**The Dragon Age Origins Thread **

[iviv]

Where should I get this? Looking at the online options, its only cheaper by a couple of £ to buy the physical copy online, but I'd rather have it on a digital download service for ease in the future. And on top of this, I prefer Impulse because its a better platform IMO. But on the Impulse page, they have this:

EA ACCOUNT, REGISTRATION WITH ENCLOSED SERIAL CODE, INTERNET CONNECTION AND ACCEPTANCE OF END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT REQUIRED TO PLAY AND TO ACCESS ONLINE FEATURES AND/OR SERVICES. EA ONLINE TERMS AND CONDITIONS CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.EA.COM. YOU MUST BE 13+ TO REGISTER FOR AN EA ACCOUNT. EA MAY PROVIDE CERTAIN INCREMENTAL CONTENT AND/OR UPDATES FOR NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE, IF AND WHEN AVAILABLE.

EA MAY RETIRE ONLINE FEATURES AFTER 30 DAYS NOTICE POSTED ON WWW.EA.COM.

So... I would have to mess around with an EA account to play this game, but I don't see anything of the like on the steam page. Can anyone confirm if there's anything to do with signing up for EA accounts with the steam version, and if not I'll deffinately get that.

On a side note, I'm not really one for special editions for a couple of extra features, and for £10 you're getting some armour, another quest, a better weapon, and Warden's Keep to explore? Is it worth the extra £10 over the basic version?


Sorry if these questions have already been asked, but the thread is so long

 

[stooeh]

Question: How do you get the wider quickbar?

Drag it to the right

 

[Sleepery]

Also, even with all the settings on low the play in the larger areas isn't as smooth as I'd like it to be [4870, 5GB RAM]

Something up there, I have a 4870, E8400 (oc'd to 3.6) and 4GB of ram, and I just whacked everything up to max before I started the game for the first time (bar the AA, think that's at 4x). I haven't noticed any slowdown at all. This is in Windows 7 64bit.

 

[Robbo]

Drag it to the right

Bah! Tool alert

 

[Deadbeat]

Anyone else hit a point where codex entries stop giving experience? I'm just about to raid the elves, and none of the entries I'm picking up from the town area are cranking up my exp.

 

[Talrinys]

Anyone else hit a point where codex entries stop giving experience? I'm just about to raid the elves, and none of the entries I'm picking up from the town area are cranking up my exp.

I just think some of them give XP and others don't?

 

[Kainz]

The thing that's getting me so far is that after I cast spells I have to wait a few seconds before doing another one. And then after I've done a certain amount in a large battle I'm not 'allowed' to do any more.

Real pain in the arse.

That sounds like your caster is just running out of mana? That is quite normal. Whereas fighters depend on Stamina to execute moves, casters rely on mana. Mana is shown as a blue bar besides your health meter iirc.

I managed to download Soldiers Peak and some blood armour yesterday night after registering my steam version on the bioware social site, so cheers guys. Not tried any of it yet.

My party are currently Lv8 and I'm having a tough time with battles atm. I'm in no way inexperienced with RPG's like this but we end up dead quite a lot. I've just cleared out the undead in Redcliffe or something and that took a lot of running around as well as deaths. Now I'm in the main castle getting hammered all over the shop.

I am a sword/shield tank, with Morrigan as a damage dealer, Sten as a 2H weaps guy, and Alistair also a 2H weaps guy. I guess I can read up on the game properly today seeing as I'm at home.

 

[Solus]

I've just started the Wardens part in the wilds, ended up with 4 melee players. 3 Warriors and a rogue (archer). The first boss is solid as he tends to kite

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Started my second play through.

Doing every single quest I can.

I'm also going around with my TAB held in all the time to help spot any hidden thingies

 

[Matmulder]

My party are currently Lv8 and I'm having a tough time with battles atm. I'm in no way inexperienced with RPG's like this but we end up dead quite a lot. I've just cleared out the undead in Redcliffe or something and that took a lot of running around as well as deaths. Now I'm in the main castle getting hammered all over the shop.

I am a sword/shield tank, with Morrigan as a damage dealer, Sten as a 2H weaps guy, and Alistair also a 2H weaps guy. I guess I can read up on the game properly today seeing as I'm at home.

Its because your missing a healer. (MINOR SPOILER ALERT)

I had the same problem - I went to Redcliffe first, and really struggled due to hammering down the health potions. I even specced two points in Herbalism on my main to make pots (he is a Ranger, so I figured it fit the role)

But then I got Wynne, and I've not wiped since (on Normal). It really turns the game on its head from being difficult, to being, well, Normal.

