-
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 |OT| Alien love in an elevator
- Thread starter Mr. Spinnington
- Start date
LocoMrPollock
Banned
Forkball said:
A couple of them are kind of fun, but yeah, they're mostly shit.
Nappuccino
Member
LocoMrPollock said:
Yeah... you can totally have no option but to let wrex die.
Also I ignore the sidequests in 1... almost totally.
MaddenNFL64
Member
Forkball said:
The N7 missions? Eh, they're alright. More reasons to fight bad guys.
The Mako shit is a grind when you replay the game though. And the repeated interiors. It was a 2007 effort, good try from Bioware.
LocoMrPollock
Banned
Nappuccino said:
Spoiler man.
Also, then who the hell is running that planet in part 2, I could swear that was him.
That's still my biggest disappointment with the first game. Bioware talked up exploring planets and made it sound so amazing but they were dismal for the most part. 90% tumbling a buggy over mountains and 10% fiddling around in copy and paste buildings.
But I guess it's something to do if you can't get enough of the game. I've done em all a few times but lately when I play ME1 I just stick to the main quest.
But I guess it's something to do if you can't get enough of the game. I've done em all a few times but lately when I play ME1 I just stick to the main quest.
Stallion Free
Cock Encumbered
I love the atmosphere on the planets as I cruise around in the Mako. Some of them are really stunning from an artistic standpoint.
LocoMrPollock
Banned
Yeah you guys are smoking crack,
Though it is a little tricky, and he is in the second game if he lives in the first on your save import.
I knew I wasn't crazy.
killing Wrex is optional.
I knew I wasn't crazy.
DanielJr82
Member
It is if you rush through it. If you talk to crew and do sidequests, however, it's an easy 30 hours or more.Ratrat said:
It's not optional if you didn't take the time to talk to him or invest in your dialogue options. You canLocoMrPollock said:
save him
No. They are weak gameplay wise (especially since you have like 4 or 5 types of places that are repeated in all sidequests), but they contain some nice side-stories; moreover, the only way you can learn about Cerberus in ME1 is through sidequests.Nappuccino said:
Anyway, Virmir on my first playthrough was devastating;
first I lost Wrex, and then I lost Kaidan; two teammates lost during one mission 
Nappuccino
Member
Mr_Zombie said:
I guess that's a fair point.... i had no idea who or what cerberus was when i started ME2... but so many of the sidequests seemed like they had crazy difficulty spikes and tedious level design that i just couldn't bother with them.
Ratrat said:gaahhhh!
Got to the part where...you kill wrex
You have a few options there. One way to
save Wrex is to have a sufficient amount of Charm / Intimidate to convince him to throw down his weapon. It also helps (or is mandatory?) that you've gone through the side quest to retrieve his ancestral armor. If you're planning on playing through ME2 and import your save file - your choices here will influence whether or not you can meet him then.
You're at least 75% through the game. Just to give you an idea I was about
level 45 when I hit Virimire, which is where you're at now. I finished the game at level 48
Kirrahe <3
"Hold the Line!"
KuroNeeko said:
You can't definitively say that he's 75 percent through the game. Virmire pops up after you've completed two of three main missions (Liara, Feros and Noveria). After that it's your choice whether you complete the third, then do Virmire or leave Virmire for last (which I recommend in general).
For instance, I'd argue that you're farther in the game if you've done all three then Virmire than you would be if you had just done Liara (by far the shortest main story mission) and either Feros or Noveria and then Virmire. Add in BDtS and the sidequests, and he could be anywhere from 40 percent to 80 percent through the game.
so super late to the party here, but i just got a gaming laptop PC (hp dv7t-6000) and this game runs and looks great... EXCEPT for the sheer amounts of screen tearing... is this a known issue with the game? Granted I haven't tried many other games yet, but of the ones I have tried, the screen tearing is especially bad in this game. So basically I've spent more time trying to fix this than actually playing it unfortunately.
Yes, I've enabled vsync, but it doesn't seem to have any effect.... I even edited the config files to cap the framerate to 60 to match the LCD display of the laptop... but the screen still tears horribly.
