Dragon Age Thread 2: No one expects the Thedas Inquisition!

[Rhom]

Other thread was at 400 posts, figured I'd open up with this.

I'm not getting the play time in that I would like and my progress is therefore slow. All the discussion on the advanced classes is going right over my head. Its funny, because while browsing Facebook the other day; I saw this post on the official Dragon Age page:

If you're still in the Hinterlands, you're missing a great, big world out there!

Then it has five screenshots.

So here's my beef. I'm one of those folks still in the Hinterlands (I'm at about 14 hours played.) Should BioWare have dialed back on the amount of stuff to do off the bat in the Hinterlands if even they are acknowledging that people are there for an inordinate amount of time early in the game?

I would not be surprised to learn that there is a sizable chunk of gamers out there who got to the Hinterlands and lost interest. Certainly, I'm not all that drawn into it yet. :dunno:

[Fez]

I think Bioware's problem was that they forget that a couple decades of gaming have taught players to do everything they can as soon as they can, or else they might miss stuff. The Hinterlands was explicitly designed so that it wouldn't be completed all at once, and for players to go back and forth between there and other zones when they feel like it; but there's nothing to make that absolutely clear to players.

I left the Hinterlands for good after about 6 hours, and its the best move I made all game.

[KiDisaster]

I cleared as much of the Hinterlands as I could before moving on, but that's just how I play. I like to collect every little thing and do every little meaningless fetch quest. I did it for every zone and enjoyed myself. As a result my first playthrough is gonna be close to 100 hours.

I won't bother doing it all again. My future playthroughs will be much, much shorter since I'll focus on story missions and the more interesting side quests (fuck collecting all the shards again, for example). Point is...leave the Hinterlands if you're bored. There's way more interesting places and things to see. Or don't, if you like collecting everything. Play how you want to play.

Also copied and pasted from the other thread since I didn't see the new one:

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My biggest issue with Necro is the Focus ability. It's boring compared to other focus abilities and just makes no sense whatsoever in context. Haste is some white/red mage stuff.

Not to mention KE has basically the same thing as a regular ability. Only it's an aoe instead of affecting the entire battlefield. Tempest rogue also has a similar regular ability in flask of lightning but it only affects the one rogue. Other party members don't benefit.

[Jace, Extat]

The new thread title sucks. Just like Kentucky.

[Jon AS]

The old thread is actually only at 384 posts.

I think there's too much random stuff in the game. The main plot is fun, but even the major quests in the various areas you can explore feel extremely underdeveloped, and on top of that you get a bunch of "collect x amount of y" (I still haven't gotten all the shards to unlock the final temple door, which means there's ~10 scattered throughout an area I haven't even unlocked yet. And I'm 80 hours into the game...) and random fetch quests (often not even involving characters).

They basically went overboard with the areas. The Exalted Plains are visually boring, as are the people who hang out there. Did we really need three separate desert locations? The Hissing Wastes appear to only exist to justify the mount mechanic, as that's the only area in the game so far that is so big, with fast travel points so far apart, that riding around is actually useful. Of course the area has not actual plot, just random Venatori to kill and dwarven tombs to plunder (Iron Bull getting excited about the wonders of dwarven engineering was funny, though). There's also a store that sells tier 3 schematics, so that's kinda useful (of course it's hidden at the bottom of a canyon roughly in the middle between two campsites, to maximise the amount of time it'll take you to get there).

And of course if you do everything combat becomes rather trivial. That rift just spawned two Despair and two Pride Demons (level 20)? Man, do I really want to bother with that or should I let Iron Bull hack them to bits while I go make myself a cup of tea?

Some of the quests, as Fez says, aren't even designed to be done as soon as you can physically reach the area. The Carta base in the Hinterlands for example is actually part of Varric's personal quest. All the combat for that quest takes place there. If you clean that out beforehand it suddenly becomes rather anticlimactic.

[Crom Dubh]

The Carta in Valammar respawned for me, at least.

[Jon AS]

The Carta in Valammar respawned for me, at least.

Yeah, but at the original level. Do areas get locked into a level when you first visit them, like in Origins?

And I'd already done everything else in there, so quest amounted to 'walk over these low level goons and lock a door'. I had kind of expected to at least take a brief trip into the Deep Roads, but no such luck.

