I wish I could say, but apparently because I have a dual-core I can't play. However, from what I understand, some quad-core players can't seem to even get on to play DA: I on the PC because of a Black Load Screen of Doom/Death right before the main menu. And some Xbox players are starting to have the same Black Load Screen problem.
I've seen pictures of the graphics on last gen consoles, they're horrid. I've heard that controls on PCs are god awful, and really only work well if you're using a controller.
I'm waiting to hear from more people as well. The thing I find most worrisome is the PC controls. It keeps coming up again and again in consumer reviews I've seen so far that you have to use WASD to move the camera, there is very limited key rebinding, you can't use programmable mouse buttons, you have to press tab to target enemies by cycling through them (no click to target or interact), and you have to keep the left mouse button pressed to autoattack.
It sounds like a nightmare to control on the PC, so if I don't hear that all of the above info about the interface is wrong, I don't think I'll be buying this - especially since I prefer to control my games with my programmable trackball mouse and little or no keyboard use.
I am going to label these as the good, the bad, the meh, and other comments. this is based off at least 12 hours of play
the good:
exploration- It's here in a Dragon Age game, and it is rewarding. In the prologue alone I decided to go off the beaten path and go up into the mountains, and I found loot up there. It is a good feeling for people like me to not just be able to go anywhere, but be rewarded for our adventurous nature.
class based interactions- no longer is it just about having a rogue to pick locks. There are things for soldiers to bash, barriers for mages to destroy, etc. This promotes a balanced team, despite the removal of healing magic.
lots of companion dialogue- I've only had Cassandra, Varric, and Solas for this whole time and they won't shut up! It's great that they are still talking. Also sometimes you are randomly brought into it which is nice.
area are not leveled- yes, that leveling that is so popular in games today is not in Inquisition, and that should be a good thing for most. There is nothing quite like going into areas that outlevel you and trying to survive. I actually had to go through a high level area just to get to the horse place, but it felt rewarding to survive it all and get my first mount.
graphics- frostbite, of course, looks great. there isn't much more to say on that. EA likes it's eyecandy, and it makes it easy to get lost in this world that looks so real.
companion AI- of course you can only control one member of the team at a time, so unless you are constantly pausing to give orders, the AI will take over. it feels like they know what they are doing, at least most of the time. unfortunately they don't seem to take the player turning friendly fire on into account. after so many times of being charged and killed by Cassandra I just decided to disable it.
companions- so far I have a positive impression on Varric, Cassandra, and Solas in this game. Varric was my favorite in DA2, but I haven't seen him in a while considering my hatred for that game, so it is nice to see him again.
approval- the system is back, but it is hidden and I think it benefits from this. they still notify you of who approves, but the bar is nowhere to be seen so you are left guessing how much a companion likes you. I know these first 3 companions all like it when you help people, and they also approve when you ask them for their opinions if given the option. Cassandra likes most of the actions that strengthen the Inquisition. Varric liked it when you help him or joke around. Solas likes it when you have an open mind with mages.
full party customization, and some cool designs- they abandoned their artistic integrity over the looks of the characters and gave us full control of what they wear and use. this was one of my major problems with DA2, so I am glad they abandoned it. They still looks the same at base, but that is fine. also as I said, I really like some of the designs: (btw, turns out Inquisition doesn't like bandicam, and I don't think origin has a screenshot function. got this using print screen then paste into paint)
the bad:
feels too easy- as it is the game feels too easy most of the time. I suspect this may just be too early to judge, however, so take this with a grain of salt. also considering this is my first playthrough on nightmare and I am saying too easy you might consider playing on at least hard instead of normal.
dialogue camera angles- there are some dialogues that happen without a cutscene. unfortunately, I have had many of these with bad camera angles, leaving me seeing nothing. also if you approach from behind they won't turn to speak from you often times, leaving you talking to their back.
leveling has been stripped down- you no longer get to apply attributes on level ups. the only thing you get are skills. this just makes leveling up feel too stripped down. passive skills generally increase some attributes and armor increases them too, but you really don't get a choice in what you get. in origins I often had a high strength rogue who was more like a dual wielding warrior, but that isn't possible here. in fact, here is my next point.
