The controversy and criticisms surrounding Dragon Age 2 have been endless. From claims of favoritism toward homosexual relationships to complaints that the game seems unfinished, Bioware has taken a beating for their latest game. The difficult reception hasn’t driven them away from the game, though.
A new patch addresses over one hundred issues in the game. This is a console-oriented patch, bringing the game up to version 1.01, whereas the PC version has already been patched to 1.02. The highlights have been compiled on Bioware’s forums and posted below for your convenience:
NOTE: Some plot fixes are retroactive, but not all. Players with plot-breaking
bugs may need to revert to an earlier save, particularly a save prior to
visiting the affected area during the current year in the game.
GAMEPLAY
– The effects of various follower talents and item properties are now being
properly removed and re-applied when loading and saving.
– Anders’s default set of tactics will now activate Haste when appropriate.
– Aveline’s final armor upgrade is now available during “Favor and Fault.”
– Aveline’s Retaliation talent no longer imposes a delay when activated.
– The warrior’s Rally talent now functions as described.
– The rogue’s Lacerate talent now functions as described.
– Party members who are resurrected during a fight now rejoin combat properly.
– Hawke no longer gains random spells or talents after using the Maker’s Sigh
potion, then saving and reloading.
– Potions, poisons, grenades, and runes can now still be ordered from the Hawke
estate after the main campaign is complete.
– Various minor gameplay issues no longer occur.
QUESTS (SPOILER WARNING)
– “Duty” will now appear on the Chanter’s Board even if the player accepted
all of the board’s quests before installing the Exiled Prince premium content.
– The journal for “Duty” will now update if the player left the Docks (Night)
area immediately after killing the Flint Company mercenaries.
– In “Finders Keepers,” the door to Woodrow’s Warehouse will now open if the
player steals the location to the warehouse from the harbormaster’s office.
– In “Finders Keepers,” if the player leaves Woodrow’s Warehouse before finding
the crate, it is now possible to return to the warehouse to complete the quest.
– In “Herbalist’s Tasks,” the varterral’s heart is now available even if
the player killed the varterral before receiving the quest.
– Merrill no longer refers to the aftermath of “A New Path” before the plot
has been completed.
– Varric is no longer confused about which character Hawke has been romancing.
– Various minor story-scripting issues no longer occur.
XBOX 360-SPECIFIC FUNCTIONALITY
– The options menu now includes auto-attack.
– Armor values now adjust correctly when changing shields.
– Choosing a target at close range is now easier.
– The rogue’s Goad and Armistice talents now target party members directly.
– Hawke no longer gains excessive coin and experience from rapidly and
repeatedly completing a single side quest.
– Cinematics are no longer distorted on certain standard-definition televisions.
– The timestamp for saved games now displays correctly.
– Various technical changes should improve performance and limit crashes.
– Achievements now unlock properly in a new version of the Exiled Prince
premium content. To re-install the Exiled Prince, follow these directions:
Uninstalling Old Data:
1. In the Xbox 360 dashboard, go to “System Settings” under “My Xbox.”
2. Choose “Memory.”
3. Select the memory device on which the DLC is installed.
4. Choose “Games.”
5. Choose “Dragon Age II.”
6. Scroll down and choose “The Exiled Prince” Marketplace Content.
7. Select “Delete,” then “Yes” to confirm the action.
Installing New Data
1. Press the Xbox Guide button.
2. Scroll right to “Settings,” then choose “Account Management” and
“Yes” to confirm.
3. Choose “Download History.”
4. Choose “The Exiled Prince” game add-on.
5. Select “Download Again.”
Now if only they’d add a few more dungeons to the game. Have you been hampered by any of these issues? Is Bioware doing enough to address DA2’s problems? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
