First Impressions

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I know! I was excited to exit the fade, but my hopes were crushed...

 

It is too bad that the specialization classes do not have 8-12 abilities. It would have provided the game with a very unique character builds. Also, I wish the game would allow a specialization at level 5 instead of level 7. This way when you get the extra ability when you become a GW you could take it for the specialized class ability and not just one of the plain old abilities.

On a side note. The world information provided in the game clearly tells that there will be a sequel to this game. It would be stupid not to have a sequel. I don't believe the PC would be in the sequel but you never know.

Bioware better be working on DA2 right now because when I'm done playing all the origins and the DLC (at least once) I will be ready for DA2.

 

What I find really weird about specializations is that you only need to unlock them once. If you haven't noticed already it means that once you've unlocked a specialization with a character you can pick it with another character without having to bother about unlocking that specialization anymore.

It's a bit annoying. Especially when you think how unlocking special ranks for your character's class worked in Might and Magic VI for instance. You had to go through entire quests to get a special rank whereas Dragon Age makes it rather unchallenging (especially in subsequent runs through the game).

 

I can see your point, but do you want to spend x amount of gold pieces on each run through to acquire specializations for the PC or NPCs? I know I don't. I like the fact that when I play my Rogue NPC I will have all the specializations open for the Rogue and can select the best specialization for my PC at level 7. I"m looking forward to my Rogue play through.

I would find the specialization better if they would have developed a deeper ability tree and only allowed the PC and NPC to select one speclization instead of two. Imagine having 16 abilities instead of just 4. Between the specilization abilities and the standard abilities you would have to really consider how you level up your character to shape him/her the way you want.

The good thing about the game though, even with two specialization, is that you have only a limited number of special abilities you can gain when the character levels up or through tomes. Though, it shouldn't be too hard to gain all 8 of the specialized abilities if one wanted.

 

@Munchkin Blender: I'd prefer to go the hard way (like in my first run). It makes specialization feel really cheap when you don't have to do anything to get them...

Mages really have much more opportunities for maxing out their skills though.

Spoiler

There are quite a few tomes that are for mages only...

 

That is weird, it makes no in-world sense. Although I now understand why they seem to come so late in the game. No spoilers please as to where they are but I thought it bizarre that I hit level 7 about 5 minutes after getting my only specialisation. I could easily have had none and definitely would have if I was a warrior or rogue.

No way on earth I'm choosing shapeshifter though, I'm going to wait to get something else. From the manual I'm not too mad on the Mage specialisations. Shapeshifter and Arcane Warrior have no appeal to me at all and Blood Mage is just screaming that I'll have a plot objection to my goody two shoes guy taking it.

 

I don't mean to be too specific. I wouldn't want to spoil anyone's fun. There are some valid objections to be made regarding the way specializations are handled in game (especially when you start to take into account the plot once you've already been through the game).

Plot wise it certainly doesn't make much sense that one should be able to pick up any specialization because it's not the first run through the game...

 

I just finished my first run through last night as a dual wielding rogue (although since the game said I was only 43% done with the game, I was a tad surprised to have it end on me-- I don't know, I thought maybe the final battle wouldn't actually be the final battle).

At any rate, I am overall extremely pleased with the game. I encountered next to no bugs, and at most 1 or 2 game crashes throughout the entire game experience. That's pretty unheard of for a new PC release these days. I enjoyed the story, and the incredibly immersive game environments. I enjoyed the strategic combat (wow, a game that's actually not afraid to challenge the player). The intimate moments with Morrigan were a little... embarrassing.

All in all, this game was well worth the several year wait... I do actually feel like this is the post Baldur's Gate follow up game I've been waiting nearly a decade in vain for. How nice to be pleasantly surprised for a change.

 

I agree with you Marceror. I didn't run into any game breaking bugs either (and you're right it's rather uncommon for a new release to run so smoothly).

Regarding the percentage, you shouldn't worry that much as it is meant to keep track of your achievements. If you start a new game you'll notice that the % is still the same (and it will only get higher). At the bottom of your character record screen you have another percentage that gives an indication of the percentage of exploration you've done (a better way to keep track of your progress in game).

 

Only 43% by end of game? I have over 50% and yet to visit the Dalish Elves. I do try to do as much as I can.

 

Meh, reinstalling after my HDD crash, and so far the fifth aborted installation, reportedly because (unspecified) 'an error occurred' on 5, 10, 70% of extracted data. I bought reputable DVD drives but sometimes I fear they're haunted.

