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If my penis was small enough I'd put it in the hole in the middle of the cd.
DA:O is ing great, isn't it?
If my penis was small enough I'd put it in the hole in the middle of the cd.
Zosa, I saw you referencing Morrowind. I loved that ing game. I have a notebook half full of notes I took while playing it. The interface kinda sucked, but it was soooo huge and involving. I loved Oblivion too, but thinking back, I still think I liked Morrowind better than it or FO3. Bethesda is by far my favorite dev, but Bioware is a close second.
Haven't got DAO yet but eventually I will. Reading these posts is making me salivate. Mass Effect 2 is coming as well, it's a good time to be alive!!!
cliff racers. the very thought of those ers enrages me.
After seeing the Rakks in Borderlands I got all sorts of horrific flashbacks.
I once spent over an hour in a vain attempt at killing Vivec in ESIII.
anybody know where Bethesda is taking scrolls next...What I mean is, which continent?
I really can't seem to get a hang of the party system. I keep going because I think that eventually, I'll get the hang of it and start actually enjoying playing the game, but so far no luck. I guess this game isn't my cup of tea. Great grafics though, and remarkable voice acting. Too bad.
The party system could be a little bit better, but as is combat is very enjoyable for me. What exactly are you having trouble with?
If its the fact you have to micromanage many battles, ie constantly pausing/switching players for potions, attacks, and spells, then maybe it isn't for you because that's what this game and all the other similar party style games use.
That doesn't mean you can't direct them and go to another guy - you can still specify targets even if they're far away, plus using certain abilities pauses the game, etc. The main things you have to micromanage are healing, casting powers/spells, and general movement/tactics. You want to flank your enemies (the black bar on their back is the flanking area), especially with Rogues but everyone gets a substantial bonus for hitting them in the back. Also, make sure you set your player tactics to their best abilities and change them if the battle calls for it. Don't forget about your items, spells/powers you may not think to use etc. You should have a mage of some sort who can use multiple different types of spells and morph. Don't be afraid to retreat or move your players around so as to disperse groups of enemies hacking away at one player's flank.
Last edited by z0sa; 11-08-2009 at 03:19 PM.
First and foremost, DA:O is one of the best games ever made. I have been gaming for 25+ years and this game is right up there with the first time I seen Mortal Kombat at the arcade and the first time I laid my eyes on Super Mario Bros for NES.
It is that ing great (not good, ing great). I concur with jman in every respect.
If youve ever played and RPG or had even a mild interest in one, then you owe yourself to buy this game and play it multiple times. It is sick! Mad, I tell you.
Onward and upwards...
As it pertains to combat and any difficulty one may be having in that respect, I implore only patience.
The game is hard, especially at the beginning before you have a diverse party. I offer these tips:
1. One tank with Taunt ability - my Hero is a human warrior specced for tanking. Turn on the passive Threaten and start every fight that has multiple enemies with Taunt.
2. Have a healer - even if he/she is not a dedicated healer, 'tis better to have the ability then to not. Set his/her tactics appropriately so that healing spells take precedence over everything else. If using Morrigan in that role, be sure to micromanage her offensive abilities yourself.
3. PAUSE OFTEN!! - this game is not meant to be played in real-time, unless youre extremely proficient and skilled at switching control and using abilities. If you see problems arising, pause the damn battle and think! Where are my party members on the field? Are my healers healing? Are my ranged attackers at proper range (not in the melee)? Is my tank healthy and healed and drawing the aggro? Do any of my team have negative status effects that can be cured? Etc. etc. Act accordingly on these questions...move your archers to their maximum range away from the fighting, same for any and all mages, heal here, cast there, move around the target to flank them (especially if a party member is a melee rogue).
4. Tactics are your friend - the tactics menu ("\" key on PC) can be daunting to comprehend. I played Final Fantasy 10 a lot so I immediately knew what this system was (FF10 started it). But to newcomer, it could be seen as an "extra" that you dont have to pay attention to. I would disagree sharply. If you have a healer in your crew, a proper tactics setup with that character can all but eliminate your need to manage them at all (save for big heal spells like Mass Rejuvination or Revival). They'll keep everyone's health at optimal levels and if you so prefer, conserve their mana for healing only. A proper tactics setup for an archer is also beneficial with some pre-planning on your part. When to use Critical Shot (which is an automatic critical hit, so if an enemy is Frozen, it is shattered...tactic would look like Condition: Enemy -> Status: Frozen - Action: Use ability -> Critical Shot). The possibilities are endless in this regard, how you play is probably vastly different than I do. I spent too much time with World of Warcraft, so my thinking is blurred and influenced by my time there (tank, damage, healer, healer/damage hybrid).
