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[CrichtonKicks]

Does anyone play with friendly fire on? If I ever do another playthrough, I think I'd want to do a harder difficulty, but the friendly-fire option seems like it'd just be a well of frustration. Like, I already have enough trouble telling my characters to stay out of enemy attack range; how much more frustrating will it be to tell them to stay out of my AoE attacks? (Not to mention I sometimes can't even see where they are with the graphical effects / camera). I always played DA:O with Nightmare / FF-on, but for this game I think I might leave things at at Hard / FF off due to the party AI / tactics.

I played with FF on for a while. It wasn't that bad provided that you turn off all AOE spells in the AI control and only trigger it yourself. I actually found it less frustrating than DO:A because the spells in DA:I fire off much quicker- in DA:O too many times my party members would wander into the AOE zone or the enemies would run out. That was rarely an issue here. However so many of the better spells use AOEs that it felt like I was taking a large amount of my tactical flexibility away by not being able to use them regularly so ultimately turned it off.

 

[spekkeh]

Humbug, my tevinter is coming title was better. Oh well, there's always OT3.

 

[Monster Zero]

Man, I was impressed with Château D'onterre, nice spooky vibe to it. I'm still not entirely sure what the plot was

Spoiler

Secret cover up involving a noble daughter being possessed by a mage? Said daughter murders family and regrets it? Inquisitor kills that demon

it's one of the few times I didn't just spam my way through the text.

 

[Emperor_Uriel]

I played like 50 hours of sidequests in this before I realized it's kind of like Bioware made an Ubisoft game.

 

[Ushay]

She does this for me already when I give her a 2H sword while I'm tanking. No matter how much I try to make her avoid damage.

I countered this by giving her gain guard on hit

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

A few hours back I went to the zombie swamp area, got through most of it then got demolished by the boss at the end of that area. So I left and went to the sea zone and the desert zone next.

Wonder if I'm ready to go back to that guy...

 

[Richgard]

I left the Hinterlands briefly last night but then started to get worried that I'd missed something so now I'm back in the Hinterlands. Please be patient

Me too, though I progressed in the story a littebit

 

[Dresden]

She does this for me already when I give her a 2H sword while I'm tanking. No matter how much I try to make her avoid damage.

See, the AI is good for something.

I played with FF on for a while. It wasn't that bad provided that you turn off all AOE spells in the AI control and only trigger it yourself. I actually found it less frustrating than DO:A because the spells in DA:I fire off much quicker- in DA:O too many times my party members would wander into the AOE zone or the enemies would run out. That was rarely an issue here. However so many of the better spells use AOEs that it felt like I was taking a large amount of my tactical flexibility away by not being able to use them regularly so ultimately turned it off.

FF wasn't a big deal in Origins. With no cap on heals it was trivial to recover after your party got blown up. Or you could just use some of the smart targeting spells like Blood Wound or Chain Lightning.

Less control + arbitrary selection of which spells are FF and which are not + a more punishing healing system just makes friendly fire a bust in Inquistion, and that's before we get into how almost every melee attack cleaves.

Nightmare isn't the tactical mode hell that people are speaking of it as. I use it for most of a battle about 5% time, a little bit around 15% of the time, and not at all about 80% of the time. It has helped as I'm playing a Shield Warrior, as I inititate with The Hook, run in, taunt, then shield up and step away as 2~3 unleash hell.

In Your Heart Shall Burn was pretty demanding in terms of gear, but most of it isn't. If you're doing a "completionist" run, or something close (like 80% of content), there's not really much of a reason not to Nightmare. You'll out-level the content all the same.

It's actually more difficult if you want to play it in tactical mode. The active mitigation stuff favors micromanagement for your character and that's not really possible in a top-down view.

 

[Deleted member 17706]

Well, it must have made sense on paper. Someone specced it and thought: here we have the armor, the weapons, the blueprints and then we have the trinkets that have actual monetary value aka vendor trash. Thus the name - valuables.

But why there is no separate section for monster research bits... Stupid design in action.

Very stupid design decision that renders the "sell all" button useless unless you drop off the monster bits first.

I honestly don't like the concept of junk loot, anyway. Especially when none of it offers even any kind of lore or anything. I guess it's in there to force you to manage inventory space, but I'd rather the stuff actually be useful (gems for crafting or something), or enemies just drop money.

 

[Maledict]

Is there a list anywhere of multiplayer folk? I'd love to get into it on the ps4, but it clearly benefits from having team chat and actual cooperation so my experiences so far haven't been the best...

