For our third game of 2023, we have two that commanded the club's attention: Cosmic Star Heroine and Dragon's Dogma. This is the thread for Dragon's Dogma. I'm less familiar with this one than with Cosmic Star Heroine, but I think you all have a lot to look forward to: an open-world environment, an action RPG that takes inspiration from Devil May Cry (hello, Final Fantasy XVI!), an extremely customizeable avatar with a variety of interesting builds, and big monsters that you can climb on. Sounds pretty cool!
Here's what HowLongToBeat.com has to say:
Happy gaming, everyone!
Great, I'm in and I'll likely boot it up on my PS3 this weekend.
PS3 baby!
Played this on PS3 before and still only have it there. Let's make sure we're all PSN friends to use each other's pawns.
My PSN is Nyx_Stele
Psn: ksmooches - Big Boy pawn. He knows everything already so he'll be a good asset for starters as he can point out everything and warn you about enemy strengths and weakness. If you got a small Arisen, give him all your items so you're stamina drain and movement is not too harshly affected. Just keep healing and stamina food on you as needed.
WARNING TO FIRST TIME PLAYERS:
Don't do it! You know what you want to do.... You see that Hard Mode option? It's not for you. There is no game like Dragon's Dogma so you can't say, "well I'm good at x game". Dragon's Dogma hard mode tells the enemies that is ok to one-shot that player the moment they step out of the first town while still going through the tutorial.
It also increases stamina drain, which will kill most Magick users when on normal when they don't pay attention to how much that bar is used on that big attack. And yes, it tells the enemies to rush the player as soon as they start a move that has a charge or slow animation and the first move that gets used? A stun or a grab that takes at least half of your health. Followed by, usually, a killing blow.
"But the game has autosave!" Only at specific points in safe areas. Otherwise, you should save after pretty much every encounter - even on normal difficulty. You never know when you might accidentally fall to your death.
I’m hoping to hop in, though likely after I finish FF16 first. Feel free to add me on Steam since that’s where I’ll be playing.
For the min/maxers: Stat Growth Chart (how much stats increase per level based on vocation
Other things of note:
It's ok to buy weapons/gear, stuff you find will mostly suck until late/post game. You can upgrade straight to 3stars, you DO NOT have to go in order. Also, if you are feeling yourself, you can try to skip paying for upgrades and fight dragons until your gear gets Dragonforged, which is higher and you can do this up to 3 times per piece (goes bronze -> silver -> gold).
I've never paid too much attention to the crafting...it could be useful but idk.
Avoid the dark and plan to not be outside at night. The brightness settings are not messed up - it is pitch black outside at night on purpose...yes, expect enemies to jump out at you.
I played the original release on PS3 way back when, so my Pawn should still be kicking around and quite helpful (though exceeding powerful early on due to levels) as I explored a ton and fought many, many monsters. I think I have started a file on PC as well but did not make much progress, so unless I dive back in, that one won't be as useful to people. If I find myself with some extra time I do plan on doing another round on PC, so I will add you all.
PSN: Malkroth
Steam: Malkroth
The Representative of the Switch Delegation has arrived!
I'm cutting a swathe through Disc 2 of FF9 on Switch, and once that's shelved, I'll be jumping into DDog on Switch. Between the PS3 & Switch versions, I've tried to get into this game maybe 4 different times, but the furthest I've ever made it has been puttering around Gran Soren. I've enjoyed every attempt, but kept getting pulled away by different games, then finding my core competencies gone out the window when I tried to return, so I'm excited to give this a solid shake!
If you're also gonna be on Switch, hit up ya homie: SW-0114-2234-5056
My PSN is NeuTriNoUK
Played this on PS3 before and still only have it there. Let's make sure we're all PSN friends to use each other's pawns.
My PSN is Nyx_Stele
Psn: ksmooches
PSN: Malkroth
friend requests sent 
My PSN is NeuTriNoUK
Stele wrote:Played this on PS3 before and still only have it there. Let's make sure we're all PSN friends to use each other's pawns.
