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[andar91]

Imagine some nice reverb in FUTURE in that title. 

 

I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about the abilities in Inquisition...and how I'd like to see them go in future games. I'm creating this thread to encourage discussion on the point, but I also figure maybe Bioware will see my 2 cents, and there's a .02% chance they might find it helpful. So...

 

How I feel about abilities in DAI

Mostly, I think the abilities are really cool in and of themselves. Similar to DA2, I felt like no ability was truly useless...everything was at least a decent choice. Every ability has a very distinct identity, with only a few exceptions (like Spell Purge/Dispel Magic and Static Cage and Pull of the Abyss). Abilities are generally useful.

 

Specializations, however, and the breadth of options available (specifically for mages) really bugs me.

 

The Mage Issue

I really, really dislike that mages are now focused on Elemental magic with only a bit of Spirit mixed in plus one specialization. I felt like all mage companions (and my mage PC) were far too similar after a few playthroughs...it just starts to feel too similar. Yeah, the abilities themselves are different, but essentially it's very difficult pre-specialization to build a non-blaster unless you go pure Spirit. Furthermore, I loved that Dragon Age previously acknowledged the existence of non-blasty magic when SO many games just focus on elemental stuff. Now that's mostly one. In short, I miss the original 4 spell schools.

 

Specialization Issues

The Specializations themselves sort of bugged me too. I hated how they were acquired, but mostly I didn't think that they felt unique or special enough, especially the mage ones. Basically, they seemed like they had stuff that could have just been available to everybody. Warrior: Templar and Reaver work as specializations, but I felt like Champion (while cool) should just have been a general tree. Rogue: Artificer and Tempest are cool. Assassin is debatable but works in the end. Mage: The worst one for me. Everything in Rift Mage felt like it should just have been basic stuff, as did Necromancer. Knight Enchanter definitely should be a specialization though.

 

Am I alone in this? I guess I just think of a specialization as something very special only a certain training can achieve (like Shapeshifter in Origins). Stonefist or Horror that is not.

 

What I'd like to see in the future

I really, REALLY hope that, in short, the next game features:

1.) Larger trees (not ridiculous, just...maybe less linear with multiple directions in them).

2.) Mage's having the 4 (Primal, Spirit, Entropy, and Creation) schools again so they aren't all elementalists

3.) Specializations that feel special, not general (let Horror and Stonefist and so on be a base spell, dangit!).

 

Oh yeah, and passives

I did like the passives, generally speaking.

 

An idea about uprades being changed and abilities themselves

I would like them to maybe come at abilities with a fresh approach. Some abilities are classic and will probably always be around, which is fine, but I wouldn't mind seeing more new ones than returning ones. Like, if Winter's Grasp went away and a ice spell the size of Immolate replaced it or something.

 

I also have an idea that I've really fallen in love with. What if every ability in the game (or at least most) had 2 upgrades, not one, but they were mutually exclusive. I think that might make builds way more interesting as well as party build. So, for instance, imagine: Lightning Strike (base version hits one enemy, deals 400% damage with high crit. chance) and stuns for 2 seconds (including nearby enemies). Two upgrades are available, but only one can be chosen: Thunderclap (Stun duration increases by 6 seconds and radius of stun effect increases) or Chain Lightning (Nearby targets are struck by secondary bolts for 250% weapon damage.

 

Basically, a single ability can grow into 2 different abilities. We'd get a lot more bang for our buck out of a single ability in a tree with the right upgrade, and it would also mean that the same ability need not be identical even on multiple characters (so Dorian has the version of Fireball that explodes more forecefully over a larger area whereas Vivienne has a Fireball that leaves the ground burning in the area damaging enemies over time in that radius).

 

Thoughts on this?

[DragonKingReborn]

Fully agree with regards to the mage abilities/specs.  They do end up feeling much the same.

 

Not a lot to add, other than a firm "+1".

[Morroian]

I agree with everything you say, plus I'd add the 8 slot ability limit further constrains choice. Its 1 reason why the game has no replayability for me. they stated long ago that specialisaitons would be limited to 1 but they would have more depth. Instead the specilisaitons have less depth than DA2 and even the companions don't have their own specialisations leading to even less depth across the whole game. I really don't understand why they made these changes from DA2 which IMHO hit a sweet spot in breadth of abilities and variety. Even the 8 ability limit is supposedly because of controllers but those who like more actiony combat did like the combat feel of DA2.

 

IMHO they have a couple of options regarding abilities, either go back to a DA2 like system including the ability to have more than 1 spec or keep it similar to DAI but have more classes and get more variety that way, and either way they should get rid of the 8  ability limit. 

[andar91]

I agree with everything you say, plus I'd add the 8 slot ability limit further constrains choice. Its 1 reason why the game has no replayability for me. they stated long ago that specialisaitons would be limited to 1 but they would have more depth. Instead the specilisaitons have less depth than DA2 and even the companions don't have their own specialisations leading to even less depth across the whole game. 

