Starting Dragon Age: Origins

[T3h Merc]

I'm aware I'm a bit late to this particular party, but shut up.

I've been trying for about two weeks to play this game. I don't seem to be able to. Here's why:
Party Composition makes me uncertain as to what class I should play

I want to pick an Origin that complements my romance but is also fun

I don't wanna play a Dwarf and **** a human because that will make me laugh too hard

I want to Romance Morrigan and Alistair. I want to play through the game three times. I want my class to make sense with my Origin. This is INFURIATING.

Female City Elf Rogue is a really cool character, and I like it a lot. Common sense here says I should bone Alistair. But why would my Elf who has been oppressed by Humans her whole life want to bone one just because he's British and sexy?

Male Noble Human is also a cool character. Playboy Nobleman turned Hero when his family gets betrayed, I can totally get behind that. But I just don't like the feel of a Rogue coming from that background and really, why would Morrigan want to be involved with that guy? He's handsome and heroic and powerful, sure. But Morrigan doesn't seem like she'd respect that.

The Mage origin is also really cool, but I just don't know how that character should be built or played. Elves get the nicest bonus, but I don't want my Rogue and my mage to be identical. I suppose I could play a male Elf, but they just look too pretty for me. So, Bioware Social. Can you help me manage my myriad neuroses and play this ****ing game? 'Cause I really want to.

I HATE Leliana, which makes me lean toward a rogue just so I have the ability to pick locks, but I still have another two playthroughs where I just have to suffer along until Zevran shows up.

 

[DustyDrB]

Ehh...I don't understand the obsession with romances in these games. Definitely don't plan your entire playthrough around them. The Dwarven origins are pretty great, too. I love the commoner origin for them most, as it's the perfect setup for having your character be a jaded asshole.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

For best results from a RP/character motivations making sense/non-borked party composition:

1. For romancing Alistair, it is quite simple. Female Noble Rogue. Mage, if you want to push on Alistair's Templar leanings. Since you hate Leliana and since Zhevran is a font of venereal disease, this allows you to skip both, and use whichever of Morrigan/Wynne you prefer in your caster slot.

2. For romancing Morrigan, almost anything will do, but you're best off going Fighter. Gives you more latitude in terms of party arrangement, and Alistair can be pretty irritating when you're not romancing him. This way you're not married to Alistair or Shale as you can handle the tanking yourself.

 

[T3h Merc]

Female Noble Rogue, eh? But where would she have gotten that kind of training? Her mother and father are both Nobleman Warriors. There's no one in the whole castle who seems like they could have taught her the skills she'd need to be a rogue. Plus, a rogue doesn't get the whole "trained by her father" dialogue with Howe in the opening, so I can't even use that as a weak excuse. For fighter I lean towards Human Noble, 'cause I quite like that story. I dunno. I appreciate the help, by the way.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Female Noble Rogue, eh? But where would she have gotten that kind of training? Her mother and father are both Nobleman Warriors. There's no one in the whole castle who seems like they could have taught her the skills she'd need to be a rogue. Plus, a rogue doesn't get the whole "trained by her father" dialogue with Howe in the opening, so I can't even use that as a weak excuse. For fighter I lean towards Human Noble, 'cause I quite like that story. I dunno. I appreciate the help, by the way.

"Rogues" in the DA universe aren't necessarily Assassins and cut-throats and scoundrels. You can play your Rogue as a nimble, dexterous fighter. A fencer, more or less, which is perfectly in keeping with her Noble upbringing, and actually much more plausible for a Noble DAUGHTER than being trained as a brawler or knight. As for the other stuff, picking locks and what not...well, you can rationalize that away as shit she learned on the adventure and found she had a natural affinity for.

 

[T3h Merc]

So I spec as a Ranger/Duelist then? I like that option quite a bit.

 

[T3h Merc]

Putting romance at the center of your playthrough in Bioware games is a bad idea.

Dont do it.

Why not? I did it in Mass Effect, worked out fine. Helped me pick my class.

 

[T3h Merc]

Ehh...I don't understand the obsession with romances in these games. Definitely don't plan your entire playthrough around them.

This. What have us rpg players become ? Virtual whores ?

Would you guys have me just do whatever character seems coolest, do whatever I feel like doing and damn the consequences?

 

[DazZ.]

Ehh...I don't understand the obsession with romances in these games. Definitely don't plan your entire playthrough around them.

This. What have us rpg players become ? Virtual whores ?

Would you guys have me just do whatever character seems coolest, do whatever I feel like doing and damn the consequences?

