138 réponses à ce sujet

[Almostfaceman]

If that were the case, then why did they create The Descent?

 

To make dwarves more interesting, seems to me. Plus, there's generally interest in the Deep Roads and Darkspawn. 

[Ariella]

To make dwarves more interesting, seems to me. Plus, there's generally interest in the Deep Roads and Darkspawn.

And they needed to fill lore about lyrium...
Btw, anyone notice that both the Wardens and Templars drink some kind of blood to gain their abilities?

[Almostfaceman]

And they needed to fill lore about lyrium...
Btw, anyone notice that both the Wardens and Templars drink some kind of blood to gain their abilities?

 

Well I guess so yes, if lyrium is some sort of "blood" then to some extent everyone who uses it is a "blood mage". Or are you referring to something else? I forget things about templars.

[Ariella]

Well I guess so yes, if lyrium is some sort of "blood" then to some extent everyone who uses it is a "blood mage". Or are you referring to something else? I forget things about templars.

Supposedly lyrium is the blood of these Titans, and the Templars drink the stuff so they can match mages.

Now if anybody starts commiting diabliere, I'm leaving

Though the talking darkspawn that ate his fellow... gah. My head hurts

[Almostfaceman]

Supposedly lyrium is the blood of these Titans, and the Templars drink the stuff so they can match mages.

Now if anybody starts commiting diabliere, I'm leaving

Though the talking darkspawn that ate his fellow... gah. My head hurts

 

I still have a feeling there's something "more" to lyrium, though I have no problem with it being a type of "blood" since it can be corrupted by Blight. Hmmm, well "Titan" and Dagna feeling "huge" when studying lyrium and the fade (studying fade bits off the Inquisitor post-fade-experience-dialogue)... she says "lyrium and the fade, linked" and "I was face deep in a rune and for a moment I was tall.. REALLY tall" - seeing some kind of obvious connection there. But then there's also "all the thoughts" she mentions. Maybe it's something more integral to the world or planet. Interesting to see where they'll go with this.

[Bhryaen]

Sounds a lot like the way the upper castes refer to Dust Town dwarves- "mundane," beneath us, not worth our time. The "not everyone needs a romance" line is irrelevant here: the point is that dwarf romance has been nil in DA, not that every NPC should be available for it. Harding is the only dwarf female besides Sigrun to get anywhere in DA (at least that the player encounters), so, yeah, she's something special on that ground alone. My Duster from DAO had less of a background than Harding- impoverished, turned to crime, alchy mother, sis a noble hunter. Not glorious, not accomplished, not "important." But then she kinda saved the world. I totally dig that. Harding at least had it nicer, a dwarf surfacer's more rare experience, and when she left the farm she became very skilled at what she does- now leads all the scout missions for the Inquisition, regardless of the territory's dangers. All that and keeps a sense of humor and a palpable measure of integrity. I like her. She has personality. And we don't actually know her whole story anyway to adequately judge her "unfit as a lover-" never given the opportunity to know. Zevran was arguably the most colorful NPC in DAO- and yet you'd hardly know if you didn't get the chance to learn about him. I see no reason to write off what Harding could do if she had to fill someone else's position- even Cassandra's. If some only want to romance NPC types they consider superior, so be it, but that's not reasoning for denying Harding a love scene at all.

 

There has been a steady clamor for a dwarf romance since DAO- not by everyone, but by a vocal minority. They got burned with DA2 by ignoring the minority and instead exclusively heeding the majority market by eliminating (and uglifying) anything but the most popular- humans (among other eliminations, like sufficient development time). This particular game world didn't even need to have dwarves- could've been humans, elves, qunari, and lizard people- or just qunari and lizard people- but when they originally conceived of the world of Thedas they would be investing all their future intents on it included a rich, intriguing lore base for People of the Stone. And people loved it- even with dwarf NPCs and a whole extensive dwarf-related subplot required to finish the game. Even the animators did quite a lot to make the dwarf characters look good. I loved my dual-wield dwarf girl- best combat animation I've seen (except maybe Shadow of Mordor's combat- good stuff- but not as memorable as my Duster girl's head-chopping). So DAI steered back to DA roots, and this has brought us back oh-so-unpopular dwarf characters (and even introduced qunari), and for the first time we get to see dwarf female NPCs walking about doing their thing outside Orzammar like a people included in society- even ones who join human farm communities (or are elite bards or Circle-trained magic researchers). It's fantastic- belated, but fantastic. And it's successful: GOTY. I'd've liked a return to Orzammar DAI-style, but they seem to have shied away from advanced cityscapes in DAI despite the near Thedas-wide scope of the game. (And Dagna is way better than Catch-phrase Kid "Enchantment!" Sooo much better...)

 

That said, I've never been a fan of game romances, probably wouldn't do the Harding romance or any other. (Maybe Sigrun though if she had the same voice actress). But, as other posters have pointed out, in Harding's case they did develop a romance arc- it's right there available in the game- and thus demonstratively the "but why make it if no one wants it" whine was ignored. So it's not a question of, "Could they please make a Harding romance?" They made it. It's just that they abruptly cut it off without a denouement. It's a bit awkward. So people gotta wonder. They may have run out of time/ resources given how ambitious DAI was generally, but that doesn't explain why a Harding romance full development was sacrificed rather than something else- if that was the issue rather than a deliberate move to leave the Harding romance unfinished. *shrugs* Is what it is.

[Jedi Master of Orion]

I don't think interest in Harding is necessarily based on her specifically being a dwarf romance. At least not for everyone. It wasn't for me. I just happened to like her better (for my canon PC) than any of the other love interest options in this game.

[In Exile]

One could say the same about the protagonist.

