Mass Effect 2

^ Crappy or no, it's a tie-in to Mass Effect 2, so I'm pretty much obligated to follow my base instincts and get this game, for better or worse. :judo:
 

Aazealh

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yota821 said:
Mass Effect 2 prequel on the Iphone (yeah, sounds weird)

Darn it, chalk up another purchase on the Iphone. :azan:

Yeah like Wally said we saw that a while ago. Not too excited about it personally as it looks pretty bad so far, but sadly if someone put an iPhone with this game in my hands I'd probably play it to completion as well. Assuming that doesn't happen I'll settle for an online summary.

Anyway, here's an extended trailer and several pictures, one of which shows a Quarian that I think might be Tali: http://kotaku.com/5274956/mass-effect-2-the-media-of-e3
 

SimplyEd

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Aazealh said:
I think might be Tali



More Tali is always good. The only thing that would be better would be even more Tali!^^

Anyway, i guess they already demystified Shepards MIA status during E3. Seriously, did anybody really think he'd be dead?
On the other hand, this makes room for lots of interesting plot hooks, seeing that the rest of the galaxy thinks that he's dead. Being a spectre, and the only human one, probably was a bit too much of a "high profile" for subtle infiltration stunts. Working undercover has its own merits and i'm looking forward to that.
 

Aazealh

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SimplyEd said:
More Tali is always good. The only thing that would be better would be even more Tali!^^

Liara dominates all. :SK:

SimplyEd said:
Anyway, i guess they already demystified Shepards MIA status during E3. Seriously, did anybody really think he'd be dead?

Well yeah it's a cool plot point but I doubt anyone bought it and I don't think they intended people to either.

SimplyEd said:
On the other hand, this makes room for lots of interesting plot hooks, seeing that the rest of the galaxy thinks that he's dead. Being a spectre, and the only human one, probably was a bit too much of a "high profile" for subtle infiltration stunts. Working undercover has its own merits and i'm looking forward to that.

Yeah indeed. And who's that black guy tagging along with him and Tali? New character? We want answers! :mozgus:
 

Walter

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SimplyEd said:
Anyway, i guess they already demystified Shepards MIA status during E3. Seriously, did anybody really think he'd be dead?
I saw some YouTUbe and Kotaku comments that believed it :ganishka:
 

Aazealh

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Walter said:
I saw some YouTUbe and Kotaku comments that believed it :ganishka:

Gah! Goes to show the worth of said comments in general. :void:



EDIT: I've been trying to learn more about Mass Effect 2 without spoiling myself and man has it been arduous. Posting spoilers in this thread is a no-no. Now, some information I've gleaned. First off, from the developers' mouths, it looks like Shepard's life might actually really be in danger in the game. Maybe not just at the beginning but also throughout it. Make of that what you will, personally my take is that I'll wait & see. I don't even care to speculate about it, I'll just wait to experience it. Second, it seems that Jacob, the guy from the ME iPhone game will play a role in Mass Effect 2 as he can be seen with Shepard in the game (accompanying him in some trailers). So the iPhone game may have enough bearing on the story that reading a summary of its story will be a good idea. Third, the previews I've read all agree on the fact it's just fucking awesome.

They've ameliorated the multiple choice conversation system so that it's seamless within the flow of the discussion and perfectly integrated to cutscenes, all of it carried by elaborate, dynamic camera placements (described as "never seen before in a video game" level stuff). And there's now a feature to physically interact by pressing a trigger at the right moment during a conversation. The example given was "ending an interrogation by throwing the guy out the window".

On the combat side of things, we'll be able to assign special attacks and powers to buttons so you can activate them in real time without always "pausing" the fight. Battle damage will also be highly localized (headshots, damage on limbs, etc.) and enemies will have special death animations depending on how they die. There will be 9 new types of weapons, including a homing rocket launcher. Add to that "a ton" of new environments for the planets you visit, and "major storyline choices that can lead to the death of one or several of the main characters".

Now I'm agonizing over the fact it's not out until next year. :judo:
 

Walter

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Wow! Thanks for all the update news. The game just sounds fucking awesome. All the new stuff makes me drool. The option to throw someone out the window mid-interrogation is probably the greatest gaming innovation of E3 so far.
 
Why does everyone keep saying that Shepard is dead?
He'll be dead for those who don't have the Mass1 saved game; for the rest of us he'll be back to kick ass.

I've heard that we'll have to make some decisions that might eventually lead to Shepard's demise.

Gotta wait to see how that turns out, sounds like a good idea (re-playability wise).
 

Aazealh

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fuxberg said:
Why does everyone keep saying that Shepard is dead?

The first teaser to be released showed a Geth with a N7 logo on it and had Shepard's status reported as KIA (Killed in Action). Then developers kept alluding to the fact he might be dead. Even recently there's been talk of how Shepard might die during Mass Effect 2.

fuxberg said:
He'll be dead for those who don't have the Mass1 saved game; for the rest of us he'll be back to kick ass.

