Mass Effect rumored for the PC
Posted Oct 22nd 2006 3:22PM by Alan Rose
Filed under: PC, Microsoft Xbox 360, Adventure, RPGs
Mass Effect rumored for the PC
An article scan from the latest PC Gamer UK reveals that BioWare's Mass Effect could be heading to the PC. This is most welcome news for Windows gamers, but hardly surprising when you consider the Canadian developer's previous two Xbox titles followed the same path. Knights of the Old Republic started out as an Xbox exclusive, and its PC conversion followed four months later. Also, a special edition PC port of Jade Empire was announced at E3 and will ship in January.
Mass Effect doesn't arrive on the Xbox 360 until Q2, so we probably wouldn't see the rumored PC release until late next year. We'll let you know if we hear any confirmation details.
[Thanks to the readers who sent this in!]
Mass Effect Main Quest Between 20-30 Hours
Add in the extra quests and vacation time is necessary.
By Patrick Klepek, 02/13/2007
One of the side effects of the workload associated with next-generation games has been a noticeable decline in the actual length of videogames. For someone like myself, that's just dandy -- I don't have that much time for individualized gaming that isn't part of my job, so a quick jaunt is extremely pleasing. That won't be the case for Mass Effect, though, and it's already causing me a logistical headache.
Team Xbox spoke with BioWare joint CEO Dr. Ray Muzyka about the hopefully-soon-to-be-released Mass Effect, the first in a planned trilogy. One of the first topics that came up was the game's length. BioWare games are typically pretty meaty, especially when it comes to side quests, and it doesn't appear Mass Effect will be any different, but there's some confusion over what Muzyka meant to actually say.
In the interview:
"I think it's going to be about 40 hours or so for the main story, so it's going to be a good-sized BioWare RPG just for the core part. Off the beaten path, there's probably another 20 or 30 hours or so of stuff, or more, depending on how much you do and what order you do it in and all of that."
A little later, however, Microsoft clarified the statement to something a little more realistic:
"There are so many interesting choices, no player will likely see everything in the game in one pass through the core game. One play through, just one permutation of the critical path, would be about 20-30 hours and the extra stuff you could do, including exploration of uncharted worlds and post-release content, would add another 20 or more hours depending on what you do and in what order."
Still, all said and done, that could put it at something like 40 to 50 hours. Not bad.
I can't wait for this game. It's still a 360 exclusive though right now.
The more XBox and X360 games that keep coming to the PC, the even more less reasons to go buy one of those consoles.
I likes, I likes. :)
Ah but there's one thing you don't need to worry about on a console and that's; can I run this game, do I need more RAM, do I need Vista and DX10, do I need to upgrade my GPU. Atleast on the console you buy the game knowing you have the write hardware.
The big thing though is that when a game is released as a console game, I tend to be iffy about the PC port. I've seen a fair share of terrible PC ports that sometimes, the console version of the game will be outright better.
Waiting 4 years to be able to play a game acceptably on the PC because the port sucked is a pretty damn good reason to say that the console version ends up being better.Upon the game's original release, yes....
I mean, there are just tons and tons of games where we've seen this.Agreed.
Final Fantasy ports
Metal Gear Solid
Silent Hill
Splinter Cell: Double Agent
Rainbow Six: Vegas
Deus Ex: IW
Thief 3
It's really sad to see really good games on the console just make it to the PC as a mediocre port, or be riddled with technical issues.
Needless to say though that there are exceptions, and when the PC version does end up being great, it's awesome. I just wish they were more consistent instead of being really hit and miss.Also agreed.
Though, most console versions also lack....
1. A SDK/Toolkit to allow for building and playing mods
2. KB/Mouse support for their games. (Most PC games support both KB/mouse and a PC gamepad)
3. Ability to scale the graphics/game performance settings
So, while consoles have their advantages, they have their disadvantages too...
...Just like the PC.
You totally missed my point, on a console you don't need to worry about performance and graphics settings. You buy the game and you know it works full stop.I know *what* you were getting at, but I was getting at something else...Let me go further than what I went and explain.
If a console game is "botched" performance wise then its just a poorly designed/ported/coded game, this is not the fault of the hardware be it a console or a PC, and scalable settings dosen't fix this problem.Regardless of that, I shouldn't have to be stuck w/ what the designers give me if the game isn't going to be up to snuff on the owner's set of hardware -- yes, especially on say a "botched" port from PC to console. And/Or if the game is poorly coded. And/Or if the designers force the game out the door WAY too early -- see Quake 4 on X360 and also Driver 2 on PSX, for my point.
On the the other hand I've never heard of a console game that suffered from poor performance, Q4 for 360 is the first, but I know nothing about such issues beyond this thread, but just because one game was "botched" doesn't mean all console games should be scalable.I think scaling graphics quality on a console game b/c it's being developed for multiple systems would make a lot of sense.
Put it this way - why in gods green earth would I want to scale back the graphics in Gears of War when the console can run it the way it was designed to do? (by the way never had any slow down or performance issues, none, zip, 0).As far as I know, that game was not riddled w/ performance issues. And if they knew it was going so well while in development, then would it be a big deal??? No. They're only making the game for that *one* system, anyways. So, that'd be kind of hard to screw up. Though, this has been screwed up before; usually, that happens when making a sequel. Driver 1 to Driver 2 is a prime example of that. For the X-Box versions only, from KOTOR 1 to KOTOR 2 would be another, as from what I know, there were more framerate issues on the sequel than the actual original. (That's Obsidian for you....)
The eventual PC port will have heaps of considerations and req's like DX 10, graphics card memory, does the game require Vista or not, do you need more RAM?Agreed.
None of this was a factor on the 360.B/c that game was exclusive to ONE system: X360. Nothing else.
The point is D all things on a console is equal, there is no variance.B/c the hardware is fixed. Though, issues can arise from developing a game for multiple systems.
On a PC there tones of variance and the scalable graphics and settings etc accommodate for this variance so there's no need for scalable settings on a console.That point's definitely taken.
Bioware is definitely my favorite dev. team. They even beat Blizzard for me.Bioware's outstanding.
edit:
Thats it. I am buying a 360:
http://masseffect.bioware.com/gallery/
hmmm I see your point about the dodgy coding but I still don't think that a console should have adjustable setting because of this - but I think you see my point on this anyway.Yeah, I see your point. For a console game, especially to me, one being developed for ONE system at a time, there should be no trouble in getting it to run on that exact system. I agree w/ that, for sure. Consoles are really meant to just "pick up and play", w/out worrying about tweaking in-game settings and stuff....as much as it might be nice to really want some in-game settings to tweak, in case something might go wrong.
I'm also pleased you didn't get pissed at me becuase I thought my post was a little blunt :PYuh, I mean, you did call me a name.... :(
But anyway I can't wait to hear more about this game or more importantly see more of it, it's just so pretty!Mass Effect does look pretty sweet, to say the least.
haha D don't take this the wrong way, but whenever I encounter Deekin, I think of you. hahaha :)
Well he is very good natured.
He' a kobold who stands out from all the other kobolds! :P
I loved the little cameos and links to the original NWN.. I really wish there was something to do with Aribeth (other than just the necklace). Somebody actually made an "Aribeth's Armour" mod. Looked pretty decent.
Re-read that again, D. Her necklace is there, not her. A modder made her armor. Thats all.
Re-read that again, D. Her necklace is there, not her. A modder made her armor. Thats all.
hahaha how did he miss that? D needs some sleep. :P
Mass Effect delayed to September
Monday 23-Apr-2007 7:50 AM BioWare's RPG spectacular is arriving later than we thought...
17 Comments
BioWare's much-anticipated Xbox 360 RPG Mass Effect has finally been pencilled in for release this September, months after the June/July arrival date previously expected.
The news comes from an official Microsoft event this morning, though no more details have been offered.
The September release puts Mass Effect in head-to-head competition with fellow first-party RPG Blue Dragon, which is also released that month. This might seem silly to you budding industry analysts, but it's probably just as beneficial for Microsoft to avoid the infamous Summer drought.
BioWare's latest picked up one of the first CVG Most Wanted awards this weekend, and rightly so - because we're quite literally counting the days until its arrival (or at least we are now that we have a date to count down to).
Hahaha Oh D you are a treasure!
You make him sound like a book. :PHehe D's awesome. He brings us all sorts of details that we may usually miss otherwise. Hence the "treasure" hehe Actually he's like a portable metal detector of information!
"I highly recommend this children's book. It is something both parents and children can enjoy... it is a treasure."
I honestly wasn't looking that forward to this game until I saw this video (http://www.gamespot.com/video/930279/6178830/videoplayerpop?). Now I'm trying not to sexually violate my monitor.
When did this go from coolish looking to omgIneedthatyesterdayawesome looking?
EDIT - As a side note, I think it's funny to mention that Julia recently played through like 6 or so hours of Jade Empire and she *hates* it. She says it's gorgeous but there's like no point at all to the character development because the combat is worthless and she thinks the story is horrendously pedestrian and inane. I think she didn't like the voice acting, either. I just found it funny that I'm suddenly married to such a critic. She's getting into games now to the point where she really has distinct preferences, and she didn't have that so much before we were married.
I'm between Mass Effect and Assassin's Creed. I'll probably get both, but I still have yet to finish Bioshock.Assassin's Creed is a definite one for me, but for RPG's I'm really interested in Mass Effect and The Witcher (that is of course alongside Mask of the Betrayer). I just have to manage my budget and timing.
