5

you people make me sad i don't have this game yet

11/28/2007 2:51:51 PM

racking up the achievements pretty quick on my first play through.

11/28/2007 2:56:14 PM

Quote :

"my new thing is after i do a side mission, i try and use intimidate to get some extra money out of it"

I did this for a while, but the thing that got me is you can shake someone down for like an extra 250 or whatever and then turn around and sell all the guns you found on the mission for 2-3 million. I always felt like a dick taking their money when clearly, they needed it more than I did.

11/28/2007 2:58:20 PM

i'm sad that I don't have enough time to play this game...
i've had it a week and haven't beaten it yet.


i fell asleep on the couch playing last night
woke up this morning and finished the conversation

11/28/2007 3:05:53 PM

the best is when you wake up on the couch to 1st down and 70 yards from your own 1 yard line after the umpteen hundredth delay of game penalty

11/28/2007 4:42:43 PM

Alright, finally finished this shit, heres some thoughts



***SPOILERS LIKE A BITCH****











I banged the white bitch, I think you can't bang both of them so you have to choose between the blue lady and the white lady. Whenever I was talking to the blue lady I dissed her so she wouldn't keep coming on to me and I kept hitting on the white chick, but I didn't get to bang her till the end. I don't know why I put so much effort into it tho, all you get is some 20 second scene and like half a butt cheek. In Mass Effect 2 they need to make it so if you're a renegade you can try to rape people instead of seducing them, to speed up the process.

I let the Russian guy die, it was either him or the chick I'd spent ten hours tryna fuck. He was worthless anyway, the only people I rolled with were the white girl and the Battletoad guy. The rest of my crew was kinda queer...the girl with the mask and the arabic accent and the faggot sniper with the half goggle thing, I wish I could have had them die too.

Whenever the part came where the battletoad dude was spose to die, I played it out a couple times where I killed him, and then the white girl killed him, and then I talked him out of it and he lived...I think I got an achievement for the latter.

I was an Infiltrator so I had pistol and snipes, but in the end I was so powerful that I didn't waste time sniping and just ran into the middle with my pistols blazing. My dumbass teammates would die alot, so they were basically just meat cushions to take some of the bullets.

I did like 3 or 4 of the side missions on other planets but they got repetitive quick, and the building on each of the planets was like the exact same on the inside. So I just concentrated on beating the main mission after that.

I was renegade mostly the whole way, enough to get the achievement at least. I was only nice to the white girl and the black girl on that ice planet cuz at the time, I thought I might be able to bang her too.

Elevators in this game...WTF

For some reason I thought that fag who was asking for my autograph near the beggining was gonna come back and be a bad guy at the end. I signed it and for some reason I was thinking he was gonna take my signature and forge some documents with it and get me in trouble, I'm not sure why.



***END SPOILERS






All in all, pretty fun. I doubt I'll run through it again, maybe whenever they drop some DLC. I'd give it a 9 out of 10.

11/29/2007 9:21:05 AM

The elevator rides in the game are actually loading periods. I'll take a ride in the elevator over staring at the mass relay yet again while the game is loading.

11/29/2007 10:16:32 AM

^haha yeah, i figured that out after a few elevator rides. At first i was like "WTF is this elevator so slow! i'm going 1 floor and its taking forever! Would have been faster to take the stairs."

11/29/2007 10:18:11 AM

i usually use the elevators to see what kind of camera angle i can get of ashley's junk

11/29/2007 10:24:21 AM

I have yet to use ashley in any mission. And when it came down to sending her or the guy to assault the base for a diversion, i sent her cause she's useless for me lol (from a strategic point of view that doesn't involve a penis)

11/29/2007 10:29:34 AM

as long as one of my party members has some type of biotic ability, which Wrex does, i usually take ashley because she's kinda handy with an assault rifle

11/29/2007 10:34:50 AM

I went soldier, so she's completely useless to me.

