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Lets talk about [Mass Effect] while my girlfriend plays for the first time

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Posts

  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    Who doesn't ever pat that guy on the back and tell him that he is working too hard?

    https://youtu.be/QSokGHjChCs

  • DisruptedCapitalistDisruptedCapitalist I swear! Registered User regular
    Jennifer Hale did it better.

    "Simple, real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Mustrum Ridcully in Terry Pratchett's Hogfather p. 142 (HarperPrism 1996)
  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    We should be getting to do that tonight. Our recent session was Kasumi's loyalty heist because we were on the Citadel anyway and might as well swing through that system to get that done. The entire time she kept complaining about not having Garrus and Wrex around.

    She took the Renegade interrupt in the vault to shoot the artifact while Hock is monologuing and cackled like a madwoman. She wants to take all of them now all the time. At the end she not only wiped the Greybox, she made Kasumi do it herself.

    Then back to Omega to finally meet Aria and deal with Archangel. We took a side trip to handle the Patriarch situation by convincing him to let us deal with the assassins. She tried to talk them down but was completely okay with the end result shooting them in a back alley.

    We ended just after starting the Archangel mission by getting recruited by the mercs and travelling to the area.

    She enjoys the Paragon/Renegade dialogue choices, but she tends to pick the middle choice a lot of the time in dialogues and miss out on points that way. I'm curious when the pants-on-head stupid reputation system starts biting her on the ass for that. It'll lead to some interesting choices though. I bet she picks Tali over Legion, but I'm not sure about Miranda v. Jack. She absolutely hates Miranda so far but obviously hasn't met Jack yet.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • shoeboxjeddyshoeboxjeddy Registered User regular
    A thing that complicates Miranda for a lot of players is that she's basically the best party member in ME2, ESPECIALLY as the difficulty goes up. Losing her loyalty would be inconceivable, from a gameplay perspective, but that won't occur to your wife if she's not on the controller.

  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    A thing that complicates Miranda for a lot of players is that she's basically the best party member in ME2, ESPECIALLY as the difficulty goes up. Losing her loyalty would be inconceivable, from a gameplay perspective, but that won't occur to your wife if she's not on the controller.

    Yeah. After years of playing on Insanity only I have bumped the difficulty down. For ME1 this was mostly to drop the length of the combat sequences by cutting down on the enemy Immunity spam. For ME2 I bumped it down to Hardcore or Veteran, whichever is a tick above Normal, so that I wouldn't be annoyed with her party selection choices. At this level I can basically take whomever she wants already, and that'll become even more true as she levels up.

    Then I'll become an unstoppable biotic god as soon as I can gain access to assault rifles and regain my sweet, sweet Mattock.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • Mx. QuillMx. Quill I now prefer "Myr. Quill", actually... {They/Them}Registered User regular
    edited May 2020
    Hmm, I never used Miranda if I could avoid it, and I played and beat ME2 on the highest difficulty twice.

    Usually I'd handle the biotics myself while having Kasumi and some other tech character in the party, wasn't too interested in any of the biotic characters in the second game.

    Mx. Quill on
  • shoeboxjeddyshoeboxjeddy Registered User regular
    Miranda is the best because higher difficulties mean that every single enemy in the game has a protection of some kind. All of Miranda's abilities are the type to weaken enemy defenses and then her passive skill makes the entire team tougher. Every other character has skills that only work on characters with broken defenses. Which on the harder difficulties is none of them. And once you get an enemy down to their unshielded life bar, you should be able to kill them in an instant, so an ability to do that is a huge waste.

  • ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    I beat it on insane and never felt like the game was hard enough that optimal party composition was a consideration I needed to spend any time on

  • Mx. QuillMx. Quill I now prefer "Myr. Quill", actually... {They/Them}Registered User regular
    Also I have never played any ME as a Soldier because why wouldn't I be a nonsensical space wizard, and also the Locust in 2 and 3 is basically an assault rifle anyway.

  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    Hmm, I never used Miranda if I could avoid it, and I played and beat ME2 on the highest difficulty twice.

    Usually I'd handle the biotics myself while having Kasumi and some other tech character in the party, wasn't too interested in any of the biotic characters in the second game.

    You can certainly beat insanity with any combo, some are just harder than others and it depends on Shepard's class too. I use Miranda a lot less now than I did in the beginning. For me it's less about making it possible and more about making it quicker. Immunity spam in ME1 made it so I get really annoyed at artificially prolonged fights because of enemy protections.

