22 réponses à ce sujet

[Warden Commander David]

How is the interaction with the Awakening companions compared to Origins?

I know Awakenings is shorter than Origins...but does this effect the companions as well?

Is the approval system something that is just carried over from Origins...or can you actual have good conversations with your companions in Awakenings with higher approval?

[Monica21]

Warden Commander David wrote...

How is the interaction with the Awakening companions compared to Origins?

I know Awakenings is shorter than Origins...but does this effect the companions as well?

Is the approval system something that is just carried over from Origins...or can you actual have good conversations with your companions in Awakenings with higher approval?

The approval system is the same, although I do think more points are awarded based on dialogue. And you can still offer various gifts. One difference is the conversation. You can't just walk up to Anders or Nate and start a cutscene. There are specific objects you can click on that lead to dialogue. The painting next the Nate in the main hall, the statue in front of the Chantry, the tree in Amaranthine, the bowl of lyrium in Kal'Hirol, among others. So, you will have cutscenes that allow for an increase or decrease in approval, but they're managed differently.

[Warden Commander David]

I see I see.

The first time I tried to play Awakenings and I couldn't talk to my companions at the Keep...I ended up just restarting my Origins playthrough.

It was bad enough not having any of my companions return...but then it seemed like bioware didn't care to go in depth with the companions you get in Awakening.

This time I think I will actually play through all of Awakening.

Modifié par Warden Commander David, 26 mars 2013 - 05:41 .

[caradoc2000]

Warden Commander David wrote...

It was bad enough not having any of my companions return.

You do get one returning companion.

[Warden Commander David]

caradoc2000 wrote...

Warden Commander David wrote...

It was bad enough not having any of my companions return.

You do get one returning companion.

I never recruited Oghren in Origins. (well...I tell him to leave right after the king of orzammar is crowned)

Never cared for his character.

Modifié par Warden Commander David, 26 mars 2013 - 06:01 .

[mousestalker]

Sigrun is my favourite companion of all time.

You can also trigger dialogue between companions by passing certain points (the statue in the courtyard for example). This is the same as it was in DAO.

[Shinobu]

The companion interaction in Awakening feels less in depth than Origins because you don't get to talk to them whenever you feel like it. Nevertheless, there are some great party banter moments.

My first playthrough I mostly ran with Anders, Justice and Oghren, which wasn't that entertaining, IMO. I thought I needed warriors because I played a rogue. The second time I said "screw party balance" and went with Anders (Arcane warrior tank), Nate and Sigrun, which was a total blast! (Velanna, meh.)

Also, no romances, though at one point I had Justice +100 Love or something like that. *shudder*

Modifié par Shinobu, 27 mars 2013 - 01:34 .

[Warden Commander David]

Shinobu wrote...

The companion interaction in Awakening feels less in depth than Origins because you don't get to talk to them whenever you feel like it. Nevertheless, there are some great party banter moments.

My first playthrough I mostly ran with Anders, Justice and Oghren, which wasn't that entertaining, IMO. I thought I needed warriors because I played a rogue. The second time I said "screw party balance" and went with Anders (Arcane warrior tank), Nate and Sigrun, which was a total blast! (Velanna, meh.)

Also, no romances, though at one point I had Justice +100 Love or something like that. *shudder*

Yeah...I never care about party balance and only pick the companions I think are best for my story.

I also only ever have three companions...because I absolutely hate the idea of leaving one behind all the time. Very immersion breaking in my opinion.

On the surface...the Awakening companions seem like they would be great.

I actually like Velanna...she seems badass so far, and I never had the opportunity to have an elf companion.

The idea of Nate being a companion just seems like it could be good for the story...with the idea of my Warden (human noble) potentially becoming good friends with him. Though of course, that depends on his dialog in the game and the way he acts.

Anders isn't bad...but I don't really care for the mage-version-of-Alistair vibe that I get right from the start. I mean...even down to his look...it's kind of ridiculous really.

Though I think him, Velanna and Nate will be my companions throughout the game.


On a side note: One thing I do like about Awakening so far...is that when you click on the companion while you're out walking around...they use auto-dialog...instead of going to the cutscene conversation. Just something nice to have to keep the game "more alive" if you will.

Though I do wish they had cutscene conversations while at the keep.

