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!
Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Assassin's Den Reviews: SWTOR Knights of the Fallen Empire Expansion
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I'm going take a look at the latest expansion to Star Wars: The Old Republic, Knights of the Fallen Empire.
KOTFE is a return to the story driven aspect of Bioware game making that has been sorely missing over the last two expansions. It introduces a time jump very early on, which allows for a LOT of leeway in storytelling possibilities. You begin as the Outlander, who is the class you have chosen to go through the expansion, and take on the role of the hero of the story.
Now, KOTFE is planned for a year long narrative in 2016, and had 9 chapters dropped on release day. There is a LOT of story to go through at the start, and each class has different aspects of what happened in the 5 year time jump. You are also introduced to 6 new active companions, and once you reach chapter 9, you start to get back old companions are both specialists and as combatants.
Now, I got early access to this, so I've been able to play it for some time. I really enjoyed the story, as well as the consequences of my actions within it. And I'm liking the new antagonists that are Arcann and his sister whose name escapes me at the moment.
KOTFE also introduced some changes to the core gameplay. First off, all the old combat stats, Aim, Strength, Willpower and Cunning, have been folded into 1 damage stat, Mastery. That means you can no longer have the wrong stat for your class. So now, for example, a bounty hunter and a smuggler can use the exact same blasters, since they share the same damage stat.
Companions have been changed, too. Some have had weapon changes, like Jorgan now being a sniper rifle user to fit his story better and Corso being a pistol user now to let him use his blaster Torchy, but there are two massive changes that have been made to them. First, their stats no longer matter; their stats are based on your level, your presence score and your reputation with them. That means all weapons and armor are completely cosmetic. And for me, this means "go hunting on the GTN for gear to give them a specific look".
The second biggest change is the fact that all companions can now perform all roles. Every single companion is now a healer, tank and damage dealer. You simply have to change their role in combat to whatever you want it to be. And they're all good at their jobs now, too! So that means that, since you don't have to drag along a character you don't like simply because you want their role in combat.
They've also modified the influence system and how the conversations work; you don't need to make them happy to talk to you. Once you reach a certain point in the story, they flag as active for conversation. So now, influence is used solely for boosting companion combat effectiveness and making them better at the crew skills.
Lastly, they introduced level sync, which caps your stats at two levels above the planet's maximum. However, this doesn't change the way you'll play, since you retain your higher level abilities, so you're still stomping mobs into the ground. The second upside to this is that you no longer have diminishing return on experience and drops from mobs. So a level 60 character could go to the starter planet and still get level 60 tier experience from level 1 mobs. But don't story bosses on low level worlds; they're synced to the level of the planet, just as you are. So, in effect, level sync only changed the background math, but not the way we play the game.
All in all, KOTFE has made the game slightly easier, which means it is FAR more marketable for EA. And with it being far more marketable, that means it will be much easier to keep new fans who will, and are, coming in due to the new movies. I can see a LOT of growth in the next several years, and these changes will make it so the game will remain profitable. And that means more great content from Bioware to come.
But for now, stay beautiful freaks!
KOTFE is a return to the story driven aspect of Bioware game making that has been sorely missing over the last two expansions. It introduces a time jump very early on, which allows for a LOT of leeway in storytelling possibilities. You begin as the Outlander, who is the class you have chosen to go through the expansion, and take on the role of the hero of the story.
Now, KOTFE is planned for a year long narrative in 2016, and had 9 chapters dropped on release day. There is a LOT of story to go through at the start, and each class has different aspects of what happened in the 5 year time jump. You are also introduced to 6 new active companions, and once you reach chapter 9, you start to get back old companions are both specialists and as combatants.
Now, I got early access to this, so I've been able to play it for some time. I really enjoyed the story, as well as the consequences of my actions within it. And I'm liking the new antagonists that are Arcann and his sister whose name escapes me at the moment.
KOTFE also introduced some changes to the core gameplay. First off, all the old combat stats, Aim, Strength, Willpower and Cunning, have been folded into 1 damage stat, Mastery. That means you can no longer have the wrong stat for your class. So now, for example, a bounty hunter and a smuggler can use the exact same blasters, since they share the same damage stat.
