Definitely the best origin, and my favorite. It is short, but you can stretch it out a little by talking to Aldus, Dairren, and Iona. You can also talk to Duncan, Howe, and your father, and there are multiple dialogue options. The Cousland isn't just a normal person, but a noble. And like you said, you can become a monarch. And yes, it sets up the story best for the player, and the Cousland is the character with the most relevance to the plot. Being a Cousland means you are better situated to oppose Howe and Loghain. In fact, surviving the attack means you're already beating the side antagonist of the game. Sparing Loghain also wraps up the whole story nicely, because it is possible to make peace with Loghain, and even marry his daughter. We should have gotten more with Malol. It was a chance to lengthen the story and define who the Cousland is as a person. All in all, the Cousland is just a better fit as a leader throughout the game, and has the most connection to other characters throughout the game. Even Anora will tell a Cousland that she had a friendly relationship with your mother. And the extra content with Nathaniel and Delilah is good. The Cousland can also use his or her noble title to get Sten released (as long as Leliana isn't in the party). Also, Gilmore and Malol show up dead in Fort Drakon's dungeon. And Iona's daughter Amethyne is mentioned in this origin and she can later be found in the Denerim alienage. The only real change I would make is allowing the noble to gain a decent amount of money from the vault. That would make it more worth it to investigate the vault ahead of time and ask your mother about it. Oh, and Flemeth is another character the Cousland has some connection with, as it was her slaying of Connobar that allowed the Cousland's ancestor to take control of the bannorn. Setting up the entire Cousland line for greatness.
It's my favorite origin. Human warrior or rogue may be the most basic class option but the origin is very good. It's not the longer or even the most complex but I really have a big soft spot for it. I cried the first time when I found they killed my little nephew and then I have to let my parents to die... I was not expecting all that to happen and was surprised and devastated. I really like how it makes going for Howe so much personal, with other origins Howe is just one more random villain in my way who I don't care about but with this origin IS PERSONAL. And I love that with this origin the dog is YOUR dog since the beginning, he's already there, there is already a previous connection, and since until the end you don't know if your brother survived the dog becomes the only thing you have left of your family. I don't know, the dog is always a good boy but I always feel closer to him when my Warden is a human noble.
I think each origins is a great startingpoint for at least one wonderful story you can tell with Dragon Age Origins. But this one is the one best suited for the character I love to play. Naive young women, thinking she knows it all (and better than most), who grows into the role of a real hero. So if I had to pick one, it would be this.
Sorry for multiple comments but fun fact! The castle you go to during Cassandra's personal quest in Inquisition belongs to Bann Loren, who is the husband/father of Landra and Dairren from this Origin. The codex mentions his wife and son dying during the Blight, so it looks like they don't make it regardless of whether your sleep with Dairren or not. Poor family.
You can find the bodies of whoever you didn't sleep with in the guest bedroom, and Cousland's mother has a brief breakdown because she feels partial responsibility for causing their death by inviting them
There is one thing tied to this Origin that sours it for me. How in the hell did Howe think he was going to be able to get away with this? Cause even if all the Couslands died he have no guarantee that Duncan would, and he would tell the King who would have Howe killed. So the only way it makes sense was if Lohgain was already going to kill the King.
I thought the same thing, too. In that, Howe would have had to know Duncan would duck out and not pursue revenge/would stay neutral. Which told me a lot about Duncan and the Grey Wardens.
Also remember Howe didn't know about Duncan until the day of the attack. He just hoped he would be killed along with the rest. But yeah, as I talk about in my Loghain decision video, Howe was foolish, but probably knew Loghain would bail him out after abandoning Cailan
Does Loghain say he wasn't intending to abandon Cailan until that moment in the battle or do they leave it ambiguous, even if he's recruited? It's definitely a strong piece of argument that Loghain was always planning to. I guess it might also make sense if Loghain was somehow threatened by the idea that Bryce would be around influencing Cailan during the rest of the campaign against the Darkspawn, and then Howe was useful to get rid of Bryce and then afterwards Loghain would just toss him under the proverbial bus if he had to. I'm not sure why Loghain would necessarily have been threatened by Bryce's influence (if anything, Bryce probably would have sided more with Loghain's pragmatism?)