My PSN is Nyx_Stele
KozmoOchez wrote:Psn: ksmooches
Malkroth wrote:PSN: Malkroth
friend requests sent :)
I’d assumed that servers were no longer available but please go ahead and add me:
Mr_GT_Chris_US
PSN: Grenn_147
My pawn should be around 195-200. If you want me to change up their vocation, let me know.
PSN: Grenn_147
My pawn should be around 195-200. If you want me to change up their vocation, let me know.
Uh... we're already friends and there's no _ in your PSN name. 
The Representative of the Switch Delegation has arrived!
....If you're also gonna be on Switch, hit up ya homie: SW-0114-2234-5056
My ID should be in my sig so add me!
I'm in on the switch.
Grenn wrote:PSN: Grenn_147
My pawn should be around 195-200. If you want me to change up their vocation, let me know.
Uh... we're already friends and there's no _ in your PSN name. ;)
I'll double check. I get them mixed up sometimes.
I pottered around town a bit and made my way to the first encampment. I've played DD a couple of times before but never to ultimate completion. So this is all pretty familiar so far. I added a couple of pawns from folks here, around level 60 or so, but I wonder if that's going to make the game too easy? I think I only ever played in offline mode before.
I pottered around town a bit and made my way to the first encampment. I've played DD a couple of times before but never to ultimate completion. So this is all pretty familiar so far. I added a couple of pawns from folks here, around level 60 or so, but I wonder if that's going to make the game too easy? I think I only ever played in offline mode before.
I've never used high level pawns on normal, but I think I finished the game at around 60 or 70 without specifically grinding levels of that helps. If you notice large enemies dying in less than a minute, then they may be too strong. But there are low level pawns with insane equipment that are op too. If you are on psn, the is a lvl2 warrior or fighter that has 2K + attack but he's tiny so he can't pick enemies up or carry a lot. He costs 0 RC for most of us because of the low level and can carry you for most of the game (you can search top pawns and filter classes and you'll find him in the top 10 I think).
Some pawn setups aren't great for bosses tho, so they are nice to just have as protection while traveling since you can walk into a bad situation easily as soon as you leave the road (and sometimes on the road). I'll suggest saving a spot for a healing mage and that will even out the difficulty a bit since they won't attack much, but they can keep you healed and save on healing items. Plus they will make your weapons elemental as needed.
OK, so I rolled credits today, but i know that there is a true ending in the post game that I'll get to later. I need to take a break - especially since it involves acquiring 20 wakestones.
For whatever reason, the only GWJ pawns available were mages so I ended up paying a modest amount of rift credits to bring in a decent warrior pawn from the masses. And, sorry to say, my GWJ pawn decided to take a detour off a cliff while I was exploring, whoops! So, I'm a bit down in strength until I get back to civilization. Prior to that, they were key in taking down a chimera so hats off!
Lol, that happened to me on the way to the end boss. A hidden Saurian launched them off the cliff right after one of them said, "be careful your step here, Arisen!"
OK, so I rolled credits today, but i know that there is a true ending in the post game that I'll get to later. I need to take a break - especially since it involves acquiring 20 wakestones.
Damn, that’s fast! Did you start from a save partway through, or is this the sort of game that’s bearable, quickly, if you’ve done it once before?
KozmoOchez wrote:OK, so I rolled credits today, but i know that there is a true ending in the post game that I'll get to later. I need to take a break - especially since it involves acquiring 20 wakestones.
Damn, that’s fast! Did you start from a save partway through, or is this the sort of game that’s bearable, quickly, if you’ve done it once before?
