Current Events > I'm going through the Dragon Age series again. *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

I just wanna be a blood mage again

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Alucard188 posted...

We're heading to Tevinter. _Every_ mage has ulterior motives. I'm excited to see what they do with the story, despite my misgivings with how the company has handled its shit in the recent past. They left Inquisition with a stupid huge cliffhanger, and we get a new MC to play around with.

I was really just giving a joke answer, but yeah. Definitely be interesting and guessing it will be to do with some band stopping the big bad at the end. Maybe ties to the Inquisition and set up with whatever you decided in the end.

Plus the Hawke style cameo/involvement of Inqy.

UnholyMudcrab posted...

I just wanna be a blood mage again

Be very surprised if can't be, given set in Tevinter.

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I love how they wrote in how Flemeth survived the Warden and Morrigan slaying her back in Ferelden. Morrigan figured that she would just re-constitute herself in time, like pulling wisps of hair floating on the breeze back together. No, Flemeth took a less indirect and more immediate way of doing so.

For this game's flaws, the characters and voice acting are great. Bioware has always been good with casting people and having good voice directors.

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Not too far, been working a lot. Went with rogue class and not sure i'm happy with the skill tree and might start over and go a different route.

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MabusIncarnate posted...

Not too far, been working a lot. Went with rogue class and not sure i'm happy with the skill tree and might start over and go a different route.

I went Rogue into Assassin in all three.

Trust me, once you get good at backstabs you are gold.

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When I first played Inquisition, I went as a mage. This was before the class rebalancing they did. By the end of the game, I was controlling Sera and letting my Inquisitor do his thing in the back row. Rogue gets stupid powerful in that game.

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Great series. Good luck with your playthroughs. I actually need to replay the 1st one myself, it has been over 10 years.

Archer rogue starts off slow but gets crazy powerful later on. I've never really done much with a dagger rogue. Might actually start a playthrough with that.
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Alucard188 posted...

When I first played Inquisition, I went as a mage. This was before the class rebalancing they did. By the end of the game, I was controlling Sera and letting my Inquisitor do his thing in the back row. Rogue gets stupid powerful in that game.

The pre-nerf Spirit Blade was really something else. Even today, Knight Enchanter is still pretty much unkillable.

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Bump
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BUMP for the moderator and this great series.

UnholyMudcrab posted...

The pre-nerf Spirit Blade was really something else. Even today, Knight Enchanter is still pretty much unkillable.

It was a thing of pure beauty. Solo the entire game on the hardest difficulty.

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VFrench2 posted...

Great series. Good luck with your playthroughs. I actually need to replay the 1st one myself, it has been over 10 years.

over 10 years old

still best game

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Justice did what had to be done

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Played a little bit yesterday. Still in chapter 1. Having Aveline and Isabela the same party leads to some very catty commentary.

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Just finished Blackpowder Promise with Fenris in my party. I _really_ like him. He's got a no nonsense atmosphere about him, and he naturally chafes with my apostate Hawke.

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Fenris has some great commentary with the Arishok in that quest
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One thing I'm digging is how they've scripted Hawke's cutscene interactions based on whether they lean towards diplomacy/sarcasm/aggressive. I just completed Shepherding Wolves as a predominately aggressive Hawke. When meeting a laying-in-wait Templar, Hawke told him to "Stay his hand, lest it be removed." I don't think a diplomatic or sarcastic Hawke would say that.

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*reading a guide*

Oh, so letting this slaver go nets me 3 gold, huh? Surely he must have at least that on him if I kill him. Seriously, fuck slavers.

*loots*

12 silver, 37 copper.

Ok.

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I'm trying to decide on the best situation for Carver. It may be more apt for him to stay behind during the Deep Roads Expedition, both because of his historical ties to the Templars, and because I don't want to see him eventually succumb to the Darkspawn sickness. Coming from a family of mages would give extra layers to his relationship with Hawke, and he doesn't die.

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I think Carver finds a place to belong in the Wardens that he never really finds with the Templars
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I'm disregarding the whole text but I myself have yet to play this series. I want to but there's many dumb reasons I'm not

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inloveanddeath0 posted...

I'm disregarding the whole text but I myself have yet to play this series. I want to but there's many dumb reasons I'm not

It's a good series. Now that I've separated DA2 from what DA:O is, I'm appreciating it more for what it is, instead of what it isn't. DA:O is the superior game, but DA2 isn't without its charm. I'm sure Bioware would have had more time to make more interior and dungeon maps if they had more than 18 months to work on the game.

*actually Googles it*

Holy shit, only 9 months?! Fuck you, EA. This game could have been _so_ much better if you hadn't stuck your baby dick in the pie.

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Ah, Act 2. Way to make my gear from the end of act 1 obsolete within 5 minutes. S'alright, though. I didn't really like the way the Robe of the Spiral Eye looked, anyways.

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I take back what I said about Purple Hawke earlier in the topic. Playing through right now and choosing mostly snarky options, I'm having a blast.

"You could try the copper marigolds again. In hindsight, they weren't the worst option."

