Just a reminder, I’m giving my thoughts to y’all as they come while playing. Things can change, I have plenty of story left to discover. Apparently everyone already aired out their grievances with the loss of DA Keep months ago and have processed it, but I’m still coming to terms with it. I know some don’t care and others do a lot, and I’m just being real with everyone about certain choices (or lack of in this game) and the implications of that for the future of the story. For example we don’t really need to know who the Divine is down south because it’s not playing a part in the northern part of Thedas true, however characters that are NOT the divine can’t show up, because the game doesn’t know if they’re the Divine or not. So Cass, Leliana and Vivienne can’t be seen helping the Inquisitor or just helping the fight for Thedas because one of them is locked down in Chantry matters and the others are simply somewhere. But hey, maybe Leliana will just show up later anyway and make no confirmations about her past because “it’s not relevant” and then we can get a Leliana appearance across all 4 games lmao.
I think the saddest part is that they probably were looking to have something like dragon age keep, I remember seeing a twitter post showing off some leftover game files that had a certain character having an entire different appearance depending on your choices from past games, EA was definitely a factor and with how troubled this games development was I can put aside my disappointment because I seriously didn't think this game would even exist.
The moment I heard the news about the limited choice implementation I was watching your Inquisition playthrough and it was quite sad to watch you be so super excited about all those choices carrying over into Inquisition, meeting Hawke and Alistair and such. I expected this was going to be such a big let down for you in this game, so I'm not surprised this is your main complaint about this game. It truly is a shame, especially for this playthrough. I definitely went through the same stages of grief back then when the news dropped ahead of release.
The "not playing a part in the northern part of Thedas" thing doesn't even make sense! Tevinter is the only nation that has its own Divine; all the other kingdoms in the north have the same Divine as the South.
Fair and reasonable. I think you hir the nail on the head. On one hand the story is structured such that who's who doesn't matter. But yeah it also cuts off potential people
Without going into any specifics, the first time we learn about Griffons not being extinct is in a novel called Dragon Age: Last Flight from 2014. They did a really good job with following up on that book in this game in my opinion. Similarly, they also followed up a lot on the "Tevinter Nights" short stories, a lot of characters which were introduced there re-appear in this game, like Lucanis and Neve. I think this softened the blow of not having DA Keep a bit for me, because whilst they did very little to follow-up on specifics from previous games, I still got some satisfaction out of other stories from the novels being followed up on instead.
It's very unfortunate that you didn't get to do any quests in Treviso before the big consequence-heavy choice came up. Game doesn't really warn you about that particular point of no return or that side quests can disappear, likely for the shock value -- which sucks, as you'll now be missing a big chunk of the story, especially pertaining to Lucanis. I hope you'll get to experience that in your second run!
For why Treviso was powerless if you didn't choose to go. It's because the dragon did not land like Viago said. It only landed and fought in Minrathous because of Solas' dagger. So it isn't surprising that Treviso was helpless. They weren't prepared for a blighted dragon that never landed. It was something I thought was silly too since we sent two companions to help but it makes sense now on my 2nd playthrough.
42:05 i’m also inclined to agree that EA’s meddling definitely soured the development of the game. from my understanding people have started to datamine the game and found that the devs had plans to implement worldstates and so many other cool stuff. i thoroughly enjoyed veilguard for what it is but i also can’t help mourning what the game could have been, it does bring me some comfort knowing they wanted to give the fans the game we want tho
Another thing you can see here is that EA never understood why people like Dragon Age, while they kind of understood why people liked Mass Effect (which they also managed to "spoil"), so making Dragon Age more gamey and more like ME (but nto enough like DA, and more like "DA for dummies". And in some places it's "oh they liked THIS in ME2, so let's make "ME2 for dummies") is the result. It kind of frustrates me that the devs said "Now the game is FUN!, it's more fun than ever! WE made it FUN!" gets to me. Such disrespect to the previous devs.
hi mapo, i truly understand most of your frustrations, and you know the context of the development, so you're not out of the loop on some of the decisions made. also, it's fair to be disappointed with shortcomings and lack of features and elements we consider important to the series. but also also, i think it's important at some point to let go of what we wish the game was, and engage with the game veilguard is, and it's a special one on its own. most of your rambles (all very well exposed btw) starts with "i wish", and while venting out feels like being honest with the sentiment, it can also solidify and reinforce these feelings, leaving less space for curiosity and surprise. at least for me, it's more rewarding to meet them at their place instead of ours, without excusing its flaws. and i hope this doesn't read as a criticism of your criticisms, you're obviously being honest with your experience as a fan of bioware and dragon age. it's just my perspective from working with writing and consulting on other people's projects. if we try to fix 'em we miss 'em. all that being said, i appreciate your thoughts, as you said you're early in the game, and i'm enjoying and looking foward to your playthrough!
agreed, coming into it thinking "I wish it was this, I miss this, why isn't this here" colours our experience and leaves us feeling like something is missing the whole time. whereas if we let that go and let ourselves feel something else, we open ourselves up to enjoying it a lot more, because we're not so focused on the negativity clouding our judgement. if we come in expecting disappointment, we kinda make it come true no matter what. I also struggled with the past choices stuff, and made the active decision to just accept the game as it is, meet it half way, and my experience improved so much since changing that mentality. I'm enjoying myself so much more without that cloud of "but what if" hanging over me.
Yeahhhh as someone who got the Veilguard art book, seeing all of the absolutely AMAZING concept art and story things they had going on for the original game, it's pretty devastating to know what was lost. However, for me, I went into this game almost determined to like it. So even though I have criticisms and wants and disappointments, I managed to still end up really loving it for what it was. And I hope Mapo as you go through the game and some of your comments are maybe addressed that will happen for you too! So happy you met Davrin (and Assan) this ep... he was my romance choice so obviously I am biased lol but I still think he's a top tier companion for sure.
I was flirting with him for awhile then i felt bad because i was only flirting with him so i could steal Assan. Later on though after choosing another i wish i had stuck with him.
RIP the side quests that have disappeared because Mapo did the main quest (Lucanis's personal mission and Crows, we'll remember you). Wish someone warned him sooner about this, because there is NO WARNING about it from the game. It still can happen in act 2.
I really hate that the game doesn’t tell you that somehow. In all Dragon ages the first thing you want to do is recruit your companions asap but in this one it’s actually important to care about side quests FIRST. Really odd that they did not try to convey that better, this game is much shorter than some predecessors and recruiting the companions really pushes you through the main line so quick.
they needed a warning for this one for sure, i'm not finished and now i do all sides quest pretty much before story lol they need a quick 'doing this may lock you out of certain side quests' notif
Putting a warning up on Davrin's quest would be terrible, I couldn't disagree more. It's meant to be a shock for the player and a moment of genuine crisis where you see the world state change in a meaningful way.
Well companion reqruiting misions, khem darvin, khem, was in main story section, not in side quest. And typical gamer does side quest, to breeze through final boss :)
@@dietrichenstein They don't need to say specifics. Just "moving passed this point in the main quest may affect the availability of side quests" or something. Nothing about that will hint at what happens, so it'll still be a shock. A friend warned me to do all the side content before moving into that main quest without telling me why and I was still shocked.
