The Campaign Builder's Guild

This topic has been created to end the deluge of Mass Effect related comments in the Tavern.

So with out further adieu, let us begin talking about the Mass Effect series. Do you like or hate it? Which game did you enjoy more (1, 2 or that iPhone one)? Who was your favorite ally in each game? Did you go Renegade or Paragon? Which Normandy do you like more? Thoughts on plot of each game? Do you like the enemies? Are you Human-centric or alien-centric? Finally, be honest, who'd you sleep with?  

I enjoyed ME2 far better than the first one. In the first game, I only ever used Wrex and Liara as allies (I played an infiltrator myself), while in the second game my favorite teammates were Grunt, Legion, Thane, and Miranda (my favorite team was Grunt and Legion with myself, but I needed biotic powers sometimes). I went Paragon. Normandy 2 is sick. Honestly didn't find the end of #2 nearly as bad as people say it was. Slept with Miranda.

There were a lot of things about the first one that I liked more than the second one. Mainly the more traditional RPG aspects of it (not that it had many, anyways!).

That said, the second one was probably the better game objectively. The sidequests were more engaging, the character interaction was better. The mining was tedious. I like them both, though, and I don't think I could personally pick between them.

The second Normandy is obviously better, and I don't know if anyone would pick the first over it. I was pretty mixed on paragon/renegade, although by the end of the game my paragon bar was a bit higher. I ended up picking Jack, Miranda isn't really my type.

My game ended up being 37 hours, but I like to take it slow.

Also, PC version.

should I?

I took 35 hours to complete the second game and 32 to beat the first.

I went soldier because I enjoy being able to use all the guns (and I had a hell of a time getting through Eden Prime w/o being a soldier :( ). My standard party in ME1 was Me, Wrex and Ashley.

For ME2 I wound up with a very similar squad - Grunt and Thane. I guess you could say I preferred a combat heavy team, lol.

I love both games deeply but, as with TheMeanestGuest, ME2 is the better game (Objectively speaking). I really enjoyed the change from 'going down and wandering around' to 'scan first, land second.' I also enjoyed the new Heavy Weapons (especially the Flamer!). However, I really missed the loss of the traditional RPG elements, specifically weapons and armor customization for my allies. Given my combat bent with the game, it was a lot of fun to give Ashley and Wrex my hand-me-downs.

As for the Normandy, I liked the first one more. Granted the SV-2 Normandy was a much better looking ship BUT, the 4 load screens really turned me off. I much preferred the intimacy of the two decks.

Speaking of intimacy, I only slept with Thane (yes I played a girl Shepard).  

If I had to state my 3 favorite allies from each game they would be:

ME1: Wrex, Ashley & Garrus
ME2: Thane, Grunt, Legion

Quote from: Nomadic[spoiler][/spoiler]

should I?

YES!

I have mixed feelings about the 1st game (which is the only I've played and right now I'm not expecting to pick up the second). I can understand why people liked it in some ways, but I wasn't terribly fond of it. I have liked similar games, such as the KotOR games, but this was just very... bland. First off, the design of it all is damn ugly. Just take a look at the guns damnit, they all look alike with their silver and their small flashing lights; there was no real distinction between anything! (also, at some point I could just buy the best guns in the game in the Normandy) The levels were mostly equally tedious, with some generic corridors with nothing to do, except shoot at people. The biotics seemed largely useless (admittedly, I gave up on them early on) and I just couldn't take all that damn blue light (again, bad visual design if you ask me).
Then there were the driving sequences which I probably spent more time on than I should have. They weren't exactly well implemented.
And the Geth... Horribly generic. And you had to fight like the same three variants throughout the entire game... The reapers were kinda cool though :D
And now we are on the creatures, that's probably one of the things I liked the most about the game. It had some really cool aliens. The Elcor, the Hanar, the Krogan and the Quarians were especially cool.

I played a male soldier and I think my companions were mostly Liara and Wrex. But then later Ashley shot Wrex... Hmm, kinda cool but kinda annoying since I liked him. I also think I used Tali often just to round out my team somewhat.

Well, I hope I haven't offended anyone particularly invested in this series :)

Ashley = fail

I always offed her at the nuke scene when I was playing at my friend's house.

I'm still at the beginning of Mass Effect 1. Dragon Age didn't draw me in, and I had a hard time playing KotOR, so I was worried that Bioware was losing its affect on me. But, Mass Effect instantly drew me in. So much that I'm again thinking of working on my sci-fi setting, though I'll need to wait a while so it isn't too influenced by ME.

Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowI have mixed feelings about the 1st game (which is the only I've played and right now I'm not expecting to pick up the second). I can understand why people liked it in some ways, but I wasn't terribly fond of it. I have liked similar games, such as the KotOR games, but this was just very... bland. First off, the design of it all is damn ugly. Just take a look at the guns damnit, they all look alike with their silver and their small flashing lights; there was no real distinction between anything! (also, at some point I could just buy the best guns in the game in the Normandy) The levels were mostly equally tedious, with some generic corridors with nothing to do, except shoot at people. The biotics seemed largely useless (admittedly, I gave up on them early on) and I just couldn't take all that damn blue light (again, bad visual design if you ask me).

