• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen |OT| deep down darkness

Screaming Meat

Unconfirmed Member
Started playing this recently? Where are the shops? I did the escort mission and I'm in Gran Soren. No shops in the city?

There are a couple in the main square around the central market (on the left as you come out the gate). The Black Cat is off to the right as you come out the gate, deep into the city. Very expensive though.

They sell masterworks all, you can't go wrong.
 
Wow, nobody's been here for awhile now... Well here goes:

I've actually had this game for awhile and kept putting it down midway through due to circumstances outside of the game itself. But I kept remembering this game because it always felt awesome to take down ginormous creatures. Well Finals ended for me last Friday so I reckon it's time to fire up DD:DA again.

I started a new character on Saturday. Beat the game Tuesday night. Now onto NG+. Now I don't have to pretend to know how great this game is because now I know. This game is badass. The Arisen and her Pawn are absolutely badass. Everything about this game besides Fournival is freaken badass.

Even the ending is badass. It broke my heart to hear
the Arisen's Pawn calling out to her as they free-fell. "MASTERRRRR!!!" I felt that the Pawn was really attached to the Arisen.
Still though the ending was beautiful. And badass.
 
Bought the game a few days back.

The gameplay is really good, fast and fun.

Maybe im so used to the presentation of games like Witcher or Fallout. The way that the story is presented on DD is not what i was hoping for, i don't know how to explain.

But love the monsters and some quest are fun.

But i already start the game 2 times, because i dont know how to start.
Never played the original DD, should i play normal and the go hard mode on the NG+ or go first Hard mode?

Is the game very difficult ??
 

stn

Member
But i already start the game 2 times, because i dont know how to start.
Never played the original DD, should i play normal and the go hard mode on the NG+ or go first Hard mode?

Is the game very difficult ??
I've had it since release and only now decided to get back into it. I'd recommend doing either easy or normal for a first playthrough, the game is quite hard. I will sometimes die, even on easy, if I'm not careful.
 
Bought the game a few days back.

The gameplay is really good, fast and fun.

Maybe im so used to the presentation of games like Witcher or Fallout. The way that the story is presented on DD is not what i was hoping for, i don't know how to explain.

But love the monsters and some quest are fun.

But i already start the game 2 times, because i dont know how to start.
Never played the original DD, should i play normal and the go hard mode on the NG+ or go first Hard mode?

Is the game very difficult ??

Yeah like stn said, I also recommend going the normal/easy route for now to familiarize yourself with the gameplay before tackling hard mode. It can be a very challenging game.
 
Thank you both for the answers ;)
Will try normal if i struggler a bit i dumb down to easy.



I must say this is really a nice game, i remember when DD first came out, it didn't make me want the game, maybe because i knew almost nothing about the game, then came the expansion and it was a game i always wanted to buy but i never done that.


Thats why i like the end of a gen, i now buy some games that i would never buy it back then, try new games, new ip's.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
Hard Mode isn't that fun and I say this as a fan of Souls games. It just makes monsters do more damage and gives them more health, really, so it makes the game more tedious than challenging. I wouldn't really recommend it. Besides, Bitterblack Isle on Normal is plenty challenging as it is.

Go with Normal, if that's still too hard I guess you can take it down a notch to Easy but I don't know if that makes the game brain-dead or what, never tried it.
 
Are you two sure it wasn't enemy damage? I don't remember enemies getting more HP but the only real thing I didn't like about Hard Mode was the large stamina penalty, I could put up with everything else. All else considered though, I also prefer normal/easy over hard. Also from what I remember, Easy mode doesn't affect AI just enemy health which is good for grinding materials and loot quicker.

