614 réponses à ce sujet

[JeffZero]

Indeed.

Ah, OK, caradoc. I should have picked up the DA games for 360... blast.

Alright, gonna call it a night before I start feeling silly about not writing that update.

[Dean_the_Young]

Great post, Dean. How is your new file treating you thus far? Since you're behind me you run zero risk of spoiling me, so I get the rare opportunity to ask such a question!

 

Oh, well enough. I get the metagaming 'advantage,' and this will probably be the first game I put into the keep for DAI.

 

It's actually eerie how similar my first game was to yours. I had a similar Couseland DAO, and my Hawke quickly went to snarky as a consequence of mellowing out after Act 1.

 

This time though, it's going in reverse. Hawke started gruff (a first intent to deliberatly roleplay an uncharasmatic person who has a hard time expressing his views) but a bit more maleable, sympathetic and protective of sis, but the takeaway of the Deep Roads wasn't 'should have brought Anders', but rather 'if she had gone to the Circle she'd still be alive,' combined with guilt. The overall lesson of Act 1 from his development is that 'mercy and sympathies are not virtuous successes'- looking at Bethany, Thrask's daughter, and other issues, Hawke is going to harden into an uncompromising authoritarian who sees appeals to sympathy and excessive toleration not as noble elements of compromise, but invitations for disaster.

 

Which isn't completely without cause, but isn't a solution either. Plus, other aspects of his character, including his Act 2 resolve to embrace the rivalry and take responsibility for and over others as he tries to make them see best, both present a targetable double-standard (he won't hand over his companions to others because he's taken responsibility, but will force all other mages to the Templars) and opens a door for future-

 

Oh, wait, can't say.

 

 

Fun fact: after playing a male Human Noble Couseland and a Male Hawke in my first playthroughs of DAO and DA2, my first playthrough of DAI will be as a female mage. With my own twist, of course, but a nice change of defaults.

[JeffZero]

The ability to take our characters in such radically different directions and play into the complexities of problems both personal and sociopolitical is one of the best things about BioWare games and it contributes greatly to them being some of the only titles I'll actively play and obsess over. It's a short list.

You'll need to keep me apprised as you push forward, Dean. At my rate I'll be done this weekend so I get to hear all about your narrow Hawke's focused travels. It'll be a first for me, experiencing any other Hawke! An eye-opener for sure.

Well I'm up and at 'em, so I'm gonna begin work on that update. Can't promise I'll have time to go all the way for now, but I'll try!

[JeffZero]

Viscount Dumar had a missing delegation problem and it was naturally up to Garrett to figure things out. With qunari drama on the rise, the last thing the city needed was some fringe element mucking things up. Seneschal Bran explained the situation, gave us incentive to find a dishonorable guard and every single person in all of the Keep and Hightown-at-large chimed in to isolate the follow-up destination: The Hanged Man.

It wasn't seconds before we spotted a man claiming to have caught a fish *thiiiis* big, beat him up, stole his lunch money and were thus compelled to visit the Chantry. Looked like ties between the Mothers Dearest and anti-qunari zealotry were undeniable. But who was at the heart of this darkness?

Hellooooo, *Newman.*

Petrice had been doing awfully well for herself this past three years. Observation: Hawke's dialogue with this madwoman throughout the game has really been a highlight. Specifically how I've always rolled for sarcasm and it's always gotten under her skin. I don't know how the other paths operate but this one provides great incentive to call her all kinds of things and watch that chiseled, perma-frown face buckle and cake with indignation.

So Garrett called her all kinds of things and her chiseled, perma-frown face buckled and caked with indignation and she of course wouldn't let us see the Grand Cleric and instead sent is to deal with allegedly-wayward Ser Varnell. I'm glad we all concurred afterward that obvious setup was obvious, because it's precisely this brand of perpetual lampshading that turned Stargate SG-1 into something magical.

Varnell and the leftover extras from Stephen King's The Urn of Sacred Ashes were really ruining the duties of the qunari delegates, so Garrett prepared for the inevitable arrival of Petrice, who threw Varnell to the wolves like the bad girl she is. Well, these wolves had fangs, so we ripped a new one through the crazies, all the while pretending Petrice were among them because dammit. Dumar arrived, grieved over his inadequacy and Garrett told him not to mask the truth. The Arishok would know.

