Companion Approval & Relationships
Building strong relationships with your companions is a cornerstone of the Dragon Age: Inquisition experience. Beyond their combat prowess, your companions are complex individuals with their own backstories, motivations, and moral compasses. Your dialogue choices and actions throughout the game directly influence their approval of you, which can unlock personal quests, deepen bonds, and even lead to romance.
Each companion has a unique set of values and triggers for both approval and disapproval. For instance, Iron Bull might approve of bold, decisive actions and disapprove of perceived weakness, while Cassandra values justice and loyalty. Understanding these individual leanings is crucial for navigating conversations and making choices that al with their perspectives.
Factors Influencing Approval:
- Dialogue Choices: Selecting options that show empathy, agreement, or support for their viewpoints generally earns approval. Conversely, dismissive, cruel, or contradictory statements lead to disapproval.
- Quest Decisions: The choices you make during quests, especially those that al with a companion's personal beliefs or goals, will significantly impact their opinion of you.
- Personal Quests: Successfully completing a companion's personal quest is a major source of approval and demonstrates your commitment to their well-being.
- Actions in the World: Sometimes, specific actions taken during exploration or combat can also influence approval, though this is less common than dialogue or quest choices.
Romance Options: Certain companions are available for romance, and building high approval is a prerequisite for initiating and progressing these relationships. Each romance has specific dialogue triggers and requires consistent positive interactions.
Consequences of Approval/Disapproval:
- High Approval: Unlocks companion quests, grants access to powerful companion-specific abilities or perks, and opens up romance options.
- Low Approval: Can lead to strained relationships, companions questioning your leadership, and in extreme cases, them leaving the Inquisition.
Pay close attention to the on-screen notifications that indicate approval or disapproval. These provide immediate feedback on your choices. It's also worth noting that some decisions may please one companion while displeasing another, creating interesting party dynamics and forcing you to make difficult choices.
Cultivating these relationships not only enriches the narrative but also strengthens your party, making them more effective allies in combat and more loyal followers in your quest to save Thedas.