Only played through that battle without the Cain once. That was more than enough for me.
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GAF Plays: Mass Effect series (unmarked spoilers)
- Thread starter EatChildren
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Only played through that battle without the Cain once. That was more than enough for me.
Is there a recipe for a non-ugly ME1 FemShep? I remember there was one in an old thread about ME1 Shepards, but even she had duck lips and (in certain camera angels) bizarre cheek bones. I already have my definitive saves for both my MaleSheps (paragon engineer who lost his ship crew and handed over the base to TIM and renegade infiltrator who saved all and said "fuck you" to TIM) but I want to finally do a FemShep playthrough. I did one before but I'm not content with it.
ScreenSplitter
Member
Rescuing Liara. Easily my least favourite mission of the game.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I did like that if you left that mission until last she had lost her marbles and assumed you were a hallucination.
Oh really? I never knew that, that's pretty cool.
Arjen
Member
Wow, never knew that, i always do her mission first.
I did her last on my first two play throughs, I didn't even realise there's a scenario where she isn't crazy when you rescue her until my third time around, ahahahah
I'm on Illium on my current playthrough now and honestly I don't have that many problems with the narrative in 2 as I thought I did. It's mostly just a slow burn type of thing where not every main mission feeds into the story as they do in 1. In 2 you have your story missions up through your first encounter with the Collectors, then it's "recruit more people while I figure out what to do" situation. Which ends up working for me. In 1 the moment you find out about Saren the entire game becomes based around that. Sure there are other undertones, but they are all based on stopping Saren. In 2 it's more of "hey we don't know what's going on so we need time to figure it out" type of thing. I understand where that type of narrative can bother people, but it doesn't bother me.
I always bring Miranda (Overload and Warp) with the other slot filled by Garrus (Overload/Team Armour Piercing rounds), Grunt (Team Inferno rounds) or Mordin (Incinerate)
I always save it for the 'big' sections I know are coming up, like the reaper core, like the enemy at the end of Horizon, like the Thresher Maw and so on. With all the upgrades including the DLC upgrades (level 6 upgrades) you can carry two shots max as well, which is nice.
What are you using Heavy Weapons on if not those?
I stick with my SMG (since I'm Adept) and only ONLY use the Heavy Weapon if I'm dying because Garrus/Grunt can't cut through enemies while I Warp/4/Unstable Warp people's shields and barriers for them to concussion shot (or Garrus to armor pierce) through.
Miranda is insanely powerful, but I tend to choose squadmates I like. Good choices skill-wise, though!
Forgot how addicted I was to the Vanguard gameplay. Constantly on edge; great fun. Playing an Infiltrator too, and it's a bit too safe for my taste.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Garrus and Tali, just 'cos they were my ME1 crew.
I usually use Miranda and, depending on the enemies, Garrus (Blue Suns), Thane (Collectors), Mordin (Blood Packs)
In ME1, Garrus and Wrex.
Arjen
Member
Miranda and Kasumi, all hot female kill squad.
If you were shooting in ME1, you were playing it wrong.
I can't quite agree with that. The mechanics (cover, movement) are substandard, the animations robotic, the AI braindead, and the feedback leaves something to be desired. I put ME against the game it's most trying to emulate--Gears of War--and it comes up sorely lacking in the shooter aspect. ME3 took great steps to bridge that gap, but that does nothing for ME2.
The only thing the franchise has to stand out are its powers, which are nigh useless outside of the class unique ones on Insanity.
I use every squadmate because "why not?", even though the game does a poor job really differentiating them in combat. Liara is the only real standout squadmate that can dynamically change combat.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I don't know. If I'm playing on casual I wouldn't bother playing at all. I need some challenge, and as basic as the series' combat is, it's still functional to me. If the mechanics were broken or I had to wrestle with the controls and design then yeah, I'd agree. But if the gameplay is functional, and not broken, then I can be pretty forgiving.
And the only thing I'd really disagree with there is the feedback. In fact, I think the series has pretty excellent feedback of hits, and it's probably one of the reasons I can stick with the combat. Guns sound nice and meaty, blood splatter, stumbles and responses to tech abilities are appropriate, and its very easy to tell what you're hitting and how much damage you're doing. One-hit freezing a dude with cryo rounds on my Phalanx, and following up with a concussion shot from Garrus which blows the enemy to pieces, looks, sounds and feels really good to me. Same goes for slow motion boom headshot blast from my Widowmaker.
