49 réponses à ce sujet

[Magdalena11]

Some people like Wicked Eyes, Wicked Hearts, but the combination of court approval, the timer, and companion approval hinging on the outcome ruins it for probably a large majority of players.  It's in the game, and it's a good quest, but I think the point is lost in the confusion.  Here are some ideas I came up with that would allow them to keep their beloved timer, not eat up a whole lot of development resources, and make the quest one I don't put off until there's nothing else I can do until it's done.

 

1.  Improve the lighting.  You can do it, Bioware.  You put in flashes for where to go in caves, and lightning to show off the scenery in the caves on the Storm Coast.  The empress has the resources of Orlais to draw on.  Couldn't she turn on a few lights?  A side bonus is that people would be able to actually see the scenery the art department put in.  Right now, most of the servants' quarters and royal wing are black and brown areas that have yellow outlines for loot containers.  I run into walls all the time because the whole area's black.  How am I supposed to know there's a wall there, not just a stretch of floor that's dark?  It's not like you can actually use the maps to see where the walls are.

 

2.  Make the quest map correspond to the actual walls and passages.  This would probably require additional work, so I don't expect it to improve, but it really would be nice.

 

3.  Move the halla statue over the table in the servants' quarters.  You can still put it somewhere tough to spot if you like.  Just make it one where you don't have to approach it from exactly the right angle, stand on exactly the right spot, and view it with the exact view.  I just wasted 15 minutes on that stupid table and I still don't have the statue, so I quit without saving and took a break.  I'll go back in a little while, if I don't start a new character first, and try again.  I like this character, and as I said, I did put it off as long as I could, so I'm like level 18 and have already invested a lot of time in it.  I'm going to have to do it again with any character I roll, but maybe then I'll have my mojo on and be able to get the stupid thing first time and not have to circle and jump and fall and try again and again while the counter ticks down.  That is really a serious stressor, and one I don't appreciate, at all, but I'll put up with it if you give me a chance to succeed.  I don't feel like I've been given a realistic one.  And don't even try to say it's a PITA to move stuff.  I do know it is.  You moved the mosaic pieces so those with OCD could finish their collections and get completionism, now move the halla statue so people with extreme anxiety about time pressure can feel like they're not being tormented.  OCD  is something I don't really understand, but I get that having only 11 pieces out of 12 would be really traumatizing.  Hopefully, at some point, Bioware will understand that if you've got a clock ticking, it's sadistic to place an item necessary to complete a plot quest in an area that will eat the clock.

[Fearsome1]

This quest while challenging and fun, is also unfortunately a source of dread. I delay going there as long as possible and always deeply exhale upon it's completion. No other quest in the game hits me this way!

[berelinde]

1. Turn up the gamma setting on your video menu. It will help.

2. Agreed.

3. You don't need that statue unless you plan to open Celene's bedroom door *and* one of the treasure rooms in the assassin's guild (who puts the assassin's guild in the palace, anyway?). You need 5 statues for the bedroom door, 3 for the vault, 3 for the lower gardens, and 5 each for the treasure rooms. You are only ever going to be able to open 2 of the above, or maybe 3 if you don't open the halla door in the starting area. That said, I usually can't rest until I have it. I've read that you can jump up on the torches and grab it, but I've always had to jump up on the barrels and walk across the rafters.

[Magdalena11]

I'm sorry, but no matter how hard I try not to think this way, I will never regard this particular statue as anything but sadism, pure and simple, nor will I stop resenting people who have something legitimate like OCD.  Just plain hating something because it makes you feel bad and not having a way to make it better isn't really a medical problem, it's just being frustrated, but being able to say "being unable to complete my collection causes me trauma" gets results.  I don't really expect any solution, but it does help being able to VENT HOW COMPLETELY GAMEWRECKING THIS FRUSTRATION IS.  

 

I know I can reset the gamma.  When I do, it ruins the visuals for the rest of the game, so I put up with it.  I could also turn off ambient noise and not have to be tormented by waterfalls, but then I'd miss a large portion of the game.  I know I don't really need the statue, but darn it, I have to be at the Winter Palace and collect the things.  I have to find all the clues to get the outcome I want to please the companions I'm trying to impress.  I have to get them if I want nice loot or Sera's stashes.  I do always wind up either getting it or retiring the character.  The point is that I have now wasted half an hour on the stupid thing and I'm now no further than when I started.

