Dragon Age Series
- Thread starter Zee
- Start date
Lex
Administrator
Moar thoughts
I kind of like how the game was split into Act 1/ Act 2/ Act 3 and that there was a bit of a timeskip so you really get the impression that time has passed between companions (re: Isabela leaving at the end of act 2 and returning in act 3) or that they've bonded or something.
I also like games that have chapters, it gives you a good impression of when to have everything wrapped up by so this was kind of a neat take on that. I've now read a lot of people online saying Act 1 was too long - I didn't really notice this? Not sure why but people saying "Act 1 is really long, Act 2 is shorter and Act 3 is too short" I didn't really get that. Tbh I felt like Act 2 dragged a bit. Act 1 needs to be longer because you're being introduced to a lot. Act 3 was about the right length if I'm honest. I also took that opportunity to do both Legacy and Mark of the Assassin and both of those plus everything else in act 3 made it slightly longer than act 2.
I also like games that have chapters, it gives you a good impression of when to have everything wrapped up by so this was kind of a neat take on that. I've now read a lot of people online saying Act 1 was too long - I didn't really notice this? Not sure why but people saying "Act 1 is really long, Act 2 is shorter and Act 3 is too short" I didn't really get that. Tbh I felt like Act 2 dragged a bit. Act 1 needs to be longer because you're being introduced to a lot. Act 3 was about the right length if I'm honest. I also took that opportunity to do both Legacy and Mark of the Assassin and both of those plus everything else in act 3 made it slightly longer than act 2.
Like miles upon miles upon miles better than Origins. But I've spoken before about the fact that gameplay in Origins sucks balls on console. If I'm doing another playthrough it'll be on a high-end PC with mods - I know I don't need a high-end PC but I want to pump everything up and use HD texture mods so yes I do. Hopefully doing all of that will make it less of a jittery mess. At least when I watched fangu playing it on her stream it seemed a lot smoother on PC.
I liked the new skill trees. I like that combat was more fast paced. I much prefer the dialogue wheel (this is obviously coming from someone who doesn't use a mouse and is used to Mass Effect) although it was a bit buggy at times. I accidentally chose a right-hand option about 20 times when I was holding in the left stick for a question, it caused me to have to reload 4 times or so I think.
The companion skill trees were a bit eehhhh because there's really a clear way you're supposed to go with those but early on it's not so clear so I'm just glad I had the Black Emporium to respec them with Maker's Sigh. I mean I get that some people might not think there's a clear way for them to go, but you're restricted to weapon types with all of them so some of the trees are obviously more useful than others. I'm not about to give Varric a lot of points in subterfuge for example.
I liked the new skill trees. I like that combat was more fast paced. I much prefer the dialogue wheel (this is obviously coming from someone who doesn't use a mouse and is used to Mass Effect) although it was a bit buggy at times. I accidentally chose a right-hand option about 20 times when I was holding in the left stick for a question, it caused me to have to reload 4 times or so I think.
The companion skill trees were a bit eehhhh because there's really a clear way you're supposed to go with those but early on it's not so clear so I'm just glad I had the Black Emporium to respec them with Maker's Sigh. I mean I get that some people might not think there's a clear way for them to go, but you're restricted to weapon types with all of them so some of the trees are obviously more useful than others. I'm not about to give Varric a lot of points in subterfuge for example.
Varric: OK here we have another character that everyone loves that I'm just kind of ambivalent about. I did like him which speaks leaps and bounds for him because it makes him the first Dwarf I've actually liked AT ALL. Aside from maybe that side character that wanted to study magic in Orzammar, she was nice also. Oghren was funny some times but I just did not get it.
Merrill: Hilarious, loved bringing her along. I understand why she was into the blood magic thing but she was a bit pig headed about how bad it really is when all this bad shit was happening right in front of her and she was still like "tra la la im a blood mage". OK sure Merrill, you keep on truckin'
. Honestly if she wasn't voiced by Eve Myles and well written in an adorable way people would probably hate her.
Isabela: I really liked her but maaaaaan if she's not responsible for the deaths of a SHITLOAD of people just due to her own selfishness. I didn't give her to the Arishok because I didn't want to, but I did think it would have been the most correct thing to do. Duel with the arishok and panic on the streets of Kirkwall went fine Isabela, thanks for all of that.
Fenris: Anyone who is that stubborn after being around the companions for that length of time needs a good slap. Stop complaining about mages Fenris, you're going to help me kill templars in the end anyway. Instant dislike, but I grew to hate him less as time went on. His personal quests were really well done, and his sister... omg his sister, what a bitch.