I feel the exact opposite on everything except the Biotics. They are a bit of a pain but once you level them up, they become a lot of fun.

Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowAnd the Geth... Horribly generic. And you had to fight like the same three variants throughout the entire game... The reapers were kinda cool though :D

Of course they're generic, we just went through an era of Battlestar Galatica and Terminator shows! Plus they spoke through Saren (in the first game), so we didn't get to hear their side of the story.

Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowAnd now we are on the creatures, that's probably one of the things I liked the most about the game. It had some really cool aliens. The Elcor, the Hanar, the Krogan and the Quarians were especially cool.

If you want to get technical the Hanar are generic non-humanoid lifeforms who view the world differently, the Krogan are your run of the mill mercenary Klingons, the Quarians (and their relationship to the Geth) are a rip off of Battlestar Galatica. In fact the Humans and the Citadel are a rip off of Babylon 5. Hell everything about Mass Effect can be called generic except for the Elcor and Asari! But then we have to remember - ideas are not original, it's just how you combine them that makes something unique.

Quote from: NomadicAshley = fail

You wish! If I played a guy, I'd be all up in that.

Quote from: XeviatI'm still at the beginning of Mass Effect 1. Dragon Age didn't draw me in, and I had a hard time playing KotOR, so I was worried that Bioware was losing its affect on me. But, Mass Effect instantly drew me in.

Dragon Age: Origins  had a lot of problems, not least was the graphics but good to hear Mass Effect grabbed ya! :)

>>played a male soldier and I think my companions were mostly Liara and Wrex. But then later Ashley shot Wrex... Hmm, kinda cool but kinda annoying since I liked him. I also think I used Tali often just to round out my team somewhat.

You know... Wrex did not have to die. There are at least 3 ways that situation can end. (There is an achievement for it.)

You just cannot play Virmire until last of all the missions (or second to last). (You need enough Intimidate or Persuade Points)

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Re Blue? I did not see that as a problem. I usually have difficulty seeing things in games and stop playing them as a result- I avoid dark games for that reason. I loved Mass Effect's bright colors. :)

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I also find the complaints that Mass Effect 1 was generic to be a bit annoying. Mass Effect 1 purposefully relied on certain motifs and trends that are present in sci-fi stories to repackage them into a cohesive and coherent package that everyone can enjoy. I greatly enjoyed all the cliches they were obviously making light of. ME1's designers knowingly reimagined a lot of traditional ideas- and when you knowingly reimagine something, and as I think we all realize here at the CBG it is impossible to do much of anything but, you make it your own and you make it good.

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Nomadic... Why not Kaiden, he was far more annoying. I could not manage to get through a conversation tree without insulting him at least once.

Quote from: Light DragonNomadic... Why not Kaiden, he was far more annoying.

THANK YOU!

Light Dragon is my Hero of the Day!  

Yeah, sorry, I didn't want you to interpret it as I hated the game for its lack of new ideas or creative twists. It was original enough as such, and as you pointed out most ideas are derivations of something in the end and I don't really mind that. I just didn't like its creative direction on most counts. But I guess that's up to personal taste.
And I felt it was anything but colorful! It was mostly grey/silver, blue, and black. I would have loved a colorful game. But in the end you didn't really get the feeling of exploring a giant colorful/differentiated universe when all of them had largely the same geth and the same corridors with one or two unique scenes to look forward to.
And yeah, I know Wrex could have survived, and I tried drawing the conversation in that direction, but then Ashley just suddenly grabbed her gun and shot him in the back. :/

Also, as mentioned, the gameplay wasn't really that impressive. There was no real distinction between different weapons of the same type, the abilities gained by the skill trees were largely passive or temporary buffs, the shooting sequences were somewhat awkward combinations of 1st person/RPG and the biotics were both very similar to each other and somewhat useless. The conversations worked well enough, but I didn't find them particularly revolutionary as promised. Fahrenheit might even have been more revolutionary on that count.

It wasn't really bad, it was just disappointing.

I am angry, I bought the game and installed it and it crashes on start up. So basically I wasted $20 on ME. Hopefully ME2 will run once I get it installed. Otherwise I can't play them at all until I get a new computer (the longer things go the more I am considering shelling out $1000-$1500 for a brand new desktop).

Quote from: Light DragonNomadic... Why not Kaiden, he was far more annoying. I could not manage to get through a conversation tree without insulting him at least once.

]. I could deal with her to a degree, right up until the point she killed Wrex. I don't care if there might have been a possible way to not kill Wrex. YOU DON'T KILL WREX. She's earned my undying hate.

Quote from: NomadicI am angry, I bought the game and installed it and it crashes on start up. So basically I wasted $20 on ME. Hopefully ME2 will run once I get it installed. Otherwise I can't play them at all until I get a new computer (the longer things go the more I am considering shelling out $1000-$1500 for a brand new desktop).

Quote from: Light DragonNomadic... Why not Kaiden, he was far more annoying. I could not manage to get through a conversation tree without insulting him at least once.

]. I could deal with her to a degree, right up until the point she killed Wrex. I don't care if there might have been a possible way to not kill Wrex. YOU DON'T KILL WREX. She's earned my undying hate.

I see your problem here. You're working under the false assumption that Wrex is better than Ashley.