Rumination Analysis on Dragon Age Origins

[@kayak2hell]

I was a designer at BioWare from 2005-2010 on Mass Effect and Dragon Age (Origins as well as its DLC, expansion, and a bit of the sequel) but worked primarily on gameplay systems so the lore/story was out of my hands. Thanks for expressing your feelings about Dragon Age Origins - I'm always amazed to meet people who are more knowledgeable of the game than those who made it. Your dedication and insights are sincerely appreciated!

[@kayak2hell]

Going to go watch your runimations on Mass Effect now - should be educational!

[@Sindrella.]

Thank you for your contribution to one of the greatest CRPG games ever. Almost nothing compares to the original Mass Effect and, especially, Dragon Age: Origins.

[@Skumtomten1]

I bet it's hard for you to grasp how much enjoyment you and your coworkers have created for tons of people around the world with these games. Dragon Age Origins is without a doubt my favorite game of all time. I spent 3 weeks almost entirely playing the game in between my semesters during my early university years. It might sound silly but it was honestly some of the best times I have experienced in my life. I was completely hooked and got so immersed into the game it pretty much replaced my life during those weeks. The moment I finished the game I just wanted to do another playthrough with another character. That is a sign of a good game.

[@madamwinnifer4666]

My view on The Fade in short: Pros: -Tonnes of stat bonuses -Forms are fun -Creative use of recycled assets Cons: -Solo isn't the strength of the game -Poorly balanced difficulty-wise -Backtracking

[@Icipher353]

The Fade is a really interesting and full of lore the first time you do it, but its a chore when you have to do it again in subsequent playthroughs. I'm glad its in the game, but I'm also glad the "Skip the Fade" mod exists.

[@vanyadolly]

I actually love the fade. It's so different from the rest of the game and after several playthroughs it's still always interesting to me. It changes both the atmosphere and the gameplay. Cycling through the different forms to use the right one for any situation provides a puzzle-like approach to combat. In fact anyone who's struggling in there should know that there's no reason at all to use your normal form.

[@gabrielkerne9175]

Its so goddam fun the first time, and I can't bring myself to skip it because of stats, but goddam, I just want to kill myself during my 4th run.

[@NoMaloneUnturned2]

First time I did it it was very long and boring and I had to backtrack a lot

[@jafrkoey7278]

I usually use the approach collect all forms then do all areas whole one by one

[@danmounfield7431]

1:32:20 - Casually throws out. “We all know Sandals the maker.” 😂

[@qwertyb18]

lol, this threw me off...is he joking or is it canon that Sandal is more than just a savant who is canny for enchanting?

[@JayTohab]

*violently spits out drink*

[@iamahab7600]

​@@qwertyb18 there was a line of dialog in dragon age 2 if I'm remembering correctly that was very ambiguous and makes it seem like sandal is far FAR more than just a savant lol. It's all very fuzzy to me as it's been a couple years since I played through the series proper but it's for sure worth reading about online. Ton of info/theories about sandal.

[@captmoroni]

No! Don't delete your old vids. You're not the Chantry.

[@marvelouschester4104]

Your original rumination on Dragon Age Origins was how I got into your channel. It's nice to see it done with the polish you bring today.

[@heffermax]

same here

[@Erzul90]

why polish and not greek?

[@thac0twenty377]

@@Erzul90 leave it the Eastern Europeans man

[@lordcherrymoore5252]

That's what I absolutely love about Dragon Age; religion mirrors religion in our world. It's based on faith. You can believe it, you can not believe it, but you cannot ignore it. So many fantasy games have gods that could literally kick your butt in the chair you sit, and that's dumb. We cannot relate to that at all. Dragon Age has heresy, different religions, different explanations for everything, all of which could be the "right" one. That's so awesome and I used it in my own world.

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

Well I for one prefer a religion in which god literally WILL kick your butt in your chair once in a while.

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

I couldn't disagree more.

[@gingeroverseer9302]

Every youtuber or creator in general looks at their old works and possibly cringes a little bit but I look at your new content and old content and find it all interesting and engaging and if you were to delete your old work it would feel like something valuable has been lost, at least in my opinion being able to compare old work to new allows us to see how you've grown and improved and I like the idea of you redoing ruminations because we can see how your opinions have grown or changed over time. Thank you as always Arch I'll certainly enjoy this rumination

[@postapocalypse0763]

I hope he keeps it up

[@gnomesaiyan1680]

three hours on Dragon Age? (puts on pot of coffee, settles in) Excellent.

[@FlorentiusIV]

I've roleplayed through this game so many times as several different characters and I love every single one of them. A calculating, controlling, politicaly hungry human noble who climbs his way to the top after losing everything. A charming, trusting, pragmatic yet honourable dwarven noble who can always see the bigger picture. A heavily religious, self-rightheous but kindhearted city elf who sees the world in black and white. A cocky, brilliant, freedom seeking mage with an obsession towards forbidden magics. This isn't the end of my list but what I love about this game is that I can roleplay all of these properly in this game with options for each of them throughout the game.

[@DrZaius3141]

The understandably wary dalish elf who slowly learns to understand that all races are in this together. The goody-two-shoes female human noble who falls head over heels for Alistair in order to become the least qualified couple to rule Ferelden. The bright-eyed mage that thinks society is fair, but loses that faith a little bit every time he is reminded of his being a mage. The tricksy, cunning dwarven commoner who slithers through life, taking the easiest route whenever possible. And your four. And 12 more, some of them overlapping. Maker, I love that game.

[@Eingradd]

The path to keeping Alistair as king and sparing Loghain (there is no way to keep them both as party members), is to "harden" him during his personal quest with his sister, not be a female warden currently romancing him, proposing joint leadership between him and Anora, and dueling Loghain yourself. ...I think.

