142 réponses à ce sujet

[Xilizhra]

Withholding the Arulin'holme from her feels wrong and controlling. The rivalry romance feels squicky to me. Going from "I never want to see you again" to "I love you" so quickly is...uncomfortable.

But I don't still agree with the use of blood magic and dealing with demons in her clan's backyard. That puts me in the position where I'm satisfied with neither the rivalry or friendship routes. Without intentionally metagaming, I naturally go with the friendship route, being pro-mage and not withholding the arulin'holme. But I don't like how Hawke at the end of the friendship route seems to shift all of the blame on her clan. She is partly to blame. Her clan doesn't want her there doing blood magic and dealing with demons, and yet she continues to do so.

 

She should have at least waited until the clan moved. The problem with her justification of wanting to help the Dalish and her clan is that they don't want the mirror nor do they want her to be using blood magic and speaking with demons. The fact that they refuse her help should be enough for her wait until they've moved on.

 

They have good reason to refuse her help, too. If she gets possessed and Hawke is defeated by the demon, then the Pride Demon isn't going to stop there. It's likely going to go slaughter the Dalish camp and so on. Merrill clearly thinks there was cause to be concerned that she might get possessed, and the fact that without Hawke's intervention, she gets stabbed by Marethari (and the Night Terrors thing) goes to show that Merrill is at risk of being tricked by demons.

I think the problem is that everyone else involved overreacts terribly. Any blame Merrill might incur is drowned out by how horrible everyone else is.

[Dutchess]

I thought she was cute initially, but the constant act of innocent naivety and cluelessness got old after a while. I feel the writers overdid it. I still find her sweet, but her stubbornness and insistence to deal with demons make me dislike her more. I think if she would have been at least a bit more similar to the assertive, confident Merrill in DAO she would have been a better character. I don't find the argument that she's only naive and clueless around humans very convincing. She was not intimidated by Duncan either and did not start rambling in front of him.

[Andreas Amell]

Merrill made a deal with a demon to cleanse the mirror. That already put her on a dark path. Repairing the mirror was just her way of dealing with the loss of Tamlen (and possible Mahariel). That isn't a good way to deal with grief. Whatever lay behind the mirror, it was hidden for a good reason. I don't think Dalish elves know how to deal with its full properties.

[Northern Sun]

I liked her. She did say some genuinely stupid things, but I think a lot of her stuff was her trolling her companions (or in more serious cases, playing oblivious to evade questions).

[Fieryeel]

I am surprised, I thought Merrill would be more popular among you guys.

 

That said, I absolutely adore Merrill. I can't help but want to protect her, and I somehow steered myself into romancing her on multiple characters, even when I was so sure I would go for someone else.

 

I wish I could see her in DA3...

[Xilizhra]

I am surprised, I thought Merrill would be more popular among you guys.

 

That said, I absolutely adore Merrill. I can't help but want to protect her, and I somehow steered myself into romancing her on multiple characters, even when I was so sure I would go for someone else.

 

I wish I could see her in DA3...

Odds are reasonable that it'll happen, but I'm quite nervous as to what would be done with her...

[Undead Han]

Merrill is a moron. I think Minsc is probably the only Bioware character ever created who came across as less intelligent than Merrill, and even that is somewhat debatable.

 

I just couldn't get past that, especially since she coupled her stupidity with arrogance. That combo proved fatal.  

[Xilizhra]

Merrill is a moron. I think Minsc is probably the only Bioware character ever created who came across as less intelligent than Merrill, and even that is somewhat debatable.

 

I just couldn't get past that, especially since she coupled her stupidity with arrogance. That combo proved fatal.  

Being on the autism spectrum, I could probably see for her. Actual stupidity? Not a chance.

[Barquiel]

In D&D terms, I think she would be a "high intelligence, (very) low wisdom character". But I wouldn't describe her as dumb.

