Veilguard Anti-Criticisms and How They Missed the Mark : Slavery

 Okay so... here's the thing. I've been seeing a lot of posts that simultaneously defend DA Veilguard and argue against pretty much any and all criticisms. And like... okay... so... okay. Just... okay. Since people's reading comprehension is severely lacking - let's start by saying that if you love the game, that's fine. No one's saying you can't love this game. It's a fun game to play. The characters are interesting. The voice acting is pretty good. The writing is... uh... up to... personal preference? Most of it is good. The game itself, the actual game, runs flawlessly. I've personally done ten full playthroughs, start to finish, most of them include every side quest there is, and I have had it crash only once and have witnessed only one glitch. So, that alone says a lot. It shouldn't but in this day and age - it does.

But there are issues with the writing. Big ones. And these aren't personal preference kind of issues. And the anti-criticism posts I've been seeing have all missed the mark on the real problems with the game. One of the most recent anti-criticism things I've seen has been revolving around slavery in the game or rather, the lack of.

To better organize my thoughts on this, it's formatted a bit oddly.

The anti-criticisms seem to argue against = DA Veilguard didn't address slavery in Tevinter. And thus, the anti-criticism is that the audience should just know that slavery is a thing. And that the player base should assume that the blood that the blood mages are blooding themselves with come from slaves. And, there's no reason it should be shoved into our faces.

The actual criticism though = DA Veilguard sterilizes slavery in Tevinter. This is actually a two part problem in the game. 1. We only see one slave in the game and he's in the Necropolis. We see none in Minrathous. We only find out from an ex-slave Rook that this is a part of their backstory in a single line dialogue never to be revisited again. 2. The game leads one to believe that only the Venatori keep slaves.

The reason this is a problem = Slavery has always been a thing in the DA universe. And 'everyone in Thedas' knows that slaves are a very big thing in Tevinter. Slavers comb far and wide for slaves specifically to sell in Tevinter. People are stolen all over for that purpose. So, in Minrathous, the capital of the Tevinter Imperium, we should see slaves. Not saying they had to show an auction or public whippings or anything but they should have been there. Doing the shopping, following their 'masters' around, running errands etc. Things we know they did. We know from Orana that she and her Papa did the shopping for their Magister master. We know from Fenris that he went out into the city with Danarius all the time as security, intimidation, and to just be shown off. (We also know that there's no such thing as a free slave in Tevinter, so that rules out the argument of us only being in the "poorer" part of Minrathous and thus, not seeing them - especially the elves.) We know from Dorian that his house had slaves. That most did/do. And that, even to the much adored Dorian, slavery is "better than being poor". Like, it's such a part of the life there that it's literally everywhere.

So, the only people who would think that only blood mages have slaves are people who have played DA2 only, and only know about slaves from Orana and Fenris, who both had horrible experiences involving slaves and blood magic. And still, they said nothing about Ventatori. But according to Dorian, slavery is just how it is in Tevinter. Not just Venatori own slaves. All Magisters own them. Everyone of a certain wealth owns them.

And, before anyone balks, it is unknown whether or not Maevaris actually owned slaves because prior to Veilguard, even the Lucerni had nothing to do with anti-slavery. (I like to think she didn't but who knows.) They were only ever supposed to be anti-Venatori and by extension, anti-corruption. But slavery was never included in that until they heavily implied that in Veilguard.

There's a difference between shoving something in someone's face and understanding that it's a part of the world. If Veilguard is the first game that some people have played, how are they supposed to know that slavery is such an intrinsic part of life in Tevinter and not just something the evil Venatori do as another thing that makes them ultra-evil? Because that seems to be a big chunk of the player base. Which makes since, the last DA game was ten years ago. And in fact, even for those who played Inquisition - maybe some of you need to go play that game again. There's a very frustrating conversation with Dorian in that game that is very enlightening into the way that Tevinter people just think about slavery and how different it is.

Now, could Dorian have learned not to be a pro-slavery person? Uh, yeah. Of course. Did everyone in Minrathous suddenly turn anti-slavery over the past decade? Unlikely. Especially if you're still getting newspaper headlines about slave uprisings in other cities.

And that's the other side of this. We have the Shadow Dragons, right? Their whole thing seems to revolve around freeing slaves. Even though they're supposed to be about so much more - what we hear the most about is freeing slaves. And that's great. But... what slaves? Where are they? They... got them all out? Awesome. Seriously, though. We don't even see remnants of them being moved around. Rook has an optional stumble-upon side-quest to save potential slaves (3... they save 3...) in Minrathous and that's... it. That's it. That's all.

And it's not that they don't want you to see horrific things. Ghilan'nain's tooth eye is fucking horrifying. Desiccated bodies just lying around in droves is horrifying. So then, what exactly was their reason for not showing any real signs of slavery?

Because it's not that it's horrifying. Showing a slave trailing behind a master in the market isn't horrifying. It's uncomfortable. It incites anger, injustice, and tons of other very strong emotions. As it should. That's the point.