[@captmoroni]

Yes. Duel him yourself, and you can spare him. Spare him, and hardened Alistair will still marry Anora. Unhardened Alistair will leave, disappointed, and ... (you'll see in DA3).

[@rebeccatomlin3121]

Yes. You may lose Alistair as a friend but this will make sure they're both still breathing come the Battle of Denerim.

[@ivyspringsau]

What happens if you romance Alistair and marry him off to Anora and try to recruit Loghain?

[@marcuskurze9759]

Eingradd:Not that this is an Option for me.I ALWAYS kill Loghain and make Alistair King.Normally I let him marry Anora and harden him before.The only other Option is playing as a female noble and make her Warden Queen.Not in a thousand years I would take Loghain in my group and definitly not as replacement for Alistair who was my friend and brother in arms from the beginning while Loghain did his best to mess everything up.

[@Carblesnarky]

Speaking of dwarf noble, Bhelen, the brother who sets up the dwarf noble, is such a great npc. While he is opposes the player and a total bastard, he's actually ends up being a good ruler for Orzammar. A typical piece of fantasy would have siding with him being a terrible decision. In DA:Origins, however, siding with him is a better long term choice.

[@DarkKing009]

good King Bhelen

[@Nikolaj11]

Just a side note, as this is more about the newer games rather than Origins, but picking Bhelen or Harrowmont has yet to actually impact the world in any way. All we have so far is people saying that Bhelen brings trade and expands Orzammar, we have yet to see if this is actually a good thing in any influencial way. Besides that I agree, one of my favourite playthroughs was as a Dwarf Noble where I actually helped Bhelen gain the throne because I was role playing as fanatically dynastic in upbringing (plus with this particular character I was confrontational towards Trian and ended up killing him, so Bhelen seemed like less of an ass more practical-like), it felt oddly rewarding to surprise him with my loyalty and sort of "regain" his "trust" as a sibling.

[@GooglyGook12]

@@Nikolaj11 Doesn't he also take steps to abolish the Dwarvish Caste system?

[@Caedus696]

Bhelen might not have effected the outside world much but he made the Dwarven world better. He opened up chances for casteless, not completely abolishing the caste system but giving people room to move and join the fight against the darkspawn. His opening in trade also gave chances for the foreign aid to help push the darkspawn back further than they had been pushed in centuries.

[@kamilkukowski8346]

and he married the dwarf commoner's sister

[@davidsabillon5182]

So this guy free styles 3 hours about his favorite video games with no script or editing 🤔. Like commented and subscribed 👍

[@andrewlong9799]

Three hour long rumination? Awesome!

[@jackbagdadi6117]

Great stuff. I’m an army officer, and I often listen to your videos on my way to and from work at like 4AM or whenever. Great for driving, having a good laugh about the funny/ironic ‘because plot!’ Items, and relaxing. Thanks a lot for all this effort!

[@ateeshJ]

In peace, Vigilance. In war, Victory. In death, Sacrifice. Origins is the best DA game.

[@commanderdanielcousland9981]

I wish we could have a Dragon Age game where we play as the Warden again and we become the Duncan for younger generation of wardens. Similar to Dragon age Awakening but expand upon it even more.

[@marclaprade1306]

Playing a warden was honestly the most rewarding "perspective"... champion was basically just your average folk turned hero. Inquisitor was an attempt to address that, but overly ambitious "affecting entire nations". I really like the mid-level, warden, person who gets wrapped up in events beyond their control and attempts to make the most of their social position. They don't have a lot of say, but they use what they have to make a difference, case and point, the grey warden treaties.

[@NovaCaneKills11]

What I want more than anything else from this series!

[@Kreln1221]

*At **10:56**, it reminds me of the saying..., "If you require the bribery of Heaven and the extortion of Hell in order to be a good person..., then you're not a good person..."*

[@Jvsa]

Even if you do a 'remastered' rumination please don't delete the old ones. I know this probably sounds like a broken record for you, but those ruminations are great ! I love this idea, but I also really enjoy the old ones. I've probably watched the Origins rumination _at least_ 10 times cause it's so interesting. Can't wait to do it with this video too haha.

[@zebbr0s]

It's amazing how well this game holds up after all this time. I always think I'm blinded by nostalgia when I think of Origins but then I go back and play it, and it's just that good. Thank you for this video!

[@captmoroni]

As Archengeia said (and Lore says): something is not good because of nostalgia. It was still good back then.

[@VampsTheFallen]

City elf best one! even as you play the game you bring up your people and how they are treated and by the end you have one of your friends from the start of it as a chair on the console, ofc if you play good that is and i always murder the bastards at the start. King alister lets you pick something selfless at the end as well such as treat my people better and give them gold. I was always sad i never got to see the happenings of that choice, i was also sad no city elf in dragon age 3 to play as

[@Isildun9]

I personally love playing the racism card on humans while playing as an elf, City or Dalish. Especially when I first met Cailan at Ostagar as a City Elf, and he asked me how life is in the Alienage, and I just bluntly stated that I murdered an Arls son for raping my friend. His reaction, priceless, not mention you can almost feel Duncan face palming behind you.

[@maurovaz6081]

@- Jayden - Dwarven commoner start as a mobster end as living god

[@dyllwill]

I'm new to this video and looked for a comment like this because I just started playing as a City Elf and really loved it. Not sure why he dislikes it. I prefer it to Dalish Elf for sure! Maybe I'm just soft but it was pretty emotional from the arranged marriage to the traumatic events that happen after. I thought it was fantastic. My favorite start so far tho I've only done three (Mage, Dalish and City Elf).

[@dyllwill]

@@Isildun9 Haha 🤣 I gave the same response! I love how the writers thought of so many reasonable/viable responses in dialogue based off of what type of character you may be roleplaying. Ik the chance is very slim but I hope we get to see some of this amazing writing return in Dragon Age 4.

