the above screenshot and X button saying "Tactics Setting" which cycles through the various Check, Star and X marks has me wondering and unsure.
If I had to guess - star pins it to the hotkey bar, check allows common autouse while X prohibits one entirely.
It's hard to say anything about the possible conditions, behaviors and tactic scripts with those screens.
Anyone who thinks there was a purpose was fooling themselves-
BW wanted a synonomous playstyle on all platforms so pc got shafted. period.
I'd also say trhat DA:O was limited to (4/8?) abilities on console but tactics worked for all abilities. Of course there was a skill wheel, but its possible that tactics would be the same in DAI.
I hate that there's only 8 abilities: this is the reason guild wars is so boring. I'm a mage, I want a bunch of cool abilities, and I want to use them all, not 8. hopefully this gets modded.
Passives are not fun. they should not even exist in games. I'm not happy or looking forward to this change.
The OP was asking a question on whether abilities outside of the allotted 8 would still be executed in tactics. He was asking a question, not warning all of us that this was in fact the case. We don't know yet if this is the case or not and prematurely panicking without having a fill grasp on information is well...very immature.
Just wait for the developers to mention this on twitter or for reviews on the game's combat to come out.
BW wanted a synonomous playstyle on all platforms so pc got shafted. period.
*sigh* I don't know how many times it can be reiterated before it finally sinks in: THOSE OF US ON CONSOLES ALWAYS HAD ACCESS TO ALL SPELLS/TALENTS AND SUSTAINS FOR DAO AND DA2. We on console have been shafted here just the same as everyone that plays on PC. Why in the world would this change target PC players only when the same restrictions which were never previously in effect for anyone have now been put into effect across the board for ALL platforms?! That line of reasoning makes zero sense and just sounds like a thin excuse for console hate.
Regarding the OP, if we could just get an answer one way or the other on all this from BioWare it would resolve the situation for everyone. People can then make an intelligent and informed decision as to whether this is the game for them, or they feel to move on to something else.
My problem is that no matter what they show, I will be unable to judge this new system until I play it for myself. I dislike the sound of a number of things they have changed for combat, but in practice these things may not end up being as big of a drag as I think they might.
So wait, what is this 8 abilities thing? Are we only allowed to use 8 of our abilities or are there just 8 hot keys for our abilities and we still can use the rest via tactical cam or pause and play?
So wait, what is this 8 abilities thing? Are we only allowed to use 8 of our abilities or are there just 8 hot keys for our abilities and we still can use the rest via tactical cam or pause and play?
We can only use 8 abilities
So wait, what is this 8 abilities thing? Are we only allowed to use 8 of our abilities or are there just 8 hot keys for our abilities and we still can use the rest via tactical cam or pause and play?
This is my understanding, there are 8 hotkeys that will allow you to map 8 of your abilities to.
For that encounter, those are the only 8 abilities you will be able to use. So if you have 12 abilities, there are 4 that you will not be able to map/use.
So no pausing in the middle of battle and switching out a not-as-useful ability for one that would benefit you more during that particular battle.
I guess it's part of BW's wanting your to be prepared for each encounter and not be able to run willy-nilly into everything.
(which means adding a layer of artifical difficulty to me....did my warrior forget how to use killing blow, or shield bash, or my rogue twin fangs, or my mage Fireball between battles? )
We can only use 8 abilities
This is my understanding, there are 8 hotkeys that will allow you to map 8 of your abilities to.
For that encounter, those are the only 8 abilities you will be able to use. So if you have 12 abilities, there are 4 that you will not be able to map/use.
So no pausing in the middle of battle and switching out a not-as-useful ability for one that would benefit you more during that particular battle.
That's awful, I wonder what they're thinking with this one. IDK maybe this will make battles feel more seamless? 
*sigh* I don't know how many times it can be reiterated before it finally sinks in: THOSE OF US ON CONSOLES ALWAYS HAD ACCESS TO ALL SPELLS/TALENTS AND SUSTAINS FOR DAO AND DA2. We on console have been shafted here just the same as everyone that plays on PC. Why in the world would this change target PC players only when the same restrictions which were never previously in effect for anyone have now been put into effect across the board for ALL platforms?! That line of reasoning makes zero sense and just sounds like a thin excuse for console hate.
Regarding the OP, if we could just get an answer one way or the other on all this from BioWare it would resolve the situation for everyone. People can then make an intelligent and informed decision as to whether this is the game for them, or they feel to move on to something else.
My problem is that no matter what they show, I will be unable to judge this new system until I play it for myself. I dislike the sound of a number of things they have changed for combat, but in practice these things may not end up being as big of a drag as I think they might.
