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[MegaKungFuRadio]

Agreed.

The only other real candidates are dominate, inferno grenade and armor piercing. With the assumption that Zaeed, Garrus, Miranda and Samara are the best party members:

AP: You should almost always have garrus as a party member
Dominate: Is good, but not worth the slot
IG: You should almost always have Zaeed as a party member

I've never maximized AI hack/Dominate, but they were kind of terrible at the 2 point level. I'm sure they're much better once you max and have a class talent that increases the effect duration further, but it always felt more like dicking around than actually helping me progress through an enemy encounter.

I played Insanity much differently than you, it seems. I only used Garrus once and never used Zaeed. Most of the game I would use Mordin/Miranda, sometimes switching in Grunt for Husks and switching out Mordin for Thane on the final mission. I had a pretty easy time with that setup, getting to level 30 (with the 25% XP boost) and finishing in about 30 hours, which was 15 hours less than my first time through as a Vanguard on Veteran/Hardcore.

 

[Cep]

Playing as an Adept, just got to the point where I can choose to add Assault Rifle, Shotgun, or Sniper training. I just can't choose which one!

Shotguns suck.

ARs are good, but a tad redundant(SMGs are good enough).

I suggest Sniper Rifles.

 

[Wiggum2007]

Shotguns suck.

ARs are good, but a tad redundant(SMGs are good enough).

I suggest Sniper Rifles.

Your logic seems sound. Sniper Rifles it is!

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

Playing as an Adept, just got to the point where I can choose to add Assault Rifle, Shotgun, or Sniper training. I just can't choose which one!

Definitely not shotgun. I picked AR when I was playing on Insanity and worked pretty well but I imagine Sniper Rifle would be just as effective if not more.

Zaeed and Mordin make the end of the game fucking easy, even on insanity and playing as an adept.

 

[Cep]

I've never maximized AI hack/Dominate, but they were kind of terrible at the 2 point level. I'm sure they're much better once you max and have a class talent that increases the effect duration further, but it always felt more like dicking around than actually helping me progress through an enemy encounter.

I played Insanity much differently than you, it seems. I only used Garrus once and never used Zaeed. Most of the game I would use Mordin/Miranda, sometimes switching in Grunt for Husks and switching out Mordin for Thane on the final mission. I had a pretty easy time with that setup, getting to level 30 (with the 25% XP boost) and finishing in about 30 hours, which was 15 hours less than my first time through as a Vanguard on Veteran/Hardcore.

Insanity is easy after you have unlocked the achievement and know how the game works.

My first run ever was on insanity. I did not find out how broken that team was until a little later during my run, and it was still relatively easy(even to someone who does not play any TPSs).

I have been running the numbers, and depending on your class (and extenuating circumstances), this seems to be the best setup.

 

[Wiggum2007]

Definitely not shotgun. I picked AR when I was playing on Insanity and worked pretty well but I imagine Sniper Rifle would be just as effective if not more.

Zaeed and Mordin make the end of the game fucking easy, even on insanity and playing as an adept.

Aye, I think the Sniper Rifle will work out nicely. Too bad I hadn't bothered researching any upgrades for it yet before this mission, ah well it'll just have to wait a bit.

 

[hateradio]

Finished the game, amazing

Spoiler

but it feels like it's half a game

so ME3 better com soon. I'll probably go back to an earlier save and continue from there, or just re-import my ME1 character and continue it again.


Btw, if you're a full Renegade and buy the med upgrade nothing happens? Or where do you "go" to get the scars removed?

 

[Cep]

Finished the game, amazing. I'll probably go back to an earlier save and continue from there, or just re-import my ME1 character and continue it again.


Btw, if you're a full Renegade and buy the med upgrade nothing happens? Or where do you "go" to get the scars removed?

The equipment is in the med bay, close to EDI's door.

 

[MegaKungFuRadio]

Finished the game, amazing

Spoiler

but it feels like it's half a game

so ME3 better com soon. I'll probably go back to an earlier save and continue from there, or just re-import my ME1 character and continue it again.


Btw, if you're a full Renegade and buy the med upgrade nothing happens? Or where do you "go" to get the scars removed?

