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Post by Scottphoto on Mar 30, 2018 15:46:03 GMT
Okay, so here's my rationale for my rankings (spoilered for length):
1.) KOTOR - As someone of a certain age, Star Wars was an absolutely critical component of my formative years. What I loved about KOTOR was that it really allowed me to role play with complex options in this setting. The story was FANTASTIC (introducing the Old Republic, expanding the Jedi lore, and THAT TWIST!). The characters were FANTASTIC (I loved to hate or hated to love almost all of them). Yeah, it wasn't perfect. The combat was clunky and the romances were weak if you weren't into "standard". Although Dark-Sided Bastila and Juhani were nice additions. It does have the distinction of being the first Bioware game with a S/S romance, so that's also pretty cool, even if it was more of a "fling" and lesbian only.
2.) DA: O - I remember how hyped I was about this game when I first read about it in GameInformer magazine (paper version, just to set the timeline here, LOL). It totally lived up to the hype. It brought back strategic combat and a "D&D" style adventure. The lore was immersive. The characters were (mostly) amazing. The Origins mechanic led to me losing HOURS and HOURS of my life as I played each one through with different characters to see which I liked best (standouts for me were my gay KISA dwarf noble and my butch lesbian city elf). Of course, the game also had some flaws. The Fade and the Deep Roads were slogs. Zevran was infuriating to me and still holds up as my least favorite m/m option of all time. Super problematic. But in general, this game holds up for sure!
3.) ME3 - I know, I know. It's controversial. But, frankly, I thought that this game was the best of the original trilogy. The combat mechanics had been tweaked. The story was emotional and overwhelming. After spending so many hours with Shepard (my Shepard since I only ever used custom ones), I felt his pain. He worked so hard and sacrificed so much and the galaxy was still decimated and it felt hopeless most of the time. Again, not perfect. The ending was definitely not great, as we all know. And they had created so many characters in ME2 that most of them just got sidelined which was a bummer. But the introduction of Steve, our first major GAY MALE character was monumental, even if he was a little boring and suffering from Carth Syndrome. And I can't even begin to discuss how satisfying the m/m Kaidan romance was. After waiting for SO LONG to get him, it was well worth it. Kaidan is by far my favorite m/m option and that makes this game hold a special spot for me (That "steak and beer" date night? Ugh. So good!).
4.) ME - Frankly, I thought that ME had the tightest story of the entire franchise. It offered really tough choices (not the DA: O "Help the elves or kill the elves" type of "choice") like the Rachni Queen. Ultimately, those choices didn't hold up across the series, but in the moment, they were really grey and I had many times where I just sat with the choice on the screen because I really couldn't decide which choice was best (except for the Kaidan/Ashley one -- that was easy even before I knew I could bag Kaidan, lol). Plus, that first crew was the best. It had a very "Firefly" vibe that I loved. Just a stellar game.
5.) DA: I - Yes, it was a little too 'fetch quest'-y. I know that. There were definitely areas that were slogs. On my most recent playthrough, I basically did a speed run of the Hissing Wastes because I just wanted to be done. But that aside, it's a really solid game. The return of strategic gameplay. Some top notch companions (Vivienne and Dorian remain some of my top companions in any Bioware game, plus Solas who is frustratingly deep and nuanced). I also liked that my choices from DA: O actually made a bit of a difference here. I mean, Alistair can be anything from the King of Ferelden to a dead Grey Warden in the Fade at the end, which is really nice. I also really liked the introduction of the Keep so that I could try out some new variations to see how they play out without having to replay DA2.
6.) BG - I will admit that I played Baldur's Gate WAY before I even realized that Bioware was a "thing". I played this back in the late 90's on my very first desktop and lost myself in the world that they had created. Expansive "open world" approach. A shit ton of companion, each of which was sufficiently fleshed out. Your choices really affected your party. Companions would turn on you if you betrayed them. Some would refuse to work together. It was dynamic and immersive. It was also before there really were as many online resources, so I remember having this gamefaqs playthrough guide that was MASSIVE bookmarked to help me figure out the story. So, partly for being the OG Bioware game and partly for being so important to my gaming history, this game HAS to be in my top half!
7.) SWTOR - Okay, to be honest, this game should be alot higher. It's the spiritual successor to KOTOR (my fav game), but with better graphics, the option to play as a non-human (I have about a dozen characters and not one is a human), and SAME SEX male romance in a Star Wars game. In theory, this should be my number one game. But a few things push it down the list. First, I hate that it's PC only. I'm a console gamer, so I don't have a gaming PC, which makes it difficult to play (I literally play on my laptop with reduced graphic settings so it doesn't crash). Second, I HATE MMO's. Thankfully, the single player experience is still legit. But too much content is locked behind co-op mechanics. Finally, the s/s romances came WAY too late and are locked behind level 50 content. Yeah, sure, I can start a new character and use a token to level them right to 50 to start that content, but then I miss getting to have that character do everything ELSE. That stinks. Theron and Koth remain the only m/m romance options that I haven't played because I just simply haven't been able to get to them. (Actually, writing this makes me want to start a level 55 character just to do the expansion and romance Theron....maybe I'll do that soon.....)
8.) JE - I didn't play JE when it first came out. It wasn't until I played ME and realized that KOTOR, ME, and BG were all from the same studio that I went back to research other games from them and found JE. So, to be fair, it was already a little outdated (graphics and gameplay) by the time I got to it. What I really enjoyed about it, though, was a totally unique setting. Yeah, both ME and DA are original franchises. But ME is pretty standard sci-fi and DA is pretty standard high fantasy. JE was DIFFERENT and I loved that. I thought it was so cool to have an Asian-influenced setting. The combat was really not great. But, again, the characters were top notch. And it gets the special distinction of introducing Sky. Not only is he super adorable. But he's also both the first m/m romance ever AND the first LGBT male companion. True, his romance was watered down (the cut-away before the kiss; the "Dude, why aren't you into those hot girls....Oh, you are into me? Are you sure? Okay, let me think about this and come back to confirm one more time before we have a chaste kiss...." thing). But considering that I had NEVER been able to romance a guy (I played this before DA:O), it will always have a special place in my heart. It's currently on my phone just waiting for me to start a playthrough up.
9.) ME:A - Okay, had I made this list a week ago, ME:A would be lower. But I'm currently replaying it and it's actually better than I remembered. It's less "fetch quest"-y than DA: I. And the MP component is totally optional (unlike in ME3 where it affects SP). We all know how this game almost broke me as a Bioware fan. The way that m/m options were totally fucked over because of EA's gay panic is totally unexcusable. Reyes is a side character. He shouldn't even count as a romance. And Gil, while adorkable and attractive, has a terribly problematic side quest. Plus, he's the least fleshed out of all of the crew members. Coincidence? I know that they added Jaal "back" into the rotation for us. But I will never be able to see that as anything but crumbs thrown to us to shut us up. The game released (and was intended to release given the Prima guide which went to print months before release) with Jaal being straight. I just can't forgive the major backsteps that they took. They lost my trust and broke me a little bit as a gaymer and Bioware stan. And I haven't healed from that still (and might not ever). SIDENOTE: I'm playing again right now with the intention to romance Jaal. And.....it's just not working for me. Maybe once it starts in earnest, I'll change my mind. But right now (having gotten past the "friend" and into the "flirt" options), it's slow and boring. And he remains my least favorite looking m/m option. And I guess I'm shallow because I'm having a hard time staying loyal to Jaal when sexy ass Gil and Reyes are throwing their undies at me with every dialogue.
