<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Magus`:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by OneBallJay:<BR>If I buy licenses, does the quartermaster keep them in a NG+? I hope so, otherwise I wasted quite a bit of cash in (I assume) my last trip to the Citadel. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>No. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I've seen some discussions on various forums that it's a better idea to just buy the licenses for the gear that's a major upgrade rather than buying all the licenses available. Doing so is supposed to increase your chances of seeing the high end stuff from those particular manufacturers. I've yet to see any real testing done on that theory, however.
Mass Effect
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Sweet merciful crap is the Specter sniper awesome. I'm clearing out the four Geth planets and it's so trivial to just camp on an opposite mountain, duck just behind the edge of the cliff and pop my head over long enough to deliver instant death to any little robots below.
Yeah the game is pretty silly once you can one-shot everything with your sniper rifle. I think the Geth Prime took two shots though.
Some notes for people who, like me, are interested in finding out exactly what is required to get ally achievements. Very minor Noveria spoilers below.<BR><BR>I just got the Sentinel achievement. I got it with 11 "Missions" completed (gray), and 46 assignments completed. This is noteworthy as Kaidan has literally never left my party, from the moment I stepped onto Eden Prime. For reference, if memory serves, Lateralis (I think it was) got his Asari achievement with 17 Missions and 47 assignments.<BR><BR>Now the interesting thing to note here is this: it has been speculated that the achievements take fractions or partial completion into account. My experience bears this out as I got the achievement in the middle of a conversation with no apparent affect. I was at the part of Noveria (2nd part of Peak 15, after the tram) where you first come up the elevator and speak with the military guy holding the fort. The achievement popped in while speaking with him. As far as I can tell, the only thing that changed in my Journal as a result of this was an update on the ongoing Noveria Mission of "find benezia". By speaking with him, it incremented a new step, completing (check mark) the "she went to peak 15" step, and adding a new step of "she went to the hot labs in peak 15".<BR><BR>So take that as you will. Based on that, one could consider counting up the completed check marks in the journal. Given this, it would appear you need slightly more then 11 missions and 46 assignments, considering the Noveria mission had about 4-5 check marks at this point, leaving it more like 11 and 4/6s of a mission or something like that.<BR><BR>Also of note: I have done pretty much every sidequest I have come across, but still have Liara's dig site and Virmire and Ilos to do. In terms of collection quests, I have one completed, and the element survey quest is half done. Given the amount of stuff I still have in my game, it seems safe to say that while it may be iffy to try and do this for Liara; for Kaidan and Ashley, and possibly for everyone else <B>except</B> Liara, the collection quests may be skippable as long as you do the rest of the Sidequests and make sure you visit every planet. I personally have a list at this point, so I can check off what systems have been surveyed and landed.<BR><BR>I can't wait until the Gamefaqs guru's figure this all out.
I got the asari ally achievement my last run, the trick is to do nothing on the citadel but pick up your crew members, then go get Liara. You can safely replace her with garrus for his side quest if need be. Take her everywhere, all is good.
@Shrikebtr:<BR>Noveria has several "sub-missions" that all show up in the main mission listing as separate missions. Are you sure that one of those didn't end at that point?<BR><BR>I know that when I got Quarian Ally I had just finished the Matriarch mission (i.e. greyed out) it was 11 or 12 total with 44-45 Assignments, and the Asari Ally came at the end of the "Fan" Assignment (after completing the political one).<BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Semi On:<BR><BR>You forgot the (minor) decision on whether or not to help the Shadow Broker. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> <BR>Considering I'm all but convinced the Shadow Broker is really Sovereign...I don't think that plot point will turn out to be all that minor.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by krimhorn:<BR><BR>Considering I'm all but convinced the Shadow Broker is really Sovereign...I don't think that plot point will turn out to be all that minor. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Doubtful that Sov is the Broker. Why would it try and balance the effects of giving out information to the universe? And don't forget that we had the Broker hiring Wrex to whack Fist after he crossed sides to Saren.
