[Megathread] Dragon Age 3

[Deleted]

No autoattack

Please show yourself out of here.

[SirRobin]

Please show yourself out of here.

Hehe... Having to hold down the attack key the whole time is not autoattack. Or do you mean you like autoattack not being in DAI?

[Deleted]

Autoattack is cruise control, it's a tool of the casuals. It is to be ridiculed and discarded.

[SirRobin]

Autoattack is cruise control, it's a tool of the casuals. It is to be ridiculed and discarded.

And just having to hold down Mouse1 is any better? Having to Mouse1 for each attack would be best, but just having to hold Mouse1 instead of Right-click or R seems like a pointless change.

[Deleted]

That is also poor gameplay design.

[SirRobin]

That is also poor gameplay design.

Personally I suspect its another "ran out of time" part. Like the barrier/guard/healing weirdness, mounts, and keeps, I keep getting the feeling they planned to do more but just ran out of time.

[May90]

Clunky and made for consoles.

If you play on PC you will most likely feel it's the worst in the series.

Totally disagree. In tactical combat mode, it plays to me just the same as DAO did (and who on nightmare uses action mode anyway). The only drawback is lack of complex tactical AI, which makes me feel sometimes that I'm not in charge of what's happening on the battlefield (same problem plagued Baldur's Gate series). As for "made for consoles" - I have no idea where this statement even comes from. How is it more console-focused than the combat in previous two games? I mean, if you fight in the action mode (standard view), then yes, it is kind of clunky, but it is not so hard to press "T" at the start of the combat, I think.

No autoattack

There is auto attack in the tactical mode.

----

Also, to all those people arguing about the quest system... I don't think it is fair to compare DAI to DAO/DA2 quests. These games are fundamentally different in design. DAO/DA2 were more streamlined, with much less player freedom, and as such they could tinker every quest, polish it since they didn't have to account for multiple different ways to complete it. In DAI, the general idea is the open world in which you choose the way the Inquisition grows, you can assist it in many different ways, by gathering and crafting, by slaying enemies, by recovering treasures, by moving on with the story, by doing some random quests in the world... The developers always have to choose between huge but less "dense" content, and more limited but very detailed content. It is clear that DAI leans more towards the former, and, while I can understand people who dislike it, I personally have been waiting for years for Bioware to come up with a game like this.

[SirRobin]

There is auto attack in the tactical mode.

That's true, I had forgotten about that.

[Stonecloak]

Hmm now I'm contemplating. I got a ps4 gifcard for xmas, and dragon age is on sale for like 38 bucks. Is it that much better on PC this time around?

[SirRobin]

I love the banter in Dragon age games.



"It won't hurt me, its friendly fire." lol

[Valeron]

Hmm now I'm contemplating. I got a ps4 gifcard for xmas, and dragon age is on sale for like 38 bucks. Is it that much better on PC this time around?

the controls were certainly made for a controller

otherwise you probably can get better visuals on the PC, depending on how powerful a PC you have. I find it looks very nice on the PS4 though

[The Casualty]

Totally disagree. In tactical combat mode, it plays to me just the same as DAO did (and who on nightmare uses action mode anyway). The only drawback is lack of complex tactical AI, which makes me feel sometimes that I'm not in charge of what's happening on the battlefield (same problem plagued Baldur's Gate series). As for "made for consoles" - I have no idea where this statement even comes from. How is it more console-focused than the combat in previous two games? I mean, if you fight in the action mode (standard view), then yes, it is kind of clunky, but it is not so hard to press "T" at the start of the combat, I think.

I agree that the tactical mode plays pretty much the same throughout the series, I just had a few thoughts to add.

1. I just wish if you commanded people to go to a location that they would stay there until directed otherwise, or have some sort of "move out of the way" script that they have to follow. But if I put an archer on high ground, I want them to stay there until directed otherwise or they are getting pummeled, not because they want to wander into the fray. That way if I wanted to use the tactical cam, I could use it for more of placement before the fight rather than sitting through the fight in Tactical Cam, which I don't/won't do.