I would import a ME1 character again, even if it's the same one. The import bonuses combined with the Long Service achievement bonus add up nicely and the classes play differently enough that you'll want to try at least one other. The choices don't make nearly as much difference as some people will have you believe. Definitely nothing game changing.

 

[Cep]

My opinion of the safest class combos (keep in mind that each mission demands specific parties, but these cover all your bases):

Infiltrator + Reave (No incinerate): Miranda + Garrus (party AP ammo)
-You can kill, but your biggest problem is shields.

Soldier + Reave (No ammo powers): Miranda/Zaeed + Garrus (party AP ammo)
-You can do everything, but you need active powers so you are not always exposed

Sentinel + Reave(No warp): Zaeed + Garrus (party AP ammo).
-You can handle everything, but you need more offense.

The other classes combos are similar, but truth be told, they are suboptimal(if fun), especially on Insane.

 

[Xevren]

My insanity run would be easier if I didn't get hit by glitchy teammates. At times they just float so they can't take cover. My entire run through the

Spoiler

Collector ship

I had to do solo because they were glitched or whatever. So far I've only had two hard spots.

 

[Won]

I really enjoy my current Engineer, Grunt, Jack set up on insane. Feels even a bit too easy most of the time.

And yeah squad AI can really kill that fun.

 

[MegaKungFuRadio]

My opinion of the safest class combos (keep in mind that each mission demands specific parties, but these cover all your bases):

Infiltrator + Reave (No incinerate): Miranda + Garrus (party AP ammo)
-You can kill, but your biggest problem is shields.

Soldier + Reave (No ammo powers): Miranda/Zaeed + Garrus (party AP ammo)
-You can do everything, but you need active powers so you are not always exposed

Sentinel + Reave(No warp): Zaeed + Garrus (party AP ammo).
-You can handle everything, but you need more offense.

The other classes combos are similar, but truth be told, they are suboptimal(if fun), especially on Insane.

How are shields a problem with that first team? Not only do you have two Overloads, I maxed Disruptor Ammo on my Infiltrator and SMG rips through shields/barriers. I think you're overrating AP ammo. I didn't find it nearly useful enough to want it in my party at all times.

I also don't see a problem with the offense of your last team. Two assault rifle toting teammates is more offense than I've ever used.

 

[Cep]

How are shields a problem with that first team? Not only do you have two Overloads, I maxed Disruptor Ammo on my Infiltrator and SMG rips through shields/barriers. I think you're overrating AP ammo. I didn't find it nearly useful enough to want it in my party at all times.

I also don't see a problem with the offense of your last team. Two assault rifle toting teammates is more offense than I've ever used.

You mis-understand, the comments are for why the teams are setup the way they are, I was highlighting the weaknesses of the classes.

And looking at the numbers (and experience, remember these are not for ALL situations), AP does not disappoint.

Barriers and shields are easy to get rid of. Armor is consistently the hardest defense to deal with, so if you are going to bother with ammo, they are the best option. Disrupter is good too, not a fan of it, but it is the best other Ammo choice(I prefer it on Zaeed if I am going to bother.)

 

[hateradio]

I would import a ME1 character again, even if it's the same one. The import bonuses combined with the Long Service achievement bonus add up nicely and the classes play differently enough that you'll want to try at least one other. The choices don't make nearly as much difference as some people will have you believe. Definitely nothing game changing.

Yeah, I know that. However, I don't think I would want to play as another class ... I've gotten used to being an infiltrator so I don't want to change that. I will probably re-import the same ME1 save (since it's the only one I have) to do all the missions and stuff; I think I missed some. I'll probably re-play it by the time ME3 comes out, since my game schedule for the next few weeks is swamped, like everyone else

 

[Red]

My opinion of the safest class combos (keep in mind that each mission demands specific parties, but these cover all your bases):

Infiltrator + Reave (No incinerate): Miranda + Garrus (party AP ammo)
-You can kill, but your biggest problem is shields.

