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[Deadly dwarf]

I took Solas, Blackwall, and Varric with me.  Nothing significant happens with Solas, but then nothing happens with any of the mages if you take them.  Someone recognizes Blackwall which I thought was interesting.  I took Varric with me figuring he would have stories and be stalked by fans of his book, but after a brief time in the vestibule at the beginning when he stands next to Cullen, he totally disappears until you have to do some exploration in the servant quarters or guest wing.  Where does he go when you're working the common areas?

[lynroy]

He is found behind a door in the garden, I believe, that can only be unlocked with Halla statues.

[Obadiah]

Something similar happened to Cole when I took him. He turned up in a room later on. Don't think it required Halle statues to access though.

[ArcadiaGrey]

There's a halla statue door in the garden, you must spend some of them to open it and get to him.  Now that impacts the endings you can achieve at the Ball, as there are only a limited number of statues in the first place.  Finding Varric (and the red jenny box that's near him, if Sera is with you) will spend some of them, therefore potentially stopping you from achieving the ending you'd like.

 

So figure out which of the 5 endings you want, then if it's worth seeing Varric or not.  If you want to get into Celene's bedroom or vault then maybe ignore him altogether.

[nightscrawl]

^ You actually can get into the garden, and have the special ending, but you have to find every single available halaa statue.

 

The only doors I open are the first halaa tutorial door, the door needed to find secret documents, the door to Celene's room, and the garden door. The key to finding everything you need to find is to NOT go ahead and enter the courtyard with the rift and the mercenary, just run past, check the area below, run back up, and leave. You can continue to explore as long as you like as long as you occasionally pop back into the ball to give your court approval a break. In my last completed play I did manage to find all of the coins and documents -- a rogue is not required. I just ran around and around, spamming search, until I found everything. It was tortuous.

[Deadly dwarf]

There's a halla statue door in the garden, you must spend some of them to open it and get to him.  Now that impacts the endings you can achieve at the Ball, as there are only a limited number of statues in the first place.  Finding Varric (and the red jenny box that's near him, if Sera is with you) will spend some of them, therefore potentially stopping you from achieving the ending you'd like.

 

So figure out which of the 5 endings you want, then if it's worth seeing Varric or not.  If you want to get into Celene's bedroom or vault then maybe ignore him altogether.

 

Yeah, I always avoid going down to that garden because of the limited Halla situation.  Looks like Varric is a bust at the winter palace.  Five different endings?  Let's see:

1) Get Celene & Briala back together (the Lesbian Love Connection scenario!)

2) Get all three to work together (Does this one require avoiding the final boss fight and confronting Florianne verbally?  Or can you boss fight Florianne and still bring all three together?)

3) Let Celene die; support Gaspard; betray Briala

4) Let Celene die; put Briala on top by blackmailing Gaspard

5) Celene lives; Briala exiled; Gaspard executed

 

Does that cover it?  My own inclination is to go with getting all three to work together.  Gaspard is the one who gets you into the door in the first place, so I don't feel comfortable betraying him.  Sitting on your hands while Celene is being assassinated is messed up.  And one does have sympathy for the city elves if not for Briala personally.  (Although Briala is on the top of my list of non-playable NPC's I wish was romance-able.  She's one of the few elves in Inquisition who's attractive.  (Where's Shianni when you need her?))

[Cribbian]

Such a wierd thing to have an obviously non-restricted part of the palace behind a halla-door.

[Deadly dwarf]

Such a wierd thing to have an obviously non-restricted part of the palace behind a halla-door.

 

Now that you mention it, that makes no sense at all!  How did all the other guests get down there?  Why didn't Varric let me in?  (First he hides Hawke and now this!  So much for "no more secrets.")  Where was my IQ when people were getting their free garden Halla passes? 

[vbibbi]

Such a wierd thing to have an obviously non-restricted part of the palace behind a halla-door.

The entire halla statue thing was just weird and immersion breaking. It felt very video gamey. There should have been a different method of unlocking parts of the palace, like using the blackmail we find to force a courtier to unlock a door, or seduce/bribe/coerce a servant into opening a door. Or at the very least, don't have the statues disappear when used. So every time someone unlocks one of these doors, the key is destroyed and they have to make new ones?

[nightscrawl]

^ I wouldn't do it on my own character, but I'd be open to the idea of attempted seduction of a servant, providing that the servant is bi and it's not a trope restricted to a single gender (usually female), much in the same way that Tallis's suggestion worked in DA2 MotA for both. I know of at least one other person's Inquisitor who might go for this, given his personality and backstory.

[thats1evildude]

He's being hounded by the Council of Heralds for his autograph.

Apparently, Celene's handmaids liked him as well, and inquired if he was single.

[vbibbi]

^ I wouldn't do it on my own character, but I'd be open to the idea of attempted seduction of a servant, providing that the servant is bi and it's not a trope restricted to a single gender (usually female), much in the same way that Tallis's suggestion worked in DA2 MotA for both. I know of at least one other person's Inquisitor who might go for this, given his personality and backstory.

