Mass Effect 3

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Is this true??

[Psychosplodge]

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mbhck4wImJ1qa8q3yo1_r1_500.jpg (http://thedrunkenmoogle.com/post/33368516550/serrice-ice-brandy-mass-effect-cocktail)

Serrice Ice Brandy (Mass Effect cocktail)

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

THAT LOOKS AWESOME!
Do want.

[Psychosplodge]

clicking the pic tells you how...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

"The Drunken Moogle" Love it already. :p

I've drunk many things that colour.

[Psychosplodge]

It is kinda awesome, but it makes you want to drink all the things!

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I do want to drink ALL THE THINGS.

[eldargal]

Omega DLC is coming on November 27 (http://www.computerandvideogames.com/379343/mass-effect-3-omega-dlc-not-coming-to-wii-u/?site=uk). But not to Wii U. I guess it sucks to be Wii U...

I'll get my coat.

[Psychosplodge]

Having found out you'll still need an ea account as well as the nintendo account to play on the wii u, I'll not be getting it for that either...

[Gotthammer]

I guess it sucks to be Wii U...

Isn't that a given? :p


Looking forward to Omega, especailly after seeing the screen cap of Aria chocking a *****. Might even get Leviathan but is sounds kinda terrible and stupid.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Well, it's certainly strange...

[Kyban]

At least leviathan explained how the reapers came about better, it made me slightly more satisfied with the ending but still not really happy with it.

[Psychosplodge]

Isn't that a given? :p

Can you not remember "Nintendo hard"

[Gotthammer]

I only recently got rid of my NES (with the TMNT game - damn you dam level!), so I remember well enough.

I was thinking that the whole awesome revolutionary wireless touch screen controller will be generally ignored for its amazing potential (GMing tool for a real D&D computer game, anyone?) and used to make derivative shovelware or as a radar screen.

If I was Shep, I'd be fixing those leviathan dudes with a face full of Thanix. Dudes thought Reapers and Indoctrination were a good idea - catalyst didn't think of those ones on its own just used them skynet style to 'fix' the problem.

[Psychosplodge]

I only recently got rid of my NES (with the TMNT game - damn you dam level!), so I remember well enough.

I was thinking that the whole awesome revolutionary wireless touch screen controller will be generally ignored for its amazing potential (GMing tool for a real D&D computer game, anyone?) and used to make derivative shovelware or as a radar screen.


Yeah shovelware killed the console to traditional gaming as a rule...
But and I suppose it's now going to suffer from being overspec compared to the other...

[Kyban]

If I was Shep, I'd be fixing those leviathan dudes with a face full of Thanix. Dudes thought Reapers and Indoctrination were a good idea - catalyst didn't think of those ones on its own just used them skynet style to 'fix' the problem.

I instantly thought "iRobot" when the catalyst explained what happened.

[Learn2Eel]

I'm going to get the Omega DLC and the PSN download for Mass Effect on PS3, but seriously, I haven't touched the Mass Effect games in months. The reason is not because I got bored of them - I really want to keep coming back to them. It's just that finally having Mass Effect on PS3 basically completes the franchise for me. I actually started with 1 and 2 on PC, but when I saw it was coming to PS3 I just couldn't resist and that is where I got both 2 and 3. Frankly, I prefer consoles and playing on a big T.V without having to do all kinds of wiring nonsense. Just my preference. I really cannot wait, it is going to be so good. Adding the original will mean I have to go and completely re-do all my saves - and it will give me a big incentive to try and platinum each of them. They really are games that I can just keep playing over-and-over, and having all three makes a big difference.

I still remember my experience with the original Mass Effect. I remember reading reviews about it, how everyone said it was brilliant and almost like a successor to Star Wars, but different enough to merely be inspired. I was (and still am) a huge RPG fan, so I was really itching to play it, but the XBOX 360 only weight disillusioned me. And then it came out on PC a year later. I held off buying it though - my brother told me it wouldn't run on our computer, so I had to settle for other games again. Then, however, was a ray of light - my brother had updated our computer. Now, it had been months since it had come out, and I hadn't really thought of it. But I walked into our local EB Games one day and there it was for just $30 - I actually recall now that I was trying to convince my dad to let me get a $50 game, Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. I really pushed, but he resolutely said "$30!". Eventually, I relented and got Mass Effect. To this day, I've never bought a better value game. I recall my nights when my parents were at parties, shows and holidays over the next few weeks - particularly on Fridays, when I would be alone to play through the amazing world. I still shiver sometimes when I think of one such night when I was playing through Noveria.

Mass Effect is my favourite game series, bar none. Even though I've already played it on PC, having the first one on PS3 will feel like a new game - especially as it'll be the first time I play through the series as a whole. Also, I'm really looking forward to doing renegade characters - aside from my first Mass Effect PC character, I've almost exclusively stuck to Paragon characters. It will be really interesting to see how the game functions - Morinth over Samara, kill the Council, etc. I can't wait.

Mass Effect fanboy, signing out.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

I enjoyed Leviathan. I liked the detective stuff. Really, though, all this stuff needed to be in the game on release - all the stuff about the Reapers' origins, motives and mechanisms needed not to be in a DLC a few months down the line. It's near essential for any kind of understanding of what's going on.

Especially as it confirms that, yes, the cycles of extermination and rebirth ARE an insane idea, instituted by insane beings, in an insane way - which bit them in the arse immediately, but they don't care, because they're insane.

It's no Lair of the Shadow Broker, though. That's still the best DLC for just about anything.

As to the ME3 ending... needed a total rewrite. It's very messy. I don't quite understand the Internet Hatefest, though. It's not like Bioware killed your dog, they just flubbed their big denouement.

[Godless Zealot]

Looking forward to finally finishing this series. I have played the original two twice through but lost all my character data when my xbox got stolen (Don't ask). So never got around to getting the third game when it was originally released. Yet after acquiring a new console and the new trilogy edition I can start anew and finish The Reapers for good! I've even managed to avoid most of the spoilers for the divisive ending so far. Which leads me to ask a question, for someone who has seen neither would anyone recommended me installing the 'Extended Cut' ending from scratch or experience the original ending first?

[Nabterayl]

for someone who has seen neither would anyone recommended me installing the 'Extended Cut' ending from scratch or experience the original ending first?
I recommend just getting the EC from the start. I'll refrain from adding reasons as you have apparently done a heroic job avoiding spoilers so far, but I think the EC is a no-brainer.

[Godless Zealot]

I recommend just getting the EC from the start. I'll refrain from adding reasons as you have apparently done a heroic job avoiding spoilers so far, but I think the EC is a no-brainer.

I thought as much. Thanks.

[Learn2Eel]

The real reason for the major backlash against Bioware was that pretty much the rest of ME3 was near-perfect, that and the story from the rest of the series was really leading up to what became a disappointing ending. It was so hotly anticipated and it basically made players feel like all the decisions they made and the bonds they formed with the amazing characters were rendered worthless.
Not that I really minded. On its own, it isn't a terrible ending. It's just that it kind of betrays the best parts about the series, but again, I wasn't really fussed. The rest of ME3 was well worth the wait.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Yeah, I'd agree with that. ME3 is by far the best game in the series.

[Gotthammer]

http://youtu.be/dEJ48aU--sg

Yesssssss... so awesome!

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

It does look awesome.

[eldargal]

http://images.eurogamer.net/2012/articles/1/5/2/6/0/9/1/135229927728.jpg/EG11/resize/600x-1
http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2012/11/omega_1.jpg
http://media.pcgamer.com/files/2012/11/omega_3.jpg
Female Turian at last.

It does look awesome.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Fem-rian. :p

[Learn2Eel]

The good thing about adding in a female turian is that it will set a precedent for future Mass Effect titles - they can and should be seen commonly now.
Hopefully the same is true of female Krogan after the inclusion of Bakara.
In fact, in general (aside from the Asari obviously) they really need to start putting the females of the xenos species in. Kind of jarring when you walk around the Citadel and the only female aliens are the occasional Salarian or Asari.

Awesome trailer by the way.
Anyone notice the very brief moment where it looks like Aria and Shepard are about to kiss? Hmm looks like a possible romance option being added in. It is at 1:31 and it is literally half a second, you will need several attempts to get a pause during it. If they aren't about to kiss, they are at least about to embrace.

