Dragon Age II

[DeadPoolX]

Like I said before, I hope a DA2 expansion progresses with a different character and no DA2 companions appear.

Here I disagree. I feel there's more story to be told about Hawke, especially about the years between "The Final Straw" and Hawke's disappearance as hinted by Cassandra and Leliana.

Well, I feel that way because Hawke's story was told as far as his adventure in Kirkwall. Plus, BioWare would have to take into account which romances we chose, which they apparently have problems doing.

In other words, my Hawke is now the Champion of Kirkwall, became the viscount for a short while and is now on the open sea with Isabela. Anything deviated from that path is wrong -- at least to me, anyway.

A quick question: considering your feelings toward the game, I guess that, if forced to choose between your Warden and your Hawke, you'd choose Hawke. Correct? I'm torn, to be honest, but, in the end, I think I felt more a genuine connection with my Warden.

Good question.

I think I have a greater connection to Hawke, but the Warden is more important to the DA world as a whole. As much as Hawke can do, he didn't save the world from the Blight.

That said, I wonder who'd win in a fight. If BioWare took my Warden and used him strictly based on his class (Mage), then it might be a toss up. Considering my Warden was an Arcane Warrior -- where I wore massive armor, wielded both a staff and a two-handed sword, plus knew a ton of offensive and defensive spells -- I think my Warden could probably kick Hawke's ass easily.

I also think the Warden's teammates are deadlier.

Zevran vs Isabela: As good as Isabela is with daggers, Zevran would mop the floor with her.

Leliana vs Varric or Sebastian: Leliana, no contest. She's a better and more accurate archer and she's got training that goes beyond what either DA2 companion knows.

Alistair, Oghren, Sten or Shale vs Aveline, Carver or Fenris: This would be an interesting battle. I think it would actually come down to having Shale and Sten on the Warden's side, which would probably net him a victory.

Morrigan or Wynne vs Anders, Bethany or Merrill: This is where DA:O's crew might fall short. With DA2 having three companion Mages and magic being more powerful, I think DA2's companions might win here.

DA:O Mabari vs DA2 Mabari: Although both can be cute, funny and friendly, the DA:O Mabari wins simply because you can actively control him, level him up, has his own attacks and you can give him warpaint and collars. DA2's Mabari is just sort of "there" and does it whatever it wants to do, which is annoying when around traps.

[AndreaDraco]

Plus, BioWare would have to take into account which romances we chose, which they apparently have problems doing.

This is very true. Somehow, when importing, romances are the first thing that get screwed up.

That said, I wonder who'd win in a fight.

My Warden hands down, even if he wasn't an Arcane Warrior. Hawke may try to slow him down but - even ignoring Awakening specialization - my Warden has access to an incredibly wide selection of spells and it will only take a Mana Clash to reduce Hawke to the floor.

Zevran vs Isabela: As good as Isabela is with daggers, Zevran would mop the floor with her.

I agree. Zevran is far deadlier than Isabela.

Leliana vs Varric or Sebastian: Leliana, no contest.

Her training as an Orleasian bard is the only advantage, in my opinion, because the actual Archery skills are more powerful in DA2.

Alistair, Oghren, Sten or Shale vs Aveline, Carver or Fenris: This would be an interesting battle. I think it would actually come down to having Shale and Sten on the Warden's side, which would probably net him a victory.

Shale would crash everything on her path.

Morrigan or Wynne vs Anders, Bethany or Merrill: This is where DA:O's crew might fall short. With DA2 having three companion Mages and magic being more powerful, I think DA2's companions might win here.

Anders is certainly a more powerful Spirit Healer than Wynne, but Morrigan - from a storytelling perspective - has access to extremly dark and powerful spells. I don't think Merrill would stand a chance against her. It will only take a Mass Paralysis to freeze them and then unleash Storm of the Century

DA:O Mabari vs DA2 Mabari: Although both can be cute, funny and friendly, the DA:O Mabari wins simply because you can actively control him, level him up, has his own attacks and you can give him warpaint and collars.[/quote]

Perfectly said

[DeadPoolX]

Plus, BioWare would have to take into account which romances we chose, which they apparently have problems doing.

This is very true. Somehow, when importing, romances are the first thing that get screwed up.

I've read that if you imported your game from DA:O itself, the romances would work. However, since most people would import a game from DA:A or beyond (assuming everything you'd done would be accumulative), the romance flags from DA:O didn't check off properly.

I don't know how accurate that is, however. I've only imported a game that included DA:O/DA:A/WH, so I'd need to try it with just DA:O. I don't have the urge to do that, especially since my Warden's romance interest isn't interactive in DA2 unless you have The Exiled Prince DLC, which I don't. I can't imagine the ending cinematic differs if you've romanced Leliana or not.

That said, I wonder who'd win in a fight.

