#maybe this IS what Bioware wanted to avoid

[hiddenbeks]

oh also in other news. i finally finished leviathan the other day

[momochanners]

After a good night's sleep, I think I can better solidify my thoughts in regards to the Dragon Age trailer.

First, let's start with the positives:

- Companion diversity: This has always been part of the series' DNA that has been clearly depicted with every iteration, so those who cry foul over "Asian & Black elves", prosthethics, etc etc...I really don't get that, because values and sensibilities evolve over time. Even the series itself has course corrected when needed, eg. Player character creation influencing the family ethnicity of the Couslands in DA:O vs the Hawkes in DA2.

- Unlocked romances: Letting players choose whoever they want to romance regardless of their sexuality and race has always been a positive for me. Allowing everyone to enjoy the experience equally is great (and I'm sure the nuances of player race & gender will be addressed through dialogue and banter). Moreover, CRPGs are long and time-consuming, so to be locked out of character romances mid-way through is never going to be a good time (from personal experience and observing fandom in the past).

Now the negatives:

- Maybe it's me being on the older side of the Bioware fandom (15 years in Dragon Age, 20 years if you count older games like KotOR and Jade Empire), but I cringed very hard watching the trailer. If you followed the development of this game in the past decade, the cancelled live service element that was to be DA4 in one of its iterations was so all over the way the companions were introduced that it brought out a visceral reaction in me. The tonal whiplash from how foreboding Dreadwolf was presented in the past to the patronising happy quippy MEET OUR LITTLE GUYS YOU'RE SURE TO LOVE also did not help as a first concrete look of what to expect after all this time (also poor anachronistic choice of soundtrack when you already have Trevor Morris' compositions right there). I was so dismayed when they went with a looter-shooter-esque lighthearted vibe when they could've leaned hard on the foreboding established mood and momentum they've already got going with Dreadwolf. 

- The branding switch this late in the game that comes with it, especially one as drastic as this will always come with questions and ambivalence. I feel that mitigating uncertainty from announced changes (party number, combat mechanics, setting and environment, etc) should've have been prioritised to reassure existing and lapsed fans before appealing to new ones in such a jarring way.

-  I'm simply baffled at the marketing suit who signed off on whatever this is to be their "best foot forward" at reintroducing the final form of this game? If only there were confident with the world they've already built instead of relying on trendy gimmicks, the amount of damage control I'm seeing prior to the gameplay reveal tonight was so avoidable. Controlling the narrative from the get go is so very important especially now as opinions can easily snowball overnight into behemoth-like proportions especially from bad faith actors. You would think that lessons were learned from DA:O's "THIS IS THE NEW SHIT" and DA2's "Press a button, something AWESOME happens" debacles.

(The thing is, despite it being my least favourite DA out of the three, imho Inquisition has the best marketing campaign in the franchise despite the developmental troubles going on in the background. So it has been pulled off successfully before!)

- I think the Bioware layoffs, especially the recent extensive gutting of senior staff in September 2023, significantly depleted my goodwill as a fan. To see Varric being paraded as a mascot in the trailer, game promotion and supplementary media while having his creator unceremoniously let go after years of building the franchise we love left me so very cold. And it's a me problem, but seeing many other fans barely acknowledging that save for few hollow words before getting back into the fun frustrated me so much. I get being excited to finally get something solid after years of false starts, but with what was lost along the way...I personally don't feel right to approach this installment without cynicism.

Idk, I'm just a bundle of conflicted feelings over this series I guess? When it's so good, it's really good and stays with you as memorable gaming experiences that stays with you for life, but when it stumbles and fumbles the bag...it hurts to see.

[possessedopossum]

The Veilguard: my full review [positive, long post, less about game mechanics and more about meta, spoilers]

The thing that makes Veilguard special to me is how self aware the game is. In every dialogue, plot twist or quest I can feel the presence of somebody who wanted to share something with me. Be it personal experience, message, pain or joy. As of 2024, many games have lost their creative spark. Video game industry is no longer a nerd only zone, it's a business no different than others. Many studios utilize AI to write their plots, chase after current trends or simply make decisions that would create the biggest audience possible at the expense of something people love the franchise for. Veilguard did well, because it showed me something I haven't seen in a very long time: the human soul.

Perhaps you have noticed it on your own. The world has gone completely nuts after the covid. Or maybe it has always been this way and I only noticed it now. It is not a surprise to me that players want their game to be darker, to have more aggressive dialogue and to have a morally grey or even evil protagonist. For the past few years I've been feeling like someone had turned the lights off. And the game gave me an impression that someone at bioware feels this way too.

Only negativity gives content creators views and money these days. Open any social media, read any post or watch any video. If something is on top, it's almost always a hate post. What was the last movie most reviewers enjoyed? The last game? Perhaps the one that was released 10 years ago? What was the last time, you, my dear reader, have smiled? Not bitterly or sardonically, but out of genuine joy?

It is extremely fitting that Rook's mentor figure is Varric. Varric is somebody who always sees the best in people. He grew up in one hell of a city but he still loves it. He can find something to laugh about no matter how dire the situation is. He is a people person who can build friendship with anybody. Varric is very charismatic and tends to avoid conflict. He is a chronic liar but that doesn't make him bad because he never lies with malicious intentions. And in some ways, Rook is similar to him.

Yes, Rook can't be a complete asshole. Because the game is not about being an asshole. One of our antagonists, Solas, considers the world to be sick. Modern Thedas is a grave mistake that haunts him. He can't forget and move on because even the elves themselves wear his mistakes on their faces. Many things that are normal to the player character aren't normal to Solas. The world is so wrong and disgusting to Solas that he is willing to sacrifice things and people who are dear to him just to make the twisted world better.

Rook is nice because they are supposed to represent what is good in modern Thedas. They are supposed to be somebody who thinks the world is worth fighting for. And to a certain extent, their factions as well. The crows are contract killers and the lords of fortune are thiefs. Grey wardens are very concerned with politics and all the secrets they refuse to share constantly get people killed. Mourn watch has their immoral power hungry politicians as well and veil jumpers are sometimes willing to trade people for ancient secrets. They all aren't without sin but that's not the point. The point is, even with all the ugliness and darkness, there is still a place for light. And the light in the darkness is the exact message bioware tried to convey. The crows not being comically evil is not bad writing. It is a conscious writing choice to give us a human face for something we consider ugly and not worth fighting for. The player is metaphorically Solas, who needs to be persuaded that the world is worth at least something. The writers didn't need to bare the souls of player factions in all their mistakes, imperfections and cruelty. Because they showed us the factions' humanity. Some cruelty is still there, on the background, but it doesn't overshadow what is good. The crows, no matter how terrible, are a family. Viago may call Rook an idiot and while Rook considers their training literal torture, they sure love Viago back.

In fact, familial love is one of the core themes of the Veilguard. We have Emmrich and Manfred, Davrin and Assan and uncle Endrin, Lucanis and Caterina and Illario, Taash and Shathann, Bellara and Cyrian. It's a bit less direct with Neve and Harding. Neve has a lot of love for her city which is almost like a person to her, and Harding...I'll explain with a quote. "You're Lace Harding! You're more than this rage! You believe that the world is beautiful! That people are good! Hold onto it, hold on to who you are!".

Even the evanuris share the theme of family. Rook can compare Elgar'nan and Solas to relatives who can't get along. Elgar'nan calls Ghilan'nain his sister. Both shards of Mythal consider modern elves her children. Different but no less beloved, as Morrigan puts it.

Veilguard shows family without rose-tinted glasses. It shows that sometimes to love your children is to sacrifice something else you love (Lichdom for Emmrich), that parents have their own problems that may harm their children no matter how much parents wish to protect them (Shathann understands she is not the best mother and has complicated relationships with the Qun that harmed Taash), that sometimes parents do not understand their children at all and it's only up to children themselves to close the gap in understanding (Mythal, Solas and Rook), that familial love and desire to protect your family may turn into something ugly (Caterina being cruel to her grandchildren to prepare them for harsh realities of the antivan crows).

There is conflict in Veilguard, of intergenerational nature. Companions and their families, Rook and their faction leader, elves ancient and modern. It's up to the player how to deal with the last one. Humans, dwarves and qunari may not share blood ties with ancient elves but they still live in the world ancient elves created. As Rook, you're allowed to lash out in anger at Mythal and Solas. You can call Mythal guilty of all modern problems and fight her. You can bind Solas to the veil by force, call him asshole and express your frustrations with him multiple times throughout the game. You can also express sympathy and forgive them both. Because forgiving is neither condoning nor condemning, it's understanding and letting go. Being understood and allowed to peacefully let go of his mistakes is the exact thing that Solas needs to change his mind.

I believe that the Veilguard companions are one of the very best I've ever seen in a video game. They may not have as many different fates as for example Alistair has but is goodness measured with the amount of ways a character can be killed? I love the Veilguard crew because they all feel very real. Their personal problems are universal and very close to the player. Taash's story is not about being non-binary. It's about growing up, finding your place in the world, separating from your family and learning to appreciate it despite the mistakes your parents did while parenting you.

It's hard to decide who is my favorite. Taash's story made me cry but so did Harding's and Bellara's. The last scenes of Lucanis romance made me feral. I can't stomach the scene where Davrin and Assan die. The consequences of destruction of Minrathous/Treviso were hard to look at. I felt guilt, and if a game makes me feel something, it's a good game. I laughed, I cried, I was afraid and I felt joy, I was angry, I felt shame, I felt love. The game made me feel alive, I played through Rook's story like it was my own, what not to love about it?

