Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I finally complete my Dragon Age Retrospective.
Now, the reason it has taken so long is because I have completely and utterly lost interest in the franchise. My loss of interest is so complete that I've actually sold my games. Even the ones that I used to like. Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age: Awakenings, Dragon Age 2...all sold because I just don't like the franchise anymore.
And the reason why? Inquisition. I didn't like it before, but when EA decided to cut off DLC for the Xbox 360 and PS3, it gave me a reason to stop liking the franchise. And while the Titan DLC had a good story from what I saw on youtube, what really turned me against the franchise is the final DLC. Vivienne, Sera...even the characters that I used to like, like the Iron Bull and Blackwall, now piss me off to no end. And don't even get me started on Solas' genocidal BS. Whether you were on good terms with him or not, whether you romanced him or not, he shows how much of a real bastard he is when you finally met him and get his answers.
And the bad thing is that I sort of liked him before. I knew he wasn't telling us the whole truth, but I never thought he'd turn out to be doing that.
I had planned on comparing the Mass Effect trilogy to the Dragon Age one, their DLC story arcs and the gameplay moments, but I can't bear to compare a series I like to one I so ardently despise. I can't bear to speak of Commander Shepard's efforts and what I had to put up with for Inquisition in the same post.
And the worst part is that Solas had planned spoiled the lore of the previous 2 games for me. I used to love the Dalish origin in DAO, but now, my hatred of Solas' plans have spoiled my roleplaying mindset for that character. I can't help but make a Dalish Warden utterly despise the Dread Wolf because of Solas.
So yeah, fuck you Solas. You made it nearly impossible to enjoy the story that came before. You've reminded me that Bioware's great game days are numbered thanks to EA's control of their company.
Don't get me wrong, though. I am still enjoying SWTOR KOTFE, still looking forward to what's to come there, and I am still looking forward to ME:Andromeda when I finally get my PS4. But I won't be buying another Dragon Age game. To much anger at that franchise.
But for now, look forward to picture updates to my SWTOR characters, as well as pictures of companions that I have some great new looks and weapon loadouts, and stay beautiful freaks!
Showing posts with label Dragon Age Retrospective. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dragon Age Retrospective. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Flemeth
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, we tackle one of the most important characters to the lore of the franchise, Flemeth.
I'm not going to lie; I had a whole analysis of Flemeth and Mythal, weaving Mythal's pantheon and Flemeth's personality into each other. But then the Trespasser DLC happened, and that threw everything I was going say into chaos. So it changes my analysis slightly.
Flemeth's story starts in ancient times, before the Veil was created, where a part of her was known as Mythal. Mythal was a powerful mage. She was so powerful that she, among the others the other members of the Evanuris, became known as a general, then an elder, then a queen, then a god. She was immortal, like all elves, was the mediator and protector of her people. She was known to settle disputes between the other Evanuris, calming rage, saving them from their own folly in order to protect the innocent caught between them.
However, according to those who lived during that time, Mythal was murdered by the other Evanuris. This enraged Solas, by then stigmatized as "Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf", and caused him to create the Veil and trap the other Evanuris in the Fade. However, this had the effect of cutting off the elves from their immortality.
Solas entered Uthenera, the sleep of the ages soon after, but Mythal, now freed from her corporeal form, wandered the land, looking for her own means to gain both vengeance and protect her people. It took her thousands of years, but she finally found a vessel; Flemeth.
Flemeth was an Alamarri in the time before Ferelden was a nation. According to the story that she told Morrigan, she had been married to a minstrel named Osen. However, Conobar Elstan, Bann of Highever and cousin to the Howes of Amaranthine, had been enchanted by Flemeth's beauty and offered Osen a choice; money for Flemeth. Flemeth urged Osen to accept; whether she had loved Osen or not, she had been cold and hungry for too long.
However, Conobar bartered with coin he did not have, and had Osen slain so he didn't have to pay him. This enraged Flemeth, and, as an Alamarri mage, she called to the spirits to aid her. The spirit that came to her was Mythal, the ancient elven "goddess". Mythal would give Flemeth power, in exchange for revenge against those who killed her and to protect the world from itself. They merged, technically becoming an abomination, but were more like Wynne than Anders, and killed Conobar and his men, save for his captain of the guard, Sarim Cousland, and retreated south to the Kocari Wilds, to learn to control her newfound power and to learn just what merging with Mythal truly meant.
Now, I'm going to stop here for a moment and say that yes, a lot of this is conjecture. Solas says very little about Mythal once he is revealed to be the Dread Wolf, and the in game legends of Flemeth differ slightly than from what Morrigan tells us. What's interesting to note, however, is the Flemeth holds importance to 2 of the origins in the first game; the Couslands would have never become nobles if it were not for Flemeth killing Conobar. Their entire line, their struggles and victories are all made possible because of Flemeth.
She's also held in high esteem as Mythal, even though the Dalish don't know it, and as Asha'bellanar (the woman of many years in Elvish). As Asha'bellanar, Flemeth is known as a benevolent, if temperamental, being to be respected and feared.
Anyway, Flemeth goes on to have a hand in many important events and interacts with many important characters. She speaks to Maric Therin and Loghain Mac Tir, and informs them of the upcoming Blight. She saves the Warden Player Character and Alistair, and sends them off to combat the Blight. She rescues Hawke, Aveline and the surviving Hawke sibling and sends them off to the Free Marches with an amulet which allows her to resurrect herself after being slain by the Warden (potentially. Otherwise, we don't know what it does if you didn't kill Flemeth). She aids the Inquisitor and her daughter to combat the ancient magister Corypheus through both the Well of Sorrow and either giving them a dragon to combat Corypheus' dragon, or giving her daughter the power to transform into one.
She also takes efforts to implement plans beyond her appearances. That amulet that was mentioned previously mentioned was part of a contingency play in case she is killed. She also sent her daughter Yavanna to help bring dragons back from the brink of extinction, which Yavanna claims to be "the heart of the world". And finally, she sent Morrigan with the Wardens she rescued to use a ritual to claim the soul of the Old God.
However, as far as we know, we will never know exactly what Flemeth/Mythal's plans were, as she was murdered a second time, this time by her old friend Solas. He absorbed her power to do whatever he is planning, but there is hope; the amulet that Hawke brought to the Free Marches. Were some knowledgeable individual perform the same ritual that brought Flemeth back in DA2, she could return once again, though not as strong as she had been. And that is where we're at now.
But before we go, let's take the opportunity to take a look at the clues that Flemeth and Mythal are the same being. First is her first appearance in the novels; it is the Dalish that bring Marric and Loghain to her. This is tenuous at best, I know, but it helps establish a tie between her and the elves. The next is her connection to dragons; between her ability to transform into one, the fact the Mythal is depicted as a dragon in some of elven artwork of her and Flemeth sending her daughter Yavanna to protect dragons shows a strong connection to the creatures. Third is both Flemeth's DAO concept art and her appearance in DA2 and on. Pay attention to Mythal's statues in her temple in DAI. Looks a LOT like Flemeth, doesn't it?
Finally, what I find most interesting is how everyone is wary of Flemeth, and she, while cryptic, is actually one of the most honest and upfront characters in the franchise. And she's a LOT more benevolent than we're led to believe as well, helping others even when it doesn't benefit her directly (though she does find a way to make it benefit her, but I digress.) And while we don't know what her plans are, I can almost guarantee that they are a LOT more benevolent than Solas' plan to tear down the Veil and mass murdering the majority of the population of Thedas, due to them being "not people" to him.
Next entry will either be me wrapping up the series, or comparing the Dragon Age series to the Mass Effect series. Until then, stay beautiful freaks!
I'm not going to lie; I had a whole analysis of Flemeth and Mythal, weaving Mythal's pantheon and Flemeth's personality into each other. But then the Trespasser DLC happened, and that threw everything I was going say into chaos. So it changes my analysis slightly.
Flemeth's story starts in ancient times, before the Veil was created, where a part of her was known as Mythal. Mythal was a powerful mage. She was so powerful that she, among the others the other members of the Evanuris, became known as a general, then an elder, then a queen, then a god. She was immortal, like all elves, was the mediator and protector of her people. She was known to settle disputes between the other Evanuris, calming rage, saving them from their own folly in order to protect the innocent caught between them.
However, according to those who lived during that time, Mythal was murdered by the other Evanuris. This enraged Solas, by then stigmatized as "Fen'Harel, the Dread Wolf", and caused him to create the Veil and trap the other Evanuris in the Fade. However, this had the effect of cutting off the elves from their immortality.
Solas entered Uthenera, the sleep of the ages soon after, but Mythal, now freed from her corporeal form, wandered the land, looking for her own means to gain both vengeance and protect her people. It took her thousands of years, but she finally found a vessel; Flemeth.
Flemeth was an Alamarri in the time before Ferelden was a nation. According to the story that she told Morrigan, she had been married to a minstrel named Osen. However, Conobar Elstan, Bann of Highever and cousin to the Howes of Amaranthine, had been enchanted by Flemeth's beauty and offered Osen a choice; money for Flemeth. Flemeth urged Osen to accept; whether she had loved Osen or not, she had been cold and hungry for too long.
However, Conobar bartered with coin he did not have, and had Osen slain so he didn't have to pay him. This enraged Flemeth, and, as an Alamarri mage, she called to the spirits to aid her. The spirit that came to her was Mythal, the ancient elven "goddess". Mythal would give Flemeth power, in exchange for revenge against those who killed her and to protect the world from itself. They merged, technically becoming an abomination, but were more like Wynne than Anders, and killed Conobar and his men, save for his captain of the guard, Sarim Cousland, and retreated south to the Kocari Wilds, to learn to control her newfound power and to learn just what merging with Mythal truly meant.
Now, I'm going to stop here for a moment and say that yes, a lot of this is conjecture. Solas says very little about Mythal once he is revealed to be the Dread Wolf, and the in game legends of Flemeth differ slightly than from what Morrigan tells us. What's interesting to note, however, is the Flemeth holds importance to 2 of the origins in the first game; the Couslands would have never become nobles if it were not for Flemeth killing Conobar. Their entire line, their struggles and victories are all made possible because of Flemeth.
She's also held in high esteem as Mythal, even though the Dalish don't know it, and as Asha'bellanar (the woman of many years in Elvish). As Asha'bellanar, Flemeth is known as a benevolent, if temperamental, being to be respected and feared.
Anyway, Flemeth goes on to have a hand in many important events and interacts with many important characters. She speaks to Maric Therin and Loghain Mac Tir, and informs them of the upcoming Blight. She saves the Warden Player Character and Alistair, and sends them off to combat the Blight. She rescues Hawke, Aveline and the surviving Hawke sibling and sends them off to the Free Marches with an amulet which allows her to resurrect herself after being slain by the Warden (potentially. Otherwise, we don't know what it does if you didn't kill Flemeth). She aids the Inquisitor and her daughter to combat the ancient magister Corypheus through both the Well of Sorrow and either giving them a dragon to combat Corypheus' dragon, or giving her daughter the power to transform into one.
She also takes efforts to implement plans beyond her appearances. That amulet that was mentioned previously mentioned was part of a contingency play in case she is killed. She also sent her daughter Yavanna to help bring dragons back from the brink of extinction, which Yavanna claims to be "the heart of the world". And finally, she sent Morrigan with the Wardens she rescued to use a ritual to claim the soul of the Old God.
However, as far as we know, we will never know exactly what Flemeth/Mythal's plans were, as she was murdered a second time, this time by her old friend Solas. He absorbed her power to do whatever he is planning, but there is hope; the amulet that Hawke brought to the Free Marches. Were some knowledgeable individual perform the same ritual that brought Flemeth back in DA2, she could return once again, though not as strong as she had been. And that is where we're at now.
But before we go, let's take the opportunity to take a look at the clues that Flemeth and Mythal are the same being. First is her first appearance in the novels; it is the Dalish that bring Marric and Loghain to her. This is tenuous at best, I know, but it helps establish a tie between her and the elves. The next is her connection to dragons; between her ability to transform into one, the fact the Mythal is depicted as a dragon in some of elven artwork of her and Flemeth sending her daughter Yavanna to protect dragons shows a strong connection to the creatures. Third is both Flemeth's DAO concept art and her appearance in DA2 and on. Pay attention to Mythal's statues in her temple in DAI. Looks a LOT like Flemeth, doesn't it?
Finally, what I find most interesting is how everyone is wary of Flemeth, and she, while cryptic, is actually one of the most honest and upfront characters in the franchise. And she's a LOT more benevolent than we're led to believe as well, helping others even when it doesn't benefit her directly (though she does find a way to make it benefit her, but I digress.) And while we don't know what her plans are, I can almost guarantee that they are a LOT more benevolent than Solas' plan to tear down the Veil and mass murdering the majority of the population of Thedas, due to them being "not people" to him.
