Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2 [spoilers]

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

I've played through a decent chunk of the game now... so far so good. Combat movement is a bit awkward but otherwise they seem to have improved the control scheme... missing grenades at the moment, dunno if they will show up later... difficulty levels seem balanced. Dragon's Age was very difficult and I kept having to lower it during major sequences (after dying 10-20 times) and I hated that... so far "veteran" is hard enough to make you patient but easy enough that you can get through big sections with only a few deaths... planet scanning is interesting if a bit dry, certainly better than the old system of dropping down onto the planet in your wonky shuttle which was almost impossible to steer, then climbing up nearly vertical mountains for way too long... the characters in this game are really fun, too.

 

[Moo2K4]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Planet scanning is oddly addicting if you ask me. I find it completely tedious, but when I start scanning one, I keep going just to see if I can find those rare elements. We'll see how quickly I get sick of it. I do like how a lot of the previous characters show up throughout the game, pays a nice homage to the first one, as does getting back some old crew members (not naming names for those who haven't picked it up). For me, it just gets better and better the further in you get. The story is great, the characters are excellent (in part due to phenomenal voice acting) and it's certainly shaping up to be a GOTY contender. Too bad it'll get lost in the shuffle since it came out so early.

 

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

^ Sounds like you're like me, can't leave a system until every planet is scanned.

It takes a long time so I've decided once a planet is "poor" or "depleted", I don't send any more beacons (or whatever they are called).

The pacing of the game is great. I love being able to take my time and comb through it.

The choices are starting to get more difficult. Each time I wonder what different game experience it would be if I had gone the other way... want to remember which ones I made so next time through I will make the opposite.

 

[Moo2K4]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

^ Sounds like you're like me, can't leave a system until every planet is scanned.

It takes a long time so I've decided once a planet is "poor" or "depleted", I don't send any more beacons (or whatever they are called).

The pacing of the game is great. I love being able to take my time and comb through it.

The choices are starting to get more difficult. Each time I wonder what different game experience it would be if I had gone the other way... want to remember which ones I made so next time through I will make the opposite.

I'm not quite like that, because a lot of times I won't have enough beacons to get through a galaxy of planets. I've been launching 15-20 beacons in each planet, and right now I only have 30, so I can usually only do one at a time.

I agree, it's a very well paced game. It's not too slow or too fast, and I love that it's only really MADE me do one mission so far (2 if you include the opening of the game). Otherwise, I love that I still get to pick and choose when I want to do missions and sidequests.

I also must say, I wasn't initially a fan of the leveling, but I've grown to like it. It really involves more strategy in character building than the first one when you have to allot a certain amount of points to get to a certain thing, so sometimes you have to bank skill points to get to the next level that you want instead of just using them on other things. It's a nice touch if you ask me.

It's also an interesting touch that you have to do missions to earn the loyalty of your crew members. I haven't done one of these missions yet, but based on my talking with Miranda to get hers, it sounds like it's going to open up a good amount of backstory on each particular character, which is awesome, especially in games like this when you sort of get attached to certain characters.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

You guys are making me want to get it. Although I have no idea what you're talking about with this planet shit.

 

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

You guys are making me want to get it. Although I have no idea what you're talking about with this planet shit.

ME is set in a cluster of galaxies including our own. You have to travel between them to complete missions. Each system has a couple of planets that you need to visit to keep the game going. In addition to at there will be least one other planet (or up to five or so more). The other planets can be scanned for natural resources you can harvest to finance your tech & biomedical research--upgrades for weapons, your ship, your companions, etc.. When you "scan" a planet you move your cursor around the globe looking for feedback. When you get a spike in one of the resources (there are four) you send a beacon and it harvests it for you. Some planets are barren but others have 20-30+ places where you can extract resources. Because there are several galaxies all with several systems in it there are a lot of places to explore and collect resources. The process is a bit tedious, IMHO, but addicting once you get the hang of it.

 

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

It's also an interesting touch that you have to do missions to earn the loyalty of your crew members. I haven't done one of these missions yet, but based on my talking with Miranda to get hers, it sounds like it's going to open up a good amount of backstory on each particular character, which is awesome, especially in games like this when you sort of get attached to certain characters.