(most) armors are class based- therefore you can't have heavy armor rogues or mages. this could be something I can find later, but right now it is just light for mages, medium for rogues, and heavy for warriors. I am at least happy the the Inquisition armor for rogue looked like heavy armor though, and also that helmets are not locked off by class. still, I wouldn't mind taking the heavy armor for my rogue.
long load screens- I may not be on an SSD, but these load screens are longer than they should be. They at least tried to make this less painful by providing 3 cards that you can look at for tips and lore, but I would rather play
controlling on PC- thank you sapphireice for bringing that up. i did notice that sometimes I have trouble landing hits on PC because I didn't have the precision of joysticks. also, it sucks that I must enter tactical view in order to issue move commands, although that may be caused because I rebound the keys to be more like the Origins controls (right click rotating camera, etc)
companions can have too much of a mind of their own- they quickly override the orders I gave them with something different. I never had this in origins, but when I tell everyone to focus a target in this game they will often attack them once then switch target. it is annoying to lose control over the party like this.
random enemy spawns- remember early I said how great exploration is in this game? well I find this counters it a bit. sometimes you killed a bunch of enemies, and the area feels clear like you can go around finding all the loot in the area without having to worry about fighting. well... you might be wrong. the game randomly spawns enemies in some locations therefore making you have to fight a lot more than you should need to while exploring. the worst case of this is when my party was low on health and out of healing potions, so I saved and started trying to return to camp. when I died, I found that when I load the game would spawn enemies on top of my party that were not initially there. i am fine with enemies respawning, but not with random spawns. what I think should have been done is have the enemies spawn whenever you rest in camp or leave areas then return, but the more important groups related to quests, etc, stay dead.
female animation- i guess some people are going to like it, but it is getting on a lot of people's nerves, myself included. in the DA franchise we are seeing Bioware have the need to make female animations seperate from male, with over exagerated swaying hips, etc. honestly I would rather see them move like a human being, because nobody moves like that without doing so on purpose, and all the travel in this game would surely have a toll on them if they are doing that everywhere. also, I can't take Cassandra seriously when she is doing that. she is a really badass character who doesn't have time for love (at least not without pursuasion throughout the game ), yet she goes everywhere swaying her hips like she is trying to attract attention from the men. the moment we get a female to male animation mod like DA2 had, I am downloading that
the meh:
combat tactics- it still has a lot of DA2 in it, but they also went slightly back in the direct of Origins. the removal of healing at first glance looked like a mistake, but then I kind of like the new tactics introduced. warriors can build up an extra layer of health through some skills, allowing them to preserve their permanent health. also, mages can cast the barrier spell to add temporary health for protection. overall I think it is a good enough mix of the 2, but would have preferred slightly more Origins style.
the story so far- everything feels like it is going to fast, yet not a lot seems to be happening. it felt strange at one moment to be declaring the return of the Inquisition, then a moment later I travel to the hinterlands and it feels like we are already a presence. I imagined we would start out with nothing at all, but it seems like some time has passed and we built up forces while I wasn't aware.
real time features- this is what you expect from a facebook game, not a AAA title. i guess I like it in some ways, but at the same time not really. it makes you feel like you need to check in every hour for your cash and whatever else you got, yet it can be nice to wake up in the morning with some gold waiting for you I guess. I try to keep it out of my head, as I don't want to be returning every hour while I am busy exploring the vast world.
the multiplayer- it reminded me that part of what makes dragon age great is controlling a 4 person party, not just being a part of one. I'll admit that I played a lot of ME3's multiplayer, and that may be the one reason I didn't sell it after the ending. however, I don't think I'll be playing a lot of this. the party members talk to each, but there is not enough dialogue and so you will likely hear repeats in just one mission, making me wish they were just mute. they don't start you with every class, and in fact limits class customization in terms of looks. new armors are reskins, you are always a specific race if you play a specific class, etc. luckily the MP shouldn't be there in a single player RPG, so I could care less if it is only meh. I'll play it a bit when I want something different or a friend want to, but it could've been better. also, there are only 3 maps at launch.
tactical camera controls- i, and probably most other PC players, hated controlling the tactical camera with WASD. should have worked with mouse like Origins.
