Poll: Dragon Age Origins and 2- Best Romance?

[Raikas]

I like to see romances that matter to the plot, so I think Morrigan has to win for DAO while Alistair would have to be second for the game due to the the marriage with the human noble femWarden - I didn't particularly like his part (but then I don't think I was the target market for it), but it mattered, so it is what it is. None of the DA2 romances change the plot of course, but Isabela and Anders' do change the flavour of the conflicts that they're involved in, so I'd rank them about equally and probably just below Morrigan overall.

I thought the others were reasonably well done, they just didn't matter the way the others did (the fact that you could get through the games without Leliana, Zevran and Fenris really makes that point). I liked Merrill's once it was started, but the fact that she seems so young in the lead-up always made that one a little off for me.

 

[putowtin]

Fenris.

Firstly because he's a white-haired elven hottie with a voice like smoke.
Secondly, I liked his story, and I thought the romance with Hawke developed more naturally than if you are to romance Anders, who was my only other option for dudes. Anders gets too attatched to you after you kiss like once, in my opinion.
I liked Fenris as a character. I know a lot of people didn't, but I felt like the character was designed well to appeal to the people who might want to romance him.

I would have voted Alistair, but I'm still kind of irritated that there is no real happy ending for a female Warden romancing him. (Or maybe there is but I couldn't find it).

Agreed on the Fenris option, he's the only one my female Hawke was interested in (well there was Varric but he wasn't an option)

To get with Alistair, you need to be a human noble and in the speech options at the landsmeet say
"Alistair should rule with me at his side" After the Landsmeet he'll come upto you and as if that was a proposal.

During the end epilogue it explains that they are married six moths after Alistair's coronation, then again I have a mod so you get to see the wedding, swoon!

 

[Mahorfeus]

Leliana, by far. She had a sweet, sensible personality, a sexy accent, and a genuinely interesting backstory. Oh, and she goes both ways. My good characters usually end up with her, regardless of gender.

Morrigan is a close second, though.

 

[DRTJR]

Merrill, with Morrigan and Sebastian as close seconds.

I was in total agreement with her about the Mirror.

 

[Jandau]

Varric

While technically not a romance, the bromance you can have with him is one of the highlights of the series.

Barring that, Aveline

Again, technically not a romance, but of the girls in DA2, she was the one I wanted to romance the most, mainly because she actually felt like an actual person instead of a snarky pair of tits (Isabella) or a neurotic mess (Merril).

As for DA1, I'd have to say Wynne, and again, for feeling like an actual human being and a person I'd like to know in real life.

Funny how characters NOT written with boning plot hooks tend to turn out better, huh?

 

[Asita]

Morrigan, simply because of the way the romance affects her character arc and because - to me, at least - it makes Witch Hunt just feel so much more organic (and not just because it turns the ring she gives the warden into a plot item). I love the fact that her feelings towards the warden start making her second guess her plans and outlook, and those little moments of hesitation you can trigger in dialogues with her, wherein she seems genuinely wounded by the warden's trust, friendship and love and her knowledge of what is yet to come. Admittedly, male or female, romance or friendship, much of this is available so long as you get her affection high enough, but it seems far more poignant when she - the cynical witch of the wilds who in no uncertain terms called love 'a weakness' - ultimately yields the idealistic battle and acknowledges her own feelings by addressing the warden as 'my love'.

 

[DementedSheep]

Well I'm currently playing DA2 and have just got to the second arc and so far...no one. No I lie, that elf from one of the quests. That exchange was hilarious "go and play little sister". Although just sleeping with a prostitute doesn't really count.
I don't know, both the guys are mopy tortured types. Fenris so far ins't exactly endearing himself to my Hawke what with the whole misleading her on the nature of a job so her and hers walk into a tevinter trap and then insulting her sister. At least he apologises for that I guess but he still keeps insulting her sister and father with the anti mage stuff. Anders flirts with you on the second conversation if you picked diplomatic which is...yeah no, I don't know you and I'm not fond of his "I love you but I'll hurt you" thing. Merril is a bit thick and I don't get anything from Isabella. If only Varric or Aveline where an option. Actually no, I prefer them as bros. Might pick Merril if only because it would be funny because my Hawke is "direct" person or none but I don't like missing content.

From DA:O Alister makes for a better tie in with the story and he's sweet but he gets annoying. Zev I hated at the start but he grew on me and it's interesting that for once its not sex scene = love. Leliana I don't like and I've never done the Morrigan one so I guess I'll go with Alister. If I repay I'll do the Morrigan one because of Witch Hunt.

