Mass Effect

[David Hingtgen]

I'm not sure why you keep bringing up "everyone survives"--I got it, and it's fairly irrelevant to what I'm talking about. My past 5 posts have been solely about the "romance" options/achievement. Specifically with regards to a certain someone.

kaio---yup, way too streamlined. Best, shortest summary I saw on a forum said "ME 1 had too much, ME 2 has too little. ME 3 should be inbetween".

They didn't "fix" the inventory system, they eliminated it. And took away a HUGE part of the customization fun along with it. I'd be fine if they ditched all the little upgrade slots for each weapon/armor----but keep the weapons and armor themselves, especially "crew member armor". If I could have just one thing in ME 3, it'd be to pick armor for crew members again. "Same outfit, but now in black" is a poor substitute.

I don't expect them to totally revamp the battle system again, it's not going to happen and I wouldn't even bother asking/hoping--I'm *OK* with it, though it's far from what I'd prefer. Just a few tweaks could make it a lot better for non-soldier classes though. But they could EASILY bring back different sets of armor for everyone. Heck,

Morinth

already does have several completely different outfits, one being straight from ME 1, she just doesn't wear it "out on the field". Mass Effect's engine (as are most Bioware games) are built around characters having multiple costumes etc. I'm almost certain it's still in ME 2's engine for every character to have multiple armors, it's only "activated" for a few. The others all make due with a single model, but multiple textures.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Agreed, and maybe I'm in the minority but the only thing that bothered me about Mass Effect's inventory system was the inability to sort in more logical fashion. I liked the high level cap, large amount of skills, numerous weapon and armor choices, etc. I spent nearly 200 hours with Shepard in ME, collecting the best weapons and armor, completing insanity with the best gear and all the choices exactly how I wanted them. I'll do that for ME2...I'm just not sure it will be as enjoyable.

[eugimon]

honestly, I don't miss the old weapon and inventory system/loot system. by the end of the game I was spending way too much time selling or turning junk into omni gel, long after I had maxed out both money and gel.

I like just knowing I have the strongest weapon possible and switching between ammo types I found to be much more interesting than comparing stats and deciding between more rounds versus accuracy, etc.

[kaiotheforsaken]

The problem is you can't get the strongest weapons possible, which is annoying. I played hardcore specifically to outfit Shepard with the sniper rifle from the

collector ship

and snag a few armor pieces I missed...but you cant get it. The Geth Pulse rifle available in hardcore and insanity is arguably the best assault rifle in the game...so if you picked the collector one, you basically wasted your choice.

I just don't think there is enough variety. The story is solid, the gameplay and combat is too (mostly...the cover system has it's bad moments). Overall it's great...I'm just a little ranty cause I discovered I wasted 30 hours on hardcore just a little while ago.

And just to clarify: Has anyone playing Paragon (that has finished) made it to the end with no renegade points? I'm starting to believe it's not possible.

Edited February 3, 2010 by David Hingtgen

[BeyondTheGrave]

I'm not sure why you keep bringing up "everyone survives"--I got it, and it's fairly irrelevant to what I'm talking about. My past 5 posts have been solely about the "romance" options/achievement. Specifically with regards to a certain someone.

kaio---yup, way too streamlined. Best, shortest summary I saw on a forum said "ME 1 had too much, ME 2 has too little. ME 3 should be inbetween".

They didn't "fix" the inventory system, they eliminated it. And took away a HUGE part of the customization fun along with it. I'd be fine if they ditched all the weapon and armor upgrades----but keep the weapons and armor themselves, especially "crew member armor". If I could have just one thing in ME 3, it'd be armor for crew members again. "Same outfit, but now in black" is a poor substitute.

me not think right.

I did see the lack of weaponry and armor is a downer. But at the same time You no longer have to sit for long periods selling or scrapping items b/c its crap, you have it already or you have the best items. Or how about characters having a half mask on in areas that require a full suit.

I didn't like garrus walking around in a shot up bloodied Armour all game.

Engineer Donelly's conversations with the other engineer are funny.

@Kaio

you can only have one strong weapon?

That's pretty weak.

Edited February 3, 2010 by BeyondTheGrave

[David Hingtgen]

Tell me more about this hardcore/insanity weapon thing. I haven't heard anything about it. Also--do you mean simply having the DLC for the collector rifle means you can't get the hardcore ones? My first ME 2 Shep was an adept, so I NEVER had a collector rifle--but my other party members did. Would that still "count"?

