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[Ryzaki]

Not really. Fenris sayd too that a relationship with him is not a good idea, if I remember correctly. He even leave Hawke. and yet his romance end well. is not an inavoidable rule.

 

Well Blackwall's ends well too. (If your PC forgivers him completely and tolerates his snide little "You're corrupt now!" crapola and I'll be damned if I do that. Really doesn't help the only way to get back with him is some really desperate sounding dialogue at judgement. Just no. My PC loved someone who didn't exist and she's not that desperate for the D to undermine herself in front of her allies and soldiers. Why the hell does he put you on the spot right there anyway? He couldn't do that crap in private? It's Alistair's let me dump you in front of everybody after the landsmeet all over again.) I feel like I'm forced to be a doormat. If the kiss was avoidable and I could be more "we'll see." about the relationship then I could tolerate it. As it is ugh.

[9TailsFox]

I agree! I played a female noble human in my very first playthrough of Origins and she had a happy ending, marrying Alistair. Then my next character, a female elf also romanced Alistair and I was so looking forward to her being queen of Ferelden, and what happens? Alistair breaks up with her! She ended up sacrificing her life, killing the Archdemon. There were tears all around, I can tell you that.

 

In my, so far, only playthrough of DA I, I played another female elf and romanced Soals, and yeah... we all know how that ends... I don't mind heartache and drama in the games, quite the contrary. But please, let there at least be a happy ending to it. In the end of DA I you could at least have included like a dream or something where Solas returns to the Inquisitor for a last romantic kiss and a declaration of his love or something. 

 

* * * * * * * * *

 

This is my 200th post! Go me!

After ending go speak to Cole. Solas speak through Cole.

Spoiler

[Abelas Forever!]

I haven't played Anders and Blackwall romances but I know enough of them to know why people might have issues with them. So I'm curious. What have been your issues with these romances? Is there anything that would have made them better? I mean how they were handled in the end without changing Blackwall's past or Anders betraying you?

 

I believe there are reasons why these were selected to be LIs. If we think about DA2 the only other option would have been Varric but because of Bianca I think there really wasn't any other option. But I don't know about Blackwall. There were other options as well. Well at least he is different. You know. He has brown hair and beard. But his story makes him uninteresting as an LI for my PCs. So he ordered his men to kill some people for money. When he should have taken the blame he ran away. He regrets everything but he still doesn't surrender. Then he joins Inquisition and fell in love with the Inquisitor and he still doesn't tell who he is and then he just leave you and you'll find out who he is when you go after him. Of course you have an option to save him and take him back. But I have very hard time imagine the reasons why you should take him back because he seems to want to take the blame now like he doesn't care about you at all. Maybe the romance path is different. I don't know.

[9TailsFox]

I haven't played Anders and Blackwall romances but I know enough of them to know why people might have issues with them. So I'm curious. What have been your issues with these romances? Is there anything that would have made them better? I mean how they were handled in the end without changing Blackwall's past or Anders betraying you?

 

I believe there are reasons why these were selected to be LIs. If we think about DA2 the only other option would have been Varric but because of Bianca I think there really wasn't any other option. But I don't know about Blackwall. There were other options as well. Well at least he is different. You know. He has brown hair and beard. But his story makes him uninteresting as an LI for my PCs. So he ordered his men to kill some people for money. When he should have taken the blame he ran away. He regrets everything but he still doesn't surrender. Then he joins Inquisition and fell in love with the Inquisitor and he still doesn't tell who he is and then he just leave you and you'll find out who he is when you go after him. Of course you have an option to save him and take him back. But I have very hard time imagine the reasons why you should take him back because he seems to want to take the blame now like he doesn't care about you at all. Maybe the romance path is different. I don't know.

Anders romance is great. Blackwall is just boring romance or not. Not as boring as Josephine but close.

[XxPrincess(x)ThreatxX]

I haven't played Anders and Blackwall romances but I know enough of them to know why people might have issues with them. So I'm curious. What have been your issues with these romances? Is there anything that would have made them better? I mean how they were handled in the end without changing Blackwall's past or Anders betraying you?

