The Problem with Politics - Let's Play Dragon Age II

I usually go with the first one when excusing him, but the second seems rather logical, too... Not growing up does seem like it is the heart of his story, though, since most of Elthina's frustration with him stems from the fact he is like a kid in a toy store sometimes - he wants to be a prince - he wants to be a brother - he wants the Maker to give him a sign so he doesn't need to make a decision on his own at all. As much as you can disagree with Merrill at least she's mature enough to claim responsibility for her actions, though not mature enough to understand 'ramification', 'big picture' and 'uninteded consequences'.

As usual when all else fails, of course, applies the good old Varric Is Not A Reliable Narrator rule and we do know he doesn't always like Sebastian...

Hugo also likes his character to suffer. Especially the ones who did nothing wrong. Take that, girl who was seduced and left with a child! Take that, students who wanted to make the world a better place! Take that, kid who existed!
Random romance plot are just bad, I don't understand them.
And examples with Lee and David are the best examples.

That's what Hawke got for not flirting with anyone! Sebastian who is flirting with Fenris who is sleeping with Isabela.

Goddamit Anders, why you fail so hard even when you have a point. Why.

SEBASTIAN. I'm usually Team Mom with Varric, so no getting any sympathies from me in this banter.
I know where he's coming from, but that's not the kind of conversation he should have behind Hawke's back. He's so tacteful when you romance Anders, so it's not like he can't be tacteful again.

But on the other hand, awesome job at keeping him consistent about that!

Exactly- he never really grew UP before he was given to the chantry, so it's safe to assume he didn't know a lot about responsibility. And then he was raised by a place that allowed people like Petrice in their midst. (Plus, look at Alistair near the beginning of DA:O. The Chantry doesn't do such a good job of maturing people.)

Yeah, that's the interesting thing. I can't tell if it's intentional or not. He's consistently inconsistent enough for it to be either intentional or just bad writing.

/catching up

yea I really shouldn't post

I vote for Carver and Fenris, because I love Carver and I want to see him as often as possible. Fenris is our LI and he'll brood if we leave him at home.

Also, as much as I love Anders, his banter with Seb is what really made me like Seb. I was naturally inclined to like him due to the accent and georgoes eyes, but he felt like a robot, reciting belives taught to him by the church. And then he *gasp* started talking like a normal human being, who is also devout in his faith. Stunning.

I definitely think Seb's duality is intentional - it showcases his inner conflict. He's naturally a rather easy going person, with a sense of humor and a generous nature, and he was taught a very rigid religion with strict and uncompromising views. Since he does sincerely believe in the Maker, he tries to apply his own reason to what he was taught, sometime to a certain degree of success, and sometime... not. I don't think he fully agrees with everything the chantry stands for, but he does believe in the intent behind it, so he tries to reconcile the ideals with the reality. He's very naive, and like most naive people, reluctant to face reality as it is - because if life isn't fair and good people die for no reason, what does that make him, for devoting himself to the chantary? I think his more extreme opinions, such as that banter with Fenris about snitching, is a case of him trying to convince himself too - like if Fenris agrees with him and helps him put Merrill in the circle (which she could have use, she's the classic example of a mage that needs supervision) that will mean the chantry was right and everything is better, because if everyone agrees on something it must be the truth. I find his indecisiveness quite realistic - it reminds me people who keep switching their major in Uni, as if finding the right one is the key to happiness, once they figure that out everything else will just naturally follow. He just wants to be at peace with himself, but until that you can't relay on other people for approval, he'll never be. And that's why I like his rival route so much - it's basically telling him to look life at the face, rather then stick to ideals, which I think encourage him to grow up more then telling him to stay in the warm nest of the chantry.

That's just my take on him though - he feels so much younger then everyone else sometime, he almost reminds me of Merril. I do love how calmly he handles silly people trying to goad him, that's pretty cool.

I wonder why replying in this thread always ends up being the last thing I have time for before relocating regardless of how much time I had left. Oh well!

He's a downright sadist with Fantine. The book has a passage about how she's coping with her misery when she can brush her golden hair in the evenings and still feel beautiful. About one chapter before she has to sell her hair. And later while he is yammering about the Parisian sewer system he gets in a remark about how horrible and painful drowning is. TWO CHAPTERS BEFORE 'JAVERT DERAILED'.
To be fair anything involving Lee and David is the best of anything....

FOREVER ALONE ;_;

The chip on his shoulder? It has replaced his head. Thank, Awakening.

I think sometimes they forget Hawke is there. Some of what they say.... XD

And then when you remember many Templars, especially of the older generation where they could be picky about recruiment were raised in the Chantry....

He.... well....WELL, HE IS. No harm in spreading the truth,

I wish I could like this more than once. Well thought out, and I think it's a perfect way to regard him.