A fictional character with a chomping eyeball is just horrifying. Even the poverty that is shown in the game doesn't actually show real poverty. Everyone has somewhere to go/live. They don't look really dirty, they aren't sleeping on benches w/ dividers inhibiting them, or pushing around carts with all of their belongings, or starving, etc. And they give you a way to help them (give coin). So you can pat yourself on the back. But it doesn't make you uncomfortable.

And that's the biggest criticism of the game. Things that would make the average person uncomfortable are not in the game. Slavery, nope. Antivan crows buying kids? Nope. Severely questionable training methods for assassins? Nope. Not even mentioned, actually. But a grandmother starving her own grandchildren are in the game, oddly enough. Just in a codex entry, mind you - not like... out loud. Because again. Uncomfortable. Child abuse and all that. A non-binary character facing actual bigotry? Nope. Tranquil mages? Nope. Visualized sexual imagery? Nope. (Which, not a huge loss but w/e). The Blight transforming people all the time, like that being what the blight does? And it being oober contagious and/ transmittable to the point of like blood in mouth/in a cut or you've just been around it too long, you're now blighted and will not die, nope - you will become a darkspawn? Nope. Hell, even addressing a real argument after the fact? Nope. Discomfort. The whole elves in alienages being treated like absolute shit and having their lands stolen and all of that? Nope with a capital N.

So many things that are a part of Thedas, a part of this world, big parts, that are just... carved out. The problem with presenting a half-assed Utopian world to a fan base that was in the shit in the last game is that... it comes off as half-assed. It does appear to be catering to a specific age group that should not be playing a game like this. Because there still are things in the game that are very adult. Torture. Killing (duh). Human (elf) sacrifice. The loss of a loved one/ loss of a Mother!

And while yes, I get that the game is the result of multiple start/stop projects - that reason (excuse) can only get them so far. When the steps to fix these very big issues would have taken less time than the steps they took to gloss over them, then it cheapens the game.

So - while the game is fun and the characters are interesting. It's more of a... spin off. A fan fiction of Dragon Age rather than the next game in the series. You can't take it too seriously if you want to really enjoy it if you've been a Dragon Age fan since before Veilguard. If you're used to Thedas as we've known it for the past 16 years - you cannot take this game seriously. Take it as a fun game to play but... only skin deep. Don't go looking for the same kind of thought-provoking veiled real-world issues that previous games and books have had. Because this is decidedly not it.

Lucanis Kiss Scene in Dragon Age the Veilguard

So, I've seen the whole thing about Lucanis being an inexperienced demisexual virgin and... while I'll say that personally, I think these little crumbs of "well I intended for this to be such and such way" well after the fact are... eh... kinda toeing the line of bullshit (yeah, I know she created him but... that's like Mary Shelley coming back from the dead and going well the monster I created actually likes the warm glow of fire, my husband just changed it! it'd be a little... meh... you'd make the meh face, is all I'm sayin') but anyway! 

Point being! I don't have a particular opinion about Lucanis' sexuality as I think that's open to interpretation and very head-canon-esq territory. But what I am narrowing my eyes suspiciously at is this theme that seems to be running wild in the wake of Mary Kirby's info-droplet. And has everything to do with explaining away the Kiss scene. 

But I just wanted to do a quick post about this.

The kiss scene. How Lucanis gets all up in Rook's grill and then at that last second, backs off and leaves the room. Everyone's going on about how this is an example of him panicking and while... I kinda get that... I also kinda don't. Dude don't panic. He lives literally locked in his head specifically so he doesn't panic. Now - it could easily be argued that he was being drawn slowly out of that prison by the encounter but at the same time... was he though? Again, head-canon territory.

The issue I take with it is this... just because someone is demisexual... just because they're inexperienced... doesn't mean they have to be... well, rude. I get it. Someone realizes they are in over their head. I'm not saying he should have gone through with something he was uncomfortable with, no. At any point, in any situation like that, one is uncomfortable - bow out. But bow out with grace. His body language went from interested to decidedly not interested. From turning his entire body away from Rook all the way to not even looking at them again as he left the room. And then not even speaking with them about it, like... at all, ever. That's not just rude, that's truly shitty. Like Rook just... doesn't have feelings at all? I'm not saying it was enough to make someone start bawling (I mean, it might but that's not what I'm getting at) but what if your Rook is also demi? And like... they're really growing close to Lucanis? And he does that? Fucking ouch. Rejection is fine, it happens but it's the way in which someone rejects someone or the situation. For a game that is trying so hard not to hurt anyone's feelings, it sure is turning a blind eye to Rook.

I know everyone is different, perceives things differently, etc. But it's almost alarming how people are so willing to write this off under the guise of inexperience, being overwhelmed, etc. And it's like... that's fine and Rook can be understanding of that. But that, getting that close? Drawing them in that far? Only to turn away like that? If you've got an insecure Rook? Which the game allows you to play out in talks with Varric, by the way. And Lucanis does this? I mean, there's just so many ways this can backfire and there's no mention of it after the fact. It's just... forgotten.

But that's been a running theme in the game. Rook is just... forgotten. I mean, they themselves isn't. But their heart is. Their feelings. The only people who ask after them that way is Varric (not real), Solas (god of fucking lies), and I think Emmrich asks once or twice. That's gotta be disheartening, if you think about it. But I'm not going to go too deep into that, because I'll write a whole other ted talk about it.