[@TheGman567]

Glad I'm not the only one who real life fell in love with Morrigan lol

[@progste]

The only true dragon age game.

[@spider-man2157]

Dragon age 4 is pretty great

[@chloepechlaner7806]

Yeah I think the later games worked well as lore but the games werent... good enough.

[@silverman824]

I low key enjoyed Inquisition... Minus the beasiality romance. Dorian was a great character!

[@bodopeters1835]

DA2 was a true Dragon Age as well. But then came Inquisition...

[@vanyadolly]

+jaymon99 Well said. DA2 was like a small side-story with a lot of flaws, but at least it had the same spirit as DAO.

[@Stormwern]

I was human noble my first playthrough, and my main motivation for the entire game was to find my brother and avenge my parents, I didn't give a shit about the darkspawn :)

[@jamiegould5191]

Playing Origins after reading the Stolen Throne gives such a deeper understanding of Loghain. His hatred of Orlais made him lose it. Leader of the Night Elves let elves be sold into slavery. He was best friends with Maric and loved Rowan but let Cailan die. He walked the Deep Roads, fought darkspawn, knew about the Architect and Flemeth's warning but doesn't believe the Blight is a threat. He's a great character.

[@ethanlees2054]

The fact that you could debate the ethics of Loghain, Bhelen, Duncan, Anora, Zathrian, the final sacrifice and many others as though this game came out yesterday instead of 10 years ago is a testament to hell beautiful this game is.

[@glyrin.e]

As always a great work from you, thank you Lore. Your spit on Eamon bit, genuinely made me laugh way too much picturing the interaction: Warden walking to unconscious Eamon and saying "I did your quest", sprinkles fairy dust over him, "Get up you bum" and spits to the side. Eamon magically raises from the slumber and says "What took you so long?" Now to Rendon Howe, i really think that if you play as a human noble, there should be an extra scene at the moment of his death. When he says that he deserved more, you should be given a 3 way choice: 1- "You're right, you deserve more" - stab 2- "You got what you deserved" - walk away while he dies from the blood loss in the background 3- "Actually you deserve less" - grab the nearest sword on the floor and decapitate him Too bad no one ever made a mod like this, cause the banter is always so good in this game that i liked the idea of being part of it. When it comes to Leliana, if i romance her i always harden her, my thinking is that she is what she is and as the spirit at the Temple of Sacred Ashes points out she enjoys that life and the attention, so i harden her and because my Warden becomes her partner he/she also becomes her moral compass helping her only do good while pointing her aggression and darker side towards the bad guys. Also when it comes to the reason why people survive the Joining I have 2 ideas, genetics or you are not an empty vessel you actually have something else. I take this 2nd option from an anime/mangá setting, Naruto, where the Jinchuriki need to be filled with love, friendship, bonds or a reason to keep living in order to keep their sanity over time, which to me makes sense and leads me to believe that Sir Jory would actually have lived if he attempted it. although Daveth would make a really great Grey Warden.

[@wisdommanari6701]

In War Victory In Peace Vigilance and In Death Sacrifice

[@planetejobn5616]

Don't delete the old videos. thats how we found you. They are great and although they don't have the best production values the passion comes through and you should be proud of them.

[@deed7964]

A remake of your rumination for dragon age!!!!! IM HERE FOR THIS! HELL YEA

[@MrEnricopallazzo]

Love your intro theme, so peaceful. And thank you for this video, DAO is one of my favourite games of all time.

[@Revan_7even]

I loved playing a rogue in DA:O, when you get up to dual wielding two longswords and have the active ability that increases your attack speed (IIRC those are only in the DLC) while dodging over half the attacks that get directed at me meant I was was out-DPSing most of the party members with late-game equipment. You know that lightning dragon in Awakening? I had to solo that with my rogue because the mages took too much damage per hit to keep effectively heal and cast spells and died within 5 minutes, and Sten ran out of potions within 10. My favorite origins are tied with Human Noble and Dwarf Noble. The betrayals in both and how the events and characters were involved in the story was pure gold.

[@supreme1572]

You're absolutely right dual wield rogue is broken when built right. In awakening I re-spec'd Sigrun after I got her and she was quickly out DPSing my own character and the mages I brought with me.

[@TheOneOrMore]

I know that I'm far too late to the party, but I just wanted to throw out my interpretation of the Redcliff quest. I apologize if that has already been discussed and I just failed to find the comments. I think that neither the Conner nor the demon wanted to be king. I think Conner's desire was to save his father when he was either told or heard that they couldn't heal him. So he, probably unknowingly, reached out to a demon for help to save his father and the demon agreed to the bargain, probably asking for Conner's body in return. So the demon did as demons tend to do, and turned the deal on him. It essentially placed Eamon in stasis at the very edge of death. Because the poison was supposed to kill him and was doing that. Nothing conventional could heal him, because he was dying, but because of the demon not fully crossing that line. As it had "saved" Eamon the demon claimed the payment. What the demon then does is experiencing life outside the veil. Through Conner, it says that it wants excitement and thrill. In its alien perspective, it sees the torture and killing of mortals as entertainment and wants to have more playthings and therefore wants control over more lands and people. So I don't really see a "super-poison" there. But that's just my interpretation of things. I really like your ruminations and am looking forward to more.

[@vanyadolly]

The fact that they jossed so much of the lore from DAO is something that has really disappointed me. I though the original world was more compelling than the elaborate plots they've built up since. They're removed all the mystery

[@samwich9242]

A nighttime dinner with one of the most reknowned academics in Thedas... Very nice indeed! Edit: Just watched the whole thing. The depth of your reflections are admirable. It really reflects very well the depth that this game's writing has, and shows even a certain psychoanalytic wisdom at times. Excellent video my man, knowing that the algorithm would never privilege a video that is this long, the effort and soul you put into it is absolutely commendable.