I have to admit I was also a bit disappointed to learn where Bianca's name came from. That's just one of those things that shouldn't be revealed.

While I am doing spoilers: whom did everyone leave to die in the Fade? I picked Hawke, and Varric's reaction to that was very well done, IMO.

ETA: It occurs to me that the final shards are probably in Emprise du Lion, which I had kind of forgotten about.

I've also run into the issue that a lot of advisor missions with a very long timer are available and there mighty not be that much time left in the game. I realise they run in real time, but I was kind of looking forward to finishing this soon. Conclusion: do either Adamant or Winter Palace earlier to get some of the other stuff out of the way while you're doing sidequests.

[Jasta11]

Other thread was at 400 posts, figured I'd open up with this.

I'm not getting the play time in that I would like and my progress is therefore slow. All the discussion on the advanced classes is going right over my head. Its funny, because while browsing Facebook the other day; I saw this post on the official Dragon Age page:

Then it has five screenshots.

So here's my beef. I'm one of those folks still in the Hinterlands (I'm at about 14 hours played.) Should BioWare have dialed back on the amount of stuff to do off the bat in the Hinterlands if even they are acknowledging that people are there for an inordinate amount of time early in the game?

I would not be surprised to learn that there is a sizable chunk of gamers out there who got to the Hinterlands and lost interest. Certainly, I'm not all that drawn into it yet. :dunno:

They shouldn't have opened the game up with the Hinterlands, yeah. It's the most bland and boring zone, full of fetch quests. Crestwood would be better, it's shorter, more focused and has interesting side-quests. Emerald Graves is visually amazing and has a ton of lore and a few memorable quests such as a haunted mansion. Hell, even the Storm Coast is better, if only because it has great visuals and Iron Bull. The Western Approach alsi isn,t bad at all.

Basically, the game starts slow, and only really picks up after the second main story mission, after which the world really opens up and you gain access to a lot of stuff. My advice to anyone is to grab either Templars or Mages, and then do the subsequent story mission ASAP. Failing that, yeah, just get out of the Hinterlands.

[Fez]

I have to admit I was also a bit disappointed to learn where Bianca's name came from. That's just one of those things that shouldn't be revealed.

While I am doing spoilers: whom did everyone leave to die in the Fade? I picked Hawke, and Varric's reaction to that was very well done, IMO.

I probably wouldn't have been okay with it. Except that that voice actress is the voice I use for the Boss in Saints Row 3 & 4, which means she instantly seemed like a much more epic and badass character than she otherwise would have been.

I left Stroud, mostly because I didn't even know who he was and I'm way too attached to Hawke to leave her behind. Of course, I have a fairly strong suspicion that whoever gets left behind didn't die and will show up in a crowning moment of awesome either at the end of the game (I'm not there yet) or in DLC. Didn't see the body, and all that.

[Jon AS]

I probably wouldn't have been okay with it. Except that that voice actress is the voice I use for the Boss in Saints Row 3 & 4, which means she instantly seemed like a much more epic and badass character than she otherwise would have been.

I left Stroud, mostly because I didn't even know who he was and I'm way too attached to Hawke to leave her behind. Of course, I have a fairly strong suspicion that whoever gets left behind didn't die and will show up in a crowning moment of awesome either at the end of the game (I'm not there yet) or in DLC. Didn't see the body, and all that.

Oh, so Stroud is an option for Hawke's Warden contact? I guess it actually makes more sense than Loghain, since Hawke and Stroud actually met in DA2, even if it was only for a grand total of 10 minutes or so.

Does anyone know if Bethany or Carver can show up in the role if they're alive and joined the Wardens?

[Rhom]

The new thread title sucks. Just like Kentucky.

We've got a game against Texas on Friday if you'd like to watch us dismantle another top 10 team by 20+ points. ;)

[Jasta11]

I probably wouldn't have been okay with it. Except that that voice actress is the voice I use for the Boss in Saints Row 3 & 4, which means she instantly seemed like a much more epic and badass character than she otherwise would have been.

I left Stroud, mostly because I didn't even know who he was and I'm way too attached to Hawke to leave her behind. Of course, I have a fairly strong suspicion that whoever gets left behind didn't die and will show up in a crowning moment of awesome either at the end of the game (I'm not there yet) or in DLC. Didn't see the body, and all that.

