Things you should do in the first 10 hours of Veilguard

Key takeaways

• Unlock 3 abilities for maximum combat potential.
• Experiment with freely returned skills to find ideal builds.
• Upgrade the Caretaker Shop for better gear and recruit companions.

Dragon Age: Vilguard Takes place ten years after the event Dragon Age: Exploration. The world of Thedas has endured many apocalyptic scenarios throughout its history, not the least of which was the Fifth Blight. Dragon Age: Origins or the Inquisition's crusade against the evil Tevinter magister, Corypheus. Now, players take control of Rook, a character who has been hunting Solas, who is revealed to be the villain. Researchwho trespasser DLC, to prevent him from ending the world.

Players need time to adjust to the radically different art style and gameplay mechanics Dragon Age: Vilguard. The game does a good job of teaching the player the basics during a linear opening to the game but then starts to allow for more open-world exploration after a while. Players should make sure to do a few things during the first ten hours of the game to set themselves up for success.

1 Unlock at least three active abilities

This gives you maximum potential in combat

• These abilities can be swapped in the character menu

Unlike the previous one Dragon Age In games, the player only has access to three active abilities at a time Velgard. While this is disappointing for some players who enjoyed the more strategic party-based gameplay of previous games, it puts more focus on the player's combat abilities. This also means that active abilities are, in general, more powerful than most abilities in previous games.

Players should spend some time looking through their class skill tree to figure out which abilities appeal to them the most. They can then focus on unlocking the three abilities through the first few level-ups of the campaign so they have maximum combat potential.

2 Use with the combat system

The gameplay takes a different approach from the series

• Skills can be recalled freely at any point

since Dragon Age: Vilguard Approaching combat differently than previous games, long-time fans of the series will need to experiment with its system to find a build they like. The game makes this easy by allowing the player to retrieve skill points from the main menu at any time outside of combat. It costs no currency or materials to do so, which means there's no limit to the number of times players can reselect their abilities to test different builds.

With this in mind, Rook's class is set in stone at character creation and is the only thing about the character that cannot be changed during the campaign. Players have to do a little research to make sure they pick the right class for this reason, but all sub-classes and abilities can be discovered through experimentation.

3 Give a gift to a friend

Companion relationships are a BioWare staple

• Gifts can be found in various shops

Like most party-based RPGs, Dragon Age: Vilguard There is a system to track relationships between player characters and their party members. Companions can approve or disapprove of decisions the player makes, and completing quests while traveling with a companion can increase your bond with Rook.

Apart from these things, the player can also find gifts for specific friends in the markets of Treviso and Minrathous. Buying a gift and then going to the lighthouse to deliver it is a good way to increase Rook's friend's opinion. This is an especially important step if the player already knows which friend they want to romance and get a gift specifically for them.

4 Upgrade Caretaker

The higher his rank, the better gear Rook gets

• This shop in the lighthouse offers gear upgrades

The caretaker is a spirit that has made itself at home in the lighthouse. Players can find him outside in the area between Neve and Harding's quarters. The Caretaker has a shop that allows the player to upgrade gear for Rook and company. It starts at rank 1, and players need to upgrade the shop to unlock more upgrades for their party's gear.

The caretaker's shop is upgraded differently than the faction shops. The player must find memories scattered across the map of Thedas and then return to the lighthouse and select “Rank Up” from the caretaker's menu. The more memories collected, the more power ups, and more upgrades available to Rook and his party members. Leveling up this chain as soon as possible is the best way to ensure that players are equipped for combat encounters even above their current level.

5 Complete the “labs below”.

Enter Fen'Harel's memories

• This side quest at the Crossroads sheds light on Solas' Rebellion

Around the crossroads, players can find areas that take them back to the old days of Solas' rebellion against the Evanuris. Solas, his general Felason, and the other elves treat Rook and his companions as soldiers in Fen'Harel's service. It gives the player some interesting insight into the events leading up to the creation of the veil, including Solas' growing fear and desperation in the battle against the gods.

