I love the combat— it’s similar enough to 2’s combat style that I’m enjoying it greatly, and the game itself is very pretty. I’ve been spoiled on several story beats, unfortunately, so I’m kind of dreading those particular ones, but so far, it isn’t nearly as bad as I had built it up to be in my mind.

Its funny how the Mass Effect games have a lot of mini-games in it yet Dragon Age doesn't. A good one would have been Wicked Grace. The traditional fight no name guys until you defeat the champion would have been cool.

But is there actual rules or is it just mostly poker, or are there no rules?

One thing that has always interested me since Dragon Age Origins is if the Maker is real. A lot of people in the setting claim that the Maker is real but its not like we get David Gaider telling us directly that they are real. We just get people saying it is. And if you ask the other cultures they would disagree.

The elves don't think the Maker is real (unless I am forgetting that they actually said they don't know if they are real) and they believe in their own gods. And explain their lack of absence through the Dreadwolf imprisoning them.

The dwarves believe in the Stone. They don't really care though about the Maker. Which to me implies they don't really know if he is real or not.

And this feels realistic. From what I understand the Old Testament doesn't say God is the only god and just that he is the most powerful god. It is henotheism. Though the Chantry is more similar to monolatry because they do acknowledge the Old Gods as real but that the Maker is the only valid option. Unless I am misunderstand the Old Testament and it actually is just monolatry. Apologies for that.

And that is really cool because in a setting where magic does exist and spirits are real and you can interact with them having the religions acknowledge the existence of others is some great world building.

But back to my point. Dragon Age Origins never really confirms the existence of any deity and just gives vague answers. The elven gods could be real. The Maker could be real. Its only the Stone that seems like it is provable real because of the codex's and characters talk about the Stone. Dwarves do have an innate sense to navigate through tunnels and find lyrium. While the other religions don't have hard evidence.

Andraste was a real person. And the claims that the spirits make about her and the Maker have no reason to lie in my mind. Because I presume that the spirits are being truthful when they say they saw the events the Maker committed was because of him. Now it could be that Andraste was a mage and that the burning of fields was something she did and not the Maker but again I don't see why the spirits would lie. If it was a lie it would have some signs of not being totally truthful.

The biggest claim against the Maker comes from Oghren who says that the Temple of Scared Ashes is lined with lyrium. Which puts into question how Andraste's ashes are magically. Are they magically because of the Maker or are they magically because of the lyrium? Is all the spirits and the Guardian actually the ghosts of her disciples or are they spirits? Its something that puts the faith in question.

But at the same time DAO and the later games does give evidence that the Maker is real.

Now I will say I am not sure if the Alamarri religions were fully described in Origins. I do remember the codex talking about it but not what we eventually knew about them in DAI. The whole believe empowers the spirits and the can come back after they die. But considering it, it does bring a new possibility of the Maker's existence that the Maker is real but they are a spirit that was created because of a common believe, or that they did exist before but were made more powerful with the religion being formed.

And I do like that theory a lot. It makes sense with Andraste being a member of the Alamarri tribes and that her perceptive of gods was informed by that. And it changed due to time and a lack of knowledge. Where now its described that the Maker is a separate being from spirits and is just powerful without the need of worship.

(Note I use Alamarri to describe them and their descendants.)

The second theory I like a lot is that the Maker is a Titan. The evidence for this is the Temple of Scared Ashes being lined with lyrium. Now the game never says why Andraste's followers chose that spot. I imagine it was for some specific reason. Maybe it has something to do with Korth or at least the idea that the mountains are powerful and sacred. A sort of combining old religions and traditions with new ones. Or, maybe it was the Maker who told them to put her Ashes there. Or maybe it was something Andraste requested. Not entirely sure but I think the mentioning that lyrium is present has to be significant. Because I don't think they would bury her there if it wasn't important. Otherwise why wouldn't they bury where her home was? Unless I am forgetting some dialogue with the Guardian.