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Oh, they've already said that the Inquisitor is not going to be playable in Dragon age 4. At least they won't be the main protagonist. Giving everything we know about inquisition, The Inquisitor being there absolutely will happen. It's going to be a fine balance, because the Tevinter Imperium is a much different beast than the Orlesians or Fereldens.

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Sarcastic Hawke paired with his best bro Varric was a blast; those two are wonderfully snarky together.

Lol, I deleted that post because I didn't notice what page the topic was on and I was accidentally responding to the last post on the previous page

I think Feynriel is going to make an appearance, possibly as a companion. Dorian will definitely be back, though he has more important things to do now than tagging along as a party member. Scout Harding also has a good chance of being back, especially since we've never had a dwarf romance option.
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UnholyMudcrab posted...

Lol, I deleted that post because I didn't notice what page the topic was on and I was accidentally responding to the last post on the previous page

I think Feynriel is going to make an appearance, possibly as a companion. Dorian will definitely be back, though he has more important things to do now than tagging along as a party member. Scout Harding also has a good chance of being back, especially since we've never had a dwarf romance option.

She fucking better be. I love Ali Hillis & I've been robbed of romancing her, Varric, Oghren, or Sigrun already.

Maybe they'll finally allow dwarfs the ability to romance other dwarfs. Varrick is too much a bro to be a romance option, and I'd rather ride the bull over Oghren. Sigrun and Harding, yes please.

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Oh, and Fenris. He's currently in Tevinter leaving a trail of corpses behind him. I have to think he'll make another appearance.

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Speaking of Fenris, I just completed his companion quest where he kills Hadriana. I love his voice actor. They did a _really_ good job with the voice direction.

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And just when I gave them praise for character direction, I got a taste of how ham-fisted they made relationships in the game. No wonder I didn't like any of them. The first time you issue a flirtatious remark, they start getting all moon-eyed and shit. At least Isabela's character doesn't change; she's just naturally flirty.

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( )

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Apostate prostitutes?

Apostitutes!

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Ok, good. I got scared that the topic purged.

Anyways, I just completed Sebastian's companion quest, and recruited him into my party. I think I'm going to turn him rival, because judging from his early responses to aggro Hawke, he doesn't seem ideolgically opposed to the iron fist. Reclaim your land, young Prince of Starkhaven.

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Maker, noooooo
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Another bump

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Started up the Blackpowder Conspiracy quest in Act 2. I'm really appreciating the dynamic certain characters have with each other. Anders doesn't get along well with Aveline, and Aveline doesn't get along well with Isabela. Varric and Merril are cute together.

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Merrill's little arc with the ball of twine that Varric gives her is adorable

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Varric hiring "personal guards" for Merril is also adorable.

Merril: The city is safer than I'd thought it'd be.
Varric: Oh, that reminds me. Please stop going out at night.
Merril: Why? Nothing happens to me. Perfectly fine.
Varric: I know, and it's costing me a fortune.

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Merril is everyone's favourite adorable blood mage.

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I'm rolling with Anders right now so I can get his friendship or rivalry maxed, then I'm going to switch him for Merrill and respec her to be my offensive blood mage.

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Hawke and Merrill, the blood mage bash buddies

Man, it bothers me that Hawke is so vehemently anti-blood-magic in Inquisition.
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UnholyMudcrab posted...

Hawke and Merrill, the blood mage bash buddies

Man, it bothers me that Hawke is so vehemently anti-blood-magic in Inquisition.

To be fair, Hawke's family and city suffer massively because of blood mages. The fact you could be one was really odd and definitely seemed like some head saying "we need something fun" despite it making no logical sense within the game.

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The way I see it, Hawke (or at least my Hawke) understands that blood magic can be used for good or evil. A blood mage killed her mother, but on the other hand, she's a blood mage, her girlfriend is a blood mage, they're both good people, and she's been using blood magic for years selflessly in defense of the city and her friends and family.

But yeah, the writing in DA2 when it came to things like blood magic always felt heavy-handed. I don't think it's much of an exaggeration to say that every single mage in the entire city except Bethany and optionally Hawke is a blood mage, and it feels like you've pretty much wiped out the Kirkwall Circle yourself by the time the endgame rolls around just by killing all these blood mages throughout the game. And the less said about Orsino, the better, I think.
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That right there is my biggest problem with DA2's writing. Thematically it's a mess. Both endings are basic cartoon villainy. You either go up against Meredith and her corruption from the red Lyrium idol, or against the First Enchanter Orsino because he's randomly consorting with demons and malificarum and becomes an abomination. The game railroads you towards being pro-mage, but if you're pro-templar, then you're validating why they're so anti-mage. It's like no side is wrong.

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Uhg. I understand you want to play the game. But don't you take any points off for the gameplay? The worst is the spawning out of nowhere enemies. The horrible graphics don't help. I'd honestly rather play Fallout 2 than this.

I think this was the first Bioware game to do away with the skill system. Also, the class progression was just horrible and only got worse in DA:I.

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Alucard188 posted...

You either go up against Meredith and her corruption from the red Lyrium idol, or against the First Enchanter Orsino because he's randomly consorting with demons and malificarum and becomes an abomination.

Not either. You have to fight both, since EA demanded that there be two boss fights to end the game.
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I was going to go Isabella, but man.

Man.

Stupid awkward Merrill.

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