Dragon Age: Origins Catch-All

Just got an email saying that all people who bought the game before November 30th receive another in game item - The Edge. No details, as my web browser doesn't want to show them to me.

I also went to Redcliffe first with my mage. I actually didn't have much of a problem because there were tons of choke points. I basically worked cc with damage spells since I never got the sleep or nightmare style spells. Fireballs are surprisingly good ways to herd enemies.

Later on I would control fields of battle by plopping down a massive pillar of fire. Those things last so long they essentially eliminate a huge chunk of space as viable battleground. By placing them properly you can almost insure the enemy will move in a certain way and if they don't, well, then they fry. It's a win-win.

zeroKFE wrote:
Agreed - or change up your party tactics, as well. If you do head to the Mages Circle, if upon inspecting a statue you have the option to attempt to remove a glass vial, don't. Just trust me on this one, ok?

Pfft, it's not THAT bad. :P

If he's having trouble with Redcliffe, that isn't likely to make his life easier. He's more than welcome to do it once or twice, but that's totally his call.

Actually Redcliffe battle can be really bad, if you try to not get anyone killed and get the bonus reward. I reloaded so many times for that battle, it was embarrassing...

there's a bonus reward? I saved a few of them, but don't remember any bonus.

Bullion Cube wrote:

Just got an email saying that all people who bought the game before November 30th receive another in game item - The Edge. No details, as my web browser doesn't want to show them to me.

I think I got that email too:

Those who purchase Dragon Age™: Origins before November 30th will automatically receive the in-game item, “The Edge”. The Edge is an extremely sharp blade that is the pinnacle of Ferelden crafting. It adds bonuses to damage, attack, and critical strike chance.

The general language implies you need to buy it now, not specifically promising that existing purchases can get it. If it's a code they started packing in I'll be disappointed; if existing purchases can get it, kudos to Bioware for treating early adopters right.

Speaking of which, we all know that you could get preorder pack-ins, or in-game items for playing their flash game... the website now also says that if you upload a character with the downloadable character creator, you can get "The Lucky Stone," which appears to be a ring that adds +1 to all stats. It also specifically says "Item is available on all platforms by logging into the game with same account used to upload your character," so it seems like those of us on 360/PS3 can just whip up a character and get it.

Between this and UbiSoft's UPlay, I'm starting to see an actual bright side to developers making the console game connect to their in-house servers. Just so long as nothing breaks when those servers go away. I'm the crazy guy who likes to know that I can still play my ten-year-old games.

Bullion Cube wrote:

there's a bonus reward? I saved a few of them, but don't remember any bonus.

You won't get any bonus if you even let one of those "weaklings" live.

Bullion Cube wrote:

Just got an email saying that all people who bought the game before November 30th receive another in game item - The Edge. No details, as my web browser doesn't want to show them to me.

beeporama wrote:

I think I got that email too:

I have received no such email. Where did you guys purchase from?

Bonus reward? Dude, I want my Memory Band back. Stupid Dwarven Noble glitch...

The fine print says the bonus applies to all accounts created before November 30. I'll post when I can confirm it works.

Vrikk wrote:

Bonus reward? Dude, I want my Memory Band back. Stupid Dwarven Noble glitch...

Thanks for re-opening that particular wound....

So there are 60 pages here... quick question:

I cannot find healing potions, agents, supplies anywhere.... I am almost always completely out of health and use whatever i have rather rapidly. I am pretty much forced to take Wynne just for healing. Where the heck do you find any of this stuff? Cant go back to Lothering, Redcliff doesnt have anyone that sells the stuff, forget the mages tower they dont have any... If it wasnt for me stealing from every single NPC in the game I wouldnt have any healing potions.

Thanks!

PAR

Par, the best way to get pots is actually making them yourself. Pick up any herb you see. Tip:

Slight Spoiler:

Spoiler:

The vendor in the Dalish Elf's town actually has an unlimited supply of Elfroot, which you will need for the HP pots.

I keep Wynne with me for healing, but I've been rolling in potions since I started stealing, especially stealing in combat.

This topic is too civil -- let me see if I can fix that:

What's the freaking deal with no respec?

This is a game that must be explored and understood before you can make smart choices, yet unless you simply don't use your points early on you are stuck with inevitably ill-informed choices with no ability to fix it (barring mods that might or might not screw your save file now or later).

