12 replies to this topic

[sleepyy]

Hey everyone,

 

So I have been playing Mass Effect 2 and I am 14 hours into it. At the beginning, I enjoyed it! I loved seeing my old crew mates again, even if they have moved on with their lives. But the problem is, the game feels slow and repetitive with the recruiting missions, just shoot up the place and find the person. And player interactions with crew members feels stale compared to Dragon Age. 

 

Currently, I am on my way finishing up loyalty missions and recruiting the rest of the remaining squad. So I guess my question is, when will the story begin picking up and when will your interactions with your crew show their true character? Like I enjoyed getting to know about Miranda's family and sister and such.

 

What I really loved about Dragon Age was the well-written characters, especially Cassandra. So I'm hoping that the same can be said about ME!

[Taki17]

It is pretty much the same. After Horizon you get to do loyalty missions, and that is supposed to be THE interaction with your squadmates, when they open up about a lot of things before, during and after the mission (provided you managed to secure their loyalty). Romances also add some depth to the characters, but that is all. You won't have any more personal dialogue options, unless you romance them and do their loyalty missions.

 

The repetitiveness can be remedied by doing side missions - some of them have unique elements like puzzles and mission timers that spice things up a little bit. Just be sure to approach every planet on the galaxy map, at least one planet per system always has some side mission.

 

Also, if you are enjoying DA characters, try DA Origins. If you think Cassandra is a well written character and companion interactions are great, you'd be surprised how much better they are in Origins. Companions have lot more to talk about, you can talk to them at any given time and most of their dialogue is not restricted to plot points.

[UpUpAway95]

The pacing is pretty much the same throughout until you pick up the IFF.  You can skip recruiting some squadmates and/or not bother doing the loyalty missions if you want to just get through the game at a quicker pace.  Most likely, that will cause some of your squad mates to die during the Suicide Mission.

 

The depth of character interaction really only changes if you're romancing that character... and even that's pretty minor.  Mass Effect is not Dragon Age... it's a different game entirely.

[cap and gown]

ME2 is rather slim with character interactions. Mordin is probably the most well developed character in ME2. He has 4 distinct dialogue interactions after completing his loyalty mission. Garrus, OTOH, only has one dialogue after his loyalty mission if you are not romancing him. Everyone else is somewhere in between.

 

ME3 is much, much better. In ME3 squad mates will have something new to say after every single mission. Many of those dialogues are non-interactive: i.e. you click on the character and they say something by you don't get a dialogue wheel. But they do help develop the characters.

[ArcadiaGrey]

Sorry, that's as good as it gets.  ME and ME2 are very light on companion content.  It's a little better in ME3, there are lots more conversations to be had with the crew, and they even chat with each other between missions.

 

Mass Effect is far far lighter with the RPG elements than Dragon Age.  Still bloody brilliant though.

[sleepyy]

It is pretty much the same. After Horizon you get to do loyalty missions, and that is supposed to be THE interaction with your squadmates, when they open up about a lot of things before, during and after the mission (provided you managed to secure their loyalty). Romances also add some depth to the characters, but that is all. You won't have any more personal dialogue options, unless you romance them and do their loyalty missions.

 

The repetitiveness can be remedied by doing side missions - some of them have unique elements like puzzles and mission timers that spice things up a little bit. Just be sure to approach every planet on the galaxy map, at least one planet per system always has some side mission.

 

Also, if you are enjoying DA characters, try DA Origins. If you think Cassandra is a well written character and companion interactions are great, you'd be surprised how much better they are in Origins. Companions have lot more to talk about, you can talk to them at any given time and most of their dialogue is not restricted to plot points.

Oh.... Well thanks for the information then. I'll just finish the trilogy and see how it goes. As for the romance, I guess I will just stay faithful to Liara since nobody in Mass Effect 2 really appeals to me. 

 

I am actually making my way through Origins. So hopefully, I see what you mean by that

[planehazza]

ME2 has always been my least favourite. I hate the way that you have to discover new weapons.  I'm a spectre and an N7. You seriously expect me to believe I have to scavenge and hunt for alternative weapons?!  

