Second Impressions
 

The downside for me is still the cut scenes - just my opinion, I know others like them.

Like others I do dislike the idea of charging for additional content and will not go there.

Upside is the size of the game and the sidequests. I need a flowchart to keep track of it all.

Tactics. Well, as some have said, pause is your friend.

Lack of gold is frustrating (I hate to ask but any spoilers would be most welcome).

That said, this is a nastily addictive game. I have rebuilt several times already and, no surprise to anyone in Undermountain, I'm trying to tank it. I may not surface again for some while.

Re: Second Impressions
 

I've rerolled many times too. I still am very early in the storyline...yet I find myself so happy with such a good game that I cannot bring myself to mow through it at a fast pace, finishing it within a few days. Draw it out imo, because it's been years since such a gem has come along.

Re: Second Impressions
 

<font color = mediumspringgreen> Gold was never really an issue for me, to be honest. Just buy a backpack whenever you see one in a merchant- it'll increase your maximum inventory by 10 items. Over time, it pays for itself.

There are also more... evil, but lucrative decisions to be found in the game. I definately won't spoil it, but you'll know them when you see them! </font>

Re: Second Impressions
 

I'm doing sidequests for money. It seems like the amount of money dropped by dead foes scales with level, is this the case or does it just seem that way?

Re: Second Impressions
 

<font color = mediumspringgreen> Indeed. During your origin you might find 4 coppers on and enemy, whereas later you'd get 50 silvers (Maybe off a hurlock Alpha. </font>

Re: Second Impressions
 

Just be glad this isn't MP, or me and Lelianna would have cleaned you guys out already...

Re: Second Impressions
 

Minor spoil




Remember to get BOTH backpacks from the merchant in Ostagar - you can get one before you are initiated and one after.

Re: Second Impressions
 

LOL roberthebard - I have my mage put a glyph af repulsion on my purse when you are nearby.

Re: Second Impressions
 

:D :D :D She does have fast hands!!!

Re: Second Impressions
 

*spoilers sprinkled in the text below, you've been warned*

Played quite a bit with my human mage, so I guess I can give second impressions.

So far I've played through the mage tower and the dwarven part of the storyline. I find the reactions of various NPCs to the origin of the PC quite well done. The mage I play is a sort of good guy mage and I ratted out Jowan to the first enchanter. With another character I had done the Redcliffe storyline up to the point where you meet Jowan and I'm already looking forward to how Jowan shall react when I find him this time.

A few thoughts about the parts I've played so far:

The Mage origin story was quite enjoyable, albeit a bit short. The twist at the end of the Harrowing was quite easy to see and since I sold out Jowan the twist at the end there was also predictable, if enjoyable.

The City Elf origin story was the best origin I've played so far. Some quite well written lines, likeable and hateable characters. :)

I personally found the Dalish Elf origin quite short and not as good as the other two I've played so far, although it was definitely fun to play as a human-hating elf. Actually managed to have Duncan have to force me to join. :D

The Ostagar part of the story I am starting to get to know the best, having played it three times. It's a rather crammed part of the story where you are supposed to get all the basic lore of the game sorted out and it feels just a little bit too crowded with info.

The Mage Tower was a quite well built part although it felt a bit linear with the whole bloody trek upwards through the tower. Not having any major twist in this part also felt like a let down. It's just a simple butcher everything type of mission.

Orzammar and the Deep Roads however is definitely epic in size and scope. The available choices and outcomes just in this part are so many in number that I almost wanted to replay just this part right after I had done it. Definitely the higlight of the game. :)

Leliana's storyline and romance, while at times a wee bit predictable was fun and satisfying and definitely a good distraction from all the adventuring and cracking skulls.



As for the game itself...the controls are pretty good, I've come to play in over the shoulder mode, moving with the wasd keys and it works out quite well for me. The party I've used the most (when not forced to change by the plot) so far was Alistair (shield + weapon), Leliana (dual daggers) and Wynne (healing) alongside my weapon of mass destruction (aka mage). Offensive mages have an impressive amount of firepower...put a group of enemies in Blizzard + Inferno and very few will get out and you can be sure that they'll be badly damaged. The only small issue I've had here is the friendly AI not knowing that it would be best to stay out of continous area of effect spells...

Single opponents are very easily handled by my mage and he tears into the groups sufficiently for the others to finish them off. Wynne works very well as a healer, and rarely have I had to use an injury kit since she joined. Alistair is the perfect tank, especially with his new shiny ring (+con, health regen,...don't remember the exact stats). I've probably not developed Leliana quite well and she falls short of Alistair's damage delivery, but I keep her more for rp reasons than for party strength. She probably would have worked better as an archer, having already points in the skills.

The difficulty of battles is quite random. Some of them are almost impossible on normal, while others are very easily handled by a single character. I admit to having to drop the difficulty down to easy for some battles while in the learning phase of the game, but now I manage most everything with one or two reloads on normal.

Alltogether I'm having quite a blast with the game and am already contemplating several other playthroughs once this one is done.

Re: Second Impressions
 

Having run Lelianna as both, she tends to shine with daggers more. It takes a while to get her built up, but with decent daggers and armor, she's a monster. I tend to build her, though, according to my main char. When my main was a dual wielding rogue type, she used the bow.

I'd say that bow damage wasn't all it's cracked up to be, but my single highest hit was an unknown amount of damage, but my Ranger one shotted a Yellow Hurlock Alpha in the Alienage during the Final Fight plot lines. On my Profile on BioWare's site, same name as here, the highest single damage hit I got was also with my Ranger, at least, so far...Got an achievement for it, over 250.

