Dragon Age, what do you think about the story?

[Catchy Slogan]

I was most interested in the Qunari, but they decided to ditch that story line and milk the Templars vs. Mages moral choice for all it's worth. It felt like you couldn't swing a stick without hitting a blood mage/apostate by the end of the game.

Same here. I quite liked the Qunari, even though most of the options given to me were to be wary of them. I would have liked the story to revolve more around them, instead of having them as a sort of side plot to get out of the way so that we can all go back top hating each other instead.

Also, did anyone else find the qunari's new character design to be a little odd?

And why is it that there are more mages in Kirkwall than the whole of Fereldan? I remember thinking "Why is everyone a mage!?"

 

[Heartcafe]

I think the story was great as in terms of creating a "gray" area of choice. Usually in games, there is an obvious BAD and GOOD side (Archdemon vs Warderns.) But in DA2, when it came to Mages versus Templars, there was no 'right' side or 'wrong' side; it all just depended on your view and that what made the choices so much harder.

Though I wish I could talk to my companions while going out and about in Kirkwall :/ Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they have a greater part in the main story and all (coughDEARGODANDERScough) But in DA:O, I liked stopping after a fight and then going into ENDLESS dialogue trees with them and learning about their views and all. But now you have to go to their houses to talk to them AND you only get the dialogue wheel if there is a quest to be completed with them

 

[D Moness]

O__o I have to ask, what the heck do you mean you can't access his tree? Whether or not you are romancing or even a friend/rival has NOTHING to do with being able to access the trees. The only thing that I remember affecting it was your level.

It says you can't until you have friendship with them.

That is only the top left icon that says that, the bottom left can only be selected if he is your rival. The rest of the skill tree can be accessed normally(In mine i used Merril's tree almost completely even though she is not a friend nor a rival).

On another note. Some fights can be avoided by picking the right conversation.

Spoiler: example

One of the last side quests from Merril have you kill the Dalish keeper. Pick the right convo after getting out of the cave makes you avoid having to kill the dalish clan. It is probably one of the few though.

Another question for the end of act two. Who here did that fight one on one and how did you win that.

 

[Shycte]

I loved the story. What I loved most was how different things really can be between any two playthroughs.

Seriously? I've done two playtroughs with the diffrent "Origins" and it was hardly any diffrence. Please, tell me what diffrences you found.

What I meant was it seemed like decisions carried more weight one way or another, depending on what you chose. Sometimes you could end a questline by making a decision that kills someone important, or keep it going if you don't.

And with my two playthroughs now, I used the same import from Origins. I did this so I could watch for differences in choices I made specifically in DA2, keeping Origins things constant.

None of your choices matter shit. I've done two playtroughs and it only differd in the small detail. In Origins, your choices matters, what you said to people matters. Here, not so much.

Oh, the mages kidnapped Isabela this time because I was romancing her. Ohhhh big diffrence.

 

[Ailia]

I quite liked it, they focused less on the "big evil thingy" (like Origins & Awakenings did) and more on the inherent evil of people and group mindsets. I loved the different choices the game gave you; sure, it doens't change much in the long run but it was still fun to have certain scenes play out differently.

I actually don't understand why the party members are getting so much crap; I liked some of them more than the Origins gang. I also went in with the thought that Isabella was a whore and that I wanted nothing to do with her but she's surprisingly funny and endearing. I had Bethany with me on my first playthrough and found her rather bland; I found Carver's whining in my second playthrough absolutely hilarious (not to mention Varric constantly pointing this out!) Also, I found that the characters were harder to 'deal' with; it wasn't just a matter of giving them gifts and bribing them to love you like in Origins. Merrill went from my best friend with +70 friendship in Act 1 to my first 100% Rival in Act 3 because of her story arc - it's refreshing to be able to build strong, but negative relationships with them.

 

[Hader]

I loved the story. What I loved most was how different things really can be between any two playthroughs.

Seriously? I've done two playtroughs with the diffrent "Origins" and it was hardly any diffrence. Please, tell me what diffrences you found.

What I meant was it seemed like decisions carried more weight one way or another, depending on what you chose. Sometimes you could end a questline by making a decision that kills someone important, or keep it going if you don't.

And with my two playthroughs now, I used the same import from Origins. I did this so I could watch for differences in choices I made specifically in DA2, keeping Origins things constant.

None of your choices matter shit. I've done two playtroughs and it only differd in the small detail. In Origins, your choices matters, what you said to people matters. Here, not so much.

Oh, the mages kidnapped Isabela this time because I was romancing her. Ohhhh big diffrence.

Then perhaps you made shit choices.

Guess there's always room to ***** more though.

 

[Smokej]

The main story felt like a fantasy Scarface for most parts. It was good but not great.

 

[Shycte]

I loved the story. What I loved most was how different things really can be between any two playthroughs.

Seriously? I've done two playtroughs with the diffrent "Origins" and it was hardly any diffrence. Please, tell me what diffrences you found.

