MrBrown

I remember there being a weird ambient sound in some part of the marshes that I couldn't figure out the source of.

Especially with the expansion, Endless Space has so many moving parts and randomness it starts to be impossible to tell why you're actually losing or winning battles. Other than that, it's a nice game. As for the topic, I'll probably play it when it's out, but I doubt I'll be following info and news about it until.

I've gotten a few Ancients playing on T6, but nothing better than my previous (which were pretty ideal, though). Not planning on playing much until Season 2 anyway. I did use the goblin-buff to grind the Greed achievements, though.

Archery is really powerful in Awakening with the Accuracy passive. Some would say overpowered. It still has the speed bugs, though. ... To which I recommend this fan patch: http://www.nexusmods.com/dragonage/mods/1601/? The only component of it that I don't use is the "no helmets" one.

Uh, yes? I prefer games that I can go back to numerous times, over a game I play for a couple of weeks and then never touch again. Different game, but I played Mass Effect 1 at least a half dozen times (fully), as well as a couple more partial play throughs. So while individually it's a shorter game than Inquisition, I spent more overall time on it because it drew me back in even after I'd completed it. Also, the "twice as long" thing is a bit misleading. The reason for Inquisition's length is because of all the wandering around doing fetch quests you can do. Its main quest was actually shorter than the other two, and the main quest is the one that I tend to judge the game on its replayability for. Did you actually complete all of ME1's sidestuff half a dozen times?

What are they saying is unhealthy about it?

The war table works best if you order your story missions and sidequests in well. And go back to the table now and then, for instance when your inventory gets full. if you do all side-areas before story missions, you'll be out of operations soon before clearing all side areas, and swamped in them after the story missions. Power points are awarded pretty liberally. If you do everything, you'll be left with hundreds of them in the end. If you start buying the contract-thingies, maybe over a thousand. EDIT: I'm not sure why they exist.

That was the only easy part, I think the loyal mabari is guaranteed to carry the top model for your inquisitor's class. That's what I got, and I've read most others getting too. Now, getting a 2h sword that is not ugly... And there is no decent 1h sword in the game at all, Caliban at least looks nice but, well, is nit very good. Either by design or by necessity, they're going to have to implement a less random top tier schematic vendor in dlc. The Caliban 1-handed sword is the only decent weapon I have found in the game for a sword-and-shield character. Do the weapons level up depending on when you get it? Because mine was pretty high level because I didn't get it until late on while killing a pretty high level dragon. No, they're static. Which is why it tends to be better to craft your own.

Guys, remember that influence maxes at level 20. You don't want to spend all your perks on merchant bonuses. I speak from experience. In general about money, I prefer having extra money to having no money at all. In DA2, you had very very little money... You could never afford much of the cool stuff. I often cheated myself extra money to just try other items. DA:O had a pretty good money balance, IMO (not counting the DLC items that could be sold for lots of gold). If you weren't stingy, you might not have been able to afford everything... but if you were, you could.

The good stuff is concentrated on a couple of vendors, is mostly schematics and you often need the special wares perk for the best store items. Buy the 10k item from that shop at the 3rd level of Val Royeux.

They actually exists on all difficulty levels, on Nightmare they just usually end up lowering your damage to 1. Just means you have to put a bit more planning to using mages.

Well, you have to design around the AI. I didn't micromanage much, except in dragon fights etc.

Finished my Nightmare run. Got bored by the end, and left the Wastes and Lion mostly undone. Speaking of which, the difficulty on Nightmare ended up being too easy by the end. It's understandable that for a game with so much optional stuff, the latter parts of the game are easier for people who don't want to bother with all that side stuff... on Normal difficulty. I wish it wasn't the same for Nightmare, but apparently it is.

Are you using dispels on the second wave? With two mages, you shouldn't have much trouble with second waves.

Which faction did you side with during your only play through? Mages or Templars? Because there's actually a bit of a difference to make a 2nd play through a bit of a change from the first. Not a huge difference, but a difference (ie. different second in command to Corypheus to fight/learn about, extra backstory on Corypheus). I was disappointed in the Celene/Gaspard/Briala choice though. The only thing that changes is the slideshow at the end. In-game, you don't see a single effect of choosing one over the other. I was under the impression that some stuff changes at the Exalted Plains. There's also a quest Leliana gives you that opens up a small area which allows you to learn more about Corypheus if you side with the templars (it's tied with Calpernia's backstory, so it's only available, AFAIK, if she's the sub-boss). You get it by siding with the Mages too, though the quests are given by Cullen and the area is different.

Scars etc facial stuff is part of the mesh-setting in the graphics settings. If you turn it too low, they'll disappear. Putting it back higher will make them show again.

I'm glad they didn't, the crossroads and Redcliffe in the Hinterlands already got me a huge performance hit.

Playing on Nightmare, I never felt the characters were frontloaded because I spend 20~ hours clearing everything that's available before Skyhold.

Anyway, I'm really enjoying a certain Orlesian ball right now, this mission is ace and totally makes me give this game more points. That's easily the best part of the game. Unfortunately made a bit worse by the long combat sequences within it.

Qunari are probably worse, what with those horns... I'd imagine priority for BIO is 1. Human, 2. Elf, 3. Dwarf, 4. Qunari. As for your second comment, find it on youtube. It looks weird, yeah. I don't think Dwarves are that bad with only two classes, they still have their uses. With DA:I though, race has become mostly a story choice than a stat choice anyway.

Apparently she's more likely to end up as the divine if you romance her. Bioware has always had easy achievements. Usually there's only a couple that take more effort than playing the game normally.

Yeah, you probably want to watch that. Maybe find it on youtube.

Two-handed warriors seem kinda pointless. I think it's between that or dual-daggers. DPS is good but damage per ability use isn't and survival is hard in melee. Admittedly I haven't done much with either though. How are Archers besides Varric? Good. Sera especially with Tempest-stuff. Varric's specialization is kinda underwhelming, IMO.

So how do you stay alive?

Two-handed warriors seem kinda pointless.