199 réponses à ce sujet

[Mihura]

I am mostly neutral when it comes to Varric, I really do not find him that special. There is only one character in all the bioware games that I profoundly dislike, the rest is just neutral, like, adore. 

[Isaidlunch]

I'm looking forward to seeing where his story goes in DAI, especially since he seems more jaded and less of a yes man this time around.

[veeia]

I am mostly neutral when it comes to Varric, I really do not find him that special. There is only one character in all the bioware games that I profoundly dislike, the rest is just neutral, like, adore.

Who do you dislike profoundly?

I find I have two sources of "like/dislike": my immediate emotional reactions while playing (he's annoying, she's my bff) and then my later narrative interest (oh, his arc is compelling, her role in the story was unclear) etc, so between the two, I tend to find a way to---if not LOVE--appreciate everyone and exist on that neutral-adore spectrum.

Varric...I really loved on my PT, then felt disenchanted with him "intellectually" when I first started thinking about him...as a character, he doesn't feel as meaty. It's only really when I started thinking about him on a meta level that he become fascinating again.

[Mihura]

Who do you dislike profoundly?

I find I have two sources of "like/dislike": my immediate emotional reactions while playing (he's annoying, she's my bff) and then my later narrative interest (oh, his arc is compelling, her role in the story was unclear) etc, so between the two, I tend to find a way to---if not LOVE--appreciate everyone and exist on that neutral-adore spectrum.

Varric...I really loved on my PT, then felt disenchanted with him "intellectually" when I first started thinking about him...as a character, he doesn't feel as meaty. It's only really when I started thinking about him on a meta level that he become fascinating again.

 

Cullen, I hope that improves on DA:I but I really doubt it, I still like his armor lol

Most of time I get vibes from the design because I used to work on the area, so it is easy for me to assume sometimes a lot from the characters, when I look at it. Which at times does not turn out to be true but it is rare.

 

I have to agree that in the meta sense he is quite a character actually but in game I just never felt a connection. 

[Karlone123]

Varric did not grow on me much in DA2, but maybe he will in DAI.

[veeia]

Cullen, I hope that improves on DA:I but I really doubt it, I still like his armor lol

Most of time I get vibes from the design because I used to work on the area, so it is easy for me to assume sometimes a lot from the characters, when I look at it. Which at times does not turn out to be true but it is rare.

I have to agree that in the meta sense he is quite a character actually but in game I just never felt a connection.

Haha, I have a lot of thoughts about Cullen (good and bad but mostly confusion..he's like a puzzle that never quite fits together), but not the thread for it. His armor is awesome. Wish I could steal it and put it on my lady dwarf(sized appropriately). That would make it way awesomer.

Yeah, Varric is I think mostly interesting on the meta level because he doesn't have a character arc so much as his arc is really about the nature of stories, not the storyteller. I have a lot of hope for da3 and how his character arc will go there, but I could also be spinning my own wheels focusing on what I think and completely missing what they find interesting about him. We'll see!

[SmilesJA]

 I don't mind that he doesn't fit the fantasy Dwarves stereotype, but I find it odd that he seems to have zero empathy for his people (those who still live in the Deep Roads), and while I understand that he born on the surface I find it strange that he doesn't seem to care about fellow Dwarves who live in the Deep Roads at all, 

 

Varric isn't that cold to his people and the reason why I think he's apathetic is because his brother constantly complains about how great they used to be and he's not fond of the caste system and the backstabbing politics that go with it.

[Mihura]

Haha, I have a lot of thoughts about Cullen (good and bad but mostly confusion..he's like a puzzle that never quite fits together), but not the thread for it. His armor is awesome. Wish I could steal it and put it on my lady dwarf(sized appropriately). That would make it way awesomer.

Yeah, Varric is I think mostly interesting on the meta level because he doesn't have a character arc so much as his arc is really about the nature of stories, not the storyteller. I have a lot of hope for da3 and how his character arc will go there, but I could also be spinning my own wheels focusing on what I think and completely missing what they find interesting about him. We'll see!

 

Funny thing I wanted his armor for the dwarven FemInq too lmao

 

As for Varric, well his story seem a lot more flush out for what we can see with Cassandra banter. He seem a lot more real? I am actually looking for the development. 

[Lady Artifice]

Varric not caring about the Orzammar Dwarves is reasonable...He thinks they're crazy to stay down there, but more importantly than that Dwarves in Orzammar largely regard surface Dwarves as "not Dwarves anymore". Asking a surface Dwarf to care more about their people below ground is a lot like asking a city elf to care more about the plight of the Dalish.

 

Also, it's just a fact of his character, which you're free to find good or bad:

 

He doesn't care about great, grand causes. He cares about people, individually. For example, he ADORES Bethany and he's one of the only people who liked Anders, but will still side with the Templars if Hawke thinks mass murdering the mages is the right choice. 

