Dragon Age: Origins

[Peregrine]

So this game is coming out in November and it looks fantastic, really the best looking single-player RPG I've seen in ages. They have released the character creator which you can download and make characters with, then save them and use them when the game comes out. It's pretty fun to play with.

Lots of info about the game on this blog, including a really nice video of some of the gameplay.

Dragonchasers (http://dragonchasers.com/)

[Peregrine]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v608/krm123/elissa.jpg

[Honolulu_Blue]

I gave the character creation demo a spin the other night. It thought it was ok, but nothing special at all. It wasn't too terribly different than, say, Mount & Blade. You pick gender, race (elf, dwarf, human), class (fighter, mage, thief), and then go into the face generator. The generator is pretty similar to Mount & Blade with lots of options, most of which just make your character look like a freak if you tweak them too much. The graphics are a step above Mount & Blade for sure. You pick one of 4 or 5 voices. You didn't even get to pick skills as far as I could tell. You had 4 or 5 points to add to your stats and beyond cosmetic choices, that was pretty much it. And that's pretty much it. Also, at least in the demo, you could only choose one of a few potential backgrounds.

[Peregrine]

Yeah I agree they definitely limited the backgrounds and skills, I'm not sure why. It would have been a lot more fun to be able to play with all the possible options - but I guess I'll be able to do that in game.

[RomaGoth]

I looked at some of the trailers on the website linked above. The cut-scenes are very nicely done, the difference between computer animated graphics versus live acting is becoming harder to separate.

The game looks very good. My concern is if there is any DRM installed with the game, I know in the past few years this was a huge problem with many games, and EA was one of the main culprits.

[Celeval]

You didn't even get to pick skills as far as I could tell. You had 4 or 5 points to add to your stats and beyond cosmetic choices, that was pretty much it. And that's pretty much it. Also, at least in the demo, you could only choose one of a few potential backgrounds.

The impression I got is that the first "area" you go through is an origin story, and the typical skill generation of character creation happens as a part of that.

[Matthean]

Roommate is asking for a PS3 for Christmas. I pretty much have him talked into getting this. PC requirements will be on the lower side since it's been in development for so long.
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[Peregrine]

They have this flash game out for it - really cool, you get to make your character and really have a fun experience in a really involved (for flash) game. It also lets you unlock items which you can transfer over to the real game once you get it.

Dragon Age Journeys (http://www.dragonagejourneys.com/)

[Vince, Pt. II]

I watched three or four of the demo videos they have on YouTube with one of the developers commenting on it as it goes. The game looks intense, but I think that the Baldur's Gate like combat (read: SLOOOOOOW combat) is going to turn me off of the game. It looks insanely cool though.

EDIT - I think that before I had played an MMO, this would not have bothered me nearly as much as it seems to now.

[Peregrine]

Well I really loved the Baldur's Gate games so this looks good too. I believe though that they have two game modes, one is faster and doesn't have all the pausing, and the other is slower with pausing and is more Baldur's Gate style.

[sabotai]

Have this preordered. Just read about what (little) they said about the editors and I'm wondering if this could be used to make some really awesome machinima. You are supposed to be able to edit cinematics.

From the website:
The Dragon Age™ Toolset puts the power of the game developer in the palm of your hands. The Dragon Age Toolset will allow you to produce your own content including dungeons crawls , full-length campaigns, and even cut-scenes you can share with friends and the BioWare community.
Key Features Include


Create New Adventures – Forge your own environments from your imagination, or use the rich set of Dragon Age locations and artwork as starting blocks to build new, original campaigns, quests, or cut-scenes.
Stage Massive Battles – Test your might in battle by fully customizing the combat and creature AI, allowing you to create detailed action sequences full of heart-pounding warfare.
Be the Director - Create your own stories with the powerful cinematics editor that offers full control of the camera, voice and lip syncing tools, and a full character creator.
Content Creator's Community – Join the BioWare Social Network where you can easily find tutorials, share content, chat with other creators, and get content updates for the toolset.

[Calis]

Is there such a thing as awesome machinima? :)

Those editors do sound nice and I will be curious to see how difficult they are to use and how they generally compare to the NWN tools.

[sabotai]

Is there such a thing as awesome machinima? :)

Red vs. Blue is quite awesome, and you are not cool if you think otherwise. :D

[Greyroofoo]

Dragon Age is looking good in early reviews.

[KWhit]

Dragon Age looking good in preseason.

Fixed.

[Eaglesfan27]

A great preview. I can't wait for next week:

GameShark | Previews | Dragon Age: Origins Hands on Preview (http://www.gameshark.com/previews/3454/Dragon-Age-Origins-Hands-on-Preview.htm)

[Calis]

Went ahead and pre-ordered on Steam. I really hope they allow some sort of pre-load on it, but I don't think they ever have yet on a non-Valve game.

I was even weak and ordered the Deluxe edition. I'm not proud of it either.

Can't wait.

[spleen1015]

Should I go PC or console? DECISIONS!

[Eaglesfan27]

Should I go PC or console? DECISIONS!

I went PC for the mod potential.

[Calis]

Can't say this often with games these days, but I'd definitely say PC if you can run it ok. Mods should be good stuff, and I know the PC version allows the more strategic zoomed out view to play more like Baldur's Gate rather than the close in action of the consoles that is more Knights of the Old Republic style.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Went ahead and pre-ordered on Steam. I really hope they allow some sort of pre-load on it, but I don't think they ever have yet on a non-Valve game.

I was even weak and ordered the Deluxe edition. I'm not proud of it either.

Can't wait.

Borderlands was pre-load-able. It had to be unlocked upon release, and all in all it took nearly an hour after release to get that done...but I was up and running less than an hour after they opened it to the public.

[Atocep]

Preordered from direct2drive just now and I can start preloading in about an hour.

I got the deluxe edition, too....

Early reviews have been fantastic. PC Gamer UK said their first playthrough clocked in at about 80 hours and they call it the "RPG of the decade".

[Calis]

Borderlands was pre-load-able. It had to be unlocked upon release, and all in all it took nearly an hour after release to get that done...but I was up and running less than an hour after they opened it to the public.

Good to hear, thanks. I wasn't sure if they did or not.

Looks like the Steam pre-load went up this afternoon also, so I'm not pre-loaded and ready for release day. Wish I had some days off this week, I imagine Tuesday is going to be a late night. :)

[Greyroofoo]

So what's in the deluxe edition? Is it worth the purchase?

[sabotai]

For those who preordered on Steam, you can preload it now.

[spleen1015]

I'm not sure if my PC meets the minimum requirements.

If I buy this through Direct2Drive, will they let me refund if it doesn't work well?

[sabotai]

So what's in the deluxe edition? Is it worth the purchase?

This is from Steam:

Dragon Age: Origins Digital Deluxe Edition Exclusives

http://storefront.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/901037/extras/DLC_BergensHonor.jpg Bergen's Honor
When the Grey Warden Bergen knew he was at the end of his life, he descended into the the Deep Roads joined by a full company of the Legion of the Dead. They slew hordes of darkspawn, clearing tunnels that had been lost for centuries. When at last they fell, a lone dwarf brought back Bergen's helm, as well as his defiant and inspirational tale.

Adds +2 to armor
Adds a lot to physical resistance (+25)
Adds to attack (+6)
http://storefront.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/901037/extras/DLC_FinalReason.jpg Final Reason
This staff was held by several senior master conjurers of the Circle Tower, passed down from old master to new. Errant students learned to fear it, for when all other forms of discipline failed, the Final Reason would produce obedience at the cost of significant pain and discomfort.

Adds to damage. Making it do as much as the Dragonbone staves
Adds considerably to spellpower
Adds a good chunk to fire damage
http://storefront.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/901037/extras/DLC_GrimoireFrozenWastes.jpg Grimoire of the Frozen Wastes
Far north of Orthland lies the Frozen Wastes. In these pages are hundreds of harrowing tales describing how the barbarians survive in their icy homeland. The authors' hope their stories will help readers in their times of need. Or at the least prove entertaining.

When read adds +3 to a player's attributes
http://storefront.steampowered.com/v/gfx/apps/901037/extras/wardenskeep.jpg Warden's Keep
Some claim the fortress of Soldier’s Peak is corrupted and overrun by demons. Others whisper of betrayal and the spirits of murdered Grey Wardens. Whatever the truth, Soldier’s Peak is no place for the living.
Relive the darkest hour of the Grey Wardens with all-new content that adds to the main Dragon Age: Origins campaign. This downloadable adventure reveals secrets hidden for generations, and includes unique achievements, unlockable character abilities, powerful items, and much more!

New quests - discover what really happened to the Grey Wardens of old and what led to their expulsion from Ferelden
New features - a base of operations with party storage. Inventory full? Stash new items as well as loot from the main Dragon Age: Origins campaign
New items and abilities - talents and spells from the Power of Blood school, unique achievements, and powerful items including a set of Grey Warden Commander armor
Digital Soundtrack

Includes a collection of tracks from the score of Dragon Age: Origins
Wallpapers

Includes a collection of wallpapers for your desktop background

[sabotai]

I'm not sure if my PC meets the minimum requirements.

If I buy this through Direct2Drive, will they let me refund if it doesn't work well?

I very much doubt they would.

Here are the listed requirements on Steam

System Requirements

Minimum:

OS: Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1) or Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Single 1.6 Ghz Processor (or equivalent) or AMD 64 2.0 GHz Processor (or equivalent)
Memory: 1GB (1.5 GB Vista and Windows 7)
Graphics: ATI Radeon X850 256MB or NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater (Windows Vista: Radeon X1550 256 MB or NVidia GeForce 7600GT 256MB)
DirectX®: DirectX (November 2007)
Hard Drive: 20 GB HD space
Sound: Direct X Compatible Sound Card
Recommended:

OS: Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1) or Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz or AMD Phenom II X2 Dual-Core 2.7 Ghz Processor or equivalent
Memory: 2 GB (3GB Vista and Windows 7)
Graphics: ATI 3850 512 MB or NVidia 8800GTS 512MB or greater
DirectX®: DirectX (November 2007)
Hard Drive: 20 GB HD space
Sound: Direct X Compatible Sound Card

[spleen1015]

Well, D2D wouldn't take the credit card I used last time. I tried it 3 times and they locked me out. That sucks.

[Galaril]

I very much doubt they would.

Here are the listed requirements on Steam

System Requirements

Minimum:

OS: Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1) or Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Single 1.6 Ghz Processor (or equivalent) or AMD 64 2.0 GHz Processor (or equivalent)
Memory: 1GB (1.5 GB Vista and Windows 7)
Graphics: ATI Radeon X850 256MB or NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB or greater (Windows Vista: Radeon X1550 256 MB or NVidia GeForce 7600GT 256MB)
DirectX®: DirectX (November 2007)
Hard Drive: 20 GB HD space
Sound: Direct X Compatible Sound Card
Recommended:

OS: Windows XP (SP3) or Windows Vista (SP1) or Windows 7
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz or AMD Phenom II X2 Dual-Core 2.7 Ghz Processor or equivalent
Memory: 2 GB (3GB Vista and Windows 7)
Graphics: ATI 3850 512 MB or NVidia 8800GTS 512MB or greater
DirectX®: DirectX (November 2007)
Hard Drive: 20 GB HD space
Sound: Direct X Compatible Sound Card


I know my three week old laptop actually exceeds these with 4 GB ram, and a better graphics card so I think the specs are in line with alot of the newer laptops/PCs coming out.IMHO.