 

[Matmulder]

Oh - and I noticed earlier people starting as an Rogue/Range/Archer, and re-rolling. I stuck with mine, and I'm glad I did.

Damage is good (currently putting out 43% of the party damage) although its very much a "focus fire" damage class. Only one AoE ability at the moment which stuns all nearby your target, but the overall DPS output is pretty good, and its great for dropping bosses.

My biggest issue is stamina though - I burn though it stupidly quickly with a couple of abilities active. Need better regen....

 

[Lysander]

Something up there, I have a 4870, E8400 (oc'd to 3.6) and 4GB of ram, and I just whacked everything up to max before I started the game for the first time (bar the AA, think that's at 4x). I haven't noticed any slowdown at all. This is in Windows 7 64bit.

Ah interesting. My CPU is an E660 at stock 2.4Ghz. Think it could be bottlenecking? Maybe it's the drivers since I just downloaded those from W7 updates and not the ATI CCC. Haven't got round to doing that yet. L4D plays perfectly smoothly, but maybe DAO is more demanding.

That sounds like your caster is just running out of mana? That is quite normal. Whereas fighters depend on Stamina to execute moves, casters rely on mana. Mana is shown as a blue bar besides your health meter iirc.

Ah thanks. How does I moar mana pl0x?

 

[Matmulder]

Ah thanks. How does I get moar mana pl0x?

More points into Willpower, of get mana-regen items, or drink pots.

 

[N19h7m4r3]

Its because your missing a healer. (MINOR SPOILER ALERT)

I had the same problem - I went to Redcliffe first, and really struggled due to hammering down the health potions. I even specced two points in Herbalism on my main to make pots (he is a Ranger, so I figured it fit the role)

But then I got Wynne, and I've not wiped since (on Normal). It really turns the game on its head from being difficult, to being, well, Normal.

I never once had a healer and I breezed through the game.

my party was me warrior, shale, alistair and morrigen.

All i needed were health pots and mana pots.

I don't see why people are so fussy about the healers.

 

[CaptainRAVE]

Ah interesting. My CPU is an E660 at stock 2.4Ghz. Think it could be bottlenecking? Maybe it's the drivers since I just downloaded those from W7 updates and not the ATI CCC. Haven't got round to doing that yet. L4D plays perfectly smoothly, but maybe DAO is more demanding.

DAO seems very CPU intensive. Takes up a lot of my processor (in my sig).

On my second playthrough now as a rogue elf. Very cool storyline...I am on a mission of vengeance against all humans

 

[Sleepery]

Ah interesting. My CPU is an E660 at stock 2.4Ghz. Think it could be bottlenecking? Maybe it's the drivers since I just downloaded those from W7 updates and not the ATI CCC.

Yeah, I'd get the latest ati drivers and the CCC for a start, see if that makes a difference. I seem to remember someone saying earlier in the thread that they're seeing usage on all four cores on their quad core, but even so, I wouldn't think it would make such a massive difference.

Mana regen potions are the blue one called Lyrium, or something like that.

 

[Lysander]

Yeah, I'd get the latest ati drivers and the CCC for a start, see if that makes a difference. I seem to remember someone saying earlier in the thread that they're seeing usage on all four cores on their quad core, but even so, I wouldn't think it would make such a massive difference.

Yes, that's what I thought. I'm slightly dubious about a quad making a big difference [though recommended system requirements do say so].

I'll upgrade the drivers. If that doesn't help I will indeed get a quad core though. I'm not upgrading my motherboard for a bloody i7.

 

[Kazz]

About the load time comments. Its been fairly quick for me (about 5 secs a screen), ive heard its a very CPU dependant game though.

 

[Sash]

Question: Whats the memory band for?

 

[Kainz]

Its because your missing a healer. (MINOR SPOILER ALERT)

I had the same problem - I went to Redcliffe first, and really struggled due to hammering down the health potions. I even specced two points in Herbalism on my main to make pots (he is a Ranger, so I figured it fit the role)

But then I got Wynne, and I've not wiped since (on Normal). It really turns the game on its head from being difficult, to being, well, Normal.

Cheers man. Got to find this Wynne person then. I've cleared out the castle with the exception of the Revenant who I know I can't take just yet so I'm on my way out of the castle now just to sell off some stuff.