Different strokes for different folks and all that, but man, saying stuff like this just makes me think you're playing the game wrong or something. It's really, really easy to apply most of the skills in a functional and practical way that tears through the enemy.
And the only thing I'd really disagree with there is the feedback. In fact, I think the series has pretty excellent feedback of hits, and it's probably one of the reasons I can stick with the combat. Guns sound nice and meaty, blood splatter, stumbles and responses to tech abilities are appropriate, and its very easy to tell what you're hitting and how much damage you're doing. One-hit freezing a dude with cryo rounds on my Phalanx, and following up with a concussion shot from Garrus which blows the enemy to pieces, looks, sounds and feels really good to me. Same goes for slow motion boom headshot blast from my Widowmaker.
Different strokes for different folks and all that, but man, saying stuff like this just makes me think you're playing the game wrong or something. It's really, really easy to apply most of the skills in a functional and practical way that tears through the enemy.
My enjoyment from ME2 doesn't come from its shooter elements primarily. Especially on Insanity if I'm not just Charge+Shotgunning everything.
I beat the game on Insanity, had my fun with Charge+Shotgun, got my 1000/1000, and turned it way down to Casual and never looked back. Skills like Warp, Reave and Overload can considered, at best, ammo savers. Just one lump sum of damage that is not appreciably greater than the output you can achieve just shooting enemies. They're good coming from squadmates because squadmates are terrible shots and generally terrible sources of damage regardless.
The ammo powers, which (in my opinion, wrongly) comprise half the power sandbox, are passive.
That leaves the CCing skills, which only work completely if the enemy is at red health. By that time, you may as well destroy the enemy outright and save your cooldown. The niche situations where a skill like Shockwave would be worth using are few and far between. How many times are you going to find a bunch of red-health enemies in a tight cluster? I suppose you could throw it down a hallway and stagger the enemies, but you are almost always better served using the cooldown on Warp and taking down that enemy.
ScreenSplitter
Member
Went to Virmire pretty early on.
Really can't stand the religious, overtly racist Ashley. Much prefer cool-headed, loyal Kaiden.
Really can't stand the religious, overtly racist Ashley. Much prefer cool-headed, loyal Kaiden.
I've been using the Arc Projector almost exclusively and find it shines well when there's tough sections of missions with many enemies grouped together. I can strip all defenses and most of their health in 1 burst. I usually tend to die more often in those situations being overwhelmed as opposed to the 1 really tough enemy that usually doesn't affect me much.
I didn't have to think long about saving Ashley, she was the only one of the pair who wasn't Carth.
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I guess I just play the game differently to you. As I mentioned earlier, I like the simplistic maximising/minimising of ME's combat, so stuff like Overload and Incinerate makes short work of the associated defences, Combat Drone is a good distraction, and the passive ammo powers not only help shred defences, but offer neat responses from certain enemies. I like smashing the frozen and setting people on fire as they stumble out of cover.
I guess what you see as useless I see as not essential, but also not without use. The powers, to me have uses, functional uses, that can be deployed in combat to take enemies down quicker than without. You never really need them, but they speed up damage output and mix up the hit feedback enough to keep me interested. It feels good to quickly clear a room with a few well placed powers.
ScreenSplitter
Member
Yeah I was really annoyed to hear they were changing composers for ME3's score. ME2 was my absolute favourite soundtrack in a videogame, especially the "Project Lazarus" and "Suicide Run" themes.
Hopefully they can still reuse some of the aforementioned tracks!
Thunder Monkey
Banned
It is impossible to disagree with you at this juncture.
Neko Mimi Mode
Member
This is only my second Insanity ME2 run, but it's unbelievably easier. I thought people said Sentinel was easy mode, Engineer is freaking insane! I love the class so much but for the fact that there's just too many ways to finish off enemies. Cryo then melee? Incinerate and leave? Headshot with Phalanx? Taking a bonus power almost seems redundant.
