Dragon Age

[Raguel]

I think the Keep DLC was worth it. I'm not so sure about The Stone Prisoner, but I can't explain why w/o spoilers. Suffice it to say I haven't done much with it beyond the main storyline. It may be worth it if I did more.


In other news: I overheard a very suspicious convo between Morrigan and Alistair. Also Lelianna is the shy, quiet type 

[Reg]

On this playthrough my male city elf rogue slept with Morrigan then broke up with her when Leliana told me to.  Then I slept with Zevrhan and broke up with him when Leliana bitched.  So far I haven't slept with Miss Joan of Arc though.  She'd better be worth it.

[stray]

Stone Prisoner is almost, or maybe equally, as good as the Keep.. and that was Free! Free for me at least. Shale is a beast of a tank, and if you don't care for that, he's better than ever other melee party member (better than everyone besides yourself at least). Not to mention Shale is entertaining to boot. But his sidequests open up the availabity of the Helm of Honeleath.. which is the best Helmet in the game afaik.

[edit] Romancing Leliana would be worth it if you made sure to train Lethality or something. :P She gets Cunning bonuses. But you're in for the long haul with her, she's a romantic. Zev is a swinger, and Morrigan is independent.

[veredus]

I'm just finally starting to get into this game and I don't want to wade through spoilers for 60 pages. 

Is the DLC worth getting?  I got the stonekeeper thing with my box, but the extra dungeon one I still need to buy.  At what level do you actually get to use it?

Just something to think about before hitting Warden's Keep. The Warden Armor set you get out of there is one of the best looking (and it's a great set stat wise) in game and the higher lvl you are when you do the keep, the higher lvl the armor will be.

[Segoris]

I think the Keep DLC was worth it. I'm not so sure about The Stone Prisoner, but I can't explain why w/o spoilers. Suffice it to say I haven't done much with it beyond the main storyline. It may be worth it if I did more.

The Stone prisoner isn't worth it if you are only taking the actual acquiring of Shale into consideration. If you think about how much things such as conversations and group balance change, along with his side quests, then I'd have to disagree. It really is equal with the tower, just spread out throughout the game instead of one solid side quest.

Morrigan is independent.

I don't like how they tried to portray this as far as the relationship stuff goes since Morrigan is just as bitchy as Leliana is about you hooking up with others. I understand Leliana not wanting to share due to her being the long term relationship/love type, but Morrigan trying to pass herself off as hooking up is an act of convenience and pleasure while not allowing others to be involved...bleh.

[Merusk]

Morrigan gets all clingy and infatuated, too.  She talks about how she can't stop thinking about you, you fill her every thought and she wants only to please you and it drives her insane.  If you say "Well I don't want to hurt you" she says "but I want you to!"

I've had more fun with Morrigan's relationship than with my attempt at Lei's.  The conversations of disapproval from your party members alone are worth it. Wynne, Alistair, the dwarf. Heh.

[stray]

That's the biggest reason why I don't like Morrigan. She's fussy and difficult like that. I already know enough real women who push people away, yet strap them down for their own ends.. why the hell would I invite that into my video game fantasies?  

However, there's really no point to any of it. I got her on my side as a good friend, and got enough +magic bonuses. Once she knows there's no relationship, she's happy being a good friend. Leliana just doesn't want you to be too good of friends. I think if you hit a certain threshold, like maybe 90% approval with Morrigan, even as friends, Leliana puts out the ultimatum again.

[Segoris]

Morrigan gets all clingy and infatuated, too.  She talks about how she can't stop thinking about you, you fill her every thought and she wants only to please you and it drives her insane.  If you say "Well I don't want to hurt you" she says "but I want you to!"

Yeah, but even before she's that clingy she won't allow for others to be involved. If it was only after admitting her attachment and the hero agreeing with that, then I'd have no problem with the ultimatum she's bringing up, but when she does it while preaching that it's only for lust and convenience, that's just annoying.

Leliana just doesn't want you to be too good of friends. I think if you hit a certain threshold, like maybe 90% approval with Morrigan, even as friends, Leliana puts out the ultimatum again.

Annoying, but I like it since it isn't like they are friends but rather just two companions against the blight. It fits that character imo.