 

I guess the point is that everybody else's voice is always louder than mine.  Between the timer, the companion approval, the stupid fetch quests, the impossible statue, and the useless maps, a quest that I was looking forward to for story reasons is now one I absolutely loathe.  People who where whining because they couldn't find all the seeds got it fixed.  When is it going to be my turn?  There isn't really an answer other than that I'm going to have to learn to deal with it or stop playing.  Since I've already bought the game and stated that I'm playing, I'll probably pick up more DLC if it's available.  There are also quests later to wash the bad taste WEWH gives you out of your mouth.  

 

Berelinde, you know me.  I really don't complain about anything until it's critical.  OK, I complain a lot, but I start standing on the table shouting when it's critical, because no one ever listens to me if I'm not.  I'm standing on the table.

[Krypplingz]

I don't think I can help with point 1 and 2, but I might have a way for the Halla statue. 

What system are you playing on? I'm playing on pc, so it might not work on consoles. I did try it both with keyboard and mouse and an xbox controller, with Cadash, Varric and Cassandra (Vivienne had to watch). Lost about four court approval this way. But meh.

 

Long description inside spoilers. 

Spoiler

There is a cheese rack with some barrels and boxes next to it. Jump on the barrel that's standing away from the wall. Turn to the two barrels stacked by the wall and jump on top of them. It might take two jumps, just aim for the wall. When you are firmly on that barrel jump on the barrel closest to the rafter. Again, make sure that you've landed firmly on it. 

 

Now jump onto the rafter: Turn the camera towards the rafter, then jump in the rafters direction. Do not try to walk after you land, even if your toon isn't standing perfectly on the rafter. If the toon is higher than the barrel it leapt from, then it's all okay.

If the character only has the front of their toes on the rafter it's ok to take one step forwards. Two steps mean you'll be standing off the rafter, but if you don't panic, just breathe, you should be able to continue to the next step. 

Next, take a breath, turn the camera so the rafter your standing on is in the middle of the screen. Then walk forwards to the crossroads. Stop at the crossroads, turn the camera so that rafter is in the middle of the screen and walk towards the V ahead. Don't panic if your toon is standing slightly off the rafter or if they stumble, just pause for a moment, take a breath and relax. They should step back on the rafter. You can try to nudge them back on the rafter, but moving forwards should be fine as well.

 

The V is the trickiest part. You can walk onto it. Just aim for the book and walk to it. Your toon might just be standing on air, but don't panic. Just calmly move onto the book. Or you can jump on the book. Then it's the same as getting onto the rafter. Aim for the book, jump and don't walk after you landed. Just stop, let the toon collect themselves and then to the final step. 

 

Turn the camera so the halla rafter is in the middle of the screen and walk forwards. Either move slowly (and don't panic if your character only has one foot on the beam) or make a run for it and hope Tymora favors your gambit. 

 

But in general. Keep calm and don't panic if your character is stumbling. It's ok, just wait a moment and then slowly nudge them back onto the rafter. I think the biggest thing with this is that people panic, try to correct the course and end up running off the rafters. 

Humans usually have an easier time with the platforming, but Varric and Miss Cadash did just fine. If your toon simply refuses to platform, try another party member. (Vivienne did for example refuse to stick to the barrels and just went flying off. Varric and Cadash were more chill about it.)

 

Of course, this might not help at all and then I apologize. But hopefully it works or helps a little. 

[herkles]

The quest is fine, though I do agree with you in regards to number 3. Some other things. 

 

1.) be able to see the whole party here, you only get to use 3 companions but you should be able to interact with more of them.

2.) to have alternative outfit, ie doublets and dresses

3.) my biggest issue with the quest is not the quest itself, but that we need IMO more things leading up to it.

[Magdalena11]

I don't think I can help with point 1 and 2, but I might have a way for the Halla statue. 

What system are you playing on? I'm playing on pc, so it might not work on consoles. I did try it both with keyboard and mouse and an xbox controller, with Cadash, Varric and Cassandra (Vivienne had to watch). Lost about four court approval this way. But meh.

 

Long description inside spoilers. 

Spoiler

There is a cheese rack with some barrels and boxes next to it. Jump on the barrel that's standing away from the wall. Turn to the two barrels stacked by the wall and jump on top of them. It might take two jumps, just aim for the wall. When you are firmly on that barrel jump on the barrel closest to the rafter. Again, make sure that you've landed firmly on it. 