Mass Effect Collector's Edition details released
5 Comments by Justin McElroy Oct 4th 2007 8:15AM
Filed under: Microsoft Xbox 360, RPGs
Here's a bracing thought for your Thursday morning: Have we become spoiled by Limited/Collector's Editions? Take, for instance, the recently revealed contents of the of the forthcoming Mass Effect Limited Edition package.
* Fiction Book: Galactic Codex: Essentials
* Mass Effect Art Book: A Future Imagined
* 2nd DVD with exclusive videos about Mass Effect (Art of Mass Effect, Interactive Storytelling of Mass Effect)
Sure, books. Everybody loves books. But where are the cat helmets? Where are the gorgeous (though fragile) Big Daddy figurines? We can't decide if we're disappointed because there are no toys, or because the obvious choice (two girls made of pewter and totally doing it) is nowhere to be found.
The game begins with the creation of your Commander Shepard.
Of course, the characters you're sure to interact with have the most depth. Passing up the option to speak with your party members on board the Normandy in between quests would be a great mistake. Doing so reveals sordid pasts, hidden bias and can even result in a spark of love flaring up into a whole lot more. Talk with them enough and they may even open up to you in ways that give you new quests to partake in. These humans and aliens aren't just there to help you in a fight. They're there to help you make sense of the galaxy.
t's a good thing that such care was put into the quests and characters, because some of the exploration elements in Mass Effect aren't as fleshed out. Each of the planets you travel to as part of the main quest is fully realized with city centers to explore, NPCs to interact with, and intriguing missions. Not so for the uncharted planets tied to a number of side quests.
When you first gain control of the Normandy, an interstellar spaceship and the base of your operations, there are only a few star clusters and accompanying systems to visit and explore. More become open as you learn of them through info gleaned from the world or given to you with quest instructions. Through the use of a wonderfully designed galactic map, you can travel from system to system and have a look at various planets and satellites. Most can only be observed from afar and read about from text box briefings. Others can be scanned, awarding the player with some info or a reward to help you fulfill one of the numerous fetch quests. A small minority of the stellar objects can be landed on.
All of this success doesn't come without a cost. The framerate in Mass Effect is as erratic as they come. This isn't something that happens occasionally. It happens incessantly. The game also has issues loading textures in when you enter a new environment. Flat, boring scenery gets filled in with details piece by piece for a few moments each time you load in.
We would be remiss if we didn't mention Mass Effect's numerous bugs and glitches. Clipping through the scenery is a regular occurrence, particularly when you make use of the singularity biotic. Shepard has a displeasing tendency to get stuck in objects, sometimes in the midst of battle. It happens to NPCs as well -- it isn't nearly as frustrating but it does kill your sense of immersion when an enemy "phases" through a wall. On occasion, the game stopped registering our button presses. Rarely, Mass Effect even went the whole nine yards and locked up. All of these bugs can be wiped away with a reset, but boy if they aren't annoying.
Another Take
from Hilary Goldstein
Mass Effect is a fantastic game and one of my favorite RPGs I have ever played -- and I've played a lot of RPGs.
At the outset of the narrative, a human colony known as Eden Prime sends a distress call to the Alliance military and it’s intercepted by the SSV Normandy, an Alliance stealth ship using experimental drive technology. As the main character, you are sent down to the planet to investigate the invasion of a synthetic alien race called the Geth. When it’s determined that a Turian named Saren is behind the attack as well as attempting to unlock the universe’s oldest and most dangerous secret, you are launched into a heroic saga and epic battle to save humanity from extinction. And that’s just the opening! The rest of the review will be story-spoiler free.
t first glance, Mass Effect is an absolutely stunning example of the raw graphical power of the Xbox 360. Similar to Gears of War, the sheer level of detail will impress anyone within visual range of the high definition television it’s being displayed upon. The facial appearance, especially on the aliens, is top notch and brings each character vividly to life. The lighting effects for the biotic powers are brilliant and illuminate the area with gorgeous purple plasma power. The character animations are absolutely fluid and react appropriately with rag doll physics to changes in the environment.
There is a downside to pushing the 360 to these limits though. The frame rate can slow to a chug during the large scale battles, especially with lots of talent powers flying around. It’s enough to affect the gameplay and become annoying during a fight. It also can happen when you turn your character around too fast. The game pauses for a few seconds to load before you can continue. When you move too fast though an area or conversation, textures won’t load quickly enough and you may be staring at a blur until it finishes. I also had problems with the rover land vehicle on planets and the last few levels. Specifically when taken off a steep jump, the front hull of the rover would become embedded in the ground and I couldn’t move or exit the vehicle. I can’t imagine it’s designed to force reloading an old save, so it must be a problem with the hit detection system.
was surprised to find such a high level of commentary on bigotry and racism within the game. Many times, the main character is asked their opinion concerning the relationship of humanity to all the alien races in the world. There is even a political party rally towards the end of the game that wants Shepard to endorse their “pro humanity, anti-alien” candidate. Don’t get me wrong, it’s never preachy, overbearing or attempting to establish a correlation with current times. It’s just an ongoing debate on the direction humanity should take. I found it to be a refreshing, highly intelligent aspect of the story that’s rarely, if ever, seen in a video game.
I completed the single player game on a combination of Normal and Hard difficulty at character level 42 in a little over 23 hours. I’d imagine folks could possibly blow through the single player story in 12 to 15 hours if they avoided all the side missions, but they would miss out an enormous amount of entertaining material. For those who are wondering about the possible trilogy aspect, be assured that you will receive a clear, decisive ending to this portion of the tale. It’s extremely satisfying and still does a great job of setting up a sequel.
With a mass of achievements still waiting for me, I’ve already started working on my “evil” character, which is much more of a Biotic talent junkie. I am saddened to find out most of the character responses are exactly the same on the opposite end of the conversation spectrum, but it has opened up a couple new side-story options. Also, I’m very intrigued to change the main storyline choices that I made to discover the various, different endings.
Mass Effect certainly has flaws, but it’s easily the most enthralling space adventure that’s ever been created for a video game platform. It honestly makes the Halo narrative look like amateur hour. Much of the credit goes to a writing staff that incredibly created this world with nothing more than pure imagination. While Mass Effect isn’t a revolutionary step for Bioware, it’s certainly evolutionary. Combining the elements that made KOTOR so entertaining with a combat system that’s much more accessible to the teeming masses of shooter fans will make for a highly successful combination on the Xbox 360. I can’t imagine anyone being without a copy of Mass Effect this holiday season.
Damn... a lot of what's said makes me wonder if I should hold off for a PC version later. But... so tempting...
I don't know. I think I have to wait to see. I want to want it, but I'm not totally sold just yet.
Also, Pug's rant at IGN cracked me up.
Haha that was a good gist of why I don't read IGN reviews too often :D Haha dude I can totally picture your reactions with each paragraph you read ;D
I'm really looking forward to Mass Effect but I'm going to wait for the PC release.
GameSpot
GameSpot gives Mass Effect the SAME score as The Witcher.
Score = 8.5 (http://www.gamespot.com/xbox360/rpg/masseffect/review.html?sid=6183119&tag=topslot;title;1&om_act=convert&om_clk=topslot)
Eurogamer
Eurogamer gives it a 8.0 (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=87875&page=2)
GameSpy
5 stars from GameSpy (http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-effect/836239p1.html)
It should also be noted that while I'm a huge RPG guy, Bioware RPGs have never quite done it for me in the past as some others have. Because of this, I firmly believe that The Witcher is going to remain my RPG of the year no matter how cool Mass Effect ends up being.
It should also be noted that while I'm a huge RPG guy, Bioware RPGs have never quite done it for me in the past as some others have.
Yes, definitely. Actually, The Witcher reminds me of BG quite a bit, which is partly why I like it.I think The Witcher reminds me of namely two greats, more so than anything else -- BG and PS:T.
But yeah, NWN, KotOR, and Jade Empire really didn't do anything to win me over. I still have hope for Mass Effect, but I think I may have gotten a bit of a wrong impression about it during previews and such. It looks less appealing to me now than it did a month ago.I liked NWN Expansions, KOTOR, and Jade -- but not as much as BG2.
Yes, definitely. Actually, The Witcher reminds me of BG quite a bit, which is partly why I like it. But yeah, NWN, KotOR, and Jade Empire really didn't do anything to win me over. I still have hope for Mass Effect, but I think I may have gotten a bit of a wrong impression about it during previews and such. It looks less appealing to me now than it did a month ago.
You're either going to get ignored, or flamed.
i picked it up today and while i've only put in a couple of hours so far, i'm really enjoying it. it's beautiful to look at and the conversation system is utterly superb. it's a bit soon to say much else on the game, but if i were to draw any comparisons, i'd say it's like a more talky deus ex. i'm genuinely very impressed and i'm just hoping the quality is this consistant to the end - if it is, it could easily rank as one of the best games i've played.
anyone else given it a go yet?
I posted my thoughts on IGN:Good points all-round.
http://boards.ign.com/Message.aspx?topic=154326512&brd=8271&start=154357112
*** still awaiting the inevitable "Coming to PC announcement Bioware will probably give us in a year or so..." ***
we're in agreement that is not just the finest rpg we've both played, but quite possibly the best game period. my housemate is a complete rpg fiend, owning every pc rpg (and a lot of console ones) i can name from the last decade, so coming from him this is very high praise.I'm sure that's high praise, but I would personally prefer to hear the opinion of someone who doesn't like RPGs all that much, like me.
Yeah D I would have thought you'd be on board with this like Knights of the Old-whats-its-face or Jade, but what really struck me was how you noted that so many rpgs are going post mod, sci fi or medieval... aren't those the 3 key settings for like 90% of all RPGs? Perhaps you're just tired of the genre? Does happen.
