Mass Effect 3

[Deus Malum]

No one plays those.

You couldn't have used EQ, STO, WoT, etc.?

I played LotRO

It was good

until it went free to play

I've played DDO. Even free to play it was pretty damn fun.

Granted, I've also played Rift, WoW, and SW:TOR. If a game is sufficiently enjoyable, a sub isn't the worst thing in the world.

[Imperial isa]

having to chase him all the time i so hate that dam kid

[Genivaria]

I've started a thread on MMO gaming if anyone is interested.
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=169885

[Divair]

Because MMOFPS's are awesome, we just need a good setting. Mass Effect provides that.
TOR would have been MUCH better if it broke away from the traditional MMORPG combat system and given it combat similar to a FPS or an Action game like Mount and Blade.

Mass Effect's fine in the third person and I haven't seen an awesome MMOFPS.

the game's shooty and casual enough.

Planetside 2.

MMO's aren't necessarily subscription based.

End of Nations isn't.
Planetside 2 isn't.
D&D Online isn't.
LoTR Online isn't.

No one plays those.

You couldn't have used EQ, STO, WoT, etc.?

A lot of people play D&D and LoTR, and lots of people have been getting hyped up for EoN and Planetside 2.

[Northern Dominus]

First things first, I have to admit that the deus ex machina ending was off-putting. It didn't seem as if the Catalyst was really observing what was going on considering every species had been brought together to resist its final solution to chaos. And there are a few other things that were irritating that involved decisions in previous games not having much of an impact or being ignored (Quarians anybody?).

However, the finale isn't the entire point of the game, the whole POINT of the Mass Effect trilogy, at least to me anyway, was the epic story of the titular character. Hero or villain (or somewhere in between), what struck me aside from the great gameplay and inventive universe was the impression that this entire trilogy was an epic poem of some kind, like Beowulf or Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

That I think is the success of Mass Effect 3. It was a fitting third act to the entire story, certainly worthy of as much praise as the previous two games when you take that into consideration.

[Oterro]

However, the finale isn't the entire point of the game, the whole POINT of the Mass Effect trilogy, at least to me anyway, was the epic story of the titular character. Hero or villain (or somewhere in between), what struck me aside from the great gameplay and inventive universe was the impression that this entire trilogy was an epic poem of some kind, like Beowulf or Gilgamesh and Enkidu

But it's not.

Because those sagas have established characters with established traits and actions.

Mass Effect hinges on - or did - the decisions and choices of the player. I think 2/3's of the people I've spoken to about it played FemShep. My Shepard had a dick and stuffy voice acting. Lots of people went renegade - mine was a goody two shoes spacejesus.

Shepard is kind of hard to describe as a character. Most narratives centered on a protagonist will have the crux, the problem of the story, affect the main character, and then show how s/he has changed due to this event. Because Shepard is controlled by the player, it's sort of well, up to us how Shepard reacts to it. Or it would be, if Shepard wasn't dead. Given that SpaceJesus is dead in 2/3's of the endings and in the 33% of the ending he's not dead, it only makes sense to show what he's done and accomplished.

[Deus Malum]

However, the finale isn't the entire point of the game, the whole POINT of the Mass Effect trilogy, at least to me anyway, was the epic story of the titular character. Hero or villain (or somewhere in between), what struck me aside from the great gameplay and inventive universe was the impression that this entire trilogy was an epic poem of some kind, like Beowulf or Gilgamesh and Enkidu

But it's not.

Because those sagas have established characters with established traits and actions.

Mass Effect hinges on - or did - the decisions and choices of the player. I think 2/3's of the people I've spoken to about it played FemShep. My Shepard had a dick and stuffy voice acting. Lots of people went renegade - mine was a goody two shoes spacejesus.

Shepard is kind of hard to describe as a character. Most narratives centered on a protagonist will have the crux, the problem of the story, affect the main character, and then show how s/he has changed due to this event. Because Shepard is controlled by the player, it's sort of well, up to us how Shepard reacts to it. Or it would be, if Shepard wasn't dead. Given that SpaceJesus is dead in 2/3's of the endings and in the 33% of the ending he's not dead, it only makes sense to show what he's done and accomplished.

Not to mention that, for a game touting divergent choices and lots of the setting being up to the actions of the player, it seemed like very little pre-ME3 actually affected the game all that much.

To whit, I always save the Council, and always install Anderson as the new human Councilor. Cue ME2, and you have a brief scene with Anderson, as the Human Councilor, dealing with all the BS that the Council gets up to, advocating for Shepard's Spectre status to be reinstated on her (I play Femshep) behalf, etc.

And then ME3 rolls around and Anderson is back to being an Alliance military personnel, has left the council, and has been replaced by Udina, the other choice from ME1. And that choice made in ME1 now suddenly seems a lot less impactful. In fact, it was a fucking pointless choice, because the devs ultimately decided they wanted Udina in the Council seat in ME3 one way or another.

And I know that the reasoning for Anderson's departure and Udina's elevation to the position is laid out in one of the books, but fuck that noise. It's just a contrived excuse to make it easier on the devs, AFTER they kept talking about how important your choices would be over the course of the games.

On top of that, to my knowledge, that big, huge important decision at the end of ME2 had absolutely NO fucking effect on anything. Does anyone else know if your choice with regard to the Collector Base makes a different?

[Oterro]

[Deus Malum]

(Image)

Jacob? (I went Femshep/Garrus personally).

[Ganos Lao]

Does anyone else know if your choice with regard to the Collector Base makes a different?