Companions have been changed, too. Some have had weapon changes, like Jorgan now being a sniper rifle user to fit his story better and Corso being a pistol user now to let him use his blaster Torchy, but there are two massive changes that have been made to them. First, their stats no longer matter; their stats are based on your level, your presence score and your reputation with them. That means all weapons and armor are completely cosmetic. And for me, this means "go hunting on the GTN for gear to give them a specific look".
The second biggest change is the fact that all companions can now perform all roles. Every single companion is now a healer, tank and damage dealer. You simply have to change their role in combat to whatever you want it to be. And they're all good at their jobs now, too! So that means that, since you don't have to drag along a character you don't like simply because you want their role in combat.
They've also modified the influence system and how the conversations work; you don't need to make them happy to talk to you. Once you reach a certain point in the story, they flag as active for conversation. So now, influence is used solely for boosting companion combat effectiveness and making them better at the crew skills.
Lastly, they introduced level sync, which caps your stats at two levels above the planet's maximum. However, this doesn't change the way you'll play, since you retain your higher level abilities, so you're still stomping mobs into the ground. The second upside to this is that you no longer have diminishing return on experience and drops from mobs. So a level 60 character could go to the starter planet and still get level 60 tier experience from level 1 mobs. But don't story bosses on low level worlds; they're synced to the level of the planet, just as you are. So, in effect, level sync only changed the background math, but not the way we play the game.
All in all, KOTFE has made the game slightly easier, which means it is FAR more marketable for EA. And with it being far more marketable, that means it will be much easier to keep new fans who will, and are, coming in due to the new movies. I can see a LOT of growth in the next several years, and these changes will make it so the game will remain profitable. And that means more great content from Bioware to come.
But for now, stay beautiful freaks!
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Assassin's Den Reviews: HuniePop
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I'm going to tackle a game I bought yesterday, a tile based puzzle game called HuniePop!
I know, I know. I'm both late to the party and admitting things about myself that people think should be kept quiet. The former is simple; I only found out about it when I happened upon the playthrough of Suzie Berhow-Hanson, best known for her work on Game Grumps, her own channel Mortem3r, her defunct animation channel Meeperfish, and where I found about this game, her let's play channel, KittyKatGaming, where she did a let's play with her husband, Arin Hanson, best known as Egoraptor and one of the founders of the Game Grumps.
As for the latter, I take a view similar to the late Justin Carmical did about porn in games he reviewed; it's there, but it's not the focus of the game. It's a reward for doing well, something to look forward to at the end of several well done matches.
Now, the gameplay is a tile swiping game where you match 3 or more tiles of a similar shape and color in an attempt to gain a certain score before you run out of moves. You have tiles that increase your score multiplier, tiles that allow you to use special items that give you bonuses for the duration of the match. You also have tiles that give you extra moves in the round. But avoid the broken heart tiles, as they drop your score heavily, depending on how many got matched and how much you're upgraded. It's basically bejeweled, so if you've played bejeweled, you can play HuniePop.
The second focus of the game the dating sim aspect; your opponents are 12 girls (2 requiring you to perform a specific action to unlock them) that you are trying to...date. You give them gifts and ask them questions, and all around build your relationship with these girls to gain new outfits and hairstyles and gain experience points to spend on upgrades so each individual match can be easier. Defeat them the requisite number of times and have your 4th or 5th time playing them be at night, and you play them one final time, but with some different rules.
And I can't beat around the bush anymore; then porn aspect. Yes, there's porn in this game. Defeating the girls has them texting you pictures that start pretty innocuous and get more lewd as you beat them, ending up with their final picture, the one you get for a successful sex scene, which is, as stated already, the same tile matching game, but with different rules. Although, in that game, you're playing against the girl in her underwear, and as you get near the end, the most that you see is her taking her bra off until you win. And THAT is when you get the most lewd picture of them all.
I'm not going to lie; I enjoy this game. I enjoy the puzzles, and I enjoy the porn. I won't deny it. But I will say that I wouldn't have gotten interested in it where it not for a woman getting me interested in it. I had scene it advertised on Steam and it mentioned on youtube, but had it not been for Suzie playing it through and enjoying it with her husband, I would have never given it a look.
