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[careful]

Why didn't anyone tell me that adept was so much fun?

Everyone keeps saying that adepts are nerfed to hell in ME2, but damnit, singularity is so much fun to use.

By the end of a big battle I usually have about at least 2 singularities still in place. :lol

And oh yeah, which one's better? Wide or heavy singularity? With how fast I can cast singularities, it seems the heavy one might actually be more fun to use.

I'm really enjoying my adept playthrough. Curving your power shots is so much fun.
How did you spec your adept and what difficulty are you playing on? I currently maxed out Warp (heavy) and the passive ability, with a few points sprinkled through the other powers. I have Barrier as my extra ability (switched from Reave), which I might max out next.
I'm playing on hardcore right now and singularity seems a bit nerfed since everyone has armor or shields. I only have two points invested there though, so maybe it's more useful maxed out, I don't know. Also, Shockwave is useless.

 

[g23]

Hows veteran in this game? Is it fair? i'm thinking of trying it out.

 

[mYm|17|]

Hows veteran in this game? Is it fair? i'm thinking of trying it out.

It's pretty easy and you could always bump up the difficulty at any time

 

[Dr Zhivago]

Awesome game. The nature of the final boss was a strange development though.

Spoiler

Sovereign was 2km long, the 'human reaper' was tiny by comparison. And why would a space-going death robot need to be humanoid anyway?

Lost one guy during the final mission.

Spoiler

Legion Plus most of the Normandy crew. I might replay that bit.

Now, is it time for Evil Female Shepard or Bioshock 2?

 

[Dan Yo]

So what's the status on the Hammerhead dlc? Is it too early to call it ME2's pendant to the Return to Ostagar fiasco?

I wonder how the DLC will fall into this game. Is it meant to be played after the main campaign has been finished and each DLC is kind of seen as the continuing adventures of Shepard? Or is it more of a Bringing Down the Sky type of thing that can just be plugged in anywhere during the regular story?

 

[EatChildren]

I wonder how the DLC will fall into this game. Is it meant to be played after the main campaign has been finished and each DLC is kind of seen as the continuing adventures of Shepard? Or is it more of a Bringing Down the Sky type of thing that can just be plugged in anywhere during regular story?

Probably the latter. Playable to anybody who finished the game, but also playable during a single run for new games. The plots and themes of the DLC will all be stuff that expands the universe rather than continues on.

We've got the Hammerhead coming, as well as Kasumi. BioWare also spoke of

Spoiler

Liara + Shadow Broker

DLC hopes, and people found references to such things in the game files, so there's that too.

 

[Red]

Why didn't anyone tell me that adept was so much fun?

Everyone keeps saying that adepts are nerfed to hell in ME2, but damnit, singularity is so much fun to use.

By the end of a big battle I usually have about at least 2 singularities still in place. :lol

And oh yeah, which one's better? Wide or heavy singularity? With how fast I can cast singularities, it seems the heavy one might actually be more fun to use.

I've been recommending playing as an adept for the most satisfying experience constantly in this thread. Singularity is absolutely fucking awesome, and rips husks to death in one hit.

I used wide singularity for the fact that it doubles the range, essentially blocking entire sections of the battlefield from enemies. Heavy singularity is rarely as useful.

Adept + insanity difficulty is the best challenge ME2 can offer.

 

[Dan Yo]

Probably the latter. Playable to anybody who finished the game, but also playable during a single run for new games. The plots and themes of the DLC will all be stuff that expands the universe rather than continues on.

We've got the Hammerhead coming, as well as Kasumi. BioWare also spoke of

Spoiler

Liara + Shadow Broker

DLC hopes, and people found references to such things in the game files, so there's that too.

Hmm another squad member? Almost makes me wish I had held off on playing this game for awhile. Lord knows my backlog would've thanked me for it.

 

[Jrmint]

I shudder to think about the IFF mission on my Insanity play through.

I just recruited Mordin, and holy crap the Krograns on insanity are no joke.

 

[Red]

I shudder to think about the IFF mission on my Insanity play through.

I just recruited Mordin, and holy crap the Krograns on insanity are no joke.

IFF mission was one of the easiest main storyline quests for me on insanity. You can literally run right past like 60% of the enemies, if not more.

 

[dilatedmuscle]

Ok you guys probably already knew this but DrPepper has a promotion for exclussive ME2 DLC (Mask and two visors) that you cannot get anywhere else. Well apparently they didnt do a good job keeping everything tight on the site so some people figured out how to get all 3 dlc's for free.

http://hellforge.gameriot.com/blogs/Hellforge/Mass-Effect-2-Free-Dr-Pepper-Promo-DLC-Codes

 

[kylej]

Anyone finish the game without activating the krogan? Anything happen?

