38 réponses à ce sujet

[Heisenburg_16]

For some reason, I couldn't post in the other sections of the Dragon Age: Origins forum. So I just chose here to ask this.

 

I have decided to give this game a second chance, since Dragon Age: Inquisition is going to be released in November, and I want to have some experience with the past games. I already played this game for a few hours, but stopped. Now, I'm starting it again, but I would like some tips and advice.

What difficulty should I start on? I know there are 4 difficulties, and I remember this game being a little more difficult than I would like. I want to start on Normal or Easy difficulty, but I'm not sure if the game would then be too easy. If I have too compromise, I would rather the game be a little easy, than a little difficult.

What class(es) are recommended to make the game easier? I know Rogues are OP in Awakening, but I usually play as a Warrior in games like this. But me being a Warrior may explain why I thought this game was a little difficult.

I've read some guides, but what are some pointers, to upgrading your skills for any of the classes, and your companion's skills?

Lastly, how do I prevent from getting lost? This is the main reason I quit the game. Several times I would get lost or confused, and had no idea where to go next. I have tried Youtube videos and guides, but with limited success.

Thank you all for any help.

[keeneaow]

i also can only post in this section these days,

anyways the one build i truly can tell about is the arcane warrior,

you will then start as a mage and play as a mage to lv 7, or until you unlock AW in brecilian forrest if you havnt got it unlocked already.

 

in this game there is almost always a team member or more that you can use as your alter ego instead while fighting,

so you can take control over a companion that is a fighter if you loath playing as a mage.

 

For the AW i strongly recommend rock armor & spell shield as the two first spells,

it makes that difference while the character is still weak, it will soon become the most survivable class in the game,

several times over.

later on max out the AW specialization, and then mana clash to deal with the only class that still can actually hurt AW: -mages. (altho AW is still a whole lot more survivable against mages than any other build, too)

anything else is not actually necessary, but i select spell wisp as a 3rd spell to boost spellpower prior to activate sustainables,

and select flaming weapons for it provide a substantial boost to melee weapons.

 

The reason the game is difficult for beginners is that they dont yet know what equipment to have, or where to find it,

i would want to know what DLC you got, and what platform you are playing on, before i can suggest equipment & other spells,

and of course in what order the game is best played at.

 

stats wise go directly for magic 38 so you can wear the heaviest armor right away when you get your first AW skill,

in addition to having more spellpower while firing up sustainables & hurting spell,

after that some 5 dexterity, for a total of ~20 together with fade bonus, and then continue max out magic.

 

the relatively poor dexterity is annoying since you miss quite a lot, and get hit quite a lot,

but not as annoying as having a sub-optimal build in awakening where the shield sticker add another 20 dexterity along with all other stats.

 

I had a hard time with orientation too, and still have at time,

but it works to rotate so you have the view facing north,

and then click on the map icon to see where you are, where you were, and where you want to go.

......and then there was the fade, and for that, there is only one thing: this link

http://forum.bioware...fused-spoilers/

[TheMadHarridan]

Since this is your first full playthrough and difficulty is a big factor for you, I would suggest playing on casual/easy. The battles won't be as difficult, but the bosses and large groups will still give you a nice challenge. You will also be able to focus more on the story and less on killing things.

 

A dual-wield rogue is my favorite build and generally one of the easiest, in my opinion. They deal massive amounts of damage, particularly once you max out their skill tree and can wield two one-handed swords instead of a sword and a dagger. They are masters of backstabs, which you should always aim for. Plus, rogues can pick the locks on doors/chests and disarm traps themselves, which gives you more freedom in which companions you bring with you. Archer rogues tend to be a bit more difficult, so I wouldn't suggest being an archer for your first playthrough. The general rule is to put most of your points into dexterity and cunning. You may want to put some points in strength if you want to wear any armor higher than light armor (usually 22 strength is enough), and you should put some points in willpower, so that you have a larger stamina pool for your talents. I would suggest aiming for at least 20 constitution as well. I never put points into magic.

 

Warriors are designed more to take massive amounts of damage than to deal massive amounts of damage, and they can be more difficult for new players, in my opinion. Sword & Shield warriors are usually the "tanks" of your party, which means they are designed to take massive amounts of damage and are usually the ones the enemies are wailing on. Their goal is to create enough threat that the enemies focus on them instead of your squishies (mages and rogues). Two-handed warriors tend to deal more damage than S&S warriors, but they are a bit slower. You can also be a dual-wield warrior or an archer warrior, but I tend to save those builds for rogues. But that's just me. The general rule is to put most of your points into strength and constitution. You should put some points into dexterity so you can dodge attacks, and you will need at least 26 dexterity to max out the S&S tree. You should put some points in willpower also, so that you have a larger stamina pool for your talents. As for cunning, if you are aiming to learn certain skills (like Coercion), you may need to put some points into cunning. I never put points into magic.

