36:23 You are not boring anyone, trust me when I say that diehard fans of high/dark fantasy such as this are super lore nerds! We love seeing you learn about the world as well! Hope you continue reading.
What I particularly love to do is also read the author/book each codex entry is from, they really go above and beyond in this game series. Shout out to Brother Genetivi! the most prolific travel writer in all of Thedas!!
@@Alannah44 Brother Genitivi is quite literally doing the *Maker's* work. He's such a mad lad to be adventuring to the places he does all while being a mere clergyman.
"No matter what, if you have magic you HAVE to go to this stupid tower." sometimes youtubes recommended knocks it out of the park actually. So excited to watch more of this. It's so fun to see people experience dragon age for the first time! You have a great attitude, super engaged and curious
Yes! I love when people start with the mage origin. It was my first origin and it forever solidified my stance on the mage/templar situation. Playing as a mage (in the first two games especially) give a really unique perspective in the DA world. You really feel the sword hanging over your head just for existing.
@@kiki_maliki all the origins are fantastic imo (I especially love the human noble one and the city elf one), but the conflict with the mages really is so fundamental to the series, above commenter is 100% right.
I'll be honest, I started thinking that mages still have a better life than a Dwarven commoner from dust town. The casteless in orzamar are seen as worthless and the only way they can find work is by being a criminal. In my eyes the mages live in comfort compared to casteless dwarves. 🤔 only my observation from finishing the game as a Dwarven commoner before...😅
@@halowarrior905 Dwarven society is cruel for sure, especially for casteless dwarves. Plus, besides being born casteless, you can lose your caste for a variety of reasons. If a casteless dwarf has a child with a noble, they and their child will be able to live in comfort though. The issue with the mages in particular is that most of them are ripped from their families at a young age, most likely never seeing them again, and sent to live in the Circle of Magi, a place that can become pretty dangerous. They are subjects to the Templars and the Chantry and are forced to go through the Harrowing, the only other options being death (if they fail) or living as a Tranquil. Tranquility can be a choice, but the fate is often decided for them. There's also the fact that if they have kids, they cannot raise them. Oh, also, the Templars will track them down and kill them if they flee. So yes, they live in relative comfort compared to city elves and casteless dwarves, but it is not an easier life by any means.
You have to Save often. On your travels between towns you get ambushed by: Darkspawn, bandits, wolves, demons, merchants selling wares. Each town has quests, companions get 3 quests, to get Allies you progress from town to town. You are not in a rush in this game. Pick up all the herbs, you only carry 1 pack back, and at camp have an unlimited storage chest.
@@jessicab5525 this is a bit late but have you tried making your game ' large address aware'? you can download a lil program online to do it, it's super simple, and it lets the game use more RAM! crashing is a common problem since the game is too old to use enough RAM !! :>
I appreciate how nuanced you approached the roleplay of your mc. I also really liked that you don't just try to complete the game as quickly as possible, but thoughtfully try to understand the lore.
@@kiki_maliki I did the same thing on my first playthrough! Like "here is some random prison guard, that was basically ready to kill me and is a part of a group that clearly is very hostile to me, I aint giving him a chance to send me TO THE DUNGEONS!"
It's interesting to see you actually understand the perspective on why some circle mages get revolted with the system and may turn to forbidden means like blood magic! Always good to see people who get into a piece of story with the capacity of finding and contemplating different angles. 🥰
Another female gamer playing DAO for the first time. Yees. This also popped up in my recommended. Best advice is save often and more often, and look for and buy every single backpack you can. Also know that dialogue really matters and can change the outcome of the game.
Yeah everyones reaching fo rDragon Ag eatm might be Veilguard that's pu teveryon ein the mood to play again I'm currentl yin the middl eof an Inquisition run atm. But I am hopin gto do a run of all 3 myself before Veilguard drops
@@sjsharp2007 I started looking for lets plays before Veilgaurd dropped. Although I can't get away from it as it keeps showing up even when "Dragon Age origins" is typed into RUclips! Hope you like it, I won't be buying it!
@@joandsarah77 Well both of Bioware' s series Mass Effec tand Dragon Age games have always felt like comfort games to me and are among my favourites to play so I think it's highly likely I will. Besides there's an egghead that needs a smashing.
This popped up in my recommended and I love to see others' first reactions to a game I love, and give it an honest try because even though its a bit old its such a gem. And be wary some areas can be really difficult when you least expect it, but it makes it fun to overcome the odds
Thank you 😊 yeah at first I was a little hesitant because of how old is it but honestly 20 minutes in I got hooked 😂 now I'm excited to see where it goes!
Algorithm has given me this video after I watched a ton of videos about the newest game and here is comment so that this video reaches even more people. Also your poor eyes you have got to get a mod that makes that text bigger.
All of the Origins are great but there's something about beginning the series with the Harrowing that really showcases the eerie uinsettlingness of the setting. It's how I began it, and I'm sure it shaped the way I view the series as a whole.
One thing that would have made BG3 perfect for me personally was having DAO's distinct origin intros before we get kidnapped into the Mindflayer ship. Maaaybe per Backgrounds would have been an interesting way to do it. But I can only imagine it. And lol yeah, being an elf AND a mage is kinda like having a double discrimination card on your character lol. The people in there hate mages as well as look down on elven kind. Also, I dunno about other people but weirdly enough I like let's-players reading books, codexes, and lore on their playthrough. Which is also a weird thing for me lol because I do not read any of this when I play the game for some reason. If you find it boring though, not a big deal for me personally.
I totally agree, I really like how there are several different beginnings depending on what you chose and I think that would have been amazing in BG3! Omg yes it's crazy how much they hate mages and look down on elves but it makes for a good story. Yeah I try to read everything in my playthroughs, I normally decorate a section where I just read though it all but bare with me a little as I'm dyslexic and I get stage fright reading so I stumble over my words A LOT 😅 but I think it's important to do it 😂
By the way, during combat you can quickly cast the spells in your hotbar by pressing the number they have in front of them. For example winter's grasp can be casted by pressing 2, arcane bolt by pressing 1 etc. Also by pressing the space bar during combat, the fight enters a paused state where you can plan and select your's and your companion's actions. Oh, and you can see and change your companion's equipment by opening your characters equipment menu and pressing the arrows next to your name. Edit: Your character uses their main attack when you right click a target once
You have lots of comments here already, so someone may have already said this, but in case they haven't, "magi" is the plural of mage. (You could argue that there are differences depending on the context in which it is used, but it's essentially just another word for "mages".) And yes, you pronounced it correctly!
One of my favorite games! Some tips regarding font size and character controls: the game font doesn't scale up with game resolution. If you lower your game resolution, the font will increase. There is also a mod to increase the size of text and the UI. As for controls, if you don't want to use the keyboard for the camera, you can hold down right click and move your mouse to control the camera. For combat, you can right click an enemy to select a target, then press 1, 2, 3 etc on the keyboard to use the selected spell on that target. To use spells on yourself (like heal) select the spell first then select your character (or party memeber) to heal. You can also select the spell, then click your character portrait in the top left corner so cast heal on yourself. Hope that helps!
FYI - If no one mentioned Cullen yet, (the Templar you immediately dismissed as an enemy in the Circle) I offer a piece of advice for your gameplay enjoyment...all I'll say for now,...and that is to have a better talk and open mind toward Cullen. (And Irving and others, really.) People are not entirely one way or the other, and Dragon Age does a great job at showing that if you don't jump to conclusions. 👍
Tolkien elves are tall. Forgotten Realms has elves shorter than humans ( sun elves being one noteable exception). In Elder Scrolls most elves are shorter ( high elves being an exception here). So the shorter and slimmer elves is pretty much the norm.
