Character switching

Wonder if they'll Fallout 4 it...

DA2 'Hawke' wasn't 2 people, it was a single person whos gender swapped based on what you wanted to play. FO4 is literally 2 different people like MEA is. I think it would be cool if I got to customize both characters visually before picking 1 to play for the rest of the game, if that's what 'FO4 it' means.

Anyway to your actual main question - no, I don't want to switch characters. I don't mind if it's in specific, forced sequences or something. You know, like the Joker sequence in ME2. That was awesome, weather that's your other sibling or anything else I'm ok with. But if it's a GTA5 mechanic of swapping characters at any time or your sibling is a companion? I'd definitely prefer that not be the case.

Main reason is personalities, we're supposed to have some control over that. If the sibling is around as a side character all the time then it's defining that character for us rather heavily, more then we're used to. It'd be fine with it, ultimately, but it'll get weird when I swap genders on another playthrough and the guy thats usually me is completely different? And then if we can play/talk to people as either sibling at will through out the game gah. That'll create a hell of a disjointed feeling with neither feeling like 'your character'.

I mean wtf you going to do with romances? Or they'll have to have different dialog depending on the sibling so we'd have to swap siblings just to get all the dialog? That all sounds like a mess that would result in no one really feeling connected to either of them due to not 'being' one of them but both. Works in games like GTA5 or AC5 because your not really making dialog choices, or any choices for that matter. They're not RPG's, you watch the story and play the game between those moments.

So yeah, I'd vastly prefer not to, which thankfully we aren't. We pick 1 for the whole game as they've stated. No idea if we get to visually change both though.

no thanks

Personally I'm gonna say no to character switching, I want to pick just the one I want to play as & the other twin can spend the entire game cleaning the latrines.

Just my opinion.

Funny, I was just having a discussion about this last night after reading one of Bioware's statements which implied it might happen.

The short answer is "No, I don't want that". Why? A few reasons. I have nothing against dual-protagonist stories, I just don't think it would work for this one. Halo 2 was a great example of one, while Halo 5 was not. Either way though, neither were RPGs. If, say, there's an even split between playing each sibling, I feel like it would be jarring and would severely limit how much we can develop and roleplay either one.

While I'm actually hoping they do dual protagonists in DA4, it's a much different scenario already. DA4's plot will tie in directly to DA:I's, including personal motivations related to the Inquisitor, while ME:A is literally and figuratively distancing itself from the original ME trilogy and Shepard. Since we're playing as someone new, I'd like to develop them fully, hopefully more than Shepard. But I think if we play as both siblings, it will inevitably force both into being more confined as characters- not just because you can't choose the gender of both playable characters - They're likely to have more set personalities as well. I don't want that. It would be different in DA where one of the protagonists would already be developed and more time would be given to the new one. Not here.

As others have said, I'd be fine with a Joker-like sequence or two. Heck, I'm even expecting it given Bioware's tradition of rescue missions for our protagonists I also expect/hope that like Fallout 4, we'll be able to customize both before choosing which to play (not that I'll probably change much on the male, just make some family resemblance obvious). Another awkward thing would be romances of course. Would be be able to do two in one playthrough? Each would probably halve - actually, I'll leave that typo. Halve the content. Not good either. What would happen if both siblings pursued the same option? That would be weird


TL;DR: I want ME to reverse its regression and restore its RPG elements, and I think playing as both siblings would hinder that.

I loved it in AC: Syndicate, so its not an idea I'm against but I don't think it works for a RP based game like ME. Like others have said, driving an NPC for a short while (ala Joker) is fine.. but RP choices should be restricted to the one PC.

BW have a hard enough time with calculating RP choices as is, now try that x2, we would end up with either nuking the story every game or with the most bland choices possible so the calculated outcomes weren't in the millions.

Hmm... You do raise some pretty good points there that I haven't thought of before...

But I have a strong feeling that we'll do get to play the father for a bit (prologue tutorial) like .

Hopefully there's not character switching. I prefer the experience of a single character, though i could probably cope with a Ciri style set minor secondary pov.

eh, i'd rather stick to one character.

Well, rather not. Imagine the situation where those two characters would try to romance the same person. That would awkward... but Bethany's fans might be finally pleased, that's for sure.

I get that feeling too. I don't know what purpose it will serve though. I hope they don't do it.