Dragon Age

It was brought up before what new characters might be in a fourth game. Given that we are quite familiar with the France/Spain and European setting of the series might it be time for a new setting? To stretch out beyond The Waking Sea for new lands? It was alluded to a little of what lies outside Orley and Fereldan, maybe see what Antiva or Tevinter or Neverra are like. Might they be worthwhile places to explore? A Dragon Age translation of Rome or Russia or maybe Britain?

Ferelden is already Britain-ish. Tevinter is Rome, and from what we've seen in the games and heard from the devs it does sound like the next game will probably be set in Tevinter.

I'm personally hoping we get to follow up on what's happening at Weisshaupt, if only because the Anderfels sound interesting to me. It's also a reason to involve the Wardens that doesn't feel tacked on.

I think conflict-heavy dynamics like DA 2's work best for the most part if they can be pushed to their natural conclusions, with characters who do leave or will in fact come to blows. The friendship/rivalry bar doesn't model this perfectly (it need to be two competing bars like Paragon/Renegade), but I think it was a step in the right direction.

You do have to follow through with it, though, to make it work. And you do run the risk of characters not being able to make a full party, like ending up facing the archdemon with just you, Alistair/Loghain and Morrigan.

Variation on the topic, but did anyone else start DAI not knowing Solas's voice actor and expecting him to go the way of Trask, Ser Wesley, Mhairi, or your fellow Warden recruits from DAO?

You can kick Morrigan out of the party too. I did that very thing on my first run.

I already knew who Solas was going in let alone that he was an important party member. So no.

So you guys have any Headcanons about how Hawke learned their Specializations? It's like, I really enjoyed how Inquisition handled it, fetch quest apart exempted. I chose Templar because my Inquisitor was a huge Andrastian and it was really cool having the trainer spell out the commitment this would entail and you even go to Cullen and talk it over with him. True, a lot is left to the imagination since your Spec has no actual effect on your character in cutscenes but I still dig it. (I think my Elfquisitor kept on the Lyrium, by the by)

And of course in Origins you have to do a variety of things to learn a skill, usually involving getting a character to divulge great secrets to you or maybe by working with a sexy demon. In either event it's explained and kind of a big deal.

But then, in DA 2, nothing. Hawke can just randomly use Templar skills or Blood Magic. That kind of bugs me.

Have you ever thought up any explanations for why this is? Blood Magic seems simple enough, he/she learned it from Merrill. But what about Templar or Assassin or any of the others? Some are pretty mundane I'll grant you but what about frickin' Reaver? Where did Hawke get dragon blood?

edited 29th Jul '16 11:57:40 PM by Nikkolas

I never went near the Templar specialization, simply because it felt hypocritical of my Inquisitor to encourage Cullen to overcome his addiction, then turn around and start guzzling down the stuff himself; I imagine Cassandra wouldn't have approved of that, either.

As for Hawke, my main Hawke was a Rogue, who specialized first in Shadow and then Assassin. Shadow she learned from Varric and Isabela, while Assassin I imagine that Hawke just used her contacts with Varric to just get an assassin to teach her a few tricks, while Zevran taught her a few more in Act III. Besides, the assassin specialization barely qualifies as one other than in name. Sure, you can kill a lot of enemies in one hit, but you gather so much Threat in a short amount of time you become a shining beacon with a "Kill Me" sign over your head against multiple enemies unless you have Aveline to take the heat off of you or Shadow to quickly get rid of any Threat.

Well it wasn't your idea for Cullen to quit, at least not to my recollection. You can encourage him to do so but he was already thinking about it. He didn't want to do this anymore while my Inquisitor did. I don't think that's particularly hypocritical.

Depends on the dialogue options you take, emergent gameplay, RP considerations, etc.

Not trying to toot my horn, but I posted my thoughts on future companions a couple of pages ago.

Hey, I need to ask you guys. Did you ever attempt to craft potions while playing the Dragon Age games? I personally didn't but I would like to know if you guys ever did that.

Yes, because it breaks Dragon Age Origins and literally makes you invincible.

And it's way cheaper to craft potions in 2 then it is to buy them.

Nothing hypocritical about respecting people's right to make their own choices. You can encourage Cullen's efforts to quit the lyrium without believing that all Templars are a sin against man and god and must be purged from the Earth.

This. Provided you didn't persuade the werewolves to murder the elves For the Evulz, crafting provides a near-endless supply of potions.

