What Happens If You Don’t Do Lost and Found in Dragon’s Dogma?
In Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen, the Lost and Found mechanic is a subtle but pervasive system that dictates how the world remembers and reacts to your actions, especially those involving Pawns. Simply put, if you ignore Lost and Found entirely, you miss out on potential rewards, lose valuable opportunities to strengthen your Pawns, and potentially damage your reputation (albeit in a minor way). While the game doesn’t punish you severely for neglecting this system, actively participating in Lost and Found can significantly enhance your gameplay experience.
Delving Deeper into the Consequences
While not participating in Lost and Found won’t halt your progress through the main storyline or prevent you from completing the game, the consequences are more nuanced and impact various aspects of your journey. Let’s break down what you’re missing out on:
Missed Gift Opportunities
One of the core components of Lost and Found is receiving gifts from other players who have hired your Pawn. When your Pawn is dismissed or dies in another player’s world, they may bring back gifts to you. These gifts can range from valuable equipment and materials to healing items and consumables. By neglecting Lost and Found, you forfeit these potential freebies. This is especially impactful early in the game when even minor upgrades can make a significant difference.
Stunted Pawn Growth and Development
Pawns learn through experience, and a crucial part of that experience comes from their travels with other Arisen. When your Pawn returns, they often bring back information about quests, enemy weaknesses, and unexplored areas. This information is communicated through ratings and comments left by the other Arisen. If you never check your Lost and Found, you miss out on these invaluable insights that could help you refine your Pawn’s skills, inclinations, and knowledge.
Impact on Pawn Reputation
While the direct impact on your Pawn’s “reputation” is difficult to quantify, it’s reasonable to assume that neglecting feedback from other players can hinder their attractiveness to potential employers. Arisen are more likely to hire Pawns with positive ratings and helpful comments. Regularly checking and acting on the feedback you receive through Lost and Found demonstrates that you care about your Pawn’s development, which could indirectly lead to more frequent hires.
Missed Rift Crystal Opportunities
Rift Crystals (RC) are the primary currency used to hire other players’ Pawns. When your Pawn is hired, you receive RC as compensation for their service. While you can earn RC through other means, hiring out your Pawn is a relatively passive way to accumulate this valuable resource. Ignoring Lost and Found means potentially missing out on a steady stream of RC, making it harder to hire powerful or specialized Pawns later in the game.
Lack of Story Immersion
While not directly tied to gameplay mechanics, the Lost and Found system adds a layer of immersion to the game world. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of Arisen and their Pawns and highlights the dynamic nature of the Rift. By neglecting this system, you miss out on a small but meaningful aspect of the Dragon’s Dogma experience.
No Knowledge Stars for Your Pawn
Pawns can gain knowledge stars which indicate they have learned about different locations, monsters and quests in the game. These are usually passed back to you when they return via the Lost and Found system. By neglecting this system, you miss the potential to improve your pawn’s knowledge base.
Is It Really That Important?
While the consequences of ignoring Lost and Found are present, they are not game-breaking. You can still complete Dragon’s Dogma without ever checking the Rift Stone or interacting with the system. However, actively engaging with Lost and Found offers tangible benefits that enhance your overall gameplay experience. It’s a simple and rewarding way to improve your Pawn, acquire valuable items, and deepen your connection to the game world. Think of it as free experience and resources that you’re passing up if you choose not to participate.
A Few Last Considerations
Ultimately, the decision to participate in Lost and Found is a matter of personal preference. If you’re looking for every possible advantage and want to maximize your Pawn’s potential, then it’s definitely worth your time. If you’re more focused on the main storyline and don’t mind missing out on some extra rewards, then you can safely ignore it without significantly impacting your progress. However, given the minimal effort required to check and respond to Lost and Found, it’s generally recommended to at least take a quick look after your Pawn returns from a journey.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Lost and Found
1. How do I access the Lost and Found in Dragon’s Dogma?
You access the Lost and Found system by interacting with any Rift Stone. These stones are scattered throughout the world and can be found in major settlements and dungeons. When you interact with a Rift Stone, select the option to view your Pawn’s history or manage your Pawn.
2. What information is available in the Lost and Found?
The Lost and Found displays information about your Pawn’s recent journeys, including who hired them, how long they were hired for, ratings and comments left by other Arisen, and any gifts they brought back.
3. What types of gifts can my Pawn bring back?
Gifts can range from common crafting materials and healing items to rare equipment and valuable consumables. The type of gift depends on the Arisen who hired your Pawn and the challenges they faced during their journey.
4. How do I improve my Pawn’s ratings in the Lost and Found?
You can improve your Pawn’s ratings by equipping them with powerful gear, teaching them useful skills, selecting appropriate inclinations, and providing them with comprehensive knowledge of the game world. Ensuring your Pawn is well-equipped and knowledgeable makes them more valuable to other players.
5. What are Pawn inclinations and how do they affect Lost and Found?
Pawn inclinations determine their behavior in combat. Choosing the right inclinations, like Utilitarian, Challenger or Mitigator, depending on your pawn’s vocation, will ensure your pawn is useful to other players, and hence gets better ratings.
6. How do I change my Pawn’s inclinations?
You can change your Pawn’s inclinations by using Inclination Elixirs. These elixirs can be purchased from certain merchants or found as loot throughout the world. Experiment with different elixirs to find the inclinations that best suit your Pawn’s role.
7. How often should I check the Lost and Found?
It’s generally recommended to check the Lost and Found whenever your Pawn returns from a journey or after a significant period of time has passed. Checking frequently allows you to stay informed about your Pawn’s progress and collect any accumulated gifts.
8. Can my Pawn bring back Rift Crystals through the Lost and Found?
Yes, you receive Rift Crystals (RC) when your Pawn is hired by other players. The amount of RC you receive depends on how long your Pawn was hired for and the level of the Arisen who hired them.
9. Are Pawn ratings and comments permanent?
No, ratings and comments in the Lost and Found are not permanent. They are constantly updated as your Pawn is hired and dismissed by different players.
10. Does Pawn death affect Lost and Found?
Yes, if your Pawn dies in another player’s world, they will return to you and their Lost and Found history will reflect this. However, they will still bring back any gifts or feedback they may have received before their demise.
11. Can I prevent my Pawn from being hired by other players?
Yes, you can choose to make your Pawn unavailable for hire by other players through the Rift Stone menu. This might be useful if you’re making significant changes to your Pawn’s skills or equipment.
12. How does Lost and Found contribute to Pawn knowledge?
When your Pawn is hired by other players, they gain knowledge about quests, enemies, and locations that they may not have encountered in your own world. This knowledge is then shared with you through the Lost and Found system, allowing you to improve your Pawn’s effectiveness.
13. Is there a limit to the number of gifts my Pawn can bring back?
While there isn’t a strict limit, your Pawn can only carry a certain amount of items back at a time. If they acquire more gifts than they can carry, they may prioritize the more valuable items.
14. Can I gift items to other players through the Lost and Found system?
No, you cannot directly gift items to other players through the Lost and Found system. However, you can indirectly gift items by equipping your Pawn with valuable gear, which other players can then benefit from when they hire your Pawn.
15. What happens if I dismiss my Pawn?
Dismissing your Pawn doesn’t affect the Lost and Found system directly. When you dismiss your Pawn, they simply return to the Rift and become available for hire by other players again. Their previous Lost and Found history remains intact.