 

[Papercuts]

IFF mission was one of the easiest main storyline quests for me on insanity. You can literally run right past like 60% of the enemies, if not more.

I found it incredibly easy, but I didn't even do that. Grunt handles pretty much everything there even on insanity, which was surprising.

 

[firehawk12]

Anyone finish the game without activating the krogan? Anything happen?

I assume you just do the mission without him?

Technically, I think it's possible to go into the end game without recruiting everyone as well, right?

 

[Liquid Helium]

I assume you just do the mission without him?

Technically, I think it's possible to go into the end game without recruiting everyone as well, right?

I don't think the IFF gets fitted until everyone is on your ship.

 

[Ashodin]

Spoiler

Sovereign was 2km long, the 'human reaper' was tiny by comparison. And why would a space-going death robot need to be humanoid anyway?

Spoiler

Reapers reproduce by absorbing organic material and take on the shape of that material's DNA

 

[dilatedmuscle]

Spoiler

Reapers reproduce by absorbing organic material and take on the shape of that material's DNA

Spoiler

they also went on to mention that they were unsuccessful at making a reaper out of the protheans... it was a pretty important part, im suprized he missed it

 

[firehawk12]

I don't think the IFF gets fitted until everyone is on your ship.

Oh really? So you could technically still get everyone and do their loyalty missions even after getting the IFF without

Spoiler

losing any of the crew

if you set it up right?

 

[Stallion Free]

Two more shots of the new armor:

 

[Wiggum2007]

Not being able to take the helmet off of the dlc armors is still a downer, but at least I can see my face with the Cerberus armor.

 

[See]

Man.. Insanity was hard! Damn Harbingers! Pretty easy on their own but damn, made my life on the

Spoiler

collectors ship

and the

Spoiler

human reaper

an absolute living hell!

My first play though took me about 40 odd hours I think, with all the side quests done and everyone surviving the mission, insanity took me 12:59 trying to skip as many cut scenes (except the awesome ones) Mordin, Tali, Miranda and Grunt died.

Now to play female Shepard and Renegade Shepard!

I was so happy that I had a media blackout of this game, I didn't know anything including the release date, was pretty surprised to see it releasing in Jan!

I personally though Mass Effect 1's ending was more epic, I was always in awe especially considering all the cut scenes were in real time. But ME 2's ending seemed appropriate for the second game in the trilogy. I cannot wait to see what happens in the end. Amazing game. Amazing universe. Love it to bits.

 

[Arde5643]

I'm really enjoying my adept playthrough. Curving your power shots is so much fun.
How did you spec your adept and what difficulty are you playing on? I currently maxed out Warp (heavy) and the passive ability, with a few points sprinkled through the other powers. I have Barrier as my extra ability (switched from Reave), which I might max out next.
I'm playing on hardcore right now and singularity seems a bit nerfed since everyone has armor or shields. I only have two points invested there though, so maybe it's more useful maxed out, I don't know. Also, Shockwave is useless.

Playing on hardcore as well.

Do not put anything into shockwave - that's a definite power that needs some upgrading since its current iteration is so useless.

Get the warp ammo for your bonus power - definitely the adept's best choice of bonus skill since it works too well with singularity.

Put points into singularity as soon as possible as well as at least 2 levels of warp for the start and then focus on upgrading your biotic mastery.
I also put 2 points into pull as starters since pull + warp combo is one of the most damaging attacks.

For mastery, just think of which you one you prefer: more damage or more control.
With Bastion, your singularity will be lasting for such a long time that you can essentially singularity almost all of the enemy forces before the first one stunned by singularity breaks free.
With Nemesis, you get much more damage when going for the awesome warp detonation.

Basically for starters you need max singularity, max mastery, and some points in warp and pull.

After that, it's up to you how you want to have fun with your adept.
People usually always go for area pull with unstable warp although I really hate the long cooldown on warp.
For more damage, you go with max warp.
If you want more control, area pull with throw will be very fun to use since with the cooldown upgrades, you can pull and throw less than 2 seconds.

 

[Uncle AJ]

When importing my ME2 character for NG+, my game always freezes/hangs at the face construction. Can't access the Xbox guide button or anything. Any ideas?

 

[Erico]

Maybe thinking too ahead here, but I wonder how the save file that you will import into Mass Effect 3 will work. In ME1, the save file was made right before the credits at the end of the game. This time in ME2, you can still complete quests and level up after you beat the final mission, so I'm hoping you import your most updated character rather than the one right when you beat the final mission.

