LTTP...sort of: Dragon Age Series | Inquisition? More like Baequisition (Spoilers)

[Deleted member 511]

So I really like Bioware games. Jade Empire was my first introduction to the studio and despite its various issues, it's still one of my favorite games. The first three Mass Effect games are easily one of my favorite trilogies ever and all the dlc were great too. Dragon Age: Inquisition was announced shortly after I had finished playing through the ME games and as someone who had enjoyed all the Bioware games I encountered so far, I was immediately interested in learning more the series. Fortunately, a family friend was into the series and let me borrow their copy of Origins. So I eagerly started it (went the rogue dalish elf route) and while it wasn't the type of game I was typically into gameplay wise, I was enjoying it for the most part.

Then the Fade happen. That part sucked and a lot of people before me have already gone into why it sucks so I won't dwell on it.

I used a guide, got through it and kept playing. Morrigan was always disapproving me even though I wanted her to like me but whatever. I was digging Alistair as a romance option too (which was a big shock for me because I've usually always romanced female options like Silk Fox or Liara). Again, I was generally having a good time so what was the problem?

The Deep Roads.

It was kind of (I'm being nice here) a slog and then spiders starting showing up which I just wasn't here for. I stopped playing for the day, told myself I would continue later and then...I never did unfortunately. I returned the game back to the family friend, never got around to DA2, and ended up just picking up the GOTY edition of Inquisition once I got a next-gen console. I liked Inquisition for the most part. Yes, even the fetch quest / open world stuff people to really dislike. I think it was because I was kind of checked out of the story and thus emerged myself into exploring the world and the visuals. I liked the locations and world design quite a bit and based on the screenshots from DA4, I think it will continue to be what I like about the series most unless my opinion drastically changes.

If I'm being brutally honest, I don't think I really fully understood all that was happening in Inquisition when I look back on that game (or maybe I just forgot a lot). I remember there being this red guy...and he was mad? The mages were mad? The templars were mad? Everyone was mad? Solas was secretly mad the whole time? Obviously, I'm simplifying a lot for my own humor but like I said, I checked out at a certain point. One thing I remember about this series was that there was a lot of lore thrown at you that needed to be read and I just...never got around to doing that which is one big thing I wish to fix when trying to dive into the series 'for real' this time. Everyone talks about how good the lore is and I feel like I did a disservice to myself by kind of ignoring it (for instance, I never fully understood what was going on with Flemeth). Anyway, Dragon Age 4 is looking pretty cool and I want to keep up with what the heck is happening this time around if I end up getting it (and I probably will). I don't typically enjoy high fantasy since I don't feel represented in most things under the genre (Origins is already reaffirming why I feel that way less than 10 minutes in but I'll get into that later) but despite all that, I want to try and give this series a 'real' chance.

I've never made a LTTP/RTTP thread before - this thread is weirdly kind of a mix of both since I'm returning to Origins but haven't played DA2 at all - but I thought it would be fun to have a place to post my thoughts as I play through the series! I am, admittedly, in a weird position where I know spoilers I probably shouldn't know as someone who didn't finish DAO and who hasn't played DA2 at all. I know things like how Alistair can potentially become King but again, I never got pass the Deep Roads so I guess just spoiler tag stuff that mentions anything pass that point just to be safe - at least until I reach it myself. Despite knowing the big thing that happens with Anders, I actually don't really know a lot about DA2 in general so I would definitely appreciate it if stuff surrounding that game was spoiler tagged if I haven't gotten to it!

Here are some randoms things I specifically remember about Origins:
- There was a dog which was cool! Doggo companion in DA4 or bust.
- I liked the old mage lady. I was glad I restarted the game when I stupidly let Morrigan talk shit to her which resulted in a fight.
- There was a giant rock companion or something?
- I believe I recruited everyone I could've at that point: there was Alistair, Morrigan, Sten(?)/the guy in the cage, the rock person, the old lady mage/Wynne? (I'm sorry I don't remember these people's names), Leliana, the elf assassin, the doggo (<3), and a dwarf i think.

Dragon Age 2:
- Hawke's from an important family....or something?
- Anders is apparently a hot mess of epic proportions.
- Mages and Templars are duking it out (this provides context of what's happening in Inquisition?).
- People are really thirsty for Fenris (he's voiced by Balthier's VA so I guess I get it).

With all that out of the way, I've installed Origins (playing on Xbox One via EA Play) and I decided to go with a noble human warrior because I wanted to do something different this time. As I said earlier, I was an elf rogue during my first crack at Origins and then I was an elf mage in Inquisition. I totally did not choose the human noble option because I wanted my character to be able to marry Alistair if I make him king. *chuckles nervously*

So to begin: I had to laugh when the story started and my character, who has the darkest skin the game has, is immediately greeted by her super white dad. Immersion(tm).

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

Bioware is one of the few WRPG devs i like, but i also skip a bunch of the lore stuff as well, which i'm trying to be better about.

Immersion(tm).

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:Tiduslaugh

 

[Deleted member 511]

I've met my super white mom. She does not approve of me not being a proper lady apparently. The most important thing that will ever happen in this game has happened though: I HAVE SECURED MY DOGGO.

Bioware is one of the few WRPG devs i like, but i also skip a bunch of the lore stuff as well, which i'm trying to be better about.

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I think what makes it weird for me is that I usually don't skip over the lore. Jade Empire was admittedly kind of light on its lore but I enjoyed reading the scrolls placed throughout the game and I actually really liked reading lore in Mass Effect. I think my problem with DA is that it throws it at you...kind of rapidly? Even in this introduction, I've already picked up like 3 or 4 books on lore stuff I'm gonna have to stop and read later. Also thanks for replying AF. <3

 

[Ashodin]

If you really get into it, Dragon Age is one of the deepest RPG worlds Bioware has ever created. There's comics, novels, video games, and it all ties into the lore beautifully.

 

[rras1994]

I've met my super white mom. She does not approve of me not being a proper lady apparently. The most important thing that will ever happen in this game has happened though: I HAVE SECURED MY DOGGO.


I think what makes it weird for me is that I usually don't skip over the lore. Jade Empire was admittedly kind of light on its lore but I enjoyed reading the scrolls placed throughout the game and I actually really liked reading lore in Mass Effect. I think my problem with DA is that it throws it at you...kind of rapidly? Even in this introduction, I've already picked up like 3 or 4 books on lore stuff I'm gonna have to stop and read later. Also thanks for replying AF. <3

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This is why human noble origin is the best: you get Doggo the earliest :)

 

[Deleted member 511]

Had to cook dinner and do some cleaning but I finally got through the opening and it was actually pretty good? I knew about your family dying and didn't expect to get attached to them but I actually found myself liking them despite the short time I was with them - just aggressively ignored how I looked nothing like them! The mom mentioned knowing how to fight in her dialogue but her being a temporary member of your party later was both unexpected and really cool.

 

[FakePlasticTree]

I think my favorite part about Dragon Age 2 is the DLC's especially Legacy as it fleshes out the Hawke family quite a lot. You'll probably enjoy that DLC, lots of fun potential banter with the different party members you bring with you.

 

[Deleted member 511]

I reached Lothering last night: 1). I forgot how funny Alistair and Morrigan were together and 2). I got Leliana and Sten before stopping for the night. I'm actually enjoying this replay a lot more than I expected. I've been continuing to make an effort to read the lore in the codex and I'm understand certain things a lot more clearly than before. For instance, you already get that Cailan is kind of incompetent from the dialogue but understand Loghain's anger at him wanting to work with the Orlesians better due to reading the history of Ferelden books (plus the fact that his daughter seems to be the one truly ruling). Also random but this game is super bloody lol. It doesn't really bother me but I didn't really remember this aspect of the game I guess nor do I remember DA:I being this bloody but maybe my memory sucks. It becomes kind of humorous when characters have deep conversations right after a fight.

I think my favorite part about Dragon Age 2 is the DLC's especially Legacy as it fleshes out the Hawke family quite a lot. You'll probably enjoy that DLC, lots of fun potential banter with the different party members you bring with you.

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Thank you, I'll keep that in mind! Do you recommend playing the dlc for Origins?

