The Sword and Laser discussion

Since we highjacked someone else's thread about reading habits, here is a place to discuss the Mass Effect series! Use spoiler tags at your discretion. The series ended over a year ago though so I'd say they're not really needed.

Discuss all Mass Effect media here. Games, books, comics, anything.

So what class does everyone play? My favorite is sentinel. Jack of all trades and in 3 with Liara's singularity, everything goes boom!

I just finished a run with a new character who's an infiltrator though and that was a ton of fun.

So, the one dude said Mordin survived.

Can you save Mordin and cure the genophage? That doesn't sound possible.

See... I totally screwed myself and my conscience got the best of me.

I was playing Paragon to Renegade Shep in ME 1. So basically, the survivor of Akuze started out as a Paragon, but started becoming Renegade after losing Ashley on Virmire. Since Ashley had not yet died, this meant that Wrex was spared and not shot.

In ME2 I destroyed Maelon's data, because Shep had every intention of not curing the genophage.

Fast forward again to ME3 and it's time to sabotage the Genophage. I let Wrex know that the dalatress was planning on sabotaging the shroud and finally arrived to the point of sabotage.

I couldn't do it... I just kept on thinking about that gut wrenching cut scene where Wrex finds out what happens and you have to kill him again. This is after having him call me his best friend. ARGH! I couldn't do it! My Renegade Shep started turning back into a Paragon even though it wasn't my intention.

I get too attached to digital characters.

I think you can lie to Wrex and say it's cured and convince Mordin to lie about it too. Something about telling Mordin the krogan rebellions will happen again and the krogan can't be trusted.

Dara wrote: "So what class does everyone play? My favorite is sentinel. Jack of all trades and in 3 with Liara's singularity, everything goes boom!

I just finished a run with a new character who's an infiltrat..."

Let's see...

My main shep is a Vanguard. I'm usually the type of player who likes to be the jack of all trades and the vanguard felt like a good match. Though when they added biotic charge in ME2, then I was like... HOLY MOLY! LOVE IT!

The Shep I completed recently was an adept. In ME 1 singularity was just pure eye candy. You plop the singularity near some enemies and crates and just watch the world float around you. It was definitely more of a visual spectacle than in ME 2 and 3.

However, although it lost some of it's punch in 2 and 3, I absolutely loved doing the singularity/slam combo. Seeing the enemies go up, then slam back down, then go up again was AWESOME!

In ME2 I also loved in the clinic with the Vorcha, where you could pull them into the fans and have them blown away in the wind. Awesome, awesome, awesome.

Love the sentinel for multiplayer, but I haven't tried the infiltrator or the engineer.

I played an engineer in 2 and hated it. I didn't even finish the character.

Awesome article on Ars Technica today about ME: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05...

Infiltrator all the way -- snipe, snipe, snipe! Plus powers if you need them. Mordin died for me in ME2 because I chose poorly in the suicide mission -- thought about going back and replaying it, but decided that was my "canon". Myself, I was fine with the ending in 3, but after hearing the initial kerfuffle I waited for the extended version. Haven't played Citadel or the other recent DLC yet -- I think that probably requires a whole new playthrough, which probably begins back in ME1. And this time Mordin will live, dammit!

Mordin was the first character I loved back when I played the ME2 demo (I play ps3 so I only just got the original Mass Effect in November). He reminded me of an alien/scientist version of Abed from Community. I was devastated when he died.

I didn't like the ending but I didn't hate it either (don't want this to turn into bashing the ending - lets focus on the 98% of awesome that is the rest of the series). It just is what it is. The journey is more important to me.

I have all the DLC for 2 and From Ashes and Omega for 3. I got a PSN card for my birthday so I'm buying the Citadel tonight.

Joseph wrote: "Infiltrator all the way -- snipe, snipe, snipe! Plus powers if you need them. Mordin died for me in ME2 because I chose poorly in the suicide mission -- thought about going back and replaying it,..."

Citadel is worth it. It's definitely not a "serious" DLC, it's more of a... get to have fun with your squadmates just one more time.

One of the best lines I got a kick out of was when Shep picks a team and gets ready to go on the mission and the rest of the squad is staring.