Because it gives the broker control over the events of the universe. When balance swings one way, the Broker can bring it back to the middle. And by keeping the other factions balanced, you also keep them at odds with one another. As long as they're too busy struggling with each other, they are distracted from your real goals. And why wouldn't the Broker axe Fist? Fist is a small time thug, and if he betrays you, you just snuff him out pronto. You need to do that to maintain the Shadow broker mystique.
What better way to gain information on the state of the universe than to have people handing it out to you?<br><br>He/it would have had to act within a manner that would be consistent with organic being's expectations, so he had to have a <i>quid pro quo</i> system in effect. Even then he didn't necessarily <i>have</i> to balance the effects, what if all the interstellar wars that occurred happened at his behest. He gives out bad information to party 1 about party 2 and they attack each other, he starts wars in order to determine the level of strength or technological advancement of the galaxy. <br><br>It also could be argued that most of the "balancing" occurred as a result of his organic brokers, those who get and give the information to those seeking. <i>Revelations</i> goes into more detail than the game does about their role in the Shadow Broker's scheme. They are basically search ninjas with a +10 Google-fu rating, it doesn't necessarily follow that <i>all</i> of the information most people/corporations/governments would seek had to come directly from the Shadow Broker himself. The insulating effect that would have might be what allows the identity of the SB to remain unknown.<br><br>Edit: Damn, I was composing my answer and Cool gives a better answer than I did. -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_frown.gif --
Is it just my imagination, or does the voice actor for Emily Wong sound like the same voice actor as that for Amy Wong from Futurama? IMDB doesn't have anything, but it wouldn't be the first time it was wrong.
I thought about Sovereign being the Shadow Broker on my first play through as well, but I never thought about it much since it was never brought up again after the one time he contacts you. But it does make sense. It's actually one of the many things that I think they had bigger plans for and never followed up on. Banes is another one. There's seems to be more story on Banes but we never get to see it. There's a bunch of spots like that in the game where I feel like there was more intended and it just never got there.
Does anybody know how your electronics/decryption skills affect the amount of omni-gel obtained? I think the descriptions for both of them say that it increases omni-gel received, but even though my Infiltrator has around 8-10 for those two skills, I still only get 4 gel for each item converted. Not that big of a deal since there's not a shortage of junk to convert, but I'm still curious.
Two more cents on the Shadow Broker's identity. The whole topic is quasi-spoilerish, so:<BR><BR>V unira'g pbzcyrgrq gur tnzr lrg (whfg ynaqrq ba Vybf, fb V'z pybfr), ohg gur Funqbj Oebxre pbhyq or n qvssrerag erncre guna Fbirevta. Urpx, gur Pvgnqry pbhyq or n erncre, gbb. Obgu gur Pvgnqry naq Fbirevta ner zlfgrevbhf cer-Cebgurna grpuabybtl gung abar bs gur enprf xarj nobhg be haqrefgnaq.
@Uisce Beatha:<BR>I've tried to figure out the same thing, I haven't played an Electronics character yet so I thought it was a PC only bonus. Looks like no dice. Either it's a bug (and a damn obvious one at that) or it only gives a bonus to Omni-gel given as a quest reward.<BR><BR>@Cool Modine:<BR>Keep playing, you're at the best part. I can't wait to get back there during my Insanity run (currently at Feros for my first story planet).
I seem to be suffering from a bug where I don't get any Achievement notification on the screen. I'm still earning the Achievements, but it's not until I quit the game and look at the list in the dashboard that I can see what I earned during the last play session. Anyone else have this problem?<BR><BR>Also, I love the line about "Why is it that when someone says 'with all due respect' they actually mean 'go fuck yourself'?!" Seems like a nod to SG-1 and their constant, unceasing use of "with all due respect." Maybe I'm reading too much into it.
