Dragon Age: Inquisition

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Damn, it's so quiet here now :p I wonder how this thread got to 691 pages hahahaha. I guess I will give you guys a little update on my progress through the game.

I'm 48 hours into DA:I now. I was really impressed with the Dorian time travel mission and then the Haven segment, especially after rather boring first couple of hours. I avoided seeing the 'Dawn Will Come' before playing the game and I'm glad I did. Shame that the whole thing was hilariously out of sync, due to me using that 60 FPS cutscenes unlock :p I admit I did chuckle. I like the whole faith aspect of the story for now - that you can chose to believe that you're chosen or just be a cynical bastard who's there for the power.

Got to Skyhold and then without doing any main quests I ventured forth to Western Approach. No reason really - I just really like the desert environments in this game. Explored all that was there to explore, killed the dragon, liberated the keep and moved on to Exalted Plains to finally get those Rift Mage tomes.

At first I went with Knight Enchanter since it was easy to get all the components. I've enjoyed being really OP for like two hours before reloading an earlier save and deciding that Rift Mage is just better for me. I understand why some like the idea of playing a melee mage, but it was just sooooo boring I couldn't imagine playing it like that for another 20-30 hours. Put on Barrier, Fade Step to the nearest enemy and spam that Spirit Blade - add some Fire Mine and Fade Shroud for variety. You're basically invincible with the renewable barrier. At least with Rift Mage there is some risk of actually dying :p

Anyhow, I wanted to ask you about the best armour for my mage. Veleda mentioned here before that Silverite allows you to craft and equip armour meant for other classes. That's nice and dandy, but would I be able to craft, say heavy armour with magic/willpower bonuses for my mage? Or is this just about that armour rating? I know now that best staff is the one you can craft called Seer Staff, with high crit chance.

Aaaand I finally realized what was bugging me about this game so far. That is that it reminds me heavily of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning for some reason. Must be the MMOish quests and large areas.
 
that you can chose to believe that you're chosen or just be a cynical bastard who's there for the power.

Playing as the backstabbing cynical ruthless asshole Torquemada-esque Inquisitor in DAI was so hilarious and fun, I wish there were more options to be a complete asshole in that game, but sadly, there was not that many as you had to be the goddamn saviour of Thedas again.


Aaaand I finally realized what was bugging me about this game so far. That is that it reminds me heavily of Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning for some reason. Must be the MMOish quests and large areas.

Both games are singeplayer MMOs, But I ended up enjoying KoA way more because of its combat system, I did not enjoy DAI's combat system even though I did somewhat enjoy the previous DA games' combat, it just didn't feel right, especially with Mouse and Keyboard, so do use a controller if you can.
 
Damn, it's so quiet here now :p I wonder how this thread got to 691 pages hahahaha. I guess I will give you guys a little update on my progress through the game.

I can't play Dragon Age Inquisition until March 20 so because of that I haven't really got anything more to talk about here :p but I will probably start posting again once I start playing.

I wish there were more options to be a complete asshole in that game, but sadly, there was not that many as you had to be the goddamn saviour of Thedas again.

I feel the same way. Even though in all my playthroughs for Dragon Age I will play as the good person, sometimes it's nice to know you have the option to be a nasty person who fucks everyone over on purpose. I think in DA:I the worst you can be is a giant bitch, which just isn't as satisfying because Queen Vivienne will out-bitch you anyway.
 
Imo, having played (most of) the Hinterlands, first Val Royeaux portion and the Storm Coast, questwise DA:I is even worse than modern MMOs. Most quests are just a piece of paper you find and have zero narrative. Rarely there are any multi-stage quests. Collectibles and pointless recurring activities en masse. Even if there is dialogue, it's the absolute minimum. Areas really lack a narrative thread leading you through it. Doing stuff seems completely inconsequential. Even main quest related stuff like what happens in Val Royeaux feels barebone and forced.

