Dragon Age Inquisition - A Conclusion of a Trilogy
Jul 19, 2014 22:08:50 GMT -5
VinceMayCry and anthonyboike like this
Post by 500metrictonnes on Jul 19, 2014 22:08:50 GMT -5
I remember one interview with Chris Avelone, regarding KotOR2, where he stated that he didn't really care for romances the way BioWare does, hence the rather threadbare romance arcs present in that game. And given how shallow and pathetic your typical Biomance is, I agree with him 100%.
Funny, then, that I still think the romances in that game (at least for a male Exile) strike me as far more plausible than most BioWare romances.
But let's look at BioWare's own example, Baldur's Gate II, which was their first game to feature romances with party members. If you acted evil, Aerie wouldn't romance you, and might even leave the party. Likewise, if you acted too "soft," then Viconia wouldn't be attracted to your character, since she comes from a culture that values individual strength over everything else. In other words, romances weren't just about what you said, but also what you did. And agreeing with everything your love interest said was often the wrong thing to do.
Not only that, romances had some effect on the plot as well. When you go to confront Bodhi in her lair, she'll kidnap your love interest and transform him/her into a vampire, forcing you into another quest to cure him/her.
Compare this to Dragon Age II, where romance comes down to: "You can talk to me five times! Pick the heart option three times, and I'll love you forever!" And none of the romances affect the story at all; the nobility of Kirkwall won't be aghast that a nobleman like Hawke is engaged in serious relationship with an elf like Merrill, even though elves are viewed as second-class citizens at best. Just like how, in Mass Effect 2 and 3, no one cares, apparently, if Shepard, easily the most famous human in the galaxy, is in a romance with a quarian or a turian. You'd think that, given the general racism displayed towards quarians, or the resentment humanity has towards the turian people as a result of the First Contact War, people might raise a few eyebrows over Shepard pursuing with a relationship with someone like Tali or Garrus.
Funny, then, that I still think the romances in that game (at least for a male Exile) strike me as far more plausible than most BioWare romances.
But let's look at BioWare's own example, Baldur's Gate II, which was their first game to feature romances with party members. If you acted evil, Aerie wouldn't romance you, and might even leave the party. Likewise, if you acted too "soft," then Viconia wouldn't be attracted to your character, since she comes from a culture that values individual strength over everything else. In other words, romances weren't just about what you said, but also what you did. And agreeing with everything your love interest said was often the wrong thing to do.
Not only that, romances had some effect on the plot as well. When you go to confront Bodhi in her lair, she'll kidnap your love interest and transform him/her into a vampire, forcing you into another quest to cure him/her.
Compare this to Dragon Age II, where romance comes down to: "You can talk to me five times! Pick the heart option three times, and I'll love you forever!" And none of the romances affect the story at all; the nobility of Kirkwall won't be aghast that a nobleman like Hawke is engaged in serious relationship with an elf like Merrill, even though elves are viewed as second-class citizens at best. Just like how, in Mass Effect 2 and 3, no one cares, apparently, if Shepard, easily the most famous human in the galaxy, is in a romance with a quarian or a turian. You'd think that, given the general racism displayed towards quarians, or the resentment humanity has towards the turian people as a result of the First Contact War, people might raise a few eyebrows over Shepard pursuing with a relationship with someone like Tali or Garrus.