[stray]

Yeah, I didn't mind that. It's Morrigan I don't like.

I would have liked to romance Wynne. 

[Segoris]

Smokey: Older the berry, the sweeter the juice.

[dusematic]

OK, um.  I'm scared to ask this since by virtue of this thread going for nigh on 60 pages, there probably aren't many level-headed souls.  But, is this game just KOTOR 3 WITH ELVES or what?  I didn't like Mass Effect as i thought it was exactly like KOTOR, and was extremely boring.  I mean what's the deal here?  I did like KOTOR 1 but every Bioware game hence has been just more of the same.  Should I just avoid this like my gut tells me to or can someone sell me on it?

[caladein]

I think the Morrigan romance is worth it if only for the dialogue when you ask her to sleep with you.  Those are easily some of the best lines in the game that don't involve Wynne, Shale or "Enchantment!"

OK, um.  I'm scared to ask this since by virtue of this thread going for nigh on 60 pages, there probably aren't many level-headed souls.  But, is this game just KOTOR 3 WITH ELVES or what?  I didn't like Mass Effect as i thought it was exactly like KOTOR, and was extremely boring.  I mean what's the deal here?  I did like KOTOR 1 but every Bioware game hence has been just more of the same.  Should I just avoid this like my gut tells me to or can someone sell me on it?

It's the best of the modern BioWare RPGs.  If you don't want more of that... for some reason, then yes, avoid it.  (I'd say it's their best ever but that's a bit like saying Valkyria Chronicles is better than Final Fantasy Tactics.  It may be true but it's not a very useful statement.)

[schild]

It's the best of the modern BioWare RPGs.

I fully agree since I thought KOTOR, Jade Empire and NWN were incredibly bad.

It's a good game. But I think comparing it to that stuff is lowering the bar a bit too much.

Edit: It's more like Medieval Mass Effect than KOTOR imo. But YMMV depending on how much of a love/hate relationship you had with KOTOR. I thought KOTOR was just total shit and couldn't stick with it for more than an hour at a time, and having played Mass Effect recently, I sort of liken it to that - complete with a few pointless areas and incredibly huge places that seem to have been made just to force you to walk.

[stray]

They're all basically the same to me, but this one has the best story, Jade Empire and Mass Effect the fresher take on combat systems, and KotoR has an inherent appeal to some for being "Star Wars". I wouldn't really call it KotoR with Elves though, since Elves are barely a part of this fantasy world (they are there however.. but they excel at.. poverty).

[dusematic]

Thanks dude.  I'll give it a shot.

[Riggswolfe]

  I didn't like Mass Effect as i thought it was exactly like KOTOR, and was extremely boring. 

Ok, sorry to derail but what. the. fuck? Mass Effect <> KOTOR. Different universe. different themes, different feel (Star Wars is very black and white, Mass Effect has more shades of grey), different storyline (majorly different), different combat system, different party dynamics, different gameplay all together. I mean hell, on the most basic level Mass Effect is a 3rd Person Shooter with RPG elements and KOTOR was basically d20 Star Wars with some hacks made so it'd work on a computer/console. I mean, this makes me think that you went "oh, it's an RPG in space! Kotor!"

[stray]

I think the only thing that differentiates Mass Effect is the combat.. Just like Jade Empire. They are all basically the same formula otherwise. Combat might be a big differentiation though, granted... But all Bioware games have a particular feel. That's probably all he means. And I've heard of plenty of people who don't like the Bioware take on RPG's. Different strokes, etc..

Mass Effect is throwing me for a loop though (so far). I like the Bioware formula. I just don't like how this story is panning out or executed.

[Riggswolfe]

Story isn't really the strong suit of Mass Effect 1 IMO. It's more about the action and the character interactions. Mass Effect and KOTOR are so dissimilar that it blows my mind he thinks it's just alike. It'd be like saying Jade Empire is basically a retread of Baldur's Gate. Uhh...no sparky they're not.

Edit:

I suppose when you get right down to it you have 3 RPG types.