5. Concentrate your fire - do not be overwhelmed by numbers. A properly placed AoE (area of effect) spell can whittle or kill most enemies (along with your own party if youre not careful - watch for friendly fire). Setting tactics so that all your party attacks the same target as your tank is crucial, IMO. Immobilize/Incapacitate the strongest one first, then pick off the weak ones. More or less, anyway.
6. The game is hard - Its meant to be. I have had multiple situations where I got my ass kicked the first time I attempted something, only to re-think my strategy and approach it differently. Suddenly, the fight that was difficult was suddenly very easy and I felt like a fool afterward (a rewarded fool, nonetheless). Use choke-points on the map (namely doors and natural ravines) so that your melee blocks the path to your ranged party members. Become familiar with the mechanics of having your party follow or wander ("H" on PC). I fight a great many fights with having my party on wander so that theyre not constantly getting in the fray unintentionally.
Just a couple tips Ive learned. I havent used any poisons, traps or the like, but I am sure they could be useful if I cared to try.
I am a completionist who wastes a lot of time on side quests. I have still not gone to Redcliffe and I just completed the Magi Tower. I am a lvl12 human Warrior Berserker. I roll Morrigan, Leliana and <insert useful member here>. This game is the best I have played in years if not my entire life. Truly, the Game of the Year, if not the decade...if not all time. Truly remarkable in every way imaginable.
DarkReign, I 100% agree this is one of the best traditional RPGs ever made. It's not open ended to the extreme a la Elder Scrolls/Fallout (kill anyone at any time, pickup/open any object, roam essentially free over a huge world, etc) so IMO it loses points for scope.
That said, there's obviously much to excite. The voice acting and dialogue options are tremendously rounded and very well done. The party/combat system is essentially perfect, save for a couple minor hiccups. The approval system is great fun. The actual storyline/world is very intriguing and realistic, so to speak. Racial and class tensions, for example, are well do ented and inherently real for the various NPCs and party members alike. It's not the first in its vein, but BioWare has outdone just about everyone except themselves here.
Last edited by z0sa; 11-09-2009 at 10:54 AM.
Sounds good.
It is one of the best games I have ever played and ive only scratched the surface of the story so far.
Just finished the game... Man, there are some TOUGH choices towards the end. I was litterally sitting at the response screen for up to 5 minutes on some of them, unsure what to do. I finished it with a city elf warrior using dual wield skill and going champion and berserker. I finished most of the quests but there where a few I missed.
Created a human mage and Im going to play through it again trying to get ALL of the quests done.
After I complete that one I may do some custom mods to see what I can come up with using the toolset. I cant wait to see what other people come up with and some more DLC's to extend the story.
Who are your favorite team members so far purely from a standpoint of dialog?
Here's my top 5....
1. Shale... The golem makes me laugh everytime I talk to him.... I knew he would be one of my favorites when I saw the cutsceen after picking him up and leaving the town... (I wont spoil it)
2. Alistair... The guy has a good sense of Humor and actually almost felt like a real friend. His voiice actor was, IMHO, the best at portraying emotion.
3. Leliana... I love her accent and the romance options where engaging.
4. Oghren... The dudes a drinker, just like me!
5. Zevran... dispite his initial sexual tendancies (if you havnt met him yet, you will soon see) he is pretty ing funny.
as far as the team I used to win the final battle..... I used Alistair (the other grey warden), Leilana (my "lover" in the game, had her setup as a master archer) and Wynne (her healing is awesome if your a warrior class an can keep her alive).
Last edited by phyzik; 11-09-2009 at 10:22 PM.
YYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I finally got it
Went with the human Warrior
Thanks for this DR, it'll prove to be helpful I'm sure
Playing through a mage now, doing every quest available.... shale's quest is a pretty big suprise if you do take "it" to the deep roads.... I was suprised.
I've made about 5 different characters so far and haven't actually completed the game.
I've made two mages and they seem to be the funnest by far. I totally accidentally discovered the trick with the glyph spells and was blown away at how easy it got after using that combo. In general it seems like playing a mage makes things lots easier, especially with the forcefield for telekinesis working on almost every boss to buy you time to kill minions/heal up/tank ect. Seems like I draw a lot of aggro on my arcane warrior and force fielding myself while a revenant or something bashes on me makes things much easier.
You have no idea how easy it can be with a mage character now that Im playing one.
It may be a little bit tough to begin with but follow this plan and you will have an invincible team.
Make a mage but dont focus on attack spells at all, focus on the sustained skills like flaming weapons and frost weapons (of course take the frost skill and mage bolt to begin with for at least SOME offense). Focus on the sustained skills for defense such as arcane armor and arcane shield.
The idea to begin the game is to let your team members take care of the business.
In the creation skill set, max out the healing skill line.
