Mass Effect 3

[Jax]

I read last few pages and geez its not Star Wars, games suffer from plot holes and dodgy stories but really we need to let Bioware play out there full story before we judge. Bioware probably decided in ME 2 to change the Reaper concept from what they originally created but as game stories go ME offering is great SCI FI.

 

[Reverend]

I fail to to comprehend how prefacing you comments with an insult serves any purpose at all. I haven't committed the codex to memory.

You mean the codex entry I had provided a link to? One would have thought you at least read it prior to responding rather than just pulling some random baseless assertion out of the void. I don't think it's expecting too much of a person to recall something they read mere minutes or seconds prior to typing a comment. As for the "insult", it was a genuine question (which I note you failed to answer), I can't help that it hurt your delicate feelings.

As for the bit about Asari, there's no point in dissecting the precise wording of a wiki article when it's been written by some random person off the net. What you should pay attention to however is the *actual* codex entries from the actual game which are archived verbatim on the wikia as separate articles. Observe:-

Primary Codex Entries/Technology/Biotics
"...Biotics are the result of in-utero exposure to element zero. This usually causes fatal cancers in the victim, but in rare cases it coalesces into nodules within the fetus's developing nervous system."
​

Note it simply says "biotics are the result of in-utero exposure to element zero." Not "non-asari biotics."

Aliens: Council Races/Secondary Codex Entries/Asari: Biology
"...During melding, an asari consciously attunes her nervous system to her partner's, sending and receiving electrical impulses directly through the skin. The partner can be another asari, or an alien of either gender. Effectively, the asari and her partner briefly become one unified nervous system.

This unique means of reproduction is the reason asari are talented biotics."
​

Secondary Codex Entries/Aliens: Council Races/Asari: Military Doctrine
"...Biotics are common enough that some capability is a requirement to be trained as a huntress; lack of biotic talent excludes a young asari from military service."
​

So while it does indicate that asari are certainty more prone to Biotic ability than other races and their biology (specifically their innate control of their nervous system) predisposes them to greater proficiency in controlling their abilities, nowhere does it say that asari are an all biotic species that can manipulate dark energy without the presence of eezo nodules in their bodies. Indeed it specifically says that some asari have no such abilities at all.

 

[-Brett-]

I read last few pages and geez its not Star Wars...

No it isn't, thankfully. There aren't that many plot holes.

 

[Saquist]

You mean the codex entry I had provided a link to? One would have thought you at least read it prior to responding rather than just pulling some random baseless assertion out of the void.

You thought wrong. I completely ignored the link. I didn't even recognize it as a link and my assertion was based on my bank of available information not a random at all. It was based on visual observation otherwise I would not have been able to relate the common reference of targets. You're posturing.

As for the "insult", it was a genuine question (which I note you failed to answer), I can't help that it hurt your delicate feelings.

I'm sure the fallacy of reasoning by which originated your insult was given in all sincerity but spare me your emotionalism. I have no use for it.

As for the bit about Asari, there's no point in dissecting the precise wording of a wiki article when it's been written by some random person off the net. What you should pay attention to however is the *actual* codex entries from the actual game which are archived verbatim on the wikia as separate articles. Observe:-

Primary Codex Entries/Technology/Biotics
"...Biotics are the result of in-utero exposure to element zero. This usually causes fatal cancers in the victim, but in rare cases it coalesces into nodules within the fetus's developing nervous system."
​

Note it simply says "biotics are the result of in-utero exposure to element zero." Not "non-asari biotics."

Aliens: Council Races/Secondary Codex Entries/Asari: Biology
"...During melding, an asari consciously attunes her nervous system to her partner's, sending and receiving electrical impulses directly through the skin. The partner can be another asari, or an alien of either gender. Effectively, the asari and her partner briefly become one unified nervous system.

This unique means of reproduction is the reason asari are talented biotics."
​

Secondary Codex Entries/Aliens: Council Races/Asari: Military Doctrine
"...Biotics are common enough that some capability is a requirement to be trained as a huntress; lack of biotic talent excludes a young asari from military service."
​

So while it does indicate that asari are certainty more prone to Biotic ability than other races and their biology (specifically their innate control of their nervous system) predisposes them to greater proficiency in controlling their abilities, nowhere does it say that asari are an all biotic species that can manipulate dark energy without the presence of eezo nodules in their bodies. Indeed it specifically says that some asari have no such abilities at all.

Your case is well made but I can't shake some latent memory or impression that the term natural biotic from somewhere in in the game and that is a much different connotation than talented biotic. I'll have to review it to find out for sure.

