My Dragon Age 4 Wish List

Posted in Posts, Reviews by Rachael C Marek

Dragon Age 4 “behind-the-scenes” snippet shows off concept art and works-in-progress - VideoGamer.com

For those of you who have been with me for a while now, you know of my long love affair with the series Dragon Age. I have taken part in nearly every aspect of the fandom – the love runs deep. Very few details have been released in the last couple of years in regards to the next installment since it was teased at the 2018 Game Awards. And when any little hint does come to light, fans analyze every minute detail for clues and concoct wild theories based on the scarce evidence.

The Art Of Dragon Age 4 - Concept Art and Making Of

December tends to be DA news month but Christmas came early this year when a number of images of concept art were recently released. You can imagine the subsequent frenzy that ensued. With the release of the latest novel, Tevinter Nights, characters both new and familiar were revealed along with story details that we could weave together in the hopes of understanding where the next game would lead us.

Dragon Age 4' Gamescom reveal highlights wild new landscapes and characters

In the FB group I’m a part of, people regularly prompt the members by asking what they want to see in the next game. Besides better hairstyles, which is a major pet peeve among us (I even wrote about it a while back), there are a lot of ideas floating around. With all this in mind, I’ve decided to share my own take on what I’d like to see in the next game. Here are my top 7. I tried to stop at 5 but that was difficult, so I’ll do my best to be concise.

*This will include spoilers if you have not read the comics and books, and with the understanding that the reader has played the games.

Every Dragon Age 4 Screenshot or Piece of Concept Art Revealed So Far

The return of the Hero of Ferelden. The protagonist of Origins, the tainted hero who saves the world from The Blight we learn, years later in Inquisition, is in search of a cure for what will eventually kill them. My hope is that we are given closure to this storyline and the character that brought us into the series in the first place.
The trouble with the Grey Wardens and the return of griffons. In the closing credits of Inquisition we learn that something is happening within Warden ranks and Weisshaupt has gone quiet. In the novel, Last Flight, we learn the fate of the griffons during the 4th Blight and the possibility of their return. I’m a fan of the Wardens, one of their symbols is part of my tattoo (I told you, the love runs deep, skin deep 😉 ), so I’d like to revisit the order and learn what’s going on.
The return of beloved characters. Dragon Age needs to follow Mass Effect’s format of reintroducing characters and bringing us closure, especially in light of the position many of our favorite companions have or may have found themselves in since we last saw them.
- Sten is now Arishok, as revealed in the comic series, The Silent Grove, and with the Qunari threat revealed in Inquisition and the war in Tevinter, he should make an appearance as the commander of the military.
- Zevran and the Antivan Crows. There is a chapter in Tevinter Nights that deals with the leaders of the houses of the assassin’s guild, one of them being the house of Aranai. Zevran has made an appearance, in some form, in all three games so with this history, and the disarray that the Crows may find themselves in since the enlightening chapter, he should reappear. There is concept art that shows a Crow, and he’s also an elf. ((wink wink))
- Fenris received his own comic recently, Blue Wraith, although there wasn’t enough of him in it for my liking. The story involves the Qunari and Tevinter so he should make an appearance. And fans would be thrilled. We love Broody!
- Merrill, I think, is a shoe-in for a reappearance. In DA2 she was working at restoring an eluvian, and after Inquisition, we’re all aware of their importance. As an elf with strong ideas of keeping elven traditions alive, she’d make a great recruit for the Dread Wolf’s army.
- Dorian & Isabela also appear in the concept art, and given Tevinter as a most likely location for the bulk of DA4, it’s only natural to presume Dorian would be a major player. Isabela has also made an appearance in all three games, in some way, and with her history with the Qunari I think it’s time to get reacquainted with the admiral.
The return of “The One” sacrificed to be left in the Fade. Depending on the world state you imported into Inquisition, you will be faced with a potentially difficult decision at the end of Here Lies the Abyss, a mission in which you choose between leaving Hawke, the much loved protagonist from DA2 or a Grey Warden, one of whom could be the adorkable Alistair, behind. If Solas succeeds in his mission to tear down the veil, it is my hope this character will be revealed escaping or strutting out of the Fade, given who it might be.
The Architect and the strange experiments with the darkspawn. The Architect was an intelligent darkspawn introduced to us in the Origin’s DLC, Awakening. He was attempting to free the darkspawn from their compulsion to awaken the Old Gods hence starting another Blight and actually started the 5th. He can just disappear at the end of the DLC and then we learned in Tevinter Nights that the darkspawn are experimenting on each other creating even more terrifying abominations. There’s something weird going on there, and I’m not sure I truly want to know why. But I do.
Learning the true purpose of the ancient Elven Artifacts that we turn on as we run about in Inquisition. Solas tells us that these globe-like items will help to strengthen the veil, but since it’s his intention to tear it down, what purpose do they really serve?
I hope we return to being able to use the Ability Wheel from Origins and DA2; the option to open the wheel of all those abilities you have acquired so you can actually use everything in your arsenal instead of having to pick and choose.

