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[Mojovonio]

nm

 

[syllogism]

Is that sarcasm towards Mass Effect or a knock against KOTOR?

Don't take it seriously, the comment is only supposed to make sense in the context of Draft's silly post.

 

[Havok]

WTF

Why can't I fucking land on Xawin?

It says it has a warning Level 1 Cold Hazard and has a picture of the planet. This usually indicates I can land on it, but I can't.

I'm trying to do the privateers mission and they guys have to be on this planet, since its the only one I can land on in the system, and the game won't give me the option.

Scan the ship floating around just 'above' the planet in the Galaxy Map.

Edit: Well, I tried.

 

[Mojovonio]

Scan the ship floating around just 'above' the planet in the Galaxy Map.

Edit: Well, I tried.

Yeah, I just noticed it. Stupid glare on my TV.

Thanks though.

 

[Skilotonn]

Actually I believe the MSRP is either 65 or 70 euros, not 60.

Games in general I meant - but everywhere I went to the day of release (got Mass Effect LE a day earlier) had the regular version at 60 - including E-Plaza and Media Markt...

It was nice to see that both stores looked to have sold well as there were only a few copies left in each store, and none of them had the LE, which I assume was sold out...

 

[Tieno]

Games in general I meant - but everywhere I went to the day of release (got Mass Effect LE a day earlier) had the regular version at 60 - including E-Plaza and Media Markt...

It was nice to see that both stores looked to have sold well as there were only a few copies left in each store, and none of them had the LE, which I assume was sold out...

I ordered the US version (region free) from play-asia. Payed 40euros. Keep driving that dollar down mr Bush!

 

[soco]

ME is the only game this has ever happen with.

But if ME gives me a red ring, then fuck it even more.

yeah if you follow people's problems with the 360, that's how it starts (it only happens on this game!). this doesn't sound so much like the RROD but rather the disc drive failure.

 

[Quagm1r3]

I've played it for twelve hours and I really don't know what to think. The game is just so unpolished and so flawed.

I've been a HUGE Bioware fan since the first Baldur's Gate and even did enjoy Jade Empire quite a bit. But everything that Bioware has never done well in its previous offerings seems to be amplified in Mass Effect.

First of all, the framerate. Every single Bioware game since the first Baldur's Gate had atrocious framerates. From 2D in BG1 and BG2 to 3D in KOTOR and Jade Empire, they have NEVER got it right. There will always be some atrocious slowdown in certain parts of a Bioware game. And it just seems to be really bad in ME. Maybe COD4 has spoiled me too much.

Next, the loading. BG1, BG2, KOTOR, Jade Empire and now, Mass Effect. Jesus christ, every single one of them has horrible load times in between levels that are so small that you can literally run across them in less than three minutes. This is simply unacceptable. The elevators are a nice way of masking the loading but goddamn, it just gets more and more annoying as the game progresses. The one on the Normandy takes the fucking cake. It crawls along an inch at a time and it's supposed to be a super-advanced spaceship? And that's not even considering the fact that it's unbelievable, from a technical standpoint, to have a load screen within a ship that isn't very big in itself. Coming in a close second in annoyance factor is the C-Sec loading bay elevator. Goddamnit, why can't we just have a fucking transit terminal at the loading bay itself?

And what about the clunky inventory user interface? Yep, BG1, BG2, KOTOR, Jade Empire and now Mass Effect. They all have the trademark retarded Bioware inventory UI. It has been almost ten years since the original BG and they still can't get it right. How hard is it anyway? And it just gets progressively worse. You can't even fucking SORT your inventory in Mass Effect, for crying out loud. And they're not grouped together as well. I don't need to see five separate boxes for my five Avenger I guns. I just need one box with the number five on it to show that I have five Avenger I guns. Just how hard can that be to implement?

While the environments in BG1 and BG2 were very much alive and felt very believable, it appears that things have taken a turn for the worse ever since Bioware went 3D. KOTOR, JE and ME all have terribly static environment that just feels like tiny stages in between load screens. The Citadel is supposed to be this great and advanced city so why the hell am I only seeing two levels of it? Even the Final Fantasy series got this right with the awesome and believable cities in FFXII. And the worst part is WHY THE HELL DOES EVERY WOMAN IN THE CITADEL HAVE THE SAME FUCKING HAIRCUT? Jesus.