 

Mages are designed to deal massive amounts of damage, but they will die easily if they are swarmed by enemies, as robes don't provide much armor. They are the squishiest of the classes, so keep them at range and out of the fray as much as possible. They can be difficult until you are used to how they work, but once you get the hang of casting spells, they are a lot of fun. The general rule is to put most of your points into magic and willpower. You may want to put a couple points in dexterity so you can dodge more attacks and some points in constitution so you will die less often. As for cunning, if you are aiming to learn certain skills (like Coercion), you may need to put some points into cunning. As for strength, unless you are an Arcane Warrior (specialization), it's not really necessary.

 

As for upgrading your companions, max out their weapon trees and max out their specializations (you choose one for most of the characters, as most characters already come with one specialization). You should also max out the warrior tree for warriors and the mage tree for mages. You don't need to max out the rogue tree, but there are some cool talents there. As for stats, just follow the guide I gave you above.

 

With regards to getting lost, do you mean lost in an area or lost as to what quests to do? If you mean lost in an area, use the little map as a guide and bring up the big map for reference. Areas will be dark on the big map until you access them, but the more you explore an area, the more will be revealed on the big map. Also, make sure to turn on "plot markers" and "shiny loot" in the options menu, as that will help. If you mean lost as to what quests to do, reference your Journal often, as it separates quests into main, side, companion, etc., and each quest will often tell you where to go. Always talk to everyone you can and try to go everywhere.

 

Hope that helps!

[theskymoves]

I always recommend playing at Normal difficulty the first time out, at least until the UI and game mechanics become instinctive. The difficulty can be changed at any point.

 

Rogue is, IMO, both the most versatile class and easiest to learn. Playing as a rogue also affords the player a good deal of leeway in party composition, with their access to lockpicking and trap skills.

 

As for getting lost... many quest objectives will display as markers on the map, though IIRC, that  can be toggled in the game options. While there are certain quests that must be completed to move the story forward, the 'main quest' storyline is not linear, and so where to go next at any point is entirely up to the player. 

[Elhanan]

Take Survival ranks for at least one party member for exploration and quests. This not only helps with Nature Resistance, but helps ID encounters that appear on the map (ie; hover cursor over Red Dots).

Both Warrior and Rogue are easy enough for first campaigns; recommend saving Mage for later. For 2H, acquire Sunder talents ASAP to help speed combat, and I personally like to gain 30 WILL with which to keep Talents fueled as much as possible. Rogue offers a lot of options, and I prefer an Archer/ DW hybrid. Getting Master Archer and Momentum will allow one to kill effectively at range or in melee.

And if you are playing on the PC, using the Character Respec mod can also unlock all the Specializations if you wish.

[themikefest]

When you recruit Wynne, if you choose to, bring her with you since she can be used as a healer. She does a good job at that. And since you mention difficulty, I would go with casual so you can enjoy the story as well as the combat without getting frustrated.

[Elhanan]

Also, once you unlock Specializations and Achievements, you can go to a previous save and replay as desired. Thus, if you wish to unlock choices that might disagree with your Warden, save often, and reload.

[Heisenburg_16]

Thank you all so much for your help. I'm going to give the Rogue playthrough a try. I will be back if I need more help. Thank you all again so much.

[Elhanan]

Getting a couple of ranks of Coercion early seems to be helpful for bonus rewards; always a good thing.

[Hydwn]

I also recommend coercion, for any class.

 

Looking up builds is useful too.  The Arcane Warrior tank build up there is one of the broken builds, which might make things too easy.  Note that your first playthrough, you won't have access to it until you get to a certain part of the story.

 

There's no shame of going on easy.  That's where I started, before working my way up to hard.  You can change difficulty at any time, though, so you can experiment.