Next entry will either be me wrapping up the series, or comparing the Dragon Age series to the Mass Effect series. Until then, stay beautiful freaks!
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Inquisition Companions
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, we tackle the companions of the, as of right now, final game in the franchise.
Now, since this game is the final game in the franchise, their future fate is unknown. So, I'm going to change the "Fate" entry to a "Lore Importance" tab. Also, as with DAA and on, there is an item to redo a character's skills, so I'm basing their role on the weapons they start with.
Name: Cassandra
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and Shield
Specialization: Seeker of Truth, though her abilities are represented by the Templar spec
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: Yes, male only, though flirting with her as a female gains approval.
Special: Cassandra is one of 3 companions that you are required to recruit, due to her importance to the plot. She is also 1 of three Divine candidates.
Lore Importance: High. As a Seeker of Truth, Right hand of the Divine and member of the royal house of Nevarra, she brings a great deal of lore to the table.
Remains in the party?: Yes, the entire game, though you can choose not to take her with you post game if she's Divine.
Name: Varric
Race: Dwarf
Class: Rogue, archer
Specialization: Artificer
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No
Special: Varric is one of 3 companions that you are required to recruit, due to his importance to the plot. We also finally get to meet the namesake of his crossbow.
Lore Importance: High. Varric was involved in the events of the Legacy DLC of DA2, thus his knowledge of Corypheus is the greatest. He also brings knowledge of the surface dwarf merchant's guild.
Remains in the party?: Yes, the entire game
Name: Solas
Race: Elf
Class: Mage
Specialization: Rift Mage
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: Yes, female elf only
Special: Solas is one of 3 companions that you are required to recruit, due to his importance to the plot.
Lore Importance: High. Solas brings a great deal of knowledge of spirits, elven history and magic. Also, as Fen'Harel, he is among the elven pantheon, and is important to the background lore as well.
Remains in the party?: Yes, though he leaves the party permanently after the end credits.
Name: Iron Bull
Race: Qunari
Class: Warrior, Two hander
Specialization: Reaver
Recruited at: Storm Coast
Romance?: Yes
Special: Iron Bull's personality changes slightly based on his personal quest, as does his dialogue in the ending. If you side with the Bull's Chargers, he remains the same. If you save the dreadnaught, he becomes a little more like Sten from DAO.
Lore Importance: Medium. He brings in information about Qunari society, but he is not the only source of knowledge we have in the franchise. Also, his recruitment can be refused, so nothing he brings to the table is vitally important to the plot.
Remains in the party?: Yes, the entire game.
Name: Blackwall
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and Shield
Specialization:Champion
Recruited at: The Hinterlands
Romance?: Yes, female only
Special: Blackwall is the only companion that lies about who he is; he is not a Grey Warden, nor is he really named Blackwall. That said, his fate is entirely in your hands in the end of the game; he can be left in prison, he can be held to his lie, he can be sent to the Grey Wardens to become one, or he can be pardoned.
Lore Importance: Low. He brings in information about the Orlesian military, and he his recruitment can be refused.
Remains with the party?: No, unless you bring him back.
Name: Sera
Race: City Elf
Class: Rogue, Archer
Specialization: Tempest
Recruited at: Val Royeaux
Romance?: Yes, female only.
Special: Sera can be kicked out of the party at multiple occasions, though if you don't kick her out during cutscenes, she returns at the ending party.
Lore Importance: Low. She brings no information about the Friends of Red Jenny beyond what we already knew, and brings nothing new about elves. Her recruitment can also be refused, so nothing she brings in is plot important.
Remains in the party?: Yes, unless you kick her out.
Name: Vivienne
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Knight Enchanter
Recruited at: Val Royeaux
Romance?: No
Special: Vivienne is one of three Divine candidates.
Lore Importance: Medium. She brings information about the Circle of Magi that we didn't have before, and information on Orlesian high society. However, her recruitment can be refused, so nothing she brings in is important to the plot.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, though you can refuse to bring her with you after she becomes Divine.
Name: Dorian
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Necromancer
Recruited at: Redcliffe/Haven, depending on who you side with
Romance?: Yes, male only
Special: Dorian can leave the party at extremely low approval, but only if you hit him.
Lore Importance: Medium. He brings information about Tevinter society, and he gives you several war table operations that give you lore about Corypheus. However, you can refuse his recruitment.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, unless you hit him.
Name: Cole
Race: Spirit of Compassion
Class: Rogue, dual daggers
Specialization: Assassin
Recruited at: Therinfall Redoubt/Haven, depending on who you side with
Romance?: No
Special: Cole's personality changes based on your actions during his personal quest. He can either become more like a spirit, or more humanlike. These affect him to the end.
Lore Importance: Medium. Cole shows us how spirits think and feel, and he brings in lore about Rhys and Evangaline. However, his recruitment can be refused.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, though he will leave if you drop his approval too low.
Name: Josephine
Race: Human
Class: Diplomat
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Haven, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: Yes
Special: Josephine's personal quest ends the same way, though how quickly it ends can be determined by you.
Lore Importance: Medium. She brings information about Antiva and the political situation of Thedas.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game
Name: Leliana
Race: Human
Class: Rogue, archer
Specialization: Bard
Recruited at: Haven, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: No, and she remains romanced by the Hero of Ferelden if she was romanced in DAO.
Special: Leliana is one of three candidates for the Divine. Her personality also changes based on your choices when dealing with her.
Lore Importance: Very High. Between being part of your party in Origins, her work a bard under Marjolaine, her work as Left Hand of the Divine and her work as the Inquisition spymaster, Leliana is very important to the events of the game.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game
Name: Cullen
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and shield
Specialization: Templar, though he has likely lost most of the abilities when the game starts
Recruited at: Haven, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: Yes, female human and elf only
Special: Whether or not he begins taking lyrium again is determined by you, as is whether or not he takes lyrium for the rest of his life. If he takes lyrium after the game ends, that locks you out of the romance.
Lore Importance: Medium-high. Cullen was involved in both DAO and DA2, and has seen the abuses of both the mages and the templars. He brings in a great deal about life as a templar
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game
Name: Morrigan
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Shapeshifter
Recruited at: The Winter Palace, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: No, and she remains romanced by the Hero of Ferelden if you did so
Special: Morrigan can come with either a human Kieran, an Old God Baby Kieran or without Kieran at all. Kieran's reactions toward you also change based on whether he's human or carries an Old God Soul. She can also turn into a dragon if she drank from the Well of Sorrow.
Lore Importance: High. Morrigan brings in elven lore, as well information on the life of a Witch of the Wilds.
Remains in the party?: Yes, though she and her son leave after the credits roll.
Name: Krem
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Haven, though he is not brought into combat, and only if Iron Bull is recruited
Romance?: No
Special: Krem is transgender, which means he was born in a female meat shell with a male soul. He gives players a positive representation of what trans people are like. He brings in several war table missions, and his fate is determined by your choice in Iron Bull's quest.
Lore Importance: Low. He brings in information about Tevinter lower classes, but he won't be a part of the game if you don't recruit Iron Bull.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, but only if he survives Iron Bull's mission
Now, I'm leaving Flemeth off this time, since I've got a whole entry on her coming. Until then, stay beautiful freaks!
Now, since this game is the final game in the franchise, their future fate is unknown. So, I'm going to change the "Fate" entry to a "Lore Importance" tab. Also, as with DAA and on, there is an item to redo a character's skills, so I'm basing their role on the weapons they start with.
Name: Cassandra
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and Shield
Specialization: Seeker of Truth, though her abilities are represented by the Templar spec
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: Yes, male only, though flirting with her as a female gains approval.
Special: Cassandra is one of 3 companions that you are required to recruit, due to her importance to the plot. She is also 1 of three Divine candidates.
Lore Importance: High. As a Seeker of Truth, Right hand of the Divine and member of the royal house of Nevarra, she brings a great deal of lore to the table.
Remains in the party?: Yes, the entire game, though you can choose not to take her with you post game if she's Divine.
Name: Varric
Race: Dwarf
Class: Rogue, archer
Specialization: Artificer
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No
Special: Varric is one of 3 companions that you are required to recruit, due to his importance to the plot. We also finally get to meet the namesake of his crossbow.
Lore Importance: High. Varric was involved in the events of the Legacy DLC of DA2, thus his knowledge of Corypheus is the greatest. He also brings knowledge of the surface dwarf merchant's guild.
Remains in the party?: Yes, the entire game
Name: Solas
Race: Elf
Class: Mage
Specialization: Rift Mage
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: Yes, female elf only
Special: Solas is one of 3 companions that you are required to recruit, due to his importance to the plot.
Lore Importance: High. Solas brings a great deal of knowledge of spirits, elven history and magic. Also, as Fen'Harel, he is among the elven pantheon, and is important to the background lore as well.
Remains in the party?: Yes, though he leaves the party permanently after the end credits.
Name: Iron Bull
Race: Qunari
Class: Warrior, Two hander
Specialization: Reaver
Recruited at: Storm Coast
Romance?: Yes
Special: Iron Bull's personality changes slightly based on his personal quest, as does his dialogue in the ending. If you side with the Bull's Chargers, he remains the same. If you save the dreadnaught, he becomes a little more like Sten from DAO.
Lore Importance: Medium. He brings in information about Qunari society, but he is not the only source of knowledge we have in the franchise. Also, his recruitment can be refused, so nothing he brings to the table is vitally important to the plot.
Remains in the party?: Yes, the entire game.
Name: Blackwall
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and Shield
Specialization:Champion
Recruited at: The Hinterlands
Romance?: Yes, female only
Special: Blackwall is the only companion that lies about who he is; he is not a Grey Warden, nor is he really named Blackwall. That said, his fate is entirely in your hands in the end of the game; he can be left in prison, he can be held to his lie, he can be sent to the Grey Wardens to become one, or he can be pardoned.
Lore Importance: Low. He brings in information about the Orlesian military, and he his recruitment can be refused.
Remains with the party?: No, unless you bring him back.
Name: Sera
Race: City Elf
Class: Rogue, Archer
Specialization: Tempest
Recruited at: Val Royeaux
Romance?: Yes, female only.
Special: Sera can be kicked out of the party at multiple occasions, though if you don't kick her out during cutscenes, she returns at the ending party.
Lore Importance: Low. She brings no information about the Friends of Red Jenny beyond what we already knew, and brings nothing new about elves. Her recruitment can also be refused, so nothing she brings in is plot important.
Remains in the party?: Yes, unless you kick her out.
Name: Vivienne
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Knight Enchanter
Recruited at: Val Royeaux
Romance?: No
Special: Vivienne is one of three Divine candidates.
Lore Importance: Medium. She brings information about the Circle of Magi that we didn't have before, and information on Orlesian high society. However, her recruitment can be refused, so nothing she brings in is important to the plot.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, though you can refuse to bring her with you after she becomes Divine.
Name: Dorian
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Necromancer
Recruited at: Redcliffe/Haven, depending on who you side with
Romance?: Yes, male only
Special: Dorian can leave the party at extremely low approval, but only if you hit him.
Lore Importance: Medium. He brings information about Tevinter society, and he gives you several war table operations that give you lore about Corypheus. However, you can refuse his recruitment.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, unless you hit him.
Name: Cole
Race: Spirit of Compassion
Class: Rogue, dual daggers
Specialization: Assassin
Recruited at: Therinfall Redoubt/Haven, depending on who you side with
Romance?: No
Special: Cole's personality changes based on your actions during his personal quest. He can either become more like a spirit, or more humanlike. These affect him to the end.
Lore Importance: Medium. Cole shows us how spirits think and feel, and he brings in lore about Rhys and Evangaline. However, his recruitment can be refused.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, though he will leave if you drop his approval too low.
Name: Josephine
Race: Human
Class: Diplomat
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Haven, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: Yes
Special: Josephine's personal quest ends the same way, though how quickly it ends can be determined by you.
Lore Importance: Medium. She brings information about Antiva and the political situation of Thedas.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game
Name: Leliana
Race: Human
Class: Rogue, archer
Specialization: Bard
Recruited at: Haven, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: No, and she remains romanced by the Hero of Ferelden if she was romanced in DAO.
Special: Leliana is one of three candidates for the Divine. Her personality also changes based on your choices when dealing with her.
