Im not new to dragon age but i am to mass effect are they similar in the way they play ? And any tips would be appreciated for the first one
Im not new to dragon age but i am to mass effect are they similar in the way they play ? And any tips would be appreciated for the first one
I haven't played much of Dragon Age, but I have a good friend that's played the glub out of both series. As far as I'm aware, dialogue and relationship building is relatively similar (pretty much the same, I believe), but combat is different for the obvious reason of guns. Combat gets easier and smoother in later games, but isn't awful in the first game. The first game is the most like an open world game, where that diminishes increasingly with each game, but it fits the narrative well.
I recommend choosing a class that sounds cool to you first and getting use to their abilities. Don't forget about your abilities, and the fact that you stop time when opening your power and weapon wheels, and don't forget about your grenades. In tough spots, which exist in every difficulty setting, a quick grenade will make it a lot easier. Also, grenades are weird; they slide into place and often go through things, and you have to initiate its explosion yourself, so timing is important and you have to really pay attention to it.
Dragon age is sort of what got me on Mass Effect, I played the hell out of it then moved on to ME. It's like Dragon age With guns in space, although it is not as open worldy (there's no non-storyline bosses to really hunt down or anything like that) but you can still make your own decisions that can have drastic changes on the galaxy. And you play the same character throughout the series, so you dont need to keep coming up with names. IMO ME has more replay ability then DA, mostly because of the terrible Mage Tower line in DA:O.
The major difference in gameplay is tactics, obviously ME isn't melee based and the special abilities are operated differently.
I played both franchises (DA Trilogy & ME Trilogy) and I have to admit, sometimes they have some similarities. However I enjoyed ME more (>~<)
Some really good tips for newcomers in the ME Universe are almost the same ones as DA:
- Have Fun! Lots of Fun!
- Talk to your squadmates so you can find out about their personalities (You'll get surprised with some of them. They're unique and very interesting, just like in the DA franchise)
- Choose a class you feel more comfortable with (It's good to make some research about each one before you chooe it. Every class has its pros and cons, however I'm pretty sure you'll find a suitable one for you-! :)
- Like DA, every choice of dialogue will affect you somehow. So choose your answers wisely, if necessary save the game before talking to an important NPC or starting a Mission so if you make a mistake, you can easily Load and not lose your progress.
- Do NOT underestimate the Mako. You'll understand this if you're playing ME1.
I agree with pretty much everything that previous commenters have said. Like IllidanShep, it's Dragon Age that got me into Mass Effect.
I suppose the building of companion relationships, romance or otherwise, are the most obvious similarity, although they tend to get more sophisticated in each game within each franchise (that's an arguable point though, depending on your point of view). I think it's fair to say that if you're used to Dragon Age, and especially if you've played up to Inquisition, you'll soon recognise the basic dialogue structure in ME1, but you might find it a bit simplistic.
In terms of combat, the lack of lock-on was initially a reason I didn't try ME sooner, because I'm not good at aiming in general. I soon got the hang of it though, and the fact that you can set your aim assist to High in ME1 helped me quite a bit. This may not apply to you anyway, so please don't be offended if you're already good at shooters!
I think both DA and ME have their issues when it comes to inventory management, but like any game, you'll get the hang of it fast.
ME was first described to me as "Dragon Age in space", and to an extent I think that's fair. One huge difference is that obviously in ME, you're playing as one character throughout the trilogy, and each game follows on from the next in a quick timeframe, whereas in DA your protagonist is different every time. However, if you're used to DA, you'll know you're playing a BioWare game when you're playing ME.
General ME tips (I'm no expert, but for what it's worth):
1) Like in DA, pay attention to conversations. Take every opportunity to talk with your companions (and NPCs). The way you handle the conversations can have lasting effects.
2) Again like in DA, pick the class you feel naturally calls to you for your first playthrough. Every class has its advantages and disadvantages, so you might as well go with whichever one takes your fancy initially.
3) Pay attention to your inventory. Organise it often, check in with the Citadel merchants often. But don't shell out too many credits early on buying slightly better stuff than you already have, because if you do enough side quests you'll soon get better stuff for free (in the early/medium stages anyway).
4) In the early stages, try to balance between reducing unwanted items to omnigel, and selling them for credits. A decent stock of omnigel is extremely useful, but you also want to try to build up a fair stock of credits in case you come across a particularly desirable item.
5) In your first playthrough, do a hard save reasonably often. The autosaves are generous when fast-travelling in te Citadel, but not so much elsewhere, and if you do find yourself in a pickle, you don't want to lose thirty minutes of gameplay.
6) Have an absolute blast! I was doubtful about ME at first, but I've come to adore it almost as much as I adore DA, which brings me to...
7) Be absolutely happy with your character creation before you finalise it. There's no Black Emporium in Mass Effect.
Good luck, and have an awesome time playing. It really is an amazing game :)
Oh and one more piece of advice: In your first playthrough, mix up your squadmates every now and again so that you can get the hang of their abilities, and how different abilities work in combination against different enemy types.
Oh yeah the romances are overall better too, although no one really stacks up against Morrigan. But compared the DA:I the romances are great.
ME1 is very different from 2 and 3. So your favorite class in 1 might not work for you in 2 or 3.
I feel it more engaging since you play the same character in all 3. Devils advocate, you have to play the same human character in all 3.
I miss being Queen of Ferelden.