The Sword and Laser discussion

Thanks! Yeah I had it set at "Normal" but I beat on the first try after I reset it to "Casual" lol

The combat is borderline unplayable in 1.

So I'm finding out

Scott wrote: "So I'm finding out"

You need to run away from the Krogan and take out the geth infiltrator that's sniping your team. You can take care of the shock troops along the way, but getting rid of that infiltrator will be top priority.

Considering how early and difficult this battle is, you may have to use your squad as bait and revive them when they go down. The goal will be for you to disable the enemies weapons if you have any tech people with you and keep your distance from the Krogan as often as possible.

If you have it available to you, use stasis on the Krogan so you can take care of the Geth.

Thanks for the help!

Glad we were able to!

That's my problem with replaying video games. I love them the first time around. Then when I want to do a new playthrough, I get either impatient by the same stories or more commonly, frustrated by the age. It can be ancient when I'm first playing it & I'll like it just fine, but once I come back to it, it's just too clunky for me. I'd love to play a new character for Mass Effect...perhaps a more renegade, unfaithful femShep...or maybe a maleShep for the first time ever. o.O I just don't know if I could handle trying to run over geth in the Mako while avoiding getting stuck on a mountain again...

That's my thing too. When I made my infiltrator, I skipped ME1 and made my decisions with the comic.

Yeah like I said, personally, this is my first play through so I'm doing it mostly to get the full experience I didn't get through Genesis

That's exactly why I did it too. And it was worth it for that, to carry at least one character through all 3 games.

So I played the Leviathan DLC this past week. I'll spoiler tag this since some of you may not have:

(view spoiler)[It wasn't my favorite piece of DLC (that would be Lair of the Shadow Broker). Liked: It was broken up so I could play a bit then maybe do a side mission or Citadel run. Some of the chaos was nice. The war zone when you have to rescue Dr. Ann Bryson. The story itself was kind of meh though. Didn't like: It was too chaotic for me when you land on the leviathan's water planet. Also my game glitched there and my squad died and I lost all of my medigel, creds, and fuel. So I had to go replay it and not have anyone die. Not too crazy about the leviathan lore either. You'd think that after watching their thralls create synthetic intelligent life and be betrayed they wouldn't choose the create a synthetic AI to preserve them... but okay. Overall: not really a fan. Omega is better. (hide spoiler)]

This looks pretty cool: Mass Effect cosplay

Wow those are great cosplays.

Yeah I downloaded Leviathan a while ago but haven't played since I'm still slugging my way through 1

I love ME cosplay. If I ever got into that, I'd cosplay as Tali (obviously).

I don't think I'll ever play 1 again.

After much nagging from my daughters, I finally started playing the series. Almost done with the first one, but I just can't bring myself to get too excited about doing all the side quests since I know that there are 2 more games waiting for me to play. And I HATE driving that Mako. I need a hack that gives me a google self driving car instead.

You only drive the tank in one mission that I recall in 2&3 (combined) and that's a DLC for 2. The side quests can get annoying especially in 2 when you're doing stuff for your squad members but I didn't mind them too much

And a surprising number of the sidequests in ME1 have some kind of payoff in ME2 or ME3 -- usually it's very minor (running into the person you helped and being reminded you helped them, e.g.), but it's still kind of neat.

Karen wrote: "And I HATE driving that Mako."

Aww, I love the Mako. Conscript one of your daughters to drive it around for you, if you can, because those Prothean artifacts & Matriarch writings you find wandering around planet surface will be useful in ME3. Assuming you're not going to grind multiplayer, that is.

Stupid mako is stupid. Cortez was right about it.

This series is one of my favorite series ever. I played it not knowing much about it at all and was hooked. I played all three in succession earlier this year.

While many people think that ME1 is outdated and the combat clunky, it remains my favorite game in the series by far. The combat in ME3 was better, but for some reason fans still tend to like ME2 more. While it introduced some interesting characters (Illusive Man, Thane, Mordin, etc.), others were dull (JACOB) and the plot was absolute garbage (literally did not matter at all). ME1 had interesting characters too and one of the best (and mostly reasonable) plots of any video game, complete with amazing voice acting and art direction. It had flaws -- the elevators, cut-and-paste sidequest planets and buildings -- but the total package was amazing. ME3 comes close with a return to interesting plots and morality choices and greatly improved combat, plus multiplayer.

Anyone prefer one of the games?

I have completed Mass Effect 1 - 3 last year and really enjoyed it. I played soldier all the way. However this year I am having a Mass effect Marathon. I am replaying the series and reading the Books and graphic novels along the way, it has added much more depth to the games as a whole and I am loving it. I am playing Infiltrator through all three games this time, and I love it way better than Soldier.

