No Rogue, no merchants, no alchemy? ***SPOILERS***

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
I left a scenario I couldnt conquer and I wonder when I get back if it will be twice as hard

It shouldn´t be because enemies are scaled only once. It´s the persistent scaling thing. Since the scaling happens upon entering the area, if by "I left" you meant reloaded to a save where you haven´t entered the area at all, then yeah, they may be tougher later.

Originally Posted by Badesumofu
If you talk to a few people in Lothering, it's made very clear that the place is about to be over-run. If you *could* go back there for the whole game I would consider it a fault. In my opinion you do get fair warning. As for the Kocari wilds, you aren't warned that you won't be able to go back there, but there's nothing of great importance there anyway.

It makes perfect sense that you're unable to go back to these areas to me.

I've done lothering and am now doing the Stone Prisoner quest, but I've got to agree with you. In fact you can go back to Lothering for awhile (it's still available), but there is a big black mark on your world map slowly creeping up from the wilds. I would assume that is the blight and when it hits Lothering…well it's done for. That does make sense since you can clearly see on the map where the blight.

One thing that really bugged me about this game. That man you encounter in the camp right after leaving Lothering. The guy goes on and on about Duncan promising to help him. So I decide to help him and guess what, I CAN'T because I have to buy the DLC to get the quest.

I don't mind the DLC or paying for an extra quest or two. What I do mind is the fact they put a commercial in the game in the form of a quest. If I buy the DLC then have him appear in the camp. If I don't then I don't want to see him. Why taunt me with this super cool Warden's Keep if I didn't buy it?

Like I said, I really don't mind paying if I want to. I just don't like this form of advertisement that they threw in the game.

Other than that, everything seems pretty good. Even the scaling

Originally Posted by DeepO
It shouldn´t be because enemies are scaled only once. It´s the persistent scaling thing. Since the scaling happens upon entering the area, if by "I left" you meant reloaded to a save where you haven´t entered the area at all, then yeah, they may be tougher later.

The area in question allowed me to leave, so no it was not a reload. That is good news.

My character is rogue so no problem lock-picking chest and door. He opened almost all chests but in DA you won't find very powerful thing and extremely valuable stuff through thieving.

Morrigan (spelling?) is pretty good at alchemy - but i primary use her as spell caster. As for merchants, i can go back to party camp and trade with the dwarf merchant as he sells pretty cheap (my character is dwarf as well).

I'm running across lots of chests with "Insufficient Skill". My rogue has level 3 tools. Is that the check for chests or is it general "thieving"?

I also at level 3 tools, maybe related to your cunning as well (now i'm at 22), or the area you exploring is for higher level rogue character.

Originally Posted by ToddMcF2002
I think some folks are making excuses for a game that appears to have serious shortcomings. Frankly if I could merge Drakensang with DA combat I'd toss DA. I still like it alot but this linear herding issue is lame.

I agree, DA is far from perfect. I noticed the semi-linearity of the levels early on. It's not as bad as KotOR, but it's still there.

I prefer it over Drakensang by far though… didn't like the whimsical atmosphere of that one.

Also, it would be nice if there were other ways to try to open a locked chest. I think it's lame that only a Rogue can do it.

Originally Posted by skavenhorde
I don't mind the DLC or paying for an extra quest or two. What I do mind is the fact they put a commercial in the game in the form of a quest. If I buy the DLC then have him appear in the camp. If I don't then I don't want to see him. Why taunt me with this super cool Warden's Keep if I didn't buy it?

Like I said, I really don't mind paying if I want to. I just don't like this form of advertisement that they threw in the game.

Other than that, everything seems pretty good. Even the scaling

I didn't like that either. I don't see why he couldn't just appear after you have the DLC. I did not like the dialouge line that had "(buy Warden's Keep)" in it. Warden's keep is kinda short, btw, like 1.5 - 2 hours.

I actually think the scalling is well implemented. It's mostly not noticable. In some ways I'd prefer no scalling - but then the part of the game where you can do like 30 hours content in any order would be a bit broken. Too hard at first, then too easy. I think I am a bit biased against any kind of scaling after playing Oblivion. Maybe they could just have those main quests scale in a limited way, but not side quests. If you can't manage a piece of optional content when you encounter it, go back and do it later. Or something. It's tough to get this right, I suppose. I suspect it's also something that it's best not to know the details of, as a player.

As one the old players of both BG1 and BG2 that's been screaming - ehm- demanding - no - asking polity that there should be consequences to our actions, I'm fairly happy that Bioware this time around did listen to those of us that wanted this feature to be in. The Origin stories need to be linear to usher into the story of the game, I think.

I always wandered, in BG1, why you weren't pressured more (by the game)to go solve the iron crisis. It's great, I think, that Bioware actually have made it so that our delay (with the main story) has consequences. Sort of reminds of Fallout 1 where you 100 days (or is it 500 days?) to bring back the waterchip to Vault 13.
(I think it is Vault 13?)

