Mass Effect 3 "exclusives" are starting to pop up.

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xMurphyx

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Jun 2, 2008
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One thing I would like to know before I go buy ME3: Are the missions all the same again? The scenery is occasionally breathtaking, but all in all every bit of combat in Mass Effect 2 seems to revolve around either long, knee-high or narrow, person-high crates, arranged in a way that makes every engagement play out the same, at around the same ranges! It really doesn't matter much what weapon you chose to specialize with, because whether it's a shot-gun or a sniper, you're always in just about the right range... I'm playing Infiltrator and I haven't had to snipe anyone yet, I think. The only difference between me and an assault rifle person is I point and click and they point and hold click.
It wasn't like that in Mass Effect 1.:( In ME1 if enemies came too close you switched to your pistol. Or if you were shot-gun kinda guy you switched to the pistol if they were too far away. In ME2 the only reason for me to play with the pistols is to save ammo for my sniper, because it's too scarce to use just that.

The enemies are all more or less identical as well, the main difference being that some have shields or other shield-like effects. They do have different weapons and different special abilities, but what's it matter really?
Games like Gears or Halo have different types of enemies that really are different and require you to treat them differently. In Mass Effect 2 the only different treatment an enemy gets out of me is what instant-damage special ability I chose from the wheel, based on what color his shield has.

I just did three missions on Nos Astra and they were all exactly the same. They even all had someone standing outside making an important phone-call about something or other they lost but they won't talk to you. Surprise, the thing they need is in the combat area and you can bring it to them afterwards... Three times. The exact same bit. On the same planet, no less.

It's astonishing how a game of such ridiculously high quality (voice acting, design, graphics, interactivity, even writing, aside from the insanely rigid, predictable structure) can be so boring. :(

Is Mass Effect 3 more organic in this regard?
 

Jacks:Revenge

╠╣E╚╚O
Jun 18, 2006
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somewhere; sometime?
sigh.

looks like it's another pirates life for me.

Pirates_Peter_Pan.jpg
 
The Protean mission is 10$ if you don't have the CE. If you have the CE you get it for free.

Technically you're dropping more money for the CE, so you're paying the same (I don't remember if the CE was 69.99 or more). In any case, it was an unfortunate move no matter who made the call. After the first game I was very interested in the idea of the Protheans, but then Mass Effect 2 kinda spoiled it a bit.

Collectors are Protheans? Really?

Considering how companion numbers and interactions are less of a focus with ME3 I'm quite disappointed that the most intriguing concept for any companion thus far was left out of the box. Besides unique game lore you won't hear about otherwise, I learned from a friend who got the day 1 DLC that the Prothean is the strongest companion character as well. Thanks for continuing to not make me feel bad about ignoring all your DLC content Bioware (Almost as bad as when I played Dragon Age and a salesman offered me a really good discount on a powerful item, and when I checked his wares it took me to a download page). Besides that mess my reaction continues to be positive so far. Hoping they don't pull a Matrix Revolutions with the ending...

@Murphy: The combat functions more or less how it worked in ME2.
 
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Fights have been rather short in my game and can be resolved quickly, yes. I play as a Vanguard and limit myself to a Heavy Pistol and a Shotgun. My playstyle is very aggressive and probably accounts for this. But I use armor piercing rounds on just about every target in the game and spam with biotics between reloads. So yeah, variety in strategy is low, although there are a few enemies you'll want to focus on first in each group because they generally have annoying abilities like placing turrets or buffing lesser attackers.

These aren't strong games when it comes to combat anyway, but consider this a refinement of ME2 in most respects.The cover system is still pretty twitchy at times when compared to games that do it better, like Gears. The ammo system from 2 is used again. Improvements that are notable are that damage is localized better in regards to hits on body parts, armor can be shot off, and the melee system is very dependable.

When I think of Mass Effect 1, I remember spending endless excursions on moons in and out of the vehicle, and I find this is the element I miss the most from the sequels. There was more discovery in the locations and in dialogue. I do not recall the actual combat fondly. Between this trilogy the Dragon Age games, ME3 probably has the best balance with what it has to work with.
 
