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[JeffZero]

So anyone who's known me for a while wouldn't be blamed for assuming I've played Origins several times over. My love for Mass Effect has easily endured even the most terrible of fan tempests, because I love BioWare and what it aims to achieve. Combine that with my anticipation of Inquisition and occasional forum presence and it seems unlikely I wouldn't have combed Ferelden and Kirkwall inside and out by early 2014.

And yet... that's simply not the case. I finally gave Dragon Age the time of day it so richly deserves in August 2012, but as fate would have it, there were few points in my life more tumultuous than the few months which followed. I don't want to bog you down with personal information, especially given my time away has brought forth a host of new names and so few of the "old guard" I remember, but suffice it to say, my male human noble never awoke from the Fade. I ended up selling the computer I had used to play the game with and didn't really have any time for video games in general for a solid year thereafter. That Warden's mission was doomed to failure. That Ferelden was consumed by Blight.

I never did bother acquiring another computer. I do all my college work on campus and it's just too steep an investment for how little spare time I have these days. Instead I picked up the DA games for PS3 with a simple goal: complete them before the launch of Inquisition. Three Uncharteds, a Last of Us and an encore franchise run of MGS later, I'm back to avenge my family against the tyranny of Rendon Howe.

I've been on this second coming of a file since the semester started almost a month ago, but I just don't have the opportunity for long-term play sessions, so business has been slow, but going has been good. I must confess to a terrible time adjusting to the learning curve; WRPGs were not my bread-and-butter growing up, and for a long time I longed for the relative simplicity of the Mass Effects and Metal Gears and even Final Fantasies I'm more inherently attuned to. I'm still learning the ropes slowly but surely, thankful for my time with FFXII years past for providing me with a template of understanding apropos to the tactics system.

I know this kind of topic is probably entirely too late to the party to garner much attention but I feel like documenting my journey a bit. In the following posts I'll detail what has come to pass and predict what is still to come. I'll gloss over what I've liked and disliked and share the wonders of a first-timer in Thedas.

Modifié par JeffZero, 27 février 2014 - 03:24 .

[JeffZero]

Let's begin.

I rolled with a male human noble again. I had unfinished business, a weight on my shoulders carried from another universe. A cruelly unfinished universe. I hate it when my favorite shows are cancelled, you know? So unlike Farscape, this campaign was easy: all I had to do to bring back that story was drop $20 and start again from scratch.

Back in mid-2012, I kicked around in the in-game DLCs immediately after Lothering, then ran to Redcliffe, then to Denerim, then to the Circle. So I figured I would follow that trend again, more or less, except in the interim I had learned that Leliana's Song should ideally be played beforehand or at least fairly early on, so I went ahead and did that too. So that's essentially what I've done: everything I just mentioned, except this time I've finished The Fade and ended Uldred. Needless to say I derived great satisfaction from completing that section. For 18 months it loomed over me like a... like a... bad dream. Yes. Fitting.

EDIT: At a PC now, so I've tidied things up across multiple posts. OCD.

Modifié par JeffZero, 08 février 2014 - 02:14 .

[JeffZero]

I don't typically alter the default appearances of my characters in video games. I'm that one weird lame guy everyone knows who never renames a single Pokémon. (Hell, I'll do you one over: I'm that super-weird lame guy who buys Pokémon games only to finish the story and explore the new areas, without an inkling of desire to "catch 'em all" or breed or battle competitively or anything of the sort... What was I talking about again? Oh right, Dragon Age.)

Well this time that changed. I decided I didn't like how gaunt and unattractive generic Aedan Cousland was by the time I had completed Ostagar all those moons ago, but it was too late then. Not so this go. I vainly modeled nuAedan on an ideal image of none other than yours truly, with a better shade of blond and a fairer complexion and a touch less English on the chin. By the time I had finished I had a positively piercing lad ready to do the Prince Charles thing but interrupted by a real bastard by the name of Howe, a realm-wide scourge called the Blight and a pretty cool dude by the name of Duncan.

It's amazing the things that come back to a gamer. The origin story felt like autopilot and at that time I felt assured I would never have any major issues with the combat system. It was all coming back to me and it was made all the simpler because I've never been much of a PC gamer but put a controller in my hands and I'll make her sing. I had a good time of it watching my parents die (that came out wrong) and before I knew it I was whisked away to the far south, my life in Duncan's hands.

