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Post by Inamine on Nov 20, 2014 9:24:13 GMT -5
It's pretty great so far. It does start out a bit slow with you needing to do side quests when you're like "I just want to go do real shit," but after that small hump it gets much better. Basically you need to accumulate points of Power to do the major questlines and you can only gain Power through completing quests and things, but Power starts to accumulate a lot easier and faster as you get further in so it hasn't become an issue other than the very first major mission. Also the character creator is amazing, I want to make so many sexy mens. The characters are all pretty cool and diverse so far, even characters I thought I wouldn't care for. There's a lot of character build diversity even before you get into specializations, so there's just so much to do and explore it can be a little overwhelming. The story is pretty good so far, though I'm pretty sure I haven't even scratched the surface yet. Multiplayer is very fun, though very tough and a bit slow to gain levels. Gameplay in the main game is a nice mix of DA2's action and DA:O's need for planning and tactics. On Casual difficulty it's easy enough to just play like an action game, but I find on Normal that unless you are well into recommended levels for quests that it can be pretty tough so you may need to do more sidequests. A big difference for both solo and multiplayer modes is that there isn't healing anymore aside from potions. You get a set amount of free potions that can be replenished at certain points, and you can craft a few to take with you. But other than that you cannot heal and instead need to rely on avoiding damage or using warrior and mage abilities to shield your characters from damage. And here is my sexy rogue inquisitor:
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Post by Generic Poster on Nov 20, 2014 11:48:57 GMT -5
No healing spells at all? That seems an odd choice.
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Post by disqusf3dme on Nov 20, 2014 22:43:24 GMT -5
No healing spells at all? That seems an odd choice. Yeah, it feels odd not having a healer at first, but it's kind of nice at the same time. There are a number of defensive and support spells still though. I never brought a healer with me in DA:O, actually, so this was easy to get into.
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Post by Carade on Nov 21, 2014 0:09:37 GMT -5
My processor is apparently to shit to play this game, so I'm spending the weekend playing the new Pokemon for 3ds.
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Post by Douay-Rheims-Challoner on Nov 23, 2014 20:34:37 GMT -5
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Post by CallMeCarlosTheDwarf on Nov 24, 2014 1:04:47 GMT -5
They cut healing, too? Damn. They're really, really doing their best to make me wait until it's $20 on Origin. The only playthrough in which I didn't use Wynne was my first, when I was a DW Warrior (I needed Al to tank and Leliana for chests, and Morrigan is more fun than Wynne).
Also, I'm not sure how the word "nice" can be used in a sentence regarding DA2's combat.
Have they at least brought back that whole "being able to improve your followers' armor" thing? And have they gone back to restricting weapons and armor by attributes, rather than class?
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Post by Generic Poster on Nov 24, 2014 10:35:09 GMT -5
I picked this up over the weekend, but I'm only a couple of hours in. Weapons and armor are restricted by race, class, and level, but I don't think they're attribute-restricted.
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 24, 2014 11:01:05 GMT -5
They cut healing, too? Damn. They're really, really doing their best to make me wait until it's $20 on Origin. The only playthrough in which I didn't use Wynne was my first, when I was a DW Warrior (I needed Al to tank and Leliana for chests, and Morrigan is more fun than Wynne). Also, I'm not sure how the word "nice" can be used in a sentence regarding DA2's combat. Have they at least brought back that whole "being able to improve your followers' armor" thing? And have they gone back to restricting weapons and armor by attributes, rather than class? You can indeed switch out armor. Now, though, the armor tends to have a similar "look" per character, with a few changes on, say, the way the shirt lays or the color dependent on the type of materials you use to craft an item. (I have Solas in bright yellow plaid right now, for instance). The armor is still class-restricted for some things. Your mage won't be wearing scout coats, for instance. Finally, armor and weapons must be "modified" to include things like boots and gloves and hilts and and staff blades and so on. And you can't just put on any ol' boot - the curtains have to match the drapes now. And even Bianca has craftable upgrades available. The cut in healing really isn't that bad. You've got potions available, and so long as you have a mage that can do barrier spells, you don't really need to heal often unless you're trying to take a baddie at a larger level than you can handle. Also, there are caches of potions at critical points during main missions. And when on the world map, you can fast travel to a camp, load up on potions, and head back out. Easy peasy. As for my impression of the game so far - can we say "heavily addictive"? Seriously, it's like a cross between Skyrim and DA:O. Craft items everywhere. Open maps. I can't run for days to reach a different map location, BUUuuut, each map is completely different from the last which is fun. And I love the rando stuff you can encounter. I'm with Iron Bull - watching an electric dragon fight a giant is fucking badass. My completionist heart quells at the thought of trying to find, say, all the shards in every map, BUT I'M GONNA DO EET. And the little touches of stuff you can learn is great. I love how many tavern songs there are, for instance. I've sat in a tavern just to listen to the songs. Anyway, my lovely Tal-Vashoth rogue inquisitor, lookin' like she's gonna kick some ass and take some names.
