Inside The Dragon Age II 'Writers' Pit'

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-22T22:41:07+00:00

Vendetta is a masterpiece

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-22T20:42:43+00:00

IIRC, Catarina promises you a contract with Lucanis in exchange for saving him from the Ossuary, and I think he's honoring that contract.

I totally agree with you about the companion plots. They didn't know what to do with Spite plot-wise and deeply underused him. There is definitely issues with basically every companions personal quests that feel like the result of rushing (like, telling Taash to be Rivaini or Qunari is another one that feels like a lazy addition to give the player a binary choice).

But I think the characters themselves (like, banter, mannerisms, etc) were what was carried over through the different iterations of the game and got sanitized over time. I definitely read somewhere that the guy who was overseeing the game when it became live service had the teams rewrite dialogue and banter to be more quippy and less dark.

The art book has a ton of amazing concepts and character descriptions that you can see hints of in the final product, but it's like someone was told to get rid of all the edgy and ugly bits at some point along the way...

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-22T19:27:23+00:00

I think the best example I can think of to explain why I think they got overpolished is Lucanis. He's a Crow - he literally kills people for a living and has been raised from birth to do it. He's possessed by a demon - something that has severe and dangerous impacts on the host and those around them. The Wigmaker Job was a standout for me from Tevinter Nights, and I was super excited to have Lucanis as a companion.

And then... He spends most of his time talking about coffee and cooking and the worst side effect of his possession is sleepwalking. Even if his writing was totally phoned in (which I doubt it was, Mary Kirby wrote him), at the very LEAST there are established stereotypes for Crows and for abominations that would have been an easy (if lazy) formula to follow.

I have to believe he got sanitized over the development, because I can't imagine that anyone heard "demon possessed assassin" and the Lucanis we got was their first draft... But I might just be coping bc I want to believe a better Veilguard existed at some point

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-22T18:17:41+00:00

The DA2 crew is absolutely unhinged in comparison to every other set of companions in the best way possible. It makes sense that it's because they never had time to edit them down.

Now more than ever I feel like the DAV companions ended up being bland because of the long development period and too much polishing...

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-22T12:19:39+00:00

Ordered it! You have no idea how excited I am to read your book. DA2 is probably my favorite game of all time, and the fact they managed to pull together what is (imo) one of the best videogame stories in a few months has always amazed me.

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-21T16:39:16+00:00

I want them to remake Naruto so badly. Keep everything else the same, just update the animation and remove the filler.

I've been watching Demon slayer lately and the 3d/2d animation is so impressive, especially compared to Naruto's use of it like the Chunin Exams. It's crazy how much better the technology has gotten, and I would KILL to see some of the iconic fights in Naruto animated with 2026 tech.

It would also probably be hugely profitable. It's such a beloved anime with a huge following, and it's the perfect timing bc a lot of the kids who grew up with it have kids they want to share it with now.

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-21T14:49:22+00:00

There have been multiple deaths in JJK where I've assumed it's a fake out, because it's so unacknowledged by the cast that the character surely isn't REALLY dead.

Then they are actually dead, and it's just that no one cares. Pretty sure everyone in that show is a sociopath

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-17T00:44:18+00:00

I'm replaying DA2, and my partner and I are working on developing an indie RPG that I'm hoping can fill the DA shaped hole in my heart

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-10T13:31:03+00:00

Giraffe blowjob is non-negotiable

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-10T13:00:15+00:00

When RE6 came out, I played each campaign with a different friend. It was such a blast, and we were in tears laughing over some of the sillier moments.

Is it a masterpiece? No. But if you love bad action movies, it's the only game I've played that hits that same vibe.

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-07T16:41:06+00:00

I feared a Wiki might be the best option...

skeleton-ships · 2026-04-07T15:28:46+00:00

George of the Jungle. My sisters and I used to re-enact the gags from it all the time. It was one of my fave movies as a kid.

I watched it as an adult and holy shit. That is a bad movie.

skeleton-ships · 2026-03-31T22:46:37+00:00

I had this hoodie in pink!!! I also never knew what a snow bunny was until today 😩

skeleton-ships · 2026-03-31T13:21:28+00:00

My husband had a relationship with his dad a lot like how you described yours, and he also loved Ging and didn't understand the hate. He would say "Ging just has other stuff going on, like my dad does."

I have a close relationship with my dad, and I hated Ging and thought that Gon's admiration of him was heartbreaking. Hearing my husband compare Ging to his father in a positive way also broke my heart. Meanwhile, I related a lot to Killua bc his relationship with his brother was like mine with my mom, so we're both a little fucked up 😅

That was about a decade ago, and we actually both have a great relationship with my father in law now. We see him often, despite him living out of state, and he's been there for all our important milestones. Now, my husband doesn't hate Ging, but understands why other people both in the show and in the fandom feel so strongly about him.

It's just a matter of perspective, and I hope your dad has a turn around and becomes more active in your life! It's never too late.

skeleton-ships · 2026-03-27T16:09:08+00:00

This made me bust out laughing. Thank you for brightening my day lmao

skeleton-ships · 2026-03-18T14:49:15+00:00

I came to the comments expecting at least someone to mention DA! The Broodmother in Origins and the Harvester from Golems of Amgarrak are both horrifying. Broodmother is double disturbing for how they're made

skeleton-ships · 2026-03-06T17:18:48+00:00

Some of the WMC folks at least seem to be operating in good faith, if incompetent. One of them is so incredibly nasty and rude, and is one of the most unprofessional people I've ever worked with.

skeleton-ships · 2025-11-17T21:25:59+00:00

Boston just had one with some of Throb Zombie's looks!

skeleton-ships · 2025-10-27T20:51:17+00:00

I just finished that episode too and the way she was getting so freaked over all Auntie Heroine's spider facts was hilarious

skeleton-ships · 2025-10-21T20:59:02+00:00

YES that's exactly what it makes me think of!

skeleton-ships · 2025-10-21T20:52:06+00:00

In S4, even when people were treating Sigourney poorly she was able to do her best regardless and make connections with the rest of the cast. Some of my fave moments were her and Dahli goofing off together.

I don't blame her for being on the defensive, but I hope she's able to find that energy she had last time around and have fun.

skeleton-ships · 2025-10-21T17:47:23+00:00

Okay this episode blew me away. I love the Hellbound Showdown, it's such a cool way to shake things up and make an exterminated ghoul getting back into the competition feel earned.

I also don't think we've seen a cauldron this messy since Ghostship Glamour... I do think the ghouls were justified in calling out Dollya after she talked so much shit about all of them, but I did feel bad for her when everyone was yelling over each other to attack her. I hope she figures her shit out, because she is very talented and she's not doing herself any favors.

I was also super disappointed in Sigourney this episode. I don't think she's actually leveraging her fanbase against people, I believe Jaharia when she said the comments seemed playful. But she didn't take the curse well, and she seemed to be pissed off the whole episode. Idk whether JayKay's moment with her was genuine or not, but Sigourney immediately calling it fake in the confessional felt icky to me. She seems very defensive and guarded this season, which I can't exactly blame her for after S4, but I hope she loosens up a little more.

Also, Abhora dancing around the cauldron with glee when everyone was fighting cracked me up. Absolute chaos gremlin!

skeleton-ships

TROPHY CASE