Dragon Age - Origins

[Lee]

after 20 hours of ingame time and a couple of replays of sections (couple!!) i am slowly remembering it isnt an rts (slowly!!!)

my first and only char is a human mage - missed blood mage (only recently read the only place to find it) and have only just found the shapeshifter book. what little of my group i have already have a sub-category but i havent unlocked the others so no second.
may have to spend some time reading the old internets at some point to find out where these things are.

cone of cold wins the game.

edit: i was suppose to be having a week off, went to footy on monday and spent a rediculous amount of time getting sucked in. got the game teusday evening - barely been out for the rest of the week.

[Stracius]

So I'm seeing at least 10 people playing, but no group forming. We fall asleep at the wheel here?

[Fenavian]

Group for what? It's a single player RPG. Some of us play it on the PC, some on the 360. I don't much think this warrants a special group. *shrugs*

[Anubis]

We can make a group if needbe. I tend to take the view that Oblivion taught us that Single Player RPGs don't do well as groups though. If we know the forum etc will get used, that's a whole different story.

I'll be playing for quite some time. So if there is demand, I am happy to setup a forum etc. What do people think?

[Whizbang]

The biggest problem you'll find in discussing the details of this game is that by doing so you reveal things that some people may not have encountered due to dialogue choices. Everything that you do in this game, whether it be an action, a dialogue choice, etc, affects how the game plays out entirely. Dedicating a forum to this, while fine by its own merit, would reveal things that people might not want to know because they would choose differently as another character in another play through. I know that my wife and I cannot talk much about the game because she is choosing very differently than I have and when she/I choose to play through again as someone else, we don't want to know what will happen if we take differing paths than the previous time.

[M.Steiner]

The biggest problem you'll find in discussing the details of this game is that by doing so you reveal things that some people may not have encountered due to dialogue choices. Everything that you do in this game, whether it be an action, a dialogue choice, etc, affects how the game plays out entirely. Dedicating a forum to this, while fine by its own merit, would reveal things that people might not want to know because they would choose differently as another character in another play through......

^ This

I've yet to play Dragon Age but say if we did have a forum for it I can imagine a lot of the posts & threads would (or rather should) have to use spoiler tags otherwise those of us who aren't that far into the game, have taken a different path or have yet to even start it are likely to come across details we may not want to know. I've enjoyed reading peoples feedback from this thread and because of that i'll definitely be getting this for the 360 but personally i'd rather not know anything which you wouldn't normally read in a review or the like, I already try to avoid all mentions of it on IRC just incase heh.

[Stracius]

Is it then? I guess I haven't been paying very much attention to the game, I was expecting it to be an MMO. My mistake.

[Fenavian]

No worries Strac.

[Jericho78]

I'm already having the urge to create different characters, just to see how they work and their origin stories and I haven't completed my first one yet.

How I wish I can break the locks without a rogue!

[suggz]

i was just thinking how lucky i was that my character is a rogue....so i get to plunder the loot

[Padishar]

There are at least 2 different rogues you can get as companions FYI

So dont feel constrained with having to play a rogue, though it is fun


I have seen 4 of the starting origin stories so far and WOW is playing a casteless dwarf a remarkable difference from the norm

[suggz]

yup casteless dwarf is what i picked for my 1st play. im thinking about going with the elves next... seems like it would be much different

[Fenavian]

The City Elf origin reminded me of a particular scene in Braveheart. <_<; Though my favorite origin I have played thus far I think is the human one actually. Why do the humans always gotta be the jackholes in a given videogame? sigh...

[Anubis]

So, I just finished the game. The Landsmeet was by far the best scene of all.

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To begin with, the Landsmeet was everything I wanted and more . I kicked things off, used evidence I obtained from the Slave Traders in the Alienage to incriminate Logain (along with a couple of other things I'd set him up for) and watched as the Landsmeet voted 6-1 in my favour. After the obligatory fight when he disliked the results, and my besting him in a duel for the right to have my way or for him to have his, things got great.

It was suggested by the Queen that we make Logain join the Grey Wardens (which I believe is a forced choice). I saw the potential and was considering it, but as soon as I didn't say "No" Alastair - whom the more astute of you will realise I hate - went crazy. I decided to back the Queen, and thus Alastair accused me of betrayal and started asking me why I would do this. At that point, the Queen decided to announce our arrangement that in return for my support she would marry me and name me King Consort of Ferelden.

Now I was quite pleased at this, because I had been sure she'd go back on her side of the bargain, but it got better. Alastair said he wouldn't let it go, and after a bit of an argument, he announced he was leaving. Again, great for me - I'd been trying to get rid of him all game - but then Anora added a "By the way...to prevent rebellion we can't let you live" line. Oh sweet merciful Queen, I chose right when I brokered that deal between us. So I got him executed at last (only 57 hours too late I might add), and had the armies of the realm placed under my command as King Consort. Logain replaced Alastair as a Grey Warden.

Now the even more astute of you are aware of my RPG personality, and are wondering just what I cooked up this time to make my game as psychotic as usual (since I don't think anyone else here plays as an evil character). For those interested, I shall begin with my choices:

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- I chose the Templars over the Mages and wiped out all members of the Circle of Magi. This did, unfortunately, mean I killed Wynne in the process. But I got some great anti-magic soldiers for the final confrontation and made sure those dangerous Mages couldn't rise against me when I took power. All was good.

