Dragon Age: Origins

[ZM90 99]

Dragon Age: Origins is an awesome game and since it's an awesome game we obviously need a thread discussing it. I play as a Chaotic Neutral Mage, I hate the Chantry and I want what is best for the advancement of the mages. I believe in destroying anything that tries to stand in the way of freedom for the mages no matter if my actions are considered good or evil. I also romance Morrigan. Now discuss Dragon Age: Origins!

[Kerk 12]

You are correct in praising this game. However, for me Kotor will always remain #1. What I loved about DAO was thoughtful conversations and complex relationship with teammates. And all of them were well thought through. The Ending unlike ME3 (yes, I can't help but talk about it again and agian, cause I'm still in shock) was excellent. You think the Warden should die like a hero? -There you go, die like a hero and have Leliana cry overy your soul for years to come. You want to save all and yourself and live happily ever after?- there you go, all friends are well, you are a living legend.

 

I also loved how they incorporated mythology and religion into this game. Consider all other games - complicated illogical mythologies with bunches of strange gods. Here we have classic pro-christian doctrine of one divinity, over which people argue. ANd of course the prophet Andraste is a woman-Christ. This is really something new and neat for a fantasy game.

 

THe only problem I have with this game is copy/paste locations. This is one of the reasons why in my mind it still loses to Kotor.

[ZM90 99]

If we were to argue main game only I'd agree with you but, I think arguing Origins + Awakening + all of the DLC puts DA:O over the top against KotOR imo. We also know KotOR doesn't have the advantage of a expansion pack or DLC but, DA:O does.

[Hassat Hunter 571]

*cough*

 

Baldur's Gate Series, PS:T...

 

There are plenty of RPG's out there even better than KOTOR or DA:O.

I still love them both just the same

[Kerk 12]

This is a double edged sword you are using,ZM90. I see DLCs as a new nasty way of sucking money out of customers. That is not to say that I didn't enjoy them in DAO, but I don't see why they couldn't include them in the initial game. In this sense, KOTOR is superior, because it doesn't need DLCs. It was excellently organized on its own terms.

 

And besides, Awakening hardly counts as a part of the initial game, wouldn't you agree?

[ZM90 99]

And besides, Awakening hardly counts as a part of the initial game, wouldn't you agree?

 

I see it like this.

 

Leliana's Song/DA:O/Return to Ostagar/The Stone Prisoner/Warden's Keep/Feastday = 1/3 of the full game.

Awakening = 1/3 of the full game.

Golemns/Witchhunt = The finale.

Darkspawn Chronicles = Alt. Universe where the Darkspawn win.

 

Yes I agree with you that DLC is a double edged sword as it can encourage developers to not release the full game but, at the same time it can add to an already existing full game. I think that DA:O without DLC is almost on par with KotOR (KotOR only beats the initial game by a bit imo) and that the game itself was full enough to be considered a finished game, the DLC just made the game even more jam packed with content. I think if KotOR had DLC it would beat Dragon Age: Origins. That being said I love both games, my preference for Dragon Age: Origins mainly has to do with how fleshed out the expansion and DLC makes the game.

[GovernorTarkin 0]

I just got DAO for free from amazon, cause of issues with ME3, I'm so excited to actually start playing. Do you recommend any mods, or should i playthrough once unmodded?

[ZM90 99]

I just got DAO for free from amazon, cause of issues with ME3, I'm so excited to actually start playing. Do you recommend any mods, or should i playthrough once unmodded?

 

Do your first playthrough without mods as to me discovering what is possible within the initial game is a great experience but, you should try to get Awakening and all of the DLC to flesh out your adventure more. The chronological order by the way is....

 

Leliana's Song > Dragon Age: Origins > Awakening > Golemns > Witchhunt

 

or

 

Dragon Age: Origins (with Leliana's Song when Leliana tells you that specific story) > Awakening > Golemns > Witchhunt

 

Darkspawn chronicles is like a alt. ending to the main game so I recommend you play that after beating the main game.

[DeadMan 103]

What I liked in DAO (besides great story and characters) was it's difficulty. IMO, modern games are quite easy, even on hard level. And DAO felt like "hello from 90's", where you must think very carefully about what you do. The game is a real challenge, and I like it for it.

[ZM90 99]

What I liked in DAO (besides great story and characters) was it's difficulty. IMO, modern games are quite easy, even on hard level. And DAO felt like "hello from 90's", where you must think very carefully about what you do. The game is a real challenge, and I like it for it.

