I think the story is much better as a Mage, personally.
That said, Mages definitely aren't the power houses they were in DA:O. But they aren't weaklings, either. They're just a LOT more about control.
Rogues give you amazing single target dps (particularly when talking about a DW Hawke). Wariors give solid close-range AoE DPS. Mages give great large-area AoE DPS, particularly when you have big groups. More importantly, they have a higher ability to control enemies and buff allies than the other classes.
Because Heal and potions both have a fairly long CD, you can't play DA2 the same way you could play DAO, falling back on them as a crutch. You need to be proactive with your defenses and avoid damage where possible. Mage is the best option for that control, and you really can't rely on an AI to provide it. If you're going to have to micromanage your Mage anyway, it might as well be Hawke. Particularly since he blows the other two Mages out of the water, having a much larger number of spell options.
You can still spec Hawke to be a stronger AoE damage dealer (with some somewhat powerful single target skills) but it will definitely require cross-class combos. He does have one of the better AoE CC combos, though.
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IDrownFish wrote:
Anyways, you all are horrible, @#%^ed up people
lolgaxe wrote:
Never underestimate the healing power of a massive dong.