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Some "insider" Dragon Age info

http://daforums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=700416&forum=135&sp=15

In case you're freaking out over all the pre-order bonus items, DLC, etc., don't fret:

Concerning the extra bonus mission in PC Gamer Magazine, they goofed. It won't install. This is what you need to do:

1: Run the program from the disc interface to extract the files to your desktop.
2: Open the DAO.Orzammar folder.
3: Select the Contents folder and the Manifest.xml file.
4: Compress them into a Zip file named Orzammar.zip. Make sure that they’re both in the root of the zip, not within a folder.
5: Rename Orzammar.zip to Orzammar.dazip. You may have to go into the Tools menu of the Windows Explorer window, select Folder Options, click the View tab at the top, then uncheck “Hide extensions for known file types” in order to change the .zip to .dazip.
6: Follow the instructions in the readme to install the mod – you can drag and drop the .dazip file into the DAUpdater.exe window, select it and then push the install button.

Info taken from http://daforums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=700416&forum=135&sp=45


If installed properly, you will see "A Tale of Orzammar" listed under the "Installed Content" tab in Dragon Age. I could be wrong, but it appears that this quest is integrated as part of the regular game. Very cool, if so
 
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There's a new patch available.

http://social.bioware.com/game_patches.php


Dragon Age: Origins 1.01b
Patch details:

* fixed potential corruption of character statistics
* fixed portrait appearance sliders when importing a character from the downloadable Character Creator
* fixed import for preset face settings from the downloadable Character Creator
* made Easy difficulty easier
* slightly increased attack, defense, and damage scores for all party members at Normal difficulty
* fixed video issues when running on a very wide screen display, including ATI Eyefinity displays
* fixed an issue with Dragon Age and Windows Game Explorer
* updated Visual C runtime libraries
 
http://dragonage.bioware.com/addon/

Return to Ostagar DLC announced

Rob Bartel from Bioware said:
Sorry, no waffles but there will be some voicework, including from the followers. We put a particular focus on the various followers who were also present at the battle.



As for precisely when it will come out, we don't have a specific answer to that yet which is why we're being vague. We're still tackling one last optimization issue and then we need to make it through final testing and certification across all three platforms.



Average playtime is always tough to pin down because everyone's mileage will vary (and developers player the game in a very different manner than a typical first-time player). I can do a speed run (skipping through conversations and cutscenes, using a buff party, controlling Dog, avoiding some combats, ignoring loot drops, not looking at the scenery, etc) in about 15-20 minutes. I suspect it would take a typical first-time player about an hour to complete.


Rob Bartel said:
Keep your eyes peeled for some of Duncan's items. You'll know them when you see them. ;o)



No new creatures or companions, although those who overlooked Dog in the Prelude will now get a second chance to add him to your party. And no, that doesn't mean you now get two Mabari.



For those who have completed the game, you will be able to return to Ostagar from your Epilogue Save.



I'd agree that Return to Ostagar has a significant combat focus but there are some really good story elements as well, particularly between the followers who fought in the Battle of Ostagar and for whom King Cailan held particular significance.



There will be a few codex entries available.

Rob Bartel said:
As for where this fits in the context of the DA:O storyline, we're trying to keep it as wide open as possible (much like we have for Stone Prisoner and Warden's Keep). The Battle for Ostagar has obviously already occurred and, for those starting a brand new game, the plot will be accessible from the party camp, post-Lothering. As I've mentioned, it's also available from the Epilogue save for those who've completed the game (the Epilogue Save represents a moment in time from shortly before the final battle). The balance will scale to match your party anywhere from Level 6 and up.



As for the patch and the issues that many experienced with our Day 1 content, some of that involved server-side issues that we've already cleaned up. PC Patch 1.01 is already out and 1.02 is in final testing and certification to address a number of other issues that have been identified. Planning on Patch 1.03 is currently underway. Most of the issues have been on PC side (where things are more complicated due to variable hardware, the added complexity of the toolset and user-made content, etc) although we're tracking some on the consoles as well. Most of these issues have proven to be programming related and therefore haven't significantly impacted the content teams, which means we've been able to maintain our focus on developing new content.

Rob Bartel said:
As for areas, Ostagar itself has seen a major re-art to snow it over and make it feel like Darkspawn have been lingering there for a while. We've also opened up some new portions of the map that you weren't previously able to access. The quest also includes 3 additional areas which are smaller than Ostagar and involve a greater degree of re-use.



