Solas, I don't know if it would have mattered in a gender swap, except for the fact that the Dread Wolf turns out to be a woman. But i'm not sure it would have made much of a difference.
My pet theory before DA:I came out was that Flemmeth was the Dread wolf. I thought it would have been so freaking awesome for her to be the dreaded trickster god of betrayal and giggling. Goddess of motherhood is fitting for her, I suppose, but I found it less fun.
Gareth David Lloyd, Solas Voice actor and Ianto on Torchwood
Perhaps for some gender may have been a factor. Personally, I found Sera juvenile but not in a cute way. Honestly she reminded me of the wacky talking animal side kick that jrpgs are so fond of, and they're almost never female, so well done, Bioware, for branching out, I guess?
Comparing her with Solas though is silly because they're such drastically different characters. He's a grumpy old chap who pities your ignorance. That's going to irritate some people no matter the gender.
I'll never understand those people. Cassandra Pentaghast is the best any straight guy could ask for!I'm not sure using Gaspard and Celene works, but for the reason we don't spend the vast majority of the game with access to them.
I happen to like both characters. I tend not to take Sera along because well... Varric and Bianca would kill me. My trusty dwarf.
That being said, a lot of the dislike of Sera I've seen comes from people who are upset they can't sleep with her and don't play female characters. This is just what I've seen however, and I might be off base.
Solas, I don't know if it would have mattered in a gender swap, except for the fact that the Dread Wolf turns out to be a woman. But i'm not sure it would have made much of a difference.
He is? I would neve have worked that out for myself if I didn't constantly lurk in here. Ianto and Jack had a flingy thing didn't they? I seem to remember everyone kissing everyone on that show at some point.
Will I be able to now not imagine Solas kissing everyone at skyhold is the real question pffft lol
Ianto was Jack's boyfriend. Not just a fling.
I compare Solas to Kreia from KOTOR 2 a lot, but feel like Solas is like Kreia, but done better. And Kreia is regarded as one of the best female antagonists in games by lots of people. I think, when it comes to antagonists, we have fewer layered, complex women who aren't ridiculously oversexualized as antagonists to highlight (though not a complete lack, of course).
Kreia is also trying to act and manipulate the PC into certain actions, aiding, training, and guiding, in large part as a result of her own failures and belief that destruction of a thing (in this case, The Force) at the cost of much damage and many lives, will ultimately restore a better world.
So if Solas were a woman, I think others might compare him to Kreia more, actually.
Ianto was Jack's boyfriend. Not just a fling.
I'll never understand those people. Cassandra Pentaghast is the best any straight guy could ask for!
Some people were also picking on Cassandra for both her looks and her age. Some of the "can't romance Sera with a straight male PC' ire was because she's young and cute.
Nevermind the fact Josephine exists. 
Precisely. You need equal examples in order to call double standards and such.
I'll never understand those people. Cassandra Pentaghast is the best any straight guy could ask for!
But seriously, that still is a rather specific example and we know that Sera is hated for different reasons.
As for Solas, genderswapping wouldn't matter because nothing would convince me to play a fugly male elf to romance him. I mean her.
LOL...
I find Cassandra's situation interesting considering the complaints about her looks from some men and the complaints about not being able to romance her from some women. I just shake my head and go "people are weird".
As for Solas and romance... I'm weak. I'm a horribly terribly weak willed person, who sees Cullen and just melts into a puddle. I try to romance Solas, I really do, but it's like gravity! Immutable law.
I compare Solas to Kreia from KOTOR 2 a lot, but feel like Solas is like Kreia, but done better. And Kreia is regarded as one of the best female antagonists in games by lots of people. I think, when it comes to antagonists, we have fewer layered, complex women who aren't ridiculously oversexualized as antagonists to highlight (though not a complete lack, of course).
Kreia is also trying to act and manipulate the PC into certain actions, aiding, training, and guiding, in large part as a result of her own failures and belief that destruction of a thing (in this case, The Force) at the cost of much damage and many lives, will ultimately restore a better world.
So if Solas were a woman, I think others might compare him to Kreia more, actually.
OMG this! It's not just for antagonists. We don't have many female protagonists who are complex and layered. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of female characters who are intelligent without being overly emotional and impulsive at the same time. I want to see a female version of L. Also even when there IS an intelligent or powerful female, there's usually a guy who's just a bit better than her in these aspects. 
OMG this! It's not just for antagonists. We don't have many female protagonists who are complex and layered. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of female characters who are intelligent without being overly emotional and impulsive at the same time. I want to see a female version of L. Also even when there IS an intelligent or powerful female, there's usually a guy who's just a bit better than her in these aspects.
Oh, it's also true for protagonists, though I was speaking more that way for the Solas comparison. But I think we're a tiny bit further on the protagonist side than the antagonist side when it comes to women who are not sexy villain type. Still, more layered character would be great all around.
He is? I would neve have worked that out for myself if I didn't constantly lurk in here. Ianto and Jack had a flingy thing didn't they? I seem to remember everyone kissing everyone on that show at some point.
Will I be able to now not imagine Solas kissing everyone at skyhold is the real question pffft lol
There's actually a fic out there with that premise - Solas loses a bet and has to kiss all of the inner circle: http://archiveofouro...apters/11654830
It's well-written but it hits my embarrassment squick too hard for me to read.