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Post by Inamine on Nov 24, 2014 11:02:18 GMT -5
I'm really liking the cut to healing. There are still supportive abilities (which are absolutely necessary on all difficulties), but you have to be proactive rather than reactive.
Attributes don't seem to affect anything outside of whatever stats the attributes affect.
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Post by Gregson on Nov 24, 2014 11:08:41 GMT -5
David Beckham?
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 24, 2014 11:17:40 GMT -5
The only thing that was cut that I'm sort of missing is the companion meters. I know the developers wanted a more "instinctive, natural" feel with how your companions think of you, but I am awkward enough in real life. Having to guess how pretend people think of me is nerve-wracking.
Then again, I DO sorta know how everyone thinks of me. Blackwall, Solas, and Liliana REALLY like me. Dorian, Verric, Sera, Vivian, Josephine and Cullen like me. Iron Bull seems indifferent of me - then again, I am Tal-Vashoth. Maybe I have to work harder for him. Cessandra is not my fan - I keep stepping in it around her. So maybe it isn't really necessary to have a meter to let me know how I'm doing.
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Post by Generic Poster on Nov 24, 2014 11:24:53 GMT -5
What the fuck do all those crystal shards I've been picking up do?
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 24, 2014 11:41:25 GMT -5
What the fuck do all those crystal shards I've been picking up do? Fuck if I know, GP. But there's a shard-skull manufacturing facility in Redcliffe, so I assume they're gonna come into play at some point.
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Post by Generic Poster on Nov 24, 2014 11:45:36 GMT -5
What the fuck do all those crystal shards I've been picking up do? Fuck if I know, GP. But there's a shard-skull manufacturing facility in Redcliffe, so I assume they're gonna come into play at some point. Huh. Also, I am not a fan of the "radar" searching mechanic. Am I supposed to be doing that all the time? Or do your companions always say "Hey, you should do that radar thing."
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 24, 2014 11:51:29 GMT -5
Fuck if I know, GP. But there's a shard-skull manufacturing facility in Redcliffe, so I assume they're gonna come into play at some point. Huh. Also, I am not a fan of the "radar" searching mechanic. Am I supposed to be doing that all the time? Or do your companions always say "Hey, you should do that radar thing." The radar thing I actually don't mind. If something important or plot-driven is available, your mini-map glows, there's sparkly sounds and one of your companions is like "maybe we should look around." Otherwise, from what I understand it goes silent. However, I use it regularly when looting or collecting craft items, because loot easily gets lost in the grass or in water, and also I don't have to wander into every corner of a room to see what prompts a "loot" message - I can just radar and BAM! Okay, search those two bags and that box. EDIT: To go further, I like that if there's something to loot (not just if there's something special or plot-driven to find), the sound is different than if there's nothing to loot. So I can radar and instantly know if I should keep looking around or just move on.
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Post by Generic Poster on Nov 24, 2014 11:55:56 GMT -5
Huh. Also, I am not a fan of the "radar" searching mechanic. Am I supposed to be doing that all the time? Or do your companions always say "Hey, you should do that radar thing." The radar thing I actually don't mind. If something important or plot-driven is available, your mini-map glows, there's sparkly sounds and one of your companions is like "maybe we should look around." Otherwise, from what I understand it goes silent. However, I use it regularly when looting or collecting craft items, because loot easily gets lost in the grass or in water, and also I don't have to wander into every corner of a room to see what prompts a "loot" message - I can just radar and BAM! Okay, search those two bags and that box. Ohhhh. That sounds helpful. I'll have to mess around with it some more.
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Post by CallMeCarlosTheDwarf on Nov 24, 2014 11:56:55 GMT -5
But are Warriors with enough dexterity allowed to use daggers and bows? Are Rogues with high strength allowed to wear medium armor?
Is backstabbing back?
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 24, 2014 11:57:41 GMT -5
The radar thing I actually don't mind. If something important or plot-driven is available, your mini-map glows, there's sparkly sounds and one of your companions is like "maybe we should look around." Otherwise, from what I understand it goes silent. However, I use it regularly when looting or collecting craft items, because loot easily gets lost in the grass or in water, and also I don't have to wander into every corner of a room to see what prompts a "loot" message - I can just radar and BAM! Okay, search those two bags and that box. Ohhhh. That sounds helpful. I'll have to mess around with it some more. I added an edit to my original post. The sounds are even different if there's something to loot rather than nothing to loot, even if there's nothing "special" to search for. It really cuts down wandering and scrabbling around time.
