85 réponses à ce sujet

[Bayonet Hipshot]

There are at least three kinds of magical representation - with tons of variation between them. 

 

- Caster as superhero.  Born this way. This kind of mage is represented as mostly a blaster, very similar to a psionic and largely just "badass".  Very popular in anime, in comics and in a great deal of video games.  The D&D sorcerer and warlock classes fall into this.  

 

- Caster as scientist.  Self-made man. This is often the wizard studying arcane lore to understanding the trappings of their own fantasy universe.  I'd argue that the most popular is the D&D wizard class.  It is also represented in quite a bit of steampunk, or steampunk derivatives.  While having some classical manifestations as well. Notably characters like Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Henry Jekyll. 

 

- Caster as occultists.  Dabbler in terrible mysteries.  Very popular in gothic horror.  Sword and sorcery.  D&D has no analogue except, perhaps, if you took various non-caster avenues to magic available (Warlock does NOT fit this... as players often disregard their pacts for anything more than flavor).  Also, being high fantasy - D&D usually doesn't have room for the "terror" aspect of casting.  Also popular in many modern style magical tellings.  Call of Cthulhu.  Warhammer (fantasy and 40K).  Conan. 

 

I believe Dragon Age touched upon casters as occultists... but has now landed in casters as superheroes. 

 

My favorite is caster as scientist but alas, that will never happen in Thedas. As you said, they already changed casters as occultists to casters as superheroes which I find to be a negative change because mages in Thedas are not superheroes.

 

Superheroes are not supposed fundamentally alter the reality they live in an now choose to revert that change because they feel like it (Solas). Superheroes are not supposed to lose their minds and get possessed. Superheroes are also expected to look out for others, and help others instead of looking out for themselves or just helping themselves. Most importantly, superheroes are expected to be personally accountable for their actions when they screw up. Superheroes who do not do this are not superheroes but are supervillains.

 

Which means mages in Thedas are a blend of superheroes and supervillains. Think of the meta-humans from the Flash TV series in CW. That's what mages are now. Now meta-humans fit the setting of the Flash but as you said Dragon Age mages/meta-humans were initially designed to be occultists but over time slowly retconned to be superheroes and supervillains.

[Kakistos_]

I agree wholeheartedly with the op. Magic in DA:I was deeeeeeeeeeppppppllllllyyyy disappointing. Just imagine how amazing Blood Magic and Shapeshifting would have been in Inquisition had the devs put in a little effort. And Keeper Magic? This is the first DA game in which we get to play as an actual Keeper!!!! What a wasted opportunity. Seriously, the person who though that fire, ice and lighting would be a good replacement for every unique and beautiful type of magic we've seen so far should find another job. For serious, who signed off on this??? Who thought this would be a good idea????? Whats worse is that they basically ripped the former schools into pieces and retrofitted them into the three elements. No originality at all.

[Giantdeathrobot]

My invincible, perma-CCing Knight Enchanter has a different interpretation of such things.

 

So does my Inferno Rift Mage and his various nukes.

[Sah291]

There are at least three kinds of magical representation - with tons of variation between them.

- Caster as superhero. Born this way. This kind of mage is represented as mostly a blaster, very similar to a psionic and largely just "badass". Very popular in anime, in comics and in a great deal of video games. The D&D sorcerer and warlock classes fall into this.

- Caster as scientist. Self-made man. This is often the wizard studying arcane lore to understanding the trappings of their own fantasy universe. I'd argue that the most popular is the D&D wizard class. It is also represented in quite a bit of steampunk, or steampunk derivatives. While having some classical manifestations as well. Notably characters like Dr. Victor Frankenstein and Dr. Henry Jekyll.

- Caster as occultists. Dabbler in terrible mysteries. Very popular in gothic horror. Sword and sorcery. D&D has no analogue except, perhaps, if you took various non-caster avenues to magic available (Warlock does NOT fit this... as players often disregard their pacts for anything more than flavor). Also, being high fantasy - D&D usually doesn't have room for the "terror" aspect of casting. Also popular in many modern style magical tellings. Call of Cthulhu. Warhammer (fantasy and 40K). Conan.

I believe Dragon Age touched upon casters as occultists... but has now landed in casters as superheroes.

