168 réponses à ce sujet

[Agni108]

Brogan made it through Ostragar and Lothering without major mishap. The plan this time around is to do lots of sidequests, and do the early parts of several treaty quests, before facing any major bosses. The initial goal, besides leveling up, making money, and boosting stats is to obtain level 12 for master stealth for both himself and Lelianna. The focus so far has been on bow skills, with a minor focus on dual weilding skills. Arrow of Slaying will be my boss killer and Scatter Shot will be my crowd control.



Brogan bought Spellward amulet as his first major purchase. Second major purchase in Ozzamar was Shadow of the Empire armor. He then obtained the Key to the City, and completed the Shale adventure for the Harvest Ring and Honnaleath Helm.



While running around Denerim he got an opportunity to start the Crows quests, even though he had not been attacked yet by Kevran. I thought that the Kevran encounter had to occur before the Crows quests would become available, but I guess not. Brogan specifically sided with Bhelen (at least Initially) so that he would have access to the Palace before Deep Roads--for these quests. Red Jenny Seekers and grandmaster Dweomer rune are the target.

[castaftw]

Wanted to try this for a while so today I did.

Intro:
I want to try out nightmare solo no reload and I do not expect to do this in the first couple of tries, but here goes. I have all dlc, use advanced tactics, and a mod that refunds talents when you start a new character but otherwise no mods other than hair/face mods.

I wanted to find out what character I should focus on and thought that a dwarf rogue ranger with combat stealth would seal the deal. I started up the noble origin and beat the proving by kiting a little with pinning shot. Progressed through the story with no combat and ended up in the abandoned thaig we all know and I was really not looking forward to soloing this because I knew that I would face multiple groups designed for a party of 4. I killed the first few darkspawn but was really missing a lot of shots even though I maxed out dex, so even here I had to use a health pot to survive. This was not looking good but I decided to continue. I picked up the last dwarf and with a lot of care pulled mobs 1 at a time and even killed the genlock alpha although he was pretty powerful. Now I reached the critical point where you have to kill the mercenaries and here I found out that I didn't stand a chance with only 1 health pot and a small grease trap, I tried kiting a bit but was ultimately slain by the elite and his two melee followers that I had to face at once...

This was a pretty quick defeat so I decided to start up a mage instead since I knew they had an easier start for a solo and a wide range of spells later which might lead to victory. I have soloed a mage through nightmare before, but with reloads, and I know that bosses and elites can't be cc'ed for long. This time I will abuse anything I can from game mechanics and spam pots just to stay alive the whole time and I will try to play it safe when I know there is a lot of danger.

Character start:
Maxed out magic and will only put points in magic from now on because I want a killer spellpower and because pots get benefits from it. I picked winters grasp because I like the spell and because you can exploit los with it. I picked lightning bolt and shock because I want a lot of damage and aoe. My planned specializations are blood mage and arcane warrior in that order, I will also try to obtain reapers vestments and lifegiver asap.

Origin: Really not much to point out here, killed the monsters in the fade and killed the rage demon with no problems (winters grasp yay). Also cleared the spider cave with no problems, but up untill now everything was also intended to solo... Now I got to the circle basement which was a little tougher, I knew that the caster ghosts had stone fist so I had to take them out quickly, I got a level up in the fade and one in the cellar where i picked flame blast and glyph of paralysis, so I paralyzed the casters and killed them off before they could cast a spell. I tanked a bit of melee damage so I had to use a couple of pots along the way. At the end I killed off the elite and his 2 minions by paralyzing him and placing my 2 aoe spells on them all and following up with single nukes, not really much of a problem.

Wilds: I knew this one would be a little tough, because genlock archers with fire arrows actually pack a punch on nightmare and there was of course the feared emissary with his fireball, therefore I bought 99 flasks from the vendor in ostagar before heading off so I could make a lot of pots with alchemy. Killed off most mobs in the wilds with no problems, mostly by getting out of los with the fire archers and using winters grasp if they refused to hunt me further. I skipped the alpha wolf since I didn't want to try my luck vs overwhelm. Along the way I got a level up and took glyph of warding which helped me tank a little. I reached the emissary and immediatly attacked him so he would start running, then I finished off the stealth genlocks and ran back to come out of combat. After the emissary returned to his post on the bridge i paralyzed him and ran straight up to his face and started nuking him, this time he didn't run and he didn't use his fireball (because I was so close I think) and he died with little problems. Now I went straight for the end of the wilds and managed to winters grasp kill the two ranged hurlocks without them firing a shot and without aggroing the elite and his two other melee minions. After healing up I pulled the trio and paralyzed the elite and finished them off with my aoe and single target spells no problem at all.

