Mass Effect 3: Shepharder

[Anthile]

Let's just have one general discussion thread for ME3.

I assume that if you read this thread, you have played ME1 as well as ME2 and no spoilers will be marked for these games. However, for ME3 I'd like everyone to mark spoilers and/or white them out.

First, even if you are non-American (or from any other country that it has already unlocked), you can play it now if you unlock it with a proxy (as seen here (http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1038459219#post1038459219), link provided by Silver in the WIT). The first one didn't function but the second proxy worked just fine. After you activate the game, make sure to disable the proxy again, since it's a potential security risk. Starting up ME3 without the proxy worked and without causing any trouble.

Second, if you import a character created in ME1 and didn't change the appearance in ME2, ME3 won't be able to use it and you have to make a new face. You can still use a face code, however. A bit of an obvious problem to have in the game but apparently Bioware are working on this.

Additionally, here (http://www.masseffect2faces.com/index.php?show=tutorials&tutorial=saveEdit) is a link and tutorial for Gibbed's ME2 save game editor, which allows you to change most decisions made in the previous games.

[The JG Man]

I think I accidentally screwed up the copying between my 360, which had a few characters from 1 and 2, onto my USB to the extent that I may have sent them into the void. This...disappoints me, greatly. Nevertheless, I'm eagerly looking forward to missing the post-man drop it round on Friday and having to go to the sorting office and back again so I can install it and play.

I also love your title. God bless you Die Hard 2.

[KauhuK]

Is it safe to activate the game trough proxy? I read that ppl had activated their copies of BF3 without problems. I fear that if I activate ME3 trough proxy then EA will ban my account or something.

[Sketch]

I'm a little worried about the mission time limits, I didn't mind the Reaper IFF thing, but I would rather go at my own pace.

[Kadayi]

Good call Anthile. I will avoid this thread like the plague until the weekend.

[lasikbear]

All I've noticed so far is the Sentinel's Tech Shield no longer appears in cutscenes like it did in ME2. If you didn't play a sentinel sure this doesn't matter, but My Commander Sheppard wore that shield during every single scene that wasn't in civilian clothes in ME2, and now it gets removed to open a door dramatically or talk to a boy. =(

[Althea]

This sums up my thoughts with regards to ME3's demo:

Overall, I'm still very much on the fence with Mass Effect 3. They've improved it yet managed to make it worse. I'm now definitely sold on it, but I'm a little concerned as to BioWare's inability to stay consistent with any aspect of it, and this is perhaps influenced by the loss of Drew Karpyshyn after Mass Effect (he moved to BioWare Austin to work on The Old Republic). The tone, setting, style and, well, everything else changed, often for illogical reasons or for the sake of change. I doubt they've addressed the issues of Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2, instead just pushing their way forward rather than stepping back and looking at ways to fix the existing issues.

[The JG Man]

You could see that with the loss of the Mako in 2. The theory was actually pretty cool and on many planets, it was fine and pretty good fun. It needed to be fixed, not removed. Then we had Firewalker which was...not as good.

I didn't play the SP portion of the demo because I knew I'd be getting the game anyhow, but the shooting certainly felt a hell of a lot better from what I played of MP. Nothing to make me think it would be letting down the game as a whole, for example.

[Althea]

You could see that with the loss of the Mako in 2. The theory was actually pretty cool and on many planets, it was fine and pretty good fun. It needed to be fixed, not removed. Then we had Firewalker which was...not as good.
Pretty much. The change between ME1 and ME2 is bigger than ME2 and ME3, but I feel ME1 should have just been improved, not diverted from.


I didn't play the SP portion of the demo because I knew I'd be getting the game anyhow, but the shooting certainly felt a hell of a lot better from what I played of MP. Nothing to make me think it would be letting down the game as a whole, for example.
On the contrary, I only played the SP as it wouldn't let me into the MP.

[PeteC]

I was going to hold off getting this game for a few weeks but I've just cracked and pre-ordered from Amazon. It's the one game I'm looking forward to most this year. Can't wait any longer to see how my shep's story plays out.

[Tritagonist]

I'll be interested in hearing some actual user reviews over the coming days. While I did have some fun with ME and, to a lesser extent, ME2, the ME3 last month demo left me thoroughly unimpressed - as have the leaks that have surfaced over the past few weeks.

Let us know what you think!

[deano2099]

Ahh, lovely. Lots of people getting angry about the fact that you have to do everything in the game to get the best ending. Because the planet scanning is rubbish. Perfectly reasonable complaint, every ME game has had an annoying sub-game that Bioware stuck in for some strange reason that's just repetitive and dull.

But of course, because instead of doing that, you can play MP instead (which has optional microtransactions) or play the iOS game, the narrative becomes that they're doing it on purpose to make people spend more money. And not just because Bioware suck at making interesting exploration sub-quests.

[The JG Man]

Wait, MP has microstransactions? Sigh. Do I even want to know?

[deano2099]

Wait, MP has microstransactions? Sigh. Do I even want to know?

Yeah that was my reaction too. Or more I was confused about everyone going on about the Day 1 DLC being a rip-off money-grab and somehow that got a pass?

[Althea]

play the iOS game
This also happened with ME2 but no-one actually noticed because the difference was barely there. Basically, if you completed ME:G on iOS and signed in to your EA Account, you unlocked a conversation with Jacob, one I probably overlooked many times.

