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Post by The Pluto Lounge on Jul 17, 2024 22:05:32 GMT
I kind of worry they are trying too hard with the companions but then again this is all marketing hype and they probably feel like companions are the best thing to promote, so we'll see.
Oh, yes. It feels like the Rah...Rah of College football fans. If you take the interviews from Andromeda, DA:I you'll see a very common thread.
On Innovation, it seems to be a mandate from God. "Let's castrate the Mage!". On story+chars, the pendulum may have swung too far in the opposite direction. However, the gameplay demo showed us a slice of Minrathus that is so much pleasantly different from the stark empty city of Orlais.
One reinforced item = we can't win without our companions.
Ha, I'll take the rah rah of college football fans in this article over the sleazy salesman of the previous articles. I guess, speaking of sleazy salesman... I hope its not a, "the car starts to smoke when you turn it on, but wow, listen to this amazing stereo!" situation.
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Post by Lebanese Dude on Jul 17, 2024 22:15:54 GMT
Er, so I re-watched the gameplay for the first time since last month... Is that Varric laying at the bottom of the stairs with sparks/magic flying off in the background? I didn't see this before, so apologies in advance if this has been pored over already! Plot twist... its the Inquisitor. Plotter Twist: It's who you left behind in the Fade in DAI being dumped out.
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Post by Hrungr on Jul 17, 2024 23:10:50 GMT
I noticed the Veilguard Steam Page added one more tag today.
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Post by Hanako Ikezawa on Jul 17, 2024 23:53:37 GMT
It’s what they are known for and no one has even come close to them in that aspect. I’d say it’s smart leaning on what has given Bioware it’s prestige. I agree but some of what they are saying makes me think they are trying too hard to make them likeable and feel like a family. I'd rather come to that conclusion on my own, or to have other types of relationships with them. BioWare already saying they are your family feels off-putting to me. Yeah, it feels very much like they’re going to be “We love these characters, and we’ll make you love them too” to the point of them forcing this friendships on us. Like they’ve done with Varric, Garrus, Liara, etc.
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Post by sjsharp2010 on Jul 18, 2024 0:45:53 GMT
I noticed the Veilguard Steam Page added one more tag today. Here we go again Dragon Age Bangdromeda.
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Post by roselavellan on Jul 18, 2024 1:01:18 GMT
For me the biggest concern is not necessarily pushing one favourite, but dedicating a large part of the content to characters I may not like. And then making them essential to the story.
In previous games, you could basically have a core group of favourites and more or less ignore some companions if you didn't like them. But what if they made it like ME2's suicide mission but with the amount of companion content of, say, Shadowheart? I am reminded of the fact that Shadowheart's companion quest is part of BG3's Act 2 progression. Which I guess is not a bad approach in itself, unless you really dislike these characters.
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Post by phoray on Jul 18, 2024 1:07:35 GMT
"don't come in expecting a direct sequel to a game [you] played and then [be] disappointed."
I will if I wanna be! 😤
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Post by midnight tea on Jul 18, 2024 1:08:09 GMT
For me the biggest concern is not necessarily pushing one favourite, but dedicating a large part of the content to characters I may not like. And then making them essential to the story. In previous games, you could basically have a core group of favourites and more or less ignore some companions if you didn't like them. But what if they made it like ME2's suicide mission but with the amount of companion content of, say, Shadowheart? I am reminded of the fact that Shadowheart's companion quest is part of BG3's Act 2 progression. Which I guess is not a bad approach in itself, unless you really dislike these characters. Given how many times they've said that Rook will need companions to finish the campaign, and that companion stories will basically happen alongside the main storyline, I think the goal is to indeed make them a bigger part of the narrative.
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Post by q5tyhj on Jul 18, 2024 1:15:46 GMT
I agree but some of what they are saying makes me think they are trying too hard to make them likeable and feel like a family. I'd rather come to that conclusion on my own, or to have other types of relationships with them. BioWare already saying they are your family feels off-putting to me. Yeah, it feels very much like they’re going to be “We love these characters, and we’ll make you love them too” to the point of them forcing this friendships on us. Like they’ve done with Varric, Garrus, Liara, etc. hey watch it now, Garrus is awesome will not tolerate any Garrus disrespect
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Post by Hrungr on Jul 18, 2024 1:17:12 GMT
Er, so I re-watched the gameplay for the first time since last month... Is that Varric laying at the bottom of the stairs with sparks/magic flying off in the background? I didn't see this before, so apologies in advance if this has been pored over already! Well, it's something sparkly. Bianca?
