Mass Effect 2 *spoilers around pg 29/30*

[Sjofn]

I dunno, I got as far as him saying they would keep some salarians alive so they could eat their eggs as a delicacy before pulling the trigger, that was pretty funny. Especially because Mordin goes .

[Sky]

No renegade interrupts in my first playthrough of ME2.   

[Ingmar]

I didn't either for the most part, other than accidentally stabbing a guy with an electric wrench.

[Morat20]

I didn't either for the most part, other than accidentally stabbing a guy with an electric wrench.

Renegade interrupts that should just be labeled "Common sense" interrupts are:

1) Whacking the dude repairing the attack shuttle on Omega. You don't even kill him, you just give the nice Blue Suns guy a nap. Frankly, a smart person would rig remote explosives on it as well, since you KNOW you're going to get on Archangel's side and since there's only one way out, you KNOW that stupid thing -- if it gets off the ground -- will be attacking you. The NICE thing to do is set a timer and some explosives to wreck something critical after you've left.

2) Shooting that damn grandstanding Krogan. Or rather, the pipe below him. Because who wants to listen to that? It's not like you're talking your way out.

[Merusk]

Which grandstanding Krogan is this? I think I missed something.

[Morat20]

Which grandstanding Krogan is this? I think I missed something.

Moridin's loyalty mission. He stands up on top, shouting about how bad-ass he is and how he's going to return the Krogan to greatness. You can renegade interrupt to shoot the pipe below him, sending fire shooting up and taking off some of his armor IIRC.

He goes on for a LONG time, too. The game really wants you to shoot.

[tmp]

There's also one where you shoot krogan (or whatever they were) bodyguards in kneecaps before they pull their guns on you. Very common sense

[Sky]

Mordin's mission was extremely well done. I was torn about taking my paragon path the entire time, but I stuck to my ethics. I heard the guy out because if I was going to go through with stomping on their race, I could at least listen to the guy who just wanted to do right by them.

[Jeff Kelly]

I currently have the opportunity of playing the PS3 version of ME 2.

Allegedly the PS3 version already uses the game engine that they want to use for ME 3. You don't really notice it though. Lighting is a bit different and the characters look a little bit better but the effects are neglible.

Biggest change is that the PS3 version is 720p only while the XBOX 360 version is 1080p. Why they did that I don't know, the engine itself shouldn't be that more taxing for he hardware and the PS 3 should be able to handle it. At least all major languages are included on the disc with both audio and video.

When you redeem your cerberus network code you basically get all DLC mission content as part of your purchase, you have to buy all of the armor and weapon DLCs though if you want them as they're not included.

They modified the prologue a little bit since there is no ME 1 save that you could import to let you make the most important decisions. This is done with a 'choose your adventure' style interactive comic that tells the story of ME 1 and where you can decide the most important things like whether Kaidan or Ash lives, if you save or kill Wrex, the romance option, survival or death of the rachni queen and whether you ignore or save the Council. So I suppose that those are the only decisions from ME 1 that really matter going forward.

You can really see that this is an afterthought though. The narration of the ME 1 story takes about a minute tops, gives you nearly no context for the decisions you are about to take and doesn't give you the opportunity to decide on a few of the minor decision points.

You can decide between Kaidan and Ash dying on Vermire for example  but the game assumes that Kaidan sets up the bomb and that Ash helps Kirahe and his company so if you want to play a game where KIrahe survives you'd have to choose Ash as the one that survives too.

The game also assumes that you didn't complete UNC: Geth Incursions (or any of the side quests for that matter) so in the PS3 Universe of ME 2 you haven't helped Tali with her pilgrimage and therefore don't get the dialogue option on Eden Prime.

If you play ME 2 on the XBOX without importing a save the game assumes that you did a renegade walkthrough, this is basically the same with the only exception being the few choices you are allowed to make.

The interactive comic is made in cooperation with Dark Horse but the drawing style in my opinion doesn't fit to Mass Effect at all.

Loading and saving games take significantly longer on the PS 3 than on the XBOX which partly comes from the game verifying save file integrity before each load/save operation (it even says so). They also switched controls on the PS3. On the XBOX you aim and shoot with LT/RT respectively and activate the weapon/biotics bar with RB/LB. On the PS3 it's the other way and aiming firing with the shoulder buttons as opposed to the triggers sucks big.

I've also exclusively played on my XBOX the last few months (I got it as a birthday present in November) so I only recently realized just how much the Dualshock controller of the PS3 sucks compared to the XBOX controller.

Since it's multi language this also is the first opportunity for me to experience the original voice actors (XBOX versions only include the localized versions for that market). I now get why so many people play female Shepards. The voice actor for male Shepard is clearly the weakest link in the whole cast. They should have used Adam Baldwin instead (Renegade Shepard voiced like Casey from Chuck or Janye from Firefly would have been brilliant). Yvonne Strahovski's broad australian accent makes interactions Miranda rather distracting though (I also suppose that somebody decided that they should make her 'extra Australian' since she is able to dial it back on Chuck for example) and Seth Greens work as a voice actor is so prominent that I somehow always imagine Chris Griffin from family guy piloting my ship.

