Mass Effect 3

[Pezzle]

Why does Ashley now remind me of Miranda? =(



And does that mean they have to Amp up Miranda?

[rk47]

Non spoiler short gameplay vid i made. I imported a Lvl 30 sentinel and set it on insanity. It wasn't challenging. At all.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLl9eiA8y6Q

[Paelos]

Heh, I chuckled.

[Mazakiel]

As an FYI, the From Ashes DLC mission has a bug that causes the game to crash right after a cut-scene.  You can get past it by hitting escape right as it ends to go into the pause menu, and continue from there. 

[Pezzle]

A tip for PC players who might be playing ME 3 on a new system

You need to put your ME2 saves in a specific location.

On Win 7 it is as follows:

<root>\users\<name>\My Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect 2\Save\*\file

*is a folder name you make up like John_Adept_0316

The release build does not have a way to browse for old saves that I know of. 

[Sky]

I had already done that, imported my old dude...but it won't load in his derpy old ME1 face. Luckily, it's easy to create a derpy new Shep.

Kinda bummed 3d Vision doesn't seem to be working properly on my new system.

[Trippy]

ME2 was similar -- my face from ME1 was horribly disfigured on import into ME2 so I had redo it almost completely. Not sure why BioWare is incapable of preserving the old faces while still allowing room for additional customizations.

[Tebonas]

Could you maybe send me that PM as well, jakonovski?

[Pezzle]

I had already done that, imported my old dude...but it won't load in his derpy old ME1 face. Luckily, it's easy to create a derpy new Shep.

Kinda bummed 3d Vision doesn't seem to be working properly on my new system.

Is more meant as advice for people who were playing ME1+2 on a system other than the one ME3 is installed on.  In their brilliance, Bioware did not include a browse function for imports so you have to recreate a full structure. 

[Sjofn]

Oh fuck you so much, Bioware. Sally Shepard, black woman, did not import properly. And as near as I can tell, this is because they got rid of about 90% of the options that made Sally look like a black woman. Best I can do is a Mysteriously Ethnic Woman who looks NOTHING like Sally did.

I have a sad.


EDIT: Oh, they still have the horrible dark purple lipstick color. So at least NotSally will have terrible lipstick.

[Reg]

Oh this is bullshit. The EA servers are down and it won't let me resume the game I started a couple of hours ago because it can't verify my DLC.

Edit: Turns out that Origin isn't bright enough to know that the PC has been asleep and it's lost its internet connection. Manually going offline/online fixed things.

edit: grammar

[Sjofn]

WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP


Not a REAL spoiler, really, but I figure better safe than sorry. 

[Velorath]

Mass Effect Infiltrator is now available as well (for iOS devices) for $6.99.

[Sky]

And as near as I can tell, this is because they got rid of about 90% of the options that made Sally look like a black woman. Best I can do is a Mysteriously Ethnic Woman who looks NOTHING like Sally did.

I have a sad.

Derpy Shep apparently spent his downtime in a CIA black site. What's with the cheek options Gaunt--------Gaunter? And apparently he's the only blond dude in the future.

[kildorn]

So far, I'm really enjoying this. As far as single player difficulty goes: they toned down the number of things shielded/armored. At least on the first dozen or so missions. That's why biotics make things crazy easy. Singularity->Warp was one shotting entire waves of hostiles.

Lazy/tie in design alert though: random *enemy faction bases* in the single player feel... gamey. And for a reason! I did one where you go get an item in a base, and then return it to your shuttle twice as enemies swarm in. Kinda fun. Also, a multiplayer map. All the strange maps in single player where there is a ton of open space for no reason compared to the normal plot maps? Multiplayer maps.

Also, Salarian pistol from the demo? Best gun ever.

edit: slightly spoil-y, but nothing specific:

[tmp]

Oh fuck you so much, Bioware. Sally Shepard, black woman, did not import properly. And as near as I can tell, this is because they got rid of about 90% of the options that made Sally look like a black woman. Best I can do is a Mysteriously Ethnic Woman who looks NOTHING like Sally did.

Suppose that should be expected -- seems the only acceptable appearance for black women in the media is Halle Berry look-alike.

[tmp]

Hmm, some info on how the single/multiplayer affects the single player outcome from pcgamer.

not (too) spoilery, but not very optimistic, either.

[jth]

If you don't import a savegame, will it ask you past events/choices like ME2 did, or are all (or most) of them stuck with some default setting?

