Dragon Age--Sorry, Mario. The Queen is in another castle!

[cyrano]

I got Arl Eamon to take me to Denerim, and we quickly got the 'rescue the queen' quest. Which was mostly a lot of fun. I think I broke the programming outside the castle--we had the guards show up behind us as we were sneaking around, and I went into stealth mode. I figured that, while nobody was attacking anybody, I'd sneak allll the way around to the front of the castle to get that chest I couldn't get to before. On the way, I saw our Orlesian elf spy chick three or four different times. (A helmet? Seriously? All that way I went, and all you had was a helmet?)

And then we dispatched those soldiers and she told us to 'ide in zee booshes. We finally figured out which booshes she meant, using the minimap, but when we hid in them she just stared blankly at us. So we killed the door guards too. So much for stealth.

Actually, we snuck through most of the first floor no problem, but the guy getting a blowjob from the maid called the guard (well technically he didn't the amazing vanishing maid did, disappearing before we had a chance to stop her). And so I shrugged and went back and killed every single guard on the first floor. Because why not?

I had to ask the queen if she wasn't a little short for a guard, and then we went into the Must Lose battle.
Allow me to break into my monologue here just to say how much I hate the Must Lose battle mechanic. The idea is that plot demands that you lose this battle and so they just set you up against overwhelming odds. That's a tease, and it's frustrating and not fun. There's an implied contract in a game, the designer wants to give you a challenge, but one that can be beaten with power, tactics, and not too much bad luck. A battle like that could easily have been run like the massacre at Ostagar, as a cut scene. I'm just sayin'.

Anyway. It was weird watching *both* Leliana and Wynne, who had been killed not fifteen seconds ago, in a cut scene telling Arl Eamon that we'd been captured. Maybe they're moles? We ended up at Fort Dragon, and once again I cannot imagine how to run this game without a rogue--maybe you escape your cell by promising to show the gaoler 'something really cool' and then snapping his neck when he gets too close. I picked the lock and punched him in the face eight or nine times, and we were off. Tearing open a box, we discovered a mace inside. A Mace! we cried, Hallelujah! Because I actually like the bits where they take away all your super powered items and make you play a new strategy. I was sad that we got our stuff back so quickly, but I wasn't about to stuff it back in the box and call shenanigans.

We found new uniforms, picked up our squadron mates, and headed off on our first patrol! Mum would be proud.
...I wonder what happened to those guys. Anyway, I got back to the Arl's estate and saved. So I have no idea what happened with the queen yet.

Comments

[tersa.livejournal.com]

A couple notes as I dash out to breakfast (where I should be already):

I loved the 'Aren't you short for a guard?' option. I love that BioWare are geeks. :)

The battle with Ser Cauthrien is not unwinnable, but it is very fricking hard.

I just liked that if you don't win it, you don't die and have to win it. :P

Yes, if you're not playing a rogue, you pretty much do what you describe.

I like that you found the sneaky way out, by disguising yourself. I completely missed that the first time I played it, S-- had to inform me of it, from the walkthrough, I think. First time, I fought my way out, second time, I figured out you could pick pocket the password from one of the guards and kinda-sorta sneak your way out until the next to main hall out.

Almost there, little smurfs!

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

The battle with Ser Cauthrien is not unwinnable, but it is very fricking hard.

Wow. I cannot imagine winning that battle. Although I would have loved to wipe the smug look off her face after our conversation. So how do you get captured, then?

Yes, if you're not playing a rogue, you pretty much do what you describe.

Look, anyone stupid enough to let some mustachioed dago come up to them in a prison cell, say "Excuse me Meester," and hit them over the head with a big stick deserves everything they get.

I like that you found the sneaky way out, by disguising yourself. I completely missed that the first time I played it

Frustrating note: When I first got my disguise, the little pop up specifically said that things like 'acting oddly or talking to a superior officer' would obviate the disguise. You mean a superior officer like *the Colonel*?
Anyway. I was amused that wandering into a guarded room, picking a lock (or grabbing some armor off a stand) did *not* so much as raise an eyebrow. The one guy didn't even stop praying long enough to ask me to stop stealing his stuff.

[a-belletrist.livejournal.com]

"Look, anyone stupid enough to let some mustachioed dago come up to them in a prison cell, say "Excuse me Meester," and hit them over the head with a big stick deserves everything they get."

Heheheheee. Haven't heard that for a while.

And yes, the Rescuing the Queen plot I found to be personally annoying due to the battle at the end. It set me up to loathe Anora, and nothing in the remaining game scenarios helped me change my mind.

You did, however, nudge an Amber one-shot into my brain with this discussion. Well done! Runs off to scribble notes!

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Oooo. You should bring it to AmberCon next month! (:

I have to say, before I met her I liked her but this adventure did not improve our relationship. But I still class her as 'useful ally who is unlikely to betray us. Because anybody she might betray us to will kill her.'

[pusifoot.livejournal.com]

I've beaten the battle with Ser Cauthrien. In my case,it involved being a sneaky bitch, being prepared in advance, and luring her ass out of the room and into the hall.

I don't actually remember what happened after the fight (it's been a year or so) but I do remember that she drops a pretty friggin' amazing sword once you beat the ever-lovin' snot out of her. (which, btw, was extremely satisfying.)

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I'm gonna have to spend some cycles trying that again--perhaps with a different party. (hee. Wynne and Morrigan in the same party. That could be awesome.)
I hope I have a save point somewhere near where I go into the Arlate.

Also? The Arl of whoever's son, the one locked in the basement, is a dick. Somebody less pragmatic than Zahara would have left him locked up.

[pusifoot.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes he is. And if you play through the City Elf Origin story, you get to see JUST HOW MUCH.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

BIG FUCKING DICK. *frothrabid*

[tersa.livejournal.com]

I am going to spoil: you get another crack at Ser Cauthrien.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

So how do you get captured, then?

If you win the battle against her, you don't get captured. You get to go straight back to Arl Eamon's, bypassing Fort Drakon.

Anyway. I was amused that wandering into a guarded room, picking a lock (or grabbing some armor off a stand) did *not* so much as raise an eyebrow. The one guy didn't even stop praying long enough to ask me to stop stealing his stuff.

I amused myself all the time doing that. I'm doing that in DA2, IN FRONT OF THE CITY GUARDS. :)

[pusifoot.livejournal.com]

inorite.

I played all 6 intros before I sat down on my dwarf commoner rogue and played through For Realz Yo. (I knew that she'd be my first Playthrough character when I started them all, I just wanted to see all the origins.) When I came across him in the cell, his fate was sealed even though my little dwarf had never encountered him before. There was an echo in the back of her mind that said "This one? Don't be nice to him, he ain't worth attempting to redeem."

[pusifoot.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, there's another option where, instead of playing yourself busting out, you can have two of your companions come get you instead. Pick Morrigan and Alistair for maximum hilarity.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

So do you need to go back to FD later? (I'm curious, with the 'open all areas' badge.)

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Is it random? And yeah, I love to put those two together. Leliana and Wynne aren't half as snarky with their theological debates.

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Yes, you'll wind up going there again, the second time, on rails. :)

[tersa.livejournal.com]

No, it's not random. You can choose to have them come rescue you, but then it's whoever you pick fighting their way *in* to Fort Drakon. Alistair asks you something like, "Who likes you enough to come in and save you?" And then, "Who else?" That's who goes.

Someone on dragon_age shared the story of her first playthrough, not quite getting the question and saying 'Wynne and Dog love me'. And those are the two coming in for her. >.<

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I discovered that last night, and I got Leliana and Dog killed in about three seconds.