Support NeoGAF

[luxarific]

Okay. To be honest I have this neurosis. I HATE having more than one open quest. I will actively avoid engaging in side quests or diversions. I need to play a game in its entirety, then I can go back and one by one do the side quests. Having this HUGE diversion in the middle of my plot quest is driving me insane.

PS THE FADE SUCKS THE FADE SUCKS IT SUCKS IT SUCKS

Heheheh, I'm the exact opposite. I like to finish every little quest that opens up before taking the next step on the main storyline. This usually means I'm vastly over-leveled for end games and bosses. The only time it's really hurt me is in Fallout 3, where

Spoiler

you only get power armor training once you head to the Citadel

. I held off doing that until I was level 16 or something because I was hoping I could get trained somewhere else in the Wasteland. The game was nearly over by the time I could wear

Spoiler

power armor

. -_-

 

[luxarific]

I agree with ya, to an extent.

All the time that I’m doing this story centric tower quest I keep thinking about Redcliffe and what’s going on over there. I can’t get it out of my head that I have unfinished business over there.

I keep thinking I shoulda ended that Redcliffe storyline by picking one of the other options and then I could do Sulcher’s Pass or something else now instead of this damn Fade stuff.

Oh, and Fuck The Fade. it sucks. looks like something out of Morrowind’s anus.

except for

Spoiler

spirit form.

you move around like a PIMP.

It'd be cool if you could actually run out the clock on that Redcliffe quest (Can you actually? I sort of ignored the NPC warnings that I should hurry and go get some

Spoiler

mages and come back ASAP. I'm in the woods now killing spiders and werewolves, sorry possessed kid.

:lol)

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Melee attacks can generally be dodged by simply moving your character away at the right time. Long-range attacks are very difficult to dodge.

Oh my god...seriously?

I never even thought of that.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

ITT console peasants realize why PC is the master race

You need to go take your computer and go fuck off and die somewhere.

Seriously. This whole conversation is getting really fucking tired.

 

[Jayge]

My inner-Suikoden nerd is geeking out at the Redcliffe scenario.

Impossible battle waged against medieval castle. Check.
Rallying up troops and increasing morale. Check.
Recruiting characters to join your cause to kick some ass. Check.

And now... I need to drop everything and go to Redcliffe IMMEDIATELY :lol

 

[j-wood]

Is it just me, or is this game INSANELY difficult, even on normal?

I'm only to the part where

Spoiler

You have to light the beacon in that tower that has become overrun with darkspawn right after you become a grey warden. I'm up to the part where you fight the orge. No matter what I do, my guys just get utterly dominated, and barely get the monster to half health.

What am I doing wrong?

 

[Fragamemnon]

I was able to prevent melee strikes by getting out of the range of the melee before they started their swing animation. If they swing and you still don't take damage, I'm pretty sure it's because they missed, not because you had good reflexes.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

Is it just me, or is this game INSANELY difficult, even on normal?

I'm only to the part where

Spoiler

You have to light the beacon in that tower that has become overrun with darkspawn right after you become a grey warden. I'm up to the part where you fight the orge. No matter what I do, my guys just get utterly dominated, and barely get the monster to half health.

What am I doing wrong?

This was my strat on nightmare difficulty.

Use weakness on the big bad.

Mage and Soldier on ranged DPS.

Alistair and PC on melee.

I didn't even have anyone die on me.

I'm playing on the 360 though. Apparently the difficulty on normal for the PC version is tough?

I believe the "weakness" spell is the clincher.

With all that said, the fights are fuckin' A-1 hard. Focused fire and turn by turn management is critical if you want to survive and avoid the awesome little red icons that explain what injuries your guys have taken. Some of them are pretty awesome/funny.

I was able to prevent melee strikes by getting out of the range of the melee before they started their swing animation. If they swing and you still don't take damage, I'm pretty sure it's because they missed, not because you had good reflexes.

Same here. I'd be pretty surprised if Bioware included that level of twitch gameplay into an RPG like this.

 

[vumpler]

Just starting the game here in about 10 minutes. Can anyone help a gaffer out and link to the page stating which characters / spec's are the best.

Or benefits / cons of each class. I have a general feel since it comes off like a WoW rippoff on the character creation but have heard great things about the game.

Anyone got a link to the builds?

 

[Leopold]

Now I've made a new char, some mo-fo Human Rogue backstabber. Waaaay better than the elven rogue, pshht.

 

[Metroidvania]

Bwahaha.

Morrigan's conversation that allows you to

Spoiler

get across the boat to the mages' tower

is awesome.

 

[j-wood]

This was my strat on nightmare difficulty.

Use weakness on the big bad.

Mage and Soldier on ranged DPS.

Alistair and PC on melee.