My Inquisitor is secretly precognitive so she knew she could give up lyrium while Cullen couldn't unless he did it right now.

Or at least that's what I'd say if I played templar.

I crafted potions in Origins, Awakening, and ][. Potions and Stamina drought are very powerful, plus you can craft and sell Potent Lyrium Potions for profit.

I've barely done any potion crafting, mainly because I find it a somewhat boring mechanic in most games, unless i'm playing an alchemist.

Trying do decide on my rogue specialization. I only use bows and not daggers, so iIm not sure assassin is so good for that. Artificer seems a bit meh, and like I mention, I never use potions really so I'm not sure about tempest.

edited 30th Jul '16 1:36:26 PM by Vertigo_High

Bows are really great with Artificer if you know what you're doing.

I never craft anything in games unless I absolutely have to. I have a ton of stuff in my inventory in Origins right now because I'm holding onto it "just in case." I haven't made a single thing yet though. Leveling up takes forever as is, and you don't get skill points every level. I don't know if I want to waste points on Herbalism.

Plus i don't know what ingredients make what. Just simpler to buy these magically drinkable poultices instead of worrying about constantly collecting crap.

edited 30th Jul '16 2:28:44 PM by Nikkolas

You don't need to waste points on herbalism because your team members also get skill points and can craft for you.

In Origins I always used Morrigan to craft potions. She starts with 2 ranks in Herbalism and she can get to rank 4 by level 10. When I get to Awakening I just make whomever I don't plan to use the potions and rune crafter.

Tempest is absolutely godly. It doesn't have the same sheer damage output as Assassin, but it has more versatility and survivability, especially on a dagger rogue. Tempest Archer is still good, what Flask of Fire to reduce your cooldowns to zero, letting you spam Leap Shot repeatedly until you run out of stamina. The fact that you only get stronger the more potions or elixirs you use only make it better. Mighty Offense Tonic + Flask of Frost + Flank Attack + Deathblow is a guaranteed kill on virtually everything that tries to attack you at melee range.

As for crafting, I always used Morrigan as my resident crafter, since I mostly used either my Amell or Wynne as my go to mages.

Anyone else find the little portraits getting bloodied up slightly narmy? Idk why but it kind of makes me laugh that cassandra's trying to pull off this tough face with a black eye and stream of blood running down her face. It's less, It's a bit overdone to where it looks kind of silly.

I haven't used Morrigan at all this run except right now. I was stuck on the forced encounter that is part of Leliana's quest - mages, mabari, archers and warriors - and I decided to swap out Shale for Morrigan. I figured I needed someone else with a bit of range and AOE. I had taken Wynne down the "Hex" path because DA 2 is the only DA game I've really played to play, as in learning how it works and in that game, mages are best suited for debuffing. Stack a bunch of debuffs on an enemy and let the rest of your party saw through their HP in no time. In any event, Wynne has no AOE spells or anything and Shale doesn't do damage really, she's a tank. So swapping in Morrigan, even a Morrigan I've neglected and who has no really good spells, was the key.

As for her Herbalism, I lack Distillation Agents it seems.

The DA fandom is strange and confusing. The Loghain apologists and Alistair haters are annoying enough but I just read a person going on and on about how Leliana is a sociopath and Morrigan is actually a better person than she is. -shakes head- Disliking Alistair is fine, disliking Leliana is fine, but disparaging either of their morals is just stupid. They are good people, simple as that. I found this conversation when looking up stuff about Unhardened and Hardened on Google since I just finished Leliana's quest and I wanted to make sure I didn't fuck things up by killing her old mentor. Hardened Leliana is bad Leliana. She is not tha tperson anymore and I'm not going to force her into it with the power of RPG Player Character. Just like I won't magically force Alistair into being king when he doesn't want it just because I have max Persuade.

Although, in the case of Alistair, Hardened isn't so bad. Given the wording and all, I used to think it meant you made him more assertive and ruthless. Think Closed Fist Dawn Star. That seems to be the case with Hardened Leliana but with Al, he just gets a bit gruffer and I guess he does become more assertive but without the corresponding ruthlessness. He just gets a thick skin, I guess you might call it. It's Hardened Leliana who becomes all amoral. I won't permit that.

Which do you guys prefer and why?

Hardened Alistair and Leliana are my preferred states for the 2.