I don't think romances often work well in rpgs (or game in general but especially rpgs) when it has to be written around a X of character.

 

[Gone Rampant]

Morrigan. I love her character and Claudia Black is awesome. Too bad she wasn't available for my female warden during my first playthrough who ended up forever alone

The romances in DA2 seriously annoyed me. All characters have some kind of deal-breaking super flaw.
Isabela is a walking STD whose selfishness started a war.
Anders is a terrorist who killed innocents/freedom fighter who DOESN'T TELL YOU when all you want is to help his cause.
Fenris wants all mages dead (including you/your sister)
and Merrill gets warned repeatedly about the dangers of demons and still never learns.

!!!rage!!! (because I care about these games and characters)

Why isn't Anders and Isabela in the poll?

They... are on the list. They're just at the bottom because they were the last two I thought of when I compiled the list.

 

[Ravinoff]

Never played Origins (and didn't finish 2 because of how frustrating the combat got), but I liked Merrill. Isabella is pretty great, but not for a real love interest, I could see her as more of a fling. Which probably also explains why my one headcanon Mass Effect pairing is M!Shep/Tali, since they're more or less the same character.

Also, I don't understand how anyone could pick Anders. Every time that guy opened his mouth, I was wishing for a button to punch him in the head.

 

[schrodinger]

Obviously the best romance is with Ser Gilmore! Y'all don't know what you're missing.


But in canon it would have to be Alistair or Zervan, both were great characters. The Dragon Age 2 characters annoyed me too much to both with either Anders or Fenris, but I would totally Varric because he's great.
Here's to hoping Cullen will be good in DA:I

 

[Madkipz]

Romanced Morrigan and pardoned Loghain as a dwarf noble in the first. The second one I didn't care for any romance at all so took Isabella because she was easy to get along with.

 

[Xathos]

For Dragon Age Origins, it would have to be Morrigan and/or Alistair. Sort of breaking through Morrigan's walls to a point and having her come to realize her feelings is really nice, and I think Alistair works really well depending on your background in that game. For me, I boned Zevran then ditched him, tried to romance Leliana but failed, so I was left for Morrigan. Despite not really being my first choice, I was pleasantly surprised. Witch Hunt could have been better, but I felt it was tailored made to be for those who romanced her.

As for DA2, anyone not named Anders. Seriously, after what he does in that game? Screw him. Merrill isn't any better, since her whole arc involves not listening to you at all if you try to be good. Even when you try and tell her not to do the demon stuff, it only leads her into a rivalry (almost automatically at one point I believe). Besides, I always saw her as a horribly done Tali (from Mass Effect), which didn't help matters. Isabella is what the game pushes you towards I guess, but she never really...pays for her actions? She's responsible for so much, and she isn't really a super bad person, but she left me and never came back, so the hell with her (a case of Friendship just being RIGHT under the requirement). Even if she comes back and you want her to pay for what's she's done, she apparently sees this as a betrayal. No, its called consequences Isabella.

Don't really know how Nathaniel's romance works out, although I know it doesn't lead to anything physical, just romantic.

I romanced Fenris, which I couldn't finish because my friendship with him was just shy of reaching that point (and getting him to such a high level as a pro mage Hawke felt like hard work too). But I always liked the fact of him falling for Mage Hawke, and sort of learning from the experience to be a better person. Course...that doesn't really happen sadly (To him you are one of the few exceptions, and that's it), but the potential always felt nice.

Actually, I think all the DA2 romances had great potential to affect future casual conversations with them in the story, even if you aren't in one of those "romantic conversations" that you get into. Could really see the story evolving and going in different directions/changing certain outcomes. But like many things DA2 related, it wasn't meant to be. Given the option, I honestly probably would have gone for Aveline or Varric since they were the best characters in that game.

tl;dr: Morrigan and Alistair for Dragon Age Origin's. Nobody too particular in Dragon Age 2, but I was partial to Fenris.

 

[solemnwar]

Don't really know how Nathaniel's romance works out, although I know it doesn't lead to anything physical, just romantic.

Do you mean Sebastian?


OT: Alistair. Yup just a sheep following the herd. He's just... everything I would like in a guy. He's a bit of a doofus, but sweet, and you can depend on him, but he WILL back his ideals, he's not a doormat. I also liked Zevran, mostly because he made me laugh.