It is basically the same game as the XBOX version though so if you can decide I'd recommend the XBOX version. The PS3 version doesn't give you anything of significance that the XBOX version doesn't and it actually takes away most of the minor choices you could make in ME 1 that would have influenced the universe.

[Sjofn]

Mordin's mission was extremely well done. I was torn about taking my paragon path the entire time, but I stuck to my ethics. I heard the guy out because if I was going to go through with stomping on their race, I could at least listen to the guy who just wanted to do right by them.

Mordin and Legion's missions are my favorite essentially for this reason. They're a lot less clear than "save miners from a burning building yes/no."

[Tebonas]

Oh, how hard it was to resist blowing up that Krogan during that first Paragon run. The game really tempted you to do it. As did the Krogan. 

[Sjofn]

Yeah, I find that renegade interrupt WAY WAY WAY more compelling than the mercenary tossin'.

[Jeff Kelly]

I don't know how those games do it. Why am I able to rant for pages about the flaws of the Mass Effect Series, yet I somehow now own two copies of each game and already have finished 4 games and am now contemplating a fith time just because I like the female voice actor so much?

Are the discs coated with crack cocaine? How can a game that is so flawed draw you in so completely that I actually caught myself googling Mass Effect 3 spoilers?

Damn Bioware I don't know how you do it but it seems to work.

Yet somehow I'm now afraid to buy Dragon Age

[Morat20]

Yet somehow I'm now afraid to buy Dragon Age

IMHO, Dragon Age simply isn't as addictive. I mean, it's cool to see the other origins (and notice the, um, failure of your other 5 selves. You're Saved From Death to become a Grey Warden, and as you explore the game you can see the grisly remnants of the other possible origin points you had), but I never even managed my second playthrough with Team Evil.

[tgr]

I usually try to play through RPGs as a mostly good guy the first time, then a total asshole the second time, but ME1/2 made it way way too easy to be tempted to choose that damn renegade interrupt and f.ex punch the first guy you meet in that building (the scientist babbling insanely; I forget his name, it's been to long ago), right in the kisser.

[Mosesandstick]

Because paragon/renegade isn't exactly good/bad aligned, quite a lot of the interrupts make sense even if you're trying to be completely good/bad.

[Rasix]

Yet somehow I'm now afraid to buy Dragon Age

IMHO, Dragon Age simply isn't as addictive. I mean, it's cool to see the other origins (and notice the, um, failure of your other 5 selves. You're Saved From Death to become a Grey Warden, and as you explore the game you can see the grisly remnants of the other possible origin points you had), but I never even managed my second playthrough with Team Evil.

Depends on the invididual.  I did two complete runthroughs before stepping away from DA.  I think the only other game where I've done that is the orginal ME.  Other games with mulitple playthroughs had at least a game or two between each one.

On a related note: holy shit going back to ME1 is weird.  I guess I didn't appreciate how much better the core gameplay is in ME2 fully until this. It's one of the more staggering sequel improvements I've seen where they're on the same platform.   AND STOP GRINNING KAIDAN. I don't like you, I'm just being nice. YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

[Merusk]

Heh, it was totally fun going back and telling Ashley she was ok to be a xenophobic humans-first girl and leading her on, knowing I'd blow her ass up in a few chapters.  Though in the aftermath, seeing what a whiny twit Kaiden turned into I think I'd rather have blown him up.

More amusing was importing it into ME2 and hearing about Ashely getting the Turian and Salarian awards, along with the BS quote about working with aliens.  I chuckled.

[Sky]

On a related note: holy shit going back to ME1 is weird.  I guess I didn't appreciate how much better the core gameplay is in ME2 fully until this. It's one of the more staggering sequel improvements I've seen where they're on the same platform.   AND STOP GRINNING KAIDAN. I don't like you, I'm just being nice. YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

That's what I was saying in another thread about consolitis or whatever the heck it was. It's just a better game to play.

[Sjofn]

Yet somehow I'm now afraid to buy Dragon Age

IMHO, Dragon Age simply isn't as addictive. I mean, it's cool to see the other origins (and notice the, um, failure of your other 5 selves. You're Saved From Death to become a Grey Warden, and as you explore the game you can see the grisly remnants of the other possible origin points you had), but I never even managed my second playthrough with Team Evil.

I prefered Dragon Age, but I am pretty sure I am the official Dragon Age dipshit on this board, so you can't really take my word for it. I prefer Dragon Age almost entirely because the characters are much better developed. I like the characters of ME2 and they are interesting when they have things to say, but they just don't get the amount of time they deserve. ME2's pacing is better, though, as Dragon Age likes to meander. It has the prologue -> real intro -> four planets -> end stuff structure, but some of those "planets" take a long goddamn time (ORZAMMAR). Still, I finished the stupid thing an embarrassing number of times (ten!  ). So I obviously really like the game, and you should probably ignore everything I have to say about it.