I spend a lot of time in these games thinking about how my avatar's events would sensibly shape them. I think I'm preaching to the choir in a place like BSN, but it's worth mentioning anyway. So I weighed what I wrote at the castle -- a reasonably carefree lad with a passing historical interest who abruptly loses everything but perhaps for some distant brother -- and injected what I think I would feel in such a situation. And I arrived at a very vengeful young man who can clearly recognize the immensity of the duty hoisted upon him and is generally the champion of decency his father instilled upon him but will break and loathe and detest and avenge as soon as he gets a good glance of Howe, and will make that obvious when conversing with others.

Then Loghain sounded the retreat and Aedan's wrath multiplied exponentially. In the ensuing chaos, he lost almost everything a second time in what couldn't have been more than a few stray weeks. And so he shattered a bit and reshaped into the man which emerged: a man of action whose every step is dictated sharply by a desire to destroy those who have wronged him.

Of course, a major holdover of that brief life with Duncan is Alistair. Aedan was terribly reluctant to speak more than a few personal words with him or anyone else at first, shell-shocked and frightened, but with the magnitude of responsibility thrust upon them both, a common bond blossomed into a friendship which helped preserve some level of warmth in the Warden.

I didn't really intend for this topic to just be some storytelling blog every reader is already intimately familiar with in the first place, so I'll switch gears and talk about my impressions on the game itself for now.

Man, combat got rough for a while. For those of you weened on Baldur's Gate and Morrowind and late-night D&D sessions and, well, a lot more video games than I've ever delved into, it was probably a lot easier getting the hang of things, and Lothering, the DLCs and Redcliffe were easy enough for me to just swing my sword (rolled warrior, seemed fitting) and make things die, lone castle Revenant notwithstanding. (I later learned I was supposed to let the troops in to help... "Oh.") But around the time I explored the dark alleyways of Denerim, booted up Leliana's Song, staved off the blood mages in that one building, and had to use my wits to survive the groups of mages in the Fade, something strange and foreign began to pervade my file: the game over screen.

Thankfully I'm proud to say I've risen to the challenge. Long bus rides bred scholarly analysis of damage values, the relative uselessness of the Constitution stat, and all the many reasons Sten kept dropping like a chandelier at an Orlesian ball hosted by Marjolaine in honor of the qunari. If I could isolate one singularly most embarrassing epiphany, it would be the time just yesterday an ex of mine politely informed me to stop complaining ad nauseum about the lack of arrows in the game, because I was dearly mistaken in my understanding that once I ran out of fire arrows Leliana would be devoid of ammunition. "Regular arrows are infinite," she said. "By Andraste, that's incredible," I replied. Enlightenment.

When next I post I'm going to discuss some of my decisions along the road, my favorite companions, my intended order for the remaining major quests and my hopes and fears as I head into the second half of Origins. If you've been reading this, I appreciate it! I don't mind if no one ever posts, honestly, but I wanted to do this for myself. I feel like Dragon Age deserves it.

[JeffZero]

Let's open this last volley (for now!) with a list, shall we! Listing the companions should help to limit the length of this already-considerable examination.

Alistair: Well I've already said a fair bit on this front. Something newer to consider, though, is that I completed Redcliffe prior to visiting the Circle. That is to say, Isolde is dead. Aedan wanted to end things then and there to prevent anything worse from happening while the party was away for a couple more weeks, you know? I actually knew in advance this wasn't optimal, because on my unfinished file I, well, left Redcliffe unfinished, but this is how I chose to pen the tale this time around. Unsurprisingly, Alistair wasn't very happy with me. But honestly, I think it's kind of a misstep on the writers' part that he didn't speak up about the mages at the time. He was with me at the castle, darn it! But anyway, things were patched up as well as could be and Aedan was there for him during the Gol-damn-a incident which followed. I understand some "hardening" process can occur there? In any case I'm pretty sure it didn't. The two are chums, thick and thin, and I bring him along often despite already being a tank myself.

