I think I found the reason that so many girls and women play Dragon Age. Aside from the great story, the nice graphics and the interesting gameplay with pause option, there is Alistair. Yes, Alistair in Dragon Age Origins is a powerful romantic interest. For your character, if she is female. It's not that he's handsome, or cute, or has a nice voice (I find his accent annoying tbh) but ... he is just so, so ... well. See? It's when you can't put a name to it, that it becomes intriguing.

 

Now please don't spoil things for me, I am not very far in the story, and things are still quite platonic between my character and Alistair. But he is interested. Five just suggested things may go wrong, but I believe in the power of virtual love, and my character is a clever elf!

Is this disturbing? I can't help but think that Alistair will have quite a female following online, but I can't check because I don't want to spoil it for myself. But surely I can't be the only woman who sees Alistair in this way. Is it any stranger than fangirling over a film character or a cartoon, which I have also done when I was 14. I think part of the fun is that it is a one way street. Even though Alistair has a background story, I can still fill in some of the blanks. It does take me back to being 14 and imagining a type of potential boyfriend. I think that is what he is closest to: the imaginary boyfriend of my 14 year old self. .. Yes, that is disturbing.

But I am not 14, and I have a boyfriend. One I am very much in love with, really. But it is kinda fun to explore a new romance with a virtual character through my character. It's roleplay at it's best, I guess.