10.) BG2 - I rethought where this should go and moved it up a spot. It was pretty uninspiring, to be honest. I only ever did one full playthrough and I can't even remember most of the story. It took all of the amazing parts of BG and either copy/pasted them directly into this game OR reduced them (there were far less companions but they didn't seem any more fleshed out or memorable than the first set. Plus, since it's a continuation, they tried to fit all of the OG companions in as well but just mostly killed them off (Justice for Dynaheir! How could they do that to her!?!). This game introduced the romance option, so that's cool. But did all of the nonsense that we have come to hate. No s/s options. Way more choices for straight males than anyone else (there's only one option for straight ladies and he's a twat). But, you can have a kid with Aerie and then she carries it around in her inventory like an item, so bonus points for the lulz?
11.) DA2 - This game was.....not good. It was super rushed and felt that way. The only reason it's not dead last is because some of the companions are pretty damned good. Meredith is a pretty great villain. So that's good. And I liked the rivalry/friendship system, since it added some cool replayability (Rivalmance Fenris is pretty hot). The combat sucked. There was no strategic combat at all, just action. And the game felt TINY. Hawke's adventures really paled in comparison to the Warden and the Inquisitor. Although sarcastic male Hawke is pure joy, so at least I liked that, even if I was FORCED to be a human, which I totally resent to this day. The companions were polarizing. Either really great (like Isabela, Varric, Aveline) or super annoying (like Merril, Sebastian, and Anders). I know most people hate Carver, but that storyline is one of my favorites in all of Bioware history. Templar Carver is canon and always will be in my opinion. God I love to hate that guy! But, overall, pretty meh.
12.) ME2 - The worst of the worst for me. Not because it's a bad game, per se. But it, to me, signifies the moment when Bioware changed and was absorbed into the EA Collective. It switched from an Action RPG to a 3rd person shooter with RPG elements. The expanded cast was trash. Most of them were so insignificant that they were totally sidelined with no consequences in the sequel. The romances were WAY over the top (Playing a gay Shep is like walking through a panty-filled landmine field -- any wrong step will lead to vaginas, vaginas everwhere!). Of course there were no gay options, because this is when Bioware started catering heavily to the straight male/shooter audience (who would eventually abandon them leaving them flailing) over the loyal RPG and LGBT audience (who got left behind and now have nothing). Trash. Just trash and if I never have to play it again, I'd be totally fine with that. And it totally chaps my ass that it's consistently rated the "best" Bioware game in any countdown. Ugh. If it weren't for Samara, this game would have ZERO positives for me.
So....there you have it. My rankings with my rationale. Bonus points for anyone who read that novel. LOL. I owe you a cookie! Im actually surprised how many have put Mass Effect 3 so high, granted it did add M/M finally to the game. I did put it high as well, just thought it would be more unpopular to do so XD. At the same time surprised ME2 is so low for a couple of people. But your reasons all make sense. I just really enjoyed having a diverse cast of characters and I really love the back and forth with the Illusive Man. Miranda also tried to make me bi in real life, she almost had me, gotta give her thumbs up for effort. XD On the other hand, I thought ME1 would do worst with Liara trying to ninjamance you lol. And I understand on Old Republic completely, I Finally got a good laptop last december that could run it smoothly. Im still on debate if I would put it higher, the one thing that bugs me for sure is the vanilla game not having m/m. I really like the Theron romance though, might be my favorite romance I ever done in a Bioware game, and Star Wars is just my favorite thing so there is that foo. And they thankfully made all the expansion content be playable as a solo story player. Can't say much about the Koth romance but I don't think he gets as much content, just a heads up. I think I should go back to KOTOR at some point, since im more familiar with the combat on Old Republic. And there is a lot of nods to that game in Old Republic. I was a bad gamer all around when I played Kotor. Also LOL Gil and Reyes throwing their sexy undies. PS: where's my cookie. |
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Post by Lee on Mar 30, 2018 16:20:03 GMT
Hmm, it always confuses me a bit when someone says Jaal's romance is slower paced than Gil (or any other chracter) all the romances have the same pacing unless they are an on planet one (reyes/reporter/Avela). Also Jaal's friend flirts are just as flirty as regular flirts, and they get quite forward early on.  |
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Post by Red Fox on Mar 30, 2018 16:54:58 GMT
Hmm, it always confuses me a bit when someone says Jaal's romance is slower paced than Gil (or any other chracter) all the romances have the same pacing unless they are an on planet one (reyes/reporter/Avela). Also Jaal's friend flirts are just as flirty as regular flirts, and they get quite forward early on. I have to disagree on pacing all being the same. Vetra has large gaps due to main story completion requirements compared to Peebee, Jaal and Cora. I flirted with peebee on an aborted romance run and they were as common as dirty compared to Vetras. |
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Post by Red Fox on Mar 30, 2018 16:55:43 GMT
Scottphoto I'm curious now. What attracted you to Miranda?
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Post by Scottphoto on Mar 30, 2018 17:24:03 GMT
Scottphoto I'm curious now. What attracted you to Miranda? I like the progression of her character a lot. like she was sexy but strong from the start, she wouldn't take anyone's crap. Reminded me a bit to the old school Lara Croft, which was my first game crush. Then as we progressed she started opening up to you, I liked how it was written so I went for her romance. I had also lost hope they would be a m/m romance in the future, ME3 was still months away. I love Miranda's voice too and well I can't pretend thats not a nice butt either XD. Sex scene was pretty hot without being too over the top with nudes. ME3 didn't do much with her sadly but I couldn't break up with her after seeing the break up scene in youtube, it really shows how much she cared for you. I was still in the confused/denial beginnings stage of my feelings as well lol. I think it may also had to with the fact that it was the first time I did a romance in one of these games. I skipped romance in KOTOR and ME1. I thought romances were stupid, before then XD. |
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Post by Red Fox on Mar 30, 2018 18:21:38 GMT
Scottphoto I'm curious now. What attracted you to Miranda? I like the progression of her character a lot. like she was sexy but strong from the start, she wouldn't take anyone's crap. Reminded me a bit to the old school Lara Croft, which was my first game crush. Then as we progressed she started opening up to you, I liked how it was written so I went for her romance. I had also lost hope they would be a m/m romance in the future, ME3 was still months away. I love Miranda's voice too and well I can't pretend thats not a nice butt either XD. Sex scene was pretty hot without being too over the top with nudes. ME3 didn't do much with her sadly but I couldn't break up with her after seeing the break up scene in youtube, it really shows how much she cared for you. I was still in the confused/denial beginnings stage of my feelings as well lol. I think it may also had to with the fact that it was the first time I did a romance in one of these games. I skipped romance in KOTOR and ME1. I thought romances were stupid, before then XD. Haha awesome. I also loved her take no shit attitude but that's one of my favorite attributes in a girl anyway lol. Her assets are also something to commend lol. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2018 18:26:26 GMT
I wouldn't trust a KOTOR remake made by current bioware as far as I could throw the whole studio. You know HK-47 would be a DLC character. LOL. Yep, and it would basically be a reskinned Battlefront with lightsabers. Oh, and light saber crystals and jedi robes would be locked behind loot crates. And Juhani would magically be bisexual now just so that no whiners feel left out with a female only romance. Im actually surprised how many have put Mass Effect 3 so high, granted it did add M/M finally to the game. I did put it high as well, just thought it would be more unpopular to do so XD. At the same time surprised ME2 is so low for a couple of people. But your reasons all make sense. I just really enjoyed having a diverse cast of characters and I really love the back and forth with the Illusive Man. Miranda also tried to make me bi in real life, she almost had me, gotta give her thumbs up for effort. XD On the other hand, I thought ME1 would do worst with Liara trying to ninjamance you lol. And I understand on Old Republic completely, I Finally got a good laptop last december that could run it smoothly. Im still on debate if I would put it higher, the one thing that bugs me for sure is the vanilla game not having m/m. I really like the Theron romance though, might be my favorite romance I ever done in a Bioware game, and Star Wars is just my favorite thing so there is that foo. And they thankfully made all the expansion content be playable as a solo story player. Can't say much about the Koth romance but I don't think he gets as much content, just a heads up. I think I should go back to KOTOR at some point, since im more familiar with the combat on Old Republic. And there is a lot of nods to that game in Old Republic. I was a bad gamer all around when I played Kotor. Also LOL Gil and Reyes throwing their sexy undies. PS: where's my cookie. KOTOR is definitely worth revisiting. It doesn't hold up really great with graphics, but as long as you brace for that, you should be fine! One cookie incoming! I just ordered four boxes of Girl Scout Cookies from a lady in my office. Hmm, it always confuses me a bit when someone says Jaal's romance is slower paced than Gil (or any other chracter) all the romances have the same pacing unless they are an on planet one (reyes/reporter/Avela). Also Jaal's friend flirts are just as flirty as regular flirts, and they get quite forward early on.  The pacing is definitely still off with Gil. It's really heavy flirting up front followed by three planets of nothing, and then you can finally lock it in. Jaal has pretty light flirting to start. I didn't find them particularly "forward" from my perspective, but I guess this all says more about me than anyone else. I like REALLY forward flirts right up front. I mean, Gil flat out says he wants to get you naked in, like, the third flirt. Reyes talks about how good he is with his mouth (outside of talking) in the same amount of time. I'm a bit of a dummy when it comes to this, so I like it in my face. Innuendo intended. LOL. I've yet to get anything from Jaal outside of "I like you too" level of stuff and I'm done Eos, Voeld, Havarl, AND Kadara. I know it's about to start getting better, so that's good. And I know that the sex scene is one of the more explicit. That's been my north star on this. Had it been a lame scene like Gil's or Reyes', I would have ditched Jaal already likely. No offense to you and your boo, Lee.  |