Because they changed it, removed the wheel, and wanted it synonymous.
So, pc got shafted.
It isn't rocket science.
Because they changed it, removed the wheel, and wanted it synonymous.
So, pc got shafted.
It isn't rocket science.
Bekkael is saying it isn't the console fault that PC has gotten shafted, because both PC and console got shafted. On console you have access to all abilities not just a set amount like BW is doing here.
Bekkael is saying it isn't the console fault that PC has gotten shafted, because both PC and console got shafted. On console you have access to all abilities not just a set amount like BW is doing here.
Yes, thank you, that's exactly what I was trying to articulate, apparently without much success. 
@bluebullets PC and console have both been subjected to this change, not PC only....
*gives up*
Yes, thank you, that's exactly what I was trying to articulate, apparently without much success.
@bluebullets PC and console have both been subjected to this change, not PC only....
*gives up*
I suppose i'll try one last time...
Of course only PC was not subjected to the change alone- how would it be the fault of the console if it was? Use your brain...
Of course the change affects both. They designed it for console (for fluid play with the 2 sets of 4 quickslots.. (it is an ideal controller config) and they wanted to make it synonymous so they made PC the same rather than making it different like DA:O was.
Thus, it is the fault of console.
Of course, this is speculation, but i have 0 doubt that it is true speculation.
Of course the change affects both. They designed it for console (for fluid play with the 2 sets of 4 quickslots.. (it is an ideal controller config) and they wanted to make it synonymous so they made PC the same rather than making it different like DA:O was.
I would think that the "behaviors" menu is just that: It separates itself from Tactics by being their base combat approach. Example, you probably have something like aggressive where they move into even the most dangerous situations or ranged where they never let anyone engage them melee keeping distance. DAO/DA2 had behaviors already. It getting a separate menu means it probably has more depth than the previous 2 games. Let's be real here, the Tactics system needed a lot of help because the AI was bad in the previous 2 games with very limited options even modded.
I remember doing Corypheus and all my companions wanted to do was sit in AOEs all day without reacting or me pausing the game every 2 seconds to kill them. If they finally expanded on this system and made it to where we don't have to pause constantly to manage every little detail on the screen I'll be a very happy person. That's one thing that killed DAO/DA2's combat for me: terrible AI and constantly being forced to pause when I didn't want to killing the complete pace/flow of the combat.
This is the area where Bioware's party combat is weak and needs the most work. It drags it all down, IMO. A Tactics system with more depth would be welcomed. Anything to help the dumb AI.
I suppose i'll try one last time...
Of course only PC was not subjected to the change alone- how would it be the fault of the console if it was? Use your brain...
Of course the change affects both. They designed it for console (for fluid play with the 2 sets of 4 quickslots.. (it is an ideal controller config) and they wanted to make it synonymous so they made PC the same rather than making it different like DA:O was.
Thus, it is the fault of console.
Of course, this is speculation, but i have 0 doubt that it is true speculation.
I'm afraid I can't agree with you. Bringing up the wheel to access everything was fluid and easy to use on console before, so why remove it unless it's for the new combat design? They never worried about making things identical between PC and console for other games, so why the heck start now? My speculation is they removed it across the board to cause everyone to play this new way that they have chosen with the redesign.
Same with limited healing, no health regen etc. These were deliberate design choices for the system they wanted to make. I seriously doubt it has anything to do with console limitations compared to PC.
I wish Derek French or Allan Schumacher would come and help me out here but I'm sure they are too busy right now.
I think the bigger question now is what exactly is the difference between "Tactics" and "Behaviors" menus that the latest video showed.
As well as this apparent "Tactics" selection of Check Marks, Stars and X Marks on active abilities. Still present in the latest video as well.
Is this Tactics now? Where we select a Check Mark to use an ability freely, X Mark to not use an ability unless commanded and a Star to use an ability often? Are "Behaviors" now what we use to know of as "Tactics," where we set up conditions for the specific use of abilities and other actions in a ranked list? Or is "Tactics" still the same as it was and instead "Behaviors" is an expanded version of what was in DAO and DA2's Tactics menu that determined a follower's overall combat AI like Ranged, Aggressive, Passive, Defensive, Etc. I'd say the latter is most likely, but the above screenshot and X button saying "Tactics Setting" which cycles through the various Check, Star and X marks has me wondering and unsure.
Thank you for sharing these screen shots.
I'm honestly not sure what the check marks, stars and 'X's mean.