The double blight wreaking havoc in Southern Thedas is sad but beautifully symbolic. Almost like a love letter from a long lost lover, It felt like bioware's meta commentary to me. "Yes, a whole lot of time has passed. We are no longer as young as we used to be, and so are you, not only the player, but our treasured friend as well. We have changed, you have changed and so did the world around us. Gaming and the video game industry are not what they used to be. We will never be able to go back no matter how much we want it because the only path that is left is the path forward. It doesn't mean that we no longer remember our shared past, no. We may not be able to go back but we promise to remember it fondly. We are still capable of creating beauty and the past will serve as a foundation for something new. We still have hope, and so should you".

The Veilguard to me is about nostalgia as well. I don't want to feed my inner Solas who sees the current world as sick. I want to make space for my inner Rook who is hopeful about the world just enought to fight for its future.

[lesabear]

Thoughts on Veilguard

TLDR: If empty calories were a video game it would be Dragon Age: The Veilguard. The game is a pleasant enough - if generic and unremarkable - action RPG that basically abandons the themes and feel of the previous games, resulting in a bland story that largely avoids dealing with anything that might remotely cause conflict in the party or force the player to consider anything other than surface level good-bad morality.

If this is the direction they're taking DA, then I think I'm done with the franchise. If I wanted a generic, thematically uninteresting, action RPG there are so many other games to play.

Spoilers in my detailed thoughts below

The good:

It looks very nice - I wish I could have spent even more time exploring the world areas.

Very few bugs or technical issues unlike Andromeda (or most new games in general). I had a few minor issues near the end but overall was very impressed.

Manfred and Assan are great secondary companions. If anyone knows where to find a skeleton and/or griffon friend please let me know.

I quite like Emmerich, Davrin and Bellara and romanced the latter two and (Generally) really liked both. Disclaimer: I tend to have different tastes than the majority of DA fandom when it comes to romances. I expected to have mixed feelings on Bellara because of my issues with Bioware and their cutesy awkward naive/inexperienced female characters but I thought they (mostly) got her right.

Some interesting lore stuff, though I quibble with how it was delivered at times. Still was fun to get a lot more info on the Evanuris, Solas, Mythal, the Titans, etc. And there's also some fun lore stuff in the codices, although again I question whether that's the best way to deliver them.

The final mission is a lot of fun and the clear standout quest other than Weisshaupt maybe. Both are a lot of fun and combine multiple story elements with good gameplay for a satisfying experience.

Combat is engaging although it does get repetitive once you "solve" it. I did a lot of grinding to complete content though so that might be my fault.

Solas is very Solas-y in the game and the highlight of the antagonists by far. I wish there had been more of him and I say that as someone who finds the Solas fandom somewhat exhausting at times. He was far more interesting and compelling than the "even-worse" gods and the fact he's a fuck up who keeps making things worse because he's an egotistical fuck-up who thinks he's the only one that can fix things was is both tragic and fun.

Neve-Lucanis and Taash-Harding are both very cute. I actually think they might be my favorite companion romances off the top of my head (Tali-Garrus does absolutely nothing for me, and I don't even romance either character with my Shepard).

The not good

Why is the Inquisitor wearing pajamas.

Bioware can fuck off for making me pop about a zillion blight pimples. It's really not that much fun after the first 1000

Extremely disappointed with how sanitized the narrative is. There's little attention paid to major facets of the DA universe that are directly relevant to the plot (religion, Tevinter slavery, racism toward elves etc.) and you also get stuff like the Crows now being far lighter of an organization than they were previously.

Just as an example - both Davrin and Bellara touch on what it means to have their gods be the villains but they're just topics for conversation and there's no meaningful impact (especially as the bad guys rely on Antaam and Venatori forces - oh and generic mercenaries). The Dalish are just there (or victims of the bad guys) for the most part. I've read comments from Bioware that confirm this but it seemed obvious Bioware wrote themselves into a corner with making Elven gods be the main antagonists, as you then run into the issue of having the elves not only already be a persecuted minority but also be worshipping evil gods - but instead of writing around it they just avoided dealing with it and acted like it's just the Dalish getting a big win by not joining them.

Speaking of enemies, lots of bland dialogue from the non-Solas big bads. And the Venatori/Antaam/mercenaries gave off major "Cerberus in ME3" vibes - nameless, faceless goons thrown at you in waves that got very boring very quickly.

The way a companion gets hardened because of a choice early in the game is mostly meaningless unless you wanted to romance them. People getting mad about that happening are being ridiculous - if anything the game is too afraid (as usual) to have it actual matter beyond them briefly being upset before moving on.

One of the big choices is to decide whether to protect Treviso or Minrathous when both are attacked by dragons, but it happens so early you might lock yourself out of quests without realizing it. Worse, the ensuing mission is incredibly short and boring (basically a couple of packs of generic enemies and then a very brief dragon fight)

Why is the Inqusitor wearing pajamas.

Why can't I be a mean/"bad" Rook? Even the jokey responses feel super tame compared to previous DAs (let alone the borderline assholish purple hawke). Basically you're only allowed to be slightly different variations of a heroic figure.

While the companions are all nice they all top out at "I like them", with none matching the story or emotional peaks of previous Bioware games. Emmerich comes closest (especially if you account for Manfred) but there's just enough meat to him.

Disappointing romances compared to previous Bioware games(especially but not limited to Lucanis.). Not a ton of depth dialogue wise and at times it feels like they put more time into the companion romance than the Rook version (this time I am definitely talking about Lucanis).

Speaking of which, Lucanis was the biggest disappointment of the companions. I didn't want a Zevran clone but you have a hardened assassin possessed by a demon who (if you choose not to save Treviso, which cuts off a lot of his content) just drinks coffee and likes Neve and uh....

Completely forgettable soundtrack which is a major bummer after previous installments. Also, while I didn't have many technical issues, the music not always playing was one of them (although maybe it doesn't really matter given the lack of quality!)

Bad to horrendous incorporation of previous DA story which was also incongruous with the general tone, especially with the handling of the Inquisitor and the treatment of southern Thedas (especially if you get the Emmerich and Harding picnic conversation at an awkward time like I did.)

Lots of disappointing cameos but especially from my Pirate Queen/Wife from DA2. Isabela's hat is indeed very nice but what is that outfit? And I get they didn't want to deal with too complex a world state but man was it a bummer to see her basically reset after everything her and Hawke went through in my main DA2 playthrough.

Why is the Inquisitor wearing pajamas.

What did they do with Harding? Why did she basically get Dagna's story, even if Titan lore is interesting? She's such a nothing character in this game which is such a weird choice given that she's clearly there because they know fans like her.

The "Actually Varric was dead all along" did nothing for me. He barely shows up in game anyway and the weird framing of every appearance and the fact no one other than Rook ever interacts with him gave it away (at least partially)

[paletigers]

DAI and My Questions as a Trans Guy

So, I recently got into Dragon Age again (thanks @/fullgoob) and I've been sitting here with a thumb up my ass because I really would love to write a fanfic about Solas but I feel like I'm not there yet.

To any DAI fans, or DA fans in general, do we know how Elven and Dalish culture view trans people?

(Long thoughts ahead and very sleep deprived thoughts:)

We obviously only see transness through the lens of the Qun and Krem. (Only speaking to DAI, I haven't played the other games yet.) In the Qun, people are put into gender based on their role in society. In a conversation with Cassandra and Iron Bull, Iron bull states that women who are warriors are considered "men" under the Qun solely based on their role. He also sees Krem as a, for all intents and purposes, as a man not because of his role but because of who he is as a person and because he's just a great guy and cares (poor wording on my part, sorry). Now whether or not the Qun is "progressive" for this isn't what I'm curious about.

I'm curious on the rest of the party. We don't get to see or hear reactions of Krem's gender from anyone else besides Cassandra and Bull, but it's more about Qunari society and less about Krem, and Cassandra makes neither a positive nor negative remark.

So, to make a long story short and get to the point: How would Solas feel about a trans inquisitor? And adding onto that, how do the Dalish treat transgendered people/transexuals? Homosexuality is more "accepted" in Southern Thedas, but the Dalish are really keen on keeping tradition alive and passing down their lore, so I would assume that 'bonding' and child bearing is important one way or another. The acceptance of homosexuality would be on a case to case basis.

I really don't know how the Dalish would treat transgender people, however. I would assume that for the most part, as long as you are fufilling your duty (whether you are to be a keeper, hunter, mage, etc.) it wouldn't bare any issue. The issue of child bearing and keeping up the population and passing down the gift of magic would pose a question, but so would it in the case of homosexuality. I assume that as long as population numbers are steady and there is no active threats against this, trans people and gay people are fine. It would varey from clan to clan.

Now, Solas. I really can't get a read on this guy. I would like to believe he would be accepting (just cause I, unfortunately, love him) but I don't really have any justifications for this (I also don't have justifications for the opposite either, not trying to be negative, lol). Sera, from her point of view, sees the Lavellan/Solas relationship and says Solas probably shouts "Elven glory!" during sex, but that's just from her perspective as a City Elf with her biases towards the Dalish. The most I can gather from my single playthrough of DAI is that Solas would, probably, be super understanding about it. He doesn't have much connection to this world at all, much preferring the Fade, so maybe being transgender is just a new concept to him. Or, maybe it's completely normal, since spirits in the fade just... mimic the lives of mortals. Spirits are completely agender, just encompassing a specific purpose and fufilling that purpose, they have no use for the concept of gender. AND THEN... we know Solas is only straight because Bioware wanted to avoid a negative trope and have him not be bisexual. Because IF Solas lives with agender beings ALL THE TIME then why would he care if the Inquisitor is a woman or not?!