My main problem with Anders romance was that it seemed less of a romance & more like he was taking advantage of Hawkes affection to keep himself safe & further his cause, i actually prefer his rival romance since he at least admits his wrong doing that way, even if Justice/Vengeance forces his actions at the end

[Elsariel]

I haven't played Anders and Blackwall romances but I know enough of them to know why people might have issues with them. So I'm curious. What have been your issues with these romances? Is there anything that would have made them better? I mean how they were handled in the end without changing Blackwall's past or Anders betraying you?

I romanced Anders during my first playthrough and the whole time I thought for sure there would be a quest to rid Anders of Justice. Then finally he approaches my Hawke with a quest for the cure and I was like "Huzzah!"........ Then that little [expletive] screwed me over.

So, what would I change? Either have a way to get rid of Justice or talk him out of blowing up the Chantry. Not that no-choice BS at the end. Well, ok we did have a choice: whether to kill him or not! WTF!

Of all my romances so far, that peeved me the most.

[Shinobu]

Not really. Fenris sayd too that a relationship with him is not a good idea, if I remember correctly. He even leave Hawke. and yet his romance end well. is not an inavoidable rule.

 

I didn't say the outcome was always bad, just that the romance would cause angst. I think being abandoned for years counts.

[Kulyok]

I haven't played Anders and Blackwall romances but I know enough of them to know why people might have issues with them. So I'm curious. What have been your issues with these romances? Is there anything that would have made them better? I mean how they were handled in the end without changing Blackwall's past or Anders betraying you?

 

I agree about Blackwall(I was mostly bored, though, and the animal cruelty turned me off in the friendship path, so I'd never romance him, I'm afraid). I did love Anders, though. I played all kinds of Hawkes, and a pro-mage Hawke worked great with him. I really don't see the betrayal, because given the mages' treatment and how narrowly Hawke and Anders escaped the same treatment, Hawke would have either approved of blowing up the chantry, or at least forgiven him. And as for not telling Hawke, Anders says "what if you wanted to help?" and that he couldn't do it to her. That was enough for me.

 

I do understand people who were horrified and killed Anders or thought of it as a betrayal, and I'm all right with this, people are different. I still love the romance to bits, though. (Especially after DAO, when I had to romance Morrigan or no one). And, no, I wouldn't like his romance changed. Karl thing, maybe, but I played a female Hawke so I didn't get the "I just killed my ex-lover and now I'm hot for you" turn.

[Ryzaki]

Nah I liked Anders rivalrymance ending. It was bittersweet. Especially if you killed him.

 

I felt that was a heartbreak romance down well. (It also helped I had the choice to not let it go down like that).

[Felya87]

I didn't say the outcome was always bad, just that the romance would cause angst. I think being abandoned for years counts.

 

Such angst can be easily forgiven/forgotten with a positive ending. Is the proof that the romance worked out even with the "advertisemant". It wasn't easy, but it was worth it.

[Abelas Forever!]

Fenris was worth all the angst   Besides you as a player don't have to go through all those years without him. Poor Hawke has to. Well I believe she/he has a lot of things to do in the meanwhile.

[Elsariel]

Nah I liked Anders rivalrymance ending. It was bittersweet. Especially if you killed him.

I felt that was a heartbreak romance down well. (It also helped I had the choice to not let it go down like that).

I do agree. Killing him at the end of a rivalrymance was much better suited as an ending. Unfortunately, first time I played I did a friendmance and was really shocked at the end.

Even though I wish we had more choices with that romance, I wouldn't actually change anything. Not really. It's part of my head canon now and I've made my peace with it a long time ago.

[Riladel]

I feel for you. You had some bad luck in choices there. Anders is heartbreaking, but my Hawke still loves him even though she didn't approve of his actions. I think she's holding out for some way to separate him from Justice. Given the dialogue in Inquisition, she can't seem to part from him, even though things are not the same between them.
The romances that have some sort of adversity to overcome are the ones I find most rewarding. Alistair, Anders, and Fenris are among my favorites. Cullen, too, is one of my faves and really great even though I was hoping for a deeper experience. I'm romancing Solas now and, although I don't know details, at least I know to expect the heartbreak.