It's so delightful watching you discover my favourite game, and you're so curious and read all the information and speak to all the people, I just love it! I'm so excited to go on this journey with you!
@@kiki_maliki Mage origin is literally my ride or die favourite and you seem to have all the same opinions about it that I did, so this is very satisfying 😂
LOL i like how you instantly become suspicious of every authority figure after you found out how the circle of magi operates. Two game sequels later and i STILL hate templars no matter how evil some mages can be! 😂 it's really nice to see new players enjoying DAO, i hope the lore & adventure will captivate you enough to be curious of the next installments 😁
I trust no one 👀 don't like how chill they are about the Harrowing is kinda messed up. I'm super captivated like I want to know more and more and the story 🤯 honestly I think I'm kinda in love with the game aha
Glad to see you playing Origins, it's such a great game and holds up well despite being quite old now. Story, party members, setting and everything are just some of the best in the genre. The game has a quite dark tone, bordering on horror a lot of the time so it's a little different to your standard high fantasy setting. Regarding gameplay, you'll find yourself using Pause a lot more once you have a full party so you can issue everyone commands, especially once you have more spells to manage. On that note, some abilities are 'sustained' like your Arcane Shield - you toggle it on and it will last indefinitely but cost of a portion of your mana/stamina to upkeep. You can have multiple sustained abilities active at once - you aren't limited to one.
This is about to be my new comfort series. I think I'm late to the party but I vote for reading during the episodes. It's giving me a great refresher before the new game comes out lmao
You can only romance one character. This choice will stay with you through Awakenings. Once you get higher level. Start playing the stories: Leliana's Song, Warden's Peak, Return to Ostagar, The Stone Golem, Darkspawn Chronicles. The weapons and armor them get put into your main story inventory. But not until you finish the Prologue and arrive at Ostagar with Duncan.
As someone who first played DA:O at the age of 12 and knows every dialogue and crevice of the map by heart , it is so interesting to watch someone discovering the game and its world for the first time. Watching the game through your eyes brings so much perspective, especially your comments about mages! Great video, love that you are reading the codex as well. I dont think you need to read all of the codex entries out loud, especially when you get tired of it (there is a LOT to read through) but you can definitely read it for us when you feel like it!
Thank you in honestly so intrigued by this game and all the lore it literally blows my mind now much depth there is to it! I hope you carry on enjoying the playthrough 🙃
Lol, it's hilarious how annoyed you were with Jowan and Lily. I remember doing a jerk but heroic playthrough in this game and I used every mean interaction with them lol and I was like "Why are you still friends with me? Clearly I do not want to be here." Like I even snitched on them to Irving.
Honestly! They kinda were the worst, especially Jowan putting his friend in an awkward position like that, who does he thinks he is 😂 a part of me wanted to be really mean to him butttt I knew it was not end so well 🤷🏽♀️
I'm glad you're playing DA:Origins! I first played it so long ago and it stays with you. I believe you'll figure out how to equip your companions' inventory soon. You'll find that arrow by you character's name in managing everything like new spells, reading your journal and so forth. Jowan is pronounced with the 'Jow' like 'cow'. You see a bit eager to murder everyone who had a grudge and fear toward mages. Lol. Imagine if that power was walking around in our world, though -- we might have more of an attitude. Irving really is a friend, doing all he can in many battles with both the Templars and the Chantry for mages. I look forward to your playthrough!
This video was suggested on my feed -- I gotta say I just started watching and I'm so so excited by your reaction to the intro! I've been a fan of Dragon Age since shorty after Origins came out and have replayed it a bunch and it's so wonderful to see someone feel as I did when I first started playing!
Only rogue characters can picklocks, pickpockets, disarm traps, unlock doors. Mages are the healers in this series. The Templar order act as the police. Grey Wardens are above the law. Go forth and slay your foes Kiki
I wouldn't say that they're above the law. As it's proven in the game and lore that they're not. It's why they try to remain neutral in most situations.
@@SorceressWitchI agree about them not being above the law, but not about their reason for staying neutral most of the time. It's not that they have to stay neutral, it's that many Wardens are very similar to Duncan and don't care about anything but defeating the Darkspawn, and everything else is irrelevant to them unless it impedes their fight against the Blight, or can directly assist in said fight. I'm willing to bet just about any ruler, especially during a Blight, could recruit the Wardens to their cause so long as they promised to make a strong commitment to fighting the Blight afterwards.
I'm kind of envious. I wish I could go back and experience origins again for the first time. You're about to find out why it's the Golden Child of the series.
Really glad you're playing this; it has strong nostalgia for me as it's the one that got me properly into gaming back in 2009. I find the companions are really the heart of the game. Regarding reading lore (which really deepens the world), I'd recommend doing it at the end of a video. That way, people who aren't interested don't get their playthrough interrupted and those that are can enjoy it.
Thank you, algorithm, for introducing me to your content! Dragon Age setting is one of my most favorite and I love your reactions to lore and characters!
The idea is that mages are susceptible to demonic corruption. A mage who goes untrained and just lives among normal people runs a very real risk of being possessed by a demon, becoming a monster, and killing their entire community before a force can be mustered to stop them. So they can't let that happen. So all mages are forced to go to the Circle for training. The Harrowing is supposed to be a secret since its supposed to simulate an attempt by demons to possess you. In the real world, mages don't get any kind of warning when that is going to happen either. So you don't get a warning for when The Harrowing is going to happen to you or what it is. Mages that pas the Harrowing are actually allowed to leave the Circle if they get permission from The First Enchanter. Usually if someone from outside requests a mage for a job or some such. Or if you want to study something. . . or just visit somewhere. But only Harrowed mages, as you need to prove you can defend against demonic possession before you are allowed to leave. And the idea behind the heavy restrictions placed on mages related to a place called the Tivinter Imperium. That place has already been mentioned in the opening cinematic. There, mages still rule everyone else, and everyone else is considered to be a second class citizen. The idea is that if no restrictions on mages are placed, mages - who are naturally way more powerful than a normal person - will gravitate towards the top of society. As they can do so much more than ordinary people. So in order to make things more 'fair', mages are restricted. Just wanted to give you the other side. Since its very easy to think 'I'm being treated unfairly woe is me' and hate the other side if you don't know why they do what they do. To be clear, mages are still treated unfairly a lot of the time, but its more nuanced than it first appears. Also, from what I've seen, the Circle tower is actually one of the few places there is no discrimination between elves and humans. Being a mage kind of trumps your identity as an elf in that environment. Your character is way less likely to have experienced any overt racism in the Circle Tower than she would have if she had lived in a human city.
These are all good points, but all this nuance is what you're supposed to acquire as a player in the process of, well, playing the games. That's the pleasure of learning slowly about a world as well-written as this one. Can we not try to 'correct' new players' thinking about the world before they've had a chance to experience it for themselves?
@@foxfire9320 As someone who played through the mage origin pretty much all of this is explained to you in the tower she just missed out on some dialogue so it’s more so clarification then anything
I'm going to have to disagree on your "people are less racist to elves in the Circle" take. I can't remember anywhere that implies that. In this very video, you can see that the player has the opportunity to say it was really bad being an elf in the Circle.
Apologies if you have already gotten a comment like this... but you manage your inventory for all characters in your party. So you can equip and change out weapons, armor, etc. for everyone. You could have equipped Jowan and Lily with weapons in the introductory part. I'm enjoying your playthrough. :) Glad I've found your channel. I'll be looking forward to the next installment.