I Rank the Dragon Age 4 Concept Art on How Much I Want to Date Everyone - Gayming Magazine

With all I have to say on this subject, I couldn’t share all the artwork too, so here is a link to see all the beautiful designs.

Are you as excited as I am for the next installment? What are your hopes for Dragon Age 4? It’s still a ways off but hopefully there will be another book, or comic, or more hopeful news, like a release date in December (or all of the above) to tide us over. ((sob)) Want to commiserate with me? Let’s talk Dragon Age!

17Jan2018

Rambling Review – The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Posted in Reviews by Rachael C Marek

*Spoiler free review ahead.

Witcher 3

This “more than just a piece of eye candy” is Geralt of Rivia. Swoon. He’s from a fantasy land where once upon a time, a conjunction split the veil between worlds, allowing mystical creatures to spill into his. In an effort to battle the “forces of evil”, the Witchers were created by terrible means, Geralt among them.

This 2015 Game of the Year winner has all the facets of well, everything, not just gaming, I’m drawn to – Medieval-like fantasy world, old world order of potential do-gooders, magic, sweeping backdrops with a rich, layered history – it was without fail that this would become my new favorite thing.

I was nearing the end of my first playthrough when for Christmas this year, The Sis bought me a series of books, and that’s when I learned a bit of the history of The Witcher. I had no idea the game was based on novels by fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski. The first book, The Last Wish was published in 1993. That’s a long time to be clueless about something I was destined to love. There are currently eight books in the series, three games, a failed Polish movie and tv series, and a new show by Netflix was just announced. Now that could prove interesting as everyone is on the hunt for the next Game of Thrones-like series.

I started the game completely oblivious to the storyline as I had not played the previous two. Not the best idea when the world you’re walking into is already so established. Maybe it was because of this, I felt a bit of disconnect initially from Geralt. I didn’t know who he was, where he had been, or why people hated him because he was a Witcher. His purpose seemed like a good one.

There was war brewing on all fronts and with monsters running amok, no one seemed concerned with the other impending threat, the Wild Hunt. Frightening, almost unstoppable warriors with skeletal armor from another world, the Wild Hunt appears with a frost that dramatically affects the world around them. And these “things” were chasing after my (Geralt’s) ward-like daughter, Ciri. Ciri

The beautiful girl with an interesting background and the voice of a Dragon Age character (Hawke from DA2) immediately became my concern (and I do mean mine). And that became the true purpose of the game – find and protect Ciri.

I had to force myself to play the game the first few times, which did not thrill me because I had been so excited to play after watching a trailer. This one, specifically: (*Be forewarned that this includes content not suitable for all ages.)

After those initial attempts, I decided to just follow the main storyline objective and things became more clear. I was still a bit lost when it came to matters of politics and the hatred towards witches and non-humans, but the further I delved into this world, the easier it became to navigate, and then suddenly, I was in love.

The game is beautiful and expansive. Cut scenes are cinematic, and there are a lot of them. Many times I felt like I was in a movie that I was lucky enough to be able to move around in.

*Helpful hint: Unlike some games, you can not put the controller down and walk away during conversations. Often times there are timed responses, so you don’t want to lose out on that choice.

