190°

Dragon Age II’s David Gaider Reveals Stance on In-Game Romances

Dragon Age II Lead Writer David Gaider has a lot to say about character development, in-game romances, and even stories for Dragon Age III. Read on to find out more in part one of our conversation.

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gamezone.com
Darkfiber4859d ago (Edited 4859d ago )

I never really saw the point of in game romances...they aren't real people, and Bioware just seems to put them in for the sake of putting them in. It's expected of them at this point. I think the whole thing is just silly. Bioware seems to always have a tough time writing believable female roles. Most of the "romances" will just sleep with you cause you helped them out one time. If I got laid every time I helped someone out, my dick would have fallen off a long time ago.

Kon4859d ago (Edited 4859d ago )

lmao @ your last phrase.

OT: I don't really care for this romance thing. But everytime i play DA:O, i always end up in bed with Leliana. hmm

Darkfiber4859d ago

Origins has the most awkward sex in any video game I've ever seen. It's like action figures having sex to Enya.

Ryudo4859d ago (Edited 4859d ago )

It's all to easy to say, there not real only nerds care about them get a real girl friend but that's not the point of them.

They add a layer of depth to the game make you feel somehow more involved in the lore, why they certainly aren't essential there's nothing wrong with giving you a little more involvement from your characters.

And why its true what you said is turn most of the time you do get laid for helping them out, difference is saving a girl from a fire breathing dragon in real life doesn't actually happen.

Am willing to bet if it did she would be a little more grateful.

Darkfiber4859d ago (Edited 4859d ago )

Anyway, yes I know they add depth and I agree with that IF DONE RIGHT. My point is, Bioware especially doesn't seem to be doing it right recently. I think it's just expected of them to have sex in the game by their fans so they just throw it in without even trying. I mean honestly, Zevran has sex with you for giving you a pair of shoes. For all the people who wanted a deep, meaningful, sustained relationship with him in the game, that's pretty much just a middle finger.

Mass Effect is the same thing, especially the first one. All you have to do is talk to them for 5 minutes, basically just asking them how their day is going, and they sleep with you. I don't know if they are just making every female character a slutbag (which could be what gamers want, I don't know) or they just don't care anymore, but there are very few relationships in Bioware games that make it hard to have sex. Alastair is about the only one I can think of and it opens happens when you are a female. And if you are a guy playing a female having sex with a dude and enjoying your in-game relationship, that's just a little creepy to me.

Getting involved with characters is one thing, but I'm specifically talking about it bothering me that it's so easy to get laid in those games. It would be much harder if it was trying to be realistic, but for the most part they are just making all the female characters seem easy. How can they add depth by having sex with someone if there is no depth in the relationship with that person beyond, "hey, thanks for the shoes, let's fuck"? If they want it to actually be meaningful they need to add more depth in the relationships and interactions with the characters, if they don't, the sex is meaningless, and meaningless sex in a video game is pointless other than trying to get horny losers to buy the game so they can bust a nut to fake polygonal boobs. It doesn't add anything to the overall story or character interaction, it's just there to give gamers a cheap boner (which it usually fails at because the sex scenes are so awkward)

Aloren4859d ago

No offense but all the people who wanted a deep, meaningful, sustained relationship with Zevran are really naive. When you talk to the guy it's obvious he's not really "normal" when it comes to relationships. Plus that's an extreme example, the other romance options in Dragon Age are not as "superficial" as Zevran. In fact, even though the scenes looked awkward, I think romances were pretty popular in DA. Of course it's over simplified, but it's not a dating sim, it's just there to give you another reason to play the game (which you can ignore completely if you don't like it btw)

Neckbear4859d ago (Edited 4859d ago )

Usually, videogame romances and relationships work very well as a way to develop those characters and make you attached to them.

Incidentally, they also are, for the most time, VERY awkward and completly cringe-worthy.

