First time I played the game, I made 50 before I even got to Ilos. I was fighting absolutely everything on foot, and didn't use the Mako for anything other than getting from place to place. On the second and current playthrough, I made 54 before I even got command of the Normandy. I'm at 57 now, am halfway though Noveria, and still have Feros, Virmire, and Ilos to go. I think I may have a chance, but the XP jump from 57 to 58 is something ridiculous. The last two are bound to be even worse...

2/3/2010 7:10:54 PM

So I played ME1 through twice to see a paragon and renegade ending...but with this game I can definitely see myself playing through 3 to 4 times just to play all the classes that I want to play..and try different relationships and combos of prepared-ness....is that sad?

I just love this fuckin game

2/4/2010 8:39:16 AM

Not too far into the game yet and it's been forever since I played the first one. What's the deal with paragon and renegade again? They just open up new conversation options, that's it?

I guess I'm more familiar with the KotOR model, where you're one or the other and it makes powers have a greater effect if the power matches up with your alignment. Obviously that isn't the case here, as you have both and you don't have aligned powers. SO it only matters in a choice you're offered endgame?

Also, what happens if you run out of gas in a solar system that doesn't have fueling station? You get towed at your expense or something?

2/4/2010 10:07:55 AM

Quote :

"I never found the shadow broker at all in ME1....is it even possible, I never saw anything that would lead me farther into that quest."

No, it's not possible.

Quote :

"So I played ME1 through twice to see a paragon and renegade ending...but with this game I can definitely see myself playing through 3 to 4 times just to play all the classes that I want to play..and try different relationships and combos of prepared-ness....is that sad? I just love this fuckin game"

I don't like some of the new game mechanics (mineral scanning, thermal clips, lack of items), but the storyline is phenomenal. Unlike ME1, your decisions really do make a huge freaking difference.

[SPOILER]

I just read that the your entire team, including Shepard, can die if you're not prepared for the suicide mission.

[/SPOILER]

Quote :

"What's the deal with paragon and renegade again? They just open up new conversation options, that's it?"

Not just new dialogue-- new options. I failed Tali's loyalty mission because I didn't have enough paragon or renegade points.

It also opens up some hilarious/badass cutscenes with the new left/right trigger dialogue interrupt mechanic.

[Edited on February 4, 2010 at 11:43 AM. Reason : ]

2/4/2010 11:42:24 AM

Quote :

"Also, what happens if you run out of gas in a solar system that doesn't have fueling station? You get towed at your expense or something?"

I heard you start burning minerals

2/4/2010 11:54:49 AM

^Interesting. And if you run out of minerals? I suppose if you're completely out of probes, credits, minerals and fuel you just can't go out to the border systems. I'm wondering what happens if you get stuck coming back from one. I guess you just warp to the nearest system that has a fueling station.

I think I'll start up a new game tonight just to see what happens.

2/4/2010 11:59:03 AM

^^ Yeah. I think it took like 500 Iridium from me or something, then warped me back to the nearest gate.

2/4/2010 12:03:58 PM

^When I first started flying around I didn't know about the fuel and the lady was like 'you are low on fuel' and then autopilot kicked in and took me to the nearest fuel depot to fill up. I think they did this with the intentions of keeping you from flying out into random space and reaching the end of the games textured universe.

2/4/2010 12:05:07 PM

I can't help but think they developed the tiny spaceship paradigm for the sole purpose of annoying me.

2/4/2010 12:06:57 PM

^Maybe they'll make you get oil changes every 3000 light years for ME3.

[Edited on February 4, 2010 at 12:16 PM. Reason : -]

2/4/2010 12:16:29 PM

Question since I still haven't played ME2 yet:

Can you make fun of Seth Green's brittle bones and talk shit to him about them like you could in ME1? I think when I get ME2 I'm going to be a very evil takes-no-shit-from-anybody character

2/4/2010 3:45:22 PM

yeah and if you piss him enough enough he'll do his Chris Griffin voice

2/4/2010 3:47:03 PM

Quote :

"piss him enough enough"

man i am torn between picking this game up today or putting it off and white warrioring it up

slave famous is the only person who can lead me in the right direction

2/4/2010 6:05:50 PM

Quote :

"but the XP jump from 57 to 58 is something ridiculous. The last two are bound to be even worse..."