 

[FakePlasticTree]

I reached Lothering last night: 1). I forgot how funny Alistair and Morrigan were together and 2). I got Leliana and Sten before stopping for the night. I'm actually enjoying this replay a lot more than I expected. I've been continuing to make an effort to read the lore in the codex and I'm understand certain things a lot more clearly than before. For instance, you already get that Cailan is kind of incompetent from the dialogue but Loghain's anger at him wanting to work with the Orlesians due to reading the history of Ferelden books (plus the fact that his daughter seems to be the one truly ruling). Also random but this game is super bloody lol. It doesn't really bother me but I didn't really remember this aspect of the game I guess nor do I remember DA:I being this bloody but maybe my memory sucks. It becomes kind of humorous when characters have deep conversations right after a fight.


Thank you, I'll keep that in mind! Do you recommend playing the dlc for Origins?

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Darkside Chronicles you can skip since it is pretty much a silly what if scenario where the Warden didn't survive the Joining, and you play as some random Darkspawn, killing all of your party members from the main game. Most of the other DLCs are worth doing since they provide some neat lore, and one of them also builds up to what is going to happen DA2 and Inquisition.

Warden's Keep - This one is worth doing if you are interested in learning more about the Wardens, the loot is decent too.

The Stone Prisoner - Shale is a great companion, some of the best dialogue in the game usually involves Shale. At least in my opinion haha

Return to Ostagar - If you bring Wynne and Alistair with you there are some interesting wholesome moments between them, they are the only party members who has anything to say at all about it too. It's not required to do it but it was fun enough to go back to the ruins of Ostagar, see all of the old ruined locations covered in snow, and get some slight insight into Loghain's motivations.

Leliana's Song - This DLC is generally worth doing if you like Leliana if not then it's probably worth doing for the insights it provides into Orlesian intrigue. There is also a character in this DLC who becomes a major figure in Dragon Age Inquisition.

Awakening Expansion - This is certainly the most meaty DLC as it feels like almost a whole game, you get to explore new parts of Ferelden, some new companions, one of them being Anders who returns in Dragon Age 2. The expansion actually fleshes out the Darkspawn in interesting ways that I think it is worth doing, you get to carry your Warden from Origins into with all of your experience, items etc. Not the best DLC in the world compared to the stuff BioWare later did for the sequels but it's a fun enough time. I did miss the old party members from Origins.

Golems of Amgarrak - This one is a very throw away DLC, as it has you go into Deep Roads which to my understanding you aren't a fan, and not a lot happens in it so yeah. It'll probably entertain people who wants to devour every piece of Dragon Age lore as it does sort of deal with Dwarven history regarding the old Thaigs and cities lost to the Darkspawn. But not really necessary or engaging.

Witch Hunt - This one is basically Dragon Age Origins' version of the Arrival DLC for Mass Effect 2, it serves pretty much as a prologue to what is to come in DA2 and Inquisition, there are some elements from Awakening returning as well. It's best played when you done the other DLC. I'll refrain from saying anything without spoiling. It's not exactly the best DLC from a gameplay point of view, but the story elements in it was interesting, your party members that follow you in it were not though. You don't necessarily have to play it though, but it's nice to have the knowledge it presents if you aren't tired of Origins at the point when you are playing it :)

I think that covers all of the DLC.

 

[ShimmyShakes]

Man, I should try this game again. I really enoiyed it (Fade excluded) but I never finished it - there was a tower of witches or something that was kicking my arse. Loved the combat and party system, especially coming from a Baldur's Gate background and having an awesome sweeping camera this time round.

I remember my character got with Morrigan, and then I was broken hearted as Leliana wanted nothing to do with me after that haha.

The main thing I remember from this game though is that bit at the beginning when the guy chickens out of drinking the poison or whatever, so your mentor/leader guy kills him:

"I'm sorry, Jory"

My friends and I found it hilarious for some reason, and it was a running joke for a good few months.

Yep, I definitely need to try this one again.

 

[Deleted member 511]

So I went to Redcliffe first when it came to getting help (Was I avoiding the deep roads? Yes). Defending the town was a lot easier than I remember it being this time? I had to restart the fight a lot to save people during my first play through whereas this time, everyone survived with ease (although I think I might have recruited more people to help this time). I freed the Blood Mage but didn't like his suggestion when it came to helping Connor so I left to go do the Circle quest so I could get the mages' help with him. That meant the Fade and I would meet once more. I still didn't like it this time around either but I sucked it up and at least tried to get as many stat points as I could before finally having enough and wanting to leave. Traversing the Fade did make think about how much the art direction has evolved throughout the series (and for the better imo). I ended up putting the game on casual to get through this section quicker towards the end and I haven't returned it back to normal tbh. I'm mostly replaying this for the story/lore and not for any challenge within the gameplay anyway.

I knew Cullen was in Origins but I completely forgot about him. I promptly ignored him when he suggested murdering the rest of the mages because...that's a pretty bad suggestion? I know he was traumatized but I would imagine the mages trapped inside were scared and upset too? Interacting with him in DA:I will be interesting because of this. Anyway, the mages were saved/sided with and then quickly sent to go help save Connor which was a success. I've also been trying keeping up with sidequests as well as the special missions fromm the party members. Strangely enough, I got Morrigan's approval pretty high early on despite us being complete opposites morally (lol) and it's been nice becoming her first 'friend' in a way. Her character mission was the only one I had done in my first (partial) playthrough so I'm looking forward to doing the others. Leliana finally revealing she was as a former spy/assassin or whatever was like...the worst kept open secret though.

Currently I'm in Orzammar and I find myself not really caring about the dwarven nobility's problems. I decided to help Harrowmont because I felt like family was important to my character due to their origin story and therefore they wouldn't approve of the son potentially being a kin slayer. With that said, I feel like the game doesn't really provide you with a lot of - if any? - context on their actual plans for the city and its people once they become king. From what I've read on the wiki, Bhelen seems like the better and possibly more progressive(?) choice despite being a terrible person.

Anyway, I finally have to go into the deep roads. Yay.

Spoiler

I already jumped at spiders falling from the ceiling in the gang's hideout. I am not looking forward to more of this!!!

Yep, I definitely need to try this one again.

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As someone who was kind of 'eh' on it my first time playing, I'm liking the game more a lot this time around so I definitely think you should replay it if you were already a fan!

___

FakePlasticTree Thank you for the dlc recommendations! Much appreciated.

 

[FakePlasticTree]

So I went to Redcliffe first when it came to getting help (Was I avoiding the deep roads? Yes). Defending the town was a lot easier than I remember it being this time? I had to restart the fight a lot to save people during my first play through whereas this time, everyone survived with ease (although I think I might have recruited more people to help this time). I freed the Blood Mage but didn't like his suggestion when it came to helping Connor so I left to go do the Circle quest so I could get the mages' help with him. That meant the Fade and I would meet once more. I still didn't like it this time around either but I sucked it up and at least tried to get as many stat points as I could before finally having enough and wanting to leave. Traversing the Fade did make think about how much the art direction has evolved throughout the series (and for the better imo). I ended up putting the game on casual to get through this section quicker towards the end and I haven't returned it back to normal tbh. I'm mostly replaying this for the story/lore and not for any challenge within the gameplay anyway.

I knew Cullen was in Origins but I completely forgot about him. I promptly ignored him when he suggested murdering the rest of the mages because...that's a pretty bad suggestion? I know he was traumatized but I would imagine the mages trapped inside were scared and upset too? Interacting with him in DA:I will be interesting because of this. Anyway, the mages were saved/sided with and then quickly sent to go help save Connor which was a success. I've also been trying keeping up with sidequests as well as the special missions fromm the party members. Strangely enough, I got Morrigan's approval pretty high early on despite us being complete opposites morally (lol) and it's been nice becoming her first 'friend' in a way. Her character mission was the only one I had done in my first (partial) playthrough so I'm looking forward to doing the others. Leliana finally revealing she was as a former spy/assassin or whatever was like...the worst kept open secret though.

Currently I'm in Orzammar and I find myself not really caring about the dwarven nobility's problems. I decided to help Harrowmont because I felt like family was important to my character due to their origin story and therefore they wouldn't approve of the son potentially being a kin slayer. With that said, I feel like the game doesn't really provide you with a lot of - if any? - context on their actual plans for the city and its people once they become king. From what I've read on the wiki, Bhelen seems like the better and possibly more progressive(?) choice despite being a terrible person.

Anyway, I finally have to go into the deep roads. Yay.

Spoiler

I already jumped at spiders falling from the ceiling in the gang's hideout. I am not looking forward to more of this!!!

As someone who was kind of 'eh' on it my first time playing, I'm liking the game more a lot this time around so I definitely think you should replay it if you were already a fan!

___

FakePlasticTree Thank you for the dlc recommendations! Much appreciated.

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No problem, hope you enjoy everything overall!