[@Korica]

I can't believe you went through your first playthrough without Sten. Sten is great. His dialogue is SO unique because he's so damn terse. Sten / Shale / Dog have the best banter, you can't change my mind.

[@eudaemonical]

I think the solution to the mage problem would have to involve the Chantry more directly, that is, with intensive preaching in the Circles. Insofar as the templars are bound to it (and insofar as it is itself a unifying moral principle), the Chantry could potentially keep an eye on the templars just as significantly as the templars keep an eye on the mages. It would have to be truly active community-building, really, a setting in which both templars and mages would see each other as brothers, and perhaps would even be bound by the same rules, like traveling restrictions, so that there would be less inequality and therefore less resentment. But now we’re getting sociological. Truly a nuanced game.

[@Tanyara89]

I always assumed that the poison was partially blood magic since Jowan was the poisoner. I remember it as him saying so in his cell, but I might remember incorrectly.

[@marcuskurze9759]

If I have to gues than I would think he poisened him over a longer time.If you talk to this Knoght in Redcliffe(forgot his Name)he mentioned that the first sighnes were a big thirst and that he was weakened more and more.That would make sence if ist a Poison that is been taken in Little doses over a longer time.

[@gallendugall8913]

Dragon Age Origins proves the importance of the "hook" in getting the audience invested in what is happening. The rest of the story is generic but they really worked hard to get you at the beginning with a solid hook.

[@gallendugall8913]

It is the fact that modern games don't offer this kind of choice that makes me label them as not true roleplaying games but rather interactive stories.

[@schweppes1313]

Yes, there needs to be a hook to sell player on the story. Pillars of Eternity could've been a great game if it had a stronger intro part and provided a semblance of some personal investment for the player. Even conquest in Tyranny, while it doesn't really make the story personal, gives plenty of room for characterization of a protagonist and leaves a strong impression.

[@StRanGerManY]

I agree. After playing through the mage introduction, i got completely sold

[@SeruraRenge11]

27:00 people ask what are the Darkspawn and why are the Darkspawn, but no one ever asks "how are the Darkspawn"

[@falionna3587]

In the tome of laws of magic there is a rule. "Similarly, even when you send your mind into the Fade, your body remains behind. Only once has this barrier been overcome, and reputedly the spell required two-thirds of the lyrium in the Tevinter Imperium as well as the lifeblood of several hundred slaves. The results were utterly disastrous." I think this is the origins of the darkspawn.

[@Veellinn]

Until Inquisition, which flipped it all over.

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

This sounds VERY reminiscent of the backstory of Mage the Awakening.

[@applin121]

I’ve played this game more times I can count but I’ve never played the dwarf noble origin story until now and it is wonderful...great video...thank you

[@chrisreed4065]

The templar response to blood magic always made sense to me. They're a militant religious order with a capital "M" it would make less sense if they didn't deal in absolutes.

[@patinho5589]

Dwarves rogue for the win..!! Love the dual Wielding and the advanced career paths late game and in the Awakening DLC. I still used my original low blow ability in the fight against Loghain late game!

[@redfivestandingbye3668]

I only just started the video. I'll keep watching but I wanted to say something. Please don't delete your old videos! I started watching you way back then. And i totally understand why you might find those old videos embarrassing or whatever. But for historical purposes you should leave them. Your older production values might not have been as good back then. But the content was still good. What you had to say was still interesting. Anyway carry on.

[@fatal_error8397]

For me Bhelen had many parallels with Julius Ceasar. Ambitious, brilliant, jovial, reformer, but also ruthless and selfish. Harrowmond is Pompeius Magnus.

[@Elora445]

@fatal_error Good point, but I'd say that he has more in common with Caesar's adoptive son, Octavius/Augustus. That description also fit him to a T. Only he survived and led his people into a golden age. I guess one can argue for him being like both of them. :) I actually thought of him being kind of like Peter I of Russia - the one who forcibly modernized his country, whether the population wanted it to be or not.

[@Wonzling0815]

One simple answer for "why did the archdemon assault the tower at Ostagar": The darkspawn were surely swarming underground in parallel to their surface army, and the tower with it's basement connection would be a natural point where they would bubble up regardless of the tactical significance. Edited: for clarity

[@geraldballa7219]

One of my best moments with Morrigan is when she asks to you about your mother, and then you respond "I loved my mother". BOOM. Morrigan collapses internaly, remaining a little bit in silence... unfortunetly i don't remember what she says but she was talking without a mask. God, how powerful was that scene: destroyed by a genuine and direct answer

[@zazazeizuzuzei3486]

I just found this and I love your style of commentary. Your flow is very relaxing and interesting.

[@isultansultangaliev5852]

I kinda like Jowan, he is such a dumb normal person he creates such a strange contrast to a lot of other characters in the game. I like the role he serves for the narrative, and I feel sorry for him and the girl he fell in love with. The girl who btw regrets not following Jowan which is even more sad. I choose to think that Jowan that goes free thanks to the Warden survived the Mage rebellion and maybe used it to find his girlfriend. Unfortunately the human vessel of imshael looks a lot like Jowan and I can't help but feel like that's not entirely accidental.

[@margisama]

There's a mod that actually restores a quest that was cut from the game (should you choose to let Jowan go from the Redcliff prison...which my 'canon' warden the human mage did because he was her best friend) where you find out he's actually been helping refugees escape from Darkspawn, ect...as a way for redeeming himself from the stupid crap he's done. I wish they would've kept it in the game because it was a much better ending for him.

