Mass Effect 2 teaser [Archive]

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frogbeastegg

02-21-2009, 12:18

Link (http://masseffect.bioware.com/teaser/index.html)

I expect it is a ploy. Shepard is assumed dead but actually is not. :taps fingers: Alright, I'm saying it had better be! After 7 playthroughs I'm very attached to my female/soldier/paragon Shepard! No one* kills her.

The associates section in the video didn't list Ashley and Kaiden. :sad frog: I can guess why, but still sad not to see them there.

*No one except rocket Geth, snipers, colossii, armatures, Geth Primes and Krogan battlemasters when I play on insanity and immunity runs out at the wrong time.

Monk

02-21-2009, 12:26

RABBLE! RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE RABBLE! :furious3: :furious3:

It was my understanding that the character you built in Mass Effect would be carried over into ME2. I hope this is a plot device, as in the galaxy thinks shepard is dead at the start of the game but you're really not, ect.

If it's not I will be very sad. :thumbsdown:

Zenicetus

02-21-2009, 18:15

I don't know if I'd like to see Shepard continue, because the developers would have to either radically increase the challenge level to let you start at a high level, or else pull the old amnesia trick to start you again as a weak character ("you wake up in a prison cell with amnesia, and someone has taken all your stuff!"). I hate games that reset a previous player character like that. The Witcher did a version of it, so the main character would have to re-learn skills he had before (apparently), and start all over picking up gear. But it wasn't too bad, because the player hadn't spent time developing Geralt to a high level in a previous game.

For a Mass Effect 2, I'd rather see a fresh start with a new character, maybe someone sent out to see what happened to Shepard. I don't want to play an amnesiac Shepard. And I guess I don't have much confidence that a sequel could continue the progression of skills, armor, and weapons past the level you reach in the first one. The player and party members end the game as uber-soldiers. Where do you go from there?

I dunno, maybe Bioware can pull it off. I'm probably just in a grumpy mood this morning. Not enough coffee yet. If they just do something about those boring drives across the surface, and make the interiors more varied than the first game, I'd be happy with a sequel. Aside from that, the overall concept was pretty good.

frogbeastegg

02-22-2009, 18:43

I expected it to work in the same way as the Baldur's Gate series. BG2 was aimed at a higher level character; you could carry your old one over or make a new one at a similar level. Bioware have done the same thing in other titles, mainly expansion packs like Hordes of Underdark. It's always worked well enough IMO; you feel powerful in the first game and then you meet your first mindflayer. :winces:

Mass Effect aimed at a level 60+ character, mmmmm. :loveg: That would tie in to what I expect to be doing in the game: Geth homeworlds and more of the Reapers. The Geth have to have stronger varieties back home.

I don't want to be a level 1 character again. They aren't interesting until they hit ~level 10 and get some decent abilities. The low-level guns are not much fun to use either; inaccurate, and with few shots before they overheat.

johnhughthom

02-22-2009, 20:41

Link (http://masseffect.bioware.com/teaser/index.html)

The associates section in the video didn't list Ashley and Kaiden. :sad frog: I can guess why, but still sad not to see them there.

It was a list of alien associates though, so it may not be certain they won't be back.

Mailman653

02-22-2009, 20:52

But your given a chance to take out Wrex though yet he was included in the list.

Zenicetus

02-23-2009, 01:59

I got the impression from the teaser that Wrex was mentioned as a "known associate" in Shepard's file, but that could mean former living or dead associations. So I'm not sure it tells us much about the sequel. Wrex is definitely pushing alien daisies in my game's timeline.

Meneldil

02-23-2009, 19:09

I dunno, maybe Bioware can pull it off. I'm probably just in a grumpy mood this morning. Not enough coffee yet. If they just do something about those boring drives across the surface, and make the interiors more varied than the first game, I'd be happy with a sequel. Aside from that, the overall concept was pretty good.

Actually, BG2 beginning felt much more epic and interesting than BG1's one, mainly because your character started at higher level (between 6 and 10, depending on wether you had BG1 expension or not). That basically meant your casters would not get killed on sight by any random creature encountered.
I'm fairly sure Bioware is quite used to that kind of thing. If Shepard is still alive, he will start without equipement, but you'll probably be able to transfer him over, with all his stats.

Zenicetus

02-23-2009, 20:05

If Shepard is still alive, he will start without equipement, but you'll probably be able to transfer him over, with all his stats.

Okay, but he/she had better not have amnesia as a plot device, or I'm gonna scream.

:wall:

Meneldil

02-23-2009, 21:28

Well, I'd settle for a minor amnesia, as in "What the hell am I doing here?". Given that we know what happened in ME1, they can't really go for the "who am I?" plot.

Mailman653

02-24-2009, 21:13

Bioware:keep your saves (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/956/956202p1.html)

Ironside

02-24-2009, 23:07

Okay, but he/she had better not have amnesia as a plot device, or I'm gonna scream.

:wall:

Rocovering from being heavily wounded (that means weakened, thus being able to pull a lesser reset to prevent Shepard to take out ships alone by the end off Mass Effect 2) would make most sence (would cover the KIA aswell) and is oddly enough rarely used.

Some reset are probable as unlike BG, you're pretty much the strongest light infantry in the known universe at the endgame and going from lvl 60 to 120 with the current skill "tree" is quite boring as well.

a completely inoffensive name

03-06-2009, 02:02

Oh god, why did you have to show me this. now I am going to be lurking for hours into the night.

Fixiwee

03-06-2009, 04:01

Taken from Wikipedia, the most reliable source in the internet, never failed and never lied, all hail to thy hypno toad:

Casey Hudson, Project Director for BioWare, has said that players should keep their Mass Effect save-files,[2] because decisions made by the player in the first game will continue to have influences on their character in the sequel.[3] Players who have not played the first Mass Effect will start a new character in Mass Effect 2, and will be brought up to speed on the story elements that have taken place thus far in the series.[4] It is highly recommended, however, that people play the first game before playing the sequel. Hudson also states that characters from the previous game will come back, provided that they were not killed. The first trailer for this game indicates that Commander Shepard has been killed in action. It is uncertain whether or not this is the case given that players have been asked to keep their saved game from Mass Effect as well as statements from developers in the past which have implied that Commander Shepard will be the main character in the planned Mass Effect trilogy.

frogbeastegg

05-16-2009, 14:35

There's a new video (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=215066) out with the ME2 team giving a guided tour through some of the changes and new features. Great stuff.

Fixiwee

05-16-2009, 15:21

Hmm looks dark and moody. Looking forward to this.

Zenicetus

05-16-2009, 23:04

I just hope they put some of that budget into making unique environments for the minor side missions, so we don't have to go through "oh yeah, I've seen the interior of THIS ship/base/cave a dozen times already", like we did in the first game.

Tratorix

05-17-2009, 00:49

Yay Mass Effect 2! :balloon2:

Crap, I'm going to have to wait like two years for it. :thumbsdown:

Alexander the Pretty Good

05-17-2009, 05:20

Hmm looks dark and moody. Looking forward to this.

You're just saying that because the developers kept saying it. :P

Mailman653

05-17-2009, 16:59

Gamespy Interview (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/983657p1.html)

I demand to have an Elcor ally equiped with the same rocket launcher everyone loves shooting at you with on Insanity mode!

frogbeastegg

05-17-2009, 19:39

I demand to have an Elcor ally equiped with the same rocket launcher everyone loves shooting at you with on Insanity mode!
The moment I met my first Elcor I knew I wanted one of my very own. Who in their right mind wouldn't want a space Eeyore in their group? Imagine the dialogue ...

I'm beginning to suspect that's it's possible Shepard has become a Geth somehow. The Geth in the first teaser wore Shepard's armour, the interview says the teaser wasn't midleading, and the video I linked to yesterday repeats the Geth in Shepard armour motif.

Mailman653

05-18-2009, 16:09

I'm beginning to suspect that's it's possible Shepard has become a Geth somehow. The Geth in the first teaser wore Shepard's armour, the interview says the teaser wasn't midleading, and the video I linked to yesterday repeats the Geth in Shepard armour motif.

Suggesting that the Geth insted of turning humans into husks, they are assimilateing them? Like the Borg do in Star Trek? :inquisitive:

If those robots in the trailer are Geth, they haver certainly evolved from the very robot looking machines they were in ME. Although to my understanding ME2 takes place right after the end of the first game. Maybe its that rouge group Cerebrus (sp) they were doing all those weird studies.

frogbeastegg

05-19-2009, 11:02

Suggesting that the Geth insted of turning humans into husks, they are assimilateing them? Like the Borg do in Star Trek? :inquisitive:

If those robots in the trailer are Geth, they haver certainly evolved from the very robot looking machines they were in ME. Although to my understanding ME2 takes place right after the end of the first game. Maybe its that rouge group Cerebrus (sp) they were doing all those weird studies.
The Geth are definitely robots; it's stated in some of the universe's optional reading. They're very, very advanced robots, close to being a true artificial intelligence instead of a mere virtual intelligence. That must mean there's a lot of advanced memory and processing space available, and that in turn means it might be possible to make a copy of a human consciousness and transfer it to a Geth unit.

The husks are very junky creations. The minerals in the body are converted into primitive control systems; they're not capable of much, and won't last long. I see it as the Geth engaging in a bit of recycling and psychological warfare. The 'Shepard' Geth seen in the publicity material is the standard low level grunt type we encounter as a standard enemy on Eden Prime and other early areas.

The robots in the trailer have the same smooth, slightly curved lines and overall clean looking design as present in all varieties of ME1 Geth. I don't have any problems seeing them as new varieties of Geth, even the dog-alikes. Bioware surely won't fail to introduce new ones.

Cerberus might investigate a way to transfer a human mind into the Geth architecture and that could then play into the story in a variety of possible ways. However the Geth in armour in all of the publicity is using the N-7 armour and rifle. That's Shepard's trademark gear.

Add in the whole idea that, according to Bioware, Shepard is "missing, presumed dead", and either an undercover mission or a forcible transfer seems likely.

Monk

05-19-2009, 11:33

The moment I met my first Elcor I knew I wanted one of my very own. Who in their right mind wouldn't want a space Eeyore in their group? Imagine the dialogue ...

Shocked interjection. Surely you aren't suggesting that the noble Elcor can be compared to a novelty you show off to your friends on a galaxy spanning mission to save existance.

Exhausted Retort. The Elcor are a wonderous and peaceful people who cannot stand space travel and wish only to remain on solid ground.

Amused aside. Didn't you read your in-game codex?

Okay i'll stop. :laugh4:

Cerberus might investigate a way to transfer a human mind into the Geth architecture and that could then play into the story in a variety of possible ways. However the Geth in armour in all of the publicity is using the N-7 armour and rifle. That's Shepard's trademark gear.

Oh those crafty renegades.

N-7, while a trademark of Sheppard, is actually the standard that The Alliance gives its commandos. Instead of a unit badge you apparently get a letter designation and a number, the combination of which "N-7" means you're among the best. Given that it's a Human military "rank", Cerberus cannot be ruled out. (that codex has a lot of information)

frogbeastegg

05-19-2009, 16:00

Saddened objection: I would never think such a thing.

Polite correction: I love the way the Elcor speak. I find their voice and manner of speaking to be strangely charming. They were the most interesting minor non-human characters to talk to.

Confession: And I have always found Eeyore to be lovable because he's pessimistic and gloomy. It matches the inner frog.

Hopefully: There are anomalies in most species. It remains a possibility that there is an Elcor who enjoys travel, just as there is a Krogan who thinks of more than fighting.

N-7, while a trademark of Sheppard, is actually the standard that The Alliance gives its commandos. Instead of a unit badge you apparently get a letter designation and a number, the combination of which "N-7" means you're among the best. Given that it's a Human military "rank", Cerberus cannot be ruled out.
I'm talking from a publicity point of view; sorry if that wasn't clear. In box art, promotional images, most screenshots etc Shepard is always wearing gear with the N-7 on clear display, and no one else is seen wearing it. As far as publicity goes N-7 = Shepard. It's iconic; I doubt they would change that any more than they would have the official image of Shepard move away from that square-jawed dude with the 1mm long hair.

(that codex has a lot of information)
I read it twice, and the two novels. Good stuff.

Mailman653

05-19-2009, 17:12

I hope the council will be grateful for saving them in ME2, otherwise I'll have to go back to my ME save, let them die and then start a new game in ME2:laugh4:

Tratorix

05-19-2009, 20:34

I hope the council will be grateful for saving them in ME2, otherwise I'll have to go back to my ME save, let them die and then start a new game in ME2:laugh4:

See, I didn't save the council for precisely this reason. I swear, if I have to see that Turian councilor again... :wall:

Mailman653

05-20-2009, 18:19

Pre E3, ME2 preview (http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/984/984307p1.html)
Nothing we really don't know already.

Mailman653

05-25-2009, 15:20

Leaked ME2 info (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/986228p1.html)

Monk

05-25-2009, 15:42

Its hard to say if that info is accurate but i hope so. I'd love to go to a Krogan planet, Wrex was my favorite follower in ME. (following in my tradition of latching onto Bioware's anti-heros. Canderous represent!)

Alexander the Pretty Good

05-25-2009, 17:50

I stopped playing because

I didn't have the stats to keep Wrex from dying

so I agree with you completely Monk

Fixiwee

05-26-2009, 00:32

You're just saying that because the developers kept saying it. :P
Well maybe. But some of the concept art looks promising. You're right, if the game has any dark atmosphere like BLADERUNNER I'm gonna go "wet and wild".

Alexander the Pretty Good

05-26-2009, 00:57

I just hope it doesn't become a "shades of grey" color palette too much. I liked the really sunny planet where

wrex died

:shrug:

Mailman653

05-26-2009, 16:13

Well guys, I just got my new copy of OXM and there's a 10 page article giving some new details on ME 2. The city that you saw in the early leaked trailers is an Asari city or planet called Illium. The article said both in different sections. So we'll have to wait until we get more from E3 on that. That's good, because I thought it was an expanded part of the Citadel. Other new places we'll see are the main Cerberus outpost. It's a huge space station with gigantic curved engines running beneath it. There's a prison outpost called Purgatory where guards patrol above the inmates in glass tubes. There is Omega, which was mentioned in the Ascension novel. It is described as the opposite of the Citadel, a massive and really brutal mining station. It's the bottom of society, the worst of crime and vice and all that good stuff. And there's a new Krogan planet that we'll be going to.

