81 replies to this topic

[Bigdawg13]

I found rogues to be the most fun.  I say this because I get bored and switch things up.  Rogue is the only class that lets you swap from melee to range.  Templar was a close second because I could dish out a lot of AoE damage, but I could also spell purge and heal up the group.  Champion was probably the most boring.  At least with mages you can swap between damage and control. 

 

As for rogue specializations.  I think Tempest was best in how different it plays between archer and dual wield.  Artificer starts feeling more like you are always throwing bombs regardless of weapon type.  And Assassin becomes a one-trick one.  At least to me.  But dual wield tempest you use flask of frost and then get your own cross-class combos.  You can use flask of lightning for all kinds of utility.  Switch over to archer and you drop flask of frost for other skills.  You can spam leaping shot up against a building for tremendous damage.  I admit the Artificer has similar play style for archery, but it's hard to let go of flask of frost as duel wield.  So...much...fun.

[PapaCharlie9]

I found rogues to be the most fun.  I say this because I get bored and switch things up.  Rogue is the only class that lets you swap from melee to range.  Templar was a close second because I could dish out a lot of AoE damage, but I could also spell purge and heal up the group.  Champion was probably the most boring.  At least with mages you can swap between damage and control. 

 

As for rogue specializations.  I think Tempest was best in how different it plays between archer and dual wield.  Artificer starts feeling more like you are always throwing bombs regardless of weapon type.  And Assassin becomes a one-trick one.  At least to me.  But dual wield tempest you use flask of frost and then get your own cross-class combos.  You can use flask of lightning for all kinds of utility.  Switch over to archer and you drop flask of frost for other skills.  You can spam leaping shot up against a building for tremendous damage.  I admit the Artificer has similar play style for archery, but it's hard to let go of flask of frost as duel wield.  So...much...fun.

 

I completely agree about DW Tempest, but there's something to be said for switching to Archer from time to time. Flask of Fire/Flaming Chain plus 6 or 7 damage skills is remarkably versatile and satisfying. You could do the same with DW, but I get more synergies with Archer, like Leaping Shot to Long Shot for bonus damage.

[frogkisser]

I completely agree about DW Tempest, but there's something to be said for switching to Archer from time to time. Flask of Fire/Flaming Chain plus 6 or 7 damage skills is remarkably versatile and satisfying. You could do the same with DW, but I get more synergies with Archer, like Leaping Shot to Long Shot for bonus damage.

 

Oh man, Flask of Fire and then spam Explosive Shot? Some Inquisitors just want to watch the world burn....

[Valerius]

I love being in the middle of the fight and not worrying about having to sneak attack from one enemy to the other, so rogue for the most part is out for me. Personally, I can't decide between a reaver warrior and a knight enchanter mage (one that does not use spirit blade)/rift mage. I finally got off spring quarter and have some time before summer intersession so I'm planning on doing a nightmare all trials run, but I'm not sure which would preform better between the three specializations I mentioned earlier. 

[Bigdawg13]

I love being in the middle of the fight and not worrying about having to sneak attack from one enemy to the other, so rogue for the most part is out for me. Personally, I can't decide between a reaver warrior and a knight enchanter mage (one that does not use spirit blade)/rift mage. I finally got off spring quarter and have some time before summer intersession so I'm planning on doing a nightmare all trials run, but I'm not sure which would preform better between the three specializations I mentioned earlier. 

 

You'd like Tempest then.  They can drop stealth if wanted.  Flask of Frost and Flask of Lightning offer plenty of utility and help you to survive.

[PapaCharlie9]

You'd like Tempest then.  They can drop stealth if wanted.  Flask of Frost and Flask of Lightning offer plenty of utility and help you to survive.

I dropped stealth as an active from my DW Tempest, never missed it. Of course, I could still get a free move to stealth from Flank Attack.

[DementedSheep]

My first play through was as a duel wield rouge which was fun. I didn't play with the archer skills much as I don't generally play archers in games where you don't have to aim. However I'm currently playing a archer and it's a lot more fun than I thought.

