I didn't dodge the question, I pointed out that the topic came up because Solas is elven and is tied to the elves. I don't understand why this is so difficult for you to understand.
I'm starting to think you and I should cease this topic, Lobsel. Clearly, just because Solas is elven and tied to the elves doesn't mean Solas fans care about Thedas elves.
I know Ghost acknowledges the unbalance in the narrative. I acknowledge it too. But I fail to see why it's an issue because, as I stated at the very beginning of this argument, the Dalish simply are not the main characters.
And why must characters that do not get much focus need to be as complex as the characters who do? You cannot realistically expect a writer to give the same level of complexity to all characters, even minor ones. Bias must be shown. Someone must be chosen as the favorite. That's what a main character is - the favorite.
(Well, ideally. Sometimes side plots and character are obviously the favorites, but eh.)
Which is the main thrust of my argument - bias cannot be avoided. Everyone does it. All developers do it. That the Dalish exist at all show the devs were biased towards them over any and all content that did not make it. That the Inquisitor is the PC instead of Cory or Hawke shows a bias towards them. It is inevitable, and it crops up in everything, both in the consumption of media and the creation of it.
So bias cannot be bad, for the sake of simple practicality. If it were, if we excluded everyone who has preferences from writing, nothing would ever be written, because no one is without bias.
And this is why I was bringing up your earlier admittance that you find humans boring. Because it displayed your bias. Just as it displays my bias when I defend Solas but not Anders or Cory or Blackwall. Just as it displays anyone's bias when they express even a slight preference for anything.
Okay, I can't ignore this:
And yet, they went to tons of trouble to redeem minor Andrastian characters like DAO and DA2 Cullen (who was a fairly minor character those games) and Mother Giselle, who's a minor character in DAI. They go to all that trouble for those minor characters, but not Dalish characters? Please.
Also, problem is BioWare strives for moral grayness with almost all of their conflicts. Time and time again BioWare has gone to great lengths to make many Thedas cultures and conflicts understandable from both perspectives.
While they failed miserably at it and most people found themselves siding with mages, for three games straight BioWare has tried to crowbar moral grayness in the Mage/Templar conflict, to the point of writing in new scenes for DA2 when the mages seemed to be getting too sympathetic. (Hawke's mother's death? Written just to give pro-Templar players justification. Orsino being a blood mage and collaborating with Hawke's mother's killer? Same thing.)
While they failed miserably at it and most people hate them anyway, for three games straight BioWare clearly tried to make the Qunari incomprehensible to outsiders but still likable in their own right. The honorable Sten and Arishok, and the likable Iron Bull explaining away controversial points against the Qunari (like their strict gender roles and lack of traditional families) were clearly meant to make them seem respectable to players. It wasn't until Trespasser that the devs finally seemed to realize players will NEVER like the Qunari, and just made them out-and-out villains like players expect.
So, why will BioWare go to all this trouble for minor characters (like DAO/DA2 Cullen and DAI Giselle) and factions that aren't "main characters" any more than the Andrastians, but not Dalish?
You say it's just because the Dalish aren't main characters, but I think it's just another case of "Screw You, Elves!" The devs clearly don't like elves, so they constantly present "non-elfy" elves as awesome (like Zevran, Fenris, and Sera), while "elfy" elves are depicted as shrewish harpies (Velanna), naive idiots (Merrill), or deluded maniacs (Solas). They've gone out of their way to present Dalish elves as more unlikable than any other Thedas cultures despite them being the ones the audience has the most reason to sympathize with. It takes effort to make them as unlikable as BioWare has clearly put effort into.
I also don't think "bias" is acceptable or professional. Trying to present one conflict or culture as objectively more sucky than others is bull when you're trying to sell your franchise as a "dark fantasy" with moral grayness all around. I also think it's highly unprofessional for a fantasy roleplaying game with race selection to punish a section of its fanbase for playing the "wrong" race. I said this about The Elder Scrolls, and I'll say it about Dragon Age: when you make elves a playable race for your video game, I think it's highly unprofessional to spit in the face of your elf fans by constantly crapping on them all game. It's one thing to put all your player characters through trials and tribulations, it's another thing to disproportionately punish the player for being an elf (like kill only Lavellan's family and no other Inquisitor's), constantly tell the elfy player why all elves suck (between Sera, Solas, Minaeve, and Briala all crapping on the Dalish, it's like "WE GET IT!"), and try to rub the player's face in how humanity is better. (Like presenting elves who've embraced human culture as "cool" while "elfy" elves get **** on). If you really hate elves, then don't put them in your fantasy world. If you do dislike elves, keep it out of how you portray your elven characters and storylines. Don't put them in just to make your elf characters and fans your punching bags.
Andrastian human fans would throw a sh*t-hemorrhage if their special blooded characters got depicted the way the elves got depicted.
Retour en haut
), I just haven't played DAI in over a year and I'm out of the loop.
Just because people don't share your views on the matter doesn't mean that that they "don't care".