 

Yeah DA:O is one of the only modern games that I feel has some difficulty to it, the other one I feel has some difficulty to it is Zelda: Skyward Sword with it's Hero Mode and Ocarina of Time 3D with it's Mirrored Master Quest (but, OoT is from the 90s anyway, late 90s but, still ).

 

90s ftw! Although there are a few games from the late 2000s (2006 to 2009) and 2010s (2010s cover 2010 - 2012)

 

Here is a list of them.

 

Super Mario Galaxy (2007)

Dragon Age: Origins (2009)

Super Mario Galaxy 2 (2010)

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D Master Quest (2011)

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword (2011)

Dark Souls (2011)

 

I think that might be it maybe let me know if you think of more.

[Guest M@sterlink]

DAO is a very very great game. A great Background, great characters and the dark fantasy universe which is original in somes point than others (elves are, for the most of them, slaves... etc..).

 

I'm French but i really hate the Empire Of Orlais ^^, well because maybe i'm not a believer and this country, in this universe, is, as for me, a caricature of the France Kingdom in the medieval age.

 

But it is so fantastic that each country have their own culture, their accent (French Accent for Orlais, Spanish Accent for Antiva for example) and the rivalry between them (Imperial Chantry vs Andrastian Chantry, Tevinter vs The Qunary, Orlais vs Ferelden or Nevarra...)

 

Well i'm also a big fan of our Grey Warden as i was for Revan in Kotor ^^.

[ZM90 99]

In my opinion a rebellious mage warden that falls in love with Morrigan, performs the ritual, puts Alistair on the throne, and goes with Morrigan at the end of Witch Hunt makes the most sense story wise when you consider all of the DLC.

 

I really hate the Chantry and Templars for the mistreatment and fear of mages which is why I typically play as a mage so I can have a good reason to say "screw you!" to the Chantry and Templars.

 

I also enjoy annoying/picking on Alistair, that's always fun to do .

[GovernorTarkin 0]

So i just figured out that Mass Effect has spoiled me. Now everytime i play a story driven game i expect my character to speak, and if he/she does not i find i lose interest really fast. I tried playing DAO, and i did for about an hour, but the fact that my character didn't speak was just gnawing at me. this kind of upsets me cause there looks like a lot of good content. I did play through skyrim, but i turned sound down on that and listened to podcasts(Laser Time FTW!). that however is not applicable to DAO, because the story is what i was looking forward to. Guess i'll just have to try and keep going, maybe i'll be too engrossed in the story and not care if my character is a mute.

[ZM90 99]

So i just figured out that Mass Effect has spoiled me. Now everytime i play a story driven game i expect my character to speak, and if he/she does not i find i lose interest really fast. I tried playing DAO, and i did for about an hour, but the fact that my character didn't speak was just gnawing at me. this kind of upsets me cause there looks like a lot of good content. I did play through skyrim, but i turned sound down on that and listened to podcasts(Laser Time FTW!). that however is not applicable to DAO, because the story is what i was looking forward to. Guess i'll just have to try and keep going, maybe i'll be too engrossed in the story and not care if my character is a mute.

 

The silent protagonist thing doesn't really bug me but, if you've noticed I play a lot of Zelda, KotOR, and Dragon Age so I don't mind it and I think it works better in some games (Zelda for example). Although if you want Dragon Age with a voiced protagonist play Dragon Age II. Dragon Age: Origins is much better but, Dragon Age II is still a good game.

[Guest M@sterlink]

In my opinion a rebellious mage warden that falls in love with Morrigan, performs the ritual, puts Alistair on the throne, and goes with Morrigan at the end of Witch Hunt makes the most sense story wise when you consider all of the DLC.

 

I really hate the Chantry and Templars for the mistreatment and fear of mages which is why I typically play as a mage so I can have a good reason to say "screw you!" to the Chantry and Templars.

 

I also enjoy annoying/picking on Alistair, that's always fun to do .

 

hum the canon story is that the grey warden is a noble who fall in love morrigan and put an Hardened alistair on the Throne.

 

moreover, a mage human grey warden is the cousin of the hero of Dragon Age 2.