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Post by Rouccoco on Mar 30, 2018 20:54:45 GMT
Rambling, under the cut. 999. ME2 - it's the game that's 100% action movie (rule of cool everywhere). Sure, the lore was interesting, but the main plot didn't move an inch, there were way too many companions, and even though they were the main focus of the game, most of them were incredibly undeveloped. The combat was improved, but much of the atmosphere was diminished by the badass tone they went for. Also, "you can define your character any way you want, unless you want to gaybone another dude. Ew." I loved how Kelly undermined their "you can't be a lesbian either" defense.
8. ME - I liked it, but it felt really unfinished. Most planets were empty and pretty terrible to traverse (ugh Mako), the combat was just dull, and the acting a bit stilted. Still, the sense of wonder and discovery that any sci-fi setting needs were definitely there. I'd place it higher, but well, it made me feel unwelcome with how they only approved of female homosexuality. "Asari are not women, ignore the codex."
7. DAO - I actually started liking the game after DA2. The overarching plot was, at that time, just boring (beat the evil faceless baddie). But I got into the lore, and then the characters. Still, the combat was nothing to brag about, and the graphics were just...well, brown. Dirt everywhere. It looked very dated, even when it came out. The side-quests and world building is what I will remember it for, though. Those were great.
6. BG2 - what can I say. I played the game like a 100 times, when I was younger. They somehow made 2.5D maps feel as vast as Skyrim, and it introduced me to the magic of banter.
5. JE - I really want a sequel to this. It was made by the DA team, but it felt really novel compared to anything else BW has done. I really enjoyed the combat and aesthetic. And hey, it has the first gay romance they've made. It was extremely well hidden (so much so I missed it the first time I played it), and kinda awkward ("you rejected those hot females? That gives me dick tingles, I'll get back to you after me and my penis discuss the concept of homosexuality."), but it paved the way for more to come.
4. NWN - I played this one entirely without companions, so it's vastly different from a typical BW game, but I really enjoyed it. I still listen to the soundtrack (as I usually do with Jeremy Soule's work). It contains the best city BW has ever made. And if it makes sense - NWN was a pretty somber and solitary experience, but it somehow made it beautiful.
3. ME3 - aside from the rushed (but not that disastrous) ending, the game nicely wrapped up the story. The game and Citadel fleshed out the characters in a way only DA games did up till then. And let's not kid ourselves, I place it so high, because gay/bi men were finally allowed to be actually a part of this world. Plus, it has pretty much my favourite BW combat mechanic. The mixture of powers and gunplay was just right. And it has the fist gay companion in a BW game (weird though that I identified with him the most in the franchise).
2. DAI - I love exploring, and love it even more, when the world is visually stunning. And DAI is visually stunning. It's the first DA game to have beautiful environments. Collecting garbage was not an issue, it was incidental to me just roaming the region. Just wish the cities were bigger. But the characters were great, the music awesome (Morris did a spectacular job, especially in Trespasser), and they finally started to unveil and connect the deeper lore, and I can't remember being this excited about a setting. And Trespasser is one of my favourite DLCs. I'd say though that the combat, while better than before, was still lacking enough variety to carry me through the 200h playthought. I didn't quite feel the romances this time, but I still got attached to the cast and Trespasser was a pretty emotional goodbye to them.
1. DA2 - this is the game that solidified my love of the franchise. I was very into the overarching plot, the companions were the strongest BW has ever written, and sarcastic Hawke is pretty much my favourite BW character ever. The humor was fantastic, the story finally went somewhere else than "there's an ancient evil, gather an army and defeat it." And to me, Hawke's and Anders' romance is pretty much the most important thing that's happened in gaming.
I still haven't played MEA, but I'm not sure it will have enough positive elements to redeem itself and make up for all of the crushing disappointment the development and release have caused me. The end, now a gif  |
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Post by Davrin's boobs on Mar 30, 2018 21:41:11 GMT
@daveliam dunno why you dont like ponchos, it's another clothes to strip off   ok I'll stop PS. glad I'm not the only one that think that about ME2 guys. I like the game but it's turrible being myself there so fuck that noise. Also the fact Jack is canon bisexual and she only can romance male protags (healed by the D) is just too disgusting for me. I want to play Jade Empire in the future because east-asian lore/myths are fascinating but I have the game on the bottom of my list because of how they treated the m/m romance, I cant bring myself to be mean to the women, but I'm willing to give it some slack for being their first m/m option (also Sky is soooooooo handsome). Oh the new editions of Baldur's Gate, the bad orc is not an option for me (shame shame shame) but the gnome is adorkable! |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 30, 2018 21:53:01 GMT
@daveliam dunno why you dont like ponchos, it's another clothes to strip off ok I'll stop PS. glad I'm not the only one that think that about ME2 guys. I like the game but it's turrible being myself there so fuck that noise. Also the fact Jack is canon bisexual and she only can romance male protags (healed by the D) is just too disgusting for me. I want to play Jade Empire in the future because east-asian lore/myths are fascinating but I have the game on the bottom of my list because of how they treated the m/m romance, I cant bring myself to be mean to the women, but I'm willing to give it some slack for being their first m/m option (also Sky is soooooooo handsome). Oh the new editions of Baldur's Gate, the bad orc is not an option for me (shame shame shame) but the gnome is adorkable! Yeah, so see, that's my problem. I get literally zero "dick tingles" (as Biotic Apostate calls them) at the idea of Jaal taking off any clothes. <sigh> He does seem sweet, though, so that's a positive for sure. Also? A poncho!?! I can't be the only homo offended by that, right? (I kid, I kid) You should definitely give JE a chance. I honestly haven't played it YEARS (shit, like 10 years....how old am I?), so I might not be remember correctly. But I don't think you have to be mean to Dawn Star and Silk Fox. You just need to say no, thanks to their frequent "We'll bang now?" dialogues. I might be wrong though. But it IS definitely frustrating that you have to turn them BOTH down definitively to even START the flirting with Sky (who, yes, is sooooo handsome indeed <swoon>). If you end up playing it, I'd love to hear your thoughts! |
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Post by Rouccoco on Mar 30, 2018 22:43:22 GMT
I want to play Jade Empire in the future because east-asian lore/myths are fascinating but I have the game on the bottom of my list because of how they treated the m/m romance, I cant bring myself to be mean to the women, but I'm willing to give it some slack for being their first m/m option (also Sky is soooooooo handsome). Oh the new editions of Baldur's Gate, the bad orc is not an option for me (shame shame shame) but the gnome is adorkable! I heard it can be done without being mean, supposedly you have to time it right and do some avoidance. But yeah, cut it some slack. It was probably forth, after Fallout 2, Fable, and Temple of Elemental Evil (might be missing something) to let you romance another man. And out of those, 2 were just simple side mechanics. You mean Dorn? You don't want to roll an evil character? Yeah, so see, that's my problem. I get literally zero "dick tingles" (as Biotic Apostate calls them) at the idea of Jaal taking off any clothes. <sigh> He does seem sweet, though, so that's a positive for sure. Also? A poncho!?! I can't be the only homo offended by that, right? (I kid, I kid) Ah, my legacy, "dick tingles"  Most of the cast of Queer Eye said that they like the trend of "duvet ponchos," and I was judging them hard  |
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Post by Red Fox on Mar 30, 2018 22:51:34 GMT
I prefer to call "dick tingles" a disturbance in the force. Or as Zapp would say, a sexy disturbance.