At least this time it's something a bit... better?

[dancanman]

Kind of a weird question, but has anybody found the boxed collectors edition for PC in stock in US stores? BestBuy and Target have it listed, but it's been sold out for weeks. Amazon, annoyingly only has the Digital Download edition.

[Tritagonist]

Wait, MP has microstransactions? Sigh. Do I even want to know?
I can't find anything about it on either the internet at large or, more specifically, the BioWare forums.

I imagine that, given the uproar about tons of other BioWare-related topics over the past few weeks, this would've been another Serious Issue™ if it was true.

[deano2099]

This also happened with ME2 but no-one actually noticed because the difference was barely there. Basically, if you completed ME:G on iOS and signed in to your EA Account, you unlocked a conversation with Jacob, one I probably overlooked many times.

At least this time it's something a bit... better?

At the risk of bringing out the rage, the iOS game has microtransactions this time around too!

(Although it's actually fairly cool, just had half an hour on it, third-person shooter with the emphasis on killing stuff in cool ways.)

[Althea]

At the risk of bringing out the rage, the iOS game has microtransactions this time around too!
What.

U srs, brah?

[Anthile]

Basically you unlock stuff like weapons, races, mods and all that with buying some sort of "booster packs". These come in four categories and the higher the category, the higher your chances of getting the rare stuff (whatever that actually is). The last two tiers of boosters can be bought with bioware points but the game throws credits at you with both hands so there is really no need for that.

[Malawi Frontier Guard]

"This is loco!"

[Mashley]

By the way the iOS game is actually pretty darn good, worth playing even without the extra stuff for ME3

[deano2099]

What.

U srs, brah?

You earn coins in the game to upgrade your guy with, but you can buy extra coins too. The most expensive package (which I presume will net you nearly all the upgrades) is a cool £34.99.

The game itself is £4.99 too, already a premium price for an iOS game without the mirco-payments. At least there's no ads, I guess. And it is good. Far better than Galaxy, and actually quite impressive for an iOS title graphically.

[Althea]

I see. If an iOS game is 3D I generally stay away as I'm absolutely crap with them. If it goes down to £0.70 (which it will), I might pick it up then.

[Tei]

I started playing, and had a lot of fun.

I did the obligatory visit to everyone in the Normandy, asking about his problems, whats going on, how is everything working. It was like returning to my ... ship, I was captain again of this ship doing missions, and its great.

[Ravelle]

Kind of a weird question, but has anybody found the boxed collectors edition for PC in stock in US stores? BestBuy and Target have it listed, but it's been sold out for weeks. Amazon, annoyingly only has the Digital Download edition.

My pre-ordered PC collectors edition got canceled just today because they ran out of it and none of the other stores had it in stock either, so only option left was to buy it digitally from origin.

[The JG Man]

So I've looked around and I've definitely effed up my 360 save files for both ME1 and 2. That means 3 characters have now disappeared. I'll be honest, I'm pretty disappointed by that. I had a look on the ME saves thing, but it's hard to find my paragon character - no romance in ME1, 'Focus on Sovereign' at the end and Paragon throughout 2. I might have better luck with my renegade character, but...man, I'm not going to complete the trilogy with my​ Shepard.

[deano2099]

Save game editor thingy? http://www.masseffectsaves.com/tools.php

[The JG Man]

Tried it, but there are a few too many variables. Have found one for my renegade run-through, so that's something. I guess if I put some time in, I could re-create it through the save editor, but there seems to be a *lot* of flags to do. Something to do on Friday while I wait for the post!

[Jockie]

ME3 wouldn't recognise my character's facial customisation, so my renegade male Shep, who has been with me from ME1 all the way through has had a slight redesign, I think I did a pretty good job at it though!

So far I'm enjoying the game, although I have found myself doing a lot of to-ing and fro-ing around the citadel in pursuit of small tasks and conversations with former friends/allies/enemies. The game still does an excellent job at remembering what you did in the previous games, it's gotten to the point now though, where NPC's are asking "Remember me? You did blahdeblah and saved my thingybob back over in wotisland?" And I honestly can't remember who the hell they are, or what they're banging on about.

I feel like I'm skirting around the main storyline a little at the moment, I don't want to rush it, because I get the feeling once you get to a certain point in the story, you'll get rushed forward at a breakneck pace. Despite the urgency that's there, I still like to potter around the galaxy.

Also as I mentioned in the other thread - I'm really enjoying the MP so far, which is a welcome surprise.

[Ninjafoodstuff]

So far (10 minutes in…) my biggest issue is the FOV. It is extremely tight, just like dead space. It wouldn't be an issue if I could plug a controller in and sit back from the screen, but that's not possible. This is really ruining it for me.

Also it seems that, although there is a separate voice for female shepard, they didn't bother with a different set of animations for her.

[Althea]

Also it seems that, although there is a separate voice for female shepard, they didn't bother with a different set of animations for her.
Yes, that's pretty much the case. I don't know if it's the case in ME3, but in ME1/2 she had a super-long neck too.

[Ninjafoodstuff]

The cover system is actually more annoying in this one. It's much too easy to get flanked and then stuck, unable to shoot people either side of you.

[Dolphan]

Is it safe to activate the game trough proxy? I read that ppl had activated their copies of BF3 without problems. I fear that if I activate ME3 trough proxy then EA will ban my account or something.