Also, I'm certain the

collector ship

"new weapon acquisition" thing is much more complex than is listed. I've read a half-dozen different recounts of what occurs, and none matched what happened to me and few match each other. Some people seem to just get a "better" version of what they have, some get exclusive/awesome versions of what they have---but I was only offered basic versions of things I didn't have at all. (they were new weapons to MY Shep, yes, but not particularly useful as I'd already spent half the game with my "preferred" weapons by that point---I'd have much preferred a bettter version of what I had)

Finally--checking the ME 2 wiki indicates I missed a few things---or just didn't "process" them when I heard. I think acquiring "the party member you almost always get last" earlier may open up a bit more dialogue.

PS--anyone got a list of armor bits? I'm sure I'm missing a few, but I checked every store everywhere after every major plot point, in case of them getting new stuff. It seemed to me that some places NEVER got more in, and others only refilled once.

[kaiotheforsaken]

Well during the mission to recruit Tali, in the room at the end (where you meet her) there is a downed geth with an assault rifle you can acquire. It absolutely shreds armor and is substantially more accurate than the rifle from the

collector ship

, same ammo capacity too...and it seems like a higher rate of fire. Overall it seems much better, and the fact you have to be in a hard difficulty to get it seems to support that theory.

I know the weapon choices are different based on what class you are. For my Shepard I had a choice between the Krogan shotgun (though it didn't seem to have restricted use), this very powerful red assault rifle with a unique model, and a sniper rifle with "anti-material" in the name. All were listed as substantially more powerful.

David:

If you are referring to Legion, I think I might save all possible N7 missions for after the story to try and get all his dialogue. Also I'd be curious if saving Tali's loyalty to mission until after you have Legion would open interesting things. Just read the wiki, apparently there IS unique dialogue for Legion for both the migrant fleet and the Citadel.

Edited February 3, 2010 by David Hingtgen

[CoryHolmes]

Here's a thought about Liara and her apperances in ME2:

I know I'm not the only one to see her changes from ME1 to ME2 as coming from deep left field, not just her profession but also her entire demeanor and attitude. In ME2 we learn that some asari develop sociopathic tendancies due to a genetic flaw that occures in pureblood asari. Liara is pureblood and, having just hit the asari version of adulthood, suddenly is an ME verison of a sith witch. Coincodence or foreshadowing?

[David Hingtgen]

kaio---sorry for constantly altering your posts, but I think that one particular location is still pretty spoilery.

cory---hmmn what? When do we learn that? (the part about "tendencies"). Is it from the 2 asari who keep gabbing on Illium? I listened to them for a while, but never caught that--though that was their main topic. Or is it from the pair(friends?) that they are talking about, a little ways away?

[kaiotheforsaken]

You know it probably is...I hadn't even thought about it. No worries David, I'd have tagged it if I had used my brain a bit more.

[bluemax151]

I should be done tomorrow. Got around to all the N7s now I just need to check for any upgrades I haven't picked up yet (hopefully I have enough creds) and then it's endgame.

I don't know if anyone else has played Army of Two Total Fistbump Destruction but it seems like these two games have influenced each other. Army of Two TFD now has choices and ME2 is more TPS, of course neither is as great in their over lapping mechanics.

There might be some confusion on the weapon deal. The weapons you choose from does include an AR category one but it is a MACHINEGUN so it is entirely different than say a certain CE bonus. I think the purpose of these chosen weapons is that you can use them even if you don't have the class skill to use them?

[CoryHolmes]

cory---hmmn what? When do we learn that? (the part about "tendencies"). Is it from the 2 asari who keep gabbing on Illium? I listened to them for a while, but never caught that--though that was their main topic. Or is it from the pair(friends?) that they are talking about, a little ways away?

From the Codex entry regarding Samara's daughter. From a Mass Effect wiki:

The condition is impossible to identify until the asari reaches maturity, by which time it is too late. When diagnosed, afflicted asari are given a choice; live in quiet seclusion or be executed. Asari do this because it is an addictive condition. Ardat-Yakshi feel compelled to mate, a compulsion that grows stronger each time they succeed.

[David Hingtgen]

Oh, I thought you meant something different. Though I must have missed the pureblood part, I didn't remember that being part of the cause.

However, we know it doesn't affect Liara, or it would have happened in ME 1.

More thoughts:

How did we miss this? http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2010/2/1/ Also, Yeoman Kelly could have been easily replaced by a blinking light.

More comments heard on Illium: Blasto, the pissed-off Hanar: "This one will no longer take any more of your solid excrement".