- I sided with the Werewolves and led them in a massacre of the Dalish as revenge for what was done to them. This was a really epic choice, as the cinematic of you leading the Werewolf horde upon the village is really great. The Werewolves are fantastic melee DPS too, they hit really hard.

- I sided with Harrowmont in Orzammar (best of two bad pennies imo) but also preserved the Anvil of the Void. What can I say? Who can turn down Golems. Unfortunately, this choice meant that Shale betrayed me and had to be put down. A huge loss in terms of DPS, but it was necessary for the greater good of my army.

- I accepted Morrigan's offer in the end and had her keep the child. I had no choice in this one, as I was not about to let death take away everything I had worked for throughout the game. True, I could have had Logain die for me. But really, I didn't want him upstaging me as a hero.

As for the endgame, where you are given details of what happens next, things got even better for me.

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In the end, the Queen kept her word and we had a grand wedding after her Coronation. I gave up the Grey Wardens so that I could stay close to her and the throne (i.e. I worked for this power. I'm not giving it up). She also gave me all of Logain's old lands from when he was a Teryn, so I also became a very powerful noble. Logain was forced to go and train new Grey Warden's in Howe's former lands - assumedly becoming lead Warden in Ferelden.

The Werewolves took over the Dalish campsite and were prosperous for a time, until they got a little out of hand (i.e. they bit another couple of humans). Once that happened, myself and Anora moved in the army and all but exterminated them. Probably for the best - they were strong allies, but could be equally strong enemies.

The head of the Templars retired, which surprised me, and died in his sleep shortly afterwards. The new leader of the organisation hated Magi and ruled the Circle with an Iron Fist. Far more oppression followed, but this also meant that less Maleficarum were produced as a side effect. Again, this pretty much was necessary to ensure no Mages tried to rise against me for killing the old Circle.

The Dwarves under Harrowmont proceeded further down the isolationist path, further sealing themselves away from the surface. After a time, Harrowmont stopped providing Branka with Dwarves for use with the Anvil. As such, she started kidnapping humans on the surface to use, and myself and Anora declared war on Orzammar as a result. Probably for the best in reality, considering how bigoted and backwards the Dwarves were as a people.

Finally, Morrigan vanished as she said she would and took the child with her. There was an interesting "What she plans to do with the child remains a mystery...for now" though, so I suspect she will be key to any sequel.

So in short, I basically got all I ever wanted. The Elves will never be a threat again - the Dalish all dead and myself and Anora apparently letting those in the Alienage starve during a food crisis. The Werewolf double handed sword was dealt with, as was any repercussions from the Magi. The Dwarves are all but exiled from Ferelden due to the war. Basically, humans rule the roost completely and utterly with myself at the very top of the pile. Yes, indeed. All worked out well.

There is one final thing...the best quest in the whole game...

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Remember the elf in the Dalish camp who wants to marry his girl, but can't until he becomes a Hunter? Well, I accepted the quest for him....then seduced the girl. To make things better, I may have gone back to the elf and taunted him a little bit about it. Not too much, just.....alright, a lot. I later met the elf in the forest, half insane with grief.

The whole thing was hillarious. Everyone has to try it at least once, just to see the reaction.

I love being me. That is all.

[Scorpius]

I bow to your evilness Anubis.

[SL33PY]

I read somewhere that games, in particular the RPG flavour of computer games, provide a mirror for the real inner you. People that really are nice, will actually play nice and really rotten bastards will show just how rotten they are.

Anubis... you freak me out... and in your eyes that's the sweetest compliment I can give you


-SL the holy <censored> that always does the right thing to do and really can't help himself

[Futile Resistance]

For whatever reason, my party members never chug a potion mid-battle despite having tactics set.

They only chug post-battle, which is useless and wastes a pot.

So because of that, I'm having to pause the battles every few seconds -_- Totally immersion breaking.

[Ozone]

Morganna or Wynne? MHO...

I'm finding Wynne much more helpful. I've got Alister in full Warden Commander gear as a tank. I've got my war hound as striker (I like the warhound, no major tactics or abilities, just 'kill' and 'eat face'). I'm roguing it atm so doing advance scouting and trap laying, then backstabbing while in combat.

I was hooked on Morganna but have found Wynne to be much more kick ass. First off, she's pretty much a full specc'd healer when you meet her but she's also got a few very nice offensive spells (especially from the Earth category). After gaining a level or 2 she's also got a few extra tactics slots (and, as per my build, has the petrify spell).

I've got 6 of her 11 tactics filled out with healing orders, 1 with self defense (stoneskin), 1 with group offense (frost weapons), 2 with attack (stone fist and that basic magic missile), and 1 with crowd control (petrify). I keep an eye on her and heal/mana up manually.

In the case of a quick surprise battle with the party getting wiped, a quick earthquake, petrify, and disorient keep the baddies occupied while a quick rejuvinate, group heal, and heroic defense turn the battle from grim to simple.

I'm finding she pretty much wipes the floor with enemies if built properly (plus she's a walking hospital). Used her for the Sloth Demon Q in the Mage Tower (on normal level) and it was a walk in the park.