Also, I really love the idea of Solas as a companion, but I think one of the reasons he's not might be because he is *extremely* powerful. It's not like inquisition where he was weak from sleeping for thousands of years and pretending to be a regular mage; in the very beginning Neve says he is drawing more power than a dozen mages. With him around most of your boss battles would probably be immediate one-shot victories. They had to contain him in some way, so he took on an advisor role from his prison in the fade. Plus him being trapped in his own prison is kind of a fun twist, imo. He shows up enough that I don't really think he was too side-lined as a character.
Also if he wasn't bound in some way, what would stop him from just going "lol bye weird little weakling" and going off to do things on his own (like he always tries to do)? He doesn't know or care about us at the beginning so would have no reason to help us even with trying to stop the other gods. we're just some nobody.
I imagine they could find some way to force his cooperation, but yeah he wouldn’t be too keen on hanging out with Varric’s side kick. Personally I like that he can only reach Rook and is otherwise completely cut off from the world. He is still a main antagonist and master manipulator, and they are the only person he’s capable of influencing. Imo it makes for a really interesting and strained relationship dynamic.
WRT the lack of continuity and not blaming BioWare: you are dead on the money. People have started looking through the game files, and there is code in there to include several choices (eg. Well of sorrows, inquisitors class). So they WERE intending to do more, but as you say, EA continuously screwing the devs over has resulted ultimately in some rush (this game, despite taking ten years technically to come out, was really only worked on as is for three years, and they wouldn’t have been able to start from scratch then I think, for budget reasons probably had to build on stuff that had gone into the previous iterations). The art book (major spoilers therein btw) also shows how much more they wanted to give us, but couldn’t 💔 For the time and constraints they were given, I think BW did a fantastic job, and overall I love this game, similarly to DA2: it’s fantastic wild ride, could’ve been more, but honestly is still an extremely impressive game that has made me cry and yell more than almost any other thanks to the writing and characters 💜
Aw picking Minrathus locks you out of the pretty cool Slow Poison side quest. Too bad, but not the end of the world. It was super tough choice for my Rook who was a Shadow Dragon but I picked Treviso to try and save civilians, so from a roleplay perspective it gave me greater personal stakes in the story which I felt like was lacking at that point in the story.
The Wardens from DAO time, makes sense that they aren't around. I mean, a Warden doesn't get to live for long, and this is about 20 years after DAO. So it wouldn't surprise me if most of the Wardens from that time already have made their visit to the Deep Roads.
Love your comments about Solas being an antagonist in the party! It’s like Emet Selch from Shadowbringers and part of what makes him so good. The villain is adventuring with you and taunting you and goading you the whole time, all while you learn of his motivations and his history in the process. Solas and Emet are also pretty similar, if you think about it. Two god like beings trying to get back their old world by destroying yours.
It would have been nice to see Alistair in this game, but I really never expected to, even well before the launch of this game. Since he can be marooned in the Fade in DAI, he becomes a quantum character, and BioWare specifically said after the (potential) fiasco of Leliana the Lyrium Ghost that they did not want to include quantum characters in the games going forward, because writing whole scenes for a character that may or may not still exist burned up too many resources (although I also think finding a codex letter from him or something would have been easy enough to do and would have made people happy, but maybe that ended up on the cutting room floor along with other choices that got cut). Also personally, it's not at all a blow for me because I just never made him a Warden - for me, he's maybe still just pottering around Denerim at this point.
Regarding releasing the Griffons: He (/Davrin) actually said, he cannot open the cages due to blood magic, therefore they confronted the Gloom Howler first
For having tried both, and even with the blight everywhere and spoiling everything and a lot of npcs in Treviso, I find the fate of Minrathous and the shadow dragons way grimmer for some reason, if the player choses to save treviso.
Well, as Davrin said near the cages - you couldn't open them since the locks were protected by blood magic. So.... the "maybe they could have been saved" is true. But the developers made it impossible for you to do it.
I was really anxious to see what choice you would make between Minrathous and Treviso! I went the other route for my playthroughs, it was good to see the other choice, and look forward to seeing how it all plays out for you later in the game. One thing I've loved in all my playthroughs are collecting the Solas memories. Such a great way to explore lore, and gain an understanding of the Dreadwolf. I've been loving your Rook's interactions with Solas as well. And I do agree--Solas would have been on heck of a party member, especially as we take part in his memories. Another stellar episode!
8:55 "Hey Solas, he has a valleslin on his face! You gonna take that off and then break up with him after grabbing his ass...?" Errrr, funny you should say that, haha. What ultimately happened to Felassan is in the supplementary novel The Masked Empire, or in some of Cole's banter in DAI, if you know where to listen (and know that the name in Elven means Fel - Slow Assan - Arrow, so "Slow Arrow").
I didn’t even know that side quests could disappear 🫨 but I also went through all the side quests with Lucanis and Treviso before other quests because I was so excited to see both lmao
In regards to Alistair and where he might be…..in my Dragon Age world, he died in Origins. Yet another option. Also, Davrin mentioned that the cages were locked with blood magic.
Wardens also don't live long. Alistair mentions that in origins. For how much time has passed he could have died anyways from just being a warden himself and succumbed to the calling. This is what...8 or 10 years after the events of inquisition. 22 years after origins. Yea. Hes probably knocking on deaths door by now or dead. Who knows if even the hero of fereldan is alive or not. I know they say no longer than maximum 30 years give or take and that's pushing it but still lol
2:13:30 - Except for that one little issue of how he's god level powerful, and would have absouletely no need for you or the team, could easily just turn you all to stone, take back his dagger from you, and solve the problem without you, and thus there wouldn't really even be a game to begin with. It would be a serious plot hole, and very against Solas's character, to work with all these people he actively dislikes and is much stronger than. He only did so in Inquisition because he was too weak after waking up, and needed to use the Inqusition to fix his mistake with Cory and the Orb. Theres a lot more reasons why having Solas 2.0 as a companion a 2nd time wouldn't work, but rather than going into each one, I felt this primary issue was the most important one to address first. It's a cool/fun idea until you put more thought into it and realize how if they had actually done that, it would have felt extremely forced
I agree with that fully, however, the second scenario Mapo offered could work - what if Solas was stuck not in the fade, but the lighthouse specifically? He would not be going on missions, but could interact with companions and know the state of the world from them.
@@dmitry1263 It could be fun and cool, but I don't think they would be able to find a reasonable explanation as to why he is bind to the lighthouse specifically, without making it seem as a big plot hole
Spirits can change their nature! Remember in Solas’ companion quest (All New, Faded for Her) in DAI you helped his spirit friend that was forced into being a Pride “demon” but with your help, she goes back to her original Wisdom form before returning to the fade
These videos are getting me through my thesis research. I dont have time to do a second run of the game rn, this keeps the hype alive. I appreciate your insight and passion for the story, only three choices carrying over from inquisiton is certainly disappointing! But I still really enjoyed the game and, though flawed, I dont think it deseves the intense negativity surrounding it. Thanks for what you do!