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Post by colfoley on Jul 18, 2024 1:17:58 GMT
For me the biggest concern is not necessarily pushing one favourite, but dedicating a large part of the content to characters I may not like. And then making them essential to the story. In previous games, you could basically have a core group of favourites and more or less ignore some companions if you didn't like them. But what if they made it like ME2's suicide mission but with the amount of companion content of, say, Shadowheart? I am reminded of the fact that Shadowheart's companion quest is part of BG3's Act 2 progression. Which I guess is not a bad approach in itself, unless you really dislike these characters. I wish Bioware tried something like this all along. You don't have to like em you just have to work with them.
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Post by themikefest on Jul 18, 2024 1:25:13 GMT
From the GI article: "We wanted to tell a story this time where you literally cannot save the world without these characters." - I wonder what ties them so closely to the game's resolution. This sounds like the player will have no choice to not recruit a companion. Another feature removed. I agree but some of what they are saying makes me think they are trying too hard to make them likeable and feel like a family. I'd rather come to that conclusion on my own, or to have other types of relationships with them. BioWare already saying they are your family feels off-putting to me. Yeah, it feels very much like they’re going to be “We love these characters, and we’ll make you love them too” to the point of them forcing this friendships on us. Like they’ve done with Varric, Garrus, Liara, etc. Even though Bioware used the force friendship with those character's, the game gave my Shepard no reason to like those two, and in DA2, the game gave my Hawke no reason to like the dwarf especially since he has a habit of exaggerating the truth.
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Post by colfoley on Jul 18, 2024 1:31:20 GMT
From the GI article: "We wanted to tell a story this time where you literally cannot save the world without these characters." - I wonder what ties them so closely to the game's resolution. This sounds like the player will have no choice to not recruit a companion. Another feature removed. Yeah, it feels very much like they’re going to be “We love these characters, and we’ll make you love them too” to the point of them forcing this friendships on us. Like they’ve done with Varric, Garrus, Liara, etc. Even though Bioware used the force friendship with those character's, the game gave my Shepard no reason to like those two, and in DA2, the game gave my Hawke no reason to like the dwarf especially since he has a habit of exaggerating the truth. And good riddance to...
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Post by roselavellan on Jul 18, 2024 1:37:19 GMT
For me the biggest concern is not necessarily pushing one favourite, but dedicating a large part of the content to characters I may not like. And then making them essential to the story. In previous games, you could basically have a core group of favourites and more or less ignore some companions if you didn't like them. But what if they made it like ME2's suicide mission but with the amount of companion content of, say, Shadowheart? I am reminded of the fact that Shadowheart's companion quest is part of BG3's Act 2 progression. Which I guess is not a bad approach in itself, unless you really dislike these characters. I wish Bioware tried something like this all along. You don't have to like em you just have to work with them. True, but it will be a hard slog if you hate a companion. I've never really disliked a Bioware character before, not even Vivienne, but if they're really deepening companion content, I feel there is a potential for some of them to really rub me the wrong way. Still, it IS Bioware, so I'm sure it'll be fine.
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Post by colfoley on Jul 18, 2024 1:47:51 GMT
I wish Bioware tried something like this all along. You don't have to like em you just have to work with them. True, but it will be a hard slog if you hate a companion. I've never really disliked a Bioware character before, not even Vivienne, but if they're really deepening companion content, I feel there is a potential for some of them to really rub me the wrong way. Still, it IS Bioware, so I'm sure it'll be fine. I can only speak for myself but even the BioWare companions I've hated, Jack, Liara, Isabella, and Oghren, I've still tried to enjoy as much of their content as possible because they were BioWare companions and largely still needed to work with them in order to get our objectives done. Again don't have to like them but it does behoove one to see where they are coming from to see if they are actually a good character or not. THough this is also depending on the vagaries of the game as well since some decisions I've made in regards to these characters have locked them out of content, like I'm pretty sure Isabella has never made it to Act 3...at least not for my canon Hawke.
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Post by sjsharp2010 on Jul 18, 2024 1:57:23 GMT
I wish Bioware tried something like this all along. You don't have to like em you just have to work with them. True, but it will be a hard slog if you hate a companion. I've never really disliked a Bioware character before, not even Vivienne, but if they're really deepening companion content, I feel there is a potential for some of them to really rub me the wrong way. Still, it IS Bioware, so I'm sure it'll be fine. Yeah me too even thoug hfor example Sera isn' tmy favourie tcharacter I stil us ehe rfrom time to time as it's good t omix things up on occasion. Of course it largel ydepensd on wha ttype of character and class m ycharacter i sin th egame a st ohow much they ge tused but tha talways changes playthrough on playthrough in bot hMass Effect and Dragon Age.
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Post by OhDaniGirl on Jul 18, 2024 2:04:57 GMT
Er, so I re-watched the gameplay for the first time since last month... Is that Varric laying at the bottom of the stairs with sparks/magic flying off in the background? I didn't see this before, so apologies in advance if this has been pored over already! [\spoiler] Well, it's something sparkly. Bianca? Ugh, that gif is breaking my heart. I'd say Varric or Harding, based on the size.
