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Mass Effect - The Citadel Council: Hot or Not?

Santa ClaustrophobiaSanta Claustrophobia Ho Ho HoDisconnecting from Xbox LIVERegistered User regular
edited November 2009 in Games and Technology
Mass Effect to be released on January 26. No specific confirmation, but there is reason to believe the 360 and PC version will hit the shelves at the same time.
PC version of Pinnacle Station is $5 at the EA store.

Having problems with the Pinnacle Station DLC on the 360? Here is the thread at the Official Forums talking about it.

Dangerous and Powerful Subject Zero Reveal Video
Subject Zero Video


Here's the old OP.
Going to reserve this space for ME2 info. Relevant ME1 info added as needed.

New Mass Effect 2 website.
Age verification required.

Two years have passed since the events of the first Mass Effect game. Galactic Apocalypse has been thwarted, but now, a new threat has emerged…

Human colonies have begun to disappear and it is up to Shepard to find out what is causing the disappearances and assemble a team to put a stop to it.

Mass Effect 2 will feature new worlds and locations, new weapons, new skills, and new characters to continue the story of Alliance Systems Navy Commander Shepard, the first human Spectre. The shadowy organisation Cerberus will play a more significant role in the sequel as Shepard is compelled to join forces with them to make the mission a success.

Old friends and faces from the first Mass Effect will be able to return, depending upon choices made in the original, and there are many new ones that will either join with Shepard or attempt to hinder the mission.

Along with a larger selection of weapons compared to the first game, a new class will be introduced. Shepard and company will now be able to wield rocket launchers and other high-damage, high-satisfaction weapons. Ejectable heat sinks have been added to allow players to continue firing during hectic combat without being required to wait for the weapon to cool down normally.

So far, two new alien races have been introduced. The drell and the vorcha. Not much is known about the drell outside of recruitable character Thane, but there has been information released about the vorcha. Other races are planned as more details come to light.



And now a few frequently asked questions explained:


How will I be able to import my Shepard?

Exact details about how this will work have not been released. However, due to experience with how it works in Mass Effect, it is expected that the game will search for data files from the first game to load a list of Shepards that have completed the game. This data is not the same as the possibly many save files you may already have, so unless your certain about which ones are gamestate saves and which ones are not, the best advice is to keep everything around until more specific information is available.


Will Character So-and-So return?/Will my love interest return?

Any characters that survived to the end of the first game will make an appearance in Mass Effect 2. This includes whomever you may have chosen as your love interest. However, it has not been confirmed that any or all will be actual team members. Shepard must recruit the ‘best of the best’ to fill out the team and original members may not meet necessary criteria. Or, it may just be they might not wish to join depending upon who is already on the team. Exactly how many you may recruit from and the maximum potential teammates has not yet been confirmed. [strike]Though twelve is a number that has been mentioned.[/strike] (BioWare as apparently removed any reference to the number twelve in relation to recruitable characters.) Definitely more options than before.


Are elevators still a problem?

The developers have confirmed that they have been working to improve loading times. This includes the ‘hidden’ loading that would happen on elevators. It’s been said that while elevators still exist within the in-game ME universe, they are not expected to be as bad as they were originally.


I don’t like some choices I made in the first game. Can I make alterations to Shepard in the sequel?

To coin a phrase: sort of. No exact details have been released about making changes to imported Shepard characters, but BioWare is aware of such requests and have made comments to the effect that they are working on it. Christina Norman, a lead BioWare developer, stated that it will be possible to switch combat classes upon import.
We have five other great classes in Mass Effect to choose from, and we let you choose your class on import [...]

Whether or not this means a physical appearance change is possible is unknown at this time.


Will there be new combat classes in the game?

No. There will be new skills introduced (such as a new biotic talent: Pull), but the combat classes will remain the same. Adept, Engineer, Soldier and the combination classes Sentinel, Infiltrator, and Vanguard will return.


They’ve said that if Shepard dies, he dies ‘for real’. What does that mean for Mass Effect 3?

It means that the Shepard that dies, is dead. BioWare has stated all along that Mass Effect is the story of Shepard's exploits. Therefore, Shepard must return for Mass Effect 3, even as a ‘canon’ character. The choices you’ll make in ME2 could lead to the death of that Shepard. If you don’t want Shepard to die, make multiple saves or simply start ME2 over again and make different choices.


What if I never played the first Mass Effect. Is there a KOTOR II-style introduction to the events of the first game?

