Dragon Age Support Group

Um, sure. I can open up I've only been playing DA since last fall, so I don't have the long history with this series that many others do. Still...

I have more of an emotional connection with DA2 than with DAI, but I still friggin love these characters. My little buddy Varric, loyal Cassandra, heartthrobs Cullen, Fenris, and Dorian (and next, Iron Bull!), sweet little sister Bethany, even though other people think she's boring...

I might be a little crazy in how attached I am to my Hawke. I got the DLCs several months after playing for the first time, and instead of starting a new game, I pulled up an old save (from early act 2) so I could play the DLCs AND go through act 2 and 3 again with the same character. The next time I play DA2 from the beginning, I am going to re-create the same Hawke and play the same LI, though I might make her a rogue this time just so I feel a little less pathetic.

I'm a little soured on DAO after having played DA2 and DAI, to be honest, though when I first played it, it reminded me so much of Neverwinter Nights and I enjoyed the nostalgia. There's a certain magic in DAO that got lost in the next two games, I think. However, I like the characters from DA2 and DAI much better.

There. How's that for incoherent feelings?

The first time I played DAO it had a big emotional impact on me. The moment Riorden told us about the ultimate sacrifice I just knew he wasn't going to make it. Then I went back to my room and Morrigan made her offer. Having turned her down I had sort of accepted I was going to die. Then King Alistair made his big Henry V type speech, I was so proud of him that he finally seemed to be accepting his role. When the soldiers lined up to cheer us on our way in the final Denerim run, that moved me every time. Then essentially I was fighting my way to my doom. Yet when the moment came, it didn't work out like that. That blew me away and I was really moved. However, I couldn't repeat that experience on subsequent runs because the element of surprise was gone. I still have played through multiple times though but the first time was the best.

DA2 never really grabbed me the same way. Some bits did. Trying to get to my mother in time was an example of something that really got me going the first time but of course lost something when I knew the outcome. I felt the real climax to the story was the end of Act 2 with the Arishok. Act 3 was like a prolonged epilogue tying up all the lose ends with companions, until the very end. At the end I was fighting so hard to stop the massacre of the mages, I was literally throwing myself in front of Templars to prevent them getting through. Then all the silliness started to occur and that sort of ruined it for me. Fenris begging my mage Hawke not to die was rather good though. Getting the mage and magic hating elf to love her was the highpoint of the game for me.

DAI was great for me on the first run until the end. I did the Solas romance and that meant that the celebrations at the end just didn't have any affect on me. I felt really flat and depressed, just as my character would. It didn't help that it reminded me too much of my failed love life. Seeing her standing all alone on the balcony was just sad but I felt hollow. That really wasn't the way I wanted to feel at the end of the game.

So I went back to the beginning and played through again, this time romancing Dorian and the magic came back. When we made it through the battle with Corypheus and I saw the exchange of looks of joyful relief between Dorian and my PC, I truly welled up. I felt the sense of happiness as we walked back into Skyhold. I enjoyed the party and felt the sense of celebration. Standing together with Dorian on the balcony gazing off into the sunset meant I ended the game on a high. I don't have to have a completely happy ending; I sure didn't get that the first time I played DAO and yet I felt completely satisfied and moved at the end. However, I don't want to feel totally depressed as I did the first time I played DAI. I'd got immersed in role playing my character all right but not in a good way. Still, I was amazed at the emotional response I got at the end of my 2nd run, even though I knew what was coming. So all credit to the game and the writers that it was possible for me to feel that way. I clearly just needed to role play my character in a different way to get that response. I think romancing Dorian helped too.

As for Trespasser, if the aim was to get me eager for the next game, then it was totally successful. It might have raised more questions than it answered but I really enjoyed it. I did get a genuine emotional response at the end. Amazingly enough it even occurred with my Solas romance when I had the courage to take her through. I wouldn't say I'd get the same emotional response after the 11th playthrough but I still do get passionate talking about the game and its characters. That's why I used to go to the official boards and have now transferred to this one when I knew they were going to close.