I have just completed ME2 and just install ME3. I had kept all my saves from the time when I played it first time round, so I was able to play the game at Hardcore and Insanity levels which I am really enjoying, as it gave me much more of a challenge. I have yet to play anything from the Multiplayer stuff, but I am looking forward to getting into that.

I am just about to finish the second book, Mass Effect: Ascension and order Mass Effect: Retribution. I have the first three Graphic novels.

I love everything about Mass Effect, I have loads of t-shirts and stuff, I just bought that new N7 Hoodie that came out.

I just want to add that If it wasn't for my best friend Jane Higginson introducing me to Dragon Age: Origins I wouldn't be into the Mass Effect Saga. I will also add that she has massively broadened my horizons when it comes to reading books in general, showing me that there is more to reading books than just Star Wars. And also introducing me to Goodreads as well. Thanks Jane you are awesome!!!!!!!

Baelor wrote: "Anyone prefer one of the games?"

ME2 for me. The whole thing felt like part of one piece as you go about assembling your team and rallying the galaxy, or at least trying to warn them about the impending doom. The stakes seem to increase with each revelation and each adventure, and the universe felt big with lots of interesting things in the nooks and crannies.

A lot of people didn't care for the "gather resources" aspect of the game which I will agree were a poor fit since it disrupts the flow of the story, but by the same token I did like the zen quality of it as well as the obsessive details about every single planet. The text alone must've taken them weeks to write.

Sadly, ME3 dropped the ball. Aside from a couple of the missions, I hated it. I do enjoy the cooperative multiplayer, though. Unlike ME2, which I played through four times to get different endings, I have zero interest in revisiting ME3's story after my initial slog through it.

Trike wrote: "Baelor wrote: "Anyone prefer one of the games?"

ME2 for me. The whole thing felt like part of one piece as you go about assembling your team and rallying the galaxy, or at least trying to warn the..."

I must admit ME1 for me. While the graphics were not as good as 2 and 3 I felt the story was impressive and the sound track was brilliant, so much so that I went and bought the ME1 OS on cd. I listen to it all the time.

The caverns were copied on each planet which was a shame, unlike ME2 were lots of visual details were put into it. However one thing I liked about ME1 was the transitions from zone to zone. For example on the citadel you traversed a lift as the zone loaded, it was smooth and slick, and it gave not obvious effect that you were switching zones. It was like one huge zone.

Hesper wrote: "Karen wrote: "And I HATE driving that Mako."

Aww, I love the Mako. Conscript one of your daughters to drive it around for you, if you can, because those Prothean artifacts & Matriarch writings yo..."

I loved the Mako. I build kit models and really wanted a 1/8th scale of the Mako. :)

ME2 for me. I takes the exploration in 1 and integrates it better, combat improves on 1 in so many ways, the character development is still there and I love all of the characters you get to meet. You really get to explore the universe and see how people really live when there isn't a Reaper invasion on.

ME2, for all the reasons already mentioned. Also, I love that opening! It had me yelling at the screen the first time around. Good times.

My preference order is ME2, ME1, ME3, actually, even though 1 is a big ol' ham'n'cheese sandwich. That end shot of Shepard being all heroic as the end music plays is a pulpy delight. I ended up really liking multiplayer in ME3, and there were parts of the game that were really good, but there were so many other missteps.

Saranar wrote: I loved the Mako. I build kit models and really wanted a 1/8th scale of the Mako. :)

High five. I really missed riding around in that thing in the other games. Did you ever get around to building it?

I guess the GoodReads community follows the general fan preferences.

I still am surprised that so many people prefer 2 over 1. I just do not understand it at all.

Hesper wrote: "ME2, for all the reasons already mentioned. Also, I love that opening! It had me yelling at the screen the first time around. Good times.

My preference order is ME2, ME1, ME3, actually, even th..."

No unfortunately. But I did put a request in at treehouse brand store that they bring one out. and I also look into converting a modern day military kit into one. lol. So it is still on the cards.

I think one of the reasons why I'll always love ME2 most is because I played it first. I play PS3 so ME1 wasn't available to me. ME2 was my introduction to the universe so lots of nostalgia.

Baelor wrote: "I still am surprised that so many people prefer 2 over 1. I just do not understand it at all."

Out of curiosity, why would you have to understand someone else's personal preference? It's doubtful that any two people will have identical reasons for liking something. I'm asking because I find it more interesting to find out why others like the things I don't, rather than getting confirmation that others like the same things I do.

Saranar wrote: So it is still on the cards.

I saw pictures of a fan made Normandy SR2 model a while ago. It had a bunch of movable parts; opening doors, moving wings, LEDs. Some pretty impressive work went into that.

Hesper wrote: "Baelor wrote: "I still am surprised that so many people prefer 2 over 1. I just do not understand it at all."

Out of curiosity, why would you have to understand someone else's personal preference..."

