Dragon Age 2

[Remus Lupin]

Yeah, really the only sitation where it would make emotional sense for you to side with the Templars would be if Bethany had died earlier in the game. Though clearly, had you romanced a mage, and particularly if you'd romanced Anders, the call would be much tougher.

Of course, morally, you'd be supporting genocide, which is why I think it's tough to justify siding the templars under any circumstances.

 

[stonegod]

I mean, to side with the templars you have to go against either your own sister (unless she got killed) or yourself.

Actually, if Bethany is in the Gallows you don't have to kill her.[sblock=Spoilery, though lots of that has been done already]My rogue hated blood mages and had seen enough that she thought a purge was needed, even if it meant possibly killing her sister. Before you get into the Gallows, you can opt to save some mages that surrender (Cullen likes this option).

In the Gallows, when Orsino talks about how he was going to use Quentin's research, you can point out that this is the of the guy who killed your mother which pretty much turns Bethany against him (and gets her on your side). Its written pretty well.

Oh, and then you become viscount [/sblock]

 

[stonegod]

Of course, morally, you'd be supporting genocide, which is why I think it's tough to justify siding the templars under any circumstances.

Oh, its definitely not an easy choice, but with all the Blood Mages popping up, even if the Circle didn't specifically do the Real Bad Thing, there's enough evidence that its pretty festered.

(And, you don't have to kill everyone, though you don't know that going in).

Still, I'd side w/ the mages more often then not (though someone blows even that support at the end....)

 

[stonegod]

After a playthrough w/ each class, I got to say rogue is still the most satisfying (dual dagger). Mage is still pretty fun and strategic, but stabbing someone to death is just peach. Sword and Board is just too boring for me.

Can't comment on archery or two-handed; I enjoyed two-handed in DAO and it appears its still similar enough here.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Yes, the fountains of blood and dismembered bodies from my rogues single attacks were pretty cool, though my wife didn't think so. She was passing by as someone exploded and I heard say "ugh!" from behind me.

Next playthrough, I'll probably go warrior, but then also try siding with the templars to see the alternative ending.

 

[drothgery]

Of course, morally, you'd be supporting genocide, which is why I think it's tough to justify siding the templars under any circumstances.

It's tough to support either side, it's just that supporting the mages seemed less bad. Like I said, if given the option, my PC would have broken her sister out and skipped town (which Isabela would have been all for, so no problems with her love life). Or more proactively, moved into the Viscount's manor and told any mage or templar that thought that what was going on was crazy to follow her, let Orinso and Meredith's fanatics take each other out, and then move in to clean up what's left.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Yeah, I tried to just unilaterally make myself Viscount at one point, and it seemed there was some political support for ... something ... but it didn't go anywhere, or hasn't yet. Maredith of course immediately quashed my attempt to take over the post.

That's really my big complaint about the game, your choices are a bit too constrained at times, forcing options that didn't make much sense and foreclosing options that would have been more in character. It's like they had two or three big plot points they wanted you to get to, and didn't much care how little sense your options made for your character if they got you there.

 

[stonegod]

Happens often in BioWare games, esp. Dragon Age ones. My Dwarven Noble in DA:O really should have been able to crown herself Queen (she had the crown and the edict to "appoint whoever she sees fit", but that wasn't allowed).

 

[The Serge]

I've played BG, BG2, PS:T, and other old Bioware PC games and I love them. I played DA:O and love it. And I've finished DA2 and I love it too.

While I have no problem with folks not liking something, what I've found with most of the complaints is consistency relative to experiences in the games I mentioned above. Complaints related to things like linearity or lack of interaction with Companions (NPCs you can use in combat) are absolutely idiotic to me. In BG2 what was going to happen at the end was going to happen at the end... You just controlled how soon you got there and how powerful you were (not so much if you didn't do the tons of optional quests, really strong if you did). You had to go to Brynnlaw and you had to go to the elven place. You were going to fight Irenicus and you were going to kill him.

As far as the whole managing inventory or making certain class selections for your Companions, while I love that sort of stuff as much as any other rpger, I always thought it was funny how much control I have over someone who's not an embodiment of "me." In case no one noticed, you have complete control over Hawke's attire and inventory and you almost complete control over your Companions'. However, that control is limited to who they are. In DA:O, desite Wynne being a Healer and a staunch opponent of demons or blood magic, you could STILL make her a blood mage if you desired because you controlled her. Such a choice really makes/made no sense in that game given the moral implications of the choice. In DA2, you can't make Aveline something she's not. She's a guard and a soldier and she will always be that during the ten year duration in Kirkwall.

In any event, DA2 isn't perfect. There should have been more choices about who Hawke fights, particularly towards the end, and I thought making every Companion (save Sebastian) bisexual was asinine, but I thought the game's story was far more personal than DAOs and that the graphics and fighting were much more kinetic and enjoyable.

I'll be playing it again at least 3 more times.

 

[Remus Lupin]

Sheesh, here we're having a nice conversation and you go throwing around words like "idiotic." Ok fine.

To be clear, I love the game. And I understand that the narrative flows toward a particular end game or set of end game options. My point was simply that what those options were and how you arrived at them ought to have better taken into account who your character was and what kind of things a character such as yourself might at least have attempted to do. There were a number of points at which I just felt like the choices with which I was faced didn't match up with what a rational person, even in a fantasy world, might have done.