I've almost finished DA2, I had to chose templars in the end, I just cannot continue helping mages after what Anders did. It doesn't feel right now. I was supporting mages in every game, always! I play by mages only and now he ruined everything. But when I had to kill him because he attacted me, I felt so devasted. This is awful. This is just terrible. Why, Bioware, why you turturing us like that! I didn't want to kill him! I couldn't actually - Fenris and Merril did this, while my Hawke was just standing there and I was crying looking at them. This is so heartbreaking. I am so depressed now. I can't believe this is happening. But still I couldn't forgive him and take him in a party back, I just couldn't. Why this game has to be so cruel (( No, no more romances in Bioware games for me Maybe just some Cullen romance as a balm on my broken heart

[Riladel]

I do agree. Killing him at the end of a rivalrymance was much better suited as an ending. Unfortunately, first time I played I did a friendmance and was really shocked at the end.
Even though I wish we had more choices with that romance, I wouldn't actually change anything. Not really. It's part of my head canon now and I've made my peace with it a long time ago.

How does ending of rival romance with him actually differs from friendship?

[Riladel]

I haven't played Anders and Blackwall romances but I know enough of them to know why people might have issues with them. So I'm curious. What have been your issues with these romances? Is there anything that would have made them better? I mean how they were handled in the end without changing Blackwall's past or Anders betraying you?
.

Blackwall was just boring. And I decided to break up with him so I could start romance Cullen.

Anders. Well, I really like him very much, I trusted and supported him. What he did with a Chantry was horribly stupid, because of his actions I had to take part in that massacre. I was shocked and heartbroken. I told him to go away. I sided with templars, because I thought it was more logical now, though I really didn't want to kill mages, I love mages. And then he found me and attacked. I HAD TO kill him. This was the last straw, I feel absolutely devastated and depressed about it. I liked him (( This was worse and more heartbroken then with Solas. Terrible. I just can't find in my heart to forgive him.

[9TailsFox]

Blackwall was just boring. And I decided to break up with him so I could start romance Cullen.

Anders. Well, I really like him very much, I trusted and supported him. What he did with a Chantry was horribly stupid, because of his actions I had to take part in that massacre. I was shocked and heartbroken. I told him to go away. I sided with templars, because I thought it was more logical now, though I really didn't want to kill mages, I love mages. And then he found me and attacked. I HAD TO kill him. This was the last straw, I feel absolutely devastated and depressed about it. I liked him (( This was worse and more heartbroken then with Solas. Terrible. I just can't find in my heart to forgive him.

Forgive for what destroying organisation supporting slavery because off fear. Anders just did no one was brave enough to do.

[Elsariel]

How does ending of rival romance with him actually differs from friendship?

 

It doesn't actually differ but the tone is different.  If you're his rival, then you've opposed his viewpoint the whole game so when it comes time to kill him, it feels less shocking and more of a grim resolve.  It seems sort of inevitable.  I think killing him when you've rivalmanced him fits better with the narrative.  

 

In my game, I friendmanced him and I ended up not approving of his actions after the Chantry was destroyed, but I refused to kill him.  I sided with mages and we ended up running away together afterward.

[Ryzaki]

I do agree. Killing him at the end of a rivalrymance was much better suited as an ending. Unfortunately, first time I played I did a friendmance and was really shocked at the end.

Even though I wish we had more choices with that romance, I wouldn't actually change anything. Not really. It's part of my head canon now and I've made my peace with it a long time ago.

 

The sad tone you get if you get him to help with the templars also hit me but it's more of a low toned sad ending. (Oooh I should really import this into Inquisition to see if Anders stayed alive after the credits.)

 

Yeah there's a few parts I wish I could've tweaked up all together it worked well.

[AtreiyaN7]

I haven't played Anders and Blackwall romances but I know enough of them to know why people might have issues with them. So I'm curious. What have been your issues with these romances? Is there anything that would have made them better? I mean how they were handled in the end without changing Blackwall's past or Anders betraying you?

 

I believe there are reasons why these were selected to be LIs. If we think about DA2 the only other option would have been Varric but because of Bianca I think there really wasn't any other option. But I don't know about Blackwall. There were other options as well. Well at least he is different. You know. He has brown hair and beard. But his story makes him uninteresting as an LI for my PCs. So he ordered his men to kill some people for money. When he should have taken the blame he ran away. He regrets everything but he still doesn't surrender. Then he joins Inquisition and fell in love with the Inquisitor and he still doesn't tell who he is and then he just leave you and you'll find out who he is when you go after him. Of course you have an option to save him and take him back. But I have very hard time imagine the reasons why you should take him back because he seems to want to take the blame now like he doesn't care about you at all. Maybe the romance path is different. I don't know.