There were a number of comments made by people in-game who thought they knew who Geralt was. I chose to make him more kind, almost out of spite because no one was going to talk about my boy like that in front of me and get away with it. Also, in part because I always play the “nice guy” when morality meters are involved. Sometimes we chose to fight, but sometimes we were merciful, giving our enemies reason to pause. The more I played, the more I liked him. The mutagens given to him as a boy to make him a Witcher made his hair turn white and stripped him of his outward emotion, but he has a good sense of humor, is loyal, and cares deeply.

As the game progressed, I learned why people both liked and feared him. Witchers are considered freaks themselves, unnatural. As a hired monster slayer known as the White Wolf, not only is he a fearsome warrior with a bloody reputation, he’s also known as being quite the womanizer. There are a few women to romance in the game, and Geralt, looking the way he does and having women throwing themselves at him took each opportunity. Although to be honest, I’m not sure how likely this all would have been back in 2007. Thank the advances of technology!

Geralt's Gaming Versions

Helpful tip: Romancing multiple characters can bite you in the a** if you’re not careful.

The witch in the trailer is Yennefer, Geralt’s long time, on again-off again lover. Triss She’s powerful and self-assured with a biting wit, and it’s easy to see why she and Geralt are continually drawn back to one another. While she aligns herself with powerful allies, like kings and emperors, the adorable and sweet Triss Merigold is helping witches escape the fires as hunters close in.

There’s history with each of these women, and more of their pasts are divulged as the game continues, making it understandable why Geralt, and I, had a hard time choosing. 😉

There’s a great deal to discuss with this game. There are many facets and intricate details that made this game so mesmerizing and engaging, but I will draw my rambling review to a close. Perhaps in the near future I will post a Witcher Review: Part II.

Like Dragon Age, where your character’s decisions influence the world around you, I failed on occasion to complete certain side quests in a timely fashion and that ended up shaping the world for the better or worse (Eh, it was my first playthrough after all, and it’s all a learning curve.), but because of the immersive quality, this is a game that has definite replayability. It’s a word.

If you enjoy the fantasy trope RPG, this will, without a doubt, speak to you…as it did me. By far, one of the best games I’ve played. Yes, you read that correctly. It’s up near Dragon Age. And now that I have a few books at my disposal, let the new obsession begin.

5stars

So, I’m smitten. How about you, fellow gamers? Have you played? Let’s discuss!

19Feb2016

I Finally Played DA: Inquisition DLCs

Posted in Posts, Reviews by Rachael C Marek

DAI I am so thankful for having such generous friends, like “D”, who let me borrow his XBox One in order to complete the Dragon Age Inquisition story line.

I still have a 360, which is by no means a bad thing, except to the multi-billion dollar gaming industry that dictates my game play. I love the Dragon Age series, for many of you, this is not new information – just type in “Dragon Age” into my search bar to see all of the devotion. I’ve already done a number of posts on the series, and so much more…

When it was announced that the DLCs for Inquisition, the extra content that gaming companies release that sometimes add a number of extra hours to enjoy, or not depending on the series, would not be released on older consoles, like my 360, I won’t lie, I was on the verge of tears.

Deep breath.

I had invested money and lots and lots of time to play the new game and then I was told I wouldn’t get any of the extras. Nope. Not having it. It was kind of a slap in the face. If the gaming companies are moving forward with the technology that comes with the newer consoles, then why did they even bother to release the game on the older ones? I’m not going to rant about this now, but know there is a rant a comin’.

Needless to say, the DA:I extras did not disappoint and playing on the One was superior; the graphics are amazing, the details crisp, the subtitles and codex much easier to read. I had one concern, moving over my character from the 360 to the One. I read a number of articles that all said the same thing, but they were all incorrect. I tried a variety of tactics to import the data, but they all failed, so if you’re like me, behind the times, let me give you a tip I received after talking directly with EA.

*If you started your game on the 360, you need to download the free version of The Black Emporium on the 360 before you can advance. If you have all the DLCs for the One, you will obtain The Black Emporium in the pack. Using the character you want to continue playing with, visit the emporium and create a new save. On the screen there will be an option for exporting via the emporium to the One. Nowhere did I ever find this information; most sites suggested using the cloud which, according to EA and my own findings, is incorrect.

