The following is a discussion of features I would have changed in the memorable Bioware game Dragon Age Origins.
Before I begin, I would like to preface the discussion with a few statements:
1.) I LOVE Dragon Age Origins, and that enthusiasm has not withered with age. This discussion is thus not tainted by the rose-colored chronogoggles that older games usually suffer from. It is because I love a topic that I come up with constructive changes for it; this is one of the ways in which I get excited about a topic.
2.) Many of these ideas were not feasible at the time the game was created. Some of these ideas were inspired by subsequent entries in the series, and thus wouldn't have been available at the time the game is made. I am aware of this. The discussion is rather what I would like to see if I was in complete control of an infinite-budget remake (or perhaps what I would wish for with a magic lamp!).
3.) This discussion will contain extensive spoilers. If you haven't played the game at least part-way, I highly recommend skipping the discussion until you've given it a go. It really is a remarkable game despite any flaws I may have perceived and it is worth a go.
The discussion will cover the game AND its expansions, as I recently acquired and explored the ultimate edition.
If you're still here, and you've played at least some of the game, then let's begin.
Into Thedas we go!
Class Restrictions
For a great while I have been bothered by the class restriction imposed on the Dwarves. Each other race is permitted access to all three classes of the game, except the Dwarves who are only permitted two. I understand the thematic reasoning behind this (Dwarves sleep the sleep of stone; they don't dream so they can't DO magic), and I think I finally understand why it bothers me so much. I'm not actually upset that Dwarves can't be mages. I'm upset that Dwarves got the short stick. Everybody else has a completely flexible class selection and Dwarves are restricted, THAT is what bothers me. It makes them less favorable as a character choice when playing the game, and this is even reflected by EA's usage statistics (only 1% of the players who registered characters online picked a dwarven origin).
Here's my solution: Don't remove the restriction, place a new restriction. Humans are freelancers, so of course they can choose any class they wish. Dwarves sleep the stone sleep, so they don't have a connection to the Fade (Dream world if you missed the codex) and thus cannot be Mages. Finally, Elves lack the physical stature necessary to command raw, enduring strength, and so cannot approach combat as a Warrior.
The bone structure of the elves already does much to suggest this possibility; they are lithe and diminutive. It could also explain why the elves of the Dales could not withstand a full assault by the human nations during the second exalted march: be as clever and as magical as you please, it won't help as they're shattering your bones with battleaxes. Finally, it would give elves the same drawback as dwarves, leveling the player's selection to a more even spread (Of course humans still have the highest draw, but such is to be expected).
Origins
This is the big one for me. I did not like that origins were restricted by class selection, and I also felt there was an unfair spread based on race selection. Humans get the short-stick here, sharing an origin with the elves and having only one origin for Warriors and Rogues. Elves also had three origins to choose from, giving them way too many options for play as characters (By the time I got to Alienage Elf, I was so exhausted I didn't want to see the knife-ears anymore. Which is a pity because the Alienage Elf origin is one of the best-written openings in the game). I'll start with some general notes and then go into specific detail on how I would modify each origin. This is the primary way in which I would alter a remake.
Here's my solution:
1.) Two origins per race, each with no restriction based on class (other than the race restrictions of course). This idea was inspired by Dragon Age Inquisition, actually, which separated race and class distinction in its dialogue trees. For instance, a human mage in that game is still a noble, though one who practiced magic in secret to avoid being taken away to the Circle. Inquisition only has four origins, but my dream version of Dragon Age Origins would still have six. The only origin I really have a problem with is the Mage origin, but I'll list adjustments that are necessary for certain origins to accommodate classes that weren't available in the original version of the game.
2.) Five additional characters for the game, one for each origin the player did not select. I am aware it is hinted that, without Duncan's intervention, the other origins perished before the catastrophe at Ostagar. I don't like this, however, for several reasons. One, it's terribly pessimistic. Two, much of the origin-specific content is lost with the absence of these characters. And three, it is far more feasible in game production to recycle that origin-specific content by triggering it with a companion. The inclusion of these five 'other origin' characters would have allowed them to completely voice the protagonist, a feature that has been applauded in later installments of the series and its Sci-Fi cousin Mass Effect.
