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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Gaming The Inquisition's Here and It's Here To Stay: The Dragon Age Series

Discussion in 'Community' started by DocRevan, Jul 13, 2008.

  1. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2007
  2. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    They stole my Warden design. [face_not_talking]

    Will buy.
     
  3. Reynar_Tedros

    Reynar_Tedros Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 3, 2006
    The achievement whore in me says buy.
     
  4. Raven

    Raven Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Oct 5, 1998

    I played through the new DLC. It was good, better than most of the original game, and it took me a few hours. I regret that Felicia Day's character isn't in the game as a whole; she would have been interesting to add to a number of different main plot points throughout the series.
     
  5. Leto II

    Leto II Jedi Padawan star 6

    Registered:
    Jan 23, 2000
    From what I've read, it's basically like the Kasumi-mission, except this time "Kasumi" doesn't stick around.

    Normally I try to keep at least a 6,000-mile distance between myself and Felicia Day at all times, but some tiny part of me needs to find out how Isabela handles Tallis being in the party.

    She's not an Apostate Prostitute, sure, but whatever.
     
  6. DarthXan318

    DarthXan318 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2002
    So I'm replaying DA2 with a male mage Hawke. Aah Carver, I am having so much fun trolling you with Big Brother Knows Best stuff. :D

    I'd forgotten how easy this game is compared to DA:eek:. I've been running around nuking the crap out of everyone: Fireball all the little guys, Horror or Winter's Grasp the sole guy with a health bar, and profit! It's lovely. I think maybe I should install that friendly-fire-on-Hard mod, or go up to Nightmare ... though I'll probably regret that come boss battles ...

    Might get Mark of the Assassin sometime this weekend, too.
     
  7. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    Just finished Mark of the Assassin and it's a bit of a let down from Legacy. It was nice to see a slice of Orlesian society, but the environments and characters were pretty dull. Tallis wasn't anything special, as a DLC character she doesn't stand out like Kasumi, or Zaeed, or even Sebastian. Maybe the fact that Day is a quasi-celebrity made them forget to make a half-decent character out of it.

    And the puzzles... talk about adding them in for the sake of it. So nonsensical and tedious, and didn't even make sense within the context of the setting. I appreciate them trying to add some of that stuff that's been missing since Origin, but it felt so forced.

    So yeah, I think Legacy is definitely the better of the two so far.
     
  8. moosemousse

    moosemousse CR Emeritus: FF-UK South star 6

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2004
    The upcoming Dragon Age movie, 'Dragon Age: Dawn of the Seeker', now has a website! There'll be a preview at 6:30pm ET exclusively on G4 TV?s 'X-Play'. The website says it will be out in Spring this year, so not too far away.

    The official site.
    The official facebook page.
    The official twitter account.

    There's a production update on the site that has some of the animation in it. It looks very much like the Resident Evil CG movie that came out recently and the AppleSeed CG movies from a few years ago. I'm not sure it fits with Dragon Age that well but I'm sure it'll grow on me. It looks good though and I'll definitely be getting it.
     
  9. GenAntilles

    GenAntilles Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Well finally got Awakening and all the other DLC campaigns for Origins. Started a new Human Male Noble campaign. Think it's my favorite one, romanced Morrigan, did every quest possible, Alister and Anora are rulers, Loghain is a Warden.

    Awakening was very fun. It was nice to feel invulnerable most of the time, I actually felt like my character was this mythic hero that people see him as. It was nice having my own little kingdom to protect. I especially liked ruling on justice and law. I built Vigils Keep into the Minas Tirith of Ferelden so I could save Amaranthine. All my Wardens lived, except for Justice but he can't really die anyway. I sided with the Architect, never saw a reason why anyone would not side with the Architect to be honest. Though after seeing Corypheus in DAII I wonder if the Architect is another of the original Magisters, they both are intelligent, powerful mages, and have similar appearances.

    Golems of Amgarak was interesting, Though with my Warden being maxed out level wise it was hard to be scared of the Harvester. Witch Hunt was nice too, especially sense it gave a nice ending to my Warden and Morrigan. And the idea of going to someplace beyond the Fade is intriguing, I wonder if perhaps Morrigan intends for her child to unseat the Maker or something?

    I do have some questions though. The Qunari are used to make Ogres, but the Qunari didn't arrive in Thedas until 700 years before the game takes place. A golem killed Dailan at Kal'Hirol during the First Blight. So how can there be Ogres in Thedas if the Qunari won't arrive for hundreds of more years?

    Also the Black City is supposed to always be the same distance away in every part of the Fade, but at the Baroness's Fade area the Black City seems much closer. I suppose that just means the Baroness was an especially powerful demon that she/it could be that close the Black City, but still interesting. I hope DAIII will finally let us go in the Black City to see what the heck happened in there.

    Still playing Awakening and then playing DAII and seeing Anders change is rather sad. Sadder is how Justice ended up. If only the let Anders keep that cat. I do wonder though, Anders and Justice seem to have the same situation as Wynne and her Spirit of Faith, I wonder how much of Wynne was Wynne and how much was the Spirit now.
     