You do need to have XBox Live in order to save this information to your account which is how the One will find it when you load it. Now, on the One, under Extras there is the “Import from 360” option. Character info will pop-up to ensure it’s the correct import and…Voila! I wasted hours trying everything else. Footnote, your character won’t import exactly, although it is pretty close, so I had to make a few changes which is why it’s good you start in the Black Emporium.

DAI JoH The first DLC is Jaws of Hakkon, a new region to explore in the Frostback Basin. There are a number of missions to complete while you search for the remains of the last Inquisitor, who is believed to have died in the area hundreds of years ago. You will learn a great deal of history during this time with tales of the Avvars, the creation of the Seekers, and the previous Inquisitor and his political ties, lineage, and reasons for being in such a remote location. The map is a bit confusing, as it is a place of peaks and valleys, so travelling from one location to another sometimes takes a little effort finding that one path.

With the new DLCs, you obtain new weapons and armor, but if you play these after the initial game, the armor ratings will be much lower than anything you currently have equipped, so use the schematics to build yourself something new, although most items remained of a lesser value than my current stock. My favorites were both of the Qunari armors; they show a little skin and really are nice looking on your female Inquisitor in particular, and Dorian, because everything looks good on Dorian.

There are a lot of things to fight, so I think I ranked up twice before leaving the area (one must have been a carry over from Descent which I played first, because so much fighting), and there are loads of crafting items to utilize. There are also more ocularum shards to find that will open a specific door in the area, useful before the boss fight. Lastly, instead of runes, there are now sigils that have both positive and negative effects. I didn’t use any, not yet anyway.

DAI Descent DLC number two is The Descent which takes place in the Deep Roads. If you’ve played the previous two games, you’re probably like me and sort of huff at the thought of traipsing through the Deep Roads yet again, just as the Wardens must. Wink wink. Those blasted darkspawn! And there are just. so. many and it is difficult. Even at my high rank, I had to drop down from hard to normal in some areas because the enemies were just relentless and never ending. I’m having nightmarish flashbacks just typing that.

I played Descent first, I’m not sure why, but if you’re early on in the game play, I would suggest visiting this area sooner than later because there is a ton of money to be made. I think I ended up with 100,000 gold in addition to some great new armor and weapons. You do have to be in Skyhold to access this mission from the war table, so you have a little time to rank up beforehand.

The Descent is a long, winding mission to solve the mystery of these random earthquakes that have started affecting the area. This is of great importance because the dwarves mine lyrium, the whole of their economy, which both mages and Templars rely on. You end up travelling further than anyone has before, and the landscape is quite beautiful and a little reminiscent of Blackreach in Skyrim.

Trespasser

The final DLC is Trespasser. This is the one I couldn’t wait to get to – the end. You cannot go back to anything unfinished once you begin, and you will receive a little pop-up at the war table with this warning. The story takes place two years after you have defeated Corypheus, having been summoned by the council to the Winter Palace to defend whether there is still a need for the Inquisition. After the events, you will have the opportunity to make this decision.

All of your friends have returned and you can interact with each, so make sure you talk to them multiple times to instigate cut scenes. I played first as my female mage who romanced Cullen. Great cut scene, fyi. There is also a great scene with Dorian, as well as a couple of fun things with Vivienne and Josie. There are dog treats to find which you will give to the mabari Cullen has taken a liking to that add perks such as cunning and magic, etc. but as this is the last DLC, I was confused as to why this was necessary. Your rank will be high, your armor and weapons will be top notch, and you will have so many abilities you won’t know which ones to choose from most of the time. This is one thing I wish they would have included from the previous two games, the ability to open the wheel of choices for all those abilities you have acquired so you can actually use everything in your arsenal.

This DLC is a great story for a number of reasons, one of them being that it continues to tie together other topics from the previous games. The eluvians, the elven mirrors that have played a role in each game, are your means of travel in Trespasser while you try to stop a pretty big threat. I won’t give anything away, but will only say that this paves the way for a great Dragon Age 4, which is years away, if at all, since it hasn’t been announced yet, and the creator of the series left Bioware a little while ago. 😦 So, wait, there’s a job opening?! Bioware, please announce at least the promise of a new game…there are still so many story lines that require closure!

