Dragon Age: Origins - Gen. Discussion & Info

Just got Awakening from Goozex. I imported my level 22 rogue character from Origins and played about 10 minutes, but may restart and go with a mage this time.

If you haven't finished Origin with a particular character, will the beginning of Awakening be completely different?
 
I haven't played too far into Awakening with an Orlesian Warden, but I think they only difference would be that the handful of Origins characters who appear wouldn't recognize you, so those conversations would be different. I don't remember plot points from Origins coming up a whole lot aside from the character cameos.
 
Finally picked this one up the other day. About twelve hours in, and my opinions are highly positive except for Lost in Dreams trumping Max Payne's blood maze as the most unnecessary and obnoxious dream sequence I've ever seen.

Probably-dumb question; does Awakening require a hard drive if you buy the disc?

Also, just realized I have two different codes for Stone Prisoner. Wonder how that happened. Expired, but I guess it doesn't hurt to try.
 
[quote name='Survivalism']Expired, but I guess it doesn't hurt to try.[/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure BioWare revoked the expiration dates on all of the DLC codes for Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2. So if you have a Blood Dragon Armor code that should still work too.
 
Traded my untouched vanilla copy of DA:O on GOOZEX day before yesterday in anticipation of the Ultimate Edition, and lo and behold, we get the official announcement and release date. Huzzah for good timing.

Really looking forward to diving into this beast, though I'm fully immersed in Mass Effect 2 at the moment. How does the play time for DAO compare to Oblivion? That game (Shivering Isles included) probably took me longer to complete than any other game on 360, not that I didn't enjoy it.
 
Holy shit. Tybee is still alive. Today is awesome.

Anyway, it's significantly shorter than the combined weight of Oblivion, but for my money, a jillionty times better.

I'd recommend playing it - and Oblivion, for that matter - on the PC, of course. Go mods!
 
Top Five "WTFHAX" Spells/Abilities
1. Shimmering Shield
2. Blood Wound
3. Combat Magic
4. Force Field
5. Miasma

Arcane Warrior/Blood Mage is God Tier in this game. Oh my goodness. I will be heart broken if both aren't making a return in the sequel.
 
[quote name='The Crotch']Holy shit. Tybee is still alive. Today is awesome.

Anyway, it's significantly shorter than the combined weight of Oblivion, but for my money, a jillionty times better.

I'd recommend playing it - and Oblivion, for that matter - on the PC, of course. Go mods![/QUOTE]

Saywhatnow? I guess the rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. ;)

Definitely looking forward to playing it, but I haven't been a PC gamer for 15+ years, and those were LucasArts adventures (which I now also play on my consoles -- BLASPHEMY!!!).
 
[quote name='Ink.So.Well.']Arcane Warrior/Blood Mage is God Tier in this game. Oh my goodness. I will be heart broken if both aren't making a return in the sequel.[/QUOTE]
Well Blood Mage is definitely safe; default-Hawke in the trailer is one.
 
Having not followed DA:O at all, can someone direct me to a comparison of the PS3 vs 360 versions of DA:O? I basically heard that the PS3 version has better graphics, but the 360 version has a better framerate. That, and the ultimate edition will be 1 bluray disc on PS3, and 2 discs for 360.
 
[quote name='Multicron']Having not followed DA:O at all, can someone direct me to a comparison of the PS3 vs 360 versions of DA:O? I basically heard that the PS3 version has better graphics, but the 360 version has a better framerate. That, and the ultimate edition will be 1 bluray disc on PS3, and 2 discs for 360.[/QUOTE]
That's the gist of what I've heard as well-- the PS3 version has some higher resolution textures, but the 360 version has a more consistent framerate. My 2 cents, you're going to be playing the game, not looking at screenshots of it, so.
 
[quote name='Allnatural']http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/xbox-360-vs-ps3-face-off-round-23[/QUOTE]

Thanks for that. Still haven't made up my mind (sadly, PC is not an option). So, I guess the tiebreaker will be achievements/trophies. Usually for 360 games, I try to get every single achievement, but with PS3 games, I don't. (I don't know why, I just do.) Are there any extremely annoying, glitchy, or lengthy achievements or trophies that can help me choose one way or the other?
 
