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Mass Effect |OT| Alien love in an elevator

Aurora

Member
Ah yes, star clusters is what I mean. Voyager, Hades etc. right?

On a similar note, one of my most memorable moments so far has been landing on Luna and travelling around while staring at Earth in the distance. Brilliant. I concede I did aim for the UK with my sniper rifle and fired :lol
 
It's layered as:

Galaxy (Milky Way)
Star clusters
Systems
Planets

I guess you are referring to star clusters, either way your points are valid but I still enjoyed the sidequests despite their copy and paste feel.
 

ShinAmano

Member
Ally Achievement question:

I am on my second playthrough and just wanted to do the main quest...If I have two teammates in all those missions will i unlock the achievements?

I have a few answers for this already, but can anyone confirm that you do not get the achievements for just the story quests...and if this is the case i have to say this is one of the poorest examples of how to do achievements I have ever seen.
 
and if this is the case i have to say this is one of the poorest examples of how to do achievements I have ever seen.

I think this is one of the best of examples of how to do achievements I have ever seen, personally. (for a single player game)
 

MMaRsu

Member
No guys after you've finished it you can't change class or appearance.

Bummed me out too, now I don't know what to do. Play on with my first Shepard lvl 43 or something, and just continue the story ( already a spectre again ) or make a lesbian renegade :(
 

ShinAmano

Member
MisterAnderson said:
I think this is one of the best of examples of how to do achievements I have ever seen, personally. (for a single player game)
Really? Make me play all the mundane sidequests over and over again? I don't get it...most of the others are very well done.
 

Gattsu25

Banned
ShinAmano said:
Ally Achievement question:

I am on my second playthrough and just wanted to do the main quest...If I have two teammates in all those missions will i unlock the achievements?
Sorry for not answering your question but is it possible to, on a second playthrough, change your appearance and class while keeping your character level?
 

ShinAmano

Member
Gattsu25 said:
Sorry for not answering your question but is it possible to, on a second playthrough, change your appearance and class while keeping your character level?
No...you keep class and appearance...
 

Aurora

Member
MisterAnderson said:
I think this is one of the best of examples of how to do achievements I have ever seen, personally. (for a single player game)
ShinAmano was specifically referring to the Ally achievements, not ME's achievements as a whole.

I totally agree, it's a bullshit method. The other achievements are so well crafted but these Ally ones forcing you to repeat boring segments over and over again is criminal.
 
Skilotonn said:
I I assume that it's for every character you have and will create from then on even if they don't have them by default, or else some like the Throw and Lift ones wouldn't make sense as you'd already have them on your character to unlock the Achievement...

Was this responding to my question? Because that makes even less sense. Wouldn't a new character potentially not even have access to the Achievement Bonus?
 

ShinAmano

Member
Aurora said:
ShinAmano was specifically referring to the Ally achievements, not ME's achievements as a whole.

I totally agree, it's a bullshit method. The other achievements are so well crafted but these Ally ones forcing you to repeat boring segments over and over again is criminal.
So you know for sure you do have to repeat? i was hoping to get the Ally ones in a few speed runs :(
 
this nerdy co-worker of mine wanted me to post this question on here cause he doesnt have access- so here it goes...

"does anyone know what the deal is w/the soundtrack? amazon says it's out after xmas.....but i heard it was released on the 21st of november....thanks."


personally, I think video game soundtracks are for nerds but if you guys have any info on this, he would really appreciate it...
 

Gattsu25

Banned
JimtotheHum said:
personally, I think video game soundtracks are for nerds but if you guys have any info on this, he would really appreciate it...
I do as well, sole exceptions being Berserk (DC), Jet Set Radio (DC), and Phantasy Star Online I&II (and more for their uniqueness than the actual music), but I really do like the music in this game

just wish it wasn't used so sparingly.
 
JimtotheHum said:
this nerdy co-worker of mine wanted me to post this question on here cause he doesnt have access- so here it goes...