I didn't want be sitting on the edge of battle just firing off skills however it's more interactive (or can be, you can just sit at range with longshot) than I thought. I'm not that far in with so I don't have a lot of skills yet (though I've been playing around with skills via respec) but even still, you have to watch your positioning to get the most out of it because range, elevation and flanking makes a difference. You can pick off high priority targets (like mages) at the  start with full draw, go though multiple enemies with a well lined up lancer long shot, use explosive shot for spreading poison and knockdown, use leaping shot as an escape, to spread poison, a single target knockdown with the upgrade or like a shotgun. You can more easily keep and eye on the whole battle field and your character won't die if you stop controlling them for a little while (provided you're not in the thick of it of course) so it makes tactical use of your companions skills and defending backliners easier. I'm considering specing into artificer and using hock and tackle + traps + leaping shot for hit and run. The only issue is long cooldowns on skills but I think I can fix that later. And of course If I get bored of this I can just respec to DW for a while. 

 

I've also played mage but they are disappointing for a mage  and they are rooted in place while they attack.

[Almila_Lavellan]

I think being knight-enchanter is great. It is a powerful specialization for mages with all these passive abilities that have bonus on barrier.

[sjsharp2011]

I think being knight-enchanter is great. It is a powerful specialization for mages with all these passive abilities that have bonus on barrier.

yeah that's the main reason why I like Knight enchanter too. I'm  going to make my Lara one anyone messes with her gets a spirit blade right through the stomach. That's assuming she dosen't set their hair on fire first

[draken-heart]

Any class CAN be fun. It all depends on the player. I mainly have a hard time deciding on any class specifically, for some odd reason. I can never stick to any one class, and have yet to actually complete the game (came close a few times, but ended up re-rolling).

[Bigdawg13]

My ranking by fun:

1. Rift Mage
2. Artificer Archer
3. Tempest DW or Archer
4. Knight-Enchanter Mage with Blade of Tidarion for melee
5. Templar 2H
6. Champion 2H
7. Pyro Necro

The rest I haven't played enough to have an opinion about.

 

If you don't mind me asking, why was Pyro Necro (#7) your least favorite compared to other mage specializations (#1 and #4)?

[Lazarillo]

It's close between two for me:

Sword-and-Board Templar was my first, and it took me a while just to try other things because I kept defaulting back to that and enjoying it. It felt like the best choice for general exploration, what demons being such consistent open-world enemies with all the rifts about, and such, not to mention the one-person combo, and Warrior in general is a preference for the ability to build Guard taking the place of post-combat healing (something I feel this game sorely missed, after the first two...I don't care about healing spells, but I like to feel that I'm going into every fight at my best).

The only disadvantage was that it gives fewer party options, since IMO, having more than two melee fighters is really kind of problematic in fights, so my second favorite was probably my Archerficer. Zipping around the battlefield, raining endless arrows and mines with plenty of range options turned out to be a lot of fun, but without taking advantage of the old Fade-Touched Silverite, it wasn't as fun from a leadership role, since I couldn't be the first to jump in quite as often.

A sort of dishonorable mention to Mages, which are always useful to the party but which I found not so fun to play as directly. Part of that probably due to being on Nightmare with Walk Softly, so bad luck with elemental resistances could ruin my day, and Barrier being useful but not something I wanted to micromanage. That said, I might try it again on a lower difficulty for less resistance shenanigans and hopefully more fun, if only I could find a Storm build that I liked...the tree seems so cool, but I can't find a way to play it that's fun for me.

[sjsharp2011]

I see that you have quite an experience with archers! But might I ask how you kept with it? At the beginning, I found it to be boring to keep pressing the left click all the time with little to no action

I think i tdepends on the type of character you want to be because mage unless your playing a Knight Enchanter can be like that as well. I've not played an archer al lthe way through DAI yet only a little bit through the prologue. Although I do have an archer playthrough planned but that's for when I've done my femaledwarven dual wielder which is my next hero after Lara.

[PapaCharlie9]

If you don't mind me asking, why was Pyro Necro (#7) your least favorite compared to other mage specializations (#1 and #4)?

It's not that Pyro Necro is bad -- far from it. It arguably does more damage than the other two mage specs -- combined. I just don't have much fun playing it. Totally personal preference. Spirit Mark's visuals are too noisy for my taste. Panicked enemies can sometimes be annoying, since they run out of the field of battle right when you're ready to take them down, so that kind of puts a damper on Horror. I don't like the Simulacrum mechanic -- I'd rather not die in the first place. I do admit that triggering Walking Bomb is extremely satisfying, though.

