[LinearPhilosopher]

Obdigore, on 07 December 2014 - 06:05 PM, said:

BalrogLord, on 07 December 2014 - 04:38 PM, said:

just started this game yesterday. Got a new computer and oh my god. I've never seen a game look this good. Only a few hours in and i feel i've barely scratched the surface. The scope of the hinterlands alone is giving me skyrim vibes. Even still I feel as if this is one of the greteast games i've ever played.

Leave the fucking Hinterlands. Progress the story a bit. You can come back later.

Just trust me on this.

I ended up completing most of the hinterlands, then progressing the story, then finishing 95% of it before doing the "assault the breach" quest. Im basically alternating between advancing the plot and doing sides areas (mostly side areas, i love it).

In hindsight i can understand why you wanted me to leave the hinterlands XD

I think the gameplan for tonight is to take down that fire dragon, i got a bunch of resist fire stuff from one of the rooms in the oasis. Being the genius that I am i decided to do the 2nd hardest difficulty on my first run through of the game. Early game was rough... There were some fights/quests i had to delay cause i could take on the mooks. It's gotten easier though. You definetly outscale your oponents as the game goes on. I also don't mind the potion cap or the lack of heal. It made clerics OP in DA1, and the fact you could just spam health potions.

@mark, you turned bull into a tank? aren't you foregoing having a 2h fighter then? or did you combine his 2h tree with the vanguard tree?

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 12 December 2014 - 03:29 PM

[Maark Abbott]

First playthrough I was a melee rogue, and so having a 2h warrior was obsolete (except vs the ice dragon in the Graves who murders ranged).

This playthrough I've rolled an elf mage (and tinkered with the eye shade customisation - violet eyes for the win) and so my melee is warrior based. Bull is a 2h vanguard hybrid build now. Varric is providing the other ranged sass.

[LinearPhilosopher]

i see, im a completionist so i've yet to completed my first playthrough (60hrs in). One gripe i do have with the game. What the hell happened to my tactics screen. I remember from DA 1 i had a huge amount of options for setting AI tactics. Now i have 5 options with sliders...

What the hell bioware. It's espcially frustrating as in DA 1 i had alistar set to taunt any target that attacked my DPS.

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 15 December 2014 - 05:50 PM

[Maark Abbott]

It's more hands on. Maybe not a bad thing.

EDIT: More time to expand on this:

It is a little micromanagey, but to be honest it's not so bad for me. The only annoying thing was my DPS switching targets at random.

It can be a little annoying how squishy a 2h warrior can be as well. Oh, an Arcane Horror! Wait, Bull's dead. Fuck. AGAIN.

This post has been edited by Maark: 18 December 2014 - 04:46 PM

[Maark Abbott]

Spoiler

Second playthrough - Hawke died at Adamant.

Varric's reaction... I can't even.

Nearly actually cried at that.

[Garak]

I couldn't do that even just to see what happens. I'm so glad Alistair is king and thus it makes the choice easier.

[LinearPhilosopher]

Maark, on 18 December 2014 - 02:12 PM, said:

It's more hands on. Maybe not a bad thing.

EDIT: More time to expand on this:

It is a little micromanagey, but to be honest it's not so bad for me. The only annoying thing was my DPS switching targets at random.

It can be a little annoying how squishy a 2h warrior can be as well. Oh, an Arcane Horror! Wait, Bull's dead. Fuck. AGAIN.

i got around this by giving bull tons of sustain. Belt of Healing+ring that heals on kill +heal bonuses on items.

Also, that darkspawn from DA orgigins awakening, i set it up in my keep that i let him live. Does anyone know how this affects DA3

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 27 December 2014 - 01:18 AM

[Traveller]

I had a good go at this last night.

It looks really nice, I'm glad to see an obvious improvement over the ps3, which I didn't have a problem with, but I love the improved lighting, fire and smoke effects so far.

I haven't played a bioware game since DA origins, so the improvements are obvious. I've got to get back into using a group to fight though - I'm not good at having other characters to deal with. Do you just set their orders at the start of each battle and leave them to it, or flip between them as you need?

I'm at work at the mo BK but I'll look later.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 27 December 2014 - 09:19 AM

[Maark Abbott]

Garak, on 22 December 2014 - 06:41 PM, said:

I couldn't do that even just to see what happens. I'm so glad Alistair is king and thus it makes the choice easier.

