Rant incoming.
OK, so I'm reading a lot of feedback about the game on different sites and I'm noticing a big trend. A lot of of the people complaining about the game are saying things like "boring sidequests," "really slow," "can't get into the story/characters." And that is almost always accompanied by "I'm trying to do everything in the Hinterlands before moving on."
Normally I wouldn't tell anybody else how to play the game. And I definitely recognize the OCD-ness, must complete everything, don't want to miss anything impulses.
But seriously. LEAVE. THE
ING. HINTERLANDS.
The Hinterlands is meant as a starting area. Honestly, it has the most boring quests in the game and is probably the most boring area.
You're a
ing Inquisitor, you shouldn't be too overly concerned with a farmer's missing druffalo.
Do some stuff, gain some power, then go to the war table and use that power to unlock the next stuff.
"But wait! I'm going to miss stuff if I advance the story." No, you won't. All of the areas remain unlocked and you can go back and do everything. Even after you finish the main story.
Actually, you are going to miss stuff if you STAY in the Hinterlands. In the sense that you are going to level up killing low-level bandits and then be overleveled for the story content and areas that are actually cool.
If you move the story just a bit, you get access to a whole bunch of new characters, who all come with their own quests (which are cool). You get more into the story - big stuff happens, you get to make your first big choice, you eventually move to your main stronghold (which is fully customizable).
The game completely opens up if you just leave and do some other stuff. I'm pretty far into the game. Last night I played a story mission and by the end I just sat there going "god DAMN that was awesome." It was so impressive. But people are like, scared of moving the story. I don't want it to be over either, but the coolest parts, the most memorable parts, aren't going to be getting that one guy's wife a potion.
If you're grinding out the Hinterlands and having a ball - more power to you. Stay and settle down and become a farmer. Live in Redcliffe and never leave.
If you're still in the Hinterlands and feel like the game is slow or the sidequests are boring - maybe it's because you are basically doing the equivalent of staying in the cellar of the tavern and killing rats.
Completionism for completionism's sake is no good if it kills your own enjoyment. And honestly, you are going to start leveling up doing stupid stuff, leaving you overleveled for the much cooler stuff.
By the way - some stuff in the Hinterlands is clearly not meant to be done at the beginning. You got killed by a dragon? That rift is spitting out level 12 demons? YEP, that's Bioware telling you to MOVE THE
ON and come back later.
It's not just you guys, it's GameFAQs and Bioware Social Network and every site it seems half the topics are about how I need to grind through the Hinterlands. Just made me a bit nuts because 99% of what I love about this game has zilch to do with the Hinterlands.
Ok, rant over. Sorry for yelling. We good?
