So the PC version of Mass Effect.

[Venkman]

Agreed. I just bought this was the EA store online (to hell with hard media), downloaded, installed and played in about three hours. Runs fantastic at all max settings, though I do get that odd artifacting of textures. It's mostly on shadows. It reminds me of EQ1 days when in the distance textures that hit other textures had this wierd sawtooth pattern between them. That fixable under advanced options? I spent 3 1/2 hours playing last night, annoyed the whole time but not enough to dig around.

Game's awesome. I think I'd prefer to play this with a X360 controller, but that feels sacreligious or something. FPS on PC = keyboard and mouse.

The only thing that does bug me is the stupid "cover" thing. I don't need cover on my PC FPS games. I go to object, they can't see through, I'll lean around the stupid thing if I want to. I'm just glad that the cover option hasn't yet been a requirement beyond the tutorial. In fact, I'm glad that some of the miniobjectives aren't the only way to solve things. For example, that Kaiden guy that can use the force-throw type thing: well sure the game wants me to use it against some buff Geth. But I can get just enough over the edge of the railing with my sniper gun to do the same over a longer period of time.

Combat isn't as bad as I thought I had read about. I like it better than Tabula Rasa, something I feel it somewhat compares to experientially (no idea about technically). In fact, this game feels like what TR should have been. Tonality is something of the same, and in the end the whole human diaspora thing never really seemed like a relevant plot point in TR anyway.

[Fordel]

You don't like the cover? That's probably one of my favorite parts about the game. I'm only really annoyed with the combat when I don't get to use it 'properly', due to the odd configuration of a room or being zerged by Space Zombies. Well, I'm also annoyed I can't make my NPC party members do what I want them to exactingly enough.

"Move ahead to that crate Ash, I'll put down covering fire! No, the crate, go to the crate, don't stand in the middle, cover behind the crate... on OUR side of the crate   "


The few times both my squad mates actually DO use the available cover correctly is pure awesome though.

[Sky]

I'm still getting squad controls down, but the tactical screen is pretty cool (again, wish it were a toggle). Not too many fights in the Citadel, though, so I'm a bit rusty.

I actually broke one of my rules and PM'd Stormwaltz about the freezing thing. Three days of flawless play and now it's unplayable. Sucks. EA "Support" is the lowest trash ever, total waste of time and actually an insult. Bioware is trying to help a bit on their 'self-help' tech forum, since apparently all 'official' help is through EA. I will eat humble pie about my position in the DRM thread since EA's "solution" to the freezing problem (besides the mindless 'update drivers' etc) is to reinstall the game...

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[Fabricated]

I haven't had any problems with Mass Effect outside a few odd crashes. The shadow artifacts are there too but not always. It only really happens on faces with me, and only part of the time. Nothing annoying though, just looks like lower quality shadows on other titles.

[Venkman]

Yea, for me it's always the faces, and always during the dialogs.

You don't like the cover? That's probably one of my favorite parts about the game. I'm only really annoyed with the combat when I don't get to use it 'properly', due to the odd configuration of a room or being zerged by Space Zombies.

That's the other part of what I find annoying. I can go to an object, crouch, pull up the scope, and lean out in a few other FPSes. But here I need to go push->click->autoturn/autolean->fire. It doesn't feel intuitive, but again probably because I wasn't a big GoW player and really not a big console FPSer in general. Product of environment or something.

[Sky]

Now I'm getting general protection fault crashes. Splendid. 

Done with Mass Affect for now. Not happy I'm $50 poorer for a game that doesn't work.

[Azazel]

I'll save myself the torrent until it's stable.   

[bhodi]

Now I'm getting general protection fault crashes. Splendid. 

Apparently, the game is ridiculously sensitive to old / out of date drivers.

You might also try turning on/off hardware sound in the config tool thing.

[Venkman]

Buy an Xbox 360

Modern PC gaming is a pain in the ass unless you're patient, knowledgeable or have a none new enough computer of the patience and knowledge is needed to achieve "it just works".