I'm 27, I lift heavy in the gym and am an all around egregious bastard... But I nearly cried at his reaction. I still feel like a dick for it happening.

BalrogLord, on 27 December 2014 - 01:16 AM, said:

Maark, on 18 December 2014 - 02:12 PM, said:

It's more hands on. Maybe not a bad thing.

EDIT: More time to expand on this:

It is a little micromanagey, but to be honest it's not so bad for me. The only annoying thing was my DPS switching targets at random.

It can be a little annoying how squishy a 2h warrior can be as well. Oh, an Arcane Horror! Wait, Bull's dead. Fuck. AGAIN.

i got around this by giving bull tons of sustain. Belt of Healing+ring that heals on kill +heal bonuses on items.

Also, that darkspawn from DA orgigins awakening, i set it up in my keep that i let him live. Does anyone know how this affects DA3

Invest in the Vanguard tree so that Bull has extra +guard moves and he becomes substantially less squishy, too.

As to the Architect? He cropped up in a conversation once, but nothing more.

Spoiler

Notice how similar to Coryphenus the Architect looks?

Traveller, on 27 December 2014 - 09:17 AM, said:

I had a good go at this last night.

It looks really nice, I'm glad to see an obvious improvement over the ps3, which I didn't have a problem with, but I love the improved lighting, fire and smoke effects so far.

I haven't played a bioware game since DA origins, so the improvements are obvious. I've got to get back into using a group to fight though - I'm not good at having other characters to deal with. Do you just set their orders at the start of each battle and leave them to it, or flip between them as you need?

I'm at work at the mo BK but I'll look later.

Kind of. They have set behaviours as before but generally you can leave them to it. Situational squad control is often necessary - for instance, having a mage cast Barrier on a party before they wade in, or if an enemy uses a 'don't stand in the fire' attack (every class has an evasion move like Evade / Combat Roll or Charging Bull / Fade Step which will get them out of a danger zone quickly). Warriors can largely be left to it. Mages need a little micromanagement. Rogues are a lot squishier as they have no defences to beyond armour so they need a fair bit of babying.

[Traveller]

Are there any skill trees worth investing in more than others as a rogue? In other words, are there any really useful skills it's worth trying to get early?

[Maark Abbott]

Subtlety - it pays dividends to make sure you get Stealth and Evade. Evade is absolutely crucial for a rogue to be played successfully (low stamina, lets you get in and out quickly). In terms of the main trees, it depends. A melee rogue benefits from the obvious double daggers, one half of the Sabotage tree and most of the Subtlety tree. Archer rogues benefit more from Sabotage's right half, Subtlety to a lesser extent. As for specialisation classes, Assassin is melee, Artificer is ranged, and Tempest benefits either equally.

[Garak]

Oh I definetly the Architect is the same as Cory but he can't rember anything.

[LinearPhilosopher]

Maark, on 27 December 2014 - 01:13 PM, said:

Garak, on 22 December 2014 - 06:41 PM, said:

I couldn't do that even just to see what happens. I'm so glad Alistair is king and thus it makes the choice easier.

I'm 27, I lift heavy in the gym and am an all around egregious bastard... But I nearly cried at his reaction. I still feel like a dick for it happening.

BalrogLord, on 27 December 2014 - 01:16 AM, said:

Maark, on 18 December 2014 - 02:12 PM, said:

It's more hands on. Maybe not a bad thing.

EDIT: More time to expand on this:

It is a little micromanagey, but to be honest it's not so bad for me. The only annoying thing was my DPS switching targets at random.

It can be a little annoying how squishy a 2h warrior can be as well. Oh, an Arcane Horror! Wait, Bull's dead. Fuck. AGAIN.

i got around this by giving bull tons of sustain. Belt of Healing+ring that heals on kill +heal bonuses on items.

Also, that darkspawn from DA orgigins awakening, i set it up in my keep that i let him live. Does anyone know how this affects DA3

Invest in the Vanguard tree so that Bull has extra +guard moves and he becomes substantially less squishy, too.

As to the Architect? He cropped up in a conversation once, but nothing more.

Spoiler

Notice how similar to Coryphenus the Architect looks?

Also for the longest time he had a sword that generated some guard which was handy.

I just re watched a vid. Similar, but also quite different. You wouldn't happen to know where in a conversation it cropped up.