Lore Importance: Very High. Between being part of your party in Origins, her work a bard under Marjolaine, her work as Left Hand of the Divine and her work as the Inquisition spymaster, Leliana is very important to the events of the game.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game
Name: Cullen
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and shield
Specialization: Templar, though he has likely lost most of the abilities when the game starts
Recruited at: Haven, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: Yes, female human and elf only
Special: Whether or not he begins taking lyrium again is determined by you, as is whether or not he takes lyrium for the rest of his life. If he takes lyrium after the game ends, that locks you out of the romance.
Lore Importance: Medium-high. Cullen was involved in both DAO and DA2, and has seen the abuses of both the mages and the templars. He brings in a great deal about life as a templar
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game
Name: Morrigan
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Shapeshifter
Recruited at: The Winter Palace, though she is not brought into combat
Romance?: No, and she remains romanced by the Hero of Ferelden if you did so
Special: Morrigan can come with either a human Kieran, an Old God Baby Kieran or without Kieran at all. Kieran's reactions toward you also change based on whether he's human or carries an Old God Soul. She can also turn into a dragon if she drank from the Well of Sorrow.
Lore Importance: High. Morrigan brings in elven lore, as well information on the life of a Witch of the Wilds.
Remains in the party?: Yes, though she and her son leave after the credits roll.
Name: Krem
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Haven, though he is not brought into combat, and only if Iron Bull is recruited
Romance?: No
Special: Krem is transgender, which means he was born in a female meat shell with a male soul. He gives players a positive representation of what trans people are like. He brings in several war table missions, and his fate is determined by your choice in Iron Bull's quest.
Lore Importance: Low. He brings in information about Tevinter lower classes, but he won't be a part of the game if you don't recruit Iron Bull.
Remains in the party?: Yes, until the end of the game, but only if he survives Iron Bull's mission
Now, I'm leaving Flemeth off this time, since I've got a whole entry on her coming. Until then, stay beautiful freaks!
Monday, August 10, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Dragon Age Inquisition
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I tackle the final game in the Dragon Age series to be released on the Xbox 360 and PS3, Dragon Age Inquisition!
But before that, I'm going to bring up the comics and books that happen in between and their importance to the plot, and the characters they reference.
The Silent Groves brings in King Alistair (though the game implies that Warden Alistair goes through the events of these comics as well), Isabela and Varric to adventure through Antiva to rescue Alistair's father, King Marric. During these events, they meet Yavana, one of Flemeth's daughters, who is trying to help bring back the dragon population.
Those Who Speak picks up where Silent Groves leaves off, where they travel into Qunari territory, and we learn that Isabela's connection to the Qunari is deeper than we thought. They also meet the Sten that fought alongside Alistair and the Hero of Ferelden during the Blight, though he is now the Arishok. We also learn why the Blood of Calenhad is so important.
From there, we are led into Until We Sleep, which ends the saga started in Silent Groves, and shows how Alistair rescues his father and kills the Magister who held Marric in stasis with Qunari forces aiding his assault.
Next comes the third novel, but first in the Mage-Templar War era. Asunder introduces Cole, Rhys, Evangeline, brings back Wynne, Shale and Leliana, and shows how the Tranquil cure is learned about and how Cole kills Lord Seeker Lambert. It also shows how Wynne gives up the Spirit of Faith that has "lived" inside her since Origins to Evangeline.
The Masked Empire brings in Empress Celene, Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons, Briala, Ser Michel de Chevin, the demon Ishmael, and brings back Leliana and Teagan Guerrin, assumed to be the now Arl of Redcliffe, since that's his position in DAI. This one shows the events that are hinted about during the events that we see during Inquisition at the Winter Palace.
And I'm going to mention the Dragon Age Keep, a website that you can set up a world state based on decisions that you "made in the previous games" to shore up your continuity for your playthrough. And while I'm still irritated that there's no save game transfer for the 360, PS3 and PC, the fact that the game was released on both the Xbone and PS4 as well as the 360 and PS3 made it as necessity. Especially since Bioware has cut off DLC for the 360 and PS3 recently.
Now, as for Inquistion itself, it comes in with things coming to a head; Orlais is in the middle of a civil war, and the Mage-Templar war has been in full swing for years, and Divine Justinia V, formerly Revered Mother Dorathea from the Leliana's Song DLC, calls for a peace conference. However, Corypheus, the ancient Magister from the DA2 Legacy DLC, has other plans. One unlucky person, the player character, manages to spoil Corypheus' plans and ends up in the Fade with Justinia, though only the PC escapes.
This sets up the beginning, where you choose your class, gender and race. This game brings back in Elves, Dwarves and introduces Qunari as a playable race, as well as the boring humans. (Why people would want to play as a human in a fantasy setting is beyond me, but I digress.)
As for the classes, they retain their DA2 combat roles; Rogues are either 2 daggers or bow, Warriors are either two handed weapon or weapon and shield, and mages are still the most dynamic, though mages have been revamped again to suite the new specializations. No longer do they have a close attack that uses their staff; a melee ability is reserved exclusively to the Knight Enchanter spec.
Inquisition brings in crafting, which gives you much better weapons, armors and runes than what you normally find as drops. I'm not a fan of crafting, but with some war table missions giving you crafting materials in less than 10 minutes, it's not as painful as it could be.
What is painful, though, is how specializations are handled. No longer are they permanently unlocked, and in order to get them, you have to take on a mission from the war table, then talk to the trainers, then gather crafting materials for their special item, and only then can you take on a single specialization. And it must be done EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. They are NOT permanently unlocked for you like they were in the previous two games. This feels like a step backward to me, and I'm not willing to try out every single on my player character to see what I like due to this fact. No, I tested out the specs on companions, figured out which one I like and which one was easy to get, and then take that one on. So that means that I only go with 1 rogue spec (Tempest), 2 Warrior specs (Templar and Reaver), and all three mage ones, since I have yet to play a mage where I didn't have all the crafting mats I need when I get to Skyhold.
Speaking of Skyhold, that has stuff that needs crafting as well, to "beautify" the keep. In addition to the crafting resources you get from war table gathering missions, you've got to pick up logging stands and quarries, and if you don't know where to find them, you could wander the maps for days.
So yeah, not a fan of crafting.
One other thing that irritates me is the war table itself. I get that they are trying to illustrate the weight of decision. But when you've played the game several times and know the results you want, it becomes tedious. It also makes me play with the system clock to bypass the real world time the game wants me to wait. I don't know about anyone else, but I am not going to send a favored adviser onto a mission that takes 24 hours without doing this.
What adds to this annoyance is that several of these type of missions pop up after completing an important story mission. Finish recruiting the Templars or Mages? Get a lot of these. Finish the mission with the Wardens? Get a lot of these. Winter Palace? Ditto. I've spent almost 2 hours playing with the system clock just to get those war table missions out of the way and back to what's actually fun.
And let's not forget that MANY war table missions are part of chains that sometimes give you nothing to little from most of them until you get to the end. Yes, there's tons of flavor text and many former companions show up via this flavor text. Aveline, Zevran, Sebastian, Tallis...these people show up in flavor text, which almost feels like a slap in the face if you liked them the most.
So yeah, there's a lot that I hate about this game. And when I'm putting up with this stuff, I'm honestly wondering if the fun stuff is worth the boredom. Especially when you consider the load times.
I'm not even joking. On my version of the game, I've waited through several minutes of load times when areas change, with only a few seconds to read the tips and flavor text before the screen goes to black. This is one of the reasons I spend as much time as I can questing in an area without leaving it; I'm trying to have as much fun as I can while I can before the boredom takes over.
The thing is, when it's fun, it's fun. The story is great, the combat system is awesome, the characters are realistic and dynamic, and the choices we make as a player character actually matter now. Hell, even your specializations are brought up by your allies and NPCs.
But honestly, this is my least favorite game in the series. All the problems and all the boredom that I have to slog through makes this game the least enjoyable to play. That said, it's still better than a lot of RPGs on the market.
Next entry will be on the important characters, then a full entry on Flemeth and her importance to the history of the franchise. This will be followed up by a wrap up for the series. For now, stay beautiful freaks!
But before that, I'm going to bring up the comics and books that happen in between and their importance to the plot, and the characters they reference.
The Silent Groves brings in King Alistair (though the game implies that Warden Alistair goes through the events of these comics as well), Isabela and Varric to adventure through Antiva to rescue Alistair's father, King Marric. During these events, they meet Yavana, one of Flemeth's daughters, who is trying to help bring back the dragon population.
Those Who Speak picks up where Silent Groves leaves off, where they travel into Qunari territory, and we learn that Isabela's connection to the Qunari is deeper than we thought. They also meet the Sten that fought alongside Alistair and the Hero of Ferelden during the Blight, though he is now the Arishok. We also learn why the Blood of Calenhad is so important.
From there, we are led into Until We Sleep, which ends the saga started in Silent Groves, and shows how Alistair rescues his father and kills the Magister who held Marric in stasis with Qunari forces aiding his assault.
Next comes the third novel, but first in the Mage-Templar War era. Asunder introduces Cole, Rhys, Evangeline, brings back Wynne, Shale and Leliana, and shows how the Tranquil cure is learned about and how Cole kills Lord Seeker Lambert. It also shows how Wynne gives up the Spirit of Faith that has "lived" inside her since Origins to Evangeline.
The Masked Empire brings in Empress Celene, Grand Duke Gaspard de Chalons, Briala, Ser Michel de Chevin, the demon Ishmael, and brings back Leliana and Teagan Guerrin, assumed to be the now Arl of Redcliffe, since that's his position in DAI. This one shows the events that are hinted about during the events that we see during Inquisition at the Winter Palace.
And I'm going to mention the Dragon Age Keep, a website that you can set up a world state based on decisions that you "made in the previous games" to shore up your continuity for your playthrough. And while I'm still irritated that there's no save game transfer for the 360, PS3 and PC, the fact that the game was released on both the Xbone and PS4 as well as the 360 and PS3 made it as necessity. Especially since Bioware has cut off DLC for the 360 and PS3 recently.
Now, as for Inquistion itself, it comes in with things coming to a head; Orlais is in the middle of a civil war, and the Mage-Templar war has been in full swing for years, and Divine Justinia V, formerly Revered Mother Dorathea from the Leliana's Song DLC, calls for a peace conference. However, Corypheus, the ancient Magister from the DA2 Legacy DLC, has other plans. One unlucky person, the player character, manages to spoil Corypheus' plans and ends up in the Fade with Justinia, though only the PC escapes.
This sets up the beginning, where you choose your class, gender and race. This game brings back in Elves, Dwarves and introduces Qunari as a playable race, as well as the boring humans. (Why people would want to play as a human in a fantasy setting is beyond me, but I digress.)
As for the classes, they retain their DA2 combat roles; Rogues are either 2 daggers or bow, Warriors are either two handed weapon or weapon and shield, and mages are still the most dynamic, though mages have been revamped again to suite the new specializations. No longer do they have a close attack that uses their staff; a melee ability is reserved exclusively to the Knight Enchanter spec.
Inquisition brings in crafting, which gives you much better weapons, armors and runes than what you normally find as drops. I'm not a fan of crafting, but with some war table missions giving you crafting materials in less than 10 minutes, it's not as painful as it could be.
What is painful, though, is how specializations are handled. No longer are they permanently unlocked, and in order to get them, you have to take on a mission from the war table, then talk to the trainers, then gather crafting materials for their special item, and only then can you take on a single specialization. And it must be done EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. They are NOT permanently unlocked for you like they were in the previous two games. This feels like a step backward to me, and I'm not willing to try out every single on my player character to see what I like due to this fact. No, I tested out the specs on companions, figured out which one I like and which one was easy to get, and then take that one on. So that means that I only go with 1 rogue spec (Tempest), 2 Warrior specs (Templar and Reaver), and all three mage ones, since I have yet to play a mage where I didn't have all the crafting mats I need when I get to Skyhold.
Speaking of Skyhold, that has stuff that needs crafting as well, to "beautify" the keep. In addition to the crafting resources you get from war table gathering missions, you've got to pick up logging stands and quarries, and if you don't know where to find them, you could wander the maps for days.
So yeah, not a fan of crafting.
One other thing that irritates me is the war table itself. I get that they are trying to illustrate the weight of decision. But when you've played the game several times and know the results you want, it becomes tedious. It also makes me play with the system clock to bypass the real world time the game wants me to wait. I don't know about anyone else, but I am not going to send a favored adviser onto a mission that takes 24 hours without doing this.
What adds to this annoyance is that several of these type of missions pop up after completing an important story mission. Finish recruiting the Templars or Mages? Get a lot of these. Finish the mission with the Wardens? Get a lot of these. Winter Palace? Ditto. I've spent almost 2 hours playing with the system clock just to get those war table missions out of the way and back to what's actually fun.
