Dragon Age Options

[Critias]

I picked up the Dragon Age: Origins (Ultimate Edition) off Amazon for less than $40, the other day. I'd heard a ton of positive stuff about this RPG when it came out a year ago, the trailers for DA 2 have me all psyched, and when I saw that deal -- for $38.95 or something I got Origins, the Awakenings expansion, and all 9 DLC packs -- I just couldn't pass it up.

I think for my first playthrough I'll be going to my "default" of a Human Warrior, sword-and-board. Just like with Mass Effect (where I tend towards a straightforward play style with lots of armor and basic combat abilities), I find it's hard to go wrong with the good ol' human fighter, especially in a classic fantasy RPG, to keep things simple your first time through.

[Thanee]

Great game! Have fun! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

I only have the original DA:O, so I might pick up the Ultimate Edition as well, for all the extra stuff. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[Critias]

They've still got the sale going on ($39.95, I just checked, so oh well my memory was close), so if you're interested, it looks like now's the time.

[Thanee]

For some reason it is a lot cheaper in the UK. Just £17.69 right now (instead of £24.99 regular) on amazon.co.uk. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Bye
Thanee

[Zyerne]

It's not often that things are cheaper over here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Still got a couple of things on my list before DA but I too have heard good things.

[Critias]

So, yeah. I stayed up until 5:00 am playing it yesterday, all in one sitting. I think I like it okay. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Doc Chase]

Orzammar.

Enough said.

[WyldKnight]

Did anyone else hate that witch you get in your party? I can't remember her name for the life of me, started with an M. She's just so rude and annoying. I've dated girls exactly like her and the moment I realized this I began hoping for a chance to kill her...but I'm a nice guy and won't do that so I just take extra pleasure in seeing her get downed.

[Karoline]

Morrigan? You get her like right at the start of the game?

Yeah, she was kind of annoying, but I seem to recall her getting better as time went on.

[Critias]

So far I've tackled the Mage Circle big quest, and I'm working on Redcliffe right now (part way done, I guess, I've handled some family issues and I'm off to go find the Urn, now). I also did one DLC quest, and got some swanky gear from returning to Ostagar. On my way to Denerim to handle the Redcliffe quest I'm not, but also Alistair and Leliana's personal quests seem to be leading me there, and a few side jobs, to boot.

Lovin' it!

This has been a really fun game so far, even if I can't help but feel I'm missing half of everything by going it "on my own" instead of slaving myself to a walkthrough and making sure I find every little thing. I'm having fun as a sword-and-board warrior (though I AM looking forward to getting a specialization, to open up a few more options), and just generally this has been a really cool gaming experience so far.

[WyldKnight]

Morrigan? You get her like right at the start of the game?

Yeah, she was kind of annoying, but I seem to recall her getting better as time went on.

Thats the one! Oh really? Well I hope so, damn apostates (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nyahnyah.gif)

[Karoline]

One thing that I kind of didn't like about the game was that there was all this lore about everyone hating/fearing blood mages, but you can become a blood mage and no one ever says anything about it.

[Abschalten]

I really loved Dragon Age, despite its hitches and warts. I had tons of fun as a sword and shield fighter and found them to be surprisingly durable and tough. I also enjoyed the Arcane Warrior or whatever it's called, the mage specialization. Combine that with some blood magic specialization and you basically have broken the game. Have fun walking through the opposition.

One of my only beefs with the game is that I seemed to always end up using the same people: Leliana, Morrigan, and Wynne. Morrigan was my hardcare magic specialist that I gave the good debuffs and my area effect spells. Wynne I would make the primary healer and also give her some crowd pleasing spells. Leliana was there purely for ranged/arrow damage and the odd lock. Then I'd put my main character out front and call it a day. Very little stood up to my party as I had it set up.

Fun fact: you can get infinite gold if you're willing to make trips back and forth across the map. All those juicy weapons you slaver over can be yours without selling every single potion and possession you own. Basically get Morrigan's Herbalism up to max rank as soon as you can, then save up the gold to buy the formula for the top rank Lyrium Potions (I think at the magic shop in Denerim). Buy tons and tons and tons of Lyrium dust at the Mage tower, and then go to that bar in Denerim and buy the rest of your ingredients. Brew them there, then sell them back for a profit. It's incredibly tedious (especially browing the potions, then selling them) but you end up making ridiculous amounts of money over time.