I also feel the need to point out that this is almost like a systemic problem with games. DA2 Fenris post scene reminds me of this. Yes, dude has some serious trauma and serious issues that Hawke couldn't even begin to comprehend. Leaving them like he did after? Yeah, not great. But at least he tried to talk to them about it. He didn't just go "I gotta go" and literally leave with not another word, ever, about it.

Taash : The Good & The Bad

 

Screen Capture taken in game by me.

Let me start this off with with saying that I personally think that Taash could have been a great character. In the past, I (again, personally) have not been able to really get on board with Bioware's token "obnoxious" characters. (Sera, Jack, even Isabela at times). But Taash didn't hit as hard on the obnoxious scale and I was intensely grateful for that. I love how the voice actor gave them a DGAF attitude and it really came through in the tone of voice and their mannerisms. That being said...

There are some issues with their character as a whole. And before anyone gets all uppity about it because Lord Elgar'nan knows someone will try, it has nothing to do with "the non-binary stuff". 

Taash is young. They do a pretty good job of making them out that way though we aren't entirely sure exactly how young. And the fact that, even though they have lived a pretty exciting life thus far what with the dragon hunting and all - Shathann has, for the most part, kept them pretty sheltered. So, it's hard to pin down a real age for them and while some may think that doesn't matter, it does. Maturity of a character does matter and when it comes to Taash and certain interactions they have, they were clearly written as rather immature. Perhaps it was to showcase either how sheltered they have been or how young they are - either way, it's a stretch and sometimes they just come off being rude.

Now, this might just be me but the other thing I noticed is that Taash is... a bit of a know-it-all. They over explain things to Rook as if Rook couldn't possibly know them. Even if they are a Lord of Fortune Rook, they will explain Lord of Fortune stuff to Rook, such as how they do their treasure hunting and what they do with the treasure. Note however, Taash has only been with the Lords for four months, no idea what has been going on in their life before that - it's never actually said. Presumably, they've just been puttering around the Halls of Valor anyway. Also, they will explain the Antaam to a Crow Rook, as if Rook doesn't know anything about the Antaam that are currently occupying Treviso. It gets to the point where it's more like "mansplaining" than the devs using Taash as a mouthpiece to explain aspects of factions and Rivaini culture. 

Then there is the blatant hypocrisy and double-standards that Taash seems to have. There's one instance where Taash reprimands Spite for smelling people without their permission (odd but okay) and then, within the same conversation, says that they know something about the exact same person because they smelled it on them. Spite, rightfully, calls them out on this but Taash doesn't respond. And yes, I am aware that this is all dialogue written by writers but it gives us a representation of their character.

Taash expects people to respect their decisions and their space, their preferences but doesn't extend that same curtesy to others, primarily Emmrich. Taash is insanely rude to Emmrich. So, okay, Taash doesn't like necromancy, that's completely fair and valid. However, it is Emmrich's life work and the way Taash explodes on him about it, just calling it wrong without even saying that it makes them uncomfortable is just straight up rude. Especially since Emmrich has tried to be nothing but accommodating. In that same dialogue, we find out that Taash has actively been calling Emmrich derogatory names (skull-fucker). Which is absolutely not cool and Rook should be able to call Taash out on this. Because a normal person would. I know I would have. I would have, rightfully, been like "what the actual fuck?" 

This same conversation happening if you play a Mourn Watch Rook, you can ask Taash if your necromancy bothers them and they will straight up say no, that Rook's deals more with spirits. At no point, anywhere, has that been said or indicated in the game. The only thing Rook doesn't do is the corpse whispering thing - otherwise, it's fully insinuated that Rook does exactly the same thing that Emmrich does. They just don't show it. So, there's this huge double standard that is displayed but Emmrich is the target of Taash's disrespect. And Rook should be able to call them on this.

Taash also talks to Spite like he's a dog. They do. And while it's marginally funny, it's only funny when you don't consider Spite's feelings on the matter. And you completely ignore every single time Taash brings up the fact that "spirits are a part of Rivaini culture". Rook should be able to call Taash out on this, stand up for Spite, point this out and remind them that they shouldn't talk to spirits like this. Especially a Mourn Watch Rook. Or a Lords of Fortune Rook who is Rivaini. Because they don't talk to Spirits like they are lesser like Taash talks to Spite. That's decidedly not okay. 

