ATTN: FRIENDS OF EARTHA

[Cain]

This thread requires more highly relevant Mass Effect 3 information.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

This thread requires more highly relevant Mass Effect 3 information.

I concur.

[Cain]

Three NPCs from previously play throughs will die, assuming they survived the suicide mission in the second game.  One in particular is so awesome, it will bring tears to your eyes.  Badass death does not even begin to cover it.

However, there is a fourth who will have a fake death.  Because said character is just too awesome to die.

It also occurs to me that, with the greater freedom of movement in this game, a Vanguard could really do some serious damage - above and beyond the serious damage they are normally capable of, that is.  Biotic Charge, then combat rolling away, only to throw out a Nova could really ruin a lot of people's day.  Especially with a grenade in the mix.

I will say I do miss the presence of heavy weapons, though. Especially when fighting mechs.  A heavy pistol is good and all, for taking down armour, but a missile launcher is just that much better.

[Freeky]

How are the graphics on it?  Are they shiny?

[Cain]

They are.  There isn't a huge difference between it and Mass Effect 2, certainly not to the same degree that there was between 2 and 1...but in this game, it's the smaller things that they've paid attention to.

For instance, lense flare. At certain angles, when playing the game, you will get lense flare, like you were watching it through a camera.  It's a small thing, but still cool as hell.  Another is shadows...something a lot of older machines are having trouble rendering, I notice.  If the machine can't handle it, the game looks really dark and not all that good...if it can, though, like my laptop, then it adds an extra dimension to the visuals which is much appreciated.

[Scribbly]

Three NPCs from previously play throughs will die, assuming they survived the suicide mission in the second game.  One in particular is so awesome, it will bring tears to your eyes.  Badass death does not even begin to cover it.

However, there is a fourth who will have a fake death.  Because said character is just too awesome to die.

It also occurs to me that, with the greater freedom of movement in this game, a Vanguard could really do some serious damage - above and beyond the serious damage they are normally capable of, that is.  Biotic Charge, then combat rolling away, only to throw out a Nova could really ruin a lot of people's day.  Especially with a grenade in the mix.

I will say I do miss the presence of heavy weapons, though. Especially when fighting mechs.  A heavy pistol is good and all, for taking down armour, but a missile launcher is just that much better.

I have it on good authority that precisely what happens to your characters changes depending on the decisions you've taken in previous games - not just who lived and who died last time, but more indepth, weird things. A buttefly flaps its wings, etc...

I have yet to get around to playing ME2. I'll probably pick them both up in this year's Steam Sale.

[Freeky]

Ooo! 

[Scribbly]

Of course, this also means you want to have a consistent playthrough from ME1 all the way through to ME3. As I've lost my ME1 for 360, I'm actually going to have to pick up the whole lot. Hope it is a bundle!

The Penny Arcade guys have also said a lot of people are annoyed at the ending... but that they seem to miss the point that the entire last game is the ending. It is like one huge book. You'll miss a lot if you skip segments or 'read it out of order'. Unlike a lot of other video games.

I'm really excited that Mass Effect seems to have taken such a massive step forwards in terms of narrative and storytelling. I certainly feel it has done more for that than Skyrim has (although Skyrim is still a great game, no doubt)

[East Coast Hustle]

I like Deci. After getting trolled pretty hard...IDK, he's funny to me.

We're not trolling him at all. He really is an assburger jerkoff with delusions of grandeur (or even relevance) and we really do mean every terrible and dickish thing we say to him.

That said, I invite him to come to the 5 Point on tuesday night and have a few rounds with me. Just having the sack to show up would go a long way towards earning him a tiny modicum of respect, and I promise I won't let him get his lily-white ass kicked by the regulars unless he does something to desperately deserve it.

Of course, I'd bet my savings he'll try to cover up the fact that he's too chickenshit by saying something snarky about how a place like the 5 Point is beneath him, as though he had any amount of class.

[Cain]

Quite possible, that individual choices would have an effect further down the line.

For instance, for all I know, Miranda was a recruitable character, but since I dumped her, she ain't too willing to tag along with me and kill things.  If I hadn't pursued the romance option, but she was loyal, then perhaps she would be killing stuff along side me - though we'd need to arrange a change in wardrobe first.

I managed to grab Mass Effect 1 off Amazon for about £15 - and this was in September 2011, so chances are it is even cheaper now.

And yeah, Bioware are pretty much the kings of narrative storytelling - though they are studying Skyrim quite closely for Dragon Age III.  Not sure for exactly what elements - especially since they said the narrative would move back to the much more popular first story kind, while they would improve upon the combat system from the second game - which a lot of people did like.  So, maybe just in terms of general world interaction?  Integrating the physics introduced in the second game more?  Who knows?

As for the ending....my guess is that it is an ending with a twist.  We don't know exactly what the Reapers want.  I've managed to recruit about 75% of the total forces I could have at my disposal, and it's still not clear.  My suspicion is there will be something which prevents you from blowing up Harbinger - which oh so many players were looking forward to.

Another thing I like is how tight the movement between cut-scenes and play is.  It really can catch you by surprise, it is sometimes so smooth.  And it definitely adds to the movie-like appeal of the game.

[DECI4]

I like Deci. After getting trolled pretty hard...IDK, he's funny to me.

We're not trolling him at all. He really is an assburger jerkoff with delusions of grandeur (or even relevance) and we really do mean every terrible and dickish thing we say to him.

That said, I invite him to come to the 5 Point on tuesday night and have a few rounds with me. Just having the sack to show up would go a long way towards earning him a tiny modicum of respect, and I promise I won't let him get his lily-white ass kicked by the regulars unless he does something to desperately deserve it.

Of course, I'd bet my savings he'll try to cover up the fact that he's too chickenshit by saying something snarky about how a place like the 5 Point is beneath him, as though he had any amount of class.

When you want to meet? Anytime after tuesday would be great and I'd be willing to bet 100$ I could kick the shit out of you in a fair fight. Let me know man.

Otherwise we could just have a shot or two and talk industry stuff. I don't hold internet grudges, we could just talk shop and call it a night.

[Faust]

Yea guys lets back up Nigel on this, she is much more popular. Even if no one else has any stake or involvement in the conversation, lets all give our opinions and really talk this out.

My god, he's right!

[DECI4]

Hey, let me know soon if you can, I'd like to be able to get a drink or three if I get hurt and my finances aren't going to be very great until after tuesday.

[East Coast Hustle]

Unfortunately I'm only gonna be there tuesday night. I'm taking a train home to PDX wednesday morning. But I should be at either the Fiver of the Funhouse from around 11pm until closing time.

And I don't get internet and IRL crossed either, I'd rather have drinks and shoot the shit than pretend the shit we talk on PD has any bearing on real life. Though I gotta point out, people who fight fair are people who lose fights. I learned that the hard way when I bounced at Jimmy Z's in Ever-rot (now Haley's).

And I should be home for 4 or 5 weeks so I'll be up to Seatown again at some point during that time. My old lady is going to LA for a week in early April so I'll probably go north that week rather than sit around home drinking alone. I'll hit you up if/when it happens.

[East Coast Hustle]

For that matter, let me know if you find yourself headed down to PDX anytime. If I'm home I'll buy you a few rounds and drag you to Devils Point to watch the naked fire dancers.