Dragon Age

On my first playthrough, I actually gave up on the Hissing Waste's questline despite being at the end of it because I couldn't kill that dragon.

Then on my second playthrough, I learned that you can easily get to the last tomb without aggroing the dragon.

It really does feel like you have to kill the Sandy Howler in order to unlock the last tomb your first time playing.

I aggroed the dragon anyway, at least after I was high enough to begin killing dragons in each zone.

On another note, please tell me I'm not the only one here disappointed that you can't use a Mighty Offence Tonic on a mage. Seriously that was disappointing to find out. Fully upgraded Lyrium Potions just don't compare.

Hokay, Nightmare difficulty run is go! Let's see how Vashoth Assassin Archer holds up.

I got bored and have apparently set Origins into French. There has been the slight problem that I do not, in fact, understand or speak French.

From what I can tell, Duncan's VO seems more grizzled than the English VO's warmer tone (which I suppose makes a degree of sense), Greigor sounds really different and it scares me, and Irving is pretty much exactly the same.

I just want to find out what Leliana and the rest of the Orlesians sound in this. Received pronuniciation? Cockney? Just more French accents? The mystery.

Also, it turns out the French word for mage is "mage". But you pronounce it kind of like "mahj". No doubt this information will serve you well in life.

I'm a French Student, so, yes. Generally, with French, g makes a 'j' sound. French is a lovely language. I would highly recommend listening to Enchanter from Inquistion in French.

And, since I ordered my copy of Inquisition from Europe, I can switch it to French whenever I like. Though, not on my current PC since I was lazy and download installed it instead of disk.

Man, I finally replayed Origins to completion for the first time since like, 2011 or something. I can't believe how much stuff I forgot. Especially how rich the lore was - so much stuff that I assumed got fleshed out in later games was actually already in Origins.

Now I'm going to replay Awakening for the first time in as long.

Huh. Heard all these horror stories about the first pride demon on Nightmare, but it really didn't seem that bad. I just hung back and whittled it away with arrows while Cass tanked. The only scary attack, damage-wise, was the double whip smash.

The first Pride demon seemed more annoying than genuinely difficult, to me. Honestly, a problem I probably had with most fights on Nightmare.

As a rogue, it's not hard at all. Just pop stealth whenever the shades appear and attack you, then hit the rift. As a warrior, I found it next to impossible. I've only managed to beat the pride demon on nightmare once as a warrior.

Remember that Samson short story from a few weeks ago? There's now one for Calpernia, "Paying the Ferryman".

Bioware, please, please, please make her a companion in DA4. She deserves more than that half-assed nemesis story arc. Also (short story spoilers) I find it interesting how she didn't fully manifest her powers until she was at least in her late teens. I thought that was supposed to happen by adolecense

Solas mentions in Inquisition that Magical Talent can be latent and sleeping in a person well into adulthood. It just is far more commonly expressed in children and preteens than it would be in older and probably more adjusted people.

Oh Bioware defiantly has plans for her. If they had wanted to make her a one note character they would have affirmatively killed her off,instead of having her ether leaping to her "death" or leaving to challenge Cory. Rather she will be a companion, a plot important NPC, or a character in a novel or comic remains unknown, but we have not heard the last of Calpurnia.

Abelas, Krem, Calpernia. Why do people only seem to want the possibly dead characters for companions? Although I guess her death is more ambiguous than the others.

Wasn't he just trying to get back at Sera with that comment though? I guess it might be true and he was only joking about it being true in Sera's case but still I'm not sure I'd take that seriously.

Calpernia is almost certainly still alive if they want her to be because you can't unambiguously kill her. It's easy to kill off Krem or Abelas onscreen.

I disagree. Solas, plenty of times, goes into depth and explanation with Sera. He goes into an Elven Language Lesson with her much to his own expense. I see no reason to think it impossible unless explicitly stated otherwise.

Solas definitely strikes me as someone who trolls using the truth rather than lies made up whole cloth.

Agreed. At his worst, Solas is guilty of a skewed perspective. I don't often agree with Solas, but IF something he says is incorrect or disagreeable, it is a consequence of his personal experience and worldview coloring his understanding of it, not because of deliberate falsehood.

He doesn't share everything he knows, nor should his personal opinions be taken without a grain of salt, but he doesn't seem to actively lie when he can avoid it, if at all. He is more likely to omit details than to say something he knows to be factually inaccurate.

edited 3rd Jun '15 10:04:38 AM by TobiasDrake

Take, for example, his home village. He could have just said he was from some random Alieniage and left at a young age, but he gave the location of his real home, which confused the Inquisition when Leliana finally sent someone there to take a look and found centuries-old ruins.

Very little of what he says are outright lies. Hell, most of it's not even misleading. Everyone can tell he's an incredibly suspicious character, he's just too valuable for anyone to make too much of an issue of it. He prefers to clam up when people ask too much, rather than lie or misdirect. His go-to lie seems to be "something something, I saw it in the Fade." Other than that, I don't really remember any lies from him, just suspicious attempts to change the subject.

EDIT: Oh, except for translating Elvish. Those are almost always bald-faced lies.

edited 3rd Jun '15 10:37:01 AM by Discar

You'd expect a trickster god to be a better liar.

Tricksters in lore aren't necessarily liars at heart, though. They simply bend and twist the truth to suit their needs, which is what Solas generally does.

Also, unlike MOST Trickster Gods in Mythology that try to play you into some trap or prank for their own amusement, Solas is inherently trying to aid you and is a scholar at heart. Rather interesting take in my opinion.

Additionally, the 'Trickster' part seems to be an embellishment at best.

That's another good point. Solas almost feels like a scholar who used his book knowledge to trick a bunch of people somehow, rather than a Trickster who just also likes books. The whole "God of Rebellion" thing would fit with the teaching and learning theme. You don't trick people into rebelling (usually), you show them that they are oppressed and teach them how to fight back.

I meant 'inherently trying to aid you' as to refer to his aiding the Inquisitor, not the Elven Slaves. We don't have much point of reference on that front to say anything.

He has no reason to lie or trick the Inquisitor because their goals are aligned.

EDIT:

New Interview coming soon from VGS with Patrick Weekes. Can't wait for the full interview but some parts are on Twitter.

• There was a version of Inquisition where the Inquisitor was present for Mythal/Flemeth and Solas' meeting and subsequent death. I would assume that it was saved as to be addressed in DLC instead of acting as an odd Sequel hook unless it was fully addressed in that version.
• The Architect was included in Here Lies the Abyss at some point. (Kind of makes me mad)
• Earlier versions of Solas lied a lot more. Once again something that suggests to me to believe Solas as long as it isn't something that would otherwise betray his 'hobo elf' identity. "Weakened his character him and Blackwall Liars who don't lie".
• First draft of Solas "All he ever talked about was elves, elves, elves".
• Solas went through more changes than any other character.
• Cole knew exactly who/what Solas is and still knows that information.
• "Hawke might not be dead! Well, obviously."
• Solas' secret was intended from the beginning to be a Rewatch Bonus.
• "Solas COULD have been the Jack Nicholson screaming Riddler of Dragon Age"
• The Dread Wolf knowledge of Solas' character was irrelevant to his characterization (probably more evidence that the elven lore should not be taken seriously when it comes to the Dread Wolf)
• Solas approves of people who are interested in seeking out knowledge.

edited 4th Jun '15 3:16:03 AM by InkDagger