 

I've romanced Blackwall, and his story is clearly about someone who undergoes a major personal transformation and ends with that person ultimately redeeming himself (which admittedly depends on your viewpoint on certain things and how you weigh what he's done since his original crime). Sure, he was a bad man six years ago, but he isn't that person anymore. Obviously, he starts out as a guy interested solely in money (and probably power/status) who would have done anything to get it.

 

He pretty much starts changing in the one moment when he realizes that children are involved in the massacre. He's horrified by it (of course, you only find that out if you pair him with Cole and get all the dialogue related to what happened) and has beaten himself up over his role in it ever since. However, six years ago, he was still interested in self-preservation, no matter how terrible he felt about things - which resulted in him running instead of surrendering.

 

By the time of DA:I, and probably even more so after becoming involved with the Inquisitor if you romance him, he has finally changed to the point where he doesn't want anyone else to die for his crimes and would rather tell the truth, even if it costs him his life. You make it sound like change is/should be instantaneous, but that's not always how life works. It can take a while for someone to really change. Also, like I pointed out previously, it's no small thing to be willing to sacrifice your life for someone else.

 

And as far as a romanced Blackwall goes, it's clear that he leaves in the way that he does during Revelations and finally comes clean, in no small part because he does love the Inquisitor. Basically, he leaves because he cares - which is the complete opposite of what you're saying.

 

1. He was trying to spare the Inquisitor the pain of knowing exactly who and what he is - which he pretty clearly states if you question him in the prison cell, if you've romanced him (ill-advised perhaps, but understandable).
2. He knows exactly how damaging it would be to the Inquisitor's reputation if/when the truth were to come out, so he's essentially trying to protect her from being smeared by his own crime.
3. He was willing to give up his life to save his former second-in-command. And this is AFTER he was perfectly safe and could have gone on living his lie while remaining a free man (something that even Cullen points out).

 

He's not leaving for some sort of silly reason; it was a fairly weighty decision, and points #2 and #3 still apply even with a non-romanced Inquisitor. Also, if you're in the romance, he specifically says later that he had planned on telling the Inquisitor the truth during the Explanations quest but lost his nerve, so it's not as if he didn't think about it or purposely lied to the Inquisitor (and it's not like the guy had any intention of falling in love with anyone either - least of the all the Inquisitor).

 

As for why you would take him back. Well, if you hypothetically fell in love with someone and found out that they'd done something terrible but had since changed into, well, if not a hero, a good/decent man, how easy is it to throw that away? When you talk to Cullen (as stated above), he makes it clear that he despises what Blackwall did, but at the same time, he also points out that Blackwall had escaped his past but still chose to turn himself in when he didn't have to do that at all. It's obvious that even Cullen realizes that it's not such a simple situation to deal with.

 

Frankly, I found the moral issues, along with weighing a man's present against his past to be one of the more compelling - and definitely not boring - situations in the game. I think there are also plenty of other instances in the game that present you with the option to give people a chance to redeem themselves despite their past (or really recent) sins, so I certainly found it fitting.

[Abelas Forever!]

I've romanced Blackwall, and his story is clearly about someone who undergoes a major personal transformation and ends with that person ultimately redeeming himself (which admittedly depends on your viewpoint on certain things and how you weigh what he's done since his original crime). Sure, he was a bad man six years ago, but he isn't that person anymore. Obviously, he starts out as a guy interested solely in money (and probably power/status) who would have done anything to get it.

 

He pretty much starts changing in the one moment when he realizes that children are involved in the massacre. He's horrified by it (of course, you only find that out if you pair him with Cole and get all the dialogue related to what happened) and has beaten himself up over his role in it ever since. However, six years ago, he was still interested in self-preservation, no matter how terrible he felt about things - which resulted in him running instead of surrendering.

 

By the time of DA:I, and probably even more so after becoming involved with the Inquisitor if you romance him, he has finally changed to the point where he doesn't want anyone else to die for his crimes and would rather tell the truth, even if it costs him his life. You make it sound like change is/should be instantaneous, but that's not always how life works. It can take a while for someone to really change. Also, like I pointed out previously, it's no small thing to be willing to sacrifice your life for someone else.

 

And as far as a romanced Blackwall goes, it's clear that he leaves in the way that he does during Revelations and finally comes clean, in no small part because he does love the Inquisitor. Basically, he leaves because he cares - which is the complete opposite of what you're saying.