In DA2 my preference is Fenris.

 

[norashepard]

Isabela and Leliana: Rogue Babes or Die. I love both of them and enjoyed their romances far and above all the others (if you aren't counting the little kiss you can get from Aveline at least. That made me giddy.) Of the two, I'd say I still prefer Isabela, as she is more in tune with my own personal beliefs, meshes well with Varric (who NEVER leaves my party) and I like DA2 more than DAO.

This thread is interesting because the poll results are exactly the opposite of what I was expecting. Soooo many people I talk to love Fenris and Zev with a passion and very rarely mention Leliana or Morrigan. Fascinating!

 

[Bocaj2000]

...None of them really. They were all really, really bad. But if you are asking which romance can actually be seen at the bottom of the barrel... None, I'm sorry. I tried to come up with one, but they all are creepy, pointless and/or token.

Romance was never supposed to be a selling point in DA. The fact that this discussion is going on instead of discussing moral stances on important in-universe issues shows how degraded the DA community has become.

 

[Tragedy's Rebellion]

...None of them really. They were all really, really bad. But if you are asking which romance can actually be seen at the bottom of the barrel... None, I'm sorry. I tried to come up with one, but they all are creepy, pointless and/or token.

Romance was never supposed to be a selling point in DA. The fact that this discussion is going on instead of discussing moral stances on important in-universe issues shows how degraded the DA community has become.

To be honest, even Bioware have failed to tackle those issues in a meaningful way. I have no idea why the romances are so popular, but it may have something to do with the rest of the games. Nobody is talking about how you could "romance" Visas in KoToR 2 because there were more important things going on and being explored in a masterful way. Bioware lack that and I'm, quite frankly, disappointed by the missed opportunities and squandered potential of both the DA universe and ME universe.

 

[Scars Unseen]

Varric

While technically not a romance, the bromance you can have with him is one of the highlights of the series.

Barring that, Aveline

Again, technically not a romance, but of the girls in DA2, she was the one I wanted to romance the most, mainly because she actually felt like an actual person instead of a snarky pair of tits (Isabella) or a neurotic mess (Merril).

As for DA1, I'd have to say Wynne, and again, for feeling like an actual human being and a person I'd like to know in real life.

Funny how characters NOT written with boning plot hooks tend to turn out better, huh?

Agree so much on Aveline. She's the one character that I always have in my party in DA2 playthroughs. I was fairly disappointed to find that she wasn't romanceable.

Out of the existing options? Merril, probably. She was awkward enough(especially in the beginning) for me to find amusing. Failing that, hmm... Viconia?

 

[xemnahort]

Isabela. For one thing she is the funniest person that happens to be romanceable. Also while there were no consequences for her actions (unless you give her to the Qunari in which case good job promoting magic mind rape/wiping asshole) but in her rivalmance she shows that your disappointment in her makes her feel like her whole life she's been doing it wrong and that she wants to be that better person that you think she can be and the heavy emotion in those scenes are more than worth that war that all those people were killed in (nobody important anyway). Also Merrill romances never work if I ever think about taking the purity of the most innocent doe-eyed being in existence, but the DA2 elves were really hot and that voice helped me out of the boner kill. Granted no choice for DA2 would be better than Varric but what can you do?

EDIT:Anders from Awakening would also be a good choice but when he's finally ready to take it all off he's become that guy you don't want to to talk about or to and then he does the thing and we all know how we felt about that.

 

[xemnahort]

Varric

While technically not a romance, the bromance you can have with him is one of the highlights of the series.

Barring that, Aveline

Again, technically not a romance, but of the girls in DA2, she was the one I wanted to romance the most, mainly because she actually felt like an actual person instead of a snarky pair of tits (Isabella) or a neurotic mess (Merril).

As for DA1, I'd have to say Wynne, and again, for feeling like an actual human being and a person I'd like to know in real life.

Funny how characters NOT written with boning plot hooks tend to turn out better, huh?

Agree so much on Aveline. She's the one character that I always have in my party in DA2 playthroughs. I was fairly disappointed to find that she wasn't romanceable.

Out of the existing options? Merril, probably. She was awkward enough(especially in the beginning) for me to find amusing. Failing that, hmm... Viconia?

Love Aveline, that kiss made my day but who is Viconia?

Captcha:Most HD Why yes captcha, the HD made it better thanks for noticing.