Morrigan: Aedan is intrigued by this Witch of the Wilds, and so am I. Her marketing re: Inquisition tells me she remains an integral part of the ongoing saga beyond Origins, but for now I can't say either my avatar nor its puppetmaster trust her entirely. I'm sympathetic to the outcast archetype and perpetually weak-kneed to the voice of Claudia Black; I sort of anticipated romancing Morrigan from the get-go, but it didn't really come to pass in either file. I did just learn Flemeth apparently intends to migrate over to Morrigan's lovely curves sooner or later, which is... um, horrifying. One of my very next stops is going to involve most probably slaying Captain Janeway in honor of Aeryn Sun, which is a once-in-a-lifetime sentence opportunity. But maybe there's more to this than meets the eye. And what a weird eye it is.

Leliana: Now here's the red-headed Chantry femme fatale for Aedan. I had anticipated that happening about as little as I had been convinced it'd be Morrigan, but damn, I like this chick. She's got spunk, bark and bite equal to her sincerity and devotion, and it's tough writing that and hat's off to BioWare there. Leliana's Song was ultimately what did it for me, as I felt a great deal of empathy for the woman. Was a bit wonky how she seems to insinuate she fled Marjolaine to the Warden but the DLC clearly shows she confronted her and walked away of her own volition. I guess that's Leliana for you, a down-to-earth enigma to rival Morrigan's otherworldly variety. In any case, I suggested Marjolaine die when we ran into her together, because Aedan is really not a big fan of people hounding his friends, and there's that whole complex about taking out his vengeance on anyone he can. Then I spoke with Leliana later and told her the bard's who she really is. Then I slept with her. And laughed at the facial expressions.

Sten: This is the part where the entries grow shorter. I like Sten, although until recently I felt kind of weird about letting him out of his cage. The dude murdered a family, after all. But hey, *Grey* Wardens, mirite? He challenged my leadership while at camp a few nights ago, and OOCly I thought that was pretty neat. Then I gave him some painting and he decided I wasn't callow, true story, and I learned about his sword and how everything really went down. So I'm gonna help him fetch it and see what happens. I think I'll prevent Flemeth from inhabiting the body of her daughter first, but it's on the agenda.

Wynne: First of all, this lady hasn't left my party since I scored her. All those heal spells have really helped me survive, not to mention hold on to more of my hard-earned sovereigns. I can't really envision Wynne ever leaving it, unless something goes south and she leaves me in general, anyway. Oh god; please no. But anyway, character-wise, I feel like my Aedan sort of latches onto her as a matriarchal, almost motherly figure. I myself grew up in an orphanage, so I know what it's like seeking those images elsewhere, and it seems like the human noble is pretty young -- can't be over 20 in a society like this, right? So that happens. Combined with the familiarity of having met her in Ostagar, a quick bond has developed. Although she apparently has a fainting problem, which is disquieting.

Shale: Not much to say here. It is amusing, and its line delivery is top-notch, but I have not used it because I already have two tanks with me most times. I do slowly find it opening up to me and decorating its chiseled exterior grants me a particular source of entertainment. It looks good in red. Pigeons.

Zevran: As the party's only elf, I keep meaning to take this guy with me more often, but I haven't given him any lockpicking points yet so it doesn't happen. I took him along for the blood mage compound in Denerim and he kept telling me he could open stuff but he was a liar, because he couldn't, so that was annoying. I'm definitely going to bring him with me for the forest, because elves, but for now he's almost as much of an unknown quantity as Shale. Cool accent though.

Garrus: is what I named my dog. I also named my cat Garrus in real life. So it's like I have a turian *and* a cat with me at all times. But I never use him, because, well, I can't imagine he has much to say. The party's interactions with him are fun. He's a dog. Woof.

Think I'll stop with the companions for now! I'll save my predictions for later.

[JeffZero]

If the gods are good, this won't be another obscenely long post. We'll see!

So... some things I do know about. Nature of the beast, that. (Also the name of a quest. Not relevant to discussion, however.) I know Morrigan probably can't die given how prominently featured she is in Inquisition. I know Alistair can become king but can also not become king because of the whole "the comics follow this canon" ordeal. I know Anders has two voice actors. Somehow. Impressive as I don't even know who Anders is. I know Dragon Age 2 features an awesome button because BioWare told me themselves. And I know the second game has totally separate companions but survivors from Origins pop up and stuff.

