Mass Effect 2 [thread contains spoilers]

[Mav]

In ME3, Shepard's gonna go neo-Nazi on some Reapers and curb-stomp their teeth out.

[stoffe]

I actually believe some party members from ME1 will return in ME3. Part of the reason for not using Liara and Ashley/Kaidan in Mass Effect 2 was to preserve them for use in ME 3. Don’t really see Wrex making an appearance beyond a cameo as Leader of the Krogan forces where they could also use Urdnot Wreav in that capacity if Wrex is dead.

 

Assuming you'd even want them back on the team... After Ashley's encounter on Horizon, where she essentially calls you a traitor for having just saved her life and the lives of 600 000 colonists from abduction and horrific death, I'm not sure I'd want to work with her again. She's proudly putting loyalty to the Alliance before loyalty to humanity and would apparently rather have everyone die than be saved by the "wrong" people (AKA the Alistair Syndrome). She would make an excellent Council member though, since she seems to have mastered their art of disregarding the facts that doesn't fit with her preconceptions and disregarding anyone with actual experience.

 

And Liara seemed very busy with her personal vendetta against the Shadow Broker to the exclusion of all else, even if galactic civilization crumbles around her. So unless she somehow managed to find and take them down she'd still be unavailable.

 

Wrex and his united Krogan clans could come in handy (as handy as infantry can get when fighting against a race made up of sentient dreadnoughts, anyway, since the Krogan aren't allowed to have a fleet or warships it seems). Though since his presence in ME2 is optional I can't see him playing too large a role either. And I doubt his stand-in (should Wrex be dead) has the necessary feelings of friendship and loyalty to Shepard to convince them to abandon their own plans and join the cause.

[mimartin]

Assuming you'd even want them back on the team... [/Quote] You never know, you may need someone else to set off a nasty nuke. Still would trust 2 of the 3 possible living love interest from ME to do what is necessary over Zaeed, Morinth or Jack. I 'm also unsure of if Grunt would perceive such a self-sacrificing option as honorable or would he rather just have a straight up fight even if he had no chance of winning.

 

And Liara seemed very busy with her personal vendetta against the Shadow Broker to the exclusion of all else, even if galactic civilization crumbles around her. So unless she somehow managed to find and take them down she'd still be unavailable.[/Quote] I have a feeling the Shadow Broker is either going to play an import role in ME 3 or in downloadable content. Personally I don’t think we have seen the end of Liara in ME2. Unlike Ash or Carth Jr Kaidan, Shepard never received a apologetic space email from Liara (unless Kelly deleted it). At least I’m hoping there will be more DLC for ME2 and that DLC will be story driven. Really loved Bring Down the Sky, Pinnacle Station not so much. I’m hoping BioWare will live up to their promise by providing DLC that bridges the gap between ME2 and ME3. A promise they failed to keep between ME1 and ME2.

[DarthParametric]

Your journal does say something along the lines of "talk to Liara later to see if she has another job for you", so I would concur on the likelihood of future DLC involving her in some fashion.

[stoffe]

You never know, you may need someone else to set off a nasty nuke.

 

Judging by Jack's loyalty mission the galaxy has developed remote detonation technology since Virmire, so they shouldn't be necessary for that.

 

Unlike Ash or Carth Jr Kaidan, Shepard never received a apologetic space email from Liara (unless Kelly deleted it).

 

You only get those emails if you had Ashley/Kaidan as romance partner in ME1, otherwise they'll just remain as unapologetic idiots. And since Liara doesn't insult you and seems genuinely happy to see you if you had her as a romance partner there's no need for her to send an apology email.

 

Your journal does say something along the lines of "talk to Liara later to see if she has another job for you", so I would concur on the likelihood of future DLC involving her in some fashion.

 

I got two quests from Liara with that journal message in between (hack terminals to get data on the Shadow Broker, and then hack terminals to help her figure out who The Observer is). After that she just says she'll continue working to uncover who the Shadow Broker is, which would could take years. Can't remember seeing any "another job" notices after that, but I might have overlooked it.

[DarthParametric]

Yahtzee's 2¢ on ME2 -Love the review, sorry it can't be posted here due to themes and language not being PG-13 friendly. --Jae

 

He covers most of the points that have been raised previously, although interestingly he didn't say anything about DLC which I was sure he'd complain about.

