Five things to know about Dragon’s Dogma

The PC version of Dragon’s Dogma has (finally) been released, allowing gamers to play one of the most original and creative open world RPGs in recent memory. Dragon’s Dogma can be charming, but it can also be difficult and perplexing for new players. Giant monsters will devour the marrow from your broken bones. Entire game mechanics will be completely opaque, and the path ahead may not always be obvious. We’ve compiled a list of pointers and advice that will make your foray into the Gransys universe a little less difficult.

1. Creating a suitable main pawn

You’ll create your “main pawn”—a computer-controlled character who fights alongside you the entire way—about an hour into the game. While investing all your time and resources into outfitting yourself may tempt you, it would be much wiser to make your main pawn stronger instead. They will be the ones watching out for your back, after all. It’s best to start by picking a class that complements your own. Make your main pawn a fighter if you’re playing as a mage or strider to help deter enemies from attacking you, or vice versa.

The inclination and personality of your pawn can be changed using a variety of meters by responding to the character creator’s concerns. The complicated system that determines how your pawn behaves in combat can be altered by your actions as well as by using specialized items and knowledge chairs, which are available in every major inn. Despite the fact that you won’t immediately notice the effects of these tendencies, if your pawn is a fighter, you might think about giving Nexus priority so they can defend the group. If they are a mage, a medic will make sure they keep the group healed (assuming you unlock their healing spells).

2. Make your pawn gorgeous to profit from it

One more good reason to treat your main pawns like royalty is that it will make them far more appealing for other players to rent. Your party in Dragon’s Dogma consists of three pawns: one that you make yourself and two support pawns that you borrow from other players. Don’t worry, they will still be by your side while you play. Your pawn will learn about monsters, quests, and the world in general as they go on adventures with other characters. Players who use your pawn can also give them items to bring back to you, earning you a small amount of rift crystals, a unique currency. The game will sync each time you take a break at an inn.

It takes a little imagination to make a pawn more desirable. Other players will pick them more if they have the best armor and weapons, the best skills for their class, and a little glitz and glamour. Making your pawn stand out from the crowd by giving them a memorable name or distinctive appearance will also help. You won’t be sorry because rift crystals can be used to buy some very expensive items or to hire strong support pawns when you need the extra help.

3. Upgrade your tools

One of the simplest ways to increase your combat survival is to upgrade your gear. You’ll find the procedure to be a breeze if you’re the type of person who stops to pick up every item which you should be doing without a doubt. Some vendors will offer to upgrade your gear in exchange for money and an essential resource. You can upgrade each piece of gear three times, with the initial tier requiring only gold.

Focus on improving your arsenal of weapons because you won’t be able to find better ones as well. While armor is less uncommon, it might be wise to hold off on third-tier upgrades until you’ve found the ideal combination, unless you need the added defense.

When you do discover a worthwhile replacement for your outdated machinery, think about keeping it rather than selling it for gold. You’ll be happy to have already upgraded equipment waiting for you in storage if you decide to change careers later.

4. Eternal Ferrystone and Portcrystals

The obvious lack of fast travel options in Dragon’s Dogma’s initial console release was one of its harsher aspects. But, the PC version’s Dark Arisen expansion, which adds a lot of new items, makes your adventures a little less tedious. A portcrystal and the Eternal Ferrystone in your storage, which can be accessed in most inns, are the most significant of these. You can use this ferrystone as often as you like to teleport between a few significant game locations. You can create unique teleport spots for off-the-beaten-path locations you visit using the portcrystal, one of many you’ll come across on your adventures.

The hut you’ll find in the Witchwood is where you should first put this crystal so that you can complete the few quests that will lead there. The best use for portcrystals is to place them at the entrances of far-off dungeons or places with uncommon resources, like the healing springs, which you can draw from with empty flasks to produce effective healing items.

5. Watch who you start to fall in love with

The “affinity” system in Dragon’s Dogma, which determines how various characters in the game feel about you, is one of the game’s more obscure and strange systems. There isn’t much mention of it in the game, and there’s no real way to tell how a character feels about you besides from a few hints, so you could miss the entire aspect. Raise character affinity by completing quests for them or by giving them particular items as gifts. Your weapons will fall when you hurt or frighten them.

Affinity has no impact on the game until the very end. Even stranger is the possibility that your love interest could be anyone, from the Queen of Gransys to—I wish I was kidding—a young child, if you aren’t careful. Even though some people might enjoy the surprise of being in the dark, learning that your character has some dubious affections can completely ruin a dramatic conclusion. An item called the Arisen’s Bond that you’ll get much later in the game allows you to affect this outcome. Be cautious in the interim because you never know who you might be leading.