Oh...and I still cannot believe they kill off Mhairi. I thought she was going to be awesome.

Modifié par Warden Commander David, 27 mars 2013 - 04:42 .

[Monica21]

Warden Commander David wrote...
Though I do wish they had cutscene conversations while at the keep.

I think there's a cutscene with each companion just after recruiting them, but I could be wrong. I know that there's an auto dialogue with Nate and then again when you click the painting he's standing next to. Justice also has auto dialogue when returning, but I can't remember about any other companions. I do think each of them has something specific you have to click to trigger dialogue, but it only triggers once, except in the case of Oghren. He'll talk every time you click the ale casket.

[thats1evildude]

Warden Commander David wrote...

I also only ever have three companions...because I absolutely hate the idea of leaving one behind all the time. Very immersion breaking in my opinion.

That seems … very bizarre.

Especially in Awakening, where the Wardens you don't have in your party … well, never mind.

Modifié par thats1evildude, 27 mars 2013 - 05:42 .

[Warden Commander David]

What's bizarre about that...and why "especially" in awakening?

thats1evildude wrote...

Warden Commander David wrote...

I also only ever have three companions...because I absolutely hate the idea of leaving one behind all the time. Very immersion breaking in my opinion.

That seems … very bizarre.

Especially in Awakening, where the Wardens you don't have in your party … well, never mind.

[Addictress]

Velanna and Anders are so flipping powerful together, it's a joke. I have a bug though where the Anders-Valenna " did you know I like tattoos" exchange is the only companion banter that happens... and they've repeated that same exchange like five times.

Modifié par Addictress, 27 mars 2013 - 06:44 .

[Blazomancer]

Addictress wrote...
Velanna and Anders are so flipping powerful together, it's a joke. I have a bug though where the Anders-Valenna " did you know I like tattoos" exchange is the only companion banter that happens... and they've repeated that same exchange like five times.

Haha, yes. This happend to me once. They kept repeating the same thing during the whole playthrough.

[TEWR]

Never cared for his character.

Take Oghren to the Gauntlet to meet with the Guardian. Your perceptions of him should change then and there.

Better yet, I'll link it for you. On the surface, he just seems like some crude and vulgar drunkard.

And he is that, don't get me wrong. But he's far deeper then that as well.

I actually like Velanna...she seems badass so far, and I never had the opportunity to have an elf companion.

Didn't recruit Zevran, I take it?

Modifié par The Ethereal Writer Redux, 27 mars 2013 - 08:48 .

[Warden Commander David]

The Ethereal Writer Redux wrote...

Never cared for his character.

Take Oghren to the Gauntlet to meet with the Guardian. Your perceptions of him should change then and there.

Better yet, I'll link it for you. On the surface, he just seems like some crude and vulgar drunkard.

And he is that, don't get me wrong. But he's far deeper then that as well.

I actually like Velanna...she seems badass so far, and I never had the opportunity to have an elf companion.

Didn't recruit Zevran, I take it?

Alistair, Morrigan, and Leliana are always my companions in DA:O.

When I first tried playing Awakening, I didn't realize I could say no to Oghren becoming a Warden. When he burped after drinking the blood...that solidified my not wanting a character like that in my party. He may have a great backstory or whatever...but I just don't care for his character in my story.

I actually always forget that Zevran can be a companion...but yeah, he's nothing more than that assassin Loghain sent after us in my DA:O playthroughs. I don't kill him...but I never recruit him.

Modifié par Warden Commander David, 27 mars 2013 - 01:04 .

[Shinobu]

Warden Commander David wrote...

Yeah...I never care about party balance and only pick the companions I think are best for my story.

I also only ever have three companions...because I absolutely hate the idea of leaving one behind all the time. Very immersion breaking in my opinion.

On the surface...the Awakening companions seem like they would be great.

I actually like Velanna...she seems badass so far, and I never had the opportunity to have an elf companion.

The idea of Nate being a companion just seems like it could be good for the story...with the idea of my Warden (human noble) potentially becoming good friends with him. Though of course, that depends on his dialog in the game and the way he acts.

Anders isn't bad...but I don't really care for the mage-version-of-Alistair vibe that I get right from the start. I mean...even down to his look...it's kind of ridiculous really.