Anyway I'm probably going to get this game but I have two questions... If I liked Knight of the Old-whatever-it-was would I get a kick of this too? I'm guessing I will but I just wanted to make fun of Knights of the Old-peoples-home.
Oh and the one bad thing I've heard a few times now was about the tank and its turret, are the driving portions really all that bad?
Yeah D I would have thought you'd be on board with this like Knights of the Old-whats-its-face or Jade, but what really struck me was how you noted that so many rpgs are going post mod, sci fi or medieval... aren't those the 3 key settings for like 90% of all RPGs? Perhaps you're just tired of the genre? Does happen.Pretty much, yes -- those are the main 3 settings for RPG's; post-apoc, traditional medieval, and sci-fi.
compared to the glut of fantasy stuff on the market, very few of which manage to differentiate themselves from one another in any meaningful way.
(http://www.umich.edu/~echapter/meflop3.gif)
Found this on someone's sig. Made me laugh, because that is how the gaming community seems to react now.
That's an unusual problem. I mean, if animated GIFs kill your connection, what can we do about it? I guess remote desktop needs to send each frame of the animation every time? That's gotta be a bitch. I don't think even idol is going to have anywhere near as much trouble with this.
Can you turn off images? That's what I used to do when I was on a slow modem. (I think it was 14.4, but now that doesn't look right for some reason.) Whatever I wanted to look at, I'd right-click and display.
Edit: Damn it, beo, I just went and got this while I was out. Now you're backing away from your glowing praise? Boo! Fire him! Down with reviewers that don't say what I want to hear!
We don't have any more info than you do D.
Although we don't have the system specs yet, I can confirm that MEPC will NOT be Vista exclusive.
While we don't have system requirements yet, the game is currently running under Windows XP and Vista.
When you look at Jade Empire's port, yes. But I think the KOTORs came as fast?
haha pug you know you can customize the appearance of your character at the start right?
That aside, I got this recently for the 360 and it is pretty good. Having tons of fun with it. The vehicle sequences are not so great, but it is passable.
Indeed. :(
Well their next two games are going to be PC. Dragon Age, which looks absolutely awesome, is a PC exclusive. And they are working on another I.P., that is some PC MMO.
Is Pug the Anti-Beaver?
I'm so holding back from what I could really say, on that one... :o
Hahaha I thought the same thing HA!
Demiurge and BioWare have teamed up to bring the award-winning title Mass Effect to the PC, customizing the experience to take full advantage of its newest home on the desktop.
Demiurge began working with BioWare during the final stretch of development for the Xbox 360 version, allowing the studios to collaborate closely throughout the co-development process. Mass Effect has been tailored to feel natural to the PC user while staying true to the original game experience. Mass Effect for the PC features a third command wheel so players can access squad members separately, a new inventory system, customized key mapping and a brand new minigame. Extra attention was focused on visuals, offering higher resolution graphics for an enhanced gaming experience for the PC.
What is Demiurge Studio's history?
But that won't allow me to interact with you.
Pssst... we are interacting right now...
Currently scheduled for release in May, the PC version of BioWare's popular sci-fi role-playing game will benefit from a number of improvements over the Xbox 360 original, many of which are a direct result of feedback from reviewers and fans.
The most obvious of these improvements, which was immediately evident regardless of the fact that we were checking the game out on a 720p HDTV rather than on a higher-resolution monitor, is that the visuals are now much sharper and more detailed. The character models look great, environmental features such as water and foliage are much more believable, and even the textures of the relatively featureless non-story-critical planets look very different now that you can clearly see cracks in the ground, small stones, and such. On one of the planets we were shown during the presentation, there were clouds of dusts blowing across the screen, which are in the Xbox 360 game but not nearly as effective as they are on the PC. We can report that the PC game's textures load much more quickly than those in the console game as well, and though we noticed them popping in on occasion, the problem wasn't nearly as pronounced as it was for Xbox 360 players last year. For what it's worth, the PC version of Mass Effect that we were looking at is still a work-in-progress as well, so it's conceivable that the problem won't be in the finished game at all.
Something you'll definitely notice in the finished game, though, especially if you're familiar with the Xbox 360 game, is that BioWare and Demiurge Studios have gone the extra mile to rework certain aspects of Mass Effect. For example, you'll now be able to give squad commands to characters individually rather than just as a group. Furthermore, if you're playing with a mouse and keyboard, you can map up to eight psionic commands to the number keys 1 through 8, which lets you use them much more quickly and without having to access any menus. Mass Effect's inventory system has also benefited from a major overhaul; whereas the Xbox 360 game forced you to scroll through a list of practically every item in your possession anytime you wanted something, the PC game lets you sort your items by type and automatically moves better-quality items to the top. Incidentally, at least a few of those items appear to have been redesigned for the PC as well, such as the sweet-looking helmet with glowing blue eyes we saw that, unless we're mistaken, looked totally different in the Xbox 360 version.
If you've spent any time with Mass Effect on the Xbox 360, you'll know that chests and doors, among other things, often need to be unlocked via a simple decryption minigame that requires you to tap the correct buttons on the controller as they appear on the screen. The PC game will introduce an all-new decryption minigame that, in addition to being much more mouse-friendly, makes more sense in the context of the Mass Effect universe. Your goal in the new minigame is to guide a small arrow cursor to the center of a circle that's made up of concentric rings spinning in different directions. The rings are colored blue with blocks of red, and to be successful you have to make it to the center without touching red. To move the arrow one ring inward, you simply press the mouse button. It's somewhat reminiscent of Frogger, if the titular amphibian was a white arrow, the street and the river were circular, and the vehicles and dangerous wildlife were red bricks. You get the idea.
The last of the big changes that we were shown today concerns the controls for the Mako vehicle that Sheppard and his or her crew travel in when they're on the ground. In the Xbox 360 game, the Mako was controlled in much the same way as Halo's Warthogs and other vehicles. In other words, telling the vehicle to move forward steered you in whichever direction the camera was pointing rather than the direction that the vehicle was facing. Not everybody likes this setup, apparently, so on the PC those controls will be turned on their head and you'll more easily be able to move forward in one direction while pointing the camera in another.
Mass Effect will purportedly run well on "midrange" gaming PCs when it's released, and will support both the Windows XP and Vista operating systems. The game will also boast Games for Windows Live support, and those of you with a penchant for achievement points will have an opportunity to earn the same 1,000 that you might already have on the Xbox 360. We look forward to bringing you more information on the PC version of Mass Effect as soon as it becomes available.
BioWare: How We Can Improve The Side Quests For ‘Mass Effect 2′
11 Comments | Posted by Stephen Totilo on 3/11/08 at 2:46 pm.
Mass effect
Did you think that “Mass Effect“’s side quests could be better? If so, then the guys who run BioWare agree that there is room for improvement.
They told me so at GDC.
I care, because I’ve been to a lot of those side-quest planets in “Mass Effect.” In fact, I believe I’ve been to all of them. So I have my own feelings about what worked and what didn’t. I wanted to get the official developers’ take.
Here’s my chat with BioWare general manager Greg Zeschuk on the topic:
Multiplayer: I played through the end of “Mass Effect.” I had a good time with it. I actually liked exploring a lot of the planets. But what do you make of the people who have said they really enjoy the critical path much more than the side quests? Have you learned any aspects about how to improve upon that aspect of game development, which seems to me to be necessarily always going to be secondary — because they are the side quests? How do you improve that area of game development?
Greg Zeschuk, General Manager, BioWare: “Mass Effect” was specifically designed so there was kind of a straight shot of really intense story down the middle. And then, on the sides, we almost had supporting casts — and those were the planets you could explore. And that was really purposeful. That was to give the player a lot of variety in what you could do and give the player a user-driven, sort of personally customized choice as to how you could play the game.
One of the things we’re looking at for sequels and some of our other games is better technical ways, smarter ways to auto-generate content, to create stuff that seems richer to the player. Another thing we’re looking at — again not specific to one game, but just generally — is a way of tying those additional moments back into the story: whether it’s having to gather certain things for those other planets, kind of making them more central to the story but making sure that they’re still the supporting cast. [We want to be sure] that there’s something really purposeful about them.
I think with “Mass” we just wanted to say, “Let’s make a whole bunch of planets for people to explore.” They all encapsulated, amongst themselves, some fun stories to do. Some kind of spanned among each other. But [next] we’re taking it to that next level of tying them into the central story as well.
Multiplayer: Is it partially a methodology thing? I don’t know if this is something a lot of developers wind up confronting, but do side quests wind up being the last thing you get to or something you’re not able to staff as much as you’d want to, because they’re not as important as the main part of the game?
Zeschuk: Side quests can sometimes be left on the side, so to speak. Pardon the pun. But a lot of times it’s even just getting that whole game done, that first shot [that is important]. We look at “Mass Effect 2” as incredibly exciting. Just the amount of effort and knowledge and know-how that went into building the technology for the first one is huge, and [we now have] the chance to actually make things a little bit richer.
We look into BioWare’s history and we’re really aiming for what happened with “Baldur’s Gate II” compared to what happened with “Baldur’s Gate” one. “Baldur’s Gate” one — extremely solid game, huge impact on the industry. But with “Baldur’s Gate II” we just took it to a whole new level. And I think that’s what we’re excited about with “Mass.”
***
“Mass Effect” fans, do you like what you’ve read here? What do you think about side quests and how BioWare or any other developers should handle them?