 

[GillianSeed79]

I'm getting close to 50 hours and I still have to recruit the last two team members, have half the N7 missions left and three loyalty missions left:lol

I blame planet scanning and my OCD need to talk to everyone after every single mission for my playtime.

 

[Lunchbox]

september 2nd? hows the future?

 

[EatChildren]

september 2nd? hows the future?

Silly American.

 

[goldenpp72]

september 2nd? hows the future?

Pretty sure that's feb 9th

 

[See]

september 2nd? hows the future?

Lol.. I think the way they do dates In New Zealand is different from the US and or other countries.. its the 9th of February... actually the 8th of February for the rest of the world

 

[Pancakes]

Silly American.

 

[FrankT]

Not being able to take the helmet off of the dlc armors is still a downer, but at least I can see my face with the Cerberus armor.

Pretty much this.

 

[JayDubya]

What about the fact that the Krogans were breeding at an absolutely unsustainable rate? Krogans were having hundreds of children per family. As per the barter world (can't remember the name of it), they managed such birth rates even on crappy planets - much less nice habitable planets.

What about that fact? They're not deer or something. These are sapient beings. The fact that they're prolific outside of their homeworld doesn't justify genocide.

Krogans are horribly uncivilized.

The majority are aggressive, yes. When an individual is aggressive against the rights of other sapient life, by all means, punish the individual. That doesn't mean you would logically, then, cull the species.

Especially considering another sapient species could look at our history and consider us aggressive or "uncivilized..."

Although one may see it as being 'wrong' to have the genophage, extermination of the race was the only other option. Its like an allegory for the US nuking Japan- there were only two horrible options to choose. Both resulted in the destruction of a lot of people, but one offered some sembalance of hope.

Yes, it draws on that kind of moral problem, but personally, my solution for that particular moral problem is that President Truman was a fucking evil, unforgivable bastard... like the Turians responsible for using the genophage.

 

[AstroLad]

Krogans are like an entire civilization of Duggars. Three cheers for Mordin.

 

[EatChildren]

Yes, it draws on that kind of moral problem, but personally, my solution for that particular moral problem is that President Truman was a fucking evil, unforgivable bastard... like the Turians responsible for using the genophage.

Then what would you have done? Just let it go?

The impression I get is that it wasnt a rash decision, and its stupid to play moral cards when you're forced into a position to make a decision. The Krogan were, as a whole, culturally weaker than the rest of the galaxy. They were not ready for the tech given to them, not just because they hadnt made the advancements themselves, but because they're biggest technology revolution caused a world wide nuclear war.

The Salarians gave guns to kids and sent them to fight a war (only the kids happened to be big and strong ).

Aftermath from the war showed the Krogan were breeding too quickly and populating (if I recall correctly) already populated worlds, all the while totally ignoring requests and demands from the government to populate their own worlds. They wouldnt listen.

So what do you do? Start another war with them? Casualties from both sides would be immense, and if the Krogan lose their species is in the shit anyway. Ignore them and let them populate? Good job you've just destroyed numerous colonies from the hyper aggressive rule defying Krogan, while endagering the lives of everyone else.

You cant ignore the issue. No sitting on any hands while you debate morals without doing anything, because not doing something is an action itself with consiquences.

 

[K.Jack]

The graphics look so much cleaner to me, with the Depth Of Field turned off.

 

[Coxswain]

What about that fact? They're not deer or something. These are sapient beings. The fact that they're prolific outside of their homeworld doesn't justify genocide.

Which is why they used the genophage instead of killing them all. It was really the most humane option. It doesn't mean it isn't a horrible one; that's just how bad every other option was.

 

[Pancakes]

Which is why they used the genophage instead of killing them all. It was really the most humane option. It doesn't mean it isn't a horrible one; that's just how bad every other option was.

Mordin said it best:

"It was either Genophage or Genocide"

I personally see it as a necessary evil.

 

[dralla]

When importing my ME2 character for NG+, my game always freezes/hangs at the face construction. Can't access the Xbox guide button or anything. Any ideas?

same thing happened to me. i just kept trying, it eventually worked.

 

[ili0926]

What did people do in

Spoiler

A House Divided

and what kind of ramifications do you think your decision will have in ME3?

 

[EmCeeGramr]

I find it interesting that the krogan are essentially a metaphor for humans. If we had nuked ourselves (something that we came absurdly close to doing many times, so it's not like "hur they bombed themselves you can't trust them with science" is really a good argument, mind you), that could have been us.