What? Where did you get that from? Saves from the first game will matter so that your choices in it can be carried over to the sequel, but I haven't read anything about Shepard being dead for those who don't have a ME1 save.

fuxberg said:
I've heard that we'll have to make some decisions that might eventually lead to Shepard's demise.

I reported this 3 days ago. You should read all messages in a thread before posting in it.
 
Aazealh said:
The first teaser to be released showed a Geth with a N7 logo on it and had Shepard's status reported as KIA (Killed in Action). Then developers kept alluding to the fact he might be dead. Even recently there's been talk of how Shepard might die during Mass Effect 2.

What? Where did you get that from? Saves from the first game will matter so that your choices in it can be carried over to the sequel, but I haven't read anything about Shepard being dead for those who don't have a ME1 save.

I reported this 3 days ago. You should read all messages in a thread before posting in it.

-Yeah I saw that too, but that wouldn't really happen (in the beginning of Mass2) unless Bioware were idiots, why kill off the beloved hero?

-That's just my guess, if you haven't played ME1 you would start with another character and with canon back story (ME1 decisions wise). Or the trailer where Shep is KIA is alluding to the fact that he could die in ME2.

-Sorry :schnoz:
 

Aazealh

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fuxberg said:
-Yeah I saw that too, but that wouldn't really happen (in the beginning of Mass2) unless Bioware were idiots, why kill off the beloved hero?

Hey, you asked me a question, I answered. :guts: The people at BioWare do whatever they want, so I can't tell you about that. But obviously I didn't believe that Shepard was really dead. Nor do I believe that he will die later in the game. At least not if I can prevent it!! :azan:

fuxberg said:
-That's just my guess, if you haven't played ME1 you would start with another character and with canon back story (ME1 decisions wise). Or the trailer where Shep is KIA is alluding to the fact that he could die in ME2.

Nah, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure you'll play Shepard regardless of ME1 saves. Otherwise they'd have said so already, and I don't believe they can do it anyway. Too much work to introduce a new character as a mere alternative to the hero when you know how much stuff relies on his character development in the first game.
 

Walter

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I just beat Mass Effect for the first time. All I gotta say is :isidro: . I can;t believe I once doubted this game... :judo: I still say it needs a tutorial though. It has a steep learning curve that initially threw me off kilter. It took Aaz to convince me it was worth playing.

Anyway, I also bring some ME2 news from Kotaku. I consider it a spoiler, but many others may not. It concerns the future of the original cast and what role they'll play in the sequel.

http://kotaku.com/5287495/no-more-bossing-ashley-or-wrex-around-in-mass-effect-2
 
The only thing that gets me about that article is that it first claims you won't have anyone from the first game in your party, then the second quote clearly says that it will be possible to have some of them after all.
Ok...
 

Aazealh

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Jesus Christ CowTip if Walter says it's a spoiler, why do you think it is alright to post it in the thread without using spoiler tags? Man that shit pisses me off. :azan:

Hell that article title alone is revealing enough as it is.
 

SimplyEd

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Well, the recent statements by employees of Bioware got me thinking for a bit. If it's true that, basically, everything's possible (concerning the death of prominent characters) while you're playing, how should that be accomplished properly?
I mean, let's say that Shepard could actually die because of the choices you made in the game, how would you people like to see something like that happen? During the course of the game or at the very end? And who's supposed to be taking over as the new pack leader then? Think about the implications that would have on the third installment of the series, as it would have to cover at least two different stories with two different main characters, depending on who actually survived the second part.

As a matter of fact, i'd surely prefer a certain character to become the (possible) next main character (if you've followed this thread, you might guess who i'm quite fond of^^).
And should they really implement such an option, i'd like it if Shepard would die about half-way into the game. That would give me enough time to get used to the new main character, whoever that might be. Also, i'd like it if the storyline would proceed in a different fashion, depending on who's the party leader. That would offer lots of options for various endings, though i can see that it would be hell to create a proper third title around all of those choices.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Ok I didn't read the whole thread because the first few posts had some spoilers but I will say this- I bought Mass Effect when it first came out only to play it for an hour and then put it down forever. I loved KOTOR so much that Mass Effect just didn't do it for me. Yesterday I was bored and decided to give it another shot and boy am I glad I did. I'm loving this game right no. I'm only about 2 hours into it as I post this but i'll be playing it all night and now I think I'll be getting excited about Mass Effect 2 like many others.

Actually the way I started playing it again is funny. I was in a "spacey" mood so I put on Star Ocean: The last Hope and my god did it suck. I'm sure it gets better but the controls were very annoying, the cut scenes were boring and plagued with terrible voice overs and the graphics (although pretty) weren't all that impressive and began to old fast. I played for almost two hours ( only actually playing in 2 battles, the rest was watching) and then put that crap down and popped in Mass Effect. What a breath of fresh air. Mass Effect runs so smoothly compared to Star Ocean. The interactive conversations, the voice acting, gameplay, everything is top notch, and this game is a few years old!! It brought me right back to the KOTOR days that I so much fun with. Can't wait to get further!!
 

