Dragon Age: The Veilguard – 10 mistakes everyone makes on their first playthrough

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Dragon Age: The Veilguard – 10 mistakes everyone makes on their first playthrough

Being an expansive game set in an equally massive fantasy world, it’s easy to miss a lot. Dragon Age: The Veil Guard. The fourth main game in BioWare’s long-running and iconic fantasy series will likely take more than 50 hours to complete, and even then, players could make a lot of mistakes along the way.

The fact is, there is a lot to see, hear and do in The Veil Guard It’s easy to make some mistakes. But some mistakes are more common (and more easily avoidable) than others. Knowing these ten tips can speed up a player’s work Guard of the Veil experience, be it the first or fourth Dragon Age game.

10

Running through the character creator

Veilguard has the best character creation in DA yet

The first mistake most players make in any RPG with a customizable main character is rushing through character creation in a hurry to start the game. This can have disastrous consequences: while some RPGs allow players to change their custom characters later, many don’t, and it’s not uncommon for players to be stuck with a character that doesn’t match their vision throughout the game. Happily, Dragon Age: The Veil Guard should be in the previous camp, allowing players to change their appearance, but some options are limited and it may take some time for the player to unlock this feature.

This would be a pain in any RPG, but keep in mind that The Veil Guard has an extremely in-depth character creatorincluding several options never before seen on the Dragon Age series. For one thing, long hair looks better than ever, with far fewer cuts to clothes. Players can edit Rook’s body in much greater detail and even recreate the Inquisitor from the previous game, inputting his essential decisions to inform the state of the world. Don’t rush this process; give it the time it demands and choose everything wisely.

9

Opening trapped chests

Look before you leap


A player character stands in front of a chest with green mist emanating from it in Dragon Age The Veilguard.

Dragon Age: The Veil Guard includes many hidden paths and secrets, among which are tons of chests filled with all kinds of loot. There are lots of good things to find, equip, and use, but not all chests are created equal. Certain chests are primed to explode when the player opens thememitting a harmful green mist that can also inflict the Necrosis status effect on the player. Dealing damage over time, Necrosis is generally manageable, but if Rook’s HP is low when they first break the seal, it could spell disaster.

Fortunately, there’s an easy way to tell when chests are stuck: look for signs of green mist leaking from the sidesas can be seen in the image above. Keep in mind that just because a chest is trapped doesn’t mean there’s nothing useful inside; players should still open them, as long as they are prepared to dodge once they open.

8

Choosing the wrong class

Specializations are important


Warrior, mage and rogue characters in Dragon Age The Veilguard.

Another step that players should not skip during character creation is carefully reading the description of each class and what it involves. There are three main classes in Dragon Age: The Veil Guard – warrior, wizard and rogue. Each of them fits a well-defined fantasy archetype and does exactly what the player would expect – until they don’t.

See, each class in The Veil Guard You can eventually choose a specialization. Specializations greatly change what a character can do: for wizards, the Spellblade specialization allows them to wield swords, while for warriors, the Reaver specialization allows them to cast spells. This makes each class much more flexible than it first appears. Therefore, players should not choose the mage just because they want to use magic: if they want to play a tank that uses magic, Reaver is a much better choice. Be sure to carefully read all classes and specializations before choosing one.

7

Ignoring the dialogue

Pay attention to the history of the DA


Dragon Age The Veilguard Rook with a fairly benign choice in dialogue

Look, there’s no denying it Dragon Age Games have a lot of dialogue. However, The importance of actually reading this entire dialogue cannot be overstated. Every decision players make in Dragon Age: The Veil Guard has consequences. If the player is not paying attention to what is actually being said, they will certainly make the wrong choice from time to time. This can lead to something as simple and innocuous as losing some favor with a companion, or something as disastrous as destroying an entire city.

The only way to avoid this is to read the entire dialogue and consider the implications of each option chosen. Not every line needs to be read and re-read in detail – sometimes just skimming is enough. Even so, learning when to pay attention is an important part of learning to play Dragon Ageand can often mean the difference between life and death.

6

Letting Decision Fatigue Stop You

Act Decisively


Dragon Age The Veilguard poster with faction symbols.
Custom image by Jessica Mills-Cox

That being said, it’s very easy to get caught up in the details. Yes, actions have consequences in Dragon Age: The Veil Guardbut at the same time, Rook has to act to move the story forward. Players must not let the fear of making a wrong decision stop them, or they will never be able to experience everything the game has to offer. The trick is to find a balance between careful consideration of every detail and decisive action when the story demands it.

