Re: The Dragon Age Thread

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[DRAGON AGE]: What is Blackwall's life like before he meets the Inquisition?

[SHERYL CHEE]: The Blight is ten years past. The Grey Wardens' prominence is decreasing again. The Wardens are known for their vigil; they keep watch for the darkspawn, for the Blight. But Blackwall isn't interested in just watching.  He is absolutely invested in the idea of the Grey Wardens of legend: those who place themselves between the people of Thedas and the oncoming Blight, acting as their shield.



[DA]: Would you say that he sees himself as a defender of the people?

[SC]: To him, that's a Grey Warden, someone who protects others, who takes a hit so someone else doesn't have to. And if that's a Grey Warden, then it's his moral imperative to act, even when there's no Blight. There's more evil in the world than just the darkspawn, and he believes it's his duty to do something about it. He lives by that old saying: "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."



[DA]: How does he become involved with the Inquisition?

[SC]: When the Inquisition tries to get in contact with the Grey Wardens, they find Blackwall. He's traveling on his own, a bit of a loner. But with the world spiraling out of control, Blackwall sees the Inquisition as Thedas's last hope to restore order, and he realizes that he'll probably be able to do more good with its backing than by himself.



[DA]: How would you describe Blackwall's character?

[SC]: He's a veteran. He's been through many battles, many conflicts, and he knows their price. He's aware that in wars, the people who call the shots are often safe in their fortresses. It's the soldiers who die. He's seen people with power abuse it and use it to manipulate others, and he absolutely hates that.



[DA]: How does he view himself in the hierarchy of war?

[SC]: He's not going to put himself above the rank and file. He's not better than them. At the end of the day, after all the talk about good and protecting people, he's going to want to have a round of drinks with the rest of the troops and share stories.



[DA]: What was it like for you to write his character in Inquisition?

[SC]: I had a great deal of fun writing Blackwall. At least part of it was asking why someone might find the Grey Wardens appealing. Why choose to be part of that? A heroic sacrifice is still a sacrifice. What sort of person could decide that dying for something is better than just living?

And I would love to say more, but I won't. Ask me again in October.



[DA]: Being good and just can sometimes rub other characters the wrong way. How does Blackwall fit in with his fellow companions in Inquisition?

[SC]: There are definitely characters that Blackwall enjoys the company of more than others. While he always keeps a close watch on his conduct, he loosens up around certain people. There's also the possibility that his relationships may change over time.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[DRAGON AGE]: What was Vivienne's life like before she met the Inquisitor?

[MARY KIRBY]: She was, and still is, the official enchanter to the Imperial Court. Now, mages in Thedas can't hold political power, so the post was almost like a glorified court jester—someone to do magic tricks on command.



[DA]: That sounds a bit humiliating for someone with her power. How did she deal with it?

[MK]: Vivienne took the job and turned it into an advisory position for the Empress. She claimed her place as a respected, and sometimes feared, member of the court instead of as an oddity, and she got used to telling the most powerful nobles in the world what to think about magic and mages.



[DA]: All’s well that ends well, right?

[MK]: And then the Circle shattered, a war started for the Orlesian throne, and someone ripped the sky open. So… could be better.



[DA]: How does she come to join the Inquisition?

[MK]: Vivienne is not the sort of person who would sit back and watch while the world crashed down around her. The Inquisition is the only group even trying to stand against the chaos. So she resorts to the only logical course of action for a courtier: she throws a party for them.



[DA]: What was your favorite part about writing her character?

[MK]: Vivienne was fun to write because she let me play around with different ways for a character to be powerful. Any mage can destroy their enemies with fire and ice, but Vivienne can rip apart her opponents verbally, politically, socially—and make ice seem like the gentlest option.



[DA]: Does her personality conflict with her fellow companions, or does she fit right in with the Inquisition?

[MK]: She takes great pride in her work, and her interactions with a certain unnamed Inquisition mage can be a little… explosive. In a good way. Mostly.



[DA]: Vivienne doesn’t sound like someone you’d want to tangle with. Can you share an example of how she interacts with people who get on her bad side?