Ok, more importantly are the Reapers. Of course they're still the greatest danger, but now there's a new threat that may be associated with them. Human colonies are disappearing all over the galaxy, and it's up to Shepard (naturally) to discover what it is. The Geth from the trailer is a specific character. Not much else is given about "him", but it's a character that we'll connect with supposedly. You guys can theorize on that one. There's a new speceis called Drell, the scaly, green amphibious alien that you saw in the second trailer. A member of that species, Thane, is supposedly a major bad-a$$ and you'll get the chance to recruit him into your party. Another possible party member is a Krogan called Grunt. He looks to be a fairly young Krogan as his head plate isn't as fully formed like Wrex, Jax, or Inamorda. Hey, if you didn't kill Wrex in the first game, you may get to roll with two Krogan in your squad! Sweet!! Also there may be a chance to meet up with a male Quarian as well.

The mechs in the video and the article seem to be manufactured by humans, as there is human lettering on their bodies such as N88 and other writing too small for me to see. They could be Cerberus mechs that we'll have to fight in the game. That's all I've got for you so far guys. If I learn anything else, I'll post it up.

http://forums.xbox.com/27364961/ShowPost.aspx

frogbeastegg

05-29-2009, 18:19

Another new (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-mass-effect/49799?type=wmv) trailer.

Monk

05-29-2009, 20:10

Hey, if you didn't kill Wrex in the first game, you may get to roll with two Krogan in your squad! Sweet!!

Best party ever.

Another new (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-mass-effect/49799?type=wmv) trailer.

Well hello Commander Shepard, i see reports of your death were greatly exaggerated. :beam:

Greyblades

05-29-2009, 22:12

Another new (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/e3-09-mass-effect/49799?type=wmv) trailer.

Blooming fedora 10 cant run video files at more than 5 frames per hour..:wall:

Mailman653

06-04-2009, 02:30

ME2 at E3 (http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38775/Mass-Effect-2-Preview-Hands-On/)

Monk

06-04-2009, 09:30

ME2 at E3 (http://e3.g4tv.com/videos/38775/Mass-Effect-2-Preview-Hands-On/)

3:10 - Plasma rockets. Aww yeah. Weapons in general seem to have gotten a complete overhaul, which is a great thing I think. In the first you had four weapon types and the only real difference between the newer equipment you'd find was how hard it hit (basically). The inclusion of heavy weapons is a much welcomed feature, as are the reworked animations. Sheppard in Cover looked especially good.

The talk of new skills was expected, but I can't help but wonder how they intend to include them with characters already maxed out, or those near the cap. The leveling system in ME1 is quite rigid and aquiring new skills a bit like jumping through hoops (hoops that are on fire). I would hope they've revamped it to allow returning characters ease of transition, not to mention the chance to scoop up a new power or two from the start. My level 50 Adept needs some new toys.. :juggle2:

Really looking forward to more footage of the game play coming out in the near future. The game looks great, but I wonder if we could get a look at some different locals. The dark city is gorgeous and all but I want some diversity! :smash:

frogbeastegg

06-04-2009, 12:13

Eurogamer preview. (http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/e3-mass-effect-2-preview)

The ability to interrupt conversations is going to make my renegade playthrough that little bit more enjoyable.

Monk

06-04-2009, 17:07

So, to recap, Shepard isn't dead yet, but you'll have to work extra hard throughout Mass Effect 2 to keep him alive

As far as plot goes, this is the best news I've heard yet. Having Shepard dead at the start of the game completely takes the player out of the equation and potentially forces a static plot device onto a very (potentially) diverse character depending on how you choose to portray him/her. Having the possibility of Shepard's death on the player's watch makes it much easier to accept if push comes to shove, after all you ere there, why didn't you stop it! :yes: :laugh4:

However, the most interesting tidbit is from the same paragraph, not one line before.

It's one potential death out of many, apparently: deadly treats liberally sprinkled throughout the campaign, all of them much more than a simple 'game over' screen and option to restart, each one an elaborate cinematic and a strangely satisfying conclusion.

It's like a galactic Choose Your Own Adventure Book. Should you trust the Merc, or go back the way you came? Hm. I'm gonna trust this Merc, i like the look of him. *turns to page 29* OH GOD I MEANT GO BACK THE WAY I CAME.

Kidding aside this is very interesting, having multiple pitfalls around the game where you can potentially bite the dust really intrigues me, especially if they all offer up some sort of closure, good or ill. It's like giving flair to the Game Over screen. It could also make you think twice before trying to intimidate a group of hardened cerberus troops into standing down, they might just haul off and shoot you... :help:

a completely inoffensive name

06-08-2009, 06:00

You can expect me to be getting this for Christmas. I am still interested in the status of your companions from ME1. It would be interesting if they stuck with you throughout the trilogy.

Mailman653

06-09-2009, 03:36

You can expect me to be getting this for Christmas. I am still interested in the status of your companions from ME1. It would be interesting if they stuck with you throughout the trilogy.

I think in one of the many videos to come out of E3, the dev's stated the game could come out early next year but wouldn't give an exact date.

a completely inoffensive name

06-09-2009, 06:34

I think in one of the many videos to come out of E3, the dev's stated the game could come out early next year but wouldn't give an exact date.

Ahh that's right. Early 2010 they said. Oh well, just means I won't be divided between it and Modern Warfare 2 when Christmas does come around.

Monk

06-12-2009, 19:28

Some Crazy stuff came out of e3 about ME2. In case you haven't seen it,here's a chance (http://www.gamersyde.com/stream_11528_en.html) to see one of the new characters (Thane), along with some dialogue action. The Asari was in ME1. See if you can guess who she is.

Final clarification on how Shepard's death will work was also revealed on Kotaku.

MAJOR SPOILERS TO BE FOUND IN THIS (http://kotaku.com/5279409/bioware-doesnt-expect-you-to-survive-mass-effect-2). However, it also provided some really cool insight as to the new plot points Along with a teasing bit that Bioware doesn't expect you to be able to keep Shepard alive.

Joystiq talked a lot about the (SOME SPOILERS)plot points (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/03/impressions-mass-effect-2-suicide-mission/), as Kotaku did, and came to some of the same conclusions. They also delved deeper into the gameplay (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/04/hands-on-mass-effect-2-is-a-shooter/) action and their findings have me pretty hyped. Bioware seems to be incorporating more mainstream FPS features like regenerating health and abandoning the usage of health packs. Not sure I am fully on board with that, but the demo players seemed to think it worked quite well.

Well there's literally tons of media that came out of E3, way more for me to link. Take a look for yourself (http://meforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=680847&forum=144)over at the main Mass Effect 2 forums if you want to see more e3 news.

frogbeastegg

06-12-2009, 21:25

I think this is the point where I shall stop reading previews. I have seen enough to trust it will be a worthy sequel; the rest can be left to surprise me.

Bioware seems to be incorporating more mainstream FPS features like regenerating health and abandoning the usage of health packs. Not sure I am fully on board with that, but the demo players seemed to think it worked quite well.
IMO something needed doing to the fast first aid system. Medgel quickly became obsolete, incapable of healthing more than a fraction of the characters' health even when backed by a maxed out version of the relevant party skill. By the time I hit insanity that maxed medgel healed fewer points than the average attack caused. Add in the 9 unit medgel cap and the final nail was in the coffin.

Mailman653

06-18-2009, 04:32

ME2 Q and A (http://blogs.ign.com/BW_MassEffect/2009/06/17/123208/)

Monk

06-20-2009, 03:32

ME2 Q and A (http://blogs.ign.com/BW_MassEffect/2009/06/17/123208/)

Everything I am hearing about Mass Effect has me seriously hyped, the only thing that can potentially hold it back at this point is technical issues. Here's hoping they take their time.

The loyalty concept has me really intrigued. It looks like they are taking the Wrex concept from Mass Effect and multiplying it by a hundred, and something about that really makes me happy.

For those who don't know what I mean...

For those who could never get Wrex to survive, or never had enough Renegade/Paragon points to talk your way through it, you can do a side-mission for Wrex to ensure his survival.

Talk to Wrex about his life after each major mission before Virmire, eventually he'll tell you about his Father and tell you the story of why he left the Krogan Homeworld. After he tells you this story do more investigating, you should see an option to talk abouth is family. Press the issue and Wrex will tell you about how his Grandfather's armor was stolen after the war and he'll ask you to take him with you to kill the guy who has it. Take a major tech character with you when you land with Wrex like Tali or Garrus as the safe that contains his armor has a rediculously high skill check.

Complete this mission and Wrex will remark "you did more for me than my family ever did" and will not need a speech check in order to convince. He'll trust you enough to follow you, on the condition that he gets Sarren's head when all this is over.

It was a really cool concept, and one of the few instances in the first game of your actions helping cement the loyalty of one of your followers.

Monk

07-31-2009, 05:39

It's been a while since we've had any ME2 news, and by now I'm sure if you have made the choice to buy the game you won't need any more convincing. So with that in mind I post an interesting nugget to remind you, It's coming (http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/20418/Mass-Effect-2-Box-Art-Revealed/). :laugh4:

It felt like, to me, a lot of the build-up towards the first game was about Saren and the threat he posed. It certainly feels like Bioware has shifted the focus this time toward Shepard and his squad, and this art just hammers that point forward more imo. Also here's a trailer of the leads at Bioware talking more about the mission (http://xboxmovies.teamxbox.com/xbox-360/9632/Mass-Effect-2-E3-Demo-Trailer/)(same source) and really just expanding on the huge amount of coverage we saw at E3. This trailer is couple weeks old, (july 10th) but hey it's new to me. :2thumbsup:

They also (finally!) talk about planetary scanning shortly, which looks looks absolutely amazing.

Tratorix

08-01-2009, 00:38

Curse you, Bioware, work faster! 2010 is very far away. :furious3:

Mailman653

08-18-2009, 18:11

http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/1014951p1.html
New Krogan video.

Plus there's an interesting item offer at the end.

al Roumi

08-20-2009, 16:34

Monk

10-17-2009, 00:47

This seems to be our "official" ME2 thread, it's only been a couple months since last post soooo...

Incoming! (http://kotaku.com/5383354/mass-effect-2-dated-for-january-preorder-bonuses-abound)

Mass effect 2 has been officially dated at long last, Jan 26th for North America and the 29th for Europe. Get your canonical Shepards ready, we're going back in!

Pre-order bonuses also announced. Looks like most places will be getting the "Inferno Armor" which is pictured at Kotaku, while Gamestop is getting armor and a unique heavy weapon.

More info on the latter from a separate source.

* The Terminus Armor is designed for use in extreme planetary conditions,
increasing run speed and personal shields, and augmenting weapons with an
additional magazine of reserve ammo.

* The M-490 Blackstorm Heavy Weapon generates a high-powered localized gravitywell, accelerating particles to near-infinite mass, and ultimately expanding the selection of heavy weapons available to players when they gear up for combat missions in Mass Effect 2.

Crazed Rabbit

10-17-2009, 00:57

Gamestop gets two special items?

WTF? Why even work with that glorified pawn shop?

CR

Monk

10-17-2009, 01:05

Gamestop gets two special items?

WTF? Why even work with that glorified pawn shop?

CR

Personally I cannot agree more. And their unique weapon sounds face-melting awesome, I mean.. a gun that shoots black holes?!

That's just not fair.

Alexander the Pretty Good

10-17-2009, 02:48

My Shephard doesn't need fancy gear to put the hurt on xenos.

frogbeastegg

10-17-2009, 11:17

Mass effect 2 has been officially dated at long last, Jan 26th for North America and the 29th for Europe.
Hurrah! Several weeks after my birthday too. Time to work out which of my many Shepards I want to carry over.

Pre-order bonuses also announced. Looks like most places will be getting the "Inferno Armor" which is pictured at Kotaku, while Gamestop is getting armor and a unique heavy weapon.
Not again! If this goes the same way as the dragon age bonuses I am going to be severely not amused.

Krusader

10-17-2009, 18:07

Hurrah! Several weeks after my birthday too. Time to work out which of my many Shepards I want to carry over.

Not again! If this goes the same way as the dragon age bonuses I am going to be severely not amused.

Its 6 days before my birthday :beam:

But regarding items. Its EA! They have been doing this for all their major releases lately, in an attempt to get people to buy more games it seems. Red Alert 3 had two items at least for Warhammer Online, a ushanka-style cap and a polar bear mount. Dragon Age now has a Blood Dragon Armour for Dragon Age AND Mass Effect...ofc, wouldn't be surprised if the Dragon Age item offers are North America only. The items are solely there to have people preorder, because it might "tip the scales" for those who might wait a month or two before buying.

rajpoot

10-18-2009, 04:13

Even ETW had it you know, bonus units on pre order........
I never followed up the news properly though; What happened? Haven't they all been unlocked in a patch now?

frogbeastegg

10-18-2009, 09:11

I don't mind some extras being thrown in as a bonus for people who preorder. I can't stand it when each shop has different stuff because often the places I want to buy from don't get the extras I want (assuming there's any I want at all; often it's useless stuff like a different skin for a weapon), and also it's often not possible to get the full collection for those who want to. Or worse - they make it exclusive to a single shop only, and that's always Game here, aka the most expensive place.

Case in point: I want the bonus missions and a few of the other bits and bobs for dragon age, particularly that Grey warden history quest. Most of it's not available in the UK but is everywhere else in the world, some of it's linked to the PC version or the console versions only, and amazingly the UK collector's version is also missing most of the goodies despite costing far more because the retail special editions are exclusive to - surprise, surprise - Game. I just know that most of this stuff will end up on the dragon age dlc list so we can pay to catch back up.

Monk

10-31-2009, 00:18

Combat gameplay (http://g4tv.com/videos/42342/Exclusive_Mass_Effect_2_Combat_Gameplay_Video/)

To quote Bill from Left 4 dead: Reloading!

a completely inoffensive name

11-01-2009, 10:28

Wow, what a load of ******** that was. I drain ammo like there is no tomorrow, if I run out of ammo in the middle of a fire fight especially when the concept goes against canon from the first Mass Effect, I will be pissed. Other then that, the game looks amazing.