Underneath the video gamey pomp and flash, they still mostly fall under the "casters as occultists" category in my opinion. The principles governing how magic is supposed to work, according to the lore, fits this view. The Fade is just a fictionalized astral plane, basically. The social conflicts and religious themes of the game imply this as well... DAI was one of the biggest examples of this in the series.

That said, I suppose you are right, I do detect some noticeable Marvel influences in how they portray the elven gods, and possibly how they will be portrayed in the future.

[MichaelN7]

Please understand, I'm not trying to be "THAT GUY", but I think you're missing a few points.

 

Demons want to enter the real world, and spirits aren't all that interested, but they are woefully-unprepared to really interact with it.

 

Imagine that you're whole life, everything was always your favorite color, and when you wanted something you just to "think" it, and it was so.

Now there's an enormous explosion on your front door, and you are thrown violently out into a realm where there are millions of colors, sounds, textures, and flavors all screaming for your attention, and worst of all, it doesn't bend to your will.

 

That's what the real world is like for spirits and demons, so while demons are a bit more geared-up for what's on the other side, neither group can really pull it off without possession.

Cole is a bit of a special case, but that's another topic.

 

As for why there isn't an Abomination every 20 minutes, I think it ties in with the glut of spirits and demons spilling out of the Rift.  Since possession is something that takes time and effort on the part of the demon, the chaotic mess that is the Rift and all it's consequences doesn't leave a whole lot of room for that kind of preparation to take place.

Another thing to consider is that maybe the possessions ARE taking place, but the demons are flying in "under the radar" because they are aware of this "Inquisition" and their growing power.

 

If I were evil, I would use the ensuing chaos to consolidate my power and quietly take over in small steps, using the cover of the earth-shaking events to disguise my movements.

There's also the fact that many side-quests involve possession or dealing with the aftermath of such things.

 

-------------

 

I agree with the sudden limitation on how many spells you can access, it's completely unnecessary.  I have found a "power set" that works for me, but it's annoying when I find a REALLY good place to use Winter's Grasp, but nope, I have Fade Cloak equipped instead.

 

As for the "removal" of the other magic schools, I think it makes sense that the available spells are reduced, because you interacting with a Thedas that has gone off it's rocker and many of those schools of magic require a lot of intense study and contemplation, something that's not feasible during wartime.

In addition, those same schools of magic carry the greater risk of possession, and with all those demons spilling over onto your front lawn, you want to minimize the possibility of possession wherever you can.

So it makes a brutal sort of sense that mages would "limit" their powers to deter any demons from setting their sights on them.

(Granted, it's also a game-balancing thing too)

 

It could also be a simple fact of war; you don't want esoteric "fancy" magic, you just want something that does "A" to result in "B".

"We need to take this fortress!"
Okay, I can make an oil slick and then set it on fire to lay a trap, distracting the guards and allowing us to enter another way.

"Could you simply throw a fireball and blow up the wall?"
Yes, that could work too...

"Then lets do that!"

 

I know that sounds a bit silly, especially with the previous two Dragon Age games where you could form battle-plans in combat; but in combat, you want the simplest plan possible, since that means there's fewer ways for it to go wrong.

The Inferno, Storm, and Winter trees are all straightforward; you know EXACTLY what you are getting every time you use it.

As for Spirit, I see it as a scaled-down version of previous versions, where you can get a barrier, a room-clearing option, a way to remove enemy magic, and a medical option.

Simple, straightforward, a "Lets get the world back on track before we try to unravel any higher mysteries" approach on magic.

 

And I agree that there should be a segment where the protagonist has a real risk of possession, but I understand that it's a VERY difficult thing to pull off, and it's one of those things that if it doesn't work, you end up displeasing the fanbase.  There are many BioWare employees who stay off the forums because of how toxic others make it, so I see no reason why they would take such a risky endeavor.

 

So there's my two cents.

[Gervaise]

I think that both mages and Templars were made rather bland compared with the earlier games, particularly when they are in opposition to you.   When we had Templars attack us in Kinloch Hold I found it really challenging; when Alric and his followers attacked us in DA2 that fight was challenging, at least the first time round when you weren't expecting to have so many rogue Templars pop up behind you.    I was expecting the Red Templars too be really difficult in comparison but on the whole they weren't.

