Dragon's Dogma

Thanks for updating Anderson. I really need to start playing this game again. I got it right after finishing Dark Souls and didn't want to get hooked on a game for 200 hours again right away.

To me DD is a gem that is rough around the edges but it's got so much potential. The sequel should be incredible.

And your day & night experiences were exactly how I felt. I felt like I was adventuring during the day and when night began to come I better get my A** home! Ha ha.
 
I'm hooked now. Bleary eyed after a long session. Level 28. About 23 hours in. Doing main questline stuff mostly. Getting close to speaking with the Duke about the dragon hunt.

The combat is a lot of fun, especially with the ability to change classes. I tried Warrior (two-handed weapons) for a while but that was kind of dull, just slowly swinging a big sword. I'm a Mystic Knight now, which is a lot better. Plenty of options. I like how you have all the discipline points and money you need to upgrade, there is no real shortage.

Pretty much every time I come back from a quest, I trade out pawns. I haven't actually "bought" any yet, just taking the free ones that are my level. It's a nice system when it works right, because you can constantly switch up your party. Sometimes the pawns have useful advice, so I don't find them as annoying as other people have.

It's open world but feels sort of linear, the way it funnels you along paths and through caverns. Not a bad thing, necessarily. But I don't find myself wanting to just wander and wander here, like I do in other RPGs. I am more quest-driven. Part of that is the day/night thing -- wanderlust is punished by that, which is a downside. Also, exploration isn't all that interesting here, because the landscape tends to be (so far anyhow) pretty much the same, with lots of the same types of enemies and lots of little loot but nothing major.

All in all, though, I'm enjoying it. The fast travel options are good. There is plenty of freedom. Quests are interesting, as long as I stay away from the notice board stuff. The progression is quick and rewarding. I like the pawns, for the most part. It's a big game, so I've only scratched the surface.
 
loved this game
ended up with friends from japan
I just want to know when #2 is coming out

its actually very open world, as after the intro you can go anywhere you chose to
but if you are not leveled up, not a smart thing to do
 
But I don't find myself wanting to just wander and wander here, like I do in other RPGs. I am more quest-driven. Part of that is the day/night thing -- wanderlust is punished by that, which is a downside. Also, exploration isn't all that interesting here, because the landscape tends to be (so far anyhow) pretty much the same, with lots of the same types of enemies and lots of little loot but nothing major.

It's the respawning enemies that mar this. Leveling up at the beggining can be Hell if you get lost and get trapped by a higher level group of bandits or wolves. But in many other aspects this game is a dream come true when you boil it to its bare elements. Randomly encountering a lich is admitedly more engaging than in the ES series (and I'm the first to defend the ES series). (sigh) If only hadn't gone overboard with the difficulty...

The prospective sequel needs more towns,more story and more...more..
 
Yeah, I remember that, Ketto.

Question for anyone listening -- if I "buy" a pawn using my rift crystals, do I get those rift crystals back when I turn that pawn in or surrender him? Or are all those crystals forfeit? In other words, can I sell my used pawn like a used game and recoup some of my money?

And do the pawns you buy level up? It seems like the free ones don't level up. So I'm always trading them in after I gain a couple levels. I don't want to buy one, then have him be under-levelled in a couple of days.

its actually very open world, as after the intro you can go anywhere you chose to

Yeah, I think I avoid doing that because of a few things:

1. My pawns keep warning me to stick to the road, and I'm still pretty early on, so I'm listening.
2. Landscape is pretty same-ish, so nothing really calls to me.
3. I'm concerned that if I start wandering, I'm going to end up running out of daylight.

But I need to start free-roaming more. That's one of my favorite things to do in most open-world games.
 
I don't know the answers to those questions but I'd like to know as well.

I believe Krause played the game so I bet he can answer.
 
Yeah, I remember that, Ketto.

Question for anyone listening -- if I "buy" a pawn using my rift crystals, do I get those rift crystals back when I turn that pawn in or surrender him? Or are all those crystals forfeit? In other words, can I sell my used pawn like a used game and recoup some of my money?

And do the pawns you buy level up? It seems like the free ones don't level up. So I'm always trading them in after I gain a couple levels. I don't want to buy one, then have him be under-levelled in a couple of days.