Psn ID is Voidhawk if anyone wants to add me to play it.

 

[CrichtonKicks]

It's actually more difficult if you want to play it in tactical mode. The active mitigation stuff favors micromanagement for your character and that's not really possible in a top-down view.

Do you mean stuff like Shield Wall and Block and Slash? They work fine in Tactical. The ability I can't get to work right in Tactical is Whirlwind- it just spins around once which is pretty useless.

 

[CrocMother]

As soon as the semester is over this game is going to be injected directly into my veins.

Question for ya: kb/m or 360 controler?

 

[Xeteh]

Nightmare isn't the tactical mode hell that people are speaking of it as. I use it for most of a battle about 5% time, a little bit around 15% of the time, and not at all about 80% of the time. It has helped as I'm playing a Shield Warrior, as I inititate with The Hook, run in, taunt, then shield up and step away as 2~3 unleash hell.

In Your Heart Shall Burn was pretty demanding in terms of gear, but most of it isn't. If you're doing a "completionist" run, or something close (like 80% of content), there's not really much of a reason not to Nightmare. You'll out-level the content all the same.

Then you know some secret I don't because my AI can't even follow commands when I give them. Running through infinite spawning corpses to try to kill this arcane horror and no matter how many times I hit disengage they'd just immediately stop and start fighting corpses again.

As soon as the semester is over this game is going to be injected directly into my veins.

Question for ya: kb/m or 360 controler?

If you have a controller, use it. I played both DA:O and 2 with kb/m and went in thinking I'd do the same with this game. Its not a fun control scheme, the controller works much better.

 

[Dresden]

Do you mean stuff like Shield Wall and Block and Slash? They work fine in Tactical. The ability I can't get to work right in Tactical is Whirlwind- it just spins around once which is pretty useless.

Nah, more like combat roll, evade, etc.

 

[Neoweee]

Then you know some secret I don't because my AI can't even follow commands when I give them. Running through infinite spawning corpses to try to kill this arcane horror and no matter how many times I hit disengage they'd just immediately stop and start fighting corpses again.

Fallow Mire is its own beast.

And there's a bunch of ways to make the AI not dumb.

Mages: Defend Themselves.
Tanks that you aren't controlling: Follow Themselves.

And when I am using Tactical Mode, I don't stay in thaat mode. I'll use it to make sure I'm dragging my hooks, but it's okay if a character dies here or there. Fast travel and potions are infinite. When you are on missions where Potions are limited, 90% of battles are easy to finish without taking damage.

 

[Eventide]

Any way to repair the bridge in Redcliffe Village?

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Haha! Definitely meme material.

A banana peel should be edited into that flying off to the right from the mid left bottom.

Still no MP thread huh? I learned how to read and use reddit in the meantime . It's funny, the main game is like my off/bonus game. I tried going into the main game yesterday and I was like, "This is nice. Time to go back to my MP classes." Maybe this is for the good, who knows maybe in time there will be some patches that make SP amazing to control and stuff, maybe mods like the recent cam zoom thing that may be w.i.p. still.

 

[MidEvlDed]

Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that the majority of this game is side quests? I've always disliked games where you are required to complete side quests in order to progress the story. Side quests should be optional and a good tool for leveling your party and finding items. They should not be a barrier between main story missions. I feel like there are probably fewer than 10 main quests in this game.

Games that have used this model in the past are Saints Row 2 and Red Faction Guerrilla. They require you to earn enough made up "points" by completing side quests before you can move on to the next story sections. I quit playing both of those games. I've enjoyed DA:I so far, and I've put in 45 hours now, but it's starting to feel like a bunch of filler with no substance.

I'm at the point where I've completed the majority of side quests that I wanted to, and I still need 34 more power to start the next main quest. So I basically have to run around all of the different areas and close rifts or something. Seems like pointless wasted hours to me.

 

[jgwhiteus]

As soon as the semester is over this game is going to be injected directly into my veins.

Question for ya: kb/m or 360 controler?

Controller, and I usually prefer kb/m. The game is clearly designed with controllers in mind, which is most evident when you're doing exploration and jumping around - there are some sections which can kindly be called "platforming", and using WASD or arrow keys in those sections is a pain. If they implement some common-sense fixes to the PC controls it might be better later, but for now controller is just less frustrating.