"does anyone know what the deal is w/the soundtrack? amazon says it's out after xmas.....but i heard it was released on the 21st of november....thanks."


personally, I think video game soundtracks are for nerds but if you guys have any info on this, he would really appreciate it...

You are posting on NeoGAF... nerd denial FTL.
 

Gattsu25

Banned
MisterAnderson said:
You are posting on NeoGAF... nerd denial FTL.
This is one of the rare games that I think have good soundtracks. Outside of the Diablos, PSO and maybe another that I'm forgetting, this is the only RPG soundtrack that I feel has more than 3 worthwhile tracks.
SuperEnemyCrab said:
Insecure much?
What the hell does it have to do with insecurity? (your post screams of it, by the way) Game music just isn't that good.
 

Aurora

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
Was this responding to my question? Because that makes even less sense. Wouldn't a new character potentially not even have access to the Achievement Bonus?
I'm not sure I fully understand what you initially asked. Skilotonn was basically saying that he expected the achievement bonuses to apply to all subsequent playthroughs otherwise it would render them useless since the skills themselves are required in order to unlock their achievements. But perhaps what you were asking was not whether they applied to your new game+ but rather if they applied to the other characters in your current save (Wrex, Ashley etc.), and if that's the case then I would have to assume no. I've unlocked a few of the weapon achievement bonuses and my allies have not received their benefits (at least not that I can see from the stats chart screen).

ShinAmano said:
So you know for sure you do have to repeat? i was hoping to get the Ally ones in a few speed runs :(
I don't actually know for sure. I've yet to complete the game and yet to receive any of the ally achievements, but I'm really hoping that isn't the case. It would mean having to finish the game at least 3 times including the majority of the sidequests. Talk about a chooooore!
 

Gattsu25

Banned
Well, my friend was wondering how detailed the lesbian scene is? He also wants to know how long it lasts for.
Aurora said:
I'm not sure I fully understand what you initially asked. Skilotonn was basically saying that he expected the achievement bonuses to apply to all subsequent playthroughs otherwise it would render them useless since the skills themselves are required in order to unlock their achievements. But perhaps what you were asking was not whether they applied to your new game+ but rather if they applied to the other characters in your current save (Wrex, Ashley etc.), and if that's the case then I would have to assume no. I've unlocked a few of the weapon achievement bonuses and my allies have not received their benefits (at least not that I can see from the stats chart screen).
I think he's asking if the achievement bonuses apply to brand new saves made on that profile (New Game, not New Game+)
 
Aurora said:
I'm not sure I fully understand what you initially asked. Skilotonn was basically saying that he expected the achievement bonuses to apply to all subsequent playthroughs otherwise it would render them useless since the skills themselves are required in order to unlock their achievements. But perhaps what you were asking was not whether they applied to your new game+ but rather if they applied to the other characters in your current save (Wrex, Ashley etc.), and if that's the case then I would have to assume no. I've unlocked a few of the weapon achievement bonuses and my allies have not received their benefits (at least not that I can see from the stats chart screen).

That's what I was asking, thank you. We've got a couple of Shepards going simultaneously and I was wondering if they got a taste of that sweet sweet Achievement pie.
 

ShinAmano

Member
Aurora said:
I don't actually know for sure. I've yet to complete the game and yet to receive any of the ally achievements, but I'm really hoping that isn't the case. It would mean having to finish the game at least 3 times including the majority of the sidequests. Talk about a chooooore!
Yeah one that i will skip out on ;)

I would totally get them if not...I am playing my second playthrough on Hardcore now with only two characters...it is a speed run so i will know tonight or tomorrow...and i have a second character started up that I will try with two other characters if the achievements work...then the one on insanity which would round those out...
 

Gattsu25

Banned
BenjaminBirdie said:
That's what I was asking, thank you. We've got a couple of Shepards going simultaneously and I was wondering if they got a taste of that sweet sweet Achievement pie.
Startled realization, your avatar finally makes sense.
 