I wish I had chosen a character with some tech ability so I wouldn't have to drag along the Turian, Kaiden, or the robochick.

11/29/2007 10:43:15 AM

I'm going soldier the 2nd time through but I just don't care as much about the Biotic and Tech skills...when I went through as an Infiltrator one of the frustrating things was I would open just about every box or electronics or decryption device...I can't tell you how much time I spent simply turning stuff into Omni-Gel because I was approaching the 150 item limit

11/29/2007 11:28:17 AM

i sold one time during the entire game and got the rich achievement haha.

11/29/2007 12:20:23 PM

I'm a soldier and I'm already at the 150 limit

but i have yet to sell anything! and have 40k credits after spending 40k on a assault rifle. I should start selling some stuff.

11/29/2007 12:58:23 PM

i got to the point late in my 1st game as Infiltrator where I would just sell (or convert to omni-gel if i wasnt near a store) anything level VI or VII or below...just too much stuff to pick up...it was kind of annoying when I'd get some cool items and couldnt keep any of them because I had just been picking up items...and I mean do you really need 12 copies of some grenade upgrade, when you are the only character who can even use grenades?

also iirc that plasma rifle is dope...like 80 accuracy rating, which is pretty damn good for an assault rifle

also fwiw sometimes a level 6 weapon might be a lot more powerful than a level 8 weapon, depending on the manufacturer, etc

11/29/2007 1:00:26 PM

you'll want to get the Specter VII & X weapons and armor (HMMVW or something like that).

The weapons are flat out better than everything else in the game. The armor's better than everything except for the Colossus IX & X armor in certain cases.

By the time you get >50, it's rare to not have your credits maxed out (which kinda sucks)

11/29/2007 3:17:29 PM

nice...i think i got to level 41 or 42 or something when i beat it before...i know 50 is the max until you do the "Upgrade+" or whatever option to save your abilities into the next game so you can get up to level 60...I did get a couple million credits though...you cant buy a lot of stuff early on in the game (i stuck to buying firearm licenses, and the grenade/medigel upgrades) but once you pick up a bunch of items and sell them money isnt much of an issue

the reason i switched from infiltrator to soldier in my 2nd game is because the 1st time through i got all these sweet assault rifles and shotguns and heavy armor, but i couldnt use any of them

[Edited on November 29, 2007 at 3:25 PM. Reason : .]

11/29/2007 3:24:50 PM

Yeah I got tired of using just the pistol as well, the snipe was fun for a while but it was like you had parkinson's when you were trying to aim, the scope shook like crazy

11/29/2007 3:30:30 PM

as Infiltrator I also used pistols 99% of the time

although Sniper Rifle + Assassination 2 (or whatever increases your next sniper shot by like 225%) + High Explosive Rounds (or whatever the one that increases Firepower +500% at the expense of overheating, etc) is pretty dope

after you set the bomb and go back to either save Ashley or Kaiden and you have to fight Sarin, the Sniper + Assassination 2 + High Explosive Rounds took down Sarin in ONE SHOT

11/29/2007 3:34:10 PM

Get the Specter sniper rifle with >50% full sniper skill and it will be absolutely still.

Then put two Hyper Rail X mods on it using Explosive Shells X, and you'll one shot everything but a Colossus. Then again, you'll also overheat in one shot, too. If it's an issue in combat I do Hyper Rail X and Frictionless Materials X with whatever the incinerating rounds are called at level X.



[Edited on November 29, 2007 at 3:37 PM. Reason : or is that scram rail? I can't remember the names of these things.]