Overall, I'm Baldur's Gate hooked on this game. Little things, like Alistairs off the cuff comment about wearing the dress and dancing if the King ordered it, when you say "I think I'd like to see that", or the NPC banter, even between Morrigan and the dog. I'm collecting up Morrigan likes gifts too, so I can spring the smell line when the camp dialog about the half eaten hare in her unmentionables comes up, just so I can see what happens. I hope I don't get turned into a toad.

Re: Second Impressions
 

Press Ctrl+A To Read

Dalish Elf Origin
Aye... it just felt so natural to protest against Duncan's forced recruitment. It was hysterical when Duncan finally blurted out that he'll drag you screaming and kicking to Ostagar if he has to. Out of all the Origins, this is the one where it is the most natural to have a grudge against the Grey Wardens.

That said, it was extremely satisfying to have my Dalish Elf punch the daylights out of Isolde.

Dwarf Commoner Spoilers:

On a side note, my first playthrough was with a Dwarf Commoner, and it really rocked to play as the underdog who defied the caste system and rose up the ranks to become a Paragon. Facing discrimination everywhere, it was satisfying to ignore the snides and sneers and become an epic HERO who helped to save the world; silencing the disbelievers and making them eat their words, boots and feet. :p

Cheers.

Re: Second Impressions
 

Doubt if this a spoiler.

I don't know whether it's the armour or the engine but everything with a red circle around it heads for my PC like wasps to a honey pot.

The encounters between destinations are the worst. I am reduced to the ancient tactic of running around like a headless chicken while the bad guys chase me and the good guys hit them as they pass.

As a tactic it's effective but it does nothing for one's dignity.

Re: Second Impressions
 

That only works until you come up on a mixed ranged/melee/magic casting group, then...Let's just say I've seen prettier toast.

Re: Second Impressions
 

You weren't specific, but when it comes to in-game cutscenes, the game will sadistically position your PC right at the forefront of the fray. This is all well and good if your PC is a tank, but Maker help you if you're a Rogue Archer.

Currently playing a Trapper Rogue/Archer, and it really sucks to be thrown in front against your better judgement. That said... I find it sad that I deal more dps with my traps/bombs than with Archery. Fun though, if I get to lead them down a hallway of meticulously laid-out traps of doom and despair.

Also, unless you're the tank, do not attack until your tank has aggro.

Cheers.

Re: Second Impressions
 

Yes. I had noticed that after cut scenes and transits my PC always ended up in front taking the initial hits.

After a few disasters I at last learned to hit the space bar immediately the scene/transit ended to pause and try to reorganise.

Mixed groups of opponents are an absolute pain. I usually get Wynne to paralyse the mage(s) then keep hitting them, sic Shale and Sten onto the heaviest hitters and go after the archers myself.

Even so, this can easily end with a lot of ugly toast crumbs littering the scenery.

Re: Second Impressions
 

My strategy is a bit different, if I have a healer spec'd mage in party. I let my main tanker, whether that's Allistair, or Shale tank the boss, and slave the healer to keeping him/her alive while I burn down any mages. That said, I've ended up with Lelianna or my dual wielding rogue tanking a few times, due to dps issues with tankers. Threaten looks good on paper, but if he's not hitting, it's moot. This is usually an issue early, more than late, however.

The cutscene propensity to ruin ambush setups is the only thing I've complained about on BioWare's little social gathering site. As a novice scripter, I could do better triggers for them. All they'd need to do is get the location of the chars in party when it's getting what chars are in party, and reset their locations after the cutscene. That said, it's not such a big deal to get through, it's just a pain in the butt.

Re: Second Impressions
 

I'm with you on the Threaten skill. I find the tactics screen hopeless in view of the difference in opponents and tend to manage by pausing and instructing individual party members on their next move.

I did find at first that when targeting party members on enemies my PC defaulted to Threaten. Now I make sure that the tactics for my PC and party never include it.

Heal is hard on a mage but lifeward can be a blessing.

If Bioware ever listen to you Robert, ask them to let the party have an exit when they are being pounded upon.

Re: Second Impressions
 

<font color = mediumspringgreen> Quite frankly, threaten is a great way to generate aggro. I use it fairly often. Just to draw a few enemies off of my rogue, if his stealth was recharging. </font>

Re: Second Impressions
 

Threaten works, if your tanker is hitting while it's active. In my experience, if the tank's not hitting, you may as well just use Taunt as it cools down. Taunt has the advantage of being a 360 AoE, as opposed to a single target skill. Yeah, it puts a strain on a healer's MP, but at least the healer can focus on one char, instead of trying to heal the whole party.

Re: Second Impressions
 

I've found that with Wynne who has 40 in Magic and Will power that the Group heal spell actually restores more points, and then I do use the single person spell to beef up whoever is lowest...but honestly running with Morigan and Wynne in my party no one ever really melees except on revenents and Dragons. All others fall to ranged and AOE attacks.

Re: Second Impressions
 

I like the group heal for things like Scatter Shot, which is a nightmare for mages, errant, or enemy Fire Balls, etc. For the tanker, Regeneration as it cools down can save a lot of mana, depending on how overwhelmed we might get.

For Revenants, I've found that a pure dps party with one healer seems to work better. My Ranger's party was Zevran, Lelianna and Wynne. That configuration seems to burn the bad guys down a lot faster.

Re: Second Impressions
 

We learn more as we go.

Focusing Shale on ranged attacks is quite impressive.

Re: Second Impressions
 

One thing I'm finding (even though I'm only level 10) is that mages OWN in this game. With Morrigan as my nuker and Wynne the healbot and assistant CCer most groups are pretty much done in a matter of seconds.

Been using Alastair as my tank - tried using Sten for it but he was useless!