[@jezuschrystus7595]

Im Just thinking if ducan played Us all in human/noble playthrogh when he Just casually walk in when papa was dying in my arms and was all like: "well boy i guess youre mine now" food for thought as always

[@gnomesaiyan1680]

Concerning Tranquility: Sorry if you address it later, but in Inquisition (Cassandra's "loyalty mission"), we learn that Tranquility can absolutely be reversed. In fact, the Rite of Tranquility is essential in the creation of a Seeker. They are made Tranquil, then touched by a Spirit of Faith, thus breaking Tranquility. So, imo, the Templars knew the consequences, but determined that their method of creating Seekers could be used to "deal with" problem mages.

[@deptusmechanikus7362]

Yes-yes, we all know that sequels ruined quite a lot of original concepts

[@wisdommanari6701]

Any time a sequals removes previous permanent consequences it's a shit show

[@absollum]

Except if you undo the Rite on a mage who's been Tranquil for too long, they become mentally destroyed. It's mentioned both in game and in one of the comics. The Seeker's are only Tranquil for about a day or less which is why they're fine. So you either tell people that there's a cure for Tranquility but end up with unstable mages who might be primed for possession, or you don't tell anyone and this practice will still continue. Short term damage vs long term ramifications

[@godshenron9306]

If this game had updated graphics it would be the best rpg of all time

[@MisterBlackroad]

I feel the same way about Morrigan, never cared for game romances except hers. I don't even really bother with romances in games anymore. It's not her and not Claudia Black so why even bother lmao

[@crackedupmonk]

I’ve never watched a 3 hour video on KZbin... but this was thoroughly enjoyed. You brought up some intriguing topics, and both challenged my opinions and coincided with some I hold as well. Thank you for the entertainment

[@jingjinw9068]

Finally finished watching. It's really nice to hear a 3hr dragon age analysis, I don't agree with everything you said but I definitely see a lot of love. Thank you!

[@spsproos]

"A child isn't going to be tossed into jail" It's been a while since I read Asunder, but isn't that pretty much what happened in the White Spire circle?

[@fenn__fenn]

Isn’t that also how Cole came into his body in Inquisition as well?

[@Troopertroll]

Human noble and mage make the most sense story-wise, but as a new player I think the most fun is Dalish elf. In this origin, your character has 0 knowledge of the rest of the world, and you as the player learn along with your character. You have to constantly prove your worth to people without understanding why they sneer at your kind. Conversation options that sound sarcastic or crass coming from other players simply come from genuine naïvety of the Dalish elf. It also makes sense when playing an altruistic character, as the Dalish would be the least cynical of the origins. Plus, having someone to vouch for the party when entering the Dalish camp part of the game is good.

[@Aelvice]

The dogs name is Dogmeat!

[@DevilsChoir21]

In regards to Cailan... he simply lives upto his name! Cailan is a Gaelic name and means CHILD! He’s young, naive and eager to prove himself

[@EnderGraff1]

Just found this video and your channel after completing DA:O for the first time. I love your insights! Everytime you say "I wonder though..." I'm excited to hear whatever's next.

[@hunterg2825]

Logain is one of my favorite Dragon age origins characters of all time. You dont see everything about his character in his scenes. in the book the stolen throne you see he is in love with Maric's Wife. Maric is the king of Cailan but Maric was never in love with his wife and cheated on her multiple times. Logain hated and resented Maric since Rowan chose to stay with Maric for the betterment of Ferelden. For that reason he always disliked Cailan because he saw his old jaded friend.

[@biropgrules]

if there is one part of the DA fandom i really disagree with, it has to be the DAO deep roads. i love the deep roads, for one specific reason. it feels more like a real symbolic journey down to hell, than any other story i have ever seen. it starts off bad, and then just gets worse, and worse, with progressively harder encounters, until youre literarily standing above a crevice and hiding from the archdemon itself, and below you, a sea of demonic monsters, the entire army of hellspawn are readying for war, having ammassed for the endgame to lay waste to Ferelden, and get this blight going in earnest. it could have ended there, and it would have been a great thematic moment, but it doesnt. instead, this is the point where you finally reach the worst of the darkspawn. the broodmothers. the most awful and horrible thing in all of dragon age. it is the final condemnation of why darkspawn is the enemy of all sentient races, and can never truly live in peace with the anyone. but then, the final twist, the biggest sin here isnt that it happened, but that it was allowed and planned to, once more bringing back the fact that as evil as the bloody darkspawn are, in the end, it is the evils of people that is the reason you are down here, just like the actual, biblical hell. Then, you have the final push, down into the anvil of the void and its great moral dillema. i love all of it.

[@dalendria]

So glad to see how your channel has grown. I was here when you had about 200 subs. Your content keeps getting better and better. Thanks Arch for continuing to post vids.

[@crimsonking440]

well there goes my first half of work. edit: I found you through your "old and terrible" work. please never get rid of it.

[@oliviawilliams6204]

I have to disagree with the darkspawn accidentely finding the Dragons. Awakening pretty much prove it. The Mother and the Architect mention it, they look for the song who seem to be emitted by the dragons

[@V2ULTRAKill]

Hell even better example are the novels, specifically /The Calling/ written by the former BioWare lead writer David Gaider and are confirmed canon. A warden, The Architect (again), several other wardens, and even King Maricentioned a story about it.

[@introspectiver1787]

That being said the next question then is, why are the archdemons singing to them.

[@Nighttemplar559]

Divinity Original Sin 2 does something similar to mage being a threat. If your born a sorcerer then you are already a threat to those around you because voidwoken are drawn to your source, more so if you actively use your powers.

[@testogel85]

So does Warhammer (both Fantasy and 40k). Not sure that counts as game setting though.

[@ADADEL1]

There is a pen and paper version of both warhammers, so yes it does.

[@LadyAltaria]

I would give my left arm for a DA:O remaster with updated graphics and maybe faster combat ala 2 and Inquisition, but retaining tactical depth of Origins. My only fault with Origins is that combat is sooo slow and because there is so much of it ingame it adds hours onto a play through (My favorite game combat-wise is 2 honestly, idk if that’s controversial or not..).