Soldier + Reave (No ammo powers): Miranda/Zaeed + Garrus (party AP ammo)
-You can do everything, but you need active powers so you are not always exposed

Sentinel + Reave(No warp): Zaeed + Garrus (party AP ammo).
-You can handle everything, but you need more offense.

The other classes combos are similar, but truth be told, they are suboptimal(if fun), especially on Insane.

I think you're discounting Mordin/Grunt for incinerate. Heavy incinerate deals HUGE damage, and group inferno ammo is absolutely brutal when it comes to stripping armor and health. Used them exclusively for the last section of the game and had no issues playing through on insanity.

One advantage with characters that have shield-boosting abilities is that you can activate said ability when they're close to dying and it's like an instant get of jail free card. Couldn't imagine playing through on insanity again unless I have barrier as my bonus ability. It saved me countless times, absolutely my choice for higher difficulties. On veteran and below, reave is fine since you don't have to worry about dying in a split second. For an adept, anyway.

Surprised at how versatile the sentinel is. My femshep is ripping through dudes pretty handily with her tech armor equipped. Only real drawback is the long recharge tagged onto all her abilities. But tech armor + fortification makes me an absolute death machine.

 

[brandonh83]

Okay. What the fuck.

On the

Spoiler

Krogan recruitment quest

I'm playing on Insanity, and I'm at a part after you talk to the Krogan who was 7 days old or whatever, and the next section of Krogan enemies keep fucking respawning. My other two people died and I know I killed over 10 more Krogan, and then I managed to find some healing items, brought my guys back, MORE Krogan came, we killed those, MORE came, killed my other two members, and I killed like 5-6 more before finally being taken out because I got fed up with it.

What the hell?

 

[Risette]

Does Squad/group ammo stack with other ammos? Like if I use Jacob's Squad Incendiary with my own Warp Ammo activated, does one cancel the other out?

 

[EatChildren]

Does Squad/group ammo stack with other ammos? Like if I use Jacob's Squad Incendiary with my own Warp Ammo activated, does one cancel the other out?

Yes. Only one active ammunition type per gun can be active.

 

[wRATH2x]

You have to do the loyalty quests to get people loyal. If you fail making them loyal during that or they lose loyalty after that you can't get that back.

I did all of them, and only jack and zaeed ain't loyal and I explained why. Apparently if I max out Paragon or Renegade I can get them back.

 

[Red]

Okay. What the fuck.

On the

Spoiler

Krogan recruitment quest

I'm playing on Insanity, and I'm at a part after you talk to the Krogan who was 7 days old or whatever, and the next section of Krogan enemies keep fucking respawning. My other two people died and I know I killed over 10 more Krogan, and then I managed to find some healing items, brought my guys back, MORE Krogan came, we killed those, MORE came, killed my other two members, and I killed like 5-6 more before finally being taken out because I got fed up with it.

What the hell?

Insanity's loads of fun, innit?

 

[Wiggum2007]

God I hate Scions with a passion. And I'm only playing on Veteran, I can't even imagine dealing with them on higher difficulties...

 

[chicko1983]

So I just bought this game on Steam. My first ever Steam purchase.

I never played the first Mass Effect, do you think it will matter too much story wise?

 

[Red]

God I hate Scions with a passion. And I'm only playing on Veteran, I can't even imagine dealing with them on higher difficulties...

Only time they gave me trouble was the first encounter with them. They take a while to kill, but they're so slow that you're given quite a few opportunities to simply run past them (opportunities I used to full effect during my insanity run). Their attacks are also pitifully easy to dodge, especially considering they have a pretty transparent line of sight and limited range (similar to

Spoiler

Harbinger's warp

).

The toughest encounters for me weren't from a particular enemy type, but from sheer numbers or lack of cover. Basically the two sections of the game that gave me hell were

Spoiler

the first encounter with the Collectors after choosing a weapon specialization

and

Spoiler

the fight against the Geth Colossus-- or, more specifically, fighting my way up to it.

Everything else was pretty easy to overcome with some tactical planning or AI exploitation.

 

[brandonh83]

Insanity's loads of fun, innit?

It is but the enemy implementation is about as fucking stupid as it is in infamous.

 

[xbhaskarx]

I finally bought ME2 a few days ago, I start playing tonight! So excited....

