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Post by colfoley on Feb 1, 2023 10:09:22 GMT
So I guess we have to do this. Jan 31, 2023 12:27:10 GMT colfoley said: 1. The Inquisitor is one of the most important people in Thedas, like if people are complaining about Varric being sent off to investigate, a city mayor, then one of the most important figures in the Chantry is...well a step up from that.
No, they surrendered their political power when they either handed over their organisation to be run by the Divine or disbanded it altogether. There may be some residual benefit to using the title Herald of Andraste to persuade heads of government to assist you but in terms of actual power, Varric's is now superior.
Jan 31, 2023 12:27:10 GMT colfoley said: 2. Their disibility.
I regard this as the least relevant reason for them not to be personally involved. A combination of mechanical prosthetic and magic would minimise the impact of the loss of their arm. Their main asset is their personal knowledge of Solas, which is undiminished.
Jan 31, 2023 12:27:10 GMT colfoley said: 3. The fact that Solas knows the Inquisitor quite implicity, and the implication that he does not know Varric as well, or since they had active dissagreements with one another might make him a logical choice.
Varric is still too well known. Remember they were both in the Inquisition from the very beginning, so I imagine that Solas had plenty of opportunity for study. There isn't even any advantage in being a dwarf, since Dread Wolf Take You showed it was still possible for them to be killed in their sleep (unless you believe the Carta dwarf was responsible for the deaths of his comrades). c Jan 31, 2023 12:27:10 GMT colfoley said: 4. There is also no need to risk the Inquisitor on this mission. This is not a situation where the Inquisitor has to be involved to close rifts because of the Anchor the Inquisitor literally has no reason to get involved in field work aside from pure ego or curiosity.
This one I can agree with provided it was a purely investigative missions with the strict instruction not to engage with the enemy but keep a watching brief if they did discover Solas was in residence, until the Inquisitor can join them with back up. What I have issue with is that the pair of them seem to be hoping to catch up with Solas, with no plan for how they are going to deal with him if they do. A sure recipe for disaster.
Jan 31, 2023 12:27:10 GMT colfoley said: Which does make calling Varric the Shepard of Dragon Age a bit of a stretch. Varric is a trusted agent of the Inquisitor, this is pretty canon from what we can observe in game whatever the biases of the invidividual players. Varric knows how to set up intelligence networks and Varric has been said to actually care about his agents in the field. All of this suggests that he is a perfectly logical choice to lead the mission in the comics and be the front man for introducing the new hero to the threat Solas poses
If you leave aside DAO/DAA, Varric has now appeared in every game and every DLC, often the one involved in instigating things. We cannot have our PC carry over from one game to the next (even when they have an direct connection to the antagonist), yet Varric keeps popping up every time as vital to our success. Yet he admitted in DAI that he is not as good a spy master as Leliana and she trained up Charter, Rector and Harding to be her successors, so I expected to see them organising things, with Varric at the most just acting as a hub for information back in Kirkwall, not out in the field leading the hunt. In theory he should mean no more to our new hero than any of the others, so there is no more reason for him to be the main person than any of the others. I don't think that the amount's of the games these characters are in would make them the 'Shepard'. Afterall if this were true then Garrus and Liara would also be the Shepard's of Mass Effect. Unless you are suggesting that Varric is somehow actually going to be leading things in Dreadwolf, this just is not logical.
It is also quite irrelevant on how much he might mean to the new hero. Since this is an RPG I am sure our hero will get several options on how to interact with Varric and their opinion of him. The issue here is his importance to the Inquisitor and his status as basically the only agent within the Inquisition that is apparently still active out of the main cast (and not quantum). How do these people even end up getting involved? This is one of the criticisms I have read concerning the first issue. No indication is given of how Harding got her "lead" or if she was aware of the problems Marnas Pell was experiencing, whether they knew Grey Wardens would be down there or simply came across them by accident. It does seem peculiar that if they didn't expect to find the Grey Wardens then just the two of them entering the Deep Roads with absolutely no back up team, was an incredibility risky endeavour even without the aspect of potentially confronting Solas. Varric and Harding left Evka and Antoine without mentioning Solas. Will they do the same for Teia and Viago? The Veil Jumpers? This was also odd. They didn't have to give the Grey Wardens the full story but could have at least mentioned that they did discover a hideout for the person they were seeking, that he appeared to have departed but could return and so if they noticed anything they would appreciate them sending a message. Obviously, we need to wait for the other issues before passing judgement but I doubt the Veil Jumpers would team up with them without a common goal. I must admit that issue 3 is likely to be the most interesting because hopefully we will discover what is unique to Veil Jumpers and their connection to Solas. V&H have to make in 4th comic is which faction they want to contact first, and that decision is made by the player in the beginning of Dreadwolf, thus, having our playable character be from one of the factions. This is a possibility. Another I have suggested is that Harding and Varric will represent the two distinct paths of "Redeem" and "Kill on sight" when it comes to the search for Solas and that is a decision that will have to be made early on, after the initial introduction of our new PC. I hope I am wrong in this though as I don't see why my new hero could make a valid choice with so little information to go on as they are likely to have. Admittedly I find that a lot more interesting than being a Lord of Fortune. A nobody Grey Warden, a nobody Crow, a nobody Veil Jumper (tbh idk how that’d work), a nobody [Insert Tevinter faction here]. Each one would have a different set of skills and background like Origins, but it’d be a fresh take on the idea as it’d be focused on the PC’s set of skills rather than their race. I agree that Lord of Fortune has never really appealed to me but it would be easier for them to implement as the PC, since they could be any race or class and requires very little background knowledge of the organisation beyond what could be provided in a short codex and leave something of a blank slate for players to fill in with their own backstory. Being a Grey Warden, a Crow, a Sicarri or a Veil Jumper would need more detailed information and a fully realised backstory to make it work. Also, a Veil Jumper is likely going to be an elf specialism, or at the very least a mage hybrid (like Arcane Warrior/Knight Enchanter), which not only limits its appeal (most people apparently prefer playing warrior humans) but also makes for complications concerning how they acquired their skill. So, I think that Veil Jumper is more likely going to be one of our potential companions, with the possibility of learning it from them as a specialism, but not being your identity from the outset. Why would the choice 'have to' be made early? Unless we defeat Solas early in the game (called Dreadwolf) I just don't see it as being neccesarry and would be a really odd narrative decision to make. Like incredibly out of character for BioWare.