In the human noble origin, someone mentions that many people actually believed Bryce should have succeeded Maric instead of Cailan. He had enormous influence. And as for Loghain... it strikes me as odd that when you talk to him at Ostagar, he says "The king told me of his promise. *I'm sure he has every intention of following through."* That's... a little suspicious to me, but I admit doesn't mean much on its own. I always though Loghain had the plan, but wasn't 100% committed until that moment in the battle.
@@TheKingdomEntertainment Loghain has a lot of moments like that during Ostagar, where he says slightly suspect things (or maybe that's just the benefit of hindsight working). It also kind of explains why he objected to Alistair and the Warden lighting the signal fire. He was presumably aware of Alistair, and taking him out of the battle was essentially Cailan protecting the only possible heir, and Loghain was aware of that.
Human Noble is actually second last on my list of fav origins, not because i think it's bad but because i like other ones better. My favorites that pull out far ahead of the others are City Elf and Dwarven Noble. I hope humans get an origin or background other than noble in Dreadwolf. Still annoyed that my Amell was retroactively made noble.
@The Kingdom: I was thinking about your channel recently and I would love to see you examine some of the more mysterious quotes from Cole, Solas, and Kieran and what you think they might mean or what you think they could be foreshadowing to in the future.
In terms of plot this is probably my least favorite Origin (in terms of quality of writing, I think it's up there, I just prefer the others) but how deeply involved Cousland is with the both the Darkspawn and political sides of Origins is pretty great.
I love that Howe gets set up as a villain and that it makes it so much more personal. But I also hate it for how generic of a fantasy trauma beginning trope it is. Betrayal by old family friend, protagonist looses every thing and every one. Yada Yada. It's been done 1000 times and it doesn't get any less generic with repeated use.
With how connected Cousland is to Ferelden as a whole? The exposition of this origin definitely puts it above last place. But the writing quality doesn't do it for me and I definitely wasn't connected to the family. Though Oren's death definitely made me realise Howe wanted the Couslands truly *wiped*. It gave you mixed feelings? Dude, seriously, live in a bubble... Honestly, the Origin doesn't start paying off until Ostagar and after. Which makes the prologue weak for me. I'm not concerned for Cousland of why Howe did it until meeting Cailan and that's... Too long. Dalish Origin only comes last for how disconnected I felt there. Felt the shortest too... Definitely wanting Origins to return for the future, it gave such flavour to each playthrough. Removing them is such a waste. An Origins remaster with a couple added origins (such as human commoner or dalish mage) would definitely quell a lot of complaints.
I didn't really think this origin was good, especially compared to every other origin. The family is the biggest part as they are kinda annoying and it feels way too friendly for Origins
My first play attempt was human noble. Where should i begin why u didn’t like it so much It starts with that ugly armor instead of making the Cousland at least look a bit noble really. The whole family warriors and most of them not really the brightest. On top that guy your mother wants to hook you up with. Your sister in law is prettier than your main character. The betrayal of Arl Howe has an intriguing touch, shame that could have been made better I like the story, but the cosmetic side is not consistent. A sliver lining was Sir Gilmore and the dog, which you can get earlier as a human noble. So yeah, maybe i will give it another try when i get all the mods to work that may make it more dun to me. Definitely will use the Goodbye Sir Gilmore mod among others ❤
![MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS INCOMING - [ATLYSS] ≪ PATCH NOTES ≫ Version 1.5.5a Patch Notes Review!](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1dRez5CaDtI/mqdefault.jpg)
This was my first origin and it will always hold a special place in my heart
Same. For me it’s male human noble > Female city elf > male noble dwarf > male daleish elf > commoner dwarf > mage
Definitely the best origin, and my favorite. It is short, but you can stretch it out a little by talking to Aldus, Dairren, and Iona. You can also talk to Duncan, Howe, and your father, and there are multiple dialogue options. The Cousland isn't just a normal person, but a noble. And like you said, you can become a monarch. And yes, it sets up the story best for the player, and the Cousland is the character with the most relevance to the plot. Being a Cousland means you are better situated to oppose Howe and Loghain. In fact, surviving the attack means you're already beating the side antagonist of the game.