That, and the salarians developed the genophage as a deterrent. They didn't think that something so devastating would actually be used, but a way to send the krogans to a screeching halt and get them to listen up. The turian military, however, believed in a policy of retaliating with full force, and immediately bombed the krogans with the genophage once they got it.


They also apparently didn't consider the possibility of the krogan society collapsing even more. They thought it would just stop them from overpopulating. Instead, the krogan became nihilists, abandoned their civilization and colonies, and spent the next thousand years working as mercenaries and pirates. Now the krogan as a species are dying out, there's almost no hope for their society to recover, and the resilient ones still alive are ten times as determined to tear out throats. The problem just changed forms.

 

[Cep]

I find it interesting that the krogan are essentially a metaphor for humans. If we had nuked ourselves (something that we came absurdly close to doing many times, so it's not like "hur they bombed themselves you can't trust them with science" is really a good argument, mind you), that could have been us.

That, and the salarians developed the genophage as a deterrent. They didn't think that something so devastating would actually be used, but a way to send the krogans to a screeching halt and get them to listen up. The turian military, however, believed in a policy of retaliating with full force, and immediately bombed the krogans with the genophage once they got it.


They also apparently didn't consider the possibility of the krogan society collapsing even more. They thought it would just stop them from overpopulating. Instead, the krogan became nihilists, abandoned their civilization and colonies, and spent the next thousand years working as mercenaries and pirates. Now the krogan as a species are dying out, there's almost no hope for their society to recover, and the resilient ones still alive are ten times as determined to tear out throats. The problem just changed forms.

I do not buy this. The Salarians are not stupid. They made the Genophage with the intent of it being used.

They just did not want the blood on their hands.

As a matter of fact, I fully expect this to unfold in the future as part of the ongoing Genophage saga(otherwise known as the best piece of writing to come out of Bioware since BG2)

 

[Pancakes]

What did people do in

Spoiler

A House Divided

and what kind of ramifications do you think your decision will have in ME3?

Spoiler

I kept them alive for my final playthrough. Shepard's going to need as many allies as possible to beat the reapers and keeping these geth alive will probably have a big influence.

On the other hand, Legion DID say that there is no guarantee they wouldn't reach the same conclusion again so maybe this decision can come back to haunt you. And the Quarians probably aren't too happy about more geth either.

 

[Dina]

I'm taking my sweet time with this game. Just recruited Tali, finished the Citadel (a lot smaller then I hoped for, to be honest) and am now on Ilium to solve about 4 quests at once.

Shit is so ballin though. In love with this game. Paragon Femshep on Veteran btw.

 

[EatChildren]

I find it interesting that the krogan are essentially a metaphor for humans. If we had nuked ourselves (something that we came absurdly close to doing many times, so it's not like "hur they bombed themselves you can't trust them with science" is really a good argument, mind you), that could have been us.

That, and the salarians developed the genophage as a deterrent. They didn't think that something so devastating would actually be used, but a way to send the krogans to a screeching halt and get them to listen up. The turian military, however, believed in a policy of retaliating with full force, and immediately bombed the krogans with the genophage once they got it.


They also apparently didn't consider the possibility of the krogan society collapsing even more. They thought it would just stop them from overpopulating. Instead, the krogan became nihilists, abandoned their civilization and colonies, and spent the next thousand years working as mercenaries and pirates. Now the krogan as a species are dying out, there's almost no hope for their society to recover, and the resilient ones still alive are ten times as determined to tear out throats. The problem just changed forms.

The Salarians knew. They're not stupid.

I dont see how people can lable the genophage as pure evil that shouldnt have been done. Its a criticism that can only be said looking back, not when the decision was made. I mean really, summary of the Krogans and their relationship with the rest of the galaxy;

- Krogans split atom and blow themselves up because they're too socially and culturally devolved to handle it.
- Krogans live in wasteland, nomadic tribes, trying to rebuild their culture. Idealy they would be left this way until they can advance enough to handle their own species.
- Salarians say hi and give them the tech, biased because they need strong forces for the Racnhi wars. Arguably a mistake.
- Krogan win Rachni wars and are respected and praised across the galaxy.
- Their fast breeding in the hostile world of Tuchunka was unchecked in space, and like a wildfire they spread at an unexpected rate.
- They started taking territory from Council races and acting aggressively. They even began to settle in already owned Council colonies. Despite being told not to.
- When finally pressured and told to get the fuck out, they dared the Council to take their worlds back. No negotiation. No reasoning. Just a "go fuck yourselves, we're cunts and we dont care".
- War with the Krogan for nearly three centuries. Why? Because the Krogan defied galactic laws, acted hostile, and initiated the whole thing because they couldnt keep their species in check.
- Krogan on the verge of winning because they breed too fucking quickly. Turians say hi, and start fucking their shit. Krogans start plummiting asteroids into Turian worlds.
- Krogans refuse to surrender. Turians say hi to the Salarians, cue Genophage.

