What did you do today in DA? [Spoilers]

colfoley

That's the second time I've seen you mention 3 years time passing for the base game. Is that true? o_0

Natashina

Aww.... I have that shield saved for end game and it malfunctions?

DA:O, about 39 hours in.

Dwarven section of the game was quite long, and quite lucrative. Though we promptly spent gold on a cool ring there, Luckbringer, and a couple of tomes.

The stories, and the dwarven are so far my most favorite part of the game. I however think that BioWARE overdid it on the mob grind portions of the game and the size of the maps, as slowly mowing down mobs is really boring. I know some folks really like sprawling games, but I feel it dilutes the story-line, particularly when you have to backtrack.

After the Dwarven portion I resolved Sten's quest and picked up the storyline with the Urn of the Sacred Ashes.

So far I cannot really figure out how to make use of the Arcane Warrior spec, so I am going to work towards the Healer first.

Zevran is finally the rogue I want him to be. He is capable of opening (some) locks, his stealth is build into his script, and I have bought a tome so he can take an advantage of the backstubs with Coup De Grace. I play it a lot like the old DnD game with Zevran scouting ahead and removing the traps. Have never seen the stealth broke in this game yet, so I assume the awareness checks are not a thing. We are going to work on his bow skill next so I can build in a script that switches him to archery stance when needed.

Alistair's romance feels like a successful take on Anomen's, though in part I am curious about what Zevran's like, but gaining approval from Alistair is no brainer, and it seems to work great withthe plot.

I am not sure if I like Sten or O-dwarf better as my third character. They both are fun, and have good banter. I am inclined to keep Sten because he is a fresher race than the dwarves, and, well swapping equipment is tiresome, and they do duplicate one another, particularly with Berserker spec opening up for Sten.

That's my own headcanon.  And the only piece of headcanon I have that truly contradicts BioWare's canon.  The main game takes place over one year, with Trespasser happening a little after that.  My justification for it comes from a conversation we had in the DQ where, I believe, David Gaider posted his belief that the events of Dragon Age Inquisition happened over a three year time span.  Then someone did the math and posted it to indicate all that traveling around and the distances involved likely indicated a three year plot to be viable.  So, finding it a neat idea, I took it from there.  So the main timeline for Kara's Inquisition the War against the Elder One is 9:41 Dragon to 9:44 Dragon while the Exalted Council happens in 9:46.  I just find all that nation hopping works a lot better with that timeline in kind.  

And of course, headcanon wise, between the end of the game and Trespasser the Inquisitor goes to the Deep Roads for the Descent, Leiliana is elected Divine Victoria's Left Hand, and the second Orlesian Civil War takes place (events as detailed in my fan fiction here) 



First time playing Dragon Age Origins?  

I enjoyed the hell out of the Deep Roads portion of the game.  The first, and really only time, when the Darkspawn felt like a threat.  Had you crawling all over the Deep Roads epically fighting them for the first time since Ostagar.  It was just...felt like a culimnation of events.  

***

From the Diary of Kara Trevelyan:


So, that was fun.  It was the first time I have ever not used Thousand Cuts on the final Emissary Alpha...not sure I even had mark of the rift available.  I got into a really tough fight with the Ogres before, Kara went down, so I was trying to use Sera...and Thousand Cuts is right where stealth is on Kara....so I randomly chopped up some hapless emissary.  It was epic.  But...yeah.  

It was also fun because yesterday I was bragging that my game has only crashed once...and it crashed again last night...in the same place it has before.  Right when I was about to take on the swarms of Shal-Brytol outside of the Well Spring.  

Its also sad....I'm almost done with the game.

I normally don't either.  At least not in theory.  But the three that I am aware of playing, Paragon of her Kind, Golomns of Amapoop, and the Descent I have really liked two of them and hated the other. 

The entrance is via a large tree trunk located near the area where one of the pages for Mysteries of Frostback Basin and one of the metal spires are located. I think it's Cliffside Pass.

I happened to notice this huge tree trunk. I usually give flora the merest glance but I looked in. There's a bush obscuring what looked like a wall and boulders stuck in it. I realised the boulders looked like steps and went in. 

P.S. I don't think I want to complete Trespasser. I'm rather grumpy since I know how it'll end and, as I mentioned before, it feels like a cliffhanger to me / story incomplete. I'll just make a note the PT is incomplete. If / when DA4 comes around, I'll finish it. 

Not sure I want to start another PT. Think I'll fiddle with making an elf and see how I feel about her.

Hey I'm sticking with it.

Ok. Started a female elven rogue. I jiggled around a bit an decided it has to be a rogue.

And I'm omg, she's so thin! wtf. I downloaded the athletic body mod for the female elf. I'd a feeling she'd look even worst wtihout the mod.

I also chose the second voice for her since I can't associate the first with anyone except my canon female human Inq. Since she's an elf, I'm going to play her as slightly suspicious and hostile.  Definitely not going dancing with Flo. No way. 

It comes after Shale's quest. It's pretty cute dialogue, I think, at least with a female Warden. I don't know about a male.

The only sword I would call "Uber" woould be Star Fang. Assuming you have the Soldiers peak DLC.