I did it, using TunnelBear rather than anything complicated, and it's been fine. I highly doubt they'll do anything about it - EA don't have any stake in the EU release delay themselves, they have no incentive to pursue something like this.

[Beeblebrox]

Can anyone tell me how do you get From Ashes DLC? Can you buy it direct through game itself, or do you need to go to Origin? Or, some other way?

Also, can you change class if you import ME2 save?

Can't wait to get my hands on it, and knowing that I'll have to wait 7-10 more days until mine arrives is driving me nuts :(

[Spider Jerusalem]

yeah, you can change classes.

[Beeblebrox]

Thanks for the good news!

[Anthile]

They say The Witcher 2 has tough decisions to make and they're right but I think ME3 tops this.

SPOILER, mark to read
I just shot Mordin in the back and betrayed the entire Krogan race.

I don't remember the last time I felt that terrible about something I did in a game and the worst part is that I still believe it was the right thing (for this incarnation of Shepard, anyways).

[Jockie]

They say The Witcher 2 has tough decisions to make and they're right but I think ME3 tops this.

SPOILER, mark to read
I just shot Mordin in the back and betrayed the entire Krogan race.

I don't remember the last time I felt that terrible about something I did in a game and the worst part is that I still believe it was the right thing (for this incarnation of Shepard, anyways).

I felt the exact same way, I had to take a short break after that and reassessed whether I should start over with my more measured carebear Shepard.

[Spider Jerusalem]

Thanks for the good news!
your powers appear to be pre-selected based on what you ended with in me2, though. not sure what the algo they use for that if you switch classes, but you can respec for free fairly early on, i hear. haven't made it that far myself (i keep restarting and sitting through the long intro).

[Anthile]

Yeah, you can respec for free the first time and after that it's 5000 bucks. You can do so in the med bay.

[csuzw]

your powers appear to be pre-selected based on what you ended with in me2, though. not sure what the algo they use for that if you switch classes, but you can respec for free fairly early on, i hear. haven't made it that far myself (i keep restarting and sitting through the long intro).

This only seems to happen if you choose the same class that you were in ME2. If you choose a different class, you can assign points wherever you want. It should have been a free choice whichever class you chose tbh.

[Ninjafoodstuff]

It should have been a free choice whichever class you chose tbh.
I disagree. I would have found it very tedious to reallocate 35 levels-worth of points. For this reason I usually auto-assign points for new team members, and then refine their skills manually as I go along.

[asskicker]

What's up with Anderson's animations? It looks like his feet are just flopping around. :/
And what happened to dialogue options? I can only choose 2 and they are both "red".

[Heliocentric]

Yeah, EA/Bioware's animators deserve a slap in the mouth for Anderson terrible running animation.

[Godwhacker]

I unlocked mine last night. It's brilliant. However, the Turian leader is called...THE PRIMARCH.

http://xceleratefitness.co.uk/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/primark.jpg

I mean, really.

Only other real annoyance is that I had to play the intro about four times to get my Shepard looking reasonable. My imported Shepard for some reason looked nothing like she did in Mass Effect 2, and seemingly had an entirely concave face. Trouble is, you can't really tell until you see them in the game proper.

Other than that, it's the best yet.

[Oshada]

I imported my Shepard (who was from Mass Effect and thus came across a bit wonky), and used this (http://www.masseffect2faces.com/index.php?faceID=564) random Gillian Anderson face with some tweaks. Best Shepard ever!

[The JG Man]

Gillian Anderson face

I guess she believes?

[Smashbox]

I think I accidentally screwed up the copying between my 360, which had a few characters from 1 and 2, onto my USB to the extent that I may have sent them into the void. This...disappoints me, greatly. Nevertheless, I'm eagerly looking forward to missing the post-man drop it round on Friday and having to go to the sorting office and back again so I can install it and play.

I also love your title. God bless you Die Hard 2.


Okay, so I was just about to do this, using this tool (http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/128/index/5573902), but the thought of losing my beautiful, beautiful, cruel Shepherd is too much to bear. What went wrong/should I still try to move my save?

[Ninjafoodstuff]

Okay, so I was just about to do this, using this tool (http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/128/index/5573902), but the thought of losing my beautiful, beautiful, cruel Shepherd is too much to bear. What went wrong/should I still try to move my save?
It works fine. There are a couple of issues related to actually importing the PCSave, see this thread (http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/344/index/9637669/2) for a solution.

[Smashbox]

Incidentally, what's with Microsoft's treatment of Xbox save data? You can't copy it, you can only cut and paste it, so if something goes wrong, like in JG Man's case, you're screwed.

[Ninjafoodstuff]

Actually most xbox games can be copied. I've no idea why certain ones can't. I assume that's at the discretion of the publisher.

[DarkFenix]

Meh, just meh. Anyone else completed it yet? Remember how disappointing the endings of Deus Ex 3 were? Yeah. Meh. Bioware managed a monumental ass-pull on this one. I am disappoint. My only other real gripe is how poorly characterised Cerberus are compared to ME2. I mean, from the off they're behaving like pantomime villains (ie. being evil because they're the bad guys).

Aside from that, great game. The gameplay is another step up from ME2 and the scripting and such are as good as ever. I'm just so disappointed that the game ended leaving such a bad taste in my mouth.