Now Varric/ Harding might offer their opinion and the new protag might get a chance to offer their opinion in context in order to set up the theme within the game, which BioWare might feel as being neccessary to really nail the point home. But there is no reason to make a random out of left field choice until the final confrontation and then based on our actions throughout the game we can then make the attempt to convince him, or to kill him.
Though of course this is assuming given the above that this will even be a 'choice' in the traditional sense in the first place. Your actions throughout the game might cause Solas to back down on his own volition.
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Post by gervaise21 on Feb 1, 2023 10:43:34 GMT
Though of course this is assuming given the above that this will even be a 'choice' in the traditional sense in the first place. Your actions throughout the game might cause Solas to back down on his own volition. I'm really hoping that is the case. I would much prefer this except that is pretty much what they did with Leliana and yet you were tied into a choice made at the very beginning of the game, with your subsequent choices only relevant if you made the "right" one to begin with. This really annoyed me when I discovered that was the case because to my mind that prevented me from properly role playing my character. My Dalish, who was unfamiliar with humans ways and sent there to observe, naturally thought the best option was to stand back and watch how Leliana managed things. After all, I was not then the leader of the organisation. Thereafter, I made all the "right" choices in putting the lives of our people first and telling her not to kill the cleric but it no longer mattered because of that first decision and she ignored me, which was even more annoying because I was now her commander. So, if they make our final resolution with Solas dependent on our cumulative decisions throughout the game, that is fine so long as one dud decision early on doesn't nullify the rest. What I think I would prefer is handling it like we did with Calpernia, where we can find evidence that can cause her to doubt her previous course and abandon Corypheus but even if she does, the player can still opt to kill her (or try to). So, you have to have put in the effort to be given that option but can decide not to take it. I hope that makes sense. May be with Solas you would have to do rather more research than just one side quest, but you get the general idea.
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Post by gervaise21 on Feb 1, 2023 10:54:45 GMT
I don't think that the amount's of the games these characters are in would make them the 'Shepard'. Afterall if this were true then Garrus and Liara would also be the Shepard's of Mass Effect. Unless you are suggesting that Varric is somehow actually going to be leading things in Dreadwolf, this just is not logical. Garrus and Liara are not the same situation because there is a Shepard who is our PC across the trilogy. My point was that they insisted on not bringing back the Inquisitor, even though their story wasn't finished with Solas (just as leader of their original organisation), yet continue to use Varric, even though he does have other responsibilities in the world and there are other people who could equally fill that role. Harding is not a quantum character, played a high profile enough role in DAI to be considered part of the main team and was specifically trained by Leliana to replace her, so I think she would be the more appropriate choice for a carry over character. In the comic series, Varric is specifically charged with setting up a team to hunt for Solas, plus he is directly out in the field, rather than simply doing this from his base in Kirkwall, so effectively he is taking the place of the Inquisitor.