Getting all of the achievements is not very tough, but it is time consuming, especially if you opt to play through the game multiple times to get the different choice-point achievements, rather than using save tricks to get them more quickly. You'll need to at least begin several different playthroughs for the origin stories and romance achievements, but technically you only need to do one complete playthrough.

There are really only two or three achievements that are tricky. For Blight-Queller, you need to kill 1000 darkspawn with your party leader in a single playthrough. You'll think it's bugged because your stats page will show 1000+ kills with no achievement, but that's because the stats page counts kills by any party member, not just the leader. There are also a lot of guides that say the count is cumulative across different playthroughs. That may have been true at one point before patches/title updates, but in the current version of the game, all 1000 kills need to be on the same character. Luckily, you can get some kills then die or reload and play the same section over again, and the kills count again.

Another one is Grim Reaper. One of only two difficulty based achievements in the game (and the other doesn't really count since the enemy is so weak), it is actually extremely tough to do legit. Depending on your skill level you may well need to use an item-duplication glitch to artificially inflate your stats to get this. (Adding difficulty based achievements in DLC after the main game had none is a low blow IMO.)

Lastly, Traveler is not hard to get, but make sure to follow a checklist because some locations are missable. There are only a handful of optional locations that you'll need to be sure to hit (the vast majority of locations needed for the achievement are necessary for story progression anyway), but you will not be happy if you miss one and need to redo hours of progress or even start a new game.

It's a fun game, I played it through twice and it never felt like a chore except when mopping up kills to finish Blight-Queller.
 
Has anyone heard if the DLC in the Ultimate Edition will be on disk on the 360? Or even the PS3 or PC versions? Someone in the deals forum is claiming it will be, but I didn't think there would be a chance in hell EA would do that.
 
My Blood Dragon armor did redeem just fine, I finally leveled up enough to use it yesterday and I already found a better set. Hah, oh well.

So I was playing tonight and found the various pieces of armor that required 42 strength and I equipped them as I found them. Then when I found the boots, it wouldn't let me use them even though I was wearing the matching pieces. Then later the pieces I was wearing vanished so now I'm in my boots and underwear in the middle of a dungeon. I turned it off out of frustration when I died and I'm assuming I just had some kind of buff I wasn't paying attention to but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, either; it seems like I should have had all of it or none of it. Is that what I did or is something buggy going on?
 
Experienced a funny glitch last night during the "City Elf" Origin story. After getting kidnapped by the Arl's son and taken to his castle for some rapin' and beatin', my cousin busted in a slid a sword over to me to dispatch 2 guards who were about to take me to my kidnapper. I prepared for a short battle, and did not even have a chance to strike them when they both just dropped dead, and the cutscene played.

I thought to myself, "Oh, okay. I guess I won't have to fight them after all.":D

1 more Origin story to go, then I might dump my copy on Goozex in order to focus on Awakening. I still want to play Liliana's Song, but won't get it unless it goes on sale on the Marketplace.
 
I have the PC version of DA and while I enjoyed it, I would have to say the game was almost TOO tactical for my tastes. There were several battles that were very tough to me, even on normal and eventually I tired of the game and moved on before finishing it once. My question is, would it be worth my while to pick up the Ultimate Edition for one of the consoles and give it another go since I've heard the console versions play a bit differently? Mainly wondering because I noticed K-Mart will have it for $34.99 on Thanksgiving and that seemed like a nice deal.
 
Just put in my 13th hour in Awakenings. Too much loot to sort through!

I haven't tried to craft any runes yet, so I will give that a go soon.
 
