Dragon Age: Origins.

[Tawmis]

Cleaning off the (what I suspect "dying") external drive - figured I'd share these here.

[Tawmis]

More...

[Tawmis]

And even more...

[AndreaDraco]

They are quite good. I like this realistic type of graphic art, as opposed to the more stylized version we saw in DA2. The concepts dedicated to the Origins are the best of the bunch, especially the Magi's one

[Rath Darkblade]

So, I'm curious... what is your least favourite quest in DA:O? I know Tawm dislikes the dwarf quest because the Deep Roads take so long, but I think the Redcliffe/mage quest takes the cake there - here's why...

First of all, there's that DAMN DAMN DAMNSloth Demon thing where you have to go into the Fade, and you can't even avoid it.ARGH.Secondly, if you really care about doing things right, you have to stop the Redcliffe quest halfway through the castle, just so you can go to the mage guild, recruit the damn mages, and COME BACK to Redcliffe - just so you can send one of your mages (or Jowan, or the First Enchanter) into the Fade to fight the Pride Demon that's taken over Connor, Eamon's son. (Sure, you can do it in faster ways, but that would involve either killing Isolde or killing Connor... and I don't feel comfortable with doing that).

Thirdly, after all that, you have to go to Denerim to track down Genitivi, then trek all the way across the continent to Haven, THEN fight a bunch of lunatics and their drakes, and if that's not enough you have to go through all kinds of tests too. Just to finish the damn quest.

So... compared to all that, I'd say the Deep Roads and finding that anvil is a walk in the park, non?

[Tawmis]

No, mine is still the Deep Roads. I think because with everything else - at least there's a change of scenery. The Deep Roads are not only long - but it's the same scenery for the entire thing. And then - it's the same monsters all the way through. So no change in scenery. It's long. And it's the same monsters wave after wave after wave. Then, to add to it - there's no merchants (well, the one crazy dude! But that doesn't last long if you put him out of his misery!)

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmm. Well, that's true, I guess - but to make up for it, there are lots and lots of little side-quests (Honourable Topsider, Unbound etc.) so you don't have to just go for the Anvil and that's it.

On the other hand, the Mage Tower and Redcliffe Castle... same scenery all the way through (except for the Fade). Same monsters (undead in castle, demons in tower). And it's even LONGER than the Deep Roads, because it's two-quests-in-one. The only relief from the monotony of the scenery is when the Haven part starts. Convinced yet?

Oh, and by the way - the crazy dude's name is Ruck, Filda's boy.

[Tawmis]

On the other hand, the Mage Tower and Redcliffe Castle... same scenery all the way through (except for the Fade). Same monsters (undead in castle, demons in tower). And it's even LONGER than the Deep Roads, because it's two-quests-in-one. The only relief from the monotony of the scenery is when the Haven part starts. Convinced yet?
Oh, and by the way - the crazy dude's name is Ruck, Filda's boy.

Not convinced. LOL

I think, because, in order to back track, you had to walk all the way back to Ruk (if he's still alive), or worse, all the way to the surface (well, inside of the dwarf kingdom) to sell things, once you were full.
And I see Redcliffe and Mages Tower as two different quests. Because I went to the Mage's Tower first when I played, because I made a warrior and wanted to get a healer (since Morrigan or however you spell her name) was not an effective healer (or at least not initially). So I went for Wynne. So I did the Mage's Tower, and knocked it out. Then did whatever - and eventually ended up at Redcliffe (may have been next, or it could have been the Elves, or even Deep Roads, I can't remember the order I did it in).

[AndreaDraco]

And I see Redcliffe and Mages Tower as two different quests. Because I went to the Mage's Tower first when I played, because I made a warrior and wanted to get a healer (since Morrigan or however you spell her name) was not an effective healer (or at least not initially). So I went for Wynne. So I did the Mage's Tower, and knocked it out.

