Mass Effect 2 Post-Release - Page 5

From what I've read, you can get it if you play the Tali mission on Hardcore. I'm not sure it'll load if I switch up from my pussy normal mode to hardcore just for that mission.

I almost can't imagine fighting that Geth Colossus on Hardcore mode, but on the other hand I killed it in like 30 seconds with a shitload of rockets (just like I bitched down that Thresher Maw).

You can get the Geth Sniper rifle on normal. It's the same gun you get on the Collectors Ship when you choose an upgrade (if I recall correctly). I prefer my backup people to have the sniper rifle that has a 20 rounds in a clip instead of a one shotter.

Ah, that's why I was I couldn't remember it. I ended up picking up the assault rifle option, from what I remember.

I love Mordin's incinerate the most out of the others' powers. I can't tell you how many times I've had that Salarian use that power in close quarters (and the neural one too, for that matter) and watch while six husks or Eclipse just get dusted in the blaze. Really, really useful.

What I love most about Mordin's Incinerate is the voice clip that plays sometimes when he uses it.

"Target is flammable... or inflammable... can't remember which... doesn't matter"

If you research the Cain, it will take the Colossus down to a very small amount of health in the one-ish shot you're going to get with it. Hell, on Normal it might even kill it outright. Since you only have to do that one planet on Hardcore in order to get the pulse rifle, it shouldn't be too hard. Actually, much more difficult are the occasional Geth Primes which populate the level.

Yeah, so you can get the Geth pulse rifle by finishing (at most) the Tali mission on hardcore. And fucking hell, that Colossus was hard. Even with a nuke blast, it still kept around half of its armor. Add to that a near constant stream of Geth Destroyers and the fact that the thing keeps repairing itself, and it was the most difficult moment in the game by far.

I went up to the right side path that the commando(the Adam Baldwin one, I forget his name) suggested for sniping and the Colossus seemed to have a tough time getting a shot at me. I haven't done it on hardcore yet but it should still work as a good spot. I was playing as an infiltrator with maxed out disruptor ammo with the team upgrade so that probably helped too.

Hah, I just ran into Rana Thanoptis on Korlus while going to pick up grunt for my team (2nd play through), turns out she can outrun a Nuke (if you let her go in ME1 when on Virmire)


and has anyone else had that 'oh shit!' moment when popping the head of a YMIR heavy mech? the beeping sound and the mini nuke detonation. Run for cover!

I have a strange urge to kill Shepard off by sleeping with Morinth.

Just finished it tonight. Managed to get through with everybody intact, which was a surprise. I was sure I was gonna fuck that up somehow.

Best moments in the game for me have by far been in the Citadel. Shepard getting drunk at the Dark Star and passing out is just the best. His escalating drunk voice is awesome "Yeah...put the stuff...in the thing!"

My favorite little incidental thing, though, has to be walking on the Citadel with Tali and Garrus. Don't remember the exact wording but at one point a dialogue starts while walking:

Garrus - "Do you ever miss those elevator rides?"
Tali - "No."
Garrus - "Where we'd talk and ask you questions. Like about your immune system."
Tali - "I have a shotgun."

That part on the stairs of the Citadel with Garrus and Tali is great:

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

God, playing as more of a Renegade makes those shop discounts even funnier.

"HEY EVERYONE, THIS SHOP HATES POOR PEOPLE!" "Please sir, quiet down!"

Yeah, second playthrough I gotta go full-on renegade. The few renegade quick events I've done were very satisfying, and like someone said above, they even seemed completely appropriate for a fed-up paragon as well.

I can't wait to shoot my biggest fan in the foot.

I'm trying to decide how I feel about the fact that everyone in my game got out alive. On the one hand, I feel like it lessened the stakes (wholly in retrospect, though, I was on the edge of my seat the whole suicide mission) by not forcing you to lose people a la the first game, but the options for the next are now insane.

I went back to my save game right before the last mission to see some possibilities and it's pretty crazy. Watched a few squad members go down (though I had all my ship upgrades - next game I'm gonna hold off on buying them til the very end so I can save and watch more characters bite it). Assuming that, if you manage to not do anything right, EVERYONE can die, it's pretty insane to think how they'll tie Mass Effect 3 into this one. Sure they could brush it off and keep a lot of these characters out of it, but I'd love to see them really go for it and keep them as major players. As people were saying, this is as close as we've ever gotten to an interactive movie, and I think could be a major part of that.

so yeah, at first I was a bit somewhat disappointed that the game didn't put me to the ringer and make me off some people with hard choices, I'm ecstatic to think that if Bioware gives it their all, Mass Effect 3 could be a very different experience for a lot of people.