 

[Cep]

I think you're discounting Mordin/Grunt for incinerate. Heavy incinerate deals HUGE damage, and group inferno ammo is absolutely brutal when it comes to stripping armor and health. Used them exclusively for the last section of the game and had no issues playing through on insanity.

One advantage with characters that have shield-boosting abilities is that you can activate said ability when they're close to dying and it's like an instant get of jail free card. Couldn't imagine playing through on insanity again unless I have barrier as my bonus ability. It saved me countless times, absolutely my choice for higher difficulties. On veteran and below, reave is fine since you don't have to worry about dying in a split second. For an adept, anyway.

Surprised at how versatile the sentinel is. My femshep is ripping through dudes pretty handily with her tech armor equipped. Only real drawback is the long recharge tagged onto all her abilities. But tech armor + fortification makes me an absolute death machine.

Reave does more damage than incinerate + stuns + heals + works on barriers. So instead of Mordin, you would be better off with Samara (who has a higher DPS anyways).

Grunt does less DPS than the others + has no active anti-defenses. The others kill fast enough without needing the increased defense he has. Incendiary is not bad, but every shot with AP ammo gains the bonus, whilst incendiary inflicts a set amount of damage every 3 seconds. AP will almost always do more damage.

If you use cover and Tech Armor/Adrenaline Rush/Cloak correctly, there is no need for the shield boosters. This is especially true on a Sentinel. The lower three classes benefit immensely from it though.

And I agree that the sentinel is amazing. Though seeing that they have multiple options for all the defenses, I am not surprised by their versatility at all.

 

[Zeliard]

"I had reach, but she had flexibility."

Garrus is awesome.

I love how Shepard shakes his head after that, too. :lol

 

[Red]

Reave does more damage than incinerate + stuns + heals + works on barriers. So instead of Mordin, you would be better off with Samara (who has a higher DPS anyways).

Grunt does less DPS than the others + has no active anti-defenses. The others kill fast enough without needing the increased defense he has. Incendiary is not bad, but every shot with AP ammo gains the bonus, whilst incendiary inflicts a set amount of damage every 3 seconds. AP will almost always do more damage.

If you use cover and Tech Armor/Adrenaline Rush/Cloak correctly, there is no need for the shield boosters. This is especially true on a Sentinel.

And I agree that the sentinel is amazing. Though seeing that they have multiple options for all the defenses, I am not surprised by their versatility at all.

I dunno, man. Reave wasn't especially helpful for me on insanity. A single blast of heavy incineration was enough to kill most enemies outright once I stripped their defenses, sometimes enough if they still had half their armor left. Reave dealt a decent amount of damage, but the health boost was negligible and waiting for the time it took for damage to add up often left me at a disadvantage. I have to admit, though, I didn't use it too often. Tried Samara out on two or three minor quests, wasn't especially impressed, and swapped her out for Mordin again for the rest of the game.

I hadn't really considered its stun. I played as an adept for my insanity run and relied on Shepard for crowd control, so I probably overlooked the effect Samara had on the shape of battle. This calls for further consideration.

 

[KuwabaraTheMan]

So I just bought this game on Steam. My first ever Steam purchase.

I never played the first Mass Effect, do you think it will matter too much story wise?

The story is pretty much a direct sequel. I imagine you could probably follow along decently, but this is the second act in a planned trilogy, and there are a ton of references to events from the first game.

"I had reach, but she had flexibility."

Garrus is awesome.

I love how Shepard shakes his head after that, too. :lol

:lol Shepard shaking his head was what killed me.

 

[Shrennin]

I love the variety of the gameplay, I sure wouldn't think that ME2 would be the game that really stands out for the variety of missions.

Spoiler

I just love that some missions do not require combat and others that do not require combat still provide challenge in that you can die, others that may not require combat are awesome for the exploration aspect - right now I'm thinking of Jirrahe station and that unstable ship side quest. The level design of each mission is unique as well.

 

[Dresden]

Started an Infiltrator on Insanity tonight, and three or so hours in--with the Krogan and Jack recruited--I've died exactly once. This thing is insane. It doesn't even feel like Insanity at times because things die so quickly and you're so versatile.