other:
i am not sure if it was just me thinking I knew everything and skipped something that told me, but it took me forever to learn I could give move commands at all. I found it out last second yesterday, saving me from looking stupid when I would have placed that in the bad section. you MUST be in tactical camera to use it, and you need to right click.
crafting was not included because I have yet to get really into that. I need to get more schematics and materials. also the schematics I do have are worse than my gear
i may have missed some things I wanted to mention. I was playing from 7 AM to 11 PM yesterday (also taking care of responsibilities of course) and I wasn't keeping a list or anything. considering I also have ADD it could be hard for me to remember everything the next day
overall: generally positive. I am enjoying it well enough to continue. it is loaded with content, so for what you get it is worth the money. keep in mind I am saying this as someone who greatly disliked their past 3 games (SWTOR, DA2, ME3) so I should be biased against Bioware if anything. it isn't to say I would call this game of the year or anywhere close, but I am having enough fun to say it is worth the $48 it cost me for all the content I understand is in the game. also remember this is all based on a day of play. I may find something gets boring with time, or something new comes that I like or hate, or just a change in opinion with time.
to @belgarathMTH by default A and D will rotate camera, while Q and E are strafe. seeing as most games have A and D as strafe, I flipped them around and I enjoy it better this way. also I rotate my camera by holding right click and moving mouse, similar to Origins. only key rebinding problem I have is that it removes bindings for MP or SP if you want to use a key that one of the two use. this shouldn't be the case as these are 2 different modes that don't share the features I was trying to overlap keybinding with. I don't know who said you need tab to choose a target but that is totally wrong. unfortunately, you also need to keep clicking (i never tried holding, maybe you can) to attack with the character you are controlling, as well as having to stay as that character and hold the interact button if they are interacting (such as revivals or closing rifts)
I found this thread at Bioware on the isuue of the PC controls. Now I *know* I'm not buying this game. The game itself may or may not be good, but the interface for PC sounds like my worst nightmare.
I tried to get this to work my mom's laptop, but it freezes on the load screen after picking what race/class/custom world state I want to import. Its not good, at the moment.
I found this thread at Bioware on the isuue of the PC controls. Now I *know* I'm not buying this game. The game itself may or may not be good, but the interface for PC sounds like my worst nightmare.
well so far I am playing it like a PC version of DAO but without using the tactical camera. i agree the tactical camera is horrible as they didn't truly design it for PC, and I will only use it is I need to give a move command to get squishies away or rogues at an enemy's flank. however, it doesn't feel that bad after I did adjustments to be more like DAO.
has anyone got anything to say about the character creation ? whether its good or bad and how it works?
it took some getting used to. rather than sliders or something like Sims 4's dragging morphs, they have a square that you move a point around, sort of like the triangle in MMOs to set your physical build. after getting used to it I didn't find it too bad, but I am still not entirely satisfied with my character. however, I never am. only time I was satisfied was Mass Effect, where I could look almost identical to myself. pretty much I just put a helmet on and I am happy
I haven’t played the game long enough to review it, but I did want to comment on the PC controls, as I was getting worried about those myself with so many negative comments having been posted about them. Though not optimal, I have been surprised to find them not nearly as bad as I had been reading. You can’t map the mouse to keys but everything else I have tried to remap has worked well for me. The tactical camera would benefit from being able to pull it back farther then you can and I don’t personally like the direction they went with the loot search, but remapping that helped me a bit as well.
I personally find the world truly gorgeous and the characters interesting, so far. I can’t comment on the story as I’ve been to busy exploring to find out much about it. You can wander around getting lost and forget what you originally set out to do. At least that is how it has worked for me so far.