On specific origins:
Dwarven Noble
[spoiler]This is my favorite origin. I've played it repeatedly and I wouldn't change a thing. If the player did not select this origin, the following companion could be encountered:
Duran Aeducan, Exiled Son of King Endrin
Having refused to play dwarven politics, Duran was betrayed by his youngest brother Bhelen and framed for the death of his older brother crown prince Trian. Sent to the deep roads to fight darkspawn until his death, Duran attempted to reach the Legion of the Dead but could push no further than the Aeducan Thaig, the place where his life fell to ruins. He survived in this place by eating deepstalkers and darkspawn, succumbing to partial madness much as Ruck did in Ortan Thaig. Duran can be rescued from Aeducan Thaig or executed when the player goes to save Lord Dace (a Bhelen support quest that would instead be mandatory in the new version). He is a firm supporter of Lord Harrowmont and wishes nothing but the total destruction of his traitorous brother Bhelen.
Duran is a sword-and-shield Warrior with the Reaver specialization, having gone mad from the poisonous taint of the darkspawn he had to survive on. He will teach the player this specialization if approval is sufficiently high, in lieu of Reaver being learned from the Cult of Andraste.
Duran's companion quest involves restoring the right of noble house to his son, who he had with the noble hunter Mardi.
Referred to as to Aeducan, Exile, and Lord Aeducan, just as the player would be if this origin was selected.[/spoiler]
Dwarven Commoner
[spoiler]This origin is also a favorite of mine, and I would not change much. The fate for shaming the proving would be exile to the surface rather than death, to ensure the 'off origin' character is alive when the player encounters her. If the player did not select this origin, the following companion could be recruited:
Natia Brosca, Castless Dwarven Smuggler
Having lived her whole life in the carta, when Natia became the scapegoat for an operation gone sour (fixing the provings), she is exiled to the surface. Frustrated at the Carta for leaving her in the wind, she becomes a trader outside Orzammar, hunting for food and pelts in the Frostback mountains until she is encountered by the Player on approach to Orzammar. Worried about her sister Rica, Natia requests asylum with the wardens to enter Orzammar until a new king is crowned. She can be recruited at this point or pushed away, and she is a loyalist to Prince Bhelen for taking in her sister.
Natia is a crossbow Rogue with the Ranger specialization because of her time spent in the Frostback wilderness. She will teach the player this specialization if approval is sufficiently high, in lieu of Ranger being learned from a manual.
Natia's companion quest is Rogek's lyrium smuggling.
Referred to as Brosca, Duster, and Brand, just as the player would be if this origin was selected.[/spoiler]
City Elf
[spoiler]This origin was fascinating, though I only played it once. To make room for the possibility of an elf mage with this origin, I'd add a few dialogue references to 'playing with fire' and hiding magic from the fiance, provided the player selected the mage class. If the player did not select this origin, the following companion could be recruited:
Kallian Tabris, the Bloody Bride
After being kidnapped on her wedding day, taking part in a brawl that bloodied the alienage, and being arrested to await execution, Kallian was forgotten in jail following the confusion of Loghain's retreat. Left to rot, she broke out and took refuge in the Denerim chantry, awaiting word on the state of the Alienage. It is there that the player can encounter her. Kallian is gravely against the Tevinter slavery deal, to the point of attacking the party if the player allows the mages to leave with the elves they have stolen. If she is not present, the player can simply lie to her about the fate of the elves.
Kallian is a daggers Rogue with the Duelist specialization. She will teach the player this specialization if approval is sufficiently high, in lieu of learning it from Isabella after a game of Wicked Grace.
Kallian's companion quest is the rescue of her cousin Soris. If the player finds Soris in Arl Howe's dungeons without Kallian, then she might request they look for him in the Alienage the next time she is in the party.
Referred to as Tabris and Knife-Ears, just as the player would be if this origin was selected.[/spoiler]
More in the next post (Hit the character limit)