owlmoose | 30 Days of DA: Reference post and Day One

I like these 30 Days memes. Something about answering questions posed by another gets me to thinking about things in new ways. Also, it forces a regular posting habit, which is always a good thing for me. I've wanted to do the Dragon Age one for awhile, but I was holding off until I finished my second time through DA2, to give me a more rounded picture of that game and its possibilities. That happened a couple of weeks ago; then I decided to wait for the new year. Now that time has come, so here goes!

Cross-post note: I will be posting shorter versions of most of these answers to Tumblr, then linking back here for the full-length entries.

Day One: Favorite Dragon Age game (ie: Origins, Awakening, Dragon Age 2)
My favorite game in the series so far is Origins. Awakening was fun, but not substantial enough for me to consider as full a game as the main titles. Dragon Age 2 was probably a better and more complex story than DA:O -- I love how it deconstructs the fantasy and heroic tropes that Origins plays pretty much straight. But in terms of the game as a game, Origins wins for me, hands down. I found it more fun and more engaging. I also appreciate the greater variety in the kinds of missions and characters and places -- and I don't just mean the repeating maps, but the epic sweep of the story and the settings. I'm particularly fascinated by the Grey Wardens: their history, the lore, the outsider culture they have created for themselves.

But even if that weren't true, I expect Origins would still get the nod for sucking me into the world of Thedas so quickly and completely. I haven't fallen in love with a source this hard and fast for a long time -- for a game, not since Final Fantasy X. If I had played DA2 first, I don't know that I would have been quite so compelled by the series. As it is, I have my first new fandom obession in six years, and my life is definitely the richer for it.

The Questions

OOOooooooh. Wow. This makes sense, actually. As long as Loghain is alive, Alistair will want him dead. Given Loghain's position and title, Alistair might be tempted to take the throne from Anora (at the landsmeet or some time in the future) purely to get his revenge on Loghain. Of course, this is why Eamon (if I remember correctly) proclaimed Alistair king the moment Loghain's severed head hit the floor--legal cover for terrible misconduct during a duel.

Once Loghain is dead, Anora would be more willing to accept that Alistair is telling the truth when he says he doesn't want to be king and formally renounces any claim to the title.

(Of course, there may also be the game's story mechanics issue needing some male grey warden alive so Morrigan can attempt her dark rite -- and, yes, I know that Loghain is recruitable via some mechanism at the Landsmeet although that story option was clearly lopped off with Loghain's head.)

Interesting how much variability there is!!!!

I've noticed a lot of fandom referring to Anora as a bitch who betrays you and never once did my warden see that side of her.

30 Days of DA: Reference post and Day One

Re: Random question - your Anora as sole queen play through