@zoid -
Seriously, drop everything and go to the Circle Tower. It’ll be a considerable challenge in its own right - and one part of the Tower is the single worst part about Origins - but it’s best to get it out of the way early and you’ll find the rest of the game MUCH easier going once you get the thing you’ll get there.
@everyone else -
OK, I’ve started the game about ten times, trying to play around with the various races and classes, but I can’t decide which one to use for my first “real” play through.
My problem is this: for one time in my video game playing life, I don’t want to spoil myself for the characters and situations I’ll be encountering. I know some of the names I’m likely to meet, but nothing about any of them including their classes or even races (except for Cassandra, Varric, and Billy Corgan the Elf, who I’ve met already). I usually want to pick a class for myself that will replace one of the less interesting NPCs (so I don’t have to ever use that NPC). So, for instance, in Origins I chose to be a dagger rogue my first time through because I didn’t find Zevran particularly interesting and left him at camp on every mission. So, with that in mind - and knowing as I do not what companions I will eventually recruit - any suggestions for starting class?