The previous Dragon Age 2 thread has spawned a great deal of attention now that the game is released.
Tomorrow, the game will have been out for a week, and some hardcore gamers (like myself) are already busy into their second playthrough.
For the benefit of gamers that don't have as much free time as we do, I've created this thread so those of us that have beaten the game can discuss what choices we made and how it affected our games.
For those unaware, there is a spoiler option for our threads. To use it, simply precede and succeed plot-revealing text with the tags [ spoiler ] and [ /spoiler ]
Spoiler!
It will generate a box like this!
Always preview your posts before actually submitting them to the thread to make sure the tag takes.
I have to say, I was kind of 'See, that's what you get for cavorting with demons!' about her storyline.
I didn't give her the gizmo at the end of her Act 2 quests, and instantly stumbled into a rivalmance with her because of it (40 rival points in a back to back conversation...) and after doing some reading on it, found out that if I had, I'd have to have wiped out her clan. Good thing I avoided that, I thought.
Then, of course, Act 3 rolls around, and I end up slaughtering every single Dalish anyhow. I really, really wanted an "I TOLD YOU SO!" conversation option at that point.
That's odd. My Merrill storyline went nothing like yours.
Merrill spoiler's within:
Spoiler!
I romanced Merrill in my game. I found her bashfulness and constant tripping over herself endearing. True, in my game she was absolutely devoted to restoring the mirror, and I was cautioning her all throughout given her association with demons and the displeasure of her clan, but I trusted her enough that I gave her the tool she requested.
In Act 4, she wanted to call upon the demon she was cavorting with to help her cleanse the taint in the mirror. She wanted my help. I agreed, but made it clear I thought it was a bad idea. Anders and Fenris both shared my opinion. Nevertheless, she was determined to see it through. Though she knew the risks, and made me promise that if the plan should backfire, that I strike her down.
We went to the top of Sundermount before the idol the demon was imprisoned in, but it was no longer there. Keeper Marathari then showed up and explained that to protect Merrill from her foolishness, she released the Demon and allowed it to possess her, imprisoning it within her own body. Unfortunately, this meant that the demon would surely go on a killing spree, so the party's hand was forced: Kill the Keeper Marathari to destroy the demon.
After the demon was killed, Merrill wept for the Keeper, and I gave her an earful about what her obsession cost her. She went on and on about how if there were to be any consequences to her action, she should be the one to pay it, not anyone else. A sentiment I personally agree with, but I explained to her that Keeper Marathari loved her, and couldn't bare to see her making the mistakes she was making.
Upon discovery of the Keeper's body and Merrill's tearful apology to the rest of the clan, she was permanently exiled. Had I not been there with her, she would've surely been executed, she told me.
Last edited by HeartsOfFire; 03-14-2011 at 11:08 AM.
That's odd. My Merrill storyline went nothing like yours.
Merrill spoiler's within:
Spoiler!
I romanced Merrill in my game. I found her bashfulness and constant tripping over herself endearing. True, in my game she was absolutely devoted to restoring the mirror, and I was cautioning her all throughout given her association with demons and the displeasure of her clan, but I trusted her enough that I gave her the tool she requested.
In Act 4, she wanted to call upon the demon she was cavorting with to help her cleanse the taint in the mirror. She wanted my help. I agreed, but made it clear I thought it was a bad idea. Anders and Fenris both shared my opinion. Nevertheless, she was determined to see it through. Though she knew the risks, and made me promise that if the plan should backfire, that I strike her down.
We went to the top of Sundermount before the idol the demon was imprisoned in, but it was no longer there. Keeper Marathari then showed up and explained that to protect Merrill from her foolishness, she released the Demon and allowed it to possess her, imprisoning it within her own body. Unfortunately, this meant that the demon would surely go on a killing spree, so the party's hand was forced: Kill the Keeper Marathari to destroy the demon.
After the demon was killed, Merrill wept for the Keeper, and I gave her an earful about what her obsession cost her. She went on and on about how if there were to be any consequences to her action, she should be the one to pay it, not anyone else. A sentiment I personally agree with, but I explained to her that Keeper Marathari loved her, and couldn't bare to see her making the mistakes she was making.
Upon discovery of the Keeper's body and Merrill's tearful apology to the rest of the clan, she was permanently exiled. Had I not been there with her, she would've surely been executed, she told me.