Up untill now I have had little problems, but I look forward to the tower of ishval and especially the ogre at the end.

I plan to get glyph of repulsion, fireball and cone of cold in that order for the next few levels. Because cc is really all that will keep me alive.

Modifié par castaftw, 13 mars 2010 - 01:06 .

[castaftw]

My mage still lives and now the tower of ishval is done.



Tower: I kept my distance and used glyph of repulsion on the doorways and a few repulsion+paralysis combos to get to the ogre which is pretty much the only interesting part of the tower.

I picked up fireball just before the ogre which was a part of my tactics. I had shifted between getting living bomb or fireball for a dot when i kited the ogre, but I landed on fireball because it would be most useful later on with the knockdown. I parked my party on the stairs hoping they would not interfere, cast a fireball at the ogre followed up by a g.o. paralysis and managed a fireblast before the stun ran out. Now I basicly ran around in a circle and everytime paralysis was up and not resisted I followed up with fireball and repeated that over and over. Lucky for me the ogre didn't manage a grab or ram on me which would have surely meant death. Near the end when the ogre was almost dead my g.o. paralysis had been resisted twice and I suddenly lost aggro and the ogre started going for my passive party, I launched a fireball and my single target nukes which ended up in a dead ogre, but I think one of the npcs managed a hit or something, for now my mage has only done 99% of party damage. Nevertheless that was a long fight and I am glad it succeeded despite the weird ending.



Next I will move on to Lothering and I am confident that I can manage with my current spells.I still need to get cone of cold which I will pick up in Lothering if I get to level 8.

[Agni108]

Nice job castaftw. You are a braver soul than I to try a mage solo Nightmare no reload. But I suspect it can be done, eventually.

[Andorfiend]

I think I'll give this a shot, although I don't expect to get very far, I die all the time. Considering the my lack of mad skillz compared to the rest of you brave sods I'm not going to gimp myself more than I have to. So I'll be trying a mage on Normal with a full party. I still don't expect to get very far. ;p

With DLC and my only mod fixes the Ancient Elven boots glitch.
 
Human mage, Arcane Warrior, Not sure on the second spec assuming I make it to 14. Concentrating on magic of course with about 1/3 tossed to will.

Modifié par Andorfiend, 13 mars 2010 - 05:56 .

[fchopin]

After Lothering i decided to do Shale but got the dreaded wolves pack for the random fight.

Both Alistair and Leliana got killed and Morrigan and my pc just about survived, was very lucky as my pc was nearly wiped out. This was at level 7 or 8. Morrigan did not have cone of cold so this was very difficult.



How bioware can put such a fight at this level and call it balanced is beyond me.



Anyway did the Shale quest and picked up Shale and now i am thinking of doing the circle, not sure if i am strong enough to survive but if i can make it past the circle there will be very little to bother me for the next few quests.

[Fishy]

I remember dying on my level 64 barbarian on hardcore (Diablo was released for some month so not much ppl was hacking and soj was ruling) .. It's was some epic face palming.



Also geez Agni .. level 1 and 100 gold lol .. I did not know you could get 75 gold from the old fart.

[highcastle]

Alright, Eoin just made it through Ostagar and Lothering without any mishaps. We had a bit of a close call with the bandits outside Lothering, but Eoin managed to stay on his feet. *sigh* My gameplan is to head to Redcliffe and do that quest line first, then a bunch of sidequests before heading to the Circle Tower. I don't want to hit Sacred Ashes or Orzammar until I'm good and leveled.

[byronb23]

Alrighty in these three days i have completed roughly 3/4 the main quests. I have recruited the werewolves, the mages, and are halfway through the other two. Ive only had one close encounter when i wasnt paying attention, but so far 0 deaths =D.

[castaftw]

So far so good, Lothering is now done with.



After travelling from ostagar I met dog and a lot of darkspawn, I launched a fireball at the boss and made a paralyzing combo afterward, a few single target spells at the boss and then fireball again, they didn't really have a chance although my new friend, Tristan might have been burned a little...



