83 replies to this topic

[Archmage Silver]

Any thoughts on what companions you're going to take along most of the time? I figured I'd take Morrigan, Oghren and Shale as my primary NPCs (dwarf & dwarf war golem - I sense a quest). I'd also like the Mabari War Dog, so I'll have to decide between Shale and him.

Confirmed Companions:

• Sten
  
• Shale
  
• Alistair
  
• Wynne
  
• Zevran
  
• Leliana
  
• Oghren
  
• Morrigan
  
• Mabari War Dog

• [Spoilers] Secret Companion
  Spoiler

  Secret Companion

Edited by Archmage Silver, 13 March 2010 - 12:01 PM.

[Choo Choo]

Alistair, Morrigan and... either the Mabari War Dog or Leliana.

[Eleima]

Alistair & Zevran for certain, if only to see if there's a little competition going on (since they're the two female romance options). Sten & the War Dog seem like good options too... But looks like I'm going to need a healer, so... maybe Wynne as a third?

We have a limit of three companions, right?

[Bluenose]

It will depend on who I attract to travel with me at all, since not all characters you can recruit will be willing to travel with you (as I understand it). And also on what character type I play.

The ones that look like they'll be amusing though are Alistair, Morrigan, and maybe Oghren. Which since my first character is likely to be an elf rogue should make a reasonably balanced party too. Although if I decide to use my human noble warrior then I'll probably drop Oghren in favour of Leliana, who's the other romance option and seems likely to have some 'interesting' interactions with Morrigan.

[Archmage Silver]

We have a limit of three companions, right?

Yep, charname + three.

It will depend on who I attract to travel with me at all, since not all characters you can recruit will be willing to travel with you (as I understand it). And also on what character type I play.

You can most likely get them to join you initially (unless you don't want to), but they'll either stay, leave or fight you depending on what you do after they join you. Good thing dwarven war golems don't ask a lot questions.

The ones that look like they'll be amusing though are Alistair, Morrigan, and maybe Oghren. Which since my first character is likely to be an elf rogue should make a reasonably balanced party too. Although if I decide to use my human noble warrior then I'll probably drop Oghren in favour of Leliana, who's the other romance option and seems likely to have some 'interesting' interactions with Morrigan.

If the game is as challenging as BioWare has promised, party balance would be good, yes.

I see my preliminary party like this: charname (primary magic dmg), Morrigan (secondary magic dmg, primary healing), Oghren (primary melee dmg) & Shale (tank, secondary melee dmg).

[Lysan Lurraxol]

For my first time round, with a male human mage - Alistair & Zevran (for Romance), plus Morrigan or Wynne.

As I understand it, everyone can travel with you in the camp, but when you leave the camp you've got to pick three to go with you - kinda like the Ebon Hawk, or Jade Empire's 'we'll just wait on the floor for you to come back."

[Archmage Silver]

As I understand it, everyone can travel with you in the camp, but when you leave the camp you've got to pick three to go with you - kinda like the Ebon Hawk, or Jade Empire's 'we'll just wait on the floor for you to come back."

Yep, that's right. It's a bit more interactive there though - for example: you leave Oghren at the camp, go out and kill one his relatives and when you come back, he'll be waiting to attack you. I pulled that example out of my hat, but that's the principle.

[WeeRLegion]

I do wonder though... As far as I've pieced it together it works much like mass effect; so you can have all of the NPCs traveling with you, but you can only take 3 with you on misions...
So I wonder how much dialogue you'll miss with the characters you don't take on missions, or have i misunderstood it altogether... @_@


As for what I'll pick for the active bunch first, um, dunno, prolly Morrigan at least, since they say you meet her quite early on in the game...
Er, well, maybe more relevantly, the 3 most interesting NPCs, I'd say... Alistair, Leliana, and, hum, the Mabari Doggie. Alistair for the comic relief, Leliana because I can't decide on an seemingly accurate NPC for comparison in BG, and the Dog cause he's something totally different.

As for the others...
Sten - Raise your hand if you see a ponderous trust-building friendship on the way? One that'll climax with him revealing his real name? xP
Shale - No idea what he's about, could be interesting I suppose.
Wynne - Looks like my grandma. o_o
Zevran - I hear the character's borrowing bits from Spike (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), so he could be amusing. Well, prolly is since it's BIOWARE... But eh, not a first pick.
Oghren - Dwarves are always a bit stereotyped... He could be a fun one though.
Morrigan - Seems like a less angsty mopey Viconia.

