Also how am I suppose to use AoE spells with friendly fire? Either my mage engages first with the AoE and takes all the aggro which will sometimes lead to death or my mage just shoots my tank and all the enemies which will sometimes kill the tank.
This is where I use archery. Earthquake + Tempest/Blizzard and it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Your tank then catches anything that manages to make it through the AoE to your party.
I might be trying to role play a little too much but why the hell does my mage have to be a shapeshifter, healer/shaman, blood mage or combat mage? I just want to be a standard mage, and there isn't even an option for that.
Just look at it as your "standard" mage picking up a few new spells. He doesn't even really have to USE them most of the time, but what harm can there be in saying, "Hey, I can fling fireballs and then HEAL MYSELF now?? Cool!"
And actually, it's been a while since I've played through DAO... but you aren't required to pick a specialty, right?
Also how am I suppose to use AoE spells with friendly fire? Either my mage engages first with the AoE and takes all the aggro which will sometimes lead to death or my mage just shoots my tank and all the enemies which will sometimes kill the tank.
You can set your party AI to behaviors like "Defensive" or "Cautious," which will cause them to get out of the way (if possible) when you're using an AOE spell. Obviously this won't help much with the big storm AOEs, but with the cones and nukes I find that they pretty reliably step to the side so they avoid taking damage.
I use the storms almost exclusively for indoor room clearing. Have your rogue stealth and scout out the room in front of you, shut the door if applicable, park your tank/melee fighter/ranger pet in the nearest chokepoint, then have your mages drop some storm AOEs and wait for a bunch of enemies to come running your way while on fire and at half health. Alternatively, you can find a little corner, get all of your party members to stand tightly together, then drop a storm on the rest of the room so that the enemies "waiting in line" to beat on you get damaged.
The only other time that big friendly-fire AOEs are useful is when you're in a BIG fight where an entire contingent of archers is sitting on a difficult-to-access plateau taking potshots at you while you deal with 15 melee fighters. In that case it can be useful to drop a storm on the archers while you kill the rest of the baddies.
I might be trying to role play a little too much but why the hell does my mage have to be a shapeshifter, healer/shaman, blood mage or combat mage? I just want to be a standard mage, and there isn't even an option for that.
Just look at it as your "standard" mage picking up a few new spells. He doesn't even really have to USE them most of the time, but what harm can there be in saying, "Hey, I can fling fireballs and then HEAL MYSELF now?? Cool!"
And actually, it's been a while since I've played through DAO... but you aren't required to pick a specialty, right?
Nah, but there's no reason not to. Specialties give you nice little stat bonuses even if you take none of the accompanying spells/abilities. They also allow you to wear some equipment that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. It can be useful to make Wynne a shapeshifter or a blood mage (heh), for example, because it gives her extra durability or extra health, spellpower, and some neat class-specific accessories, respectably.
I tried following the strategy posted a few pages back, but I still get the holy shit beaten out of me from the final boss. Every single gesture from that asshole knocks me out or stuns me repeatedly. The most I can last is getting it down to half health, and my allies do little to keep the Darkspawn hordes off my back.
Maybe I'm just too under-leveled to face it? My group is in their 20's. This last attempted consisted of main guy, Shale, Wynne, and
Loghain. Is he still a spoiler?
Also, I wish I could get an answer to this already: does the Ultimate Edition of the game (on 360) include all the DLC on the disc or as separate download codes, and will my saves from the original game work on it?
I tried following the strategy posted a few pages back, but I still get the holy shit beaten out of me from the final boss. Every single gesture from that asshole knocks me out or stuns me repeatedly. The most I can last is getting it down to half health, and my allies do little to keep the Darkspawn hordes off my back.
Maybe I'm just too under-leveled to face it? My group is in their 20's. This last attempted consisted of main guy, Shale, Wynne, and
Loghain. Is he still a spoiler?
Also, I wish I could get an answer to this already: does the Ultimate Edition of the game (on 360) include all the DLC on the disc or as separate download codes, and will my saves from the original game work on it?
It is all on disc. I finished the last dude off and I was lvl 19. I spammed the hell out of cold spells and put the balistas to use. I was specd out in the shield tree so I just left the darkspawn grunts alone as they couldnt really hit me anyway. Yes your saves will work.
**Edit** basically if you have the original on 360 youre going to take the ultimate editions 2nd disc, install the expansion and all the dlc, put it back in the case and go trade it in at gamestop.
I tried following the strategy posted a few pages back, but I still get the holy shit beaten out of me from the final boss. Every single gesture from that asshole knocks me out or stuns me repeatedly. The most I can last is getting it down to half health, and my allies do little to keep the Darkspawn hordes off my back.
Maybe I'm just too under-leveled to face it? My group is in their 20's. This last attempted consisted of main guy, Shale, Wynne, and
Loghain. Is he still a spoiler?
