What games are you currently playing?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Meh, "Bring down the Sky" - like most ME DLC missions - is a load of crap. Only "Lair of the Shadow Broker" in ME2 was worth it.

I like some of the Radiant missions in Dawnguard. One basically orders you to kill someone important in one of Skyrim's nine hold. My Breton Vampire mage just fed the snotty owner of Radiant Raiments Molag Bol's Mace.

"If you're going to the palace, you may want to rethink..."

WHAM! WHAM!

Now she can't critique my fashion sense anymore.

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Since google is being a bitch (and oddly enough there's nothing concrete on GameFAQS, wtf man?) can someone PLEASE for the love of crap outline what exactly affects your ending without spoilers?


For example, does going for Paragon or Renegade matter at all? Or does it purely come down to decisions at critical moments? I've read that there are 3 possible endings to the first game and I really would like to narrow down if personality matters or not (i.e. can I be a total asshat to NPCs but still get all 3 endings?)

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Paragon and Renegade are often flavor choices, you'll know the truly pivotal moments when you see them as they are mostly of the life or death variety. In ME2 there's that and building loyalty. ME3 it's more about some of the choices of the second game than the first as most of the first game will already be set to affect ME2 and 3.

So ME2 and 3 are the ones to really back up saves on. There's some invisible math involved and the results aren't really calculated until the final choices of particular storyarchs are made in ME3. Though there is one choice in ME1 that also follows that equation.

So if you want to punch a reporter in ME1, it's not a big deal if you do of not. It's the bigger weightier stuff you want to watch for. The reporter will come back in future games and remember what you did, but she's less consequential than other things.

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Since google is being a bitch (and oddly enough there's nothing concrete on GameFAQS, wtf man?) can someone PLEASE for the love of crap outline what exactly affects your ending without spoilers?

For example, does going for Paragon or Renegade matter at all? Or does it purely come down to decisions at critical moments? I've read that there are 3 possible endings to the first game and I really would like to narrow down if personality matters or not (i.e. can I be a total asshat to NPCs but still get all 3 endings?)

Non-spoilery tips (you'll know which these are as soon as the choices are presented to you) for stuff that can impact decisions in later games:

ME1:
You must choose at least (roughly) 80% Paragon or Renegade or so to safely unlock all options.

Citadel: Talk to Conrad Verner
Noveria: Genocide decision.
Virmire: Confront Wrex.
Virmire: Choose who to save.
Citadel: What do you do with the Destiny Ascension?

ME2:
As with ME1, the safest bet is to choose 90%+ Paragon or Renegade options. It's even more particular than ME1 in some respects, especially if you're the sort who doesn't explore every potential NPC conversation.

Team: All recruitment and loyalty missions impact the ending as well as ME3. In particular, your choices at the loyalty mission for The Scientist and The Engineer, as well as the final character you unlock at the end of the game will heavily affect events in ME3.
Final mission: Your choices here determine which team members live or die, which affects their appearance in ME3.
Final mission: Final decision impacts what happens during ME3, as well as how easy it is to achieve certain endings in ME3.

---

As for me, I'm currently playing Mortal Kombat 9 on PS Vita, Rainbow Moon and Quantum Conundrum on PS3, nothing on PC at the moment.


Icemage

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Just started the Quantum Connundrum demo. Ten seconds in I had to wiki to see if that was John de Lancie voicing the professor.

Yeah, it's him. There is just no mistaking his performance. Perfect GLaDoS replacement, really.



Also:

Dear MS,

Why is there no "just pay $15" for what is clearly a $15 game? Why must I make two separate point purchases for one game? Even Nintendo has a "just pay exact price" option now with eShop.

Do you really want people saying Nintendo does this online shop thing better than you now?

Sincerely,

ScrewAttack77

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I thought I read that each game has like 3 outcomes or some crap? So, shouldn't there be something for picking mostly neutral options in conversations? Or do you just have to try and balance out paragon with renegade so that they more or less even out.

- - - Updated - - -

I thought I read that each game has like 3 outcomes or some crap? So, shouldn't there be something for picking mostly neutral options in conversations? Or do you just have to try and balance out paragon with renegade so that they more or less even out. I'm doing a Renegade Vanguard playthrough right now and just being a complete asshole to everyone but I have to say I'm actually somewhat disappointed. On the one hand, it's cool that you can be a total jackoff but still be the good guy (something you could never really do in KotoR) but at the same time, there's no real "evil" option at any point - at least not thus far. I've only just gotten command of the ship so really I'm just starting to get my feet wet as it were.

My favorite example is from KotoR on Tatooine I think, there's this woman who wants you to recover some commemorative family plates from the sand people. Well, being the evil prick I was, I killed the sand people down to the last man to get them back even when some of then surrendered (mercy is for the weak!) and then when I got back to the woman, I made her pay an outrageous price for them through an intimidation check, and then promptly killed her and looted them back anyway to sell at the nearest vendor :D (and of course HK-47 just loved me for it rofl). I'm betting there's nothing quite on that scale in ME... thus far it's largely just been mouthing off, or if I'm lucky the odd execution here & there but both the guys I've murdered were serious criminals anyway and had it coming.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I thought I read that each game has like 3 outcomes or some crap? So, shouldn't there be something for picking mostly neutral options in conversations? Or do you just have to try and balance out paragon with renegade so that they more or less even out.

