I think this is more interesting because it implies there probably was at least one alternative significant other in Solas' life
I don't see how the person's question, and the answer, implies that.
The question was: Does Solas really and truly love a Romancing Inquisitor?
What does having loved before (your assumption) have to do with whether he loves right now? To be clear, I'm not questioning your assumption -- I think it's likely as well -- I just don't see how you came up with that from the question and answer given.
Solas: I know that mistake well enough to carve the angles of her face from memory. (emphasis mine)
Eh, I don't think that personifying an abstract by using a gendered pronoun is that significant. It doesn't necessarily have to mean what you're suggesting. We even have the expression "fate is a cruel mistress," but someone using it isn't necessarily talking about an ex that did them wrong.
I think it's likely just because of the circumstances of his life.
Last Edit: Jun 17, 2018 19:35:06 GMT by Nightscrawl
Mountains. Cold. "Let's bring Dorian!" It's good to be Champion!
Solas: I know that mistake well enough to carve the angles of her face from memory. (emphasis mine)
Eh, I don't think that personifying an abstract by using a gendered pronoun is that significant. It doesn't necessarily have to mean what you're suggesting. We even have the expression "fate is a cruel mistress," but someone using it isn't necessarily talking about an ex that did them wrong.
I think it's likely just because of the circumstances of his life.
I really doubt that it's just 'circumstances of his life' that have made him so distrustful - the times he mentions how 'only allies can betray you' or how he 'learned to not trust his friends' do imply that when he talks about betrayal and distrust, it's something drawn from his personal experience and people in it.
Last Edit: Nov 11, 2018 22:36:50 GMT by midnight tea
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
I don't see how the person's question, and the answer, implies that.
PW said that to answer the question truthfully would be to go into spoiler territory. I think if there hadn't been someone previously he could have just said something vague, like it is up to the player whether they think his love for Lavellan is genuine or just a fling. It cannot be because of the potential outcome to trying to redeem him because that path is equally open to a friend with no romantic attachment. Also, just because she rejects him in Trespasser doesn't make her feelings for him or his for her in the main game any less genuine.
However, I understand that I may still be assuming more than he intended to convey. Honestly I'm just clutching at straws that something significant was implied.
I don't see how the person's question, and the answer, implies that.
PW said that to answer the question truthfully would be to go into spoiler territory. I think if there hadn't been someone previously he could have just said something vague, like it is up to the player whether they think his love for Lavellan is genuine or just a fling. It cannot be because of the potential outcome to trying to redeem him because that path is equally open to a friend with no romantic attachment. Also, just because she rejects him in Trespasser doesn't make her feelings for him or his for her in the main game any less genuine.
However, I understand that I may still be assuming more than he intended to convey. Honestly I'm just clutching at straws that something significant was implied.
Like Mark Darrah, Patrick Weekes seems to really enjoy good-naturedly teasing DA fans. So I wouldn't read too much into his tweet there.
I really doubt that it's just 'circumstances of his life' that have made him so distrustful
I was referring to the fact of him having previously been in love at some point along the way, not being distrustful.
It's true that the tidbits so far are too vague to conclusively prove that Solas was in love before or that somebody he was in love has wronged him - all I'm saying right now is that I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case because something seems to have happened in his past.
Last Edit: Jun 17, 2018 22:33:29 GMT by midnight tea
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard Posts: 2,107 Likes: 2,174
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Regardless, streaming is enough of a basic technology by now, its not going away. Even if destructed and pushed down, the popular demand for streaming platforms remains, to the point that alternate solution would have to be found (say, Origin allowing streaming in an anti-Twitch/etc environment, but only for Origin games). At that point, you've ruined things for yourself as an indie developer, since now the AAA developers are only hosting their AAA games, so they're the only ones getting any attention, increasingly. Whoops.
Watching others play games has always been a thing, I recall from the 90s being dropped off for an hour or two to see a friend play Super Mario Bros, to the 00s having a friend over to play a JRPG, controller in one hand, but both of us reading off the character lines (so nerdy). We still spent our money on games, they still grew the industry, they still spread positive word of mouth and sales.
So again, maybe make more interesting games. Lots of games still make much money, don't blame the people that want to show off their gameplay. If streaming shut down, we'd still, you know, send videos or visit places or trade games/consoles for cheap/free. Sorry you can't completely control your media, but not really sorry.
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard
- It's a decent overview of the topic if you haven't been following this already.
Yeah, just what I want: to read an article throwing fuel on the fire of my anxiety over the issue.
Sorry!
I posted it because I still see these questions come up - Why isn't BioWare making linear SP games anymore, when Sony still does? Why is DA4 becoming a "Live Service" game? Why are they making a loot-shooter like Anthem? Etc.
Regardless, streaming is enough of a basic technology by now, its not going away. Even if destructed and pushed down, the popular demand for streaming platforms remains, to the point that alternate solution would have to be found (say, Origin allowing streaming in an anti-Twitch/etc environment, but only for Origin games). At that point, you've ruined things for yourself as an indie developer, since now the AAA developers are only hosting their AAA games, so they're the only ones getting any attention, increasingly. Whoops.