Open world at its worst. Its neither sandbox, nor narrative/quest driven. So far, it seems like Bioware overextended badly. I'm close to stopping, because I fail to see redeeming qualities - combat is bad, quest writing and quest design are bad, art is hit and miss and mostly feels uninspired, areas feel far too empty,... mostly it's how everything fails to tie into some sort of narrative and thus feels neither interesting nor consequential. Quite frustrated with my experience, right now. :sad:
 
Imo, having played (most of) the Hinterlands, first Val Royeaux portion and the Storm Coast, questwise DA:I is even worse than modern MMOs. Most quests are just a piece of paper you find and have zero narrative. Rarely there are any multi-stage quests. Collectibles and pointless recurring activities en masse. Even if there is dialogue, it's the absolute minimum. Areas really lack a narrative thread leading you through it. Doing stuff seems completely inconsequential. Even main quest related stuff like what happens in Val Royeaux feels barebone and forced.

Open world at its worst. Its neither sandbox, nor narrative/quest driven. So far, it seems like Bioware overextended badly. I'm close to stopping, because I fail to see redeeming qualities - combat is bad, quest writing and quest design are bad, art is hit and miss and mostly feels uninspired, areas feel far too empty,... mostly it's how everything fails to tie into some sort of narrative and thus feels neither interesting nor consequential. Quite frustrated with my experience, right now. :sad:

DAI was one of the few games that genuinely pissed me off while playing, just go ahead and just do the main quests at this point, the same exact things you are having happened to me.


I feel the same way. Even though in all my playthroughs for Dragon Age I will play as the good person, sometimes it's nice to know you have the option to be a nasty person who fucks everyone over on purpose. I think in DA:I the worst you can be is a giant bitch, which just isn't as satisfying because Queen Vivienne will out-bitch you anyway.

At least she is not as annoying as Sera, I wish you could have the option to kill her when you first meet her, but nope, you only get to tell her to fuck off, goddamnit Bioware ...
 
Imo, having played (most of) the Hinterlands, first Val Royeaux portion and the Storm Coast, questwise DA:I is even worse than modern MMOs. Most quests are just a piece of paper you find and have zero narrative. Rarely there are any multi-stage quests. Collectibles and pointless recurring activities en masse. Even if there is dialogue, it's the absolute minimum. Areas really lack a narrative thread leading you through it. Doing stuff seems completely inconsequential. Even main quest related stuff like what happens in Val Royeaux feels barebone and forced.

Open world at its worst. Its neither sandbox, nor narrative/quest driven. So far, it seems like Bioware overextended badly. I'm close to stopping, because I fail to see redeeming qualities - combat is bad, quest writing and quest design are bad, art is hit and miss and mostly feels uninspired, areas feel far too empty,... mostly it's how everything fails to tie into some sort of narrative and thus feels neither interesting nor consequential. Quite frustrated with my experience, right now. :sad:

I can't say for sure your opinion won't change, but the game really does pick up after you pick a side with the Templars or Mages.

DA:I did need a lot more substantial plot and a bit less exploration, but I recommend you stick with it a little longer at least, since the main quest hits its stride after you decide between the mages and templars.

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At least she is not as annoying as Sera, I wish you could have the option to kill her when you first meet her, but nope, you only get to tell her to fuck off, goddamnit Bioware ...

Lol I actually love Vivienne (and I love how much she angers people) and I wanted to like Sera but she is just tiresome. I tolerate her when I have to, but I don't bring her out on missions, nor do I talk to her unless I have to for bees. I'm sure she has redeeming qualities if you're a lesbian/bi Andrastian Qunari (lol) but playing as a Dalish elf she was even more annoying to deal with than when I was a human.

That said I still don't wish death on her :p
 
Imo, having played (most of) the Hinterlands, first Val Royeaux portion and the Storm Coast, questwise DA:I is even worse than modern MMOs. Most quests are just a piece of paper you find and have zero narrative. Rarely there are any multi-stage quests. Collectibles and pointless recurring activities en masse. Even if there is dialogue, it's the absolute minimum. Areas really lack a narrative thread leading you through it. Doing stuff seems completely inconsequential. Even main quest related stuff like what happens in Val Royeaux feels barebone and forced.