Exactly.

Or at least anything that isn't led by the collision of virtual genitals.

 

[Patshiv]

AHA!
I knew there was a hidden agenda about ME3 somewhere in here! I couldn't believe I was actually reading a thread which was NOT about the ME3 ending in some way. Now lets talk about how the ending ruined your romance focused playthrough.

Back on topic, I played through as a female noble, and I had loads of fun with it and would definately recommend it. I didn't play through nearly enough times to tell you exactly how it compares to the other options though.

 

[T3h Merc]

I think

Ehh...I don't understand the obsession with romances in these games. Definitely don't plan your entire playthrough around them.

This. What have us rpg players become ? Virtual whores ?

Would you guys have me just do whatever character seems coolest, do whatever I feel like doing and damn the consequences?

Exactly.

Or at least anything that isn't led by the collision of virtual genitals.

Alright. I guess I should try things your way before I denounce you. I'll just do the the three origins I like best. Damn the consequences.

 

[DoPo]

Putting romance at the center of your playthrough in Bioware games is a bad idea.

Dont do it.

Why not? I did it in Mass Effect, worked out fine. Helped me pick my class.

Want to pick a class? That's easy. Mage. You're picking mage.

Spoiler: Here is why

Too many people have said it but none have managed to state it properly. Here is how the game is played - you have a party of four people and you generally have the following roles - cannon fodder (warrior), beatstick (warrior), dead weight (rogues), God (mages). As for the party itself, you need:

- a dead weight - to open locks/disable traps. Since these can specialise in ranged or melee, maybe ranged is better, because they tend to survive longer in a fight. However, I've had several experiences with a melee dead weight that manages to use some of the more powerful abilities in the beginning and as such turns (very) briefly into a cannon fodder and a beatstick. Don't take more than one, it's a waste of space.
- beatstick - give them a weapon or two and give them the boring job - grind down the HP of the enemies. God should just stand back and do the actual work - buff/debuff and own the fight.
- cannon fodder - they are there to absorb damage, obviously. They can even turn into HP batteries for God later on (Blood Mages). You definitely need one to take the heat. Also try to keep him alive for a bit but he's not essential for the entire fight. Also, don't play a cannon fodder. Beatsticks and God should focus on finishing the battle, even the dead weight can be a more contributing factor there.
- God - one, preferably you, and maybe two to split the responsibility and double the effectiveness. The responsibility of God is to win. Pure and simple.

There are specialisations for God, that (unless those of lesser classes) actually matter - they are the following:
- Shapeshifter - useless. Worse than the dead weight.
- Spirit Healer - not too bad but one of your party members will already have that. It is still possible to pick it if you are God.
- Blood Mage - you have to get it. Period. You (or one of the other Gods) will absolutely troll the battlefield - the first ability, Blood Magic, will make you cast from HP. Not impressive but can give you extra juice to win a fight. The second ability, Blood Sacrifice, takes HP from those party members that don't need it (i.e., not Gods) and gives it to you. The third is Blood Wound. THIS IS WHY YOU PICKED A BLOOD MAGE. Is that clear? No? OK, here, let me rephrase: DOT and immobilisation for everyone in a huge AOE and neither is broken if the targets are attacked afterwards. Only works on enemies with blood, which means most of them. Oh and there is also Blood Control - pick an enemy and make it an ally. Or deal massive damage if it fails (although there was a bug that didn't deal the damage, IIRC).
- Arcane Warrior - if you want to take over the job of beatsticks and cannon fodder and be better at it. It does take some planning to use effectively but an Arcane Warrior Blood Mage (yes, you can have two specialisations) is probably the most powerful being you'll encounter. And you'll be that being if you're playing God.

As for what you play, you can take the role of the dead weight - it's actually fun and if you're doing the job, chances are you'll be able to considerably outdo the other dead weights. To the point where you're useful to the fight. It makes the whole party more effective because you don't need to drag a true dead weight with you.

That's really all about it. Also you can do a rogue.

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Well, I can help a bit. And by help, I mean give you my reasoning behind why I did stuff:

I played as a female rogue noble. I know this seems odd at first--why would she be into sneaking and stealing when coming from that family?--but I looked at it like this: She is forced to constantly follow rules. She has to attend boring social gatherings, lie to people's faces, and basically be a proper lady whenever she's in public. So, how do people like that normally blow off steam? By breaking every rule they possibly can and getting pleasure out of it. I could totally see her learning how to sneak out of parties, picking locks, and just running around pulling fun little pranks just to liven things up. She was bored out of her mind, so she learned how to do something her parents wouldn't have approved of.
Throw in the fact that your parents both treat you as the more adventurous child, and it fits perfect. Her easy going attitude compliments Alistar's.

