Dragon Age: Origins gameplay and discussion thread.

[Krusader]

Here's what's exactly been done.
Quoting a user from the Bioware forum (no spoilers, the tags are there so that it remains neat) -


Here's a link to the thread.

Why do they keep slimming stuff down? They slim down RTS games, they slim down RPGs, they slim down shooters.....they slim down everything. Not cool.

Maybe they hope to keep the "traditional fans" while they slim down so more of the "RAAARGH! Why is there thinking involved, let me fight" crowd will buy the game.

[Mailman653]

IGN Awakening review, spoiler free

Though the main quest could probably be completed in a few days of focused play, exploring all the side quests and gathering up all the codex entries could take twice that time.

Sounds good to me!

Can someone explain how you port your character from the main game to the expansion? I've played through the game at least six times so does that mean I can only port the character I'm with now, or can I pick from my past characters?

[Meneldil]

You can pick any character you want. When you start a game, you have a choice: either you make a new Orlesian Warden, or you take any of the characters saved in your profile.

Note that, as Kekvit Irae said, a character using gear from DLC's (Warden's Keep, Prisonner of Stone or Return to Ostagar, and probably Blood Dragon Armor and other promotional items) will start naked.

[seireikhaan]

You can pick any character you want. When you start a game, you have a choice: either you make a new Orlesian Warden, or you take any of the characters saved in your profile.

Note that, as Kekvit Irae said, a character using gear from DLC's (Warden's Keep, Prisonner of Stone or Return to Ostagar, and probably Blood Dragon Armor and other promotional items) will start naked.

Its been odd for me. I got some of my DLC, but not all. eg- I started with the Helmet of Honleath, but did not get my two Warden's Keep-related swords. Also of note, items which I got from mods also came through.

[Kekvit Irae]

Its been odd for me. I got some of my DLC, but not all. eg- I started with the Helmet of Honleath, but did not get my two Warden's Keep-related swords. Also of note, items which I got from mods also came through.

Apparently, only The Stone Prisoner and Return to Ostagar import just fine without problems. Every other official DLC is hosed.

[seireikhaan]

Ok, finished the game. More compliment sandwhich:

Pros:

1) Game does a pretty solid job of making you want to end the game and see what happens. Seems like a solid choice presented to you right before the end.

2) Despite what I thought was overdoing it, in terms of upgrading armor and weapons, the final boss still presented a challenge.

3) NPC's behave a bit more realistically at a juncture point at the end, ended up having to fight two at once for it. However, radical choice was made, radical consequences to be expected.

Cons:

1) Game started looping on me after the final battle, with the cutscene not wanting to go away after it was done. Took hitting escape a lot to get out.

2) Game ends abruptly. I thought I'd get a bit more story, or at least see *character redacted, you'll know when you get there* again. But nope. I was hoping a few more things might get expanded upon, cleared up. Especially the concept of the Children were not explained, for some reason.

3) Related to 1, massive technical problems. Final battle took forever, due to enormous lag problems. Probably the memory leak thing. Very irksome, DA:O had no such problem.

4) In terms of enemies, there's not much new in concept. Some "new" enemies are basically re-skins of other enemies from DA:O

Pros, again:

1: End "credits"/epilogue seemed more thorough than DA:O was, on a per capita basis, anyways.

2) I rather liked the story, for the most part. They had a fair bit of good ideas. Only issue- see con #2.

3) Last few areas well designed, not an excessive dungeon crawl-fest to get to the last boss, unlike DA:O, which took roughly three years to get through the last battle.

[rajpoot]

I just realised it, there isn't any dog.....why? Where'd the dog go?

[Meneldil]

Apparently, an advertising shipped with the game shows the date 01.02.2011 and a blood dragon. DA2? Looks like it.

[Beskar]

Does anyone know how to edit a saved file so I can change a result of a quest? The game did a bug and it has really upset me, I will put it in spoilers.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

I went to the city and I got a quest from the smugglers to talk to this bar guy, I ultimately never did it anyway, since I got another quest from the guard to put an end to the smugglers. So I went around and killed the smugglers, etc etc. So I went to the guard to talk to him and he just goes "You are not better than a common murderer" "I don't want to talk to you". So I am sitting here going "What the..." and all the city guards go "Even Grey Wardens can be bought for gold". So yeah... now my entire city hates me, because the quests bugged and there is nothing I can do about it and if I want to correct it, I would have to re-do the whole expansion when I am most likely near the end of it. It has really frustrated me and it prevents me from even continuing the game, because it is utterly stupid that I should be penalised for something I didn't even do.

[frogbeastegg]

Played and completed. Awakenings was like a digest version of the main game; same general overview (forest area, deep road area, fade area, big battle area, etc) but more condensed and in some ways better for it. It felt like there was less filler; fewer repetitive battles, less slogging around desolate areas to fill in blanks on the map. I won't attempt to play through it a second time as I know I'd enjoy it a lot less.

