What did you do today in DA? [Spoilers]

I'm only in it for the cake! I can bring the booze when i get home from work to get the party really going!  Happy 100 and here's to the next fantastic 100 to come!

@domi

Like his LIs? All four options are available to both genders. Enjoy that simplicity, I definitely did. Unless you're saying you only play a heterosexual of either gender... Which I find odd and ask why? Haha

I've read that Anders is better fleshed out for a male partner in unmodded games.

Merrill is only naive about human culture. She's got a very strong backbone and a dedication o being nice towards people.

Isabella is a tricky lady. They kinda Morrigan -ized her, so she approves of some shady acts (but not -all-) and definitely approves of being a Merc. But she is anti slavery and anti abusive husbands. Focus on bringing her along the first two acts.

I hope you at least do the Legacy DLC. MOTA and Sebastian are very very optional to the point of almost being narritively irrelevant. I like to do it mid to late act 3.

And I would suggest other party arrangements depending on whether you're pro mage or pro Templar but the hurt in that game can make almost any pro mage side with the Templars so... I'll only tell more if you want about end game decisions that lead to sadness

I find Bethany bland (my opinion) so I suffer not being a Rogue (which I love) and play the mage class in DA2 for Carver. But the sibling is available all of Act 1, any DLCs you play, and the very end game battles depending on other choices. Sebastian is a better Archer than Varric but he isn't available till Act2 if you have him.

Merrill in DA2 is nothing like the Merrill of DAO. To me they're so different as to just say they aren't the same person. So, take DAO Merrill backstory, apply to Elf also named Merrill, then actually make her have opinions, thoughts, a drive to accomplish something even if it means rebellion against her mother. Way better.

I dunno Risha. I just know one wants to focus on Isabella up to 80 points in either direction of approve/disapprove before end of Act 2. And that she is so sweetly and amazingly loyal if you break her walls down.

I heart Fenris tons and tons so I recommend him. He's pro Templar and anti slavery but you can still friendmance him even as a mage if you just think about the quests you bring him on. But rivalmanced can be enjoyable too. I just prefer the friendmance.

Whoa. Isabella is nothing like that at all, I can assure you of that. She's a pirate. She's into casual sex, you actually have to turn it into a romantic relationship yourself. She's definitely not thinking she's too good for anyone, she may even think she's not worth loving? But that makes it sound like she has self esteem issues, and she doesn't. She's laid back. You'll see.

@domi

Also, there is no Titan effort in this game. You get the same scenes for each character- Dialogue and tone and emotion change based on whether it's a friendship or a rival interaction. A player never has To go out of their way to please because you get points either way. It's not like Origins where if you didnt chase -approval- they withhold scenes and may be leave. But if you don't bring them along on quests in 2 you may not get enough points from conversation alone. Essentially, you miss out on content if you ignore them. You have time with ALL the characters until the end of Act 3 (the crisis point) to get them high enough in either direction. But STORY dictates that Isabella's crisis point come sooner at end of Act 2 and has nothing to do with her being high maintenance.

Playing my first time as a rogue, I never brought her anywhere, so we were pretty much strangers come end of Act2 and it bit me. I'm not saying you have to suck up to her (in fact, make her mad! I prefer rivalry Isabella) I'm just saying time must be spent so you can get the points at all. And you have a smaller window for her compared to the others. So, if you can, bring her along.

If it makes you feel better, she follows you no matter what after that. Varric, sibling, and Isabella don't have a crisis point in Act 3.

I just find Jo Wyatt voice unpleasant. I have played female imperial agent she'd voiced in SWTOR, and did not like it. I wish they did different voice for each class like in SWTOR. The F!smuggler was great, I'd play that as a rogue. Anyway, I am going to try a male, to see if a va is more my thing.

I am used to not having cc I want, because I'd like a character that looks like Melinda Mei or similar dangerously awesome Oriental face. I looked at some 'faces of gaming' DA2 page with different cc but I did not see anything remotely like that. I am also a bit afraid to search extensively, because things that come up on the search can be, erm, racy.

No, no, I really WANT to have Varric. That's why I am reluctant to play a rogue myself, because of the same role, and rogues won't stack as well as mages.

I have no plans to purchase Inquisition. Andromeda is almost here, and chances are it is an open world, and huge, so it would take me a long time to get through it, plus new MP. That's likely 2 years right there. I still largerly prefer Mass Effect to DA.

Is it different than the face preset? My family did change to look dark haired and dark-eyed, like my Hawke, but they looked Caucasian.

domi

Ditto everything phoray posted.  Choose the class you want to play and leave it at that.  You won't have both siblings with you the whole game as you'll soon find out.  As to romances, Varric is not a romanceable character nor is Avelene.  Except for Sebastian who I believe is straight, all other companions swing both ways.  So choose the gender you prefer.  As you can tell from phoray's post, the main issue in the game is mages versus Templars.  Some of the companions break hard to one side or the other.  (Having Anders and Fenris on the same team is like mixing nitro and glycerin banter-wise!)

domi, I remember you mentioning how bland the Dalish Origin story was. And that, of course, explains DAO Merrill, who comes off as the Keeper's colorless, obedient teacher's pet. In DA2, that changes dramatically!  In DA2, you also see the beginning of giving elves Gaelic accents.  And the voice actress here is very good and makes the character charming!  Isabela is also fleshed out more in DA2.

Someone stop me from arguing Dragon Age greatness Against the lost cause of people determined to hate it.

It's so time consuming but I can't seem to help myself.

But the worst I can say for games that I have tried is that the games lacked a spark that kept me wanting to play. It is never occurred to me to go and say it's disappointing or that it's garbage.

I have disproven jazz "facts" so many time on BSN by now I'm loathe to pick it up over here as well. Still I cannot help myself from pointing out double standards and such from time to time. Just as long as I don't waste to much energy on it.

So true but I'm still surprised by the number of people out there that firmly believes that their subjective opinion is an objective fact.

on the first page of General discussion, there are two threads. One is, wasn't Dragon Age Inquisition a disappointment?. The second is " this game is garbage. Prove me wrong."

This is on top of the constant comparisons Dragon Age Inquisition to The Witcher 3. Which is a comparison that shows up and every thread where we discussed how Dragon Age 4 could learn and improve