Same here. With my Elven Mage, I did the Tower of Magi (because, I figured, he was a mage and I wanted to revisit the origin's setting) then the Brecilian Forest (because my character was an elf and, in my mind, he had always been fascinated with the Dalish and their culture) and only then I headed toward Redcliffe. I can imagine that doing them back-to-back can be taxing, but the way I played - and roleplayed - the game I enjoyed them greatly, especially the Tower with the Fade segment, which I find very clever.

All in all, my least favorite quest is the Orzammar one. And mind you: not the Deep Roads segment, which I think is pretty interesting, lore-wise, but the tedious prologue in Orzammar with Lord Harrowmont and Bhelen, Jarvia and her Carta and so on. Way too long and filled with too many filler quests.

[Rath Darkblade]

Not convinced. LOL

I think, because, in order to back track, you had to walk all the way back to Ruck (if he's still alive), or worse, all the way to the surface (well, inside of the dwarf kingdom) to sell things, once you were full.

Ah... well, I see why we've had different experiences. By the time I got to Orzammar, my party was LOADED with cash, so I didn't need to backtrack to Ruck or to the dwarf kingdom to sell stuff. I'd just dump or destroy unwanted stuff.

All in all, my least favorite quest is the Orzammar one. And mind you: not the Deep Roads segment, which I think is pretty interesting, lore-wise, but the tedious prologue in Orzammar with Lord Harrowmont and Bhelen, Jarvia and her Carta and so on. Way too long and filled with too many filler quests.

I agree with that... when I was playing, I couldn't wait to get to the Deep Roads segment - much more interesting than sorting out Bhelen and Harrowmont.

Similarly, though, I found the Fade segment into the Circle of Magi Tower too long and tedious. I hated having to go back and forth between the mini-quests (e.g. Templar's Nightmare, Burning Tower etc.) just to pick up another form to transform into. The first time I played it, it took me days on end just to get rid of the Sloth Demon.

[MusicallyInspired]

Also:

[Tawmis]

The Mass Effect one is pretty awesome.

[Rath Darkblade]

Hmmm. Is that thing supposed to be a chicken or some such? I don't understand.

Anyway, here's a DA:O question... I just came across a site called Dragon Age Nexus. Apparently, it offers a whole bunch of things to spice up DAO, including new armor, new weapons, better-looking NPCs, extra quests etc. My question(s) are...

1. Is using files like this safe for the game? (i.e. won't they cause instability/crashes/CTDs/etc.)?

and

2. Presuming that this is safe, how would I go about installing some of these?

Thanks!

[DeadPoolX]

Yeah, DA Nexus is full of neat stuff. Some of it is really useful. I'm pretty sure we've all posted that link several times in this thread, but that may be going back quite a few months.

As for the actual mods themselves, they're no more or no less safe than anything else online. In other words, make sure to virus scan anything you download; in fact, I'd also recommend running a malware check with a program like Malwarebytes.

Always make a backup anytime you intend to add or change files in a game. That goes for any game, not just DA:O.

Some of the mods may cause in-game problems. I haven't run across any, but a good rule to follow is the more a mod changes, the greater the chance for game problems. If you download new armor and weapons, chances are nothing will go wrong, but if you start creating new spells and skills or adventures themselves, you're more likely to come across issues.

Something you should check is the game version of the mod. If a mod was created for use with DA:O and never updated to accommodate any of the expansions, it may not work right. This again depends on the mod itself.

You can install these mods three different ways:
1. There's a mod installer within DA itself, but it's hidden somewhere in the game's own directories. I don't recall where it is and I don't have DA installed now to check.

2. You can download a mod installer off DA Nexus. Some people say this installer is better than the one that comes with DA.

3. Lastly, you can manually install the files by finding the right directories yourself. This can be really easy or extremely difficult, all depending on the overall complexity of the mod.

Most mods will have installation instructions within the ZIP, RAR or 7ZIP file. If a mod you want doesn't have instructions, download a different mod that's similar and see if that one has instructions. If it does, then chances are the method will be the same for that type of mod.

[Tawmis]

Pretty amazing job... Down to the feathered staff, necklaces, etc...



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