Dragon Age: Awakening. Walkthrough of Dragon Age: Awakening Making runes dragon age awakening
Review of Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening
©Developer: BioWare
Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad with a frequency of 2.4 GHz;
RAM: 4 GB (Vista, 7) or 2 GB (XP);
Video card: ATI 3850 512 MB / NVIDIA 8800GTS 512 MB;
Minimum system requirements:
OS: Windows XP (SP3);
Processor: Intel Core 2 with a frequency of 1.4 GHz / AMD with a frequency of 1.8 GHz;
RAM: 1 GB;
Video card: ATI Radeon X850 128MB / NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT 128MB;
20 GB of free space on HDD.
Just as Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening assumes the presence of the original game, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with it before reading this article.
"- Mom! Mom! And I know where the creatures of darkness come from!
“Oh, son, have you been playing Dragon Age all night again?..”
And no wonder. What will be supplemented has long been promised. And finally, after three tiny DLCs, the BioWare studio released another one, this time in human volume: Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening, in Rus' known as Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening. Did it live up to expectations? Has the quality level dropped? did it get rid of the shortcomings of the original? what brought something new? - let's figure it out.
It starts several years after a powerful group led by the Gray Guardians defeated the Blight - a huge army of creatures of darkness led by the Archdemon. Contrary to expectations, the surviving creatures did not go back underground, as always happened. They split into two warring camps and continued their occupation offensives. They operate most actively in the area around the Vigilance Tower - an ancient fortress to which the main character is sent as the commander of the gray Guardians. And not a word more about the plot - on the official website they already spoiled everything they could. Believe me, going through the game without knowing anything in advance is much more interesting than constantly catching yourself thinking: “I’ve already seen this.”
There are two ways to start playing Awakening: the first is to create a new character, and the second is to import a ready-made one from Origins. If you create a new one, he will be automatically upgraded to level 18. There are no new classes, but you can immediately choose up to two specializations, which are now available from the very beginning of the game. Then, as usual, you scatter points of characteristics, skills and abilities. There are new additions among them, but they are only available from level 20. As for importing a finished character: of course, if he has not yet reached level 18, he will also be automatically upgraded, and if the level is higher, then no one will force him to reset. Looking ahead, I’ll say that very soon a merchant will become available who sells books with which you can redistribute all the points again, so don’t bother with this.
I sincerely hope that you are conscientious and that you will not play Awakening before completing Origins - you risk ruining your fun. The menu of small joys includes meetings with old acquaintances, and additional lines in dialogue, and the ending, which explains the fate of our character, will directly depend on how exactly the plot of the original was completed. However, there are quite a few gameplay differences that will also be lost if you play Awakening before Origins. Now there will be no camp in the same form as it was before - its place will be taken by the same Vigilance Tower. There will be merchants, craftsmen and story characters, as well as your partners. The tower itself is completely at your disposal, which means that you will have to look for improvements for it, as well as solve problems that are important for its inhabitants. All your actions will directly lead to different endings.
As a commander, you will also have to look for new recruits to replenish the ranks of the Gray Guardians. There are six of them in total, five of which are new. Each has their own story, their own life and death, as well as an opinion about the actions of their commander. However, obviously, the developers considered that even in Origins they managed to bore the player with kilometers of dialogue, so now there will be less chatter and only to the point. It’s hard to say whether this is good or bad, but they clearly became more talkative among themselves. Listening to arguments is still extremely interesting, so now you won’t be bored on the road. As before, you can give gifts to your companions, but either this is a bug or it was intended to be this way, but now they react the same to everything except very personal ones. That is, now the drunken gnome will be happy with the drink in the same way as the family pendant of another companion, who in turn will also be happy with the drink. Even more surprising is that for some characters the attitude immediately, or almost immediately, becomes maximum.
As befits a major expansion, Awakening brings new skills and abilities to the game, and the maximum level is now 35. There are three skills - making runes, and a permanent increase in health and stamina (mana - for magicians). And if with the latter everything is simple, then with needlework it is much more interesting: firstly, now they can be inserted into armor, and secondly, there are much fewer of them than before. In a word, don't pass by. As for abilities, most of all fell to magicians and... archers. Almost useless in, here one archer is a walking killing machine, capable of single-handedly taking down an entire enemy squad. However, to use these abilities, as well as the abilities of a magician, the archer must be controlled himself. I'm serious - very soon it will be revealed in statistics that the damage inflicted by an archer on his comrades exceeds (!) inflicted on his opponents! If you remember, in Origin there was something similar with the golem (but there the ratio was 1 to 3), and with magicians, if you left them to use spells of mass destruction on their own. As for the magicians themselves, they were much luckier: the new abilities not only injure the enemy, but also do it constantly, with almost no downtime. As the developers said, the new spells are more suitable for use in the thick of things. Representatives of other military professions were not left out either. The new abilities of warriors and rogues are, in fact, downright magical, so don't be surprised if you find a ghost among your companions.
You've probably heard that Origins DLC items don't carry over into Awakening. Dismissing the complaints of players who laid out their hard-earned money for them, the developers said that they would still be useless, and they would have to be abandoned very soon, like all other Origins equipment. And they were right. If previously the maximum level of equipment was 7, now items of levels 8 and 9 have appeared. The "chase for the best pantaloons in the world" continues until the final battle. There is still not enough money for everything, but you shouldn’t deny yourself, and if you like some ring that costs a fortune, you can safely buy it. You can also order unique items from the forge in the tower, if, of course, you find all the necessary components.
The combat system has not undergone any major changes. Having received a well-deserved scolding from the press and players for unfulfilled promises regarding the interactivity of the environment, Awakening noticeably makes several attempts to correct the matter. But alas, no trend is emerging - the successful use of the capabilities of the physics engine can be counted on one hand. There was also a promise back in Origins to teach companions to hide behind environmental objects, or at least use it in some other way. But there is nothing even close. However, since there was nothing like this before, and this is just an addition, we will not find fault with this beyond measure. In the end, this is rather evidence of the imperfection of the game engine. The same cannot be said about the local system of “tactics”. As mentioned above, problems arise with archers and magicians. And it’s all because of the lack of capabilities of tactical schemes, for example, the lack of the ability to search for groups of opponents who have no party members nearby. And this is just one of the features that is sorely lacking in both Origins and Awakening. And this is exactly what could really be fixed in an add-on, if not in a patch.
Moreover, in Awakening, this system is also noticeably buggy: for example, I noticed that one of the fighters suddenly stopped using abilities, although he had a full stamina scale, and one battle ago everything worked as it should. It’s also annoying that almost all permanent abilities disappear at the end of the battle, or even simply when mana or stamina runs out. Moreover, the effects disappear, and the mana and stamina reserved for them do not return. This happened in Origins, but not on such a scale. If you remember, before the patches in the original there was something like this when containers were opened that were empty. Now this scourge is also haunting the addition. I'm not even talking about the increased frequency of crashes to the desktop. We are waiting for patches.
Now let's talk about the beautiful things, about the graphics. If earlier it was possible to come across objects that clearly had their textures spared high resolution, then now there is no such thing. Detailing has noticeably increased, and eye-pleasing effects now perfectly hide the engine, which is a couple of years outdated. Character models look sharper and better drawn. This is especially true for new types of creatures of darkness, as well as new equipment. The design of the locations is still amazing, and only bears a general resemblance to Origins. The only things I can complain about are the sky and the poorly detailed backdrops in places, but these are minor things. When a tree growing just to the left of the road suddenly pulls a pair of legs out of the ground and heads towards you with the clear intention of beating you, you know, somehow not to the blurry sky and the hills around.