Hm.
Spoiler!
See, while I found her amusing, her association with demons turned me off of her. Isabel's freewheeling ways caught my eye.
When I didn't trust Merrill with the knife thing, she didn't take it well. We'd been at odds through most of the game anyhow, and the 40 points of rival sealed her fully into rival.
Then when she showed up at my place at night, we shared a bed, then I kicked her out of the house... <.< >.>
We go up the mountain, and when the Dalish found the Keeper's body, they just attacked. I killed the party that went up the mountain, and then after walking through their village, had to kill every single elf (and then some who magically appeared) as well. They never gave me the option to have Merrill exiled.
If ever there was someone that could personify the very idea of a friend-with-benefits, it would be her. I bedded her, but I romanced Merril. I was sorely tempted to pursue a romance with Isabella as well, and perhaps trying pulling a Jade Empire and romancing two women at once, but I was pretty certain that if I told Isabella that I was romantically interested in her, it would have put her off.
Did she abandon your party during the Qunari uprising? Did you ever see her again after that?
Yes, she did. I had a 100% friendship with her at that point, and had told her I would give her the relic. The second she gets her hands on it, she takes off leaving me in a 3 person party lurch.
Things were getting intense with the Arishock when she showed up again with the relic. She gave it to him, and then he tried to claim her, too. I would have none of that, so we ended up in the mano-a-mano fight.
Intriguing! I didn't go that route. When the Arishok mentioned the artifact, I was given the option to say 'I know where it is,' but I had a feeling that wouldn't end well for Isabella, so I ignored it.
Suffice it to say, I never saw her again for the rest of the game. I just assumed her departure was a scripted event, either by her death at the hands of Castillon, or by her taking the artifact and Jack Sparrowing away.
I am ... with 2 SLI'd GTX 460 1Gb's. The graphic performance was horrible. I then downloaded the latest beta drivers for my cards, which helped some. I thought that was as good as it would be. But, I did a little google/research and found that I could download the beta 267.59 WHQL drivers for a 550Ti card, and use a modded INF file to get those drivers to work with my 460's. Apparently those drivers have some DA 2 fixes in them.
Long story short, my framerate went from about 15 to about 45 with every graphic setting maxed (except AA, which is set to 4x instead of 8x - made a huge difference).
If you are playing on a PC with decent graphic cards, I'd consider the 267.59 drivers a requirement.
Was kinda let down by the ending - but I'm hooked to see what happens with the DLC. Was hoping to see more involvement with Flemeth, or maybe see some more locations then what they show in the first Act (there is pretty much nothing new past Act 1... lame sauce).
Meredith going nuts due to the red lyrium was kinda... convenient. They had potential to show an idealistic soul fraught with an unsolvable dilemma, but instead they explain it all away with a zealous fanatic driven insane by some unexplained evil influence. All the dialogue seemed to be leading to some sort of complex ending - and then they pulled this on us. Seemed a bit of a cop out to me.
Playing through a second time. I'm totally going to stab Ander's in the face this time. I might save right before that point and stab him repeatedly over and over. God I hate that character.
I'm pretty glad I didn't listen to the Dragon Age II forums or some of the critics, I would have missed out on a pretty good game.
Spoiler!
One thing that caught my attention at the end was the seeker saying something like "The Warden and the Champion have both disappeared, that can't be a coincidence" It would be pretty cool if you could use both of them together in some DLC or Dragon Age 3. I could be reading too much into it though.
In my first game I played a male rogue. This meant that the ogre killed Carver and Bethany accompanied me to Kirkwall.
During the Deep Roads expedition, Bethany was killed.
To avoid re-hashing the whole thing in my second play through, I made a plan of it in my second play through to not take Bethany with me into the Deep Roads.
The game had other plans, it seems.
I'm now playing a female Mage. Bethany was killed by the ogre, which made Carver my Kirkwall sibling.
Fearing the same fate for Carver as the one that befel Bethany, I refused to take him into the Deep Roads on the expedition. Not surprising, he wasn't too happy about it. Carver has issues being the youngest. His inferiority complex makes him rash and brazen. It was no surprise therefore that upon returning from the Deep Roads, I learned he had joined the Templars. This effectively took him out of the party, but at least he is still alive. He's just 'greyed out.' I suspect this means I may see him again in the future.