[CoryHolmes]

Oh, I thought you meant something different. Though I must have missed the pureblood part, I didn't remember that being part of the cause.

However, we know it doesn't affect Liara, or it would have happened in ME 1.

How so? Liara was quite young in ME1 by asari standards, just on the cusp of maturity. Her youth is part of the problem her reasearch kept getting passed over by her higher-ups. Two years later...

[David Hingtgen]

Because it seems that it happens EVERY time, and that's why it's dangerous. It didn't with Liara, so I think she's going to be fine forever. I don't think they literally mean it happens with a certain maturity/age. More like when

they lose their virginity

because there's no way to predict beforehand, until it happens.

Also, I just read a good point on a site---an obvious omission:

When ME 1 characters meet in ME 2, they almost never acknowledge it. (Shepard excluded). You'd think that if I bring Tali along when I meet Liara the first time, they might at least say "hi" to each other. Most of these people haven't seen each other in years it seems, yet the reunions go un-remarked upon.

[bluemax151]

The change of character with Liara is a comic tie in deal.

[David Hingtgen]

Yeah, now I have to buy it. (well, the first issue's free with the collector's edition, so there's only what, 3 left to buy?)

PS---I was really hoping she'd wear the comic outfit in ME 2. And come along as a party member. She better have it in ME 3.

[CoryHolmes]

Yeah, now I have to buy it. (well, the first issue's free with the collector's edition, so there's only what, 3 left to buy?)

PS---I was really hoping she'd wear the comic outfit in ME 2. And come along as a party member. She better have it in ME 3.

I'm having terrible visions of having to assemble yet another new team for ME3. I will be terribly, terribly disapointed if that's the case. While I wasn't thrilled with the prospects of a new team for ME2, the game did win me over and made me really appreciate them for the people they are. I have no doubts the talents could do the same for ME3, but the concept is tired and exhausted now. Doing it a third time would just be unorginality at its worst.

[David Hingtgen]

Oh, it's gotta be a new team---they can't write a ZILLION lines of dialogue and a ton of different quest variations to account for every possible death in ME 2. Though the fact that Tali seems very likely to die in ME 2 probably means she can't have that big a role in ME 3 despite her popularity with the fans (including me). (she just seems to die more often, comparing people's comments on the boards). I'm sure she'll show up somewhere in ME 3 if you load a save file where she lived, but I bet the "canon" story in ME 3 if you start from scratch, has just about everyone die but Shepard.

Liara's really the only guaranteed constant IMHO. She doesn't die in ME 1 no matter what you do, she doesn't even come along on the mission in ME 2 and so can't die there. So she's probably gonna be in ME 3 and could have a huge, very important role in it as no one is going to have a save to import where she's dead. (it'd be really nice if she would be a party member again---Samara and Jack combined still couldn't replace her IMHO). Plus, being the only character from ME 1 that any Shep can romance, she'd fill the "romance across the whole trilogy" aspect best/easiest too (that has been mentioned a few times by the developers).

Basic fact is, if a person CAN die in an ME game, then they can't have a huge/critical role in any sequel. At most a "big cameo", like Wrex/Ash/Kaiden do in ME 2. That kind of screws a lot of characters in ME 2 for ME 3.

[CoryHolmes]

Plus, being the only character from ME 1 that any Shep can romance, she'd fill the "romance across the whole trilogy" aspect best/easiest too (that has been mentioned a few times by the developers).

Bah. Ashley's the only person in any Mass Effect worth romancing... though I was quite dissapointed I didn't get to romance Miranda (gah, I keep trying to type Morrigan whenever I mean Miranda!). That's why I saved a pre-end-of-Illium savefile and can go back and fix the mistake I made in my first ME2 runthrough. That's why I keep asking, "what will change my import file for ME3?"

[eugimon]

Oh, it's gotta be a new team---they can't write a ZILLION lines of dialogue and a ton of different quest variations to account for every possible death in ME 2. Though the fact that Tali seems very likely to die in ME 2 probably means she can't have that big a role in ME 3 despite her popularity with the fans (including me). (she just seems to die more often, comparing people's comments on the boards). I'm sure she'll show up somewhere in ME 3 if you load a save file where she lived, but I bet the "canon" story in ME 3 if you start from scratch, has just about everyone die but Shepard.

