Dragon's Dogma: Arisen

[Brand86]

Well I got up to 14 wakestones in the Everfall and killed everyone in that room first time when I went back! So feeling quite satisfied I went into one more room and the dragon appeared, so I fled and went back to Cassardis and onto the Bitterback Isles. Enjoying it so far - some nice new enemies and loot to be had, and up to level 57 now.

However I encountered that massive cyclops tied up and stupidly decided to take him on...what an epic battle it was! Took about half an hour and 2 wakestones but once I got a strategy (go up the stairs, use magic cannon and ice enhancements) I slowwwwly wore him down and beat him.

So anyway, this game just gets better the further into it you get - the new island is pretty massive and sprawling it seems, with millions of hidden passages and rooms.

 

[Sargara]

However I encountered that massive cyclops tied up and stupidly decided to take him on...what an epic battle it was! Took about half an hour and 2 wakestones but once I got a strategy (go up the stairs, use magic cannon and ice enhancements) I slowwwwly wore him down and beat him.

Haha impressive! Even i bailed and didnt bother with him.

I think i noticed that while killing the other stuff in the room that he was flinching when hit by AoE stuff. This obviously lead me to believe it would be a peice of cake with him being tied up. Proper "oh s**t" moment when he broke free and started 1 shotting my pawns so I legged it as quick as possible. I do need to go back at some point and finish him off though so thanks for reminding me, i think there is also a notice board quest from the enterance of the island to beat him as well.

 

[Brand86]

HE took AGES. I also took out that massive glowing eyeball thing in another room. These bosses are not only uber hard but even when you get a strategy takes AGES to kill (the eyeball took me around 45 minutes! Imagine how many curables I needed in that time...!)

Only issue is once I killed it I had to return to the main entrance using a Liftstone, but have no idea how to find my way back there and lots of the enemies have respawned now. Plus the main trader who is sort of 5 minutes away from the main entrance is no longer there so can't do any more rarefying of my items.

Plan is to do all of the isle, go back and do all my unfinished quests on the mainland then finally go back into the Everfall.

I still want to get that crimson armour set I've seen though, have you seen it? I've not found any of the bits so far though - my armour is a bit out of date now and need an upgrade.

 

[Sargara]

It normally goes: area > boss > shortcut/safezone > area > boss > shortcut/safezone. The reason the trader has gone from the start is because he is now located in the safezone areas. Have a read of: http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Barroch as he is available in 2 places now.

Unlike the Giant that was optional, you have to kill that eyeball boss to progress through the island but yes it was a pain, luckily Mystic Knights can climb up and hit him in the eye though

 

[Brand86]

I think I need to, at some point, change my vocation to strider/assasin and get some stamina buffs as my stamina is my weakness. I tried climbing on that eye but ran out of stamina buffs so in the end I just did a bazillion great cannons from the top of the stairs with ice enchantments. It took me AGES though as I said. I went straight from fighter to mystic knight, maybe I should have tried more classes along the way?

That makes sense though about the vendor - I did see him inside the void gate before the eye thing.

Question for you though - in the Everfall I found a room with the ur dragon in but I still didn't have enough wakestones but I think I could have fought him if I hadn't of fled. Are the wakestones optional then?

 

[Sargara]

The UR dragon isnt the end-boss you need the wakestones for mate, thats something else which isnt a dragon but a good plot twist

I tried him once but couldnt really scratch him so never investigated further. I just entered his room, dropped down onto a massive open arena platform and he flew in for a 3 minute battle then if hes not dead he leaves and your left feeling "whelp that was pointless".

Its never too late to go back and switch classes if you want to unlock additional profession augments. I went Fight > Warrior > Mage > Mystic Knight for example to get better spell related buffs. Just run around beating up stuff in the open world to build up Exp, i wouldnt attempt progressing if you arent optimal lol.

 

[Brand86]

Yeah I might do that then - although I've got no equipment for assassin right now so might end up walking around naked for a while, or spending all my hard earnt cash

When you get to NG+ do you keep all your stats then too? It's the only RPG other than Dragon Age which I am considering playing through again!