God, all of this. I was thinking about it last night and I'm going to be a complete fuck-up with my next Renegade character. Probably gonna play through this thing a few times.

I'm probably going to go the same replay pattern I did with ME1. First time, Paragon-Smart. Generally do the right thing, take all the Charm options available, if there's a choice in interrupts go paragon, etc. But if the renegade option just makes sense for the situation, not shy about taking it -- and do all renegade interrupts that show up. So far running full paragon, a third up renegade. Doing my damnedest to get the best final outcome possible (I'm still dicking around the galaxy before the IFF mission). Next game, go Renegade-Smart.

Then have fun with Paragon-Stupid -- so goody-two-shoes it makes the teeth itch, no bottom-half replies allowed or renegade interrupts -- and Renegade-Stupid -- full-bore creepy asshole, not a single redeeming moment (or, possibly, any friends). No matter if either way means lots of dead teammates or even a failed final mission. I wanna see how BioWare handles Shepard's failures...

I'm still in my first playthrough. I just got Legion and started his loyalty mission before I realized I needed sleep. The game just draws you in every time.

He was ruthless in the first game, he's even more ruthless in the second game. Seriously, the guy's full on red-eyed now.

I wonder if the whole 'save the capitol city or the spaceport' has ramifications in ME3 though'. I ended up saving the city.

Watching Legion do the robot is pretty funny. But not Mordin singing funny.

That's where I am exactly, and it's been funny how many extra side missions I've opened up simply because I didn't buy all the system maps on Illium until very late in my game. I wanna have every damn planet mapped and side mission completed that I can before I head to that IFF mission.

Shepard did not get laid before going through the relay. All he did was go into his room, stare longingly at the photo of Liara, and crack his knuckles. This is bullshit, Bioware. I thought that I was going to spacefuck Miranda until she passed out.

Thanks for giving me the first case of videogame-induced blue balls.

Assuming you live, the game continues after you finish the last mission. You don't need to do everything before getting the IFF.

Well, you can see her passed out or asleep on your bed after you beat the game. So, presumably, you can spacefuck her until she passes out. Of course, this is all while your space hamster watches.

I just started the suicide mission before leaving for work and I'm now counting the hours. Boned Miranda on the way to the Omega 4 relay. Made it to the base without something bad happening, I think. The Normandy's engines are out but I hope Joker and EDI will have them fixed by the time I'm done. Sent Legion solo, Garrus leading the second team and took Miranda and Grunt with me. But I fear I may have jumped the gun since I'm only level 24. I just hope I won't get slaughtered.

I don't know about you smarmy paragon folks, but renegade interrupts are just fucking awesome.

You've got two ways down, express or coach.
-I've got nothing to sa--
*punch him out of a skyscraper*

No ticket.

Man, I'm Paragon and I couldn't resist doing that.

Man, Paragon is for pussies. Renegade is where real Shepard lives. I punched, choked and shot my way through the galaxy in search of my Dirty Dozen, rounded up to buttfuck the Reapers into non-existence.

Shepard doesn't play nice. Shepard gets shit done.

Well, there are a few ways you could have potentially sabotaged your chance to score with Miranda, honestly.

1. Didn't talk to her enough.

2. Sided with Jack in their confrontation and didn't patch things up with Miranda afterwards.

3. Slept with Jack at the first opportunity.

4. Accidentally clicked/chose the wrong dialogue option if you got confronted with the "You have to choose one of us" conversation.

But hey, from what I understand if you don't sleep with any of the "full fledged" love interests during the game but are flirty with Kelly throughout, you get a Kelly-related easter egg in the post-game. If Kelly survives, that is.

Paragon is a lot more forceful/"meaner" in this game than the first one. Plus I have a sneaking suspicion that playing the Paragon route is ultimately going to make the final game more fun (for me anyway). But I'm a big fan of "The cavalry shows up in the form of a bunch of the people you've helped/saved over the course of two games" kinda stuff.

