76 replies to this topic

[berelinde]

I ordered from Amazon and got no pre-order goodies. No biggie, though. I'm not really into archery, anyway.

[Archmage Silver]

I found another mod for importing DLC items into Awakening, and it even imports working versions of the Warden's Keep blood abilities. It doesn't have language restrictions either. I also like the fact that it's just a script utilizing existing resources.

Download

Edited by Archmage Silver, 21 March 2010 - 07:55 AM.

[Pain Elemental]

I found another mod for importing DLC items into Awakening, and it even imports working versions of the Warden's Keep blood abilities. It doesn't have language restrictions either. I also like the fact that it's just a script utilizing existing resources.

Thanks, I just started with DAO:A and I noticed it too.
I also noticed that I was missing some DLC gear very strange.

[Archmage Silver]

It's interesting how the importing can be made possible by unofficial mods, but BioWare's own coders couldn't figure it out in time for the 1.03 patch... odd.

[Archmage Silver]

Apparently the Grey Wardens fansite has put up the first part of their Awakening walkthrough. I haven't had much time to play it myself lately, but hopefully the next weekend will change things.

[Eleima]

I got my copy yesterday, and gave it a try (I've got a few other projects on my plate, so I haven't even come close to finishing it, I barely got started). I have to say that the beginning felt a bit forced (minor spoilers ahead):

Spoiler

you arrive at Vigil's Keep in Amaranthine, it's been overrun by darkspawn, and *every*single* Warden has *died*. Made me go "huh?", I mean, Wardens are supposed to be made of tougher stuff that this, and they *all* get wiped out?? As soon as the Keep's been cleared of the bulk of darkspawn, your ruler, Anora in my game, but might as well have been Alistair, arrivesright behind you. I was wondering: I just *left* Denerim, couldn't you have just sent me off there, why did you have to come all this way just to chat me up a bit?? Made no sense.

Oh, one more thing, regarding the Joining... Why is every Tom, Dick and Harry talking about what's supposed to be a super secret ceremony???
Aside from that, it's nice enough, I guess, and I squealed with pleasure with I met our furry little companion (sorry, I'm such a cat person, I honestly think Ser Pounce-A-Lot is the best furry companion since Boo). I am very surprised that my faithful mabari hound got left behind in Denerim (I'm guessing), but... *sigh*
Edit: And oh yes, don't get me started on female templars...

Edited by Eleima, 24 March 2010 - 05:12 AM.

[Kulyok]

Female templars should be banished! Because Anders is ours! *Starts an Anders Liberation movement*.

[Archmage Silver]

I got my copy yesterday, and gave it a try (I've got a few other projects on my plate, so I haven't even come close to finishing it, I barely got started). ...

I haven't even gotten started properly yet... and now there's more content for ME2 as well.

[Archmage Silver]

I just came by this: Stealing Fix for DA 1.03

And this as well: Dog Find Fix for DA 1.03

Edited by Archmage Silver, 25 March 2010 - 10:22 AM.

[Archmage Silver]

I've had some time to test the fixes, and they seem to work as intended. I recommend installing both.

Edited by Archmage Silver, 25 March 2010 - 10:22 AM.

[Eleima]

Female templars should be banished! Because Anders is ours! *Starts an Anders Liberation movement*.

Did you hear that banter in which Anders says they now have female templars, because the guys wouldn't stop to ask for directions? Maker, how I cringed...
I'll join the movement, because I love Anders, but there is something that bugs me... He's sooo similar to Alistair: same colored hair, same snarky humor, it's a bit... disturbing. The thing is, I'm afraid I like him because he's very much like Alistair.

[Kulyok]

I think he's Alistar without the jerk bit.

I mean, during my first playthrough I loved Alistair, although I was horrified at the way he treated his sister. But then I tried different options:
- During the Landsmeet, I spared Loghain, causing a "I'll be king and execute him!" reaction. Ooops.
- While protecting Redcliffe, I killed Connor-abomination, causing a "Why didn't you kill Isolde? She caused this! This woman deserved to die!" Ooops again.
- After Landsmeet, when my elven girl made unhardened Alistair king, I got the "You don't have noble blood and you can't have babies, so GTFO"© Crisium.

After that, I couldn't romance him. I couldn't even care if married Anora or he flirted with Morrigan(honestly, their constant bickering sounds too much like flirting). But Anders is different. He may be flighty or angry, but I liked him. He wasn't a jerk. He did nothing to make me despise him - I liked him.

One moment with Anders baffled me, though - I was confused why he wouldn't support Libertarians, who were all for "No Chantry in the Circle". I think it's a great idea, and I expected Anders to agree with it, but he agreed with Wynne, who said it was troubling and dangerous.

