15 replies to this topic

[Stardusk]

played DA.

I admit I 'cheat', not with the console but with mods. Quite overpowered but not godly...

At the start of every game I go to the traveller's domain and buy a whole bunch of tome of the mortal vessels to up my stats; then I buy the best equipment and match it up so it is the same type with the forge on WF; then I magic wand it all to tier 9. Later on when I get to camp I customise all the equipment to my needs but ONLY for my main character. The others still get the best but not enhanced by WF. Basically I am set with equipment for the rest of the game...

I am thinking of maybe going through a game where I find everything on my own...etc..unenhanced....that would be super super challenging on nightmare + Awakening is difficult...one of these days...

How do you play?

[RustyBlade]

Cheat? I prefer "enhanced" lol No console for me either; I use the Dragon Age Beguiler, Innodils Pocket Plane, the upgrade wand and some tactics, weapon and armor mods (not the godlike stuff either), my warriors and rogues get 4 spells and my Arcane Warrior Mages can use two-hand or dual-wield abilities. Since I play on nightmare (also enhanced - sorry, I forget the name of the mod), PC's get their stats and talents jacked and level bumped to 28 (to use all the Awakenings spells/talents), companions not so much since they usually hang back. (Only reason I don't solo is I would miss out on the banter.) Some of the weapon and armor mods I use have a horrible habit of respawning every time I start the game so money is never a problem (I have removed most of the ones that do that and only keep a few for the gold), midway through the game I usually start throwing away the stuff I don't need because I don't need any more gold to lug around and by that time there is nothing left to buy that I want anyway.

With an elf PC it usually takes me about 10 min to make the face, another 10 to bump his stats and about an hour in the pocket plane running between merchants and randomizing their wares to get the Ancient Elven Armor I almost always start the game with (Tier 9 because the gold helmet just sets it off). Once I have all of the companions that I intend to gather for that particular game, the "enhancements" cease, the pocket plane becomes a warehouse only and the upgrade wand is only used for visual enhancement. I've gone around Orzzamar zapping everyone into differently colored armor and garments just to spruce the place up (try it on the wedding clothes sometime )

[danscott84]

My mods are pretty much for aesthetics. The only mod I have that changes stats is the Cousland Family Sword and Sheild mod that makes them upgradable to tier 7. (However the new Witherbark I have to admit is a fine weapon) I did restore the level up bug in Ostagar, and use it to get my player to level 22. I don't know if this is considered a cheat since the game levels the opponents with you, but I feel if you are a Warden because you are amongst the best, then why have to learn everything from scratch. For weapons style I prefer dual wielding archers in the warrior class. Use the swords most of the time, but archer on longer shots using Arrow of Slaying. Since I use the archer talents quite a bit, I tend to use heavy armors since I do not suffer the speed penalty with Master Archer, but once in a while put on the massive armor just to look good.

[ell46]

I don't use cheats as such, I'm an aesthetics person as well. My current game only has one cheat, the extra dog slot which I suppose is a cheat, but it lets me control the dog and leave my character to get on with it, I hate having to keep telling myself what to do. The only armour mod I've got is the Mordsith, because I'm a fan of the TG books and couldn't resist the look of it, but I'm not wearing it in this game.

I started playing on easy, then when that became too easy I upped it to normal, I have to say I'm not that into fighting, but it's a necessary evil, especially when you are in a bad mood I love the puzzles and will spend how ever long it takes to figure them out myself, exploring and looting, at the moment I'm using sword and shield for the first time and loving it, so at this point in time I don't really have a preference for weapons. I've never played an RPG that is just hack and slash and they have to have magic.

I won't wear ugly armour no matter how good it is.

[Thandal]

So far, the only mods I've installed are for story, or audio/visual enhancement. I deliberately don't use a mod that increases a character's or item's capabilities.

Bugfixes:
"Steal_Dog_Fix" (I managed to overcome the CtD problem with 1.03, but still had the "Broken Pickpocketing" issue.)

Changes to Gameplay:
"Dialogue Tweaks"
"Skip the Fade" (75% of the time)
"Equal Love" (Only way I can experience the Morrigan Romance story line [easily one of the most complex in the entire game] with a female PC.)
"Polygamey" (Sometimes. It's fun to use until EVERYONE possible is at Love or Adore, *then* remove it and start explaining yourself! )

Changes to Asthetics:
"Pineappletree's Vibrant Colors"
"More_Hairstyles"
"Practical Dalish Female Armor"
"du_nohat" (does anyone know if the "No_Helmet" mod works better? Helmets seem to un-equip at random after combat with this one.)

And taking things waaaay past the ESRB "M" rating:
"Lady of the Forest au Naturale"
"Nude Succubus"
"Luchaire's BSC"
"NBAIO" (critical for immersion during first "Join me in my tent" scene along any romance path, and if choosing the "Dark Ritual" ending. I may or may not employ otherwise. DAO-Modmanager makes it easy to flip back-and-forth at will.)

Haven't yet used but wanting to try:
"Morrigan Restoration Patch Dialogue Fixpack", with "Zevran Dialogue Fix" add-on.

[Thandal]

... and the upgrade wand is only used for visual enhancement. I've gone around Orzzamar zapping everyone into differently colored armor and garments just to spruce the place up (try it on the wedding clothes sometime )

Gotta get me one'a those!