Though I think him, Velanna and Nate will be my companions throughout the game.

I think you may be handicapping yourself if you limit your companions to 3. Leaving aside usefulness, the requirements of relevance and fun may be at odds sometimes. Also, like DAO, the outcomes for some companions may depend on what you do or don't do with them.

Nate is a really good choice as far as personal story goes. Getting to know him and becoming his friend was fulfilling as a City Elf and would probably be even more meaningful as a Cousie. He also has a nice, dry sense of humor and is fun to run around with. Nate passes the relevance and fun tests, so you should definitely take him.

Missing out on Justice banters with Anders means missing out on some foreshadowing for DAII (if you intend to play it). Justice is an interesting character but a dull companion, IMO. Relevant for DAII but not so much fun.

Anders is an entertaining companion, if a bit selfish. He has a much different personality in DAII (and a new VA), which might be less jarring if you don't hang out with him in Awakening. Relevant and fun, but DAII Anders suffers a lot by comparison, so by using twisted logic you could choose to skip him. (That is to say you'll probably dislike DAII Anders less if you can't compare him to his Awakening personality, but there will be a huge retcon to deal with, and missing out on Anders when he's at his best doesn't make DAII Anders better.)

Sigrun is pure awesomesauce as a companion but has very little impact on a Cousland Warden's personal story or the world in general. Velanna and Oghren are the same in terms of relevance. YMMV as far as how much you enjoy their characters. Oghren does get some character growth, and listening to Nate charm Velanna is cute.

TL;DR: Most relevant party: Nate, Justice, Anders. Most fun party (IMO):Nate, Anders, Sigrun. Party you like best: Nate, Velanna, Anders?

Edit to clarify that Sigrun, Velanna and Oghren aren't very relevant to a Cousland's personal story. Corker correctly pointed out that they may be more rewarding for other origins.

Modifié par Shinobu, 27 mars 2013 - 08:59 .

[Monica21]

Warden Commander David wrote...
When I first tried playing Awakening, I didn't realize I could say no to Oghren becoming a Warden. When he burped after drinking the blood...that solidified my not wanting a character like that in my party. He may have a great backstory or whatever...but I just don't care for his character in my story.

I really dislike Awakening Oghren, and I've never talked to him enough to complete his personal quest. The fact that he's drunk every time I talk to him in the main hall doesn't help either. He may not fight like a drunk, but the simple fact that he passes out after every conversation and then I have to leave means no fighting for him. He's hands-down my least favorite character in Awakening.

[Shinobu]

Monica21 wrote...

Warden Commander David wrote...
When I first tried playing Awakening, I didn't realize I could say no to Oghren becoming a Warden. When he burped after drinking the blood...that solidified my not wanting a character like that in my party. He may have a great backstory or whatever...but I just don't care for his character in my story.

I really dislike Awakening Oghren, and I've never talked to him enough to complete his personal quest. The fact that he's drunk every time I talk to him in the main hall doesn't help either. He may not fight like a drunk, but the simple fact that he passes out after every conversation and then I have to leave means no fighting for him. He's hands-down my least favorite character in Awakening.

I also did not find Oghren very fun, though his banter with Nate was cute. ("Are you an admirer?") Oghren is very skippable in my book.

[Corker]

Shinobu wrote...

Sigrun is pure awesomesauce as a companion but has very little impact on a Warden's personal story or the world in general. Velanna and Oghren are the same in terms of relevance. YMMV as far as how much you enjoy their characters. Oghren does get some character growth, and listening to Nate charm Velanna is cute.

TL;DR: Most relevant party: Nate, Justice, Anders. Most fun party (IMO):Nate, Anders, Sigrun. Party you like best: Nate, Velanna, Anders?

Eh, depends on your Warden.  A fellow Dalish elf who had lost someone close to her under mysterious circumstances involving darkspawn taint was extremely relevant to my Mahariel's interests.  If my duster had survived DAO, I'm sure Sigrun would have been relevant - an Aeducan might find her an interesting foil as well.   (And FWIW, I find DAA Anders to be an abrasive, unlikeable character without much charm at all - but I know I'm in the minority there.)