 

1. He was trying to spare the Inquisitor the pain of knowing exactly who and what he is - which he pretty clearly states if you question him in the prison cell, if you've romanced him (ill-advised perhaps, but understandable).
2. He knows exactly how damaging it would be to the Inquisitor's reputation if/when the truth were to come out, so he's essentially trying to protect her from being smeared by his own crime.
3. He was willing to give up his life to save his former second-in-command. And this is AFTER he was perfectly safe and could have gone on living his lie while remaining a free man (something that even Cullen points out).

 

He's not leaving for some sort of silly reason; it was a fairly weighty decision, and points #2 and #3 still apply even with a non-romanced Inquisitor. Also, if you're in the romance, he specifically says later that he had planned on telling the Inquisitor the truth during the Explanations quest but lost his nerve, so it's not as if he didn't think about it or purposely lied to the Inquisitor (and it's not like the guy had any intention of falling in love with anyone either - least of the all the Inquisitor).

 

As for why you would take him back. Well, if you hypothetically fell in love with someone and found out that they'd done something terrible but had since changed into, well, if not a hero, a good/decent man, how easy is it to throw that away? When you talk to Cullen (as stated above), he makes it clear that he despises what Blackwall did, but at the same time, he also points out that Blackwall had escaped his past but still chose to turn himself in when he didn't have to do that at all. It's obvious that even Cullen realizes that it's not such a simple situation to deal with.

 

Frankly, I found the moral issues, along with weighing a man's present against his past to be one of the more compelling - and definitely not boring - situations in the game. I think there are also plenty of other instances in the game that present you with the option to give people a chance to redeem themselves despite their past (or really recent) sins, so I certainly found it fitting.

I noticed that Blackwall had changed as a person and he isn't the person he used to be. But the problem I have with him is that he doesn't have the courage to tell the Inquisitor who he is and I think that is quite selfish. He decides to sacrifice himself while you need him. You need to defeat the Corypheus but instead swallowing the guilt and helping you he decides to go and sacrifice himself. He could have come clean and tell you everything and let you decide what to do because you have resources which you could have used to free the innocent man. I think he leaves you because his guilt is greater than his love for you. Besides even if he thinks he is protecting the Inquisitor for not telling her who he is he has been with the Inquisition for a while and damage has already been done. He could have at least tell the Inquistor what he is going to do so that she can prepare if something bad comes for him sacrificing himself. If I had romanced him that is why I would have problems forgiving him. It's not his past but how he couldn't tell you about his past and when you find everything out he still wants to die.

[almasy87]

So I've read this entire topic and debated for a while on if I wanted to reply.  I think I understand the sentiment, but I also think that some of the folks throwing in their agreement aren't considering the other parts of the playerbase.  Namely, the women who LOVE  a good, tragic romance (Morrigan leaving my Warden was my favorite origins romance and I couldn't get that on a female character).   I want to try to break this down into what I'm hearing, so please correct any points on which I might be off.

 

1) Some people don't seem to want tragic romances.  They don't like investing their emotion into a romance that turns out to end poorly.  And there are several definitions of what poorly means, from those who think Blackwall is a happy ending to those who think he's the worst thing out there. 

 

2)  Some people don't mind tragic romances, but they want to see other romance types have the same experience.  I'm slightly unclear as to what this group of folks wants.  It seems like in one breath they say tragedy is okay, but why always women?  Which seems to imply that they want a game where, for once, only a man gets his heart broken.  Or at least they want other people to suffer right along with them.  But when it comes right down to it, most of the people in this camp are confusing me, as they claim in one breath they like tragedy, but don't want it.   I'd love some clarity on this, if anyone can provide.  What exactly are you asking to happen in future games?

 

3) Now, this is me reading a bit between the lines, but there seems to be a third camp that is upset that their favorite romance (Solas, Thane, Jacob) turned out to have a sad ending.  These are the folks that, when presented with the counterpoint that they have Cullen and Iron Bull (and Blackwall, depending on your point of view) as happy ending romances, say that they don't want those romances.  They don't like Cullen or Iron Bull and Blackwall's a big jerk.   This is where I get REALLY confused, as it seems like these people want Solas and Thane to be happy endings when you basically walk into both of these relationships (Thane especially) with a clear indication that it won't end well.  Solas tells you over and over that it won't end well.  That this can't happen.  But yeah, his timing breaking things off really stinks.  Too abrupt.  I think it would have worked better as two scenes.  But he DOES tell you at the end that what you had was real, but he can't stay.  Best romance in game, IMO.  I would be disappointed if it had abandoned all logic just to work out as a happy ending. 