That's largely the full of it though. I've heard terms like "Dark Ritual" but I don't know what they entail. I know two post-game DLCs and Awakening follow the Warden but it's possible for him to die, which is odd. I guess you'd play as someone else then.

So onward! I boldly predict:

*Morrigan will remain pretty enigmatic throughout Origins since the fans never seem t have a straight conversation about her

*Loghain will be dealt with prior to the final showdown or else he'll be possessed somehow

*There will be a conversation with Alistair which will cause him to decide to take the throne

*The elves and the dwarves will both be unhappy I'm in their respective domains but both sides will feature more sympathetic factions (OK, this is probably too easy)

*Wynne will die. Her fainting spell seems suspect. I bet she'll sacrifice herself

*Given the nature of the term *Grey* Warden, there's going to be a tough choice just before endgame or during it that really fits the bill

*Eamon will get over Isolde's passing enough to help because c'mon Alistair

*The final battle will happen either at Redcliffe, Denerim or underground

*I'll get a chance to avenge my town (this is more of a hope but yeah)

*Leliana will go back to wandering the lands and/or back to Orlais as a result of our dialogue together

*The Urn of Sacred Ashes is real, or at least its restorative power. You don't just kill a character who your player base has been seeking to awaken all game (or however long until they click Haven I guess)

I guess that's all I've got! I'll update this topic every so often as I continue the game, but it could be a while yet. As I stated at the top, I don't get much time in unusually. Until then, I'll just edit that mess of a last paragraph in the OP later.

Modifié par JeffZero, 08 février 2014 - 02:15 .

[JeffZero]

EDIT: It's fixed now.

Modifié par JeffZero, 08 février 2014 - 02:15 .

[JeffZero]

Quick and dirty progress update!

Wow. So... I guess my Wynne analysis was off. I mean I guess she can still die but I didn't see her essentially being an abomination (right?) coming! Very kickass twist. And I remember her talking to me about how such a thing could still be human if it held to its humanity now too. All comes together. Kind of floored and humbled by this revelation. Wynne is awesome.

Sten's sword is in Orzammar, most likely. Curses... I won't be there for a while yet. Sorry, bub, but I wanted to visit the Dalish first. I've heard Orzammar is rather... deep.

"Killed" Flemeth. Highly doubt she's really gone though, especially because I think she's in the DA2 trailer? >_> That was a really hard fight for me. I almost cranked it down to Casual. She just dealt so much damage! I confess to still being kind of n00bish. But I'm getting there. In any case, those Robes of Possession made it pretty clear Morrigan was right. Sick stuff, glad I thwarted that nonsense. Then Morrigan flirted and I gently rebuked. D'aww Aeryn.

Then I went to the forest! I've gotten to know everyone (is that elf Tuvok? Does David Gaider really love Voyager or something?) and let Sprintrunner or whatever. Friendly folk, those werewolves. And OH MY GOD IT'S AN ENT SQUEAL. Seriously, badass creature designs around these parts.

Gonna delve further tonight.

[caradoc2000]

JeffZero wrote...

"Killed" Flemeth. Highly doubt she's really gone though, especially because I think she's in the DA2 trailer?

She is.

is that elf Tuvok? Does David Gaider really love Voyager or something?

He is Tuvok, all right.

Don't forget to spot Mass Effect VAs as well. There are plenty of those around.

Modifié par caradoc2000, 09 février 2014 - 01:40 .

[JeffZero]

Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure Tuvok-Elf's assistant is Ashley Williams for one thing. Felt equally unmistakable!

[caradoc2000]

JeffZero wrote...

Oh yeah, I'm pretty sure Tuvok-Elf's assistant is Ashley Williams for one thing. Felt equally unmistakable!

Thats her.

You did recognize the Grand Oak/Swiftrunner? - Saren

Modifié par caradoc2000, 09 février 2014 - 04:23 .

[JeffZero]

Haha, glorious. I thought they sounded familiar. But really everywhere I turn in this game someone sounds familiar.