Those are my main gripes with the game but I have countless others. Combat is starting to bore me and biotics are starting to feel incredibly lame. Lift, Singularity and Stasis all do almost the same goddamn thing. The only other two offensive biotics left are Warp and Throw. For an RPG, that's ALL I get in terms of "magic"? Even KOTOR had more variety to its combat. And the Mako sections are incredibly lame. It's basically jump to avoid enemy shots and then shoot when you land. Repeat that ad nauseum for every single enemy you encounter when you're in the Mako. WTF is this shit?

Overall, ME feels like a rehashed and reskinned KOTOR. But at least KOTOR had lightsabers and the Jedi. It's really sad to see that Bioware has hardly made any progress since 2001.

I didn't see one thing you wrote that I gave a shit about through my playthrough. Call me a fanboy, but you're being waaay too picky.

 

[duckroll]

I didn't see one thing you wrote that I gave a shit about through my playthrough. Call me a fanboy, but you're being waaay too picky.

You're a fanboy.

 

[Piper Az]

Playing for more than 15 hours now, I really enjoy this game alot. However, it's true that I sense that Bioware is not as talented as some other developers when it comes to graphics optimization. They are untouchable when it comes to dialogues, character development, and storylines, but they are not the top-tier folks for graphics fidelity. I know that they outsources to the Unreal engine, and that might be the culprit here, but the samething occured for their games on the Xbox. Just imagine what the game could've been with COD4 or Halo3's engine for framerates, textures, and loading...just awesome...

 

[Skilotonn]

I ordered the US version (region free) from play-asia. Payed 40euros. Keep driving that dollar down mr Bush!

Oh wow - had no idea it was region-free!

No wonder you aren't playing it yet... my impatience made me get it as soon as possible because my local store usually (and I say usually, because as of late, they are getting games later than even the chain stores now) and I needed that Limited Edition - good to know otherwise though!

 

[Tieno]

Oh wow - had no idea it was region-free!

No wonder you aren't playing it yet... my impatience made me get it as soon as possible because my local store usually (and I say usually, because as of late, they are getting games later than even the chain stores now) and I needed that Limited Edition - good to know otherwise though!

Yeah, it hurts somewhat to wait, but it's a nice path for more affordable gaming. Ordered AC for 35euros (asian version is region free for that one and those versions are even cheaper than the US). That'll take a while to get here, cause that game was out of stock and is still backordered.

Just have to get over the fact of not getting games on release, but I've got no shortage of good games to play.

 

[thetrin]

What other building?

Edit : Ive found an abandoned miner camp, but he's not in there.

It's a small building right next to the big building. You don't need the mako to get there.

I didn't see one thing you wrote that I gave a shit about through my playthrough. Call me a fanboy, but you're being waaay too picky.

You've never played an RPG before Mass Effect, have you?

 

[Skilotonn]

Yeah, it hurts somewhat to wait, but it's a nice path for more affordable gaming. Ordered AC for 35euros (asian version is region free for that one and those versions are even cheaper than the US). That'll take a while to get here, cause that game was out of stock and is still backordered.

Just have to get over the fact of not getting games on release, but I've got no shortage of good games to play.

Oh I agree with ya on that no doubt - I'm also ordering games I missed out on online right now, like Viva Pinata and Dead Rising, as well as new and future releases like The Orange Box, AC6, UT3 etc. for cheap too - Mass Effect was an exception as I needed this game since ladt year! :lol

 

[Dina]

You've never played an RPG before Mass Effect, have you?

He's got a point (Don't agree on the inventory point. If you sell/convert any stuff you don't need regularly it never becomes more then a slight bother. Environments also seem fine to me.) but he is disregarding everything that makes me overlook those problems.

The fps is not optimal, but since it's not a twitch-shooter it's nothing gamebreaking to me. Besides, Mass Effect looks spectacular so it has that going for him. Add the good script, kickass voice acting, the amount of visitable planets and what not.

Look, RPG's are never ever gonna be as big as Baldur's Gate 2 anymore. It takes so much more time for a company to create an area the size of a BG2 area (due to the graphical improvements we made during the years ) that when you factor in the time it takes to create a big game, it just isn't viable to take 5 years or more on a game.

ME is not perfect, but the grist of the game is so good that I happily overlook the obvious flaws that come with a game this size, scope and potential.

 

[The Lamonster]

So, I kind of traded this in today for store credit.

That is all.

Disappointed. You're missing out, buddy.

Surprised. Your anime avatar is interesting...