Garrett desperately needed to get Petrice's foul stench off of his clothing, so he raced home only to discover lovable old Gamlen gently nurturing a terrible prospect: Leandra's disappearance. And her suitor had left her a most particular style of flower, bringing home (in a very real sense) a dangling plot thread three years in the making. The killer had struck again. It was on.

Together with dear sweet uncle, Garrett scoured Lowtown for leads. Which really meant Gamlen questioned a black-eyed urchin and left Garrett to go play hero on his own. A trail of blood later and we were back in the Foundry. A hidden door after that and the heartbreak began.

Here's my rundown on reacting to All That Remains: I'm glad I've molded Garrett as I have, because the character I built had a very logical bit of development with his mother's passing. Losing "all that remained" like that hurt. And it solidified him. No more family members to protect meant all he wanted going forward was to see to the safety of his companions. His new family. And real-talk soapbox for a sec: family stories usually don't do as much for me as many others because I myself do not have one in the traditional sense, but this one has clicked anyway, but when Isabela later informed Garrett that "family is what you make of it", well, she rang true on one of my deepest philosophies. It's something of a mental lifeline for people who don't have connections to blood relatives to remember that simple truth. I do have a family -- my close friends. Garrett has one too, even now.

All that being said, I've definitely come to agree that the game itself had a troubling time establishing Leandra very well. I think Gamlen actually got a longer end of the characterization stick. I can believe Garrett had a mother/son relationship with her and I can tear up a little that he lost her but I wasn't nearly as impacted by her passing as Bethany's, nor as emotionally touched by it as I was by Isabela's words of wisdom. A few more interactive conversations with Leandra would have gone a long way. When she died, all that remained for me was relative apathy over the questline.

[The Elder King]

The fact that Isabela came to comfort you meant that you are on her romance, just for informin you. Do you notice if she had some thing added to her clothes (by the way, did you get her Questioning beliefs quest?)?
Agreed about Leandra. It's probably something. Bioware could've improved with more dev time.

[JeffZero]

The viscount had a letter for Garrett and he urged absolute secrecy in the matter. After having spoken with a few more companions over the loss of Leandra, he made haste to the Keep and learned of Saemus' conversion. Dumar wished Garrett to speak with the Arishok over this clear political gambit. With some reluctance -- the Arishok and Garrett had become symbols of some respect for one-another despite what was a growing suspicion theirs would be a bloody confrontation -- he did as bid.

The Arishok of course explained all were welcome to the qun and there would be no bargaining over a man regardless of heritage. But he did drop a tantalizing nugget. A letter inviting Saemus to the Chantry. *Petrice.*

Sure as hellfire, the woman scorned was puckering her lips once again. And look, there's Saemus now. Knee-deep in prayer... oh wait... dead. Man, death is the order of Act 2. It's like. Act 2: Dead People Happen. Poor kid.

Oh goodie, we were framed. But Elthina knew better. The Maker had given her ears that she may listen for herself, after all. Garrett now had the upper hand. To Petrice's quiet horror she was cornered into confessing. A trial would dictate her fate, and --

Psych! Have some more death!

A most dutiful qunari did a raw one-two arrow on the broad, and she stumbled over, face chiseled and caked but soon to rot for good and all. It was done. But the tensions would not cease. They were soon to burst and Garrett knew it.

Petrice's stench was always an ill omen, and Garrett probably should known better than to try washing it off after what happened last time, but he couldn't resist the allure of the Desire Demon called bathtub. Sure enough, Odo and Quark -- er, Aveline and Isabela -- we're at one-another's throats in his estate. Aveline had urgent news concerning the qunari conflict, while Isabela was... going to die. Hmm. OK. These are both pretty big, but go ahead, Isabela.

Ah, the relic. Located at last. And that Castiel or Katrina or Castillion or... curses, I'm bad at this... well anyway, he was on to her. It was yet another race against time and Aveline's wayward elves could wait a few hours. We were off.

