21 réponses à ce sujet

[NerdWithBigStick]

On my canon first go, I did absolutely everything (I only left 3 things incomplete: the papers in the Wastes, and two mural pieces not found) - but, on my second time around, now, I find that I am struggling to find the best "path" through the game.  A lot of the sidquests are completely dull after the first time around, and I find myself wanting to progress the story much faster.

 

My tactic thus far has been to do the "main" quest for each area (i.e. the one given to you by Scout Harding) and any other major plots (stopping the war in Hinterlands, saving Crestwood, clearing Griffonwing Keep, etc.) then returning to the campaign storyline. I have just completed Here Lies the Abyss and it feels like a natural time to explore all of the areas and do the Inner Circle quests, before heading to Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts and the end of the game.

 

I'm curious how other people, particularly those that have done 5 or 6 times, progress through the game?  What is your pattern or method for going from start to end?

 

Thanks!

[RiverHillBlue1]

I'm currently on my fourth play through, and this is a tough one for me.  I'm a completionist for the most part, so I pretty much do everything on every play through.   Pre Sky Hold, I usually exhaust most options available with the exception of level 12 rifts and the Fereldon Frostback.  Once I get to Sky Hold, my Specialization is the priority, followed by unlocked some good gear and resources.  For example, I used to go to the Pissing Wastes and get the loot from 4 of the 5 tombs.  This is less necessary now thanks to the Golden Nug, but still the same concept.

 

I never start and area and finish it to completion all at once.  I usually bounce around completing whatever I feel like at the time.  There's no true set order, but most if not all is usually done.  A few exceptions are Cole's side quest (crashes game), and Where the Druffalo Roam (broken mission, obviously wasn't tested).  

 

I feel like once Here Lies the Abyss and Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts are complete, everything not DLC should be done (in no particular order) before starting What Pride Had Wrought.  It's how I experienced the first play through, and it feels natural.  Then Doom Upon the World followed by the DLC in the order of release.

[robertmarilyn]

I do everything, every play through. I can not help it. Maker save me. 

[Dabrikishaw]

I tend to do as little of the Exaulted Plains sidequests as possible. Basically only the Dalish Favor and Solas quests.

[Krypplingz]

When the character reaches Haven I try to set down their personalities. What interest them, what disgusts them, where their loyalties lie and so on. Then I do the quests according to that. 

 

Spoiler

Cadogan enjoys attention and worship, so he tries to do big things so that people will remember him. So he might take over a mercenary fortress and recruit a group of cultists. He appreciates people who live by the sword, so he tries to fix the situation for the army in the Exalted plains and refugees in the Emerald Graves. But he leaves the elves alone and doesn't explore the spooky mansion. He is not fond of magic or occult rituals, so he doesn't touch the Astrariums or Occularas. But he doesn't mind wall hangings, so he might grab the occasional mosaic but will not hunt down the whole set. 

 

Saerin is less interested in the public attention but is more likely to do things for a person. So she might hunt down a ram or take flowers to a grave. She also visits the Exalted plains and Emerald Graves, but only to contact and help her fellow elves and explore the beautiful woodlands. She also did not make the attempt to capture Caer Bronach or close the rift in Crestwood. She loves the occult and everything about magic, so she hunts down all magical knowledge she can find. 

 

Cressida is all about the money. So she captured all the keeps and made sure they were functional and well kept. But she did not go out of her way to fix the regions trouble if it did not benefit her coin wise. She also liked collecting stuff, like the shards, astrarium treasures and mosaics, but only those she stumbled upon. It was a hobby, but not a necessity. 

 

So basically, when I get a quest I ask myself, would my character follow up on this? If the answer is no, then the quest/area is skipped. If the answer is yes, then I ask myself, can I be bothered to do this quest? If the answer is no, then skip. If both answers are yes, then I do the quest. 