 

[Sargara]

Cash is easy to come by though, especially in the Everfall (selling Wakestones) or on the Island (some quests give 100k reward).

You keep everything in NG+ stats, level, items. Not sure on your pawn though, but i would assume so considering it would be wierd having a lvl1 pawn with a lvl120 main? I activated NG+ on Dragons Dogma but chose to start a new save for Dark Arisen so i didn't play it to find out.

 

[Brand86]

Well I am only level 57 - how the hell did you get up 120 without the expansion lol?!? Must have done some SERIOUS farming there?!?

 

[Sargara]

Haha im not, it was just an example! Im 60 something off the top of my head

 

[Brand86]

I'm 58 now so hot on your tail!

Such a cool game though, I would love a next gen sequel for this - unlike most RPGs it gets better as you go on and still challenging, whereas most others get too easy (I'm looking at you Skyrim and Fallout!)

 

[Sargara]

From what I've heard the reason Devil May Cry 4 was made the way it was, is because CapCom assigned the study that produced the other DMC games to creating Dragons Dogma as they wanted a new franchise. Fingers crossed its sold enough to warrant a sequel.
http://uk.gamespot.com/news/capcom-praises-dmc-and-dragons-dogma-in-fy13-earnings-6408084
The popularity of Dragon's Dogma was "greater-than-expected," however, and saw an "unprecedented" million copies sold for an original title.

I would have been happy with a PC port personally as I think it would do wonders for the texture popin/popout issue which is one of my only gripes with it currently.

 

[Brand86]

Yeah the popin is awful, but something I've learnt to live with. Also don't like the screen tear and the slow down but something I've learnt to live with!

I REALLY want to get some equipment with stamina and/or health regen....do you know of any in the game?

 

[Sargara]

There was a peice of armor around the middle of the game (i think it was Gryphon heavy plate?) that had a description about allowing the wearers health to regenerate in sunlight? Not sure how noticeable it was to be worth the downgrade to use it.
But on the whole, no it doesnt exist. Mystic Knight has a deffencive spell that heals him when hes attacked while blocking.

 

[Brand86]

Yeah but I don't block well enough lol! Always foget I can even do that!

I think I'm gona leave the aisles and train as an assasin for a bit and get some stamina...but as I said I may be running around naked for a while as got no money to buy new shizzle!

 

[Brand86]

I retrained as an assasin and put in a few hours last night and so far so good - about 5/10 on the vocation now but not spending all the points as going to revert back to mystic knight for the end game. However switching one of my pawns to a support mage has made a MASSIVE difference to my party and will keep one even when I switch back.

Also found the immortal helmet which gives you health regen too - good times!

Level 63 now too

 

[Brand86]

Level 68 now I think but massively struggling on Bitterback Isles. I've got to a room which has some sorcerers, succubus and a few goblins. Can take those out easily but then there is not just 1 but 2 of the massive condemned gorecyclops. With 2 of them it seems virtually impossible to fight them with weapons and the ledge above their heads seems a bit too high for my party to cast spells on them. I was doing some magic cannons with fire/ice enhancements but will take me approximately 9 years to kill them at this rate!

​#frustrating

 

[Sargara]

Hmm i think i just sprinted through that room to the next without clearing it. The door isn't locked so i just pegged it through, so long as none of your pawns are downed when you exit a room they will "teleport" into the next room with you. Simples Its a tactic that the entire island practically encorages, the amount of times you have to peg it away from Death it almost becomes 2nd nature lol.

Not sure what level i am so i'll boot it up tonight and take a look. If we are similiar i recommend we hire each others pawn for some RC farming haha.

 

[Brand86]

Yeah Death needs to do one! Is he the end boss or something? Because his sleep combined with sythe means he is virtually impossible to even attack let alone kill! Certainly my pawns are too stupid to get around him.

If you complete BI can you go through it again (without the bosses potentially as they don't seem to respawn?) My plan is to complete it, go back to Everfall for some more wakestones then take it on again!

 

[Sargara]

Theres an achievement for killing Death so it must be possible, no idea how but he certainly isnt the end boss! When you kill the end boss the island "resets" and everything becomes harder and the end boss "evolves" into a different encounter if you are able to reach him a 2nd time.