There, we found qunari, and the Tevinter, and oh-my-god-I-killed-Sten-wait-wait-okay-nevermind-we're-good-phew-what-the-eff. And then the relic. And... Isabela was off. Blast that woman, I swear. Like a bad itch. But a good one just the same. Such a good itch. And Garrett missed that itch immediately.

And that's all I've got time for right now, I have a political science test shortly. Coming up later today: the climactic battle Kirkwall knew was coming.

[Reznore57]

I think Leandra's death is a hit or miss.

First the Frankenstein bride can seem more goofy than terrible.

Then of course it's a bit hard to warm up to the "mom".For me , she's that lady in the mansion.

What really got me was the first time , I told Gamlen the truth about her death.

And he says terrible things to Hawke , he's really hard on a mage Hawke , even if he's sorry by the end.

I really like Gamlen , so this was painful.

[The Elder King]

I think Leandra's death is a hit or miss.
First the Frankenstein bride can seem more goofy than terrible.
Then of course it's a bit hard to warm up to the "mom".For me , she's that lady in the mansion.
What really got me was the first time , I told Gamlen the truth about her death.
And he says terrible things to Hawke , he's really hard on a mage Hawke , even if he's sorry by the end.
I really like Gamlen , so this was painful.

I remember that he accused me of something, but the end was somehow peaceful (he said 'take care of yourself, my boy'). Maybe I picked some different options.

[JeffZero]

That's how it went for me too actually. It was a tense moment but it dissolved.

[JeffZero]

Aveline was right. The matter of the elves needed to be resolved. Good time to say I enjoy the political currents of the game. I like all sorts of storytelling, from the high epic to the intensely political to the profoundly personal. I just don't like facing the same style over and over again. I like to mix things up, you know? FFT, Tactics Ogre, Dragon Age II -- slices of fantasy politicking with enough demons to keep things from turning full-on Parliament about it. Nice vacations from the full-frontal "kill the Reapers/Archdemon/Jenova/etc." to prevent all-out oblivion.

Clearly this was Act 2's point of no return. If Act 3 masks that point in ambivalence, at least the first two thirds had the common courtesy to make it fairly apparent. We marched in, Isabela too gone to bother commenting this time. The conversation started off smoothly enough. Garrett had built up an impressive reserve of respect for some of his actions. It's at this time that I want to ask you brilliant friends of mine: is it possible for the Arishok not to think highly of Hawke? Do choices throughout Act 2 dictate their relations? I know one of the major problems people have with DA2 is that you're more of a "reactor" than an "actor" -- David Gaider's own words, even -- but this is another case where I'm okay with the change-up overall. Still, that'd be cool. I feel like I've worked toward this level of decency.

Naturally, there had to be an action for Garrett to react toward, and naturally, it was a sudden burst of communication breakdown. Hell's bells, I walked right into that. Garrett was almost *too* understanding. It's a tragedy -- much of DA2 is intended to be, I'm observing -- because the Arishok was no Archdemon. Nor was he Rendon Howe or The Mother. He was not some incarnation, nor was he a sadist or insane. There could have been an agreement here, maybe, but...

Things fall apart.
The center cannot hold.

And fall apart they did. Credit to the cutscene here for imbuing an abrupt sense of chaos. Garrett and Aveline barely escaped that opening volley and the city was very much alive with death thereafter. For all the problems reusing maps over and over again have caused, I found this battle fairly breathtaking. Kirkwall's transformation into a place of open carnage was believable and only for very short moments did I feel tired of those same maps I've been navigating for over 40 hours now.

Not far into the bloodbath we helped a Grey Warden by the name of Stroud. I feel like I know that name. Was this guy in Awakening? No, right? Maybe I've just seen him mentioned on the boards. I don't know. Well there was an air of familiarity about it all, but I peg that mainly on the combined 95 hours I spent as a Grey Warden myself. That's probably all it is. In any case he was on urgent business, the likes of which is either known and I missed a beat somewhere or is otherwise the source of intense speculation across the fandom. Or maybe he'll be back in Act 3. Who's to say? ...besides you. Which... you shouldn't.

