Dragon Age is looking good!

[CeeKay]

the Awakening website has awakened.  only a month to go....

[El-Producto]

If I do decide to abandon my current playthrough and restart.. I am NOT looking forward to repeating The Fade.  WHat a torture chamber that is.

[Autistic Angel]

What did you have trouble with in the Fade?  Did you have trouble puzzling it out, or did you keep dying?  I didn't have much trouble with it, and I thought the payoff for all the stuff you got in the Fade was well worth it!

I'm just about to put Mass Effect 1 to bed, and want to get back into DAO.  I have played up until just after the mage tower, but haven't really enjoyed my Dwarven Warrior like I thought I would.  I really wanted a dwarf that could weild a huge 2 handed axe, but I can't even find a 2 handed axe, and don't find his tactics are fun.

Should I bother restarting with another class?  Or should I just forge through?

I think you'll find double-handed axes in

Spoiler for Hiden:

Orzammar

if you haven't already been there.  Two-handed warriors have skills like Sunder Arms and Sunder Armor that are good at weakening heavy enemies, but I also like Two-Handed Sweep that can knock a whole group of guys flat on their backs.  I don't know how their damage output compares to a dual-wielding rogue repeatedly stabbing someone in the spine, but the ability to wear heavier armors give them a lot more staying power.

That said, I reached a point in my original playthrough where my character simply wasn't up to snuff for her level, so I restarted and have been having a huge amount of fun ever since.  If you think you'd like to start over, I'd say go for it!

-Autistic Angel

[Dunamis]

Just finished this over the weekend.  Awesome game!  One of my top 5 games ever.

I want to do ME2 and then come back to this for another playthough when the expansion is out.

I rolled with two casters for about the 2nd half of the game.  Every fight starts with the two casters dishing out a couple of fireballs and me and the thief chick cleaning up the mess.  Good times!

[El-Producto]

That's a good suggestion AA.  I think I'll grab the respec mod, and make him a dual wielder.

I just REALLY don't want to sit through The Fade again.. I found it WAY too long, and the puzzles not that engaging.

[CeeKay]

I just REALLY don't want to sit through The Fade again.. I found it WAY too long, and the puzzles not that engaging.

if you think the Fade was long wait until you get to Oz.

[CeeKay]

the Mine of Moria Dwarven Fortress Kal'Hirol 

if you click on the pic it opens up a picture gallery.

[Rowdy]

Finished!  102 hours, completed as a elven arcane warrior mage on normal difficulty.  What a great game.  Reminds me of the glory years of BG2.

Now need to play a game with little to no talking or dialog at all.  

Spoiler for Hiden:

With great difficulty, I refused Morrigan's offer and she ran out on me.  What happens if I would have accepted her offer?  Plus, I took the final blow in Allistair's place... I guess that means I won't be the main character in the inevitable next Dragon Age story?

[Boudreaux]

Finished!  102 hours, completed as a elven arcane warrior mage on normal difficulty.  What a great game.  Reminds me of the glory years of BG2.

Now need to play a game with little to no talking or dialog at all.  

Spoiler for Hiden:

With great difficulty, I refused Morrigan's offer and she ran out on me.  What happens if I would have accepted her offer?  Plus, I took the final blow in Allistair's place... I guess that means I won't be the main character in the inevitable next Dragon Age story?

Spoiler for Hiden:

If you accept her offer you get the naughty cutscene, then after the battle she runs out on you anyway.  After the archdemon is killed, and I thought this was great, there is actually some discussion to the effect of "umm, so you killed the archdemon, but you're not dead.  WTF?", with responses ranging from admitting the whole thing to changing the subject.  Afterwards there's a big ceremony, with some denouement and further discussions with the other characters.  I assume some of that is still there even if you sacrifice yourself.

[Sarkus]

Finished!  102 hours, completed as a elven arcane warrior mage on normal difficulty.  What a great game.  Reminds me of the glory years of BG2.

Now need to play a game with little to no talking or dialog at all.  

Spoiler for Hiden:

With great difficulty, I refused Morrigan's offer and she ran out on me.  What happens if I would have accepted her offer?  Plus, I took the final blow in Allistair's place... I guess that means I won't be the main character in the inevitable next Dragon Age story?