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 24, 2014 12:14:17 GMT -5
But are Warriors with enough dexterity allowed to use daggers and bows? Are Rogues with high strength allowed to wear medium armor? Is backstabbing back? AhhhHHHHhh, got it. Stats are now fully automatic. You won't be able to dump a bunch of stat points into one attribute, so the possibility of making a rogue strong enough to wear heavy armor is completely off the table. Also, dependent on the class, there are only so many skill trees available to you. So a warrior will never be able to use daggers and bows. In other words, you can't make a warrior rogue, or a mage warrior or whatever. The class you choose is what you get. Of course, you can specialize WITHIN that class, but that was always an option. Can't tell you about backstabbing. I specialized in bows. EDIT to add: But please don't not play just because it isn't Origins. It's a huge fucking game, something I'm just now coming to terms with. And it's FUN, with very little "grind" feeling - every thing you do feels like it's adding something to the world experience, rather than just improving your stats. I quit Skyrim because I started to feel like I had no real purpose. I was all alone wandering a wilderness map and finding shit in tunnels that all sort of looked the same. And then I got to a level where even dragons weren't too tough, and I lost interest. Inquisition must have learned a lesson from both DA2 and Skyrim, and maybe even Mass Effect 3 - all missions, even tiny side quests, have purpose. You aren't alone as you wander, you have a set of companions interacting with each other. You do level up, but it doesn't happen instantly - there's shit that will kill your ass at both level 5 and level 15. And when fighting, you have to Pay Attention. If you aren't playing "casual" and don't direct your troops, you gon' die. (I'd say something about the writing, but come on, it's Bioware. You know this already.) It's a good game, man.
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Post by Inamine on Nov 24, 2014 12:15:13 GMT -5
But are Warriors with enough dexterity allowed to use daggers and bows? Are Rogues with high strength allowed to wear medium armor? Is backstabbing back? I don't believe warriors can use daggers and bows, only sword+shield or two-hand weapons. Rogues wear medium armor only, and many of their abilities do extra damage based on your position. You only gain attribute points from selecting certain abilities in your trees (or maybe from armor too?).
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Post by Inamine on Nov 24, 2014 12:17:43 GMT -5
Also, dependent on the class, there are only so many skill trees available to you. So a warrior will never be able to use daggers and bows. In other words, you can't make a warrior rogue, or a mage warrior or whatever. The class you choose is what you get. Of course, you can specialize WITHIN that class, but that was always an option. Unless there is a specialization unlocked that does allow it. I believe mages get access to specializations that let them use swords
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 24, 2014 12:22:04 GMT -5
Also, dependent on the class, there are only so many skill trees available to you. So a warrior will never be able to use daggers and bows. In other words, you can't make a warrior rogue, or a mage warrior or whatever. The class you choose is what you get. Of course, you can specialize WITHIN that class, but that was always an option. Unless there is a specialization unlocked that does allow it. I believe mages get access to specializations that let them use swords Aaah, interesting. I didn't know that. Then there CAN be warrior mages, just gotta get to a certain level.
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Post by CallMeCarlosTheDwarf on Nov 24, 2014 12:39:59 GMT -5
I don't even get to assign attribute points? Gross.
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Post by Generic Poster on Nov 24, 2014 13:22:53 GMT -5
Unless there is a specialization unlocked that does allow it. I believe mages get access to specializations that let them use swords Aaah, interesting. I didn't know that. Then there CAN be warrior mages, just gotta get to a certain level. I think even the warrior-mage can't use real swords, though - just ones they conjure up.
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Post by CallMeCarlosTheDwarf on Nov 24, 2014 14:44:26 GMT -5
Definitely Origin-sale material, then. Especially since I've never been even slightly interested in the Elder Scrolls games.
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 25, 2014 0:38:58 GMT -5
Found a doozy of a bug. Don't make a custom face for Hawke, folks, it switches your voice over to the other choice. I went from having a Free Marshes accented Tal Vashoth to a bland midwestern American accent, which is what native Qunari sound like. It was grating. Had to start the whole damn mission over.
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Post by disqusf3dme on Nov 25, 2014 1:59:39 GMT -5
The shards are used for some wacky dungeon adventuring. There's a quest for it on the war room table. I got hit with that voice changing bug too and had to reload an earlier save It was only a half hour old, but I had to go through a bunch of conversations again, very tedious.
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 25, 2014 9:32:23 GMT -5
BTW, anyone else digging the soundtrack as much as I am? I already said something about the tavern songs, but the sing-along was great, and in general I love the atmospheric score.
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Post by Tea Rex on Nov 28, 2014 13:32:24 GMT -5
Wow, Solas is a big ol racist! I'm a Qunari, as you know, and he just gave me a speech about how the Qunari are all frothing beasts held back by an extremely restrictive philosophy. Except for me. I'm "different". Woah, Solas. Woah.
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Post by disqusf3dme on Nov 28, 2014 13:41:15 GMT -5
Wow, Solas is a big ol racist! I'm a Qunari, as you know, and he just gave me a speech about how the Qunari are all frothing beasts held back by an extremely restrictive philosophy. Except for me. I'm "different". Woah, Solas. Woah. He thinks he's not racist because he has a Qunari friend. But damn that's harsh. He's not my favourite character, not by a long shot. What's your favourite combination for banter? I love Iron Bull and Blackwall, they're just the best of friends. As for the music, I haven't really noticed it much, truthfully. It always seems really quiet, although I dig the music at the main menu. It always gets me excited to play. I just respecced my rogue to be an archer, it's a lot of fun! It also kind of takes a lot of the stress away from trying to micromanage the AI. I've got Blackwall, Cole, and Vivienne. Viv's got that Knight Enchanter thing going on, so all three of them just run up and start hitting and exploding things, while I just stand in the back and fire away!
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