Mass Effect PC delayed
The PC release of BioWare's hit-RPG Mass Effect has been pushed back from May 6th to May 28th:
Hi everyone,
I have just confirmed with the development team that we are making a small change to the release date of Mass Effect for the PC. We had previously announced May 6, 2008 for North America. The new release date for North America is May 28, 2008 and June 6, 2008 in Europe.
The team here at BioWare, working closely with the good folks at Demiurge Studios, has decided that a few more weeks in the studio will ensure we deliver the quality that our fans deserve. The additional time will allow us to incorporate more play-testing feedback, add extra polish and tune the additional features so that Mass Effect is a natural and outstanding PC gaming experience.
BioWare and EA are dedicated to excellence. We’re confident that the extra time will be reflected in the final PC experience that we deliver to our fans.
We appreciate your understanding and look forward to delivering a great game!
One new form of tweakage recently announced is a new Tactical Heads Up Display (HUD). This will allow your created Commander Shepard to issue individual squad commands to your two teammates -- from their Biotics powers to their weapons -- all on one screen. This should save a few keystrokes from the sometimes ungainly shoulder button commands of the Xbox 360 version, making it one more layer in the PC version's extra polish. Be sure to check out our hands-on impressions for other reasons why this port may be more inviting than its 360 counterpart.
Don't expect to play Mass Effect's "Bring Down the Sky" downloadable content on the day the game releases for PC. Developer BioWare tells IGN that the DLC will not be included in the PC release, though there will be an "announcement soon" about "additional content" for it.
BioWare dodges the question about whether future DLC will be staggered and released on Xbox 360 first, followed by PC. Either way, the PC gamer race is sure to giggle with delight as they experience less texture popping and shorter elevator rides when Mass Effect launches May 28.
Minimum System Requirements for Mass Effect on the PC
Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista
Processor:
2.4+GHZ Intel or 2.0+GHZ AMD
Memory:
1 Gigabyte Ram (XP)
2 Gigabyte Ram (Vista)
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 6 series (6800GT or better)
ATI 1300XT or better (X1550, X1600 Pro and HD2400 are below minimum system requirements)
Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes
Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers
----------
Recommended System Requirements for Mass Effect on the PC
Operating System:
Windows XP or Vista
Processor:
2.6+GHZ Intel or 2.4+GHZ AMD
Memory:
2 Gigabyte Ram
Video Card:
NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GTX or higher.
ATI X1800 XL series or higher
Hard Drive Space:
12 Gigabytes
Sound Card:
DirectX 9.0c compatible sound card and drivers – 5.1 sound card recommended
-----------
Additional Note from Derek French:
The Mass Effect Config program will automatically adjust your settings on first run, to attempt to give you an optimal play experience. As with all PC games, computer performance varies from system to system and adjustments can be made via the Config or through the in-game options to tailor your experience.
Edited By Jay Watamaniuk on 04/15/08 20:58
Mass Effect PC DLC Plans [April 18, 2008, 2:48 pm ET] - 5 Comments
EA announces plans for downloadable content (DLC) for the PC edition of Mass Effect, saying the first release is a package called Bring Down the Sky that they will offer for free upon the game's release (the price of future DLC is not specified). Here are some screenshots, and here's the announcement:
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (April 18, 2008) – Leading video game developer BioWare™, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS), has announced that “Bring Down the Sky,” the first piece of downloadable content for the award-winning space epic Mass Effect™, will be available for PC gamers to download free* of charge when Mass Effect for the PC releases on May 28, 2008 in North America and June 6, 2008 in Europe.
Fully optimized for the PC, “Bring Down the Sky” is the first in a series of planned downloadable content that will further expand the Mass Effect story and universe. It includes a new uncharted world that introduces the deadly Batarian alien race, approximately 90 minutes of new gameplay and an original soundtrack.
Batarian extremists have hijacked a mobile asteroid station in the Asgard system, setting it on a collision course with the nearby colony world of Terra Nova. Only Commander Shepard can save the millions of innocent civilians before the asteroid completes its deadly descent.
Originally released for the Xbox 360™ videogame and entertainment system, “Bring Down the Sky” has received critical acclaim as one of the “must have” downloadable expansion packs. Mass Effect has also received critical acclaim throughout the world with more than 80 awards including Console Game of the Year and Role-Playing Game of the Year.
The “Bring Down the Sky” downloadable content for PC will be available at the launch of Mass Effect for the PC, and will be free of charge to registered BioWare community members.
*Requires Mass Effect for the PC
According to Derek French, Mass Effect, scheduled to arrive on the PC this 28th, will employ the same SecuROM online activation system that was initially put into Bioshock, allowing the buyer to activate his copy of Mass Effect for 3 times before politely asking to him / her to go to hell, that is, contact the customer service “helpline” to get it reactivated. And while the game itself wouldn’t require the DVD to be physically present in the drive, it goes one step further and phones home every 10 days and re-authenticates just to make sure legit customers are not the worst form of criminal scum publishers swear we are.And from the official forum, a user asked:
The authentication, which will be initialized every time you run MassEffect.exe, will send the CD Key and a unique machine identifier to the activation servers, which will be cross-referenced with the data that was sent when the game was initially activated. Well, actually, it runs screaming to Mama every 5 days, but if it can’t connect, it will still allow you to save the galaxy and sleep around with Asari consorts for another 5 days, presumably reminding you to re-activate often with the dogged persistence of a James Bond doomsday death clock.
Sure, I have an always-on net connection but what happens if I don’t play for 11 days and the moment I want to play my connection is down? Are you saying I’m not going to be able to play my perfectly legitimate purchased copy of the game, even the retail version, until I get permission?The official response:
That is correct. And I would suggest that you contact EA Support the moment this happens (once you get your internet back) to report the issue. If there are people having problems with the system as designed, then Support needs to hear about it so they can help us evaluate it for the next game title.
F.A.Q.
Q: Will my PC (or a specific element of my PC) run Mass Effect?
A: As long as your system is above the minimum requirements, you will be able to run Mass Effect for the PC.
Q: Where do I get help for any problems with MEPC?
A: Official support for Mass Effect PC will be handled by EA. There will also be a technical support forum in the Mass Effect community for fans to help each other.
Q: Why does MEPC need to reactivate every 10 days?
A: MEPC needs to authenticate every 10 days to ensure that the CD key used for the game is valid. This is designed to reduce piracy and protect valid CD keys.
Q: What happens if I want to play MEPC but do not have an internet connection?
A: You cannot play MEPC without an internet connection. MEPC must authenticate when it is initially run and every 10 days thereafter.
Q: What happens if I install and activate MEPC with an internet connection, but then do not have an internet connection after 10 days? Can I still play MEPC?
A: No. After 10 days the system needs to re-authenticate via the internet. If you do not have an internet connection you will not be able to play until you are reconnected to the internet and able to re-authenticate.
Q: Can I play MEPC on my laptop PC?
A: Yes, as long as your laptop meets the minimum system requirements and, periodically, has a connection to the internet to authenticate your game.
Q: How many installations will SecuROM allow from my copy of MEPC?
A: Since SecuROM has nothing to do with the installer, you can install and uninstall on the same machine over and over again without any problems. SecuROM also allows you to activate the game on 3 different machines.
Q: Q: What happens if I exceed 3 activations?
A: Your first 3 activations will still work, but any subsequent activation will not work.
Q: When does this authentication check occur?
A: The check is ran automatically when you start the Mass Effect PC exe. In other words, it tries to authenticate when you start to play the game.
Q: There were some problems with authentication servers for games like BioShock. Is EA ready for the influx of MEPC players? Will we be able to play our games when we get them home?
A: Yes, EA is ready and we are confident there will be no server problems. EA has assured us that they have their authorization systems and customer support staff in place and ready for the launch of Mass Effect for PC. Anyone having issues with getting the game activated will be able to contact EA Support and get their problem resolved.
Q: What happens if I play, then go away for 2 or 3 weeks? Would the game load, re-authorize and carry on, or would i need to contact EA Support for whatever is necessary?
A: The game would work just like the first time you played it. The number of days you are away doesn't matter.
Q: When EA acquired Bioware, I knew that using SecuROM would be one of the major changes since EA is one of the most powerful Securom supporters.
A: Actually, Neverwinter Nights, Knights of the Old republic, Jade Empire, and Mass Effect all use SecuROM in some manner.
Q: How will the game servers work with the authentication?
A: Mass Effect does not have game servers, so this is not an issue.
Q: Who runs the SecuROM servers? Is it BioWare, SecuROM or EA?
A: EA runs their own SecuROM servers.
Q: Does the game re-authenticate every 10 game play days or every 10 calendar days?
A: It re-authenticates based on calendar days, not game play days.
Q:You did say that SecuROM re-authenticates silently and we don’t need to do anything at our end to make this happen. Is that right?
A: Correct, when you go to run the game, the re-authorization takes mere moments during the game startup. There are no dialogs, no progress bars, nothing for you to enter or confirm. It just works.
Q: What if for any reasons my CD-Key was banned and/or doesn’t work?
A: You would contact EA Support and they will work with you to get it running again.
Q: What happens in the future if I want to play MEPC and EA has shut off the servers?
A: If that should ever happen, BioWare would address this problem.
We will try to update the FAQ qith more questions and answers as they arrise. Thanks everyone.
Bioware backs down! (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/52618)Excellent news.
10 day authentication will be gone.
It still has a Bioshock style "3 installs" thing, though.That's annoying.
Online auth is only for downloading game updates, which I'm cool with.I'm absolutely fine w/ that.