 

Some general tips:

• Most RPGs, the gear you find is better than the gear you can buy.  Dragon Age is the opposite - the best gear comes from merchants, and the best of the best is a 100+ gold, which is a lot.  Save your money for the endgame, and then pick up the best items for your class.
• All classes have a few useless stats.  Mages don't need strength, even arcane warriors, or cunning - Arcane Warriors will need a little dexterity.  Rogues need lots of cunning and dexterity, and 20-something strength, but don't need to put a bit into magic.  Warriors need strength and constitution if they're wielding big weapons, or strength, dexterity, and constitution if they've got a sword and shield.  They'll never need magic either.
• On that note, if you're anything but a mage pick one weapon style and stick with it.  Warriors work better with either a two-handed sword for pure damage, or a sword and shield for a tank.  Rogues can do tons of damage with bows or double-daggers (more damage per second for two daggers than two swords).  Cunning is the key stat for rogue damage, Strength for warrior damage, and magic for mage damage.
• Pick up everything, talk to everyone, explore everywhere - same for all RPGs.  Dragon Age is especially good because your past and your actions will change areas, drops, and conversations.
• Note that there are a lot of glitches in this game.  Save often, and a few times.  Some item stats won't actually do what they say ("reduces hostility" on an item never does, and "+% healing effects received" will never increase healing).  Sometimes rogues can be seriously hampered by a bug that actually *slows* you if you're under the effects of multiple things to haste you >_<
• Have fun and roleplay.  It takes four playthroughs to see the results of every major decision, and there are loads of minor ones.  Play it more than once to see them all
• On that note, having 30+ cunning makes your character smarter in conversation, and adds dialogue choices.
• Always have a rogue in your party.  They can turn traps that would damage you into experience points, and get lots of nice items in chests.
• Experience points are very limited.  There is a "hard cap" of level 25, but almost no one reaches 25.  Experience points are scarce.
• *Most* areas can be returned to before the end.  So if you didn't bring that rogue you can still get *most* of those chests.

That's all I can think of for now!

[luna1124]

Yes, easy start because you can change the difficulty level any time. Yes, coercion gives a lot more dialogue choices. Male and female have some changes also in dialogue.

 

Another thing, you may want to play ALL of the origins at least in the beginning (then go back you your play-through character). There are some great stories and gameplay there.

[Elhanan]

Believe all classes will require 16 Cunning, and 5 pts of Cunning may be acquired in the Circle quest after the origins. If the Character Respec mod is used, this will be helpful in the rearrangement of Attribute pts desired elsewhere.

Rogues may be designed with DEX, CUN, and even high STR; a reason that versatility is a key for this class.

Some of the DLC items are very useful, as they can be unlocked and used for replays.

As a Rogue, I advise skipping Evasion for the Warden, and utilizing it for NPC Rogues; the animation is glitched a bit.

There is a belt for sale in Denerim that can grant bonus XP for Codex entries. If gained early this can grant a nice boost, but avoid encounters in Denerim until later if possible to avoid lessening other kinds of XP; quick trip to the specialty shop and out again is recommended if purchased.

[keeneaow]

on coersion: spending points on talking ability is at the detriment of fighting ability,

since it consume points that can otherwise be invested in stuff that improve fighting.

i myself spend only a single point on coersion, and none on cunning except those that are given in fade.

That one point and those stats from fade is enough to pass the dialog at the brothel in denirim, so i get to fight more,

and as such get more experience.

That one occasion is the only part i can think of that in a way improve my fight skill, any other stats/skill into coersion

is at the detriment of fighting skill, so: only if you are into talking should you bother with it.

 

To get more fighting opportunities it is also necessary to spend a single point in stealing

before you enter denirim for the first time, it will trigger a series of quests.

 

Lastly you get more experience by killing as much as possible yourself rather than companions doing it,

and that is a strong incentive to go solo, and/or place the others on Hold while you go ahead and fight

[Heisenburg_16]

So far, this is my progress:

 

I have played the game for over 7 hours total.

My character is an Elven Rogue, I think about level 7-8.

So far, I think it is a great game. The main complaint I have, is just that everything feels like fetch quests, and the game is getting a little repetitive and dull. There is not a bad thing all by itself, but the game feels like it drags on to me. I want to get to the final battle as fast as possible, and I feel like I'm being restricted and held back. I can understand why, though.

[Elhanan]

And yet with Coercion, one gets the pleasure of meeting and handling situations like Bandits on the Road outside of Lothering, and possibly convincing them that there is a caravan arriving in a few minutes. This allows for a proper Save.

Speak to the leader again, and he will be annoyed, but Coercion allows one to inform him that you are a Warden, or possibly a Mage, and this opens up a suggestion that they should donate to the party; take the coins. Then one may threaten that they need to be eliminated as a threat to the village, and they will attack; leave the leader until last, and gather more information of the situation. This is followed by another suggestion for more coin; take it. Then inform the Bandit that you shall turn him in to the local Templars, he will attack, leaving more coin and loot.