I didn't even have anyone die on me.

I'm playing on the 360 though. Apparently the difficulty on normal for the PC version is tough?

I believe the "weakness" spell is the clincher.




Same here. I'd be pretty surprised if Bioware included that level of twitch gameplay into an RPG like this.

I don't think I have the weakness skill

 

[Fragamemnon]

What am I doing wrong?

Spoiler

I got through that fight only using one poultice on Hard. They give you a nice bow and some arrow drops right before the fight-the Ogre, so I just used range, spread out my team in the room, and just used range. Whoever got aggro on the Ogre just kited him around the room without too much issue using the PC isometric cam and RTS-style micro.

I'm sure there are other ways to do it, of course. That just worked for me pretty well.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

I don't think I have the weakness skill

It's a spell and the NPC mage uses it.

This is the first game I've ever played where the NPCs MATTER. When you have one join up, read about their abilities and such. It's critical to succes.

 

[lorddarkflare]

It's a spell and the NPC mage uses it.

This is the first game I've ever played where the NPCs MATTER. When you have one join up, read about their abilities and such. It's critical to succes.

So they have unique abilities?

 

[Walshicus]

ITT console peasants realize why PC is the master race

You know who else thought they were the master race? That's right, Nazis.

Spoiler

Godwined!

 

[popsicle_sundays]

So I just got

Spoiler

shale and he's pretty badass. I'm going to test him out as my tank instead of Alistar, he's got a ton more HP and more threat type spells

 

[Tobor]

Ack, this thread is getting too spoilery for me, and I can't play until late tonight.

Also, am I the only one bothered by the "PC master race" meme? It's fairly offensive.

 

[bigdaddygamebot]

So they have unique abilities?

THAT, I can't tell you because I haven't made a mage character but I'm using a dwarf, noble and I learned early on that the NPCs you're given are pretty handy and sometimes they're geared in a fashion that isn't even optimized for their build so...sniff around your NPCs.

The final fight in the tower was a cake walk for me and I put that to optimizing my NPCs.

 

[-tetsuo-]

I'm really enjoying the Daleish elf area. My first main story action since I had to get out of Denerim. Everywhere I turned in that place there were more quest for me that I couldn't do :lol

 

[Aedile]

This is precisely my "problem" with the game. Everything is very good in general even though some things could have been better. But as far as setting, ambience, etc goes it feels extremely derivative. I feel that I've seen it all before and after decades of gaming that really doesn't cut it for me anymore.

Well, the folks at Bioware (or at least their bean-counting masters) are smart: if they're going to crosspollinate their standard RPG template, it makes sense to do it with two of the major fantasy successes (meaning WoW and ASoIaF) of the past decade. The lesson being that, if you're going to be derivative, be derivative of things that have made a lot of money.

If anything, I wish they'd been properly derivative of GRRM, rather than just cribbing motifs. There's too much high-fantasy-by-numbers gobbledygook and their efforts to introduce a degree of moral ambiguity are baby steps that never stray over the line of absolute inoffensiveness. Are coy sexual references and some blood splatter really all it takes to get an M rating?

That said, I criticize because I love. Or at least like. But I'd really like to see new themes from Bioware rather than variations on existing ones. Given that we're one game into a pair of trilogies, though, that probably won't be the case any time soon.

Is it just me, or is this game INSANELY difficult, even on normal?

During my (abandoned) first playthrough when I more or less distributed skills at random and ended up with a gimp archery rogue, it was hell. I restarted with a better understanding of character builds and the combat engine, and now it's pretty trivial.

What worked for me: focus your character builds on stuns/knockdowns, freezes (for mages--getting cone of cold ASAP is a godsend), debuffs and autocrits; build your character's primary and secondary offensive stats and ignore CON; spec increasingly powerful spells/skills in a single tree before you move on to the next; spend your attribute points so you don't 'waste' and spell/skillups on less powerful spells/skills.

I did that and combat pretty much took care of itself. Just position properly for AoEs (and avoiding them) and break up big groups with LOS pulls and choke points.

 

[Artadius]

Ack, this thread is getting too spoilery for me, and I can't play until late tonight.

Also, am I the only one bothered by the "PC master race" meme? It's fairly offensive.

Awwww, here's a pic for you.

 

[Tobor]

Awwww, here's a pic for you.

//i39.tinypic.com/107nw53.jpg

I hate bringing it up, because my feelings about that phrase have nothing to do with what it's being applied to.

PC gaming is awesome. That phrase, not so much.

 

[Tenks]

Ack, this thread is getting too spoilery for me, and I can't play until late tonight.

Also, am I the only one bothered by the "PC master race" meme? It's fairly offensive.