[Spider Jerusalem]

i haven't finished it (obv.) but i agree on the cerebus bit. it's like they wrote the third one after the first one, and never thought that they'd put shep on the cerebus side of things. after spending an entire game inside the organization, it seems lazy/dishonest to have them go back to the generic scourge of the universe role.

[Ninjafoodstuff]

i haven't finished it (obv.) but i agree on the cerebus bit. it's like they wrote the third one after the first one, and never thought that they'd put shep on the cerebus side of things. after spending an entire game inside the organization, it seems lazy/dishonest to have them go back to the generic scourge of the universe role.

Agreed. It didn't even seem like it was supposed to be a "twist" (what were you expecting them to do, you fools!)
It's one of the most bizarre reversals in a game sequel since Hobbes "decides" to rejoin the Kilrathi in WC3.

[The JG Man]

Okay, so I was just about to do this, using this tool (http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/128/index/5573902), but the thought of losing my beautiful, beautiful, cruel Shepherd is too much to bear. What went wrong/should I still try to move my save?

It works fine. There are a couple of issues related to actually importing the PCSave, see this thread (http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/344/index/9637669/2) for a solution.

Incidentally, what's with Microsoft's treatment of Xbox save data? You can'
t copy it, you can only cut and paste it, so if something goes wrong, like in JG Man's case, you're screwed.

I thought it would be relatively simple. That was my mistake. I put in a USB on my 360, formatted enough space so that it could hold all the saves, the attempted to copy/paste all the character saves from ME1 and 2 onto the USB. Some couldn't be copied and could only be moved, for whatever reason. I accepted this, completed it and then finished. I then tried putting my USB on my computer.

There are files in a hidden 'Xbox360' folder that total 1.5gb. I'm not sure how much of that is the formatted necessities. Whatever, there are only three files, one at 1gb, one at 500mb and one at 264kb. The files are simply titled "Data0000", with the other two files with 1 and 2 at the end, respectively. Unfortunately, the file formats are saved simply as 'file'. I tried using the importer to see if it could recognise them, but nothing.

Now, I'm not saying that my 360 saves are gone; it's very possible they still exist and because I can't read them doesn't mean they're dead, but the next opportunity I'll have to get back to my 360 is in a few weeks.

Long story short, for whatever reason, the formats have blurred and I have none of my 360sav files. I basically can't even go as far as importing because there is nothing to import.

[Nalano]

it seems lazy/dishonest to have them go back to the generic scourge of the universe role.

Well, in the narrative it worked. In the gameplay, you kinda need more antagonists than just zombies (or else it'd be a very dull game combat-wise), but it didn't feel like an asspull. Spoilers.

I mean, it wasn't hard to predict that the Illusive Man would play Icarus and end up being a Reaper tool. It's painfully clear that he hasn't had one good idea in three games - so he's consistent in that - and if you ask Chakwas or Garrus or Tali in ME3 about your exploits in ME2, they all say the same thing: "Cerberus didn't use us; we used them."

[Ninjafoodstuff]

I thought it would be relatively simple. That was my mistake. I put in a USB on my 360, formatted enough space so that it could hold all the saves, the attempted to copy/paste all the character saves from ME1 and 2 onto the USB. Some couldn't be copied and could only be moved, for whatever reason. I accepted this, completed it and then finished. I then tried putting my USB on my computer.

There are files in a hidden 'Xbox360' folder that total 1.5gb. I'm not sure how much of that is the formatted necessities. Whatever, there are only three files, one at 1gb, one at 500mb and one at 264kb. The files are simply titled "Data0000", with the other two files with 1 and 2 at the end, respectively. Unfortunately, the file formats are saved simply as 'file'. I tried using the importer to see if it could recognise them, but nothing.

Now, I'm not saying that my 360 saves are gone; it's very possible they still exist and because I can't read them doesn't mean they're dead, but the next opportunity I'll have to get back to my 360 is in a few weeks.

Long story short, for whatever reason, the formats have blurred and I have none of my 360sav files. I basically can't even go as far as importing because there is nothing to import.

Sorry if this is a silly question: did you use xplorer360 (I think that's what I used) and double click the individual save file to get the .xboxsave file?

[The JG Man]

That's kind of it though, I didn't get anything like that. I just got three, wildly different 'file' files and can't do anything with them. My recommendation would be to have access to the internet while you're doing this operation and follow strict instructions!

[Kevin]

Considering that I really can't remember any moments that were laugh out loud funny for me in the first 2 Mass Effect games (save for maybe bringing Legion along with me on Tali's loyalty quest), that ME3 made me crack up twice is quite the feat. I wasn't a huge fan of the self-referential humour of ME2, but the discussion between Vega and Cortez over the Mako was the hardest I've laughed in a ME game, and there's an utterly fantastic Hunt For Red October (film version) reference come the Quarian chapter of the game.

I hope I'm not the only one here who actually enjoys James' company. Sure, he's a stereotypical jarhead, but the character role is effective and Freddie Prinze Jr has a decent voice to boot (he's a damned sight more interesting than Jacob, who hasn't improved since ME2, that much is certain).

[Nalano]

I hope I'm not the only one here who actually enjoys James' company. Sure, he's a stereotypical jarhead, but the character role is effective and Freddie Prinze Jr has a decent voice to boot (he's a damned sight more interesting than Jacob, who hasn't improved since ME2, that much is certain).