I'd blame the writers and developers over anything else, it's like they have a hard time imagining an actual human character. If you ask me, Dragon Age featured of the worse romances in close memory- Leliana, as an example, was "The perfect sweet, kind-hearted waifu", but they pulled it off so horribly...ugh.

Remember her "song"?

"I will sing you the song of my people.

AAGHGHAJSAKJDBNAB DBJAK,KANJABSDLJA"

That has to be of the most cringe worthy scenes in close memory.

In fact, I think the only games that truly do the relationship aspect in videogames are, hilariously enough, JRPGs. If you wonder why, play Persona 4 or Ar Tonelico. Well, that's at least how I see it, anyways.

And hey, it's not like videogame relationships have to ALWAYS be romances. Usually simple character interaction works- example being Deus Ex.

Darkfiber4859d ago

Oh god, my girlfriend was just playing that part last week. I had never heard it before. She just started singing for like 5 minutes and wouldn't stop, it was the most awkward thing I have ever seen in a video game, it was hilarious.

And as much as I hate to agree, you are right about the JRPGs. The relationships are linear and scripted into the games but they are usually 100 times more believable than ones in western RPGs, simply because they are usually such a key part of the story and slowly grow, spanning over the entire course of the game rather than just talking to someone for 2 minutes then having awkward plasticky sex.

stuntman_mike4859d ago

Romance has always been a part of stories it adds more to character, to say they are silly makes you sound like a bunch of kids who have never fell in love with a person or cared.
ok so the romances in these games are stilted and over very quick, and the animations tend to look robotic but if these games didnt have them they would be very devoid of emotion.

RogueCheddar4859d ago

It's hard for anyone, not just game developers, to capture real human emotions.

70°

EA Made Dragon Age and Mass Effect DLC Free On PC By Retiring The BioWare Points System

Immersed Gamer writes: "In order to replace the oppressive BioWare Points system, EA is making a large portion of the Mass Effect and Dragon Age DLC catalogs free for PC users.

For those of you blissfully unaware, EA and BioWare employed a payment system called BioWare Points on PC to pay for DLCs for titles like Mass Effect and Dragon Age. While PC gamers have been struggling with BioWare point’s unfair conversion rates and extremely scarce and cost-detrimental sales.

Console players have been allowed to purchase content in pieces through the appropriate Sony and Microsoft shops. For real money, and not BioWare monopoly bucks. In turn, console players missed out on some DLC content, such as Mass Effect 2 pre-order bonuses that have been repackaged into a DLC pack."

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immersedgamer.com
TinkerNation667d ago

Great response to Ubisoft and their disgusting behavior. Ubisoft decide to take away DLC from people who paid for it, while EA give it for free to everyone when they realize their system sucks. Who would have thought that EA of all companies would be showing Ubisoft how it should be done (even if this is EA fixing their own mistakes as well).

Mobis-New-Nest667d ago

What goes around comes around and I promise you, Ubisoft will see their actions blow back on them when their diminishing sales numbers and stock taking a hit downward. That's the only way a company learns when they decide to be reactive instead of proactive.

160°

All BioWare Games Ranked from Worst to Best

BLG writes: "There was a time that BioWare games were the biggest deal in gaming. The Canadian developer’s legacy of all-time classics is well known. Mass Effect, Knights of the Old Republic, and Baldur’s Gate are some of the biggest names in gaming.

While BioWare’s quality has fallen off lately, there’s no denying the quality of titles in their portfolio. That’s why we’re going to dive in and rank every BioWare game from worst to best. By every, I do mean every BioWare game, even the ones you completely forgot about!"

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bosslevelgamer.com
Orbilator826d ago

Ranked from worse to even more worse more like, they been on free fall for a fair few years now and I personally don't think any of there earlier games have aged well

autobotdan826d ago

Wow to think at one point in their history they made a Sonic the Hedgehog game..crazy

chicken_in_the_corn826d ago

Anthem is crazy underrated. I really enjoyed it. ME1 is Bioware's best imo

826d ago Replies(1)
Michiel1989826d ago

I actually put quite a bit of hours into Anthem but i dont think its underrated. It was a huge mess, server issues, gameplay issues, crashes, no endgame loop, too few different enemies, uninteresting gear. too few dungeons.