And let's not forget that MANY war table missions are part of chains that sometimes give you nothing to little from most of them until you get to the end. Yes, there's tons of flavor text and many former companions show up via this flavor text. Aveline, Zevran, Sebastian, Tallis...these people show up in flavor text, which almost feels like a slap in the face if you liked them the most.
So yeah, there's a lot that I hate about this game. And when I'm putting up with this stuff, I'm honestly wondering if the fun stuff is worth the boredom. Especially when you consider the load times.
I'm not even joking. On my version of the game, I've waited through several minutes of load times when areas change, with only a few seconds to read the tips and flavor text before the screen goes to black. This is one of the reasons I spend as much time as I can questing in an area without leaving it; I'm trying to have as much fun as I can while I can before the boredom takes over.
The thing is, when it's fun, it's fun. The story is great, the combat system is awesome, the characters are realistic and dynamic, and the choices we make as a player character actually matter now. Hell, even your specializations are brought up by your allies and NPCs.
But honestly, this is my least favorite game in the series. All the problems and all the boredom that I have to slog through makes this game the least enjoyable to play. That said, it's still better than a lot of RPGs on the market.
Next entry will be on the important characters, then a full entry on Flemeth and her importance to the history of the franchise. This will be followed up by a wrap up for the series. For now, stay beautiful freaks!
Sunday, August 2, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Dragon Age 2 Companions
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! It's time to tackle the companions and important cast members of DA2!
Name: Bethany
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: None at start, Force Mage in Act 2 and 3 DLC and if she rejoins your party
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No, she's your sister
Special: Bethany starts with a preexisting slant toward Friendship. Near 75%, in fact, so unless you take the effort to piss her off, she'll begin the slow slide into friendship long before you finish Act 1.
Fate: Bethany's fate is tied to your class and your decision at the end of Act 1. If you're a mage, Bethany dies at the end of the Prologue. If you're a warrior or rogue, she survives to enter Kirkwall. If she lives, her fate in Act 2 and 3 are determined are by your choices with the Deep Roads. If you do not take her, she is finally captured by the Templars and becomes a Circle Mage. There, she retains her sunny disposition and takes on a position of influence in the Circle, teaching young apprentices. However, if you take her into the Deep Roads, you MUST take Anders along if you want her to survive. From there, she can become a Grey Warden, and shows up at the end of Act 2, and again in Act 3 if Nathaniel Howe shows up. From there, she can rejoin your party at the end of Act 3 after you choose your side. As a Warden, Bethany's perspective darkens drastically. If she lives, she can also be brought along in both DLC packs.
Name: Carver
Race: Human
Class: 2 handed Warrior
Specialization: None at start, Templar Mage in Act 2 and 3 DLC and if he rejoins your party
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No, he's your brother
Special: Carver starts with a preexisting slant toward Rivalry. Around 65%, in fact, so unless you take the effort to pander to his viewpoint, he'll begin the slow slide into Rivalry long before you finish Act 1.
Fate: Most of Bethany's entry applies with Carver. If you're not a mage, Carver dies at Lothering. If you take him into the Deep Roads without Anders, he dies. If you take Anders, he becomes a Grey Warden. If you don't take him, he becomes a Templar. However, his personality is the opposite of Bethany when it comes to which organization he joins; he feels better about being a Warden than a Templar.
Name: Aveline Vallen
Race: Human
Class: Sword and Shield Warrior
Specialization: Guardian, making her a tank
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No, but you can flirt with her
Special: Aveline will not leave your party unless certain specific conditions are met; she has to be a Rival at the end of Act 3 and she can't be married to Donnic. Furthermore, you have to side with the mages, and Fenris has to remain with your party.
Fate: Aveline is one of the most important figures in Kirkwall, as a guard/guard captain. In Act 2, she could potentially marry Donnic Heydr. In Act 3, whether or not she married Donnic determines how her personal quest goes. Depending on certain choices at the end game, she may return in a War Table mission text in DAI.
Name: Varric
Race: Dwarf
Class: Archer focused Rogue
Specialization: Marksman, which is a bard-like ability that makes him better with his crossbow.
Recruited at: The start of Act 1
Romance?: No
Special: Varric cannot leave the party at all, due to him relating to the story to Cassandra Pentaghast. Varric is the only one with a weapon that upgrades with his level, his crossbow Bianca.
Fate: Varric returns in DAI as a companion. His specialization changes between games, though. He also appears in the comics with Alistair and Isabela.
Name: Anders
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Vengeance, which is a combination of Spirit Healer and a damage buff
Recruited at: Act 1, just after being revealed as an Abomination at the Chantry
Romance?: Yes
Special: Anders can leave at several points in the story; in Act 2, at the end of his personal quest, and in Act 3, in the same type of situation. At the end of Act 3, Anders can be killed after he blows up the Chantry.
Fate: Anders does not show up in DAI, though he is mentioned by Hawke if he survived, as well as whether or not Hawke approved of Anders' actions.
Name: Merrill
Race: Elf
Class: Mage
Specialization: Dalish Pariah, a combination of Blood Mage and Keeper from DAA
Recruited at: Act 1, on Sundermount
Romance?: Yes
Special: Like Aveline, Merrill has certain conditions to actually leave the party; first, you must not talk to her after her act 3 quest. Second, she must not be at 100% Friendship/Rivalry. Third, you must be a Rival of Anders. Finally, you MUST side with the Templars. Only then will she leave the party.
Fate: Merrill is mentioned by both Varric and Hawke in DAI, and the romance is remarked on by both.
Name: Fenris
Race: Elf
Class: Two handed Warrior
Specialization: Tervinter Fugitive, a Templar/Spirit Warrior like specialization
Recruited at: Act 1
Romance?: Yes
Special: Fenris can leave the party at many points in the game; first time is in Act 2, if you refuse his personal quest twice. Second is in Act 3, when you can give him to his former owner. Finally, if you side with the Mages and he's not 100% on the Frienship or Rivalry meter. He's also the only companion who never learned how to read.
Fate: He does not return in DAI, and is only mentioned if Hawke romanced him.
Name: Isabela
Race: Human
Class: Dual Wielding Rogue
Specialization: Swashbuckler, which is essentially Duelist
Recruited at: The Hanged Man Bar in Act 1
Romance?: Yes
Special: Isabela leaves the party at the end of Act 2. But she only returns if her Friendship or Rivalry is at at least 50%.
Fate: Isabela returns in the comics take place between DA2 and DAI. Interestingly, her role in those books shows us the first female qunari. She also returns in DAI as a DLC multiplayer character.
Name: Sebastian
Race: Human
Class: Archer Rogue
Specialization: Royal Archer, which gives him abilities that are like Shadow in DAA
Recruited at: Act 2 chantry, but you need to complete his first personal quest before recruiting him
Romance?: Yes, female only, and only if you never touched, or even shown any interest, in the other romance options.
Special: Sebastial will leave the party if Anders is spared at the end of Act 3. This is unavoidable, regardless of your Friendship or Rivalry settings.
Fate: Sebastian returns as War Table Text in DAI. If Anders survived, he becomes extremely antagonistic toward Kirkwall.
Name: Tallis
Race: Elf
Class: Dual wielding Rogue
Specialization: Infiltrator, most like Assassin
Recruited at: Start of Mark of Assassin DLC
Romance?: Yes, but you can only kiss her if your romance option isn't in the party
Special: Tallis is contained entirely in her DLC, and you can choose to leave her behind once you find out she's a qunari spy.
Fate: Tallis returns in war table text if you choose to have Iron Bull save the Dreadnaught.
And now for the important characters;
Name: Cullen
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: Templar
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: If your Warden is a mage, he knows them. If the Warden mage is female, he had a crush on her.
Fate:Cullen returns in DAI after seeing what evils the Templars can commit in this game.
Name: Samson
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: Templar
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: He aids you in 2 quests; 1 in Act 1, another in Act 3.
Fate: If you choose to recruit the mages in DAI, Samson returns as your rival.
Name: Flemeth
Race: Human based, hard to properly codify until all information is revealed
Class: Mage
Specialization: Shapeshifter
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: Too much to detail. I will handle that in an entry about her alone.
Fate: Integral to the plot of the next game.
Now, here is where I would tackle specializations, but this time, they're easy; you get access to 3 in total for each class, they require no unlocking, you gain them at level 7 and 14. As for what they are;
Warrior: Templar, Reaver and Berserker
Rogue: Assassin, Duelist and Shadow
Mage: Blood Mage, Spirit Healer and Force Mage
Also, other than keeping most of your party in your party at end game, the companion's disposition with dealing with you gives their specializations buffs based on whether they are friends or rivals. For example, Anders gains buffs to his damage output if he's a friend, or a boost to health regeneration if he's a rival. And they're all like this, some better than others for your purposes. Merrill has a buff to her blood magic if she's your friend, which is beneficial if you use her as a blood mage. Aveline's a better tank if you're friends with her.
Next up in the retrospective is DAI, though I will mention the importance of the comics and novels and their placement in the timeline next. Until then, stay beautiful freaks!
Name: Bethany
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: None at start, Force Mage in Act 2 and 3 DLC and if she rejoins your party
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No, she's your sister
Special: Bethany starts with a preexisting slant toward Friendship. Near 75%, in fact, so unless you take the effort to piss her off, she'll begin the slow slide into friendship long before you finish Act 1.
Fate: Bethany's fate is tied to your class and your decision at the end of Act 1. If you're a mage, Bethany dies at the end of the Prologue. If you're a warrior or rogue, she survives to enter Kirkwall. If she lives, her fate in Act 2 and 3 are determined are by your choices with the Deep Roads. If you do not take her, she is finally captured by the Templars and becomes a Circle Mage. There, she retains her sunny disposition and takes on a position of influence in the Circle, teaching young apprentices. However, if you take her into the Deep Roads, you MUST take Anders along if you want her to survive. From there, she can become a Grey Warden, and shows up at the end of Act 2, and again in Act 3 if Nathaniel Howe shows up. From there, she can rejoin your party at the end of Act 3 after you choose your side. As a Warden, Bethany's perspective darkens drastically. If she lives, she can also be brought along in both DLC packs.
Name: Carver
Race: Human
Class: 2 handed Warrior
Specialization: None at start, Templar Mage in Act 2 and 3 DLC and if he rejoins your party
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No, he's your brother
Special: Carver starts with a preexisting slant toward Rivalry. Around 65%, in fact, so unless you take the effort to pander to his viewpoint, he'll begin the slow slide into Rivalry long before you finish Act 1.
Fate: Most of Bethany's entry applies with Carver. If you're not a mage, Carver dies at Lothering. If you take him into the Deep Roads without Anders, he dies. If you take Anders, he becomes a Grey Warden. If you don't take him, he becomes a Templar. However, his personality is the opposite of Bethany when it comes to which organization he joins; he feels better about being a Warden than a Templar.
Name: Aveline Vallen
Race: Human
Class: Sword and Shield Warrior
Specialization: Guardian, making her a tank
Recruited at: Starts in your party
Romance?: No, but you can flirt with her
Special: Aveline will not leave your party unless certain specific conditions are met; she has to be a Rival at the end of Act 3 and she can't be married to Donnic. Furthermore, you have to side with the mages, and Fenris has to remain with your party.
Fate: Aveline is one of the most important figures in Kirkwall, as a guard/guard captain. In Act 2, she could potentially marry Donnic Heydr. In Act 3, whether or not she married Donnic determines how her personal quest goes. Depending on certain choices at the end game, she may return in a War Table mission text in DAI.
Name: Varric
Race: Dwarf
Class: Archer focused Rogue
Specialization: Marksman, which is a bard-like ability that makes him better with his crossbow.
Recruited at: The start of Act 1
Romance?: No
Special: Varric cannot leave the party at all, due to him relating to the story to Cassandra Pentaghast. Varric is the only one with a weapon that upgrades with his level, his crossbow Bianca.
Fate: Varric returns in DAI as a companion. His specialization changes between games, though. He also appears in the comics with Alistair and Isabela.
Name: Anders
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Vengeance, which is a combination of Spirit Healer and a damage buff
Recruited at: Act 1, just after being revealed as an Abomination at the Chantry
Romance?: Yes
Special: Anders can leave at several points in the story; in Act 2, at the end of his personal quest, and in Act 3, in the same type of situation. At the end of Act 3, Anders can be killed after he blows up the Chantry.
Fate: Anders does not show up in DAI, though he is mentioned by Hawke if he survived, as well as whether or not Hawke approved of Anders' actions.
Name: Merrill
Race: Elf
Class: Mage
Specialization: Dalish Pariah, a combination of Blood Mage and Keeper from DAA
Recruited at: Act 1, on Sundermount
Romance?: Yes
Special: Like Aveline, Merrill has certain conditions to actually leave the party; first, you must not talk to her after her act 3 quest. Second, she must not be at 100% Friendship/Rivalry. Third, you must be a Rival of Anders. Finally, you MUST side with the Templars. Only then will she leave the party.