I've also finally found something I'm rather critical about...
Playing as a Mage,
Spoiler!
I am quite displeased with just how content the Templars and The Chantry are with letting my Apostate character do as she pleases. I can't help but wonder if they aren't aware that I'm a Mage? And if they aren't, they're pretty blind.
In my first game I played a male rogue. This meant that the ogre killed Carver and Bethany accompanied me to Kirkwall.
During the Deep Roads expedition, Bethany was killed.
To avoid re-hashing the whole thing in my second play through, I made a plan of it in my second play through to not take Bethany with me into the Deep Roads.
The game had other plans, it seems.
I'm now playing a female Mage. Bethany was killed by the ogre, which made Carver my Kirkwall sibling.
Fearing the same fate for Carver as the one that befel Bethany, I refused to take him into the Deep Roads on the expedition. Not surprising, he wasn't too happy about it. Carver has issues being the youngest. His inferiority complex makes him rash and brazen. It was no surprise therefore that upon returning from the Deep Roads, I learned he had joined the Templars. This effectively took him out of the party, but at least he is still alive. He's just 'greyed out.' I suspect this means I may see him again in the future.
I've also finally found something I'm rather critical about...
Playing as a Mage,
Spoiler!
I am quite displeased with just how content the Templars and The Chantry are with letting my Apostate character do as she pleases. I can't help but wonder if they aren't aware that I'm a Mage? And if they aren't, they're pretty blind.
Sorry to break it to you but female mages don't have a prostate. /sarcasm
Spoiler!
My Bethany story was different than either of yours. I totally neglected her so she ran off and joined the Chantry. She finally joined back up with me right near then end, after I killed Anders for blowing up the Chantry.
If you take either of them into the Deep Roads with Anders in your party, you are given another choice after the Rock Wraith. When escaping, the sibling will get the Blight, of course. If you don't have Anders, you have to kill them. If you DO have Anders, he pipes up that he knows of some Grey Wardens nearby, and your sibling may be able to join...
(Remember those vials of Darkspawn Blood you picked up escaping Loathering... )
Spoiler!
In my very first playthrough, I hadn't neglected Bethany, but left her behind to keep Mom company. Upon returning from the Deep Roads, I find Templars in the house, forcing her into joining the Circle.
Last edited by WhiteTiger; 03-21-2011 at 05:29 PM.
I am ... with 2 SLI'd GTX 460 1Gb's. The graphic performance was horrible. I then downloaded the latest beta drivers for my cards, which helped some. I thought that was as good as it would be. But, I did a little google/research and found that I could download the beta 267.59 WHQL drivers for a 550Ti card, and use a modded INF file to get those drivers to work with my 460's. Apparently those drivers have some DA 2 fixes in them.
Long story short, my framerate went from about 15 to about 45 with every graphic setting maxed (except AA, which is set to 4x instead of 8x - made a huge difference).
If you are playing on a PC with decent graphic cards, I'd consider the 267.59 drivers a requirement.
That's weird. I've got DX11 on, graphics detail on high, HQ texture pack installed and active, and everything's always been silky smooth on my AMD 6750 mobile.
Playing on hard with Hawke as a DW DPS rogue, Fenris 2H DPS, Anders Healer, Varric CC Archer. After a couple of tries it was pretty obvious how to beat the Rock Wraith but it was damn near impossible without a good tank. I respecced Fenris with any defensive/aggro abilities I could but the Wraith still shredded him so fast in his dual blade mode that I couldn't keep him alive through the fight. The Wraith's spike attack was almost impossible to avoid (I'd manage maybe 1 out of 5 if I micro'd Fenris 100% of the time) and would chew up 1/2 to 2/3s of Fenris' health. I respecced him to boost CON but the loss of STR hurt his aggro so much that the Wraith would tear up my mage/archers while Taunt was on cooldown.
After about 10 reloads and several hours I finally got it done just because his attacks became predictable enough after that much time in that fataing room. I appreciated the challenge since I'd carved through most of the game up until that point but did that fight seem disproportionately long/difficult? I never even needed a meat shield up until that fight.
The only, and I mean literally only, thing I disagree with is his dislike of taking direct control of other characters, which, to me, if one of the best parts of the series.
Dragon Age 2 Thread - Spoilers may be present
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