Dragon Age Origins

[lugaru]

I have to agree... my first playthrough was as a Warrior and I just stumbled uppon that specialization. Then I started a "mean" mage with the intention of making her a Blood Mage but I figured that would take too long (dont have it unlocked) so I chose this as her first specialization and dang, she is potent. I mix it with mostly "death" magic which allows me to have an aura that regens mana (or health if I use the other one) from fallen foes. That stuff, TK weapons with a huge sword and occasionally blowing up fools or trapping them in that spirit prison spell. She is pretty brutal, and that is without an enchanted weapon (she has a pretty standard two handed sword, I'm still early on).

[Uncle Yuan]

Anybody have any experience with Rogue specialties?  I could have access to Ranger and Assassin now, but neither are grabbing me.  (Plus I'm playing a female and am working on Alistair.  I'm afraid going Assassin would damage that.)  I'm leaning duelist, if I can figure out where to find it.  From what I've seen it will work well with my dual weapons.

[Mr. Hamrick]

Anybody have any experience with Rogue specialties?  I could have access to Ranger and Assassin now, but neither are grabbing me.  (Plus I'm playing a female and am working on Alistair.  I'm afraid going Assassin would damage that.)  I'm leaning duelist, if I can figure out where to find it.  From what I've seen it will work well with my dual weapons.

I went with Duelist and Assassin for my main (human noble) rogue.  

Duelist is a fairly easy specialization to find.  I prefer it to to any of the other specializations actually.  It's great for rogues using two weapons.

Spoiler

It's in Denerim.  There is a lady at The Pearl who will engage you in a card game.  If your cunning is high enough, you will catch her cheating.  Providing you catch her, she will teach you the specialization Duelist.

Ranger is fairly useless as far as I can tell.  

The bard is fine for Leliana, it's more than enough for the whole party.

Assassin was great for the stat bonuses more than anything.  It also has abilities that are usable in combat and worth using.  The passive stuff are even more worth it.

Something I have noticed is that the auto-level up tends to favor the the first specialization over the second if it levels any of them at all.

[Midnight]

Spoiler

Fun fact. If you come across a vendor with a specialization book, just save, buy the book, then reload. It should unlock the specialization and you get your money back.

[lugaru]

I made Leliana into a Bard/Ranger and it was useful for her to keep a bear around, at least to soak up damage and deal a little of it. Honestly the specializations in the game are a little wonky, they could use some work.

And..

Spoiler

Just beat Flemeth fair and square, with my second character, at level 11. With the patch you get a lot more potions instead of random crap so I burnt a lot of them during that fight. Shale dealing damage in the front, too big and stony to be eaten. Zevran doing a little bit of bow damage each turn and pointing out weaknesses. Healer mage (I forget her name) healing everyone and casting a spell that reduces elemental damage and my main mage (my character) soaking up a lot of the damage while pouring magical attacks on Flemmy. It took a while and I invested a little too much into it but hey, that is something to be proud of.

[Tortuga]

Hey, does anybody have any idea how the expansion will work (on the 360).  Will I still need my DA:O disc or will it run off of the DA: Awakenings disc.  I'm wondering if I can sell/trade DA:O at this point and make $40 back.

[Ares_God_of_War]

I'm going to venture that at best this will make it unable to play DA: O content but they may have something that requires the original disc for some parts.

[Podmark]

I know the Expansion has an import save ability and that DLC won't work in Awakenings - save possibly items. Don't know if you'll need your DA:O disc, but I'd bet on yes.

[Podmark]

I beat Dragon Age Origins tonight!

Spoiler

I was playing a male human noble and choose Anora as Queen with me as her husband (although for some reason the epilogue said she never remarried and didn't really mention me at all). I took Morrigan's deal and survived the final battle.

After I won I started a new game as a female human mage. Not sure if I'll play through the whole game or if I'll just play through the origin. Might buy the Awakening expansion this month if it reviews well. Otherwise I'll wait for a price drop or maybe second hand.

[Podmark]

Awakenings is out, any one get it yet?

[lugaru]

I'm waiting at least until next month before I buy any games. Lot on my plate and not much money. I'm keeping an eye out for a good mass effect 1 + 2 deal.

[Tortuga]

ME1 should be pretty cheap, especially if you find it second hand (which shouldn't be hard).  ME2 won't be cheap for quite sometime.

Before I pick up Awakenings I've got to finish GTA: Episodes from Liberty City (4-5 missions to go) and I want to finish my second runthrough of DA:O as my evil mage.  At some point I should get back in ME2 as well.  I'm glad Red Dead Redemption was delayed...I'm finding it hard to keep up with all these awesome games!!

[Mr. Hamrick]

i'm waiting till i beat dragon age origin.

a friend of mine borrowed my copy so that may be a while.

[Deaths Jester]

Awakenings is out, any one get it yet?

I got it about a week back, haven't really gotten to get to much into it mainly becuase I decided to start a new character to rush through Origins with again.  Seems it's a better idea to have a character that's been through Origins before so you can import it in and have better equipment ready.  Also it appears that more happens if you have a former Origins character ready...not sure though becasue I just started it brand new as an Orlesian Warden.

