Mass Effect 2 - thoughts, opinions?

spicey said:
ME certainly was linear and the side quests weren't diverting either. So much so that they weren't worth doing.

ME2 is still linear, so I guess you won't be a fan of it either.
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agree it's basically the same, only real choices we have are who to recruit in what order. this one is basically ME1 on rails - only real diversions are mining/research and shopping, which you can also get around with a bit of planning ahead.

people swinging from bioware's nuts should think about the overwhelming evidence, that they are simply not pc centric devs. which ain't all bad, as long as they care. but all that bs about how this is not "a port" or designed for the pc from "the ground up" should be taken as just that, bullshit.

besides the obvious gripes with poor mouse support, ui mechanics, textures/aa, etc. all that is just petty criticism compared to my one major gripe so far with the mechanics this game, one that we will have to deal with all the time -

they constantly expect you to move your mouse around while holding down a button.

"wtf, who gives a shit? I click 'n drag icons all up and down windows." no one would even consider this a problem, especially those who don't play with mouse exclusively. until you are forced to do it, and realise how annoying this is. so annoying that I use a script to hold it down for aiming and mining, probably 2 of the actions you will use the most in this game. I'll post it for anyone who wants this, and trust me you do. it's not cheating imo, just compensating for poor mechanics, and makes a huge difference to the game.

so what does this mean? at no point in the development of this game, did they make mouse mechanics a priority, that is all. double click was never even considered an option, which is why you won't find it used anywhere in the ui. think of it what you may, just pointing out the obvious.


about antialiasing: the best way I have found for nvidia (single gtx260), is the x080100C5 profile for ue3 and minimum 2x2 ssaa with nHancer. I've tried a whole bunch of different combinations of profiles and msaa, imo you shouldn't even bother with it unless your card can handle ssaa, otherwise just let the game use default postproc. the problem with msaa is it's very selective about the edges it smooths in ue3, so even if you save a ton of overhead it still looks like shit. so just go with a lower ssaa setting, and it will look 10x better, that's just in my experience. I have an old card I guess, but this way I can have mostly smooth edges and stay above 30-40fps, which is good enough for me.
 
Oh yeah your part about poor mouse support reminded me. I have to set my razer drivers down to 450 DPI when I play so that "low" sensitivity is even remotely acceptable. Borderlands had a similar issue I believe.
 
UtopiA said:
I'm hoping Fallout New Vegas (2010) will destroy this game in terms of GOTY.
I'm not a fan of linear gameplay, and no matter how hard BioWare tries to hide it, ME is linear.
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This is a tall order, but I'm also hoping that New Vegas will be the RPG of the year.

I loved Fallout 3 more than I can possibly say. Obsidian, the developer of Fallout New Vegas, also produced my favorite RPG of the past 5 years, which was NeverWinter Nights 2.

Personal preferences always come into play, but the stars 'seem' to be aligning themselves for something that should at least be pretty great, if not spectacular.
 
z3r0- said:
The problem is, instead expanding on the sub-par RPG aspects of the first game like people expected, they removed them entirely. Oh and put sprint/cover/use on the same button. WTF were they thinking there?
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Are you handicapped? It works fine and you're the first I've seen complain about the cover system.

Mouse movement works fine for me, Ieft my mouse at 800DPI and it the way I would expect, so curious about people with mouse problems.

Anyways... Some people are claiming it is taking 80-90% of their quad core yet I'm seeing 50. It runs at 60fps for me at 1600x1200 everything on/high(No AA, not really needed on a 19" trinitron at that res).

Seems strange it's using so much on some systems, for no good reason.
 
TomGreen321 said:
Are you handicapped? It works fine and you're the first I've seen complain about the cover system.

Mouse movement works fine for me, Ieft my mouse at 800DPI and it the way I would expect, so curious about people with mouse problems.

Anyways... Some people are claiming it is taking 80-90% of their quad core yet I'm seeing 50. It runs at 60fps for me at 1600x1200 everything on/high(No AA, not really needed on a 19" trinitron at that res).

Seems strange it's using so much on some systems, for no good reason.
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Not handicapped, I just like having one key per action. Its a keyboard not a controller. Actions shouldn't have to be combined. Sure it "works fine" but it worked a lot better in ME1.

And I'm used to using my entire 17" wide mousepad to turn around 360 degrees, hence my mouse gripes.
 
I just picked up Solinus (sp?). So far I am enjoying the game immensely. I loved ME1 & ME2 captures that same feel. I highly recommend the game. The game settings are all on the highest possible without AA on my rig. I will probably disable film grain. I am not sure I like the effect.