[Fordel]

Turning off Hardware sound certainly helped my stability. Haven't had an issue since I switched it off.

[Zetor]

Yeah, turning Hardware Sound off fixed the sound corruption / looping / muting problems for me and I haven't had any other problems yet.

I had to do some crazy voodoo to get the game to install, though. The installer choked at 8% (no error message or anything, it'd just close) and I had to manually unpack everything and run various "lolDRM.exe" programs, only to get a non-descriptive GPF at the main menu, prompting a reinstall... sigh.


-- Z.
(I got the game via the godawful EA store downloader thing, but that's because stores in Hungary are.. even less reliable.)

[Sky]

Eh, turning off hardware sound in the config util seems to have worked, just played an hour straight. Thanks.

But it totally sucks losing 5.1 surround, since I'm playing on a home theater-type setup. Running through an X-Fi.

[Sky]

 

 I had downloaded new drivers...but forgot to install the new X-Fi driver. Played for about 45 minutes this afternoon without a problem, then played for 45 minutes this evening and ended with some odd slideshow freeze. Not sure what's up, but at least it's more stable and I have hardware sound again...

Wicked game.

edit: Scratch warm fuzzies, froze with sound loop two minutes after I booted it up after this post. Dammit.

[bhodi]

The best part of this game was punching the reporter in the face.

The worst part of this game was the horrible sidequests that consisted of landing on a planet, walking into the mine/bunker/sandcrawler and killing everything that moved, and then getting an OKbox for closure.

That, and not realizing that there were 2x the minerals/tags/collectibles, I scoured all the planets before one day I looked at my completed quests and I had something like 17/10 this and 47/35 that.

[Stormwaltz]

The best part of this game was punching the reporter in the face.

*salute*

[rk47]

Other than the shitacular mini games (please stop adding this crap in omg), it's pretty above average. But I wouldn't recommend it too much though.

[Bunk]

The worst part of this game was the horrible sidequests that consisted of landing on a planet, walking into the mine/bunker/sandcrawler and killing everything that moved, and then getting an OKbox for closure.

The XBL addon mission really showed that just adding a little dialog and cutscene goodness could make those generic bunker type missions much more fufilling. Too bad you guys don't get to play it.

My favorite part was making the Superfan wet his pants.

[Fabricated]

The worst part of this game was the horrible sidequests that consisted of landing on a planet, walking into the mine/bunker/sandcrawler and killing everything that moved, and then getting an OKbox for closure.

The XBL addon mission really showed that just adding a little dialog and cutscene goodness could make those generic bunker type missions much more fufilling. Too bad you guys don't get to play it.

My favorite part was making the Superfan wet his pants.

The PC version is getting Bring down the Sky I guess. Gotta register your key to get it though which is weird.

I've been a boyscout for the most part through my run so far, but threatening people who deserve to be threatened was good. I had charm almost totally maxed out when I ran into the reporter so just giving my charm responses made her look retarded.

[bhodi]

I've been a boyscout for the most part through my run so far, but threatening people who deserve to be threatened was good. I had charm almost totally maxed out when I ran into the reporter so just giving my charm responses made her look retarded.

I'm a softie; I reloaded after I punched her. I always play super nice in these games.

[rk47]

The problem with those goody goody nice response didn't feel inspirational nor rewarding. I can't put my finger to it, I feel scammed when I do good things while going all 'badass' resulted in a little disproportionate use of force & intimidation for a situation.

I have this odd situation going into an office. 2 mercs outside blocked my past, I convinced them to lay off and not fight. I holstered my gun walked into the office. Their 10 colleagues still wanted to blast my brains out. 

The reverse happened too, I blasted 12 people to get to a deeper portion and 2 warehouse guards finally talked to me. Wrex was absolutely right when he said 'Killing them would've been quicker' Who could blame him