Of course, with enough rune slots, almost any weapon can be made into a god weapon. Star Fang is just sweet.

I haven't played yet today because I'm about to throw my Kindle across the room.

Long story short: Cleared out some browser cookies. Got signed out of my Skype app. Didn't remember my password. Tried to use my yahoo account for the recovery. Thanks to some security hacks done to yahoo recently, I am locked out. I had my hotmail password saved on my browser. I was able to get into outlook but I couldn't see my password. After some serious digging, I got access to the change PW screen using my third email address. It finally worked. Ugh.  All of that to talk to my husband on Skype while he's at work.

Gotta love modern tech.  /offtopic

phoray You're gonna give the devs bad ideas. Imagine if a romance was available where the companions was going to be made Tranquil no matter what. I do like your idea a lot though.

The journey of Warden Commander Drako Amell, The Hero of Ferelden: (DA:O, DA:A, and Witch hunt)



The Chronicles of Tyros Hawke, Champion of Kirkwall:



The Path of Inquisitor Mason Trevelyan, Herald of Andraste:



The Journey continues,

We eventually come to an agreement on how to move forward on the situation in Redcliff. Leliana's agents will enter through a back way with Dorian taking point to disarm any wards Alexius may have placed while I enter through the main gate as a distraction. If all goes well, we should wrap this up quickly... With that being said, I know there is no way this is going to go off without a hitch. Anything that can go wrong, I am certain, will go wrong. I'm bringing Cassandra and Sera with me. Cassandra's templar talents will be useful if things go sideways and Sera will simply love putting arrows in the faces of those "Big Hats". No way to prepare for everything. Just have to go and hope for the best...

...Upon arriving, the welcome party insists on me entering the main hall alone... That ain't happening. I issue the ultimatum and the concede the issue. I play along with Alexius for a moment waiting for Leliana's people to show. I was going to simply try to get the Magister to leave Redcliff minus his new slaves, but he evoked a magic I have never seen before. It ripped open a rift and actually warped time around it. I have no idea what he was trying to do, but it ended up sending Dorian and myself into a future pf horrors. Well... a future. Temporal mechanics are a pain... If we can get hold of Alexius' amulet, we can open a temporal rift that will, okay... should might be a better word, send us back to where and when we came from. Assuming of course we can actually get to it. There are several assumptions here. We had ended up in the lower reaches of Redcliff castle. We would need to work our way up without being captured or killed...

...As Dorian and I make our way through the lower levels, we find Cassandra and Sera. They are surrounded by a strange aura similar to that of the red lyrium that litters these halls. Where did all of this come from? Varric told me about his run in with this stuff when he traveled with the Champion of kirkwall. Hard to believe anyone would want it in their castle. It wasn't long until we found Grand Enchanter Fiona. The Lyrium was growing out of her body. It seems that if you are around the Lyrium long enough, it begins to transform your body into red Lyrium. Were all these Lyrium structures once people?... What is this stuff? We cannot afford to fail. This evil cannot be allowed. Alexius must be stopped. Whatever it takes...

...It takes some doing, but we manage to get to Alexius. He had walled himself off in the Throne room. Not from us, but from someone called "The Elder One". What that means I have no idea, but I doubt it means there is a kindly old man coming to offer candy and stories starting with "Back in my day...". Alexius was truly terrified of this person. When we broke into the throne room, we fought him and a horde of Demons he pulled across the veil... what was left of the Veil. The Breach had spread nearly across the entire sky. What the world out side must have been like... After we defeat Alexius and get hold of his Amulet, Dorian begins work on the spell to open a temporal rift to send us back. Just then, the ground begins to quake. Something is coming. It must be this Elder One. Cassandra and Sera go to the main hall to try and buy us time. Leliana, who we had found being tortured, is the last line of defense. She is battered and weak, but her resolve gives her strength. It was... sadly impressive. If we can't get the Rift open before Leliana falls, we're not going anywhere and this will be our new reality...

...I had to watch my friends die, but they bought us the time we needed. Upon arriving back in the present, Alexius fell to his knees at the sight of us. Sending us through the Rift was clearly his only card to play. He knew he was beaten. I almost felt sorry for him... almost. He only helped this Elder One to try and save his son from the taint poisoning his blood. I saw what ultimately became of the boy though. Death would be better. Inquisition troops carry Alexius away without a fight. Grand Enchanter Fiona approaches wondering what is to become of her and her Mages. The King and Queen of Ferelden march in with some of the soldiers. They show up AFTER they could have been of any use and then try to take control... Typical. I extend an offer of Alliance with the Mages. Fiona agreed. Not that she had any choice really. Even if she had refused, I would have conscripted the Mages as I need as much power for the mark as possible if I am to close the Breach, but this way it at least provides the illusion of a choice. Sometimes that's enough. Especially for a people who believe they've never had any choices. true or not...

...The decision got mixed reviews, but we lead the Mages back to Haven. The place is packed full now. People living on top of one another. Tensions will come to a head soon. We have to act now to seal the Breach before divisions begin to form. We have to wait for a shipment of Lyrium for the Mages though. This is going to take every ounce of power we can bring to bare. Think I'll crash for the night. Time jumping is exhausting.