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Post by colfoley on Feb 1, 2023 10:56:34 GMT
Though of course this is assuming given the above that this will even be a 'choice' in the traditional sense in the first place. Your actions throughout the game might cause Solas to back down on his own volition. I'm really hoping that is the case. I would much prefer this except that is pretty much what they did with Leliana and yet you were tied into a choice made at the very beginning of the game, with your subsequent choices only relevant if you made the "right" one to begin with. This really annoyed me when I discovered that was the case because to my mind that prevented me from properly role playing my character. My Dalish, who was unfamiliar with humans ways and sent there to observe, naturally thought the best option was to stand back and watch how Leliana managed things. After all, I was not then the leader of the organisation. Thereafter, I made all the "right" choices in putting the lives of our people first and telling her not to kill the cleric but it no longer mattered because of that first decision and she ignored me, which was even more annoying because I was now her commander. So, if they make our final resolution with Solas dependent on our cumulative decisions throughout the game, that is fine so long as one dud decision early on doesn't nullify the rest. What I think I would prefer is handling it like we did with Calpernia, where we can find evidence that can cause her to doubt her previous course and abandon Corypheus but even if she does, the player can still opt to kill her (or try to). So, you have to have put in the effort to be given that option but can decide not to take it. I hope that makes sense. May be with Solas you would have to do rather more research than just one side quest, but you get the general idea. Now this I agree with. BioWare did really phone that particular choice in and probbaly part of the 'character assassination' for Leiliana that I disagree. Granted in this case it is kind of an apples to oranges comparison thanks to scale, but that is a valid point. And yes its going to be really interesting how they balance out all thes echoices within the game in order to achieve these various plot objectives and keep everything else in mind that they have to do. They should hopefully avoid the situation with Leiliana or what happened in the original BioShock where just harvesting one Little Sister could ruin your entire playthrough, I mean I agree that is a horrible choice but consider if you accidentally press the wrong button your entire playthrough could be ruined in that case. What the Witcher did with Ciri is one possibility given that it was just extended math at this point x number of decisions let her live y number of decisions got her (and Geralt) killed. And then you have Inquisition might provide us a clue on how they will go about it with Solas's various commentaries on how an Inquisitor who does what he wants 'impresses him' and has 'convinced him that Thedas society is people.' So he is observing things and his mind can change, we just have to figure out A. what he wants to see change in the world, exactly, for him to not nuke it and B. whether or not this is worth the price. Coupled with this the alternative idea is that BioWare will likely provide us with some maguffin or artifact or ancient magic that will let us stop him and kill him. The trouble here is that if such an option is provided then many players might want to take the easy way out, even if there are potential negative consequences (hell see Destroy for that )
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Post by colfoley on Feb 1, 2023 11:03:01 GMT
I don't think that the amount's of the games these characters are in would make them the 'Shepard'. Afterall if this were true then Garrus and Liara would also be the Shepard's of Mass Effect. Unless you are suggesting that Varric is somehow actually going to be leading things in Dreadwolf, this just is not logical. Garrus and Liara are not the same situation because there is a Shepard who is our PC across the trilogy. My point was that they insisted on not bringing back the Inquisitor, even though their story wasn't finished with Solas (just as leader of their original organisation), yet continue to use Varric, even though he does have other responsibilities in the world and there are other people who could equally fill that role. Harding is not a quantum character, played a high profile enough role in DAI to be considered part of the main team and was specifically trained by Leliana to replace her, so I think she would be the more appropriate choice for a carry over character. In the comic series, Varric is specifically charged with setting up a team to hunt for Solas, plus he is directly out in the field, rather than simply doing this from his base in Kirkwall, so effectively he is taking the place of the Inquisitor. I will continue to admit that this is the one aspect of this choice that still strikes me as a little odd. Given what you said it should theoretically be anyone from the Inquisition of its minor (non Quantum) cast could just as easily fill in and Harding did seem like a good choice for this. Yet I can imagine for some internal reason BioWare may've felt pressured to include Varric because he is a companion so he has weight, prominence, and adds gravitas to the story. I think this is sort of a mistake, but since it is also the decision they went with I can look past it, especially if they use it well in the rest of the comics and Dreadwolf.
My other pie in the sky theory at this point is Varric is just leading this particular mission. Whereas other agents of the Inquisition and the Chantry could be leading other missions. Like in TVN we did see Genitivi and a few other people leading an expedition looking into Solas on the Inquisition's behalf. This also has been seen in some part with characters like Fairbanks, Miriam, Vea and even random Lords of Fortune could all qualify as potential agents. Which is also to say that Charter has a high likeliehood of leading her own operation at the present time. Afterall I find it a little suspcious given my strong ideas of the geographical area that Dreadwolf will encompass that the comics just seem to be dealing with Tevinter. Maybe Charter is in Antiva coordinating similar recruitment/ scouting expeditions with the Crows?
Again, I emphazise the above is a pie in the sky theory.
Edit: Oh I forgot the other thought I had in relation to why Varric has to be there and not just Harding. Since Harding is clearly in one camp then another character would have to be there to provide the alternative on the kill/ redeam access.
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Post by cuthbertbeckett on Feb 1, 2023 15:20:27 GMT
Yet I can imagine for some internal reason BioWare may've felt pressured to include Varric because he is a companion so he has weight, prominence, and adds gravitas to the story. And why not Dorian or heck why not Isabela if Bioware really don´t believe in Harding starpower alone? But they still need Varric for some reason so why did made him the Vicomte of Kirkwall in the first place if they want to retire this character?
Also i thought that Bioware had etablish that Varric hated to be everywhere else which isn´t Kirkwall.
In my opinion this comic should focus more on Harding as major character and one lesser known Inquisition member als sidekick. Why not pair her with a Dalish character like Cillian or i don´t know Lieutenant Farrow? But they went if Varric again and again because they i don´t know they really believe that Varric is the DA´s Garrus or worse Liara so he had to be in everything. Maybe i say this even as a huge Varric maybe they should killed him in DAI. Sure that would be sad but this would have been end of his storyline but after his death they could had focused on other characters.
By the way why is Varric of all people want to kill Solas?
