Dragon Age General Discussion

Hahaha I did take Alistair bi mod! It was either him die or my character die, but because I didn't take morrigan's thing, Alistair jumped in for me and didn't give me a choice.   It was really romantic but also so tragic, but I just can't imagine enjoying that game the same way without that romance. Yeah I feel if the inquisitor does show up in dreadwolf, there's no need to bring up the romance either unless the char is plot relevant, and Cullen on top of the va scumbag, feels like his story is finished. That's good to hear on Iron Bull though! I was worried he stayed with the whole not wanting to fully commit so will definitely take it more into consideration. 

Omg I did not know that mod! That's crazy! I should look for my save then and try that some time haha. (Only bad thing there is that my alistair stayed warden so I would have to pick between him and hawke, and oh god NO LOL).

Oh yeah it would be good if they do mention it like Hawke at least, just like that confirmation they are still together. You definitely are Iron Bull simp but that's okay  . 

Oh I definitely used all the improved romance mod scenes, tested all positions... and uhh yeah XD. Lame that one only works for female, I'll have to investigate but yeah the mod worked great until that last bit of the archdemon, not because of the alistair sacrifice because thats how it plays for female too, but because suddenly he was talking like he was a king, when he never became king on my run XD.

It's very likely I will go with Iron Bull now, modding the game takes like almost a half hour for the game to load and sometimes my pc decides to crash and burn during it, and I watched some of the Cullen scenes modded, and the kissing animations don't look good hahaha and the marriage trespasser literally him calling you woman I think would really throw me off. So I think ultimately Iron bull will be the one!

 I met Hawke yesterday, I can understand now why people had criticism about his appearance, as they sort of choose for you how he feels about some things and just made him a little too broodin. While my hawke had to kill Anders, he was really sad and terrified about it, where as here they make Hawke not show that emotion for that moment and it sucks, granted is been some time.  I was also expecting more out of Fenris romance dialogue, but maybe he talks more stuff later. He didn't really speak much as I would like.  That said I still do miss him and do wish I was continuing his story on this game, especially when Cassandra goes on a fit about it XD.

I'm also trying not to pair Dorian and Bull together on my party for obvious reasons, but is hard because I need a mage, and well my ass is tired of Solas, and Vivienne makes me feel miserable for being nice with all her disapprovals XD. I miss my Wynne. 

Yeah Hawke was a bit disappointing, though it was still cool to see him together with my inquisitor. The nightmare in the fade also did mention Fenris and Varric also mentions him later post mission so thats a few times. I do wish there was a cool screenshot moment of the inquisitor and hawke working together, maybe had them lost together in the fade for a bit before finding others. No I’m not trying to pair them up, don’t look at me like that XD.

The Inquisitor took a ride on the Iron Bull. The romance dialogue did surprise me in the end and was pretty fun, I like he’s very forward about safety and consent and wants to make sure this is working for you. And then one of them he lifts your arms but then the scene ends, is not fair! I also went and killed the dragon to give him the tooth. Man really made me work for this romance than anyone else, making me fight the hard bosses I always skipped XD. But it was fun and I like how it triggers quickly a bar scene celebrating the event. It helps the pacing and the dialogue was cute there, with him saying you have a fantastic ass and the inquisitor goes awwww. I do really like how the inquisitor is also handled on the romance as you see him more vulnerable emotional. My only complain is the whole making a joke after a blacked out sex scene, is fine to do it once, but to do it twice, just felt so unnecessary. It was like a marvel moment of bioware to make fun of their romancing, which is stupid. Other than that only complains is we really don’t see anything in these scenes XD, compared to Andromeda where they go all in on Jaal XD , or even DA1 there’s a lot more making out and stuff. I suppose animating with Bull was going to be a tough one with all the different heights of inquisitors.

I do have a save with Dorian flirts that I want to finish just the romance bits not the full game, to compare since is been some time. But I noticed Dorian is a really quick one to do his romance stuff back to back and doesn’t have a proper new mission. Just a dialogue with his father, I suppose it makes sense though since the time travel was all him. But if you picked templars, feels like you get way less content. I do think their flirts are still cute, though I wish there wasn’t so much of “forbiddenness” in romancing him. It annoys me because aside from that bit with Dorian, Mother Giselle is a pretty great character dealing with your spirituality or lack thereof in your character, and is meant to be one of the more open minded mothers, so is weird she has issue with this. But yeah I think the Dorian romance is cute on the start, it just starts to fall off when hes basically telling you hes leaving so many times, but im not getting to that

I love Cassandra still as a char, I can’t remember who I chose for divine last time between her and Leliana but I really feel I should go with Cassandra this run. She really does listens and learns through your nicer decisions and she realizes the wrongs of the seekers. Where as Leliana every cutscene she wants to murder someone XD, just doesn’t feel very divine of her. I still like Leliana though, I would in fact say all the advisors are very well done. It was nice to understand why Cullen is struggling so much because I played the first two games now. Josephine is also a great new character, which is a tall order since shes basically a politician which are rarely likable. Companion wise, I’m not feeling Cole, Blackwall (partly cuz I know he lying to me XD) or Sera. I think in the case of Sera, without her romance feels like you don’t get to know her much, and Solas is super quiet without much new to say for a while or im just failing his approvals XD.. But yeah is been pretty fun rediscovering this game again with a new lense.