EDIT:
Here are the hard mode changes:
http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Hard_Mode

Also GokaiMarvelous:
While it isn't absolutely necessary IMO, you should probably get an idea of the build you want to go for during the early levels unless stats wise you want to be a jack of all trades. I still find it better strategically to have you and your main pawn with pre-defined roles going into battle. Don't sleep on Pawn Inclinations either, I highly recommend Utilitarian if you're going for support or magic pawns.
 

stn

Member
So I've been playing this game again. Currently level 19, stuck at Cursewoods. Even on easy the game is pretty hard!!! I'm also still using the stock sword, might be the reason why my damage is so crappy. Any weapon upgrade recommendations? I have almost 30k gold.
 
So I've been playing this game again. Currently level 19, stuck at Cursewoods. Even on easy the game is pretty hard!!! I'm also still using the stock sword, might be the reason why my damage is so crappy. Any weapon upgrade recommendations? I have almost 30k gold.

Hmm, if you're at the Cursewoods, you should've found a way stronger sword by now. I don't know what stage of the game you're at but you should stop by Caxton in Gran Soren and stock up your party. Depending on where you're at in the game you can get a Broadsword or Cutlass I think for under 30k. If you don't want to buy, since you're in the area you can head to Soulflayer Canyon which is a great spot for getting lots of advanced equipment relatively early in the game.
 

stn

Member
I'm currently heading to kill 10 bandits for this guy in order to get the stone he has. The bandit camp is supposed to be located past Cursewoods. I passed through but got STOMPED by this cyclops the first time, the second time by this huge lion with a snake for its tail. Just not doing nearly enough damage. Think I'll head back to Gran Soren and upgrade my whole party. I also have one pawn that's only lvl 6, might be time to replace him.
 
I'm currently heading to kill 10 bandits for this guy in order to get the stone he has. The bandit camp is supposed to be located past Cursewoods. I passed through but got STOMPED by this cyclops the first time, the second time by this huge lion with a snake for its tail. Just not doing nearly enough damage. Think I'll head back to Gran Soren and upgrade my whole party. I also have one pawn that's only lvl 6, might be time to replace him.

Avoid heading into the camp at this point. You only need to kill the bandits on the roads leading to the camp. Going into the camp and murdering people will lock you out of the quests you can get from that camp. Also (slight spoilers)
make sure to dress all your male characters in the dress you can get from Montebank's store in Gran Soren
before you go into the camp that you're heading to.
 
Started a new game in normal mode, been doing some quest on Cassardis .


Finish that Floral Delivery quest and feel somewhat dumb lol
Only after awhile i understand that Moonglow only appears at night duhh

I think i will do more side quest around Cassardis before do the escort Mercedes quest.
 

stn

Member
Got rid of my lvl 6 pawn, got a lvl 21. Bought a slightly better sword, enhanced it. The game has suddenly become much easier. I'm hooked. One question: you cannot level up pawns you acquire from the rift, right?
 
Got rid of my lvl 6 pawn, got a lvl 21. Bought a slightly better sword, enhanced it. The game has suddenly become much easier. I'm hooked. One question: you cannot level up pawns you acquire from the rift, right?

Nope. At this point in the game I'd recommend swapping them out every 2 or 3 levels. Once you hit higher levels and the pawns you are hiring have all their abilities unlocked you're safe to stick with them for a bit longer, especially if they have post game equipment.
 

stn

Member
What would you guys recommend as the ideal team? So far I have two warriors, one mage, and one rouge. My own character is all melee.
 
What would you guys recommend as the ideal team? So far I have two warriors, one mage, and one rouge. My own character is all melee.

I personally wouldn't recommend two warriors, but it's up to you. Anything is viable, it's just that warriors probably have the disadvantage compared to the rest of the vocations due to only having 3 ability slots, and enemies that aren't grounded are a challenge for them.

The ideal team in my opinion would have you as an advanced vocation of your choice, two sorcerers (sorcerers can multi cast their spells, so if you have two, three, or even four sorcerers casting the same spell in the same area it will increase the spells damage/effect by the respective amount) and either a red vocation if your Arisen is part yellow vocation or a yellow vocation if your Arisen is part red vocation. But there's not really any ideal team as it's all down to your playstyle. All I would recommend is having at least one character with a projectile.