I also wanted to let @element know that you can, or rather are dalish if you choose to be an elf.
after 3 days of playing I've finally both gotten to skyhold and completed everything (except the dragon) in the hinterlands. this is going to be a long game. i think most players will reach skyhold around 15-20 hours through, though it could vary depending on how you play. honestly, I grew kind of attached to haven before leaving it, so it feels weird leaving it for a different home, but I am sure skyhold will grow on me with all it's customization.
at this point I can tell they were very serious on customization, as I've run into all sorts of different looking armors and weapons. when you find a special weapon or armor, it's look screams unique, not just it's stats and name.
that said, I am still searching for new armor for my rogue that I actually like the look of. i like metal armors, but most of them are jackets and stuff. i plan to check the Val Royaeux markets for schematics and maybe find something I can craft that I like. otherwise I can eventually unlock some rare schematics through an inquisition perk. i did, however, need to change Cassandra up, as much as I didn't want to remove her own Inquisition armor. she is now wearing warden armor because as my tank she needs the armor more, though it doesn't feel right to me putting her in the warden armor just because I know she is not a warden. still, it does look nice. would've given it to Blackwall, but I think we all have that party we stick to in Bioware games that we don't switch from unless we must for a mission, and mine is Cassandra, Varric, and Solas, the starting party. I'll probably move it to Blackwall when she moves on just for the sake of having the warden in warden armor.
I must say too that this is the first DA where I really enjoy sword and board fighting. I actually play about 50/50 between Cassandra and my rogue in combat, although part of that has to do with her being a tank and me a squishy rogue so she just survives it feels great using the charging bull ability though. Just make sure you disable it in the AI tactics, as they tend to charge the wrong way. I've also learned it is great for bashing through barricaded doors to save people from burning houses! The best part, however, is that it builds guard, and that is what tanks are all about. Guard is temporary health that is taken away before permanent health.
The most important thing for mages is barrier. Just like BG it is better to prevent the loss of permanent health before it happens, and that is what barrier and guard are there fore. Overall, however, I find mages quite boring more than ever. Maybe I just haven't found that great spell that is fun to use yet.
I enjoy rogues equally, if not a bit less than, tanking. While I haven't given two handed warrior a shot, I have a dual wield main and Varric to speak for both rogue types. Archery is decent, and a bit more fun than mages for me due to the positioning. There is an ability that increases damage if you are above the enemy and another that does loads of damage at a distance. The more fun option is dual wield though, which is also about positioning because you want to get behind the enemy. Always try to get behind then use twin strikes. It is great, especially if a mage freezes the target. Overall they also do loads of the damage.
I am still enjoying the game, although sometimes it gets on my nerves. That is most due to the tactical cam. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I just must trust in the AI to do their own thing because they are so hard to all control at the same time. That either ends good or bad. Also, I ran into a lot of trouble with healing flasks on a main quest due to a bit of backtracking, leaving me with not enough healing to go around and I had to resort to cheesy tactics like running away so dead bodies teleport to me for revival. It is an unfortunate side effect to removing healing.
Question to u all: when do we capture keeps/where can I find one? I want to make an attempt soon to unlock some perks. There were none in the hinterlands, and I would like to go to one next.
Well, some of the characters do acknowledge some of the events that happened in the previous games such as...
Leliana actually acknowledges the fact the Warden did kill her in DA: O. Varric mentioning what happened to Hawke's companions at the end of DA2, if they're alive.
So, its a good idea to play the first two games, and put your choices and stuff into the Dragon Age Keep thing.
I will warn you though, there are a couple of bugs. Sometimes the world state doesn't import properly, the male inquisitior is recognized as a female, The Inquisitor's voice can change if you decide to customize
Hawke.
Oh, and there's that black screen of doom/death/despair thing that is hindering people on all platforms.
My advice? If you're planning on getting DA: I wait until the first patch.
Here is a question. How much of he first two games get carried over?
Is it better playing the first two to completion before picking up Inquisition or does it not matter?
so far it seems most beneficial to play Origins, both because many fans do not like DA2 (myself included) and because I am seeing so many people and references to DAO rather than 2 so far. Varric and Cassandra are from DA2, as well as
hawke
but other than that I haven't met too many faces from it. It could be worth at least a playthrough despite all the repitition, but I mostly recommend Origins just out of it being a great game and all the references.
anyway, the reason I logged on in the middle of playing was to share this funny shield I found:
it is called the wedge of destiny
for those who want to find it:
I'll admit, they are doing good at rewarding exploration
If I get it, it will be on xbox360 so it may just find my saves and bring the info over.
