76 réponses à ce sujet

[nightscrawl]

I'm not huge on head-canons, as I prefer tangible canon over most head-canons. So I see people creating these elaborate head-canons without even knowing the canon of the game (ie. so many people are already going into depth about Ryder for ME:A) and it confuses me. Or, they'll create head-canons that completely nullify some of the game's canon. (ie. I once knew someone who created an Inquisitor who was one of the elven gods reborn, who was fully aware of who he was.) That kind of thing also confuses me. I mean, good on you being creative, but I'd never be able to do it.

 
I'm totally with you. I have headcanon material, but ONLY if it can be supported, or just not refuted, by the game itself. If I don't have that boundary, then it just doesn't seem "real" to me, doesn't seem like a part of the world. For example, I have a headcanon that my Inquisitor was badly injured in the fight with the last dragon in Emprise du Lion. There is nothing in the game to support this, and I can't add the giant scar he gets on is back, but neither does the game say that it's a thing that can't happen. After all, he does recover and go on to defeat Corypheus either way.

 

Another example would be that I didn't like the post-Mythal conversation with Dorian. I wrote a fanfic to "fix" it for myself. I didn't change the conversation as it happens in the game, but made my Inquisitor reflect on it and bring up the issue later on. The result of that conversation doesn't change what eventually happens, Dorian still goes back to Tevinter after two years and also leaves in Trespasser. But that fic and headcanon allows me to have a more nuanced discussion as part of the relationship, occurring off camera, that would be more realistic for the situation.

[Andraste_Reborn]

I do a mixture of one and two, especially if I'm playing a game for the first time. I don't want to imagine too much detail because I don't want it contradicted by the game, but I can't start with nothing, either. So when I started Inquisition I knew that my Cadash was going to be a Carta assassin who didn't believe in the Maker or much of anything else and was initially reluctant to join the Inquisition, let alone lead it. Everything else about her developed as I played the game. (I settled on the backstory about her becoming disillusioned with the Carta after killing a kid by accident before she romanced Blackwall and learned his backstory, though. Sheer serendipity!)

 

When I play an RPG a second/third/tenth time, I usually have some specific outcome I want to see, so I metagame like hell and build my roleplaying around that. LIke, I knew I wanted an Inquisitor who romanced Solas and drank from the Well, so I made her an elfy-elf mage.

 

A lot of my more interesting characters start with trying to work out what kind of person would make some decision in the game. Back when I was going through Origins, I had trouble coming up with a motivation for someone to side with the werewolves and kill the elves until I played a casteless dwarf who hated being betrayed or lied to after his origin story. He murderknifed so many people!

 

I never play self-inserts (boring!) and while I've been inspired by other fictional characters, I've never lifted one outright.

[Big I]

Mostly 2 (winging it) with a healthy dose of 3 (self insert).

 

I like to play non-humans, which means I'll never be able to completely map my own experiences onto a character. I don't know what it's like to be a qunari, or a Circle mage, or whatever. How do qunari sleep in a bed if they have Arishok-like horns? What does it feel like to transform into a swarm of insects, or a bear, or a giant spider? I've no idea, but I try to intuit how my character would react based on the information the game gives me.

 

That said, I also don't play "not me", i.e characters that depart too far from what I, the player, believe. I've never sided with the templars in any DA game. I never pick the "for the evulz" options in games. Some people might find it enjoyable to play a character diametrically opposed to their own beliefs, but I'm not one of them.

[Chiramu]

I can't roleplay in Dragon Age playthroughs, the dialogue choices break any roleplay immersion ><.

[Ieldra]

A mix of 1, 2 and 3, with weights varying between characters.

 

For my human mage Inquisitor, I made a detailed profile based on what we knew about the backgrounds at the time. For most other characters, I only made a broad concept in order to have a basis from which to make early decisions, and made up the rest in the course of the story. Independently from that, there are some traits in which my characters tend to be like me, mainly because I can't play the opposing traits without feeling the character isn't my character any more. For instance, I can't play devout or stupid characters. Either they become very much less so in due course or I lose interest in them. Also, while I can play "necessary evil" types, I find it hard and not especially fulfilling to play malicious characters. In that, my characters also tend to be like me. 