As a side note, Awakening is executed superbly. It's still very interesting to play and very difficult to put down. If you go through it completely, examining every corner, solving all the puzzles, and helping all the unfortunate people, you can get about 20 hours of gameplay. That's exactly what the statistics showed me. In Origins this value was 90, but it took seven years to make it. So the addition is quite long-lasting. Well, don’t forget about different endings, and several options for passing, as well as achievements that can be unlocked. What's next? Hard to say. It is possible that the insert with the inscription 01/02/2011 included in the box with Awakening means the release date of the full second part. I really hope so, because for the release of just the second addition, this is too long a time.
Gameplay: 8.5
Graphics: 9.0
Control (PC): 8.0
Novelty: 7.0
Expectations met: 90%
The review was written based on familiarity with the Russian version v1.0
There are a few errors in the text. The names of objects are often not completed. The runes got the most, so the “apprentice” turned into the “master’s rune”. The characters' reactions often do not correspond to the chosen option in the dialogue. The voices are staged well, even very well. It doesn't live up to the English version, but the actors clearly tried very hard. Apparently, the editor received a scolding, or was completely replaced, because, unlike Origin, here the editing was done much more decently.
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening (Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening) is an addition to the computer role-playing game Dragon Age: Origins in the fantasy genre, developed by the Canadian studio BioWare. It went on sale on March 16, 2010 in North America and March 19, 2010 in Europe on PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
The plot of the add-on continues the story of the original game.
Plot
The player character (from Dragon Age: Origins or created anew) becomes the commander of the Order of the Gray Guardians, under whose protectorate the Erling of Amaranthine, the former possession of the one killed during the events, is given Dragon Age: Origins Randon Howe. The player arrives at the fortress - the Vigil Tower. The creatures of darkness, despite the death of the Archdemon, did not stop their attacks on people. They only split into two warring clans. The Guardians receive information about the appearance of individually intelligent creatures of darkness and begin to investigate the matter.
It turns out that among the creatures of darkness, a unique creature somehow appeared, which calls itself the Architect. He seeks to lead his race from the control of the Ancient Gods, giving them freedom. One of his creations, the womb of the creatures of darkness, nicknamed Mother, rebelled against the Architect, as she could not cope with liberation and went mad. The player will have to protect his possessions from the invasions of the Mother’s hordes and resolve the issue with the Architect.
The plot is implicitly divided into three parts:
1. Recapture the Vigil Tower from the creatures of darkness. At this stage, the player can be joined by Ogren and Anders.
2. Visit three main locations (Vending Forest, Dwarven Teig and Black Swamps) and solve problems there. At this stage, the player can be joined by all other companions: one from each mentioned location (Velanna, Sigrun and Justice, respectively) and Nathaniel Howe in the Vigil Tower. The hero will also visit the main city of the province, check the basements of his fortress and survive an assassination attempt. He can strengthen the fortress and arm the soldiers.
3. War with the creatures of darkness. You must choose what to defend - the city or your fortress. Then the hero goes to the Mother’s lair to destroy her; shortly before meeting her, you can fight the Architect, or listen to his arguments.
Gameplay
The general game system is the same as in the original game. One of the gameplay changes is the need to take care of your own lands, making decisions on their defense (expressed in searching for ore and allocating funds for the construction of walls). Completing the story takes from 10 to 15 hours; in addition to the main line, there are a large number of side quests. Relations with party members are somewhat reduced; there is no romantic line in “Awakening”.
Added two new specializations for each class and line of skills and spells/abilities, ingredients, materials of the 8th and 9th levels. In addition, you can buy blood mage and ripper textbooks, and an unlimited number of focus books, which allow you to gain all levels again (including party members).
Bioware in its repertoire. The addition not only brought us a “gentleman’s set” of skills-cards-quests. It neatly corrected all the minor flaws that were still hanging around in the game. It has become not only interesting, but also incredibly convenient. But the story is
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Guides
On the one hand, it’s a pleasure to release sequels to successful projects: everything has already been done, you just need to expand it a little. But if you think about it, what can such an approach bring? Certainly not the delight of the players. Continuing great games is incredibly difficult, because the quality bar must not only be maintained, but constantly raised. Yesterday you convinced everyone that it couldn’t be better, but tomorrow you have to prove that it can happen. Dragon Age: Origins- the game is great. But there is no limit to perfection.
O brave new pestilence!
Dragon Age ended on a not entirely happy, but still positive note. The pestilence that threatened all living things has lost its leader and ideological inspirer, which means the danger has passed. Soon the creatures of darkness will flee to their holes, and for a couple more generations everything will be quiet. Yes, very soon. It's almost there. Wait a little more...
But the creatures did not leave. They retreated, regrouped and continued their attacks. Yes, not as before - “we are a horde, save yourself who can!”, but much more subtly. Fairly judging - which, generally speaking, was not the case with them - that the main problem is gray guards, Garlocks, Genlocks and other ogres attacked their fortress right from their own basement. And if it weren’t for the inventive gnome with his explosives, the story would have ended before the appearance of the main character. But everything worked out, and we begin to restore the order.
Yes, now our hero is the head of the order and is proudly called the guard commander. Unfortunately, we can no longer choose our backstory and play it out. Either we transfer the hero, or we start with the mysterious Orlesian, without introductory missions. It's a pity.
Along with the title, we received the former estate of Howe and a bunch of problems: protecting farmers, the city, the fortress, trade routes... This is not counting a bunch of little things like rescuing hostages or uncovering a conspiracy against oneself. Let’s not forget about the Sea in all this! But along with the position, our self-esteem also grew. Now, in response to the proposal to “give this bag to the guy at the fountain,” we can reasonably say that with such trifles they usually pester the messengers, and the guard commander, generally speaking, is in charge of strategy.
While we, for example, are getting acquainted with our vassals (by decree of King Alistair, we inherited not only the Howe estate, but also all his titles), the wiser creatures of darkness will arrange new dirty tricks.
Realizing that they themselves cannot defeat us so easily, they decide to lay siege to the order. But not literally, standing under the walls, but much more gracefully: by blocking the path along which supplies came to us. And they even approached this task creatively: they pitted the people who traveled along the road against the elves who lived next to the road.
This is just the beginning of the intrigues. At the end of the game, the creatures of darkness will finally evolve and, like all civilized creatures... they will split into two warring camps and begin to fight for power! Now the enemies have found their real face, and each of them strives for something more than just making this whole world dirty. It seems that the story with the archdemon was indeed just the beginning... the beginning of the end.
Lock
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At least the poor guy didn't die of boredom. |
But let’s put aside gloomy thoughts about the future for now and focus on the present. A high position requires many decisions from us. Literally everything depends on us. Distribute patrols between important objects (hello, NeverwinterNights 2 )? To the commander! Find ore deposits to forge new equipment for these patrols? Same way. Find high-quality granite for new walls (hello, MassEffect!), and even pay for their repair? Back to us again. Clear the basement of rats and creatures of darkness?.. In general, you understand.
In the fortress we will receive our first tasks, meet our first fellow travelers, and fight our first battles. And at the same time, it is constantly evolving, something new is constantly happening in it: tasks are given, secrets arise, enemies sneak in. We get surprises all the time, but this is almost the calmest location!
The only quieter place is the throne room of the fortress. It is practically indistinguishable from the old camp - in it you can chat with companions, prepare for a hike, sell all sorts of junk, insert runes, and so on. Some plot events will also take place here - initiations, trials, taking the oath. Not like before - the attack of the screamers and the appearance of the naga Shmoples at Leliana's place. And the latter only with our direct participation...
But there is a major innovation that was sorely missing from the game itself: a large personal bottomless chest (BLBS). Well, okay, not completely bottomless, but enough for our lifetime. You can put something in it, and then take that “something” out. And you no longer need to pretend to be a trade caravan, transporting a year's supply of herbs, bottles, unnecessary gifts and a collection of your favorite daggers. All this will be waiting for you at home. Extraordinarily convenient!
Amaranthine and surroundings
The scale of the game has been slightly reduced. We now only have one Big City, as well as a forest, swamps, dungeon mountains and several small locations. But quantity is more than compensated by quality.
