Dragon Age: Inquisition - First Thoughts

Originally Posted by wolfgrimdark
I notice something in your shots - your character is always full health. I am glad I am not one of your meat she… err companions. :-)

Yes.. I stopped controlling them because I couldn't see them and their tactics stink. Im currently just taking care of my guy and reviving them when needed. Besides they use up all the potions so its better if thier just dead.

Originally Posted by wolfgrimdark
Teasing aside it is annoying I agree. One thing that would help a little is if the tactical camera was actually more free. The "target" cursor seems to move like someone walking. So as you move it over the landscape the camera goes up and down. I find it often useless then as you can't see anything. A tactical camera should be completely loose with ability to zoom in/out, navigate up and down, left and right, forward and backware. The up down and the zooming are very much weak in this game.

To avoid frustration I play on easier settings for now. Less tedium in trying to move everyone. Instead I use tactical for the big fights and for all the rest I let the AI run free and just focus on my own character.

That being said I am unusual among most gamers as combat, which is usually the core to game play, tends to be less important to me in any game.

Im going to fool around a bit longer to try and determine the best way to play. I may just wait and see if they patch any of it.

Originally Posted by sakichop
Yes.. I stopped controlling them because I couldn't see them and their tactics stink. Im currently just taking care of my guy and reviving them when needed. Besides they use up all the potions so its better if thier just dead.

Hmm, in that case I would drop the difficulty. That way they may become at least partially useful, and actually matter.

Originally Posted by Thrasher
Hmm, in that case I would drop the difficulty. That way they may become at least partially useful, and actually matter.

Maybe, still experimenting with how I want to play. I'm only 6 hours in and I'm still deciding. No wonder the games 200 hours.

Soooo…. has no one finished the game yet? Is it really that big/long? And whatever happened to DArt? I have a sneaking suspicion he may be trying to pull a Maylander here and is trying to be the first Watch member to finish the game. Should be fun to see whether Maylander or DArt "wins" the race .

No doubt. Though Dart usually takes a breather and gives a short early report. The grinding must really be engaging.

All jokes aside, it's probably a good sign, actually.

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Soooo…. has no one finished the game yet? Is it really that big/long?

No. Yes.

If there were not endless mobrespawns, I guess someone would finish it already. This way instead of 20 hours on an area, you spend 40 because they constantly appear and are attacking you. Mounts can help escaping them, but not everywhere.

im about 15 hours in.

Not very dedicated tho. After I hit 40 I started gaming every other day, alternate days reading about games and internet stuff.

I need to get more regimented if i want to make real progress on a game this huge

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Soooo…. has no one finished the game yet? Is it really that big/long? And whatever happened to DArt? I have a sneaking suspicion he may be trying to pull a Maylander here (..).

When I started reading your post, my first thought was: "Maylander must be close".

Originally Posted by Moriendor
Soooo…. has no one finished the game yet? Is it really that big/long? And whatever happened to DArt? I have a sneaking suspicion he may be trying to pull a Maylander here and is trying to be the first Watch member to finish the game. Should be fun to see whether Maylander or DArt "wins" the race .

25 hours in, just reached Skyhold and unlike what Joxer said my "slow going" isn't related to respawns. I usually avoid them. The game is just that huge.

Just exploring Skyhold the first time while talking to everyone took me a good 2 hours…then I left to do some "optional content" and I had another hour of new stuff in Skyhold that awaited me on my return.

I am going to revise again at an 8. Parts of this game really rock but other parts really show an MMO foundation. Such as respawning mobs, grinding for certain items, farming, and other such annoying past-times. But some of the quests are a lot of fun and good characters. But I have to agree it has an MMO back bone to it in many ways.

Also found one very annoying bug that has required reloading the game over and over to get a certain spawn - well known issue on the forums though and hopefully it will get patched. Has to do with being able to specialize as an an assassin.

I killed my first dragon last night (the Hinterland one). It was an epic fight. Barely made it out alive (and technically the 3 other party members did die…a few times).

Weapon&Shield Warrior FTW!

Originally Posted by wolfgrimdark
Also found one very annoying bug that has required reloading the game over and over to get a certain spawn - well known issue on the forums though and hopefully it will get patched. Has to do with being able to specialize as an an assassin.