 

As for self-inserting, it is, as a matter of course, easy to make decisions the same way I would make them, and thus my character would become more of a self-insert. I tend to fall into that pattern wherever I don't see a point in avoiding it, especially with characters who aren't like me in some important preferences and values, since I still have to anchor them to me in order to be able to play them. In that, rolepalying in a video game feels different from acting out a pre-written story. Since you don't influence anything in a pre-written story in the first place, you don't feel like betraying yourself if you play out character traits otherwise anathema to you. I don't know if I'd be able to play a devout character in a pre-written story since I really don't get that mindset, but I'd be willing to attempt it. In a video roleplaying game, I'm usually not willing.

[phoray]

I was playing through Fall out 4 the other day and was thinking about Role playing in general.  And thus this thread.  How do you play your Inquisitor?  How do you roleplay them?  

 

1. Intricate Head canon built from the Ground up: 

 

Whereas you spend a long time developing a backstory for your potential character either before the game comes out or before you start a playthrough.  Coming up with intricate back stories, family histories, character and personality details to infrm how the character will react to certain situations in the game, all the way down to varying degrees of coming up with facts about the character before hand.  

 

2. Winging it as you go: 

 

Whereas you don't start with any back ground information at all, or a bare minimum (usually determined by the game itself) and you just go through the game making decisions.  The objective is to role play your characters, but instead of allowing massive character pre histories to make up your mind you let certain touch stone moments and choices through the game make the choices and inform what your character is likely to be.  For instance if your Inquisitor comes across a group of villagers and the choice is to save them or not save them, and you chose to save them, that might indivate your character has a loving and kind heart.  And might effect them in future installments.  

 

3.  The Dreaded Self Insert

 

Whereas you play as yourself.  Well yourself with either space armor or fantasy armor.  You choose.  

 

4.  The even more dreaded Celebrity Insert

Where you try and play as Jon Snow.  In either looks, or right down to their relative personality.  

 

Is there any I missed?  How do you role play your Inquisitors?  All for fun.  

 

****

 

I had never in my life role played a character in game until I finished DA Origins the first time (as a city fem elf) with the burning desire to be Queen Cousland; and immediately started round 2 of the game. Short Answer? After writing the book hidden behind tags, I do a combination of 1 and 2, heavy on the 2 because I conform to the boundaries/limits the game places on the player.. But it could be argued that I'm a (3) self insert on all of my first play throughs. I would find it hard to not react with my gut and purely conform to a character I had built and choose things that I might find distasteful personally on a first playthrough.

 

My DAO characters

Spoiler

So, first PT of DA Origins I had no clue what I was in store for. I picked City elf because it was the only background origin that sounded like it had emotion to it; some angst. I kinda had my heart on my sleeve this whole game, really reacting in the moment. My elf freed herself of the castle, killed the stupid rapey noble, and turned herself in for her crimes when soldiers came; expecting that she would be put to the death with no regrets for her actions. Was pleasantly surprised to be saved from death by conscription, and embraced her new life readily, almost eagerly, considering her own mother had been some awesome rogue elf lady. She hadn't really been keen on the arranged marriage, although she always kept the wedding ring in memory of a man who had lost his life trying to save her, even if she and he hadn't fallen for the other yet. Accepted all helpers, came to adore her friends, and Morrigan ended up being her soul sister. Alistair won her heart with a rose and great lines about lampposts in winter, his goofiness, and his child like hurt... and we remained Wardens together with Anora alone on the throne and Loghain dead for his elf selling sins and utter failure at trying to rule a country. although there was respect for him earned when he accepted his loss with so much dignity. It was epic, I was eager for more.

 

2nd PT. Because I had the burning desire to be Queen, my character also wanted power and was a tad ruthless, but not evil.. Because I hadn't tried out any of the other romances but Alistair or any of the random NPCs sex scenes, I decided she would also be sexually promiscuous. I think that's pretty much all I had when I began; the pieces fell into place amazingly well. As a female noble in the origin story, you can flirt heavily with a male noble with the implication that you'd try to hook up later; you can sleep with the elven servant, you can stack the romances, as a rule, in Origins (Cousland did Leliana, Zevran, then Alistair). And she absolutely had Zevran on the side- of her loving romantic Alistair marriage, you better believe it. However, what hooked me into role playing for good was the fact that the Cousland family is attacked by Arl Howe; I pushed myself to really imagine her perspective and decided that how she would react was ... well, she had to save the world, but if there was an opportunity to hurt Arl Howe, she would take it. When she saw him and Loghain in Denerim, she was unapologetically vicious with her words and nearly started a battle on the spot. When the Antivan Crows said helping them would hurt her political foes? She was just disappointed she couldn't assassinate Arl Howe directly and instead had to settle for one of his friends. (whereas my city elf was totally against the idea of assassination.) And when it came time to kill Arl Howe in his castle, she ordered her companions to back off and she battled him one on one. The gleeful satisfaction of his dying comments? Honestly, my Queen Cousland doesn't have words; it was more than mere satisfaction.  Loghain also had to obviously die for his hand in the murder of her family, so there the dislike was far more personal than for my city elf but it was also a given considering all the other sins and a requirement to get Alistair on the throne. And I was there with her all the way.

