#100% that was varrics doing lmao

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

badum-tss

[vigilskeep]

I've been going through your Keir Hawke tag because the character absolutely fascinates me and I keep seeing glimpses of Varric and Anders' friendship in that world state (especially something you mentioned about the book originally going to be about Anders) and it's making me feral

What do you think Varric and Anders' relationship is like? What does Varric think about Keir refusing to kill Anders and running off with him?

the thing about varric and keir is that even if they manage to get along in their way, their relationship is basically one of necessity. keir never trusted him in act 1, and varric vastly preferred bethany’s gentleness to keir’s whole uh attitude, but after the deep roads expedition they for various reasons both feel a level of guilt and obligation that sticks them together. you might say they’re more like family than friends, in the sense that with family you don’t have a choice. whereas varric and anders are actually friends, they get along, they joke together. varric finds anders hard to deal with in the later acts but they’re still at the hanged man together, varric is still trying to reach out in his way during banters, anders is trying to leave his possessions to him, etc. and that’s not like with varric and keir where something specific and insane happened to lock them together. he genuinely just likes anders

and varric is creatively interested in anders from the beginning; he’s talking about writing “an epic poem about a hopelessly romantic apostate” in literally the first banter they have. (why did he say hopelessly romantic. why did he say that.) i don’t think it occurs to him that keir even might be material for the protagonist of anything until... maybe the arishok duel, by which time iirc he’s already publishing his serial inspired by, like, aveline and donnic of all people. before that, keir is pretty obvious rags-to-riches plot inspiration but tbh i think varric thought that part was a bit cliché and that even if he did want it, he’d swap out the actual character for someone more likeable, lmao. god knows how or if he was thinking of writing the love interest in the anders-focused version of the book

i don’t think it would have occurred to varric that keir would spare anders and run off into the sunset with him. varric has a very surface-level read on keir, he kind of just sees the red hawke front. i think it’s umm... how do i put this. i think it’s integral to the severity of varric’s reaction to anders in dai that it doesn’t make sense in his head that he himself was more angry than keir, and that he was closer to agreeing with sebastian, the guy who went on to attack kirkwall. i think a lot of people including himself act “out-of-character” in that moment from varric’s perspective, and he finds that very distressing. the rewrite of the book that suddenly centres keir is also him rewriting his memories until everything “fits”. he never liked anders that much, it was hawke, hawke was always really the protagonist and varric has always been on his side, incidentally varric also totally always hated sebastian and is nothing like him, also anders’ actions are 100% sudden and crazy and varric’s anger over them is 100% normal impersonal and justified, etc etc. (to be clear i’m not saying this affects everything we see in da2 and that anders is Maligned in it or whatever. varric’s narrative in da2 is not the same as the book. a very significant amount of the truth slips back in when he has to talk so long, and talk for his life. anders’ sympathetic qualities and their friendship, for example, i can’t imagine that comes up a lot that’s in a book that canonically doesn’t even mention what happened to anders after the explosion.)

varric does not feel particularly normal about any part of the life anders and keir are currently living and he does not like to think about it. he had to rewrite the book into a tragedy to make sense of everything, which conflicts upsettingly with the reality that those two are... honestly simply not tragic. obviously they went through hell. but the mage rebellion is achieved. anders and keir are both visibly better in body and mind for being out of kirkwall. they do get married! it was varric’s home (a city keir hated) that got destroyed (by anders). and varric’s the one left on his own. and the one audibly kind of miserable and guilty and homesick and generally Doing Bad during a lot of inquisition. i think he finds that comparison very hard to even think about. it’s easier to see and analyse tragedy in other people like an impartial observer, than reckon with the fact that it was actually you it happened to and the people you miss and blame and feel bad for in equal measure are kind of just... doing fine? (without you. better the moment they left your city behind.)

(note: i am never arguing “the book was meant to be about anders” as a general headcanon, i just know it to be true in my worldstate)

[trevisos]

Starting my little question rounds again, but this time I'm asking about people's Rooks! I thought I'd just start with the basics this time, so:

Who is your Rook? What class did you pick for them and why? How did they end up with the background you choose? Please do add a picture!

Bonus question: Got any little "fun facts" about them? :3c

ahhh sunny hi hi hi hi i’ve missed your oc questions :D i hope you’re ready to get blasted with rook knowledge. i also hope you’re ready for me to continue to answer all of these like a week late LMAO

mx. madrigal “magpie” de riva is an elf mage and an antivan crow! she’s some sort of strange little transmasc girlthing and her pronouns are she/they. her class is kind of self explanatory in that well. she was born that way. but as a player i made her a mage bc i think if i did my first playthrough of a dragon age game as anything but a mage i would shrivel up into a husk and die.

magpie was born in tevinter (she guesses probably minrathous but rly has no idea) as a slave and bought by the crows to train up when she was six or seven. she came into her magic kind of late, which tbh is probably the only thing that got her out of tevinter. she was a scrawny kid and before she had her magic she was like. not really. good at anything? she was able to pull her weight a little more once she came into her magic, but she was still very much an underdog. luckily for her one viago de riva had recently become a full-fledged crow and took pity on her. he saved her life when she was like 12-13 and in return (years later) she backed his frankly very unpopular bid to become talon. to this day she’s the only crow in house de riva he actually believes is 100% loyal to him (and she Is. she loves that freak of a man.) if i keep talking about the magpie and viago relationship i’ll get insanely ill but those two are codependent in a way that needs to be studied under a microscope and neither of them will everrrrrrrrr say it out loud.

for fun facts hmm…. when she first showed up to training someone started calling her madrigal as a joke - queen madrigal was famously assassinated by the crows at the end of the exalted age, so it was kind of a jab abt how they didn’t think she would make it. (i named her without remembering at ALL that there was an antivan queen madrigal anywhere in the lore and it was such a perfect connection I couldn’t resist.) she got the nickname magpie when she was a little older and another fledgling found her little collection of trinkets and mementos and now a good number of crows in house de riva don’t know it isn’t her actual name. oh also i think she DID go by rook in the ~year or so she was traveling with varric and harding but early on into the game she goes back to magpie. three names is too many names. harding probably still calls her rook, though!

[purplecritter]

Dragon Age: Vows and Vengeance (Ep. 4)

Official episode transcript here

My notes while I was listening under the cut... Spoilers ahead!

I did not miss the templars bro…

I am really hopeful that Arlathan will have similar vibes to the Brecilian in Origins! I loved the talking trees and lurking demons etc etc. Bring back the whimsy to Thedas ya know

This was wayy too offtopic to go in the main post but the beginning with Bellara hidden in the trees reminded me of (improbable reference in 3, 2, 1…) Jasmine in Deltora Quest: The Forest of Silence

Yikes I bet Tevinter has some pretty stocked up museums with all these artifacts 💀 No wait we literally already know they do, the fucking Archives in episode 1 were full of things that didn’t belong there

“Call me rabbit again and I'll run your throat, shemlen dog” Bellara 🥰

I love a duo that can slip into scathing banter so easily but they actually like each other a lot. I’m so glad the writers didn’t go the (overused) “I insult you and create a huge argument but you didn’t realize that it was only as a distraction and I meant none of it but now it’s too late and you’re mad”

(Said by Bellara to temporarily animate the surrounding trees, using an amulet) Var vhen'alas var vallasdahlen. Should translate to something like “Our land, our life-trees*” *vallasdahlen = trees planted in remembrance of those who dedicated their lives to the Dalish kingdom