Curious. When will you return to the dancing banana?

Spoiler

see what I did there?

 

[BenjaminBirdie]

Disappointed. You're missing out, buddy.

Surprised. Your anime avatar is interesting...

Curious. When will you return to the dancing banana?

Spoiler

see what I did there?

Probably not. No Elcor on Eden Prime.

 

[Skilotonn]

Disappointed. You're missing out, buddy.

Surprised. Your anime avatar is interesting...

Curious. When will you return to the dancing banana?

Spoiler

see what I did there?

Sadly he won't, until he gets the game again...

 

[neojubei]

So, I kind of traded this in today for store credit.

That is all.

How much was the trade in credit?

 

[X26]

Quesrtion: I'm about to go to the planet that begins with a V (it's a story planet). How many otehr story planets are there afterhtis? I want to know when my last chance to save before the end is

 

[The Lamonster]

Sadly he won't, until he gets the game again...

It was really for you guys... not that traitor (trader) Ghaleon.

Quesrtion: I'm about to go to the planet that begins with a V (it's a story planet). How many otehr story planets are there afterhtis? I want to know when my last chance to save before the end is

I too would find this information very beneficial to my quest.

btw anyone else in love with their female Shepard? She will be mine. Oh yes, she will be mine.

 

[Mrbob]

I hit a pretty sweet bug earlier where my Mako got stuck and could only move forward or backward within a certain small vicinity. I hit A to thrust and my Mako kept going higher and higher on the planet. It was amazing, I kept going up and up. Then all of a sudden gravity caught me again and I came plummetting down to the planet.

In my last hour of gametime too I've ran into two other encounters on foot where my Shepard character got stuck. Couldn't move, couldn't do anything. Once I saved I was ok and could move again. But in my Mako situation I was technically still in combat (even though no one was around) and couldn't save to get out of the situation. HOpe this isn't a big problem.

 

[Big-E]

I hit a pretty sweet bug earlier where my Mako got stuck and could only move forward or backward within a certain small vicinity. I hit A to thrust and my Mako kept going higher and higher on the planet. It was amazing, I kept going up and up. Then all of a sudden gravity caught me again and I came plummetting down to the planet.

In my last hour of gametime too I've ran into two other encounters on foot where my Shepard character got stuck. Couldn't move, couldn't do anything. Once I saved I was ok and could move again. But in my Mako situation I was technically still in combat (even though no one was around) and couldn't save to get out of the situation. HOpe this isn't a big problem.

This has happened to me a lot. Usually to get out of it all you have to do is crouch or do like you did and save/load. I have had this happen to me 10 times already.

 

[The Lamonster]

This has happened to me a lot. Usually to get out of it all you have to do is crouch or do like you did and save/load. I have had this happen to me 10 times already.

I hit a Mako bug on Feros. I parked it too close to a downed vehicle, and when I tried to re-enter there was no option because the front was stuck in the other vehicle. So I ended up having to walk and take down the enemies by hand. If you know the part of the game I'm talking about, you know how tedious yet rewarding on-footing that section can be! It's like a huge trench of death. Thanks Garrus, you're the best.

 

[dark10x]

I disagree with a lot of the comparisons being made between the flaws of KOTOR/Jade Empire and Mass Effect. ME still has issues, but the overall experience is so much more polished than anything their previous games ever offered.

The framerate is often poor, but it's still far smoother than their XBOX games.

The loading can be annoying, but at least you're not pulled into loading screens every few feet. Mass Effect keeps you in the world. Some of the planets are huge and you are likely to spend a while playing through them, yet you rarely ever gaze upon a load screen. I just completed the Thorian planet and the size and quality of the areas you explore destroys their previous work. Side planets, which aren't really all that special, at least offer wide open areas to explore freely. The atmosphere is what really makes it, though.

I suppose it all depends on how you view the game. To me, Mass Effect feels like a massive adventure mixed with an action game. The combat may not be extremely deep, but I find it to be fun (unlike many RPGs). Having such a huge game to tear through with mechanics of this quality is fantastic. Furthermore, character interaction is appealing as a result of the fantastic visuals.

Many of the complaints aimed at the game make sense, but they somehow do not spoil it. I did not want a deep RPG experience here and I don't think they were intending to deliver such a game. You need to step back and play KOTOR again in order to appreciate just how much more polished Mass Effect is.

