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[Tiktaalik]

I find it comical that the people who suck at the combat in Mass Effect seem to be the ones who are griping about how the game "sucks" or is "broken". Seriously learn to play the damn game, or just give up and realize its not for you.

I've played threw the game with a Sentinel on Insanity from level one (from what people have said this is the hardest class to play with), I've had no fights I couldn't overcome with a little strategy. Stop trying to play the game like its a fucking shooter, it's not hard at all, use a little brain power, stop trying to play it like it's Halo.

Like I've said in both of my posts, I understand how to play the game, I just don't agree with the choices that the developer made. The weird fusion of GRAW and RPG just doesn't work well I don't think. I'm not playing it like Halo at all. I actually wish it was more a strictly turn based RPG.

My main annoyance is how random some of the battles seem sometimes. I'm sure the developers thought the open endedness would be good in making things different every time, but I'm not enjoying it. Perhaps I'm too used to RPGs, where you can expect a reasonable powerfulness from your characters, but I am finding it really frustrating when I miss shooting an exploding barrel or something at the beginning of a fight, and then as a result the enemy will rush you and kill you in two hits (perhaps I really badly need to put points toward heavier armour).

After two more tries I did beat this boss. Running way over to the right immediately after killing the first girl seemed to be the good strategy. Running half way over to the newly spawned guys, then backing up also worked well. After killing the main boss, I died right away (two adept girls double teamed me) but thankfully I restarted right at that point again. This time there was only one girl which I killed easily. The other one took her sweet time attacking. Perhaps her AI got her stuck across the level? Again randomness?

 

[Shinjitsu]

Like I've said in both of my posts, I understand how to play the game, I just don't agree with the choices that the developer made. The weird fusion of GRAW and RPG just doesn't work well I don't think. I'm not playing it like Halo at all. I actually wish it was more a strictly turn based RPG.

My main annoyance is how random some of the battles seem sometimes. I'm sure the developers thought the open endedness would be good in making things different every time, but I'm not enjoying it. Perhaps I'm too used to RPGs, where you can expect a reasonable powerfulness from your characters, but I am finding it really frustrating when I miss shooting an exploding barrel or something at the beginning of a fight, and then as a result the enemy will rush you and kill you in two hits (perhaps I really badly need to put points toward heavier armour).

After two more tries I did beat this boss. Running way over to the right immediately after killing the first girl seemed to be the good strategy. Running half way over to the newly spawned guys, then backing up also worked well. After killing the main boss, I died right away (two adept girls double teamed me) but thankfully I restarted right at that point again. This time there was only one girl which I killed easily. The other one took her sweet time attacking. Perhaps her AI got her stuck across the level? Again randomness?

I've never had any of these problems, on any difficultly level, and I played the game six times now, doing almost all of the side quests four times for achievements. I had some issues when I first started playing, but once I got a grasp on the combat system, it's been a cakewalk ever since.

Good luck though, don't let it discourage you, the ending is more than worth it.

 

[Aaron]

My main annoyance is how random some of the battles seem sometimes. I'm sure the developers thought the open endedness would be good in making things different every time, but I'm not enjoying it. Perhaps I'm too used to RPGs, where you can expect a reasonable powerfulness from your characters, but I am finding it really frustrating when I miss shooting an exploding barrel or something at the beginning of a fight, and then as a result the enemy will rush you and kill you in two hits (perhaps I really badly need to put points toward heavier armour).

If every battle was predictable, where would the challenge be? I'm not sure how you're approaching combat, but what I do is at first sight of enemies I hold down the power wheel and glance around to check the situation, see where the enemies are and where my troops are. Then a use any powers that seem useful, order my allies to the best possible location, and make sure I personally cover them from other open angles. If you're dying too quickly, you're not using barrier or other defense buffs. If you're having problem with rushing, you're not using lift, shield breaker, weapon breaker, singularity, and other area effect attack buffs. I never use exploding barrels. Don't need them.

Oh, if you're still having trouble, make sure you have Wrex on the team and dump points into his defensive skills. Unless you play really stupid, he's more or less impossible to kill. The right weapons for the job also help, moding up the damage on the pistol with a chemical or other damaging round cuts down enemies very quickly, especially if you break their shields beforehand.