 

But overall, what is actually bothering me here are the people who are brushing off the others who come to this thread with their tragic romances.  Friend-zoned by Aveline?  Not the same thing.  Dumped by Divine Cassandra?  Avoidable, so it doesn't count. (Personally, if I loved and trusted Cassandra as the best Divine, why would I be selfish enough to watch Thedas go to hell under the reign of Leliana just so Cassandra won't leave me?)  Sera demanding a Dalish give up their religion?  Doesn't count. Walked out on for two years by Morrigan?  That's 'acceptable tragedy' because you MIGHT get back together in a DLC.  Hell, Fenris walks out on Hawke immediately after sex and breaks things off for three years.  That's really kinda crappy, Fenris.   Why is it okay for Fenris to walk out on you after sex, but not Blackwall?  The lying thing for Blackwall makes total sense as a reason to be crushed, but I'm seeing more complaints about him leaving you after sex than about him lying.  At least he had a reason.  Fenris' reason was because angst.  Morrigan walking out after sex also seems to be acceptable.  Only Blackwall is a jerk for this.

 

I think my point is that there are only so many romantic storylines that can exist and Bioware cannot realistically appeal to everyone and have a romance that's perfect for everyone.  So they try to put in a variety of romantic stories, some happy, some sad.  Some of us love tragic stories, so why would I want them to not include one tragic story per game for my female character?   

 

But I do agree that they should spread the tragedy around.  Not because I think everyone should suffer equally, but because I want the opportunity for my male characters to have the same deep, interesting relationship stories, some happy, some sad, that the female protagonists are lucky enough to have access to.  I'm a sucker for tragedy, so please, Bioware, keep including good, tragic romances!   I love them!

 

So well said!

I don't mind tragic romances, I do get really sad and depressed but I think it's what makes them beautiful. If it was all just "boy meets girl, live happily ever after", my god that would be BORING. The "heartbreak romances" are the ones that will affect the player more deeply, they make you realize that not everything can end nicely, just like in real life.

There is plenty of Happy endings if you don't like that particular one that ends up badly.. you can play the game again and romance someone else. And those who say "but I want X to be a happy ending, I don't want to be forced to romance Y", well then sorry, in this game you will be single, maybe there will be a better LI for you in the next one.

Seems to me like all people do is whine. Always played a female and I can't say I've been that heartbroken in DA games.. In DAO I got Alistair, ok we did the ritual, ok it was painful, but there was no other choice, better that than dying certainly..? in DA2 I romanced Fenris, there was some trouble, but it ended up well in the end. in DAI I got Cullen and it was great and sweet, then Solas and it was even better, one of the best I've had, just because it was THAT tragic.

It seems to me as there are as many happy endings as there are heart breaks... It just depends on who you fancy. If you always fancy the character that was designed to have a heartbreak romance, it's unlucky, I feel sorry for you, but you can't just go around and blame the devs and say that the tragic wave has to end and all romances should be boring and end up happily with no suspence or nothing.

 

And if it's more for females.. who cares? I'm female and don't feel discriminated. You just play your gender/orientation, why would you bother comparing what happens to the other gender? :/ We are not a kid crying to their parents because his brother/sister got a bigger piece of candy...

Or dunno, maybe it's just me. I hope Bioware doesn't ever get rid of heartbreak romances. And I like that it's not the same for both genders. Think if every game had like.. one heartbreak for females and one for males.. so as to equally spread them like you ask.. Imho that would be so boring, like you already know that some of those characters were gonna break up with you, and you wouldn't fully enjoy the game living in constant fear of that happening..

[wildannie]

So well said!

I don't mind tragic romances, I do get really sad and depressed but I think it's what makes them beautiful. If it was all just "boy meets girl, live happily ever after", my god that would be BORING. The "heartbreak romances" are the ones that will affect the player more deeply, they make you realize that not everything can end nicely, just like in real life. 

