I had this exact problem and lowering graphic settings was enough to keep playing. According to the internet, there is a problem with the amount of stuff the game loads when in Denerim.Can you even get this game without the DLCs anymore? The ultimate edition is like 5 bucks on GOG when on discount, so I don't think the discussion whether the DLCs are worth it are relevant.
It's not playable on modern hardware without "the official un-official patch". You might think it is at first but when you're about halfway through it starts to CTD regularly and saves made in Denerim go corrupt.
Playing with lower settings isn't even noticeable: everything (apart from Morrigan's boobs) looks like shit anyway.
EA stopped bothering trying to sell the shit and just made them all available for free now: https://help.ea.com/en-us/help/origin/origin/download-dlc-for-classic-origin-games/#dragonage Just download and install. My take on DAO DLC is much simpler: Stone Prisoner is good, the rest you can skip. Warden's Keep is alright content-wise but it's also a pile of broken power-ups and loot I would recommend skipping. I think Golems of Amgarrak is okay. That one was basically designed to challenge players more. The rest tend to be a mess of level reuse for the most part.I love the main game, but the actual expansion really started to show signs of lazyness, and what was to come in DA:2.
I played through the main game 5 times, and thrived on each playthrough, with it never getting boring. But I only played through the expansion twice, first time I was bored after about 2/3rd, 2nd time I quit halfway through.
The seperate DLC's were a mixed bag. If you're thinking of buying them here's what I reckon........
Correct. Originally Shale was to be found in Redcliffe's village.No wonder, since most of this content was actually removed from the base game when it was pretty close to finished and then re-added via DLC.
What Cael is saying is that the way it goes down it's just a vote between Warden's pick and Loghain, and that your pick can be either Alistair, Anora, or both. You could also marry Alistair or Anora if you are playing the Human Noble origin. It's not like events play out differently, really.>The vote is irrelevant
>the vote was between Loghain and Alistair, Anora was a third option.
Choose one.
Pretty much. A lot of wasted potential in the narrative, quest design, and gameplay. There are also signs that they proceeded to deliberately dumb down the game in the last year before launch (coincidentally during EA acquisition, although a lot of it is Bioware's own doing).DAO had the potential to be a very good RPG, with an excellent first act (the origins) and characters with apparent depth and substance as well as some fun C&C.
It gets rightly shit on here because despite setting up everything very well, the execution is a complete flop that heralded Bioware's decline. And a game that showed promise and failed to deliver is worse than one that is constantly shite because of the 'what if' bitter taste it leaves.
If you side with Anora you can even have Alistair executed.Alistair's meltdown when you recruit Loghain is the last bit of good writing Bioware did
It is more than that. The gibbering idiot conflated two different things and tried a gotcha.What Cael is saying is that the way it goes down it's just a vote between Warden's pick and Loghain, and that your pick can be either Alistair, Anora, or both. It's not like events play out differently, really.
You mean that even if you lose the vote, you still fight Loghain and get to choose who sits on the throne?
Correct. If you win the vote, it's a 1v1 duel. If you lose the vote, it's your party fighting vs a large group of enemies including Loghain. Depending on your build (and basically how shit you are), it is typically easier to fight the large group of enemies with your party than to fight Loghain (a boss character) with a single character.You mean that even if you lose the vote, you still fight Loghain and get to choose who sits on the throne?
The base game is pretty OK in terms of equipment. Don't go for DLC stuff or the starter pack stuff. They are broken beyond belief when compared to the vanilla stuff. You will end up with your entire crew decked out with nothing but DLC and "special edition" stuff right.I'm giving this a second try (haven't went far on my first attempted run years ago), since I have cravings for some non-investing RPG lite.
Writing and NPCs voiceovers/dialogues are campy as fuck and on very juvenile level. Main and side quests are cringeworthy and are something that I could came up with for PnP campaign when I was 14 yo.
Relatively good part is combat - even though it's very MMOish and arcade'y, it gives enough satisfaction to not quit.
Need advise on two things:
1. Any recommended rebalance mods or should I go vanilla?
2. I'm playing DW rogue and am wondering on party build. I got Alistair for tanking and Morrigan for CC/nuking - for the last slot I'm thinking about either Leliana (more DPS) or Wynne (heal/buffbot). Any tips?
Note I'm playing on hard - how feasible is to roll without dedicated healer/buffer?
When you get a choice of where to go, go to the dwarf kingdom place.Will go for Morrigan/Wynne then. Every NPC seems to be equally irritating as fuck, so at least I don't have hesitate on the party build based on their personalities.
If you have Awakening as well, duelist/legion scout is a potent straight attacker. Throw in assassin for fun and games.Great tips, thanks bros.
I have GOG's definitive edition and noticed some OP DLC stuff in my inventory right from the start (blood armor, some high-end shield etc) - I dumped this into the garbage right away.
Will go for Morrigan/Wynne then. Every NPC seems to be equally irritating as fuck, so at least I don't have hesitate on the party build based on their personalities.
As for specialization for my rogue - should I go assassin/duelist or assassin/bard?
I would go for bard, but with two mages I'm afraid there won't be much to buff.
Pure curiosity: which games you would consider as written above that level...?Writing and NPCs voiceovers/dialogues are campy as fuck and on very juvenile level.
As for specialization for my rogue - should I go assassin/duelist or assassin/bard?
Great tips, thanks bros.
I have GOG's definitive edition and noticed some OP DLC stuff in my inventory right from the start (blood armor, some high-end shield etc) - I dumped this into the garbage right away.
Will go for Morrigan/Wynne then. Every NPC seems to be equally irritating as fuck, so at least I don't have hesitate on the party build based on their personalities.
As for specialization for my rogue - should I go assassin/duelist or assassin/bard?
I would go for bard, but with two mages I'm afraid there won't be much to buff.
Also - is stealth worth it?
I'm not much into scouting, but from what I see on higher levels you can hide during the combat, which sounds cool and could help you if you fuck up and gather too much aggro, no?
Easiest example is much hated here PoE1 - NPCs are much more nuanced and generally better written.Pure curiosity: which games you would consider as written above that level...?
Alistair isn't so much modern and edgy as spoilt and childish.Easiest example is much hated here PoE1 - NPCs are much more nuanced and generally better written.Pure curiosity: which games you would consider as written above that level...?
Let's take Eder and Alistair, which both fit in the bro stereotype and provide good example/contrast.
Eder sometimes provides some comedic relief here and there, but he is generally more down to earth and believable type. Alistair OTOH sounds so goddamn edgy and modern, that just makes you wanna punch him in the face. This is unfortunately fault of most of modern RPGS - even Deadfire is guilty of that (Maia)