I finished Dragon Age 2 for the first time today. I really liked it! The way the story was framed was really fun. The encounters got a little stale, as did the environments but the characters were top notch especially the way they interacted. Bring on the Inquisition!
Dragon Age 2 isn't a bad game - it just isn't a sequel to Dragon Age: Origins.
Doing the EA Access trial for DA:I so far and liking it, it seems like they are trying to find more of a middle ground between the first two games so far.
The encounters got a little stale, as did the environments but the characters were top notch especially the way they interacted.
DA2's banter was definitely a high point.
Isabela: "The difference between whores and courtesans is... well, they have nicer shoes."
Aveline: I think your shoes are fine.
Isabela: Look at you being funny! That might even get you a man someday.
Merrill: (Sighs) Why do you even like me? I must seem so dull.
Isabela: What brought this on?
Merrill: Your life has been... so exciting. The adventures, the duels, the passionate love affairs.
Merrill: Compared to that, my life is a stale, dry biscuit. (Sighs) I wish I had your life.
Isabela: No. You don't want my life.
Merrill: Why?
Isabela: Because you have a good heart, and you deserve better.
Anders: What?
Varric: Just wondering if the feathered pauldrons are an essential part of the moody rebel mage persona.
Anders: What are you talking about?
Varric: I'm working on an epic poem about a hopelessly romantic apostate waging an epic struggle against forces he can't possibly defeat.
Anders: What do you mean, "can't possibly defeat?"
Varric: Well, it's not a good story unless the hero dies.
Merrill: How do you do it, living in the city without picking a side? Doesn't it matter to you?
Varric: Of course it does. That's why I don't take sides.
Merrill: That doesn't make any sense.
Varric: I've got you and Aveline, Fenris and Anders. Hawke. Isabela.
Varric: I've got friends in the Circle and drinking buddies in the templars. All of them matter.
Merrill: But you're going to fight. If it comes to that, I mean.
Varric: I fought my own brother, Daisy. Nobody said this was going to be happy story.
So, because I can't get my Origins character to show for keep purposes, I guess I can just make a new character that looks like her/make a new emblem, and then that is basically all that matters for syncing with keep right? Everything else you have to input manually
+1
BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
edited November 2014
One thing that Dragon Age 2 excels at because of its narrative structure is the way the supporting cast interacts in such a way that they don't solely exist for the sake of being Hawke's henchmen. During the time skips the banter gives off a serious sense of change and development in their relationships as they talk about how they live their lives outside of Hawke's personal questing. Fenris spending time with Aveline and Donnic, Varric cracking Templar jokes with Anders, Merrill's ball of twine. It's really apparent with the characters that are fundamentally at odds with each other, eg. when Fenris begrudgingly concedes the point with Merrill that people are shit in general regardless of whether or not they use blood magic, and that despite their serious moral differences they share a real sense of camaraderie.
BRIAN BLESSED on
+10
BRIAN BLESSEDMaybe you aren't SPEAKING LOUDLY ENOUGHHHRegistered Userregular
edited November 2014
The Iron Bull is a brother that takes after my own heart
One thing that Dragon Age 2 excels at because of its narrative structure is the way the supporting cast interacts in such a way that they don't solely exist for the sake of being Hawke's henchmen.
Yeah—they feel more like a living family than just some people waiting in a bubble for the protagonist to come interact with them. I hope they can capture some shade of that in Inquisition's smaller time frame.
Yeah. I know a lot of friends who weren't interested in DA before are looking at it.
Might help it that outside of stuff like Call of Duty and Assassin's Creed(and FarCry comes out next week I guess) there weren't too many big releases this Christmas that weren't re-releases.
I've never played a Dragon Age game before (which is weird because its in my wheelhouse) but the poor reviews from AC:U and the amazing reviews for this have convinced me to pick it up.
Just be prepared to spend some time with the codex since it seems from reviews like they don't get new players up to speed very well.
That lore is deep, son.
You can also watch this series of videos if you're interested:
Trying to decide if I want to create a Pro-Mage keep save and then play DA:I very Anti-mage, or vice versa.
One of my Keep saves had bargains made with every demon. Debating on whether or not to have that be my renegade necromancer run or my paragon templar run.