So, as I write this currently, I think I have come to a small conclusion:

I don't think he would "care" in a negative sense. I don't think he would be rude or crass, or even angry about the inquisitor coming out as trans. I don't even think that current canonical straight Solas would care if he was in a relationship with female Lavellan and Lavellan came out as a trans man to him. I think he would probably consider this natural and completely not "odd". Probably would say some shit about how in the fade, a lot of his spirit friends don't have gender either. I feel like he's a guy who just GETS it. He would probably have questions about like, the bodily process of transitioning (I still don't understand how the body magic works. Is it like magical HRT? Do they do like, magical T shots or rub magical T gel? Is there puberty blockers? Do you even have to do voice training? Someone please tell me) and would try his best to understand. If he got rid of your hand could he perform top surgery? Just like rift fade them off your body? Would you trust Solas to do your top surgery? I think I would.

Anyway. Let me know if we got any other opinions or stuff to add onto this. I really want to write some transguy fics with him because there is a SEVERE lack of them on AO3.

[lyriumrain]

~•~•~•

"We didn't want to invalidate anyone's worldstate"

But you did. By virtue of trying not to step on any toes, bioware ended up stepping on everyone's toes. Some people didn't care, and hey, shout out to you if you had no problem with any of the decisions made in Veilguard. But ultimately (and understandably!) a lot of people did care and were disappointed. Of course, you were never going to make everyone happy, and I'm gonna go as far as to say you were never going to make *most* people happy - not completely.

So, that being said, if disappointment was guaranteed no matter what - I would've preferred that they be bold. Bold in the sense of making some decisions for us that make the experience of the game better, more fleshed out. And unfortunately, given that they didn't have the time nor resources to implement most major player choices, that would have required for them to canonise various events. Which they did end up doing anyway ironically, by trying to avoid player choice, they inadvertently made certain choices canon, and I would've preferred that happen by intention.

For example, characters like Isabella were hamstrung by their inability to even mention Hawke or how close she was to Varric - until the very end that is, with the limp "this is for Varric!" comment. The Isabella (and Hawke if we're being honest) most of us know would've busted down the door of the Veilguard the moment she'd heard Varric had gone missing, even if she hadn't heard he'd died.

And yeah, they are correct - making decisions for us would make some people mad. But as long as it was written and executed well, it could be forgiven and praised in the long run. But, i also understand that's scary, and a gamble! Maybe the devs didn't feel like gambling after all the stress and pressure of the mismanagement of the project. I wanna make it clear that I am amazed the game is as polished as it was at launch. I am amazed this game came out at all. This is just my "schlub on the sidelines 2 cents" opinion.

[pimenita]

I finished DATV so here are my thoughts:

First a bit of context: I became a dragon age fan around ten years ago, after playing Fable and looking for games that had a similar feel (and my 2 GB RAM PC could run) I knew DA Inquisition was out but there was no way my PC could take it, so I got Origins and holy shit… my 2010 PC could barely handle it too. When I tell you that the game craawwwled, that the best I could squeeze out of my computer was a stutter and that every quest must have taken me at least 3 times the normal amount of time they should have taken.

Dragon Age Origins is still one of my favorite games of all time, and as someone who joined the party very late, I'll admit experiencing that month of waiting for DATV was very exciting. After completing the game, I'll say the enthusiasm hasn't died down but not because the game is amazing, it's because DATV worked for me: it gave me what I wanted while avoiding most (most!) of the pitfalls of working on the 4th installment of a series that is close to being 20 years old.

We all know how turbulent the development of DATV was and how close to being cancelled for real it got. Is nothing better than the game we got? Not to me, I enjoyed it, I had fun, I'm still playing it (on my 2nd playthrough right now)

What saved DATV for me is what saves most everything for me: the characters. Some had good arcs, some had great arcs, and some were… there. But I never felt like they were a drag to be around. I like how they interact with each other, I love that nobody is calling anybody a slut or crazy (finally) because I get conflict, believe me, it's always fun to have your little guys wanting to kick one another's ass, but there was something so insidious in the way some conversations would go (Aveline and Isabela, just about every chat with Sera) that had me thinking it was more than just two characters tearing into each other. It was like the writer's barely disguised actual beliefs, if you know what I mean.

That being said, I know I'm not the only one that felt like some chats were too hamfisted, too on the nose—someone called the game Dragon Age: Friendship is Magic and I'm still laughing. I've seen the idea of "therapy speak" being used in books in ways that break immersion and I couldn't help feeling like some interactions the companions had were clear examples of this. What makes it weirder in my opinion is that the guys at bioware know how to write compelling conflict that makes sense and has a satisfying resolution. Let's take for example Lucanis' and Davrin's spat after the team fails to kill Ghilan'nain: they throw barbs at each other, then when they cool off they realize they were being asses, so they talk it out and make peace. Like adults, like a hardened assassin and warrior would. It adds to the conflict, it adds to the story, and it informs us of the type of people they are. Then there's Emmrich and Harding discussing a camping trip and waiting for my Rook to pick a side, and I'm like: dude you're both old enough to compromise? Also why do I care what you do with your time when we aren't fighting gods? Appalling stuff. Scrap it, think about better banter.

Then there's the huge elephant in the room: why is Thedas so sanitized? Is this the result of new writers not knowing enough about previous games?—it could be, they don't even know who Zevran is.

Or is it executive meddling?—maybe, there's a screenshot going around of the writers on bluesky (I think) where they vaguepost about critics of the game being right and how they (bioware team) fought against stuff that was included regardless. So, who knows.

On this front I will only reiterate that I'm glad Zev didn't show up. I already side-eyed Isabela (and also Taash) for her ideas about "treasure hunters" (read: pirates) and how they are actually good guys if you think about it (please, don't think about it too hard). Which, fine, let's say they really believe this, the same way the Crows believe they are freedom fighters or another vaguely Latin American coded thing; I understand that people entrenched in a system can truly believe what they're selling, but where's the other side of the coin? Where's the chats about the hurt they inflict on others to achieve what they want? The Crows have that one guy that ends up being a corrupt politician, and the Lords of Fortune… well, they are there.

Dragon Age is such a centrist series that I have heard just about everything about it. That it loves elves, that it hates elves, that it's pro-mage, that it's pro-templar. And it's because it has so many different factions that defend their ideologies that you can't say for sure what the writer's feelings are on the subject (and also because it's centrist, both sides are wrong bull most of the time). I swear I love Dragon Age; it's only because I care that I point out this stuff.

But that's the thing, I'm ok with both-sides-are-wrong fiction if it means it won't be a black and white take full of good guys telling me how good they are, while the bad guys twirl their mustaches evilly. And, unfortunately and except for a few cases (Solas) I feel like DATV dropped the ball here. Actually, I'm also fine with bad guys going full camp (Hezenkoss is one of the best parts of the game) just, you know, it has to be intentional, otherwise it feels like bad writing.

tl;dr DATV has very high highs, and very low lows, and I would've loved a more polished game, but I enjoy what we got and I will keep replaying it because of the companions and because it's a fun little game… most of the time at least.

[d035th15mak3m3l00kc00l]

Return to Andromeda

I'm back playing Andromeda, because maybe Veilguard was more like it than I remember? Maybe I'm being more critical than it deserves?

(I'm not).

I got swept into my internal story like Bioware used to be able to inspire. My favourite play is romancing Reyes up until he gets Sloan killed (I don't really need to warn for spoilers for a game this old do I??), then breaking it off from the hurt of the deception plus the shitty position he puts Ryder in, then ending up with Jaal.

I just love the story. I can see Keema saying to Reyes "You need to tell them." And Reyes saying, "I will. When the moment is right." Knowing he's being a coward, knowing Keema is right and he risks losing Ryder if he doesn't come clean. He figures he'll get Sloan out the picture, then approach Ryder with the truth, and a gift; the ability to put down an outpost, with his promised protection.

But fate intervenes.

He didn't expect Sloan to bring the Pathfinder to the meeting. Sloan has not been welcoming to them before then, and Ryder showed no friendliness to her in turn. But of course; the outpost. The wildcard. Sloan played it, using it to have the Pathfinder at her side.

Everything is set up; he can't change the course now. And if it was cowardly to hide the truth from Ryder before, it would be even more cowardly to run now. He has no choice but to put on a brave face. He plays the part he's written for himself, hoping Ryder chooses not just him, but a better future for Kadara.

They do, but he loses them in the process.

He knew Kadara would come at a cost. There's a price for everything. He thought he knew what it would be. He keeps up the brave face, but it hurts more than he could have predicted. There is so much he'll never be able to tell them. They put the distance between them, hurt in their voice. He should have trusted them.

He lies to himself about deeply buried hope for the future. Maybe, maybe, maybe he can earn their trust back. What they had between them was special. There is no one else in the galaxy like Ryder.

For Ryder, it was a devastating moment. They feel unclean, thinking again and again about how they could have warned Sloan, knowing that it was an impossible choice. Why couldn't Reyes have told them the truth? They could have avoided the whole situation. Why couldn't Reyes have had an honest duel? Was there really so much at stake he had to use such underhand, dishonest tactics? They wished they'd never been there. When they leave the planet they resolve to do everything in their power to never return. They want to forget the whole mess happened.