"From what I've read on the wiki, Bhelen seems like the better and possibly more progressive(?) choice despite being a terrible person."
This is what I loved about Origins, there are some genuine moral dilemmas to the choices (Well, maybe not all of them) you make that feel more well rounded compared to prior BioWare titles.

Also, I just wanted to add something in regards to Dragon Age 2. The Legacy DLC can be done at any point In the game, same with Mark of the Assassin. The story beats of Legacy are a bit different depending on when you decide to play it, I recommend doing the DLC in Act 2, after the expedition, I won't spoil too much but I think that is the ideal point to do it. It's also fun to do it really early or in Act 3 for potential future playthrough. Legacy also has party banter where Hawks actually engages in the conversation, what she/he says will be different depending on whether she/he is sarcastic, aggressive or diplomatic. Both DLC's also have romanced based banter, so it's fun doing them after you've pursued one. Just thought I'd let you know!

 

[Deleted member 511]

Fuck the Deep Roads, fuck those spiders, and fuck Branka.

I conquered the Deep Roads. I did it. Anyway, as much of a slog the deep roads are, I actually found the concept of them both interesting and sad. The dwarves are kind of 'eh' to me overall but hearing about how much history and culture they've lost due to the darkspawn did make me feel for them. Branka seemingly going insane over time due to being a living paragon and forced to live with this constant pressure to deliver greatness for her people was tragic. I still killed her but the whole concept of doing awful things to your own people for the greater good being so deeply engrained within dwarven culture was interesting to me. The anvil may have been destroyed but that feeling of desperation that lead to a king willing to force living people into golems still feels rampant within the dwarves and made me like nothing had really changed within Orzammar as I walked away from it outside of their being a new king.

After this I decided to do the Urn of the Sacred Ashes. I don't have much to say here as this was a quest I managed to do when I first played the game all those years ago. Since my character is a human noble, I 'roleplay' them as believing them in the Maker so I just killed the cultists and didn't entertain the possibility of defiling the ashes. So yay, the Arl dude is saved. Apparently, I did not have Alistair in my party when I first went to Redcliffe and therefore didn't get the scene where he tells you the truth about his relation to the king. Instead, my character learns about it once Eamon is up and about. Currently, I've just arrived at the Dalish camp and am about to deal with some werewolves. I did this quest when I first played too but admittedly don't really remember what happens outside of the Keeper being sus or something.

Companion stuff.

I also have run into a bit of a problem. Somehow I've entered a romance with Leliana. I actually like this romance with Leliana. If you've read the OP, you know I've been interested in seeing the Alistair romance through...and I started having doubts. But then Alistair gave me a rose which was cheesy but fuck it, that was sweet. Leliana eventually confronts me about my feelings and so I decided to stick to my guns, I choose Alistair. She took it well and we've decided to be BFFs who will travel the world together once this trivial Blight stuff is over (I'm not exaggerating, this was a real conversation). Despite going 'let's just be friends' route with Leliana, she actually offered me into her tent so I am now once again conflicted on the romance angle. I did not expect to be in a lover triangle in my own making and be actually conflicted about the choices.

I've also found Sten's sword, handled things with Leliana's ex (I let her live), took Shale into the deep roads, helped Oghren get his groove back with an Ex(?), and took Alistair to see his sister...which didn't go well. I decided to harden Alistair but I did not harden Leilana because...I didn't really want to tbh. I was interested in seeing the differences in Alistair's character (if there are any major changes?).

 

[stn]

I love this game, in my top 10 ever. The Fade is a bit of a drag but apart from that the game is excellent. One of these days I'm going to back and try to get all the achievements, which I have been chipping away at over the last 2 years.

 

[ShimmyShakes]

This thread inspired me to start DA:O from the beginning. I haven't played it since maybe 2010/2011, so it's been a long while.

I'm playing the noble dwarf story, which I'm enjoying so far. The fact that the beginning of the game is very different to my previous attempts is awesome. I'm in Lothering at the moment, going to clean up a few of the little side quests I've picked up then head out into the big bad world. Currently got Alistair, Leliana and Morrigan in the party. Don't think I'll use Sten, as my guy is already filling the two-handed weapon role, but am definitely interested in his story.

 

[Deleted member 511]

So two things:

1. I've been continuing to read all the lore stuff and had a 'oh snap' moment when I got to the book on the 'Dread Wolf'.

Spoiler

I would imagine the Solas reveal had to be a really satisfying moment for anyone who had been playing the series from the beginning and was really invested in the lore.

2. I think....my romance with Alistair is taking a really bittersweet turn. I didn't really like the idea of Anora kind of just...being shoved to the side despite being the true ruler behind the scenes for the past five years (and apparently she ends up in a dungeon if you don't marry her and Alistair together??) so I actually suggested her marrying Alistair and they both agreed. part of me wishes I went a little bit harder with the roleplay aspect of this like others seem to because it would've been cool to make different decisions as if my warden was 'harden' after the the events of her origin story instead of just kind of playing it safe and being nice all the time + I could've gone full Game of Thrones in the city with some of the political decisions if my character was more cut throat but oh well.

I made a separate save in case I want to make different decisions or something.

This thread inspired me to start DA:O from the beginning. I haven't played it since maybe 2010/2011, so it's been a long while.

I'm playing the noble dwarf story, which I'm enjoying so far. The fact that the beginning of the game is very different to my previous attempts is awesome. I'm in Lothering at the moment, going to clean up a few of the little side quests I've picked up then head out into the big bad world. Currently got Alistair, Leliana and Morrigan in the party. Don't think I'll use Sten, as my guy is already filling the two-handed weapon role, but am definitely interested in his story.

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Nice! Looking forward to reading your thoughts if you decide to share them here!

 

[JT60564]

I'm doing a replay of DAO Ultimate Edition and tbh I'm not enjoying it nearly as much this time around. Either it hasn't aged particularly well, or it just holds no surprises for me anymore, but I set it to easy just so I could brute force through it and move on to DA2. I am less patient this time around and so sections like the Deep Roads feel unbearably long. But I'm looking forward to DA2 (a severely underrated game!) and Inquisition again.

 

[Deleted member 511]

So I actually beat the game last night (I stayed up way too late lol). I'm going to talk about all that in a separate post because if you haven't noticed, I'm very wordy when it comes to sharing my thoughts + I also decided to go back and make a different decision at the Landsmeet. Before all that though: I liked the Dalish vs Werewolves quest for the most part! I ending up convincing the keeper to end the curse by ending his life which seemed like the best solution all around. After that, we headed to the city and the quests here were...fine? I left the Arl of the city in the dungeons because he was a racist and finally getting to kill my dad's murderer was nice(tm).

I feel like the game...kind of makes Loghain cartoonishly evil even more here? I'll more than likely go more into that in my final thoughts(tm) post.

I'm doing a replay of DAO Ultimate Edition and tbh I'm not enjoying it nearly as much this time around. Either it hasn't aged particularly well, or it just holds no surprises for me anymore, but I set it to easy just so I could brute force through it and move on to DA2. I am less patient this time around and so sections like the Deep Roads feel unbearably long. But I'm looking forward to DA2 (a severely underrated game!) and Inquisition again.

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This game kind of has a ME1 vibe to it. As much as I like the first Mass Effect, there was a certain point where I would just import my save and just skip straight to ME2 when replaying the series.

 

[JT60564]

This game kind of has a ME1 vibe to it. As much as I like the first Mass Effect, there was a certain point where I would just import my save and just skip straight to ME2 when replaying the series.

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Yeah in ME1 I actually really liked the much-maligned Mako exploration! But on a 2nd or 3rd playthrough? Ain't got time for that shit. I do look forward to see the changes they have made in the Legendary Edition though.

 

[rras1994]

This game kind of has a ME1 vibe to it. As much as I like the first Mass Effect, there was a certain point where I would just import my save and just skip straight to ME2 when replaying the series.