 

[Shinjitsu]

If every battle was predictable, where would the challenge be? I'm not sure how you're approaching combat, but what I do is at first sight of enemies I hold down the power wheel and glance around to check the situation, see where the enemies are and where my troops are. Then a use any powers that seem useful, order my allies to the best possible location, and make sure I personally cover them from other open angles. If you're dying too quickly, you're not using barrier or other defense buffs. If you're having problem with rushing, you're not using lift, shield breaker, weapon breaker, singularity, and other area effect attack buffs. I never use exploding barrels. Don't need them.

Oh, if you're still having trouble, make sure you have Wrex on the team and dump points into his defensive skills. Unless you play really stupid, he's more or less impossible to kill. The right weapons for the job also help, moding up the damage on the pistol with a chemical or other damaging round cuts down enemies very quickly, especially if you break their shields beforehand.

You don't need to tell him this, he "understands how to play the game":lol

 

[Tiktaalik]

You don't need to tell him this, he "understands how to play the game":lol

:lol Well I definitely do hold down the powers wheel first thing (see I understand :lol ) but he gives some good advice.

I actually hadn't had too many problems until that one fight. Perhaps it was a perfect storm of slightly above average difficulty and poor teammate selection.

 

[Surfheart]

My main problems with the game are all on the role-playing side. Yeah, the "tactical combat" doesn't really work, but I've found them to kill effectively enough without it, even playing as a tech.

But there just feels like there's something missing. Maybe it's the shallow sidequests. Actually, calling them shallow feels like I'm doing them too much credit. Copy and paste level designs and enemies, lack of interesting characters. Even when there are actual characters in the sidequests, they feel so insubstantial, like non sequiturs; they, and the quests they inhabit, seem like they were added through user-created mods.

You make decisions but what effect do they have? You usually get the same response no matter what you say. And on the 3 or 4 occasions where there actually is an effect, it's easy to determine: a. that this is a DECISION MOMENT; and b. what it will be.

Changing your history changes a dozen lines of dialog and a quest. What's the point? If that's the best they can do, it seems like much more work than it's worth. Along those same lines, I'd like to see just two companions in the next game. Then maybe they'll have some depth that doesn't manifest itself solely through conversations in the terribly-designed bowels of the ship.

I'd like, I dunno, actual towns in the next game? Sidequests that feel like they weren't taken straight out of an 8-bit game? Choices that matter, but seriously this time?

I realize that changing all this would be difficult...but that's BioWare's problem. They created this game that wants to be, and seems as though it should be, so much more than it is. The fact that it seems constrained and hollow is a result of how the game itself makes you feel it should be. All this stuff is there but it just.doesn't.reach it's goals.

As I was going through the beginning of the game and what I thought was an introductory town and basic sidequests, I felt certain that this game was going to take a spot in my all-time top 10. As the game went on and its limitations became annoyingly, glaringly clear, it fell precipitously. I'd even venture to say that while it's a good, ambitious game, it's not even a great one. That's how dramatically the limitations of the game affect my opinion of it.

You've summed up my feelings about the game exactly.

 

[Brakara]

Once you level up some more, the combat gets a lot more fun.

This is my experience as well. The Feros mission was a lot more fun than the Noveria one, probably because I were around 15 levels higher and had much more powerful weapons.

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

Yeah, Chase's post is pretty dead on, though my opinion of the game actually rose as I played through it. It's disappointing and seriously flawed in so many ways, but it has its cool bits.

I'm playing through it again on hardcore and it's been pretty much identical so far, but it hasn't been a drag yet. Though if I want the ally achievements I gotta go do the shitty sidequests, and I'm not looking forward to that. Yeah, I could forget about them but...I came this far! I want my stupid meaningless award!

Oh yeah, and fuck whoever decided X should both advance dialogue and auto-choose the neutral dialogue choice. It's the game's biggest flaw and it better be remedied in the sequel.

 

[Lonesome_Raod]

Hope to see a bit of DLC before chrimbo! maybe santa themed armour for everyone and a bit of tinsel for the normandy. maybe even a rudolph nose for the mako. I jest but heres hoping for some proper dlc soon.