11/29/2007 3:34:43 PM

yeah Explosive shells, thats what I meant

that powerup is SICK as long as you watch out for overheating

11/29/2007 3:36:42 PM

haha, this is starting to sound like the WoW thread, lol

11/29/2007 3:42:15 PM

I read you might be able to keep your current character for the sequel to this game, which would be kinda cool

I spent some time in the face editor trying to make my guy look like he had Downs Syndrome, but wasn't able to get that accurate. He looks more like a caveman with Owen Wilson's nose and and Jay Z's lips

11/29/2007 3:50:40 PM

God I'm 8 hours in and absolutely loving it. People that beat this in 30 hours amaze me as I'm barely far in. The universe map is friggin huge, and there's just so much to like in this game.

Once you get your charm and intimidation up, its awesome to work all sorts of situations differently. conversational options included.

Just a fantastic fucking game. Kudos Bioware.

11/30/2007 12:43:00 PM

Quote :

"you'll want to get the Specter VII & X weapons and armor (HMMVW or something like that). The weapons are flat out better than everything else in the game. The armor's better than everything except for the Colossus IX & X armor in certain cases. By the time you get >50, it's rare to not have your credits maxed out (which kinda sucks)"

there are no spectre class armors. only elite which are from the geth, asari and some other manufacturer. i have most of my characters in colossus and garrus in phantom light (same as nihlus)

11/30/2007 2:26:23 PM

You know which ones I'm talking about, right?

The green camo one? You can only get it from the special spectre dealer in C-Sec.

And where'd you get the phantom?



Oh, and I'm asking questions, what are the special Asari upgrades I'm supposed to be privy to after I off'ed a guy for that chick in the embassy lounge?

11/30/2007 2:50:06 PM

Quote :

"God I'm 8 hours in and absolutely loving it. People that beat this in 30 hours amaze me as I'm barely far in."

aint hard. i did a decent number of side missions and still beat it in 12 hours easy. the main storyline is so short. my major issue with the game was that the side missions didnt seem that interesting to me.

11/30/2007 7:05:30 PM

makes one of us. I'm finding all the little nuances of side quests and story to be pretty fucking awesome. I guess it just strikes a chord if you are a sci-fi nerd. i find just taking my time to be rewarding in the game.

I like it better than KOTOR so far. Has more dimensions sans the inventory system being a bit too simplified.

11/30/2007 8:58:53 PM

Almost done with my 2nd playthrough, soldier class this time. I'm level 48 and 27 hours in, I may reach level 50 before I finish.

I did almost every sidequest this time.

Soldier class was easier than Adept, but Adept may have been more fun.

Next time I'm doing engineer with assault rifle bonus skill.

12/1/2007 2:40:26 AM

^^ shrug. i just agree more with the other person who said that a lot of them are the same things. you drop down on the planet, drive around in the terribly controlled tank for a bit, and then go in a building with the same layout as before.

the main storyline was done very well and the game is enjoyable, but something was missing for me. oblivion wasnt as awe inspiring, but it had something that kept me coming back which this one just doesnt do.

perhaps it has to do with the meh side missions as i said before. perhaps it has to do with the uselessness of 90% of the stuff i found. i mean, i wore 3 different armors the ENTIRE game. i used maybe 3 different pistols. all of this despite finding probably 100 of each. i like to switch it up some, to feel like you are constantly progressing. PEOPLE LIKE TO FIND PHAT LEWTZ.

things i would change if i could? morph the story to allow for other playable races. map more buttons for spells. vary the inventory more. just a few things.

12/1/2007 10:36:46 AM

To kind of add on to your point, I think part of the appeal of Oblivion for me was that the sidequests were so involved that they could have easily have held up as the main story in a lesser game. Like with the Dark Brotherhood quests, it was a whole seperate story that you could spend hours on without touching the main quest. With Mass Effect, each side mission feels like a one-and-done collect or kill deal, where there's really nothing more than landing and driving around. If they had side missions like Oblivion, you could find like a space bounty hunter company, for example, and do several missions for them, or join some mercenary group, and you had to go kill 10 Krogans and bring back their heads to be initiated, or something like that. Just elements to make the sidequests more varied and involved, so they didn't feel like busy work and make me just want to get back to the main story.