The Salarians made the mistake of contacting the Krogan to begin with. The Turians and Salarians make the mistake with the Genophage. But the Krogans made the mistake of starting a war with everybody.

So what do you do pre-Genophage? Sit on your hands and say "oh but life is too precious" and let the Krogan keep killing your own species for land?

The galaxy needs decision makers!

 

[Cep]

The Salarians knew. They're not stupid.

I dont see how people can lable the genophage as pure evil that shouldnt have been done. Its a criticism that can only be said looking back, not when the decision was made. I mean really, summary of the Krogans and their relationship with the rest of the galaxy;

- Krogans split atom and blow themselves up because they're too socially and culturally devolved to handle it.
- Krogans live in wasteland, nomadic tribes, trying to rebuild their culture. Idealy they would be left this way until they can advance enough to handle their own species.
- Salarians say hi and give them the tech, biased because they need strong forces for the Racnhi wars. Arguably a mistake.
- Krogan win Rachni wars and are respected and praised across the galaxy.
- Their fast breeding in the hostile world of Tchunka was unchecked in space, and like a wildfire they spread at an unexpected rate.
- They started taking territory from Council races and acting aggressively. They even began to settle in already owned Council colonies. Despite being told not to.
- When finally pressured and told to get the fuck out, they dared the Council to take their worlds back. No negotiation. No reasoning. Just a "go fuck yourselves, we're cunts and we dont care".
- War with the Krogan for nearly three centuries. Why? Because the Krogan defied galactic laws, acted hostile, and initiated the whole thing because they couldnt keep their species in check.
- Krogan on the verge of winning because they breed too fucking quickly. Turians say hi, and start fucking their shit. Krogans start plummiting asteroids into Turian worlds.
- Krogans refuse to surrender. Turians say hi to the Salarians, cue Genophage.

The Salarians made the mistake of contacting the Krogan to begin with. The Turians and Salarians make the mistake with the Genophage. But the Krogans made the mistake of starting a war with everybody.

So what do you do pre-Genophage? Sit on your hands and say "oh but life is too precious" and let the Krogan keep killing your own species for land?

The galaxy needs decision makers!

While I definitely agree with your post(your ideas mirror my own), this line pissed me off.

 

[EatChildren]

While I definitely agree with your post(your ideas mirror my own), this line pissed me off.

I included it because I was getting too serious about a videogame and fictional politics. It needed more "Shepard is a jerk".

 

[Erico]

In retrorespect, the clear solution was for the Salarians to cut out the middleman and genophage the Rachni in the first place.

 

[Cep]

I included it because I was getting too serious about a videogame and fictional politics. It needed more "Shepard is a jerk".

It is the general ideal/attitude that it suggests that bothers me, but whatever.

Also glad to see there is someone else that agrees that the salarians did not create the genophage as a simple deterrent.

Hard to believe in the first place, but Mordin's dialogue basically confirms it.

 

[EatChildren]

In retrorespect, the clear solution was for the Salarians to cut out the middleman and genophage the Rachni in the first place.

Rachni breeding is different as they have queens, which were at the cores of their hives on whatever planets they claimed. They could probably infect the minions but its worthless without getting to the queen.

Thats why they got the Krogan involved. The worlds the queens were on were too hostile for the Salarians and Asari to handle.

 

[corporateslave]

I just started playing this game this week, delaying my purchase until after a replay of ME1 to re-familiarize myself with the series story. I have been browsing this thread, avoiding spoilers when possible. One thing I kept seeing was how everyone kept saying that all of the stores on the Citadel were their favorite stores. After reaching the Citadel and playing mostly as a Paragon, I realized why so many people were saying this and I started laughing.

Highlights thus far after 8 hours of play.

- Citadel shopping.
- Dancing is back at nightclubs, though my Shepard seems to dance less energetically this go-round than in the first installment
- Graphics seem a lot crisper.
- Combat is a plus and minus. Combat is more fun but I suck at it. I never died in ME1 and seem to die about once per story mission this go round. I just finished playing UC1 and 2 back to back prior to the start of ME1 and 2. The cover mechanics are similar but button differences to enter and leave cover are causing me to see the red veins o' death more often than I'd like.

As with most other people, the mineral scanning is not something I enjoy. But besides the scanning, most other elements are done so well I've lost track of time each time I've played. And losing track of time in a game is about the best endorsement for playing more of a game that I can think of.