Also, new enemy type at 0:47! I know they've mentioned new enemy types before, and I know they've shown off one of them (the melee drone), but this thing looks a lot like a Reaper. In fact, it looks really darn freaky.

I really can't wait for this, but I will have to wait until Mass Effect 1 comes out on PS3. That way, I can play the full trilogy through with all the major story DLC (Bring Down the Sky, Zaeed, Kasumi, Overlord, Lair of the Shadow Broker, Arrival, Javik, Leviathan and now Omega, etc). Will definitely be epic and will soak up hundreds of hours of my time, meaning I really won't have to worry about new games for a long time!

[eldargal]

Downloaded, installed and played for about half an hour, nifty enough so far. Just met the female Turian Nyreen who seems promising.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I need Leviathan and Omega...

[Learn2Eel]

Argh, have to wait until early December. Well, at least it is only about a week or two that I will have to wait. Seriously though, getting the first Mass Effect on PS3 plus Omega will feel like a Christmas present - I'll be playing all three games through with both paragons and renegades, males and females! Will be epic!

[Cap'nSmurfs]

Omega is good. Real good. The new mechs are hell of annoying, though!

Actually, a problem I'm having with Omega is that the whole war/battle setup, cutscenes and so on are about two hundred times more compelling than the actual final battle on Earth is. Oh well.

[eldargal]

I finished Omega last night and I really enjoyed it. Probably my favourite ME DLC after Lair of the Shadow Broker. Very sad at times, enjoyable gameplay, good level design and some lovely new scenery in Omega that really make it feel less tiny than it felt in ME2. It isn't perfect though, I felt perhaps it was a little short and the interactions between Aria, Shepard and Nyreen could have been a little deeper.

Predictably lots of people are whining about the story on Bioware Social as is fashionable with everything Bioware do nowadays. It boils down to 'I'm th player and I ought to be able to stop bad things happening if I want to'.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

The general populace will never be happy with any decision you make. Might as well buckle up and accept it. *shrug*

[Gotthammer]

I really liked it, wanted to replay last night but a 14 hour work day put paid to that.
Prettymuch agree with EG's assessment of it (and that nothing can top LotSB).

[Learn2Eel]

Given that the Bioware studio that made the Omega DLC is the one working on the next Mass Effect game, I really wouldn't be surprised if female turians pop up in abundance, as well as female salarians, krogan and the like. This is great. It means we can experience the galaxy as it should be; through the eyes of all parties, not just male-centric views (an issue many video games have, though in character-driven games it kind of shines through more).

Also, for those who actually care about the romance options, methinks a female turian will be included in the next Mass Effect as a romance option after the "praise" Nyreen is getting.
Not that I really care about that stuff mind you.

[Learn2Eel]

Predictably lots of people are whining about the story on Bioware Social as is fashionable with everything Bioware do nowadays. It boils down to 'I'm th player and I ought to be able to stop bad things happening if I want to'.

For a reason I cannot fathom, hating on Bioware seems to be the new "thing". I just glanced at a laughable review for the Omega DLC that basically said this; "this is just more pointless story, we all know Bioware have lots of experience with that" and "after the horrible ending reached Phantom Menace scale hate from the wide populace, what few Bioware fans are left may like the DLC". Really. I am not kidding. Not word for word quotes but almost exactly the same. Yeah, because a mediocre ending to one game all of a sudden makes Bioware a terrible developer. FFS I am so sick of the idiots that plague society.

Bioware admitted to their mistakes and tried to fix them, to me that takes more guts than a lot of other artists.

Anyway, glad to hear it is good! Really can't wait to get it :D

[Psychosplodge]

It's simply as the quality of their output has decreased since EA bought them. Plus everybody already hates EA so it's being caught in the glow...

[Godless Zealot]

Regardless of what reservations people may have about EA the way some of the 'fans' reacted to the ending of ME3 was frankly appalling. I'm sure its just a loud vocal minority but still it's now rumoured that the founders Dr Ray Muzyka and Dr Greg Zeschuk may well have resigned in part due to negative fan criticism. How must it feel for the development team to put countless hours of work into a great experience only for people to react with an outpouring of hate. I feel we as gamers don't have the best reputation and acts like this certainly don't make it any better. I can understand if people were disappointed with the ending, a close friend of mine admits it could of been handled better, yet the torrent of abuse that was but Biowares way was unacceptable. In spite of that they even added to and amended the current endings for free but even that is not enough for some. Mass Effect was the first Bioware game I played. I missed out on Baldurs Gate and Knights of the Republic but the Mass Effect series has been one of the best, if not the best, game series I have ever played. The Dragon Age series also is very good and if I played MMOs I'm sure I would enjoy SWTOR too. I don't see how a few minor mistakes could tarnish Biowares reputation to the extent it has though as I mentioned earlier I'm sure (and hope) it's just a vocal minority.

[Kyban]

I think the biggest problem is that three games worth of decisions had almost no impact on the ending, followed by the fact that there seemed to be some holes in how things happen at the end like your team suddenly ends up back on the ship or a couple of other problems with the timeline, etc. I didn't like how the story turned out either but think that leviathan completely fixed that and am glad Bioware fixed it. I don't hate Bioware for it but it was a bit of a let down of an ending for three great games.

[Godless Zealot]

I can certainly understand people feeling let down and disappointed with a poor ending. It just seems some take it to the extreme and then use that as an excuse to bemoan every future project but this is the internet after all and I guess I should know better. :rolleyes:. Well I will finally be finishing the series with the Leviathan, Omega and extended cut dlc from the outset so I'm hoping it will still be a great experience warts and all.

[Learn2Eel]

It's simply as the quality of their output has decreased since EA bought them. Plus everybody already hates EA so it's being caught in the glow...

I tend to disagree. Yes, KotOR 1, Jade Empire, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights and co were amazing but I think people would be hard-pressed to argue that Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age: Origins were worse than what came before. Mass Effect 2 alone won more perfect score awards than any other game in history when it was released (that may have changed). The only really disappointing game they have released IMO is Dragon Age 2, but even then, DA2 was still a good game, just not fantastic like other Bioware games. And really, if you ignore the ending, Mass Effect 3 is better in most ways than the first two Mass Effect games. I agree on the latter part though, EA disgusts me.


Regardless of what reservations people may have about EA the way some of the 'fans' reacted to the ending of ME3 was frankly appalling. I'm sure its just a loud vocal minority but still it's now rumoured that the founders Dr Ray Muzyka and Dr Greg Zeschuk may well have resigned in part due to negative fan criticism. How must it feel for the development team to put countless hours of work into a great experience only for people to react with an outpouring of hate. I feel we as gamers don't have the best reputation and acts like this certainly don't make it any better. I can understand if people were disappointed with the ending, a close friend of mine admits it could of been handled better, yet the torrent of abuse that was but Biowares way was unacceptable. In spite of that they even added to and amended the current endings for free but even that is not enough for some. Mass Effect was the first Bioware game I played. I missed out on Baldurs Gate and Knights of the Republic but the Mass Effect series has been one of the best, if not the best, game series I have ever played. The Dragon Age series also is very good and if I played MMOs I'm sure I would enjoy SWTOR too. I don't see how a few minor mistakes could tarnish Biowares reputation to the extent it has though as I mentioned earlier I'm sure (and hope) it's just a vocal minority.

People are just over-reacting. The ending sucked and it was a massive disappointment as it basically ignored all of the choices and relationships formed through the series, but the rest of the game is absolutely phenomenal. The fact that they changed the ending and actually made it acceptable was a great sign that they were willing to admit they stuffed up, but I guess you really can't please everyone these days. The reality is that the only game they've released that wasn't great or fantastic is Dragon Age 2.
Speaking from experience, the Old Republic is fantastic if you are looking for a single-player content heavy MMO, which is perfect for someone like me. The production values are second-to-none, and though the quests do get repetitive, it is worth it for the most part.


I think the biggest problem is that three games worth of decisions had almost no impact on the ending, followed by the fact that there seemed to be some holes in how things happen at the end like your team suddenly ends up back on the ship or a couple of other problems with the timeline, etc. I didn't like how the story turned out either but think that leviathan completely fixed that and am glad Bioware fixed it. I don't hate Bioware for it but it was a bit of a let down of an ending for three great games.