I finished ME1 twice, and I don't see me ever playing it again. There's not enough to the characters, being an asshole never appeals to me, I am never going to save Ashley over Kaidan (I wish I could let Liara bite it instead, frankly), so there's just not enough to draw me back into a third time. ME2 is looking like four-ish. Actually, probably five, my hardcore soldier is pretty close to the end so I will probably do a Might As Well Finish on him, and then my SUPER ULTRA PARAGON LADY once they release that final bridging DLC.

[Lantyssa]

So I figured out how to give myself unlimited ammo while keeping the reload mechanic.  (Most mods do the ME1 method, but you have to empty the clip, not reloading.)  It is SO much better.  It doesn't work for the DLC guns, unfortunately, but I can live without them.

One annoying thing I found out is that your achievements are not updated when you load a game.  With a new install, I had nothing completed.  It's odd because I would have thought that's kept in your online profile like Dragon Age.

[tgr]

That's what I was saying in another thread about consolitis or whatever the heck it was. It's just a better game to play.

I didn't actually notice much difference between the two, even if I played ME1 on the 360 and ME2 on the PC. The only thing I did get slightly annoyed at was the duck-before-jump thing.

I actually didn't mind the driving around so much, for some odd reason. I certainly didn't think the "scan planets for resources" was a game mechanic to spend more time on than absolutely necessary, in fact I spent much less time on that than I did on driving around on every planetoid I could land on. vOv

[Shrike]

There's isn't much difference between 360 and PC version of either ME. Mostly what there is is around the UI and control schemes. PC is slighty better if you play classes with lots of abilities (more critical in ME1 than 2). Other than that, it's half a dozen of one six of another. If you don't have an HDTV, then PC will look better. If you do, then it's a tossup. I might change my tune on this when I eventually go 2560x1600 on the PC, but until then, same, same, more of the same.

Ahh, the mako. Actually, there ME1 PC blows the 360 version away. Control on the mako on the PC is pure  . 360 version is merely adequate.

[Ingmar]

I found the Mako easier to drive on the 360, but easier to aim/shoot with on the PC. Kind of a wash.

[SnakeCharmer]

Last night was the first time I ever fired off an M-920 Cain. 

That thing is pure sex.

[Stormwaltz]

Last night was the first time I ever fired off an M-920 Cain.

Trivia: it's not named for the Biblical figure, but for Fallout designer Tim Cain.

[Sjofn]

First time I shot that puppy was at the gunship at the end of the Kasumi mission. I went

Pro tip: That thing will kill your ass if you fire it too close. I learned that the hard way. :(

[Lantyssa]

The Cain let me beat the Thresher Maw in Impossible the other day.  Lovely gun.

[Shrike]

I think the first time I used the Cain was on a hardcore playthrough on Haestrom: yep, the Colossus. Blew it up real good. Actually, my first thought was whoa. Then--second thought--that's hardly sporting at all. Fun, though.

I also blew myself up once with it on the IFF mission. Danger close to hardcore scions. Ouch. Killed the hell out of them, though.

[Merusk]

I never used it, the damn thing always took too long to charge so I'd get pounded down before firing off.  Damn the AI and its "target the PC before the NPC" routines. 

Seriously, I lost count of how many times I just had to tag one or two guys and my NPCs would clean up while I took cover as the enemies tried to kill me and ignored my team.  Kasumi was the one that killed the gunship, I just kept running from cover to cover, tagging it with the heavy rifle once in a while.

[SnakeCharmer]

I'm contemplating making 3 new run throughs right now for ME3 with the following goals:

Dead Shep:  Blaze through as fast as possible doing main storyline only, no loyalty missions, no upgrades, hardcore mode.  Get as many people killed as possible, and possibly even Shepard at the end
Para Shep:  All missions done, all paragon all the time.  All loyalty missions, all DLC, all upgrades, all weapons, etc.  Insanity mode.
Ren Shep:  All missions done, all renegade all the time.  All loyalty missions, all DLC, all upgrades, all weapons, etc.  Insanity mode.

On a different note....Why the hell can I not make a femShep on a new character?  I got to "new" and it only gives me options for default male and custom male.

[Jeff Kelly]

I used the Cain once entirely by accident because I didn't know what it did. Cleaned the whole room at the end of the Collector ship mission including the Harbinger.

At first I was like  then I was like 

It's a pity that you rarely get the opportunity to use the big guns, in a normal boss fight even on normal the enemies pound through your shields and health by the time the things are charged.

Don't get me startet on missions like Horizon that's a PITA even on normal.

[Jeff Kelly]

BTW there is probably another DLC in the works. The latest PS3 patch revealed some info. It's called 'The Arrival' and focuses on an expert for the mass portals.

[Ingmar]

Yeah there is one piece of transition-to-ME3 DLC coming, I guess that is probably it.

[Morat20]

First time I used the Cain was very much "What does this do?" and then obliterating everything on God's green earth. Takes too long to charge and you only get the one shot.

Mostly I stuck with the collector beam, but I'm starting to like the Arc Projector on Hardcore. Does a serious number on clustered waves of enemies. Bosses I can deal with, but the rushes can be a real pain at times.

FYI, I think it's past time they allow people to buy the collector's edition stuff. I want a blackstorm.