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[Son of Godzilla]

I can't believe we didn't get to see a single home planet in the entire game. C'mon, BioWare. One city to visit is not enough! I'm tired of barren wastelands. I want to see some cool alien architecture.

I love how Bioware completely handwaved the fact that the exploration sucked. You were only allowed to go to the human planets, which are all uninhabited shitholes anyway. Whoo!

 

[JayDubya]

Man. I did that, pretty much. Always kept the same party.

MAN.

That's a hard achievement; hardest for Liara since you get her last, so it requires you to do a heaping shit-ton of sidequests. For some of them, like her, I don't believe it's even possible to get it before the story's point of no return.

Kaiden / Ash are easiest obviously.

 

[BruceLeeRoy]

Go to gameplay settings and set the level ups so that they are controlled by you and not automatically by the game. You will do a far better job of shaping you and your parties characters then the game will.

Also, in the same gameplay options section you'll want to set your party members abilities to be "defensive only". This prevents them from uselessly spamming their abilities at enemies that are either hidden or too far away to kill even if they are injured.

You've probably noticed that there is a recharge time for abilities like lift, throw, or rampage, that's why you want your squad mates to use those abilities as defensive only, so they aren't drained if you get rushed and so that they are always charged and ready for you to use.

I don't know if you are playing this on 360 or pc, but on pc you hold down the space bar to access you and your (current) squadmates abilities. That's what makes this game so easy. You basically have all of the abilities of whoever is alive in your current party available to use as if they were your own, yet the only character that has to survive a fight is you.



EDIT: Also, I forgot to address your question about sprinting. You can only sprint when in combat or when injured. I can't really see any use for sprinting outside of combat, but if you need to you can blow up an explosive canister near you or blow up one of your own grenades near enough to injure yourself and you will be able to sprint for a short time.

Excellent feedback guys. I made those changes to the gameplay options you were talking
about Rasputin. Again thanks a lot.

 

[gregor7777]

That's a hard achievement; hardest for Liara since you get her last, so it requires you to do a heaping shit-ton of sidequests. For some of them, like her, I don't believe it's even possible to get it before the story's point of no return.

Kaiden / Ash are easiest obviously.

And even then, I heard sometimes they're a bit glitchy.

Most of ME's achievements are fun, and better, they actually have an effect in the game with NG+, but those few teammate ones are a bitch.

Wow, is there any other thread of a game released more than a year ago that's as active as this?

I think it's the story and the atmosphere. It catches a lot of people off guard. Truly unique IMO. Makes people want to come and talk about it, and what will happen next.

 

[Gorgie]

I bought this off Steam and I'm really digging it, but this game just keeps crashing on load screens, or locking up during gameplay. I really wish this game had the polish of a Valve game when it comes to system stability.

 

[Rasputin]

I had the same problems with 2 separate installs of ME Gorgie. Hanging at ME relay splash screen, or at the "Normandy flying through space" splash screen, and sometimes during gameplay. Sometimes just coming down stairs from the Flux bar I would hit a loading section that would take forever to load or would eventually crash.

Sounds crazy, but both times installing service pack 3 for xp completely fixed the problem. You might want to make sure your windows install is fully updated whether it's xp or Vista even though Bioware has never mentioned it as a possible problem.

 

[tahrikmili]

Never got around to finishing this game on my second playthrough.. Want to do that, and get a couple of ally achievements.

The sad thing is, I forgot the controls completely. Worse, I fogot who my companions were on my second playthrough. I think it was Liara and Ashley (playing a Renegade Sentinetl) but I can't be sure.. shit

 

[Rasputin]

Hmm Maybe you could find out which characters you were using just by looking through the weapon lockers on the Normandy.

I would guess that the characters you weren't using didn't get their assigned weapons updated by you, so there should be a pretty big difference between what weapons and equipment the party members you were using have and what the other characters have.

 

[`Moe Joe.]

I need to get back into this awesome game. When my xbox comes back from NSW, I'll be going for the 1000/1000; just need to get the Ashley, Kaiden and Wrex achievements. Oh, and level 60.

By the way, I'm probably late to the party, but wasn't there meant to be more DLC?

 

[gregor7777]

By the way, I'm probably late to the party, but wasn't there meant to be more DLC?

Men in black suits will be coming to visit you shortly.

 

[Magik]

I need to get back into this awesome game. When my xbox comes back from NSW, I'll be going for the 1000/1000; just need to get the Ashley, Kaiden and Wrex achievements. Oh, and level 60.