Shep goes, "What? Why are you all staring at me?"

James: "I wanted to go."

Tali: "Me too."

Oh my god! What a typical scenario! I always had to struggle with who I would take on the mission to get the best dialogue choices. It's definitely a great DLC and let's you have some additional moments with your romantic interest as well.

Wilmar wrote: "Citadel is worth it. It's definitely not a "serious" DLC, it's more of a... get to have fun with your squadmates just one more time."

I'm definitely going to do it sooner or later. The problem is that since I actually finished ME3, I have this weird psychological aversion to going back and playing new content that goes in the middle of the game. If it was post-game, it wouldn't be such an issue, but since it's in-game I feel like it requires a whole separate playthrough. But that's just me.

i've played ME2 till the garrus recruitment mission (got the doc first) and i really loved how the choices really matered... like for example with the kid that wanted to join the mercenaries...

I played a vanguard with colonist as background story. And it was fun to make stuff float in the air before hitting it with a nice charge

Joseph wrote: "Wilmar wrote: "Citadel is worth it. It's definitely not a "serious" DLC, it's more of a... get to have fun with your squadmates just one more time."

I'm definitely going to do it sooner or later. ..."

Actually a few people recommend doing the Citadel DLC after you've beaten the game. Storyline wise, it doesn't make sense to do the DLC after Thessia.

But if you do the DLC before Thessia, then not all the characters will show up. You need to have all their side missions completed before they can participate in the DLC.

Me personally, I just ignored what happened at Thessia and did it right after.

Joseph wrote: "Wilmar wrote: "Citadel is worth it. It's definitely not a "serious" DLC, it's more of a... get to have fun with your squadmates just one more time."

I'm definitely going to do it sooner or later. ..."

That's how I want to do it. I want to get Leviathan too and do a whole new game from 1 through 3 (even though 1 is kind of trying for me - it's so clunky).

Dara wrote: "That's how I want to do it. I want to get Leviathan too and do a whole new game from 1 through 3 (even though 1 is kind of trying for me - it's so clunky)."

But you get to drive the Mako! Oh, wait ...

Wilmar wrote: "Oh my god! What a typical scenario! I always had to struggle with who I would take on the mission to get the best dialogue choices. It's definitely a great DLC and let's you have some additional moments with your romantic interest as well."

I always have that issue with Bioware games -- I want to run around with every possible combination of characters, just so I can hear all of the banter, but I have my favorites personality-wise, and there are the ones who are just too tactically useful not to take along when I'm going to be shooting things (or blasting them with fireballs and ice storms in the case of Dragon Age).

Joseph wrote: But you get to drive the Mako! Oh, wait..."

I hate that thing. With a passion.

I tend to play Sentinels, but I've had some fun times with Vanguard and Adepts, as well. In particular, a Vanguard on ME3, where you can pretty much just punch your way through levels? Kind of viscerally satisfying.

I didn't know you could save Mordin, but I don't think I would even knowing it. Felt like the it made sense with his overall story arc. If I were writing it as a movie or book or television series, that's what I'd have had happen. When he's introduced in ME2, it's clear that he's tormented about his role in continuing the genophage. Letting him die curing it, instead of lying and covering it up again, felt like the best choice.

For similar reasons, I let Tali and Thane die in the suicide mission on ME2. I felt like, if you're calling it a suicide mission for the entire game, and NOBODY on the away team dies? Then how can you really feel like there were serious stakes? You've already brought the MC back from the dead. There have to be meaningful consequences, IMO.

So Tali died in my ME2 because she was important, because she'd been there since the beginning. If you don't let characters who matter die, again--what are the real stakes? And Thane had a terminal disease, and had at least partially made peace with his past and his son. I was okay with him being the "new guy death." Made sense with his arc, although he was a cool character.

Dang, I'm callous. It's probably a good thing I don't write television. Viewers would hate me.

But hey, since this is a book group thread. Anybody read any of the novels based on Mass Effect? Are they any good?

Katina wrote: "I tend to play Sentinels, but I've had some fun times with Vanguard and Adepts, as well. In particular, a Vanguard on ME3, where you can pretty much just punch your way through levels? Kind of visc..."