I think Oghren is a tragedy masquerading as a farce.  I understand why people don't like him - same reason many people, for their own well-being, have to cut real alcoholics out of their lives.  He's not a pleasant man when he drinks, and he drinks all the time.  But there's plenty of examples, perhaps more in DAO but I think some in DAA, of the man he was and could be again, and I find interacting with *that* Oghren surprisingly rewarding.

[mousestalker]

Oghren does figure in some of the funnier banters (Spoilers galore at the link).

[Shinobu]

Corker wrote...

Shinobu wrote...

Sigrun is pure awesomesauce as a companion but has very little impact on a Warden's personal story or the world in general. Velanna and Oghren are the same in terms of relevance. YMMV as far as how much you enjoy their characters. Oghren does get some character growth, and listening to Nate charm Velanna is cute.

TL;DR: Most relevant party: Nate, Justice, Anders. Most fun party (IMO):Nate, Anders, Sigrun. Party you like best: Nate, Velanna, Anders?

Eh, depends on your Warden.  A fellow Dalish elf who had lost someone close to her under mysterious circumstances involving darkspawn taint was extremely relevant to my Mahariel's interests.  If my duster had survived DAO, I'm sure Sigrun would have been relevant - an Aeducan might find her an interesting foil as well.   (And FWIW, I find DAA Anders to be an abrasive, unlikeable character without much charm at all - but I know I'm in the minority there.)

I think Oghren is a tragedy masquerading as a farce.  I understand why people don't like him - same reason many people, for their own well-being, have to cut real alcoholics out of their lives.  He's not a pleasant man when he drinks, and he drinks all the time.  But there's plenty of examples, perhaps more in DAO but I think some in DAA, of the man he was and could be again, and I find interacting with *that* Oghren surprisingly rewarding.

Yes, you're right about Mahariels and Broscas. My bad for thinking like a Tabris, but as I said, YMMV. (I played through all of the origins but only took Tabris through the entire game.) A Tabris rogue has a lot in common with Sigrun and feels looked down on by Velanna, so that's probably why I prefer the one and not the other. As the OP is playing as a Cousie I think my assessment  of their relevance to his story still stands.

As far as Oghren goes, I agree he isn't as shallow as he appears, but I don't find either of his facets (crass vs. tragic) particularly appealing. I just wanted to turn him over to Felsi and let her sort him out. I did want to get him a chariot, though.

Anders is a bit of a selfish jerk, but he's a very entertaining selfish jerk. I much prefer his DAA sarcasm to his self-consciously tormented DAII personality. Also, Greg Ellis makes everything better.

Nate is great. I totally overlooked him the first time through, but I think he's now my favorite DAA companion (along with Sigrun). I hope he turns up as a companion in future DA games, though I'm not holding my breath.

Modifié par Shinobu, 27 mars 2013 - 08:56 .

[caradoc2000]

Nathaniel is rope extension in my games, too bad you can't kill Delilah.

[sylvanaerie]

Since my first run with Awakenings was with my Queen Cousland (and after reading the penny arcade comic) I thought I was going to string up Nathaniel when I met him. Then we had that little talk (and Valora was a warrior and I needed a rogue) and well, I just fell in love with the character.  Plus, besides adding immensely to the story, he's pretty bad ass with that bow in the fighting department.  Definite keeper.

I also liked Anders. A lot of people compare him to Alistair, but frankly I don't see it. Yea, both are blonde and both have a sort of sarcastic sense of humor (which I enjoy), but the similarities end there for me. Not going into a long description of why I find them different, just going to say I do.

Sigrun is my third favorite companion. Fatalistic and perky isn't the easiest personality traits to combine well, but she was well written, and the actress did a fine job.

Justice: Great concept, boring application.

Oghren was a freaking nightmare. I always get his approval up and hook him up with Felsi in Origins. You get a fantastic 'at the gates' speech from him if you do. Awakenings...ugh, my Warden told him get his ass back home. I didn't need a 2hander dps with me since I had Nate's archery, Anders magic and Sigrun's rogue skills. Stuff didn't stay up long enough to be a problem.

Velanna, also one I rarely take with me. I don't kill her, but I don't recruit her *usually*. I did on my King Cousland, merely because i was doing things I never had before. Genocidal freaks aren't my cup of tea.

Modifié par sylvanaerie, 28 mars 2013 - 11:56 .