[atamajakki]

Merrill seemed utterly clueless. She was working with a demon to restore the eluvian and refused to believe that it could trick her; regardless of whether or not Maraethari was telling the truth or not, working with a demon is always a bad idea. Then she gets tricked by another demon during Feynriel's quest. Merrill proves herself incapable of handling the things she trusts herself with every time she's given a chance. After how awesome Velanna was, it was depressing to see how incompetent Merrill was at every turn.

 

In my canon worldstate, she destroyed her eluvian and her clan died. I hope she shows up in Inquisition as a very different character to reflect that.

[bored]

The first time I played, I just kind of fell into romancing Merrill.  She was the character I liked interacting with the most, and when the dialogue to initiate the romance came up, it just made sense.  She's a fun character, and I find her a lot more interesting and easy to connect to than the other romance options.

 

Also, I love "Torchwood" and any more chances to hear Eve Myles's Welsh accent are welcome.

[Reaver102]

Merrill seemed utterly clueless. She was working with a demon to restore the eluvian and refused to believe that it could trick her; regardless of whether or not Maraethari was telling the truth or not, working with a demon is always a bad idea. Then she gets tricked by another demon during Feynriel's quest. Merrill proves herself incapable of handling the things she trusts herself with every time she's given a chance. After how awesome Velanna was, it was depressing to see how incompetent Merrill was at every turn.

 

In my canon worldstate, she destroyed her eluvian and her clan died. I hope she shows up in Inquisition as a very different character to reflect that.

I have my doubts Merrill will make an appearance in Inquisition, but she will definitely have an impact upon the world.  

[aclockworkrobot]

She irritates me. If there is one character in Dragon Age 2 that just causes me to go “um, nope,” that’d be her. Her voice makes me cringe, her character development is lackluster and I just feel like she is a very ‘meh’ character overall… I feel like she doesn’t add anything to the story, and I do not feel as though I’d be missing anything if she was no longer there. Which is sad, really, my first play through I had such high hopes for her overall as a character.

[TEWR]

I love how people go "The Eluvians are bad news!" despite the fact they do absolutely nothing bad to the world at all, or say "Merrill was tricked in the Fade" despite the fact that all the companions, barring Anders, will admit they were mind-controlled by the Demons despite the fact that they didn't want to aid them or believe them.

 

You know, like the lore friggin' states Pride and Desire demons are capable of. And you know, you are in the Fade, where Demons are at their most powerful since it's their home.

 

*headdesk*

[teh DRUMPf!!]

 I don't think the companions were mind-controlled in the Fade quest. I think they were all just manipulated.

 

 

It is also quite possible the demons would have given them what they wanted, too, at least in some capacity. I mean, Hawke can get something out of Torpor. If Hawke's companions had defeated the party, maybe they similarly would have benefited.

[Ryriena]

Yeah, they even have Hawke saying guys this is a demon, do not believe this, which I found retarded to put it mildly. If they wanted to show the demons putting a spell on them or something, don't give Hawke the option to say "This is a demon, don't belive this thing."

[Dutchess]

The other companions have the excuse that they are no mages and have never faced a demon with its tricks and mind control before, so it's probably extremely difficult for them to resist. Merrill on the other hand is a mage, which means she does have experience with the Fade and the creatures dwelling there. She should know how to resist them and not to fall for their manipulation. The Circle sends apprentices into the Fade to pit them against a pride demon (or at least the did this with Amell/Surana, and they are unlikely the only ones), so yes, it is expected of mages that they can resist pride demons in the Fade. 

So not only does Merrill fail the Harrowing Circle mages are supposed to pass, she insists she won't be tricked and knows what she is doing when she makes deals with a pride demon in the physical world. Sorry, Merrill is not getting a pass from me.

[Ryriena]

I found that Night Terrors was verily stupid to rail rode the person to fall for the demons spell or whatever it does to trick them in the fade. Heck even your own damn lover betrays you if Isabella, Anders, Fenris, or Merrill comes with you shakes fist. I felt it was a poorly written plot device.

[teh DRUMPf!!]

