Dragon Age How to Enjoy Dragon Age: Origins

[Absinthe]

Is it not hosted anywhere else, at nexus for example?

Not as far as I can tell. Doesn't matter though. The link should work, and the problem you're describing sounds like DAO running out of memory and glitching out.

 

[Grunker]

Anyone know what the best difficulty mod is these days? Even on Nightmare the game’s biggest problem is lack of difficulty, but I can’t seem to recall if the game ever got any thorough difficulty mods.

 

[Absinthe]

Anyone know what the best difficulty mod is these days? Even on Nightmare the game’s biggest problem is lack of difficulty, but I can’t seem to recall if the game ever got any thorough difficulty mods.

Slink's S3 Ravage mostly (but I recommend the Fix Pack version over it - the original link is just there to see what the mod does).

There might be others, but I remember being disappointed by Nightmare Plus, since it was just stat bloat shit. I think Increased Difficulty does something similar (raises enemy health, lowers player armor values, and nerfs heals). Shit like that usually just leaves me killing enemies in much the same way but over a longer period of time.

 

[Late Bloomer]

Is it not hosted anywhere else, at nexus for example?

Thats the OG site. Its been there for many many years. Its legit.

 

[Absinthe]

It is. Honestly, overhauling the previous professional-looking layout into some shitty-looking Wordpress shit is one of the dumbest moves NTCore made. This is why you don't chase current-gen UIs and shit. Newer is not always better. Now instead of looking like a professional resource, NTCore looks like one of those dodgy wordpress sites promising downloads where one day you wake up to find ransomware on your PC.

But this is the official NTCore website and the software there is legit. It's just that the Wordpress layout is very fucking shitty.

 

[MajorMace]

Honestly the only way to enjoy it was to play it in 2008 or w/e

Tbh this didn't work either.

 

[Absinthe]

Thanks, the S3 Ravage mod looks interesting. Do you know how to use it with ultimate? It seems like there are both Origins and Awakening versions?

Nothing changes. You either extract it to your "My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age\Addins" folder or you extract it to your game installation's AddIns folder. Either one works. Uninstalling them just means deleting the folder you installed it to (or moving it outside that folder). The installation instructions pretty much spell out where you should extract them to.

 

[Grunker]

Thanks, the S3 Ravage mod looks interesting. Do you know how to use it with ultimate? It seems like there are both Origins and Awakening versions?

Nothing changes. You either extract it to your "My Documents\Bioware\Dragon Age\Addins" folder or you extract it to your game installation's AddIns folder. Either one works. Uninstalling them just means deleting the folder you installed it to (or moving it outside that folder). The installation instructions pretty much spell out where you should extract them to.

I'm playing around with installing the mod now, and the mod uploader's broken english is giving me a hard time. Sure the extraction is easy enough, but the .XML editing has me stumped. Chiefly because CTRL+F'ing 'RAVage' in the addins.xml doesn't give any results. I haven't installed the original mod, but only because the author unequivocally states everywhere that this is not needed and that the mod is standalone as long as you XML-edit?

 

[Absinthe]

Manually updating AddIns.xml is kinda stupid. At that stage the dude really should've just made a dazip out of it so it can auto-install. Anyway, just download the manifest file for the mod and do what the instructions say. Really you just paste it right before "</AddInsList>" I imagine.

 

[Decado]

Going to be playing Dragon Age Origins again. Would love to hear your experience on nightmare difficulty. Helpful advice is most welcome.

• Hard in the beginning, gets easier. By the time you get to the back half (that is, after Redcliff and one of the other hubs you need to visit) it will have sorted itself out and you'll get the hang of it, especially if you've played the game before.
• Get DAO fix pack though. It fixes things you truly need, like 2H Weapon stuff.
• If you're really struggling, roll a tank. Even on nightmare, tanks become nearly unkillable with the right gear and spec.

ETA: Yeah this post is late, I don't care.

 

[Elzair]

I wrote a review of this game for the ‘DEX back in 2009. My advice: play something else.

 

[Grunker]

I wrote a review of this game for the ‘DEX back in 2009. My advice: play something else.

So did Vault Dweller. He called it the best RPG since Arcanum. He was closer than you

 

[Grunker]

Manually updating AddIns.xml is kinda stupid. At that stage the dude really should've just made a dazip out of it so it can auto-install. Anyway, just download the manifest file for the mod and do what the instructions say. Really you just paste it right before "</AddInsList>" I imagine.

I’ll try that. But the instructions on the site are an incoherent mess:

This is a tutorial for adding another alternate version of Slinks S3 Awakening ALONGSIDE your existing one, in this case, its Origins.
The following steps are foolproof even for beginners, please follow with care.
Programs required : XML editor. If you don't have it, get it.

1. Make a backup of your addins.xml from your settings folder. If you do not know where that is...[My Documents > Bioware > Dragon Age > Settings > Addins.xml]
2. Make sure you have installed your current version of Slinks S3 RAVage Origins and open the addins.xml WITH the XML editor, press Ctrl + F, type in RAVage (case sensitive), you should be able to find an entry of Slinks RAVage from your listings.
3. Now you highlight the folder in which Slinks RAVage belongs to (only one folder) the folder name is all "AddInItem" so make sure you get the right one, and after highlighting (the highlight should be blue) you right click it and click duplicate.
4. Now you click the duplicate version of the folder you just highlighted. Click the "+" marker to expand it. Change the "UID" and "Name" entries to "slinks_s3_awake". (original is "slinks_s3")
5. Now you change the "ExtendedModuleUID" to "DAO_PRC_EP_1". (original is "Single Player")
6. Paste the downloaded Slinks S3 Awakening to your AddIns folder. [My Documents > Bioware > Dragon Age > Addins > !Place them here!]
Make sure the folder name is "slinks_s3_awake", and DO NOT CHANGE the folder name, the folder name should be like that when you extract the zip file, so if its not like that, you have to open up the folder and find that name and then cut&paste it.
7. Paste the downloaded Slinks S3 Awakening Packages in your Packges folder. [My Documents > Bioware > Dragon Age > Packages > Core > Data > !Place them here!]

