Dragon Age

[Kitsune]

The thing that's setting Dragon Age apart for me so far is the fact that I really like all the characters.  Unlike some previous endeavors (I'm looking at you here, Carth and Bastilla), none of the characters are pissing me off.  I enjoy the party banter, and the way the party interacts with NPC dialogue.  I hated to give up Morrigan to put Shale in, solely on the merits of her conversations.

[Ingmar]

Much like BG2 I'm going to probably end up playing this game 7-8 times just to see all the interactions.

[Rasix]

Hey, one of the devs said that apparently certain codex entries read differently depending on your background. 

I'm up to like 98/100 on Morrigan's love but I can't get any action.  Sonofa.

Really, I nailed her a lot earlier than that.  I don't think she's into girls, if that's where you're coming from. Then of course, Morrigan and the bard didn't like me sleeping with both of them.  I picked the bard; she's more my puppy-hugger's speed.  Morrigan is quite the calculating bitch and tends to gripe a lot whenever I do something that doesn't directly give me more power. Hey, I'm being nice!

Not sure I'm going to rush into a second playthrough.  45 hours in and on the 4th treaty (64% of the world explored).  I really don't have the time to play DA this much, but I'm finding a way.  Heh.

[Sky]

That's one thing I like about Morrigan, the feeling is mutual. I want to replace her, but I need her in the party, she wants to not be there.


Hate to replace Alistair, as I like his story, but not sure I want two warriors in the party.

I really don't have the time to play DA this much, but I'm finding a way.  Heh.

Yeah, me too. I just started playing Tuesday night, but events conspired to give me a lot of pc time the last couple of days. 12 hours in two days is unheard of in my gaming world! Thank the maker I mulched the leaves on monday.

[gryeyes]

I'm more inclined to side with Amiable.  I don't think its a matter of min/max, but more of a feeling of making informed decisions.  For me, _the_ fun is completely in the party/character building; killing wolves .7 secs faster is meaningless (though picking a useful skill to avoid being ploughed under by swarms of wolves would be nice).

The same exact blatantly obvious "flaws" get brought up every other page by new people. And the moron brigade tries to justify it as "USE DA STRATEGIESS@N@".

Protip: This game is a notch or two above diablo in tactical prowess. The "difficult" parts are artificial, they do not derive from requiring complex tactics to overcome. And most of them involve using vastly broken shit like mages in general or LoS to single pull groups that sure as fuck are intended to aggro at once. Nigh unresistable (including a vast majority of bosses) AoE CC effects that only a mage can do, healing that only a mage can do that is a first tier skill. Guess who is also the most effective tank in the game by a giant margin? A mage! You are given shit for information to base your choices on either in strategy or creating your character. Granted the system is relatively shallow, but a spiritual successor to BG and there is fucking zip for documentation? And every class contains "traps" that you just plain don't have the information required to avoid. The tool tips are the most ambiguous shit one can imagine, whether its for skills or spells. And you receive absolutely fucking no information about your enemies. But at least gear is so sparse that making intelligent upgrade choices is largely irrelevant.

A log of the "rolls" seems almost mandatory if you are not going to include even a vague outline of the underlying mechanics elsewhere. Why does CoC effect mobs who are otherwise immune or highly resistant to cold 99% of the time, even on nightmare? Who knows! FF is almost as bad.

Elerion:  

[Draegan]

Hey, one of the devs said that apparently certain codex entries read differently depending on your background. 

I'm up to like 98/100 on Morrigan's love but I can't get any action.  Sonofa.

Really, I nailed her a lot earlier than that.  I don't think she's into girls, if that's where you're coming from. Then of course, Morrigan and the bard didn't like me sleeping with both of them.  I picked the bard; she's more my puppy-hugger's speed.  Morrigan is quite the calculating bitch and tends to gripe a lot whenever I do something that doesn't directly give me more power. Hey, I'm being nice!

Not sure I'm going to rush into a second playthrough.  45 hours in and on the 4th treaty (64% of the world explored).  I really don't have the time to play DA this much, but I'm finding a way.  Heh.

I'm a male city elf.  She has flirted with me etc.  I duno, maybe I'm not talking to her at the right time.

Meh.

[Velorath]

Regarding stats, they're not easy to understand, even with those new-fangled tool tips all the crazy kids are raving about. I don't know if +1 Defense increases armor or dodge (or both?), and I don't know what the hell Spell Power does at all.