 

Speaking of which, the Hammerhead DLC will fill the role vacated by the Mako, although with side-quests moved off to their own discrete areas and resources obtained through planet scanning, there seems even less point now to roaming around random empty landscapes. Then there's the question of how much they'll charge for it.

[Tysyacha]

Just when I thought the "Assemble a Team" part was over and I had collected Grunt, Jacob, Miranda, Garrus, Mordin Solus, and Jack...

 

(Darth Vader) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 

*breathes rapidly* Okay. I'm calm now. Writing my fic is going to be THAT much harder...Good writers say to have 5 or fewer principal characters! *collapses*

 

By the way, is anyone here reading it?

 

I'm still loving this game--a LOT--but I want some answers about the Collectors! At least in ME1, you got the "squad recruiting" over with quickly and got on to the main plot, which lasted quite a while. Here--it's really weird, how the main plot seems to be collecting a team to defeat the Collectors. Kind of like LOTR, except less epic.

[DarthParametric]

You thought all the other dossier symbols on the squad selection screen were just for show? A major chunk of the game is tied up in recruitment. The Collectors really only play a relatively small part content-wise.

 

As far as answers go, you do get some, but you get perhaps as many new questions in return.

[stoffe]

Speaking of which, the Hammerhead DLC will fill the role vacated by the Mako, although with side-quests moved off to their own discrete areas and resources obtained through planet scanning, there seems even less point now to roaming around random empty landscapes. Then there's the question of how much they'll charge for it.

 

Unless that DLC adds a bunch of new, bigger areas/planets to explore I fail to see the point of adding a ground transportation vehicle. Pretty much all of the quest and mission areas are fairly small with terrain that's best navigated on foot.

[DarthParametric]

It would actually be kinda cool to tear through Omega in a hover tank though.

[Drunkside]

There is something that really cracks me up actually with these games: In ME1 (in the endfight) you have a reaper that rapes a few hundread ships before its finally taken down by normandy, which is the most advanced vessel in the alliance fleet. In ME2 you personally shoot a reaper (although a non finished one) to death. On foot! So what, in ME3 you will hover around naked in space while beating up 4 reapers with your bare fists?

[igyman]

I got a similar feeling from ME2. Just to correct you - in ME2 Shepard kills two Reapers (you forgot the one from which you get the IFF). So, considering this, it's safe to say in ME3 Shepard will personally kill at least three Reapers.

[Quanon]

I hope they'll include a Borat swimsuit as outfit for on the Normandy.

And a lounge as mentioned in a conversation with Jacob.

[Astrotoy7]

Im 21 hours in and still have many many things to do, Ive hardly done any of the crew loyalty missions so am starting them now. I still have a person missing in the full team and don't know if that was meant to be Liara... I did just recruit the Justicar though. As much as I like the fightin' I find the mining mini game strangely calming. Now that I have improved my scanner and increased probe capacity, its even easier. I have heaps of resources, except for element zero, which seems to be quite elusive

 

Anyway, it seems that like others, my Lady Shepard had a Lesbian Encounter with Kelly. It was off screen, so I have no non PG13 screenies Is it just Kelly who is that easy??

 

I think my Shepard would have preferred Dr Chakwas, but she's an ice queen that one. The closest I got was getting her drunk with some Brandy

 

mtfbwya

[Litofsky]

Well, I just finished the original Mass Effect:

 

 

The final battle with Saren was a bit easier than I expected (I mainly used a pistol with the marksman ability, and a ton of squad revives), but the final shot of watching the Council getting blown to pieces was more than satisfying, as was Joker slaughtering Sovereign.

 

 

My copy of Mass Effect II is shipping shortly; any hints or tips that you all have accumulated?

[Astor]

My copy of Mass Effect II is shipping shortly; any hints or tips that you all have accumulated?

 

Forget just about all the gameplay tips you've learned while playing the original.

 

Well, not all of them, but it is a very different experience compared to the original - in a positive way, I think.

 

Gameplay tips - i've only played ME2 as a soldier, so I can only really offer tips on fighting, and there's only really one major tip that I can offer - cover is your friend.

 

Outside of combat - make sure you speak to your companions regularly, and make sure you upgrade your weapons/ship as often as you can - it really does help.

[Litofsky]

Forget just about all the gameplay tips you've learned while playing the original.

 

Well, I'll sure forget how to operate the Mako. Are the smaller, non-essential planets as monotonous/repetitious as last time, or do they get a bit more unique?