[@nerdcast5]

I agree but I love the combat as it is/was. I would want the option to toggle it on and off if that is the route they go. Dragon Age origins is my favorite game of all time and I would just want it a tad bit prettier :)

[@visualeyezdoug8158]

Please please please do not delete your old content! I’m still working thru it and to me it’s gold. I’m sure many others are too......

[@dark_fire_ice]

I love summoning the Dalish to save the Alienage, it makes me laugh, because the Dalish disdain the shem elves

[@thespacebat]

Great now I want to do another playthrough of the game.

[@kissbela7409]

DAO and KOTOR. Please Bioware-guys, please one remake with new design and high texture. And I give my money. All fan give her money.

[@davidtokash4701]

^ see? even neanderthals want a kotor remaster

[@sylaann9206]

I just finished kotor, I don't really want a remaster ^^' Kotor is nice, but it lacks some options (as to corrupt your jedi allies to dark side : Bastilla & Juhani). it would be better with new higehr graphics but I prefer bioware working on new star wars game more than them making remake. Kotor is the past ^^ Dragon Age Origin is far more complete, with a more immersive universe as kotor, and graphics are old but correct in comparison to kotor, find a few mods on nexus mod and it will be ok. Low graphics and old fashion gameplay are part of what is fun playing them (nostalgy ^^). DAO would still be nice as remaster but once again i prefer a new dragon Age 4 than a DAO remaster.

[@kamilkukowski8346]

Dragon Age oUprising is the best mod for Origins

[@topy706]

by the love of all gods, i hope bioware never ever touches KOTOR or origins again. they would make a button mashing grind fest out of these games with hack and slash gameplay for simpletons. that and shoehorning feminist agenda in every inch of dialogue

[@KaNoMikoProductions]

Fuck no. They'd just pull a Blizzard and fuck it up, then bar you from playing the original.

[@AncientGamer63]

On the subject of Tranquils i feel it was a metaphor the old practice of lobotomizing the violent or uncontrollable mentally ill! There is a misguided notion of compassion rather than outright killing the individual in the belief that it is somehow better. Great points all through. I enjoy how thoroughly you research all aspects of your ruminations,

[@River_StGrey]

The circle has to know that they're consigning people to a living hell by making them tranquil. Otherwise tranquility wouldn't be used for unruly, dangerous, and inconvenient mages. But it is, so it's obviously a punishment, that then likely developed over time into a useful resource. Otherwise, tranquility would be seen as a gift and done to good mages, people in positions of power within the order, and not just dissidents. It's explicitly a way of shutting up dissenters and punishing them for their behavior by making them singularly useful to the circle. But it probably operates on a basis of denial and punitive justice, where mages either refuse to acknowledge how bad the experience is for others, downplay it, or make an argument about how it was deserved. Whichever, there's still an acknowledgment that tranquility is not a good thing for the person experiencing it.

[@nagillim7915]

Plus, if it's possible to undo tranquility then surely some curious mage would have done so to a tranquil at some point in history - probably several times - and discovered the truth. And then that truth has been covered up by those at the top to maintain the system.

[@Kreln1221]

*The best analogy that I can think of to describe a mage being made a Tranquil, and one that I haven't heard anyone use, is basically to be subjected to a magical lobotomy... Actual lobotomies were absolutely hideous surgical procedures that were actually performed decades ago, where a metal rod was inserted into the inside corner of an eye socket just next to the bridge of the nose, and then swiped left and right, thus severing the frontal lobes of the brain from the rest of the brain, basically amputating the two frontal lobes of the brain, though not actually removing them. As the rest of the brain continued to function, especially the base of the brain controlling autonomic body functions, the patient wouldn't die, but would permanently live the rest of their life as basically a functional vegetable that could still walk and talk and do basic tasks, but was stripped of any advanced intellect and sense of normal identity... It's what was done to the character J.D. McMurphy, (as played by Jack Nicholson in the movie adaptation), at the end of **_One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest._*

[@Fangs1978]

2:10:10 Dwarfs are Drow? Funny you should say that considering that in the Norse mythology (which partly inspired Tolikien who inspired everyone else), dwarfs and dark elves are in fact the same thing.

[@Bye3000]

I like the idea that Cailan is faking stupidity to bluster his army's morale.

[@Schmidt0Happens]

Kingdoms of Lorerunner: Re-Ruminating

[@CommanderFawkes]

Wow great video, another thing to note when you were talking about Uldred and Loghein working together at Ostagar was that Logheins men were actually the ones stationed at the said tower. Its likely Loghein asked Uldred to suggest his alternative plan to not only screw over Calien and the Grey wardens more but also save some of his own men from being at risk when he retreated. I ironically just made a video about that in Ostagar so I got excited when we had the same thought :).

[@Jman3862]

Oh! Lore is doing remakes of his ruminations! I'm hoyped to see what comes out in the coming weeks/month/year! Edit: I agree with the sentiment of not deleting old ruminations or content. But, if you do delete it from KZbin, it might be a good idea to at least set up some sort of archive somewhere. Some good might come out of preserving those videos. 2nd Edit: Also, I don't think your older stuff is not good. I'm just interested to see what new thoughts you might have concerning these games.

[@mattstacey6058]

I think that was one of my favorite things about DA:O, the "gradient" you referred to. I had a blast playing as a elf rogue who wasn't exactly evil but was ruthless when it came to dealing with humans (a bit of revenge from a certain intro sequence). I also enjoyed my two handed anti-templar who defended mages at every opportunity. It was great having so much control over any given situation

[@Eshvongelion]

This is the first video of yours I've ever watched and seeing you put into words what makes me love this game so much made me so happy. You now have a new subscriber.

[@MrReverseOreo]

Hey Lore, this might be one of my favorite ruminations yet. Great analysis and it is fun to contrast this with your old work. Keep up the great job.