It's not about the moral bianry as much as Icemage may make it sound. The story-impacting choices aren't really centered on bit part NPCs like KOTOR, but core cast members and political figureheads. You'll know the critical choices when you see them and it should be simple to discern which would be the bad thing to do even when the good thing might make things harder.

The point isn't really to be a nice guy or asshole, but to make tough choices. You can commit genocide or look for a way to help a race survive, you'll give political power to one group or another. Most of this is just flavor for the first two games, not having an ultimate outcome til the third. There is no "right" way that lets you see it all in one play through of the trilogy, so don't worry about it.

It's much more fun to make your choices and let the story evolve out of that. The people that min/max on choice are turning the game into something linear. I let some people in ME2 die because I could not give a shit about them and still got the best endings of ME3.

[Armando]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Yeah, it's him. There is just no mistaking his performance.

The story of how his inbox was flooded by bronies.

Didn't know Quantum Conundrum was on Steam. Or that it was developed by one of the lead designers for Portal. Guess I'll be downloading the demo this weekend.

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

It's certainly got the Portal feel to it, though some of the platforming feels a touch too slippery. They came pretty close to making the Unreal Engine do what Source just does a bit better.

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

It's not about seeing everything in 1 playthrough (obviously can't do that due to multiple endings) more like I just wanted a vague idea (with as few spoilers as possible) of what choices to make so I can have a save file with each ending, as that carries over into ME2 and then into ME3 right? But then doesn't that also mean that your endings in ME2 and 3 aren't totally dependent on what you did in ME1? In other words, getting a specific ending in ME1 doesn't mean you'll get X ending in 2 or 3.

@_@ I love and hate it at the same time. Also, fuck Omni-gel, glad it's gone in ME2 and 3 from what I've read while googling tips. Also really, really hate the sidequesting in this game. It's really been a peeve of mine with western RPGs as a whole, and Deus Ex is to date the only western RPG where I feel it's done right. Bioware and Bethesda put far, far too much emphasis on doing a million little sidequests while sacrificing the main game's plot to do so.

Do Biotics/Techs get better in 2 and 3? So far I haven't found them overly useful... I'm running Ashley and Garrus in my squad atm (I was tempted to take Wrex as he fits the profile I'm going for but nah) and we're blowing through enemies easily enough through sheer combat prowess. I'm liking the game overall, it's just that so much of it feels like a total cluster fuck from the sidequesting to the inventory and even combat... but the story's intriguing and the acting is good so I'll tolerate it. I absolutely abhor the Mako segments so far...

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

I never classed as a Biotic, pretty much always Infiltrator (like playing with a handicap in WRPGs, Infiltrator is a consistantly weak class. Biotics get a bit better. I'd honestly bring Wrex, Kaiden or Liara over Ashley as they just bring more to the table.

And thier dialog in certain scenes than Ashley's icy racist bitch routine.

[Malacite]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Yeah I'm only really using her this one time then axing her for any future playthroughs.

What about the new game plus though? How does that factor in to porting over to ME2? (or should I just have 1 file to port over to ME2, mess around from there and then go on to ME3 in the same manner?)

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Only completed files count toward the next game.

ME2 resets levels and skills from ME1 regardless. There is a reason, but your story choices still apply. Levels WILL transfer from ME2 to ME3, though, so if you want to max things, do it.

Replaying ME1 is for masochists who enjoy MAKO bullshit.

[Icemage]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

It's not about seeing everything in 1 playthrough (obviously can't do that due to multiple endings) more like I just wanted a vague idea (with as few spoilers as possible) of what choices to make so I can have a save file with each ending, as that carries over into ME2 and then into ME3 right? But then doesn't that also mean that your endings in ME2 and 3 aren't totally dependent on what you did in ME1? In other words, getting a specific ending in ME1 doesn't mean you'll get X ending in 2 or 3.

ME1 decisions have almost no impact on ME2 aside from flavor text and which specific characters are still alive for you to interact with (aside from the aforementioned Conrad Verner, who's only a side quest in any case). ME1 actually impacts ME3 a great deal more than ME2, as entire conversations will not appear if certain decisions are made, and some outcomes for side plotlines are simply not possible without a save file from ME1.

Do Biotics/Techs get better in 2 and 3? So far I haven't found them overly useful... I'm running Ashley and Garrus in my squad atm (I was tempted to take Wrex as he fits the profile I'm going for but nah) and we're blowing through enemies easily enough through sheer combat prowess. I'm liking the game overall, it's just that so much of it feels like a total cluster fuck from the sidequesting to the inventory and even combat... but the story's intriguing and the acting is good so I'll tolerate it. I absolutely abhor the Mako segments so far...

Biotics are crazy good in all three games, I'm not really sure where you're getting this idea that they're weak. Tech, on the other hand... not so much, especially if you're playing on Insanity difficulty. ME1 biotic skills are crazy broken (Stasis, Singularity), and tech gets nerfed down even more in ME2 and doesn't recover until ME3 IMO.

And yes, Mako is the devil. There's a reason it didn't make a return in ME2 and ME3 (however much the handful of sadomasochistic fanboys cried).


Icemage

[Raydeus]

Re: What games are you currently playing?

Leave... Mako-chan... alone...