My favourite team is Mystic Knight, two Sorcerers, and a Ranger.
 
Since you are early in the game, you are going to want a mage with anodyne and halidom. 2 warriors is not a great set up, in fact 1 is probably not good. I usually run with a Magick Archer, Ranger, Fighter and Sorcerer.
 
Started playing this game some months ago and I love it. I've been playing almost daily since then. I've gone through most of the vocations with my character and I've had fun with all of them. Assassin is by far, in my opinion, the best. You get to use swords, daggers, shields and bows. It's a really great vocation for almost all combat situations in the game because of the equipment versatility, and some of the skills it gives you.

I'm level 150-something now and didn't start Bitterblack until my second playthrough (didn't want to go there for the first time during post-game). This place is nuts. It's not insanely hard, but it can be pretty damn challenging. Some of the enemies here are just ridiculous. Death and the (condemned) gorecyclops' in particular wreck my ish every time. I have no idea how to defeat death, and once a gorecyclops starts raging, I'm pretty much screwed. Any tips? And what's the best place to farm cursed gear, weapons, etc?

Also, feel free to add me on PSN: nsnsmj. My pawn is usually a Fighter (or Ranger), but recently I've finally started to use the other vocations with her. So far she's maxed out Strider, Ranger, & Fighter, and is currently working on Warrior.
 
Started playing this game some months ago and I love it. I've been playing almost daily since then. I've gone through most of the vocations with my character and I've had fun with all of them. Assassin is by far, in my opinion, the best. You get to use swords, daggers, shields and bows. It's a really great vocation for almost all combat situations in the game because of the equipment versatility, and some of the skills it gives you.

I'm level 150-something now and didn't start Bitterblack until my second playthrough (didn't want to go there for the first time during post-game). This place is nuts. It's not insanely hard, but it can be pretty damn challenging. Some of the enemies here are just ridiculous. Death and the (condemned) gorecyclops' in particular wreck my ish every time. I have no idea how to defeat death, and once a gorecyclops starts raging, I'm pretty much screwed. Any tips? And what's the best place to farm cursed gear, weapons, etc?

Also, feel free to add me on PSN: nsnsmj. My pawn is usually a Fighter (or Ranger), but recently I've finally started to use the other vocations with her. So far she's maxed out Strider, Ranger, & Fighter, and is currently working on Warrior.

In regards to the Gorecyclops, the best thing to do is remove the helmet (that's all the armour you can remove from it) and attack it's head. As far as I remember it's weak to fire spells, and torpor helps deal with it's berserk status. I generally just try and stay above it out of reach, like on the bridges above where you first meet it, and fire enchanted great cannon it.

So yeah, if you're having trouble with it's berserk status specifically use rarified rusted weapons.
 
In regards to the Gorecyclops, the best thing to do is remove the helmet (that's all the armour you can remove from it) and attack it's head. As far as I remember it's weak to fire spells, and torpor helps deal with it's berserk status. I generally just try and stay above it out of reach, like on the bridges above where you first meet it, and fire enchanted great cannon it.

So yeah, if you're having trouble with it's berserk status specifically use rarified rusted weapons.
Thanks! I've got a dragonforged rusted bow in storage, but didn't even think about using it. For whatever reason, I figured boss-type monsters like that weren't affected by torpor (and most other) debilitations.
 

stn

Member
Is there a way to travel faster? I get really discouraged when the section I have to go to is far away, since the random encounters along the way always take long.
 
Is there a way to travel faster? I get really discouraged when the section I have to go to is far away, since the random encounters along the way always take long.

There is, but it's quite expensive and hard to do. You need things called port crystals that you can place all over the map (max 10) and you need a consumable item, a ferrystone, to travel between port crystals.

Port crystals are 200k each at the black cat and ferry stones are 20k each, I think.
 
There is, but it's quite expensive and hard to do. You need things called port crystals that you can place all over the map (max 10) and you need a consumable item, a ferrystone, to travel between port crystals.

Port crystals are 200k each at the black cat and ferry stones are 20k each, I think.

