Dragon Age 2

[garbon]

I feel like they've taken away most of the strategy in favor of making it more action-y. So yeah, Mono is right in that it's faster. There's no friendly fire in all but the highest difficulty because all the fights are ambushes from all sides. If not, no area effect stuff would be feasible. You can't sneak up on anyone, etc. I find it to not be an improvement. I wanted to play a mage of quiet dignity, and instead I'm an acrobatic dancing ninja caster. Meh.

Yeah I should have taken issue with the faster bit.

[garbon]

Appreciated the Florence and The Machine credit music.

[Martinus]

So I got it. Despite lukewarm reviews, I like it.

My character is a dashing male warrior, and I'm loving the story arch.

Ever since I played DA, I was looking forward to kick the templars' arse, liberate the mages and fuck a gay rebel human-spirit-combo hottie.

[Weijun]

I really don't understand why they couldn't just have an option to disable the homosexual content.  They have an option to disable the gore for people who do not want it.  How hard would it be?  Seriously, did the devs not realize that for many folks, escapist fantasy does include being hit on by dudes?

[garbon]

I really don't understand why they couldn't just have an option to disable the homosexual content.  They have an option to disable the gore for people who do not want it.  How hard would it be?  Seriously, did the devs not realize that for many folks, escapist fantasy does include being hit on by dudes?

Perhaps you should stop flirting with them.

[Martinus]

I really don't understand why they couldn't just have an option to disable the homosexual content.  They have an option to disable the gore for people who do not want it.  How hard would it be?  Seriously, did the devs not realize that for many folks, escapist fantasy does include being hit on by dudes?

Perhaps you should stop flirting with them.

Yeah. They never initiate this - you have to choose the flirt option for them to hit on you.

[Weijun]

I really don't understand why they couldn't just have an option to disable the homosexual content.  They have an option to disable the gore for people who do not want it.  How hard would it be?  Seriously, did the devs not realize that for many folks, escapist fantasy does include being hit on by dudes?

Perhaps you should stop flirting with them.

Yeah. They never initiate this - you have to choose the flirt option for them to hit on you.

Have you finished the game?  You actively have to tell both Fenris and Anders that you are not interested.  With the latter, you even gain rivalry points.

In terms of roleplaying, I did not enjoy having 2/3 of my male companions gay and hitting on me.  Is it really too much to ask to have an option to disable it for those who don't want it?

[viper37]

I did not initiate homosexual relation, nor was it initiated and I never gained rivalry with a male for a love related dialogue.

[Weijun]

I did not initiate homosexual relation, nor was it initiated and I never gained rivalry with a male for a love related dialogue.

Did you skip the quest, "Talk to Anders" in Act 1?  He hits on you, and you have to shoot him down or initiate romance:

The first option ("Don't do it again.") precludes future relationships, and results in no alignment change with Anders. Beyond that, anything with a heart will result in Friendship Anders: friendship (+15), anything with a broken heart will result in Rivalry Anders: rivalry (+10). It's impossible to not choose a heart option and avoid rival points.

[garbon]

Aww, let me try and garner up some sympathy for the poor heterosexual who was forced to confront homosexuality when exploring a side quest.

[Weijun]

Aww, let me try and garner up some sympathy for the poor heterosexual who was forced to confront homosexuality when exploring a side quest.

I expect no sympathy, but perhaps you can conceive that that made the game less enjoyable for me (and likely many others).  Is there any good reason not to make the content optional in the menu, just like persistent gore?  It could be very simple.
Romance options:

• Female NPCs only
• Male NPCs only
• Both
• None

[Monoriu]

Yeah I was a bit annoyed when I was confronted by that choice.  But it was trivial. 

[Weijun]

It was... creepy.  What's next?  A scene where you walk in on Leandra having sex?  Gamlem making a move on you?

I know I sound like a broken record, but why not have the option to filter sexual content to taste?  Successful porn sites have had that feature for years.

I really miss the old days of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  Anomen Delryn was flamboyant, but he never hit on male PCs.  Haer'Dalis was an elf with earrings and braided hair, but he never made a move either.

[viper37]

I did not initiate homosexual relation, nor was it initiated and I never gained rivalry with a male for a love related dialogue.

Did you skip the quest, "Talk to Anders" in Act 1?  He hits on you, and you have to shoot him down or initiate romance:

The first option ("Don't do it again.") precludes future relationships, and results in no alignment change with Anders. Beyond that, anything with a heart will result in Friendship Anders: friendship (+15), anything with a broken heart will result in Rivalry Anders: rivalry (+10). It's impossible to not choose a heart option and avoid rival points.

you don't initiate the romance, as it says...

[Weijun]

I did not initiate homosexual relation, nor was it initiated and I never gained rivalry with a male for a love related dialogue.

Did you skip the quest, "Talk to Anders" in Act 1?  He hits on you, and you have to shoot him down or initiate romance:

The first option ("Don't do it again.") precludes future relationships, and results in no alignment change with Anders. Beyond that, anything with a heart will result in Friendship Anders: friendship (+15), anything with a broken heart will result in Rivalry Anders: rivalry (+10). It's impossible to not choose a heart option and avoid rival points.

you don't initiate the romance, as it says...

Right.  That very first option, which avoided the rivalry points, was the anti-friendship option ("Don't do it again" referred to talking about anything not strictly professional).  Basically, the moral is that you cannot be friends with male NPCs without them hitting on you.