 

[Reverend]

^So your excuse is you don't know what a link looks like? That's the best you can do?

Whatever. Look at it this way; if asari didn't have eezo nodules in their nervous systems then they wouldn't be able to make use of biotic amps which "synchronize the nodules so they can form fields large and strong enough for practical use." And yet we know from ME1 Liara makes use of amps because we can equip her with one and of course it says right there in the codex that the very best amps are made by the asari. Why would they be the best at making something that according to you they would by definition have no use for? The answer is of course that they clearly do have a use for them, because they have eezo in their system just like all biotics. Indeed the very premise and central conceit of the entire franchise is that eezo is the only element in the universe that can emit dark energy and thus generate mass effect fields. Even IF asari are "natural biotic" they'd still need eezo as part of their biological chemistry. Whether this is ingested from from Thessia's food chain or water table and passed from mother to daughter or through unnatural exposure in-utero like humans the result would still have to be the same. QED.

It's all rather academic anyway as there's been nothing to suggest that Reapers would have the slightest interest in a race for it's biotic abilities since they're living starships that can build their own bodies with massive eezo cores. Whatever criteria they judge races by it's something more than just simple biological attributes. If biotics is really what interested them then the Collectors wouldn't have been going after human colonies, they'd be hitting asari space, no?

 

[Saquist]

^So your excuse is you don't know what a link looks like? That's the best you can do?

It is not my concern whether you think I gave my "best" or not. I don't indulge in games of witless pursuits of ego and bravado, I tell the truth; wrong right or oblivious.

Whatever. Look at it this way; if asari didn't have eezo nodules in their nervous systems then they wouldn't be able to make use of biotic amps which "synchronize the nodules so they can form fields large and strong enough for practical use."

Indeed. I came to a similar conclusion after looking up biotic amp. Asari amps are highly prized and used by everyone so their must be compatible.

It's all rather academic anyway as there's been nothing to suggest that Reapers would have the slightest interest in a race for it's biotic abilities since they're living starships that can build their own bodies with massive eezo cores. Whatever criteria they judge races by it's something more than just simple biological attributes. If biotics is really what interested them then the Collectors wouldn't have been going after human colonies, they'd be hitting asari space, no?

That really has been yet to be determined untill their task is complete. And I don't mean the continuation of the story but we really do have wait and see if they reap the technology or the life forms.

 

[TheGodBen]

Game Informer has some details on the game and a commenter on Kotaku posted this handy list of all the main points from the article. It includes some spoilers for ME3 and the Arrival DLC.

Spoiler: ME3 and Arrival

- Game begins with Shepard on Earth
- Shepard is on trial in regard to the events of Arrival
- Reapers invade while the trial is happening
- Prologue: Shepard’s escape to the Normandy, off to start finding allies, fighting Reaper troops
- Squadmates include Liara, Ashley/Kaiden, Garrus (if alive), James Sanders
- Confirmed appearances (may not be squadmates): Wrex, Mordin, Legion, and Anderson
- Game will show a "previously on Mass Effect" comic to make decisions if you’re starting from scratch
- The Illusive Man plays a big role
- Cerberus is out to kill Shepard
- Enhanced RPG elements
- More freedom with character skills
- Larger skill trees
- Powers will evolve several times, not just once
- Weapons are like the ones in Mass Effect 2, have a set list
- Mods returning, swap out different parts such as barrels, scopes (effect both the weapon’s combat performance and its appearance)
- All classes can wield all weapons unhindered now,
- There will be limited slots to carry these weapons
- Soldier can carry all weapons at once
- Adept, Engineer, and Sentinal will likely be limited to two weapons, three for Vanguard and Infiltrator
- Numerous endings
- Who you have in your squad and which allies you recruit greatly impact the endings that are available
- No multiplayer

Source: http://kotaku.com/#!5790073/commander-shepard-lets-get-a-look-at-your-mass-effect-3-self

 

[Skywalker]

Spoiler: Previous Post

If that whole list is actually true, it already sounds like ME3 will be a vast improvement over ME2. After the reaction to ME2 I kind of figured the next game would scale a few things back and be more of a hybrid between its two predecessors, taking the best parts of each and (hopefully) excising the worst. Of course, it might sound good on paper, but it won't mean squat if the execution sucks.

 

[HotRod]

Gotta say, I'm pretty happy about what I read in that spoiler code. Guess I'll have to go out and pick up that issue for myself. Best thing about it......NO MULTIPLAYER! Thank God!

 

[TheGodBen]

Also, Ashley has a new hairdo. I can't wait to watch her and Miranda wrestle, semi-nude, for the affections of my manShep.

Also also...