The answer to both those questions is in the instruction manual (possibly in-game too but I haven't checked).  I realize that most people these days don't bother to read the manual, but at the same time, you can't really complain then if you don't know what shit does.

Edit:  I just checked, and if you mouse over the spellpower and defense icons in the character menu (they're on the bottom left of your character's picture) it does in fact tell you what they do.

[Ingmar]

I duno, maybe I'm not talking to her at the right time.

If you're not doing the talking in camp, then that's the problem yes.

[rk47]

Cone of Cold + Critical Hits / Stone Projectile is pretty much my basic combo nowadays when dealing with trash mobs. Shattering these trashes in 1 hit cuts down a lot of frustration. Especially after Redcliffe Zerg.

[jakonovski]

Mission accomplished! My char no longer has romantic issues. Which is nice, all that slaying cannot be good for the soul.

[Xilren's Twin]

Still loving it, still have a long way to go and can’t wait.  Currently 37+ hours in and am battling through the Deep Roads.  There are some stuff down there that was practically lifted wholesale from the Lord of the Rings movies (that’s not a complaint), which gives it a nice epic feel, plus the customary Bioware flavor quests. 


I have so much stuff on my quest to do list that this game just eats my time; it says I have only seen 20% of the content!  I know I want to play through again to do the different starter quests and different party composition, plus I want to start fooling with the toolset.  I may not log into a MMO for a month at this rate; it’s a good problem to have.

I realize I’m probably in the minority but turn based games (I include this since the phased and pausable combat basically allows you to play it like one) seem to allow for greater complexity that the push towards everything being real time and “actiony”.  I don’t really want RPG’s that are just fps lite games in different clothing, but that’s mostly what we’ve been getting recently: Mass Effect, Bioshock, Fallout 3 come to mind.  Either that or large, but single player RPGs like Oblivion and the Witcher.  All fine games but the old school gamer in me wants a party of 4-6 different characters with tons of options, and turn based gameplay so you have time to actually use those options.  My kids have watched me play DA and despite how cool they think it looks, they are turned off by the pace when I am constantly pausing to issue orders, let things happen for a bit, then pause and give new orders.  They head back to WoW raiding and Modern Warfare2 multiplayer.  Heathens.

I think it’s impressive BW tried to span the gap to allow one game to be played as either a fast paced, single control action-rpg or slow turn-based party rpg. At the same time it’s amusing to think how the whole MMORPG genre supposedly grew out of games like these; they are night and day different.  I will be quite curious to see their attempt at the KOTOR MMO to see if they can bridge the gap at all there; especially considering when you compare DA to NWN1&2 (since it IS NWN3), it appears that they were able to make a stronger overall game simply by taking other players out of the equation 

[Draegan]

I duno, maybe I'm not talking to her at the right time.

If you're not doing the talking in camp, then that's the problem yes.

I was.  I finally got laid, but I had to kill Flemeth first. 

[Ingmar]

I duno, maybe I'm not talking to her at the right time.

If you're not doing the talking in camp, then that's the problem yes.

I was.  I finally got laid, but I had to kill Flemeth first. 

Ah, yeah I can see how she might get 'stuck' in a state where you had to do that to go on, if you had started that quest up before getting serious.

[Le0]

Just started this game as a sword and board human noble. Really enjoying the world and the dialogues.
Barely scratched the game tho, looking forward for more.

Also I don't understand people that still play the game despite finding it obscure or whatever? Why play if you don't enjoy it, at least its what it seems.

[amiable]

Just started this game as a sword and board human noble. Really enjoying the world and the dialogues.
Barely scratched the game tho, looking forward for more.

Also I don't understand people that still play the game despite finding it obscure or whatever? Why play if you don't enjoy it, at least its what it seems.

Well while I'm not a big fan of the mechanics, I really like the storyline/atmosphere. 

[Lucas]

(no spoilers)

21 hours of gameplay time and I'm only out of Lothering and currently doing the Warden's Keep DLC 

I must say that I'm quite enjoying the DLC: the lore connected to it is very nice and I made the terrible mistake of not bringing with me Morrigan or Arzosah (my mabari dog :P), so I don't have any real crowd control (mind blast or howl) and the fights there are quite hard without it (I'm playing on Hard).

