Dragon Age: Origins - It's out, bitches!

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I found Gorim (your warrior dwarven friend) to be a great character, shame he's not permanent. Exceptional voice acting. Gotta love his reaction the day after I fancied myself to enjoy a threesome with 2 ladies.
 
I found Gorim (your warrior dwarven friend) to be a great character, shame he's not permanent. Exceptional voice acting. Gotta love his reaction the day after I fancied myself to enjoy a threesome with 2 ladies.
I was pretty annoyed when playing a female noble when I found out that Gorim was already married and had a kid on the way. I went right to Denerim as soon as I left Lothering to find the bastard! The man works too fast for me, I mean how long was I not around for? A month or two?

That said, I played a dwarf commoner first, which almost forced me to side with Bhelen when it came time to side with someone for the Orzammar chain, because my sister totally guilted me into it.
 
M

Mr. Lawface

While I thought Dwarf Noble was a very good origin, I thought Dwarf Commoner wasn't all that interesting.

Human noble was cliche, and mage was pretty cool.

I haven't tried the elf origins yet.
 
S

Singularity.EXE

Mage origin was mediocre, but oh man what a class.

I am currently a level 8 Blood Mage with a heavy focus on Entropy. And good lord am I unstoppable. Not in the manner of "I look at you, you blow up" but rather that I have an insane amount of CC.

I enter a room full of Darkspawn. Immediately I bust out the Mass Sleep. Anyone that resists gets hit by Paralyze and Horror. Then, anyone that is not CC'd gets Disoriented and Weakened, and we begin to cut through the horde.

If I am running low on mana I activate Death Magic, to suck health out of dead people, and switch to Blood Power and start casting using my own health, but consistently regenerate hitpoints from dead people.

Tis most fun.
 
Mage origin was mediocre, but oh man what a class.

I am currently a level 8 Blood Mage with a heavy focus on Entropy. And good lord am I unstoppable. Not in the manner of "I look at you, you blow up" but rather that I have an insane amount of CC.

I enter a room full of Darkspawn. Immediately I bust out the Mass Sleep. Anyone that resists gets hit by Paralyze and Horror. Then, anyone that is not CC'd gets Disoriented and Weakened, and we begin to cut through the horde.

If I am running low on mana I activate Death Magic, to suck health out of dead people, and switch to Blood Power and start casting using my own health, but consistently regenerate hitpoints from dead people.

Tis most fun.
Wait until you get blood wound. BEST. SPELL. EVER. Though, I much prefer to use horror on sleeping enemies. It'll kill most enemies outright, and if it somehow survives, it'll be stuck in horror for a long while, just waiting for you to cut it down.

I'm an arcane warrior/blood mage. I cast my crowd control, turn on my sustainables (including combat magic) and just wade in with my bigass sword, cleaving heads.

If I need to cast some spells, I'll pop on blood magic and cast from my health pool. Blood wound really is awesome.
 
Just to add to the pictures, I recently rerolled as a rogue, and I have to say I love the melee finishing moves.

Very minor early ogre fight spoiler image:


Heh, I got this game yesterday. Rolled a mage.

This battle.. I don't know whether to be proud of not.

As a mage, I went in there with the Templar and the two soldiers.. they wen't down in short order.

I ended up soloing this guy with my mage + Curse of Mortality.

Dot + run in circles around the room squealing and quaffing potions when he managed to get a hit in, reapplying my DoT as necessary.

It was pretty anticlimactic, but funny at the same time.

I'm loving the game so far.. its so very well made in the story dept. Kind of annoyed the game requires AoE so much though. I can't imagine playing this game without a mage.

Also, considering how well the rest of the game is wrote.
I was pretty annoyed the traitor to the king was so blatantly obvious he may as well have donned a black cape and hat and twirled his moustache after every line. Mouse in the mage tutorial was wrote far better than him.
 
Also, considering how well the rest of the game is wrote.
I was pretty annoyed the traitor to the king was so blatantly obvious he may as well have donned a black cape and hat and twirled his moustache after every line. Mouse in the mage tutorial was wrote far better than him.
You're not very far in the game, so I'll just say it is possible that his character isn't as flat as it appears.
 
Also, he's voiced by Simon Templeman (Kain from Legacy of Kain) so it doesn't matter how he's written, he sounds like smooth villainous butter no matter what.
 
I'm feeling weird about poison use as a rogue. Without using it, I suspect I'm missing out a lot on what makes my character actually good, but I feel like I'm wasting poison if I use it for random trash mobs. But if I don't use it, then my rogue just sits around feeling outclassed by the mages in most fights.
 
I agree with Lohgain. As soon as you meet him he is at odds with the king, these dark, weary circles around his eyes, and at the end of the scene he has one of those "I am so going to fuck you over" foreshadowing shots. I knew he was going to betray everyone at the critical point.