Nobody outside BioWare/EA knows for sure how a ‘tabula rasa’ Mass Effect 2 will begin. Through interviews and message board posts, it is theorised that a combination of canon defaults and user choices will set the stage. But this has yet to be confirmed.


What if I played the first Mass Effect way too many times and I have a level 60 Shepard? Will any of that effort pay off in Mass Effect 2? I don’t want my Shepard to be ‘reset’.

Yes, but that depends. Exactly how an imported Shepard will be plugged into the game is not yet known, but we do know that because of the new skills and how they’ve made some modifications to the combat engine, old skills and skill levels may not work as they did before.

For example, if you had Throw as a skill and maxed it out at 12 points, you will receive some kind of in-game bonus to represent your previous knowledge. But you will not start at level 12 for the skill. The skill reset is to accommodate the new engine, but they will not ignore the effort you’ve put into your character up until now.


One time, I chose to perform action Y instead of action X. Will ME2 recognise this? I’ve played multiple times, how will I know which save to choose?

Yes it will. But the extent of what decisions Shepard made and how they will affect events in ME2 is not yet fully known. BioWare has stated that all choices made are tracked and kept in the numerous end-of-game save lists.

Currently, the ability to start a new game with an ‘old’ Shepard simply lists the first name, the date completed, and the level reached by the character. There is no information on what, if any, differences will appear when selecting a Shepard to import.


New Video
Age verification required.
Show me the way to go home!

The first official FAQ list. (So far, the only official FAQ list...)

A new list FAQs on the BioWare forums:

Casey Hudson blogged some shit. More direct answers so some FAQs.

Preston Watamaniuk, ME Lead Designer, has this to say on New Game+. (Scroll Down).

Meet Grunt

Full E3 Trailer

E3 Promo Trailer

ME2 Preview Trailer

First Teaser Trailer


Courtesy of TychoCelchuuu.

Facebook Page number 1

Facebook Page number 2

Facebook Page number 3




Problems with Therum in the first Mass Effect? Solution in the spoiler.
Hey! Therum is missing textures!

A PC game with bugs? That's unpossible!

Sadly, many have had issues with the PC version of the game. Obviously, make sure you have the latest drivers available. And while we're happy to help in this thread, contacting 'official' support personnel may have better results.

Here is a link to a list of issues the Steam version may have in general.

But this seems to work best for the Therum issue:
The solution is usually quite simple - without doing anything else after landing on Therum - save your game, exit, go to the Steam\steamapps\common\mass effect\Binaries folder, and run the MassEffectConfig.exe

(if you are running Vista you will first have to right click on this file, and have it run in XP compatibility mode)

Once you run the config file, click on the Repair option, and then click on "Delete Local Shader Cache Files".

Restart the last saved game on Therum, and it should work.

Don't try to manually delete the shader cache files - you shouldn't have to if you use the config tool.
If you find you'd rather delete the files manually, you might have to do it more than once before success.

Though a patch is mentioned as coming soon, we don't know when yet. This may address the issue once and for all.

Santa Claustrophobia on
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Posts

  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Quads.

    Robman on
  • Wet BanditWet Bandit Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Fine. Let's start making baseless claims and accusations in the new thread. Since it was so much fun the last time.

    1) It's not like he's talking crazy. A lot of people have the same feeling.

    2) If you think the whole 'ME2 is too edgy' thing has been played out, then make that point. Tell him that that discussion has been had, and going into it again won't do any good. Don't just be a dick.

    Wet Bandit on
  • PaperLuigi44PaperLuigi44 My amazement is at maximum capacity. Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    How about we don't bring up the ruined forever argument in this clean, new thread? Just saying.

    Robman's got the right idea.

    PaperLuigi44 on
  • ruforufo Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Also: discussion of enemy locations, and whether or not they are, in fact, everywhere.

    rufo on
  • Wet BanditWet Bandit Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Anyway, looking at this pic:
    screen_2_900x506.jpg

    Looks like Jacob's
    wearing some Cerberus garb

    I wonder if he's got a connection to them or if he just joins the fold when Shepard does.

    And I wonder how the armor is going to work. We've seen plenty of screens of combat so far, and I don't think anyone outside of Grunt has been shown in proper armor.

    Wet Bandit on
  • KanamitKanamit Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Male shep looks very effeminate in that first pic.

    Kanamit on
  • PaperLuigi44PaperLuigi44 My amazement is at maximum capacity. Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Damn, the detail on the gun and armour is awesome.

    PaperLuigi44 on
  • Wet BanditWet Bandit Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Damn, the detail on the gun and armour is awesome.

