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[Johnlenham]

Are the people that are complaining about difficulty playing on consoles?

PC for me.

Well what happens is I meet some ghost elf, then four jump me followed by two rooms either sides skelleys joining in!

 

[DY_nasty]

PC for me.

Well what happens is I meet some ghost elf, then four jump me followed by two rooms either sides skelleys joining in!

That shit gets really annoying. I've mastered the survival skill - I should never be ambushed+surrounded.

 

[Wark]

I was wondering if you could access the DLC whenever you pleased or did you have to do it at a set time? I'm assuming you can choose when you want to do it. Correct?

 

[kamspy]

Had this game since launch.

Tried getting into it a couple times and never could....until last night.

Something clicked (maybe me putting it on easy), and now I'm hooked on it like I haven't been with a game in I don't know how long.

Good show Bioware!

 

[Fredescu]

I was wondering if you could access the DLC whenever you pleased or did you have to do it at a set time? I'm assuming you can choose when you want to do it. Correct?

More or less, yes. You can do it any time after you get access to the world map, and any time before you initiate the end game.

 

[WanderingWind]

I wonder how long it'll be before a sequel. I finished the game up, thought to myself "Self, this game was really short."

Then I looked at the time spent as of the last save. 74:36. It's been a long, long time since a RPG has taken up that kind of of my time. I think Arcanium was the last one.

 

[dreamer3kx]

Finally finished last night, good 75 hrs or so. Loved it but I have to admit there were parts where I just couldn't pass at all, had to put it on casual during those parts then immediately switched back to normal. I usually don't like these kind of rpg's, FF is my thing but Im a huge LOTR fan so that helped, its LOTR rpg done right and thats what I loved about it, definitely GOTY contender for me.

oh, ps3 version here.

 

[C.Dark.DN]

i'm trying to get this from gamefly :[

 

[Fredescu]

I wonder how long it'll be before a sequel.

I was wondering if we'd even see one. Despite it's PC focus I'm sure it will sell more on consoles. They'd really have to consider making a more console friendly combat system to please the majority of their customers. Then I heard Frag on Borecast sounding pretty certain that a sequel was in the works. I'm not sure what he's basing that on, but I hope he's right.

If anyone missed it (I did at first) and wants to hear Drinky and Frag talk for half an hour about Dragon Age, check it out here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380565

I liked the initial debate about fantasy tropes. On the one hand worlds full of dwarves/elves/humans have been run into the ground. On the other hand, they do a good job of giving this game it's own identity and building a relatively unique lore base around it. I think The Witcher managed to give dwarves/elves/humans more of a unique feel, but without quite the depth of lore as DA.

 

[ethelred]

If anyone missed it (I did at first) and wants to hear Drinky and Frag talk for half an hour...

Thanks. I'll keep this in mind the next time I need to come up with something more painful than a root canal.

 

[WanderingWind]

I would like to think that there were both enough sales on the PC and enough complaints about the controls for the console version that Bioware would at least do what they did for the first DA.

 

[Mihku]

I wonder how long it'll be before a sequel.

In an interview with the executive producer they said they had plans for two years of DLC. I wouldn't be surprised to see DA2 in 2 years time.

J: So have you talked much about the DLC that is going to happen in the future?

M: Yeah, we have plans that stretch out for basically two years. And it’s going to be everything from really small stuff like item packs up to larger quests that might last an hour or two up to even fully fledged expansion packs. Really it’s a broad long term support plan for the game.

http://www.thegamereviews.com/articlenav-1546-page-3.html

 

[WanderingWind]

Yeah, I take what developers say about DLC with a grain of salt. Especially for those working for EA. They know how to milk sequels like anybodies business.

I'd like a couple of expansion packs, for sure. I'm betting on more nickel and dime stuff.

 

[Fredescu]

Thanks. I'll keep this in mind the next time I need to come up with something more painful than a root canal.

:lol

I wouldn't be surprised to see DA2 in 2 years time.

DA1 took six years to make. Are they going to be working on DLC and creating a fully fledged sequel, all within two years? I doubt it.

 

[Ventrue]

:lol


DA1 took six years to make. Are they going to be working on DLC and creating a fully fledged sequel, all within two years? I doubt it.

I'm not sure about the exact time frame, but it is going to be a lot quicker than six years for a sequel, due to the EA acquisition. After Mass Effect 2 releases in January, all they have announced is the MMO, which is a separate studio. I imagine they will stick to their established IP for a while; ME3, DA2, or possibly even JE2. And certainly they'll release something within two years.

And honestly, about the DLC. See: Mass Effect. I doubt there will be much noteworthy stuff.

 

[Fredescu]

I'm not sure about the exact time frame, but it is going to be a lot quicker than six years for a sequel

I'm not saying DA2 will take six years. It will take longer than two years.

