Dragon Age Difficulty

[Kalmah]

I imagine some great things are going to come to this game including extra classes skills and abilities. I'm pretty sure Bioware wants this game to be a long-term franchise.

At least that was there intentions before EA came in the picture. Every since they came about, Bioware rarely posts in there own forums anymore. I remember a time when 2/3 posts had a Bioware response in it. Now.. it's like 1/80. Now Bioware has some beta forum software and there website is half working. Smells like EA's 'git r done' tactics to me.

 

[JoshGuru7]

Well obviously I'm not convincing anybody on the "you need a mage/mages are OP" issue, so I'll leave it at a couple of concluding points.

The consistent element across builds that can solo on nightmare is that they are tanks (evasion rogues, arcane warrior w/fp) not mages, and the ability for somebody else to build class X as a tank shouldn't affect your enjoyment of a different build on class X as long as you bring another type of tank along with you. This isn't a multiplayer game and you're not going to be excluded from any groups because you didn't make an arcane warrior mage.

This game is extremely playable with a single mage if you plan their spells yourself. I'm playing a mage and completed some of the more difficult fights as the only mage in my party on hard difficulty. I can see why it would be very difficult without a single mage in the party for either healing or crowd control or AoE damage, but I believe that is working as it should.

Ultimately, this game has very flexible classes. Most RPGs split things apart into tanks (warrior), melee DPS (warrior), rogues (rogues), ranged DPS (rogues/mages), healers (mages), crowd control (mages) and buffers (mages). By collapsing the classes DA gives you more flexibility how you build each character, not less. This makes it very easy to assemble a group around any one character, but you still should surround it with complimentary pieces.

 

[Udgnim]

I just finished going through the Circle and group level is around 12.

been playing on Normal and game became much easier around when I got Shale and he became uber tank. I tried to make Alistair into a tank but his Armor value just pales in comparison to Shale.

I've also focused on leveling Morrigan's CC abilities (Force Shield, Crushing Cage, Sleep) which makes pulls much more manageable as well. now, Wynne has been added as a possible party member and Uldred seemed way too easy because of Wynne. just had Wynne on the Healer preset and Shale tanking, start with Force Shield on Uldred, kill the abominations, then wait for Uldred to come out of Force Shield. let everyone do their AI presets and just had to click the Litany when needed. Shale wasn't ever close to dead with Wynne healing.

so, I guess the party I'm going to go with now is my DW Rogue, Shale (Tank), Morrigan (CC), and Wynne (Healer), and run over whatever I come across. going to miss Leliana's 3rd tier bard group buff though. haven't really bothered with Sten or Zevren or my dog.

 

[Scouzer]

man... this game is hard as hell. i'm doing the brecilien forest quests and im in that room with the traps and the arcane horror. good lord!!! how do you beat this dude?

so i left redcliffe because it was too hard, now im going to have to leave this place because it owns me too...

i am losing motivation to keep playing

 

[Mem]

man... this game is hard as hell. i'm doing the brecilien forest quests and im in that room with the traps and the arcane horror. good lord!!! how do you beat this dude?

so i left redcliffe because it was too hard, now im going to have to leave this place because it owns me too...

i am losing motivation to keep playing

Simple :

Spoiler

use range weapons on all your characters,it goes down fast so no need to get close ,so stay away from the traps.

 

[Kalmah]

man... this game is hard as hell. i'm doing the brecilien forest quests and im in that room with the traps and the arcane horror. good lord!!! how do you beat this dude?

so i left redcliffe because it was too hard, now im going to have to leave this place because it owns me too...

i am losing motivation to keep playing

I've never had to quite playing due to it being hard. I've been frustrated but it never lasted long.

Make your guys hold ground at the top and fire arrows at her. This is a tactical game.. clicking mindlessly isn't going to cut it.

 

[you2]

which quest is brecilien ? I've just finished redcliffe and don't remember seeing that one.

man... this game is hard as hell. i'm doing the brecilien forest quests and im in that room with the traps and the arcane horror. good lord!!! how do you beat this dude?

so i left redcliffe because it was too hard, now im going to have to leave this place because it owns me too...

i am losing motivation to keep playing

 

[NoSoup4You]

Make sure Morrigan has that first Healing spell, after I got that the game became significantly easier. If you already have that and still find the game too tough on Normal, I suggest doing the Mage's Tower quest to get Wynne, which will give you two spellcasters.

 

[Scouzer]

I've never had to quite playing due to it being hard. I've been frustrated but it never lasted long.

Make your guys hold ground at the top and fire arrows at her. This is a tactical game.. clicking mindlessly isn't going to cut it.

Great... my guys don't even have bows!

 

[erwos]

I agree that, in general, switching tactics will usually resolve problems. Thinking hard about your builds will also relieve some stress - as someone just mentioned, Morrigan with healing is super handy for when Wynne exhausts her MP (10 seconds into a fight, it seems).

That said, any time there's more than one enemy mage, difficulty shoots up to insane levels. Crowd control is just a bit too effective in this game, and it's way too easy to spam it in the form of cold spells. Combine that with the AI getting the drop on you, and I think there are valid criticisms of the game's difficulty level.

 

[ZzZGuy]

I agree that, in general, switching tactics will usually resolve problems. Thinking hard about your builds will also relieve some stress - as someone just mentioned, Morrigan with healing is super handy for when Wynne exhausts her MP (10 seconds into a fight, it seems).

That said, any time there's more than one enemy mage, difficulty shoots up to insane levels. Crowd control is just a bit too effective in this game, and it's way too easy to spam it in the form of cold spells. Combine that with the AI getting the drop on you, and I think there are valid criticisms of the game's difficulty level.