And with a Rogue, there may be an opportunity for Pickpocket to be useful somewhere during that occasion; uncertain as it has been awhile. All of this can be followed by looting the remaining bodies, containers, etc. So much more enjoyable than simply killing for XP.

Also shortly after, a price-gouging merchant can be influenced to lower his prices and re-open his stock, also open to Pickpocket.

[Elhanan]

So far, this is my progress:
 
I have played the game for over 7 hours total.
My character is an Elven Rogue, I think about level 7-8.
So far, I think it is a great game. The main complaint I have, is just that everything feels like fetch quests, and the game is getting a little repetitive and dull. There is not a bad thing all by itself, but the game feels like it drags on to me. I want to get to the final battle as fast as possible, and I feel like I'm being restricted and held back. I can understand why, though.

Have you done anything after Lothering? Up until this point, the story is about survival and performing such mundane tasks to raise needed funds. The Brecilian Forest also has some fetch quests, so leaving it until after The Circle and Redcliffe is suggested, simply to break the tedium.

[keeneaow]

Also shortly after, a price-gouging merchant can be influenced to lower his prices and re-open his stock, also open to Pickpocket.

Yes, the single coersion point is sufficient for that, with no stats allocated in cunning

 

agree on the fetch quests and pointless dialogs that is anyway scripted to turn out with a pre-defined outcome,

 i simply press [Esc] repeatedly to get it over with anytime soon, and press whatever answer my cursor happen to hoover over.

 

There are a few dialogs that makes a difference tho, especially on the first run, to unlock specializations:

 

1] unlock blood magic in redcliffe, here, as you enter the windmill, DO make a save,

and when you see Jowan locked up,

chose [i'm letting you out] [you come with me] [then help in any way you can]

.... later on [jowan, what do you have to say about this] [someone is going to die either way] [then i know what we have to do]

 

2] unlock arcane warrior in brecilian forrest,  i suggest make a save after you saw a ghost boy and right after had to fight a bunch of skeletons, for you will soon  find a warm gem for once, and that will unlock the AW

[Heisenburg_16]

I think we have finished the main questing in Lothering, and my party and I are currently looking for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, in that Temple. I'm still trying to keep track of everything.

[keeneaow]

i think Redcliffe is easier, and then mage tower for all the extra stats.

What DLC do you got ? they are highly rewarding and i'm going for them after lothering,

also Lelianas song gives some outstanding starting equipment that makes beginning easy,

as does promotional stuff like blood dragon armor etc

[Elhanan]

I think we have finished the main questing in Lothering, and my party and I are currently looking for the Urn of Sacred Ashes, in that Temple. I'm still trying to keep track of everything.

The Urn is one of the more difficult areas; may wish to depart and return later. I recommend The Circle, Redcliffe, Brecelian Forest, the Urn, Orzemmarr, then Denerim last, if I recall correctly.

[luna1124]

I remember the first time I played the sacred ashes quest, I was looking at every urn in the temple along the way thinking that was it

[theskymoves]

I remember the first time I played the sacred ashes quest, I was looking at every urn in the temple along the way thinking that was it

 

"This one? Darn... nope. This one? Urgh... empty. Gotta be this one... blast! Nothing! It must be this one... Ewwww! Yuk! No, don't touch it, Leliana! It's full of cigarette butts and used chewing gum!" 

[luna1124]

^^LOL, I did check them all

[Heisenburg_16]

I would like to provide an update on my progress, in the game. This will be a very extensive post. I will answer questions,and ask for more help and guidance. Again, thank you all for helping a Dragon Age newbie like me.

 

I have no dlc for this game. None of it. And for now at least, I don't plan to get any of it.

I found the Ashes of the Sacred Urn. I had little trouble with that questline. My main problem was the optional Dragon boss. I deemed it too tough for me and my party, and I just skipped the Dragon. It felt a little wrong, since this game franchise is called DRAGON AGE. I didn't feel like I could fight it, and win.

 

My current party consists of me, Morrigan, Zevran, and Oghren. Everyone except Oghren is level 12, while Oghren is 13. I just finished a very tough boss battle. It was on Casual difficulty, but it was still very challening for me. I can imagine what it would be like on harder difficulties, for me. I barely got through. I'm currently in the Orzammar questline, on a Lord's Trust, the 3rd task. After that, I must seek the help of the Mages and Elves, then settle the seat of power in Denerim. I already rescued the people and nobles of Denerim, but I must do the other questlines before the poll questline, where the people decide who must rule.