I found him to be kind of an ass, but not outright hateable like Miranda. Not that it matters, because I had Garrus and Liara, and, with them, why would I choose anybody else?

[Oshada]

Agreed, James is much better than Jacob. Useful in combat as well. But then again:


because I had Garrus and Liara, and, with them, why would I choose anybody else?

[Malawi Frontier Guard]

I never understood why Jacob was considered particularly boring. He was written as a normal soldier to, you know, balance out all the wacky aliens.

Maybe it would be better if he sang a song?

[Jockie]

I never understood why Jacob was considered particularly boring. He was written as a normal soldier to, you know, balance out all the wacky aliens.

Maybe it would be better if he sang a song?

He didn't really have much of a personality, outside 'I'm a Soldier, my dad is a dick'. He wasn't funny, he didn't have any insight. When you talk to Jacob it was basically him relating his backstory (I joined Cerberus from here, and used to do this blahblahblah), compare that to someone like Garrus, your interactions with him are frequently concise and witty. But hey, after all this is over, the Drinks are on Jacob!

At least James is kind of a dick, a character who is a dick is better than a character who isn't anything.

It's like Ashley in ME1, she stood out because she was kind of a bit of a racist, whereas Kaiden was kind of dull - always on about his upbringing, rather than applying any force of personality to the present. Kaiden has developed for those who kept him alive (not many I'd imagine) he's now one of the most hilariously needy game characters there is, constantly seeking validation from Shepard and always getting upset if you're mean to him.

[Malawi Frontier Guard]

It's funny how all the sidequests are literally things you do on the side now, without even proper dialogue. "Oh hi, I found this priceless artifact you're looking for on some planet, here you go!". "Come on, let those refugees in. I'm Commander Shepard!".

Streamlining!

[Kevin]

It's funny how all the sidequests are literally things you do on the side now, without even proper dialogue. "Oh hi, I found this priceless artifact you're looking for on some planet, here you go!". "Come on, let those refugees in. I'm Commander Shepard!".

Streamlining!

To Bioware's credit, at least Shepard doesn't telepathically know to whom these things belong to this time around. How s/he manages to find a book on a planet regardless of how powerful the Normand's scanners are is beyond me however, unless said book has the universe's most powerful GPS tracker in its spine.

[Kevin]

I found him to be kind of an ass, but not outright hateable like Miranda. Not that it matters, because I had Garrus and Liara, and, with them, why would I choose anybody else?

As an Adept, this made Liara a bit redundant in my playthrough. That in mind, my reasoning was that I needed tech and mucles to complement my "mage." I switched off between Garrus, EDI, and Tali for the "tech" component of my fireteam, and James filled the "muscles" part quite admirably.

[Nalano]

As an Adept, this made Liara a bit redundant in my playthrough. That in mind, my reasoning was that I needed tech and mucles to complement my "mage." I switched off between Garrus, EDI, and Tali for the "tech" component of my fireteam, and James filled the "muscles" part quite admirably.

Technically speaking, because my Shep was a BOOMHeadshot Infiltrator gal, Garrus was totally superfluous. But it's fucking Garrus.

[Hartford688]

Technically speaking, because my Shep was a BOOMHeadshot Infiltrator gal, Garrus was totally superfluous. But it's fucking Garrus.

LOL. Exactly the same for me.

[Anthile]

Thanks to the improved combo system, you really want to stick around with companions who can utilize it. Playing as sentinel, I walk around with Liara and Javik almost exclusively and being able to warpslode all their powers turned out to be very effective.

Also, I would argue that at least ME2 was the easiest with an all sniper squad.

[Nalano]

It's funny how all the sidequests are literally things you do on the side now, without even proper dialogue. "Oh hi, I found this priceless artifact you're looking for on some planet, here you go!". "Come on, let those refugees in. I'm Commander Shepard!".

Streamlining!

To be fair, there are sidequests like whenever Hackett sez "they've taken over this; go take it back," and there are fetch quests like when Shepard overhears something on the Citadel, and then there are arguments where it's basically "I'm Shepard and one of you is wrong."

Interestingly enough, the last one can actually harm you. For instance, letting more refugees in crowds the docks and makes it harder for military vessels to get through, lowering your military effectiveness.

[Anthile]

By the way, does this whole reputation thing have any purpose? It seems like there are a lot less occasions where you can go "See, I have this many renegade points and that's why you will do as I say".

[Nalano]

By the way, does this whole reputation thing have any purpose? It seems like there are a lot less occasions where you can go "See, I have this many renegade points and that's why you will do as I say".

As in, are there points where you see that glowing text to get everything you want?

Yes. And they're in the most important spots, too.

[Drake Sigar]

My little brother just purchased Mass Effect 3 for the Xbox 360 and threw the game aside after ten minutes. He never actually got as far as playing mind you, he spent all that time inputting codes. First the retailer-specific DLC code, then the free two day Live Gold code, then the online pass code.

[Nalano]

My little brother just purchased Mass Effect 3 for the Xbox 360 and threw the game aside after ten minutes. He never actually got as far as playing mind you, he spent all that time inputting codes. First the retailer-specific DLC code, then the free two day Live Gold code, then the online pass code.

Did you regale him with stories how, "back in MY day, we had these things called cheat codes, and you needed a separate cartridge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GameShark) to use 'em! And we liked it!"

