The Fade, and the hate thereof
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Believe it or not, the fade is very similar to part of The Hordes of the Underdark module released by Bioware back before EA ate them.
It can be fun and gives you a substantial point boost but as others have said its long and tedious with lots of backtracking to find everything. Being forced to solo it can be a bit of a nightmare as well, I remember abandoning a Archer walkthrough when I found out you couldn't summon any ranger pets to tank for me.
It can be fun and gives you a substantial point boost but as others have said its long and tedious with lots of backtracking to find everything. Being forced to solo it can be a bit of a nightmare as well, I remember abandoning a Archer walkthrough when I found out you couldn't summon any ranger pets to tank for me.
Not too bad. I enjoy seeing our favorite dual-wielding ogre-killer at the start, as well as the little glimpses into the histories of your companions.
And as some say, it's cool when you take down some of these bosses solo...if only to show that your Grey Warden is capable when they're alone.
The puzzle bit is different, and may grow tedious for some sooner than others. You could argue that the level is filler, but I did like how different it was.
And as some say, it's cool when you take down some of these bosses solo...if only to show that your Grey Warden is capable when they're alone.
The puzzle bit is different, and may grow tedious for some sooner than others. You could argue that the level is filler, but I did like how different it was.
Most people who hate this level are those who do more than one playtrough. Sure it's kinda neat the first time around but it feels repetitive the 2nd 3rd and 4th time. More so than the rest of the game.
I don't hate the Fade or the Deep Roads, but they certainly do drag on. I put up with the Fade because of the Spirits you find that drastically give your stats a permanent boost. One reason I like Dragon Age 2 better is because I can't currently recall any sequences that drag on like it. Sure, settings got recycled frequently, but at least they weren't overly convoluted and were well-paced.
Besides which, revisiting old locations built a sense of sentiment for the story.
Besides which, revisiting old locations built a sense of sentiment for the story.
nail on the head. the skip fade mod is amazing and actually makes the circle part not too bad/kind of fun.sneakypenguin said:
i don't mind the deep road section as much for some odd reason, although i do plow through that shit in lightning speed.
i should probably do my 15 playthrough of dragon age here soon...
time to finally finish the origin stories, i'll finally be a dwarf commoner!
It strips you of your party members, with a consequent drop in difficulty and that weird shapeshifting thing so you can tackle all the enemies yourself. In essence, the game stops being a tactical RPG for a few hours and becomes really dull sort of hybrid action game. Also, the visuals are surprisingly boring. I know this is Origins and recycling the same art assets 50 times in the same map is kind of normal, but still.. we're in a fantastic world of dreams and it looks.. like a grey castle. Epic!
Okay, it's a great idea, it's just really poorly implemented. The mini boss fight at the end is pretty cool and some of the scenes with the party trapped in their own dreams are kind of funny. Really, it just gets a lot of hate because it's tedious and really incongruous with the rest of the game.
Also, what was up with all the stat bonuses hidden in random objects? That was just kind of random and never explained.
Okay, it's a great idea, it's just really poorly implemented. The mini boss fight at the end is pretty cool and some of the scenes with the party trapped in their own dreams are kind of funny. Really, it just gets a lot of hate because it's tedious and really incongruous with the rest of the game.
Also, what was up with all the stat bonuses hidden in random objects? That was just kind of random and never explained.
I think everyone has got it covered. It's not bad the first or second time through, but once you get up to that third play through it really starts to grate up against enjoyment. My personal dislike for the Fade section is the constant back tracking. I just don't like having to go through 4 dungeons twice to then slowly get my whole team back to then kill a boss that has 10 forms or how ever many it has. In short, the repetetive nature of that section in the game sucks after the first 2 playthroughs.
Yeah, i tried to keep it alive by bringing different people along for the ride on my second playthrough. It made it a little bit more interesting at least. The section that earns most of my ire is definitely the Deep Roads. Actually i found the whole Orzammar plot line to be pretty fucking tedious.
Off topic: Funny i should see this thread pop up on the same night as i finally beat my first (and second) playthroughs of the game.
Off topic: Funny i should see this thread pop up on the same night as i finally beat my first (and second) playthroughs of the game.