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Post by fistoffiori on Jul 18, 2024 5:38:54 GMT
Well, it's something sparkly. Bianca? Ugh, that gif is breaking my heart. I'd say Varric or Harding, based on the size. That's true, and supposedly she has some magic in her as of Veilguard, perhaps like the Inquisitor it's a green glowy hand (though hopefully not as deadly as the Inquisitor's!) and is brought on by this event. Feels like a retread of Inquisition but 'our protagonist interrupts an antagonist's ritual' already is that!
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Post by roselavellan on Jul 18, 2024 6:03:42 GMT
True, but it will be a hard slog if you hate a companion. I've never really disliked a Bioware character before, not even Vivienne, but if they're really deepening companion content, I feel there is a potential for some of them to really rub me the wrong way. Still, it IS Bioware, so I'm sure it'll be fine. I can only speak for myself but even the BioWare companions I've hated, Jack, Liara, Isabella, and Oghren, I've still tried to enjoy as much of their content as possible because they were BioWare companions and largely still needed to work with them in order to get our objectives done. Again don't have to like them but it does behoove one to see where they are coming from to see if they are actually a good character or not. THough this is also depending on the vagaries of the game as well since some decisions I've made in regards to these characters have locked them out of content, like I'm pretty sure Isabella has never made it to Act 3...at least not for my canon Hawke. I never had Isabella stay either, and I can imagine I'd have felt somewhat put out if she was forced on us for the entirety of the game. At the very least, I assume Bioware would give us the ability to react negatively to companions we dislike, the way we were able to in DAI with Sera and Solas.
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Post by smilesja on Jul 18, 2024 6:19:22 GMT
I can only speak for myself but even the BioWare companions I've hated, Jack, Liara, Isabella, and Oghren, I've still tried to enjoy as much of their content as possible because they were BioWare companions and largely still needed to work with them in order to get our objectives done. Again don't have to like them but it does behoove one to see where they are coming from to see if they are actually a good character or not. THough this is also depending on the vagaries of the game as well since some decisions I've made in regards to these characters have locked them out of content, like I'm pretty sure Isabella has never made it to Act 3...at least not for my canon Hawke. I never had Isabella stay either, and I can imagine I'd have felt somewhat put out if she was forced on us for the entirety of the game. At the very least, I assume Bioware would give us the ability to react negatively to companions we dislike, the way we were able to in DAI with Sera and Solas. The only companion I came close to hating was Sera but at least she was largely irrelevant to DAI's story.
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Post by smilesja on Jul 18, 2024 6:20:55 GMT
yeah I agree. They are making a big deal of it but really them 'focusing on companions' is like five percent beyond what they normally do. And while that clearly makes us think of ME 2, the rest of the language about going on a journey makes me think of DA2/ MEA. With a dash of DAI in this given the opening. Part of what made DA2 special though was that it was in one place over a long period of time, which let you really connect with your companions and Kirkwall as it changed throughout the years. Granted this wasn't done perfectly due to the rushed nature of the game, but there are few rpgs I've played that feel anything like 2. If DAV can capture that magic with better execution, as well as maintain the interesting philosophical and theological debates from Inquisition, it will easily be my favorite in the series. Also it helps that companions have lives of their own rather than sit in a campfire waiting for you to talk to them, they go out and hangout with each other. It makes them feel like they're family however dysfunctional they are lol. That's why I feel that DA2's companions are the best because of how tightknit they are.
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Post by illuminated11 on Jul 18, 2024 6:21:47 GMT
I can only speak for myself but even the BioWare companions I've hated, Jack, Liara, Isabella, and Oghren, I've still tried to enjoy as much of their content as possible because they were BioWare companions and largely still needed to work with them in order to get our objectives done. Again don't have to like them but it does behoove one to see where they are coming from to see if they are actually a good character or not. THough this is also depending on the vagaries of the game as well since some decisions I've made in regards to these characters have locked them out of content, like I'm pretty sure Isabella has never made it to Act 3...at least not for my canon Hawke. I never had Isabella stay either, and I can imagine I'd have felt somewhat put out if she was forced on us for the entirety of the game. At the very least, I assume Bioware would give us the ability to react negatively to companions we dislike, the way we were able to in DAI with Sera and Solas. I’d be surprised if they had an Isabela-style betrayal by any companions at the midpoint of the game. If it happens, it will be around the conclusion of their personal quest I suspect, which should coincide with the ending.
