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JAF1970 Jonah Falcon from New York Since: Jan, 2001
Jonah Falcon
#26: Feb 23rd 2011 at 9:40:54 PM

Hmmm. Sovereign says that each Reaper is a nation unto themselves. Makes me wonder if there's a 5th column Reaper sect out there.

Jonah Falcon
Noelemahc Noodle Implements FTW! from Moscow, Russia Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
#27: Feb 23rd 2011 at 11:21:59 PM

Which we may have to recruit in the third game, even?

Videogames do not make you a worse person... Than you already are.
Tyyrlym Jerk from Normandy SR-2 Since: Mar, 2011
Jerk
#28: Apr 13th 2011 at 1:01:06 PM

There's a problem with a side quest. Well not really a side quest so much as you have to do it in the right order. The doctor in the med lab where you catch up with Garrus. After you rescue her if you return you'll hear her getting blackmailed. You can do a quest to stop if from happening. Well part of the quest is talking to Kohaku. Make sure you talk to him about Banes before you tell him what happened to his men with the Thresher Maw. If you don't then the blackmail quest dead ends. Literally.

It's funny how quickly you can play through the game when you already know what you're doing. I know exactly how I want my Shep ending up so this play through I'm on is taking only about 25 hours and I'm doing everything. The game is almost too easy as a Soldier as I was able to get my Spectre weapons right after Therum. So Ferros, Noveria, and Virmire were just a breeze. Twin Scram Rail IX's with Tungsten VIII rounds on a Spectre assault rifle will blow through a geth in a handful of shots. I haven't even dropped on Illos yet and I'm already deep level 48.

I think the best order to tackle the story planets in (for a soldier) is Therum, Feros, Noveria, then Virmire. You get Liara ASAP for her biotic abilities and her role as Ms. Exposition. You hit Feros in your late 20's early 30's when most weapons and mods are vendor trash so you don't mind the last half of the area having nothing but mobs with no decent drops. You hit Noveria in that wonderful late 30's to mid 40's stretch when the weapons take off again in ability. All setting you up for as easy a roll of Virmire as you can get.

"Tyyr's a necessary evil. " Spirit
Octo Prince of Dorne from Germany Since: Mar, 2011
Prince of Dorne
#29: Apr 13th 2011 at 1:04:38 PM

So ME is now represented three times on the front page? Well, why not?[lol]

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic
Spirit Pretty flower from America Since: Dec, 2010 Relationship Status: Hooked on a feeling
Pretty flower
#30: Apr 13th 2011 at 1:15:31 PM

No, there's only one thread for Mass Effect. Just like there is only one thread for Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.[lol]

And another for ME 3 squadmates.

edited 13th Apr '11 1:15:41 PM by Spirit

#IceBearForPresident
Noelemahc Noodle Implements FTW! from Moscow, Russia Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Gay for Big Boss
#31: Apr 13th 2011 at 8:43:02 PM

I think putting Therum off for after Virmire is still fun in its own right. Aside from totally breaking Liara's characterization in ME 2 (somehow, the Dev Team Didn't Think of That), it's just plain hilarious =)

Videogames do not make you a worse person... Than you already are.
Archereon Ave Imperator from Everywhere. Since: Oct, 2010
Ave Imperator
#32: Apr 14th 2011 at 4:20:40 AM

You know, IMHO, Mass Effect 1 had, knock on wood, the best story of the three games. The pure mechanical writing improved between ME 1 and ME 2, but the ME 2 plot reeks of "not sure where we're going." The Lazarus Project was a Dethroning Moment Of Suck for me, and the Batman Can Breathe in Space really annoyed me. The side plots were much more developed though, and, as said before, the mechanical writing was better then ME 1 for the most part.

All in all, it felt like a TV show rather than a movie.

This is a signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Legionnaire The Leading Man from Australia Since: Oct, 2010
The Leading Man
#33: Apr 14th 2011 at 4:22:21 AM

Three games? You're saying ME 1's is better than ME 3's even though it's not out yet and we know nothing beyond "The Reapers are here, Earth is burning and big sacrifices will have to be made for victory"?