Anyone have any solutions or ideas? I have heard of d3overrider or whatever, but would like to avoid installing 3rd party tweaking software if at all possible...
Yes, I've enabled vsync, but it doesn't seem to have any effect.... I even edited the config files to cap the framerate to 60 to match the LCD display of the laptop... but the screen still tears horribly.
Anyone have any solutions or ideas? I have heard of d3overrider or whatever, but would like to avoid installing 3rd party tweaking software if at all possible...
ColonelColon
Member
NoRéN said:
No, even the most significant decision in Mass Effect doesn't really have any serious ramifications in Mass Effect 2. In the case of the Virmire decision, I think the dialog is actually interchangeable.
NoRéN said:Ohh, ok.
Damn. Yeah, i chose to go to the AA tower thinking I could double back and help out the other squad mate. I was disappointed when i realized I could not go back.
It still bothers me to see adark silhouette in the squad select screen
First time I played through that and the music got all quiet on the ship and I went to their quarters and they were not their...it was the worst
Aww...Dany M said:
I still can't believe how many options for dialogue this game has. All the decisions to make, like in Virmire, can get overwhelming. But, it's really made me like this game alot.
The last big decision actually made me turn off the game as I wasn't sure about what to do.
save the council/fuck them/focus on Sovereign
NoRéN said:Aww...
I still can't believe how many options for dialogue this game has. All the decisions to make, like in Virmire, can get overwhelming. But, it's really made me like this game alot.
The last big decision actually made me turn off the game as I wasn't sure about what to do.
I feel I'm very close to the end.save the council/fuck them/focus on Sovereign
yeah, gets crazy after that
Good to hear. I got to that point and decided I would save it for later tonight after a few beers.Dany M said:
Now my lady started playing fallout and won't give up the xbox.
Another question I had been meaning to ask: there's a weapons upgrade.
+500% damage. Basically 1 shot before overheat, right?
CarbonatedFalcon
Member
NoRéN said:
It's hilarious with a shotgun.
elrechazado
Banned
sniper rifleNoRéN said:Good to hear. I got to that point and decided I would save it for later tonight after a few beers.
Now my lady started playing fallout and won't give up the xbox.
Another question I had been meaning to ask: there's a weapons upgrade.So, useful, worth it?+500% damage. Basically 1 shot before overheat, right?
Thunder Monkey
Banned
I decided to finally do an Insanity run.
Also decided to use my level 50ish Soldier.
This is easy so far. Whiners.
Also decided to use my level 50ish Soldier.
This is easy so far. Whiners.
OK. So i bought this game a while ago for like $7 brand new, but have not played it until now. And that is only because i just got Mass Effect 2 brand new for like $15. So i figured i would start with the first. Its a great game. So much fun, but the graphics are killing me. Its runs at such a low framerate, the screen tearing is awful and it has some weird grain like image. Other than that great game. So far i am 9 hours in and
Im not far into it am i? Any way i have just been doing side missions and they are fun but a bit the same. Locate planet, drive around, get some minerals followed by a building full of bad guys. Still im doing everything i can so hopefully it makes Mass Effect 2 a bit better.
Anyway a question. I did the Bring Down The Sky DLC, and
Does this have anything with what happens later in the game or ME2?
I just got command of my ship and have done a few side missions
Anyway a question. I did the Bring Down The Sky DLC, and
I let that guy live to save the hostages
Therum Battle I am guessing. Great track.NoRéN said:
You can turn the film grain off in the options menu. I would estimate you're still in the first third of the game. Side missions can definitely become a chore (especially on multiple playthroughs.) If I was going to do another ME1 completionist run I would not go out of my way to scan minerals. There is no real benefit carried over. The rich achievement is pretty much inevitable.Aspiring said:
Bring Down the Sky's quagmire is still unresolved. Mass Effect 2 mentions the outcome in passing. BDtS had one of the best dilemmas in the entire series so I'm still hoping ME3 has something in store for us.