I want to bring our Inquisitor to this river specifically so they can walk on it and maybe learn how to stop drowning in puddles 👉👈

Bellara’s 10 steps ahead of everyone and I love that for her

Bellara loves books! Which tracks with her fangirling over Neve heh. I wonder if she’s ever read anything of Varric’s lmao

Bellara & Drayden: nerd to nerd communication

Every time Nadia refers to Elio as “my love” I go 🥺

Ohhh Bellara wanting maps of the tears but also not having been able to save someone important to her vs Aldwir Rook losing a map specifically to save other veil jumpers... If you hear distant barking that’s just me

The Flicker = ancient Elven device, built with secret metallurgical techniques lost to time, that can act as a guide = technomancy → Dagnaaa where are you

Arlathan having “lyrium fields” makes me so nervous

Drayden: “I get the feeling our paths have converged here for a reason. This all feels connected” 🧐🎤agent of Fen’Harel

Drayden’s whole backstory 🥺

AWE Flicker sounds ADORABLE

“Remember Nadia, the Fade is capricious. It lies and it obscures. There's also truth. In all of my research and experience, I've learned one thing above all else: Trust your mind more than your heart. The demons beyond the veil, they will use your feelings against you. They will reshape reality. You must put a thought in your mind's eye and weight it like an anchor, immovable and untouchable. Focus on–�� “Elio. I will focus on Elio.” “But focus on how you know him to be and not–” “–on how you want him to be.”

The Fade without being a mage / conscious that it’s being manipulated by a Demon is nightmare fuel btw

The bridge specifically being described by Elio as being made of obsidian makes me 100% sure that the obsidian part of the previous episode’s mirror/eluvian/portal was at least fade-touched, if not directly from the Fade

“I can't leave the way you came. In order to protect myself here, I had to cast a spell disguising me as an inhabitant so the spirits of this realm didn't come for me [...] I can't [end the spell] unless I destroy the font that I used. But I hid it for safekeeping. Back there. Just outside of the Black City. I know it sounds crazy, but that's what made it safe.” 🧐Eliooooooo what did you doooooo

Mhkay demon Templar raising an army of lyrium-corrupted knights from the Fade. What.

dathrasi = qunlat for animal (derogatory)

[ndostairlyrium]

Fuck, okay

major storyline spoiler under the snip snip!

I need to reason for a moment and fangirl about the first worst decision ever :'D

(Please don't spoil the results for me because I need to sleep on it, I just need to ramble)

I just finished the opening for the wardens + Davrin recruitment (duuuuude that was a rollercoaster of emotions!! Also that howler thing looks horribly similar to the Architect and Corypheus so I'm super excited to get to her and kill her horribly because nobody messes with griffoncini and gets away with it) AND was presented with the dreadful choice reminiscent of "do we go to the Keep or do we save Amaranthine?"

So, me, the player: I would prefer to go for Minrathous, because 1) I have no sympathy for the Crows and I would prefer to see them wiped out instead of helping them. This would be a great occasion to have this task fulfilled. 2) I feel like if we lose Minrathous we lose a stronghold, and allies that could carry Tevinter politics through some risky choices, and wipe out a great deal of corruption within the Magisterium. ALSO if Tevinter falls, the combination of Antaam and Venatori could bring chaos everywhere. Tevinter is one of the strongest political players in the setting, the domino effect would be catastrophic.

Now, Minrathous has defenders in the Dragons, the few uncorrupted Templars, and within the Magisterium (Dorian had 10 years to gather allies, I hope he succeded). They'll put up a fight.

On the contrary, Treviso doesn't have an army, or strong defenders, because the Crows are horribly weakened + there's a mole of some sort (Illario I'm looking at you, you're way too suspicious and your family apparently doesn't remember how to crow) within their ranks. But they're the last thin line of defense for a fuckton of civilians. They should have priority, especially if they've been vexed by an occupation.

The problem is, the game reminds us every fucking time there are factions. Going to TV means that yeah, we're saving civilians from dying horrible deaths during an occupation, but also, I'm favoring the Crows rather than the Dragons, and in a strategic / political setting I'm 100% more trustful when it comes to the second.

Mentally, I know it'll come to "I'm favoring this faction, so the other part will be weakened, distrustful, and regaining their favor will cost me a fortune in trinkets".

Character wise, my Rook would be more trusting of Neve, because they value the same things + he owes her for saving Varric and his ass. He respects her job, her struggles to swim against bigger powers, and he looks up to her.

The problem is, he'd be more charmed by Lucanis' point. If they don't act, the whole Antiva will be defenseless, and doomed to get devoured by the Blight. After what they saw in Arlathan, the thought that there will be possibly dozens of D'Meta crossings without nobody that can do something about it is terrifying.

I think he'd act on instincts and save TV / rely on the part who he thinks would be the most resilient and favor the other. AND that's on me for creating an impulsive character lmao

...I'm chewing on this so bad and I'm glad we're presented with a bitch of a decision that makes sense which results aren't given for granted. Like, either choices are horrible, and it makes perfect sense in regards of what's going on in the setting so far

[n7punk]

okay i finished da:v here's my full spoilers thoughts but the summary is: good game, recommend if you've liked any of the da or me games

first of all, games ranking because i think that tells you a lot:

without mods: dai > dav > dao > da2

with mods: dai > dao > dav > da2

(closer to 2 decades than not post-release, da:o feels unplayable without the increased walk speed/distance and faster animations/combat mod among over QOL tweaks. oh my god a single backstab takes so fucking long) nostalgia also definitely plays a factor so this might change in a few years or if i replay dao and realize either wow i do love it that much or wow this is Just Unplayable lmao

overall i liked it. gameplay was fun, the story was good, i love the companions, and the only glitches i ever ran into were graphical ones with stuff clipping into cutscenes that wasn't supposed to be there.

i don't like rook as a protagonist as much as i like any of the other bioware protags, but that fully could have been the fault of the way i played them, so when i eventually do a replay (probably after a few weeks/months to see if any dlc releases. and after it gets mods so i can unlock all appearances without needing to recollect them LMAO would new game+ fucking kill you bioware) i'll see if i like them better. it's not that i dislike them there were just multiple times where i was like. why are people looking to this rando to fight a god. like the warden makes sense, they're one of Two grey wardens left in the country. hawke no one looked to until they had stepped up in a lot of small ways. and they were also nobility, and only became the champion of kirkwall after they took it into their own hands to save the city because it's their city too! and the inquisitor people literally believe was appointed by god (and for understandable reasons). rook does have a somewhat heroic backstory written for them but i don't know... it felt like varric would have a thousand better connections that are proven to choose his rook and he chose. this random person who made a hard call once that had relatively small consequences versus. literally he could have chosen hawke like! whatever that's my largest gripe with the game so that shows you how good it is overall lmao

(purple rook does remind me a lot of hawke so im just going to make that my headcanon why varric chose them. hes a sentimental bastard)

also why does he call them rook. i felt like that was never explained. maybe it was a codex i didn't read, because i didnt read most of them lol, but it wasn't even clear to me if that was a nickname they had before or a title he gave them, and it never paid off in any way? like a "checkmate" joke would have been goofy but i don't get the significance of it at all.

