34 réponses à ce sujet

[xAmilli0n]

So I originally got this game back when it released over a year ago.  However, I was too busy and never had the time to invest in it, so I traded it in, got a good chunk of money back.

 

Now I've got some time and just picked up the GOTY edition. I still don't have a huge amount of time to check every corner of every map and do a 100% playthrough, so I'm looking for some tips on how to get the most out of my playthrough from those who have gone through the game multiple times.  I've already had several parts of the game spoiled for me (since I never thought I'd pick it up again) so I'm not too concerned about that (though I guess I'd rather not have DLC TOO spoiled for me).

 

So here we go:

 

1. I usually play female, is there any reason playing male would make more sense?

2. Does it make sense to play a specific race? I believe I've read elves have more unique story content (I originally went Qunari).

3. Is any particular romance worth pursing for story reasons, especially now with DLC? I like Sera and was probably going to go that route, but I know Solas is very much tied to the story.

4. What are the key sidequests that I should make sure I finish?  Which can I avoid to save time?

5. Is there anything else I should do to get the most out of a playthrough.  Essentially what is the minimum ideal/satisfactory playthrough?

6. I don't know where the DLC fits in, but is there a certain point where it makes more sense to do the DLC content?

7. Most importantly, did they ever fix that thing where Qunari couldn't wear interesting armor?

 

Thanks for the help!

[Andraste_Reborn]

1. Nope.

 

2. Elves get some minor extra stuff late in the game, but not so much that I'd recommend playing as one if you prefer a qunari. (Unless you do decide that you want to romance Cullen or Solas - Cullen is only into female humans and elves, and Solas only female elves.)

 

3. Go for Sera! Her romance is delightful - and playing a qunari is extra fun if you do.

 

4. The 'main' sidequest in each area will be introduced when you first go there. You should probably finish those. You can skip most of the other side quests if you want, and especially the requisitions. Those literally never end. Just tell the requisition officer you're too busy to collect crap for her.

 

5. Do all the companion quests you can! Some require raising approval to a certain level before you can unlock them. Also, if you're only planning to play once, I strongly suggest recruiting everybody.

 

6. The Descent scales with your level, but Jaws of Hakkon is high-level stuff, best done right before the final quests (you'll know them when you see them) or after you finish the main game. Trespasser can only be played after the main storyline.

 

7. There is a bit more qunari armour now, especially since you have the GOTY edition. Have fun dressing like the Arishok.

[ArcadiaGrey]

^ all of this basically.

 

The game was written first for humans, so maybe you should consider being one. Or of course an elf with a Solas romance.  But if you like Sera, go for it!  Ppl say it's a great romance and I think they said it's best with dwarves or Qunari.

 

I missed out 3 zones entirely and it didn't affect my story at all, so don't feel bound to doing them.  Never feel that you have to do any zone, or complete any zone.  You really don't.  Think of it more as a pick and mix, do what suits you but don't overdo it or you'll get seriously bored (imo).  I would do 2 50 minute sessions of zone questing before going back and doing something story related.  Any more and I'd get super bored of the fetch quests.  None of the collectables are really needed except shards.  The rest are not important tho astrariums are fun if you like puzzles and lead to loot.

 

Absolutely recruit everyone if this is your only run, and if you want to see the Monarch of Ferelden make sure you side with the mages or you'll never see them.

 

I would start the descent early on, then if you get bored with it you can do it in chunks.  I'd start JoH late on, you can do that in chunks too, but finish it before you kill Cory.  At the end I wanted to go straight into Trespasser but had JoH to do and boy, it was frustrating having to wait.

 

To save time, your companions have important side quests that include cutscenes that you should absolutely do, then some have fetch quests that are totally irrelevant.  You can miss those, so Varric will want red lyrium destroyed and Dorian will want Venatori killed...they're unimportant.