Missed out on the novels but I did want to say that for my ME3 carry over playthrough...

I totally let Jacob die, he was just too damn dull! And quite honestly, he looked like a jackass everytime he saluted me.

Katina wrote: "But hey, since this is a book group thread. Anybody read any of the novels based on Mass Effect? Are they any good?"

I read the first 3 and enjoyed the hell out of them. Anderson is Anderson and Kahlee Sanders is a fun character.

I think engineer in 3 would be more fun but in 2, it dragged.

Anyone have any cool combos they liked to do with their powers?

For instance, I loved setting up the singularity as a trap near chokepoints. Once enemies walked into them, I would do a biotic throw and chuck them off a ledge.

Though definitely the pull/slam combo is immensely satisfying. I think I once did a 3 hit combo with all biotics. I think it was singularity for the set up. Shockwave to knock the enemy into the singularity, and then slam to bounce them up and down in stasis.

So fun as the adept!

Katina wrote: "I tend to play Sentinels, but I've had some fun times with Vanguard and Adepts, as well. In particular, a Vanguard on ME3, where you can pretty much just punch your way through levels? Kind of visc..."

you know the first mission in ME2, the one when sheppard comes to life? well.... someone got killed in my playthgrough

Dara wrote: "Since we highjacked someone else's thread about reading habits, here is a place to discuss the Mass Effect series!"

I like to read about Mass Effect on my iPad, so I can take it mobile.

If anyone plays ME3 multiplayer, I'm on as Trike117 (EA choked on my original account).

Edit: PC.

I'm on MasterTheHero (PC Origin)

So... on the topic of romances.

I was super disappointed when I decided to be faithful and stick with Ashley. Not because I didn't love the character, but because the way she was handled in the game. (This was before extended cut or citadel) Made it seem like she wasn't even present!

I would stop by after every mission, excited to talk to Ashley and she would be like, "Man, must be tough for those people on Eden Prime."

Me: "Uh huh, uh huh, you want to talk about us baby?"
Ashley: "Talk to you later, Skipper."

Huh? *Clicks again*

"Talk to you later, Skipper."

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? I felt that my relationship with Ashley was a huge let down, like I barely got to interact with her. My femshep got more interaction out of Kaiden, and they weren't even dating!

I am half-tempted to have another character that will go and get Miranda instead. I know she can be a cold hearted, socially awkward weirdo sometimes but... damn she fine!

I'm also debating whether I should buy the DLC that let's you select your choices for ME 1 for ME 2. I really don't think I have it in me to do another ME1 playthrough. (I already did at least 12 on the 360 and had to re-do them AGAIN on the PC.)

I felt the same way about my Sheps who romanced Kaidan (although I'm always touched by the lunch scene). My Garrus romances are more fulfilling.

I got Leviathan and the Citadel DLC with my PSN card so I'm playing again with a sentinel Shep. I didn't think I'd miss infiltrator so much.

Oh then you're in for a treat with Kaiden during the Citadel DLC. :)

Well Garrus too...

This Shep romanced Kaidan in 1 and then went to Garrus in 2. I'm sticking with Garrus.

Dara wrote: "This Shep romanced Kaidan in 1 and then went to Garrus in 2. I'm sticking with Garrus."

Once you go Vak, you never go bak.

I've played all classes but prefer Adept, Sentinel and Soldier. my favorite combo in ME1 is Garrus and Wrex, in ME2 I totally love my Team Dextro Garrus and Tali. I have about 25 different Shepards but only played the last game with my MainShep - Earth Born War Hero and Kaidanite. I haven't really enjoyed a second playthrough of Me3 though I have started quite a few. I think the Citadel DLC was pretty nice but all in all I felt ME3 was a huge letdown regarding the conclusion of the series and how some characters were handled. I disliked the change in Ashley's appearance (yeah I can handle her hair like that but she looked like she's had one plastic surgery too many). I disliked how Jacob- and Thanemancers were treated. I mean, basically anyone who didn't romance Liara, the VS, or Tali or Garrus got screwed pretty badly but those two romances were a total kick in the guts. Jacob being strong on the L-word in ME2 then goes to knock up some other chick. And I feel that Thanemancers should have gotten something very different than Sheps who didn't romance Thane.