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Yeah even through I love it I would totally agree, it's starting to get a bit long in the tooth to be honest , could really do with a remaster tbh. I would also say that as it's the first game they still haven't fully developed their own art style and there's some generic fantasy going on with some tropes and the style, it's not really until DA2 were they are fully developing their own style and DAI were they completely embrace. The tarot cards in DAI I still think are one of the most beautiful ways to use art I've seen in games and I hope they continue it in DA4

 

[Deleted member 511]

Yeah even through I love it I would totally agree, it's starting to get a bit long in the tooth to be honest , could really do with a remaster tbh. I would also say that as it's the first game they still haven't fully developed their own art style and there's some generic fantasy going on with some tropes and the style, it's not really until DA2 were they are fully developing their own style and DAI were they completely embrace. The tarot cards in DAI I still think are one of the most beautiful ways to use art I've seen in games and I hope they continue it in DA4

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I definitely agree, especially with the bolded. I briefly mentioned it earlier but when I was doing the Fade section of the Circle, it really jumped out at me at how....brown and somewhat muted everything in Origins is compared to what eventually comes next. Even the characters, while I like them, have very bland base character designs outside of Morrigan. DA2 seems to be when everyone in the cast seems to have more unique clothing designs instead of everyone looking like they're wearing generic NPC clothing and armor. Mass Effect has a similar transition too with character designs in ME2. Ash's Hello Kitty armor in ME1 is iconic though.

I also really like the tarot cards in DA:I too! It's always cool seeing fans commission fanart in that style for their Inquisitor and so on. Seeing the series' art style and aesthetic transition from being this darker, more 'mature' version of LoTR aesthetically (the blood, the dramatic slow-mo kill animations for certain enemies, Morrigan - the hot witch - is the focus for a lot of the official promo stuff, etc.) to still maintaining that darkness but adding a more whimsical flair to it all is cool to me. It makes me very excited for DA4.

 

[Deleted member 511]

I replayed the ending of this game more than once because I hate myself.

The Beginning of the End: When Keeping It Nice:tm: Goes Wrong

So the Landsmeet begins. I got the nobles on my side, Anora spoke against her father, and Loghain was easily defeated by my Warden in a 1v1 match where he yielded. Rad. Things ended peacefully until thing things quickly turned sour. Riordan, another Grey Warden, pops in and his like 'Hey, lets make him a Grey Warden. We need to take what we can get.' I thought that was reasonable so my warden agreed and Alistair didn't like that. He threatens to leave the group, my Warden doesn't relent so he leaves and Loghain joins the Grey Wardens (I knew this would happen and I wanted an achievement but it stilled sucked seeing it all play out). I remember reading someone say that you get to better understand why Loghain was doing what he was doing once he joins you but honestly? I didn't see it. Maybe I should've tried to get his approval up even more before heading to the final battle but I didn't really have anymore quests to do except for one that I wasn't really motivated to finish. His reasoning for doing what he did seems to start and end with Orlais; I read the codex about the war with them but it seemed like a weak justification? I guess if Orlais had more of a presence in this game then I would've gotten it but Loghain felt like a paranoid boomer.

One thing that kind of bothered me during the lead up to the final battle was how it's only Anora that had a presence throughout it despite her and Alistair supposedly leading together now (ex. she only shows up in Redcliffe, she gives the pre-battle speech, etc). She gives way better speeches than Alistair and looks badass in her armor, but it feels like they didn't want to animate cutscenes that had both of them doing things in them. Ultimately, its a minor complaint but I wished the cutscenes more accurately reflected my choices here than it just feel like Anora is ruling by herself aside from Alistair showing up in one cutscene and not saying anything at all. I guess I'll just headcanon that Alistair is brooding somewhere the whole time because I didn't kill Loghain lol.

Before the battle, Loghain and I learn through Riordan, another Grey Warden, that only one of us can kill the archdemon and whoever deals the final blow will die as a result. Being a Grey Warden seems to consistently suck! Morrigan offers a way out for me: convince Loghain to have a baby with her which I ultimately rejected (Again, I wanted an achievement) so Morrigan left too. On its own this might have been a bummer but ultimately tolerable but losing Alistair and Morrigan, the first two companions and the first two friends my Warden made since the loss of everything she had know before, back to back actually hurt. A lot. My warden didn't have anything to live for anymore and so her story ended as tragically as it had begun: with death, loss, and sacrifice. She gave her life to defeat the Archdemon, just like how her super white parents gave up theirs so she could live on.

"I can't believe that loser Alistair won't even say anything at my funeral after this."

That ending was lowkey kind of depressing. it felt...hollow and didn't end the game on the note I wanted it to so I decided to redo all of the events at the Landsmeet.

The Beginning of the End 2: Electric Boogaloo

Won the debate again, Anora said stuff, yadda yadda. This time, however, I let Alistair fight Loghain and after he won, he then proceeded to kill him on the spot. I actually didn't know he would / could do that so...RIP Loghain. Anora didn't like that but who cares.

The joint marriage was off the table and while I felt bad for Anora, I decided to make my Warden a lot more cut throat when it came to human politics due to her origins. Alistair was chosen as king and my warden suggested they get married. If anyone was going to be pulling the king's strings, it was going to be her - not Anora and Eamon. Besides, I rejected Leliana and friend-zoned Zevran to have a crown on the top of her head at the end of all this so I was going to see it through this time. Alistair was a nice prize along with that. 💅🏾

In terms of the final quest itself, I liked it for the most part. The opening section where you're fighting with all of your party members as waves of darkspawn come was really cool and it was something I wish Mass Effect had did more - especially in ME3. The first time playing the last mission was strange at times due to the fact there were moments where the darkspawn waves weren't coming as frequently as they were supposed to? I had to just stand there for 1 or 2 minutes between each wave until they finally spawned in. Thankfully it didn't happen when I replayed it again. The Archdemon fight was...okay. It wasn't really fun nor did it really feel 'special' since I had killed a High dragon during the Sacred Urn. The Archdemon just felt like that fight but the dragon was uglier, had a lot more health, and annoying darkspawn it could summon. I can't imagine doing this fight at a higher difficulty with all those waves of enemies.

"Blight? More like Bye."

Things were a lot more 'cheery' aka my type of vibe this time around. Alistair is still stupid(ly cute) , my super white brother is alive, and I got to have a moment with all my party members - my dog was noticeably absent though. >:( Side note: not making any type of DLC with Shale and Wynne seems like a missed opportunity with that tease. In another save life, things went very different for my Warden but I'm happier with how things turned out this time even if its more a generic happy ending. (Edit: Despite the celebrations, there is still an air of bittersweetness and loss. My warden's friend is gone and that person has a child with her future husband that we will never get to know.) Alistair asked my warden what she was going to do and my swift answer was 'Do some traveling.' Celes Cousland still has real hot girl shit to do so onwards to the Awakening DLC. And yes, I do name my Bioware female protags after Final Fantasy characters.

I actually replayed the ending for a THIRD TIME because I thought I missed something but it turns out I didn't. :))))))) *screams into a void*

Final Thoughts on Origins.

I liked this game a lot more than I was expecting to and my opinion on the series has already done a 180 as a result. As I said earlier, Origin kind of has a Mass Effect 1 vibe to it where it's not perfect but it's a good foundation for what's to come. Unfortunately, I can't get all the dlc for Origins but maybe I'll watch them just to see what happens. I'm actually super excited to dive into DA2 and while I've read mixed opinions on it, I'm going in with an open mind. I tend to like polarizing games in a series anyway so bring it on.

 

[JT60564]

I definitely agree, especially with the bolded. I briefly mentioned it earlier but when I was doing the Fade section of the Circle, it really jumped out at me at how....brown and somewhat muted everything in Origins is compared to what eventually comes next

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I started DA2 again and there's an early convo with Merrill where Hawke complains about how dirty and brown Fereldan is, and Merrill responds defensively with something like "The brown gives it character!" lmao...

I'm actually super excited to dive into DA2 and while I've read mixed opinions on it, I'm going in with an open mind. I tend to like polarizing games in a series anyway so bring it on.

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Don't listen to the haters! DA2 is an excellent game, with an interesting and more original story. Its cast of characters is better than any in the trilogy imo. Parts of it are more streamlined which annoyed the purists, but I think it makes for a more exciting game that plays best to Bioware's strengths.

 

[Deleted member 511]

Don't listen to the haters! DA2 is an excellent game, with an interesting and more original story. Its cast of characters is better than any in the trilogy imo. Parts of it are more streamlined which annoyed the purists, but I think it makes for a more exciting game that plays best to Bioware's strengths.

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That all sounds great to me! lol

 

[Deleted member 511]

I thought about taking a small break before starting the dlc but decided to jump in anyway. I'm liking Awakening so far and the stuff with the talking darkspawn is interesting. Anders isn't what I was expecting personality wise at all if I'm being honest though. As I said in my OP, I know what happens with him so I'm looking forward to seeing how he goes from point A to point B over the course of DA2. I'm very 'eeeh' at Oghren being the returning party member here; mostly because his character was very one-note to me and that hasn't really changed here. Maybe they'll surprise though!

