@toddx77 @tightwad34 Actually folks, grabbing "casuals" was not the intent of that design decision. It was because they were trying to create branded character identity. For instance, if I showed you a picture of a large breasted cartoon pretty woman with brown short, up-done hair, a light green tank top, and short cuffed biege/brown shorts strapped with two handguns, you'd say... "Hey that's Lara Croft!" That is what they were trying to do. Unfortunately, it pissed off the fans. They'll likely do a hybrid for DA3. Customizable companion armor that changes a companion's look without sacrificing their aesthetic. Tough to pull off but great if they can do it. For instance, picture you have a mage companion who has these glowing red demon runes all over their robes and then you give them leather armor to wear. The glowy red demon runes would now be all over the leather armor they're now wearing. Ya dig?

+1 @ menbutts. Best response I've read thus far echoing my own feelings on this matter. These are not paintings being created in someone's basement. Oftentimes, these developers (they're called developers folks) work in large teams leveraging assets, actors, studios, tools, and technology. They are creating consumable interactive media. Is art involved? Of course, just like the movies. Creativity and artistry play a role here but in movies, focus groups/audiences are tapped in order to predict response rate to scenes and especially endings. Heck, there are even "Director's Cuts" etc that cater to the fan base. In fact, I'm reminded of the Director's Cut of the classic, Bladerunner. The Director's Cut filled in holes and altered the ending. Why? To cater to a fan base further cementing it's mark in the Sci-Fi hall of fame. Finally, Marketers are used to generate hype (read, exaggerate... sometimes LIE) so the product is top of mind and generates revenue. This is a business Ms. Parker. Don't insult your fellow business people by telling me it's art for art's sake. I've commissioned a few works of art for the various offices I've had. And y'know what? I was able to make suggestions and changes to it as well. Tell ya what. If Bioware wants to make games that will sit in a gallery and be oo'd and aah'd as we walk by-- fine, have at it. I'd bet what they're really looking for is folks like me with disposable income willing to spend some of my free time buying their creations.