Kasey24 Posted January 10, 2012 Share Posted January 10, 2012 So I must have arrived in Ferelden from a distant planet. Or i was raised in a cave... I'm just starting out this game and really like it, but am frustrated with all the inventory items that are mostly mysterious. For instance, salves and balms show a cryptic message that they offer short term effects, but are they worth using? Do you keep some on hand for specific reasons? Or do you just sell them first chance you get? Poisons, worthwhile? Do some of the stones/minerals have uses other than sell for cash? Also, I'm curious about the attribute points when leveling up.......As a warrior, is there any use for magic points or do you just ignore it altogether and concentrate on raising strength, dexterity, etc...? Does anyone know where I could find a list or something that spells out what's usful and what's safe to ignore? I'm not trying to gain an advantage, just thought it would be fair to know how this world operates - you know, the stuff I should have learned in school/training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thandal Posted January 11, 2012 Share Posted January 11, 2012 The most comprehensive answer to your questions is: Dragon Age: Prima Official Game Guide. Next best is: Dragon Age Wiki. In general, the answer is "Yes they can be 'worth it', especially at the lowest (character) and highest (item/skill) levels." So, while you're still a low-level Party, the advantagse that potions, salves, poisons, coatings, etc. can give in terms of protection and/or damage can make a huge difference. In the middle levels maybe not so much. And when the crafter (PC or other) is very high level, it can make a tremendous difference. BTW: The crafter's MAGIC attribute is what determines the potency of the result within the range for each level of skill. So "Frost Bombs" crafted by a Rogue with the Master Poison-Making skill, but only 10 in Magic, are nowhere near as powerful as ones crafted by another character with 38 in Magic. (Of course you'd still have to have chosen "Poison-Making" four times instead of other possible Skills for that character.) As with almost everything in DA, it's a trade-off... Personally, I sell everything I find except the "Greater" balms and salves, buff one character to craft bombs and poisons, another to craft health and lyrium, and pay almost no attention to anything else. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey24 Posted January 12, 2012 Author Share Posted January 12, 2012 Very helpful, Thandal. The Wiki page seems to give a decent list of stuff - there's a lot to check out. One other thought. Playing the game on normal difficulty, i'm wondering about the party makeup and how it impacts defeating the tough foes. I'm weighing the advantage of keeping the same party together and having all level up together vs. changing out party members and enjoying the variety of companions (and getting more quests). What's the thinking? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thandal Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 The entire Party levels-up at the same time/rate, regardless of whether any particular member participated in the action that earned the Exp. The next time you select a character who hasn't been with you for a while, they'll have the additional Attribute, Skill, and Talent points stored up and waiting for you to distribute them. (Unless you selected the "Auto-Level" option, in which case those would be applied automagically when the Party moves from Camp to the next destination.) As far as game difficulty goes, I played "Normal" for my first Playthrough, then switched to "Nightmare" for the next dozen-or-so, and am currently on "Casual", since my objective now is to try some Party composition and plot-line paths that I haven't explored before. Combat is the least of my interests, since I know what's around every corner and behind every door. :tongue: That said, I've found that for me, switching out Party Members on the basis of the expected encounters requires too much attention to details about techniques, spell combos, and opponent capabilities/immunities. I want to play, not study! (Nor have I accomplished all the cross-class combos in DA2 yet... ) So as long as I have a basic "one of each class" Party, and load-up on Health potions, I base my decisions on my mood at the time and the personalities, not capabilities. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasey24 Posted January 15, 2012 Author Share Posted January 15, 2012 Excellent.........Thanks again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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