Mass Effect (1)

[Evil Twin]

Started taking my sentinel through ME2 this week and I gotta say I'm really digging the class. Very versatile, truly a jack-of-all-trades. Shields? I've got overload. Barriers? I've got warp. Armor? I've got AP ammo for bonus power. My shields just went down? I pop tech armor again and they're right back up. Once he gets assault rifle training from the Collector ship he'll be a real powerhouse, but in the meantime the Locust SMG from Kasumi's loyalty mission is doing the job just fine.

 

[Deks]

Yeah, Reaper IFF is sort of the "beginning of the end" so you want to make sure everything else is taken care of beforehand, and there's no negative consequences for putting it off for as long as possible. \

Agreed on the part that everything else (side-quests and main story, plus the loyalty missions) should be done before embarking on the Reaper IFF mission because, once you do the IFF, the crew will be taken by the Collectors...
You will have a relatively small window of opportunity to do the Legion loyalty mission after that and then immediately afterwards embark on the suicide mission (if you want to save the crew - otherwise, if you wait too long post crew abduction, the crew ends up dead).

 

[TheGodBen]

Honestly Deks, those are spoilers and you should probably let the OP experience this stuff for himself rather than telling him in advance.

 

[Thestral]

^ Agreed. I for one

Spoiler: SPOILERS for ME2 endgame content

was so horrified by what happened when I waited too long to attack the Collector base (finishing up all sidequests, which was most of them) that I had to go back and pick things up from before the Reaper IFF mission. Damned if I was gonna let the crew turning to goo and Chakwas' (understandable) tearing Sheppard a tearful new one be "official" for my pure-Paragon Shep. Even now I don't think I'll ever be able to do that, I like them too much.

But it was brilliantly done by Bioware. "Oh, so you're gonna make sure everything's super tip-top ready and expect your crew to be fine while you gallavant around? HA!

 

[Ood Sigma]

Been playing quite a bit more. There really is quite a bit of content there even if the game allows you to get to the "end" very early. I'm through most of the loyalty missions and then I'm going to explore and look for other missions.

I did get the free DLCs. I guess I thought that code that came with the game would give me all the DLC for free, but that is not the case. I've actually never bought Microsoft Points before so at some point in the near future I'll have to negotiate that. I don't need a XBOX Live Gold account, do I?

I have to go to a stupid family thing tomorrow, but I'm planning to play some more tonight. My guess is that I'll get through the remainder of the existing non-storyline missions I have tonight, though.

 

[ATimson]

I've actually never bought Microsoft Points before so at some point in the near future I'll have to negotiate that. I don't need a XBOX Live Gold account, do I?

No, Silver accounts can still make purchases too.

 

[Ood Sigma]

Cool, thanks.

Got another question. I finished all the loyalty quests and now all I have before I advance with the storyline is one of the DLC quests and any other side quests I may pick up by exploring. The issue is, how can I earn more credits besides doing missions? There are a number of expensive items in the stores. I feel like I may earn enough from one from this DLC quest but other than that I don't know how to earn credits? Can I sell my metals somewhere? I have more than enough of those. Any other advice for getting those last few items?

 

[ATimson]

=The issue is, how can I earn more credits besides doing missions?

You can't. With import bonuses, the Mass Effect 2 completion bonus, and the DLC, I think you can manage to get everything. But otherwise you're going to have to leave some stuff unpurchased.

 

[Evil Twin]

There's actually one replenishable source of credits in the game, betting on the varren fights on Tuchanka. Normally you can only bet 250 on a fight, but you can actually have the varren that you feed and follows you around fight in the pit and bet 500 on him. If he loses, he doesn't die but ends up in the med bay and will be available again if you leave the planet and come back. Won't exactly be raking in the credits this way but thought I'd point it out.

Got my sentinel assault rifle training and he's kicking some major ass now with the Mattock. Between that, overload, warp, and tech armor, probably the strongest class I've taken through ME2. Not a single weakness to be found.

 

[Skywalker]

Yeah, the Sentinel is a beast in ME2. But I just love my Vanguard too much to put any other class above it. Mmm, biotic charge.