  10. Senator Kelberry

    Senator Kelberry Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2010
    So, I'll revive this thread, with a question:

    Should I buy this?

    Before you answer, let me give some background. I've been on the fence about buying Dragon Age for a long while...since it first came out actually. I've never played a Bioware game until SWTOR. I've never played Mass Effect, though people tell me if I love story driven games, then i have to play it.

    With Dragon Age, the appeal of the epic fantasy seems to be there, but still I hesitate. The thing with me is I'm VERY careful about picking and choosing RPGs because I have a really annoying habit of losing interest in them if they can't hold my interest over a long period of time. Naturally I've heard a lot about the romances in this game and such, but I still don't seem to really know much about the story itself. Is this really a story driven game or is there more action than story? in fact, what IS the story? I can't seem to find info on that. Is it a fairly linear game or is it a free range open world, kinda like the more recent Fallout games?

    I'm a major sucker for good character development too. How much does the game delve into its characters? Does it make you care about them as though they were living, breathing people? Are they believable (as far as fantasy characters could be?) If you're not trying to get them in the sack, is it still worth it to develop friendships with them and learn all about them?

    I'm sure I could read professional reviews of this game till I'm blue in the face, but personal impressions work better for me. Any opinions anyone can offer would be helpful.
     
  11. zacparis

    zacparis VIP star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    You can probably get it real cheap now, so I'd say it's worth it just for the six different origin stories. It also has immense replayability, I've just started another playthrough myself. Like KOTOR it has some pretty linear areas, although you can choose in which order to do most of them. It has a pretty epic endgame though, which has a "point of no return" hours from the end.

    The overall story is the typical "dark forces invading the world" but you also have a civil war going on and dozens of local stories that can be even more interesting (like the oppressed elven alienage and dwarven politics).

    The characters are awesome though, they probably make it my favourite RPG of all time. Shale, Zevran, Sten and Loghain are my favourites, their stories go pretty deep if you dig enough.
     
  12. Ulicus

    Ulicus Lapsed Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2005
    Well the last time he had a great idea he "accidentally" woke up the Archdemon and started the Fifth Blight. He was also determined to turn every living being of Thedas into a ghoul during The Calling, and was perfectly happy to kill those who couldn't hack it. The guy's a douche, basically.
     
  13. GenAntilles

    GenAntilles Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Yeah but based on what my Warden knew at the time. Darkspawn who wants peace, that's good. Darkspawn that didn't kill or eat you upon capturing you, good. Darkspawn that helps you fight evil darkspawn, good. After all that I don't see my Warden turning down a chance to ally with a Darkspawn who can possibly stop future blights, bring the Darkspawn to heel, and in general finally bring peace.

    After finding out he woke up the Archdemon... well he seems to have learned not to try that again. And so what? The Darkspawn will always look for the next one unless the Architect brings them under his control. Only with the Architect do you have a chance of not having a blight. Siding against him makes it a certainty.

    Is the Architect a great guy? No, but if you only want to make deals with nice people being Warden Commander is likely not a good job for you. Victory at all cost is the Warden policy after all.
     
  14. Ulicus

    Ulicus Lapsed Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2005
    While I applaud your refusal to meta-game, you forget that darkspawn both reproduce like crazy and blight everything around them by their very nature. It doesn't matter how nice they are. Take the darkspawn messenger guy. If you spare him, he wanders Amaranthine like Caine from Kung-Fu, helping those in danger... and also inflicting a whole bunch of them with darkspawn corruption. Which kills or ghoulifies them in the end, anyway.

    Once the "smartspawn" are victorious and the dominant force of the Deep Roads, what happens next? Do they stay down there, peacefully? Forever? It's possible, but can we really say it's likely? Aiding the Architect -- even if he is true to his word, personally - could very well result in a never-ending Blight down the line. And that, obviously, would be infinitely more dangerous than the two remaining Archdemon led Blights and the furthest thing from "victory" imaginable.

    I mean, I've certainly played Warden-Commanders who think the benefits outweigh the risks (as well as Warden-Commanders who just wanted to use the Architect for their own ends), but I don't understand how you can't see both sides, here. Siding with the Architect can pay huge dividends, sure, but it's also a really big risk and the "better safe than sorry" option (as far as the big picture is concerned) is to put him down. Especially since up to that point he's a giant clutz who can't do anything right. He's just a series of "Whoops, that didn't go as I intended. Sorry about all the dead people I left in my wake" over and over again. :p
     
  15. GenAntilles

    GenAntilles Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2007

    True but letting the Darkspawn fight a civil war is the best option. If you kill the Architect they go back to one faction of mindless Archdemon seeaking monsters. Keep the Architect and not only do you have an ally who can help you in the Deep Roads and keep the pressure off the dwarves to give them desperate breathing time, but Darkspawn that breed like mad are now all killing each other. Civil War will definitely put their population down a whole lot. And if the Architect wins... the Darkspawn now are intelligent. And if led by the Architect are likely reasonable, all he wants is for his people to be safe. He'll know if he tries to push for the surface he'll be fought by all the Wardens and all the kingdoms. The Architect will keep to the Deep Roads and carve out a place for the Darkspawn.

