spoiler DA:O Noob's First Playthrough (Spoilers Allowed)

[ebonmort]

So, the first playthrough with my Elf Mage Warden continues. Just completed Orzammer. And I thought The Broken Circle was long! But, again, it was a good long. Now, my party is so flush with gold, I don't know what to do with it.

 

Every questline, every dungeon, has a story behind it. And not just "seek the talisman." Choices aren't always easy. Didn't think I would back Branka, but I want the golem army. Necessity out-weighed moral outrage.

 

Not a perfect game, by any stretch, but, thanks to all of the hard-working modders, none of the "problems" of the vanilla version have to remain problems.

 

Just left Orzammer, but now we're going back. Seems that Shale would like our help in learning her "Origin."

 

Oh, and Oghren wants to flirt with a Dwarf bartender. <g>

 

Most of our remaining side quests are incomplete only because we can't yet get to where we need to be (Elven Alienage) to complete them. After helping Shale, it's off to The Landsmeet.

 

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Surprisingly, that's not a happy feeling.

Edited August 5, 2017 by ebonmort

[ebonmort]

This Noob's first playthrough is complete. Archdemon (Archie) dead. My impressions, (for whatever they're worth):

 

First, I played on "Normal" thru most of the game. A couple times needed help by going to Easy mode.

I played a Male Elf Mage. I played vanilla until Level 10. At that point, I was nowhere near getting a Spec for my Mage (other than useless Shapeshifter) so I added "PHUnlock" by Phalzyr. This was quickly followed by "Character Respec" by Peter K., "Advanced Party" by Anakin, "Level 50" by Keldom, Prosperity's Blood Mage Set, "BSC Zesty"," "The Pearl Redone" by Taurox, "Interesting Boss Drops" by Happysin, and as soon as it was ready, "Quinn's Fixpack." I also tried "Two Spec Sten" by Dennis L., but I must need to start a game over for this to work, because it didn't change anything.

 

I also tried "Natural Bodies," but body textures still seemed bad. As I said in previous post, I didn't load it thru DAO Modmanager. DAOMM kept throwing up an error message: " DAO Modmanager has stopped running... Windows will seek a solution to the problem...blah, blah." The Body Textures were only noticed when releasing tortured prisoners or when Alistair wakes up with Warden after surrendering to Ser Cauthrien. So, no big deal.

 

 

So, having established that, I'd say I haven't enjoyed an RPG this much in ten years. A LONG game (good thing), with an excellent storyline, and choices that changed the game. I tended to be pragmatic most times. I sided with Branka, in spite of her abominable actions, because I wanted the golem army. And the golems DID help out in one section of Denerim during the endgame. On the other hand, my Warden didn't let Loghain live. To me, the betrayal at Ostagar was the moment that sets up all of the ongoing story. My Warden travels with Alistair all game long. Leaving Loghain alive was a betrayal to Alistair that I wouldn't do.

 

I convinced Alistair and Anora to marry. Kept the bloodline intact, and insured that Anora's faction would support me in Landsmeet. I dueled Loghain. I intended to have Alistair deliver the final blow to "Archie", but he got too close too early. "Archie" took him out, even as he whittled the dragon to near nothing. So, cutscene automatically had my Warden deliver the killing blow. This was after I agreed to Morrigan's "hole in your loop."

 

I played out "The Broken Circle" first, followed by some Denerim, then Redcliffe, more Denerim, Brecilian Forest, more Denerim, then Orzammer. I sided with the mages over the Chantry, the elves over the werewolves (How could an elf Warden do otherwise?) and gave Connor to the demon in exchange for a skill tome. I thought it was going to be a Talent Tome, and wouldn't hesitate to make another choice during next playthrough. As said before, I sided with Branka, and my Warden crowned Harrowmont over Bhelen.

 

I encountered ZERO crashes.

 

Cutscenes were well written.

 

Lots to do.

 

Gold had to be monitored, until after Orzammer.

 

The exchanges between companions were nice.

 

My dislikes were few:

 

1) The scarcity of opportunities to gain specializations. I can't see waiting until 2/3 of the game is finished to gain Arcane Warrior. Only one chance for Blood Mage, and then you COULD miss it. But, mods take care of this.