12/1/2007 12:07:11 PM

yeah that sums it up pretty good.

12/1/2007 12:12:29 PM

I sort of agree with you there.

Although the novelty of the different planets and systems is enough to compensate for the identical buildings.


I'm really hoping the upcoming downloadable content includes some significant additions.

12/1/2007 12:16:00 PM

Quote :

" there are no spectre class armors. only elite which are from the geth, asari and some other manufacturer. i have most of my characters in colossus and garrus in phantom light (same as nihlus)"

But since he wasn't talking about class-specific armors and instead was talking about the insanely good armors with spectre in the title, what's your point?

12/1/2007 12:54:35 PM

this game has so many awesome side missions that I can't seem to find time to advance the story

12/1/2007 1:15:12 PM

Quote :

"Like with the Dark Brotherhood quests, it was a whole seperate story that you could spend hours on without touching the main quest. With Mass Effect, each side mission feels like a one-and-done collect or kill deal, where there's really nothing more than landing and driving around."

Well to be fair, the Dark Brotherhood missions were about 5 times as good as oblivions main quest anyway.

Also, there are a few missions in ME that involve several planets, the cerebrus quest for example.

12/1/2007 1:27:23 PM

Quote :

" Also, there are a few missions in ME that involve several planets, the cerebrus quest for example."

Haha those side quests involved 8 planets or so (if you include the non-integral cerberus stuff) and the death of an admiral and all.

12/1/2007 1:50:44 PM

I must have missed that Cerebrus quest...where do you initiate that, so I can try it my next go through?

12/1/2007 1:56:22 PM

It starts when you go to the med clinic a second time (after the garrus part, then you have to talk to the doc and ask if she's alright, then you have to go back later) and she's arguing with someone on the screen about medical supplies.

12/1/2007 4:17:23 PM

Quote :

"TreeTwista10 Same name since 01 58734 Posts user info edit post can you turn into anybody other than Shepard? 11/23/2007 1:15:27 PM AndyMac All American 9216 Posts user info edit post No, you can just tell them what to do. "

How do you tell them to use a med pac?

12/3/2007 7:53:32 AM

oh, and is it bad that I seriously considered using a sick day to take a day off and play this since I just opened it last night?

12/3/2007 8:39:56 AM

This game has one of the worst combat systems I've ever played with.

The notable retardedness:

-Sticky cover system ala 'Gears of War' minus half the utility.
-Pausing Combat to switch weapons
-Pausing Combat to use bionics
-Weapon accuracy thats out of this world bad.
-Its two hundred years into the future, mankind is all over the Universe, and my shotgun still overheats
-which brings me to another: Shotgun, assault rifle, pistol, sniper rifle...Really guys...really?
-Can't save in combat.
-Team mate AI thats more of an annoyance then actual help.
-Melee combat thats isn't seamlessly organized.
-Can't jump, I can't fathom why, but you can't.
-Soggy movement.

In the year 2007, with examples such as Gears of War, Halo series and BioShock, I have no idea why the combat in this game is so bad. Boss encounters especially are an exercise in bashing your head against a wall repeatedly.

When you pick this up. set combat mode to easy and enjoy everything else the game has to offer. Its a great game, but deeply flawed.

[Edited on December 3, 2007 at 10:13 AM. Reason : company mixup]

12/3/2007 10:09:38 AM

Over half of what you've listed is what makes this game an RPG and not an FPS..
go play gears of war if you aren't happy

12/3/2007 10:14:26 AM

I knew somebody was going to reply with something retarded like that.

Unfortunately for you and your basic understanding of the universe, it has an FPS combat engine and forces me to use its very fps like mechanics, you know, point shot gun and fire until moving object stops moving.