*whistles casually in 'doesn't recruit Dorian so the flirting isn't an issue'*

Honestly, I understand Mother Giselle having a problem with Dorian, but it's honestly a thing that's lost in the fact that, with Dorian's primary character quest being a non-metaphor of homophobia, that ends up coloring it as a result. She's got a problem with him being TEVINTER, which is a thing throughout Andrastrianism as a religion. And it doesn't help that Corypheus is a magister from ancient Tevinter as well - Tevinter is the big bad in the places where they revere Andraste, they're the ones who ordered her death. But with the rest of Dorian's character use centering on him being gay, of course that's what people see her having a problem with instead.

That's one of the things about Dorian that aggravates me outside of the romance, the fact that him being Tevinter is used for JUST an explanation as to why there's suddenly blatant in-your-face explicit homophobia in this franchise after being minimal at most before. It's not used as a character feature, it's there to make him angst about being gay. It's not about exploring the culture, or justifying what about Tevinter should be "redeemed," particularly when a piece of Tevinter's past is threatening Thedas's present, leading to the question of what value is there for Tevinter's future... No, it's just about how that's the place where we haven't been and can say that this is a Thing™ there, since it hasn't been in the series before.

And it's just such an awkward fit, because... Are you REALLY trying to say that while Anders is romanticizing the fuck out of Tevinter, Fenris wouldn't point out that the magisters are homophobic, so he'd have to hide a part of himself out there? Or that Fenris wouldn't question nouveau riche nobility Hawke having a romance with him, wouldn't at least ask if Hawke would find some noble to be with and treat him as the piece on the side?

Like the fact that Fenris PRECEDED Dorian as a character will forever baffle me, since... hOW? How do you go from showing a character who has been used and abused by a culture to having a character who EMBODIES that culture without having any questioning of it?

And this is why I don't recruit Dorian. Even beyond not liking his romance, he's just... SUCH a waste of a good concept that would have worked in this game.

farferello XD on Vivienne. She is a peculiar char. But Yeah, Jaal also suffers from the fascination on asari/peebee, just as bull as to let us know the many women he banged. Like seriously bioware, if they are bi, don’t make them talk straight male stereotypes. I will say instead of adoribull, I got Bull kind of more obsessed with Cassandra although it was more respect for her as a fighter but I did seem to get more between them than him and Dorian thankfully.



dgcatanisiri exactly, that is my issue. They establish tevinter would have an issue of Dorian liking men but not really, is cuz his dad wants a heir. (Would think magicians would find a way to produce a baby but anyway) But then they follow it up with mother giselle, which you are right is cuz of tevinter background, but then they add the fact they are having issue you the inquisitor may be sleeping with Dorian. That and timing is too quick, if it had been paced out, because that's another issue with Dorian’s it can be really rushed out. Bull at least I had one more scene before wicked hearts missions. But yeah the dialogue contradicts itself often when it comes to Dorian, not to mention the issue of Tevinter is that there is a ton of free will in comparison, so is weird that would be a bothersome thing. But this would only be the first but not last time, bioware has to remind gays they can’t make kids. (Cough andromeda)

Lee there is so much shit to do and for nothing XD. There is like 3 locations in this game that other than companion quests, are pretty worthless story wise. I opened up the Hissing Wastes and then went nop. There was this whole dungeon on the descent I went Nope.


That said, I finally finished it, had these messages saved cuz last time I tried to send them had issue posting and then just forgot sorry XD.

Ultimately, I take back what I said on Cassandra being divine, I ended up liking Leiliana as the choice, I just completely forgot she suddenly shifts from the assassin vibes lol. I think Cassandra is way more useful at helping the Seekers anyway rather than just leaving them to go crazy somewhere. I will say though Cassandra is definitely one my favorite female companions in any bioware game, I really like how well the friendship path is done with her than most other female characters out there, just felt more genuine personally. While jaws of hakkon felt mostly really filler, I did like that end bit with Cassandra and my inquisitor talking to the last inquisitor. I did enjoy The Descent a lot more though, had more cinematics and really cool levels, although the final boss was the end of me even on easy.

I also enjoyed the friendship path with Dorian, it felt really impactful how he feels like you only friend that just gets him. Ultimately, it did feel I was helping him more being a friend for him than being on a relationship where he probably doesn't feel ready for.

Now the Iron bull, my main romance this run. I have mixed thoughts, mostly due to trespasser, farferello prepared me mentally for it though early XD. But yeah in terms of the main campaign, I really enjoyed the Iron bull romance in the end, I complained about all his sex scenes having a funny bit but there was another one after wicked hearts (probably my favorite mission/moment in the campaign) that was actually a lot sweeter and touching. And then of course once you defeat Corypheus you get the final moment, which I really liked a lot with Iron Bull, just made sense him pushing you through the door than other romances. Still wish we got proper animations with him though, as they often feel a bit awkward but oh well. And there's also the lack of a dance scene or cutscene with him wearing the uniform despite the model being a thing inside the palace, my only major gripe from the campaign.