[spleen1015]

I meet the minimum other than XP SP3. I'm only running SP2.

Now to get this CC problem fixed...

Thanks, d00dz.

[spleen1015]

So, here's the response I got from customer service:

I sincerely apologize that you have been inconvenienced!

In order to protect your card from unauthorized internet purchases our system required a manual review by a human being in a random security sweep. This is a precaution we take as an online, no card present merchant.

I have cleared your account and sincerely thank you for your patience! No purchase has completed from your previous attempt. Please do not change or edit your account information and return to www.direct2drive.com and purchase how you like.

Feel free to contact me with any more questions you might have.

Thank you!

I'll say this. I was pretty irritated by this whole experience. Now, I am shocked in how quickly D2D responded to my ticket. That was pretty awesome.

[Lonnie]

D2D seems to be really on top of the credit card security. I guess they have been bit before. I had a friend try to sign up for a new account when they were doing the $5 games, and he was rejected and locked out. It took a few hours, but finally they got back to him and told him it was because he was trying to buy from another state than his home state. He was traveling for work.

[BYU 14]

I have been swayed, despite the large HD spce it will take. I need to update to SP 3 as I keep getting access denied when I try and load it, so I will have to tinker with my Antivirus and Firewall settings.

I still may just get the PS 3 version instead though, just curious how many people are going for the CPU version vs 360/PS3?

[JetsIn06]

I have been swayed, despite the large HD spce it will take. I need to update to SP 3 as I keep getting access denied when I try and load it, so I will have to tinker with my Antivirus and Firewall settings.

I still may just get the PS 3 version instead though, just curious how many people are going for the CPU version vs 360/PS3?

I'm going 360. While the mods for PC should be cool, I'm getting to the point where I just want the damn thing to work/look good no matter what.

[CleBrownsfan]

I'm going 360. While the mods for PC should be cool, I'm getting to the point where I just want the damn thing to work/look good no matter what.

I agree - I have a computer that meets the requirements but I know once I stick the game in the PS3 it will work with out any issues.

[Galaril]

I am wondering what stores have/will break the street date of 11/3 and have it on the shelf today? I have a few things to return to target and wall mart and may check to see if their copies wind up on the display early.

[CleBrownsfan]

I am wondering what stores have/will break the street date of 11/3 and have it on the shelf today? I have a few things to return to target and wall mart and may check to see if their copies wind up on the display early.

Doubt it

[Samdari]

I am wondering what stores have/will break the street date of 11/3 and have it on the shelf today? I have a few things to return to target and wall mart and may check to see if their copies wind up on the display early.

Around here, those stores are usually about a week or two behind in getting games out (PC games anyway).

[Greyroofoo]

I gave in and bought this off steam.
Pre-Downloading now...

[Galaril]

Doubt it

well at very least the damn crooks at Gamestop will have it in the morning.

[Calis]

Ultimate nerd question, did anyone read the prequel novel? I was wondering how terrible it was.

I got a Kindle for an early birthday present this weekend and saw it on the store there and almost bit the bullet.

[wahoomac]

My copy ordered from GoGamer is supposed to be out for delivery today. Only thing I did was upgrade from dirt-cheap shipping to Priority USPS delivery (~$1 more or so). I'm psyched.

[BYU 14]

I think I will go with the PS3, Fallout 3 ran great on that with with DLC now I am not missing much. Playing without the Mods will be a bummer, but I am sure they will have somethings in store for console owners.

[Galaril]

Ultimate nerd question, did anyone read the prequel novel? I was wondering how terrible it was.

I got a Kindle for an early birthday present this weekend and saw it on the store there and almost bit the bullet.

There are actually two novels out now and a bunch more planned. They are building a whole universe around this. I have not read the novels but have heard them favorably compared to George Martin's works.

[Vince, Pt. II]

There are actually two novels out now and a bunch more planned. They are building a whole universe around this. I have not read the novels but have heard them favorably compared to George Martin's works.

Wow, that's high praise. Might have to take a look.

[Peregrine]

I am pre-loading also from Direct2Drive.

[Peregrine]

And also, if you can't wait for tomorrow - definitely check out Dragon Age Journeys (www.dragonagejourneys.com). It's quite a fun game and introduces you to the way the character system works.

[spleen1015]

IGN's UK review

hxxp://pc.ign.com/articles/104/1040976p1.html

[Celeval]

I've been playing DA:Journeys for about 4 hours and am nearly (I think) complete with it once as a fighter. One of the achievements is to complete as a wizard and rogue, so I may do that as well... it's enjoyable.

[Atocep]

IGN's UK review

hxxp://pc.ign.com/articles/104/1040976p1.html


If I were to imagine a review for the perfect RPG for me, that would be it.

[wahoomac]

Install went well, ~25 minutes. Logged in with my EA account and it listed two downloadable content I earned from Dragon Age: Journeys. Purchased the DLC Warden's Keep (or whatever it was called) and downloaded it. Input the codes in the game box for the Fury of Shale and Blood Dragon Armor and they are downloading as I type this. DLC adds about another ~25 minutes or so. Very smooth launch so far in my eyes.

[Galaril]

Install went well, ~25 minutes. Logged in with my EA account and it listed two downloadable content I earned from Dragon Age: Journeys. Purchased the DLC Warden's Keep (or whatever it was called) and downloaded it. Input the codes in the game box for the Fury of Shale and Blood Dragon Armor and they are downloading as I type this. DLC adds about another ~25 minutes or so. Very smooth launch so far in my eyes.

Wow you got it you bastard. Good to see the flash game can earn you DLC. Did you get the collectors edition or the standard version. I know what comes with the collectors but am curious if you geta map or anything with the standard edition.

[wahoomac]

Wow you got it you bastard. Good to see the flash game can earn you DLC. Did you get the collectors edition or the standard version. I know what comes with the collectors but am curious if you geta map or anything with the standard edition.

I decided to get the standard edition. And I decided to buy a disk version instead of downloadable, mostly due to the fact that the game is so large, I didn't want to tie up my modem downloading a huge game. There were some things about the downloadable Collector's Edition that was intriguing, but I got it from GoGamer for $42.99 (plus shipping) and then spent $7+tax for the Warden's Keep DLC (one that comes automatically with the downloadable versions). The standard edition does not come with a map or really any of the extra goodies (except the codes for the Blood Dragon Armor and Shale). The other two items (a ring and a belt) were I think from DA: Journeys or maybe from creating an account/player profile on EA's web servers. It was worth it more to me to get the game for $42.99+shipping+$7+tax for the DLC, then for me to get the map and all the other things (making-of DVDs, etc.)

I've played for about 15-20 minutes, completed my first two quests (tutorial-type) and am really liking it.

[CleBrownsfan]

Gamespot review is up - I'm watching the video review as I write this...

I still don't know what I should buy this for the PS3 or PC...

[Samdari]

So, if anyone gets their Steam version going, can you PM me a link to the manual?

[tyketime]

Curses to ALL...

Election Day Off + Forum Browsing + Positive Reviews = Direct2Drive download purchase.

So the files have downloaded, but don't yet appear to be installed. On my Download Manager screen, it shows the files as "locked" and awaiting the 10AM PST release. I knew about the release time, but I guess I expected I would at least be able to install the game, just not play it yet. Does anyone else see the same scenario?

[spleen1015]

I see the same thing.

[tyketime]

OK, thanks. So we don't really get to play in ~ 2 hours. We get to "install" then play. Not a big deal, I just wanted to make sure I hadn't missed a step...

[tyketime]

Just found a helpful link on D2D Support for Dragon Age: Origins preload. On the left is a link to FAQ:

Support Center (http://support.direct2drive.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=3091)

[aran]

I wonder why steam insists on releasing games at 3PM EST. I thought it made the most sense for games to be released at midnight of their release date, not 15 hours later...

[terpkristin]

I pre-ordered mine from Amazon for 360, I expect/hope it'll be here this weekend for me to play.

/tk

[CleBrownsfan]

Why do you guys order from D2D or Steam rather then purchasing a hard copy of the game? Just curious...

[aran]

Because I don't have to leave my house or wait for shipping. I also don't like having to keep track of physical media. The first thing I do with most games I purchase in hard copy is rip it to an ISO and put the ISO on my external drive for later use with Daemon Tools.

[Greyroofoo]

Because I don't have to leave my house or wait for shipping. I also don't like having to keep track of physical media. The first thing I do with most games I purchase in hard copy is rip it to an ISO and put the ISO on my external drive for later use with Daemon Tools.

:+1:


I'm also in the process of storing my old cds to my hard drive.

Also don't forget that swapping discs is sooooooo several years ago.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Why do you guys order from D2D or Steam rather then purchasing a hard copy of the game? Just curious...

The last hard copy of a game I bought, I believe was Civ IV: Beyond The Sword. I did get hard copies of "Bioshock" and "Company of Heroes" for Christmas last year. Everything else, I get off Steam.

I used to be very cautious about not buying hard copies, to the extent that even if I did get a game via download, I'd still pay extra for the CD/DVD if that was an option.

Not anymore.

I like Steam. It's fast, it's easy, I don't have to leave the house, I don't have to interact with people (there is a Gamestop within walking distance of my house, but the few times I've bought a game there I have been forced into annoying conversations with the sales person there), and it is usually cheaper (since I am typically buying older games or waiting until they go on discount).

From what I understand, even if something were to happen to my PC that I have all my games loaded up on, I still would be able to download them off Steam again without issue.

Based off early reviews, I think I may actually buy this game soon. I am typically about 12-18 months behind in most games, but this looks great.

[Aylmar]

From what I understand, even if something were to happen to my PC that I have all my games loaded up on, I still would be able to download them off Steam again without issue.

This is absolutely true, even for games Steam sells where you actually purchased a physical copy and then registered the game with Steam. I bought Empire:Total War on DVD and registered it with Steam. I bought a new PC, loaded Steam, and told it to re-download all my games. The next day, all my games had been installed on my PC...even Empire:Total War. It's a great feature, and totally sold me on buying all my PC games via Steam.

[CleBrownsfan]

hXXp://www.gametrailers.com/gamereview.php?id=9022

Review= 9.1

can't wait to get home tonight!

[Peregrine]

Well I have loaded the game but I am not sure of where to register my pre-order items - I find the maze of websites for this game a bit confusing, actually.

[wahoomac]

Well I have loaded the game but I am not sure of where to register my pre-order items - I find the maze of websites for this game a bit confusing, actually.

I had the game menu open (where you can see what items you need to download and such) and alt-tabbed to Firefox to go to http://dragonage.bioware.com/redeem and put in my codes for the Blood Dragon Armor and Shale. Then I went back into DA:O and the items showed up to download and install. Make sure you are already logged in while using the game menu. I was surprised how easy it was to get things downloaded and installed within the game.

[Peregrine]

Bah, it won't let me play the game because it keeps telling me my computer isn't connected to the internet, when it completely is.

edit - whew, finally got it to work.

[aran]

Game is unlocked on steam now! I was expecting to wait another hour and a half. How nice of them. Now to decrypt the game for 45 freaking minutes.

[Apathetic Lurker]

meh, Bioware is a part of the evil EA empire. They gonna pull a spore on us and give us 5 installs. Thanks, i'll wait for the deluxe edition to hit the bargain bins next year

[Samdari]

Game is unlocked on steam now! I was expecting to wait another hour and a half. How nice of them. Now to decrypt the game for 45 freaking minutes.