Monk

11-01-2009, 15:32

Ammo does drain pretty quick for the assault rifle, but it looks like reloading is pretty quick in of itself and I didn't notice a "total ammo count". Maybe you have infinite ammo, but you just have to swap out clips?

It strikes me as a gimmick to encourage use of the improved cover system. We'll see! :shrug:

frogbeastegg

11-01-2009, 21:02

The combat in that video looked awful. I'm not sold on the idea of ammo at all; the original's lack of it was refreshing and was built into the game's universe. Weapon heat and the effects of various weapons mods on it presented a range of possibilites. I'd prefer they added more meaningful tactical and power related decisions than when to duck back and reload.

What was that nasty blue goo that kept appearing on the Shepard character? Please don't say alien blood. That would increase the cringe factor by a power of two.

Not fond of the new HUD either. The old one was much clearer in terms of giving information.

Mailman653

11-02-2009, 03:38

Well, if they screw me ME2, there's always ME3.

Mailman653

11-04-2009, 13:53

Leaked Mass Effect DLC Plans Surface (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/1041392p1.html)

al Roumi

11-05-2009, 15:38

What was that nasty blue goo that kept appearing on the Shepard character? Please don't say alien blood. That would increase the cringe factor by a power of two..

I think the blue goo is frost, from cryo ammo or residue from the explosion of those cryo containers that were always negligently left lying around the place in ME.

The combat in that video looked awful. I'm not sold on the idea of ammo at all; the original's lack of it was refreshing and was built into the game's universe. Weapon heat and the effects of various weapons mods on it presented a range of possibilites. I'd prefer they added more meaningful tactical and power related decisions than when to duck back and reload.

The lack of an ammo count was liberating in ME, if the "reloading" were actually manualy changing a heat sink in the weapon, that might be interesting (imagine the same on an overclocked PC :idea2:).

In a wider sense, the style of the player in the video was certainly not how I played ME, all this running around with the team so spread out... I hardly ever used grenades and almost never swapped weapons during a close quarter fight. I suppose it looks better for the video and shows off more of the graphics and features.

rajpoot

11-05-2009, 17:05

Maybe they're trying to give it a more FPS sort of feel? I mean I'm just guessing here, but Fallout 3 went that way with it's DLCs (the fact that people didn't like it is a separate issue), maybe Bioware is trying that move for ME2....

al Roumi

11-06-2009, 11:30

Monk

11-06-2009, 23:52

New screens released on Kotaku reveals a familiar face (http://kotaku.com/5398378/morning-heres-some-new-new-mass-effect-2-screenshots/gallery/) will be returning.

Mailman653

11-07-2009, 02:02

I wonder if we will have a Geth ally, that would be pretty cool.

Hands on ME2 (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/1043149p1.html)

Monk

11-25-2009, 18:43

Big news! Big Ne.. wait already said that.

Mass Effect 2 PC System requirements and DRM information has been released! (http://meforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=710074&forum=144) Requirements are spoilered below.

OS = Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
Processor = 1.8GHz Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU
Memory = 1 GB RAM for Windows XP / 2 GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7
Hard Drive = 15 GB
DVD ROM = 1x Speed
Sound Card = DirectX 9.0c compatible
Direct X = DirectX 9.0c August 2008 (included)
Input = Keyboard / Mouse
Video Card = 256 MB (with Pixel Shader 3.0 support). Supported Chipsets: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 or greater; ATI Radeon X1600 Pro or greater. Please note that NVIDIA GeForce 7300, 8100, 8200, 8300, 8400, and 9300; ATI Radeon HD3200, and HD4350 are below minimum system requirements. Updates to your video and sound card drivers may be required. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.

PC RECOMMENDED System Requirements
Windows XP SP3 / Windows Vista SP1 / Windows 7
2.6+ GHz Cure 2 Duo Intel or equivalent AMD CPU
2 GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT, NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, or better recommended
100% DirectX compatible sound card and drivers
DirectX August 2008
NOTES: For the best results, make sure you have the latest drivers for your video and audio cards. Laptop or mobile versions of the above supported video cards have not had extensive testing and may have driver or other performance issues. As such, they are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2. Intel and S3 video cards are not officially supported in Mass Effect 2.

As for DRM? Same as Dragon Age. If you get a physical copy all you need to do is pass a disk check, nothing more. :2thumbsup:

Alexander the Pretty Good

11-25-2009, 22:19

I'm getting half-psyched for this again. I'm playing through ME1 again, making sure to max my charm and becoming Wrex's best buddy. He's so cool! ^_^

Ironside

11-26-2009, 12:22

Tali's back (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/masseffect2workingtitle/video/6241256?hd=1&tag=topslot;thumb;4)
Looks like she's more than just a cameo char in ME2.

Mailman653

11-26-2009, 16:59

Time to woo the Quarian, lol!

I wonder if her dad will try to hunt Shep down since it seems she gets kicked out of the fleet.

Monk

11-26-2009, 18:08

They still wear their environment suits on the migrant fleet? Bah. Was hoping to actually see a quarian this time around.:no:

Krusader

11-26-2009, 18:37

They still wear their environment suits on the migrant fleet? Bah. Was hoping to actually see a quarian this time around.:no:

If Tali is romance option (maybe a possibility) maybe there is a 'Mask Off' achievement to be had? :grin:
Although they would wear suits I imagine because their immune systems wouldn't exactly cope with Shepherd and any companions' presence.

gaelic cowboy

11-26-2009, 22:01

Alexander the Pretty Good

11-26-2009, 22:36

I tell you one thing I am deffo going back to the Citadel I put my name down for a massage in the Asari Consort's a while back and after saving the galaxy from the Reapers it's the least they could do.

One thing I really hope is properly fixed is the god awful planet missions they were interminably boring. According to the official site they are better this time but we shall see soon enough.

If the consort's place is even still around, the Presidium looked like it was hit hard. What I want to know is if the humans will lead the council, as the ending where you have the human fleet wait to attack the Sovereign. I have a feeling though that it's a non-canon ending.

Monk

11-26-2009, 22:39

Bioware claims to have developed a "save game transfer" system, to allow you to take your Shepard from the first to the second. While porting your character, it also ports your "story". So in effect, whatever you did in the first? That is your canon.

Spoilers on a few things that will change in ME2 depending on what you did. Taken from the ME2 Wiki (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Mass_Effect_2) page

Major plot spoilers from ME1.
Decisions made in Mass Effect will impact its sequel, most notably those made on a personal level, but also seemingly minor assignments and choices. Casey Hudson has recommended keeping saved games from the original Mass Effect. Events confirmed to affect your save file include:

* The decision to save either Kaidan or Ashley.[3]
* Whether or not the player kills Wrex on Virmire.[4]
* Whether or not the player decides to save the Citadel Council at the end of Mass Effect.[5]
* The player's choice of love interest.[6]
* Whether the player spares or destroys the Rachni Queen at Peak 15.[7]
* The player's treatment of Conrad Verner.[8]
* Whether or not the player completed the UNC: Asari Diplomacy sidequest.

# Due to massive gameplay redesign, your level will not transfer over to Mass Effect 2 and you will start out with basic abilities, though some may be transferred. [9][10][11]
# The game will acknowledge if you were a level 60 character and if you were a Renegade or Paragon and adapt it in ways that map across to the new system.[12]
# The physical appearance of imported characters can be changed at the start of Mass Effect 2 if desired.[13]
# Imported characters will be able to choose a different class at the start of Mass Effect 2 if desired.[14]
# If you had more than one file in the original Mass Effect, you will be asked which file you wish to use.
# If a player has no Mass Effect save files, Mass Effect 2 will start with an introduction sequence which, in combination with interactive decisions made by the player, introduces new players to the storyline and establishes a “canon” backstory.[15]

gaelic cowboy

11-26-2009, 22:52

You know what else I found annoying the navigation between some of the shops for weapons and armour. Having to look in weapons find very little and instead of just using the crotrol pad across you have to initiate the discussion again and pick upgrades I'm thinking of the jellyfish guy on the promenade who had a shop.

a completely inoffensive name

11-26-2009, 22:54

**** my life. I am going to get ME2 for PC but my ME1 is for the 360. I hope it allows you lots of freedom when making background choices if you have no save file.

Subotan

11-26-2009, 23:09

I didn't get a choice to have a love interest when I played it :(

a completely inoffensive name

11-26-2009, 23:11

I didn't get a choice to have a love interest when I played it :(

Were you being a nice guy or a jackass?

Subotan

11-26-2009, 23:36

Nice. Got full Paragon. Although a quarter jackass.

a completely inoffensive name

11-26-2009, 23:44

You must have said the wrong thing to both of them.

Subotan

11-26-2009, 23:59

Aww

a completely inoffensive name

11-30-2009, 09:14

Saw a video confirming Garrus is in it and will probably be playable.

EDIT: Spoiler alert because the video is some sort of leaked game play.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s3vZ_gb51Q

Monk

11-30-2009, 10:22

Saw a video confirming Garrus is in it and will probably be playable.

EDIT: Spoiler alert because the video is some sort of leaked game play.

It's strange to notice the difference between Bioware games. It wasn't until froggy pointed it out to me that I saw how stiff the characters in Dragon Age acted in regular conversation. Anything but combat and you can notice just fine how rigid the models are, but I didn't take time to really look how lifeless they can sometimes be when they are just talking. After heading back to ME (and now watching ME2 gameplay) its like night and day. Anyway.

I'm still unsure how I feel about the new UI. The display for enemy health is greatly improved with collapsing indicators for shields, armor and then health. It has a very nice look to it. But for the party HUD i can't help but feel its too small and too bare. Maybe I simply fear change. :help:

I do love the fact that you can use different types of ammo as if they were a power, it'll be one less thing to worry about in the equip screen and much more of a tactical choice in a fight.

al Roumi

12-01-2009, 11:50

Couple of (new to me) videos on Gamespy (http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/mass-effect-2/1050497p1.html).

The changes to adept powers look interesting. Looks like push is no longer a knock-back & damage skill but a "bounce" or lift for 1 target. In the latter stages of the video, it looks like singularity is now something you drop on the ground (rather like a really heavy bowling ball?).

The double push or lift & push combo looks like fun for sending people into orbit...

Anyone seen anything new in the Tech skills? I always found them less interesting than biotics in ME.

Ironside

12-01-2009, 13:19

They seems to be reveal plenty of allies right now. Here's the new Asari ally, Samara (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/masseffect2workingtitle/news.html?sid=6241567&tag=topslot;thumb;1&mode=previews).

Monk

12-01-2009, 14:07

Anyone seen anything new in the Tech skills? I always found them less interesting than biotics in ME.

Not that I've seen. They've been pretty quiet about everything except combat mechanics until very recently. Wouldn't be surprised if we saw something in the near future, however.

a completely inoffensive name

12-04-2009, 08:21

I think Mass Effect 2 will be close to perfecting the RPG genre. Mass Effect was a revolutionary leap forward, with its more dynamic dialog system, but it was obviously new and not taken to its full cinematic potential, shown by the relatively lack of animations when it came to the dialog as compared to the more refined sequel. I don't want to go on a limb here, but really, when we were nit picking the first one, what were the four big complaints:
1. Mako (enough said)
2. Inventory system
3. Combat
4. Same environments/buildings on every planet (for side quests)

Those four were essentially the only thing people said were holding Mass Effect 1 from being a true work of art (aside from the texture popping that was patched a bit I think). let's look at how they have been handled:

1. No more Mako, one of the first things they came out with.
2. Unknown but obviously will be worked upon due to being complained about a lot.
3. Has been the main focus of all the previews so far, showing the tremendous advancements they have made.
4. has been discussed a bit in one preview, shows massive improvement including a bit of additional planning involved in dropping down to a planet.

So not only has all four critical flaws been (according to the available evidence with an optimistic interpretation) solved, but they also manage to bring out the true potential of the dynamic dialog system to make the conversations more fluid, more life like then ever before, almost to the point of having 15 minute conversations act as an interactive movie.

If they keep up the superb writing and plot and not pull a Matrix Trilogy fail, as well as not have any implementation failures of any new additions they have put in, I think this could be something really special that all other RPG's will be compared to as the bar for greatness. Granted, were there other flaws you could point out? Absolutely, but those four were the big ones and they are the ones that have been worked on and shown to have had a lot of time put into them. When I heard January 25, I swore like a madman at my computer, now i realize that not pushing to hit a fall and/or christmas deadline might be the extra time for this game to become what Mass Effect flirted with. A repeat of KOTOR 2 with this game would be one of the biggest tragedies in gaming I could think of.

tl;dr I think mass Effect 2 has a very good chance of being everything that we saw Mass Effect 1 could have been.

Zenicetus

12-04-2009, 23:55

I think Mass Effect 2 will be close to perfecting the RPG genre. Mass Effect was a revolutionary leap forward, with its more dynamic dialog system, but it was obviously new and not taken to its full cinematic potential, shown by the relatively lack of animations when it came to the dialog as compared to the more refined sequel. I don't want to go on a limb here, but really, when we were nit picking the first one, what were the four big complaints:
1. Mako (enough said)
2. Inventory system
3. Combat
4. Same environments/buildings on every planet (for side quests)

Those four were essentially the only thing people said were holding Mass Effect 1 from being a true work of art (aside from the texture popping that was patched a bit I think).

I can think of one other major flaw that was discussed often:

5. Inconsequential "moral" choices for the player character.

You could play Shepard as an angel or a hard-@ss, but that "moral" choice was pretty lightweight compared to other games, and it had no real impact on the world except right at the ending sequence. The only consequential choices you had to make in the main game involved which companions would live or die, and that wasn't linked to the "moral" axis... it was just which party members you wanted to keep around, which ones you could afford to ditch. To me, a "classic RPG" has to give the player choices in character development that make an actual difference in the game world, and aren't just tacked on as salad dressing for a shooter.

Maybe there is more of this in the sequel, I don't know. I'm not surprised we're seeing so much eye candy combat featured in the previews, that's just marketing (like the awful previews they did for Dragon Age). I just hope the combat improvements are not the main focus of the new game.