I hardly ever bother with the collection items. I also like to play in bursts. So maybe 20 minutes as Cadogan, then 10 minutes as Saerin, take a break and then maybe mess some more with Cadogans save. There are probably 3-4 years until the next game, so I am in no hurry to complete my save states. 

[ArcadiaGrey]

Yeahhhh...I have a system.  

 

I pick a few zones to do completely, 100%, so I can immerse myself in the story of those places.  I cut out 3 or 4 zones and don't even go there unless I absolutely have to.  I find that getting super involved in one zone can be absorbing and tell some good stories.

 

I'll do open-world questing for about 50 minutes in one of those zones, then head back to base and chat to folk a little bit and sort out my inventory and such.  It's important for me to touch base with the characters so I don't get too bored.  Then I go back and do another 50 minutes, then that's it.  Done.  If I do too much open world stuff I lose the will to live.  I get SO bored.  So it's back to base, chatting, then a main quest or side quest/companion quest. 

 

That method ended up working best for me.  I enjoyed immersing myself in whichever zone I was doing, then, just as I was getting sick of it, I was off doing main quest things and that got me back on track.

The result is 3-4 zones untouched that I can then do next time round, they'll be fresh and I won't tire of them too soon.  I don't want a repeat of World of Warcraft lol, I could navigate around those zones with my eyes closed. 

[nightscrawl]

When I first go to a map, I do the primary quest objective and close rifts I happen to come across. After a certain point in the game, I'll go back to each of these maps with my preferred party banter combo and do everything else: fill out the whole map, collect and complete side quests, collect shards, close remaining rifts, and so on. In this way I will slowly work my way through all of the maps in the game in the order I have set out.

[almasy87]

mmmmh... Mine is like this:

Enter the Hinterlands, talk with Mother Giselle, leave. 
 

Go to Val Royeaux (recrute Sera and Viv), then immediately go back to the Hinterlands, do as most as I can of the area (which means there are just a few quests left, like the felandaris one, and 2 rfts which are lvl 12 and the dragon, as someone else mentioned.) Thankfully I've done it enough times that the Hinterlands don't bother me anymore and I have a really good pace at clearing them. 

This is because I want them done so I don't have to return after until later.
Then I go clear the Fallow Mire. 

At this point I go to Redcliffe to speak with Fiona/Dorian and then immediately after do In Hushed Whispers (I only did Champions of the Just once ). Recrute who is left (Bull, Blackwall).

I have enough after that to do In your Heart Shall Burn and then get to Skyhold.. flirt with the eventual LI to make sure the romance has started (for the dance later on). Talk with Hawke.

Next, I clear up Crestwood speaking to Stroud, and then the Storm Coast. If I can be bothered I do Exalted Plains as well before the next main quest..
Which is usually Wicked Eyes and Wicked Hearts, because I suppose saving the Empress from Corypheus is a more imminent danger than tracking down some crazy Wardens.. (Also because I usually disgrace Florianne in front of the court so I don't fight her, and there really is only very little combat in Halam'shiral and it helps getting XP).

At this point I do a bit of what is left: a few low lvl dragons (Hinterlands, Crestwood and Exalted Plains), companion quests.
Then I go to the Western Approach to kill the crazy wardens and clear that area too (dragon included). (might require a few travels back to Skyhold for the table missions that unlock other areas/bridges..)

Then it's time to do Here Lies the Abyss.

After that one is done I just clear areas in order of level. which means I do Emerald Graves, the remaining dragons, Hissing Wastes, the secret temples/castles, remaining companion quests. Then I move to Emprise du Lion where I deal with Before the Dawn and the 3 final dragons.

Forbidden Oasis is the last, (in those PTs where I've done it, cause I reallllllly hate that place), I want to be there only when I have all the shards so I can finish it in one go.

What Pride had Wrought, Altar of Mythal and Doom Upon the World

[Melbella]

Forbidden Oasis is the last, (in those PTs where I've done it, cause I reallllllly hate that place), I want to be there only when I have all the shards so I can finish it in one go.