i knew 100% going in varric was going to die. as soon as he got stabbed i texted meta like THERE IT IS. and then i woke up and he was there and i was like huh. i guess that was the fake out and itll happen later. well. lol. i didn't clock that exact twist but i kept forgetting he was even in the game and when he did show up i was always like. what is wrong with you. we have magic. you got stabbed by the dagger and now you're wah im not fit to fight after months but harding just Touches it and gets magic powers? what's going on? and then the reveal happened and it was like oh yeah that makes sense lmao. i know something was Wrong. that said im not taking it as rook hallucinating or whatever. they were literally in the fade, i do think his memory was there and it wasn't just solas fucking with their mind and speaking through him. replaying it i'll look for times when companions see rook talk to him. i know apparently a writer was saying stupid shit about rook talking to themself on bluesky but i haven't looked at what it is.

i love harding and taash and bellara so much. and neve and teia too (i fucking love teia). the boys are. there. lmao no i love them too (especially davrin and assan) but i dont LOVE them like i love the others. and evka and antione were cute together. i mean i really like a lot of the characters, it's part of what makes the game strong, because it's a very ME2/ME3 style type game that's about gathering allies versus inquisition where you're directly hunting corypheus yourself and just gathering what you can as you go peripherally, so all those allies NEED to be good to make it work.

i think locking in a companion death after you've done all that work with their factions and personal quests is Stupid but whatever, they're definitely going to come back next game even if i think it's as an enemy. overall the climax quest was cool, i did all the side quests but the fact you get to face off against hezenkoss and aelia and shit if you DONT is cool as hell

oh and i liked the map style. similar to DAO's larger areas, i think, but expanded because we have the tech and resources to do that now and it worked really well. i loved dock town especially. it felt like what da2 COULD have been if it had the development time. a lot of this game did, tbh. i love the story and character potential of da2 but it's at the bottom of my list of games just because it's not really that fun to replay. i've sunk hundreds of hours into dai and dao. i think i've played my canon inquisitor like 4 times with only mild variations in addition to my other inquisitors and half dozen wardens.

the lore drops in this game were GREAT and a couple things came up where i was shocked like oh. oh you PLANNED that huh. there were fucking hints to this 15 years ago. i am so curious at what point they "knew" this stuff. like before this game came out i would have sworn up and down that they had Not come up with the elves becoming mortal due to fen'harel locking the corrupt elven gods behind a veil stuff in DAO and i still think that's likely, but now i would believe otherwise too.

i think they maybe had more big-picture stuff with the elves' war with the titans - because they've been hinting at this titan storyline the whole time - planned, but like, solas certainly didn't exist yet you know lol. idk! maybe.

the elves = spirits reveal went so hard for me, specifically, because ive always been interested in untangling the lore so i Combed over trespasser and there's a codex in there where the inquisitor views a memory of two elven lovers, personified as light, dancing together and intertwining their souls in a dazzling display, and as soon as i heard i was like THATS WHAT THAT FUCKING WAS. they were spirits!! so that's why i say they had to 100% know all of this lore stuff by the time of inquisition and probably knew like half of it in dao.

(side note, if you hang around the shadow dragons merchant long enough, she says she came to tevinter as a slave from denerim. she! was part of that slavery sidequest for the city elves in dao!! that's so fucking cool the continuity in this game goes so hard!!! whatever things they didn't plan, they tied back to get little things like that and it's so cool. versus inquisition which is just like. oh knight enchanters exist. that ancient forgotten arcane warrior skill that only the warden knows and was lost to time? actually the humans in orlais developed something even stronger. fuuuuuu anyway)

i want to know what the fuck is going on with valta. okay here's my thing. i get why harding was upset about the titans because solas essentially stole her peoples ability to dream and do magic which is fucked up. but also. the titans mind-controlled them??? like. solas is anti-slavery honestly in his mind he was probably freeing them. idk having played the descent i was just like the titans are NOT a thing to be mourned but i guess we'll see. i have a feeling harding is also going to be a statue in the next game if she was your sacrifice and im VERY curious if that was something dalta actually chose or if it Happened to her as either a natural evolution (like a blighted creature always turns to a darkspawn) or the titan inflicting that on her as part of its plan/instinct. this game kind of solved all my lore questions about the elves and the blight and so all that's left for me is some aspects of the titans, whatever the fuck the devouring storm is, and maybe more clarity on the real story of andraste but i feel like i have that pretty on lock lmao. she was a human mage in contact with a powerful spirit/one of the evanuris and she died for it. case closed. mythal was up in there somewhere but probably not andraste herself.

the devouring storm tho. ive been wanting more on the qunari than anti-communist propaganda and we're finally starting to get it. the hints towards par vollen next game have me excited. i dont really want rook to be a multi-game protag (as you can probably guess) but i'll just do a second, stronger playthrough if that ends up being true to import the world-state of.

speaking of world states. ok. actually one sec.

i also want to know what's going on in kal-sharok. they say they're like the darkspawn but they can't be blighted/wardens because 1) then davrin or a grey warden rook would be able to sense them and i brought neither of those things to that quest but i feel like i would have seen it mentioned by now and 2) they can't be blighted because there's an expiration date on that (i think it's 20 years) and there are a ton of dwarves way older than 20 in there. it is possible only some of them are blighted or they stopped the practice, like maybe just the rock-knockers still do it, but the joining ceremony is also implied to be blood magic and dwarves cant DO magic anyway and i dont think enough of them would survive the first 20 years to sustain a population so like. i don't think thats the answer i think they would have died out. so what does "like the darkspawn" mean? the darkspawn are normal creatures that get blighted and end up serving it. the blight came from titans. i think kal-sharok is like the darkspawn in that they opened themselves up to their Local Titan and let it lowkey take over them (see: mind control) and it helped them fight off the darkspawn. maybe just by moving rock, maybe with red lyrium even exerting some influence over the blight. maybe just being somewhat connected to the titan let them sense where the darkspawn running around in it were and let them survive. they clearly dont know a lot about the titans but their armor is literally made to make them look like statues carved out of stone and theyre worshipping their oracle statue like COME ON.

anyway, world state

so again, i think another protag would have been stronger, but if they WERE determined to make a new one, i did like what they did with the inquisitor's role. the inquisitor, even post-disbandment, is a powerful figure. having them leading the armies fighting off the blight down south makes a lot of sense. i like that they came back at the end, it felt like they were doing the best they could with making them appropriately present without having them be on screen much to say wildly out of character things for your personal inquisitor lol. the lines they had written for them were perfect for my inquisitor, though.

i do think it's weird the inquisitor even considers talking solas down after they've made the choice to stop solas at any cost?? but whatever, overall i really liked it and seeing anerra again was yes 💖 it'll work well in the next game too because the inquisitor WOULD stay in thedas to help rebuild it post-blight while rook, who at least has proven themselves and is no longer a rando lmao, goes to face the devouring storm. they're getting old now they just want to fix their house so they can sit in it 😂

it did annoy me they had you pick the LI and then their NAME wasn't even spoken. especially since if you romanced certain companions - iron bull, blackwall - they're intimately tied to factions in this fight. im sure if they romanced solas it comes up a lot more but i dont care about that lmao. BUT that goes back to the "this is the inquisitor's fight" thing - i cannot imagine most solavellan inquisitors stepping back and letting someone else go after him.

morrigan is such a babe also i loved her coming back. pretty sure this makes "mythal" the only character who has appeared in every da game. having isabella back was SO GOOD tho she's living the best fucking life. the fact fenris never showed up is such a missed opportunity and im not accepting the "well he had so many possible endings it would be hard to account-" they didn't even let you choose if bull stayed with the inquisitor or left to join the qun they are MAKING decisions on what version of events they want to keep as the canon going forward and they could have - should have - made the call here. and i have no problem with them making those calls! just commit lmao. anyway

one thing this game did great: making your rook matter. the fact i was a shadow dragon and qunari came up a lot. i was able to pull on inside knowledge and translate stuff in qunlot. i like that a lot. it's something they fumbled in inquisition lmao.