AggonyDuck

12-05-2009, 13:53

I can think of one other major flaw that was discussed often:

5. Inconsequential "moral" choices for the player character.

You could play Shepard as an angel or a hard-@ss, but that "moral" choice was pretty lightweight compared to other games, and it had no real impact on the world except right at the ending sequence. The only consequential choices you had to make in the main game involved which companions would live or die, and that wasn't linked to the "moral" axis... it was just which party members you wanted to keep around, which ones you could afford to ditch. To me, a "classic RPG" has to give the player choices in character development that make an actual difference in the game world, and aren't just tacked on as salad dressing for a shooter.

Maybe there is more of this in the sequel, I don't know. I'm not surprised we're seeing so much eye candy combat featured in the previews, that's just marketing (like the awful previews they did for Dragon Age). I just hope the combat improvements are not the main focus of the new game.

Well I'm pretty certain that the choice regarding the Rachnid Queen will come back to haunt us in the sequels.

Mailman653

12-05-2009, 17:48

I let her live so she better not haunt me, if anything, I expect to have some Rachni allies at some point.

Zenicetus

12-05-2009, 19:22

True, the Rachnid Queen ending episode did have that weighty feeling of being an important decision that you didn't want to to screw up. That's half of what a great RPG should include. The missing half was any consequence in the rest of the game. Sure, there might be something in the sequel, and that would be interesting. But it's just a throwaway gimmick in the main game because you never see any result of that decision. They couldn't even bother to write in a brief news message for the elevator ride about a fresh Rachnid attack, or the Queen being observed fleeing to uncharted space.

(IMO) the Rachnid Queen episode was just "RPG Lite" salad dressing like the final Wrex sequence, or decisions about which party members are sacrificed. All heavy-seeming decisions on the front end, with no effect on the game world. Shepard could basically do no wrong, and make no bad decisions, even if he/she wanted to.

Monk

12-07-2009, 18:25

Scienter

12-07-2009, 18:29

I'm really looking forward to this game! I played a Vanguard last time (I think that's what it was called) and still have my old save games. But, I might not use my old character since the new classes look interesting.

TinCow

12-07-2009, 18:44

al Roumi

12-07-2009, 18:47

Well, looks like Bioware read some minds - Engineer class video (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2009/12/07/mass-effect-2-details-engineer-class/#more-22225) has been released in the same style as the Biotic.

Thank god they did something to liven up Engineer, i found the sole-tech class from the original to be dull dull dull. Here, it looks like Engi is meant to be the pet/debuff class. Interesting stuff, but still not as cool as my Biotic juggling team! :laugh4:

It does look interesting. I'm sure I read on the Eng info screen at the start of the video that they can spawn droids... that would be cool, less so if they just mean that holographic orb.

Also, I'm worried that the video exclusively showed combat vs Geth. I never played an Eng or any tech talent char as one of my Shepards in ME. What put me off was that if you weren't fighting Geth, they weren't as powerful... This video does nothing to change the continuation of that perception. :shame:

Monk

12-07-2009, 18:58

frogbeastegg

12-07-2009, 19:18

I want to see the soldier class video. I know that in many ways it was the most boring of the three classes, yet it was the one I found to be most fun to play. Possibly because you didn't have fancy powers to manipulate the situation, and instead needed to reply on terrain and teamwork. My cannon Shepard is a female paragon soldier.

It was a perfect example of how console gaming has lowered standards across the board for RPGs.
I rank ME alongside Planescape: Torment at the top of my RPG charts, and consider it to be the standout example on how to do some aspects of the genre. :creep:

It's my most replayed RPG - and post DOS era game - ever. 7 complete playthroughs, including a pair of runs which were done for no other reason than to experience the combat at the two highest difficulties.

ME and Planescape are a better couple than it might first appear. They excel at certain things and are flawed in others, and it happens that the flaws lie in areas I care less about and they excel in the ones I value most.

TinCow

12-07-2009, 20:22

I rank ME alongside Planescape: Torment at the top of my RPG charts, and consider it to be the standout example on how to do some aspects of the genre. :creep:

It's my most replayed RPG - and post DOS era game - ever. 7 complete playthroughs, including a pair of runs which were done for no other reason than to experience the combat at the two highest difficulties.

ME and Planescape are a better couple than it might first appear. They excel at certain things and are flawed in others, and it happens that the flaws lie in areas I care less about and they excel in the ones I value most.

Whacker would certainly burn me alive for agreeing with you, but I will... tentatively. Planescape had a brilliant plotline and incredible story with some of the worst (and buggiest) gameplay that has ever been made. To that level, I agree with the analogy.

One of my main problems with ME is also a huge problem with DA:O... meaningless choices. Both of these games pat themselves on the back for having many huge moral dilemmas, but they're all meaningless. No one really cares if you run around being a jerk... they'll follow you pretty much to the ends of the earth. DA:O is slightly better in this in that some actions will make party NPCs go hostile, but only if they're with you when you do them. ME treats the player with kid-gloves, and only allows you to make choices that won't prevent you from fulfilling you Ultimate Destiny to be Awesome. There are no consequences for your actions, just your own endorphins making you feel good or bad for being an angel or a bully.

Mass Effect also seemed to strike me as extremely linear. It was advertised as another sandbox RPG, but that wasn't remotely present. Being able to pick the order that you do the quests in does not make a game a sandbox game. Bouncing around on planets in a buggy picking up collection quest items also does not make a game a sandbox game. ME had as much open-ended gameplay as KOTOR and KOTOR2... essentially none.

So, what I was left with after I finished ME was a game billed as a dark, mature RPG with a huge sandbox world... and what I got was a storyline with meaningless moral dilemmas and a very one-track plot. Top it off with the horrid interface and uninspiring combat, and I was very underwhelmed.

That said, I do very much like Bioware's original IP products. I thought the Jade Empire world was superb, even if the game itself was not as good. Both ME and DA have equally interesting and well-developed worlds. I like the Bioware IPs a great deal and they are worth playing simply to see the universes they create. Bioware is essentially the Bizarro Bethsoft. Bethsoft makes games that are fun to explore but where the main storyline is relatively pathetic, while Bioware makes games that fall apart when you leave the main storyline.

I am about to do a second run-through of Mass Effect because I erased the saved game from my first time through and want to be able to import my character for the second. Maybe my opinion will change on round two.

frogbeastegg

12-07-2009, 21:20

So, what I was left with after I finished ME was a game billed as a dark, mature RPG with a huge sandbox world... and what I got was a storyline with meaningless moral dilemmas and a very one-track plot. Top it off with the horrid interface and uninspiring combat, and I was very underwhelmed.
I ignored the pre-release info, the reviews, and actually left the game sat on my shelf for nearly a year before I played it. Why? Because of Jade Empire.

I thought the Jade Empire world was superb, even if the game itself was not as good.
I hated Jade Empire. Everything about it. Completely. Tried to play it twice; the first time I dumped it after several hours, the second I dumped it midway through when someone confirmed my guesses as to what would happen in the rest of the game. It's by far the worst game Bioware have ever made, and one of the worst RPGs I have ever played. This game IMO fits many of your ME criticisms to a T.

I was expecting something in the tradition of KOTOR and I got a Bioware-by-numbers that was so much a rehash of their endlessly recycled trademarks that I was able to successfully predict the entire plot, character arcs and twists within the first 2 hours. Pasted all over this predictable line of rehashed, tired old predictability was paper thin mystic kung fu nonsense. Did I mention it was shallower than a puddle? That the combat was utterly, utterly rubbish, tedious, unbalanced, and bland? That the quest railroaded me from one predictable load of fetching to another? That there were hardly any side quests at all? That most of the party characters were clones of characters from earlier games with new models and names? And if there's any doubt left at all that I found it entirely, completely and fully predictable, let it be banished once and for all.

Jade Empire's better known as 'Bioware By Numbers: The Ultimate Rehash' in the privacy of my froggy little mind. Awful!

Neverwinter Nights combined with Jade Empire convinced me Bioware had lost it. If I hadn’t liked ME I’d have stopped following their work entirely.

One of the things I liked most about ME was the way it handled morality. It didn't really try to. In nearly every RPG which offers some kind of alignment choice you're going to be forced into the hero's role no matter how hard you try to be evil, no matter how illogical it is. ME replaced the usual banal and unrealistic 'Kill puppy and drink its blood/give puppy all of your money' options with choosing your tone. No matter what you do you're a hero, but will you be a polite hero with time for your fans, or one who focuses on getting the job done and never mind the bruised toes? Picking tone worked in a way which picking alignment never did. It's playing good cop/bad cop instead of angelic hero/destroyer of worlds. I was so disappointed when I found dragon age had wound the clock back to choosing a puppy's fate.

I didn't find ME's plot to be any more restrictive than that of most RPGS, past or present. At a push I shall grant that it made less of a pretence at player freedom than most, though pretence is indeed the right word when the destroyer of worlds goes to the same places and does the same overall actions as the angelic hero :shrug:

Krusader

12-07-2009, 23:30

Engineer one seems cool. Although I have a feeling I might stick to a Soldier class first, before I'll attempt other classes in later playthroughs. Already playing five characters in Dragon Age: Origins. Pretty certain I'll give ME2 several playthroughs, especially since the dialogue and dialogue scenes seem much better made.

I do hope the interface will more PC-friendly in ME2 and especially that you can just tap Spacebar to pause instead of having to press it for the pause duration. But maybe that's just me.
And what annoyed me was that the boardable spaceships and most planetary mines & bases was identical with just a few crates & containers arranged differently.

Scienter

12-08-2009, 01:53

Scienter

12-08-2009, 01:55

I hated Jade Empire. Everything about it. Completely. Tried to play it twice; the first time I dumped it after several hours, the second I dumped it midway through when someone confirmed my guesses as to what would happen in the rest of the game. It's by far the worst game Bioware have ever made, and one of the worst RPGs I have ever played. This game IMO fits many of your ME criticisms to a T.

I enjoyed Jade Empire the first time I played it, though not as much as KOTOR. After watching a kung fu movie, I really wanted to play it again, and found that it had no replayability, really. :no:

a completely inoffensive name

12-08-2009, 08:36

Revolutionary? Work of art? Did we play the same game? Of the stuff you listed above, combat, repetitive and boring side quests, and inventory is pretty much the entire game except for the main storyline. Mass Effect had an interesting universe and some decent writing, but it failed mightily in pretty much every other area. It was a perfect example of how console gaming has lowered standards across the board for RPGs. The only reason I am optimistic about ME2 is that Bioware turned DA:O into a pretty decent game and I expect some of the successful bits of DA to show up in ME2.

I think you are being overly critical here (which is good for a lot of over hyped video games but there are a few things I disagree with you here):
1. The universe in my analysis was very refreshing, and interesting and the writing was superb. I didn't know what was mediocre about the either of the two. The fact that they had over 2+ hours of just info on the Mass Effect universe for you to read (and listen to with that awesome narrative voice), shows that they put in the effort that made it above mediocre.
2. Consoles have had no real impact that I have seen, on the quality of RPG's. I think the real impact consoles are having a negative impact on is first person shooters. Now that I would agree with completely, but RPG's? I just don't see what they are sacrificing there, the focus on an RPG is story which is not correlated at all to console/computer while in a FPS, the controls are crucial to get down and not be confusing which is affected by consoles.

One of my main problems with ME is also a huge problem with DA:O... meaningless choices. Both of these games pat themselves on the back for having many huge moral dilemmas, but they're all meaningless. No one really cares if you run around being a jerk... they'll follow you pretty much to the ends of the earth. DA:O is slightly better in this in that some actions will make party NPCs go hostile, but only if they're with you when you do them. ME treats the player with kid-gloves, and only allows you to make choices that won't prevent you from fulfilling you Ultimate Destiny to be Awesome. There are no consequences for your actions, just your own endorphins making you feel good or bad for being an angel or a bully.

Mass Effect also seemed to strike me as extremely linear. It was advertised as another sandbox RPG, but that wasn't remotely present. Being able to pick the order that you do the quests in does not make a game a sandbox game. Bouncing around on planets in a buggy picking up collection quest items also does not make a game a sandbox game. ME had as much open-ended gameplay as KOTOR and KOTOR2... essentially none.

So, what I was left with after I finished ME was a game billed as a dark, mature RPG with a huge sandbox world... and what I got was a storyline with meaningless moral dilemmas and a very one-track plot. Top it off with the horrid interface and uninspiring combat, and I was very underwhelmed.

That said, I do very much like Bioware's original IP products. I thought the Jade Empire world was superb, even if the game itself was not as good. Both ME and DA have equally interesting and well-developed worlds. I like the Bioware IPs a great deal and they are worth playing simply to see the universes they create. Bioware is essentially the Bizarro Bethsoft. Bethsoft makes games that are fun to explore but where the main storyline is relatively pathetic, while Bioware makes games that fall apart when you leave the main storyline.

I am about to do a second run-through of Mass Effect because I erased the saved game from my first time through and want to be able to import my character for the second. Maybe my opinion will change on round two.

Now I just don't get how you can say the game is full of meaningless choices and then at the end of your post acknowledge you need to do a second run through because your choices will have an impact in the sequel. How can killing Wrex be meaningless when the choice determines whether or not you will see him in the second and third game? How is the finale choice of who gets to be Earth's representative on the council meaningless when you will probably receive orders/talk to extensively from the person you picked throughout the second game?

I will grant you the somewhat linear aspect of the game, however I look at it in the greater context. This was the first game in a planned trilogy, they created an entire new dialog system and had to create an extensive intellectual property and the actual plot along with making the game. I think they put so much effort on the three things I just listed and then went for the bare bones minimum of what could be considered the "basics" of a traditional RPG. This is why I say I praise it so much, yes, revolutionary may have been too much although I was thinking of the dialog system when I typed that (it was so weird going back to Fallout 3 and the whole NPC staring-at-you-never-blinking-or-showing-above-the-minimum-in-emotional-expression and having to read entire lines of text that make up your responses) however, once the "basics" (inventory system, combat, less generic side quests) all are improved upon, you can't say that the game is in anyway majorly flawed or broken.

I see that you recognize that Bioware did a good job with Jade Empire's intellectual property and just made a flawed game around it, but why didn't you see the same for Mass Effect, I think the two are practically the same there in that aspect.