Sebastian: so meh. so very very meh. Just shut up Sebastian. You just had to be Scottish didn't you.
Bethany: I played a Rogue so I got her. I loved her tbh, I loved that she was Hawke's sister and she was just very likeable in general. Taking her on the legacy DLC was particularly satisfying. I had an immediate dislike of Carver but another playthrough is needed to judge him properly. I'd love to be able to play a mage hawke with Bethany instead of Carver. Bethany went to the circle btw, but I think I mentioned that before.
Aveline: I loved Aveline! I don't have much more to add other than that flirting with her and it going completely over her head during the Donnic quest was great fun. It took me a while to warm to her but she's a very "this is my right hand" character so it became difficult not to like her.
Anders: Well. I didn't hate him at first. Some of his dialogue with the companions brings him a bit closer to his Awakening self which was nice but overall the way he was and the way he acted was just too much of a character difference IMO. They are like totally different characters, even factoring in the whole Justice thing (who I also liked during Awakening and when he takes control of Anders in this game he's also completely different and contradictory). I mean I get it, he's essentially possessed but it's very hard to just wave away all the character differences by just saying "oh look they merged and it's not entirely good for them". Anders is absolutely batshit. And I'm not saying that because I dislike him now, I'm saying this because he is absolutely batshit insane. I did distract the grand cleric for him even though I had a bit of an inkling about what was about to happen because I was romancing him and the dialogue from my male Hawke was great (Angerfeisu: "Well I'll do it but you're blackmailing me into it!" because I indicated like 3 times "I'm not doing this if you don't tell me why". It was very well done.
Romance choice: Explained already, but I'm now going to explain that if I could have I would have gone back to Fenris in act 3 after trying out Anders for a bit. If you put the two of them on a graph where likeability is the scale against time, you start with Anders higher than Fenris declining throughout the game where Fenris increases (at a slow rate). I didn't really appreciate Fenris all that much until the end of Act 2 and didn't actually like him until Act 3. I still don't love him, but out of the two he's a better option. One of the things I liked about Anders is that he moves in and Fenris doesn't, but then he's like a one night stand that won't leave (for 3 years XD). I got a lot of satisfaction out of breaking up with him right at the end because he was all "MY LOVE LETS BE FUGITIVES AND I CAN GO BLOW UP MORE CHANTRYS" and I was like "this is the end of the road". While I hate what happens and would have taken great satisfaction in killing him, I don't know if the Hawke I built would have, if that makes sense. The betrayal was palpable because of the romance, which I really enjoyed.
Merrill: Hilarious, loved bringing her along. I understand why she was into the blood magic thing but she was a bit pig headed about how bad it really is when all this bad shit was happening right in front of her and she was still like "tra la la im a blood mage". OK sure Merrill, you keep on truckin'
. Honestly if she wasn't voiced by Eve Myles and well written in an adorable way people would probably hate her.Isabela: I really liked her but maaaaaan if she's not responsible for the deaths of a SHITLOAD of people just due to her own selfishness. I didn't give her to the Arishok because I didn't want to, but I did think it would have been the most correct thing to do. Duel with the arishok and panic on the streets of Kirkwall went fine Isabela, thanks for all of that.
Fenris: Anyone who is that stubborn after being around the companions for that length of time needs a good slap. Stop complaining about mages Fenris, you're going to help me kill templars in the end anyway. Instant dislike, but I grew to hate him less as time went on. His personal quests were really well done, and his sister... omg his sister, what a bitch.
Sebastian: so meh. so very very meh. Just shut up Sebastian. You just had to be Scottish didn't you.
Bethany: I played a Rogue so I got her. I loved her tbh, I loved that she was Hawke's sister and she was just very likeable in general. Taking her on the legacy DLC was particularly satisfying. I had an immediate dislike of Carver but another playthrough is needed to judge him properly. I'd love to be able to play a mage hawke with Bethany instead of Carver. Bethany went to the circle btw, but I think I mentioned that before.
Aveline: I loved Aveline! I don't have much more to add other than that flirting with her and it going completely over her head during the Donnic quest was great fun. It took me a while to warm to her but she's a very "this is my right hand" character so it became difficult not to like her.
Anders: Well. I didn't hate him at first. Some of his dialogue with the companions brings him a bit closer to his Awakening self which was nice but overall the way he was and the way he acted was just too much of a character difference IMO. They are like totally different characters, even factoring in the whole Justice thing (who I also liked during Awakening and when he takes control of Anders in this game he's also completely different and contradictory). I mean I get it, he's essentially possessed but it's very hard to just wave away all the character differences by just saying "oh look they merged and it's not entirely good for them". Anders is absolutely batshit. And I'm not saying that because I dislike him now, I'm saying this because he is absolutely batshit insane. I did distract the grand cleric for him even though I had a bit of an inkling about what was about to happen because I was romancing him and the dialogue from my male Hawke was great (Angerfeisu: "Well I'll do it but you're blackmailing me into it!" because I indicated like 3 times "I'm not doing this if you don't tell me why". It was very well done.