[AlanC9]

1. I usually play female, is there any reason playing male would make more sense?
2. Does it make sense to play a specific race? I believe I've read elves have more unique story content (I originally went Qunari).
3. Is any particular romance worth pursing for story reasons, especially now with DLC? I like Sera and was probably going to go that route, but I know Solas is very much tied to the story.

Well, point 3 could answer the earlier two, since the Solas romance is only open to female elves. I'd say that the DLC makes the Solas, Iron Bull, and maybe Cassandra romances more important, depending on choices.

As far as point 1 goes, a few players are bothered by the Orlesian ball scene with a Femquisitor. The Inquisition's dress uniforms are unisex -- kind of like the dress uniform Prince William got married in, actually. And the PC may end up dancing with another woman. Trivial stuff.

4. What are the key sidequests that I should make sure I finish?  Which can I avoid to save time?
5. Is there anything else I should do to get the most out of a playthrough.  Essentially what is the minimum ideal/satisfactory playthrough?

I concur with Andraste Reborn here. You can also outright skip some areas. The Fallow Mire is fairly disposable, for instance; not that it's bad, but it doesn't really advance the plot. In general, if a subsection of an area is opened up via the war table, feel free to skip it, although there will be interesting and useful stuff in the zone. You'll get all the Power you need by hitting stuff on the way to the main area quests. For instance, seal fade rifts you happen to see, and don't worry about ones you don't. Other sidequests should be strictly for RP.

I prefer to leave the DLC until after the main game is complete, myself, mostly for RP. And yeah, the Spoils DLC will give you good qunari stuff. Possibly too good; the schematics you get tend to be a bit better than what you would otherwise have. Crafting can break the game wide open depending on how fast you get schematics and materials; be prepared to adjust difficulty upward.

[Abyss108]

I think female elf romancing Solas is by far the best for the story if you are open to it! If you are only going to play the game once, I would definitely recommend this.

 

The first two DLC can be done at any point, the third DLC can only be played after you beat the main game. Personally I like doing the first two DLC after the main game as well, because there is a bit of a time skip and I like to know what my character was up to in that time - but that doesn't matter, it doesn't affect anything.

[xAmilli0n]

Hey, thanks a bunch! You've all been very helpful.

[Nimlowyn]

So I originally got this game back when it released over a year ago.  However, I was too busy and never had the time to invest in it, so I traded it in, got a good chunk of money back.

 

Now I've got some time and just picked up the GOTY edition. I still don't have a huge amount of time to check every corner of every map and do a 100% playthrough, so I'm looking for some tips on how to get the most out of my playthrough from those who have gone through the game multiple times.  I've already had several parts of the game spoiled for me (since I never thought I'd pick it up again) so I'm not too concerned about that (though I guess I'd rather not have DLC TOO spoiled for me).

 

So here we go:

 

1. I usually play female, is there any reason playing male would make more sense?

2. Does it make sense to play a specific race? I believe I've read elves have more unique story content (I originally went Qunari).

3. Is any particular romance worth pursing for story reasons, especially now with DLC? I like Sera and was probably going to go that route, but I know Solas is very much tied to the story.

4. What are the key sidequests that I should make sure I finish?  Which can I avoid to save time?

5. Is there anything else I should do to get the most out of a playthrough.  Essentially what is the minimum ideal/satisfactory playthrough?

6. I don't know where the DLC fits in, but is there a certain point where it makes more sense to do the DLC content?

7. Most importantly, did they ever fix that thing where Qunari couldn't wear interesting armor?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

1. Nope.

 

2. This is entirely subjective. I've played qunari, human and elf. I prefer elves personally. You learn a lot about their lore and history, and even something like walking into Halamshiral was a rich role-playing experience (given that Halamshiral was once an elven palace). That said, every race is relevant -- they share the same world after all -- so I'd say go with the race that interests you the most. 