 

[Deleted member 511]

Alright so Awakening and Witch Hunt is finished. The latter was definitely not worth $7 imo. It's really short and is filled with mostly recycled locations on top of that. Kind of wished I had just Youtubed it but oh well. Awakening is meatier but I feel like one more mission could've been fit between the first three and heading to defend the city but overall I liked it.

I probably should've killed it but I let the Architect live. The concept of sentient darkspawn was interesting and if there was a chance that Blights could be permanently stopped, my Warden was going to take it. While it did cause the most recent Blight, one was going to come anyway eventually so I didn't hold that against it too much. When it came to the characters, I liked them all for the most part, although I do think some of them are kind of just archetypes of characters who came before in Origins. Anders is the 'funny' white boy like Alistair and Velanna has the morally grey attitude of Morrigan for instance. I think I liked Sigrun the most - mostly because she felt the most 'fresh' to me and I liked that a female dwarf was in the party. After her, Nathaniel was probably my second favorite. Since his dad murdered mine, we had some...talks to say the least but I liked him. Justice was...fine? Kind of weird talking to a spirit in a rotting body! It is weird that there's still an approval system here when there's really not enough time to get everyone's approval up to do their 'missions'. I only got to do Anders', Nathaniel's and Justice's quests. Oghren's wife showed up but it was before the last mission so I had no chance to get his approval up more to finish it which sucked.

Witch Hunt was eh. I remember there being Morrigan 'discourse' on tumblr about Morrigan being the 'elven expert' in DA:I and...I can understand why. She does give the Dalish book back but a white woman running around stealing stuff from other cultures and becoming the supposed expert on them is...a strange choice to take the character in.

So yeah, Origins is done...at least for now. I'm not an achievement hunter so I doubt I'll ever go back and try to platinum this game, especially since one of the achievements is fighting something on like Nightmare mode (which is a hard no for me) but maybe I'll try. I do think if I ever replay this game, it would be on PC so I can use mods lol.

Dragon Age 2.

I started it last night, mostly because I wanted to create my character then leave it at that for the night....however, that turned into me replaying the opening to this darn game more times than I care to admit. With the skin texture and the lightning in this game, it doesn't seem like anyone considered how it would all look for the darkest skin option in the game. Maybe its just me but the darkest skin....felt weirdly blotchy / didn't look right to me so I tried a skin tone about two shades lighter. The different was really noticeable so after many attempts at making a Hawke I liked, I finally settled on one! Complaints aside, thank you Bioware for having the family's skintone and looks change depending on your preset and skin color. It's really appreciated!! I didn't even know this game had a CC because I saw the default Hawkes in so much fan content for years so I was really pleasantly surprised (I feel like you should've still been able to put that red mark on your own character's face though! It looks cool). I was originally going to name my character after a FFVIII character but it didn't fit once I realized you could alter your Hawke so I decided to name them after the true lead of FFXII:

Anyway, I'm not really getting what's to dislike about this game so far but I only got like 40 minutes in. The combat is so much better than Origins though, like holy crap.

 

[HououinKyouma]

I would love a "Legendary Edition" take on the Dragon Age trilogy. Origins especially remains one of my all-time favorite WRPGs.

 

[Deleted member 511]

Shout out to the mod who was cool with changing my thread title lol.

I would love a "Legendary Edition" take on the Dragon Age trilogy. Origins especially remains one of my all-time favorite WRPGs.

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It really needs it tbh - I would imagine it would also make it easier to import decisions and stuff to DA4 instead of just using the Keep only.

 

[rras1994]

Alright so Awakening and Witch Hunt is finished. The latter was definitely not worth $7 imo. It's really short and is filled with mostly recycled locations on top of that. Kind of wished I had just Youtubed it but oh well. Awakening is meatier but I feel like one more mission could've been fit between the first three and heading to defend the city but overall I liked it.

I probably should've killed it but I let the Architect live. The concept of sentient darkspawn was interesting and if there was a chance that Blights could be permanently stopped, my Warden was going to take it. While it did cause the most recent Blight, one was going to come anyway eventually so I didn't hold that against it too much. When it came to the characters, I liked them all for the most part, although I do think some of them are kind of just archetypes of characters who came before in Origins. Anders is the 'funny' white boy like Alistair and Velanna has the morally grey attitude of Morrigan for instance. I think I liked Sigrun the most - mostly because she felt the most 'fresh' to me and I liked that a female dwarf was in the party. After her, Nathaniel was probably my second favorite. Since his dad murdered mine, we had some...talks to say the least but I liked him. Justice was...fine? Kind of weird talking to a spirit in a rotting body! It is weird that there's still an approval system here when there's really not enough time to get everyone's approval up to do their 'missions'. I only got to do Anders's, Nathaniel's and Justice's quests. Oghren's wife showed up but it was before the last mission so I had no chance to get his approval up more to finish it which sucked.

Witch Hunt was eh. I remember there being Morrigan 'discourse' on tumblr about Morrigan being the 'elven expert' in DA:I and...I can understand why. She does give the Dalish book back but a white woman running around stealing stuff from other cultures and becoming the supposed expert on them is...a strange choice to take the character in.

So yeah, Origins is done...at least for now. I'm not an achievement hunter so I doubt I'll ever go back and try to platinum this game, especially since one of the achievements is fighting something on like Nightmare mode (which is a hard no for me) but maybe I'll try. I do think if I ever replay this game, it would be on PC so I can use mods lol.

Dragon Age 2.

I started it last night, mostly because I wanted to create my character then leave it at that for the night....however, that turned into me replaying the opening to this darn game more times than I care to admit. With the skin texture and the lightning in this game, it doesn't seem like anyone considered how it would all look for the darkest skin option in the game. Maybe its just me but the darkest skin....felt weirdly blotchy / didn't look right to me so I tried a skin tone about two shades lighter. The different was really noticeable so after many attempts at making a Hawke I liked, I finally settled on one! Complaints aside, thank you Bioware for having the family's skintone and looks change depending on your preset and skin color. It's really appreciated!! I didn't even know this game had a CC because I saw the default Hawkes in so much fan content for years so I was really pleasantly surprised (I feel like you should've still been able to put that red mark on your own character though!).

I'm not really getting what's to dislike about this game so far but I only got like 40 minutes in. The combat is so much better than Origins though, like holy crap.

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Honestly, for Morrigan I would say that while she does know things simply cus of her background and who her mother is, she thinks she knows more than she actually does and there's just some parts where she falls flat on her face cus of that - I'm thinking in particular of one choise in DAI which could really get her in trouble. I've always kind of seen Morrigan and Solas as analogous characters that their weakness is their pride and that they think they know more than others so that puts them in the position of getting to decide for others, in their heads at least, Solas taking that to more of an extreme than Morrigan. I suspect that Morrigan being more young and the progress she made from DAO to DAI even that she may have a chance to grow and realise she doesn't know everything. Solas I think had his big chance in DAI if he was going to change and I suspect he's more of a tragedy and won't learn from it.

I honestly always saw Morrigan's arrogance and talking over others as something that was meant to be seen as a fault.

 

[Starlatine]

Anyway, I'm not really getting what's to dislike about this game so far but I only got like 40 minutes in. The combat is so much better than Origins though, like holy crap.

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you better really enjoy these first 40 minutes

youre going to see them a lot

 

[Deleted member 511]

Also two things I forgot to mention:

1. The mom is kind of an asshole. How did you just tell a child it's their fault their sister is dead? That reaction would've still sucked but made a little more sense if you had to choose between protecting the brother and the sister which resulted in the other dying or something.

2. Do they ever explain the reasoning behind Flemeth's redesign? A part of me finds it really cool and sort of in-line with how the character herself flips the 'Mother' role in video games on its head (in most RPGS I've played, the mother character - if mentioned - is either dead or doesn't matter). The new design screams 'power' to me and reinforces that she's definitely not the unassuming old witch she appeared to be in Origins (a good reminder in case one didn't do Morrigan's quest or didn't fight Flemeth if you did), however, the other side of me is like 'Did they try to make the old lady hot?' lol.

Honestly, for Morrigan I would say that while she does know things simply cus of her background and who her mother is, she thinks she knows more than she actually does and there's just some parts where she falls flat on her face cus of that - I'm thinking in particular of one choise in DAI which could really get her in trouble. I've always kind of seen Morrigan and Solas as analogous characters that their weakness is their pride and that they think they know more than others so that puts them in the position of getting to decide for others, in their heads at least, Solas taking that to more of an extreme than Morrigan. I suspect that Morrigan being more young and the progress she made from DAO to DAI even that she may have a chance to grow and realise she doesn't know everything. Solas I think had his big chance in DAI if he was going to change and I suspect he's more of a tragedy and won't learn from it.