ComradebotLord of DinosaursHouston, TXRegistered Userregular
1. Finally beat both DA2 DLCs. Both final boss fights are pretty amusing, even if the battle against Duke Prosper (really, dude, Duke "Prosper"? Gods you suck.) did feel like it's incredibly long. I did knock it out in one attempt though, probably because I quickly realized how long it was going to take and took basically zero risks.
2. Bah, I was really hoping we'd get a Character Creator early release for DA:I. What the heck, Bioware? You guys were so cool about that with both of the previous games and it let me get to work crafting my character's appearance so they'd be ready come launch day. I guess they're trying to get people to get their EA Access subscriptions...
And now? Now I'm gonna have to wait until the actual game is in my hands before I can finally decide on what the hell my hero will be this time around. Rogue or Warrior? Qunari, Daelish, or do I dare try and make a Human that could possibly compare to the sheer awesome that was Magnus Hawke (seriously, I've yet to see a single Hawke that look remotely as awesome. Your Hawke that you made Mr. Person Reading This, was almost certainly inferior to the Norse God that is Magnus Hawke)?
My thoughts on race:
Qunari: Qunari are big guys with horns. Like, that's just awesome. Even a female one might be amusing.
Daelish Elf: If I go Daelish, it's absolutely going to be a throwback to my Warden in DAO (also a Daelish) who, tragically but heroically, died fighting the Archdemon. So yet another Warrior who dual wields, and since the Warden's face was inspired by David Boreanaz... yeah, this one would probably be based on James Marsters. For the lulz. Though maybe not, Daelish are just generally kinda cool.
Human: No idea... probably not a white guy though, as that would simply draw even more comparisons into my mind about how he's not Magnus. I wonder how convincing of a Berber or Iranian chap I could make... or hey, could always go the female route, even if she'd probably just end up looking like my FemShep.
Dwarf: Hahaha, just kidding, I'm not making a Dwarf.
And then there's the age old Warrior vs. Rogue debate in my head. Warrior has won out the last two times, though the absurdity of a Qunari rogue is tempting, as would the Assassin's Creed 1 flashbacks a Middle Eastern inspired human could accomplish... Or even a Qunari Mage and rain death upon the followers of the Qun for oppressing my brothers. Elf would be a warrior though. Warrior elf is only acceptable elf.
Seriously, my very first play session is going to be me dicking around in the character creator for two hours.
Anders just had bad targeting skills. And was a)a fucking idiot and b)literally possessed. In fact, no Human Mage from DA2 counts, as all of them except Hawke were both. Kirkwall is where all the rejects went to live.
Elves - Live in trees.
Dwarves - Live in dirt.
Quanari - All dead. Soon.
It's a clear choice!
"For no one - no one in this world can you trust. Not men. Not women. Not beasts...this you can trust."
+1
Dr. ChaosPost nuclear nuisanceRegistered Userregular
edited November 2014
Dalish are the worst.
I may find humans boring but atleast they're abit more diverse than pretentious tree huggers.
Well, there are a lot of dalish mages, and mages are the worst, so I'd say dalish are the worst by the transitive property of magic being unclean and needing to be purged by fire.
Well, there are a lot of dalish mages, and mages are the worst, so I'd say dalish are the worst by the transitive property of magic being unclean and needing to be purged by fire.
Merril was a mage so I have to disagree.
To me, she was the only good thing to ever come from a dalish encounter in Dragon Age.
Rest of the time it was "No one cares about your stupid history. How fast can I get the fuck out of this camp?"
Well, there are a lot of dalish mages, and mages are the worst, so I'd say dalish are the worst by the transitive property of magic being unclean and needing to be purged by fire.
Merril was a mage so I have to disagree.
To me, she was the only good thing to ever come from a dalish encounter in Dragon Age.
Rest of the time it was "No one cares about your stupid history. How fast can I get the fuck out of this camp?"
Merrill was the only mage to Survive DA2 in my playthrough, because when Hawke sided with the Templars, she stayed with him. Rest of the mages? All dead.
Anders just had bad targeting skills. And was a)a fucking idiot and b)literally possessed. In fact, no Human Mage from DA2 counts, as all of them except Hawke were both. Kirkwall is where all the rejects went to live.