It's designed to keep you inferior peasants in line. When we post our 1080p 8xAA Isometric view screen shots you know who's calling the shots around here.

 

[Tobor]

It's designed to keep you inferior peasants in line. When we post our 1080p 8xAA Isometric view screen shots you know who's calling the shots around here.

"Peasants" are not the natural opposite of that phrase, though.

EDIT: I don't want to derail this thread with this, the game is too good for that. It bothers me, but whatever. Carry on.

 

[SlasherJPC]

Can anyone tell me what it means when it says a new slot is availible in the bottom and shows a gear like symbol. What the heck does that mean?

 

[Tenks]

"Peasants" are not the natural opposite of that phrase, though.

Our copies of DA:O rolled as human nobles. Your copy took the origin route of dwarf commoner.

 

[Metroidvania]

Can anyone tell me what it means when it says a new slot is availible in the bottom and shows a gear like symbol. What the heck does that mean?

It means a new tactics slot has been unlocked, that allows more customization for your party members in that you can use additional preset conditions for skills.

AFAIK, I got an extra one at level 10, or you can get them from choosing the tactics skills.

 

[Tobor]

Our copies of DA:O rolled as human nobles. Your copy took the origin route of dwarf commoner.

Now this I can get behind. :lol

 

[Relix]

With the release of DA PC Gamers on GAF are rising to the biggest elitist levels, especially since MW2 was taken off Dedicated Servers they gotta have a valid advantage somewhere. Right guys?

Spoiler

I realized my Rogue-backstabbing skills suck ass, but that's all I could come with =p!

On a serious note... my sister is playing GOW2 and I wanna finish the goddamned Urn quest so I can get to the Circle of Magi. Sounds like a cool quest

 

[BeeDog]

Alright, hype swallowed me and I bought the DigiDeluxe edition, DOWNLOAD FASTER DAMNIT!

I did the CD check thing, and I only have one CD key there, wtf? Or will this one CD key unlock every DigiDeluxe thing (I guess the preorder stuff is two keys extra or...)?

 

[Alex]

Friend: So you've been playing Dragon Age? What's it like.

Second friend: It's like Oblivion, kind of.

Me: It's not like Oblivion!

Friend: Then what's it like?

Me: Baldur's Gate, modernized, and a little more accessible.

Friend: What is Baldur's Gate?

Second friend: It's an old PC game, kind of like Fallout.

Friend: I love Fallout 3!

Me: *weeping*

 

[Tobor]

Friend: So you've been playing Dragon Age? What's it like.

Second friend: It's like Oblivion, kind of.

Me: It's not like Oblivion!

Friend: Then what's it like?

Me: Baldur's Gate, modernized, and a little more accessible.

Friend: What is Baldur's Gate?

Second friend: It's an old PC game, kind of like Fallout.

Friend: I love Fallout 3!

Me: *weeping*

It's like KOTOR and Mass Effect!

 

[Kintaro]

Friend: So you've been playing Dragon Age? What's it like.

Second friend: It's like Oblivion, kind of.

Me: It's not like Oblivion!

Friend: Then what's it like?

Me: Baldur's Gate, modernized, and a little more accessible.

Friend: What is Baldur's Gate?

Second friend: It's an old PC game, kind of like Fallout.

Friend: I love Fallout 3!

Me: *weeping*

:lol :lol :lol

Goddamn I feel old. Get the fuck off my gaming lawn you young fucks!

 

[Tenks]

So your second friend who of Baldur's Gate and knew it was kind of like Fallout 1/2 but still said DA:O is kind of like Oblivion?

 

[Y2Kev]

The Fade's visual design is hideous and the gameplay in it in the Mage origin is very basic (since it's at the start of the game and mostly a tutorial), which is a shame when most of the rest of the game looks and plays pretty damn beautifully.

It actually gave me a very poor first impression of the game, especially the visuals. Unfortunate start to the Mage origin.

If you think it looks ugly on PC, you should see it on console....it's sub-Morrowind garbage.

 

[Alex]

So your second friend who of Baldur's Gate and knew it was kind of like Fallout 1/2 but still said DA:O is kind of like Oblivion?

He knows what they are, but he's never played any of this shit. I dont know a single PC gamer anymore in real life. To these people RPG = Bethesda game.

 

[dejan]

Alright, hype swallowed me and I bought the DigiDeluxe edition, DOWNLOAD FASTER DAMNIT!

I did the CD check thing, and I only have one CD key there, wtf? Or will this one CD key unlock every DigiDeluxe thing (I guess the preorder stuff is two keys extra or...)?

Did you get it on Steam? I got three keys with my DDE, one of which is a pre-order key.

 

[stuminus3]

Goddamn I feel old. Get the fuck off my gaming lawn you young fucks!