 

Gameplay tips - i've only played ME2 as a soldier, so I can only really offer tips on fighting, and there's only really one major tip that I can offer - cover is your friend.

 

Sniping behind cover with assassination was one of my favorite moves from the previous game.

 

Outside of combat - make sure you speak to your companions regularly, and make sure you upgrade your weapons/ship as often as you can - it really does help.

 

I recall editing my weapons as often as possible, but how does one exactly upgrade the ship?

[Astor]

Well, I'll sure forget how to operate the Mako. Are the smaller, non-essential planets as monotonous/repetitious as last time, or do they get a bit more unique?

 

Every planet i've visited seems to be unique - no more pre-fab moon-bases or bunkers littered across the galaxy - and the contrast between some of the environments is extraordinary.

 

I haven't felt bored when going through the side quests - it feels more like a breeze than a slog.

 

I recall editing my weapons as often as possible, but how does one exactly upgrade the ship?

 

All upgrades are done through a terminal on the Normandy, and you can unlock other upgrades by speaking to your companions - there's no more fine tuning weapons with various components (which I do miss, actually).

[Litofsky]

Every planet i've visited seems to be unique - no more pre-fab moon-bases or bunkers littered across the galaxy - and the contrast between some of the environments is extraordinary.

 

I haven't felt bored when going through the side quests - it feels more like a breeze than a slog.

 

Thanks, Astor. That's a pretty big relief; I couldn't help but roll my eyes when the AI bunker on the Moon was the exact same layout as the Biotic Cultists' compound.

 

All upgrades are done through a terminal on the Normandy, and you can unlock other upgrades by speaking to your companions - there's no more fine tuning weapons with various components (which I do miss, actually).

 

Interesting. Do these upgrades have a great effect on the ship, or are they just for show?

[Astor]

Interesting. Do these upgrades have a great effect on the ship, or are they just for show?

 

They really do have a great effect, especially at the end of the game - I didn't see much point in them myself, but upgraded them anyway, and was relieved to hear that i'd done the right thing, as the potential consquences were quite shocking.

[mimartin]

Gameplay tips - i've only played ME2 as a soldier,

My gameplay tip Litofsky is don't play ME2 as a soldier. While it was the easiest class to play ME1 with, that is not the case with ME2. Yes, you can change your class and appearance when importing a save from ME1 to ME 2. If you are dead set playing as a soldier wait until your second playthrough (if you imported a save) when you receive a bonus power.

 

So far I've played as a Soldier, Adept, Vanguard and Sentinel and they have all been fun, but Soldier was the biggest pain.

 

Is it just Kelly who is that easy??

How dare you disparage poor dear Kelly in such a way. She is not easy, just very loving.

 

 

Seriously, they are all that easy. If you are half way nice to any of them they will want to jump Shepard’s bones. If you do not want to romance a party member, be careful how you talk to them. Like it better when it is the other way around.

 

[Litofsky]

They really do have a great effect, especially at the end of the game - I didn't see much point in them myself, but upgraded them anyway, and was relieved to hear that i'd done the right thing, as the potential consquences were quite shocking.

 

Thanks again, Astor. I'll be sure to take the time to upgrade Normandy.

 

My gameplay tip Litofsky is don't play ME2 as a soldier. While it was the easiest class to play ME1 with, that is not the case with ME2. Yes, you can change your class and appearance when importing a save from ME1 to ME 2. If you are dead set playing as a soldier wait until your second playthrough (if you imported a save) when you receive a bonus power.

 

So far I've played as a Soldier, Adept, Vanguard and Sentinel and they have all been fun, but Soldier was the biggest pain.

 

I've found that the Infiltrator is rather fun to play as: the sniper rifle, especially when you find the more powerful ones, kills enemies in a single blast (at least, the basic level troops. Krogans tended to be a pain), while the pistol with marksman made shot work of most of my close-quarters enemies.

 

 

Seriously, they are all that easy. If you are half way nice to any of them they will want to jump Shepard’s bones. If you do not want to romance a party member, be careful how you talk to them. Like it better when it is the other way around.

 

 

That's pretty much been how Bioware tackles romances, though. In KotOR, you had only to choose the proper choices and dialogue conversations. In Mass Effect, it's as simple as talking to them (and playing nice) as soon as the latest mission is over.

 

[stoffe]

Thanks again, Astor. I'll be sure to take the time to upgrade Normandy.

