Brothels

oh yeah I remember how much the brothels added to TW3... oh, wait, nevermind lol

We’ve waited ten years for a meaningful video game follow up to one of the greatest rpg series. If it means less development in ANY area that would improve the quality of the final product, hard no. I don’t play DA for the brothels and other games have already done it much better. Another ‘Hanged Man’ will more than suffice.

I'm not even sure why this would matter to them since we know the game has a bust slider.

Since our characters will presumably be able to use the Eluvians transport themselves to other cities, there might be an option for some fun at a brothel, but I do think it's unlikely. That said, I don't think BioWare is shy of nudity considering they had almost full-on nudity in Inquisition. Apparently, there's also full-on nudity in this game as well with being able to see your junk. IIRC, I think they even modeled Iron Bull's dick at some point.

Now that I think about it, I wonder how weird that shit's gotta be?

"Hey Steve, how I work this tool so I get his dick to bend downwards?"

The brothels debate has already been done much better on this forum. Wonder if I can find it.

Edit: I see reference to it as the "brothels thread" in a 2017 conversation. Bet it's over in the DAI section.

Edit 2: I found it. Hilariously, I was the one concerned and started that thread.

bsn.boards.net/thread/13326/brothels-da4-mark-darrah-tweet

What even is an actual elf in Dragon Age, though? Just like the overall art style, the elves have had redesigns in every single game, the only consistent trait being pointy ears (and vallaslin for adult Dalish). In DAO they were short humans with pointy ears, in DA2 they were slightly taller but still short humans with pointy ears and bug eyes, in DAI they were short and severely underfed humans with pointy ears. That should be more of an issue than skin color. And since we already have Zevran and Fenris, who are darker skinned based on their places of origin (Antiva and Tevinter), an elf who is darker skinned than even them who may hail from Rivain or the Anderfels is not so far out of the realm of possibility.


I see why Bioware is moving away from the overt sex because previously it wasn't handled well. It was mostly depicted for laughs, even derogatory ones (remember the surprise crossdresser in the Pearl?). I don't agree that they should move away from it but I get it. If in the past it wasn't handled well, keep it for the future and handle it properly, with the seriousness it deserves, when the need calls for it. Sex can be fun and funny, it's a way for people to connect or decompress, whether you pay for it, do it with someone you'll never see again, or it's done with a long term partner. Sex can also be scary and manipulative if used by people with ulterior motives. There's room for both to exist. DAO and DA2 had desire demons just be naked ladies who fondled themselves, a way to handle that depiction and not be a cringey 12 year old who just discovered boobs would be to have them be less fondly in their idle animations and be more androgynous, or even have different character models that appear to different characters based on preference. But that's where the tricky part comes in, what's the gain by putting in the time and people effort to create multiple character models, adjust animations for each of them, record actors doing different vocal tones or adjust one recording's vocal pitch for each model? Something like this would require it to be an important part of the story or part of a bigger side quest to justify the distribution of work in this area rather than another area that would have a larger benefit overall. Brothels are still there in lore and maybe even in the city architecture, desire demons are still there, sex is still there, both consensual and nonconsensual, that doesn't mean we have to always see it. Don't get me wrong, I'll chuckle at a funny "heh booba/cocka" but, after the 3rd time, it overstays its welcome if that's the only reason it exists.

And maybe this could be the story reason:
Solas doesn't only take their immortality but also the elven look away with the veil.
And elven get more and more human over the years.
We than also explain why human and elve get a human child. Because human DNA is dominant. Then the only question is where does humans come from?
And anothere what does elven really look like? Look at the elven gods. They are corrupted like corphy, but they look different then him.

I was recalling the furious comments years ago at the old BSN over Isabela's breasts and Miranda's derriere. Apparently to avoid all possibility of male gaze all female characters should be flat as a board. I don't know what was more ridiculous: people who wanted ridiculous body amplification or people who wanted zero curvature to women or men. I prefer realism. So I think in the cc that Veilguard is having we will get more realism. We can be fat, slim, tall, short, well endowed in the penis department of not or have big breasts or not which is...much like real life is. Hooray for that.

As for brothels. They are not necessary for me to enjoy the game. As I said I think Witcher 3 was very leering about them and it was definitely "male fantasy." I've read every single Geralt novel and short story published and Geralt's actual interactions with prostitutes are minimal and rather tame compared to the game. He's not really James Bond at all. That was a choice CDPR made and it reflects more on the puerile mindset of the developers.

I think there is a bit of balancing out going on but in general I think beauty is subjective. I thought Cassandra was cute and sexily scarred. Josephine was pretty by my standards only her personality wasn't cutting it for me but again it's subjective really.

I sort of try to understand what young males are so angry about and often fail. I mean there was an outcry over the appearance of the heroine for the upcoming Star Wars: Outlaws game. I saw a lot of "she's too masculine" comments in threads. I don't get it. It's subjective again but she looks perfectly femme and attractive to me.

Lucanis might be pretty but I think Neve is too at least in my tastes. Just from the gameplay trailer alone she has that "it" that swagger and sexiness but it's, once again, subjective.

If they do brothels in Dav (I bet they have not) then the best route is to handle it the way Larian did rather than CDPR.

*I should add that Josephine is absolutely gorgeous in DAI and voiced by one of the world's most attractive actors: Indira Varma. That I never romanced Josephine was because I knew she'd be exactly the sort of date that would stiff the wait staff out of a tip.