2. I imagine what most people miss is being able to set scripts and behavior for their comrades. In that sense, it's worse than Icewind Dale/Baldur's Gate. There they had pretty nice profiles of typical behavior, even if they weren't as nice as DAO and DA2. I'm *okay* without it, but it would be neat to have advanced scripts - maybe they could even add harder challenges to compensate.

3. Tactical cam/pause on AoE isn't remotely needed, even for nightmare playthroughs.

I agree with your last point as well. It's basically the same combat as DA2, with more freedom of movement and without Sustained Abilities (which I never much cared for - passives that limited your ability to have active choices in battle? No thanks.)

[Thychiz]

Clunky and made for consoles.

If you play on PC you will most likely feel it's the worst in the series.

Strongly disagree. At first it took a little getting used to, but a few hours in I started to really love it. Additionally controls alone will never make a game "the worst in the series". DA:I has one of the best stories and general dialogue I've ever experienced in a game.

Only complaint I can make is that tactical mode is crap. I haven't used it once on any of my nightmare playthroughs (except I think twice to move the idiot AI out of something).

3. Tactical cam/pause on AoE isn't remotely needed, even for nightmare playthroughs.

You can disable it via the options menu.

- - - Updated - - -

So i've just started a new nightmare playthrough...
Turned the game on about 30 mins ago, so far Bull has asked if he can launch Sera at an enemy by throwing her, Sera has made an anal sex joke, and Cassandra has admitted to not wearing underpants. Man I love this game.

[pateuvasiliu]

Totally disagree. In tactical combat mode, it plays to me just the same as DAO did (and who on nightmare uses action mode anyway).

You can't even move the tactical camera with the mouse and you can't send your rogue to a mountain because the tactical cam only works on flat or very low surfaces.

- - - Updated - - -

Strongly disagree. At first it took a little getting used to, but a few hours in I started to really love it.

I'm talking about the combat, not the game itself.

[May90]

I agree that the tactical mode plays pretty much the same throughout the series, I just had a few thoughts to add.

1. I just wish if you commanded people to go to a location that they would stay there until directed otherwise, or have some sort of "move out of the way" script that they have to follow. But if I put an archer on high ground, I want them to stay there until directed otherwise or they are getting pummeled, not because they want to wander into the fray. That way if I wanted to use the tactical cam, I could use it for more of placement before the fight rather than sitting through the fight in Tactical Cam, which I don't/won't do.

2. I imagine what most people miss is being able to set scripts and behavior for their comrades. In that sense, it's worse than Icewind Dale/Baldur's Gate. There they had pretty nice profiles of typical behavior, even if they weren't as nice as DAO and DA2. I'm *okay* without it, but it would be neat to have advanced scripts - maybe they could even add harder challenges to compensate.

3. Tactical cam/pause on AoE isn't remotely needed, even for nightmare playthroughs.

I agree with your last point as well. It's basically the same combat as DA2, with more freedom of movement and without Sustained Abilities (which I never much cared for - passives that limited your ability to have active choices in battle? No thanks.)

Yes, the lack of tactical set up is the only thing that I dislike about the new combat. It just feels that my companions act a little bit on their own sometimes, which is actually realistic, but, in my opinion, not in the spirit of tactical combat traditional for many Bioware games. However, the default AI is surprisingly good, I haven't seen my companions act outright stupid, something I saw quite often in Dragon Age 2 when Anders would suddenly, without any explanation, rush into a horde of shades and die in 2 seconds.

I'm pretty sure there will be some mods though for that. In Neverwinter Nights 2, a fan mod was actually officially implemented, with some changes, into the second expansion - maybe the same thing happens here?

Only complaint I can make is that tactical mode is crap. I haven't used it once on any of my nightmare playthroughs (except I think twice to move the idiot AI out of something).

I use the tactical mode for all the fights I can't steamroll quickly. My only complaint about it is that it isn't zoomed out well enough (same problem was in DAO), so in large scale battles I have to move the camera around too much, which is a bit annoying. But I can live with that.