 

[Late Bloomer]

• Hard in the beginning, gets easier. By the time you get to the back half (that is, after Redcliff and one of the other hubs you need to visit) it will have sorted itself out and you'll get the hang of it, especially if you've played the game before.
• Get DAO fix pack though. It fixes things you truly need, like 2H Weapon stuff.
• If you're really struggling, roll a tank. Even on nightmare, tanks become nearly unkillable with the right gear and spec.

ETA: Yeah this post is late, I don't care.

I don't mind its late. This is solid advice. I am making good progress. My character is a tank so I have that going for me. Its been a lot of fun.

 

[Grunker]

• Hard in the beginning, gets easier. By the time you get to the back half (that is, after Redcliff and one of the other hubs you need to visit) it will have sorted itself out and you'll get the hang of it, especially if you've played the game before.
• Get DAO fix pack though. It fixes things you truly need, like 2H Weapon stuff.
• If you're really struggling, roll a tank. Even on nightmare, tanks become nearly unkillable with the right gear and spec.

ETA: Yeah this post is late, I don't care.

I don't mind its late. This is solid advice. I am making good progress. My character is a tank so I have that going for me. Its been a lot of fun.

Nightmare is too easy for an RPG vet, so definitely don’t play on lesser difficulty

 

[Semiurge]

Rogues > warriors. Dual wielding assasins and ranger-archers are more fun. As ranger, you can debilitate enemies from afar whilst having your animal summon deal with them on close range. Instead of relying on dual daggers, you can invest four points in stealth and dissappear when enemies get too close.

 

[Cael]

Rogues > warriors. Dual wielding assasins and ranger-archers are more fun. As ranger, you can debilitate enemies from afar whilst having your animal summon deal with them on close range. Instead of relying on dual daggers, you can invest four points in stealth and dissappear when enemies get too close.

Dual-wielding Dex-based Duelist/Assassins are untouchable murder machines.

 

[Technomancer]

Get DAO fix pack though. It fixes things you truly need, like 2H Weapon stuff.

Which ones tho?

I found those two to be the best:

Qwinn's Ultimate DAO Fixpack - most comprehensive collection of narrative fixes.
Dain's Fixes - Still updated mechanics only fixes.

 

[Decado]

Get DAO fix pack though. It fixes things you truly need, like 2H Weapon stuff.

Which ones tho?

I found those two to be the best:

Qwinn's Ultimate DAO Fixpack - most comprehensive collection of narrative fixes.
Dain's Fixes - Still updated mechanics only fixes.

Dain's I think. As I recall, you can elect to only install the base-game fixes, i.e. the shit that is legit broken, that Bioware should have patched themselves but didn't. I know Dain's does fix 2H weapon talents so they actually do what they say they do, like fixing Stunning Blows and Shattering Blows. But Qwinns has some fixes as well.

 

[Grunker]

Get DAO fix pack though. It fixes things you truly need, like 2H Weapon stuff.

Which ones tho?

I found those two to be the best:

Qwinn's Ultimate DAO Fixpack - most comprehensive collection of narrative fixes.
Dain's Fixes - Still updated mechanics only fixes.

Dain's I think. As I recall, you can elect to only install the base-game fixes, i.e. the shit that is legit broken, that Bioware should have patched themselves but didn't. I know Dain's does fix 2H weapon talents so they actually do what they say they do, like fixing Stunning Blows and Shattering Blows. But Qwinns has some fixes as well.

You can play with both no problem as far as I read it

 

[Technomancer]

You can play with both no problem as far as I read it

Oh yeah, I didn't mean to separate them like that, you are supposed to use both. My point was that those two are the best combination for bug fixes.

But there are several old attempts at bug fixes that now outdated and some say even game breaking.

 

[Grunker]

Absinthe my character is running at something like twice the speed he should be. Is that intended behaviour of one of your recommended mods or a bug? I could find like one whole thread on it through Google Fu

 

[Absinthe]

Looks like you somehow installed faster run speed along the way. Are you running any other mods? I'd suspect the problem to be linked to either Dain's Fixes or Slink's S3 Ravage Fix Pack, most likely the latter. Btw, turns out someone else made a dazip version of the fixpack, so I guess you went through that install trouble unnecessarily.

 

[Grunker]

Looks like you somehow installed faster run speed along the way. Are you running any other mods? I'd suspect the problem to be linked to either Dain's Fixes or Slink's S3 Ravage Fix Pack., most likely the latter Btw, turns out someone else made a dazip version of the fixpack, so I guess you went through that install trouble unnecessarily.

Actually no, I ended finding that dazip myself and using it

I'm literally only running the two fix packs, slink's, more detailed tooltips, and some texture mods (redesigned and some other popular one).

The movement speed problem was there before finshing the slink's install as well (as in, before installing the dazip).

EDIT: Looks like Dain's is the culprit? Mentions 'Fast Move' on the description page at least, bug can't see if there's an option to disable it.

EDIT2: Awriiight, figured it out. It was Dain's indeed. I just removed the folder in question from the Dain's folder in the override folder.

 

[Absinthe]

Oh, you actually installed all the tweaks in Dain's Fixes. You should really only install the tweaks you want.