 

Good point about the loss of the unique companion specializations; I had forgotten about that. Personally, I wonder if it would work to give companions different ability layouts entirely like the multiplayer version. So somebody like Solas could have 2 trees (though not so linear as in DAI MP) called Fade Expert (Most of Spirit plus Energy Barrage and maybe Fade Cloak or something) and Calm Before the Storm (mostly Ice and Lightning abilities), so there's still choice but each companion is slightly different than each other. I don't think they'll do this thought; it'd mean going back to weapon exclusivity, and there's probably be too many drawbacks. It's fun to think about though.

 

Side Note: I didn't actually mind the 8 ability limit that much (I play on PS3/PS4 since DA2), but I do wish they'd just let the radial menu do it like before. Never had a problem with it before.

[Auztin]

If you want mages to feel unique just spec them different lyrics based on personality level.Solas for me is Nature/Ice mage & Vivienne is a Lightning/Fire mage.
I do miss Companion unique Specializations.
I agree with upgrades can or should change the ability completely. Lightning turns into chain lightning as an example.
I like the whole load out choice.It makes you more strategic.To most 10 abilities should cover everyone's complaints because honestly who's use 10 different abilities in a single fight?

[JeffKaos]

I haven't beaten the game yet since I bought it a little late and then my PC went down for a few weeks. I found the Specializations for Warrior to be sort of lame. First off I had to go online to actually figure out how to get one; I saw a little cut scene with the trainers walking in but I had no way of knowing who they were or where they went. And by the time I picked one I had already developed my play style for my character and didn't have any room or desire to add new abilities to my hot bar. I Just took whichever one I thought had the best passive skills. If there was more room on my hot bar I'd probably be more interested in the Specializations. And what's up with no "Ranger/Archer" specialty for Rouges?

[makanivalur]

I have to agree. I always play as a mage and I loved the game but once you get to higher levels (I think all my characters are around lvl 23 now, everybody is starting to have the same abilities. I started out with Solas mostly on Spirit and then rift mage, but now he knows most ice spells, a few fire spells and is close to my main character who is an Ice/Fire mage as well as a Knight Enchantress. 

Also I think the thing I missed the most is healing. I loved having a healer mage along. Yeah Solas can revive people for me and as a knight enchanter I have the focus heal spell, but it's just not the same.

 

And I miss being able to learn things in-game. In Origins you could get Morrigan to teach you shapeshifting, learn bloodmagic by.. wait I don't remember actually... was it your Circle friend who taught you? Anyway, it sort of made more sense that way. Wish Solas could have taught me about rift magic, Vivienne about Knight-Enchanters etc...

 

Anyway, I still love the game but for the next one you make really valid points (leave winter's grasp though, it's my favourite )

[Icy Magebane]

I have to agree. I always play as a mage and I loved the game but once you get to higher levels (I think all my characters are around lvl 23 now, everybody is starting to have the same abilities. I started out with Solas mostly on Spirit and then rift mage, but now he knows most ice spells, a few fire spells and is close to my main character who is an Ice/Fire mage as well as a Knight Enchantress. 

Also I think the thing I missed the most is healing. I loved having a healer mage along. Yeah Solas can revive people for me and as a knight enchanter I have the focus heal spell, but it's just not the same.

 

And I miss being able to learn things in-game. In Origins you could get Morrigan to teach you shapeshifting, learn bloodmagic by.. wait I don't remember actually... was it your Circle friend who taught you? Anyway, it sort of made more sense that way. Wish Solas could have taught me about rift magic, Vivienne about Knight-Enchanters etc...

 

Anyway, I still love the game but for the next one you make really valid points (leave winter's grasp though, it's my favourite )

It was from the demon who was possessing Connor in Redcliffe...

 

As for the topic, I know that this would have required more work on the part of the devs, but they should have had every mage in the game using a unique style that reflected their training... and yes, that also extends to the PC and all racial variations.  I never liked that a Tevinter mage knew the exact same spells as a Free Marches Circle mage, a hedge wizard (or w/e Solas is supposed to be), the Tal'Vashoth Inquisitor, the Dalish Inquisitor, etc...  Now, obviously you just can't expect that kind of attention to detail from games these days, but it would have been nice.

[Scofield]

Ya it be my major gripe with DA:I tbh, advanced spec aside (since i dont like nor pick them) every mage is the exact same as the next, the only difference is the order you pick your spells, its boring an utterly ruins replay-ability for me.

 

with so little on offer from any of the 3 classes the one thing they shoulda took from Skyrim shoulda been the ability to just make yer own class from all the skill trees

[andar91]

It was from the demon who was possessing Connor in Redcliffe...

 

As for the topic, I know that this would have required more work on the part of the devs, but they should have had every mage in the game using a unique style that reflected their training... and yes, that also extends to the PC and all racial variations.  I never liked that a Tevinter mage knew the exact same spells as a Free Marches Circle mage, a hedge wizard (or w/e Solas is supposed to be), the Tal'Vashoth Inquisitor, the Dalish Inquisitor, etc...  Now, obviously you just can't expect that kind of attention to detail from games these days, but it would have been nice.

 

That would be really cool, though I'm not expecting it. That's a lot of extra work for one class. It it was extra for all, I'd think it was more possible.