Dragon Age: Origins

[fba827]

I just got this game. Going to start playing today evening. I'm thinking of running through all the origin stories first and then decide which to play. Although I heard they can take up to few hours each to play so I'm not sure yet.

If I don't bother, I think I'll go with Dwarven Noble Warrior. Any tips for beginner who doesn't bother to read the whole thread?

The main advice I'd have is:

*Generally speaking, quests (be they main quests of one of the many side quests you can pick up later on) there is no time limit no matter how urgent they make it sound. So if it's not near by, save it for later since you're bound to get more quests for that later part.
* However, there are two points of no return - once you meet Duncan in your origin story. And then again once you leave Lothering. At either of those two points, you can't go back (although you can revisit previous areas, things will be changed that you can't complete some lingering quests).
* After Lothering, however, it's pretty much - go where where you want to and revisit as many times as you want.
* Note that some (optional) quests conflict with one another since it shows you are allying yourself with by doing which task. So there will be one or two things that you simply won't be able to do.
* After leaving Lothering, you'll have a party camp. After every "main quest event" make a habit of speaking with the party members in camp that you want to be friendly with and advance. As their liking of you increases, so does some of their abilities.
* Also, stick with a couple primary companions that you always keep in your party since some of them open up companion quests based on whether or not you used him/her in your party.

Honestly, my first play through I was still trying to understand the gameplay and the game world. It wasn't until my second play through that I actually "got in to it"

 

[Blackrat]

The one that has me intrigued enough to run though the game again is the elven alienage one. I picked a female elf for the heck of it.

This and the Dwarf Noble had me most intrigued. I started with the dwarf now, but I have a long weekend so I might just run all of the origins and see how the others are.

One thing that bugged me with the game is that my character doesn't speak. I mean, when I choose dialog, I'd like to hear him actually say that. It's so outdated to have "mute" characters. I'd rather have that than the choice to choose the voice of battlecomments.

 

[amerigoV]

One thing that bugged me with the game is that my character doesn't speak. I mean, when I choose dialog, I'd like to hear him actually say that. It's so outdated to have "mute" characters. I'd rather have that than the choice to choose the voice of battlecomments.

Same here. I understand why to a degree - you have 3 races and 2 genders - that is a ton of voice over. But I am now playing Mass Effect (yes, I am behind) - I love the voice/visual integration of the character into the game. I would have been fine with just one set of male/female voiceovers in DA - I think that would have been better and just deal with the "well, a female dwarf would not sound like that!"

 

[John Crichton]

To contrast, the lack of main character voice didn't bother me at all.

 

[JediSoth]

I played DA:O right after ME and then ME2 right after DA:O. Aside from suffering from Awesome Overload, I found I do prefer a voiced protagonist, because the minimal voice work for my dude in DA:O was just too repetitive and annoying after about two hours ("Can I get you ladder so you'll get off my back?", etc.).

 

[drothgery]

The main advice I'd have is:

* After Lothering, however, it's pretty much - go where where you want to and revisit as many times as you want.

... though unless you're planning on being 100% Pure Evil or your PC is a healer Mage, go the Mages first, be helpful, and get Wynn. Having no healer, or trying to make Morrigan into a decent one is teh suck (well, without using respec hacks, anyway).

At that point you'll have a tank (Alistair), an offensive mage (Morrigan), a rogue (Leilana, unless you blew her off), and a healer mage (Wynn), and so you can have an effective party whatever your PC does.

 

[fba827]

... though unless you're planning on being 100% Pure Evil or your PC is a healer Mage, go the Mages first, be helpful, and get Wynn. Having no healer, or trying to make Morrigan into a decent one is teh suck (well, without using respec hacks, anyway).

At that point you'll have a tank (Alistair), an offensive mage (Morrigan), a rogue (Leilana, unless you blew her off), and a healer mage (Wynn), and so you can have an effective party whatever your PC does.

True... I also tended to do the mage tower first because of
[sblock]the stat boosts hidden around - that made it easier to qualify for various skills while leveling up over the course of the rest of the game and made me more survivable in general due to higher stats.[/sblock]

 

[Remus Lupin]

Both times I did a complete playthrough, I started with the Arl of Redcliff, then went to the mages. But I can see the logic of going through the mages first.

Also, don't forget you get pick up Sten in Lothering as well.

 

[drothgery]

Both times I did a complete playthrough, I started with the Arl of Redcliff, then went to the mages. But I can see the logic of going through the mages first.

The NPC chatter seems to strongly encourage going to the Arl first, but I only did that my first play-through; after realizing that it had no effect on the game to go to the mages first, I was like "forget this, I'm getting my healer first".

Also, don't forget you get pick up Sten in Lothering as well.

But he's so forgettable (Alistair is a better tank and more plot-critical; Oghren is funnier).

 

[stonegod]

The NPC chatter seems to strongly encourage going to the Arl first, but I only did that my first play-through; after realizing that it had no effect on the game to go to the mages first, I was like "forget this, I'm getting my healer first".

This. Though I usually do all the Denerim side quests first (and maybe pick-up Shale/do the Keep) just to get some more Xp under the belt.

But he's so forgettable (Alistair is a better tank and more plot-critical; Oghren is funnier).

I thought so as well, but he adds a lot if you have in your party. He'll have random observations that you can then talk to him more about in 1-on-1 convos. But, yes, he isn't as "talkative" as the others, otherwise.