 

As for the enemy mages, I found it really disappointing that we were fighting Venatori, from Tevinter, and yet not one of them was a blood mage (or if they were they seemed incapable of the sort of damage that blood mages could do in previous games).    Back in DAO we might have been able to do firestorm and blizzard but so could the opposition; that caught me out on more than one occasion.   This time round, even if some spells were limited to our specialisation, instead of being standard spells, why were the enemy mages not able to cast them?  So we had some high powered spells at our disposal but the enemy mages didn't.    Which seemed pretty stupid considering they were meant to have come from the mage state of Tevinter   There seemed a proliferation of spell binders and I still don't know what that really did for them.     My Knight Enchanter could take on a dragon practically single handed, so I don't think the PC mage was underpowered compared with previous games but the enemy mages certainly were.

[MidnightWolf]

I think that both mages and Templars were made rather bland compared with the earlier games, particularly when they are in opposition to you.   When we had Templars attack us in Kinloch Hold I found it really challenging; when Alric and his followers attacked us in DA2 that fight was challenging, at least the first time round when you weren't expecting to have so many rogue Templars pop up behind you.    I was expecting the Red Templars too be really difficult in comparison but on the whole they weren't.
 
As for the enemy mages, I found it really disappointing that we were fighting Venatori, from Tevinter, and yet not one of them was a blood mage (or if they were they seemed incapable of the sort of damage that blood mages could do in previous games).    Back in DAO we might have been able to do firestorm and blizzard but so could the opposition; that caught me out on more than one occasion.   This time round, even if some spells were limited to our specialisation, instead of being standard spells, why were the enemy mages not able to cast them?  So we had some high powered spells at our disposal but the enemy mages didn't.    Which seemed pretty stupid considering they were meant to have come from the mage state of Tevinter   There seemed a proliferation of spell binders and I still don't know what that really did for them.     My Knight Enchanter could take on a dragon practically single handed, so I don't think the PC mage was underpowered compared with previous games but the enemy mages certainly were.

Completely agree about the enemy Templars and Mages. In Origins the Templars would Holy smite us. Darkspawn emissary mages would use blood magic AND spam you with crushing prison. Even regular human enemy mages had some pretty powerful offensive spells, which could completely destroy your party in seconds.
Now they just stand around casting ice glyphs, and doing basic staff attacks. Not fun or challenging at all.

[Bayonet Hipshot]

*snip*

 

When the only way for a mage in DAI to achieve somewhat similar power levels to mages in DA2 and DAO is to pick one specialization that is solely dependent on barrier generation, you have to take a step back and wonder if Bioware even know what they are doing with magic. You also have to marvel at the buffoonery of the Circles of Magi if all they got out of Dirthena Enasalin was barrier generation.

 

Truly the only reason Knight Enchanter is powerful is because the Fade Shield passive. Without the barrier generation per attack, the Knight Enchanter is pretty much mediocre, especially with the changes made to Spirit Blade.

 

Contrast this with Force Mage in DA2 or Blood Mage in DAO and DA2. Neither specialization relied on a single passive to be powerful.

[Toasted Llama]

They should bring back non-combat and dialogue focused skills. Then have the mages trade persuasion skills in dialogue for magic strength in combat. Basically; the stronger your magic is, the less likely people are going to trust you. And maybe reverse that when interacting with extremely pro-mage characters. It would make sense lore-wise, at least in southern Thedas.

 

 

AND spam you with crushing prison.

 

UUUUUUGHHHH. This skill. I swear to Andraste.

[MidnightWolf]

They should bring back non-combat and dialogue focused skills. Then have the mages trade persuasion skills in dialogue for magic strength in combat. Basically; the stronger your magic is, the less likely people are going to trust you. And maybe reverse that when interacting with extremely pro-mage characters. It would make sense lore-wise, at least in southern Thedas.
 
 

 
UUUUUUGHHHH. This skill. I swear to Andraste.

Crushing prison was one of my favourite spells in Origins -although not so much when I was on the receiving end of it haha. I loved with glyph of repulsion too.......I wonder why they took that out.

[vbibbi]

Hnnn, maybe not. But I figure it's the same difference. I'm sure a demon would rather waltz around in its own body than have to fight and finagle somebody for theirs, right?