 

Really temped to gibb this one out so I have access to everything now...

[Neverwinter_Knight77]

The best part of ME2 is the suicide mission. The music helps.

[aoibhealfae]

After Freedom's Progress, ME2 will only pick up its pace at Horizon, Collector Ship Derelict Reaper and Suicide Mission and Arrival DLC. The entire game is an exposition where you solve everyone's existential crisis and kill as many mercs as you can but there's also the romance to pass the time.

[sleepyy]

The pacing is pretty much the same throughout until you pick up the IFF.  You can skip recruiting some squadmates and/or not bother doing the loyalty missions if you want to just get through the game at a quicker pace.  Most likely, that will cause some of your squad mates to die during the Suicide Mission.

 

The depth of character interaction really only changes if you're romancing that character... and even that's pretty minor.  Mass Effect is not Dragon Age... it's a different game entirely.

I would skip the loyalty missions, but I find that they are quite interesting regarding the characters' personality. And again, as you said, I really dont want any of my crew to die lol. 

 

Yes both games are different, but they do have similarities.

[sleepyy]

ME2 is rather slim with character interactions. Mordin is probably the most well developed character in ME2. He has 4 distinct dialogue interactions after completing his loyalty mission. Garrus, OTOH, only has one dialogue after his loyalty mission if you are not romancing him. Everyone else is somewhere in between.

 

ME3 is much, much better. In ME3 squad mates will have something new to say after every single mission. Many of those dialogues are non-interactive: i.e. you click on the character and they say something by you don't get a dialogue wheel. But they do help develop the characters.

Thanks for letting me now. Hopefully after I'm done with ME2, I will find even more about the characters in ME3. 

 

It's fine if I don't get the dialogue wheel every time. I just want to see some sort of development in the characters to make them feel more alive, I suppose.

[obbie31]

Pretty much what everyone else has been saying is on the money. ME2's best moments comes from its story missions and its faster gameplay for some. I also agree many of the characters simply do not have enough interactions. Mordin has a very interesting arc in the game. For some reason, Garrus is the most loved character in the series, but he literally has any screen time in that game. Some of the side missions and loyalty missions are interesting to be fair, and knowing more about some characters can also be engaging. I'm personally partial to Miranda and Tali's romance. They grow a ton in ME3. Miranda is actually somewhat like Cassandra but maybe not as funny. Mass Effect 3's character development and moments are great. It becomes even better if you have the Citadel DLC. Basically Mass Effect 2's ending mission might be one of the most exciting things I have played in a game. All that build up seems worth it for that final mission.

 

But yeah, Dragon Age Origins has some terrific character moments. I only played the game a few months ago for the first time, but Alistair has become one of my favorite characters ever.

[Arkhne]

Pretty much what everyone else has been saying is on the money. ME2's best moments comes from its story missions and its faster gameplay for some. I also agree many of the characters simply do not have enough interactions. Mordin has a very interesting arc in the game. For some reason, Garrus is the most loved character in the series, but he literally has any screen time in that game. Some of the side missions and loyalty missions are interesting to be fair, and knowing more about some characters can also be engaging. I'm personally partial to Miranda and Tali's romance. They grow a ton in ME3. Miranda is actually somewhat like Cassandra but maybe not as funny. Mass Effect 3's character development and moments are great. It becomes even better if you have the Citadel DLC. Basically Mass Effect 2's ending mission might be one of the most exciting things I have played in a game. All that build up seems worth it for that final mission.

 

But yeah, Dragon Age Origins has some terrific character moments. I only played the game a few months ago for the first time, but Alistair has become one of my favorite characters ever.

 

I must be the only person in the world who utterly hated every moment of that stupid side-quest and its inane babble.

Armax Arena and the Lancer are the only redeeming features of that steaming pile. I'm not a fan of the SP of ME3 at all, but the Citadel DLC is by far the worst part of it all. Imagine what I would think of it if it didn't provide my favourite gun, and a light version of the MP (that is amazing, if buggy).