    And if he does try something the Dwarves and surface will be better off with the space to have rebuilt in the Darkspawn Civil War.
     
  16. Ulicus

    Ulicus Lapsed Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2005
    The thing is, the Architect isn't interested in killing darkspawn, he's only interested in freeing them. There isn't really a "civil war", should you spare him. The only darkspawn who ever fought him were either those the Mother compelled, or those smartspawn who sided with her. Those darkspawn still bound to the call have never attacked him of their own volition and, since he's apparently learnt from his mistakes, he doesn't need to worry about freed darkspawn rejecting their gift any longer.

    And it's perfectly reasonable for a Warden to think that this would be incredibly dangerous and reject an alliance on those grounds.

    As I mentioned, his idea of a "reasonable" means to provide a safe environment for darkspawn involves tainting the entirety of Thedas and killing the majority of its population in the process. See: The Calling.

    The Warden has no way of knowing that, though, sure.

    He'll also know that his people are smarter than ever and there's no danger of them being routed by the death of an Archdemon. There's really no way the smartspawn could lose in the end.
     
  17. GenAntilles

    GenAntilles Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Are you sure about that? The way I understand it there are two kinds of Darkspawn, those that follow the Architect and those that follow the Archdemon's call. I thought the Mother was simply an intelligent Darkspawn who still heeded the call.

    But the Warden only has seen the Blight and what it can do. The Warden has seen Orzamar on the edge of doom. And the Architect promises no more blights, less pressure on Orzamar, and general hope for peace. Too good of an offer to pass up, especially if you are a Warden who accepted the aid of an assassin who tired to kill you, a Qunari murderer who admits his people will eventually invade, and the general who betrayed you and tried to have you hunted down and killed. And then if your Warden sided with Bhelen or did the ritual with Morrigan. Siding with the Architect is no different, trusting that a untrustworthy person will turn out on the up and up.

    He seems to have mellowed out since then, nothing in Awakening suggests a nefarious plan like that.


    That goes to the big question of what happens when the last Archdemon dies. Will they all become free then? If so letting the Architect live and building a cordial relation with him seems the best bet. Better the devil you know leading them.
     
  18. Ulicus

    Ulicus Lapsed Moderator star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2005
    The Mother was a broodmother the Architect freed, who resented being unable to hear the call. He silenced the "sweet music" and that drove her barmy, she amassed followers, blah de blah.

    But the baseline darkspawn aren't naturally inclined to attack the Architect at all. I mean, when he's first encountered by Bregan (former Warden-Commander of Orlais), it's amidst a bunch of typical darkspawn. (Hell, they even leave Bregan alone, since his body is so far degenerated that he registers as a darkspawn to them.)

    Sure. I don't know why you think I'm arguing that a Warden can't justify siding with him. Of course they can. I'm simply pointing out that there are plenty of reasons to justify not doing so, too. ;)

    To decide that the benefits outweigh the risks is one thing. To dimiss that there are any risks at all is fairly silly, I think.

    You're right, but... well:

    In The Calling, the Architect is friendly, polite and tries to win Grey Wardens to his cause by telling them he wants to end the Blights, stop the call of the old Gods and bring peace between the darkspawn and surface races. He keeps his plan to taint all of Thedas fairly close to his chest. He lets Bregan in on it, but tells him to keep Genevieve in the dark.

    In Awakening, the Architect is friendly, polite and tries to win Grey Wardens to his cause by telling them he wants to end the Blights, stop the call of the old Gods and bring peace between the darkspawn and surface races. He makes no mention of a plan to taint all of Thedas.

    So you can perhaps see why I'm inclined to think he's just keeping his ultimate goal on the downlow again. Though I could be wrong, of course. I often am. Maybe he really has turned over a new leaf. He didnt have any other intelligent darkspawn to keep him company, the first time....

    Who knows? Depends whether the Warden blood the Architect's disciples are fed imputes them the intelligence in addition to the freedom from the call, or if the freedom from the call is itself is what makes them intelligent. [face_thinking]

    It's a good question, though.

    Right, it's stupid early in the morning, and I'm gonna sleep, now. I-)
     
  19. DarthXan318

    DarthXan318 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 12, 2002
    I always kill the Architect because I'd rather fight an unintelligent Archdemon than an intelligent darkspawn, frankly. But... well... my Warden also refused the Dark Ritual.
     
  20. The Loyal Imperial

    The Loyal Imperial Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 19, 2007
  21. Senator Kelberry

    Senator Kelberry Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 22, 2010
    *headdesk!* I bought DAO Ultimate just this last Thursday for $30. Figures. I bought a Kindle last year ONE day before they slashed $50 off the price, too.

    I've not very good at this.
     
  22. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Anyone else excited for DA3?
     
  23. MarcusP2

    MarcusP2 Manager Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 10, 2004
    ...how was that username not taken.
     
    Darth_Omega likes this.
  24. GenAntilles

    GenAntilles Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 24, 2007
    Maybe he is Lord Vader?