Still, to support this type of play style, It is important to keep multiple files saved at the same time. Save whenever a crucial conversation or important decision comes up; that way, if there are any dire, short-term consequences, it’s easy to go back and try again. Hopefully, though, the player will have paid enough attention to know what their choices will bring, barring occasional surprises.

5

Not having a healer at the party

Staying alive


Bellara holding a shiny metal gauntlet in Dragon Age The Veilguard.

Party composition is everything Dragon Age: The Veil Guard. While synergy is important, sometimes it’s enough to have three strong, independent characters grouped together at the same time. That being said, especially early in the game, at least one of them should be a healer. Of course, it’s tempting to gather three heavyweights together, hoping to fight your way through Thedas with little resistance. But the enemies are difficult and strategy is an important element The Veil GuardIt’s combat. Enemies are hit hard and the party will need someone to keep them in shape.

Having a solid healer is doubly important if Rook is a mage, as these characters tend to have particularly low maximum HP.

As such, Bellara is an excellent healer. In particular, her Contingency ability is extremely useful, as it will automatically activate a healing spell when a party member drops below 30% health. It also doesn’t affect its global cooldown, so players can immediately follow it up with another ability.

4

Do not upgrade weapons

An important part of the progression


Davrin, an elf holding a winged shield, in Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

Each RPG handles progression differently: some have players becoming more powerful as they level up, others are about skill points and trees, while still others are about finding increasingly powerful gear. In Dragon Age: The Veil Guardall three are important, but the importance of upgrading weapons throughout the game is easy to forget. Many players assume they will simply find a better sword later so they don’t have to funnel their upgrade materials into their current gear. But in many cases, this is a wrong assumption: upgrading equipment throughout the game is vital to success.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that players need to keep their starting equipment throughout the game or use every material they have to upgrade it. They will encounter at least a few improved versions throughout the campaign and should swap them out as needed. However, It is important to use all available materials to stay competitive.

3

Avoiding exploitation

Try it all


Full Dragon Age The Veilguard party leaving a rowboat on the beach

The Veil Guard has a more linear map than most modern RPGs – in fact, it’s more linear than the rest of RPGs Dragon Age series. This may lead players to believe that there isn’t much exploration to be done, but nothing could be further from the truth. There are a ton of interesting out-of-the-ordinary discoveries, whether they be loot, side quests, hidden details, or anything else a player can imagine. As a result, It’s almost always worth straying from the main purpose of an area to see what else it has to offer.

Don’t rush through the story: proceed at a leisurely pace, enjoying everything it has to offer and taking breaks as necessary. Talk to all NPCs. Take on (and finish) as many side quests as possible. The experience will be richer for it, and with The Veil GuardWhile there will be less focus on non-companion side quests, everything will be tied into the main plot.

2

Ignoring Companion and Faction Approval Ratings

Stay in good standing

All over Dragon Age: The Veil GuardPlayers’ actions will affect how others respond to them. They will gain and lose reputation points with different factions and companions depending on what they do; a favor to a faction can increase your standing, while disrespecting a companion’s beliefs can cause them to lose some points. Occasionally, it’s good to lose face with a person or faction, even if the player wants to keep it around, but it would be a mistake to never take reputation into account when making important decisions.

Faction reputation affects a number of gameplay mechanics, including shop prices, and being in bad standing can make things significantly more difficult at certain points in the story. Losing reputation points with a companion is potentially more dangerous, as It is possible for companions to leave the group permanently if their affinity drops low enough. Again, individual point losses are not a big problem; just pay attention to the bigger picture and don’t take things too far.

1

Not reading about the tradition

Stay informed

This is worth repeating Dragon Age Games require a lot of reading. But this is not limited to dialogue – There’s a lot of lore out there too, and players need at least a basic familiarity with it to understand what’s going on in The Veil Guard. While it’s not entirely necessary to play all three main games first The Veil GuardIt wouldn’t hurt to give a brief summary of what happens in them, perhaps reading a detailed article Dragon Age story recap, or at least a summary of the direct prequel Inquisition.

At the very least, players should keep an eye out The Veil Guardcodex. As they progress through the game, players will pick up a variety of different documents that discuss the main players in the history of Thedas, the factions they belong to, and the beliefs that guide them. Reading them will provide a steady stream of context to keep players informed about what their actions mean in Dragon Age: The Veil Guard.

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