Mass Effect 2

[Warseth]

So far so good...minus I die A LOT...vs DragonAge. Since I never played part 1 ..all these references to the past game are confusing me ....

Anyone further in the game can recommend any place to go to get better guns?

[Vasan]

The only good replacement weapons I've found so far have both been heavy weapons found on the main storyline. Not a fan of any of the prototype research weapons, heavy or otherwise so far. Now if I could personally use the krogan shotgun, mabbe. You really don't seem to need to mine much either, element zero aside.

The new version of the assault rifle you get right at the start is awful.

The first, easy weapon mods to purchase I found to be on the Cit and Omega. Found alot of sniper upgrades, and submachines upgrades so far, along with some decent armor, health and tech ones.

I like the downloadable character alot so far, much more than Shale. Plus he is quite easy to make loyal and thus gain his extra ability.

I don't die often, since I seek cover, use the soldier lessen damage ability and am playing on medium (not hard). Still died a few times to heavy mechs and op heavy weapons when I am being too aggressive. Next run through on a higher difficult level, going to try to tech armor or tactical cloak abilties for sure mixed in with overload or warp.

Mass Effect One is quite different, but well worth a purchase. Much more of a storyline, much better planet exploring and a fun transport to run around in. Combat is vastly improved in two though.

[Warseth]

I am finding Squad controlling very cumbersome...using powers while holding Shift.... The video shows multi targeting while shift is held...I have to target...Hold shift...use member powers... let go move xhairs...hold shift then use member powers....

Got any pointers on Squad combat controlling I am missing.....

[Vasan]

Not really, besides binding one of each members powers to my x-box right and left directional control I don't often use powers.

Same deal with Dragon Age, don't like to pause the game at all.

[Drakhon]

You definitely should have played ME1 first. While ME2 would still have been good without having done so, it makes a lot more sense when you're seeing it as a continuation of a previous story line (especially if you import a ME1 character). I did notice quite a few "huh?"-type dialog options to expand upon things that happened in the previous game for those that didn't play it or haven't in a while, however. ME1 is far more about loot though (hundreds of weapons and armor) and more typical stats like damage and accuracy on the weapons.

While you will get some new weapons as you progress through ME2 (mostly on the team member acquisition/loyalty missions), the upgrades that you buy/research and the ammo powers are where your progression is. Most upgrades apply to the entire team, too, though there are a few that are limited to a specific member or Shepard. As an Infiltrator, I put special focus on sniper rifles (though I was only missing a few upgrades for anything else). By the end, I had +50% damage from 5/5, +50% damage to armor and +50% headshot damage from upgrades. Add to that +60% damage to shields/synthetics from Heavy Disruptor Ammo, +75% from Tactical Cloak, +9% from Agent, +10% headshot damage from a my visor and ~+7% from other pieces of armor and there's a lot of progression there - they shifted it from the gear to the "character" in the form of upgrades. With the Widow rifle, I could kill almost any non-boss/YMIR with one headshot.

I found that I rarely had to do any team member control. Just a few isolated situations where I wanted them in different positions or to use a specific ability on a specific enemy. They're effective at it, you just need to have auto power use turned on in the options to allow them to do so.



Mass Effect One is quite different, but well worth a purchase. Much more of a storyline, much better planet exploring and a fun transport to run around in. Combat is vastly improved in two though.

Definitely worth a purchase. I got it for $5 from the Steam holiday sale, but I'd seen it at the same price on a weekend deal previously, so you may be able to get it on the extra cheap again.

I disagree with your second point, though. Most of the storyline of ME2 is building your team, thus that's what most of your play time will encompass. It's less linear overall because of how many team members you can go after or try to acquire the loyalty of at a given time, but I don't think that gives it "less" of a storyline.

Also, the Mako was cool for a few missions, but eventually "ok, we've landed, now drive for 5 minutes to get to the combat or also for 20 minutes to get the various bits laying around!" got kinda boring after a while. They apparently also got a lot of complaints about how it handled. That said, they'll be adding the Hammerhead hovertank in a DLC package within a few weeks.