And certainly they'll release something within two years.

DA1 expansions. Perhaps more substantial ME2 DLC? I haven't been following ME2 very closely, but I'll bet they have more DLC plans for that than they did the first one.

And honestly, about the DLC. See: Mass Effect. I doubt there will be much noteworthy stuff.

DA already has more DLC than ME got, and it's not even a month from release.

 

[WanderingWind]

I'm sure the sequel will take less time, due to DA success. EA will throw more resources at it now that they know the franchise will make money.

 

[Wark]

More or less, yes. You can do it any time after you get access to the world map, and any time before you initiate the end game.

Thanks. I'll definitely be purchasing the DLC then.

 

[Ventrue]

DA1 expansions. Perhaps more substantial ME2 DLC? I haven't been following ME2 very closely, but I'll bet they have more DLC plans for that than they did the first one.

They're certainly not going to release a boxed expansion, it'll be smaller DLC stuff which is eventually packed into a goty type box.

Bioware has pretty reliably released a major title once every two years over their history. And as you can see from ME2 and DAO being released so close together, that pace of releases is only going to increase under EA.

DA2 might not be out in the next two years though.

DA already has more DLC than ME got, and it's not even a month from release.

I'm not sure I count day one DLC. It doesn't indicate that the same level of content will be sustained.

 

[Psy-Phi]

I was wondering if we'd even see one. Despite it's PC focus I'm sure it will sell more on consoles. They'd really have to consider making a more console friendly combat system to please the majority of their customers. Then I heard Frag on Borecast sounding pretty certain that a sequel was in the works. I'm not sure what he's basing that on, but I hope he's right.

If anyone missed it (I did at first) and wants to hear Drinky and Frag talk for half an hour about Dragon Age, check it out here: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=380565

I liked the initial debate about fantasy tropes. On the one hand worlds full of dwarves/elves/humans have been run into the ground. On the other hand, they do a good job of giving this game it's own identity and building a relatively unique lore base around it. I think The Witcher managed to give dwarves/elves/humans more of a unique feel, but without quite the depth of lore as DA.

Yeah, they're just gonna throw away 7 years of work because a handful of customers don't like the game for X reason... Of course there will be a sequel. And some DLC Expansions as well certainly, if not full fledged ones on the PC. Depends if they want to support it Valve style or not. Given EA being the publisher and Bioware's history I think they'll be happy with the DLC only option.

Overall the game was very well received, the only places I've seen complaints are few and far between in threads on the internet (my friends who game on consoles love it, friends on PC's love it -- and a majority of posters love it). There are little problems with the game surely but it's not like they're going to scrap this rich IP, engine and all the years of work it took to dream up this world. Plus...have you been awake this generation? "I'm not sure if there will be a sequel" :lol

 

[Chinner]

playing this game now; it owns.

 

[Fredescu]

They're certainly not going to released a boxed expansion, it'll be smaller DLC stuff which is eventually packed into a goty type box.

They could do a Shivering Isle type expansion. I agree they're more likely to be downloadable. Is there a size limit for that stuff on PSN and XBL? They've been fairly adamant on the Bioware forums that DLC will be of "varying lengths" and they won't be "taking a once size fits all DLC approach" which basically means we're going to see longer stuff than Wardens Keep and Return to Ostagar. How much longer exactly, who knows.

I'm not sure I count day one DLC. It doesn't indicate that the same level of content will be sustained.

If it's done by the DLC teams, I'd count it. Remember, Shale was done almost entirely after the bulk of developers had moved on to work on ME2. So was Warden's Keep of course. Given that we basically got two pieces of day one DLC, and another one coming before the end of the year, I'd say it gives a good indication of the output of those DLC teams.

I found an answer to one of my questions by the way, some Bioware writers are working on DA2 and ME2 DLC: http://www.thesavepoints.com/2009/09/mass-effect-2-dlc-and-dragon-age-2/

Plus...have you been awake this generation? "I'm not sure if there will be a sequel"

This is a compelling point :lol

I've seen a lot of comments from console players than the combat system was a "weak point" of the game. To me, it was the games strongest point (characters a close second). I don't want to see it "dumbed down" for want of a better term. In a generation where as games grow in popularity, they more closely resemble Gears of War (The Resident Evil principle), I'm not confident that any sequel will retain the combat system we have. I hope it does.

 

[Doytch]

They could do a Shivering Isle type expansion. I agree they're more likely to be downloadable. Is there a size limit for that stuff on PSN and XBL? They've been fairly adamant on the Bioware forums that DLC will be of "varying lengths" and they won't be "taking a once size fits all DLC approach" which basically means we're going to see longer stuff than Wardens Keep and Return to Ostagar. How much longer exactly, who knows.