I read that if you saved it, there's some tweaking done to the specific EMS levels you need to get this or that ending. Of course it doesn't really matter since you're stuck with the same endings that someone who didn't import would get.

[Industrial Republics]

(Image)

Jacob? (I went Femshep/Garrus personally).

Not a gigantic spoiler, but Jacob goes off and has a kid with another woman during the game. So romancing him and looking at his abs (even though the lamp is a better option) is pretty much useless.

[Oterro]

Jacob? (I went Femshep/Garrus personally).

Not a gigantic spoiler, but Jacob goes off and has a kid with another woman during the game. So romancing him and looking at his abs (even though the lamp is a better option) is pretty much useless.

Jacob was a huge bro.

I went with Tali.

[Deus Malum]

Jacob? (I went Femshep/Garrus personally).

Not a gigantic spoiler, but Jacob goes off and has a kid with another woman during the game. So romancing him and looking at his abs (even though the lamp is a better option) is pretty much useless.

Oh so that happens whether or not you romance him? That's...unfortunate.

[Industrial Republics]

Not a gigantic spoiler, but Jacob goes off and has a kid with another woman during the game. So romancing him and looking at his abs (even though the lamp is a better option) is pretty much useless.

Oh so that happens whether or not you romance him? That's...unfortunate.

Yeah, but he was kind of a wall to talk to anyway. He was cool in his own way, though he kind of looks like Kayne West to me.

Jacob was a huge bro.

I went with Tali.

Ashley and Tali here because my Shep is a sleezy bastard.

[Norstal]

Jacob? (I went Femshep/Garrus personally).

Not a gigantic spoiler, but Jacob goes off and has a kid with another woman during the game. So romancing him and looking at his abs (even though the lamp is a better option) is pretty much useless.

You know, if you did the loyalty mission for Jacob, you kinda did see that coming. Jacob's romance being useless is a no-brainer.

The ending on the other hand...

[Industrial Republics]

Not a gigantic spoiler, but Jacob goes off and has a kid with another woman during the game. So romancing him and looking at his abs (even though the lamp is a better option) is pretty much useless.

You know, if you did the loyalty mission for Jacob, you kinda did see that coming. Jacob's romance being useless is a no-brainer.

The ending on the other hand...

I'm holding out hope for a DLC to hopefully fix the ending. But, until then I am redoing the first two games as a complete douche bag.

[Norstal]

You know, if you did the loyalty mission for Jacob, you kinda did see that coming. Jacob's romance being useless is a no-brainer.

The ending on the other hand...

I'm holding out hope for a DLC to hopefully fix the ending. But, until then I am redoing the first two games as a complete douche bag.

Heh, every time I tried to make myself a Renegade, I just can't bring myself to do it. :\

[Ceannairceach]

I'm holding out hope for a DLC to hopefully fix the ending. But, until then I am redoing the first two games as a complete douche bag.

Heh, every time I tried to make myself a Renegade, I just can't bring myself to do it. :\

I only do renegade actions when they aren't really renegade, ie stabbing Swordyknife McDouche or shocking that Blue Suns mechanic.

[Industrial Republics]

Heh, every time I tried to make myself a Renegade, I just can't bring myself to do it. :\

I only do renegade actions when they aren't really renegade, ie stabbing Swordyknife McDouche or shocking that Blue Suns mechanic.

I feel kind of bad, but I've played twice now through the entire series as the nice guy. It is fun to go around being a jerk to everyone; Though I still pick paragon options for my teammates and conversations.

[Norstal]

Heh, every time I tried to make myself a Renegade, I just can't bring myself to do it. :\

I only do renegade actions when they aren't really renegade, ie stabbing Swordyknife McDouche or shocking that Blue Suns mechanic.

Yeah...I don't know why that's renegade. I mean, I guess saving yourself makes you an ass????

[Deus Malum]

Heh, every time I tried to make myself a Renegade, I just can't bring myself to do it. :\

I only do renegade actions when they aren't really renegade, ie stabbing Swordyknife McDouche or shocking that Blue Suns mechanic.

Yeah, I've found that you really do need to be either pretty detached or pretty cold for some of the Renegade actions. Killing Wrex in ME1, for one, and killing

Mordin

in ME3, especially the latter, the fallout of which is carried out in rather tear jerkerish detail.

Edit: Cuz I'm a tard.

[Ceannairceach]

I only do renegade actions when they aren't really renegade, ie stabbing Swordyknife McDouche or shocking that Blue Suns mechanic.

I feel kind of bad, but I've played twice now through the entire series as the nice guy. It is fun to go around being a jerk to everyone; Though I still pick paragon options for my teammates and conversations.

Well, yeah, the party deserves niceness, but everyone else can go fuck themselves.

I'm planning on going through the game as a renegade, with a femshep.

[Norstal]

Yeah, I've found that you really do need to be either pretty detached or pretty cold for some of the paragon actions. Killing Wrex in ME1, for one

Wait wut.

Resolving things with Wrex is paragon...

[Deus Malum]

Yeah, I've found that you really do need to be either pretty detached or pretty cold for some of the paragon actions. Killing Wrex in ME1, for one

Wait wut.

Resolving things with Wrex is paragon...

Err. I meant Renegade.

[Industrial Republics]

I feel kind of bad, but I've played twice now through the entire series as the nice guy. It is fun to go around being a jerk to everyone; Though I still pick paragon options for my teammates and conversations.

Well, yeah, the party deserves niceness, but everyone else can go fuck themselves.

I'm planning on going through the game as a renegade, with a femshep.

Plus red eyes are badass, and Mark Meer does renegade really well.