Dragon Age--Denerim in the rear view mirror

[cyrano]

I went back to re-do the stuff that I did before the TPK, and thank the Maker I didn't have to do that fight again. I re-wiped out the bandits (and then did the bonus quest for the Captain), finally got to the Pearl, and then went to the mysterious house in the middle of the map with the Blood Mage which went down quickly and then I tried to remember why I was supposed to go there in the first place. This is the problem with not just sitting down and playing for five days straight with breaks only for chewing and swallowing.

Isabella taught me how to be a Duelist, and I'm hoping we get to sail on her ship sometime later because she's cool. And imagine my shock and surprise when the Grey Wardens Fan Club meeting turned out to be a trap. Go on, imagine. I'll wait here. Did you imagine it yet? Okay, let's move on.

I watched Elric get killed a second time, but this time I got to listen to his dying words. Unfortunately, Wynne forgot all her healing spells and we had no choice but to watch his light go out once he'd told us about the key and the cool armour.

Today was a good day for badges: I got Bully, Complete Rogue, and... Mercenary. I should have gotten Blackstone Auxilliary as well, and I'm not certain why I didn't.

Next: Haven. Or maybe Ostagar. Orzammar?

Comments

Let's try this again...

[tersa.livejournal.com]

I still get stupidly excited anytime I see one of your posts start with 'Dragon Age'. :)

then I tried to remember why I was supposed to go there in the first place.

It's been too long since I've looked at the Codex to recall exactly what this was for, but it was, kinda obviously, one of the sidequests.

*looks it up in the wiki* Ah, there we go. "The Last Request" sidequest:

The Warden can get this quest after the corpse of Ser Friden is found in the Run-Down Back Street in Denerim. After his journal is picked up, the quest will be activated and you can travel to the Deserted Building.

This is the problem with not just sitting down and playing for five days straight with breaks only for chewing and swallowing.

Well, yes. But I did that the first time; I think some of it is just that the sidequests in Denerim pile up and you wind up doing many simultaneously. So it becomes unclear which action belongs to which sidequest.

Unfortunately, Wynne forgot all her healing spells

This is one of my pet peeves about the game.

I should have gotten Blackstone Auxilliary as well, and I'm not certain why I didn't.

I think you only get that if you complete all the Blackstone sidequests. But since you didn't mention what action occurred to make you think you should've gotten the Achievement, I can't check that without spoiling.

Next: Haven. Or maybe Ostagar. Orzammar?

If you mean Ostagar, as in Return To, it's kinda sorta on the way to Haven... :)

(Also, in digging around on the Wiki for the sidequest information, I discovered an entry indicating that although you can do main Quest stuff in any order, to some extent, there is an ideal order based on programmed combat difficulty ranges.

Dragon Age origins employs what BioWare calls a 'limited, persistent' scaling system. It tries to solve the problems scaling systems are created to address while avoiding some of the obvious drawbacks that can cause the game experience to be diluted.

In Dragon Age: Origins, every areas has a minimum and maximum level. If the player enters the area, the party's level is taken and compared to the area limits. If it is between the limits, the creatures in the areas scale to the party's level. If the party level is outside the limit, the creatures scale to the upper or lower bounds of the area limit, whatever appropriate.

Once this has happened, the game stores these values and they are never changed. Creatures in Dragon Age: Origins, once encountered, will never change their existing level, to allow the player to come back to an area later and overcome previously impossible challenges, therefore having getting sense of accomplishment.

We tend to put so called 'gating encounters' at the start of many areas to allow the player to get a sense of how dangerous the area is. In theory, a player having trouble or being defeated a number of times in an areas should trigger a 'maybe I should come back later' reaction from them (it does in MMOs, doesn't it?), in practice, well, there are too few games to that give you the freedom of doing this, so many non veteran RPG players are not trained for this mechanic.

Also, I found a cool map relating to it

Based on the Wiki entry, it recommends doing the non-Brother Genitivi bits of Denerim and/or Orzammar last, as they are of equal level. And from my experience, Orzammar can be pretty difficult if not done last.

At least that could explain why you had so many party wipes in Denerim.)

Re: Let's try this again...

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

Wow. I think I'm.... level 13 or 14. Denerim wasn't that bad--I tripped a flamey trap of armageddon death in one of the encounters (tripped it later because apparently I'm not skilled enough at finding and removing) which managed to barbeque us enough for the bandits to dip us in sauce eat us and then wipe their fingers on a moist towellette, and then there was a random 'between map points' encounter with a demon who just ate us raw. It's just that I'd been *way* too long between saves, because I'm clever like that.

I read that the Blackstone badge was for completing your first mission, like the Magi and the Chantry, which was why I was expecting to get that one.

I also ended up grabbing a bunch of side quests in Redcliffe, and so I would run into a bunch of people who said "Yeah we're all going to Denerim to report on a blood mage" and I'd wave and say "Have fun storming the castle" and the game would go FAIL!!! because... I don't even remember why, but I was supposed to encourage them not to.

However, this gating mechanism gives me an idea--go everywhere as soon as it becomes available, so that the threat rating is pegged low, and then limp back later when I've gained some levels.

Re: Let's try this again...

[tersa.livejournal.com]

Level 13 or 14 isn't too bad. I tried doing Orzamaar second, though, and uh, yeah. Did I have my ass handed to me. :)

which managed to barbeque us enough for the bandits to dip us in sauce eat us and then wipe their fingers on a moist towellette

LOL!!

I read that the Blackstone badge was for completing your first mission, like the Magi and the Chantry, which was why I was expecting to get that one.

Oh. Then I'm not sure. I may check your Achievement list later, because I can. :)

I also ended up grabbing a bunch of side quests in Redcliffe, and so I would run into a bunch of people who said "Yeah we're all going to Denerim to report on a blood mage" and I'd wave and say "Have fun storming the castle" and the game would go FAIL!!! because... I don't even remember why, but I was supposed to encourage them not to.

Hee. :) I think anytime you have a random encounter that is not darkspawn, it's probably related to a sidequest you've picked up. But don't quote me on that.

However, this gating mechanism gives me an idea--go everywhere as soon as it becomes available, so that the threat rating is pegged low, and then limp back later when I've gained some levels.

Y'know, after I dug that information out and posted it for you...I considered the same thing. :) Although it does mean nerfing things somewhat, and therefore not a great as a challenge.

But sometimes, that's okay.

(Also, unrelated, but so I know you'll get it/see it: I have the rec room at my home park reserved for Saturday, October 2nd from 12-8:30pm.)

Re: Let's try this again...

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I'm not really here for the challenge--I'm a story whore. So I don't mind taking the Easy setting and not having to run a battle three or four times until I survive.