Mark Plays ‘Dragon Age: Origins’: Hour 16

In the sixteenth hour of Dragon Age: Origins, I AM REALLY FRUSTRATED. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to play Dragon Age: Origins.

Hour Sixteen

You know, it really was only a matter of time before I hit a wall. (Don’t worry, though; I have a solution!)

For the most part, this is not a criticism of the game. I have no problems with it! Well, wait, I have one tiny complaint, but it’s rather inconsequential. I admit that what happened here in my sixteenth hour of gameplay is pretty much my fault for a few reasons.

So, I’m gettin’ shit done in Denerim, collecting payments for finishing off a whole host of quests. I get my armor made out of dragon scales AND IT TOTALLY RULES. I finish dumping the dead bodies for… ahem… someone. Can’t say who. Not important. I even picked up the first, second, and third assignments from Master Ignacio of the Antivan Crows. (Though I lost 1 point of approval from Wynne, who was pissed I’d help them out. Shush, Wynne, I’m a rogue, THEY CAN TEACH ME BEAUTIFUL THINGS. Right???)

The one place I hadn’t explored much in Denerim was the Deserted Building. Sweet! I had a mission to take out some ~hidden~ blood mages, so I thought it was worth checking out. I handled the blood mages before, so what’s the big deal?

I made three critical mistakes when entering this place:

1) I did not save often.

The first time, with some difficulty, I made it to that final area with the fire traps and the mages stuck behind the row of overturned tables. I died. I loaded the last save, and I was at the entrance to the whole fucking building. GREAT. Let this be the one and only time I need to learn this lesson. I was so mad I just started laughing. Like, that kind of laughter you get when you’re too tired to think about why something you’re laughing at is funny? That kind.

2) Sten is in my party.

Okay, I know me judging him as a character is biased. I admit that! If I’d had him for a longer amount of time and built him up as he leveled up, I’d probably feel better with him. But this entire hour, I felt like I had to babysit Sten, like I was his goddamn mother.

Sten, stop dying.

Sten, take a health poultice, please.

No, Sten, don’t immediately run to the most powerful villain and draw his attention.

Sten, no, I’m in Stealth, I told you to stay there.

Sten, would you please stop dying in the first ten seconds of every battle?

Sten, use anything that stuns an opponent first.

Sten, don’t walk in the fire.

Sten, fire burns you. Seriously, don’t do it.

At one point, Wynne turned to Sten and basically told him to wear a sweater. HE IS LIKE A BIG MAN BABY, I SWEAR. It’s distracting. At least Alastair worked better in the party and did constantly make condescending statements to Wynne. I am swapping him out as soon as I can.

3) I did not have a strong enough party.

And that’s part of the learning process of this game. Each character and class brings their own strengths, and they work together in different ways. So I’m not faulting the game. I made my own decisions, and those decisions sucked. What I wish the game had done was something I recall Borderlands doing. If you got a mission, it would tell you what recommended XP level you should be before you attempt it. It was great! You know if a mission or map was going to be too hard or super easy before you ever did it. Dragon Age just throws you into it, and you hope for the best.

Again, like I said, my complaint is inconsequential. It’s not a problem with the game. I’m just being entitled. My solution to this frustration? I’m just going to leave the Deserted Building and go elsewhere. I can finish this when I get stronger, you know?

So, off to see what Denerim has to bring me in the next hour!

My Character Stats

Strength: 24
Dexterity: 23+2
Willpower: 18
Magic: 14
Cunning: 17
Constitution: 21

Heroic Stats

Kills: 258
Damage dealt: 44288
Friendly-fire: 0
Greatest damage dealt: 90
Contribution to party damage: 37
Hit rate: 86
Most powerful foe slain: Uldred
Injuries: 6

-1 to approval of Wynne for taking Antivan scroll. Adama still adores me as he should.

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