Wizards of the Coast's new D&D game, Dungeons, and Dragons: Dark Alliance, is a multiplayer hack-and-slash, dungeon crawling adventure. Set in the north of Faerûn, a region called Icewind Dale, the game follows the Companions of the Hall on their adventures after the events of R. A. Salvatore's book The Crystal Shard.
The game has four main characters, which allows for four-player online multiplayer. While playing the game in single-player is an option, it's fairly evident that the game was intended to be played as a party. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when playing with others.
10 Utilize Invulnerability While Reviving
As many reviews for this title have pointed out, the game suffers from a lot of glitches and bugs, in desperate need of many fixes. One of the possible mistakes in the game appears when attempting to revive another player. When a player holds the button to start reviving, as long as the animation begins, they will always finish the revive.
This means that even if an enemy were to drop the reviving player's health to zero, the player will finish the revive before actually going down. This is highly likely to be a bug in the game, but in the event it's not, this feature can be used to keep players alive in the event the tensest of situations.
9 Develop Strategies
Most enemies in Dark Alliance have different levels of power, with some being stronger than others. It is important during co-op, that players decide on their strategy ahead of time for dealing with groups of enemies. Players should try to coordinate amongst each other which enemies they should treat as the main threat.
Typically, smaller enemies such as Goblins should be dealt with before characters attack the larger Verbeegs. With multiple players, it will be possible to keep larger enemies busy while other players deal with the reinforcements.
8 Manage Consumables
Consumables are a major part of surviving missions in Dark Alliance, especially with the limits on stamina players are likely to encounter. Equipping the correct potions can be the difference between struggling through levels and breezing through without needing a short rest.
Useful character abilities such as Catti-Brie's Healing Spirit should take the elixir of concentration to reduce cooldowns on abilities. Meanwhile, melee characters such as Wulfgar may want resistance elixirs to help tank attacks, similar to how a solo player might build.
7 Choose The Right Characters
Each character has their own set of skills and slightly different play styles. As such, players may prefer one character over another for various reasons. In the present version of the game, only one of each character can be used to play in each lobby, though in a future update this may be change.
This means that players should talk to the rest of their party about who they would prefer to play and decide on roles. One may prefer long-range shooting action as Catti-Brie, while another enjoys close-up scimitar slashing as everyone's favorite drow, Drizzt.
6 Take Advantage of Abilities
Abilities are useful tools in each character's arsenal. Each playable character has access to four of these skills. Each ability serves a different purpose to assist the party, whether for damage, control, or support.
One such useful ability is Catti-Brie's Healing Spirit, which can keep the whole party alive. Meanwhile, Wulfgar's Shockwave ability knocks down all nearby enemies, giving allies easy control of a battlefield.
5 Don't Be Afraid To Rest
The short rest mechanic in this game may seem a bit strange at first, but it's surprisingly quick to understand. While it may seem tempting to ignore short rests and take loot rarity increases, this makes the game significantly harder.
Each level can get quite lengthy; thus players should think about taking short rests if they are struggling with levels. This way, they won't have to respawn at the start in the event of a total party down. Additionally, it gives players a chance to restock consumables.
4 Strategies For Only Two Players
When playing as only a two-person party, gamers will need to be more careful when starting a combat encounter as greater care may be needed. Players may need to coordinate better with each other so that these encounters don't prove deadly. One way to help this is by keeping the difficulty well below the combat power of the party.
Another way to make two-player life easier is by choosing the right heroes. For example, Catti-Brie and her Healing Spirit ability can help get two players through a mission, possibly without needing a short rest.
3 Strategies For Four Players
The most important yet unwritten rule of the tabletop version of D&D also applies to larger parties in this game: never split the party. While the multiple routes through the levels may seem appealing, keeping the party together will help conserve stamina in the long run.
One unfortunate problem with multiplayer is that the unfortunate matchmaking capabilities are one of the worst things about the game. If four friends can get together, it'll make the game much more enjoyable than trying to matchmake.
2 Equipment & Feat Choices
Each character has their own unique sets of armor that they can equip, providing various stat bonuses and extra special abilities. When equipping armors, players should try to match a set, as the bonuses are stronger. Within this constraint, players should focus on sets that amplify the strengths of their character, such as critical damage for Drizzt.
Feats are also an important aspect of each character, which they gain as they level up. It may seem like common sense, but players should take the best feats first. As an example, one of Drizzt's best feats is Defensive Duelist, which he gets at level 10.
1 Battlefield Awareness
With multiple players attacking many enemies, the battlefield can get a little chaotic, so it's always important to keep an eye on what's going on. Explosive barrels appear over every level and can take a great deal of health away from an unwary adventurer. Keeping an eye on the red threat ring can help players avoid some common mistakes.
Keeping an eye on allies is also a good idea. Players need to be able to identify whether a fellow party member needs help, or if they've knocked an enemy over and are looking to do some major damage.