  

The game presented the Breach as an extremely painful experience for demons and spirits, regardless of their interest in the mundane world. And from some of the side quests such as the apostate in the Fallow Mire and the demon summoner in the Hinterlands, it seems like the Breach has also weakened the Veil overall, so it should actually be easier for possession to occur. I would think demons would rather try to possess someone through a weakened Veil rather than risk being painfully pulled through a rift.

There are abominations in the game, they're just not stated to be abominations. In Jaws of Hakkon, for instance, Grandin was possessed by a demon and he slaughtered a dozen or so Hakkonites.

I think Grandin is the exception to the rule. What other examples are there in the game? Same with Imshael, he's the only desire demon in the game. Obviously this doesn't mean abominations or desire demons don't exist anymore, but it would have been nice to have more examples in the game.

  

I dunno, I think I prefer some aspects of DA:I mages to DA:O ones. Specifically, I think I enjoyed playing Knight Enchanter more than Arcane Warrior. AW felt very equipment dependent to me (you needed to have the right armor set to get the most out of it), whereas KE could become an unkillable teleporting Juggernaut almost from the beginning.

This seems ironic given that DAI is all about equipment deciding our stats rather than allowing us to choose them ourselves. I was able to play AW no problem for the majority of the game before getting that special AW sword in Haven.


 

Please understand, I'm not trying to be "THAT GUY", but I think you're missing a few points.
 
Demons want to enter the real world, and spirits aren't all that interested, but they are woefully-unprepared to really interact with it.
 
Imagine that you're whole life, everything was always your favorite color, and when you wanted something you just to "think" it, and it was so.
Now there's an enormous explosion on your front door, and you are thrown violently out into a realm where there are millions of colors, sounds, textures, and flavors all screaming for your attention, and worst of all, it doesn't bend to your will.
 
That's what the real world is like for spirits and demons, so while demons are a bit more geared-up for what's on the other side, neither group can really pull it off without possession.
Cole is a bit of a special case, but that's another topic.
 
As for why there isn't an Abomination every 20 minutes, I think it ties in with the glut of spirits and demons spilling out of the Rift.  Since possession is something that takes time and effort on the part of the demon, the chaotic mess that is the Rift and all it's consequences doesn't leave a whole lot of room for that kind of preparation to take place.
Another thing to consider is that maybe the possessions ARE taking place, but the demons are flying in "under the radar" because they are aware of this "Inquisition" and their growing power.
 
If I were evil, I would use the ensuing chaos to consolidate my power and quietly take over in small steps, using the cover of the earth-shaking events to disguise my movements.
There's also the fact that many side-quests involve possession or dealing with the aftermath of such things.
 
-------------
 
I agree with the sudden limitation on how many spells you can access, it's completely unnecessary.  I have found a "power set" that works for me, but it's annoying when I find a REALLY good place to use Winter's Grasp, but nope, I have Fade Cloak equipped instead.
 
As for the "removal" of the other magic schools, I think it makes sense that the available spells are reduced, because you interacting with a Thedas that has gone off it's rocker and many of those schools of magic require a lot of intense study and contemplation, something that's not feasible during wartime.
In addition, those same schools of magic carry the greater risk of possession, and with all those demons spilling over onto your front lawn, you want to minimize the possibility of possession wherever you can.
So it makes a brutal sort of sense that mages would "limit" their powers to deter any demons from setting their sights on them.
(Granted, it's also a game-balancing thing too)
 
It could also be a simple fact of war; you don't want esoteric "fancy" magic, you just want something that does "A" to result in "B".
"We need to take this fortress!"Okay, I can make an oil slick and then set it on fire to lay a trap, distracting the guards and allowing us to enter another way.
"Could you simply throw a fireball and blow up the wall?"Yes, that could work too...
"Then lets do that!"
 
I know that sounds a bit silly, especially with the previous two Dragon Age games where you could form battle-plans in combat; but in combat, you want the simplest plan possible, since that means there's fewer ways for it to go wrong.
The Inferno, Storm, and Winter trees are all straightforward; you know EXACTLY what you are getting every time you use it.
As for Spirit, I see it as a scaled-down version of previous versions, where you can get a barrier, a room-clearing option, a way to remove enemy magic, and a medical option.

