Dragon Age Discussion

[Dakar]

^ Meh, the Darkspawn don't exactly strike me as the disciplined, Blitzkrieg types. More like maraud, torture, feed, sleep, probably fight among themselves for a bit. Go backwards, torture a squirrel... they're like zombies with a bit of army training.

 

Mages own this game, it's very mage-centric. My main character taunts, everyone attacks him, he uses the fortress shield ability (I am a one-warrior Roman army tortoise formation) and Morrigan dances around freezing, smashing, burning with glee. I am just the bait.

 

Still enjoying it, very good game. It could have been truly great, but...

 

Yes mages own the game on both sides. Any battle with enemy mages where you don't have one of your own is extremely extremely difficult. Having a PC thats a mage drops the difficulty down a level.

 

That and most of the specializations are useless. With better class balance would have been one of the true greats IMO.

[deganawida]

^ Meh, the Darkspawn don't exactly strike me as the disciplined, Blitzkrieg types. More like maraud, torture, feed, sleep, probably fight among themselves for a bit. Go backwards, torture a squirrel... they're like zombies with a bit of army training.

 

Mages own this game, it's very mage-centric. My main character taunts, everyone attacks him, he uses the fortress shield ability (I am a one-warrior Roman army tortoise formation) and Morrigan dances around freezing, smashing, burning with glee. I am just the bait.

 

Still enjoying it, very good game. It could have been truly great, but...

 

Yes mages own the game on both sides. Any battle with enemy mages where you don't have one of your own is extremely extremely difficult. Having a PC thats a mage drops the difficulty down a level.

 

That and most of the specializations are useless. With better class balance would have been one of the true greats IMO.

 

Best method for dealing with enemy mages without one of your own is to have your tank run up and shield bash him ASAP. That stops the initial salvo of spells.

 

Granted, that only works on one mage at a time, and sometimes you can't get to the mage quickly enough...

[Majek]

Or you can hide somewhere.

[HoonDing]

Leliana's Pinning Shot temporarily stops a mage, and then it's possible to run up there and kick ass. Scattering Shot is even better.

[deganawida]

Leliana's Pinning Shot temporarily stops a mage, and then it's possible to run up there and kick ass. Scattering Shot is even better.

 

I did not know that. I'll have to have her use that a lot more.

[Kaftan Barlast]

A big fat fireball in their face is really good aswell, most mages cant take that much damage so theyll burn to death while on the ground

[Monte Carlo]

Yeah, for the first time in a game, what I imagined a fireball should be has been realised. A big, angry blast of napalm that fubars everyone in it.

[Deraldin]

Yeah, for the first time in a game, what I imagined a fireball should be has been realised. A big, angry blast of napalm that fubars everyone in it.

Yeah, too bad for my first run that it was only ever used against me. That fight at the start of the outdoor area for Orzammar kicked my ass several times with repeated fireballs.

[Humanoid]

The biggest problem tactically seems to be the overabundance of doors. Not doorways, despite most strategies revolving around them, but the closed doors with mini-armies stationed behind them which just kills the tactical setups in most encounters. I'm not asking for JA2 or anything of the sort but the design of almost every encounter generally discounts the tactical use of space at the moment, with the single point of approach elimination positioning as a consideration. It also marginalises the Survival skill because as useful as the information it gives could be, you're prevented from acting on it most of the time because of the door in the way.

 

Doors could be justified in numerous situations, such as mansions and other such dwellings but I'm not really seeing the rationale of them in say, ancient dilapidated ruined temples where every architectural feature within has or is in the process of crumbling away. Except the doors, which are as sturdy and functional as ever.

 

So yeah, curse you damned doors!

[Monte Carlo]

I'm slowly working out how the rogue works in this game using Imoen Chick, mainly because I've not found Exotic Elf Bloke yet.

 

The way Imoen Chick is configured is classic support role: very minor buffing, second rate archery and a bit of a backstab. Up to level 9 or 10 in fact all she's done for me is open locked containers, thus increasing my stock of first aid equipment. Thanks, love.

 

However, and yes, there is a however... there are some uses.

 

1. She seems to level quite quickly. Why I'm not sure, am assuming XP is shared but mebbe she gets more for all the traps'n'locks she deals with. Anyhow, that's my perception.

2. Poison. With poison and the skill that allows you to increase your backstab arc she's pretty good at finishing off the critters already at low health through AoE spell damage, a bit fiddly but not un-useful.

3. Bombs. I have discovered firebombs and soulrot bombs. Imoen Chick is very good at stealthing over to that pesky bank of archers and / or mages and lobbing a bomb at them.

 

So Imoen chick lobs bombs like an amateur 19th century anarchist, unlocks things and puts dying creatures out of their misery for my mage. Well, someone's gotta do it.

 

Cheers

MC

[TheHarlequin]

That said, though, can Darkspawn speak? Since there are some that can do magic & some that wear fancy armour (Alpha Hurlock/Genlock) there should at least be some intelligence involved..