If Loghain or Alistair are Wardens, they replace Stroud, yeah. Let's just say the first two (especially Alistair) are a far harder choice than Stroud who is a completely expendable nobody.

It's true that we don't see them die, but I wouldn't too certain we see them again. Bioware is probably keeping their options open.

[Jace, Extat]

We've got a game against Texas on Friday if you'd like to watch us dismantle another top 10 team by 20+ points. ;)

I'll check my calendar.

Upon Stroud:

Yeah, I accidentally sent Hawke to her death and had to close down the program to restart that fight vs the Nightmare and save her. Stroud? Fuck him. I met him for a grand total of seven seconds, and the Wardens just burned their Southern Thedas bridge for the last goddamn time with those shenanigans at Adamant.

What Pride had Wrought:

Just finished this mission and gave Morrigan the power of the Well. I sent Cullen to bring Samson back for judgement and turned the game off to eat. Looking forward to talking to Morrigan and judging Samson. So far I've been creative with my punishments, I wonder what I'll have the opportunity to do here.

[AndrewJ]

One minor complaint... I thought we decided back in Ultima 8 days that jumping puzzles in an RPG are an abomination. I've heard they are better with a mouse and keypboard, but they just suck with a controller.

[teemo]

lol, if you are still in the Hinterlands since release date, it's time to move on. You can go back there any time during the game. The game gets a lot, lot better with tons of stuff to do and game changing events. I actually thought maybe the game was ending after the stuff with Haven happened, LOL. I was kind of pissed at the thought, but it turns out that is more or less the beginning of the game. I really have been enjoying it....I think I still like DA:O more, but the storyline and missions and characters make it very BioWare like indeed.

I've read sooooo many complaints on Amazon about the PC version being glitchy, but I haven't many problems at all :X

Does anyone else have any issues with quests not finishing though? Like for instance, I judged the prisoner, but the quest is still open to judge the prisoner. I enchanted an item, but the quest still didn't close for that either...

Also, I can't mount the stupid horse in the Hinterlands. What do I press on the PC?

It's really annoying because I feel like I die to every group of enemies now :( I'm trying to get that Druffalo back in the Hinterlands and the demons from the rift just merc my team....I'm level 8. It's starting to get really frustrating. Any advice....should I be using different team members? I have Blackwall, Sera, and Dorian and I think I have the best armor and weapons for them that I can have at the moment.

Also, is there any particular place where you can buy weapons and armor and stuff?

[Jace, Extat]

I've just spiritually preordered the next Dragon Age game. A series of completely optional events have conspired to create the most awesomely BioWare scene that BioWare has ever produced. Shit just got that real.

Don't fuck around with this spoiler tag unless you've experienced the qualifiers that I list at each level. Seriously, DON'T!

Morrigan and the Godbaby...

Morrigan had her son, which is cool. And I took her with me on the What Pride has Wrought quest...

I had Morrigan take the power at the well of Sorrows... Seriously, stop reading now.

I met Flemeth in the fade after Morrigan's son ran through the Elven Mirror, where Flemeth revealed that she is the Elven goddess that whoever drank from the Well of Sorrows is bound to. Flemeth displayed that Morrigan is eternally bound to her whims, by not only stopping Morrigan from attacking her, but actively stopping me from doing so as well.

Flemeth wanted the godchild, but Morrigan and I pleaded with her and it appears that some kind of compassion won out as she let us leave with the child. I'm not entirely certain, but I think that Flemeth may have extracted the Old God's soul from the child.

I also just talked it over with Morrigan, and we're wondering if Flemeth could have orchestrated events from DA:O to get Morrigan to

1) Have the godbaby

2) Have Morrigan develop an interest in ancient magical artifacts

3) Gave Corypheus the Elven orb to tear open the Fade

4) Helped the Inquisitor survive the explosion

5) Caused Corypheus to uncover the location of the Well of Sorrows, and get Morrigan to drink from it.

6) Gotten power over Morrigan to get to the Godchild.

If that sounds crazy, it's because it is. The fact that there is even the possibility of such an elaborate conspiracy theory is fucking awesome.

Also, I'm feeling major sympathy for Morrigan right now. Eternally bound in servitude to Flemeth? That's just horrible.

[Jon AS]

I've read sooooo many complaints on Amazon about the PC version being glitchy, but I haven't many problems at all :X

The game has crashed on me twice. Just closed completely in the blink of an eye. Of course I quicksave obsessively and it takes about 30 seconds to start up again, so I've not lost a lot of time to that.

