# Dragon's Dogma



## tommers (Feb 16, 2012)

Stupid name, possibly an interesting game.

Oblivion mixed with dark souls?   That makes me incredibly wet.

http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1246721/dragons_dogma_7_reasons_why_its_the_dark_souls_of_2012.html

Oh and PLAY DARK SOULS, IT IS AMAZING.

Ahem.


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## tommers (Apr 25, 2012)

Demo is out now on XBL and PSN.

I played it last night... it looks like it might be quite good.  There isn't a vast amount of content in it but you get to fight a hippogriff and a gryphon.  Very arcadey combat and some stuff (i.e. amount of different weapons and armour - customising your character) looks quite promising.  Not sure about the whole multiplayer thing.  Feels a bit like games used to before they had widespread multiplayer.  (You can't summon other players, you summon their NPCs.)

It's 1.5 gig.  Worth a try.


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## tommers (May 24, 2012)

BMD - can't help but notice you're playing this - any good?


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## bmd (May 27, 2012)

I really like this game. I didn't really get into Skyrim because I was burned out from the others and it didn't seem different enough to warrant another go round. I played quite a bit of Dark Souls but didn't get very far but I might go back to it. 

What do I like about this? Its a bit of a paradox, there are some things that make it a pleasure such as the combine function in the menu, you can make potions easily and then there's the map system that is the most awful in any game I've ever played, it makes finding quest locations really hard if you want to just go there and it doesn't let you fast travel unless you have a special item that costs a lot. Sometimes you get given one at the end of a quest and sometimes not.

I love the way they utilise night and day. You get attacked more at night and you can only see to the limit of your lantern's reach. You get different monsters out at night and find different items too.

I really like the monsters in it. There are some massive ones like the cyclops, griffins and cockatrices, which you have to leap onto, climb up and smash away at their weakspots. I was on my way to somewhere, on a country road when I was attacked by a griffin. First I knew about it was its massive shadow as it flew over me and when I jumped on it we went for a flight around the area until it threw me off and I died.

There are some great quests such as retaking the fort, even getting there turns into a quest but finding the place took the shine off it as the map is a 'fog of war' type map and the route is nowhere near where I thought it was. So lots of trial and error and reading walkthroughs.

You have 3 NPCs who accompany you, called pawns. One of them is your main pawn and you get to choose their class and then you buy equipment for them throughout the game and can modify their behaviours at certain points too. They also double as your packhorse which comes in handy if you decide to go for heavy fighter as most of your allowance is taken up with your armour. I like the fact that you have to keep swapping the other two out as they don't level up with you and your main pawn. It gives you more of an incentive to keep trying different combinations. I'm a Fighter and my main pawn is a Mage and I've settled on another mage and a strider for health back up, ranged fire and magical enhancements to my blade. I go in and tank the enemies and they all provide ranged support. The strider can melee too if needed.

Basic classes or vocations are Fighter, Mage and Strider. You can then specialise later on. You get the choice of a basic customisation process or a little more in depth one but this whole game is kind of an arcade rpg so it concentrates on getting you into the action rather than choosing what kind of lips your character should have. That said your character's height and weight define how much you can carry and how much reach you have if you're a fighter.

I'm loving it so far. It has really grabbed me as it suits my style of play with RPGs; jump in and fight. I'm not massively keen on the way they make you walk everywhere time and again but that's about it for moans.


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## tommers (May 27, 2012)

Cool, thanks for that.  I've been reading up on it and there seems to be a discrepancy between the reviews (mostly a bit dodge) and people actually playing it (it has flaws but is also amazing).  I ordered it last night, so it should get here next week.  let me know your pawn's name.  Is the multiplayer good?  I like the sound of it but I'd like to be able to actually get real people to help.

Some of the stories that people tell about how your party work together sound really good.


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## bmd (May 27, 2012)

My pawn's name is Dave. Can you coop this? That would be excellent. 

Just got through the cult quest, which was fun. You know that spot that you hit in an RPG where you level up enough to feel like you don't need to worry quite so much about getting killed in every battle? I've just hit level 25 and it feels like that. The mages have some great area spells now too. Raining fireballs etc.

I've seen a few reviews and they seemed generally positive about it. 360 version got 75 on Metacritic - http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-360/dragons-dogma


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## tommers (May 28, 2012)

I don't think you can co-op as such, but you can pick each other's pawns for your party.

Yeah, I think reviews have been positive, just not as positive as stuff I'm reading on forums about people actually playing it IYSWIM.  I'll think I'll call my pawn Chas.  Cos that will amuse me.


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## bmd (May 28, 2012)

I was thinking that I should have picked a better name and made him look a bit cooler and then more people would pick my pawn but there don't seem to be many benefits to that. If I use someone else's pawn I can't be bothered rating them and as they're just, you know, a bit of code I'm not gonna present them with something from my inventory for their efforts

I have been reading reviews of it and the ones that say the combat is cool but the environment isn't are spot on imo. It's being compared to Monster Hunter, which I haven't played enough of to comment on but I do think the comparisons to the Elder Scrolls series are a bit premature, that's on its 5th iteration. I will be interested to see what they do with the next one but so far its arcade rpgness suits me fine.


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## tommers (Jun 2, 2012)

That's a nice hood that Dave has.


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## bmd (Jun 2, 2012)

tommers said:


> That's a nice hood that Dave has.



Lol, was it you who gave him a job? He came back with some rotten meat and a few dried fish for his troubles.


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## tommers (Jun 2, 2012)

I gave him a broom!  He's still with me to be honest.  I like it that you see your xbox friend's pawns first and it doesn't cost you anything to hire them - even if they're 20 levels higher than you.