My Warden hands down, even if he wasn't an Arcane Warrior. Hawke may try to slow him down but - even ignoring Awakening specialization - my Warden has access to an incredibly wide selection of spells and it will only take a Mana Clash to reduce Hawke to the floor.

Oh yeah... I forgot all about Mana Clash. That was an awesome spell. By the end of DA:O and certainly all through DA:A and WH, I could kill any spell caster with one blast from Mana Clash.

Leliana vs Varric or Sebastian: Leliana, no contest.

Her training as an Orleasian bard is the only advantage, in my opinion, because the actual Archery skills are more powerful in DA2.

What about scattershot? That was the bane of my existence in DA:O. My Warden could take untold amounts of damage; barely nothing could hurt him, but ONE DAMN HIT from scattershot and he was acting as if he were drunk!

[AndreaDraco]

What about scattershot? That was the bane of my existence in DA:O. My Warden could take untold amounts of damage; barely nothing could hurt him, but ONE DAMN HIT from scattershot and he was acting as if he were drunk!

True. Scattershot was a pain. However, in DA2, every single talent is, potentially, deadly, when upgraded. And now you don't have to choose between speed or accuracy. Harmony takes care of everything.

[DeadPoolX]

What about scattershot? That was the bane of my existence in DA:O. My Warden could take untold amounts of damage; barely nothing could hurt him, but ONE DAMN HIT from scattershot and he was acting as if he were drunk!

True. Scattershot was a pain. However, in DA2, every single talent is, potentially, deadly, when upgraded. And now you don't have to choose between speed or accuracy. Harmony takes care of everything.

Yeah, but you need to put three points into the Specialist skill tree, which means acquiring three different sustainables that can't be used at the same time. Seems like too many points to distribute, especially when Varric's Marksman specialization kills just about everything else.

But if you were going to make an archery Rogue (which seems even less viable than in DA:O), I can imagine Harmony would be worth it. The only reason I can think of making your Rogue focused on long-range combat is so you don't need to bring Varric with you.

[AndreaDraco]

The only reason I can think of making your Rogue focused on long-range combat is so you don't need to bring Varric with you.

I tried it when I use still unsure between Archery and Dual-Wielding and it's pretty fun. The bows in DA2 make a hell of a damage and the other rogue skills complement archery just fine. However, in the end, I went with Dual-Wielding because my Mage Hawke was already a long-range combatant, always on the outskirts of the fight, and I wanted to try something more up and close

[Maiandra]

Leliana vs Varric or Sebastian: Leliana, no contest.

Her training as an Orleasian bard is the only advantage, in my opinion, because the actual Archery skills are more powerful in DA2.

What about scattershot? That was the bane of my existence in DA:O. My Warden could take untold amounts of damage; barely nothing could hurt him, but ONE DAMN HIT from scattershot and he was acting as if he were drunk!

Leliana might win against Varric, but Bianca would win against Leliana.

So I actually finally finished Act 2, but I didn't like how some things played out with companions, namely Isabela, and I went back to redo the last third of it. Thankfully, by doing that, I was able to get just enough friendship with her to trigger her Questioning Beliefs quest and allow me to keep her as a companion. That entire condition is a huge oversight, as far as I'm concerned. What use does a dual-wielding rogue have for another in her party? Although she seemed childish and selfish at times, I sometimes liked her humour and I felt that I wouldn't fully experience the story if I lost one of the companions.

Even though that was a little tedious, it actually gave me a chance to redo some quests with the companions I had spent less time with before and I felt more satisfied with how some quests turned out. It was immensely satisfying when Aveline punched Gerard Dupuis in the gut What a creep! I can't believe I fell for his story about his sister to begin with.

I really enjoyed how all the companions personalities unfold during Act 2 and how you get to know the different aspects of them. It makes you realise that they all have more to them than originally appears in Act 1.

I also really like how the companions comment on your surroundings, your current quest, on each other, and even have comments on certain key events, like your mother's death or about Anders almost killing that escaping circle mage. It makes it far more immersive and makes them feel more real. Even just simple comments like what various party members say when you approach the Hanged Man add tho their depth. I always felt that was lacking in DA:O.

Speaking of things they comment on, I ended up redoing the All That Remains quest twice (for different reasons, all of them boiling down to me being a perfectionist) and it was just as bad each time. What an emotional quest!

I had a pretty good idea of what Quentin was trying to do by all the notes around his place, but I didn't think the game would actually allow him to kill your mother and be successful in his goal. When I realised that it had, I sat there thinking "please don't make me see her that way." When they did, I could barely bring myself to look at her. It was so horrible and sad. At least they softened the blow a little by allowing Hawke to say goodbye.

I really appreciate that the game treated that quest with the gravity it deserved instead of just jumping on to the next quest. It had a good follow-up dialogue with your uncle, as well as a number of comments from different companions and NPCs. I especially appreciated how your romance was there to offer their support right after the event and how the follow-up conversation with Aveline preempted any others that were in the journal for her (her story about her father was very touching). That is just how they should act in that position.

