Junior Adventurer's Guild: January - Mass Effect

[Tangerine]

I did the bare minimum to complete the game. No side quests, no non-essential conversations, and avoided most optional mission objectives. I thought it'd be harder due to missing out on XP, but the game gives you plenty. Finished it in around 7 hours this way.

► Show Spoiler

me_01.jpg

me_02.jpg

I nominate Ogre Battle 64.

[wndrbr]

why do they look like corpses?

[Kolgrim]

I shared more of my screenshots of my playthough over on the "what game are you playing" thread since I recently started a replay of the trilogy. I've kind of stalled out a bit with ME2 though since I just don't like the combat changes and how they nerfed powers so hard in that game. I think ME1 holds up so well because of how powerful you are mid and late game. You can turn your shotgun into a long range cannon with weapon mods for example and can use skills almost constantly if you have adrenaline rush. Sure it's OP but that's what makes it fun and I feel like the devs overcorrected in later entries. Anyways with my ME1 playthrough I went total human victory since that's the only way to play imo.

► Show Spoiler

[logincrash]

I did the bare minimum to complete the game. No side quests, no non-essential conversations, and avoided most optional mission objectives. I thought it'd be harder due to missing out on XP, but the game gives you plenty. Finished it in around 7 hours this way.

► Show Spoiler

I nominate Ogre Battle 64.

I always played the game with default John Shepard.
I think I'm gonna make a crazy-looking fugly ******* named BatarianSlayer or something so that the screenshots would look more unique, like yours.

[J1M]

Default uses a higher resolution texture so that's what I stick to.

[Finarfin]

why do they look like corpses?

No Idea tbh, I only installed Virmire Savior Mod and thats it.

[Bertram_Tung]

Bertram right again

[Tangerine]

Bertram right again

I finished it yesterday.

[Bertram_Tung]

Bertram right again

I finished it yesterday.

That was December. According to Oyster that means you violated the spirit of the thread.
But that's okay, I don't blame you. I finished it a few weeks ago (same month as you) and I'll be posting that as well.

Just saying I was right.

(Edit: Also I wasn't singling you out, there are multiple people who did the same thing on the previous page of the thread.)

[Valter]

Just booted it up. Been a long time since I last played this, feels nostalgic... and it looks way worse than I remember! Standards shift and so does perspective I guess. Facial expressions and lighting still hold up tho.

[logincrash]

I think Peak 15 on Noveria might be the part of ME1 I dislike the most.
More like Pen 15 on Notverygoodia, amirite?

[Valter]

► Eden Prime

"Leave no evidence we were ever here." - Saren, who then proceeds to leave behind a fully activated prothean beacon. Not the sharpest Spectre in the shed is he?

His subsequent outburst with Benezia over such an elementary oversight also just paints him as unhinged. And with the foreknowledge of the game's story in advance, I can see how that might serve its own purpose in the narrative, but I might have preferred they threw away this dramatic Evil Villain cutscene entirely, as it would maintain his composed and calculated image that the Nihlus betrayal scene built.

[J1M]

For anyone less familiar with Mass Effect, note that the narrated in-game Codex is the pinnacle of something like that in a game. Well worth checking out. It progressively unlocks as you encounter new races/tech.

[Bertram_Tung]

For anyone less familiar with Mass Effect, note that the narrated in-game Codex is the pinnacle of something like that in a game. Well worth checking out. It progressively unlocks as you encounter new races/tech.

I always really liked the voice over guy who does those. Gave me some Gary Owens vibes, like as if it were a more serious version of Space Quest.

[rusty_shackleford]

For anyone less familiar with Mass Effect, note that the narrated in-game Codex is the pinnacle of something like that in a game. Well worth checking out. It progressively unlocks as you encounter new races/tech.

It's also written in an in-universe POV, which does not necessarily always align with what Shepard knows
The divergence in information is bigger in the sequels

[J1M]

For anyone less familiar with Mass Effect, note that the narrated in-game Codex is the pinnacle of something like that in a game. Well worth checking out. It progressively unlocks as you encounter new races/tech.

It's also written in an in-universe POV, which does not necessarily always align with what Shepard knows
The divergence in information is bigger in the sequels

A skillset that is sorely needed, but also sorely missing, from both sci-fi and game writing as of about 2012 when the Avengers movie became the template that everyone decided to copy at all times, no matter how inappropriate.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Not going to replay it again since years ago I slogged through it up to the final battle before finally dropping it. The breaking point for me was when I had finished the tropical beach planet, one of the male party members had died, and then I tried politely letting Ashley down (none of the women in this game are appealing) but then Shepard and Ashley had casual sex. What? I alt+F4ed thinking to reload and pick the hostile dialogue option to rebuff her, but then I just couldn't be motivated to do so. I did not like the moment to moment experience of the game of running through ugly environments, the uninteresting story, the ugly menus, the forgettable music, etc.

One of the things I really disliked about ME is how the alien party members you pick up have no real business being on the ship with you. You had only JUST met them. You are not lifelong best friends getting called to help a guy in need. They are just sitting in the cargo hold of a human military ship for no reason. The party members hardly ever talk to each other outside of the elevator rides. Same issue with BG3 where almost all of the party member dialogue is just them talking to me when I walk up to them, rather than the party naturally talking to each other throughout the game like in a JRPG or a real novel.

[wndrbr]

Not going to replay it again since years ago I slogged through it up to the final battle before finally dropping it. The breaking point for me was when I had finished the tropical beach planet, one of the male party members had died, and then I tried politely letting Ashley down (none of the women in this game are appealing) but then Shepard and Ashley had casual sex. What? I alt+F4ed thinking to reload and pick the hostile dialogue option to rebuff her, but then I just couldn't be motivated to do so. I did not like the moment to moment experience of the game of running through ugly environments, the uninteresting story, the ugly menus, the forgettable music, etc.