Yea im at 59 right now, im about to complete another playthrough without leveling up at this rate

769,497 out of 862,100 xp

2/4/2010 9:30:15 PM

^ Did you play either of the DLC missions?

2/4/2010 10:03:26 PM

I'm usually not a big fan of trance music but lower level Afterlife is pretty catchy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIPWYF_G15M

2/4/2010 10:09:33 PM

^^ Nope, but if thats where the XP is at I might have to come up with the 400 ms points

^ Sweet jams bra

2/5/2010 2:22:53 AM

I must admit. The bars are crazy stimulating from the lighting, music and visuals

NERDS!

2/5/2010 7:26:24 AM

I've started my second playthrough as a paragon adept...I have to say I get a ridiculous amount of gratification from curving a warp, throw, or singularity field around the crate that the target is hiding beind...then seeing them fly out from behind it when it nails them in the face

2/5/2010 8:11:23 AM

Tangent:

Is anyone else annoyed that in the ME universe, there are separate weapons for the shotgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle, pistol, and SMG? And that a soldier would potentially carry all of them?

They're all shooting tiny grains of material at stupendous velocities-- is shooting one relatively larger grain at a time significantly different from shooting a couple slightly smaller grains at a time?

And the benefit from the weapons being collapsible doesn't seem worth the effort.

Ugh.

2/5/2010 12:17:55 PM

Video of Mass Effect 2 version of the Mako, coming soon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G38QRmA4LMw

2/5/2010 12:45:00 PM

My characters' strategy is to be mean / stern with everyone I come across...except hot women

and also except for characters I met in ME1...I'm not gonna be a dick to Garrus, for example

[Edited on February 5, 2010 at 1:07 PM. Reason : .]

2/5/2010 1:06:49 PM

finished up ME1 yesterday and installed ME2 this morning. Got to play a little at lunch and the gameplay is MUCH smoother for me (PC) and I really like the changes to the control scheme so far. Managing your party seems a little easier, although I couldn't find the "fall back" key for my group. I probably just need to open the config and see what's what.

Either way, looking forward to staying up late tonight and knocking a big chunk of this out.

Also, never got laid in ME1, what's the trick to doing it in ME2?

2/5/2010 1:15:18 PM

^just talk to someone of the opposite sex between every mission. make sure you don't say anything dumb either. MUCH easier than real life.

2/5/2010 1:25:41 PM

^ C button brings them back to you, although they don't always come immediately.

2/5/2010 2:25:11 PM

I've decided that Sentinal and Soldier are the most powerful classes. Funny because they are on opposite ends of the "abilities" wheel. I've got my Sentinel at level 29 right now, about to go on the suicide mission. I've got:
Heavy overload for synthetics and shields
Throw field for husks and unshielded enemies
Bonus ability is maxed out Reave for biotics and armor and to regen my health
Full Power armor protecting me and buffing my power damage
Passive skill maxed to Guardian giving me -30% power recharge time.
Unlocked assault rifle for some extra firepower

I've skipped out completely on Warp (since I'm using reave) and Cryo blast (Cool but seems more gimmicky than useful)

With my passive cooldown bonus, armor bonuses, and upgrades, I can cooldown from overload or reave in less than 3 seconds, and I can cool down from area throw in just over a second!

I also keep Garrus in my party for squad AP ammo, and Grunt to be my meat shield (full Krogan Pureblood and fortification).

2/5/2010 3:03:46 PM

btw, I imported my level 47 'sole survivor' soldier from ME1...one of the bonuses was I got 100,000 credits for 'importing a wealthy ME1 character'

thats pretty cool...buying some fish for my tank, or a space hamster at Citadel Souvenirs isnt even approaching breaking the bank

2/5/2010 3:18:00 PM

yeah armor, fish, model ships and such don't cost a lot, it's the upgrades that really drain the bank account.

2/5/2010 3:31:40 PM

Quote :

"Yea im at 59 right now, im about to complete another playthrough without leveling up at this rate 769,497 out of 862,100 xp"

I'm on my Insanity playthrough with my character and I've been trying to hit lvl 60 forever. I'm pretty much at the exact spot.. lvl 59, about 100,000 XP off. If i finish the playthrough without leveling up I'll be sad

Going to start ME2 when i finish the playthrough.