Also, apparently Spore will have the same changes.Makes sense.
I'm guessing they got deluged by complaints and "That's ridiculous I'm pirating the game just because of that" e-mails.
Yeah, it's still stupid, but at least they're no longer trying to push the envelope. Maybe I'll buy Mass Effect now, if there's a long enough period between the memory of them wanting to rape me and the date the game is released.
Now heres the big question: Was this planned from the start?
Think about it. The copy protection is now essentially the same as the stuff on Bioshock, which people had a fit over. Now EA wants to use the same stuff but know that people will probably have a fit again.
Solution? Propose something outrageous. People will complain, so then we "scale back" the DRM because we "listen to the community."
They get the DRM they want, and the community is happy about it.
Yeah, it's still bullshit, just a different brand of it. I'd forgotten about the revoke tool thing. Maybe I'll just stop buying all EA products. I mean, that's more or less where I've been for a couple years now, but maybe now I'll just stop making exceptions.As much as I am anticipating ME and love Bioware games I might join that wagon.
For people that swap out hardware, a "Revoke tool" would somewhat solve the problem of "If you swap out hardware significant, you will then lose an install count b/c your hardware's now different" bullshit. I think that is bullshit, if you ask me -- I mean, it's still the SAME PC; they should install bind the install count to your PC's unique IP, if that's the case! So, w/ a "revoke tool" in place, before Joe decides to swap a component out, the tool could revoke one of their MEPC installs, incrementing their count up by 1. Then, they could swap out the part, put in the new part, go and reactivate their game -- and they'll be back where there were on the allowed install count before they swapped the part out.I see what you're getting at, but there is no "unique IP" on a PC, D. There are CPU serial numbers, network card MAC addresses, and things like that. But the trouble is, if those things get changed out, what part really defines the PC? Truly, no individual part does. I would guess the motherboard would be the closest thing but people even upgrade those sometimes.
About the stuff with swapping out computer components, I think it's somewhat retarded period. They can link it to the motherboard or whatever, but I paid for the game, and if I want to play it 10 years down the road and three PCs later, I should have that right.Agreed.
You are paying for the privilege of using the software, not ownership of the intellectual property
The music industry has been similarly ravaged by piracy. It's easy enough to avoid any DRM simply by purchasing a CD. But that's not what most people do. The number one retailer of music is none other than Apple's iTunes. That's right – the same iTunes that gives you songs at 128kbps AAC and won't let you burn any song to CD more than five times. Apple has tried to appease the DRM-haters with iTunes plus, but it's a pretty small percentage of iTunes songs that use the "plus" format.
Ultimately I feel that those who raise hell about DRM are in a minority. The alleged inconveniences are incredibly trivial, and if DRM can reduce piracy, it's good both for developers and gamers. And those who threaten piracy because of DRM? Well, those schmucks are probably already familiar with getting the five-finger discount. I challenge these irate gamers to offer their own solutions. PC piracy numbers are staggering, and causing many developers to leave the platform. If gamers don't like DRM, what other solutions might there be? What are these gamers accomplishing by throwing a fit and threatening more piracy, aside from egging developers to develop even stricter DRM?
This isn't about Piracy, EA know full well that a Hack will follow hot on the heels of the release.
This is about attacking the Second Hand Game market, which is far greater source of tangible revenue loss than Piracy (the ESA 'figures' on Piracy assume that everyone who pirated a game would have bought it had it not been pirated, which is complete tosh).
By limiting installs and making the system phone home, it makes it extremely difficult to resell the game once completed, and this is the idea.
So, don't let EA kid you they are 'fighting teh ebil pirates', cos they ain't and they know it, they are simply making sure that anyone who wants a legal copy of the game this time next year will have to give them the money rather than buy it second hand.
EB/Gamestop stopped taking used PC games quite a few years ago now. Theres isn't a big used PC game market unless you talk ebay or classic titles (you know, pre-CD key stuff).Last game I bought on the used-game market from an EB was in 2001, Baldur's Gate II for $20 w/ the Brady Strategy Guide elasticized with it for free. I couldn't pass that deal up, as the Brady guide cost $20 alone. That was in 2001, In Pensacola, Florida. And both the guide and game discs were in near-perfect condition.
Still, I don't see how the second-hand market would be impacted. As long as the activation is revoked on uninstall a la Bioshock, what would it matter when someone else buys the game?There is no revoking allowed for Mass Effect PC. Three installs allowed -- and you're done.
Hi All,
There is a way to install the game manually if you can't get the game installed for some reason (installer error, saferun, etc).
You will need:
1) access to the contents of the data directory (either off CD, download, temp files, etc)
2) WinRar or 7zip or any tool that can extract .rar files.
Steps:
1) Create a folder on your system somewhere. Default for the installer is "C:\Program Files\Mass Effect\" or a games folder.
2) Open each .rar file in the utility chosen (WinRar for e.g.)
3) Extract each .rar file into this folder. If you are using an English build, you won't need to extract any .rar file that has a different language code (_es, _fr, _de, _it, etc)
4) After extracting all files, your folder should look like this:
...\Mass Effect\Binaries\
...\Mass Effect\BioGame\
...\Mass Effect\data\
...\Mass Effect\docs\
...\Mass Effect\Engine\
...\Mass Effect\MassEffectLauncher.exe
5) Run the MassEffectLauncher.exe and quit immediately.
6) Run the "Mass Effect (tm)_code.exe" from the data folder. Enter your CD Key, click next, it will exit out.
7) Run the Launcher again, hit "Config". under the "Repair" tab, you can re-create your shortcuts if running XP. If running Vista, I'm sorry, you can't add the game to the Game Explorer in these instructions.
9) Quit back to the launcher.
10) Play! (everything should work nicely now)
I hope that helps some people!
Owen.
QUESTION
What can I do if Mass Effect keeps crashing after I installed it on my Windows Vista machine?
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Answer
Windows Vista users with UAC (User Access Control) enabled may experience a crash to desktop when running Mass Effect after installation.
The solution to this problem is to disable UAC, run Mass Effect PC once and then enable UAC on your Windows Vista Control Panel. Once the procedure has been completed, you will not have to repeat the it unless Windows Vista is reinstalled.
Detailed Instructions:
1. Open Control Panel.
2. Under User Account and Family Settings click on Add or Remove User Account.
3. Click on the user account you would like to disable UAC for.
4. With a user account selected, click on the Go to the Main User Account Page link.
5. Under the Make Changes to Your User Account heading click on the Change Security Settings link.
6. Under Turn on User Account Control (UAC) to make your computer more secure uncheck the box beside Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer. Click the OK button to accept the changes.
7. Windows will prompt to reboot the computer. Save any open files and reboot to apply the changes.
8. When your computer has rebooted, launch Mass Effect PC and then exit the game.
9. Now repeat the above steps but check the box mentioned in Step 6 and reboot when prompted to complete the procedure.
Mass Effect is only contained on one disc.
Even though the disc included is labeled Disc 1 there are no additional discs included in the package.
Just picked it up and played about 1 hour into it.Does this mean you have TWO key-codes there, giving you now SIX total allowed installs instead of THREE? :o
It's beautiful. It's running fantastically as well.
I've come across a minor bug though. In the character creation screen, if I go back and forth between the steps (in this case appearance and finalize) eventually the game prevents me from entering any menu commands. I can highlight buttons with the mouse and keyboard but I can't push any of them. It's a tiny bug, hardly an issue at all.
Regardless, I'm really loving it so far.
EDIT:
I also noticed something quite strange. The package includes two DVD's labeled "Disc One" and "Disc Two," however I never used the 2nd disc in the installation. Just to give you an idea the game came in a DVD case (like a DVD movie) with the 2nd disc in a separate envelope tucked behind the manual.
According to EA support:
Which is particularly weird since I actually do have a 2nd disc in the package. Its contents appear to be the same as the 1st disc.
Does this mean you have TWO key-codes there, giving you now SIX total allowed installs instead of THREE? :oWell, I've only got one key on the back of the manual.
If you are worried that you might be missing some of the story by taking a different path, don't worry, you are. There is no way to play through all of the storylines in this game without playing through at least 5 times, and that is being generous. In all honesty, you could play this game for the next six months and never get the entire experience. This is coming from a tester who just a few weeks ago finally noticed a new branch, after playing for 8 months. Don't be afraid to start a new game, and don't be afraid to try a new character/difficulty/follower team-up. The game has a way of surprising you in ways you would not expect.
Y'know, I just realized that Mass Effect is in the Unreal engine! I had never read anywhere. I just assumed it was Bioware's next rendition of the engine they used for KotOR. I gotta say they put the Unreal engine to great use!
Is it actually non-revocable? I was under the impression that was just a rumor and absolutely nothing popped up warning me about this during the install.I don't know if it has changed since AFTER the game were released (I really ain't followed MEPC News of lately).
Anyways, the game got better for me once the freedom to fly around increased. I still get the impression that it's really really short, but at least some of the side missions are pretty fun...although I get the feeling that they'll get very repetitive.
QUESTION
How will Digital Rights Management (DRM) work with Mass Effect for the PC?
spacer
Answer
The DRM solution implemented for Mass Effect for the PC changes copy protection from being key disc based, which requires authentication every time you play the game by requiring a disc in the drive, to a one time online authentication. This system has the added benefit of allowing you to seamlessly play your game without requiring the game disc in the drive.
KEY POINTS:
* This system allows you to authenticate your game on three different computers with the purchase of one disc. EA Customer Service is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting Customer Support.
* Games are authorized to your machine when you first install and launch the game.