Both, I was fairly early on, but I was playing on hard mode and I started off in Bitter Black Isle and did some leveling so I was fairly high for that point of the game (most finish at around 50 and I was already 30). So just cruised through the main story missions. I went back and go the true ending too so I'm done done because the True ending locks you out of your save - which is a warning to everyone that may not want to go through and do New Game Plus:
***IF YOU DO THE TRUE ENDING, YOU CANNOT GO BACK TO YOUR SAVE. IT WILL ONLY ALLOW YOU TO DO A NEW GAME PLUS***
There are also quite a few quests that block other quests. They all make sense due to the people involved. So, either play with a guide or pay attention to when a quest giver asks you to confirm if you want to accept and start their quest, it's usually a warning that it will cut off something (sometimes its a quest you didn't even know existed because you haven't talked to the people involved)
Somehow I always just end up wandering in random directions, fighting enemies and collecting herbs so I always take far longer to progress the story than I should. At least it’s a finite space!
Somehow I always just end up wandering in random directions, fighting enemies and collecting herbs so I always take far longer to progress the story than I should. At least it’s a finite space!
This is how you are supposed to play (especially once you see that those herbs are used for gear upgrades and you thank yourself for finding all those things). For me, it was my second complete playthrough so I knew what I did and did not want, plus overleveled pawns helped a lot. Just be careful because they do drop your XP gain. Unless you really want to get through something and are having trouble (or if you want to farm dragons for Dragonforged equipment) - keep them at or below your level. Or, if you can afford, shoot for right above your level so that you level over them, but they remain useful (borrowed pawns do not gain levels).
LastSurprise wrote:KozmoOchez wrote:OK, so I rolled credits today, but i know that there is a true ending in the post game that I'll get to later. I need to take a break - especially since it involves acquiring 20 wakestones.
Damn, that’s fast! Did you start from a save partway through, or is this the sort of game that’s bearable, quickly, if you’ve done it once before?
Both, I was fairly early on, but I was playing on hard mode and I started off in Bitter Black Isle and did some leveling so I was fairly high for that point of the game (most finish at around 50 and I was already 30). So just cruised through the main story missions. I went back and go the true ending too so I'm done done because . . .
Well, congratulations! I'll have to think of a musical theme for this quarter; I wasn't quite prepared for anyone to wrap so quickly. Will level you up, and get you that theme, once I decide on it. And, great tips for everyone else trying the game. If I ever give it a go I'm coming back here to soak up the wisdom.
Mr GT Chris wrote:Somehow I always just end up wandering in random directions, fighting enemies and collecting herbs so I always take far longer to progress the story than I should. At least it’s a finite space!
This is how you are supposed to play (especially once you see that those herbs are used for gear upgrades and you thank yourself for finding all those things). For me, it was my second complete playthrough so I knew what I did and did not want, plus overleveled pawns helped a lot. Just be careful because they do drop your XP gain. Unless you really want to get through something and are having trouble (or if you want to farm dragons for Dragonforged equipment) - keep them at or below your level. Or, if you can afford, shoot for right above your level so that you level over them, but they remain useful (borrowed pawns do not gain levels).
I haven't seem to have had too much trouble leveling so far. It looks like I'm forgoing 20-30% of xp but ploughing through enemies fast enough to make up for it.
I wandered through the quarry cave, always a good time, ended up at Gran Soren. Thought I'd stop by for some shipping but I'd forgotten you're locked out of the city until you do the Hydra Head quest. Which makes sense considering how much is triggered by entering the city. Apparently I can now switch classes but I'll need to think about it!
I've been playing this and learning all over again why I loved this game so much. Not terribly far in, I've reached Gran Soren and done a few of the quests that become available around that time or shortly before (just finally got around to going through the witchwood, for example).
I did the Witchwood quest early because I remembered it timing out on me previously. But when I entered Gran Soren, I lost the moonflower quest for whatever reason. Also, at the first outpost, I was teleported into the training area but I decided to go back out because I was in the middle of something. Now the door to the area is locked, whoops! Definitely some hokey stuff in this game, not that I’m really bothered :).
Thought I’d knock off quick escort quest before bed. That ended up close to an hour, encountering two cyclops, two chimeras, and countless sulfur lizard men, snow harpies, bandits, and undead. Also had to navigate a barricaded fortress. Hats off to the npc for staying out of the way though. A good time was had by all!
Oh dang, I remember that escort quest. As you said, luckily the npc does an admirable job of staying out of danger.
Pages