Dragon Age 2 - Here be spoilers.

[tmp]

Don't want Isabella cooties and Merill would make me feel like a child molester, so no romance for my Manhawke

Man Hawke's VA is the guy who did Vaughan in DAO, so that makes it quite easier when it comes to these questionable decisions 

That said i can't view Merril as a kid. Total ditz, sure, but she feels more like the young adult stage. Part of it could be the VA, though.

[Tebonas]

I think its the large eyes and the childlike naivety. I only had her with me when the plot demanded it and have that and the scenes where you visit her at home to judge by.

She behaves like an eager puppy when you go visit her.

[Shrike]

Since she's about the same age as the Grey Warden in DA:O, that'd place her squarely in the young adult phase of life--early/mid-20s. She's a little goofy, but consider she's also rather isolated from others and lacking any real friends. Her only childhood friend is dead in my playthrough. Throw in that obsession she has with that damned mirror which drives away most of the rest of her adopted clan, and you have someone that has pretty much been on her own for some time. So, yeah, I can see her getting a little worked up over visiters--new friends--down in the alienage.

Once she's installed as Mistress of Hawke Manor, she does change a bit personality-wise. Sorta. Aside from the chandelier thing.

[Merusk]

Don't think I heard the chandelier thing..   She did complain a lot about Enchantment-boy staring at her, though.

[Mazakiel]

Examine the rail on the 2nd story once she's moved in. 

[Sjofn]

I didn't try to game the friendship/rivalry system during my first playthrough.  Just went ahead and said and did what I felt regardless of who was in the part at the time.  Also essentially just cycled people in and out of the part after I'd felt that I'd used them long enough.  Varric got to Friendship fairly early on, with Avaline not far behind which surprised me since I wasn't exactly a do-gooder but I think I just happened to have her in my party during some of my nicer moments.  I was fairly supportive of mages, so Anders also hit friendship with my, and I romanced Isabela because Merril was irritatingly stupid.  Fenris was probably about one more mage-related outburst away from hitting the end of the rivalry meter, while Merril was always one step forward, one step back since I was typically nice to her except whenever she started into her whole "Demons totally love helping people un-curse magic artifacts" shit.  Sebastian liked me right up until the point where he didn't any more.

My first time through I didn't try to game it either, partly because some of the characters I wasn't 100% sure what made them tick. I'm still not gaming it, exactly, I'm just playing characters with different views of the world, although so far all of them really hate mages who are stupid and think demons are cool to varying degrees, although Warrior LadyHawke (my first character) was least militant about it. I want to say my first play through, my Merril experience was pretty similar to yours (I hardly ever took her with me anywhere that wasn't a personal quest for her, too, so that didn't help). Fenris wasn't friends enough with me to just stay at the end, but he was friendly enough that I could convince him to be on my side when the opportunity arose. I ignored Isabella because I had two rogues I liked better than her (although she's grown on me, I her banter and I suspect I will enjoy her romance when I get around to it) so she did her thing when it was time for her to do it and that was that with her. Sebastian liked me enough to light up his little buff, but I never maxed it on that playthrough. Anders, Varric and Aveline all thought I was awesome, although Aveline didn't think so until after I helped her awesome personal quest (as opposed to her boringly Aveline-y ones).

I know it's possible to rival Varric, but even my DoucheHawke has only managed to score about 20 rivalry points with him, the rest has been friendship. He's just so full of love, I guess!

I think its the large eyes and the childlike naivety. I only had her with me when the plot demanded it and have that and the scenes where you visit her at home to judge by.

She behaves like an eager puppy when you go visit her.

Not when you're a rival. 

[tmp]

I ignored Isabella because I had two rogues I liked better than her (although she's grown on me, I her banter and I suspect I will enjoy her romance when I get around to it) so she did her thing when it was time for her to do it and that was that with her.

I took Isabela together with Varric on the break-in jobs and such (didn't pick up Sebastian on my first playthrough) and she's fairly easy to get friendship up with.

Aveline: Why can't everything be as easy as you!

... right. So anyway,

[Sjofn]

Ha!

[rk47]

Well for Arishok...you could say no to that badly designed fight.

[Sjofn]

BUT MY HONOR

[CmdrSlack]

That fight is pretty broken....

[tmp]

[Merusk]

Sounds like I missed a lot by just telling her to fuck off

[tmp]

I would've told her the same but

[Azuredream]

So, Merril's companion quests..

[Xilren's Twin]

i've been taking my sweet time with this one (mainly b/c i havent had much time to play) and have been attempting to avoid spoilers where ever i can, and I already know it's got at least 1-2 more playthroughts in it.
In the act following the deep roads so far and am enjoying the various compainion interactions.  Mainly using Isabella and Fenris with a swapable 3rd as a Mage, and the banter between those two has gotten several chuckles out of me ("yes, i could see where having a pair of lyrium breasts would be useful..")  Until my son started a play though i didnt even realize your class determines what the siblings do in the very first ogre fight, nor did i realize if you haul the sib along on the deep roads what happens.