Fate: Merrill is mentioned by both Varric and Hawke in DAI, and the romance is remarked on by both.
Name: Fenris
Race: Elf
Class: Two handed Warrior
Specialization: Tervinter Fugitive, a Templar/Spirit Warrior like specialization
Recruited at: Act 1
Romance?: Yes
Special: Fenris can leave the party at many points in the game; first time is in Act 2, if you refuse his personal quest twice. Second is in Act 3, when you can give him to his former owner. Finally, if you side with the Mages and he's not 100% on the Frienship or Rivalry meter. He's also the only companion who never learned how to read.
Fate: He does not return in DAI, and is only mentioned if Hawke romanced him.
Name: Isabela
Race: Human
Class: Dual Wielding Rogue
Specialization: Swashbuckler, which is essentially Duelist
Recruited at: The Hanged Man Bar in Act 1
Romance?: Yes
Special: Isabela leaves the party at the end of Act 2. But she only returns if her Friendship or Rivalry is at at least 50%.
Fate: Isabela returns in the comics take place between DA2 and DAI. Interestingly, her role in those books shows us the first female qunari. She also returns in DAI as a DLC multiplayer character.
Name: Sebastian
Race: Human
Class: Archer Rogue
Specialization: Royal Archer, which gives him abilities that are like Shadow in DAA
Recruited at: Act 2 chantry, but you need to complete his first personal quest before recruiting him
Romance?: Yes, female only, and only if you never touched, or even shown any interest, in the other romance options.
Special: Sebastial will leave the party if Anders is spared at the end of Act 3. This is unavoidable, regardless of your Friendship or Rivalry settings.
Fate: Sebastian returns as War Table Text in DAI. If Anders survived, he becomes extremely antagonistic toward Kirkwall.
Name: Tallis
Race: Elf
Class: Dual wielding Rogue
Specialization: Infiltrator, most like Assassin
Recruited at: Start of Mark of Assassin DLC
Romance?: Yes, but you can only kiss her if your romance option isn't in the party
Special: Tallis is contained entirely in her DLC, and you can choose to leave her behind once you find out she's a qunari spy.
Fate: Tallis returns in war table text if you choose to have Iron Bull save the Dreadnaught.
And now for the important characters;
Name: Cullen
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: Templar
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: If your Warden is a mage, he knows them. If the Warden mage is female, he had a crush on her.
Fate:Cullen returns in DAI after seeing what evils the Templars can commit in this game.
Name: Samson
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: Templar
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: He aids you in 2 quests; 1 in Act 1, another in Act 3.
Fate: If you choose to recruit the mages in DAI, Samson returns as your rival.
Name: Flemeth
Race: Human based, hard to properly codify until all information is revealed
Class: Mage
Specialization: Shapeshifter
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: Too much to detail. I will handle that in an entry about her alone.
Fate: Integral to the plot of the next game.
Now, here is where I would tackle specializations, but this time, they're easy; you get access to 3 in total for each class, they require no unlocking, you gain them at level 7 and 14. As for what they are;
Warrior: Templar, Reaver and Berserker
Rogue: Assassin, Duelist and Shadow
Mage: Blood Mage, Spirit Healer and Force Mage
Also, other than keeping most of your party in your party at end game, the companion's disposition with dealing with you gives their specializations buffs based on whether they are friends or rivals. For example, Anders gains buffs to his damage output if he's a friend, or a boost to health regeneration if he's a rival. And they're all like this, some better than others for your purposes. Merrill has a buff to her blood magic if she's your friend, which is beneficial if you use her as a blood mage. Aveline's a better tank if you're friends with her.
Next up in the retrospective is DAI, though I will mention the importance of the comics and novels and their placement in the timeline next. Until then, stay beautiful freaks!
Wednesday, July 29, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Dragon Age 2
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I'm going to go into what many consider the worst game in the franchise, Dragon Age 2!
Dragon Age 2 is highly rated by the gaming media, but panned by fans. Why is that? Well, the game had a short development cycle; less than a year, in fact. It reuses the same areas over and over again to compensate for it, and they streamline a lot in order to fit the schedule. I also think that one of the things that a lot of gamers feel that it was build from the console up instead of being a PC focus like Origins was.
But with that said, this is the game that I have the most fun playing. Yes, you can tell that the development time is rushed, but what's in the game is polished. The combat system is fun, and the classes are far more focused, limiting the warrior and rogue to specific combat styles, while still giving the mage a dynamic building ability.
In this game, the warrior is either two handed weapons or sword and shield only, and focuses on 3 stats; strength, constitution and willpower. Armor is tied to the strength and constitution stat, so those are you main stats. Willpower gives more stamina to utilize your skills more often.
Rogue is dual wielding daggers or bow focused, and focuses on dexterity, cunning, willpower and constitution. Now, in this game, you don't have an unlocking skill, so cunning is the stat used to unlock anything, you need to get this as high as possible if you want to be the only party rogue. And since armor focuses on dex and cunning, you'll want to focus on those first. What I do is focus on Cunning primarily until I get to 40, which is what you need to unlock the hardest locks, then go 2 in dex and 1 in the other skills to make up for the character's "squishyness".
Mages are more focused, but also more survivable. Their focus is on magic and willpower, with constitution to buff your hit points. Armor focuses on magic and willpower, so that's where your focus should be. And the best thing about mages this time is that they have a melee attack; when enemies get up and close, they essentially use their magic stat to damage enemies in melee range with your staff.
And honestly? I'm very glad that they streamlined the influence system, giving bonuses to both extremely high and extremely low approval. And, with the exception that is Isabela, whom you have to get halfway through either the Friend or Rivalry meters (which I will cover in my entry about each companion) by the end of act 2 if you want her to return to you, it's pretty easy to get them to max by the end of the game if you're consistent, as no leaves based on approval like they did in Origins.
However, there is one big problem with DA2 that I figured out after watching an episode of Big Bang Theory with my father; in that episode, they pointed out that Indiana Jones had no impact on the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, since the Nazis succeeded in getting the ark in the end and were all killed anyway, and I realized that, in DA2, Hawke was pretty much the same way.
Hear me out on this; say that Hawke didn't trust Varric in the beginning. I know that, for the sake of the game, Hawke has to, but let's pretend that Hawke didn't. Varric would go and make the money he needed himself, and get the maps from Anders himself, since he was the one who brought up Anders to Hawke. He'd then go on the expedition into the Deep Roads, get betrayed by Bartrand, and either get out of there himself or not survive the betrayal. As for Hawke, they'd either go back to the one they worked for in the prologue, or, if a mage, they'd in Bethany's shoes if you don't take her into the Deep Roads. In fact, I think Carver would join the Templars regardless.
As for the companions, without Hawke bringing them together, I doubt Varric would have shown any interest in Anders after finding our he's an abomination. Aveline would still end up as Guard Captain, because I doubt she's sit on her hands about her mission if it was up to her. Isabela wouldn't end up in Varric or Hawke's circle, nor would Fenris, as they require assistance from Hawke. That said, Isabela would have still done her "chantry meeting at midnight" thing and gone her own way. Fenris, however, does not raid the mansion, as there's no indication that he does if you refuse the quest.
As for Merrill, I assume Hawke would go to Sundermount, release Flemeth, take Merrill to the city, and then leave her be, as Hawke would be busy trying to either protect themself or Bethany from the Templars.
Now, Act 2 changes very little without Hawke's intervention. The Arishok has no one they respect, so anything that happens around the Qunari would just piss him off without anyone attempting to calm him. Isabela still goes after the Tome of Koslun, and without Hawke giving her a reason to return, she'd be gone, just like she is if you don't have high enough approval. However, there are three important figures that would take on the Arishok at the end of the act; Guard Captain Aveline, First Enchanter Orsino and Knight Commander Meridith. They would marshal their forces, take the Vicount's Keep, and kill the Arishok and his Qunari forces.
Other companions fate would be as follows; Anders would still go after the Templar with the Tranquil Solution, and would still kill the mage girl. Aveline would likely fail to woo Donnic, and Varric, if he lives, would kill his brother when he raids his house. Merrill would go get the Arulin'Holm and finish her mirror, but only after arguing with Marethari.
Interestingly, I can see mage Hawke involved in the attack on the Vicount's keep, since they'd likely be in Bethany's position, along with Carver fighting alongside Meredith. However, Warrior or Rogue Hawke would likely be defending any home they built after Bethany is taken to the Circle, and would have MAYBE gone after Bethany, if they knew she was in danger at all.
Act 3 wouldn't really change at all. Anders still blows up the Chantry, and Meredith still declares the Right of Annulment. The only real difference is that the Templars succeed if Hawke isn't there to defend the mages. And that means that mage Hawke (because it is HIGHLY unlikely that Carver would be right there at the right time) or Bethany dies at this point.
As for the companions, Aveline still deals with her quest, though the events would be the ones where she never married Donnic. Varric would once again raid his brother's former estate, but without Hawke there to influence him, he'd keep the idol. As for Merrill? She'd still go to the demon to activate the Eluvian, and would encounter Abomination Marethari. Without Hawke to help here, there'd be two outcomes; either she'd die at the ends of the demon, who would then attack the Sabrae clan and force them to kill her, or Merrill would kill the demon, and would subsequently be killed by her former clan.
As for DLC, Mark of the Assassin would go off without a hitch, since at the end, Duke Prosper doesn't care for what the Tal-Vashoth Salit gives him and kills him anyway. So truly, nothing Hawke or Tallis did there mattered.
However, Legacy DOES require input from Hawke. In order for Inquisition to happen, Corypheus requires Hawke to release him though that blood ritual at the end. And I can actually think of some easy ways to get Hawke involved; Act 1 is easy. They would use their contacts via Gamlen or their chosen prologue employer to track down the Carta dwarves, and go off to wake Corypheus. In act 2 and 3, it's even easier; the Carta attacks the Circle, either to get Bethany, or Hawke and Carver. If it's Hawke and Carver, the solution is simple; send Hawke and Carver, along with a compliment of Templars to investigate. However, if Hawke is a warrior or rogue, I guarantee that, after being attacked by the Carta themself, they'd be going to check on Bethany.
Even despite its problems, though, DA2 is my favorite game to play, if not experience. It's not a Bioware fan's RPG, but if you keep that in mind, it's a good time throughout the game.
Look forward to my entry on the companions, and stay beautiful freaks!
Dragon Age 2 is highly rated by the gaming media, but panned by fans. Why is that? Well, the game had a short development cycle; less than a year, in fact. It reuses the same areas over and over again to compensate for it, and they streamline a lot in order to fit the schedule. I also think that one of the things that a lot of gamers feel that it was build from the console up instead of being a PC focus like Origins was.
But with that said, this is the game that I have the most fun playing. Yes, you can tell that the development time is rushed, but what's in the game is polished. The combat system is fun, and the classes are far more focused, limiting the warrior and rogue to specific combat styles, while still giving the mage a dynamic building ability.
In this game, the warrior is either two handed weapons or sword and shield only, and focuses on 3 stats; strength, constitution and willpower. Armor is tied to the strength and constitution stat, so those are you main stats. Willpower gives more stamina to utilize your skills more often.
Rogue is dual wielding daggers or bow focused, and focuses on dexterity, cunning, willpower and constitution. Now, in this game, you don't have an unlocking skill, so cunning is the stat used to unlock anything, you need to get this as high as possible if you want to be the only party rogue. And since armor focuses on dex and cunning, you'll want to focus on those first. What I do is focus on Cunning primarily until I get to 40, which is what you need to unlock the hardest locks, then go 2 in dex and 1 in the other skills to make up for the character's "squishyness".
Mages are more focused, but also more survivable. Their focus is on magic and willpower, with constitution to buff your hit points. Armor focuses on magic and willpower, so that's where your focus should be. And the best thing about mages this time is that they have a melee attack; when enemies get up and close, they essentially use their magic stat to damage enemies in melee range with your staff.
And honestly? I'm very glad that they streamlined the influence system, giving bonuses to both extremely high and extremely low approval. And, with the exception that is Isabela, whom you have to get halfway through either the Friend or Rivalry meters (which I will cover in my entry about each companion) by the end of act 2 if you want her to return to you, it's pretty easy to get them to max by the end of the game if you're consistent, as no leaves based on approval like they did in Origins.
However, there is one big problem with DA2 that I figured out after watching an episode of Big Bang Theory with my father; in that episode, they pointed out that Indiana Jones had no impact on the plot of Raiders of the Lost Ark, since the Nazis succeeded in getting the ark in the end and were all killed anyway, and I realized that, in DA2, Hawke was pretty much the same way.