[quote name='Killbomb']I have the PC version of DA and while I enjoyed it, I would have to say the game was almost TOO tactical for my tastes. There were several battles that were very tough to me, even on normal and eventually I tired of the game and moved on before finishing it once. My question is, would it be worth my while to pick up the Ultimate Edition for one of the consoles and give it another go since I've heard the console versions play a bit differently? Mainly wondering because I noticed K-Mart will have it for $34.99 on Thanksgiving and that seemed like a nice deal.[/QUOTE]I always heard that the PC version was vastly superior to their console counterparts, given the fact that you have more buttons to set as hot keys for moves.

I don't know what you mean by saying, "it plays differently," but I'd assume it's basically the same with a few technical flaws in the graphics department. If you're having trouble with the battles, I'd suggest putting some time into setting up each character's combat tactics. In doing so, it'll make your battles much easier to manage. I set up my combat tactics in a way where I only needed to control the main character, and everyone else took care of themselves.
 
[quote name='Ma12kez']I always heard that the PC version was vastly superior to their console counterparts, given the fact that you have more buttons to set as hot keys for moves.

I don't know what you mean by saying, "it plays differently," but I'd assume it's basically the same with a few technical flaws in the graphics department. If you're having trouble with the battles, I'd suggest putting some time into setting up each character's combat tactics. In doing so, it'll make your battles much easier to manage. I set up my combat tactics in a way where I only needed to control the main character, and everyone else took care of themselves.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, I'm almost certain the PC version is better in many ways but by saying "plays differently" I meant I've heard it's more action oriented on consoles opposed to more tactical on PC. If I remember correctly, I did try setting up combat tactics but I still ended up needing to pause and micromanage everybody. Guess I was doing it wrong...lol.
 
At least in the way I play, there is a lot of stopping, but I didn't put a ton of effort into the combat tactics. It doesn't really bother me though, I just had to realize it's not going to play like Mass Effect.

I personally would pick up the Ultimate Edition for $35 no questions asked, but I don't mind the battle system. If you didn't like it on the PC, I don't really think you're going to suddenly love it on consoles.
 
[quote name='Killbomb']Yeah, I'm almost certain the PC version is better in many ways but by saying "plays differently" I meant I've heard it's more action oriented on consoles opposed to more tactical on PC. If I remember correctly, I did try setting up combat tactics but I still ended up needing to pause and micromanage everybody. Guess I was doing it wrong...lol.[/QUOTE]

On the PC, if I remember correctly, there are also more enemies on screen at one time.

The console version has lower difficulty all around - normal mode on the consoles is akin to the PC version of easy. Friendly fire, by default, is also turned off on the console versions. The difficulty was bumped up on the PC due to being able to take a more tactical view in the battlefield.

To me, Dragon Age on the consoles was more akin to KOTOR. On the PC, it reminded me heavily of Baldur's Gate. You have to really micro manage on the PC version, but on the 360 version I never really bothered to dictate what the other NPC's did most of the time.

It is entirely possible you will like it on the consoles when you didn't like it on the PC. The game is less tactical due to the loss of the overhead view and more in your face when it comes to the action, and a bit easier, so it sounds like you would enjoy this version a lot more. I have a friend with the same complaints as you and he went to throughly enjoy the 360 version, even finishing it.

For $35, it's worth trying out.
 
I finally finished Awakening yesterday. I think I logged about 18 or 19 hours, but didn't finish every single side quest (still had a couple to do for Wade; not a huge fan of fetch quests). Took me 3 tries to beat that bitch Mother at the end (I must have had the friendly fire on, so I bumped the difficulty down to casual to get through it).
 
[quote name='animalspinners']On the PC, if I remember correctly, there are also more enemies on screen at one time.

The console version has lower difficulty all around - normal mode on the consoles is akin to the PC version of easy. Friendly fire, by default, is also turned off on the console versions. The difficulty was bumped up on the PC due to being able to take a more tactical view in the battlefield.

To me, Dragon Age on the consoles was more akin to KOTOR. On the PC, it reminded me heavily of Baldur's Gate. You have to really micro manage on the PC version, but on the 360 version I never really bothered to dictate what the other NPC's did most of the time.