 

There is a thread on the official forum that may help you, I haven't tried it but that could solve the DVD problem. Link.

 

Well, I thought I was being fairly thorough. I even received the "easily sidetracked" achievement for completing 75% of all sidequests in the game. But, uh, yeah, I was at 43% completed after completing the final battle. /shrug

 

I was around 40 something percent too Marceror; I think a big part of the percentile complete is the origins. Munchkin seems to restart a lot, so he has a chance to pick different options and do different origins, that's probably why he had more than us before he visited the dalish elves.

 

@Marceror and Rakhir: you obviously didn't read my post so I'll say it again, the Dragon Age Completed percentage only reflects the achievements you have unlocked across all your characters (you unlock one achievement per origin completed hence the larger percentage if you've played all origins).

 

Caradhras, I did read your post, and it makes sense to me. That said, in my last post I was merely responding to Munchkin Blender's comment (I didn't mean to seem that I had ignored your post).

When I finished my first runthrough, my character's personal percentage completed was somewhat above 75%, but total % completed for the game was 43%. Because I thought I had been pretty thorough, I found it odd that Munchkin Blender was at 50% completed when he still had a lot of the game to get through. The comment about him being a chronic restarter, I'm sure, is the missing piece to that puzzle.

 

@Marceror: I'm like two year olds, I hate feeling ignored!

I don't get what you're refering to as a personal percentage? As far as I know there is the exploration percentage at the bottom and at the top the Dragon Age completed percentage that applies for every character. Have I missed something?

I unlocked another achievement yesterday and my Dragon Age completed percentage went up by 1% (I'm at 60%) so achievements definitely count. There may be something else though or perhaps some achievements count for more.

 

Yeah... I can understand your confusion on my wording. A somewhat "unfortunate" thing happened recently... my blissful 5 months of unemployment came to an end. Now that I'm working again, and long hours at that, I don't have much time get my facts straight about the game (much less play it).

At any rate, by personal percentage I meant the "exploration percentage" at the bottom, which applies to protagonist of a given run through (or is personal to that character... as opposed to the Dragon Age completed percentage, which is a cumulative total for all play throughs).

 

Finished the game last night. 96% of the world seen. I do have all the current DLC for the game and completed as many quest as possible. I obtain all but two specialization - Blood Mage and the Reaper I believe.

Read below to find out about the romances I had in my play through

Spoiler

The first NPC that my female elf romanced and spent a night with was Lelina. Right before the final fight we broke it off as my NPC fell in love with Alister. The next person that the PC spent a night in the tent with was Zeveran. He broke it off and only minutes later they went to the PC tent together. Alister and the PC loved each other and well Alister is not king but a Grey Warden traveling with the PC. Zeveran is apparently my serect lover (though not stated in the game) because he also joined up with the PC who stayed a Gray Warden.

I have to speak out about Flemeth, Morrigan's ending and Draongs in general...

Spoiler

Flemeth was not a demon possessed but an old god spirit trapped inside a human. The same as the child Morrigan will bare. After Morrigan explained the how it all worked I was all for her having the child. After that encounter I felt bad about killing Flemeth earlier in the game. I also felt bad about killing the high dragon as he was not posssesed.

My question to those who played the game do you feel bad for killing all the different dragons - other than the Arch Demon? I do, sort of because they are Old Gods.

After completing the game I give it 4.75 stars. It is as good if not better than BG. The reason why I say that is that the game mechanics, the storyline, world, etc... are all new. Look how much is being developed over DAO. There is now a P&P DA game. There is DA:Journey online and soon to be more games like it, though not free.

One thing I'm curious about. Yesterday after I updated the PS3 I checked to see if I had any free DLC. I had two free items. The ring that gives +1 to all attributes and a free dagger which actually was the most powerful dagger I found in the game. Did anyone else get these DLC for free? Just curious?

 

My next fight will be the Battle at Redcliffe.

My char is level 11 now, city elf fighter, and will next level have completed all dual weapon talents; skills are tactical and coercion. She's doing some 50% party damage so far, fighting alongside Allistair, Morrigan and Leliana. I did the Sacred Ashes quest first, so I now have the basic Drakeskin armour for her. Sweet.

Some fights are pretty darn tough. I did that fight in the empty house in Denerim and I entered with roughly twenty or so various health potions and some 12 first aid kits and went out with zero of everything, and with three of four in the party wounded. Anyway, the game is great, only healing potions and the like are hard to get, even with herbalism.