I'm asking because of my stupidity, I pre-ordered the PS3 version without thinking (I prefer the PS3 controller) but only today I realised my ME2 savegames are on X360. I ordered the X360 version now as well and I can sell the extra copy, but I only have the pre-order bonus thingy for the PS3 version.

[Miasma]

Only plot question it asks seems to be if kato or ashley died, there is a third option of "lots of people died".  There are still the how were you born spacer/military/earth type questions.

[kildorn]

Hmm, some info on how the single/multiplayer affects the single player outcome from pcgamer.

not (too) spoilery, but not very optimistic, either.

That review seems to be.. slightly odd? So you can get the "best" ending without playing multi is what it says. He's just whining that if you don't play multi or the IOS games you have to play more of the single player (side missions), and your prior game choices make it easier or harder on you. So, if you like the single player.. you have to play more of the single player?

Someone explain to me how this is somehow a legit complaint and not just looking for reasons to bitch about ME3 again?

[Reg]

That's pretty stupid. The only thing that would piss me off would be if I had to play multiplayer or some retarded Facebook addon to get the best ending.

[Rokal]

If you don't import a savegame, will it ask you past events/choices like ME2 did, or are all (or most) of them stuck with some default setting?

I'm asking because of my stupidity, I pre-ordered the PS3 version without thinking (I prefer the PS3 controller) but only today I realised my ME2 savegames are on X360. I ordered the X360 version now as well and I can sell the extra copy, but I only have the pre-order bonus thingy for the PS3 version.

Download a save that is similar to your ME1/2 save: http://www.masseffect2saves.com/

I was in the same boat, but I was able to find a save that was similar-enough to my ME1/2 save. Couldn't find a single save on that website where the Rachni queen was killed though. Damn preservationists.

Edit: Or you're talking about the PS3 version, not the PC version. Whoops.

[Stormwaltz]

About the multiplayer thing, here's the gist as it was explained to me:

If you play multiplayer, you don't have to do as many single-player missions to get your hypothetical "best end."

The suggestion that you can't get a "good end" without multiplayer is not true.

[Ratman_tf]

Totally not interested in multiplayer unless it's co-op story.

[kildorn]

Multi will only interest you if you like the gunplay mechanics. If you suffer the gunplay to enjoy the story, it's not For You, basically.

I found the article silly because what they basically did was give you a mess of ways to get the good endings. Either you play the shit out of the single, play the iOS game, or play the multi. Any way you slice it, they're trying to make it so you don't have to do something you don't like.

Gameplay wise: new scanning replacement isn't as painful. It's essentially the probe game for mission locations. You have an indicator where the spot is, then you drop a probe when the white circle appears. In sector, you can probe about 1/8th the sector per click to find random spacejunk.

[tmp]

He's just whining that if you don't play multi or the IOS games you have to play more of the single player (side missions), and your prior game choices make it easier or harder on you. So, if you like the single player.. you have to play more of the single player?

Someone explain to me how this is somehow a legit complaint and not just looking for reasons to bitch about ME3 again?

It is "you have to play more of the single player" in the sense planet scanning in ME2 was "playing more of the single player". Which yes, was fine as long as you were one of the three people on the planet who thought it's fun.

[Nebu]

Multi will only interest you if you like the gunplay mechanics. If you suffer the gunplay to enjoy the story, it's not For You, basically.

Makes sense.  I was introduced to ME3 by the multiplayer and wondered what the hype was.  The single player, story-driven game was much more enjoyable.  The mechanics really do get in the way of the story.  I just couldn't get past how bad they were in the multiplayer game. 

[kildorn]

He's just whining that if you don't play multi or the IOS games you have to play more of the single player (side missions), and your prior game choices make it easier or harder on you. So, if you like the single player.. you have to play more of the single player?

Someone explain to me how this is somehow a legit complaint and not just looking for reasons to bitch about ME3 again?

It is "you have to play more of the single player" in the sense planet scanning in ME2 was "playing more of the single player". Which yes, was fine as long as you were one of the three people on the planet who thought it's fun.

There's practically no scanning bullshit this time. What he's crying about are the side missions that are relatively plot-light(meaning no conversations, just background chatter). And not wanting to do all of them to get the complete score.

The scanning game this time around is basically pressing the scan button four times per sector. Crushing grind, yo.

[tmp]

There's practically no scanning bullshit this time. What he's crying about are the side missions that are relatively plot-light(meaning no conversations, just background chatter). And not wanting to do all of them to get the complete score.