MMaRsu

Member
BenjaminBirdie said:
I can't find it anywheres. Is it on iTunes yet?

Didn't see it when I checked earlier. I had to get it through different channels right now. But I want to buy it when I can find it :). It's really really awesome !!
 
Aurora said:
I'm just about halfway through the main questline and I've already clocked over 27 hours. At this rate I'm expecting at least 40 hours on the clock by the time I wrap up my first playthrough.

The sidequests are garbage for the most part, but I really enjoy the combat system so I chore through them anyway. It's a shame really, they could have had them be so much more interesting if they'd just made the enemy bases far bigger and more varying in design. So far I've been to about 6 carbon copy bases. Not good.

I'm also really disheartened at the lack of cities to explore. It seems that the Citadel is the only one which is ridiculous for a game supposedly taking place over several galaxies. I'd expect at least one major city in each galaxy but I have yet to even see one other than the Citadel. In RPGs one of my favourite moments is arriving to a new town or city and admiring its architecture, speaking with NPCs to pick up new quests and seeing what kind of equipment is available from the new vendors. Mass Effect is really lacking in this department.

Another thing I find disappointing is the lack of scenery and life in the galaxies. I've done more sidequests than storyline quests and they have all been monotonous recycled crap, whereas the questline environments have been brilliant. It seems that BioWare put all the effort in the questline and then just tacked on a pile of sidequests with the smallest of efforts in an attempt to pad out the game. I want to explore dark caverns, forests, wild fields and other vibrant places - I'm sick of visiting the same old rock-covered planet over and over again with a new lick of paint.

The Mass Effect IP has massive potential for improvement. In ME2 I expect all the technical bugs and practical annoyances (item management and auto-save in particular) to be ironed out. I also expect a lot more effort to be made to the sidequests and really make them an extension of the main quest and not just some forced space fillers. As well as being part of the Alliance I wish to be able to join other guilds and factions a la Oblivion to really give me a purpose of stepping out of the main questline and exploring the universe. If all these things are addressed we are looking at a very strong contender for my game of the century.

I agree 100% with everything you say.

Quick question about how far I am in the main storyline

just set off the nuke
60% done?
 

Aurora

Member
DevelopmentArrested said:
I agree 100% with everything you say.

Quick question about how far I am in the main storyline

just set off the nuke
60% done?
:D

That's actually exactly where I am in the game too. What planets did you do before that? I'd assume 60% is about right... but come to think of it the only planet I've got left is
Feros
so we might be closer to the end than we think :S
 

Rorschach

Member
Aurora said:
[Long Post]
I agree with all of this except I don't think the combat is that great... I wish they'd let you map 2 more talents since there are 2 unused buttons during combat, anyway. It could be my fault because of the class I chose (infiltrator). Yet, I still do every stupid copy/paste quest. :\

The bugs, loading, and performance issues don't help with that either. It's a chore to get around and even simple fetch quests in the same city can take forever. I find that I can go "too fast" for the game if I run through areas that I'm not supposed to go through quickly.

I hate that all the planets with population
(including those on our solar system :()
are off limits (wouldn't the best place to seek information be in urban areas?). I also hate that my main guy is wearing the same fucking armor he was wearing 20hrs ago because the shops suck ass and the loot isn't great for armor. Hopefully, it gets better in that regard because my main character's armor is ass ugly.
 

Kittonwy

Banned
Out of everything I've seen in the game so far, the thing that I like the most is how they actually play some stupid elevator music after each elevator ride when I go take a piss during one of those elevator rides because they take so long. So awesome, totally 70s-inspired.
Indifferent2.gif
 

65536

Banned
Well I don't know if it was bugged or what, but now that I've hit level 20, all the loot I'm getting is significantly better than anything I was finding before - take this assault rifle I just got for Wrex compared to his old one, for example:

6phz7cx.jpg


Same thing applies to pretty much every piece of armour / weapon I've found now - I even got medium armour for Wrex that's better than the heavy stuff I just bought him.
 

yukoner

Member
andrewfee said:
Well I don't know if it was bugged or what, but now that I've hit level 20, all the loot I'm getting is significantly better than anything I was finding before - take this assault rifle I just got for Wrex compared to his old one, for example:

6phz7cx.jpg


Same thing applies to pretty much every piece of armour / weapon I've found now.