[MK]: Certainly.



My dear ambassador,

I don't believe we've met, so allow me to introduce myself. I am First Enchanter Vivienne, enchanter to the Imperial Court of Orlais, personal advisor to the Empress.

A rumor has reached my ears that you plan on attending the salon held at the duke's summer estate three weeks hence. I'm certain this rumor must be a scandalous falsehood, Ambassador, as neither you nor anyone else from the Nevarran embassy has been issued an invitation. As host of the party, I trust you did not intend to crash it like some unwashed workman drunk on three tankards of ale and a dare.

I know you are only seventy-third in line for the Nevarran throne, but that is hardly so lowly a position as to relegate you to trailing after Comtesse Montbelliard in the hope that she might give your suit a moment's thought. She won't, my dear. She only likes men with self-respect. Perhaps you might sober up and acquire some?

I'm sure I don't have to tell you, Ambassador, that the world has become a dangerous place. Wars rage across the continent, the sky is torn open, and many say the end of the world is upon us. During such chaotic times, it behooves those of us in power to aid in the restoration of peace and the establishment of order. Lives have already been lost; should we not save those we can? In that spirit, I give you this friendly warning: I am not to be trifled with. I would not be in a rush to hasten my own demise if I were you, darling. If the demons have their way, it will come soon enough.

Most sincerely,

Madame de Fer

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[DRAGON AGE]: Dragon Age fans will remember Cassandra from the previous game, but for those meeting her for the first time, who exactly is she?

[DAVID GAIDER]: Cassandra is a member of the Seekers of Truth, the order that led the templars away from the Chantry to battle the mage rebellion… but she is also servant to the Divine, the spiritual leader of the Chantry and thus all of Thedas.



[DA]: Does that ever force her to pick sides?

[DG]: She is part of both worlds, and when those worlds come into conflict, she chooses to stand with the Divine because, as she sees it, the Divine is seeking to end the chaos rather than add to it. To her fellow Seekers, this makes Cassandra a traitor, but it puts her in a position to be there when the Inquisition is founded, to do what needs to be done.



[DA]: How much has Cassandra changed since players last saw her?

[DG]: When Cassandra met Varric in Dragon Age II, she was convinced the world worked a certain way: things were black and white, good and evil. If there was a problem, there was a distinct cause behind it that could be dealt with.



[DA]: And now?

[DG]: What we find in Inquisition is a Cassandra who's realizing the world doesn't work like she believed it does. Her duty is not absolute, and perhaps neither is her faith. Having doubt need not make either of those things weaker, however, and that's the path that Cassandra has to now walk.



[DA]: How do other characters in the game see her?

[DG]: I think there's a big difference between how others would describe Cassandra and how she would describe herself. She can come across as very stern and rigid, perhaps even humorless, but then she'll surprise you with a wry comment or a bit of sarcasm. The things she has real passion for, she holds secret as she doesn't believe putting them on display is very seemly. There is a sense of propriety and duty in Cassandra that some of the other characters simply can't resist poking at until they elicit a reaction.



[DA]: What is Cassandra like on the battlefield? Does she run toward danger head on?

[DG]: It depends on where the greatest danger lies and who is threatened. She's very practical in battle, and far more oriented toward protecting the helpless and innocent before any other consideration. Fighting is not about having style or showing off; it's a necessary means to an end.



[DA]: She sounds like a noble ally.

[DG]: Cassandra does what she believes is right and just, and holds those values as more important than things like law or duty. If she needs to rebel against tradition in order to drag the world kicking and screaming back into a semblance of order, then she will do it. Once Cassandra commits to a cause, she jumps in with both feet, and the Inquisition is no exception.



[DA]: What did you enjoy most about writing Cassandra's character?

[DG]: At heart, deep down, Cassandra's a romantic. If you called her that, she would completely deny it, but it's absolutely true, and it made her quite fun for me to write. I don't think I've made a character quite like her previously.



[DA]: Would you say that Cassandra is easy to get along with?

