[Feedback] A plead to Bioware

So this post is maybe more of a run down about the lack of character depth, but I maintain a sliver of hope that if enough people who love the DA franchise try to get through to Bioware (and EA), maybe something could change in the future.

Points:

Some of the companion’s idle positions, as well as general poses, look very janky, unnatural and limited. Would it be feasible to make these more fluid and natural? E.g. Neve’s handclasp poses are very reminiscent of Leliana’s in DA:O - which is to say, given the years of difference between these games, the animations should be better.

Once again using Neve as an example, she seems to be limited to 2-3 poses to alternate between. I’m pulling Neve as an example as she seemingly doesn't have a natural, relaxed pose. This kinda goes for all companions, though. 

Rook’s idle animation is too goofy. If you are standing and have an interaction with an NPC (not in a cinematic), some of the grimaces are not appropriate for many of the situations you’re in, and they’re immersion breaking at worst. So maybe extend the timer for when the idle poses begin, or tone it down. 

Regarding the personality of Rook: In previous games, you could shape the personality of your character. In my opinion this is a key element in a player-created character RPG. A prime example is DA:2 where you could choose between three personality types, which then seemed to be applied to the general demeanour of your Hawke. This was a brilliant feature! Even DA:I, had a more consistent correspondence with the type of dialogue choice made and the voice acting. In Veilguard it seems like no matter the choice of answer type, you inherently get a humorous, quippy Rook. This is unfortunate for players who would like a serious Rook, a naive Rook, morally ambiguous Rook etc.. It is immersion breaking, which is very unfortunate for an RPG, but also limits the replayability of the game, as you won’t really get to play a different type of main character. 

The limited companion interaction is also a very unfortunate decision. One of the main driving forces for these games has always been the ability to get to know your companions and get to interact with them outside of quests. I see next to no reason in creating the space for the Lighthouse (the camp) if your character can’t idle chat with their companions and further create a narrative of this being a bunch of people working together and forming bonds. The interactions between the companions amongst themselves is a very nice addition, yet it becomes rather hollow when it feels like you, as the main character, can’t join in or just start a conversation with them on your own.

In terms of interaction, it would in particular have been nice to have more content in terms of romancing a companion. It seems like the romances amongst companions themselves have more depth than the one you participate in as a main character - this just sucks. Even just an idle acknowledgement when you approach a love interest in the early stages would elevate the experience immensely. As of now, it feels shallow and not very special, as the extra scenes they unlock are few and far between, and even then it depends on which companion you decide to romance. When playing a game that is supposed to be immersive and approx. 100 hours long, the small crumbs consisting of maybe two or three romance-related scenes, is simply unsatisfying.

The amount of content also varies greatly depending on the chosen companion, making you as the player feel somewhat bitter that your favourite companion’s romance storyline feels shorter compared to others.

Regarding companion personalities and backgrounds, the lack of getting to know your companions is very unfortunate. As of now, you can do their personal quests, which are more or less required to have a chance in the finale of the game, though it unfortunately just feels very forced. If you have invested time and effort into having a bond lvl 10 with your favourite companion, it doesn't feel like you get any rewards for this. It honestly feels like a waste, as the setup for the characters' personalities has potential. The most fleshed-out character from my experience is Taash’s journey to find out who they are. It was a great and well-thought-of storyline, and it gave you the feeling that you got to be a part of it because you invested time and got to know them well. 

 In contrast, there are two lines about how Neve lost her leg, which she is way too nonchalant about considering how the story seems to be set up. Lucanis’ personality is lackluster at best, Harding is both different from her character in Inqusition and otherwise basic, Bellara has been written as your typical quirky girl, Davrin is just a gym bro with a delinquent-esque background. Emmrich is a delight, and is a close second in terms of a character with multiple layers. 

 Each of the companions Hero of the Veilguard quests are seemingly supposed to be the equivalent to renegade/ paragon or Hardened/soft (I'll get back to this), but it just feels very forced and not really that important other than what gear and skill you get out of it. The big bad dilemma gets solved and now the companion is "fixed" and that was that. The buildup is rushed or lackluster, and the aftermath is anticlimactic at best. 

 In terms of hardened characters, it gives off the impression that the game development team, just in the knick of time, remembered is an integral feature in the other games in regards to how your main character interacts with their companions. Which, I guess, might be a deliberate decision, since you can't interact with your companions other than the scripted scenes.

So to sum up, the animations could be more varied and fluid, the game suffers from a severe lack of personality depth (both in companions but also for the player’s Rook), and there is an unfortunate lack of ability to interact with your companions.

My greatest hope would be that Bioware pulls a Larian Studios, and keeps polishing the game. However, Bioware are more likely going to ignore any input regarding the content and probably wont do any improvement other than game breaking bugs. Still I hope that posts like this might spur them on to improve a game that I genuinely do love - I just wish the game received the same love from the dev team.