Yeah, they even have Hawke saying guys this is a demon, do not believe this, which I found retarded to put it mildly. If they wanted to show the demons putting a spell on them or something, don't give Hawke the option to say "This is a demon, don't belive this thing."

 

What's stupid about it? Hawke can come away with strength, knowledge, or magic from the sloth demon.

 

Disloyal, sure. Stupid, not really.

[Dutchess]

Yeah, they even have Hawke saying guys this is a demon, do not believe this, which I found retarded to put it mildly. If they wanted to show the demons putting a spell on them or something, don't give Hawke the option to say "This is a demon, don't belive this thing."

 

If the demon focused on messing with the mind of the one companion, it's not so odd that Hawke still sees a demon and calls it that. It just doesn't register with the companion who has fallen under the demon's influence, or at least fails to have much of an effect.

[Jagokoz]

I have voiced how uncomfortable the Merrill Romances are. I just feel wrong taking advantage of someone so naive. The mental states of the entire party are under question (Anders and his friend, Fenris and his rage, Isabella and her need blase attitude toward sex), but Merrill's is so childlike the action seems...creepy. I've romanced them all and hers is the only one I feel grossed out about because hers is the only life I feel is hurt by you being there. Isabella grows up, Fenris gains stability in someone who actually cares about him and Anders is finally comforted in what must be the most difficult time of his life. Merrill's romance removes her Dalish identity, puts her in a place that she doesn't mesh well and while she does gain some confidence she uses it to pursue more blood magic. 

 

Sorry I went on a vent there but while I like her as a companion and her constant need to question the human world. Just not into that sort of innocence in a significant other.

[Ryriena]

I to felt verily uncomfortable romancing her for her child like personality, it felt wrong to me to romance her, since my Hawke's saw her as their cute little sister.

[Xilizhra]

 I don't think the companions were mind-controlled in the Fade quest. I think they were all just manipulated.

 

 

It is also quite possible the demons would have given them what they wanted, too, at least in some capacity. I mean, Hawke can get something out of Torpor. If Hawke's companions had defeated the party, maybe they similarly would have benefited.

I'm positive that they were, given what Merrill says about feeling inexplicably forced to agree.

 

The other companions have the excuse that they are no mages and have never faced a demon with its tricks and mind control before, so it's probably extremely difficult for them to resist. Merrill on the other hand is a mage, which means she does have experience with the Fade and the creatures dwelling there. She should know how to resist them and not to fall for their manipulation. The Circle sends apprentices into the Fade to pit them against a pride demon (or at least the did this with Amell/Surana, and they are unlikely the only ones), so yes, it is expected of mages that they can resist pride demons in the Fade. 

So not only does Merrill fail the Harrowing Circle mages are supposed to pass, she insists she won't be tricked and knows what she is doing when she makes deals with a pride demon in the physical world. Sorry, Merrill is not getting a pass from me.

No. The Harrowing doesn't take place in a somniari's Fade realm with a pride demon who actually wants to take control of their minds (rather than giving one idiot check question that's about as hard to pass as that "Are you a drug dealer?" question you get on some job applications). The experiences are nothing alike.

 

 

I have voiced how uncomfortable the Merrill Romances are. I just feel wrong taking advantage of someone so naive. The mental states of the entire party are under question (Anders and his friend, Fenris and his rage, Isabella and her need blase attitude toward sex), but Merrill's is so childlike the action seems...creepy. I've romanced them all and hers is the only one I feel grossed out about because hers is the only life I feel is hurt by you being there. Isabella grows up, Fenris gains stability in someone who actually cares about him and Anders is finally comforted in what must be the most difficult time of his life. Merrill's romance removes her Dalish identity, puts her in a place that she doesn't mesh well and while she does gain some confidence she uses it to pursue more blood magic. 

 

Sorry I went on a vent there but while I like her as a companion and her constant need to question the human world. Just not into that sort of innocence in a significant other.

Her Dalish identity could never be removed. What are you on about?