If they're playing Dark Arisen, they changed the way this works thankfully. I can't remember the exact amounts off the top of my head, but you can find 5 portcrystals throughout Gransys, and recollect the same ones in new game plus, and ferrystones only cost around 2,000 Gold.
 
Started playing as a Magick Archer recently. I can't believe I waited this long to try out such an awesome vocation. It and Assassin are my favorites.
 

stn

Member
Where can I get some good loot? I'm on stage 3, just got the wyrm hunt license. I've been to the weapons shop in Gran Soren and bought the broadsword, the best possible weapon on sale. But its underwhelming, takes me a million hacks to kill some monsters. Also, the lack of loot is boring me. What can I do? I have a ton of crafting materials - where I can go to use them?

Thanks.
 
There's a shop quest you get from Caxton where he'll ask you to find a gold/silver/bronze idol and depending on which idol you give him, the things he sells are better. Try to get him the gold idol.
 

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
Where can I get some good loot? I'm on stage 3, just got the wyrm hunt license. I've been to the weapons shop in Gran Soren and bought the broadsword, the best possible weapon on sale. But its underwhelming, takes me a million hacks to kill some monsters. Also, the lack of loot is boring me. What can I do? I have a ton of crafting materials - where I can go to use them?

Thanks.
I think quests like the waterfall shrine or the mine tunnel should give some decent loot. As for crafting materials, they are mostly used to upgrade weapons, not forge them. Try to upgrade your stuff to at least 2-3 stars if you have the materials. It's generally worth it.
 
I don't think that he can do the Idol quest yet and he may not have done the prerequisite quests to unlock it.

@stn
Like supermanisdead said, I highly recommend you do this in order to get the Gold Idol later in the game, so go talk to Fournival if you haven't done so already and without spoiling too much, just go from there.

If you're at stage 3 there should be an upgrade in equipment at the shops. If you're using a regular sword, then I believe the Cutlass should be next if I remember correct. Also like Morrigan said, you should be upgrading equipment (at Caxton's) whenever you have the materials and extra money.

As a reminder, if you're in the mood to farm higher level equipment you can go to Soulflayer Canyon which is located
in the Cursewoods area, by The Ruins of Heavenspeak Fort.
 
Really looking forward to the PC version but seeing the words idol reminded me of the bullshit with the girl and the golden idol and how many times I fucked that process up ;-;
 

Duster

Member
My new arisen
vQBu6im.jpg


Ogre selfie.
SgpT1oa.jpg
 

stn

Member
Can I do the quest for Alon at any time? I need some new loot, I've had the same gear for a while and I'm lvl. 25.
 

stn

Member
Questions...

1. If I change my vocation, do I have to rank it up again? Getting bored of fighter.
2. How do I get the "Escort Duty" mission to pop up from Fournival? I want that gold idol so I can upgrade the merchant's inventory, I've been using the same blade since I began the game.

Thanks!
 
Questions...

1. If I change my vocation, do I have to rank it up again? Getting bored of fighter.
2. How do I get the "Escort Duty" mission to pop up from Fournival? I want that gold idol so I can upgrade the merchant's inventory, I've been using the same blade since I began the game.

Thanks!

You have to rank up the new one, but you'll keep whatever rank you are in fighter.

For the idol, iirc you need to be in the right spot in the story for it to pop, I'd advise checking the wiki as I remember it had a very detailed guide on how to get it done.
 
I really Loved this game! any hope for a sequel for ps4?
I'd guess any sequel depends on how well the PC port does, or if Sony or another publisher is willing to foot the bill. I would definitely like to see a sequel as well. Dragon's Dogma is one of my favorite games ever.
 

Aurizen

Member
I'd guess any sequel depends on how well the PC port does, or if Sony or another publisher is willing to foot the bill. I would definitely like to see a sequel as well. Dragon's Dogma is one of my favorite games ever.

It was definitely interesting! the Pawn's use and how it ended! wow.
 
Top Bottom