The only one with an X is the Mark of the Rift which if I understand correctly you get at the beginning of the game when you walk out of the fade so X might mean a passive ability and check mark might mean an active ability.
I don't know what the star means. You can see both Combat Roll and Mighty Blow on the the "Battle Bar" and only one of them has a star so it can't indicate that it is a mapped ability.
I have no idea what the Behaviours tab is for.
Assumedly the Tactics Setting at the bottom of the ability menu, mapped to the blue X controller key, takes you to the tactics menu but I don't know what that will look like.
And the same questions that prompted this thread remain unanswered:
Can tactics circumvent the 8 active ability restriction per combat?
If not, what happens if you have tactics set up for an ability that isn't on your hotbar?
And will you have to reconfigure your tactics for every character each and every time you swap out an active ability on the hotbar?
Maybe there are no tactics this time around, and that is all we get for tactics, just tell companions to use abilities often/sometimes/never...
If that is the case, nightmare will be a micromanaging fest, impossible to rely on tactics.
With the new combat system - there's restrictions across the board for what you can and cannot do inside and outside of combat.
With that said, I'm actually looking forward to not facestomping my enemies. I just want it to not be like easy mode late game. (I still think of ME3 and how insanity is ridiculously easy. Shepard is a one man army). Having to choose a loadout before a boss fight is actually kind of fun to think about. Adds a little more variety - even if this was a console change.
I will play the game and find out , regardless their choice with tactics i will accept it.
In other words Tactics is utterly useless in this game, since it will only use the 8 mapped abilities anyway.
Eh, utterly useless is taking it a bit far, i beat the first game on nightmare having around 8-10 tactics command per character set up with mostly pots and abilities.
Tactics and strategy in DA:O at least at highest difficulty was a lot about positioning, line of sight at times, making sure the 4 characters where focusing on the correct targets at the right time as well as kiting, what abilities to use certainly played in but it was not the only factor and i expect DA:I to be the same way on nightmare.
With the new combat system - there's restrictions across the board for what you can and cannot do inside and outside of combat.
With that said, I'm actually looking forward to not facestomping my enemies. I just want it to not be like easy mode late game. (I still think of ME3 and how insanity is ridiculously easy. Shepard is a one man army). Having to choose a loadout before a boss fight is actually kind of fun to think about. Adds a little more variety - even if this was a console change.
They could have increased difficulty under the old paradigm, eg. by placing more restrictions on potions and heal spells.
Maybe there are no tactics this time around, and that is all we get for tactics, just tell companions to use abilities often/sometimes/never...
If that is the case, nightmare will be a micromanaging fest, impossible to rely on tactics.
Not unless it's changed in the past month. The very first question in the combat Q&A
Can we customise AI tactics as in the previous games (i.e. drink a health potion when below 25% health)? —@WordsToGold, Twitter
[DANIEL KADING]: Yes. The interface has changed, but it includes the ability to customize what skills your allies use, when they will (or won't!) use potions based on their health and how many potions you have left, and set targeting rules such as guarding certain allies or attacking the leader's target.
I suppose i'll try one last time...
Of course only PC was not subjected to the change alone- how would it be the fault of the console if it was? Use your brain...
Of course the change affects both. They designed it for console (for fluid play with the 2 sets of 4 quickslots.. (it is an ideal controller config) and they wanted to make it synonymous so they made PC the same rather than making it different like DA:O was.
Thus, it is the fault of console.
Of course, this is speculation, but i have 0 doubt that it is true speculation.
This makes zero sense, for a variety of reasons.
The ONLY way they could have POSSIBLY limited the PC related to the consoles is if the change is to match with multiplayer's inability to pause and play and as the consoles only have 8 hotkeys, balanced it by having PC users only able to have a maximum of 8 as well. Not that I think we should blame multiplayer, or that I believe this to be true in any way. Just that it's only thing that is logical to place blame on if you can't accept that it's the direction they wanted to take in this game.
As a sidenote, I am a console player and never once used the hotkeys on either games.
Sidenote sidenote: I don't think you're using synonymous in the right context. Not being a grammar nazi, only mentioning it because you keep using it.
Somehow I think Bioware didn't give their reasons for the 8 ability limitation. It's a really retarded decision and all these streamlining, simplification, dumbing down seem par for the course with current RPGs. Diablo 3 had an even worse limit and it was very irritating. The 8 ability limit also severely gimps all mages.
Somehow I think Bioware didn't give their reasons for the 8 ability limitation.
They need to. If they can write a detailed post about the last 2 romances they should write one about a change of this magnitude, a change that appears to contradict their mantra for this game about customisation and choice.
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