Dragon Age is really bad for an MMO blog, direct your blame correctly.
Seriously though, you know the game is good when all other gaming stops and you only play that one title. Especially considering DarkFall EU-NA transfers just happened, Apollo merged into VAMP, and rumor has it the server has been rather busy with all kinds of PvP. Hopefully I’ll have DA finished before the next patch/expansion for DF hits, otherwise it might be difficult to keep a solid balance, and I really don’t want to lose my momentum in DA and not see the story to it’s conclusion.
And when not playing DA, I’ve been reading about it (why is it that reviews of a game are more fun to read once you have played the game? That makes no sense to me, but there it is). Are the graphics on the PS3 and Xbox360 turned down for DA compared to the PC, because I keep seeing references in those reviews to the graphics not being all that good, yet on my PC the game is flat-out gorgeous. I mean it’s not Crysis in terms of graphics tech, but it IS a damn good looking game. Anyone have an explanation?
Not that the game is graphically perfect, and I can somewhat understand a few of the complaints, especially about clipping. Now for me clipping is just what happens when you use 3D models, but I get that it might drive others crazy. For Dragon Age, I can fully understand the occasional clipping issue with armor or weapons during a cutscene, as these things vary depending on what you are wearing. It does seem like ALL heavy armor shoulders clip into your chest whenever you move your arm, but for me it’s a non-issue to be honest. What I do find odd is when a dwarf merchant crosses his arms, and both hands just blatantly clip into each other. I mean the dwarf is wearing normal clothing, in a normal situation, and this could not have been corrected by Bioware? Again, it’s a TINY detail that does nothing for me in terms of breaking immersion or anything like that, but when everything else is so polished, how does that escape?
And one other complaint/question, is everyone else playing getting a TON of gear they can’t use? I mean I literally have 10-12 pieces of gear I can’t equip yet because of stat or class requirements, yet I pulled them out of chests in areas I believe I should be. Gear I can’t use + certain fights giving me a ton of trouble does make me wonder if I’m ‘doing it wrong’. I have to keep shutting of that MMO-driven part of my brain, but it’s tough.
What helps to quiet those wonderings is when I win a fight I just assumed was going to murder me. Be it overwhelming numbers or just one seriously tough mob, I’ve had a few very surprising results, and yet they all seem to lead down the natural story progression, which again makes me wonder if DA is just that hard, I have gimped characters, or I’m doing things in the wrong order. I’ve had a few fights where I literally have to pull out every last trick and item, and even then I just barely win. Maybe I’ve just been playing ez-mode MMO PvE for too long…
And the hardest part of Dragon Age though: deciding which character to bring along. I don’t really care for the big guy with the two-hander, but everyone else I find very interesting. Playing a human rogue, Alister has become a good buddy and together they make a good front-line combo. Morigan is odd in a good way, and the combo of her and Alister is gold. Finally I have the rogue/bard, who brings some needed ‘be nice’ to the party. I wish I could have the dog around as well, but with only four spots he rides the bench, as does the assassin I just picked up. Funny that I could be running a three rogue and one dog party if I wanted to, but something tells me that would lead to a lot of ‘defeat’ screens.
Hardcore Casual 
I’ve been playing as a mage and taking the asshole route in the game, trying to be a prick at almost every opportunity. I found out today I murdered someone who would have been a potential party member that is pretty powerful, and at the time I didn’t even think twice about it. I just have to keep bribing Alister to get him to forgive some of the choices I make. Hopefully nobody finds out I negotiated a deal with a demon I was supposed to kill.
I love the fact that some of the choices have real consequences, and it looks like there will be a lot of replay value on this one.
I think Dragon Age is good for an MMO blog and you should post more about it! (I’m also loving reading everyone else’s blog posts about the game.)
And I also love that I’m already wondering what it would be like to replay it with a character that just had a very different /personality/.
Hehe. I opted to murder the elven assassin rather than have him join the party. Guess I wasn’t as forgiving as you after his attempt to ambush me. I’ve gotta say though, I’ve been trying to use the dog in my party as much as possible, only dragging the rogue along if I wanna bring some extra ranged firepower with me (since I’m playing a dwarf rogue and have things covered on the melee front, I’m trying to dump her skill points into archery). Morrigan’s great–but I just picked up the healing mage companion from the Circle of Mage’s tower so she might be my go-to caster from now on.
Only thing that has me worried about is missing specialization options. The assassin (once friendly) is able to teach you that specialization. I wonder if there is a different way to get it, or if you decide to kill him that option is no longer available.
They carry over from different characters, and as far as I can tell I have been able to find a book for every specialization with one playthrough.
Ah so a book is always an option, while opening it up through a character is a ‘bonus’? Good to know (and once again, stupid MMO mind worrying about a non-issue)
I’m going to have to stop reading these blogs on Dragon Age. Too many spoilers and I won’t be playing it for at least a week, two if I keep my nerve.
I’ll come back and read them after I play, though, because it is entirely true that reviews of just about anything are always better after you’ve read/seen/played the thing in question.
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DA *drools obsessively*
Yeah, DA has been really bad for my WoWing.
I’m actually doing okay with a rogue heavy party. I take the dog (Woofles, in my case) most of the time because there’s only so much in-party bickering I can cope with. I’ve managed to use Woofles pretty effectively as tank, with 3 rogues churning out a helluva lot of damage behind. I know it’s a bit crazy but I genuinely wanted to see if you could, err, play in a slightly crazy way.
Yup I’ve cancelled all my MMO subscriptions and I’ve only played for around 3 hours last night….. that was enough to persuade me that I’ll be playing/watching/reading little else for the next few months.
I think the dog is a fantastic addition to the party, at least early on, because his CC is better than most any other melee you’re going to get. AoE stun? Incredible. Fastest character in the game plus a knockdown? Screw you, lone enemy mage. And he’s got the health, defenses, and melee damage to survive and not embarrass himself in a mosh pit-style scuffle. Not bad for someone who also isn’t going to whine in the background.
Also, wtf is up with mages in this game? Healing, CC, AoE damage, AoE CC, and decent auto-attack damage? Unbelievable.
A fantastic game, though. I think you’ve put it best: this is the modernized version of the Classic RPG, and it is stunning in its glory and depth.
Ok maybe someone can give me some advice, I’ve just hit level 7 and need to visit a trainer to specialise where about is the trainer?
I’ve just completed a big battle and am about to enter a castle via the cellar……. I wanna go home and play damn it!
You get the specialization either from books you buy from merchants (15g a piece I believe), completing certain side quests, or by being on good terms and talking to various party members. I had my first point for a while (level 10?) before I spent it, so don’t worry about having to spent it the moment you get it (stupid MMO mentality strikes again!)
Cheers mate , any advice what to choose? Im a warrior and am favouring a two handed weapon, I was thinking berserker but aint too sure, there was another one which steals life which looked interesting
I’m a rogue, so not sure about warrior specializations. I just got ranger for my rogue, and he now has a wolf pet, kinda nice. The specialization is just a small stat boost and one line of four skills, so it’s not a world-shattering choice.