I'm really hoping for a substantial expack for this. "Modules" are hit-and-miss for me, and I'm more likely to pick up a $20 expack than a $7 quest, as strange as that may sound.

I've seen a lot of comments from console players than the combat system was a "weak point" of the game. To me, it was the games strongest point (characters a close second). I don't want to see it "dumbed down" for want of a better term. In a generation where as games grow in popularity, they more closely resemble Gears of War (The Resident Evil principle), I'm not confident that any sequel will retain the combat system we have. I hope it does.

Agreed. In fact, I've said multiple times that I feel it's already too dumbed down with the number obfuscation. After playing through though, you get an understanding for how things work, so I'd be really disappointed if they changed the combat system. At least, for the PC version, I couldn't care less what they do with the console versions.

 

[WanderingWind]

The combat system is so ingrained in my mind, that I keep trying to pause Torchlight.

 

[Wallach]

playing this game now; it owns.

Yup. Now that I'm a tad farther it's really come into its own.

Dwarves, btw, are clearly the master race in this world. Just sayin'.

 

[Grayman]

My Rogue character and party not doing very well in combat situations. Now in redcliff, and in a lot of areas before hand I constantly reloading battles on normal difficulty. I am thinking about starting over as a warrior or mage.

 

[WanderingWind]

Yup. Now that I'm a tad farther it's really come into its own.

Dwarves, btw, are clearly the master race in this world. Just sayin'.

You know, I didn't really think about it but you're completely right. The rest of the world looks like the worst part of Orzammar.

 

[Fredescu]

My Rogue character and party not doing very well in combat situations. Now in redcliff, and in a lot of areas before hand I constantly reloading battles on normal difficulty. I am thinking about starting over as a warrior or mage.

The survival of your rogue relies heavily on your tank. Make sure your tank has threaten on and has trained in taunt. The survival of your tank relies heavily on your healer. You can get a specialised healer from the Circle of Magi. Prior to that, I guess you'll need to give Morrigan a few healing talents.

 

[firehawk12]

I'd love to see a Zevran or Leliana prequel chapter. It'd be substantial enough to convince me to drop 20 bucks for an entirely new world to run in but doesn't need to have the scope of an entirely new game.

I suppose the only problem would be that, if you don't like Rogues, you'd be out of luck.

 

[Draft]

This game is hard as balls. Why are there only like 5 healing potions at each vendor, and why do they SELL OUT. They're just random weeds from the side of the road ground into a bottle. Jesus.

 

[WanderingWind]

I love the difficulty. If you're having trouble, bump it down to easy. You'll have a millions potions.

With normal, if you plan your battles right, you'll be fine later.

 

[Talon]

This game is hard as balls. Why are there only like 5 healing potions at each vendor, and why do they SELL OUT. They're just random weeds from the side of the road ground into a bottle. Jesus.

Herbalism.

 

[Grayman]

The survival of your rogue relies heavily on your tank. Make sure your tank has threaten on and has trained in taunt. The survival of your tank relies heavily on your healer. You can get a specialised healer from the Circle of Magi. Prior to that, I guess you'll need to give Morrigan a few healing talents.

My rogue usually lives the longest, it is usually sten/allistair who drops dead first. I do not have a healer and seem to be locked in redcliff for the battle at night. Maybe I will go all the way back to an autosave from lothering to get the healer.

 

[-tetsuo-]

This game is hard as balls. Why are there only like 5 healing potions at each vendor, and why do they SELL OUT. They're just random weeds from the side of the road ground into a bottle. Jesus.

Who you rolling with?

 

[WanderingWind]

My rogue usually lives the longest, it is usually sten/allistair who drops dead first. I do not have a healer and seem to be locked in redcliff for the battle at night. Maybe I will go all the way back to an autosave from lothering to get the healer.

Just kite enemies, man. You can do it. I believe in you.

 

[Draft]

Just random heads. My warrior, usually Morrigan since she's the only mage. No less than 4 of my other guys are warriors, and then that one girl is a rogue.

It's not that terribly hard it's just they take a lot of damage, no one knows any healing spells, and the only way to heal is with these potions that are harder to buy than legendary weapons and magical rock powder.

Why are the potions rare? It doesn't make any sense. Fucking game.

 

[ethelred]

Just random heads. My warrior, usually Morrigan since she's the only mage. No less than 4 of my other guys are warriors, and then that one girl is a rogue.

It's not that terribly hard it's just they take a lot of damage, no one knows any healing spells, and the only way to heal is with these potions that are harder to buy than legendary weapons and magical rock powder.

Why are the potions rare? It doesn't make any sense. Fucking game.