It for sure had potential and if they could have managed to keep the same gameplay of the classes but without the rest of the issues, this game could have been huge, but in the state in which it launched it was such a letdown. They partly fixed some of the issues, but it took too long. A grinding game like this needs to hook players from day 1.

170°

'Dragon Age' and Why It Sucks to Play Cult Favorite Games

Delving into a well-loved game or series years after its release, when it already has an enthusiastic and devoted fanbase, can be incredibly difficult. People can be casually mean on the internet without intending to, and that happens a lot when you say you don’t like something they do. Fans of the franchise take their love of the game very seriously. They’re fervent and devoted, which has its charms, but it can also feel like you’re disappointing them when you decide their thing is not your thing.

Snakeeater25949d ago

All dragon age games are terribly boring

Kerppamaister949d ago

Why'd you play DA2 if you thought 1 was boring?

Snakeeater25949d ago

Because of the reviews, I thought they could do better specially gameplay wise and the third one was even worst

spss11949d ago

I've never been able to complete a Dragon Age game. They always felt too rigid in design. I eventually think "why am I playing this over Witcher 3?" or pretty much any other rpg.

arkard949d ago

The same reason you read a different book, or watch different movies. Different world, characters, lore and story.

jeromeface949d ago

Idk, because maybe you completed the witcher 3? Not all of us like repeating a game over and over just because its the best in genre.

spss11949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

@arkard
Never found the story or lore of DA interesting. Inquisition was just generic evil dude with demon army wants to conquer world and you're the chosen one.

@jeromeface
I've played through Witcher 3 once, at the same time I was playing DA Inquisition. Hence the example. I never finished Inquisition and went on to complete Witcher 3.

Yui_Suzumiya949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

Well the first bored me but I loved 2 and 3. I could never get into The Witcher or Elder Scrolls but I enjoyed those as far as medieval themed RPG's go.

SegaSaturn669949d ago

I played inquisition and thought the story was pretty well done. Voice acting as well.

Lost interest when i found an ultimate weapon that could only be wieldable postgame. Like wtf would they let me even obtain it for?

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phoenixwing949d ago

Is it really a cult following if it's in the millions?

IanTH949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

lol Definitely a fair point. When a game is made and published by one of the largest video game companies on Earth, has at least 12 million sales between DA:O/DA2/DA:I, DA:I noted as being BioWare's most successful launch, and made EA enough money to greenlight a 3rd game? I'm thinking it's tough to argue that's niche :-p

If you take cult following on the face of it - a group of people who are highly dedicated & passionate about something - the author wouldn't be wrong. But they have to know that term is most widely associated with the group being small/the object being obscure, so it can't really apply here.

melons949d ago

Yeah, in what universe is a series with three games, a fourth on the way that's sold millions and is published by EA a "cult favorite"? Next you'll be telling me The Witcher 3 is a plucky and underrated indie.

IanTH948d ago

I've heard about this hidden gem called GTA V...

jznrpg949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

Cult favorite? It’s well known and sold fairly well and they are making a fourth game . I don’t see it anywhere near cult favorite status . I really enjoyed the first game and the third was pretty good (with failed mmo faults you could notice) but the second game was lazily made garbage .

Yui_Suzumiya949d ago

Second was the best game which is the biggest hot take I've ever had, lol

ElvisHuxley949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

Loved the first one, second was pretty good. Couldn't even get through the third one. Don't have high hopes for 4, but hey, nowhere to go but up hopefully.

moomoo319949d ago (Edited 949d ago )

DA: Origins was cool, but I got Mass Effect 2 at the same time and goddayum there was no comparison imo.

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