By the way, I'm probably late to the party, but wasn't there meant to be more DLC?

Yeah, there should have been more DLC, but at the rate we're going with no info at all, the next time we hear anything about Mass Effect is the sequel.

Fuck, the more I read this thread the more I want to go back and play Mass Effect for the hell of it. I got all the achievements but I still want to play it. :lol

 

[Truant]

This game is so good. I don't even care about the technical stuff anymore. I want to play it again NOW.

 

[bitq]

I'm about 4 hours into this excellent game on the 360 version, but the frame rate problems are killing it for me. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's horrendous. I'll just be walking through some hallway and every 5 or six steps I get framedrop. Combat seems acceptable. Most of the problems happen outside of combat when I'm just walking around.

My question is, are these issues fixed on the PC version? I don't currently have a PC good enough, but I will by the end of this year. Should I wait til then and play it on PC?

The texture popping is annoying, but not a big deal. The framerate though is a complete gamebreaker.

 

[bitq]

Alright I think I'm just going to finish it. From what I've read it isn't a very long game, so I think I can deal with it. Mainly I just want to set myself up for the sequel, which will fix a lot of these issues I'm sure.

 

[big_z]

I'm about 4 hours into this excellent game on the 360 version, but the frame rate problems are killing it for me. Sometimes it's fine, sometimes it's horrendous. I'll just be walking through some hallway and every 5 or six steps I get framedrop. Combat seems acceptable. Most of the problems happen outside of combat when I'm just walking around.

My question is, are these issues fixed on the PC version? I don't currently have a PC good enough, but I will by the end of this year. Should I wait til then and play it on PC?

The texture popping is annoying, but not a big deal. The framerate though is a complete gamebreaker.

did you install it to the harddrive? i've heard doing greatly reduces texture pop in and gets rid of the random framerate hitching.

im going to start playing this tonight...

 

[bitq]

did you install it to the harddrive? i've heard doing greatly reduces texture pop in and gets rid of the random framerate hitching.

im going to start playing this tonight...

I'm playing it off of the HD. I never played it off the disc so idk if this is better or not.

Lemme know how your experience is. Maybe it's just my xbox or something... that would be pretty odd.

 

[HK-47]

I bought this off Steam and I'm really digging it, but this game just keeps crashing on load screens, or locking up during gameplay. I really wish this game had the polish of a Valve game when it comes to system stability.

lol like Bioware could ever manage that.

 

[tahrikmili]

Hmm Maybe you could find out which characters you were using just by looking through the weapon lockers on the Normandy.

I would guess that the characters you weren't using didn't get their assigned weapons updated by you, so there should be a pretty big difference between what weapons and equipment the party members you were using have and what the other characters have.

Genius. Apparently I was playing a renegade engineer on Hardcore with Ashley and Liara on my second play through, romancing Ashley.

I killed Benezia yesterday, on Hardcore. It was like a trial by fire, now I remember everything about the game. :lol

Time to finish it and get me some new achievements.

As for the framerate - I installed onto the hard drive and oddly enough I can swear the framerate was MUCh better running off the disc with the old dashboard. wat the?..

 

[Guy Legend]

What does the DRM limit on the PC, total installs or number of machines?

Just wanted to clear this up for me before I potentially buy the game. Are you limited to 5 installs total across any computer, or is it installations on 5 different machines?

In other words, can you reinstall the game on the same machine without using an activation?

 

[Sinatar]

I'm playing it off of the HD. I never played it off the disc so idk if this is better or not.

Lemme know how your experience is. Maybe it's just my xbox or something... that would be pretty odd.

It's not your xbox, the game is a bit of mess technically. Makes me wonder why it got a free pass for those issues last year whereas Last Remnant is getting raked over the coals this year for the same shit.

Anyways, regardless of that the game runs fantastic on PC. Nice constant framerate (obviously depending on your hardware) and little to no texture pop in. As an added bonus you get the full squad control that they showed off in early builds but then subsequently removed from the 360 version.

 

[tahrikmili]

Started playing this game again, it's like electronic crack.

Finished Eden Prime, Noveria, Feros, and all Citadel assignments, reached level 38. Now I'll finish all UNC assignments and then the whole plot. Trying to bang Ashley, get the Soldier and Asari Ally achievements, all Engineer achievements (just AI hacking left) and the Hardcore/2nd play through achievements.

Then I'll replay my Sentinel to 60th level on Impossible with two companions from among Kaidan, Wrex and Garrus. (Played with Liara and Wrex on first playthrough but didn't get their achievements for some reason.. I really like Wrex and Garrus. Kaidan is.. uh..)

