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[Grieving Natashina]

Pretty much what it says up top.  Who is your favorite party members to befriend and why?  This can include potential LIs, though this isn't about the romance arcs themselves.  

 

This is a topic filled with lot of Your Mileage May Vary, so I'm trying not to trigger any serious debates.  I'm putting this in the feedback section, because I'd like to get a sense of what the posters think worked for them for the friendships arcs in previous games, and what they hope to see in future installments of the IP.

 

In Origins for me, it was Morrigan and Shale.  What both of them have in common is how much I felt like I know and largely understood them as people by the end.  I also felt it was very neat to watch two extremely caustic people soften up and allow my Warden to get to know them.  Shale was a temporal fish out of water, and seemed to overall delight in who she/it was.  I found that refreshing, as she wasn't brooding about one part of her past or another.  

 

With Morrigan, I felt like the friendship with the female Warden was really good for her.  It allowed her to see that not all women were like her mother, or naive/gullible like much of the villagers were like in Morrigan's eyes.  It also made her goodbye to my Warden all the more touching.  This is Morrigan's first real friend, a woman that actually understands her and cares about her.  She's quite lonely.  The way her voice breaks when you have to say goodbye makes me a little sad every time.

 

For DA2, it was Varric and Isabela.  Varric's dedication to his friends, his loyalty, his humor and his passion in trying to make Kirkwall a better place instantly struck a cord with me, and he became one of my favorite all-time BioWare characters in a hurry.  

 

Isabela, on the other hand, was someone that my snarky female Hawke admired at once and someone I admire as a person.  Not someone I'd ever want to emulate, but someone I can admire.  While Bela admits that she lies a lot about her past and motivations, in my opinion she's very honest and upfront about who she is as a person.  She almost never apologizes for who she is, which is both a strength and a weakness.  The rapport that her and my female Hawke can have is really sisterly, and I can't imagine finishing the game without her at least available as an option.

[Bugsie]

Hawke/Isabela and Hawke/Aveline because it works well regardless of Hawke's gender. I also adore the Varric/Hawke and Varric/Merrill dynamic. With Merrill, Varric acts like a protective big brother and it's very sweet to listen to them when they're both in your party.

It was harder to like the DA:O friendships, it took me a while to warm to the characters and the fact they didn't seem to like each other much either. I did like the Wynne/ Warden dynamic, despite Wynne maybe being a bit too interfering at times.

[DameGrace]

Morrigan and Female Warden - I can't recall any relationships (romance or friendship) that warmed my heart as much. I was really sad to see her go  , and my Warden will always remember her witch friend. Also, Sten and my Female Warden. Though it doesn't fit the usual definition of friendship, their interactions were really curious to observe and winning his respect (and convincing him that a woman can be a warrior) was something that gave me satisfaction. And I was really sad to know he's leaving, as well  

 

Hawke and Varric - because he is a charming dwarf, but I was never one who wanted to romance him. No, there was something in his friendship arc that felt so... right. Especially in Kirkwall. I imagine my Hawke was lonely at times, but her trusty dwarf was always at her side. And he left, too 

 

...

 

I see a pattern here. 

Now I need to go and cry in the corner. 

[Ina]

Well seems you and I have similar tastes OP. 

 

Morrigan: I don't usually like people like her, but by the end of the game my view of her had flipped totally. When she left at the end I was genuinely saddened, not something I expected when I first met her at the start of the game. I never felt this on a male warden playthrough, however.

 

Shale: I did like her instantly mostly because she was a golem and something different, but often felt it was a one directional attempt at forging a friendship and was about to give up when she called my warden "you". That really warmed my heart!

 

Varric: It's probably the only bromance (I dislike the word btw but fits here) I actually like and it plays out pretty much the same regardless of your Hawke's gender which I appreciated a lot. I loved that he was so dedicated to Hawke and when I discovered that he was helping to keep Hawke's companions safe, I was both surprised and moved. I just love that guy, he's probably one of my favourite character in DA if not the favourite.

 

Isabella: I admit I brushed her off at the start because I thought regardless of her cameo in Origins, she would end up as a one dimensional stereotype about promiscuous bisexuals. I didn't even want to bother cos I didn't want to rage at that, so I didn't give her a chance and she ended up betraying my Hawke. I was so upset by that I reloaded the game and this time got to know her and found she was actually a fully rounded character and has a great dynamic with Hawke. I know I'll never again judge BW without knowing for what seems like pandering to stereotypes.

 

I also really love friendships with Alistair and Aveline, but the friendships didn't have as deep an impact on me mostly because they played out exactly as I expected. The above four played out differently or taught me a lesson on not judging by first impressions.

