Help me play the Mass Effect series

"Back for another lesson? OK. I remember this mission on Citadel. Worst goddamn mission ever. Took a group of the most-bloodthirsty, killer, vicious bastards ever to the Citadel. Led by this guy who thought of nothing about putting 300,000 Batarians to the sword. So we go down, and all we do is go shopping. Christ. I still wake up in a cold sweat, dreaming about that one."

Funny, I also think that was one of the most awesome moments in the series, but I was able to get the happy ending* to that one. To each their own, I guess.

*Well, as close as possible to a happy ending.

Finally finished the first game. Still love the story - still strongly dislike the combat system. Absolutely despise the transport stages used to pad out the gameplay. The Mako wouldn't be so bad if it was not so obvious that this was its main purpose.

Played a bog-standard Paragon, sigh. Can't help myself.

Now, unto ME2, which I've owned for so long and only now gotten around to installing.

I usually play Vanguard, but I get the impression that they pretty much nerfed the parts I like about the character in ME2 (the feeling of playing fighter-mage). I'm thinking of either going infiltrator or full adept. Any tips on which class to play, keeping in mind that I am extremely unlikely to do this more than once?

They definitely did not nerf Vanguards in ME 2/3.

Yeah, Vanguards are gods in ME3. Though they're less fighter/mages and more just unstoppable killing machines. With shotguns.

The memorial wall on the Normandy where you chart the people you've lost is touching.

The way I played through the series was to get the best ending first, and then get everyone killed for the worst ending. When you're in the middle of the worst ending, you see the voids the fallen characters left.

I've been trying to get through Mass Effect 2 for the better part of the year, and today I finally realized I wasn't really having all that much fun with it. So if you don't think you're liking it, maybe it just isn't the game for you.

That was my impression ( Jasper). What I liked about Vanguards in ME1 was the combo of force (biotic) powers with combat skills, and that appears to have pretty much disappeared in these versions. And close combat is not quite my idea of fun in an FPS (and my first taste of comically staggering around with the controls in ME2 has not given me reason to change my mind yet).

"Empire" had the better ending. I mean, Luke gets his hand cut off, finds out Vader's his father, Han gets frozen and taken away by Boba Fett. It ends on such a down note. I mean, that's what life is, a series of down endings.

Zoom and boom, baby. Zoom and boom.

I'm 100% sure ESB wouldn't have been considered the best Star Wars film if it had been the final one in the series.

It is clearly better than ANH on pretty much every level; how would it not have been considered better had there been no more?

I'm not sure I follow what you're after. Vanguards are more of a combo of biotic force powers and weapons than any of the other classes, more so in ME2 and especially ME3 than in ME1. Though I'll grant you it does involve close combat, since Charge puts you right there. ;-)

Not for everyone though, I can see that.

Still, there's a fine line between it not working well and just being frustrating, and stomping on everything. Basically:
- Pimp out Charge so it fully recharges your shield (obviously).
- Keep your power recharge rate as quick as possible.
- Realize that you can interrupt Nova by rolling, which means it does no damage, but also costs no shield. You're still (briefly) invulnerable too.
- Realize that you can speed weapon reloads be interrupting them with any power use -- once the ammo is loaded you can interrupt the rest of the animation.
- Work melee attacks in between shotgun blasts.
- Works just fine with a (light) assault rifle too!

It's not all Charge either. One of the nice things about Shockwave is that it hits enemies through cover and even walls. Pull can be pretty handy too since it's so fast.

As for the controls, they seem pretty classic FPS to me. Are you playing on the 360 rather than a PC?

If you prefer mid-range combat (i.e. shotgun+Charge isn't your style), then probably you'll want to pick a class based on biotic power selection. Vanguards get Pull and Shockwave. Sentinels get Warp and Throw. Adepts get everything. Keep in mind that you'll have to get rid of enemy shields/armor before Pull and Throw will work.

My point is simply ME1 Vanguards felt like Adepts with combat abilities (especially if you gave them Singularity as a bonus power, which was usually a good idea). It meant that they were pretty flexible - you could throw around biotic powers when you wanted to, or go in guns blazing if one was more in the mood for that (it also gave a lot of flexibility in terms of selecting henchmen). Either style worked. From what I've read (and the little I've seen so far), ME2 Vanguards are specialist intended to be played in a very specific way. That's fine from the POV of game balance and all that, but pretty much makes them totally uninteresting from my POV.

Sadly, it doesn't seem like any of the ME2/3 classes really have that feel anymore, so I think I'll go for either an Adept or an Infiltrator (annoying not to be able to use those sniping rifles in the first game).

ME3 is very flexible, since any class can use any weapon it wants; the trade-off is more weapon weight = slower power recharge.

Pretty much. And yah vanguard in ME2/3 is a close assault specialist, te other powers are for when you're not charging. Which in ME3 is almost never, since you can get the power refresh time down so ludicrously low.

Did you try sentinel? That was the only biotic class that didn't have me going "grr, space magic." I can't remember what weapons they used, though. I DO remember I could do all the various shields and stuff myself? I am pretty sure?