[@rightwingersexposed8800]

In regards to the deep roads, I think they are intentionally meant to be gruelling and unpleasant

[@marcuskurze9759]

Tunnels full of Darkspawn dont Need very much to be gruelling and unpleasant:)

[@rightwingersexposed8800]

Marcus Kurze True enough but if you think about it that whole unpleasant feeling is something that you are intended to feel with the dark spawn. Like a massive hoard that destroys things just by being there, there is no end to them and they live in soiled darkness, it is meant to be a futile in a sense. On the other hand sometimes under that dark tide you see small islands of ancient lore and history like the old dwarven thaigs.

[@quicksilvertongue3248]

Yes, but as Lore is fond of saying, "you always have to keep the real world perspective in mind... even if you're being annoying on purpose, you're still being annoying.". Or in this case "tedious and unpleasant".

[@BelieveIt1051]

I'll try to respond to what I remember, I'm 1h 17m 16s into this and had to reply to the Duncan and Jory thing. First, Corypheus awoke and was obviously confused. So no, I don't trust anything he said about the Golden City. He may have lied to himself about what happened in order to deny responsibility. A codex in Inquisition alludes to this when a dwarf witnesses darkspawn kings arguing over whose fault it was that something terrible happened. None of them could remember because they were corrupted, nor did they want to. As for Grey Wardens, I think they don't actually recruit that many into the ranks between blights. Every joining requires a drop of archdemon blood, and I doubt they manage to collect much of it after one is slain. The blight before the fifth was 400 years prior. No way would there be any left after that point, but we know from Riordan that there is in the vault. However, I think it was mentioned somewhere that the Joining (you called this the Harrowing in your video a couple times) can be completed by enhancing regular darkspawn blood. So maybe that is used in many situations. But I don't think they have any immediate need to make new Grey Wardens. Doing so would only risk their secret being revealed. Instead I think they just hire regular people to serve at Weisshaupt and recruit anyone who is willing to fight darkspawn. If some of them get the taint, they are either mercy killed or they are put through the Joining. Simple as that. Dwarven origins are definitely the best, and human noble is right beneath them, but I think human noble is most relevant to the overall story, especially when you add Howe to the mix. City elf was a tad bland and ham-handed, but I wasn't put off by the subject matter. Dalish elf is pretty bad though, and certainly the worst. As for Howe getting away with it, the reason is because Loghain set up the plot to kill the Couslands and assured Howe he would cover for him. That's the only way Howe would take such a risk. Don't forget it was Loghain who made all the strategies. He sent Fergus into a darkspawn hot spot, he trapped Cailan on the battlefield, and he knew ahead of time that the Tower of Ishal was compromised so that the beacon would not be lit. He also knew Alistair was Maric's son, and sent him into Ishal along with possibly the last known surviving Cousland in order to kill them off too. It was all to clear the way for Loghain to take the throne as the only teyrn left. Duncan's likeability is dependent upon which origin story you play. My Cousland detested him for conscripting him into the Wardens when he made it known that he didn't want to join them. My Amell was grateful for what he saw as an opportunity to leave the Circle. My Surana was annoyed that Duncan pulled her away from the Circle. A dwarf would likely be thankful to him for saving him from the Deep Roads. A dalish might resent him for taking her away from her clan. As for me personally, I disliked Duncan because he murdered Ser Jory. And thus the reason for my post. Duncan flat out murdered Ser Jory. It doesn't matter that Jory pulled his blade first. Jory was backing away from Duncan, not advancing. He pulled his sword as a defensive measure because he was scared. He had no intention of attacking Duncan. It was Duncan who pulled his own dagger and advanced on Jory. No, Duncan would not have let him go because Duncan would not have risked the Joining's secret getting out. Also, what Jory did was not desertion. He never swore any oath to the Wardens. He never agreed to drink darkspawn blood. Jory simply didn't want to risk his life on something that served no significant purpose anyway. Jory was perfectly fine killing darkspawn without any Grey Warden powers. He saw no point in needlessly sacrificing recruits. Daveth died for no reason. For all Jory knew, he would die for no reason, and his wife and child would be left without him. Can't blame him for refusing. Sad part is, Jory probably would have survived it, and if Duncan had told him to swear to never reveal the secret, Jory probably would have sworn to that and not told anyone else. Also, no, sidelining Alistair was not even Duncan's idea. It was Cailan's. And yes, Cailan thought it best to keep Alistair safe just in case he himself died in battle because he knew Alistair was his half brother. The Tower of Ishal was taken by the darkspawn naturally. The lower chambers that Loghain's men found were never actually sealed off as the Tower Guard said they would be. Loghain had this planned well in advance. He left the lower chambers open so that the darkspawn would overrun the tower early on in the battle and the beacon would not be lit. He likely also stationed men there who were instructed to do nothing from the tower except watch the battlefield and send messages back, not watch for any signal or light any beacon. Hence, the beacon won't be lit. He also sent the Wardens to the tower thinking they would either die on their way up, or turn and run. In either case, the beacon wouldn't be lit and the Wardens would take the blame. The worst thing that could have happened for Loghain in that instance was for the Wardens to actually succeed in lighting the beacon, thus exposing Loghain's betrayal. And yes, Uldred would have not sent up any signal, but that was just a side plan to justify not charging in. Loghain also told Cailan to say off the front line. Loghain had another betrayal in mind just in case Cailan stayed in the camp or in a secondary regiment. Yes. Loghain always planned on retreating. He always planned killing Cailan off. This is why he told Howe to kill the Couslands first. Now, if Howe had failed and Bryce had shown up at Ostagar, maybe he had another plan ready for that too. Maybe that secondary regiment stated above was rigged to dispose of its leader, be that Bryce or Cailan. Also don't forget that Loghain was already planning to kill of Eamon as well, so that he couldn't unite the Bannorn against him after he took power. He had also set up his deal with Uldred before this. Maric's not actually dead at this time, but yeah, people assume he's dead. Regardless of Loghain's preconceptions, nothing justifies his actions, not even from his perspective. Murdering your King is treason. Period. If Loghain suspected collusion between Cailan and Celene, he should have brought this up to the Bannorn, which is the ultimate governing body in Ferelden. They could have deposed Cailan. Suspicion is not enough to murder a king, and it's not enough to murder a fellow teyrn either. Also, Loghain should have expected the Bannorn to oppose him. Ostagar was his plan. If it resulted in the death of their king, then Loghain should at the very least not be trusted to lead anyone, if not held entirely responsible. Add to this the fact that the Couslands were conveniently murdered before this when Ferelden law states that the Couslands would have been next in command should the king perish. But, Loghain was somewhat politically savvy. He did basically usurp Anora instantly, for all her maneuvering over the years as Cailan's administrator. He managed to establish some alliances, with Howe's help of course, and this was enough to make him too much of a threat to fight directly. So yes, he was formidable, but still blatantly wrong.