Spoiler: ME3

...the article discussed a section of the game set on Tuchanka and a Reaper ship attacks Shepard's vehicle, so it seems like the Reapers are attacking multiple worlds, not just Earth. Either that or they're sending ships out to kill Shepard.

 

[HotRod]

Holy crap.....Look at Ashley! I had my doubts about sticking with her and putting Miranda in the "friend zone". But after seeing that pic I regret my choice much much less.

 

[John Clark]

Game Informer has some details on the game and a commenter on Kotaku posted this handy list of all the main points from the article. It includes some spoilers for ME3 and the Arrival DLC.

Spoiler: ME3 and Arrival

- Game begins with Shepard on Earth
- Shepard is on trial in regard to the events of Arrival
- Reapers invade while the trial is happening
- Prologue: Shepard’s escape to the Normandy, off to start finding allies, fighting Reaper troops
- Squadmates include Liara, Ashley/Kaiden, Garrus (if alive), James Sanders
- Confirmed appearances (may not be squadmates): Wrex, Mordin, Legion, and Anderson
- Game will show a "previously on Mass Effect" comic to make decisions if you’re starting from scratch
- The Illusive Man plays a big role
- Cerberus is out to kill Shepard
- Enhanced RPG elements
- More freedom with character skills
- Larger skill trees
- Powers will evolve several times, not just once
- Weapons are like the ones in Mass Effect 2, have a set list
- Mods returning, swap out different parts such as barrels, scopes (effect both the weapon’s combat performance and its appearance)
- All classes can wield all weapons unhindered now,
- There will be limited slots to carry these weapons
- Soldier can carry all weapons at once
- Adept, Engineer, and Sentinal will likely be limited to two weapons, three for Vanguard and Infiltrator
- Numerous endings
- Who you have in your squad and which allies you recruit greatly impact the endings that are available
- No multiplayer

Source: http://kotaku.com/#!5790073/commander-shepard-lets-get-a-look-at-your-mass-effect-3-self

Sounds good to me

Spoiler: Comments

I'll probably have to generate a playthrough where Kaiden actually survived as I haven't done that. For my primary two Shepards, Ashley survived in both of them.
If Cerberus are out to kill Shep, I guess that means that even if you saved the reaper base at the end of ME2, you've still managed to piss them off in some way.
As for squadmates, my femshep will be happy enough as her LI is back on the team. My male Shep may have to put up with comments if Tali returns to the team as he romanced both Ash and Tali.

 

[Reverend]

No complaints here.

Spoiler: things and stuff

Most of it sounds like good news, though a notable lack of Tali in that list may upset one of my maleSheps (one of my femSheps too, who really wishes Tali wasn't straight.) Of course it's still early days and obviously that list is far from comprehensive, so there is hope for the little quarrian yet. Nice to have Ash back though.

The return of weapon modding is good news as far as I'm concerned and I really hope you get a similar level of choice (including the cosmetics) as you did with the N7 armour in ME2. I think I like the idea of the non-Soldier classes being able to choose their weapon load-out. I mean even in ME1 it rather strained credibility that an N7 special forces trained soldier like Shepard wouldn't be able to use an assault rifle properly, no? Having said that, the way in ME1 you had all the weapon types regardless but just couldn't shoot straight without special class specific training felt equally weird, so a limited loadout makes much more sense and is a nice balance between the previous two games. Of course it's pretty much a given what choices most people will make for each class, though I suppose some idea of the enemies that are likely to be encountered may affect things (i.e. husks=shotgun while korgan or vorcha=heavy pistol.)

I had previously wondered before now exactly how the game would handle the inevitable character creation screen in the context of the story and now I think I have a good idea. Since the first was a profile reconstruction of Shep's Alliance personnel file (presumably by Hackett prior to talking to Udina) while the second one was a more literal reconstruction; I think that as the prologue will be Shepard's war crimes trial, I suspect that this time around it'll be framed as an arrest warrant, a criminal profile or something similar. Could be fun...especially since my female soldier sole survivor was also a former Earth gang member. Actually, in light of Arrival, I can see the prosecution using 'ruthless' and most defiantly the 'colonist' backgrounds against Shep. Hell, even if you didn't play the DLC, just working with Cerberus should be enough to press charges.

I have to wonder though, with the Illusive Man after your hide will Lawson any Taylor figure into it at all? I just have this uncomfortable feeling that some of the main characters from the first game may be quickly killed off in the prologue to make room for the new faces.

