OPEN BAR: NO CISNORMATIVE ELVEN PATRIARCHS ALLOWED

[Ben Shapiro]

I have just been informed that nobody beneath the rank of salaried supervisor shall have chairs with armrests.

I am not kidding.  I have been directed to purchase chairs without armrests to replace any such chairs in my department that are not used by me.

I responded affirmatively, and accidentally copied everyone in the North American system.

You're doing God's work Roger.

[trippinprincezz13]

It's so freaking huge you have to, just to see everything.

I've been putting off, so my gameplay will be blind after some point (blind is more fun, IMO).

Plot any good? To be honest I got through a few of the other DA videos you did and the plot just wasn't grabbing me at all. POE has raised the bar for writing again somewhat and I've not got particularly high hopes for the next torment, more on a gut feeling than anything.

It starts off a lot more quickly than the first game.  This has its good and bad points.  Lots of stuff involving the Inquisition as a group is resolved pretty quickly, and the main enemy is revealed at the end of the first major act.

Problems are: it's essentially a sequel to Dragon Age 2.  Makes sense, since Dragon Age 2 was intended to be a much smaller game, before EA changed their mind.  Villain was introduced in a DA2 DLC...so people who never played that have no idea who he is.  Problems maintaining tension in an open world format - you basically never feel rushed to do anything.  Lots of busywork minor quests - collecting pelts, finding shards, picking flowers etc.

Character writing is good, as you'd expect from Bioware. Freddie Prinze Jr does some actual acting, which is worth seeing (or listening to), LGBT issues handled sensitively, romances are said to be excellent.  Plot writing...less so.  Very good twist at the end though, if you know anything about the lore.  I do like the idea of Inquisition though...that eventually, when the world goes to shit enough, people start pushing back.  Kinda uplifting, considering current world events.  Song time is terrible though, should have been banned.

Just finished up the first act and....OMG that singing part. Why?! A hundred times WHY?! I did actually LOL when they showed the close-up of Cullen singing though, so I guess there's that. I had played the DLC for DA2 that included the main villain, but didn't even make the connection until you mentioned it now (it has been a while though).

I am enjoying it though. Combat took some adjusting to, especially since I'm on console. While I was/am slightly annoyed at the potion cap, both in the amount able to be carried and the limit on types each member can carry, I suppose it is more realistic. Gets a bit overwhelming/scattered feeling due to the amount of side quests, collections, etc., so the main quest doesn't feel as hurried, as you mentioned.

Could not figure out how to import the specs from my previous two games, which was kind of frustrating since I replayed both for that specific purpose. But I chalk it up to it being somehow more difficult because I'm on a console, and I admit at the time I started playing, I was a bit impatient to spend much more time on trying to figure it out.

Either way, still having fun with it.

Former saves are imported by use of Dragon Age Keep.  You sign up to the site under your XBox Live/PSN/Origin username, enter in the correct worldstate and then upload it.

Bioware have always struggled with difficult combat.  The artificial health potition scarcity might make a difference...if you couldn't just fast travel to any camp and get replenished.  Guard and barrier are good ideas though.  Shame they basically ruined the tactical menu, however, that was very disappointing. 

In Your Heart Shall Burn was a great quest, with a great conclusion.  The assault on Haven is very well done, IMO.  All the large storyline quests, as far as I can tell or have heard, have pretty good denouements, as do some of the personal companion quests.

I got as far as registering for the keep and I vaguely remember starting that process but confusing myself somehow, again, in conjunction with my impatience at the time. I'll have to go back and look again.

Yea, I meant to add in that the limited number, especially with health potions, wasn't really a problem thanks to quick-traveling to camp. That is actually a bit disappointingly easy. While you could potentially carry an unlimited number of potions before, you didn't necessarily have unlimited access to them and had to work a bit harder to maintain them, I feel. At least up to a point. While I do like having access to the entire repertoire of potions I can carry/craft, I'm acclimating to it a bit more. Again, it does help encourage a bit more planning with who should carry what, as well as realism. Just threw me off a bit at first.

Really my biggest/only disappointment with the game so far is what they've done to the battle menu. It's just awful. In part, I don't always keep a running memory of what EVERY ability and spell does, so it was handy to have a quick reference if needed. And while I like having my quick spells/abilities set, sometimes an occasion called for a not commonly used ability and it was nice not to have to jump through a bunch of hoops to do so.