[Knoppers]

My personal favourite is the Aveline friendship arc, between all the craziness DA2 Aveline feels like the most real person to me. The friendship progression felt very natural over the years and she gets one of the few happy endings in that game, which adds a bit more fulfilment. I think she's one of the best characters Bioware has ever done, she's just not as flashy as the usual candidates.

That said, i also enjoy the arcs of Morrigan, Wynne, Nathaniel and Sebastian.

[AlexiaRevan]

DAO: I loved them all , yeah not fair asking to choose  I Loved Sten smile when he say he gonna stick around , made me feel like my warden could beat this blasted blight . 

 

With Morrigan, I felt like the friendship with the female Warden was really good for her.

I felt like hugging tha Puppy! Seriously , her face when she you tell her you love your mother..just Aw . Yes she was proud of the strengh she gained by how Flemeth raised her , but I think she know....she lacked that motherly love . At the end , in Witch Hunt...I was using kleenex by the score....even doing her dark ritual (cose I want mah happy ending)....it hurt she had to leave . 

 

Loved Shale attitude and she was hilarious (when you say she is a female and she get all snarky) although the best moment was when she kinda apologize and say 'we should never do it again' lol can you hug a rock ? 

 

DA2: I romanced Bela everytime , so....to me she is everything the best friend , and the lover . But as best bud? I take Aveline . She is that kind of friend who will come to your rescue and drop everything in the process . She is loyale , she is honest , she is direct , and she striked an amazing friendship with Bela . Which was all worth it . 

I loved that about Aveline , her hobbie was looking out for Hawke . Bela was the opposite , she is someone I envied the whole free like a bird , no morale shackles , no responsability , live for the moment . While Aveline was the opposite , security and being grounded in a same old daily job . 

 

One thing I loved about them all , is that 1) I felt their equal . I wasn't some kind of god-send hero , above them with lot of sidequick following me to hell . Any of them was free to go and some do then come back , and they come back because they care not because the world is about the end and they feel guilty for staying . 

2) They are opposite and similar to me , and I love that . 

[Reznore57]

My personal favourite is the Aveline friendship arc, between all the craziness DA2 Aveline feels like the most real person to me. The friendship progression felt very natural over the years and she gets one of the few happy endings in that game, which adds a bit more fulfilment. I think she's one of the best characters Bioware has ever done, she's just not as flashy as the usual candidates.
 

 

I also really liked Aveline , she gets involved in Hawke personal life ...when Leandra bites the dust.

She trust Hawke enough with the whole Donnic thing , even if it's embarassing for her.

On the friendship path , she has your back even when she disagrees or is facepalming hard at Snarky Hawke.

Also she's flawed , but she tries.

 

At the end when I sided with the mages , gosh I felt so bad ruining her life (well at least her career as captain of the guard in Kirkwall is done)...and she was ok with it.

[themikefest]

Morrigan

Leliana

dog

Aveline

Isabela

Bethany

Carver

[Magdalena11]

Morrigan (first companion I thought of, but more meaningful for a female for the reason OP pointed out)

Alistair (easier with male warden)

Sten (especially after you fight him in Haven)

Varric

Isabela

Carver (not easy to do without metagaming, but rewarding, especially if you make him a warden)

[MissMayhem96]

Aveline is one of my favorite companions in DA2, her friendship arc is one of the best in the game, as well as Varric.

 

When Aveline consoles Hawke after they have lost their Mother, Leandra. It makes me cry every time, the story of her and her father and Moving on. It's something that I take personal.. The writing was fantastic in that scene.

 

Varric is also one of my favorites

[Nefla]

Definitely female warden friendship with Morrigan and either gender with Shale In DA2 getting Carver's max friendship was awesome and felt really rewarding. You got to see him grow as a character too.

[wildelight]

Another vote for Morrigan's friendship arc with female Warden. The Warden's friendship truly transformed her, without resorting to the "magical penis" cure-all (aka Jack in ME2).

For DA2, my Hawke, Varric, and Isabela were the 3 Musketeers of snark and sexy. I loved their friendship not only with Hawke, but with eachother.

[ManOfSteel]

Leliana

Morrigan

Sten

Aveline

Bethany

Varric

[baconluigi]

Sten for me was the best, but varric and sarcastic Hawkes come a close second.

[Icy Magebane]

In DA:O, that would be Zevran on playthroughs where he survived... out of all the characters in that game, he seemed to be the most laid back and the least judgmental, plus he had some decent jokes.

 

In DA2, probably Fenris, but only with a non-mage Hawke.  I'd like to say Aveline, but she tended to be kind of distant... I never felt that she and Hawke shared a genuine bond, at least not any of the versions of Hawke I played as.  Sebastian was also easy to get along with, but he felt more like Hawke's apprentice than a close friend.  Hawke and Fenris, on the other hand, were close to being equals (as close as an NPC can be with a PC, I mean), and when they were on the Friendship path they seemed to share a powerful bond based on a common goal... that friendship was easily my favorite in the game.