Have to agree with the general comments overall; good game, could have been great with more polish and level design, but there aren't that many large rpg's I would even want to play through more than once like this one and ME2. 
And to no one's surprise, my dealing with EA support on the "admin account" issue has been unintentionally funny in how bad their support is.  The last communication i got from them said they would giving me the Signature edition DLC as a thank you for putting up with the problem; which would be nice and all, if I hadn't already had it b/c that's the version i bought, which is the freaking subject line of evey email in this support chain "Problems with DA2 Signature Edition and Windows 7".  Way to pay attention guys.

[Ingmar]

So, Merril's companion quests..

[Shrike]

Ah, the qunari...issue.

Man, that one burned my ass.

[rk47]

Qunari is entirely blameless, IMO.

[tmp]

One thing that irks me about the qunari issue is, no matter how you resolve things in the end the monument at the docks paints that in the same way. Damn war propaganda.

[Azuredream]

Doing a second playthrough, I didn't really bring Varric much in my first one but I've been using him this time around, and he has some hilarious dialogue options, like

[Riggswolfe]

Well, I just finished it. Man.....some of the mid parts of the game kind of dragged but the ending left me going "ok, where's DA3?"

I was slightly pissed that

[Ingmar]

Well, I just finished it. Man.....some of the mid parts of the game kind of dragged but the ending left me going "ok, where's DA3?"

I was slightly pissed that

[Sjofn]

Funny you should say that ...

One thing that irks me about the qunari issue is, no matter how you resolve things in the end the monument at the docks paints that in the same way. Damn war propaganda.

I saw that thing and was like "They know I'm a mage, right?"

[Merusk]

[Mazakiel]

[Sjofn]

I'm telling you, though, Dragon Age 3, you're an Orlesian Seeker with a hilarious accent that's looking for the Warden (not necessarily YOUR Warden, I think) and the Champion. You know it in your heart to be true.

[Riggswolfe]

[tmp]

I'm telling you, though, Dragon Age 3, you're an Orlesian Seeker with a hilarious accent that's looking for the Warden (not necessarily YOUR Warden, I think) and the Champion. You know it in your heart to be true.

DA3 is obviously going to take place in Orlais -- Bodahn and Sandal are heading there.

[Sjofn]

Yeah, that was a big reason I think it'll be there too. I dunno, a Seeker just seems like the obvious choice, they have codexes and stuff setting them up as a thing! It's a gender neutral thing they can call you when they're talking to you! They have a clear MISSION (zomg find the Champion and/or the Warden oh Maker we are so screwed without them) and everything!

Hell, I'd play as Cassandra. She seems neat.

[Ingmar]

Yeah, that was a big reason I think it'll be there too. I dunno, a Seeker just seems like the obvious choice, they have codexes and stuff setting them up as a thing! It's a gender neutral thing they can call you when they're talking to you! They have a clear MISSION (zomg find the Champion and/or the Warden oh Maker we are so screwed without them) and everything!

Hell, I'd play as Cassandra. She seems neat.

Also, hot.

[Sjofn]

Yeah, that was a big reason I think it'll be there too. I dunno, a Seeker just seems like the obvious choice, they have codexes and stuff setting them up as a thing! It's a gender neutral thing they can call you when they're talking to you! They have a clear MISSION (zomg find the Champion and/or the Warden oh Maker we are so screwed without them) and everything!

Hell, I'd play as Cassandra. She seems neat.

Also, hot.

omg you like her better than meeeeeeeee

[tmp]

Hell, I'd play as Cassandra. She seems neat.

Also hot

I've modified Cassandra to give her back the slicked back hair from the concept art. Seconding both sentiments.

Actually, scratch that. I'd play as Leliana, and getting in touch with Cassandra. Plenty of touch.

[Mazakiel]

Yeah, that was a big reason I think it'll be there too. I dunno, a Seeker just seems like the obvious choice, they have codexes and stuff setting them up as a thing! It's a gender neutral thing they can call you when they're talking to you! They have a clear MISSION (zomg find the Champion and/or the Warden oh Maker we are so screwed without them) and everything!

Hell, I'd play as Cassandra. She seems neat.

Also, hot.

[Sjofn]

Hell, I'd play as Cassandra. She seems neat.

Also hot

I've modified Cassandra to give her back the slicked back hair from the concept art. Seconding both sentiments.

Actually, scratch that. I'd play as Leliana, and getting in touch with Cassandra. Plenty of touch.

I totally and immediately 'shipped Cassandra and Leliana.