 

My third character, Abelas, a dalish archer I haven't finished yet. I actually kind of dislike the Dalish, personally, but thought if I went back to basics, maybe I could appreciate them.

 

-I decided he would be gay. -That he would eventually fall for Zevran. Ya....that was pretty much the only things I picked about him.

 

But then! Oh my gosh, Tamlen, his childhood friend was the perfect target for an unrequited love for a male Dalish elf, my Abelas, who hadn't come out of the closet yet. Great! And Abelas as a name? I just liked the name from DAI but then when it turned out that Tamlen, the source of an unrequited love and childhood friendship for Abelas that I'd chosen, then actually died? That Abelas had also been tainted by a magic mirror? And that it was either leave his clan forever or die of the taint? Could it have been any more appropriate to have named him that (Sorrow)? Amazing. It's like the story writes itself sometimes. Because of all that happened, he is now going to be a gay Dalish archer that resents the hell out of being a Warden. Has angry outbursts from a grief he can't share with anyone.  I also decided he would let Sten out because anger at people being locked up, disrespect towards human law, and no one should be executed via Darkspawn. And because of the magic mirror thing ruining his life and killing his friend, he is very suspicious of magic. So now there is all that, and I am excited to see where this personality with layer of trauma goes. So, sometimes thinking about a single decision (like whether he would break Sten out of his cage) forms aspects of the character's personality for me as well was what is happening to the character specifically..

 

 

My DA2 characters

 

Spoiler

 

My first PT is after I have just finished two DAO playthroughs back to back. New material, new people. I lean towards diplomacy any first game, so I was mostly a green Hawke. I loved playing rogue in Origins, so I was rogue Hawke. The game was pretty much telling me to love my family, so I did. In general, I root for the losing side, so I went mages. the plot line wasn't like absolutely awesome, but the companions were amazing. I kind of kept up the sexually promiscuous thing, not wanting to be locked in on anyone unless I had to be, but when Anders said he'd been thinking about my Hawke for three years (Isabella and Merril romance just seems a little spur of the moment) I was sold on him. So, you can imagine what those three factors got me; a family focused Hawke had their heart ripped out, a mage freedom loving Hawke was constantly frustrated by the worst examples of mages ever, and an Anders loving Hawke? I ranted for a solid ten minutes, yelling at Anders at my screen for blowing up the Chantry. Then the game freaking asked me to decide to execute him or not, and I decided that Hawke couldn't kill a man she'd been sleeping next to for 3 years....Talk about confliction and feels. But does that make my first playthrough games self insert? possibly?

 

My 2nd PT, I wanted to be a Sarcastic mage Hawke (to experience Kirkwall as an apostate) that friend manced Fenris. I also had read a discussion about who was best to rival and who was best to friend based on how healthy they seemed as individuals in reaction to this. Like, Fenris being less angry if you friend him, Isabella turning a new leaf to goodness if your rival her, Merril realizing she was doing dangerous stuff if you rival her, and Anders not being so brainwashed by Justice if you rival him. I also liked the idea of the challenge of friending Carver; the little brother who just feels so choked in your shadow of awesome. Like, that's sympathetic background right there. So, I guess this was a "Goal" centered game to explore new content without back forthing on the characters beliefs. 