I really did enjoy playing through the first act, and In Your Heart Shall Burn was really well done. Good hear that that should be general trend for at least the bigger quests for the rest of the game. And now begins the quest to complete my drapery collection for Skyhold and search the world for rare booze. The life of the Inquisitor is a tough one.

[Doktor Howl]

I have just been informed that nobody beneath the rank of salaried supervisor shall have chairs with armrests.

I am not kidding.  I have been directed to purchase chairs without armrests to replace any such chairs in my department that are not used by me.

I responded affirmatively, and accidentally copied everyone in the North American system.

You're doing God's work Roger.

Someone has to. 

[trippinprincezz13]

I have just been informed that nobody beneath the rank of salaried supervisor shall have chairs with armrests.

I am not kidding.  I have been directed to purchase chairs without armrests to replace any such chairs in my department that are not used by me.

I responded affirmatively, and accidentally copied everyone in the North American system.

I'm....not even sure what to say. I'd call it childishly petty, but not even children would spend money to prevent someone from having the same chair (comforts) as them.

It's good that the rest of the district will know so they adjust their purchase orders now to put the ones that need it in their place.

[Doktor Howl]

I have just been informed that nobody beneath the rank of salaried supervisor shall have chairs with armrests.

I am not kidding.  I have been directed to purchase chairs without armrests to replace any such chairs in my department that are not used by me.

I responded affirmatively, and accidentally copied everyone in the North American system.

I'm....not even sure what to say. I'd call it childishly petty, but not even children would spend money to prevent someone from having the same chair (comforts) as them.

It's good that the rest of the district will know so they adjust their purchase orders now to put the ones that need it in their place.

Since I have decided to quit, my strategy is to agree her to death.

[LMNO]

Did your offices move to Brazil?

[Don Coyote]

I have just been informed that nobody beneath the rank of salaried supervisor shall have chairs with armrests.

I am not kidding.  I have been directed to purchase chairs without armrests to replace any such chairs in my department that are not used by me.

I responded affirmatively, and accidentally copied everyone in the North American system.

What the hell is her malfunction?

[Doktor Howl]

Did your offices move to Brazil?

Apparently so.   

Every day is more surreal than the last. 

In any case, I am going to pump some castible refractory down the office toilets this evening.  Not only does it turn to something resembling concrete, it can withstand temperature up to 1800C.

SAFETY FIRST!

[Doktor Howl]

I have just been informed that nobody beneath the rank of salaried supervisor shall have chairs with armrests.

I am not kidding.  I have been directed to purchase chairs without armrests to replace any such chairs in my department that are not used by me.

I responded affirmatively, and accidentally copied everyone in the North American system.

What the hell is her malfunction?

We're losing money, and she's responsible yet has no means to alter the situation.  She has wobbled off the track and is desperately spinning in circles.  It's kind of awesome to watch, like watching the Titanic hit the iceberg over and over and over again.

She thought Jim's job would be easy.   

She's also telling me HOW to fix things.  I am complying with a smile.  It's not a pleasant smile, but it's still a smile, and that's what counts.

[Cain]

Armrests will just start giving you ideas above your station.

I have armrests, and look at me.  The very model of a malcontent worker and industrial saboteur.  I think Lillie is onto something.

[LMNO]

She's also telling me HOW to fix things.  I am complying with a smile.  It's not a pleasant smile, but it's still a smile, and that's what counts.

I can only hope she's giving you these instructions in writing.  Permanent, un-deletable writing.

[Bruno]

Jesus, it's a wonder they even let them have chairs.

Is it a status thing, or are they just appalled at the idea of the lower classes resting their arms?

Were people fighting over hairs, so they decided to give them all shitty chairs?

[Doktor Howl]

She's also telling me HOW to fix things.  I am complying with a smile.  It's not a pleasant smile, but it's still a smile, and that's what counts.

I can only hope she's giving you these instructions in writing.  Permanent, un-deletable writing.

Some of them.

But since I don't care about my job, I don't care about whether or not they're in writing.

[Doktor Howl]

Jesus, it's a wonder they even let them have chairs.

Is it a status thing, or are they just appalled at the idea of the lower classes resting their arms?

Were people fighting over hairs, so they decided to give them all shitty chairs?

Nope.  This is pure Lillie.  This is not a corporate policy.

[Doktor Howl]

I have just suggested that we simply remove the arms from the chairs.

Also, make everyone put pebbles on their chairs before they sit down.  And make them eat their lunch in the krater pit.

Lillie for some reason was not amused.