[Broggle]

Mass Effect 1 was excellent imo definitely worth the purchase even at 10 or 15 bucks imo

[Vasan]

Having the story line primarily involve picking up more team members, doing missions for them, then doing that again and again just seemed like starter filter. Until I realized that is the storyline.

I vastly prefer a storyline that advances the plot through lengthy missions/quests, prehaps with a few twists and turns aka ME 1 or Dragon Age. On the plus side they can make any number of new mass effect games based on the get more team members, do their missions, over and over sorta of story.

Still minor quibble/personal preference, would have preferred less team building and more plot based lengthy missions, still a great game with a new upgrade system that I quite enjoyed. And frankly amazed at how well they set up a world and made ME1 and ME2 flow rather seemlessly despite the fact they are two very different games.

I'll should really hold off for now on final story judgements, since I am not done with the game, but am hoping ME3's story is abit more... distinct. Less unconnected adventures in the mass effect world and more plot driven mission based overall story arc.

[Drakhon]

I suppose I see what you mean, but realize that this format allows for far more character development in your team members. ME1 only really saw this in some dialog between missions and some limited chatter during those missions. To some extent, you can say they replaced the repetitive Mako content with character development. Presumably ME3 won't include a straight team wipe like ME2, so this is very important in the larger story of the trilogy

Do note that how you handle your team is the primary determiner of how the final mission goes down. You can go anywhere from everybody surviving to everybody (including Shepard) dying while still achieving the victory conditions. Interestingly, this means that Shepard will be unavailable if you import the save into ME3, so it'll be neat to see where they go with the design of that game.

[Warseth]

OK problem. My planet scans used to allow me to go left to right and move all around with the target ring... it is now screwed up no matter what I do.

It is not flat on the planet...but turned to where its half way in the planet and half of it is sticking out hte surface....so I can only go Vertical with the scanning with mouse...I have to use my arrow key to make the planet spin more between scans.

This is pissing me off...Cause I can't scan as fast as I used to when it was flat against the planet....I even bought the upgrade to scans ....sure it moves faster vertical.....but i still cant move it around the planet surface freely like I did when I first played the game.

Also problem 2; Where the hell is Element Zero! I can not find any and I have gone all over the place ..

The only good thing is I have enough stuff to upgrade everything..minus element zero things.... I had just picked up Veteran, Krog, Jack, Scientist guy and garus on Omega. I just picked up that chick on the planet that fries your shields in the sun....that is where I left off last night.

[Isak]

The scanning thing sounds like a bug. I have the upgrade and it works in both the x and y directions over the planet surface (I have the PC version). Element Zero is kind of a pain to find, usually the flavor text before you do the scanning will give you some idea whats on the planet, but otherwise keep searching planets.

[Vasan]

Elemental Zero is usually located on planets with a heavy organic component. If it's green, it should have elemental zero.

Hate mining. Odd in a stripped down system they made scanning worse and more/needlessly involved. At least you really don't need to mine much at all, I spent way too much mining materials that I ended up not needing. Stupid time sink.

The x-box controllers are fairly straightforward, you move your cursor as you swirl the planet icon hitting the scan button from time to time.

Heh I never considered using anyone besides the Garrus and Zaeed. Their stats, weapon picks and ability just made them too useful for my style of play.

Pity since "that chick on the planet that fries your shields in the sun" was a favorite of mine in ME1 when she had the powerful shield improvements.

[Drakhon]

I have a bit of a split opinion about the mining. It does get fairly tedious after a while, but they needed to have something extra to gate those upgrades, otherwise you'd just get them naturally as you proceeded through the story and then there wouldn't be much of a reason to have them. As it is, you can do a little bit of mining and have to choose which ones you really want or do enough mining to get as many as you can. Either of these are supplemented by the boxes of material you find on missions (especially the anomaly missions that you have to explore to find).

I switched my team choices based on what I expected to find in a given mission. Miranda is very good against Geth, for instance, with Overload and also has nice squad buffs but not many mook-level organics have shields, so she's weaker there. I didn't really use Jacob until I got him Group Incendiary Ammo (being an Infiltrator, I had Disruptor and Cryo), which is really nice against organics and more so for Krogan and Vorcha because it prevents regeneration. Each of the others have their place as well.

