The Mass Effect Thread

[tristy]

Unless I'm trying to platinum the game and it requires me to play on a harder difficulty, I usually do normal or whatever the equivalent is for whatever game it may be. Unfortunately, I'm doing that with the ME trilogy, and it has three Insanity trophies, so... yeah, here I am. 

Avengers also has the same thing, where you have to do a certain amount of missions on the hardest level - but 1) it hardly matters when you're in a group with fully leveled/powered up players and 2) it's not that hard anyway. Hell I only do the group thing because you only get 2 revives in a mission if you play solo.

[Your Mom]

Rannoch: Geth Fighter Squadrons is such a pain in the ass mission. It's not that it's hard it's just not fun like at all

[Benji]

Yesterday I finally got past the part I was stuck on, and found another place to get stuck in the next section Should be more do-able at least, but I can't help but find it funny.

[Lint]

On 25/06/2021 at 20:18, Hellraiser said:

People who have a problem with how other people play video games or blow a gasket whenever the topics of easier difficulty settings and accessibility get brought up are assholes. 

Yes.  I play games to relax and have fun, not get stressed out and pissed off.  If it means I crush the CPU 80-0 in Madden, then so be it

[DFF]

Nearly finished my playthrough of ME1 in the Legendary Edition. I'm playing on normal difficulty as I genuinely had not idea what level it would be like these days. Found it broadly easier than I was remembering, with the exception of a handful of obscure fights where I went in a little guns blazing with less than optimal squad abilities.

Thresher Maws seem easier than I can remember (used to die fairly often - not died once this time). I am wondering if its linked to the Mako handling better. It seems more responsive than before and makes the Thresher tactics (ie drive in a big circle whilst shooting it) quite easy to navigate. 

I've done almost all the side missions available. Finishing them off then its onto Virmire. As for characters, I am liking Williams less than I remembered (though Kaidan is still a wet blanket). 

Gotta say, my love for ME2 probably discoloured just how much I enjoyed the first one. Really, really enjoyed this playthrough. My only issue is that some of the planets you take the mako on has some frustratingly difficult terrain to get to the artifacts etc. 

[Benji]

4 hours ago, DFF said:

Thresher Maws seem easier than I can remember (used to die fairly often - not died once this time). I am wondering if its linked to the Mako handling better. It seems more responsive than before and makes the Thresher tactics (ie drive in a big circle whilst shooting it) quite easy to navigate. 

Maws were completely overhauled for legendary edition.

[Benji]

I got off the Collector Ship with literally my last bullet and had to run past the last section of enemies. Can't remember the last time a game challenged me like that. So much fun. Quickly moved onto the recruiting missions again and they are so easy in comparison it's making me feel like a God

Also, the internet remains a thirsty and desperate place -https://www.nexusmods.com/masseffectlegendaryedition/mods/368 .

[OctoberRaven]

Joke's on them, I'm not into that shit.

[Benji]

I got the Modern Major General homage scene last night and it still fills me with joy.

Also, it has been so long since I played the game that I couldn't figure out why I romanced Miranda the first time because she starts off such a cold figure, but her loyalty mission really warms her and explains a lot. I think it's probably the best loyalty mission/arc the series has.

[Benji]

Finished ME2 last night.

Spoiler

The final fights were laughably easy in comparison to that damn first collector ship. All the upgrades made it less of a suicide walk and more of a cakewalk.

Got to do Lair of the Shadow Broker tonight, then I'm off to Mass Effect 3 to enjoy what - ending aside - was probably my favourite experience whilst playing.

[Hellraiser]

How to you usually deal with Kalinda in Mass Effect Andromeda?

I let her die in my current playthrough. Not only is she a user who emotionally abused PeeBee and probably would have turned on her again the second it became convenient for her, she also must have hired about a hundred goons to kill us over the course of the string of quests involving her and didn't seem to care all that much that they all died in the process.

Edited July 19, 2021 by Hellraiser

[Benji]

Something I don't think is appreciated enough in Mass Effect is the levelling system. You finish a mission, you get experience, you likely level up. You never have a grind and never feel over levelled. Something the franchise does really well.

[Benji]

Man, the intro to ME3 is such a thrill.

Spoiler

Just like - fuck it, no more holding back, Reapers are here. The cannibals are horrifying and Batarians were a great first choice to be changed by the Reapers. Especially horrifying given your actions in Arrival probably allowed them to be taken a lot easier. Just a great intro.

 

[Hellraiser]

I'm done with my Andromeda playthrough. Now I'm sitting here jonesing for more Mass Effect and probably have to wait 4 to 5 more years to get.

And yes, I know there are books and comics including a novel that deals with the Quarian ark. I don't really care for any of that.

[Benji]

ME3

Spoiler

Liara is so much better in this game than the others. Upon replay of the first two games I couldn't figure out why I didn't like her as much, but I realised I felt the same the first time I played the trilogy. Her becoming the Shadow Broker seems to open up her personality a shedload as well as making her a more interesting character in terms of storyline. I do wonder if they could have made her more interesting earlier by not killing off Benezia so soon.

 

[Benji]

Was the combat in ME3 always so... Janky? It really struggled to understand taking cover, which is a key element of the combat. I suppose it could be worse with Andromeda and it's bouncing everywhere combat, but it's very frustrating, especially given how 1 and 2 did combat so well.

[Hellraiser]

If you ask me, Andromeda has the best combat of the entire series. 

[tristy]

On 29/07/2021 at 11:30, Hellraiser said:

If you ask me, Andromeda has the best combat of the entire series. 

I went immediately from the ME Trilogy into Andromeda and I do not agree with this at all. Everything feels really... off, in Andromeda. Even the character animation of Ryder running/walking looks weird.

I much prefer combat in ME2 if I'm being completely honest. Andromeda just gives you so much stuff it's almost overwhelming. Research? Development? You want all of the biotic/tech powers and can change them on a whim? Switch classes on a whim? All of that, done, it's yours. ME2 is also still the best at tracking priority/side quest mission chains. ME3 fucked that up, and Andromeda didn't do any better.

[tristy]

The full image has the crater and everything looking like the silhouette of a Geth. If you zoom in, you can clearly see a Krogan. People on Reddit are speculating that it's Grunt, Liara, Tali and Garrus. New ship. There's a body closer to the actual crater, but it's also hard to make out like the four people near the ship.

Exciting stuff, even if it's only a teaser poster.

[Lint]

Started to play Mass Effect on my PC and god, its like slipping into an old, familiar pair of shoes.  I don't know if they changed ME1 much in the remaster to make it more "in line" with ME2 and 3, but I always did remember that I liked the combat in ME1 more then ME2 and 3.

And the Mako...how I just love your janky physics!  "That a sheer vertical wall, but if I drive at a slight angle, its no problem!"