Simple, straightforward, a "Lets get the world back on track before we try to unravel any higher mysteries" approach on magic.
 
And I agree that there should be a segment where the protagonist has a real risk of possession, but I understand that it's a VERY difficult thing to pull off, and it's one of those things that if it doesn't work, you end up displeasing the fanbase.  There are many BioWare employees who stay off the forums because of how toxic others make it, so I see no reason why they would take such a risky endeavor.
 
So there's my two cents.

I like the ideas you've brought up and there are some good points. But quite honestly IMO you're overthinking it and assigning narrative reasons for purely gameplay mechanic decisions. I don't think Bioware thought of your ideas as justifications for the change in combat mechanics, they just redesigned combat and knew fans would headcanon the changes however they want.



Honestly, I think defense of the changed magic system and combat mechanics are a bit silly. It's a separation of lore and gameplay, not Bioware crafting the combat system to accommodate the new physics introduced by the Breach. That's really just headcanon to make the changes fit. How does one explain how the Breach now disallows us to choose our own stats on level up and instead rely on passive abilities and equipment? Are focus abilities a result of the Breach? Or our limited types of potions/poisons/tonics we can carry at one time? Or lack of regenerating health? It's gameplay changes, not lore-justified changes.

[Phoe77]

So now blatant retconning is just "reorganization" ? Funny you should bring up Winter's Grasp, That spell was a Tier 1 spell with a cheap mana cost in DAO and DA2 and now in DAI, it becomes a spell with very high mana cost and mediocre damage unless comboed. What is that if not devolvement and inferiority in magic ?

 

Yes, mages should be more powerful than they ever have been due to the Breach but compared to DAO and DA2, they are most definitely not.

 

Abominations were rare ? We had plenty in DA2. Yes, it was a refreshing change of pace but once again, we have a giant hole in the sky and many other smaller holes through which demons are coming through. We also know that an abomination is more powerful than a singular mage or a singular demon because abominations are a combination of the two. Additionally, we have demons like Pride Demons who did not do anything a Pride Demon was supposed to do such as tricking people. All Pride Demons do in DAI is spam lightning attacks ? Also, whatever happened to Desire Demons ? I guess the rifts and the Breach must have political correctness filter that did not allow them to pass through.

 

How was how the spells are sorted "retconning" in any sense of the word?  My library might be organized alphabetically instead of by genre, but that doesn't mean that my dragon age novels aren't still fiction.  My Inquisitor's spells might be organized by element instead of by magical school, but that doesn't mean that Flashfire isn't still a primal spell.  As to changes in damage or duration, if you consider those retcons then every MMO and most other games that receive patches and updates retcon themselves on a monthly basis.  

 

You don't know how the breach influences the use of magic.  I don't either.  All we can do is hypothesize about how things work based on what we see and hear in game.  The breach fundamentally changes the nature of magic in Thedas in ways that even experienced mages struggle to comprehend.  

 

As for the rarity of abominations, I'm speaking about the lore rather than the gameplay.  I always got the impression that abominations were relatively rare and that most people, even mages and templars, hardly ever saw one.  The flavor text at the beginning of the abomination codex entry certainly seemed to suggest that the encounter was rather... unusual for the person recounting it. 

[Toasted Llama]

Crushing prison was one of my favourite spells in Origins -although not so much when I was on the receiving end of it haha. I loved with glyph of repulsion too.......I wonder why they took that out.

 

I was dumb enough to stick with the primal/creation skill trees during my first playthrough, so needless to say my first experience with crushing prison was on the receiving end. Don't get me wrong though: it sure is a lot of fun to dish it out!

 

And they probably took out the glyph of repulsion for the same reason they took out all the other interesting skills: None. Or maybe they thought that the average player was like me; anything but the primal tree is too confusing and/or boring, so everything but the primal tree is removed and replaced with flashy flashy boom moves that make Michael Bay drool!

[BansheeOwnage]

Although on the opposite end of the spectrum, it's pretty ridiculous that our mages can cut through not just templars, but red templars, like butter! Who remembers this picture?

 

You can see the dread on their faces. Even if our mages are supposed to be much better than average (which feels like an Informed Ability on Quizzy's part), it doesn't excuse enemy templars being as easy to kill as anything else. It should at least be a fairly even fight.