HOWEVER, Trespasser, I don't know what the hell happened, but is like an entirely different writer wrote Iron Bull on this. The game builds you up with this really great moment with Cassandra about marriage where you can admit to her you have thought about it, and I found that really sweet and touching. But then when you finally brought it up to the Iron Bull, his reaction is rather cold "like sure whatever" vibe, while for the inquisitor bringing that up was like a big deal for him, and honestly it crushed me a bit. Not to mention the whole birthday thing, the flirt being talking about sex toys, like you could have simply had the inquisitor just talk flirty things, like your horn are looking sexy today, IDK something else besides throwing that. I feel the campaign does a good job of keeping things vague enough that doesn't necessarily have to be bdsm involved, but then trespasser just doesn't even try that. THANKFULLY, they were some moments in the battlefield that made up for it, where you get to ask bull if hes doing okay with all this qunari stuff, likewise bull showing concern over your hand pain. So, it was nice to finally get that caring moment between each other, because before that it just felt like friends with benefits the dialogue. The epilogue text didn't exactly do much with the romance though alas, I'm just gonna have to think Bull does a mission and then comes back home to the inquisitor.

Anyways my almost 10 year old late rant aside, I did really enjoy a lot the game this replay and I'm sad is over because god knows when Dreadwolf comes out. I did really enjoy most of the send offs of the other characters. Loved all the advisors from beginning to end, and I'm glad they made them because otherwise without them the game wouldn't feel the same. Loved cassandra, bull and dorian as my main squad. Varric is always great though the whole book thing is overblown a bit, but I appreciate him being there to keep us posted on Kirkwall. Vivienne I did enjoy the spa scene, but I'm still indifferent about her char, just never was clear to me what she was doing most of the time XD. Blackwall the twist is cool but without it, I feel he's really flat. Sera, I did really like her post mission content, was quite fun, just wish she had a better though out mission, because she's not very likeable during that. Cole is a strange one because the whole having to decide their fate shouldn't really be on my hands so I kept him the way he is, because I wouldn't want someone to change what I am.

And then there's Solas, is insane to me so much of trespasser everyone is like who's this person giving the inquisition a bad name that has magic, like not a single one of them including Leliana even think of Solas? Just made all the chars be absolutely clueless. Anyways, I actually like Solas more in trespasser than I do on the main campaign. The main campaign should have explored more this "changed" Solas that actually is struggling because he starts to become attached. And the lead into what happens later. Cuz for the most part, Solas didn't really have much to do or say in Skyhold. I do wish the fandom for him had not gone so crazy to make him feel annoying because otherwise I still feel an interesting character.

And lastly, I want to end on a note on the inquisitor, the character did grow on me a lot even if it felt I knew less of his background than I did DA1 AND DA2s protagonists but is likely also because I do really like the voice too XD. Hawke and Inquisitor beat out ME protags in sexy voices I think. Anyways, wall of text over, now to impatiently wait again for DA4.

Congrats on finishing the game and Trespasser. I've ranted many a times over the past years with various friends about Trespasser and how your romantic relationship with someone plays out and I won't get mad about it again (I swear! XD) But yeah, I'm still salty about the 'okay bye *fucks off*' scenes that certain romances get (okay now I think about it, I'm pretty sure it's only Dorian, and Bull that abandon your ass) and it just... I promised to not get mad about it so I will trail off from those thoughts.

Leliana is definitely my favourite Divine, especially if she's also romanced your Warden (as I couldn't use my main Warden because the DA Keep fucked me in regards to a modded Alistair romance) I went with my Leliana and Surana run, and as Pope she makes some pretty good choices. I'm sure that the next game will probably retcon said choices because Bioware just won't let Mages be free, but it's nice whilst it lasts.

If we get updates about the next game I hope it's more than just 'lol look Solas' again. I want companion stuff. I also hope that when we do get to proper companion introductions they do like they did with DA:I and not ME:A and just let us know romance choices ahead of time. It might make me mad because no matter the game I always want a romance I can't have fuckingRogueTrader but knowing ahead of time would take the sting out at least, rather than another Jaal situation.

Yeah sadly they already started the work of basically saying with Lelianna as Divine-Viv (even if not recruited) starts a circle of her own to challenge the free mages. (why anyone would willingly put themselves under her thumb is beyond me, but apparently, BioWare thought it was a great idea.)

That's the thing about Trespasser that really pissed me off, it was like the whole thing was designed to invalidate everything I liked about the main game.

I don't think they did a good job of that for me personally. I still see Templars and the Chantry as pretty much evil. They had absolute power for so long that there was corruption at every level.

As for the roleplay, I do think the Origins at the very least had a plethora of obvious evil choices, and Dragon Age 2 had fewer but still some. I don't know, I think there is a push in gaming in general to make everything "seem" grey, but I don't know how well it lands sometimes.

-overly negative opinion of templars spoilered for anyone who doesn't want to read-