What I meant was it seemed like decisions carried more weight one way or another, depending on what you chose. Sometimes you could end a questline by making a decision that kills someone important, or keep it going if you don't.

And with my two playthroughs now, I used the same import from Origins. I did this so I could watch for differences in choices I made specifically in DA2, keeping Origins things constant.

None of your choices matter shit. I've done two playtroughs and it only differd in the small detail. In Origins, your choices matters, what you said to people matters. Here, not so much.

Oh, the mages kidnapped Isabela this time because I was romancing her. Ohhhh big diffrence.

Then perhaps you made shit choices.

Guess there's always room to ***** more though.

Well, take the quest with you mother being a zombie. Early, there is a quest with a man who's wife is gone. You learn that she has been taken by the blood mage killer bla bla bla.

Let's say if you where able to catch him at that stage, and stoping him from murdering you mother before the thought even struck him. Now that would have been a good consequens, because if you don't do the quest. Your mother dies.

I want those sorts of things. They were in Origins, but sadly not in DA2. Still a good game though.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

I liked it. The final act was too short if you ask me. Where the other acts felt nice and long, this one was "Two quick main quests, then final battle." Really looking forward to Dragon Age III now. All this fighting and magic is going to tear the veil and something is going to wake up. Something very, very bad. Betting that's why the Wardens were in Kirkwall. They were looking into it. Morrigan, her child, and Flemeth are probably going to be important too.

Did anyone else get amazingly angry at Anders? I think I'll go make a thread on that topic right now. That idiot.

 

[Hader]

Well, take the quest with you mother being a zombie. Early, there is a quest with a man who's wife is gone. You learn that she has been taken by the blood mage killer bla bla bla.

Let's say if you where able to catch him at that stage, and stoping him from murdering you mother before the thought even struck him. Now that would have been a good consequens, because if you don't do the quest. Your mother dies.

I want those sorts of things. They were in Origins, but sadly not in DA2. Still a good game though.

In Origins, choices carried different weight though, more about who was going to help you stop the Blight in the big picture. Mages or templars? Werewolves or the Dalish? Who would you make allies of, who would you screw over, etc.

Part of the story is just that your mother dies. Can't do much about it, just like you have to fight the Arishok either way but your reasons for it can differ. Things are going to differ here too in that this story is following Hawke, basically just trying to make a living and doing it while only in Kirkwall. The Warden traveled throughout all of Ferelden, and had to stop the Blight. I don't think the Warden could have done that if he was restricted to Denerim and a fraction of the Bannorn.

People are expecting too much of the story in DA2 and appreciating too little of it. I aimed to enjoy the game so I put the small problems I had with it aside so I could do that.

 

[D Moness]

Conrad Ver(ner)heart is really getting to be a running gag in the bioware games. Wonder what an irl Conrad did to piss of some dev to use his name for weird characters.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The story of DA2 felt completely devoid of any emotion, imagination or free will. Kind of like a mage who has become Tranquil.

 

[Shycte]

Well, take the quest with you mother being a zombie. Early, there is a quest with a man who's wife is gone. You learn that she has been taken by the blood mage killer bla bla bla.

Let's say if you where able to catch him at that stage, and stoping him from murdering you mother before the thought even struck him. Now that would have been a good consequens, because if you don't do the quest. Your mother dies.

I want those sorts of things. They were in Origins, but sadly not in DA2. Still a good game though.

In Origins, choices carried different weight though, more about who was going to help you stop the Blight in the big picture. Mages or templars? Werewolves or the Dalish? Who would you make allies of, who would you screw over, etc.

Part of the story is just that your mother dies. Can't do much about it, just like you have to fight the Arishok either way but your reasons for it can differ. Things are going to differ here too in that this story is following Hawke, basically just trying to make a living and doing it while only in Kirkwall. The Warden traveled throughout all of Ferelden, and had to stop the Blight. I don't think the Warden could have done that if he was restricted to Denerim and a fraction of the Bannorn.

People are expecting too much of the story in DA2 and appreciating too little of it. I aimed to enjoy the game so I put the small problems I had with it aside so I could do that.

I never said that I didn't enjoy the game. I just claimed that it wasn't as good written as Origins. But it's those kind of things that bugs me, Orsino will always go batshit crazy, even if you help him. Your sibling will always leave the party. You can't say no to quests.

 

[Hader]

Well, take the quest with you mother being a zombie. Early, there is a quest with a man who's wife is gone. You learn that she has been taken by the blood mage killer bla bla bla.

Let's say if you where able to catch him at that stage, and stoping him from murdering you mother before the thought even struck him. Now that would have been a good consequens, because if you don't do the quest. Your mother dies.

I want those sorts of things. They were in Origins, but sadly not in DA2. Still a good game though.

In Origins, choices carried different weight though, more about who was going to help you stop the Blight in the big picture. Mages or templars? Werewolves or the Dalish? Who would you make allies of, who would you screw over, etc.