Sparing Loghain also wraps up the whole story nicely, because it is possible to make peace with Loghain, and even marry his daughter.
We should have gotten more with Malol. It was a chance to lengthen the story and define who the Cousland is as a person.
All in all, the Cousland is just a better fit as a leader throughout the game, and has the most connection to other characters throughout the game. Even Anora will tell a Cousland that she had a friendly relationship with your mother. And the extra content with Nathaniel and Delilah is good. The Cousland can also use his or her noble title to get Sten released (as long as Leliana isn't in the party). Also, Gilmore and Malol show up dead in Fort Drakon's dungeon. And Iona's daughter Amethyne is mentioned in this origin and she can later be found in the Denerim alienage.
The only real change I would make is allowing the noble to gain a decent amount of money from the vault. That would make it more worth it to investigate the vault ahead of time and ask your mother about it.
Oh, and Flemeth is another character the Cousland has some connection with, as it was her slaying of Connobar that allowed the Cousland's ancestor to take control of the bannorn. Setting up the entire Cousland line for greatness.
It's my favorite origin.
Human warrior or rogue may be the most basic class option but the origin is very good. It's not the longer or even the most complex but I really have a big soft spot for it.
I cried the first time when I found they killed my little nephew and then I have to let my parents to die... I was not expecting all that to happen and was surprised and devastated. I really like how it makes going for Howe so much personal, with other origins Howe is just one more random villain in my way who I don't care about but with this origin IS PERSONAL.
And I love that with this origin the dog is YOUR dog since the beginning, he's already there, there is already a previous connection, and since until the end you don't know if your brother survived the dog becomes the only thing you have left of your family. I don't know, the dog is always a good boy but I always feel closer to him when my Warden is a human noble.
My first playthrough in dragon age was as human noble. You just took me down memory lane.
Duncan to human noble: we need grey wardens but we wont force you
Duncan to other races: you have no choice in this matter, to the grey wardens we go
I think each origins is a great startingpoint for at least one wonderful story you can tell with Dragon Age Origins. But this one is the one best suited for the character I love to play. Naive young women, thinking she knows it all (and better than most), who grows into the role of a real hero. So if I had to pick one, it would be this.
Female human rogue noble marrying Alistair is canon to me. :)
Probably my favorite origin 🙌
Cole, you could make a google doc in which people can rate the origins. Perhaps even split into categories like plot, lore, characters, and execution.
Sorry for multiple comments but fun fact! The castle you go to during Cassandra's personal quest in Inquisition belongs to Bann Loren, who is the husband/father of Landra and Dairren from this Origin. The codex mentions his wife and son dying during the Blight, so it looks like they don't make it regardless of whether your sleep with Dairren or not. Poor family.
You can find the bodies of whoever you didn't sleep with in the guest bedroom, and Cousland's mother has a brief breakdown because she feels partial responsibility for causing their death by inviting them
Definitely my second favorite origin
There is one thing tied to this Origin that sours it for me. How in the hell did Howe think he was going to be able to get away with this? Cause even if all the Couslands died he have no guarantee that Duncan would, and he would tell the King who would have Howe killed. So the only way it makes sense was if Lohgain was already going to kill the King.
I thought the same thing, too. In that, Howe would have had to know Duncan would duck out and not pursue revenge/would stay neutral. Which told me a lot about Duncan and the Grey Wardens.
Also remember Howe didn't know about Duncan until the day of the attack. He just hoped he would be killed along with the rest. But yeah, as I talk about in my Loghain decision video, Howe was foolish, but probably knew Loghain would bail him out after abandoning Cailan
Does Loghain say he wasn't intending to abandon Cailan until that moment in the battle or do they leave it ambiguous, even if he's recruited? It's definitely a strong piece of argument that Loghain was always planning to.