As for Morrigan, I think you may be reading her differently from me. Morrigan respects power first, above anything. You're a hero, therefore you have power. But she also likes beauty and soft things, whether she admits it or not. Look at the gifts you give her. Look at how Leliana and Zevran talk to her, then look how she reacts to them. She likes being praised and good looks, she just doesn't know how to handle them. So, two ways to play that.
As the noble male playboy (as you put it), you can treat Morrigan the way she 'wants' to be treated: just for sex and business. No feelings of love involved and she won't mind--or at least she says she won't mind. That fits with the playboy image of just using a girl for your own gains. I don't like to do that, so I went with the other option.
If you play as a mage, you can treat Morrigan the way she really wants to be treated: a person and someone important to someone else. She'll act cold and call you a fool for living shackled to the Circle, but because of that your character has learned how to help others and depend on others. The life of a Circle mage is lonely and hard, and all they have to rely on are each other. Because of this, they learn how to form deep bonds with people no matter how different they may be. That's something that Morrigan wants desperately, so that can play into your mage character.

As for what class you should play, I always played a rogue. There was nothing more annoying to me than coming across a chest or a door that I couldn't open because Leliana and Zev weren't in my party. So, I suggest a rogue. Get them strong enough, and there's really no difference between them and a warrior.

Hope that all helps.

 

[T3h Merc]

Well, I can help a bit. And by help, I mean give you my reasoning behind why I did stuff:

I played as a female rogue noble. I know this seems odd at first--why would she be into sneaking and stealing when coming from that family?--but I looked at it like this: She is forced to constantly follow rules. She has to attend boring social gatherings, lie to people's faces, and basically be a proper lady whenever she's in public. So, how do people like that normally blow off steam? By breaking every rule they possibly can and getting pleasure out of it. I could totally see her learning how to sneak out of parties, picking locks, and just running around pulling fun little pranks just to liven things up. She was bored out of her mind, so she learned how to do something her parents wouldn't have approved of.
Throw in the fact that your parents both treat you as the more adventurous child, and it fits perfect. Her easy going attitude compliments Alistar's.

As for Morrigan, I think you may be reading her differently from me. Morrigan respects power first, above anything. You're a hero, therefore you have power. But she also likes beauty and soft things, whether she admits it or not. Look at the gifts you give her. Look at how Leliana and Zevran talk to her, then look how she reacts to them. She likes being praised and good looks, she just doesn't know how to handle them. So, two ways to play that.
As the noble male playboy (as you put it), you can treat Morrigan the way she 'wants' to be treated: just for sex and business. No feelings of love involved and she won't mind--or at least she says she won't mind. That fits with the playboy image of just using a girl for your own gains. I don't like to do that, so I went with the other option.
If you play as a mage, you can treat Morrigan the way she really wants to be treated: a person and someone important to someone else. She'll act cold and call you a fool for living shackled to the Circle, but because of that your character has learned how to help others and depend on others. The life of a Circle mage is lonely and hard, and all they have to rely on are each other. Because of this, they learn how to form deep bonds with people no matter how different they may be. That's something that Morrigan wants desperately, so that can play into your mage character.

As for what class you should play, I always played a rogue. There was nothing more annoying to me than coming across a chest or a door that I couldn't open because Leliana and Zev weren't in my party. So, I suggest a rogue. Get them strong enough, and there's really no difference between them and a warrior.

Hope that all helps.

Thank you. You actually solved my problem perfectly. You may have any of my internet cookies.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

(Im going to pretend I like Bioware romances from now on, just because you handed me this role, and I will gladly take it.)

Why? Because we prefer Bioware games. We like the romances. We think its fun.

Terrible, right? I wish I could stop. Hell, remember that time I played Mass Effect and it directly lowered your enjoyment of The Witcher 2? Neither do I. So be quiet.

Hahahaha! Look at Smash, digging his Bioware romances. Did you looooove Alistair, Smash? Did you loooooove him?

Because I totally loved him. He was so dashing! Big step up on that colossal prick Anomen.

Thank you. You actually solved my problem perfectly. You may have any of my internet cookies.

Can't I have a cookie? Being a Rogue was my idea in the first place. I never get thanked! This is bullshit! ROWROWROWROWROWOWR