Take Spirit healer and Arcane warrior when you can as far as advancement levels. Once you get a point in arcane warrior, put on some armor and a good weapon and shield. use melee more than your attack spells. As an arcane warrior your character doesnt put away weapons when you are casting party beneficial spells such as healing.
Run arcane shield, Rock armor, any weapon ehancements (flaming weapons, frost weapons, kinetik weapons) along with combat magic from the arcane warrior line and your team will be set. Make sure to advance the spirit healer line to at least get group heal.... Getting all the way to clensing aura just makes your party even more rediculously powerfull.
whatever group you pick will be invincible if you play it right.
Last edited by phyzik; 11-15-2009 at 03:32 AM.
Good stuff Phyzik.
I'm a bit into it now and I must say it's ing unbelievably awesome. Very immersive, just like playing a movie. The story is tight, and the writing/voice acting is superb. The battle scenes toward the beginning (before climbing the tower to light the beacon) were amazing.
I like some of the smaller touches, such as being able to use the giant crossbows to aid your battles, or letting war dogs out of their cages and then leading Darkspawn to them.
Morrigan is by far my favorite NPC thus far. She treats Alistair like , which is hilarious. Their back and forth is usually priceless.
I'm playing it as a good guy, more or less. I'm a warrior but I haven't made it far enough to specialize yet. My next character will be a rogue for sure and then a mage.
Some questions.
How different of an experience has it been for those of you who've played with more than one character?
Any advice on traps/poison/enchanting? Good materials, components etc?
Dark Reign, how did you build your warrior? Any advice?
Good Rogue build?
Good build for Alistair? (templar build)
Any more good advice on overall team tactics would be much appreciated.
One method I've been using is to set up my group in a favorable position (archer high, mage behind, Warrior in front) and then take my character and venture forward to the enemies and draw them out, one at a time if possible (or in small groups). I'll then lead them into my group, where they rarely survive long. I make sure even my warriors have a decent ranged weapon for this reason, as you can deal a load of damage before they ever make it to the main group, and then the two frontline characters can slay them easily. It's not always possible due to terrain, but whenever I can this is what I do. I'm still early on yet, so hopefully I'll learn much more
Thanks to all those who've taken the time to post their advice here, much appreciated!!
i am buying this and left 4 dead 2 on the xbox 360 for 34.99 each on black friday
MW2 took me for a ride. I'm now back to playing Da:O. The magi tower was a trip to say the least.
Dont know, still rolling my warrior.
Also something I havent touched at all.Any advice on traps/poison/enchanting? Good materials, components etc?
Yes, I have advice. Dont do what I did and go all shield-mastery bull in the early going.Dark Reign, how did you build your warrior? Any advice?
First, get the Blood Armor DLC thing-a-ma-bob. Totally ing worth it. You get the chest piece but have to buy the remaining pieces from the vendor that shows up in your camp. Bee-line your leveling to 38 Strength so you can wear the armor.
Make a damage dealer, let some other scmuck do the tanking (if you bought the Stone Prisoner DLC, you'll know who to use as your tank). Or, if youre cheap like me and didnt buy any extras, you get stuck in the tank role. Youre basically forced to play with 3 ranged characters at this stage.
Yeah...warrior, not so much fun as compared to a mage. I basically treat my Main Character like a NPC. I am in constant control of Morrigan, more fun really.
I havent experimented with any of the two-handed skill tree. I havent because the one time I did equip a two-handed sword, the time it took to swing once was utterly ridiculous as to be nearly useless, IMO. Half the time I didnt even hit what I was swinging at. Could be my character build...could be that two-handed is just plain gimped....dont know, but I dont see anything in the build tree that speeds up the swing and that is by far the biggest problem with using a 2H.
Just go up both the Warrior specific chains (Powerful, Threaten, Bravery, Death Blow and Precise Striking, Taunt, Disengage, Perfect Striking).
From what I have read, the warrior specializations are sort of gimped one way or the other.
I went with Berserker and have an eye for Champion or Reaver at lvl14. Havent found anyone to train me in either discipline seeing as I am lvl14 already, but no matter. Berserker seems pretty useless as it is, cant imagine the other specilization being any more utilitarian.
More or less, depending on your build, you'll either be the main tank or a very gimped damage dealer. You can tank well, extremely well actually, but not the best (there is another character who is the best). You can do damage, but nowhere even near a Mage and even to a lesser extent, a backstabbing Rogue.
Honestly, just do what you do with the warrior anyway you want.
My one bang-on, must-do advice is to get the Blood Armor and bee-line to 38 strength so you can wear it. It changes the game instantly.
No idea, I ditched Alistair the moment I figured out the game mechanics. I had a choice....keep another weak-ass, defensive warrior in the mix, or put in a face-melting mage?Good build for Alistair? (templar build)
Yeah...
You have the right idea but the game does a good job of throwing enemies at you later on that have...specific abilities that require some pre-planning on behalf of your more "squishy" party members (those do not wear armor).Any more good advice on overall team tactics would be much appreciated.
One method I've been using is to set up my group in a favorable position (archer high, mage behind, Warrior in front) and then take my character and venture forward to the enemies and draw them out, one at a time if possible (or in small groups). I'll then lead them into my group, where they rarely survive long. I make sure even my warriors have a decent ranged weapon for this reason, as you can deal a load of damage before they ever make it to the main group, and then the two frontline characters can slay them easily. It's not always possible due to terrain, but whenever I can this is what I do. I'm still early on yet, so hopefully I'll learn much more
Thanks to all those who've taken the time to post their advice here, much appreciated!!
I dont know if you have played any MMOs like WoW or EQ, but the basics of group combat are honed and learned in that environment. DA:O actually does a really good job of removing the need for other players and delivering a single player experience that teaches the basics of group combat, MMO or otherwise.
1st Rule: Have Tank, will travel! Every group needs a meat shield. A guy to absorb all the damage and be the focus of the enemy's attack. Preferably, all of their attacks if you have the health and healing to keep up with it. DA:O, again, does a good job here with a warrior class that has aggro management with a sustained ability like Threaten (more aggro) and two abilities like Taunt (more aggro) and Disengage (less aggro). Keeping the enemies attention on one player has obvious benefits. You only have to heal one guy, so youre managing mana/health pots efficiently amongst your group. The fight stays focused and unchaotic letting you manage who dies and how quickly by either focus firing at range, positioning your mages for Cone spells or AoE attacks, positioning Rogues around their flanks for auto-backstab bonuses to damage (BIG damage increase...HUGE), etc. Side note: When your tank has aggro, be sure to turn the enemy around so that any AoE or Cone spells they cast do not hit your party. This mostly deals with tougher boss fights, but is extremely important nonetheless.
2nd Rule: Damage, Inc. Need damage, lots of it. I prefer ranged damage, but a rogue or a flanking warrior can be fun for a switch every now and then. Morrigan is a beast, so is Lelianna and Zevran. Do like youre doing, keep them away from the melee combat, hit from afar and from on high. This is where the party toggle has to be well understood. If your party is on follow, these assholes will move around like jack rabbits trying to kill everything that moves. So all that tactical planning you did to get the enemy in a certain position to limit your "squishies" exposure goes for naught in about 4 ing seconds. I prefer to have them Hold Position in most fights...they will not move unless ordered, like, ever, for any reason. Tank dying? Oh well, wont move into healing range. Boss needs one last shot from a mage to be dead and gone? Not moving, holding position, boss lives. Its like a manual transmission, your tank is the clutch, you are the stick shift. I prefer it this way, much cleaner experience, less chaos, more planning, Tactics Menu heavy.
3rd Rule: HealBots Anonymous You need a healer. One healer for sure (certain character comes your way if you play it right, he/she is a sick healer). I actually specced Morrigan to heal intially because no one else I knew could heal....it makes the early game a little harder than it should be not having any way to heal save for Pots (health potions). I always prefer to have more than one healer anyway, just the way I roll. So with the aforementioned main healer in group and Morrigan being capable, I straight never die. Set your tactics up so your main healer heals your Main Character with Regeneration if his HP falls below 90% and to Heal when it falls below 75%. Have your hybrid (Morrigan in my case) to cast Regeneration at below 75% and to Heal at 50%. You...will...never...die. Morrigan will barely cast any healing spell, she's just a stop gap in case your main goes OOM (out of mana) and you dont notice beforehand. Beyond that, youre golden.
These 3 pieces of advice are are summed up and can always be referred to by the traditional phrase: Tank and Spank. If youve played an MMO, youve heard and used this phrase before. It refers to straight up fights with no anomalies (like teleporting bosses, random curses to party members or obscure but required tactics in order to defeat an enemy(ies)). It means who has aggro will keep aggro so long as the Damage people dont over-do it.
Last edited by DarkReign; 11-16-2009 at 11:55 AM.
My party consists of my dual wielding warrior, Meatshield Alistair, Leliana, and Morrigan. I have no problems with just having Morrigan as my healer what I do to avoid a lot of the damage is using ice spells and also the great combo of sleep and Waking Nightmare.
Waking Nightmare is one of the best spells in the game it causes enemies to go to sleep, be stunned, attack other enemies, or just do nothing. Also when you combine it with sleep it always works. Then I also use cone of cold a lot especially on tougher monster it even worked on the High Dragon at the Mountain top.
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