In comparison, current-day KE kind of sucks DPS-wise, even with Blade of Tidarion or using it purely as a Fire/Ice mine spammer. But, I have a lot more fun playing it. I kind of get the same vibe as a 2H warrior, which is why both Warrior specs on my list are 2H. And I can entertain myself all day with Fade Cloak.

Rift Mage: smashing mooks with green fists of Fade fury. Nuff said.

[Aliceeverafter]

they all are. there are no really boring ones because it's personal choice.

me i like warriors cos i like bashing stuff,

and mages because i like pretty fireworks

and rogues because they're fun as archers and sneaky sneakers.

Play em all. Live a little

[Bigdawg13]

I've decided to rank my own here as well.  From favorite to least favorite.

1. Tempest
2. 2H Templar
3. Rift Mage
4. Necromancer
5. 2H Champion
6. Assassin
7. Artificer Archer
8. Knight Enchanter
9. Reaver

What makes something fun for me?  It's a tough question.  But I think it comes down to 2 things.  Versatility and Control. 

 

I get bored...fast.  So a class that can mix things up a bit is great.  It's why Tempest is #1 for me.  They can switch from ranged or melee easily.  Tempest offers great control through Flask of Frost, and the utility of Flask of Lightning is amazing.  It's also why I prize the Templar above all other warrior classes.  Spell Purge is really clutch for removing barriers, nasty spell effects, dragon lightning rings, etc. 

 

I'd say of all the above, the one entry in the list that is so debatable to me, is the Rift Mage being #3.  I hate feeling locked out of shock effect.  I know people can just ignore it, but the mana regen deficit is very noticable IMHO.  Lightning Cage, and lightning staves, are quite common and in some cases very useful against certain creatures.  And being locked out of such a great element is just sad.  Fire and Ice sounds fun, but after 50 hours I want to mix things up a bit.  And as a Rift Mage you feel like you really have to sink your teeth all in to the tree.  Both the Necromancer and Knight Enchanter are a great deal more flexible. 

 

A few notes on the guys on the bottom of the list.  They are my least favorite.  Reavers...it's fun...for a while.  But then you realize you have almost no control or utility.  The best fun for a 2H warrior comes at the start of the game.  Grappling Chain + Give 'em the boot + Mighty Blow is just so much fun.  And then one day, you realize you are spamming dragon rage and devour, toggling a pain-in-the-butt buff on and off.  Your weapon sits on your back...like an heirloom weapon on the wall of your room.  They should have done something else with Dragon Rage.  Like give your weapon a dragon-red glow or catch on fire, or something else.  It's boring.  It's only control is a random fear which more often than not leaves you frustrated and chasing the person around. 

 

As for Knight Enchanters.  Last time I thoroughly played one, it was before the big changes to the class.  Yes, I was spamming Spirit Blade a lot.  I have considered coming back to try it out again, but I just don't think I'll enjoy it.  I guess I should give it another try. 

[Bigdawg13]

It's not that Pyro Necro is bad -- far from it. It arguably does more damage than the other two mage specs -- combined. I just don't have much fun playing it. Totally personal preference. Spirit Mark's visuals are too noisy for my taste. Panicked enemies can sometimes be annoying, since they run out of the field of battle right when you're ready to take them down, so that kind of puts a damper on Horror. I don't like the Simulacrum mechanic -- I'd rather not die in the first place. I do admit that triggering Walking Bomb is extremely satisfying, though.

In comparison, current-day KE kind of sucks DPS-wise, even with Blade of Tidarion or using it purely as a Fire/Ice mine spammer. But, I have a lot more fun playing it. I kind of get the same vibe as a 2H warrior, which is why both Warrior specs on my list are 2H. And I can entertain myself all day with Fade Cloak.

Rift Mage: smashing mooks with green fists of Fade fury. Nuff said.

 

I only ask as I'm debating between mage specs on my next playthrough.  Rift Mage is fun because of the control it offers as well as bountiful mana regen.  But I always get frustrated when I start mixing in anything that causes shock debuff (lightning staves, lightning cage, lightning bolt).  It's not just my Rift Mage either, but every other mage in the party has to avoid these things unless I want to lose my mana regen buff. 

 

Necromancer is fun to me, because it only really requires Walking Bomb.  It doesn't have a core mechanic conflict with a status debuff.  Rather, the only conflict is between two passives (simulcrum and guardian spirit).  And it is fun to watch bodies blow up into little bloody parts everywhere.  ....    Maybe I need mental help. 