That was pretty much the most important quest to me during Act 2, but I will also say that all the political intrigue is quite interesting as well. I like how they've made it so complex. It's not just black and white. Amidst it all, I really like the Grand Cleric. She was a lot more reasonable than I was expecting, given all the other extremists in the game.

[Rath Darkblade]

Aside from the origin story, DA:O wasn't really that different if you played a human, elf or dwarf. The main difference, I suppose, is how you wanted to roleplay that character.

Hmm... may I humbly disagree? DA:O isn't vastly different if you play a human, elf or dwarf, nor does your background story matter that much by itself - BUT, if you combine race and background story, certain... events... pop up later on, and you get a sense of continuity - for instance:

Suppose you play a human noble. Then later on, you get to take revenge on Arl Howe. Or, if you play a dwarf noble, then when you go back to Orzammar, just about everyone treats you like dirt and calls you a kinslayer. Or, again, if you play a dwarf commoner, then later on, your background in the dwarf mafia leads to an interesting conclusion to the dwarf mafia angle.

I'm currently re-playing the game for the fourth time as an alienage elf, and trying to see what'd happen when I come back to the alienage, and - even more - what'd happen if I romance Alistair and try to be an alienage elf queen! Later on, I might try and see what's it like to play a human mage who comes back to the tower. Or a Dalish elf who comes back to the Brecillian forest.

Ferelden is my oyster, so to speak. But there's always new things to discover.

[AndreaDraco]

So I actually finally finished Act 2, but I didn't like how some things played out with companions, namely Isabela, and I went back to redo the last third of it. Thankfully, by doing that, I was able to get just enough friendship with her to trigger her Questioning Beliefs quest and allow me to keep her as a companion.

The same thing happened to me, of course. I never traveled with Isabela, being content with my party - Mage Hawke, Anders, Varric and Aveline -, and so she bailed me with the Relic. But that's fine. When she revealed what the relic was, my Hawke was pretty pissed and told her angrily to give the Book of Koslun back to the Arishok. From a role-playing perspective, it actually makes more sense that she left... but I intend to keep her and see how things turn out during my second playthrough. After that, I'll decide what solution I prefer more.

It was immensely satisfying when Aveline punched Gerard Dupuis in the gut What a creep! I can't believe I fell for his story about his sister to begin with.

Have you tried to bring Gascard DuPuis with you in Quantin's lair? And bringing Varric along?

about Anders almost killing that escaping circle mage

I'm happy to see that you managed to save the girl too. The following dialogue is much, much better if she was saved.

I especially appreciated how your romance was there to offer their support right after the event and how the follow-up conversation with Aveline preempted any others that were in the journal for her (her story about her father was very touching).

That was indeed a wonderful moment. It was incredibly sad - Hawke, at this point, has really lost everyone in his/her life - and yet very touching. I wasn't expecting the romance to show up and when it did it was really a welcome surprise, a tiny ray of hope amidst the darkness. Act 2 is really the best of the bunch.

That was pretty much the most important quest to me during Act 2, but I will also say that all the political intrigue is quite interesting as well. I like how they've made it so complex. It's not just black and white. Amidst it all, I really like the Grand Cleric.

"All That Remains" is certainly one of the best quest of the Act but "Following the Qun," in my opinion, is on par with it. I don't know about you but I really, really, really hate Sister Petrice. I loathe her. And when the Qunari popped up to shoot her, I was oh so incredibly happy. And I also hate Grand Cleric Elthina: her pusillanimous stance is, de facto, giving Meredith free rein in Kirkwall, and mages are once again the ones to suffer.

[DeadPoolX]

I'm currently re-playing the game for the fourth time as an alienage elf, and trying to see what'd happen when I come back to the alienage, and - even more - what'd happen if I romance Alistair and try to be an alienage elf queen! Later on, I might try and see what's it like to play a human mage who comes back to the tower. Or a Dalish elf who comes back to the Brecillian forest.

You do know that you can't marry Alistair and become unless you're a Human Noble, right?

As for DA2...

I had no idea Gascard was lying! When Maia told me, I was really ticked off! Yeah, he's a Blood Mage, but so is Merrill. They're not ALL bad people, but in Gascard's case, he fit the mold, I suppose.

I think it was the whole "sister thing" that blinded me, considering Bethany's departure to the Circle. Heh. It reminds me of when that Asari chick lied to me in ME2. I bought her story about being kidnapped (or held hostage or whatever it was she said), when in fact she was one of the bad guys.

While I hated Sister Petrice, I liked Grand Cleric Elthina. Did she place a lot of trust and authority in Meredith and the Templars? Yes, but she also knew when to knock Meredith down a peg or two. Whether or not you like her, what she says to Meredith during the intro video to Act 3 is priceless: “Go back to the Gallows and cool down, like a good girl.”