As a Lucanis fan, it kind of hit hard that this went like this, but that said, the game does not warn you about this at all and that's how this playthrough goes. Like it anyways. I like listening to honest opinions from Mapo and always like his gameplay.
I really enjoy listening to your thoughts about DAV. I've heard so much unfounded hate for this game from people who have never played it, or only played it for a couple of hours. It's really nice to see some actual thoughtful criticisms while also recognizing the positives. Some of your concerns/questions might be addressed later on, some not - I really enjoyed my first playthrough and I've started a second, and it's so interesting to see some of the early game stuff again with a completely different perspective. I also lost several quests to the Minrathous v Treviso choice, and actually made the opposite choice so I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop differently in your game.
Oh what a choice to have to make. When I get there I've no idea who I'll choose to help because if I help Minrathous, the water will be poisoned and all of Treviso could pass out of existence, yet if we go to Minrathous the Venatori will take over, but thinking about it, we can deal with the Venatori later if need be, so based on the fact that all of Treviso's water will be poisoned and their populas may pass into extinction, I think I'd have to help them.
Your criticisms are fair and balanced. It's clear you're still enjoying the game, so don't worry about expressing your honest opinions - that's part of why we love you. :)
I had to replay 2 hours of my gameplay because I missed Neve’s sidequest by going to Anderfels too soon 😅. That’s too bad you missed such huge amount of important content 😢
If Solas wasn't restrained in some fashion, he'd have zero interest in cooperating with you. Having him in your party makes no sense. Perhaps if the zip zap that freed the other gods depowered him (again), I suppose, but that's kind of treading old ground.
If he was trapped in the Lighthouse instead, it could work. The disrupted ritual taking his power or at least binding him to a location could work. Anything could work, if it's written well. Regardless the point of it was to make the Solas part of the story a little more present and interesting instead of being a repeated exposition situation. Even if he wasn't bound to the Lighthouse, the enemy of my enemy is my friend would work well with these gods getting out, and a begrudging Dread Wolf working alongside the group to stop the gods could be just the type of fight Solas needs to see in humanity to see another way. Solas in Inquisition had barely spent any time awake in this world that has existed for literal Ages without him, used the Inquisition to fix his mistake with Corypheus and the Orb, and then he went about his Dread Wolf ways to begin to undo his mistake with the Veil. It's a complex topic with a lot more ways we could talk about it, but I do think it's an interesting story point. But I'll see how the rest of the game plays out first of course before committing to that idea, I'm just spit balling.
I think solas role in veilguard is intentional this way and i like it that way pretty much, maybe after the game you may have another perspective on it :))
i am simultaneously excited for the moments that mapo has yet to play that will excite him and feeling a predetermined disappointment at the moments where he will inevitably want more, my entire time playing through the story these moments popped out to me as like damn i cant wait for mapo to see this and damn im so sad mapo will experience this and be let down
My feelings on importing Keep details mirror yours. They don't have to create game-bending multiple paths, they just have to ground the story in a way that's personally yours. That need only involve a line like "Warden Brosca ended the last Blight" or "Leliana was kind of a hardass, but is a benevolent Divine". It feels far weirder to have characters involved in those events present but unable to acknowledge any of it. There's evidence in the game files that BioWare wanted to do the Keep stuff, such as documentation on different lines or evidence of characters having varied appearances depending on their history, which I suppose is encouraging going forward. We all know EA love to chase successful trends, so maybe we'll have something a bit more Larian-like next time around?
1:09:15 For not breaking out the griffons. How is Davrin/Rook supposed to know the Gloom Howler can just teleport them out of there? The locks are Blood Magicked, and the cages are built to withstand griffin strikes. Might not be able to break them in a timely fashion
I'm also still somewhat disappointed with the distinct absence of choices from previous games, even though I had the time to process it as well as now being in my second playthrough. There are so many moments that pop up that leave me thinking "This would be the perfect time to bring back x, y or z".
Modders have found files that prove that there wa a project to incorporate Keep decisions (don't look for it right now, it contains heavy spoilers). Perhap it's because I made Treviso side quests, but I couldn't imagine not trying to save Antiva. I have no illusions about the Antaams and Minrathous have shown in the prologue that they can fight, so I choose the most vulnerable people
for me, treviso has no army/proper fighters and it said it would be blighted and has so much water to spread it, i could not do that logically even if i was not romancing lucanis but if he was pallning to potentially romance neve i kind of get it (i have no idea who he is planning) but tbh you can romance neve even if you don't save them, for lucanis you can not i think because his family is there etc.
agree with the rant, it's really annoying to think about everything that veilguard isn't. it barely feels like a dragon age game with all the nuanced lore, worldbuilding and choices going out the window.
Honestly, it’s even a miracle that this game even released! I hear your concerns re: the Keep and agree. It’s a shame thinking about what we could’ve had if EA didn’t have them restart the development of the game twice over. I’m just relieved we even HAVE a DA4 to play, even if it’s not perfect (none of the games are though, and that’s ok!)
Assan is perfection (: As to your issues i think the level of enjoyment you are at is a good sign since now the game will begin opening up (this is sort of like the point at which skyhold unlocked in inquisition) since the intro is open things will get better and better including the writing, dialogue and world building but nice you are enjoying aspects of them all and the environments and lore already even if not the full package yet. Plenty of good stuff ahead (:
yeah, the game really needs a warning for main story quests that will lock you out of things i did most side quests first for that reason because i was worried about it, thank god but shame you missed out, needs a quick 'doing this story mission will lock you out of quests' warning even though i understand it's kind of 'wtf is going to happen' and a little bit ruin the surprise but i still think people who want to put off side quests more needed it gonna have to skip around a bit not to see the saving minrathous stuff because i want to experience it myself first since i saved treviso in my main because my reasoning was a. they have more of a force of powerful mages to fend it off b. you can get rid of a cult, you can't save civilians from the blight but i also did the crow side quests which you didn't even experience lol so i'm sure that colored a bit of your choice (that and if you want to keep the option open to romance neve though she can be romanced in both paths, lucanis is the only one that can not and i think it's because his family is there)
DAV definitely has its highs and lows but trust me, the first Act is definitely the weakest of the three and the game keeps progressively getting better. I think a lot of your concerns will be addressed as you continue.
weakest point is how companion's quests are made. It is again Andromeda Movie Night quest again - go to point A, back to home. Again go to point A and back home. Repeat n time multiply by companions number. At least DAV have less loading screens going from A to B and back :)
After having played most of this game (I'm not 100% done) and getting the "Aha! This is the REAL truth! " I'm kind of sad. The lore dump is so huge in this game that they kind of destroy the feeling of DA mysteries. And now I'm wondering what there is left.... because... what is there after all the lore they dumped on me (can't even call it spoon-feeding, it was basically a feeding tube with high pressure).
You have to learn the truth eventually, this is that time. Which only makes complete sense considering the story, the revelations of DAI, The Descent, Trespasser and more. You can't just perpetuate mystery forever without the follow through. It's not unearned
@@Mapocolops I understand your take on it, because at this time in the game it wasn't that bad tbh. I'd say lets discuss this point when (or if, because I don't know if it's a forced quest) you get there.