HE Pistol is more of a fun build type thing. It's not as effective as AP/SH.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I've been playing the shit out of this but I'm only level 20. I just got a sweeeeet assault rifle. I point it at things and they die.
How does anyone like Ashley or Tali? I'd go gay with Kaidan before I went with one of them. Fortunately, Liara is there.
How does anyone like Ashley or Tali? I'd go gay with Kaidan before I went with one of them. Fortunately, Liara is there.
Ashley is gonna die.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Because she has a constant derp face that can't be fixed, absurd plastic hair, the voice acting is only "better" if you play paragon and I don't like her voice anyway, and say whatever you want about tech-enhanced muscles but the laws of physics mean that the 140lbs girl looks ridiculous "throwing her weight around" against huge dudes and creatures as Shepard often does.Lime said:
There is an exception to every rule, and he's the one cool bald space marine.
elrechazado
Banned
Incoming awesome femshep screenshots.Dice said:
Typographenia
Member
They're both just much more interesting to me.Dice said:
Tali doesn't have as big of a role in the first, but I loved hearing about the flotilla and her people. I know most people call this out as having a talking glossary, but I really liked it. I would much rather hear about these things from a character than read them. She also had some pretty good lines on missions.
Ashley was the only strong "anti-alien" voice in the game, and I really enjoyed conversing with her about her opinions. It was disappointing that about half or more of her conversations turned into talking about her sister and father, but I guess it was character development.
Kaidan just... I don't know. He was completely unremarkable to me. The major problem I had was most of what we gain from talking to him about his L2 implants are discussed other times in sidequests or with other characters. It just felt like I was retreading ground sometimes. Not to mention his voice actor was pretty flat in almost everything he delivered. He wasn't the worst character of all time, but he's just extremely forgettable for me.
Dice said:
Not that I am arguing against you or anything, but even though Mass Effect strives for an explainable sci-fi universe, suspension of disbelief would just as well apply to a 140lbs woman throwing her weight around in power armour as it would with biotic fields, artificial/virtual intelligences, element zero, omni tools, Mass relays, etc.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
I know a lot of people hate it, but I love the Mako. All it needs are some boosters in the back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAYPr0K0-EI
The ONE decryption minigame that is used for EVERYTHING is far more tedious and annoying than exploring awesome planets.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAYPr0K0-EI
The ONE decryption minigame that is used for EVERYTHING is far more tedious and annoying than exploring awesome planets.
astroturfing
Member
Dice said:
i loved the Mako too, at least on PC it's awesome to control. just recently played it for the first time so it's fresh in my memory... i want more planets to explore
and yea the minigame got tedious. i don't understand why i had to do it when just salvaging probes and stuff, like wtf.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
So I have played all through ME2 and am currently playing ME1.
Okay, some thoughts about ME1 in general and how it stacks up to ME2.
First of all, I love how the amount of money in the universe isn't so exacting. I've got level 8 of the best equipment in the game on my main team and high level on the rest, yet I could easily max my credits if I go sell the junk I have in my inventory right now. That's how an RPG should be! Looting and amassing a fortune is just part of the genre!
That said, the way they make items available to buy is really annoying. I mean, I thought it was kind of annoying having so many vendors spread out everywhere in ME2, but the stupid random selection and stock reset requirements on this game are incredibly dumb. I'm really glad I'm on PC so I can more easily use the reload trick to eventually generate the item I'm trying to get, but the requirements needed before something starts showing up are still completely mysterious for no good reason.
It is kind of strange when some character on a mission makes a big deal out of giving you 500 credits when you have 5 million, but then in ME2 it flips to the other side when you only get 2500 for some insane mission (from the people who apparently already poured billions into you over only 2 years) and then a shop charges 90k for a gun upgrade. It's interesting that your rewards for surveying in ME1 scale up with your level but story mission payments don't.
The story is better when it comes to plot, but there were some weird things to me, like how Shepard quickly cares SO MUCH about things he was just introduced to. It makes a lot more sense in ME2 when there has been more history of fighting, there's more knowledge of the reapers, and he's back to get the ones who killed him. At the start of this game they even give you the opportunity to mope around about a guy you only knew for like 5 minutes before he was offed by geth drones. That doesn't make sense from a guy like Shepard, no matter what background profile you picked.