It is entirely possible you will like it on the consoles when you didn't like it on the PC. The game is less tactical due to the loss of the overhead view and more in your face when it comes to the action, and a bit easier, so it sounds like you would enjoy this version a lot more. I have a friend with the same complaints as you and he went to throughly enjoy the 360 version, even finishing it.

For $35, it's worth trying out.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for the post. I wouldn't go as far as to say that I didn't like the PC version. It was well done but it just got to be too much of a hassle micromanaging everyone all the time after putting about 25 hours in. I don't mind tough games that are action oriented but I really don't like to have to sit there and figure out a plan to get through almost every battle. That's why I pretty much detest strategy games...lol. I remember beating Baldur's Gate 1 but 2 got to be overwhelming in the later stages so I never finished it. I guess part of it is my stubbornness for refusing to turn the difficulty down to easy. :D

Anyway, after reading your post, I think I would enjoy one of the console versions more. I'll probably give the 360 Ultimate edition a go for $35 and since I never bought any of the DLC or Awakenings, I'll be getting plenty of new content for my money.
 
[quote name='animalspinners']On the PC, if I remember correctly, there are also more enemies on screen at one time.

The console version has lower difficulty all around - normal mode on the consoles is akin to the PC version of easy. Friendly fire, by default, is also turned off on the console versions. The difficulty was bumped up on the PC due to being able to take a more tactical view in the battlefield.

To me, Dragon Age on the consoles was more akin to KOTOR. On the PC, it reminded me heavily of Baldur's Gate. You have to really micro manage on the PC version, but on the 360 version I never really bothered to dictate what the other NPC's did most of the time.

It is entirely possible you will like it on the consoles when you didn't like it on the PC. The game is less tactical due to the loss of the overhead view and more in your face when it comes to the action, and a bit easier, so it sounds like you would enjoy this version a lot more. I have a friend with the same complaints as you and he went to throughly enjoy the 360 version, even finishing it.

For $35, it's worth trying out.[/QUOTE]

Wow, I didn't know all that stuff. Sounds like a completely different game and experience.
 
Question: Just bought the Ultimate edition, already beat the regular PS3 version.

When do you do the Shale quest?
thx a bunch
 
[quote name='adriley313']Question: Just bought the Ultimate edition, already beat the regular PS3 version.

When do you do the Shale quest?
thx a bunch[/QUOTE]

It's available any time after Lothering. Simply head to the designated spot to start the quest.
 
Can anyone tell me if I purchase a used copy of Dragon Age: Origins if I will be missing something important if I do not have the DLC code?
 
[quote name='TurboPascal']Can anyone tell me if I purchase a used copy of Dragon Age: Origins if I will be missing something important if I do not have the DLC code?[/QUOTE]Probably one of the better party members (if not the best) in the game.
 
[quote name='Ma12kez']Probably one of the better party members (if not the best) in the game.[/QUOTE]

Agreed. Not only is Shale a powerhouse, but she is also entertaining to have around.
 
[quote name='Ma12kez']Probably one of the better party members (if not the best) in the game.[/QUOTE]

[quote name='bigdaddybruce44']Agreed. Not only is Shale a powerhouse, but she is also entertaining to have around.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, I was trying to save a few bucks, guess I will pickup a new copy with the necessary code.
 
Where do I go to start 2 quests?
-The Stone Prisoner with Shale
-Return to Ostager

thx a bunch

already did the Warden's keep DLC
 
I just finished getting 1750 on this game. I had to do two playthroughs on the main story because it never occured to me to make saves and get both "sides" achievements from the main story during my first playthrough. This served to my benefit, which I will explain in a moment.

Anyways, my main char., and first playthrough, was as a noble rogue. This is the character I did Golems, Witch Hunt, and Awakening with. I must admit that Awakening left an initial sour taste with me, as none of the characters I had grown to love returned in any meaningful fashion. Despite this, I did come to like some of the Awakening characters and that expansion/DLC is long enough that the character changes could be accepted. The characters in Witch hunt, while likable, needed more time to really shine. Golems, on the other hand, was a huge let down through and through. At level 34 my rogue was not able to beat the Harvester on Hard. I tried respeccing several different ways, and fought the damn thing at least a dozen times. I never had problems with the first form of the Harvester, nor with his second form... it was the crazy-fast attacking orange and yellow skeletons that worked me every time. I fought the damn fight for 30 minutes straight at one point and had the Harvester second form down to 1/3 his life left. In the end I had to take my second playthrough's character, a mage to get the achievement. I took no chances on this one, and item duped stat boosting books and my arcane warrior beat the Harvestor senseless.