 

I thought all it would require was being a pro circle person; oh ho, not so much. I mean, yes, but it also required you to be anti magic; not pro templar, just anti magic. What I got from this experience is that I loved Fenris being less angry but my character was too hurt when he left her bed never to return so she moved on..., I lost the saucy pirate again because of lack of focus, rivaling Merril just feels like outright abuse, and rivalmacing Anders is where it's at. Also, I found redeeming Hawke's relationship with Carver so satisfying that I can't imagine ever not being friends with Carver; I'd be sad. The drawback? To get these outcomes  went against everything in my heart that I thought was right as a person; also approval mining if it's not natural for you to make these choices. OMG it was so hard to play. I also wanted to see what it was like if I sided with Meredith. I ended up head cannoning so hard on this whole thing. That the choice to annul the circle was an "in the moment, I am so super upset, all these damn crazy mages" decision. Hawke started off numb, then doubtful and nauseous, and then hated herself just in time for Meredith to go crazy. She turned down the vicountess position, left Kirkwall to help Anders get un possessed. However, this is when I started really  getting into roleplay, actually typing/ writing a narrative that ties in the choices in a realistic way for me. I initially was rather dissatisfied with siding with Meredith, but writing it out made it make sense for that Hawke to have done. and so it stuck, and she's now my favorite Hawke, as tragic as she is and in spite of the fact that I would never have made those choices personally.  It also pointed out to me that when I get into role playing a character, they don't always follow my "goals."

 

I next plan a Male Mage or Rogue Hawke that is an angry possessive evil sociopath who enjoys killing the same way "Dexter" does and tortures Anders in an emotionally toxic way. That's my goal but if it the game just doesn't let me do that, it may be toned down... or it may even be that there will be some turning point that makes him less "Dexter". Because I really value the conversation trees and action options that support the Character; I'm not going to pretend there were more options, as I'm not writing totally freestyle fanfiction here. If I wanted to write in stuff that was never there, I'd just go write fanfiction; it'd be faster than playing the game...

 

My DAI Characters

Spoiler

 

So, rolling back time to my first PT. I had researched the romance options in a generally spoil free fashion and was pleasantly surprised to find Cullen on the list. I hadn't realized that he was in both DAO and DA2 (that they were the same Cullen) and I'd been impressed when he'd turned on Meredith when she went nutso. BUT. I knew I also wanted to continue my trend of Warden booty. (Alistair->Anders.) I also had read that I should play a female elf mage because of Solas, but eh. He didn't really get my attention, so I rolled a Female Human Mage because I'd read that being a mage was important. And intended 100% to bed Blackwall and move on to Cullen. Which I did; I just hadn't been prepared for how much betrayal the Blackwall romance held. @_@ my first friend mance of Anders Playthrough of DA2 was what had just preceeded me picking up DAI so my pro mage freedom continued. Anyway, what DAI gives you for background is literally so lacking that I went into this game feeling the most lost. I was definitely "building as I went along", and not in the supportive fashion I find Origins to give the player.  the feeling my fem human mage had was that circle reform was needed but circles need not be abolished. She wasn't close to her noble family at all, but she felt no sadness about it. Agnostic, but open to the possiblity of a Maker. She saw qualities she liked in all 3 Divine's vision of the future for mages, but adored Leliana's. Allied the mages, kept the Wardens, put Briala and Celene back together ( I hadn't read Masked Empire yet.) And she was absolutely horrified when Leliana slit the throat of that chantry sister when she'd said not to. Damn my decision to agree that traitors should be dealt with. Talk about going from "Yay Lels!" to "OMG Lels b crazy!" Got hardened Leliana as Divine. And when Trespasser came along, she agreed with Teagan that the Inquisition should dissolve. Stuff happened-- and she disbanded angrily; obviously the Inquisition was needed but not wanted and keeping it required too much red tape to deal with when trying to save the world from someone who may actually succeed at destroying it.

 

My 2nd PT, the only goal was to try to make a character that would actually be in love with Solas (why? Because Solas is obviously bad guy next game and so I wanted a deeper emotional connection then just friendship.) 2nd goal; a Dalish character that I didn't inherently dislike; both I and m Elf quiz can be a bit like Sera, all this stuff can be a bit too elfy. There be a reason why my first Origins character was a city elf. 3: I wanted a softened Leliana, regardless of whether she became Divine, so I chose that my elf mage was pacifist. 4. Wanted Cass as Divine, so I wanted my elf to like her as a person. So, I did write a bit of a personality thing for her in advance. Respect towards her people; but she was chosen as first for her modern thinking ways. Like the hunter elf in the emerald Graves. " I love my people, but they keep the old wounds raw. It's time to forgive." This idea, it's keeping the clans from flourishing. Agnostic, but definitely not a Maker believer. But darn it if Solas is apparently super anti Dalish.