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Post by Davrin's boobs on Mar 30, 2018 23:53:59 GMT
I want to play Jade Empire in the future because east-asian lore/myths are fascinating but I have the game on the bottom of my list because of how they treated the m/m romance, I cant bring myself to be mean to the women, but I'm willing to give it some slack for being their first m/m option (also Sky is soooooooo handsome). Oh the new editions of Baldur's Gate, the bad orc is not an option for me (shame shame shame) but the gnome is adorkable! I heard it can be done without being mean, supposedly you have to time it right and do some avoidance. But yeah, cut it some slack. It was probably forth, after Fallout 2, Fable, and Temple of Elemental Evil (might be missing something) to let you romance another man. And out of those, 2 were just simple side mechanics. You mean Dorn? You don't want to roll an evil character? I remember that conversation and I had to look out for it in BSN now I need a shower  here: I didn't play Jade Empire but I read that you have to be really mean to the girls to be gay with the only m/m LI available. I hate that  You actually don't have to be mean but if you wait for the nice rejects you have to exhaust their dialogue and never talk to the male before that. It's really dumb. It's just easier and faster to be a dick. If you talk to him before you reject them since in old BW games nice = I want to bang you he assumes you're in a relationship with one of them. But if I don't talk to Sky, could I miss some dialogues of him? I'm a dialogue-trash!  Nope. Basically you can speak to him all you like until the Imperial City. Then just stop. You have to reject the girls before you go to Death Hand's fortress. After they're rejected talk to Sky and it'll be real obvious what you have to do to romance him. About Dorn, yes I always have a hard time doing evil runs, just not my thing  also I like to have main/canon characters in my head and they always are sarcastic goodies! edit. I read he's neutral evil and I was wishing there was a way to draw him to the neutral side but I read it's impossible due him being a blackguard so the gnome it is! He seems to be a dork and height differences are cute  |
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Post by Rouccoco on Mar 31, 2018 1:01:21 GMT
Or as Zapp would say, a sexy disturbance. Zapp is a disturbance alright About Dorn, yes I always have a hard time doing evil runs, just not my thing also I like to have main/canon characters in my head and they always are sarcastic goodies! edit. I read he's neutral evil and I was wishing there was a way to draw him to the neutral side but I read it's impossible due him being a blackguard so the gnome it is! He seems to be a dork and height differences are cute  Yep that's what I was talking about. And that does seem a hassle. That's like a whole chapter (out of 6/7) of not talking to Sky. Better to just tell them to back off. Especially since it's a setup for a triangle... You don't actually have to be evil to romance him. I can't really remember doing much differently. You just tell him you like killing your enemies. The final choice in Throne of Bhaal is the only time your good/evil choice matters, I think. Still, don't expect much from it, there's maybe 10 minutes of romance content. Anywho, remember that Dorn and Rasaad are is the only gay options in 2. |
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Post by Davrin's boobs on Mar 31, 2018 2:08:00 GMT
Yep that's what I was talking about. And that does seem a hassle. That's like a whole chapter (out of 6/7) of not talking to Sky. Better to just tell them to back off. Especially since it's a setup for a triangle... You don't actually have to be evil to romance him. I can't really remember doing much differently. You just tell him you like killing your enemies. The final choice in Throne of Bhaal is the only time your good/evil choice matters, I think. Still, don't expect much from it, there's maybe 10 minutes of romance content. Anywho, remember that Dorn and Rasaad are the only gay options in 2. I dont know when I will be able to play Baldur's Gate but I'll see when the time comes, still not my cup of tea romancing outright baddie guys (assuming he doesn't get a redemption arc which I doubt). Just checked out the monk you said on wikia and it seems he's straight? I thought the only two m/m options were Dorn and Glint. I have no idea about BG apart from Dark Alliance so I'm speaking with total ignorance XD I dont even know how it works, if Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear and the Enhanced Edition are seperate games or just expansions with the same story and protagonist. edit. yes it seems Glint is not in BG:II ... oh man  looking for this info I read some homophobic comments in their wikia page, it's just great  edit: Siege of Dragonspear is a midquel between Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II, and Dorn is the only option to be with you in the three games, my luck  edit3. depraved BW bisexual man TM TM TM Bullshit TMTMTM thank you Bioware you had one job |
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Post by Andrew Mancer on Mar 31, 2018 5:03:47 GMT
I wish they'd make a KOTOR remake with Canderous as a gay romance option. I always wanted him. He was a great guy and very loyal to the main character. And I found him far more interesting than Carth anyway. A single player SWTOR with all class stories (plus kotfe and kotet) would be great too. Hopefully we'll get something like that one day. Although I doubt it. But well, one can always dream.   I would've been all over Canderous if he was a gay romance option!!! I wouldn't have minded Carth either...but Canderous... I'm not into MMOs, so I'd also love a single-player version of SWTOR. I liked what I've seen from Theron's romance...and he's hot so that helps as well, haha. ...Well now I'm now in the mood for KOTOR again...ugh I have too many RPGs and so little time to play them!  Okay, so here's my rationale for my rankings (spoilered for length):
1.) KOTOR - As someone of a certain age, Star Wars was an absolutely critical component of my formative years. What I loved about KOTOR was that it really allowed me to role play with complex options in this setting. The story was FANTASTIC (introducing the Old Republic, expanding the Jedi lore, and THAT TWIST!). The characters were FANTASTIC (I loved to hate or hated to love almost all of them). Yeah, it wasn't perfect. The combat was clunky and the romances were weak if you weren't into "standard". Although Dark-Sided Bastila and Juhani were nice additions. It does have the distinction of being the first Bioware game with a S/S romance, so that's also pretty cool, even if it was more of a "fling" and lesbian only.
2.) DA: O - I remember how hyped I was about this game when I first read about it in GameInformer magazine (paper version, just to set the timeline here, LOL). It totally lived up to the hype. It brought back strategic combat and a "D&D" style adventure. The lore was immersive. The characters were (mostly) amazing. The Origins mechanic led to me losing HOURS and HOURS of my life as I played each one through with different characters to see which I liked best (standouts for me were my gay KISA dwarf noble and my butch lesbian city elf). Of course, the game also had some flaws. The Fade and the Deep Roads were slogs. Zevran was infuriating to me and still holds up as my least favorite m/m option of all time. Super problematic. But in general, this game holds up for sure!