 

[Chrange]

Oh yeah, and fuck whoever decided X should both advance dialogue and auto-choose the neutral dialogue choice. It's the game's biggest flaw and it better be remedied in the sequel.

It doesn't.

Problem solved.

It skips the cinema, true enough, but if you're aiming the cursor where you want it to be on the conversation tree, it chooses that dialogue - at least so far as I've seen.

Why are you skipping the dialogue anyway!

 

[Uncle]

They really need to change some of the shop keepers too (the ones with more than one set of merchandise). I mean do I really need to hear some amoeba babble on and on about how pleased that one is about seeing this one and possibly selling this one some of those ones, when I try to see what else it has to offer?

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

It doesn't.

Problem solved.

It skips the cinema, true enough, but if you're aiming the cursor where you want it to be on the conversation tree, it chooses that dialogue - at least so far as I've seen.

I'm not psychic. I make choices after reading all the available options. I didn't play straight paragon or renegade, and even if I did there are often alternate choices, so just holding the stick to the lower right throughout conversations doesn't help in the least.

Why are you skipping the dialogue anyway!

Because reading is many times faster than listening.

 

[Captain N]

I finished Assassin's Creed and decided to start with this game. I'm loving it so far with about four hours put into the game.

 

[arhra]

I'm not psychic. I make choices after reading all the available options. I didn't play straight paragon or renegade, and even if I did there are often alternate choices, so just holding the stick to the lower right throughout conversations doesn't help in the least.

You can bring up the dialogue wheel early by tapping A, then choose your response and hit X to skip.

There's one minor problem, which is a variation of your existing complaint - if it's a short response you're trying to skip, and you manage to hit A right as the wheel pops up, you'll hit the default choice. But that's a fairly rare occurence (and pretty much non-existent if you make a habit of tapping A right as people start speaking).

 

[Rummy Bunnz]

Yeah, that sounds similar to what happens when you hit X right before a dialogue choice pops up, though it sounds less likely to happen. Thanks. Still a shame they couldn't follow the example of just about every other RPG ever made, though. It's not like this dialogue system is so revolutionary that they couldn't map advance and confirm to separate buttons.

 

[Solo]

going with a colonist/ruthless mostly-renegade infiltrator (with AR as my bonus) default male shepard this time (tried to make a custom one, but the voice acting was just so completely out of place i couldn't carry on with it :lol).

Really? Ive found that Shepard's voice matches my custom look like 10x better than it does the default Shepard look.

I just wish we'd met Admiral Hackett in game.

Isnt he the Turian who is sitting in the office outside the bar by the Embassies? You can chat with him, and hes the only one in the game that sounds like Lance Henrikson to me.

 

[Swifty]

Yeah, that sounds similar to what happens when you hit X right before a dialogue choice pops up, though it sounds less likely to happen. Thanks. Still a shame they couldn't follow the example of just about every other RPG ever made, though. It's not like this dialogue system is so revolutionary that they couldn't map advance and confirm to separate buttons.

This is such an annoying problem. I don't understand why they couldn't divorce the X button from confirming dialogue choices.

Isnt he the Turian who is sitting in the office outside the bar by the Embassies? You can chat with him, and hes the only one in the game that sounds like Lance Henrikson to me.

I doubt the Admiral of Fifth Fleet of the human Systems Alliance would be a Turian of all species

 

[Solo]

Yeah, I know, that seems weird. Still, sounds like Henrikson to me.

 

[FrankT]

Sticky time.

 

[sixteen-bit]

Sticky time.

less than 500 to go!

I'm so glad this game is selling well. It deserves it.

 

[Uncle]

Isnt he the Turian who is sitting in the office outside the bar by the Embassies? You can chat with him, and hes the only one in the game that sounds like Lance Henrikson to me.

You mean Executor Pallin, the head of C-Sec?

 

[ElectricBlue187]

level 50 wooohooo!

tell me GAF, how much longer is it to 60?

 

[Uncle]

level 50 wooohooo!

tell me GAF, how much longer is it to 60?