Have you been able to play. Lots of kvetching on the official forums about people not able to register, or the Steam version not actually unlocking.

[tyketime]

I have game installed and loaded. I purchased from Direct2Drive. When I click on downloadable content inside the game, I see two items. When I click one and then the redeem code button, it takes me to a Bioware site. In other words, I obviously need help on how to add the Bonus Items to my account. Anyone else have success with that yet?

[Mustang]

So.. is anyone actually playing this now?

[CleBrownsfan]

I will be for the PS3 in about a hour or so ;)

[sabotai]

Why do you guys order from D2D or Steam rather then purchasing a hard copy of the game? Just curious...

Aside from the reasons others have given, I'm tired of CD-Keys and having to to keep the case and manual handy. I wanted to play F.E.A.R. again recently, found the disc after days of searching and when I put it in to install, it asked for the key. Problem is I have no idea where the manual or the CD case is, and I don't remember which had the key in it.

If I had bought it as a download (if it were offered at the time), I could have just gone to where I bought it, downloaded it, and played. It's basically a coaster now.

Steam, GamersGate and Impulse are the three services I use for most of my game buying now.

[BYU 14]

I will be for the PS3 in about a hour or so ;)


Real interested in your feedback, please post after you play a bit, especially interested in the view as the options on the consoles are apparently more restrictive than the PC (no top down view)

[tyketime]

I am playing (albeit without my preorder items at the moment). I'm in the Tutorial mode right now. So far... so good!

[Peregrine]

I'm playing this on PC - really liking it so far, especially with how each background gives you a different tutorial. Plus I find the Codex system that records all the lore and instructions of the game very nice - similar to the Tome of Knowledge in the MMO Warhammer Online.

[BYU 14]

Question for those with PC version. I still can't get Service Pack 3 to load, is anybody playing this on PC with SP2?

I am going to have to call microsoft as I tried all their trouble shooting methods, I really want to the PC version over PS 3.

[spleen1015]

I am going to try and load it when I get home without SP3. I will let you know what happens.

[BYU 14]

I am going to try and load it when I get home without SP3. I will let you know what happens.

Thanks, I'll keep trying and let you know if I get a solution as well.

[JPhillips]

Aside from the reasons others have given, I'm tired of CD-Keys and having to to keep the case and manual handy. I wanted to play F.E.A.R. again recently, found the disc after days of searching and when I put it in to install, it asked for the key. Problem is I have no idea where the manual or the CD case is, and I don't remember which had the key in it.

If I had bought it as a download (if it were offered at the time), I could have just gone to where I bought it, downloaded it, and played. It's basically a coaster now.

Steam, GamersGate and Impulse are the three services I use for most of my game buying now.

I've had similar situations and I feel no guilt in finding a hacked key.

[Samdari]

I've had similar situations and I feel no guilt in finding a hacked key.

Me either, but Steam bypasses the whole issue.

I used to avoid downloading games, preferring to own CD's, given my desire to move a game from machine to machine, or still own it if my HD crashes. Plus, it guarantees I won't have a Civ IV - esque issue where it does not recognize my valid DVD. Just a lot more positives than negatives at this point.

Plus, I am at home on my butt with laptop in lap far more often these days than I am in front of a shelf of games. Allows me far more impulse buying opportunities.

[Peregrine]

One of my first impressions - this game looks absolutely fantastic - I really love just soaking in the environments, and in particular the armor of the various characters and soldiers is some of the best looking and practical I've seen in a long time.

[Mustang]

the armor of the various characters and soldiers is some of the best looking and practical I've seen in a long time.

As practical as this armor?

http://www.fmft.net/archives/gangsta%2021/gangsta9.JPG

[CleBrownsfan]

Real interested in your feedback, please post after you play a bit, especially interested in the view as the options on the consoles are apparently more restrictive than the PC (no top down view)

Will do - I should have a few hours playing tonight and I'll post an impression of gameplay in the morning.

[CleBrownsfan]

One of my first impressions - this game looks absolutely fantastic - I really love just soaking in the environments, and in particular the armor of the various characters and soldiers is some of the best looking and practical I've seen in a long time.

And the reviewers were saying that the graphics weren't the best around... good to hear

[spleen1015]

Has anyone who bought through D2D been about to get to the downloadable content that came with the deluxe edition?

BYU, I was able to install and run the game without installing XP SP3. I haven't tried to play anything yet, but I can getto the main menu of the game.

[BYU 14]

BYU, I was able to install and run the game without installing XP SP3. I haven't tried to play anything yet, but I can getto the main menu of the game.

Sweet, crossing my fingers you can play.

[spleen1015]

Dola, I found it. Click on Download Now from your D2D account page and the page that comes up has the 2 keys on it.

[Greyroofoo]

The game certainly has me addicted thus far.

Took me about 35 minutes from getting home and getting the game running from steam.

Now I just gotta wait for the bonus content to download...

[Greyroofoo]

Dola, I'm running it on XP SP2 in case anyone is interested.

[BYU 14]

Dola, I'm running it on XP SP2 in case anyone is interested.

Nice, thanks guys, pulling the trigger now!

[spleen1015]

Sweet, crossing my fingers you can play.

I got to a point in the game where I can control my guy and start his first mission. So far, so good.

My only issue is that I am getting some screen flicker and I hear a faint beep from my PC when it flickers. I don't think that is XP SP3 related, but I don't know for sure.

[Calis]

Early impressions-

Rage mostly. This is a mess going from Steam, to the Bioware Social Site to make an account, to make an EA Account and now no idea what to do in order to download the deluxe content.

I can't stand crap like this, I paid for it..please make it less of a hassle. I keep trying to login in-game and it starts logging me, brings up the EULA and then loads up some stuff and says I input the wrong password, when I can login to the Bioware site with the same no problem. It's obviously doing something different than when I actually do input the wrong password as well which is pretty frustrating.

Anyone else have issues with this or am I crazy?

[tyketime]

Anyone else have issues with this or am I crazy?

No, I am having similar issues although I purchased from D2D. I ended up chatting with EA Customer Service (not very helpful). If there is any consolation, there are 7 pages of other folks having similar issues on the Bioware Forums.

[Greyroofoo]

Early impressions-

Rage mostly. This is a mess going from Steam, to the Bioware Social Site to make an account, to make an EA Account and now no idea what to do in order to download the deluxe content.

Anyone else have issues with this or am I crazy?

Try this site to get the deluxe content

Activating Pre-Order or Extra Items - Steam Users' Forums (http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1011420)

[Calis]

Eventually got everything to recognize and downloaded. Not really sure what fixed it, but it might have just been a bit slow to recognize the changes to my account.

All is well now and firing it up.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Eventually got everything to recognize and downloaded. Not really sure what fixed it, but it might have just been a bit slow to recognize the changes to my account.

All is well now and firing it up.

Did you have to do all of this because you got some special pre-order content, or is this something everyone buying the game will have to go through just to get it up and running?

[Greyroofoo]

Did you have to do all of this because you got some special pre-order content, or is this something everyone buying the game will have to go through just to get it up and running?

I think it's people who have the deluxe edition or who pre-ordered. They have to register their keys to get their bonus content.

[BYU 14]

Returned from Yoga and have 3 minutes left on my download...woohoo.

[spleen1015]

I think the beeping and the screen flickering I am experiencing may have something to do with overheating some where. I did a little research online and found stuff saying it might be that.

I played DA:O for about an hour and it did it pretty much the whole time, then my monitor went totally dark. The lights were still on on my PC. So maybe the video card was overheating?

About the game, I am loving the experience so far. The game is very well done. The game looks really good and I am excited to see what's next in the story.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I have to say I've been VERY impressed with Steam for my downloads of Borderlands and Dragon Age: Origins. I was very leery of downloadable full games because not only do I enjoy reading a paperback manual, I like having the jewel cases and games for my collection. Also, I was nervous about downloads screwing up, etc. However, Borderlands went off without a hitch, and Dragon Age: Origin not only went off without a hitch, but while I was at work all day, it automatically unlocked it and finished the install with no input from me (other than turning on my computer in the morning). I'll be back in a few minutes to give a small review on the intro and opening...I only have a few minutes to play tonight :)

EDIT - Not so fast...having issues.

[Calis]

Got a couple hours of play in tonight, but unfortunately have to turn in early. I really like what I've seen so far. I think it looks nice, it's definitely not cutting edge graphically and you notice that more when you zoom in but out in the strategic view it looks very nice. Combat feels very Baldur's Gate-ish and that's what I had hoped. I think I'll have fun messing around with the AI scripts when I dig into them and wrap my head around it better.

Great voice acting, a couple genuinely funny moments, and no real complaints yet. It's obviously extremely early there so we'll see. It feels like they actually built the interface and system for PC also, it has a good one unlike Mass Effect for PC. You can tell it was the lead platform. I'm actually curious to see the console game now and see how it works. I think these versions are much more different than most people are thinking.

The social site and that part of it is bordering on a complete failure imo. I had countless issues with getting it to actually accept my info and update it, and then I got in a weird endless loop with it asking for my birth date. It also announces the Toolset as being released and all the links to download actually go to 404 error pages. I look it up in the forums and see Bioware has said that they haven't released the tools yet, not sure exactly when that'll happen.

It's obviously not ready for release and they weren't ready for the onrush of people. It's a headache and can paint a bad first impression of the game. There are things obviously not setup and things that don't link correctly but there's no indication of this.

I'm really anxious to see the tools as well. I'm really hoping they're as solid as we were led to believe. This appears to be a much much better engine than Aurora so I hope we see NWN level tools or even better.

[tyketime]

Looks like they've resolved my issue as well. When I clicked on "Redeem Code", this time it prompted me for the keys. I entered them and they were successfully redeemed. When I looked at Content Currently Downloading, ALL of my pre-release bonuses are being downloaded. A frustrating start from that perspective, but I am loving the game so far!

[Vince, Pt. II]

Well, that was depressing. Though it said "100% - Ready" in my Steam 'My Games' tab (similar to my other games), apparently it was NOT unlocked. After locking up my system once, it's now starting to decrypt...looks like I'll have to wait until tomorrow evening to play after all.

[BYU 14]

I think the beeping and the screen flickering I am experiencing may have something to do with overheating some where. I did a little research online and found stuff saying it might be that.

I played DA:O for about an hour and it did it pretty much the whole time, then my monitor went totally dark. The lights were still on on my PC. So maybe the video card was overheating?

About the game, I am loving the experience so far. The game is very well done. The game looks really good and I am excited to see what's next in the story.

It sounds like the video card, mine did that with Blood Bowl before I upgraded, that sucks you can only get an hour or so in at a time.

Working well with SP2 for me, completed the origins tutorial and I am totally hooked. Some of the reviews downplayed the graphics, but I think they are nicely done. I also love the depth of the story telling and codex, helps build a nice little history and adds to the immersion.

[Peregrine]

One thing I've noticed is if you access the Documentation option from the game launcher, it takes you to some really helpful info that I think would have helped a lot of us - not only does it go over all the various logins, make clear what needs to be done to access preorder bonuses, etc, but it also has a lot of very specific technical problems that could happen with the game and gives suggestions.


Also, one thing that is starting to bother me is that each origin starts with two skills - I wish they would tell you which skills in advance. Personally I'd prefer if there were no pre-selected skills at all, but it would be nice to know if your origin starts with skills you have no interest in, or whatever.

[spleen1015]

It sounds like the video card, mine did that with Blood Bowl before I upgraded, that sucks you can only get an hour or so in at a time.