No, he specifically explains that he's done all those missions and got mediocre ending, at which point the only missions left for him to boost the 'readiness score' were the direct equivalent of ME2 scanning -- that is, scanning the systems for the unmarked planets to retrieve the loot drops from them through the probe launch. It really hardly matters at this point whether you can scan a system with 8 clicks or 4 clicks, as no matter the number of clicks per system it remains entirely mindless, mechanical bullshit that you apparently need to do quite a bit of.

[Rokal]

I spent about an hour searching for an ME2 save that resembled mine. Finally ready to start single player, I launched ME3 at midnight EST on the dot and was promptly invited by some friends to play multiplayer. 

The enemy/map variety was a welcome addition, but more importantly the multiplayer felt faster and more responsive in the retail game. Spacebar-movement didn't feel as clunky, and you could turn your character easier while running. If your major complaint about multiplayer was how unresponsive it felt, you might want to give it another shot. I fully expect most people to continue shitting on it anyway. 

By the time we finished it was much too late to make any real progress starting single player. I think I'm just going to try transferring my 360 save to PC tonight, so maybe it worked out for the best.

[kildorn]

There's practically no scanning bullshit this time. What he's crying about are the side missions that are relatively plot-light(meaning no conversations, just background chatter). And not wanting to do all of them to get the complete score.

No, he specifically explains that he's done all those missions and got mediocre ending, at which point the only missions left for him to boost the 'readiness score' were the direct equivalent of ME2 scanning -- that is, scanning the systems for the unmarked planets to retrieve the loot drops from them through the probe launch. It really hardly matters at this point whether you can scan a system with 8 clicks or 4 clicks, as no matter the number of clicks per system it remains entirely mindless, mechanical bullshit that you apparently need to do quite a bit of.

It's not that much of it. Seriously. And it makes a lot more sense than element scanning if you care about the plot more than the gunplay. I don't get the whole OH GOD HOW COULD THEY about every minor aspect of ME3. If you want the absolute best ending, you need to spend 20 minutes doing something. Woo.

[tmp]

It's not that much of it. Seriously. And it makes a lot more sense than element scanning if you care about the plot more than the gunplay.

I don't really care that much whether it makes more sense, i'm more concerned with this element being mechanically utterly dull. That's why i don't feel much excitement at the thought it's being forced upon people who don't want the multiplayer or to pay extra for a side-game.

If it's really no more than "20 minutes" of it then that's less of a problem, but honestly given i did see it takes quite a few more clicks to cover a system than 4/8, i feel you may be downplaying it a little here. And if you are and it's actually closer to 1-2 hours of such bullshit, do you really want to defend that as solid design decision that can't be pointed out as a weak point?

[LK]

I'm a little underwhelmed so far with the core product.

Story: I'm glad I didn't have to play Mass Effect 2's Arrival DLC to know what's going on (apparently Shepard was relieved of duty), but there's some gaps that playing auxiliary products would seem to resolve. So far things are playing out pretty expectantly, which is the source of my underwhelming feelings. I'm not emotionally connected to the experience of the first couple hours. My FemShep appearance import failed gloriously, so I went default FemShep, since they looked similar.

Product: The marketing and tie-in's are fairly evident in the product, from "Better with Kinect" being prominently displayed on the box and all their marketing to the Day 1 DLC ("We'll give you a pre-order bonus if you spend $10 to From Ashes on Day 1"). You need to buy EA's Online Code if you rent the product, etc. There's a lot of money tied into this one.

Multiplayer: Multiplayer seems pretty solid for a first-time outing and I'm glad they went with straight Co-Op Horde mode with a single player tie-in. I don't know about the netcode. It's been spotty for me but that could be my connection. Speaking of Tie-In's, creating an option to buy their in-game consumable packs for Microsoft Points (80/160) is depressing. Good business, maybe. But depressing, similar to MW3's "Double XP from Pepsi Codes" and other external factors affecting the internal system.

[Rokal]

Product: The marketing and tie-in's are fairly evident in the product, from "Better with Kinect" being prominently displayed on the box and all their marketing to the Day 1 DLC ("We'll give you a pre-order bonus if you spend $10 to From Ashes on Day 1"). You need to buy EA's Online Code if you rent the product, etc. There's a lot of money tied into this one.

What did buying From Ashes on Day 1 get you?

[caladein]

For the record, "Better with Kinect" is standard Microsoft labeling for any game that has optional Kinect functionality.