Lothering: Upon entering I had initially thought I could persuade the bandits to leave me alone, but one of them was not scared by a mage and attacked, I was a bit surprised, but managed to kill them while standing in a repulsion glyph relatively unharmed. I picked up the bandit quest at the chantry board and completed the tavern encounter and picked up the blackstone quests while at it.



When encountering the refugees I ran around a bit unill they were all clustered up for a good fireball, then hit repulsion glyph on myself and finished them off.



1st bandit wave I opened with a fireball and took cover behind a tree.I focused on killing the dogs first, but I got hit by a charge anyway and just barely managed to survive spamming health pot and cursing 2nd wave with the elite was also pretty grim, I almost ran the entire way back to lothering kiting him and the archers before he finally died. I skipped the spiders because I didn't feel like testing out their web for a couple of exp points. Killed the 3rd wave of bandits with a paralyze+repulsion combo first focusing the archers and then keeping my distance.



Skipped the wolf quest because of overwhelm but completed the bear quest with no problem. Hit the darkspawn with a paralyze+repulsion combo and killed them off and by the time I hit the camp I was about level 7.5. I picked up arcane tome from vendor and finally got cone of cold.



Now I have aquired my bread and butter spells, the most important parts of my build. I am a bit unsure what spells I will go for first, but eventually I want spell wisp, mana clash line and animate dead line. One thing is for sure though, I need blood wound at level 14, it is imo the best and most overpowered spell in the game and I will be sure to use it all the time... if I even reach that level.



Anyway next I will move on to the circle of the magi, hopefully my low level and the wonders of level scaling will make all the templars not have holy smite yet, because that one is a sure death of my mage.



Also the sloth demon in the fade will be very interesting, I had a lot of reloads on my other mage solo nightmare run and I think I will need a lot of luck to pull it off, especially the ogre form... Uldred is imo much easier, but still a hard encounter.

[Agni108]

Brogan put the Circle off till he had spell resists of 70+. Both the Fade Demon and Uldred love to spam crushing prison. But I think the mage class gets a nice +spell resist buff so you will probably be ok. I suspect you are more worried about the Ogre form anyway.

Modifié par Agni108, 14 mars 2010 - 01:47 .

[fchopin]

Well just died in the fade while doing the circle, the room with the 4 or 5 mages.



Looks like my rogue will have to use stealth to get past some of the danger areas with mages.



Never used stealth or traps in my games before but it’s the only way to make sure you survive some of the encounters with mages.



I will probably start another game in a few days and try a different way.

[Agni108]

Sorry for your loss. Stealth is the win in a solo run. Unless you have 100% spell resistance its almost required in battles with multiple high level mages. While 100% spell resistance is possible for a rogue, it doesnt come until later in the game. That particular room (with the fire at the doorway) is a killer. What I typically do is to open the door from the side, using stealth, shoot one of the mages through the door with a bow, then immediately put on burning man form and run back to the previous room/hallway, and blast them with fireballs as they approach. This takes care of the ones near the door, then you can enter the room without eating mutliple spells, and pick them off.

Traps can also be wonderful. The fight with the Ogre boss in the Fade comes to mind. Lay a couple of large claw traps in the door/hallway just before his room, then when he spawns hightail it back through that door and shoot him a few times with a bow. You can kite him that way. Better than getting multiple rams, which he is really good at. I think 3 traps will actually kill him.

The same thing goes for the Ogre form of the Sloth demon. Lay down a few traps before you talk to the demon, and the Ogre will get caught in them when he spawns. He is much harder to kill with traps, but a few well placed bow shots should do the trick while he is caught.

The other place I commonly use traps is the final boss fight in the Deserted Building encounter in Denerim. Before you enter the room lay some traps between his door and the door to his bedroom. After the cut-scene stealth (master stealth req) and then run back through the door into the ante-room. Shoot him through the door with a bow to lure him into your traps, then run into the bedroom. If the traps dont kill him, then he will be severely weakened and one set of attacks after a stun should finish him off.

Modifié par Agni108, 14 mars 2010 - 06:32 .

[elearon1]

This is virtually my default play style. In my current game I messed up and had to kill Wynn ... didn't like having to do it, but I made my choices and wasn't going back on them. That same playthrough I had to break up with Morrigan because I couldn't stand hurting Leliana's feelings and played very carefully at keeping Zev on the side without damaging my other relationships.