[DG]: There are characters she sees eye to eye with, The Iron Bull being one of them. Vivienne is another. Even with those two, however, there are particular points that will cause contention between them—the Inquisition's cause is up to the player, after all, and involves a very disparate group of people, and thus none of them are going to be on exactly the same page. Of course, there are also some characters with whom Cassandra very much does not get along, and that can cause some tension, depending on who the player tries to take along.

[Norlond]

@Sera: She sounds like a character I could like, with her idgaf-policy towards authority, her living-in-the-moment way of life and also not taking anything too seriously until really needed, I can relate to those things
The only doubts I have is her writer... Kristjanson wrote Aveline and Carver, and I hate those two, especially Carver, but we will see, maybe he'll do better this time, and I hope he will, because I kinda want to like Sera (just, maybe change her hairstyle a bit, please? I mean, I could get used to it after a while, but it still looks kinda weird, at least give me the option to customize her hair or smth? Don't make me use mods BW, I usually never mod your games, and that is saying a lot)


@Iron Bull: BW's attempt at making a likeable Qunari I guess, which I appreciate from a writing-point of view, but from a player point-of-view I still hate Qunari and IB will most likely not manage to redeem them in my eyes...
Also sending reports to the Qunari? Yeeeeah, how 'bout no? I'd even have refused to give that scroll in MotA to Tallis at the end, if Gaider had given me the option to do so...
Well, maybe I can get him to become Tal-Vashoth? Then I could become drinking buddies with him, because if we look only at his personality, he seems like a cool guy

Edit: @The others: Eh... they seem a bit... bland
Blackwall is your stereotypical lone paragon hero, Vivienne sounds like an arrogant bitch and Cassandra... I dunno, she might develop into something better over the course of the game

Also: "as she sees it, the Divine is seeking to end the chaos rather than add to it."

"Most Holy,

The Seekers are well aware of the part you played in the rebellion. You call me to the Grand Cathedral in the middle of the night on “urgent” business only to speak of trivial matters? And then, when I return to the White Spire, I discover chaos . . . and one of your agents in the midst of the apostates." - from Lambert's letter

Silly Cassandra, open your damn eyes

[Rifneno]

Blackwall is a walking cliche, but he's the kind of walking cliche I tend to enjoy.  I look forward to working with him.  Not much more to say.

Sera worries me a great deal.  I have a feeling I'm going to hate her.  As Nor mentioned, Kristjanson wrote that self-righteous bitch Aveline.  The main reason I absolutely detest, abhor Aveline is that no matter how perfect, pure, and saintly selfless you are, the irritating bitch never, ever, under any circumstances, not for one solitary fucking jiffy, stops lecturing you about doing good and TEH LAW and all that crap.  I could write volumes on how much Aveline sucks, but the point is that the same writer is giving us a character with this description: "She's never had the chance to get in early and make sure those heading to the top stay humble."  This does NOT bode well.

Vivienne sounds... interesting.  It could go either way.  On one hand she seems rather pompous.  On the other hand, a squadmate that verbally owns your enemies is one of the most fun things you can have in an RPG.  For example, you guys recall Noveria in ME1 when you're getting Lorik's evidence from his office?  That bitch security guard from earlier meets you there and talks trash and says "You think you're walking out of here?  Do you know what we do to cop killers on my world?"  Every squadmate except one makes excuses and justifies what Shepard's crew did, pointing out it was self defense against cops on the take.  That one squadmate, Wrex, makes no apologies.  He tosses her own line back at her, "Do you know what we do to dirty cops on my world?"  I always, always take Wrex for that line.  It's a fucking thing of beauty.

Cassandra... meh.  We'll have to see.  I'm not sure what to expect from her.  If she intends on keeping with the Chantry's oppressive ways, she's going to end up in a shallow grave right quick.  Though I do disagree with Nor's remark regarding the Divine.  While I'm the last one to defend the Chantry, Lambert is the kind of epic megacunt that no matter what she did to him, it had to have been good and justified.  He's basically Meredith except without the excuse of being possessed by Frostmourne.  Same "I was nice to mages earlier in my life and it turned out bad so now SUPER TRIPLE OPPRESS ALL TEH MAGES ALL TEH TIME!  THROW MOAR DoTs OPPRESSION!  THROW MOAR DoTs OPPRESSION!"