I recommend exploring and talking to people as much as possible, side quests are really important and give context to your decision don’t feel to pressed about the objective
Seems the internet (myself included) is getting a renewed Dragon Age fever lately! Just wanted to pop in, as someone who’s played this game to death, and warn that if you want to play a blood mage, you absolutely can, but you have to perform an unspeakably evil act to unlock it. Have fun 😁
I really like Awakening, it's shorter than Origins but it has its own story and gameplay features and a new set of companions that you get to adventure with, and some of them are some of my favorites in the series. It's also quite plot relevant to future games.
When I first got the game and looked at how many DLCs this game had I was a little overwhelmed. From what I’ve been told Awakening and Witch Hunt are the two DLCs that are most important for future games. I’m a huge fan of the dragon age series and can’t wait for the fourth game later this year, but I still kinda wish you could import game saves as easily as you could in mass effect. The narrative and choices from game to game is not as direct as in mass effect where you can just import your character and save from every game in the trilogy where in dragon age you play a new character in each entry.
I like the twist with the elves and other things. Origin has a great writing. You have to play Awakening if you are going to keep playing DA 2 and 3. But Awakening is extensive. Dragon age 2, is not a long game: so it compensates.
2:01:30 They don't have weapons because they're in your party now and you didn't equip them with any weapons. Equipping yourself and your companions with good gear can make a huge difference. That ring you equipped gives you a free +1 to your magic stat, making all your spells slightly more powerful for free. Also, in combat use the space bar pauze to plan your attacks and give your companions attack orders. The further the game progresses, the more important combining the talents of all your (or a few favourite) party members becomes. The origin stories are basically tutorials teaching you how everything in the game works, so take your time figuring stuff out now so you don't end up caught off guard when the "actual" game begins. For example running around and away from enemies when combat begins instead of pauzing and issuing orders immediately will be a very bad idea later in the game when combat can become WAY more difficult.
True, however if there were a group of people that could turn into monsters if they succumbed to their negative emotions my solution would probably not be to make them miserable and terrified all the time 🙃
I wasn't sure about watching this playthrough just because it's an old game and people playing in 2024 don't tend to get it, but I'm really appreciating your playstyle! It's nice to watch someone genuinely take an interest in everything and take their time
I know I'm late to this but to become a blood mage you need to make an evil choice in a specific quest, but it doesn't mean you'll get a bad ending to the game 💙 however you can still become a blood mage later in the dlc Awakening without any consequences. Another thing that I'm not sure if you know by now but if you hold tab, it highlights all objects and bodies you can interact with or loot 😋
I'm late to this video, but for future enjoyers of the saga who are just joining, I'm sending you some tips (from the little I remember, since I played this years ago). Without giving spoilers and just based on the gameplay, it is very important to read a lot and understand the character you are creating to assign the points in the skill tree and create your build. A mage, for example, should be based on willpower and magic, but some future builds will require other base perks. When characters are added to the party, you can assign them armor and weapons that you are not using and that are in your inventory (So as not to make Jowan and the nun suffer by having to fight with fists in this story arc). The game is old, so it doesn't make these things very clear to you, unless you're willing to read and accept those annoying pauses at the beginning. It is important but at the same time not mandatory that you understand the mechanics, since you can exchange the directly playable character for anyone within your team according to need (or if one of them falls in battle), so it is not bad to configure their behavior in battle (in the tactics menu). On PC, everything you assign in the quick bar can be cast by clicking the corresponding key in the number bar above the keyboard, so it is not necessary to click with the mouse to activate it. You can move with qwerty or with the mouse, the pause mode allows you to create strategies and activate multiple disciplines of the different characters in the party, for example, all the party can attack the strongest enemy first, and thus be able to overcome the level of difficulty of the game that increases in conjunction with your character. In short, if you want to enjoy this game, take the time to understand its mechanics, read the tips and you will have a lot of fun. It is a story, like a book, but it has the dynamic that the ending will depend on your actions and choices.
omg i'm so excited to watch your journey through this game! you're taking to the learning curve wonderfully :) the mage origin is my favorite, you couldn't have picked a better start
You didn't even realise (templar) Cullen is in love with the main character (if you're an female elf). It's also being said by other mages in the tower when you walk past them.
@@kiki_maliki Fun fact: Cullen also appears as a character in DA2 and he is an advisor to the protagonist of DAI. Depending on the changes you make aka whether you side with mages or templars more or make any attempts at befriending or romancing him, his role/attitude towards you will be different in each game.
Blood magic is definitely very tricky. You either have the experiments that just do it on themselves and don't harm everyone or you have blood mages that kill thousands of slaves. It's the idea of, you kill the potential even if they don't do anything
Found this when I went searching for a specific cutscene I haven't gotten yet in the game, and I hope you love this game as much as I do! I just finished another playthrough
you just gained a SUB... i absolute love the whole Dragon Age Series and i cant wait till the new one to drop. You gained my SUB immediately. Welcome to my new RUclipsr watch list.
I have been enjoying your reactions to the world of DAO and thank you for keeping your language "clean". I just started playing DAO again as an elf mage after playing several character builds in DA Inquisition. Keep up the great job!
i sometimes put on dragon age playthroughs so i can relive good memories during the workday and your commentary has been my favorite so far...please don't stop lol you're so funny. also your intuition!! no spoilers but the amount of detail or foreshadowing that you're picking up already that i've seen a lot of people miss -- i'm so excited for you to get further into the game
The mage origin is absolutely awesome. Just the vast majority of spells makes playing a mage super fun. BTW thank you for playing the one and TRUE dragon age game. The rest are imposters
I love watching people play my favorite games for the first time, and I know this is a month old now, but it was so funny to watch you complain (rightfully) about how underprepared Jowan and Lily were for their big escape plan but then not give them any of the basic equipment you found on the way. I made sure to give them all of that on my first play through, but when I play through the game again I never do because I know they won't be main companions lol.
I'm glad you're enjoying the game! It's refreshing to see someone having fun with Origins nowadays -"Oh, so no matter what, if you're a mage, you're always stuck in this stupid tower." Yep. That practice exists across the entire continent of Thedas (Origins is just in Fereldan). Very few mages manage to avoid Templar notice and integrate into non-mage societies as adults. Several games later the magi towers are abolished, but I won't spoil why. Despite the mage towers being pretty shit places to live, they're essential to the lore of Dragon Age and have plot importance in every game. -1:52:37 You complaining about being scared and mid-rant being jumpscared again made me laugh. No DA game is safe from jumpscares and big spiders, unfortunately. Try not to think about the creepy music - it plays so often you'll get used to it. -"I admit I dabbled..." *Disapproving nod* LOL. Jowan's quite the incompetent mess. There's a bit of a cult following for him among the fandom. -"They'll find any excuse to murder me!" Origins is chalked full of people looking at your warden and deciding 'Actually, fuck you in particular.' The best is yet to come!
If you want to know more about Duncan, read The Calling. Its a novel about him when he was a young Warden, as well as King Maric and Alistair's real mom.
Omg so exciting to see new people getting into these games!!!! Especially fellow lore nerds and fantasy game enjoyers hehe ❤ hope you have a great time and I’ll be here watching with great interest 👀
If you didn't know these developers made Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. But strangely enough this game had more influence on BG3 when it comes to presentation and companions so this game is actually closer to the feel of BG3 than BG1 or BG2.
I love the way you're really getting into the shoes of your character (and glad to know she actually had the shoes on haha, I was so confused too, never noticed that)
I recommend starting a second Origin playthrough of an Elven thief using a bow. Having concurrent playthroughs benefits your learning curve. Talk to named characters, open all containers. Money is scarce until you get to your first village.