He actually is a slightly deeper character once you interact with him a bit more, and in a way I like the fact he was so obvious because it explains how so many others in the game realized something was fishy even without myself getting involved.
 
i found the last fight to be a little underwhelming
I mentioned that before. It was a bit underwhelming compared to the areas that lead up to it. I think it is because...

They let you have so many allies. When I fought Flemeth and the Dragon in the Mountains it was just my party of four, but when you fight the Archdemon, you get a lot of help. You get allies from the past (In my case it was Arl Eamon and the First Enchanter) and if you play the cards right you even get others, like I convinced the dwarf leader of the Legion of the Dead to join me in the fight and he was a little powerhouse. Other then those three I didn't notice any others, but I was running around a bunch so I might have missed an elf in there somewhere from the Dalish.


Also, you can summon members of the armies. I used all my humans and dwarves in the earlier areas of the city, and the Dalish archers during the stand off section, but saved my few mages for the final battle. They were amazing in that fight because they stood back nice and far away just casting attacks that could never miss. We beat him down nice and quick without me losing a single character.


Underwhelming, but still I liked the epic feeling of myself and all the allies I made over the game just going crazy on the final boss.
 
Well, I've played through it, and other than mostly loving it, I do have one major complaint. It is not easy to be an asshole in this game. Bioware once again kind of fails at the bad guy portion. Sure you can be an evil dick, but this pretty much excludes you from 90% of the optional quests. Any time you're an asshole to anyone they just stop talking to you. I don't like it.

Also, for being a massive huge 9 novels worth of writing long game, the villains have almost 0 character. Arl Howe, he's Tim Curry and he's a dick, end of characterization. Archdemon, it wrecks shit, end of characterization.

The only one that gets anything (and it's very little) is Loghain.

Really disappointing villains.
 
I agree that the game didn't really have a final villain.
Loghain was the closest thing we actually had, otherwise the only other villain was the "presence" of the Blight in the south. The Archdemon itself was just a dragon, and while I was expecting it to grow into a really cool enemy due to the great start of the "dreams", it didn't develop into anything more then a twisted red dragon by the final battle. I was hoping for some awesomely evil, and foreshadowing, dialogue to lead us into the new bigger threat in the next Dragon Age, and it never came.
 
When I played the game, I was looking forward to banging...

Morrigan. Alas, there's no lesbian option for her, and Leliana was kind of obnoxious. So I started up a romance with Alistair for the hell of it, and... D'AWWWWWW. I want to leave my boyfriend and do what that one dude did and marry him.
 
Arl Howe was most disappointing to me personally. The arch demon was just there to wipe stuff off the face of the earth, so not much character building needed there, Loghain was ok, though I would've liked to hear/talk/see more about him/his past.

Arl Howe was just basically an empty character who just wants power for the sole reason of having it, or so it came across at least. Not much history on him and little conversation with him.

Your allies were nicely done however, so it balances out.

Sure you can be an evil dick, but this pretty much excludes you from 90% of the optional quests. Any time you're an asshole to anyone they just stop talking to you. I don't like it.
This does makes sense though, why ask for help from a guy who apparently only tolerates your presence because he needs you as cannon fodder?
 
Arl Howe was most disappointing to me personally.
I never really even though of him that much of a main villain though. He was just Loghain's lacky that wanted power, and his only real defining moment was in the Human Noble Origin and his death. He was supposed to be overall forgettable.
 
Arl Howe was most disappointing to me personally. The arch demon was just there to wipe stuff off the face of the earth, so not much character building needed there, Loghain was ok, though I would've liked to hear/talk/see more about him/his past.

Arl Howe was just basically an empty character who just wants power for the sole reason of having it, or so it came across at least. Not much history on him and little conversation with him.

Your allies were nicely done however, so it balances out.

Sure you can be an evil dick, but this pretty much excludes you from 90% of the optional quests. Any time you're an asshole to anyone they just stop talking to you. I don't like it.
This does makes sense though, why ask for help from a guy who apparently only tolerates your presence because he needs you as cannon fodder?
It makes sense in real life, it makes playing a dick in the game boring and terrible, which sucks.

---------- Post added at 10:25 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:25 AM ----------

Arl Howe was most disappointing to me personally.
I never really even though of him that much of a main villain though. He was just Loghain's lacky that wanted power, and his only real defining moment was in the Human Noble Origin and his death. He was supposed to be overall forgettable.[/QUOTE]

Which also sucks, and it's a huge waste of Tim Curry.
 
Which also sucks, and it's a huge waste of Tim Curry.
Which is kind of par for the course these days. I love Tim Currey but he keeps finding himself is forgettable video game roles. Even as the leader of the Soviets in RA3 I just felt zero interest in his character.
 
This was the first game I got for my new computer, after reading so much about how much this game rules.

Started out as a female human noble. Origin story, not too bad. Then came the tedious series of quests in the Korcari Wilds, retrieve this, retrieve that, follow these series of markers, follow that series of landmarks... ho hum. I was ready to quit the game and post about how disappointed I was with it.