Iron Bull is either overdue for another round of indoctrination (Arishok's words, not mine) or they're doing some retcons with Qunari culture.  Because that is simply not the attitude of the Qun.  Qunari are all business, all the time.  They are only allowed to drink alcohol at specific, very rare celebrations.  They don't get blackout drunk for fun like races that have a soul do.  They don't have sex for fun, they have it for reproduction only.  Furthermore, the wording there strongly implies that he'll be a LI and that's something else that's massively against Qunari culture.  The idea of bonding in romantic love and using sex as an expression of it is simply so alien to Qunari that they're literally confused by the mere idea of it.  So they're trying so hard to make a likeable Qunari that he's not even a Qunari anymore.  Which shouldn't be a surprise I guess, since it's impossible to make a likeable Qunari.

[RavenEyry]

Sera worries me too, not for the writer though, but I generally dislike the 'wild free spirit that doesn't play by the rules' type. Like Jack for instance, I am not a fan of her in ME2 at all.

All the others really depend on the writing so I'll wait and see for them.

[ZerebusPrime]

Mostly I want to pair Varric with the Iron Bull just to see how often Varric calls the Qunari out on their crap.

[Rifneno]

Sera worries me too, not for the writer though, but I generally dislike the 'wild free spirit that doesn't play by the rules' type. Like Jack for instance, I am not a fan of her in ME2 at all.

All the others really depend on the writing so I'll wait and see for them.

That is... not how I would describe Jack.

Mostly I want to pair Varric with the Iron Bull just to see how often Varric calls the Qunari out on their crap.

Varric isn't even aware of most of their bullshit. He just knows they're a bunch of fucking terrorist scumbags. I doubt he knows all the shitty, asinine restrictions in Qunari life that we only know from developer Q&A's.

[Byne]

Iron Bull is either overdue for another round of indoctrination (Arishok's words, not mine) or they're doing some retcons with Qunari culture.  Because that is simply not the attitude of the Qun.  Qunari are all business, all the time.  They are only allowed to drink alcohol at specific, very rare celebrations.  They don't get blackout drunk for fun like races that have a soul do.  They don't have sex for fun, they have it for reproduction only.  Furthermore, the wording there strongly implies that he'll be a LI and that's something else that's massively against Qunari culture.  The idea of bonding in romantic love and using sex as an expression of it is simply so alien to Qunari that they're literally confused by the mere idea of it.  So they're trying so hard to make a likeable Qunari that he's not even a Qunari anymore.  Which shouldn't be a surprise I guess, since it's impossible to make a likeable Qunari.

Is it possible that maybe Ben-Hassrath who are intended to be spies are encouraged to do stuff like this so as to fit into wherever they're spying, and not stand out like a regular humorless fun-hating Qunari would? If so it could be that Iron Bull just enjoyed it a bit too much.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Is it possible that maybe Ben-Hassrath who are intended to be spies are encouraged to do stuff like this so as to fit into wherever they're spying, and not stand out like a regular humorless fun-hating Qunari would? If so it could be that Iron Bull just enjoyed it a bit too much.

This is quite probable. I mean, look at how Tallis acts. I certainly wouldn't have pegged her as Qunari based on her actions.

[RavenEyry]

I shouldn't have laughed at this, but I did. Heavily.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Somebody did something similar with Sera's.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[Rifneno]

"If this is all just the Maker winding us up, I hope there's a damn good punch line coming." - Varric
"If this is all just the Maker winding us up, I'm going to beat him to death with his own innards." - Rif

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[Rifneno]

Remember when developers could communicate in ways other than Youtube?

[Hanako Ikezawa]

Remember when developers could communicate in ways other than Youtube?

I can link the magazine articles too if you want. I just did those because they were new and had new info that previous articles or videos didn't possess.

[CoolioThane]

I love FPJ. Iron Bull is now my first choice for companion

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[DRAGON AGE]: Varric is back! That's the good news, but what kind of trouble has he gotten himself into this time?