I honestly always saw Morrigan's arrogance and talking over others as something that was meant to be seen as a fault.

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I agree but (and this is said by someone from the outside looking into the DA fandom which...is full of people with very intense opinions on these characters from what I've seen lol) I think some people are sensitive about how the Elves are written and treated within the narrative? You have these people that - at least to my understanding - are still slaves in some parts of the world, don't really have homes anymore in other parts, can have fantasy slurs thrown at them, I think Sera basically kind of insults your culture if you're playing as an Dalish Elf and I think Solas is also kind of weird about it too (but its been like 4/5 years since I played that game) so I guess the fans passionate about this wished elves were treated with more respect? What that means probably varies from fan to fan but the Morrigan discourse/complaints/whatever seem to be part of a bigger issue some people have with how elves are handled in-game overall from what I've seen. I'm kind of an outside observer when it comes to this so I don't have strong opinions (yet).

you better really enjoy these first 40 minutes

youre going to see them a lot

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Ngl, I'm already tired of it because I had to restart the game like 5 times to get my character looking right so rip me.

 

[rras1994]

I agree but (and this is said by someone from the outside looking into the DA fandom which...is full of people with very intense opinions on these characters from what I've seen lol) I think some people are sensitive about how the Elves are written and treated within the narrative? You have these people that - at least to my understanding - are still slaves in some parts of the world, don't really have homes anymore in other parts, can have fantasy slurs thrown at them, I think Sera basically kind of insults your culture if you're playing as an Dalish Elf and I think Solas is also kind of weird about it too (but its been like 4/5 years since I played that game) so I guess the fans passionate about this wished elves were treated with more respect? What that means probably varies from fan to fan but the Morrigan discourse/complaints/whatever seem to be part of a bigger issue some people have with how elves are handled in-game overall from what I've seen. I'm kind of an outside observer when it comes to this so I don't have strong opinions (yet).

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Honestly there's a part of the fandom that are angry that the Dalish are wrong of parts of their history, largely cus they see Elves in DA as analogous to Native Americans which while true to an extent is not the only place where the inspiration come from, I actually suspect that the large inspiration may have come from Ancient Greeks and how they ended up getting their religion stolen and put in slavery by Rome when their empire over took the Ancient Greeks. The elves have a lot of inspiration from lots of places. I can kinda see that it can be viewed as a negative having "outsiders" come in and say they know better about your own culture but the big ones that do that are Solas and Morrigan who aren't actually separate from the Elhven culture, they just aren't connected to the Dalish part. I guess I also never saw that the Dalish are "wrong" or "stupid" for making mistakes about their history as one, a large theme of Dragon Age is real events getting twisted over time and two, it's a pretty natural consequence of the Elves being constantly destroyed and having to rebuild their histories from fragments, it's a tragedy due to the slavery and the masssacre of the Dales the elves have endured that they don't know it, not their own fault at all. This is a real thing that does happen. But I do think there has been a history of fandom as treating Dalish as the more "real" elves and the fandom whether it's elves or Mage rights is awful at seeing complicated subjects as black and white so in all honesty I think really oversimplifies the conflict between City Elves and Dalish in the series and doesn't really do a good job at understanding how complicated identity issues in real life minorities are like. Not that i think Dragon Age always hits the mark but there's a large segment for example that has just put Sera down as "racist" and therefore irredemable and ignored how the trauma of being seen by a part of your own people as not a "proper" one and not good enough can manifest.

As you can see I could probably write a giant essay about this stuff :p To summarise I do think there's areas that BioWare could improve on how they portray elves but I've honestly stayed away from Tumblr discourse in DA fandom for a long time just because a lot of every issue in Dragon Age which has a lot of very sensitive and complicated issues is suddenly made of a character is either good or bad and it honestly just kinda makes me tired. Like the Morrigan arrogance thing tbh. I would reccomend reading the Masked Empire though for what the elves have to deal with in Southern Thedas, but I fully love Briala and thinks she's the best so am very biased there. I thought it was quite good at showing why Sera would have her feelings towards the Dalish she does and how such things can develop.

 

[Deleted member 511]

To summarise I do think there's areas that BioWare could improve on how they portray elves but I've honestly stayed away from Tumblr discourse in DA fandom for a long time just because a lot of every issue in Dragon Age which has a lot of very sensitive and complicated issues is suddenly made of a character is either good or bad and it honestly just kinda makes me tired.

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I left tumblr for similar reasons but with another fandom so I get you (although honestly, with this fandom it wasn't even over compllciated issues. Just people demonizing characters and real people over shipping lol). For me, I've tried to just slowly form my own opinions on what I'm being presented with because I remember the Mage vs Templar discourse being really loud and I think that shaped my interactions with certain characters like Vivienne. I still think its very strange that they chose the black woman to kind of be the 'devils advocate' for the mage stuff (which further puts her in a position to be disliked when black characters already tend to get more hate) but I look forward to DAI and talking to her with more of an open mind. I never really thought about identity issues within the series so that's a really good point; I'll keep that in mind when interacting with Sera later.

 

[Hailinel]

I left tumblr for similar reasons but with another fandom so I get you (although honestly, with this fandom it wasn't even over compllciated issues. Just people demonizing characters and real people over shipping lol). For me, I've tried to just slowly form my own opinions on what I'm being presented with because I remember the Mage vs Templar discourse being really loud and I think that shaped my interactions with certain characters like Vivienne. I still think its very strange that they chose the black woman to kind of be the 'devils advocate' for the mage stuff (which further puts her in a position to be disliked when black characters already tend to get more hate) but I look forward to DAI and talking to her with more of an opinion mind. I never really thought about identity issues within the series so that's a really good point; I'll keep that in mind when interacting with Sera later.

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I eventually ducked out of Tumblr for similar reasons. Fandom discourse there is just...what the hell.

But that aside, I really enjoyed DAO (aside from the Fade), but Dragon Age II just did nothing for me. I especially hated the shift toward a Mass Effect-style dialogue system over the original game's dialogue, particularly for the way that the game gives all of Hawke's dialogue choices coded icons. (Hey, don't even think about what to say. You've got your Jesus option, Hitler option, sarcastic option, romance option, and "give me exposition" option.) I played through the end of Act I and that was more Dragon Age II than I could care for.

 

[Deleted member 511]

I eventually ducked out of Tumblr for similar reasons. Fandom discourse there is just...what the hell.

But that aside, I really enjoyed DAO (aside from the Fade), but Dragon Age II just did nothing for me. I especially hated the shift toward a Mass Effect-style dialogue system over the original game's dialogue, particularly for the way that the game gives all of Hawke's dialogue choices coded icons. (Hey, don't even think about what to say. You've got your Jesus option, Hitler option, sarcastic option, romance option, and "give me exposition" option.) I played through the end of Act I and that was more Dragon Age II than I could care for.

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Yeah it's a mess. I feel like Twitter is the new place for fandom discourse as well which is why I just stick to retweeting art lol.

But yeah, I definitely can see the Mass Effect influences on this game. I don't mind the dialogue wheel itself but I thought the literal angel wing for the good option was a bit silly but it's something I can move pass for now - we'll see if that changes. Speaking of ME, I was listening to Normandy FM's podcast and one of the host brought up a good point of how DA seems to want to tell different stories each game but also have things connected like Mass Effect. They felt it doesn't work at times and leads to certain plot elements getting messy aka things getting retconned a lot which I thought was interesting and I think I find myself kind of agreeing with somewhat.

 

[Deleted member 511]

Not gonna lie ya'll.....I'm feeling this game a lot. I think I definitely 'get' the complaints I've seen before about repetitive environments but as of right now, I don't seem to mind it. I like the concept of the game taking place in one city; maybe it'll start to get repetitive but as of right now, I'm enjoying it. This is kind of what I wanted (or I guess thought) FFVIIR would be: more freedom to explore the different areas of Midgar instead of the linear game we got. Maybe that's why I appreciate Kirkwall as of right now. I also like the ME2 vibes in terms of Hawke just trying to get by / kind of 'slumming it' versus the Warden who quite literally had to save the entire region. It reminds me of how ME1 was this grand heroic space adventure and while ME2 still had aspects of that, it was focused on Shepard going to more seedier parts of the galaxy for this one specific purpose.