Now, this is not about the "non-binary stuff" but it is "non-binary stuff" adjacent. During the coming out conversation/very awkward dinner scene with Shathann, Taash shuts her mother down. Look, I get it, it's a very tense moment and Taash just wants her mother to accept it at face value and leave it alone. I get it. But Shathann is literally extending an olive branch saying "here is something in my deeply seeded brain-washed since the cradle culture that is exactly what you are saying so I can better understand this" and Taash just snaps at her. And that sucks. It shows a couple of things. It shows Taash's tension and anxiety. It shows Taash's trauma over their past relationship and interactions with their mother but it also shows Taash's self-centeredness. They don't care that Shathann is trying to understand it in a way that helps her. They want Shathann to just accept it as is. In other words, they don't want Shathann to actually understand it. And also, later, Taash refers to it as a fight when it's really not. I mean, I don't know what people think a fight is these days but that wasn't. Shathann was shut down and then left. She didn't storm out... she didn't yell... that wasn't a fight. That was Taash shutting her down and Shathann leaving. So... what fight? Or rather - Taash was expecting a fight and that was what happened in their head. They didn't give Shathann a chance to talk, expecting the worst. It's shitty and had Taash given Shathann a moment to speak, they might have actually gotten somewhere. But Taash was not in a place to listen, if they ever really were. Does that excuse the stuff Shathann had done in the past? No. Shathann clearly made mistakes. She's aware of this. But just because Taash is the "child" in the relationship, that doesn't absolve them of their role within that conversation either. 

Now... ignoring the annoying ass "roaring" that Taash does (that's not the voice actor's fault or the characters fault - that's whoever decided that would be a good sound to add in's fault). Ignoring that - Taash does have some redeeming qualities and honestly, it's a shame that the flaws are so poignant - because they could have been a really good character. 

The second Rook I played was a male qunari, mage, Shadow Dragon. And they romanced Taash. And 100%, again, ignoring the above, it was a great playthrough. There are so many points in Taash's story that are truly emotional and well written. Taash's struggles with who they are and why they feel the way they do (though I was disappointed that a they/them Rook didn't have a unique dialogue a few times when Taash was questioning a few things... seems like it would have been a great opportunity but whatever). And Rook being able to help Taash with those feelings, help support them through it, that's amazing. As either a friend or a partner. Of course, I head-canoned my Rook (Nells) as being completely comfortable and confident in himself so things like Taash picking him up? Didn't bother him at all. Never felt emasculated or anything stupid like that.

Encouraging Taash to lean more towards Rivaini culture is more of a 'knowing what the Qun really is' thing rather than a real choice, in my opinion. And while yeah, it'd be great to think of the Qun as something more religious and something that can be tailored, it really isn't. Simply because it's not just a religion, it's a whole way of thinking, a way of life. And Taash would not fit within that very strict structure. They've been raised in Rivain, they've been influenced too much by "bas". There's no way they'd fit within the Qun. And a qunari Rook would know that. The private conversations that Rook can have with Taash are heartfelt and they feel important. That's really where their character shines. 

And "soft Taash" is just as beautiful as "strong, hard hitting" Taash. Vulnerable Taash is just as amazing as Tough Taash. They really did do a good job of making them multi-facetted. And it was very easy to see a certain kind of Rook falling head over for them. But there's just those issues that I mentioned above that make it such a shame. Shathann's death scene literally makes me teary-eyed because the voice acting done by Jin Maley is so on point and you can hear the heartbreak in Taash's voice. And afterwards, the vulnerability in Taash that we witness is very potent. Whether Rook is a friend or a partner, it's a very strong moment. 

Every character has good and bad points. That's nothing new, but the issues within Veilguard are that the bad points of the characters should have never happened or could have easily been rectified by additional dialogue choices given to Rook to call them out on their bullshit. Hypocracy and disrespect are Taash's "bad" points. Disrespect towards Emmrich and Spite. Hypocracy in double standard thinking about Emmrich vs. Rook's necromancy and about what they themselves are allowed to do vs. what others can do. These are very big character flaws that were choices of the writers. Now, if they were intentional - that's a shame that we weren't able to address them in game. If they were unintentional - then that says something about the writer. 

An Open Letter to Bioware

 As much as I would love to start this with "What the fuck?!" I won't. Because, that's not very productive. Though, that kind of needs to be asked. Because there is just so much to talk about with Veilguard. 

First off, however, let's start with the most pressing issue for pretty much anyone who knows anything at all about Dragon Age. The lore. Preestablished canon that shows up in games, books, and comics. Because, I'm curious as to where, oh where, did it all go? It's easier to just break it down, so let's start there.

Tevinter

The Tevinter Imperium. The land of Magisters and the Black Divine (oh, sorry, the Imperial Divine). Oh, and the land of slavery. Open slavery, I might add. Ever since the beginning of Dragon Age, we have all known that there are slaves in Tevinter. That the practice is so wide-spread, so out in the open, that it is just known. It is also known that Tevinter slavers very much steal people from other parts of Thedas and thrust them into slavery in the Imperium. We know from Fenris that slaves are everywhere and that every single Magister owns many of them. That he was paraded around and used as both guard dog and clear threat towards his master's enemies. We know from Dorian Pavus that slavery is so "normal" there that he literally sees nothing wrong with it. That is how everyday it is. So, imagine everyone's surprise when we finally get to Tevinter and erhm... there are no slaves? In fact, there are elves just walking around all willy nilly in the streets? Begging in the streets? Indicating that they have no masters? While, morally, that's great. Lore-speaking, um... what? Unless the Magisterium mysteriously abolished slavery (which we know they didn't since supposedly The Viper and the Shadow Dragons are routinely helping slaves escape Minrathous). So... there absolutely would not just be elves on the street. Because everyone who has paid any attention at all knows that elves are slavers prime targets. In Dragon Age 2, slavers track Fenris all the way to the Free Marches trying to get him back (granted he was special but the point is still there). They aren't likely to just get rid of this practice. 