I guess it might also make sense if Loghain was somehow threatened by the idea that Bryce would be around influencing Cailan during the rest of the campaign against the Darkspawn, and then Howe was useful to get rid of Bryce and then afterwards Loghain would just toss him under the proverbial bus if he had to. I'm not sure why Loghain would necessarily have been threatened by Bryce's influence (if anything, Bryce probably would have sided more with Loghain's pragmatism?)
In the human noble origin, someone mentions that many people actually believed Bryce should have succeeded Maric instead of Cailan. He had enormous influence.
And as for Loghain... it strikes me as odd that when you talk to him at Ostagar, he says "The king told me of his promise. *I'm sure he has every intention of following through."* That's... a little suspicious to me, but I admit doesn't mean much on its own.
I always though Loghain had the plan, but wasn't 100% committed until that moment in the battle.
@@TheKingdomEntertainment Loghain has a lot of moments like that during Ostagar, where he says slightly suspect things (or maybe that's just the benefit of hindsight working). It also kind of explains why he objected to Alistair and the Warden lighting the signal fire. He was presumably aware of Alistair, and taking him out of the battle was essentially Cailan protecting the only possible heir, and Loghain was aware of that.
Human Noble is actually second last on my list of fav origins, not because i think it's bad but because i like other ones better. My favorites that pull out far ahead of the others are City Elf and Dwarven Noble.
I hope humans get an origin or background other than noble in Dreadwolf. Still annoyed that my Amell was retroactively made noble.
This origin is my favorite and also the first I played
@The Kingdom: I was thinking about your channel recently and I would love to see you examine some of the more mysterious quotes from Cole, Solas, and Kieran and what you think they might mean or what you think they could be foreshadowing to in the future.
6:03 😔 that part was sad for me, (I was delusional that they'd live and be the person we see later, I'm very very happy it was my brother tho instead)
Best origin Ever! And my favorite!
In terms of plot this is probably my least favorite Origin (in terms of quality of writing, I think it's up there, I just prefer the others) but how deeply involved Cousland is with the both the Darkspawn and political sides of Origins is pretty great.
Will you also cover the seventh origin?
I love that Howe gets set up as a villain and that it makes it so much more personal. But I also hate it for how generic of a fantasy trauma beginning trope it is. Betrayal by old family friend, protagonist looses every thing and every one. Yada Yada. It's been done 1000 times and it doesn't get any less generic with repeated use.
I never play this origin without the mod that dresses you more appropriately
Playing Origins as a Human Noble is like going to a five star restaurant and only eating bread.
City Elf is the most compelling.
With how connected Cousland is to Ferelden as a whole? The exposition of this origin definitely puts it above last place. But the writing quality doesn't do it for me and I definitely wasn't connected to the family.
Though Oren's death definitely made me realise Howe wanted the Couslands truly *wiped*. It gave you mixed feelings? Dude, seriously, live in a bubble...
Honestly, the Origin doesn't start paying off until Ostagar and after. Which makes the prologue weak for me. I'm not concerned for Cousland of why Howe did it until meeting Cailan and that's... Too long. Dalish Origin only comes last for how disconnected I felt there. Felt the shortest too...
Definitely wanting Origins to return for the future, it gave such flavour to each playthrough. Removing them is such a waste. An Origins remaster with a couple added origins (such as human commoner or dalish mage) would definitely quell a lot of complaints.
he did not get the shield from the mother. did not get the weapons from the armory. not optimized walkthrough
I didn't really think this origin was good, especially compared to every other origin. The family is the biggest part as they are kinda annoying and it feels way too friendly for Origins
My first play attempt was human noble. Where should i begin why u didn’t like it so much
It starts with that ugly armor instead of making the Cousland at least look a bit noble really. The whole family warriors and most of them not really the brightest. On top that guy your mother wants to hook you up with. Your sister in law is prettier than your main character.
The betrayal of Arl Howe has an intriguing touch, shame that could have been made better
I like the story, but the cosmetic side is not consistent. A sliver lining was Sir Gilmore and the dog, which you can get earlier as a human noble.
So yeah, maybe i will give it another try when i get all the mods to work that may make it more dun to me. Definitely will use the Goodbye Sir Gilmore mod among others ❤