 

[KorrZ]

Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that the majority of this game is side quests? I've always disliked games where you are required to complete side quests in order to progress the story. Side quests should be optional and a good tool for leveling your party and finding items. They should not be a barrier between main story missions. I feel like there are probably fewer than 10 main quests in this game.

Games that have used this model in the past are Saints Row 2 and Red Faction Guerrilla. They require you to earn enough made up "points" by completing side quests before you can move on to the next story sections. I quit playing both of those games. I've enjoyed DA:I so far, and I've put in 45 hours now, but it's starting to feel like a bunch of filler with no substance.

I'm at the point where I've completed the majority of side quests that I wanted to, and I still need 34 more power to start the next main quest. So I basically have to run around all of the different areas and close rifts or something. Seems like pointless wasted hours to me.

It only annoys me when the side stuff is so pointless like collecting chests in Assassin's Creed. Dragon Age side quests so far have had just enough of a story hook to keep me interested, and I've never had any problems with power, in fact I have other 90+ banked right now just from running around. Hinterlands had the worst "MMO" quests, other areas like Crestwood so far I've found to have more of a story element to them.

 

[Neoweee]

Also, people are writing off the War Table.

There's a lot of choices to make. Don't send the fastest person on each, because they may be the wrong person for the job. Rewards, plot, and continuation depend on your choices. Read the description and what each of the character's suggested strategy is.

In the fallout from (mid-game quest)

Spoiler

The Winter Palace

, I got a special dialogue option only because I let somebody live, and then another later only because I had one of the Dialogue perks, to get a high-stakes War Table mission.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

Controller, and I usually prefer kb/m. The game is clearly designed with controllers in mind, which is most evident when you're doing exploration and jumping around - there are some sections which can kindly be called "platforming", and using WASD or arrow keys in those sections is a pain. If they implement some common-sense fixes to the PC controls it might be better later, but for now controller is just less frustrating.

Yeah I think just about any game with platforming could be better with controller. Guild Wars 2 is amazing with a controller, but the devs don't have official controller support in it like Square Enix has with FF11 and FF14. Even with the crazy amount of macros Square Enix still manage to make the experience great with controller. Directions for menu navigation is a must, which makes me surprised Bioware uses stinking analog for menu navigation and direction for stupid not too important character changing. I mean not too important as in the character change could be put anywhere else and it probably would be ok, but with menu navigation you kinda want the feel of a directional 4 way dpad.

 

[rugioh]

Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that the majority of this game is side quests? I've always disliked games where you are required to complete side quests in order to progress the story. Side quests should be optional and a good tool for leveling your party and finding items. They should not be a barrier between main story missions. I feel like there are probably fewer than 10 main quests in this game.

Games that have used this model in the past are Saints Row 2 and Red Faction Guerrilla. They require you to earn enough made up "points" by completing side quests before you can move on to the next story sections. I quit playing both of those games. I've enjoyed DA:I so far, and I've put in 45 hours now, but it's starting to feel like a bunch of filler with no substance.

I'm at the point where I've completed the majority of side quests that I wanted to, and I still need 34 more power to start the next main quest. So I basically have to run around all of the different areas and close rifts or something. Seems like pointless wasted hours to me.

I'm starting to reach that point myself, about 55 hours in with 3 main quests to go. I have over 130 power from doing the side continents/quests and I'm halfway to level 20, think I'm going to get through the main story and last team sidequests before I get fatigued.

 

[kingofthedead45]

Giving mages fade step and setting it to preferred helped quite a bit, although they still won't avoid aoe attacks. But a few seconds later they'll happily reposition themselves into cleave range anyways.

So I had this problem with sera, she had a melee ability she loved to use.(the one that looks like brass knuckles.) She would constantly use it and the just stand in melee range. After disabling it though she no longer "goes in"

 

[Xeteh]

So I had this problem with sera, she had a melee ability she loved to use.(the one that looks like brass knuckles.) She would constantly use it and the just stand in melee range. After disabling it though she no longer "goes in"

Shadow Step. Did you auto level her? For whatever reason her determined level path is nearly all subtlety early on instead of actual bow skills. I don't know what they were thinking on that one.

 

[Xevren]

A banana peel should be edited into that flying off to the right from the mid left bottom.

Still no MP thread huh? I learned how to read and use reddit in the meantime . It's funny, the main game is like my off/bonus game. I tried going into the main game yesterday and I was like, "This is nice. Time to go back to my MP classes." Maybe this is for the good, who knows maybe in time there will be some patches that make SP amazing to control and stuff, maybe mods like the recent cam zoom thing that may be w.i.p. still.