I freely admit it that I will play these DLCs at least two more times with my other characters I’ve created so I can see the endings for each, or at least until my friend asks for his XBox back. This is the same friend I was able to encourage to play the game in the first place because of my (great) interest in the series. For gamers who like RPGs, start at the beginning with Dragon Age Origins, forgive Bioware for Dragon Age II, but still enjoy it, and then find your way to Inquisition where all these stories converge. You won’t be disappointed.

Game on!

30Oct2015

The Dragon Age Obsession Saga Continues…Part 4

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

As I’ve now finished a second playthrough of Dragon Age: Inquisition, I felt it was time to wrap up this series of posts. Here are posts one, two, and three which are in regards to starting the game and importing a history, character creation, and dialogue and romance options with companions to bring you up to speed. I am unable to discuss any of the DLCs because after the first one was released, Bioware decided not to release any others on the XBox 360, so I haven’t purchased any of them.

The anger I have about the gaming industry’s ploys to wrangle more money out of their gamers is real. I was not ready to fork out $400 for a new gaming console, but if I want to know the rest of the story, that is exactly what I’ll have to do, and because you all know I’m passionate about this story, I’m going to do it…very, very soon. ARGH! As this post is not a rant on that, I’ll save that for fuel for another day.

This post is about the grand scale of the story of the world of Dragon Age. Inquisition is part three and a culmination of the events in the previous two games where story lines and characters come together.

In Origins, game one, your protagonist is from one of six “origin” stories (2 human story lines, 2 elf, and 2 dwarf) in which each avenue ends with you becoming a Grey Warden, an old order of warriors chosen to fight a specific evil known as darkspawn and their archdemon, an old god twisted by their tainted blood. They live underground and are rather hideous, similar to Tolkien’s orcs. The presence of an archdemon is a time referred to as a Blight and when the Grey Wardens are needed most, as they are the only real solution to ending a Blight. In this first game, there are a number of obstacles to overcome while you try to unite the country against the impending threat, and there is treachery around every corner as the Wardens are declared traitors after an initial battle against the darkspawn.

There are a number of characters who you meet in game one that will progress forward through each game, some of them taking on major roles in Inquisition. Same can be said of characters from game two. Fun fact: if you’re game one character is a human mage, you will be related to the protagonist in game two.

In game two, you are a human whose family has escaped the Blight and traveled across the sea in search of a safe haven. The entire game takes place in and around the city of Kirkwall. Although many people didn’t care for this game, especially in comparison to Origins – you could only play as a human, there was a lot of repetition in the floor plans, and the primary single location of the city as the backdrop – this is where game three is setup; the conflict between the mages and the Templars. Without giving too much away, one of your allies takes drastic action that incites a war between the mages, who are considered dangerous and are required to live in prison-like societies called Circles, and their captors/overseers, the Templars.

Fun fact: there is a Dragon Age 2 DLC that introduces you to a powerful darkspawn named Corypheus. It was Hawke’s father, a mage, and the Grey Wardens who imprisoned him.

Game three begins 10 years after the events of game one. Your protagonist is found as the sole survivor of a terrible, cataclysmic tragedy where a resolution to the Mage-Templar War was supposed to transpire. A conclave was called at the Temple of Sacred Ashes in Haven, a village you will have discovered in game one. With no memories of what happened and a strange mark upon your hand, you are considered responsible for a number of the current problems, including a giant hole in the sky; a Breach in the veil, the line between reality and the spirit world, is the source of a demon invasion. An old form of justice, an inquisition, is formed to solve the many problems that the world now faces.

Everything you’ve learned from the past two games will pay off as you make your way through Inquisition. The things you know about the Wardens are relevant. A relic you found in game two has resurfaced with a vengeance. You will see old, familiar faces (Hello, Flemeth) and meet interesting, new ones (Well, hellooo Solas). The world of Dragon Age is vast and all encompassing, and you will discover how well it’s constructed. I instantly became devoted to the series because it combined things I love such as fantasy, medieval times, old world orders, magic, dragons, romance, and adventure, and then went above and beyond to make it a fully fleshed out universe.