Also, the cultures are much better realized in ME2. Playing ME1 it feels like mostly a human adventure, even though you're apparently newcomers. Some aliens are around, but you don't interact with them much and hardly learn anything about them. In ME2 you really enter their homeworlds, see them more often, talk to them more, really get a feel for how each species is beyond your teammates. So while there is a good plot in ME1, I feel like the way personalities and cultures come out is a strength of story in its own right so ME2 isn't necessarily weaker in story, just different. It's more of a Tarantino-style adventure where ME1 is more of a Nolan adventure.
I think I prefer this form of character and weapon progression, but unfortunately the progression seems to make little change in combat. ME2 is really 100x better in creating an environment where tactics are important and can be effectively carried out according to plan. The different weapons are useful in unique ways, the different ammo seems to make a bigger difference, and tech/biotic powers are much more relevant and impactful by their intended design. This really makes ME1 look like amateur hour, which is kind of sad because if the progression system of ME1 had the results in combat of ME2 it'd be perfect.
Oh, and in ME2 they actually do what you tell them to do, very much unlike ME1 70% of the time.
In ME1 it's also nice that I can get armor protection from biotics but why does it only protect me from the damage, and not from lava lamp vision and having my muscles turn into noodles?
I'm really glad to not be FORCED into story missions, which ME2 would do, but you can really get way far ahead of the storyline. I suppose that is more my personality than anything BioWare did but I kind of wish they had more side quests that only unlock at such-and-such point in the story. Also while the cultural/personality richness seems to make ME2 sidequests (from characters you stumble upon) seem better, I really like using the Mako over that other thing in ME2, and the N7 missions in ME2 really blow compared to the UNC missions in ME1. Exploring all the different planets in ME1 was so cool, much better than the guided paths in ME2, though the environment design in ME2 had more going on.
The paragon/renegade is done waaaay better in ME2. I really want to see this further refined in ME3. In ME1 either type of response can feel really out of place, and it is often best to go with the middle answer, but in ME2 they really grabbed on to the nature of the concept. Paragon isn't some naive/overly sensitive sissy, but rather just a considerate and helpful guy. Renegade isn't an asshole, but more like a badass you don't want to mess with. The ability to dynamically interrupt cutscenes is also awesome, and it feels like there are more points to throw around, so you don't have worries like "I want to pick paragon here, but I need more renegade if I hope to max it out" and such.
Finally, I thought the jokes about the elevators were just jokes, but holy shit there are so many fucking elevators all over ME1. I'm so glad they cut down on this in ME2 by about 90%. The new Normandy is also much better designed. I know it technically lengthens play time putting all this bullshit in but I think BioWare is starting to understand that such things are a really old school mindset in game design. The new generation of gamers what things to be more immediate and involved, not just a bunch of pointless busy-walking and watching elevator rides. Their better understanding is shown in the best codex ever in both games, but in ME2 they even made walking around interesting for a lot longer because of the NPC conversations you would overhear.
Okay, some thoughts about ME1 in general and how it stacks up to ME2.
First of all, I love how the amount of money in the universe isn't so exacting. I've got level 8 of the best equipment in the game on my main team and high level on the rest, yet I could easily max my credits if I go sell the junk I have in my inventory right now. That's how an RPG should be! Looting and amassing a fortune is just part of the genre!
That said, the way they make items available to buy is really annoying. I mean, I thought it was kind of annoying having so many vendors spread out everywhere in ME2, but the stupid random selection and stock reset requirements on this game are incredibly dumb. I'm really glad I'm on PC so I can more easily use the reload trick to eventually generate the item I'm trying to get, but the requirements needed before something starts showing up are still completely mysterious for no good reason.
It is kind of strange when some character on a mission makes a big deal out of giving you 500 credits when you have 5 million, but then in ME2 it flips to the other side when you only get 2500 for some insane mission (from the people who apparently already poured billions into you over only 2 years) and then a shop charges 90k for a gun upgrade. It's interesting that your rewards for surveying in ME1 scale up with your level but story mission payments don't.
