I don't think I can get banned for condescending tone
I dunno, I got a warning for having an overly aggressive tone. It was over a year ago but it's still there watching me, judging me 
... So the model of the quest is overplayed (the models for almost all RPG quests is overplayed, including "go talk with this NPC/go find this NPC". It's not the game mechanics that matters, but what we gain through it, in terms of story or gameplay), but the quest of "an NPC looks for lost child/spouse/friend/lover - and now it's time to deliver bad news" isn't?
I've seen the variation of Ruck's quest in at last 3 last RPGs I've played. It's hard to have an emotional impact when I know exactly where the story is going. "Seen this, done that".
It's also hard to tie oneself to an NPC I only see for 10 seconds, which is why "poor mother searching for her son" doesn't really do much for me, since I just see writers trying to pull those emotional strings. In that regard quite a few quests that pull emotional strings don't work for me at all in any game, since I know what they're trying to accomplish from storyteller's perspective.
I, personally, need more meat on these bones.
And you know what? The dying templar in Suledin Keep actually does a little something for me. He was lying there predominantly for expository reasons - to give us an insight into Imshael's methods of turning templars into lyrium abominations, alongside what we discover in the mines. But his confession about being given a choice he would simply not make? It has impact.
It not only reveals the cunning and cruelty of Imshael, but also provides some insight into the dying templar's character: he'd rather die or be turned into a monster than would consciously make a choice that could save him. He died, but in a small way he was triumphant and brought a spark of humanity into people who suffered the fate of being turned into a red templar.
This, Addictress, is good writing. Short and to the point, but has many layers in itself, aside from pure exposition.
You say you like a story with more meat (so do I) but...the dying templar one doesn't exactly have that 
and you only see him for 10 seconds which you just said you can't feel anything for an NPC in that short time. We've definitely seen a "find the missing loved one and return with the news" many times before but the "guy refuses to submit to evil guy and dies" or the "clear evil demons out of this ___" is extremely common as well. Just because you liked it doesn't make it objectively good writing. When I played that quest I felt "meh, seen it before" and I found it hard to care about some random mook (of which I've been killing by the score for the entire game). If a side quest doesn't have a lot of interaction, an engaging story, multiple outcomes, interesting characters and so on (and IMO this one didn't) then it should at least give me some small roleplaying opportunities to define my character. Even something as small as trying to help the guy (even if it's in vain), putting him out of his misery mercifully, or leaving him to die slowly would have made it more worthwhile to me.
For me DA I do a over all better job. I mean i love DA O since is was the first, but ppl always speak about decision that affect the game, but really Origin not do a better job that Inquisition on it. Most of the important decision on Origin become a A vs B situation and have 0 impact on the ending, yeah yeah HoF die or no or whoever kill the archdemon, but no meter who u recruit, u always win. There isnt a fail scenery or something that make Mage over Templar better or Werewolf over elf.
Um...DA:I only has one ending, no choice affects its' ending, in DA:I you always win and every choice in DA:I is an A or B equivalent. There is no benefit of choosing Celine over Gaspard or exiling the Wardens vs keeping them, etc...
Retour en haut