[Karoline]

Leliana, Morrigan, and Wynne.

Hehe, same team for me, except that I replaced Morrigan as I was mage and Alister replaced you, as he was the sword and shield guy. I would equip him with armor that would negate/absorb fire, then throw out firestorm and then that AoE blood spell which paralyzed people for a while. Was exceedingly effective.

[Critias]

I've been using my primary (sword and board guy, and I just got the Blood Dragon DLC armor, and King Cailan's old sword and shield, so he's pretty ridiculously good), Wynne (with her AI tweaked to do nothing but heal and buff, pretty much), Lelianna (for archery and opening locks), and then either Alistair or Dog. I love the idea of Dog, I think he's a great little character, and even the RPer in me digs using him as my loyal warhound thanks to my Noble origin...but Alistair tricked out in the King's old armor is kicking a lot of butt, and the interactions with him and Wynne are pretty fun. We mostly get by through me and Alistair just grinding away at baddies while we take whatever they can throw at us, and so far it's worked pretty well.

Castle Redcliffe and similar terrain with doorways is a lot of fun, because we can actually block them for the most part, and just keep the two sword-and-board guys up front, kicking butt.

My plan is to run with the...uhh...less morally righteous crew, next time around. I'm not sure if I'll be a power hungry Mage or a stabbidy-stabby Rogue, but either way it'll make for a fun, DPS-oriented, crew with Morrigan, Zevran, and Ogrhen.

[LurkerOutThere]

One thing that I kind of didn't like about the game was that there was all this lore about everyone hating/fearing blood mages, but you can become a blood mage and no one ever says anything about it.

Well my impression is you don't wear a sign that says "Hey, ask me about blood magic!" plus your a gray warden so it is actually legal for you to do blood magic, just not very wise.

Also my first play throughw as a rogue, got really frustrated very early as I was sticking a fair number of points into stuff (like lockpicking) that didn't help make me a better fighter. But I didn't want to take another rogue along. Switched mage and was amazed at how much easier the game was (mob control spells for the win) then i got the advancement path that lets you use your magic value instead of strength for wearing armor and things got even more rediculous as I could actually take some hits. Started to play a noble tank at the end to see if i could get made king at the end but got bored with it mid way through because I'd already seen much of the game twice already. Maybe some of the DLC's will help that now.

[KarmaInferno]

Did anyone else hate that witch you get in your party? I can't remember her name for the life of me, started with an M. She's just so rude and annoying. I've dated girls exactly like her and the moment I realized this I began hoping for a chance to kill her...but I'm a nice guy and won't do that so I just take extra pleasure in seeing her get downed.

http://biowarestore.com/dragon-age/dragon-...disapproves-tee




-k

[StealthSigma]

Morrigan? You get her like right at the start of the game?

Yeah, she was kind of annoying, but I seem to recall her getting better as time went on.

Sexy outfit Claudia Black mage?

--

My plan is to run with the...uhh...less morally righteous crew, next time around. I'm not sure if I'll be a power hungry Mage or a stabbidy-stabby Rogue, but either way it'll make for a fun, DPS-oriented, crew with Morrigan, Zevran, and Ogrhen.

Origins Companions:
Alistair: Whiny insecure little bitch.
Morrigan: Bitch witch who doesn't seem to care much about most lives.
Leliana: "Reformed" bard who was going to join the Chantry but still has an unabashed bisexual.
Zevran: Assassin for hire that is unabashedly bisexual.
Oghren: Drunkard who seems to want to get Wynne in the sack.
Shale: HK-47 in golem form.
Wynne: Motherly. First of three sane companions
Dog: Loyal companion. Second of three sane companions.
Sten: Strong silent warrior. Third of three sane companions.
Secret Companion: No comment, never got it.

Awakening Companions:
Anders: Runaway mage. Keeps running away just so one female templar has to capture him.
Justice: Not human, or elf, or dwarf.
Nathaniel: You killed his father. Prepare to die.
Oghren: Drunkard. Still. Spends his time trying to get Sigrun in the sack.
Sigrun: Dwarf of the Legion of the Dead.
Velanna: Bitch elven witch but more personable than Morrigan.

I swear.... very few of the characters don't have some sort of psychological issue.

