#i replayed DAO in 2020

[fereldanwench]

do i really want to replay DAI before veilguard

do i

do i

[butchvamp]

really wish i could get into a game like i used to.. thinking about all the hours i sunk into da:o and da2 and the me trilogy and when i used to actually read and reread IF games over and over... i miss that

[anneapocalypse]

1, 2, 4, 8, 19 for the dav meme!

Veilguard Hype Ask Meme!

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Origins! I've been here since the beginning. Alongside Fallout 3, it was one of the first RPG video games that absolutely ate my brain. I have fond memories of sitting on my futon playing DAO for like 16 hours straight, forgetting to eat and destroying my back.

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

This is always such a hard question for me to answer, because the three games are all so different, and I have deeply fond memories of all three of them, and I can also look at all three pretty frankly and see their flaws even as I still enjoy them. I think if I have to name a favorite though, it's still Dragon Age 2. Something about its structure and scale, the creative and unusual use of place and time, and its themes, really appeals to me. I've also come to really like the personality lock-in feature even though it does place some limitations on role-playing, and I love the friendship-rivalry system. I love it so much. I think it makes for much more interesting character relationships than simply "Does this character approve or disapprove of my actions?" Are there things about the other games that I prefer, of course. I want to be able to play as an elf or a dwarf or a qunari, for one. But even after all this time, DA2 still hits me a certain way. I love the other two games as well. There's just something about Kirkwall.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

So I have like five or six world states and I don't consider any one of them more canon than the others, but I will be going into Veilguard for the first time with Rogues Gallery, which is exactly what it sounds like (and which means the one thing I know about my Rook is they'll be a rogue), featuring Jolene Cousland, Mallory Hawke, and Calla Cadash.

Basic rundown:

The Circle was saved, Connor and Isolde both lived, Zathrian broke the curse, and Harrowmont is King of Orzammar.

Jo romanced Alistair and convinced him to do the Dark Ritual.

They stayed Grey Wardens and rode off into the sunset together.

Anora is Queen of Ferelden.

Nathaniel is alive.

The Architect was spared.

Vigil's Keep and Amaranthine were protected.

Jo went off alone to find a cure for the Calling, and Alistair was left in the Fade.

Carver is dead, Bethany is alive and a Grey Warden.

Mal romanced Isabela. (In my headcanon, they later become a polycule with Merrill but of course that's not in the game.)

She rivaled everyone except the rogues and Merrill.

Bartrand is dead. Varric kept a piece of the idol.

Aveline did not marry Donnic.

Feynriel went to the Dalish, and then to Tevinter.

Clan Sabrae was killed.

Merrill did not destroy the Eluvian.

Mal refused to take any kind of a stand until the very end of Act III where she heaved a big sigh and sided with the mages.

She disapproved of Anders' actions but spared his life.

Mal is still alive and kicking.

Calla romanced Josephine.

She conscripted the rebel mages and the Grey Wardens.

Alistair was left in the Fade.

I left off with her right before Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, so I am not sure of her decisions from her onward! But I do plan to finish this playthrough before Veilguard comes out. :)

8. What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

I'm pretty hype about all of them, but I'd say the Lords of Fortune and the Veil Jumpers the most since we know the least about them!

19. Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

I do plan to finish my current playthrough of Inquisition (Calla's playthrough) which is still incomplete. Beyond that, maybe I'll re-read some of my favorite Tevinter Nights stories. I spent about three years (2020-2023) playing the whole series on repeat like 5-6 times and reading and watching all the side content I could get my hands on, so... I'm probably good on that front. ;)

Final Fantasy XIV is getting a new expansion, Dawntrail, in just a couple weeks, so that should occupy a good chunk of my summer, and I expect I'll be ready to play some more Dragon Age in the fall in preparation for Veilguard! (Would love to get an actual release date, though.)

[elvensemi]

I was looking in my drafts and I found like five passionate posts in defense of Isolde from DAO and like, I was right and still am, but I’m surprised I mustered up so much passion for it in 2020. I wasn’t even replaying DAO. 

[ohsweetflips]

It’s me. The Solasmancer. I did in fact mean Solas. I only just got into Dragon Age. The first game of the series I ever played was DAI. Then I played Origins and DA2…and then DAI again cuz I wanted that custom history. It has consumed my life since November. New hyper-fixation, my beloved. I’m playing DA2 again because I just flew through it the first time and didn’t really do any writing desk side quests and ended up missing a TON (like I literally missed Fenris?? Hello??? A whole person I didn’t even know about?). I’m making some different decisions but not like…a lot because why would I change them if they were right the first time………………..why am I like this

okay first things first all i saw in my notifs was “it’s me. the solasmancer” and i was just AKDJFJSJHD

AND…….. YOU MISSED FENRIS…………………. TRULY COULDNT BE ME i have played dao like three times, da2 four, and dai like seven or eight times and i still think fenris might be my favorite romance <3

AND YEAH WELCOME TO PLAYING DRAGON AGE i have been meticulously crafting my timeline since 2015 and just did a huge replay in 2020 and like. dragon age my belovedst

[fereldanwench]

yeah so

salty dragon age thoughts i guess

i think november last year, when I realized I was okay with parting with all the dragon age shit i'd collected over the past decade, really marked my departure from dragon age as a top-tier fave. i don't think I can ever drop it completely, but nothing about dragon age has gotten me really excited in a few years. i replayed DAO at the beginning of 2020 when I needed a comfort game, but I haven't touched any of the other games since 2018? and I don't really get that "aww i miss thedas" feeling i used to get when i'd take a break for a while.

the more time passes from inquisition, the more I just find it deeply unsatisfying, and a big part of that is the solas/high fantasy ancient elf/fade lore crap. i just don't care. solas is a condescending prick and I find everything about him extremely unappealing. he's not even fun to hate, I just want him to go away. and I just check out as soon as I encounter hardcore fade/veil lore and theories. like obviously I enjoy some degree of this stuff--i do like fantasy and magic and weird shit, and I think there are some interesting metaphysical things to consider--but it's just answering questions I don't care about. DAO and DA2 work for me because they're still so grounded against the fantasy backdrop.

today's announcement just kind of solidified for me that DA4 is gonna be a buy-on-deep-steam-sale game for me. solas was obviously always going to play a main role in it, but having the whole ass game named after his fursona just tells me DA is just not for me anymore. and yanno, that's fine. there is a part of me that does find that a little sad and disappointing, but i mean it's been 7 goddamn years. a long 7 goddamn years. (hawke knows what I'm talking about.) I got a lot of good things out of the 9ish years i was deeply invested in the series, and i'm grateful for that, but we're just on separate journeys now, i suppose.

and while i'm very glad they dumped the online service game model or whatever the fuck, I gotta say that logo reveal is super uninspiring and is ironically reminiscent of MMO aesthetics lmao. i saw someone say it looked like they were announcing the next season of fortnite, and yeeeaaah. i hope the actual cover art is more interesting.

anyway. if you're happy i'm excited for you! i just can't help but feel a little bitter, I think.