I agree with this. I think if ME3 had been delayed somewhat and Leviathan and the Extended Cut were released as part of the game and not DLC there would be nowhere near the backlash there has been. There still would have been disappointment, but not on the mind-numbing scale it has been. I think a lot of people also have to remember that the ending was changed significantly in the few short months leading up to the release of the game after the story was leaked. As such, it really is no surprise the ending felt rushed given what little time they had to change it.


I can certainly understand people feeling let down and disappointed with a poor ending. It just seems some take it to the extreme and then use that as an excuse to bemoan every future project but this is the internet after all and I guess I should know better. :rolleyes:. Well I will finally be finishing the series with the Leviathan, Omega and extended cut dlc from the outset so I'm hoping it will still be a great experience warts and all.

I agree, again. It was just a massive over-reaction. It is similar to the Phantom Menace reaction - whilst the Phantom Menace was terrible compared to the previous Star Wars films, it was hardly a bad film on its own merits. Ditto for Mass Effect 3 - except 3 was actually shaping up to be the best of the series until the ending. However, it seems all the haters think that Bioware is a terrible developer for literally half an hour of gameplay/cutscenes.

[eldargal]

I actually liked the original ME3 ending, the lack of closure while dissapointing was almost brutal and heightened the emotional impact of it. I felt so emotionally drained after finishing it the first time I felt numb for days, I seldom feel like that even with a really good novel.

On another subject, there are a bunch of new Mass Effect statues/figures that will be up for sale in Q1 next year:

Kotobukiya are making a bishoujo FemShep to go with the Liara they released in June:
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-koto-femshepstatue-full.jpg
Limited edition dark haired version:
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-koto-femshepexstatue-full.jpg
65USD and come with two arm variants.

Then there is a none-bishoujo FemShep:
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-sqenix-femshep-full.jpg
With arm variants:
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-sqenix-femshep-action.jpg
Also 65.

[eldargal]

Finally there is this lovely Tali statue, also 65 with arm variants:
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-sqenix-tali-full.jpg
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-sqenix-tali-action.jpg

[Gotthammer]

I've got the Play Arts Kai figures on pre-order, and Garrus in hand. Shall do a review tonight (and have a review of bishie Liara on my blog).

[eldargal]

Looking forward to that, the Garrus statue does looke lovely:
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-sqenix-garrus-full_8.jpg
If you're review is positive I'll have to order one as well.:) Currently pre-ordered the redhead FemShep, Play Arts Kai FemShep and Tali. Consideing getting the dark haired FemShep just to have them all but also think it may be a bit silly.

[Gotthammer]

It's not a statue, it's a man-dolly- I mean action figure :p

[eldargal]

Pfft, semantics.:p I do like man-dolly though. Somehow the y makes it even more emasculating than man-doll.

[Learn2Eel]

Where do I order them lol? Do they do orders to Australia? I've already got a Legion figurine, so I scratch him out. The two I really want are Tali and Garrus.

[eldargal]

I sent a Liara statue to a friend in Australia via BigBadToyStore.com, hopefully Gotthammer might know someplace that has them in Oz without a 200% markup.:rolleyes:

[Learn2Eel]

Hahaha here's hoping, thanks!

[eldargal]

BBTS isn't too bad though, when buying one or two statues to send to Australia it is cheaper than anywhere else I know of. More than that and it is cheaper to get them through the Bioware store.

Have to say the Ashley Williams figure is really dissapointing:
http://biowarestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/e/t/etc-figure-me-sqenix-ashley-full_3_8.jpg

[Learn2Eel]

Agreed. Whereas Tali and Garrus look highly convincing, Ashley looks way too cartoonish.

[Gotthammer]

I used BBTS to get mine (and preorder the others), lol :D

And Ash is disappointing for being neither Liara or Kaidan :p


edit: no review as I might have ended up playing through Leviathan instead...
I quite enjoyed it, very good squad banter and I loved having EDI along (Loch Ness monster!). Also, screaming husk head!

[Godless Zealot]

Speaking from experience, the Old Republic is fantastic if you are looking for a single-player content heavy MMO, which is perfect for someone like me. The production values are second-to-none, and though the quests do get repetitive, it is worth it for the most part.

I am considering starting SWTOR when I get my new PC, especially now it's gone free to play. Never done a MMO before and out of them SWTOR seems the most appealing despite not really being a Star Wars fan myself. I like the idea of a single player story driven MMO as odd as that sounds.

On a side note those action fig... sorry 'man-dollies' look pretty nifty. Shame there isn't a dark haired regular looking female Shepard as it would be closer looking to my own. Still probably pick one up though... and a Garrus too... and possibly a Tali if my bank account lets me.

[eldargal]

I enjoyed Leviathan a lot, my one criticism is that they didn't make more of the underwater environment when it was talked about so enthusiastically. Still they are known for using DLC to test things that later appear in later games in a bigger way so here is hoping for underwater action in ME4.

I want a BlondeFemShep. Tempted to buy an extra one and paint the hair.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I'm only interested in Garrus, as there are no ManSheps that will look like mine, because mine looks similar to me. :D

Also, Garrus is my bro. *bromance over here*

I'll get 2000 Microsoft Points at some point for this DLC bojangles.

[eldargal]

Well, sh*t (http://www.candb.com/en/artcollectivegallery/13/bioware.html)

There goes another four grand or so.

[Gotthammer]

Pffft, no Liara one (again).

Tempting, but I shall have to pass on these as none are "must haves" for me.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Garrus! *rubs thighs like Vic Reeves*

[eldargal]

Pffft, no Liara one (again).

Tempting, but I shall have to pass on these as none are "must haves" for me.
I know right.:(

Going to get Aria and The Citadel at least. Garrus is nice also.

[Gotthammer]

The Citadel or the Cerberus forces one are the most tempting for me - but I'll still pass as they're rather gigantic and I've got the ME artbook.

[eldargal]

The Cerberus one is nice, but it's no:
http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100317203214/masseffect/images/9/95/Mass_effect_redemption.jpg

[Learn2Eel]

Why do they have to be over $300 each :(

[eldargal]

'cos museum grade art giclee is expensive.:( The Team is 2500.

Just spotted this in google images:
http://i47.tinypic.com/zmi3c8.jpg
S05E24 of The Big Bang theory, which I do not watch. Liara bishoujo.

Also, I love eye-twitch insane Liara:
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv133/jlb141/LOTSB/LOTSB141.png

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Why don't you watch it? Help, help! I'm courting a lame person. :p

[Godless Zealot]

I want a BlondeFemShep. Tempted to buy an extra one and paint the hair.

That is an excellent idea! Also those art prints look gorgeous but a bit out of my price range. :(

[Gotthammer]

Ok, still no review but I did play through Leviathan and Omega a couple of times to capture video, so I do have something to show for it:


http://youtu.be/2-CCtSv-pvs

Contains some Leviathan spoilers and wizard swears.
Also, sorry 'bout the letterboxing, Youtube seems to be having a heart attack over this vid - keeps unediting things and swapping thumbnails and all sorts.


Also also, I would buy the hell out of a crazy-eyebrow Liara poster :D

Also also also, Big Bang Theory suxorz.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Everyone is lame here.

[Gotthammer]

For Lady EldarGal, here's a review of the Garrus man-dolly (http://collegiatitanica.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/mass-effect-play-arts-kai-garrus.html).

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

That link broke my internet. Guess I won't look at it then...

[eldargal]

You're internet sucks then.:p Great review, particularly liked the poseable hands lol.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

You're internet sucks then.:p Great review, particularly liked the poseable hands lol.

Your grammar sucks.

BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNN!

[Psychosplodge]

Interesting mod
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc4ljefYrt1qd6q29o3_250.jpg

[eldargal]

Your grammar sucks.

BURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRNNNNN!

Pfft, my grammars the bestest of all of y'alls.

This is rather sweet. (http://www.gameranx.com/features/id/11144/article/my-mother-commander-shepard/#p1)

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwh!

[eldargal]

I just realised that hardly a day goes by where I do not think of Mass Effect in some way and that has been the case for four and a half years now. I'm not sure if that is sad or really, really fantastic. I'm going with fantastic.

Also, ME3 isn't done, new DLC hinted at here (http://www.psu.com/a017767/New-Mass-Effect-3-DLC-teased) and the ME anime/cartoon/thingy Mass Effect: Paragon Lost is out later this month (or now, some people seem to have it) and seems to be receiving quite good reviews.