Other things I've noticed that aren't what the internet told me:
1. Attack Drone doesn't die instantly. Even Harbinger has a hard time dispatching it before it gets off 5 attacks (making it more damaging than Explosive Drone).
2. Miranda isn't essential for any mission, nor is Warp. I've been rocking it with Garrus (or Legion) and Mordin (best squadie evar) on most missions and haven't had any difficulties.
3. Incendiary Ammo doesn't always make Armor Piercing Ammo redundant, especially when it makes lining up headshots trickier with the "ahhh i'm on fire" dance.
Other things I've noticed that aren't what the internet told me:
1. Attack Drone doesn't die instantly. Even Harbinger has a hard time dispatching it before it gets off 5 attacks (making it more damaging than Explosive Drone).
2. Miranda isn't essential for any mission, nor is Warp. I've been rocking it with Garrus (or Legion) and Mordin (best squadie evar) on most missions and haven't had any difficulties.
3. Incendiary Ammo doesn't always make Armor Piercing Ammo redundant, especially when it makes lining up headshots trickier with the "ahhh i'm on fire" dance.
That much is apparent. I play on Casual because it's more fun to me to ragdoll everything in my path. You play on higher difficulties because you like the feel of danger and not being overpowered; a challenge. I can agree with wanting a challenge. But I don't like the tedium and monotony associated with the "challenge" in ME2. The enemies are not dynamic. Their AI is functional and nothing more. Their only variety is in which power/ammo type you have to use to take their shielding away. The right answer is to always use Warp on armor/barrier, Overload on shields and shoot otherwise (with the associated ammo type if you have it, of course). I can't get into that. But that's the way ME2's combat system is built on Insanity, so I choose instead to play Casual and be a biotic god.
Agree to disagree.
Arc Projector is love, and it's the only not-hideous heavy weapon when it's on your back. Cain is a close second, but by god is it ugly.
Wheat - Chaff.
Double Incisor snipers is also an acceptable team.
Forsaken82
Member
So because you played the game one way, everyone else is destined to play it the same?
My insanity run was not completed sticking to warp and overload... Hell, the only time I even used Warp was to get the achievement...
Incinerate served well enough for what you think the only option was. Thankfully, I didn't just use Incinerate and Overload either. Concussive Shot, Reave and Shockwave also got a lot of love from me.
Hate the romance achievement. I'm basically forced to romance women for the sake of it. At least ME3 will fix this slight against me!
Is there anyway to break the relationship in ME2 to where I don't have a woman pining for me in ME3? >_>
Is there anyway to break the relationship in ME2 to where I don't have a woman pining for me in ME3? >_>
Completely Agree. I love the way it looks, down to the charging sound that it makes, as well as the crackling sound that it makes when it connects. Like Kabouter said, the Cain is best used on bosses such as the Thresher Maw, Praetorians, and the Baby Reaper. Oh and in a few select side missions.
Exactly. One to two shots usually strips down the defenses. It's amazing how a weapon that was free turned out to be one of the most useful weapons in the game. I'm glad it's returning in ME3.
Having gone through Insanity as a Sentinel, I agree. It was so boring. The Tech Armor was extremely useful however; I always used it in every encounter. The Locust SMG, and the Firepower Gun pack weapons; the Hand cannon with the laser sight, in this context, made things much easier. Reave also helped immensely.
As for my favorite party members, I like Miranda if only for her Cerberus Leader ability as well as Warp, and Overload (she was really useful on Insanity), or as an Thane as an alternative. Second member is usually either Legion because of his Combat Drones, and the Widow rifle, or Kasumi.
The only problem with Kasumi is that she's incredibly weak especially on higher difficulties, but the Flash Grenades, the Deadly Assassin's Strike (one hit k.o. regardless of defenses), and Overload are extremely good. I'll also use Samara from time to time as well.
EDIT:
I don't like the romance options in ME2 either; it's the only achievement that I'm missing. Save a record, talk to someone, romance them, then go on the Suicide mission and do the deed. Load up the save before the Suicide mission, don't talk to anyone and you're good to go. I stayed faithful to Ashley with my male Shepard. My Fem Shep didn't get any action either, so I got Kelly instead. I was hoping to get it on with Jack, but she said she's not into women like that. Third time's a charm. I'll probably pine for Miranda since she's the easiest one on the next run.