I ignored the pre-release info, the reviews, and actually left the game sat on my shelf for nearly a year before I played it. Why? Because of Jade Empire.

I hated Jade Empire. Everything about it. Completely. Tried to play it twice; the first time I dumped it after several hours, the second I dumped it midway through when someone confirmed my guesses as to what would happen in the rest of the game. It's by far the worst game Bioware have ever made, and one of the worst RPGs I have ever played. This game IMO fits many of your ME criticisms to a T.

I was expecting something in the tradition of KOTOR and I got a Bioware-by-numbers that was so much a rehash of their endlessly recycled trademarks that I was able to successfully predict the entire plot, character arcs and twists within the first 2 hours. Pasted all over this predictable line of rehashed, tired old predictability was paper thin mystic kung fu nonsense. Did I mention it was shallower than a puddle? That the combat was utterly, utterly rubbish, tedious, unbalanced, and bland? That the quest railroaded me from one predictable load of fetching to another? That there were hardly any side quests at all? That most of the party characters were clones of characters from earlier games with new models and names? And if there's any doubt left at all that I found it entirely, completely and fully predictable, let it be banished once and for all.

Jade Empire's better known as 'Bioware By Numbers: The Ultimate Rehash' in the privacy of my froggy little mind. Awful!

Neverwinter Nights combined with Jade Empire convinced me Bioware had lost it. If I hadn’t liked ME I’d have stopped following their work entirely.

One of the things I liked most about ME was the way it handled morality. It didn't really try to. In nearly every RPG which offers some kind of alignment choice you're going to be forced into the hero's role no matter how hard you try to be evil, no matter how illogical it is. ME replaced the usual banal and unrealistic 'Kill puppy and drink its blood/give puppy all of your money' options with choosing your tone. No matter what you do you're a hero, but will you be a polite hero with time for your fans, or one who focuses on getting the job done and never mind the bruised toes? Picking tone worked in a way which picking alignment never did. It's playing good cop/bad cop instead of angelic hero/destroyer of worlds. I was so disappointed when I found dragon age had wound the clock back to choosing a puppy's fate.

I didn't find ME's plot to be any more restrictive than that of most RPGS, past or present. At a push I shall grant that it made less of a pretence at player freedom than most, though pretence is indeed the right word when the destroyer of worlds goes to the same places and does the same overall actions as the angelic hero :shrug:

I have to completely agree with the underlined text. However, I didn't find the actual universe and background of Jade Empire to be shallow, then again I only played it twice, (good then bad) and then never played it again, so maybe you are onto something there as well.

It was a fun game that could have been much, much better if they'd fleshed the story out some more and gotten rid of that awful Mako and its bad physics. After playing through Dragon Age and thinking back to the NPCs in Mass Effect, I really hope that the ME2 NPCs are fleshed out more. I really enjoyed the depth of some of the NPCs in Dragon Age and don't really feel like ME did enough with theirs.

How so? By NPC you mean the companions, or do you mean random people you meet in sidequests/along the main storyline?

Scienter

12-08-2009, 13:18

How so? By NPC you mean the companions, or do you mean random people you meet in sidequests/along the main storyline?

I meant the companions. I liked them, but feel like they lacked the depth of some of the Dragon Age companions. I played ME when it came out, so my memory of it might be a little fuzzy, but I recall not having as many dialogue options with the companions as were available in Dragon Age. Additionally, I liked it when my companions talked to each other a little when they were in my party, like in Dragon Age. I don't remember that happening in ME.

al Roumi

12-08-2009, 13:29

...when I typed that (it was so weird going back to Fallout 3 and the whole NPC staring-at-you-never-blinking-or-showing-above-the-minimum-in-emotional-expression and having to read entire lines of text that make up your responses)

And DA:O! At first i was wondering if it was bugging out that I couldn't hear my own character's voice! Especially after I'd just had to choose one.

Personaly I found ME much more immersive than DA:O, due mostly to the dialogue presentation, and I completely agree with mademoiselle Froggy that ME's take on "moral choices" was more appropriate to the plot lines than anything, imo since Baldur's Gate 2. If you were truly evil and selfish, you wouldn't give a damn about "saving the world", at very least you use the opportunity to further your own agenda -as in BG2.

I actually quite liked combat in ME, especially an hardcore (not too hard, but a challenge nonetheless) but then I made heavy use of biotics and am always interested in getting optimum character builds :book:.

TinCow

12-08-2009, 16:43

I think you are being overly critical here (which is good for a lot of over hyped video games but there are a few things I disagree with you here):
1. The universe in my analysis was very refreshing, and interesting and the writing was superb. I didn't know what was mediocre about the either of the two. The fact that they had over 2+ hours of just info on the Mass Effect universe for you to read (and listen to with that awesome narrative voice), shows that they put in the effort that made it above mediocre.

I don't disagree with this at all. Like I said, the ME universe was superbly designed, and I think Bioware have done an an excellent job with creating the background worlds in all their original IP products.

2. Consoles have had no real impact that I have seen, on the quality of RPG's. I think the real impact consoles are having a negative impact on is first person shooters. Now that I would agree with completely, but RPG's? I just don't see what they are sacrificing there, the focus on an RPG is story which is not correlated at all to console/computer while in a FPS, the controls are crucial to get down and not be confusing which is affected by consoles.

The biggest problem consoles have caused is the switch from text to voice for dialogs. This shift was very heavily pushed on developers because text was considered undesirable by console gamers due to difficulties in reading large blocks on a television. As a result of this switch, the maximum amount of storyline, dialog, and backstory has been drastically reduced in almost every RPG. You need look no further than the disparity between Morrowind and Oblivion for your evidence. Morrowind had so much text it would make your eyes bleed, and as a result there was an extreme amount of detail about the world, the plot, and the NPCs, if you chose to explore it. By contrast, because Oblivion had to have every single line voice-acted, the writers were given a hard-cap of 40,000 words in the entire game. That resulted in truncated dialogs and extremely superficial background information on the world which was a major barrier to immersion.

Bioware have actually done a far better job at combating this recently than most RPG developers, thanks to their willingness to use detailed 'optional' text descriptions in their games. In ME, this was the database entries that were very rewarding if you took the time to read them. It DA:O, the Codex accomplished the same thing. However, ME still suffered from severely truncated dialog due to voice acting requirements... though I will say I was impressed with the variety of dialog available in DA:O. Bioware certainly seem to be learning a lot as time goes by, hence my optimism for ME2.

The other major problem caused by consoles is that the games have to be written for use with a gamepad. Gamepads are far more limited input mechanisms than the keyboard and mouse due to vastly fewer keys and more primitive methods of directional input. This significantly limits the system of special abilities and options a player is given during combat, as the gamepad does not allow a player to easily select from a large number of options on-the-fly. This has resulted in simpler combat which is often less challenging and less entertaining. ME has one of the worst combat system of any recent RPG, and that is directly related to this gamepad problem.

Again, I feel like DA:O shows that Bioware has learned from their mistakes in this area, as DA had very good combat despite the vastly simplified system. However, that's DA:O, not ME. We're talking about the merits of ME, which I simply do not think warrants the level of praise that is being heaped on it. ME was certainly a great commercial success for Bioware, but I think it's very wrong to call it revolutionary. ME was a nice improvement from the doldrums of RPG gaming that resulted after the immediate jump to console gaming with the XBOX/PS2 generation... but it was still several steps backwards from where RPGs were before devs started catering to the larger console market. DA:O is one of the first 'console' RPGs that has actually returned to the overall quality level that was consistent in PC RPGs until the early 2000s. Even so, it's taken about 6-7 years for the devs to claw their way back to where they used to be before the switch.

Now I just don't get how you can say the game is full of meaningless choices and then at the end of your post acknowledge you need to do a second run through because your choices will have an impact in the sequel. How can killing Wrex be meaningless when the choice determines whether or not you will see him in the second and third game? How is the finale choice of who gets to be Earth's representative on the council meaningless when you will probably receive orders/talk to extensively from the person you picked throughout the second game?

First, to be clear, I want to do a second run-through for character design purposes, not plot purposes. I guarantee you that imported characters will be better off than newly designed characters, just like they were in Baldur's Gate. In addition, saying that ME2 justifies the choices made in ME1 is silly. ME1 is its own game and must be judged by itself. If some of its flaws are later fixed by a sequel game, then the sequel game deserves the praise, not the original. If ME had been a commercial flop, you never would have seen a sequel and your meaningless moral dilemmas would have remained meaningless for all eternity. Judge ME on its own merits, not on the merits of ME2.

Second, you're talking about choices that are strictly confined to the main plot line. The moral dilemmas that you face in numerous side-quests or in the methods with which you accomplish most of the main storyline are irrelevant because they have no long-term consequences. No one really cares if you negotiate to get hostages released, or just go in guns blazing and get people killed. Your NPCs will happily slaughter anyone you point their guns at, regardless of their backstory. Essentially, the only meaningful choices you make are those which direct you towards the different endings, of which there are very, very few options. Nice guy/jerk and saved council/let it die. Not much of a selection.

Again, DA:O is a HUGE improvement here, because how you resolve (and whether you even complete) many of the side-quests impacts what kind of aid you get in the game and large portions of the ending itself. As far as I can tell, DA:O has about as many different endings as Fallout 2, and that's high praise. But, again, that's DA:O, not ME. ME was a stepping stone for Bioware from their lowest points, and it is still far better than what most console-catered RPGs have managed, but improvement doesn't qualify as revolutionary when it is improvement based on a serious decline. ME is inherently non-revolutionary, because it didn't do anything remotely new. DA:O has finally put Bioware back on parity with where they used to be... maybe ME2 truly will be an actual step forward into uncharted areas, but ME1 was still languishing in the console doldrums.

frogbeastegg

12-08-2009, 19:50

Zenicetus

12-08-2009, 20:58

1. The universe in my analysis was very refreshing, and interesting and the writing was superb. I didn't know what was mediocre about the either of the two. The fact that they had over 2+ hours of just info on the Mass Effect universe for you to read (and listen to with that awesome narrative voice), shows that they put in the effort that made it above mediocre.

I don't disagree with this at all. Like I said, the ME universe was superbly designed, and I think Bioware have done an an excellent job with creating the background worlds in all their original IP products.

My $.02 opinion... I guess I'll be disagreeing with everyone here about the quality of the ME universe design. It was okay as a framework for the game, but original and superbly designed? I guess I've read too much science fiction in my life. To me, the ME universe was nothing more than just a mashup of classic TV and sci fi movie themes.

There is the Star Fleet concept from Trek, with the humans and dominant aliens forming a political alliance. Humans are rash upstarts; not as experienced as the ancient races who have been spacefaring forever, but they're full of spunk and drive. And of course the humans are the heroes of the story. Of all the aliens you see that might have been interesting party members, your actual combat party is composed of the aliens who look most like bipedal humans (with the possible exception of Wrex), so they're easier for a general audience to relate to. Robot servants have rebelled against their masters. Giant insects with a hive queen are a threat. An ancient evil that cleansed the galaxy in the past, is about to return.

These are all tired, tired tropes in science fiction. Bioware did a decent job of throwing it all together and making it stick, but there is nothing especially original or superbly designed in their conception of the future. They just used a bunch of least-common-denominator themes that a wide audience could easily relate to.

The same could be said for Dragon Age. Humans who dominate the story line? Check. Dwarves? Check. Elves? Check. The Holy Trinity of tank, mage, and healer with a rogue on the side? Check. An ancient evil from the past about to return and cause havoc? Check.

Bioware excels in solid execution for their games, not in designing original game worlds. Bioshock was a glorified shooter, and The Witcher had its own problems, but both games were far more original in concept and game world design (IMO).

frogbeastegg

12-08-2009, 21:19

To me, the ME universe was nothing more than just a mashup of classic TV and sci fi movie themes.
That's what Bioware say they were aiming for. That grainy overlay effect on the graphics is meant to mimic the lower quality of those old recordings.

Myself, I was just happy to see a different set of cliches in use after years of bad fantasy cliches and modern settings. Course, ME had its own version of the warehouse full of crates so perhaps it wasn't that much of a change.

The same could be said for Dragon Age. Humans who dominate the story line? Check. Dwarves? Check. Elves? Check. The Holy Trinity of tank, mage, and healer with a rogue on the side? Check. An ancient evil from the past about to return and cause havoc? Check.
Check indeed, and this time around Bioware claimed to be aiming for a different take on the typical fantasy setting. Disappointing.

Bioware excels in solid execution for their games, not in designing original game worlds.
I always think that Black Isle/Obsidian are the writers and Bioware the makers. On each game engine that they've shared Bioware have assembled the engine and put out a quality but quite standard in terms of plot and character game, and Black Isle/Obsidian have taken that engine to make a technically wobbly but excellently written and plotted game. If only the two would work completely and fully side by side on a project!

TinCow

12-08-2009, 21:26

Weren't PC RPGs in heavy decline before the console crossovers began? That's certainly how I remember it. BGII was a high point in more than one way. Mid-tier brands like Fallout went dormant, independent titles all but vanished, new titles from the established RPG houses became fewer, big names in the genre went out of business or changed focus, and everyone was screaming about internet multiplayer and 3D everything being the future. It was the most depressing time of my PC gaming life.

I don't remember any decline until after the consoles came out, though that does coincide somewhat with BG2. RPG gaming was strong throughout the 1990s. The early years had some of the best RPGs ever made, including Ultima VII, Betrayal at Krondor, and the best of the SSI gold box games (i.e. Pool of Radiance, the Krynn series). The Might and Magic series was going strong then too, peaking with Might and Magic VI in 1998. System Shock showed up in 1994. Personally, I consider the late 1990s to be the best years for all RPGs. 1996 was Daggerfall. 1997 was Fallout. 1998 was Baldur's Gate and Fallout 2 (and MM6). 1999 was PST and System Shock 2. 2000 was BG2.

The real console crossover began in 2000/2001, when the sixth generation (XBox, PS2, Dreamcast, Gamecube) came on the market. When those sales figures started coming in, a lot of game devs instantly started migrating in that direction. Morrowind's port to the XBox was in 2002, only 2 years after BG2. 2002 was also the year of NWN, which was the LAST Bioware title that wasn't available on the console. So, unless you want to consider the short period (about a year, 2001) between BG2 and Morrowind to be a slump, I don't see one.

Personally, I find the entire Aurora engine to be a slump for Bioware. KOTOR was good despite being on that engine, not because of it. The Aurora engine was inherently limiting and made games incredibly linear. Look at the list of games I made above, and you'll see that practically all of them had huge areas you could explore and gave a lot of freedom to go where you wanted and do what you wanted. That freedom is what made the games so interesting. The Ultima and (some of the) SSI gold box games are the perfect examples. They had very linear storylines, but you didn't have to spend all your times following those storylines, you could just go out and explore and that was a lot of the fun of it. In a way, GTA 3/4/etc. are far better RPGs than NWN/KOTOR/etc just because of their freedom.

Perhaps it was a divine confluence of bad decision making (see Ultima IX and every M&M after VI), a few buggy game releases (see Vampire: Bloodlines, TOEE), new flashy game engines that limited freedom (see Aurora), along with the push to consoles... but the RPG market took a nosedive after the sixth generation consoles were released in 2000/2001 and it's still struggling to recover almost 10 years later.

I don't buy that unvoiced text went the way of the dodo because of the console market. Morrowind had an xbox version also and it was one of the xbox's best selling titles overall. Many of the mid to late PS2 era JRPGs had reams and reams of text and very little voice acting, and the older ones had no voice acting. The PS1 era JRPGs were often a badly translated book on a disc.

I blame it on the drive to be cinematic and grab the attention of the non-hardcore crowd, same as the relentless rush for more, bigger, better faster graphics, FMV and CGI cutscenes, and other gloss. "Over 1,000,000 lines of text!" doesn't have that same marketing ring as "Over 10,000 fully voiced lines, including [famous name here] as the narrator!"

I'm sure that's part of it, but my friends at Bethsoft told me that they specifically switched from text to voice dialog to appeal better to the console market. Morrowind on the Xbox doesn't really count, because it wasn't designed to be a console game when it was created, so the peculiarities of the console market had no impact on it. Oblivion was the start of Bethsoft designing games specifically for consoles, with the PC version as an afterthought. Voice acting was like an arms race in the gaming industry after the sixth gen consoles came out. Once a few companies had done it, everyone had to do it or they looked really old and obsolete and it impacted their sales. So, they all adopted it even though the technical and financial limitations of doing it greatly impacted the quality of the games.

I also loved KOTOR and many of the other games which must sit in your console doldrums, just as I like many of the old PC exclusives. Compared to the likes of Neverwinter Nights 1 they were far better singleplayer experiences :hide:

Actually, I loved KOTOR. It's one of the few RPGs I played during that time that I really liked. It had all the flaws of the others, but Bioware did such a stupendously good job with the storyline that it was fun to play despite the flaws.

Monk

12-08-2009, 21:29

That's what Bioware say they were aiming for. That grainy overlay effect on the graphics is meant to mimic the lower quality of those old recordings.

L4D has that too.. but I cannot stand Film Grain effects in my games. :oops:

I understand their purpose from both a creative and technical standpoint (you can use film grain to hide jagged edges, for example) but I could never use it.

frogbeastegg

12-08-2009, 23:24

[cut out for length]
I remember a decline before the console shift because that's why I ended up picking up an xbox and KOTOR. I was that starved for RPGs I couldn't resist a cheap supermarket deal, and the PC release of the game was set months away. Back then I was cursing the xbox for stealing PC games in general, and particularly for stealing my RPG. When it comes to looking back across the RPGs I've played, there's a massive empty gap between Throne of Baal and KOTOR. Other than Morrowind the only game I can really think of which occupies it is the PC port of a (pretty good) PS2 launch era RPG named Summoner, made by Volition. The awful SP reports and a bad demo put me off NWN until the final expansion appeared. The gap between Baal and KOTOR's European release is nearly 3 years. After KOTOR games like Vampire: Bloodlines start appearing in my memory.

We're agreeing in a roundabout way about the adoption of full voice acting; someone had done it and then everyone else had to in order to keep up with the latest gloss. It was another of those irksome candy decisions which periodically inflict themselves on the industry. My point is that the changeover didn't come about because the console players didn't want to read; they had been reading similar amounts of text to PC gamers for years, and they'd been rating those games highly and buying them in high numbers. I believe things would have taken the same course without RPGs moving to consoles; once the bulk of dialogue is voiced any unvoiced dialogue is criticised, and voicework is expense so the number of lines must go down.

As far as the Aurora engine goes I can only sit here like this -> :yes:

GTA didn't have much freedom IMO. Yup, another statement which makes me want to use that creeping smiley to imply me sidling away epecting to have a boot thrown at me. GTA4 and series spin-off Bully gave you a choice between doing plot mission X to advance the pre-set story, or ignoring it to do a range of pre-set and pre-planned side missions. Eventually you needed to do some plot missions in order to unlock more side quests. Or you can ignore both types of missions and run around doing random things which don't have much impact.

Pen and paper RPGs are the only way you'd get anything I'd comfortably label freedom or actual roleplaying. In computer games it's always varying degrees of predefined choice.

Maybe the arena should get a 'state of RPGs' thread? :gring:

a completely inoffensive name

12-09-2009, 01:22

I will post a longer reply later, but I just want to say that if we are going to talk about the GTA series being better because of more freedom then we should replace GRA 3 and 4 with Vice City and (especially) San Andreas.

TinCow

12-09-2009, 14:53

I remember a decline before the console shift because that's why I ended up picking up an xbox and KOTOR. I was that starved for RPGs I couldn't resist a cheap supermarket deal, and the PC release of the game was set months away. Back then I was cursing the xbox for stealing PC games in general, and particularly for stealing my RPG. When it comes to looking back across the RPGs I've played, there's a massive empty gap between Throne of Baal and KOTOR. Other than Morrowind the only game I can really think of which occupies it is the PC port of a (pretty good) PS2 launch era RPG named Summoner, made by Volition. The awful SP reports and a bad demo put me off NWN until the final expansion appeared. The gap between Baal and KOTOR's European release is nearly 3 years. After KOTOR games like Vampire: Bloodlines start appearing in my memory.

My memory is foggy too. My short chronological list of games from that previous post was based on wikipedia info (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_computer_role-playing_games). I remembered all those games, but had no idea when they were released and had to look over what came out in the 1990s and early 2000s to even make my reply. One of the trends that is noticeable when looking at the 2000s list is that 2000 to 2002 also a massive increase in 'Action RPGs.' In 2000 we get both Diablo 2 and Icewind Dale, as well as System Shock 2 which still can't be properly categorized as either FPS or RPG. 2001 has the Diablo 2 expansion pack, Fallout Tactics, and the Icewind Dale expansion pack 2002 has Divine Divinity, Icewind Dale 2, and Dungeon Siege. That's a pretty big explosion in the Action RPG market, which shows some noticeable distraction from pure RPG development by some of the biggest names in RPG gaming: Black Isle and Interplay. It's certainly significant that Diablo 2 is considered by the world at large to be a RPG, when it's nothing of the sort.

Looking at that now, perhaps I was wrong to blame it all on consoles. Perhaps it was just a 'perfect storm' of a large number of factors hitting the RPG industry at exactly the same time, resulting in a major shift away from the classic gaming systems.

We're agreeing in a roundabout way about the adoption of full voice acting; someone had done it and then everyone else had to in order to keep up with the latest gloss. It was another of those irksome candy decisions which periodically inflict themselves on the industry. My point is that the changeover didn't come about because the console players didn't want to read; they had been reading similar amounts of text to PC gamers for years, and they'd been rating those games highly and buying them in high numbers. I believe things would have taken the same course without RPGs moving to consoles; once the bulk of dialogue is voiced any unvoiced dialogue is criticised, and voicework is expense so the number of lines must go down.

Possibly, though I do have a strong feeling that there was a shift in console gaming itself between the 5th and 6th generations. I have no facts or info of any kind to back up these statements, but I personally feel like the 5th generation of consoles was still part of PC gaming. When the N64 and PS1 were released, I think that most people who owned consoles also did a lot of PC gaming. Back then, I would have called the two industries as complimentary, not competitive. As the PS1 got older, its catalog of games started attracting a more adult audience than it had previously, and I feel like the PS1 in particular really broke open the console market to sections of the population who had never been gamers before. The flood gates then opened with the 6th generation, mainly with the PS2 and XBox, which started popping up in households all over the world that had never been interested in gaming before.

So, I feel like the console population itself shifted at that same time, towards a broader audience and away from the old core of gamers who were very similar to, if not the same group as, PC gamers. Again, I have nothing to back that up though, it's just my own ruminations on the matter.

GTA didn't have much freedom IMO. Yup, another statement which makes me want to use that creeping smiley to imply me sidling away epecting to have a boot thrown at me. GTA4 and series spin-off Bully gave you a choice between doing plot mission X to advance the pre-set story, or ignoring it to do a range of pre-set and pre-planned side missions. Eventually you needed to do some plot missions in order to unlock more side quests. Or you can ignore both types of missions and run around doing random things which don't have much impact.

To be clear, I don't consider the GTA series to be RPGs. I was simply making an observation on the 'exploration of the world' aspect of the series in comparison to classic RPG gaming. GTA is basically a third-person shooter with really large levels, some kind of middle step between the action RPG and the FPS. It's got a lot in common with games like STALKER and FarCry 2, actually. That's another discussion though...

Maybe the arena should get a 'state of RPGs' thread? :gring:

I've very much enjoyed this discussion, and I'd be willing to give it a go. I'm sure I can get Whacker to contribute a few rants on the matter as well. :laugh4: I actually feel like there's a lot of room for a directed discussions on several aspects of gaming: RPGs, FPS, Strategy, Consoles, etc. We should probably do one at a time, but it might be fun to do a planned series of threads which are part narrative, part debate, on general gaming trends and issues.

frogbeastegg

12-09-2009, 19:56

I have created an RPGs: The State of Play (https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/showthread.php?p=2394899#post2394899) thread so the discussion can continue without totally derailing this topic.

I'm a bit pushed for time now so I can't add anything else for the moment. Perhaps someone else can get the new topic rolling?

Krusader

12-10-2009, 17:38

Gamer.no listed some voice actors in Mass Effect 2, unfortunately with no direct source, but seems to correlate nicely with the voices I've heard so far.

Martin Sheen - Cerberus leader
Yvonne Strahovski - Miranda Lawson, another Cerberus operative.
Seth Green - Joker
Keith David - Admiral David Anderson
Tricia Helfer - Normandy (the spaceship VI most likely)
Carrie-Ann Moss - Aria T'Loak, bandit leader.
Shohreh Aghdashloo - Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay
Michael Hogan - Captain Bailey (silly site had spelled it Mikael at first)
Adam Baldwin - Kal'Reegar
Michael Dorn - Gatatog Uvenk.

Alexander the Pretty Good

12-10-2009, 20:11

Nice find!

Adam Baldwin - Kal'Reegar:smitten:

Scienter

12-10-2009, 23:01

Mikael Hogan - Captain Bailey

Awesome!

Adam Baldwin - Kal'Reegar

I wonder what Kal Reegar is. W/ Jayne as his voice, is this a romance option for the female PC? :beam:

a completely inoffensive name

12-11-2009, 02:36

Crap, I forgot to post a response to TinCow. Oh well, here is a video featuring all the voice actors Krusader listed:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/masseffect2workingtitle/video/6242706?hd=1&tag=topslot;thumb;1

Krusader

12-12-2009, 20:32

Sentinel video in case someone missed it:

Sentinel Video. Direct Link (http://masseffect.bioware.com/video/217/)

Might be a choice for second playthrough.

Monk

12-12-2009, 23:08

Sentinel video in case someone missed it:

Sentinel Video. Direct Link (http://masseffect.bioware.com/video/217/)

Might be a choice for second playthrough.

It looks like they've combined a lot of talent choices across the board (for all classes). With luck, this means playing the hybrid classes will be less of a hassle in point distribution and much more fun. :yes:

Mailman653

12-13-2009, 04:55

I read or saw somewhere that the game has a sort of lockers now where you can swap equpiment while in a level. The downside is, say you start the mission with a sniper rifle, untill you find one of these lockers, your stuck with the sniper rifle.

As a vanguard I loved using my shotgun for most things but sometimes I had to swap out for my pistol when I needed some precise aiming. But with this locker system, seems like when I want to get the job done, I need to rely on someone else assuming they are still alive to take the shot.

frogbeastegg

12-13-2009, 10:07

I read or saw somewhere that the game has a sort of lockers now where you can swap equpiment while in a level. The downside is, say you start the mission with a sniper rifle, untill you find one of these lockers, your stuck with the sniper rifle.
Oh no! Being able to swap freely between the 4 weapons was rather essential to playing a soldier class on the higher levels.

Why do this? It's as silly in the in-game lore as the need to reload. They've already established that the guns collapse down and attach to armour so all 4 types can be carried easily.

Evil_Maniac From Mars

12-13-2009, 18:53

Whatever happens, I want to have Ashley, Garrus, and possibly Wrex back in my squads.

Husar

12-13-2009, 20:10

Oh no! Being able to swap freely between the 4 weapons was rather essential to playing a soldier class on the higher levels.

Was it? I used the sniper now and then, the pistol just to play a commander with a pistol but otherwise the assault rifle would be perfectly fine for most situations. Except when it would somehow overheat all of a sudden, probably some special ability on the enemy side.

frogbeastegg

12-13-2009, 21:14

On normal I used the assault rifle for everything except a rare few shotgun or sniper situations.

On hardcore and up I found myself using the full set. Sniper rifle to take down a couple of enemies at range if outside, assault rifle for the bulk of the killing work, pistol to fill the gap on the frequent occasions my assault rifle got targeted by that ability which made it unusable for a set period of time, and shotgun with knockdown ammo for dangerous foes like Krogan or the creepers or if my pistol also got knocked out of commission.

a completely inoffensive name

12-14-2009, 08:31

I am going to need to ask for a citation for this locker dilemma.

TinCow

12-14-2009, 14:45

I've started my second playthrough and will make a few comments to modify what I said earlier about ME. First, while the combat is simplistic, it is kind of fun. The relatively few abilities are made up for by the use of cover and other tactical considerations of ranged combat. I also give two-thumbs up to the combat ability interface; an excellent method of managing an entire party quickly and easily.

Which only makes the inventory system even more horrendous. How can they have done the combat interface so well, but created what is truly the worst inventory system I have ever seen? Seriously... this is even worse than Fallout 1/2. In most RPGs, the post-quest loot distribution and shopping runs are fun. In ME, it's so much of a pain in the butt that I actively try to put it off as long as possible.

So far, I stand by my comments regarding the plot: the game is extremely linear and there aren't many substantial choices to be made. I totally forgot about one aspect of the game that makes no sense to me: Paragon/Renegade points. Why can you get both at once? That makes no sense, surely gaining points in 'Alien-Loving Nice Guy' should take away points from 'Isolationist Egomaniac'?

In summary, with about 5-6 hours into my second playthrough I will temper my criticism of ME a bit. It's a fun game and provides decent entertainment, but far from a classic of the genre. A very middle of the road effort that seems on par with NWN2.

al Roumi

12-14-2009, 16:09

...Which only makes the inventory system even more horrendous. How can they have done the combat interface so well, but created what is truly the worst inventory system I have ever seen? Seriously... this is even worse than Fallout 1/2. In most RPGs, the post-quest loot distribution and shopping runs are fun. In ME, it's so much of a pain in the butt that I actively try to put it off as long as possible.

True, but at least you don't have to hunt around the map for items left on the ground (except of course containers.

I totally forgot about one aspect of the game that makes no sense to me: Paragon/Renegade points. Why can you get both at once? That makes no sense, surely gaining points in 'Alien-Loving Nice Guy' should take away points from 'Isolationist Egomaniac'?

:inquisitive: Only if you consider them so diametrically opposed. As Froggy said in an earlier post, it's not about being an "Alien lover" or "crypto fascist" but about whether your character will bend over backwards/go out of their way to accomodate people or is so focused on the goal as to disregard the interests of all else around. I admit there are a few side quests that pull that distinction towards what you describe (notably the Human politician and reporter citadel side quests), but the impression i got from my various play throughs was more as I described -if not a simpler selfish/selfless choice.

TinCow

12-14-2009, 16:53

True, but at least you don't have to hunt around the map for items left on the ground (except of course containers.

I agree, that's an improvement. I remember not looting lots of low-level bodies in the IE games because the effort of clicking wasn't worth the 2 gold you'd get as a reward. While infinite inventories are probably not suited to all games, it certainly works well in ME and I give two thumbs up to the auto-corpse-loot system. :2thumbsup:

:inquisitive: Only if you consider them so diametrically opposed. As Froggy said in an earlier post, it's not about being an "Alien lover" or "crypto fascist" but about whether your character will bend over backwards/go out of their way to accomodate people or is so focused on the goal as to disregard the interests of all else around. I admit there are a few side quests that pull that distinction towards what you describe (notably the Human politician and reporter citadel side quests), but the impression i got from my various play throughs was more as I described -if not a simpler selfish/selfless choice.

I'll keep my eye on the dialogs as I continue my playthrough to give this more scrutiny. So far it often seems to me that the dialog options tend to be one of the following:

1) I like aliens / I trust no one but humans
2) I like the rule of law / I do whatever it takes to get the job done
3) There's no need to reward me / Give me more loot!

In every case, the answers seem mutually exclusive. For example, with #2 responses, the game regularly rewards paragon points for liking law and order, and rewards renegade points for being an 'ends justify the means' type of guy. Since they're diametrically opposed answers and the give points into opposite areas, why aren't the conflicting with one another? Sure, there are some paragon answers that would mesh with other renegade answers, but in those scenarios it seems more like a 2-axis scale would be better. As it is now, ME has the same good/bad evaluation as the KOTOR games and Jade Empire, but it allows you to go both directions at the same time. I'm not inclined to think that makes a lot of sense. If they wanted to try and rate someone's alignment in that manner, they should have used a slightly more elaborate ranking system. A single axis with two poles just isn't cutting it as far as I can tell.

Ideally, they just should've scrapped the paragon/renegade stuff to begin with. If they wanted to let us be as morally ambiguous as we want, they shouldn't be rating us on our performance and rewarding/penalizing us for our answers.

Husar

12-14-2009, 19:07

I agree, that's an improvement. I remember not looting lots of low-level bodies in the IE games because the effort of clicking wasn't worth the 2 gold you'd get as a reward. While infinite inventories are probably not suited to all games, it certainly works well in ME and I give two thumbs up to the auto-corpse-loot system. :2thumbsup:

It's not unlimited, I got a warning when I was close to the limit but it only happened later in the game.

al Roumi

12-15-2009, 00:23

1) I like aliens / I trust no one but humans
2) I like the rule of law / I do whatever it takes to get the job done
3) There's no need to reward me / Give me more loot!

hmm. On reflection I think you're right -clearly you've been playing this more recently!

If they wanted to try and rate someone's alignment in that manner, they should have used a slightly more elaborate ranking system. A single axis with two poles just isn't cutting it as far as I can tell.

Ideally, they just should've scrapped the paragon/renegade stuff to begin with. If they wanted to let us be as morally ambiguous as we want, they shouldn't be rating us on our performance and rewarding/penalizing us for our answers

You're right, is this a trap that programmers fall into? binary decisions? :beam:

a completely inoffensive name

12-15-2009, 02:49

Ideally, they just should've scrapped the paragon/renegade stuff to begin with. If they wanted to let us be as morally ambiguous as we want, they shouldn't be rating us on our performance and rewarding/penalizing us for our answers.

I think that is the direction they are going in at this point. You kind of need a transition from 0 or 1 by making the value pointless to begin with. I never understood the point of it in a game like Mass Effect anyway where you are the hero no matter what. And I think that having no rating lets players react more towards how they would actually handle a situation rather then choosing something because they know that's the "good" path.

al Roumi

12-15-2009, 11:13

RE: Sentinel

It looks like they've combined a lot of talent choices across the board (for all classes). With luck, this means playing the hybrid classes will be less of a hassle in point distribution and much more fun. :yes:

I hadn't had the chance to watch that video before. I'm actually quite impressed with the Sentinel -on the the strength of that video anyway.

I'm glad they've allowed the class some basic weapons training beyond pistol (as was in ME -even though it reportedly had the most dps when using Marksman). I'm also interested in the range of new powers -cryo freeze for one sounds useful!

Scienter

12-15-2009, 14:44

I think that is the direction they are going in at this point. You kind of need a transition from 0 or 1 by making the value pointless to begin with. I never understood the point of it in a game like Mass Effect anyway where you are the hero no matter what. And I think that having no rating lets players react more towards how they would actually handle a situation rather then choosing something because they know that's the "good" path.

I was happy with the system in Dragon Age where you don't have good/evil alignment, but are rated by what your companions think of you. It had its flaws (it was easy to get everyone to love you and IMO that shouldn't be possible), but it was better than the renegade/paragon system in ME.

I'm playing thru a second time. My original character was a Vanguard, but it seems like a lot of the NPCs are biotic, so I made an Infiltrator. I was hoping to have lots of snipey fun, but so far I haven't used my sniper rifle that much, and have been relying on the pistol. Hopefully it will get more useful as I put more stat points into it.

Mailman653

12-16-2009, 02:04

I got the new issue of GameInformer (US) and it has a small feature on ME2.

Something things of note:

Normandy SR1 either is stolen or destroyed, it's status is unknown.

Shep commands the new Normandy SR2 which is much larger than the old ship, it has four decks and has a limited fuel supply which is assumed can be upgraded for larger capacity for deep space exploration.

Shep has a fish tank in his quarters which can be populated with creatures you can find or purchase on various planets. Shep also has a closet which can be used to customize equipment. For example you have red armor and found an awesome helmet but its pink, well now you can go and change the color in the closet. Though this feature only works for Shep. They also menttion being able to customize Sheps "casual" look. Also in his quarters are two computers, one which tracks character progress, the other to compare gear with squadmates and currently equiped weapons/armor.

Scanning for minerals and gases now have purpose, they can help upgrade the SR2.

SR2 has a new engine completely different from the SR1, new alien tech? Or maybe even Reaper tech?

Shorter Elevator rides.

You can manually discover planets and moons, plus you can scan planets (mini game) and even send out a probe in some cases or land a "heavily upgraded Mako."

Seems like Shep might forge an alliance with Cerberus in order to fight this "new threat" which in turn may allienate him from most of his old crew members which forces Shep to go out into space to recruit a new crew for the mission.

Joker and Dr. Chakwas serve aboard the SR2, plus the SR2 comes equiped with a VI.

The locker system is in place due to the amount of new weapons and ammos, since you can't carry it all, the lockers serve as storage so you can swap out weapons. With that in mind, it's possible the old style of having four weapons on your back is still in place and that lockers just help out with holding all the things you can't strap on to your back.

al Roumi

12-16-2009, 12:16

The locker system is in place due to the amount of new weapons and ammos, since you can't carry it all, the lockers serve as storage so you can swap out weapons. With that in mind, it's possible the old style of having four weapons on your back is still in place and that lockers just help out with holding all the things you can't strap on to your back.

Thanks for the info, I started a new game of ME as an Eng last night (got as far as liberating Liara, just before the boss fight with that damn krogan). Tech skills are def not as useful as biotics for subduing enemies, but they do make tackling individual "bosses" easier.

Back on the ME2 lockers, there do seem to be a lot more weapon types now, eg: heavy pistol, submachinegun -both of which might have been by covered the pistol class in ME. I just wonder how it will be that Shep stumbles accross a locker holding all his stuff in the middle of a Geth outpost... weapon drop?

Hopefully you'll be able to carry at least a couple of weapons around with you.

Scienter

12-16-2009, 15:01

Also in his quarters are two computers, one which tracks character progress, the other to compare gear with squadmates and currently equiped weapons/armor.

I hope this works well. One of my biggest gripes with the game is not being able to compare my companions' weapons to my inventory. My buy/sell runs take way longer than they ought to because of this. I really liked the buy/sell system in Dragon Age, where you can compare each item to all of your companions' right in the buy/sell screen.

Shorter Elevator rides.

YAY!

Mailman653

12-19-2009, 04:17

Confirmed: ME3 last in series (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/1056600p1.html)

ME2 Hands on, spoilers ahead! (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/1056416p1.html)
To spare myself the spoilers I haven't even read that article, I saw just enough to copy and paste the HTML.

a completely inoffensive name

12-22-2009, 22:21

FULL LENGTH TRAILER!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TPfJ1qY4Z4

Mailman653

12-22-2009, 23:44

Awesome video, I assume the insects are the new bad guys in this game.

Krusader

01-05-2010, 16:13

Some new videos since this thread was last posted in.
Mass Effect 2 Videos Gallery (http://masseffect.bioware.com/media/videos/)

And just because I can, here's the videos of the classes shown so far.
(Just lack the Soldier & Vanguard ones)

Adept (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16go7iUIK9o)
Engineer (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lWOMhVKE0g)
Infiltrator (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-eAYD7O8fc)
Sentinel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FA5vkpkZ3c)

Engineer, Infiltrator & Sentinel all seem fun to me. But will most likely play a Vanguard if they they come with Assault Rifles for first playthrough.

Mailman653

01-05-2010, 16:33

Vanguard with rifles......that will be new. I had gotten used to the shotgun-pistol combo. It will be cool to use something that fires faster.

Subotan

01-06-2010, 23:22

Btw happy birthday Frogbeastegg

Mailman653

01-07-2010, 13:35

al Roumi

01-07-2010, 17:10

Vanguard (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/dor/objects/14235013/mass-effect-2/videos/masseffect2_trl_vanguard_10510.html?show=hi)
Awesome, SMG! in addition to the pistol and shotgun. I'm glad my character will finally be able to have a little fun with those MG's. I couldn't hit anything with the assault rifle in ME1 unless it was a foot away from me.

Hmm, are you familiar with the concept of the 3-round burst? :book:

Once you get a Specter assualt rifle you don't even have to worry about overheating, just spray and pray (even though you shouldn't really need to pray :beam:)

What frustrated me the most about the Vanguard build in ME was havuing to spend xp on Pistol before getting access to the Shotgun. It's meant to be a close-quarter's specialist, not taking pot shots from a distance like a namby-pamby sentinel, adept or engineer.

Edit: Addendum
On the broader skill/abilities and progression, I'm quite interested to note the chanegs between ME and ME2, but also that ammo types now count as an upgradeable skill -as well as available to only distinct classes. That the skills have optional routes too (e.g. target an individual or group) also adds to the flexibility and one would hope replayability.

Nice to see it won't just be the same as ME but with a different story.

ooh I've come over all fan-boy-ish.

rajpoot

01-07-2010, 17:22

al Roumi

01-07-2010, 18:20

Force charge :2thumbsup::2thumbsup:

It does look cool!

Mailman653

01-07-2010, 18:35

Vanguard it's going to be then, again.....I never felt the shotgun lacking though....infact I preferred it to the assault rifle......more damage, and all you need to do is move forward quickly, from cover to cover....
Edit:
Force charge :2thumbsup::2thumbsup:

Totally! I loved the shotgun, I used to put the scram rail on it and some other stuff, all I would get are one or two shots before it overheated, but it packed not a punch, but a kick! :devilish:

Scienter

01-07-2010, 18:44

frogbeastegg

01-07-2010, 18:50

Btw happy birthday Frogbeastegg
Thanks.

For those in the UK, amazon.co.uk are currently doing a pre-order of ME2 for £29.99! That's nearly £10 cheaper than the other online stores. You also get a code for some special armour.

Krusader

01-07-2010, 19:05

You could get Assault Rifles for Vanguard in ME1 if you completed the game first.

But the skills still gave bonuses to pistols & shotguns only. In ME1 I just preferred the assault rifle & sniper rifles, which is what kept me from playing some of the other classes.

In ME2 though I'm playing a Vanguard first, as Force Charge is definitely :2thumbsup::2thumbsup: plus I can use SMGs too.

I'm just waiting for Steam to add ME2 for pre-order. I want the game as fast as I can so I'm willing to spend some extra money for that and a (hopefully) Digital Deluxe Edition. Of all game companies, only Bioware can bring the fanboi out in me.