 

3. Solas' romance is directly tied with the main plot, but that doesn't make his romance inherently superior to the others. It just depends on what kind of story you want, really. If you want a story that deals with the healing of trauma, that can be very sweet, uplifting, and ultimately happy, go with Cullen. If you want something complicated, fraught with difficulty and full of anguish, go with Solas. I haven't played through the other romances so I can't comment on them. 

 

4. There are so many side quests I don't even know if I can answer this. Personally, I like claiming all the Keeps and taking care of the major problems in each map. If you see something like "deliver this, deliver that" try to decide if it is something your character would actually do. Some quests may be a small roleplaying opportunity, like my Dalish delivering flowers to the grave of an elderly elvish woman. 

 

5. I agree with Andraste_Reborn, and would add that my most satisfying playthroughs come from characters I've developed a back story for. It doesn't need to be too extensive, it can be a simple outline of major life events that made them who they are at the start of the game. Since I've started doing this I've had a much better handle on who my characters are, what motivates them, and how the events of the story further change them. It's made for some very rich roleplaying.

 

6. By making sense I'm assuming you mean storywise. This is also a bit subjective and you'll hear different opinions. I prefer doing Jaws of Hakkon just before the the end of the main game and The Descent in the middle. I don't want to get too heavily into spoilers, so....I suggest, as you progress through the game, familiarizing yourself with the premises of Descent and JOH and see if it fits. In The Descent you're investigating earthquakes, in JOH you start out assisting an archaeological team. And of course, Trespasser is the epilogue, so that's at the end no matter what. 

 

7. I'm not a qunari armor expert, so what Andraste_Reborn said!

 

I hope that was helpful. Enjoy!

[AlanC9]

Two things I think I should add.

First, one of the major themes of the game, it seems to me, is the disconnect between the popular perception of the PC and who the PC actually is. Playing a Dalish elf -- or any non-Andrastian, really -- turns this subtext into text. Not worse, but different.

On a related note, even if you're not planning to do a complicated backstory for the PC, I strongly recommend deciding on a POV regarding religion.

[ArcadiaGrey]

As far as point 1 goes, a few players are bothered by the Orlesian ball scene with a Femquisitor. The Inquisition's dress uniforms are unisex -- kind of like the dress uniform Prince William got married in, actually. And the PC may end up dancing with another woman. Trivial stuff.

Wait, ppl are bothered by the dance? Why? Not cause it's 2 girls surely...

[xAmilli0n]

Two things I think I should add.

First, one of the major themes of the game, it seems to me, is the disconnect between the popular perception of the PC and who the PC actually is. Playing a Dalish elf -- or any non-Andrastian, really -- turns this subtext into text. Not worse, but different.

On a related note, even if you're not planning to do a complicated backstory for the PC, I strongly recommend deciding on a POV regarding religion.

 

Oh I remember that even popping up early on. I remember finding the conflict of being non-Andrastian, Qunari Herald pretty interesting.

 

So you feel its worth sticking with one or other? I don't remember how people reacted to the middle ground.

[ArcadiaGrey]

Oh I remember that even popping up early on. I remember finding the conflict of being non-Andrastian, Qunari Herald pretty interesting.

 

So you feel its worth sticking with one or other? I don't remember how people reacted to the middle ground.

 

I skirted the middle ground.  I roleplayed that my dwarf was like Varric, she was curious about the maker and at first but said she wasn't chosen.  Soon she reluctantly admitted to Giselle that she did believe, but in a quiet subtle way.  There are usually a few options - 'I believe', 'I don't believe', and then either 'I'm not sure', or 'I believe but I'm not a zealot'.  She used the last 2, so she had faith, but it was rarely mentioned by others as it was private to her.  She never went on about being the herald but her friends knew she had faith.

 

Anyway, it worked well.  It never felt forced, I could always use the 'I'm not sure' dialogue, or 'I believe but don't go on about it'.  It flowed well and was a good middle ground.  I was actually able to not believe in the beginning but then change my mind after Haven when talking to Giselle.  It's like my dwarf slowly came to terms with the anchor and the Maker.  That impressed me, it felt authentic.