They throw themself into work, trying to make choices that make them feel like an honest person again. They tell the Moshae that Akksul can be saved. They want to believe it, believe that no one needs to be left to die again. They take comfort from the trust their teammates have in them; there is only honesty here. It's safe. No matter how they feel about Kadara, it seems like when they're in control of the decisions the right ones are made.

And then Akksul points a gun at Jaal's face.

In the moment they see another person dying, another death because they do not act. But Jaal is telling them to trust him, and it is his life. They hesitate, and Akksul takes the shot.

He misses.

It was the right decision again, but this time it feels like the opposite side of the coin to Kadara. The person who was facing the gun made the choice and the whole time they knew what they were walking into. When Jaal rests his forehead against theirs, the ocean of fears recedes.

With Jaal, they are healed. There's no subterfuge, no games. He wears his heart on his sleeve. He communicates with them, eagerly and openly. They know how he feels, where they stand. They are a team. He goes where they go, and they listen to him in turn.

Reyes will hear about it from his contacts; how Ryder and the Angara ended up together. He hopes they're happy, knows that Jaal is likely better to them than he ever was. He knows from his contacts that Jaal was highly sought after; that he is deserving of the Pathfinder's love. But it stings nonetheless, and for the rest of his life he'll see them as the love that he lost, no matter what his future holds.

[anti-eluvians]

First Veilguard playthrough thoughts! Spoilers obviously. I started writing things down about 24 hours in, most of which was exploring the maps and avoiding plot (as is tradition).

Overall I loved it. Obviously. One doesn't cry for twenty minutes over a world they don't care about. Or write however many words this post ends up about events that didn't affect them.

Post introduction- I'm really worried about Lace. She's taking everything too hard and I don't know if I can save her without romance.

Bellara is so cute and so smart, but basically Merrill if Merrill had been supported. That romance may appeal to me later but not on this run

So they really put something to steal on the very first aravel we can ever board. Really? Really???

After D'Meta's Crossing- the chat with Varric where he comforts us about the hardship of leading and says he met us during our faction's catalyst event. Doesn't that make him this game's Duncan? So all Rooks happened but only the one he was WITH got recruited? I love and hate that because we know what happened to Duncan.

Solas said the Blight we've dealt with since Origins is a tiny fraction, and that his rebellion drove the Evanuris to turn to it as a weapon. That sounds a LOT like the time Andruil went too deep "into the Void" and Mythal had to beat her ass to cleanse her. So WHO or WHAT is in the Void that actually created the Blight? Is it Titans?

If the lyrium ritual dagger is such pure lyrium dwarves wouldn't work it... is Rook gonna be okay carrying it around??? Clothing is not enough to protect someone from lyrium poisoning! Are we gonna start hearing the song and hallucinating like Origins Templars?? Honestly I would love that lol

I'm quite pleased that my pre-game take on Rook has panned out! My Rook chose to join Varric & Lace on their mission so she's not nearly as weighed down as my other three leads. Warden was forced to Join or die. Hawke was forced to flee and stumbled into infamy trying to protect their family. Inquisitor picked up the wrong rock and was shunted into their role as Herald/Inquisitor. Rook could have said no, but chose this path. Having had a choice is so freeing!

Reading that Lorelei (the Shadow Dragon vendor) was from Denerim is the second time I cried. Loghain sold her into slavery before the Warden could rescue her and I feel, weirdly, personally responsible for failing her.

I can't believe Lucanis is so charming and doesn't even try. I can take him out with anyone and they get along. Not sure yet if that's a HIM thing or Bioware avoiding the friction of Anders/Fenris and Vivienne/Blackwall.

So the Dalish and Veil Jumpers know that the Evanuris sucked actually. That is AMAZING for me because I've wanted my Lavellan to shout what she learned (from the Well of Sorrows and in Trespasser) from the rooftops. That it is now common knowledge means SOMEONE shared what the Inquisition knew! And I have no reason to think it can't be my girl at an Arlathvhen. Which is what I always wanted for her; spread the word, brace the world against whatever Solas did next.

My clever brilliant snarky sister pointed out that maybe there are seven Old Gods for Tevinter but nine Evanuris because Mythal and Solas weren't sealed and don't count. I had to stare at a wall for a while. And if they really are the same entities, which Archdemon was which Evanuris?? And also, we're out of dragons so what happens after? A question Solas snarked at Blackwall in 9:41, the ass.

They really got to built the Kirkwall they WANTED with Minrathous. Twisting winding streets so easy to get lost in. I wish DA2 had gotten the development time it deserved.

Griffons made me cry happy tears and jump up and down. Losing the griffons immediately had me in stunned silence. And now.... it's Amaranthine all over again. Virmire. This sucks haha

I looked up the consequences of "Minrathous or Treviso" because I had to stop and go to work in the morning & cannot wait another 10 hours having simply CHOSEN. Mostly I feel like I made the right choice but Neve may never forgive me and that hurts. Reddit is also saying that the faction shop in the abandoned city is GONE. Does that mean I failed Lorelei again?? That she's dead??? Or just won't sell to me anymore? I have to wait until I get home from work and I really don't want to know!

Update: they fucking executed her. By burning. I have never sought out fights with a Dragon Age faction before but I scoured Minrathous for Venatori. It felt like hunting Cerebus after the ME3 coup. I wanted blood and by god I took it.

In Arlathan forest after Davrin's mission I think I found the trail of the fourth Forbidden One. I had forgotten I even hoped they would be in the game!

The book club throughline is very cute and very sweet. I may even use it as the DAV group tag somehow. The cooking and domestic life stuff is heartwarming. Healing. I hope someone has written lovely canon-compliant fanfic for me to find after I finish the game.

The devs really went all out with the set dressing stories. Finding the corpse clutching an Evanuris relic made me put the controller down for a sec. And finding Keeper Hawen's skeleton made me outright cry.

I can't remember if Varric narrated in DA2, but I know he didn't narrate as much as they have him doing in this game. While it is fun listening to him write our story while we're still in it, it's also kind of disheartening to know how many people are stacked against us! Shut the fuck up Varric!

Gotta love the devs leaving little treats for players by key locations. Loot bags, ore, small chests-- like tempting a dog into a car with snacks lol

Tell me why the map that feels most "Dragon Age" is the worn down, miserable, dark, decrepit farm swamp. It feels like Lothering and I hated that place

I take it back I CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I LOVE THE ECHOING WELL

After the Cobbled Swan meeting:

Wow okay wow okay so the South is OVERRUN with the new Blight and that's why Inquisitor isn't involved. That makes sense and I appreciate Bioware acknowledging there would need to be a Good Reason. that said I am still annoyed she has a prosthetic at all but also started shaking and crying immediately.

Still thinking about this. everywhere we've ever loved is burning. And despite trying to rally the South again the Inquisitor made time to save Lace's Ma? Shut up I'm emotional again. though I wonder how "evil inquisitor" players feel about that move... Also glad to see that APPARENTLY non-Well Morrigan and Well-Drinker-Inquisitors reached a truce in the last 10 years. I hated having any PC who distrusted Morrigan.

Regrets of the Dread Wolf:

Wow. There was so so SO much information stored in the Regret murals. So many theories confirmed. Solas was a wisdom spirit, ALL elves were spirits, the elves waged war and killed the Titans, Solas and Mythal were Very Close, the Black City was elven/the Chant is incorrect. I should be reeling but really I am just. Vibrating out of my skin. Seven years of wondering, vindicated. What I did NOT expect is for Solas's dagger to have caused the Blight by sundering Titans and their dreams/lyrium. We thought lyrium and blight could be connected but never quite to this extent. THAT has me reeling.

So like. The Evanuris used Solas' dagger to end the Titan war, which also created the blight. They then went mad with that corrupted force (including Andruil and her Void swim) (Void = the emptiness left behind by the death of Titans?) and killed Mythal. Solas locked them, and all knowledge of the blight, away in slumber using their life force to power the prison. However the prison/veil also split magic and spirits from the material world, destroying the world order. Then the magisters siderial (one per locked-away Evanuris) accidentally let a pinprick of that power out, starting the First Blight. Do I... do I have it right.

Hold on (reviewing footage) the FIRST MEMORY we can view says Solas and Mythal met in secret because he had already split from the group. So is his rebellion NOT rooted in her murder?? Which is what he said in Trespasser??

the Regrets questline is destroying me. Morrigan ended up carrying Mythal anyway, after seeing her mother's ghost regret dying? After all I did to keep her as herself! Then that final word from Mythal that the elves of today can and will surpass Arlathan-- I started crying again. Leave me alone!!

Weisshaupt. Very emotional and too immersive for me to remember any thoughts. But I swear to god if Cabin In The Blight is Anders I will SCREAM.

Genuinely worried that Varric is a fade ghost and that's why no one ever visits him. That he died at the ritual and Rook is hallucinating.

You know the longer I think about it the more upset I am that Morrigan inherited Mythal. I spent the last 3 games trying to prevent what was, apparently, her inevitable fate. Why even give us the choice of the Well? Why offer the Dark Ritual at all? I'm used to going against canon (Warden Alistair) but this feels like a slap in the face to all my choices. All this along with essentially wiping southern Thedas off the map. So what was the point of our hero's effort? Just to, as Solas said in Trespasser, buy a few more years of peace?