I enjoy understanding the personal preferences of others, which is why I, like you, want to understand differences in perspective and do not attempt to get confirmation from others.

If you will indulge me, perhaps we can mutually accomplish our stated goal now.

What was jarring to me about ME2 was the following:

1) A complete change in game mechanic and play style, much more like the Gears of War series, with a reduction in the RPG elements.

2) A nonsensical plot that served no ultimate purpose whatsoever. While the final mission was one of the best end levels to any game I have ever played, it could not make up for the Collector plot, which was neither particularly stimulating nor consequential, unlike the plots of ME1 and ME3.

3) A shift of focus onto characters. While this paid off in some cases (Thane, of course), it did not in others (Jacob, Grunt). Furthermore, this made the game feel like an enormous sidequest of sorts rather than a game with actual plot development. Noveria and Feros in ME1 raised moral issues. The main plot of ME2 did not, save perhaps for the choices made at the end of the final level. I enjoyed the universe that was created in ME1. This was mostly sacrificed in ME2 (with Omega being the exception) in favor of personal plots. Locations such as Illium were underdeveloped, especially in comparison to the Citadel in ME1.


I loved ME2. It was a wonderful game. But ME1 set a precedent that was harshly broken in ME2, which could very well have been a game in an entirely different franchise as a consequence of the three points I listed above.

And yes, I do not exactly what I would have done differently had I been responsible for the second game. ;)

Fair enough.

The shift in play mechanics wasn't an issue for me. It made combat more dynamic, and ultimately I viewed it as a welcome attempt to update both the look and feel of play, even though it sacrificed some continuity.

The Collector plot could have been more consequential had ME3 not rendered a lot of choices made in previous games irrelevant. As it was, all it did was provide an object lesson in what happens to sentient races once Reapers get a hold of them.

I agree that Jacob & Grunt, and for me Samara, were underdeveloped, and possibly included for squad diversity rather than any storytelling purpose. The attention to companion missions worked because it highlighted Shepard's isolation. Beyond the practical benefits of having a loyal squad, it seems like a psychologically authentic action for Shepard, isolated from the Alliance and deep in Cerberus territory, to choose involvement with companion problems. The moral choices are there; the scale is simply more intimate.

As for the larger moral issues, again, I come back to the creative decisions made for 3, and the resulting trivialization of previous choices.

Saranar wrote: "I loved the Mako. I build kit models and really wanted a 1/8th scale of the Mako. :) ..."

Here's a printable paper model.

http://thunderchildftc.deviantart.com...

Here's a Mako made from the above: http://kotlesiu.deviantart.com/art/Ma...

Hesper wrote: "Fair enough.

The shift in play mechanics wasn't an issue for me. It made combat more dynamic, and ultimately I viewed it as a welcome attempt to update both the look and feel of play, even thoug..."

Hesper, thanks for the response. I forgot to add that I do not like the turn Cerberus took in ME3; the game basically recycled concepts in ME1 regarding the Illusive Man, which was a bummer after ME2 introduced him rather successfully in my mind.

As you say, the squad introduction in 2 was a welcome addition (though I did not find ME 1 especially lacking in interesting characters). What made the main quest in ME2 less appealing to me is that the missions in themselves were not particularly stimulating. Feros, with Zhu's Hope and the Thorian, was in isolation an interesting missions. Horizon, to mention it again, was not.

My favorite parts in ME2 were the introduction of Legion, the discussion of Rannoch, Omega, and Mordin. All of these -- not coincidentally -- involved interesting moral and intellectual concepts.

"Anyone prefer one of the games?"

Each for different purposes.
ME1 gave us* the biggest space opera jolt, with the introduction of such a rich universe.
ME2 for the deepest character interactions. Nicholas Baker (I think) called it the most novelistic computer game he'd played, for that reason.
ME3 when we want sorrowful tragedy.

*us: my teenage children and I play as a family thing. We each have our distinct styles, Sheps, etc.

Wow am I the only one who loved 3?

For me, seeing how all the side quests I did in 1 and 2 worked out in 3, made it really rewarding. But I think, why I love 3 the most is that it really cemented me caring for the characters. I still get chocked up when I see some of my favorite squad mates die heroically and I also enjoyed the Citadel DLC.

ME1 was the first one I played on the 360. Originally I loved the game, but after playing it 12-16 times on both the 360 and PC, I'm definitely sick of it. The Mako levels are dull and man, did I hate the ones with the sweeping mountains in them!

Loved the game, but I just can't bear another playthrough.

ME2 on the other hand started pissing me off to the point where I considered giving up altogether. When I first played it on the 360 it was great, but there was that float in the air bug. When I played it again recently on the PC, it was just nothing but constant bugs!

Floating in the air, getting stuck in geometry, on numerous occassion. Frustrating! I've had to replay entire levels because of stupid bugs.