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dragonfliet

I write stuffs
Apr 24, 2006
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Is Mass Effect 3 more organic in this regard?
There are more enemy types, from ravagers that don't take cover, but spam you with rocket attacks to phantoms (which are little bitches), nemesis', banshees, etc. The variety is a pleasure. You're never going to NEED a sniper rifle, (well, a few times it would be nice), but there is a better range of distances. Enemies will flank you and close in (particularly units that charge rather than take cover), so yeah, I would say it's much better in that aspect. It's still not as good as something like GoW, tbh, but it is much closer.
 

ambershee

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Apr 18, 2006
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The variety in enemies is somewhat better, and I like the weapons setup a lot more. Most of the Reaper based enemies are still pretty annoying. Husks were the worst part of ME2, and woefully they haven't changed. Swarmers are annoying but avoidable, some other enemies have annoyingly high quantities of hit points.

You don't need a sniper rifle - you can use the single shot assault rifle quite happily, as it's perfectly accurate. I used that exclusively with the Scorpion for a large part of the game, until I worked out where to pick up the heavier machine gun from the previous game (then kitted it out with stabiliser and extended barrel) - then took one of the semi-auto sniper rifles and realised it actually carries more ammo than the assault rifle I'd been using..


I can never remember the names of the weapons in this damned game - they're too generic xD
 
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Vaskadar

It's time I look back from outer space
Feb 12, 2008
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Don't get it.

Combat Dialogue in ME1 was awful. You get tossed around like a retarded raggedy ann doll in ME1 if there are ANY biotics involved. Did I mention awful combat dialogue? Oh, and the sprinting system was pretty bad.

Seemed to be a cliche of many earlier Unreal Engine 3 games: Include ragdoll to show off our physics! D:

Get shot while on hoverboard in UT3? Get ragdolled. Press the feign death key? Get ragdolled. Get hit with smoke grenade in Gears 2? Get ragdolled. Get hit with biotics in ME1? Get ragdolled.

Turns out that's just not a good idea for a mechanic.

If you still don't get it, I was using the video as a comparative. Having played ME1 all the way through at least 4 times (three times before formatted hard drive)... the combat sequences were pretty awful.
 
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Sir_Brizz

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Feb 3, 2000
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Combat Dialogue in ME1 was awful. You get tossed around like a retarded raggedy ann doll in ME1 if there are ANY biotics involved. Did I mention awful combat dialogue? Oh, and the sprinting system was pretty bad.

Seemed to be a cliche of many earlier Unreal Engine 3 games: Include ragdoll to show off our physics! D:

Get shot while on hoverboard in UT3? Get ragdolled. Press the feign death key? Get ragdolled. Get hit with smoke grenade in Gears 2? Get ragdolled. Get hit with biotics in ME1? Get ragdolled.

Turns out that's just not a good idea for a mechanic.

If you still don't get it, I was using the video as a comparative. Having played ME1 all the way through at least 4 times (three times before formatted hard drive)... the combat sequences were pretty awful.
But by this definition, practically every game has better combat than ME1 :p I didn't mind the combat in ME1 but I'm not so foolish as to think that ME2 and ME3 aren't greatly improved in this area.
 

ambershee

Nimbusfish Rawks
Apr 18, 2006
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ME3 has the best combat of the series. It's the small touches like the variety of mini games, the frequent focus on debate/conversation and strength of the decision making in ME1 that makes me prefer it though.
 

NRG

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Dec 31, 2005
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As I'm sure everyone in this thread is aware of, the majority of the players are unhappy with the ending. And now there's the "Indoctrination Theory" of why everything turned out the way it did and why so many people find it so confusing.

Here's a video explaining it pretty well. Filled with spoilers and ending sequences
[M]http://youtu.be/ZZOyeFvnhiI[/M]

Personally I think all the evidence he provides is pretty loose and can easily be explained by other means. Tin foil hat stuff really. But most of it is possible, makes interesting ideas and would be an impressive level of interwoven complexity of the story. I wouldn't mind if it's true either.
 

dragonfliet

I write stuffs
Apr 24, 2006
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Honestly, the ending is an example of some pretty bad writing no matter which theory you go with--it lacks an intelligible internal consistency. It isn't terrible, like the internet is raging about, but it isn't good either. I really liked ME3 and I think it is a damned good game, but like all Bioware games, when they miss the mark, they miss it pretty freaking wide.

Let me take this further: Bioware has a lot of interesting writers on their staff that occasionally tap into some pretty strong moments for their characters. They do not, however, have any particularly good ones. That's not fair. They have a handful of good ones and not a single great one. The games are still fun to play, the stories are still interesting, there just doesn't seem to be a particular focus on excellence.