one thing it did bad: which companions you pick for quests (aside from the final one) just doesn't matter. they don't even appear in cutscenes (which was weird & jarring), they barely have comments to make throughout or in the overworld, and i dont think it's even possible to gain disapproval outside of amin story quests. like in da2 i would literally plan shit out like okay, im going on quest involving slaves, ill bring fenris to gain approval when i free them. im going on something where i'll probably side with mages, time to bring anders. none of that here. and like im not saying i want there to be more options to lose affection, especially when it felt harder to earn in this game (i did every single quest in the game and only maxed like. two people. everyone else was nine), but i wanted them to have opinions, you know.

bonus: god they fixed companion dialogue in this. now whenever they get interrupted mid-banter they always pick it back up and you get the added banter convos around the lighthouse for pairings you normally wouldn't bring out with you! so that helped flesh the companions out. and god i cannot emphasize enough how much i love some of them. ASSAN. i did not expect it going into this game but every time he was on screen i was just like BABY thats my BABY that's my little BOY

anyway. good game. very interested where they're going with this. felt like a fitting conclusion to that story arc and im very attached to my inquisitor <3

[veilkeeper]

6, 8, 10, please <3

(questions from here)

6. What was the reason that brought Rook to Minrathous?

i'm not 100% sure what this question means. in the beginning? he was traveling with Varric because he wanted to help save the world

8. What makes Rook a good leader?

he's good at just... making a decision. which i think is an underrated quality. he looks at everyone's opinion, he weighs his options, and then he throws himself into a decision without a lot of dithering. he's decisive and he's confident in those decisions, which i think inspires confidence in him in turn.

10. Does Rook know their history? Do they know of the HoF, Hawke, the Inquisitor?

he knows the basics, not the specifics. consider that he was only a kid when the inquisitor closed the breach, and he grew up in a country quite far away from all those games! he knows enough to know they were big figures in history, though he probably would only identify the hero of ferelden and the inquisitor as heroes that he might look up to. the info of hawke that makes it up to rivain is probably RIDDLED in chantry bullshit and is likely not terribly complimentary lmao.

[diamond-dangeresque]

for what i do love about this game—and i love a lot!!!—there are certain things about the story i wish we had either the opportunity to do or otherwise capitalize on

and i'll throw dat shit under a readmore for spoilers. you know. for a 13 year old game lmao

(also i will be using he/him/his pronouns when referring to Hawke simply because my first playthru was Garrett Hawke and therefore i think of Hawke in those terms)

so from the second we deal with Quentin and find his stash of books and letters during All That Remains, including one signed from his "very good friend “O”" i knew two things:

Orsino is behind this, and

i want to cave his smarmy little skull in for being an accessory to Quentin's atrocities, including MY MOTHER'S MURDER

and while i am aware that this can be kinda-sorta dealt with on a Templar playthrough, what bothers me is that i have no way to Deal With This Information until basically the end of the game, which feels...i dunno, like maybe there should have been a side quest of investigating these documents either solo or with the help of Aveline, Templar!Carver/Circle!Bethany, maybe even Anders or Varric, but it feels really weird that you find a letter that definitively proves Quentin was 100% not alone in what he was doing, and Hawke's response is 🦗🦗🦗

now yes, in the immediate aftermath he's mourning or grieving or drinking himself into a stupor or whatever Hawke (yours, mine, otherwise) does to live with not being able to save his mother in time, but it's still then Very Odd that he never just...follows up on this. like "welp, mom's dead and i killed her killer, who was definitely and apparently working alone. somehow. yep."

i would love a sidequest like that works like this, slowly piecing together who could have been assisting this madman by finding additional clues, locating “O”'s dead drop point, finding out it's the Gallows's First Enchanter being this serial killer's accomplice much to [Anders's horror//Aveline's disgust//Fenris's "well I can't say this wasn't unexpected but what the fuck"//etc etc], and then like

idk

maybe you can have a chat with Meredith abt it, convince her that No The Mage Circle Isn't All Bad, It's Just Orsino, starting an investigation and then gathering the evidence needed to convict him (and maybe optionally getting him in a room and beating the unholy piss out of him, real "Smash A to Break Orsino's Nose" kinda stuff) , and thennnnnn. idk, have him hung from the Gallows!!!! good shit, justice for Leandra and all the other women murdered by Quentin, closure for you and your sibling,

or you can take vigilante justice on him and. "hey Meredith, so Orsino died. yeah, he fell down the stairs. tripped on his robes, broke his neck on the way down. terrible shame. tut, tut. (please ignore the bruises and broken bones.)"

and then we're like "welp. so the Circle needs a new First Enchanter, aaaaaand 1. Orsino had like no protege lined up for this, and 2. no one here wants to be First Enchanter anyways" so you could potentially set up smth like

Hawke can become First Enchanter if he's a Mage

Bethany can become First Enchanter (probably easier to convince her on a high Friendship rating)

One of the mages you spared (and still lives) from Acts 1 and 2 could be trained to become First Enchanter; personally I think Alain's got gumption, but to each their own, yeah?

of course i know the problem with this story is that it kiiiiiiinda pulls away from the whole "Mages vs Templars butting heads and also the Chantry blows up" story point that 2 wants to get to, though tbh I don't think these have to be mutually exclusive?

Meredith can accuse Hawke of conspiring to lead the rebellion himself and doing so by taking Orsino's place, taking advantage of Meredith's "trust" (whether or not that's true is up to you) and thus being both the more dangerous mage of the two and proving—to herself, ofc—the inherently duplicitous nature of mages as a whole

Meredith can accuse Bethany of being a tool for Hawke's conspiracy against her, effectively using nepotism to undermine her authority and maybe even fearing being replaced herself by another of Hawke's buddies (which is absolutely not true, but red lyrium is a hell of a drug, so 🤷); this can even tie back to a choice you can have on Meredith's side where you can execute your sister or not to prove your loyalty (which obv doesn't work, but y'know 🤷)

Meredith can distrust any of your First Enchanter choices due to a wide variety of reasons: lack of experience, lack of talent, your sympathy being used against you for a position they do not deserve, I Just Don't Fucking Like Them, etc etc

it also creates this cool throughline of Quentin's fuckery being a consistent B- or C-story for Dragon Age 2, underneath Mages Vs Templars and The Qunari Are Vibing (Until They Aren't).

like. if Meredith is gonna be The Big Bad Evil Person no matter what route you take, that means you do have some flexibility on the story along the way.

but the story was also cranked out in 18 months under EA's infamous pressure cooker system, so i don't blame any of the writers for Not Thinking Of These Things, i get it, i do

and if you just want to Skip That For Whatever Reason and go through with what's already there then you can also do that. i guess. (you monster.)