* We have all had those times when the discs get lost or scratched and you can’t play a game you’ve bought because you need a working disc in the drive. With this new system, players will no longer need the disc to play the game, but can instead simply retain the disc as back up for re-installation.
FAQ:
Q: What is the difference between the old PC disc authentication solution and the new online model?
A: Two things have changed:
* First, authentication of your game disc has changed from a physical format to an online format, eliminating the need to have a disc in the drive when playing.
* Second, with online authentication, consumers now connect to the Internet the first time the game is launched and are only required to reconnect if they are downloading new game content.
Q: What happens when I’ve reached the maximum number of computers for my game and I need more? (Due to computer upgrades, theft, crashes, etc.)
A: EA Customer Support is on hand to supply any additional authorizations that are warranted. This will be done on a case-by-case basis by contacting Customer Support.
Q: Why are BioWare and EA implementing this new authentication process?
A: This system serves to protect our software from piracy. It has the added benefit of allowing you to activate your game on multiple machines without needing the game disc in the drive when playing the game.
Q: I heard that authentication has to take place every 10 days, is that true?
A: No. Disc based authentication required authentication every time you launched the game. Online authentication is more flexible and for Mass Effect, game authentication is needed only at the initial launch of the game on a particular machine.
Q: If the game isn’t going to require an authentication every 10 days, will it ever require re-authentication?
A: Re-authentication is required if the game is re-installed on a previously authorized machine for any reason. However, if you choose to download new game content, you will need to register online and log in for those services.
Well, here's the official Q&A from the EA support boards:
It doesn't say anything about revokes but it gives a clearer picture of how the DRM has been implemented and how it works.
The non-revoke is bullshit though.That's the only thing holding me back from buying the game.
So far my experience was pretty smooth. The DRM in MEPC is non-intrusive and I don't need a disc in the drive!That's good.
It is agreeable that their 'no revoke' system is pretty shitty.One-time activation is annoying, but I could actually deal w/ that.
Mass Effect DRM Issues? [June 18, 2008, 9:59 pm ET] - Viewing Comments
The Mass Effect Community Forums (http://masseffect.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=635214&forum=104&sp=0) have word on issues with the SecuROM copy protection in the PC edition of Mass Effect. Users have run into issues with the software allowing only three activations, and some users have expressed concern over how the software seems to want to "phone home" via the internet, though reports in this area are a bit vague. Thanks Mike Martinez, Simprograms, and Slashdot.
Has anyone actually finished this? I ask because I have a terrible feeling the main game is really really short for an RPG.
I'm considering typing a formal letter to EA stating that I fully intend to pirate their games until they remove or relax their DRM strategy, but I don't know if that's a great idea. I guess there is nothing illegal about saying you are going to do something illegal in this case, but I still am not a fan of the idea of them having possession of a physical letter with my name and address stating so.
Thoughts?
I probably wouldn't personally, just to play it on the safe side. You never know with these new and draconian (what?) copyright laws.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/draconian :)
Update 1.01
* added some infrastructure support for additional downloadable content
* updated the image of the Batarian race in the codex
* fixed an issue where the center channel for hardware audio wouldn't play correctly sometimes
* fixed an issue where the hardware mouse pointer would disappear when first selected
* fixed an issue where Shepard did not auto-crouch when entering cover in some places
* fixed a tool-tip indicating a game restart is needed before enabling hardware or software audio if the option was changed
* fixed an issue where ambient conversation would not be heard from rear speakers sometimes
* fixed a text string to make it clearer on how to exit a vehicle
* fixed a text string so the tool top for dragging the map is clearer in French languages builds
Mass Effect Configuration Utility
* fixed a crash running on certain multi-core AMD systems
* fixed an issue where video RAM was not being reported properly on certain cards
Worldwide
English (World Wide except Eastern Europe), Spanish, French, Italian & German (34.8 MB) (http://files.bioware.com/masseffect/updates/MassEffect_EFIGS_1.01.exe)
Mass Effect Two-Disc Edition coming in February
January 17th, 2009 @ 22:01
US retailer Gamestop is advertising a new Mass Effect Two-Disc Edition SKU to be released on February 10.
Aside from the game disc you’ll be getting a documentary, game trailers, music, design galleries and the Bring Down the Sky downloadable content. All for a paltry $19.99.
We’ll check next week to see if this will be coming to Europe.
By Mike Bowden
I got my RRoD while playing ME, and I never went back to it. I'm not consciously blaming the game. Don't know what made me stay away exactly. Now I wish I'd never bought it, seeing the much better deal coming up.What Bioware SHOULD do is offer up for free download to gamers who already own ME X360 over XB Live the music, the documentary, and all of that other extra stuff.
*Snore*
Let me know when the patch comes out that removes the DRM. I wish it would hurry up because I want this game.
So in extreme boredom and frustration today, I bought the game. Guess we'll found out if I like it or not. Got it on PC... will probably find a crack for it as soon as it's done installing.
I did some quick searching and yeah there are cracks out there. I saw something interesting on one site where there were a bunch of comments about an available torrent and one person claimed they got a DMCA-gram from their ISP due to the torrent in question. That's the first I've heard of that happening for software.
Well, pretty awesome after an hour or two. Much more intense than past Bioware games, I think, since it feels more immediate with the more actiony feel. And very engaging right off the bat. Even though the story seems generic from the box description and such, the way they present it is nice thus far.The action is really good -- especially for an RPG trying to be both a (tactical) third-person action game and a RPG.
So the game is kicking ass. I'm about 6 hours in, and I can't stop playing it. If you like sci-fi to any degree at all, I think you pretty much have to play it. I wasn't expecting such attention to detail. The world (er... universe?) is surprisingly convincing, and while normally games like this give you a lot of combat and exploration and much less society, thus far I've done practically no combat at all and have spent the majority of the time wandering around the superhugegiant space station they send you to right after the beginning, and I've been doing non-combat quests and such for a good bit.I'm sure someone like you must've loved all the Codex and Journal stuff with all the extra back-story stuff.
The graphics are stunning. There are some unfortunate low points that come up and distract a little, but that's mostly because everything else looks so freaking flawless. It's amazo at 1280x1024 with everything cranked up, and the fact that there are so many little details makes it seem weird that they overlooked some stuff here and there. Still, complaining would be pointless. The game looks (and sounds, most of the time) phenomenal.DemiUrge did a pretty good job in porting this -- as the game actually runs well on my PC and 1024x768.
Can't wait to put some more time into it tomorrow. Or I guess later today. It's about 3:30 in the morning.
Wow, Im surprised its grabbing you like that, I thought you'd be bored to tears at that point of the game since you hated KotoR so much. But who cares, Im glad your enjoying it, the game only gets better after that point, which I even found to be kind of slow.
No, I wasn't of a fan of KotOR either, and I liked ME real well until the Xbox RRoD'd. I want to get into it again, but remembering how it was thrashing the DVD drive, the only way I'll do it is by installing it, which would mean blowing off the install of B-K Nuts and Bolts. Small HDD. Sucks. I'll do this sooner or later.
Awesome Que. As Pyro said it gets better from there.
It is a good PC port but for some reason they didn't implement gamepad controls at all. It's not a major complaint from me but I can see some people taking issue with it.
I think ME PC's keyboard/mouse controls are just fine -- as always, once I got them reconfigured to my liking. It plays fine like a usual TPS would for me.I think that was the real source of the confusion about MEPC. A lot of people just assumed it would have gamepad support.
You know who those people are complaining the game ain't got gamepad controls on the PC? Console gamers who bought the game on the PC and want gamepad controls. :P
Though, since ME was on the X360, you'd figure the PC version would ALSO support the 360 controller anyways -- that would make sense to me.
Yeah, I feel no need for a gamepad with it, so I don't really care. M/KB is fine with me, and works well for this one. The interface is nice, too. I can see why people hated the 360 interface and were happy to get a nice retooling of it for PC.I think if we look at games with the openings of that like say KOTOR, Fallout 3, and The Witcher -- they start very slow b/c they spend so much time gracing you into the game and spend so much time introducing so much -- they introduce story, character, gameplay, and even teach you the controls.
As for my interest... basically what Cobra said. The combat makes a huge difference, because I really kind of hated the way it was handled in KotOR, so that got me interested right off the bat, and there's a huuuge difference between the Citadel and the opening city from KotOR.
The latter was just so boring I wanted to get off and explore the galaxy, but couldn't, so that was frustrating.
There were cool parts, like talking to interesting characters and seeing some of the sights, but ultimately it wasn't nearly so detailed and filled with information. This one, like D said, has backstory and information up the wazoo.I think that's what drew me to the game. Sure, the stuff that is happening on-screen as I'm playing, it's very good. But, there's much more to it -- there's the backstory in the Codex/Journal, which adds way more to the game. That's something I liked about The Witcher -- was that you could look into the Journal and read-up on Locations, Characters, and other things for little tidbits of EXTRA information.
And admittedly, the graphics really help. Everything is so stunning I just want to walk around and look at it, poke it, whatever. So mechanically it feels similar to what KotOR did, definitely, but I think they did a way, way better job of it here. I'm really not raging to go off and get into combat and explore because there's so much engaging stuff to do already, and the story is going at a much more rapid pace. I know who the bad guy is, I'm enjoying the political struggle, getting to know the characters, etc. That was another big problem with KotOR, where they just didn't seem to get you as deep into the story as quickly.Mechanically, yes -- it does feel like KOTOR.
Anyway, I'm more impressed than I thought I'd be. Wasn't expecting to dig it this much, and I just might be excited about Mass Effect 2 by the end of it!I think I need to plunge further into ME, myself. Your talk of it got me to get back into it again today. I got a little bit further into it today and all.
