spoiler Maps?

[Stevej101]

I know I am late starting this game, was involved with a couple others that I wanted to finish and just never got around to it. What I am looking for is a little guidance as to best order to do things. I got past the opening parts and am back in the town north of the massacre (Sorry about names but still working on coffee).

 

Started out of there going east to the Dalish elves and am hunting werewolves at the moment but trying to find my way through the forest is proving more then I can get at the moment. Anyone perhaps have a map or know of one where I can figure out more then northern exit to the western woods and maybe how to find the center?

 

I did already meet the crazy hermit and killed the big tree giving me the wolf scent but I can't figure out how to get to where I need to be.

 

Thanks

Steve J.

[Thandal]

Welcome, Steve!

 

It really, REALLY doesn't matter. We've heard from people who have done the initial four major quests ("Find Allies") in every possible order.

 

The game gives you hints that perhaps you want to do Redcliffe, then the Circle (with a possible reason to go there just BEFORE finishing-up in Redcliffe) then either of the other two, and then the last one of the four. At which point your available courses of action will become more linear as you head into the "second half".

 

My first playthrough was: Redcliffe, Brecilian Forest, Haven, Honneleath, Frostback Mountains, Soldier's Peak, Circle. (With lots of Denerim in-between!)

 

So have fun!

 

(Oh, and if you have the piece of wood from the "Old Oak", then you can walk through the place where a magical barrier of mist wouldn't let you go before and on to the Elven Ruins that lie beyond.)

[brokenergy]

You press M or any letter that you put for map that allows you to pop up the map, problem solved. Also if you want the official way of moving around, it's Mage's Circle, Redcliffe (thats the name of the town you forgot), Dalish, The Urn, Orzammar and Landsmeet. But storywise? It's Redcliffe, Urn, Mage, Orzammar, Dalish and Landsmeet. You could also do my way which is Redcliffe, Mage, Orzammar, Urn, Dalish and Landsmeet. Hope that helps

[Stevej101]

Hmm...from the sound of it I should have listened to the tree instead of the crazy hermit. But I do thank you for the help and ideas of what I should maybe be doing. Still working on the map thing though, not home yet to look but was pretty sure that when I did that it only showed me the part of the forest I was in with any detail. If I'm in it and zoom out it fogs things till I get out far enough for it to be the world map. (again, trying to do this from memory, to busy playing when I get home to post)

 

Thanks again

Steve J.

 

PS I kind of like the rank of stranger, according to most people I work with, they don't get much stranger then me. :D

[Sync182]

My preferred order of play is:

 

Redcliffe; detour to Circle then come back and finish Redcliffe; the Urn; DLCs (Haven, Ostagar, Keep - if you have them); Dalish; Orzammar; Landsmeet.

 

Don't forget to do as many sidequests as you can squeeze in while doing each of the major storylines. :)

[Anarkyyst]

http://imageftw.com/uploads/20110114/diff_map.jpg

 

 

Area difficulties are marked here but in general play the way you want to.

[Azlaksar]

I wonder if that level stuff is accurate, because I've done stuff in much different orders and found that the challenge still escalated. I think the enemies scale with your level (and this would make sense since gear that you find also scales depending on what level you are when you find it)

 

For instance, I've done the Brecilian Forest last and I was level 16 when I went there, yet still the monsters there were tougher than anything I faced in Orzammar or Haven.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Azlaksar

[Anarkyyst]

of course they aren't accurate , as in exactly..i'm sure it depends on your build and difficulty,specially build .if you've allocated talent points poorly your character who was looking good at level 7 can turn out to be crappy at 15.

 

i remember my first playthrough i was having my ass kicked by mobs and bosses even on normal,now i breeze through on nightmare simply because i've learnt a lot about the game and pay attention to my build.

 

So those figures there are just general guidelines.

 

And sure the enemies level up as well but those are the starting dificulties for the areas.what i mean is try doing orzammar first and you'll get your ass handed to you,or denerim for that matter.Those areas are simply designed to be done later after you're stronger.circle , redcliffe are comparatively easier.

[Thandal]

Actually, the game escalates the level of the opponents for each major area for EACH GAME YOU START. It doesn't matter in what order you do things. The first set will be easier than the second, the third harder still, and so on...

 

If you went around in the opposite order from the one on that map, the difficulty would be approximately the same. This was deliberate on the part of the designers so as to make the experience both challenging and fun REGARDLESS of the player's decisions about "what to do next". :thumbsup:

 

(Technically, the difficulty of each set of Lieutenant- and Boss-Level opponents is established on-the-fly during each game when you first enter that set's designated "Location" in the game's internal map. When this happens you receive an on-screen message that "[Area Name] is now unlocked." )

[Anarkyyst]

](Technically, the difficulty of each set of Lieutenant- and Boss-Level opponents is established on-the-fly during each game when you first enter that set's designated "Location" in the game's internal map. When this happens you receive an on-screen message that "[Area Name] is now unlocked." )[/b]

 

really ? you know i find this very interesting.does this mean that if i just enter an area when i'm on a lower level ( getting 'area' unlocked message in the process ) then after getting a few side quests exit and come back when i'm on a much higher level,the dificulty won't have scaled ? it'll still be the same as when i first entered the area ?

this would totally make sense to me and explain why the game seems to be getting a lot easier for me nowadays even on nightmare.i always visit denerim ( to buy a certain item) ,and orzammar ( again to get an item) right after lothering, but then go back and do the rest before coming back to orzammar and denerim 8-10 levels later.

Edited January 16, 2011 by Anarkyyst