I also chose Dominate as the bonus skill. I don't think it's better than Armor Piercing Ammo or Reave, but it's a lot more fun to use. A dominated enemy always seems to take down at least the shield of those around him, and maybe even kill. For a six second cooldown, it's at least as worth it as tossing out an incinerate.

Had to shelve the Adept because, although I could progress, that progress was akin to smashing my face into the door until it finally opened. After breezing through Insanity on my Engineer, it was way too slow to be enjoyable.

Grunt does less DPS than the others + has no active anti-defenses.

He's still extremely useful in

Spoiler

the IFF mission

, though. I popped him in and the amount of damage he soaked up--at around level 22, he had 600 health and shield--was pretty staggering.

 

[xbhaskarx]

So I just started this, does it take any of your previous actions into account or was that all BS?

The opening line includes "even saving the Council"... does it say something different for people who chose not to save the Council?

 

[Red]

I love the variety of the gameplay, I sure wouldn't think that ME2 would be the game that really stands out for the variety of missions.

Spoiler

I just love that some missions do not require combat and others that do not require combat still provide challenge in that you can die, others that may not require combat are awesome for the exploration aspect - right now I'm thinking of Jirrahe station and that unstable ship side quest. The level design of each mission is unique as well.

Hell yes- that crashed ship was absolutely one of my favorite missions. I was constantly at the edge of my seat,

Spoiler

each falling tile made me jump, wondering if I'd done something wrong :lol

 

[Shrennin]

So I just started this, does it take any of your previous actions into account or was that all BS?

The opening line includes "even saving the Council"... does it say something different for people who chose not to save the Council?

From my experience it does except in a few instances:

Spoiler

There was a glitch with the first game where it didn't save your council ambassador decision so you actually have to make that decision again in the second game, it could contradict your original decision if you chose a different answer in the second game. There's also a couple or so instances where it doesn't take into account your decision in the first game, this could be patched though.

Hell yes- that crashed ship was absolutely one of my favorite missions. I was constantly at the edge of my seat,

Spoiler

each falling tile made me jump, wondering if I'd done something wrong :lol

Yea, I was actually about to

Spoiler

restart because I couldn't figure out what to do. Did NOT expect that I actually had to shoot my own rampways and whatnot. Totally unexpected gameplay from ME2? Awesome!

 

[Cep]

I dunno, man. Reave wasn't especially helpful for me on insanity. A single blast of heavy incineration was enough to kill most enemies outright once I stripped their defenses, sometimes enough if they still had half their armor left. Reave dealt a decent amount of damage, but the health boost was negligible and waiting for the time it took for damage to add up often left me at a disadvantage. I have to admit, though, I didn't use it too often. Tried Samara out on two or three minor quests, wasn't especially impressed, and swapped her out for Mordin again for the rest of the game.

Well Incinerate does more damage against health, so after the point where you finish chewing through their defenses, Incinerate completely outclasses Reave. On insanity though, defense is the higher priority. Tons of other ways to deal with enemies in the red.

Area/Heavy Reave:

-320/440 damage to Barriers and Armor
-Happens over 4/5.5 seconds
-Only 160 damage to health
-Stuns enemies in the red for the duration(if organic, Arches their back and prominently display their heads for a headshot)
-Heals user if foe is organic

Area/Heavy Incinerate:

-170/210 Damage against health and Armor
-Happens over 3 seconds
-Panics organics (they may stomp put of cover)

 

[Dresden]

Samara is indeed superior to Mordin, though. The ability to use assault rifles is absolutely killer, since the Vindicator is so good even later into the game. Give Samara Area Reave and Throw Field and you have a pretty damn good character.

 

[Cep]

Samara is indeed superior to Mordin, though. The ability to use assault rifles is absolutely killer, since the Vindicator is so good even later into the game. Give Samara Area Reave and Throw Field and you have a pretty damn good character.

On insanity, throw is useless, but otherwise true.

The Vindicator is absurd in its uber-ness. It is a boring weapon to use and has low spare ammo, but it can pack a punch.