As I’ve tried to end each of these posts with some relevance to writing, you will find, if you choose to play, how key world building is and character development. It’s key to think multiple steps ahead, whether you’re writing a single story or a series. How do people know one another? This may reflect in how supposed strangers speak to one another upon meeting – there may be a history there. What is their religious affiliation? How do they feel about the history of their people? Their government? What consequences do their actions have later? This is a good one to consider, especially in a serial. Actions taken by a character may have unforeseen consequences that may be fun to explore later. Think of the domino effect.

Consider epic tales like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones. I would count Dragon Age among them. There is so much more going on than the happenings of one person, and you get to live it first hand, well, vicariously through your character. Your decisions have bearing on the world around you and shape it. You become a leader in each game; you build loyalty and friendships or enemies. You get to save the world, and maybe the boy too. 😉

Aren’t these a few of the reasons we write?

I hope you’ve enjoyed this series of posts as much as I’ve enjoyed talking about it. I could do so much more. I’m continuing my fanfiction shortly, so if you’re not inclined to play, you can follow along the journey of my Origin character as she tries to save the world and the boy. I will continue to post them here, as well as on Wattpad and Archive of Our Own (which I just realized needs to be updated).

Have a great weekend and Happy Writing!

22Mar2015

The Dragon Age Obsession Saga Continues…Part 3

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

So in my absence and “sticking my head in the sand” I have neglected one of my favorite topics, Dragon Age. For those of you who are new to my rambles, I have a particular fascination with the game series, some might call it an “obsession”, I would almost call it that myself, except I saw this… Obsessed:Dedicated

…and I felt a lot better about it. 🙂

I started this series some time ago, here’s Part I and Part II. I’ve decided to write Part III on the companions, the merry band of misfits you recruit to join your cause. I was trying to go in order of how one might proceed through the game, so perhaps this one should be about story, but Dragon Age is currently amidst a March Madness-type narrowing down of favorite characters to create The Dragon Age Ultimate Party, so I felt this was appropriate. My choices, just FYI, are The Warden from Origins as the leader along with Alistair for the warrior, Varric from DA2 for the rogue, and Dorian from Inquisition for the mage. #DAUltimateParty

So before I discuss the companions, of which I won’t go into too much, because “Spoilers”. Any Doctor Who fans out there? 😉 Here are a few of the pros and cons. In the two previous games certain actions were only available after a character “liked” you enough. Their approval allowed for romance options and loyalty. There was gift giving available and specific tokens for individuals, in addition to personal quests that would garner favor. A bar on their character profile page gave you some indication of your friendship with them, but that disappeared in Inquisition. At first it really bothered me, because how am I supposed to know if someone likes me enough?! But this is more true to life. The “so-and-so approves” or “greatly disapproves” text still pops up, so your only indication of character favor is based on how many times you’ve seen your favorite agree or disagree with your choices.

Also out for the majority of conversations is the positive, negative, or sarcastic indicator that allows you to choose how you would like to respond. The Sis saves before every. single. conversation. which allows her to see the results of each conversation option and its effects. She wastes a lot of time doing this, but she also probably has a better understanding overall. I will, on the other hand, play the first time through just as I want. As I always play “nice” when a character’s morality is measured, it’s fairly easy for me to distinguish what my character would say. In all of the games, this wins favor with some while others find my do-gooder behavior tiresome.

In keeping with the idea of conversation, there’s lots of it! This is something I truly appreciate, and Dragon Age as a series has never failed in this. You can make quite a bit of conversation while in camp, but one of the best additions was the added supplementary conversations while you’re just walking around. I became rather partial to who I kept in my party because of this; Dorian, Blackwall, and Sera seemed to be the most talkative and some of the things they talked about…so much fun!

I’ve started playing the Mass Effect series, also from Bioware, and with the confirmation of a game 4 due out next year, I’m hoping they take a cue from Dragon Age in regards to the romances; conversations, scenes, options. With Inquisition, Bioware raised the bar. Romance options are not only based on race, but also sexual orientation. In the previous games, there were characters that could be romanced specifically by either a male or female lead, some by both, but this time around, there were more lines drawn. Dorian is gay, as is Sera. Solas can only be romanced by a female elf. Commander Cullen, an NPC, is (luckily) a romance option who can only be wooed by a female human or elf. This approach, in addition to creating a transgendered character found in Iron Bull’s party, has garnered Bioware a great deal of praise and plenty of accolades including a Special Recognition Award from GLAAD.