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Post by gervaise21 on Feb 2, 2023 8:37:02 GMT
Given what you said it should theoretically be anyone from the Inquisition of its minor (non Quantum) cast could just as easily fill in and Harding did seem like a good choice for this. Yet I can imagine for some internal reason BioWare may've felt pressured to include Varric because he is a companion so he has weight, prominence, and adds gravitas to the story. I think what makes it particularly odd to me that Varric has been used yet again and flagged up as vital to the operation is that he didn't appear in that final scene in Trespasser. We had Cassandra, Leliana, Harding and LI besides the Inquisitor. So, if Varric was so essential to their success, why wasn't he there too? Now based off that scene and the epilogue slides, it seemed clear that the reason Harding was included is because she was going to be the successor to Leliana going forward and likely responsible for finding people that Solas doesn't know to aid in the operation against him. By contrast, all that business with Varric being Viscount seemed to point towards them pensioning him off from active service in the field. Hence, why I had no problem with Harding being the main protagonist in the comic series, which actually was about time considering previous comics and TN had featured Charter instead. In fact, it made sense that Charter was the one out in the open, so to speak, making herself a target for Solas' attention, thus distracting him from what Harding was doing, which included setting up a new covert team. As you say, what is done is done and the writing team would seem to have backtracked from everything they set up in Trespasser. Since that was meant to have led into Joplin, which was subsequently cancelled, that could account for it. I still feel that Varric has been overused but I can learn to live with it.
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Post by gervaise21 on Feb 2, 2023 8:45:03 GMT
By the way why is Varric of all people want to kill Solas?
This is easier to understand. Varric dislikes anyone who disturbs the status quo and thinks they should be removed from circulation. Never forget his reaction at the end of DA2 to Hawke's decision if you support the mages "I'm not sure we should let dangerous people run amok" (No Varric we are defending innocent people from being unjustly killed for something they didn't do), as opposed to if we support Meredith: "We are supporting our way of life" (To be ruled over by an unjust, fanatical tyrant). He may have changed his tune by the 2020 trailer where he acknowledges that is what she was but this may only be because he finally acknowledged it owing to the connection with red lyrium, not because of her actions prior to her final melt down. So I think it perfectly in character for Varric to want to kill the crazy mage, particularly as in this case he is justified as the crazy mage does want to destroy his world. He might also recall that going easy on the crazy mage and befriending him, didn't work out too well with Anders.
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Post by colfoley on Feb 2, 2023 10:34:43 GMT
Given what you said it should theoretically be anyone from the Inquisition of its minor (non Quantum) cast could just as easily fill in and Harding did seem like a good choice for this. Yet I can imagine for some internal reason BioWare may've felt pressured to include Varric because he is a companion so he has weight, prominence, and adds gravitas to the story. I think what makes it particularly odd to me that Varric has been used yet again and flagged up as vital to the operation is that he didn't appear in that final scene in Trespasser. We had Cassandra, Leliana, Harding and LI besides the Inquisitor. So, if Varric was so essential to their success, why wasn't he there too? Now based off that scene and the epilogue slides, it seemed clear that the reason Harding was included is because she was going to be the successor to Leliana going forward and likely responsible for finding people that Solas doesn't know to aid in the operation against him. By contrast, all that business with Varric being Viscount seemed to point towards them pensioning him off from active service in the field. Hence, why I had no problem with Harding being the main protagonist in the comic series, which actually was about time considering previous comics and TN had featured Charter instead. In fact, it made sense that Charter was the one out in the open, so to speak, making herself a target for Solas' attention, thus distracting him from what Harding was doing, which included setting up a new covert team. As you say, what is done is done and the writing team would seem to have backtracked from everything they set up in Trespasser. Since that was meant to have led into Joplin, which was subsequently cancelled, that could account for it. I still feel that Varric has been overused but I can learn to live with it. While you bring up an excellent point on the lineup of the final scene...
I also don't see how this means they are throwing out everything from Tresspasser. I keep on rereading your comment and wondering if you are specifically referring to just Varric + Harding but in context I don't think you are talking about that... but if that is still the case a lot of the commentary I am about to mention is just flat wrong and what I'm going to say next is a waste of time...but otherwise here is still the stuff we are getting from Tresspasser.
-Solas as the bad guy and the set up. -The Qunari are on the move and warring with Tevinter. -The Inquisition is still leading the search for Solas and is working to stop his plan either directly or by finding allies.
And, while this is speculation on my part, it still seems like the main objective could be in some sort of shadow war under the table as we gather allies and try and engage top level and bottom level threats.
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Post by gervaise21 on Feb 2, 2023 11:26:47 GMT
I keep on rereading your comment and wondering if you are specifically referring to just Varric + Harding Yes, it is mostly to do with that but also the declaration that we needed to find people Solas doesn't know. Using the Viscount of Kirkwall to actively recruit people and then have him go personally into the field in search of Solas, does not really match with this criteria. Logic suggests that the plot in the comic should have been: Harding gets a lead on Solas and checks in with Varric; Varric suggests one of their new operatives should look into this and report back their findings; he suggests a name to Harding and she takes it from there. This would seem to be even more vital considering what happened at Charter's "secret" meeting in Tevinter Nights. Now I assume that since the Carta dwarf was from Kirkwall, likely Varric heard about their involvement and referred them to Charter. Tevinter Nights also showed that the Inquisition had an agent in Nevarra, whose contact was Cassandra, so likely this is how the Mortalitassi got an invite. Not entirely sure how the Executor came to be there but perhaps they had specifically approached the Inquisition with their concern about the Wolf. That leaves the Bard. Apart from the group that was connected with Josephine, on the whole Orlesian Bards are free agents and not part of a guild but hire themselves out to individual nobles. Thus it seemed improbable that a Bard would be invited to a secret meeting without having first been vetted by someone in the Inquisition. If Solas, disguised as a Bard, had approached them offering information, surely checks would be carried out of their identity and credentials? Yet, he was able to infiltrate the meeting, neutralise the one participant who might actually have been able to offer useful information, offer some information of his own which may or may not be a red herring and then depart. The Inquisition hardly seem to be on top of things when maintaining secrecy and security of their operation. Thus, using people Solas doesn't know does not appear to have been their strategy up to now and continues not to be the case in the latest comic series. As a result, Solas always seems to be able to see them coming and manipulate them into following his agenda. I could turn out to be wrong about this but at present I think that invitation was deliberately left by him for them to find. And, while this is speculation on my part, it still seems like the main objective could be in some sort of shadow war under the table as we gather allies and try and engage top level and bottom level threats. I really hope this will be the conclusion of this comic series, with V+H concluding that they really do need to find a new hero that "no one will ever see coming", although essentially that will mean that all the associated media has been going "all round the houses" to finally arrive at the same point we were at the end of Trespasser.