Challenge of a content creator sadly we can play the game at whatever pace we like and that helps us to get immersed into the world and characters quicker but harder for let's players especially doing multiple games at once. Hopefully he gets plenty out of the experience i think he will given enjoying himself decently already even at this early stage (:
You should play wolfenstein the new order it predates doom 2016 and inspired the return of the classic run and gun fps it’s a great game that you’ll love
@@Mapocolops i get that it didn't happen to me because i always do side Quests before pushing main stuff and dragon age is the franchise that introduced me to videogames and i always thougt that Videogames worked that way especially old ones like bg 1 and bg 2 I was for example very surprised and irritated that bg3 throws companions at you left , right and center so early in the game In dragon age i feel there was always stuff that happened in between and then a new complain would come But your point is fair and i can understand your perspective very much:))
I found the moralizing over sacrificing combatants dying in combat absurd. Solas is right. Soldiers exist to fight and die. Felassan would be an awful general if he can't commit to sacrificing troops to win a war. Remove our 21st century distancing from the realities of war via technology and we can see historical warfare had always required death on both sides.
About your idea of Solas being an actual companion, wouldn't that make him a very overpowered companion? Even though he denies his godhood, Solas is still an incredibly powerful mage and he also has the power of Mythal judging by what he did at the end of Inquisition. He could turn ppl to stone without even looking at them by the end of Trespasser. He could basically render most battles null and void. Take the Treviso vs Minrathous choice, with Solas in the party then it wouldn't even be a choice cause if Rook is capable of driving away the dragon then Solas is powerful enough to do the same by himself. As it is, him being a sort of chained god and you're not sure either of you can trust each other works fine imo though you are right in that they could've delay the discussion with the group or cut it out all together so that it does not feel so repetitious.
I really enjoy watching this playthrough...except when the gameplay grinds to a halt and you complain about how this doesn't connect to previous titles. I've heard the complaints several times. Hearing it over and over is exhausting. Personally, my attitude isn't frustration with what could have been, but thankfulness that we got anything at all. This project could have been shelved and Dragon Age could've ended on a cliffhanger.
i think like his pinned comment said he just learned about it so he was annoyed, a lot of big fans were i had weeks to process it before i got the game, he didn't
Yeah it's time to get onto the fast forward fr. I'm still invested in the playthrough and listened to the complaining and nitpicking for the first 6 or so hours but the by the last video especially it's becoming extremely overbearing and I just can't take any more of it. 😂 skipping past that bullshit makes the videos a lot more enjoyable.
@ I think this episode was the last? Where I have a big rant about this stuff, and then it’s mostly just focused on the actual game events and talking through the game itself not the keep, I began to accept stuff by this episode. As usual on this channel I ramble passionately about a lot and always will, especially with dragon age world and lore and the game has really started to get the ball rolling once the full team comes together
Feels like a none choice because Minrathous always kind of gets taken over. Trevisio is really getting saved by helping there. One more choice that's "less" of a choice. Also still disappointed with the lack of choices (Keep) and game as well. Also love how you lose quests because there's no hint whatsoever
Regarding the DA: Keep stuff, I have to disagree with your point around 35:00 where you say that they should have asked for more information about our previous world states even if it doesn't matter; the potential child of Morrigan does not matter in this game, for example, so he doesn't show up, which I think is fine. Shoe-horning in previous game choices when they don't impact the story doesn't add anything to the game; extraneous details do not add purpose, they add bulk. I loved DA:I, but they were clearly bending over backwards to attempt to placate DA:O fans who needed to be reminded that their first character's dog was adopted by a nice family, or whatever. Don't misunderstand me -- I'm glad they kept the decisions they did. For example, deciding in Trespasser if the Inquisition is out to assassinate Solas or save him from himself shapes how the entire operation started out, how Rook was recruited, etc. But I don't need or want them to force in your DA:O decision about saving that one group of elves from a curse or what have you into the narrative of Veilguard. I admit that I was curious about Merrill (especially given the Fen'Harel/eluvian stuff), but aside from that I don't care that Rook knows nothing about Hawke. If they want to tell a story where that specific detail matters, they can. If they want to tell a story about the Architect, for example, he deserves his own game, not to be a meaningless checkmark on a questionnaire you fill out at the beginning of the game, never to be brought up again.
@@Mascifin the main issue is that it’s a spoiler for the game by omission, y’know? You’re like oh. These big events that could play into this story…don’t. Old god soul, and the well choice are still massive choices with big implications that have relevance to this narrative at large. I’m not expecting Kieran to show up, considering how in my story he’s just fine but think of this. Mythal absorbs the old god soul, Solas…seemingly absorbs Flemeth and in turn, possibly old god soul if it exists in your world state. Could that play into our Veilguard story with Solas? Well definitely not, because there’s no world state. It’s just me airing out my grievances which apparently everyone else got out of the way months ago.
I don’t need to have Rook know this information, because he doesn’t need to get unnecessary lore drops I want my choices that I’ve made over hours and hours in a world where choices matter, to feel like they’re always at work in the world of Thedas especially when there’s some pretty major choices you make that just cannot be addressed ever
Just a reminder, I’m giving my thoughts to y’all as they come while playing. Things can change, I have plenty of story left to discover. Apparently everyone already aired out their grievances with the loss of DA Keep months ago and have processed it, but I’m still coming to terms with it. I know some don’t care and others do a lot, and I’m just being real with everyone about certain choices (or lack of in this game) and the implications of that for the future of the story.
For example we don’t really need to know who the Divine is down south because it’s not playing a part in the northern part of Thedas true, however characters that are NOT the divine can’t show up, because the game doesn’t know if they’re the Divine or not. So Cass, Leliana and Vivienne can’t be seen helping the Inquisitor or just helping the fight for Thedas because one of them is locked down in Chantry matters and the others are simply somewhere.
But hey, maybe Leliana will just show up later anyway and make no confirmations about her past because “it’s not relevant” and then we can get a Leliana appearance across all 4 games lmao.
I think the saddest part is that they probably were looking to have something like dragon age keep, I remember seeing a twitter post showing off some leftover game files that had a certain character having an entire different appearance depending on your choices from past games, EA was definitely a factor and with how troubled this games development was I can put aside my disappointment because I seriously didn't think this game would even exist.
The moment I heard the news about the limited choice implementation I was watching your Inquisition playthrough and it was quite sad to watch you be so super excited about all those choices carrying over into Inquisition, meeting Hawke and Alistair and such. I expected this was going to be such a big let down for you in this game, so I'm not surprised this is your main complaint about this game. It truly is a shame, especially for this playthrough. I definitely went through the same stages of grief back then when the news dropped ahead of release.
@@ciggylegz yeah I saw that same post as well. I really hate EA man
The "not playing a part in the northern part of Thedas" thing doesn't even make sense! Tevinter is the only nation that has its own Divine; all the other kingdoms in the north have the same Divine as the South.