I probably wouldn't have restarted if I could have respecced (though I'm glad I did anyway, for RPing purposes).

Even a one-time respec at level X, or for $X, would be most welcome and probably save many people from early game remorse.

I understand wanting people to live with decisions; but unlike dialogue tree and plot choices, these are choices that can break your ability to play and for which you often can't know what a bad choice you are making.

Harrumph.

(Who's ready to join my Internet Boycott?)

Kehama wrote:

I also went to Redcliffe first with my mage. I actually didn't have much of a problem because there were tons of choke points. I basically worked cc with damage spells since I never got the sleep or nightmare style spells. Fireballs are surprisingly good ways to herd enemies.

Later on I would control fields of battle by plopping down a massive pillar of fire. Those things last so long they essentially eliminate a huge chunk of space as viable battleground. By placing them properly you can almost insure the enemy will move in a certain way and if they don't, well, then they fry. It's a win-win.

I used similar strategies in Redcliffe, the first night time battles really kicked my butt, I managed to level up in the middle of a battle and chose Earthquake for my main, a mage. I would lure the enemies up the narrow path and cast earthquake, which keeps them on the ground for a good 10 seconds or more. All the while, my party is just hammering them with ranged attacks, and my main is casting the fire cone aoe.

Later on, in the castle, I upgraded Morrigan with the cone of ice spell which freezes enemies. They shatter and die in one hit if you hit them with a crit while they're frozen.

Simply lure them through a doorway as a chokepoint, have Morrigan stand on the other side ready to freeze as many as possible, them hammer away with anything that has a high chance to crit.

I had much more of a problem with the night time battle than in the castle.

Deadron, I hear ya. But honestly, I can assure you that the respec mod that I linked won't break your save game, and it even lets you respec your followers.

Come to think of it, none of the previous D&D based games offered you a choice to respec either. I think we have just been too spoiled by WoW.

MrCompletely wrote:

I had much more of a problem with the night time battle than in the castle.

With my Rogue (and the golem) I was able to get through the night time stuff before I restarted...so perhaps I'll defy conventional wisdom and try Redcliffe first. My elf mage is a smooth-talking egomaniac, so it's just the kind of thing he'd want to do.

Deadron wrote:

This topic is too civil -- let me see if I can fix that:

What's the freaking deal with no respec?

Are you playing the PC version? If so, you might want to check out the mod list.

lethial wrote:

Deadron, I hear ya. But honestly, I can assure you that the respec mod that I linked won't break your save game, and it even lets you respec your followers.

I'll happily use such a mod when enough time has passed, and another DLC pack or two has come out, and the sky hasn't fallen...

Or when I get another 10 hours into my current game and realized I've screwed up too badly to continue.

Whichever comes first...

Deadron wrote:
lethial wrote:

Deadron, I hear ya. But honestly, I can assure you that the respec mod that I linked won't break your save game, and it even lets you respec your followers.

I'll happily use such a mod when enough time has passed, and another DLC pack or two has come out, and the sky hasn't fallen...

Or when I get another 10 hours into my current game and realized I've screwed up too badly to continue.

Whichever comes first...

I've already felt the sting a few times on regrettable talent choices, but I seem to be progressing nonetheless. Next playthrough (don't you love when you're not even half-way, and you're already anticipating another go at a game?) I plan on researching a lot of stuff beforehand. This time, I'm trying to enjoy it with as few tips and tricks as possible, so I can focus on the experience/story as a whole, and not getting too caught up in the min/max game.

This is the first game in quite a while where Normal does not equal the "Normal" we've been accustomed to in games. I kinda dig it.

Dysplastic wrote:

So what grade of Armor do you guys put your Arcane Warriors in? Medium?
Also - 2H weapon, or 1H and shield?

Actually, since I use my Arcane Warrior for DPS, I keep her mostly in cloth armor. I have a set of medium armor and helm in my pack in case I start getting beat on, but for the most part the bonuses the cloth armor gives are much more useful than the armor and combat-related bonuses on heavier armor.

I use 1H and Shield. I got a very nice shield early on with useful stats for the way I play, and a shield helps against missile attacks. I also use the Arcane Warrior specific sword. Depending on what order you do things, it comes not long after Lothering.

I actually was going for a Paladin-type character, but the fatigue from massive armor really hampers the healing. I couldn't bring myself to wear the ridiculous looking Blood Dragon armor. Especially because the textures are messed up on female elves. The chest piece is black... it's as if your character's torso turned into a black hole.