Put about 11 hours in just getting off the initial station, and wasn't bored for even a second. Did every last sidequest I found, including finding all the keepers. Fun!I've got about 10 hours put in, so far -- since I bought it.
The characters are really well done, and with Bioware's usual methods of fleshing them out and making them seem more real, I think it works better in the context of this game than any of their past games. I'm really liking getting to know the crew, and already certain situations have seemed a great deal more poignant thanks to all this contextual stuff. The big moment that propels you from the first section of the game could really have seemed much less impressive, but it actually felt momentous because of all the time I'd spent running around doing stuff prior to that, and because of all the context that the other characters provided. When you get to walk down the middle of your ship for the first time after taking command, it really feels like your character has truly accomplished something, even though you really haven't done much more than shoot a couple dudes and follow the story. That's impressive as hell.I also think the outstanding graphics, voice-acting, and the excellent cut-scenes are actually a cut way above the usual Bioware standards here in ME -- which usually are high anyways; but they feel even more so elevated than ever before here.
Can't wait to get out there and explore.
You know what I don't like?Well, the camera follows the turret that's mounted on the Mako. Y'know, so you can aim and shoot stuff. It's no different from vehicles in UT3.
The way the camera just doesn't follow right along with my Mako's movement in this game. It just makes the controls feel...odd.
A quick solution would be to have a hotkey to center the cam directly right behind your Mako.
Well, you're probably 2/3 of the way through the game if you're that far after 20 hours. The main story is probably only 30 hours long. I'm just over 30 and I'm probably only halfway to where you're at. I take it you haven't been doing much side stuff?
Revoke Tool for MEPC released. (http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_li=&p_sid=Zu91G*tj&p_sp=&p_faqid=21197&p_iid=0&p_created=&p_prod=&p_cat=&p_cv=&p_pv=&p_prods=&p_cats=&prod_lvl1=&prod_lvl2=&prod_lvl3=&cat_lvl1=&cat_lvl2=&cat_lvl3=&p_hidden_prods=&p_search_text=&p_new_search=&p_accessibility=&p_page=&p_lva=21197&nextlink=)About frickin' time. It should have been part of the uninstall process anyhow.
About frickin' time. It should have been part of the uninstall process anyhow.Agreed.
Agreed.Btw, I just tested it, it's not a "revoke" tool per se. It's a "De-Authorization" tool. It works a little differently.
Also, that link has Revoke Tools for ALL THE EA Games released since May 2008 -- woohoo!
Btw, I just tested it, it's not a "revoke" tool per se. It's a "De-Authorization" tool. It works a little differently.Of course w/ Bioshock's tool, when the game was installed, if you revoked it, it just wouldn't boot up anymore -- until you reactivate it.
The revoke tools (i.e. the Bioshock revoke tool) we've seen before just revoke a token from the registration server, whether the game is installed or not to help clear up problems if you run out of tokens as a result of a fault.
What EA's sucker does is it De-Authroizes the machine you're using from playing the game only when the game is installed on that specific machine.What if you de-authorize it and then uninstall it?
On that list is also EA's "De-Authorization" tool for Crysis WARHEAD as well, but Crytek had already released their own revoke tool months ago. It's way better too.I used Crytek's tool recently, BTW...
What if you de-authorize it and then uninstall it?Yeah, that's the point. Since uninstalling the game alone doesn't de-authorize it. You have to de-authorize and then uninstall. So basically if you want to free up an authorization from a certain machine you played Mass Effect on a long time ago you have to install the game then de-authorize it then uninstall. It's retarded.
Yeah, that's the point. Since uninstalling the game alone doesn't de-authorize it.That's what I thought.
You have to de-authorize and then uninstall. So basically if you want to free up an authorization from a certain machine you played Mass Effect on a long time ago you have to install the game then de-authorize it then uninstall. It's retarded.That's basically the way I uninstalled Bioshock.
Que sums it up. Fuck EA, use a crack.And we wonder why so many gamers that even who own legit copies of EA games resort to crack...
No, dude, suppose you had installed on an old PC, which used to be your gaming rig but you've long abandoned it, and played it and uninstalled, but you hadn't de-authorized it since the tool wasn't available at the time or you believe the act of having to de-authorize something is retarded (like myself), you would have to reinstall the game on that specific PC (assuming you still have it and it's still running), de-authorize it and then uninstall it.. again. It's asanine.
Same for Crysis Warhead, too -- installed Warhead, finished it, ran the Crytek Tool to Revoke it, Uninstalled CW.
No, dude, suppose you had installed on an old PC, which used to be your gaming rig but you've long abandoned it, and played it and uninstalled, but you hadn't de-authorized it since the tool wasn't available at the time or you believe the act of having to de-authorize something is retarded (like myself), you would have to reinstall the game on that specific PC (assuming you still have it and it's still running), de-authorize it and then uninstall it.. again. It's asanine.Holy crap...That's a good point for people that just decided to uninstall the game BEFORE the tools came out.
Using a crack makes all EA's wasteful work on this ridiculous form of DRM completely redundant. So that's way I'm going.So, I'm guessing to avoid all of this, you install the game, don't boot that original version of the EXE, then toss the crack EXE on top of the old EXE -- and you never have to deal w/ EA's servers, huh?
So, I'm guessing to avoid all of this, you install the game, don't boot that original version of the EXE, then toss the crack EXE on top of the old EXE -- and you never have to deal w/ EA's servers, huh?Exactly. I take the extra measure of not buying EA games in the first place. Crysis WARHEAD was the last one I bought. I've already decided that I'm getting Mass Effect 2 but that's only because my loyalty to Bioware and admiration of their work outweighs my disdain for EA.
Did anyone finish Bring Down The Sky DLC?Yeah, it was pretty good. Need assistance?
I'm at the proximity mines part....
Yeah, it was pretty good. Need assistance?
While speaking to BioWare's leaders slash doctors, Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, Joystiq managed to confirm that the second batch of DLC for Mass Effect (that's the first game!) would be announced and detailed soon. According to Muzyka, he was even playing it at the BioWare office slash fortress before departing for E3 2009.
Previously, it was suggested that the next Mass Effect DLC would include some sort of fight club or arena setup. So, lots of shooting in preparation for some real shooting, then.
Cool. I think Bioware said this would be the last bit of DLC for ME.Really?
I hope they address a lot of the other bugs in the update too.Sounds like a good plan. :)
At least the cosmetic ones like Garrus' face!What bug is that? :o
On the lower texture quality settings you won't notice it because everything looks like soup. On Ultra High texture quality everything (or at least most things) looks sharp except Garrus' face.Oh, yeah -- wow, major difference there.
Here's (http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/8900/masseffect2008061317234fi3.jpg) an example of Garrus' face.
Here's (http://masseffect.bioware.com/_commonext/images/me/screenshots/2007/masseffect_20_1280x760.jpg) the face of another Turian (the Council member) just so you can see the difference in quality.
Update 1.02
* The player will no longer become stuck in the Feros elevator
* Quickslot abilities are now disabled in elevators
* The pixilated bloom and DoF on Radeon x1650 and x1950 cards has been addressed
* GPF crashes when playing Quasar have been addressed
* The player's weapon will not auto fire if the fire button is released as an active loading screen appears
* Low LOD on Garrus' face has been addressed
* Reconfiguring the PRIMARY INTERACT key (Default set to E) to any other key will no longer make the ENTER key interact TWICE when used.
* Player will not become stuck in his action station in elevators (primarily occurred in the Peak 15 elevators)
* Occasional crash when encountering Rachni on UNC_73 has been addressed
* Using the enter key to add and remove talent points will function properly
* GUI: Pressing U when first getting control of Shepard and then pressing ESC to close it will not cause the player to lose all input functionality
* Romance confrontation conversation will fire after 3rd planet complete
* The player will no longer become stuck when using the Enter key rather than the primary interact key to initiate conversation with certain followers on the Normandy
* Audio skipping during conversations has been addressed
* Addressed cases where Realtec HD audio users were experiencing issues with cut off / crackling audio after patching the game to version 1.01
* The issue regarding dynamic character shadows appearing grainy has been resolved.
* Nihilus and all Turians are no longer missing their face markings
* The issue of Garrus having no lighting on his face until a save is loaded has been addressed
* The game will now create save files when "My Documents" is set to the root of a drive
Misc.:
* -The issue where PCs with NVIDIA GeForce 8xxx and above video cards were experiencing random General Protection Fault crashes appears to have been fixed with the GeForce 182.06+ drivers. Please ensure when playing Mass Effect that all PC drivers are up to date.
PC Mass Effect Pinnacle Station
[Aug 25, 2009, 4:23 pm ET] - 5 Comments
The EA Store (http://eastore.ea.com/DRHM/servlet/ControllerServlet?Action=DisplayProductDetailsPage&SiteID=ea&Locale=en_US&ThemeID=718200&Env=BASE&productID=152041300) now offers digital distribution of the Windows edition of the new Pinnacle Station for Mass Effect, BioWare's sci-fi RPG. The listing for this DLC, which is priced at $5.00 USD, has more details than we've seen yet for this project, which strangely, still does not seem to have been announced. Here's word:
Test the limits of your combat prowess aboard a remote, top-secret Alliance space station. Do you have what it takes to hold the top spot among the best of the best? This module includes a new land-able space station, 13 exciting combat scenarios, and approximately 2-3 hours of game play.
Required: you must achieve Spectre status before embarking on this mission.