Anime asari are attractive:
http://www.masseffectparagonlost.com/extras/img/character-treeya-color-lg.jpg
/alliterated

[Psychosplodge]

Is that patterning or has she ripped the arse out of her trousers?

[Learn2Eel]

I saw the new DLC could bring players to tears, going by a tweet from Sam Hulick (one of the minds behind the musical score for the series). It sounds like this could be the definitive ending to Mass Effect 3. It is hard to say though, it could just be a side mission that gets particularly teary. However, given that both Joker and Kaidan have confirmed they are voicing more lines for ME3 (the former by another person, the latter through a tweet a month or so ago) it looks like it will be bigger than Omega or Leviathan, or at least incorporate more of the squad-mates.

[Gotthammer]

Could be finding out what happened to Joker's sister first hand... that'd be a tear-jerker.

[eldargal]

Is that patterning or has she ripped the arse out of her trousers?

It's patterning, thought the same thing for a moment.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Butts.

[Psychosplodge]

It's patterning, thought the same thing for a moment.

Then I realised that if it was Asari have furry arses as it's the same colour as her hair...


Butts.

Butts indeed.

[Learn2Eel]

Could be finding out what happened to Joker's sister first hand... that'd be a tear-jerker.

Yeah, that could very well be it.

Downloading Mass Effect 1 for PS3 right now :D So awesome to come home from a long day at my LGS, after also receiving some great news, and find out I will finally be able to play the trilogy as a whole! Well, when the 10.6 gigabyte download is done. Really can't wait to play through a classic again, and on the platform I've always wanted it on too.

Strange that the Aussie PSN actually came out with it today, I know Thursday's are new release days but they tend to release the week after other territories....eh. I'm not complaining. Aside from Tyranid hobby and work around the house, my many hours over the Christmas season are now filled with Mass Effect goodness.

[Godless Zealot]

Sounds like that dlc could be very interesting. Got the whole trilogy and current dlc newly installed on my xbox and now I too am going to have a Mass Effect themed Christmas time!

[Learn2Eel]

So much nostalgic overload from playing ME1 again :D

On a side note, for anyone that has played Omega, do you think it is worth the very high price? Down under, Omega costs the same as ME1 on PSN ($24 AUD). Just wanting to get some opinions on the matter as I am not entirely sold on it yet.

[eldargal]

It's really hard to say, Omega is a great expansion but you Australians do get terribly overcharged with everything. If you really love Mass Effect I'd say get it, if you are a more casual fan then perhaps not.

[Learn2Eel]

Well I am a dedicated fan, but yeah, stupid higher prices lol. Most likely I'll end up getting it once I've beaten 2 and moved onto 3 with the current save. Thanks!

Oh, by the way guys, for anyone that bought ME1 on PS3 and wants to import their save to ME2, you have to download a ~27 MB patch for ME2 for that to work. Kind of annoying, and very much so for those without PSN. However, I suspect that the actual physical trilogy edition comes with that patch included - well, games for PS3/Xbox 360 tend not to have patches included in GOTY editions as far as I am aware, so maybe not.

But yeah, I had a very tangible chill run down my spine when it showed the "Import from ME1" option. Quick and painless. Also happy that I completed every assignment and main mission that I had running - I've never collected all those artifacts, minerals, medallions, et al before, but I finally got them all (at least to satisfy the assignments). It is going to be so awesome playing the trilogy through wholly, only things I'm really missing as far as story DLC are Pinnacle Station (but I heard that doesn't really make a difference) and Omega (but I'll get that later). All in all, it is a great time to be a Mass Effect fan :)

[eldargal]

Pinnacle doesn't have any story that I remember, it was a bunch of game things which weren't that interesting.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

EG, get an Xbox...

[Psychosplodge]

Yes do that, have to pay an annual fee to get a lesser experience than you get now...
Also are you familiar with Not in the kitchen anymore? Get the full xbox live experience...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Oh my gods, I don't slander PCs, I like PCs. Would you go away and stop insulting what I like...?

Talos give me strength...

[eldargal]

It's not slander to say Xboxes are inferior, it's a statement of fact.:p

Not in the Kitchen Anymore is both fascinating and horrifying.

[Psychosplodge]

I'm just providing facts, if what I was saying was false... TDA you should sell your xbox and join the PC gaming master race :D
Does it cost you £40 a year?
Is it full of children screaming sexist/raceist abuse?

...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I don't hear any abuse whilst playing my games, because I stay in an Xbox Live party with all my FRIENDS.

Small price to pay for a good service.

Also, I'm quite annoyed now...

[Psychosplodge]

What if you have no friends/they aren't online?
How do you play planetside 2?
Annoyed?

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Because I have that many friends there is usually always someone online.


PC gamers piss me off to no end. It's that general air of hypocrisy that you get with them...

[Psychosplodge]

General air of hypocrisy? I can't imagine what you mean old chap...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

'I don't discriminate against anyone'
Discriminates against Xbox players...

[Psychosplodge]

lols selective quotation... "I don't discriminate against anyone, I hate everybody"
Anyway how's that discrimination? facts man facts...as both a console and pc gamer I personally find the PC online experience to be more pleasant, and a generally better platform...

[Learn2Eel]

I prefer consoles. That's just me. For more cinematic games, like Mass Effect, I find it easier, less intrusive and usually better looking to play it on a big T.V with a console. Hooking a PC up for me takes a lot of effort, especially given that my parents would want it moved out of the way ASAP and back into my room. Also depends on the PC you have.

As far as Xbox Live goes, it is better than PSN obviously but I don't think it is enough to justify the $15 a month. Still, $15 isn't much so I don't really mind.

[Psychosplodge]

$15 a month? that's even more than I thought...
What does it have that psn doesn't that makes it worth paying for?

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

lols selective quotation... "I don't discriminate against anyone, I hate everybody"
Anyway how's that discrimination? facts man facts...as both a console and pc gamer I personally find the PC online experience to be more pleasant, and a generally better platform...

That's YOUR opinion...

What makes it better? Better selling exclusives, connection stability, earlier dlc releases, etc etc

[Psychosplodge]

No TDA it's a fact that i've only ever received abusive pm's after a console gaming session, which considering i play pc games 90% of the time is an achievement...
and that was when I was playing on the GFs account, and some whiny brat was butthurt about getting headshot by a girl...(at least he thought he was) He was more butt hurt the next round when I ignored everyone else to consistently destroy him...till he rage quit, childish I know but...
Is there an issue with psn connection stability? can't say I've noticed it.
dlc will never swing an argument with me as it should be in the game...

anyway enough fanboism have a pole dancing rabbit gif as a distraction

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m9rq19qoS51redxyio1_500.gif

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

It gets hacked all the time...

I haven't ever received any. So....meh.

[Godless Zealot]

Teehee another consoles vs PC debate. :p I've always been mainly a console gamer with a dash of PC on the side. Lack of funding meant I was always way behind on the PC gaming side of things and I think that is the main obstacle for many gamers especially younger ones. PC is the best but it is the most expensive and to keep on top of it gets pricey. I've had my Xbox 360 about six years now and it's probably the platform I've had most fun and played the best games on so far. I guess if you think about the £40 a year xbox subscription it is difficult to justify in terms of base service but the countless hours of fun I've had over the years I don't mind paying it. I haven't had too much of an issue with abuse online but it obviously goes on. That Not in the kitchen anymore blog made for some depressing, if unfortunately not surprising, reading.

Anyway back to the topic at hand! The article My Mother, Commander Shepard was a nice read and had some resonance with me. After failing to create a convincing looking male Commander Shepard that didn't look like a complete meathead or have Down's Syndrome I opted to play as a female. Turned out to be one of the best gaming decisions I've ever made. Hale's performance is wonderful and Shepard is probably my favourite female game character up there with 'The Boss' from Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. I am an only child and from age 11-18 attended only boys schools with a predominantly male teaching authority. Therefore the only real female I had to look up to was my Mother. She's a nurse and has spent her entire adult life helping others as well as raising me. So as I played Mass Effect I instilled a fraction of her into my playstyle particularly moments regarding moral choice. It was refreshing to see an article by a guy who had similar and perhaps more powerful reasons for choosing to play as a female in an RPG sci-fi opera. As it seems easy to label a man who chooses to play as a woman in such a game with either gender issues or a pervert.

Also Learn2Eel have you finished the first game already? Wow, I just can't power game like I used to. Haha :D

[Learn2Eel]

That's YOUR opinion...