 

Now jump onto the rafter: Turn the camera towards the rafter, then jump in the rafters direction. Do not try to walk after you land, even if your toon isn't standing perfectly on the rafter. If the toon is higher than the barrel it leapt from, then it's all okay.

If the character only has the front of their toes on the rafter it's ok to take one step forwards. Two steps mean you'll be standing off the rafter, but if you don't panic, just breathe, you should be able to continue to the next step. 

Next, take a breath, turn the camera so the rafter your standing on is in the middle of the screen. Then walk forwards to the crossroads. Stop at the crossroads, turn the camera so that rafter is in the middle of the screen and walk towards the V ahead. Don't panic if your toon is standing slightly off the rafter or if they stumble, just pause for a moment, take a breath and relax. They should step back on the rafter. You can try to nudge them back on the rafter, but moving forwards should be fine as well.

 

The V is the trickiest part. You can walk onto it. Just aim for the book and walk to it. Your toon might just be standing on air, but don't panic. Just calmly move onto the book. Or you can jump on the book. Then it's the same as getting onto the rafter. Aim for the book, jump and don't walk after you landed. Just stop, let the toon collect themselves and then to the final step. 

 

Turn the camera so the halla rafter is in the middle of the screen and walk forwards. Either move slowly (and don't panic if your character only has one foot on the beam) or make a run for it and hope Tymora favors your gambit. 

 

But in general. Keep calm and don't panic if your character is stumbling. It's ok, just wait a moment and then slowly nudge them back onto the rafter. I think the biggest thing with this is that people panic, try to correct the course and end up running off the rafters. 

Humans usually have an easier time with the platforming, but Varric and Miss Cadash did just fine. If your toon simply refuses to platform, try another party member. (Vivienne did for example refuse to stick to the barrels and just went flying off. Varric and Cadash were more chill about it.)

 

Of course, this might not help at all and then I apologize. But hopefully it works or helps a little. 

Thank you!  Now that you mention it, I seem to recall going on the rafters at some point, I just thought it was the basement of that stupid fort with the fire beam.  I must be confusing it with the chest I always let go.  For the halla, I have every time (except one, apparently) been able to stand at one point on the table and get it, but it doesn't work every time and I frequently give up.  I'm going to go back now and try acting like a rogue (which, if I did get it that way, would have been the reason.)

 

I still think that halla statue is overly challenging for most of the people, who just want to collect enough statues to get out, cuz they're not having fun anyway, and have the quest end without their companions hating them.

[Krypplingz]

No wonder Vivienne was so angry at me. Loaded up the game again and trotted over to the table under the statue. Cadash valiantly tried to jump on the table but was violently tossed away by the spirits of invisible walls. 

So I asked Vivienne to have a go at it (Since she's so great and all.). She jumped on one of the torches by the food table (On the pillars by the table, the set closer to the tables) , landed on top of it and snatched the statue. So I sneered at her, "Well if you're so smart, why don't you get the book as well?". So she walked to the other end of the table, jumped on the torch there and took the book as well. Damn these Orlesian aristocrats, making pheasants like me look bad.

 

So all these exciting rafter adventures have just been a long winded way of standing on top of a torch. I feel like a fool. 

(But honestly still I prefer the rafter adventures, it's fun to see the cutest party member running on the ceiling.)

[DarkKnightHolmes]

I just hate the timer, the amount of pointless fetch quests and (In my first play through) it was confusing to walk around

[Hiemoth]

While I am not the hugest fan of the mission, I don't know if the claim that large majority of the players disliked the quest.

 

I personally didn't have a problem with the issues you raised, but the mission was really weird. Going in the game made a huge point about this being a diplomatic mssion and it was seemingly going to be dialogue based, so I was really looking forward to going through some awesome courtly intrigue. Yet the mission is so stacked with random court approval points that to me it felt like you basically have to try to fail at the quest in order to do so and actual dialogue scenes, of which there are only a few, really don't weight that much on the total.

 

The quest, for me, really felt like that they had this awesome concept and started working on it, but then started to fear that it might be too difficult or bore players who dislike dialogue manipulation and went out of their way to make it easier to the point it kind of ruined for me? I guess?

[berelinde]

Enough halla statues to open all the doors.

Unopenable doors with stuff behind them is a cardinal RPG sin.