Yeah, I think I avoid doing that because of a few things:

1. My pawns keep warning me to stick to the road, and I'm still pretty early on, so I'm listening.
2. Landscape is pretty same-ish, so nothing really calls to me.
3. I'm concerned that if I start wandering, I'm going to end up running out of daylight.

But I need to start free-roaming more. That's one of my favorite things to do in most open-world games.

Money spent on pawns is gone (you rented them is a way to think about it). Pawns other than your main pawn do not level up. I never spent a dime on pawns.

The inclinations of pawns is important and most the ones tied with the directions you can give them suck. For example, Mages i like Medicant: A pawn that will heal and keep the party alive and Challenger: A pawn that will attack enemies using ranged or magick first. While if you give the direction to protect the Arisen will typically change them to Guardian: A pawn that will stay near and guard the Arisen. Guardian (in my opinion) works against the strengths of the mage- distance for spells and healing since if you have a mage for a main pawn you likely are a melee/close range character. But with Guardian they are sitting right there with you trying to protect you instead of far away just launching spells. So i suggest finding what you want the pawns to be for inclinations and not give directions.

The game i think really gets interesting in the post game and BBI. So if you like it now, i think you'll really like it then.
 
Thanks, Krause, that helps. I think I'll just forget about buying pawns, then. I haven't needed to so far. I appreciate the tips about inclinations, too -- I hadn't been considering that. Cheers.
 
Are pawns NECESSARY to use/have fight alongside you in order to play/complete the game? They sound like more of a hassle than a hinderance with their terrible AI and incessant dialog, I'd be perfectly happy going completely solo, sans pawns, if I can. I haven't played this game yet (obviously) but I do plan on getting Dark Arisen at some point on PS3.
 
Other people with more knowledge of the game should answer that question, Ryubusa, but I'll give my two cents, just based on my 23 hrs experience.

Despite their shortcomings, I'm glad to have the pawns along. I've actually grown to like them. Although their AI did cause me problems in two instances (see post 30), overall, I've found them useful and not overly annoying. I certainly wouldn't want to do without them. There are times you get mobbed by a bunch of enemies all at once (e.g., half a dozen bandits on the ground, some huge eagle from the air), and you really need other party members to take some of the heat. And fights with large monsters can be very difficult at times. I would not want to try those solo. Plus, you pick the other party members to balance out your group (tank, melee, archer, combat mage, healer mage, etc.), rather than try to be jack of all trades, master of none.

Despite what others have said about the chatter, I haven't found it that bad. Yeah, they repeat themselves. Most of the time, it's easy to ignore. Sometimes they'll say something useful. I kind of like having company on my treks, so I'm okay with it. I actually kind of like having them along. I like trading them out, thinking about what kind of party I want, mixing it up, trying different combos. I think the pawns add a lot to the game.
 
Are pawns NECESSARY to use/have fight alongside you in order to play/complete the game? They sound like more of a hassle than a hinderance with their terrible AI and incessant dialog, I'd be perfectly happy going completely solo, sans pawns, if I can. I haven't played this game yet (obviously) but I do plan on getting Dark Arisen at some point on PS3.

The game actually has a skill if you play without pawns, its called autonomy.

This is what i found on it. "When the Arisen is on their own at any time, Strength and Magickal Attack are increased by 20% and Defense and Magick Defense are increased by 30%.". In Vanilla Dragon's Dogma the attacks were a higher rate.

Once you get the inclinations closer to a style you want, they shouldn't tick you off too much. Most the time they give you some breathing room against enemies, and clearly can help you beat them as well. Plus, you have the option of playing solo up to having three pawns (your choice of the amount) so its flexible.
 
Thanks Krause for your help. I just knew you'd know what to do.

Like I said before, gotta get back to this game!

(What are you playing right now by the way?)
 
Yeah, I remember that, Ketto.


But I need to start free-roaming more. That's one of my favorite things to do in most open-world games.