[AlanC9]

Oh I remember that even popping up early on. I remember finding the conflict of being non-Andrastian, Qunari Herald pretty interesting.

So you feel its worth sticking with one or other? I don't remember how people reacted to the middle ground.

Middle ground worked fine for me; my first PC was a Dalish mage who thought that the gods, etc. were just useful metaphors, and that the Tevinter story about Andraste was likely true. What threatened his worldview was the unlikely escapes he kept making.

I just meant that it helps to know where the character stands before you hit the questions.

[AlanC9]

Wait, ppl are bothered by the dance? Why? Not cause it's 2 girls surely...

There's a whole thread about it someplace, but it's mostly just a couple of posters freaking out

[ArcadiaGrey]

There's a whole thread about it someplace, but it's mostly just a couple of posters freaking out

 

Really?   Oh come on....excuse me while I go find an available brick wall I can bash my head against.    

[DreamSever]

Assassin rogue hasnt been nerfed, trust me the funnest class in this game doing 600 damage with backstabs level 4 hinterlands, just shows you how epic they are and fast stamina regen. Race doesnt matter although qunari rogues are rare here

[Elhanan]

I advise against attempting a 100% campaign; select the quests and accompanied tales that seem to fit your chosen character. This can help better focus the story, and add to the replay value.

Sell any gear with the Berserker effect. If you cannot sell; drop them like they are death incarnate cause they are....

Try and restrict Fast Travel. Though it is useful, it is best used in smaller doses.

Re-map all control keys to preferred ones before gameplay. Helps avoid frustration.

Empty the cache before gameplay; helps FPS.

Test and consider using Effects Quality on Low; aids FPS, reduces flash and smoke, and seems to make the spell and elemental effects to be more natural in appearance. Also seems to help those that have dizziness, vertigo, etc.

Leaving the Hinterlands and other large areas now and again is recommended.

[Tigress M]

All of these are great suggestions!  The only thing I'd add is to do the quests relating to the faction you didn't side with to close the Breach.  If you sided with the Mages, go talk to Cullen and do Before the Dawn.  Likewise, if you side with the Templars, do Leliana's Under Her Skin.  

[vertigomez]

1. Nope.
 
2. Elves get some minor extra stuff late in the game, but not so much that I'd recommend playing as one if you prefer a qunari. (Unless you do decide that you want to romance Cullen or Solas - Cullen is only into female humans and elves, and Solas only female elves.)
 
3. Go for Sera! Her romance is delightful - and playing a qunari is extra fun if you do.
 
4. The 'main' sidequest in each area will be introduced when you first go there. You should probably finish those. You can skip most of the other side quests if you want, and especially the requisitions. Those literally never end. Just tell the requisition officer you're too busy to collect crap for her.
 
5. Do all the companion quests you can! Some require raising approval to a certain level before you can unlock them. Also, if you're only planning to play once, I strongly suggest recruiting everybody.
 
6. The Descent scales with your level, but Jaws of Hakkon is high-level stuff, best done right before the final quests (you'll know them when you see them) or after you finish the main game. Trespasser can only be played after the main storyline.
 
7. There is a bit more qunari armour now, especially since you have the GOTY edition. Have fun dressing like the Arishok.

Frame this and stick it by your computer screen, and have fun.

[ladyiolanthe]

I'll just add that you get some powerful rare armour and weapons in The Descent even if you're only low level, but you can't equip most of it until you're level 19 and up. It's fine; you can store it in your chest at Skyhold and use it later. I ended up doing part of it early on and then going back to finish it later when I could equip the good stuff.

[Donk]

Wait, ppl are bothered by the dance? Why? Not cause it's 2 girls surely...

That and the fact that there's a full scene of dancing with Florianne but not your Li.