This video just popped up on my homepage. I'm currently preparing to do my first playthrough of DAO and obviously RUclips must've thought I'd like to see this. Thank you, algorithm, for giving me a new creator to watch. I'm also planning to play a mage so I won't be able to finish this video until I play a bit of the game myself but I wanted to let you know I'll be coming back! I've heard that the City Elf background has an extremely impactful starting quest (especially if your character is a woman) so I almost went with that, but the temptation to make a magical gay boy is too strong! Also definitely going to check out your BG3 playthrough at some point because I love that game!
Hiii! Omg that's so exciting 😄 you'll have to let me know what you think when you play it! I gotta say, I love playing as a mage buttt I haven't played any any other character yet so, I guess I'm bias 🤷🏽♀️ And I've finished my BG3 playthrough so it's all completely, ready for you when you eventually watch it 😊
new subscriber here ! there’s something really so thrilling and exciting of watching someone play a game you’re also new at, i love ur energy and overall everything! ty for this content
i'm only half way through the video, but the look you gave Jowan (at around 1hr 30) made me laugh out loud - i'm so excited to see your first impressions of the game!!
I had the same reaction when I watched the intro trailer for the first time!!! Absolute goosebumps. Just starting the video now, but I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your blind playthrough! :) It's so enjoyable seeing someone else experience the game for the first time - thanks for posting!
@@kiki_maliki Just finally finished the video and girl, you made me laugh out loud several times when you were giving shade to the other mages and the templars - loved it! I think at one point you were like 'she needs to do the Tranquil thing' lmfao Also personally I love hearing the lore again! It helps me remember for myself before DA 4 comes out - I have absolutely no issue with you reading it out loud. About to watch your second video in the series - thanks again for making this and I'm looking forward to seeing what choices you make! :)
When you've played through Inquisition than the elf who slayed the last arch demon his story is told in the tie in novel Last Flight. There's a few tie novels read The Stolen Throne after origins and The Calling after Awakening (it has Duncan's backstory). Asunder after Dragon Age 2 and The Masked Empire when you play Inquisition or before Inquisition and Tevinter Nights after Inquisition.
so excited to see someone play origins for the first time!! I love your narration & seeing someone who's interested in the world & lore. Also I definitely recommend playing Awakening, it's a direct expansion to the main story of Origins and has a really great atmosphere & companions
Thank you so much 😊 in so hooked into crazy 😅 Yesss a lot of people have said it makes more sense to play it especially if I'm playing Dragon Age 2 after 😊
I'm pretty excited to see this series. 😎The only advice I would give is to play as a Mage, simply because I feel like gameplay as a Mage aged better than the other classes. And you already chose to play as a mage, so huzzah! 😄
So far I'm very much enjoying the game, the story has me super hooked and great minds think alike 😊 I was torn between a rogue and mage but I'm kinda obsessed with magic so the mage won ✨
"So... no matter what if you have magic you have to go to this stupid tower? Ugh!" This line is so good if you've played all the games. Since that's like one of the primary plot points of the series is how much the circle sucks for mages. 😂
Thank you algorithm!! Anyway, Ehlara is so pretty and I'm excited to see you play her story ^-^ (I think I named my character - female/dwarf (only DA where I played a dwarf oops)/commoner Gunhild or something else dwarven sounding XD)
yesss I'm so hyped to watch your playthrough!!! I'm trying to get some of my own friends to play through the games to see their choices and reactions before the fourth game comes out, it's always awesome watching people experience a game you love for the first time : )
this came at such a perfect time!! i started my first playthrough a couple of weeks ago but my pc totally died this week 😭 now i get to live vicariously through you!
My first origin was the Dalish elves, and the second was the mages. The game experience is so different depending what origin you play. Even what you discover later in the other games is dependent on your origin. I wish that the playable origins would be a thing in the next DA, but I doubt it - it will probably just be the same as in ME.
With specializations there's no bearing on the ending/story so you're free to pick. Though you will have to learn them through characters or certain actions in order to use them.
"Oh, am I playing as 'him'?" I mean, that sounds like a dope expansion idea but... No. I know you found out moments later but that was more amusing than I expected. Lol
36:23
You are not boring anyone, trust me when I say that diehard fans of high/dark fantasy such as this are super lore nerds! We love seeing you learn about the world as well! Hope you continue reading.
What I particularly love to do is also read the author/book each codex entry is from, they really go above and beyond in this game series. Shout out to Brother Genetivi! the most prolific travel writer in all of Thedas!!
I came here to say this. I’ve played this series a few times and I’m sure I’ve missed stuffed, having her read the codices taught me a few things!
@@Alannah44 Brother Genitivi is quite literally doing the *Maker's* work. He's such a mad lad to be adventuring to the places he does all while being a mere clergyman.
Aw thank you 😊 learning about the lore is one of my favourite things in a game
@kiki_maliki Then you're in the right game! DA and Bioware's games in general are known for really deep lore and worldbuilding!
"No matter what, if you have magic you HAVE to go to this stupid tower." sometimes youtubes recommended knocks it out of the park actually. So excited to watch more of this. It's so fun to see people experience dragon age for the first time! You have a great attitude, super engaged and curious
Yes! I love when people start with the mage origin. It was my first origin and it forever solidified my stance on the mage/templar situation. Playing as a mage (in the first two games especially) give a really unique perspective in the DA world. You really feel the sword hanging over your head just for existing.
I agree, don't get me wrong I would love to know how the other options start but I don't regret my choice, I love playing as a mage ☺️
@@kiki_maliki all the origins are fantastic imo (I especially love the human noble one and the city elf one), but the conflict with the mages really is so fundamental to the series, above commenter is 100% right.
My most played origin is a human noble with a elf mage as a close second.
I'll be honest, I started thinking that mages still have a better life than a Dwarven commoner from dust town. The casteless in orzamar are seen as worthless and the only way they can find work is by being a criminal. In my eyes the mages live in comfort compared to casteless dwarves. 🤔 only my observation from finishing the game as a Dwarven commoner before...😅
@@halowarrior905 Dwarven society is cruel for sure, especially for casteless dwarves. Plus, besides being born casteless, you can lose your caste for a variety of reasons. If a casteless dwarf has a child with a noble, they and their child will be able to live in comfort though.
The issue with the mages in particular is that most of them are ripped from their families at a young age, most likely never seeing them again, and sent to live in the Circle of Magi, a place that can become pretty dangerous. They are subjects to the Templars and the Chantry and are forced to go through the Harrowing, the only other options being death (if they fail) or living as a Tranquil. Tranquility can be a choice, but the fate is often decided for them. There's also the fact that if they have kids, they cannot raise them. Oh, also, the Templars will track them down and kill them if they flee. So yes, they live in relative comfort compared to city elves and casteless dwarves, but it is not an easier life by any means.
You have to Save often. On your travels between towns you get ambushed by: Darkspawn, bandits, wolves, demons, merchants selling wares. Each town has quests, companions get 3 quests, to get Allies you progress from town to town. You are not in a rush in this game. Pick up all the herbs, you only carry 1 pack back, and at camp have an unlimited storage chest.
Love being ambushed by merchants
Love this game! Sadly mine keeps crashing every hour or so 😭
@@jessicab5525 this is a bit late but have you tried making your game ' large address aware'? you can download a lil program online to do it, it's super simple, and it lets the game use more RAM! crashing is a common problem since the game is too old to use enough RAM !! :>
I appreciate how nuanced you approached the roleplay of your mc. I also really liked that you don't just try to complete the game as quickly as possible, but thoughtfully try to understand the lore.