Spoiler for Hiden:

While you can import your character (regardless of whether you died or not) into the upcoming expansion, most signs point to the next full DA game being about a different character.  It may take place in a different time-frame in the world as well.

[Autistic Angel]

Finished!  102 hours, completed as a elven arcane warrior mage on normal difficulty.  What a great game.  Reminds me of the glory years of BG2.

Now need to play a game with little to no talking or dialog at all.  

Spoiler for Hiden:

With great difficulty, I refused Morrigan's offer and she ran out on me.  What happens if I would have accepted her offer?  Plus, I took the final blow in Allistair's place... I guess that means I won't be the main character in the inevitable next Dragon Age story?

Spoiler for Hiden:

If you accept her offer you get the naughty cutscene, then after the battle she runs out on you anyway.  After the archdemon is killed, and I thought this was great, there is actually some discussion to the effect of "umm, so you killed the archdemon, but you're not dead.  WTF?", with responses ranging from admitting the whole thing to changing the subject.  Afterwards there's a big ceremony, with some denouement and further discussions with the other characters.  I assume some of that is still there even if you sacrifice yourself.

My ending was slightly different:

Spoiler for Hiden:

As a woman, Morrigan asked me to convince Alistair to sire her child instead.  Fortunately my Persuade skill was high enough to get it done.  Morrigan agreed to stick around long enough to help defend the gates of Denerim before she took off, Alistair took the throne on the promise that his bastard child would never come knocking, and my character rode off into the sunset with her girlfriend Leiliana.

Since no one outside the Grey Wardens knew that slaying the Archdemon meant the death of whoever struck the final blow, no one ever questioned why Alistair and my character both survived the battle.

-Autistic Angel

[CeeKay]

a new party member for Awakening.

[CeeKay]

only a few weeks to go, baring any last minute delays.  they just revealed Amaranthine on the main site.

[hepcat]

I love age verification checks on web sites.   I'm guessing a great many of us were born on January 1st of any given year....

[CeeKay]

I love age verification checks on web sites.   I'm guessing a great many of us were born on January 1st of any given year....

I like the type of drop down they use, all I have to do is change the year to not be lying    still, I prefer the type in ones if they're going to insist on using a worthless idea.  the one that gets me though is when it pops up while I'm using the Steam client; they'll remember my credit card info but not my birthdate?

[CeeKay]

loks like there is going to be a broadcast of Awakening on Friday.

[jersoc]

I give that broadcast a d+, actually.

[CeeKay]

I give that broadcast a d+, actually.

how the heck did that one sneak in there... should have been a DD broadcast show Leliana's new enhancements 

[jersoc]

Leliana>morgan

FACT

[CeeKay]

Leliana>morgan

FACT

TRUTH

[Asharak]

Well, it might be, if there was a character named Morgan in the game...

- Ash

[Reemul]

I don't like Leliana so i regularly beat her with a stick while in camp to make me feel better.

[CeeKay]

Well, it might be, if there was a character named Morgan in the game...

- Ash

I just refer to her as She-Bitch of the Mossy Wetlands.

Yes, I know the first part is redundant. I just like how it rolls off the tongue.

[CeeKay]

Dragon Age: the Revelation.

[CeeKay]

meet Mhairi.

2 weeks!

[CeeKay]

the Dragonbone Wastes.

heh heh, they said bone.

[jersoc]

2 weeks? fuck this comes out when CnC4 and a week after FF13. WTF. Just because there's snow on the ground doesnt mean it's fall!

[Beer Goggles]

I don't like Leliana so i regularly beat her with a stick while in camp to make me feel better.

I liked her but I also beat her with a stick.


And by stick, I mean my digital penis.

[CeeKay]

the new darkspawn.  probably kinda spoilerish if you have been avoiding bits about the new enemy.

[ericb]

That's a good suggestion AA.  I think I'll grab the respec mod, and make him a dual wielder.

I just REALLY don't want to sit through The Fade again.. I found it WAY too long, and the puzzles not that engaging.

I just started a new warrior and found the fade to be much shorter and less trouble than the first time through.

[Autistic Angel]

The Fade is a point of contention for a lot of people.  It's interesting because I thought the new gameplay mechanic was pretty cool, breezed through it on my first try, and felt really well rewarded for the effort.

