Dagger Redesign - 10x/5x/3x/2x speed, 1/10th / 1/5th / 1/3rd / 1/2 damage

version 1.2b

by Orgolove


Scroll to bottom for changelog.

The mod file includes four different settings for daggers:

double speed, half damage
triple speed, one third damage
5x speed, 1/5th damage
10x speed, 1/10th damage



10x speed, 1/10th damage video


5x speed, 1/5th damage video


(The character in the video below has been EXTENSIVELY edited for the purpose of making a video. No, the actual mod will NOT allow you to solo the high dragon)







INTRODUCTION


This is a mod that allows dual wielded daggers to attack like a machine. The swing speed is increased 10 times/5 times/3x/2x, and the damage is decreased to 1/10th or 1/5th (or 1/3rd or 1/2). The single wielded version is also quite fast, but there is a limit to how fast the single wielded animations can run. (But who wields only one dagger or a dagger-shield setup anyway)


WHAT FOLLOWS BELOW IS SUBJECTIVE OPINION.


It is commonly known that rogues are underpowered in Dragon Age. Even with the recent patch, which allows daggers to gain a damage bonus from dex, rogues are still gimped when it comes to the full gameplay. How, you say? Their damage output doesn't compare to mages or warriors. Their ranged capabilities are utterly useless because, well, ranged combat is useless. They have to get up close and personal, but they don't have the survivability of plate warriors. They only have a very few useful buffs, and most of their skills are geared towards single targets, when 90% or more of the game is multi vs multi combat.

Warriors have the ability to draw the enemy away from the party, take a lot of damage, and dish out a lot of damage. He never dies (especially a shield warrior), and you rarely have to micro him. His aggro control means that you don't have to worry about the mob suddenly trying to maul your dps.

Now compare that to Rogues. To begin with, stealth is terrible. He's very squishy, and it takes round the clock full threaten and taunt of another warrior just to keep enemies off his back. You have to constantly micromanage the character to run around to a backstab position, and without a mod, you can only get one, maybe two backstabs in before the mobs turn on you. Rogues have almost no combat capabilities other than sheer dps. They have no combat reason to keep in your party which the mage and warrior can serve better.

Ever try using a rogue during a battle with any melee AOE? For example, try fighting the Revenant with a rogue. The healer will go dry trying to keep the rogue alive who's taking absurd amounts of damage just hanging around next to the revanant because he has no armor.

If you still think rogues are better than warriors or mages in that specific party slot, then have fun playing in nightmare and dying in every battle. You have to go for broke in traps and bombs in order to be effective on nightmare.

Rogues aren't terrible, but whatever role they serve, they are outclassed by other classes. Their damage output is nice, but doesn't compare to mages. Their tanking power is nonexistent, compared to a warrior. Their crowd control does not compare to a warrior either. Their survivability is almost as low as the mage, and unlike the mage, they have to stay toe to toe to do their "great" dps.

Given all the disadvantages of a rogue, even when the rogue has (slightly) better dps than a warrior, the game will go much smoother if you switch that rogue slot into a mage or a warrior.

The key question is this. In ALL game situations, you would almost always prefer a warrior or a mage instead of a rogue in your party.




This mod fixes the situation. By forcing the damage to only increase from dex, we ensure that the daggers will almost exclusively be used by rogues. By increasing the swing speed so dramatically, we ensure that they won't lose in close combat against warriors - they can parry most of the warrior's attacks. Further, with the increased swing speed, rogues can do multiple backstab attacks before the victim even realizes you are there. Also, as many of rogue's and rogue specializations' skills are chance-based, this increased swing speed will greatly increase the chance of DoT.

You can use this in a variety of ways, i.e. get an elemental enchant rune, whose damage is not decreased, get a dagger with % chance to stun, etc etc. The DoT from dual weapon expert and lacerate will definitely happen whenever you fight. Just imagine the possibilities.




INSTALLATION
Install in the following directory:
My Documents \ Bioware \ DragonAge \ packages\ core\ override



NOTES
This mod should be compatible with everything other than the mods that directly edit daggers.


Regarding the mod being overpowered:
This merely adds some strength to a previously underpowered class. What is there not to like?



CHANGELOG
12/23/2009
v1.2b
Fixed 3x mod.


12/20/2009
v1.2
added 2x and 3x.


12/20/2009
v1.1
Added a 5x speed version.