But no, in the game we are led to believe that only Venatori have slaves. We see them. They're there. But not in Minrathous. We see them in Veilguard at the dalish sacrifice ritual in Arlathan (as removed from Minrathous as they could get) amongst the crowd of Venatori. They want us to believe that only the evil Venatori have slaves. When in reality, literally every single Magister has slaves. Even Dorian's family. Now, he might have changed his tune upon returning from the south, but that's a big maybe. Because when the Inquisitor has that conversation with him in Inquisition? He's still very much of that same mind set - that slavery is better than poverty. He doesn't understand it. But I digress. Point being, the writers what the player to think that only evil people have slaves (and they aren't wrong) but what they're missing is this whole grey area where this entire society [Tevinter] has been built up around slavery.

Also, if you play a Qunari in Veilguard, there absolutely would be a problem with Rook walking around Minrathous. Tevinter has been at war (real war) with the Qunari for over three hundred years. A Qunari in Minrathous? Uh, yeah, no. There would be words. There would be encounters with racist/bigots/assholes taking serious issue with a qunari just walking around their city. Doesn't matter if they've called a tentative cease fire. There would be a big problem. Also, if you play an elf - you get called a slave at the ritual site but not in Minrathous - where you would have also faced persecution. I mean, an elf Rook has the opportunity to mention that elves are persecuted when they're unpacking their things but that's like it. When in Thedas-reality, elves are persecuted like... a lot. A whole lot. Everywhere. Except Arlathan, where we know from previous game mentions, slavers still go to capture Elves. Moving on...

The Qun

Okay. This was something that made me literally blink rapidly when I first encountered it in the game. Shathann. Taash. There's just... so much wrong here. First, we learn that Shathann was a scholar within the Qun. Okay, we know they are a thing, no problem. But then - we learn that she took Taash? Um. Okay, um. No. For starters - only Tamassrans are allowed to raise qunari children. Especially babies. And I mean only. Not like they watch them during the dayyy and they get to go "home" at nightttt. No. Tamassrans are the only ones to have access to Qunari babies/children at all, ever. Not only that, but Tamassrans also decide who gets it on with who. Those under the Qun, regardless of actual race, don't just have kids whenever they want. The Tamassrans decide who does the deed. And upon birth, they immediately take the child to be raised and cared for by them. Literally no one has access to them until they're about twelve. Then they are assigned a role and delivered to those who can teach them that role. That is lore, that is basically law. So... um... Shathann would never have even had access to Taash let alone even known she even existed. So, that's problem 1. Problem 2: Taash says that Shathann had herself transferred to another Qunari outpost. Presumably with Taash??? That makes no sense because of Problem 1. Problem 3: Shathann escapes presumably into the night with Taash and... gets away? Also impossible because of Problem 1. And due to the fact that Shathann would have had the whole of the fucking Qun on her ass because she stole a child from them. That's a no-no under any circumstance from anyone. Ben-Hassrath would have been dispatched in a fucking heartbeat. And they don't ever just "give up". And it's Shathann, a scholar. Running away with a baby. It's not like she could defend herself. So, no. That whole story is bullshit. 

Then, there's Taash's statement that "the Qun is not a prison, people can leave". Um, oh no, honey, they really cannot. People who leave the Qun are called tal-vashoth and are seen as fugitives by the Qun. They are actively hunted and if caught, are re-educated (brainwashed) by Ben-Hassrath. So, while technically one can leave the Qun - they aren't just let go. We know this from basically all the games and books and comics that have come before. It's a very serious point whenever we have encountered the Qun in the past. In fact, it's like the main point. 

Also, if Taash was raised basically under "the Qun 2.0" by Shathann... they and Shathann would very much take issue with a Qunari mage Rook. One of the big, big... VERY big things under the Qun is their stance on magic. They fear magic, big time. They literally think magic is a disease and that it is contagious. They bind their mages, literally sew their mouths shut (though that makes one wonder how they eat... anyway) and keep them under super tight control, period. No exceptions. They are called saarabas (dangerous thing). They don't even view mages as people, no matter their race. Even if they're born qunari and into the Qun, doesn't matter. So, even if Shathann and Taash both tried to hide under the veil of Rivaini "everything is cool" - they would still have an issue with a saarabas Rook. Simply because it is such a major point in the Qun. 

Also, also - and this is just a peeve of mine and while I do adore the voice actor for Taash (Panam forever) but - I am partial to how Sten from Origins pronounced the language. He made it sound less... American English and more like an actual different language. The R's were more rolled and less ARRR. If that makes sense. He was Sten of the Be-d-essad. As opposed to how it would be said in Veilguard as Bear-e-ssad. I won't go into character specifics here on the characters in Veilguard, I'll save that for another post - but, I know that personally, I cringe whenever Taash starts speaking Qunlat.