You mean certain sidekick's amulet of power?
I picked it up twice but now it appeared at the same spot for the third time. It has to be a bug. I'm not picking it up. I mean… I can practically maximize all his skills this way, it doesn't seem right!

Originally Posted by wolfgrimdark
I am going to revise again at an 8… respawning mobs, grinding for certain items, farming, and other such annoying past-times. But some of the quests are a lot of fun and good characters.

My problem is to keep it on 8 actually. More I play, less it feels 8.
But we share the same feel about game foundations. It's started as casual grinder and then upgraded into something else without getting rid of grind.

@Joxer - not the amulet. When you specialize you need to collect some items and hand them into the trainer. Well one of the items spawns on a mod who can die before he should if you go to a certain place (avoiding spoilers so being vague). Anyhow point being the main person you get it from will be dead and hence you can't get it. People report it sometimes has a rare random drop on a couple of others mobs - once guy said it took 48 reloads to get it to spawn. Feels very MMO in that case.

Beyond that the game is still fun but have to admit wasting 3 hours on that bug took some of the fun out Still I won't downgrade a game due to a bug or two. No my rating drop is just the overall feel is MMO in style. A lot of the content is great but there is also a lot of running around for no real purpose other than as filler.

Originally Posted by azarhal
I killed my first dragon last night (the Hinterland one). It was an epic fight. Barely made it out alive (and technically the 3 other party members did die…a few times).

Weapon&Shield Warrior FTW!

Congrats! I haven't had the energy to tackle one yet - although I loved how the one in the Black Fens looks. I almost did last night … but then a snow storm in our area wiped out power and it still hasn't come back yet (at the office now … nice way to spend thanksgiving … but at least they have power).

Errr, not really sure what are you talking about and perhaps I shouldn't (not playing rogue character), but respawns are killing the game. Just as in the case you're describing, there is another where an skillgaining item respawns endlessly.

Originally Posted by joxer
Errr, not really sure what are you talking about and perhaps I shouldn't (not playing rogue character), but respawns are killing the game. Just as in the case you're describing, there is another where an skillgaining item respawns endlessly.

I detest respawns. It is so annoying to clear an area only to come back 10 minutes later and they are all back. Happens a lot when I am trying to find a path to some destination and have to back track a lot. At least in some games they wait a long time before things might respawn (skyrim is 30 days at least). All games have fillers but respawns is one of the most annoying.

Aye this is very specific to the rogue character - I need 3 items to unlock my specialization.

Can't play anyhow - power is still out and the holiday break is almost over.

Originally Posted by wolfgrimdark
I detest respawns. It is so annoying to clear an area only to come back 10 minutes later and they are all back. Happens a lot when I am trying to find a path to some destination and have to back track a lot. At least in some games they wait a long time before things might respawn (skyrim is 30 days at least). All games have fillers but respawns is one of the most annoying.

Aye this is very specific to the rogue character - I need 3 items to unlock my specialization.

Can't play anyhow - power is still out and the holiday break is almost over.

I think open world games need respawns. The world would get empty and boring without.

I think skyrim got it right I never felt things were respawning but more like things just wandered in to the area.

Originally Posted by sakichop
I think open world games need respawns. The world would get empty and boring without.

I think skyrim got it right I never felt things were respawning but more like things just wandered in to the area.

Aye I never minded it in Skyrim at all. It is more how quickly they do it (very much like an MMO) so that you get no rest time.

I'll, of course, disagree.
New spawns, yes. On a new main story chapter, harder mobs. Like Gothic (all three). But same mobs appearing over and over… I hate it.

Who forgot to add the basic detail of whether a weapon is 1 or 2-handed in the description? Frustrating, yes once it's in your inventory you can filter by it. But purchasing weapons from merchants, it's up to you to know whether that axe or hammer is two handed or not.

Also, looking through schematics in your inventory it wouldn't hurt to have the details of the item to be crafted. It has the requirements, but what's the potential base damage on that wide blade sword that you could make? Give me an idea here, you know

It's just lazy, there's a lot of small informative details could be filled in