Against all tyrants.
Archereon Ave Imperator from Everywhere. Since: Oct, 2010
Ave Imperator
#34: Apr 14th 2011 at 4:26:58 AM

"knock on wood." I'm rather pessimistic about the Lead Writer for Mass Effect 3. He was responsible for quite a few retcons, and several of the memetically narmy segments of ME 2.

edited 14th Apr '11 4:27:09 AM by Archereon

This is a signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
Legionnaire The Leading Man from Australia Since: Oct, 2010
The Leading Man
#35: Apr 14th 2011 at 4:28:33 AM

-googles knock on wood-

Ooooooooooooooh. NOW I understand.

Yeah, there were a few retcons. Most notably Cerberus' founding changing from it being a rogue Alliance Unit.

Against all tyrants.
Tyyrlym Jerk from Normandy SR-2 Since: Mar, 2011
Jerk
#36: Apr 14th 2011 at 4:48:39 AM

So ME is now represented three times on the front page? Well, why not?
Figured if I was gonna talk about ME 1 I'd do it in the right thread ya know?

I think putting Therum off for after Virmire is still fun in its own right. Aside from totally breaking Liara's characterization in ME 2 (somehow, the Dev Team Didn't Think of That), it's just plain hilarious =)
Yeah, it's funny but ugh, running through the game as a soldier without her biotics is just painful. When you've got your own to use it's not so bad as there's really nothing that important on Therum BUT her and the world as a whole is a quick run through.

The probably didn't alter ME 2 if you put it off simply because it's not a very common thing to do and they'd likely have to have rewritten most of her dialogue for something most people didn't do to begin with.

Oh, and I miss the elevator rides. Yeah, I said it. ME 2's load screens are the same thing only WITHOUT amusing squadmate banter or somewhat interesting news stories.

"Tyyr's a necessary evil. " Spirit
Octo Prince of Dorne from Germany Since: Mar, 2011
Prince of Dorne
#37: Apr 14th 2011 at 5:52:22 AM

The pure mechanical writing improved between ME 1 and ME 2, but the ME 2 plot reeks of "not sure where we're going."
ME 2 felt like an Excuse Plot. All those personal missions, it felt like just drawing up poor excuses to have more missions, instead of a real plot.

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic
SpookyMask Since: Jan, 2011
#38: Apr 14th 2011 at 6:35:48 AM

^^^^Huh? Can you tell me examples of those? o-o

Mr.Didact Keep Hope Alive from Winterfell Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: Naked on a bearskin rug, playing the saxophone
Keep Hope Alive
#39: Apr 14th 2011 at 6:48:02 AM

And let me repeat they NEVER SPACE WALK! And please provide examples of retcons. Cerberus's is a great topic of debate.

edited 14th Apr '11 6:49:02 AM by Mr.Didact

Stand Fast, Stand Strong, Stand Together
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#40: Apr 14th 2011 at 6:57:08 AM

The meaning of the word retcon has decayed into "a development in the story that I didn't like" for the most part.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Octo Prince of Dorne from Germany Since: Mar, 2011
Prince of Dorne
#41: Apr 14th 2011 at 6:58:58 AM

In ME1 it was stated they are a rogue Alliance specops unit. In 2, they are a NGO superpower. I mean, yes, technically one can say it was not a retcon, just a case of unreliable narrators and the like, but I think it's more realistic to say it was a retcon.

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic
Mr.Didact Keep Hope Alive from Winterfell Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: Naked on a bearskin rug, playing the saxophone
Keep Hope Alive
#42: Apr 14th 2011 at 7:00:45 AM

For all we know these "retcons" could be plot points that will show up in ME 3. And you have to give Mac more credit he's the one who wrote Garrus and Wrex for ME 1 and the squad in ME 2 was well written. They'll swing back to plot advancement for ME 3 now that the Reapers are back. [up] Maybe they are both? Perhaps they were building their strength until the split?

edited 14th Apr '11 7:01:28 AM by Mr.Didact

Stand Fast, Stand Strong, Stand Together
Octo Prince of Dorne from Germany Since: Mar, 2011
Prince of Dorne
#43: Apr 14th 2011 at 7:02:02 AM

Nobody denies he can write great characters. ME2 is full of great characters, that's never been my criticism. The question is whether he can write plot and world building.

