Mr. Walker's thoughts most certainly hit the mark in almost every case.

I wouldn't say the quests have been confusing to me. I wouldn't imagine they'd confuse any seasoned roleplayer. But I figure he probably is as well ... I can partially see where he's coming from. It's true that you find random letters and objects that say so and so in this general vicinity is probably interested in retrieving this thing you've found and so on, and indeed a few times people have had quest markers over them where I thought what quest was I supposed to handle for you, I don't remember you?

I also agree about the companion quests, and how some of them talk about what's gone on in your absence from one another, when in fact I've been travelling with them the entire time. It doesn't happen for all of them, but some indeed. Most situations where I've just recruited a character and they have a new home in Kirkwall I leave them alone for this exact reason. I don't want to break my own immersion; I can imagine in most cases some idiotic dialogue will ensue where you say hey haven't seen you in a while, life's been grand, etc. so I just leave them be. I haven't taken Fenris or Merrill out at all yet.

On the flipside of that, I do like how the game tries to be a bit more realistic in the handling of companions' lives, in that they have their own homes and tell you to visit when you need them. They don't just invisibily travel with you like most RPGs try to have you believe.

The combat ... I prefer it to DA:O's, chiefly because I sucked at DA:O's and found it unnecessarily frustrating. I also admit that I didn't try very hard to learn the combat in Origins; I don't even know if it had tactics slots like DA2 does. Still ... DA2's combat leaves something to be desired. It's definitely hack and slash gameplay more in line with Icewind Dale, or I daresay Diablo, rather than Baldur's Gate. It doesn't seem to be a strength for BioWare. At least not lately (exception: Mass Effect 2).

Combat seems a mechanism for challenge and progress more than ever. It's rarely frustrating, often a bit of a challenge ... but I don't know. It doesn't feel satisfying in some way I can't put my finger on. Everything about DA2 feels wishy-washy so far (game says I'm 20 hours in, but I am the slowest RPG player ever). Still, I carry on because I want to, not because I feel obligated. And I'm enjoying my experience.

I can see quite easily how the verdicts around the internet are divisive.

I'm a level 8 arcane/creation/force mage, changed the default player attributes, because they are too "dark/emo/spiky/edgy" ( *ducks in case that Langdell fellow sees my usage of his word* ), to a more tame looking northern woman, but stuck with the default name of Marian Hawke.

P.S. Why are Isabela's boobs so fucking enormous? They're bigger than her head. I like her character but I feel childish every time she's got a close-up on the screen. Dragon Age creators should check out "Boob After Reading."

There you go. That's how irresponsible and stupid I am. I had no idea about those until DA2 shoved them in my face. They are great tools of battle, being able to set pre-determined situational orders.

It's not as flexible as I'd like but it is at least worthy for simple orders: such as telling party members to drink health elixers when they reach a certain nearness to fatality; or to flail their arms about when X amount of villainous spawn encroach upon their surrounding territory.