Open world at its worst. Its neither sandbox, nor narrative/quest driven. So far, it seems like Bioware overextended badly. I'm close to stopping, because I fail to see redeeming qualities - combat is bad, quest writing and quest design are bad, art is hit and miss and mostly feels uninspired, areas feel far too empty,... mostly it's how everything fails to tie into some sort of narrative and thus feels neither interesting nor consequential. Quite frustrated with my experience, right now. :sad:

I liked the game but I share your opinion. They really went overboard with the size of the world. Ideally, there should have been 3-4 zones max that were packed with more meaningful content. I wish companies that have never made an Open World game took the Gothic 2 approach. A small but not too small world that is more focused and has more meaningful content. I can't think of a single quest, a single zone or cave or a single piece of loot that wasn't interesting or at least meaningful in Gothic 2. Everything, even the smallest details felt that they were put with great care. When you have a world as large as in DA:I that becomes a lot harder.

Have you tried fighting a dragon? Dragon fighting in this game puts Skyrim to shame.
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Good to know that I'm not going insane, have overly high expectations or am burnt out with this type of game - but it actually is lackluster. :D I think I'll just continue in small servings, playing just the main quests is something I can't see myself having fun with or even pulling through with; I'm a notorious completionist. But the Templar - Mage decision doesn't seem to be far away, so that's a silver lining.

Gothic 2 indeed still is the perfect example. And that's exactly what I feel is lacking here. If, in Gothic 2, you find a corpse, most of the time you'll find more clues around and can figure out what happened there - the props are not just props but have a narrative. Also, the world as a whole feels very natural and organic - the placement of locations is superb and if you see a POI, you just know that there's either adventure, a small narrative or an interesting puzzle waiting for you. In DA:I on the other hand, if there's a corpse... well, there's a corpse for no reason and if you're lucky you'll find some "Valuable" on it. Period. Loot is mostly senselessly and randomly placed containers. No meaning to any of it. Additionally, the whole world is shamefully static, waiting for you to do stuff - no NPC daycycles, no people just doing stuff you can then help with/interact with. Surely, I'm exaggerating a bit due to the recent impressions, but that seems to be the general tendency.

No dragon yet. I saw one from afar in the Hinterlands and ran for my life. :ph34r:
The bar you set is not particularly high though. Skyrim's dragons were extraordinarily well-presented with their earthshattering roars, effectful fire and leaves blowing in the sharp gusts of wind while they circle above you. But mechanically, the actual fighting was rather dull and one-dimensional. Wait for it to come down / ranged combat until for no apparent reason it just crashes, then strafe around and bludgeon to death, rinse and repeat if it takes off again. Not particularly epic.
Still, I'm looking forward to that, actually. It seems that dragons, at least, need some sort of approach and coordinated effort.
 
I suggest you do the main quest and get to Skyhold as soon as possible. It opens up new (and better) areas, character quests, specializations and much more.

Oh, and fight a dragon. Level 11-12 should be enough for the Frostback if you're not some hardcore, DPS maximizing player. Cormacolindor was right, the dragon fights in this game are really a highlight. You can damage the dragon legs to make him limp or even collapse and they come in different elemental varieties so the fight can be quite challenging if you don't have the proper equipment [I fought the fire dragon in the Hinterlands with two mages, both having fire element staffs :p Noob mistake].

Not to mention that you get some sweet loot from them. If you're into crafting I suggest you save the dragon bone and webbing for when you have some T3 schematics.
 
Thanks for sharing your experiences. Good to know that I'm not going insane, have overly high expectations or am burnt out with this type of game - but it actually is lackluster. :D I think I'll just continue in small servings, playing just the main quests is something I can't see myself having fun with or even pulling through with; I'm a notorious completionist. But the Templar - Mage decision doesn't seem to be far away, so that's a silver lining.