Amaranthine - that's the name of our city - is simply crammed with small tasks. An employer is waiting for us in literally every doorway. And tasks must be taken wisely, otherwise the consequences will not please you. But there are also “ambient” tasks that are completely unusual for games. You can stumble upon them in the most unexpected places.
A girl cries in church, with whomever she happens. But you can talk to her and find out that the poor woman’s husband has disappeared... You won’t get a penny for completing the task. It won't affect anything at all. Except for the attitude.
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Some gnomes don't change. Our old friend drinks everywhere - even in the mouth of a dragon! |
Or another example: in the tavern there is a board on which hangs the request “Asiratefshih at mora.” The poor kids have lost everything and need a small donation... Those who gave alms to the residents of the Elfinage in the original game probably already suspected something. And for good reason! The next time you visit the tavern, the coin jug will turn into a box, and the “children” will ask you to bring them the preacher’s book and moonshine “for warming up” - to rub their frozen knees! You can continue to help them by completing their fun tasks. Again, don't expect anything in return. The same can be said about other locations. Riddles await everywhere.
Separately, about choice. Previously, most situations still led to obvious consequences: they helped a person - well done, helped a demon - dupes, and so on. That is, the world was divided into two camps: to save some, to beat others. The only exception was the gnomes with their heir and the church.
Now everything is different. I’ll give just one example: a harlock messenger came to us under a white flag and told us that he had been asked. And what should we do with it now? “Hang him, of course,” the connoisseurs of the first part will immediately shout, “he’s a creature of darkness!” Don’t expect any good from them!” And we will let him go, despite the screams. And then it turns out that a mysterious character will appear in Amaranthine, who helps everyone for free and hides his face all the time. And only the gray guards and mabari react strangely to him...
In each new zone you will find not only a lot of game tasks, but also a sea of graphic surprises. Even the forest and dwarven paths are no longer so monotonous! Everywhere you will find something interesting: the canyon, unusual plants, a wheelbarrow with ore, a doll, a mysterious (and working!) pentagram, a two-headed skeleton... Yes, easter eggs there's enough here too. The weather has also changed: now we can get caught in a downpour and hurricane or feel the warmth of the setting sun.
It's little things like this that make the world seem alive and very enjoyable to explore. And these studies often bring unexpected results. How do you like, for example, the opportunity to steal a pot of flowers from the window and give them to someone? In the same way we can get a pocket kitten. Searching for and solving puzzles also brings material benefits, most often in the form of excellent equipment.
| Anders | |
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- I had a cat in my tower named Fluffy. Well, he wasn't exactly mine, but we became attached to each other. And then one day a demon of rage possessed him... Before he was destroyed, Fluffy managed to kill three templars. I was so proud of him! Eternal child. He escaped from his circle seven times and was caught six times. We can prevent the seventh, with the king's blessing. Anders is a very cheerful and cheerful magician. He perceives everything that happens as a game, constantly jokes and teases everyone. It's interesting to travel with him. At the same time, he hates the church and its foundations, without hiding it at all. If he gets the chance to destroy the templar, he will do it. And probably in a humorous manner. It is all the more surprising that he is a healer. And a little more of a battle mage. From gifts he likes exquisite things (he is hungry, apparently) and, as he himself admits to you, cats. And, of course, all kinds of accessories for them. The personal quest takes place in Amaranthine. There you will meet an old friend of Anders, who will point to the basement with the magician's medallion. The basement is just south of the shopping arcades. |
And again into battle!
The warhead has remained almost unchanged. With us, of course, we have new skills, things, skills... But what is interesting is new specializations. They hint unambiguously what class opportunities the majority missed in Dragon Age: Origins. Defensive skills have been added to the warriors so that we don’t forget about classic, not hit-killing “tanks”. Rogues have been given specializations designed for close combat. Mages - the same as robbers.
And this unobtrusive method works! Well, who can resist the temptation to turn a robber into a machine for cutting enemies into ribbons, which can instantly rush from one enemy to another and temporarily become invulnerable? What about a warrior who can only be penetrated by a battering ram, and even then hardly? Moreover, this warrior will, like a ghost, attract nearby enemies to himself, beat them, not caring about armor, and, like a robber, become invulnerable.
But everything pales in comparison to the new capabilities of the magician... These intellectuals who have been sitting in the towers have completely gone berserk! Now they are capable of not only becoming “tin cans” with a heavy blow, they could do that before. They were taught to drink health from their enemies, freeze them, push them, poison them, slow them down and do other obscenities. From now on, on the battlefield you can easily see how a noble old man exchanges his robe for armor and, with a two-handed weapon and a scream, rushes into the very thick of the enemies, where he begins to destroy the unfortunate ones with area skills. Which, by the way, do not affect allies. Groups of similar “elders” demolish almost everything. The hint was a success.
Even, I would say, it was too successful. Now we can easily develop in such a way that we will not be afraid of any creatures of darkness. What kind of creatures are there, we will playfully send them to better world giant golems, queens, demons, dragons, in a word, everyone who falls under the spell! If difficulties may still arise at first, then very soon there will be no strong opponents left in the game, there will only be tiresome ones.
New things add joy. Warriors and robbers have finally learned how to restore stamina with the help of a special potion. Things with one and two slots for runes disappeared from the shelves. Or three or nothing! We can now make the runes themselves at home, albeit for a lot of money. And the stones completely pay for them, especially the new ones for armor. For example, they can increase your willpower by seven units or your armor by the same value. Each!
But the main trump card is different. In Dragon Age: Origins, battles often dragged on and turned into a routine. I still remember the endless dwarven paths and the combination of magical power-repulsion rune-blizzard-storm. Rinse, repeat. Has it developed that the above combination does not work? Well, suffer now, personally knocking on the head of each of a couple of hundred creatures of darkness. But, you see, it won’t be so boring...
Now things are a little different. For a modest sum, comparable to the price of a backpack, you can purchase a magician's book that resets all your points. That is, you can instantly retrain your hero or ally. Tired of burning with fire - try curses. If you're bored with your shield, try paired blades. I'm fed up with the always drunk Ogren and his two-handed weapon - give him a bow, he won't be able to shoot with it under pressure! Wonderful books not only diversify the process, but also help in particularly difficult battles that occur during particularly exotic developments. Can't defeat a bunch of enemy magicians? We reset the characteristics, teach our sorcerer mana collision, raise a templar from a warrior, and teach a robber to hide. Voila - the magicians are defeated, without even having time to really understand what actually happened!
| Oghren | |
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- They... are... lying on the ground like ordinary pants, but only until you turn your back to them. That's when they... go! And they scratch your eyes out! Good old Ogren hasn’t changed a bit, he’s still the same drunk and brawler. And his habits are the same: straight as rails. Although his inexperience with life on the surface often plays a cruel joke on him. It seems that only the very lazy do not want to play Ogren. The gnome answers with his characteristic directness: uncomfortable questions and even more uncomfortable answers. Ogren is still a berserker, specializing in two-handed weapons and well-equipped from the very beginning. As gifts, he prefers strong drinks of all kinds. Personal task is related to family life a gnome that never worked out. |
School of Masters
Much has been brought to mind here. Let's take gold for example. Now it is easier to get it - many tasks bring excellent income (up to sixty gold). It has become easier to earn money from trophies: we no longer have to run five screens to the merchant - we will either be given the opportunity to quickly return back, or the merchant will be pushed into the dungeon. And, by the way, he can easily explain how the wind brought him here. And you can invite him to trade in your castle.
By the way, there is also somewhere to spend gold. For example, you can pay for the services of a detective who will track down the conspirators. Or patch up the already mentioned walls. Finally, help “Asiratefshim”. There are so many beautiful things in the world, not just things! But even equipment can be decorated. For pennies, you can buy heraldic painting kits from many merchants and decorate your shield as you please. It’s both beautiful and in keeping with the spirit, and once again hints at warriors with shields...