I don't bother with the treasure rooms anymore. By the time I get to Halamshiral, I have better crafted gear, and for some reason, I never find anything in them but greys.

[Octarin]

It is absolutley and amazingly annoying that I CAN'T OPEN ALL THE DOORS!!! I hate it, cause basically, you've got 3 doors you can't open if you want to reach the maximum outcome (everyone reaching an agreement in the end), and it does make me get an tick every time I see those lower garden doors, yes, the ones you can NEVER open unless you just wanna go ahead and kill someone, aka rush through the quest and miss the rest. It's intolerable. I don't mind having to jump on the bloody rafters, and you can work around the timer, but not being able to see what's back there itches my rogue palms like nothing else! 

[Octarin]

You can open both Celene's room and the Garden. I did that. 8 statues with 3 to spare. As for the vaults in the palace, nothing behind it is worth opening it for. Waste of statues.

 

That's not the point. I don't like leaving doors unopened. No, wait, "don't like" is a gross understatement. I'm a completionist, and this is my worst nightmare. 

[DanAxe]

As for court approval, and about loosing too much while exploring, just remember:

 

When the bells ring calling you to go to the ballroom, do not go on first call. Waiting for the 2nd call, your toon will say: Fashionably late.

 

If you go just after the second call, you'll get quite a raise in approval for showing up fashionably late. So dont worry too much about losing points while searching around, just keep your secrets until you absolutely need points, give em to Leliana, go to the ball room after 2nd call, and choose the 2nd dialogue option all the time while dancing with the Duchess. If you do that, no matter how low you were on court approval, you can get it back to 100 easily.

[Octarin]

To be perfectly honest here, since it's Anonymous DA-holics confession time, after having to replay the entire mission by reload for the THIRD time and still not having finished everything, I searched the web for clues. I've got it all printed now, and I've made a checklist. Not exactly the point of a game, but it's not the first time I've done this, done it on Fable 2 with those damn silver keys...

[Magdalena11]

Take her across the "bridge" in the Emerald Graves with sudden death looming below the raging waterfall. But careful because your companions will FOLLOW you and it can be deadly. 

I just figure that one's there to force you to use a health potion.  The companions are going to follow you, no matter what hold commands you give them, then they'll mill around on the beam and play dumb until one of them baps you off.  Assuming control of the one closest to the safe area doesn't help either, because then the inquisitor jumps in front of the companion and baps them off.  REally?  At least they do it after you get the codex entry and you revive on the good side of the beam.  The difference here is that the companions don't disapprove if you fall off the beam, whereas they do if you can't find the clues to promote your favored choice in Orlais.

[Magdalena11]

To be perfectly honest here, since it's Anonymous DA-holics confession time, after having to replay the entire mission by reload for the THIRD time and still not having finished everything, I searched the web for clues. I've got it all printed now, and I've made a checklist. Not exactly the point of a game, but it's not the first time I've done this, done it on Fable 2 with those damn silver keys...

Hey, if it's not a lot of trouble for you, could you PM your checklist to me?  I'm on my 3rd reload now and will probably have to do it again anyway.  I couldn't find the elven locket this time and I have to reload again and find it.  If the game clock counted failed reloads with the stuff I kept, each game would probably be about 250 hours, considering the number of times I get frustrated and just turn off the game without saving and do something else.  In fact, that's what I'm doing now.  I'm trying to work up the nerve and patience to do it again.

[Octarin]

Hey, if it's not a lot of trouble for you, could you PM your checklist to me?  I'm on my 3rd reload now and will probably have to do it again anyway.  I couldn't find the elven locket this time and I have to reload again and find it.  If the game clock counted failed reloads with the stuff I kept, each game would probably be about 250 hours, considering the number of times I get frustrated and just turn off the game without saving and do something else.  In fact, that's what I'm doing now.  I'm trying to work up the nerve and patience to do it again.

 

Oh no, don't do that, I feel you totally, but don't punish yourself... I'll PM you, cause I've been there and it's just a meaningless grind of sorts, not worth the headache... Personally I always manage to find EVERYTHING .... bar one item. I mean do everything perfectly, bar one item. Get to where I'm to open Celene's door and fine the chap inside, and... missing one item. It's tormenting. 

 

I'd post it all out here for everyone to see if I was allowed, but I'm not very sure I am since it might be considered cheating or something...