Working well with SP2 for me, completed the origins tutorial and I am totally hooked. Some of the reviews downplayed the graphics, but I think they are nicely done. I also love the depth of the story telling and codex, helps build a nice little history and adds to the immersion.

I switched it over to windowed mode later last night and I didn't have the flicker/beeping going on. I will play with it like that for a while tonight and see what happens. At this point, I'm pretty sure my video card may be over heating. I will likely clean out my case tonight too just to make sure.

One way or another, I will play this game, even if it means I have to go buy a new PC.

[CleBrownsfan]

I played about 3 hours last night with the PS3 version. I see this one taking up a lot of my gaming time - that's for sure! The story so far has been really good and I can't wait to get more involved in it. I started out as a Elf Mage and I think I'm at level 6 or 7 now. The controls are very easy to get use to but I do see how the "hot" buttons would be easier to use on the PC. You pretty much have 2 sets of 3 hot buttons - one set is always up and the other set you can use by holding the RT button. I don't see a problem with the controls at all but I do have a couple issues. 1) maybe it's my color blindness but it's hard to see your companions health meter. 2) since the camera is over the shoulder view - it's hard to see how many or what you're attacking.

Overall - I really enjoyed my 3 hours of game play last night and can't wait to get back in to the World of Ferelden.

[Honolulu_Blue]

Overall - I really enjoyed my 3 hours of game play last night and can't wait to get back in to the World of Ferelden.

I think I am going to end up buying this sooner rather than later. And I am sure once I start playing it this will stop, but whenever I read the word "Ferelden", I always read it as Federline.

[Galaril]

Ok. I picked up the PC version yesterday on the way home from work. The install took about 20 minutes so yes itis a big game GB wise. The guy at the Gamestop gave me a card with the game for a couple of cool DLC items for those who preordered the game there though I did not;) Also, inside the game there was a couple of other DLC things like the Shale Warrior quest, character, a dragon armor, and another item or two. All in all pretty good.
My first impressions are just wow this is a great game after about 2-3 hours of play time so still early but first impressions are REAL good. I started my first character with my 7 year old daughter helping me create the character appearance. I read a ton of reviews and impressions from various places that made it sound like character creation was ho-hum. All I can say to that is geez take off the Vulcan ears nerd and go out outside. The creation stuff was more than adequate for my needs. Anyways we chose a male Human Rogue that we will turn into a ranger later on. The only option for this the noble origin story. I will not give any spoilers but I will just say the story just in the short time I have spent with it is awesome. I am curious if it will continue throughout the game or if it is just good at the beginning. The world is beautiful and IMHO the graphics are very similar to The Lord of the Rings Online world in both appearance and feel. I found myself gawking at the Ostagar fortress and the world really feels immersive. I love the history of the world and the back story is great for it all. I really got the feeling like I was actually in the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movies.The story, world, characters are a cross between Jackson's LOTR and George Martins Fire and Ice series. I shit you not. The voices are excellent and the music I enjoyed. Combat is as others have said very Baldur's Gate which I liked a lot. One thing I would list as a con was that the combat could be a bit frantic and fast paced and pausing the action is the only way I can see handling orders. This one felt less like Neverwinter Nights and more like BG to me. Characters are great and I already felt some emotional connection to a number of them. The initial starting Origin area had me literally on the edge of my sofa as my 2 year was launching the cat across the family room and my wife yelling at him I was ranging through the the Wilding forest (great fun). This one is going to get some real look as game of the year for sure.

[Peregrine]

2) since the camera is over the shoulder view - it's hard to see how many or what you're attacking.

Overall - I really enjoyed my 3 hours of game play last night and can't wait to get back in to the World of Ferelden.

They mention this in the tutorial but there are basically two game modes - the close, over the shoulder camera is more for exploring. When you're in combat you can scroll back on the mouse wheel and it will go to an overhead view that makes tracking all the combatants a lot easier, and let you pan around the battlefield by holding down the mousewheel and moving around.

[spleen1015]

They mention this in the tutorial but there are basically two game modes - the close, over the shoulder camera is more for exploring. When you're in combat you can scroll back on the mouse wheel and it will go to an overhead view that makes tracking all the combatants a lot easier, and let you pan around the battlefield by holding down the mousewheel and moving around.

That's the PC interface. He's playing on the PS3. :D

[BYU 14]

Just venturing into the wilds now and getting the hang of tactics, which I am beginning to see are very well done and do make a difference in battle. I also like the BG style combat with the ability to pause and collect yourself. No complaints at all so far.

[KWhit]

I'm loving this game.

[tyketime]

I played for a couple of hours last night and I have a couple of combat related questions. I picked an Elf Rogue (I tend to favor Ranger type characters). So he's really a back line party member. Do you often switch which character you are controlling? I often switch to the Warrior as he leads the party into batle. But whenever I do, I find myself distracted with what my character is doing. Secondly, are you frequently pausing to set up tactics. I really think I am missing that whole piece (in other words, I haven't changed the defaults on them yet).

[aran]

I have turned off auto tactics on my party and do it all manually now. I find that I do a much more efficient job of picking when and where to use the characters' abilities. I pause battle every few seconds to give whatever orders are necessary. The game forces you to pause if you want to do anything more than issuing one order, because there's no order queuing system aside from using the tactical settings. That's probably the primary problem I have with an otherwise great game.

[BYU 14]

I played for a couple of hours last night and I have a couple of combat related questions. I picked an Elf Rogue (I tend to favor Ranger type characters). So he's really a back line party member. Do you often switch which character you are controlling? I often switch to the Warrior as he leads the party into batle. But whenever I do, I find myself distracted with what my character is doing. Secondly, are you frequently pausing to set up tactics. I really think I am missing that whole piece (in other words, I haven't changed the defaults on them yet).

I was doing the same as Aran mentioned, but have done some experimenting and think I have a pretty good set up now. I would set your Warrior on scrapper, set someone up as a defender (on either you or a spellcaster) then you can focus on picking the enemies apart with you bow skills.

I do this, but still pause here and there to issue specific orders as needed or swallow a potion if someones health is getting low.

Guess it boils down to playing style and the system offers enough flexibility to employ tactics as much or little as you like.

[sabotai]

So far, I've been controlling my guy most of the time in combat (Elf Rogue). I pause and heal up when needed, and I'll switch to any mage character in order to use the spells.

The tactics system looks pretty good, and when I can stop actually playing the game for a bit, I'll dive into it and see if I can really set up a few good tactics for my guys so I can not worry about them.

[Eaglesfan27]

I have the disc version which I've just installed. Are the extra items stored on an EA account or the disk drive? I'm worried that if something messes up when I upgrade to Windows 7 soon, that I might have to re-install the game and don't want to lose the extra items.

[Greyroofoo]

I have the disc version which I've just installed. Are the extra items stored on an EA account or the disk drive? I'm worried that if something messes up when I upgrade to Windows 7 soon, that I might have to re-install the game and don't want to lose the extra items.

i think its tied with your EA account.

[Scoobz0202]

I don't know what just happened... It's all a blur.

The other day when figuring out my "fun" cash for the next month I decided that the excesses over the next few weeks were the Bob Dyan concert I went to last night, Modern Warfare 2 next week, and the new cell phone next saturday.

I took some movies back to the video store, checked the video game section. After hearing all the positive reviews I wanted to at least check it out, as I was a big fan of Bioware's old school RPG games on PC. They were all checked out. Next thing I knew I walking out of Gamespot with this game... So much for the planned spending, eh.

I can predict the same thing will probably happen when Left 4 Dead 2 comes out.

[BYU 14]

Tactics are even bigger than I thought, I am attempting to take a Tower and the last guy between me and success is wiping the floor with my party, combat is definitely a challenge at times, which is a good thing.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I haven't even done anything yet (just barely finished the background intro) and this game is amazing. I apologize for adding fuel to the flames for those attempting to not buy this game, but I'm really enjoying it so far.

Whoever said they feel like they're in a Lord of the Rings-like world wasn't kidding...when I first got to Ostagar, I took about 5 minutes just looking around.

[KWhit]

Yep. I'm freaking loving this game.

[sabotai]

They definitely did not just rush through the origin stories. I've played through three of them so far and they all were great and different. Not just the same story told three times with different NPC names and maps. Each one was a unique story.

[Galaril]

I haven't even done anything yet (just barely finished the background intro) and this game is amazing. I apologize for adding fuel to the flames for those attempting to not buy this game, but I'm really enjoying it so far.

Whoever said they feel like they're in a Lord of the Rings-like world wasn't kidding...when I first got to Ostagar, I took about 5 minutes just looking around.

That would be me that mentioned that.Just wait till you get to some of the battle scenes Helms Deep -ish. I would after playing more tonight have to reiterate that this game is just incredible and blows my mind away how good it is. The story really is a George Martin meets Tolkiens/Pete Jackson's Lord of the Rings. If anyone is on the fence go buy the PC version and have at it. I would recommend the hard copy the DVD box version had a bunch of cool (I thought so) addons well two and I got two from GAMESTOP like I mentioned.

[Vince, Pt. II]

After playing through the origin story, I was in love with this game. After playing through the "generic" (and the only thing generic about it is that everyone gets to play that part) intro, I am even more impressed and can't wait to get further into the game.

This game is going to take me FOREVER to get through. I'm having just as much fun reading Codex Entries and looking around as I am playing through the storyline.

[Peregrine]

They definitely did a lot of little things right in this game. The party camp idea is well implemented and lets you take a break from time to time, and just talk to your party members. I also like how easy it is to switch who you have in your active party. I have also been blown away by the quality of the dialogue in the game, particularly in how they have avoided many of the cliches in RPGs. NPCs are always responding in ways that surprise me, and there's often not one obviously right way through a dialogue.

I am having some trouble with some of the heavy combats though - not sure why, but some of these things are really killing me.

[JAG]

It's funny people mention the George RR Martin connection they feel. I originally heard about that series from a Bioware person (Dave G., can't remember his last name) back in the BGII days. He was very much a fan of Martin and it's not overly surprising that he may have had a hand in shaping the game to tie in closely with some aspects of the series (assuming he's still with them, otherwise it could just be a coincidence).

[Calis]

It wasn't David Gaider was it? Thatd fit as he is the lead writer on Dragon Age and has been there since I think the first Baldur's Gate, but definiteluy the 2nd.

He also wrote the novels which are supposedly very Martin-esque so that sounds about right.

Really loving the game, but man is it difficult at times. Maybe I'm just rusty but there seems to be huge spikes in difficulty at least on the PC version. You're never in little skirmishes, its almost always a horde of enemies. Not frustrating yet but you definitely have to be paying attention.

Getting better at situating my rogue for backstabs has made a huge difference.

[Atocep]

Absolutely an amazing game thus far. For me it's lived up to hype and then some.

The interactions between party members are entertaining and downright funny at times. I love the fact that the dialogue options don't hold your hand. The fact that it's not always obvious what a NPC's reaction will be to what you say is a huge plus for me. The vast majority of RPGs give you a good, bad, neutral option in dialog and it's typically clear as day what their reaction will be to each one.

The story is very adult. It's complex without becoming convoluted and people die in ways that aren't always heroic.

The game isn't easy. The IGN review I read said that just about any fight can kill and you are going to die sometimes. That's no lie.

The depth of the game's lore is absolutely amazing. You'd think this game is based off of something that has been around for 20+ years. Amazing job by Bioware in actually building a world that feels alive.