You can't even move the tactical camera with the mouse and you can't send your rogue to a mountain because the tactical cam only works on flat or very low surfaces.

Why would you need to move the camera with the mouse when it is much faster to do so with hotkeys? It is sort of like complaining that you can't use your abilities in Guild Wars 2 on mouse clicks: yes, you can't, but would you even if you could?
Also, for the world of me, I cannot understand why anyone would move their character with mouse clicks. What's wrong with WASD(QE)?

That said, it wouldn't hurt if they added those features you are talking about, apparently some people would appreciate that. But labeling the system as "clunky" just because of the lack of those obscure controls is a little too far. You basically just labeled most 3D RPGs as clunky.

[zealo]

Yes, the lack of tactical set up is the only thing that I dislike about the new combat. It just feels that my companions act a little bit on their own sometimes, which is actually realistic, but, in my opinion, not in the spirit of tactical combat traditional for many Bioware games. However, the default AI is surprisingly good, I haven't seen my companions act outright stupid, something I saw quite often in Dragon Age 2 when Anders would suddenly, without any explanation, rush into a horde of shades and die in 2 seconds.

I'm pretty sure there will be some mods though for that. In Neverwinter Nights 2, a fan mod was actually officially implemented, with some changes, into the second expansion - maybe the same thing happens here?


I use the tactical mode for all the fights I can't steamroll quickly. My only complaint about it is that it isn't zoomed out well enough (same problem was in DAO), so in large scale battles I have to move the camera around too much, which is a bit annoying. But I can live with that.


Why would you need to move the camera with the mouse when it is much faster to do so with hotkeys? It is sort of like complaining that you can't use your abilities in Guild Wars 2 on mouse clicks: yes, you can't, but would you even if you could?
Also, for the world of me, I cannot understand why anyone would move their character with mouse clicks. What's wrong with WASD(QE)?

That said, it wouldn't hurt if they added those features you are talking about, apparently some people would appreciate that. But labeling the system as "clunky" just because of the lack of those obscure controls is a little too far. You basically just labeled most 3D RPGs as clunky.

its more not being able to do a combination of the two that is my problem with Keyboard tactical camera movement than moving camera with mouse alone. Also want DA:O mouse movement control.

At this point id recommend anyone to use a gamepad instead with DA:I, it works much better in both modes.

[The Casualty]

I haven't seen my companions act outright stupid, something I saw quite often in Dragon Age 2 when Anders would suddenly, without any explanation, rush into a horde of shades and die in 2 seconds.

That's just Anders. Even the AI hates him.

[May90]

its more not being able to do a combination of the two that is my problem with Keyboard tactical camera movement than moving camera with mouse alone. Also want DA:O mouse movement control.

At this point id recommend anyone to use a gamepad instead with DA:I, it works much better in both modes.

Or you could just try to get used to the current system. That's what I do in all games: instead of finding inconveniences, I try to adapt to the system, and almost always it goes with no problem, most of the systems (including the DAI one) are quite intuitive - the developers are no fools after all. The only game to which controls I've never gotten used to was Severance: Blade of Darkness, but then there is a telling that the system there was intentionally designed to be very clunky, so as to allow more room for skill development.

I agree though, removal of such elements as moving the camera with mouse doesn't improve the game in any way and only limits it for people who are interested in these options. Hopefully there will be some mods fixing that (most likely), or the developers will introduce those controls by request.

That's just Anders. Even the AI hates him.

Others do stupid things as well sometimes. For example, during Hybris fight a week ago, I had Aveline run to the opposite corner to fight a small Shade one on one, while Hybris, a Rage Demon and a few Shades ravaged my Rogue-Mage ragtag party.

[Deleted]

(and who on nightmare uses action mode anyway).

Only used tactical mode 3 times tops.

[zealo]

Only used tactical mode 3 times tops.

Some harder fights I used it on but once you start to gain levels its possible to take on regular mobs without giving orders just fine.