Ah, I see what you're getting at. Either style does work in ME 2/3 though, despite all the internet denizens raving about maximizing Charge. You'll get a less potent build if you work around the other powers rather than Charge, but you'll also be less likely to die suddenly. ;-)

My ME2 memory here is a bit fuzzy, but it's definitely fine in ME 3 and on Gold multiplayer even what you wind up doing most of the time. The primary trick is that if you play on a harder difficulty you'll need to either first shoot down shields/armor before getting much mileage out of Pull and Shockwave, or use Biotic combos with a teammate to strip them since you aren't a self biotic combo machine like some of the other classes (errr, or are biotic explosions ME3 only? I forget). Though you can get decent mileage out of staggering even protected foes out of cover with Shockwave then shooting them.

An Adept or Sentinel I would say; Infiltrator too in ME3 if you pickup the ability that lets you use a power from stealth.

Honestly, of the classes I've played Vanguard has the most varied play, since what you want to do is so situational. The others easily find their niche, e.g. Stealth Sniping, Stasis crowd control, Warp -> Throw explosions, turret camping, etc. and then just do that constantly. Infiltrator is next, provided you don't play with a sniper rifle.

Thanks for the detailed appraisal, Jasper.

I've started with an infiltrator (wanted a bit of sniping action - so annoying to find good sniping positions in ME1, and not being able to use them for anything): Will see with ME3, I assume that it's possible to change over later again (i.e. between ME2 and 3).

No, they aren't. One of my favorite activities in later playthroughs was trying to bounce baddies off of the terrain into the depths below. Bonus points for two or more from the same detonation. :)

I agree. It's so fun charging into the middle of a pack of bad guys and -- on the spot -- figure out how I'm not going to die horribly. I'm unsure if this works in ME2, but in ME3 every baddie (and their mom) does not feature shielding which makes it a less dicey proposition.

Oh, to have a Trilogy Edition that ports ME1/ME2 into the ME3 engine...

I played a Soldier in ME1 and had a lot of fun with it. The game is designed so you can pretty much play any class, as opposed to many RPGs where you have to suffer early as a gimped magic-type-user (which you still do as an Adept in ME1) or suffer late if you're a brawler type (which you do not have to do in ME1). I loved being able to stand toe to toe with Geth...armatures, or whatever? And Saren at the end.

I switched to Infiltrator in ME2 because boom, headshot (as quat mentions). Not usually my style but I just fell in love with the sound effect the sniper rifle makes, like D'OHHHHH (YOUR HEAD GOT BLOWN OFF).

ME3 I think I went Vanguard, the one that has all the close-range powers. That took get used to but it was pretty fun.

I really want to replay the games because it was an overall fun ride (that ending still sucks though).

You do get the choice to switch again in ME3.

I don't suppose anyone would know where someone who is not in the US can buy Mass Effect 3 other than through EA Origin? I'm in Malaysia and Origin redirects me to EA Singapore.

Have you tried Greenman Gaming? http://www.greenmangaming.com/s/ie/en/pc/games/rpgs/mass-effect-3/
It does need an Origin account though, but as far a I know ME3 always needs Origin no matter where you buy it.

30% off with this code: GMG30-DPLIM-DN831

All the same places you would buy stuff that doesn't require Origin.

The problem is that all of these places don't sell to customers outside of a specified geographical region. It appears that Greenman Gaming doesn't work either. It doesn't specifically say I can't buy it, but I simply don't see a buy link while I do see such a link if I click on say Borderlands 2. As another example I have no idea if GamersGate sells Mass Effect 3 because if I search for it I can find the Mass Effect 3 official guide but not the game itself. I guess for folks in Asia it's either a physical disc or EA Singapore.

I'm sorry to hear GMG didn't work for you. Gamersgate doesn't have ME3 for us Europeans either. You may have to look for a boxed version somewhere.

You still need to install and run Origin to play though, right?

If you do Zaeed's mission as the last of the sidekick missions, with your Paragon
Score maxed out, it turns out much better.

You need it to validate the game and to play MP IIRC, but you do not need to keep Origin running like Steam to play it.

Which is why I said can and not will.

You should see Ass Worshipping Rimjobbers. THAT had a down ending.

You could see it coming though.

I've decided, now that I can DL Leviathan and a better ending, to go back and finish ME3.

I previously used the ME Datapad to get my Galactic Readiness rating up, but it no longer wants to connect. I assume that EA did what EA does and disconnected it once they decided that the expiration date was up.

So with the latest updates on ME3, is it possible to get the best ending without going outside of the game to use an app or grind multiplayer? Or do they still require that bullshit?

For what it's worth the bronze level multiplayer is actually more fun than you'd expect and you can get enough of a multiplier to get the best ending after like an hour of mp play. That was my experience back when the game came out though, so things may have changed with respect to whether it's necessary.

e: I think I recall something about them lowering the required war assets for the different endings, and if you have some of the DLCs maybe you won't need it.

You can get the "best" ending without going outside of single-player following the Extended Cut DLC.

You should have appropriate expectations, though. The term "best ending" is a misnomer as there does not exist an ending that doesn't totally suck. The extended cut improves the original, but it doesn't rectify the fundamental problems of the ending.

Try not to have any expectations, if that's at all possible. Not everyone hates the various endings.

Yeah, I was pretty satisfied with the ending. Knowing that a lot of people weren't is about as much expectations management as one needs - being any more pessimistic than that is perhaps risking group-thinking self-fulfilment. I knew there were unhappy people and that led me to experience it as - gee, that wasn't a bad ending. Especially to a challenging-to-finish story. And that was the original version, not the extended one that smoothed over some rough edges.

I'll have you know I am currently engaging full self-control right now. They don't call me Quitch "the gentle and caring" for nothing. I'm doing it for you, Jason. Because I care. Gently.