It's a very good game indeed, but a year later, all the technical and gameplay nuisances become so much more evident.. Bioware really need to improve on a few areas with ME2, it will never get the free pass ME got with its framerate, texture pop-in, shitty AI, poor combat control and awful inventory system.

 

[GarthVaderUK]

Mass Effect 2 session at GDC 2009:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14288942

 

[GenericPseudonym]

Mass Effect 2 session at GDC 2009:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=14288942

I think we know the surprise announcement at MS's keynote.

 

[Compass]

It's a very good game indeed, but a year later, all the technical and gameplay nuisances become so much more evident.. Bioware really need to improve on a few areas with ME2, it will never get the free pass ME got with its framerate, texture pop-in, shitty AI, poor combat control and awful inventory system.

Why not? Bethesda gets a free pass with each new shit pile they release.

 

[firehawk12]

Too bad they couldn't apply their new iterative techniques to new DLC...

It's almost as big of a let down as the MOST DLC EVER promise of GH2.

 

[GenericPseudonym]

Too bad they couldn't apply their new iterative techniques to new DLC...

It's almost as big of a let down as the MOST DLC EVER promise of GH2.

Honestly, I'd rather get ME2 in 2009 than wait for it, while getting DLC in the same vein as BDtS. If Bioware had done one large expansion pack for Mass Effect (like Shivering Isles) then I may have been interested, but I have no patience for content modules.

 

[tahrikmili]

Why not? Bethesda gets a free pass with each new shit pile they release.

WTF? Morrowind was incredible and Fallout 3 is definitely one of the best WRPGs released in a long while.

Oblivion is the only turd they released in the last few years.

 

[K.Jack]

It's almost as big of a let down as the MOST DLC EVER promise of GH2.

Even a bigger let down to me. Just one DLC mission before ME2 is announced? Terrible stuff.

 

[afternoon delight]

Every time this thread gets bumped, I start another playthrough. Breaks are essential to make it through the grinding sidequests, however, the total package blows. my. mind. Every time. Playing the last sequence

Spoiler

high as a kite

while running

Spoiler

sideways on the fucking citadel

is just amazing. Still favorite game of this gen, and the HDD install really picks up the slack. Not perfect, but close.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

I am playing through Mass Effect for a 3rd time.

I don't like the vapid shooter portions, but I love their dialogue system, and their good/evil thing. Good and Evil are much more rational on both ends. Much more believable then they were in KotOR.

Fleshed out maybe what I mean.

I need fleshed out scifi swordplay!

I love everything about it, but the gun stuff!

 

[Mindlog]

My biggest problem when I start a playthrough with a new character is that I get OCD levels 30-40 trying to collect as much Tung/Shred VII as I need to outfit everybody.

 

[JDS 1977]

I recently played this game and finished it within a few days, I was playing it every free moment I had and I loved it. I thought the combat was great and a lot of fun. I dunno why the combat gets so much hate. At the end I had some colossus type armor and some sweet assault rifle.

 

[Woffls]

Playing this for the 6th time at the moment. Easily my favourite game of this generation. I love it so much, and it just doesn't get boring for me. Still havn't got all the achievements though >_>

Mass Effect 2 is top of my list at the moment.

 

[wangman31888]

Playing this for the 6th time at the moment. Easily my favourite game of this generation. I love it so much, and it just doesn't get boring for me. Still havn't got all the achievements though >_>

Mass Effect 2 is top of my list at the moment.

has anyone heard any news about it? i wonder if it'll get pushed back on the priorities list with the star wars MMO being made by bioware.

 

[Jibber Hack]

Just beat it not an hour ago. The squad auto-level screwed me over so I kinda just blasted through the game going renegade. I really enjoyed it, but it's horribly unstable on my PC. Had to complete the last battle 3 times before it loaded through to the credits properly.

I don't beat games. I was so compelled to complete Mass Effect though. I've already started on another career taking control of leveling myself. Cant wait till we get more info on the sequel.

 

[Troidal]

I started my 2nd playthrough with a new character. I picked a male Shepherd this time, turned him into a biotic. Is it just me or you being a biotic with two partners doing most of the shooting a better combination? Either that or I feel more comfortable with combat now.

I decided to start with the Bringing Down the Sky before taking on the main 3 missions (Feros, etc.). This is the type of side missions we really needed more of. It needs cutscenes and some dialogue situations to spice things up and not just driving the Mako and going into lameass 3-room dungeons.