I like going to the Oasis before picking a side since there are hardly any enemies there (mostly just hyenas) and it's pretty easy to find everything in the area. I think in my last game it took a couple hours to do everything except the spider cave, since the miner only seems to spawn after you leave and come back.

[AnimalBoy]

I do everything begrudgingly.

[berelinde]

I do all the side quests. When I leave a zone for the last time, I want the journal to be empty, so that means doing all the things. With that in mind, I tend to clear zones one at a time, but I do the main quests where it seems appropriate to do so.

 

Crossroads, then just enough in the Hinterlands to get 4 Power

Val Royeaux

Hinterlands to Redcliffe

In Hushed Whispers/Champions of the Just

In Your Heart Shall Burn

Finish Hinterlands

Storm Coast

Fallow Mire

Crestwood to capture Keep & meet Warden Ally

Finish Crestwood

Western Approach to meet Warden Ally

Here Lies the Abyss

Finish Western Approach

Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts

Exalted Plains

Emerald Graves

Emprise du Lion

Hissing Wastes

Forbidden Oasis

Jaws of Hakkon

The Descent

What Pride Has Wrought

Doom Upon the World

Trespasser

[sjsharp2011]

I'm currently on my fourth play through, and this is a tough one for me.  I'm a completionist for the most part, so I pretty much do everything on every play through.   Pre Sky Hold, I usually exhaust most options available with the exception of level 12 rifts and the Fereldon Frostback.  Once I get to Sky Hold, my Specialization is the priority, followed by unlocked some good gear and resources.  For example, I used to go to the Pissing Wastes and get the loot from 4 of the 5 tombs.  This is less necessary now thanks to the Golden Nug, but still the same concept.

 

I never start and area and finish it to completion all at once.  I usually bounce around completing whatever I feel like at the time.  There's no true set order, but most if not all is usually done.  A few exceptions are Cole's side quest (crashes game), and Where the Druffalo Roam (broken mission, obviously wasn't tested).  

 

I feel like once Here Lies the Abyss and Wicked Eyes Wicked Hearts are complete, everything not DLC should be done (in no particular order) before starting What Pride Had Wrought.  It's how I experienced the first play through, and it feels natural.  Then Doom Upon the World followed by the DLC in the order of release.

Yeah this is what I tend to do I tend to level up and get enough power to cover WEWH and Here lies the abyss. Then after I've done those I tend to concentrate on anything non DLC until I get to level 20 oncve I hit 20 I do the DLC and finish the last few main game missions  and finish of course with Trespasser. In fact this is kind of where I am right now in my current playthrougfh with Topal at the moment sitting at level 15 having done both those 2 missions although my Louias Travelyan has yet to do WEWH yet but I might boot her up and do that mission tomorrow

[PapaCharlie9]

My playstyle is Explorer, so I do everything possible on the first playthrough. Even pick up those mosaic pieces, though I don't freak out if I can't get every last one due to a glitch.

Because of the (*cough* stupit *cough*) exclusive decision branches, I had to do a second PT to really experience every last drop of content.

In all subsequent PTs, I just do whatever seems like it would be fun in that moment. Since I know what to expect pretty much everywhere, it's all a stroll down memory lane.

I also make up new victory conditions to keep things from getting boring. Like, I did a no-crafting run on Nightmare. That was a lot of fun. It forces you to do side quests that reward you with some kind of good gear.

I'm doing a run now where I'm trying to do things in radically different order than I have before. Like, up until this PT, my Crestwood run would be all the side quests, including the dragon, first, and then complete Still Waters last. This time, I completed Still Waters first, so now I have the whole zone to explore in daylight! It's like a whole new map to me, being so used to the dark and rain from every other run.