[Peregrine]

Has anyone figured out how disarm traps works? I have not - a few times I have seen a trap but have never been able to figure out how to disarm it.

[Galaril]

Absolutely an amazing game thus far. For me it's lived up to hype and then some.

The interactions between party members are entertaining and downright funny at times. I love the fact that the dialogue options don't hold your hand. The fact that it's not always obvious what a NPC's reaction will be to what you say is a huge plus for me. The vast majority of RPGs give you a good, bad, neutral option in dialog and it's typically clear as day what their reaction will be to each one.

The story is very adult. It's complex without becoming convoluted and people die in ways that aren't always heroic.

The game isn't easy. The IGN review I read said that just about any fight can kill and you are going to die sometimes. That's no lie.

The depth of the game's lore is absolutely amazing. You'd think this game is based off of something that has been around for 20+ years. Amazing job by Bioware in actually building a world that feels alive.


Great post. I agree the lore is so deep it really is amazing what they have done. If this is as good all the way through along with the subsequent patch or two PLUS the added content they have planned for the next two years it may very well become legendary like BG 2 or even Halflife. The major complaint is the combat being hard. I have had to notch the difficultly down to easy for a bit until I get better at the tactics mechanicas again. That being said I personally am not playing this game for the combat but the story is the draw. If I want a action game I could go get Torchlight which has also been getting great reviews.

[BYU 14]

Has anyone figured out how disarm traps works? I have not - a few times I have seen a trap but have never been able to figure out how to disarm it.

Only Rogues can disarm traps by right clicking on them.

[CleBrownsfan]

(PS3 version) I'm up to level 7 and just finished the "Tower Mission". I have yet to come close to dying so maybe the PC version is a little more difficult.

I am loving this game though - so many options with the main quests, side quests, dialog, ect.

I just realized last night that I needed to equip my companions with better gear ;)

[Peregrine]

I am really struggling early on here - from Lothering I seem to have unbeatable fights in every direction I have tried - I'm not sure if I have no idea how to play, need better equipment, or what. I think part of the problem is that without a manual or some guide, I don't know what I can tackle at my current level or what I can't.

[kmbgolf]

I take it theat it wont be a good game to play with my 10 year old daughter or can i get a pg version

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm thinking no with the 10 year old daughter. I was telling my cousin yesterday...

"It's a pretty gory game. You walk up to something, and as soon as you hit it you are spattered with blood. After a battle, you're downright dripping with the stuff. And it's pretty odd to get used to characters holding a cut-scene dialogue after a battle and watching them chat away at each other, totally ignoring the fact that they're all covered in blood."

[aran]

I finished the first boss with only Alistair getting knocked out. I was expecting it to be quite difficult with all the trouble you guys have been having. After trying to have Ali tank him and seeing ali get grabbed and annihilated, I used my tower guard as bait while my mage and ranger ate through his health over the course of a few minutes. I had to use a few mana potions and like 7 healing potions to keep the tower guard alive every two or three hits. The only annoyance was the occasional rock throw. After narrowly being hit by the first one, I learned my lesson and dodged them thereafter.

[Vince, Pt. II]

How varied is the cast of characters you are presented with to go together with your main character? I initially planned on making my main guy a tank, but it seems that I've got a tank in Alistair already...should I scrap that idea?

[Peregrine]

How varied is the cast of characters you are presented with to go together with your main character? I initially planned on making my main guy a tank, but it seems that I've got a tank in Alistair already...should I scrap that idea?


I have a feeling there are going to be a ton of options, so make what you want. Personally I like to run with two tanks anyway.

[Calis]

From what I've read the NPC cast is VERY Tank heavy. You still have options obviously if you go tank, but you'll be a lot more limited if say you can't stand one of the characters. I'm not sure on numbers though, but I believe Rogues are few and far between for instance. I'd say go with what you want, but if you're up in the air between two of the classes maybe steer clear of the fighter route.

Tonight I got the urge to see another one of the origins so I started over as an Elf Mage and man do Mages seem a helluva lot easier at least initially than Rogues. I built my Mage from the start to race for Fireball ASAP and was able to get it at I believe 3rd level, and that is a freaking wrecking ball. It's been smooth sailing with this guy and doing a little tweaking on tactics.

[tyketime]

I'm stuck at the 1st Boss where I clearly don't have enough Health Potions to last through the ordeal. I've tried 7 or 8 times slightly tweaking the tactics with no success. Good God, when Alistair gets picked up & pummeled like a rag doll, it's both frightening and comical. I have not been able to figure out a way to break the hold. So, I'm wondering... should I restart the whole Quest again making sure I buy many more potions from the Quartermaster?

[Vince, Pt. II]

*&%^. Got the first boss to about 3%, and my PC locked up. It was only my first try, but based upon what I've heard that was a pretty good run. Going back now...

[TargetPractice6]

I bought this, but have yet to dive in. The talk of combat being so tough has be a bit scared. I'm wondering if I'm going to be able to make it anywhere. Even Baldur's Gate combat kicked my ass!

[tyketime]

Well I never played any of those earlier Bioware Games, so I'm sure that's part of my problem. Maybe until I get a better feel for the game I may also dial down difficulty from Normal to Easy. I'm getting a little more comfortable with the Tactics screen, but I haven't found the option to run the hell away from approaching Boss without specifically controlling that character...

[Crapshoot]

For someone like me who runs the hell away from traditional RPG's but adored KOTOR (and yet had issues with Mass Effect), is this a decent bet? Ie, is it more action-rpg, or RPG?

[BYU 14]

Well I never played any of those earlier Bioware Games, so I'm sure that's part of my problem. Maybe until I get a better feel for the game I may also dial down difficulty from Normal to Easy. I'm getting a little more comfortable with the Tactics screen, but I haven't found the option to run the hell away from approaching Boss without specifically controlling that character...

Set the NPCs at ranged in tactics if you want them to use archery or spells and stat away from the boss.

[Neon_Chaos]

To those who have made it past Redcliff castle...

I knocked out the arlessa and gutted little Connor with a knife. Jeez, I feel bad about it too.
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[Peregrine]

From what I've read the NPC cast is VERY Tank heavy. You still have options obviously if you go tank, but you'll be a lot more limited if say you can't stand one of the characters. I'm not sure on numbers though, but I believe Rogues are few and far between for instance. I'd say go with what you want, but if you're up in the air between two of the classes maybe steer clear of the fighter route.

Tonight I got the urge to see another one of the origins so I started over as an Elf Mage and man do Mages seem a helluva lot easier at least initially than Rogues. I built my Mage from the start to race for Fireball ASAP and was able to get it at I believe 3rd level, and that is a freaking wrecking ball. It's been smooth sailing with this guy and doing a little tweaking on tactics.

So far I have found two tanks (including Alistair), a rogue and two mages. I'm sure there will be more in time. As for Fireball, that would terrify me - with all the chaotic melees you see in this game I'd worry I would cook my own party as much as the enemy.

[Calis]

Yeah I should clarify that I use fireball only as a fight starter. You can usually time when a group aggros and lay down one in their path and do some pretty massive damage to start the fight. It also knocks them down which gives you a chance to get your other guys into the thick of it and finish them off before they get to your mage. It is pretty devastating but definitely not something you use constantly.

As for the NPCs I suppose this can be a mild spoiler(just on the number of npcs and classes, but ignore if you want)



I read that there are 5 or 6 fighter party members(Plus a dog depending on case), and two each of Mages and Rogues. So you have options but definitely tank heavy. In my opinion so far you really should have two mages in your party, one functioning as a cleric and the other as a traditional mage. This means not a lot of options if you don't go Mage, but that's not an issue unless you really dislike one of the party mages.

I fully intend to play as a Dwarf Warrior soon so I can see one of their origins as well. I'm curious about that one.

[Galaril]

I got out of Lothering and made a b-track straight for the elf lands the Breccelian Forest. I will not give any spoilers but it is off the beaten path from where most people have been going but cool. The story is very interesting to say the least and has me a wee bit anxious with what can happen to your character. I will leave it at that:)

the Breccelian Forest has werewolves for all the were beast lovers out there. And the elves are alot more bad ass then the pussy servants in the human areas.

[spleen1015]

Looks like the first PC patch is out.

hxxp://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/61158

[Galaril]

Looks like the first PC patch is out.

hxxp://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/61158

So for those who were worried about the difficultly in combat Bioware's patch addresses that:

As well as fixing several bugs, the patch--which has already been deployed to Steam players--tweaks the RPG's difficulty by slightly boosting the combat stats of all party members on the 'Normal' setting and making 'Easy' easier. The full changelog follows.

* Fixed potential corruption of character statistics.
* Fixed portrait appearance sliders when importing a character from the downloadable Character Creator.
* Fixed import for preset face settings from the downloadable Character Creator.
* Made Easy difficulty easier.
* Slightly increased attack, defense, and damage scores for all party members at Normal difficulty.
* Fixed video issues when running on a very wide screen display, including ATI Eyefinity displays.

[JAG]

It wasn't David Gaider was it? Thatd fit as he is the lead writer on Dragon Age and has been there since I think the first Baldur's Gate, but definiteluy the 2nd.

Yep, that's the guy (and cool that he's the lead writer). He released some awesome mods for the expansion to BGII that improved some of the boss fights, some of which were originally supposed to be in the game but got toned down by the Powers That Be.

[Vince, Pt. II]

To clarify my statements about "combat is difficult..."

Combat isn't really all that crazy - you just have to be paying attention. If you are used to the whole "hold down the A button to have everyone auto-attack until everything is dead" strategy from most classic RPG's, you're not going to get very far in this game. I have grown incredibly fond of my Spacebar - pausing the game after every two seconds or so. The only real complaint I have so far about the gameplay during combat is that it's not very easy to keep an eye on your party's health AND what's going on all at the same time. I've taken to pausing constantly simply to make sure someone's not getting wrecked that I'm not paying attention to. As long as you are coordinating your party's attacks (the '=' key for selecting your whole party is very good for this), the enemies go down fairly quickly and a fight that seems overwhelming at first becomes much more manageable.

Basically, the combat is such that even a completely random encounter can kill you if you aren't paying attention - but as long as you're keeping an eye on things, it's not impossible.

I'm currently running a party of Warrior/Warrior/Mage/Dog (both Warriors with Sword and Shield and the Mage a damage dealer as opposed to a healer...I'm blowing through Healing Salves like you wouldn't believe) and I've found that even having two "tanks," my damage output is plenty.

A question about party composition...I managed to recruit someone into my party. I wasn't aware that the party was capped at 4, however, and I didn't want to sit any of the four I currently had, so I exited the party selection screen without adding her. I don't know if I missed it or what, but there was no Codex explanation for the party system, and no in-game context for what happened to the priestess. How do I access the group makeup screen to add this girl back in later if I want? Or is that even possible?

[aran]

I think the second button from the right at the top menu on the screen lets you change party members when you're in a town.

I've started up a mage--I have a feeling the games going to be a lot easier than it is with my Archer Rogue, who has I think is severely underpowered. He has high cunning so he's a great talker, but he doesn't do much aside from occasional debuffs and OK damage in combat. The mage is so much more useful and versatile.

[Atocep]

I think the second button from the right at the top menu on the screen lets you change party members when you're in a town.

I've started up a mage--I have a feeling the games going to be a lot easier than it is with my Archer Rogue, who has I think is severely underpowered. He has high cunning so he's a great talker, but he doesn't do much aside from occasional debuffs and OK damage in combat. The mage is so much more useful and versatile.