I did do free roaming just as soon as I could
I can never resist.. so yeah some areas are really hard
but heh, what a challenge to destroy someone levels higher than you are!! and actually do it!!
some areas will be blocked as you will go there during the main quest.. so they blocked a few areas off in advance
but not that many
as soon as I could buy those stones and open those fast travel portalsup, I did so
they stay on your second and subsequent play throughs

and no you cannot get your crystals back least when I last played it you could not
 
ps also have a mage that can heal, especially if you are going after monsters at a level much higher than yours
I did one entire battle in a healing pond

cuz when I started I went left on the first path instead of going forward.. too easy one you level up
 
All gameplay aside,anyone else always found the subservant attitude of Pawns a bit on the creepy side? You can tell this was made in Japan...
 
Thanks Krause for your help. I just knew you'd know what to do.

Like I said before, gotta get back to this game!

(What are you playing right now by the way?)

I have been playing alot of Far Cry 3 and XCom Enemy Within. I still have a backlog on the PS3, so playing thru much of that. Really liking Far Cry 3. Looking forward to Outlast on the PS4 in Feb, the last of us DLC in mid feb and of course Dark Souls 2 on March 11.
 
All gameplay aside,anyone else always found the subservant attitude of Pawns a bit on the creepy side? You can tell this was made in Japan...

It's a little strange, yeah. We live to serve. We have no souls. Exchange us like chess pieces. Send us away with a gift for our owners.
 
Gah, I take back the nice things I said about pawns. All three of them killed themselves and ruined a long quest. First, my main pawn falls off a cliff during a fight. Or maybe she got smacked off the cliff, I'm not sure. In any case, I can't reach her, so she's a goner. Then, after struggling to survive for about another hour, my two support pawns decide to fall off a platform to their deaths, instead of just climb a ladder like a normal person. I was trying to make my way toward some beasty's lair, but I couldn't get there, thanks to my suicidal pawns -- who, by the way, also devoured all my healing supplies.

I had to just give up and return to Gran Soren. Thank goodness for the ferrystones. But still, it felt like a big waste of time. It's annoying knowing that all that time spent on the quest was for naught, and if I want to try again, I will have to re-trace that whole journey (a long one) and fight a lot of the same monsters all over again. Meh.
 
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Gah, I take back the nice things I said about pawns. All three of them killed themselves and ruined a long quest. First, my main pawn falls off a cliff during a fight. Or maybe she got smacked off the cliff, I'm not sure. In any case, I can't reach her, so she's a goner.

I've run into issues like that on occasion as well. Save often.
 
Gah, I take back the nice things I said about pawns. All three of them killed themselves and ruined a long quest. First, my main pawn falls off a cliff during a fight. Or maybe she got smacked off the cliff, I'm not sure. In any case, I can't reach her, so she's a goner. Then, after struggling to survive for about another hour, my two support pawns decide to fall off a platform to their deaths, instead of just climb a ladder like a normal person. I was trying to make my way toward some beasty's lair, but I couldn't get there, thanks to my suicidal pawns -- who, by the way, also devoured all my healing supplies.

I had to just give up and return to Gran Soren. Thank goodness for the ferrystones. But still, it felt like a big waste of time. It's annoying knowing that all that time spent on the quest was for naught, and if I want to try again, I will have to re-trace that whole journey (a long one) and fight a lot of the same monsters all over again. Meh.

Hmm, I can't recall very many instances of things like that happening. I mean sure, the pawns can do silly things or get killed from time to time, but for the most part they were fine.

Can you describe where you were when this happened?

The biggest trouble was when I went into a dangerous area way under-leveled. The pawns would quickly get killed and be mostly a waste of space.

There were times when they fell to their death I guess, but usually their death was because of a giant beast or something.

You can save anywhere, so be sure to do it after a long trip or a hard fight. There's no reason not to.

You also don't have to give your pawns that many healing items. I usually just kept a healing-mage in the party and used whatever herbs or health drinks were most efficient. I tried to keep a relatively organized inventory. It also helped that my character was big enough to carry a bunch of stuff. Only give your pawns healing items when you want them to use them. For the most part, they should be carrying materials and heavy items that you can't use right away.
 
Godsmack, it was on a quest called The Conspirators, which is the one Fedel hands you at night on the castle grounds, about retrieving stolen documents. It takes you through the Cursed woods and then Soulflayer Canyon. On the way up, there is a steep canyon trail, and that is where my main pawn fell. Later, you enter a large cave/cavern, with lots of ascents and descents, with lots of snow harpies and phantasms. It was there that my other two pawns did their suicide dives (trying to jump from one wooden platform to the next, they overshot and fell to their deaths, one after the other).