Trevelyan is a fourth-born noble and/or mage, Lavellan is just some Dalish elf, Cadash is a street rat and Adaar is a hired thug, who just happened to be in the wrong place at the right time to get a magical mark on their hand and through various shenanigans, eventually become the Inquisitor.

In that regard, how is our story any different from Lace Harding rising from helpful local to lead scout of the entire Inqusition?

It's different because we got the reality altering-mark stamped on our hand, were actually responsible for nuking the Temple of Sacred Ashes, and became the second most divine figure in the Andrastian Faith (for at least a small number of heretical believers) within the first hour of the game.

If Scout Harding got a magical shenanigan, as you put it, was worshipped as a divine figure, was seen to come back from the dead and stand up against what was figuratively the anti-christ figure in a religion, then she'd be special too.

Harding's story - which first of all doesn't even make it clear she "leads" all of the scouts - doesn't even tell us why her and not "Scout Rebecca".

[In Exile]

Even if I did agree that Scout Harding was mundane or without depth (and I don't), all I would say is "So what?" It's not like people aren't allowed to like her regardless.

Of course they're allowed to like her. In fact, some like her exactly because of that (perceived) fact. I've expressed why *I* dislike her and while I'd be happy for an actual second female dwarf companion/NPC/whatever, I just don't want it to be Harding, who is one of the Bioware characters I like the least (which is not the same, I note, as dislike at all).

[SwobyJ]

Why Sera and not any other Red Jenny?

 

Because there's a secret Andruil plot.

[Sunnie]

Why Sera and not any other Red Jenny?

 

Because there's a secret Andruil plot.

I see we need to hand out more tinfoil hats...

[SwobyJ]

I see we need to hand out more tinfoil hats...

 

Hand one out to Solas while you're at it. He's the one who keeps insisting on her specialness (though I admit, getting disappointed when she insults him back).

[9TailsFox]

I see we need to hand out more tinfoil hats...

[SwobyJ]

That's the pic I was thinking about, thanks

[Jedi Master of Orion]

OK so getting back on topic. Trespasser is now the last chance to get any clear Lace romance content. We do know she's in it. And my understanding is that she does have some kind of a role in it. Didn't somebody say that there was going to be a new tavern song about her character? 

 

Conceivably there could be any number of things that happen. Maybe she and the Inquisitor will finally have a moment together. Maybe they'll just kill her off to simplify the equation. Or maybe she'll just act like nothing ever happened and there will be no more flirt icons. It's going to have been 2 years later anyway, wasn't it? That's perhaps a bad sign. 

 

Whatever happens, I'm actually more concerned about her not being in the Keep. That basically means for any future installments, any romance attempts might as well never have happened at all. 

[Vearsin]

They have to do something with the relationship, imo she is effectively a romance option, just not a fleshed out one. You can flirt with her, she responds to the flirts favorably, and then nothing. 

[jones81381]

Harding is bae, but so is Dagna. I think I just have a thing for dwarven women. I like short girls irl, I suppose that's why.

[ShadyKat]

After 3 games we have

11 human romance options
5 elves
1 qunari
And 0 dwarves


Series focuses way too much on humans. What about the people who play as the other races and would like to romance their own race? More variety would be nice. And yes the series is long overdue for a dwarf romance. IMO, Varric should have been available for female dwarf players and Harding for male dwarf players. Still don't know how Iron Bull was chosen for a LI, and not many asked for a male qunari option. Female qunari was far more requested.

[Jedi Master of Orion]

I really wouldn't have preferred Harding to be restricted like that. I don't really mind that her romance, as an npc, has less overall content than the companions and advisers, but it should at least conclude in a way that isn't an unclear cliffhanger. 

[Thermopylae]

I've got nothing against dwarf romances, honestly, I would watch a romantic version of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. It would be great. 

But romancing Scout Harding, beyond, "Good job Scout Harding" is kind an abuse of privilege, she is the face of the actual workers of the Inquisition, cute but out of bounds. 

[Jedi Master of Orion]

Everybody in the Inquisition works for the Inquisitor. It's not like all your companions are highborn or have any kind of real authority in or out of the Inquisition itself.

[In Exile]

OK so getting back on topic. Trespasser is now the last chance to get any clear Lace romance content. We do know she's in it. And my understanding is that she does have some kind of a role in it. Didn't somebody say that there was going to be a new tavern song about her character?

Conceivably there could be any number of things that happen. Maybe she and the Inquisitor will finally have a moment together. Maybe they'll just kill her off to simplify the equation. Or maybe she'll just act like nothing ever happened and there will be no more flirt icons. It's going to have been 2 years later anyway, wasn't it? That's perhaps a bad sign.

Whatever happens, I'm actually more concerned about her not being in the Keep. That basically means for any future installments, any romance attempts might as well never have happened at all.

Trespasser isn't out yet. If it adds the romance content it will presumably be followed up on in the Keep at a much later date, as DAI itself was followed up on.

[Jedi Master of Orion]

Well Inquisition itself was added to the Keep very quickly compared to it's release. Frankly, I think she could have been added to that. But Harding aside, Mike Laidlaw seemed to say that there would be decisions to be made anyway in this DLC.

[Jedi Master of Orion]

Well Mike Laidlaw confirmed in an interview that Scout Harding isn't getting any special moments or further development in Trespasser. 

 

I guess this means she's officially someone who leads people on for no reason. 

 

EDIT: I think in retrospect I might have even preferred Bioware have her to shoot the Inquisitor down like Aveline does with Hawke, instead of ending up in a weird unclear unrecognized unresolved state.

[myahele]

Hopefully it won't end up like the Vega "romance"