I don't know, I kind of like how you can be wading through hordes of cannon fodder like you're invincible, then suddenly have your ass handed to you.

I'm no hardcore RPG player, but at worst I've had to resort to cheap tactics like carefully drawing off enemies in small groups from a cluster to leaving the initial combat zone to avoid the majority of enemies. Just figure out what is hurting you the most and work to counter it.

 

[akoroves]

I have died a few times, but I find by changing tactics for boss fights, mostly concentrating on defeating the most difficult opponent first, helps a lot. My advice to you is to try having many healing potions and take out the toughest guy first (or mages).

Good luck.

 

[jinsaotomex4]

Unfortunately this game is really easy (on hard, using Tank, Dual Wield Warrior, Archer and Healer team) after the 1.01a/b patches, normal gave me so much trouble before the patch. Needless to say, there is much too complaining about mages. Mages are supposed to be ridiculously powerful, which is why the chantry has them all confined in a tower with templars to take them out when needed (they use blood magic, get possessed, etc). Going by lore, no mere warrior or rogue should be able to live if they attack a mage and the mage is alive to cast a spell on them. Mages ran nations and such because they are just that powerful. It sucks, but that's just how it is, unless you play a mage yourself (and like it).

 

[StinkyPinky]

I have died a few times, but I find by changing tactics for boss fights, mostly concentrating on defeating the most difficult opponent first, helps a lot. My advice to you is to try having many healing potions and take out the toughest guy first (or mages).

Good luck.

I always take out mages first, then the easy targets, and then the hard ones.

Game is much easier for me now since I have a summoned bear with nearly 500 hp and Wynne has some serious healing buffs and area effect spells.

 

[JoshGuru7]

The ideal kill method in a game like this is to kill the weakest mob first while you CC the higher hp mobs, then kill them last when they don't have minions to help out. Waking Nightmare is a fairly easy spell to obtain that works well on the harder difficulty mobs (as does Horror). Setting tactics on your support troops to always target the weakest hp mob helps in this endeavor a lot.

If you don't have CC ability then the next best strategy is to take them out in order of how much damage they can inflict on your party from most to least. If you're doing this with tactics, I'd make your tank the main assist and set everybody to attack his target, then send the tank after the most dangerous opponent first. Make sure the tank saves enough stamina for a taunt if some of the minions head for other characters.

 

[Mem]

Great... my guys don't even have bows!

Buy some,I had about 8 different bows last time I checked from various looting areas,I use melee weapon for weapon1 and range(bow) for weapon 2,you can switch weapons with simple mouse click so its very handy.

 

[sourceninja]

man... this game is hard as hell. i'm doing the brecilien forest quests and im in that room with the traps and the arcane horror. good lord!!! how do you beat this dude?

so i left redcliffe because it was too hard, now im going to have to leave this place because it owns me too...

i am losing motivation to keep playing

Or, if you don't want to range fight that, move one character to each of the 'portals'. That will break the 'puzzle' and then you can kill him as normal.

 

[s44]

How can you get halfway through the game without getting ranged secondary weapons!?

Morrigan with healing is super handy for when Wynne exhausts her MP (10 seconds into a fight, it seems).

Every mage should have basic Heal, yes, but note that if you do Wynne's character quest she basically never runs out of gas.

There's a tough battle when she gets this power though.

 

[sourceninja]

BTW, I finished the game on hard with a arcane mage/blood mage combo last night. It was simply amazing. I was happy and sad at the same time. Very engrossing. I'm about halfway though with my 'no mage' game on normal difficulty. So far no troubles. I'm going to finish that one this coming weekend, then take a break and play with the editor.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

BTW, I finished the game on hard with a arcane mage/blood mage combo last night. It was simply amazing. I was happy and sad at the same time. Very engrossing. I'm about halfway though with my 'no mage' game on normal difficulty. So far no troubles. I'm going to finish that one this coming weekend, then take a break and play with the editor.

What is the appeal of the AW/BM combo? I've heard nothing but rave reviews about it, and I finally got AW last night, and so far I am underwhelmed. Is the proper build to just put a bunch of points into passive/sustained talents for the mage, or do you actually cast a lot of spells? With the way the AW operates, it'd be tough to cast a bunch of high cost spells like Blizzard and Tempest.

I've also noticed that my AW attacks way slower than my warrior with comparable weapons. I asked about it in the other DA thread, but is it just me, or is there something I'm missing?

It is cool though to have my mage walking around in a full set of Blood Dragon Armor.

 

[Yreka]

Where do you get shale? Is he from the paid DLC line ?

 

[exar333]

Where do you get shale? Is he from the paid DLC line ?

Yes, or the collector's edition.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Yes, or the collector's edition.

Every legitimate new purchased copy of Dragon Age comes with the Blood Dragon Armor and the Shale DLC. The Warden's Keep is the only DLC a purchaser of Dragon Age should be without. Unless they got the Collector's Edition, which comes with them all, I believe...

 

[you2]

Yea my $39 copy from amazon came with shale and blood dragon armor. One thing that concerns me is that (from what other folks have said) you have to be logged in for dlc to work. This means if your inet goes down your dlc party member/items vanish? I hope it isn't that anal but that is what it sounds like.

Every legitimate new purchased copy of Dragon Age comes with the Blood Dragon Armor and the Shale DLC. The Warden's Keep is the only DLC a purchaser of Dragon Age should be without. Unless they got the Collector's Edition, which comes with them all, I believe...

 

[ayabe]

Well I would be eternally impressed if someone can defeat the Revenant in the Brecilian Forest with no mages - the one who spawns up the hill from you with the mage.