I did run into a clipping issue where Shepard jumped on top of a box. I would have been pissed but I was able to force him into jumping down. Otherwise I would have had to restart from a save.
 
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Deads0uls said:
I just picked up Solinus (sp?). So far I am enjoying the game immensely. I loved ME1 & ME2 captures that same feel. I highly recommend the game. The game settings are all on the highest possible without AA on my rig. I will probably disable film grain. I am not sure I like the effect.

I did run into a clipping issue where Shepard jumped on top of a box. I would have been pissed but I was able to force him into jumping down. Otherwise I would have had to restart from a save.
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Was this on the mission on omega? I got stuck on a box there, except I couldn't get down and had to re-load a while back.
 
z3r0- said:
Not handicapped, I just like having one key per action. Its a keyboard not a controller. Actions shouldn't have to be combined. Sure it "works fine" but it worked a lot better in ME1.

And I'm used to using my entire 17" wide mousepad to turn around 360 degrees, hence my mouse gripes.
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There is a fix for the sensitivity. It requires Notepad++ to edit the \...\Mass Effect 2\BioGame\Config\PC\Cooked\Coalesced.ini file.

Make a backup of that file first!!
Use Notepad++ to modify the "MouseSensitivity=" line. I set mine to 0.4 and it's working great.

Notepad++ download from sourceforge: http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm
 
z3r0- said:
Was this on the mission on omega? I got stuck on a box there, except I couldn't get down and had to re-load a while back.
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Yes, it was in the clinic across from where you first meet Solinus. The game clipped me on top of the box. I thought I was stuck but I kept trying to get down and, ultimately, I was successful.
 
TomGreen321 said:
Are you handicapped? It works fine and you're the first I've seen complain about the cover system.

Mouse movement works fine for me, Ieft my mouse at 800DPI and it the way I would expect, so curious about people with mouse problems.

Anyways... Some people are claiming it is taking 80-90% of their quad core yet I'm seeing 50. It runs at 60fps for me at 1600x1200 everything on/high(No AA, not really needed on a 19" trinitron at that res).

Seems strange it's using so much on some systems, for no good reason.
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The cover system has fucked me over a few times, usually when I run around a blind corner and find myself faced with something like a Geth Prime or a Scion and then I try to run my ass back. I'll stick to a wall in cover form for a few agonizing fractions of a second while the big scary enemy I'm trying to run from turns me into a hardsuit and bullets sandwich while I throw my mouse across the room.
 
Cantonious said:
There is a fix for the sensitivity. It requires Notepad++ to edit the \...\Mass Effect 2\BioGame\Config\PC\Cooked\Coalesced.ini file.

Make a backup of that file first!!
Use Notepad++ to modify the "MouseSensitivity=" line. I set mine to 0.4 and it's working great.

Notepad++ download from sourceforge: http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm
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I found that if I edited this file with ordinary notepad that it made my game not want to load when I tried to open it. Does this notepad++ fix that?
 
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Anyone else get random slowdowns in certain areas of this game? I'm on a quad core with SLI GTX 275's, but in certain areas, like in the engineering floor of the Normandy, I get about 10 fps. Also in the first mission certain areas give me drops to like 20 fps and it's really hard to control.

edit: this is only an issue with AA forced, but I don't know how it can tax my system this much.
 
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krameriffic said:
I found that if I edited this file with ordinary notepad that it made my game not want to load when I tried to open it. Does this notepad++ fix that?
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Blah wish I read your post before I tried it. Dumbass me didn't back the file up either.

I <3 steam. Did verify game files and it re-downloaded it.
 
Cantonious said:
There is a fix for the sensitivity. It requires Notepad++ to edit the \...\Mass Effect 2\BioGame\Config\PC\Cooked\Coalesced.ini file.

Make a backup of that file first!!
Use Notepad++ to modify the "MouseSensitivity=" line. I set mine to 0.4 and it's working great.

Notepad++ download from sourceforge: http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm
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YES! That is so far the *only* gripe I have with the game, that the lowest sensitivity is still quite fast.
 
Screenshot with 24x Edge-detect AA - a little to demanding to be really playable for me but someone with a 58xx should give it a try.
It looks the best of all the ATI options for AA IMO. Nvidia owners will get an even better result with SSAA I am sure. Props for the visual design of the game - loving the classical Sci-Fi aesthetic.