Also, I wish I could get an answer to this already: does the Ultimate Edition of the game (on 360) include all the DLC on the disc or as separate download codes, and will my saves from the original game work on it?
It is all on disc. I finished the last dude off and I was lvl 19. I spammed the hell out of cold spells and put the balistas to use. I was specd out in the shield tree so I just left the darkspawn grunts alone as they couldnt really hit me anyway. Yes your saves will work.
**Edit** basically if you have the original on 360 youre going to take the ultimate editions 2nd disc, install the expansion and all the dlc, put it back in the case and go trade it in at gamestop.
Thanks, finally got that clarified.
Sounds like the sort of thing having a Gamefly account would be useful for. I heard you could do the same thing with Fallout 3's GOTY edition.
Still, the Black Friday price is nice, and I could probably make that amount back by selling the original on Ebay.
As for the boss, the ballistas break down after a few turns, and no one in my group has a high enough repair skill except for Leliana.
Can you go back and reorganize your team before fighting the Archdemon?
I tried following the strategy posted a few pages back, but I still get the holy shit beaten out of me from the final boss. Every single gesture from that asshole knocks me out or stuns me repeatedly. The most I can last is getting it down to half health, and my allies do little to keep the Darkspawn hordes off my back.
Are you attacking it from the right angle?
With any dragon in DA:O, you want your melee characters to be attacking from the side. If you attack from the front, you risk getting snapped up into the thing's jaws and then you're pretty much dead. If you attack from the back, you risk getting kicked (which knocks you back) or tail-swiped (which knocks you down). If you make sure your tanks/melee DPS are attacking from the side you'll take the least amount of damage. Two-handed weapon users are also invaluable here, as their Indomitable skill keeps them from getting stunlocked or knocked down, and if built well they can tank just as well as a guy with a shield.
Obviously, if you have a bow-wielding rogue (great DPS at level 20+), you want them placed far out of the way and behind/to the side, for the attack bonus. Wynne should be positioned far away from any enemies AND allies so she can healbot with impunity.
Outfit your guys with stuff that resists physical and spirit damage, and have them all drink a spirit balm before the fight (and during, when it runs out).
Once your allies come onto the field (don't forget that you can call reinforcements like in the earlier battle stages -- bring in dwarves, they're durable, have nice magic resist, and tank well), make sure the enemies aggro them and not your guys. You can do this by switching to lighter armor or using handy-dandy anti-aggro abilities like Disengage or Feign Death.
ChopperDave on
3DS code: 3007-8077-4055
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Alfred J. Kwakis it because you were insultedwhen I insulted your hair?Registered Userregular
edited November 2010
Is there a Dragon Age cycle? This thread reminds me about the ones before DA1 was released.
e: it would be like the opposite of the Sonic cycle
I just bought the ultimate PC edition. Damn you all.
I'm thinking of the Extra Dog Slot, Advanced Tactics, Custom Tactic Slots, Combat tweaks, Character Respecialization, and the Morrigan/Alistair dialogue mods in the OP. Thanks for the list. :^:
Edit: Does the Combat Tweaks mod actually make the warrior and rogue interesting to play?
Blurbl on
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DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
Is there a Dragon Age cycle? This thread reminds me about the ones before DA1 was released.
e: it would be like the opposite of the Sonic cycle
Pretty much.
Heck, we've even resurrected preorder cancelling.
Don't we do this with pretty much every BioWare game, though? And then after it comes out we're like, "Hey, this is actually pretty good."
I think with Mass Effect 3 might be the first BioWare game where we give them a chance, because we had two previous games to go on. Maybe we'll have that attitude with Dragon Age 3.
:whistle: Three is a magic number? Yes it is, it's a magic number? :whistle:
Dashui on
Xbox Live, PSN & Origin: Vacorsis 3DS: 2638-0037-166
What are people complaining about DA2? I don't follow media at all, I just wait for the game to become cheap then I get it.
There's a dialog wheel and you have the option of pushing a button to attack.
Some people prefer PCs who are semi-mute Barbie dolls with customizable facial characteristics and hair styles. Because this is more immersive than a prefab PC with a voice actor and a fleshed out backstory, apparently.
They also miss the multiple origin paths and being able to have a PC who isn't a human. I'll grant you that, but at the same time your origin generally doesn't mean squat in DA:O after the first hour or so of gameplay.
Actually, haven't they said that there won't be a toolset specific to DA2, but that they may be able patch the original DA one to be able to create content for DA2?
BlackDragon480 on
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
What are people complaining about DA2? I don't follow media at all, I just wait for the game to become cheap then I get it.
$10 more
weird, in england its the same price as other games on each consoles it on and the same as da1, even the signature edition
In NA the game is the standard price on 360 and PS3 (i.e. $59.99) as other games, but the Signature Edition for PC is also $59.99, rather than the standard PC pricepoint of $49.99
Of course, a few titles have started hitting PC at that price, things like Medal of Honor, Black Ops, etc...
