Yeah, I think it's often underrated in story driven games the importance that flavour can have, even if it involves the player doing seemingly pointless actions. There's points in the Exile Princes where I realised that I could (and actually did in a couple of them) include points where there'd be a decision popup screen where the result of the decision was so irrelevant I didn't even have to log it anywhere, but the game could still make it feel like a meaningful moment.
As to my eventual choices and outcomes at key moments, a list:
> Persuaded Zath to lift the curse
> Let the mages live at the Circle Tower
> Sorta accidentally half-romanced Leilana by accident, got as far as an awkward feelings conversation and that was it
> Let Arl Eamon's wife sacrifice herself and used blood magic to free Connor. Ultimately turned Jovan over to the Circle.
> Backed Bhelen in Orzammar
> Backed Caridin and killed Branka
> Executed Loghain, then got Alistair and Anora to marry one another
> Slept with Morrigan to ensure neither I or Alistair died at the end
> All my companions more or less liked me throughout and to the end, except Zevran who betrayed me so I shoved a flaming dagger where the sun shone not until it glowed
I guess at some point I might play the other games. Don't feel DAII seems appealing right now, but partly that's because the later parts of DAO were so glitchy (the other part is that it feels like having a single main character as I understand that has might be less fun for me?)