Deadron wrote:
lethial wrote:

Deadron, I hear ya. But honestly, I can assure you that the respec mod that I linked won't break your save game, and it even lets you respec your followers.

I'll happily use such a mod when enough time has passed, and another DLC pack or two has come out, and the sky hasn't fallen...

Or when I get another 10 hours into my current game and realized I've screwed up too badly to continue.

Whichever comes first...

I honestly don't think that it's possible to screw up your spec so much that you make the game completely unplayable. Your companions give you a lot of options to fill in any gaps in your talents. Of course it is possible to make a spec that isn't very fun to play, but I think you would really have to try hard to do that.

I think the game is designed not only around making choices, but around making choices with incomplete information. Several of the quests work this way. You have to decide on a course of action without knowing the alternatives very well. I think that extends to character creation and leveling. You may put everything in strength or dexterity giving yourself a gimped stamina pool and low health, but you can still work with that. Someone else can tank and you can do massive normal weapon damage. I didn't find out about a very powerful spell combination that I had for a long time into the game, but I still managed without this massive AOE spell that I now use to make things easier.

If your choices have made the game very difficult, take down the difficulty a notch. If you want to do things completely differently, make another character. Some people find it rewarding to roll with the decisions they make and to succeed even with a character that isn't tweaked out and optimal. Of course if you're not having any fun, there are plenty of mods that can give you an edge.

Friend of mine forwarded this to me...
The Deep Roads are a dangerous place.
Don't forget to wear your helmet!

IMAGE(http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/8043/daorigins20091118002914.jpg)

Filthy enablers... (dirt cheap price though)

I've been reading the thread for a while, and there seem to be a fair few little gotchas to be weary of when running this that Bioware haven't yet patched. I seem to have registered my DLC correctly (haven't yet downloaded the game), but what things do I need to do to have a smooth game, not bug something with the DLC, and not cripple my character early on with a wrong choice. I'm not looking for plot/build decisions as I'd like to come to it fresh as much as possible.

I just found out something while going through (yet another) restart last night: If you're not a mage, the one who temporarily joins your group for the tower at Lothering knows the Paralyze spell. He never cast it on any of my other (aborted) playthroughs though. I set him to Paralyze anyone using a ranged or magic attack and it's a great mez.

BadKen wrote:

Friend of mine forwarded this to me...
The Deep Roads are a dangerous place.
Don't forget to wear your helmet!

IMAGE(http://img697.imageshack.us/img697/8043/daorigins20091118002914.jpg)

This would be a bad time to bring up this nice Auto Helmet Removal/Equip mod?

All these DLC announcements (buy this version, do this to get that, do something else to get the other, buy now before then) actually put me off buying the game. I think this is the first title that I've thought it's best to wait for the inevitable gold version.

Umm, so thanks a SA forum post, I just remember to watch my CE version's Bonus DVD. And the Outtake is... Lets just say that I can never view Darkspawns, esp. the Ogres the same again...

"Interesting" image from the Outtake.

And for those who doesn't have the DVD, the full Outtake video on Youtube.

Be warned though, it will change your view about Ogres...

hah, I might aswell spoiler tag it:

Spoiler:

the ogre's doing the stripper dance from mass effect toward the end of the video

Does anyone else have the very annoying problem that your guys just completely stop fighting in the middle of a big fight? Every time I look up, Alistair or Sten is just standing there letting mobs beat on them. I'll assign them to attack Mob X, and Mob Y. Then I go to my main and have him flank and backstab. I'm watching the backstabbing, and the fight is dense and thus hard to see everyone. I look up, and there's alistair and Sten just standing there like a couple of wood carvings. Sometimes they'll fight longer, but I usually have to micro them.

As I write this, something occurred to me. Is it because I have them a) on Hold or maybe b) defensive stance (don't chase) and their mob moves away? I can't figure it out. You think two mobs wailing on you would get your attention, but not these guys.

Does anyone have a successful tactics setup for Alistair (tank) and Sten (off-tank)? If you could screenshot your tactics, I would greatly appreciate it.

Another big problem I'm having is running out of stamina about 30% of the way into a big fight (like Redcliffe at night) and having to go the last 70% with just basic attacks. Why is there mana juice (lyrium) but no stamina juice? seems the principle would be the same.