Mass Effect 2
- Thread starter TheBrew
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Just taken it for a quick spin (along with the firepower pack which I hadn't got before now)
So, just in case
So, just in case
Go in stealthily, rescue the scientist, etc. My attempts at being stealthy didn't seem to work so well. It was more sort of creep in, oh hell, BOOM.
.
It's good to be getting back in the game though.
. It's good to be getting back in the game though.
Oh no, the galaxy is in really deep, serious trouble now...the elevators are back!
Well that'd cost more money and I imagine they blew the celebrity voice budget on Lance Hendrickson. Still, you'd think they'd be able to reuse an existing bit of dialogue as they did in LotSB.
Apparently there's supposed to be some minor differences if you do the mission prior to the suicide mission (it unlocks after Horizon.) Judging by the trailer I think the only real difference is that Harbinger appears as the Collector General or as itself at the end of the mission. Other than that, the only possible thing I noticed was Hackett mentioning that the Normandy isn't *really* a Cerberus vessel anymore, which I imagine is a reference to my Shep telling Mr. creepy eyes to shove it.
I do have some issues with the logic though. Like for example the Reapers are actually *in* the galaxy rather than outside it as the system on the galaxy map looks like it's at least a few thousand lightyears into the Perseus Arm. Also the idea that there just happens to be this one "Alpha Relay" that can access all other relays feels like a bit of a stretch. I mean, wasn't that supposed to be the function of the citadel and wouldn't that also mean they already have something out in darkspace to jump in from? I mean why create a backup and then not create a simple way to access it that doesn't involve trudging there at *only* FTL? Also, what was the function of that Reaper artefact exactly? Other than the galaxy's biggest alarm clock with built-in coffee machine and indoctrinator?
I do have some issues with the logic though. Like for example the Reapers are actually *in* the galaxy rather than outside it as the system on the galaxy map looks like it's at least a few thousand lightyears into the Perseus Arm. Also the idea that there just happens to be this one "Alpha Relay" that can access all other relays feels like a bit of a stretch. I mean, wasn't that supposed to be the function of the citadel and wouldn't that also mean they already have something out in darkspace to jump in from? I mean why create a backup and then not create a simple way to access it that doesn't involve trudging there at *only* FTL? Also, what was the function of that Reaper artefact exactly? Other than the galaxy's biggest alarm clock with built-in coffee machine and indoctrinator?
Well that'd cost more money and I imagine they blew the celebrity voice budget on Lance Hendrickson. Still, you'd think they'd be able to reuse an existing bit of dialogue as they did in LotSB.
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So, are the Reapers in the galaxy now or not? Are they stranded in that system?
Also, if destroying a mass relay is that catastrophic, why not wait until 5 seconds after the Reaper fleet arrives before crashing the moon into it? Boom, Reaper threat gone.
I don't know, it was kinda underwhelming. I was expecting it to end with the Reaper fleet on course for Earth as a cliffhanger leading into ME3, instead it ends with the threat of a court case, which doesn't pack the same sort of punch.
I used up practically all of my heavy weapon ammo on that last mech, thinking that I had to hurry, and ended up finishing it in quarter the time allotted. Ah well, it's not like Benedict Shepard is going to need that ammo any more, and at least his ME2 experience went out with a bang.
Also, if destroying a mass relay is that catastrophic, why not wait until 5 seconds after the Reaper fleet arrives before crashing the moon into it? Boom, Reaper threat gone.
I don't know, it was kinda underwhelming. I was expecting it to end with the Reaper fleet on course for Earth as a cliffhanger leading into ME3, instead it ends with the threat of a court case, which doesn't pack the same sort of punch.
I used up practically all of my heavy weapon ammo on that last mech, thinking that I had to hurry, and ended up finishing it in quarter the time allotted. Ah well, it's not like Benedict Shepard is going to need that ammo any more, and at least his ME2 experience went out with a bang.
You get this video if the time runs out. It might hint at the people who are in your squad in ME3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvJCtr3uyZ4
^Interesting. One of those shots looks like something one of the audio logs mentioned.
Did anyone else think the face design for Dr. wos'name was *really* odd? I mean I know ME faces have a habit of being a little strange (Ashley's lazy eye for one) but I was so distracted by her too-close-together crossed eyes and fat lower lip that moved with about as much expression as a Gerry Anderson puppet that I had a job to pay attention to her dialogue. It was especially incongruous because Hackett's face model was fantastic. Indeed, unless I'm mistaken the textures and image maps on that model looked far better than anything else in the game proper. A borrowed asset from ME3 perhaps?
A dream of a Reaper crawling through the Citadel and the dreamer's "family" burning up.
Did anyone else think the face design for Dr. wos'name was *really* odd? I mean I know ME faces have a habit of being a little strange (Ashley's lazy eye for one) but I was so distracted by her too-close-together crossed eyes and fat lower lip that moved with about as much expression as a Gerry Anderson puppet that I had a job to pay attention to her dialogue. It was especially incongruous because Hackett's face model was fantastic. Indeed, unless I'm mistaken the textures and image maps on that model looked far better than anything else in the game proper. A borrowed asset from ME3 perhaps?