I still loved the game, but I think ME3, despite having a weak ending, still remains my favorite. I'm not sure any of the DLC can top the Citadel DLC.

Wilmar, I also love ME3. I love all 3 games but 1 a little less than 2 and 3.

ME was definitely the worst of the three, mechanically speaking -- for 2 & 3 they streamlined & polished to a blinding sheen. (Possibly a bit too much streamlining, especially in 2.)

I think 1 was my favorite in terms of story & presentation -- you were being introduced to this vast, sprawling universe and all of these characters, and the apocalypse didn't loom on the horizon so you could just kind of wander around and take it all in. (Well, sometimes you also had to drive the @$@#$@!$@! Mako.)

2 lost a lot of the exploration but had some of the best character interactions I've ever had in a video game. And I have to admit that I found scanning for resources strangely mesmerizing -- by the time I was done, every planet in the entire universe was depleted.

3 was suitably epic as you assemble your forces for the final confrontation (and kind of depressing seeing all of these places you'd visited before being blown to vapor). I didn't have too much of a problem with the ending, although I deliberately waited for the expanded version.

Baelor wrote: "Horizon, to mention it again, was not."

Interesting thing, Horizon. I really like what the rejection accomplishes from a storytelling perspective, but I'm not crazy about its execution. Probably my favorite part about the way it was handled is the conversation with Joker after the mission, if Shepard is involved with the Alliance squadmate.

The praetorian, though, was cool. First time around, anyway. Going back to ME2 after multiplayer, it just doesn't have the same punch.

Few characters can beat Mordin & Legion. The Legion conversations are among my favorite parts of ME2. I also liked Garrus' loyalty mission, especially because, of all the squad missions, it felt the most like a demanding, ongoing issue that Shepard gets pulled in. It was also very lovingly directed; the dev team probably took a lot of care storyboarding that one.

Wilmar, I loved 3, but not as much as the other two. Let's say it didn't meet my expectations, which admittedly, can be pretty high at times. The Citadel DLC, though, was good fun, and a great way to say goodbye to the series.

Hesper wrote: "Baelor wrote: "Horizon, to mention it again, was not."

Interesting thing, Horizon. I really like what the rejection accomplishes from a storytelling perspective, but I'm not crazy about its exec..."

I did enjoy the interaction with the Alliance squadmate, but the issues surrounding ExoGeni and the Thorian and Binary Helix and the Rachni far surpassed it IMO. Although the primary missions in the first game were fewer in number, each one was individually interesting. The strongest missions of the second game -- Tali's loyalty (and even her mission, though the dark energy plotline was dropped), Legion's loyalty, Mordin's loyalty, Thane's mission and loyalty, etc. -- were ones that incorporated weightier issues as well. The sad part (for me, at least) is that the larger plot of the Collectors/Reapers did not.


The conversations with Legion were the highlight of the game for me, especially the initial conversation. I must say I took particular delight in the fact that Legion answered Shepard as a logician would ("You watch me or you watch organics?" -- "Yes").

Hesper wrote: "Baelor wrote: "I still am surprised that so many people prefer 2 over 1. I just do not understand it at all."

Out of curiosity, why would you have to understand someone else's personal preference..."

Wow cool, I would have like to have seen that. :)

Baelor wrote: "Hesper wrote: "Baelor wrote: "Horizon, to mention it again, was not."

Interesting thing, Horizon. I really like what the rejection accomplishes from a storytelling perspective, but I'm not crazy..."

That conversation between Shepard and legion was great, I loved it. Legion, EDI, Tali, and Liara are my favriote characters, but I do like the others very much.

So what are some of you guys' favorite quotes? There so many!

I think mine are when Tali is drunk at the end of 3 and says "Don't 'ah' me! You sound like a vorcha!" And "Emergency induction port". Also Mordin singing Gilbert and Sullivan.

Yeah has to be the Emergency Induction Port for me. Although I also got a kick out of Kasumi telling my femShep she (Kasumi) was going to start wearing her "come hither" hood around Jacob

The comments made by Joker and Edi during ME2 everytime ykuaks Joker if everyrhing was ok in the cockpit. Tali stumbling over her words, and anything mordin says, especially his singing.

In addition to anything with Legion in it, (view spoiler)[the conversation with Sovereign in ME1 remains my favorite moment of the trilogy (hide spoiler)], second only to (view spoiler)[the conversation with Vigil on Ilos (hide spoiler)].

The "overheard" background conversations in Afterlife in ME2. "Has anybody seen my kid?"

Not necessarily a favorite, but I've always gotten a giggle out of the Illium bachelor party in ME2. And pretty much everything Aethyta says, though my favorite line from her is "anthropocentric bag of dicks" in 3, when Shepard points out that humans call both female parents mothers.

Saranar, I tried finding it after I posted, but no luck. It was seriously good.