Here is the lineup: Your advisors are Leliana, Josephine, and Cullen, all NPCs, but of which two are romance options. I would include Cassandra, a warrior, as well since she’s with you from the very start and initiates the Inquisition. Along your travels you can recruit the following: Varric – a dwarven rogue, Solas – an elven mage, Blackwall – a human warrior, Iron Bull – a Qunari warrior, Dorian – a human mage, Sera – an elven rogue, Vivienne – a human mage, and Cole…he’s a bit of a complicated rogue.

What you’ll realize is that these characters are 3-dimensional, and this is a great lesson for us storytellers! There is diversity, and passion, and spirit, and those make for good characters in any medium.

As I’ve rambled, yet again, I’ll wrap it up. Goodness, I almost need to do another post on this topic alone. The politics in the game surround a mage/templar conflict. The companions you recruit all have their own backstory and ideas on how this problem should be resolved. Because of this conflict, I chose to play my first time through as a female human mage. Most characters and even NPCs will have their viewpoints and will treat you accordingly until you “win” them over. There’s fear and skepticism, conflicting religious ideology, political intrigue, and so much more. As you move forward, making decisions, and influencing the people around you, you will find that this is a fully fleshed out world where your choices have consequences and can shape the world around you. Again I say, “It is so much fun!”

If you decide to play and want to know your romance options, here’s a guide from IGN.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

8Feb2015

The Dragon Age Obsession Saga Continues…Part 2

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

So, it’s time to continue the obsession saga series known as Dragon Age. I present to you Part 2: Creating your Character aka The Protagonist.

As I mentioned in the first part, I will discuss topics in the order they are encountered, so this post will deal with character creation and we’ll move on from there.

Character creation is one of my favorite things to do in games. If I could get paid to make characters all day, I totally would. Some games do this better than others, and I had really high hopes for this option in Inquisition given the previous games, and from early game footage we knew the graphics were going to be amazing, and for the most part it is really good, but it has its downsides.

In Origins (game 1) you were given a choice of 6 different origin stories to play through as an elf, a human, or a dwarf. Comments made in game play, and how NPC characters treated you, etc. were all based on this choice. In 2 you could only play as a human, Hawke, which many people didn’t care for (in addition to a number of other factors – we won’t go into that here – I still liked the game). There was also a DLC called the Black Emporium that allowed you to change your character’s features at no extra cost, i.e. gold or favor anytime you wished. Inquisition returns to the original format of different races and includes a fourth option, the Qunari; a race of large beings with horns, usually. You do not have an option to change features, but Bioware did try to have the character creator mirror actual game play, and it is very close. What this means is what you see is what you get, pretty much.

The character creator allows for multiple interesting features to incorporate such as unnatural eye colors (pink, yellow, what-have-you or a combination of any along the color wheel), scars, tattoos, and even a broken nose. You could easily spend hours creating just the right eye size, nose shape, chin depth, even the height of the ears, and that’s all great, except…

Here are the downsides. There are no distinctions in hair options for male and female characters. They removed a number of the good ones from previous games (where did my cute bob with the braids go?!) and instead added 13 bald-ish options. You can go completely bald, have stubble, have stubble with a round head, or stubble with a slightly cone head, and the list goes on for 13 different options…gracious.

And let’s talk about beard options for male characters – there are like 40. C’mon now. I realize there are so many other things going on in character creation, especially having 4 races, but you took away multiple choices for one of the most essential features – hair to include all those others?

Side note, here’s a link to a video about some of the ugliest characters created, but be forewarned for explicit language. I found it hilarious!

One feature some gamers didn’t like was the lack of choice in body type. Elves are small framed, dwarves are short, Qunari are tall, and humans are well, human. There is no choice in making any character taller or shorter, heavier or thinner. You cannot create the rare tall elf, or the randomly short Qunari.

So after painstakingly creating your perfect character, choosing a voice of which there are only two across the board for any race of male and female characters, and a name which no one will ever use in game play because gaming is not quite that advanced yet, you start your game.