The story is better when it comes to plot, but there were some weird things to me, like how Shepard quickly cares SO MUCH about things he was just introduced to. It makes a lot more sense in ME2 when there has been more history of fighting, there's more knowledge of the reapers, and he's back to get the ones who killed him. At the start of this game they even give you the opportunity to mope around about a guy you only knew for like 5 minutes before he was offed by geth drones. That doesn't make sense from a guy like Shepard, no matter what background profile you picked.
Also, the cultures are much better realized in ME2. Playing ME1 it feels like mostly a human adventure, even though you're apparently newcomers. Some aliens are around, but you don't interact with them much and hardly learn anything about them. In ME2 you really enter their homeworlds, see them more often, talk to them more, really get a feel for how each species is beyond your teammates. So while there is a good plot in ME1, I feel like the way personalities and cultures come out is a strength of story in its own right so ME2 isn't necessarily weaker in story, just different. It's more of a Tarantino-style adventure where ME1 is more of a Nolan adventure.
I think I prefer this form of character and weapon progression, but unfortunately the progression seems to make little change in combat. ME2 is really 100x better in creating an environment where tactics are important and can be effectively carried out according to plan. The different weapons are useful in unique ways, the different ammo seems to make a bigger difference, and tech/biotic powers are much more relevant and impactful by their intended design. This really makes ME1 look like amateur hour, which is kind of sad because if the progression system of ME1 had the results in combat of ME2 it'd be perfect.
Oh, and in ME2 they actually do what you tell them to do, very much unlike ME1 70% of the time.
FFS Liara I said throw his ass, not wait 7 seconds and then throw his ass! My gun already did the work while you were busy setting your equipment to hands. Of course, that is preferable to the last time you didn't do what I said and I got a geth destroyer rocket to the face!
I'm really glad to not be FORCED into story missions, which ME2 would do, but you can really get way far ahead of the storyline. I suppose that is more my personality than anything BioWare did but I kind of wish they had more side quests that only unlock at such-and-such point in the story. Also while the cultural/personality richness seems to make ME2 sidequests (from characters you stumble upon) seem better, I really like using the Mako over that other thing in ME2, and the N7 missions in ME2 really blow compared to the UNC missions in ME1. Exploring all the different planets in ME1 was so cool, much better than the guided paths in ME2, though the environment design in ME2 had more going on.
The paragon/renegade is done waaaay better in ME2. I really want to see this further refined in ME3. In ME1 either type of response can feel really out of place, and it is often best to go with the middle answer, but in ME2 they really grabbed on to the nature of the concept. Paragon isn't some naive/overly sensitive sissy, but rather just a considerate and helpful guy. Renegade isn't an asshole, but more like a badass you don't want to mess with. The ability to dynamically interrupt cutscenes is also awesome, and it feels like there are more points to throw around, so you don't have worries like "I want to pick paragon here, but I need more renegade if I hope to max it out" and such.
Finally, I thought the jokes about the elevators were just jokes, but holy shit there are so many fucking elevators all over ME1. I'm so glad they cut down on this in ME2 by about 90%. The new Normandy is also much better designed. I know it technically lengthens play time putting all this bullshit in but I think BioWare is starting to understand that such things are a really old school mindset in game design. The new generation of gamers what things to be more immediate and involved, not just a bunch of pointless busy-walking and watching elevator rides. Their better understanding is shown in the best codex ever in both games, but in ME2 they even made walking around interesting for a lot longer because of the NPC conversations you would overhear.
Dice
Pokémon Parentage Conspiracy Theorist
Ugh, so I just found an issue with the selling system in ME1. Apparently you need level 50 to get the level 10 stuff, but I'm at level 49 and almost to the point where the story takes over till the end. So now I'm scouring the whole galaxy for a measly 2000xp, but I'm pretty sure I did everything. Man this is annoying...
Thunder Monkey
Banned
Ok just about done with my Insanity run with my level 58 femshep...