Romance choice: Explained already, but I'm now going to explain that if I could have I would have gone back to Fenris in act 3 after trying out Anders for a bit. If you put the two of them on a graph where likeability is the scale against time, you start with Anders higher than Fenris declining throughout the game where Fenris increases (at a slow rate). I didn't really appreciate Fenris all that much until the end of Act 2 and didn't actually like him until Act 3. I still don't love him, but out of the two he's a better option. One of the things I liked about Anders is that he moves in and Fenris doesn't, but then he's like a one night stand that won't leave (for 3 years XD). I got a lot of satisfaction out of breaking up with him right at the end because he was all "MY LOVE LETS BE FUGITIVES AND I CAN GO BLOW UP MORE CHANTRYS" and I was like "this is the end of the road". While I hate what happens and would have taken great satisfaction in killing him, I don't know if the Hawke I built would have, if that makes sense. The betrayal was palpable because of the romance, which I really enjoyed.
Pretty decent. I care more about this story than a lot of what happens in Origins and Awakening because of Hawke. The voiced protagonist who has a real personality (or 3) really made me more invested in this story and in the companions. In Origins you live through your companions' reactions which is kind of cool, but here we actually get to react to them aswell, which is better. Sarcastic Hawke ftw. Also can we talk about the fact that Male Hawke is just SO ATTRACTIVE. That VOICE. Especially when he's flirting. All of the hnnnng.
I liked the deep roads expedition and how it ended up being the rise in wealth and fame etc - that's another thing I liked about the timeskips, your character became someone very important with each act. Act 2 main story was better, the Arishok storyline was great. Act 3 tension stuff was inevitable and I enjoyed playing through it. Overall I had a good experience, but
I completely understand why people going from Origins to this game would be pissed. We're kind of stuck in one place chipping away at reused dungeons. Origins felt fucking HUGE in comparison to this.
I liked the deep roads expedition and how it ended up being the rise in wealth and fame etc - that's another thing I liked about the timeskips, your character became someone very important with each act. Act 2 main story was better, the Arishok storyline was great. Act 3 tension stuff was inevitable and I enjoyed playing through it. Overall I had a good experience, but
I completely understand why people going from Origins to this game would be pissed. We're kind of stuck in one place chipping away at reused dungeons. Origins felt fucking HUGE in comparison to this.
Elves are fugly in this game compared to Origins, also I wasn't that bothered about the Qunari all having horns until there were none without horns. Not a single Sten in the entire compound? OK then :/. I guess one shows up in Mark of the Assassin but if you don't have the DLC you're kind of left thinking... so Sten was supposed to look like that without horns? That's a bit weird.
Hisako
消えないひさ&#
- AKA
- Satsu, BRIAN BLESSED, MIGHTY AND WISE Junpei Iori: Ace Detective, Maccaffrickstonson von Lichtenstafford Frabenschnaben, Polite Krogan, Robert Baratheon
Re: Qunari horns, iirc those who are born without horns are actually of a special caste and are respected/feared in the population.
Stens do show up in some battle encounters that involve qunari
Stens do show up in some battle encounters that involve qunari
Carlie
CltrAltDelicious
- AKA
- Chloe Frazer
Good thing Herpler left because she was writing Cassandra for Inquisition and I wanted no part of her fucking terrible writing on of my favorite characters.
Pretty that's the reason too. If Sten appears in Inquisition he'll probably have some level of redesign.
While I kill him every time, I find his death scene kind of stupid. He's just sitting there and Hawke stabs him in the back and then Anders does a derpy face and dies. Sometimes I want to side with the templars and forced him to do the same because it feels like the appropriate punishment for what he did.
Pretty that's the reason too. If Sten appears in Inquisition he'll probably have some level of redesign.
Hisako
消えないひさ&#
- AKA
- Satsu, BRIAN BLESSED, MIGHTY AND WISE Junpei Iori: Ace Detective, Maccaffrickstonson von Lichtenstafford Frabenschnaben, Polite Krogan, Robert Baratheon
Gaider said he was fine with what Hepler did with Anders. I don't think her work was all that great, but I didn't actively dislike it. She did have a grasp of the original character from Awakening, only she took it in a very different direction.