    Yeah, I love how the armor Shep has been shown in so far has that dragon scale sort of armor underneath the bigger pieces of armor. Looks very slick.

    Wet Bandit on
  • DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    rufo wrote: »
    Also: discussion of enemy locations, and whether or not they are, in fact, everywhere.

    I believe they are indeed, everywhere.

    Dragkonias on
  • T4CTT4CT BAFTA-NOMINATED NAFTA-APPROVEDRegistered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Dragkonias wrote: »
    rufo wrote: »
    Also: discussion of enemy locations, and whether or not they are, in fact, everywhere.

    I believe they are indeed, everywhere.

    I actually hope they just re-use that voice clip from the first one.


    The more and more I read into this game, the more I feel like playing Mass Effect Galaxy on the commute every morning. And the more I do that, the more a shred of me wishes there'd been more to that story.

    Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and it's great for an iPhone game, but I'm allowed to want more.

    T4CT on
  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Always relevant to a ME thread
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Fjc1hBwuE

    Robman on
  • DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Man...to think, Mass Effect 2 is little over three months away...and during my second semester.

    I'm going to fail so many tests.

    Dragkonias on
  • PaperLuigi44PaperLuigi44 My amazement is at maximum capacity. Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Robman wrote: »
    Always relevant to a ME thread
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Fjc1hBwuE


    Good times.

    PaperLuigi44 on
  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    You know someone, somewhere, is going to proclaim enemies are every where are a humorous knock back to ME1.

    Buttcleft on
  • Mei HikariMei Hikari Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Payback for Robman and Khavall:

    Guess where Mass Effect sit on the Mohs Scale Of Science Fiction Hardness? Right next to my favorite novel! Maybe that's why I like it so much.
    The programmers definitely have a great Sense Of Scale, as you traverse the galaxy via the Portal Network even with your mass effect drive. All the aliens speak English because of ubiquitous computers and translation software. The Rubber Forehead Aliens are in fact the most alien, with truly Bizarre Alien Biology. Everything else in the setting reflects realistic science, including accurate geography, geology, astrology, physics, alien biology, computing, and military tactics and strategy. Think of it as Planetes with a squishy eezo center, like a Everlasting Gobstopper.

    Someone will like that comparison.

    Mei Hikari on
  • EgosEgos Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Terminus vs. Inferno

    which armor is cooler?

    Egos on
  • DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Inferno because it turns me into Iron Man.

    Dragkonias on
  • EgosEgos Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Dragkonias wrote: »
    Inferno because it turns me into Iron Man.

    I kind of like the Inferno for that vibe also, but the Terminus does have that whole "I turned A Stealth Bomber into a Piece of Armor" look to it...which is kinda bad ass...

    Pro for Inferno is that I think it will look good on Male and Female Shepards....

    Egos on
  • RobmanRobman Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    The answer is whichever one I get on steam

    Robman on
  • XeddicusXeddicus Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Any word on when this comes out in Oz?

    Xeddicus on
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Blood Dragon. But really, they both look like heavy armors, and I don't have a soldier playthrough.

    Spoit on
    steam_sig.png
  • manwiththemachinegunmanwiththemachinegun METAL GEAR?! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Steam if possible, but Terminus is looking pretty good at this point. I'm a sucker for hardcore space marine power armor.

    manwiththemachinegun on
  • StrikorStrikor Calibrations? Calibrations! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Strikor on
  • deowolfdeowolf is allowed to do that. Traffic.Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Spoit wrote: »
    Blood Dragon. But really, they both look like heavy armors, and I don't have a soldier playthrough.

    Shouldn't be a problem, I think we learned last thread that there will be no more armor 'types'.

    deowolf on
    [SIGPIC]acocoSig.jpg[/SIGPIC]
  • manwiththemachinegunmanwiththemachinegun METAL GEAR?! Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Strikor wrote: »

    The expression on Liara is priceless.

    manwiththemachinegun on
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    deowolf wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    Blood Dragon. But really, they both look like heavy armors, and I don't have a soldier playthrough.

    Shouldn't be a problem, I think we learned last thread that there will be no more armor 'types'.

    Oh, ok. I'm still not caught up with it.

    Spoit on
    steam_sig.png
  • moocowmoocow Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Strikor wrote: »

    The expression on Liara is priceless.

    I don't remember Tali's tits being quite so rude.