I find the multi kind of lacking at the moment. The loot system is beyond horrid and the bugs have really gotten to me. I have all the classes so I'm just going to wait it out and see what they do with it. I do like the mode, just hope they work with it.

 

[Uthred]

Having these huge maps with random quests and embriums means that I'll probably never finish the game as I'll just get bored with it. I'm already sort of feeling that way with it because most enemies are easy to kill with tactical mode (although it's a pain in the ass to use) and I get so distracted when exploring.

I'm 20ish hours in, level 11.

Maybe only do quests you enjoy?

 

[Ralemont]

Is anyone else annoyed by the fact that the majority of this game is side quests?

Not really. Even if I didn't enjoy exploring and wracking up Power - which I do - you can skip the majority of the sidequests and still get a 40-50 hour RPG. There's plenty of story content, just perhaps not in relation to the sheer volume of "story-less" content.

 

[HundredEyeMonk]

So.. I bought DA:I without playing DA:O or DA2.

I created a character and decided to hold off. EA was having a sale so I picked up Origins and 2.

WTF have I been doing the last 5 years.

Origins is so so good. I love the story. I love the characters. I have to finish the Circle quests and then I will be ready for Eamon to call the Landsmeet. I love it.

I heard DA2 drops off somewhat? I love the lore and reading the Codex entries. I am fascinated with the Chantry, the history of Andraste and the Tevinter Empire etc etc etc. Does the indepth lore continue?

Also- how much of my choices are reflected in DA:I? As I have been progressing through DA:O, I have been updating the Keep to make sure all my decisions have been reflected on my Warden, etc. Just curious how much of this matters.

 

[Ploid 3.0]

I find the multi kind of lacking at the moment. The loot system is beyond horrid and the bugs have really gotten to me. I have all the classes so I'm just going to wait it out and see what they do with it. I do like the mode, just hope they work with it.

Yeah I'm very much looking forward to the next patch especially if it fix my unique staff which Bioware acknowledged that they are aware of it's upgrade bugs. In the meantime I'm collecting gold to get mats that upgrade my classes to tier 3 armors, spend the upgrade items on those armors, and in the process get more uniques and stuff.

 

[WadiumArcadium]

I finally left the Hinterlands! Went to Val Royeax and picked up Sera and yes, she's irritating me already.

 

[Ralemont]

I heard DA2 drops off somewhat? I love the lore and reading the Codex entries. I am fascinated with the Chantry, the history of Andraste and the Tevinter Empire etc etc etc. Does the indepth lore continue?

Absolutely. If you love the history of Dragon Age and the lore you'll love DA: I's story. Especially if you are interested in the Chantry and Andraste.

Also- how much of my choices are reflected in DA:I? As I have been progressing through DA:O, I have been updating the Keep to make sure all my decisions have been reflected on my Warden, etc. Just curious how much of this matters.

They won't change anything really big in DA: I but a few decisions have a significant impact on some of the story missions. It's also just a great feeling to ask Leliana about her relationship with DA: O's Warden, like I get to experience this world I've created over the years.

 

[Kenaras]

So I had this problem with sera, she had a melee ability she loved to use.(the one that looks like brass knuckles.) She would constantly use it and the just stand in melee range. After disabling it though she no longer "goes in"

Maybe this is why I don't understand all the complaints about ranged companions. Mine reliably stay at range, even with default AI settings. Varric occasionally moves in, probably for placing his traps, but Sera and the mages don't. If AI ends up in melee it doesn't make an effort to regain distance, but a few quick commands in tactical mode take core of that.

 

[Flunkie]

Humbug, my tevinter is coming title was better. Oh well, there's always OT3.

This better not be a spoiler.


Edit: also wish I wouldn't have used the default world state now because of the Leliana thing mentioned above...


Speaking of which... If I choose

Spoiler

Cassandra as Devine do I lose her from being able to be in my party?

 

[The perfect Dark]

The Knight-Enchanter is the best option for my Warrior, right?

DAAAAAAAAMN, where is this book? This is bullshit. I don't want to play through the story without choosing a "path".

 

[Xevren]

The Knight-Enchanter is the best option for my Warrior, right?

DAAAAAAAAMN, where is this book? This is bullshit. I don't want to play through the story without choosing a "path".

Knight enchanter is a mage spec.