By the same token, in most cases the Renegade choices in this game truly are pragmatic and cunning, as opposed to just plain dickish and occasionally psychopathic like the first game often was. There are, however, still a few moments where Renegade-Shepard dips too far into "I'm an asshole just for the sake of being an asshole" territory.

Still, I can't help but feel that Bioware almost intends the game to be played as a Renegade. It seems like there are a lot more Renegade interrupts, and that they almost always are directly beneficial to you as opposed to only providing the indirect benefit of some paragon points (in the case of most Paragon interrupts).

I'd like to add my determination to use Mordin's "a bit of a cloaca" as an insult against someone. And I was by far more Paragon than Renegade but I just couldn't resist playing as the bad cop in Thane's loyalty quest.

Re: Paragon/Renegade

From what I've found, and I may be wrong, but a lot of the Renegade choices tend to make combat easier, but getting Paragon points tends to get you more dialogue choices faster, letting you avoid some fights altogether. I don't think either one is how the game is "meant" to be played, though, since they both work. I actually think going full on in either direction makes your Shepard seem kinda psychotic.

Most of my conversation options go the Paragon route, but Renegade interrupts I've used in abundance.

In truth, I -do- like that Bioware has often set it up so that the Renegade Interrupts don't preclude you gaining Paragon points (at least I don't think so). I've used a lot of them simply because they strike me as clever and cunning tactics that should be usable regardless of your moral standing. Batman fights dirty all the time, but by most measures he'd likely be considered more Paragon than Renegade, especially with his extreme devotion to preserving lives.

Basically you can have a little Renegade in your Paragon (or vice-versa) without losing your chance to "max out" your preferred meter or subverting your "big" decisions. My Shepard generally goes the Paragon route but doesn't hesitate to take out a few bad guys with a dirty move here and there. Or to do a few favors for an old flame if he has the time.

On a completely unrelated note: I find it hilarious how many women/characters have hit on MaleShep this go-round, particularly on Ilium, where you might run into Shiala (From the Feros/Thorian quest in ME1) and Gianna Parasini (from Noveria). Heck, I'm almost to the point of wondering if those two might show up as playable party members in ME3 (or at least Gianna, who from what I can tell isn't "killable" in either game).

Yeah, I was going full Paragon at the beginning and Shepard started sounding like some kind of passive aggressive Jehova's witness. So I started throwing dudes out of windows.

There's a few instances where Shepard makes some Renegade-ish comments unbidden by conversation prompts (The main example I can think of is with the wounded Merc on Korlus when doing the Grunt recruitment quest).

They definitely did a better job of making some of the Renegade or even Neutral responses seem like the more sensible ones. Though much like the first game (and with Dragon Age) there are always some instances where I really wish a "fourth option" was available. Like when they don't give you much chance to defend yourself against your former teammate's accusations on Horizon. Or pointing out to the Council that Spectres are supposed to be able to get the job done by whatever means necessary, yet they're chewing you out for using Cerberus as a means to an end?

(Boy oh boy, if the Council wants to have any chance of surviving ME3, they'd better be REALLY freaking apologetic when the Reapers show up in force. I don't appreciate getting posthumously slandered and branded as delusional).

I find myself hoping that the Renegade options in ME3 include leading a fleet of Geth and Rachni to blow the Council to hell for being a bunch of worthless pricks (though I'll pull Anderson out first...he's OK). Then again, from a gameplay perspective the Council kinda has to be useless in the first two games, since having basically unlimited resources at your disposal would make the game a little too easy. In ME3, though, they should be able to support you fully simply because the threat you're presumably facing is big enough that even the Citadel's resources are small potatoes compared to what you'll need to get the job done.

I was able to get loyalty with everybody but Zaeed. Is there anyway to gain his loyalty without barbequing the factory workers?

Also, Tali's sex scene is a total cock tease.

Yes, you can get his loyalty and save the miners. You have to have a high enough Paragon or Renegade rating to get through the final dialogue sequence in his mission properly after Vido escapes.

Oh, well, that explains it. I kept my shepard pretty much neutral. I mostly tried for the paragon route, but a lot of the renegade choices were too tempting to pass up.

Oh, and has anyone Romanced Samara yet? I had her going for a while, but as soon as I chose Tali, Samara clammed up and wouldn't talk to me at all anymore, she just wanted to play with her glowing blue ball.

I'm not sure how high your Paragon meter needs to be, as I did that one almost at the end of the game and my meter was completely maxed out.

