in DA2 with Hawke and the Viscount. I liked the idea of my Hawke being his right-hand man. I would have liked to do more to secure his seat. (if they only had as set of subquests to subdue his enemies and do more of his dirty work).

 

The Chantry blowing up/Anders/Sebastian. The whole scene. I've played the game as Hawke being surprised, being a hardcore extremist, someone just trying to get along. But that scene always gets me. Just the whole big clusterfuck of events.

 

Cassandra's commentary. I fell in love with her from the moment she called Varric out on his bullshit.

[Corker]

On the Loose: Nyssa
I love this tiny minor character who exists just to get killed. She's another face of the mage/templar conflict, a (non-parental) family member whose life is turned upside-down when her husband is hauled off to the Gallows. A tribute to resilience, she manages to get along for ten years anyway, despite not having class skills. And then, after she's been a victim of the Chantry's mage institutionalization program, she ends up a victim to the crazed blood mage her husband has become.

In another life where there was no Deep Roads expedition, this could have been the Hawke family's story.

Mine Massacre: Jansen
We meet Jansen, the lead Fereldan miner, up at the Bone Pit. He spends Act 1 and 2 winning PC goodwill by admiring the PC's prowess and being funny. He makes his wife a necklace out of spider fangs. He seems like an all right dude.

And then in Act 3, he's gone. Just gone. No last words, no corpse with a lootable note or fetch quest to give a trinket to his widow. Like all the many many people who've died in Kirkwall over the years who never got a moment's thought from the PC.

When I arrived at the Bone Pit for this quest, I looked for Jansen. The silence, the plain absence of someone I thought would be there affected me more than all the "Mother noooooo" Hitchcock zooms of 'All That Remains.'

Alone: After the fight
In a playthrough where mage!Hawke lost Carver in the Deep Roads, and Bartrand died, Hawke and Varric talked Fenris out of killing his sister. Their earnestness was genuinely touching; Varric even called the elf "Fenris" instead of "Broody."

And I always wonder what happens to Varania, a (blood?) mage from Tevinter, far from home, with no resources and no friends, in the shadow of the Gallows. I have a hard time holding her cooperation with Danarius against her; free or not, I don't imagine she had many ways to say 'no' to a magister.

Isabela's Return
I love all three of the regular DA2 women companions, and Isabela strutting back in with the Tome is a fantastic moment.

Questioning Beliefs: Merrill, Act 3
Peace and love to all the Merrill fans, but my favorite ending for her is the rivalry one in which she destroys the eluvian and begins to take an interest in the elves alive around her. There's enough in the game about the dangers of prizing a cause above people that resonates with me that I'm glad to see her get off that path.

[Barquiel]

Most of my favorite moments have already been mentioned. But I thought the funniest scene was...

http://www.youtube.c...e6jhX-4G0w#t=83

[KaiserShep]

If you're bent on not having Bethany and trying out Templar, it need not be dirty. She could just die in the deep roads. Coupling that and mom's death could legitimately make someone anti-mage. Like maybe Hawke could be driven to blame the darkspawn on mage hubris, and Leandra's death on mages.
 
Not that I want to tell you what to play. Just a suggestion.

Well really, I'm 100% opposed to going through with the Rite of Annulment, so I'm going to feel dirty anyway.

[EChatty]

Okay, I have a friend who can't seem to post in this thread, who has a problem with the first post, particularly the pro-Templar ending part. Since I happen to agree with her, I'm posting for her.

 

 Anyone who sides with Meredith is agreeing to slaughter Circle mages for the crime of one Apostate totally unrelated to them. The game itself states there are hundreds of mages in the Circle. In the Templar ending you save less than ten. And even then there's no guarantee they won't be made Tranquil after the game's end. And in addition you're advocating the slaughter of innocent mages along with the blood mage element even if that's your argument-which is unrelated to the destruction of the Chantry. You just supported the wholesale murder of men, women and children just for being what they are. 

 

And on top of all that, by aiding Meredith by killing even one mage, you're violating one of the biggest tenets Templars are supposed to uphold. Templars are supposed to protect mages as much as enslave them. If the people get riled up and demand mage blood, your precious Templars are supposed to stand between them and shield the Mages. That's the job whether they like it or not.

 

These are her words, word for word, but I also agree with them. We have no problem with the rest of the posts, and most everyone else has said some of my favorite moments, except:

 

When Fenris 'convinces' the slaver mage to tell them where Feynriel is. I take him along just so he can do that.