Fair and reasonable. I think you hir the nail on the head. On one hand the story is structured such that who's who doesn't matter. But yeah it also cuts off potential people
Without going into any specifics, the first time we learn about Griffons not being extinct is in a novel called Dragon Age: Last Flight from 2014. They did a really good job with following up on that book in this game in my opinion. Similarly, they also followed up a lot on the "Tevinter Nights" short stories, a lot of characters which were introduced there re-appear in this game, like Lucanis and Neve. I think this softened the blow of not having DA Keep a bit for me, because whilst they did very little to follow-up on specifics from previous games, I still got some satisfaction out of other stories from the novels being followed up on instead.
Wouldn't you know, the only Dragon Age novel I didn't get around to reading.
It's very unfortunate that you didn't get to do any quests in Treviso before the big consequence-heavy choice came up. Game doesn't really warn you about that particular point of no return or that side quests can disappear, likely for the shock value -- which sucks, as you'll now be missing a big chunk of the story, especially pertaining to Lucanis. I hope you'll get to experience that in your second run!
For why Treviso was powerless if you didn't choose to go. It's because the dragon did not land like Viago said. It only landed and fought in Minrathous because of Solas' dagger. So it isn't surprising that Treviso was helpless. They weren't prepared for a blighted dragon that never landed. It was something I thought was silly too since we sent two companions to help but it makes sense now on my 2nd playthrough.
wat is silly, same god shows up in both cities.
@@MrEvilside only because you are there with the dagger. Ghil shows up where you are specifically for the dagger.
42:05 i’m also inclined to agree that EA’s meddling definitely soured the development of the game. from my understanding people have started to datamine the game and found that the devs had plans to implement worldstates and so many other cool stuff. i thoroughly enjoyed veilguard for what it is but i also can’t help mourning what the game could have been, it does bring me some comfort knowing they wanted to give the fans the game we want tho
Another thing you can see here is that EA never understood why people like Dragon Age, while they kind of understood why people liked Mass Effect (which they also managed to "spoil"), so making Dragon Age more gamey and more like ME (but nto enough like DA, and more like "DA for dummies". And in some places it's "oh they liked THIS in ME2, so let's make "ME2 for dummies") is the result.
It kind of frustrates me that the devs said "Now the game is FUN!, it's more fun than ever! WE made it FUN!" gets to me. Such disrespect to the previous devs.
Well at least BioWare can get less shit docked on them
hi mapo,
i truly understand most of your frustrations, and you know the context of the development, so you're not out of the loop on some of the decisions made.
also, it's fair to be disappointed with shortcomings and lack of features and elements we consider important to the series.
but also also, i think it's important at some point to let go of what we wish the game was, and engage with the game veilguard is, and it's a special one on its own. most of your rambles (all very well exposed btw) starts with "i wish", and while venting out feels like being honest with the sentiment, it can also solidify and reinforce these feelings, leaving less space for curiosity and surprise. at least for me, it's more rewarding to meet them at their place instead of ours, without excusing its flaws.
and i hope this doesn't read as a criticism of your criticisms, you're obviously being honest with your experience as a fan of bioware and dragon age. it's just my perspective from working with writing and consulting on other people's projects. if we try to fix 'em we miss 'em.
all that being said, i appreciate your thoughts, as you said you're early in the game,
and i'm enjoying and looking foward to your playthrough!
agreed, coming into it thinking "I wish it was this, I miss this, why isn't this here" colours our experience and leaves us feeling like something is missing the whole time. whereas if we let that go and let ourselves feel something else, we open ourselves up to enjoying it a lot more, because we're not so focused on the negativity clouding our judgement. if we come in expecting disappointment, we kinda make it come true no matter what. I also struggled with the past choices stuff, and made the active decision to just accept the game as it is, meet it half way, and my experience improved so much since changing that mentality. I'm enjoying myself so much more without that cloud of "but what if" hanging over me.
Yeahhhh as someone who got the Veilguard art book, seeing all of the absolutely AMAZING concept art and story things they had going on for the original game, it's pretty devastating to know what was lost. However, for me, I went into this game almost determined to like it. So even though I have criticisms and wants and disappointments, I managed to still end up really loving it for what it was. And I hope Mapo as you go through the game and some of your comments are maybe addressed that will happen for you too! So happy you met Davrin (and Assan) this ep... he was my romance choice so obviously I am biased lol but I still think he's a top tier companion for sure.
I was flirting with him for awhile then i felt bad because i was only flirting with him so i could steal Assan. Later on though after choosing another i wish i had stuck with him.
@@jamesmccarthy962 Assan was a major factor in my choice too ha ha but honestly Davrin is so damn charming he was hard to resist!
RIP the side quests that have disappeared because Mapo did the main quest (Lucanis's personal mission and Crows, we'll remember you). Wish someone warned him sooner about this, because there is NO WARNING about it from the game. It still can happen in act 2.
I really hate that the game doesn’t tell you that somehow. In all Dragon ages the first thing you want to do is recruit your companions asap but in this one it’s actually important to care about side quests FIRST. Really odd that they did not try to convey that better, this game is much shorter than some predecessors and recruiting the companions really pushes you through the main line so quick.
they needed a warning for this one for sure, i'm not finished and now i do all sides quest pretty much before story lol
they need a quick 'doing this may lock you out of certain side quests' notif
Putting a warning up on Davrin's quest would be terrible, I couldn't disagree more. It's meant to be a shock for the player and a moment of genuine crisis where you see the world state change in a meaningful way.
Well companion reqruiting misions, khem darvin, khem, was in main story section, not in side quest. And typical gamer does side quest, to breeze through final boss :)
@@dietrichenstein They don't need to say specifics. Just "moving passed this point in the main quest may affect the availability of side quests" or something. Nothing about that will hint at what happens, so it'll still be a shock. A friend warned me to do all the side content before moving into that main quest without telling me why and I was still shocked.
48:20 he also voiced Javik from ME3. THROW THE DARKSPAWN OUT THE AIRLOCK COMMANDER!
And Knack!
And Harding is voiced by Liara. I was very sad that Davrin and Harding don't have a joking "In my cycle" banter as a very dumb reference
Also, I really love the idea of Solas as a companion, but I think one of the reasons he's not might be because he is *extremely* powerful. It's not like inquisition where he was weak from sleeping for thousands of years and pretending to be a regular mage; in the very beginning Neve says he is drawing more power than a dozen mages. With him around most of your boss battles would probably be immediate one-shot victories. They had to contain him in some way, so he took on an advisor role from his prison in the fade. Plus him being trapped in his own prison is kind of a fun twist, imo. He shows up enough that I don't really think he was too side-lined as a character.
Also if he wasn't bound in some way, what would stop him from just going "lol bye weird little weakling" and going off to do things on his own (like he always tries to do)? He doesn't know or care about us at the beginning so would have no reason to help us even with trying to stop the other gods. we're just some nobody.
I imagine they could find some way to force his cooperation, but yeah he wouldn’t be too keen on hanging out with Varric’s side kick. Personally I like that he can only reach Rook and is otherwise completely cut off from the world. He is still a main antagonist and master manipulator, and they are the only person he’s capable of influencing. Imo it makes for a really interesting and strained relationship dynamic.