I completed a couple of other quests and made some changes, and things are going a lot better now. I changed my occupation to Assassin, which I like better than Mystic Knight. I bought my main pawn, a Scorcerer, the best gear I could find and levelled up her skills. I added a healing Mage to the party. Even though it feels weird to have two mage type characters, it seems to work well.

I'm enjoying it. It's a fun game. Managing inventory is a bit cumbersome sometimes, because there are so many items and combinations. I can't say I'm engaged in the story at all, but that's okay. For now, I'm enjoying levelling up, getting stronger, and exploring new areas.
 
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Ah yes, that area is definitely one of the most troublesome for falling to your death. At least in other areas, you can retrieve your pawns if they fall, though there are still places where you won't be able to get to them in time. Those canyons can give you some really nice items, but they are very risky.
 
Enjoying the game quite a bit now. Level 38 Assassin, 45 hours in. I'm levelled up enough now that I don't need to worry about where I roam or whether it's nighttime, so I'm doing a lot of open-world exploring, which is fun.

I like the fact that you are constantly opening up new skills and augments (as opposed to other RPGs, where you are often just levelling up the same skills). Combat continues to be a lot of fun, too, which is a nice treat. Not too keen on the respawning enemies, but oh well.
 
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Ok, I'm all done. At least I think I am. I slayed the Dragon, which took a long time -- time enough to think, man I wish I could go back and decide to be a weasle and sacrifice my "beloved". It was very silly and awkward, because my "love interest" turned out to be Aldous, the quest-giver in the castle. I had no idea you were supposed to have a love interest in this game. Apparently the game picked Aldous for the role, because his affinity for me was higher than other characters. I'd given him a few blank scrolls. I hadn't done anything to earn anyone else's approval, so I guess he was the only choice. I guess I missed the whole "love interest" angle.

Anyway, it was very strange and not terrible motivating, to be making such a dramatic choice at the end, based on such a "love interest," and then to engaging in such a prolonged battle with such a ferocious beast, in order to save ....my beloved Aldous? And then, lol, the scene where we are embracing in the firelight. Awkward...

Anyway, so now I'm post-endgame, I think, down in the Everfall, tasked with collecting stones. Collecting stones. I saved the world (or ruined it, I suppose, six of one...). Collect your own stones.

It was a good game. I'll probably putter around and do some miscellaneous questing until the fun wears off. I don't think I loved it the way some others did, but I enjoyed the combat and exploration.
 
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Ok, I'm all done. At least I think I am. I slayed the Dragon, which took a long time -- time enough to think, man I wish I could go back and decide to be a weasle and sacrifice my "beloved". It was very silly and awkward, because my "love interest" turned out to be Aldous, the quest-giver in the castle. I had no idea you were supposed to have a love interest in this game. Apparently the game picked Aldous for the role, because his affinity for me was higher than other characters. I'd given him a few blank scrolls. I hadn't done anything to earn anyone else's approval, so I guess he was the only choice. I guess I missed the whole "love interest" angle.

Anyway, it was very strange and not terrible motivating, to be making such a dramatic choice at the end, based on such a "love interest," and then to engaging in such a prolonged battle with such a ferocious beast, in order to save ....my beloved Aldous? And then, lol, the scene where we are embracing in the firelight. Awkward...

Anyway, so now I'm post-endgame, I think, down in the Everfall, tasked with collecting stones. Collecting stones. I saved the world (or ruined it, I suppose, six of one...). Collect your own stones.

It was a good game. I'll probably putter around and do some miscellaneous questing until the fun wears off. I don't think I loved it the way some others did, but I enjoyed the combat and exploration.

Best part of the game is the Everfall and Bitterblack Isle, in my opinion you're just starting the best stuff of the game. Especially, Bitterblack for me.
 
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One thing about the difficulty level is that for me it gave the whole game a survival horror feel. The game can't actually harm you, but it sure as hell can kill an hour or two you've invested. I haven't done that much running in an RPG since Final Fantasy I.