Lace's fight with the Shade was such a great scene. I can't help but remember that she was present for the DAI Corypheus finale and saw him split the earth, lifting the Inquisitor's party into the sky. When she turned around to split Rook & Co from her own platform I gasped.

Emmrich wants to be a what

~~~

Took a 3 week break for the holidays, came back and started the loyalty missions. Sad I don't expect to see Cole or Sandal in the last act. This game broke Sandal's perfect score!

I also realized while gone that Lace was so angry at the start but seemed to settle down suddenly because the Shade split off. Her anger LITERALLY LEFT her body. And now she has dwarven/Titan magic. If we get another DA game I NEED it to be about the dwarves.

Poor Taash. Shathann (Sumalee Montano) knocked that final scene out of the park and I wept.

Loved the treasure hunt! And a new Compassion who talks like Cole and wants a big hat!! Cuuute

All these Chasind/Alamaari references got me emotional too. Makes me miss Jaws of Hakkon and Ferelden.

Wow the Warden puzzle in Sharksmouth is both so satisfying and so annoying! I love all the nods but hate that none of these statues are people from Last Flight. You know. The book about the Fourth Blight. That one.

On the other hand I got the Meredith unique item (mage flavor) so I can't stay mad loll

Okay! So! Wow! I would never guess that Taash's plot would be the one to highlight What Lies Across The Sea. frankly, I thought the executors would be on the same level as the snake men: namely, a joke that Bioware would never follow through on. And WHAT is all this NOISE about a STORM! Green clouds like Fade magic? The original Kossith settlers fled across the sea only to fall to the First Blight. The tablet says those blessed with dragon fire "see the unseen" so what is it about dragons (and archdemons) that means they can fight back? Is the Qun a sign that the Kossith left behind failed? So the Executors founded or inspired the Qun? This quest left with so many more questions I worry we'll never have answered.

Lost and Profane left me so upset I didn't write anything down. Seeing what became of Isseya was too terrible to feel good about saving the griffon babies. And then having to choose what happens to the griffons left me actually out loud sobbing for 15~ minutes. My sister sat with me until I calmed down. Yes I chose Arlathan but I feel like a traitor to my Warden and everyone who ever hoped to see a griffon again. And not being able to show Isseya Revas' feather because I decked the First Warden does not make me want to load an old save, it makes me angrier at the writing.

Bellara's mission hit less hard. I thought we would have to choose Cyrian's fate not... that. She really is Merrill The Second. So just like with Merrill I encouraged her to keep the item with lore of her ancestors. Also Anaris was looking for shelter from a storm. Bioware what are you up to

Still worried about fade ghost Varric. Are we keeping his soul from peace? IS there an afterlife for dwarves? Only if the Maker is real! Or is it all bad/slipshod writing because Mary Kirby was sacked before writing ACTUALLY wrapped???

I feel the need to point out that with the new rules introduced with Corypheus and enforced by Isseya, The Architect COULD TOTALLY COME BACK. UTHA WAS RIGHT THERE HE COULD ABSOLUTELY BODY HOP AND JUST BE CHILLING IN THE DEEP ROADS COME ON

Emmrich saved Manfred. My personal distaste for undead was less important than saving Emmrich's son (though we couldn't ask Fred's permission and that does bother me a bit).

~~~

Okay it is January 2025. My sister says I will likely finish the game this weekend. So here are my 'pre end of act 2 and/or third act' thoughts:

If Solas really killed Varric I may just take any chance to break the egg. I've had Varric way longer and he's been too important to too many of my heroes to go out like this.

IDK how to feel about the option to encourage my Inquisitor to actually get back with Solas. I had thought before playing DAV that she might DIE with him so if that's on the table I'm prepared for it. But they had her mention "give it all up for him" and uhh was that an option? Yes she loves him enough to die with him but does she love him enough to LIVE WITH him, and accept allllll his bullshit? I don't know. It'll depend how they present the choice, I guess.

I also said pre-release that if I could sacrifice Rook like we could sacrifice Warden in DAO that I would. That WAS before I romanced anyone so I don't know if I would go through with it given the chance. That's what save files are for I suppose?

My sister is being SO OMINOUS about act 3. She gives me the saddest looks but also says she loved the ending, I don't know what to think!!

I also built my Rook playlist on the idea of playing a Lawful Evil/Renegade Rook but the game has not allowed or led me in that direction. So now I'm considering going full renegade in act 3 as like a character breaking point... but my girl Mercar has held up far better than any of the other three did this far into their plots.

Knowing who writes the Randy Dowager has me in stitches and also agony

~~~

Well. Finished the game January 12. So much happened in the last four hours of gameplay that I really haven't processed it yet. Let's start with: I hate being right about Varric. Loved the prison quest, hated everything that happened. And how long were we gone? Days at least, weeks more likely, but the damage to Minrathous could happen in moments if Elgar'nan wanted it to. Viper is so strong and noble and definitely dying soon. Take the Joining you ass!

The Juggernaut(s) looked so much like Meredith's final form I got angry at her all over again.

So the Evanuris are gone and there will be no more blights. That's.... huge. The Evanuris were real and also the Tevene dragon gods. So the only religion left with a leg to stand on is Andrastianism. I do noooot want to meet the Maker. If the Maker is real then Varric can be with my Hawke. Don't turn that into another spirit thing.

And the void that sucked up Lusacan's body. Was that The Void where Andruil found the blight? Where does it go? Why did it take the dragon? He would have been a good source for more Joining materials, which are now a finite resource. The end of Grey Wardens, Dragon Age's staple faction, is in sight. That plus only having 50 years left to the "dragon" age really worries me for the future of this franchise. We cannot keep skipping a decade ahead.

Absolution ending Solas is just... wandering free? That is the OPPOSITE of what I want but having seen the other options, it is certainly the one I prefer. Finding out he CAN call himself a god (fight end) did fuck me up. And hearing DAI music followed by Lost Elf made me cry again. My Lavellan going with him feels less terrible if they can still visit her family and friends. And help people. However she IS still mortal so there's still a tragic end coming. This also means every headcannon and drabble I have are entirely plausible...! ...?

And what was with that stinger?? The Veilguard Remains Vigilant. Sure but do we get DLC? A book? Comics? A DLC?? The thought also occurs that a "storm that drinks the sky" sounds like the black hole that ate Lusacan. So are we veering into space metaphors/magic now? And is the consistent mention of Andruil hinting that she or the Void WILL return?

Wait was that slide about Arlathan saying the Golden City had returned? I read it as the Elves had a chance to make their own nation again, but the phrasing is actually very different isn't it... oh my. That would be cause for an Exalted March when word gets out.

That the Well of Sorrows song (any Inquisition song really) made me gasp every time it played highlights how flat this score is. I can mentally listen to Lost Elf or Dawn Will Come at will. But the only noteworthy DAV song was the menu theme and that's disappointing. Lorne Balfe and Hanz Zimmer have both done AMAZING work: what happened? I want to want to listen to this album, but I can't think of any specific song. Sometimes Arlathan sounded Mass Effect. Sometimes Minrathous sounded Anthem. I hope data miners will find and share the unreleased tracks, but I WISH the score had more emotion.

As much as this game hurt me, and as much as the world state choices let me down, it DID give me more Fade missions than all other games combined. I would love it for that alone.

And finally, quality of life improvements I wanted:

Beacons labeled on the map (so I know where the hell I'm going)

Previewing clothing & weapons (so I know what I want or don't)

Any explanation of the Valuables/faction points system (so I know not to sell everything to Veil Jumpers!!)

Enemies as red dots on the mini map. This seems self explanatory. I had to check with my party if there was another enemy nearby.

And an interrupt system. There were several cutscenes I would have liked to interact with via interrupt, especially at the end. This is less QoL and more something I said out loud several times.

[crowinkwriting]

I honest to the Maker think that Illario is going to be the next returning NPC companion. There is literally NO WAY to kill him and it’s so obvious that him and Lucanis’s plot still has somewhere to go. Even if Lucanis died there is still something there for Illario. Maybe realizing he doesn’t need to be what his grandma wants for him to have value as a person (the plot we should have gotten with Lucanis but I digress). Even if he is jailed I think it’d be possible for him to come back, just say he broke out. Man’s a Crow. Pretty sure he can bust out of a cell.

I know all energy is getting put into the next Mass Effect be we also know that the Dragon Age team at least starts the bare bones work of the next game either right after or during production of whatever game they’re on. So I think they at least have set the groundwork for Illario being a companion in Dragon Age 5.

We already get a sequel bate so clearly they have some idea. Plus it would make sense to pre decide who the next returning NPC companion is so that way they can make sure said character doesn’t get killed off in the plot. To avoid another Anders or Leliana situation.

I probably sound insane. Anyways Illario romance when Bioware?

[satanstrousers]

A (mostly) Spoiler Free Veilguard Review! I did my best to avoid too many specifics, but also Read More for people who want to know nothing at all.

First, thoughts on all the companions:

Harding - Kind of a surprise to see when she was announced but I really liked her! They built out her story in a really fun way, I romanced her as a dwarf and her story is perfect for that.

Neve - Someone really cooked with the concept of Neve Gallus, but she as a character didn't really grow on me until the last act. Also her hat is stupid in a way that I just can't get over.

Bellara - I'm not gonna lie, I almost forgot to include her on this list. She's incredibly sweet, but I found myself falling asleep during her story. Super basic, super boring, but I saw that based on some decisions she can really grow in the last act, so maybe a second playthrough will have me see her in a kinder light.

Lucanis - What if we took Ezio Auditore and made him an awkward short king wife guy with a special interest in knives and coffee? Super fun, but I did traumatize him a little early on. :/

Emmrich - Undefeated. Far and away the best character Dragon Age has ever come up with and it's not even close. Manfred sweep.

Davrin - Listen, I love Griffons as much as the next guy, but Davrin was not an instant favorite. They rely a lot on Assan to carry his story at the beginning slow-play a lot of the sweeter parts until halfway, and even after I think there was way more that they could've explored with him (unfortunately a pretty consistent theme with DA characters). I did enjoy him in the second half, but I did him dirty, so I'm hoping the next time is a little better.

Taash - Genuinely would be the favorite if Emmrich wasn't around. Two character beats that have a common theme of accepting yourself, I thought it was very beautifully done and something I'm sure many people playing will relate to. Taash is like opposite-Karlach personality-wise and I mean that in the most affectionate way to both characters.

Ok spoiler free Plot:

Solas is a motherfucker in ways previously thought unachievable by one man, and the game knows it.

Seriously though, the best part of this game is Solas. Truly I can't remember the last time a video game made me hate someone as much as I hate Solas, and this game knows it. If you hated this dude in the first game, and you felt like things went a little unresolved, Veilguard has got you covered. If you hate him, you'll get to show it, and if you love him........ Well I hope you guys have a very happy life together far away from us.

Overall the story is... Fine? Its basically 70 hours of waiting to tell a couple gods to go fuck themselves. There's a lot of really fun moments and beats, but the connective tissue is the same as its always been in Bioware games.

Overall, combat and UI is a definite improvement over Inquisition but god I should hope so after 10 years. Dialog is pretty impressive and definitely made me feel by the end that the members of the Veilguard were actually friends. The pacing.... Is terrible. You're either doing nonsense side missions and fighting the same enemy 100 times, or blasting through the story at breakneck speed. They managed to do a pretty good job with returning characters, but if you're not HEAVILY invested in the series the moments where *insert character from previous game* appears feel like they're waiting for an applause break.

Final Review:

8/10 if you're a longtime Dragon Age fan

6/10 if you're just jumping in (which is insane this series is fully inaccessible if you haven't at least played Inquisition.)

[dragonflight203]

Mass Effect 3 replay, Citadel post coup:

-Notably, the C-Sec officers on the human embassy level are all turian.

On the presidium, the C-Sec officers are human.

Was this intentional of Bioware? Maybe the idea is to minimize potential conflict of interest on the investigation into Udina by assigning non-human officers to it and assigning the human officers to public spaces?

-Why do the C-Sec officers forbid Solik from filming the refugees on the docks?

They claim it’s because he’d be “disruptive”.

I suspect they’re actually trying to avoid a potential PR disaster if people see the conditions on the docks.

-Cerberus specifically looked for Kelly.

A bit flattering, in a sense – she’s more important to them than she thought!

Also a bit terrifying. TIM is really pissed at everyone who left Cerberus and is determined to clean up loose ends. There’s no other reason to go after Kelly; she’s no threat to Cerberus.

-Conrad is one of the best parts of ME3. All that busywork in ME1 finally pays off!

I know he’s supposed to be a joke about all the side quests, but I wish more or ME3 relied on past decisions like Conrad’s.

Maybe not to the extent that you lose content if you did not do so something, but so outcomes were at least influenced by them.

There are parts of ME3 influenced by past games – is Wrex alive? Kirrahe? Legion? Etc. – but there are a lot of past decisions that make no difference at all, like the turian insignia or if you got Lorik to testify against Anoleis.

Even if they just added flavor, I’d appreciate their inclusion.

-If you go renegade with Jack, you learn that her students helped get civilians off Palaven.

Interesting – turians usually don’t regard adult turians as civilians, since everyone has military training. The term is normally reserved for children or client races. So is Jack using the term in the human sense of non-combatants or the turian sense?

I’m probably thinking about this more than Bioware did.

-If you flirt with Joker, he just about panics. He does not think of Shepard that way.

-Joker won’t consider Shepard because they’re both in uniform and there are regulations against that.

There are no regulations against dating the ship AI, however, so that’s okay.

That’s cutting it awfully thin, Joker. I’m sure if the Alliance had ever considered the possibility of a ship having an AI they’d have regulations against it.

-Paragon or renegade, the fact Edi’s body is made of metal and Joker has brittle bones is brought up.

To go completely off script: Is this really relevant? They don’t have to have sex. Or they could get very creative. This is not what I would consider a deal breaker.

-If you go renegade with Edi, she brings up the lifespan difference between her and Joker.

Apparently she spoke to Liara about it and Liara was no help at all.

Interesting – Liara’s the obvious choice, since she’s an asari. However, her own relationship experience is very lacking so it’s logical she would have little to offer Edi. Very much a case of the blind leading the blind.

-As Thane dies, if you go paragon the last prayer is for you.

If you go renegade, the last prayer is for Thane.

-Shepard to Thane after he passes: Goodbye, Thane. You won’t be along for long.

Yeah, Shepard does not expect to make it through the Reaper war.

-The volus bank teller is skeptical of Sanctuary. How can it promise more safety than the Citadel? Second time a NPC’s called bullshit on Sanctuary and it’s another volus. I suppose I shouldn’t be shocked that the merchant race recognizes a scam when they see one.

Now we just need to set them up with an official broadcast so they can inform everyone else instead of one person at a time.

-Captain Sommers wants to kill a C-Sec officer who assisted Cerberus during the coup. He killed other officers and is now bargaining for a better deal by offering intel. He’s former Alliance and Sommers feels that the Alliance should deal with him.

Paragon, you tell Sommers to stand down because the intel may save lives. Renegade, you use spectre authority to let Sommers kill him legally.

It’s a nice touch to have another sidequest where paragon/renegade feels very different.*

In most of ME3 it feels like renegade has had the teeth removed; it just feels “softer” than in ME1 and ME2. This is a good instance of the two differing more.

*In main missions they differ more, although there the renegade dialogue still “feels” softer.

-Ghorek is the only time Shepard has to really deal with the consequences of destroying a colony in Arrival, and it’s disappointing.

He’s a terrorist, so you’re already predisposed to dislike him. You only exchange a few lines, and there’s no opportunity for investigate or a real back and forth.

I’m glad Bioware included it, but it feels very surface level with little depth. I wish there was more to it to really show the harm Shepard did and how they’re dealing (or possibly not dealing) with it.

Also, there should be choices between letting him die and calling over the nurse. Is there a reason I can’t call over the nurse AND inform C-Sec he’s a terrorist?

-Officer Noles is an excellent reminder on the importance of CyberSecurity. Balak’s using codes from when the batarians had an embassy on the Citadel.

That was what, 20 years ago? Those codes should have been decommissioned as soon as the embassy closed.

But they were not, and there are dead humans for it.

This is why it’s important to have standard operating procedures and regular asset reviews, people.

(How did Balak even get the codes?)

-Balak continues to be compelling.

He’s an evil bastard that’s been killing humans out of misplaced revenge, but paragon or renegade you can appeal to his desire to save his people and he’ll give you his support. You can see how much it costs him to do so, but he’ll set aside his personal desires to serve the batarian people.

In another timeline, Balak could easily have been hero. He has more than enough courage, intelligence, and drive.

In this one, however, he’ll just have to settle for being the lesser evil.

(Also, Balak can see that working with Shepard is the batarians’ best bet, but you expect me to believe that Udina thought Cerberus was a better option?)

-Also, nice of the C-Sec officer standing right there to ignore Balak holding a gun to head. Great job, sir.

-The callback to the Levaithan of Dis first mentioned in ME1 is also well done. The reveal it was a Reaper corpse, that the batarians who studied it all became indoctrinated and that’s why the Hegemony fell so easily – harsh and completely in line with lore.

-Kaidan: Knowing that you acted with integrity – then it matters.

Ah, Kaidan. Paragon of paragons, integrity carved into your bones. Regardless of who took the shot, you handle Udina’s betrayal poorly.

It wasn’t your fault.

-If you refuse to let Kaidan on board, he handles it very well. He doesn’t argue; just takes the polite rejection well and leaves.

Normandy

-When you speak with Traynor to receive the mission about the Cerberus scientists that have quit, Shepard mentions that many who worked for Cerberus believed they were doing the right thing. Shepard did.

And of course the game doubles down that Shepard did do the right thing by working for Cerberus in ME2 and that the Cerberus was working to stop the Collectors while the Alliance did nothing.

Did I hallucinate the Virmire Survivor on Horizon during all my playthroughs? And has the game forgotten that spectres have leave way to choose their own missions – so Shepard could have pursued the Collectors as an agent of the Council rather than a terrorist?

-If you let Traynor take a shower but don’t join her, Shepard comes off as the most oblivious lady in the world. It’s actually rather funny. Traynor left the door open and Shepard registers nothing.

-James’ meeting is very touching. He opens up and is vulnerable – last time he was in command he lost everyone. He’s afraid it will happen again.

For all the bravado he puts on, there’s a lot going on behind that facade. He’d probably make a great officer and N7.

-There was a Cerberus spy working with the Collectors. How much you want to bet he was sanctioned by TIM?

Yet the game still insists Shepard was right to work with Cerberus in ME2.

Ugh.

-The game keeps talking up Kai Leng, especially Andeson, but when he doesn’t have plot armor he’s a wimp.

He’d have died in the attack on the salarian Councilor if a single character in that scene had had any sense.

Citadel

-And once again Cerberus leaned on the “we saved colonies from the Collectors” angle to get an in with someone, this time the Din Korlack.

Apparently it can even excuse fighting with the Alliance.

And surprise, surprise the terrorist organization turns around uses the aide you provided them to blackmail you. It’s almost like they always had their own reasons for what they did.

-Din, it’s bad enough you helped Cerberus at all. Refusing to turn over the name of the colony you sold out unless Shepard is charismatic enough? Be better.

-The game’s refusal to explain Zaeed’s beef with Cerberus pisses me off to this day.

Once again, a Codex entry would easily have solved this problem. Or a few more lines from Zaeed. But no, keep guessing.

-James, stop shrugging while you’re getting a tattoo!

And getting a N7 tattoo before you’ve completed the program is a terrible idea.

-James panics even more than Joker when Shepard makes a pass. Lol, Kaidan’s the only human man that can keep up with femShep. The rest all run away.

-Kelly: I heard about the terrible things Cerberus did during the coup. That’s not the organization I joined.

Yes, Kelly, it is. Here’s a list of terrible things Cerberus did during ME1. Ask Jack if you want some more items that predate it.

Cerberus has always been terrible. The apparently just have the best PR department in the galaxy since everyone is shocked every time some new terrible thing they did comes to light.

-Liara still won’t speak to me on the Citadel, although everyone else will.

Well, except Garrus but that’s because he’s not there. Liara’s the only one both hanging around and not initiating a dialogue.

-Kaidan also takes it well if you reject him on the Presidium, although his hurt shows through more.

He does stick you with the bill, however.

[felassan]

Some more snippets of interest and insight from Mark Darrah, from an older Mark Darrah on Games YouTube video where he was livestreaming playing Dragon Age: Origins some months ago -

Chat asked "Have you been asked about The Last Flight and your thoughts on the Griffons?". Mark replied "My thoughts on griffons? I mean, I don't think that we're gonna see griffons as things you can ride. Flying is a gameplay feature that you better be really sure about before you add it into your game. But will we see some griffons? I think probably in some form, I mean the reason to put them in the novel is to reintroduce them to the setting".

Chat discussed titans, lyrium and theories and speculation about them. Mark added "Definitely not gonna comment on any of the titan and lyrium and so on, though, I mean things can and probably will have changed since I left. I don't want to accidentally say something that ends up not being reality". A chat user asked "I thought the franchise had a roadmap or something". Mark explained that there are roadmaps, but those are definitely open for manipulation and adjustment as required by the storytelling of the game, and that this is the main reason for the unreliable narrators. It gives that flexibility as required. "You can't really believe anything any one person says, they all have their own motivations, just because someone says it doesn't make it true".

Chat asked "Are the Devs planning on doing anything more with the Keep?" Mark replied "I don't know what the current plans with the Keep are. The reason the Keep exists in DA:I is to handle the generation switch, so that's still a relevant concern, but it was maintained by a separate group, and I'm not sure that that separate group completely exists anymore. It is not an insignificant amount of work to keep the Keep up to date. I like the idea as it removes the import requirement and so on but it's certainly not free. So maybe?" He also added "What was the change to the user agreement? I know that a whole bunch of stuff from around DA:I-time needed to be updated because of changes in European privacy laws, that's why The Last Court [came to an end]".

Chat asked "Think we will ever get answers on Magic or The Maker?". Mark replied that he thinks we will get some answers on magic, or at least additional context, but on the Maker, "No, I don't think that's ever going to be answered. I think the setting's much better off with the Maker being undefined and potentially existing and potentially not existing."

Chat asked "Will we ever find out wtf lyrium ghost Leliana really is?" and Mark said "On that front, my guess is no".

Chat asked "Are the people that worked on the character and the dialogues are still working at BioWare?" Mark replied "Which character are you asking about? Because the answer's probably yes".

[source]

He also talked more generally about DA:O and the franchise in general. These bits are collected under a cut due to length -

The Orlesian voice actors in DA:O are all French. The devs did talk about the peasants having a Quebecois accent "but decided that maybe that [inaudible]". "I wouldn't say all of their accents are Parisian, they're likely in English just the accent of whatever accent the VA actually had speaking English. Sometimes people from different regions pick up accents when they're learning a different language depending on who/where they learned it from. In DA they try to use accents from actual regions". "So Tali in Mass Effect has an accent which is kind've just the accent the VA did, and the problem is that when you need to replicate that with other people it's basically impossible. So we try to avoid that because as you can imagine, that's a problem." "Yeah, ideally make your accents something that can be replicated not just 'thing voice actor made up'"

Chat said "Tali always sounds Eastern European or Russian to me". Mark replied "It is, it has a lot of Eastern European, I think the VA is actually from Eastern Europe"

"You get people that have moved around a lot, sometimes they end up with really, these weird collections of accents that just sound, you know, vaguely exotic. Which is fine, it's a real thing that happens, but it also means that it can't really be replicated by anybody else"

Chat said "The draenei in Warcraft have a similar situation. No one knows what the hell their accent is supposed to be". Mark replied "I mean if it's consistent, if they've come up with an accent that they've consistently been able to put across to all of their actors then that's great, because it doesn't need to be connected to something in the real world, because it's not in the real world, so I don't necessarily have a problem with them coming up with an accent, as long as they're able to be consistent with it"

One of the accents that he always wanted to find a use for in DA was South African. "We never actually did find out but I really like that accent"

Chat said "I used to be lost in the Deep Roads, everywhere looks the same". Mark replied "Everywhere does look the same. Which is sort've vaguely realistic, but you've gotta be able to navigate"

"Anthem's flight is really cool but ultimately I don't feel like the mission structure ever really fully took into account the fact that people had jetpacks strapped to their butts"

Chat asked if the Deep Roads were inspired by the Mines of Moria. Mark replied, "I mean, maybe, dwarves have had a pretty long established canon and DA:O is definitely trying to present the standard races with their clichés but then sort've putting a twist on them, so dwarves are hyper politicized, the elves are a race that has fallen. So yes, it's hard to imagine that there wasn't Moria inspiration there, if you're gonna have dwarves and elves in a fantasy setting Tolkien is a touchpoint"

Chat discussed dwarves dreaming and not dreaming. Mark commented "I think originally dwarves were not supposed to dream, but I think you are correct, it has been inconsistent"

Leliana is Mike Laidlaw's favorite character. On her return in DA:I if she died in DA:O, Mark commented "That is, there's definitely no question that was a 'Mike wanted Leliana in DA:I, so she survives' [thing]. I mean, the Ashes were right there, so... I guess..."

Chat asked "Have graphics engines advanced to the point in game resolution/graphics could MATCH the CGI "Sacred Ashes" trailer for a DAO Remaster?'' Mark replied "Yeah, you could probably get pretty close to the Sacred Ashes trailer these days if you were willing to spend the time on the assets"

Chat commented that Ruck was suffering and that being infected by the Blight for so long can't be good for your health. Mark commented "One of the few places where we actually paid that off"

Chat asked "I asked on Twitter if you knew why BioWare didn't commit to either an A-RPG or C-RPG design in DAII and DA:I, but then I went on vacation. Did you talk about that in another stream?" Mark replied, "The short answer is the Dragon Age has always had the unfortunate problem of being pushed to broaden its audience all the time, so in DAII-time the word 'RPG' kind've became a dirty word in the industry, so that's why DAII is quite, it's DA:O with the action cranked up to 1000." "Even before Critical Role 'RPG' was starting to pivot back. Basically as every game became an RPG, the word first became almost completely poisonous and then sort've became a fine thing to say. And now that D&D is at the most popular level it's ever been, it definitely made a difference. Skyrim made a difference as well, it was definitely not afraid to say 'RPG' out loud. When GTA and even shooters started saying about putting RPG elements in, that helped too"