If it is still extremely important to you what you wear, then I hasten to disappoint you: buy the best things it is forbidden. They can be obtained by either completing tasks or solving riddles. Both paths will require a little ingenuity and a lot of attentiveness, because most often you will have to look for something. So, for example, our old friend Wade will happily make us the best sword, bow and good armor, but first we need to bring him “special material.” The material is knocked out of particularly strong opponents. But that's not all, don't lick your lips. Having seen the material, the blacksmith will give you a whole list of the necessary ingredients, and only some of them are sold in the store, but, say, you will have to look for a dragon egg.
Speaking of old friends. Some of your companions will be familiar to you, the rest will be newbies. And all of them are worked out even better than in the first part. By the way, from now on we don’t just invite friends to our place, but initiate them into guards, leading them through a ritual. And each of them will not fail to comment on this procedure!
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The comrades in arms are quite... mm... diversified. We can recruit a seven-time fugitive mage, a racist elf, the last survivor of legion of the dead, with inexhaustible optimism, and even spirit... They all have not only their own views on things, stories, preferences, but also surprises, often extremely funny. In general, my comrades have become much more fun, and traveling with them is much more pleasant!
Our team has become balanced: it has two warriors (a “tank” and a hit-breaker), two robbers (an archer and a specialist in dual blades) and two magicians (a healer-controller and a hit-breaker-curser). But you, of course, can raise them to be whoever you want.
But, unfortunately, there are much fewer intimate conversations - now we can talk with comrades only on special holidays. The love lines disappeared completely. Hope they come back soon! Although, maybe the main character or heroine is simply faithful to his chosen one from the first part? If you moved it, of course...
Biowarein his repertoire. The addition not only brought us a “gentleman’s set” of skills-cards-quests. It neatly corrected all the minor flaws that were still hanging around in the game. It has become not only interesting, but also incredibly convenient. But the history of the world has just begun!
Skills
The characteristics in the add-on have not changed, so let's move straight to the skills. Here we have three new branches at once, one craft and two combat. The requirements for all three are the same: twentieth, twenty-second, twenty-fourth and twenty-sixth levels.
Making runes
It is important: In the game, not only the maximum level of heroes has increased (from twenty-fifth to thirty-fifth), but also the levels of things. Equipment can now be of nine levels (instead of seven), and runes can be of seven levels (instead of five).
Making runes is quite an expensive business. For example, to obtain a capacity rune (increases willpower) of the maximum level, you will need about thirty-five gold! On the other hand, by the end of the game this amount no longer seems exorbitant.
Vitality
Clarity
- Everyone in the Hou family was a hero! And for the sins of my father alone, they branded everyone with shame! But he simply chose the wrong side in the war.
The son of the now deceased Earl, whose domain now belongs to the Gray Wardens. Several years ago, Nathaniel was sent to study in the Free March, where he spent all the events of the original game. Therefore, when he arrived, he was indignant for a long time and wondered why everyone hated his father so much. Over time, he will understand why and begin to reproach himself. And finally decides to wash away the stain of shame from the history of the family.
Nathaniel is generally as naive as a baby and will constantly ask your companions about everything in the world and try to give compliments. Even Oghren. With predictable results.
As a fighter, he specializes in bows, but he can also engage in thieves' activities. For gifts, he likes practical things and heirlooms of the Hou family. The personal quest involves a missing sister who turns up in Amaranthine.
Skills
All class and weapon groups have acquired new skill lines. Let's start with the first ones. First comes the name of the group, then the name of the first skill in the line, then the rank requirements and a description of all the skills in the line.
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These animated trees are good opponents after all! Comfortable. |
Our new residence. |
Robber
Heart Hunter
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Finishing blow- if the target (elite rank or lower) is near death, then the technique destroys it. Otherwise it deals a critical hit. It is rarely useful, because if you have already removed most of your health, you can finish it off without it. | |
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Next rank - ghost- makes the robber immune to all physical attacks for a short time. More than once it will help you escape from the environment. | |
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Next they go weak spots- a very interesting supported skill. After you hit the enemy, for some time All attacks against it will be intensified. It helps a lot in battles with thick, weighty opponents. | |
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And finally, hesitation: All enemies in a large radius are stabbed in the back in turn. The skill itself is very strong, and in combination with others (for example, with the previous one) it is generally deadly. |
Warrior
Second wind
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Restores a good portion of your stamina bar at once. Nothing to add. |
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The bitter fate of the rootless knocks down regular enemies in their place, deals double critical damage to elites and single bosses. Helps out when you urgently need to kill some wolf that has bared its teeth at the magician. |
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Dirty curse, heard within a large radius from the warrior, insults opponents with the best feelings and forces them to switch to foul language. A strong word will more than once pull out the most hopeless battle. |
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Massacre fully lives up to its name. All enemies of a lower level than the warrior die immediately, the elite receive critical damage, and bosses receive normal damage. And all this within a decent radius! It greatly speeds up the exploration of all kinds of dungeons. |
Mage
Shadow Shield
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Strengthens your magical shield, increasing your chances of dodging attacks or deflecting spells. If the shield is inactive, then the chances remain, but are scanty. Moderately useful. | |
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Mastering the Elements requires a lot of mana to support, and in return increases damage from all elements. It also affects the attack with the staff, so it’s useful. | |
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Settings gives serious benefits to magic, willpower and mana restoration. It will be useful to everyone without exception. | |
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Time Spiral For an immodest fee in mana, it resets the “cooling down” of all spells. With a proper supply of this same mana, it allows you to do terrible things. |
Repulsion field
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Knocks back nearby enemies if they fail a Physical Resistance check. Each pushback consumes mana. You won’t be able to run around all the time with the field turned on, but escaping from the environment is easy! |
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Give strength sprays life-giving energy around the mage, reducing the fatigue of allies, but consuming the mana of the mage himself. If you decide to use it, turn it on only for a short period of active action. |
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Magic field every few seconds it attacks enemies within a decent radius with spirit magic and - of course! - eats up your mana. But mana is consumed not for the total damage, but for the fact of launching the wave. So, if you find yourself in a crowd of adversaries, you can safely turn it on. |
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Mystical denial pulsates in the same way as the magic field. Each charge dispels enemy magic. And here you are already paying for the fact of dispelling, and not for launching the wave. But the enemy still spends more mana to apply these effects, so you can safely use it. |
A weapon in every hand
Double punch
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Two critical hits in a row. Simple and effective. | |
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Find vital points increases the chance of a critical hit and the amount of damage from it. For a snack, it enhances the previous technique. | |
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Kick from below Reduces the movement and attack speed of all enemies in a large radius. If you hit the enemy with a double blow before this, he will simply fall. | |
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Never-ending squall It's called that for a reason. The character begins to thresh the enemy with terrible speed. Each hit reduces your stamina a little. The streak ends in one of the following cases: you run out of stamina, the enemy has escaped, or one of you has died. If you hit the enemy with a double blow before doing this, then each attack becomes critical. And if you kick, you definitely won’t miss. It looks great, of course, but you need to choose your target wisely, otherwise, while you are hitting the enemy, his comrades will finish you off. |
- Wow! I would never have thought that such a healthy tree could grow in a Shemlen settlement.
Elven chauvinist pure form. When she decided that people were a threat, she left the clan to destroy them. Several other elves went with her and later died. And Velanna again began to take revenge on people, this time much more successfully.
Velanna has a sister who was stolen by the creatures of darkness and who joined them. The elf has not yet decided how to live with this further.
In conversation, she is harsh and constantly “brings down and curses” people and gnomes. But towards the end he will be re-educated, if, of course, the main character helps.
In battle, she is a subjugator with a dash of battle mage. As for gifts, he loves everything related to nature or elves, as well as everything green. The personal task is related to the story of her departure from the clan.
