main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Gaming Mass Effect Series

Discussion in 'Community' started by Valyn, Sep 7, 2012.

  1. Lazy Storm Trooper

    Lazy Storm Trooper Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 18, 2012
    I just got the Trilogy boxset during a sale today at Best Buy. Going to start with ME after I finish Arkham City and Splinter Cell: Blacklist.
     
  2. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    Trilogy set doesn't come with all the DLC, are you planning to pick any of that up? Some of it is very story-important while others are just pieces of very entertaining content.
     
  3. Lazy Storm Trooper

    Lazy Storm Trooper Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 18, 2012
    What DLCs are story important, if you don't mind me asking?
     
  4. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    Mass Effect 1's DLCs are completely non-essential.

    For Mass Effect 2, Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival. Kasumi adds an extra squadmate and Overlord has a great story but these two aren't essential.

    For Mass Effect 3, Leviathan is the only essential one to the story (it really helps build towards the ending), though I would also say Citadel is a must-have in terms of finishing the character arcs of the trilogy. Omega is a bunch of fun but not essential in any way. From Ashes adds a very important squadmate to your roster, but it's a little pricey for the content gained. Pick it up if you have the money, don't bother if you don't.

    If you go through with buying those four, ensure you play Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival after you finish ME2. That's where they take place and they link ME2 to ME3. Leviathan should be played after Thessia in ME3, else the things Shepard says earlier won't make sense. Likewise, Citadel should be played directly prior to the final mission (the game will let you know when the point-of-no-return is).

    Know that if you bought the PS3 trilogy set you get Kasumi, Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker on the disc for ME2.

    Hope that's not too confusing!
     
    TheMDOSS1313 likes this.
  5. Lazy Storm Trooper

    Lazy Storm Trooper Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 18, 2012
  6. Jedi_Jason5001

    Jedi_Jason5001 Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 30, 2001
    So ... would it be better to upgrade my weapons then?
     
  7. DarthCane

    DarthCane Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 30, 2002
    Assuming you've played through ME3 before, you should have a good idea of what guns work for you. With that in mind, I'd advise upgrading your personal bread-and-butter staples, then niche guns you may occasionally use, then squadmate weapons. In addition to providing small boosts to damage, accuracy, and ammunition capacity, upgraded guns are lighter. Right now I have an adept running around with a Punisher X SMG (ultralight materials V/power amplifier V), M-358 Talon X pistol (ultralight materials V/piercing mod V), and M-13 Raptor sniper rifle (thermal scope V/piercing mod V) while maintaining a 172% recharge bonus. My soldier is frankly ridiculous; N7 Typhoon X, N7 Piranha X, and an ultralight Executioner pistol while maintaining a ~50% cooldown bonus.
     
    Jedi_Jason5001 likes this.
  8. Jedi Ben

    Jedi Ben Chosen One star 9

    Registered:
    Jul 19, 1999
    Get From Ashes ME3, not just a companion is got but an excellent gun.
     
  9. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Every DLC basically is important
     
  10. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    Certainly not the case, though Mass Effect does in general have a high quality of DLC with good story additions, so I bought them all. Lazy Storm Trooper, however, asked what was most essential. Some are much more important than others.

    Agreed, Particle Rifle is my favourite gun in ME3. I love that it handles like a gun from the original game that overheats and it both looks and sounds beautiful. Does a lot of damage too.
     
  11. DarthCane

    DarthCane Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 30, 2002
    ME1: Bring Down the Sky is not essential, but it's a fun mission and last I checked you could get it for free (well, at least I did for the PC). Pinnacle Station is pretty much worthless from what I've heard.

    ME2: Lair of the Shadow Broker gets you a lot of bang for the buck in terms of a great mission, developing Liara's character (as well as your other squadmates, given that you get to read their mail), and providing some nice bonuses for ME2 and ME3. Stolen Memory gets you Kasumi, a fun mission, and just about the most useful gun in the game - the M-12 Locust, which is a must-have for about any non-soldier character. The Price of Revenge isn't really essential, but I got it free on my PC copy along with Firewalker (which is pointless); that nets you Zaeed as well as the ability to unlock the M-920 Cain before Horizon (makes that first Praetorian fight much, much easier). Arrival and Overlord are fun and net you some extra ME3 dialogue and war assets, but I would not term them essential. I actually like to do LotSB right before boarding the Collector ship; it unlocks a number of useful upgrades and somehow it makes more sense to me. Arrival however is best done after the Suicide Mission.

