Dragon Age

[Thief Silver]

Handy Mage hint: Cone of Cold + Stone Hammer. Get cone of cold on Morrigan AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

[koda]

Get cone of cold on Morrigan AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

CoC is useful in many situations, it has already gotten me through a bunch of tight spots. I gave it to her right away.

Yeah, sorry.

[FuryFox]

This game is really good. I was down in what I thought was the werewolf dungeon, fighting all these undead and doing creative pick-up quests, and like 40 minutes in, I reach "entrance to werewolf lair". I was like, wtf was all that I just did oh it was justan awesome lead up to the actual main quest.

I find it a little daunting to micromanage every action of my party members at this point, seeing as they have as many or more abilities as my character, but I'm pretty happy with the tactics setup, and just jumping in for important decisions. The graphics are pretty nice, if not straying too far from a bit beefed up LOTR fare, but it runs great on my modest system with everything set to max. Looks good zoomed in and from the top-down view. Cut-scenes are pretty slick except for the stiff and awkward animations, and the typical stilted dialogue timing. Storyline is lame high-fantasy, but serviceable (human origin).

One thing that's a litte annoying is that it's hard to read my character's "tone" when selecting responses. I've gotten into a few fights and killed quest characters using what I felt were neutral responses. It feels really difficult to unload loot as well, but it may just be because I'm stuck in this long quest and the Dalish NPCs won't barter with me...regardless, I'm constantly destroying things I feel like I'm just about to need (trap reagents, gifts, etc), but since inventory is based on unique items and not stones or something, I'm always at max, filled up with stuff the game hasn't given me a chance to know if I'll want or not.

[koda]

I haven't had to destroy any items yet, but I generally make a point to stop by shops or at least visit the party campsite every time I get back to the world map. Make sure to buy up backpacks when you see them... I've picked up two of them so far, and it's definitely nice to be able to carry more stuff.

When I said I thought I was "just about to wrap up Redcliffe" I was pretty damn mistaken. A billion hours later and I finally revived Arl Eamon. My character is level 12 and I haven't even started following up about the treaties. Maybe I just went about things in a wacky order.

I did get to fight a dragon. It pretty much slaughtered me, so I'll have to come back and try again later.

[Thief Silver]

I am so torn!

I can't decide whether to help my brother or lord harromont take the throne to Orzamar, really I just want whichever gives me the best chance to kill my brother

[FuryFox]

Another thing that really impresses me about this game is that it's about 10 seconds from launching the program to gameplay (loading last save). I play windowed 1680xwhatev and I can quicksave and close the program instantly too.

Comparably, loading Torchlight takes like 30 seconds just to get to the main menu, probably 12 seconds more to gameplay.

Also, I try to use the dialogue trees as close to what my "character" (who isn't evil) would say as possible (versus fishing for responses that will get the gameplay result I want), and I think I've already missed 3 party companions. I'm not sure if the game has alternate ways to get guys for instance, I failed to persuade the werewolves to kill Zarithian, and ended up curing them. I assume there's no way to get a werewolf party member now. Or an elf from the Dalish quests, since while they're happy the curse is broken, none seem to care for me much still.

I miss the voice acting for your character like that in Mass Effect. Certain conversations end up being ridiculous because it never cuts to your responses. For instance, I was dealing with this snarky Templar on a dock. He didn't want to help, shot me down when I failed a persuade, then I successfully intimidate and he's instantly cowering (which of course just came off as really sarcastic since there are no cuts). In Mass Effect it was easier to tell how people would respond to your remarks, as far as it mattered in that game, since you were used to way your character spoke.

[Seik]

I'm playing this on the 360 because the PC version isn't an option for me. I can tell it's clearly better on PC, but I'm still enjoying it on 360 regardless. I will say, were it not for the scripts and being able to modify them, it would be INFINITELY better on PC and nearly unplayable on the 360. That single option alone makes managing fights on the console MUCH better. I'm not sure if I would even use it all that much were I playing on the PC.

Another big difference between the two I noticed, is that in the PC version the packs of enemies that the game throws at you are far larger. I was watching a buddy play on the PC through a part I'd already been through on the 360 and he had to fight significantly more enemies than me, and we were both playing through on normal. There would be no way to manage that many enemies on the console.

But I'm just glad it came out for the 360, I'm having so much fun with this game. This is probably the best Western style RPG since Elder Scrolls IV, and I think it's better than that. I'm even liking it better than either of the Baldur's Gates I've played and Neverwinter Nights 1/2.

I think the story is fucking brilliant. The fact that the world has such a rich history is amazing. Have you guys read the codex at all? Jesus, it's all so fucking detailed, it's awesome. Plus, all the characters behave like real people; there's been nothing I've seen so far that takes me out of the world and reminds me this is a game (other than the fact it IS a game but you know what I mean). It's SOOO well written. The plot is good, but I think it's the actual interactions and history between the people/races that take the story over the top for me. I actually go OUT OF MY WAY to talk to people just to hear what they have to say. I can't tell you the last game I played where I did that. But that's how interesting I find everything in this game.

Oh, and for my money, no game has done a better job at handling the concept of "religion". The religion in this game is done so well and works on so many levels.

So yeah, that game is great. I only wish I had more free time to play it. At the rate I'm going I won't beat it for a while.

[Thief Silver]

In Orzamar's plotline.

How is the broodmother fight even possible, she does huge fucking damage and after a long as shit dungeon I have no potions not to mention so many adds.

[Melf]

I'm about 15 hours in, and I have to say that I liked Mass Effect was better. There are several things that are just pissing me off. Characters still rush headlong into a fight despite being passive, selling items brings little money, you run out of healing items too quickly, enemies shoot through walls, they swing their weapons six feet away from you and still hit you, etc.

Cone of Cold pisses me off when the computer uses it because the douchebag just fires it off, mostly hitting party members instead of enemies. As a playable character, Morrigan's usually the only one left standing because everyone else rushes to their deaths and does too little damage. I think I'm going to have to level up some more doing side quests before I try to retake the Urn of Ashes from the cult.

So yeah, good game, but far below ME and not in the same tier as the other great games released this year.

[epmode]

It's not an action game. If an enemy starts to swing at you, he's going to hit (unless the hidden accuracy die roll is unsuccessful). Same goes for arrows. If they're already attacking, you can use a few spells or skills to interrupt them.

Press the H button to make everyone hold their ground. I'd also suggest leaving everyone at the Default behavior and instead just screw with the scripting.

And for god's sake, make sure you at least have someone who can cast Heal (if you're not a mage, go to the mage tower for a useful party member). It's very possible to get through most fights without potions.

I like the combat lots, honestly. It's like a single-player WoW. Aggro, taunts, AOE placement, etc. Fun fun.