[Dai Grepher]

1. I usually play female, is there any reason playing male would make more sense?

2. Does it make sense to play a specific race? I believe I've read elves have more unique story content (I originally went Qunari).

3. Is any particular romance worth pursing for story reasons, especially now with DLC? I like Sera and was probably going to go that route, but I know Solas is very much tied to the story.

4. What are the key sidequests that I should make sure I finish?  Which can I avoid to save time?

5. Is there anything else I should do to get the most out of a playthrough.  Essentially what is the minimum ideal/satisfactory playthrough?

6. I don't know where the DLC fits in, but is there a certain point where it makes more sense to do the DLC content?

7. Most importantly, did they ever fix that thing where Qunari couldn't wear interesting armor?

 

Thanks for the help!

 

1. A male character fits the storyline better. He's the more logic person to see leading the Inquisition, the character animation are designed around a male, the clothing is designed around a male, the dance at Halamshiral is designed around a male, the male has better voice actors, the Cassandra romance is the best and only a male can romance her, etc.

 

2. Yes. Human. The storyline was made to fit a human. The game features human problems with human solutions. A human as Inquisitor makes the most sense.

 

3. Cassandra's romance has the most relevance to the storyline. The first third of the game involves issues relevant to Cassandra. The second third fits her somewhat well since she is a Seeker who fights demons and bloodmages. Here Lies the Abyss suits her perfectly. Hunting dragons fits her character as well. The last third fits her adequately enough. She remains relevant. The final battle shows her being there regardless, so she is relevant to that as well.

 

Sera's romance is dumb. Solas' romance is... somewhat abusive?

 

4. Finish Cassandra's personal mission and do her sidequests. Do everyone's personal mission. You can probably skip the Fallow Mire completely. You might be able to skip the Storm Coast except to recruit Bull or kill the dragon. You can skip the Forbidden Oasis. You can skip the Hissing Wastes except for the dragon (one of the hardest ones though). You can skip Emprise du Lion. You can skip Exalted Plains, unless you're Dalish, in which case just do the Dalish quests. Oh, and you can skip In Hushed Whispers since it sucks.

 

5. Save often, and be sure to make a save as soon as possible and then make a new one so you can go back to the beginning of the game if you want to. Place your ability points carefully. Go for actual moves first, then do passives after you fill your 8 slots. Set the behaviors and tactics for each character. The minimum idea is to do all of the companion quests. The maximum idea is to do everything you possibly can. Most of all, roleplay and have fun creating a personality for your character.

 

6. Both DLCs make the most sense at the end of the game after you beat Corypheus. But if you want a good anchor ability, do Jaws of Hakkon as soon as possible and just get to the island and get the ability, then leave. Go back to the Basin after you level up more. Descent is okay, but annoying in some ways. You should have that anchor ability before you play Descent though in order to make it easier. Also, remember that Solas won't be around for those DLCs if you save them until after you beat Corypheus, but I don't think he adds much anyway.

 

7. No.

[Dai Grepher]

Wait, ppl are bothered by the dance? Why? Not cause it's 2 girls surely...

 

No, because the female Inquisitor is given the same dance animations as the male. Also, the female can't wear a dress.
 

[AlanC9]

Oh, great... now it's two threads.

[ArcadiaGrey]

That and the fact that there's a full scene of dancing with Florianne but not your Li.

 

Oh right.  Well I was a little disappointed Bull didn't drag my dwarf around the dancefloor I must admit.  She'd have just been hanging there like a piñata   

 

Back on topic, I totally disagree with one of the comments above saying the game was made for a male inquisitior.  Surely Cullen's romance is just as important to the lore as Cassandra's?  

And as Elhanan said, try to get to grips with the controls (if you're on pc) asap or you'll be swearing like a navvy in no time.  

[vertigomez]

Ahhh, I love the rank odor of someone presenting their opinion as fact.

No I don't.