Dragon Age: Origins

I am getting frustrated (not in a bad way) because i obsess over the equipment -- i am constantly "at full" but i can never decide what equipment will be useful and what won't so i keep trying to keep everything that has some marginal circumstance benefit over the others. and these gifts i'm collecting, i'm scared to give it to the wrong people (don't tell me, i'll figure it out on my own once i get over my neurotic behavior)

Regarding normal items--for weapons and armor, pay close attention to the tiers listed. There are 7 tiers. The higher the tier the better suited it is--better armor, better damage, more enchantment slots, etc. Once you have the minimum attributes needed for it, feel free to sell off your old stuff. I'd save "named weapons" though at least until the pros and cons are figured out. Some "regular weapons" are better than a few named weapons when the pros and cons are figured out, although it depends on anything else the weapons do.

I learned this the hard way when I found my warriors a little ineffective until I switched gears. It's hard getting out of the D&D mentality and paying attention to the metal/wood of the weapons used. I figured this out 2/3rds thru the game.

Gifts you'll have to experiment with. Hints can be found in the codex entry for the character, provided you talked to them enough and figured out what they like. I strongly suggest taking time and reading a codex entry when it appears in your bar. Put it this way, for most gifts, if you get a +1 or +2, it's nice but not their preference.

The sex scenes are ... hilarious. It reminds me of the doll sex scene in "Team America." But also, the 30-Rock episode about video game porn and the "uncanny valley." These characters definitely fall into the uncanny valley.

That's the only drawback IMO (and a minor one). I mean, this engine is great--I love the camera effects you get when in the Fade, when you're dreaming, and all the angles and things that can be done (such as Field of Vision where you blur the background scenes, or seeing the characters through a demons infravision-like eyes). There's virtually no scenes pre-rendered as Bink video like some games do, it's all in-game like Half-Life. Some people are saying it's not the best, but I think its the best so far for an RPG. I really only see the uncanny valley when there is a love scene that's more than kissing. Maybe they should have blurred the entire FOV for that--or do a long shot in camp farther away. It's odd because for me the romance aspect is one of the fun things--playing as my character and interacting with other's stories is just like reading a novel or being in the Peter Jackson LoTR movies.
 
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I installed the Camp Storage Chest above, and absolutely love it.

Last night, I grabbed the HD Textures from dragonagenexus, and am impressed with the difference it makes for the game's appearance. It was a pain to download and install (I'd rather download and unzip 1 file instead of 6), but it's pretty amazing.

I plan on getting a few more mods - like one that changes the nuisance Stealing cooldown from 10s to 1.5s - but am looking for more.

Are you folks planning on installing any user-created mods? Have you found any that you'd recommend?

-O
 

I installed the Camp Storage Chest above, and absolutely love it.

Last night, I grabbed the HD Textures from dragonagenexus, and am impressed with the difference it makes for the game's appearance. It was a pain to download and install (I'd rather download and unzip 1 file instead of 6), but it's pretty amazing.
Haven't even bought the game yet, since I'm waiting to upgrade my computer, but does the HD texture mod up the system requirements much? i.e. if I wanted to use such a thing, is that going to mean buying a better video card?
 

It shouldn't take much - if any - extra processing power. Your game will only get choked if your card has minimal on-board RAM.

Mine is choppy for a second or so at first, while waiting for the textures to load into the card's memory, but otherwise just as smooth.

-O
 

Storage chest sounds good....except i'm playing on the 360. :(

I don't plan on paying for any expansion materials, so I guess I am just gonna have to keep trimming my inventory all game long.

DS
 

It shouldn't take much - if any - extra processing power. Your game will only get choked if your card has minimal on-board RAM.
Aye, there's the rub.

My current rig won't run it at all. I need a new video card for sure. Buying a new video card makes it into probably a $150 game, possibly more than that. This is where I consider plugging my ears for a year and waiting to pick up the game in a $20 bin after I can more readily afford video card upgrades.
 

i am (presumably, based on the way the story line is climaxing) almost done with my first play through (male human noble warrior).

have to say, i am addictively playing it -- i'm really enjoying lots of the details (town criers that change announcements, companion banter, etc), story, and cut scenes. i also really like how certain things from earlier come back to help or hinder me .... (won't say what to avoid spoilers)

normally, i'd get bored of the story and start 'steamrolling' through everything with quick dialogue choices and skipping whatever was extra. but i find myself wanting to see more, so the fact that the story is holding my interest is a big thing... i'm interested to see how it plays out and will probably start immediately playing again on a new origin making new choices.

of course, the game isn't without faults (i've run across a few odd glitches/bugs and not every artistic choice is to my liking, but nothing that has been so major that it has stopped me from enjoying the game).
 

I've been plugging away at it pretty obsessively myself. I gave up trying to do every side quest, but I'm sure I'll catch some of them next time around.

Just completed the Landsmeet, and Morrigan made me choose between her and Zavran. I chose her. Zavran was just a phase, I guess! ;)
 

so i'm on my third play through (and still not bored of it) - i like seeing the story from multiple angles and perspectives....

i tried being a 'jerk' and side with someone i wouldn't normally chose to side with... and, well, i felt so bad about the reprucssions that i had to immediately reload my previous save... (which, to me is a big deal because i don't do that, ever, i just go with the flow of what i pick.. but i felt so bad.. so very very bad. :( )


Though, I came here to post about summoning spiders. I made Leliana a ranger and just learned summon spider and... well, let's just say it doesn't "poof" like the wolf and bear do. I just wasn't expecting it.... nice detail though, i'll give them that.
 

I'm kind of waiting for the Return to Ostagar expansion before I give myself another playthrough. Though this time I think I'll play a human noble rogue.
 

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