Mistakes

How many times have you played a game and realized that you've been going about things wrong?  If you're anything like me, it probably happens quite often.  But how do you deal with those mistakes--do you soldier on and try to make the best of a bad situation?  Do you start completely over with a clean slate?  Or do you rage and vow never to pick it up again?  I tend towards the to two, but have had my moments with the third option.

I am having this dilemma in regards to my first round of Dragon Age:  Inquisition.  I have spent a large chunk of time running around the starting area trying to complete everything.  In my time exploring the Hinterlands I kept wondering, "when am I going to get some new companions?"  The answer was way sooner than what I actually did.  Now this might not seem like a big deal, and maybe it's not, but I have been selling gear left and right that could have been used to gear up my new characters.  I suppose I could craft them some stuff if I wanted to gear them up, it might drain my collected resources though.  Should I gear up characters who I have little actual intention of using?  If Inquisition is anything like Mass Effect I will eventually be accompanying all my companions on some sort of side quest.  I think it's best to err on the side of safety and get them some passably good gear.

I am also feeling a little perplexed at this weird design decision.  Why make the initial zone so huge?  Part of the reason I stayed so long is because I've been burned in the past.  How many times have you followed a main questline only to be locked out of side quests that you didn't finish?  I know it's happened to me numerous times and I have had to replay large sections or just totally scrap a playthrough.

Redcliffe.  Another part of the Hinterlands.

Now that I know some of these facts, I feel like I want to start over.  I am now about 25 hours in and that is just way too much to replay.  I am going to opt to soldier on and in my next playthrough do things differently.  Overall I am enjoying Inquisition, but I just have to boggle over these decisions.