[Tempest]

For my first character, a dwarf noble rogue, I'm thinking Oghren, Wynne, and Shale. Probably no romance-neither comes from a background he'd consider acceptable, and worse, they're both human.

[Aeryn]

First character, female human noble rogue will take Alistair (romance), Wynne, and Cookie (my hound although Muffins is a close second for a name...).

Second character, female dalish elf warrior will take Zevran (romance), Morrigan, and Sten.

After those two runs, it all dissolves into chaos.

[GeN1e]

Being usually a darksider when it comes to RPGs, I obviously am going to take Sten and Morrigan. As for the 4th, well Leliana/Alistair/Zevran. Others don't interest me, though Nomad's review, published few hours ago, did mention that Shale is sort of HK-47 reborn. But I doubt I'll live long enough to play DA thrice.

Edited by GeN1e, 26 October 2009 - 04:11 PM.

[Vicen]

Hmmm all of the companions seem pretty decent...but I think for sure ill grab Alistair and Morrigan

[Archmage Silver]

Yeah, Shale is something you can mold into your own image, so to speak. You can either help him/it to develop a real personality - or alternatively turn Shale into a mindless killing machine. The HK-47 reference is a good one, although Shale offers more choices regarding his development. I wonder if you can make Shale say "meatbag"... I smell an easter egg.

[Eleima]

Sten - Raise your hand if you see a ponderous trust-building friendship on the way? One that'll climax with him revealing his real name? xP

*raises hand*

I wonder if you can make Shale say "meatbag"... I smell an easter egg.

That would be so many different kinds of awesome!... Not to mention completely hilarious!

I'm having second thoughts about the War Dog, because one of my favorite things in this kind of RPG is the banters, and I'm not sure Doggie is equipped for that (aside from a few yip's, yap's, and arf's...).

I really don't mind the Jade Empire/Mass Effect system in which you get to have a main camp and drag your followers along, even though you won't always have them by your side. It allows for more interactions (I hope), and it seems more realistic (you head off to war with only 3 buddies beside you, really? I'd bring a whole armada... ).

[Archmage Silver]

Well, according to what I've read, the dog has as much banter as the rest of the NPCs.

Dog is your faithful companion throughout the game. You will be able to change the name and kaddis of Dog if you so choose. He understands spoken words well enough to parse simple commands and basic intention. Dog is a full party member and levels up. He has warhound-specific abilities that he can learn, and character specific equipment. He also has party banter and interjections, as well as his own triggered events; such as a territory-marking exploration game. The details of this mini-game have not been clarified.

Dog is voiced by a real dog.

Dialogue

Sten: "You are a true warrior, and worthy of respect."
Dog: Barks excitedly.

Morrigan: "I know it was you rooting in my pack, mongrel."
Dog: Innocent whine
Morrigan: "Who else? Alistair? He's a likely suspect, I admit, but no."
Dog: Bows head shamefully
Morrigan: "I notice you avoided the hemlock."
Dog: Happy bark!
Morrigan: "Yes, yes, very clever. Next time I will disguise it more carefully."
Dog: Sad eyes
Morrigan: "Do not even try it! I would not give you a biscuit had I one."
Dog: Sadder eyes
Morrigan: "Oh... very well. But tell no one!"

[Eleima]

Like I said: a string of yip's, yap's and arf's! The Dog sounds fun, but that's a far cry from a fully developed companion with a multitude of voiced reactions, banters, etc. That won't keep me from giving him a try at least once, though. Especially if he's anything like Aimo's Wonder Dog.

[Archmage Silver]

Maybe not quite that...

Usually NPCs like dogs get some extra combat prowess though... I recall having the dog in Arcanum, and he was the fastest killer in my party when he gained melee mastery (he was the only NPC allowed to gain mastery in anything automatically). Basically it felt like cheating...

[Waywocket]

Did I read somewhere that there's an NPC/NPC romance possible, or did I dream that?

[berelinde]

Daisy, my war dog, is one of my favorite NPCs thus far. I love the banters with Daisy (and there *are* banters with Daisy), because I remember my own dogs having done that. Yes, I realize I anthropomorphized them too much, but I swear, sometimes, that's what if felt like. Now, I can't have dogs anymore, but it's the next best thing.

[Eleima]

I've named mine Cerberus, not particularly original, I guess, but it befits a war dog. I'm loving the banters with the dog, they're loads of fun, and I adore sending out my dog to find little trinkets in the corners. I'm not even a dog person, but the Mabari War Dog is a worthy companion, and I love him!! (and I love how he annoys certain NPCs)

Edited by Eleima, 08 November 2009 - 08:28 AM.