BlackDragon480 on
No matter where you go...there you are. ~ Buckaroo Banzai
I just bought the ultimate PC edition. Damn you all.
You should have waited a week, because it's on sale for Black Friday.
So with all this talk about an attack button, could this mean the PC version will feature controller support?
It would seem possible (isn't there going to be two options for "style" on the PC?), but I don't know that there'd be much demand for the console interface on the PC. I would guess a lot of people get the PC version of DA:O because it has the strategy-friendly mouse control setup (and mods, of course).
Actually, haven't they said that there won't be a toolset specific to DA2, but that they may be able patch the original DA one to be able to create content for DA2?
Yes. May. And have had said bupkiss about it since. If they are going to update it you'd think they'd mention it as a selling point. HINT HINT!
What are people complaining about DA2? I don't follow media at all, I just wait for the game to become cheap then I get it.
$10 more
weird, in england its the same price as other games on each consoles it on and the same as da1, even the signature edition
In NA the game is the standard price on 360 and PS3 (i.e. $59.99) as other games, but the Signature Edition for PC is also $59.99, rather than the standard PC pricepoint of $49.99
Of course, a few titles have started hitting PC at that price, things like Medal of Honor, Black Ops, etc...
Uh
You can preorder the signature edition for $49.95 on Impulse.
Everybody says it looks better than DA:O but those shots look bland as shit to me. Aside from the megadeath crossbow of course.
There's a preview on Kotaku that mentions that the PC version won't have the overhead tactical view, only a more zoomed out third person one:
The bigger change, however, is that the game will no longer support an overhead tactical view on any platform. This was an art and combat-design decision, the BioWare rep told me today. Support for that Baldur's Gate-style view forced the artists to design rooms and scenes that didn't have important things on their ceilings and skies — which top-down players wouldn't see. It also forced the designers into an awkward spot where they had to accommodate top-down turn-taking players and behind-the-back action-first players. By catering to the more reckless of those playing styles, the designers were forced to make the game's difficulty fairly low. Making all players play from some sort of from-the-rear camera view alleviates that. But! PC gamers, your version will include a special option to zoom the camera out, just not up. Console gamers won't get that.
Fair enough, I never really liked the top down view anyway.
Posts
This is where I use archery. Earthquake + Tempest/Blizzard and it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Your tank then catches anything that manages to make it through the AoE to your party.
Just look at it as your "standard" mage picking up a few new spells. He doesn't even really have to USE them most of the time, but what harm can there be in saying, "Hey, I can fling fireballs and then HEAL MYSELF now?? Cool!"
And actually, it's been a while since I've played through DAO... but you aren't required to pick a specialty, right?
-Z
You can set your party AI to behaviors like "Defensive" or "Cautious," which will cause them to get out of the way (if possible) when you're using an AOE spell. Obviously this won't help much with the big storm AOEs, but with the cones and nukes I find that they pretty reliably step to the side so they avoid taking damage.
I use the storms almost exclusively for indoor room clearing. Have your rogue stealth and scout out the room in front of you, shut the door if applicable, park your tank/melee fighter/ranger pet in the nearest chokepoint, then have your mages drop some storm AOEs and wait for a bunch of enemies to come running your way while on fire and at half health. Alternatively, you can find a little corner, get all of your party members to stand tightly together, then drop a storm on the rest of the room so that the enemies "waiting in line" to beat on you get damaged.
The only other time that big friendly-fire AOEs are useful is when you're in a BIG fight where an entire contingent of archers is sitting on a difficult-to-access plateau taking potshots at you while you deal with 15 melee fighters. In that case it can be useful to drop a storm on the archers while you kill the rest of the baddies.
Nah, but there's no reason not to. Specialties give you nice little stat bonuses even if you take none of the accompanying spells/abilities. They also allow you to wear some equipment that you wouldn't be able to otherwise. It can be useful to make Wynne a shapeshifter or a blood mage (heh), for example, because it gives her extra durability or extra health, spellpower, and some neat class-specific accessories, respectably.
Maybe I'm just too under-leveled to face it? My group is in their 20's. This last attempted consisted of main guy, Shale, Wynne, and
Also, I wish I could get an answer to this already: does the Ultimate Edition of the game (on 360) include all the DLC on the disc or as separate download codes, and will my saves from the original game work on it?
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
It is all on disc. I finished the last dude off and I was lvl 19. I spammed the hell out of cold spells and put the balistas to use. I was specd out in the shield tree so I just left the darkspawn grunts alone as they couldnt really hit me anyway. Yes your saves will work.
**Edit** basically if you have the original on 360 youre going to take the ultimate editions 2nd disc, install the expansion and all the dlc, put it back in the case and go trade it in at gamestop.