What makes it better? Better selling exclusives, connection stability, earlier dlc releases, etc etc

Better selling exclusives? What? Better selling does not equal higher quality you know. I think it is widely agreed by most that Sony has had the stronger, more diverse and more quantifiable line-up of quality exclusives this generation, as it did in the previous one.

In reality, the blips and buzzes of both are largely cancelled out - whereas Xbox Live has better service, PS Plus offers better value for money, as an example. Xbox tends to get the better multiplatform versions, but PS gets the better exclusives. Both are great consoles to be enjoyed by all, I have both and love them dearly. I find the whole console war stuff to just be inane garbage, much like the console V PC stuff. Ultimately, it is all about preference. Pick the controller that feels best to you, and go from there.


It gets hacked all the time...

I haven't ever received any. So....meh.

Haha, that's one of the silliest things I've read this morning. You do realize PSN has only been hacked once or twice?
If people wanted to, they would have hacked Xbox Live as well. What we pay for is in no way safer from hackers than PSN.

I've never received hate mail or anything like that after a gaming session, though I have been abused when playing Counter Strike: Source and Dota 2 on PC. Ultimately that isn't indicative of the fans of the platform, more-so the fans of those types of games. MOBA's are not for the faint of heart. I play casually and can't really be bothered learning everything to become a good player, I play just because my friends do and it is a fun kind of competitive game. Especially for simple pick-up-games it isn't all that bad, though lately I have been playing rather badly. My friends are kind of getting annoyed with me, so I have to improve. The reality is, a game like that will always see you abused for even the slightest mistake. Though I guess in MOBA's a player that gets killed even once early on can change the whole game.....

Haha yeah Godless I beat it in I think like two-three days, over 25-30 hours IIRC.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I would bother getting my sources on those points, but I can't be arsed at 1 in the morning...

[Learn2Eel]

Remembering that I love both consoles and am happy to point out the strengths and weaknesses of both, don't bother calling me a fanboy :)

I love tweaking the beards of others.....or lack thereof. :p

[Learn2Eel]

Anyways, back on topic.
I swear, the dialogue in ME2 is so different now, even at the start of the game. A lot of the actual dialogue is the same, but the tone and genuflections are different. It is really cool.

WOW I just found this clip, I've never even noticed these 'Blasto' ads in the games before. This is so hilarious!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXf7HC7iYEY

"Badassfully: Dammit. Blasto? They got me. They got me bad."

"No Buben, you are too aesthetically displeasing to die."

LOOOOL!

"*gurgle* Bad *gurgle* Badassfully: Promise me *gurgle* Dammit *gurgle* Promise *gurgle* ..... Translator Error: Obstruction in airway."
"Noooooooooooooooooooo."

"You blew up half a level of Zakera Ward!"
"It was an aesthetically displeasing habitat anyway."

[eldargal]

Hehe yes, Blasto is great.:) Especially Bubens sister

Coquettishly: I just started playing ME1 again myself, tried to install a HD textures mod but it just wouldn't work despite following the instructions to the letter. Bit cranky about that, the clothes in particular look very low quality and I was hoping to get some screenshots for cosplay design purposes. Just rescued Liara, she is so adorable.

[Learn2Eel]

I've never really seen any mods for any of the games to be honest. I guess with the series it is hard unless it is visual upgrades or stand-alone missions.

Also, couldn't stop laughing every time I head "Badassfully". Dunno what it was, just kept making me laugh! Can't believe I never noticed the Blasto stuff before.

[Godless Zealot]

"They've got diplomatic immunity!"

"Then this one will not attempt diplomacy"

Shame Blasto can't be a squad member.....

[eldargal]

http://props.punishedpixels.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/574884_333240230098957_2142496385_n1.jpg
http://props.punishedpixels.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/404002_333157663440547_1121226586_n.jpg
Fantastic cosplay from a prop maker, website here (http://props.punishedpixels.com/2012/08/28/mass-effect-n7-defender-armor/).

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Nice!

[DrLove42]

Oh Daymn. Sheps about to be his face sliced off

[Psychosplodge]

But Shepard's female?

(the voice acting's better...)

[eldargal]

He gon' get face stabbed innis face!


I'd be tempted to make a Phantom cosplay outfit (or Nemesis) if I didn't hate Cerberus so much.:rolleyes:

Psycho, clearly it is Shepards cousin, Bob Shepard.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Make a Liara one gerddermit! :p

The Phantom is waiting to kill Mark Meer. :D

[eldargal]

I don't cosplay existing characters as a rule, I do have Asari prosthetics though, working on some pretty dresses and some Eclipse mercenary armour.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Ah! Ecripse! :D

I can't even cosplay what I want to do in the ME universe, damn Turians and their split jaws...

And weird feet come to think of it.

[Godless Zealot]

So it looks like the fourth installment is going to be late 2014/early 2015. Apparently also Bioware have mentioned a few things that were cut from Mass Effect 3 including a mission to the Turian homeworld of Palaven rather than just the moon and the original ending which possibly included a boss battle with a 'Reaperised' Illusive man. :confused:

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Ooooah! Turians! Oooooah!
*rubs thighs*

[eldargal]

It would be nice if they added some of that stuff back in with DLC, though I can't see them adding a big boss fight now. I'd say visiting Palaven would be much more feasible if they actually designed some of the levels and finished the art and whatnot.

There has been some speculation that we will see some post-ending story a la Arrival. Personally I doubt it as it would involve canonically ignoring two of the three ME3 endings.

[Learn2Eel]

That Reaperised-Illusive Man final boss doesn't surprise me, there is concept art of that and words to say he would originally be a final boss in the artbook in the collectors edition.

[Godless Zealot]

There has been some speculation that we will see some post-ending story a la Arrival. Personally I doubt it as it would involve canonically ignoring two of the three ME3 endings.

As nice as that could be it does seem unlikely. Setting content after the ending would either mean ignoring two of the main endings or making a DLC which can fit all three which will probably be a real hassle and unfeasible to make. Which begs the question, where is the fourth instalment going to fit? Bioware have asked the fans if they would prefer a sequel or a prequel. A prequel would be easier with all the established areas and material but could end up being a little dull. A sequel, of course, brings up the same issue with post ME3 content DLC but it would be great to see a future vision of the series post Shepard. I'm kinda torn but will probably enjoy any new offering either way. What do you guys think would work best? A sequel or a prequel?


That Reaperised-Illusive Man final boss doesn't surprise me, there is concept art of that and words to say he would originally be a final boss in the artbook in the collectors edition.

I missed out on the Collectors Edition. :( Damn you GAME!!

[Learn2Eel]

I think they would do ME4 quite a ways into the future of the ME timeline, it is supposed to have nothing to do with Shepard (at least for the most part). I think they could feasibly do it the same way they handled playing ME2 or ME3 without playing the previous games - in ME2 for example, it would assume your Shepard killed the Council, Wrex and in general didn't do a good job. Could do that for players new to the series. However, they have also mentioned that we should keep our saves, which tells me it will be a sequel and not a prequel. You never know what they might do. Frankly, I am hoping we get to play as an alien and have it focused around them, much like Shepard had to be human. The logical choice would be an Asari for obvious reasons, though the popular choice would either be a Turian or a Quarian.

Of course, there is also the ending which involves every species being wiped out.....
Not to mention one of the big choices in ME3 can potentially lead to the destruction of the Quarians.....

I've been neglecting ME2, I really did play it too many times lol. Eh, once I've gotten past the first couple of hours it will be good.
Simply can't wait to play through ME3 again. Really, aside from the ending, I thought it was by far the best in the series. The gameplay is simply amazing.

[eldargal]

A sequel would be quite difficult in that they would have to pick one ME3 ending and make it canon or else make a whole lot more work for themselves. I don't recall making any of the ending choices in ME2 canonical (ME1 only had one ending). Well they did make it compulsory that the events of Arrival occurred whether you played it or not but that is hardly the same thing.


Spoiler alert:

If they let you import ME3 save files to shape your sequel play it could be interesting, though. Played a synthesis ending? AEveryone has implants and gets a small bonus to tech abilities plus there may be radio talk or whatever of memorials to Shepard. Chose Control ending then everything is much the same but with aforementioned memorials to Shepard. Chose Destroy and there are reports of Shepard being found alive and tributes etc but everything is much the same as in previous games. The amount of damage to the galaxy and reconstruction efforts etc. remain the same. It would be more work than just making a canonical ending to ME3 (which I would hate) but it would certainly make people feel their choices in ME3 mattered. I often think that much of the complaints about choices not mattering was just a reaction to the fact trilogy was ending and they couldn't speculate about how it would impact on future games. There were more meaningul choices in ME3 than ME1 and three times as many endings.