 

All I managed was "strongly fond of and sexually attracted to" when it came to the goal of Solas. But being an Elf that valued her elven people gave me a different view of the codex stuff I was reading. Made me especially concerned about odd little things, like not killing halla and giving myself opportunity to be indignant at all the anti elf stuff. And when my poor little elf was actually infatuated with Cullen for being so commanding, I had to write to find a way to make the Solasmance work in spite of the fact that it seemed the two of them disagreed about a lot of things.  I haven't done trespasser with her yet; that not absolutely being in love with Solas thing is causing me to drag me feet.

 

3rd PT, Mara the human Rogue had a bit of a Sebastian backstory without the drinking and whoring and absolutely none of the interest in the Chantry, or, really, even interest in being a noble. I wanted her to be selfish and Childish and ignorant of how good she's had it. I wanted to conscript the Mages.. I had planned Iron Bull One night stand to Blackwall breakup to rebound Cullen. What I've got is a gal with no filter who actually does believe in love and the romantic ideals of the Wardens who couldn't break it off with Blackwall even though I wanted her to. She's a true and true atheist and thought everyone was crazy for making her the Inquisitor. But as more and more things keep happening to her, she's really really really growing up. I have a feeling she'll grow into a very strong intelligent woman who would keep the Inquisition together under the right Divine; specifically Cass.

 

[Sah291]

Mostly 2....wing it as I go. I like to let the game shape the character and I just fill in what I think goes with the narrative. As if I were directing a movie. I like the more cinematic feel of rpgs and visual novels.

This probably doesn't count as number 4, because I haven't done it with a celebrity. But I've RP'd as another Bioware character before.

[Al Foley]

 
I'm totally with you. I have headcanon material, but ONLY if it can be supported, or just not refuted, by the game itself. If I don't have that boundary, then it just doesn't seem "real" to me, doesn't seem like a part of the world. For example, I have a headcanon that my Inquisitor was badly injured in the fight with the last dragon in Emprise du Lion. There is nothing in the game to support this, and I can't add the giant scar he gets on is back, but neither does the game say that it's a thing that can't happen. After all, he does recover and go on to defeat Corypheus either way.

 

Another example would be that I didn't like the post-Mythal conversation with Dorian. I wrote a fanfic to "fix" it for myself. I didn't change the conversation as it happens in the game, but made my Inquisitor reflect on it and bring up the issue later on. The result of that conversation doesn't change what eventually happens, Dorian still goes back to Tevinter after two years and also leaves in Trespasser. But that fic and headcanon allows me to have a more nuanced discussion as part of the relationship, occurring off camera, that would be more realistic for the situation.

Exactly what I tend to do too.  I do not like superceding or contradicting BioWare canon.  And I actually had Kara, 1.0, get injured at Adamant Fortress and it added a scar across her cheek. 

[Al Foley]

Mostly 2....wing it as I go. I like to let the game shape the character and I just fill in what I think goes with the narrative. As if I were directing a movie. I like the more cinematic feel of rpgs and visual novels.

This probably doesn't count as number 4, because I haven't done it with a celebrity. But I've RP'd as another Bioware character before.

Really? Which One?

[Sah291]

Really? Which One?

Well I did a DAI run through as "Anders" once, inspired by a fan fic story I read, and after I happened across some character sliders for it, lol. There's obvious stuff you have to headcanon around, of course, but there are some scenes and dialogue bits that were surprisingly appropriate.

[katzenkrimis]

I was playing through Fall out 4 the other day and was thinking..

How do you play your Inquisitor?  How do you roleplay them?  
 
3.  The Dreaded Self Insert
 
Whereas you play as yourself.

The decisions I make in games like this are the same decisions I'd make for myself, in real life.

It hard not to play that way.

For example, I watched a blind playthrough a couple years ago, for a different game. At the start of the game, the guy said he was going to be an 'evil' character. Problem was, in real life, he's a nice guy. So when it came time to make his so-called 'evil choices', he really struggled with it. His entire playthrough was nothing like he said it was going to be when he started.

I'm surprised it was Fallout 4 that got you thinking.