The mistake that DA made was actually ever providing the keep….it was never going to be sustainable. Its just that simple
WRT the lack of continuity and not blaming BioWare: you are dead on the money. People have started looking through the game files, and there is code in there to include several choices (eg. Well of sorrows, inquisitors class). So they WERE intending to do more, but as you say, EA continuously screwing the devs over has resulted ultimately in some rush (this game, despite taking ten years technically to come out, was really only worked on as is for three years, and they wouldn’t have been able to start from scratch then I think, for budget reasons probably had to build on stuff that had gone into the previous iterations). The art book (major spoilers therein btw) also shows how much more they wanted to give us, but couldn’t 💔
For the time and constraints they were given, I think BW did a fantastic job, and overall I love this game, similarly to DA2: it’s fantastic wild ride, could’ve been more, but honestly is still an extremely impressive game that has made me cry and yell more than almost any other thanks to the writing and characters 💜
Aw picking Minrathus locks you out of the pretty cool Slow Poison side quest. Too bad, but not the end of the world. It was super tough choice for my Rook who was a Shadow Dragon but I picked Treviso to try and save civilians, so from a roleplay perspective it gave me greater personal stakes in the story which I felt like was lacking at that point in the story.
1:06:50 i had that thought too, but as i watched out play i noticed the entirety of the cages had a blood magic glow, so they were all sealed.
Edit: 1:09:03 lmao nvm
The Wardens from DAO time, makes sense that they aren't around. I mean, a Warden doesn't get to live for long, and this is about 20 years after DAO. So it wouldn't surprise me if most of the Wardens from that time already have made their visit to the Deep Roads.
Love your comments about Solas being an antagonist in the party! It’s like Emet Selch from Shadowbringers and part of what makes him so good. The villain is adventuring with you and taunting you and goading you the whole time, all while you learn of his motivations and his history in the process.
Solas and Emet are also pretty similar, if you think about it. Two god like beings trying to get back their old world by destroying yours.
It would have been nice to see Alistair in this game, but I really never expected to, even well before the launch of this game. Since he can be marooned in the Fade in DAI, he becomes a quantum character, and BioWare specifically said after the (potential) fiasco of Leliana the Lyrium Ghost that they did not want to include quantum characters in the games going forward, because writing whole scenes for a character that may or may not still exist burned up too many resources (although I also think finding a codex letter from him or something would have been easy enough to do and would have made people happy, but maybe that ended up on the cutting room floor along with other choices that got cut). Also personally, it's not at all a blow for me because I just never made him a Warden - for me, he's maybe still just pottering around Denerim at this point.
1:08:59 - Nice to see Editor Mapo caught himself before the comments did lol.
Regarding releasing the Griffons: He (/Davrin) actually said, he cannot open the cages due to blood magic, therefore they confronted the Gloom Howler first
To clarify: all demons are spirits. The term "demon" is something between a pejorative and a warning about spirits that are likely malicious.
Yep, the concept of spirits being (or becoming) demons didn't exist until humans came around.
I look forward to you finishing the "Regrets of the Dread Wolf" questline, BIG revelations await.
08:55 Jeez, Inquisition did some emotional damage.
For having tried both, and even with the blight everywhere and spoiling everything and a lot of npcs in Treviso, I find the fate of Minrathous and the shadow dragons way grimmer for some reason, if the player choses to save treviso.
Oof, rip side quests in treviso and tevinter
I looove Evka and Antoine so so much!
There’s a really short story about them happening before DAV that you can read online: Won’t Know When
They also have a short story in Tevinter Nights!
Well, as Davrin said near the cages - you couldn't open them since the locks were protected by blood magic. So.... the "maybe they could have been saved" is true. But the developers made it impossible for you to do it.
I was really anxious to see what choice you would make between Minrathous and Treviso!
I went the other route for my playthroughs, it was good to see the other choice, and look forward to seeing how it all plays out for you later in the game.
One thing I've loved in all my playthroughs are collecting the Solas memories. Such a great way to explore lore, and gain an understanding of the Dreadwolf. I've been loving your Rook's interactions with Solas as well. And I do agree--Solas would have been on heck of a party member, especially as we take part in his memories.
Another stellar episode!
8:55 "Hey Solas, he has a valleslin on his face! You gonna take that off and then break up with him after grabbing his ass...?" Errrr, funny you should say that, haha. What ultimately happened to Felassan is in the supplementary novel The Masked Empire, or in some of Cole's banter in DAI, if you know where to listen (and know that the name in Elven means Fel - Slow Assan - Arrow, so "Slow Arrow").
I didn’t even know that side quests could disappear 🫨 but I also went through all the side quests with Lucanis and Treviso before other quests because I was so excited to see both lmao
In regards to Alistair and where he might be…..in my Dragon Age world, he died in Origins. Yet another option.
Also, Davrin mentioned that the cages were locked with blood magic.
Wardens also don't live long. Alistair mentions that in origins. For how much time has passed he could have died anyways from just being a warden himself and succumbed to the calling. This is what...8 or 10 years after the events of inquisition. 22 years after origins. Yea. Hes probably knocking on deaths door by now or dead. Who knows if even the hero of fereldan is alive or not. I know they say no longer than maximum 30 years give or take and that's pushing it but still lol
2:13:30 - Except for that one little issue of how he's god level powerful, and would have absouletely no need for you or the team, could easily just turn you all to stone, take back his dagger from you, and solve the problem without you, and thus there wouldn't really even be a game to begin with. It would be a serious plot hole, and very against Solas's character, to work with all these people he actively dislikes and is much stronger than. He only did so in Inquisition because he was too weak after waking up, and needed to use the Inqusition to fix his mistake with Cory and the Orb.
Theres a lot more reasons why having Solas 2.0 as a companion a 2nd time wouldn't work, but rather than going into each one, I felt this primary issue was the most important one to address first. It's a cool/fun idea until you put more thought into it and realize how if they had actually done that, it would have felt extremely forced
I agree with that fully, however, the second scenario Mapo offered could work - what if Solas was stuck not in the fade, but the lighthouse specifically? He would not be going on missions, but could interact with companions and know the state of the world from them.
@@dmitry1263 It could be fun and cool, but I don't think they would be able to find a reasonable explanation as to why he is bind to the lighthouse specifically, without making it seem as a big plot hole
Spirits can change their nature! Remember in Solas’ companion quest (All New, Faded for Her) in DAI you helped his spirit friend that was forced into being a Pride “demon” but with your help, she goes back to her original Wisdom form before returning to the fade
These videos are getting me through my thesis research. I dont have time to do a second run of the game rn, this keeps the hype alive. I appreciate your insight and passion for the story, only three choices carrying over from inquisiton is certainly disappointing! But I still really enjoyed the game and, though flawed, I dont think it deseves the intense negativity surrounding it. Thanks for what you do!
2:11:51 i love the idea but I can't see our prideful little eggman ever working with Rook unless hes back into a corner with no options 😂
1:30:20 You also lost a Lucanis companion quest from that too!
As a Lucanis fan, it kind of hit hard that this went like this, but that said, the game does not warn you about this at all and that's how this playthrough goes. Like it anyways. I like listening to honest opinions from Mapo and always like his gameplay.
Even without this specific situation with the choice - I learnt in earlier versions of DA (and ME) - do ALL sidequests before doing the main.