I absolutely despise the look of the crowd at the epilogue. Two colors that really make me wince are the sickly magenta, (see "Desire Demon", but used elsewhere as well) and the almost flourescent apple-green of at least two of the dresses in room at the Finale.

[danscott84]

I agree Thandal, gotta have Skip the Fade. After about the second time through, I hated that part. Always felt like just a waste of time. And DT, gotta be able to kiss Leliana anywhere I d*** well feel like.

[RustyBlade]

I don't consider Skip the Fade to be a cheat, it's something that keeps me playing the game because if I had to go through that BS every game I probably wouldn't still be playing (take a hint Bioware.)

Kissing Leliana wherever you want is nice but you haven't lived until you've done the nasty with her on the steps of Redcliffe castle, the Shaperate or some other very public place

[danscott84]

I don't consider Skip the Fade to be a cheat, it's something that keeps me playing the game because if I had to go through that BS every game I probably wouldn't still be playing (take a hint Bioware.)

Kissing Leliana wherever you want is nice but you haven't lived until you've done the nasty with her on the steps of Redcliffe castle, the Shaperate or some other very public place

Ah, we're shy. We'll stick to the camp. (thanks to Luchaire)

[SaturnC]

I actually like playing the Fade in Broken Circle. I have a way I really scoot around fast. You know you don't have to go into every room!

But anyway, I love these kinds of threads cause now everyone can get mad at me for being a cheater! And I do cheat! And love it! I remember years ago, when I had my very first website, Lady Moiraine's Morrowind, everyone at the old Elder Scrolls forum were very much against cheating, then I came along and openly admitted I did cheat and enjoyed cheating to the point I dedicated and entire webpage to my cheating. I have no qualms about mastering a game as fast as I can. (I've been playing Mass Effect these past couple days and am getting pretty good at it already). I play games for relaxation and if I get frustrated from dying all the time, that's not relaxing to me. I get really frustrated so instead of wasting $50 on a game, I cheat and have a blast!

And how do I cheat with Dragon do you ask? EASILY!

Here's my mod list cause it's way too big to list. I start the same everytime. I use runscript zz_supercrit player first then runscript givexp 10000000000000000000000000000 and that puts me at level 40. Then I use the add console points mod and runscript givespec 3 first then runscript givespec 2 to give me 5 of the mage specializations, the Keeper does not unlock right away. Then I runscript giveattrib 600, runscript givetalent 144 and runscript giveskill 28. I might need to give or take talents, that sometimes varies. Then I'll runscript pc_immortal and runscript zz_money 1000000000000 unless it's a city elf, they only get 1000000000. You have to be careful with the money running it up that high, you can easily go into the negative if you're not careful. I always play a mage, regardless of the origin which is either city elf, Dalish elf, tower mage or Cousland mage. And that's how I play my games!

When I meet Big Al, it's runscript zz_addapproval Alistair 100 and runscript zz_party_addgifts but the only ones I keep are Duncan's shield, Morrigan's mirror and Zev's boots and gloves, everything else gets destroyed. I NEVER EVER play Leliana so she's not a problem and I go back and forth with Shale, depending on how into my character I am at the time. I gift Al and Morrigan in Lothering because after Lothering I'll take her to do the werewolf quest then she's done. We take a quick shopping trip to Denerim where I give her the Wintersbreath staff and her belt and ring and that's it, once we get back to the camp, she's done, all she's good for after that point is sex. As soon as we are done with Lothering, I hightail it to Redcliffe, Big Al tells me his secret, we run to Denerim, see his sister, then run back to camp and it's in the sack with Big Al. Next stop the werewolf quest, and after the werewolves--I take only dog with me to grab Zev and it's back to the camp for more sex. At that point I'll take a breather and get to know everyone a little better, in bed that is. And that's my game! I can play it from beginning to end in anywhere from 24 - 28 hours. And if you don't think I play the game all the way through, well, I got 192 Dragon Age Videos to prove it--yeah, I love the game!!

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Guess I didn't answer all the questions. Weapons & Armor, I use only tier 9 weapons and armor or modded armor for all my guys. Sten gets the Great Longsword (other games call them claymores) before he gets Asalaa, Big Al gets the Longsword, Zev gets the Dalish set the Dar Misu and Dar Misan something like that they are a longsword and dagger simitar set, Oghren gets the tier 9 battleaxe. All my mages are rogues and I use Catona's high stats daggers and bow. I also give the Dalish bow to Zev. I am now using the Duncan armor mod for my Alistair cause he looks hot and I just started using the Sten armor mod with a tweaked face I did for Sten, a little rougher than the one found here at nexus. Morrigan stays as is, and so does Wynne. Oghren gets the Scale armor (medium) cause I think it's silly to go trumping around in heavy or massive armor. My guys are all mages and I wear all the robes, Catona's clothes and the queen's attire, that makes for a nice set. My Zev gets the Dalish armor when he gets his gloves but usually by the time I get to Redcliffe, I'll give him his boots and switch him over to Catona's high stats Elven Enchanter Robe, cause he's a free-baller! (Metalocalypse term) I really hate seeing Alistair in the heavy and massive armor EVERYONE dresses him in, I really like him in the Dwarven armor (medium) if he's not wearing the Duncan warden armor. Sten also, I like seeing him in the Chainmail (medium) armor, both of their bodies are way too hot to have them hidden in big armor! I love watching them swing their swords and so do my guys.