12/3/2007 10:17:29 AM

True, but its also not a game thats meant to be played like a run and gun FPS...
there is a reason why combat can be easily paused..because by nature it is an RPG

I suppose you could just pull out the shotgun and try to blast your way through the game
but thats probably why you play on easy while everyone else can do it on normal

12/3/2007 10:22:32 AM

See I'm not going to even get offended because you have no premise. Saying "hurr rpg's are supposed to be teh slow and teh thinkings game" doesn't make sense when combat is done as an FPS with the standard fps weapons. They didn't even bother thinking up some new line of technology that could have been invented, no, there's pistol, rifle, shotgun and dumbass AI for teammates.

Since you like being snide about 'rpg' elements then let me go ahead and tell you that THIS combination has been done better by far shittier fps games.

As I sidenote, the RPG "start like a total fucking n00b" element needs to go away if they ever plan on making a hybrid rpg/fps that isn't terrible. I'm a fucking spectre two hundred years in the future and my god damn pistol, with points IN pistols, has a worse shooting radius then a mobile AWP.

No this combat system is absurd in how bad it is and any sensible gamer will fess up to this.

12/3/2007 10:39:01 AM

i apologize for getting snide and you are right on a few points
but i still disagree on most..

accuracy is an issue and the cover leaves much to be desired
but everything else I've said so far I believe to be correct.

If you take away most of what you are complaining about then it will cease to be an RPG and just be an interactive movie with FPS moments.

As for weapons and what not I think that they've done a decent job for an initial game, and I do expect a lot more with the sequels

12/3/2007 11:00:41 AM

^^I think his point is that it's an RPG and thus flaws in the combat system don't matter, because that's not the focus of the game. Combat in this FPS-RPG is there to move it between story/RPG elements. Which is understandable, to a point, but I do think that they could have refined the system better (I agree that the AI is terrible at fighting).

And in regards to your posts... if the RPG element of starting weak went away, there would be no point in leveling up... start powerful and stay powerful? Why even have a level-up/skill-up system? Just make it a dialog-based FPS (eww... that doesn't even sound good as a genre) if you're going to get rid of that. So you're not Master Chief and your future weapons don't always hit... who gives a shit? Do you even think about things like game balance and mechanics when you spout off nonsense?

Half of the "problems" in your original post would just make the RPG element of the game completely pointless if removed. They introduced weapon overheats and weapon inaccuracy to make sure that you wouldn't just be able to plow the fuck through everything like a run-and-gun FPS (if they had eliminated these things, they would have been forced to add massive amounts of health to the enemies, and really, who would want that? Your enemies shouldn't need to have your health x5 to balance the game.).

The basic weapon system is there to make things understandable. In earlier Bioware RPGs based off the DnD system, there were large amounts of spell and weapon descriptions that you needed to read through before you understood the mechanics of whatever you are using. They use a much more basic weapon system here to avoid scaring off people who are in it for the FPS aspects more than the RPG aspects (people like you, apparently, but you don't seem to appreciate the fact that they had to dumb it down for you).

Also, if you "can't fathom why" there is no jumping, you must have the gaming knowledge of a brick. Jumping adds a huge potential for breaking things in that you can get outside of levels or go where you aren't supposed to go. This sort of thing does NOT belong in an RPG at all, unless you wanted them to delay the release by a year hashing out all the potential problems with a jumping ability, for something that would only add minimally to the gameplay.


[Edited on December 3, 2007 at 11:06 AM. Reason : ^, and grammar]

12/3/2007 11:03:56 AM

while i understand an initial reaction to the game of "wtf how come i cant jump?" once you play the game for all of 5-10 minutes i dont know why you ever need to jump...plus the 6-wheeler has boosters!

also while i'm pissed at how inaccurate my early level assault rifle is, from playing the game through as an infiltrator, my handgun was pretty damn accurate, and i know once i level my other weapons up they will also become a lot more accurate

and in regards to this being the future and weapons still overheating...i mean you never have to reload your guns...isnt that futuristic enough?

12/3/2007 11:28:57 AM