Hear me out on this; say that Hawke didn't trust Varric in the beginning. I know that, for the sake of the game, Hawke has to, but let's pretend that Hawke didn't. Varric would go and make the money he needed himself, and get the maps from Anders himself, since he was the one who brought up Anders to Hawke. He'd then go on the expedition into the Deep Roads, get betrayed by Bartrand, and either get out of there himself or not survive the betrayal. As for Hawke, they'd either go back to the one they worked for in the prologue, or, if a mage, they'd in Bethany's shoes if you don't take her into the Deep Roads. In fact, I think Carver would join the Templars regardless.
As for the companions, without Hawke bringing them together, I doubt Varric would have shown any interest in Anders after finding our he's an abomination. Aveline would still end up as Guard Captain, because I doubt she's sit on her hands about her mission if it was up to her. Isabela wouldn't end up in Varric or Hawke's circle, nor would Fenris, as they require assistance from Hawke. That said, Isabela would have still done her "chantry meeting at midnight" thing and gone her own way. Fenris, however, does not raid the mansion, as there's no indication that he does if you refuse the quest.
As for Merrill, I assume Hawke would go to Sundermount, release Flemeth, take Merrill to the city, and then leave her be, as Hawke would be busy trying to either protect themself or Bethany from the Templars.
Now, Act 2 changes very little without Hawke's intervention. The Arishok has no one they respect, so anything that happens around the Qunari would just piss him off without anyone attempting to calm him. Isabela still goes after the Tome of Koslun, and without Hawke giving her a reason to return, she'd be gone, just like she is if you don't have high enough approval. However, there are three important figures that would take on the Arishok at the end of the act; Guard Captain Aveline, First Enchanter Orsino and Knight Commander Meridith. They would marshal their forces, take the Vicount's Keep, and kill the Arishok and his Qunari forces.
Other companions fate would be as follows; Anders would still go after the Templar with the Tranquil Solution, and would still kill the mage girl. Aveline would likely fail to woo Donnic, and Varric, if he lives, would kill his brother when he raids his house. Merrill would go get the Arulin'Holm and finish her mirror, but only after arguing with Marethari.
Interestingly, I can see mage Hawke involved in the attack on the Vicount's keep, since they'd likely be in Bethany's position, along with Carver fighting alongside Meredith. However, Warrior or Rogue Hawke would likely be defending any home they built after Bethany is taken to the Circle, and would have MAYBE gone after Bethany, if they knew she was in danger at all.
Act 3 wouldn't really change at all. Anders still blows up the Chantry, and Meredith still declares the Right of Annulment. The only real difference is that the Templars succeed if Hawke isn't there to defend the mages. And that means that mage Hawke (because it is HIGHLY unlikely that Carver would be right there at the right time) or Bethany dies at this point.
As for the companions, Aveline still deals with her quest, though the events would be the ones where she never married Donnic. Varric would once again raid his brother's former estate, but without Hawke there to influence him, he'd keep the idol. As for Merrill? She'd still go to the demon to activate the Eluvian, and would encounter Abomination Marethari. Without Hawke to help here, there'd be two outcomes; either she'd die at the ends of the demon, who would then attack the Sabrae clan and force them to kill her, or Merrill would kill the demon, and would subsequently be killed by her former clan.
As for DLC, Mark of the Assassin would go off without a hitch, since at the end, Duke Prosper doesn't care for what the Tal-Vashoth Salit gives him and kills him anyway. So truly, nothing Hawke or Tallis did there mattered.
However, Legacy DOES require input from Hawke. In order for Inquisition to happen, Corypheus requires Hawke to release him though that blood ritual at the end. And I can actually think of some easy ways to get Hawke involved; Act 1 is easy. They would use their contacts via Gamlen or their chosen prologue employer to track down the Carta dwarves, and go off to wake Corypheus. In act 2 and 3, it's even easier; the Carta attacks the Circle, either to get Bethany, or Hawke and Carver. If it's Hawke and Carver, the solution is simple; send Hawke and Carver, along with a compliment of Templars to investigate. However, if Hawke is a warrior or rogue, I guarantee that, after being attacked by the Carta themself, they'd be going to check on Bethany.
Even despite its problems, though, DA2 is my favorite game to play, if not experience. It's not a Bioware fan's RPG, but if you keep that in mind, it's a good time throughout the game.
Look forward to my entry on the companions, and stay beautiful freaks!
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Origins/Awakening Companions and Specializations
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I'm tackling the characters from the main game and the expansion, as well as other characters in those games who become important. Though this time, I'm doing things a little different than last time; the format will be similar to my character profiles I've done for my SWTOR characters
Name: Alistair
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and Shield focus
Specialization: Templar, will teach at proper approval
Recruited at: Ostagar
Romance?: Yes, female only
Special: Alistair's personality can be hardened after his personal quest with the woman he was lead to believe to be his sister. This affects later actions in the game, and whether he approves of certain choices or not. He is also 1 of 3 characters that you can't chase off.
Fate: Alistair has 4 potential outcomes based on choices; first, he's dead, striking the final blow on the Archdemon. Second, he remains a Grey Warden. Third, he becomes King, either with or without Anora. Fourth, he leaves both the Wardens and Ferelden behind.
Future appearances: Depends on choices. If Alistair is King, he makes a cameo in act 3 of Dragon Age 2, as well as at Redcliffe in Dragon Age Inquisition. He is also in text on the war table. If he is a Warden, he appears in act 2 of DA2, and is an important NPC in DAI. If he's a drunk, he appears in DA2, and not at all in DAI. He also appears in the Dark Horse comics as a King, though dialogue in DAI shows that he goes through those events as a Warden as well.
Name: Morrigan
Race: Human
Class: Mage, debuff focus
Specialization: Shapeshifter, will teach at proper approval
Recruited at: Flemeth's hut
Romance?: Yes, male only
Special: Morrigan is 1 of 3 characters that cannot be truly sent away, thanks to her importance to the ending. She will leave your party permanently if you refuse her, though.
Fate: Morrigan returns in Witch Hunt as the goal, as well DAI, as an important NPC. Depending on choices in DAO, she could show up with or without a son, and depending on end game choices, the boy could be the holder of the Old God Soul, or the human son of a Warden via romance.
Name: Customizable
Race: Mabari war hound
Class: Warrior, but with dog skills
Specialization: No, cannot learn one
Recruited at: Highever if Human Noble, otherwise between Flemeth's hut and Lothering, but only if you cured him of the Blight.
Special: (Dog) is 1 of 3 characters that cannot leave your party if he is alive.
Fate: Dog returns in Witch Hunt after siring a large amount of puppies to replenish mabari numbers after the Blight.
Name: Leliana
Race: Human
Class: Rogue, archer focus
Specialization: Bard, will teach at proper approval
Recruited at: Lothering
Romance?: Yes
Special: Like Alistair, Leliana can be hardened after dealing her personal quest.
Fate: Leliana can be killed in this game, though that is retconned into her being "wounded terribly". She becomes an important character in DA2 and DAI.
Name: Sten, later Arishok
Race: Qunari
Class: Warrior, two handed weapon focus
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Lothering
Special: Sten is the only standard characters who does not come with a specialization. He also does not learn one until hitting 14, when everyone else is gaining their second.
Fate: Sten returns to qunari lands, and due the events in DA2, becomes the new Arishok. He appears in the comics with Alistair.
Name: Shale
Race: Golem
Class: Warrior, golem abilities
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Honleath
Special: Shale can perform the same roles as any warrior, but she has version of them due to her being a non-standard warrior.
Fate: Shale returns in the novel Asunder as Wynne's parner.
Name: Zevran
Race: Elf
Class: Rogue, two weapon focus
Specialization: Assassin, will teach
Recruited at: Random encounter after finish one storyline quest
Romance?: Yes
Special: Zevran can be killed at the point of recruitment, and will betray you if his approval isn't high enough by the end game.
Fate: If he is alive, Zevran will return as a minor NPC in DA2 for a quest, and appears in war table text in DAI.
Name: Wynne
Race: Human
Class: Mage, healer/battlefield controller focus
Specialization: Spirit healer, will not teach
Recruited at: Circle Tower
Special: Wynne gains a special ability, Vessel of the Spirit, which when activated, restores half her health and mana instantly, and stuns all within 2.5 meters around her, and does a few other minor things. Getting Anerin's token boosts all aspects of this spell.
Fate: Wynne returns as a minor quest giving NPC in Awakening, and is an important character in Asunder. She is integral to the plot there, and gives up the spirit that sustains her to save the life of a friend of her son.
Name: Oghren
Race: Dwarf
Class: Warrior, two handed focus
Specialization: Berserker, will teach
Recruited at: Orzammar
Special: Oghren's approval bar is glitched in Awakening if importing your character. Most of the time, the game keeps the diminishing return on gifts to him, only giving you a +6 for favored gifts instead of what you are supposed to get. That means that, if you want to get all you can out of him, you need to be careful what you say and what you do with him around. Has special remarks if you're a dwarf.
Fate: Oghren returns in Awakening to become a Grey Warden. He is the only one you are required to have in your party at the end.
Name: Loghain Mac Tir
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, sword and shield focus
Specialization: Champion, will teach, but you've already received it by the time you can get him anyway.
Recruited at: The Landsmeet in Denerim
Special: You can only recruit Loghain if certain conditions are met. First, the PC must duel him, and let him surrender. Second, put him through the Joining. YOU WILL LOSE ALISTAIR TO GET LOGHAIN!
Fate: Loghain has two fates. First, he sacrifices himself to the Archdemon, which is his preference. Second, either through Dark Ritual or the PC Warden sacrificing themself, he survives to appear again. If the Warden also survived, Loghain appears at Vigil's Keep as a cameo in Awakening, giving you an item. Otherwise, he takes Alistair's place in DAI.
Name: Cullen
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: Templar
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: If your character is a mage, he knows you. If your mage is female, he had a crush on you.
Fate: Cullen plays a huge part in DA2 and DAI; in DA2, he's Knight-Captain of the Kirkwall Templars. In DAI, he's commander of the Inquisition forces.
Name: Flemeth
Race: Human based, hard to properly codify until all information is revealed
Class: Mage
Specialization: Shapeshifter
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: Too much to detail. I will handle that in an entry about her alone.
Fate: Integral to the plots of the next two games.
Specializations that require story moments: Reaver (Warrior), Champion (Warrior), Blood Mage, Arcane Warrior (mage), Duelist (Rogue)
Specializations that require books: Ranger (Rogue), Spirit Healer (Mage), all Awakening specializations (though all specializations can be gained by book as well)
And Awakening companions.
Name: Anders
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Spirit Healer
Recruited at: Vigil's Keep
Special: If you make him a blood mage, he gets special dialogue.
Fate: Anders returns in DA2, merged with Justice to become an abomination, and is both a companion and integral to the plot.
Name: Nathaniel Howe
Race: Human
Class: Rogue, archer focus
Specialization: Assassin
Recruited at: Vigil's Keep
Special: Nathaniel is 1 of 2 companions that can be killed before being recruited. If you're a Human Noble, you get special dialogue with him and his sister. If you're male, his sister remarks on how her father tried to match you up with her.
Fate: If you either bring him with you when you go to Amaranthine near the end of the game, or return to save the keep, Nathaniel will return in DA2 in a quest and at the ending. Otherwise, the save transfer bugs out and flags Nathaniel as dead, even if you fully upgraded the keep.
Name: Sigrun
Race: Dwarf
Class: Rogue, two weapon focus
Specialization: Legionnaire Scout
Recruited at: Kal Hirol
Special: Sigrun has special remarks if you're a dwarf. If you're a dwarven commoner, she is excited to see you.
Fate: Depending on approval, Sigrun either remains with the Wardens for years, or just leaves for her Calling out of the blue.
Name: Velanna
Race: Elf
Class: Mage
Specialization: Keeper
Recruited at: Wending Woods
Special: Velanna is 1 of 2 characters that can be killed before being recruited. Also, her special quest is tied to a random encounter, and thus may never occur, especially if you encountered the Dalish before recruiting her. If you're Dalish, she has special dialogue when you meet her. If you're a city elf, you have a special dialogue option during one of her conversations.
Fate: Like Nathaniel, if you do not take her with you when going to save Amaranthine, or return to the Vigil, Velanna does not survive according to the Epilogue. If you take her with you to face the Mother, her epilogue remarks on your choice with the Architect. Otherwise, she eventually warms to humans somewhat.