[Critias]

Well, yeah, but I'm okay with that. Normal, sane, stable, people don't take up a life of adventuring. "Murderous hobos," I called your average fantasy adventurer on another forum once, and I stand by it.

[Ramaloke]

Yeah, Blood Magic + Arcane Warrior = Roll over Everything.

You just get a bunch of personal buff spells and activate them all, turn on blood magic and enjoy.

I gave every caster a heal spell and Blood Magic. Wynn, Morrigan, Myself and Leliana (as a Ranger so I could steal health from her pet). It worked out pretty well.

[fistandantilus4....]

I've had this game for a while now. It's the first game I had to wrestle with my wife for to get my damn turn to play! Crazy lady, I tell ya'!

First time through, I did stick w/ Morrigan (who if you've got the right sense of humor and some patience can be hilarious), Leliahna, and usually one of the three tank types (Alistair, Sten, or Oghren). Still haven't DLd the extra set for getting Shale.

Secret Companion:

[ Spoiler ]

Secret Companion is Loghain. At the end, if you defeat him , then show him mercy, you have the option to have him take the Warden's Oath. If you do this though, you lose Alistair

Don't worry about a walk through Crit. The game has real good replay value as a different origin, and different "alignment". You can play through just as well as a murderous thief. Which, incidentally, works really well once you ge tteh knack of the thief, with stunning attacks and two weapons. It's not to hard to take down an ogre without getting hit with a good rogue.

I love the mages though. The Cone of Cold/Frost/Whatever is the easiet trick, as it freezes a group of enemies, so you can beat them up/break them at your liesure.

A few tricks for mages:
Freezing spells + Force Cage = Busted enemies
Grease + Fire spells = nice inferno

Also for another nice free money break, albeit time consuming, in Lothren you can find a woman who pays you 30 cilver to make her some traps. Make them for her, then go to the bar and talk to the vendor there who sells you trap springs for something like a silver. Buy as many as you can, then make as many traps as you can. Then go sell them all to her. Rinse, repeat. With ten minutes of your time, you can get 200 gold and a couple of levels, because it keeps letting you repeat the quest.

The dog is indeed awesome. If you download the adventure that lets you play as darkspawn, yuo fight him in the end. His name is "Barkspawn", which is now my default name for him.

I personally hate Wynne because she burns through mana way to damn fast. I have to baby sit her to make sure she doesn't use it all up in the first minute of a fight.

Enjoy the game. Sadly, btw, the Dalish elf has the weakest origin story. Dwarf noble, human, and elf commoner are the best IMO. Soldier's Peak is also a good download for more gear , armor specifically.

The second one comes out in a few months. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[Ramaloke]

The force cage and the one that crushes somebody is another good combo. It'll create an AOE effect as the cage shatters. Its nice to lock down a heavy and for a while, then blow up the cage and finish off the weaklings.

[Critias]

I've made it through most of the game so far with my sword & board human noble (Templar/Champion specializations). I've got to hit the Dalish Elves area and add to my army, and then off I go to Landsmeet. I did the DLC stuff to get Shale, went back to Ostragar, claimed Warden's Keep, and did play as the Darkspawn guy in that little on-shot DLC mission...now it's time to knuckle down and get back to work. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

[fistandantilus4....]

Playing as an ogre is too much fun. Really is criminal.

There's some interesting alternate choices out there for the bad guy style. Dalish for example, you can side with the werewolves and wipe them out. You actually go into the camp with the werewolves and attack the elves en masse.

No win Situation spoiler for later in the game:

[ Spoiler ]

There's a point when you get attacked when you're in Denerim, rescuing somebody. You get attacked by something like 20 guys and a boss all at once. You're supposed to get wiped out. You can fight through it on Casual, and save yourself a little 20 minute side quest. Up to you.

First time I played through I went for the Dwarf Noble, which was fun. Never did try going for the throne myself though. Not really sure if I could. One thing that really recommends this game for me, it really gets you mad at some of the Origin Story bad guys. The bastard in the Dwarf Commoner story line is just ....grrr.

[TheFr0g]

The best thing about this game (though don't get me wrong, I loved it) is that it has distracted my wife for many hours, allowing me to play World of Warcraft uninterrupted.

In all seriousness though, I found the story to be very compelling and the world to be very interesting. I can't wait for the sequel. Also if you're interested in more DA lore, there are a couple of novels out which are also quite good.