Some qunari were dragging a woman and she was like "this is doing a number on my back" and then Garrett was a hero and saved her. But festivities were short, although the music certainly hit a certain crescendo with the long-heralded introduction of Knight-Commander Meredith Stannard. Well it's about bloody time, writers! I would have been done with Mass Effect 1 by now. Still, quite the scene. One of those... uhh.. muzzled... krogan... female... mage... things... oh god, my level of failure with remembering qunari terms really frightens me for when I need to recall hundreds of real-world cultural terms while on the field when I get my degree... eh... anyway... she killed it. Because Act 2: Dead People Happen!

And then she was all, "you're alright, let's work together," or maybe that was Garrett, I can't recall. In any case doing anything else would have been idiotic so we did. And soon we bumped into that dude from Feynriel's (ha, I finally got his name right) dream, the First Enchanter Orsino himself. Man, Meredith and Orsino do not get along. I mean, I would have been confused if they did given the themes of the game, but good grief. Also, their models are both exceptionally well-crafted and Orsino's staff is badass. And they're on the main menu standing on opposite sides so um, one guess what happens in Act 3.

But for now Garrett quickly dispelled any feelings of reverence toward either of them (that were hardly there to begin with, especially re: Meredith) and told them both to shut up. There was a city to save and every moment the two of them spent bickering like Desperate Housewives more people were lost. Seizing the fire, Garrett shed his apathy, shredded his despair and in one fell swoop took the lead. Meredith of course objected, but screw you, lady, I have the nose scar, I make the rules tonight.

...and then he let Orsino make a distraction and in a flash the cunning elf made me forget all about that because holy mabari this dude's *legit.* Way to steal thunder... well he could steal every element he wished if he kept that up. Garrett and his merry band (Varric, Aveline and Fenris, for the record) were in.

Dumar's head rolled down the steps and Bran's neck snapped posthaste. The old guard was as dead as damn near everyone else who dared show their faces in 9:34 Dragon. Poor Dumar, that man could not catch a break. Well uh, at least he's with his son now. Or something.

The Arishok demanded the relic. Garrett could not abide. But Isabela could.

Oh, you amazing woman, you. To answer a previous inquiry, I actually unlocked her Questioning Beliefs going into the battle, so at the time since I didn't know if she would return I did a massive facepalm in frustration. I feared that was the necessary ingredient in her staying and the +15 friendship I had gained was just barely too late. But regardless of what getting that thing sooner would have accomplished, there she was, and she did that one profoundly noble thing and I smiled.

But the Arishok had a new demand. He would leave, but only with Isabela. Once again Garrett could not abide. Or rather this time he could, but he would not. That was a line he would not crossed. For like me his friends had become his family. And as sure as he'd never let that happen to Bethany he'd only see it with Isabela over his corpse.

A third demand. A new demand. A duel. This time Garrett abided. It was a lengthy affair, the Arishok's sweeping strikes problematic, but as far as puny little Normal difficulty is concerned, I had no trouble staying alive, actually. Garrett's HP was circa 400 and his Strength around 50 and his Two-Handed tree mostly decked out. Only thing I haven't invested in is Whirlwind. It took a Health Potion and a couple of Stamina Draughts but the lord of war hit the floor and the Champion arose.

With a deadly warning the Arishok perished. With triumph the nobles cheered. With embellishment Varric continued to fill in the details for Cassandra's little interrogation (and I have to wonder, does she allow for bathroom breaks? Because Varric's legs have got to have fallen asleep by now at least.) And with one more Great Leap Forward Act 3 began.

Meredith and Orsino were at it again. The First Enchanter was holding a protest and the Champion himself was dragged into the center of the storm. Garrett listened to them and commented to the tune of eagerly-watching nobles in Hightown, a strong statement on how far he's come. In the end, I wasn't terribly surprised to find myself siding with Orsino on most angles. Indeed, it sounds like Meredith has taken some extreme measures and things have only grown worse for the mages. She hasn't done a thing about electing a new viscount and while I see her point about things needing to calm down, it's been three years. That kind of decision-making seems to fly in the face of what modern Kirkwall aims to achieve, even if historic Kirkwall is no stranger to worse.