3.) ME3 - I know, I know. It's controversial. But, frankly, I thought that this game was the best of the original trilogy. The combat mechanics had been tweaked. The story was emotional and overwhelming. After spending so many hours with Shepard (my Shepard since I only ever used custom ones), I felt his pain. He worked so hard and sacrificed so much and the galaxy was still decimated and it felt hopeless most of the time. Again, not perfect. The ending was definitely not great, as we all know. And they had created so many characters in ME2 that most of them just got sidelined which was a bummer. But the introduction of Steve, our first major GAY MALE character was monumental, even if he was a little boring and suffering from Carth Syndrome. And I can't even begin to discuss how satisfying the m/m Kaidan romance was. After waiting for SO LONG to get him, it was well worth it. Kaidan is by far my favorite m/m option and that makes this game hold a special spot for me (That "steak and beer" date night? Ugh. So good!).
4.) ME - Frankly, I thought that ME had the tightest story of the entire franchise. It offered really tough choices (not the DA: O "Help the elves or kill the elves" type of "choice") like the Rachni Queen. Ultimately, those choices didn't hold up across the series, but in the moment, they were really grey and I had many times where I just sat with the choice on the screen because I really couldn't decide which choice was best (except for the Kaidan/Ashley one -- that was easy even before I knew I could bag Kaidan, lol). Plus, that first crew was the best. It had a very "Firefly" vibe that I loved. Just a stellar game.
5.) DA: I - Yes, it was a little too 'fetch quest'-y. I know that. There were definitely areas that were slogs. On my most recent playthrough, I basically did a speed run of the Hissing Wastes because I just wanted to be done. But that aside, it's a really solid game. The return of strategic gameplay. Some top notch companions (Vivienne and Dorian remain some of my top companions in any Bioware game, plus Solas who is frustratingly deep and nuanced). I also liked that my choices from DA: O actually made a bit of a difference here. I mean, Alistair can be anything from the King of Ferelden to a dead Grey Warden in the Fade at the end, which is really nice. I also really liked the introduction of the Keep so that I could try out some new variations to see how they play out without having to replay DA2.
6.) BG - I will admit that I played Baldur's Gate WAY before I even realized that Bioware was a "thing". I played this back in the late 90's on my very first desktop and lost myself in the world that they had created. Expansive "open world" approach. A shit ton of companion, each of which was sufficiently fleshed out. Your choices really affected your party. Companions would turn on you if you betrayed them. Some would refuse to work together. It was dynamic and immersive. It was also before there really were as many online resources, so I remember having this gamefaqs playthrough guide that was MASSIVE bookmarked to help me figure out the story. So, partly for being the OG Bioware game and partly for being so important to my gaming history, this game HAS to be in my top half!
7.) SWTOR - Okay, to be honest, this game should be alot higher. It's the spiritual successor to KOTOR (my fav game), but with better graphics, the option to play as a non-human (I have about a dozen characters and not one is a human), and SAME SEX male romance in a Star Wars game. In theory, this should be my number one game. But a few things push it down the list. First, I hate that it's PC only. I'm a console gamer, so I don't have a gaming PC, which makes it difficult to play (I literally play on my laptop with reduced graphic settings so it doesn't crash). Second, I HATE MMO's. Thankfully, the single player experience is still legit. But too much content is locked behind co-op mechanics. Finally, the s/s romances came WAY too late and are locked behind level 50 content. Yeah, sure, I can start a new character and use a token to level them right to 50 to start that content, but then I miss getting to have that character do everything ELSE. That stinks. Theron and Koth remain the only m/m romance options that I haven't played because I just simply haven't been able to get to them. (Actually, writing this makes me want to start a level 55 character just to do the expansion and romance Theron....maybe I'll do that soon.....)
8.) JE - I didn't play JE when it first came out. It wasn't until I played ME and realized that KOTOR, ME, and BG were all from the same studio that I went back to research other games from them and found JE. So, to be fair, it was already a little outdated (graphics and gameplay) by the time I got to it. What I really enjoyed about it, though, was a totally unique setting. Yeah, both ME and DA are original franchises. But ME is pretty standard sci-fi and DA is pretty standard high fantasy. JE was DIFFERENT and I loved that. I thought it was so cool to have an Asian-influenced setting. The combat was really not great. But, again, the characters were top notch. And it gets the special distinction of introducing Sky. Not only is he super adorable. But he's also both the first m/m romance ever AND the first LGBT male companion. True, his romance was watered down (the cut-away before the kiss; the "Dude, why aren't you into those hot girls....Oh, you are into me? Are you sure? Okay, let me think about this and come back to confirm one more time before we have a chaste kiss...." thing). But considering that I had NEVER been able to romance a guy (I played this before DA:O), it will always have a special place in my heart. It's currently on my phone just waiting for me to start a playthrough up.
9.) ME:A - Okay, had I made this list a week ago, ME:A would be lower. But I'm currently replaying it and it's actually better than I remembered. It's less "fetch quest"-y than DA: I. And the MP component is totally optional (unlike in ME3 where it affects SP). We all know how this game almost broke me as a Bioware fan. The way that m/m options were totally fucked over because of EA's gay panic is totally unexcusable. Reyes is a side character. He shouldn't even count as a romance. And Gil, while adorkable and attractive, has a terribly problematic side quest. Plus, he's the least fleshed out of all of the crew members. Coincidence? I know that they added Jaal "back" into the rotation for us. But I will never be able to see that as anything but crumbs thrown to us to shut us up. The game released (and was intended to release given the Prima guide which went to print months before release) with Jaal being straight. I just can't forgive the major backsteps that they took. They lost my trust and broke me a little bit as a gaymer and Bioware stan. And I haven't healed from that still (and might not ever). SIDENOTE: I'm playing again right now with the intention to romance Jaal. And.....it's just not working for me. Maybe once it starts in earnest, I'll change my mind. But right now (having gotten past the "friend" and into the "flirt" options), it's slow and boring. And he remains my least favorite looking m/m option. And I guess I'm shallow because I'm having a hard time staying loyal to Jaal when sexy ass Gil and Reyes are throwing their undies at me with every dialogue.
10.) BG2 - I rethought where this should go and moved it up a spot. It was pretty uninspiring, to be honest. I only ever did one full playthrough and I can't even remember most of the story. It took all of the amazing parts of BG and either copy/pasted them directly into this game OR reduced them (there were far less companions but they didn't seem any more fleshed out or memorable than the first set. Plus, since it's a continuation, they tried to fit all of the OG companions in as well but just mostly killed them off (Justice for Dynaheir! How could they do that to her!?!). This game introduced the romance option, so that's cool. But did all of the nonsense that we have come to hate. No s/s options. Way more choices for straight males than anyone else (there's only one option for straight ladies and he's a twat). But, you can have a kid with Aerie and then she carries it around in her inventory like an item, so bonus points for the lulz?
11.) DA2 - This game was.....not good. It was super rushed and felt that way. The only reason it's not dead last is because some of the companions are pretty damned good. Meredith is a pretty great villain. So that's good. And I liked the rivalry/friendship system, since it added some cool replayability (Rivalmance Fenris is pretty hot). The combat sucked. There was no strategic combat at all, just action. And the game felt TINY. Hawke's adventures really paled in comparison to the Warden and the Inquisitor. Although sarcastic male Hawke is pure joy, so at least I liked that, even if I was FORCED to be a human, which I totally resent to this day. The companions were polarizing. Either really great (like Isabela, Varric, Aveline) or super annoying (like Merril, Sebastian, and Anders). I know most people hate Carver, but that storyline is one of my favorites in all of Bioware history. Templar Carver is canon and always will be in my opinion. God I love to hate that guy! But, overall, pretty meh.
