Dragon Age: The Veilguard invites primarily new players to dive into the world. However, even veterans of the world will have to reorient themselves, as the game does not really explain all the content. MeinMMO editor Benedict Grothaus has already played through the game and has some tips for you to make the entry easier.
What are these tips? Exploration and discovering things on your own is part of role-playing games like Dragon Age. However, there are a few features that are quite important but are not adequately explained in the game.
It not only involves mechanics that make combat easier but also certain functions through which you might unintentionally miss out on the story. These things only became apparent to me and colleagues late in the game.
The Veilguard is ideal for anyone looking to jump into Dragon Age, but even as an experienced veteran of the franchise, I only learned these things during the course of the game – ultimately mastering the second highest difficulty level.
Spoiler Warning: The guide aims to be as spoiler-free as possible; however, for some tips, it’s not entirely possible to refrain from mentioning a few minor details. There are no major story spoilers, though.
Do you want to get a feel for the game? Then tune in at 5 PM this evening on twitch.tv/gamestar . There we will stream live gameplay. And starting at 6:30 PM, Leya (Editor-in-Chief MeinMMO), Heiko (Editor-in-Chief GameStar), and Micha (Head of Video Publishing) will discuss what BioWare stands for – and what it does not. Highly debated topics such as key distribution will also be part of the talk.
1. “Attacking my target” does not happen automatically
In The Veilguard, you cannot actively control your companions, but rather only give them commands. This works by calling up a radial menu while momentarily pausing the action.
In the menu, you then choose which companion uses which ability on which target. If you do not use the menu, your companions will simply attack enemies automatically.
However, there are items and abilities that trigger certain effects when “Attacking my target” is used, and these are sometimes crucial for builds. You must actively select this ability; at the top of the menu, you can send the two companions individually or together to a target. Only then will the corresponding effects be triggered.
2. Every companion has a passive skill that you should always equip
Both you and your companions can only equip three regular skills. Unlike your Rook, however, when a companion uses one, a cooldown starts for all their abilities.
In each companion’s skill tree, there is a skill that can be triggered passively – either when certain conditions are met or simply after a separate cooldown.
If you want to get the most out of your companions, you should always level this skill enough so that it can be used passively and equip it on the respective companion. You cannot use all skills anyway due to cooldowns.
3. You cannot sell equipment, only upgrade it
As in every role-playing game, gold is an important currency in The Veilguard with which you buy weapons, armor, materials, and more. You can find gold in many chests and other objects in the open world.
Unlike in other games, you cannot simply sell found equipment that you do not need to merchants. Instead, you always find new equipment or the same, which leads to an upgrade of your existing items. Additionally, you have the option to improve equipment at the workshop.
Faction merchants only accept valuables that you find in the world or can buy from free merchants. At faction merchants, you then exchange these valuables for gold and reputation.
4. You gain reputation through quests, not just through selling
If you absolutely want to improve your standing with a faction but can no longer find any valuables, you don’t have to grind unnecessarily. Just complete quests.
Depending on the quest, you will receive items, gold, trust from your companions, and strengthen a faction – thus gaining reputation with it.
Which faction you strengthen with a quest depends on the specific goal of the quest. As a rule of thumb, side quests in an area strengthen the faction residing there.
5. You will find vendors in many places who do not belong to the factions
In The Veilguard, you find items either in the open world or buy them directly from merchants. This is important for improving your equipment.
Each of the 6 factions has its own faction vendor who sells you faction-appropriate items for Rook or a companion. The more you increase your reputation with the faction, the greater the offerings will be.
However, there are also vendors who do not belong to the factions but sell crucial upgrades. You can find these vendors, for example:
- on the streets and in some buildings in Minrathous
- in the marketplace of Treviso
- in the village of Levendal
At a certain point, a population even comes into the crossroads and brings 4 vendors with them who do not belong to any faction. These will sell you various items but will only accept ethereal remains as payment, which you can find directly in the crossroads, among other places.
6. Some vendors sell permanent bonuses
You should always take a close look at the inventories of the vendors. Many vendors have blue items that simply look like additional valuables.
However, the description will reveal that purchasing certain items permanently increases certain stats. For example, purchasing will give you more health points or allow you to deal more damage permanently. You should always buy these buffs if you have the gold to spare.
7. A deep fall does not kill you but is annoying
In Dragon Age: The Veilguard, there is no fall damage. If Rook falls off an edge, the character does not die. Depending on how far you fall, you either land hard on the ground or are reset to the last safe point.
While this is useful to avoid accidental deaths, it can be annoying if you want to take shortcuts. Once the game calculates that you are falling a few inches too deep, you will be sent back to your starting position.
If you want to shorten the way, it’s best to look for small ledges that allow you to interrupt a fall. Usually, however, you will have to fast travel or take the long way.
The same goes for water, by the way. Rook cannot swim and simply flounders in the water if you fall in, before being reset. If you get too close to the shore, be careful not to wade too far into the water.
8. You cannot break up with your romance anymore
Every companion is a potential romance and you can even flirt with multiple characters at once. However, there are some things to keep in mind:
- Expressing romantic interest does not mean starting a relationship.
- The game explicitly tells you when you start a romance and when you commit to it.
- You can only enter into a romance with one character; polyamorous relationships are not possible.
It is also not possible to break up with your beloved once you have declared your love. You commit as soon as you make that choice. After that, the only option is to reload.
All other companions then become “free” and do not remember having had interest in you. It even happens that they start romances among themselves.
9. You should return to the lighthouse regularly
The lighthouse is your base, essentially the camp, and you find all companions here. They will only talk to you when they have something to discuss, but you should still check back at the lighthouse frequently.
After reaching a certain milestone, your companions may want to talk. This happens, for example, when you have completed main or companion quests. Companions may want different things from you:
- time-critical conversations (gray speech bubble): These are usually about getting to know the companion better
- important conversations (yellow speech bubble): In these conversations, you have the opportunity to influence the development of the companion
- quests (exclamation mark): Here you accept another quest in the series of the corresponding companion
A good reminder is to visit the lighthouse after every quest – even after side quests. If you’re not sure if you have missed anything, travel to any position and then back to the lighthouse. You will see if new conversation options are available.
10. You can refill potions and health points for free
If you are hurt after a battle and have used all your potions, but another enemy is already on the horizon, you often have few options. Green vases contain potions, and some companions can heal, but that is not always enough.
Here is a trick: The pylons at which you can switch your group refill your potions and health points completely – similar to a campfire in Dark Souls. You don’t even have to switch groups.
It’s enough to briefly interact with the column and then exit the menu immediately.
Our tips will help you not miss some content of the game, as they can easily be overlooked. If you’re looking for more assistance, you can find all useful guides for The Veilguard in our overview: Dragon Age: The Veilguard – All Guides