My theory on the shadow broker's identity is that it's the consort. She's in a good position to gain information from her clients and seems to benefit from taking a neutral stance.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Uisce Beatha:<BR>Does anybody know how your electronics/decryption skills affect the amount of omni-gel obtained? I think the descriptions for both of them say that it increases omni-gel received, but even though my Infiltrator has around 8-10 for those two skills, I still only get 4 gel for each item converted. Not that big of a deal since there's not a shortage of junk to convert, but I'm still curious. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I think it only effects the amount of gel used if you don't "unlock" the chests. <BR><BR><BR>Is there anything to do with the Prothean Pyramids? I've only found 3 so far when exploring, and I'm pretty sure I'm down to just doing the actual Missions now as I've side-quested like crazy. They seem much more rare as anomalies rather than old shacks or crashed probes and such, so I didn't know if there is some other purpose.
do you have notifications turned off in the dashboard? I think there are 3 settings. completely on, completely off or on but off while watching a movies.<BR><BR>this setting is found by hitting the xbox button, not in the settings blade.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">completely off or on but off while watching a movies. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Yeah currently I have it set to "Off while watching video." I'll have to try changing this and see what effect it has. Thanks for the idea!
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Semi On:<BR>Sweet merciful crap is the Specter sniper awesome. I'm clearing out the four Geth planets and it's so trivial to just camp on an opposite mountain, duck just behind the edge of the cliff and pop my head over long enough to deliver instant death to any little robots below. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I actually got to the point where I wouldn't even bother zooming during interior fights with the sniper rifle. <BR><BR>I'd stand at the back of a corridor, lure the enemies into the corridor, and then launch high explosive sniper rounds into them. My other guys would slow them down enough that they'd group up, and I'd just center the huge reticle and plug em.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Noveria has several "sub-missions" that all show up in the main mission listing as separate missions. Are you sure that one of those didn't end at that point? </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>Absolutely positive. As the list is sorted with incomplete things orange at top, and fully complete (one way or another) things descending from most recent to old under the orange entries, the first thing I checked was the top gray entries for both assignments and missions. The last assignment was one of the mini-quests in Noveria (smuggle this, or talk to Lorik'Quin or whatever) which had been finished for a good 30 minutes +/- of play time or it might have been when you toast the enemies in the tunnel with fire (theres a quest for that believe or not) but either way, it was something I had completed sometime earlier than that moment.<BR><BR>The most recent mission I think was "get garage key" or something like that. Something I had clearly completed earlier.<BR><BR>Whereas that specific conversation with the soldier (Ventralis?) is where you find out that Benezia is involved with the Hot Labs. You don't even hear a thing about the Hot Labs mentioned until that conversation. Slightly before that you see the elevator, but know nothing of who went there and what it is.<BR><BR>So that conversation makes the Benezia<->Hot Labs connection, and lo and behold the ongoing Noveria quests most recent unchecked entry was something like "go find benezia at peak 15. She went to the hotlabs". The entry before that (now checked) was just "go find benezia at peak 15".<BR><BR> <BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> I got the asari ally achievement my last run, the trick is to do nothing on the citadel but pick up your crew members, then go get Liara. You can safely replace her with garrus for his side quest if need be. Take her everywhere, all is good. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> <BR><BR>See my thing I am trying to figure out, is if you can get the Ally achievements without having to drive back and forth on all the planets visiting all the POIs and looking for elements. So I know what must be done to get Liara, the question is, can you still get her achievement if you do what you said above, but you also do not complete the 3-4 collection quests.<BR><BR>That is the question I am looking to answer.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Shrikebtr:<BR>See my thing I am trying to figure out, is if you can get the Ally achievements without having to drive back and forth on all the planets visiting all the POIs and looking for elements. So I know what must be done to get Liara, the question is, can you still get her achievement if you do what you said above, but you also do not complete the 3-4 collection quests.<BR><BR>That is the question I am looking to answer. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>I completed the Asari ally achievement without having the mineral or league of one quests.<BR><BR>Based on when I got the other achievements, I imagine that you can probably get them without doing the collection quests at all, but you'll need to do everything else with those characters in your party and you probably won't get the achievement until somewhere very late game (Vybf be rira gur Pvgnqry).