Being a renegade is also fun. In the very first part where you rescue that scientist, her assistant Manuel keeps rambling so I punched his lights out. It probably more appropriate for the guy to do that than the female Shepherd. Man my dude's such a jerk! :lol I racked up initimadate points pretty early on so I had some interesting dialogue branches for that early on (even on Bringing Down the Sky).

I guess the only disappointment I have is that all the motions for the male and female Shepherd are exactly the same. Even their facial expressions, like squinting one eye, raising eyebrows, all those are even the same. In fact, I even tried a different female Shepherd, changed her eyes and hair but still felt like I was looking at almost the same character.

Not sure if I can do a complete playthrough but I'll post more if I do...

 

[Mohonky]

Interestingly I just started going through again after I formatted my HDD so I lost my previous character so now I gotta grind my way up to Insane again.

 

[Peronthious]

How's the difficulty so far as a biotic? All of the reports I've heard have pointed to it being near impossible that way, at least later in the game.

I started my 2nd playthrough with a new character. I picked a male Shepherd this time, turned him into a biotic. Is it just me or you being a biotic with two partners doing most of the shooting a better combination? Either that or I feel more comfortable with combat now.

I decided to start with the Bringing Down the Sky before taking on the main 3 missions (Feros, etc.). This is the type of side missions we really needed more of. It needs cutscenes and some dialogue situations to spice things up and not just driving the Mako and going into lameass 3-room dungeons.

Being a renegade is also fun. In the very first part where you rescue that scientist, her assistant Manuel keeps rambling so I punched his lights out. It probably more appropriate for the guy to do that than the female Shepherd. Man my dude's such a jerk! :lol I racked up initimadate points pretty early on so I had some interesting dialogue branches for that early on (even on Bringing Down the Sky).

I guess the only disappointment I have is that all the motions for the male and female Shepherd are exactly the same. Even their facial expressions, like squinting one eye, raising eyebrows, all those are even the same. In fact, I even tried a different female Shepherd, changed her eyes and hair but still felt like I was looking at almost the same character.

Not sure if I can do a complete playthrough but I'll post more if I do...

 

[Troidal]

How's the difficulty so far as a biotic? All of the reports I've heard have pointed to it being near impossible that way, at least later in the game.

Actually, that does make me wonder...especially the end because you

Spoiler

fight alone against Saren...ah shit...

*_* But I plan to jack up my pistol points to max.

I do notice I tend to die easily if I dont use barrier/shields abilities. Since he only can wear light armor, taking hits from a rocket pretty much means insta-death, I guess that's one annoying thing so far.

Oh and I am still playing it on normal difficulty. No need to torture myself on higher difficulty levels xD

 

[Uncle]

I recently started a new career too. A female engineer (now operative) with the assault rifle skill. Not all that different from playing the soldier, though, since I set my squad AI to use the defensive skills only. Trying to play renegade, but I keep wimping out (for example on Feros I just did it the paragon way).

I ran into a nasty glitch that dropped overload from Liara's skills. Had to go back a couple of hours. And I noticed that Liara's skills sometimes stop working, so I can't use any of them.

I think I'll port this character over to ME2, if it will be possible, just because she looks better (my male looks a bit like a salarian from the side, I don't know how I fucked it up so bad). Although I'm kinda tempted to continue with my male soldier, just to use the charm and intimidate skills more. I kinda wish they would make a new game+ mode where I could use all the XP from previous playthrough to make a new build from the scratch.

 

[Troidal]

Oh come on, being a renegade is fun!!! Besides, when you choose that branch, the dialogue sometimes doesn't sound as harsh as the way text the suggests.

Gender change would be funny. They should add a new dialogue at the start of that new game with Captain Anderson saying, "So how was the sex change operation Shepherd?", your dialogue branch would include, " I am a Specter, I can do whatever I want!" :lol

I recently started a new career too. A female engineer (now operative) with the assault rifle skill. Not all that different from playing the soldier, though, since I set my squad AI to use the defensive skills only. Trying to play renegade, but I keep wimping out (for example on Feros I just did it the paragon way).

I ran into a nasty glitch that dropped overload from Liara's skills. Had to go back a couple of hours. And I noticed that Liara's skills sometimes stop working, so I can't use any of them.