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Post by cuthbertbeckett on Feb 2, 2023 21:53:21 GMT
I think what makes it particularly odd to me that Varric has been used yet again and flagged up as vital to the operation is that he didn't appear in that final scene in Trespasser. We had Cassandra, Leliana, Harding and LI besides the Inquisitor. So, if Varric was so essential to their success, why wasn't he there too? Now
Like every Bioware game before there is no overall plan to contuine in next game. So they change stuff all the time. I don´t say it came out of nowhere but it was weird that in DA 2 Anders had been the host of Justice instead of Velanna or Nathaniel. So i guess that the plan in Trespasser was really to retire Varric but over time Bioware want to use Varric for some reason again. Is this just my theory but it would make sense because the first teaser was not really about Solas but more about the Red Lyrium idol. So DA2, DAI and DAD are a connected Trilogy and Varric plus the Red Lyrium are the obvious ties between those games. Or maybe Varric is viewed as a good marketing figure. People love / like him so bring him back. I mean this was a good reason for DAI but DAD come on don´t they have other characters?
Ok they using Varric again for a Tevinter setting that´s the way it is but is he atleast interacting with Mae in this comic series?
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Post by Hanako Ikezawa on Feb 3, 2023 0:25:07 GMT
I wonder if they’ll involve all the other main DAI characters this way.
Cassandra: If Divine, probably involved with the Exalted March that will be launched against the Qun. If a Seeker, they could be involved in a plot line. Cole: Helping people, either as a spirit or while traveling with Maryden. Cullen: Most likely involved with helping the Chantry or Templars. Dorian: Obviously leading the Lucerni and involved with Tevinter. Josephine: Most likely someone who will help in Antiva, maybe a different path than the Crows. Leliana: Of Divine, again involved with the Exalted March. If not, while no longer spymaster may be working cloak and dagger missions. Rainier: Involved in a side quest, since if a Warden he dies. Sera: Red Jennies probably helping out in their way. Solas: Big bad The Iron Bull: Helping Dorian with his stuff. Varric: Scouting apparently. Vivienne: If Divine, Exalted March. If not, the mages may be looking into things.
Don’t expect them all to show up, but if they’re roping Varric into this might as well think about it. Then again what they’re doing with him makes no sense, so any of them could be doing anything.
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Post by colfoley on Feb 3, 2023 1:51:08 GMT
I keep on rereading your comment and wondering if you are specifically referring to just Varric + Harding Yes, it is mostly to do with that but also the declaration that we needed to find people Solas doesn't know. Using the Viscount of Kirkwall to actively recruit people and then have him go personally into the field in search of Solas, does not really match with this criteria. Logic suggests that the plot in the comic should have been: Harding gets a lead on Solas and checks in with Varric; Varric suggests one of their new operatives should look into this and report back their findings; he suggests a name to Harding and she takes it from there. This would seem to be even more vital considering what happened at Charter's "secret" meeting in Tevinter Nights. Now I assume that since the Carta dwarf was from Kirkwall, likely Varric heard about their involvement and referred them to Charter. Tevinter Nights also showed that the Inquisition had an agent in Nevarra, whose contact was Cassandra, so likely this is how the Mortalitassi got an invite. Not entirely sure how the Executor came to be there but perhaps they had specifically approached the Inquisition with their concern about the Wolf. That leaves the Bard. Apart from the group that was connected with Josephine, on the whole Orlesian Bards are free agents and not part of a guild but hire themselves out to individual nobles. Thus it seemed improbable that a Bard would be invited to a secret meeting without having first been vetted by someone in the Inquisition. If Solas, disguised as a Bard, had approached them offering information, surely checks would be carried out of their identity and credentials? Yet, he was able to infiltrate the meeting, neutralise the one participant who might actually have been able to offer useful information, offer some information of his own which may or may not be a red herring and then depart. The Inquisition hardly seem to be on top of things when maintaining secrecy and security of their operation. Thus, using people Solas doesn't know does not appear to have been their strategy up to now and continues not to be the case in the latest comic series. As a result, Solas always seems to be able to see them coming and manipulate them into following his agenda. I could turn out to be wrong about this but at present I think that invitation was deliberately left by him for them to find. And, while this is speculation on my part, it still seems like the main objective could be in some sort of shadow war under the table as we gather allies and try and engage top level and bottom level threats. I really hope this will be the conclusion of this comic series, with V+H concluding that they really do need to find a new hero that "no one will ever see coming", although essentially that will mean that all the associated media has been going "all round the houses" to finally arrive at the same point we were at the end of Trespasser. It was always going to be sort of the trap that the Inquisition would risk given the nature of such things. Unless the new protagonist would pop up out of the ground of all of them the Inquisitor did specifically mention finding people, which suggests the Inquisition was always going to have a role in such things...which could then make their efforts moot since Solas is observing them and would then be aware of the new protag when the Inquisition was. Though on that note it would be a really interesting twist if that is exactly what happens but Solas sort of lets the PC always do their thing out of curiosity or arrogance.