Archery
Accuracy
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A supported skill that immediately increases (depending on agility) hit chance, damage, critical hit chance and damage from it. As soon as you take it, turn it on and never turn it off. |
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Arrow Time slows down all enemies around the archer (unless they are higher level or elite) and constantly eats up stamina. The usefulness is questionable. |
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Shot-explosion deals triple critical damage to the target and another half of it (that is, one and a half critical) to others. Excellent reliable skill. |
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Rain of arrows some time after activation, it affects a large area for a certain period of time - a kind of area spell. There is a minus - there is a long delay, enemies often have time to escape. But the animation is a feast for the eyes. |
Weapon and shield
The juggernaut
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Allows the “tank” to literally pierce the enemy formation, pushing aside everyone who is in its path. Each push removes a little stamina. A wonderful skill: we knock down enemies, make them angry, and move easily, and it looks funny. | |
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Shield-shell For a short time, significantly reduces incoming damage (depending on physique). You can even climb a dragon under it. | |
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Bold look Constantly provokes surrounding enemies, eating away stamina. The usefulness is average, because energy is spent on attracting unnecessary enemies. | |
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Stronghold of centuries makes a character completely invulnerable for half the duration of the shield-shell. That is, when it is activated, we are not afraid of anything at all for the first half of the time, and we live the second half as if under an ordinary shield-shell. With this skill you can even stop an ogre on the run! |
Two-handed weapon
Lunging Strike
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Deals critical damage to the target and normal damage to its neighbors. In addition, if opponents fail a physical stability check, they will end up on the ground. Medium useful skill. |
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Two-handed attack makes all the warrior's attacks area-based, although it consumes stamina. A great way to deal with every little thing. |
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The battle- the warrior takes several steps forward and swings his weapon widely with each step. Helps to reach the enemy's back lines. |
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Crushing Storm- the fighter spins in place and, looking at the enemy’s face, swings his two-handed weapon widely. Each hit eats up stamina. Easily destroys huge crowds of the enemy. |
- I was not born. I have always been.
A unique case is a spirit that has entered the body of a mortal against its will. And the corpse did not become possessed by the dead, but completely came to life. Apparently, because Justice is not a demon, but a good spirit, not subject to its passions.
At first he is very cautious about the world, but then, as in the old joke, he gets involved and begins to learn. He is interested in many things, but he himself can tell something. When will you finally have the opportunity to talk to a spirit without fear? In conversations, by the way, he reads morals to all your comrades, and they each react in their own manner...
In battle he is a typical "tank". He loves gifts that are connected with the former owner of his body and with the Shadow. A personal quest concerns the wife of a deceased guard. You can find her in the Church of Amaranthine.
Specializations
Each class now has two more specializations at its disposal. But only one point was added - at the twenty-second level - so in total we can learn three specializations. However, this is more than enough.
Robber
Legionnaire Scout
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Pros: +2 agility, +1 damage per hit
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Mark of the Legion simply adds points to strength and physique. | |
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Power of stone makes a robber for a short time invulnerable to damage and knockdown. During this time, you can either escape or provoke a strong enemy to attack. | |
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Endure adversity- instead of health, when struck, stamina is lost. Usefulness is below average. A robber constantly needs stamina. | |
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Blessing of the ancestors enhances the power of the stone. Now we are also immune to spells. To the friendly ones too! The usefulness is a big question. |
Strange line. The first two skills are as good as the last two are bad. The specialization is suitable for any rogue, although melee adepts will benefit from it more.
Shadow
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Pros: +1 agility, +5 attack
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Ghost type- with each blow to the robber, enemies lose interest in him. The skill constantly consumes stamina. Will greatly extend your life in a crowd of opponents. |
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Bait- the robber distracts the enemy with a non-existent target. Allows you to both escape and stab in the back. Useful, no doubt about it. |
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Ghost Attack- with the ghost type activated, we get big bonuses to damage from backstabs and critical hits. A wonderful addition to an already great skill. |
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Pitch hell suits our ghost in a large radius: opponents will either run away or start attacking the first person who comes to hand. Combines perfectly with invisibility - sneak up on the enemy, release a hallucinogen, throw the bait and run away. |
An excellent line that turns the two-bladed robber into a real combine. Add to it a killer and a duelist, and no one will find it enough!
Warrior
Spirit Warrior
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Pros: +1 Constitution, +5 Physical Resilience
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On the other side of the veil- constantly consumes stamina, but allows you to dodge many physical attacks. Will help in critical situations. | |
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Soul Brand enhances the previous ability, adding a chance to avoid spells. In addition, all of the warrior's attacks now ignore armor and deal spirit damage. Allows you to quickly chop up a bunch of armored devourers. Very useful when you encounter armored ogres. | |
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Shadow Explosion Deals spirit magic damage to all creatures around (depending on willpower). All kinds of ghosts receive significantly more than others. Therefore, it should only be used against shadow creatures. | |
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Blessing of the Shadow enhances the first skill, increasing the chance to resist a spell, as well as movement and attack speed. |
The skill is suitable for everyone, but it will probably be more useful for attacking warriors. You can take two ranks for the sake of damage from spirit magic, or four for the sake of acceleration.
Guard
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Pros: +1 Constitution, +5 Natural Resistance
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Guard's Shield Protects one of your allies, absorbing limited damage. Its quantity depends on the physique of the guard. Mages, as well as robbers, will tell you thanks a lot! |
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Strengthening Presence Increases the armor of the entire squad for a while. The amount of additional armor and duration depend on the guard's physique. Extra armor won't hurt anyone. |
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Master Guard enhances previous skills. |
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Aura of a Fearless Protector attracts enemies who fail a physical resistance check towards the warrior, eating away stamina. They have no choice but to attack this tin can. One of the best skills. |
Oddly enough, the specialization is suitable not only for a lover of shields, but also for a fighter with a two-handed weapon. He will be able to cover the healer, strengthen his armor and attract enemies to himself so as not to run away.
Mage
The keeper
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Pros: +2 magic, +3 mental stability
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Unity with nature chains the magician to one point, which is overgrown with bushes. The bushes hit enemies caught in them with the forces of nature and slow them down. It can be used both as insurance against unexpectedly disrupted opponents, and as a means of attack in a crowd. | |
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Sharp thorns They very painfully scratch everyone who got tangled in the bushes from the previous skill, and scatter those who did not pass the physical stability check. | |
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Recovery allows you to receive mana for damage caused by skills of this line. And if the enemy carelessly dies in the bushes, the magician will absorb the remnants of his life and begin to quickly regenerate. | |
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Nature's Revenge deals massive physical damage and temporarily immobilizes those who fail the physical resistance check. |
Despite the serious disadvantage - immobilization - this line is very strong both in defense and attack. Unity is quickly restored, so running across the bushes is easy.
Warrior Mage
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Pros: +2 magic, slow health recovery in battle
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Draining Aura Every few seconds, it deals spirit damage to enemies in a large radius and transfers it to your health, consuming mana. Vampire treatment by area - what more could you ask for? |
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Hand of Winter freezes all enemies within a reasonable radius who fail a physical resistance check. Otherwise it will just slow down. Everyone without exception will receive cold damage. A kind of overgrown cone of cold that does not hit allies. That is simply great! |
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Stoic gets a little every time he gets hit on the head. On the one hand, it’s not appropriate to hit a magician over the head. On the other hand, this entire line is still designed for close contact with the enemy. So we take it without hesitation. |
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Elemental Chaos deals damage to everyone around with various elements in turn. Each blow costs mana, so only use it in large crowds. |
Effective development
Taking into account the latest changes, several super-effective classes have appeared in the game that will easily pass any test. Let's look at several schemes of twenty-eight points - this is how much you will have at the end of the game, if you did not export the character, or, otherwise, in the middle.
"Tank"
Vityaz - 4 points
Guard - 4 points
Spirit Warrior - 1 point
Unrelenting Force - 4 points
Second wind - 3 points
Bogatyr - 4 points
Shield block - 4 points
Shield defense - 4 points
Of the characteristics, we need 26 units of agility, the rest goes with strength in approximately equal shares. The main task of the “tank” is to choose the right targets and spend stamina as efficiently as possible.