The cast is a lot better than Origins and maybe even Inquisition already (at least for me). Not to say that I didn't like the characters in Origins but a lot of them weren't as fleshed out as I wanted them to be. I also really like the family dynamic here a lot: the little brother is annoying but in a way a little brother should be and I can understand his resentment. The uncle is a loser you shouldn't like but you get why he turned out that way (also finding him in the brothel(?) in the rich area of town was something). I like the lady knight (I don't feel like looking up how to spell her name right) and it was through her that I first got introduced to the romance system and....boy.

I thought people saying that Hawke can apparently being really thirsty if you want them to was an over-exaggeration but holy shit:

Anders as he literally pours his soul out to you, a stranger: I have a spirit of vengeance inside of me and I'm slowly losing myself.
Hawke: Yeah but that body is fucking banginnnnnn'!!!!! *finger guns*

For the record, I did not choose that option.

But yeah it was...somewhat jarring - especially considering the tone of the conversation and that we also...literally don't know each other yet. At least with Merrill and Fenris, it comes off as more...casual flirting and fitting with the conversations I'm having with them. Also yes, I'll probably end up in another love triangle because I have no self control!!!!!

Edit: Also I don't really get the rivalry aspect of the game nor do I understand Isabela's outfit.

 

[rras1994]

Not gonna lie ya'll.....I'm feeling this game a lot. I think I definitely 'get' the complaints I've seen before about repetitive environments but as of right now, I don't seem to mind it. I like the concept of the game taking place in one city; maybe it'll start to get repetitive but as of right now, I'm enjoying it. This is kind of what I wanted (or I guess thought) FFVIIR would be: more freedom to explore the different areas of Midgar instead of the linear game we got. Maybe that's why I appreciate Kirkwall as of right now. I also like the ME2 vibes in terms of Hawke just trying to get by / kind of 'slumming it' versus the Warden who quite literally had to save the entire region. It reminds me of how ME1 was this grand heroic space adventure and while ME2 still had aspects of that, it was focused on Shepard going to more seedier parts of the galaxy for this one specific purpose.

The cast is a lot better than Origins and maybe even Inquisition already (at least for me). Not to say that I didn't like the characters in Origins but a lot of them weren't as fleshed out as I wanted them to be. I also really like the family dynamic here a lot: the little brother is annoying but in a way a little brother should be and I can understand his resentment. The uncle is a loser you shouldn't like but you get why he turned out that way (also finding him in the brothel(?) in the rich area of town was something). I like the lady knight (I don't feel like looking up how to spell her name right) and it was through her that I first got introduced to the romance system and....boy.

I thought people saying that Hawke can apparently being really thirsty if you want them to was an over-exaggeration but holy shit:

Anders as he literally pours his soul out to you, a stranger: I have a spirit of vengeance inside of me and I'm slowly losing myself.
Hawke: Yeah but that body is fucking banginnnnnn'!!!!! *finger guns*

For the record, I did not choose that option.

But yeah it was...somewhat jarring - especially considering the tone of the conversation and that we also...literally don't know each other yet. At least with Merrill and Fenris, it comes off as more...casual flirting and fitting with the conversations I'm having with them. Also yes, I'll probably end up in another love triangle because I have no self control!!!!!

Edit: Also I don't really get the rivalry aspect of the game nor do I understand Isabela's outfit.

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For Isabela I'm actually relatively fine with her having a more sexy outfit as she is unashamingly a sex positive person and is actually one of the few sexualised female character that actually, ya know, has sex, and not just with the main player character which is actually shockingly rare. I just wish she wore trousers. It would make the outfit sooooooo much better and she'd still be sexy af.

Also love DA2 because it is a smaller story. I like how each Dragon Age has a different kind of story so it depends on what you feel like playing and it feels more fresh. Like it's still a cohesive story about the world of Thedas, they still feel connected and have themse that join up but because they have a different protag each time they can shake it up a bit more, than say the Mass Effect trilogy was able to. Like for ME2 to make Shepherd to be in the more seedy parts they literally had to kill them and bring them back to life lol. It's why I'm so looking forward to DA4 because it would be nice to have another protag in the series that is more "powerless" again.

 

[Deleted member 511]

For Isabela I'm actually relatively fine with her having a more sexy outfit as she is unashamingly a sex positive person and is actually one of the few sexualised female character that actually, ya know, has sex, and not just with the main player character which is actually shockingly rare. I just wish she wore trousers. It would make the outfit sooooooo much better and she'd still be sexy af.

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Just to clarify I'm definitely not against her outfit since it's fitting for the character + I do like 'sexy' female character designs if they work. I will defend Yuna from FFX going from this to this in the sequel because it's a change that makes sense to me / fits the point of her arc in the game - even if its probably meant to be sexy for men too. I think my problem with Isabela is that...I literally can't tell if she's wearing really super short shorts or not lol. I think if she had shorts on that didn't look like underwear, the design would be fine for me.

I haven't brought this up here - mostly because I was debating whether I should talk about it in my colorism thread - but I do feel...somewhat strange about how back to back, the two brown party members (her and Zevran) are kind of the overtly sexual ones and so far we've never gotten a white character like that. Anders was super flirty/kept talking about women in Awakening but that aspect of his characters seems gone now in 2. On its own, its not really a big deal but I couldn't help but notice that. I do know Fenris' romance is really popular so I'll see how I like it if I do pursue it.

Also love DA2 because it is a smaller story. I like how each Dragon Age has a different kind of story so it depends on what you feel like playing and it feels more fresh. Like it's still a cohesive story about the world of Thedas, they still feel connected and have themse that join up but because they have a different protag each time they can shake it up a bit more, than say the Mass Effect trilogy was able to. Like for ME2 to make Shepherd to be in the more seedy parts they literally had to kill them and bring them back to life lol. It's why I'm so looking forward to DA4 because it would be nice to have another protag in the series that is more "powerless" again.

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Yeah as much as I love ME2, I do get some people's frustration at how you're basically forced to work with Cerberus - even if its something your Shepard would instantly say no to (especially if you did a certain sidequest in ME1). I won't go into the 'Ashley is a space racist' discourse but its interesting that ME2 introduces a bunch of other humans willingly working with the equivalent of a space supremacist group yet that's kind of ignored by the fanbase lol.

 

[rras1994]

Just to clarify I'm definitely not against her outfit since it's fitting for the character + I do like 'sexy' female character designs if they work. I will defend Yuna from FFX going from this to this in the sequel because it's a change that makes sense to me / fits the point of her arc in the game - even if its probably meant to be sexy for men too. I think my problem with Isabela is that...I literally can't tell if she's wearing really super short shorts or not lol. I think if she had shorts on that didn't look like underwear, the design would be fine for me.

I haven't brought this up here - mostly because I was debating whether I should talk about it in my colorism thread - but I do feel...somewhat strange about how back to back, the two brown party members (her and Zevran) are kind of the overtly sexual ones and so far we've never gotten a white character like that. Anders was super flirty/kept talking about women in Awakening but that aspect of his characters seems gone now in 2. On its own, its not really a big deal but I couldn't help but notice that. I do know Fenris' romance is really popular so I'll see how I like it if I do pursue it.


Yeah as much as I love ME2, I do get some people's frustration at how you're basically forced to work with Cerberus - even if its something your Shepard would instantly say no to (especially if you did a certain sidequest in ME1). I won't go into the 'Ashley is a space racist' discourse but its interesting that ME2 introduces a bunch of other humans willingly working with the equivalent of a space supremacist group yet that's kind of ignored by the fanbase lol.

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Shorts with Isabella's outfit would look so awesome! it's kinda like with Morrigan's outfit that the biggest thing that bothers me a bout it is not that it's sexy but to me it looks annoying because if you wore it , it would be constantly falling down. Just like I look at Isabella and go "well, that would be annoying, you'd have to be constantly pulling you shirt down so it doesn't show your butt constantly".

While I like both Zev and Isabella, I do think that BioWare were at least a bit thoughtless in making both more sexual companions as poc. DAI does get better for this in that there just are more poc characters compared to DAO and DA2 in DAI(I've seen some arguement that Alistair in DAO is meant to be poc, and just looking at the design I've always felt uncomfortable giving BioWare that kudos as I fully think they just meant to design him as a white man that was tanned to distinguish him from Cailan, I don't think they actually meant him to be taken as poc compared to Zev or Duncan for example - not to take from anyone who wants to view him that way but I just wouldn't count him in the less sex, more romantic poc romance box cus I don't think that's what BioWare actually were trying to do when they made him if that makes sense?). But DAI still could do more. But we are going further North in Thedas so I am expecting more poc for the next game.