Thanks, finally got that clarified.
Sounds like the sort of thing having a Gamefly account would be useful for. I heard you could do the same thing with Fallout 3's GOTY edition.
Still, the Black Friday price is nice, and I could probably make that amount back by selling the original on Ebay.
As for the boss, the ballistas break down after a few turns, and no one in my group has a high enough repair skill except for Leliana.
Can you go back and reorganize your team before fighting the Archdemon?
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
Anything I should know? Any cool mods?
Are you attacking it from the right angle?
With any dragon in DA:O, you want your melee characters to be attacking from the side. If you attack from the front, you risk getting snapped up into the thing's jaws and then you're pretty much dead. If you attack from the back, you risk getting kicked (which knocks you back) or tail-swiped (which knocks you down). If you make sure your tanks/melee DPS are attacking from the side you'll take the least amount of damage. Two-handed weapon users are also invaluable here, as their Indomitable skill keeps them from getting stunlocked or knocked down, and if built well they can tank just as well as a guy with a shield.
Obviously, if you have a bow-wielding rogue (great DPS at level 20+), you want them placed far out of the way and behind/to the side, for the attack bonus. Wynne should be positioned far away from any enemies AND allies so she can healbot with impunity.
Outfit your guys with stuff that resists physical and spirit damage, and have them all drink a spirit balm before the fight (and during, when it runs out).
Once your allies come onto the field (don't forget that you can call reinforcements like in the earlier battle stages -- bring in dwarves, they're durable, have nice magic resist, and tank well), make sure the enemies aggro them and not your guys. You can do this by switching to lighter armor or using handy-dandy anti-aggro abilities like Disengage or Feign Death.
e: it would be like the opposite of the Sonic cycle
I'm thinking of the Extra Dog Slot, Advanced Tactics, Custom Tactic Slots, Combat tweaks, Character Respecialization, and the Morrigan/Alistair dialogue mods in the OP. Thanks for the list. :^:
Edit: Does the Combat Tweaks mod actually make the warrior and rogue interesting to play?
Pretty much.
Heck, we've even resurrected preorder cancelling.
Don't we do this with pretty much every BioWare game, though? And then after it comes out we're like, "Hey, this is actually pretty good."
I think with Mass Effect 3 might be the first BioWare game where we give them a chance, because we had two previous games to go on. Maybe we'll have that attitude with Dragon Age 3.
:whistle: Three is a magic number? Yes it is, it's a magic number? :whistle:
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
That's it. Pre-order canceled.
Some people prefer PCs who are semi-mute Barbie dolls with customizable facial characteristics and hair styles. Because this is more immersive than a prefab PC with a voice actor and a fleshed out backstory, apparently.
They also miss the multiple origin paths and being able to have a PC who isn't a human. I'll grant you that, but at the same time your origin generally doesn't mean squat in DA:O after the first hour or so of gameplay.
You should have waited a week, because it's on sale for Black Friday.
So with all this talk about an attack button, could this mean the PC version will feature controller support?
Blog||Tumblr|Steam|Twitter|FFXIV|Twitch|YouTube|Podcast|PSN|XBL|DarkZero
Don't make me come down there!
Actually, haven't they said that there won't be a toolset specific to DA2, but that they may be able patch the original DA one to be able to create content for DA2?
~ Buckaroo Banzai
$10 more
weird, in england its the same price as other games on each consoles it on and the same as da1, even the signature edition
In NA the game is the standard price on 360 and PS3 (i.e. $59.99) as other games, but the Signature Edition for PC is also $59.99, rather than the standard PC pricepoint of $49.99
Of course, a few titles have started hitting PC at that price, things like Medal of Honor, Black Ops, etc...
~ Buckaroo Banzai
It would seem possible (isn't there going to be two options for "style" on the PC?), but I don't know that there'd be much demand for the console interface on the PC. I would guess a lot of people get the PC version of DA:O because it has the strategy-friendly mouse control setup (and mods, of course).
Steam (Ansatz) || GW2 officer (Ansatz.6498)
Yes. May. And have had said bupkiss about it since. If they are going to update it you'd think they'd mention it as a selling point. HINT HINT!
that's why you always play Dwarf Noble so you can get hella money
Uh
You can preorder the signature edition for $49.95 on Impulse.
http://na.llnet.bioware.cdn.ea.com/u/f/eagames/bioware/dragonage2/assets/gallery/screenshots/screenshot-04-varric-p.jpg
That is something else.
Wait what the hell is up with that crossbow. Is there some steampunk in the Free Marches?
Awesomepunk.
There's a preview on Kotaku that mentions that the PC version won't have the overhead tactical view, only a more zoomed out third person one:
Fair enough, I never really liked the top down view anyway.
This is like Mass Effect all over again, guys.