 

[T.Geiger]

Despite the article not saying whether Tali will be a squadmate or not, I have to believe she will be. Lest they face an unimaginable amount of neckbeard nerdrage. She has, by far, the largest fanbase on their own forums. Hell, they're going to have to come up with a pretty good excuse just to survive the reprisal of not showing her face at any point during the trilogy.

Spoiler: Hubba, Hubba

And hot damn, am I ready for Ashley to come back.

 

[Skywalker]

I'm gonna be honest, I would be more than okay with not having Tali as a squadmate. I never was much of a fan. But, like Garrus, she's a very popular character and it's highly unlikely that's going to happen.

 

[Reverend]

Holy crap.....Look at Ashley! I had my doubts about sticking with her and putting Miranda in the "friend zone". But after seeing that pic I regret my choice much much less.

Actually...I'm not so sold on Ash's new look. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting rid of her lazy eye glitch and getting her to wear some new armour but I have to say, that hair style doesn't quite suit her personality. I mean, she's still a marine, no? Of course I don't play games for the T&A appeal, so I would've been utterly fine to see her with a crew-cut. Mind you, she does normally wear her hair tide up so perhaps that's just for one "special" scene in the game...or just an early test. I noticed in DA2 that they were trying to make hair behave a little more realistically. Finally (and I realise this is a really minor nit to pick) but isn't that the wrong colour hair?

I'm gonna be honest, I would be more than okay with not having Tali as a squadmate. I never was much of a fan. But, like Garrus, she's a very popular character and it's highly unlikely that's going to happen.

Now see, I wouldn't mind there being no Garrus as a squadmate, though likewise I can appreciate that it would be unlikely. Honestly it wasn't until ME2 that the character even got interesting for me but even then I felt like his story had been told and if I had been reading a novel or watching a movie instead of playing a game then I would fully expect the author/director to give him a good hero's death in the suicide mission.

Out of interest, what squad line-up did you favour in your first ME1 playthrough? I suspect a lot of people's preferences are dictated, or at least influenced my their gameplay choices the first time around. Personally I played as a soldier so once I recruited them, Tali and Liara felt like the optimal companions. After a while I just got so used to having them around, they became favourites. Prior to that I favoured Ash and *anyone* other than Kaiden. The guy irritated me.

 

[Skywalker]

My ME1 squads usually depended on my Shepard's class, but my favorite trio was my Vanguard Shepard, Ashley, and Garrus. My Infiltrator Shepard with Wrex and Kaidan was pretty good, too. But Ash, Garrus, and Wrex were by far my favorite squadmates.

ME2 was a little different because I didn't need to worry as much about making a balanced squad, but my primary lineup for my main Shepard (the Vanguard) was Miranda (mostly because of her evolved abilities, plus Overload and Warp) and Garrus. Garrus, Grunt, and Mordin were my favorite of the ME2 squadmates.

 

[Reverend]

I never found much of a use for Mordin. While hos powers are useful he had the distressing habit of dying rather often. Even on normal difficulty I'd often fine myself running out of medigel for the amount of times I had to revive him. Jack too for some odd reason I mean you'd think she'd be pretty tough but that girl really has a glass jaw.

Speaking of Jack (and I may have brought this up before) but I was rather disappointed with her. I mean from the trail of destruction she leaves behind in her recruitment mission they make her out to be a neigh unstoppable biotic battering ram. Though I appreciate that any squadmate that really had that power level would totally break the game, perhaps they could have used some kind of sustained ability that for a short time (and with a long cool down) puts her normal abilities into overdrive. Indeed a lot of the characters could have done with something similar. Grunt's fortification and Legion's geth shield were a good start but I think Garrus could have used a "focus" ability that briefly increased his accuracy and rate of fire. Not so sure about the others but something to make squad selection a little more involved.

 

[ThunderAeroI]

My Jack is dead, thank god. I hated having her around. I suppose I would have liked to had a higher Paragon score so I could keep Miranda and jack happy, but if I have to choose between Miranda and Jack, Jack can go out the air lock.

 

[John Clark]

Out of interest, what squad line-up did you favour in your first ME1 playthrough? I suspect a lot of people's preferences are dictated, or at least influenced my their gameplay choices the first time around. Personally I played as a soldier so once I recruited them, Tali and Liara felt like the optimal companions. After a while I just got so used to having them around, they became favourites. Prior to that I favoured Ash and *anyone* other than Kaiden. The guy irritated me.

For my first playthrough (Soldier Shep), my main sidekicks until later on in the game were Ash and Wrex. It didn't make for an optimal team, but I guess it worked out.

Before I finished the game I took a sidetrip out to Luna and decided to take Liara along. On that mission, she was throwing the drones around so after that, she was dragged along for more missions.