Schmooples' Den! The DA News Discussion Thread

A good example is the fate of the griffons.

Throughout Davrin/Hossberg storyline you are told that the Wardens lost their light when the griffons died out and it's partially responsible for them becoming more and more "evil" as time went on.

You are also told that the Griffons instinctively destroy that which is against nature. Wardens intentionally blighted them, causing them to attack each other and themselves. It's an absolutely tragic fate.

Do you trust the Wardens by returning that light to them? The same light that even Isseya, the MAIN antagonist of the Davrin storyline can see again if you manage to find the feather?

That in itself is a subject of morality, and it's quite nuanced overall... even the darkest and most blighted Warden can be brought back.

Yet.... a lot of people picked returning them to Arlathan. They made that decision to not trust the Wardens again. I made the opposite choice, and given my 1st playthrough was a Warden... it was a very impactful one.

Grey Warden nuanced, because they're not just Knight in the Shinning Armor, in contrary, their power acquired by controlling the dark powers they're supposed to eliminate, and the funny part is: They *know* it's a bad look, and they *know* it's required for them to partake with the ritual, it's not simply just a choice, people get killed maintaining the ritual secrecy.

Grey Warden nuanced, because they're not just a faction of do-gooder, they're a paramilitary organization, that is not under any political authority (at least in Ferelden iirc), in fact they have writ to conscript anyone they deemed worthy to serve, they're political power and political tools even though the game didn't do a good job explained it, that's why you're dad (Cousland) reluctant to give you to the Warden, that's why Grey Wardens are look upon with disdain by Loghain and that's why Orlesian had to control the Grey Wardens. 

When people said Origins writing is nuanced it's because this: they presented and explained to you why Mages are dangerous, they don't just explain to you that they're in fact dangerous, they show you - they show you an apprentice mage killing his mentor, they show you what happen when Templar lose control on the Tower, they show you what happened if Mages resort to Blood Magic. It nuanced, because you are also showed that not all mages are evil, not all mages are disloyal (Wynne), and you yourself can show people that mages can do good. It's not black and white as it seems.

When people said Origins writing is nuanced it's because of this: Loghain isn't just plain evil (unlike Solas, Ghil and Elv, debate me), he has legitimate reason to distrust Cailan allying himself with Orlesian, think about it this way, for a century your country know nothing but subjugation under Orlesian rule, think our real world conflict, do you think country A that being invaded by country B, in the future would cooperate with country B not even after one generation? - and remember, your chapter of Grey Warden in particular is of Orlesian origin, Do you think a former revolutionary, whose memory of subjugation is still fresh, would simply open their arms to a faction from that very region that subjugated them?

When people said Origins writing is dark: it's about tone and how the story is being presented, the language, the world building that fits said darker tone, it's not grimdark per se, because hope exist and you're among the embodiment of hope - but the story managed to make you feel you're fighting against the odds, and that nothing you can do can change the world's status quo (unless you do something radical like Anders, kudos to my favorite al-qaeda member).

Neve's quest: what if the threads also engage in Slavery? But at the moment your only choices is to cooperate with them to get deeper into Venatori plot? Would you cooperate? 

But no, it's almost funny because in that quest, you almost get no reactivity if you pick to inspire the docktown instead of whatever it is the threads offers you/neve, and even more funny, the thread guy is gone once you pick the inspire hope choice, magically - a good game, a good RPG game would present you with the consequences of choosing A over B, but not here.

Not here.