It took me around 16 hours to do the main quest with nearly all of the side quests. I went back to an earlier save to try the other side of the big choice you make, so that’s some additional play time. Not bad.

Anders=Alistair with a different name, class and model. It's even the same voice actor, right? Or if not he sounds remarkably similar.

Lots more good banter dialogues. The characters I acquired early on were an interesting bunch. Nate and Anders were a golden pairing, both in terms of what they gave me in battle and in terms of banter. Sigrun was nice. Ogren managed to be mostly tolerable. Justice would have been more interesting if I'd had more time with him, as the game didn't give him much chance to talk to me. I couldn't stand that magic elf chick; constant vocal attitude and whining about everything, and she was an inferior mage compared to Anders anyway.

I started out with a newly built warrior/archer as planned, hit level 20 and decided it was not suited to me at all so I imported my rogue/dual wielder. Deadly in Origins, he became death incarnate in Awakenings. 36% of the total party damage belonged to him according to the heroic stats ... and everyone else had 7% or under. I walked all over everything the game threw at me; sky high dex plus all of the evasion boosting skills meant little could hit me, solid armour and a tonne of health meant the hits which did get through barely made me blink, and dual wielding a pair of ubered up weapons with massive bonuses to critical chance and damage and backstab damage meant I dealt good damage with my basic attack, meaning skills and modes could be saved for when they were most needed.

Awakenings feels like it should be the end of this particular entry into the Dragon Age universe. The story is tied up, the characters have been assigned detailed fates, and the game mechanics can't offer much more without some heavier tweaking. I've played as all 3 major character types, seen all 4 main endings for the basic game and both for Awakenings, got all of the achievements, and definitely feel like I am done. Time for a true sequel, not more DLC or expansions.

[Beskar]

Completed Awkening now myself. It is a pleasant expansion taking a total of 11:30 for the first playthrough. It left me inspired to re-do the entire game up to Awakening on a character, to trying make an experience out of it all. Possibly doing Awakening as a Cousland would bring up some very interesting choices.

[Crandaeolon]

Finished in around 15 hours with almost all sidequests. Sadly, the power creep and more uniform difficulty made the actual gameplay experience worse IMO - you start powerful and end up overpowered. There's pretty much not a single challenge in the whole game, and this on Nightmare. I didn't lose a single battle, and a party member was downed perhaps half a dozen times across the entire game. Even the endboss

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

was pathetically easy for an archer plucking away at long range, other party members nearby in hold position.

About archery... something is seriously wrong if the most effective way to play a class is to activate a couple of abilities and then keep auto-attacking. The dual-wielding Momentum rogue has at least a few useful combat Talents, but the archer is actually penalized for using Talents. Debilitating attacks mean little when any target dies in seconds, and using them is pretty much pointless anyways on the higher difficulties where debuff durations are extremely short.

In short I agree with Froggy, game mechanics need a serious overhaul. The new Mage abilities and specializations are especially ridiculous. More useful active Talents, less boring sustained abilities, nerf damage across the board, make status effects useful again.

[rajpoot]

Finished it now. Didn't do many side quests, just rushed through.
So first thought is, that putting in the rune crafting system in such a short expansion seems useless.
Second, they really have made the warrior class better. Of the two new specializations, the fade one is actually quite good for damage dealing.
Third, the epilogue was....very thorough. Though it kind of rubbished the Origins epilogue.
Spoiler about the epilogue-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Origins said that the Warden decided to pursue Morrigan....I was hoping that after Awakening, that'll be mentioned somehow in the end, but it wasn't.....all it said that the Warden vanished without a word.

[Kekvit Irae]

Alienware is giving away a free DLC shield in limited quantities. Around than 240,000 left.

Bulwark of the True King

Dragon Age: Origins Stats


* Tier 5
* +3 Willpower
* +2 Constitution
* +3 Defense
* +1 Armor

Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening Stats


* Tier 7
* +5 Willpower
* +3 Constitution
* +3 Defense
* +1 Armor
* Absorbs Damage

[Secura]

Wow, that's a nice shield; does it upgrade automatically if I upload my Origins Warden into Awakening?

I'm yet to get the latter, you see. :3

EDIT: Nevermind, it's North America only! :<

[Kekvit Irae]

Wow, that's a nice shield; does it upgrade automatically if I upload my Origins Warden into Awakening?

I'm yet to get the latter, you see. :3

EDIT: Nevermind, it's North America only! :<

I don't think it upgrades, but the code grants you two shields, one for Origins and one for Awakening, so it's possible you get a new one if you transfer a character into Awakening.

And as for the little NA-only problem, you could always get a Yank friend who doesn't play to sign up and give you his/her code.

[Secura]

It's also PC only, I have the game on 360. :<

I really should have read it better; I play a tanking character, saw it and got pretty excited (I got reallly unlucky with the Fade Wall shield), so kinda jumped on it with a reply without looking deeper into the link.

