Dragon Age Inquisition

[Inkidu]

It's funny you say let the world build up instead, because that's why I wanted my events. I had already built up a Thedas I liked. Sure, I tanked fifteen hours of progress, but actually I'm learning to play better. I only lost Solas against the boss in the prologue and that's because I wan't paying attention.

[Falanor]

I'm enjoying the open world design so far, much more freeing than before but not as much as Skyrim, and it's odd that I feel that the quests are more of a division between direct main story quests, indirectly related, and a smattering of more obviously side quests. I've found that the more of the Inquisition perks I spend on the knowledge boosters that I have more dialog available to my wheel at times.

[Drake Valentine]

Where there be dragons, there be dragon slayers.

*Looks at flying dragon.* And we say to that dragon. Not today. *Leaves area.*

Speaking of which, has any seen their levels? I couldn't even target the yellow dragon, unless you can through tactical cam when he was in flight, but I was busy backtracking out of his territory after seeing trail of fire breath headed my way. I'm assuming they are high level.

[Hemingway]

I think the one in the Hinterlands is 15. Don't let that fool you, though. My party is high enough that he's not GIANT SKULL OF DOOM-leveled, but he still rips them to bloody ribbons. Or, well .. nearly. I'd stand a better chance if the party AI wasn't useless.

Anyway!

Not a single meaningful dialog in quests since my last post here, what, two hours ago? I managed to finish a quest leading to an exciting-looking cave, and what'd that get me? A collectible item, some armor that was barely any better than what I had, and a few cave mushrooms. Yay!

[Drake Valentine]

I think the one in the Hinterlands is 15. Don't let that fool you, though. My party is high enough that he's not GIANT SKULL OF DOOM-leveled, but he still rips them to bloody ribbons. Or, well .. nearly. I'd stand a better chance if the party AI wasn't useless.

Anyway!

Not a single meaningful dialog in quests since my last post here, what, two hours ago? I managed to finish a quest leading to an exciting-looking cave, and what'd that get me? A collectible item, some armor that was barely any better than what I had, and a few cave mushrooms. Yay!

Yea, the party AI is pretty retarded. Varic using crossbow then running up on enemy meeleeing it and getting hit. Dafaq Varic? My tank likes to target who I am targeting, which is lame cause I try to assassinate archers and range users cause they are the REAL problems in battle. Even the AI set up isn't helpful. ;/

[mia h]

One thing that seems like a step backwards from DA 2 is the resource management\gathering side. I liked DA 2's way of if you a resource then mark it and it's always available, maybe they could have combine the two previous game mechanics, you find and mark a resource on the map and the gatherers of the inquisition collect it for army supplies and give you a bit of what they gather every [insert random amount of time here]

[Hemingway]

One thing that seems like a step backwards from DA 2 is the resource management\gathering side. I liked DA 2's way of if you a resource then mark it and it's always available, maybe they could have combine the two previous game mechanics, you find and mark a resource on the map and the gatherers of the inquisition collect it for army supplies and give you a bit of what they gather every [insert random amount of time here]

Definitely agree. Hawke would've had time to pick them, but even he just marked them. The Inquisitor has to pick elfroot for the whole inquisition? Come on!

Yea, the party AI is pretty retarded. Varic using crossbow then running up on enemy meeleeing it and getting hit. Dafaq Varic? My tank likes to target who I am targeting, which is lame cause I try to assassinate archers and range users cause they are the REAL problems in battle. Even the AI set up isn't helpful. ;/

Finally someone agrees with me.

I'm using Sera, and I had to disable some of her abilities because she simply used them in combat. In a proper system, I would've been able to tell her to use them if she was attacked in melee. But no. Having the same system as previous games was too much to ask for, I suppose.

[Drake Valentine]

Well,  resolved some problems. Kicked Varic out of party(since I am playing dual wield rogue and who hell needs two rouges?) Right now my party is Cassandra, Blackwall, and Soulis. So. Rogue > Warrior(Sword&Shield/Tank) > Warrior (Twohanded focus heavy hitter) > Mage ( Just there to spam spells.)

I wonder how to better play with their abilites for AI, think you can set up what they may use/may not use when not control. If so, I am just gonna have Cassandra taunting everything and Blackwall just murdering enemies she taunts.

I do wish there was better tuning to behavior of AI. I set Cassandra to defend mage, but that was epic fail if there every was one in their behavior section. Like, my guy doesn't need protection at all. I can go invisible and stealth kill things or just roll out of way. ;/

Cassandra "He in trouble must help."
Soulis in background being killed by enemies cause no one is guarding him.
Me "Dafaq AI."

[Hemingway]

Blackwall generally spends most fights with me guarding - just standing in place.

It's a good thing I'm a Rift Mage now. I can absolutely murder things by first pulling them together, then laying down some serious AOE.