    Also, high level Operative specced engineer with a Savant X or whatever omnitool is ridiculous. My abilities recharge in like 5-10 seconds (that may be a slight exaggeration, but only slight). Explosions, hacked geth, and neural shocks everywhere!

    moocow on
    imttnk.png
    PS4:MrZoompants
  • deowolfdeowolf is allowed to do that. Traffic.Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Spoit wrote: »
    deowolf wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    Blood Dragon. But really, they both look like heavy armors, and I don't have a soldier playthrough.

    Shouldn't be a problem, I think we learned last thread that there will be no more armor 'types'.

    Oh, ok. I'm still not caught up with it.

    It's okay. These threads move pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss something awesome.

    deowolf on
    [SIGPIC]acocoSig.jpg[/SIGPIC]
  • moocowmoocow Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    deowolf wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    deowolf wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    Blood Dragon. But really, they both look like heavy armors, and I don't have a soldier playthrough.

    Shouldn't be a problem, I think we learned last thread that there will be no more armor 'types'.

    Oh, ok. I'm still not caught up with it.

    It's okay. These threads move pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss something awesome.

    Gummi krogan? It's been in my pocket; they're real warm and soft.

    moocow on
    imttnk.png
    PS4:MrZoompants
  • PilgrimPilgrim Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Jesus, I'm terrible with this facial appearance editor thing, guess it's good I stuck with the default Shepard for my first couple of runs because the ones I'm making here look like fucking mutants.

    Pilgrim on
  • deowolfdeowolf is allowed to do that. Traffic.Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    moocow wrote: »
    deowolf wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    deowolf wrote: »
    Spoit wrote: »
    Blood Dragon. But really, they both look like heavy armors, and I don't have a soldier playthrough.

    Shouldn't be a problem, I think we learned last thread that there will be no more armor 'types'.

    Oh, ok. I'm still not caught up with it.

    It's okay. These threads move pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss something awesome.

    Gummi krogan? It's been in my pocket; they're real warm and soft.

    Danka Schoen.

    deowolf on
    [SIGPIC]acocoSig.jpg[/SIGPIC]
  • TheBoginatorTheBoginator Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Mild rebuke, I think you are just jealous of my pimp hat.

    In regards to the character editor, yeah, it's really hard to make attractive people, especially males. It is, however, slightly more difficult to accidentally make a complete freak than it is in Oblivion/Fallout 3.

    TheBoginator on
    TheBoginator.gif
    Robman wrote: »
    No you don't. It's mass effect brah, just grab your controller in one hand and your dick with the other and go to town
  • Fondor_YardsFondor_Yards Elite Four Member: Hydra Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    They haven't where you can pre-order and get the Inferno armour have they? The Terminus armour and the M-490 Blackstorm look fine as hell, but you know, fuck Gamestop.

    Fondor_Yards on
    Secrets, lies, and tragedy. The trifecta.
    3DS Code: 5043-2172-1361
    Xbone Tag: Salal al Din
  • SpoitSpoit *twitch twitch* Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    I don't know, as long as you keep the hair on the few shortest options, most of the men I make don't look half bad. But I haven't been able to make a woman half as good as in the Dragon age character editor, and those don't even look that great

    Spoit on
    steam_sig.png
  • The Fourth EstateThe Fourth Estate Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    The worst thing about the character editor is that you can't fully move the head; I've had more than one restart where on eden prime I've noticed that my character looks hideous from some previously inaccessible angle.

    The Fourth Estate on
  • ButtcleftButtcleft Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    I've found that intentionally trying to make a ugly character usually ends up with one that looks damn near human.

    I wonder what Freud would have to say about that.

    Buttcleft on
  • NuzakNuzak Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    The worst thing about the character editor is that you can't fully move the head; I've had more than one restart where on eden prime I've noticed that my character looks hideous from some previously inaccessible angle.

    yeah when i make custom characters i usually begin with autosave off, make my character, then double check what they actually look like on the normandy with the camera wedged up agaist a wall

    oh hey she's got down syndrome

    oh hey he's accidentally asian

    Nuzak on
  • EgosEgos Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Nuzak wrote: »
    oh hey he's accidentally asian


    I got that one a
    lot
    Curse you complexion 1, and the very small selection of noses. The only straight bridged one requiring itself to be very close to your face in terms of depth!

    Egos on
  • NuzakNuzak Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    but can i make an asian when i want to? can i fuck

    Nuzak on
  • Fatty McBeardoFatty McBeardo Registered User regular
    edited October 2009
    Kanamit wrote: »
    Male shep looks very effeminate in that first pic.

    SPECTREs are required to take botox injections and wear eyeliner.

    Fatty McBeardo on
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