Thank you 😊 yeah when I'm playing a game, I try to understand as much as possible because I don't want to miss anything 😅
I've never seen someone react so hostilely to Cullen at this stage. It's kinda hilarious. Most people flirt with him. 🤣
Nahhhhh I didn't trust any of them 🤣 plus I wanted to be a little rebellious aha
@@kiki_maliki I did the same thing on my first playthrough! Like "here is some random prison guard, that was basically ready to kill me and is a part of a group that clearly is very hostile to me, I aint giving him a chance to send me TO THE DUNGEONS!"
@@kiki_maliki I support you
She's so real i love her
I still don't get how people flirt with Cullen, he creeps me out so much
It's interesting to see you actually understand the perspective on why some circle mages get revolted with the system and may turn to forbidden means like blood magic! Always good to see people who get into a piece of story with the capacity of finding and contemplating different angles. 🥰
i lovee how engaged you are in the story right away!! i hope you will have fun this game will tug at your emotions for sure
Honestly hooked as soon as I saw the intro 😂
"I'm terrible at riddles" **proceeds to reason out every answer correctly**
since the first minute she is shocked. Welcome to the Dragon Age universe
Another female gamer playing DAO for the first time. Yees. This also popped up in my recommended.
Best advice is save often and more often, and look for and buy every single backpack you can. Also know that dialogue really matters and can change the outcome of the game.
Yeah everyones reaching fo rDragon Ag eatm might be Veilguard that's pu teveryon ein the mood to play again I'm currentl yin the middl eof an Inquisition run atm. But I am hopin gto do a run of all 3 myself before Veilguard drops
@@sjsharp2007 I started looking for lets plays before Veilgaurd dropped. Although I can't get away from it as it keeps showing up even when "Dragon Age origins" is typed into RUclips! Hope you like it, I won't be buying it!
@@joandsarah77 Well both of Bioware' s series Mass Effec tand Dragon Age games have always felt like comfort games to me and are among my favourites to play so I think it's highly likely I will. Besides there's an egghead that needs a smashing.
She loves elves and she loves Mages! Oh I'm so in! Awesome to see someone new get into Dragon Age. Hope you're enjoying the game!
Any excuse to play as a elvish mage 😅 kinda obsessed really love a good fantasy game aha
This popped up in my recommended and I love to see others' first reactions to a game I love, and give it an honest try because even though its a bit old its such a gem. And be wary some areas can be really difficult when you least expect it, but it makes it fun to overcome the odds
Thank you 😊 yeah at first I was a little hesitant because of how old is it but honestly 20 minutes in I got hooked 😂 now I'm excited to see where it goes!
@@kiki_maliki Yeah it's a grea tgame Bioware' sgames in general are all great games
47:34 killed the riddles! On your first try! Lets goooooo
Hehe thank you 🙃 I'm not normally the best at puzzles and riddles but felt super proud aha
Algorithm has given me this video after I watched a ton of videos about the newest game and here is comment so that this video reaches even more people. Also your poor eyes you have got to get a mod that makes that text bigger.
Thank you so much 🙃
And yeah honestly my eyes deserve better 😂
All of the Origins are great but there's something about beginning the series with the Harrowing that really showcases the eerie uinsettlingness of the setting. It's how I began it, and I'm sure it shaped the way I view the series as a whole.
One thing that would have made BG3 perfect for me personally was having DAO's distinct origin intros before we get kidnapped into the Mindflayer ship. Maaaybe per Backgrounds would have been an interesting way to do it. But I can only imagine it. And lol yeah, being an elf AND a mage is kinda like having a double discrimination card on your character lol. The people in there hate mages as well as look down on elven kind.
Also, I dunno about other people but weirdly enough I like let's-players reading books, codexes, and lore on their playthrough. Which is also a weird thing for me lol because I do not read any of this when I play the game for some reason. If you find it boring though, not a big deal for me personally.
I totally agree, I really like how there are several different beginnings depending on what you chose and I think that would have been amazing in BG3!
Omg yes it's crazy how much they hate mages and look down on elves but it makes for a good story.
Yeah I try to read everything in my playthroughs, I normally decorate a section where I just read though it all but bare with me a little as I'm dyslexic and I get stage fright reading so I stumble over my words A LOT 😅 but I think it's important to do it 😂
By the way, during combat you can quickly cast the spells in your hotbar by pressing the number they have in front of them. For example winter's grasp can be casted by pressing 2, arcane bolt by pressing 1 etc. Also by pressing the space bar during combat, the fight enters a paused state where you can plan and select your's and your companion's actions. Oh, and you can see and change your companion's equipment by opening your characters equipment menu and pressing the arrows next to your name.
Edit: Your character uses their main attack when you right click a target once
Thank you so much for the tips! This is super helpful ☺️
You have lots of comments here already, so someone may have already said this, but in case they haven't, "magi" is the plural of mage. (You could argue that there are differences depending on the context in which it is used, but it's essentially just another word for "mages".) And yes, you pronounced it correctly!
Ohhhh that makes sense, thank you 😊 but be prepared for my awful pronunciation in the future 😅
Jowan has major Anakin energy. “I am ready!” when he’s clearly not.
One of my favorite games! Some tips regarding font size and character controls: the game font doesn't scale up with game resolution. If you lower your game resolution, the font will increase. There is also a mod to increase the size of text and the UI. As for controls, if you don't want to use the keyboard for the camera, you can hold down right click and move your mouse to control the camera. For combat, you can right click an enemy to select a target, then press 1, 2, 3 etc on the keyboard to use the selected spell on that target. To use spells on yourself (like heal) select the spell first then select your character (or party memeber) to heal. You can also select the spell, then click your character portrait in the top left corner so cast heal on yourself. Hope that helps!
Ooooo thank you so much for the tips! This will be super helpful ☺️
FYI - If no one mentioned Cullen yet, (the Templar you immediately dismissed as an enemy in the Circle) I offer a piece of advice for your gameplay enjoyment...all I'll say for now,...and that is to have a better talk and open mind toward Cullen. (And Irving and others, really.) People are not entirely one way or the other, and Dragon Age does a great job at showing that if you don't jump to conclusions. 👍
Tolkien elves are tall. Forgotten Realms has elves shorter than humans ( sun elves being one noteable exception). In Elder Scrolls most elves are shorter ( high elves being an exception here). So the shorter and slimmer elves is pretty much the norm.
@velinas_ ohhhhhh I didn't know that 🤯 that's pretty cool tbf
When Mouse reveals himself and his voice changes..
It's so delightful watching you discover my favourite game, and you're so curious and read all the information and speak to all the people, I just love it! I'm so excited to go on this journey with you!
Thank you 😊 in literally loving it so far! Like when I get into a game I want to know everything and I don't want to miss anything 😅
@@kiki_maliki Mage origin is literally my ride or die favourite and you seem to have all the same opinions about it that I did, so this is very satisfying 😂
LOL i like how you instantly become suspicious of every authority figure after you found out how the circle of magi operates. Two game sequels later and i STILL hate templars no matter how evil some mages can be! 😂 it's really nice to see new players enjoying DAO, i hope the lore & adventure will captivate you enough to be curious of the next installments 😁
I trust no one 👀 don't like how chill they are about the Harrowing is kinda messed up.
I'm super captivated like I want to know more and more and the story 🤯 honestly I think I'm kinda in love with the game aha
Glad to see you playing Origins, it's such a great game and holds up well despite being quite old now. Story, party members, setting and everything are just some of the best in the genre. The game has a quite dark tone, bordering on horror a lot of the time so it's a little different to your standard high fantasy setting.