A slew of quests popped up, just as they did at the start of the second act. I had a chat with Isabela at The Hanged Man, who apparently resurfaced after some time away. Before that though there was her Questioning Beliefs conversation. I really enjoyed both. As much as I thought maybe the first Hawke I made would wind up with Merrill, I've been happy with the Isabela gig. Maybe I'll feel like banging my head against the wall later when I get to those comics as Jaison (or was it caradoc? Either way) said last week, but for now I'm content.

Had a great chat with Varric about how he tells Hawke's tales everywhere too. I love this aspect of the story. Like many BioWare fans, I've dabbled in writing myself, although it's always been original universe aside from a single Mass Effect fanfiction revolving around Ronald Taylor of all people I wrote in script form for a final two semesters ago. But anyway, I appreciate the place of a writer in Hawke's companions and how it ties in with the framing story. Good stuff.

Last thing I did was head home to the estate, where as I've previously said I always feel compelled to go before shutting off the PS3. My loyal servant is thinking of leaving soon; he's advancing in years and Sandal's been accepted for something wonderful. Understandable. Oh, and my dog Wrex caught a burglar, and that was funny.

Phew, what a couple of updates.

Thinking of doing some companion quests, secondaries and the like and then diving into Legacy and Mark of the Assassin before responding to Meredith's letter about meeting. I'm going to see if backing up my save file via USB before starting MotA helps defend against that godawful PS3 bug I've been warned about. I think that'll work?

[The Elder King]

I could tell you what happen in the comics about Isabela, if you want. It's not exactly DA2 related.
I must've missed that you named dog Wrex. Nice (Wrex is one of my favourite character of the trilogy) .
Nice read. I'm eagerly waiting for reading the dlc parts .

[Lulupab]

Good read. You did exactly like I did in my first playthrough though I was a mage and I ate Arishok for breakfast with full hp without using any potion. Its not you though, warriors are hardest class to duel the Arishok with especially on higher difficulty. Mages are very easy and rogues are mediocre.

 

Anyway good going. Companion quests are tad more important in act 3 especially Anders' because they impact the ending events.

 

Also about stroud... if your sibling survived the deep roads you would have seen them with Stroud and grey wardens.

[JeffZero]

Hey, I appreciate the offer Elder King! But I'm reading all the books and comics this year alongside the games in anticipation of Inquisition, so I'll get there eventually. Wrapping up The Calling this week so I can move into Asunder post-DA2.

Yeah, named him Wrex! I named the dog Garrus in Origins because my real-life cat's name is Garrus. Figured I would start a trend. If there's a mabari to be named in the third game I'm thinking Thane? I love Mordin and Legion but they seem odd for dogs. Or maybe it'll be a female and I can name her Jack, that seems fitting.

Oh cool, lulu. Next time I play I think I'm definitely rolling mage, it'll be a fun change and it ties in with events quite nicely. Noted and happy to hear on companion quests.

Hey, that makes sense about the sibling. Somehow that didn't even pop into my mind at the time. Too busy fighting the good fight!

[Rainbow Wyvern]

Reading this totally makes me want to replay DA2 and it's DLCs. Bought the DLCs, but haven't actually played them yet, >.>

And the Arishok just ate my character up during that fight. Was playing force mage/spirit healer and I died like 6 times before I finally channeled Benny Hill and ran around in a circle hitting Cone of Cold on cooldown.

And I was on normal difficulty.  *slinks away in embarrassment* 

[JeffZero]

You should, Kitty! Do iiiiit! Should I make some kind of spoiler space in my posts on the DLCs for you? Or are you already relatively familiar with them?

The very mental image of Benny Hilling the Arishok has me laughing. That's just too damn funny. The stuff of parodies. Everything leading up to that duel is so rough-and-tough and then the infamous theme song kicks up. Reminds me of the whole Sutler-on-TV thing in V for Vendetta.

[teh DRUMPf!!]

 Given your sibling's fate earlier, I was awaiting your reaction to All That Remains.