I find Cassandra's situation interesting considering the complaints about her looks from some men and the complaints about not being able to romance her from some women. I just shake my head and go "people are weird".
It's not really so weird when it comes to women though. It's something queer women have been bringing attention to for years. http://femhype.com/2...exist-in-games/
Two of the most notoriously straight characters coded as butch are Jack from Mass Effect and Cassandra from Dragon Age. They fit many modalities of butch women except for the key aspect: sexuality. They’re tough, they don’t dress to impress, they have that vicious scowl that causes soldiers to run away and queer ladies’ hearts to skip a beat, yet they are both unabashedly heterosexual.
and later in the same article:
The absence of these types of women is not a testament to the gaming industry being uncharacteristically sensitive to queer stereotypes, it’s a testament to how female masculinity is rarely presented at all—and that, in fact, it must be overcompensated through clear heterosexuality. Not only does this prevent diverse representations of women, it upholds standards of women made for consumption by men. Having more butch bisexual or lesbian characters would subvert those standards and create a wider landscape of women for everyone to enjoy and admire.
If Cassandra had been available to female PCs, I don't think Solavellan hell would've happened for me.
... Maybe.
That's an interesting question.
I'd like to say "no" regarding Sera, because I think an openly selfish, money-driven, insensitive, anti-mage, anti-elf, anti-intellectual "I just want things back to normal so I can go play!" man-child, who has literally the intellectual and emotional maturity of a 10-year-old, and who constantly draws butts, makes farting sounds, plays pranks on people, and is in all other ways a complete ****** wouldn't be too popular with the ladies. I'd like to think most fans would be equally (if not more) put off by a male character who is so crass, selfish, racist, and immature. (In fact, I think Sera's immaturity would be even less well-received by fans if male than female, because I can see male and female players alike being being like, "Dude, you're a grown-ass adult. You aren't 13 anymore. Act your ****** age.")
Solas, probably not. I actually don't think Solas is that popular outside the mage fans and the intellectual-loving fans, but part of what gives him a boost for many women (in my view) is how polite, cultured, refined, and intellectual he is. With the standards of manliness in most games and movies being that men must be beefy, hairy, muscular, athletic, and/or physically active (read: most Dragon Age male companions before now), a huge part of Solas' charm seems to be that he's like the refined professor you don't see often in this medium.
However, women and female characters are generally expected to be more intellectual anyway, so that wouldn't earn her any brownie points. In fact, a female character who constantly talks about and/or lectures characters about the past would be seen as this boring, haughty, elitist, a "God, you think you're so smart" know-it-all, gives long boring lectures on things players don't care about, etc... much like how many players view Solas anyway.
So, yeah. I don't think it would make too much of a difference if Sera was male and Solas was female.
OMG this! It's not just for antagonists. We don't have many female protagonists who are complex and layered. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of female characters who are intelligent without being overly emotional and impulsive at the same time. I want to see a female version of L. Also even when there IS an intelligent or powerful female, there's usually a guy who's just a bit better than her in these aspects.
I think one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of female characters who are intelligent without being overly emotional and impulsive at the same time. I want to see a female version of L.
So much this.
OMG this! It's not just for antagonists. We don't have many female protagonists who are complex and layered. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of female characters who are intelligent without being overly emotional and impulsive at the same time. I want to see a female version of L. Also even when there IS an intelligent or powerful female, there's usually a guy who's just a bit better than her in these aspects.
Exhibit A: Miranda Motherf***ing Lawson 
IMO BioWare's done a much better job of this in recent years.
I'm not sure what to call it, that regional accent in particular gets on my nerves. I still get over it and recruit her because I like to have a full pack of companions.
Its her voice actors native Derbyshire accent.
Thanks. I kept thinking 'Devon' for some reason and knew that wasn't right.
I am definitely in need of hugs lately. Egg hug
It's not really so weird when it comes to women though. It's something queer women have been bringing attention to for years. http://femhype.com/2...exist-in-games/
and later in the same article:
If Cassandra had been available to female PCs, I don't think Solavellan hell would've happened for me.
I understand what you're trying to say. I just don't look and Cass and see 'butch'. But then I don't think I've ever used that term when I thought of anyone.
She's Cassandra Pentaghast, and that's all she needs to be, if that makes any sense?
OMG this! It's not just for antagonists. We don't have many female protagonists who are complex and layered. I think one of my biggest pet peeves is the lack of female characters who are intelligent without being overly emotional and impulsive at the same time. I want to see a female version of L. Also even when there IS an intelligent or powerful female, there's usually a guy who's just a bit better than her in these aspects.
I was incredibly ticked off at Samara's boob window in Mass Effect. In her recruitment mission there was tones of build up to this serious, terrifying woman who had sworn off family and all personal connections, someone who would stick to her religious convictions at all costs. Then she shows up in armour that dips down over her breastbone so as to expose as much boob as possible. It just seemed so out of character and bizarre, like bioware were afraid of having a deeply serious female character who wasn't also impossibly sexy. It was one thing for miranda and aria to be sexy, that fitted their characters. It was just so out of place on her.
Cassandra's non form fitting armour made me very happy.
Its her voice actors native Derbyshire accent.
I stand corrected.
I am definitely in need of hugs lately. Egg hug
(((hug)))
Since you gave me cookies and I'm out of likes.
It got all quiet in here, and I just knew a new chapter of Looking Glass came out. Yep!
http://archiveofouro...apters/11847911
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