I'm not sure what "shield improvements" you're referring to; the only shield-related ability she had was Overload.

[Vasan]

Tali's class talent (listed below) stacks with the increased shield capacity granted by the electronics talent. That's nearly 500 more shields on top of armor and upgrades.

The Quarian Machinist class talent increases tech resistance and shield capacity.


Each point spent in the talent adds effects as listed below:
Increases tech resistance by 10%. Increases shield capacity by 60.
Increases tech resistance by 15%. Increases shield capacity by 90.
Increases tech resistance by 20%. Increases shield capacity by 120.
Increases tech resistance by 25%. Increases shield capacity by 150.
Increases tech resistance by 30%. Increases shield capacity by 180.
Increases tech resistance by 35%. Increases shield capacity by 210.

[Drakhon]

Ah, I was only thinking about active abilities.

[Warseth]

I said forget mining with the bug I have...SO I jacked up all my ores to 999999 =)....yay!

Finished the game over the weekend on normal.... Science chick Moranda or something...Died...Legion Died...Assasin Died....Veteran Died....

I am on second play through this time I am being evil.... Hacked load outs...everyone gets a machine gun....and maxed talents....i am trying to blaze through to the ending....still need to increase renegade....
Also trying to bone every chick this time through....

[Drakhon]

The romance arcs don't culminate until you are en route to the final mission, so you can't. They did the same in ME1 as well and I suspect it's specifically intended to prevent you from being able to do what you're suggesting. At most you could get Jack + 1 as there is a casual offer from her that only blocks her romance arc, not anybody else's as far as I know.

I had all 11 members loyal but lost Tali near the beginning.

[Vasan]

I had all 11 members loyal but lost Tali near the beginning.

Who did you assign with Tail? Garrus, Jacob or Miranda?

[Warseth]

I was reading what others had to say at steam.....it seems you should fully upgrade your ship....missing anything may result in loss of members...someone went without any upgrades and I believe they said they lost 3 members on the crash.

I lost Veteran (lead the other team) ..I lost assasin (went through pipes)....and I lost Miranda at end (defending team) and Legion on my team on boss fight.

It seems you need to fully upgrade your ship to lose nobody ( i did that).... You also need to max your loyalty with everyone...and if one is failed it can be recovered only by Maxing Renegade or Paragon Status to open up the dialogue to allow it before end battle.

My second round I am hacking....I have a machine gun (20 dmg per shot) now 99 lol.....since no mobs use this weapon I modified it and hacked my members load outs to all get the machine gun. Now to figure out how to hack the renegade points..... Otherwise i hacked everything else modifying save game data and using Notepad++ on the Coalsomehting.ini file.

PS: If you modify a common weapon even mobs use...they to will benefit. I modified assault rifle to 99dmg....i was 3 shot by mercs lol...realized then..Modify only specialty guns...like the nuke.....freeze gun.... i modified dmg and rate of fire and ammo =)

[Drakhon]

Who did you assign with Tail? Garrus, Jacob or Miranda?

She was my Tech Specialist in the tube and died while getting the door closed after everybody was through. Samara was my Fire Team leader during that part.


I don't really see the point in doing the equivalent of using cheat codes, Warseth. When most people play through a second time they either switch Paragon/Renegade or do a New Game+ by importing the just completed ME2 character on a harder difficulty level, which gives extra bonuses.

[Warseth]

She was my Tech Specialist in the tube and died while getting the door closed after everybody was through. Samara was my Fire Team leader during that part.


I don't really see the point in doing the equivalent of using cheat codes, Warseth. When most people play through a second time they either switch Paragon/Renegade or do a New Game+ by importing the just completed ME2 character on a harder difficulty level, which gives extra bonuses.

I play through at least once without cheating....to experience the game best on first round. I decide to cheat on single player later when I just want carnage ....

I did the same with DOA....after a bit I just want to destroy and have smack down play through.

I don't believe cheating off the start is good then you lose the first time play through experience as it was meant to be....but after...hell yes....i want to nuke and freeze nuke...everyone!

It does sound like a plan to try newgame+ on max settings just to see how different it is though... next round I will do that...till then carnage play through is in effect.:th_o: