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XD Well I get the feeling that nudity is a cost issue for DA more than it is a maturity issue. Seriously, I find it hard to believe that none of your companions has a set of casual clothes. I mean, most of them have comfortable-looking outfits, and Aveline makes sense because she's in uniform at the barracks, but (for example) Fenris seriously spends all his time standing alone in his spiky feather armor?
That's why I think they used fire as a metaphor for sex. XD Your companions never have to change their armor.

But I'm pretty neutral to nudity in video games. I don't pay any attention to the romantic scenes in Dragon Age usually anyway. I don't remember if I posted my thoughts on this in this guild or another one, so I'll post it again.
The way I see it, the DA characters are animated to do certain things like fighting or drawing weapons. And there's things they were definitely not made to do, like drink wine, or be sexy, or kiss. So watching my character smash her face into another character as her nose disappears into his face is usually more funny to me than anything else...
I pretty much think the romance scenes are awkward no matter what, so I'm mostly indifferent to nudity.

The only thing that would bother me is if they took it in the direction of a lot of modern video games, putting awkwardly-animated pixelated boobs around every corner to sell to a certain demographic.
Yeah, I get it, naked chicks. Woo. But as I'm not a teenage boy, this is really just annoying.
So as long as it's tasteful, I really don't care.

Varric: That night, Hawke turned in for some well deserved sleep--
Cassandra: Uh...
Varric: --only to find Isabela waiting by the fireplace--
Cassandra: ...Varric?
Varric: --standing conveniently in the way with her supple melons staring him right in the--
Cassandra: VARRIC!
Varric: What? WHAT? I'm getting to the good part!
Cassandra: *facepalm* Yes, I noticed. Are the dolls really necessary?
Varric: Ha! You've never seen Isabela's handiwork. Putting their night into words just isn't enough to convey the flexibility required to straddle--
Cassandra: *blush* Enough!! I don't need to know. Skip to the Qunari meeting; that's next yes?
Varric: Oh, well Isabela never bedded the Arishok as far as I know but I could be wro--
Cassandra: Andraste's a**! HAWKE'S MEETING with the qunari!
Varric: Ahhh... well why didn't you say so before? *puts away the dolls and leans back in the seat interlocking his fingers on his belly* Now where was I?
Cassandra: *agonized sigh* gonk


Anywayy, I must say, I didn't even realize how much awkwardness was in the romance scenes until my second playthrough. My first playthrough had a Fenris romance, and since his scenes were generally very distant, the atmosphere felt just right (I can use my imagination to explain why the bra's still there *eyebrow waggle* ;D); and the animation regarding the heated moments seemed to show and hide juuuust enough of the design flaws to keep me immersed in the game. So in that instance, I think the lack of nudity fit in great.

But Merril on the other hand... gah, the scene in bed totally killed the moment for me with her wearing the exact same outfit the Blooming Rose wenches wear; and the camera was angled right above them in a "Hey look these guys are having nakie time conversations, hurr hurr! ...well almost" I mean I know Merril's a bit shy, but she's not THAT shy, especially after what just occured beforehand! Not to mention blatant awkwardness of their cg hugging which the camera doesn't do aaanything to make more subtle at all.

Whatever happened to the days of Mass Effect 1 where the camera shots quickly panned over some skin with dark lighting and the love music in the background? It was quick, clean, and conveyed the context of situation brilliantly without putting design limitations into the spotlight.

I think Bioware's stuck in this rut where they wanna get more ambitious with the scenes, but they don't have the time or budget to do it properly. Until they can, they should just avoid writing in half-assed love scenes until they can do the "scene" justice.

Merril's scene takes the cake for immersion killing epic-osity, I don't think talking about it even does the scene justice, sooo many little wtf moments to be seen and heard xD

Okay... I admit it, the fact that he already had his GIANT SWORD back on his back was a little bizarre (what? Did he just happen to frolic back downstairs, grab it, then frolic back up to have more "weighted" brooding by the fire? Fenris, darling, you sure you're not mashochistic?) ... but I can work with the clothes thing since he put them back on while Hawke was sleeping during that millisecond cut <.< >.>'

XD Oh god, I hope not! My idiot friends just stopped singing that damn song every five minutes.
I could forgive him for ditching my poor vulnerable Hawke, but that... Forget Danarius, I'd have to have him flayed for that. >_<

As for why he instantly has the sword, who knows? I know in the earlier part of the game, Anders has an argument with Carver that he maturely resolves by commenting on Carver's oversized sword "I wonder what you're compensating for."
That, or he's picked up Varric's weird weapon paraphilia.

XD Poor Fenris. I can't imagine a worse fate...

I especially love Anders comment because being the hypocrite he is, he fails to realize that he constantly carries around a giant, ridiculously phallic weapon himself.
Hahaha, I miss when that guy was still fun.