Fighter
Two-handed weapon group - 16 points
Second wind - 4 points
Spirit Warrior - 4 points
Guard - 4 points
The characteristics are approximately the following: strength, agility and physique in a ratio of 2:1:1. You need so much dexterity because you will come across many evasive enemies who will gnaw you off before you hit them. And we gain health through skills. Tactics depend on the enemy - either break into the crowd and use area skills, or use small combinations on singles.
Dual Blade Rogue
Dirty fight - 2 points
Low blow - 4 points
Heart Hunter - 4 points
Killer - 4 points
Ghost - 4 points
Legionnaire Scout - 2 points
Double strike - 4 points
Weapon proficiency in each hand - 3 points
Two-handed swing with weapon - 1 point
We will need dexterity, cunning and strength. Strength is somewhere around 40-42, agility and cunning, on which the skills are based, is 2:1. In battle, our task is to effectively spend a small amount of stamina (don’t forget to stock up on bottles in case of emergency!) and not die, because if we hesitate, they will cut us instantly!
Battle Mage
Battle Mage - 4 points
Guardian - 4 points
Warrior Mage - 4 points
Mana Drain - 4 points
Damage to vulnerability - 4 points
Shadow Shield - 4 points
Magic arrow - 2 points
Flameburst or Frostbite - 2 points
We invest in magic, willpower and dexterity something like this: 6:3:1. Dexterity, like a fighter, is needed to hit enemies. Yes, and we fight in a similar way: we rush into the crowd with area spells at the ready, or we curse a single target and beat it for a long time, with force.
Walkthrough of the main story
Vigil Tower
It all starts with long battles: the creatures of darkness invaded the base of the gray guards. After the end of the battles, it’s time to explore your possessions, get to know the inhabitants and collect tasks. As soon as you deal with small and not very important matters in the fortress, go to the city.
Amaranthine
In the city, you will first need to find a representative of the trade guild not far from the merchants, two hunters at the entrance and an innkeeper in the inn itself. From them you will receive story missions: in the forest, underground and in the swamps, respectively. In addition to them, there are many additional tasks in the city.
Forest Vending
Trade caravans disappear here. During the investigation, it turns out that it is not the robbers who are to blame, but the elf. But before calling her to battle, you need to find a bleeding surviving soldier, who lies across the hill with the elf town from the entrance to the location. He will reveal the whole truth to you. After this, you can add the elf to your squad and go to the mines...
On a note: Bring a lockpicking expert with you. You will not be able to change the group, nor will you be able to return to the mines.
After fighting through the Architect's lair, get out.
Black swamps
There was once a settlement here, but it mysteriously disappeared. You need to find your colleague - Christophe. To do this, go to the opposite end of the swamps. There is only one road there, so don't get lost. Along the way, you will be able to get acquainted with the cute local fauna...
After you find the gray guard, you will need to get to the Baroness. She lives in the city. To get to her, you need to talk to the leader of the angry crowd - Justice. After this the battle will begin.
Returning to Christophe's body, meet your new comrade and go close the portals, after which you go to the castle where you previously fought with the baroness. Survive one more battle and you can return.
Thicket Hills
Going down, you will meet your last companion. With the glorious gnome, boldly dive underground and cut through the creatures of darkness.
On a note: when you are asked to find the secret passage, look at the wall on the left when facing the main staircase.
After some time, you will reach a huge golem with a magician, and then the queens. To kill them, you must first destroy the tentacles and then cut the chains holding the chandelier. Repeat until the chandelier falls off. That's it, you can go back.
War
Now you need to prepare for war. Choose your companions and run to the city. In Amaranthine they will tell you that troops are heading to the Vigil Tower. What to protect, choose for yourself.
After defense, you will be transported to the lair of the Mother - a huge intelligent womb. It's not that easy to get to. Already at the end of the upper level you will meet a dragon.
If you want to make the final battle easier for yourself, carefully look for the crystals and use them to activate the Tevinter Towers. Each of them has its own effect (fire attack, paralysis of enemies, healing), which can be used once in a battle with the Mother. You will get another effect, if you want, from the Architect. With such help, destroy Mother a lot of work will not amount.
1 2 All
And the filthy monster tore him into small pieces, and died at the same moment over his remains from gaping wounds. And the good people began to feast, set the tables, it flowed down their mustaches, and almost no one got into their mouths. And I was there, drank mead and beer, saw the remains of a hero (two fingers and half an eye on a pile of ashes), greeted the new king. He married someone there, and they began to live and live well, make good things, and that’s the story...
Uh... or not So everything was?
Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening
(in Russia the game was released under the name Dragon Age: Origins – Awakening)
Or so?..
I didn’t have time to enter the location - the mission was completed.
They also gave me some kind of achievement, the adversaries.
And it doesn’t matter what was there: for DLC the ending is not important, the development of the plot is important, and during the course of the game the hero, it seemed, was alive. But Bioware has incredibly pleased fans of non-snacks-from-the-master-table-for-5-bucks and has released a full-fledged add-on for its recent hit. It must be said that in all respects the add-on corresponds to its status and does not aspire to the laurels of something like that (like the epic Throne of Bhaal). Do they/we/you need it? We have local battles here.
Several months have passed since the death of the Archdemon, but the evil spirits still cannot calm down. The Gray Guardian is sent to a remote corner of the country called Amaranthine, who will have to resolve all the contradictions that have gripped this territory, microscopic by the standards of the original. Who is this Gray Warden? Perhaps this is a hero who plunged a sword into the heart of a demon? Or maybe that famous character died a heroic death (or the player lost his saves and started the game in the add-on from scratch) - then instead we will see a commander who arrived from Amarantine Orle, alien to the aborigines.
Even though we used to decide the fate of an entire state, little depended on us: we had to wander around fortresses and castles and beg from the nobility for a couple of extra soldiers to fight the arch-important evil. As if if they had left the soldiers with them, the latter would have been able to protect them if something happened! Now, under our sensitive leadership, there is a solid, albeit very used, fortress, the regional center of Amarantine and a lot of small worries that should tear the brain of the local ruler: the creatures of darkness in the suburbs and garden and park areas are not enough for us, so the earl himself must bring justice to the thieves!..
Shadows
Don't look at the corpse: there is nothing complicated here.
I just went out for a minute to pour some tea.
But the worst thing happened: the creatures learned to speak, which is why they began to instill even more fear in the local population. The gray guards that existed in the region quickly ended, so the hero has no choice but to recruit everyone into his squad: maybe someone will endure the deadly swill. However, the narrative is somehow not going to unfold in the direction of the Main Goal: how the newly minted earl should find teachers who taught the creatures the Russian language is unclear, and, apparently, not only to me, but also to the scriptwriters. Because The main objective is achieved as if in passing: three very SMALL (by the standards of Origins, again) locations that need to be visited for the sake of order, plus the VERY modest size of Amaranthine - that’s, in fact, 85% of the add-on’s locations. Let’s add here the fortress and “side” locations and we are surprised: how, with such a tiny size, the authors managed to fit into the game the standard number of enemies per square meter for the series and manage not to turn the game into a boring battle.
However, not by fighting alone. First of all, it is necessary to resolve state issues. Where to send with difficulty assembled regiment soldier: to defend the city, to drive away creatures from farmland, or to protect trade routes? Should I pay the local mason money to build the fortress? Should we take a dangerous repeat offender into the squad? Also here: how to uncover a conspiracy against your loved one, who to help in the eternal battle between the authorities and the mafia (what a strange question in the conditions of Awakening, isn’t it?) and where, in the end, to place the found cat... In general, almost all of these sacred duties should be familiar to those who once “managed” real estate in the very heart of Amn, so they should not expect any surprises. In general, Bioware has long ago (for me, at least) become a very predictable company, so there’s no point in getting upset about this again. The main thing is that the addition flies by in one and a half to two days, and only the best remains in memory.