[Forsythia77]

I do most everything, save that stupid puzzle in the exalted plains when the statues that shoot the laser beam to open the door.  Hold position never works.  I've done it twice and cannot be arsed to ever do it again because hold position sucks.  I turn around and find that Dorian is following me but not Sera or Cass (or whomever)  Actually, the exalted plains sucks in general and can just be removed from the game.  It is a craggy warzone and I hate it.  I digress.  I usually open the wastes as soon as I can after skyhold so that I can farm for purple metal and leather.  But other than that,  I don't have a specific order in which I do things.  In my current game I waited until way late to finish the Storm Coast.  Gemma doesn't like getting rained on. 

[sjsharp2011]

I do most everything, save that stupid puzzle in the exalted plains when the statues that shoot the laser beam to open the door.  Hold position never works.  I've done it twice and cannot be arsed to ever do it again because hold position sucks.  I turn around and find that Dorian is following me but not Sera or Cass (or whomever)  Actually, the exalted plains sucks in general and can just be removed from the game.  It is a craggy warzone and I hate it.  I digress.  I usually open the wastes as soon as I can after skyhold so that I can farm for purple metal and leather.  But other than that,  I don't have a specific order in which I do things.  In my current game I waited until way late to finish the Storm Coast.  Gemma doesn't like getting rained on. 

Yeah not the easiest of puzzles that one I've only ever succeeded in doing it once

[NerdWithBigStick]

 

When the character reaches Haven I try to set down their personalities. What interest them, what disgusts them, where their loyalties lie and so on. Then I do the quests according to that. 

 

Spoiler

Cadogan enjoys attention and worship, so he tries to do big things so that people will remember him. So he might take over a mercenary fortress and recruit a group of cultists. He appreciates people who live by the sword, so he tries to fix the situation for the army in the Exalted plains and refugees in the Emerald Graves. But he leaves the elves alone and doesn't explore the spooky mansion. He is not fond of magic or occult rituals, so he doesn't touch the Astrariums or Occularas. But he doesn't mind wall hangings, so he might grab the occasional mosaic but will not hunt down the whole set. 

 

Saerin is less interested in the public attention but is more likely to do things for a person. So she might hunt down a ram or take flowers to a grave. She also visits the Exalted plains and Emerald Graves, but only to contact and help her fellow elves and explore the beautiful woodlands. She also did not make the attempt to capture Caer Bronach or close the rift in Crestwood. She loves the occult and everything about magic, so she hunts down all magical knowledge she can find. 

 

Cressida is all about the money. So she captured all the keeps and made sure they were functional and well kept. But she did not go out of her way to fix the regions trouble if it did not benefit her coin wise. She also liked collecting stuff, like the shards, astrarium treasures and mosaics, but only those she stumbled upon. It was a hobby, but not a necessity. 

 

So basically, when I get a quest I ask myself, would my character follow up on this? If the answer is no, then the quest/area is skipped. If the answer is yes, then I ask myself, can I be bothered to do this quest? If the answer is no, then skip. If both answers are yes, then I do the quest. 

I hardly ever bother with the collection items. I also like to play in bursts. So maybe 20 minutes as Cadogan, then 10 minutes as Saerin, take a break and then maybe mess some more with Cadogans save. There are probably 3-4 years until the next game, so I am in no hurry to complete my save states. 

 

 

This is one of the more novel things I've heard.  Very interesting.

[NerdWithBigStick]

My playstyle is Explorer, so I do everything possible on the first playthrough. Even pick up those mosaic pieces, though I don't freak out if I can't get every last one due to a glitch.

Because of the (*cough* stupit *cough*) exclusive decision branches, I had to do a second PT to really experience every last drop of content.

In all subsequent PTs, I just do whatever seems like it would be fun in that moment. Since I know what to expect pretty much everywhere, it's all a stroll down memory lane.

I also make up new victory conditions to keep things from getting boring. Like, I did a no-crafting run on Nightmare. That was a lot of fun. It forces you to do side quests that reward you with some kind of good gear.