The game does hit right in the feels with a lot of things (Mordin's death, Grunt's glorious return, Tali's suicide - yeah she wasn't loyal to my MainShep, sue me). I absolutely loathed how they treated FemShep - Vega in the Citadel DLC. Well it's nice you get to flirt but at least make Shep back off when Vega expresses his desinterest. Classic cat in heat moment there just like with everytime she talked to Jacob - ugh!

The ending was pretty much a 30 minute acid trip gone wrong but I could deal with Starbrat and the explanation. I just don't play that far and head canon my way out of it. But a lot of the other stuff really bugged me. Beside what I mentioned already, that was mostly Shep's weird facial animations, again the stupid walk for FemShep who looks like she's stomping around like some elephant. I get that it's supposed to be gritty and all but the graphics looked really shitty, especially at the beginning where the lighting is so terrible. During the demo I thought they'd fix that. When I got the game, I saw they hadn't.

Anyway, I could ramble on and on but I guess I better safe you that. I loved all my Shepards. I'm an absolute Garrus fangirl *swoons* but ME3 just ruined a lot for me.

Wilmar wrote: "I'm also debating whether I should buy the DLC that let's you select your choices for ME 1 for ME 2. I really don't think I have it in me to do another ME1 playthrough. (I already did at least 12 on the 360 and had to re-do them AGAIN on the PC.) "

you can download ME1 saves from masseffectsaves.com if you don't wanna do another run. There's quite a bunch up there that you can pick from depending on the choices you've made in the game.

Also, the Citadel DLC was really nice. Definitely something they should have done in the game from the beginning.

Hmm...so I'm weird and even though I own ME3 I haven't started playing it yet. No reason not to...I was absolutely obsessed with the first two. I guess I'm waiting for a time to take some leave, disconnect my phone and veg out for it.

I have a Vanguard fem Shep who has stayed loyal to Kaidan. I'm one of those really weird people who have a hard time making decisions contrary to the ones I'd make in real life in video games. So consequently, my Shep is super paragon, because if it gets too renegade I start to feel really anxious and bad for the characters. (I promise I'm not crazy!) That said, she can be ruthless when need be.

I do remember being less and less happy with 'magic' from ME1 to ME2, and from the little I played with ME3 so far. I guess I liked my original little powers and didn't like them changed on me.

And as far as the suicide mission in ME2...I cheated. :/ I looked up how I could get everyone to survive because I loved all the characters so much. I would definitely be interested in reading the books because quite frankly the universe, the history, and the characters really grab me. Much like Dragon Age (Origins a bit more than 2...love me some Alistair).

After my first playthrough with a soldier, I looked up how to have everyone survive. Only Jack died then.

I'm almost always a paragon even when I intend to try renegade. I feel bad being mean to people, unless they deserve it.

Dara wrote: "After my first playthrough with a soldier, I looked up how to have everyone survive. Only Jack died then.

I'm almost always a paragon even when I intend to try renegade. I feel bad being mean to p..."

Yay! Another moral dilemma gamer! :P I don't feel quite so odd now.

Dara wrote: "After my first playthrough with a soldier, I looked up how to have everyone survive. Only Jack died then.

I'm almost always a paragon even when I intend to try renegade. I feel bad being mean to p..."

Same here. I was able to do jerk Shepard in ME 1, but by 2 and 3 you've established some friendships. So it feels especially cruel to do dick moves to characters who call you friends.

Michelle wrote: "Yay! Another moral dilemma gamer! :P I don't feel quite so odd now."

I get mocked because I can't help but play the Boy Scout/Girl Scout in pretty much every single game that gives me the option. Yes, I need to stop the Sith from ravaging the galaxy, but sure, I'll help get your cat down from the tree and reunite you with your estranged mother first.

Although renegade-punching the dude out the window felt REALLY GOOD, as did sniping the conveniently-placed explosive barrel while the mercenary leader was monologueing.

Those are a few fun things I do. Like shoving that electrical thing into the batarian mechanic on the Archangel mission and punching Khalisah Bint Sinan al-Jilani (yeah, I wiki-ed her to get her name right).