There is plenty of Happy endings if you don't like that particular one that ends up badly.. you can play the game again and romance someone else. And those who say "but I want X to be a happy ending, I don't want to be forced to romance Y", well then sorry, in this game you will be single, maybe there will be a better LI for you in the next one.

Seems to me like all people do is whine. Always played a female and I can't say I've been that heartbroken in DA games.. In DAO I got Alistair, ok we did the ritual, ok it was painful, but there was no other choice, better that than dying certainly..? in DA2 I romanced Fenris, there was some trouble, but it ended up well in the end. in DAI I got Cullen and it was great and sweet, then Solas and it was even better, one of the best I've had, just because it was THAT tragic.

It seems to me as there are as many happy endings as there are heart breaks... It just depends on who you fancy. If you always fancy the character that was designed to have a heartbreak romance, it's unlucky, I feel sorry for you, but you can't just go around and blame the devs and say that the tragic wave has to end and all romances should be boring and end up happily with no suspence or nothing.

 

And if it's more for females.. who cares? I'm female and don't feel discriminated. You just play your gender/orientation, why would you bother comparing what happens to the other gender? :/ We are not a kid crying to their parents because his brother/sister got a bigger piece of candy...

Or dunno, maybe it's just me. I hope Bioware doesn't ever get rid of heartbreak romances. And I like that it's not the same for both genders. Think if every game had like.. one heartbreak for females and one for males.. so as to equally spread them like you ask.. Imho that would be so boring, like you already know that some of those characters were gonna break up with you, and you wouldn't fully enjoy the game living in constant fear of that happening..

 

1 - Seriously?  you don't think that's a bit patronising?  I think everyone here realizes perfectly well how things go down in real life, don't really need a game to give us that life lesson.

 

2 - Or maybe the endings of romances should be able to play out in different ways?  One note endings are no fun at all in games where choices are supposed to matter.

 

3 - This thread is providing 'feedback' that is why it is in the 'feedback' board, it is not whining 

 

4 - Looking at the support for the OP, quite a lot of people care.  I'd be happy if all romances could end in heartbreak, and if all of them could also find some kind of happiness (even if only in a dysfunctional way).  I wouldn't want success or failure to be strictly down to one binary choice, but the product of some less obvious factors and difficult decisions.

[Mushashi7]

Please, if there must be multiple heartbreaking romances in a given BioWare game, spread the heartbreak around.  Do not give these options only to female characters.

 

I appreciate tragedy and heartbreak... sometimes.  However, this has become a routine feature for BioWare games: if you happen to be playing a straight woman character, you have a very high chance of your character's love interest (if you pursue one) cheating, breaking up with you, leaving, or being deeply in love with someone else (usually a dead wife).

 

Most of us don't like heartbreak THAT much.  I don't care if the player is a man or a woman or a moose.  Heartbreak has its place, but if it were fun we wouldn't call it heartbreak.

 

Yes, it happens in the real world all the time.  Yes, it's okay (and even good) on occasion, even every other game, or every three games, and can make for an awesome story.  But please, spread that heartbreak around, and stop piling it all on the romance options for lady characters, and having it happen (often on more than one character) in every. single. game.

 

No, I'm not saying give the heartbreak to the LGBT community.  Goodness knows, they get enough of the heartbreak in pretty much every other medium.  But how about breaking the straight guys' hearts instead now and then, if you really want tragedy?  Men and women are equally capable of handling tragedy, so you would think that tragedy would be equally distributed.  It isn't.

 

Devoted fans (most of them women) have brought this up and brought this up, repeatedly, in the fan threads of our favorite characters who dumped us, cheated on us, died, etc.  It appears no one is listening, or that no one is taking us seriously.  So I feel that a thread should garner some attention to the problem, and hopefully reduce the number of heartbroken lady protagonists (and their players) out there.

 

Not all of us want Cullen or Kaidan types, and Cullen/Kaidan types are not the only kind of love interest that can both be interesting and end well.

 

Sometimes heartbreak and drama are awesome.  But, sometimes, plain old fluff is nice where the romances are concerned.  And sometimes, interesting plots and seeming inevitable failure is good, if it turns right around and ends well anyway.  Thedas in particular is a dark world, and I get that.  But can we not have a ray of hope at least in the form of a happy romance, so that our characters at least need not wander the ruined world alone after the story ends?