 

If you read the codex entries you would know the answer is yes.

 

I do agree the darkspawn are < JRR's orcs however in terms of background and how interesting they are.

[TheHarlequin]

But at least the dwarves are pretty interesting.

 

I don't understand this comment. They are a direct take on Klingon society. Certainly nothing that unique or original. In fact one could say its a combo of drow and klingon society. But IMO certainly leans much more to the klingon side of things. All I was thinking when playing the dwarf origin is 'when do I get my klingon battle cruiser'? LOL

[Purkake]

LOL

[Monte Carlo]

Do the dwarves have plastic lobsters glued to the front of their heads too?

[Monte Carlo]

Please list Achievements Bioware Would Never Put In The Game:

 

No. 1 - Never Read A Codex Entry - You completely ignore the plethora of FANTASAE INFURMASHUN that constantly spams the GUI.

[Oner]

Yeah, for the first time in a game, what I imagined a fireball should be has been realised. A big, angry blast of napalm that fubars everyone in it.

I had to load game several times in the Fade 'cause those idiot enemies constantly killed each other. Less XP = unhappy Oner

 

 

But at least the dwarves are pretty interesting.

 

I don't understand this comment. They are a direct take on Klingon society. Certainly nothing that unique or original. In fact one could say its a combo of drow and klingon society. But IMO certainly leans much more to the klingon side of things. All I was thinking when playing the dwarf origin is 'when do I get my klingon battle cruiser'? LOL

Are you implying klingons aren't interesting?! Pata'Q!

[Enoch]

No. 2 - Fast Reader - You hit ESC well before every NPC voiceover finishes its line.

[TheHarlequin]

You can get the Storm of the Century combo with Blizzard + Tempest + Spellw.. (forget the entire name)

 

I like that there's only one thread.

 

And Leliana is still awesome.

 

Lel, morg, alister and my PC a human warrior seems to be a great combo. On normal we do pretty well considering I still have to hand hold them more then I like as the AI is crap. Won't drink pots when the tactic slots tell them and sometimes chase down a enemy to activte yes another mob of spawns again when the tactics menu tell him not to. And so on... I cold give a ton of examples and what not. But aside from the crap party AI (which apparently now makes a game 'tactical' before if I recall it was simply 'crappy AI'. But I digress) those 3 on normal is pretty decent.

[alanschu]

Won't drink pots when the tactic slots tell them

 

What slot is the tactic in?

 

sometimes chase down a enemy to activte yes another mob of spawns again when the tactics menu tell him not to.

 

What tactic are you using to prevent them from chasing a mob exactly?

[Hurlshort]

I've needed the healing of the Wenne chick in a few big fights. Usually I roll with my warrior (dual weapons) Alistair, Sten, and Leliana.

[Oner]

I never figured out why some tactics I set in the menu are written in red and not used by the characters. Dog's stunning howl for example.

[TheHarlequin]

Won't drink pots when the tactic slots tell them

 

What slot is the tactic in?

 

sometimes chase down a enemy to activte yes another mob of spawns again when the tactics menu tell him not to.

 

What tactic are you using to prevent them from chasing a mob exactly?

 

heal pots are in #1, mana pots for the mages #2. And morg still refuses to use mana pots 50% of the time unless I hand hold her.

 

defensive/default. According to both descripts the NPCs are supposed to stay by the main char and not run down enemies. Epic fail for the AI sadly.

[alanschu]

Default does say that the character will try to chase fleeing targets.

 

I'll look into Defensive. You're on the PC right? I don't remember having that issue, though I didn't stay on Defensive very long with my playthrough because I was having the opposite effect, in that people would move a few steps away, and the AI wouldn't follow them.

 

 

EDIT: I wonder if they are being chased because as they started to flee, one of the tactics (that is, the tactic, not the Behaviour) was queued to fire.

Edited November 12, 2009 by alanschu

[Purkake]

They work fine for me. Maybe the "epic fail" is on your part?

[TheHarlequin]

Default does say that the character will try to chase fleeing targets.

 

I'll look into Defensive. You're on the PC right? I don't remember having that issue, though I didn't stay on Defensive very long with my playthrough because I was having the opposite effect, in that people would move a few steps away, and the AI wouldn't follow them.

 

 

EDIT: I wonder if they are being chased because as they started to flee, one of the tactics (that is, the tactic, not the Behaviour) was queued to fire.

 

You sure about that? Perhaps I read that wrong. Either way Alister did chase a NPC down across the map, and triggered another group of spawns which I was in no shape to deal with and yes at THAT time he was set to defensive. Pretty annoying. but the chasing down part certainly does not happen very much compaired to the not drinking pots when the damn tactics clearly tells them too. I can deal with the occasional running away from the main PC but not drinking pots is just a death blow with most of the fights. I SHOULDN'T need to hand hold them (at least for this) if I have the #1/2 slots for pots.