Dragon Age: Origins had a large emphasis on the Origins section- heck, it's in the title! This is a new game- a sequel, yes, but still a new game, and perhaps in exchange for the freedom of crafting you had with your character, Bioware will bring in new features.

The name didn't actually have much of an impact in Dragon Age Origins, so that's not bothered me. The race I usually use are the Elves, but you have to be a human. Still, at least it's not dwarves. So I'm adopting a wait-and-see stance.

I'm thinking this is mainly done in order to allow full voice overs, but I can do without. I don't want DA to be the midevial ME.

I too have faith in BioWare, and will definitely be picking this up, but I'm not too excited about this change in format

I love your imagery. "Fit elf shagging Morrigan." Yes, that does sound badass. But, uh, I'm sure that Bioware will do an expansion for DA:O. I understand, you need closure on the whole "Morrigan" thing (I think we all do.) And even though you can't choose a race, I don't think Hawke with be as "twattish" as you think, bahaha. Despite inevitably being human, I think that Hawke's story will have to be ten times as interesting to make up for Bioware taking our origins away from us. I'm sorry I keep trying to console everyone, haha.

Err…no, Bioware has pretty much confirmed that you will still make choices in the game. And the whole game, while still based around Thedas, is not connected to the Warden, so it would not make sense for your Warden to be imported. While there is a fixed origin, the bulk of the game will still be your call. Bioware isn't trying to take your choices away from you, I promise.

For me, one of the biggest issues in DA:O was the lack of personality in the PC. If we still had a choice over our PCs voice, then Hawke's dialogue would vary greatly.

As for the race issue…I see no problem with it. I enjoyed playing as a Dwarven Noble, of course, but I have always believed that humans should be the heroes of fantasy stories because while other races have their allure, humans do not. Humans are not exceptionally beautiful and skilled as elves or strong, architectual geniuses like dwarves. And humans are considered to be the opposite of heroic under normal circumstances, right? So when a badass human runs a sword through everyone and everything in his/her way, fearing nothing, then it makes the character seem considerably more awesome.

Also, I'm really psyched because it sounds like Hawke could play just about any part. What I mean by that is…well, in DA:O no matter what you did or who you killed, you were still the hero because you were working to stop the Blight. Well, I think Bioware is giving us hints that this time around you can really be the anti-hero, or not the hero at all (as well as the opposite, of course, for you goody-goodies.)

The name? I always thought that "Shepard" sounded cool. Well, "Hawke" sounds completely badassed. Besides, it's just the surname, right? In DA:O, they still chose the surname for you. It just depended on your origin. So "Elizabeth Hawke" (<–What I would name my PC) sounds like a hardcore badass to me. "Hawke" is just…great.

And Andraste forbid Bioware offer us a chance to get into the action of the game! All these socially awkward fangirls sitting around romancing and what not, refusing to play the game to it's full potential, complaining about an increase of action because they they it will decline their little DA:O coddled romance fantasies!?!?!?! I have no problem with the romancing, but games should always have action. I like games with storyline, and the romance is cute, too. But I'm a hardcore BATTLE FANATIC (and a woman, in case you couldn't tell. Yep. Women don't have to be soley fixed on the romance aspect of DA. I'm living proof.)

I'm not complaining. The fact that Bioware is confident in DA2 makes me confident in it as well. I'm sure it will live up to my high expectations. And for those of you who are fixed on the whole race thing and all that other crap…there are plenty of other games for all that mess. You're just lucky that games likes this are made at all! Do you remember Mario? He wasn't customizable, was he?

I have faith in Bioware!

P.S. Asschabs.