How seasons change

Hardly anything from abroad works without a private vpn anymore and there are tests for a full shut down. Feels like the end of the world.

(the most awful thing is that so many people will hardly even notice)

(May be there is another half a year left still. Or may be they will be content with all the posturing after whatsapp is dead and wouldn't bother breaking things more)

Evenings are spent downloading favorite books and shows into a small pitiful hoard. I didn't even start on the games or music yet, there are just too many.

It doesn't feel great at all.

Storyline with Solas is surprisingly decently written, yay. The only thing that is decently written in the whole game.

But, main game stuff aside, for a supposed happy ending there is nothing on how things ended in the south, not even in the slideshow.

(some world state spoilers below)

The last letter from inquisition states that both Orlais and Ferelden completely lost/ dead(!), Free Marches and Orzamar doing very badly if still alive, trade routes and sea travel unaccessible. With so many refugees and so much land bligthed there's obviously a big food shortage that will only get worse. That's A LOT of loss of life (for a supposed happy ending). Like nuclear apocalypse level. May be Solas collapsing the veil would be LESS costly than the endgame, at least the land wouldn't be contaminated.

(vague spoilers below i suppose, nothing major)

My Rook just moderated an argument that would sound very fitting on children of 8. i'm a teacher, i know. What is this. Why. Whyyy.

Weissahaupt was epic visually but storywise? Oups we had to be saved by a ten-years-old, i guess it's because we were distracted by our problems! Problems like Taash' mom being mean to them yeah.

Was it so difficult to SHOW them being distracted?

Literally a couple of second of Lucanis sleep deprived with shaking hands would do. Emmrich freezing in battle. Davrin snapping at Assan for disobeying. Someone arguing over priorities or Rook's decision. Someone scared or shocked or distraught. Not that difficult!

Note that wardens doesn't lose any of their allied "strength" after that. Nice and cheerful.

Side quests are like this too. So much supposedly well-trained fighters need rescuing left and right. Please look for our missing people because we can't be bothered ourselves.

Hey, boss, it's your FITH group missing, most ended up dead, don't you think it's time to keep them in the camp??

And lady, your missing fellow's tent is literally right here and there is a note with a location. Do you care at all.

I started to actually understand a bit what's happening in the battle and

Teleporting companions are unnerving. Convinient, sure, but do they HAVE to, really? It breaks immersion so suddenly every time.

Even worse is the fact that they can't get hurt. Why. Isn't it a game about cooperation and team work? What can be better for team spirit than protecting each other! It just looks like Rook went bonkers and imagined himself some indestructible guardian angels.

Also every boss fight so far is just poor Rook running around like a headless chicken playing bait. It was funny first five times.

I almost got used to city maps, nostalgic Da2 system when something new happens in the same old warehouse over and over. Arlathan forest is still horrible though.

The amount of decaying ancient ruins are totally unnecessary. Can we have a nice functional architecture somewhere for a change?

Also we are playing detectives now. Every crime of course leaves a trail of gaint blood puddles or reeeealy secret diaries lying around. Yep. Top secret notes from top secret spies!

Inquisitor showed up in a traditional unnecessary cameo wearing some basic-looking metal hand. May be she has several and changing them according to occasion. Poor girl is in allmighty worldsavior mod, i hoped in vain they will leave her be. Rook wasn't sufficiently star-struck. He should be a fan!

Gathering memories is great as a consept and awfully boring when you have to fight through the same sad gray ruins and listen to generic boring dialogs. Why they are ruins in MEMORIES?

Murals are beter but poor Solas, imagine a bunch of rude youngsters making a thorough group discussion out of your worst memories. I really pity him now.

-interface and main music theme is awful. Did they confuse DA with startrek or what.

-level design is painful and map is useless. I never know where to go. Doing side quests means running endless circles every time. Hate it.

-why, WHY characters are transported at some random place after reload?

-companions do seem surprisingly charming at this stage.

-everyone is awfully chill about new apocalypse. Ancient gods of total destruction, new improved blight, countless tears in the veil again? Don't worry, we will deal with it because we are a team. Of three random dudes.

In inquisition you've had a literal army to fight one crazy magister and still felt like the world is ending.

-everyone is surprisingly well informed on the last discoveries in elven history. I can understand veil jumpers, but all other random people? Do they lecture political news in the church or what? The only reasonable reaction so far came from main Gray warden and they dismissed him as a petty idiot.

-everyone is very eager to let random dude know all their secrets. Assassin guild invites rook into their lair on first meeting and presents all important members. Are they idiots? Why do they even think this random guy is more capable than their best trained people?

-you also have no option to disagree that said assassin guild should rule their city. No second thoughts or moral questions here.

-veil jumpers is a great consept. My inquisitor would totally join. Or more like start the whole thing.

-there is an awfull lot of dismissing established lore points but they were doing it every game so nothing new.

-so many healthy therapeutic dialogues. Boring.

-new fighting system is questionable but fun . At least when there are't ten visual effects playing all at once and you can actually see what's going on.

-the clothes are totally ridiculous. I'm very tempted to leave my Rook in the starting tatters as the only reasonable option.

-so many details are unnecessary game-ish. Why things fly out of chests every time? Why nag meat costs 15 GOLD? is their economy in shumbles, what size are their coin purses? Why no one comments about you shamelessly picking up clothes and money in the dead village all while acting sad and horrified?