 

[Red]

Might be worth noting that I stuck with Mordin more than any other character because I loved his quips. He was my favorite character overall.

The verdict obviously is that reave outclasses incinerate for overall usefulness, so I'll have to try it again sometime.

My battle plan almost always amounted to stripping away shields and then pull fielding + warping enemies, or planting a wide singularity somewhere between me and approaching bad guys, stripping away their defenses, and popping the bubble when three or four of them got caught up in it. Adepts are a chore to keep alive, but being able to shape the battlefield is so satisfying.

 

[Cep]

Might be worth noting that I stuck with Mordin more than any other character because I loved his quips. He was my favorite character overall.

The verdict obviously is that reave outclasses incinerate for overall usefulness, so I'll have to try it again sometime.

I love him as well(arguably the best, contrasting Samara as arguable the worse).

These are just the numbers, I just usually bring whoever the hell I want to, life is too short to spend in the company of 1-dimensional characters.

 

[Dresden]

On insanity, throw is useless, but otherwise true.

The Vindicator is absurd in its uber-ness. It is a boring weapon to use and has low spare ammo, but it can pack a punch.

Throw is hardly useless. So many enemies come in packs that often, Area Reave (from my engineer)-Throw Field takes care of them. It's faster than shooting them one by one.

Although that was with my Engineer, who wasn't exactly a dps machine.

 

[Red]

I love him as well(arguably the best, contrasting Samara as arguable the worse).

These are just the numbers, I just usually bring whoever the hell I want to, life is too short to spend in the company of 1-dimensional characters.

Too true :lol

 

[Loxley]

Hey guys, if anyone is so inclined, I have a code for the rather badass Blood Dragon Armor that was only available in new retail copies of Dragon Age. I'm posting this here first instead of the XBL/PSN trial code giveaway thread because I wanted to make sure someone who actually plays ME2 gets a chance at it first.

Although to make it a bit more fair so more people have a chance at it, instead of the first person to PM me or quote this post for it, I'll give it to the first person who...eh, I dunno...guesses the month I was born in

*edit:

EatChildren guessed it, December

 

[kai3345]

I'm a little disappointed that the game didn't let me save before having to switch to disk 1 to go through the Omega 4 Relay. That cutscene was awesome and would have been way more awesome if the game didn't stutter every few seconds because it was loading off of the disc

 

[goldenpp72]

Hey guys, if anyone is so inclined, I have a code for the rather badass Blood Dragon Armor that was only available in new retail copies of Dragon Age. I'm posting this here first instead of the XBL/PSN trial code giveaway thread because I wanted to make sure someone who actually plays ME2 gets a chance at it first.

Although to make it a bit more fair so more people have a chance at it, instead of the first person to PM me or quote this post for it, I'll give it to the first person who...eh, I dunno...guesses the month I was born in

july

 

[Xevren]

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store in the Citadel.

 

[EatChildren]

Hey guys, if anyone is so inclined, I have a code for the rather badass Blood Dragon Armor that was only available in new retail copies of Dragon Age. I'm posting this here first instead of the XBL/PSN trial code giveaway thread because I wanted to make sure someone who actually plays ME2 gets a chance at it first.

Although to make it a bit more fair so more people have a chance at it, instead of the first person to PM me or quote this post for it, I'll give it to the first person who...eh, I dunno...guesses the month I was born in

December.

 

[Cep]

I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store in the Citadel.

The renegade ones are so much better: "This store discriminates against the poor."

Also: May.

 

[Xevren]

The renegade ones are so much better: "This story discriminates against the poor."

I'll agree with that, I just love hearing that when I go into every single store. :lol

 

[Red]

Hey guys, if anyone is so inclined, I have a code for the rather badass Blood Dragon Armor that was only available in new retail copies of Dragon Age. I'm posting this here first instead of the XBL/PSN trial code giveaway thread because I wanted to make sure someone who actually plays ME2 gets a chance at it first.

Although to make it a bit more fair so more people have a chance at it, instead of the first person to PM me or quote this post for it, I'll give it to the first person who...eh, I dunno...guesses the month I was born in

Obviously December.