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Post by gervaise21 on Jul 18, 2024 6:51:57 GMT
I didn't see this before, so apologies in advance if this has been pored over already! It could be anything. Certainly there is no sign of Varric when Rook winds up at the foot of the stairs but may be he is out of shot. Remember the footage is heavily edited. Varric saw the statue was going to fall. It would seem like a good idea to run at that point. May be he got to the foot of the stairs where Bianca lay in pieces and started to gather them up before leaving and got knocked out by falling debris. I doubt they would give him a death off screen after the amount he has featured in the story, so if he does die here, perhaps they are keeping that scene for the actual game. However, there is another riddle. Solas was still holding the glowing blade in his right hand as he shoved away the statue and I'm pretty sure in one shot he still has it after that but when he turns to face his enemies there is nothing in his hand. So, I think the glowing magic at the foot of the stairs is likely the blade. Personal whimsical theory - Varric gets trapped in the Fade with Solas. Solas is condemned to live for eternity listening to Varric's stories. It gives a whole new meaning to "I saw (heard) it in the Fade."
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Post by gervaise21 on Jul 18, 2024 7:04:49 GMT
I agree but some of what they are saying makes me think they are trying too hard to make them likeable and feel like a family. I'd rather come to that conclusion on my own, or to have other types of relationships with them. BioWare already saying they are your family feels off-putting to me. When doing the developer Blogs a couple of years ago, there was this quote from John Epler that some people took objection to at the time: There’s a reason Dragon Age makes such an impression even on the people who help make it. “Dragon Age is really about the people,” John says. “The stuff with BioWare games that tends to get referenced the most—the things you hear people bring up time and time again—it’s almost never the big critical-path beats. It’s the character beats, and at their best, those critical-path beats and those character beats become the same thing. It’s about how those characters interact with each other; ‘family is where you find it’ is a pretty core theme for all of our games.”Many said that they had never thought that was the theme of Dragon Age, teamwork possibly but not necessarily family. However, families often don't get on and can hate one another's guts, falling out so much they stop seeing one another, so describing a group as a family is not necessarily a positive thing, whereas a team does imply a degree of unity and fellowship despite your differences. One can certainly be much closer to friends than blood relatives. So, really it is just a matter of personal interpretation how you regard the word "family". That whole quote about the importance of companions and character stories is almost exactly what they are now saying about DAV.
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Post by gervaise21 on Jul 18, 2024 7:32:59 GMT
I can only speak for myself but even the BioWare companions I've hated, Jack, Liara, Isabella, and Oghren, I've still tried to enjoy as much of their content as possible because they were BioWare companions and largely still needed to work with them in order to get our objectives done. Again don't have to like them but it does behoove one to see where they are coming from to see if they are actually a good character or not. THough this is also depending on the vagaries of the game as well since some decisions I've made in regards to these characters have locked them out of content, like I'm pretty sure Isabella has never made it to Act 3...at least not for my canon Hawke. Strangely enough, I thought I would hate Jack as a character but took the time to get to know her and, once the suicide mission was over, romanced her. I got to see another, vulnerable side to her and my Shepard became very protective of her as a result So, when Ashley started making snide comments when I went to see her in hospital that really rubbed him up the wrong way. Anyway, it was my experience with Jack that made me realise I should never automatically assume I'm not going to get on with a character in advance or even on first impressions. However, I really didn't get on with Sera my first run. This was partly through the way I was role playing my female Lavellan but also personally she irritated me. She just seemed so juvenile and bigoted. However, I did make more of an effort next run, my male cut her some slack because he did make allowances that she was just a stupid kid - so really rather patronising in his attitude but apparently that was what was needed. It still annoyed me that I had to play stupid practical jokes on people to win her approval and didn't think I had really lost much in the way of content the first time round by not getting this content. Yet other people seem to love Sera, so there you go. With earlier companions in DAO and DA2 there was the advantage that if you wanted to hear their banter you could just go for a wander around Redcliffe, Orzammar or Denerim market or make a shopping trip in Kirkwall, so at least you didn't miss out on that if you left them out of your party much of the time. (It really annoyed me that banter didn't trigger in Val Royeaux) I didn't have Isabella come back my first run either. I didn't include her enough in my party and when I did she varied in her opinion so ended up pretty middle of the road. I don't really know how much I missed out through not having her come back. I would never have given her to the Arishok, so it made no difference to the outcome there and her personal quest in Act 3 annoyed me in that we had to let the slaver live in order for her to get his ship, which made no sense to me - wouldn't he just take it back at a later stage? Anyway, if they want to make every companion involved in the main story, that's fine by me. I assume that we won't be forced to resolve their quest in exactly the same way each time for the plot to progress, so there is still room for role play and for all I know it could be a blessing in disguise to be forced to work with them as I may discover I like them after all. That said, I haven't got the sense that I am going to dislike any of them from what we know so far. On the contrary, I am actually looking forward to getting to know them better.
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