I wanted to play through both games and the expansions again before committing to buying Inquisition. I dont even remember Cassandra from DA2 so I do need a refresher on that game. If Origins is being referenced all the time, then yes, i'm probably going to wait and finish it again.
I think I need to stop reading these threads and just power through origins with my Dalish elf and get Hawke sleeping with his entire party quickly.
I don't think there is a save import function. I think you actually have to use the keep if you want to keep on with your "canon", but the good thing is, you get 9 world states with keep. Otherwise you're stuck with Bioware's canon of Female Dalish does ultimate sacrifice, and Mage Hawke Sides with Mages.
I don't like beating down this game. Don't get me wrong, if you can play it, it's really nice in some parts, but in others it isn't really that good at all. However, there are a lot of issues that need to get fixed. The black screen of doom is one of them because all platforms seem to be getting this one.
So, when comes down to it, was Bioware ready to release Dragon Age: Inquisition? It all depends on your platform, PS4, and Xbone? Yes. PC and last gen consoles? No.
If I get it, it will be on xbox360 so it may just find my saves and bring the info over.
I wanted to play through both games and the expansions again before committing to buying Inquisition. I dont even remember Cassandra from DA2 so I do need a refresher on that game. If Origins is being referenced all the time, then yes, i'm probably going to wait and finish it again.
I think I need to stop reading these threads and just power through origins with my Dalish elf and get Hawke sleeping with his entire party quickly.
sapphire is correct. the only method of import is the keep, even if you play it on last gen or PC. and from what I understand and what sapphire also just stated there are problems with last gen. i am not sure on this black screen of doom though. if it is on pc, i haven't had one with over 30 hours of play so it may be an issue with certain hardware.
anyway, if you get it I recommend you get it for PC or next gen. i don't have any problem with my PC copy, except that some things obviously could've used some adjusting in the port, such as the tactical camera that was obviously made with consoles in mind (remember the days only PC had tactical cam and it was good? good times...)
@ChildofBhaal599 - You're one of the lucky ones. While, I'm lucky my mom's laptop can run DA: I though, not as well as I would like it to. The PC version definitely needs more optimization than it got.
it allows you to make just about every choice that could possibly mean anything, and that is certainly to set a log in origins and very little in DA2. it is funny how little content was in DA2 than in Origins on the keep. in fact you remember that dwarf that wants to study magic? if you help her do that in origins she is your enchanter at skyhold. it was a nice little touch for something that didn't seem like it would ever matter.
Just started playing, Im going human mage and Im having a blast so far. Be advised that I found Mass Effect 3 to be a good game (mainly due to story, didnt think the ending was great though). Clunky controls on PC, but Im getting the hang of them slowly buy surely.
Comments
Still wont get a round to it for at least a year or two.
I've seen pictures of the graphics on last gen consoles, they're horrid. I've heard that controls on PCs are god awful, and really only work well if you're using a controller.
It sounds like a nightmare to control on the PC, so if I don't hear that all of the above info about the interface is wrong, I don't think I'll be buying this - especially since I prefer to control my games with my programmable trackball mouse and little or no keyboard use.
the good:
class based interactions- no longer is it just about having a rogue to pick locks. There are things for soldiers to bash, barriers for mages to destroy, etc. This promotes a balanced team, despite the removal of healing magic.
lots of companion dialogue- I've only had Cassandra, Varric, and Solas for this whole time and they won't shut up! It's great that they are still talking. Also sometimes you are randomly brought into it which is nice.
area are not leveled- yes, that leveling that is so popular in games today is not in Inquisition, and that should be a good thing for most. There is nothing quite like going into areas that outlevel you and trying to survive. I actually had to go through a high level area just to get to the horse place, but it felt rewarding to survive it all and get my first mount.
graphics- frostbite, of course, looks great. there isn't much more to say on that. EA likes it's eyecandy, and it makes it easy to get lost in this world that looks so real.
companion AI- of course you can only control one member of the team at a time, so unless you are constantly pausing to give orders, the AI will take over. it feels like they know what they are doing, at least most of the time. unfortunately they don't seem to take the player turning friendly fire on into account. after so many times of being charged and killed by Cassandra I just decided to disable it.