"Thunder" is just the shit. Any "Thunder" model AR is superior to other AR's, sometimes 2 levels above it.

That's one thing I liked about the inventory, you learned which makes/models were the best weapons, and which ones were crap. Each type of weapon has different models which are the 'best' and the rest can just be sold off.
 
Its not a bug, its just how the loot progresses. You hit a certain point and then suddenly every weapon that drops is several times better then anything you might have.

Oh also if anyone cares, the 2nd mass effect novel is listed on the Del Rey site and the date is july.
 

Teen Ape

Member
andrewfee said:
Well I don't know if it was bugged or what, but now that I've hit level 20, all the loot I'm getting is significantly better than anything I was finding before - take this assault rifle I just got for Wrex compared to his old one, for example:

6phz7cx.jpg


Same thing applies to pretty much every piece of armour / weapon I've found now - I even got medium armour for Wrex that's better than the heavy stuff I just bought him.
My bro is on his second play through, and he's been purchasing all the different licenses that the requisition officers sell, and has been telling me about a bunch of new weapons he's been finding, different set names from the ones he usually got from his first play through.

I'm assuming the licenses they sell allow you to find loot made by that weapons manufacturer, anyone else know about this?
 
Teen Ape said:
My bro is on his second play through, and he's been purchasing all the different licenses that the requisition officers sell, and has been telling me about a bunch of new weapons he's been finding, different set names from the ones he usually got from his first play through.

I'm assuming the licenses they sell allow you to find loot made by that weapons manufacturer, anyone else know about this?

It's shameful that the Council thinks so little of a human that he or she has to go through such back alley shenanigans to get the best equipment. Annoying Human Diplomat was right.
 
BenjaminBirdie said:
It's shameful that the Council thinks so little of a human that he or she has to go through such back alley shenanigans to get the best equipment. Annoying Human Diplomat was right.

Objection!

This statement contradicts previously revealed facts. The moment you have enough credits to afford specter weaponry you are free to buy it. This makes it clear that the council is not holding out on you but its actually a different culprit.

Are you kidding me? Its the cheap bastard in the Normandy's hold thats trying to rob you blind. The jerk is to lazy to get the licenses on his own because they are "too expensive", noooooo he gets you to buy them and then he buys those weapons from the manufacturer marks them up about 200% and then tries to off load them on you.
 

Sol..

I am Wayne Brady.
Gattsu25 said:
What the hell does it have to do with insecurity? (your post screams of it, by the way) Game music just isn't that good.

Robot Jesus approves of this post.

Well this part, not the part about the Mass Effect soundtrack being good.

The ending credits song was cool tho. I kinda wanna buy it.
 
Lostconfused said:
Objection!

This statement contradicts previously revealed facts. The moment you have enough credits to afford specter weaponry you are free to buy it. This makes it clear that the council is not holding out on you but its actually a different culprit.

Are you kidding me? Its the cheap bastard in the Normandy's hold thats trying to rob you blind. The jerk is to lazy to get the licenses on his own because they are "too expensive", noooooo he gets you to buy them and then he buys those weapons from the manufacturer marks them up about 200% and then tries to off load them on you.

:lol

I was just joking. I just think it's criminal that the Council doesn't just throw the best shit in your locker from Jump Street.
 

65536

Banned
Lostconfused said:
Its not a bug, its just how the loot progresses. You hit a certain point and then suddenly every weapon that drops is several times better then anything you might have.
I'm used to loot progressing in RPGs, but not seeing significant changes like that. If that's how it is every time, I guess the game sees you continuously going from underpowered to overpowered every 5-10 levels? It feels like I've somehow missed a step or two in the items I should have been finding.
 
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