Following the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard in October, many players who wish to dive into this wonderful franchise will require some tips before getting started. Starting with Dragon Age Origins back in 2009, the game itself has a solid base. It provides a more flexible and open gameplay experience for those gamers who want a little more challenge from their RPGs. However, Dragon Age has always been an uncommon experience from more traditional RPGs and therefore requires some tips on getting started.
After all, it is not The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. In fact, it is far from it.
To compare Dragon Age to Skyrim is almost an insult to the Dragon Age franchise. Instead, it would be better to suggest that Dragon Age has a much more solid foundation to Skyrim, with a bit more of a rigid structure. By this, it means that there is a certain way to play Dragon Age. One cannot simply jump into these games without knowing what they are getting themselves into.
So, here are some tips on how to tackle your Dragon Age experience:
• Companions/Party swapping
For many people, when starting in their RPGs, they like to head out solo. But, if you try to do this in a Dragon Age game, you are setting yourself up for a difficult time. So, one of these tips for your Dragon Age experience is to remember your party. Throughout the game, your traveling party and companions will become the most vital part of your adventure. You must remember to update their skill trees, upgrade their gear, and have their combat capabilities match yours. After all, it will be of no use to you if your entire party is full of mages.
Also, it is important to swap out your party when you are struggling. Sometimes, instead of trying to force your way through a difficult section, it is better to swap out your party members with other, differently skilled companions. By constantly changing the dynamics of your party, you will find that certain strategies work better than others.
• Tactical View
Adding to this list of tips for Dragon Age is to remember that it is a very different mistress. Especially for an RPG. Instead of giving the player weapons and armor and letting them wander the landscapes alone, Dragon Age wants to be played very differently. This takes its form in the mechanic known as Tactical View. This is a unique camera perspective that allows the player to control their party rather than just using one character and letting the Ai control the others. Using the Tactical View gives players a proper view of the battlefield, enemy stats, and the best approach for certain battles.
Sometimes, it is better to engage the Tactical View when in a big boss fight, like with a dragon. It is not always useful for the smaller groups of enemies you will most likely encounter. Tactical View is best used sparingly, but also often.
• Save Often
This isn’t one of those tips that only applies to Dragon Age. But a general rule with any RPG – that is still very useful for Dragon Age games – is to save often. Players will find themselves engaged in various conversations. Some of these conversations will have very pinnacle decisions to make, and others will be very minimalist in their control over the narrative. However, it is important to save before making any major decisions that may disturb the narrative or the quest’s ending. This way, players can rewind from time to back before they made the stupid decision and correct it. After all, that’s what the save system’s there for, right?
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• Equipment
Because Dragon Age is quite specific in its gameplay design, players will find that their characters will be limited to their class. This is one of the more complicated tips for Dragon Age.
Players will discover that certain characters can only carry certain equipment. Obviously, you can pick up whatever equipment you can find, but to use it in battle is a very different story. For example, if you are a mage, you can only really wield staves. However, rogues are limited to daggers and bows. There isn’t really any changing of classes in the Dragon Age games. So, if you find yourself not enjoying the class you originally chose, you will have to respect your character and start from the beginning.
There is no changing your mind.
• Side Quests
Always do the side quests! Out of all the tips on this list, this one will be the most useful in your Dragon Age playthroughs. These quests are very important for players who need to farm experience points and level up. For the earlier Dragon Age games, these side quests were paramount in leveling up their characters because of the enemy de-spawning system that meant when certain areas were clear, they were clear forever. This meant that backtracking wasn’t a viable option. So, many Dragon Age players will find that side quests are their best friends, and sometimes they are much more convoluted and enjoyable than the main questlines.
• Decisions
Making decisions to affect the narrative isn’t something new introduced by the Dragon Age franchise. Instead, this has been something that RPGs love to do. In Dragon Age, your decisions matter to the highest degree. The character controls the narrative of the world. If you make a small decision that seems inconsequential, you may come to find that it has dire results later in the game. So, always be careful with what you decide in your Dragon Age playthrough.
Whether you are experiencing Dragon Age for the first time with The Veilguard or are interested in getting stuck into the Dragon Age franchise, these are some tips you will need to know. If you are new to the Dragon Age franchise, my recommendation would be to start with Inquisition as it has the most adaptable play style to those new to the tactical RPG and is very user-friendly to new players.
