Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen Catch-All

They at least correctly gender your character in voice over for romance cutscenes, so accidental with some effort.

Still better than the crap BioWare passes off as relationships.

I'm not a big fan of Bioware in that sense, but they do put quite a lot of effort into that area of their games. It sounds like we'd both agree that they're not very successful at it, but I think they're trying a lot harder.

Wow, that

Spoiler: Late game enemy

cockatrice

isn't messing around, is it?

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Wow, that

Spoiler: Late game enemy

cockatrice

isn't messing around, is it?

Yep! That took me a few tries.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I wish this game had a greater variety of big monsters and more big monsters overall. I'm having an absolute blast, too be clear, but big monsters are more fun to fight than human-size ones, and I've fought a lot of chimeras, cyclops, and ogres. I've seen a griffin twice but it fled both times. I got killed by a dragon. :P

No spoilers, but DD hides some more big tough enemies until late in the game.

I have regained my heart.

Spoiler:

About how long can I expect the post-game to go to see out the rest of the story?

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I have regained my heart.

Spoiler:

About how long can I expect the post-game to go to see out the rest of the story?

You can plum the depths of the giant hole. You'll notice that a LOT more wakestones and wakestone pieces drop down there. There's a lot of stuff down there. But the only real narrative choice is to bring 20 wakestones to the NPC on the highest platform and start the final battle. After that, it's New Game+ or Hard mode where you take double damage, use stamina twice as fast, receive double xp, dp and rift crystals, and bags of 10k gold plop out of even the lowliest goblins (and sometimes rabbits).

The enemy placement of the world has changed. A lot more big bad guys in areas that were once safe. Hell, two dragons outside the castle alone. However, I assume you are of a decent level, around 30 or 40? That's a great time to check out the Bitterblack Isle. I would suggest taking at least one physical type of pawn since some of the chests there spawn tentacle monsters that will immediately grab you and start to eat you when you open them. I have never succeeded in breaking that grapple in time, but a good pawn will smack you away from it.

Also of note, when you beat Bitterblack the first time, many enemies and locations will change for your second run through, with an emphasis on more and harder enemies a lot sooner. Plus Death. He's always around.

And if you really want, you can go do Speedrun.
Speedrun is a separate mode where you load up a save (it doesn't get overwritten, just appended, so don't worry) and you get all your items, skills, and levels from that save, including placement of your port crystals.
Items used in speedrun are not deducted from your main game, so go nuts with all those items you've been hoarding.
You get a handful of items if you complete speedrun, regardless of time. Nothing extraordinary, just a couple of clothing sets (it's how you get Selene's clothing, if you want to recreate her).

How viable would you fine folks say it is to play through this game with only your main pawn, or even solo? And if I wanted to do that, what vocation(s) should I use for my character and my lone pawn?

I'm in the mood to play something "different" and I've always felt guilty that I haven't been able to stick with this game. For the main reasons why, you can probably find my post back a few pages... but suffice it to say that while I know many/most people feel differently, one of my biggest gripes was the pawn system, specifically the need to recruit new pawns every few levels and feeling at the mercy of what other people have created to fill out my party.

I was hoping that someone would eventually create a mod to let you make 3 pawns yourself, but that hasn't happened, and modifying your pawns through save editing (so you don't have to recruit new ones as they get out-leveled) is something which people seem to have made some headway with but still a tedious process. The next best thing then would be to only use the characters I have a direct hand in the creation of, my Arisen and the main pawn... but is it viable to get through the game that way?

My research on this so far (IE one old Steam forum thread) indicated people's views are mixed, with some saying it will be punishingly difficult unless you do it on Easy (which I am not necessarily opposed to), while others opined it's actually easier in some ways because the XP you get is less split up with only 1 or 2 party members.

If I do this, I am pretty sure I want to eventually make my Arisen a Mystic Knight. What vocation for my main pawn would make the best partner?

Honestly, that sounds like you're trying to ice skate uphill. The game really isn't balanced for that.

Every time I've gone into the Rift in offline mode, the game has auto-generated at least one pawn from every vocation at my current level or slightly above it. It might be an option to pick and choose in that way, but it sounds like you'd still be unhappy with the lack of total control.

I'm done! Well, I'm done with the original storyline including the Seneschal. I'll come back later for the expansion content, I think, but this is one excellent game.