companions- so far I have a positive impression on Varric, Cassandra, and Solas in this game. Varric was my favorite in DA2, but I haven't seen him in a while considering my hatred for that game, so it is nice to see him again.
approval- the system is back, but it is hidden and I think it benefits from this. they still notify you of who approves, but the bar is nowhere to be seen so you are left guessing how much a companion likes you. I know these first 3 companions all like it when you help people, and they also approve when you ask them for their opinions if given the option. Cassandra likes most of the actions that strengthen the Inquisition. Varric liked it when you help him or joke around. Solas likes it when you have an open mind with mages.
full party customization, and some cool designs- they abandoned their artistic integrity over the looks of the characters and gave us full control of what they wear and use. this was one of my major problems with DA2, so I am glad they abandoned it. They still looks the same at base, but that is fine. also as I said, I really like some of the designs:
(btw, turns out Inquisition doesn't like bandicam, and I don't think origin has a screenshot function. got this using print screen then paste into paint)
the bad:
dialogue camera angles- there are some dialogues that happen without a cutscene. unfortunately, I have had many of these with bad camera angles, leaving me seeing nothing. also if you approach from behind they won't turn to speak from you often times, leaving you talking to their back.
leveling has been stripped down- you no longer get to apply attributes on level ups. the only thing you get are skills. this just makes leveling up feel too stripped down. passive skills generally increase some attributes and armor increases them too, but you really don't get a choice in what you get. in origins I often had a high strength rogue who was more like a dual wielding warrior, but that isn't possible here. in fact, here is my next point.
(most) armors are class based- therefore you can't have heavy armor rogues or mages. this could be something I can find later, but right now it is just light for mages, medium for rogues, and heavy for warriors. I am at least happy the the Inquisition armor for rogue looked like heavy armor though, and also that helmets are not locked off by class. still, I wouldn't mind taking the heavy armor for my rogue.
long load screens- I may not be on an SSD, but these load screens are longer than they should be. They at least tried to make this less painful by providing 3 cards that you can look at for tips and lore, but I would rather play
controlling on PC- thank you sapphireice for bringing that up. i did notice that sometimes I have trouble landing hits on PC because I didn't have the precision of joysticks. also, it sucks that I must enter tactical view in order to issue move commands, although that may be caused because I rebound the keys to be more like the Origins controls (right click rotating camera, etc)
companions can have too much of a mind of their own- they quickly override the orders I gave them with something different. I never had this in origins, but when I tell everyone to focus a target in this game they will often attack them once then switch target. it is annoying to lose control over the party like this.
random enemy spawns- remember early I said how great exploration is in this game? well I find this counters it a bit. sometimes you killed a bunch of enemies, and the area feels clear like you can go around finding all the loot in the area without having to worry about fighting. well... you might be wrong. the game randomly spawns enemies in some locations therefore making you have to fight a lot more than you should need to while exploring. the worst case of this is when my party was low on health and out of healing potions, so I saved and started trying to return to camp. when I died, I found that when I load the game would spawn enemies on top of my party that were not initially there. i am fine with enemies respawning, but not with random spawns. what I think should have been done is have the enemies spawn whenever you rest in camp or leave areas then return, but the more important groups related to quests, etc, stay dead.
female animation- i guess some people are going to like it, but it is getting on a lot of people's nerves, myself included. in the DA franchise we are seeing Bioware have the need to make female animations seperate from male, with over exagerated swaying hips, etc. honestly I would rather see them move like a human being, because nobody moves like that without doing so on purpose, and all the travel in this game would surely have a toll on them if they are doing that everywhere. also, I can't take Cassandra seriously when she is doing that. she is a really badass character who doesn't have time for love (at least not without pursuasion throughout the game
the meh:
the story so far- everything feels like it is going to fast, yet not a lot seems to be happening. it felt strange at one moment to be declaring the return of the Inquisition, then a moment later I travel to the hinterlands and it feels like we are already a presence. I imagined we would start out with nothing at all, but it seems like some time has passed and we built up forces while I wasn't aware.