I'm doing a run now where I'm trying to do things in radically different order than I have before. Like, up until this PT, my Crestwood run would be all the side quests, including the dragon, first, and then complete Still Waters last. This time, I completed Still Waters first, so now I have the whole zone to explore in daylight! It's like a whole new map to me, being so used to the dark and rain from every other run.

 

The victory conditions are an interesting twist.  Kind of like your own self-imposed Trials, eh?

[NerdWithBigStick]

I do most everything, save that stupid puzzle in the exalted plains when the statues that shoot the laser beam to open the door.  Hold position never works.  I've done it twice and cannot be arsed to ever do it again because hold position sucks.  I turn around and find that Dorian is following me but not Sera or Cass (or whomever)  Actually, the exalted plains sucks in general and can just be removed from the game.  It is a craggy warzone and I hate it.  I digress.  I usually open the wastes as soon as I can after skyhold so that I can farm for purple metal and leather.  But other than that,  I don't have a specific order in which I do things.  In my current game I waited until way late to finish the Storm Coast.  Gemma doesn't like getting rained on. 

 

It seems like you are not alone in your dislike of the Exalted Plains - I did not care for that area, either.

[NerdWithBigStick]

I do everything, every play through. I can not help it. Maker save me. 

 

Yes, I am finding out that I have a little bit of ADD when it comes to DAI ... I start an area and say "Ok, I am just going to do this one thing" and I set my focus on the quest and even mark the map manually.  Not making it 300 feet I see something and I just have to go and click on it, then I see something else, and something else ... and before I know it I am lost and have gone completely off the path from my original destination.

[themikefest]

 All my playthroughs I do differently. I randomly do a quest when I feel like doing the quest. The one thing I do that is the same is after getting to Skyhold, I head to the Hissing Wastes to do the quest Tomb of Fairel. It has some nice T3 schematics.

 

I did a playthrough by doing everything possible before getting to Skyhold that got me to level 14.

 

I've even did a fast playthrough on the ps3.

 

One playthrough I did with only Cassandra, Varric and Solas. Didn't recruit anyone. Did another playthrough by recruiting the others after getting to Skyhold. Get some interesting dialogue when recruiting Blackwall, if Varric and Cassandra is in your party. Even had different dialogue from Sera when recruiting her after getting to Skyhold.

 

My next playthrough won't happen until I get a ps4 to play the descent and trespasser dlc's. That won't happen any time soon.

[sjsharp2011]

 All my playthroughs I do differently. I randomly do a quest when I feel like doing the quest. The one thing I do that is the same is after getting to Skyhold, I head to the Hissing Wastes to do the quest Tomb of Fairel. It has some nice T3 schematics.

 

I did a playthrough by doing everything possible before getting to Skyhold that got me to level 14.

 

I've even did a fast playthrough on the ps3.

 

One playthrough I did with only Cassandra, Varric and Solas. Didn't recruit anyone. Did another playthrough by recruiting the others after getting to Skyhold. Get some interesting dialogue when recruiting Blackwall, if Varric and Cassandra is in your party. Even had different dialogue from Sera when recruiting her after getting to Skyhold.

 

My next playthrough won't happen until I get a ps4 to play the descent and trespasser dlc's. That won't happen any time soon.

Yeah this tends to be how I approach the sidemissions too The main missions I tend to stick to the same order though

[PapaCharlie9]

The victory conditions are an interesting twist.  Kind of like your own self-imposed Trials, eh?

 

Exactly.

 

Another one I did, before Trials came along, was to get the Dragon Hunter achievement at the lowest possible XP level, on Nightmare. My first try, I was level 19 after killing the tenth dragon. Second try, level 18. Another XP level could probably be shaved off of that, I killed too many spiders trying to get mats for Dragon-Slaying runes.

 

Of course, with the Take It Slow trial now, it should be quite easy to beat that level 18 record. By a lot.