    It's also just funny to use Slam to pick a Collector up off a moving platform and fling it into the abyss. Or fling mooks up into the jetstream on the Shadow Broker ship.

    I've played Sentinel the most, then Soldier, then everything else.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    edited May 2020
    Insanity is meant for Vanguard.

    Which class did she go with for ME2? I missed that if you said earlier.

    DarkPrimus on
  • Mx. QuillMx. Quill I now prefer "Myr. Quill", actually... {They/Them}Registered User regular
    Vanguard with the shield-replenishing upgrade for Nova and just a lightweight pistol, accept no substitutes!

    Charge those Banshees, giant mechs, and Brutes to death, who needs guns?

  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    She wanted no changes so she's a Sentinel again.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    expendable wrote: »
    She wanted no changes so she's a Sentinel again.

    Sentinel is a ton of fun in ME2. IMO it's the only class that actually got nerfed in the transition to ME3.

  • SorceSorce Not ThereRegistered User regular
    First time I ran Insanity, all I used was Grunt and Miranda, with occasionally swapping to Kasumi. Now IDGAF, but I wasn't sure what to expect back then so I brought overkill.

    sig.gif
  • RMS OceanicRMS Oceanic Registered User regular
    Engineer 4 lyfe

  • Johnny ChopsockyJohnny Chopsocky Scootaloo! We have to cook! Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered User regular
    DarkPrimus wrote: »
    expendable wrote: »
    She wanted no changes so she's a Sentinel again.

    Sentinel is a ton of fun in ME2. IMO it's the only class that actually got nerfed in the transition to ME3.

    Sentinel's so good, but my flame burns eternal for Vanguard. Being a biotic pinball in the battlefield just have me so much joy, and that Citadel final boss when you're a Vanguard... *chef kiss*

    ygPIJ.gif
    Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
  • SorceSorce Not ThereRegistered User regular
    Shotgun Sentinel in ME2 was almost perfection, because Shepard pretty much had to try to die.

    sig.gif
  • Johnny ChopsockyJohnny Chopsocky Scootaloo! We have to cook! Grillin' HaysenburgersRegistered User regular
    Vanguarding with the Piranha in ME3 was my 'peak Vanguard' moment. Just *BAMF* *BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM* *MEGA PUNCH* everywhere.

    ygPIJ.gif
    Steam ID XBL: JohnnyChopsocky PSN:Stud_Beefpile WiiU:JohnnyChopsocky
  • SorceSorce Not ThereRegistered User regular
    Vanguarding with the Piranha in ME3 was my 'peak Vanguard' moment. Just *BAMF* *BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM* *MEGA PUNCH* everywhere.
    The Talon worked pretty well for that too.

    sig.gif
  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    Shotgun vanguard was fun, but Sentinel with a Mattock is perfect for me.

    So is Soldier with a Mattock. Nothing survives when a Mattock is used properly with Adrenaline burst.

    Really anytime I can use the Mattock, honestly.

    Last nights play session included the rest of the Archangel recruitment mission with Zaeed and Kasumi. She sabotaged the YMIR mech not for strategy, but because she's run into them a few times and wanted one and figured this was the same as having one. She also really enjoyed patting the guy on the back to tell him he's working too hard. She gets very excited about Renegade interrupts.

    The fight into the hideout was quick. She noted Archangels vital signs in the lower right corner pretty quick and was immediately defensive about him possibly dying before he even made it to the ship. Lots of back seat combatting.

    The reveal for Archangels identity went perfectly. She didn't see it coming and was so excited it took her nearly 5 minutes to respond to the dialogue. After Kaiden died Garrus became her favorite, with Wrex at #2. "OMG IT'S GARRUS! HE'S BACK! THIS IS THE BEST!"

    Virmire only being a week or two ago means that she was also super hesitant to split the squad up when it came time to go into the tunnels. She left Kasumi anyway and was tunneled on the Garrus vital signs bar for the whole sequence. When you return to the base to fight the last of the Bloodpack with their leader Garm, Garm had slipped past me to Garrus (and Z went down for like, the 23rd time, I don't recall him being such a glass cannon) and took some hits. You better believe I heard about every single time that bar got shorter. No worries though, as once I cleaned up the bottom level and got back to the Garrus room the enemies started focusing on Shepard again.