I really enjoy listening to your thoughts about DAV. I've heard so much unfounded hate for this game from people who have never played it, or only played it for a couple of hours. It's really nice to see some actual thoughtful criticisms while also recognizing the positives. Some of your concerns/questions might be addressed later on, some not - I really enjoyed my first playthrough and I've started a second, and it's so interesting to see some of the early game stuff again with a completely different perspective. I also lost several quests to the Minrathous v Treviso choice, and actually made the opposite choice so I'm looking forward to seeing how things develop differently in your game.
Oh what a choice to have to make. When I get there I've no idea who I'll choose to help because if I help Minrathous, the water will be poisoned and all of Treviso could pass out of existence, yet if we go to Minrathous the Venatori will take over, but thinking about it, we can deal with the Venatori later if need be, so based on the fact that all of Treviso's water will be poisoned and their populas may pass into extinction, I think I'd have to help them.
That Desmal fight gave me Elden Ring flashbacks with all the dodge rolling and complete focus required lol. Congrats beating it underleveled!
Your criticisms are fair and balanced. It's clear you're still enjoying the game, so don't worry about expressing your honest opinions - that's part of why we love you. :)
I had to replay 2 hours of my gameplay because I missed Neve’s sidequest by going to Anderfels too soon 😅. That’s too bad you missed such huge amount of important content 😢
On the idea for Solas as a party member, it will be Cole on crack. The lore potential of him in the party basically means he's a must have.
If Solas wasn't restrained in some fashion, he'd have zero interest in cooperating with you. Having him in your party makes no sense. Perhaps if the zip zap that freed the other gods depowered him (again), I suppose, but that's kind of treading old ground.
If he was trapped in the Lighthouse instead, it could work. The disrupted ritual taking his power or at least binding him to a location could work. Anything could work, if it's written well. Regardless the point of it was to make the Solas part of the story a little more present and interesting instead of being a repeated exposition situation. Even if he wasn't bound to the Lighthouse, the enemy of my enemy is my friend would work well with these gods getting out, and a begrudging Dread Wolf working alongside the group to stop the gods could be just the type of fight Solas needs to see in humanity to see another way.
Solas in Inquisition had barely spent any time awake in this world that has existed for literal Ages without him, used the Inquisition to fix his mistake with Corypheus and the Orb, and then he went about his Dread Wolf ways to begin to undo his mistake with the Veil. It's a complex topic with a lot more ways we could talk about it, but I do think it's an interesting story point. But I'll see how the rest of the game plays out first of course before committing to that idea, I'm just spit balling.
I think solas role in veilguard is intentional this way and i like it that way pretty much, maybe after the game you may have another perspective on it :))
i am simultaneously excited for the moments that mapo has yet to play that will excite him and feeling a predetermined disappointment at the moments where he will inevitably want more, my entire time playing through the story these moments popped out to me as like damn i cant wait for mapo to see this and damn im so sad mapo will experience this and be let down
Omg same😭
My feelings on importing Keep details mirror yours. They don't have to create game-bending multiple paths, they just have to ground the story in a way that's personally yours. That need only involve a line like "Warden Brosca ended the last Blight" or "Leliana was kind of a hardass, but is a benevolent Divine". It feels far weirder to have characters involved in those events present but unable to acknowledge any of it.
There's evidence in the game files that BioWare wanted to do the Keep stuff, such as documentation on different lines or evidence of characters having varied appearances depending on their history, which I suppose is encouraging going forward. We all know EA love to chase successful trends, so maybe we'll have something a bit more Larian-like next time around?
1:09:15 For not breaking out the griffons. How is Davrin/Rook supposed to know the Gloom Howler can just teleport them out of there?
The locks are Blood Magicked, and the cages are built to withstand griffin strikes. Might not be able to break them in a timely fashion
I feel you so hard on the Big Feelings regarding this game. It's not perfect. But it comes together in a gratifying way imo.
I'm also still somewhat disappointed with the distinct absence of choices from previous games, even though I had the time to process it as well as now being in my second playthrough. There are so many moments that pop up that leave me thinking "This would be the perfect time to bring back x, y or z".
Modders have found files that prove that there wa a project to incorporate Keep decisions (don't look for it right now, it contains heavy spoilers).
Perhap it's because I made Treviso side quests, but I couldn't imagine not trying to save Antiva. I have no illusions about the Antaams and Minrathous have shown in the prologue that they can fight, so I choose the most vulnerable people
for me, treviso has no army/proper fighters and it said it would be blighted and has so much water to spread it, i could not do that logically even if i was not romancing lucanis
but if he was pallning to potentially romance neve i kind of get it (i have no idea who he is planning) but tbh you can romance neve even if you don't save them, for lucanis you can not i think because his family is there etc.
37:17 how can it be a finale of something which it largely ignores
I just finished the game and I can say the last part is very very good in my opinion with great animations by the way.
agree with the rant, it's really annoying to think about everything that veilguard isn't. it barely feels like a dragon age game with all the nuanced lore, worldbuilding and choices going out the window.
Honestly, it’s even a miracle that this game even released! I hear your concerns re: the Keep and agree. It’s a shame thinking about what we could’ve had if EA didn’t have them restart the development of the game twice over. I’m just relieved we even HAVE a DA4 to play, even if it’s not perfect (none of the games are though, and that’s ok!)
Who red Wheels of Time (not related to DA), can not unseen now how all NPC keep fists on hips in cutscenes :)
Assan is perfection (: As to your issues i think the level of enjoyment you are at is a good sign since now the game will begin opening up (this is sort of like the point at which skyhold unlocked in inquisition) since the intro is open things will get better and better including the writing, dialogue and world building but nice you are enjoying aspects of them all and the environments and lore already even if not the full package yet. Plenty of good stuff ahead (:
yeah, the game really needs a warning for main story quests that will lock you out of things
i did most side quests first for that reason because i was worried about it, thank god
but shame you missed out, needs a quick 'doing this story mission will lock you out of quests' warning even though i understand it's kind of 'wtf is going to happen' and a little bit ruin the surprise but i still think people who want to put off side quests more needed it
gonna have to skip around a bit not to see the saving minrathous stuff because i want to experience it myself first since i saved treviso in my main because my reasoning was a. they have more of a force of powerful mages to fend it off b. you can get rid of a cult, you can't save civilians from the blight
but i also did the crow side quests which you didn't even experience lol so i'm sure that colored a bit of your choice (that and if you want to keep the option open to romance neve though she can be romanced in both paths, lucanis is the only one that can not and i think it's because his family is there)
Davrin my love ❤. His companion storyline is by far my favorite one in this game. Him and Emmrich are my favorites, can't wait until you meet him!
1:49:12 I was starting to think you had the 'can't die' option turned on in settings lol that was some 1hp clutching
DAV definitely has its highs and lows but trust me, the first Act is definitely the weakest of the three and the game keeps progressively getting better. I think a lot of your concerns will be addressed as you continue.
weakest point is how companion's quests are made. It is again Andromeda Movie Night quest again - go to point A, back to home. Again go to point A and back home. Repeat n time multiply by companions number. At least DAV have less loading screens going from A to B and back :)
After having played most of this game (I'm not 100% done) and getting the "Aha! This is the REAL truth! " I'm kind of sad. The lore dump is so huge in this game that they kind of destroy the feeling of DA mysteries. And now I'm wondering what there is left.... because... what is there after all the lore they dumped on me (can't even call it spoon-feeding, it was basically a feeding tube with high pressure).
