Introduction to Dragon Age: Inquisition Speedrunning

Hey there, fellow gamers! TurboTony here, ready to guide you through the exhilarating world of Dragon Age: Inquisition speedrunning. As someone who's spent countless hours perfecting routes in Elden Ring and Dark Souls, I can tell you that speedrunning this massive RPG is a whole different beast. But fear not! With the right strategies and a bit of practice, you'll be closing rifts and saving Thedas faster than you can say "Maker's breath!"

In this guide, we'll dive deep into the Any% category for Dragon Age: Inquisition, aiming to complete the game in under 3 hours. This might sound impossible given the game's sprawling nature, but trust me, it's doable. We'll be exploiting glitches, skipping side content, and making some lightning-fast decisions. So strap in, Inquisitor - it's time to save the world at breakneck speed!

Pre-Run Preparation

Before we jump into the nitty-gritty of the run, let's cover some essential preparation steps:

1. Game Version: Ensure you're running the latest version of Dragon Age: Inquisition (as of this writing, it's 1.12). Some older glitches have been patched out, but new ones have been discovered.

2. Character Creation: For the fastest possible run, create a female Qunari mage. This combination offers the best movement speed and access to crucial glitches.

3. Difficulty: Set the game to Casual difficulty. We're here for speed, not challenge!

4. Settings: Turn off all tutorials and reduce graphics settings to minimize load times.

5. Practice: Familiarize yourself with the route and glitches. A good speedrun is all about muscle memory and quick decision-making.

The Speedrun Route

Now, let's break down the route into manageable sections. Remember, every second counts!

1. Prologue and Haven (0:00 - 0:20)

• Skip all cutscenes and dialogue options when possible.

• Use the "Fade Step" glitch to move quickly through the prologue.

• In Haven, only complete the bare minimum quests to progress the story.

2. The Hinterlands (0:20 - 0:45)

• Utilize the "Horse Climb" glitch to reach Mother Giselle quickly.

• Skip all optional quests and collectibles.

• Use the "Rift Skip" glitch to avoid closing unnecessary rifts.

3. Val Royeaux and Recruiting Allies (0:45 - 1:15)

• Choose Vivienne as your mage ally for her useful "Fade Step" ability.

• Recruit Sera for her "Stealth" ability, crucial for later glitches.

• Use the "Fast Travel Glitch" to quickly return to Haven.

4. In Your Heart Shall Burn (1:15 - 1:45)

• Exploit the "Corypheus Skip" to bypass a large portion of this quest.

• Use the "Out of Bounds" glitch to reach Skyhold faster.

5. Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts (1:45 - 2:15)

• Employ the "Ballroom Skip" to bypass most of the quest's content.

• Use Sera's "Stealth" ability to avoid detection during crucial moments.

6. Here Lies the Abyss (2:15 - 2:40)

• Utilize the "Fade Skip" glitch to dramatically shorten this quest.

• Use Vivienne's "Fade Step" to quickly navigate through required areas.

7. Final Battle and Epilogue (2:40 - 3:00)

• Exploit the "Corypheus Phase Skip" to end the battle quickly.

• Skip all possible cutscenes and dialogue to reach the credits ASAP.

Key Glitches and Techniques

Let's dive deeper into some of the crucial glitches and techniques mentioned above:

1. Fade Step Glitch: By repeatedly casting and canceling Fade Step, you can move at incredible speeds. This is essential for quick navigation throughout the run.

2. Horse Climb: By positioning your mount at specific angles against certain surfaces, you can "climb" up otherwise impassable terrain. This saves significant time in areas like the Hinterlands.

3. Rift Skip: By approaching rifts from specific angles and using precise timing, you can trigger the closing animation without actually engaging in combat.

4. Fast Travel Glitch: By opening the map and fast traveling simultaneously with specific inputs, you can bypass loading screens and travel instantly.

5. Corypheus Skip: This complex glitch involves precise positioning and ability usage to skip a large portion of the "In Your Heart Shall Burn" quest.

6. Out of Bounds: By exploiting certain terrain features, you can move outside the intended game boundaries, allowing for significant shortcuts.

7. Ballroom Skip: Using a combination of stealth and precise movement, you can bypass most of the Winter Palace sequence.

8. Fade Skip: This glitch allows you to skip most of the Fade section in the "Here Lies the Abyss" quest.

9. Corypheus Phase Skip: By triggering specific dialogue options and using precise ability timing, you can skip entire phases of the final boss fight.

Tips for Consistent Runs

1. Practice, practice, practice: Focus on mastering each glitch individually before attempting full runs.

2. Optimize your menu navigation: Quick and efficient menu usage can save valuable seconds.

3. Learn to read dialogue quickly: Some dialogue can't be skipped, so train yourself to read and make decisions rapidly.

4. Don't get discouraged: Speedrunning is all about repetition and improvement. Every failed run is a learning opportunity.

5. Stay up to date: The Dragon Age: Inquisition speedrunning community is always discovering new tricks. Keep an eye on forums and Discord channels for the latest strategies.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

1. Overleveling: Gaining too much XP can actually slow you down by triggering unnecessary cutscenes. Stick to the minimum required encounters.

2. Inventory management: Don't waste time sorting through loot. Only pick up essential items for progression.

3. Dialogue mishaps: Accidentally selecting the wrong dialogue option can cost precious time. Memorize the correct choices for each conversation.

4. Glitch inconsistency: Some glitches require precise timing and positioning. If you miss a glitch, have a backup strategy ready.

5. Getting lost: The game world is huge. Memorize the exact path for each section to avoid wasting time navigating.

Tracking Your Progress

Keeping track of your split times is crucial for improving your speedrun. Here's a chart showing approximate target times for each major section of the run:

Conclusion

And there you have it, aspiring speedrunners! A comprehensive guide to blazing through Dragon Age: Inquisition in under 3 hours. Remember, speedrunning is as much about the journey as it is about the destination. Each run is an opportunity to refine your skills, discover new strategies, and push the boundaries of what's possible in this fantastic game.

As you practice and improve, don't forget to share your achievements with the community. Who knows? You might just be the one to discover the next game-changing glitch or strategy!

For the latest world records and to submit your own runs, be sure to check out www.speedrun.com/dragon_age_inquisition. Happy running, and may the Maker watch over your splits!

This is TurboTony, signing off. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some Elden Ring bosses to sprint past!