Dragon Age II patch 1.03 promises combat improvements

A recent post on the BioWare Social Network brings word of the latest Dragon Age II patch that should make plenty of people happier -- or just less ornery.  The gameplay changes look substantial, especially in terms of combat improvements.

Patch 1.03 entered certification a few days ago, meaning it'll be ready for PC, Xbox 360, and PS3 versions of Dragon Age II.  According to BioWare's Luke Barret, the patch addresses over 200 issues folks have been experiencing, including one major problem that has prevented some PC users from being able to launch the game.

In terms of combat, the enemy AI have been given an overall boost.  Commander units are now smarter than before, tossing out stun grenades while influencing other enemies to focus fire on single targets.  If you're sick of constantly having to micromanage your own team due to constant interrupts, the patch aims to mitigate that issue as well, though silence effects and disruption to stealth have also been "beefed up a little."  At least you won't need to spam the Quick Heal option repeatedly now and hope Fenris doesn't forget to drink up.

Enemies should also be exploding a whole lot less thanks to the patch.  Because really, seeing every mabari and zombie pop in a shower of blood and gore just got weird after the tenth or twentieth time.

If you own the game for Xbox 360, you should be prompted to download the update the next time you log in.  The PC release should be coming soon, and the PS3 version is expected some time next week.