What did you do today in DA? [Spoilers]

She does look really cool 

Yep. And the worst culprit is the Circle Tower: The lighting there makes you look like a ghost.

Almost forgot how much fun it was to blow those darkspawn up with those elemental grenades in Descent.

LadyofNemesis Never got appeal of having a canon in Dragon Age, since I always found the idea of multiple world states fascinating. So no help there.
But I do like clearing out the character folder, but instead of deleting them I put them in another folder to keep them safe. So that might be an idea when the mood hits you.

Or maybe not since it's kinda turned into hoarding and I have no idea who all these wardens are. 

Yeah I don' thave a canon for either ME o rDA I just work wit hwhatever playthrough I have on the go tbh. an dus ethat and add the next game to the run when it arrives

For me it wasn't so much trying to fit everything I wanted into one worldstate, but more about the characters themselves.  For what ever reason, these three are the ones I just connected with the most and were best able to "get inside their heads" (which is funny since they have such different personalities).  From there I tried to let the worldstate grow organically, based on what I think the characters would say/do/choose.  
In the case of my Warden, Tabris is and will stay my canon, but my F!Cousland has started to grow on me.  As I've gotten to know her more I've realized she is a good balance to my Tabris and their two stories have started to blend in my mind as part of a headcanon worldstate, and I've had fun doing their DualWarden playthrough (which I haven't actually played since I think the summer? Past couple years have kinda sucked and not been great for my mindset), but it's Naliea's playthrough and choices that are part of my official in-game canon worldstate.

I do have a vague idea of where I want things to go, and there are a couple things that are a bit set in stone, but sometimes said characters do go off script (for example, my canon Inquisitor was created with the purpose of romancing Solas but she ended up with Cullen *the heart wants what the heart wants I guess*). Somethings aren't the choices that I would have made or originally had in mind with the worldstate (I probably would have set Blackwall completely free and I think my Quizzy wanted to as well, but she ended up having him join the Wardens). Somethings aren't negotiable though - again with my Inquisitor as an example: I'm aiming for Leliana as Divine, will accept if her choices lead to Cassandra as Divine, but will not accept Vivienne as Divine in my canon worldstate.   Then the other choices I wanted to do I can still play with on other playthroughs

My initial go-to class on these types of games tends to be rogue.  Tabris and Hawke are both rogues, but each developed their own style.  Tabris is more a "from the shadows" type of rogue, whereas Hawke has a more "in your face" style and tends to fight more like a DW warrior.  I tried playing my Lavellan as a rogue, but it just didn't feel right for once.  Switched her to a mage and it just clicked.  Her particular style of mage-ness has changed as I've developed her further though. (To be fair, none of my canon three's final versions are like they were when I first started playing them. All of them have evolved as I've gotten a better grasp on their personalities.)  I do still love playing as a mage in DA2 especially (Tempest-Firestorm-Chain Lightening is still one of my favorite combos in the series).  So when I feel like blowing things up, I just load up that playthrough/start a new mage.
Regarding the quests: Here is where I'm especially loving the idea of my DualWarden-verse. There's some quests, like some of the Chantry Board, that Naliea wouldn't do but Lora 100% would. And on the flip-side, straight-laced Lora would never consider doing Crime Wave whereas Naliea doesn't even blink and eye at them.

Didn't go into it planning on a certain combo of race/class/origin in my worldstate.  Just picked the hero from each game that "spoke" to me, and they became my canon three.  Their race/class were just what they were.  Have no idea what I'll end up with in DA4.

I treat each playthrough as basically a stand-alone interactive novel where the most important thing is the main character's journey and the themes explored by them. In order for the rest of the world to accommodate and support those themes in interesting and engaging ways, I necessarily have to stick to what fits this particular story best in my mind.