IIRC, a bit over 400k XP or so.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

IIRC, a bit over 400k XP or so.

ouch, that's almost 3x as much as i have now :lol

 

[Tieno]

Do you get more XP on higher difficulties when killing enemies and doing quests?

 

[Uncle]

Do you get more XP on high difficulties when killing enemies and doing quests?

I don't think difficulty changes the amount of XP you get. Levels and some achievements (completionist and power gamer, I think) do raise the amount of XP you get. And of course killing things on foot rather than with the Mako (Mako gives you -50% XP).

 

[∀ Narayan]

You mean Executor Pallin, the head of C-Sec?

Executor Pallin is so freaking cool. I don't know what it is about him, but he's definitely my favorite NPC in the entire game.

 

[urk]

Executor Pallin is so freaking cool. I don't know what it is about him, but he's definitely my favorite NPC in the entire game.

He's kind of a dick.

 

[arhra]

Really? Ive found that Shepard's voice matches my custom look like 10x better than it does the default Shepard look.

All i can say is... just don't try to make a beefy-looking black guy.

tell me GAF, how much longer is it to 60?

You need a grand total of ~860,000xp to hit 60, IIRC. Can't remember what the total is for 50, though (the scaling goes completely nuts for the last few levels - 58-59 takes ~120k, and, 59-60 is ~200k).

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Executor Pallin is so freaking cool. I don't know what it is about him, but he's definitely my favorite NPC in the entire game.

Bone-Deep Skepticism, I can't see how that's at all possible.

;D

Anyhoo. After a weeks-long honeymoon with Rock Band I have finally returned to this game in force. Still in the early going, just rescued Liara, but holy cow, is there anything more awesomely decimating than a fully leveled pistol with chemical rounds running Marksman? (And shouldn't it be "Marksbeing"? Probably Ashley's idea...)

Anyway, man, it feels good to be back.

 

[Uncle]

You need a grand total of ~860,000xp to hit 60, IIRC. Can't remember what the total is for 50, though (the scaling goes completely nuts for the last few levels - 58-59 takes ~120k, and, 59-60 is ~200k).

Ok, so it's about 624k XP from 50->60. Sorry for the false hope.

 

[Demonracer999]

Ok, so it's about 624k XP from 50->60. Sorry for the false hope.

The Completionist achievement supplements all exp by 10%, and the power gamer achievement supplements all by 5%. I'm sure that will make the trek to 60 easier. I finished my first run through at level 45 though, so I still need to get power gamer.

 

[Solo]

Bone-Deep Skepticism, I can't see how that's at all possible.

;D

Anyhoo. After a weeks-long honeymoon with Rock Band I have finally returned to this game in force. Still in the early going, just rescued Liara, but holy cow, is there anything more awesomely decimating than a fully leveled pistol with chemical rounds running Marksman? (And shouldn't it be "Marksbeing"? Probably Ashley's idea...)

Anyway, man, it feels good to be back.

Just wait til you hit Virmire. If this is already got your blood pumping, then Virmire may kill you. And what a glorious death it would be.

 

[Tony Rocky Horror]

Hokay, so I'm stuck again.. This time on

Spoiler

Noveria

:

Spoiler

First I was stuck at the tunnels that were full of Geth blowing my ass of with their damn rockets.. I just decided I'd snipe the hell outtha them and it worked

Now, I'm in Facility/Peak 15 and I'm at the decontamination room right now.. Which I can't seem to open. Got Liara and Ashley with me, that both don't have any electronic skills and I'm Soldier, so I don't have it eiter.. Am I fucked right now?

Please help me Gaf. ^^

Edit: NVM I just talked to [/spoiler]the AI, and there was an option to just open the door[/spoiler] -_-'

 

[Captain Glanton]

Hokay, so I'm stuck again.. This time on

Spoiler

Noveria

:

Spoiler

First I was stuck at the tunnels that were full of Geth blowing my ass of with their damn rockets.. I just decided I'd snipe the hell outtha them and it worked

Now, I'm in Facility/Peak 15 and I'm at the decontamination room right now.. Which I can't seem to open. Got Liara and Ashley with me, that both don't have any electronic skills and I'm Soldier, so I don't have it eiter.. Am I fucked right now?