[Pagz]

Has anyone had dragon age randomly delete all your saves while your playing so when you die you can't click anything other then quit game?

Because that just happened to me about 40 hours in and... yeah =/.

Just a warning, backup saves. That's all

[Special J]

I'm having a blast with this game.  28 hours in.  Just did the Sacred Ashes and did the DLC along the way. 

Love the interactions.  Even though I made a shield tanking warrior I bring Alistair along often just to hear him bicker with Morrigan.  Sometimes that spot goes to Shale or Sten.  Morrigan and Leliana are usually my other two.  I'm discovering I'm a little light on crowd control and it's making some of the fights tough on normal.  I'll have to do some AI tweaking to get those clowns to use it better.

Favourite Alistair quote so far: "More crazy? I thought we were all full up."

[Brogarn]

So I've got my Human Warrior trucking around, saving the world. He's been through the Mage's Tower, Redcliff, the Dalish and some of Denerim. Unfortunately, I realized I was bored and am looking to move on to my Mage and Rogue creations. Also, Wynne and Leliana are more annoying with their constant niceness and complimenting each other than Morrigan and Allistair were at sniping at each other. Unfortunately, I need Wynne for healing and Leliana for locks (not that she's great at it, but still... Plus, I've been working her up as the love interest to get that over with. It's an achievement right? Because otherwise, I don't give a shit about that kind of thing.)

I've been working on an Entropy with a side of Spirit mage (hard setting). He just got to Lothering. I'm torn between keeping on with him or making a creation Mage so that I can use Morrigan. But then I need Alistair for tanking but that sniping I mentioned above gets to me after a while. Plus, I haven't really played with any of the other companions. Mainly Zevran and Sten along with others I haven't met yet. I also need to do Stone Prisoner since I got that for free. Can Shale tank?

I've also tried rolling an Elf rogue. I got a Dalish to Ostagar, but realized I don't like bows much. I never have, really, so not sure why I went that route. But in trying to recreate him as a City Elf backstabber, I've come back in touch with my elf hating roots. They all look like traps.

I've tried the two Dwarf origins but didn't like either one. Commoner is just so depressing and I hate playing the criminal. Nobles remind me more of Drow than Dwarves and I just wasn't digging that either.

Guess I'm back to another Human Noble for my rogue. I think I'm actually ok with that, because in my other game I've yet to find Arl Howe and I want that motherfucker dead.

[stray]

There really should have been a human commoner storyline. Those two early Warden recruits (Daveth and Jory.. one was a pickpocket, the other a tourney champ) have more appealing backgrounds than I do. Heh..

Anyways, I haven't been so indecisive about actually settling and playing a game for some time.. Still jumping around.

[Thrawn]

Also, Wynne and Leliana are more annoying with their constant niceness and complimenting each other than Morrigan and Allistair were at sniping at each other. Unfortunately, I need Wynne for healing and Leliana for locks

Same for me, I keep Wynne in party for healing, keep Leliana for locks.  But now I feel like I'm missing some stuff but not spending more time with the other characters.  At least I get to hear Leliana and Morrigan fight over me occasionaly.  "What do YOU possibly have to offer him?" 

[Venkman]

Ok, I'm lagging behind everyone here so trying not to read the spoilery stuff. BUt I do have a question:

Why would I use my Camp? I have one. And I've been there. But I'm not really sure what it's for. So far I haven't had to get rid of anything from my inventory. Does that change at later levels where merchants are fewer and farther between? The healing part of the Camp is nice, but I'm a Mage and an herbalist. I know there was some controversy about some DLC expanding the size of what can be stored at a camp, I just haven't needed to bother yet.

But I'm only level 7. Which is why I ask.

[Sky]

I'm trying to dodge spoilers, too. Just hit my camp last night for the first time.

I do know it's good for conversation time, some funny stuff with Alistair and Bartdog. I didn't see the chest that's supposed to be there with Warden's Keep, does that come later? Some nice stuff on the dwarven vendor, not that I can afford any of it.

Also, "Enchantment!" 

[Reg]

The camp is important. There are conversations and interactions with your NPCs that can't take place anywhere else.  Play with your dog a few times it's hysterical. Also, there's a little dwarf merchant there that can put runes into your weapons for you and that's a big deal too. I don't think there's anywhere else in the game you can get that done. Plus the merchant has unlimited quantities of certain crafting supplies you're going to need as well.