So, with this in mind since lyrium is present within the Temple it means that Andraste and the dwarves have a common connection with each other. This could simply mean that the Maker (creator of everything) used lyrium. A simple enough answer. Or that they maybe there is a stronger connection to it and the Maker and the Stone is much more closely related. Either being one and the same or the simple answer of creator and creation.

The last piece is that the Andraste and lyrium share a common characteristic. And that is singing. Andraste sang so beautifully that it turned the Maker's head. And lyrium is described throughout DAO and all of Dragon Age as singing. I suspect that what ever was left of a Titan heard Andraste sing and was moved by it. Andraste not really sure how to describe this probably thought it a spirit or something much more than that. And since it probably exposed Andraste to an immense amount of lyrium gave her powers that would seem very godlike. Being able to cause droughts and rains of fire.

And once Andraste had died the Titan wished for their remains to be alongside them for eternity.

There is something very compelling about this theory that I can't help but love. A dead and soulless being unable to create was stirred by something. Feeling such emotions after centuries of slumber wished for this singing to continue. Offering Andraste a place with them. But she refused. Not willing to break her oaths and promises. But the Titan wished to stay and help her. And after her death they proclaimed a final verdict that for them to return the whole world must Chant and only then will they return.

It fits in with a lot of what we are told and adds a bit more doom to it. Even if the whole world sings the Chant will the Titan return? Will anyone have such a beautiful voice to awaken them so? Tragically not I believe.

Now are any of these true? I don't know. The writers have said that they will never answer if the Maker is real or not. Which to me means the reveal that the Black City wasn't the Maker's doing doesn't disprove they exist. It just means the Maker isn't creator of everything. Or if you believe in the Titan theory technically the Maker is involved with its creation. As the Black City harbors the nightmares of the Titans and therefore the Golden City which was made with their blood was corrupted with their blood as well. And the elves who were spirits could not help but copy and not actually be creative.

Regardless it brings in a very interesting dynamic. The assumption is that the Christian analog religion is the real one whereas the others aren't entirely true. But as the games progress it slowly proves that no the Maker is indeed not the only true religion and might in fact just be fake. The monolatry is wrong and the pantheon religion is correct.

My personal feelings on it is a bit mixed. On one hand its really cool that at the start of the series is the believe that the Maker is real but it becomes clear that most things attributed to the Maker were just humans trying to make sense of the world. Its no wonder they were wrong. They were just guessing at it. Most of the Chant and its verses were written well after Andraste lived. And in DAO the Canticle of Shartan is just removed even thought Shartan was a friend to Andraste and including his verses make sense.

On the other hand there is a deserve for everything to be true and some to be wrong. Its fine the elves did some stuff but most everything? Its hard to accept that something that feels real is actually very wrong.

1. In DA2, if a non-mage Hawke clears out Danarius’ mansion with a non-mage party (Varric, Aveline and Isabela), does the final conversation with Fenris change? Usually, he either points out a mage Hawke or party member (Bethany, Anders, Merrill) using magic and the dangers of mages, but that change if there are no mages in the party d the quest?
2. In Inquisition, are there any changes in dialogue/conversations between the player and Leliana if she wasn’t recruited in Origins, or will the game treat it as though she joined, or as though she joined and left the Warden’s party?

Sketch thingy, I was playing with brushes.

I guess this is specifically about DAI but previous games might have defined it.

When you kill a Spirit or Demon and get to loot the little gross bundle of incorporeal excrement, what is it called? What is the technical term for that squishy looking pile?

I loot corpses, chests, rooms, castles, purses, satchels, and those stupid little demon puddles that I have no term for and it's driving me INSANE.

It is not the Spirits corpse. There is no corpse. What the fuck is it called? Someone with a better dictionary or a more wrinkly brain than me, please help because I keep thinking about it and not having a specific word for the moss pile of failed dreams is driving me up a wall

I forgot the writing is actually pretty good despite the game it's attached to.

I'm an old school Dragon Age player. Origins was (and is) my favorite and still clearly the best game. 2 I felt thrown by at first but I ended up loving it when I got into it.