 

I for one want to see more of the templars' powers demonstrated ingame, including cutscenes. Although, since we're headed to Tevinter...

 

Edit:

[Bayonet Hipshot]

How was how the spells are sorted "retconning" in any sense of the word?  My library might be organized alphabetically instead of by genre, but that doesn't mean that my dragon age novels aren't still fiction.  My Inquisitor's spells might be organized by element instead of by magical school, but that doesn't mean that Flashfire isn't still a primal spell.  As to changes in damage or duration, if you consider those retcons then every MMO and most other games that receive patches and updates retcon themselves on a monthly basis.  

 

You don't know how the breach influences the use of magic.  I don't either.  All we can do is hypothesize about how things work based on what we see and hear in game.  The breach fundamentally changes the nature of magic in Thedas in ways that even experienced mages struggle to comprehend. 

 

The Schools of Magic is a system of magical classification officially recognized and developed by the Circles of Magi via research. It is prevalent throughout Thedas to the point even some Dalish Elves like Merrill and Velanna as well as some Witches like Morrigan use the classification.

 

http://dragonage.wik...f_Magic:_Primal

 

http://dragonage.wik...f_Magic:_Spirit

 

http://dragonage.wik...Magic:_Creation

 

http://dragonage.wik..._Magic:_Entropy

 

The easiest way to view the Schools of Magic classification is to think of it as the International System of Units / SI Units. Its a standard that was set upon by scholars and researchers which became the norm in Thedas.

 

Are you going to tell me that this standard, which had been developed and used for a very long time, is suddenly gone in the space of 2 years, between DA2 and DAI, and replaced by a simplistic un-nuanced system that is immediately adopted by mages everywhere ? Bear in mind that the mages across Thedas were rebelling against the Chantry so I doubt there was a conference of First Enchanters that debated this issue, agreed upon this change, issued the appropriate spell list that then was widespread and adopted even by Dalish clans and Tal-Vashoth. Are you high on Elfroot or Lyrium Dust ?

 

Your argument that this is merely a "library reorganization" is an ignorant one that lacks contextualization. Its like saying that the people in a continent, people all over that continent, a continent which has been primarily using the Imperial system of measurement, adopted and used Metric within a span of two years while many parts of the continent were engulfed in conflict and they did so despite the lack of sophisticated communication system to facilitate the efficient exchange of information over long distances.

 

This is even more absurd when you consider the reality that people that when people are in conflict won't spend their time developing a new system of classification, they will simply fall back to what they know, to what is tried and tested. Because its war and people ain't got time to somehow challenge and change a long established classification orthodoxy and simply adopt a new classification system.

 

In short, the changes seen to the schools of magic is a retcon and not only that, it is also stupid, illogical and it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

[MidnightWolf]

Although on the opposite end of the spectrum, it's pretty ridiculous that our mages can can through not just templars, but red templars, like butter! Who remembers this picture?

 
You can see the dread on their faces. Even if our mages are supposed to be much better than average (which feels like an Informed Ability on Quizzy's part), it doesn't excuse enemy templars being as easy to kill as anything else. It should at least be a fairly even fight.
 
I for one want to see more of the templars' powers demonstrated ingame, including cutscenes. Although, since we're headed to Tevinter...
 
Edit:

Agreed. Templars, especially the red ones, should be far more powerful than there are. But as it is, even with the trials on, their just re-skinned outlaws with absolutely no special powers at all.

[Donquijote and 59 others]

I agree wholeheartedly with the op. Magic in DA:I was deeeeeeeeeeppppppllllllyyyy disappointing. Just imagine how amazing Blood Magic and Shapeshifting

I can't really see how the chantry would ever see a blood mage as an Inquisitor or worse a dog as their leader(shapeshifting i mean).

[thats1evildude]

Agreed. Templars, especially the red ones, should be far more powerful than there are. But as it is, even with the trials on, their just re-skinned outlaws with absolutely no special powers at all.

They're much stronger than mere outlaws, and they do have unique powers (firing red lyrium crystals or creating walls of red lyrium, for instance).