Liara's really the only guaranteed constant IMHO. She doesn't die in ME 1 no matter what you do, she doesn't even come along on the mission in ME 2 and so can't die there. So she's probably gonna be in ME 3 and could have a huge, very important role in it as no one is going to have a save to import where she's dead. (it'd be really nice if she would be a party member again---Samara and Jack combined still couldn't replace her IMHO). Plus, being the only character from ME 1 that any Shep can romance, she'd fill the "romance across the whole trilogy" aspect best/easiest too (that has been mentioned a few times by the developers).

Basic fact is, if a person CAN die in an ME game, then they can't have a huge/critical role in any sequel. At most a "big cameo", like Wrex/Ash/Kaiden do in ME 2. That kind of screws a lot of characters in ME 2 for ME 3.

I think the Wrex/krogan storyline is going to have a big pay off in the 3rd game.

[bluemax151]

I'll call it now

If Tali survives ME2 in ME3 she will be on the Admiralty board in her father's place.

[CoryHolmes]

I think the Wrex/krogan storyline is going to have a big pay off in the 3rd game.

I'll do you one better than that:

Shepard will give Mordin's saved genophage cure to Wrex once he gets the krogan fully under his control and adapted to galactic society. This would allow a fully ME1/ME2 paragon to have more allies to deal with the advancing Reapers: Saving the rachni queen, getting the loyalty of the krogans, Legion's geth, saving the council and having more alien allies... all these good deeds will add up to a massive army opposing the Reapers. If a pure Renegade character, only humanity is there to stop them and gets mighty squished in the process.

[Duke Togo]

The Geth Pulse rifle available in hardcore and insanity is arguably the best assault rifle in the game...so if you picked the collector one, you basically wasted your choice.

Wrong. Way, way wrong. The Geth Pulse Rifle is little more than an Easter Egg. The following is from the official forums, collected from the Coalesced.ini file.

Assault Rifles:

M-8 Avenger

damage 10.8

penetration light

rate of fire 850/min

clip size 40

spare ammo 400

M-15 Vindicator

damage 36.8

penetration light

rate of fire 900/min

burst rounds 3

burst refire time 0.625

clip size 24

spare ammo 96

M-76 Revenant

damage 21.3

penetration medium

rate of fire 700/min

clip size 80

spare ammo 480

Geth Pulse Rifle

damage 3.7

penetration very light

rate of fire 1000/min

clip size 40

spare ammo 480

Collector Assault Rifle

Damage 17.4

Rate 500

MagSize 28

Spare Ammo 280

Accuracy High

Recoil Low

Submachine Guns:

M-4 Shuriken Machine Pistol

damage 20.5

penetration very light

rate of fire 700/min

burst rounds 3

burst refire time 0.25

clip size 24

spare ammo 240

M-9 Tempest

damage 14.0

penetration very light

rate of fire 925/min

burst rounds 5

burst refire time 0

clip size 50

spare ammo 450

Heavy Pistol:

M-3 Predator

damage 37.2

penetration medium

rate of fire 300/min

burst rounds 1

burst refire time 0.32

clip size 12

spare ammo 60

M-6 Carnifex Hand Cannon

damage 85.4

penetration heavy

rate of fire 145/min

burst rounds 1

burst refire time 0.54

clip size 6

spare ammo 24

Shotguns:

M-23 Katana Shotgun

damage 27.5

penetration light

rate of fire 58/min

burst rounds 1

burst refire time 1.25

clip size 5

spare ammo 10

M-27 Scimitar Assault Shotgun

damage 20.34

penetration light

rate of fire 100/min

burst rounds 1

burst refire time 0.8

clip size 8

spare ammo 16

M-300 Claymore Heavy Shotgun

damage 50.1

penetration light

rate of fire 64/min

burst rounds 1

burst refire time 1.25

clip size 1

spare ammo 10

Sniper Rifles:

M-92 Mantis Sniper Rifle

damage 263.1

penetration heavy

rate of fire 70/min

clip size 1

spare ammo 9

M-97 Viper Sniper Rifle

damage 81.9

penetration heavy

rate of fire 240/min

burst rounds 1

burst refire time 0.65

clip size 12

spare ammo 48

X-98 Widow Anti-Material Rifle

damage 368.3

penetration heavy

rate of fire 70/min

clip size 1

spare ammo 12

Incisor Sniper Rifle

Damage 53.6

Rate 600

MagSize 15

Spare Ammo 30

Burst Rounds = 3

Minimum RefireTime = Very fast

Accuracy High

Recoil Low

Heavy Weapons:

M-100 Grenade Launcher

damage 500

penetration medium

rate of fire 100/min

burst rounds 1

burst refire time 1.0 (default is zero)

clip size 10

ML-77 Missile Launcher

damage 350

penetration medium

rate of fire 80/min

clip size 15

M-622 Avalanche

damage 50 (freeze)

rate of fire 50/min

clip size 20

M-920 Cain

damage 10000

penetration heavy

rate of fire 30/min

clip size 1

Collector Particle Beam

damage 20

penetration very light

rate of fire 1200/min

burst rounds 5

clip size 500

Has anyone playing Paragon (that has finished) made it to the end with no renegade points? I'm starting to believe it's not possible.