    Then the gunship shows up and Garrus gets hit and goes down. That wasn't good. She was quite unhappy at the cutscene but thought he was okay until we regained control and the Vital Signs meter was gone. There were tears. Not like, ugly sobbing, but her eyes watered and one did overflow. It was really hard not to spoil the actual outcome for her. But we dispatched the gunship and went to cutscenes and she was over-the-moon when Garrus walked into the conference room.

    The rest was some ship conversations, some planet scanning (which she thinks is stupidly boring), a single N7 mission with the missing Cerberus operative, and the Normandy crash site. She placed the monument at the Galaxy Map and enjoyed that Pressly stopped being a space racist before he died. She also wanted to bring the Mako with her.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • SolarSolar Registered User regular
    Adrenaline Burst with a Revenant and max inferno ammo trivialised a lot of the game even on higher difficulties

  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    Honestly the game was just very breakable. Warp Ammo Black Widow Adept was a very strong build for ME3 insanity.

  • PsykomaPsykoma Registered User regular
    My go-to weapon for Vanguarding in ME3 was the reegar carbine, I just loved melting things

  • JoolanderJoolander Registered User regular
    expendable wrote: »
    The rest was some ship conversations, some planet scanning (which she thinks is stupidly boring), ...

    Ok, but have you scanned the 7th planet orbiting Sol yet?

  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    Joolander wrote: »
    expendable wrote: »
    The rest was some ship conversations, some planet scanning (which she thinks is stupidly boring), ...

    Ok, but have you scanned the 7th planet orbiting Sol yet?

    sigh really Commander?

  • AistanAistan Tiny Bat Registered User regular
    I never really got into Vanguard until Andromeda. Turns out adding a jetpack to the whole charge thing really boosts its potential exponentially.

  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    Joolander wrote: »
    expendable wrote: »
    The rest was some ship conversations, some planet scanning (which she thinks is stupidly boring), ...

    Ok, but have you scanned the 7th planet orbiting Sol yet?

    After the first couple of planet scans, she saw the Local Cluster on the Galaxy map and specifically asked to do that.

    I said nothing and just did it. She lost it.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • Andy JoeAndy Joe We claim the land for the highlord! The AdirondacksRegistered User regular
    I went Vanguard but didn't spam Charge as much as everyone else on the forums does. Regular cover shooting plus Pull was fun and effective a lot of the time. Adding in Flare after doing the Omega DLC made it even better.

    XBL: Stealth Crane PSN: ajpet12 3DS: 1160-9999-5810 NNID: StealthCrane Pokemon Scarlet Name: Carmen
  • shoeboxjeddyshoeboxjeddy Registered User regular
    Andy Joe wrote: »
    I went Vanguard but didn't spam Charge as much as everyone else on the forums does. Regular cover shooting plus Pull was fun and effective a lot of the time. Adding in Flare after doing the Omega DLC made it even better.

    If you're not going to charge, just play Adept instead. Way more good powers like Pull.

  • Mx. QuillMx. Quill I now prefer "Myr. Quill", actually... {They/Them}Registered User regular
    Did she endorse every shop on the Citadel? Gotta get those discounts!

  • 3cl1ps33cl1ps3 I will build a labyrinth to house the cheese Registered User regular
    Andy Joe wrote: »
    I went Vanguard but didn't spam Charge as much as everyone else on the forums does. Regular cover shooting plus Pull was fun and effective a lot of the time. Adding in Flare after doing the Omega DLC made it even better.

    If you're not going to charge, just play Adept instead. Way more good powers like Pull.

    Adept with Warp Ammo and max power damage bonuses is surprisingly good at shooty shoot.

  • Andy JoeAndy Joe We claim the land for the highlord! The AdirondacksRegistered User regular
    Andy Joe wrote: »
    I went Vanguard but didn't spam Charge as much as everyone else on the forums does. Regular cover shooting plus Pull was fun and effective a lot of the time. Adding in Flare after doing the Omega DLC made it even better.

    If you're not going to charge, just play Adept instead. Way more good powers like Pull.

    I used Charge! In moderation!

    XBL: Stealth Crane PSN: ajpet12 3DS: 1160-9999-5810 NNID: StealthCrane Pokemon Scarlet Name: Carmen
  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    Did she endorse every shop on the Citadel? Gotta get those discounts!