 

[Ralemont]

Maybe this is why I don't understand all the complaints about ranged companions. Mine reliably stay at range, even with default AI settings. Varric occasionally moves in, probably for placing his traps, but Sera and the mages don't. If AI ends up in melee it doesn't make an effort to regain distance, but a few quick commands in tactical mode take core of that.

That's the core of it, really. If they repositioned themselves there'd be no issue. It sounds like np to reposition them in tactical, and it works, but extended over a 100 hour game and it gets annoying.

 

[Kenaras]

The Knight-Enchanter is the best option for my Warrior, right?

DAAAAAAAAMN, where is this book? This is bullshit. I don't want to play through the story without choosing a "path".

If you're playing a Warrior and have a quest to become a Knight-Enchanter, your game is bugged beyond hope. That would be the reason you can't find the book.

 

[CrichtonKicks]

Maybe this is why I don't understand all the complaints about ranged companions. Mine reliably stay at range, even with default AI settings. Varric occasionally moves in, probably for placing his traps, but Sera and the mages don't. If AI ends up in melee it doesn't make an effort to regain distance, but a few quick commands in tactical mode take core of that.

AI performance seems to really depend on which skills you have. Up through around Level 10 the AI did a great job at managing my dual dagger rogue. Then I respecced and despite only changing a few skills in the process, the AI could not handle the character at all anymore and I had to take direct control every battle just to keep him alive and playing properly. I've respecced a few more times since then and now, for whatever reason, the AI is back to using the rogue effectively.

 

[Deified Data]

The Knight-Enchanter is the best option for my Warrior, right?

DAAAAAAAAMN, where is this book? This is bullshit. I don't want to play through the story without choosing a "path".

This post sounds confused but hilariously you're still right, Knight Enchanters are the best warriors. You just won't have the option to be one.

 

[Ahasverus]

Speaking of which... If I choose

Spoiler

Cassandra as Devine do I lose her from being able to be in my party?

Yes

 

[Flunkie]

Yes

Ah man... I'm torn.

 

[MagicWithEarvin]

If you're playing a Warrior and have a quest to become a Knight-Enchanter, your game is bugged beyond hope. That would be the reason you can't find the book.

lol

 

[D Bo Chops]

I'm at the point where I've completed the majority of side quests that I wanted to, and I still need 34 more power to start the next main quest. So I basically have to run around all of the different areas and close rifts or something. Seems like pointless wasted hours to me.

Its a way to tell you that you will be under leveled if you progress before you have enough power. I think it works fine... and how do you not have enough power?? The entire game ive had at least 40-60 more power than necessary to progress the story.

 

[The perfect Dark]

If you're playing a Warrior and have a quest to become a Knight-Enchanter, your game is bugged beyond hope. That would be the reason you can't find the book.

Wait, wat?

Oh wait, I meant the "way of the reaver" lol.

 

[Ralemont]

Wait, wat?

Oh wait, I meant the "way of the reaver" lol.

Should be next to Iron Bull. If not you might have already gotten it. Collect the other ingredients and see if you can craft the Reaver item.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

The main thing I wish they did with the side quests was make them or at least some of them more story driven.

Basically take some of the War Table missions and make them playable side quests. Because so many of the War Table missions sound really interesting and yet the vast majority of playable side quests are Ubisoft style collect 10 of these or kill 10 of these missions.

 

[The perfect Dark]

Should be next to Iron Bull. If not you might have already gotten it. Collect the other ingredients and see if you can craft the Reaver item.

Thanks, I'll try that.

 

[Flunkie]

The main thing I wish they did with the side quests was make them or at least some of them more story driven.

Basically take some of the War Table missions and make them playable side quests. Because so many of the War Table missions sound really interesting and yet the vast majority of playable side quests are Ubisoft style collect 10 of these or kill 10 of these missions.

Was saying the same thing to a friend irl today. Less shard collecting, more cool shit. But I guess shard collecting wouldn't really fit on the War Table though, would it?

 

[Mister_Bubbles]

Any way to repair the bridge in Redcliffe Village?

I don't think so. That is what's preventing you from getting into the castle, right?

There was this weird moment in the mage quest

Spoiler

where I was making my way through Redcliffe castle, I open a door to a side room and my party starts going "Oh my God!" and my character had dialogue to shout "Connor!", then Varric said "he fought that demon to the end"...

But the room was empty, I couldn't see any evidence of Connor, and didn't understand how my character would know him - or anyone else in the party for that matter. Are you somehow able to visit the castle in normal times before the mage quest starts?