However, I cannot recommend this game to everyone. If you have kids in your house, don't let them play it or let them see you play it. Plenty of time for a kid to discover that stuff themselves as they get older. If you don't live in an open minded household, don't play this game. It would be a hard sell that you're playing the game for the puzzles when Bejeweled is available. But, if you're in the perfect household, where you don't have kids to explain things to and have open minded roomates/girlfriends/wives, then check it out. The uncensored version is 10 dollars on http://www.huniepot.com/, or the slightly censored version on Steam for the same price.
Until next time, stay beautiful freaks!
I know, I know. I'm both late to the party and admitting things about myself that people think should be kept quiet. The former is simple; I only found out about it when I happened upon the playthrough of Suzie Berhow-Hanson, best known for her work on Game Grumps, her own channel Mortem3r, her defunct animation channel Meeperfish, and where I found about this game, her let's play channel, KittyKatGaming, where she did a let's play with her husband, Arin Hanson, best known as Egoraptor and one of the founders of the Game Grumps.
As for the latter, I take a view similar to the late Justin Carmical did about porn in games he reviewed; it's there, but it's not the focus of the game. It's a reward for doing well, something to look forward to at the end of several well done matches.
Now, the gameplay is a tile swiping game where you match 3 or more tiles of a similar shape and color in an attempt to gain a certain score before you run out of moves. You have tiles that increase your score multiplier, tiles that allow you to use special items that give you bonuses for the duration of the match. You also have tiles that give you extra moves in the round. But avoid the broken heart tiles, as they drop your score heavily, depending on how many got matched and how much you're upgraded. It's basically bejeweled, so if you've played bejeweled, you can play HuniePop.
The second focus of the game the dating sim aspect; your opponents are 12 girls (2 requiring you to perform a specific action to unlock them) that you are trying to...date. You give them gifts and ask them questions, and all around build your relationship with these girls to gain new outfits and hairstyles and gain experience points to spend on upgrades so each individual match can be easier. Defeat them the requisite number of times and have your 4th or 5th time playing them be at night, and you play them one final time, but with some different rules.
And I can't beat around the bush anymore; then porn aspect. Yes, there's porn in this game. Defeating the girls has them texting you pictures that start pretty innocuous and get more lewd as you beat them, ending up with their final picture, the one you get for a successful sex scene, which is, as stated already, the same tile matching game, but with different rules. Although, in that game, you're playing against the girl in her underwear, and as you get near the end, the most that you see is her taking her bra off until you win. And THAT is when you get the most lewd picture of them all.
I'm not going to lie; I enjoy this game. I enjoy the puzzles, and I enjoy the porn. I won't deny it. But I will say that I wouldn't have gotten interested in it where it not for a woman getting me interested in it. I had scene it advertised on Steam and it mentioned on youtube, but had it not been for Suzie playing it through and enjoying it with her husband, I would have never given it a look.
However, I cannot recommend this game to everyone. If you have kids in your house, don't let them play it or let them see you play it. Plenty of time for a kid to discover that stuff themselves as they get older. If you don't live in an open minded household, don't play this game. It would be a hard sell that you're playing the game for the puzzles when Bejeweled is available. But, if you're in the perfect household, where you don't have kids to explain things to and have open minded roomates/girlfriends/wives, then check it out. The uncensored version is 10 dollars on http://www.huniepot.com/, or the slightly censored version on Steam for the same price.
Until next time, stay beautiful freaks!
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
SWTOR Character Tales: New pictures
Welcome back, my beautiful freaks, to the Assassin's Den! Today, I bring you updated armors and weapons for my characters in my stories.
Took a bit of credits from multiple characters on the GTN to get these outfits, but I like the way they look when I'm running around. Makes them more unique, you know?
Anyway, look forward to my final post on my Dragon Age Retrospective, as well as new chapters in my SWTOR Character Tales and Mass Effect story. Until then, stay Beautiful Freaks!
Took a bit of credits from multiple characters on the GTN to get these outfits, but I like the way they look when I'm running around. Makes them more unique, you know?
Anyway, look forward to my final post on my Dragon Age Retrospective, as well as new chapters in my SWTOR Character Tales and Mass Effect story. Until then, stay Beautiful Freaks!
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!
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