[ SECRET POST #1612 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #1612 ⌋


Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.


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TRIGGER WARNING FOR RAPE

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 02 pages, 31 secrets from Secret Submission Post #230.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 1 2 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 1 2 - too big ], [ 0 - hit/ship/spiration ], [ 0 - omgiknowthem ], [ 0 - take it to comments ], [ 0 - repeats ]
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom.livejournal.com]

01. http://i54.tinypic.com/nb3neu.png

[vivalana.livejournal.com]

My friends have ranted against DA2 for twenty minutes, non-stop. Minutes. I still kinda want this game, just for her. She looks so awesome.

[phoeliac.livejournal.com]

It's a fun game, but if you've played Origins and expect it to be more of the same you...may be disappointed. Merrill is also awesome, in her oblivious, Welsh way :D

[(Anonymous)]

Why? How are they different?

/potential buyer

[phoeliac.livejournal.com]

The best way I can describe it -outside of techncal differences - is that while Origins was an epic with a character you formed, DA2 is guiding a character you can only influence through the acts of a play. I enjoyed the game thoroughly, though I feel it was rushed, but at least one friend complained the game shouldn't be called Dragon Age 2 as it suggests more of Origins, when it's not. It's basically an entirely different game in the same setting, if that makes sense?

Technical differences include: new dialogue system (think Mass Effect but with guidance to avoid those horrible "that's not what I meant at all!" moments), different battle systen (if you hated hanging around in Origins this one is more active, arguably less tactics based), and squishy elves. Lots of people seem to dislike the elves.

Also if you liked Anders, you maybe...displeased with what they've done with him.

[(Anonymous)]

That actually sounds really enjoyable. The one thing I didn't like with Origins was the battle system, and now it's more active!

I'm sure I can live with excess elves :D Thanks for answering! Sounds like I will enjoy it loads.

[(Anonymous)]

NA

different battle systen (if you hated hanging around in Origins this one is more active, arguably less tactics based)

Can you elaborate on this?

[neaira.livejournal.com]

It's far more hack-n-slash than anything.

[time-ambassador.livejournal.com]

I sort of hate you for this secret. She's an amazing character and doesn't have a lot of vocal supporters...she needs all the ones she can get.

[(Anonymous)]

I haven't seen a whole lot of vocal haters for her, either, which surprises me.

I've been considering making a secret of my own for a while: I don't understand how so many people can say "oh Merril is cute and kind of dumb," while crucifying Anders, when to my eye, they're equally self-righteous, hypocritical, and dangerous. Just that Anders is dangerous purposefully whereas Merril just kind of obliviously endangers herself and everyone around her with her terrible ideas.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

That's probably why then. Naivety is easier to forgive than Anders' more intentional actions. I do agree with you though and find both of them equally condemnable personally.

[dgcatanisiri.livejournal.com]

I flip flop on Anders, depending on the lens that I'm viewing him in - is he a victim of a power he can't control or is he willingly causing the problems that he creates? Depending on which view I have, I either forgive him or condemn him. Merrill, though, I see as having flawed methods to an understandable goal. I tend to agree with her stance of even the dangerous things should be remembered some fashion, beyond 'this should be left in the past.' In fact, in her story, I put more blame on the Keeper. Merrill took steps to attempt to lessen the dangers of her plans, while the Keeper endangered all those in her charge to bring one member back into the fold.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

Now that you mention it I thought the Keeper's actions were a bit out of character. It goes against everything she said before to do something dangerous like let herself go get possessed.

SPOILER WARNING

[dgcatanisiri.livejournal.com]

Since there are people above debating whether or not to buy the game, thought I'd put in a spoiler warning, just in case.

I saw it as the Keeper doing exactly what she had been doing for some time now - protecting Merrill at the cost of all others. Merrill is essentially her child, and she became blind to anything but getting Merrill back. I know that gossip will spread, but she told the clan of Merrill's blood magic. That instantly marred her forever for them. And then there's Pol, who ran from Merrill because of the background he had as a City Elf with the Chantry, who openly condemn magic in all forms, especially blood magic. Because the Keeper did nothing to quash the rumors and then told Merrill that 'he died because of her blood magic...' Yeah that was the moment I lost all respect for her. At that point, the fact that she attempted to abuse a loophole to not fulfill her end of the bargain was icing.

Long story short (too late), I didn't see it as out of character, I saw it fitting into the game's theme of how a single issue can dominate a person's life and how they deal with it once they realize it.

[(Anonymous)]

There's also the fact that with Merrill, only one innocent person absolutely has to die - and she chooses to trade her life for Merrill. You can avoid the deaths of all the others.

With Anders, a whole bunch of innocent people who did not agree to this in any way, shape or form, die - and Hawke can't do a thing about it. LOLNOPETOOBAD, everyone dies the end, Anders has ~outsmarted you~ through... unavoidable game mechanics.

[shukivengeance.livejournal.com]

Yeah absolutely, Anders' intent is definitely what makes the difference in how I view the two but in his case it's also arguable how much of it he's responsible for and how much is Justice forcing him.

[(Anonymous)]

That's a valid point, but I kind of feel the opposite - even if you keep the elves from attacking Merrill, you always end up covering for her (unless you simply skip the quest, which I'm not sure can really count as showing disapproval). You can't kick her out of the party, and you can't turn her over to the elves who are howling for blood (or if you can, I missed it). It's like the game expects you to take Merrill's side, and that the elf community is being OMG SO MEEN AND UNFAIR just because she, woops, released a powerful demon and killed their leader. It's not like she could have known, having only been told to quit it nonstop for seven years.

With Anders, almost the opposite is true: everyone, including Orsino, views what he's done as a horrible atrocity, which it is, but nearly everyone (except Merrill, shocker) expects him to be executed. You can simply kick him out of the party or forgive him entirely if you want, but that's treated as an unusual response.

tl;dr, The fact that the player HAS to forgive Merrill makes me feel like she gets off easier than she deserves compared to Anders.

[weekendoffender.livejournal.com]

I hated Merrill on my first playthrough because I was trying to be all anti-mage because of Fenris. On my second, I love her. She's so adorable (well, most of the time).

[neaira.livejournal.com]

I honestly can't stand her. Of course, I thought that character was annoying in DAO, too, so...

[xekstrin.livejournal.com]

I view her a bit like being some sort of fantasy version of an addict. Blood magic? She can control it! (I can quit any time I want!)

So I feel bad for her, as I feel she's not a bad person, just made bad decisions.

Anders is crazy. Not even crazy in the quirky way. Crazy in the crazy terrorist way.

If Merrill and Anders were exactly the same but switched places so that Merrill did what Anders did and vice versa I'd probably hate her too, Welsh accent be damned