The islands end boss was the hardest encounter I've faced FYI, much harder than the main games end boss. I ended up giving up and teleporting out to going back and restock on as many potions as i could carry and then returning.

 

[Brand86]

Ah cool, makes sense! I like how everything is a bit vague! When I go into the Everfall now it all seems quite easy - I guess the difficulty doesn't scale at the same level?

I got the Crimson armour plate and combined it with the Immortal helmet and gauntlets which works well - but my main sorcerer isn't as effective in BI as he often gets killed whilst casting, thinking of switching him to a warrior then mystic knight - although that's a LOT of effort right now!

 

[Brand86]

I'm level 83 now - boom!!! Got 26 wakestones so put 20 in storage and going to farm the Everfall as it's easy now, then going to go back to BI and show them who is boss!

 

[Sargara]

Jesus you did that quick, 60 > 80 i mean.
Where have you been all that time, just farming the Everfall?? Did you end up switching professions in the end like you suggested?

 

[Brand86]

Level now 93 now mate...so ridiculous killing those condemned gorecyclops - you level up twice killing 2 at a time! Still not got any amazing BI kit yet though but I got to a bit where it seemed like the end, so decided to leave and go back to the start to farm it all a bit more first. Need a few more of those memorial pieces too - no idea where they are!

 

[Sargara]

Yeah im the same, I never managed to find them all either before completing it. Must be proper hidden along the way! Like i said theres no need to leave as once dead it resets anyway so its not like you will be missing out on the ability to go back later. You NEED to stock up on health items before fighting him though, proper hard.

I've got a couple peices of BI kit i need to purify but i dont have the 20k it requires so they are sat in my storage at the moment until someone hires my pawn :/

 

[Brand86]

I bought a few rift crystals as there was a stone to rebuild which cost 25k - felt a bit bad as it's basically cheating!

If I go back to the Everfall and give them my 20 rift stones and then take on the ur-dragon, if I eventually kill him (as I understand it can take a few attempts) will I have to start a new game and if so will my new game start with my current characters? Not sure I can be bothered with another playthrough now!

 

[Sargara]

The ur-dragon isnt the end boss so feel free to try him as many times as you want in the Everfall. Just dont turn in the 20 rift crystals, merely drop down to his room.

 

[Brand86]

Hmm weird...I went into his chamber but it was totally empty? Like nothing to fight at all?!? Is this usual... :S

 

[Sargara]

Just wait. He will eventually turn up (you are connected to Xbox Live right?) hes an online encounter because however much you kill him within the 10mins the next person to turn up after you will continue where you left off.
http://dragonsdogma.wikia.com/wiki/Ur-Dragon

And you need to have rested at an Inn between attempts.

 

[Brand86]

Well ages ago (when I first went to Everfall) I went in the room and he was there but I ran away without facing him as thought it was the end boss and didn't want to do it...I'll go back in later or something maybe and hopefully he's there...I've rested several times though since then (and obviously more than 10 minutes before!)

​Cheers for the advice mate!

 

[Brand86]

Right I think I know the problem...when the 4 random pawns appear in the chamber and you kill him you hear his voice saying 'I know you arisen' or something and both times I've gone through the door next to the stone monument thing taking you back into the Everfall - but I should stay in the chamber and hopefully he appears.

I've been rocking that azure armour when levelling up too as your vocation experience goes through the roof - I got from level 1 up to 8 in about an hour or so last night. It's not very good for battling in but I am training as a mage at the moment so it's just about OK.

 

[Sargara]

Ah glad you sussed the problem. So you just werent hanging around long enough for him to appear?

Have you tried him then, how did you get on? When i was there it was before going to the Everfall so i was around lvl40'ish when i tried and i barely scratched him to be honest. I spent the majority of my time running around trying to revive pawns than climbing him to hit the weak spots. Felt pretty disheartening!

 

[Brand86]

No by the time I figured it out I'd left and it was gone midnight so I just went and saved my game - will hopefully try again tonight. Took me ages just to land on the right chamber though! I'm level 96 now so hopefully do some damage even though I'm still levelling as a mage - when I revert back to mystic knight should be quite powerful!