I played Fallout 4, too. But I had trouble thinking.

It was like being stuck in The Truman Show. I hated the world I was in. Hated the quests I was doing.

I hated it so much I had to escape. And uninstall it.

[Al Foley]

The decisions I make in games like this are the same decisions I'd make for myself, in real life.

It hard not to play that way.

For example, I watched a blind playthrough a couple years ago, for a different game. At the start of the game, the guy said he was going to be an 'evil' character. Problem was, in real life, he's a nice guy. So when it came time to make his so-called 'evil choices', he really struggled with it. His entire playthrough was nothing like he said it was going to be when he started.

I'm surprised it was Fallout 4 that got you thinking.

I played Fallout 4, too. But I had trouble thinking.

It was like being stuck in The Truman Show. I hated the world I was in. Hated the quests I was doing.

I hated it so much I had to escape. And uninstall it.

I was just musing over a simple dialog choice Clint, my Vault Dweller, had to make.  Though the nature of RPing is one of the things that does fascinate me. 

[Lazarillo]

For example, I watched a blind playthrough a couple years ago, for a different game. At the start of the game, the guy said he was going to be an 'evil' character. Problem was, in real life, he's a nice guy. So when it came time to make his so-called 'evil choices', he really struggled with it. His entire playthrough was nothing like he said it was going to be when he started.

Personally, the problem I have with many "evil" choices in games is that they are so unbelievably stupid/short-sighted that it just never makes sense. It's not a matter (at least for me) of being too nice for it, it's about how much better the "good" choices clearly are, so much of the time.

[DementedSheep]

Typically a bit of 1 and 2. More heavily 1 on repeats but on a first run you don't how the game is going to let you play your character with dialogue and what will fit well. 

[GoldenKapparino]

I am not sure which category I fall into since I tend to just pick choices at random or if it sounds interesting

[Al Foley]

Personally, the problem I have with many "evil" choices in games is that they are so unbelievably stupid/short-sighted that it just never makes sense. It's not a matter (at least for me) of being too nice for it, it's about how much better the "good" choices clearly are, so much of the time.

In essence you can play an evil character but not a nuanced evil character. 

[TheBlackAdder13]

In essence you can play an evil character but not a nuanced evil character. 

I disagree. I think, with a few exceptions, Bioware is generally pretty good for providing a rationale to make "evil" choices. Certainly not in an arbitrary, sociopathic, Ramsay Bolton sense, but in the sense that you can justify doing things most players would find abhorrent. For instance, my inquisitor was a very ends justify the means person -- so she has no problem doing things like giving Vivienne the fake wyvren heart simply because she doesn't trust magic and mages (and especially doesn't trust Vivienne as a person despite having similar views on magic/mages).  Nor does she have a problem keeping Cullen on lyrium since she needs an effective templar corps to fight magic, stop Corypheus, and then bring the mages in line after he's defeated. (This is probably one of the hardest/most fucked up things to do in DA:I and is one of the few things on par with the "evil" Origins options.) I think that's what makes a compelling "evil" player a la Loghain, the Vidasala, or Solas -- they're doing bad things but they have pretty good reasons for doing them, at least in their heads. At the same time, my character also stands by her loyal followers, which ultimately had her tell Iron Bull to save the chargers even though her utilitarian inclinations strongly urged her to preserve the alliance with the Qunari. Boom -- nuance right there but she still did some pretty "evil" **** (though obviously not evil in her eyes). Bioware gives you some latitude to create a character like this in DA, though I wish there would be more. (I actually wish they would have done this more in Inquistion by allowing things like torture, etc. since the game seemed largely sanitized compared to DA:O and DA2.) 

[Tidus]

None of the above and I head-canon certain aspects..

 

Regardless if its  DA:O or DA:I or any of my top three Final Fantasy games I build all of my characters to match my slicing and dicing game style and therefore all the members of my main battle group is tank..

[Almostfaceman]

Probably more of #2 than anything. I'm too lazy for #1 most of the time. Maybe if I'm high-energy full of coffee and sugar... nah not even then mostly. 

 

With ME, I generally approach the character from how I've experienced a real military professional and how they'd approach the events... which means Renegade is too childish the majority of the time. 

 

With DA, Inquisition, it gets a bit convoluted since you have to play a rather "worldly" Dalish. The whole Dalish dialogue could have been improved... quite a bit. Probably also deserved its own voice actor. 

