There will be some penalties or bonuses to the Inquisitor based on her racial background but where players are most likely to see a difference is in the reactivity of those around her. A Qunari, for instance, walking into a relatively peaceful town might see people back away in fear or act in a confrontational manner. However, a city in distress is, as Laidlaw said, unlikely to care as long as someone is there helping out.
“It’s all about context.” Mike said.
Yet as with any quality role playing game, something for which Bioware is well-known, players can’t have it all. The Inquisitor may build an alliance with Orlais but fall out of favor with the Dalish as a result.
The gift-giving system for companions is essentially gone, though there will be some opportunities to do so. Players will build relationships with companions by helping them achieve their goals. Romance in Inquisition will be largely based on conversation.
It was previously announced that players would run into a character of significance from The Masked Empire novel recently released by author Patrick Weekes but Laidlaw snuck in a hint that it’s possible that players may run into several of the book’s influential characters. Whether any of them will be able to be recruited as a companion or not remains to be seen.