[The JG Man]

Mechanically, I'd say this is the best of the trilogy, having just completed the second mission. I may change my face code because something about it is irking me (probably the fact it's one I've never used before, but supposedly this character has existed through ME1-3) but my biggest issue is with the plot. Two things that bother me. The first, which I won't use spoilers for because you already know about it; Game: "Oh, there's something up." Me: "It's the Reapers." Game: "We should do something. Let's ask Shepard." Me: "He's incarcerated and you're only asking him now...?" Game: "Oh, FUCK, the Reapers are here!" Me: "What happened to the passing of time?"

I don't mind details not being entirely filled in at the beginning, although the logical answer I'd have taken was, Shepard was being held due to operational ties with Cerberus, which is completely justifiable. It's the pace at which the Reapers attack Earth and the seeming complete unawareness everyone had. "Well, some shit is going down elsewhere...oh, wait, no, they're right on top of us." I dunno. People were running around, there was a hushed panic, but I can't help but think there must have been a telescope looking out and seeing an armada of giant ships heading towards Sol. Sufficed to say, it irked me.

Then we have the second mission. Spoilers concealed. I have no issue at all with having something come along during the course of the game to help in the fight, but good lord. "It's a weapon." Could you get any more generic than that?? Yes, I can understand the Protheans trying to develop something and running out of time. Hell, I can even understand that Vigil might not have known about it because the communities will likely not have been able to have contacted each other at that point, but I draw the line at the "Humans are special because yes" element. Between the deus ex weapon and that, I felt a little bit betrayed and have this sense of dread that anything I've done in the past game won't ultimately affect the overall outcome, but just little things along the way.

Still, I'm only an hour and a half in. I'm still excited to play. Just need me some lunch first.

[DarkFenix]

I found him to be kind of an ass, but not outright hateable like Miranda. Not that it matters, because I had Garrus and Liara, and, with them, why would I choose anybody else?
Because Tali is more fun than Liara?

[Nalano]

Because Tali is more fun than Liara?

Well, I admit, if I could have THREE teammates, Tali would be a shoe-in. But we're talking the difference between breathy naif and perky fangirl (and her emergency induction straw).


I don't mind details not being entirely filled in at the beginning, although the logical answer I'd have taken was, Shepard was being held due to operational ties with Cerberus, which is completely justifiable.

Shepard was being held because she killed 300,000 Batarians in Arrival, and the Batarian hegemony were an inch from declaring war.

[The JG Man]

Three teammates? I'd taken Garrus, Wrex and Grunt. If there's four, throw in Mordin.

Yes, I know that can't happen, it doesn't mean it wouldn't be amazitastic.

[The JG Man]

Minor minor-character spoilers: I have Engineers Donnelly and...Gabby back. YAY! I always liked them.

So I'm about 8 hours in, but I've been taking my time exploring every nook and cranny. I think I've hit a couple of bugs with quests on the Citadel, but I hope they'll clear themselves up. The vistas in the game are pretty damn good and there's been some generally good interaction all round. At any rate, I'm glad I no longer have to take Vega on missions with me. Good lord, what a big fat tub of stupid.

[Sketch]

Man, so many awesome squadmates, I can never choose who to bring.

[DigitalSignalX]

SPOILER, mark to read
I just shot Mordin in the back and betrayed the entire Krogan race.

I don't remember the last time I felt that terrible about something I did in a game and the worst part is that I still believe it was the right thing (for this incarnation of Shepard, anyways).

This. I went ahead and "did the right thing" - but it plagued me for hours knowing I might have screwed up the ending by not getting the "reward" for being evil to Mordin. Spoiler: In the final analysis though, it was pointless, like any decision you've made in all the games ; which is an even larger tragedy.


Technically speaking, because my Shep was a BOOMHeadshot Infiltrator gal, Garrus was totally superfluous. But it's fucking Garrus.

Agree, my femshep was also a sniper, and having Garrus up front always made sure if anything ever got close by flanking etc, he'd be there to evaporate them. I was able to save up for the 3 shot Widow pretty early because he's so effective with just the basic upgraded N7 rifle.

Spoils: Sniping bottles off the roof of the presidium with Garrus = best scene ever.

[Nalano]

Spoils: Sniping bottles off the roof of the presidium with Garrus = best scene ever.

Oh hell yes.

[DarkFenix]

Agreed, honourable mention to a certain "Emergency induction port" scene though.

I miss having Wrex on the team, he was always an awesome character. Grunt was boring as all hell in ME2, but is actually interesting now in ME3. He'd have been a nice addition too.

Ashley is still a whiny little bitch, no change there. Oh how I wanted to shoot her througout the first parts of the game.

[Anthile]

The scenes referencing nobody ever calling Shepard by his/her first name were also really funny.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk3R_y83wYk

[Kevin]

Agree, my femshep was also a sniper, and having Garrus up front always made sure if anything ever got close by flanking etc, he'd be there to evaporate them. I was able to save up for the 3 shot Widow pretty early because he's so effective with just the basic upgraded N7 rifle.

Spoils: Sniping bottles off the roof of the presidium with Garrus = best scene ever.

Give James a Revenant with expanded magazine capacity and fully upgrade his health and shields and he really can lay down the law. I found his Mako vs. Hammerhead conversation with Cortez to be the funniest I have ever laughed in a Mass Effect game, and I loved Tali's reaction to him first calling her "Sparks" and Vega's awkward backtracking.