 

 

It's easy to say that's a character flaw, and I won't argue, but it the end it's one of the things that makes him a fully rounded, evolved character.

[KaiserShep]

If I was Varric, I wouldn't give a nug's left testicle about the plight of Orzammar either.

[Ryzaki]

If I was Varric, I wouldn't give a nug's left testicle about the plight of Orzammar either.

 

Seriously it's a pit. Who would care =/

[Sifr]

I don't mind that he doesn't fit the fantasy Dwarves stereotype, but I find it odd that he seems to have zero empathy for his people (those who still live in the Deep Roads), and while I understand that he born on the surface I find it strange that he doesn't seem to care about fellow Dwarves who live in the Deep Roads at all, and even Zevran who seems to be merciless killer has empathy for his people, and he showed it when the Warden wants to side with the Werewolves or making deals with Tevinter Slavers.

 

I don't really see Varric's disdain for the Dwarves of Orzammar as surprisingly in the least, given what we know of his family history and the politics of Orzammar itself.

 

The entire reason that Varric was born on the surface is because his father was caught fixing Provings, those vaunted matches where dwarves subject themselves to the Will of the Ancestors in pitched combat to determine who is favoured and settle matters of honour... which, as the the fact that Varric's father was able to fix Provings (and isn't the only one), shows that this is completely bogus.

 

It's hard to boast about Dwarven honour, when it's obvious that it can be bought and sold for the right price. The idea that the Ancestors are also judging and deciding the outcome of the matches also seems a little ludicrous, when we know that people are being paid to take a dive? And if they're not paying attention to the Provings, this throws into question where they really do reject the Casteless and Surfacers, as the Dwarven Assembly claims?

 

Varric's conversation with Bethany basically tells us that he see's Orzammar for what it really is, not a proud and mighty bastion of Dwarven traditon and heritage, but just a relic of a long-lost Empire, filled with nobles who are too stubborn to admit that the glory days have long been consigned to the pages of history and too proud and stupid to accept any help against the Darkspawn that are constantly threatening to break down their gates?

 

It's not to say that Varric hates everything to do with his race's heritage and culture, but I think for the most part, he probably just thinks that his underground kinsman just need to take their head out of their collective backsides and get a clue?

 

As for Zevran, I don't think Zev necessarily cared about the fact the victims in both cases were elves, (since it's highly doubtful that Zevran hasn't killed any elves in his time as an assassin), but it probably had more to do with those choices resonating with his own past experiences and history, that just happen to struck a nerve with him?

 

The Warden choosing to ally with the Werewolves against the Dalish for example makes sense because we know that his mother was Dalish and his memories of her are some of the few happy ones he has. It's understandable why he might dislike your decision to allow Werewolves to tear people limb from limb, who in another time and place could have been his family?

 

Similarly, his dislike of the Tevinter slavers is obvious, because he's had a lot of bad experiences with slavery. His mother was forced to sell herself into prostitution and after she died, he was sold at a slave market to the Crows, who proceeded to turn him into a child soldier and have instilled in him from day one that there is no escape from them.

[Hazegurl]

 

 

It's easy to say that's a character flaw, and I won't argue, but it the end it's one of the things that makes him a fully rounded, evolved character.

If you consider "Yes men" to be fully evolved people...

[In Exile]

He was alright, though no Oghren. 

 

Oghren is the only character I actively loathe. Even pure evil, kill 'em all characters have a sort of interesting charm. But Oghren? He's so vile and repulsive I can't find any reason for him to be around other than the fact that, at the end of the day, him being around makes it slightly less likely my character will get an arrow through the throat. 

[fiveforchaos]

Who do you dislike profoundly?

I find I have two sources of "like/dislike": my immediate emotional reactions while playing (he's annoying, she's my bff) and then my later narrative interest (oh, his arc is compelling, her role in the story was unclear) etc, so between the two, I tend to find a way to---if not LOVE--appreciate everyone and exist on that neutral-adore spectrum.

Varric...I really loved on my PT, then felt disenchanted with him "intellectually" when I first started thinking about him...as a character, he doesn't feel as meaty. It's only really when I started thinking about him on a meta level that he become fascinating again.

 

The more I think about Varric the more "meaty" I find him to be, funnily enough. Though to be fair a lot of the "meat" comes from potential, rather than anything I've actually seen. Varric's a character who a lot of things happen to, but who does very little. Sometimes this inaction is due to just being a poor character (Bella Swan) but in Varric's case it's very deliberate on his part, he's kept himself deliberately neutral in as many affairs as he can, but holding back those opinions has to take it's toll on someone, and you're just waiting to find out what he does when he has to take a stance on something. The potential character development that involves entices me and makes me want to see more of Varric.

