@texasgoldrush You have an interesting point about the "man vs. nature" theme, but it's very flawed. The specific decision you mention (taking the sibling) is funny, because it's like Bioware is cheating. That choice does have an impact on the game, but you have no way of knowing it until after the fact. That's very unfair on Bioware's part. So you are correct that there are choices that make a difference (although I'd argue that there only a small number). However, that particular choice is just sloppily done. In DAO if I wanted Alistair to get executed, I said "Kill Alistair." I didn't do some random thing that would eventually lead to him being killed. I can see you claiming that this decision is part of the "man vs. nature" theme. You may be amused by a "man vs. nature" story like that, but in reality no normal person likes an interactive "man vs. nature" story because it feels UNFAIR. I love some of the literature that exemplifies what you're talking about (Stephen Crane's The Open Boat for example), but that's because I'm not in the story. No one wants all control taken away from them--it's only entertainment when it's happening to other people.

@texasgoldrush There's a balance between the player determining every single thing and the player determining nothing. In DA2, you don't make any meaningful decisions. Try reloading a game and making different choices--I guarantee that the same things will happen, in the same way. The decision you make at the end of the game doesn't even change the ending. I don't understand how people are willing to accept that. It's shockingly lazy.

Just because DA2's story is unusual for an RPG doesn't make it good. There's no exposition/origin story for the Hawke family. The mother talks about all the stuff they lost at Lothering, but you never get to see it. Am I really supposed to care about these people, about whom I know nothing? I can't think of a single reason to start the game how they did, when they could have started it in Lothering. This was a huge step backwards from DAO, no question.