Gothic 2 indeed still is the perfect example. And that's exactly what I feel is lacking here. If, in Gothic 2, you find a corpse, most of the time you'll find more clues around and can figure out what happened there - the props are not just props but have a narrative. Also, the world as a whole feels very natural and organic - the placement of locations is superb and if you see a POI, you just know that there's either adventure, a small narrative or an interesting puzzle waiting for you. In DA:I on the other hand, if there's a corpse... well, there's a corpse for no reason and if you're lucky you'll find some "Valuable" on it. Period. Loot is mostly senselessly and randomly placed containers. No meaning to any of it. Additionally, the whole world is shamefully static, waiting for you to do stuff - no NPC daycycles, no people just doing stuff you can then help with/interact with. Surely, I'm exaggerating a bit due to the recent impressions, but that seems to be the general tendency.

No dragon yet. I saw one from afar in the Hinterlands and ran for my life. :ph34r:
The bar you set is not particularly high though. Skyrim's dragons were extraordinarily well-presented with their earthshattering roars, effectful fire and leaves blowing in the sharp gusts of wind while they circle above you. But mechanically, the actual fighting was rather dull and one-dimensional. Wait for it to come down / ranged combat until for no apparent reason it just crashes, then strafe around and bludgeon to death, rinse and repeat if it takes off again. Not particularly epic.
Still, I'm looking forward to that, actually. It seems that dragons, at least, need some sort of approach and coordinated effort.

Well, I don't think the design priciples of Gothic can work in such a big world. The small size, compared to games like Skyrim of DA:I is both an advantage and a disadvantage.

The small size of the world of Gothic is what lets the developers cram so much meaningful content in the game. With Gothic 3 the developers tried to make an "Oblivion Killer" and failed MISERABLY precisely because they abandoned this design principle which made Gothic what it was. I don't think it's possible to cram in so much content in such a large world and still make it all at the level of quality of a smaller world. Too much work and risk involved. Also, the more loot there is in the world the less meaningful it becomes because if there is a cave every 10 feet away that is bound to have some treasure in it. If there is too much treasure, becoming rich is too easy which takes away the challange from the game. In short, I believe that a Gothic experience can only be made in a smaller world and I don't think it is inherently superior to say Skyrim. I didn't expect DA:I to be like Gothic and I am not expecting TW3 to be like Gothic either, mainly because of the size.
 
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I feel the same way. Even though in all my playthroughs for Dragon Age I will play as the good person, sometimes it's nice to know you have the option to be a nasty person who fucks everyone over on purpose. I think in DA:I the worst you can be is a giant bitch, which just isn't as satisfying because Queen Vivienne will out-bitch you anyway.
Is that why she's never mentioned in connection to any of the large events in Orlais and why Morrigan is at Celene's side instead of her?
 
Damn, it's so quiet here now I wonder how this thread got to 691 pages hahahaha.
Well, I have 2 playthroughs(none of them 100%) and a third one where I made it to Skyhold and I'm competely burned out. I'll probably just wait and see if a decent story-driven DLC will be released. And if not then that's probably it. Kind of sad really. Despite some things that I genuinely liked, DA:I doesn't look like the type of game I'm going to replay few years from now.
 
I can't imagine playing Dragon Age Inquisition a second time right now while playing it... I mean it will happen someday, but you can only make that first impression once. Once the novelty of doing/going something/somewhere for the first time wears off it's kinda hard to motivate yourself to do it all over again.

It helps that I'm playing the game in small bursts - anything between an hour or three with days in-between, due to my university schedule. If I had been playing non-stop I would be a burnt out shell now hahaha. I can only take so much MMOish goodness.

Anyway, I have a question for all of you who are playing DA:l on PC. Do you have a lot of pop-in issues? I play on ultra settings, with rock solid 60FPS, but I have the weirdest loading textures I've seen. People just popping in front of my eyes, textures loading in on mountains and such - not in some faaaar off distance, but in couple of meters ahead of my character. It's distracting to say the least. Skyhold is preeeeety bad in that regard.
 
I don't have any popping issues. Get more of those in Witcher 2 actually, which I'm replaying now.

Not much to say about DAI really, til we get more content, and even then it'll be Xbox exclusive for a month or however long.
 
Damn.

I don't have an SSD, only HDD. No such problems in other games though. It's definitely not common, as I haven't been able to find much about the issue on the internet. The only thing I have in common with others who have this problem in DA:I is the graphics card, GTX 970.
 
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