Mass Effect 2

[Brannigan]

It's called Mass Effect 3! but it's only slightly more

[brkl]

There's DLC with different outfits. Again... only slightly more sensible.

[miffy495]

If you finish her loyalty mission you get an alternate costume that includes a shirt.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Oh Mass Effect... *shakes head*

[brkl]

Oh, Bioware. I'm so tired of male gaze camera and Barbie doll NPCs in Bioware games. Obviously they exist elsewhere, but Bioware is supposed to care about characterization. Mass Effect 3 isn't quite as bad... until that same character turns up.

If I want to look at a butt, I can make that happen. Mixing soft core porn visuals in my games doesn't add any value to them.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Picture a noble warrior-monk. This warrior-monk goes from planet to planet, seeking out injustice. She lives a life of humble chastity, foregoing possessions and relationships, dedicating herself only to her work. She's revered by her people and lives a highly spiritual life.

Got an image in your head? Great! I bet this is what you came up with...

Right?

[ThunderPeel2001]

Man, there's too many missions and not enough storyline in this game. I've finally gotten all the characters, made them loyal, and there's STILL a buttload of "side-quests" left... I'm not sure I can be bothered. It's so repetitive. "Distress Signal -> Fight a Bunch of People. Derelict Ship -> Fight a Bunch of People. Rescue Needed -> Fight a Bunch of People."

Anyone else get fatigued by this game? Maybe I picked the wrong Class or something? (Soldier.)

[miffy495]

It's kinda why I burned out while playing ME3. I actually really liked ME2 the first time through (though I still preferred 1), and when I went through it for a second time earlier this year I still dug it but it became a bit of a slog near the end. By the time I started 3 I was just done with it for a while. Still, you're right at the end. Just fight the giant Terminator and wait a while before you consider playing 3.

[brkl]

If you've done all the loyalty quests, I don't think the assorted side-quests are necessary.

[Nappi]

I really liked the character specific mission in Mass Effect 2. I don't remember what the other side-missions were like, which leads me to believe that they were highly forgettable. I started playing Mass Effect 2 right after I had finished the first game and I didn't feel burned out by the end. I definitely agree that you should take a break between 2 and 3, though.

I played through Mass Effect 2 and 3 as an infiltrator. The level designers did a good job at making sure that you never feel completely ill-equipped with a sniper rifle in your hand, i.e. enemies don't suddenly spawn 10 meters from your location and so on. I haven't tried any of the other classes. Soldier does sound a bit dull, though.

[eot]

Man, there's too many missions and not enough storyline in this game. I've finally gotten all the characters, made them loyal, and there's STILL a buttload of "side-quests" left... I'm not sure I can be bothered. It's so repetitive. "Distress Signal -> Fight a Bunch of People. Derelict Ship -> Fight a Bunch of People. Rescue Needed -> Fight a Bunch of People."

Anyone else get fatigued by this game? Maybe I picked the wrong Class or something? (Soldier.)

Soldier is by far the least interesting class to play in my opinion. The only active ability you use is Adrenaline Rush and so it plays just like a cover based shooter. Mass Effect 2 has a great combat system but the game fails utterly at teaching it to you or putting you in situations where you have to explore its depth. On my first playthrough I also played a Soldier (on Normal) and even after I beat the game with some 30 hours played I didn't have a good feel for which of my squad's powers to use when, or even which squadmates to bring to a mission and I don't think I ever had to use the pause feature in combat

Second time through, based on advice from other people, I played as an Adept in Insanity. It was quite off putting initially (I wouldn't recommend it to others) but when I got a better grasp of the mechanics I started to really enjoy it. On the two highest difficulties there's a quite fundamental change to the encounters, which is that every enemy in the game has at least one additional protection layer (Armor, Shield or Barrier) so using the right abilities against the right enemies, in the right sqeuence becomes critical (as well as picking the right squad members). You also have to start comboing biotic powers, another thing which I don't think the game explains to you.

It's really a different game when you're pausing constantly and putting much more thought into how to deal with each encounter. There is a great combat system hidden in there, they just tuned the difficulties in such a way that most people will never see it. I honestly think the game is kind of broken on Normal.

[Orv]

If you've done all the loyalty quests, I don't think the assorted side-quests are necessary.

While the side quests aren't necessary, a fuckton of planet scanning is if you want all your people to survive the endgame.

[Roderick]

I have fond memories of planet scanning: I used to do it after work for hours and invariably fall asleep while doing it. I dunno, for some reason those are happy memories.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I used a Savegame editor to carefully change my character to an Infiltrator. Plus, now I'm on the penultimate mission, I'm trying harder to play it the way you've described. It's a little late in the game, but at least I can enjoy the ending

[ThunderPeel2001]

While the side quests aren't necessary, a fuckton of planet scanning is if you want all your people to survive the endgame.

Saywhatnow?

[Orv]

Saywhatnow?

Hey, welcome to the hidden feature of the endgame of Mass Effect 2! Slight spoilers will follow, however if you don't want everyone you've come to love over the past 15-25 hours to die, listen up! *Bing Bong*

Right, so. You need a total of 45K Palladium for no-one to die on the run-up to the final mission. You need to buy Multicore Shielding, Heavy Ship Armor and the Thanix Cannon. When you hit the mission itself, you have three breakpoints where you get to make several "Who gets to die today" choices at each point. Since you mentioned everyone is loyal I'll just give you who you can choose for each point.

Choice 1; Infiltration

Technician: Tali, Legion, Kasumi

Fireteam Lead: Garrus, Jacob, Miranda

Choice 2; The Long Walk

Biotic Specialist: Samara (or Morinth, depending on your choices obv.) or Jack

Fireteam Lead: Garrus, Jacob, Miranda

Escort: Mordin (This is the only thing you should choose Mordin for.)

Heeere's the kicker. For the final boss fight, you get to choose who holds the line. There's a behind the scenes tabulation of their total "Defensive Rating" from among who you pick to go with you and who stays. So you need to pick good fighters, not good biotics or good techs. Which means you have to cull your choices in stage one and two so no-one dies behind you, and you have a team who can fight the boss.

I'd recommend this final choice lineup. (Depending on DLC availability)

Tech: Tali/Kasumi

Fireteam 1: Miranda

Biotic: Jack

Fireteam 2: Jacob

Escort: Mordin

Final Boss Team: Tali/Kasumi, Garrus/Samara

[Twig]

What if I want everyone but me to die.

[ThunderPeel2001]

I'd recommend this final choice lineup. (Depending on DLC availability)

Tech: Tali/Kasumi

Fireteam 1: Miranda

Biotic: Jack

Fireteam 2: Jacob

Escort: Mordin

I'm confused. So you'd recommend that tell the above to stay on the ship, right?

[Gwardinen]

I'm confused. So you'd recommend that tell the above to stay on the ship, right?

No. Slightly spoilery but no real story stuff:

In the last mission everyone technically comes with you, though as ever you only control three at a time. So Orv's recommendations are for the people who are technically with you but need other jobs to do. There are a few of these break points during the mission in which you assign people to various tasks.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Cool.

[Twig]

What if I want everyone but me to die.

I was serious. Is that an option?

[Upthrust]

I was serious. Is that an option?

I think Shepard always dies if everyone else dies. If you want to live, you have to have someone else survive as well.

[brkl]

I presumed TP had already upgraded the ship. You need to do that. But ME3 could actually be more interesting if the last mission didn't go perfectly.

[Orv]

I was serious. Is that an option?

You need two surviving crewmembers to pull you onboard the escaping Normandy. If you have just one it's all tears in the rain.

[Twig]

LAME. But fine, I guess.