Krusader

01-07-2010, 22:28

ME2 on Steam now. No prices yet.

Mass Effect 2 Standard Edition (http://store.steampowered.com/app/901181/)

Digital Deluxe Edition (http://store.steampowered.com/app/901242/)

al Roumi

01-08-2010, 11:12

For those in the UK, amazon.co.uk are currently doing a pre-order of ME2 for £29.99! That's nearly £10 cheaper than the other online stores. You also get a code for some special armour.

I ordered mine on Tuesday :beam:

Couldn't find it cheaper elsewhere either.

Mailman653

01-12-2010, 17:35

Character video: Zero (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/dor/objects/14235013/mass-effect-2/videos/masseffect2_trl_subject_zero_11110.html)

Krusader

01-13-2010, 15:25

Just waiting for Mass Effect 2 to be made available for purchase on Steam now. Noticed that play.com actually has the Terminus armour and have to admit I'm sorely tempted to order it from there, but it would take 2-3 weeks before I get the game from the UK. Its 27 £ btw for Standard Edition PC and 35 € if you order from abroad.

Also finished Mass Effect for the third time, but it seems like the nvidia drivers of 2009 cause random crashes and I've had my fair share of them...annoying.

Monk

01-13-2010, 22:26

Just waiting for Mass Effect 2 to be made available for purchase on Steam now. Noticed that play.com actually has the Terminus armour and have to admit I'm sorely tempted to order it from there, but it would take 2-3 weeks before I get the game from the UK. Its 27 £ btw for Standard Edition PC and 35 € if you order from abroad.

I believe they are now on sale on Steam, as they just sky-rocketed passed Star Trek Online on the "Top Seller" list. Try checking again. :yes:

Krusader

01-13-2010, 22:40

I believe they are now on sale on Steam, as they just sky-rocketed passed Star Trek Online on the "Top Seller" list. Try checking again. :yes:

Thanks.
Purchased...60 € for Digital Deluxe Edition, although contents are okayish. Still any other game and I'd most likely not buy for that price. I'm hoping some PC features Dragon Age had will make it into ME2.

a completely inoffensive name

01-14-2010, 06:58

Man, I really cannot wait for this.

Subotan

01-15-2010, 20:16

I'll probably delay getting it until the Summer, so it's after exams, and so that I have time to finish it again.

Krusader

01-17-2010, 22:32

http://masseffect.bioware.com/media/videos/

Soldier video up along with 3 others.

Mailman653

01-17-2010, 22:35

Little over a week left, can't wait!

al Roumi

01-18-2010, 10:55

Krusader

01-18-2010, 16:01

Has anyone seen any mention of game achievements? I don't meen the pointless Steam ones, rather those as in ME that allowed you to add a skill (earned in a previous playthrough) of your choosing to a new character?

Given that the skills of the classes are already quite different from ME and that the "combined" classes (Vanguard, Infiltrator, Sentinel) are apparently more defined/unique than in ME, is there any further cross-over. E.g. can you give a Soldier Warp, an Adept Assualt rifle or a Vanguard Singularity if you unlock them as before?

From watching videos it seems Assault Rifles are Soldier-only and Singularity is Adept only. I remember getting assault rifles for my Vanguard in ME1, but did not use the skill as the talents gave more +damage to shotguns. I think Bioware might keep the classes more separate, but never know.

gaelic cowboy

01-18-2010, 20:29

I seen an add for it on telly last night on some obscure music channel it looks good. I have it preordered cos I wanted to ensure I got a collectors edition hope it was worth it

Mailman653

01-18-2010, 21:42

I just preordered mine for the 360 today, I can't wait! I'm looking forward to the music, I've read that the guy who composed the score for the first game returned to do the music for this game also.

frogbeastegg

01-19-2010, 19:45

It looks like a large proportion of the arena's membership will be playing ME2. I'm intending to open a separate gameplay thread once the game's out, as I did with Dragon Age. Thought I'd do a little survey to help settle the spoiler policy for that thread.

There's a few ways I can set it up:
-Zero tolerance then standard policy after 1 month has passed a la the dragon age thread. Anything which might be considered a spoiler should be tagged.

-Standard policy. Readers run the risk of encountering minor spoilers and seeing plain discussion of later areas, bosses etc.

-Split thread. This thread remains the no spoilers thread for general gameplay, a new one handles spoiler free-for-all discussion.

The first allows everyone to read in safety and relaxes once most of the audience here has had chance to complete the game. The second's mostly ok but can present problems with games which have a lot of surprises, twists, etc. The last isn't an option I favour much; a free-for-all is only of use for those who no longer care. Or I suppose we could have a zero tolerance thread and a free-for-all thread.

The game looks like it will contain quite a few surprises and twists. Please bear that in mind while answering.

Beskar

01-20-2010, 06:23

I hope it doesn't get Assassin's Creeded. That was annoying, some one randomly goes in and gave away the ending.

al Roumi

01-20-2010, 11:19

Option 1 for me Mademoiselle Froggy!

I think the way the Dragon age thread worked out was good. I did read some of the spoilers before completing the game myself, but I was glad to have control of what i did learn and what i didn't.

Scienter

01-20-2010, 15:31

I vote for the first option, I don't want to be spoiled!

gaelic cowboy

01-20-2010, 17:31

I dont mind it so much really I knew how the game ended but on the first one but I still enjoyed it massively even with the foreknowledge

al Roumi

01-20-2010, 18:03

I dont mind it so much really I knew how the game ended but on the first one but I still enjoyed it massively even with the foreknowledge

VOTE MUCH?

a completely inoffensive name

01-21-2010, 04:12

I'm going to visit the org or talk to others when the 26th comes. I think I am covered for spoilers.

al Roumi

01-21-2010, 12:31

Gamespy has the following news (http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/mass-effect-2/1061856p1.html)

Electronic Arts announced today that folks who pick up Mass Effect 2 brand-new will also net free DLC (via Shacknews). Each new copy of Mass Effect 2 will come with a code to unlock The Cerberus Network, which will act as a vessel for the game's DLC, and will also give players their first bit of extra content.

Those who access The Cerberus Network for the first time will get new missions, in-game items and a new "rugged and deadly gun-for-hire" party member named Zaees. According to BioWare, the company plans continued DLC after the game's launch, promising an "agile hover tank" in addition to more missions and items.

While i'm not entirely surprised by this, as it's exactly what they did with DAO, I can't help but be a bit disapointed. Why is it so damn hard to to get a complete game in a box now! okay, the whole DLC thing has been dealt with in many other threads and continues to rumble on...

Zaees is evidently the Shale of ME2, in so far as being an encouragement to buy 1st hand.

That agile hover tank sounds rather like a Mako equivalent to me, i thought that sort of ground mission had been removed from the game?

Husar

01-21-2010, 14:55

gaelic cowboy

01-21-2010, 15:18

But I liked the Mako missions, a lot!
They gave me a feeling of seamless transition, my character didn't travel between locations by loading screen but by using an actual vehicle(well, there were loading screens but I liked exploring the planets etc), why the heck would anyone remove that? :inquisitive:

Yeah but one planet was much the same as another there was very little reward for exploring a huge rural wasteland on 99% of the extra planets.

Maybe if they had had less planets but filled them with more to do and interact with then it might have been more fun.

My dream is a universe I can go back to after I finish the main quest which I suspect will be furnished through DLC between now and the last game.

Mailman653

01-21-2010, 19:06

More ME than you can shake a stick at (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect-2/1062440p1.html)

The news is good or bad, IMO. Good cause there's lots of posiblities as to what could be done with a new game. Bad cause is ME going to be the new Halo or COD? A new game every year....it's like they are becoming a sports game, new versions every year. I don't know.

frogbeastegg

01-21-2010, 19:25

I have been avoiding previews and videos of the game for months now because I want to come to the game with no expectations other than the hope it will be a worthy sequel to one of my favourite games. I just broke that to watch the launch trailer (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/launch-trailer-mass-effect/61042).

Well gosh. Amazon had better not deliver my pre-order late!

Mailman653

01-21-2010, 19:57

That trailer is awesome, I hope this weekend flys by quick.

al Roumi

01-21-2010, 23:59

That trailer is awesome, I hope this weekend flys by quick.

It's too much, I am compeled to say: "Do want". :help:

Mailman653

01-22-2010, 08:24

Cerberus Network pictures (http://bitmob.com/index.php/mobfeed/mass-effect-2s-cerberus-network-15-without-activation-code-.html)

BioWare: Expect 'Mass Effect 3' In Late 2011/Early 2012; Plenty Of DLC Between Games (http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2010/01/21/bioware-expect-mass-effect-3-in-late-2011early-2012-plenty-of-dlc-between-games/)

Alexander the Pretty Good

01-22-2010, 19:48

Mailman653

01-22-2010, 20:35

Well, thats one way to compete with all those retailers that have pre-order bonuses :laugh4:

Not even used would you find it at that price, hope your purchase goes well! Too bad the savings doesn't transfer to the 360 version. If it did I might just cancel my pre-order with Gamestop and buy it there!

Some people on the xbox forums already got a copy of the game but I'm avoiding any threads that might have spoilers of any kind. I'm comfortable with what I know from the trailers and what I've read, I don't wanna know more than that!

Husar

01-23-2010, 15:36

That trailer is just good because of the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLdhFVzqt4). :juggle2:

Husar

01-23-2010, 15:42

CD WOW (some UK retailer?) is selling ME2 for seemingly $36 (at least to Americans):

http://www.cdwow.us/search?q=mass+effect+2&t=games

I had some giftcard money left over from Christmas so I pulled the trigger on it, figure I can maybe register it to Steam and then get the free DLC for $14 less than actually buying it through steam. Seems a little shady, but what the heck, right?

26.99€ for the US version :inquisitive: :2thumbsup: !!!!
It's 49.99 on Steam, screw the preorder bonus, why pay twice as much for a silly suit? :laugh4:
Somehow the non-US version is 31.99€, if the yerman language inclusion is the only difference then I guess I would not need it.
And here I thought I could skip on it and then along comes this tempting offer... :wall:

Crazed Rabbit

01-23-2010, 23:52

CD WOW (some UK retailer?) is selling ME2 for seemingly $36 (at least to Americans):

http://www.cdwow.us/search?q=mass+effect+2&t=games

I had some giftcard money left over from Christmas so I pulled the trigger on it, figure I can maybe register it to Steam and then get the free DLC for $14 less than actually buying it through steam. Seems a little shady, but what the heck, right?

Looking at a couple review sites, CDWoW has got abysmal reviews. Im gonna shy away from it.

On the other hand, Walmart has it for $46, with a $10 online gift card on top of Bing cash back. EDIT: IF you go to walmart via searching for HDTVs, Bing cashback is 15%.

CR

Alexander the Pretty Good

01-24-2010, 05:46

A quick search shows mixed reviews, with some of the negativity from slow delivery. Which is fine, I probably shouldn't even open the box until after this semester is over. But I'll keep you guys posted on how this gamble works out. :D

rajpoot

01-24-2010, 09:29

IGN already has a review (http://pc.ign.com/articles/106/1063044p1.html) of the game. Spoiler free.

Rated 9.6, 'Incredible'.

Scienter

01-24-2010, 17:50

:furious3: I'm going to be out of town on release day!!

tibilicus

01-24-2010, 18:02

http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/xbox360/masseffect2

98 score on metacritic so far.

BRB, adding this game to shopping cart.

Krusader

01-24-2010, 18:07

IGN already has a review (http://pc.ign.com/articles/106/1063044p1.html) of the game. Spoiler free.

Rated 9.6, 'Incredible'.

I tend to ignore IGN, Gamespot, Gamespy and well, most major gaming magazines as it seems the most hyped and advertised games get good scores. Age of Conan & Empire: Total War springs to mind.
But still took a quick read-through and really hope this time the review holds true for the entire game.

Alexander the Pretty Good

01-24-2010, 18:21

Reall it would be surprising if anyone gave them less than a 9.5 unless there were some crippling technical issues. Even if it was a bad game (and there was little reason to think it would be after ME1) the amount of hype spent on this game would guarantee great reviews from the big sites.

al Roumi

01-24-2010, 21:44

That trailer is just good because of the music (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRLdhFVzqt4). :juggle2:

Seems like that track has been used for other trailers too :) One of the Youtube links was to a Lineage 2 trailer (never heard of it, looks like a manga RPG).

Krusader

01-25-2010, 03:12

No major plot spoilers, just some romance spoilers, but using tags as some people might want to see this for themselves ingame.

Mass Effect 2 Sex Scenes revealed. (http://kotaku.com/5455846/mass-effect-2s-sex-scenes-already-revealed-%5Bupdate%5D?autoplay=true)

Also, a female Normany crewmember Kelly Chambers is available for both genders.
Garrus for female Shepard along with Jacob Taylor and the assassin Drell.
Male Shepard (as shown in link above) is Miranda Lawson, Subject Zero and Tali.

Mailman653

01-25-2010, 04:58

Arghh.....just found out the Gamestop where I pre-ordered my game won't be open at midnight. Guess I'll get mine sometime during the day on Tuesday like every one else.

frogbeastegg

01-26-2010, 19:10

Gametrailers have posted their video review (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/review-mass-effect/61244). Nice chance to see the game in motion away from the promo movies.

Mailman653

01-26-2010, 21:08

I got my copy today, been hooked for hours.

Krusader

01-27-2010, 03:14

Pre-loading on Steam...:smash:

Meneldil

03-05-2010, 14:59

al Roumi

03-05-2010, 15:57

frogbeastegg

03-05-2010, 19:32

Hey guys, I'm currently playing ME1, and I don't want to pollute ME2 thread, so I'm asking here.

When it comes to the "Score 250 kills with a given weapon" or "Use a given ability 75 times", do I need to do it with Shepard only? Or do my companions' kill work too?
As alh_p said, it has to be Shepard. The count is global so if you have Shepard A kill a guy with a shotgun and then play a different game with Shepard B and kill another guy with a shotgun, that counts as 2 towards the achievement. The count also survives deaths and any sort of reload. If you really want you can use the power/weapon against a set of foes, reload and do it again, and keep on doing this until you reach the required number.