12.) ME2 - The worst of the worst for me. Not because it's a bad game, per se. But it, to me, signifies the moment when Bioware changed and was absorbed into the EA Collective. It switched from an Action RPG to a 3rd person shooter with RPG elements. The expanded cast was trash. Most of them were so insignificant that they were totally sidelined with no consequences in the sequel. The romances were WAY over the top (Playing a gay Shep is like walking through a panty-filled landmine field -- any wrong step will lead to vaginas, vaginas everwhere!). Of course there were no gay options, because this is when Bioware started catering heavily to the straight male/shooter audience (who would eventually abandon them leaving them flailing) over the loyal RPG and LGBT audience (who got left behind and now have nothing). Trash. Just trash and if I never have to play it again, I'd be totally fine with that. And it totally chaps my ass that it's consistently rated the "best" Bioware game in any countdown. Ugh. If it weren't for Samara, this game would have ZERO positives for me.
So....there you have it. My rankings with my rationale. Bonus points for anyone who read that novel. LOL. I owe you a cookie! That was certainly an interesting read. Cookie please!  I totally know how you feel with Mass Effect 2. I am that way about Varric and Inquisition being overblown as the "greatest" things in the Dragon Age Franchise, haha. But I am in total agreement about Vivienne being one of the best companions.  I also agree about Carver. I adore Bethany thanks to having my own sister I care a lot for, but I enjoy Carver's story and growth so much more and more often than not, poor Bethany has ended up dead. I really do wish they hadn't forced a decision between the twins. I would've liked for an option to keep both alive. I don't think I could go back to the Baldur's Gate games anytime soon because I've been spoiled by modern games allowing us to romance men and play as gay protagonists...but maybe someday. I can imagine it was quite an experience back then though. I was strictly a console gamer at the time. I've only ever played the non-BioWare Baldur's Gate Dark Alliance. Okay, so here's my rationale for my rankings (spoilered for length):
1.) KOTOR - As someone of a certain age, Star Wars was an absolutely critical component of my formative years. What I loved about KOTOR was that it really allowed me to role play with complex options in this setting. The story was FANTASTIC (introducing the Old Republic, expanding the Jedi lore, and THAT TWIST!). The characters were FANTASTIC (I loved to hate or hated to love almost all of them). Yeah, it wasn't perfect. The combat was clunky and the romances were weak if you weren't into "standard". Although Dark-Sided Bastila and Juhani were nice additions. It does have the distinction of being the first Bioware game with a S/S romance, so that's also pretty cool, even if it was more of a "fling" and lesbian only.
2.) DA: O - I remember how hyped I was about this game when I first read about it in GameInformer magazine (paper version, just to set the timeline here, LOL). It totally lived up to the hype. It brought back strategic combat and a "D&D" style adventure. The lore was immersive. The characters were (mostly) amazing. The Origins mechanic led to me losing HOURS and HOURS of my life as I played each one through with different characters to see which I liked best (standouts for me were my gay KISA dwarf noble and my butch lesbian city elf). Of course, the game also had some flaws. The Fade and the Deep Roads were slogs. Zevran was infuriating to me and still holds up as my least favorite m/m option of all time. Super problematic. But in general, this game holds up for sure!
3.) ME3 - I know, I know. It's controversial. But, frankly, I thought that this game was the best of the original trilogy. The combat mechanics had been tweaked. The story was emotional and overwhelming. After spending so many hours with Shepard (my Shepard since I only ever used custom ones), I felt his pain. He worked so hard and sacrificed so much and the galaxy was still decimated and it felt hopeless most of the time. Again, not perfect. The ending was definitely not great, as we all know. And they had created so many characters in ME2 that most of them just got sidelined which was a bummer. But the introduction of Steve, our first major GAY MALE character was monumental, even if he was a little boring and suffering from Carth Syndrome. And I can't even begin to discuss how satisfying the m/m Kaidan romance was. After waiting for SO LONG to get him, it was well worth it. Kaidan is by far my favorite m/m option and that makes this game hold a special spot for me (That "steak and beer" date night? Ugh. So good!).
4.) ME - Frankly, I thought that ME had the tightest story of the entire franchise. It offered really tough choices (not the DA: O "Help the elves or kill the elves" type of "choice") like the Rachni Queen. Ultimately, those choices didn't hold up across the series, but in the moment, they were really grey and I had many times where I just sat with the choice on the screen because I really couldn't decide which choice was best (except for the Kaidan/Ashley one -- that was easy even before I knew I could bag Kaidan, lol). Plus, that first crew was the best. It had a very "Firefly" vibe that I loved. Just a stellar game.
5.) DA: I - Yes, it was a little too 'fetch quest'-y. I know that. There were definitely areas that were slogs. On my most recent playthrough, I basically did a speed run of the Hissing Wastes because I just wanted to be done. But that aside, it's a really solid game. The return of strategic gameplay. Some top notch companions (Vivienne and Dorian remain some of my top companions in any Bioware game, plus Solas who is frustratingly deep and nuanced). I also liked that my choices from DA: O actually made a bit of a difference here. I mean, Alistair can be anything from the King of Ferelden to a dead Grey Warden in the Fade at the end, which is really nice. I also really liked the introduction of the Keep so that I could try out some new variations to see how they play out without having to replay DA2.
6.) BG - I will admit that I played Baldur's Gate WAY before I even realized that Bioware was a "thing". I played this back in the late 90's on my very first desktop and lost myself in the world that they had created. Expansive "open world" approach. A shit ton of companion, each of which was sufficiently fleshed out. Your choices really affected your party. Companions would turn on you if you betrayed them. Some would refuse to work together. It was dynamic and immersive. It was also before there really were as many online resources, so I remember having this gamefaqs playthrough guide that was MASSIVE bookmarked to help me figure out the story. So, partly for being the OG Bioware game and partly for being so important to my gaming history, this game HAS to be in my top half!
7.) SWTOR - Okay, to be honest, this game should be alot higher. It's the spiritual successor to KOTOR (my fav game), but with better graphics, the option to play as a non-human (I have about a dozen characters and not one is a human), and SAME SEX male romance in a Star Wars game. In theory, this should be my number one game. But a few things push it down the list. First, I hate that it's PC only. I'm a console gamer, so I don't have a gaming PC, which makes it difficult to play (I literally play on my laptop with reduced graphic settings so it doesn't crash). Second, I HATE MMO's. Thankfully, the single player experience is still legit. But too much content is locked behind co-op mechanics. Finally, the s/s romances came WAY too late and are locked behind level 50 content. Yeah, sure, I can start a new character and use a token to level them right to 50 to start that content, but then I miss getting to have that character do everything ELSE. That stinks. Theron and Koth remain the only m/m romance options that I haven't played because I just simply haven't been able to get to them. (Actually, writing this makes me want to start a level 55 character just to do the expansion and romance Theron....maybe I'll do that soon.....)
8.) JE - I didn't play JE when it first came out. It wasn't until I played ME and realized that KOTOR, ME, and BG were all from the same studio that I went back to research other games from them and found JE. So, to be fair, it was already a little outdated (graphics and gameplay) by the time I got to it. What I really enjoyed about it, though, was a totally unique setting. Yeah, both ME and DA are original franchises. But ME is pretty standard sci-fi and DA is pretty standard high fantasy. JE was DIFFERENT and I loved that. I thought it was so cool to have an Asian-influenced setting. The combat was really not great. But, again, the characters were top notch. And it gets the special distinction of introducing Sky. Not only is he super adorable. But he's also both the first m/m romance ever AND the first LGBT male companion. True, his romance was watered down (the cut-away before the kiss; the "Dude, why aren't you into those hot girls....Oh, you are into me? Are you sure? Okay, let me think about this and come back to confirm one more time before we have a chaste kiss...." thing). But considering that I had NEVER been able to romance a guy (I played this before DA:O), it will always have a special place in my heart. It's currently on my phone just waiting for me to start a playthrough up.
