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crisurdiales — DA2: A diary in Kirkwall -43
Published: 2011-11-22 10:09:41 +0000 UTC; Views: 1680; Favourites: 7; Downloads: 17
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Description
Personal diary of Marian Hawke: the long way home[link]
Watercolors and markers.
Character: Warrior/Charming-Sarcastic
Copyright for Dragon Age 2 and all its characters: Bioware
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Comments: 22
Problem is that DA2 had choices but no consequences. Soem good idea, but a horrible sequel.
Anyway, Grey Warden Bethany is great. It forces her out of her comfort zone and makes her into something. Circle Bethany is all about being passive and the easy option, even if that means being an abused slave to sadistic captors. GW Beth actually has to make tough choices.
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I only got circle Bethany but I basically agree. However, in a selfish way I'd rather have my sister alive for more than 30 years than free. Although I'd have probably broken her free and fled the city asap
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Yes, that's true. I also found letting the Templars take her - after you've seen how mages suffer in the city - makes Hawke look a bit stupid. You say 'over my dead body' and then just wimp out and let them take her away.
I'd have left Kirkwall in a heartbeat too. DA2 mishandled the family horribly. There was real potential there (how often does the hero have a proper family in most games?), but the writers just threw the family away.
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I totally agree. Indeed, my drive though most the game was my family well being. Until that is not possible anymore! It's so frustrating!! After that I just focusef in surviving Isabela's romance (ouch!)
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It's a shame they don't let you save your family... Having a family is rather unique in role-playing games. I suppose I saved the one I really loved - if turning her inmto a Grey Warden is really 'saving' her.
It was nice Bethany gets unique dialogue and items on the two DLC adventures. The Amell sisters ride again!
I've never actually completed Izzy's romance... You can only do it if you turn down Merrill, and I've never been able to do that. I always max Izzy's friendship though.
I did Anders' romance playing as Garrett though, and that was excellent.
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I'd have turned her into a Warden as well, but when Mother questioned if I was sure I was not risking her life, I had a really bad feeling and decided to leave her behind. I had no idea she would be captured by templars at the time. From that moment on, I developed a grudge for Cullen ..
About Merrill, for some reason every choice I made increased her rivalry points, and at the end of act 2 I was developing an intolerance for blood magic, anyway. I was more than surprised when she came to me anyway, but I was already somewhat involved with Izzy and did not really want to cheat on her, so ...
About Anders, I liked him well enough, even though he did not seem very interested in my Marian for most Act I and half Act II, but during Act III he really got on my nerves
I guess everything depends on the way you play, I'll probably start the game in a couple of months with a mage and see what happens
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Oh, I hated Cullen, from the moment I played the Mage Origin in the original game. What a bigot. Unfortunately, you can't make him pay in either game, alas.
Merrill's romance is odd - you can only develop a friendship if you constantly mollycoddle her, do as she asks even when it's crazy, and when it all goes pear-shaped, blame others for her shortcomings. So, I did all that
I don't see Anders or Garrett as straight, so I didn't mind if he didn't show any interest in Marian. He's my Gay Best Friend; every girl should have one!
I simply can't bring myself to play a mage. I need to have Bethany with me on every play-through. I wish you could just pick which sibling to have, as with Kaiden/Ashley in Mass Effect.
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Hehehe, I've always wanted a gay best friend xD
About Merrill, I couldn't help seeing her as a kid. Isabela sort of happened, I did nothing particular to end up there. I did not get along with Fenris, too gloomy for my taste. I liked Varric, also, but, like Aveline, he's out of limits. Anyway, I think I'm genetically unable to cheat on someone, even in games, so one romance is more than enough
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Oh yes, Merrill is basically a child in an adult's body. And the Izzy romance just kinda happens.
I pretty much hated Fenris, he's a bigot and a whiner and there's nothing you can do to change him, so I always sell him or kill him. He feels like something out of a JRPG like Final Fantasy, he doesn't belong in Dragon Age.
It's a shame that Varric is chaste and Aveline is spoken for... The three sensible, likeable and down-to-earth characters - Bethany, Varric, Aveline - are not romanceable! One day I'd just like a sweet-natured romance, not one filled with dramas...
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Well, Isabela turns to be kinda sweet towards the end, you just have to endure three acts of betrayal, cheating and mockery to get there xD
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Oh, I always max her friendship. The speech she gives about 'this time I'll come through for you' is lovely. The characters were excellent for the most part. And you can actually change Izzy - if you max her friendship then kill Castillon, she admits that your way is the best way.
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I did exactly that and I think the quest order was particularly appropriate by sheer luck for plot development. I'm about to start my final battle with Meredith and my diary is up to date. Almost done now!
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Hey, that's cool writing a journal! I used to do that with Baldur's Gate.
I did write a story about DA2, but I changed the whole premise of Ladyhawke. She became a crime boss (being a rogue) kind of like 'Scarface', an immigrant who came to control the criminal traffic of a large city. It made much more sense for her to oppose the Templars on that basis than just doing random sidequests!
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Baldur's Gate 2 was my fav PC game along with Tomb Raider!
Have you published your DA2 story? I'm reading fanfic lately and the premise sounds good
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Oh, I miss BG2! And the first three TR games, though I hear it's getting an update next year?
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They already revamped TR1 as TR Anniversary, but they just improved the graphics a bit. I also think the first 3 Tomb Raider were the best, lately it's become sort of repetitive, they just throw better graphics and that's all. DAO had some of the best features of BG2, including an awesome story, but BG2 just happens to have that special magic feeling ...
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Oh, I agree. I liked Anniversary, but it didn't capture the 'feel' of that first game for me. Too many shooter gimmicks like the slo-mo kills. I thought the first tow games had the best difficulty curve I've seen in a game. (Now, TR3 was great, but the learning curve was BRUTAL!)
Yeah, BG1 and 2 really have that 'magic' about them. Minsc, Jaheira, Imoen, Vicky, I loved them all. Dragon Age Origins is the only game that comes close to capturing that feel for me. DA2 has great characters but it's too 'actionised'.
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In the end, the Circle did seem like a better alternative than joining the Grey Wardens. In Dragon Age: Origins, I didn't really see becoming a Grey Warden as a death sentence. I thought it was something great. In Dragon Age 2, that changed when Grey Wardens started being synonymous to "death sentence".
I found out that if Carver survived instead of Bethany, he will join the Templars. I think that's probably the result of having to shelter two apostates all his life.
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I'll probably play next time as a mage for a change and see what happens. In my opinion, everything would be preferable to Bethany being killed, but I agree: 30 years of life vs relative freedom is a hard choice
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the lament of everyone playing the game... why doesn't what I do matter...
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So frustrating!! I was just focused on the family thing and ...
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