the only other major grievance i have with the game is that Blood Magic Hawke isn't as story-polarizing as it could be. yes i know Blood Magic wasn't as big of a deal even in Origins/Awakening as the lore and story make it out to be; as a Grey Warden you at least get the excuse of "whatever it takes to kill the archdemon, ya feel me?", but Hawke has no such excuse and if anything having Blood Magic should both 1. be a major story beat changer, and 2. be non-reversible (mostly due to the first reason; would be kinda weird if you went Blood Mage for the story stuff, then headed over to the Black Emporeum, chugged a weird potion you got from a dusty-ass shopkeep, and went "nah i change my mind")

and yes, i am also aware that Blood Magic wasn't even going to really be a thing (PC) Hawke could have, and it was basically shoved in last-minute with not much to the story to supplement that. but there is still something to be said about a lot of missed story opportunities involving this. there was also apparently a cut storyline about Mage!Hawke dealing with a near possession attempt, and that both could have unlocked Blood Magic permanently and be yet another cool way to integrate the innate Weirdness of mages into your story

........but i digress, because after that it's mostly very minor grievances about Things I Want But Do Not Have that could probably be fixed with mods if i searched hard enough.

also: no post-game cards about my friends or my lover. come onnnnn. it's literally static text on a background. this isn't hard to implement!!!

ok rant over i'm gonna crawl into a hole now and cry about anders

[sapphim]

no pressure or anything but i’m curious since you go in the game files a lot + have a mod sorta centered on this quest, i’ve never seen anyone do this, and i don’t have access to da2 rn, do you know how best served cold like. works? if bethany/carver are both dead, sebastian is never recruited, fenris is either not recruited or hawke betrays him during his act 3 quest, anders gets kicked out of the party after his act 2 personal quest, isabela leaves at the end of act 2, and hawke has aveline, varric, and merrill with them the whole time?

does the quest still work or does it get glitchy? i suppose it might not be too difficult to get to work from a gameplay standpoint, but that seems potentially even less comprehensible than the normal quest lmao and i know the devs were under crunch

lmao I don't know about "get" glitchy, since it is already glitchy under typical circumstances. after a companion is kidnapped you can still add them to your party from the party picker and sometimes go initiate conversations with them at their party base. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

what usually happens is that there will (should!) always be a "default" option the game will be able to fall back on, even if it's not itself a "correct" option. what I mean is like, if you have two lines that play based on Hawke's gender, you wouldn't set one to play if Hawke was male and the other to play if Hawke was female, you'd set one to play if Hawke was female and then set the other to *always* play, and then if Hawke's gender wasn't registering as either male or female for whatever reason, it would still have *a* line to play, even if incorrect, rather than abruptly breaking and falling out of the conversation early.

as for how best served cold works—in Keran's dialogue where he announces which character has been kidnapped, he has a long list of lines describing the kidnapped character, with special plot flags used specifically to determine if that character is eligible to be kidnapped there. this is for the siblings and romances. if there's no sibling alive and no romanced character not in the active party, it falls through to the default, generic line "We just got word they pulled it off, right before you came here."

cut for length

if that line plays, it calls a special little bit of plot script used to determine, if a sibling or romance isn't kidnapped, then who should be kidnapped instead? I've looked at the script disassembly for this flag recently and I don't 100% understand it, but it goes thru a list of characters and checks their availability and their approval level and then picks the first one in the list that meets its requirements. there SHOULD be a fall-through state for this too in case no one passes. I know back when I was making my mod, I made my fall-through state if all the changes that *I* made failed to pick a kidnapping victim to just... call this plot flag and let IT figure it out lmfao.

still, it's very probable that they didn't ever consider this one very specific situation in which NOBODY would be eligible and now I'm curious, so I deleted most of the characters from the party pool in my save game, unset some flags that would lead the game to believe bethany and carver were available anyway, and rocked up to the warehouse with aveline, merrill, varric, and no other friends in the whole wide world to see what would happen, keran told me someone unspecified had been kidnapped, and then lying there on the beach...

was no one

and then we abruptly fell out of thrask's conversation early because the conversation was set up "improperly" with no fallback line and so Grace couldn't decide whose death to call for, leaving us all stranded standing aimlessly on the beach with no way to progress the rest of the quest or the game

which was very funny

then I checked the cnv and saw the other dialogue choice WOULD have allowed the cutscene to progress (the third dialogue option was missing from the wheel completely), tried that, found a second dialogue wheel with a missing option, and then

we abruptly fell out of the conversation here once again because there was no one to thank me for rescuing them again and, once again, no fallback line, so once again our game was softlocked

so I'd say, to answer your question, the quest does NOT work and "glitchy" is an understatement

thanks for asking!

[eniad]

okay so. datv thoughts. read more because spoilers. duh.

first of all, realized I haven't yapped about my Rook here so...

I didn't have a plan going in at all. Kinda just dicked around in the CC and ended up with a human warrior Grey Warden. Her name is Madleen. I love her, your honor.

With only the one playtrough, I can't really say how much is actually different with the backgrounds, but for a Warden it sure felt like a lot. It was always "us" concerning the Wardens, Rook was always involved, and I loved (!!) that. Rook felt very engaged in the narrative, simply by being connected to the Blight. It feels like your background hasn't mattered that much since Origins.

I might (will) go more in depth about her later, she's 100% going in the canon world state. I have Thoughts about her. <3

Now. Companions.

Loved their banter, loved that they were all involved and talking to each other. Makes the whole thing feel a lot more personal. I also agree with the name change, because it really is about the Veilguard more than just Solas.

I ended up romancing Harding, she just meshed very well with my Rook and I have been waiting for this since Inquisition lmao. The romance was ... okay. It started out really well (the kiss with the lyrium overdose was so funny and cute) but it flattened out the more you progressed her quests and I feel like they could've included more specific romantic dialogue. Maybe a 6+7/10 experience, I have to see some other romances.

I like all the companions, but some are carried by their quests and some hindered by it. Lucanis for example I really like as a character but his personal questline just felt... idk unfinished? Like sure, he reached an understanding with Spite, yada yada, but you never find out how it is even possible in the first place (unless I missed something?). And don't get me started on Illario, motherfucker was the most suspicious person ever. I'm still mad about no one calling out the Amatus. Like Neve was RIGHT THERE.

(Speaking of Neve & Lucanis. 10/10 no notes.)

I do like them all.

Story & Lore

I enjoyed the story, but I am a sucker for "Hero overcoming overwhelming odds and making mistakes along the way and having to deal with that". I also watched all 8 seasons of Riverdale so don't take my opinion too serious on this. If I have fun in any way, I will enjoy my time with it.

I was pretty sure Varric died even before the reveal, simply because he just… wasn't involved at all. If he was alive, people would've visited him and there would have been banter and stuff. I also noticed no one ever specifically addressed him. so. sus.

Solas / the Ancient Elves being responsible for. basically everything in Thedas is a choice. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. Need some more time to think. But fun to finally have more Dwarve/Titan lore (even if it is connected to the elves, as is everything else apparently).

The ending was fine imo. The build-up was great, I loved seeing the whole team and all your allies being involved. Really felt like a payoff for doing everything.

The post credit cutscene however. Uh. What teh eufkc. what the fuck.=??

Also no idea what is going in southern Thedas now. It's all overrun by the Blight, but also Harding & Emmerich are going on a camping trip? Hardings mom was writing letters and making candy completely fine? And we want to retire there with peace & quiet in a cottage? I feel like the missives were written as an afterthought...

An actual epilogue would have been nice. I know they said no big DLC but there will be something I'm sure.

Grey Wardens, Veil Jumpers, Shadow Dragons & Antivan Crows were engaged in the story well. Mourn Watch was cool to explore and get to know, I really liked the Necropolis. Lords of Fortune felt like the most random faction they could've thrown in there, not a fan for multiple reasons.

