30 Days of DA: Changes and shocks

[owlmoose]

Missed a day, oops. I got home late from chorus last night and had to decide between writing and blogging; writing won, for reasons I will expand upon in my next post. Instead, I'll do two days in one today, since these are topics that go together at least a bit.

Day Twenty-Three: Scene you wish you could change the outcome of the most

In Origins: Of course it's got to be Alistair leaving and never coming back if you refuse to execute Loghain at the Landsmeet. I wished, so hard, for some way of talking him into staying -- and I blame Riordan, really, for not bringing up the option earlier to give Alistair time to get used to the idea, and also for not telling them about the need for the Ultimate Sacrifice. Either or both of these pieces of information might have helped tip the scales into helping Alistair see reason. Alternatively, I never quite get over expecting him to show up at Denerim for the final battle. Surely he wasn't so selfish as to not want to protect his homeland in some fashion, even if not fighting at the side of the other Grey Wardens. Surely not. And yet.

In DA2: On the Wounded Coast during Best Served Cold, when you can't stop Grace from killing Thrask. I needed Thrask alive, dammit! I was going to make him the new Knight-Commander when I finally got around to deposing Meredith! I was angry enough at Grace that I almost rethought my position of supporting mages. Almost.

Naturally, I was inspired to write ficbits "fixing" both of these scenarios, sort of: Duty and Gallows Coup.

Day Twenty-Four: Most shocking scene

Origins: Broodmother. I don't think I need to say anything more about that.

DA2: All That Remains. Hawke had lost her father, she'd lost her brother, and she'd all but lost her sister. I couldn't believe that the game would take her mother away, too, so I was certain we'd pull off some sort of dramatic rescue. Until the veiled figure turned around, and we saw what had become of Leandra... So horribly effective.

Complete list of questions

Comments

[sarasa_cat]

Alistair leaving: *THIS* is one of those key moments (along with a few others that I spoiled myself on so I could plan the best meta-gaming paths through all the parts I didn't see) that really drives home how selfish Alistair is. (Or selfish+immature). I don't remember what it was but somewhere rather early in the game Alistair's selfish+immature subtext hit me like a ton of bricks hidden inside a fluffy feather pillow and, from that point onward, I knew that he required delicate handling else my Surana would have a disaster on her hands (fighting the blight alone? fighting the blight *while* babysitting pouty-manchild Alistair?).

Anyhow, brilliant writing all around with Alistair.

Best Served Cold. D:

(I'll write about that tomorrow or very late tonight. It broke me into tiny little completely numb pieces.)

[owlmoose]

Alistair -- I would say more immature than selfish, and sometimes selfishness is how that immaturity manifests. But I totally agree about the consistency of how his character is written.

Best Served Cold -- D: just about sums it up, yeah. I look forward to your thoughts!

[sarasa_cat]

Yes, immaturity as the precursor to most of his selfish behavior. Agreed.

When I youtubed the DA2 Alistair appearances that I didn't receive (my canon is Warden!Alistair), I felt that keeping Alistair with the Wardens may be what matures him. The other two Alistairs (king and drunk) appeared to need Teagan as a keeper. Sadly, that little glimpse of King!Alistair shows him as not appearing to have grown into that role at all... (Admittedly, in my mind, that makes a lot of sense for him and who he was near the end of DA:O).

[owlmoose]

My last Warden recruited Loghain, so if I ever use him as a DA2 import, I'll get to see drunk!Alistair for myself. ;)

I do think that a King Alistair would mature, but more likely so if he's been hardened. I enjoyed his cameo, but I agree that the Warden Alistair appearance is somewhat more compelling. I had a Warden Alistair my second time through DA2, and I loved that scene so much, not just for Alistair but for Hawke's reunion with Carver. I fell unexpectedly hard for Hawke's snarky little brother, to the point that I was looking forward to that scene (which I knew was coming) almost as much for Carver's sake as I was for Alistair. And now I am actually quite tempted to write Carver into my FFXII crossover universe...

[sarasa_cat]

I cannot remember if one of the custom presets for DA2 includes drunk Alistair? If not, I desperately need to create a DA:O save for it because I want drunk Alistair in the Hanged Man for my next DA2 play through. (Bad me)

I really enjoyed Carver as Hawke's "idiot younger brother." They had a massive rivalry going and things weren't the same once he went off to join the templars.

I need to meta-game a role-playable scenario for creating a hardened Alistair so I can get a feel for what he is like.

That said, I suspect my canon Alistair will remain squishy and adorkable, although I can very easily imagine that softer Alistair rapidly maturing into a strong mentor/leader within the Wardens. He seemed to find so much purpose in being a Warden that it just makes sense that he would come into his own while remaining in that role.

[owlmoose]

The three presets are King Alistair ruling alone (Old God Baby ending, m!Cousland Warden), Alistair ruling jointly with Anora (Ultimate sacrifice ending, f!Dalish Warden), and Alistair as exile (Redeemer ending, m!Aeducan Warden). There is no preset with a Warden Alistair.

My scenario for hardening Alistair: it's from my f!Aeducan canon, and although she's generally good and helpful and caring, she has reason to be less charitable when family is involved. So that's why she was able to say that line to him at that time. Also, in the back of her mind she was already considering that there was an excellent chance of him ending up as king, and on some level she felt she ought to start preparing him for the eventuality. One of the things I love about Alistair/Aeducan is the parallel of their situations: both royalty, both denied their birthright; she's getting farther from hers while he's being forced closer to his. It makes for an interesting contrast.

[sarasa_cat]

Oh good! There is a preset for drunk Alistair. (Why am I smiling with far too much glee?!)

Yes, your reasoning for Alistair/f!Aeducan works so darn well as a story. In contrast, my Alistair/f!Surana bonded as people who found a lottery ticket that let them escape the restrictions of the Chantry's mage-templar hell so their commitment to being Wardens (especially as co-Wardens) was very high. (Also, my f!Surana was role played in her origin story and in Broken Circle as having a mutually acknowledge chaste mess with Cullen, so she fully appreciated the freedom that Duncan had given her once making her a warden).

I've been thinking about RPing a hell-on-wheels Warden for my hardening Alistair run...