[Inkvisiittori]

I missed blood magic and some other specializations but all in all I very much enjoy playing as a Rift Mage! For me the combat in Inquisition is fun. I never much used hexes or cared about aiding my allies anyway. That's the job for companions who I don't have to control. 

 

As for possession & demons... nah. Sure it would be nice to hear some demon whispering in my mages ear... promising more power... you always need more. But getting possessed and shortly killed afterwards is no fun. It would be more interesting if it was like Anders with Justice/Vengeance. (and you can always headcanon things if something like that is not in the game itself.)

 

Oh and Crushing Prison was also one of my favorite spells in DAO. But what I really miss is blood magic... remember blood wound and blood control... the best spells there is.

[Toasted Llama]

 

I can't really see how the chantry would ever see a blood mage as an Inquisitor or worse a dog as their leader(shapeshifting i mean).

 

 

They'd feel the same as they feel about an elf, qunari or dwarf Inquisitor.

[Donquijote and 59 others]

Wof weak-willed suckas because, surprise surprise, they were taken in by the demon.

It would be nice if the PC experienced a demonic encounter that WASN'T butt-numbingly obvious, where even the player is fooled. Alas.

It's called Player pampering nonsense Lol

[MidnightWolf]

They're much stronger than mere outlaws, and they do have unique powers (firing red lyrium crystals, for instance).

True, the red knights can spit at you -which is disgusting by the way- but they honestly don't seem any stronger than outlaws to me. And I usually play with even ground, and that other trial which gives enemies extra abilities. Enemy mages on the other hand can be a challenge with those on......but that's only because they spam fade-cloak. Otherwise they're just like the rest.

[Shechinah]

Also, whatever happened to Desire Demons ? I guess the rifts and the Breach must have political correctness filter that did not allow them to pass through.

 
Desire demons were not the only demonic enemy absent from the Inquisition installment, to my knowledge, and unlike most of the others, desire demons were mentioned and a pair of giant statues seemed to be based off their models. This hardly seems an indication of "political correctness filter" being applied.

Additionally, what transpired at Chateau d'Onterre is heavily implied, in my opinion, to be the work of a desire demon as it seems the demon played on the girl's desire. The use of an Arcane horror model seems done either because they'd forgotten that an Arcane horror is the result of a mage possessed by a pride demon or because they lacked a different abomination model. I do not recall any other abomination models in Inquisition so I think it's likely to be the latter.

 

Furthermore, there were about four new demons introduced in Inquisition so it may be that desire demons were put on the bench for this installment with the other absent demons so that the new demons could have more of a focus especially since desire demons appeared about eight times counting DLC in Dragon Age II. It also makes more sense for a desire demon to lay low in the midst of chaos rather than make itself known. It supposed to be subtle and manipulative.

[Bayonet Hipshot]

True, the red knights can spit at you -which is disgusting by the way- but they honestly don't seem any stronger than outlaws to me. And I usually play with even ground, and that other trial which gives enemies extra abilities. Enemy mages on the other hand can be a challenge with those on......but that's only because they spam fade-cloak. Otherwise they're just like the rest.

 

Spam one ability to be challenging and that ability is a defensive cloak. Yet there are people who still believe DAI mages are not neutered compared to DA2 and DAO mages.

 

DAO mages use Chain Lighting (a powerful version), Curse of Mortality, Crushing Prison, Fireball, etc. DA2 mages use Telekinetic Burst, Fade Step, Arcane Shield, Blood Wound, etc. DAI mages spam Fade Cloak, Mines and Barrier.

[MidnightWolf]

Spam one ability to be challenging and that ability is a defensive cloak. Yet there are people who still believe DAI mages are not neutered compared to DA2 and DAO mages.

DAO mages use Chain Lighting (a powerful version), Curse of Mortality, Crushing Prison, Fireball, etc. DA2 mages use Telekinetic Burst, Fade Step, Arcane Shield, Blood Wound, etc. DAI mages spam Fade Cloak, Mines and Barrier.

Have you noticed some enemy mages have a regenerating barrier, even though they don't appear to be KE? It's almost as annoying as them spamming fade cloak.

Anyway, I've officially given up on playing Mages in this game. The only spell I actually make use of is static cage. It's especially handy for keeping Despair demons and enemy rogues in one place. But aside from that, they all suck.