 
AceCR42 said:
Well... I did, hoping they would show what Quarians look like. But I guess they're saving that for ME3.
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But remember when Darth Vader finally took his mask off - he was hideous. Maybe we don't want to find out what Quarians look like. Ever gone out on a blind date - I did once, ten years ago... never again, boy. She had a great phone voice, and I got all excited because in my mind I had pictured her to be as good looking as her voice. She was a howling hyena, a card carrying member of the canine class.
 
WabeWalker said:
But remember when Darth Vader finally took his mask off - he was hideous. Maybe we don't want to find out what Quarians look like. Ever gone out on a blind date - I did once, ten years ago... never again, boy. She had a great phone voice, and I got all excited because in my mind I had pictured her to be as good looking as her voice. She was a howling hyena, a card carrying member of the canine class.
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I don't think Bioware would do that. Tali fans like myself would riot in the streets.. outside of Bioware HQ.
 
WabeWalker said:
But remember when Darth Vader finally took his mask off - he was hideous. Maybe we don't want to find out what Quarians look like. Ever gone out on a blind date - I did once, ten years ago... never again, boy. She had a great phone voice, and I got all excited because in my mind I had pictured her to be as good looking as her voice. She was a howling hyena, a card carrying member of the canine class.
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Yeah, but the Quarians have a very specific reason they wear their suits; I don't think they're hiding anything.

Although I did read somewhere else that the whole point of the Tali romance is "what's inside that counts", so it would be pretty funny if they did turn her into a hideous beast, just to see how many people do a complete 180.

But anyway, beat the game, 17 hours total. I'd give it an 8.5/10, mainly because the combat needs some work.
 
DennisK4 said:
Screenshot with 24x Edge-detect AA - a little to demanding to be really playable for me but someone with a 58xx should give it a try.
It looks the best of all the ATI options for AA IMO. Nvidia owners will get an even better result with SSAA I am sure. Props for the visual design of the game - loving the classical Sci-Fi aesthetic.
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What the hell is that on his wrist in the screenshot? Does he now carry mini heads. He do the vodo?:confused:
 
This is easily on my GOTY list. I've gotten better at the hacking so that basically was my only so called complaint about this game.
 
AceCR42 said:
Yeah, but the Quarians have a very specific reason they wear their suits; I don't think they're hiding anything.

Although I did read somewhere else that the whole point of the Tali romance is "what's inside that counts", so it would be pretty funny if they did turn her into a hideous beast, just to see how many people do a complete 180.

But anyway, beat the game, 17 hours total. I'd give it an 8.5/10, mainly because the combat needs some work.
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I've read so many f'ing 'I'm Romancing Tali' threads. It would be the joke of the century if she turned out to be a an utter barking dog.

How many youngsters would do a 180 - all of them would.
 
Q-BZ said:
This is easily on my GOTY list. I've gotten better at the hacking so that basically was my only so called complaint about this game.
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It's only January though.

Yeah, but I know what you're saying. This one's going to be tough to beat.
 
I'm about 4 hours in... but I've been going extremely slowly, just doing a chill thing mostly, and have only managed to finish the first mission (up to the point where The Strange Guy... or whatever his name is... gives you your orders). I've also managed to complete one of the DLC quests - namely, the one in which you return to the wreckage of the first Normandy and collect all the dog-tags of the deceased soldiers, and plant the monument thing.

Other than that, I haven't done much - but let me see if I've gotten this right.

The gist of the plot seems to be this...

SPOILER ALERT!!!












The Strange Guy, or whatever his name is, wants me to go out into the Universe and use my rock-star status as one of the most famous members of the earth defense league to enlist a bunch of folks so that together we can engage The Collector's in one big battle?

Okay, no spoilers please... but, um, isn't this exactly what we just did, more or less, in Dragon Age? I mean, in Dragon Age we had to go out into the world and use our status to gather a bunch of people so that we could all fight the Darkspawn. It's the same damned plot all over again? Did the people at Bioware run out of ideas or something? I'm not complaining, mind you, because the game is insanely fun... it's just feels very... familiar.

And hey, we've even got Blood Draon Armor again!
 
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It always astonishes me when the developer of an RPG won't allow you to walk your character or swivel the camera around so that you can see your character from all angles. In the former case you end up having to run everywhere, which can destroy the atmosphere, and in the latter you end up staring at your character's backside, which kind of defeats the purpose of stepping into the role of another person.

Bioware really got this right - I've just landed at The Citadel, and right now I'm happy just walking around and exploring things, and looking at my character every now and then. It just makes you feel like there's a world inside your monitor that you're a part of. Really neat stuff.
 