Regarding gameplay, you'll find yourself using Pause a lot more once you have a full party so you can issue everyone commands, especially once you have more spells to manage.
On that note, some abilities are 'sustained' like your Arcane Shield - you toggle it on and it will last indefinitely but cost of a portion of your mana/stamina to upkeep. You can have multiple sustained abilities active at once - you aren't limited to one.
Yes so far the story has me super intrigued ☺️ and thank you for the tips!
This is about to be my new comfort series. I think I'm late to the party but I vote for reading during the episodes. It's giving me a great refresher before the new game comes out lmao
Pauses controlled in your options; sees enemy, hit by enemy, casts magic, and so on.
You can only romance one character. This choice will stay with you through Awakenings. Once you get higher level. Start playing the stories: Leliana's Song, Warden's Peak, Return to Ostagar, The Stone Golem, Darkspawn Chronicles. The weapons and armor them get put into your main story inventory. But not until you finish the Prologue and arrive at Ostagar with Duncan.
Finally finishing watching this (can't wait to see how you play 🙏🏼😎)
What the mages and elves deal with in these games are CRAZY. Have funnnnn🎉
Thank you and I hope you enjoy it! 😊
As someone who first played DA:O at the age of 12 and knows every dialogue and crevice of the map by heart , it is so interesting to watch someone discovering the game and its world for the first time. Watching the game through your eyes brings so much perspective, especially your comments about mages! Great video, love that you are reading the codex as well. I dont think you need to read all of the codex entries out loud, especially when you get tired of it (there is a LOT to read through) but you can definitely read it for us when you feel like it!
Thank you in honestly so intrigued by this game and all the lore it literally blows my mind now much depth there is to it!
I hope you carry on enjoying the playthrough 🙃
Lol, it's hilarious how annoyed you were with Jowan and Lily. I remember doing a jerk but heroic playthrough in this game and I used every mean interaction with them lol and I was like "Why are you still friends with me? Clearly I do not want to be here." Like I even snitched on them to Irving.
Honestly! They kinda were the worst, especially Jowan putting his friend in an awkward position like that, who does he thinks he is 😂 a part of me wanted to be really mean to him butttt I knew it was not end so well 🤷🏽♀️
I'm glad you're playing DA:Origins! I first played it so long ago and it stays with you. I believe you'll figure out how to equip your companions' inventory soon. You'll find that arrow by you character's name in managing everything like new spells, reading your journal and so forth. Jowan is pronounced with the 'Jow' like 'cow'.
You see a bit eager to murder everyone who had a grudge and fear toward mages. Lol. Imagine if that power was walking around in our world, though -- we might have more of an attitude.
Irving really is a friend, doing all he can in many battles with both the Templars and the Chantry for mages. I look forward to your playthrough!
This video was suggested on my feed -- I gotta say I just started watching and I'm so so excited by your reaction to the intro! I've been a fan of Dragon Age since shorty after Origins came out and have replayed it a bunch and it's so wonderful to see someone feel as I did when I first started playing!
Only rogue characters can picklocks, pickpockets, disarm traps, unlock doors. Mages are the healers in this series. The Templar order act as the police. Grey Wardens are above the law. Go forth and slay your foes Kiki
I wouldn't say that they're above the law. As it's proven in the game and lore that they're not. It's why they try to remain neutral in most situations.
A Grey Warden can invoke the Rite of Conscription...to anyone@@SorceressWitch
@@SorceressWitchI agree about them not being above the law, but not about their reason for staying neutral most of the time. It's not that they have to stay neutral, it's that many Wardens are very similar to Duncan and don't care about anything but defeating the Darkspawn, and everything else is irrelevant to them unless it impedes their fight against the Blight, or can directly assist in said fight. I'm willing to bet just about any ruler, especially during a Blight, could recruit the Wardens to their cause so long as they promised to make a strong commitment to fighting the Blight afterwards.
Amazing Playthrough! you're really great at riddles and interacting with the lore
I'm kind of envious. I wish I could go back and experience origins again for the first time. You're about to find out why it's the Golden Child of the series.
You are not the only one to be jumped scared by those spiders. First time I played this I think I screamed at every one. 😂
Omg that makes me feel better 😅 it scared the life out of me ahaha
You managed to do the Jowan quest without equiping weapons and armor on Jowan and Lilli, I always pass out my loot to the party.
😅 yeah god knows how I did it, I didn't really think that far ahead as I didn't realize I could share it with them 😬
@@kiki_malikiI have seen people play the entire game without realizing they could do that so don't feel too bad
Really glad you're playing this; it has strong nostalgia for me as it's the one that got me properly into gaming back in 2009. I find the companions are really the heart of the game.
Regarding reading lore (which really deepens the world), I'd recommend doing it at the end of a video. That way, people who aren't interested don't get their playthrough interrupted and those that are can enjoy it.
Thank you, algorithm, for introducing me to your content! Dragon Age setting is one of my most favorite and I love your reactions to lore and characters!
The idea is that mages are susceptible to demonic corruption. A mage who goes untrained and just lives among normal people runs a very real risk of being possessed by a demon, becoming a monster, and killing their entire community before a force can be mustered to stop them. So they can't let that happen. So all mages are forced to go to the Circle for training.
The Harrowing is supposed to be a secret since its supposed to simulate an attempt by demons to possess you. In the real world, mages don't get any kind of warning when that is going to happen either. So you don't get a warning for when The Harrowing is going to happen to you or what it is.
Mages that pas the Harrowing are actually allowed to leave the Circle if they get permission from The First Enchanter. Usually if someone from outside requests a mage for a job or some such. Or if you want to study something. . . or just visit somewhere. But only Harrowed mages, as you need to prove you can defend against demonic possession before you are allowed to leave.
And the idea behind the heavy restrictions placed on mages related to a place called the Tivinter Imperium. That place has already been mentioned in the opening cinematic. There, mages still rule everyone else, and everyone else is considered to be a second class citizen. The idea is that if no restrictions on mages are placed, mages - who are naturally way more powerful than a normal person - will gravitate towards the top of society. As they can do so much more than ordinary people. So in order to make things more 'fair', mages are restricted.
Just wanted to give you the other side. Since its very easy to think 'I'm being treated unfairly woe is me' and hate the other side if you don't know why they do what they do.
To be clear, mages are still treated unfairly a lot of the time, but its more nuanced than it first appears.
Also, from what I've seen, the Circle tower is actually one of the few places there is no discrimination between elves and humans. Being a mage kind of trumps your identity as an elf in that environment. Your character is way less likely to have experienced any overt racism in the Circle Tower than she would have if she had lived in a human city.
These are all good points, but all this nuance is what you're supposed to acquire as a player in the process of, well, playing the games. That's the pleasure of learning slowly about a world as well-written as this one. Can we not try to 'correct' new players' thinking about the world before they've had a chance to experience it for themselves?
It's kind of funny how simple you made it when it's 100% not
@@foxfire9320 As someone who played through the mage origin pretty much all of this is explained to you in the tower she just missed out on some dialogue so it’s more so clarification then anything
I'm going to have to disagree on your "people are less racist to elves in the Circle" take. I can't remember anywhere that implies that. In this very video, you can see that the player has the opportunity to say it was really bad being an elf in the Circle.
@@kieralovesjoxer123 you can talk to an elf in the circle tower she missed this part, but he comments on he likes it well there from what I remember
I did every origin story and all romances for this game with 50ish hours each playthrough ❤ one of my favorite games and playing mage is so fun!