Rogues are rather underpowered right now, especially when compared to mages. The lead dev stated today that class balance and a dagger damage buff are going to be coming in future patches.

[spleen1015]

DA:O is my first release day purchase from D2D. I assume I have to wait for D2D to make the patch available, right?

[Atocep]

DA:O is my first release day purchase from D2D. I assume I have to wait for D2D to make the patch available, right?

No, the official patch will work.

[spleen1015]

No, the official patch will work.

Awesome. Thanks.

[Peregrine]

A question about party composition...I managed to recruit someone into my party. I wasn't aware that the party was capped at 4, however, and I didn't want to sit any of the four I currently had, so I exited the party selection screen without adding her. I don't know if I missed it or what, but there was no Codex explanation for the party system, and no in-game context for what happened to the priestess. How do I access the group makeup screen to add this girl back in later if I want? Or is that even possible?

The easiest way I have seen is every time you leave your party camp it gives you the option to select whoever you want in your party.

[Scoobz0202]

Anybody on the 360 have trouble with the targeting?

Loving the game so far but I find in battles, when shit is really starting to hit the fan, I have trouble cycling through the targets and it gets really frustrating when I am dieing and just cant fucking target somebody.

[Calis]

I've been playing through as a Rogue and Mage, was more interested in playing Rogue but I'm finding the Mage to be a lot more fun to play and has loads of utility. Two mages in a party is definitely powerful stuff, especially running two different weapon buff auras.

Let me vent on one thing I hate design-wise. The fact that they made tactics tied to skill points use was a horrible idea. You put a real nice and useful AI scripting portion to your game and you make people not want to use it by making it cost skill points to level up.

The party AI in general is pretty horrific if you're not micromanaging. People stand around a lot, run back and forth, and when an enemy gets knocked down they seem completely at a loss and just wait for them to get back up.

Not a huge deal, but it's probably my biggest annoyance with the game so far. Apart from that I'm having a blast.

Toolset was released also, I'm having some issues getting that to start but anxious to look around in it.

[Eaglesfan27]

Does this game use the D & D rules?

No. It is a completely new rule set.

[Mustang]

Playing a female elf mage. They did a nice job with the dialogue with the character that you are talking to realizing that you are a female. (Use of the word she, her and some of the comments being female driven)

Definitely get a level of attachment (or disdain) for certain characters.

[Atocep]

One of the little things that really impresses me with this game is how the character's eyes move. They actually blink and the eyes will twitch a little. It makes the characters seem more human and less zombie like, which you see in most other games.

[Calis]

Creepy thing in the game is the gore and effects for cutscenes. You can get in a small skirmish and go to a cutscene and be drenched in blood. No one seems to mind either.

Which I'm ok with, but it reached another level of creepiness when you fight a boss or character that gives up and say you finish him with a fireball it will go directly into conversation mode and you will be talking to a guy enfulfed in flames the entire time.

Sorta amusing actually. :)

[Vince, Pt. II]

One of the little things that really impresses me with this game is how the character's eyes move. They actually blink and the eyes will twitch a little. It makes the characters seem more human and less zombie like, which you see in most other games.

I noticed this as well, but with one notable exception. In the first camp after your origin story, there's a nurse/medic chick dealing with some guy who is raving. She looked downright creepy, and I think it was because of a lack of motion that most (all?) the other characters seem to have.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Sigh, I am getting DESTROYED in Redcliffe Village. So much for Combat isn't that hard :)

[terpkristin]

Alright, I've never played D&D and I've never played a game that gave this many options for me right from the get-go. I just got my copy for the 360, and I have to say, I'm completely overwhelmed. I don't even know where to start with character creation...I mean, I get the jist of how the attributes work and stuff, but...

Anybody have any tips? Any recommendations of if I should play on Casual or Normal?

/tk

[Peregrine]

I would recommend starting on normal - that way if something is too hard you can always move down to easier if you need to. As far as making characters - basically you have stats, which depending on your character type you will need different things, skills - these are things like crafting (traps, potions, poisons) as well as other important ones like combat training. You don't get as many chances to improve your skills so make sure you're comfortable with what you pick.

As far as powers - it depends a lot on your class. For rogues having the lockpicking/trap disarming skill is nice. For mages - getting the Heal spell I view as critical, and after that there are tons of options. If you have a warrior it may be best to choose one area and focus on it - like two handers, sword and shield, etc.

Not much here but I hope it helps.

[Peregrine]

Also, after playing a decent bit through the game with my rogue, I restarted with a mage - it's been like night and day so far. The mage just has so much more utility - heals, damage, buffs, crowd control - it has made a lot of the fights that were hard with my rogue a lot easier, and I'm having more fun.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Man, this is starting to get frustrating. I feel like I'm doing something wrong here...this battle is looking quite impossible.

Edit - I'm going to back out to a prior save and try to go somewhere else...this section of the game is just not working for me right now (Redcliffe Village).

[BYU 14]

Man, this is starting to get frustrating. I feel like I'm doing something wrong here...this battle is looking quite impossible.

Edit - I'm going to back out to a prior save and try to go somewhere else...this section of the game is just not working for me right now (Redcliffe Village).

I lost my first time too, then changed strategy. I put my party on defense to keep them inside the barricades and forced the corpses to be funnelled to me, which made them easier to swarm and take down quicker before they built up a big force. If you get spread out you are screwed here. Also make sure your melee fighters have tactics set to use health potions under 50%. When I ran it this way the second time I lost no party members and only two town militia died.

[Edward64]

Anyone know if X1600 will work with this game? (even at lowest detail settings?)

Probably too much to ask if a notebook GMA950 will work also?

[Calis]

That Redcliff Village part was the first huge difficulty spike in the game imo. That was the first point I got a wipe and it wasn't even close. I was able to pass it the 2nd try though and managed to not even have anyone die.

I really do love the Mage though. When I focused a little more and managed my people the 2nd time I was pretty devastating teamed up with Morganna. There's great spell combos you can pull off, such as having Morrigan use Mind Blast on a huge group of them and then quickly moving my guys back enough that I can lay down a fireball and things end up going great. Still a lot of healing potions and mana potions, but it worked.

I just went veered off the main story and did the two DLC sidequests I got with the Deluxe edition and I enjoyed them. I really thought the Warden's Keep one was well done. I liked the story and there were 1 or 2 tough decisions. I think the game is doing a great job of not making everything so Good/Neutral/Evil. I really am not sure where some of my actions would land.

It was a good quest, but I could see people complaining it is a bit short for the price. I think it took me about 45 minutes to go through, maybe an hour. I enjoyed it though so no complaints.

The Shale quest wasn't as good, but that one does gain you a possible party member so that's the main thrust of it. Shale is a beast also, although I don't know how much I'll use him because I like having Alistair around for story purposes and I like to go Mage and Rogue with my other two slots. I'll toss him in occasionally though and am curious to see how much banter they put in for him.(I love the banter, great way to build the character personalities without stopping the game).

[BYU 14]

If you liked the spike in the Village difficulty wait until you get to a certain part of the Castle. ;)

[Eaglesfan27]

While I'm generally against micro transactions, I'm considering getting Warden's keep. Anyone have it? Is it worth the extra money? My game game with codes for the other available "additional" material.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I lost my first time too, then changed strategy. I put my party on defense to keep them inside the barricades and forced the corpses to be funnelled to me, which made them easier to swarm and take down quicker before they built up a big force. If you get spread out you are screwed here. Also make sure your melee fighters have tactics set to use health potions under 50%. When I ran it this way the second time I lost no party members and only two town militia died.

I'll have to try that again, but I did that before and the NPC's just ran out and got wrecked, then we got overwhelmed. I've tried swarming out there to keep the NPC's alive as damage soakers, but eventually my mage gets targetted and I have to waste all my Healing Salves on her, and then once we go down to the barricades by the lake, we are screwed. I think what's killing me is I have absolutely NO AoE. Morrigan is my Mage, and she has gotten zero levels since I got her. I have no healing spells, and my only real "Oh Shit!" button is Mind Blast, which invariably draws all aggro to Morrigan, who then gets smushed, and I'm screwed.

I didn't get to attempt it, but I went over the the forest to the East and talked with a bunch of people then saved on a separate file. I'll have to see if this area is as difficult as Redcliffe.

[Galaril]

Someone has started to document alot of the tricks, tips and more hidden features of the game:
DAO Missing Manual:
http://dragonage.gulbsoft.org/doku.php

[MajikMan77]

I'll have to try that again, but I did that before and the NPC's just ran out and got wrecked, then we got overwhelmed. I've tried swarming out there to keep the NPC's alive as damage soakers, but eventually my mage gets targetted and I have to waste all my Healing Salves on her, and then once we go down to the barricades by the lake, we are screwed. I think what's killing me is I have absolutely NO AoE. Morrigan is my Mage, and she has gotten zero levels since I got her. I have no healing spells, and my only real "Oh Shit!" button is Mind Blast, which invariably draws all aggro to Morrigan, who then gets smushed, and I'm screwed.

I didn't get to attempt it, but I went over the the forest to the East and talked with a bunch of people then saved on a separate file. I'll have to see if this area is as difficult as Redcliffe.

I had alot of difficulty on this part of the game as well (yet to advance beyond the next part or venture to an alternative area either) but I just cheesed it once my party died.Move back up the hill and pull the enemy into the Knights and slowly you will win the battle.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I had alot of difficulty on this part of the game as well (yet to advance beyond the next part or venture to an alternative area either) but I just cheesed it once my party died.Move back up the hill and pull the enemy into the Knights and slowly you will win the battle.

Ah, I thought about that but had yet to implement. Seems pretty weak though :)

[Eaglesfan27]

I'm also loving this game. I'm playing an elf mage who I plan on roleplaying as being neutral good in alignment, and the choices you make even early in the origins story are some of the most interesting choices I've seen in a computer RPG. Just spent about 10 minutes thinking through one of the choices and I'm still second guessing myself on it.

[ShaneTheMaster]

I haven't played an RPG regularly since I was a kid, and I am having fun with this one. This may be the best one since the Ultima series in the 80's.

[Neon_Chaos]

Damn. Took me almost an hour to finish the "Gauntlet" puzzle. I feel so incompetent. :)<input id="gwProxy" type="hidden"><!--Session data--><input onclick="jsCall();" id="jsProxy" type="hidden">

[Calis]

Starting to be some nice little mods popping out to change things a bit. The most important one imo is the one that fixes daggers to base damage 50/50 on Str/Dex rather than only strength as it does now. This will go a long ways towards making rogues less gimpy. It also mods shortbows to be dex-based as well so they're not completely useless.

The downside is this goes for enemies as well, so you can expect archer and rogue enemies to be significantly tougher. I'm ok with that though and think I will use this one.

I've also seen one that maxes out your inventory space if you're not a fan of the limit and the exorbitant costs of backpacks. Also one that adds a chest to store things in your camp.

Also one that gives you 25 tactics slots for characters which I'm contemplating. Be nice to set-up some more intricate AI.

As for difficulty I'm oddly finding it a little easier post-Redcliff. Might just be that the characters really start to come in their own when you hit level 10+. I can't drag myself away from a 2 Mage/1 Tank/1 Rogue party though, so I feel like I'm missing out on some good party interactions. I'm not particularly fond of Morrigan also so I hope to find another Mage soon.