You have to learn the truth eventually, this is that time. Which only makes complete sense considering the story, the revelations of DAI, The Descent, Trespasser and more. You can't just perpetuate mystery forever without the follow through. It's not unearned
@@Mapocolops I understand your take on it, because at this time in the game it wasn't that bad tbh.
I'd say lets discuss this point when (or if, because I don't know if it's a forced quest) you get there.
Your fight with the Desmal was incredible, Mapo. I dont know how i am going to get past that one. Any tips?
The annoying thing is he’s expected to give thoughts on stuff and some of his concerns are like just wait you’re barely into anything
Challenge of a content creator sadly we can play the game at whatever pace we like and that helps us to get immersed into the world and characters quicker but harder for let's players especially doing multiple games at once. Hopefully he gets plenty out of the experience i think he will given enjoying himself decently already even at this early stage (:
You should play wolfenstein the new order it predates doom 2016 and inspired the return of the classic run and gun fps it’s a great game that you’ll love
My face when he kept saying the Antaam should have helped in the defense of the city 🙄
All good though, love your let's play of the game Mapo
@@elmonarcoful apparently you learn they ally with the gods in a missable side quest 🤷♂️
Exactly it is important to do side quests first before recruiting everyone :))
Yes but you want to recruit everyone then do side quests for banter lmao
A lot of people made the same mistake
@@Mapocolops i get that it didn't happen to me because i always do side Quests before pushing main stuff and dragon age is the franchise that introduced me to videogames and i always thougt that Videogames worked that way especially old ones like bg 1 and bg 2
I was for example very surprised and irritated that bg3 throws companions at you left , right and center so early in the game
In dragon age i feel there was always stuff that happened in between and then a new complain would come
But your point is fair and i can understand your perspective very much:))
*companion not complain (sorry the auto correct)
what a bugged dragon fight..
Good game, This game has a purplish art style. Anyone notice this?
Primarily, the menus, right?
I hope you'll get back with some zelda content soon. Wind waker or link to the past
I found the moralizing over sacrificing combatants dying in combat absurd. Solas is right. Soldiers exist to fight and die. Felassan would be an awful general if he can't commit to sacrificing troops to win a war. Remove our 21st century distancing from the realities of war via technology and we can see historical warfare had always required death on both sides.
About your idea of Solas being an actual companion, wouldn't that make him a very overpowered companion?
Even though he denies his godhood, Solas is still an incredibly powerful mage and he also has the power of Mythal judging by what he did at the end of Inquisition. He could turn ppl to stone without even looking at them by the end of Trespasser. He could basically render most battles null and void. Take the Treviso vs Minrathous choice, with Solas in the party then it wouldn't even be a choice cause if Rook is capable of driving away the dragon then Solas is powerful enough to do the same by himself.
As it is, him being a sort of chained god and you're not sure either of you can trust each other works fine imo though you are right in that they could've delay the discussion with the group or cut it out all together so that it does not feel so repetitious.
Not necessarily a gameplay companion but more so an advisor like in Inquisition.
I completely agree with Mapo, having Solas as a party member would have been a much better choice.
You kept going on about the griffins being out of the cage . If u listen they say blood magic got the cages locks so they can’t free them
@@kevincerda9533 1:09:00.
I really enjoy watching this playthrough...except when the gameplay grinds to a halt and you complain about how this doesn't connect to previous titles. I've heard the complaints several times. Hearing it over and over is exhausting. Personally, my attitude isn't frustration with what could have been, but thankfulness that we got anything at all. This project could have been shelved and Dragon Age could've ended on a cliffhanger.
i think like his pinned comment said he just learned about it so he was annoyed, a lot of big fans were
i had weeks to process it before i got the game, he didn't
Just skip past it if it’s not for you, you have a fast forward button if you do not want to hear my thoughts 👍
@@Mapocolops Understood. Perhaps I should be a little more diplomatic with my words. Like I said, I enjoy watching the playthrough.
Yeah it's time to get onto the fast forward fr. I'm still invested in the playthrough and listened to the complaining and nitpicking for the first 6 or so hours but the by the last video especially it's becoming extremely overbearing and I just can't take any more of it. 😂 skipping past that bullshit makes the videos a lot more enjoyable.
@ I think this episode was the last? Where I have a big rant about this stuff, and then it’s mostly just focused on the actual game events and talking through the game itself not the keep, I began to accept stuff by this episode.
As usual on this channel I ramble passionately about a lot and always will, especially with dragon age world and lore and the game has really started to get the ball rolling once the full team comes together
Feels like a none choice because Minrathous always kind of gets taken over. Trevisio is really getting saved by helping there. One more choice that's "less" of a choice. Also still disappointed with the lack of choices (Keep) and game as well. Also love how you lose quests because there's no hint whatsoever
Regarding the DA: Keep stuff, I have to disagree with your point around 35:00 where you say that they should have asked for more information about our previous world states even if it doesn't matter; the potential child of Morrigan does not matter in this game, for example, so he doesn't show up, which I think is fine. Shoe-horning in previous game choices when they don't impact the story doesn't add anything to the game; extraneous details do not add purpose, they add bulk. I loved DA:I, but they were clearly bending over backwards to attempt to placate DA:O fans who needed to be reminded that their first character's dog was adopted by a nice family, or whatever.
Don't misunderstand me -- I'm glad they kept the decisions they did. For example, deciding in Trespasser if the Inquisition is out to assassinate Solas or save him from himself shapes how the entire operation started out, how Rook was recruited, etc. But I don't need or want them to force in your DA:O decision about saving that one group of elves from a curse or what have you into the narrative of Veilguard. I admit that I was curious about Merrill (especially given the Fen'Harel/eluvian stuff), but aside from that I don't care that Rook knows nothing about Hawke. If they want to tell a story where that specific detail matters, they can. If they want to tell a story about the Architect, for example, he deserves his own game, not to be a meaningless checkmark on a questionnaire you fill out at the beginning of the game, never to be brought up again.
@@Mascifin the main issue is that it’s a spoiler for the game by omission, y’know? You’re like oh. These big events that could play into this story…don’t.
Old god soul, and the well choice are still massive choices with big implications that have relevance to this narrative at large. I’m not expecting Kieran to show up, considering how in my story he’s just fine but think of this. Mythal absorbs the old god soul, Solas…seemingly absorbs Flemeth and in turn, possibly old god soul if it exists in your world state. Could that play into our Veilguard story with Solas? Well definitely not, because there’s no world state. It’s just me airing out my grievances which apparently everyone else got out of the way months ago.
I don’t need to have Rook know this information, because he doesn’t need to get unnecessary lore drops
I want my choices that I’ve made over hours and hours in a world where choices matter, to feel like they’re always at work in the world of Thedas especially when there’s some pretty major choices you make that just cannot be addressed ever
This is not the Fade,it's like a dream....
This is the line you get when you fire all the writers while in development.