I've done one and I think I've lost the loyalty of that person for good as a result of my choices during it... which kind of sucks but the game forces you to make hard decisions, which is cool.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

ME is set in a cluster of galaxies including our own. You have to travel between them to complete missions. Each system has a couple of planets that you need to visit to keep the game going. In addition to at there will be least one other planet (or up to five or so more). The other planets can be scanned for natural resources you can harvest to finance your tech & biomedical research--upgrades for weapons, your ship, your companions, etc.. When you "scan" a planet you move your cursor around the globe looking for feedback. When you get a spike in one of the resources (there are four) you send a beacon and it harvests it for you. Some planets are barren but others have 20-30+ places where you can extract resources. Because there are several galaxies all with several systems in it there are a lot of places to explore and collect resources. The process is a bit tedious, IMHO, but addicting once you get the hang of it.

Sounds a bit like KotOR.

Do you get in anyone's pants?

 

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Sounds a bit like KotOR.

Do you get in anyone's pants?

Yeah, you can YouTube it if you want to ruin it.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Yeah, I'll check it out. Is it worth playing ME1 first?

 

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Yeah, I'll check it out. Is it worth playing ME1 first?

ME1 is a great game so yeah, but you don't have to necessarily.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

I'll check the first one out first.

Is anyone planning on playing Bioshock 2?

 

[Moo2K4]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

ME1 is a great game so yeah, but you don't have to necessarily.

However, if you do, you'll appreciate ME2 even more since you can import you Shepard's decisions from the first game, making this one far more personable.

And to answer your question Ronan, I'm absolutely playing Bioshock 2. I've got it on reserve at GameStop, and it's been one of my most looked forward to games for almost a year now.

 

[DP]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

ME is set in a cluster of galaxies including our own. You have to travel between them to complete missions. Each system has a couple of planets that you need to visit to keep the game going. In addition to at there will be least one other planet (or up to five or so more). The other planets can be scanned for natural resources you can harvest to finance your tech & biomedical research--upgrades for weapons, your ship, your companions, etc.. When you "scan" a planet you move your cursor around the globe looking for feedback. When you get a spike in one of the resources (there are four) you send a beacon and it harvests it for you. Some planets are barren but others have 20-30+ places where you can extract resources. Because there are several galaxies all with several systems in it there are a lot of places to explore and collect resources. The process is a bit tedious, IMHO, but addicting once you get the hang of it.

Its set in the Milky Way Galaxy with individual Solar Systems including our solar system "Local Cluster"... Not multiple galaxies, one galaxy. I got a lot done, I Im going to do as much as I can before the big battles start.

 

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Its set in the Milky Way Galaxy with individual Solar Systems including our solar system "Local Cluster"... Not multiple galaxies, one galaxy. I got a lot done, I Im going to do as much as I can before the big battles start.

My mistake.

 

[DaRizzle]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

im "acquiring" it for the PC at the moment...never played the first, dont really know what im getting into

 

[DP]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

My mistake.

Its alright, Im kinda a space nerd xD Ima ALMOST done with it. I have about 22 hrs on it. I have no life right now.

 

[Moo2K4]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Its alright, Im kinda a space nerd xD Ima ALMOST done with it. I have about 22 hrs on it. I have no life right now.

I have a friend who beat it in 2 days and change and clocked around 30 hours on it.

 

[DP]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

I just beat it. Awesommeee

 

[Moo2K4]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

I just beat it. Awesommeee

I'm on disc 2, I still have a couple recruitment missions and all the loyalty missions except Miranda's to do. I haven't had much time recently to play.

 

[DP]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

I'm on disc 2, I still have a couple recruitment missions and all the loyalty missions except Miranda's to do. I haven't had much time recently to play.

Oh okay. I didnt hers first, or second. I did Jacobs or hers, I forget. After you beat the game you can do the side missions and continue exploring. And when the DLC comes out you can play that still on your main account.

 

[DaRizzle]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

i hate games with long storyline scenes...this game isnt for me is it?

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

i hate games with long storyline scenes...this game isnt for me is it?

It has pictures.

 

[DaRizzle]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

played about an hour of it last night...its alright

but the price was perfect....zero

 

[speeds]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

I'm telling.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Illegal.

 

[Moo2K4]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

i hate games with long storyline scenes...this game isnt for me is it?

That's part of why I love this series. The story is so engrossing and it's done so well. The fact that the action works so well is just the icing on the cake for me in this game.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Just bought it on Steam.

 

[Colonel Ronan]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

I'm completely addicted.

 

[Moo2K4]

Re: Mass Effect/Mass Effect 2

Just beat it. Wow....epic is about the only way to describe this game. If you have a 360, do yourself a favor and play this game. This is going to be incredibly tough to beat for GOTY. I can't wait to play it again and do New Game+ so I can get my level 30 character and see what happens when I change certain decisions, specifically the last one. I also want to have my whole crew survive, lost a couple on the final mission.