One of the things I really disliked about ME is how the alien party members you pick up have no real business being on the ship with you. You had only JUST met them. You are not lifelong best friends getting called to help a guy in need. They are just sitting in the cargo hold of a human military ship for no reason. The party members hardly ever talk to each other outside of the elevator rides. Same issue with BG3 where almost all of the party member dialogue is just them talking to me when I walk up to them, rather than the party naturally talking to each other throughout the game like in a JRPG or a real novel.

I agree with all of that except for the music. ME1's music was really good, and it's a shame that bioware dropped the synths in favor of a more generic sounding epic orchestra.

[J1M]

Not going to replay it again since years ago I slogged through it up to the final battle before finally dropping it. The breaking point for me was when I had finished the tropical beach planet, one of the male party members had died, and then I tried politely letting Ashley down (none of the women in this game are appealing) but then Shepard and Ashley had casual sex. What? I alt+F4ed thinking to reload and pick the hostile dialogue option to rebuff her, but then I just couldn't be motivated to do so. I did not like the moment to moment experience of the game of running through ugly environments, the uninteresting story, the ugly menus, the forgettable music, etc.

One of the things I really disliked about ME is how the alien party members you pick up have no real business being on the ship with you. You had only JUST met them. You are not lifelong best friends getting called to help a guy in need. They are just sitting in the cargo hold of a human military ship for no reason. The party members hardly ever talk to each other outside of the elevator rides. Same issue with BG3 where almost all of the party member dialogue is just them talking to me when I walk up to them, rather than the party naturally talking to each other throughout the game like in a JRPG or a real novel.

Not everyone will like the game, and the real reason you have alien crew is obviously to serve as paragons to explore the world building, but the explanations are decent enough. If I remember right, the squadmates are justified by:
-Turion initiated the investigation you are tasked with
-Quarian provides the evidence that causes the antagonist to be stripped of rank and title, offers to help more as an expert on alien engineering
-Asari is the foremost expert on the thing you are searching for
-Krogan likes combat and asks nicely

[logincrash]

"Leave no evidence we were ever here." - Saren, who then proceeds to leave behind a fully activated prothean beacon. Not the sharpest Spectre in the shed is he?

Did you miss the 5 bombs he left at the spaceport? The bombs that would destroy the spaceport along with the beacon?

Not going to replay it again since years ago I slogged through it up to the final battle before finally dropping it. The breaking point for me was when I had finished the tropical beach planet, one of the male party members had died, and then I tried politely letting Ashley down (none of the women in this game are appealing) but then Shepard and Ashley had casual sex. What? I alt+F4ed thinking to reload and pick the hostile dialogue option to rebuff her, but then I just couldn't be motivated to do so. I did not like the moment to moment experience of the game of running through ugly environments, the uninteresting story, the ugly menus, the forgettable music, etc.

One of the things I really disliked about ME is how the alien party members you pick up have no real business being on the ship with you. You had only JUST met them. You are not lifelong best friends getting called to help a guy in need. They are just sitting in the cargo hold of a human military ship for no reason. The party members hardly ever talk to each other outside of the elevator rides. Same issue with BG3 where almost all of the party member dialogue is just them talking to me when I walk up to them, rather than the party naturally talking to each other throughout the game like in a JRPG or a real novel.

It's very easy to avoid the romance with the crew unless you're autistic and can't navigate social situations.
Garrus and Wrex can be told to go pound sand when they first ask to join you. Liara can be left alone for the vast majority of the game. By the time you recruit her she's going a little crazy from isolation and when you talk to her about the Protheans she gets irritated that you know more than her.
And, yeah, wndrbr is right, the music is great.

[Valter]

"Leave no evidence we were ever here." - Saren, who then proceeds to leave behind a fully activated prothean beacon. Not the sharpest Spectre in the shed is he?

Did you miss the 5 bombs he left at the spaceport? The bombs that would destroy the spaceport along with the beacon?

True, forgot those even existed. No one reported the guy killing every geth in the vicinity? Man needs better intel

[logincrash]

"Leave no evidence we were ever here." - Saren, who then proceeds to leave behind a fully activated prothean beacon. Not the sharpest Spectre in the shed is he?

Did you miss the 5 bombs he left at the spaceport? The bombs that would destroy the spaceport along with the beacon?

True, forgot those even existed. No one reported the guy killing every geth in the vicinity? Man needs better intel

Your problem should've been with all the husk spikes and the giant glowing red crater.

[Bertram_Tung]

I’m on ME3 instead of ME1, as I explained earlier, but I have to mention this. I downloaded an ME3 mod that lets you have Zaeed, the best companion from ME2, as a party member in ME3, and it rules. He’s fully voiced with unique lines and dialogue throughout. It’s easily one of the best single-player mods I’ve ever seen. Credit to Dr. Charles Sneed (@DrSneed) for letting me know about it.

[Bertram_Tung]

[logincrash]

Hackett and Zaeed look like they could be brothers.

[Bertram_Tung]

Hackett and Zaeed look like they could be brothers.

It's the scar, isn't it?

Hack it out.

[logincrash]

Was the "Zaeed take over" post too cringy for you?

[Bertram_Tung]

Was the "Zaeed take over" post too cringy for you?

rusty deleted it

he deletes a lot of my posts

[logincrash]

Was the "Zaeed take over" post too cringy for you?

rusty deleted it

he deletes a lot of my posts

I guess it was one of those "prohibited by US law" kinda posts.

[Bertram_Tung]

Hack it out.