spoiler Defeating Branka and Golems

[Anduniel]

I did some research and found you have to enable it by editing the shortcut of the daorigin.exe, which seems to be a problem for me because I don't have a separate daorigin.exe because mine is a combination, Dragon Age Origins - Ultimate Editions, which includes Origins, Awakening, and some dlcs all in one, and lauches from same DAoriginslaucher.exe, and I read it has to be the separate actual daorigin.exe. I even searched for it in my C and came up with nothing. Furthermore, I couldn't even find where to add the line it says to add on here:

 

http://dragonage.wikia.com/wiki/Console_%28Origins%29

 

Also says it different for Steam users, where I got mine on a sale. But it seems I can't do this console thing OR use mods at all simply because of the game being a combination. I hope I'm wrong....

 

It all sounds waaayy too complicated to me. I don't see why though since Skyrim is very simple, you just hit "~" and done. If you could explain to step by step -very- simple (I'm a pc dummy but I can follow instructions as long as they're clear!), I'd really appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

 

Anna

[Thandal]

In "Skyrim", the console is enabled by default. In DAO, it ins't. That's all. :thumbsup:

 

The fact that you have the "Ultimate Edition" doesn't matter.

 

""Origins", "Awakening", Leliana's Song", "Golems of Amarrak", "Witch Hunt", and "The DLC Which Must Not Be Named", all use the program file "daorigins.exe" as the base game engine.

 

You do have that file, it's in your "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\Steam\Games\Dragon Age\bin_ship" folder.

 

Follow the directions for enabling the Command Console under Steam and you should be fine.

 

NOTE: EA removed the program DALauncher.exe completely in August of last year. They also removed it from DA2 and the "Mass Effect" series of games. Most older installs (and the retail disc version that may still be in some stores) will still have it, (at least until you allow EA/Origin to auto-update the install, when it will be removed) but new downloads don't. Doesn't matter most of the time, but obviously you can't modify that file if you don't have it!

[Alehazar]

If my character is not a Rogue, I have Zevran in my party; he will use the most powerful poisons available on his weapons and he has Momentum on; his Mark of Death is quite potent. If he gets in a jam, I let him use stealth to get away from the fray. My Warrior uses Threaten and Taunt to keep Zevran and Wynne alive. Wynne is on healing detail; the Healing Aura of the Spirit Healer specialisation -the final tier- can be a great help.

(How did you configure your Tactics for your party?)

 

The Pause button is your greatest ally here. Pause and carefully observe the battlefield. Zoom out, rotate the camera to get a good view. Use your button that highlights all objects that can be interacted with to make the health-bars of friend and foe visible. And individually check your party members by activating them one at a time (still in paused mode). Who is where and what are they doing? Who needs healing, who needs help? Queue up your next moves for all your party members and when you are satisfied, unpause the game again. While watching a skirmish in realtime is nice, keeping your party members alive is probably a better way to actually win a fight. Losing a party member in any altercation seriously compromises your overall combat effectiveness.

 

I've had quite a few playthrough on this game and I've found that a good set of Tactics and micro-management (Pause is your friend! Did I say that already?) are the key to surviving most fights. Timing is also of the essence, as is knowing which talents can be life-savers.

Sometimes I let my Warrior Taunt all bad guys to him -and yes, that might seem suicidal- then I have my mage cast a Force Field on the Warrior, Grease the area around him and finally cast a Fireball to ignite a blaze (or, if you have the time to cast an Inferno, why not? Though usually my mage can never finish that spell without getting hit -and the spell fails.)

Let your Warrior engage a foe and place a Rogue behind the same enemy (Momentum or Swift Salve) and together they can whittle down foes a lot faster, then they would individually. Wynne and her Group Heal, Revive Dead and Life Ward are essential -in my personal opinion. Use elemental attacks on the Golems (Runes, Coatings, Spells, Grenades)

 

As an aside, I never understood how Branka is able to use Lyrium veins; when my Dwarf is in the Fade during the Broken Circle Quest, she can never use any of those.

 

As for all enemies attacking your mage; enemies are drawn to heavy armor, 'tis true. But they also tend to target those who deal the most damage. In this specific fight Mind Blast is likely to be useless, but cast a Force Field on yourself to stop your character from dying and actually regenerate some health. Wearing healing items is also handy -belts, rings, amulets. (though you need a Healing Received Fix mod for that to properly work). Spell Wisp, or Spell Might could mean the difference between your spell being resisted or successfully connecting with your foe.

(I always hated this Boss fight; any Talent or Spell I would use against Branka, would seemingly bounce off without leaving as much as a scratch. Poison, poison, poison; it's an Achilles heel of Branka's. That's why I bring in a Rogue who knows how to use that stuff.)

[Anduniel]

Wow, thats actually the most helpful advice of anyone else regarding that fight, but nearly a year too late, but thanks all the same. I ended up enabling the console and just killed them all because I was so sick of getting clobbered and wanted to get it over and continue with the story.