Does anyone else have any issues with quests not finishing though? Like for instance, I judged the prisoner, but the quest is still open to judge the prisoner. I enchanted an item, but the quest still didn't close for that either...

Those kind of glitches on the other hand have happened more frequently. After I'd finished Varric's Seeing Red quest, every other Red Lyrium vein I encountered prompted the quest completed message about 10 times in a row. I also jumped right to the dragon slaying in the Western Approach before turning in the last miniquest before that, and now I can not complete it (but I could still recruit the questgiver as an Inquisition agent, so that's all good).

Also, I can't mount the stupid horse in the Hinterlands. What do I press on the PC?

Interact (right click), riding is just like opening a door or looting a corpse.

It's really annoying because I feel like I die to every group of enemies now :( I'm trying to get that Druffalo back in the Hinterlands and the demons from the rift just merc my team....I'm level 8. It's starting to get really frustrating. Any advice....should I be using different team members? I have Blackwall, Sera, and Dorian and I think I have the best armor and weapons for them that I can have at the moment.

That rift is the second toughest fight in the Hinterlands. Either wait until you're higher level or hang right when you reach the river (and make sure the druffalo follows you) and try to skirt around the demons. That's how I did it.

Also, is there any particular place where you can buy weapons and armor and stuff?

Plenty. One at the crossroads in the middle of the Hinterlands, a few more shops in Redcliffe, some at Haven. But for the most part you should check what kind of schematics you've picked up so far (or are for sale) and see if you can't create some more powerful stuff yourself.

Sadly, most of the best equipment I've got I forged myself. Just created a new masterwork two-handed sword for Iron Bull that does ~300 base damage, gives +25 to strength and +14% to attack (which is essentially another +28 to strength). And that's before adding grip and pommel. Made me regret that I wasn't playing a warrior.

Once I've killed my next dragon I'm going to forge yet another version of the Armour of the Dragon for my mage, since none of the other light armours I find are any good, and the other schematics don't have a cloth utility slot to give me a bonus to magic/willpower. Just have to decide which of the approximately one billion fade-touched X materials I'm going to use for the bonus slot. The one that gives +30 to magic for 10 seconds after every kill seems good, but base enemies die very quickly anyway and against dragons, when you really need all the extra damage you can get, there's no way to trigger the effect.

ETA:

One minor complaint... I thought we decided back in Ultima 8 days that jumping puzzles in an RPG are an abomination. I've heard they are better with a mouse and keypboard, but they just suck with a controller.

I'm actually somewhat surprised how well the free movement works. If you're having a really unreasonable time getting to somewhere you want to be, odds are there's a much easier path than the one you're currently trying.

That said, I've managed to get to a few places the level designers clearly didn't intend for the player to go. Sadly, apart from running into invisible walls, that didn't lead to anything interesting. Well, that one time I got stuck between two rocks and needed to use fast travel to get unstuck, but that wasn't exacty 'interesting'.

[Galactus]

That said, I've managed to get to a few places the level designers clearly didn't intend for the player to go. Sadly, apart from running into invisible walls, that didn't lead to anything interesting. Well, that one time I got stuck between two rocks and needed to use fast travel to get unstuck, but that wasn't exacty 'interesting'.

I did manage to get stuck inside my horse in such a way that I couldn't load or fast-travel but had to ctrl-alt-del and reload.

[Jon AS]

Well, sick today so maybe I get to finish this monster.

Turns out there's two dragons in Emprise du Lion. More crafting materials!

Also, turns out that forging heavy armour using silverite as the base allows every class to wear it. Sadly that doesn't solve my Inquisitor's fashion problem, as the armour I made with it looks like crap on him. VIvienne however wears it with style. Goes well with the pointy hat thingy she has, too.

It just occured to me that this might allow Varric to wear Legion of the Death armour, though, which so far seems to have the highest defense stats of any armour in the entire game. Have to give that a try.

[Fez]

I've just kept my Inquisitor in the Templar Commander armor ever since I found it. That was close to 15 hours ago now, and I've got much better stuff in my inventory, but it looks the best and is by far the most appropriate armor because I went with the Templar specialization and the surviving Templars were absorbed into the Inquisition way back near the start of the game.