Watching others play games has always been a thing, I recall from the 90s being dropped off for an hour or two to see a friend play Super Mario Bros, to the 00s having a friend over to play a JRPG, controller in one hand, but both of us reading off the character lines (so nerdy). We still spent our money on games, they still grew the industry, they still spread positive word of mouth and sales.
So again, maybe make more interesting games. Lots of games still make much money, don't blame the people that want to show off their gameplay. If streaming shut down, we'd still, you know, send videos or visit places or trade games/consoles for cheap/free. Sorry you can't completely control your media, but not really sorry.
But the article wasn't advocating for streaming to go away, in fact, it's pretty clear that streaming isn't going anywhere - rather, it points out why so many games have changed or why multiplayer games dominate the market over single-player games or why so many game developers switch to live service model.
It truly is not enough to make an 'interesting game' anymore, when that interesting game is not providing much beyond a single playthrough, because that thing can be easily watched on Youtube or Twitch. These are simply not comparable things to you watching your friend playing games for an hour or two - these were individual cases. Nowadays thousands to millions of people are able to watch hours of streaming, quench their curiosity and move to something else - and they have a ton of 'something else' to pick from as well. For me the worst part is that it seems to be hurting indies the most.
Interestingly enough, according to Rami Ismail it doesn't mean that single-player campaigns will not be viable anymore - in fact, we may see an increase in overall quality because they'd be a rarer, almost 'luxury' product so it will matter for them to be good (even if it also means more focus on open world, live services or have multiplayer there somewhere).
IMO the Bioware approach still to single-player remains relevant in today's market because it's not as linear as some other single-player experiences. It provides enough material for people to want to replay them and test/play different scenarios with different characters, different responses or different romances. Not one gameplay is identical. So while their games will keep expanding on stuff like live services (which - as BW devs have already pointed out - they already had some in some capacity since DAO) I don't think we're yet at the moment where we can proclaim Bioware single-player experience as something they're moving away from or moving away from for good.
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard Posts: 2,107 Likes: 2,174
Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, SWTOR, Anthem, Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Dragon Age The Veilguard
I don't see it. There's many, maybe more in quantity single player games than ever, and maybe more than ever they have revenue options that surpass the past.
That some corporates want to chase a particular sort of deeper dollar is another thing.
This is reminding me of RPGs Are Dead and PC Gaming Is Dead, just without the deadness exactly.
I've found multiplayer 'dominated' the market since arcades, aka forever.
Yeah, just what I want: to read an article throwing fuel on the fire of my anxiety over the issue.
Sorry!
I posted it because I still see these questions come up - Why isn't BioWare making linear SP games anymore, when Sony still does? Why is DA4 becoming a "Live Service" game? Why are they making a loot-shooter like Anthem? Etc.
Well, I think in case of Bioware or Anthem the answer is a bit more complicated. While it's quite obvious that they think the franchise will likely sell due to recent trends in gaming, Casey Hudson tells us in recent interview that they've been trying to figure out how to merge multiplayer with single-player campaign ever since they worked on original Mass Effect - they weren't able to do that at that point... but of course since that time a lot has changed, also in terms of technology.
I'm inclined to believe them - I definitely wasn't the first or the only one pointing out that in Bioware they seem to genuinely like multiplayer/co-op and strive to implement it whenever possible, so I can't say that I'm surprised or aggrieved at their attempts to make their single-player experience... actually less single player. IMO so long as they have the technology and the trend stays popular to make it a viable strategy, they'd likely attempt to try and add multiplayer/co-op components to their single-player experience without anybody really asking them for it.
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
I don't see it. There's many, maybe more in quantity single player games than ever, and maybe more than ever they have revenue options that surpass the past.
That some corporates want to chase a particular sort of deeper dollar is another thing.
Yet it's many indies that complain at streaming services ruining their revenue (per this or other articles), regardless of how many revenue options they currently have. I enjoy the fact that ATM we have something of an indie game golden age, but I'd say that the situation in the market is very fluid ATM and current revenue strategies may not last for long, especially the more crowded the market becomes and creators compete more fiercely for our time (which watching streams alleviates to an extent).
And as someone who's familiar with an indie work and competing for attention among many other fellow indie creators I know full well that the consideration of 'what I want to do' and 'what will attract people' is no less serious for indies, especially if one doesn't have a fat money bag or any financial backing to fall on in case the thing somebody poured all heart and resources into doesn't spark enough interest. The world sadly knows many brilliant or simply good quality creations that went underneath the radar or were appreciated way too late for a given creator to see the receipts.
This is reminding me of RPGs Are Dead and PC Gaming Is Dead, just without the deadness exactly.
I've found multiplayer 'dominated' the market since arcades, aka forever.
The SP games will not die, but they will likely have to evolve. Which is of course nothing new, but there's no guarantee that they'd evolve in ways people won't complain about now or will so in the future.
Last Edit: Jun 21, 2018 0:59:34 GMT by midnight tea
“The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.”
at players preferring Solas' voice being the Microsoft Text to Speech. 