[Nerf]

The merchant in the camp has unlimited flasks, concentration, distillation, and corruption agents.  The other herbal/poison stuff is in the dalish outskirts, he has unlimited elfroot, deathroot, toxin extract, and maybe something else as well.  IIRC unlimited lyrum dust for magic potions is in the circle of magi shop.

Aside from that, you'll start getting a *lot* of loot as you level, my 110 inventory slots filled up damn quick and I had to sell all the time, and you may find later in the game you wish you had something you sold earlier.  Every item you sell to a shop is for sale in that shop for the rest of the game, so if you can always sell loot to the same shop, you'll be able to buy anything you find you shouldn't have sold back without running around the world searching for it.

Also, just make the lowest level of mana potions, they're so much cheaper than the rest that it's really not worth it to make the stronger ones - theres no cooldown on potions.

[Venkman]

Awesome, thanks. I never actually explored the Camp, just went "hmm?" and then back out to combat. Definitely worth it for that vendor alone.

[Nerf]

Yeah, I didn't start making the mana potions til near the end and it makes a *huge* difference when your mages have mana the whole time, and for a rogue the poisons really do add a metric shitton of damage, even if you're just being cheap and stacking 3 or 4 of the dirt cheap level 1 poisons.  Those yellow/orange/red named mobs start dropping like flies with a few poisons stacked on em.

[Venkman]

Yea, I'm already addicted to mana pots, particularly now with three different buffs. I keep carrying a stack of Flashs and am constantly hitting TAB for elfroot. I find the buff system interesting in that it lessens the size of your mana pool. Forces you to choose between the absorb shield, flame weapons and stone skin spells. Or do all three and play healbot.

At my low level anyway

[Reg]

I'm coming up to the final battle now and just sat through a really long cutscene of all of my companions saying goodbye as I go off to slay the ultimate evil. Damn, I love shit like that. It's so nice to play a game where they didn't run out of money and present it to me as a series of badly done sketches in crayon. I'm looking at YOU Obsidian.

[Rasix]

Random gripes:

-All of the sudden, areas are starting to load really slow.  This is only happening after getting all 4 treaty story lines done.  Everytime I start a game, the first few areas will load fine, then from then on I can make a 3 course meal while a small area is loading.

-During one of the end game quests, I ran into a character quest in transit to my destination.  It swapped in a character I had not used at all, and I had to camp out to take my intended party to the destination, thus having to travel all over again.

-I would pay $10 for a traveling salesman DLC/djini.  I'm usually full inventory one rather quickly and tend to spend the last 2/3 of a quest destroying or ignore loot.  I figured if I had been able to loot some of that crap I'd be able to afford some of the really tasty vendor goods I've had to forgo.

I have the feeling I'm about to get super backstabbed/double crossed in the story.  Can't wait. 

[Ingmar]

-All of the sudden, areas are starting to load really slow.  This is only happening after getting all 4 treaty story lines done.  Everytime I start a game, the first few areas will load fine, then from then on I can make a 3 course meal while a small area is loading.

On the old computer I had this problem right from the beginning of the game. It was classic memory leak sort of stuff - restart the game and it would restart with the fast loads, etc.

On the new PC I don't see it that badly until the end of a long session, but I tripled my memory with the upgrade.

[rattran]

I'm having the problem with progressively longer load times, and I have lots of memory.

[Fraeg]

(no spoilers)

21 hours of gameplay time and I'm only out of Lothering and currently doing the Warden's Keep DLC 

I must say that I'm quite enjoying the DLC: the lore connected to it is very nice and I made the terrible mistake of not bringing with me Morrigan or Arzosah (my mabari dog :P), so I don't have any real crowd control (mind blast or howl) and the fights there are quite hard without it (I'm playing on Hard).

about where I am at, I am stuck deciding
Really glad I came here after Lothgar or whatever that first town is... that left me with a taste of way too much vanilla where is Wardens keep is  .  Doing it with Morrigan, the bard, alister, and my casteless dwarf rogue.

[caladein]

I had some pretty horrific loading times in Denerim and Deep Roads and quitting out and starting over didn't seem to fix them so I'm hesitant to think it's memory leaks.

Spoilers/end-of-game thoughts below:

[tmp]

Someone had way too much fun designing these "surprise me" options in Pearl. I'm never going to look at the battle hammers the same way again