Dragon Age: Origins

[minkee]

every game i'm interested in you're already there with an opinion

[Teeohbee.]

I wish you could play the origin, then skip to right after the battle of Ostagar.

[Broker]

Are archers useless then? I don't know whether to do ranger or mage for my second play.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

I wouldn't waste time making the main character into an archer but it's works out alright enough for Leliana. The damage isn't brilliant but being ranged is handy, the ability to make her a Ranger effectively gives you a 5th party member and things like Scattershot and Arrow of Slaying can be pretty good with the right equipment (her personal quest gets her the best bow in the game, apart from one you can get if you do something really horrible to someone).

For true annihilation though, an Assassin-Duelist rogue with Momentum up and a Grandmaster stun rune is basically Godzilla to your enemies' Japan. Backstab backstab backstab chop chop chop slice slice slice. Mages can output higher one off hits (late game Mana Clash is hilarious) but are nowhere near as much fun as stealthing about, chucking grenades at people and generally being a nuisance.

[Broker]

I wouldn't waste time making the main character into an archer but it's works out alright enough for Leliana. The damage isn't brilliant but being ranged is handy, the ability to make her a Ranger effectively gives you a 5th party member and things like Scattershot and Arrow of Slaying can be pretty good with the right equipment (her personal quest gets her the best bow in the game, apart from one you can get if you do something really horrible to someone).

Ooh, what's this?

[Space Renegade Ulala]

There's a blacksmith in Redcliffe depressed about his missing daughter. If you tell him you'll search for her then return and tell him she's dead because you can't be bothered looking, he commits suicide. Someone else takes over the blacksmiths and they have a Longbow of Unparallelled Pure Amaze +1 available to buy.

[Strangelite]

There's a blacksmith in

Redcliffe depressed about his missing daughter. If you tell him you'll search for her then return and tell him she's dead because you can't be bothered looking, he commits suicide. Someone else takes over the blacksmiths and they have a Longbow of Unparallelled Pure Amaze +1

available to buy.

And that is why god invented the spoiler tag

[Space Renegade Ulala]

It's not worth really spoiling because it's so minor a story point as to be inconsequential and 99.5% of people will never know about The Best Bow In The Game because you'd have to be a complete bastard to do that to the poor guy in the first place.

I bet Stolly did it, though, heartless Dalish monster that he is.

[Broker]

I'm so doing that on my heartless and evil playthrough

[Space Renegade Ulala]

I couldn't even do it then, there are just some things that are beyond the pale, man.

***See also siding with Branka against Caradin and Shale. Never doing that no matter what.***

[Teeohbee.]

Is it really possible to do a hearltess and cold playthrough without completely pissing off your team? That's Alistair, Leilana, Wynne, Sten etc immediately out of favour with you.

[Broker]

Morrigan will have her panties off in no time though.

Edit: Seriously though, the relatively small number of NPC characters and lack of more evil people to recruit is really annoying.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

Leliana and Wynne are the two biggest problems for that sort of approach. Sten will probably respect you more for it if anything. Not that he's evil, more like focused and hasn't time for frivolous gubbins like helping Little Orphan Annie.

[Strangelite]

It's not worth really spoiling because it's so minor a story point as to be inconsequential and 99.5% of people will never know about The Best Bow In The Game because you'd have to be a complete bastard to do that to the poor guy in the first place.

I bet Stolly did it, though, heartless Dalish monster that he is.

Fair enough but as I've only just got this game (and not even been to Redcliffe yet) - I now know that I should be an utter-utter-bastard to the poor guy because I want a nice bow

(To be completely fair though, I'm an utter utter bastard in games like these for giggles anyway - I especially liked the meeting the king bit where he

said "I've heard about you..." to which I replied "why? because I wantently murdered an erl and everyone in the bloody castle because he raped one of my buddies"

)

Swinging from Extremely nice to Extremely nasty in the same conversation really makes me chuckle...

(and roll on Mass Effect 2)

[Broker]

Leliana and Wynne are the two biggest problems for that sort of approach. Sten will probably respect you more for it if anything. Not that he's evil, more like focused and hasn't time for frivolous gubbins like helping Little Orphan Annie.

Sorry to do this again but who/where/what is he?

[Space Renegade Ulala]

He's the big guy locked up in cage on the outskirts of Lothering. He's a Qunari warrior who likes paintings, small animals, cookies and cutting things to shreds with either a massive sword or biting sarcasm.

Sten is the best.

[Broker]

I'm starting again.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

Be a City Elf rogue, it generates some of the funniest dialogue moments.

[deerokus]

Leliana and Wynne are the two biggest problems for that sort of approach. Sten will probably respect you more for it if anything. Not that he's evil, more like focused and hasn't time for frivolous gubbins like helping Little Orphan Annie.

I dunno, no one seemed to mind too much when I

persuaded the werewolves to slaughter the Dalish elves

I think I got a -2 approval from Wynne. I reloaded it though as that was just me messing around to see what would happen.

And yes City Elf Rogue is exactly what my character is. I play him as a bitter, moany prick, but a pragmatic rather than TOTALLY EVIL one.

[Rudi von Starnberg]

I love my City Elf rogue. Reckon I'll do Awakening with him.

[Space Renegade Ulala]

Yeah but lets face it, Deerokus, there's nothing wrong with what you mention in that spoiler - Nothing. At. All - so no one's ever going to get upset about such a course of action.

[Broker]

Be a City Elf rogue, it generates some of the funniest dialogue moments.

That's exactly what I'm going for next, followed by a mage for the third playthrough =]

Edit: Just seen what appear to be some beta screenshots here.

[hebejebe]

Is there a website or guide anyone recommends for advice regarding tactics, party setup etc. I'm only as far as Lotherian but though it wise to start thinking properly about these things before progressing further.

[Broker]

I've not had much luck on that front, everything on GameFAQs is bilge and there's nothing on sorcerers yet. I've been asking lots of questions here but I think I'm just going to buy the official guide tmrw.

[Rudi von Starnberg]

Party setup really doesn't matter. I recommend having a mage on your first playthrough but you can prosper with any composition. Two mages (or god forbid three) makes it really, really easy.

[Teeohbee.]

Is there a glitch with the specializations?

I'm pretty sure I unlocked the duelist specialization the night before last, but playing yesterday it was still locked, and the means of unlocking it had disappeared.

[HappyCat]

Is there a glitch with the specializations?

I'm pretty sure I unlocked the duelist specialization the night before last, but playing yesterday it was still locked, and the means of unlocking it had disappeared.

Yeah, I've had that for quite a few specialisations now - I'd assumed it was 'cos I downloaded Ostagar last week when it was briefly available and it's got a know specialisation problem - have been hoping the problem would go away once they issue a fix.

[Teeohbee.]

Hmmm is it something to do with the title update when Return to Ostagar was released?

Can't you clear system cache to get rid of title updates etc? Might give that a go tonight.

[Broker]

Tonight, this is going to become the first game I've ever purchased any DLC for. I'm quite excited.

[Teeohbee.]

Oooh what are you going for?

I've got The Stone Prisoner which is awesome because of Shale.

And Wardens Keep, which is pretty essential in my eyes because of the reward at the end.

A party chest where you can store stuff you don't want to sell.