The game almost seems like it would really benefit from a 5 person party. That would allow you a lot more room to customize your party and would alleviate most of the difficulty issues. Maybe make the dog a pet rather than a party member. Obviously that'd create a whole new set of balance issues, but I would have loved to see it. I'm not sure if something along those lines could be modded. Seems like that would break a lot of things, but these modders are crafty.

[Qwikshot]

Starting to be some nice little mods popping out to change things a bit. The most important one imo is the one that fixes daggers to base damage 50/50 on Str/Dex rather than only strength as it does now. This will go a long ways towards making rogues less gimpy. It also mods shortbows to be dex-based as well so they're not completely useless.

The downside is this goes for enemies as well, so you can expect archer and rogue enemies to be significantly tougher. I'm ok with that though and think I will use this one.

I've also seen one that maxes out your inventory space if you're not a fan of the limit and the exorbitant costs of backpacks. Also one that adds a chest to store things in your camp.

Also one that gives you 25 tactics slots for characters which I'm contemplating. Be nice to set-up some more intricate AI.

As for difficulty I'm oddly finding it a little easier post-Redcliff. Might just be that the characters really start to come in their own when you hit level 10+. I can't drag myself away from a 2 Mage/1 Tank/1 Rogue party though, so I feel like I'm missing out on some good party interactions. I'm not particularly fond of Morrigan also so I hope to find another Mage soon.

The game almost seems like it would really benefit from a 5 person party. That would allow you a lot more room to customize your party and would alleviate most of the difficulty issues. Maybe make the dog a pet rather than a party member. Obviously that'd create a whole new set of balance issues, but I would have loved to see it. I'm not sure if something along those lines could be modded. Seems like that would break a lot of things, but these modders are crafty.

I agree on the chest at camp to dump things into.

For now I really use Alister, Morrigan, and Zervren which has been an interesting series of interaction. (I also like that sometimes all three interact with each other unlike say a conversation between the two; also interaction at camp with the dog is great - you'll talk to the dog and one of your other characters will be seen interacting with the dog, much better than say "pet the dog")

I did lower the difficulty level as I'm having a hard time grasping strategy (playing a mage). But I'm looking forward to replaying as this game has a bunch of option, so it's not much of a loss.

I did bring along Leliana, Sten and Morrigan to one location to check out the banter, and boy does Sten come off negatively to me.

I think the one change I would want is an open or knock spell to open chests, removes the need for a rogue though Zevren is at least decent in combat (to my recollection, not a stat cruncher). I'd much rather have two tanks and two mages, though I think I did remarkably well with Wynne, Morrigan, myself and Alister in some locations (buffer/healer, damager, damager, and defender).

I really like this game, I have to set the stove top to one hour intervals or I would be staying in front of the television all day.

[Mustang]

I'm also loving this game. I'm playing an elf mage who I plan on roleplaying as being neutral good in alignment, and the choices you make even early in the origins story are some of the most interesting choices I've seen in a computer RPG. Just spent about 10 minutes thinking through one of the choices and I'm still second guessing myself on it.


I've just envisioned the type of character traits I wanted in my mind and I've been just been going with whatever response fits that the best. Seems the comments range from Nice to Assholish and some gray in between. Usually there is a comment in the gray area that matches how I've been playing the character so, I've stuck to those as opposed to trying to figure out which one will give me the most benefit. If my character is going to be cocky and funny, I'm going to pick cocky and funny...

Wish I could put more time into this game, but seems I'm only playing about an hour a night so, I've only logged around 6 hours so far (3% done.. yeesh!)

I'm not a big fan of these tactics though. I'm getting better at it, but is very frustrating to see NPC's just hanging around doing nothing while I'm fighting. As a lower level mage, cone of cold is pretty sweet and I just picked up fireball last night too.

[Qwikshot]

I don't have to worry about friendly fire, but I did notice that your cohorts do run out of the area if you set off tempest or inferno, I however stay right in the middle and this easily clears the room.

It stated last night that I had clocked in about 19:31 hours...

[Mustang]

Where have the mods been showing up?

[Calis]

Where have the mods been showing up?

Most of the ones I found just by browsing through the toolset forums on the social site.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/category/8/index

Not sure if there is a go to filesite yet for it, I think the Social Site is supposed to be but that thing is still a bit of a mess.

[Atocep]

For those with the DLC, I've found Shale to be a very entertaining and useful party member.

I don't think either DLC is worth the price really, but at least I get some laughs out of Shale.

[Eaglesfan27]

Playing this tonight, I find myself thinking how much more graphically advanced this is than Neverwinter Nights 2's various expansions, yet the camera is much smoother. I'm not very far into the game yet, but this seems like one of the most polished computer releases in a while.

[Radii]

I bought this through steam last night and spent most of the day today playing. Single player RPGs are very hit or miss with me, so I didn't really know what to expect. After a day's play I can say without a doubt that I've never been sucked into an RPG as much as I am with this game. I love it. I'm pretty tired, am finishing up some work and really ought to sleep but I can already tell there's a good chance I'll play for a few more hours instead :P

I'm playing a mage focused on healing and crowd control(glyphs/stuns, etc). I know its going to get a lot harder, but so far setting up tactics so that my party will focus fire the closest enemy while I sit back and heal and lay down a few stuns is working like a dream.

[sabotai]

I started off with a Rogue, but like others have said, it's pretty underpowered. I did specialize in Ranger, and summoning a Wolf (then Bear, then Spider) was cool and added some power.

I decided to go with my Mage though. My evil, total bitch of an elf mage. Pretty fun answering every question with an attitude. :)

[Mustang]

I decided to go with my Mage though. My evil, total bitch of an elf mage. Pretty fun answering every question with an attitude. :)

Assuming your elf mage is a female, sounds like you are playing the same character as me.

Bet mine is hotter though. :p

[sabotai]

Assuming your elf mage is a female, sounds like you are playing the same character as me.

Bet mine is hotter though. :p

Probably. The lighting is kinda bad during character creation. I created a mega-red-headed-hottie, but once she was put into the world....oops a few details. :)

[KWhit]

Assuming your elf mage is a female, sounds like you are playing the same character as me.

Bet mine is hotter though. :p

She can't beat my Laura (female elf mage hotness).

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v684/KWhit/CroppedScreenshot20091103214854256.jpg

[BrianD]

Interesting to see so many female elf mages. I almost always play these games as a mage, but rarely as an elf and almost never female. For some reason I chose female elf mage for this game. Apparently that was a popular pick.

[Mustang]

Interesting to see so many female elf mages.

That is because deep down, we are all geeks that want to bang a female elf.

[Calis]

Weird, I also picked Female Elf Mage, and all three of those choices are unusual for me.

Who are people finding as their favorite NPC so far, either personality or combat-wise?

I'm liking Shale a fair amount although I'm not using him often. The problem is I only use 1 tank and that's defaulted to Alistair because he is basically the designated partymember. Shale is definitely evoking the personality of HK-47 and has some pretty great lines. He is also a wrecking machine. I mostly only use him when I'm doing sidequests and not advancing the story.

Alistair is growing on me a little. I've got him decked out in a full set of Dragon Armor and wielding this Meteor Sword I had made and he is working very well as a meatshield.

I don't like Morrigan. I keep using her to have a 2nd Mage but I'm not a fan.
Sten I basically haven't used. He just doesn't appeal to me. I will try him out more in a 2nd runthrough.

I have the two rogues as well and I usually bring one of them along, depending on the situation. They're both decent dialog and combat-wise.

Another thing I'm loving is the way the origin story keeps reappearing throughout. I'm not sure how much it will keep doing this, but I've had the mage origin pop back up several times. It is really well done and I'm impressed with how specific some of the dialog is. I can't imagine how much work and how many lines are in this game.

[BYU 14]

I like Alistair the most so far, though Morrigan has grown on me in the way a mongrel dog does. She is a royal bitch and negative about everything, but still fascinates me, mostly because I keep thinking I am going to break through and soften her up I guess. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

That is because deep down, we are all geeks that want to bang a female elf.

Wouldn't that be a reason to make a male elf? I've got a male elf mage who is morphing more into a lawful good character. My next character will probably be evil. I've never played a female character in RP games, but I might try one in this game eventually.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I'm not very far into the game, but I am really enjoying the interplay of Morrigan and Alistair. Alistair's one-liners are great - I particularly enjoyed the exchange between the two of them when talking to the young girl who's brother is lost in Redcliffe Village.

[Mustang]

She can't beat my Laura (female elf mage hotness).


There must be some type of female elf mage handbook that says they must look similar

[BYU 14]

The Fade

Been on this area almost 3 hours now and I have to say the diverse combat options and their consequences shine through as strong as ever since you are on your own. Being a Rogue is very helpful as stealth allows me to scout each situation and decide which of the "powers" I have acquired is best suited to each situation. The Golem transformation is deadly and just when I thought I could walk through the rest of an area remaining in this form and crush everything I run into a situation that required finesse and skirmish tactics and got my ass kicked. Switching between the Burning Man and Spirit transformations I employed crowd control and ranged fire balls, before going back to Golem to finish the battle off. I love the fact that combat is as much mental in this game as it is hack and slash. I still have two of my party members to release from their nightmares and the final battle, so looking at least at another hour plus in here.

[Neon_Chaos]

The Fade

Been on this area almost 3 hours now and I have to say the diverse combat options and their consequences shine through as strong as ever since you are on your own. Being a Rogue is very helpful as stealth allows me to scout each situation and decide which of the "powers" I have acquired is best suited to each situation. The Golem transformation is deadly and just when I thought I could walk through the rest of an area remaining in this form and crush everything I run into a situation that required finesse and skirmish tactics and got my ass kicked. Switching between the Burning Man and Spirit transformations I employed crowd control and ranged fire balls, before going back to Golem to finish the battle off. I love the fact that combat is as much mental in this game as it is hack and slash. I still have two of my party members to release from their nightmares and the final battle, so looking at least at another hour plus in here.

Once you get all four powers, this part is pretty much straightforward.

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[Shkspr]

Wouldn't that be a reason to make a male elf?

Male elves are still female elves.

[Peregrine]

Has anyone found enchanting useful at all? I have tons of exotic magical items but everytime I try to get something enchanted it tells me I have no items that can be enchanted. So I have to question the inclusion of the system when, it seems, no item in the game can actually be enchanted.

[Radii]

Damn. Took me almost an hour to finish the "Gauntlet" puzzle. I feel so incompetent. :)

This was the first/only time I've intentionally looked for a spoiler so far.


I looked up the block puzzle thingy for crossing the bridge. I'm sure I could have figured it out, but it just really felt kinda bleh compared to all the stuff going on and I lost patience.

However, the rest of the Gauntlet, the look back to a past decision(at least for me), and *especially* fighting a mirror copy of your group, that was my favorite thing I've done in the game so far.

And lastly, the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade vibe was kinda cool I thought.

[Radii]

Has anyone found enchanting useful at all? I have tons of exotic magical items but everytime I try to get something enchanted it tells me I have no items that can be enchanted. So I have to question the inclusion of the system when, it seems, no item in the game can actually be enchanted.

I've gotten a few drops that I could enchant. Look for empty squares at the bottom of a weapon's description popup, where it tells you its stats, etc. Think socketing in WoW.

I just stuck a "Master Paralysis" enchant on a badass 2h great axe I found for Sten, I haven't gone out and fought anything with it yet though.

[Celeval]

Is it safe to say that if you can run the character creator without issue, you'll be able to run the game without issue (in terms of graphics)?