[Ares_God_of_War]

I also am playing through again since I dont seem to have the save I wanted to import anymore

[lugaru]

Awakenings is out, any one get it yet?

I got it about a week back, haven't really gotten to get to much into it mainly becuase I decided to start a new character to rush through Origins with again.  Seems it's a better idea to have a character that's been through Origins before so you can import it in and have better equipment ready.  Also it appears that more happens if you have a former Origins character ready...not sure though becasue I just started it brand new as an Orlesian Warden.

Wait, so the expansion has more origins for new characters if you dont import an old one? I like this if it is true.

Also I think it is funny that everyone is listing their second playthrough as an evil mage. Mine is too... and allied with the werewolves.

[Deaths Jester]

Awakenings is out, any one get it yet?

I got it about a week back, haven't really gotten to get to much into it mainly becuase I decided to start a new character to rush through Origins with again.  Seems it's a better idea to have a character that's been through Origins before so you can import it in and have better equipment ready.  Also it appears that more happens if you have a former Origins character ready...not sure though becasue I just started it brand new as an Orlesian Warden.

Wait, so the expansion has more origins for new characters if you dont import an old one? I like this if it is true.

Also I think it is funny that everyone is listing their second playthrough as an evil mage. Mine is too... and allied with the werewolves.

No, no new origin story...it plays out as a reason for a new warden to be heading to Ferelden mainly, though there are some different reactions happening if you are Orlesian instead of the old character.  As for the second time around, I'm doing the rouge run...I'm not a big mage character type...I love the sneaky stuff!

[Tortuga]

Also I think it is funny that everyone is listing their second playthrough as an evil mage. Mine is too... and allied with the werewolves.

I tried to ally with them as well but I missed my chance (didn't have Expert Coercion at lvl 14) so I'm going back to an old save file to try to get that one.  I thought the point where you could choose was later, when Zantharian (sp?) meets Witherfang, but sadly no.

[Podmark]

My second playthrough is a good mage.

[Ares_God_of_War]

Well I have been playing Awakenings and so far its dissapointing. The main issue I have is that you don't interact with your party the way you could in origins. There are no real dialog options to initiate. You can find certain objects to examine with people in your party and that can initiate a dialog but so far thats the only way I have found to do it exceot for 1 gift I gave that caused a dialog option.

[Talavar]

I believe every companion has at least a couple of locations that can trigger conversation, and at least one gift that does the same, but it was disappointing that you can't talk to them like you could in Origins.

My biggest problem with the expansion is that it was really easy.  With the increased level cap, and some of the high-end abilities, nothing but the end boss was any sort of challenge, and even it was easier than the archdemon fight.  I guess that makes sense, within the game's lore, but it makes for any anti-climatic game.

[Deaths Jester]

Just beat it..twice...which is really sorry!  I was expecting a lot more from it, seeing as it's a Bioware game.  It almost felt like it was slapped together really becuase I did EVERY quest offered and was done in little under 10 hrs...which I didn't expect.  Worse is it didn't really add anything to the former game either...really sorry.  Almsot makes me want to sell it back and buy the original Mass Effect instead.

[Tortuga]

Just finished Awakenings.  The last battle was crazy...thank goodness for Ser Pounce-a-lot!

Now I'm debating if I should play it through a second time as a new rogue (haven't played with that class much yet).  I'm also itching to get back into Mass Effect 2 and finish that before Red Dead Redemption comes out.  I have a feeling RDR is going to consume my play time.

[Xenolith]

I bought this game though Steam a few weeks ago and am nearing the end of my first, and perhaps last, playthrough.  With all of the special content this game take forever to play through.  I think I'm near the end.

[JeyNyce]

I just finished playing it and yes it is a very long game if you play all of the side quest and back story missions, but the story was awesome!  I was hook with the story and that's what kept me playing.  I'm scared to play DA2 because a lot of people are saying that it's nothing like DA:O

[Podmark]

I just finished playing it and yes it is a very long game if you play all of the side quest and back story missions, but the story was awesome!  I was hook with the story and that's what kept me playing.  I'm scared to play DA2 because a lot of people are saying that it's nothing like DA:O

I wouldn't be scared. There are some changes but it's still a good game and if it's story you liked then you'll want to try it out. I actually like DA2 better in some ways.

[Xenolith]

Spoiler

Do you find out what happened to your child if you "danced" with Morrigan to break the Grey Warden/Archdemon situation?

My favorite part of the game was learning what happened afterwards. 

[JeyNyce]

Spoiler

Do you find out what happened to your child if you "danced" with Morrigan to break the Grey Warden/Archdemon situation?

My favorite part of the game was learning what happened afterwards.

I totally missed that part.  How do you dance with .....that person?

[Xenolith]

She gives you that option right before the battle with the Archdemon while you are still in the main city.  Denerim, I think?

[JeyNyce]

She gives you that option right before the battle with the Archdemon while you are still in the main city.  Denerim, I think?

I beat the game already, but will go back for that