Elves - Live in trees.
Dwarves - Live in dirt.
Quanari - All dead. Soon.
It's a clear choice!
Human Non-Hawke mages in DA2 were a constant disappointment to my mage Hawke. Like, god damn it Orsino.
although now that I think about it
both sides raised valid points even though their leaders were possessed. Maybe the problem is leadership! Down with the system!
Anders turned out to be basically the Osama Bin Laden of Thedas.
Therefore no, Human Mages are not superior.
I wouldn't go that far.
Anders triggered a rebellion that might end in the mages finally getting new rights. I might not like his methods but I'd say his plan is working.
I would.
He destroyed a giant building, murdering a bunch of innocent people. Just like Bin Laden.
The destruction and mass murder by his actions triggered a response against all Mages. Just like Muslims facing potential invasion/bigotry/death all because of the actions of one extremist.
The escalation started by his actions leads to more extremism. Blood magic=ISIS.
At the end of the day, Anders is simply a terrorist. Regardless of his justification and his thoughts on the ends justifying the means, he still murders countless innocents because it suits his political goals. Had he targeted some Templars, some of the people actively doing the oppression, I'd probably feel differently. Instead he goes after the far more peaceful branch of the Chantry.
And yes, he achieves his goal and it incites a war. Fun fact: provoking the USA into a war in order to spark a pan-Islamic resistance against the West is also probably one of the real motivations behind 9/11. Considering the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS... yeah, I don't think that theory is too far off base. The key difference is that, at least so far, the Mage Rebellion seems a wee bit more simplistic that real world geopolitics. Also, as far as I'm aware at least most Muslims aren't Mages, and there is no correlation between the Templar-Mage relationship that I can think of.
+2
ExtreaminatusGo forth and amplify,the Noise Marines are here!Registered Userregular
Orsino was saarebas and had it too good for what he was.
ComradebotLord of DinosaursHouston, TXRegistered Userregular
Freaking Orsino...
Hawke and Company are so crazy efficient that we're literally killing the Templars before they can take more than a single step through the door. Like, they spawn in, can't move any further because we're standing in the way, and then they die.
And then he's all "THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM I MUST USE BLOOD MAGIC NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!"
Really dude? Really? Because to me it looks like we're close to blockading the doorway with their bodies. Like, give me one more minute and there won't be a single living Templar left in the city.
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FFXIV - Milliardo Beoulve/Sargatanas
Friendly Fire is a separate toggle
Still, agreed with @jdarksun on character "ownership" with DA:O vs DA2.
Doing the EA Access trial for DA:I so far and liking it, it seems like they are trying to find more of a middle ground between the first two games so far.
DA2's banter was definitely a high point.
The Iron Bull is a brother that takes after my own heart
I think I'm gonna get along with him just fine. We'll see which of us can hit on Leliana without getting stabbed.
Yeah—they feel more like a living family than just some people waiting in a bubble for the protagonist to come interact with them. I hope they can capture some shade of that in Inquisition's smaller time frame.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
One of the recent developer streams I watched mentioned that it takes place roughly ten years after the events of Dragon Age: Origins.
Thanks, I will probably give it a watch.
I went from this thread to my console, all ready to download and play, only to realize it doesn't come out for several days.
PSN: Beltaine-77 | Steam: beltane77 | Battle.net BadHaggis#1433
One of my Keep saves had bargains made with every demon. Debating on whether or not to have that be my renegade necromancer run or my paragon templar run.
First time finishing the Paragon's Heir quest aswell that had a nice Varric and Hawke moment.
Heh.
2. Bah, I was really hoping we'd get a Character Creator early release for DA:I. What the heck, Bioware? You guys were so cool about that with both of the previous games and it let me get to work crafting my character's appearance so they'd be ready come launch day. I guess they're trying to get people to get their EA Access subscriptions...
And now? Now I'm gonna have to wait until the actual game is in my hands before I can finally decide on what the hell my hero will be this time around. Rogue or Warrior? Qunari, Daelish, or do I dare try and make a Human that could possibly compare to the sheer awesome that was Magnus Hawke (seriously, I've yet to see a single Hawke that look remotely as awesome. Your Hawke that you made Mr. Person Reading This, was almost certainly inferior to the Norse God that is Magnus Hawke)?