May as well post my progress from last night while I'm around, paltry as it is! I ventured further into the forest, dealt with an amusing hermit, helped the Saren Tree become reunited with its lucky charms, delved into the ruins, unlocked the Arcane Warrior specialization, n00bishly realized I had been able to commit to specializations with Aedan for an unknown amount of time, unlocked Berserker for him (holding onto the other point in case whatever's left suits my fancy since I already have a Templar in Alistair) and lastly, reached the lair.

Which is pretty much where I stopped, so I anticipate wrapping things up around here tonight if I get the chance to play. Which will pretty much happen unless a certain lady friend comes over, in which case, well... hell, it might happen anyway. Yeah, I'm a real party-thrower.

Something definitely seems amiss about this whole werewolf situation, and not just because it's a BioWare plot so there's always going to be a plot-turner around the next corner of each sub-arc, either. The werewolves are (appropriately) impatient with me, but they're clearly alluding to Zathrain (or whatever Tuvok's name is) not being entirely forthcoming about the current predicament.

My bet's on the werewolves being Dalish outcasts or something along those lines. Basically anything that might serve to shatter the elven perception of their ferocious neighbors. I'll probably be given the chance to side with one or the other, a la the Circle quest, or at least offered the opportunity to unveil the truth about the werewolves after having to slay them. Either way, it seems obvious the Keeper is keeping some things to himself.

[caradoc2000]

JeffZero wrote...

delved into the ruins, unlocked the Arcane Warrior specialization, n00bishly realized I had been able to commit to specializations with Aedan for an unknown amount of time, unlocked Berserker for him (holding onto the other point in case whatever's left suits my fancy since I already have a Templar in Alistair)

You get one specialization point @ level 7 and another @ 14. There are four specializations available per class. Note that once you unlock any of these, they will stay unlocked for all subsequent characters.

Something definitely seems amiss about this whole werewolf situation, and not just because it's a BioWare plot so there's always going to be a plot-turner around the next corner of each sub-arc, either. The werewolves are (appropriately) impatient with me, but they're clearly alluding to Zathrain (or whatever Tuvok's name is) not being entirely forthcoming about the current predicament.

My bet's on the werewolves being Dalish outcasts or something along those lines. Basically anything that might serve to shatter the elven perception of their ferocious neighbors. I'll probably be given the chance to side with one or the other, a la the Circle quest, or at least offered the opportunity to unveil the truth about the werewolves after having to slay them. Either way, it seems obvious the Keeper is keeping some things to himself.

The Nature of the Beast is definitely an interesting and well-written quest. So is A Paragon of Her Kind (the Orzammar quest). After you finish NotB, you'll get the Leliana's singing cutscene (In Uthenera) the next time you talk to her in the camp, so don't miss it.

[Bullets McDeath]

...this thread really makes me want to play Origins again. Damnit.

[JeffZero]

Much progress tonight (by my sluggish standards anyway). Hitting the sack ahead of a long day filled to the brim with tests though so I'll update when I have more of a chance to do this justice. I finished with the Dalish, did the Urn, woke the Arl, and I've begun things at Orzammar though, so a lot has happened!

[Ferretinabun]

You might want to make sure you have a nice big slot of time if you want to do Orzammar in one sitting. It is easily the longest of the missions (possibly unless you count Redcliffe and the Urn as a single mission).

[JeffZero]

Yeah, I've heard it's long. I hadn't realized it was quite that long, however! Hmm, I'll give it some thought. I might just do it in a couple of pieces as has been the case with the other main quests (unfortunately), as big time blocks are hard to come by.

[caradoc2000]

Ah, yes, Orzammar...

You meet Zaeed and Grunt...

[mousestalker]

I'm not spoiling anything by telling you that you can divide the Orzammar and Deep Road parts of the game into tasty bite sized chunks. It lends itself to stopping and starting admirably.

My only suggestion is that you talk to everyone you can and (especially) listen to the ambient dialogue.

[JeffZero]

Ah, both those facts are nifty! I'll have to take that into consideration for my next tumble.

So, the Nature of the Beast questline. Having retrieved an acorn for Saren A, I sped my way into the Werewolves' lair, exchanging a few more choice words with Saren B until Cortana-of-the-Wild came and set the record straight. Poor Tuvok. ;_; But he had allowed his ancient Vulcan turbulent emotions to get the better of him and it needed to end. I dirtied him until he acquiesced. Then, as he and Fantasy!Cortana gave their lives nobly, Saren B and his fellow lycans magically teleported clothing onto themselves just in time to prevent a rather embarrassing finish. With the matter settled, Lieutenant Ashley Williams took control of the Dalish and Aedan Cousland gave the command to fly to the Party Camp SR1's next destination.