And it's possible to align the two statements, yes. Still, from a behind-the-scenes point of view I think we can say it was a sort of retcon.

edited 14th Apr '11 7:02:51 AM by Octo

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic
Mr.Didact Keep Hope Alive from Winterfell Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: Naked on a bearskin rug, playing the saxophone
Keep Hope Alive
#44: Apr 14th 2011 at 7:04:15 AM

As long as Bioware keeps their semi-retcons explainable we're good.

edited 14th Apr '11 7:04:25 AM by Mr.Didact

Stand Fast, Stand Strong, Stand Together
ShirowShirow Down with the Privileged🪓 from Land of maple syrup Since: Nov, 2009
Down with the Privileged🪓
#45: Apr 14th 2011 at 8:11:52 AM

I'm playing through the game again just to get some more shepards ready for Mass effect 3.

Dear god the combat animation is terrible.

And who the hell's idea was it to have the "Ally" achievements? Yeah, a lot of the characters have unique dialogue that can only be heard if i bring them along to a bunch of missions. I still don't need to hear it all! Raege!

Bleye knows Sabers.
Tyyrlym Jerk from Normandy SR-2 Since: Mar, 2011
Jerk
#46: Apr 14th 2011 at 8:13:19 AM

ME 1's plot was focused, you could, if you wanted, follow a straight line through the story missions to the end and finish the game. You wouldn't really miss much. Most of the side missions of ME 1 were interesting but from a mechanics standpoint they were just bland XP grinding. You could never do the side quests and complete the game just fine. A good 20 hours of game play all oriented towards the goal of stopping Saren. Even most of the side missions like the Armstrong cluster geth clearing, had something at least tangentially to do with the main plot.

Go to ME 2 and 2/3rds of the game is recruitment and loyalty missions. Hell, maybe even 3/4ths of it is. As much fun as they can be what do they really have to do with the core plot of stopping the collectors? Jack's recruitment was a very fun mission and her loyalty mission was Bioware telling an interesting story but that has what to do with stopping the collectors? Pretty much nothing. Honestly after you hit the end of the game it almost makes your feel bad. Maybe if you hadn't forced Jacob to deal with his daddy issues, or just put Jack off until later maybe Lilith and more of the Horizon colonists wouldn't have been smoothied. Hell, I'm getting ready to write a story and one of the first things I realized I had to do was try and give some reason to the immense amount of dicking around Shepard and Company do in ME 2.

And who the hell's idea was it to have the "Ally" achievements?
To make you play the game again. I'd have to check but last time I did I'm pretty sure its only possible to get them if you collect the squad members ASAP and keep them in your squad no matter what almost the entire game. Liara's is tough as if you do too many Citadel quests without her along and you can't get the Asari Ally achievement. It's a real pain in the ass as some allies are only useful with some character builds.

edited 14th Apr '11 8:16:14 AM by Tyyrlym

"Tyyr's a necessary evil. " Spirit
Octo Prince of Dorne from Germany Since: Mar, 2011
Prince of Dorne
#47: Apr 14th 2011 at 8:24:04 AM

Heh, so am I, writing a story that is, and you know what problem I am currently worrying most about?

I blame Epantiras for pointing it out.

Have to worry about ME 1 stuff first, before I come to ME 2. If at all...

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic
Tyyrlym Jerk from Normandy SR-2 Since: Mar, 2011
Jerk
#48: Apr 14th 2011 at 8:24:41 AM

Deviant Art is blocked for me, short version of it?

"Tyyr's a necessary evil. " Spirit
Octo Prince of Dorne from Germany Since: Mar, 2011
Prince of Dorne
#49: Apr 14th 2011 at 8:27:39 AM

Short version is: Why did the Normandy just bomb Saren's base on Virmire from space?

And now my details: Why does there need to be a commando operation to place a nuke? The Normandy, being so super-stealth could have fired from after (as in several A Us afar) with no chance of being detected, and since a base is a stationary target even at such distances firing solutions are easily compiled. The problem could have been solved from a safe distance.

Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken. Unrelated ME1 Fanfic
ShirowShirow Down with the Privileged🪓 from Land of maple syrup Since: Nov, 2009
Down with the Privileged🪓
#50: Apr 14th 2011 at 8:35:22 AM

Rule of Drama, Rule of Cool, and force fields or something.

I would have been happy with the option to let Kirrahe take BOTH Kaidan and Ashley. Given that their skillsets worked together well, and how i never freakin' took them along anyways in favor of my cool new alien buddies, i wanted to do it before i even knew the consequences.

Bleye knows Sabers.

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