Name: Justice
Race: Spirit possessing a human body
Class: Warrior, sword and shield focus
Specialization: Spirit Warrior
Recruited at: Blackmarsh
Special: Justice is the first spirit to join your party, and the only one to become a demon.
Fate: See Anders.
Keep in mind that DAA has potions that allow you to reset everyone's skills, so these are how they enter your party. And while I keep everyone with their initial role in combat, I always reset the skills so I can distribute stats and abilities the way I want them.
I'm not going to bother with Bonny Lem or Sketch from Leliana's song, as they are barely even side characters in DA2 (Lem having a store you can visit, and Sketch having a questline around him), nor am I going to tackle the Dace Brothers from GoA (You don't even get special dialogue with them if you're a dwarven noble either!) or Arianne and Finn from Witch Hunt, as you never see them again after the DLC mission is over (Though you do get special dialogue with them if you're Dalish, a mage, or in a romance with Morrigan and have her ring). But that's it for the party members and important characters from Origins and Awakening. I'll do the characters from DA2 and DAI in the same format after I go into their respective game, an article on Flemeth due to her extreme importance to the franchise, and then a final wrap-up for the franchise.
For now, stay beautiful freaks!
Name: Alistair
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, Sword and Shield focus
Specialization: Templar, will teach at proper approval
Recruited at: Ostagar
Romance?: Yes, female only
Special: Alistair's personality can be hardened after his personal quest with the woman he was lead to believe to be his sister. This affects later actions in the game, and whether he approves of certain choices or not. He is also 1 of 3 characters that you can't chase off.
Fate: Alistair has 4 potential outcomes based on choices; first, he's dead, striking the final blow on the Archdemon. Second, he remains a Grey Warden. Third, he becomes King, either with or without Anora. Fourth, he leaves both the Wardens and Ferelden behind.
Future appearances: Depends on choices. If Alistair is King, he makes a cameo in act 3 of Dragon Age 2, as well as at Redcliffe in Dragon Age Inquisition. He is also in text on the war table. If he is a Warden, he appears in act 2 of DA2, and is an important NPC in DAI. If he's a drunk, he appears in DA2, and not at all in DAI. He also appears in the Dark Horse comics as a King, though dialogue in DAI shows that he goes through those events as a Warden as well.
Name: Morrigan
Race: Human
Class: Mage, debuff focus
Specialization: Shapeshifter, will teach at proper approval
Recruited at: Flemeth's hut
Romance?: Yes, male only
Special: Morrigan is 1 of 3 characters that cannot be truly sent away, thanks to her importance to the ending. She will leave your party permanently if you refuse her, though.
Fate: Morrigan returns in Witch Hunt as the goal, as well DAI, as an important NPC. Depending on choices in DAO, she could show up with or without a son, and depending on end game choices, the boy could be the holder of the Old God Soul, or the human son of a Warden via romance.
Name: Customizable
Race: Mabari war hound
Class: Warrior, but with dog skills
Specialization: No, cannot learn one
Recruited at: Highever if Human Noble, otherwise between Flemeth's hut and Lothering, but only if you cured him of the Blight.
Special: (Dog) is 1 of 3 characters that cannot leave your party if he is alive.
Fate: Dog returns in Witch Hunt after siring a large amount of puppies to replenish mabari numbers after the Blight.
Name: Leliana
Race: Human
Class: Rogue, archer focus
Specialization: Bard, will teach at proper approval
Recruited at: Lothering
Romance?: Yes
Special: Like Alistair, Leliana can be hardened after dealing her personal quest.
Fate: Leliana can be killed in this game, though that is retconned into her being "wounded terribly". She becomes an important character in DA2 and DAI.
Name: Sten, later Arishok
Race: Qunari
Class: Warrior, two handed weapon focus
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Lothering
Special: Sten is the only standard characters who does not come with a specialization. He also does not learn one until hitting 14, when everyone else is gaining their second.
Fate: Sten returns to qunari lands, and due the events in DA2, becomes the new Arishok. He appears in the comics with Alistair.
Name: Shale
Race: Golem
Class: Warrior, golem abilities
Specialization: None
Recruited at: Honleath
Special: Shale can perform the same roles as any warrior, but she has version of them due to her being a non-standard warrior.
Fate: Shale returns in the novel Asunder as Wynne's parner.
Name: Zevran
Race: Elf
Class: Rogue, two weapon focus
Specialization: Assassin, will teach
Recruited at: Random encounter after finish one storyline quest
Romance?: Yes
Special: Zevran can be killed at the point of recruitment, and will betray you if his approval isn't high enough by the end game.
Fate: If he is alive, Zevran will return as a minor NPC in DA2 for a quest, and appears in war table text in DAI.
Name: Wynne
Race: Human
Class: Mage, healer/battlefield controller focus
Specialization: Spirit healer, will not teach
Recruited at: Circle Tower
Special: Wynne gains a special ability, Vessel of the Spirit, which when activated, restores half her health and mana instantly, and stuns all within 2.5 meters around her, and does a few other minor things. Getting Anerin's token boosts all aspects of this spell.
Fate: Wynne returns as a minor quest giving NPC in Awakening, and is an important character in Asunder. She is integral to the plot there, and gives up the spirit that sustains her to save the life of a friend of her son.
Name: Oghren
Race: Dwarf
Class: Warrior, two handed focus
Specialization: Berserker, will teach
Recruited at: Orzammar
Special: Oghren's approval bar is glitched in Awakening if importing your character. Most of the time, the game keeps the diminishing return on gifts to him, only giving you a +6 for favored gifts instead of what you are supposed to get. That means that, if you want to get all you can out of him, you need to be careful what you say and what you do with him around. Has special remarks if you're a dwarf.
Fate: Oghren returns in Awakening to become a Grey Warden. He is the only one you are required to have in your party at the end.
Name: Loghain Mac Tir
Race: Human
Class: Warrior, sword and shield focus
Specialization: Champion, will teach, but you've already received it by the time you can get him anyway.
Recruited at: The Landsmeet in Denerim
Special: You can only recruit Loghain if certain conditions are met. First, the PC must duel him, and let him surrender. Second, put him through the Joining. YOU WILL LOSE ALISTAIR TO GET LOGHAIN!
Fate: Loghain has two fates. First, he sacrifices himself to the Archdemon, which is his preference. Second, either through Dark Ritual or the PC Warden sacrificing themself, he survives to appear again. If the Warden also survived, Loghain appears at Vigil's Keep as a cameo in Awakening, giving you an item. Otherwise, he takes Alistair's place in DAI.
Name: Cullen
Race: Human
Class: Warrior
Specialization: Templar
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: If your character is a mage, he knows you. If your mage is female, he had a crush on you.
Fate: Cullen plays a huge part in DA2 and DAI; in DA2, he's Knight-Captain of the Kirkwall Templars. In DAI, he's commander of the Inquisition forces.
Name: Flemeth
Race: Human based, hard to properly codify until all information is revealed
Class: Mage
Specialization: Shapeshifter
Recruited at: Does not join party
Special: Too much to detail. I will handle that in an entry about her alone.
Fate: Integral to the plots of the next two games.
Specializations that require story moments: Reaver (Warrior), Champion (Warrior), Blood Mage, Arcane Warrior (mage), Duelist (Rogue)
Specializations that require books: Ranger (Rogue), Spirit Healer (Mage), all Awakening specializations (though all specializations can be gained by book as well)
And Awakening companions.
Name: Anders
Race: Human
Class: Mage
Specialization: Spirit Healer
Recruited at: Vigil's Keep
Special: If you make him a blood mage, he gets special dialogue.
Fate: Anders returns in DA2, merged with Justice to become an abomination, and is both a companion and integral to the plot.
Name: Nathaniel Howe
Race: Human
Class: Rogue, archer focus
Specialization: Assassin
Recruited at: Vigil's Keep
Special: Nathaniel is 1 of 2 companions that can be killed before being recruited. If you're a Human Noble, you get special dialogue with him and his sister. If you're male, his sister remarks on how her father tried to match you up with her.
Fate: If you either bring him with you when you go to Amaranthine near the end of the game, or return to save the keep, Nathaniel will return in DA2 in a quest and at the ending. Otherwise, the save transfer bugs out and flags Nathaniel as dead, even if you fully upgraded the keep.
Name: Sigrun
Race: Dwarf
Class: Rogue, two weapon focus
Specialization: Legionnaire Scout
Recruited at: Kal Hirol
Special: Sigrun has special remarks if you're a dwarf. If you're a dwarven commoner, she is excited to see you.
Fate: Depending on approval, Sigrun either remains with the Wardens for years, or just leaves for her Calling out of the blue.
Name: Velanna
Race: Elf
Class: Mage
Specialization: Keeper
Recruited at: Wending Woods
Special: Velanna is 1 of 2 characters that can be killed before being recruited. Also, her special quest is tied to a random encounter, and thus may never occur, especially if you encountered the Dalish before recruiting her. If you're Dalish, she has special dialogue when you meet her. If you're a city elf, you have a special dialogue option during one of her conversations.
Fate: Like Nathaniel, if you do not take her with you when going to save Amaranthine, or return to the Vigil, Velanna does not survive according to the Epilogue. If you take her with you to face the Mother, her epilogue remarks on your choice with the Architect. Otherwise, she eventually warms to humans somewhat.
Name: Justice
Race: Spirit possessing a human body
Class: Warrior, sword and shield focus
Specialization: Spirit Warrior
Recruited at: Blackmarsh
Special: Justice is the first spirit to join your party, and the only one to become a demon.
Fate: See Anders.
Keep in mind that DAA has potions that allow you to reset everyone's skills, so these are how they enter your party. And while I keep everyone with their initial role in combat, I always reset the skills so I can distribute stats and abilities the way I want them.
I'm not going to bother with Bonny Lem or Sketch from Leliana's song, as they are barely even side characters in DA2 (Lem having a store you can visit, and Sketch having a questline around him), nor am I going to tackle the Dace Brothers from GoA (You don't even get special dialogue with them if you're a dwarven noble either!) or Arianne and Finn from Witch Hunt, as you never see them again after the DLC mission is over (Though you do get special dialogue with them if you're Dalish, a mage, or in a romance with Morrigan and have her ring). But that's it for the party members and important characters from Origins and Awakening. I'll do the characters from DA2 and DAI in the same format after I go into their respective game, an article on Flemeth due to her extreme importance to the franchise, and then a final wrap-up for the franchise.
For now, stay beautiful freaks!
Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Origins/Awakening/DLC
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I begin my retrospective on the Dragon Age series! This game was the final game to be in development before Bioware's former holding company was bought by EA, and it shows in terms of quality; the story is awesome, gameplay is top notch, lack of noticeable bugs, and lacking the more annoying practices that EA games exhibit.
It was said that this game is a spiritual successor to Bioware's Baldur's Gate franchise, and it really feels like it. It has all the things you'd see in an old school Bioware RPG, but without the Dungeons and Dragons license.
Now, unlike Mass Effect, I don't own the books, so I'll just remark on their importance to the narrative and when they introduce important characters.
Stolen Throne takes place during the Ferelden war for independence from Orlais, and follows the adventures of Loghain and Maric Therin, father of Cailan and Alistair and future King of Ferelden. We are also introduced to Flemeth, who becomes extremely important to the storyline.
The Calling brings back Loghain and Maric, and introduces us to Fiona, an elven Grey Warden mage, Duncan, a Rivaini Grey Warden, and the Architect, whom we later learn is the High Priest of Urthemiel, the Archdemon of the Fifth Blight, though this is a fact that he has forgotten, and thus, only thinks himself an intelligent darkspawn.
Now, Stolen Throne set up the world we are to deal with, and illustrates why Loghain hates Orlais as much as he does, but is not as important as the events of The Calling. While Stolen Throne gives us two characters who will be important to the games, The Calling introduces several; Duncan, Fiona, the Architect and Alistair, even though this information isn't directly stated in the games. It is, however, stated in an outside canon source, much like the information about the Architect being one of the ancient magisters.
Anyway, the game. 30 years into the Age of the Dragon, the Architect awakens Urthemiel in a supposedly botched attempt to sever him the darkspawn taint, and starts a new Blight. Duncan, now Warden Commander of Ferelden, is forced to recruit new Grey Wardens, and has a chance encounter with 1 of 7 people; Cousland, Mahariel, Amell, Surana, Aeducan, Brosca or Tabris, better known as the 6 Origins for you to play as (Amell and Surana are the human and elven mages, respectively.)
Now, I'm not going to get into the story, because this game was released in 2009; you can find the story easily at this point. I am, however, going to cover the gameplay.
This game is the most dynamic when it comes to playstyle potential; this is the only game where a warrior can use a bow or two weapons, for example. Hell, a mage could use a bow if you put points into dexterity. In fact, only the mage staff is unavailable to all classes. Same with armors, in fact; everything's tied to your stats.