Just got done with it. Only took me 2 hours to get through on my sniper and pretty "meh" overall. Too much linear combat, not enough dialogue (disappointed there was a renegade interrupt but no paragon one at the end there.) Doesn't hold a candle to LotSB, but honestly I wasn't expecting it to.
A little disappointing. I was kinda hoping to see the titular arrival. I guess the Reapers did technically arrive, but still have a long drive to the nearest civilized area. Doesn't have quite the same dramatic punch as the beginning of the Reaper invasion would have.
I wonder if they've just given away the ending to ME3? Lure the Reapers somewhere, blow up the mass relay, and save the galaxy with a huge bang.
I wonder if they've just given away the ending to ME3? Lure the Reapers somewhere, blow up the mass relay, and save the galaxy with a huge bang.
Okay how do I use my personal terminal without triggering the message from Hacket?
Finished the arrival, was a fine ending and yes the fact there was no paragon option sucked. but heck my paragon actions have all been messed since I missed out on getting Jack loyal and to that end i didn't cry when she died.
I have about 900 rounds of heavy ammo I don't use. My standard weapon seems to eat through shields fast enough and i switch to another weapon for armor piercing. I play as an engineer.
all in all, I tried to warn the colonies, and I would like to know why they wanted me alive. Is it wrong of me to have had reload that part a few times to see if I could live?
I have about 900 rounds of heavy ammo I don't use. My standard weapon seems to eat through shields fast enough and i switch to another weapon for armor piercing. I play as an engineer.
all in all, I tried to warn the colonies, and I would like to know why they wanted me alive. Is it wrong of me to have had reload that part a few times to see if I could live?
That's pretty much what I assumed. Still, you'd think they'd at least check that her face was at least serviceable. Regardless, I think it's safe to say there mere fact that they went to the trouble to design a face for Hackett is a good indication that he'll be featured fairly prominently in ME3, most likely as Shep's main point of contact given Anderson has supposedly quit the citadel in the novel set right after ME2 and it's possible for players to have told the Illusive Man to bugger off.
Saquist
Commodore
I agree it was a little...
of a let down. I was expecting the to see a flood of Reapers come into the system and a desperate action to get away and rally the forces of the Galaxy.
I don't understand how if the MASS RELAY was destroyed then how can the reaperes make it here?
And how come there are always these relays that we already know about just waiting around for the Reapers to use. Why didn't they just use them in the first place...why the months and years to use their back up plans?
Even in the First game I really surprised by the wanton ignorance of the Galaxy. How do you occupy a station and not learn every thing about it? HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW it's a massive Mass Relay? Presumably the relays have a specific and identifiable technology, right....didn't they explore it's inner workings?
If you know the Collectors are coming out of the OMEGA Relay and their destroying Human Colonies why not just destroy or deactivate the Relay? Are we really going to put the pathetic existence of Asteroid Omega as higher than the rest of the Galaxy?
I'm begining to wonder about the story telling aspect.
I don't understand how if the MASS RELAY was destroyed then how can the reaperes make it here?
And how come there are always these relays that we already know about just waiting around for the Reapers to use. Why didn't they just use them in the first place...why the months and years to use their back up plans?
Even in the First game I really surprised by the wanton ignorance of the Galaxy. How do you occupy a station and not learn every thing about it? HOW DO YOU NOT KNOW it's a massive Mass Relay? Presumably the relays have a specific and identifiable technology, right....didn't they explore it's inner workings?
If you know the Collectors are coming out of the OMEGA Relay and their destroying Human Colonies why not just destroy or deactivate the Relay? Are we really going to put the pathetic existence of Asteroid Omega as higher than the rest of the Galaxy?
I'm begining to wonder about the story telling aspect.
He was so kewl...so much better than everyone else...When he gave back that report he showed an immense amount of faith in Sheppard despite his current Alliances UNLIKE ASHLEY AND KAIDEN.
How is that possible? They knew Sheppard personally and even had a romatic connection...how is it this never before seen character a better friend than them? I don't like that but I do like that someone finally trust me after going through all of ME2 with all these naysayers and working with that big mouth and condescending racist Illusive Man.
How is that possible? They knew Sheppard personally and even had a romatic connection...how is it this never before seen character a better friend than them? I don't like that but I do like that someone finally trust me after going through all of ME2 with all these naysayers and working with that big mouth and condescending racist Illusive Man.
If you haven't yet you should also check out Hacket's dossier in the Shadow Broker's base it basically says that the Alliance wanted to take Shepard in for "debriefing" an Hacket stopped them.
One assumes the Reapers have been hauling arse at FTL from wherever they were parked out in the intergalactic void ("darkspace") to this Alpha Relay--presumably the closest--ever since Sovereign failed to activate the Citadel; so the best part of two years or more. It's never stated exactly how fast FTL drive is, just that the relative speed is proportional to the type and size of a given vessel's drive core. Given what we know about Reaper tech, it's safe to assume they can move *very* fast even without the relays, though obviously not so fast that they don't need relays to cross the galaxy in a reasonable amount of time.