[lobsterentropy]

Bioware's strength has always been in creating vivid characters and I think that really shone through in this game. The squadmate conversations and scenes (particularly the Garrus one spoilered out above) were the high points of the game to me.

Anyone else really like Cortez's story? I found it pretty touching, especially since it's so underplayed (as compared to a lot of the melodrama and BADASSERY punching a sword so hard it breaks anyone? that pervades the main story)

[Livebythesword]

I'm a bit wary about reading threads about the game until I've played it more but I'm gonna write a little about my first impressions anyway.

I'm playing through it on the easiest setting (story) which means it's basically an interactive movie where you get to shoot and bash things sometimes more than a game, but I still find it very entertaining. Right now all I want is to see how the story unfolds. I'll play it with some challenge added later.

The intro was a disappointment compared to the previous games. I never really felt anything, it just felt uninspired. The game got better after that though. I sure hope the ending is better than the beginning.

[Tritagonist]

Man, so many awesome squadmates, I can never choose who to bring.
If you're able to, I recommend taking Liara and Javik on, if nothing else, the Asari related missions. The total breakdown of Liara's Prothean obsession and Javik's dismissal of the Asari was quite nicely done.

[thegooseking]

This. I went ahead and "did the right thing" - but it plagued me for hours knowing I might have screwed up the ending by not getting the "reward" for being evil to Mordin. Spoiler: In the final analysis though, it was pointless, like any decision you've made in all the games ; which is an even larger tragedy.

But Mordin's hero moment if you did the right thing was totally worth it. One of the highlights of the game for me.


Spoils: Sniping bottles off the roof of the presidium with Garrus = best scene ever.

"I'm Garrus Vakarian, and this is now my favourite spot on the Citadel!"

[Kadayi]

Not too far in tbh. I played a few hours on Saturday to get a feel for the mechanics etc (something I generally do with games as a rule) , then restarted for a proper more through play through on Sunday. I've just been to Grissom academy, but have yet to go to Tuchanka (which I'll get to after having cleared the present side missions). Really been enjoying it so far in terms of the storyline (watching the reapers just pulverise everything whilst you run around like ants beneath them really brings home the enormity of the challenge). The combat is much more meaty than the previous titles I'm finding, which (now I've found my footing) I'm having a blast with (engineers are scum that must be killed as soon as they poke their heads up). The re-introduction of weapon mods, as well as companion outfits possessing some tactical benefit is a positive move (ME2 was too lightweight when it came to the weaponry imo). I'm also enjoying seeing the payoffs for earlier actions in the series coming to fruition quite a lot.

[mike2R]

I'm playing through it on the easiest setting (story) which means it's basically an interactive movie where you get to shoot and bash things sometimes more than a game, but I still find it very entertaining. Right now all I want is to see how the story unfolds. I'll play it with some challenge added later.

I'm curious if the story mode is just really really easy combat, or whether they actually cut it down - reduced enemy numbers or even actually shortened the missions?

I'm playing it on default settings at the moment, but I'm not much of an FPS player and have been considering just switching to story mode as an option for later if it starts to bore me. But lengthy fights and treks across planets seem like they would be equally tedious, if not more so, if all they have done is take out any challenge.

[The JG Man]

I like how decisions seem to feel more weighty and that the implications are strictly observed. For example, the ending of ME1 on my now accidentally deleted save had me 'Focus on Sovereign', but in ME2 this was regarded as renegade. Yet, looking at certain stats, there definitely was some 'positive' recourse from this. It's a shame that mentality wasn't present in 2 because I always felt like I was doing was the most tactically wise decision.

Similarly, there have been some smaller missions where I've felt unsure as to whether or not I've made the right one. As in, really had to take a minute to decide if I want to be throwing people's lives away for what may be the right action. I'm also liking the mission structure quite a lot, which seems to be more of them that are slightly shorter. Good chunks that make sense considering actions against the Reapers would surely not last too long in a straight up fight.

I'm also digging the way conversations are done, mostly. Whilst they seem to be slightly less interactive (and I refer to those on board the Normandy) there's more of them, more moving about, more reactions to events. The only bad thing is that because it's not in the framed conversation with the wheels, I'm every so often skipping lines in a conversation and obviously you can't hear them back.

Anyhow, the game is really shining for me right now. It's certainly got some of the best elements of 1 and 2 and put them together nicely. The only thing now that could reasonably dampen my experience of the game is the plot.

[Nalano]

I like how decisions seem to feel more weighty and that the implications are strictly observed. For example, the ending of ME1 on my now accidentally deleted save had me 'Focus on Sovereign', but in ME2 this was regarded as renegade. Yet, looking at certain stats, there definitely was some 'positive' recourse from this. It's a shame that mentality wasn't present in 2 because I always felt like I was doing was the most tactically wise decision.

Well, you swap the strength from the Destiny Ascension with the strength of Alliance fleets that weren't spent to save the Destiny Ascension. But you also have a relations black eye with the Asari and Turians that manifests itself in a reluctance to assist you, which is why it's Renegade.

[Moleman]

I'm what seems like 50% of the way through by now, and I have to note: Biotic Charge, you're my hero. Combining the new system of tying power recharge times to weapon weight carried, and the synergy between charge and nova (charge can be set up to refill your barrier, nova can be set up to not use your entire barrier strength when used), and I'm zipping around the battlefield, delivering a ridiculous explosion, and zipping away to repeat. I'm only carrying a gun in case there are enemies that I can't charge to (I think there are enemies with insta-kill melee attacks, but the charge/nova combo can stagger an Atlas, for God's sake- I don't think I've died since I got the hang of killing turrets).