[Hassat Hunter 571]

I always prefer silent protagonist above "I pick X, but Shephard says FU" a voiced protagonist usually entices (especially if the 'dialogue wheel' is used with just freakin' keywords... *sigh*)

[Kerk 12]

Yeah, silent protagonist leaves more room for imagination. allows to relate better.

 

Screw Morrigan. She was a heartless beatch. Where is it in the canon that the Warden goes with her? In DA2 such a thing is never mentioned. He disappears, but that doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the Mirror. And even if he does go through the Mirror that doesn't imply LI.

[ZM90 99]

Screw Morrigan.

 

My mage warden already did ;p.

 

Joking aside I think Morrigan's problem is that she was raised to be practical by Flemeth which doesn't make her necessarily evil she just tends to suggest what is easiest for the Warden to do like not helping Redcliffe (I always help Redcliffe regardless of what she says) also she's so anti-social because she was raised in the wilds and normally her only companions besides Flemeth were the animals themselves. You can see how she doesn't know that much of the world outside when she falls in love with the warden and is afraid of her feelings and being taught by Flemeth that it would weaken her. So basically she's the way she is because 1. Flemeth and 2. raised in the wilds. I like to think that by the end of Witch Hunt when my mage warden goes with her that Morrigan grew and doesn't have some of the sentiments she used to have which Flemeth imparted upon her. So I don't blame Morrigan for the way she is, I blame Flemeth and kill Flemeth too (until she comes back in DA II that is).

[Kerk 12]

Fair enough, fair enough. I can even add that it is one of the strongest sides of DAO that throughout it your selfless actions help Morrigan's moral development and change of views on friendship and love. Still I just prefere Leliana's idealism and devotion. Plus, Morrigan can't sing

[ZM90 99]

I don't often play as a Warrior or Rogue but, when I do I make sure to romance Leliana. I think that Morrigan has the most character development of all the DA:O characters, of course that is debatable but, it's my opinion.

[Kerk 12]

Here's an interesting observation I made:

In DA2 we have events take place after 1 year, then 2 years, then 5...if I'm not mistaken...

Hawke, being the champion of Kirkwall, meets King Alistair in the 3rd part, which is 7 years past the Blight... again if I'm not mistaken.

In that conversation Alistair mentions the Hero of Ferelden in present tense. We are explicitly told that he is still in the actual world. That indicates that if he indeed left the world through the Mirror, then he spent about 6-7 years searching for Morrigan. And that I find really hard to believe. To me this is a good reason NOT to think that he left through the Mirror.

 

But may be I'm just giving Bioware too much credit.

[ZM90 99]

Here's an interesting observation I made:

In DA2 we have events take place after 1 year, then 2 years, then 5...if I'm not mistaken...

Hawke, being the champion of Kirkwall, meets King Alistair in the 3rd part, which is 7 years past the Blight... again if I'm not mistaken.

In that conversation Alistair mentions the Hero of Ferelden in present tense. We are explicitly told that he is still in the actual world. That indicates that if he indeed left the world through the Mirror, then he spent about 6-7 years searching for Morrigan. And that I find really hard to believe. To me this is a good reason NOT to think that he left through the Mirror.

 

But may be I'm just giving Bioware too much credit.

 

I wouldn't rule out the Warden going through the mirror and then finding a way to travel between Fereldan and whatever that place is and since my Warden went through the mirror that has to happen for my warden (though not every one else's). Morrigan may say that it's impossible to leave but, you never know as when the PC and party gets trapped in the fade the PC is told "it's impossible to leave" so Morrigan may not know the place completely and there could be a way out, I wouldn't doubt it. I think that Bioware was pretty much leaving things up to the player's imagination. I still wonder what exactly that place is though. Hopefully we get to actually visit it for real in Dragon Age III.

[JediExile 0]

Rogue is my favorite class. I am a big fan of picking locks...and not so much Leliana or Zevran.

[Sith Holocron 2,403]

I've got Dragon Age Origins Ultimate Edition. IIRC, I think it's got the game and all of the DLC included. Someday I'll break that plastic wrap seal and play it.

[milestails 263]

I just discovered this game lol

 

just got this thing called "in-ter-net" too haha

 

Anyways will I enjoy this game after having played Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect?

 

Does anyone play this game with a dual core processor specifically an i3 540 3.07 GHz?  Systemrequirementslab is dogging me for not having a quad-core so I am wondering how the performance will be.  As a side note I have 8GB RAM and a nVIDIA GeForce GT 440.