9.) ME:A - Okay, had I made this list a week ago, ME:A would be lower. But I'm currently replaying it and it's actually better than I remembered. It's less "fetch quest"-y than DA: I. And the MP component is totally optional (unlike in ME3 where it affects SP). We all know how this game almost broke me as a Bioware fan. The way that m/m options were totally fucked over because of EA's gay panic is totally unexcusable. Reyes is a side character. He shouldn't even count as a romance. And Gil, while adorkable and attractive, has a terribly problematic side quest. Plus, he's the least fleshed out of all of the crew members. Coincidence? I know that they added Jaal "back" into the rotation for us. But I will never be able to see that as anything but crumbs thrown to us to shut us up. The game released (and was intended to release given the Prima guide which went to print months before release) with Jaal being straight. I just can't forgive the major backsteps that they took. They lost my trust and broke me a little bit as a gaymer and Bioware stan. And I haven't healed from that still (and might not ever). SIDENOTE: I'm playing again right now with the intention to romance Jaal. And.....it's just not working for me. Maybe once it starts in earnest, I'll change my mind. But right now (having gotten past the "friend" and into the "flirt" options), it's slow and boring. And he remains my least favorite looking m/m option. And I guess I'm shallow because I'm having a hard time staying loyal to Jaal when sexy ass Gil and Reyes are throwing their undies at me with every dialogue.
10.) BG2 - I rethought where this should go and moved it up a spot. It was pretty uninspiring, to be honest. I only ever did one full playthrough and I can't even remember most of the story. It took all of the amazing parts of BG and either copy/pasted them directly into this game OR reduced them (there were far less companions but they didn't seem any more fleshed out or memorable than the first set. Plus, since it's a continuation, they tried to fit all of the OG companions in as well but just mostly killed them off (Justice for Dynaheir! How could they do that to her!?!). This game introduced the romance option, so that's cool. But did all of the nonsense that we have come to hate. No s/s options. Way more choices for straight males than anyone else (there's only one option for straight ladies and he's a twat). But, you can have a kid with Aerie and then she carries it around in her inventory like an item, so bonus points for the lulz?
11.) DA2 - This game was.....not good. It was super rushed and felt that way. The only reason it's not dead last is because some of the companions are pretty damned good. Meredith is a pretty great villain. So that's good. And I liked the rivalry/friendship system, since it added some cool replayability (Rivalmance Fenris is pretty hot). The combat sucked. There was no strategic combat at all, just action. And the game felt TINY. Hawke's adventures really paled in comparison to the Warden and the Inquisitor. Although sarcastic male Hawke is pure joy, so at least I liked that, even if I was FORCED to be a human, which I totally resent to this day. The companions were polarizing. Either really great (like Isabela, Varric, Aveline) or super annoying (like Merril, Sebastian, and Anders). I know most people hate Carver, but that storyline is one of my favorites in all of Bioware history. Templar Carver is canon and always will be in my opinion. God I love to hate that guy! But, overall, pretty meh.
12.) ME2 - The worst of the worst for me. Not because it's a bad game, per se. But it, to me, signifies the moment when Bioware changed and was absorbed into the EA Collective. It switched from an Action RPG to a 3rd person shooter with RPG elements. The expanded cast was trash. Most of them were so insignificant that they were totally sidelined with no consequences in the sequel. The romances were WAY over the top (Playing a gay Shep is like walking through a panty-filled landmine field -- any wrong step will lead to vaginas, vaginas everwhere!). Of course there were no gay options, because this is when Bioware started catering heavily to the straight male/shooter audience (who would eventually abandon them leaving them flailing) over the loyal RPG and LGBT audience (who got left behind and now have nothing). Trash. Just trash and if I never have to play it again, I'd be totally fine with that. And it totally chaps my ass that it's consistently rated the "best" Bioware game in any countdown. Ugh. If it weren't for Samara, this game would have ZERO positives for me.
So....there you have it. My rankings with my rationale. Bonus points for anyone who read that novel. LOL. I owe you a cookie! Im actually surprised how many have put Mass Effect 3 so high, granted it did add M/M finally to the game. I did put it high as well, just thought it would be more unpopular to do so XD. At the same time surprised ME2 is so low for a couple of people. But your reasons all make sense. I just really enjoyed having a diverse cast of characters and I really love the back and forth with the Illusive Man. Miranda also tried to make me bi in real life, she almost had me, gotta give her thumbs up for effort. XD On the other hand, I thought ME1 would do worst with Liara trying to ninjamance you lol. And I understand on Old Republic completely, I Finally got a good laptop last december that could run it smoothly. Im still on debate if I would put it higher, the one thing that bugs me for sure is the vanilla game not having m/m. I really like the Theron romance though, might be my favorite romance I ever done in a Bioware game, and Star Wars is just my favorite thing so there is that foo. And they thankfully made all the expansion content be playable as a solo story player. Can't say much about the Koth romance but I don't think he gets as much content, just a heads up. I think I should go back to KOTOR at some point, since im more familiar with the combat on Old Republic. And there is a lot of nods to that game in Old Republic. I was a bad gamer all around when I played Kotor. Also LOL Gil and Reyes throwing their sexy undies. PS: where's my cookie. Yes, I am also quite pleasantly surprised with all the love Mass Effect 3 has been getting. I'm not surprised I'm almost alone in ranking Inquisition as the lowest, haha. It's been pretty interesting reading everyone's thoughts and how these games have affected us all.  Rambling, under the cut. 999. ME2 - it's the game that's 100% action movie (rule of cool everywhere). Sure, the lore was interesting, but the main plot didn't move an inch, there were way too many companions, and even though they were the main focus of the game, most of them were incredibly undeveloped. The combat was improved, but much of the atmosphere was diminished by the badass tone they went for. Also, "you can define your character any way you want, unless you want to gaybone another dude. Ew." I loved how Kelly undermined their "you can't be a lesbian either" defense.
8. ME - I liked it, but it felt really unfinished. Most planets were empty and pretty terrible to traverse (ugh Mako), the combat was just dull, and the acting a bit stilted. Still, the sense of wonder and discovery that any sci-fi setting needs were definitely there. I'd place it higher, but well, it made me feel unwelcome with how they only approved of female homosexuality. "Asari are not women, ignore the codex."
7. DAO - I actually started liking the game after DA2. The overarching plot was, at that time, just boring (beat the evil faceless baddie). But I got into the lore, and then the characters. Still, the combat was nothing to brag about, and the graphics were just...well, brown. Dirt everywhere. It looked very dated, even when it came out. The side-quests and world building is what I will remember it for, though. Those were great.
6. BG2 - what can I say. I played the game like a 100 times, when I was younger. They somehow made 2.5D maps feel as vast as Skyrim, and it introduced me to the magic of banter.
5. JE - I really want a sequel to this. It was made by the DA team, but it felt really novel compared to anything else BW has done. I really enjoyed the combat and aesthetic. And hey, it has the first gay romance they've made. It was extremely well hidden (so much so I missed it the first time I played it), and kinda awkward ("you rejected those hot females? That gives me dick tingles, I'll get back to you after me and my penis discuss the concept of homosexuality."), but it paved the way for more to come.