 

[PG2G]

I have to agree with the complaints about the inventory system. There really is no rationalizing it. It is simply terrible, and made even worse because I have to keep revisiting the damn thing because of the 150 item limit.

That said, I love Mass Effect

 

[chespace]

I agree with many of the complaints, but I think dark10x nailed it.

None of them really take away from the fact that Mass Effect had me glued to the TV for a near 40 hour marathon, and remains one of the most memorable RPGs -- nay, adventure games -- I've ever played.

 

[JB1981]

Just finished Assassins Creed and fired this one up. It's early but I can already tell that I'm going to fucking love this game.

 

[Big-E]

I have to agree with the complaints about the inventory system. There really is no rationalizing it. It is simply terrible, and made even worse because I have to keep revisiting the damn thing because of the 150 item limit.

That said, I love Mass Effect

Exactly, the game is so well done that I can overlook the dog shit inventory somewhat but I would just like to know how that passed when they initially got the game in playable form. Surely it wasn't too late to change it. Right now I have to take a break in the action all the time to just convert shit to omni gels even though I maxed that out by hour 15.

 

[Lostconfused]

Note to a couple of people, you should be able to get back to the mako from the map screen. I don't exactly remember which button it is though, probably Y.

 

[Iama]

I'd like to say only one thing: shame on you Edge

 

[Skilotonn]

After 23 hours of gameplay (including letting it sit while on the PC or eating, etc.) and reaching level 23, with 21 completed side-quests and 10 still to be down at this point in time, I think it's time to finally move on with the main story - I haven't even gone to Feros or Noveria yet! :lol

And I know that this is still roughly half of the side-quests available, so I hope I can fight the temptation of letting the new ones that pop up slide!

 

[Zzoram]

After 23 hours of gameplay (including letting it sit while on the PC or eating, etc.) and reaching level 23, with 21 completed side-quests and 10 still to be down at this point in time, I think it's time to finally move on with the main story - I haven't even gone to Feros or Noveria yet! :lol

And I know that this is still roughly half of the side-quests available, so I hope I can fight the temptation of letting the new ones that pop up slide!

I recommend you do Feros (and Artemis Tau cluster to find Liara), then talk to all your party members, and do some more side quests, before doing Noveria. Also, go back to the Citadel for the newly unlocked side quests. Talking to your team between main quest missions, they say more and can give you more side quests related to their personal history.

When you beat the game, it's over, so do all the side quests you want before you do (think FF7).

 

[SPEA]

I agree with many of the complaints, but I think dark10x nailed it.

None of them really take away from the fact that Mass Effect had me glued to the TV for a near 40 hour marathon, and remains one of the most memorable RPGs -- nay, adventure games -- I've ever played.

My thought exactly. I think some of the people are blowing the extent of bugs out of proportion. It didn't take anything away from the experience for me.

 

[Illuminati]

Holy crap, I wish I had a camera to take a picture of this. I think I got hit by one of those bionic pushes or lifts, except my guy's model turned into putty on the ground like Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic 4. The character model's appendages were completely stretched and messed up. His arms and legs were 10ft long, his head\neck was twisted around so he was looking backwards. My character wouldn't get up even though he had life so I ended up reloading my last save point.

 

[Zzoram]

Holy crap, I wish I had a camera to take a picture of this. I think I got hit by one of those bionic pushes or lifts, except my guy's model turned into putty on the ground like Mr. Fantastic from the Fantastic 4. The character model's appendages were completely stretched and messed up. His arms and legs were 10ft long, his head\neck was twisted around so he was looking backwards. My character wouldn't get up even though he had life so I ended up reloading my last save point.

I had that happen too :lol

It's a glitch with Havok physics I believe, I've seen the same thing happen in Halo 3 with the gravity hammer. I think I've also seen it in some Source based games on PC.

 

[Xater]

16 hours in and i havent encountered a single bug. /hugs his 360

Almost the same for me. I got stuck at one time that#s about it.

MAss Effect is an awesome game and I had alot more fun wth it than with KOTOR. I am just sad that it's already over. On the other hand the shorter playthrough time makes it easier to do multiple playthroughs. In fact I already started with a new character and try to play totally different and see what happens.

Hopefully we don't have to wait too long for Mass Effect 2 and I hope I can import my character.

 

[sixteen-bit]

GAF, is this true?

 

[Xater]

Need the name!