[berelinde]

He's a bit like Alistair, yes, but IMO, not too much so. Alisair makes no attempt to disguise his awkwardness and is content to play a submissive role in your relationship, but Anders has a little more backbone. And while he's still endearingly awkward, he has this cocky facade that makes me want to see how far I can push him before he caves. I love Alistair, don't get me wrong, but if there was the ability to romance Anders, I'd try things with Anders that I wouldn't attempt with Alistair for fear that I'd hurt his feelings or just weird him out.

[Cal Jones]

I think he's Alistar without the jerk bit.

I mean, during my first playthrough I loved Alistair, although I was horrified at the way he treated his sister. But then I tried different options:
- During the Landsmeet, I spared Loghain, causing a "I'll be king and execute him!" reaction. Ooops.
- While protecting Redcliffe, I killed Connor-abomination, causing a "Why didn't you kill Isolde? She caused this! This woman deserved to die!" Ooops again.
- After Landsmeet, when my elven girl made unhardened Alistair king, I got the "You don't have noble blood and you can't have babies, so GTFO"© Crisium.

After that, I couldn't romance him. I couldn't even care if married Anora or he flirted with Morrigan(honestly, their constant bickering sounds too much like flirting).

The worst thing about Redcliffe is that if you talk about Connor being an abomination he actually says it's sad but he can't see another why around it, or something to that effect.

He also gives you a right rollocking if you sacrifice Isolde too. There is no reasoning with him.

Alistair is great when you're doing stuff he agrees with, but he's irrational and moronic when you do something he doesn't like. The worst thing, though, is that Bioware haven't provided the conversation options to reason with him.

He usually doesn't make it past Landsmeet in my games.

Looking forward to Anders - he and Nathaniel sound more my cuppa. I just don't think I'm going to install Awakening until Bioware patches it properly.

[Eleima]

I think the main problem with Alistair is that he's very, very young, in more than one way. That's why he still throws tantrums from time to time (although I really can't blame him regarding Loghain, I do remind you that the Teyrn sent assassins after the PC, and effectively wiped out all the Wardens; if that's not something to be upset about, I don't know what is).

But back on topic, I'm very fond of Anders, although really, they could have been more imaginative with his name (I do remind you that Weisshaupt, the Wardens main HQ is out in the Anderfels...). The character that is currently surprising me is Nathaniel. I expected to be intrigued by a Howe becoming a Warden, but it goes beyond that. They really managed to flesh him out, he has great banters, he's smart enough to accept new information and act upon it (effectively evolving and changing during the game). That, and he's my designated lock opener.
Sigrun is also lots of fun so far, with amusing banters with Oghren. And I like her voice acting a lot.
I just met Velanna, and I have to say that I profoundly dislike her. For starters, she really looks like a blonde Morrigan clone, complete with the revealing outfit. That, and she's the Dalish stereotype (required for the storyline, I know, but still). I haven't finished her quest though, so I'm hoping that she'll get a bit more interesting, but for the moment her constant complaining has me itching to smack her...

[Kulyok]

The worst thing about Redcliffe is that if you talk about Connor being an abomination he actually says it's sad but he can't see another why around it, or something to that effect.

Mmm. I can sort of understand that, because that's what everyone else in this world says, including Gregoir: one abomination can destroy a village, and Connor-abomination already sent undead to the village multiple times. Besides, he agreed to a pact with demon willingly, even though Jowan must've told him the essencials about the demons and the Fade(and if he didn't, um, well... Jowan is a moron).

Alistair is great when you're doing stuff he agrees with, but he's irrational and moronic when you do something he doesn't like. The worst thing, though, is that Bioware haven't provided the conversation options to reason with him.

Alas. I'm guessing that that was Gaider's intent - "he's my character and you won't make him do something I don't like him to do".

That's why he still throws tantrums from time to time (although I really can't blame him regarding Loghain, I do remind you that the Teyrn sent assassins after the PC, and effectively wiped out all the Wardens; if that's not something to be upset about, I don't know what is).

See this post of mine: I might have done the same in Loghain's place, too. He didn't have all the facts: he thought Wardens betrayed him and didn't light the fire on Ishal's tower in time; Loghain had no way of knowing Alistair and PC were simply overwhelmed by darkspawn.

But back on topic, I'm very fond of Anders, although really, they could have been more imaginative with his name (I do remind you that Weisshaupt, the Wardens main HQ is out in the Anderfels...).