4. NWN - I played this one entirely without companions, so it's vastly different from a typical BW game, but I really enjoyed it. I still listen to the soundtrack (as I usually do with Jeremy Soule's work). It contains the best city BW has ever made. And if it makes sense - NWN was a pretty somber and solitary experience, but it somehow made it beautiful.
3. ME3 - aside from the rushed (but not that disastrous) ending, the game nicely wrapped up the story. The game and Citadel fleshed out the characters in a way only DA games did up till then. And let's not kid ourselves, I place it so high, because gay/bi men were finally allowed to be actually a part of this world. Plus, it has pretty much my favourite BW combat mechanic. The mixture of powers and gunplay was just right. And it has the fist gay companion in a BW game (weird though that I identified with him the most in the franchise).
2. DAI - I love exploring, and love it even more, when the world is visually stunning. And DAI is visually stunning. It's the first DA game to have beautiful environments. Collecting garbage was not an issue, it was incidental to me just roaming the region. Just wish the cities were bigger. But the characters were great, the music awesome (Morris did a spectacular job, especially in Trespasser), and they finally started to unveil and connect the deeper lore, and I can't remember being this excited about a setting. And Trespasser is one of my favourite DLCs. I'd say though that the combat, while better than before, was still lacking enough variety to carry me through the 200h playthought. I didn't quite feel the romances this time, but I still got attached to the cast and Trespasser was a pretty emotional goodbye to them.
1. DA2 - this is the game that solidified my love of the franchise. I was very into the overarching plot, the companions were the strongest BW has ever written, and sarcastic Hawke is pretty much my favourite BW character ever. The humor was fantastic, the story finally went somewhere else than "there's an ancient evil, gather an army and defeat it." And to me, Hawke's and Anders' romance is pretty much the most important thing that's happened in gaming.
I still haven't played MEA, but I'm not sure it will have enough positive elements to redeem itself and make up for all of the crushing disappointment the development and release have caused me. The end, now a gif Tresspasser for me (the DLC in general, really) was also one of the highlights of Inquisition. It really felt like that was meant to be the proper conclusion to the game. Even though I hate three of the companions Dorian, Varric, Iron Bull I loved getting to see everyone else and uncovering the plot by Solas. It's one of the reasons I am able to work my way through all the things I don't love about Inquisition, knowing that amazing DLC concludes the game. Also...getting gay married to Cullen and adopting a Mabari is the greatest thing ever.  Even though I don't like Inquisition's empty maps and find them very boring, you're totally right that they are gorgeous. Also I absolutely love all 15 tavern songs and would welcome their return with open arms in DA4! The reasons you stated are exactly why I love DA2, excluding Varric of course.  Davrin's boobs I'll keep that in mind when I play Jade Empire! Thanks for sharing that guide to avoid being mean to the women! ...Also I totally agree that Sky is a hunk.   |
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Post by Rouccoco on Mar 31, 2018 10:25:48 GMT
I dont know when I will be able to play Baldur's Gate but I'll see when the time comes, still not my cup of tea romancing outright baddie guys (assuming he doesn't get a redemption arc which I doubt). Just checked out the monk you said on wikia and it seems he's straight? I thought the only two m/m options were Dorn and Glint. I have no idea about BG apart from Dark Alliance so I'm speaking with total ignorance XD I dont even know how it works, if Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear and the Enhanced Edition are seperate games or just expansions with the same story and protagonist. edit. yes it seems Glint is not in BG:II ... oh man looking for this info I read some homophobic comments in their wikia page, it's just great edit: Siege of Dragonspear is a midquel between Baldur's Gate and Baldur's Gate II, and Dorn is the only option to be with you in the three games, my luck edit3. depraved BW bisexual man TM TM TM Bullshit TMTMTM thank you Bioware you had one job No redemption arc, but again, him being evil is just...there.
My bad, only Dorn is an option in 2. Originally, there were no romances in 1, Dragonspear like just came out, and 2 had Viconia, Aerie, and Jaheira for men, and Anomen for women. If you want to feel how old the game is - they were surprised Anomen was popular, because the industry was saying at the time that women were not interested in video game romances. Enhanced Editions (and the whole Dragonspear standalone DLC) were made by BeamDog as part of their modernisation efforts of the old games. I think they were able to do them, because Atari owns the games. EE just makes the games run better on new computers, and they plugged new content into the games, Dragonspear was made entirely by them, but has the same protagonist. So to be fair, it's not a depraved BW bisexual, BeamDog is responsible for that.
Gaider said that at the time BG2 came out he didn't even imagine they could add gay LIs. I mean, I get it, it's 18 years later, and the majority of m/m content comes from BW, Bethesda, and indies, and (I think) Dreamfall Chapters and The Walking Dead are the only games with a canon male bi/gay protagonist, and neither of those lets you start a relationship. Eh, I'm tired of waiting for progress to happen.
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Post by Rouccoco on Mar 31, 2018 10:34:38 GMT
The reasons you stated are exactly why I love DA2, excluding Varric of course. I liked Varric in 2, but 300 hours of him is just too much. I hope they will at most have Dorian as a recurring contact in Tevinter. Bridge companions usually suffer in one of the games (Anders in DAA was just mage Alistair, Oghren suddenly had no backstory, and Varric in DAI was hardly relevant to the plot). Also, we have kinda opposite tastes, with Varric and Dorian, and me wanting to push Sebastian, Cullen, and Vivienne off a cliff  |
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Post by Davrin's boobs on Mar 31, 2018 11:06:11 GMT
Davrin's boobs I'll keep that in mind when I play Jade Empire! Thanks for sharing that guide to avoid being mean to the women! ...Also I totally agree that Sky is a hunk. Let us know if that works if you try that because I dont think I will be playing the game in months XD No redemption arc, but again, him being evil is just...there.
My bad, only Dorn is an option in 2. Originally, there were no romances in 1, Dragonspear like just came out, and 2 had Viconia, Aerie, and Jaheira for men, and Anomen for women. If you want to feel how old the game is - they were surprised Anomen was popular, because the industry was saying at the time that women were not interested in video game romances. Enhanced Editions (and the whole Dragonspear standalone DLC) were made by BeamDog as part of their modernisation efforts of the old games. I think they were able to do them, because Atari owns the games. EE just makes the games run better on new computers, and they plugged new content into the games, Dragonspear was made entirely by them, but has the same protagonist. So to be fair, it's not a depraved BW bisexual, BeamDog is responsible for that.
Gaider said that at the time BG2 came out he didn't even imagine they could add gay LIs. I mean, I get it, it's 18 years later, and the majority of m/m content comes from BW, Bethesda, and indies, and (I think) Dreamfall Chapters and The Walking Dead are the only games with a canon male bi/gay protagonist, and neither of those lets you start a relationship. Eh, I'm tired of waiting for progress to happen.
Thank you BA! Interesting info! (if some Bioware dev is reading this sorry about Dorn you have no fault he's a depraved bisexual, only him tho #stopthattropeplz #giveusaKISA #giveusawerewolf) I'm glad there's room for headcanon (I guess?), I dont know when I will play these games, but I'll try to be open-minded with Dorn, still I want the gnome and since the romance content is minimal I dont mind not having romance (this is a lie ). I cant imagine a happy ending with this half-orc tho ////// PS. I love Varric, Dorian (character =/= romance), Cullen and I loooooooooooooooooooove Vivienne and her classy bitchness, I love my scoobies except Sebastian Although it's true some characters need to stop being the spotlight and let room for new ones. I hope Dorian has a prominent role in DA4 but plz no as companion, we need new ones. |
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Post by Scottphoto on Apr 24, 2018 23:29:36 GMT
Sorry everyone but Sonic Chronicles has DA Origins code, so you all have to return your bioware cards if you haven't played it or finish it : |
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also I like to have main/canon characters in my head and they always are sarcastic goodies!
