I started another playthrough last night with the goal of crafting an ME1-2 style game. Basically, I am ignoring any exclamation point on the map, with the exception of quests I know were really good (like the post-kett base cave on Veold). Eos felt like so much less of a drag when you aren't worried about going around collecting checklist stuff and doing tasks. And Veold already feels a lot smaller, in a good way.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Mass Effect: Andromeda |OT| Ryders on the Storm
- Thread starter Blue Ninja
- Start date
enfieldvball
Member
Ahhh ok, guess there should be a lvl recommendation on the quests log then.
As for loadout? Some pistol and a sniper? Don't remember exact model or name? I don't think I've really upgraded my armor yet which could explain why I get annihilated in a few hits.
I've tried running around an dodging attacks but even if one or two hits me consecutively I know I'm pretty much screwed. I'll probably wait till I have more powers and am stronger to finish this mission.
By loadout, I mean powers.
Also, I wouldn't be running around with that thing. Get in cover, and only move when he does the attack that shoots out the bombs. When he charges up and unleashes his auto-fire attack, take cover and don't get out of cover until he's stopped firing, that'll rip you to pieces.
Really? Maybe it's because I have every possible passives in each trees and because i have rank X gear with mods, but I feel like I can stay out of cover at all time while fighting an Architect and rarely have to worry about dying. This is while playing Hardcore though, not Insanity.
When I was lower lvl, I was simply playing as a Vanguard to keep my shields up with Charge. Now, playing as an high lvl Engineer, there is no need to worry about that that much.
Yes, if you are basically at max level with the best armor and all the passives you'll be ok, but he's level 14.
Once you're 30 or so, Architects aren't a problem. Later Architect fight spoiler:
Honestly, the only problem I had with them was the Level 2 Cold thing on Voeld and remembering to warm up periodically.
papersleeves
Member
Apparently the game has a new patch (1.1-1.3 GB). I got prompted to download it this morning when doing some stability test on my graphic card. Not sure what it does though.
papersleeves
Member
Oh, that's certainly it. Thank you!
Rodney McKay
Member
Finally uninstalled the game off my computer. I didn't love it the first playthrough, but I was keeping it installed in the (now very unlikely) event of new DLC, but now that that's never coming I saw no reason to keep it, sadly.
The core game has so few interesting decisions that you can make that it's the first Mass Effect game I haven't wanted to play through more than once. Stuff like "Choose whether you save this one Solarian of these 3 Krogan", "save the enemy base or blow it up", or "make a military base or a scientific outpost".
Even if they are minor, not having confirmation of a sequel makes the decisions even more insignificant because we'll never get to see how they play out (since they barely matter in this game). In Mass Effect 2+3, there were a bunch of minor decisions that I wanted to see the results of, even if they were minor of not, like choosing to shoot someone or not, or throwing them out a window. Even if they didn't affect the overall plot much, they were still fun choices to make.
I think this game could have worked well with some 4X elements in it. They could have had more native alien races, and depending on you choices it effects them differently. Making a military base will scare species 1, make species 2 respect you more, but make species 3+4 angry. Or a scientific base will make species 1 an ally, species 2 see you as weak, and make species 3+4 neutral about you.
The core game has so few interesting decisions that you can make that it's the first Mass Effect game I haven't wanted to play through more than once. Stuff like "Choose whether you save this one Solarian of these 3 Krogan", "save the enemy base or blow it up", or "make a military base or a scientific outpost".
Even if they are minor, not having confirmation of a sequel makes the decisions even more insignificant because we'll never get to see how they play out (since they barely matter in this game). In Mass Effect 2+3, there were a bunch of minor decisions that I wanted to see the results of, even if they were minor of not, like choosing to shoot someone or not, or throwing them out a window. Even if they didn't affect the overall plot much, they were still fun choices to make.
I think this game could have worked well with some 4X elements in it. They could have had more native alien races, and depending on you choices it effects them differently. Making a military base will scare species 1, make species 2 respect you more, but make species 3+4 angry. Or a scientific base will make species 1 an ally, species 2 see you as weak, and make species 3+4 neutral about you.
Finished Veold last night. Thus far this "no map side quests" playthrough stays winning.
I'm collecting combat trophies at the moment, and they really do a good job having you experiment with the battle system. Like, I had no idea throwing an enemy into another enemy caused a Biotic explosion, lol.
