Mass Effect - "the" Xbox360 title to get

[Vocenoctum]

Well, the electronics skill states pretty clearily that it boosts your shields, plus Tali has a racial skill that boosts it even more. I did not get that the white bars were shields, and I'm not sure what their function is. Are they just extra hit points that regenerate quickly? I guess so. Oddly enough, that makes techies good tanks in some respects.

I've used Tali almost since I got her, she's more fun than the human chick or the Asari, and once you get her decent skills, her shields give her staying power, but she is still usually the first to die. (Unless of course, I get sniped.) Shields seem like temp hp basically, but can be bypassed by some attacks like the Rachni's poison, I think.

I also use Wrex, so with me being a Vanguard, I've got equal tech/bio/soldiering among my group. Wrex is another oddity, where being a Vanguard makes him weaker in some aspects, but then his Krogan skill makes him tougher.


For "lack of explanation" stuff, sometimes I wish they'd give you more ability to think on a decision. I had no clue what the advanced class stuff meant before having to pick one. It's not a major change or anything, barely noticeable even, but woulda been nice to have something in the manual saying "and consider your future when you can choose from..." and a brief outline.

 

[Vocenoctum]

And while we're adding things to the Sequel...

When the loot screen comes up, it'd be handy to be able to review/compare item stats so I know whether I should bother keeping it. My equipment lists get cluttered up pretty quickly.

In addition, some lists when you choose to destroy an item, it jumps to the top of the list. Some (like the loot list) seem almost random in it's jumping, and some stay where you were. I'd prefer to keep it where I was, so it's easier to delete a bunch of old gear (which is at the bottom usually.)

 

[mrtauntaun]

I'm the guy who wrote the banter and news-vids to try to make the elevators seem less dull.

Bless you! I thought those voice overs were a great little touch. Though after reading the PA nitpicks, I can say they are not nearly as annoying to me. Maybe because I was assuming the worst after I read them.

I just love the depth of this game. The backstory, the universe. Everything is just so well thought out. It's captivating.

 

[Enforcer]

Yeah, the elevator stuff is great. I just don't like the codex voiceovers--maybe if they did the voiceover with a visual presentation, that'd be cool, but I hate hearing someone else reading text that I'm trying to read.

Thanks for the tips, takyris.

 

[Felon]

I've been taking different teams with me on the citadel solely so I can hear all the different elevator-banter sequences. Good stuff.

Wrex is a great character. They didn't take the teasy path with his personality; usually a character like him winds up being a thuggish boor who's there to want to do the wrong, stupid, short-sigthed thing. But while Wrex may be a thug, he does have some depth. He wants to make sure that if he's going to make sacrifices that it's actually worth it.

 

[Felon]

I've used Tali almost since I got her, she's more fun than the human chick or the Asari, and once you get her decent skills, her shields give her staying power, but she is still usually the first to die. (Unless of course, I get sniped.) Shields seem like temp hp basically, but can be bypassed by some attacks like the Rachni's poison, I think..

Rachni spit does seem to bypass shields...as does thresher maw spit!

Tali, Garrus, and Wrex are all quantifiably better characters than any of the builds for Shepard.

Garrus is basically an infiltrator who gets access to assault rifle training instead of sniper rifles. I shouldn't have to explain why that's a better deal, but if that's not good enough, he also receives the assault training skill too. Everything else an infiltrator can do, he can do.

Tali's making out well too. She's an engineer that gets access to both pistols and shotguns. As far as I can tell, she sacrifices nothing. She starts out with few skill points invested in those weapons, so that should be remedied ASAP.

Wrex is whatever the combat/biotics class is called (Sentinel?), but again they gave the NPC class assault rifle access while the PC can only get that as a soldier. Oh, and he gets health bonuses and regenerates hit points like a soldier. OH, and I almost forgot to mention heavy armor. He's pretty much a soldier with biotics on the side.

I suppose it's wrong to have class envy over your NPC crewmates, but they really do come out ahead of the PC claasses. Then again, that's probably just the burn I feel for the infiltrator class.

Having said all that though, I'm not sure I have seen the value of biotics. Throwing folks around and lifting them up in the air is a nice parlor trick, but it's not worth giving a character weaker armor and weaponry training.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

I've been taking different teams with me on the citadel solely so I can hear all the different elevator-banter sequences. Good stuff.

Wrex is a great character. They didn't take the teasy path with his personality; usually a character like him winds up being a thuggish boor who's there to want to do the wrong, stupid, short-sigthed thing. But while Wrex may be a thug, he does have some depth. He wants to make sure that if he's going to make sacrifices that it's actually worth it.

The more you talk to him on the Normandy as things go on, the better he gets, too.

Well, this applies to ALL the characters, but Wrex seemed to go even more from the stupid thug stereotype you initially think he is to something completely different.

[sblock]The whole thing about the disagreement with his father on what their people should do to survive what the Turians did to them really got me.[/sblock]

 

[Vocenoctum]

Rachni spit does seem to bypass shields...as does thresher maw spit!

Tali, Garrus, and Wrex are all quantifiably better characters than any of the builds for Shepard.

But, but... you get Unity!

UNITY!

Garrus is basically an infiltrator who gets access to assault rifle training instead of sniper rifles.

Actually, I've enjoyed the pistol much better than the assault rifle. (I'm a vanguard, the sol/bio split.)

Tali's making out well too. She's an engineer that gets access to both pistols and shotguns. As far as I can tell, she sacrifices nothing. She starts out with few skill points invested in those weapons, so that should be remedied ASAP.

Well, in defense, you DO get a lot more points than the others.

Wrex is whatever the combat/biotics class is called (Sentinel?), but again they gave the NPC class assault rifle access while the PC can only get that as a soldier. Oh, and he gets health bonuses and regenerates hit points like a soldier. OH, and I almost forgot to mention heavy armor. He's pretty much a soldier with biotics on the side.

I'm just not sure why Wrex isn't just a soldier. Leave the Vanguard to Ashley or something.

Having said all that though, I'm not sure I have seen the value of biotics. Throwing folks around and lifting them up in the air is a nice parlor trick, but it's not worth giving a character weaker armor and weaponry training.

I use throw and warp a little, but yeah, overall nothing important. I've not gotten much out of shotguns yet either. Next I will try an infiltrator I think and leave the biotics to Liara (who, also get a Heal bonus for race...)

 

[Simplicity]

I used to be very blah about all of the biotic effects. Then, after getting my butt handed to me more than a few times I tried investing in them a bit more.

I'm not sure I could get through the game without Singularity. Take the group of people over there out from behind cover, pick them up and hold them there so you can shoot them for a while? Yes, please.

Throw is kind of lame, but then I don't have a lot invested in it. Stasis is useful for giving myself some breathing room, and Barrier is just plain necessary for an Adept.

 

[Simplicity]

The game is awesome by the way.

And the dialog system (specifically, the procedural generation of facial expressions for a wide variety of faces) is one of the biggest advances in the gaming industry since jumping. It's very impressive technology.