Not that high. I did Zaeed's mission very early and still got the Paragon choice at the end.

Oh, little miscommunication.

I got the Paragon choice, took it, saved the miners. But Zaeed's target got away, and I didn't get his loyalty. If I chose to let the miners die, and focus on killing the target, would I have gotten Zaeed's loyalty?

Conversely, is it possible to both save the miners, and get to the target in time, so that Zaeed can kill him, thus gaining his loyalty, or is it always an either/ or thing?

ETA: Nevermind, Brad answered that earlier. I just didn't get all the options.

Silly question, but I wonder if someone can tell me, without going in to spoilers, how much of your game is effected by importing your Shep over from ME1? I ask because I'm picking up ME2 today (I know, I know), but I won't be able to import for, well, a while...

I was under the impression that Samara was not a full-fledged romance option anyway, unless you let Morinth possess her, in which case you get the best sex-scene EVER!

Indeed. I suspect the only way you'll ever see Tali's face is if you keep her alive in ME2, and then remain faithful to her in ME3. Then you might get to see it as an endgame/near endgame bit. But who knows? I did appreciate that Bioware stuck their tongues firmly in cheek with that scene.

I haven't beat the game yet but at this point I'd say that overall it only affects the game a moderate amount. Most of the ME1 nods you receive are in the form of news broadcasts that relay information relating to prior quests and "e-mails" you get on your personal terminal.

The other ME1 nods are generally relegated to cameo appearancs by ME1 characters, who in many cases might reference events from ME1, but usually only in passing.

The final bit is that it changes some of the dialogue in places.

However, the real meat of the "decision carryover" isn't so much in the details, it's in the "universe building." Your decisions may not always play into your current mission but they're undoubtedly shaping the galaxy for the future, which I suspect may have big payoffs in ME3.

You know, it's a subtle thing, but I really appreciated how much diversity was built into the Asari faces in ME2. I don't remember that in ME1, maybe it was there, but in this one, it really added to them seeming like individuals rather than just another Asari, slightly a different shade of blue or purple. I didn't notice it so much in the Krogan, they pretty much all looked alike, except Grunt.

Turians have some variety in their facial bone armor things.

The facial animations for Aria are particularly stunning. There's a lot of subtle, believable expression that they get out of that character.

I went the Paragon route, saved the miners, the target got away, but I still gained Zaeed's loyalty.

Yeah, you basically have to yell at him at the end of the mission to show him how stupid he's being. I like that Zaeed doesn't turn out to be some bounty hunter with a heart of gold, though. No matter what you do in that mission, he doesn't give a shit about the miners. No matter how it plays out, all he cares about is Vido getting away.

"Dance Crazy?"

Choosing that dialogue option is like having a sudden bad acid trip. Only great.

And holy shit that Collector ship. I know it's akin to a video game matte painting, but it is freaking ENORMOUS inside.

This game is everything good in the world.

I may not have talked to her enough, but there was a moment where Shepard was basically like "I WANT TO PUT IT IN YOU" and she was like "Oh I want it too but I need to think about it.", so I thought it was done. Didn't side with either of them during the confrontation, told them both to shape up and knock it off, etc.

Yeah, I'm not quite done yet but I'm going to the Paragon route (except the very rare renegade interrupt). It's kind of interesting how the paragon stuff ends up panning out.

In the Samara recruiting mission if you let that Merc go you later find out she's the one who actually killed the guy. Or with the Rachni there's that creepy Asari person who is posessed by them. And if I didn't know by position on the dialog choice interface which one was the paragon choice I'd probably have a harder time being as paragon as I am.

I kind of hated that when the Illusive Man screws you over and sends you to the Collector ship you have to pretend that he was justified in withholding that information.

And a final note, I've been playing on Veteran and just finished the Collector ship and died way too many times on that stage. It may have been because I brought Samara along for the first time and she just never seemed to get tired of getting shot in the face and dying but I was so happy when the level ended (especially since it took me longer than expected and delayed me getting to watch the new episode of Lost).

ETA: As for romance options I'm slowly wearing Jack down with my earnestly caring about her feelings. Eventually I'm going to convince her to love me, where my letterman jacket (or crazy space hobo vest), and take her to prom. Afterwards we'll make sweet, sweet love in front of my my collection of model ships and space hamster.