Dragon Age Inquisition doesn't start?

Ok, I found what causes the problem (even though I can't tell what the problem actually is) and a very cumbersome workaround

On my HP Envy Touchscreen PC the game runs fine, the blackscreen crash happens on my Surface Pro 3 i7 (yes I can actually run it on lowest possible settings but at  4.1 avg fps the lag is painful)

So to the issue: Start the game...if you start on DAI or switch to it at any time during launch (even up to Click anywhere to continue) the game automatically tries to fullscreen at which point it crashes.

The workaround: As mentioned above, this method is extremely cumbersome/tedious but it will allow you to play/prove you can play (meaning the fault does not lie with your machine but rather with the game launch sequence)

1) From your Origin friends list join a friend's multiplayer (hence cumbersome)

2) Immediately switch to some other window/program so that you're not on DAI when it starts

3) Wait until you get accepted to the multiplayer lobby (even if it's full, it'll work),you can see it from taskbar preview and/or Windows Transparent "windows" at which point you can click on the small DAI window without it trying to auto-resize

Using this method (I maximized the small DAI window) I was able to adjust options, continue my single-player game, and play a solo MP game (died on 3/5 but didn't crash out)

Unfortunately, you have to have a joinable game available every time, but you don't need the other tricks that everybody says will work (which didn't for me) like "Run as admin" or "Compatibility mode" or "Repair game" or "-dx9 command line argument" or "Disable Origin overlay"

EDIT: you can Alt+TAB to DAI once the "Click to Continue" Screen shows without needing to Join MP as long as you're not set to fullscreen, Fullscreen at any time will crash you unless you launched directly into MP. Although switching from launch window size to "Windowed Fullscreen" seems to run ok as well as off-screen launching into "Windowed Fullscreen" (still have to stay off of DAI until Click to Continue screen)