 

[sixteen-bit]

Drew Barrymore

with makeup and awesome lighting

 

[Skilotonn]

I recommend you do Feros (and Artemis Tau cluster to find Liara), then talk to all your party members, and do some more side quests, before doing Noveria. Also, go back to the Citadel for the newly unlocked side quests. Talking to your team between main quest missions, they say more and can give you more side quests related to their personal history.

When you beat the game, it's over, so do all the side quests you want before you do (think FF7).

Already got Liara a long time back, and everyone's all talked out... :lol

I got the idea that they don't say anything else new until you progressed the main story missions like you found out as well - and a good bit of my newest side-quests came from the Citadel too - definitely gonna head back there once Feros is done too...

 

[Xater]

Drew Barrymore

with makeup and awesome lighting

That's really her? Then no. I didn't see her name in the credits. There were some people who were face scanned. May just be a coincidence.

 

[neojubei]

My thought exactly. I think some of the people are blowing the extent of bugs out of proportion. It didn't take anything away from the experience for me.

What if mass effect 2 has the same issues, would it be ok then? I think bioware should work on those issues on their next game and if we don't take issue about them maybe bioware won't think they need to work on those issues for the next game.


With that said. I am loving this game. Mass Effect is alleviating the regretful feeling of buying an xbox 360. I presonally can do without the MAKO section of the game and wish there was less shooting. The "magio" or biotics seem like a second thought to the shooting.

 

[65536]

Hmm, something's not quite right here...

Also, should I be expecting to get my ass kicked in almost every fight at this stage? I'm level 14,

Spoiler

just left the Citadel, and got to Therum to get Liana

 

[Hunter D]

I put in 35 hours on my first play through and only ran into 2 bugs. The first bug I encountered, and it only happen once, was the chatwheel getting stuck during a battle and the more frequent bug where you get stuck when running up hill-like terrain (which can be fixed by running in the opposite direction.

The inventory is ass, but I think its a result of bioware trying to simplify it.

 

[Big-E]

What if mass effect 2 has the same issues, would it be ok then? I think bioware should work on those issues on their next game and if we don't take issue about them maybe bioware won't think they need to work on those issues for the next game.

They absolutely need to address the issues. I can understand if texture loading may not be able to be fixed but they really need to use the cache. Gameplay wise the inventory needs a complete overhaul as well as the Maco exploration.

 

[Mrbob]

I don't care about the the frame rate or lod, whatever.

What does annoy me are bugs where I can't move. Especially when I'm in combat and can't save. I've never had this happen to me in Jade Empire or KOTOR.

Dark10x says Mass Effect is better than Bioware previous Xbox games on a technical level, and I disagree. I never had KOTOR or Jade Empire glitch on me like Mass Effect has, and it is dampering my experience with the game. These glitches seem like something I would expect from a 3rd rate overseas PC developer with their first retail project on a platform which has no standards for quality. Not Bioware. And not on the 360 where this stuff is supposed to be tested to be working.

 

[Android18a]

Yeah, I'm enjoying this game a lot, but I've had a number of issues:

- Poor loading. Randomly stops the action to load, sentences often freeze half-way through for a couple of seconds.

- Seems to be constantly streaming data, increasing risk of disc scratching. I got the game on saturday, and by today's lunchtime I was being thrown out of the game due to "dirty disc" errors - looked at the disc and it had the circular scratches around the edge. I fixed the disc with a DVDoctor, but it's still highly annoying to have a game screw you over within 24 hours.

- An enemy corpse got stuck in the floor, but kept twitching. Constantly, for ages. Funny, but probably not meant to happen.

- Many minor visual glitches and framerate issues.

Besides this technical stuff, the game is very well designed and the world is pretty well realised. I'm enjoying the branching conversations and the combat works well. I'm looking forward to the next game already, and praying Bioware can use EA's super budget to iron out the bugs.

 

[DevelopmentArrested]

10 hours in and completely agree with ElyrionX's points.
The game is great but definetely not GOTY material.
Too many flaws holding it back most including the atrocious frame-rate and long loading times.
The dialogue and character development is fantastic however.

 

[epmode]

OK so the ending fucking rocks.

I didn't have many bugs either, outside of a few teammates that didn't want to follow. Nothing that a quick save/reload didn't fix.

One thing for the sequel: I don't care so much about the framerate but the texture pop-in kinda dampered what were some of the best real-time sequences I've ever seen. Fix that pls.

Also, none of the ally-based achievements triggered for me, even though I spent 95% of the game with two specific teammates.