This is probably how it should be, because the game does not start from the first level of character development, but somewhere around the twentieth, so already at the very beginning you can feel the solid power that has accumulated on the character statistics screens throughout Dragon Age. Either the new specializations turned out to be too “cool”, or the runes turned out to be more effective, or the talents seriously strengthened the characters, but the fact remains that the average difficulty level of Origins corresponds to higher levels Awakening, which is quite... significant.
Where is everyone?
You can savor finishing off ogres forever.
It's a pity that this is the only thing you can savor...
It is also significant that the scriptwriters diligently cut off all the threads, strings and cords that could lead to - God forbid! - on the events of the original. Yes, the rogue Ogren got into the party, but he went so deep into drinking that he probably no longer remembers that he had a hand in the death of the Archdemon. It’s even sadder with the rest of the characters: modest cameos went to Alistair and Wynn and... that’s all, in general. Mess around with your “additional” plots, don’t meddle with the original, gentlemen, wait for a full-fledged sequel. Instead of lengthy dialogues with comrades in *that* party, it is proposed to occasionally talk with Ogren and five new characters who were specially registered in Amaranthine.
The most colorful (and also the most useful) turned out to be the disgraced magician Anders, who loves to make jokes and extremely dislikes the templars: ironic, cheerful, understanding the essence of what is happening on the screen (“why are we taking her into the squad? Yes, because the woman is trash!”) and incredibly effective - how can you throw something like that out of the bag? Oghren and his beer belly are familiar to us from the events of the original, but the rest of the characters turned out to be not particularly interesting. Alas: there is a catastrophic lack of time to develop characters, there are no romantic lines in store, personal quests crumpled and fleeting. However, the latter applies to all of Awakening as a whole: it’s as if “Inception” was put on fast forward, and the result was... “Awakening”... But is it bad - that is the question.
Answer
Frail, pathetic dragon.
No, not bad. The game simply doesn’t have time to get boring; there are more than enough events, battles and tasks, although I’m not inclined to call the number of the latter “large.” Yes, the game has several side quests, but, alas, the intimacy of what is happening does not imply lengthy chains for several hours, long tunnels, terrible secrets. He went in and out, wiped the blood from the sword and moved on. It’s a shame to even call numerous “side” locations locations: at the entrance, as a rule, there is a ceremonial meeting committee, upon the destruction of which it is announced that the task, in general, has been completed. The only exceptions are underground passages located in large locations, and the area where the final battle takes place. But that’s why this is the final battle, in general.
Returning to the question of how the plot of Awakening develops (which, in my opinion, is more important point rather than, for example, listing new specializations for magicians), it should be noted that we end up in one “important” location because two hunters saw “something,” and in another because someone robs caravans, the third - in order to find a lost guard. As you can see, there are no hints of evil spirits, but, of course, it cannot be done without it. The main plot looks somewhat crumpled and awkward; it is best characterized by this episode from the game: the Earl guard is walking along a path, not bothering anyone, and suddenly a dragon falls on top of him. Almost anything could be more inappropriate than a dragon in that situation (Alistair, Archdemon, Loghain, King Pea), but you just need to see the disposition on the battlefield, as well as the hole into which this dragon, in theory, was going to go after the supposed victory over ours squad. Well, you understand...
The bestial grin of capitalism
From left to right: madwoman, disgraced son, alcoholic, Earl,
runaway mage, empty seat (he hasn’t taken the dwarf into the squad yet), *spoiler*.
Powerful runes that can be used on almost all uniforms, and new character abilities are the key to success in any battle. It’s no joke: the bloody magicians, whom we hated so much throughout “Inception,” can now easily end up in your squad - just buy a textbook and use the fruits of forbidden knowledge as much as you like. The tactics tested in the original turned out to be too cumbersome for an add-on; in Awakening, everything turned out to be much simpler: 95% of battles are won with courage, a cavalry charge and a fleeting meat grinder. Only some bosses, as well as certain combinations of force majeure circumstances (like a magician who for some reason ran to the other end of the dungeon) are capable of forcing the player to load a “save”, and even that is not a fact. Local sellers have a lot of different poultices, first aid kits and potions - enough for all occasions (read: until the end of the game); in extreme cases, you can buy cheap ingredients and figure out the right medicine yourself - it’s a matter of minutes.
For all its “hit”, Dragon Age had shortcomings (which for some reason not everyone noticed), which partially leaked into Awakening. These shortcomings occur at a variety of levels: from the script to, so to speak, the physical and logical. Arrows and fireballs are still flying through walls, party members are doing incomprehensible things (and don’t seem to care at all that the settings have a different behavior model), and designers are planting spawns in the very heart of one of the shelters darkness... human merchant. According to legend, he came to an agreement with the creatures and supplies them with supplies, in essence, helping the party not get bored before the battle with the bosses. This is such a harsh world: if you want to live, know how to turn around...
Without saying goodbye
Hey, you
Yes you are
You are weird
Come here...
In general, it turned out very cheerfully, first of all, I repeat, because it was very fast. 20 hours is not enough by the standards of old role-playing projects, and by the standards of Dragon Age too, but other Bioware games were often only slightly longer than this add-on. And that’s not always the case.
A whole scattering of new possibilities: runes, specializations, talents - all this stuff would be crammed into the original, but no, we can’t wait. The unit is launched, the sequel is being churned out, and you, fellow governors, rejoice at the exorbitant coolness of your characters in Awakening and pray that Dragon Age 2 is not played on the nightmare difficulty with your eyes closed.
In 10 hours...
And this time, EA managed not to screw up the localization, as happened with the original, so you can play Awakening in Russian: allergic reactions will occur only in the most pampered English-speaking players.
The Dragon Age: Awakening expansion brought with it not only a new plot, but also many small and major changes. These include changes in the mechanics of upgrading items using runes. Previously, only weapons could be improved, but now armor can also be enchanted. All items available for upgrade with runes have three special cells. You can combine runes of the same type in any order, there are no restrictions. Runes differ from each other in their power, effect and are divided into seven levels: newbie, journeymen, craftsman, masters, great master, masterpiece, Perfect. The beginner's runes are the weakest, the Perfect's are the strongest. Levels are marked with dots or drawings directly on the runes. The indicators of all runes are summed up, even if the runes are the same.
Runes for weapons and items are not compatible with each other, that is, one type of rune is suitable for weapons, and another type is suitable for armor and items. The list of skills has also expanded. Now you can make runes yourself. For this you need develop the Rune Making skill, consisting of four levels of mastery. The higher the skill level, the more complex runes can be crafted. The runecrafting icon is added to the quickbar located at the bottom of the screen, along with other crafting skills. To make runes in Dragon Age: Awakening you need study a copy (drawing) of the rune, and have etching reagents, empty rune stones and weak runes in your inventory. All components are sold from traders. On one's own set runes it’s impossible, Ambassador Sera is doing this in the throne room of the Tower of Vigil, replacing Sandal, the adopted son of Bodan Feddik.
Types of runes to enhance weapons in Dragon Age: Awakening:
- Dweomer Rune: Increases the chances of reflecting hostile magic.
- Rune of Slow: Increases the chance of reducing enemy movement speed.
- Rune of Paralysis: Increases the chance of paralyzing an enemy.
- Rune of Vigor: Increases physical resistance.
- Iron Rune: Deals extra damage to the dead.
- Silverite Rune: Deals additional damage to creatures of darkness.
- Flame Rune: Adds fire damage.
- Ice Rune: Adds cold damage.
- Charged Rune: Adds electricity damage.
- Strengthening Rune: increases the chances of critical hits at a distance, in close combat, in the back.
- Formidable rune: Increases hostility.
- Rune of Gust: Increases attack speed.
- Rune of the Elements: Increases damage from all elements.
Types of runes to enhance armor in Dragon Age: Awakening:
- Barrier: Increases armor stats.