And the nature of these missions are still pretty covert. Indeed people on this thread has wished that the Inquisition would be more overt and aggressive in their overall tactics. But two Dwarves skuling around the Deep Roads without bringing in any extra firepower sounds pretty much like what they always intended from Tresspasser, just for whatever reason they have...for the moment...flipped Varric and Harding. I think what makes it particularly odd to me that Varric has been used yet again and flagged up as vital to the operation is that he didn't appear in that final scene in Trespasser. We had Cassandra, Leliana, Harding and LI besides the Inquisitor. So, if Varric was so essential to their success, why wasn't he there too? Now
Like every Bioware game before there is no overall plan to contuine in next game. So they change stuff all the time. I don´t say it came out of nowhere but it was weird that in DA 2 Anders had been the host of Justice instead of Velanna or Nathaniel. So i guess that the plan in Trespasser was really to retire Varric but over time Bioware want to use Varric for some reason again. Is this just my theory but it would make sense because the first teaser was not really about Solas but more about the Red Lyrium idol. So DA2, DAI and DAD are a connected Trilogy and Varric plus the Red Lyrium are the obvious ties between those games. Or maybe Varric is viewed as a good marketing figure. People love / like him so bring him back. I mean this was a good reason for DAI but DAD come on don´t they have other characters?
Ok they using Varric again for a Tevinter setting that´s the way it is but is he atleast interacting with Mae in this comic series?
Dragon Age has always been an inherently 'back loaded' franchise in terms of its story telling. Given that Origins from what I heard was originally supposed to represent a stand alone game and given that because of tech reasons or whatever things have changed all the time.
However I am quite sure I've heard mention that they are also trying to plan out the next two games in the series as well always. Obviously things can change but I think it would be a fairly reasonable idea for them to always be thinking about the future, even if Dreadwolf does end up being the last...though more to the point given the fluid nature of such things I imagine that MAYBE their motivation is that the average fan might now really care about Harding, especially after the eight year + time skip that has happened IRL.
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Post by Iddy on Feb 3, 2023 1:54:19 GMT
I wonder if they’ll involve all the other main DAI characters this way. Cassandra: If Divine, probably involved with the Exalted March that will be launched against the Qun. If a Seeker, they could be involved in a plot line. Cole: Helping people, either as a spirit or while traveling with Maryden. Cullen: Most likely involved with helping the Chantry or Templars. Dorian: Obviously leading the Lucerni and involved with Tevinter. Josephine: Most likely someone who will help in Antiva, maybe a different path than the Crows. Leliana: Of Divine, again involved with the Exalted March. If not, while no longer spymaster may be working cloak and dagger missions. Rainier: Involved in a side quest, since if a Warden he dies. Sera: Red Jennies probably helping out in their way. Solas: Big bad The Iron Bull: Helping Dorian with his stuff. Varric: Scouting apparently. Vivienne: If Divine, Exalted March. If not, the mages may be looking into things. Don’t expect them all to show up, but if they’re roping Varric into this might as well think about it. Then again what they’re doing with him makes no sense, so any of them could be doing anything. Rainier and Sera are the most likely to show up, because they really don't have anything better to do. Just unemployed slobs. Least likely options would be Cullen because he didn't even show up for that reunion where the Inquisitor stabs the map, and Josephine because she is the head of the family now.
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Post by Hanako Ikezawa on Feb 3, 2023 5:04:47 GMT
I wonder if they’ll involve all the other main DAI characters this way. Cassandra: If Divine, probably involved with the Exalted March that will be launched against the Qun. If a Seeker, they could be involved in a plot line. Cole: Helping people, either as a spirit or while traveling with Maryden. Cullen: Most likely involved with helping the Chantry or Templars. Dorian: Obviously leading the Lucerni and involved with Tevinter. Josephine: Most likely someone who will help in Antiva, maybe a different path than the Crows. Leliana: Of Divine, again involved with the Exalted March. If not, while no longer spymaster may be working cloak and dagger missions. Rainier: Involved in a side quest, since if a Warden he dies. Sera: Red Jennies probably helping out in their way. Solas: Big bad The Iron Bull: Helping Dorian with his stuff. Varric: Scouting apparently. Vivienne: If Divine, Exalted March. If not, the mages may be looking into things. Don’t expect them all to show up, but if they’re roping Varric into this might as well think about it. Then again what they’re doing with him makes no sense, so any of them could be doing anything. Rainier and Sera are the most likely to show up, because they really don't have anything better to do. Just unemployed slobs. Least likely options would be Cullen because he didn't even show up for that reunion where the Inquisitor stabs the map, and Josephine because she is the head of the family now. I actually see those two as among the least likely to show up. Rainier because he’s a quantum character and Sera because I feel they’d rather explore other underground groups. He doesn’t? Even if you romance him? Josephine I feel is almost certainly going to appear since Antiva is one of the nations we’re almost certainly going to. If so, I see her serving a similar purpose there as what Dorian will in Tevinter since she’s a merchant princess.
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Post by gervaise21 on Feb 3, 2023 8:32:22 GMT
I wonder if they’ll involve all the other main DAI characters this way. I don't seem them bringing back all the Inner Circle, particularly the ones who can have variable outcomes that include death. Cassandra: If Divine, probably involved with the Exalted March that will be launched against the Qun. If a Seeker, they could be involved in a plot line. I think if she appears it will be in the Hunterhorn Mountains, probably in connection with a plot involving Kal-Sharok, which is also over there. I've said previously that even if you didn't tell her to rebuild the Seekers, once she knew of the Solas threat she would do so anyway because of their unique skills when it comes to dangerous mages. If she is Divine, this could just result in some variation in her dialogue but the main essence of the plot would be the same, possibly recommending one of her protegees to you. Leliana: Of Divine, again involved with the Exalted March. If not, while no longer spymaster may be working cloak and dagger missions. Vivienne: If Divine, Exalted March. If not, the mages may be looking into things. I don't think we will see any of the potential Divines specifically in relation to that role. Even if she does order an Exalted March, this will just be reported by other characters or via a codex. Vivienne will be too immersed in southern politics to get involved in the nitty gritty of looking for Solas, although we might well get a letter from her offering advice or even sending a magical item to assist us. Leliana was definitely meant to be retiring from active service at the end of Trespasser and, if not Divine and resurrected from the dead by the lyrium spirit, she dissolved into nothing at the end of Trespasser even though she knew about the Solas threat. Nothing we have read seems to contradict with this, so I'm pretty sure we won't see her. Cullen: Most likely involved with helping the Chantry or Templars. Cullen was another who seemed to be going into retirement at the end of Trespasser and could also be dead, so highly unlikely we will see him again. The Iron Bull: Helping Dorian with his stuff. Only outside of Tevinter according to the epilogue to Trespasser. I imagine having him as a lover would be even more compromising to Dorian's political position in view of invasion by the Antaam, which is why Dorian could only meet with him on the border of Tevinter. Besides he is another person who could be dead, and Freddie indicated he was no longer involved, so highly unlikely we shall see him. Rainier: Involved in a side quest, since if a Warden he dies. I think it unlikely we will see him in view of the variety of outcomes for him. He can also die if you leave him in prison. So, of those remaining from the list, the most likely to be seen again, apart from Varric (and Solas of course): Dorian: Obviously leading the Lucerni and involved with Tevinter. Always alive, always a Magister and always returns to Tevinter at the end of Trespasser. It would be highly odd if he wasn't involved in some significant way, at least when we are in Tevinter. Josephine: Most likely someone who will help in Antiva, maybe a different path than the Crows. I think the chances of seeing Josephine again improved greatly in view of the amount of attention being given to Antiva/the Crows in concept art and stories. The fact that the Antaam have actually invaded now would also increase the chances of her being involved in some way, assuming we do go there and don't just hear about it. Otherwise, we may encounter her elsewhere trying to drum up support for an Exalted March or simply help for her country. Cole: Helping people, either as a spirit or while traveling with Maryden. It was hinted in the epilogue to Trespasser that we could see him again as a spirit and, of course, he was still in circulation with Maryden if made more human. In view of his support for Solas in Trespasser and the fact that Solas does seem to have recruited at least some Fade spirits to his cause, there is an outside chance we could end up being opposed by spirit Cole. Sera: Red Jennies probably helping out in their way. I agree we could see Sera again, possibly working on behalf of the Divine, as she promised her help if needed. There seemed a suggestion in Tevinter Nights that there is a Red Jenny cell in Tevinter, or Vyrantium at the very least, so it wouldn't be a total surprise to find her up in Tevinter, mostly likely opposing the Venatori and may be working with Dorian and the Lucerni in that respect.
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Post by gervaise21 on Feb 3, 2023 9:00:34 GMT
Like every Bioware game before there is no overall plan to contuine in next game. So they change stuff all the time. This may have been true after DAO and even DA2 in view of its rushed development that led to discrepancies even within the actual game but by DAI they were meant to have some sort of "vision" for where the story was headed. In fact DG intimated that DAI represented only the first half of the Solas story. Naturally they could have changed direction since then but PW was already lead writer for Trespasser, so I would expect some sort of continuity with the themes established there. That is good story telling. They definitely appeared to tie off some characters in the epilogue but leave the way open for others to be actively involved going forward. Varric belonged to the former category, with the idea introduced in Tevinter Nights that he was acting as a hub for information but nevertheless working out of Kirkwall, not out in the field. In fact, his role as gatherer of information was somewhat compromised by the fact that in the epilogue he still steadfastly ignored communications from the Merchants'Guild and Sebastian. What if they were trying to pass on important intelligence regarding Solas? Anyway, both in the epilogue and associated media up until this comic series, there was no sign of Varric leaving Kirkwall but contributing from there, so this latest comic series does represent a definite change from that. However, it does reinforce the idea that he is going to be forced on us again that was introduced first in the 2020 trailer and then again at the end of 2022, owing to Varric giving the voice over and saying "WE've got your back", "I've got your back" and "WE're the only ones who can stop him."