[Calis]

I've enchanted several weapons and it can make a pretty massive difference. Alistair is using a sword forged out of Meteor(think this is specific to Warden's Keep) and it has 3 enchantment slots that I've filled with Master Lightning. Zevran has daggers filled with stun and slow enchants.

There aren't a ton of enchantable items, but I have 5 or 6. Like mentioned, just look for the empty squares.

As for the character creator I wouldn't think that would equate to the game at all. There's one model on the screen doing nothing, and fights can get pretty large and intensive. If you're asking in general if it will even start, then its probably a decent bet it will.

[Celeval]

As for the character creator I wouldn't think that would equate to the game at all. There's one model on the screen doing nothing, and fights can get pretty large and intensive. If you're asking in general if it will even start, then its probably a decent bet it will.

That's basically it. The machine I'd be playing on if (when) I eventually pick this up is reasonably robust CPU/RAM wise, but it's essentially a business laptop so the video card leaves something to be desired.

[TargetPractice6]

Finally took some time to dive into the game tonight... oh man, I can already tell this is one is going to seriously eat away some time. Those who were saying the story is inspired by George RR Martin were obviously not joking.

Anyone playing the human noble origin story catch the Colbert "truthiness" reference? I got a chuckle out of it.

[Apathetic Lurker]

Female elves have that grapes of wrath 1000 yard stare and slightly withered look.

[Shkspr]

Female elves have that grapes of wrath 1000 yard stare and slightly withered look.

Considering that elves in this game are more or less Okies anyway... :)

[aran]

I started up a human mage. Wow is the game easier than it was with my elf archer. It's absolutely ridiculous. I went down the ice branch of the primal tree. Cone of Frost is so great. I open most battles with it to devastating effect.

Most of the time, i can stunlock enemies for the entire battle and maybe take 20 combined points of damage. If I have to heal, I can cast a quick heal spell. I have only used on lesser poultice when I was out of mana. Aside from that, it's been a bit easier. It's also more fun to play a mage. Much more tactical than just shooting a bow at stuff. Managing mana leads to some interesting spellcasting decisions.

[Qwikshot]

I beat it last night as an elf mage.

I told my fiance that I can't wait for this weekend to play it straight through again.

[Apathetic Lurker]

I beat it last night as an elf mage.

I told my fiance that I can't wait for this weekend to play it straight through again.


I see Rosie Palm and her five sisters in someones near future

[JPhillips]

Is there any purpose to gemstones, private documents and vellum or should I sell them?

[sabotai]

I just sell them. I have not found any way to actually use them. I'm thinking the devs put in "useless" stuff like that so that MOD makers could make use of them (but I have not seen much of the game yet so there might be some use for them at some point).

[Calis]

Well I can say at least with the gems I'd try to keep them if you can afford the space. It isn't game critical but there are quests involving some of them.

Of course I sold everything also. I'm not sure on the other items.

[tyketime]

Here was my unintentionally creative way to survive the onslaught at Redcliffe Village

I/We won the first half of the battle, and then we were called down to the barracks. The Undead kept coming and coming, eventually overwhelming my party. I was the last one left, so I started running back up the hill. The Knights were still engaged in battle, but were slowly dying out. Eventually, it was just me and about 7 Undead. I ran back down the hill and noticed they were following me in a straight line (lemming like). Every minute or so, my mana recharged enough that I could fire off my next spell to the closest enemy, so I Paused the Game and selected the spell. As soon as it triggered, I started running again. I circled around the docks again and again, repeating this same process. I eventually killed the remaining Undead near me. But when the battle music continued, I assumed I had to go back up the hill to face more. Imagine my shock when I passed my dead comrades that they revived (I thought this only happened after the battle was complete). I regenerated and healed them, and we continued up the hill to get my 4th party member. There was one last Undead to kill, which was now no problem with a full party of four. It probably took 20 - 30 minutes, but the Battle was won, dawn came, and we all lived to fight another day. What a crazy but inventive way to stay alive long enough to kill them all, huh?

[Neon_Chaos]

Here was my unintentionally creative way to survive the onslaught at Redcliffe Village

I/We won the first half of the battle, and then we were called down to the barracks. The Undead kept coming and coming, eventually overwhelming my party. I was the last one left, so I started running back up the hill. The Knights were still engaged in battle, but were slowly dying out. Eventually, it was just me and about 7 Undead. I ran back down the hill and noticed they were following me in a straight line (lemming like). Every minute or so, my mana recharged enough that I could fire off my next spell to the closest enemy, so I Paused the Game and selected the spell. As soon as it triggered, I started running again. I circled around the docks again and again, repeating this same process. I eventually killed the remaining Undead near me. But when the battle music continued, I assumed I had to go back up the hill to face more. Imagine my shock when I passed my dead comrades that they revived (I thought this only happened after the battle was complete). I regenerated and healed them, and we continued up the hill to get my 4th party member. There was one last Undead to kill, which was now no problem with a full party of four. It probably took 20 - 30 minutes, but the Battle was won, dawn came, and we all lived to fight another day. What a crazy but inventive way to stay alive long enough to kill them all, huh?

Did you find the oil in the warehouse to the southern docks? Informing the guard captain of this makes the undead pass through walls of fire before making it through the barrier.

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[Apathetic Lurker]

Considering that elves in this game are more or less Okies anyway... :)

I should have figured a Texan would say that..lol

[Apathetic Lurker]

So, for those who own it.. 2 gigs of ram with vista enough?

[Neon_Chaos]

I think the game has a memory leak somewhere. I'm far into the game and my CPU usage is constantly at 100%, threatening to overheat my CPU.
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[ShaneTheMaster]

So, for those who own it.. 2 gigs of ram with vista enough?

I don't think 2 gigs is enough to just run Vista ;)

I have 8 gigs of RAM, so I honestly couldn't tell you.

[-apoc-]

I think the game has a memory leak somewhere. I'm far into the game and my CPU usage is constantly at 100%, threatening to overheat my CPU.
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I am pretty sure it does but I find that saving and closing the game to desktop after a few hours and then restarting helps. If you notice the loading screens take longer and longer a you go along but restarting the game worked well enough for me.

[Mustang]

Wish I was further along. Blah.

Morrigan really warms up to you when you do the rough stuff.. like when I threatened the Reverend Mother. Allistair's approval dropped 13 points while Morrigan went up.

[sabotai]

So, for those who own it.. 2 gigs of ram with vista enough?

I have 2 gigs of RAM and running Vista and it runs smoothly for me.

[Neon_Chaos]

I am pretty sure it does but I find that saving and closing the game to desktop after a few hours and then restarting helps. If you notice the loading screens take longer and longer a you go along but restarting the game worked well enough for me.

I have resorted to allocating only one core for the game. Less heat.

[Eaglesfan27]

Starting to be some nice little mods popping out to change things a bit. The most important one imo is the one that fixes daggers to base damage 50/50 on Str/Dex rather than only strength as it does now. This will go a long ways towards making rogues less gimpy. It also mods shortbows to be dex-based as well so they're not completely useless.

The downside is this goes for enemies as well, so you can expect archer and rogue enemies to be significantly tougher. I'm ok with that though and think I will use this one.

I've also seen one that maxes out your inventory space if you're not a fan of the limit and the exorbitant costs of backpacks. Also one that adds a chest to store things in your camp.

Also one that gives you 25 tactics slots for characters which I'm contemplating. Be nice to set-up some more intricate AI.

As for difficulty I'm oddly finding it a little easier post-Redcliff. Might just be that the characters really start to come in their own when you hit level 10+. I can't drag myself away from a 2 Mage/1 Tank/1 Rogue party though, so I feel like I'm missing out on some good party interactions. I'm not particularly fond of Morrigan also so I hope to find another Mage soon.

The game almost seems like it would really benefit from a 5 person party. That would allow you a lot more room to customize your party and would alleviate most of the difficulty issues. Maybe make the dog a pet rather than a party member. Obviously that'd create a whole new set of balance issues, but I would have loved to see it. I'm not sure if something along those lines could be modded. Seems like that would break a lot of things, but these modders are crafty.

Have you (or anyone) added these mods midway through the game and if so has it caused any issues with the campaign? I foolishly didn't buy the first backpack that was available for sale (which was relatively cheap) and am now facing a 7 gold 50 silver charge for the 2nd backpack available. That would eat most of my money and has me considering either the chest or backpack mod. Plus, I want to use the dagger/bow damage fix.

[Calis]

Yep. I've actually put in quite a few mods midway through my game. I'm using the backpack mod, the chest in party camp, the tactic slot upgrade, the str/dex fix, and I even used a respec mod so I could respect some of the NPC's who have some oddball skill selections defined when you get them.

I haven't ran into any issues yet. I think you have to be careful about removing them before patching the game again though. Some of the mods won't take effect until you level or some sort of trigger, but no problem using midway through.

[MizzouRah]

So the game runs on a normal pc ok? My video card is only a GeForce 8600 GTS 256 MB.

[JPhillips]

So the game runs on a normal pc ok? My video card is only a GeForce 8600 GTS 256 MB.

That's what I have and I can run on medium settings fine. Only occasionally do I see any lag.

[Eaglesfan27]

Yep. I've actually put in quite a few mods midway through my game. I'm using the backpack mod, the chest in party camp, the tactic slot upgrade, the str/dex fix, and I even used a respec mod so I could respect some of the NPC's who have some oddball skill selections defined when you get them.

I haven't ran into any issues yet. I think you have to be careful about removing them before patching the game again though. Some of the mods won't take effect until you level or some sort of trigger, but no problem using midway through.

Any chance you remember who created the backpack mod or where the mod is? I found one that says it give several backpack choices (20, 25, or more per backpack) but there doesn't seem to be an actual file attached to that thread.

[Calis]

http://dragonage.gulbsoft.org/doku.php/mods/easy_mod

This one is a little more complicated than just dropping a file in, you have to enable the console and type in a command but it's pretty straightforward and all explained on the site there. It basically just maxes out your backpack to 125 so buying any of the backpacks in-game will not increase the limit.

[Radii]

I just finished the game, I almost never replay games such as this, I'll probably read a bunch of spoiler site info on the various decision points. Some outstandingly tough decisions to make all the way to the end, and a great ending all around IMO. I'll have to let it sit awhile before declaring it the game of the decade, but it's got to be in contention.

[MizzouRah]

That's what I have and I can run on medium settings fine. Only occasionally do I see any lag.

Thanks!

[CleBrownsfan]

I just finished the game, I almost never replay games such as this, I'll probably read a bunch of spoiler site info on the various decision points. Some outstandingly tough decisions to make all the way to the end, and a great ending all around IMO. I'll have to let it sit awhile before declaring it the game of the decade, but it's got to be in contention.

How many hours did it take you to beat it? Did you do a lot of the side quest? I have 17 hours in and I feel I'm just breaking the surface...

[Radii]

How many hours did it take you to beat it? Did you do a lot of the side quest? I have 17 hours in and I feel I'm just breaking the surface...

Steam says I played 63 hours. I didn't backtrack for many sidequests, so if I was in a zone I would spend as long as it took to do a sidequest but if a sidequest sent me to Redcliffe and I was already done in Redcliffe I didn't bother to go back.

I suspect I could have spent another 10-15 hours on sidequests.

[TargetPractice6]

Just finished the Redcliffe onsalught and I'm hard pressed to thing of an RPG battle that had me more on the edge of my seat. I'd already wiped once and it seemed like it was inevitable again, but with my mage down and only a few healing potions left I finally stemmed the tide. Loving this game.