Mass Effect

[Maiandra]

They seem to be having a sale on Steam until January 2. Bioshock is only $4.99!

Now I just have to decide which games to get. Mass Effect is certainly high on the list.

[Maiandra]

Continuing on from here, where the topic got sidetracked to Mass Effect.

We bought the boxed PC version of the game. Partly because the price is now pretty reasonable, even with the DRM limitations, and partly because I'm hoping they'll release a patch for it allows you to release licenses of it. They did that for Spore. Even if they don't, my computer is fairly new and I imagine I'll have it for a while, so I can't see the need to use up another license myself any time soon. I don't normally play games more than once anyway.

[Tawmis]

MASS EFFECT is a lot of fun, Mia! I'd wager you will play it for light side and dark side (if you're familiar with BIOWARE's KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC... same idea, basically... or even JADE EMPIRE, again, by BIOWARE).

[AndreaDraco]

MASS EFFECT is a lot of fun, Mia! I'd wager you will play it for light side and dark side (if you're familiar with BIOWARE's KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC... same idea, basically... or even JADE EMPIRE, again, by BIOWARE).

I've just started playing KoTOR in what I hope will be a Bioware marathon consisting of KoTOR 1 and 2, Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins. I found it horrible...

... ah, who am I kidding? I'm finding it awesome! I can't wait to play through it!

[Tawmis]

MASS EFFECT is a lot of fun, Mia! I'd wager you will play it for light side and dark side (if you're familiar with BIOWARE's KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC... same idea, basically... or even JADE EMPIRE, again, by BIOWARE).

I've just started playing KoTOR in what I hope will be a Bioware marathon consisting of KoTOR 1 and 2, Mass Effect and Dragon Age: Origins. I found it horrible...

... ah, who am I kidding? I'm finding it awesome! I can't wait to play through it!

Please be advised that KOTOR 2 was actually done by OBSIDIAN ENTERTAINMENT... and thus, inferior to KOTOR1 (in my view). Mind you Obsidian is a great company (they were especially nice to Adam and I when we got a contract with Atari to do some machinima pieces for them!) - but they lack the experience I think (and the writing skill) that Bioware has. There is no company out there (in my view) that can even begin to compete with Bioware.

Also Mass Effect 2 comes out in Jan 2010... So that should come after Dragon Age: Origins...

In case you were not aware.

You may have seen my FB - I went a little crazy with the Dragon Age stuff...

[DeadPoolX]

Here's some good news: EA came out with a tool that deauthorizes your copy of Mass Effect (for the PC), so you can uninstall it without using up an activation. It's probably a little late for some people, but at least the tool is there for those who can use it.

I've going to use it. For some reason, my copy of ME wants me to get a new access code and reinstall Bring Down The Sky (which I've already done). It won't let me play the game and I'm only at the Citadel! The game runs fine otherwise. But I'm not going to spend hours and hours trying to fix this. I have plenty of other games to play.

[AndreaDraco]

You may have seen my FB - I went a little crazy with the Dragon Age stuff...

I'm downloading the character creator right now!

KotOR is really amazing. The NPC backstories are wonderful and I'm developing quite an attachment to Garth and Mission. I'm on Tatooine right now, and I'm officially addicted

[AndreaDraco]

Apologizing for derailing the thread a while ago, I think I'll share my very first impressions of Mass Effect.

This afternoon, while I was waiting to finish Jade Empire (as I said, I'm loving the game so much that I'm still delaying it: I'm at Chapter 7, and I don't want it to finish), I thought: let's see how ME runs on my not-so-new machine, so I installed the game and fired it.

Aside from the long loading screens (this machine has still only one core), the game runs just fine (thanks to my up-to-date graphic card), but I'm having a problem with the visual, which is, for my taste, to close to the character shoulder. Moreover, is there a way to keep the pause active without keeping the spacebar pressed? It's kind of annoying.

[Tawmis]

With the PC I am not certain. I have it on the console.

I need to pick these games up for the PC though... there's much to be done with PC versions of those games and my over active imagination.

[AndreaDraco]

Finally playing Mass Effect properly.

As much as I like it when it comes to exploring and dialogues and story, I can't manage to like it when it comes to fighting: for one, I'd like to be able to directly control the party members, and not just issue orders to them; then, I found the interface very cumbersome (I have to press the right button and drag the visual to highlight the enemy I want my party to target) and the fact that I have to keep the spacebar pressed is just another hindrance.

When it comes to combat, Dragon Age is perfect for me and my tactical approach. Mass Effect, in this regard, is too action-oriented for my tastes.

[Tawmis]

I think so, but first I have to play Mass Effect.

Finally playing Mass Effect properly.

As much as I like it when it comes to exploring and dialogues and story, I can't manage to like it when it comes to fighting: for one, I'd like to be able to directly control the party members, and not just issue orders to them; then, I found the interface very cumbersome (I have to press the right button and drag the visual to highlight the enemy I want my party to target) and the fact that I have to keep the spacebar pressed is just another hindrance.

When it comes to combat, Dragon Age is perfect for me and my tactical approach. Mass Effect, in this regard, is too action-oriented for my tastes.

Ah! But you must understand that MASS EFFECT predates DRAGON AGE. You can see the progression of development from KOTOR -> MASS EFFECT -> DRAGON AGE. With each one, just about everything about the game has gotten better - because they have taken small things and improved upon near perfection. So there are some things in MASS EFFECT 1 that are clearly done much better in DRAGON AGE - but I'd wager MASS EFFECT 2 will play A LOT more like DRAGON AGE than it will MASS EFFECT 1. For example, I'd wager that (I hope!) in MASS EFFECT 2 you CAN control your party members, rather than just give them commands (the way it was in KOTOR and MASS EFFECT 1).

[AndreaDraco]

Actually, in KotOR you could directly control your party members. It was JE that didn't allow you to use your follower, who could only be set in offensive or defensive mode.

Maybe it's because I'm still craving to play Dragon Age, but even the characters in ME doesn't click for me (aside from Garrus and maybe Tali the Quarian). I will play it through the end, though, since the story is good and the atmosphere great.

[Tawmis]

The story is really good. I actually really enjoyed Mass Effect. And because of it I went out and bought books like The Night Sky Revealed and such.

[Maiandra]

I thought the Mass Effect story was really good as well. There were a few interesting ideas in it that I hadn't expected.

I actually liked all the of the team members (to varying degrees) after getting to know them better, but I did especially liked Tali and Garrus as well. I heard that Tali is in ME2! The thing I really liked about these characters and the ones in DA are that they seem more like real people. They don't have personalities that are too extreme either way like the party members in earlier games often had. Some of them are more "good" or less "good", but they have their own stories and motivations that are actually somewhat convincing.

[AndreaDraco]

I finally reached a point in ME1 when the game finally clicked for me.

On Noveria, when you fight Matriarch Benezia. And right afterwards, when Shepard was forced to choose between Liara and Ashley

On a very personal side-note, I'm obviously disappointed by the lack of viable gay romance option, so rightfully done in Dragon Age, but I must admit that I found Liara and Ashley very likeable and compelling, whereas Kaidan leaves me pretty cold.

In the end, I chose Ashley (mainly because I was pretty much speechless after she recited the Tennyson's poem: beautiful), but I'm already planning a second playthrough to choose the other one. A question for Maia: have you romanced Kaidan in your playthrough? If so, how's his romance story? Is it worth exploring?

Anyway, after playing the Noveria segment, I went away and ordered ME2