[MARY KIRBY]: Remember in Dragon Age II how Varric was being interrogated by Cassandra, who was working with Leliana and a large number of folks wearing eyeball symbols?



[DA]: Of course.

[MK]: That was the fledgling Inquisition. Divine Justinia V had questions, and Varric was the guy with all the answers.



[DA]: Ah, so his reputation preceded him. Do you think he's starting to regret that?

[MK]: Well, in Inquisition, he's still answering a lot of pointed questions. If he hadn't already figured this out at the start of his meeting with Cassandra, he's definitely finding out now that sometimes it's not so good to be the guy connected to every part of the story.



[DA]: After all that Varric has endured—being betrayed by his brother and interrogated by Cassandra spring to mind—are things finally starting to look up for the poor guy?

[MK]: In Inquisition, things are definitely worse for Varric in just about every possible way. He's hundreds of miles from home.  Not a friend in sight. And the things that are happening around him are apocalyptic.



[DA]: Varric just can't seem to catch a break.

[MK]: Remember, this was the guy who found the Wounded Coast too far out of his comfort zone. Snark and wild stories are all that's going to get him through this ordeal.



[DA]: Varric's trademark charm is probably his most visible quality, but what would we see if we dug a little deeper?

[MK]: Thedas knows him primarily as a storyteller, but Varric is first and foremost extremely loyal. He tells stories to rewrite events he's lived through and make them less senseless, the people in them more inspirational, and to drag some meaning out of the mess that surrounds people he cares about. It doesn't always work. But at least he's turned Cassandra into a Hawke fan. That's something.



[DA]: He seems to have a way with words that keeps him out of unnecessary altercations.

[MK]: Varric would always prefer to talk his way out of trouble. He isn't as enthusiastic about leaping into battle as Cassandra or the Iron Bull. But he's completely confident in Bianca and her ability to get him out of any fight in one piece, and he's always willing to show off. He loves an audience, and he especially loves making everyone around him envious of Bianca.



[DA]: Since this is your second go-around as Varric's writer, is there anything that you're particularly pleased to have written for him?

[MK]: I got to write my favorite scene of the entire Dragon Age series this time. It may involve a game of Wicked Grace. I won't spoil it.



[DA]: Varric is one of the more popular characters among the Dragon Age community. He's a pretty easy guy to get along with, but how does he fare with his new travel companions in Inquisition?

[MK]: Varric will at least try to get along with most people in the Inquisition. People who are not Cassandra, anyway.



[DA]: Oh?

[MK]: He's still kind of bitter about that whole "book-stabbing interrogation" incident.

[Guest]

Just bought the last story DLC I needed - Mark of the Assassin. Felt kinda dirty to do so. It wasn't even listed on the Origin DLC list, but I had to order it from BSN and THEN it.. strangely... appeared on my Origin DLC list. Whaa? Looked online and there has been complaints about this for over a year now. WTF?

Also high quality textures set up.

Maybe both bf and I can play both games fully this year, in prep for DA:I. Chances are I'll get that game, but maybe on discount and maybe in later 2015. May prioritize upgrading my computer first, even though I'm pretty sure I could play DA:I on at least Medium settings as it is.

[HYR 2.1]

Kudos, LDS a.k.a. Selim a.k.a. Hana-whatever hentai character. The DA:I section at BSN is so crowded that I missed this stuff.

So the options at Warrior are: an old fool, an idealist fool, and a security leak. Well, at least this decides what class I'm playing first, though I really wanted to roll mage and check out the two new specs.

On the upside, Vivienne sounds awesome. One of my Hawkes (mage, no less) was RP'ed around a very similar general concept: the shrewd political power-player. Sera sounds cool, too, though I'm bummed she's F/F only. And Varric is, well... Varric.

[Hanako Ikezawa]

[ZerebusPrime]

And I suspect I have just seen my least favorite character out of the group.

I could be wrong, of course. There's still time. I ended up liking pretty much every character in DA2.

[Guest]

I'm the opposite - I think I'll have Cole in my party almost all the time.

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