    Um, if by endorse you mean threaten or coerce the shopkeepers in some manner until she got a discount, yes. Which is good, because I love the renegade option for Citadel Souvenirs.

    Though she did endorse the Salarian upgrade guy where the Volus leaves his credit chit because he was nice to her.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • SorceSorce Not ThereRegistered User regular
    Andy Joe wrote: »
    Andy Joe wrote: »
    I went Vanguard but didn't spam Charge as much as everyone else on the forums does. Regular cover shooting plus Pull was fun and effective a lot of the time. Adding in Flare after doing the Omega DLC made it even better.

    If you're not going to charge, just play Adept instead. Way more good powers like Pull.

    I used Charge! In moderation!
    I recognize these words, but not in the way presented.

    sig.gif
  • Mortal SkyMortal Sky queer punk hedge witchRegistered User regular
    Confession: I have not spent a dime on the DLCs for Mass Effect because they were still $Texas in 2014 when I bought the three games

    I am not sure if Kai Long was exclusive to those or if my brain has just entirely overwritten him in the last five and a half years

  • Grey GhostGrey Ghost Registered User regular
    Mortal Sky wrote: »
    Confession: I have not spent a dime on the DLCs for Mass Effect because they were still $Texas in 2014 when I bought the three games

    I am not sure if Kai Long was exclusive to those or if my brain has just entirely overwritten him in the last five and a half years

    actually the opposite, Kai Leng is in the base game and has zero presence in the DLCs

  • expendableexpendable Silly Goose Registered User regular
    Off we go to recruit Jack. "He sounds like a badass, lets get him." So we took Garrus and Miranda. She didn't want to bring Miranda, but figured since Cerberus was making the arrangements to release Jack she should be there to sign hte papers or somesuch.

    She enjoyed the dialogue tree that had choices like this
    qj05tfp90anq.jpg

    And then we had the prison break sequence! "Oh, Jack's a girl? Nice tats." There was one moment where I forgot just how quick a YMIR mech can move. I ducked around a corner to deal with some minions, putting it out of sight for a moment and it got to a flanking position in just a couple seconds when I thought I had a bit more than double that time. It turned the corner and ripped through us like wet tissue paper, so she got to see the game over screen. Whoops.

    Anyway, we traipsed through, put down a bunch of corrupt guards, and had the nice confrontation with Jack. It probably would have gone a little differently if we hadn't brought Miranda. Jack immediately dislikes her, which ingratiates her with my girlfriend who also despises Miranda. Therefore Jack gets file access and Miranda is told to eat it. Which carries through to the conference room conversation as well when Jack gets file access immediately.

    She wants to parade around the Citadel with Jack, so we do that and pick up the rest of the weapon damage mods from the store there. We also resolve the Krogan presidium fish bit. She's initially tempted to give them a fake fish and just say it's from the Presidium, but she asked where she was getting this fish from and I told her the truth: the one that you bought and is now in your fish tank. She likes her fish (and also her Space Hamster) so she also tells them the truth.

    And then back to recruit Dr. Okeer the Krogan. She's disappointed that it isn't Wrex and figures it's not likely Wrex is using a fake name. We take Garrus and Zaeed. I'd forgotten what a gauntlet that mission was, but using Throw to send mercs off the edges is amusing. We retrieve Grunt, make the post-mission talky-talk rounds where she likes Jack even more when talking about the Space Station. Then we go immediately let Grunt out of the tank. She establishes her command "Oh, my enemies are worthy, not a worry there" but doesn't like his name because it seems demeaning.

    We left it there for the night, with Illusive Man requesting an audience. I believe this is the trigger for the Horizon mission? It comes before Collector ship I think.

    Djiem wrote: »
    Lokiamis wrote: »
    So the servers suddenly decide to cramp up during the last six percent.
    Man, the Director will really go out of his way to be a dick to L4D players.
    Steam
  • PsykomaPsykoma Registered User regular
    edited May 2020
    Did you get Mordin? You have to before Horizon

    Edit: oh saw that you had.
    Yup, Horizon is next and an uncomfortable reunion with Ashley.

    Have fun with the Praetorian

    Psykoma on
  • Romanian My EscutcheonRomanian My Escutcheon Two of Forks Registered User regular
    I heard we were talking shit about Kai Leng in here?

    [IMG][/img]
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