 

2) The second is a nit-pick. The game makes Blood Mage Spec available to any character after the Warden gains it. Including Wynne, if you wanted to. Yet, dialogue keeps popping up criticizing and reviling Blood Magic. And when my Warden took it, there were no repercussions. I gave it to Morrigan at Level 14, and when I replay, I'll give it to Wynne too. Too useful not to use.

 

 

So there. Before replaying "Origins" with a Human Noble Rogue, I've still got lots of DLC to complete.

 

Does it matter (chronologically) if I play "Awakening" before "Leliana's Song" or "Witch Hunt"?

 

And lastly, thanx to those Forum members who answered my questions along the road. It was a pleasant surprise to find such a vibrant Forum still active after all these years.

 

Now, on to "Awakening." Or should it be "Witch Hunt"?

[theskymoves]

I intended to have Alistair deliver the final blow to "Archie", but he got too close too early. "Archie" took him out, even as he whittled the dragon to near nothing. So, cutscene automatically had my Warden deliver the killing blow. This was after I agreed to Morrigan's "hole in your loop."

 

If you agree to Morrigan's ritual, the Warden will always deliver the killing blow. (While Alistair can get the dragon ride, the Warden will be the one who grabs the prop sword and does Archie in.)

 

Chronologically, the order of the DLC is Awakening > Golems > Witch Hunt... IIRC, importing in any other order can be glitchy. (Though I don't believe there is any issue with omitting GoA.)

 

And Leliana's Song is a separate campaign, so it doesn't matter when it is played.

[ebonmort]

Thanx for the quick answer. Off to Awakening.

[Thandal]

<snip>

And Leliana's Song is a separate campaign, so it doesn't matter when it is played.

 

Same for "The DLC Which Must Not Be Named". :whistling:

[ebonmort]

Been trying to play "Awakening," but getting discouraged. VERY buggy. One bug in Wending Wood that totally stops the game. Another in Silverite mine that steals my group's most powerful items. Found a cheat site to re-play around the Wending Wood bug. But why play the game if you have to follow a walkthrough?

[Thandal]

The Silverite Mine bug is well known (and incredibly annoying.) TerraEx's mod fixes it.

 

No idea what other "game stopping" issue in the Wending Wood you're talking about.

[ebonmort]

In Wending Wood, if you meet the militia survivor at the lean-to before meeting Velanna, then you DON'T meet Velanna. If you don't meet Velanna, then The Silverite Mine remains locked to you. AI says the lock cannot be picked. So, you don't meet The Architect, and you don't finish a necessary 1 of 3 quests.

[Thandal]

Not what happens for everyone else. I've completed DAA over two-dozen times and just re-played the Wending Wood to make sure.

 

Went to the "survivor" first, got Seranni's locket from the Darkspawn, then met/confronted Velanna. You do have to go up to the top of the hill to find and talk with her before you can enter the mine, but in the cutscene you saw her running up there. (Things that are shown in a cutscene usually have quest/plot impications.) So you can always "meet" her. And then you can negotiate with her, or tell her she'll face justice at your hand. Either way, the door to the Silverite Mine can now be/is opened and you can continue the story.

 

What, exactly, is happening for you?

[ebonmort]

I met the survivor at the lean-to. Then met Velanna after the bridge. Continued up the hill, killed the darkspawn, and Velanna was nowhere in sight after that. Couldn't find her anywhere, and couldn't open The Silverite Mine. Another site said can't meet the survivor first. So, I re-played. Went up the hill, met Velanna, then found the survivor, then Velanna a second time just north of the survivor, then Velanna at the abandoned camp, like it's supposed to be. But, couldn't get anywhere the first time, when I met the survivor first.

 

"Origins" seemed to have safety valves (so to speak) in place, so that, if I went to the lean-to first, the survivor wouldn't have been there... until after I met Velanna. Oh, well. Found the site; found the solution. All is well. Ready for the broodmothers now.

 

Oh, and thanx for the reference to Terra_Ex's mod. I loaded it. Will have it for next time. Without it, I had to strip my Grey Warden naked before entering Silverite Mine. But, again, thanx for the heads-up on the mod.