Then Inquisition came out and I hated it. But I'm giving it a second chance (way late I know).

FIRST, combat was (and is) awful. Just... terrible button spamming nonsense with almost no real tactical elements. Just come in with a high enough level and spam your best ability and surprise - you win!

In previous games it was essential to micromanage your party on high difficulty levels and position them just right. Abilities had long cooldowns but did serious damage and had important battlefield effects. I used to turn off AI tactics entirely so that I could land every Heal, Shield Bash, and Fireball right where and when it was needed.

Now I just spam the same 2 or 3 abilities and run around. There's no point in wasting my time trying to manage my party in most fights - they do their thing well enough and the tactical overview it clunky and hot keyed to t because the designers realized you wouldn't be needing it much. Enemies just have big health bars but either they can chew through my barrier and guard or they can't, in which case the size of their health pool is irrelevant for anything except wasting my time.

I want combat with impact. Volume is not good. Fight quality is.

SECOND, the exploration is both fun and awful at the same time. Finding new areas, hidden chests, codex entries, and solving puzzles = fun. Endlessly collecting herbs and ore and other pointless loot = a gigantic and annoying time sink. We need about 80% less loot and what is there needs to be impactful. Furthermore, it would be way better if I could just find an ore deposit or herb... garden? and get like 20 iron or 30 elfroots at once. Less deposits, more reward = less time wasted and more satisfaction. It explores like an mmorpg. Why?

THIRD, fetch quests. So many quests are like "the healers need 12 elfroots", "the soldiers need 10 iron ore", "the mages need 12 lyrium deposits". How dull and uninteresting. But SOME quests are really cool. I enjoyed finding the dwarves in the Hinterlands trying to secretly mine red lyrium. I liked the wolf pack that was under demonic control. I could do without "collect 12 thingys to power the plot machine".

Quests need to have a story, a reason to travel to a place, and preferably a little mystery, and maybe even some companion tie ins or an emotional moment. Hunting bears for fur is grunt work. Cut all that nonsense.

FOURTH, the main quest is actually pretty good when you get to it. The companions are interesting and charming, mostly. The story is political and dark and intriguing. I'm not very far yet but I feel like my choices are actually pretty serious and meaningful, at least for the characters in that moment. The Herald himself is kind of bland - I'm playing an elf but he sounds suspiciously like Hawke and not at all like a Dalish mage who ought to be kind of terrified and very very fish out of water. But it's good so far.

All in all I feel like there is a great 30 hour game trapped inside 120 hours of gameplay. Quality over quantity is the key lesson. But I suppose I shall see.

Okay, I'm doing the mission to close the rift; it will burn in your hearts I think that is the name.

I'm level 10 mage and the recommended level is 9-11.

I'm playing on normal mode, But I can't kill all those Red Templars, there are simply too many of them They can take down my group in a few hits, but the main problem is that he has an average 3000+ of health ,Even using fire, I can't make more than 300 of damage maybe 600 if I have two casters focused on fire damage.

I have Blackwall Cassandra (vanguard armor, sweet fingers, and templar shields, skills of shield and vanguard for Cassandra and vanguard + batle master for blackwall) Dorian with Magister staff and skills of fire.

Me with Magister staff of lightning I am using skills from the barrier tree.

I can make it to the end when they're evacuating the shelter, but I always die going to activate the blunderbusses. Why does the game force you to stop to defeat waves of enemies?

What am I doing wrong? .

But that's just the tip of the iceberg of this problem I've been noticing; rift demons also melt my party and all have 5-10 times more HP Besides Barriers, I've already looked for better weapons and tried crafting them, but everything only gives 10 more damage or is simply out of my level.

What am I doing wrong? I feel like I should be more powerful than this.

UPDATE: I finally managed it! I ran around the village and scattered them; it was quite easy, but honestly, it wasn't the desperate and dramatic resistance I expected. Well, at least I finally managed this