I am very eagerly awaiting the next game. This one served me for almost two full playthroughs on the main game (I am at the Landsmeet on my second playthrough) as well as all the DLC adventures, and I was only truly annoyed with the game during my attempts to get the Harvester achievements.
 
Got Shale and lov him.
Played this once on PS3 but its much better with the DLC
Just wish you had more room for stuff I find myself running out of stuff alot.
 
[quote name='adriley313']Got Shale and lov him.
Played this once on PS3 but its much better with the DLC
Just wish you had more room for stuff I find myself running out of stuff alot.[/QUOTE]

You need to do the Warden's Keep quest ASAP. After you complete that, you get a chest you can store your extra stuff in. Just beware nothing in that chest carries over to Awakening so before the final fight you will need to be carrying everything you want to keep. You will get a chest automatically after the events to start Awakening.
 
If you delete your save file from Leiliana, Darkspawn, etc., does that also take out the special weapon you earn for defeating the DLC/finding all the pieces/etc.? Did not realize there was a 10 character limit until I started Darkspawn last night so I deleted the two origin stories I had beaten that I cared the least about.
 
[quote name='MSUHitman']If you delete your save file from Leiliana, Darkspawn, etc., does that also take out the special weapon you earn for defeating the DLC/finding all the pieces/etc.? Did not realize there was a 10 character limit until I started Darkspawn last night so I deleted the two origin stories I had beaten that I cared the least about.[/QUOTE]

No it doesn't. I deleted those saves months ago and am still guaranteed the DLC related items in my inventory when starting a new game or uploading a main game save into story related DLC.
 
Did anybody else have any trouble with the final battles of this game freezing your xbox? I get to the point where I am fighting the darkspawn generals. I am inside the city where the elves were. An ogre busts down the wooden gate and I start the battle. If I cast any type of spell that has alot of visuals (Blizzard or Storm of the Century) the game freezes. I did that twice and decided to try not to use those spells, so I didn't and the damn darkspawn warlock casts something and freezes my game AGAIN. I've tried it five different times.... It's frustrating because I haven't had a problem at any other point in the game. I've read on other forums where other people have had the same issue, but they went back to a previous save and played back to the point and it worked fine. I tried that but it still isn't working for me. Any ideas?
 
Super late to the party, but I'm finally about to take on Dragon Age. Mass Effect 1 & 2 have pretty much been my favorite console gaming experience ever, and Oblivion follows close behind that, so I'm really interested to see how Bioware does fantasy. I've been playing a little of Dragon Age Journeys to get in the mood.

I'm fairly certain I want to play a mage. But I'm uncertain whether to go Human or Elf and about the advanced character building stuff. I've scanned this thread a bit but would appreciate any tips you can provide for a newb.
 
[quote name='hx214']Did anybody else have any trouble with the final battles of this game freezing your xbox? I get to the point where I am fighting the darkspawn generals. I am inside the city where the elves were. An ogre busts down the wooden gate and I start the battle. If I cast any type of spell that has alot of visuals (Blizzard or Storm of the Century) the game freezes. I did that twice and decided to try not to use those spells, so I didn't and the damn darkspawn warlock casts something and freezes my game AGAIN. I've tried it five different times.... It's frustrating because I haven't had a problem at any other point in the game. I've read on other forums where other people have had the same issue, but they went back to a previous save and played back to the point and it worked fine. I tried that but it still isn't working for me. Any ideas?[/QUOTE]

I'd try cleaning your cache if you haven't yet. It should do the trick or at least lessen future occurrences.
 
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