 

I had trouble with the Broodmother boss. I died several times, and felt overwhelmed. I finally, just barely managed to pull my party through, but only barely. I'm not surprised by anything in my life, anymore, but I was still very stunned that I beat the Broodmother. I was really ecstatic. I'm STILL in shock about it. My heart felt like it was racing faster than a Bugatti Veyron. This all happened to me, within the last hour.  I don't remember every single exact detail, but I can give some facts:

 

Right before the boss, after dying a few times, I set talents and behaviors for each character of my party. Now that I think about it, they behaviors weren't very useful, but the talents helped. Most of the behaviors were for my party members to take a health potion when there health reached below 50 percent, but none of them did so. I started the battle by using acid/poison to weaken the Broodmother, had my party attack, while Morrigan casted Hex and Confusion spells on the Broodmother, with limited success, and tried to use a health-boosting spell on my Elven Rogue protagonist. I kept switching between Zevran, Oghren, and Morrigan, using their spells and talents, and then switching back to my main character to deal more damage, and using all 4 acid posion bottles. I kept an eye on the health bars of my party, and whenever a member's health got low, I switched to them, and used a health potion. Near the end of the battle, only Zevran and my protagonist were left. Morrigan and Oghren sacrificed there lives, fending off the Darkspawn and tenticles. The health of the Broodmother dwindled, and we managed to finally kill the broodmother. But I wasn't about to celebrate just yet. There were still two Darkspawn archers left. But I completely used all `10 health potions, none were left. I prepared for the worst, and used the stealth  talent to turn almost invisible. To my amazement, Zevran killed the other archer, and while he attacked/distracted the other, I performed backstabs, and finished off the final enemy. All the party members were revived (most, or all of them, had at least one injury/ailment) I saw the next cutscene, moved on to the next area, saved my progress, then got off my PS3.

 

What exactly can I expect, difficulty-wise, from other bosses in this game? What am I doing wrong? Can anyone point out certain flaws and problems? I'm definitley planning on buying more health potions, injury ailments, acid poison, better weapons, and armor, as I progress through the game. My protagonist still has the *armor* he started out with, or at least from earlier in the game. And no, I don't have Leliana as an available companion. Or Wynne. My only other companion options are my protagonist's Dog, Bruce (named after Bruce Wayne), and Alistaire. I may switch some party members out soon. But I at least want to keep Morrigan in the party. She has some healing spells. My main character has over 30 dexterity, without injures, and +20 cunning. I have very helpful talents and abilties for my characters. My protagonist's only weapons are a pair of dual-wielded daggers. Not just any daggers, but enchanted, lyrium, or something along those lines. But it is not two of the same dagger. My only other weapon is a 3rd/spare enchanted dagger. Based on my current build, who or what do you guys think I should have in my party?

 

What big boss battles should I be worried about next? What are some strategies, tips, and advice to prepare?

 

After I gain the help of the Dwarven Lord, I plan to go get the help of the Mages, and then the help of the Elves. Should I do the mages next, or the elves? Which would be easier, and/or help me prepare for tougher challenges? I want to do the Elves questline last, but if anyone gives me a good reason(s), I may do it next.

 

What can I expect from the final boss battle, without too many spoilers? I only know a few things, but I want to keep the rest a surprise to myself. And I don't normally care about spoilers. How does it seem like I will do?

 

I have played the game for almost 17 hours total, in just two days. If I keep going at this rate, about how many more hours and or days, can I expect until I finish the main questline?

 

Is there anything else you want to tell or ask me, at this point? Anything to add?

 

Again, thank you all so much for your help. I'm very sorry for bombarding you with questions. I will continue to post updates.

[keeneaow]

head for mage tower so you finally get those extra stats,

look in wades shop in denirim for a good armor for your rouge, and if you can beat the dragon, he makes nice sets of it

set 'drink potion' as the very first tactic slot, those are in priority order,

so if you have 'beat nearest visible' as first priority, it will never drink that potion as long as there is an enemy near.

perhaps you should then set drink potion at 25% as a backup to your mage that heal at 50%,

she would also have the top priority in healing herself and allies.

a mage can actually produce those health potions that you desperately need, as long as you got a reciepe and ingredients

a what level are you ?

are you playing on PC or anything else ?

you say you are still wearing the same armor as on lv 1 ?

that mean you havnt add strength to your build, as any decent armor require 17 or 20 at a minimum,

i dont think anyone tries to go through DA:O with less, but you get some 4 strength points in mage tower/fade free

you will boost the party damage output by having a mage that runs haste or flaming weapons,

mana clash is bliss vs mages

also consider exploiting some money thing, or hack money out-right, everyone else is doing it,

for equipment play a major role in success