[CuriousArtemis]

My male Hawke and Isabela are almost always BFFS The moment she returns with the book, my heart always sores. He's so proud of her!! He loves her so much. 

 

In DAO, it would be my male Warden and Alistair. They've been in this together since the beginning. It could've made a compelling romance, but alas Instead it made a great friendship. 

 

In DAI, I anticipate Sera being the BFF to my inquisitors

[Hellion Rex]

Fantastic thread idea, Nat!

 

Ok, for DAO, my favorite friendship arcs were probably Alistair and Morrigan, for me. Alistair, cause through it all, he really turned into a brother figure for my Amell Warden. Also, as Morrigan's story progressed, she and my Warden grew very, very close.

 

DA2, my favorites were probably....Varric, Fenris, and Isabela. Isabela is probably the best, though I didn't experience it until playthrough 4, I believe. Before then, I had never managed to keep her after Act 2, as Act 3 is where her character really shines. I really enjoyed her dialogue, cause a lot of it, in my opinion, was very powerful. Also, I loved her relationship with Aveline and Merrill.

 

 

As for which friendship arcs I am excited for, it'd be Dorian, Iron Bull, and Cassandra, right now.

[Bayonet Hipshot]

Favorite Friendship Arcs.

 

DA:O & DA:A

 

Morrigan - Warden (if I did not romance her). 

 

Sten - Warden (being called an Ashkaari is being respected is something). 

 

Oghren - Warden (Drunken lovable uncle).

 

Zevran - Warden (Surprisingly laid back and funny).

 

Sigrun - Warden (woman that went through a lot of crap). 

 

DA 2

 

Varric Friendship - Hawke (Nuff' said).

 

Aveline Friendship - Hawke. (Self explanatory).

 

Merril Rivalry - Hawke (She comes to respect you and grows as a person). 

 

Bethany Friendship - Hawke (The best little sister you could ask and wish for).

 

Carver Neutral - Hawke (Both respect one another, a bit of ribbing here and there and they keep each other honest).

 

Isabela Friendship - Hawke (A female version of Zevran). 

[The dead fish]

Alistair and Aveline for me, and as a male pc for the friendship arc. That's with them that I really felt an intensity in this area. That was beautiful and wonderful. ( as it was also with Garrus ) Aveline is very specific in my love for her as my BFF, because she was the first female character that I totally considered as a bro, ( do we say sista for the opposite gender ? )without being interested at all in a love relationship. Which was very nice and is telling about the level of respect and love I have for her. Never I felt that much for a female character, except of course when she was my LI. I admired her, she also always cared about me and my situation, which is something I totally love as well. Obviously, I loved all her opinions, even when I disagreed with them, always respected them at least.

 

As for Alistair, there is one moment I felt was awesome while just a minor detail, it's when we suddenly talk about girls and our experiences with them  while laughing at each other between guys and buddies in a moment of relaxation. Looool ! That reminded me so much real life, this discussion, me mocking gently Alistair, or him mocking me about it. We guys, love so much joking about our awkwardness between us. 

 

Alistair just stopped to be a simple sympathetic follower after that, felt more and more like a friend, and finally a brother, which will come true after during the adventure as well. 

[Shimmering Nug]

For Origins:

 

Shale, and yet I don't know why. I just really like her friendship, it makes me laugh and it has some unexpected sweet moments 

 

Morrigan because seeing her thaw over time from the kindness that the Warden shows is really quite heartwarming. I do feel my heart swell a little when she says: "Live well, my friend. Live gloriously."

 

For Awakening:

 

Nathaniel, especially if you're a Cousland Warden, to see them form a friendship after everything Rendon Howe did is a rather joyous thing, and it finally puts an end to that nasty vicious cycle the Couslands and Howes had going.

 

For DAII:

 

Aveline and Varric. No matter all the craziness in Kirkwall, no matter how far Anders falls or how tense the Qunari situation becomes, Aveline will always try to comfort Hawke when they're at their lowest and Varric will always have Hawke's back.

[Snook]

Varric/Sarcastic Hawke for pure bromance, and the Morrigan/female Warden 'sister' arc. The latter...so many feels. "And, while I may not always prove worthy of that friendship...I will always value it."

 

"I knew nothing of friendship before we met...but know I will always consider you such. Live well, my friend. Live gloriously."

 

Claudia Black always made her sound on the verge of tears during the scenes for it, and thus made me feel that way too. Pah. 

[KelaSaar]

Izzy + FemHawke = Awesome.  Isabella was basically the cool big sister I always wanted.