[highcastle]

Eoin made it safely through Redcliffe with no issues. Our first real test was the Zevran encounter. I had Morrigan, Al, and my loyal mabari in my party. All three got themselves promptly killed. I thought for sure my challenge would end right then, but I managed to secure the high ground, take out the lingering mage with one shot from the Fox's Bow, and then slice through the remaining travelers. I sucked down more health pots than I'm proud of, but at least we're still standing. Onto Honneleath to pick up Shale, then either to the Mage's Tower or Brecilian Forest. Haven't decided which yet.

[castaftw]

Haven't played so much lately but I am currently working on the fade part of circle of the magi.



Just picked up golem form and I am gonna work my way towards the sloth demon later on.



Tower: I have had little problems in the tower and the fade so far. Usually I have cleared rooms by opening with paralysis explosion, it seems the safest way by far. Some rooms you have vision over before even opening the door, and both glyph of paralysis and repulsion require no line of sight to cast. I had a long fight with the boss abomination which took some pots to finish but otherwise nothing has really caused me problems. I was also right about the templars they do not cast holy smite at my current level which is 8. I am no expert on level scaling, but I seriously hope that neither the sloth demon nor uldred will cast crushing prison on me, because then I will surely die.

[Agni108]

Casta you may be safe from the Sloth Demon, but Im pretty sure Uldred will be casting crushing prison if he gets a chance. Correct me if I am wrong.

[Lord Aravail]

I've decided to try this on my new playthrough, using Thayer, an elven Mage. This is my first time on nightmare difficulty (so far I've done normal twice and hard once) but I plan on being an AW/BM (first time using either spec) so it still shouldn't be too difficult after I reach certain point. I've made it through the Mage Origin so far, relying on Jowan and Lily to distract the Sentinels while I fire off spells from the back (first two fire spells, drain life, and arcane bolt). Only once did my other two party members die, but I took down the last sentinel before he became an actual threat. The spiders in the caves actually came closer to ending my challenge, since you have to solo that part. I've actually had to rely on a couple of potions (and their equivalent in the Fade) to get through, which is fun considering that I've never really had to use many pots in the past. This run seems more challenging (in a good way) than any since my very first, when I had no idea what the heck I was doing.



I'm not using any mods, but I have all the DLC besides Return to Ostagar, which I do plan on installing at some point in the near future.

[Blind Visionary]

I'm reviving this thread. The No-Reload Challenge thread in the Baldur's Gate forums was/is awesome, and we should definitely have one for Dragon Age.

I hereby enter Ghislain -- a tragic figure born in a brothel only to be shunned for his strange ability to kindle fire in his cradle. He was shipped off to the Circle at an early age, where he now struggles to find meaning in his life. He walks the razor's edge between his responsibilities as an apprentice and his desire to be free. Only his fear of execution by the templars keeps his lower nature in check, and the tranquils' ale is his only solace some nights.

Added rules I'm voluntarily applying to make this more interesting and more tragic:

1) Any character that dies will be dismissed (or if that's impossible, will have tactics that force them not to participate in any action.) Wynne is the only exception, because of the peculiarity of her situation.

2) I am using three mods: one that allows me to have my dog at all times. One that makes the potion cooldown time longer. (Its ridiculous that you can guzzle potions through a whole battle.) And one that lets me allocate stat points and attributes for all characters manually.

3) Nightmare difficulty.

4) I have not played the game past 25 percent completion, so if I get past where I have been before, it will be an on-sight no-reload challenge. (Minus any spoilers I might pick up on in here accidentally). I don't know how to unlock a lot of the specializations for example, and I'd appreciate if you don't tell me intentionally.

5) I will update you all on Ghislain's journey in narrative form periodically, purely for my own entertainment. I encourage anyone else so inspired to do the same with their entry.

Let the drama begin.

Modifié par Blind Visionary, 01 juillet 2010 - 07:42 .

[Blind Visionary]

Day 1

I have to give it to Jowan. I thought he was only good for helping me sneak ale from the stockroom. But his antics with Lily meshed perfectly with my desperation to be free. I cannot believe he succeeded. And I cannot believe my good fortune that Duncan has spared me from the executioner's blade for my role in the deed. I am free, at least for now, to find my own future outside of the Circle. I can only hope that I have not traded one prison for another. To Ostagar.

Modifié par Blind Visionary, 01 juillet 2010 - 05:52 .