real time features- this is what you expect from a facebook game, not a AAA title. i guess I like it in some ways, but at the same time not really. it makes you feel like you need to check in every hour for your cash and whatever else you got, yet it can be nice to wake up in the morning with some gold waiting for you I guess. I try to keep it out of my head, as I don't want to be returning every hour while I am busy exploring the vast world.
the multiplayer- it reminded me that part of what makes dragon age great is controlling a 4 person party, not just being a part of one. I'll admit that I played a lot of ME3's multiplayer, and that may be the one reason I didn't sell it after the ending. however, I don't think I'll be playing a lot of this. the party members talk to each, but there is not enough dialogue and so you will likely hear repeats in just one mission, making me wish they were just mute. they don't start you with every class, and in fact limits class customization in terms of looks. new armors are reskins, you are always a specific race if you play a specific class, etc. luckily the MP shouldn't be there in a single player RPG, so I could care less if it is only meh. I'll play it a bit when I want something different or a friend want to, but it could've been better. also, there are only 3 maps at launch.
tactical camera controls- i, and probably most other PC players, hated controlling the tactical camera with WASD. should have worked with mouse like Origins.
other:
crafting was not included because I have yet to get really into that. I need to get more schematics and materials. also the schematics I do have are worse than my gear
i may have missed some things I wanted to mention. I was playing from 7 AM to 11 PM yesterday (also taking care of responsibilities of course) and I wasn't keeping a list or anything. considering I also have ADD it could be hard for me to remember everything the next day
overall: generally positive. I am enjoying it well enough to continue. it is loaded with content, so for what you get it is worth the money. keep in mind I am saying this as someone who greatly disliked their past 3 games (SWTOR, DA2, ME3) so I should be biased against Bioware if anything. it isn't to say I would call this game of the year or anywhere close, but I am having enough fun to say it is worth the $48 it cost me for all the content I understand is in the game. also remember this is all based on a day of play. I may find something gets boring with time, or something new comes that I like or hate, or just a change in opinion with time.
to @belgarathMTH by default A and D will rotate camera, while Q and E are strafe. seeing as most games have A and D as strafe, I flipped them around and I enjoy it better this way. also I rotate my camera by holding right click and moving mouse, similar to Origins. only key rebinding problem I have is that it removes bindings for MP or SP if you want to use a key that one of the two use. this shouldn't be the case as these are 2 different modes that don't share the features I was trying to overlap keybinding with. I don't know who said you need tab to choose a target but that is totally wrong. unfortunately, you also need to keep clicking (i never tried holding, maybe you can) to attack with the character you are controlling, as well as having to stay as that character and hold the interact button if they are interacting (such as revivals or closing rifts)
http://forum.bioware.com/topic/520902-the-controls-for-this-game-on-the-pc-need-attention/page-1
can you be a dalish?
After playing for a couple of hours, I actually enjoyed myself.
I personally find the world truly gorgeous and the characters interesting, so far. I can’t comment on the story as I’ve been to busy exploring to find out much about it.
I also wanted to let @element know that you can, or rather are dalish if you choose to be an elf.
my favourite part of the setting was the Dalish so that's reassuring to hear.
im actualy looking forward to giving this game a go now
at this point I can tell they were very serious on customization, as I've run into all sorts of different looking armors and weapons. when you find a special weapon or armor, it's look screams unique, not just it's stats and name.
that said, I am still searching for new armor for my rogue that I actually like the look of. i like metal armors, but most of them are jackets and stuff. i plan to check the Val Royaeux markets for schematics and maybe find something I can craft that I like. otherwise I can eventually unlock some rare schematics through an inquisition perk. i did, however, need to change Cassandra up, as much as I didn't want to remove her own Inquisition armor. she is now wearing warden armor because as my tank she needs the armor more, though it doesn't feel right to me putting her in the warden armor just because I know she is not a warden. still, it does look nice. would've given it to Blackwall, but I think we all have that party we stick to in Bioware games that we don't switch from unless we must for a mission, and mine is Cassandra, Varric, and Solas, the starting party. I'll probably move it to Blackwall when she moves on just for the sake of having the warden in warden armor.