Uh... this is the way to do Insanity... seriously. Soldier maxed health and armor Colossus X armor with dual Med Exoskeleton X means you are unstoppable. Still can't take too many rockets to the head, but you completely shrug off all small arms fire. Hell it took three shotty fighters shooting me to notice the small arms doing any damage.
Uh... this is the way to do Insanity... seriously. Soldier maxed health and armor Colossus X armor with dual Med Exoskeleton X means you are unstoppable. Still can't take too many rockets to the head, but you completely shrug off all small arms fire. Hell it took three shotty fighters shooting me to notice the small arms doing any damage.
Thunder Monkey
Banned
It's funny because it's unbelievably easy.
Doncamatic
Member
Dice said:
If anyone reading this hasn't played Mass Effect 2 then they should probably avoid this post. Also I'll preface this with the fact that I played both games on Veteran.
Picked both of the games up during the recent steam sale, having played them both on 360 at release. Playing through them one after another I found myself liking Mass Effect 1 much more than the sequel. It felt grander.
While Mass Effect 1 certainly has its faults (same warehouse on every planet, elevators, poor sidequests) it was so much more ambitious than 2. Scrapping a majority of the skills I found more of a dissapointment without the imposed wait brought on by having to wait for 2's release. I felt that my infiltrator could be much more varied within the confines of the mass effect 1 system than 2's; I could focus on making her a sniper with high health and shields but fairly limited tech abilities, or I could make her a sniper with lower health (and damage mitigation) huge shields and a wide variety of, powerful, tech abilites. In contrast, my infiltrator in 2 felt stuck in regards to what she would level up, why would I level anything else but disrupter ammo, tactical cloak, and my class skill (eventually picking up warp ammo) the actual powers were completely useless given that taking a sniper shot from cloak was always the better decision. Unfortunately I found the same true for my party. If I wasn't bringing along Zaeed & Garrus or Thane I was taking an objectively worse party. Why bother bringing along Mordin when Zaeed (or Garrus with Armor Piercing Ammo) will strip the enemy armour quicker than his incinerate will. Also the change to biotics (pull/throw/singularity not warp) not affecting enemies with barriers/shields/armour basically made them useless, probably the worst change to encounter design.
The lack of story progression in 2 was another failure. Why am I only engaging with the collectors (the games big bad) a handful of times. And never within the recruitment or loyalty missions. This has been harped on enough so I wont go to deep into it. The writing overall seemed weak in 2. Sure there were the few interesting questions raised (Mordin's reasons for the genophage and his and Legion's thoughts on a species right to self-determinism come to mind), but for the most part it's dull.
The major issue I had with 2, along with the lack of skills, was the shitty environments. Sure the textures seem higher res but there is nothing as impressive as Noveria or Feros within 2's combat environments, to say nothing of the dissapointment brought on by the citadel portion of the game. Every encounter is littered with boxes to show off the cover system they improved and because they got rid of the Mako all of the combat segments felt as if they are just taking place in a small facility (which they are) that was made up of a series of corrodors. The only point that utilised the Mass Effect 1 environment construction mindset was the construction site level where you recruit Thane. It was probably the most enjoyable mission in the game for me, despite the fact that it was a far cry from the diversity of Vermire and that you were still just killing mercs.
A part of the world that felt like it belonged more in the first game, that they added in the sequel was the small conversations that NPCs would have. They were mainly humerous and felt a bit out of place in the bigger and more badass universe of 2. The father and daughter gift shopping and the Asari discussing purebloods on Illium were particularly good. I also liked the player forced dialogue, specifically the games clerk on the citadel and the bachelor party on Illium. I felt they added a much needed bit of humour to the world, even if the games clerk seemed a bit out of place in the world.
So yeah that's some stuff.
Edvardelis
Member
Dice said:
Were you aware of the Mako penalty? You only 25% of the actual XP if you kill something in the Mako. Especially for things like Thresher Maws you should ding them for 98% of their health then get out and take the last shot on foot.
Bring Down the Sky is also a huge chunk of XP.
I can easily hit level 56 in a single play through.