I actually never played ME1 (I'm in the middle of a playthrough now) but I've done two playthroughs in both ME2 and ME3. My first Shep was a fem Shep who romanced Jacob, and I got super pissed about how that played out in ME3, especially because it didn't give me a chance to romance anyone else other than Diana. I played her as super Renegade in ME2, and pretty much did the same thing in 3.

I did my second ME2 playthrough with the Genesis DLC, which I felt helped give me some background. My second Shep was a male Shep, who was a bit of a ladies' man lol. I set the ME1 romance to Ashley, then romanced Kelly Chambers and Tali in 2, then I got Diana, Kelly, Tali, and Ashley in 3 (Don't ask me how I pulled that off because I don't remember but...yeah....). I actually did a good balance between Paragon and Renegade choices on his playthrough but I used all the Renegade dialogue options and interrupts, so he ended up being another Renegade.
I, too, cheated on the suicide mission and got everyone to survive both times. I actually ended up curing the Genophage despite my Renegade leanings. Honestly, I wasn't that emotionally invested in Mordin so sending him to his death didn't bother me. I was actually much more invested in Kasumi (I actually took her on every mission in ME2 on my second playthrough) and I wanted her to be a romance option so bad! Maybe I wouldn't have been the space version of James Bond then lol.

I had trouble "aiming" the biotics in ME2 so I just ended up playing a soldier both times, which I think suited my style anyway.

I also really like Kasumi. I didn't the first few times I played but on my last ME2 playthrough, I took her on a lot of missions for her overload and shadow strike powers.

Dara wrote: "I also really like Kasumi. I didn't the first few times I played but on my last ME2 playthrough, I took her on a lot of missions for her overload and shadow strike powers."

Lock your underwear drawer when you bring Kasumi along for the Citadel DLC.

Oh wait, she's a thief. Well, make sure to do some snooping around Anderson's apartment when it's party time. :)

I liked the novels a lot but i hated the last one. It was badly written, made terrible mistakes within established facts, it simply sucked. But the first three were really cool. No surprise, Drew wrote them.

I refuse to read that one because I read that it was so bad.

Yeah if I read them I won't read the fourth. I really like Drew as a writer

As do I. You can tell he knows the universe and the characters best.

Edit: He has an original fantasy novel coming out later this year I'm interested in. http://www.randomhouse.com/book/22287...

Dara wrote: "As do I. You can tell he knows the universe and the characters best.

Edit: He has an original fantasy novel coming out later this year I'm interested in. http://www.randomhouse.com/book/22287......"

I'm not one for fantasy novels, only really read those that sound interesting enough to me. I read his Baldur's Gate stuff and I really dig his Star Wars novels (Bane FTW!) I might check out the free sample once Children of Fire is out.

Yeah I'm much more of a "laser" than a "sword" but I've liked Darth Bane and his TOR Tie ins enough to check out his fantasy books

See, I'm more of a sword anyway so this is right up my alley.

Wilmar wrote: Can you save Mordin and cure the genophage? That doesn't sound possible.

I wondered about this too but I don't think so... Mordin has to sacrifice himself to disperse the cure in time. He takes responsibility for his part in the genophage though and feels it's his duty; it's a heroic death. Very touching scene overall, imo.

In all of my playthroughs Wrex has survived and I've saved Maelon's data from ME2 so that Eve (one of my favorite characters in ME3) also lives... it's hinted at various points throughout the game that with the two of them in charge, the Krogan have a better chance at rebuilding their ancient culture rather than taking revenge on the Turians and Salarians.

It seems like there's a body count at the end of ME3 no matter what choices you make, but that made it more interesting for me.

As I said in my first comment, I haven't played through ME 1 yet despite playing 2 &3, but I just started a play through of 1.

I'm currently doing the mission where you find Liara. I'm almost done but the boss battle with the Krogan and Geth is kicking my a$$. I've replayed the battle at least 10 times. And it seems like I'm dead before I can even do anything. Any suggestions? Thanks!

PS I'm playing as a soldier and this is the first planet I've been to so I'm fairly low level. Garrus and Tali are in my party.

What's your combat difficulty? I only play ME1 on the easiest setting because the combat system in that game is stupid hard. I try to keep my distance from the krogan and just shoot.