Again, don't get me started on any recurring characters. With some things I was fine with not having a world state, but others really bothered me. Hawke & Varric can both be dead and Isabela just doesn't care at all? Fuck off.

Gameplay

Standard action rpg style tbh. I had fun. I really enjoyed the boss fights, especially against the Dragons. The only thing that really kicked my ass was the fucking Death Candlehopper istg. The rank and file enemies started to feel very same-ish towards the middle, and at some point I just ended up running past whatever I could.

I do miss having 3 companions out with me. Whenever you were forced to take someone that has the same class as you, you basically miss out on half the combos. The imbalance of mages to rogue & warrior doesn't help.

-

This is a good game. I think it is also a good Dragon Age game. I already saw people arguing and insulting each other about choices. We are so back, baby. 8.5/10 rating pending.

[dungeons-and-dragon-age]

Seven forms of love asks: the first one of each category for either Ari, Liam or June?

[ask game]

Ooh so many!! >:] Imma do all of them hehe

Eros 1: Is your OC romantic in the traditional sense? Do they enjoy giving or receiving gifts of flowers or confectionary? Or are there other courtship traditions from their culture of origin that are important to them?

Ari: Hmm honestly? I'd say so, yeah. He's romantic in a chivalrous kind of way, and even if it's less on purpose and more "how else am i supposed to do this?" i'll still say it counts lol. Once past the courting he's romantic in how much attention he pays to his partner's interests and likes and in how he will support those. That ties into gifts etc. as well, because he is more likely to go by his partner's preferences/culture/etc rather than his own. It's for them, after all, so it should be meaningful to them.

Liam: Yes 100%, he is probably The corniest romantic out of all my ocs lmao. He's the 'will slowdance in the livingroom', 'will hold hands at the theatre', 'will reenact the Titanic scene at the bow' kind of romantic. He is not a fan of expensive or elaborate gifts, but anything small and thoughtful will do the trick. I've long integrated that one hc about courting in Ferelden into my worldview so giving and receiving flowers from a lover is something he values a lot.

June: Not at all. She's a romance repulsed aro, so. Not much of a romantic hfldksjf. It wasn't something she'd given any thought until it became relevant, after she and Cullen started getting closer and she had to figure out what she wanted out of the relationship. There is certainly some overlap with what would typically be considered romantic, but she is still not at all romantic in a traditional sense. Also re: gift giving, she's not a fan lol. June is horrible at both receiving and giving gifts that are not practical in nature, so she'd rather avoid it entirely.

Philia 1: Does your OC have a Best Friend? If they do then how long have they known each other and how did they meet? If they don't then do they have a close group of friends they love equally? Or are they more of a loner?

Ari: I'd say that Joseohine, Leliana and Vivienne all equally count as best friends to him, out of which he vibed with Viv the quickest. Josephine he he didn't call a friend until later even though they got along really well, out of worry that it would be inappropriate. He also definitely had some close friends in the Valo-Kas, but admittedly i haven't thought about them as much as i should lol so i don't have any specifics there.

Liam: Varric and Fenris; Fenris because the grow close, Varric because they did the anime mind flash connection thing and simply forged a silent pact early on (they vibe because they are (partially) fucked up in the same way <3). During the time in Kirkwall until the Deep Roads he also definitely considered Bethany his best friend.

June: Dorian and Sera are her ride or die besties, but Dorian came first and is still just barely holds best friend status over Sera. They got along sooner, they share interests, and they simply Work.

Storge 1: Did your OC's parents love them unconditionally? If so then has this helped them feel confident as an adult? If not then how has this affected them? What were the conditions their family attached to their relationship?

Ari: Considering that both his parents felt a little out of their league because usually he would've been taken care of by Tamas, they did really well! Growing up as the only Vashoth kid around could get a bit tough even if the environment was friendly, so they made extra sure to make him feel loved.

Liam: I am sure that they did, but it did not always come across that way. Subconsciously the love, over time, started feeling tied to how well he fulfilled his duties (or what he perceived a such) as eldest son, even if it was subconscious.

June: The love was most definitely perceived as conditional, always dependent on performance. They were a noble family with decent standing and strong ties to the Chantry, which left the sisters with high expectations and a constant competition for approval.

Agape 1: Does your OC wish to make the world a better place? How far do they see that as being their responsibility? What lengths would they go to in order to help achieve this?

Ari: Yes, and it's something he has become especially persistent about since becoming Inquisitor. He is now in a position where changing things on a greater scale is Actually Possible, and he maaaybe gets a little too hung up on the ideals he has in his mind.

Liam: Not really? He believes in common human decency and in simply being nice to people, but he does not generally see it as his responsibility to "make the world a better place". However, he does feel responsible as soon as he gets involved in something, so he ends up helping a lot anyway lol.

June: It is not a priority, no, and she does not feel responsible for the greater good. She does start caring more about the impact she has and the good that she can do, but never to the point where she'd get worked up about it.

Ludus 1: Does your OC have any particular favourite chat up lines? If not for themselves then perhaps ones they have suggested to a friend? How effective do these tend to be?

Ari: Any chat up lines he know he knows from books or from Leliana, and he decided that it would probably be best not to try those himself lolol. He is very good at complimenting people though! Which can come across as flirty sometimes, for better or for worse.

Liam: If he is being smooth on main you can be sure that it was on accident, because he is horrible at flirting. But he wouldn't try it for showing genuine interest anyway. However with an established partner he thoroughly enjoys throwing all the bad corny pickup lines at them, and we're talking "did it hurt when you fell [...]" type bad

June: Casual flirting is basically her modus operandi when it comes to friendly conversation, but when she's trying for a hookup or something she'll be way more bold and direct. June is way more witty than i am lol so i can't give you any proper examples, but she's very good at coming up with lines on the spot (and they tend to work pretty well!)

Pragma 1: Is your OC in a committed long-term relationship (or relationships)? If so then what has contributed to this relationship lasting so well? If they are not in such a relationship, then is this something that saddens them or which they regret?

Ari: A committed relationship hadn't been something on his radar, but he an Josie simply Worked. They mesh really well, they have similar interests, they enjoy talking with one another a lot, they're intellectually on the same wavelength... it gets strained after Trespasser, but they're holding tight so far.

Liam: Depends on the worldstate, but in the one where he lives he is with Fenris! I think part of why it works is that they're both very affectionate and very devoted people at heart, but they also simply get on well and work well as a team. A long-term relationship is definitely something Liam sought out.

June: It wouldn't have been something she'd have considered or missed, but here we are, and she is content with how it worked out. June and Cullen are good at both pushing and grounding each other, and they end up finding a good deal of support in their relationship.

Philautia 1: Does your OC have a healthy sense of their own worth and value? Or do they see themselves as failing to live up to their original potential? Perhaps they are convinced of their own sinful or inadequate nature?

Ari: I wouldn't say he has a lacking or inflated sense of self-worth, he simply exists as himself and is okay with that. There are things he is self-conscious about, there are things he is proud of, all within reason. Where it gets more complicated is the sense of value he gives his actions ; that is where the feeling of Not Enough sets in

Liam: I think it's decent. Overall he is fine with who is is and how he is, and does give his own needs their due, but he will quickly feel like he is not worthy of someone's love when he, in his eyes, fails to take care of them. It doesn't impact is sense of self-worth per se but it does make him feel like he failed as a friend/son/sibling/etc

June: There are things about herself that she is very proud of, but overall her sense of self-worth is. Not the best. Being self-centered is a defence mechanism against feeling like she is constantly failing expectations everywhere, a feeling that she got a little too used to growing up (yay for performance based families! <3)

[lords-of-fortune]

maybe too many but 2, 9, 16, 21 for giovanniii

That's alright! This one will simply be a Long One ajfkfl

2: How did Rook get the nickname? What do they think of it?