Apologies if you have already gotten a comment like this... but you manage your inventory for all characters in your party. So you can equip and change out weapons, armor, etc. for everyone. You could have equipped Jowan and Lily with weapons in the introductory part. I'm enjoying your playthrough. :) Glad I've found your channel. I'll be looking forward to the next installment.
I recommend exploring and talking to people as much as possible, side quests are really important and give context to your decision don’t feel to pressed about the objective
My favorite origin story is either Dalish elf or female human. But I also love the dwarf commoner origin story.
Seems the internet (myself included) is getting a renewed Dragon Age fever lately! Just wanted to pop in, as someone who’s played this game to death, and warn that if you want to play a blood mage, you absolutely can, but you have to perform an unspeakably evil act to unlock it. Have fun 😁
I really like Awakening, it's shorter than Origins but it has its own story and gameplay features and a new set of companions that you get to adventure with, and some of them are some of my favorites in the series. It's also quite plot relevant to future games.
Good thing I bought the bundle 😁 I'll definitely be playing it after DAO 🙃
Awakening is SO GOOD the companions live rent free in my head
When I first got the game and looked at how many DLCs this game had I was a little overwhelmed. From what I’ve been told Awakening and Witch Hunt are the two DLCs that are most important for future games. I’m a huge fan of the dragon age series and can’t wait for the fourth game later this year, but I still kinda wish you could import game saves as easily as you could in mass effect. The narrative and choices from game to game is not as direct as in mass effect where you can just import your character and save from every game in the trilogy where in dragon age you play a new character in each entry.
I like the twist with the elves and other things. Origin has a great writing. You have to play Awakening if you are going to keep playing DA 2 and 3. But Awakening is extensive. Dragon age 2, is not a long game: so it compensates.
@eestiny9734 yeah me too, I thought it was a cool change 😁 and thank you, good to know foot thing I bought the bundle 🙃
I shall spoil everything! The game has a dragon! And characters have ages! Mwahaha spoiled successfully.
2:01:30 They don't have weapons because they're in your party now and you didn't equip them with any weapons. Equipping yourself and your companions with good gear can make a huge difference. That ring you equipped gives you a free +1 to your magic stat, making all your spells slightly more powerful for free.
Also, in combat use the space bar pauze to plan your attacks and give your companions attack orders. The further the game progresses, the more important combining the talents of all your (or a few favourite) party members becomes.
The origin stories are basically tutorials teaching you how everything in the game works, so take your time figuring stuff out now so you don't end up caught off guard when the "actual" game begins. For example running around and away from enemies when combat begins instead of pauzing and issuing orders immediately will be a very bad idea later in the game when combat can become WAY more difficult.
"This is your escape plan and you didn't bring a single weapon with you, absolute idiots"
Omg i laughed more than i should've 😂💀Facts tho
While the Templars are wrong on many levels, and way to many of them abuse their power, their fear is far from unjustified.
True, however if there were a group of people that could turn into monsters if they succumbed to their negative emotions my solution would probably not be to make them miserable and terrified all the time 🙃
I wasn't sure about watching this playthrough just because it's an old game and people playing in 2024 don't tend to get it, but I'm really appreciating your playstyle! It's nice to watch someone genuinely take an interest in everything and take their time
I know I'm late to this but to become a blood mage you need to make an evil choice in a specific quest, but it doesn't mean you'll get a bad ending to the game 💙 however you can still become a blood mage later in the dlc Awakening without any consequences. Another thing that I'm not sure if you know by now but if you hold tab, it highlights all objects and bodies you can interact with or loot 😋
I'm late to this video, but for future enjoyers of the saga who are just joining, I'm sending you some tips (from the little I remember, since I played this years ago). Without giving spoilers and just based on the gameplay, it is very important to read a lot and understand the character you are creating to assign the points in the skill tree and create your build. A mage, for example, should be based on willpower and magic, but some future builds will require other base perks. When characters are added to the party, you can assign them armor and weapons that you are not using and that are in your inventory (So as not to make Jowan and the nun suffer by having to fight with fists in this story arc). The game is old, so it doesn't make these things very clear to you, unless you're willing to read and accept those annoying pauses at the beginning. It is important but at the same time not mandatory that you understand the mechanics, since you can exchange the directly playable character for anyone within your team according to need (or if one of them falls in battle), so it is not bad to configure their behavior in battle (in the tactics menu). On PC, everything you assign in the quick bar can be cast by clicking the corresponding key in the number bar above the keyboard, so it is not necessary to click with the mouse to activate it. You can move with qwerty or with the mouse, the pause mode allows you to create strategies and activate multiple disciplines of the different characters in the party, for example, all the party can attack the strongest enemy first, and thus be able to overcome the level of difficulty of the game that increases in conjunction with your character. In short, if you want to enjoy this game, take the time to understand its mechanics, read the tips and you will have a lot of fun. It is a story, like a book, but it has the dynamic that the ending will depend on your actions and choices.
I'm so excited to watch this playthrough 😍 I love watching people experience the story of Dragon Age from the beginning. Subscribed!
Thank you 😊 so far I'm so invested and can't wait to see where the story goes!
omg i'm so excited to watch your journey through this game! you're taking to the learning curve wonderfully :) the mage origin is my favorite, you couldn't have picked a better start
You didn't even realise (templar) Cullen is in love with the main character (if you're an female elf). It's also being said by other mages in the tower when you walk past them.
Omg really 🤯 me being completely oblivious as I run around the castle 😂🤦🏽♀️
@@kiki_maliki Fun fact: Cullen also appears as a character in DA2 and he is an advisor to the protagonist of DAI. Depending on the changes you make aka whether you side with mages or templars more or make any attempts at befriending or romancing him, his role/attitude towards you will be different in each game.
@@Ammy-q4w Isn't it more fun if she finds this out by herself instead of the spoilers?
@@Ammy-q4w You're not very smart are you?
Blood magic is definitely very tricky. You either have the experiments that just do it on themselves and don't harm everyone or you have blood mages that kill thousands of slaves. It's the idea of, you kill the potential even if they don't do anything
Found this when I went searching for a specific cutscene I haven't gotten yet in the game, and I hope you love this game as much as I do! I just finished another playthrough
you just gained a SUB... i absolute love the whole Dragon Age Series and i cant wait till the new one to drop. You gained my SUB immediately. Welcome to my new RUclipsr watch list.
I have been enjoying your reactions to the world of DAO and thank you for keeping your language "clean". I just started playing DAO again as an elf mage after playing several character builds in DA Inquisition. Keep up the great job!
Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying it! Yes, there is no poor language here 🙃
i sometimes put on dragon age playthroughs so i can relive good memories during the workday and your commentary has been my favorite so far...please don't stop lol you're so funny. also your intuition!! no spoilers but the amount of detail or foreshadowing that you're picking up already that i've seen a lot of people miss -- i'm so excited for you to get further into the game
Thank you 😊 I'm so happy you've been enjoying the playthrough I've had such a great time with this game!
The mage origin is absolutely awesome. Just the vast majority of spells makes playing a mage super fun. BTW thank you for playing the one and TRUE dragon age game. The rest are imposters
I love watching people play my favorite games for the first time, and I know this is a month old now, but it was so funny to watch you complain (rightfully) about how underprepared Jowan and Lily were for their big escape plan but then not give them any of the basic equipment you found on the way. I made sure to give them all of that on my first play through, but when I play through the game again I never do because I know they won't be main companions lol.