Rolling Vetra & Cora with Overload/Incinerate/Tac Cloak right now and there are explosions everywhuuuur
I'm collecting combat trophies at the moment, and they really do a good job having you experiment with the battle system. Like, I had no idea throwing an enemy into another enemy caused a Biotic explosion, lol.
Rolling Vetra & Cora with Overload/Incinerate/Tac Cloak right now and there are explosions everywhuuuur
Hellshadow
Member
Not sure where to post this but I came across another incoming Mass Effect book on Amazon.
Mass Effect: Initiation
Mass Effect: Initiation
Mediking
Member
A book starring Cora Harper... LET'S GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hmmm I'm surprised they are going forward with these novels. I really liked Cora's character plus my Ryder and Cora made beautiful Biotic combo music together. I will definitely check this out...
prag16
Banned
If it's almost basically done, maybe it costs them very little to go through with the release. And it's entirely a prequel so it doesn't depend on anything that happens in the game or thereafter.
The book that was allegedly supposed to tie in with the Quarian Ark DLC however... that one's probably toast.
Mediking
Member
Heh.
Ryder X Cora is the best.
Cora is freaking awesome. I will totally read for sure. I hope they do her personality right. She IS a fun person. She isn't just all military minded.
Yes, it was supposed to be named Annihilation and was to be the next book to come out and it has fallen off the planet.
I wondered about this a few days back and checked the authors twitter feed. She said she can't give a date but the book is still happening.
https://twitter.com/catvalente/status/893489738509955072
Without Quarian DLC (unless it appears as an APEX mission) I have no idea how they'd do it.
TC McQueen
Member
Maybe they just gave her the stuff they thought of for DLC and had her write it about a different crew that didn't involve Pathfinders.
True enough.
On another note: the Faster Kadara Doors mod is now a top 4 mod on NexusMods. Telling.
TC McQueen
Member
No shit. I think that all the time saving mods are going to be among the most popular stuff.
grosvenor_92
Member
Finished playing an hour or so of the trial. Not really sure how I feel about the story although the combat is probably the best the series has had imo. I've noticed one or two bugs but nothing that I would consider major.
I'll keep playing and if I end liking the story enough I may pick the game up when its on sale again
I'll keep playing and if I end liking the story enough I may pick the game up when its on sale again
Does the respec cost get very high? I've done it a couple times already.
The combat mechanics are much improved but the open setting makes most encounters feel repetitive imo. So, it's a good thing we can mix up or change completely the powers often and not being restricted to a single class for all the play through.
Also there's plenty of exp points to level up a couple powers sets eventually so maybe I just have to add new powers to a favorite preset and go changing on the fly. Three offensive powers can get maxed pretty soon even with a couple passives. For example I've not seen Kadara yet and I'm level 30. I don't do every fucking errand but I mostly kill everything on sight.
The combat mechanics are much improved but the open setting makes most encounters feel repetitive imo. So, it's a good thing we can mix up or change completely the powers often and not being restricted to a single class for all the play through.
Also there's plenty of exp points to level up a couple powers sets eventually so maybe I just have to add new powers to a favorite preset and go changing on the fly. Three offensive powers can get maxed pretty soon even with a couple passives. For example I've not seen Kadara yet and I'm level 30. I don't do every fucking errand but I mostly kill everything on sight.
Did Hakarl last night. The game still feels a lot better skipping the world's side quests. There's a more discernable beginning, middle, and end to the main quest without the details getting lost amidst picking up a dozen other quests, and you don't get bored of the environments like you do when you spend 10 hours on each. Can't wait for the loyalty missions to start opening up soon.
DeathbyCheerios
Member
Thats kind of how I played it thru.
I got into the character and only did sidequests that made sense. Like, if was on my way to save a group of people, I am not going to stop to travel across the galaxy to help someone. I had things to do.
I find playing games that way eliminates a lot of garbage quests that go against the character and story of the game.
Okay, installed Andromeda again (PC). My save game is from the pre-launch trial. Do I need to start a new game from scratch to get all the patch benefits? I didn't see the plastic surgery option aboard the Tempest, for one thing, but I'm more concerned about later changes not being compatible with old saves.
Nostremitus
Member
It's a great game, it was a combination of the story being scored based on how much better the trilogy was instead of on it's own merit. Plus... I was a bit unfinished.
