Alistair: In Game
Meeting
You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together. -- Alistair, First Meeting with the character
Meeting Alistair is quite easy, he’s the first one you (I’ll use you as for your character) get from the companions. Just after your origin story, where Duncan recruits you, you get to meet him. When arriving at the camp in Ostagar, you are sent to find him, so he can bring the other two recruits, for the task before joining. You find him arguing, or better using his sass with the mage. That scene made me love him, and if I remember well, I commented to my friends, this will be epic bromance, because I still didn’t know about the romancing thing. Already here you can begin working on his approval, even if it will show, after the Ostagar part, when the two of you are lone survivors of the massacre, and Loghain’s betrayal (not really, later you find Wynee also survived.)
He doesn’t seem to know who you are from the beginning, and he asks you about being a mage, if you are, he’ll apologies later, and if you are not, good too. He also apologizes for not recognizing you being Duncun’s recruit, and then the two of you go in search for Duncan to start the quest for joining. As junior member (he joined the Wardens six months prior to you) he would be going with you and the other two for the task of collecting darkspawn blood and the lost documents.
When the joining is finished, the two of you are given the task to light the
beacon so Loghain will know when to attack. Here you can already count him as
a party member.