I think I'll port this character over to ME2, if it will be possible, just because she looks better (my male looks a bit like a salarian from the side, I don't know how I fucked it up so bad). Although I'm kinda tempted to continue with my male soldier, just to use the charm and intimidate skills more. I kinda wish they would make a new game+ mode where I could use all the XP from previous playthrough to make a new build from the scratch.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

Gender change would be funny. They should add a new dialogue at the start of that new game with Captain Anderson saying, "So how was the sex change operation Shepherd?", your dialogue branch would include, " I am a Specter, I can do whatever I want!" :lol

:lol

 

[Uncle]

Oh come on, being a renegade is fun!!! Besides, when you choose that branch, the dialogue sometimes doesn't sound as harsh as the way text the suggests.

It's not the dialogue. I agree the renegade options are usually the best, although the renegade option tends to be a bit xenophobic and lame sometimes. I even tend to go a little overboard with it sometimes. Like with the news lady.

Spoiler

"Nice ship they gave you" STFU *slap*

But I just couldn't

Spoiler

kill the colonists on Feros

eventhough that would have given me tons of renegade points. And I don't even have the renegade achievement yet. I think I'll save it for my soldier, since he has pretty much maxed out his intimidation. That should open up some fun new conversations.

 

[Doodis]

This game ruined my experience with 2008's game of the year. I just rented Fallout 3 and I honestly don't understand the fuss everyone has made over it. Mass Effect's combat, visuals, cinematics, etc. blow Fallout 3 out of the water (in my humble opinion).

I must be crazy for thinking this since everyone is gaga over Fallout 3, but I just could not get into it. Please bring on Mass Effect 2 this year!

 

[Kydd BlaZe]

This game ruined my experience with 2008's game of the year. I just rented Fallout 3 and I honestly don't understand the fuss everyone has made over it. Mass Effect's combat, visuals, cinematics, etc. blow Fallout 3 out of the water (in my humble opinion).

I must be crazy for thinking this since everyone is gaga over Fallout 3, but I just could not get into it. Please bring on Mass Effect 2 this year!

Fucking. This.

 

[nubbe]

Mass Effect manages to top Fallout 3 on is character animation, combat abilities and story.
But Fallout 3 is just more fun to play thanks the the world you have to explore. Also, what you do have an effect on things... unlike in Mass Effect.

 

[Troidal]

This game ruined my experience with 2008's game of the year. I just rented Fallout 3 and I honestly don't understand the fuss everyone has made over it. Mass Effect's combat, visuals, cinematics, etc. blow Fallout 3 out of the water (in my humble opinion).

I must be crazy for thinking this since everyone is gaga over Fallout 3, but I just could not get into it. Please bring on Mass Effect 2 this year!

For me, it was like going to one party and then going to another party soo late, but that one ended up being more fun.

I mean, my Fallout 3 game session is completely on a grind halt after playing through Mass Effect then Dead Space, and now returning to Mass Effect again.

I would probably get hooked to FO3 again, but knowing that the story and its conclusion is quite lackluster, my motivation isn't quite there.

 

[Randy Lanzarote]

Despite the fact I've completed the game 3 times I found out the other day that you can also

Spoiler

kill Wrex during the 'Krogan Breeding' facility mission.... how did I miss that out? I even played through as a totally bad guy to see what happened but I can't ever remember being given that sort of option.

Don't see why you'd take that option though, Wrex was awesome

 

[HK-47]

I am playing through Mass Effect for a 3rd time.

I don't like the vapid shooter portions, but I love their dialogue system, and their good/evil thing. Good and Evil are much more rational on both ends. Much more believable then they were in KotOR.

Fleshed out maybe what I mean.

I need fleshed out scifi swordplay!

I love everything about it, but the gun stuff!

Good/evil is still a stupid idea. At least in KotOR it made sense, playing off an original trilogy feel of good vs evil. KotOR II it seemed like an afterthought, probably would have been better off with something more in depth but I doubt they had the time to focus on changing such a fundamental part of the game

 

[Rufus]

KotOR II it seemed like an afterthought, probably would have been better off with something more in depth but I doubt they had the time to focus on changing such a fundamental part of the game

The story and characters went in that direction at least. Kraya, for example, offered some very interesting viewpoints on the force. (She's not the only character or aspect of the game that elevated KotOR 2 above its predecessor for me, in spite of its broken ending.) The game's world didn't feel as binary to me, despite the good/evil divide and its prominence.
I don't know, I'd have to play both games again to see if that's more than nostalgia, but I definitely think that II had more to offer than a big twist. Things that at least inspected the sides more closely and maybe blurred the lines a bit, instead of just inverting things...
I guess what I'm saying is this: Let Obsidian do a Mass Effect.