Elven Gods

Okay, this is a small one and again probably a pet peeve of mine but... it's Ghilan'non. Not Ghila'nain. Not in spelling. In pronunciation. Reason? First come, first serve. It was pronounced "Non" in Jaws of Hakkon and in Inquisition by Solas. So, snooze you lose? Plus, Ghilan'nain sounds stupid. 

Thedas in General

This is something the developers of the games seem to always forget. There are two moons in Thedas. Two. One, Two. Two moons. TWO MOONS. In the other games, we were rarely afforded a view of the night sky so it was a moot point though still irksome but in Veilguard, Elgar'nan moves "the moon" so what the actual fuck. If it's such a focus, then what the fuck. Did they just forget? 

To put this into clarity - Dragon Age, Thedas, all of it is the brain child of David Gaider. He's the literal, singular creator. The entire world and all the races come from his books. Grey Wardens, all of it. Every single faction, all of it. Before a single game was even made. And David Gaider says... there are two fucking moons for Thedas! So... two moons. 

The Antivan Crows

Okay, I like the Crows. The Crows are master assassins and they're awesome. But they are a decidedly not okay organization that steals children and trains them in seriously not okay ways to seduce their targets in order to get close to them. Granted yes, they have different "departments" so to speak, of assassins and will utilize different assassins depending on their targets but the fact remains, they steal children to train as assassins. Or they will take advantage of poor kids. We know this from Zevran in Origins. This is a thing. Also, if a Crow fails their contract, other Crows will come after them to kill them. Because they're basically the Mafia. If you didn't get that vibe from the 1st Talon, there's no helping you. 

This is one of the only things they actually kept kind of true in the game, Lucanis' relationship with his grandmother. It hinted at how brutal their training really is. In the brain-Ossuary, Spite will say straight up that Lucanis is afraid of her. But it back pedals and makes the player think it was more about fear of disappointment when in reality, it's actual fear. Catarina was brutal. While she may have had her reasons, we can conjecture all day, doesn't matter. She still abused children to train them to become killers. But that's part of the thing with the Crows. They are assassins. Their lives are no simple and if Thedas was perfect, they wouldn't be needed. They embody the whole morally grey area thing about this world. But Veilguard tries to show them in a different light and that light kind of falls flat when you understand how their training is. 

Grey Wardens

This was another thing they got so completely wrong and I have no idea how. It's no secret that the fan base feels very strongly about the Grey Wardens. So, you'd think that of all the things, they would have gotten this one nailed down. For starters, joinings are done willy nilly. I mean, I guess it might be possible to do them with the necklace that every warden receives with their joining but... unlikely. That's like a sippy sip. But on the whole, only recruiters can do joinings. Only they would have the arch-demon blood with them because that's their whole job. As much as I really do like Antoine and Evka... um... sorry Flynn... magical components or not - you woulda died, my dude. (I call everyone dude no matter their gender). And if they had access to Arch-Demon blood, then they would have known where to get it, and that means they would have known about the Cauldron (a very possible place) and that means they would have known what was there; rendering Davrin's quest about it a moot point. 

Speaking of joinings... the blight. What the hell. That little indicator that pops up all the time when you're playing "Blighted". Um... it's like Inigo Montoya always said... you keep using that word. I don't think it means what you think it means. So, yeah. Historically (and at this point, we can use that word) - to be "blighted" is to either die or become a darkspawn. Or, if you're lucky, you can become a grey warden. That's it. End of list. There's no "you'll be fine". That's how the blight spreads. But in Veilguard, apparently you just walk it off? 

Then there's the secrets. Grey Wardens are super secretive. Like, super-duper secretive. There is absolutely no way Davrin would let slip that a Grey Warden dies whenever they kill an Arch-Demon like that just wandering around a library with whoever in the party, especially with a non-warden Rook. At most, desperate times and all that, he might have pulled a non-warden Rook aside and told them what was about to go down. And that's pushing it. Grey Warden secrets are a big deal. That's like numero uno rule. But apparently, it's okay to just say them out loud to whoever now? 

Now, like I said, I won't go into specific characters here because I don't want this to turn into a novel. But, these lore inconsistencies are atrocious and honestly, shouldn't have ever happened. There's no excuse. None. All one had to do was play the previous games, really - wouldn't have even had to read any of the extra stuff. Just play the games. And apparently, Bioware didn't. Which is sad. It shows a distinct lack of care for their own product. It's like they were so scared to offend anyone that they ended up offending everyone. No one likes a coward.

Dragon Age Veilguard... Full Disclosure.

 Okay. Here we go. 

There is a lot to go over with this game and I know I'm going to have to break it into a few posts or it'd be a freaking novel. But, I figured, I'd start off with this.

I have been playing Dragon Age for much... much longer than Inquisition. I'm not going to gate keep on being a fan or anything like that but I do know more than just what was in DA3. 