Same here! And I was very pleasantly surprised with Nathaniel, too. I thought I'd like Justice, but Anders and Nathaniel are my favourites. I couldn't romance Nathaniel with my female Cousland char, though - I could almost physically feel a barrier and the face of her dying father.

[Eleima]

See this post of mine: I might have done the same in Loghain's place, too. He didn't have all the facts: he thought Wardens betrayed him and didn't light the fire on Ishal's tower in time; Loghain had no way of knowing Alistair and PC were simply overwhelmed by darkspawn.

Yeah, I've read up a bit on that before, and I'm not sure I always agree. How did Loghain know that the beacon was overdue? Did he have a good view of the battlefield below that allowed him to see that the battle of Ostagar had gone very badly? If so, why did he not disregard the beacon and flank the darkspawn went they had been engaged? And granted that he may have been justified in falling back, why would he declare all Wardens criminals and throw assassin after assassin at the Warden and Alistair? Because Cailan had been overconfident and brash enough to go and get himself killed on the field of battle?

Same here! And I was very pleasantly surprised with Nathaniel, too. I thought I'd like Justice, but Anders and Nathaniel are my favourites. I couldn't romance Nathaniel with my female Cousland char, though - I could almost physically feel a barrier and the face of her dying father.

I am *loving* Nathaniel: he's pretty well characterized in the sense that he comes off as a spoiled nobleman, aloof and snotty, but if you take the time to get to know him, and don't hold a grudge against him (which my mage doesn't, but my Cousland girl probably will, I admit I'm curious to see how they'll interact), he turns out to be a nice guy, after all. Not a very lucky one, after all he's been through, but a nice guy nonetheless (and I adore him for taking Velanna down a few pegs, it did her some good).

[berelinde]

Yeah, I'm having trouble viewing Loghain's actions as anything other than deliberate betrayal. Yes, in The Stolen Throne and The Calling, he's one of the good guys, and utterly devoted to Maric, but people change. As he himself points out, Cailan is not Maric. His decision was probably a difficult one, but it certainly looks like he was well aware of the situation at the Tower of Ishal. Remember the dialogue after the joining? Loghain and Cailan are bent over the map, Cailan's getting all grandiose, like he always does, and Loghain is being his usual cautious self. He argues that his men alone will light the beacon, but in the end, he agrees to Cailan's plan to send Alistair and the PC because it's better than allowing the mages to intervene. After all, Loghain can probably arrange for two Grey Wardens to meet with an accident, but he can't control the mages. And that last line of Loghain's as he turns away from the council table, "As will we all," is probably the best bit of voice acting/facial animation in the game. At that moment, there's no doubt in my mind that he is plotting treason.

So yes, if it were true that Loghain was ill-informed, then his desertion of the battlefield might be understandable. It would have been more logical for him to engage the enemy as soon as he sensed betrayal, without even waiting for the beacon, but a decision to prevent further loss of men might be conceivable. That assumes that he didn't know what was going on, but there's every indication that he was very well informed and betrayed Cailan anyway. He may have been Maric's son, but he wasn't Maric himself.

I'm not suggesting that Loghain arranged the darkspawn attack on the tower. It's probable that it's his men that were stationed there, and his men that join with the PC in retaking the Tower. It is possible, though, that he sent a small force to the Tower with the understanding that they were lost. He was the sacrificial lamb often enough in the beginning of The Stolen Throne to know how that worked.

If you still aren't convinced that Loghain knew what he was doing, look at the face of Ser Cauthrien after Loghain issues the order to sound the retreat. She's obviously shocked and sickened by the order she's just heard, but she's too loyal to go against it. If you've got a high enough persuasion score, you can get her to reveal all this at the end of the game.

Edit: The decision to turn Loghain into a villain in the game is a powerful one. If you've read the books, you want to like him, or at least respect him. It makes his betrayal more upsetting, true, but it's still a good bit of writing. If nothing else, it shows that the writers weren't so fond of their creation that they made him into an incorruptible good guy. I wish they hadn't made him quite so ugly, though. His face just screams 'bad guy.'

Edited by berelinde, 26 March 2010 - 09:56 AM.

[Archmage Silver]

Just getting ready to get some serious playing done in Awakening, I'll post some of my impressions later.

[Archmage Silver]

Tried to get started, but I'm waiting for a patch now. I got wildly varying maximum amounts of entries for most categories in the Codex - for instance, Creatures 32/172, Creatures 32/526 on two separate starts of Awakening.

I also got animation glitches, including an animation switch for Arcane Shield, not to mention the annoying game stuttering that I didn't have before.

It's a bloody glitch fest in my opinion so far. I don't know how you managed to finish it, Kulyok.