NG+, in my opinion, is a core part of the game experience; it's more or less expected that you'll play through multiple times. And *this* time, you can get all the quests to come out just right.... oops, no, maybe not. Oh well. Next game.

You can dip into Bitterblack Isle to some degree after finishing once, and there's some early drops that can be really impressive, but I didn't really feel like I was doing okay there until I'd won the main game twice. And even then, I think I finished it a third time to get some more upgraded base items, because I didn't feel strong enough yet to fight the beasties that could transmute your items on the Isle. I'm not sure if that was actually necessary, or just me being a wimp, though. (I'm phrasing that in a very indirect way to avoid spoilers.)

I thought highly of the expansion because it focused so hard on what the game did best, exploration and fighting interesting monsters, some of them enormous, while avoiding almost everything the base game was bad at, like character and plot. It has a little bit of those, but just enough for framing. It doesn't focus there at all.

I think of it as Dragon's Dogma: The Good Parts Version, with a side order of higher difficulty. I never did get any good at fighting Death, and there were some other baddies that I struggled with even at my highest level of advancement, but for the most part, it was just really good fun.

edit: ahh, running in terror through the dark, always a good time.

Every time I fire this game up I'm amazed how many elements it shares with Breath of the Wild. When I played BotW it never once occurred to me that DD could be an influence but I think it had to be.

For sure. I was constantly reminded of Breath of the Wild while I was playing. Enough so that I was retroactively disappointed that Breath of the Wild didn't let me climb enemies.

Folks,

Thanks for the positive words about Dragon’s Dogma. I’m 17 hours or so in on my first play through.

I’m confused about and would appreciate some guidance on:
Storage—
What should I not carry around?

When I try and upgrade items will the game let me know if I have them in storage or will I have to take notes and go check?

Other advice on storage?

Should I not worry so much about items and only carry around curatives?
Should I spread curatives around the party?

Losing stuff:
If I have pawns act as mules during the game will I lose their stuff when I sub them out in the rift?

Any other “aha I wish I knew that” systems or other advice for the mid-game?

Thanks,
Chad

Also, how does the counterfeiting work? What should I counterfeit?
For example? Inclination potions. Will those work?

Speaking of inclination potions, I followed the guidance of reverse order (challenger, Mexicans and utilitarian) and my pawn still has Guardian as primary and utilitarian as second. Did the inclinations not change because I need to drink more than one of the same inclination potions or is she just conditioned too much to be a guardian? She’s a mage.

Thanks!

Chad

I usually carry around a couple of more potent curatives, Salubrious Brew, Liquid Vim, stuff like that, plus some other things that reduce store costs and casting time (you'll get those later). Always drop random items and superfluous weapons and gear in the Inn storage, unless you want to change them out on the fly, but why would you want to do that? Know that your weight affects your carrying potential. The heavier your character, the more you can carry.

You should also know that things put in the Inn storage are static. They will NOT change, so fish, meat, and flowers not go rank or wilt. You have to have them on you for them to age.

The game will NOT let you know when you have the items to upgrade but you don't need them in character inventory to upgrade, the Inn storage is fine. Also, don't worry about upgrading until you get some decent gear through exploration and quests. But anything that is upgraded at least once has a certain percentage chance to be Dragon Forged if you defeat a dragon type enemy. That is a level above 3-star upgrade and can even skip upgrade levels. Also, you don't need to upgrade in order. If you have the mats for lvl 3, you don't need 1 or 2.

NEVER spread curatives around the party. Pawns eat that sh*t like candy. If healing the group is an issue, maybe keep some spring water and have a mage pawn with (High) Anodyne. I believe that losing a random pawn puts all the stuff they picked up in your Inn storage when they die. If you lose your pawn, just touch a rift stone and they will return with their inventory intact. Their movement isn't much affected by inventory until they're overburdened. Feel free to use them as pack mules.

As far as counterfeiting, basically, you can counterfeit anything except magic items. If you counterfeit a wakestone, you get a wakestone forgery that looks the same but won't save you. There are some missions that require the return of documents or magic jewelry, so you can forge those to keep the originals if you like. Also, forging is a really great way of getting more items needed for upgrading in later levels rather than farming hard to find and kill enemies that might not drop the thing anyway. You can also use the Black Cat to buy quest items that you may have lost.