[DrLove42]

I detect a (console) problem with keeping saves for a future game

There a high prob ME4 will be on PS4 and the Xbox Successor. The saves are on old consoles....

[eldargal]

Lern2PC.:p But honestly I could see them including some kind of 'select your choices' thing if it came to that, but really I think the simplest solution is to go with a prequel even if it isn't too much before the Shepard story. Hell give how popular Omega (the setting, not DLC) was an ME game set in the seedy underbelly of the ME universe could be done concurrent with ME.

[DrLove42]

Why would it even need to be a sequel/prequel?

Just keep the Mass Effect name. They've done it for Bioshock Infinite.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Lern2PC.:p

*facepalm*

[eldargal]

Why would it even need to be a sequel/prequel?

Just keep the Mass Effect name. They've done it for Bioshock Infinite.
Well be prequel/sequel I just mean set before/after the ME series. I mean it doesn't matter how unconnected the story is, if it is set after the ending of ME3 there will have to be some indication of what happened with the Reapers.


*facepalm*
:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

My darling, you can suck eggs. :p

[Godless Zealot]

Why would it even need to be a sequel/prequel?

Just keep the Mass Effect name. They've done it for Bioshock Infinite.

The difference with the Bioshock series is Infinite is set in a whole different 'universe' than the two Rapture games. I think Mass Effect 4 needs to be set in the same 'universe' it's just whether the story will take place before, after or perhaps even during Shepards story. I agree though the story can be completely and perhaps should be unconnected to Shepards story arc.

[Kirsten]

I think they should do a dragon age origins set up where you pick a race and gender and it affects where you start and the early mission. I would quite like to see what theother races do during the reaper invasion in 3, but would be equally happy with a whole new story something like the first contact war between humans and turians would be interesting

[Godless Zealot]

I think many people are hoping for a more open world dragon age style experience where you pick your race and class etc.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

That would be cool!

[DrLove42]

Problem with the Dragon Age style thing is it limits the options.

Was there as good a integration into dragon ages (everyone reacting to your species) as there was in Mass Effecr where everyone reacted to your humanness?

From my experience no is the answer. Everyt quest and character in ME reacts to you as a human and it shapes the way quests were and ran. In DA that didn't happen with the exception of a few "origin" quests and some follow up to that later.

BY saying "You are a Human" it increases the potential for the devs to link that to the game deeply, rather than having a shallow bit of interaction for 10 different options

And Mss Effect does have origins. "Earthborn, Survivor and etc". They affect a few unique quests, which is enough for me

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Screw you DrLove, I want to be a Turian!

[DrLove42]

Dude I want to be a Quarian as much as EG and Gott want to be an Asari, but I think its better without it.

Think about it. If you have to program a NPC to react based on species you need to program as many responses reactions and changes to quests as you have species. If you only have 1 species it can be a lot more detailed and immersive

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

SHUT UP DAVE.

There, I said it.

[eldargal]

Well instead of Spacer, Earthborn and Colonial you could have human, asari and Turian then you could have something along the lines of War Hero, Survivor etc. Keep it at just one voice actor/actress for male/female and I think it would be feasible. We've already had a 'show humanity at it's best for the rest of the galaxy' theme in Mass Effect afterall.

Want to play as an asari. Baby Liara demands it be so:
http://www.lounge.belloflostsouls.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=3378&d=1355494396
(a friend sent me this a while ago, no idea who the artist is beyond the signature and filename so credit to whoever did it)

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

That works. :)

[eldargal]

Just finished my sixteenth playthrough of Mass Effect the First. The end game cinematics with Sovereign and the Geth still make me tingly.

Still couldn't bring myself to save Kaiden at Virmire though. I like him and all but Ashley is a girl so...#kaidenkaboom.

[DrLove42]

Jeez.

I need to go back and finish my Insanity ME3 playthrough. Got to Kai Leng final and stopped.

And if it helps ive killed Kaiden everytime. And its partly cos i like Ashley, but partly cos Kaiden is a douche

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I killed Kaiden too....

[Godless Zealot]

No one likes Kaiden it seems, poor chap he's not that bad is he? Saying that he was left to die on my first playthrough :D. I only did two original playthroughs after my original Paragon Femshep I played as a male and just made the opposite decision each time. Bye bye Shiala, bye bye Rachni queen, bye bye Wrex, bye bye Ashley, bye bye Council members a much more bloodier playthrough I have to say.

[eldargal]

I like Kaiden, I just like girls more.:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Kinky.

[Godless Zealot]

I don't know how some of you seem to complete your playthroughs so fast, I started mine a week ago and I've not long since left the Citadel. Although I'm enjoying it I find it difficult to play for long periods of time. I decided to play as a paragon male solider this time to vary it up for me a bit. Still wondering who I should leave behind when I get to Virmire, maybe I'll keep Kaiden this time;).

[eldargal]

Well it takes me around 30 hours for a ME1 playthrough, but I know most of the assignments and missions by heart so I don't waste a lot of time.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Same here EG.

[Godless Zealot]

My powergaming days are truly gone it seems I must be getting old:(. It's been long enough since I completed the original to have forgotten pieces or just have vague recollections of the missions and assignments so far.

[Kirsten]

Was there as good a integration into dragon ages (everyone reacting to your species) as there was in Mass Effecr where everyone reacted to your humanness?

I disagree, the response to being human in mass effect is all scripted and doesn't come up that often in my opinion, so it doesn't really mean much, not hard to have a couple of different speech options


Still couldn't bring myself to save Kaiden at Virmire though. I like him and all but Ashley is a girl so...#kaidenkaboom.

I don't like Ashley still saved her though, she is better looking...


I like Kaiden, I just like girls more.:p

yeah...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

One does not simply eat Salarian liver...

[Godless Zealot]

One does not simply eat Salarian liver...

Not a quote I can recall, or is it from the third game? :confused:


I like Kaiden, I just like girls more.

Interesting idea since I'm playing as a male this time perhaps I should choose Ashley after all. :D (Maybe next time Kaiden) Speaking of the romance options do any of you actually pursue them? In my first playthroughs I never bothered, too busy saving the galaxy you see. Do they actually add any emotional depth to Shepards story or are they just tacked on and cheesy?

[Kirsten]

I romanced Liara in all three games and was entirely faithful. in my second play through of three I did sleep with jessica chobot, because, you know, jessica chobot...
I would love to see it take after dragon age 1 some more. not 2 though, th only part of 2 I liked was thinking up good first names. my brother went for 'the' and I went for 'mo'

[Godless Zealot]

I see, so did you think your faithful romance to Liara across the series add anything meaningful to your playthrough or was it just tawdry fan service? I am quite particular and perhaps a little OCD with my playthroughs wanting everything just right. Therefore wondering about whether any romance option will fit my character.

[Kirsten]

well I found it quite meaningful, she is hot and intelligent and magic :P I found it more characterful to have a meaningful romance across the series rather than sleeping around

[Godless Zealot]

Thanks, yes if I'm planning on going the romance route I intend to pick one and stay faithful, I am a good boy you see :).

[Kirsten]

I really liked Liara as a character, the opportunity to romance her was not passed up on, then I had to stay faithful. for me personally I felt that having a partner made it a more personal story, gave another motivation for Shepherd, I really like it.

[Gotthammer]

I (almost) always save Kaidan because:

1) He's a tech expert so is sent to set Saren up the bomb, and the bomb is the mission critical target so Shep needs to ensure it doesn't get overrun or the mission will be a total failure.

2) Rapheal Sbarge's luxurious man-voice - he's a seriously awesome dude and loves his fans too (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9DxZn_TAeM).

3) Kaidan's cool - he's Shep's good shoulder angel and her wingman, even if some people find his integrity... annoying (that line always cracks me up!).

4) If you don't save him you don't get to hear him go craaaaaaazy after Sanctuary (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_OEBHoK5Ds).

