Is Dragon Age the mens' Twilight?

[JeanLuc761]

Let's see...
Dragon Age is an in-depth fantasy RPG wherein the main character can either be a self-insert or a character you carefully sculpt. The world in which it takes place is filled with heavy political intrigue and handles racist and sexist stereotypes and mindsets maturely. Regardless of gender or race, your character can hold him/herself up on their own two feet, as well as rely on the strength of your allies to get through the next encounter. Characters are well-written and acted, and while the fantasy universe may not be unique, it's very well thought out. While romance is present in the game, it is certainly not the focus of the narrative and the options available are pleasant and realistic.

Twilight, on the other hand, is a series of novels whose protagonist has very little strength or redeeming qualities whatsoever. Gaudy, overwrought descriptions of attractive men fill the pages along with dramatic set pieces (some handled decently, most not). Bella, our protagonist, exemplifies all the stereotypes from 1950's view of women, right down to the idea that a girl needs a man to protect her, otherwise what is life worth living for?

So no, I don't think they are alike in the slightest.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I wouldn't think so. I always saw Twilight as being really, strictly traditional on gender roles and sex in general. In Twilight, the man makes the big decisions. In Twilight, the man sets the tone and mood of the relationship. Bella kinda just took stuff as it came (except in New Moon when she cried for 4 months then tried to kill herself). Your player character in Dragon Age Origin can be that if that's what you want but I never really went that route. Here's a couple of examples:

Spoiler: My City-Elf

My city elf went from an impoverished young man, running from an unjust civilization when he was recruited by Duncan. After Ostagar, my character tried discovering who he was. When Zevran was sent to kill him, my City Elf let him live and eventually formed a relationship with him. It was an open relationship though. After the Archdemon was slain, my city elf and Zevran left Fereldan in search of Morrigan and the God-Child she carried (my City-Elf's child)

Spoiler: My Nobel-Dwarf

Before being exiled from Orgimmar, my Dwarven Nobel had a threesome with a pair of nobel dwarfettes. I think that's all that needs to be said about that.

 

[putowtin]

I got the idea from http://theoatmeal.com/story/twilight Read it if you want extra details. In short, it argues that Bella, the main character from Twilight serves as a shell for girls to put themselves into.


Thoughts?

next person who tells me that Bella is a roll model/ a avatar for girls/women is going to see a woman lose her rag
Bella is Stephenie Meyer's wet dream, most fan fiction gets mocked, her's got made into a series of appalling films (no offence to anyone who enjoys said books/films)

 

[MrThisguy978]

Fuck yeah mate, if i say stuff like that i get such "classics" like Evangileon shoved down my mouth by people in leather saying "DEEEEEEEEEEEEP its so DEEEEEEP" (if i didn't know better i would of thought that maybe the Otaku were having BDSM fantasys yet again) Because a show about ADHD Children who fight in Robots has never been done before.

speaking from an anime community, clearly evangelion was too deep for you

hurrr its such a masterpiece durrrr

 

[Jaime_Wolf]

I think people are (well, reasonable people are) less bothered by the idea of Twilight as they are by the execution of it.

A girl falling in love with a vampire with werewolves and such involved? This is not a new idea. It's not even a bad idea.

The problem is that she wrote an incredibly hackneyed story. On top of that, it's not actually about vampires: she has no idea whatsoever what vampires are supposed to be (I understand not wanting to do the same thing as everyone else, but then why are you calling them vampires?) even going so far as to have stated that she purposefully avoided learning anything about famous vampire stories so she could write vampires the "way she imagined them" (which doesn't make any goddamn sense - you don't just "imagine" vampires, the only way you'd even have the idea of them is from some other story).

And on top of that, they're very poorly written.

 

[Keava]

Im not sure what's more scary. The idea presented by OP or some of the answers that provide insight into Twilight... almost as if they enjoyed reading and watching it.
Run for the hills...

I won't really comment on all that since i never touched the book. Not my style. Prefer Ann Rice and her view on vampires/supernaturals and we could argue whenever the "Claiming of the Sleeping Beauty" servers similar purpose... probably more so than Twilight or any books like it will ever do too.

 

[Nenad]

I have to go offline now, so I'm cutting this post a bit short, but before I do, I'd like to ask you this: Why Dragon Age in particular? There have been RPGs made in the past, yet you picked Dragon Age.

I got the idea playing DA. There was a scene where you see the world in 1st person (the whole game is 3rd person), and there's where it hit me. No special reason beyond that.

No, because it's not a "men's game" to the same extent as Twilight is "women's (or girls') literature." I'd sooner pick The Witcher.

I would too pick The Witcher, but that's not the point/what the topic is about. *sigh* Should change the name to "Is Twilight in one aspect similar to DA"

Updated the 1st post with extra detail.