The themes for this playthrough are hatred, indifference, compassion and duty, for instance. So even though I love Morrigan and she and my Warden are birds of a feather when confronted with human civilization, he'll probably eventually find himself seduced by Leliana, whose love of art and frivolity and stories and kind nature will show him a side of humanity he'll find much more attractive than the one he and Morrigan have been determined to share, which in turn will finally give his duty as a Warden meaning and value beyond just a slow and toilsome death sentence to protect worthless strangers.

Which in turn will fuel a new understanding between him and Sten, in terms of accepting the role designated for you by circumstances outside your control and making it worthwhile instead of pointlessly trying to reject it, and cause a rift between him and Alistair as the latter clings to his childish views and impulsivity and bitterness and lets them poison his sense of duty... I can go on. Everything in the game can be spun to play some part in furthering the themes one way or another.

Just figure out a certain kind of story and character journey you really want to dig into, and start thinking about ways the game can support and interact with it. If something you like to do or someone you like to get close to don't fit, you'll find a way to fit it or them into the next one.

The Dalish origin lends itself pretty well to playing with things like loneliness, depression and martyrdom, since they're the origin that starts out most sequestered from Thedasian society and thrust furthest from a good life among good people and condemned to an existence that offers them nothing but danger and misery among strangers in exchange for everything they're been forced to give up, where every other origin gets either freedom or status or opportunity they would never have had otherwise in return.

Today I took my beautiful boy Herger Cadash and had him recruit the last few members of his posse before heading to Redcliffe, where thanks to wombly-dombly time magic and Alexius, he's now stuck in the Bad Future with Dorian.

I love Jon Curry's voice.

Am slogging through Orzammar atm. The dwarven politics really do get more tedious with every playthrough.

The choice between an honorable traditionalist and a dishonorable and ambitious but progressive dwarven king is one of the more interesting dilemmas in Origins, but the way it's presented to the player feels pretty lackluster. Bhelen's guy murdering one of Harrowmount's in the middle of the street as soon as you enter the city makes Bhelen too instantly unappealing, considering that you don't actually get to meet either of them until you've already hitched your horse to their wagon.

I do like that you're forced to ask the local merchants and citizens what their impressions are if you want to make an even remotely informed decision, but at the same time asking the newcomer Grey Wardens to frame the opponent as a swindler or publicly fight in the candidate's name in spite of the Grey Warden neutrality policy seems egregious on both counts. I feel like both prospective kings should realize that the Warden and their party may help break the deadlock in their favor, and should be courting the Warden as an ally rather than giving them errands more likely to offend and repulse them into the opposite camp to "test their loyalty". Especially as you can still pretty easily jump ship in the very next quest anyway.

Hareas just completed the first task for Bhelen because delivering a few messages seemed less distasteful than proclaiming "Wardens for Harrowmount!" in the local arena, but the choice has been gnawing on his conscience.

A second conversation with Dulin in the Tapster's Tavern has convinced him that if the party does find proof that Bhelen hired thugs to kill his brother at Jarvia's hideout then he'll switch his allegiance to Harrowmount, regardless of Bhelen's eager, oily promises to support him against the Blight as king. It would be wrong to do anything that could conceivably make someone like that more powerful.

Out-of-game I've been reading up on the blood mage heavy armor tank build for DAII. I'm planning a pro-templar Mage Hawke who might finally succeed at romancing Fenris. And the build appeals to me in several ways. For one, a heavily armored Hawke with a polearm weapon using mostly invisible buffs and crowd control spells rather than fire or ice and sticking to melee staff attacks seems like he might actually have a realistic chance to come off as just a very lucky mercenary leader to the rest of Kirkwall, which is otherwise a huge immersion breaker when playing that game as a mage.

For another, I really like the narrative of Hawke having to constantly try to defend himself and his companions in indirect and creative and discreet ways rather than just going all-out fire and brimstone with his magic. And as written, the duel with the Arishok has a whole other level of tension if Hawke is forced to defeat a far superior opponent all by himself using only his bladed staff and spells he can hide and explain away while Kirkwall's entire nobility is watching his every move. Especially if he's used to buffing and relying on his companions to bring the pain while mostly just trying to distract opponents himself.