 

I'd research all upgrades as they become available (for the ships, squad and Shepard), makes a difference at one point or another, and buy all the improvements you can find in stores at the hub worlds. (You can pick up some upgrades while out on missions and side quests too.) If you scan planets for mineral resources you'll get more than you can ever spend, so you shouldn't have any problems researching everything.

 

The way the game handles weapons and armor is completely different in ME2. You don't have an inventory screen any more and enemies don't drop loot when killed. Upgrades are generally applied to the whole squad and are either researched on your ship, bought from stores, or found. New weapons can be found during certain missions, and some special heavy weapons can be researched. You pick the weapons loadout to bring at the start of missions, or on the Normandy. You can upgrade and customize your armor and clothing on the Normandy as well.

 

While there are less options for customization I've found I actually prefer the simpler way ME2 handles inventory. It makes it easier to switch around which squad members you bring when you won't have to get top-of-the-line equipment for them all for them to be useful. And ME1's inventory management was pure hell, so no inventory at all is preferable to that.

 

I've found that the Infiltrator is rather fun to play as: the sniper rifle, especially when you find the more powerful ones, kills enemies in a single blast (at least, the basic level troops. Krogans tended to be a pain), while the pistol with marksman made shot work of most of my close-quarters enemies.

 

I'm playing as an Infiltrator currently in ME2, a different experience from ME1 I think, but for the better. Generally sniper rifles are a lot more useful in ME2 than in the first game. The Infiltrator's passive class power also gives you a time slowdown effect for a few seconds when zooming in with the sniper scope, making it a lot easier to line up headshots on enemies.

 

That's pretty much been how Bioware tackles romances, though. (snip)

 

None of the possible romance options in ME2 feels appealing to me so I haven't pursued any of them yet (for a female Shepard at least). If you import a ME1 save where you had a romance that info carries over, and if you choose to stay "faithful" to your ME1 romance you will get a cutscene at a certain point in the game reflecting that. (I assume you get a roll in the hay with your ME2 romance at that spot otherwise.)

 

IIRC it's Garrus, Thane or Jacob for FShepard and Tali, Miranda or Jack for MShepard.

 

Anyway, it seems that like others, my Lady Shepard had a Lesbian Encounter with Kelly. It was off screen, so I have no non PG13 screenies Is it just Kelly who is that easy??

 

Kelly isn't really a romance option (no Romance achievement awarded for it) even if you can get a few intimate moments (off-screen dinner and later on some poorly animated on-screen cuddling, no sex scenes or such) with her if you keep being flirty with her throughout the game. Since that isn't a romance I don't think it interferes with your real romance options. (At least the imported ME1 one was unaffected by it.) And she'll feed your fish for you if you populate the aquarium in the captain's quarters.

[Litofsky]

The way the game handles weapons and armor is completely different in ME2. ~snip~

 

And ME1's inventory management was pure hell, so no inventory at all is preferable to that.

 

Most definitely; I hated having to scroll through tons of useless, first-level weapons because I was approaching/at my maximum capacity.

 

 

I'm playing as an Infiltrator currently in ME2, a different experience from ME1 I think, but for the better. Generally sniper rifles are a lot more useful in ME2 than in the first game. The Infiltrator's passive class power also gives you a time slowdown effect for a few seconds when zooming in with the sniper scope, making it a lot easier to line up headshots on enemies.

 

A slowdown period sounds excellent. Against the larger Geth, I had no problem, but sniping the ground/shock troops occasionally provided a problem, what with their running about.

 

If you import a ME1 save where you had a romance that info carries over, and if you choose to stay "faithful" to your ME1 romance you will get a cutscene at a certain point in the game reflecting that. (I assume you get a roll in the hay with your ME2 romance at that spot otherwise.)

 

Without having seen the game, I can't be sure, but most choices would have to trump Ashley (I never much cared for her character).

 

Thanks for all the info, everyone!

[Astrotoy7]

How dare you disparage poor dear Kelly in such a way. She is not easy, just very loving...

 

lolz. I'm wondering if the dynamics change if you are a lady shepard. The only clear opportunities for romancing that have come up are with Kelly, and a strong flirt with Jacob at the start, which I quickly put a stop to. I wonder if anything will happen with Jack..... I don't mind her in a fight, but her emo drawl is starting to get to me. I often feel like putting her and Grunt out the airlock, like a pair of dirty cylons

 

Isabel Shepard longs for the experienced touch of an older woman, Kelly is just a stocking filler. Dr C is life partner material

 

mtfbwya