Thanks anyway! :P

[Kekvit Irae]

To those who read the codex entries, did anyone else notice Bioware pulled a "Mass Effect 2" on us with Awakening? Some codex entries don't match up with what I did in Origins.
Regarding Isolde: "She gave her life to free Connor from demonic possession." Uhh... no, she didn't. I didn't go all the way back to the Circle Tower just so she could die.

[Krusader]

To those who read the codex entries, did anyone else notice Bioware pulled a "Mass Effect 2" on us with Awakening? Some codex entries don't match up with what I did in Origins.
Regarding Isolde: "She gave her life to free Connor from demonic possession." Uhh... no, she didn't. I didn't go all the way back to the Circle Tower just so she could die.

That was a bug in Origins too.

[Kekvit Irae]

Just when I thought I was done buying new DLC for DA:O after the craptastic Return to Ostagar, Bioware pulls out an April Fools Day DLC pack.

http://dragonage.bioware.com/addon/feastday

Throughout Thedas, the great holiday of Satinalia is marked by sumptuous feasts, wild celebration, and naming the town fool as ruler for a day. Amid the feasting, it is customary for friends, lovers, and traveling companions to exchange gifts and pranks.

Feastday gifts and pranks offer the player a chance to explore the approval system in Dragon Age: Origins at greater depth by making your companions despise or adore you. Feastday gifts and pranks packs are available for purchase individually or as a combo pack containing both the Gifts and Pranks.

Feastday Gifts and Pranks are available for the following party members:

* Alistair
* Leliana
* Morrigan
* Shale
* Wynne

* Dog
* Loghain
* Oghren
* Sten
* Zevran

* Feastday gifts and pranks are only playable from Dragon Age: Origins game.

Not bad for only three dollars.

[Krusader]

Nice.
Although I'll wait, as the scenes from that DLC pack will surely end up on Youtube later.

[Kekvit Irae]

Nice.
Although I'll wait, as the scenes from that DLC pack will surely end up on Youtube later.

If you're a PC owner, then there's one more reason why you should wait: EA takes your money without giving you your DLC. Apparently, this only happens if you buy it from the BioWare store and not from in-game menu.

[Krusader]

If you're a PC owner, then there's one more reason why you should wait: EA takes your money without giving you your DLC. Apparently, this only happens if you buy it from the BioWare store and not from in-game menu.

Bioware seems to have blunders with is fans these latest two months. First Ostagar, then Firewalker DLC, the Bazaar and now this...luckily I still have my 1200 Bioware points...although will wait and see if other peoples have problems buying the Kasumi DLC for Mass Effect 2.

[Kekvit Irae]

After FINALLY being able to download the April Fools DLC, I am now laughing my butt off at the cleverness of some of the tricks. I gave the Uncrushable Pigeon to Shale, which now resides on her shoulder. As an apology, I gave her the Pet Rock (which I named Alistair). Good times.

EDIT: Oh, and not to mention that the tricks are actually pretty useful. The Butterfly Sword (for Sten) gives a +12 Attack, +1.5 Armor Penetration, "Rainbow Power", "Attracts Butterflies", and "Low Morale"

[Kekvit Irae]

Bioware has just announced The Darkspawn Chronicles DLC.

You now fight as the Darkspawn! The city of Denerim, jewel of Ferelden, girds itself for war. As a hurlock vanguard, you alone hold the power to make thralls of your fellow darkspawn and drive them into the heat of battle. Heed the archdemon's call--Denerim must burn!

* A look at an alternate history: what if your character had died in the Joining ceremony, and the Grey Wardens marched under Alistair's command instead?
* A standalone adventure in which you command genlocks, hurlocks, shrieks, and even the mighty ogres.
* Complete the module and unlock an epic Darkspawn item in DA:O and Awakening.

All I can say is... AWESOME!

[rajpoot]

Dragon Age Machinima. The Warden's Fall, Episode 1 -

http://www.machinima.com:80/film/view&id=49389

Can't get it to show in the post for some reason. So, I've put in the link to the page.

[Mailman653]

Where does the video fit into the DA story? Is it after the first game and before awakening, or is the the awakening story? (I never got the expansion pack).

[rajpoot]

It's after the Archdemon is slain, and before Awakening. The Wardens, far as I understood, are the Orlesian Wardens who have already died by the time Awakening begins. The bald Warden with the round shield on his back is most likely Kristoff.
There are a lot of 'maybe's because this is just the first episode. The whole story is about Kristoff and his final mission.

Edit:
If you didn't get the Awakening, then the story won't make sense I guess. But it still is a very well done video. Makes me want to start messing about with the toolset myself.

[Monk]

Bioware has just announced The Darkspawn Chronicles DLC.




All I can say is... AWESOME!

I had hopes that it would've had a bit more depth, but at $5 I don't have a lot of room to complain. It was nice and mindless and amused me for about an hour, though I can't say I would play it again.

[johnhughthom]

More DLC: http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to.../index/2899778