I think the difference might be that I piled a bunch of Constitution points into my rogue early in the game, and the boost to her hit points made her a lot more survivable in that sort of solo situation.  Add in a good stockpile of healing poultices, and she did pretty well without a party to back her up.  (I even got the Achievement for finishing the entire game without the main character ever falling in battle.)  

---

Warning: Don't look at other people's Bioware profiles if you're sensitive to spoilers!  Reading through my character's Achievements or her Story tab could tip off a lot about the plot of the game!

---

My tip: no matter what your class, getting your Constitution up to about 15 or so can be a huge help, and always use the crafting system to enter major quests with a bunch of healing stuff ready to use.

I'm really looking forward to the expansion pack later this month!  I'm actually kind of happy that it took me so long to jump into Dragon Age because, by the time I finished, I've only had to wait about a month to continue the adventure.

-Autistic Angel

[Sarkus]

What bothered me about the Fade concept (and a few other things) is that they were spoiled/felt like a rehash of some stuff in the second Dragon Age novel.  The first novel really wasn't anything more then backstory for the world, but the second one felt a lot more like someone writing about a game experience.  There is a fade sequence that isn't that much different then what is in the game and that bothered me.

Obviously not everyone had the book as a frame of reference for that, but at least for me it kind of spoiled that sequence.

[MythicalMino]

Is it possible to actually purchase Return to Ostagar DLC for this game for the PC? And if so, how and where do I buy it?

On the website, it says that it is available, and that I can purchase it, but when I go to purchase, I go to the screen to buy more points (I have already done this part, I have the points available).

Thanks

Chris

[Sarkus]

Is it possible to actually purchase Return to Ostagar DLC for this game for the PC? And if so, how and where do I buy it?

On the website, it says that it is available, and that I can purchase it, but when I go to purchase, I go to the screen to buy more points (I have already done this part, I have the points available).

Thanks

Chris

Are you trying to purchase it from within the game or outside of it?  It should show up as an option within the game (as in the option on the opening menu screen).

[MythicalMino]

not sure what I did that was different that time...but it showed up, finally.

Chris

[Autistic Angel]

What bothered me about the Fade concept (and a few other things) is that they were spoiled/felt like a rehash of some stuff in the second Dragon Age novel.  The first novel really wasn't anything more then backstory for the world, but the second one felt a lot more like someone writing about a game experience.  There is a fade sequence that isn't that much different then what is in the game and that bothered me.

Obviously not everyone had the book as a frame of reference for that, but at least for me it kind of spoiled that sequence.

That's an interesting comparison.  I read both Dragon Age novels right around the time they came out (several months before the actual game was released), and I didn't pick up on how similar those story points are.  Now that you've pointed it out, yeah: that segment of the game is virtually identical to those chapters from the book.

-Autistic Angel

[Autistic Angel]

Patch 1.03 has been released:

Patch details:

You do not need to download patches prior to Patch 1.03. Downloading Patch 1.03 contains all previous patches. Downloading Patch 1.03 will provide you with all patch data available.

• Various changes have been made to code and resources to support the Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening expansion pack. Most of these changes do not affect Origins itself.
• Some players were experiencing increasingly long load times. A major cause of this problem has been fixed.
• At higher levels, non-player characters now receive a bonus to armor penetration. This mitigates an unintentional imbalance with well-armored high-level characters, since armor penetration previously did not scale as aggressively as armor itself did.
• Elite-rank enemies (lieutenants) can no longer be shattered. This preserves the intended tactical design of many combat encounters.
• Portraits for summoned creatures (like a ranger's wolf) were displaying improperly while in the party camp. This no longer occurs.

-Autistic Angel

[Greg Wak]

Did they ever fix the Shale bug? Where the game decided to stop recognising all your DLC? I finished the game and never went back largely because of that issue.

[CeeKay]

the Architect from Awakening.

[Dan_Theman]

Did they ever fix the Shale bug? Where the game decided to stop recognising all your DLC? I finished the game and never went back largely because of that issue.

I'm pretty sure I saw that mentioned in the patch notes at some point, but as I thankfully never ran into that error that you and several others did, I can't say for certain.