#this dialogue is so damned funny Rook Neve and Bellara out here fighting for their lives

[densewentz]

old married couple istg ☠️

[pallasj]

Me (inconsistently) jotting down my thoughts as I play through DATV (Act 1)

Spoilers under cut

(Here's my Rook: Ashara Laidir, LoF elf mage)

-Huh, did I miss something? I'm kinda surprised that the Dalish are kinda chill (or at least I was expecting more outbursts of surprise) with the fact that their elven gods were evil. Unless it's because of the timeskip (presumably whatever knowledge the Inquisitor had from Trespasser got out) or because it's the Veil Jumpers-- idk, I haven't read the novels.

-(Add: Bellara and Davrin do comment on the whole Evanuris thing)

-OH MY GOD MORRIGAN I WAS NOT EXPECTING HER THIS EARLY

-*squinting at Morrigan's Flemythal crown*

-Solas snark!

-Varric is like, Rook's uncle in spirit.

-Me picking purple options: I miss purple Hawke more and more each day.

-Oh! Maevaris Tilani!

-Dorian!!! ❤️ LOOKING GOOD!!!

-Bruh, the Treviso vs Minranthous decision is this early???

-I'M SO SORRY NEVE TREVISO IS A MERCHANT CITY IT HAS NO DEFENSES

-I got my ass kicked in that dragom fight multiple times on easy mode wtf

-I'm so curious about Solas' reaction to Rook in other dialogue branches. Like, how easy is it to get him pissed off (as compared to DAI?)

-(Paraphrasing) Solas: What will they call you when this is over?; Rook: It doesn't matter (likely, accidentally encouraging Solas like the conversation after Temple of Mythal in DAI)

-ISABELAAAAAA

-Damn, Rook is coming on strong flirting with Lucanis in coffee flavors

-Lord of Fortune Rook backstory: was a Tevinter galley slave before becoming a LoF

-INKYYY MY ELLANA LAVELLAN

-Also, I don't mind this part because I was expecting it but it's so funny that Solasmanced!Lavellan just. Divulges that Solas was her ex. Straight up. (I'm so curious about how a Solavellan + vowed to stop Solas worldstate looks like)

-Okay. So. Pacing wise, I'm pretty sure I should not have unlocked all of Solas' regrets in Act 1. I am PROCESSING THE LORE. I AM PROCESSING THE WHOLE SOLASMYTHAL SITCH.

-Will have to revisit my opinion on Mythal on a later date when I rewatch this

-Also, it's so funny that after each memory, the whole VG comes over for a Solas gossip sesh.

-Convinced the Mythal fragment in 1 try! Took 3 dialogue trees (the last one being the "Solas respects me" or smthg) but yay no dragon fight. (Also I peeked at the endings already, so "Redeem Solas" ending secured! ✌️)

-Okay so I took a break from writing down thoughts just to progress through the main story and yeah, punched the First Warden, took down a three headed archdemon, with Rook getting flung around Weisshaupt, and we're finallyyyyyy going to Act 2.

DATV thoughts so far

-the dialogue writing in the beginning makes this game look like such a "hear me out" 😭 it's a combination of telling instead of showing (a lot) in order to establish everything ASAP + quips/cliched lines + i think, making sure all the companions get their line distributions in (ahaha). Individually, it wouldn't have bothered me, but the combination made it noticeably awkward for me. I will say though, it's gets better once you do the companion quests and progress further into Act 1.

- Re: companions and Rook: I do agree the way Rook speaks with them sounds like therapy speak at times (probably bc of a combination of Rook's limited personality options + Rook speaks a lot without prompting from the dialogue wheel) but like, it doesn't bother me that much (after a while at least). It also makes Rook sound like a group leader in a school project, which they kind of are ahahaha.

- Re: companions: I don't agree that they're entirely conflictless (e.g. Taash being wary of Emmrich, Lucanis and Davrin at the end of Act 1), but if you're looking of levels of haterism like, Fenris and Anders or Jack and Miranda, or petty bickering like Alistair and Morrigan, I don't think they have that here.

- Party banter? Yeah, there's a lot!! Don't look at me bringing an all mage party just to hear all the banter!!

-Damn they're just dropping massive lore reveals into this game. It's so surreal seeing theories that I saw on Tumblr years ago being confirmed here

-The combat! It's so fun!!!! I play as a orb and dagger mage, which was squishy as fuck before I got the HP bonuses from the Evanuris statues, but once you get to like, lvl 15-20, I'm mowing down enemies! (I play on Keeper/easy mode, but the difficult part for me is dodging because Rook draws all enemy aggro)

- Me, walking around Minrathous and Treviso: So. DA2 remake when?

- Even if it's not open world, there's still so much of the map to explore. Sometimes the challenge is finding your way through one level to the next and back ahaha.

I've already played the beginning of Act 2 at this point but! Onwards!