Regarding dialogue, given that Darkspawn represent the primary villain in this mission, don't expect them to wax poetic before attempting to slice your head off. The quest-giver has a sizeable conversation but the juicy bits are really the interactions with your followers who fought at Ostagar. This is an emotional place for them to return to and they all have strong opinions regarding the King, his fate, and his legacy. The word count isn't huge by any means but, for those who are in it for the story and the drama, the emotional payoff is definitely there.
 
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http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/9/index/241198/9

As for Daniel.I.Bell's question about how much downloadable content other games and developers put out, it varies widely but is becoming more common now that the infrastructure is in place to support it on the consoles. In BioWare's case, we have a long tradition of doing this kind of thing. We were considered pioneers for releasing RPG expansion backs as part of our Baldur's Gate series, and then for providing a powerful RPG toolset and dedicated community site with Neverwinter Nights. Our Premium Module and digital delivery program for Neverwinter Nights launched before Steam did and we were embracing the concepts of Web 2.0 and user-generated content before those terms were invented. So, rather than pointing to what other companies have done, we'll point to our own legacy and hold ourselves to that standard or greater, wherever possible.



No new backpack is included in Return to Ostagar. We've discussed it internally and it would require some GUI changes and may have some memory management implications as well. That's not to say it won't happen at some point - just that the idea's currently been pushed to the backburner until we have what we need to tackle those problems.



As for 1 hour being too short for some, that's fair. Unlike Neverwinter Nights where our Premium Module program attempted to apply a bit of a "one size fits all" solution, our goal with Dragon Age is to provide a wide range of content that covers a broader variety of different wants and needs. Return to Ostagar represents our first piece of post-Day 1 content and we'll be announcing more others grow closer to release.



Regarding voice acting, it's definitely one of our major development expenses, particularly when you realize that we have to hire additional voice actors for all of the different languages in which the game has been released. We ran some initial experiments with a voice-less version of Return to Ostagar and ultimately decided that we just needed to bite the bullet and go for it - it just didn't feel right for the followers not to be able to react in a voiced manner to the emotionally charged situation in which they find themselves. Note that we had to make this decision before DA:O's launch, without sales figures to help guide us. In the end, I'm glad we were able to find room in the budget to make it happen as the results are great.



Also, I agree with sugasugaki (on p.5) that duration isn't always a useful metric to apply (go ahead and apply it to Return to Ostagar if you want to - that's not my point). We could very easily release a piece of downloadable content where the quest was to jog through 500 empty maps, beat up a Genlock in the final area, and jog back to the quest giver. It would certainly have a high duration but it's not something I could ever charge money for and still maintain even a shred of dignity. On the other hand, what if we implemented a cool new gameplay system or a new character class or bowstrings with no specific adventure attached? It would clearly have a greater inherent value than the jogging simulator I just proposed but how do you even begin to apply a duration to it? Regardless, all of that is off-topic and has nothing really to do with Return to Ostagar but it's worth considering. Some of our future content could potentially bump up against that sort of problem.

-- Rob Bartel
 
Potential DLC Issues with no CD Key in your registry

Source: BioWare Social Network Dragon Age Origins PC Technical Support Forum
Original Post: Potential DLC Issues with no CD Key in your registry

aaaa1234 said:
There are known issues with DLC content becoming unauthorized for users who do not have a cd key installed in their registry.

Some of the symptoms that people have been reporting that are caused by this are the following:
  • When speaking to Shale, the conversation is now reset to the first time you speak to her with only two dialogue options, and the player is placed in a bad location on the map.
  • Various DLC items being removed from inventory in-game (Blood Dragon Armor, Warden's Commander Armor, etc.)
  • Being unable to access Warden's Keep, Honnleath or the storage chest at Warden's Keep

To resolve this issue for the time being, please make sure your cd key is installed in your registry and log on to the server at least once before continuing to play the game.

If you are unsure whether you have a cd key installed do the following:

  • Run the daoriginsconfig.exe application - if you can't find it, it should be in your bin_ship folder in the directory you installed Dragon Age to.
  • On the bar on the left side of the screen, click 'Game'
  • There will be a box near the bottom of the window called 'Product Keys'
  • If you have a cd key installed, it will be listed in that window, if not please install your cd key.