“Below the Labs” is a quest where players live in the past, and it shows an interesting insight into the Ghilan'nain's use with the Blight before it was fully formed. By completing this quest, players learn interesting knowledge about Thedas and gain experience for their character in the process. This is likely the first of these memories that players will find as well, giving the player the idea to further explore the crossroads to continue to reveal the truth about Solas' past.

6 Complete “Sea of ​​Blood”

Recruit a powerful friend

• Start this quest by visiting Treviso

Recruiting as many friends as possible is an important part of setting up any RPG campaign, and Velgard No difference. At the start of the game, the player only has Harding and Neve as friends, as Varrick is badly injured in the game's opening campaign. Bellara is another recruit, but the Elf Mage recruit quest happens when the game is still on several rails. As the game world becomes more open and players can choose where they go, one of the options is a quest called “Sea of ​​Blood”.

In this quest Rook travels to the Antivan capital city of Treviso to recruit a powerful assassin with a reputation for killing wizards. Katerina, the first Talon of the Ravens, sends Rook to an underwater prison to recruit her grandson. While there, Crow must tie up some loose ends with Rook's help before officially joining the Velgard in an attempt to stop the old elven gods. After finishing this quest, the player has another great ally at his side.

7 Unlock the exploration map

These are smaller than those of research areas

• Different maps are unlocked as the story progresses

Sounds like a lot of fans Dragon Age: ExplorationExploration suffered from a world map that was too large and empty. in reply, Veilguard Slimmed down the exploration maps to feel more alive. However these are not available from the start of the game, and unlock as the player progresses through quests and the main story.

Players who like to explore in RPGs may find the first few hours of the game too linear, but this doesn't last the length of the game. By the end of the first ten hours, players should at least be able to explore Duck Town, Treviso, Arlathon, and Crossroads. Some areas within these maps will still be off limits due to story reasons or the need to unlock a companion ability first, but there is plenty to do and see on the northern edge of Thedas. Villegard takes place.

8 Look for Evanuris Altars

These altars expand the rook's health bar

• These can be found in many different areas

Evanuris, the original name of the powerful sorcerers who later became known as elven gods, have shrines in the Fed and the northern lands of Thedas. These are valuable to players, especially early in the game. When players activate the Evanuris Altar, it emits beams of light that point towards the floating glistening glyphs. Players can hit them with any ranged attack to defeat them. Once all glyphs are hit, the altar gives the rook a permanent boost of +100 max health.

Players who find themselves regularly losing battles or in dire need of health should seek out the Evanuris altars at Crossroads and Arlathan that the game allows them to explore. This extra health can be the difference between life and death, especially before the player upgrades their armor and gets the hang of the combat system.

9 Complete “An Unfamiliar Feeling”

Harding has unusual powers of learning

• This side quest is in Arlathan, after retrieving the Dagger of Solas

Dwarves in Thedas are an interesting people. They cannot use magic, as they are not connected to the Fade. They do not dream, and they are immune to the effects of lyrium after generations of being underground and surrounded by mysterious ores.

Harding has experience near the beginning Villegard Which turns all this upside down. When she grabbed Solas' Lyrium Dagger, she unlocked the powerful “Stone Sense” which seemed to be a unique form of magic that no living creature had ever seen before. The quest “An Unfamiliar Spirit” gives him the chance to hone these powers and allows Rook to further explore Arlathon while also getting to know Scout.

10 Upgrade faction shops

Different factions offer different gear

• Help sort out the shops while completing side quests and trading

Each faction in the game has their own separate power meter and Rook needs to level up to help defeat the elven gods. Factions gain power when a Rook completes side quests for them, and when items are bought or sold in the faction shop. Once the faction has enough strength (and Rook has the necessary resources), the faction's shop can be upgraded.

The higher the shop's rank, the more powerful the items are for sale. It includes new items that can replace what the player is using but can also upgrade current gear to become more useful. Players should focus on one faction for a while so they can level them up and get better gear as quickly as possible.