My thoughts on race:
Qunari: Qunari are big guys with horns. Like, that's just awesome. Even a female one might be amusing.
Daelish Elf: If I go Daelish, it's absolutely going to be a throwback to my Warden in DAO (also a Daelish) who, tragically but heroically, died fighting the Archdemon. So yet another Warrior who dual wields, and since the Warden's face was inspired by David Boreanaz... yeah, this one would probably be based on James Marsters. For the lulz. Though maybe not, Daelish are just generally kinda cool.
Human: No idea... probably not a white guy though, as that would simply draw even more comparisons into my mind about how he's not Magnus. I wonder how convincing of a Berber or Iranian chap I could make... or hey, could always go the female route, even if she'd probably just end up looking like my FemShep.
Dwarf: Hahaha, just kidding, I'm not making a Dwarf.
And then there's the age old Warrior vs. Rogue debate in my head. Warrior has won out the last two times, though the absurdity of a Qunari rogue is tempting, as would the Assassin's Creed 1 flashbacks a Middle Eastern inspired human could accomplish... Or even a Qunari Mage and rain death upon the followers of the Qun for oppressing my brothers. Elf would be a warrior though. Warrior elf is only acceptable elf.
Seriously, my very first play session is going to be me dicking around in the character creator for two hours.
Never!
Anders was
Anders turned out to be basically the Osama Bin Laden of Thedas.
Therefore no, Human Mages are not superior.
Anders triggered a rebellion that might end in the mages finally getting new rights. I might not like his methods but I'd say his plan is working.
Elves - Live in trees.
Dwarves - Live in dirt.
Quanari - All dead. Soon.
It's a clear choice!
I may find humans boring but atleast they're abit more diverse than pretentious tree huggers.
Penny Arcade Rockstar Social Club / This is why I despise cyclists
To me, she was the only good thing to ever come from a dalish encounter in Dragon Age.
Rest of the time it was "No one cares about your stupid history. How fast can I get the fuck out of this camp?"
Merrill was the only mage to Survive DA2 in my playthrough, because when Hawke sided with the Templars, she stayed with him. Rest of the mages? All dead.
Human Non-Hawke mages in DA2 were a constant disappointment to my mage Hawke. Like, god damn it Orsino.
although now that I think about it
Oh yeah i guess he was. fixed.
Basically as a mage Hawke, you get let down by every other mage in the game, while you're trying to help their situation. God damn it mages
I would.
He destroyed a giant building, murdering a bunch of innocent people. Just like Bin Laden.
The destruction and mass murder by his actions triggered a response against all Mages. Just like Muslims facing potential invasion/bigotry/death all because of the actions of one extremist.
The escalation started by his actions leads to more extremism. Blood magic=ISIS.
At the end of the day, Anders is simply a terrorist. Regardless of his justification and his thoughts on the ends justifying the means, he still murders countless innocents because it suits his political goals. Had he targeted some Templars, some of the people actively doing the oppression, I'd probably feel differently. Instead he goes after the far more peaceful branch of the Chantry.
And yes, he achieves his goal and it incites a war. Fun fact: provoking the USA into a war in order to spark a pan-Islamic resistance against the West is also probably one of the real motivations behind 9/11. Considering the Arab Spring and the rise of ISIS... yeah, I don't think that theory is too far off base. The key difference is that, at least so far, the Mage Rebellion seems a wee bit more simplistic that real world geopolitics. Also, as far as I'm aware at least most Muslims aren't Mages, and there is no correlation between the Templar-Mage relationship that I can think of.
They all did.
I like when the Pride Demon and a few other horrors start walking towards the Inquisitor and he's all, "Nope." and seals them back in the rift.
Steam - NotoriusBEN | Uplay - notoriusben | Xbox,Windows Live - ThatBEN
Hawke and Company are so crazy efficient that we're literally killing the Templars before they can take more than a single step through the door. Like, they spawn in, can't move any further because we're standing in the way, and then they die.
And then he's all "THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM I MUST USE BLOOD MAGIC NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!!"
Really dude? Really? Because to me it looks like we're close to blockading the doorway with their bodies. Like, give me one more minute and there won't be a single living Templar left in the city.
Dick.