    ME3: Citadel, From Ashes, and Leviathan are the three that I would advise picking up. Citadel because it's just plain fun, From Ashes because it gets you Javik and his Particle Rifle (not my favorite gun, but useful), and Leviathan because it's well done and gets you into the origins of the Reapers. Omega is not essential; pick it up if you have the funds, memory space, and inclination but that's about it.

    The weapons DLCs are also not essential, but for $2 apiece the ME3 ones aren't a bad investment if you feel like adding to your arsenal.
     
  12. TheRevanchist

    TheRevanchist Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Dec 13, 2012
    I seriously hate DLC. They are just a way to get some extra money from people. There are exceptions of course, like Awakening of Dragon Age which build a nice story with completely different characters but still I hate the majority of them.

    Mass Effect DLC are quality but still I think it is wrong. Especially the first day DLC on ME3 (which to be fair is a must have) but should have been on the game originally. Just imagine Thesia without him, it wouldn't make sense. Have played only Arrival from ME2 DLC, while I played Leviathan. It gives you a bit of much needed backstory that's for sure. It contradicts a bit the ending though. Shepard saying something like 'Leviathan will be essential in this war' or something like that, yeah, sure. Didn't played Omega and Citadel because at that time I was so pissed off on EAware for ruining one of my much loved franchise. If I ever play Mass Effect games again, I likely will play those missed DLC but still I think it is a wrong model.
     
    Six likes this.
  13. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    Eh... sometimes.

    When done right, DLC provides strong new material for a game you've already experienced, and may inspire you to complete another playthrough. It also provides the opportunity to do stuff that wouldn't be as accepted in the core game: see Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, the Tyranny of King Washington for Assassin's Creed III or even the Citadel DLC for it's incredibly sentimental tones.

    Having From Ashes be $10/£8 Day 1 DLC was despicable though. At least have it be free with new copies of the game ala The Stone Prisoner or the Cerberus Network.
     
    Darth_Invidious and TheMDOSS1313 like this.
  14. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Kinda hope we get Garrus as a group member in the new Mass Effect game
     
    Shadow Trooper likes this.
  15. heels1785

    heels1785 Skywalker Saga + JCC Manager / Finally Won A Draft star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Dec 10, 2003
    I second that. Garrus, Garrus. What a great character.
     
  16. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    While I love the core ME characters, I'm really hoping for a clean slate in ME4. Reintroduce me to the galaxy, to these species, make everything feel new again. ME3 had a metric ****ton of fanservice, so I feel like I had a long enough time with all those characters, though I'll get to see 'em all one more time in the Foundation comic once it's collected in a nice hardcover. :)
     
  17. Six

    Six Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 9, 2014
    I still can't get over how bad ME3s ending was. I literally couldn't sleep that night, I was so pissed off.
     
    Darth_Invidious and Bob Octa like this.
  18. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
    Would be cool to see spinoff games based off every or certain companions from the series
     
  19. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012

    Clean slate? You never clean slate Garrus Vakarian! Ever! :p
     
  20. Shadow Trooper

    Shadow Trooper Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 18, 2013
    This. I don't care if Shep is gone, but it wouldn't be Mass Effect without Garrus.
     
    Legolas Skywalker likes this.
  21. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012
  22. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    Except you can actually skip recruiting him in the original game and he can never appear in the third. :p
     
    Mia Mesharad likes this.
  23. Shadow Trooper

    Shadow Trooper Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 18, 2013
    Well those people are obviously playing the game wrong. ;)
     
  24. Deputy Rick Grimes

    Deputy Rick Grimes Jedi Grand Master star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 3, 2012

    Whoever does that isn't a true Mass Effect fan :p

    Plus I hope Bioware re-release these games onto the new consoles when the new game comes out.
     
  25. 07jonesj

    07jonesj Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 16, 2010
    There is no such thing as a true Mass Effect fan. Except somebody who skips all of the dialogue. Heathens.

    Besides that, I think it's pretty awesome that two playthroughs can be so different. There are, of course, some choices (even major ones) that make absolutely no effect to maintain the course of the main plot, but there are a lot of characters that can die early and some pretty badass Renegade interrupts to make.
     
    Circular Logic and Mia Mesharad like this.