Please help me Gaf. ^^

If you're where I think you, try to look around and talk to people. There should be

Spoiler

someone who will give you an access card for a favor.

And shouldn't it be "Marksbeing"? Probably Ashley's idea

You talkin' bad about Ashley? Huh? HUH? <shoves>

 

[Psychotext]

Hokay, so I'm stuck again.. This time on

Spoiler

Noveria

:

Spoiler

First I was stuck at the tunnels that were full of Geth blowing my ass of with their damn rockets.. I just decided I'd snipe the hell outtha them and it worked

Now, I'm in Facility/Peak 15 and I'm at the decontamination room right now.. Which I can't seem to open. Got Liara and Ashley with me, that both don't have any electronic skills and I'm Soldier, so I don't have it eiter.. Am I fucked right now?

Please help me Gaf. ^^

Spoiler

Have you been down to speak to the doctor yet? Also, you can go past the two guard turrets to continue onwards if you like... but the NPCs will treat you as an enemy from that point on.

 

[arhra]

Anyway, man, it feels good to be back.

With dismayed surprise, i just noticed that your avatar is misspelled.

Enthusiasm.

 

[Tony Rocky Horror]

Spoiler

Have you been down to speak to the doctor yet? Also, you can go past the two guard turrets to continue onwards if you like... but the NPCs will treat you as an enemy from that point on.

Lol I think you are talking about another part.. I'm at the trams right now. (But I had it figured out already (see my post))

 

[clashfan]

I think someone posted a map with all the locations of the keepers. I can't seem to find it. Can someone point me to that image?

 

[ElectricBlue187]

I think someone posted a map with all the locations of the keepers. I can't seem to find it. Can someone point me to that image?

.

Found this on some other forum:

http://i18.tinypic.com/6z8ujo5.png

citadel map including all keeper locations.

 

[Psychotext]

Lol I think you are talking about another part.. I'm at the trams right now. (But I had it figured out already (see my post))

Big area... and my memory is not so good. :lol

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

With dismayed surprise, i just noticed that your avatar is misspelled.

Enthusiasm.

I only realized it a few days ago. How embarassing is that?

 

[Mrbob]

If you do almost everything I hear it is possible to hit level 60 on your second playthrough.

I'm at level 59, have about another 100K to go, and just started my 3rd playthrough. It usually takes about 2 pretty complete playthroughs and change. I'm running through on hardcore difficulty this time anyway. Little bit more challenging but still manageable!

 

[clashfan]

.

Thanks!

 

[arhra]

If you do almost everything I hear it is possible to hit level 60 on your second playthrough.

With the completionist and power gamer bonuses, i hit 54 on my first playthrough, and 60 on the second, on Virmire (early on, during the initial Mako section). That was doing basically all the sidequests, though, and making an effort not to kill things with the Mako (although during the second playthrough, it was more effective to get out and kill things on foot than use the mako anyway...)

 

[Woo-Fu]

As long as you're always playing on the hardest difficulty available you'll get to 60 relatively quickly.

 

[Shinjitsu]

With the completionist and power gamer bonuses, i hit 54 on my first playthrough, and 60 on the second, on Virmire (early on, during the initial Mako section) . That was doing basically all the sidequests, though, and making an effort not to kill things with the Mako (although during the second playthrough, it was more effective to get out and kill things on foot than use the mako anyway...)

I did this same thing. Honestly, I hate the Mako combat anyway. I get out on foot for Thresher Maws, Armatures, EVERYTHING.

Please Bioware nuke the Mako in Mass Effect 2.

 

[mattiewheels]

If you do almost everything I hear it is possible to hit level 60 on your second playthrough.

you get to keep your levels on a second playthrough? awesome.

 

[Uncle]

you get to keep your levels on a second playthrough? awesome.

You can choose between making a new character and using you old one in the new game+.

 

[ElectricBlue187]

Is there a god combo better than the Master Spectre Weapons + 20% dmg (recoilless something I think) + 20 % dmg (same thing) and +35% dmg vs. synthetics (Tunstgen Ammo)