Andrea, you'll probably like (or at least not dislike) Isabela after you get to know her. I'd recommend sleeping with her just to hear her background story. After that, you can load your game and avoid her, but her childhood does explain her attitude somewhat.

Of course, you could always view the clip on YouTube without playing through the Isabela-Hawke sex scene. Whichever works best for you.

[AndreaDraco]

Andrea, you'll probably like (or at least not dislike) Isabela after you get to know her. I'd recommend sleeping with her just to hear her background story. After that, you can load your game and avoid her, but her childhood does explain her attitude somewhat.

Of course, you could always view the clip on YouTube without playing through the Isabela-Hawke sex scene. Whichever works best for you.

I'm pretty sure I'll like her. In this rogue playthrough I'm using her a bit more and there's a banter between her and Bethany that's just priceless, the one about the book Isabela was reading, about Archon Hessarian and his... "spear." Wonderful. I'm also planning on romancing her with one of my characters, but I've yet to decide which one.

[Tawmis]

And I also hate Grand Cleric Elthina: her pusillanimous stance is, de facto, giving Meredith free rein in Kirkwall, and mages are once again the ones to suffer.

Yeah thankfully the mages don't practice something vile like Blood Magic...

[DeadPoolX]

Andrea, you'll probably like (or at least not dislike) Isabela after you get to know her. I'd recommend sleeping with her just to hear her background story. After that, you can load your game and avoid her, but her childhood does explain her attitude somewhat.

Of course, you could always view the clip on YouTube without playing through the Isabela-Hawke sex scene. Whichever works best for you.

I'm pretty sure I'll like her. In this rogue playthrough I'm using her a bit more and there's a banter between her and Bethany that's just priceless, the one about the book Isabela was reading, about Archon Hessarian and his... "spear." Wonderful. I'm also planning on romancing her with one of my characters, but I've yet to decide which one.

When doing "The Long Road" quest, make sure to bring Isabela with you to Aveline's office. The conversation between those two almost turns into a physical fight.

And I also hate Grand Cleric Elthina: her pusillanimous stance is, de facto, giving Meredith free rein in Kirkwall, and mages are once again the ones to suffer.

Yeah thankfully the mages don't practice something vile like Blood Magic...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the Templars can dispel blood magic, right? If they can't, that'd make sense why the Mages used it at the end of Act 3.

[AndreaDraco]

When doing "The Long Road" quest, make sure to bring Isabela with you to Aveline's office. The conversation between those two almost turns into a physical fight.

Will do!

Anyway, some tidbits about replaying, without Spoiler Tags because now everyone has already completed Act 1.

I really think this Act is the worst of the game and I think I have pinpointed the problem, at least for me. While the main plot quests are really good, the secondary quests are a bit lackluster, but the main problem lies within the companions.

You meet them, do a quest for them (sometimes pretty good, like Anders' or Fenris'), engage in a very brief conversation and that's it. There is no way to get to know better your companions until the "Questioning Beliefs" quests start popping up in Act 2. Before that, you simply have one conversation after their quest - usually very quick and not in-depth (Isabela stands out, in this case) - and that's it for the entirety of Act 1, which is reaaaaally long, even on a second playthrough.

As a result of this lack of in-depth examination, some characters' reactions during Act 1 result a bit odd. Let's take Merrill, for example. After an incredibly brief conversation after she opens up the barrier on top of Sudermount, you have to wait well into Act 2 before you can question her use of blood magic. Isabela is even worse: when you go talk to her after her quest, she simply points you toward another (very minor) quest, "Finders Keepers," and that's it.

Considering that Act 1 serves as a sort of introduction, they should have put more chances to develop the relationships with the companions from the get-go.

[Tawmis]

As a result of this lack of in-depth examination, some characters' reactions during Act 1 result a bit odd. Let's take Merrill, for example. After an incredibly brief conversation after she opens up the barrier on top of Sudermount, you have to wait well into Act 2 before you can question her use of blood magic. Isabela is even worse: when you go talk to her after her quest, she simply points you toward another (very minor) quest, "Finders Keepers," and that's it.

Considering that Act 1 serves as a sort of introduction, they should have put more chances to develop the relationships with the companions from the get-go.

Along the same lines - was my bitching about Isabella taking off every time you entered the Qunari area. That doesn't become abdunantly clear until MUCH later. Which I hated. There should be an option to question why she does this BEFORE it's revealed why - EVEN if it's an answer where she blows you off. Just to have it feel like it's there and it's more real and that you have more control of your character. The inability to question some of the companions about some of the things they do and say bugged me. (For example, in DAO, you could go up to them and one of the options is, "I want to ask you about something you mentioned...") or something along those lines.