I must say too that this is the first DA where I really enjoy sword and board fighting. I actually play about 50/50 between Cassandra and my rogue in combat, although part of that has to do with her being a tank and me a squishy rogue so she just survives
The most important thing for mages is barrier. Just like BG it is better to prevent the loss of permanent health before it happens, and that is what barrier and guard are there fore. Overall, however, I find mages quite boring more than ever. Maybe I just haven't found that great spell that is fun to use yet.
I enjoy rogues equally, if not a bit less than, tanking. While I haven't given two handed warrior a shot, I have a dual wield main and Varric to speak for both rogue types. Archery is decent, and a bit more fun than mages for me due to the positioning. There is an ability that increases damage if you are above the enemy and another that does loads of damage at a distance. The more fun option is dual wield though, which is also about positioning because you want to get behind the enemy. Always try to get behind then use twin strikes. It is great, especially if a mage freezes the target. Overall they also do loads of the damage.
I am still enjoying the game, although sometimes it gets on my nerves. That is most due to the tactical cam. Honestly, sometimes I feel like I just must trust in the AI to do their own thing because they are so hard to all control at the same time. That either ends good or bad. Also, I ran into a lot of trouble with healing flasks on a main quest due to a bit of backtracking, leaving me with not enough healing to go around and I had to resort to cheesy tactics like running away so dead bodies teleport to me for revival. It is an unfortunate side effect to removing healing.
Question to u all: when do we capture keeps/where can I find one? I want to make an attempt soon to unlock some perks. There were none in the hinterlands, and I would like to go to one next.
Sorry for any typos caused by auto-correct
You're making me want to buy it @ChildofBhaal599
Here is a question. How much of he first two games get carried over?
Is it better playing the first two to completion before picking up Inquisition or does it not matter?
Varric mentioning what happened to Hawke's companions at the end of DA2, if they're alive.
So, its a good idea to play the first two games, and put your choices and stuff into the Dragon Age Keep thing.
I will warn you though, there are a couple of bugs. Sometimes the world state doesn't import properly, the male inquisitior is recognized as a female, The Inquisitor's voice can change if you decide to customize
My advice? If you're planning on getting DA: I wait until the first patch.
anyway, the reason I logged on in the middle of playing was to share this funny shield I found:
it is called the wedge of destiny
for those who want to find it:
I'll admit, they are doing good at rewarding exploration
I wanted to play through both games and the expansions again before committing to buying Inquisition. I dont even remember Cassandra from DA2 so I do need a refresher on that game. If Origins is being referenced all the time, then yes, i'm probably going to wait and finish it again.
I think I need to stop reading these threads and just power through origins with my Dalish elf and get Hawke sleeping with his entire party quickly.
As for 360, you'll may run into the Black Screen of Doom because that's being reported there. If you're a fan of nice graphics, then get disappointed because the graphics on 360 are atrocious. Here's a thread of some of the issues with PS3 and 360.
http://forum.bioware.com/topic/522013-old-gen-ps3-and-xbox360-master-thread-bioware-please-fix-these-issues/
I don't like beating down this game. Don't get me wrong, if you can play it, it's really nice in some parts, but in others it isn't really that good at all. However, there are a lot of issues that need to get fixed. The black screen of doom is one of them because all platforms seem to be getting this one.
So, when comes down to it, was Bioware ready to release Dragon Age: Inquisition? It all depends on your platform, PS4, and Xbone? Yes. PC and last gen consoles? No.
anyway, if you get it I recommend you get it for PC or next gen. i don't have any problem with my PC copy, except that some things obviously could've used some adjusting in the port, such as the tactical camera that was obviously made with consoles in mind (remember the days only PC had tactical cam and it was good? good times...)
There are some people getting black screen of doom on all platforms. Here's a thread of many people having the black screen of doom.
http://answers.ea.com/t5/Dragon-Age-Inquisition/inquisition-blackscreen-after-messi-loading-screen/td-p/3983595
Id rather spend just 80 bucks then 480 to play one game. I still think I'll playthrough the first two and wait for a sale.
Its amusing that my first play through was a female dalish getting the final blow in, so the canon may not be that far off for me in one instance.
The keep though, how through is it? Am I still stuck with cookie cut story lines or if I do things uniquely will those carry over?