So I finally got the game yesterday. I was extremely disappointed with EA shipping methods. The game came in an oversized box with 3 bags puffed up with air. Then when I was opening the ME2 plastic container, I noticed that a piece of it was missing! It was like someone either dropped it, or hit it really hard! WTF?! Thankfully the discs were ok, but seriously this really got me pissed. Used games in Gamestop looked freakin better, but this brand new case went through WW2. Gah, can't even explain how mad that got me. So needless to say I'm not ordering anymore games from EA, after the horribly chipped case, my order disappearing from their website, and having to wait for 30 minutes to talk to EA.

Now moving onto the game...

It's pretty fun. It's all I did yesterday besides eat. ;) The new armor is awesome looking and the fighting is great. The graphics are better, but I don't feel that it was a major improvement from ME1 (and I just got done playing it 3 days ago). They are better don't get me wrong. Faces, and bodies/armor look much better, but environmentally it doesn't look like they did much. No inventory is easier I guess, but it's a pain in the arse that I have to go back to the ship to switch weapons/armor, or be lucky enough to find a changing place where I am at. Surveying planets is a major drag. It takes forever and is so repetitive. At least before I could drive around in the Rover. And why the heck do I have to buy fuel for the Normandy now?

But despite my complaints it's fun and I have been enjoying it. Oh, and Bioware has been trying really hard the past few games (ME2 and DAO) to make the girl characters umm...hot...nerdy but whatever. From Morgan to Miranda to Kelly Yaoman. :D

Also, I want Wrex! Not some stupid test tube Krogan. :mad: :mad: :mad: Looking at the Wiki looks like I will meet up with him eventually but I don't think he will be joining my group. :( I played through ME1 with just Garrus and Wrex. Got Garrus...
 
Once I remapped my keys closer to ME1 style and got used to the hacking and encryption...I really don't have a complaint about this game at all. If you're a fan of ME and you know what to expect you're going to get a hell of a lot more of it and better in this and most of the things that may have annoyed you a little bit in the first one are gone.

The game is just bigger, deeper, richer, and better all the way around for the most part. The only minor area it isn't is like I mentioned before: You don't have more delineated skill areas to build the characters up any more. (Hacking, decryption, stuff like that) but that's really a minor nit because it's handled in other way as you go along.

Epic. I love this game.
 
It seems like I'm working for the KKK or something. I did just start the game though, so maybe that feeling will go away.

So far a very enjoyable and atmospheric game.
 
43st said:
It seems like I'm working for the KKK or something. I did just start the game though, so maybe that feeling will go away.
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It doesn't.
I felt like a bad guy the whole game. Though Shepard constantly lies to himself about being a bad guy. Regardless if you're a Paragon, everything still feels naughty.
 
I seem to be having framerate issues with this game, and it's only when I force AA. It seems similar to the issue on the Citadel from the first game where your fps were basically cut in half. I have a quad core processor and dual GTX 275's. Certain areas of the game give me around 20 fps when AA is forced. For example, in the engineering floor of the Normandy, I get about that with AA on. When I turn it off, it's back to 60 fps. I have tried every single AA compatibility mode in nHancer and only one gives me around 50 fps (it still should be maxing at 60) and it's the 08020205 one, not the one that works in ME1.

Anyone else with SLI and forcing AA have the same issues as me? I get random framerate drops too in other places, such as the first mission in certain places, and I don't know why.
 
I have issues with AA in ME2, but I don't have a system that even resembles your's.
I tried with 2x and 4x and eventually I concluded it was just an issue with the game engine. I chose to play without AA rather than deal with the frame rate inconsistencies.
 
UtopiA said:
It doesn't.
I felt like a bad guy the whole game. Though Shepard constantly lies to himself about being a bad guy. Regardless if you're a Paragon, everything still feels naughty.
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Ugg.. that's lame.

There are shades of doing the right thing though, with Tali for example. At least I could maintain that relationship with her. This gave me hope that as the game progressed the moral ambiguity would clear up. (paragon path)

Still sucks to be some racist (speci-ist?) mega-corp tool, and to be force fed their modus operandi. :rolleyes:
 
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Some of you must be playing a different game than me or need to lighten up because I don't know where all this KKK and racist stuff comes in at all.
 
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Q-BZ said:
Some of you must be playing a different game than me or need to lighten up because I don't know where all this KKK and racist stuff comes in at all.
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He's talking about Cerberus being focused on Humans only.
 
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