[@Spartanj42]

I really appreciate you remaking this, if you'll permit me a personal story this was my very first AAA game, when I was 14 I saw the commercial for it on Holloween night at my friend's house and I instantly wanted it, I didn't even have a PC yet, but I was getting one for Christmas so I rode my bike to the game store after swim practice, bought it and then waited until December 25th where I immediately started playing it and it's been one of my top 3 favorite games ever since. To me this is the epitome of what an RPG should be.

[@Xivinux]

been listening for 20 minutes and I agree with most of it and the information is good. nice review and thank you very much

[@ShrympyRS]

Yo this just got recommended to me. I love DAO and it makes me really happy that there are still people out there putting so much effort in making content for it. Cheers mate, subbed

[@porlae]

We know that the wardens suffer greatly when there is no blight since people seam less inclined to help them or respect them, in the Noble Human Origin Duncan pretty much thanks your father for his hospitality and reverence for the wardens and the answer choices you as a character have also reflect some of the views people may have of wardens outside of blights, "small order no longer important". We know form Riordan that the Wardens of Weisshaupt Fortress in the Anderfels, pretty much is the governing body of the Anderfels and its surrounding areas, he also states that their rule in a some what despotic in nature but that the people of the Anderfels seams to want it that way. Duncan also states that their recruitment is most active during blights and it seams during the intro that there is supposed to be more recruits and wardens coming as backup from Orlais aswell as your batch that will go trough the joining we also know that the backup from Orlais gets stopped at the bordrers, and that they send Riordan and his group after a few months have passed with no correspondence from the Ferelden wardens, i cant remember where i read it but one of the developers said that the game takes place over a span of 1 year and about 6 to 9 months, but that its not well communicated in game. Duncan also tells us what they do between blights, they walk the land trying to find new entrances to the deep roads, aswell as keeping an eye out for possible blights or Dark Spawn incursions since he states that they rarely move above ground when there are no blights and roam the deep-roads.

[@worm9407]

I’ve always been a stickler for playing as a rogue. Never really knew mages were so OP... Guess I’ll just have to make a new play through

[@laytonlast7876]

Used to watch your video years ago but ended up loosing track of them when I lost my previous KZbin account. And now I've found them again. All I wanna say it's I'm glad to see you bald face again haha.

[@mattrichard3383]

Old ancient Beings, Gods .. they were sealed away in the Fade, But the Fade has many rooms, I think. I see the Fade like a house with different rooms. The Abbys is the basement, or hell. The Golden City is the magical stairs that leads to heaven. The Veil sheaths the Fade from reality ( what is reality is an other topic ). When the Inquisitor falls in the Abbys, I have to emphasize FALL, we land in the Abbys because we fell. It's like the fade is all around us but in another dimension. The Old Gods are trapped in the basement which is why they come from the deeps. Pushing through the fade with ancient powerful beings ( Dragons / Arch demons ). In doing so, they released the blight. Fen'Harel's Orb opened the Fade from above, meaning that he intended to enter somewhere, new, heavenly, Golden ?? just my thoughts

[@Ikati-ny8fr]

Duncan didn't hold Alistair back. The king asked us and Alistair to go and light the beacon

[@abanustrickland368]

I wonder why, in times of no blight, the warden's dont primarily combat the darkspawn in the deep roads almost as mercenaries for the dwarves. Seems like the perfect symbiosis.

[@janmedeus3070]

The best place to go to after Lothering is mage tower. The whole level is not hard and you get those free stats in fade, especially cunning for persuasion for classes that don't want to level up cunning on their own (warrior, mage). Great review.

[@jonettheonly]

About the Mages, it's like being born into the Uchiha clan makes you a murderous lunatic.

[@viperswhip]

If you play as a Rogue dual and go Momentum and Stealth you can be twisting around killing stuff and blink in and out of existence, it's one of the most fun characters I've ever played in any game ever. It's like a whirlwind barb from D2 with stealth, and it's amazing.

[@musicIistener]

Love the implication from the time stamps that you talk about Duncan for two straight hours

[@connorharnage6697]

Right at the beginning I already liked what he said in regards to the endings. While not planning for sequels did have it's problems it seemed like a good choice to just see if the game gets popular first instead of baiting a sequel that'll never happened because the game flopped

[@willchalloner6643]

Watching this at the werewolf mission in my first playthrough many years to late So when he mentioned barkumont(?) I just realised I might have missed another companion(I missed Leliana earlier but reloaded when my friend mentioned that for a while she’ll be the only one who can open chests Edit: done , what a game! And safe to say Hawke being related to my human magi was not something i expected

[@vesuvanprincess]

Let me add to the chorus: "No, don't do it!"