Now, destroying the relay means that they'll have to continue at standard FTL to the next nearest relay. Depending on where that may be it could mean several more months or years of travel (we don't yet know exactly what the span of time will be between ME2 & 3 or for that matter how long a period ME2 covered leading up to the suicide mission.)
Now, destroying the relay means that they'll have to continue at standard FTL to the next nearest relay. Depending on where that may be it could mean several more months or years of travel (we don't yet know exactly what the span of time will be between ME2 & 3 or for that matter how long a period ME2 covered leading up to the suicide mission.)
(the rest of this isn't really spoilery if one has completed ME2 already, so I'll leave off the tags)
Regarding the nature of mass relays; if I remember this right from the codex, relays have some kind of stasis field that protects them from damage over time. This also makes them effectively impenetrable. As for the Citadel, it's stated that there are whole sections that are inaccessible and between the automated systems and the Keepers, the station essentially runs itself and automatically adapts to the needs of the inhabitants. Any initial suspicion would have eventually faded as several millennia of habitation proved the station to be apparantly benign.
It's also worth remembering that the Reapers are extremely advanced and intentionally built these things to be easily used but next to impossible to truly understand, so it shouldn't be surprising that they camouflaged much of their true capabilities. Additionally, give that the Keepers have a habit of self-destructing if interfered with, it's not much of a leap of logic to presume the Citadel or the Mass Relays might react similarly to an invasive investigation. In short, everyone's very happy that these things work and nobody wants to risk loosing them in a foolish attempt to poke around where they're not welcome.
As for Omega, I'm pretty sure the Terminus systems wouldn't react well if any of the citadel races decided to blow up the Omega-4 relay, taking their de facto capital and central commercial hub with it. The fact that in ME1 the council was so afraid of a war with the Terminus systems that they refused to send a fleet after Saren. If the mere appearance of a fleet is liable to set them off, think what a blatant act of terrorism would provoke. Aside from that, a LOT of money and trade moves through Omega and I wouldn't be surprised if a fair portion of that (officially or otherwise) flows right from the Citadel.
As for the Collectors, as had been repeatedly stated, they were very rarely seen, practically a myth and there were only unconfirmed reports of their ships transiting from the Omega-4 relay. Remember that the human colonies in the Terminus systems were independent and not part of the Systems Alliance. The colonists were warned that they were taking a risk by colonising planets outside the official protection of the Citadel Council. So when they start disappearing, it easy to put it down to pirates, slavers, or just hostile races.
Hackett is clearly a seasoned officer and trusts his instincts. Remember, he's the one that recommended Shepard to Udina for Spectre candidacy at the start of ME1, so right from the start the Commander had earned his respect.
As for Ash and Kaiden's reactions, I think it was mostly born out of shock that Shepard was still alive, that they had to find out second or third hand and that their Commander had apparantly betrayed the Alliance and defected to Cerberus. Hackett on the other hand is a big picture kind of guy. Plus if you romanced either Ash or Kaiden, you get an apology e-mail shortly after Horizon.
P.S. Here's and interesting bit of ominous foreshadowing for anyone that's completed Arrival; once everything is done and dusted, go back into the galaxy map and check out where the Normandy is suddenly parked...
Saquist
Commodore
This is where logic comes in. Shut down all the relays. It potentially gives the Galaxy hundreds of years if not a millenia to stop the Reapers from crossing the intergalactic void quickely...
Build a fleet to stop them and then go after them...
Didn't they say that all there technology is based on Mass Relay tech? The protheans had to have access to at least one relay in order to know how to make one...it did look exactly the same as a real relay...
Yeah but how much of a threat could the terminus systems be. These systems are populated by a loose affiliation of minor species, united only in their refusal to acknowledge the political authority of the Council or adhere to the Citadel Conventions.
The wiki describes them as "raids"
Not really a threat against the Citadel Fleets and their Dreadnoughts.
True but I'm talking about after the fact of discovering the true nature of the Collectors. Why go in after them...Why not just shutdown or destroy the relay like they did here?
[/QUOTE]Hackett is clearly a seasoned officer and trusts his instincts. Remember, he's the one that recommended Shepard to Udina for Spectre candidacy at the start of ME1, so right from the start the Commander had earned his respect.[/QUOTE]
I remember.
Yeah but it has the appearance of a contrivance because they have the same reaction as though they were the same personality. Other situations of characters in ME are more character based occurences.
If you shutdown the relays, you effectively kill your own infrastructure since the economies of the Citadel and Terminus powers are based on relay travel. Plus without the relays, there's no way for a fleet to quickly cross the galaxy to face the Reapers, since Reaper FTL drives are obviously superior to normal ME drives since the Reapers apparently don't need to discharge their drive cores and non-relay based ME drives have really terrible performance based on that conversation Ashley had with her sister in ME1.
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