Guest_TheDarkKnightReturns_*
Disclaimer: I don't know jack **** about storytelling or video game design and I am by no means telling anyone how anything should be done. These are just my opinions and ideas (now BioWare's/EA's since it's on their forums) of how recruitment missions could have better tied to the awesome zones of DA:I into the critical path. I don't know what type of time or resource constraints BioWare was under during the development of DA:I and perhaps this is why something similar to my ideas didn't come to fruition.
Let's get started.
Cole and Dorian's recruitment would be the same. Either do Champions of the Just or Hushed Whispers and get the other companion during In Your Heart Shall Burn.
Vigilance on the Coast - After completing From the Ashes upon arriving at Skyhold the Champion asks the Inquisitor to investigate the disappearance of Warden Blackwall who was looking into the Warden disappearances himself. The plan would be to find Warden Blackwall and assist his investigation if possible. Leliana corroborates Hawke's information with a report of her own. A party of Inquisition spies have gone missing on the Coast and she suggests that following Hawke's lead would be a wise course of action. Upon arriving at the Storm Coast we follow signs of this Blackwall only to discovered that his investigation has been impeded by a group of Andrastian off-shoots called the Blades of Hessarian. Blackwall joins the party. After kicking ass and taking names for the death of our Inquisition spies (and/or recruiting the Blades) we're free to continue Blackwall's investigation. Upon uncovering the last of the Warden caches on the Coast the party is ambushed by a large group of Venatori. We kick more ass and take more names and Blackwall offers to join the Inquisition. The player is now free to rendezvous with Hawke and Loghain at Crestwood.
Fairbanks' Trust - I would change little about this mission (aside from more cut scenes obviously). I would make this Sera's recruitment mission. We're briefed by Cullen that a group of Orlesian survivors are being harassed by Imperial deserters. Their mayor, Fairbanks, has been desperately seeking aid in the Emerald Graves. He has information that the so called Freemen of the Dales are conspiring with enemies of the Inquisition and that conflict with them would be mutually beneficial. The party arrives in Fairbanks' camp. He explains the situation and explains to the Inquisition that the villagers seems to have be guarded by a mysterious benefactor. The villagers believe the figure to be Red Jenny herself. As the party arrives in the Veridium Mines to liberate the captured villagers we find Red Jenny taking down the Freemen guerrilla style. After more ass-kickings and freed people Red Jenny cautiously thanks the Inquisition for their help and points them toward the Villa. After infiltrating the Villa we read various notes and hear chatter that this infamous Red Jenny has single-handedly turned the tide against the Freemen and with the recent presence of the Inquisition the Emerald Graves is all but lost to them. At the Villa the Inquisition discovers that the Freemen were smuggling red lyrium on behalf of the Red Templars and are satisfied that Fairbanks' information panned out. As the party leaves the Villa they are again given directions from Red Jenny (who's sitting on a tree branch eating an apple or some **** for added drama and Robin Hood-isms) who finally points the party towards Auguste, the Freemen's commander and ranking officer in the area. As the party arrives at Argon's Lodge Sera finally introduces herself and offers to join the party to take Auguste down. After the Freemen have been annihilated Sera is impressed that their organization would take the time to help the 'little people' and offers her services to the Inquisition.
Silence on the Plains - The Inquisition receives a missive from Duke Gaspard de Chalons requesting the investigation of the Imperial Armies who seem to have gone silent. In the letter he mentions that it's imperative his army be mobile before the peace talks in Halamshiral take place (wink wink). He adds that he hired a renowned group of mercenaries to clear a path for the Inquisition and believes that due to the Breach demons and undead maybe responsible for the disturbing silence. Things would go as expected in the Plains except for the inclusion of the Bull's Chargers. Iron Bull rendezvous and debriefs with the Inquisition and reveals that he believes the undead are part of a Venatori plot. The Inquisitor mentions in passing that Bull is too well informed to be a simple mercenary warlord. Bull offers to join the party to better coordinate with his Chargers. After cutting a path through the plains and liberating the Eastern and Western ramparts it's time to finally storm the Freemen stronghold. There it's revealed that the Freemen leader responsible for raising the undead and unleashing havoc on the Exalted Plains is in fact a Venatori infiltrator. After dropping the Venatori bloodmage/necromancer Bull mentions that he's impressed with how formidable the Inquisition has become in so little time and requests that he and the Chargers be put on the payroll. Depending on which dialogue perks the Inquisitor has you can question why the interest in joining and where the intelligence on the Venatori came from. He reveals himself as a Ben-Hassrath agent. Player gets the option to recruit him or turn him down.
Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts - Upon arriving from the unrest in the Plains Josephine alerts the Inquisitor that she needn't have bothered procuring an invitation to the peace talks at the Winter Palace. He/She was already invited on behalf of Madame Vivienne de Fer, arcane adviser to Grand Duke Gaspard and former adviser to Empress Celene (bad blood and dramaz!!). Upon arriving at the peace talks Vivienne introduces herself and (very publicly) fauns praise on the Inquisitor for liberating Gaspard's army in the Plains and/or recruiting the Templar Orders/Rebel Circles. In private she warns the Inquisitor of a Venatori plot to assassinate the Imperial family (which we obviously already know about, but she doesn't know that we know... more drama?) and to be on guard, especially of Celene's Witch of the Wilds. She introduces us to Gaspard who is very happy with the Inquisitor for being a badass and doing badass things. He then warns the Inquisitor of the intrigue to come as the night plays forward and that he would welcome the Inquisition's support during the talks. Vivienne offers to join the party. After doing some Inquisitorialing around the palace our introduction to Morrigan plays largely the same along with an extra snide remark or two slung towards Vivienne for believing she was involved with a Tevinter doomsday cult. After Madam de Fer and Morrigan come to the agreement that their mutual enemies make them friends for the time being the quest plays out the same except for the part where Florianne is the obvious assassin. This is just me, but I would have made Celene the Venatori agent through coercion and blackmail instead, but whatever. At the end we have the option of forcing the truce, deposing Celene in favor of Gaspard, or the ridiculous third option (elves ruling Orlais from the shadows ROFL).
And that's all folks. Hope you enjoy. Not perfect, but something along these lines would have IMO made DA:I a God-tier game. Thanks for reading.
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