I haven't decided the particular story but I do think for Gio it is 100% a Varric-ism. He maybe even put varric on the spot jokingly like "how come everyone else gets a nickname? You keep calling Solas Chuckles, you've referred to several inquisition members by nicknames, you call Isabela *Rivaini* which, I'm not going to get into but that's a little yikes, especially since she's definitely not the only rivaini you know anymore. What's my nickname?" And varric had to come up with something on the spot. He doesn't mind it, it is just another of many names he goes by. He'd think it was weird if certain people started calling him that, like if his sibling started calling him Rook he'd be like you stop that but people he met during the course of the game he's fine with them using Rook or Giovanni or Gio or Laidir or whatever

9. What is Rook like on the battlefield?

He tends to be pretty focused in a way he usually isn't outside of combat. He hones in on fighting for his life and is just. A whirlwind of daggers and magic. He's definitely got a more rogue-y style to his fighting than traditionally mage-y and does a lot of dodging and getting behind enemies. He is not good at shielding which is mostly just me also being bad at that sjfkfl. He gets quiet and vicious when fighting. He is not going to die here, fuck that shit.

16. Got any tattoos? What’s the story behind them?

Yes! I gave him a full set of the preset tattoos and the mirror options I chose for him had to do with the tattoos so I decided he gets a new tattoo after every adventure so A he's got way more than the CC let me have and B they're different ajdkfl. I know for sure his biggest and most colorful one is a shoulder piece that coils down his arm and that one is an octopus similar to the lords of fortune symbol but more intricate. The others I haven't fully decided on, but I do like the cc one on his left arm that looks kind of like a treasure map with other symbols interspersed on it. But yeah he's got a bunch and I'm sure he gets another after this whole thing. also haven't decided what yet, but maybe the shadow dragon symbol somewhere for Neve, possibly the veilguard symbol somewhere, aaand then maybe one or two for reasons I cant say yet bc I know you haven't finished the game ajdkfl. I am also considering something for each of his kids, a memorial tattoo for his parents and a tattoo representing his sibling (either matched with them or just something that makes him think of them i haven't decided if Tasso is a tattoo person yet ahdklf)

21. What does Rook’s voice sound like? One of the voice options available, or do they have a different accent/voicecast?

Sooo the voice i selected for him ended up being the medium American voice bc the other options all seemed too low and I actually ended up really liking it! Idk if I fully imagined him with an American accent but I also don't think I really imagined him with any other accent either. I was mostly focused on the pitch of the voice which was like... tenor-pitched? And I'm satisfied with what the game gave me. I'm horrible at voice claims anyways lmao so I will take what the game gives me. I still don't have a coherent thought about rodaine's voice bc hes an origins character and thus a silent protagonist aside from the random battle interjections which I don't remember sjdkfl

[thebonerpit]

Ok ok ok thoughts on the Dragon Age Veilguard release date trailer:

First of all it looks GORGEOUS oh my god. So colourful and the locations are phenomenal, I cannot wait to explore. The wee bits of combat look super fun as well. A little concerned about them showcasing so many MASSIVE enemies like the dragons and that big skeleton because tbh I hate fighting huge enemies in games most of the time, but maybe we won't really be in combat with them idk.

Harding having magic powers as a dwarf is sooooo interesting. I am 100% sure this is going to be connected to The Descent DLC from Inquisition and the Titans. I hope Valta comes back because I adored her.

EMMRICH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhh he sounds absolutely perfect and I'm already in love with Manfred and his cute lil goggles lmao.

Also already in love with Davrin and his adorable griffon. Apparently he has Ghilan'nain vallaslin and if so I am SO excited to see his reaction to her. If anything happens to the griffon though I will riot.

Lucanis with those wings holy shit. I've seen some speculation about him either having a demon in him or there being at least a connection there and I'm eternally curious. Because we've seen merging with spirits with Wynne and Anders but not demons?

Taash looks so badass, looking forward to more on her.

Honestly... Bellara is giving me Peebee vibes from Mass Effect Andromeda and I'm a little nervous about it. I want to like her, I do, so I hope there's more to her that makes me change my mind!

Also I don't like to be a hater but much like Varric, I'm a little tired of Morrigan. Like I knowwww she has to be connected to this because she's so ingrained in the story but like... idk. I kind of hope it's just a brief cameo but it's kind of crazy they put her in the trailer.

STILL NO DORIAN??? Bioware please. I know he's in there. I know it.

I cannot wait to see the character creator because the Rooks we've seen so far have been gorgeous. Still waffling on who I want to make. I really think I'm gonna decide in the moment. And lbr unless the game is absolute trash I will be replaying it anyway lol.

[brennacedria]

A more thorough list, compiled by user Cake on the Bioware official discord. There are a few specific spoilers in this version that I avoided in my list.

Interruptible/resumable banter - more banter than other games, incorporating all aspects of companion story

Your companions have a life outside of you and missions

You can pick the backstory/rp your Rook and their lives before being recruited

Crafting back but involves some sort of entity/power/big spoilers - SANDAL??

Game only begins in Minrathas - not the entire game, will expand into other areas

Can't kiss Manfred but can kiss another skeleton???

Can play game entirely offline - no EA account needed

Hand crafted content- mission based, but locations open up - do great side quests, no fetch quests (YES)

Emphasis on characters tying into story threads

No longer using the Keep - but you get to pick things before starting the game

Inky returns

Companions have unique specializations, but fall into mage, rogue, warrior

Bellara is a mage

Neve is the only ice mage

One of mage abilities is slow time

Each character has a backstory, they exist as their own people outside of conversations

Healing spells are back

Tactics are back, and more important for higher difficulties

Combat pause not overhead - display strategic information on enemies (vulnerabilities, elemental weaknesses, resistances, enhancements)

Tactical decision making takes form of ability usage between Rook and his companions - detonation combos

Can choose pronouns and gender - pronouns and gender can be different

Actively looking into photo mode right now

3 ability slots for Rook but more actions in the wheel - ultimate ability associated with class/specialization, items that function like abilities (buffs/enhancements in the form of runes)

Fireball and cone of cold not back - but they have successors - meteor and frost nova - glow up lol

Accessibility modes: info will be revealed closer to launch

Veilguard = 10 years since Trespasser, Solas ritual set up, we come in towards the end of that ritual

Solas is still bald (lmao): once you get a chance to play “ancient elves turn bald after thousands of years” - might see what Solas looks like in the past?!?!?!?