As for the pawn behavior, it will gradually change the more s/he plays that particular class or way you order them to in battle. You can point them in the right direction, though. If you wan't more offensive, give them offensive only abilities. Are they banging that shield waaaay too often? Un-equip it and that problem goes away. You'd be surprised how much easier it is to get a Strider pawn to shoot arrows when they don't have daggers. Also, knowledge of enemies and quests really help their behavior as well, but that comes with time and others using your pawn.

Also, there's some random fun things to do.

Bearing in mind counterfeiting quest items and handing in the fake usually results in the quest having a worse outcome than handing in the genuine article. This isn't true of every quest item, but a fair number of them.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

For sure. I was constantly reminded of Breath of the Wild while I was playing. Enough so that I was retroactively disappointed that Breath of the Wild didn't let me climb enemies.

Hey, Stone Taluses can be climbed!

Making progress. Thanks for all the advice. Grenn-thank you for the massive post.

I’m ready to explore combining items. Any advice? For example, how do you learn what makes what?

PC version is currently under eight bucks on GMG (unlocks on Steam)

chooka1 wrote:

I’m ready to explore combining items. Any advice? For example, how do you learn what makes what?

Trial and error. I do believe that the mechanic for combining items will show you how many combinations are possible. That way if something only combines with three things, you're not attempting combinations with every item you have. Branches + stuff make types of arrows. Air tight flasks + whatever makes something last forever in the state it is in which is great for any golden eggs or sour abrosial meat or giant fish you have. That's all I can think of off the top of my head.

Middcore wrote:

PC version is currently under eight bucks on GMG (unlocks on Steam)

Significant upgrade from Switch? Any modding ability?

Thanks Grenn.
I just discovered spring water and that takes care of a lot of my needs.

chooka1 wrote:
Middcore wrote:

PC version is currently under eight bucks on GMG (unlocks on Steam)

Significant upgrade from Switch? Any modding ability?

Here's a graphical comparison video:

On PC though you can use an ENB which in my opinion really brings the game to life visually, by default I find it somewhat drab and washed out.

Overall though there's not much of a modding scene, it's certainly no Skyrim in that regard. The only mods I've used are the ENB and a save file edit to unlock the ability to edit the appearance of my Arisen and my main pawn any time I want.

What is ENB?

chooka1 wrote:

What is ENB?

Basically graphical post-processing.

https://www.nexusmods.com/dragonsdog...

http://enbdev.com/

I’m having a blast with this game. I see what all the buzz has been about.

I just maxed on my vocation as an Assassin. I’m level 34. I believe part of the appeal of the game is changing vocations.
If so, would you recommend a mystic knight or magic archer? My main pawn is a mage. Some of the skills I purchased, eg sword or dagger skills, will immediately be available if change vocations to a class that uses those skills?

Also, a few basic questions:
if I throw a flask of oil at one of the giant beasts, I can then light the oil on fire with magic or a flaming arrow?

What use do skulls have?

I drink the inclination positions to change a pawn’s disposition, right? The pawns don’t drink the positions.

If so, I’ve read many different posts on how many of the same kind you need to drink and the order. Any advice? 5 of what you want first, 4 for the second, 3 of the same for the tertiary?

Anything else I might be missing now that I’m 20 plus hours in?

Thanks!!
Chad

Ps. I just realized I can change my pawn’s vocation. She’s a maxed out mage. If I go mystic knight or magic archer what would a good pawn compliment be? Too risky to change both my and my pawn’s vocation at the same time?

There is definitely overlap with skills, but it's still limited by what skills are available with that class. Your dagger skills won't appear on a mage or sorcerer for instance. And some vocations might have advanced versions of those skills available for purchase, too.

Throwing a flask of oil at an enemy successfully gives them the Tarring debilitation. That causes them to take increased damage from fire and to be caught on fire as well. There are lots of debilitations in this game and they all have an effect. Drenched, for instance, makes you or enemies take increased damage from ice and thunder attacks.

There's a quest that requires a certain number of skulls, and some can be used in enhancement. Otherwise, they're just an item like any other.

I never used inclination potions, so I don't know that one.

Try them all. See what play style you enjoy. I typically make my pawn an opposite of me. If I'm casting, my pawn is sword and boarding. Although some park their pawn in Mage, load them up with cure spells, and never move them. Others still make their pawn a copy of themselves so there's effectively two of them casting spells or shooting arrows. Again, I say try them all with your pawn and see what you like.

Dragon's Dogma | Skills Compilation