[Al Foley]

I disagree. I think, with a few exceptions, Bioware is generally pretty good for providing a rationale to make "evil" choices. Certainly not in an arbitrary, sociopathic, Ramsay Bolton sense, but in the sense that you can justify doing things most players would find abhorrent. For instance, my inquisitor was a very ends justify the means person -- so she has no problem doing things like giving Vivienne the fake wyvren heart simply because she doesn't trust magic and mages (and especially doesn't trust Vivienne as a person despite having similar views on magic/mages).  Nor does she have a problem keeping Cullen on lyrium since she needs an effective templar corps to fight magic, stop Corypheus, and then bring the mages in line after he's defeated. (This is probably one of the hardest/most fucked up things to do in DA:I and is one of the few things on par with the "evil" Origins options.) I think that's what makes a compelling "evil" player a la Loghain, the Vidasala, or Solas -- they're doing bad things but they have pretty good reasons for doing them, at least in their heads. At the same time, my character also stands by her loyal followers, which ultimately had her tell Iron Bull to save the chargers even though her utilitarian inclinations strongly urged her to preserve the alliance with the Qunari. Boom -- nuance right there but she still did some pretty "evil" **** (though obviously not evil in her eyes). Bioware gives you some latitude to create a character like this in DA, though I wish there would be more. (I actually wish they would have done this more in Inquistion by allowing things like torture, etc. since the game seemed largely sanitized compared to DA:O and DA2.) 

I don't think me or the poster was neccesarilly implying BioWare, just gaming in general.  Though there is plenty of examples of mustache evil things to do, things which even leap across the neccessarry evil category, in BioWare games.  But generally I agree BioWare, and especially Inquisition, was better at giving you shades of gray then most of its contemporaries. 

[Patricia08]

For me it's mostly 1 and 2.

 

Hey Al Foley a topic from you is this your first one ? 

[BraveVesperia]

I go for a little bit of 1, 2 and 4. 

 

I always start by using another character as 'inspiration'. My character usually ends up nothing like them in the end, but I need a template so I have somewhere to start. That usually keeps me going until I really get a feel for my protag. Sometimes it's a combination of a few other characters. 

 

How much of number 1 I do depends on the character's story at the start of the game. Despite being the first game, DAO gave lots of insight into the character's lifestyle, what kind of mindset they might have, their culture. There were also lots of opportunities to build on that by talking to the origins' NPCs. Similarly, Shepard had two backstories to select during character creation. Those helped me flesh out their personality and motivations. The Inquisitor was much more of a blank slate, so I used what I knew from the previous games (Dalish origin and Merrill) to develop some basic ideas about my Lavellan. Then liberal helpings of option 2, developing her through the dialogue options available and the war table quests. 

 

I've actually ended up developing some of my inquisitors more post-game, because I imagine that all my Lavellans are from the same clan, and Trevelyans are related. Not so much Cadash or Adaar, because I don't feel like I know enough about surface dwarves or vashoth to develop them as much.

[vertigomez]

Well I did a DAI run through as "Anders" once, inspired by a fan fic story I read, and after I happened across some character sliders for it, lol. There's obvious stuff you have to headcanon around, of course, but there are some scenes and dialogue bits that were surprisingly appropriate.

I've seen this done before with Carver, Fenris, and Hawke as the Inquisitor (different AUs, obviously). I love it. I'd like to RP "Inquisitor Isabela" if only so I can have an actual duelist defeat Lord Otranto for Josie's hand.

[Sah291]

I've seen this done before with Carver, Fenris, and Hawke as the Inquisitor (different AUs, obviously). I love it. I'd like to RP "Inquisitor Isabela" if only so I can have an actual duelist defeat Lord Otranto for Josie's hand.

Yeah it works pretty well for the DA2 characters, since some of the plot threads are related, and with Cory as the main villian, etc.

Even my canon Inquisitor, female Dalish, was originally based off Merrill at bit. She turned out different so I can't call it an RP, but I had never seriously played an elf in DA before, so it gave me a reference to start with, like another poster said.

I've also seen people headcanon in their own Warden from DAO, and I could see that working too.

[Al Foley]

For me it's mostly 1 and 2.

 

Hey Al Foley a topic from you is this your first one ? 

No, I have about six or seven of the suckers.