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Post by cuthbertbeckett on Feb 3, 2023 14:34:15 GMT
Ok another character speculation round: Are in the game:Solas: what a surprise it´s shocking i know Dorian: With all the hints in Trespasser and the Tevinter setting i would be an outrage if he won´t be in the game in a major role Varric: I don´t want him in the game not even as a small cameo but after the trailer he has to be in game Maybe:Josephine: Like Dorian with Tevinter if Antiva plays a bigger role in DAD well this maybe could easily changed into is in the game. Sera: Seems odd at first but i don´t think it was just a throwaway line that she had been in Minrathous between DAI and Trespasser. I don´t think so:Cole: Too quantum and his voice actor if they won´t replace him would be more expensive nowadays. Rainier: I guess its possible that he show up for small cameo but overall he is too quantum Aren´t in DADI agree with gervaise21 that we will see non of the possible Divines in the game. So no Leliana, Vivienne and even Cassandra. If Bioware bring one of them back they have to bring all three back. Leliana: Very quantum and seems to retire (as Varric in Trespasser) but like the fans the writers also seem weary about her. For all coming Non Divine Leliana storylines there they need Leliana they have mostly Charter, Harding and Hector as good replacements.
Vivienne: What´s the point? She seems happy to be live her life in Orlais. Also unfortunately she had to be least favorite DAI companion.
Cassandra: A Non Divine is theoretical possible but again they had also include her as Divine if they bring Non Divine Cassandra otherwise they waste ressources in her charactermodel? Also after two games in a row a break wouldn´t be a bad idea
The Iron Bull: Too quantum or in short Hissrad is dead but Bull isn´t and also his voice actor won´t want to return. Of course Bioware could still replace him but for what possible short cameo would this be worth it?
Cullen: Again too quantum, Three games in a row in it already and most problematic the whole drama with Greg Ellis. There is no way in hell that he will ever work for Bioware ever again. He could get a new voice actor but why? There already exists a replacement character with Cullens second in command Captain Rylen. So no need for another chapter with Ellis and Bioware. Also at Trespasser his storyline seems to be done regardless if Ellis hadn´t went crazy.
In short: Solas, Dorian, Varric plus maybe Josephine and / or Sera are in DAD. And 5 from the 12 DAI main Inquisition characters is more than enough. Also there is the promotion of minor characters like Harding and Charter. So it doesn´t make sense that they all are back. Also from DA2 besides Hawke only Varric had returned in DAI.
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Post by dadithinkimgay on Feb 15, 2023 19:04:11 GMT
Thank you for sharing! Varric is giving grandpa. But still sexy lol. I wonder why they changed the illustrator for each issue? I prefer the first illustrator. But still excited for this story!
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Post by puddingtheruthless on Feb 15, 2023 20:04:40 GMT
Thank you for sharing! Varric is giving grandpa. But still sexy lol. I wonder why they changed the illustrator for each issue? I prefer the first illustrator. But still excited for this story! Makes sense. He must be getting up there. There's apparently a timeskip, lasting eight years, between Trespasser and a canon story. According to the timeline I looked at: - Varric was born 9:0/9:1 Dragon, so he was about thirty or thirty-one when he first met Hawke. - DA2 spans seven-to-eight years. - DAI takes place two years after the last event of DA2. Granted, he's aged poorly because I don't consider it old (grandpa age, yes, but not old-old), but I'd say that adds up with everything he's been through. Guess that's the consequence of being a repeat companion. I like the new look. It suits the character quite a lot and I like it when writers/artists aren't afraid to make their characters visibly age.
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Post by Iddy on Feb 15, 2023 21:31:16 GMT
The art style suddenly changed. What happened to the first chapter's team?
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Post by necrowaif on Feb 15, 2023 21:59:56 GMT
The art style suddenly changed. What happened to the first chapter's team? Each issue of The Missing has a different artist listed; only the writer, colourist and cover artist stay the same. Mike Atiyeh did the art on Issue 1, Fernando Heinz Furukawa did the art on Issue 2, Tomas Aira is the artist on Issue 3 and Alvaro Sarraseca does Issue 4. Note: some of these names have apostrophes that I don't know how to add.)
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Post by Hrungr on Feb 16, 2023 1:13:06 GMT
Thank you for sharing! Varric is giving grandpa. But still sexy lol. I wonder why they changed the illustrator for each issue? I prefer the first illustrator. But still excited for this story! Makes sense. He must be getting up there. There's apparently a timeskip, lasting eight years, between Trespasser and a canon story. According to the timeline I looked at: - Varric was born 9:0/9:1 Dragon, so he was about thirty or thirty-one when he first met Hawke. - DA2 spans seven-to-eight years. - DAI takes place two years after the last event of DA2. Granted, he's aged poorly because I don't consider it old (grandpa age, yes, but not old-old), but I'd say that adds up with everything he's been through. Guess that's the consequence of being a repeat companion. I like the new look. It suits the character quite a lot and I like it when writers/artists aren't afraid to make their characters visibly age. He's got a couple of new scars as well... I wonder if this will be Varric's new look in DA:D?
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Post by colfoley on Feb 16, 2023 1:19:32 GMT
Loooovvveeee Varics look in this. Makes him look really weathered and older.
The Qunari look a little zombie like. Sign of things to come or artistic liberty?
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