🤣 honestly it didn't even click to give them equipment but I'm glad I didn't because Jowan betrayed me anyway 😅
I'm glad you're enjoying the game! It's refreshing to see someone having fun with Origins nowadays
-"Oh, so no matter what, if you're a mage, you're always stuck in this stupid tower." Yep. That practice exists across the entire continent of Thedas (Origins is just in Fereldan). Very few mages manage to avoid Templar notice and integrate into non-mage societies as adults. Several games later the magi towers are abolished, but I won't spoil why. Despite the mage towers being pretty shit places to live, they're essential to the lore of Dragon Age and have plot importance in every game.
-1:52:37 You complaining about being scared and mid-rant being jumpscared again made me laugh. No DA game is safe from jumpscares and big spiders, unfortunately. Try not to think about the creepy music - it plays so often you'll get used to it.
-"I admit I dabbled..." *Disapproving nod* LOL. Jowan's quite the incompetent mess. There's a bit of a cult following for him among the fandom.
-"They'll find any excuse to murder me!" Origins is chalked full of people looking at your warden and deciding 'Actually, fuck you in particular.' The best is yet to come!
If you want to know more about Duncan, read The Calling. Its a novel about him when he was a young Warden, as well as King Maric and Alistair's real mom.
Arcane warrior is an excellent specialization.
Yess!! I love seeing more new players to DA! thank you so much~
You can press R to attack and loot instead
You can also hold tap to highlight all intractable objects
RUclips randomly recommanded this video and it does a good job as I love seeing blind playthrough with games I adore
It's so fun to see a new generation play these games ❤
Oh man I really hope you make it through the rest of them! The mage love never stops lol
So far I'm super hooked into the story so I'm planning to play all of them 😊
@@kiki_maliki I can't wait to see more~
Omg so exciting to see new people getting into these games!!!! Especially fellow lore nerds and fantasy game enjoyers hehe ❤ hope you have a great time and I’ll be here watching with great interest 👀
If you didn't know these developers made Baldur's Gate 1 and 2. But strangely enough this game had more influence on BG3 when it comes to presentation and companions so this game is actually closer to the feel of BG3 than BG1 or BG2.
Ohhhhh I didn't know that 🤯
I love the way you're really getting into the shoes of your character (and glad to know she actually had the shoes on haha, I was so confused too, never noticed that)
I recommend starting a second Origin playthrough of an Elven thief using a bow. Having concurrent playthroughs benefits your learning curve. Talk to named characters, open all containers. Money is scarce until you get to your first village.
ahhh Elara was the name of my dragon age inquisition character ❤ these games are great, and watching you play for the first time is so cool!
Ooooo great minds think alike ☺️
Im so happy you're enjoying the playthrough as well I think this has to be one of my fav games
Gosh I love the opening menu music..! It’s so romantic and fantastical!! My fave game ever.
Honestly sometimes I just sit there swaying to the music before I start recording 🤣
This video just popped up on my homepage. I'm currently preparing to do my first playthrough of DAO and obviously RUclips must've thought I'd like to see this. Thank you, algorithm, for giving me a new creator to watch. I'm also planning to play a mage so I won't be able to finish this video until I play a bit of the game myself but I wanted to let you know I'll be coming back! I've heard that the City Elf background has an extremely impactful starting quest (especially if your character is a woman) so I almost went with that, but the temptation to make a magical gay boy is too strong!
Also definitely going to check out your BG3 playthrough at some point because I love that game!
Hiii! Omg that's so exciting 😄 you'll have to let me know what you think when you play it! I gotta say, I love playing as a mage buttt I haven't played any any other character yet so, I guess I'm bias 🤷🏽♀️
And I've finished my BG3 playthrough so it's all completely, ready for you when you eventually watch it 😊
new subscriber here ! there’s something really so thrilling and exciting of watching someone play a game you’re also new at, i love ur energy and overall everything! ty for this content
Hii! I hope you're enjoying it just as much as I am, I think I got hooked literally 10 minutes in 😅
i'm only half way through the video, but the look you gave Jowan (at around 1hr 30) made me laugh out loud - i'm so excited to see your first impressions of the game!!
I had the same reaction when I watched the intro trailer for the first time!!! Absolute goosebumps.
Just starting the video now, but I'm looking forward to watching the rest of your blind playthrough! :) It's so enjoyable seeing someone else experience the game for the first time - thanks for posting!
Right! It started out so strong and it's only getting better 😊 I can't wait to see where the story goes
@@kiki_maliki Just finally finished the video and girl, you made me laugh out loud several times when you were giving shade to the other mages and the templars - loved it! I think at one point you were like 'she needs to do the Tranquil thing' lmfao
Also personally I love hearing the lore again! It helps me remember for myself before DA 4 comes out - I have absolutely no issue with you reading it out loud. About to watch your second video in the series - thanks again for making this and I'm looking forward to seeing what choices you make! :)
When you've played through Inquisition than the elf who slayed the last arch demon his story is told in the tie in novel Last Flight. There's a few tie novels read The Stolen Throne after origins and The Calling after Awakening (it has Duncan's backstory). Asunder after Dragon Age 2 and The Masked Empire when you play Inquisition or before Inquisition and Tevinter Nights after Inquisition.
so excited to see someone play origins for the first time!! I love your narration & seeing someone who's interested in the world & lore. Also I definitely recommend playing Awakening, it's a direct expansion to the main story of Origins and has a really great atmosphere & companions
Thank you so much 😊 in so hooked into crazy 😅
Yesss a lot of people have said it makes more sense to play it especially if I'm playing Dragon Age 2 after 😊
I'm pretty excited to see this series. 😎The only advice I would give is to play as a Mage, simply because I feel like gameplay as a Mage aged better than the other classes. And you already chose to play as a mage, so huzzah! 😄
So far I'm very much enjoying the game, the story has me super hooked and great minds think alike 😊 I was torn between a rogue and mage but I'm kinda obsessed with magic so the mage won ✨
This is pretty good. Looking forward to the rest of your choices.
"So... no matter what if you have magic you have to go to this stupid tower? Ugh!"
This line is so good if you've played all the games. Since that's like one of the primary plot points of the series is how much the circle sucks for mages. 😂
Thank you algorithm!! Anyway, Ehlara is so pretty and I'm excited to see you play her story ^-^ (I think I named my character - female/dwarf (only DA where I played a dwarf oops)/commoner Gunhild or something else dwarven sounding XD)
Aww thank you 😊 I'm excited to see where the story takes me
Omg I love that 🤣
I played the 6 origins before i picked one gave me an interesting perspective on the world
yesss I'm so hyped to watch your playthrough!!! I'm trying to get some of my own friends to play through the games to see their choices and reactions before the fourth game comes out, it's always awesome watching people experience a game you love for the first time : )
Happy to find a new player, welcome! I look forward to watching your Dragon Age journey!!
So excited to watch you go through this journey! I love these games with my whole heart!
this came at such a perfect time!! i started my first playthrough a couple of weeks ago but my pc totally died this week 😭 now i get to live vicariously through you!
Since you asked in this vid, I say keep reading the codex entries out loud! The codex entries add a lot of fun context imo
My first origin was the Dalish elves, and the second was the mages.
The game experience is so different depending what origin you play. Even what you discover later in the other games is dependent on your origin.
I wish that the playable origins would be a thing in the next DA, but I doubt it - it will probably just be the same as in ME.
With specializations there's no bearing on the ending/story so you're free to pick. Though you will have to learn them through characters or certain actions in order to use them.
"Oh, am I playing as 'him'?"
I mean, that sounds like a dope expansion idea but... No.
I know you found out moments later but that was more amusing than I expected. Lol