Depending on your race, whether you’re female or male, and depending on your class especially in this game, you will be treated accordingly in this world. Elves are second-class citizens, dwarves are generally not surface dwellers, Qunari are from a foreign land and in previous games have been referred to as an invading force trying to convert the world to their beliefs, and then there is the “ruling” class, the humans. In Inquisition, regardless of your class, you will be from a noble family, although if you are a mage, you will have come from a circle; a place where mages are kept locked away for the protection of the people.

This is the driving storyline of Inquisition due to events started in DA:2. We’ll talk about story in another post.

What makes the character creator fun, you might ask? As a writer, sometimes I find it fun to try to create a character that might resemble one of my own creations. If you’re really talented you can create a character that looks like someone else, like this, Nigel Thornberry. So, after all my time spent in the creator, this was my first character, who I really liked despite her questioning eyebrows. 🙂 She does not resemble any of my imaginary friends, but after the play through, I suppose she could. I really grew to love her and her choices, despite what some of her companions thought.

All right, that’s quite enough for one day. The Dragon Age Obsession Saga will continue with posts in regards to dialogue, companions, and story shortly.

Happy Sunday!

23Jan2015

The Dragon Age Obsession Saga Continues…Part I

Posted in Posts by Rachael C Marek

So the time has finally come for me to talk about Dragon Age, Inquisition. Oh, yes…and I have lots to say, so let’s just call this Part I in a series, aka The Introduction. Let me start off with this, I love it! It’s beautiful, it’s vast, there’s plenty to do and see, and there’s lots of content to keep you occupied. I finished it a little over a week ago, and immediately felt this void…I was sad to say goodbye. I had spent so many hours with my merry band of misfits, and I was conflicted about whether or not to start a new character or do the responsible thing and do all the “grown up” things I had been putting off since it arrived.

There is this odd side effect to game playing – a sense of accomplishment. You have a list of quests or things to find, etc. and as you complete each one, you can feel the satisfaction that you did something with your day. Don’t judge. It is satisfying, especially when in real life it usually takes much longer to see the fruits of your labor. And when things aren’t going according to plan, you can spend a few hours slaying demons, saving the world, and finding romance.

Hello, have you seen how much better Cullen looks since Origins?! I was disappointed by a one year delay in the game’s release, but it was because of this delay that we got this new romance option. So, thank you, Bioware! He was worth the wait. 😉

And then there’s Dorian, oh Dorian, Bioware’s first gay character who is not only dashing, but also sassy, clever, and has one of the best moustaches ever. As I played as a woman, because I always do when it’s an option, he was a fun flirt option and a great addition to my party.

For those of you who have been following me for a while, you have seen the effect this game series has left on me (refresh your memory here or here or check out my Pinterest board entitled “A Minor Obsession Called Dragon Age“), and they did not fail to continue this trend with Inquisition. I felt the best way to share the pros and cons of the new installment was to start at the beginning, before you even put in the disk to play, but worry not, I’ll keep this one short to begin with since I’ve already rambled a bit.

My excitement at its release enabled me to talk two of my coworkers into playing, and found myself a walking encyclopedia of information for their game play. It felt nice. Neither had played DA2 and because I was able to share a bit of the history and interesting points, I turned them toward playing that one as well. I’m sinister like that.

If you’re interested in playing, you can find a plethora of articles, videos, and the like pretty much anywhere to garner more information, but why spoil the fun? It was extremely difficult to avoid all the spoilers that continued to inundate my feeds, but as I’m always behind in my tv watching and anything else relevant in the world, I just averted my eyes and continued to scroll.

So for today, I’ll only talk about the Dragon Age Keep. Even if you haven’t played the first two games, you can develop a back story that is unique to your new world by utilizing the Keep to answer a series of questions relevant to the first two games. This will then carry over into the history, comments made, cameos, etc. It makes each play through a different experience. In Origins did you make Alistair king? Did you romance Morrigan? In DA2 did you fight the Arishok? Did you become Viscount? It’s these big decisions and many smaller ones that will determine your play through…it’s so much fun!

This is also a fascinating tactic to employ as we are able to see how the choices we make do indeed affect the world around us. The other thing I like about this idea is that as storytellers, we can see how many of these events are connected, and how important world building truly is. I’ll end on this note, it’s a whole lot of fun, and hopefully as I move forward in this series if you didn’t want to play before…you now will! 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone!