Dragon Age

[Aleema]

Dragon Age: Origins, and now Dragon Age 2!

We all talk about it here alot on the forum, so we should give it a thread!
They're slowly revealing information about the new installment due March 8th, 2011. But here's some stuff we already know:


The main character is now one character, named Hawke. You can play as Garrett Hawke (Male) or Marian Hawke (Female), and they will be fully voiced. So, just like Mass Effect. So, no Origins stories, and you can't play as a Dwarf or Elf. You can choose between Warrior, Mage, and Rogue just like before. They said they reduced it to one possible character to tell a more personal story.

Game should span around ten years of time, and doesn't take place in Ferelden, but a place called the Free Marches where Hawke has become known as the Champion of Kirkwall.

There a few revealed companions already:

Bethany and Carver: They're your siblings, your sister and your brother.

Isabela: The pirate you met in the Pearl in the first game. She got a make-over and is now your saucy companion. She is a confirmed love interest.

Aveline: Warrior woman! Finally!

Varric: Dwarf Merchant Prince with enough body hair to kill a man. His weapon is a crossbow named Bianca.

Fenris: Elf with lyrium tattoos. Big hopes he's a love interest, too (not confirmed yet).

Merrill: "Virginal girl next door" elf mage. I very much remember her from the first game, being the apprentice keeper of the Dalish tribe.

Anders: Apostate mage you met in DA:Awakenings. This time he has glowy eyes and doesn't seem so ... Alistair. But it doesn't matter how evil he looks or pretends to be, he's still the healer.

Sebastian (DLC Only!): Exiled prince looking for revenge on his murdered family. FAMILIAR MUCH?

Flemeth will make an appearance in DA2. Looking badass in her new dominatrix outfit. =P

I'm purposely not saying everything I know, since it's the first post and I hate when stuff is spoiled for me. Please feel free to correct me if I got something wrong ...

NOW LET'S GEEK OUT!

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[Samu-kun]

Ah Dragon Age...... I used to remember playing it, and then discovering that it offers you the great "damned if you do, damned if you don't" choice system. It doesn't matter what decision you chose... in the end, it's you who's going to get screwed over anyways! XD

This is what my character used to look like... what, you mean that this game isn't a JRPG?

Unfortunately, I must maintain strict discipline and not play any games any more. Too many obligations nowadays... sniff...

[Aleema]

Haha, true. It doesn't have two completely different endings like Knights of the Old Republic, just variations. Which is fine and well if they knew they were making a sequel.

Here was my first playthrough:

Rogue Cousland, kekeke~

I find it interesting that you somehow made your avatar look like a fifteen year old.

[jack_norton]

I agree on eliminating all the origins. Like I said in a post in my blog, better have less branching but a longer story. Nobody is going to play all the various origins anyway (I started game 3 times with different origins but I finished only with one).
The new companions looks rather crap IMHO. From my male POV, Morrigan and the bard (forgot the name) were much more interesting !

[Samu-kun]

I find it interesting that you somehow made your avatar look like a fifteen year old.

So moe....... as she hacks and slashes her way past a horde of hellspawn spewing blood and guts with each swing of the blade. =w=

[Aleema]

The new companions looks rather crap IMHO. From my male POV, Morrigan and the bard (forgot the name) were much more interesting !

That's odd. I think they look way better.





Seriously though, lurking around the Bioware forum, people are constantly -- and I mean constantly -- ragging on Isabela and Aveline, calling them dog-faced whores. I'm pretty tired of it. Aveline is a strong woman, but I don't think she was meant to be an LI, just a good character. You know, like Sten. So calling her ManZilla and such is really inappropriate (especially when women read it and are like "if she's ugly, wtf do men think I am?"). Since the dev team really panders to men, I don't know why anyone would be worried they'd make an ugly LI. The game is still being polished, y'all. =P

[gekiganwing]

Dragon Age 1 or 2 could be interesting, but I don't know if I can appreciate either one. Most of my games are 2D and cute... I might be too old fashioned or too caught up in my niche to understand or enjoy DAO. (Most of my 360 use consists of puzzle games, and my PC can't run most of today's games.)

[jack_norton]

Yes but you didn't read: from my MALE POV
I think the new female chars have zero sexy appeal, at least from the screens you posted (haven't looked at official site yet). Also they don't seem to have a cool background (like Morrigan the witch or the bisex Bard )

[LVUER]

I agree with Jack_Norton. The new female char is too macho to have any sex appeal (visually). Issabela is hot (well, she is a love interest). The sister character is even hotter than the main char (could we have incest in Dragon Age? Or to take one step further, lesbian incest, heheheh...).

[Aleema]

SUCKS FOR YOU GUYS. Hahahahaha! *doesn't feel an ounce of pity*

In my opinion, Morrigan and Leilana didn't look sexy in the face either. Morrigan had side-boob and Leilana was bi, which I guess is the "interesting" parts you were talking about. But in fairness, Alistair was a face you had to learn to love, and Zevran was like a short forty year old. But how they looked didn't stop me from appreciating them as characters, so I would recommend you be more open minded, too. Again, I don't think Aveline is supposed to be sexy. I would punch Bioware in the face if they gave her a chainmail bikini or made her a Lara Croft clone. For a game that both genders are playing, that's offensive.

I'm pretty sure Isabela is bi. At least, she was, in the first game. I hope she doesn't hit on my LadyHawke though. o_O
They've basically dispelled incest, so no. =P

[Samu-kun]

Most of the characters look pretty early stage to me. I think they'll probably look different in game. Can't really judge much from concept pictures either. In any case, Dragon Age was never known for having beautiful people in it. Especially when they're splattered head to toe in blood. =w=

[LVUER]

Perhaps I was playing too many Japanese game that provide gender selection (like Summon Night). But in those games, the male character is very cool and the female character is soooo cyute >_< Perhaps that's why I unconsciously hope for a cute character in Dragon Age too (which is quite impossible, right?)

I think the scar in the female character face also the reason why it have less sex appeal. It's not that she have NO sex appeal at all (I correct my previous statement). Besides, there are people who likes tomboy/macho girl. Anyway, before I see her final full-body picture, I don't want say more.

[Aleema]

I think that's blood on their noses, not scars? People have been joking that it's Nutella. xD

I half agree that us, on this board, will expect more attractive characters, but the response from everyone on the internet has been more or less the same. For the girl characters outside of Bethany. Varric and Fenris have been very well received.

I believe they'll reveal a female Elf companion (that will be an LI) and a human male companion (also probably an LI) ... maybe. Just speculation.
I also speculate that the secret bonus DLC you get with the Signature Edition will be a Qunari.

[Samu-kun]

Perhaps I was playing too many Japanese game that provide gender selection (like Summon Night). But in those games, the male character is very cool and the female character is soooo cyute >_< Perhaps that's why I unconsciously hope for a cute character in Dragon Age too (which is quite impossible, right?)

I think the scar in the female character face also the reason why it have less sex appeal. It's not that she have NO sex appeal at all (I correct my previous statement). Besides, there are people who likes tomboy/macho girl. Anyway, before I see her final full-body picture, I don't want say more.

Usually, Dragon Age allows you to customize your character's appearance. It's quite robust in the first game, so you can make a lolita character if you want. (like I did) I expect that the new Dragon Age will just have a default character appearance that you can change, just like with Mass Effect.

[papillon]

Yes, you're still able to customise the main character last I heard, those are just the defaults. Since the party includes your siblings, customising the PC will also change THEM, so the looks can be quite different. This is important because the first game was pretty crap for non-white players - you could make your warden dark-skinned but then he/she was surrounded by white family members, and the only even slightly dark humans in the game were the "superstitious barbarians"! So the sequel is intended to be more inclusive.

I've heard SO Many (straight) guys whining already over the elf boy, I'm not sure why they are so offended by the existence of characters not designed to appeal to them personally! But the internet is full of trolls...