If your cd key is missing, it can be reinstalled by:

  • Navigate to the data directory on your installation cd and run 'Dragon Age_code.exe'. A prompt will appearing allowing you to re-enter your cd key

Please note that if you happen to have saved your game already while experiencing any of the symptoms of this issue, installing your cd key and logging into the server will may not recover your game. We are looking into an official fix, but for the time being you may need to reload from a previous save game which does not have any of the symptoms.

We're exceptionally sorry for any frustration or loss of gameplay this has caused for you and hope to have a solution soon.
 
FIX: Blood Dragon Armor - Female Elf

Source: BioWare Social Network Dragon Age Origins PC Technical Support Forum
Original Post: FIX: Blood Dragon Armor - Female Elf

Jason Leong said:
We now have a fix for the issue with the Blood Dragon armor appearing corrupted on female elf models.
In order to apply the fix
  1. Download the following file (NOTE: If you're using Internet Explorer it seems to rename the file extension to .zip. Please confirm that after downloading the file the extension is .dazip)
    http://supportfiles.bioware.com/dragonage/prc/DAO_PRC_PROMO_ME_1.1.dazip
  2. Navigate to the bin_ship directory of wherever you installed Dragon Age: Origins
  3. Run daupdater.exe
  4. Drag DAO_PRC_PROMO_ME_1.1.dazip into the daupater application and press the 'Installed Selected' button. (NOTE: Some people have reported the buttons within the daupdater application do not appear if they have certain windows themes applied)
 
http://social.bioware.com/page/da-patches


Dragon Age: Origins 1.02
Patch details:

Many of the fixes affecting balance, gameplay, or plot scripting are already included in the Xbox 360 and PlayStation®3 versions of Dragon Age: Origins.

You do not need to download patches prior to Patch 1.02. Downloading Patch 1.02 contains all previous patches. Downloading Patch 1.02 will provide you with all patch data available.
Balance

* Daggers now apply 0.5 points of damage per additional point in dexterity and 0.5 points of damage per additional point in strength, as originally intended. This increases dagger damage for high-dexterity characters.
* During combat, mana or stamina reserves now correctly regenerate more quickly when reserves are low. This allows players to occasionally use an talent or spell in the later stages of lengthy fights.
* When exploring, mana and stamina now regenerate more quickly at higher character levels. This reduces downtime between fights.
* The spells Force Field, Crushing Prison, Cone of Cold, and Blizzard now have shorter durations and/or longer cooldowns. This ensures that combatants can no longer stun-lock each other by repeatedly casting the same spell.
* The cooldowns for several low-level sustained abilities are now shorter. This ensures that players are not penalized for accidentally deactivating them.
* Certain battles were not scaling properly, resulting in excessively difficult fights. They now scale as intended.
* Enemy corpses now drop health poultices and money more appropriately, resulting in less clutter in the player's inventory.

Gameplay

* In rare cases, enemy corpses were selectable when they contained no loot. This no longer occurs.
* Party members whose combat tactics were set to defensive behavior no longer stop attacking after using a spell or talent.
* In rare cases, combat tactics conditions could fail to determine whether a character had enough mana or stamina to use an ability. This no longer occurs.
* The Rally talent no longer repeats its audio effect if it is active during certain conversations.
* The Rally talent no longer deactivates upon area transitions or conversations.
* The Shimmering Shield spell now deactivates when the character is out of mana.

Plot *Spoiler Warning*

* Promotional downloadable content items now remain in the player's inventory when standard items are removed at the end of the dwarf noble origin.
* Repeatedly talking to Duncan after gathering the vials in the Korcari Wilds but not the treaties no longer provides duplicate experience.
* Leliana's personal plot can now be completed if the player substantially increased her approval (through gifts) before talking to her.
* During the siege of Redcliffe, enemies are no longer able to spawn in locations that would break the plot.
* Bann Teagan no longer disappears when he is supposed to be accessible during Urn of Sacred Ashes.

PC Specific

* Controlling a summoned creature (like a ranger's pets) during certain special area transitions no longer results in odd behavior.
* Creating a character in a custom module did not create a folder for saves. This could result in corruption of main campaign saves. This no longer occurs.
* In some cases, the class icon was set incorrectly for characters imported from the downloadable Character Creator. This no longer occurs.
* The options menu now includes a setting to automatically download previously purchased content that is not currently installed.
* After installing new downloadable content, the game now always reminds the user to restart the game.
* The icons for some promotional downloadable content items were missing. They now appear correctly.
* The screenshot upload GUI would stop working from time to time on the client. There was a memory override that was fixed. It is a client fix. It doesn't affect the other problems we have seen on the server.
 
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