Compete in a series of high-stakes battle simulations to earn amazing weapons and armor that can be used in the main game. Unlock new achievements, and even win ownership of a dedicated base of operations for Commander Shepard. Challenge modes include Survival, Time Attack, Hunt and Capture and even a scenario modeled after the First Contact War.
Features:
• Visit the military training center at Pinnacle Station and engage in a series of combat simulations.
• Players of any level can hone their Mass Effect combat skills, shooting your way to the top in 12 unique combat scenarios.
• Make a bet with the station Admiral in a final 13th mission. The stakes are high, Shepard risks his life and the life of his crew to prove that he is the best of the best.
• Farm your main game achievements in an easy to access combat simulator.
• Player can take their prizes and play with them in the main game. Making your next playthrough easier.
• Combat is more dynamic and fast-paced.
• Combat simulator feels like a holo-deck of sorts, environments and enemies look simulated.
• Encounter Vadinos (Turian) and win his weapon.
It sounded pretty bad to me, but I was reserving judgment. I guess it's as bad as it sounded. Too bad, but after the first DLC I wasn't expecting much.
I really need to get back and finish this, though. I was in full swing around the time of the meet, but that kind of stopped me in my tracks and I just never worked up the momentum to go back. Now I'm daunted by trying to figure out how the hell to play it again. But I really liked it quite a bit, I need to finish it.
Mass Effect PC = $9.99 on Steam this weekend.Makes me wonder which is worse. At least the Steam DRM has no install limits.
Only includes Steam's DRM, BTW.
No additional Securom Internet DRM in the Steam version. (http://store.steampowered.com/app/17460/)
Makes me wonder which is worse.That's one that could be decided w/ a coin flip. :P
At least the Steam DRM has no install limits.Agreed.
Fuck that. Buy retail and crack it. The game's like $15 or something on PC these days.
I think they removed the limits for Mass Effect PC. Buy retail.
I believe I heard that ME2 will just have a disc check?
Digital Rights Management (DRM)
The boxed/retail PC version of Mass Effect 2 will use only a basic disk check and it will not require online authentication. This is the same method as Dragon Age: Origins. Digital versions will use the retailers protection system.
Fucking great game. Just reinstalled it recently. I don't know if it has securerom or anything, but I can run it with the disk out.
Sounds like a lot of work.You can get the DeAuth tool here for MEPC. (http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_li=&p_sid=Xo6*b2Pj&p_sp=&p_faqid=21197&p_iid=0&p_created=&p_prod=&p_cat=&p_cv=&p_pv=&p_prods=&p_cats=&prod_lvl1=&prod_lvl2=&prod_lvl3=&cat_lvl1=&cat_lvl2=&cat_lvl3=&p_hidden_prods=&p_search_text=&p_new_search=&p_accessibility=&p_page=&p_lva=21197&nextlink=)
I'll just keep on going until I run out and then crack that motherfucker.I don't blame you.
I missed the first one. And I'm really interested in checking this out. Should I play the first one before the second?
And should I get it for PC or Xbox 360? I'm probably going to get 2 for Xbox. It seems like it's kind of made for console.Yes, you should get the first one first. The sequel is directly related to the first game.
And unless they've changed anything substantial to consolize the 2nd, this is definitely a PC-superior game by a pretty large margin. If you have the rig to run it, avoid the console versions in favor of the PC. The interface is a lot better, you can manage your individual characters (which you can't do at all on console), and there were a few other little quibbles I can't remember.
Scary, while it was made for the console, they adapted it quite well for the PC (from the 30 minutes I played), to the point where it was superior to my sister's 360 version.
Don't rush through it, though. It's more satisfying if you give yourself a little time to stop and smell the roses.Especially w/ The Codex stuff.
Don't rush through it, though. It's more satisfying if you give yourself a little time to stop and smell the roses. I'm trying to do every side quest, and while that gets a little monotonous because a lot of them end up being pretty much exactly the same thing, they can still be fun. If they manage to beef up that aspect of the game in 2, that'd be nice, though who knows if that'll even be in. Dunno' if it'll fit the story... they might work some other way. I do love the feeling of going out and exploring space, though.
Especially w/ The Codex stuff.
I do suggest everybody who likes lore and all of that stuff reads and especially listens to The Best Codex ever put forth in a video game.
What I like is how some of the more important codex is voiced as well. I wish they had done that for Dragon Age too.
I don't think Mass Effect's codex was anywhere near as good as some others, but I still for some reason found it a great deal more compelling than Dragon Age's. I'm usually such a sucker for that kind of thing, but DA's codex just bored the crap out of me. I was really disappointed since everyone said it was the best thing ever and even though they never read that kind of thing in games, they did in that one. I guess maybe that's why. I really didn't get anything out of it. Just slowed the game down for me. I honestly don't know what the difference was, though. Maybe it was just the content of the fiction rather than anything to do with the actual way it was written... dunno'.Besides ME and FF12 - what other Codexes have you really liked, Que?
My favorite is still Final Fantasy XII's, though, because they kind of managed to actually tie it to gameplay. It wasn't great as a reference so much, but it worked really well as something to flesh out the universe as you played. Like you'd kill a creature and get an entry for that creature, but if you killed a certain number of those creatures, you'd then get a 2nd entry that had some other bit of lore not necessarily related to that creature. Usually some history or an interesting facet of the world. Coupled with the near-perfect localization, it was truly compelling, and I spent quite a number of hours just making sure I'd cleaned up enough of the different kinds of baddies to ensure that I wasn't missing most entries.That sounds pretty sweet for a Codex, actually - that it keeps updating and everything.
So Mass Effect is finally getting pretty cheap, but I haven't followed gaming news or this thread enough to find out if they have released a patch that removes the DRM or a license deactivation tool. I did some quick searches here on OW.net and on Google, but it was just everyone bitching about the DRM.
This game has the worst DRM out there as far as I am concerned, and I refuse to purchase it until I know I have reasonable fair use of the game.
Users are given one year from the time of purchase to download a game. This period can be extended by five years, via the Extended Download Service, by paying a $6 US fee. This is unlike most other digital distribution platforms which allow users to re-download their purchases in the future without limitations. This means that after one year if you need to reinstall the software/game that you must repay the full price.
The only reason I got Bring Down the Sky was because it was free on PC.
The only reason I got Bring Down the Sky was because it was free on PC.Ditto.
The sidequests are some of the most inane and boring out of any Bioware game. They are really quite terribly boring so far. At least in KOTOR or Dragon Age, your sidequests involved some action, or the some interesting story.
One key skill seems to be a specter skill which allows you to revive your party after they have been incapacitated. That has done wonders.
I've got a question. Can I seek multiple love interests simultaneously, or will the girls get jealous of each other and hate me? Should I back off with one of them?
You won't be able to romance both characters. You can only choose one.That was the cool thing about Jade Empire - you didn't have to choose one. ;)
That was the cool thing about Jade Empire - you didn't have to choose one. ;)
Dragon Age is the same.
I really enjoy going through each system and just seeing what's there, then exploring what planets I can and enjoying the offroading on the big landscapes.
Granted, the sidequesting is a bit thin
And then they took out all the planetary exploration stuff. Which isn't necessarily a problem...
It is strange. I am loving some of the stuff people seemed to have complained about. Some people complained about coming across only some planetary history etc., rather than anything solid to do on most planets.You know, I'm surprised some of the planets you can't even do anything with just didn't wind up eventually as a place you could explore in some sort of DLC.
The other thing I am really enjoying is the vehicular stuff. I think it controls fine, and don't get all the bitchin' about that. I wonder if it was worse on the console?B/c the camera doesn't follow behind The Mako itself - yeah, it actually follows the gun instead - I just wish there was some sort of hot-key I could press if I just want to reset the camera to go instantly right behind the Mako. That was a VERY minor complaint of mine - my only complaint w/ the Mako controls.
The problem with the Mako is its turret. The turret fires straight +/- 15º. Basically, what ends up happening is if you have to have vehicular combat, you have to be on an even plane with your target otherwise you can't hit shit.True, unless you zoom in (shift button) then it seems to align properly. It was driving my nuts when I was shooting from the hills until I tried rocket-sniping and realized that it's actually working.
I am not totally on board with the conversation system. It isn't bad, but mostly you don't get a fair representation of what Shepard is going to say.
And so often he is just a real dick/asshole.
I am not totally on board with the conversation system. It isn't bad, but mostly you don't get a fair representation of what Shepard is going to say.
And so often he is just a real dick/asshole.
I played through several times. You shouldn't let your team auto-level. At least pick the important skills manually first. Thing is, you don't know that hacking and decryption are so important until after you've gained some familiarity with the game, and by then it may be too late. After my first time through, I always made sure Garrus was up to speed on these, unless I was the techie guy. Another thing I did was use the Quarian for loot gathering while I ramped up someone else's tech skills.It's called "M4 Part II" from a group named Faunts. I have no idea what the lyrics are. I just like the overall "feel" of the song.
Great game. Kept me going for quite some time. What is the song at the end? Now I can't even remember. Weird, considering I must have heard it a half-dozen times. I'm not likely to forget "No Heaven" at the end of Borderlands, so maybe I just didn't like the ME closing tune.
Can't wait to get ME2. Damn Gogamer.com for having it for $10.90! I was going to buy it off Impulse, but ended up suggesting it as a gift for me for Christmas and now I have to wait.ME2 is awesome - so worth that $10.90 + shipping.
Yeah, too bad it sold out at that price already.
Oh man, I'd love to be able to walk into ME2 fresh again. Have fun with it.