 

[throwback]

For Mass Effect 3, if you intend to collect all the DLC for this game, you will need to spend at least $870.

http://kotaku.com/5888816/buying-all-of-mass-effect-3s-dlc-will-cost-you-870

Contrary to what Bioware said about the DLC "From Ashes" in March, EA concluded that separating the content for this content made economical sense. EA believes that the model they are using for Mass Effect 3 is great for them - paid DLCS and multiplayer microtransactions.

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/340353/20120512/mass-effect-3-ending-dlc-ashes.htm

http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/..._as_games_go_digital_says_EAs_Peter_Moore.php

 

[Reverend]

^How about you go talk about that in the ME3 thread, yes?

Anyway, that's a HIGHLY misleading figure since it includes the cost of the products that the DLC is attached to. I'm sorry, but if you're going to spend a hundred odd quid on some headset *just* to get some superfluous DLC weapon, then you deserve to be ripped off.

Yeah, the Sentinel is a beast in ME2. But I just love my Vanguard too much to put any other class above it. Mmm, biotic charge.

You know, I wish I'd have picked a Sentinel for my ME2 insanity playthrough, but like a dolt, I went with Soldier!

Cool, thanks.

Got another question. I finished all the loyalty quests and now all I have before I advance with the storyline is one of the DLC quests and any other side quests I may pick up by exploring. The issue is, how can I earn more credits besides doing missions? There are a number of expensive items in the stores. I feel like I may earn enough from one from this DLC quest but other than that I don't know how to earn credits? Can I sell my metals somewhere? I have more than enough of those. Any other advice for getting those last few items?

As I'm sure you've gathered already, credits in ME2 are a much more scarce resource than they had previously been in ME1. But yes, the DLC's--even the minor ones like Firewalker and the Normandy Crash Site--should give you a good boost of funds.

 

[Ood Sigma]

Ok, thanks. Now I wish I hadn't spent so much on probes. I still have the Firewalker mission so maybe I can get a couple more things.

 

[Reverend]

Yeah, probes and fuel can be a real drain on your funds. The best ways to reduce the cost are to avoid the temptation to get every last resource and only mine really high scanning spikes and even then, only for resources you know you'll need for research. Easier said then done on your first playthough I know, since you don't know in advance what you need. Rule of thumb: resources are listed on the scanning screen are in descending order of value and scarcity. Depends on your class and which upgrades you want of course and it's wise to choose carefully. While it's nice to have everything, it's best to stick to what you're most liable to use, especially when it comes to weapons upgrades.

You'll also want to make sure you only need to visit a non-relay system once and to plan your course across a cluster to reduce fuel consumption. While you're doing that, you may as well read the planet descriptions before scanning them. It breaks up the tedium and there's a surprising amount of background info to be found.

Oh, almost forgot, the N7 side missions you encounter while exploring should also net you a few thousand credits each.

 

[throwback]

Gathering resources in Mass Effect 2 plays a role in Mass Effect 3. You can get the following points depending on your resource level at the end of ME 2: 10, 25, or 100. Unfortunately, the amount needed for each level is vaguely known, and if you get an excessively high amount you may get 10, not 100, due to a bug.

So, depending on your investment in the trilogy, you may want to spent that extra time in depleting as many planets you can.

 

[Ood Sigma]

For right now, I'm not obsessed with maxing everything. I figure I can make multiple runs to experience everything. I have a ton of all the metals right now, and I haven't even visited half the planets.

 

[Ood Sigma]

Just finished Mass Effect 2... Wow that was another great ending! I'll probably pick up ME3 next week sometime. I can still do those post game dlcs on this save, right?

 

[LeadHead]

Yeah, you can continue and do dlc, and once you have Mass Effect 3, it will give you the choice of which save to use when you character import.

 

[Thestral]

So... how'd the Suicide Mission go?

 

[Ood Sigma]

Went really well, I thought it was a lot of fun (if a little short)! Another great ending.

Not sure if it's possible to lose anyone... I got an achievement that seemed to indicate it was possible that not everyone makes it out alive, but... everyone made it.

I've been out of town all weekend but I am planning to purchase the final DLC and finish that off before buying and starting ME3.