For ME2 , I've always felt they should have gone harder on Ceberus to show that aspect, I don't think they always got the point on how bad they are to the audience, especially when you get to the point when the Virmire survivor comes in, you get so many fans not understanding why they are so annoyed at Shepherd for working with Cerberus. And honestly thought Tali and Garrus should have been a lot more made about the Cerberus. Like it didn't make much sense that the human companions that weren't Cerberus seemed to have a bigger issue with Cerberus than the actual Alien companions who would be most affected by it. Fun game but there's a lot of logical inconsistincies you have to let slide to go along with the plot and ironically Shepherd dying isn't even the biggest one lol

 

[Deleted member 511]

It doesn't bother me so far but I am noticing how the sections outside of the city such as caves and stuff all have the same exact layout. Did this game have development issues or something? It's really strange. With that said, I'm still vibing with this game hard. I have a lot of time on my hands due to personal reasons so I've been getting a lot done in the game and I finished Act 1(?). I really liked the set up here so far: there's a major rise and eventually fall with Hawke happening and while I know one big spoiler, I'm curious to see the events play out. You can feel the tension between the mages and templars bubbling with the hints about the Knight-Commander and things are getting increasingly tense with the Qunari as well. You're essentially waiting for a bomb to go off which is...somewhat funny considering things will pop off later - quite literally apparently. Getting to DAI is going to be weird though because Cullen feels like...a totally different character in that compared to how he's now spent two games saying we need to basically murder mages or drill the Chantry chants into their heads so that the Maker keeps the demons away I guess. Speaking of the mage stuff, it's weird when people will just crap on mages in front of your Hawke and then basically be like 'Oh, you're different though <3' if you're a mage (and sometimes you don't even get that).

I'm curious about the idol(?) we picked up in the deep roads. I couldn't tell if it was that thing that caused Varric's brother to screw us over or if he was planning on doing it the whole time but I doubt we've seen the last of that. So far, I'm still enjoying the companions (Anders seems a lil boring though considering all the fangirls he has). Going to Fenris' place is quite literally this though:

Also my Hawke's thirsty as fuck. I've flirted with like three characters so far. Will this backfire on me? Probably. I said fuck it and chose the heart option when talking to Isabela while she was apologizing for screwing me over in the fade.

While I like both Zev and Isabella, I do think that BioWare were at least a bit thoughtless in making both more sexual companions as poc. DAI does get better for this in that there just are more poc characters compared to DAO and DA2 in DAI(I've seen some arguement that Alistair in DAO is meant to be poc, and just looking at the design I've always felt uncomfortable giving BioWare that kudos as I fully think they just meant to design him as a white man that was tanned to distinguish him from Cailan, I don't think they actually meant him to be taken as poc compared to Zev or Duncan for example - not to take from anyone who wants to view him that way but I just wouldn't count him in the less sex, more romantic poc romance box cus I don't think that's what BioWare actually were trying to do when they made him if that makes sense?). But DAI still could do more. But we are going further North in Thedas so I am expecting more poc for the next game.

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Yeah Alistair always seemed like a white boy to me. Even his sister, who has the same mom as him, is also clearly coded as white? I agree with you about him being tanner to make him less similar to his brother.

For ME2 , I've always felt they should have gone harder on Ceberus to show that aspect, I don't think they always got the point on how bad they are to the audience, especially when you get to the point when the Virmire survivor comes in, you get so many fans not understanding why they are so annoyed at Shepherd for working with Cerberus. And honestly thought Tali and Garrus should have been a lot more made about the Cerberus. Like it didn't make much sense that the human companions that weren't Cerberus seemed to have a bigger issue with Cerberus than the actual Alien companions who would be most affected by it. Fun game but there's a lot of logical inconsistincies you have to let slide to go along with the plot and ironically Shepherd dying isn't even the biggest one lol

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As much as I like the series, I think the problem is that ME never really challenges Shepard, aka the player, on anything. Everything Shepard is doing is meant to be cool and awesome - you can choose to punch a brown female reporter in all three games because she's a 'bitch' for challenging Shepard. It's all framed in a way to be 'funny' / make Shepard look badass even if it's shitty and there's never really any commentary on that. It's the same with Cerberus: they're cool and awesome while Shepard is working with them and then people are shocked when they start acting like the extremist/supremacist group they've been the whole time in ME3. While I don't really like how T.I.M. is written in ME3, I wouldn't say he's fully out of character either. As you said, the problem is that ME2 doesn't drill in how much of a problem working with Cerberus is. The loyalty missions are all highly personal missions for each character but in hindsight, I think they should've maybe found a way to include Cerberus in some of them more so that it's not just Shepard earning the squad mate's loyalty but Shepard specifically choosing them over Cerberus or something.

It's interesting how Dragon Age has a lot more instant 'consequences' regarding your actions compared to ME due to the approval and friendship mechanics but also with major choices. If you defile the Sacred Ashes, you have to kill two specific party members on the spot if they're with you or they'll leave when you return to camp. There's a lot of moments in DA where you words and actions have meaning beyond just saying the good or bad option like in ME. There are times when a 'bad' decision can come back to haunt you in ME (certain things with Wrex) but there's nothing like getting instant disapproval from Liara and Tali when you punch out a reporter. Stuff like that would challenge the player to think about their actions/what they say instead of your squad mates just following Shepard around the galaxy statically.

 

[Deleted member 511]

One thing I'm not really liking with Act 2 is how the game seems to just...throw a lot of enemies at you in certain fights which ultimately does nothing but drag it out and isn't fun. I had to do the fight at the end of the Merrill quest with the Frost Horror(?) and all the corpses like 3 or 4 times because my party kept dying and I refused to turn the difficulty down. It's happening again with a fight with a bunch of templar and a wave of fanatics. Maybe I need to equip everyone with better weapons and Hawke with better gear but I'm just gonna play on casual if this is seemingly going to be a reoccurring thing from now on. Some of these fights aren't fun to me unfortunately.

 

[TheeeKye]

One thing I'm not really liking with Act 2 is how the game seems to just...throw a lot of enemies at you in certain fights which ultimately does nothing but drag it out and isn't fun. I had to do the fight at the end of the Merrill quest with the Frost Horror(?) and all the corpses like 3 or 4 times because my party kept dying and I refused to turn the difficulty down. It's happening again with a fight with a bunch of templar and a wave of fanatics. Maybe I need to equip everyone with better weapons and Hawke with better gear but I'm just gonna play on casual if this is seemingly going to be a reoccurring thing from now on. Some of these fights aren't fun to me unfortunately.

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The continuous waves of enemies is definitely one of the more annoying things about playing that game, I've turned the difficulty down because of it before as well.

 

[Deleted member 511]

Anders sucks. He really told Fenris he hated mages out of jealously because his sister was one despite Fenris being a literal slave to a mage. I hate it here!!!!

The continuous waves of enemies is definitely one of the more annoying things about playing that game, I've turned the difficulty down because of it before as well.

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Good to know it's not just me! I thought I was playing badly or something lol.

 

[BossAttack]

Anders sucks. He really told Fenris he hated mages out of jealously because his sister was one despite Fenris being a literal slave to a mage. I hate it here!!!!


Good to know it's not just me! I thought I was playing badly or something lol.

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You are learning, good.

 

[Deleted member 511]

You are learning, good.

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I knew he was a divisive character and I already knew stuff like him getting friendship points if you give Fenris back to his master (which is yikes:tm:) but I don't know. There's nothing really 'likable' about him when he's kind of a walking hypocrite considering how he's against mage oppression yet looks up to the same mages who have slaves and says questionable stuff to Merrill, an elf whose people are treated terribly.

 

[Deleted member 511]

Anders sucksssssssssssssssssssssssss.

 

[BossAttack]

Anders sucksssssssssssssssssssssssss.

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Yeah, but mages need freedom...or something.

 

[Deleted member 511]

Yeah, but mages need freedom...or something.

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Like....he just straight up admits he's a murderer super casually, I CANNOT.

 

[BossAttack]

Like....he just straight up admits he's a murderer super casually, I CANNOT.

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What part are you at? Cause I'm hoping it's the part I think.

 

[Deleted member 511]

What part are you at? Cause I'm hoping it's the part I think.

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He just blew up the Chantry and now I have to decide what to do with him. I want to kill him but I'm also trying to be considerate of what my actual Hawke would do.