Should Kieran play a major role in the next Dragon Age? (Spoiler)

I don't know if it would make the decision have any less impact. You still made the choice you did when your character refused to help Morrigan. Now, if she still decided to go to Riordan and get him do the dark ritual with her anyhow? You can only make your own decisions, but you can't control what other characters do. That's what makes the world feel real and in my mind doesn't lessen the decision. You can't have all the power in the world when you're just one character. But it's your decision what your character does and how he reacts to the actions of others, ideally.

It's true that DR alone doesn't stop the Blight and who knows Riordan may have never agreed to it, but again that's the writers decision. If they really wanted to they could've made Kieran canon easily, but I guess for one reason or another that didn't happen, so now Flemeth has the Old God Soul somehow and Kieran is just a normal kid (as normal as Morrigan's child can be. Flemeth, according to the legends only had daughters - as did Andraste and her daughters by the way - but Morrigan had a son... /off-topic)

If she had gone to Riordan regardless, and been successful with him, then the Warden and Alistair (or Loghain) would have survived. That renders the player's choice meaningless because the choice Morrigan presents to you is a way to survive. There would NO ultimate sacrifice ending because she used Riordan. That is the choice being taken away from the player, their choice to have that ultimate sacrifice.

Yes, this. You cannot retcon on the tale that can still be replayed and tracks Warden's status, and it will be a particularly bad form to retcon for the sake an already way too uplifted NPC over one of the protagonists. Protagonist roles are already sidelined by DA franchise vs the NPCs, there is no need to reduce the player agency even more. I want the protagonist matter more in the next game, not less. Particularly if they would commit to the last game in franchise. Actually, I want this to happen, final game, final definite protagonist, final fate of three previous ones. Enough is enough.

I don't want Morrigan, let alone Kieran, play an important role, unless they are enemies for my PC to kill. In which case Kieran can be replaced by a servant/follower/Disciple in the next game.

The game already spawned enough npc with tons of influence in the realm including in Tevinter.

But Morrigan is the worst, because the game never ever lets me get back at her, and my PC always loses to her. I could not even hurt her by giving Kieran to Flemeth to feed on. This is so unfair.

I am not going to pretend that I won't buy the game, but if it has an option to finally end Morrigan and leave Kieran as a non-entity, gods bless you, BioWare. It's about time.

What's the point, Flemeth is dead. I'd rather inquisitor's soul is bound to Solas. I want an obvious, simple, final victory where there is no chance she bounces back to her feet and turns it into her victory like last time.

Last time I did what she wanted, because I believed it that it benefited me in some way, but never again. I will never again grant her request, no matter what.

If that happens, I will change it in DAK. But as the game was, the only thing I could do at all against Morrigan was not to let her absorb millienia of Elven lore.

What's MUAH?

Muah is myself. I didn't want to type ME, for stress, as it is the acronym for Mass Effect. 

But my end point was simply that I, the player, am the true protaganist. And that by leaving the endings vague, I have more freedom to role play the intent of my self created protagonists than the other Bioware game I am familiar with. There is 4 endings to Shepard, 3 of which involve dying, and all of which have ethical qualms. If that is the sort of "definitive endings" Bioware gives, than I am not into them. At all. Other games I've played also have vague endings for the protag and I like a game ending in such a way as, "Into the sunset with optimistic adventure in their heart." I don't love The Witcher, only played TW3, but even I am weirded out that he would sign up to work with a King, even under orders, in TW2. in TW3, it's more about very personal blackmail. 

Re: Morrigan. I don't get your hate being so strong, to be honest. I really dislike Leliana, but I can avoid her 2/3 games and still intentionally vote for Cass over her in the third game. She is also a forced companion in DAI, like Morrigan, and about as useful considering all the assasination attempts and spies she lets in. Her failure as a Spy Queen severely weakened any argument for allowing Inquisition to remain as an institution at full strength- we obviously couldn't manage to keep spies out. I certainly wouldn't try to punish Morrigan by putting her son in danger @_@

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to the OP, I think Kieren should not be a major role in the next Dragon Age. But it would be nice for a cameo that doesn't make you feel like crap for having him alive like Connor's end game. But also not SO important that people who didn't do the DR feel like they've made the world a worse place for his non existence. 