I unlocked a bit more banter heading around (like running in and out of the Hanged Man. I am not obsessed.)

Merrill: Poor Anders.
Fenris: You pity him? He's dangerous to himself and everyone around him.
Merrill: I think he's broken the thing he wanted to save.
Fenris: You pity him because he's you.
Merrill: Breaking the things you love most isn't restricted to mages, Fenris.
Fenris: Sadly true.

Merrill: Does your bow have a name? Varric's bow has a name.
Sebastian: I'm afraid I can't compete with our dear dwarf's... relationship to his weapon.
Merrill: You could call it Philomela!
Sebastian: Why would I do that?
Merrill: Because it reminds me of a woman in the alienage. Skinny, pointed, and always throwing things at people.

Merrill: What does your Chantry do? I mean, you keep saying how great it is. Anders and Isabela tell me to stay away from it. But what does it do? Among the Dalish, the Keepers teach the children, preserve our history, perform magic. The priestesses here just... sing.
Sebastian: The Chantry does many charitable works. It cares for widows and orphans-
Merrill: -Who in the Dalish would just be part of the clan, like everyone else. *sigh* I just don't get it...

Merrill: Is there a story behind Bianca?
Varric: There's a story behind everything, Daisy.
Merrill: So tell me!
Varric: I can't.
Merrill: Why not?
Varric: There was a girl, and I made a promise. Bianca is the only story I can never tell.
Merrill: You can't say that! Now I want to know even more!
Varric: That was the idea, Daisy!

Poor thing. I feel so bad for her. :c

On the Loose is one of the most depressing quests in the game sometimes... Nyssa always breaks my heart.

I ventured into my older MP3 folders the other day and I found out Tina Dickow actually foresaw how the Anders romance storyline would pan out on her In The Red album. I used to listen to this like mad, too, so I may as well leave the video here while I go gather screenshots for today's update.



(On the same album is a song called Mirror that's not a half bad rundown of Merrill's romance. And it predates DA2.)

I always thought that Hurricane fits DA2 quite well. And I occasionaly spend some time thinking about songs fitting the romance, but it's hard. And they're mostly sad. And sometimes they kinda fit - like Little Lion Man - but I already assigned them to other couples.

But since happy updates are coming, that's (one of) the song(s) I arbitrarily decide to assign to Isabela romance:

I caught up again, hooray!
I'll confirm my vote for MotA as Fenris and Carver while I have the chance :)

Man, all these apostate quests were really frustrating/sad. Whyyyy mages, why do you all turn to blood magic so easily? Goddamnit.

I think it's going to be Fenris and Carver by majority, then!

Evelina is the saddest because you actually get to see her before she snaps in Act 2 and she's so meek and compassionate. I feel like they're each representing a reason for a mage to go astray. Eveline is desperate for the sake of others, Huon is insane and power-mad and Emile...

I should probably just get the update rolling XD

The de Launcets are hysterically funny.

Term used advisedly, in Dulci's case.

... why did you make Emile look good? Something you want to share with the class?


I liked this quest, except for the time Fenris suggested that Emile was lying - after all, according to Anders you get a lot of sex in the Circle! - and I spent half an hour wondering if Emile was really stupid or not.

I love the de Launcets.

Matching him up with Dulci whom I REALLY had a deep-seated wish to make look like Maude as much as possible. Unfortunately he couldn't keep the dorky haircut and beard that way, so it was that or the other. And MAUDE. It's like the game is making a joke to me I can only understand through years and years of Matador reruns every time she opens her mouth*.

I was wondering the same. Sure, the Kirkwall Circle is run tighter, but you get that random trigger convo between a mage and a former lover who's been made Tranquil in Act 2, so it's not like it can't happen there. Emile does genuinely seem that stupid, though.

*Though Maude does toughen up considerably over the series.

Someone at BioWare has a big fanboy crush on Felicia Day, that's all I have to say here.

That is a very true statement. Still, I'll take the field trip on any pretense. Joyce needs a wacky day off and Orlesians pretty much guarantee THAT at least XD

Well, to be fair Tallis has a lot of Mary Sue-ish things going on, not just her introduction. She's just likeable, imho, and the DLC is quite good if played in a certain way. Also, Orlesian party! Hunt! Fancy things!

I'm just mad there's no mod to get Tallis' armor (minus the stupid cleavage. Why? Why would you wear armor that does not cover your fucking hearts and lungs? What the fuck, Bioware, I know she's supposed to be a sexy rouge, but really? When video game designers think 'sexy' the only thing they can think of is cleavage? Real creative.) I like the leg and arm plates, it reminds me of the light armors from NWN2.

I will say I really like Felicia Day's voice acting - it's sassy! Plus she doesn't sound british, which is a nice change for a fantasy character.