 

I must have played this game around eight or nine times and it still gets me weepy. A little part of me will always be annoyed that Hawke clearly never warned mother, when I vividly remember thinking "tell the family: white lilies = bad news" the first time I completed the related Act 1 quest, but I appreciate its place in the story nonetheless. That's part of the reason why I think I might actually prefer DA2 to DAO -- I can connect to it on an emotional level in a way I don't with DAO.

[Rainbow Wyvern]

You should, Kitty! Do iiiiit! Should I make some kind of spoiler space in my posts on the DLCs for you? Or are you already relatively familiar with them?

Nah, I've read every spoiler for them so I know what happens 

[CuriousArtemis]

It's at this time that I want to ask you brilliant friends of mine: is it possible for the Arishok not to think highly of Hawke? Do choices throughout Act 2 dictate their relations? 

 

Yes! If you were on xbox, you would have gotten an achievement having to do with earning the Arishok's respect. (I don't know if PS3 would have something similar.) Here's how you know if you managed to earn his respect or not: did he suggest a duel, or did Fenris suggest it? If the Arishok respects you, he will suggest it. If he does not, then Fenris (our resident Qunari expert) will suggest it to you both.

[CuriousArtemis]

Also, after sleeping with Isabela, did you tell her you guys were just friends or did you press her for more? If you said "just friends" then you're definitely not in a romance with her. Isabela romance fans, correct me if I'm wrong. She may still be the one to comfort you after All That Remains, but if you're not longer getting  options with her in conversation then her romance is closed to you.

[JeffZero]

The Arishok suggested it so I guess I'm fine! I really don't pay attention to when I get trophies (the PS3 version of achievements) but it's my understanding they're virtually always the same in multiplatform releases so I suppose I got it. Anyway, that's excellent news!

As for Isabela... well, as I recall, back in early Act 2 we banged, and she said she hoped Garrett wasn't developing real feelings, and he said he wasn't, that what they had was indeed fairly skin-deep. Which it pretty much was. But the heart symbol options continued and I've continued opting to flirt with her left and right. Whether that means true romance or not, I like what they have!

[The Elder King]

The Arishok suggested it so I guess I'm fine! I really don't pay attention to when I get trophies (the PS3 version of achievements) but it's my understanding they're virtually always the same in multiplatform releases so I suppose I got it. Anyway, that's excellent news!
As for Isabela... well, as I recall, back in early Act 2 we banged, and she said she hoped Garrett wasn't developing real feelings, and he said he wasn't, that what they had was indeed fairly skin-deep. Which it pretty much was. But the heart symbol options continued and I've continued opting to flirt with her left and right. Whether that means true romance or not, I like what they have!

Did her outfit change (she should have a black corset over her White dress, and a piece to armour over one of her shoulder).

[LostInReverie19]

This is how the fight with the Arishok usually goes for me (unless I'm playing a rogue, because assassin spec rogues deal ridiculous damage): 

[JeffZero]

Given your sibling's fate earlier, I was awaiting your reaction to All That Remains.

I must have played this game around eight or nine times and it still gets me weepy. A little part of me will always be annoyed that Hawke clearly never warned mother, when I vividly remember thinking "tell the family: white lilies = bad news" the first time I completed the related Act 1 quest, but I appreciate its place in the story nonetheless. That's part of the reason why I think I might actually prefer DA2 to DAO -- I can connect to it on an emotional level in a way I don't with DAO.

Oops, almost missed this!

A greater emotional connection is definitely one of DA2's strengths. Despite all the places Aedan went and the things Aedan did, I never felt so connected to him as I do with Hawke, as that's a big deal. Also, the companions in DA2 have definitely impressed me more. I liked Origins' roster, but there's so much more perpetual impact here; I love that.

[Hellion Rex]

I would seriously recommend starting with Legacy and then doing MotA. Both were really well done DLCs. You're gonna have a blast. You might even want to do them back to back.

[JeffZero]

Drat, Elder, I don't believe it did. I feel like I probably would have recognized that if it were so. Interesting that she would still be the one to come despite not necessarily running down a real romance path -- wonder if the modifier is "closest thing to one" if not?

OMG Reverie, that is fabulous.