Lex
Administrator
I can kind of understand Anders becoming the way he did over a period of time, but I think it would have been more believable had he been a lot closer to Awakening Anders during Act 1, then progressed over the 3 year leaps rather than being a completely different Anders right at the start and his crazy intensifying. That would have made more sense to me.
I've got to be honest, I was never on the hate train for Hepler because I hadn't played this game. I'm still not on the hate train, but I do think she's a shitty writer.
I've got to be honest, I was never on the hate train for Hepler because I hadn't played this game. I'm still not on the hate train, but I do think she's a shitty writer.
Ami
Playing All The Stuff!
- AKA
- Amizon, Commander Shepard, Ellie, Rinoa Heartilly, Xena, Clara Oswald, Gamora, Lana Kane, Tifa Lockhart, Jodie Holmes, Chloe Price.
Anders was the first character I romanced and I completely agree about his character. It was a far cry from Awakening and would've accepted it more, like Lex has said, if he changed over the three year gap.
I was just like FUCK IT, LET'S BE ON THE RUN sort of thing. I find him gravitating towards mHawke than femHawke, though and maybe if they're a mage, too (regardless of gender? I can't entirely remember).
It really is a shame you can't romance Aveline because that would've been an interesting route imho. But then playing matchmaker for her is still hilarious.
It really is a shame you can't romance Aveline because that would've been an interesting route imho. But then playing matchmaker for her is still hilarious.
Lex
Administrator
I can't quite decide whether
I want to keep him alive or not. I know he deserves to die, but maybe if he was a 100% rival (because he becomes even more unhinged and says "Justice made me do it" essentially) it would be interesting to see where his character goes in future titles. I mean if JHep isn't there anymore, there's always a chance he could be like "wow i was a bit crazy for 7 years there. ohai."
I have a real problem with killing characters off though, even if I hate them. If there's a chance they could show up in future it always makes the game more interesting.
I have a real problem with killing characters off though, even if I hate them. If there's a chance they could show up in future it always makes the game more interesting.
Hisako
消えないひさ&#
- AKA
- Satsu, BRIAN BLESSED, MIGHTY AND WISE Junpei Iori: Ace Detective, Maccaffrickstonson von Lichtenstafford Frabenschnaben, Polite Krogan, Robert Baratheon
I sent him off in my very first playthrough, though if I were to choose now I'd readily have him killed off. Dude's a lost cause the moment he becomes a mass murderer.
Also, in the qunari section of the character creator there are options for hornless qunari (and sawn-off horns which is fucking awesome)
So Sten will probably look the way he did in Origins, if he comes back
Also, in the qunari section of the character creator there are options for hornless qunari (and sawn-off horns which is fucking awesome)
So Sten will probably look the way he did in Origins, if he comes back
Carlie
CltrAltDelicious
- AKA
- Chloe Frazer
So I had to restart Inquisition twice yesterday. First time was because I fucked up the character creation and my Inquisitor had a psychopath stare that was unsettling. Second time was because the Keep was buggy an imported a default world state instead of my custom one. I was already 3 hours into the game when I noticed, I was not amused though Lex found it hilarious.
Last edited:
Carlie
CltrAltDelicious
- AKA
- Chloe Frazer
2 days later I've explored most of the Hinterlands and done most of the quests.
Val Royeaux is very pretty though I wish we woulld've gotten more of it. All you really have is the market area which is not exactly big. Though there will be more areas later on in the story.
Aside from my starting party of Cassandra, Varric and Solas, I've recruited the Iron Bull, Sera, Vivienne and the Blackwall. As expected the Iron Bull is hilarious, Sera is fucking crazy but also hilarious. Vivienne is fabulous and devilish and the Blackwall is kind of meh but I haven't had much time with him yet.
Ami
Playing All The Stuff!
- AKA
- Amizon, Commander Shepard, Ellie, Rinoa Heartilly, Xena, Clara Oswald, Gamora, Lana Kane, Tifa Lockhart, Jodie Holmes, Chloe Price.
Would it now be advisory to merge the series and Inquisition thread? It's getting confusing what's being said where and I don't see why not, now with the latter already/being released everywhere this week.
Lex
Administrator
It's cray cray though because the Mass Effect thread is just one long ass thread and there's a period of spoilering for about a year after the game comes out then people start to kind of gradually not bother using the tags anymore.
I definitely don't think we should be creating yet another Inquisition thread. I know we've done that for LR and XIII-2 in the past but after a certain point it all starts to seem dumb to me.
I definitely don't think we should be creating yet another Inquisition thread. I know we've done that for LR and XIII-2 in the past but after a certain point it all starts to seem dumb to me.