I figure this thread will appreciate the latest Zero Punctuation review. <br><br>Enjoy. -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif --
So after putting off this purchase for a few weeks I finally ordered it last week. It arrived yesterday and I was able to mess around a bit last night.<BR><BR>Like an idiot I chose the default settings and am a solider. I was waiting on the screen to pick classes etc and the game started! So I'm going back to personalize a character and start as a vanguard. <BR><BR>I've been perusing this thread trying to skip the spoilers and the info has been great. Thanks for ROT13ing the spoilers.
I use them mostly like meat shields early in the game, but once their weapon skills are up, and you've got them decently equipped they pack a punch. On my current game I'm playing Vanguard+Sniper with Ashley and Garrus. Which is a very combat heavy combo. Ash and Garrus with Spectre Assault Rifles is a bit ridiculous, even on Hardcore.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Semi On:<BR>Is it wrong that I really only use my team mates as bait to lure hiding enemies out or draw fire away from turrets and the like while I take them out?<BR><BR>They don't appear useful for much else. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>(Ashley and/or Wrex)+Immunity+D Pad Up=Bait<BR><BR>To put it another way: <BR><BR>Url Jerk!<BR><BR>Frr gung ebbz shyy bs Enpuav? Jbhyq lbh zvaq tbvat naq fnlvat 'uv' gb gurz juvyr V gnxr gur ryringbe? Arhgeba chetrf tvir zr uvirf.<BR><BR>Gunaxf ohq.
Strangely, Kaiden with maxxed out Electronics and Lift is a killing machine at L26 or so. His shields are so strong and he neutralizes foes. I leave the AI setting to "ON" and let them do their thing. I think Kaiden and Wrex may have more kills than me!<BR><BR>(I've found Wrex to be pretty useless, though.)
Yeah, setting the abilities to active makes a huge difference.<BR><BR>Wrex is mainly useful with a bunch of points in his health and durability enhancing talents and then only on insanity where any of the squishy party members die almost instantly.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Semi On:<BR>Is it wrong that I really only use my team mates as bait to lure hiding enemies out or draw fire away from turrets and the like while I take them out?<BR><BR>They don't appear useful for much else. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>On my second playthrough, since all the people I'd never used were suddenly Lvl 50 and I had like 70 points to distribute each, I maxed Ashley on Sniper Rifle. <BR><BR>I'd be walking with them, and she'd nail enemies before I could even line up on them.
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<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FractalLaw:<br>Url Jerk!<br><br>Frr gung ebbz shyy bs Enpuav? Jbhyq lbh zvaq tbvat naq fnlvat 'uv' gb gurz juvyr V gnxr gur ryringbe? Arhgeba chetrf tvir zr uvirf.<br><br>Gunaxf ohq. </div>
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<br>Bwahahahahahahaha -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif --
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<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FractalLaw:<br>Url Jerk!<br><br>Frr gung ebbz shyy bs Enpuav? Jbhyq lbh zvaq tbvat naq fnlvat 'uv' gb gurz juvyr V gnxr gur ryringbe? Arhgeba chetrf tvir zr uvirf.<br><br>Gunaxf ohq. </div>
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<br>Bwahahahahahahaha -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif --
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FractalLaw:<BR>Yeah, setting the abilities to active makes a huge difference.<BR> </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>What is hilarious is the massive disparity in lethality depending on cover. In a room with lots of angles and cover, team-mates will just unload their weapon into a wall or box or what have you, as if the game was capable of tracking penetration of projectiles. Meanwhile all available skills get fired off into that same box, doing little.<BR><BR>Yet, you take those same team-mates with an enemy in no cover, and it's a whole different ball game. My first run through with an adept, and Garrus in my party, near the end of the game I was using lift like crazy, and 3/4s of the time I didn't even have a chance to aim and fire my pistol at the floating enemies... Garrus would 1-shot them with his rifle almost every time.