Meh. I am a bit of the exception here: I hated the Fade my first play through. I was on Normal and I was a Mage and I went straight back to the Tower out of Lothering and I died a lot like, I'm talking constant do a room, save, die in the next room 4 times, clear the room, save, die in the next room... you get the picture.Atbird said:
On subsequent replays - and there have been so many of them I had to move characters to a thumb drive to make room for more - I'm much more accepting of the Fade, because I don't die 100 times going through it anymore. Sure, it's tedious, but it isn't long once you've got the hang of it through repeats. Going a little later than immediately after Lothering is a good way to keep from being too weak on your own to manage.
I've still never quite been happy with the explanation of the whole ordeal though. Only Mages are supposed to be aware of being in the Fade, for starters, which you can write off as the Sloth Demon throwing you there I guess. Wynne is a total wet blanket and basically proves she's not a capable Mage by being suckered there. Morrigan, for all her awareness of her illusion is too lazy or incapable to come get YOU instead of the other way around. Oghren being there is ridiculous because he's a Dwarf (and freaks out in Awakenings about being in the Fade later, but not in Origins so much)... it's just a bit of a giant hole in what makes sense to game canon that you have to ignore the whole time.
Eh it was fine but long, I haven't played the game more than once. I played DA2 about three times but I'm the minority on that part...
My problem with the Fade isn't so much that it's bad in and of itself. It's a bit of a slog, sure, but hey, could be worse. You get some interesting powers to play with. My issue is that it conceptually should have been the highlight of the entire game, and it's...not.
First time I played through it I loved it. I love changing into the different forms, I think it is one of the best parts of the game. Second time it really grated on me. It takes forever and I feel like I'm just walking in circles forever. There are just so many tedious quest lines in DA:O and this one kind of takes the cake. I love the idea, hate the execution.
I can see why people dislike it, but I never really minded it too much. Maybe due to the free skillpoints strewn about the place.
But then I also really liked the Deep Roads. The entire dwarven part of the game was my favourite actually.
But then I also really liked the Deep Roads. The entire dwarven part of the game was my favourite actually.
i didn't really have a problem with the fade. I honestly thought you meant the 80's disco icon.
I thougt the Orzammar part was way,way,WAY more tedious, boring segments, an overhanging sence of frustration and annoyance and thge feeling of doing everything over aand over in an extended excercise in futility. But i suppose that was supposed to feel like that, furthering the sense of dread, frustration and hatred that the dwarfes have against venturing into the deep roads.
My problem with the fade (now that i think about it seriously) is that it felt,gimmicky, use this power to go here, do that lever puzzle here. Oh, all those skills you've been cultivating? nope, don't use those, your build is pointless here.
On the other hand, it's been proposed that i did the world map in the wrong order, but dammit, it's open worlded, it's not supposed to be done in the wrong order.
I thougt the Orzammar part was way,way,WAY more tedious, boring segments, an overhanging sence of frustration and annoyance and thge feeling of doing everything over aand over in an extended excercise in futility. But i suppose that was supposed to feel like that, furthering the sense of dread, frustration and hatred that the dwarfes have against venturing into the deep roads.
My problem with the fade (now that i think about it seriously) is that it felt,gimmicky, use this power to go here, do that lever puzzle here. Oh, all those skills you've been cultivating? nope, don't use those, your build is pointless here.
On the other hand, it's been proposed that i did the world map in the wrong order, but dammit, it's open worlded, it's not supposed to be done in the wrong order.
Every time I play through Origins (that's thrice now) I always play The Mages Tower first, because Wynne. I need a healer. That makes The Fade sequence extra tedious, thanks to my low stats. It is a good place to start though, get the worst part of the game over with and bolster up my stats early.
Conversely, I always do the Orzammar sequence last, so I can appreciate the change in scenery more and be ready for that fucking Broodmother. Always though, by the end of it I'm sick of being underground and long for the blue sky.
Conversely, I always do the Orzammar sequence last, so I can appreciate the change in scenery more and be ready for that fucking Broodmother. Always though, by the end of it I'm sick of being underground and long for the blue sky.
Both walking through the place and the background where all very boring. This part of the game takes place in the tower of mages and even in the fade, surely they could have made the place more interesting.
I did like the bossfight and the concept of a demon trapping your party members in a dream or nightmare but it was just poorly executed.
I did like the bossfight and the concept of a demon trapping your party members in a dream or nightmare but it was just poorly executed.