And then the cut-scene of the battle between King Cailan's forces and the Darkspawn horde began.

...
...
...
:eek:

THIS IS THE MOST EPIC GAME EVER!!!! *gleeeee*

Also, I'm sorry but I couldn't listen to Duncan talk without seeing Al-Mualim in my head. I kept expecting him to refer to my character as Altair.
 
This was the first game I got for my new computer, after reading so much about how much this game rules.

Started out as a female human noble. Origin story, not too bad. Then came the tedious series of quests in the Korcari Wilds, retrieve this, retrieve that, follow these series of markers, follow that series of landmarks... ho hum. I was ready to quit the game and post about how disappointed I was with it.

And then the cut-scene of the battle between King Cailan's forces and the Darkspawn horde began.

...
...
...
:eek:

THIS IS THE MOST EPIC GAME EVER!!!! *gleeeee*

Also, I'm sorry but I couldn't listen to Duncan talk without seeing Al-Mualim in my head. I kept expecting him to refer to my character as Altair.
immediately after the battle you will once again be fighting bandits in the wilderness.

the entire plot/dialogue of this game eats a dick. lets run down the checklist:

-Predictable plot twists.
-Half assed voice acting.
-Facial expressions/voices/opinions change immediately and unbelievably after you use a "persuade" dialogue choice
-Humans standing in for white imperialists, generic fantasy race standing in for black people in a cruel and tragic mockery of social commentary

YEP LOOKS LIKE A BIOWARE GAME

anyway i gtg i need to get more levels.
 
This was the first game I got for my new computer, after reading so much about how much this game rules.

Started out as a female human noble. Origin story, not too bad. Then came the tedious series of quests in the Korcari Wilds, retrieve this, retrieve that, follow these series of markers, follow that series of landmarks... ho hum. I was ready to quit the game and post about how disappointed I was with it.

And then the cut-scene of the battle between King Cailan's forces and the Darkspawn horde began.

...
...
...
:eek:

THIS IS THE MOST EPIC GAME EVER!!!! *gleeeee*

Also, I'm sorry but I couldn't listen to Duncan talk without seeing Al-Mualim in my head. I kept expecting him to refer to my character as Altair.
immediately after the battle you will once again be fighting bandits in the wilderness.

the entire plot/dialogue of this game eats a dick. lets run down the checklist:

-Predictable plot twists.
-Half assed voice acting.
-Facial expressions/voices/opinions change immediately and unbelievably after you use a "persuade" dialogue choice
-Humans standing in for white imperialists, generic fantasy race standing in for black people in a cruel and tragic mockery of social commentary

YEP LOOKS LIKE A BIOWARE GAME

anyway i gtg i need to get more levels.[/QUOTE]

It's standard Bioware fare, but is that really a bad thing? I mean, it's not original, but it's very entertaining (the story I mean). The voice acting is outstandingly superb, I have 0 complaints there.

I dunno, saying the entire plot and all the dialogue eats dick seems really harsh.
 
Yep, Bioware recycled their favorite storyline again.

Every time I heard "Grey Warden" in game, my brain automatically converted it to "Spectre."
 
Eh, I played through it twice already and I'm contemplating a third time. Bhamv is right..I sometimes hear "Spectre" too, but at least I find the game just fun to play and despite going through the game twice, I dont think I've fully utilized all my party members to get the full story out of them, so It's got the reply value.
 
It's definately hackneyed, but that isn't always a bad thing, as most people currently addicted to the game are realizing.

Bioware didn't set out to revolutionize the rpg world. Just like Mass Effect was a giant love letter to the sci-fi cliche, so too is Dragon Age a love letter to classic fantasy tropes.
 
Both Mass Effect and Dragon Age have a kind of "hardcore" feel that reminds me of French SF/Fantasy BD.

Neither subverts any major story conventions, but somehow they both have a strong edge to them that's really notable to the atmosphere without being over-the-top.

I can't quite put my finger on it.
 
They have a lot of passion for the games they make, and I think that really shows.

Also, this is my first post from my new phone. You'll never be rid of me now.
 
Just finished my first playthrough. Not sure what you guys mean about the end battle being underwhelming, I found it to be pretty epic. Eh, each to his own I suppose.

Went for the Morrigan ending. Woo hoo, extra nookie scene!

Next playthrough will be with an Arcane Warrior/Spirit Healer mage, along with three meatshields. I'm thinking Sten, Shale and one other. (Alistair? Oghren? One of the rogues?)
 
hey, i said that i found it hackneyed, not that i wasnt completely addicted to it. v:)v
The voice acting thing you mentioned still bugs me. If you consider this half-assed voice acting, I can't even begin to imagine how insurmountable your expectations must be.
 
I have really been itching to play again. I am keeping up with the modifications though and I am waiting for a few more that would remove a few annoyances.

They already got two of them, removal of the companion auto-level, and a storage box IN CAMP rather then off in some random location. Now I just need a change in the mana system and I will be golden.
 
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