Spoiler

The Architect is mentioned in passing by Nathaniel Howe when Hawke is tasked with retracing the route of their expedition through the Deep Roads in order to look for the Nathaniel's detachment of Wardens. If the Architect was spared by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel mentions that the Wardens' sources promised that, thanks to the continued existence of the Architect, the Deep Roads would still be clear, allowing safe analysis of the thaig that Hawke's expedition found. If the Architect was killed by the Warden-Commander, Nathaniel doesn't mention who is responsible for providing aid and information to the Wardens.

If the Warden-Commander chose to ally with the Architect in Awakening, Anders warns Hawke not to agree to help Janeka try and control Corypheus, as they are still unsure about the consequences of siding with the Architect. If the Warden-Commander chose to kill the Architect, Anders mentions this to Hawke as a point worth noting, stating that the Warden-Commander knew the Architect to be too dangerous and that deals cannot be made with the darkspawn.
http://dragonage.wik...i/The_Architect

This post has been edited by BalrogLord: 27 December 2014 - 04:28 PM

[Traveller]

Maark, on 27 December 2014 - 03:34 PM, said:

Subtlety - it pays dividends to make sure you get Stealth and Evade. Evade is absolutely crucial for a rogue to be played successfully (low stamina, lets you get in and out quickly). In terms of the main trees, it depends. A melee rogue benefits from the obvious double daggers, one half of the Sabotage tree and most of the Subtlety tree. Archer rogues benefit more from Sabotage's right half, Subtlety to a lesser extent. As for specialisation classes, Assassin is melee, Artificer is ranged, and Tempest benefits either equally.

Pretty much what I've started... Evade and Poison blades to start with.

My character looks like a cross between Kalam and QB, with a sort of gravelly voice to match. (Would be interesting to use the face generator to make more Malazan characters.)

This is the first rpg in ages where I just made someone and stuck with him, instead of restarting a dozen times.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 27 December 2014 - 05:16 PM

[Maark Abbott]

Posion blades is OK. Not a sustained talent though (10s duration, 24s cooldown) and I found myself using it infrequently. Assassins get Hidden Blades which is a ranged talent, can be used from stealth, and can hit up to six times, each hit capable of critting for 2k). I'd be interested in playing a Sabotage melee rogue - seems like a pretty good melee tree.

[champ]

Briar King, on 27 December 2014 - 12:27 AM, said:

Someone with the PS4 version please tell me what the min GB is on the cover.

45GB

[Traveller]

Damn but this looks so good.

Admittedly it's my first ps4 game, but it just goes to highlight how I've become used to texture pop-in, slight delays between the control and character movements.. I don't know, a multitude of almost imperceptable flaws that are now absent, and make this game look so flawless.

I like the way it's shaping up. The war map, the missions, the side quests, the stuff scattered throughout the landscape. I spent a few hours last night scouting through the Hinterlands, practising with the bow, freeing up camps, collecting requisitions, finding shards.. tons to do.

The landscape so far has a real feel to it that reminds me of Dragons Dogma.. the cliffs, boulders, the rivers have a natural look to them.

Is there a quick way of changing between a bow and blades that I haven't found? I go into the inventory which seems slow. Also can you aim or is it more of the fire in the general direction sort of thing that I've been doing?

By the way BK the min GB on ps4 is 45.

This post has been edited by Traveller: 29 December 2014 - 10:25 AM

[Maark Abbott]

Nope. You also can't switch weapon sets mid-fight. It's all done via the inventory.

You can move and fire but there's an accuracy penalty unless you take one of the more advanced talents in Archery (I think the left side one just before Full Draw, which is an EXCELLENT skill).

[Traveller]

Yeah that's what I figured. Did I miss a tutorial or are they assuming you just know by now? I like to get in some early long range/poison arrows before cloaking and getting up close with the blades (I keep trying to flip weapons like in Dark Souls but end up with a map or something instead!)

I think one of the differences I'm noticing is the fluidity of the character animations.. the evade certainly looks more like a real movement that requires effort. I'll have a look at the full draw.. I wasn't planning a ranged rogue but I love using a bow.

Also I just fixed my psn problem by changing the mtu settings on the ps4. I could have done that days ago I guess.

[Maark Abbott]

I don't think there is a ranged tutorial, in all honesty. If you're a melee rogue, stick to melee and have your ranged DPS (Mages or Sera/Varric) send the opening salvo. If you spec for melee and open with a ranged shot, you're stuck with a bow for the entire fight.