- Storm: Increases your chances of dodging projectiles.
- Excerpt: Increases physique parameters.
- Endurance: reduces fatigue.
- Capacity: Increases willpower.
- Immunity: Increases resistance to elements.
- Increase: Increases damage from elements, magic, and nature.
- Zeal: Adds invulnerability to flank attacks.
- Slipping away: Increases the chance to dodge an attack.
Number of components for creating runes in Dragon Age: Awakening:
- Beginner's Rune: -
- Rune of the Apprentice: 1 Novice Rune, 1 Rune Stone.
- Craftsman's Rune: 2 beginner runes, 3 rune stones.
- Master's Rune: 4 Novice Runes, 7 Rune Stones, 3 Etching Reagents.
- Grandmaster's Rune: 8 Novice Runes, 15 Rune Stones, 10 Etching Reagents.
- Rune masterpiece: 16 Novice Runes, 31 Runestones, 25 Etching Reagents.
- Rune of the Perfect: 32 Novice Runes, 63 Rune Stones, 56 Etching Reagents.
Places to sell and obtain components for making runes in Dragon Age: Awakening:
- Replica Grandmaster's Ice Rune, Replica Grandmaster Rune: Vigor- books in the throne room of the Vigil Tower.
- Replica Rune of Evasion(8z, 19s, 50m), (55s), Craftsman's Flame Rune Replica(1z, 10s), Replica Master's Flame Rune(3z, 85s), Replica Grandmaster Flame Rune(8z, 19s, 50m), Replica Master's Ice Rune(1z, 10s), Replica Master's Ice Rune(3z, 85s), (55s), Master Rune Replica: Paralysis(1z, 10s), Replica Apprentice Rune: Lightning(55s), Replica Master's Rune: Lightning(1z, 10s), Master Rune Replica: Lightning(3z, 85s), (55s), (55s), (55s), (55s), (1z, 10s), Replica Journeyman Rune: Storm(55s), Replica Master's Rune: Storm(1z, 10s), Master Rune Replica: Storm(3z, 85s), Replica Grandmaster Rune: Storm(8z, 19s, 50m), (55s), (3z, 85s), Etching reagent(8s, 80m), Blank Runestone(55m) - Ambassador Sera in the throne room of the Vigil Tower.
- Replica Rune of Endurance(8z, 94s), Replica Grand Master's Dweomer Rune(8z, 94s), Grandmaster's Replica: Lightning(8z, 94s), Copy of the masterpiece rune: lightning(8z, 40s), Replica Grandmaster's Silverite Rune(8z, 94s), Masterpiece Rune: Slowdown(8z, 40s), Replica Grandmaster Rune: Capacity(8z, 94c) - merchant Uriah in the throne room of the Vigil Tower.
- Copy of the Masterpiece Rune: Dweomer(8z, 40s), Copy of Perfect Rune: Lightning(12z), Replica Silverite Masterpiece Rune(8z, 40s), Masterpiece Rune Copy: Capacity(8z, 40s), Copy of the Perfect Rune: Capacity(12z) - merchant Uriah in the throne room of the Vigilance Tower after updating the assortment (complete the task “Trade must continue”).
- Replica of the Dread Rune(8z, 94s), Replica Journeyman's Iron Rune(60s), Replica of the Craftsman's Iron Rune(1z, 20s), Replica of the Master's Iron Rune(4z, 20s), Replica of the Grand Master's Iron Rune(8z, 94s), Replica Apprentice Rune: Vigor(60s), Copy of the Craftsman's Rune: Cheerfulness(1z, 20s), Master Rune Replica: Cheerfulness(4z, 20s), Replica Journeyman's Silverite Rune(60s), Replica Craftsman's Silverite Rune(1z, 20s), Replica Master's Silverite Rune(4z, 20s), Copy of the craftsman's rune: excerpt(1z, 20s), Master Rune Copy: Excerpt(4z, 20s), Grand Master Rune Replica: Excerpt(8z, 94s), Replica Apprentice Rune: Capacity(1z, 20s), Master Rune Replica: Capacity(4z, 20s) - gunsmith Glassrick from Amaranthine.
- Copy of Increase Rune(8z, 94s), Replica Dweomer Journeyman Rune(60s), A copy of the craftsman's dweomer rune(1z, 20s), Copy of the Dweomer Master Rune(4z, 20s), Replica Apprentice Rune: Paralysis(60s), Master Rune Replica: Paralysis(1z, 20s), Master Rune Replica: Paralysis(4z, 20s), Replica Grandmaster Rune: Paralysis(8z, 94s), Replica Apprentice Rune: Slow(60s), Replica Master's Rune: Slow(1z, 20s), Master Rune Replica: Slow(4z, 20s), (8z, 94s), Replica Apprentice Rune: Immunity(60s), Master Rune Replica: Immunity(1z, 20s), Master Rune Replica: Immunity(4z, 20s), Replica Grandmaster Rune: Immunity(8z, 94c) - grocer Octam from Amaranthine.
- A copy of the enhancement rune(8z, 19s, 50m) - innkeeper from the Crown and Lion tavern in Amaranthine.
- Copy of Masterpiece Rune: Paralysis, Copy of the Perfect Rune: Paralysis- scrolls, vestibule in the main hall of Kal Hirola.
- Masterpiece Rune: Immunity, Copy of the Perfect Rune: Immunity- chest, one of the southeastern rooms on the way to the communal halls and the transition to the Kal Hirola shopping district.
- A copy of the fiery masterpiece rune, Replica of the Paragon's Flame Rune- scrolls, forge in the trading district of Kal Hirola.
- Copy of the masterpiece rune: excerpt, Copy of the Perfect Rune: excerpt- a treasury in the shopping district of Kal Hirola.
- A copy of the elemental rune- scrolls, Hirola Temple in the Kal Hirola shopping district.
- A copy of the iron rune masterpiece, Replica Iron Rune Perfect- scrolls, western room in the slums in the main hall of Kal Hirola.
- Copy of Masterpiece Rune: Storm, Copy of the Perfect Rune: Storm- scrolls, dwarf outpost on the Deep Roads under the Tower of Vigil after clearing the rubble by Sergeant Maverlis.
- A copy of the ice masterpiece rune, Replica of Perfect's Ice Rune- books, the Architect's laboratory in the silverite mine in the Vending forest.
- Copy of the masterpiece rune: vigor, Copy of the Perfect Rune: Vigor- a pile of books, secret room after the hall where the stone statue was destroyed by a ballista shot in the silverite mine in the Vending forest. For the door to become active, you need to get close to the brickwork.
- Elemental Trap Blueprints- a pile of books in the Architect's room in the silverite mine in the Vending forest.
- Replica Zeal Rune, Replica Rune of Gust, Replica Grandmaster Rune: Slow, Copy of the Perfect Rune: Slowdown- chest, port warehouse behind the estate in the Black Swamps. The key to the gate is kept by the Baroness, with whom the battle will take place after returning from the Shadow.
An endless supply of runes from traders in Dragon Age: Awakening:
- Novice Dweomer Rune(71s, 50m), Beginner's Flame Rune(66s), Novice Ice Rune(66s), Novice Rune: Paralysis(1z, 10s), Charged Novice Rune(66s), Cold Forged Iron Novice Rune(66s), Novice Rune: Cheerfulness(63s, 25m), Beginner's Silverite Rune(77s), Novice Rune: Slow(88c), Beginner's Rune: Agility(1z, 32s), Novice Rune: Storm(66s), (88s), Novice Rune: Capacity(1z, 10s) - Ambassador Sera in the throne room of the Vigil Tower.
- Novice Rune: Storm(72s), Novice Rune: Immunity(96c) - merchant Uriah in the throne room of the Vigilance Tower after updating the assortment (complete the task “Trade Must Continue”).
Places to get the best runes in Dragon Age: Awakening:
- Flame Rune Masterpiece- Stefan, prison in the shopping district of Kal Hirola.