The irony is that Baldur's Gate isn't really that old of a game, in the grand scheme of things. It's not like Ultima or something.

 

[BeeDog]

Did you get it on Steam? I got three keys with my DDE, one of which is a pre-order key.

Yeah, Steam. Does anyone have the URL to that community page where you insert the key? The "Register Your Game..." button doesn't work.

 

[Tenks]

Here I was thinking BGII was a landmark game adored by all. Damn I'm out of touch.

 

[Songbird]

My digi-deluxe finished its download and unlocked a few hours ago, been playing since and it's a lot of fun! Got a Human Mage going (

Spoiler

I picked to help Jowan{sp?} and the twist wasn't earth shattering but I eagerly await bringing him down a peg in the future

) and have reached

Spoiler

Ostagar

. Eyes are hurtin', so I'll play more tomorrow.

 

[dejan]

Yeah, Steam. Does anyone have the URL to that community page where you insert the key? The "Register Your Game..." button doesn't work.

I basically followed these instructions to redeem my stuff: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1011420
If it doesn't accept your code right away just try it a second time.

 

[LCfiner]

I don’t have any excuse for not having played Baldur’s gate or BG2. I’m old enough and geeky enough to have played CRPGs in the late 90s but… I just didn’t.

I grew up with the SNES and the Final Fantasies and for the longest time, I only knew of JRPGs as Role Playing Games. It really wasn’t until KOTOR on the Xbox that I got a taste of WRPG goodness.

Honestly, I don’t even know if I have the patience or desire to go back and play those late 90s games anymore. There’s so much stuff coming out now.


edit: and for all the jokes, this game really, REALLY plays a lot like KOTOR on the consoles. It’s instantly familiar.

 

[xelios]

I'm really enjoying this game (PC). Playing an Elven mage on normal difficulty, which I have to admit is not actually "easy" like most "normal" difficulties, even being accustomed to friendly fire.

I'm only to Lothering but so far I'm having a lot of fun and the dialogues are interesting enough to keep my attention. I was actually absorbed enough to be kinda pissed when

Spoiler

that asshole said, "Sound....the retreat."

My only nitpick so far is the plethora of invisible barriers to keep you out of puddles and shit. In certain areas I feel like a lion being led to a cage.

I'm enjoying all the secrets hidden throughout the game so far. Oh, and from what I've heard there is currently a

Spoiler

level cap of 25, not that you'll reach it through traditional means. Use your skill points wisely.

 

[Aedile]

My digi-deluxe finished its download and unlocked a few hours ago, been playing since and it's a lot of fun! Got a Human Mage going (

Spoiler

I picked to help Jowan{sp?} and the twist wasn't earth shattering but I eagerly await bringing him down a peg in the future

) and have reached

Spoiler

Ostagar

. Eyes are hurtin', so I'll play more tomorrow.

Re: Jowan,

Spoiler

I was hoping for either a bigger twist (the love story was a cover and I was inadvertently assisting with a sinister plot of some kind) or a proper mindscrew (the whole post-Harrowing tower sequence was actuallly... part of the Harrowing!). But you do come into contact with him later under similarly nefarious circumstances.

 

[BeeDog]

I basically followed these instructions to redeem my stuff: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1011420
If it doesn't accept your code right away just try it a second time.

Thanks for the link. I redeemed the code and unlocked these pics (no descriptions):

(Bergen's Honor)

(Stone Prisoner)

(Blood Dragon Armor)

(Warden's Keep???)

What the fuck, I should have gotten Final Reason and Grimoire of the Frozen Wastes, right?

 

[Ikuu]

Not sure if it's been posted but the toolset is up for download, http://dragonage.bioware.com/toolset/

 

[bengraven]

Amazon, where are my fucking boots?

 

[Mrbob]

People admitting they are playing the peasant console version is a bit weird. PC version is the best version, yes. Console version isn't horrible. I'm playing it on PC right now, many of my friends are playing it on PC too. One is playing on 360. Whatever, his experience may not be as nice overall but it isn't bad. Better to be able to play the game than not, even if it isn't completely equal. No need to begrudge people who only have access to a console version, it isn't *that* bad from the videos I've seen. Well I'll find out later tonight! My 360 owning friend is going to bring over his version so I can check it out.

Friend: So you've been playing Dragon Age? What's it like.

Second friend: It's like Oblivion, kind of.

Me: It's not like Oblivion!

Friend: Then what's it like?

Me: Baldur's Gate, modernized, and a little more accessible.

Friend: What is Baldur's Gate?

Second friend: It's an old PC game, kind of like Fallout.

Friend: I love Fallout 3!

Me: *weeping*

:lol

Toolset out, nice! I think I'm gonna dabble in it and see if I can actually create something coherent!