Forsaken82
Member
Are you trying to get the achievement, but not have a 'romance' going into 3?
Yes, this is possible.
Just keep at least 1 save from an earlier mission. Eventually your romance will trigger. Reload your last save and break it off with that person.
Let me cut you off before you further distort my point.
The right thing to do is to use the skill suited towards whichever layer your target has. On cooldown. Every time. You shoot the rest of the time. The only instance where that isn't the case is when you have Charge, Adrenaline Rush, or Cloak available. This is all assuming you're trying to do the maximum amount of damage. There is no other way if that's the case. Warp and Overload was shorthand for all the other skills which do essentially the same thing: damage to armor in lieu of using ammo. Incinerate is the only damage over time skill (non-red health target), but it serves the same function.
You can certainly play the game any way you want. It's only right in the sense that it's the most optimal.
shingonation
Member
I think the ME3 soundtrack is going to be far better.
Yes, Jack Wall is gone, but Sam Hullick stayed, plus Clint Mansell for the more emotional scenes and the composers of the DLCs for the battle themes, by far the best ones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZArBXYO1Nk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgYM8uRcsIA
Wiggum2007
Junior Member
Yeah the ME2 soundtrack was disappointing (though it did have some standout tracks). Didn't care for Chris Lennertz DLC work so much, a little too generic orchestra sounding for me. I'm more excited about Sasha Dikiciyan's contribution to ME3, his Arrival DLC soundtrack wins for taking that one awesome synth cue from Blade Runner. That soundtrack was the one redeeming factor of Arrival. He composed the awesome Kasumi soundtrack as well.
Fimbulvetr
Member
I much prefer the actual character to the person whose only real personality trait is mildly agreeable.ScreenSplitter said:
Also, how is Ashley not loyal?
Lifejumper
Member
you high man.kai3345 said:
lolollo not anymore, but yeah im playing and it doesnt give me the option shepard just is all like "its over mornith" and samara kills her. i did it three times just to be sure and it did it all 3 times, but on my previous playthrough I specifically remember being given the option to choose between the two
You need to hit all 3 paragon or renagade replies when you talk to Morinth in her apartment, and to hit the 3rd one I believe you need to have gotten 95% paragon or renagade points respective to how many points you can have gotten at that point. Doesn't matter whether or not your bar is full.
While the devs have stated that they changed the system again in ME3, I really hope it's not as much of a pain in the ass to deal with as ME2's.
While the devs have stated that they changed the system again in ME3, I really hope it's not as much of a pain in the ass to deal with as ME2's.
So, if I break up after getting the achievement it won't count as a romance? Good.
Also I love seeing Wrex again. Paraphrasing: "Basically, I'm going to allow Grunt in our clan because he's with you. And we killed a bunch of people like him. But if he's with you, he has to be special. Shepard."
ScreenSplitter
Member
Convinced Saren to kill himself, left the council to die. Woo. Mass Effect 2 here I come.
Blasted through ME1 in about a day.
Blasted through ME1 in about a day.
Hah.
"Grunt: Your job sucks.
Shaman: Indeed."
:lol
Rite of Passage wasn't too bad, other than being over whelmed by the first two waves. After that the Thresher Maw nearly killed me and killed Grunt. With like 14-4 seconds left on the clock, Me and Garrus finally killed him.
Missed a body on the other clans battle area, but meh probably was just some credits, no big deal.
Leaves Mordin now to make Loyal before I leave the Krogan homeworld. Then it's Jacob, Jack, and Tali's time before getting Legion.
"Grunt: Your job sucks.
Shaman: Indeed."
:lol
Rite of Passage wasn't too bad, other than being over whelmed by the first two waves. After that the Thresher Maw nearly killed me and killed Grunt. With like 14-4 seconds left on the clock, Me and Garrus finally killed him.
Missed a body on the other clans battle area, but meh probably was just some credits, no big deal.
Leaves Mordin now to make Loyal before I leave the Krogan homeworld. Then it's Jacob, Jack, and Tali's time before getting Legion.
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