It all started when a friend of mine got me Origins back on the 360. And I love that game (though, fuck the fade, seriously takes forever omg). And Awakening and Witch Hunt, all the DLC content, is absolutely awesome. The fodder it gives for creation is just jaw dropping. So much fan art and fan fiction has been born out of that single game alone that it is staggering. And then Dragon Age 2? I personally love it. And I don't mean omg I love it, no... I love that game. Yes, the areas are repeats and yes, I know they pumped the game out to capitalize on Origins success but the characters? Um, hello - they are... I mean there just aren't any words, really. I have countless Hawkes, countless stories, and so much just... I mean, I can't even. And Varric. He's the kind of character you just want to stuff in your pocket and carry around with you forever. He's the bestfriend. Always will be. And I have very strong opinions about Anders but I will not go into them here. Moving on!

I got Inquisition when I got my xBox One - part of that whole package deal. I was up and going on day freaking one and I do so love that game and the DLCs. Yeah, people heed and hawed about it but whatever, I loved it. Still do. I still love all of the Dragon Age games. I've read the comics/graphic novels, I own about four of David Gaider's books and have read them. I own Dawn of the Seeker, have seen all of Felicia Day's stuff for the franchise. I mean, big fan here, that's what I'm getting at. 

So... that being said... imagine my excitement about the Dread Wolf Rises... eer... I mean Veilguard. Which, let me take a moment right here and say that is the stupidest fucking name ever. I'm sorry but it's clunky. It doesn't roll off the tongue in any way. It's awkward. Anyway! But I was super excited, like a lot of people and then we see the teases and the meager scraps of information which I was completely understanding about because fuck a lot of the "fans" and the super shitty way they acted about Andromeda (which I happened to like so :P on y'all). But then the game comes out and yes I preordered it because I was going to buy it anyway because I don't trust reviewers, not after Andromeda or Cyberpunk because internet people are assholes. But, I mean, I get it and I'm right there, waiting. Now, I wasn't able to play it day one, I had to work (responsibilities) but I did get to play it the following weekend. 

Now... I'm going to say straight off the bat... I'm not a huge Solas fan in that I wasn't one of those Solavellan people. I was one of those people going "yes crack the egg!" thinking that he was going to be the antagonist that we get to fight, knowing full well that we were playing a new antagonist because that's Bioware's prerogative with Dragon Age games. But then, we find out that he's not and it's like meh, okay, I mean he is kinda a woos so... gotta give us a bigger baddie to fight. Okay, okay. But... like... here's the thing...

I mean, I do like the game. In that... it's fun. But... eer... and I mean Frostbite is lookin' pretty good... they've done an amazing job. But... um... okay, so... 

It's like someone wrote fan fiction about Dragon Age and turned that into a game. They took out all the parts they didn't like and parts that didn't fit their story... and then added in a bunch of fluff... but they wanted to be able to slap a G rating on it... and then put that out there as the game itself. Oh, and they absolutely were a Solavellan fan. 

Because the game ignores so much lore. I'm not talking about the lack of offensive/problematic stuff though there is that too... I'm talking about stuff that is just... canon in the Dragon Age universe. It just simply ignores it, blatantly... with bullshit little excuses that are all tee-hee it's just not like that and the people who have paid any attention at all, even if they only played Inquisition are going "uh, but it very much is like that". 

So yeah... it's a fan faction about Dragon Age. It is not a Dragon Age game. It's like a spin off. An alternate universe. 

And I get that it was like three different false start projects all mashed together or whatever but that doesn't help nor explain away that whole 'we're going to just ignore canon' thing. 

I have played through the game like five times (I've got a problem, I know) and there are still parts that make my left eye twitch. But it can be a fun game, as long as you don't consider it to be the next game in the franchise. Don't take this shit seriously because it's not - not when it comes to Dragon Age. I'll make another post about why because again, this could easily turn into a novel. 

But I wanted to put like a disclosure. I'm not an expert but I'm so far from a novice. I can (sadly) spout lore from off the top of my head about Dragon Age, a lot of it. Kind of that, I know what I'm talking about thing. I am by no means gate keeping or anything but if there's a new fan going "oh, you know, you can totally just walk away from the Wardens" there is going to be me and a whole lot of other people going "Actually, you really can't." That kind of thing. So yeah... yeah... and it's such a shame too. It really is.

It's Been a While and Not a Lot Has Happened.

 How has it been 3 years since I’ve posted here? It doesn’t feel like it’s been three years. And how has it been that long since Cyberpunk dropped? Time really does fly, whether or not you’re having fun.

Let’s see – where to start. So, I completely abandoned the whole Twitch idea. I mean, I like the idea in theory but not in practice. Because I actually want the videos on youtube so… yeah, it’s a whole process. It can be done, don’t get me wrong but if I want anyone to see it? It’s so completely saturated. But, moving on!

Let me think – what games have I played that are new (to me) since then? Well, of course – Baldur’s Gate 3. And Mass Effect Legendary Edition came out (which I bought in a fucking heartbeat) but that’s not new, not really except for the fact that there were DLCs that I actually hadn’t played before so that was freaking awesome. But all of that was leading up to Dragon Age Veilguard… which I will go into… at great length… in the next post because… there is a lot to unpack about that game.

I just wanted to write a quick little post that says basically, not dead – still here – and will always be gaming. Posts upcoming will be about BG3, Veilguard, and thoughts on Exodus (which I’m really intrigued by). So, stay tuned?