However, each class does have 4 specializations to make them unique, and once you unlock them, you have them for all time. (You'll see why I'm calling this out later.) You unlock them via one of 3 means; a book, performing a certain action in game, or through a trainer. For example, to get Templar for a warrior, you have to gain enough influence with Alistair for him to train you, but to get Reaver, you have to perform a certain action during the Temple of Sacred Ashes quest.
That said, each specialization adds layers upon the class you were playing, and increased replayability, giving you reasons to try different combinations. Do you want your warrior to do extra damage against spell casters while having the ability to buff your allies and debuff your enemies? Do you want your rogue to be able to strike your enemies vital areas while being able to tank? Do you want your mage to be able to heal and resurrect your party while still be able to cast while your mana is out? You can do all these things and more!
And this game even gives you a way to challenge yourself; if you're a rogue, you can literally solo the game after you hit level 12. All you need is 22 cunning and 4 points in the lockpicking skill, you don't need to carry any other party members. Not the most fun way to play, but it does give you an interesting challenge.
Awakening adds 2 new specializations per class, allowing you further customization options for your characters. One of my favorite builds at this point, for example, has me taking Battlemage at this point, allowing me to freeze any enemy that comes too close, and gather mana from the battlefield. Combine that with a Blood Mage and Arcane Warrior from the base game, and I've got a monster damage dealer who can survive anything.
Now, I'm going to tackle the DLC missions. Some are more worthy than others. Darkspawn Chronicles is a what if scenario, where the PC Warden somehow didn't survive the Joining, and shows how Alistair made it to Denerim. You play as darkspawn commander who leads his troops through Denerim and up to the top of Fort Drakon, where Alistair and his party are fighting the Archdemon. It's interesting to play as the bad guys, is kind of tough, and after completing it once, you get a tier 7 longsword to use in Origins, and one more to use in Awakening. I don't really play it all that often myself, though.
Leliana's Song is another "outside the main game" campaigns, where you taken on the role of Leliana and 2 others and go through the events that led her to the Chantry. They don't match up exactly with the story she tells in Origins, but it's a good one nonetheless. This also gives you an item to utilize in both the main game and expansion, but you have to gather its parts in the DLC in order to unlock it. That said, I play this every time before I start up the main game, as a sort of "prequel" before the actions of my Warden.
Now, the next three DLC mission packs are to be played during the game; Warden's Keep, The Stone Prisoner and Return to Ostagar. Warden's Keep and Stone Prisoner are day 1 DLC, which I don't like, but at least Stone Prisoner is free. Stone Prisoner introduces a companion, Shale, and 2 quests to complete. Shale is also integrated into the main game completely, which means she was likely meant to be in the main game, but was removed for space. Warden's Keep, however, is premium content; it introduces a base of operations, an armor set, 2 new abilities per class, and either a longsword or a greatsword for you to use. Return to Ostagar is just that; a return to the Ostagar map, though it is now covered in snow. Here, you gain an armor set, sword and shield, and a sword and dagger set, that all change based on the level you get them, and can be upgraded as you gain levels. You have to do something specific to get them upgraded, though, which differ based on the platform on which you play.
There's also a stuff pack that allows you to cheese the influence system with gifts. Not much more to be said, but I use it, because I hate the influence system.
Finally, we tackle the DLC mission packs that are in continuity with Origins and Awakening. Golems of Amgarrak is a mission pack that brings you back into the Deep Roads and is pretty much an item hunt; you go in, perform certain actions to unlock items that are both very good in stats and very good in resale value in both Origins and Awakening. That said, it is a good challenge, and it does introduce a boss monster that appears in DA2.
And then there's Witch Hunt. This one IS important to the overall plot, in both this game and upcoming ones, and actually ties into 2 of the origins and factors in whether or not Morrigan was romanced and whether or not the Dark Ritual at Redcliffe was performed. Hell, they even reference a throw away line in the epilogue of Origins if Morrigan was romanced but the Dark Ritual was not performed! And when you consider that the majority of the information in the epilogues are thrown out when inconvenient to the plot of the next game, that's something.
All in all, this is my favorite of the three. Yes, the combat was improved in 2, and the classes were made more distinct, and the influence system was pretty much marginalized in 2 (which is something I like; I absolutely hate influence systems in my games.), but it does a lot of things right that the next two entries stumble on.
It was said that this game is a spiritual successor to Bioware's Baldur's Gate franchise, and it really feels like it. It has all the things you'd see in an old school Bioware RPG, but without the Dungeons and Dragons license.
Now, unlike Mass Effect, I don't own the books, so I'll just remark on their importance to the narrative and when they introduce important characters.
Stolen Throne takes place during the Ferelden war for independence from Orlais, and follows the adventures of Loghain and Maric Therin, father of Cailan and Alistair and future King of Ferelden. We are also introduced to Flemeth, who becomes extremely important to the storyline.
The Calling brings back Loghain and Maric, and introduces us to Fiona, an elven Grey Warden mage, Duncan, a Rivaini Grey Warden, and the Architect, whom we later learn is the High Priest of Urthemiel, the Archdemon of the Fifth Blight, though this is a fact that he has forgotten, and thus, only thinks himself an intelligent darkspawn.
Now, Stolen Throne set up the world we are to deal with, and illustrates why Loghain hates Orlais as much as he does, but is not as important as the events of The Calling. While Stolen Throne gives us two characters who will be important to the games, The Calling introduces several; Duncan, Fiona, the Architect and Alistair, even though this information isn't directly stated in the games. It is, however, stated in an outside canon source, much like the information about the Architect being one of the ancient magisters.
Anyway, the game. 30 years into the Age of the Dragon, the Architect awakens Urthemiel in a supposedly botched attempt to sever him the darkspawn taint, and starts a new Blight. Duncan, now Warden Commander of Ferelden, is forced to recruit new Grey Wardens, and has a chance encounter with 1 of 7 people; Cousland, Mahariel, Amell, Surana, Aeducan, Brosca or Tabris, better known as the 6 Origins for you to play as (Amell and Surana are the human and elven mages, respectively.)
Now, I'm not going to get into the story, because this game was released in 2009; you can find the story easily at this point. I am, however, going to cover the gameplay.
This game is the most dynamic when it comes to playstyle potential; this is the only game where a warrior can use a bow or two weapons, for example. Hell, a mage could use a bow if you put points into dexterity. In fact, only the mage staff is unavailable to all classes. Same with armors, in fact; everything's tied to your stats.
However, each class does have 4 specializations to make them unique, and once you unlock them, you have them for all time. (You'll see why I'm calling this out later.) You unlock them via one of 3 means; a book, performing a certain action in game, or through a trainer. For example, to get Templar for a warrior, you have to gain enough influence with Alistair for him to train you, but to get Reaver, you have to perform a certain action during the Temple of Sacred Ashes quest.
That said, each specialization adds layers upon the class you were playing, and increased replayability, giving you reasons to try different combinations. Do you want your warrior to do extra damage against spell casters while having the ability to buff your allies and debuff your enemies? Do you want your rogue to be able to strike your enemies vital areas while being able to tank? Do you want your mage to be able to heal and resurrect your party while still be able to cast while your mana is out? You can do all these things and more!
And this game even gives you a way to challenge yourself; if you're a rogue, you can literally solo the game after you hit level 12. All you need is 22 cunning and 4 points in the lockpicking skill, you don't need to carry any other party members. Not the most fun way to play, but it does give you an interesting challenge.
Awakening adds 2 new specializations per class, allowing you further customization options for your characters. One of my favorite builds at this point, for example, has me taking Battlemage at this point, allowing me to freeze any enemy that comes too close, and gather mana from the battlefield. Combine that with a Blood Mage and Arcane Warrior from the base game, and I've got a monster damage dealer who can survive anything.
Now, I'm going to tackle the DLC missions. Some are more worthy than others. Darkspawn Chronicles is a what if scenario, where the PC Warden somehow didn't survive the Joining, and shows how Alistair made it to Denerim. You play as darkspawn commander who leads his troops through Denerim and up to the top of Fort Drakon, where Alistair and his party are fighting the Archdemon. It's interesting to play as the bad guys, is kind of tough, and after completing it once, you get a tier 7 longsword to use in Origins, and one more to use in Awakening. I don't really play it all that often myself, though.
Leliana's Song is another "outside the main game" campaigns, where you taken on the role of Leliana and 2 others and go through the events that led her to the Chantry. They don't match up exactly with the story she tells in Origins, but it's a good one nonetheless. This also gives you an item to utilize in both the main game and expansion, but you have to gather its parts in the DLC in order to unlock it. That said, I play this every time before I start up the main game, as a sort of "prequel" before the actions of my Warden.
Now, the next three DLC mission packs are to be played during the game; Warden's Keep, The Stone Prisoner and Return to Ostagar. Warden's Keep and Stone Prisoner are day 1 DLC, which I don't like, but at least Stone Prisoner is free. Stone Prisoner introduces a companion, Shale, and 2 quests to complete. Shale is also integrated into the main game completely, which means she was likely meant to be in the main game, but was removed for space. Warden's Keep, however, is premium content; it introduces a base of operations, an armor set, 2 new abilities per class, and either a longsword or a greatsword for you to use. Return to Ostagar is just that; a return to the Ostagar map, though it is now covered in snow. Here, you gain an armor set, sword and shield, and a sword and dagger set, that all change based on the level you get them, and can be upgraded as you gain levels. You have to do something specific to get them upgraded, though, which differ based on the platform on which you play.
There's also a stuff pack that allows you to cheese the influence system with gifts. Not much more to be said, but I use it, because I hate the influence system.
Finally, we tackle the DLC mission packs that are in continuity with Origins and Awakening. Golems of Amgarrak is a mission pack that brings you back into the Deep Roads and is pretty much an item hunt; you go in, perform certain actions to unlock items that are both very good in stats and very good in resale value in both Origins and Awakening. That said, it is a good challenge, and it does introduce a boss monster that appears in DA2.
And then there's Witch Hunt. This one IS important to the overall plot, in both this game and upcoming ones, and actually ties into 2 of the origins and factors in whether or not Morrigan was romanced and whether or not the Dark Ritual at Redcliffe was performed. Hell, they even reference a throw away line in the epilogue of Origins if Morrigan was romanced but the Dark Ritual was not performed! And when you consider that the majority of the information in the epilogues are thrown out when inconvenient to the plot of the next game, that's something.
All in all, this is my favorite of the three. Yes, the combat was improved in 2, and the classes were made more distinct, and the influence system was pretty much marginalized in 2 (which is something I like; I absolutely hate influence systems in my games.), but it does a lot of things right that the next two entries stumble on.
Thursday, July 16, 2015
Dragon Age Retrospective: Announcement
With EA announcing that they will not be doing any more DLC beyond Black Emporium for Dragon Age Inquisition for the Xbox 360 and PS3, that means that technically, I can do a full retrospective on the series at this point. I plan on getting a PS4 when I have the funds, but for now, that's it for me.
That means that I will need to play through all three classes in all three games, compare the mechanics between them, and then review them as I did the Mass Effect series. Unlike my Mass Effect retrospective, though, I don't own any of the books, so I won't be handling them. I will, however, remark on when information in game references the books. Like how Stolen Throne introduces Loghain, who is important to Dragon Age Origins and potentially has a cameo in Inquisition, and how The Calling introduces Grand Enchanter Fiona and Duncan.
Anyway, I'm immersing myself in Dragon Age for now, and I've got things to say about the Warden, Hawke and the Inquisitor and their importance to the storyline, but I'll get to them when I tackle their game. I'm also going to do a character wrap up, though it won't be nearly as long as my Mass Effect one, since I'm going to break them down by game and their importance to the future, if any.
Anyway, look forward to it, and stay beautiful freaks!
That means that I will need to play through all three classes in all three games, compare the mechanics between them, and then review them as I did the Mass Effect series. Unlike my Mass Effect retrospective, though, I don't own any of the books, so I won't be handling them. I will, however, remark on when information in game references the books. Like how Stolen Throne introduces Loghain, who is important to Dragon Age Origins and potentially has a cameo in Inquisition, and how The Calling introduces Grand Enchanter Fiona and Duncan.
Anyway, I'm immersing myself in Dragon Age for now, and I've got things to say about the Warden, Hawke and the Inquisitor and their importance to the storyline, but I'll get to them when I tackle their game. I'm also going to do a character wrap up, though it won't be nearly as long as my Mass Effect one, since I'm going to break them down by game and their importance to the future, if any.
Anyway, look forward to it, and stay beautiful freaks!
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