In all seriousness, I enjoyed that place a lot. It was nice to get outside, you know? And Zathrian was a terrific sympathetic pseudo-villain, made all the more so by his unusual Creator angle with the Lady. It was a more fulfilling experience than this noodle dish I'm currently consuming while I'm on my lunch, which I recognize is a tangent but I wanted someone to know.

After a bit of wining and dining and bardic bedding and "ENCHANTMENT? ENCHANTMENT!" it was time to do the responsible thing again, so I was off to Stephen King's The Urn of Sacred Ashes for the televised adaptation of what surely must have been a bloody book.

You know, I gotta say, though, for all the crazy those villagers amply exuded, they did have one thing on me legit: they totally pointed out that I was sneaking into unlocked houses and taking everything I could find, and yeah, I mean I guess I can see where that might be considered somewhat rude. Don't blame the playa, though, blame the game. Specifically, the game known as Redcliffe, and that other game, Denerim, and another one called Honnleath, and Lothering and elsewhere, because those folks didn't mind. I'm a product of my society and shouldn't be judged so harshly.

Those people are crazy, though.

Brother Genetivi's a cool fellow. Getting himself entangled in such danger in the pursuit of knowledge, yes sir, my kind of fellow, although I did warn him spreading word of Andraste's ashes sounds like a distinctly bad idea. Anyway, Kolgrim and Eirikel (or whatever) were damn out there is what they were. It's like, please, that's a dragon, clear as day. I fought a Starfleet captain who turned herself into one, if anyone should think there's a sliver of a chance it's the real Andraste it's yours truly, but even I can see it's just a dragon, nothing new, just a bit big, just a silly old...

OH MY GOD IT BURNS

Tough fight! Zathrian was nothing, but the High Dragon went ragemode near the end there. I don't know if that's an actual gameplay mechanic or what, but I had her controlled thanks to a liberal helping of health poultices (did I mention it's awesome the elves sell their namesake root? Because it's awesome the elves sell their namesake root) until her last ~8% or so. Then she went haywire. Did Aedan in and quickly dispatched Wynne as well, leaving Leliana to support Alistair from afar, who rose to a kingly occasion by doing the whole "dramatic draconic finish" routine I usually like to selfishly reserve for myself. Whatevs bro, I'll be the one tearing the archdemon's head off, just you wait.

So then there were these trials, right, and they're called the Gauntlet, right, and I gotta tell you, this was one of my favorite parts of the game. I go to school for anthropology, I mean, I love people, I love culture, history, lore. And this Guardian bloke, a real Odin type, you know, and I got him all chatty-patty and had a grand time speaking with the... ghostly apparitions? Of these famous people and whatnot. Right pissed one off though, I did, and it turned into an ash wraith, but the other seven were happy enough.

Then there was a puzzle and I have to assume it was different for that adventurer whose corpse I later discovered, because either that or he's previously bartered with a certain Hylian for a clawshot. Oh, and along the way I met my dead dad. ;_; Now I'm the sort of rare enough lot (in America that is) who actually grew up in an orphanage myself so you'd think this stuff wouldn't hit me so hard but in fact the opposite is true -- I always bawl at the idea of having what I as a child did envy and then losing it so unceremoniously. "Real talk" for a moment, I apologize, but there it is, poor bloke.

I think I brought the most fitting party to the urn. I had Leliana, Alistair and Wynne with me (as I just realized while typing this you'd already have surmised) and they were all so happy to see the thing. We grabbed a pinch of that death brew and rushed to Eamon, who I'm delighted to report didn't hate me and want me to die for the apparently-avoidable mess with his wife and all that tomfoolery. You see, Alistair? He's fiiiine, he's fiiiine.

So Arl Eamon's going to make one o' them-there Landsmeets and in the meantime I need to finish up with the treaties, so I wined and dined and bedded a bard and "ENCHANTMENT? ENCHANTMENT!" and oh, all this was after the DARKSPAWN LITERALLY SHOWED UP WHILE I WAS AT CAMP, DUDE, SO NOT KOSHER, and then it was time to begin the dwarven quest.