I RP'd it that Shep justified it as reason 1, but always felt guilty as in my personal backstory for her she knew Kaidan from way back in the marines and that's why he was on the Normandy as she'd tapped him for the assignment, so she wondered if that influenced her decision. This comes from my canon run ignoring all the "hey, who's Anderson?" questions so it's like Shep already knows him, which makes the father figure allegory work better with Anderson and Hackett (Earthborn FTW). My backstory is that Shep was doing a stretch in prison when Hackett gave a talk and she decided to join up to straighten her life out and was assigned under Anderson as her first CO.

And (almost) always romance Liara - only my BroShep commander Jerkface Shepard doesn't (Ash, who dies, then Tali, 'cause she's renegadeish). Liara's too adorable to turn down (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BX_XJvQzyQ), if you do you're some kind of heartless monster. And from a RP perspective she helps curb Shep's drunken letcherous antics - I mean essentially Shep is a 30 year old hitting on a fresh out of school teenager.

WHY, YES, I DO THINK ABOUT MASS EFFECT A LOT - WHY DO YOU ASK? :p


And Allers, Kirsten? Really?

I only dislike her because she seemed rather tacked on when existing characters could have worked just as well and her dialogue taking up disk space that could have been used to restore the cut Ashley afterlife conversation or extended version of Anderson's talk etc etc.

[Kirsten]

Liara's too adorable to turn down, if you do you're some kind of heartless monster.

And Allers, Kirsten? Really?

yeah she is, you can't say no to Liara.

Jessica Chobot! the things I would do to her. *ahem* with her... obviously... gaming and... stuff...
<.<
>.>

[Gotthammer]

yeah she is, you can't say no to Liara.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r314/Gotthammer/40k/motiv797.jpg




Jessica Chobot! the things I would do to her. *ahem* with her... obviously... gaming and... stuff...
<.<
>.>

I've never got it - probably 'cause she looks kinda like one of my cousins...

[Kirsten]

ha, that is excellent.

is your cousin single? :P

[Godless Zealot]

That's some logical reasoning there, I ordered Kaidan to stay with the bomb and Ashley to go with Kirrahe (I think that's his name the Salarian STG dude) as that fits their roles specifically but I never reasoned going back to protect the bomb. I guess the way I see as not wanting to let Ashley befall the same fate as her squadmates on Eden Prime and to help out the Salarian team.

I chose Spacer as my background, for me it feels the most grounded backstory (if a little dull I admit). The whole orphan raised on the streets or colonist witnessing the butchery of his parents etc seemed a little too cliche for me. Besides I like the fact that Shepard has at least one of his parents alive, going paragon style means he's a mummys boy after all :rolleyes:.


Liara's too adorable to turn down, if you do you're some kind of heartless monster.

Actually I'm not too sure, I like Liara as a character and she gets major props for helping in my resurrection (Even if that's one part of the series I wasn't keen on). Yet I guess I'm not into the whole blue alien chick thing. I'm a heartless monster!:p


And from a RP perspective she helps curb Shep's drunken letcherous antics

Well my Shep takes after me and is teetotal so no worries there!

Probably go for the dull approach and romance a fellow human. It might be nice to have someone to fight for, something absent in my previous playthroughs. The only thing is although I don't know all the specifics I now know the basic outline of the endings and it doesn't seem to end well for Shepard so I might feel guilty leaving them behind.....

[Kirsten]

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd380/KirstenIGMB/British-1_zps3df53f56.jpg

[Godless Zealot]

http://i1216.photobucket.com/albums/dd380/KirstenIGMB/British-1_zps3df53f56.jpg

That could make for an interesting mod.....

[eldargal]

yeah she is, you can't say no to Liara.

Jessica Chobot! the things I would do to her. *ahem* with her... obviously... gaming and... stuff...
<.<
>.>
Agreed.

I like Allers actually, she was nice. I'd have preferred Emily Wong but I'll take what I can get.:rolleyes:

I always fall for Ash's 'trying to redeem my grandfather' thing. I have a thing for military leaders who did the right thing but where unappreciated for it.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

There's a story there lass. :)

[eldargal]

I always wished you could romance EDI, I'd totally hit that (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHvOLdNvj8c).

Except Liara is still too adorable and not to be cheated on (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOMNMojfono).

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

What about me? :(

[eldargal]

Lern2bAsari.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

But what if I am?

[eldargal]

I've seen a picture of you remember? You're not an asari.:p

[Kirsten]

Lern2bAsari.

sound advice for anyone

[Learn2Eel]

I get the feeling I am being mocked.

[eldargal]

Not you, TDA.:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

My darling Eldargal, you couldn't hurt my feelings if you tried. :p

No, not even that.

[Godless Zealot]

My darling Eldargal, you couldn't hurt my feelings if you tried. :p

No, not even that.

I think you may have a little obsession there young man. :D (and I bet she could if she really tried.):p

Well I've finally rescued Liara from the rather fiery world of Therum. Still not convinced she's the one for me yet.

[Kirsten]

heathen :P

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I think you may have a little obsession there young man. :D (and I bet she could if she really tried.):p

Well I've finally rescued Liara from the rather fiery world of Therum. Still not convinced she's the one for me yet.

I am courting Lady Eldargal, so your suspicions regarding my infatuations are completely correct. :p

And no, she couldn't, I don't really do feelings.

[Wildeybeast]

I am courting Lady Eldargal, so your suspicions regarding my infatuations are completely correct. :p

And no, she couldn't, I don't really do feelings.

I would have thought that would be detrimental to any courtship efforts.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

As in... I am incredibly thick-skinned. To the point of you could really annoy me and I won't show it, but I always remember.

I am, however, incredibly affectionate. Which EG can no doubt confirm.

[Godless Zealot]

I am courting Lady Eldargal, so your suspicions regarding my infatuations are completely correct. :p

And no, she couldn't, I don't really do feelings.

Judging from some of her earlier posts didn't think you were her type. :rolleyes:


I would have thought that would be detrimental to any courtship efforts.

It must make it difficult....

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I'm awesome, she's awesome. How is this not awesome? :p
I am not your stereotypical nerd either...

[Learn2Eel]

Uh-huh.

[eldargal]

I'm more awesome...


Judging from some of her earlier posts didn't think you were her type. :rolleyes:
Well he's not asari...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Yeah, but you don't lift, so I think I'm more awesome in that aspect. :p

Also, you aren't a Turian nor are you an Asari, so there. :p

[eldargal]

Don't lift what?

I'm closer to asari than you.:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

If you lifted then you'd know. :p

Well, you certainly are gawjus enough. Hahahah! :D

[eldargal]

If you mean weights I can deadlift my own weight so nia.:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

That doesn't mean anything! You're a skinny watsit!

And back to the topic.

I want more gerdderm Mass Effect games...

[eldargal]

Ha! Owned.:p Being able to deadlift your own weight is impressive regardless of how much you weigh, or so I've been told.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

If you can carry me Yoda style, then you have lifted. :D

[Godless Zealot]

What a wonderful relationship you two have....:rolleyes:

[Psychosplodge]

Who said romance was dead? :)

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Indeed!

We both wish that we were a sexy alien race, seems legit. :p

I love my Non-Alien blondie so much. Hahaha.

[Psychosplodge]

But blue? ewww

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Would it matter if you were also blue? :p

[Psychosplodge]

probably, it's such an awful colour...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

But Storm Wardens are blue....

[Psychosplodge]

Under the armour?

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

They do have woad.

[Psychosplodge]

Still? in the 41st Millennium? how quaint...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

As opposed to the White Scars, who have war paint? :p

[Psychosplodge]

Tribal scarring is warpaint?

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

They wear red war paint. :p

[Psychosplodge]

Since when? Is that not the scars?

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Since ever, they are based on Mongols, who used war paint.

[Psychosplodge]

No mongols cut their faces in tribal scars. Have you not read the Conn Igguldon books?

anyway...
http://25.media.tumblr.com/e568dd0ab79dcdcc124ed7a3756f24c6/tumblr_mf7qsnzyFB1rcao0jo1_500.jpg

more than any type of war paint...

[eldargal]

Take it to the off topic thread.:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Okay honey. :)

[Psychosplodge]

Take it to the off topic thread.:p

:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Right, back to the topic.

Any more planned DLCs that we are aware of?

[eldargal]

Just the story DLC of which we know little, there may or may not be more to come after that. I would be surprised if there wasn't more ME3 multiplayer DLC given how popular it still seems to be.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I haven't played ME3 since I completed the campaign the first time, I need to redo the story when I can purchase the rest of the DLC. That means that I haven't played it's multiplayer. :p
So much DLC to buy!