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<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Magus`:<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
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<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FractalLaw:<br>Url Jerk!<br><br>Frr gung ebbz shyy bs Enpuav? Jbhyq lbh zvaq tbvat naq fnlvat 'uv' gb gurz juvyr V gnxr gur ryringbe? Arhgeba chetrf tvir zr uvirf.<br><br>Gunaxf ohq. </div>
</blockquote>Bwahahahahahahaha -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif -- </div>
</blockquote>I am disproportionately amused at how "Hey Wrex!" renders after ROT13-ing.
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<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Magus`:<blockquote class="ip-ubbcode-quote">
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div>
<div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FractalLaw:<br>Url Jerk!<br><br>Frr gung ebbz shyy bs Enpuav? Jbhyq lbh zvaq tbvat naq fnlvat 'uv' gb gurz juvyr V gnxr gur ryringbe? Arhgeba chetrf tvir zr uvirf.<br><br>Gunaxf ohq. </div>
</blockquote>Bwahahahahahahaha -- View image here: http://episteme.meincmagazine.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif -- </div>
</blockquote>I am disproportionately amused at how "Hey Wrex!" renders after ROT13-ing.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Yet, you take those same team-mates with an enemy in no cover, and it's a whole different ball game. My first run through with an adept, and Garrus in my party, near the end of the game I was using lift like crazy, and 3/4s of the time I didn't even have a chance to aim and fire my pistol at the floating enemies... Garrus would 1-shot them with his rifle almost every time. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>That bugs the crap out of me. I tend to play pretty carefully, opening the door to a room full of enemies and then falling back to the choke point of the hallway. They tend to spam the hell out of all of their skills into either their own cover or the enemies'. <BR><BR>I don't think I've seen either Wrex or Garrus do any real damage with their skills.
I only realized I had left abilities on Defensive until after I finished the game, so I basically did everything myself (as a Soldier) while Tali and Liara looked pretty and tried not to die. It didn't really matter, since I alone was a killing machine with the Spectre Assault Rifle and some heavy armor with upgrades.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bob Loblaw:<BR>I only realized I had left abilities on Defensive until after I finished the game, so I basically did everything myself (as a Soldier) while Tali and Liara looked pretty and tried not to die. It didn't really matter, since I alone was a killing machine with the Spectre Assault Rifle and some heavy armor with upgrades. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>To be fair, if you actually put points into pistols for them and give them a decent weapon, they can still dish it out. Not nearly as effective as them using all their powers, but still no slouch. Pistols are actually pretty damn good in this game.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by HappyBunny:<BR><BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Bob Loblaw:<BR>I only realized I had left abilities on Defensive until after I finished the game, so I basically did everything myself (as a Soldier) while Tali and Liara looked pretty and tried not to die. It didn't really matter, since I alone was a killing machine with the Spectre Assault Rifle and some heavy armor with upgrades. </div></BLOCKQUOTE><BR><BR>To be fair, if you actually put points into pistols for them and give them a decent weapon, they can still dish it out. Not nearly as effective as them using all their powers, but still no slouch. Pistols are actually pretty damn good in this game. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>I agree that pistols are pretty great, but Liara has no weapon skills to put points in, IIRC.
I have found stasis to be friggin useless as it appears enemies cannot be harmed when frozen which kinda defeats the purpose of it.
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by FractalLaw:<BR>My theory on the shadow broker's identity is that it's the consort. She's in a good position to gain information from her clients and seems to benefit from taking a neutral stance. </div></BLOCKQUOTE> that was my thought as well. Especially since she has all those other consorts trained. I bet we find out in the next game that she has "students" (read: agents) all over the galaxy.
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