 

For those of you who don't understand what I am talking about, some instances of this in various BioWare games:

 

• Jacob, ME2 - Cheats in ME3 (inevitable)
• Thane, ME2 - Dies in ME3 (inevitable)
• Alistair, DA:O - Can Die, WILL Dump Non-Human or Mage if Made King, Can Cheat (Leliana, Morrigan).  Being his mistress is presented as a positive solution, though many people would find that unacceptable for a variety of reasons.  Of all of them, his involves the most choice, which makes it seem the least horrible--until you realize, the best option for Ferelden to rule is with him as king (if you are female) and either the Warden (if human noble) or Anora at his side.  Also if you don't do the Dark Ritual and take him with you to the final battle, his death is inevitable and cannot be interrupted by a female Warden who romanced him--also highly problematic.
• Morrigan, DA:O - Male only.  She leaves at the end.  This is fixed, though, via a DLC where the Warden can go rejoin her.
• Anders, DA2 - Both Genders.  Betrays Hawke - this is inevitable since it's part of the main plot. (Note, he's loyal if you let him live... and despite doing something ABSOLUTELY horrible, he gets a happy-ish ending?)
• Blackwall, DA:I - He lies about who he is, sleeps with the Inquisitor before the reveal (which is Not Okay), and if romanced, disappears from Skyhold post-game.  He is still available in-party, but he abandons his lover.
• Solas, DA:I - Breaks up with the Inquisitor immediately after giving the romance achievement and potentially stripping her of a vital part of her identity.  Seems to promise an explanation in some dialogue, but then vanishes without a trace.  Yes, it's for Major Plot Reasons, but there is basically no real closure.  Heartbreak, all around.

And I get that in DA2, any romance could potentially turn against you, based on your choices.  I list Anders only because it's inevitable.  Alistair hurting the PC is not inevitable, but it's ridiculously likely to happen given how many options there are to have everything go poorly for the Warden in that relationship--and I include him because of that and because without the Dark Ritual, you can't take him with you without him sacrificing himself without your say-so.  And then you get an achievement saying you told him to, even when you didn't.  Salt in the wound.

 

You'll notice there are only two characters men can romance that I've thought of on that list.  I'm sure I'm missing others for ladies, and maybe there's another tragic romance or two for guys that I'm missing.  Of the ones I can think of, though, only one is romanceable to straight men.  It's a trend geared toward female characters, and I repeat, not everyone likes that or wants it.

 

I'm not yelling "SEXISM" about it.  I am not sure why things skew this way.  Maybe the people who enjoy playing female characters at the BioWare offices all adore a good tragedy.  But I'm pretty sure, from the way conversations have gone on this point, that the majority of the fans, in fact, do not enjoy tragedy, or at least not the amount of tragedy that we are actually given for the female protagonists.

 

So please, please cut back on the number of heartbreak characters we get.  I'm not asking for them to all be taken away.  Sometimes, I WANT a good tragedy story; tragedy can be beautiful.  But I don't want half of my characters' options (or more) to lead to inevitable heartbreak.  There doesn't need to be one in every game--or if there is, sometimes, the male characters should get the heartbreak option.

 

If you agree or are in support of this request, please post.  I want BioWare to pay some attention to this and spread the heartbreak around!  (I'd say they should reduce it overall, if they can get over their fan tears addiction, but spreading it around works nicely--they get their fan tears, and female protagonists everywhere can have a reprieve.)

.
Maybe, and just maybe, the developers at Bioware think that only women cares for heartbreaking romances?

Do I smell good old fashioned stereotype male chauvenism here? Or is it a lack of interest?

[Squeeze the Fish]

Hear, hear!

 

This is sort of why I ended up headcanoning my fem!Cousland HoF as ending up with Nathaniel. I couldn't reconcile what needed to happen to end up with Alistair with her character. It just didn't work, felt sleazy all around.

 

Either you force him to sleep with a woman he despises to keep him alive while simultaneously allowing her to complete some baby-making ritual for who knew what end purpose....or you die, or he dies. Lovely.

 

Ack.

 

I thought DAII was better in this regard. I don't mind drama. I don't mind angst. Fenris and Anders both had tons of that going on, yet there was still a chance to semi-reconcile in the end (I did rivalmance with Anders and traditional with Fenris).

 

But yeah. DA:I kinda' slid backward, I think. (Though I will say the Cullenmance was love.)