2/5/2010 4:07:50 PM

These fucking loyalty missions are taking foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

2/5/2010 8:40:56 PM

How do you unlock the ability to use another weapon?

2/5/2010 8:59:46 PM

You get it during a mission about 2/3 of the way through the game.

2/5/2010 9:01:22 PM

so is the swap from disc 1 to disc 2 no big deal like they claim? doesnt seem like it would be if you only have to do it once, just wondering what you guys thought

2/5/2010 9:15:39 PM

Man tough decision.

The Advanced sniper rifle, assault weapons training or shotgun training

which did you guys choose

2/5/2010 9:52:04 PM

Dude the widow is GODLY

2/5/2010 10:00:41 PM

but i want a close combat weapon lol!

2/5/2010 10:59:57 PM

man, i'm really peeved that you can't have lesbian sex with miranda. that is criminal.

2/6/2010 12:56:40 AM

I picked the assault rifle: huge ammo clip and decently accurate.

2/6/2010 2:31:04 AM

I went with the Widow; really brutal weapon. Had I known the assault rifle accuracy bonus wasn't too far off for me however, I may have gone with the machine gun instead.

2/6/2010 2:34:17 AM

Quote :

"How do you unlock the ability to use another weapon?"

My god that was so fucking random in the game. It made absolutely zero sense story wise.

Regardless, I went with the sniper rifle. My character is severely lacking in the long-range department (Vanguard) and I like sniping. Thought about the assault rifle but figured if I'm close enough to use that then I can just as easily use a pistol or charge+shotgun. I like my decision so far.

What was the widow?

2/6/2010 10:55:50 AM

i'm a vanguard and i also got a sniper rifle. i'm gonna finish up the game today! woo!

2/6/2010 11:02:47 AM

^^the widow is what you chose, the sniper rifle.

2/6/2010 11:04:00 AM

^ No he only got sniper rifle training

You can only get the widow if you can already use a sniper rifle (soldier or infiltrator)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwzoedQ_ZQ8

[Edited on February 6, 2010 at 11:20 AM. Reason : ]

2/6/2010 11:06:18 AM

oh, gotcha. didn't realize that.

2/6/2010 11:24:15 AM

Yeah my armament was limited to shotguns and pistols so I wanted something long range.

I think next play through I'll go Infiltrator, being all sneaky and shit.

I could've chosen a Krogan Shotgun for my weapon at that stage but didn't really see the point in upgrading one small part of my offense.

[Edited on February 6, 2010 at 11:33 AM. Reason : lkj]

2/6/2010 11:32:32 AM

I would not really call it "sneaky". you can just go cloak to fire a shot or two without anyone shooting you.

2/6/2010 11:48:41 AM

phew, just beat it. i can't wait for ME3. i can only imagine how epic the war against the reapers will be.

2/6/2010 4:09:37 PM

Producer Casey Hudson says allowing Shepard to die in the suicide mission will prevent you from importing your saves to Mass Effect 3

Quote :

"Dead is dead. Mass Effect 3, as with the rest of the trilogy, is Shepard’s story. If you have a dead Shepard at the end of Mass Effect 2, that saved game won’t import into Mass Effect 3. You can play Mass Effect 3 if you died in Mass Effect 2 of course, but you’ll have to create a new Shepard. Harsh? Yes. But we wouldn’t be serious about the concept of a suicide mission if you couldn’t die and your death didn’t have serious consequences."

http://gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2010/02/05/news-why-you-may-not-be-able-to-import-your-mass-effect-2-save-to-me3.aspx

2/6/2010 4:32:17 PM

Just finished all the loyalty missions. Jack and Miranda got in a fight and I took Jack's side. Now Miranda is not loyal anymore despite doing her loyalty mission. That's normal right?

2/6/2010 6:25:11 PM

^Yeah, normal. I did exactly that, then reverted to a previous save so I could make the opposite decision since I used Miranda in missions more often than Jack.

It looks like there's a possibility of winning them back when/if you get your paragon/renegade high enough. Right now the options are locked for me.

[Edited on February 6, 2010 at 6:32 PM. Reason : -]

2/6/2010 6:31:38 PM