To be honest, I'm with domi on this. I really can't stand Morrigan, I find this characters extreemly uninspired (Viconia did a better job at being the bitchywitch of the group) and not very interesting - especially compared with her family. At least you can ignore her in DAO after Lothering. In my games, she stayed at her stupid fire after I tried two whole playthroughs to get something remotely interesting from her (no, I never did the romance nor do I wish to ever do it), but all she does is bitching and complaining. It's a waste of a talented voice actor imo. But in DAI you are stuck with her in at least two quests, plus she is always uninvited at my war council meetings - no way my inquis would let that hedge witch participate.
Luckily tastes are different and I come to accept that she has enough fans for BW to probably bring her back yet again (maybe this time they give her at least some decent clothing).
Sorry for the rant, I just can so sympasize with someone who is really pissed off with Morrigan

I fully agree about the endings though. I like different, more open endings, riding off into the sunset, landing in a sarcophagus under the sea with eternity on your hand ... perfect

I was tossing Geralt in with Shepard, another set protag. I am also of the opinion that Shepard had a default personality in that they were always a not very casual military commander; you can only play what flavor of military commander you want to be to a point. With set protaganists the writers have to decide what that character would do next, regardless of player feeling about the direction that protag would go. Shepard has to be devoted to stopping the deaths of the galaxy inhabintants. And the writers couldn't fathom the Milky Way where Shepard didn't die with a plot important bang. No going into that sunset and no old age or Shepard. With Geralt, another set protag, he was just being a Witcher. Then he got tied up in the king plot pretty strongly. And finally, wonderfully, he was released back into just being a Witcher again. In my PT, he got his Sunset with Ciri moment and I am very satisfied. 

The Warden can die but only if the player chooses. Or they could live and go on another adventure (the Cure). Or since all it is is a letter, it could also have been an intentional lie on the Warden's part to write that. Happy romance endings for Warden are all achieved- many head canons possible. They dragged Hawked back- I can't fathom why any of my Hawkes would think cory was their fault, but generally good hearted people can feel guilty for the oddest of things. They also made Hawke say things I didn't agree with. But at least, again, I can choose whether or not to kill Hawke. Power in MY hands as the player is the true protag. I hope they give an option for an Inquisitor death in the next game that is, and I stress it, OPTIONAL. But also most of the dialogue needs to be in the player's hands or reduced. I really liked that letter from the Warden. It struck just the right chords for me.

These issues about "endings" seem to be about a recurring protagonist vs non recurring protagonist, at least to me. But unless Dragon Age leaves that century, they can't leave behind the last protaganist; they and their friends can't be "history." And therefore, the writers need to do something with them- to varying success with the fans. I'm been 90%+ satisfied with what they've done, and others seem to think it's all gone down hill.

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Re: Kieren
I don't know what Expy clone is, but my understanding of your gist is that they make a Kieran ish looking character that they don't confirm as Kieran that does stuff in the plot that could be done conceivably by a Kieran character. It would be a bummer if he did bad/unpoular things because it may reflect on Daddy Warden's co parenting skills. But it'd be interesting nonetheless-- kids don't always grow up the way you wanted them to. 

Male Morrigan is a very, very risky character. Even in our day and time, the demographics is not in favor of an opinionated, contrary bad boy with his own agenda eclipsing PC's agenda (and at odds with it.). To put it bluntly, you need enough players who will find such a guy sexy enough to wanna bed him or buy his sob story to develop the "understanding/forgiveness" feeling that "nobody else gets" and really come to appreciate that "OMG, respect/friendship/love" you win from them.

Before Morrigan there was Bishop. He was a male Morrigan. Gods, the amount of hate that guy got...

Take a look at how carefully they wrote Solas to NOT ruffle anyone's feathers, and how outright in your face unpleasant they let certain female characters be (and how it is directly proportional to the amount of boob flesh or butt curve they are showing).

I've never really liked it when female companions scored points with the players by bashing male companions (that never fight back) and that's my reason to dislike Morrigan. Hells, Wiki site about her features her quote about Alistair being dumber than a dog... and in the end I am presented with a choice to either die, or put my former lover into her bed. As weird as it sounds, that disappointment still eats at me. I guess, I liked Alistair and wanted a cute happy ending more than I care to admit.

That doesn't seem to work well with the way the DR is described in-game. The idea is supposed to be that the Warden dies because the soul is killed inside them. If the father doesn't get the DR's protection, Urthemiel shouldn't either.