I think you can't get it because her armor seems modeled on her own body, like the ones of other companions, instead that on a standard elf one.

I like Felicia Day, I still didn't watch Redemption, but she was in Supernatural once and she does Tallis well.

I watched Redemption. It's okay, but I had a hard time following it, and the chronology with Mark is a bit confusing... or I wasn't paying attention when I watched it which is eminently possible. I think she was on Buffy's last season, that's the only other thing I watched her in. She does voice Tallis very well.

I think Antiqua nailed why you can't have it, but I agree. The rather fanservile chestpiece aside, I really like how the rest of it is tossed together. It's probably because it's piece-for-piece based on her Redemption getup, so this stuff had to be at least physically possible to move in.

Tallis' intro isn't much 'worse' than Izzy or Aveline's, though, I's say. DA2 always makes sure you know from most intros these characters can take care of themselves (Merrill and Anders being mages, granted, what you get for them instead is just hints as to the kind of mage they are - Merrill weaving magic she won't admit to at first and Anders healing that child), so I won't hold the intro against Tallis apart from it having quite a few more frames than Izzy beating five men single-handedly in a bar brawl or Aveline tackling and beating a Hurlock to death bare-handed. Varric and Fenris get more of the single act of badassery for their intro and Sebastian... argues with an old woman*. All very in character,

*I will never stop being mad he flirts with my man!

I think the difference it's in how the intro is handled. The other companions have intro who are badass and serve the purpose of showing a bit of their character. Tallis has a really long intro who goes on just on her killing people in a fashionable way - Look how awesome I am! - while Hawke apparently stands here doing nothing but watching her even if Hawke is the one the Crows want to kill.
It's a intro which might fit if we consider Tallis as "the one who tries hard to be the awesome one".

Davian, I'm shocked! Fenris is the only thing he made up his mind on, and you'll deny him the simple pleasure of flirting? Ask yourself, what Isabela Jean Valjean will do?
It's not like Fenris doesn't like him. Joyce/Fenris/Sebastian OTP.

Very valid point. Whenever the game decides Hawke will just stand there and derp out, I want to facepalm. It's like how you can't save Nyssa no matter what you do because apparently Hawke can't conceive of spending a few hours safeguarding her, but just HAVE to waltz off so far Huon has ample time to stab her for reasons. I didn't even like walking away to change the time the first time, so it marks one of those times in a video game where you're smarter than the protagonist and it is MADDENING, because you can't tell them anything, you're stuck on the track. The Tallis scene is especially bad because nobody stays surprised that long, Crows or Hawke nakama. The guy she tosses the first knife at just stands there and gawks until she is right in front of him a full minute later.

Jean Valjean would consider murdering him and marrying Cosette/Fenris himself. He gives up on the latter in the span of thirty seconds upon realizing how gross he is being, but the book states clearly by the time he's at the barricade he still haven't decided if he wants to save or kill Marius. Let's all pretend that's how Joyce feels about Sebastian, too.

I had a bad moment about Huon, because I decided to roleplay it as "Hawke's gang has a pajama party at Merril house, so they can surveill Nyssa NO ONE WILL BE SO STUPID..."
Except Hawke. S/He is.
And yeah. "What are you waiting for?" I don't know game, you tell me.

Damn, so that's why he was giving me that "Judge Turpin" feeling even during the musical. From this moment on I will use Isabela as an example to motivate people in this game about OT3.

Hawke always bloody is. I did the run in and out of Merrill's house, too, which made it all the stupider when I solemnly exited and 15 random blood slaves of a now dead blood mage attack me, presumably to stall me. Yep. Hawke does attract bad luck, but sometimes they only have themselves to thank when things go to hell. CORYPHEUS. There is so much why in this game sometimes. It annoys me less than little things like how Hawke can't say they won't steal something or the railroading in certain quests, but still. Derp Hawke is worst Hawke.

Even funnier, I own the Tenth Anniversery Concert where Colm Wilkinson plays Valjean and Michael Ball plays Marius. They reprise it on my Hey, Mr. Producer! DVD in the Les Mis segment, but they also play the Phantom and Raoul respectively in the Phantom of the Opera segment with a Christine who does look a bit like Cosette which makes it ten times more hilarious/creepy. Valjean isn't nowhere near as bad as Turpin or even Marius' otherwise amazingly funny grandfather, though. He is nearly eighty and he tells Marius that were he 15 years younger he'd duel him for Cosette. Who is at the time 17. Marius is twenty-something and the way HE acts around her is already creepy enough.

Starting up MotA now to relax my back a bit between analyzing data.

Two things. One; here is the MotA party selection screen:



We can has Carver back and Tallis has taken the DLC flank alongside Sebastian!

Two, I have the game running and if you stay in the selection screen long enough it starts running a modified version of the DAO menu music. Very nice.