Yeah I wouldn't want the option restricted to seduction only. There would be several options. I was actually also thinking of the MotA instance, where a Hawke of either gender can seduce Cyril OR knock him out, etc. I agree that forcing a player to seduce someone isn't good, as that limits role playing.

We could also have a rogue Inquisitor pick the servant's pocket or if we're not a rogue, ask Sera/Cole/Varric for help.

[Gervaise]

Cole hiding out in the Library was annoying too.  My first run I took him with me instead of Solas because I thought Solas wouldn't enjoy it and Cole would be useful for finding things out, seeing as he can go invisible when he wants and make people forget him, but he was no good at all; I couldn't even ask him to unlock the doors in the library for which you need a rogue.  Then it turns out that Solas was really turned on by all the shenanigans in the palace, so I really should have taken him.   That first run was a bit of a failure all round because I didn't find all the halla statues.    I must say, though, that it is a bit much when they put a companion behind a door that can only be accessed with halla statues.

[Deadly dwarf]

Yeah I wouldn't want the option restricted to seduction only. There would be several options. I was actually also thinking of the MotA instance, where a Hawke of either gender can seduce Cyril OR knock him out, etc. I agree that forcing a player to seduce someone isn't good, as that limits role playing.

We could also have a rogue Inquisitor pick the servant's pocket or if we're not a rogue, ask Sera/Cole/Varric for help.

 

They used to have stealing as a skill in Origins.  I always felt somewhat guilty about that except when you could aim it specifically at baddies.  They should bring stealing back as an option for rogues in situations like this.  If your IQ is not a rogue, it would allow you to use rogue team members where appropriate instead of having everyone but the IQ act like a lump on a log for most of Wicked Eyes, Wicked hearts.  The seduction option also makes sense.

[Deadly dwarf]

Cole hiding out in the Library was annoying too.  My first run I took him with me instead of Solas because I thought Solas wouldn't enjoy it and Cole would be useful for finding things out, seeing as he can go invisible when he wants and make people forget him, but he was no good at all; I couldn't even ask him to unlock the doors in the library for which you need a rogue.  Then it turns out that Solas was really turned on by all the shenanigans in the palace, so I really should have taken him.   That first run was a bit of a failure all round because I didn't find all the halla statues.    I must say, though, that it is a bit much when they put a companion behind a door that can only be accessed with halla statues.

 

That's part of the problem with Wicked Eyes, Wicked Hearts -- your companions are totally underutilized as the Inquisitor explores the Palace by herself/himself most of the time.  Cole should have been able to use his abilities as a spirit; Vivienne should've been able to use her connections; Solas should've been able to get information from the elves.  All of the logical reasons to select certain companions go out the window.  Only with Sera does her status as a Red Jenny provide something extra, although she should've been able to get information from her contacts as well as stolen goods.  Taking Blackwall can be kind of fun as you get to see him squirm when someone recognizes him.

 

Of course, adding in all the things everyone sees as missing would've made both the programming and the balancing act in a story with multiple options much more complex.  Oh well...

[robertmarilyn]

The need for a limited number of Halla statues and the time constraints cause this quest to be my least favorite. I've only sided with the Templars once so that kept me from having to do that timed quest again. 

[vbibbi]

They used to have stealing as a skill in Origins.  I always felt somewhat guilty about that except when you could aim it specifically at baddies.  They should bring stealing back as an option for rogues in situations like this.  If your IQ is not a rogue, it would allow you to use rogue team members where appropriate instead of having everyone but the IQ act like a lump on a log for most of Wicked Eyes, Wicked hearts.  The seduction option also makes sense.

Or heck, as you point out below, the Friends of Red Jenny are able to infiltrate the WP and leave caches if Sera is along. We couldn't ask her to use them to gain us access to off limits sections?

 

That's part of the problem with Wicked Eyes, Wicked Hearts -- your companions are totally underutilized as the Inquisitor explores the Palace by herself/himself most of the time.  Cole should have been able to use his abilities as a spirit; Vivienne should've been able to use her connections; Solas should've been able to get information from the elves.  All of the logical reasons to select certain companions go out the window.  Only with Sera does her status as a Red Jenny provide something extra, although she should've been able to get information from her contacts as well as stolen goods.  Taking Blackwall can be kind of fun as you get to see him squirm when someone recognizes him.

 

Of course, adding in all the things everyone sees as missing would've made both the programming and the balancing act in a story with multiple options much more complex.  Oh well...

Yeah Vivienne's lack of involvement was one of the most egregious companion elements in the game. As well as customizing any use of companions. It would have been cool to be along the lines of KotOR's mission where we're captured by the Leviathan and we have to choose one companion to break free and rescue everyone else. Every eligible companion had a different method of using their skills and talents to be successful.