Walter

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I also was very skeptical of Mass Effect. I bought it after reading several raving reviews and played it for an hour or two but didn't really get into it. I let it sit on my computer for several months before I finally gave it a second chance upon Aaz' recommendation and fell in love with it quickly. Thing is, the game has a stilted learning curve and doesn't really orient the player well enough with the world or system before throwing them headfirst into it. You have to learn by error and just go with the flow and experiment for a bit before y ou get a feel for the game. But once I got the hang of it, every moment of the game was 10x more enjoyable.

I'm now on my second play through as a RENEGADE soldier. My first play through was a paragon vanguard. I already miss my precious biotics :sad:
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Yea I'll admit a heavy reccomendation from Aaz about this game also made me want to give it another shot. And now that I'm getting the hang of it, it really is so amazing. It's not as difficult for me because a lot of it is similar to KOTOR and the more I play the more is coming back to me. I'm addicted, and loving it!
 

Dar_Klink

Last Guardian when? - CyberKlink 20XX before dying
I'm also playing Mass Effect for the first time right now, isn't that such a coincidence Oburi? :serpico:
I like it so far, just got to the Citadel for the first time and I'm playing a Vanguard, not sure if I wanna go Renegade or Paragon yet though, and it is bringing back those memories of playing KOTOR after school instead of doing my homework.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Darklink286 said:
I'm also playing Mass Effect for the first time right now, isn't that such a coincidence Oburi? :serpico:
I like it so far, just got to the Citadel for the first time and I'm playing a Vanguard, not sure if I wanna go Renegade or Paragon yet though, and it is bringing back those memories of playing KOTOR after school instead of doing my homework.

Yea when you said you were playing I decided to also :guts: I'm going with Paragon for my first run through. THough I just got really far on this one mission only to die and revert something 2 hours back. Autosave is on but for some reason it hadn't auto saved for like two hours. I'm wicked pissed and I'll put it down for a few days just because I'm so irritated to handle this right now.
 

Aazealh

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Oburi said:
THough I just got really far on this one mission only to die and revert something 2 hours back. Autosave is on but for some reason it hadn't auto saved for like two hours. I'm wicked pissed and I'll put it down for a few days just because I'm so irritated to handle this right now.

Autosave only works at key points. By all means you SHOULD save when you feel like it regardless of autosave being on, especially on your first playthrough. I'm curious what mission took you 2 hours without autosaving though. You must have been taking your time with it. :serpico:

Anyway yeah, Mass Effect is a fantastic game. Its learning curve is a little steep, like Walter said; I know it's not until halfway through Eden Prime that I really started to "get it" myself. But once you do, it's a blast. I can't recommend it enough.
 
Walter said:
I'm now on my second play through as a RENEGADE soldier. My first play through was a paragon vanguard. I already miss my precious biotics :sad:

You should do at least 2 play through with the same char, because "things tend to change".
Let's just say that a mission that would last at least 10m and with a lot of dead bodies, can be ended in 30s just by saying the right thing. :griffnotevil:
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
I got stuck at the part where you first get the vehicle thing on the snow planet and it was hard for me for some reason, i kept dying or the vehicle would explode. Then i finally made my way into the facility and figured out this puzzle thing then I died and had to go all the way back to driving the car. It wasn't really two hours, but i was taking it very slow. I still dont understand a lot of stuff, and since I chose infiltrator i can't use rifles or shotguns and I can never train with them. I should have done a little research before I chose that, i kinda ruined it for myself. I'm stuck using pistols and sniper rifles now iguess, and the sniper is hard as fuck to use. Well anyway I sucked it up and beat got through that part I was stuck on and now im about 7 hours into the game and just exploring the universe and doing side quests and loving every second of it.
 

Aazealh

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fuxberg said:
You should do at least 2 play through with the same char, because "things tend to change".
Let's just say that a mission that would last at least 10m and with a lot of dead bodies, can be ended in 30s just by saying the right thing. :griffnotevil:

I wonder what you're talking about here. As far as I know, doing multiple playthroughs with the same character doesn't change anything. "Saying the right thing" only has to do with your charisma (Charm/Intimidate).

Oburi said:
I'm stuck using pistols and sniper rifles now iguess, and the sniper is hard as fuck to use.

Don't feel bad, pistols and sniper rifles are great. When using the sniper rifle don't forget to kneel, that's very important. Otherwise there's just no precision to it at all. And try not to move either. Standing still increases precision as well. With pistols, the advantage is that running around in battle doesn't lower precision much, so the 2 make for a good combo. I also recommend you to raise your Sabotage skill as it is really powerful. Does a lot of damage and prevents the target from shooting you for a while.
 

Walter

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Pistols and Sniper Rifles are actually the weapons I've used the most throughout my 2 playthroughs. If you upgrade the pistol quickly, it can become very powerful. With the Sniper Rifle you just have to shoot your targets patiently. But for most of the game, it's an instant-kill shot, again if you upgrade it quickly.
 
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