Cyberpunk 2077–First Impressions

Okay – so! Let’s cut to the chase here. 1. I haven’t forgotten this blog, I’ve just been hella busy with the holidays and oh, yeah, the US trying to tear itself apart because of some dumb fucked-up complete waste of fucking space morons decided they no longer liked democracy and would much rather proceed to commit a laughable attempt at a coup that resulted in the death of five people for no fucking reason other than that whole group of people was collectively being dumber than a bag of fucking rocks.

Okay… woooosaaaah. Let’s just… take a moment to relax. Chill. Deep breath. Check out my V before we start. Vega Bakker Wells. Because, to him, a name isn't where you come from, it's who you belong to. 

Alright, now, let’s get to the point of this actual post. Previously, I had been playing Cyberpunk 2077 on ‘current gen’ console (xBox one) and while it was commendable, it honestly wasn’t built for it. It just wasn’t. In my opinion, it really shouldn’t have been released in 2020 at all. I get why they wanted a 20202 release date (Cyberpunk 2020 and Johnny being from 2020 etc). But it really needed to wait. Not because the game itself needed a lot more time, it really didn’t (I’ll explain later) – but because we, the people, needed more time so that more people had next gen consoles in their homes. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an xBox series S. I opted for the S over the X because $$ and because honestly, I don’t use disks anymore. Plus, I have a 4 TB external hard drive that works just fine so problem solved there.

That being said – I’m now playing on next gen. And it’s better. Way better. Like… it’s fine. I haven’t had a single glitch at all and I’m well past where I was on current gen. I’m past Jackie’s memorial and have done some questing after that. I’m sure I’ll run into some glitches down the line because, it’s a game, and games have glitches. It’s impossible to have none. I’ve even had Destiny 2 crash to home-screen on me before. It’s extremely rare, but it still happens. Anyway. My first impressions are thus…

1. The game is huge. It’s packed with so much stuff. There are revolving little quest things (assaults in progress) that just pop up all over the place. They’re apparently never-ending and are a great way to earn street cred (I had V up to 20 street cred before even starting the Heist job). The world is full of NPCs in the city, more densely populated at the city center and thinning out the further away from there you get. Which is a nice touch. All of the NPCs react and are hilarious if you even get near them with a vehicle. The children are even funnier because they’re just little people. No video game has really cracked the code on kids yet, not really. The city itself is just huge, enormous. Maybe not in foot print but in the amount of things happening around you all the time.

2. It’s overwhelming. And no, you don’t get used to it – or at least, I haven’t. There’s stuff happening all the time, all around you. It can be a little… much. Like – okay, when I was in Las Vegas, I heard slot machines so much that I started hearing them in my fucking sleep. It’s like that. Night City is so crowded, so incredibly Night City that it can be a little much. Getting out into the badlands is priority numero uno for my V.

3. I started out with the Corpo life path on my current gen play, but on this one – which I’ll be following through with – I went Nomad. Which is just so much fun. It’s the most interesting. The game incites so many ways for you to build up your own V in your head. Vega Bakker Wells, which is my guy, is complicated but kind of not. He’s kinda mean but kinda not. And after Jackie, he’s hurting. Bad. Right away, you get so many opportunities to build your own story in Night City, or outside of it. That’s the sign of a good world, a good story.

4. Johnny Silverhand is an asshole. I’ve said it before and I will say it again. He’s a fucking dick. But – eventually – he comes around. And you get where he’s coming from on a lot of things but others, he’s just an ass.

5. The combat isn’t as bad as people are saying. Maybe if you use the technical combat modes in games that are optional – then you might not like it. But it’s not that bad. It’s pretty standard. –shrug- People are just bitching.

6. There are some hilarious quests in the game, I’ve been on a few so far that were just too funny. [Flaming Crotch Guy]

7. The romance options? What the fucking fuck, CDPR? Seriously. I’m not even going to go into in depth here because I have quite a bit to say about it. But, we’ll just say, as I’m sure you know by now. That female V gets 2 options, Male V gets 2 options. One gay, one straight. Done. Fin. That’s it. In this world of “choices”, those are your choices.

8. The story is a good one but you can see some plot holes. It’s based on a table top game, so there are intentional holes in the story. So, CDPR couldn’t lean on the table top game for those plot holes, that should be filled by players – and you can tell where those holes are. I’m not dissing the writers at CDPR, but you can tell which is Cyberpunk and which is CDPR, if that makes sense. [Yes, I know V is CDPR].

9. Jackie tore me up, just like I knew he would. But, I wish we could have gone on more quests with him. Really get to know him a lot better. Maybe actually help him pick something out for Misty or something. That would have been nice.

10. As a Nomad V, I’d like to know what happened with their family, why’d they leave? What exactly happened. I don’t know if they explain it in the game and I’m not going to go look for it online.

11. The detail is amazing. The graphics are awesome. And current gen doesn’t hold a candle to what next gen can do with this game. It really doesn’t. Keep that in mind if you’re playing on current gen console. If you’re playing on PC, the higher level the equipment, obviously – the better the game performance will be.

Well, that’s about it for this one. I covered a few things and I’ll be posting about the whole romance option debacle next here, hopefully, in a few days.