[Lady Artifice]

If you consider "Yes men" to be fully evolved people...

 

For him to be a "Yes man" he would have to actually offer approval for whatever you thought was right. There are loads of things he can disapprove of in game, from you turning down work to doing things only for honor of it instead of monetary gain. He can deeply disapprove of you and will let you know it.

[In Exile]

Actually, Varric was orignally concieved of being a more sleazier, untrustworthy kind of guy, but they wanted to have a companion who'd back up Hawke against all the opposing personalities in the group, so they rewrote him into a wisecracking bro.

 

I actually love Varric's character, but if I have to pick a fault with him, it's got to be that he's far more neutral and less pro-active of a character than Hawke ever was, since Hawke was ultimately forced to get off the fence and actually pick a side to fight for, whereas Varric is reluctant to commit to either and decides to simply follow their friend's lead?

 

It's funny you say that, because I see Varric's disinterest as a virtue. But then I'm very much like that personality wise IRL, so I think I'm just projecting. 

[Medhia_Nox]

There is something Varric says while talking to Cassandra that always bothered me. 

 

Cassandra: "So the witch sent someone with them?"

Varric:  "Something like that."

 

There's a lot more - but that made me sit up and pay attention.

 

=====

 

Something in DA 2 always gives me the nagging feeling that Varric is somehow actually working for Flemeth.

 

I never fully trusted him because I felt like he was helping her manipulate the situation.

[Lady Artifice]

 

 

As for Zevran, I don't think Zev necessarily cared about the fact the victims in both cases were elves, (since it's highly doubtful that Zevran hasn't killed any elves in his time as an assassin), but it probably had more to do with those choices resonating with his own past experiences and history, that just happen to struck a nerve with him?

 

The Warden choosing to ally with the Werewolves against the Dalish for example makes sense because we know that his mother was Dalish and his memories of her are some of the few happy ones he has. It's understandable why he might dislike your decision to allow Werewolves to tear people limb from limb, who in another time and place could have been his family?

 

 

 

He also disapproves of you annulling the Circle, not just because there are Elves in it, but because there are people in it.

 

I think Zevran does care about his people in particular, but not to the point where he only cares about his people in particular.

[KaiserShep]

Oghren is the only character I actively loathe. Even pure evil, kill 'em all characters have a sort of interesting charm. But Oghren? He's so vile and repulsive I can't find any reason for him to be around other than the fact that, at the end of the day, him being around makes it slightly less likely my character will get an arrow through the throat. 

While I don't loathe Oghren, I do find him to be extremely overrated. When Sigrun made the scene in DA:A, it was a dwarven breath of fresh air. There are times when Oghren might have his moments, but I find that he's basically just a good comrade to take into battle, but little to nothing else beyond that. I'd take Varric anytime of the week, in any universe.

 

It certainly doesn't help that Awakenings further damaged what was left of his character.

 

I also approve of Varric's disinterest in a lot of these big heady things. It's all just a huge pain in the ass anyway. I'm sick of Templars and mages myself. His personally is totally congruous to mine.

[I SOLD MY SOUL TO BIOWARE]

If you consider "Yes men" to be fully evolved people...

 

Just because he doesn't blabber and whine to you every waking minute about things he doesn't like doesn't mean he's a yes man. 

 

Otherwise Varric rivalry wouldn't exist. 

[Lady Artifice]

Just because he doesn't blabber and whine to you every waking minute about things he doesn't like doesn't mean he's a yes man. 

 

Otherwise Varric rivalry wouldn't exist. 

 

Exactly.

[KaiserShep]

I can see why it's easy to consider Varric a yes-man. Of the entire lot of characters in the game, he is the only one that has no alignment whatsoever outside of Hawke's group. Templars and mages are all the same, and he already deals with shady ass dwarves in the Merchant's Guild who do much worse than Hawke ever could.

[Lady Artifice]

There is something Varric says while talking to Cassandra that always bothered me. 

 

Cassandra: "So the witch sent someone with them?"

Varric:  "Something like that."

 

There's a lot more - but that made me sit up and pay attention.

 

=====

 

Something in DA 2 always gives me the nagging feeling that Varric is somehow actually working for Flemeth.

 

I never fully trusted him because I felt like he was helping her manipulate the situation.

 

 

That might be just a touch paranoid.

[GenericEnemy]

Varric wasn't exactly the most complex, multi-faceted character in the series by any means, but the way I see it, he didn't need to be. What drew me to him is the fact that he's just fun. He's excellently written, he has some great dynamics with many party members like Merrill and Isabela, and the player too, particularly sarcastic Hawke, where the back and forth banter had me smiling more than once. He really just felt like the group's anchor among all the crazies, and the guy who kind of held this dysfunctional little family together. And I appreciate him for that.