Borderlands 2:
Captain Scarlett and her Pirate's Booty
Mr Torgue's Campaign of Carnage
Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt (when it releases)

Mass Effect 3:
Leviathan
Omega

Black Ops 2:
Season Pass

Dead Space 2: Severed

Mass Effect 1 + all DLCs
Mass Effect 2 + all DLCs

and there are probably more...

[eldargal]

Ha, Captain Scarlett.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Yep. :D

She's quite cool, a lot of funny lines.

[eldargal]

Pfft, lern2geek (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Scarlet_and_the_Mysterons).

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I am aware of the Captain Scarlet that you are thinking of....

[eldargal]

Well you are now.:p

ME3 multiplayer is fun, still trying to unlock the new Asari infiltrator though.

[Psychosplodge]

But more importantly, when's the "game of the year edition" of borderlands two released so all the dlc is there...

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Well you are now.:p

Na, my Mum watched it when she was younger...
Did you notice that I separated the two lines? That meant that I had moved onto another point.


ME3 multiplayer is fun, still trying to unlock the new Asari infiltrator though.

I suppose I'll find out about that when I put BlOps2 down. :D


@Psycho - I should have bought the Season Pass, it would have cost the same...

[Godless Zealot]

I should have bought the Season Pass, it would have cost the same...

I'm pretty sure the season pass offers don't expire you should still be able to get it to save money.

Convinced a few of my friends to start playing ME3 multiplayer whilst I am going through the series. Considering the fuss that was made when it was announced it's really fun. Plenty of free expansions too though I'm having a bit of trouble unlocking what I actually want :(.

[Psychosplodge]

Nah because by the time they release the goty edition they're usually down to about £20 any way...

[Kirsten]

I tried the ME3 multiplayer and got a little bored of it in the end, same thing over and over, and the fact that you had to keep playing it to keep the percentage completion rate up for the single player was annoying. I really hope the do some DLC that allows you to alter decisions from the earlier games without having to play them again, like they did for 2 that allowed you to make decisions from the first game again

[DrLove42]

I found the difficulty curve on multiplayer a little too extreme.

Bronze - Fairly easy, Only fail if your team mates are idiots
Silver - Good challenge. Succesful extraction 60% of the time, more if your team mates communicate
Gold - **** you game. Just **** you

[Kirsten]

oh and yes to being blue, blue chicks are hot. elf ears too, nom nom nom

[Godless Zealot]

Perhaps I can see how the multiplayer could become boring after a while but I'm new to it so for me it still feels fresh. The big thing I notice whilst replaying the first game is the disparity between combat systems, it's so much better in the third. I don't think the percentages matter anymore after they released the extended cut dlc. As for difficulty haven't tried Gold or Platinum level yet we usually to get to wave 9 or 10 on Silver and then fail....

Not sure if they'd do a 'Genesis' comic type thing for the third game. Also my issue with the Genesis comic is that it only pulls across the major decisions from the first game. It assumes you didn't do any additional objectives or assignments. Also coming to the conclusion that blue chicks are overrated...:p

[Kirsten]

well the genesis dlc was basically a port of the PS3 system of getting you to make the key decisions from 1, what I want is a system that allows you to alter your decisions to change 3 without having to replay two whole games, it could be as simple as a checklist, they already have a list of previous decisions for 3, you load a saved game from 2 as normal, then get to alter that list

[Godless Zealot]

they already have a list of previous decisions for 3, you load a saved game from 2 as normal, then get to alter that list

I haven't got as far as importing into three yet I didn't know that, sounds good! Having a checklist like that for a fresh start would be a good idea. Though I expect this is where someone tells us to 'Lern2PC' or something as I believe on the PC you can basically just do all that with a save editor.

[eldargal]

I found the difficulty curve on multiplayer a little too extreme.

Bronze - Fairly easy, Only fail if your team mates are idiots
Silver - Good challenge. Succesful extraction 60% of the time, more if your team mates communicate
Gold - **** you game. Just **** you
I only play Gold when I can play with some friends who know what they are doing and they can talk over vent or something. That doesn't happen often sadly. Silver is usually ok so long as you save your missile launcher thingamies to deal with big things fast on the last wave or two.

ME3 is fun so long as you vary the maps and enemies, otherwise it does get boring if you are facing Cerberus on Firebase Whichever over and over. This is easier now that there are a lot more than 3 firebases as it was when ME3 shipped.


oh and yes to being blue, blue chicks are hot. elf ears too, nom nom nom
Tiny LOTR style elf ears or big, Warcraft style elf ears you can use for handles? I prefer the latter personally...

[Kirsten]

hehe, either works for me

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Tiny LOTR style elf ears or big, Warcraft style elf ears you can use for handles? I prefer the latter personally...

Is this a hint?

*sigh*

Be right back, elf ears...

[eldargal]

Not a hint, big elf ears look silly on boys.:p

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Okay. :)
Help me be a Turian, it would be awesome. Then I would be exactly like Garrus! :D

Or! I could be Jace, he's hawt.
<-

[Psychosplodge]

oh and yes to being blue, blue chicks are hot. elf ears too, nom nom nom

Blue chicks, no.

But I can get on board with the elf ears.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

But I can get on board with the elf ears.

Agreed, and yes, that IS a hint to you EG. :p

[eldargal]

Pfft I'm getting prosthetic elf ears made for me, not you.:p

[Deadlift]

Caution possible spoilers.



So I have just charged though this game in the last 3 days and finished it today. I am sure in this thread there is much discussion about the ending. Mine was not great because I didn't do any online gaming. So I went red and everyone died, including my alien girlfriend Tali. ( i got the picture of her in my cabin, not bad even with 3 fingers ) Well the whole of earth actually :).
But I watched the other endings on YouTube and it looks like the green ending was the one to go for. Either way I enjoyed the series, but would have liked to see Shepard hooked up and still alive rather than either burnt to a crisp or consumed by some laser beam thing. 3 games just to see him die lol. Oh well.
So although I am late to the party, I can say I loved the games, but not to keen on the final chapter.

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

Pfft I'm getting prosthetic elf ears made for me, not you.:p

I don't want to have elf ears. I want YOU to have elf ears. :p

[Learn2Eel]

Caution possible spoilers.



So I have just charged though this game in the last 3 days and finished it today. I am sure in this thread there is much discussion about the ending. Mine was not great because I didn't do any online gaming. So I went red and everyone died, including my alien girlfriend Tali. ( i got the picture of her in my cabin, not bad even with 3 fingers ) Well the whole of earth actually :).
But I watched the other endings on YouTube and it looks like the green ending was the one to go for. Either way I enjoyed the series, but would have liked to see Shepard hooked up and still alive rather than either burnt to a crisp or consumed by some laser beam thing. 3 games just to see him die lol. Oh well.
So although I am late to the party, I can say I loved the games, but not to keen on the final chapter.

Have you downloaded any of the DLC? The Extended Cut Ending makes it a lot easier to get a "good" ending, though there is no way to avoid Shepard dieing - unless you get the "good" ending and pick the red option.

[eldargal]

/never lost a Shepard.:p

Did lose EDI.:(

[Tzeentch's Dark Agent]

I can't even remember...

[Psychosplodge]

Caution possible spoilers.



3 games just to see him die lol.

The female voice actor is supposedly mile better, also three games in third person and you choose to stare at a blokes arse? :D

[eldargal]

Yep, Jennifer Hale ftw. FemShep sounds so much better than BroShep, no offense to the voice actor.

[Godless Zealot]

The female voice actor is supposedly mile better, also three games in third person and you choose to stare at a blokes arse? :D

There's too much female arse in the game anyway what with Miranda and the like, why not balance it out with Brosheps buns of steel?

Hale is definitely very good, but going through with Broshep at the moment and Mark Meer is growing on me. Also he's a stellar guy check this out!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUCj5U8VPCE

[Deadlift]

The female voice actor is supposedly mile better, also three games in third person and you choose to stare at a blokes arse? :D

Well the whole romance thing really decided the sex of Shepard for me, I just couldn't bring myself to chat up one of the fellas on the Normandy.

If I had the choice of race, Well Krogan it would have to be. I love those bad *** turtle dudes.

Having another crack at the game. Going to get a better ending and I have downloaded the extended ending.