[Nalano]

I don't think I've died since I got the hang of killing turrets

I didn't know people actually had trouble with turrets until I started playing co-op and watched melee dudes commit suicide by them.

For me, it was "hack turret, watch it kill all the bad guys, one-shot turret with sniper rifle."

[The JG Man]

I think the problem is that turrets have both a fairly high damage output and decent defences. I can see them being patched down the line to have one of the two dropped (maybe defences).

[Kandon Arc]

I didn't know people actually had trouble with turrets until I started playing co-op and watched melee dudes commit suicide by them.

For me, it was "hack turret, watch it kill all the bad guys, one-shot turret with sniper rifle."

Vanguards on online. The most annoying teammate possible.

[Anthile]

Yeah, having played quite a bit online, I really came to loathe vanguards. They ruin crowd control abilities (kicking people out of stasis/singularity), cause constant screen-shaking with their stupid nova ability, disperse groups of enemies by charging and on top of that they are usually the first to croak. The only acceptable vanguard is the asari variant with heavy pistols.

[Nalano]

and on top of that they are usually the first to croak.

And in the worst possible spot: The middle of a bunch of pissed-off enemies.

[Flint]

A vanguard that knows how to play the class is a great asset, able to easily take care of sudden problems and flanking foes and generally act as a brilliant mixture of support and front-line offense. However, a vanguard like that is really rare and most of the time you just get charge-spammers that fall down 10 seconds to the round or nova-spammers that make aiming a living hell for everyone else. Plus the line between a skillful vanguard that supports their team and a skillful vanguard that pretty much robs all the XP is really hard to balance.

I do love playing vanguard but tend to avoid doing so most of the time; it's too easy to slip into being a general annoyance by accident and I really don't like letting my team down.

[The JG Man]

The problem is that vanguard is obviously the most balanced for single player when you consider the "risk/reward" element of it. In SP, the risk is having to reload a checkpoint, so you do it on your own without issue. Transferring that online isn't quite as simple. I'm not saying the class becomes broken in MP, but I am saying it's harder to translate its core ability so readily.

Anyhow, just finished a major mission. It was extremely enjoyable, with a good mix of things going on. I think there was more than one time where I shouted out "Fuck yeah!" and it wasn't due to one of those near insta-death attacks those...big Reaper soldiers have.

[thegooseking]

I'd be interested to know how successful their "reaching a broader audience" was. Large swathes of my experience of Mass Effect 3 would have made zero sense without having played the previous games, so to me it clearly seemed to be playing to existing fans. But I wonder if that's because I imported a savegame from ME2, and whether a 'fresh' player would have an experience that was more self-contained.

[Nalano]

But I wonder if that's because I imported a savegame from ME2, and whether a 'fresh' player would have an experience that was more self-contained.

Hence Vega. Also, a lot of other things change. Check out what a "default" start looks like.

[Oshada]

Is it just me, or do salarians sound like David Hyde Pierce?

[deano2099]

I'd be interested to know how successful their "reaching a broader audience" was. Large swathes of my experience of Mass Effect 3 would have made zero sense without having played the previous games, so to me it clearly seemed to be playing to existing fans. But I wonder if that's because I imported a savegame from ME2, and whether a 'fresh' player would have an experience that was more self-contained.

First week sales were more than first week sales of ME1 and 2 combined, apparently.

[Anthile]

Say what you want about Kai Leng (a lot of people seem to hate him) but he certainly has the prettiest hair in the galaxy.

[Burnside]

I didn't hate Kai Leng, I just had a hard time understanding why everyone thought he was so good - first thane took him apart on the citadel and then the fight in thessia basically involved him screaming for backup in the brief moments he wasn't locked down with chain overload and stasis. And I don't even remember the fight on the cerberus base it was over that fast (oh that's right, he wasted all his time making holes in the floor to give me cover and then shepard punched his sword to pieces).

Will have to see what that's like on insanity. Would prefer to have him as a potential romance, that would have been sweet. DLC?

[The JG Man]

EDIT: So.

What the fuck, Origin? I've been waiting to see when From Ashes would appear in the game, considering I had downloaded everything. Nope. Apparently I hadn't. Apparently all the codes I got didn't quite work. On the off chance the DLC wasn't downloaded, I thought I'd start entering the codes again. What do you know?

I'm incredibly annoyed because my latest save is at the point of no return and the previous one is 4.5 hours behind. Urgh. I wonder how much I've missed out on for not having played it earlier? Honestly, fuck this DLC. It's caused way more issues than it should've done. What on earth possessed EA/BioWare to release it as they did and not like Shale and Zaeed previously, free for owners of new copies?

[Hypernetic]

What on earth possessed EA/BioWare to release it as they did and not like Shale and Zaeed previously, free for owners of new copies?

I'm going to go ahead and guess that it might have something to do with money.

[archonsod]

I'm incredibly annoyed because my latest save is at the point of no return and the previous one is 4.5 hours behind. Urgh. I wonder how much I've missed out on for not having played it earlier?

All you've really missed out on is having an elderly African constantly complaining that things were so much better in the good old days while you're playing through the game.