Do you know how to use levitation?  I have it as a core skill but it doesn't seem to stop me dying.


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## tommers (Jun 3, 2012)

I'm a bit unsure about it. I've got loads of quests and I can't get to any of them cos I'm so weak.  And the attacks just seem to be non stop once you leave any safe haven.

I've got rid of Dave though (sorry), I think I need more warriors rather than another mage.  Seems to be working a bit better.


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## bmd (Jun 3, 2012)

tommers said:


> I gave him a broom!  He's still with me to be honest.  I like it that you see your xbox friend's pawns first and it doesn't cost you anything to hire them - even if they're 20 levels higher than you.
> 
> Do you know how to use levitation?  I have it as a core skill but it doesn't seem to stop me dying.



I think levitation is just double jump, you're a strider right? 

You have to get to Gran Soren to get some decent quests that don't immediately kill you. Go in the day, just sleep at the inn to get from night to day without waiting.


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## tommers (Jun 4, 2012)

Yeah, I got a bit further last night.  Found a few more quests in the first village and so I levelled up a bit with those.

I found a little gate in the capital and went through it.  Found a river thing. So I followed it and there were loads of undead.  They went down very easily to my fire staff but then some kind of sorcerer appeared who completely kicked our asses and was basically impervious to any attacks so we had to leg it.

That's kind of cool and not cool at the same time.


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## bmd (Jun 4, 2012)

Hmm,  not seen that one, sounds fun.  I'm wandering around in the Witchwood atm. I've started playing Skyrim again for some comparisons and it's better in just about every respect but I am saving my way through it as it's quite easy to get killed, which is a bit dull. I like DD for the fighting bits but the environment is shit tbh. Hopefully they will address that as new versions come out.


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## tommers (Jun 4, 2012)

It's got better the further I've got. At least now I manage to stay alive a bit.  And the pawn thing is growing on me.  Had some proper battles with creatures.  It's good. 

Do you mean Skyrim or this is better? And have you worked out how to make weapons and armour?

Things I don't like - I kill a Cyclops,  go back to rest and when I come back it's in exactly the same place.  The whole DLC thing is a load of rabid dog's cock too.


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## tommers (Jun 5, 2012)

I've only just figured out that herbs and stuff like that restores your health fully. It's only magic that doesn't.    that makes it all a whole lot easier.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Jun 5, 2012)

yeah apparently  it's a  bit dull environmentally  and all the monsters  re-spawn in the same place.


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## tommers (Jun 5, 2012)

I quite like the environment!  Bit weird that there'll be a load of goblins just stood around, about 2 metres away from townspeople carrying parcels - AND NOBODY DOES ANYTHING, but it looks nice and it's not got the endless ravines and mountains that stop you getting fucking anywhere in Skyrim.

Some of the areas are a bit linear I suppose.


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## bmd (Jun 5, 2012)

tommers said:


> It's got better the further I've got. At least now I manage to stay alive a bit. And the pawn thing is growing on me. Had some proper battles with creatures. It's good.
> 
> Do you mean Skyrim or this is better? And have you worked out how to make weapons and armour?
> 
> Things I don't like - I kill a Cyclops, go back to rest and when I come back it's in exactly the same place. The whole DLC thing is a load of rabid dog's cock too.


 
I meant Skyrim is better but I do agree about the terrain, you only have to walk a bit to find a way round it in DD. The whole respawn this gets really old. You'll hear "Look out, Goblins!" every time you go up that pass, whatever it's called, to the Shadowfort. You'd think they'd learn.

For health you can try combining stuff, if it doesn't work you don't get penalised but I've only ever used health and stamina potions anyway. The one that stops your stamina draining for a while is well useful for the bigger monsters. I had a shitload of potions and ended up cashing them in cos me and Dave were lugging them everywhere and never using them. I like the way food goes off if you don't use it and it goes off more quickly if you get wet. You can get a vacuum flask to sort that at some point. Have you done the quest next to the pawn stone in Gran Soren yet?

Oh and are you going to get into Guild Wars 2? I was thinking we could get an Urban guild together.


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## tommers (Jun 5, 2012)

The quest where you have to investigate the everfall?  Yeah, that was a good one.

I just found out that there is time -limited DLC in this.  Even though I bought it for full price I don't get it cos I didn't have the game at the right time. What a load of shit.

I haven't thought about guild wars tbh. Never really played an MMO before.


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## bmd (Jun 5, 2012)

tommers said:


> The quest where you have to investigate the everfall? Yeah, that was a good one.
> 
> I just found out that there is time -limited DLC in this. Even though I bought it for full price I don't get it cos I didn't have the game at the right time. What a load of shit.
> 
> I haven't thought about guild wars tbh. Never really played an MMO before.


 
Jesus, that is really shit about the dlc. I blame Bethesda. 

As for Guild Wars 2, I haven't ever played an MMO either but if I was going to then it would be GW2. FF the vid to 2mins and check it out. Can't believe that she's got a shotgun, kind of imagined it would be sworcery. Should probably carry this on on Shippy's GW2 thread.


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## Shippou-Sensei (Jun 5, 2012)

fuck me someone  threated to post on my gw2 thread?


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## tommers (Jun 5, 2012)

I was wrong about the dlc.


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## bmd (Jun 5, 2012)

Shippou-Sensei said:


> fuck me someone  threated to post on my gw2 thread?



Not really sure why there's not more, loads of urbs played the last one iirc.



tommers said:


> I was wrong about the dlc.



Oh good. Well, we can still be angry about dlc generally though.


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