I'm thinking of starting a new character, though. I mean, sure, I've invested some 20 hours into this already, so it feels kinda wasted. Still, the game is so overwhelming, I feel like I've done a lot of things wrong.

[SinXAzgard21]

Big fights like dragons need to be done in tactical mode.  Generally now that is all I play with since it allows some what better AI management.  Almost done with Hinter lands and the Frostback (Dragon in Hinterlands) is level 12 with 96k hp.

[Inkidu]

I think there needs to be a deliberate ban on fetch quests. Just for about four years. Make devs work.

[Hemingway]

Big fights like dragons need to be done in tactical mode.  Generally now that is all I play with since it allows some what better AI management.  Almost done with Hinter lands and the Frostback (Dragon in Hinterlands) is level 12 with 96k hp.

It's too bad tactical mode still sucks. It's one thing that it's extremely basic ( what, not even the ability to queue actions? ), but it's also buggy as hell. It frequently warps my characters around, and messes with my black hole spell ( exiting tactical mode seems to launch everyone toward you, out of the vortex - pretty bad when you're trying to line up AoE spells ). Also, it's blocked by objects. For one thing, that makes it literally impossible to target someone on a wall using tactical mode.

[SinXAzgard21]

It's too bad tactical mode still sucks. It's one thing that it's extremely basic ( what, not even the ability to queue actions? ), but it's also buggy as hell. It frequently warps my characters around, and messes with my black hole spell ( exiting tactical mode seems to launch everyone toward you, out of the vortex - pretty bad when you're trying to line up AoE spells ). Also, it's blocked by objects. For one thing, that makes it literally impossible to target someone on a wall using tactical mode.

Hmm, tactical mode has not done any of that for me.  You can cycle through enemy's as well by clicking right stick.

[Hemingway]

Hmm, tactical mode has not done any of that for me.  You can cycle through enemy's as well by clicking right stick.

I'll have  to try that next time I'm being pelted by archers and try to set up my signature combo ( Inquisitor drops a Rift Mage vortex, then does a Rift Mage .. sort of .. rock fist attack, Dorian does fire AoE, and Sera does an explosive arrow - tends to kill things pretty good! ).

[Inkidu]

You know on that note. My personal narrative preferences aside, from a gameplay standpoint, what's the point of Sera? Varric already fills the role o ranged rogue, and let's face it, properly tuned, Bianca will destroy just about anything.

So unless you respec her as a dual wielder or just need two ranged rogues (not generally likely). She's a bit redundant.

[Hemingway]

You could make the same argument with any of the NPCs. Both Cassandra and Blackwall come specced as tanks. Mages are even more flexible, imo.

Sera's Tempest class isn't that attractive, but ... eh. I like Sera. Sort of. She's annoying, but she's actually a nice character to have along, as someone who doesn't look at the bigger picture all the time.

[SinXAzgard21]

I run Blackwall as a champion tank with points in vanguard and the sword and board tree, my warrior is a two handed off tank who focuses on pulling in ranged and mages.  Serra is my rogue who I switched to dual wielding and it has made a huge difference, and Dorian who I need to respec into spirit/necro/frost is currently electric/frost and that seems to do a lot of damage.

I actually suggest keeping a few respec necklaces in your inventory as you may need to respec your mage on the fly depending on fights.  Also make weapons and armor varied by resistance and damage type.

[Hemingway]

Sera's working out brilliantly for me as an archer. In massed fights, her explosive arrow works wonders along with the rest of the team's AoE. Against large targets, the arrow that does more damage to undamaged targets is really good for initiating a fight.

[Inkidu]

Honestly, mages have been way, way too powerful in Dragon Age.

[Drake Valentine]

Hmm, is it okay to auto level party members or should I respec them and focus their level points? >.<

[Inkidu]

Hmm, is it okay to auto level party members or should I respec them and focus their level points? >.<

Always do it yourself, otherwise Varric and Sera will end up with close-combat rogue stuff.

[SinXAzgard21]

What Inkidu said, spec them out yourself. 

Sera's working out brilliantly for me as an archer. In massed fights, her explosive arrow works wonders along with the rest of the team's AoE. Against large targets, the arrow that does more damage to undamaged targets is really good for initiating a fight.

I enjoy having a dual wield rogue, she and my two handed warrior drop squish targets so quickly while Blackwall laughs at the bigger enemy trying to shred his guard.

[Inkidu]

Instead of respecing mages as needed I tend to just loadout mage party members with different options. Let's you save your respecs.

[Drake Valentine]

Yea, rogue is just beast or mine is. I can almost one shot higher level squishes with the invisible and dual dagger flank attack ability. I don't even need aid from my two handed warrior ally.

I still wish there was better AI tactics system to apply to them for auto addressing various enemy types. Only time I use tactical thing is against bosses. Or for some reason my party just goofs up in large enemy fight.

[Drake Valentine]

Err.

How do I reassign hotkeys for abilities? >.< Not sure if I am overlooking it.