To make a long story short, I tried playing DA:O once several years ago and eventually abandoned it - I felt like I was intellectually appreciating it rather than actually feeling engaged by it, and "sword and sorcery" settings are a bit of a tough sell for me. (I also abandoned Oblivion after about 15-20 hours and never tried Skyrim. I like The Witcher games, but more for the characters and the sociopolitical content than the setting per se.)
However, I've decided to give it another try. My character is a female human mage, and I'm planning to play with a generally altruistic but anti-establishment attitude, e.g. resenting all the restrictions on mages and skeptical of anything that resembles a social caste system.
No wonder you got bored by this game, I find the human mage origin easily the most boring one in the game after the human noble.
You should have played an elf or a dwarf; they get the most interesting comments, party interactions, and sociopolitical content in the game.
ESPECIALLY the female elven mage. Women are more or less looked down on (enough that some soldiers at Ostagar comment), elves are definitely looked down on, and mages are definitely feared and looked down on. You could have played the most hated and controversial character in the game, as well as the character at the greatest siociopolitical "crossroads" who doesn't fit into three worlds. As a mage elf, your human upbringing in the human-run Chantry Circle assures you'll never fit in with elves (and elves have their own history, culture, and societies), your elven blood assures you'll never fit in among humans (as elves are seen as inferior everywhere), and your mage blood assures you'll never fit in in the outside world. The sociopolitical clashes between human mages and non-mages, humans and elves, elves and magic (and the cultural approach to magic from city elves and Dalish elves) could have been interesting to explore.
Dwarves aren't bad either. They live in a dying city-kingdom underground where they've been slowly eaten away by the darkspawn, yet their pride prevents them from leaving or asking for help. They are so vehemently anti-surface that just going to the surface gets you by default exiled, and both dwarven origin characters have never seen the surface before joining the Grey Wardens. Seeing how humans stereotype dwarves (assuming you're a proud warrior, or just a smith or merchant. Suddenly I understood how my friends feel to be Asian and have everyone assume their family either owns a noodle shop or nail salon) and contrast to how dwarves view the surface is very interesting.
Plus, I just LOVE how various party members comment on your racial background.
My favorite line from Sten has to be: "People cannot be summed up in simple terms such as: 'The elves are a lithe, pointy-eared people who excel at poverty."
Leliana is interesting too, because at one point she tries to complement the Elven Warden, but accidentally stereotypes and dehumanizes them.
"In Orlais, a well-trained elven servant is very valuable. They are nimble and dexterous, and some find them pleasing to look at."
Warden: "So I should sell myself to an Orlesian noble?" or "Like a prize-winning animal?"
She'll protest at first, then honestly apologizes. The warden can then go further with:
"You may not be malicious, but you still see us as different," or, my favorite quote of the entire game: "I may be elven, but more than that--I'm a person."
And that's not even getting into how other characters throughout the game respond, and there are responses to go around. Many characters will say something up front (just run around Ostagar as an elf or dwarf and you'll see), while others let you actually pursue a more race or culture-related discussion. (Like if you're female and hit on Teagan, you'll get a more origin-specific response.)
And that's what I love about Dragon Age, personally. There are so many different races, cultures, religions, nations, worldviews, etc. that clash with each other, and you get to be part of the central conflict when you choose an origin that sets you right in the middle of it. Instead of being a human that's vaguely aware that elves aren't doing so great over there, you are one of the elves who is acutely aware of how your people suffer and how divided you are as you explore the Circle as an elf, the Alienage, the Dalish Camp, talk to elven servants in various locations, etc. Instead of being a human mage that's aware that human mages suffer, you get to experience the double dose of prejudice and suffering as a mage and an elf.
But, your character, your call.
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