Fetched Sten his sword, and he was all like "^___^" in that weird qunari fashion that's more like "•___•" but in a happy way, and then I killed some Loghain envoy who was just a total jerk, and then the dwarf thanked me and I went in.

And that, as they say, is that.

[JeffZero]

I said Odin and I meant Heimdal and once again my phone expressly denies my attempts at covering up the mess I made.

[Jaison1986]

I'm pretty neutral about Genitivi. I can aways appreciate an guy that searchs for new knowledges. But when he started rambling about how the ashes belong to the faithful and bla bla bla, I noticed that his religious fevor blinded him of the consequences of his actions. That's why I send him home and never talk to him again. Theses ashes are best staying a secret.

I like to bring Morrigan, Sten and Leliana for the sacred ashes segment (totally not impersonating the trailer...)

[JeffZero]

Hm, I guess he was pretty outspoken to the point of blindness. I'm not expecting this to be addressed in 2 (it'd be nifty it were though) but I can't see opening up the location of Andraste's ashes to common knowledge necessarily ending well. Then again, without that Stephen King cast lingering about any longer, I suppose it's only a matter of time until it's discovered anyway.

Made minimal progress after school last night. I explored every nook and cranny of Orzammar I could find. And... wow, I hadn't anticipated such delicious detail and expansiveness! This place is pretty big and I'm loving the richness of the societal depictions. I hope elves eventually get this much developmental focus somehow.

The contrast between Dust Town and the Diamond Quarter was well-realized. Excellent usage of art assets. I think Orzammar has got to be my favorite "level". Game just gets better and better, sheesh.

So these two blokes, Aeducan and Harrowmont, are duking it out for kingship. I listened to both sides, Aedan thrust into the middle of yet another smaller conflict on his path to crushing the big ones, and decided that based on the limited information available, Harrowmont sounds the better choice. I hope I don't regret this.

Elsewhere, I met a drunk named Oghren who I'm pretty sure I met once in South Texas, red beard and particular vernacular and all that. He wants to mount a rescue to save a Paragon and wife who's been gone two years, which in the real world means that, no, she probably really is dead, but since this feels like a large mission looming, I bet she's alive.

Bringing Shale was a good choice; it's had a couple of fun interactions. More surprisingly, I'm finding that having Wynne accompany it was even wiser. Those two have been quite chatty as I've explored.

Next time on Dragon Age: Origins! Aedan enters the Proving! But is his power level proof enough for an audience with Harrowmont? And what is the significance of the idle dwarf in Dust Town? All that and more may or may not be answered!

[Corker]

JeffZero wrote...

And what is the significance of the idle dwarf in Dust Town? All that and more may or may not be answered!

Idle Dwarf has to have something non-obvious happen before he becomes significant; it's very possible to miss it entirely.  Dunno if you want the trigger or not?

[caradoc2000]

JeffZero wrote...

I'm not expecting this to be addressed in 2 (it'd be nifty it were though) but I can't see opening up the location of Andraste's ashes to common knowledge necessarily ending well.

Actually the ashes decision does feature in DA2.

[Jaison1986]

caradoc2000 wrote...

JeffZero wrote...

I'm not expecting this to be addressed in 2 (it'd be nifty it were though) but I can't see opening up the location of Andraste's ashes to common knowledge necessarily ending well.

Actually the ashes decision does feature in DA2.

But only if you follow the goody two shoes path by allowing Genitivi to reveal the ashes, after slaying the cultists and the high dragon.

And as for Harrowmont and Bhelen. Here is the thing. If you want the best possible ending. Then might want to consider your options. I think the game did an pretty terrible job expressing how different these two are, and how different their leadership would be if placed in charge.

So I will give you an description of these two:

Bhelen: Oportunistic, ruthless and manipulative. Does not care about dwarven traditions and thinks it's best to stomp all of that in order to adapt Orzammar to the modern world.

Harrowmont: Kind hearted, relatively honest and tradionalist. Cares a lot for dwarven tradition and rules. To the point of respecting them to the letter.

I won't say more, otherwise I might spoil you.