[PapaCharlie9]

I only ask as I'm debating between mage specs on my next playthrough.  Rift Mage is fun because of the control it offers as well as bountiful mana regen.  But I always get frustrated when I start mixing in anything that causes shock debuff (lightning staves, lightning cage, lightning bolt).  It's not just my Rift Mage either, but every other mage in the party has to avoid these things unless I want to lose my mana regen buff. 
 
Necromancer is fun to me, because it only really requires Walking Bomb.  It doesn't have a core mechanic conflict with a status debuff.  Rather, the only conflict is between two passives (simulcrum and guardian spirit).  And it is fun to watch bodies blow up into little bloody parts everywhere.  ....    Maybe I need mental help.

Since you mentioned you get bored fast, I think that rules out Rift Mage. While I love that spec, it doesn't have much variation. Veilstrike, spam Stonefist, PotA on top of a Fire Mine for comedy relief. That's about it.

KE, on the other hand, gives you options. You can, in the same PT, be a melee mage and crush enemies with SB, BoT or Fade Cloak. Or, you can stay at range and go all elements: Static Cage + Energy Barrage + Searing Glyph + Winter's Ruin.

Pyro Necro also gives you options, but it's between CC and damage, which isn't the same axis as melee vs. range that you get out of Tempest, for example.

[Wulfram]

I find warrior the most fun for challenging gameplay, while Artificer or Knight Enchanter can be fun for overpoweredness.

[Bigdawg13]

Since you mentioned you get bored fast, I think that rules out Rift Mage. While I love that spec, it doesn't have much variation. Veilstrike, spam Stonefist, PotA on top of a Fire Mine for comedy relief. That's about it.

KE, on the other hand, gives you options. You can, in the same PT, be a melee mage and crush enemies with SB, BoT or Fade Cloak. Or, you can stay at range and go all elements: Static Cage + Energy Barrage + Searing Glyph + Winter's Ruin.

Pyro Necro also gives you options, but it's between CC and damage, which isn't the same axis as melee vs. range that you get out of Tempest, for example.

 

I'm a bit out-of-practice, but what is BoT again?  Don't forget KE mana regen depends on being close in battle to your enemies.  Sometimes I think I should just forgo specializations for mages altogether.  I'll watch some more KE videos. 

[HannahRose]

I'm a bit out-of-practice, but what is BoT again?  Don't forget KE mana regen depends on being close in battle to your enemies.  Sometimes I think I should just forgo specializations for mages altogether.  I'll watch some more KE videos. 

 

BoT = Blade of Tiderion. It's a staff that functions like a two-handed sword during normal attacks. As such, it's better suited for a play style that keeps you close to melee range, which makes it work well in tandem with the KE's other passives and/or active spells.

[Bigdawg13]

BoT = Blade of Tiderion. It's a staff that functions like a two-handed sword during normal attacks. As such, it's better suited for a play style that keeps you close to melee range, which makes it work well in tandem with the KE's other passives and/or active spells.

 

Ah yes.  How embarrassing.    I forgot.  Thank you.

https://forum.biowar...ght-enchanters/

[PapaCharlie9]

Don't forget KE mana regen depends on being close in battle to your enemies.

There are two regen passives. You're referring to Combat Clarity, but I find that Fade Shield, which is based on damage done, is the larger contributor to KE barrier-fu. Of course, it's more efficient to get both working for you at the same time, but I (meaning, Viv) seem to be able to get by at range with only Fade Shield NM+Trials.

[Bigdawg13]

There are two regen passives. You're referring to Combat Clarity, but I find that Fade Shield, which is based on damage done, is the larger contributor to KE barrier-fu. Of course, it's more efficient to get both working for you at the same time, but I (meaning, Viv) seem to be able to get by at range with only Fade Shield NM+Trials.

 

Doesn't Fade Shield just regen your barrier (not mana regen)?

 

http://dragonage.wik...d_(Inquisition)

[PapaCharlie9]

Doesn't Fade Shield just regen your barrier (not mana regen)?
 
http://dragonage.wik...d_(Inquisition)

I'm an idiot. I thought both were about barrier. I completely missed that Combat Clarity was mana regen, not barrier regen. And you said mana regen originally, but I read it as barrier regen.