It's not possible.

Edited February 3, 2010 by Duke Togo

[bluemax151]

I cannot accept this copypasta as two of the statistics have a value of "sweet"

[Duke Togo]

I cannot accept this copypasta as two of the statistics have a value of "sweet"

I can't explain the choice of words (other than the original poster was trying to sum up what are a large amount of stats for those categories), but I've looked at these files myself. The numbers are accurate. DLC weapon info is kept in the DLC folder under BIOWeapon.ini.

edit: I replaced those entries with "High" and "Low."

Edited February 3, 2010 by Duke Togo

[mikeszekely]

I got the everyone survives achievement. you just have to select the right people for the job.

So who did you pick for the different party splits? Garrus bit it for me.

[-Snowblind-]

So who did you pick for the different party splits? Garrus bit it for me.

Everyone survived the finale in my playthrough.

I chose Legion to take the tunnel and hack the doors.

Garrus as team leader for both the support fireteam, and the diversion team leader.

Samara as the biotic.

Thane to escort the crew back to the Normandy.

Miranda and Grunt for my team for the first two parts of the finale, and Miranda and Legion for the last mission against the Reaper larva.

[eugimon]

Everyone survived the finale in my playthrough.

I chose Legion to take the tunnel and hack the doors.

Garrus as team leader for both the support fireteam, and the diversion team leader.

Samara as the biotic.

Thane to escort the crew back to the Normandy.

Miranda and Grunt for my team for the first two parts of the finale, and Miranda and Legion for the last mission against the Reaper larva.

samara as the 2nd team leader and Jacob as the escort works as well also

tali as the hacker does not work

[BeyondTheGrave]

Anyone else find the Citidel a little bit of a letdown in terms of areas you could explore?

So who did you pick for the different party splits? Garrus bit it for me.

Everyone was loyal

Used Garrus for leader each time.

Legion for tech

Used Miranda for biotic escort but she got a character killed. So i used Jack. Mordin for escorting the crew back.

I did not have all the upgrades for weapon and armor. But the Normandy was in its prime.

I think Liara will replace the shadow broker or you'll have to confront her in ME3.

Finding another crew would be a very big annoyance . I could see if some characters didn't come back to join you but you had interaction with them. maybe one or two missions.

[eugimon]

I'll do you one better than that:

Shepard will give Mordin's saved genophage cure to Wrex once he gets the krogan fully under his control and adapted to galactic society. This would allow a fully ME1/ME2 paragon to have more allies to deal with the advancing Reapers: Saving the rachni queen, getting the loyalty of the krogans, Legion's geth, saving the council and having more alien allies... all these good deeds will add up to a massive army opposing the Reapers. If a pure Renegade character, only humanity is there to stop them and gets mighty squished in the process.

That's what I was thinking as well, I was just too lazy to write it all out like that.

[QuinJester]

tali as the hacker does not work

She worked for me. Zero fatalities with Tali as the hacker and Garrus being fireteam and support.

It might have to do with how much you have the various characters skilled up, too.

[eugimon]

She worked for me. Zero fatalities with Tali as the hacker and Garrus being fireteam and support.

It might have to do with how much you have the various characters skilled up, too.

huh, interesting..

[bluemax151]

Beat it and hit level 30 in the last area. Didn't manage to afford ALL the upgrades though. I'm a little disappointed in how everything turns out because of a lack of epicness that matches the first game for lack of a better term. Also some stuff just seems to not really make sense.

@eugimon

Tali worked for my brother as the hacker.

I chose Jacob for team leader both times, Legion as the hacker, Samara for biotic and Grunt for the escort. I did everyone's loyalty missions though.

Edited February 3, 2010 by bluemax151

[CoryHolmes]

Tali as the hacker.

Garrus leading the fireteam

Samara as the biotic

Miranda leading the second team

Legion escorting the humans back

Miranda and Jack as my allies for taking on the larval Reaper. Sadly, Miranda didn't survive that one