Dwarves are interesting "because typically people who play dwarves always play dwarves"

"BioWare would not use any fanfiction, BioWare doesn't read any fanfiction because it's a legal minefield, or at least a lawsuit minefield." "I can tell you that companies like EA are immensely afraid of lawsuits so they do lots of things to avoid that"

Chat said "'​I like the theory out there that originally if you kept the Architect alive he could have fought with you against Cory in DA:I. Was there truth to that?" Mark replied, "I don't know if that was.. it's possible because they're definitely related. It's possible that if you kept him alive there was an intention to do that. It definitely didn't survive contact with shipping the thing." When chat followed up by asking his opinion on the idea, Mark said "I mean I think it makes sense, it would have been an interesting payoff for the character if you did that, but it's a whole extra fight for what would have been a very small minority of players. It would've been a good way to take him off the table". On the small minority of players point, he elaborated "It would be people who played Awakening, which is only 35% of people who played DA:O, and finished Awakening, which would be say half that, and played DAII, so [...]. I think if we had done it it would have been more, an asset in the combat [like Zevran joining for the final battle in DAII] not 'he's gonna take him on by himself'"

"You can see why the Dragon Age team isn't super enthusiastic about Dragon Age being 'random moon in Mass Effect'" [said regarding this fan theory]

During the Broodmother fight, Mark said "this is the thing, is if you do a remaster you probably leave this bit all alone. But if you do a remake you gotta, this [would probably get/need to be] addressed"

[source]

(pls note that in places there is a bit of paraphrasing of the info, the best source is always the primary source with full quotes in their original context)

[nightingaletrash]

so we know a Blight is on if Ghilan'nain has an archdemon at her command, and considering that this

is likely the archdemon in question alongside this fella

that almost certainly means we have the final two archdemons in play, meaning a Double Blight is all but confirmed.

But that then begs the question that if the archdemons are the Old Gods and Ghilan'nain is considered a separate entity from 'her' archdemon, then what exactly is the precise nature of the relationship between the Old Gods and the Evanuris?

Bioware obviously didn't consider the fact that Ghilan'nain is commanding an archdemon a spoiler, so that makes me wonder exactly what is the spoiler they were avoiding in today's reveal.

A few options that have come to mind for me are:

Ghilan'nain is the Archdemon/Old God that the party is pursuing, but Rook and Co haven't yet discovered this. Only when they witness her transformation later do they realise that the Evanuris and Old Gods are one in the same.

The Old God dragons share a similar nature to the Red Lyrium Dragon in that the Evanuris invested a portion of themselves/their power into these dragons which enabled them to use them as vessels during their imprisonment - the dragon isn't the Old God but is a vessel for the Evanuris. Maybe that connection is what makes them vulnerable to the taint in a way that most dragons aren't? The Evanuris would still have the power to physically transform into dragons ala the Elgar'dragon, but the Old Gods could have been a sort of failsafe against betrayal.

The 'Archdemon' we see isn't one of the remaining Archdemons because the moment Ghilna'nain got loose she had so many things she wanted to make and Rook and Co are doing the best they can with what they know.

[thedragonagelesbian]

19 & 20 for cyrus/lace!

otp questions~!! Tytyty <3333

(Includes discussion of spoilers, so I answered below the cut!)

19. Who tells their family/friends about their relationship first?

I think the funniest answer is that, because in my headcanon Bethany and Fenris have been sailing with Isabela since the end of DA2, all three of them find out immediately because they're in the Hall of Valor when Cyrus & Lace share their first kiss.

Lace is the first to properly tell anyone, writing to her mother about it basically as soon as she gets back to the Lighthouse. And then going to Emmrich, to ask about both the lyrium poisoning and whether, in his esteemed mourn watcher opinion, this is like. Okay. With the timing of the loss of Cyrus' husband.

20. What do their family/friends think of their relationship?

Among the Kirkwall crew, I think there's a friendly concern (heh. like the da2 quest.) that Cyrus is doing that thing he's known for doing where he throws himself into devotion to avoid processing/dealing with someone's death. They think Lace is darling (Bethany is especially fond of her-- you can take the Fereldan girlie out of the barn but you can't take the Ferelden out of the girlie. Or something.), they just want to make sure Cyrus is okay.

(Which is. Complicated. A lot of things are true at once-- his love for Lace is sincere. And also he's grieving and lonely and yearning so desperately for physical contact and if her touch melts all the pain & regret away along with everything else then all the better right?)

The Veilguard is. As always. Pleasantly supportive. I'm trying to brainstorm some more interesting dynamics/responses... because the pacing of Cyrus & Lace's relationship is slower than what happens in-game, I could def see Taash's crush/feelings for Lace developing? But since I haven't actually seen Taash & Lace together, I don't know how that/any potential jealousy would play out.

There's also this hilarious (2me) thing about tolkien apparently deciding that aragorn was too dour & serious & sad for eowyn and i do kind of want to assign one of the veilguard a feeling like that... maybe lucanis?? Who i think does not recognize enough himself to achieve self-recognition in the other but knows a haunted man when he sees one & wants only sunshine for his dream journaling buddy lace harding

Yiseeril Trevelyan is not a friend but gets an honorable mention bc it's definitely come up in one of her check-ins with Cyrus (even if BioWare for some ungodly solas toesucking reason decided only a solavellan inky would ask after rook's li....) She's delighted for both of them, in no small part bc in her mind the two of them being happy together absolves her of some of her guilt toward them (Harding for stringing her along during Inquisition, Cyrus for leaving him in the Fade).

[cynicaldesire]

Dragon Age: Veilguard - The imprint of the correct answer still visible on the page if turned in the light

"In my most flattering recommendation I can compare it to a time when one of my students erased their correct answer and turned it in blank, preferring to be wrong by omission than the possibility of being wrong on accident. The imprint of the correct answer still visible on the page if turned in the light."

I beat Veilguard last night. I was more than a little displeased. I prefer Inquisition for a lot of reasons. I put about 73 hours into this playthrough, completed all the sidequests I could. There were treasure chests I didn't loot and Dread Wolf statues I didn't follow and Evanuris shrines I didn't tap and all my factions were at 3 stars but not 3200 strength, but I cleaned out my quest log between conversations with Solas.

My husband wants to be more favorable, respecting Bioware and their work, but also not wanting to reward them for a less-than-stellar entry into their catalog. He wanted to give it a 7.

Thoughts below the cut. Mostly neutral to negative, but I'll still give the game like a 6.5.

My husband wanted to play it but he has a lot of work and other games to play, so I bit the bullet and started playing it for him to watch to save him the time. He ended up playing the Dragon Quest 2 HD remake and scored that lower than the original as well.

My first major issue with Veilguard was that it's not designed for spinning hard drives. Nor is it designed for keyboards. It's a console game. Thankfully, I was able to connect a PS5 controller to the PC and that made it a lot more comfortable to deal with. The spinning disk issue manifested as massive load times and texture pop-in. Most of the time this was kinda funny, easily mitigated by faffing about on my phone. It warned me that the game was designed and optimized for an SSD, which is my OS drive, but HDDs are so much cheaper, that's what I have for my games. Apparently that isn't optimal anymore. The speed of technology has caught up to me, I suppose.

Before we played this, my husband played Yakuza 8. That game not as good as Yakuza 7, suffering from spending too much time with a previous protagonist and trying to weave together two stories that needed their own games to breathe in properly. Characters were lambasted or just felt wrong. There was way too much content. It was generally an unpleasant experience. But one of the major failings is that it relies on the players having been in the series, it doesn't explain much. The game expects you to know Kiryu and his reputation, overshadowing the protagonist of Ichiban and his story.

DA:V does something similar in that it doesn't spend a lot of time explaining the world of Dragon Age/Thedas to you. If you're playing Veilguard, you are here because you're a fan of the series. I mean, Inquisition has been GOTY and out for long enough and gone cheap enough that you should've, at some point, played it, right? Veilguard is a direct sequel after all.

The story goes on for a very long time, your companions all have quests with multiple parts, but I don't feel like I got to know any of them. The one guy I chose to romance, I chose because of the very first outing you have with him and then it was all downhill from there. The performances for a lot of the other companions are all over the place. Some of them are really great, some are flat, some are only good for certain lines. The stories are middling to bad, and we don't get enough of it to make it any better.

The romance scene I got right before the big suicide mission at the end, my partner had to stay up all the time to avoid a demon taking over his body, so the big romance scene was him almost falling asleep, some flirty banter, and then a massive load screen because I don't have an SSD.

There were a lot of times when I would go in to talk to a companion, there would be a brief back and forth, maybe some approval, and then load screen because I was done.

"What a quest" became my shorthand for my disappointment.

There was also one thing that left a bad taste in my mouth, re: romance. The companion I chose to romance had flirty banter with another, and their performance was so much better with each other than anything thrown my way. "Stop flirting!" I yelled as I took them into the last mission, having already romanced one of them. It felt like it was canon for them to get together, which made me feel like a fifth wheel.

The gameplay was fine. There's a jump button and jumping puzzles, but the game is very forgiving. "Thanks, Sticky" was my way of acknowledging those moments I should've missed and didn't. But, the killboxes for falling were whack because sometimes I would try to drop off a ledge onto another one, but I'm not supposed to so instead, massive load screen. Though you don't die if you fall into deep water (can't swim) or fall off a ledge, you just get a load screen and appear back in a safe spot near where you fell.

Combat was fine. I played an orb and dagger mage. Either I suck or the staff was just too slow. And you only get 2 companions to go out with you, so I had to choose wisely. I ended up choosing a warrior and a rogue to maximize my detonation potential. Which is another thing. Each party member can apply a debuff and other party members can detonate those. Each companion can apply and detonate so there's basically a triangle. You don't have to, of course, but it is nice to be able to utilize the triangle.

Max level is 50. I reached that real easy. Got the factions to 3 stars (max) as long as I did all the sidequests. One of my companions, I had to make a decision early on in the game that they didn't like, so I was punished by them never reaching max "bond" (level), but whatevs.

My husband described the bulk of the game that I played for him to watch (I played while he was at work from time to time) as a Mass Effect. I'd agree with that. He was very disappointed in the romance scene. "The sex scene just failed to load," he joked. Bioware got real infamous for the first Mass Effect because of "a blue titty" I reminded him, and he agreed that he didn't understand why Bioware would shy away from it now. Especially after Baldur's Gate 3.

Anyway. This just makes me wanna play Inquisition. Go back to my Cullen romance. Maybe romance Solas, since he's such an important part of this game.

Speaking of which, the story was shoddy and weird and full of holes. There were so many points that didn't make sense, choices made that I didn't fully understand. The twist near the end was pretty rad, but it felt like a lot of hours of dialogue and quests to not say much.

Anyway, 6.5/10, would not recommend.