[Blind Visionary]

Day 2



I am trapped. Gagging on the taste of darkspawn blood. Jory and Daveth are dead. I was and remain cornered by this overbearing, dangerous and stone-faced warden, Duncan. If I had a choice, I would have said no. All I want is to find a village and some ale. And be free of the Templars, the Wardens and this whole bloody farce.



I've tried to slip out of the gates and escape into the wilds, to no avail. It seems I have no choice but to attend this war council and face an ocean of these hell-children belching upwards from the Deep Roads.



I still remember the taste of fire as the emissary on the bridge blasted us backward. My magics weren't quite enough to paralyze him, and the air exploded all around us. Somehow we made it to cover and pulled through -- but for what? Another opportunity to die?



Maybe I can slip out from the front lines before the battle begins.

[getBECKd]

Well, I failed. Got to the ogre in the tower of Ishal. Didn't die. But, because somewhere along the line I developed an obsession with the nifty death animations featuring my character and only my character I reloaded after killing the ogre (the mage accompanying me killed him while I was flat on my can).



I didn't even think before I reloaded, it was a reflex.



D'oh.



I'll try again on my next play through.

[Blind Visionary]

Hello BECKd,

Welcome to the challenge. After a while, you may find that your reflex is to restart the game when you die. I find that the experience takes on a new, sharper edge, with more sweat and tears. Granted, I've been playing for months and I still haven't made it more than a quarter of the way through. They don't call it the "no-reload easy." I look forward to hearing more of your adventures (and those of anyone else who wants to join in).
===

Day 3 -- Journal of Ghislain

It seems I live to see another day. I was surprised to awake in Morrigan's hut in the wilds this morning. The last I remember, arrows pierced my chest and hellspawn were swarming up the stairs of the tower. By all rights, I should be dead.

Flemeth refuses to explain why she saved us. Two of us at least. The ogre crushed the crossbowman, flinging his broken body against the wall of the tower. Flemeth says she had no room to carry the other soldier. I can only assume he lies dead, or worse. Just like the King and Duncan and all the rest. Food for crows.

I've told Alastair that I want none of this. I just want to get away from here, find a quiet village, and try to recapture some semblance of a normal life. Work in the light of the sun. Finish my evenings with some ale, music and dancing. Without the templars, or the damnable circle tower.

Alastair maintains that we must stop the blight. I tell him that it is a suicide mission, but he does not listen.
Morrigan is joining us at Flemeth's request. While I'm glad for the company, I can't fathom her motivation. I tell her we are likely to die, and it would be best to just get out of Ferelden. She'd rather go to Denerim and assasinate Loghain. Madness.

First we're to go to Lothering. That seems like the right direction for now, but the first opportunity I get, I'm going to leave this all behind. What has Ferelden given me? I owe her nothing.

Modifié par Blind Visionary, 03 juillet 2010 - 06:13 .

[Blind Visionary]

Day 4 -- Journal of Ghislain

If it is not those ugly genlocks, it is bandits, soldiers and wolves. Lothering turned out to hold little peace for me. I must move on.

Alastair and Morrigan bickered over our plans all the way here. I just headed straight for the inn and the ale. But before I could even walk up to the bar, some of Loghain’s soldiers decided to start a fight. The common room was an exceedingly unfortunate location – most of the furniture now lies in ashes, and many of the patrons and refugees are nursing hideous burns. I chose to prioritize my own survival over the safety of those inside the building. I’m not welcome there any longer, to say the least.

Another group of refugees thought to claim a bounty that Loghain has put out upon my head. Their charred bodies litter the field.

Three others have joined the group. A dog that seems to love me; Leliana, a lay sister of the Chantry who appears to be some kind of assassin, and a strange Qunari that I couldn’t stand to see caged. (Reminded me too much of my prison in the Circle tower.) I think the dog would follow me anywhere, suicide mission or no. Leliana says that the Maker guided her to join me so that she could help stop the Blight. And the Qunari thinks that he can find absolution for some crime by dying in battle with the darkspawn. I think they’re all insane.

If they want to follow, they can come with me into the wilds. I’m going as far as I can get from what looks like certain death. Let someone else deal with this mess.

Modifié par Blind Visionary, 03 juillet 2010 - 04:33 .

[tuppence95]

Blind Visionary, you have pulled me out of my Lurker status at this forum. I don't think I'm ready for your no reload challenge, but I'm enjoying reading your adventures. They are well-written.