The potions are rare because you should either have a healer or someone trained in herbalism so they can create potions for you. Get a better team setup and stop complaining about the game's difficulty. If you're using Morrigan and no one else knows any healing spells, teach Morrigan some healing spells. If you've got Leliana or another rogue, invest in Herbalism with their copious skill points.

 

[Draft]

Morrigan does potion making, but there are no magic weeds nearby.

 

[yacobod]

This game is hard as balls. Why are there only like 5 healing potions at each vendor, and why do they SELL OUT. They're just random weeds from the side of the road ground into a bottle. Jesus.

ya man you need to roll with a healer, either pick up wynne, or start speccing morrigan to become your healer, i can't imagine playing thru the game on normal or hard w/out one


my main party was basically

Alistair for tankage
my main was a mage, Blood Mage + Spirit Healer
Morrigan straight dps mage
Shale or Leliana either melee dps or archer, depending who i wanted to roll with

i think mages and range dps are op in comparison, they bring way more to the table with aoe, cc, and everything else

 

[Doytch]

Morrigan does potion making, but there are no magic weeds nearby.

There's a dude in the Dalish Elf camp/town that has unlimited stocks of the aforementioned magic weed.

 

[Wallach]

Just random heads. My warrior, usually Morrigan since she's the only mage. No less than 4 of my other guys are warriors, and then that one girl is a rogue.

It's not that terribly hard it's just they take a lot of damage, no one knows any healing spells, and the only way to heal is with these potions that are harder to buy than legendary weapons and magical rock powder.

Why are the potions rare? It doesn't make any sense. Fucking game.

You need to take Herbalism on someone so you can make potions. Then start quaffing them like they were air, basically.

Quite frankly the portion of this game after your origins story and before you get most of your party (read: more mages) kind of sucks ass balance-wise, for reasons just like this. If you're a mage to begin with this isn't even an issue, but if you're a warrior or rogue all they do for a while is pile more melee on you for a while with only 1 exception, and the melee are pretty much univerally terrible compared to mages at the early levels.

 

[WanderingWind]

A mage is one of the first two permanent characters you get....

 

[Wallach]

A mage is one of the first two permanent characters you get....

Right, and this game gets exponentially easier as you gain mages and lose melee. Therefore, if you are a mage to begin with, you gain a relatively powerful and well-balanced party early. If you are not, you spend most if your time protecting the one you have with a bunch of melee you don't really want.

 

[WanderingWind]

Right, and this game gets exponentially easier as you gain mages and lose melee. Therefore, if you are a mage to begin with, you gain a relatively powerful and well-balanced party early. If you are not, you spend most if your time protecting the one you have with a bunch of melee you don't really want.

Eh. I never used more than one mage in my party. Quite often I never used them at all. Rogues and Warriors, mostly.

I think there is just a point where you figure it out and it becomes more manageable.

 

[-tetsuo-]

Morrigan does potion making, but there are no magic weeds nearby.

In the Daleish area the vendor sells the weeds. Also, there's a straight out healer at the Mage Tower. If you play your cards right.

 

[Grayman]

Just kite enemies, man. You can do it. I believe in you.

Haha, hopefully the next section has near invulnerable NPCs to help me as well! It took a LONG time to kite all the corpses

 

[Ventrue]

Why are the potions rare? It doesn't make any sense. Fucking game.

The game drops potions when you don't have very many. This depends on the difficulty level. For instance, on easy if you have fewer than 20 potions it will heavily skew the drops to be potions. The idea is that you should always have a certain amount available, but not be able to stockpile and spam them.

 

[Fredescu]

i think mages and range dps are op in comparison, they bring way more to the table with aoe, cc, and everything else

I didn't use a melee rogue on my first playthrough. Second time around I'm playing one and I'm seriously wowed by the DPS. Sure they're basically a one trick class, but christ they're good at that trick.

 

[CartridgeBlower]

Just got this game from the Best Buy sale. Haven't started yet, so I'm wondering what character most people recommend playing as for my first time through? Just want to know if there's a gimped class that makes the game super hard, like the original Mass Effect.

Kind of interested in playing as a a Dwarf Mage, but apparently that can't be done, so I'm deciding which way to lean. If I play as a non-mage, is it easy to get a mage into my party and use spells that way?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Wallach]

Just got this game from the Best Buy sale. Haven't started yet, so I'm wondering what character most people recommend playing as for my first time through? Just want to know if there's a gimped class that makes the game super hard, like the original Mass Effect.

Kind of interested in playing as a a Dwarf Mage, but apparently that can't be done, so I'm deciding which way to lean. If I play as a non-mage, is it easy to get a mage into my party and use spells that way?

Thanks in advance.

None of the classes will make the game super-hard on Normal, because you can eventually set up your group mostly however you want. It is definitely easier to start out as a mage, though you do get one very early on as a party member.