Have you started a new game plus then?

 

[Sargara]

Nope! Im going to try and catch you up level wise in the Everfall before starting BI a 2nd time. There isnt anything i want from the core game to warrant resetting it on NewGame+ yet. If i can ever save enough RC for the 20k per peice cost of the armor i get from the BI boss that is....

Why won't anyone hire my pawn, "Bromance". Dont people like 2handed wielding warriors? lol

 

[Brand86]

Lol - my pawn has been hired twice that I know of. Once came back with 26k worth of rift crystals though which was very cool! So yeah worth doing. Remember though you can buy rift crystals if you really get stuck!

I was considering doing the ng+ as I am sick of having a dark and oppressive sky and apparently you get a riftstone taking you directly to the ur dragon if you do this. I am also going to go around killing more dragons as want everything dragon forged

 

[Sargara]

Well i fired it up last night and had a decent session on it. Went from lvl68 to 73 by the time i logged off.

I started in the Everfall and did a room i hadnt tried before, i forget its name now but it had an Iron Golem in! Never faced on before but essentially the golem is invincible and you have to attack glowing wards around the room. "This is piss easy" I thought until i realised the 7th ward is floating in the air and I didnt have a bow using pawn in my party...... so i ended up just leaving him

Went back to BI and started clearing it again the 2nd time around. Remember that room when you first meet the vendor and its all peaceful, full of birds, deers etc? Not anymore! I ended up working my way around again, collecting Rift Crystals and eventually having enough to purify my items. Turns out if you get an "Armor Lvl 3" piece that costs 25k, you always get a peice of armor from a set called Abysal Items? Theres 13 in total aparently and I've managed to get 2 now, arms and cloak.

Also found a new room, Rotundra of Dread i think? Basically everytime you enter you get a random spawn so simply exit/enter and you can have back to back wyvern fights etc as the room resets (intentionally). Seems to be the best place to level up.

 

[Brand86]

Oh wow yeah that rotundra is awful. Last time I went in there were a dozen or so of those massive rat/wolf things (are they wyverns?)...I left immediately! I haven't been to BI except for inventory management/skill setting for a while now.

BUT I managed to fight the ur dragon twice last night and probably took 5-10% off one of his health bars - I bought 100 large mushrooms before entering and hung near his neck and just kept attacking him until he flew away. Didn't find him that powerful though - I don't think I even used a health curative!

That room with the iron golem is doable without a projectile though - I just kept running to the spire in the air and doing a jumping hit - took it down quite quickly!

I also checked and in total I have almost 70 wakestones now too! ha

 

[martynzs]

Got chance to play some more of this last night - still VERY early into the game (say 2 hours) as I have just got the city with the hydra head...!

Must say, I made the right choice starting again as a fighter - plays much more how I prefer, still not 100% sold on it, but definitely starting to enjoy it more!

 

[Brand86]

Yeah mate stick at it. Until you've been to Gran Soren then just left to go out into the wilds and start exploring then you've not really begun! Also you need to understand that to use your XP levelling you need to visit an inn keeper (there's one in the encampment near the hydra you mentioned). It's not like other RPGs where you can just do it from a game menu when you level up.

Once you start getting better equipment and can also get your party of pawns (your main one plus 2 others you choose at riftstones) the game comes into it's own. The enemies you'll encounter get increasingly outlandish and are usually on a massive scale!

Have you got the Bitterback Isle expansion too? If not you should - it's awesome! Just one massive dungeon basically.

I started as a fighter...then switched to mystic knight, then assassin, then sorcerer (only for about 20 minutes!), then mage...if you do a few different classes your stats improve more and you can still get all the core upgrades and choose which augments you want. It's a good system as you're always balancing how powerful you are vs levelling.

 

[martynzs]

I kinda got that sense when I went off the path slightly en-route to the meeting point (only I decided to stick to the route to get the prolouge type quests out the way - seems to be a massive world literally rammed with enemies!

Didnt know that about leveling though! Will visit and inn next time I play!

I do like the idea of being able to adapt classes though, as much as I like being a warrior/tank build its always nice to have the odd spell!