#harps plays datv

[cassiaorsellio]

it's finally time to end it.

[chanafehs]

I think datv was kinda screwed over when they decided to make it a soft reboot - I’m not going to pretend I know exactly what happened behind the scenes but having a soft reboot that is a direct sequel of not only a previous game but a DLC kinda set them all up for failure narratively.

If they wanted to make it accessible for new players, I feel like they could’ve done that in a different dragon age game - one that isn’t a direct follow through of the canon storyline. There were multiple times when I was playing where I had to question if new players would actually understand what was going on if they didn’t have the context of the previous games (maybe this is why they kept repeating things every three seconds), especially when it feels very obvious like they had a set inquisitor in mind.

Just the most obvious example: are new players going to understand that you could’ve had a very low approval relationship with solas? Are new players going to know his thoughts about Dwarves and the Qunari, especially a dwarven or Qunari rook? A dalish rook? New players have no idea what tearing down the veil could look like for people who are not elves as they never played in Hushed Whispers - to some Elven rook players, it might even sound like a good idea.

The inquisitor has been defaulted to having a friendly relationship with him, regardless of if they chose to stop him or not, and it makes it all the more weird when you remember you can’t even do solas’ personal quests if you had low approval. Harding even makes comments about Mythal’s and solas’ relationship that would only make sense if you had the context of solavellan…which is weird because she’ll say that even if your inquisitor isn’t romancing him.

I have seen some others kinda harp on people who say this as “you’re just mad because the game isn’t respecting your headcanons”….well no shit. Also a headcanon is something you made up - not an actual thing you did in game. If I made vivienne my divine that’s not a headcanon, that’s something I was actually able to include with the choices I was given within canon but I digress.

I don’t want to accuse any of the devs of lying, I think EA had a heavy hand in what went into the game vs what the devs actually wanted, but the way this game was marketed was very disingenuous especially in regards to player choices - if John Epler’s thing was “hey maybe we just might not bring up certain choices but it doesn’t mean they’re not canon” then why are there so many bits of lore that invalidates previous choices? Even with the new information that a DA5 would adhere to the choices in the keep…where does that put this game? Is it not canon?

Regardless - I don’t think you should have to read 100 codexes or find every crumpled note in a corner of a locked room to understand a game. When I first played inquisition I understood it pretty well even though I hadn’t played the previous games, even after playing the previous ones, despite what criticisms I may have, I didn’t hate it and I felt like it was an actual successor to the timeline. Datv, for a soft reboot, feels like a 60 hour DLC.

[fade-and-loathing-in-thedas]

I've been thinking about the bioware decision to make only three decisions matter for DATV. I'm disappointed for many reasons—the misleading, the abandonment of storylines set up in dai, the loss of agency, and many others—but I've realised why I personally am so demotivated by learning this. When I make an OC for each game and for each of my worldstates I think about a character shaped by the world created by the choice I made previously. I don't have that for Rook. They will be an OC dictated by the World bioware has decided for me. It has removed some of the joy I have playing these games. I would have honestly preferred a reboot similar to Andromeda, a world completely removed from the choices made in previous games. Why even bring back the Inquisitor, Varric, Lace, Morrigan, Cassandra and Anora if none of the decisions that potentially could have impacted them matter? They have clearly decided what happened to these characters regardless of my choices. It's no longer my Inquisitor or the Varric, Lace, Morrigan, Cassandra and Anora that lived in the worlds I created. Idk. It's disheartening and destroyed some of my excitement because I was planning Rooks and now I'm at a loss. How do I create an OC for my worldstates in a world where bioware has decided what those worldstates look like and my decisions never mattered. They keep harping on about how choices matter in DATV, but it turns out just not yours. Rook, Solas and Bioware's matter and their disregard has really degraded my trust that Rook's will because what's to stop them doing this for DA5. Headcanons are good and all but how does that work when you railroad your players?

Rant over, and sorry for the negativity all.

[bharv]

Sorry to harp on but there are. Some things about DATV that really worry me re: whether I’ll enjoy it or… even be able to play it.

The combat really looks like it might not be accessible to me. And there are accessibility options! But I’m still concerned it will be a step too far into action RPG which I just can’t keep up with, with my hands

The comparisons to tone. One reviewer said it was God of War meets Guardians of the Galaxy and that makes me hurt (thanks @poetikat for turning me on to that review which to be fair is balanced elsewhere in review)

The thing is I know it will be just fine for most. And that’s okay. Lots of people will probably love this game and hey maybe I will. But I don’t love the feeling that any concerns I have and any genuine sadness that I might feel is some sort of betrayal of the franchise.

[camelliagwerm-archive]

i love that in the to-take list of bellara's, she has the jars of spices labelled (spicy), (dwarf) and (human), so i can only assume that elf and qunari spices are the super spicy ones.

[cassiaorsellio]

I GOT IT WORKING

[cassiaorsellio]

good afternoon. final fuckass skill tree just dropped.

[cassiaorsellio]

"you're as much a work of art as this city" yknow what i gotta agree with the butcher on that one.

[cassiaorsellio]

hissera and her three apples tall girlfriend who has to stand on a stool to make eye contact with her.

[camelliagwerm-archive]

how it feels trying to proc perfect defence while elgar'nan and solas are bitching in your head:

[camelliagwerm-archive]

Not sure if I showed it off, but updated body paint/vitaar for Hissera since she now has camp clothes that can show it off better —because it was labelled Veil Jumpers in the files, a friend of mine suggested maybe it could be a pattern Bels designed for her given how...intricate some of it is.

[camelliagwerm-archive]

"it feels like someone's watching us" bellara says, so i open photo mode and

[camelliagwerm-archive]

oh my god finally an outfit that can show off some of the body paint

[camelliagwerm-archive]

prepped a warden save (byron thorne, warrior, they/he) for when i feel like it and that nose is doing so much work?

[camelliagwerm-archive]

tarquin is my favourite shadow dragon because of the interaction he has with maevaris where she's like "you hate being a templar, don't you wanna do something else with your life?" and he's like "it's a job", "but you're miserable". "i don't think a new job will help with that"

like oh he's so me.

[camelliagwerm-archive]

well you didn't need to say it like that harding.