Still sad that we can't go back to places we've visited before, though. There's a story reason for it, though, it seems. It's sort of OK, then.

And yes, I saw that major plot spoiler (and believe you me, it was major!) in the thread title. Not good! I posted a comment about this…in the thread at the Bio forums…

edit:

When I get my game (hopefully in december) I'll remember to pick up the bags in Ostager..

As a completionist, I also decry the linearity and closing off of areas. If the Darkspawn is approaching, and then destroys an area wile you are away, let the player encounter the devastation then! You could for instance go back to a sacked and looted and razed place, but at least allow us to go back. Anyway, that still wouldn't help with possible quests that I missed, but it would feel more realistic, and fit in with the "consequences" theme.

Ideally, though, I'd prefer to be able to go back.

Talking of which, I'd love to go back to Ostagar for backpacks - the Lothering merchants don't seem to have any and my inventory is constantly full, which would of course involve reloading an earlier save, since Ostagar is no more. I don't think I could handle going through the tower of Ishal scenario again, though…. *groan*

Re Drakensang ; hey, that was even more linear than DA, regarding the closing off of areas… perhaps less linear regarding certain other choices, though. I must say that I find the character interaction in DA to be a lot better.

Originally Posted by RivianWitch
If the Darkspawn is approaching, and then destroys an area wile you are away, let the player encounter the devastation then! You could for instance go back to a sacked and looted and razed place, but at least allow us to go back.

That's a cool idea, but unrealistic. It would have basically amounted to x2 the amount of work for the devs on what was already a huge game.

Originally Posted by RivianWitch
Talking of which, I'd love to go back to Ostagar for backpacks - the Lothering merchants don't seem to have any and my inventory is constantly full, which would of course involve reloading an earlier save, since Ostagar is no more. I don't think I could handle going through the tower of Ishal scenario again, though…. *groan*

Yeah I missed the backpacks also, I don't recall even seeing them for sale when I was in Ostagar. Not sure what they were thinking when they made those the only ones.

Originally Posted by JDR13
Yeah I missed the backpacks also, I don't recall even seeing them for sale when I was in Ostagar. Not sure what they were thinking when they made those the only ones.

What do you mean? You can buy them later as well from the dwarf in your camp.

Originally Posted by RivianWitch
If the Darkspawn is approaching, and then destroys an area wile you are away, let the player encounter the devastation then! You could for instance go back to a sacked and looted and razed place, but at least allow us to go back. Anyway, that still wouldn't help with possible quests that I missed, but it would feel more realistic, and fit in with the "consequences" theme.

Maybe it could be a good idea to see some of the people from say Lothering in other towns, talking about how Lothering was destroyed. Bioware could really need to talk to Bethesda about how to do this, I find. I really enjoyed the conversations in Oblivion about what was happening in Skyrim or in the Summet Set Isles.

Originally Posted by lostforever
What do you mean? You can buy them later as well from the dwarf in your camp.

I really need to start paying more attention to the merchant's inventories.

I honestly didn't notice them in Bodahn's inventory, but it's good to know that I'll have other opportunities to get them.

Originally Posted by JDR13
That's a cool idea, but unrealistic. It would have basically amounted to x2 the amount of work for the devs on what was already a huge game.
.

Sure, I realised that, even when I made the suggestion… I meant basically just a generic background. You know - a darkened sky with a black scorched landscape with nothing in it.

Anyway, I suppose I'm just being a bit sour on missing out stuff by accident, since I'm a bit of a completionist. Look how Todd missed out because he didn't go to the pub in Lothering, for instance. One has to admit that the door of the pub isn't all that obvious.
I had a similar experience in Drakensang. If someone hadn't told me about the pub in those initial marshes in Drakensang, I would for sure have missed picking up my rogue there too, since I just simply did not see the door…

Craig Graff, a Bioware developer,

has uploaded a mod storage chest to the social site.

Bioware (once again - unless it just Craig himself) comes through - and delivers what the community wants. I really can't see Craig adding the storage chest at camp without permission from the higher-ups, though.

Hmm, I'm a completist. I hope I don't miss anything.

Originally Posted by aries100
Craig Graff, a Bioware developer, has uploaded a mod storage chest to the social site.

Bioware (once again - unless it just Craig himself) comes through - and delivers what the community wants. I really can't see Craig adding the storage chest at camp without permission from the higher-ups, though.

That link goes nowhere!!

Originally Posted by Corwin
That link goes nowhere!!

Try this link instead?

NOTE: That goes to the Bioware Social site, so it may ask you to log in or register first I'm not sure.

Originally Posted by Corwin
That link goes nowhere!!

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry —- and many being bashfulls….

Dgaider's link goes to the correct site. At least for me. (but I'm also logged into the Social Network)

Direct link:

http://social.bioware.com/project/463/

Edit:

I just logged out from the Social Site - and I was able to read the above post.
[I must accidentally - sorry for that - have used the wrong URL…]