Also, I'm starting to wonder if the lack of DLC could be due to the actor's strike...
The game itself is just ok... I think the bad is in many tedious things to do, that it becomes repetitive if you don't go actively ignoring many side missions... and actively switching combat things up. And that atmosphere, characters and plot seems uninspired and becomes uninteresting after some time or at some moments.
For me, it's a mixed bag. I enjoy it much sometimes but other days I ask myself just why the fuck I keep doing such amount of shit errands.
If I was playing this exclusively and not watching any Netflix, like I've done with other games, I'd definitely be bothered by it, I think. With any trilogy game that never happened, not even when replaying.
https://www.masseffect.com/news/mass-effect-andromeda-update-from-the-studio
Nothing more coming to SP, MP content keeps being created.
epeternally
Member
Depends on your complaints with the game, really. Anyone who doesn't like open world games with fetch quests still isn't going to have a good time but the presentation and polish has improved dramatically. You're not going to be hitting any major bugs and the most jarring cutscene failures have largely been fixed, including Addison's hideous makeup. The core gameplay is all unchanged save for little things like skipping space travel animations but I'd argue that it wasn't broken in the first place.
Did not play it at launch, but now about 3-4 hours in. There are some really strange animations, lots of ducklips when characters talk (specially if character is shown from the side). Some of the dialog and VA are a bit iffy, as in, badly written, and at times badly delivered (as if just reading off a script with no attachment).
Story so far seems pretty lackluster as well, there's a lot of nonsensical stuff that's happened, and a bit too many MacGuffins.
But all that said, I'm still going to continue playing it, I loved the ME trilogy (yes, I loved ME3, minus the ending), so I'll still give this a chance.
Aretak
Member
The patches did nothing more than sprinkle glitter on a turd. They improved some of the more glaring animation problems (in many cases by simply changing the camera angle so you can't see them) and bugs, but it's still janky as hell. I know somebody who's playing through it right now with the latest patch, and they've come across several side quests that just plain bugged out and they have no way of completing. And needless to say there was no patching out the cringeworthy dialogue or tepid plot.
It's still a mediocre game at best, just one that could pass for a $30 budget title on a technical level now. Well, if you don't compare it to Hellblade anyway. Because that would be embarrassing.
Ok, 6 hours into the trial and I've hit the "end" where I need to purchase the game to go further. Can't really go out exploring with the Nomad either, as the surrounding areas have too high radiation levels to be able to currently explore.
Some random impressions so far:
A few questions. Are you able to do any scanning with the Nomad, or do you have to exit the vehicle everytime to do it with your character?
Will the Nomad get weapons like the Mako, or is it just a transport?
Some random impressions so far:
- Playing on PC, and the button mappings are really poorly placed as default. The scanner (G) is right next to the game meny (H?), also right next to Melee (F).
- Dialog and animation are pretty bad at times as stated before.
- Story hasn't really grabbed me yet, and quite honestly, I don't see why they even needed to add the Mass Effect name to the game, other than having the ME alien races, there's very little in the story (so far), or the technology that actually follows ME. (How is the Tempest able to travel these vast distances so quickly without a Mass Relay?). It mght have actually been better recieved if it didn't have the "baggage" of the franchise with it.
- The questsystem makes getting a good overview pretty hard. Actually the whole menu system is very muddled, it sort of manages to overwhelm you with buttons and such, and at the same time, not give you enough information it feels like.
- Weapons so far seem to not really have any real differences, the pistol, the assault rifle and the sniper feel very similar. The first Sniper rifle I created with the research and development system simply felt like the assault rifle with a scope.
A few questions. Are you able to do any scanning with the Nomad, or do you have to exit the vehicle everytime to do it with your character?
Will the Nomad get weapons like the Mako, or is it just a transport?
Drillary Clinton
Banned
Quick question; I chose a preface character to further customize (save myself some work) from origin, will it just be there as my default female option when I do decide to play the game?
Nostremitus
Member
You mean the skippable ones?
The only skippable animation is the one when moving from one planet to another, and the option doesn't appear right away. But the camera still zooms in and out and swerves and whatnot. And it's not possible to skip the animation when travelling between systems at all.
Nostremitus
Member
I had forgotten about that.
Yep...
Weird they only let you skip certain parts...
... it's not like there's a lot to load...
H-047c
Thank you!