JRPGs - Usually a decent to great story, very linear, very little player control of anything except leveling up and combat.
Sandbox RPGs - Oblivion/Falllout. Story takes a backseat to stuff like exploring and character development. Almost never have a "party". Often feel like single player MMOs to me.
Bioware/Witcher/etc - Somewhere between the two extremes. Character customization is important, stories are usually pretty good though character interaction can sometimes be more interesting than the story. Typically follows a linear plot with side quests to break up the action and make things feel less linear.

[stray]

Jade Empire and Mass Effect were both original IP, and spiced up for consoles.. That's all that really makes them feel different. But you still know you're playing a Bioware game. Which are always centered around choices.. no matter how differently they seem to play out, they feel the same for that. Unfortunately I have not played the Witcher.. Is it full of "choices" too?

On a sidenote, the same guy who lead Jade Empire did BG2 as well, and now is content designer for Diablo 3.. Just seems like a radically different switch to me to just focus on "content", but whatever.

[Riggswolfe]

The Witcher is all about choices and I'd say the choices "matter" more than they do in Bioware games. Typically a choice you will make in say, Act 1 will have consequences in Act 2. Maybe an NPC dies because of something you did so now you can't finish a quest or something like that.

[Raguel]

oner isn't worth it if you are only taking the actual acquiring of Shale into consideration. If you think about how much things such as conversations and group balance change, along with his side quests, then I'd have to disagree. It really is equal with the tower, just spread out throughout the game instead of one solid side quest.

Generally speaking, I've been biased towards a team including Alistair,Dog, and Morrigan. Mainly because in my first playthrough (s/s champ/zerk) I did a lot of boneheaded things and didn't have a good chuck of companions, but also because I died a lot with any other configuration. Just for kicks I decided to see how things would fair with my ranger, Shale, Leilana (bard/ranger) and Wynne (SH with a side of AW for teh lulz) and we just pwnd the urn quest. First time around I had to reload several times at the (mini)boss fight and in the guantlet but with me and Lei pwning mages  and my pet and Shale tanking, I won those fights easy with no deaths the first time out.

Speaking of pets, I thought someone said the max was 2. My party could only have one at a time. Do both chars have to be Master Rangers? Im playing the PS3 version, if that matters.

[Lantyssa]

[CaptainNapkin]

[Sky]

Hm, I cruised through that fight with my 2h warrior, Al, Wynne and Lel.

I'm almost done with Orzammar on my first playthrough :) 34% complete, 65% of the world explored, 67 hours, 41 minutes.

[Raguel]

Btw, if I ever play this game again as a rogue I'm going to get combat stealth much earlier in the game. It's so much fun.

[Fraeg]

hmm

[Merusk]

Really? I thought the bridge was one of the easiest puzzles ever.  Now, granted, I had to write down what each button activated, but once I did that, poof, done.

[Rasix]

Really? I thought the bridge was one of the easiest puzzles ever.  Now, granted, I had to write down what each button activated, but once I did that, poof, done.

I did the same.  The previous fight being mentioned was ridiculously easy.  Mine were over in seconds on both occasions.  Focus fire the squishies. CC the rest.

[caladein]

Really? I thought the bridge was one of the easiest puzzles ever.  Now, granted, I had to write down what each button activated, but once I did that, poof, done.

Same here.  And at least it wasn't another Tower of Hanoi or Bucket Puzzle.

[NiX]

Really? I thought the bridge was one of the easiest puzzles ever.  Now, granted, I had to write down what each button activated, but once I did that, poof, done.

When I realized that I would have to write something down, I googled it too. There should be no need for me to get up and grab a piece of paper.

[Ingmar]

Kids these days!

[NiX]

Kids these days!

Old people. Always forgetting how lazy they were.

[MrHat]

Really? It was just trial and error if I remember right.  You just run someone along them until the first one solidifies.  Then the second person.  etc.

[CaptainNapkin]

Really? I thought the bridge was one of the easiest puzzles ever.  Now, granted, I had to write down what each button activated, but once I did that, poof, done.

When I realized that I would have to write something down, I googled it too. There should be no need for me to get up and grab a piece of paper.

I gave it a few tries before realizing the same, so I googled the answer as well. No need to throw that kind of puzzle solving in to break up the otherwise decent flow of my rpg.

[Raguel]

There is something about Landsmeet that makes me think "welp, time to reroll or play something else".