Part of the story is just that your mother dies. Can't do much about it, just like you have to fight the Arishok either way but your reasons for it can differ. Things are going to differ here too in that this story is following Hawke, basically just trying to make a living and doing it while only in Kirkwall. The Warden traveled throughout all of Ferelden, and had to stop the Blight. I don't think the Warden could have done that if he was restricted to Denerim and a fraction of the Bannorn.

People are expecting too much of the story in DA2 and appreciating too little of it. I aimed to enjoy the game so I put the small problems I had with it aside so I could do that.

I never said that I didn't enjoy the game. I just claimed that it wasn't as good written as Origins. But it's those kind of things that bugs me, Orsino will always go batshit crazy, even if you help him. Your sibling will always leave the party. You can't say no to quests.

Not main quests, no, but there's not much of a problem with that. You could only really say no to helping Redcliffe village in Origins, and that did have bad consequences. But the rest, you had to make a decision eventually that furthered that part of the plot. You can't advance things by saying no to everything, so Bioware forces you to make decisions at some point.

I was bugged by Orsino at the end there. We rape the first wave of templars and then he just gives up. Worst excuse to become an abomination ever. I think Anders, and Bethany now, are about the only mages there that had sense about them. Anders is questionable yes, but compared to most other mages, especially Orsino? No competition.

 

[Shycte]

Well, take the quest with you mother being a zombie. Early, there is a quest with a man who's wife is gone. You learn that she has been taken by the blood mage killer bla bla bla.

Let's say if you where able to catch him at that stage, and stoping him from murdering you mother before the thought even struck him. Now that would have been a good consequens, because if you don't do the quest. Your mother dies.

I want those sorts of things. They were in Origins, but sadly not in DA2. Still a good game though.

In Origins, choices carried different weight though, more about who was going to help you stop the Blight in the big picture. Mages or templars? Werewolves or the Dalish? Who would you make allies of, who would you screw over, etc.

Part of the story is just that your mother dies. Can't do much about it, just like you have to fight the Arishok either way but your reasons for it can differ. Things are going to differ here too in that this story is following Hawke, basically just trying to make a living and doing it while only in Kirkwall. The Warden traveled throughout all of Ferelden, and had to stop the Blight. I don't think the Warden could have done that if he was restricted to Denerim and a fraction of the Bannorn.

People are expecting too much of the story in DA2 and appreciating too little of it. I aimed to enjoy the game so I put the small problems I had with it aside so I could do that.

I never said that I didn't enjoy the game. I just claimed that it wasn't as good written as Origins. But it's those kind of things that bugs me, Orsino will always go batshit crazy, even if you help him. Your sibling will always leave the party. You can't say no to quests.

Not main quests, no, but there's not much of a problem with that. You could only really say no to helping Redcliffe village in Origins, and that did have bad consequences. But the rest, you had to make a decision eventually that furthered that part of the plot. You can't advance things by saying no to everything, so Bioware forces you to make decisions at some point.

I was bugged by Orsino at the end there. We rape the first wave of templars and then he just gives up. Worst excuse to become an abomination ever. I think Anders, and Bethany now, are about the only mages there that had sense about them. Anders is questionable yes, but compared to most other mages, especially Orsino? No competition.

Another thing with Anders. I didn't do his personal quest. And he still nuked the Chantry. Why?

 

[Hader]

Another thing with Anders. I didn't do his personal quest. And he still nuked the Chantry. Why?

I Would have to look but perhaps that becomes a main quest-ish plotline? I'm guessing he just does it without your help anyways.

 

[Shycte]

Another thing with Anders. I didn't do his personal quest. And he still nuked the Chantry. Why?

I Would have to look but perhaps that becomes a main quest-ish plotline? I'm guessing he just does it without your help anyways.

Then why did he need my help to begin with? These were the kinds of things I was hoping you'd be able to affect. We'll see with DA3.

 

[Hader]

Another thing with Anders. I didn't do his personal quest. And he still nuked the Chantry. Why?

I Would have to look but perhaps that becomes a main quest-ish plotline? I'm guessing he just does it without your help anyways.

Then why did he need my help to begin with? These were the kinds of things I was hoping you'd be able to affect. We'll see with DA3.

Experiment with it some. I have only been to that point once and I did help him, so I don't have any other paths to try with yet.

 

[mentalkitty789]

Well I would like to thank everyone who has posted. It has been quite interesting to read.
I don't hate the game in any sense. I did enjoy it although my main post was mostly all my cynical complaints. The one that was quite serious though is how I feel FORCED into the middle sometimes. If the story really would change based on your actions the First Enchanter wouldn't go Necromancer on your ass for no good reason! If you sided with the Templar the Knight-Commander shouldn't have tried to kill you at the end, unless you were a mage. Then it could make sense.

Still I quite blatantly sided with the Mages, blood magic be damned. They would still try to kill me, it was a real pain in the ass, at least in my opinion. Some plot points I understand shouldn't be in your control, still some of them should have been. I know the game isn't about changing the world, but it should have have a few slides about your affect on the city and important individuals who survived. I wanted to give Anders a hug when he did what he did in the final act.