(I'm not going to say that I wish I was playing this on PC, because I'll never voluntarily say those words out loud, but I really do wish that the Xbox 360 had a screenshot feature so I could post images from Origins and II like you guys.)

Went through the Deep Roads with Morrigan, Shale and Oghren. Saw the awe-inspiring and blighted remnants of the great dwarven empire. Learned the horrifying truth about the darkspawn and why they're more terrible than all the other evils of the world combined. Helped Branka kill Caridin and Shale and take the Anvil in spite of her disgusting actions because it's the dwarves' only real chance to reclaim their past, and because mounting a greater force to resist the darkspawn is just that important.

And crowned Harrowmount because Bhelen is obviously a monster and giving him authority over the Anvil would be just too horrible on top of the above decision. And because the dwarves sticking to their traditions and staying apart from human society would seem like the most natural thing in the world to a Dalish elf. Which I'm sure won't backfire, especially not when combined with Branka and her golems. Hehe.

Hareas came out of the whole thing pretty messed up, feeling incredibly guilty even though the quest, the cause and him being a Warden actually seem crucial and meaningful for the first time since Duncan tore him away from his clan. When the party set up camp on the road to Denerim and his good friend Morrigan offered for him sleep in her tent, he was just too miserable to resist her advances. And after a frantic interlude of bliss, an exhausted night's sleep in her arms and a peaceful morning cuddle he was more or less functional again, in spite of the persistent guilt.

Having been a virgin until that night, and being utterly clueless about women in general, he has of course taken her completely at her word that this is just a nice and casual thing for humans to do with each other, and that there's nothing more to it than mutual pleasure and comfort between good friends. And I'm sure that no awkwardness or tension will ensue when he starts growing closer to Leliana during their adventures together in the capital. And the Brecilian Forest. And the Temple of Andraste.

Finished most of the Hinterlands there is only the Dragon that i have to defeat but i'm still not strong enough. Did some other quests as well completed most of Dorians personal questline. I also did Guilty Pleasures with Cassandra of course i think from all the companions quests that one is the funniest.

And tonight i will probably do one of the main quests that i really dislike namely Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts. From all the quests in Dragon Age Inquisition this is the only quest that i wish i could skip.

I really like the essential concept of the quest - and the wicked debauchery of the Orlesian nobility. It's just one of those examples of great ideas horribly executed. The costumes and environments aren't nearly gorgeous enough to represent the richest and most cultured and decadent nation's upper class giving their best, the story and quest structure are pretty weak and unbelievable, and the mechanics used are awkward and annoying rather than flavorful.

And the gameplay of Dragon Age: Inquisition in general just doesn't lend itself to intimate and lavish roleplaying scenarios, while Origins or even DAII might have done the quest better justice by using smaller and more densely filled locales and focusing less on scripted cutscenes and huge fights.

I do like the ability to expose Briala's schemes and gut her like a fish in front of the entire court, including the Empress who can't even complain about the blood and shit staining her carpets because the Inquisitor just saved her life... That really, really helped me feel like the other guests walked away with the right impression of my Inquisition.

Just left the Dalish and had a bunch of lovely spats with Morrigan and Hareas' new girlfriend Leliana on the way to Haven. I decided to bring both of them and Sten as well, because Morrigan is by far the most useful companion in the game with her Sleep+Waking Nightmare combination turning big encounters completely on their heads, Crushing Prison basically killing mages before they can even get a spell off, and Death Hex turning bosses into mincemeat in seconds, because Leliana is my only lockpicker and new paramour, and because I don't take Sten out much.

It's a real shame that Dragon Age and franchises like it turn two-handed weapon fighting into such a slog. It's the only fighting style I never use in these games because every attack is slowed to a frustrating crawl for no reason, even though real life two-handed weapons are only a touch slower to swing than lighter ones. IMO it'd be much better to give shields clearer and more outstanding benefits if you want a drawback to bigger weapons, rather than making them slow and boring to use.