Companions have a wider range of appearances that you can find for them - some appearances tied directly to their narrative

Get to visit a lot of locations that were hinted at - not completely filling out the map, some new things to hint at - more to do at Kal’sharok

Tone wheels, can pick consistent tone - emotion wheel, can pick specific emotions - choice wheel, no specific emotion but want to make a choice, they want players to understand as much what they are picking

RP choices and outcomes for conversations, how events unfold - huge priority

Each companion has romance arc, can be romanced by all genders, but are not “playersexual” - they won’t change their preferences based on what you’re playing - they have their own fully fleshed out identities

All companions are pansexual, with their own history of romances

If you don’t pursue a romance with companion, they’ll build romance with each other

Lace Harding and Taash get together if you don’t get with them

Elven Warden and Veil Hopper face tattoos: specific to their personalities

Corinne really proud of character creator - huge range of options

Companions the highlight of the game, devs very proud of them

John Epler most excited about mix of novelty and familiarity: great for existing and new DA players

Varric has been adventuring for a while now - will see him in more contexts

Inky will appear in the flesh - can customize them, including new customization options. They will be YOUR Inky. Solas and Inky stories tied together

Devs 100% focused on the base game, making it as complete as they can

No micro-transactions, no battle passes, don’t have to connect online - focus entirely on complete single-player game

There will be transmog system

No ace relationships in DA:TV

Will there be blood magic “Rook has pretty good reasons to avoid blood magic”

Mage skill tree is packed with a bunch of other spells, there is necromancer, elemental, and a combat mage specialization

HQ: The Lighthouse - similar narrative purpose as Skyhold, elements of it change over time, starts to feel like home over time

Emphasis on food in the lore: “at least one place has pasta”

You’re spending most of the game in North Thedas - no mabari

YOU CAN PET THE GRIFFIN - but also HUG THE GRIFFIN: lots of options, can hang with griffin at The Lighthouse

We will see character creator before the game releases

Can play as Qunari, Dwarf, Elf, and Human - with full body customization

Lineage gives really unique dialogue options, depending on your background you get very specific callouts to your faction

Barkspawn is safe!

Rook last name defined by their faction - also a name generator

They will talk about the different editions/voice actors/pre-order "soon"

Tavern songs: The Swan

PC specs coming soon

Soundtrack woven into the story themes

Regret is a major theme: how to move on and deal with regret - cohesive story

You can play as Dwarf, world reacts to race and backstory - unique conversation options

GLORIOUS BEARDS

You can piss off companions, will take some time away, but are dealing with “the biggest threat that Thedas has ever seen” “they will come back, unless…”

More story for Harding, tends to be someone who has the most insight into who Solas was

Quests: immediately relevant to what you’re doing (saving the world) + provides perspective on characters/world - everything is hand crafted and intentional (no more gathering shards lmao)

Locations can fundamentally change based on the decisions that you make - locations will be different depending on what you do!

If Rook dies then game over. You can spec your companions to revive you. Cannot switch characters but engage with their actions.

Same Solas you love and/or hate - same writer as before

The story of who we leave in the Fade will not show up in the Veilguard

No mounts: addressed a need in Inquisition we don’t have in Veilguard

Side quests are very intentional and relevant to the plot

The Lighthouse has its own unique purposes and functions

Dual wielding part of rogue kit, not warrior - warrior: 2h, sword and shield

John Epler gets pleasantly surprised on a daily basis with the dev team, very excited for us to see what they’ve done

Very Vague, Slightly Out of Context Notes on Today's Veilguard Discord Q&A

I was in the hospital with my husband while listening to this, so I didn't catch everything, and I missed the last little bit of the Q&A completely. I've already linked a recording of the session in two other posts; this is just the notes I made in the one server I'm in while I was listening along:

"will crafting return?" "You can absolutely improve and customize your gear.....there might be a mysterious entity that helps you"

"can we kiss Manfred" "not that skeleton" but another

Talking about keep's replacement, but not much detail. Just that it's built into the client, 100% offline, etc. explicitly said they "don't want to spoil which decisions get imported"

Corinne's being a little cagey about companion specializations. Sounds like MAYBE their personality has more to do with their individual abilities

CONFIRMED HEALING SPELLS (this was mentioned elsewhere but I didn't know a source)

"detonation combos" in the tactics discussion, ability "synergies"

Confirmed again gender/pronouns

"actively looking into" photo mode, which I thought was already confirmed but I guess not. "We'll let you know"

"Will go into accessibility features closer to launch" (disappointing)

Per epler, 10 years since trespasser which I think is probably a misspeak?

Companion outfits have "wider range of appearances" (but doesn't say they'll be changeable completely)

Dialogue wheels based on tone, emotion, and/or choice and have consequences

Corinne confirms again ALL companions are romanceable by ALL Rook but are NOT playersexual

Vallaslin coming back

"these are the deepest companion arcs we've done, not just in dragon age but at Bioware"

"Inky DOES appear" which we knew. Can use "the new customization options" (Inquisitor body types anyone???)

Corrine deflecting question about dlc. "100% focused on this being the most complete game we can make it" no micro transactions no battle passes

"will there be transmog?" "Oh hell yeah"

Mage specialties: Necromancer, elemental, and "more of like a combat mage"

YOU CAN HUG THE GRIFFON

We will get to see the cc before release!!

I couldn't hear if we'll get the cc early or not

Rook's surname is based on their faction, sounds like first names will have a generator option

they declined to answer the voice actor question, and the soundtrack question

Glorious dwarven beards confirmed

"locations can fundamentally change" based on your actions

"if rook gets KO'd it's time to reload your save" unless you spec your companions to revive you

[catdotnip]

not me doodlin my hawke before finishing my canon origins run 👀👀👀

[villainanders]

I'm back on locked tomb dragon age thoughts. I was curious as to what Houses you would assign da2 characters, or at least Bethany. I haven't played with her yet since I've only played mage hawke ( I will fix this soon) so I don't know her very well. Rn I'm thinking like Fenris, 8th (fucked up power dynamics), maybee varric fifth? since his whole thing is bucking tradition? not sure. Isabela, fourth? or maybe third or seventh? I think she'd like the gaudiness. idk I'm thinking

this is such a good question im sorry its taken so long to get back to you...

anyway for au reasons i do feel like all the hawke sibs should be from same house and I'm not 100% on that. @widgitart said 3rd which i really like with leandra's backstory (maybe she like. gave up her seat as 3rd heir to run off with Malcolm who is non-nobility from a less prestigious house but the amells never wanted to make gamlen their heir so there was a weird power vacuum until the hawkes came back to third? idk) but I'm also compelled by the idea of them as 4th house bc i think there's something thematically good with carver and beth both being so doomed so young and 4th's habit of sending teens to the front lines.

for varric i can definitely see 5th. tho honestly this is the house i know the least about lmao I'm just like hell yeah magnus and abigail house :) tho i could also make a case for 3rd and frankly. hear me out. 7th (its not that i think 7th cultural practices are similar to orzammar's cultural practices but i could see varric having a similar relationship with 7th house that he does to orzammar. very much "everyone is acting like this thing is cool. but its not its actually very fucked up!!)

fenris 8th for the fucked up potential and Sebastian and aveline both 2nd for obvious reasons (i know I'm messing up any hope of this being a canaan house au by assigning people who wouldn't be lyctor/cav pairs to the same house). i dont feel like bela is from the nine houses at all i feel like she's a cool space pirate doing her own thing out in the galaxy. hell yeah girlie.

i'm not really sure for merrill and anders. tho in my head they're both og lyctors so its kind of different. part of me wants to say 6th for anders since they're the closest to the circle kind of but then he would have been very bad 6th house member lmao. i feel like i could also see 5th but again i like. barely know anything about them lol. MERRILL is interesting to me there's a few ways it could go (i think there's strong cases for 6th and 7th) but i kind of want to say 9th since merrill practicing magic from a different tradition (as a blood mage but also generally as a dalish elf) could have some interesting ties with the way ninth is distanced from the other houses and regarded by other houses as being stuck in the past (which is. unfortunately how a lot of dragon age treats the dalish)