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| 13 FEB 2009 at 6:27pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | I've started Mass Effect yesterday and I got to say that after playing The Witcher and having played so many RPGs already, I was seriously in doubt that any other RPG would surprise me at all.
Not only is Mass Effect different from all other RPGs (even though there are some similarities with KOTOR), the story, the characters, and the fight system all add to the amusement that this game brings.
I've only played for 5h and im absolutely in awe.. hope it will last though!
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 14 FEB 2009 at 10:03am |
SharonBSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 310
Joined: 24 JUL 2007
Location: US, Delaware
Status : Offline | I was looking at reviews for Mass Effect yesterday, and I thought it sounded quite exciting. Then I read about the DRM and only 3 installs allowed and became discouraged. I might add it to my to buy list anyway, but it won't be before I get my new system.
Have you had any concerns about SecuRom? What can it do to your system?
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| 14 FEB 2009 at 12:30pm |
| Deleted User | As far as I know they have a patch out to change the "3 activations" thing. I think at the last minute it was changed to 5 activations, in any case?
Also, please note that "install" is not the same as 'activation.'
Once you have installed and activated the game on a certain system, you can install and uninstall as many times as you like, provided your hardware remains the same. You only need a new activation once you upgrade your PC.
All that said, I find the "limited activation" idea deeply repugnant. If I paid for the game, I want to be able to play it for life, not just a limited period of time.
Sadly, if I had to avoid SecuRom, there is a large amount of games I have, that I would have had to avoid. In my case personally, the worst that it has seemed to do, is to (with certain games) prevent the original disk being recognised by my system. Luckily my personal install of Mass Effect went smooth as butter.
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| 14 FEB 2009 at 1:00pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | There is a really annoying bug going on that affects many people playing this game. You simply can't save in many parts of the game. I've been looking everywhere for a solution, and tried many things already but couldn't solve it. I keep playing obviously as the game, by itself, saves in some parts... but it's a really pitty as the game so far has been so fun to play.
Edit: the patch seemed to solve my problem.. uff!
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 14 FEB 2009 at 10:18pm |
AndromusGuild Master
Posts : 5540
Joined: 6 NOV 2002
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By TheTraveler (14 FEB 2009 12:29pm)
All that said, I find the "limited activation" idea deeply repugnant. If I paid for the game, I want to be able to play it for life, not just a limited period of time.
As do I. I boycotted the game at first because of that. Then I decided if the game ever gave me any trouble on that account I could and would crack it without compunction. And so I setttled for a small moral victory in not giving Bioware any of my own money for the game as I vowed to do originally; I scrounged up some points from a credit card rewards program for it.
Anyway, I just finished up my first play through with the stock soldier character on normal difficulty, and I just started a replay with a biotic character on hardcore difficulty. A few thoughts on the game:
The first thing that stuck me was how cinematic Mass Effect was in almost every aspect. Most games try this to some extent, but Mass Effect really pulled it off well.
I liked the amount of detail behind the Mass Effect universe, all the information on alien races and worlds you learn along the way, articles on the technology used in the game, etc. I appreciated that the game rewarded you with a bit of XP for exploring and uncovering this stuff as well, nice to see a reward for being inquisitive.
Loved the voice acting and dialogue, it was often memorable, very well done. Great story, very gripping especially towards the end where some important choices have to be made. Spoiler AlertHaving to choose between saving Kaidan and Ashley really threw me, and was a hard choice to make, particuarly because both had been a part of my party for most of the game, I had grown to like them, and I had been romancing Ashley as well.
I like what they did with the achievements, and the various bonuses they can convey to later plays. It's enough to get me to play through at least twice, maybe more even.
I did have a few quibbles with the game. It feels a little limited at times and on rails in the levels being explored. It tends to hand out levels, and stuff in general too easily as well. By the end of the game I had a billion credits and still had a ton of gear and was always bumping up against the item limit. Granted, that was on the normal setting, maybe the hardcore difficulty will be different.
The manual is pretty bad. It didn't explain half of the details I wanted to know. I found myself hopping around the Mass Effect wiki to get the info I wanted, while trying to avoid spoilers.
But overall I found Mass Effect to be a good game in most places, and a great game in a few places. I'll be interested to see how the proposed sequel turns out.
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| 24 FEB 2009 at 9:07pm |
| Deleted User | Did anyone else experience crashes with the unpatched version?
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| 24 FEB 2009 at 9:23pm |
Taurnil MithrandirJourneyman
Posts : 1093
Joined: 13 AUG 2006
Status : Online | Originally Posted By TheTraveler (24 FEB 2009 9:07pm)
Did anyone else experience crashes with the unpatched version?
Why don't you patch it?
....set the controls for the heart of the sun....
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| 1 MAR 2009 at 3:13pm |
SpiritogreIntergalactic Janitor
Posts : 81
Joined: 30 SEP 2008
Location: DE
Status : Offline | I loved Jade Empire and would have loved buying Mass Effect. Sadly the publisher doesn't want my money - seems to count for a lot of games these days. Long saying, short meaning, I don't buy offline/singleplayer games with internet activation, restricted installations or other DRM matters. When I buy a game the word "buy" means I own the copy of that game like I own a lamp. I have no right to reproduce that lamp/game but when I bought it, it is mine and I decide what I do with it. If companies don't accept that, they don't get my money. There are Thousands of game companies out there and I spend my money on one of the many games that accepts my rights as well.
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| 1 MAR 2009 at 3:36pm |
| Deleted User | I'm reasonably OK with an online activation, unlimited times, but the restricted amount of activations, I agree, is bollocks. Unfortunately, I didn't have the self-restraint to say "no" to the crappy DRM, as I had been anticipating this game for a long time. :-[
Hmm, so have they still not released a patch to remove the activation restriction? There might be an unofficial one, but I agree that one should wait for an official one, out of principle.
@ Taurnil:
Why don't you patch it?
I did patch it - huge patch!,but the patch made no difference at all, it was the sound driver and various Nvidia control panel settings that seemed to have caused the problems. I'm reasonably ok for now... - I'm pottering around in the Tau cluster at the moment.
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| 10 MAR 2009 at 6:21am |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2548
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | i played this game in detail last year just after it was released and spend a lot of time with it and explored every explorable planet and found almost every findable object, relic or locatoin...some of them are amazingly beautiful. I thought it was one of the most remarkable games i have played in a long time for it pushes the envelop of what a virtual reality can be to the limit of the current tech plus brings us along with beatiful cinematic production values. It paled a bit over time, but i wont spoil it for anyone until we get more here who have playedit all the way thru. I just dl the add on Bring Down the Sky and look forward to seeing that tomorrow or soon..once i can push aside the line of games and projects i am working on.
lovely game. and really nice visuals,, realy nice. I keep hoping for a wonderful game in 3D wth no boundaries...an unlimited universe that you can explore and wander in and it never ends....
this one came close at times to giving that feeling, and there were times it came back full force to life, that amazing feeling of there not being anyone behind the curtain at all.....Oz was real! it is a wonderful example of what is possible by one of the very best game studios in existence.
[img]http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9391/atthecentreofitall.jpg[/img]
Admin
3D Worlds and Game Developers
Linkedin
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| 10 MAR 2009 at 6:29am |
| Deleted User | It is a nice game, isn't it? And what is also nice for me, as that the learning curve is not steep at all, especially if you've played Bioware games before. So seeing as the interface is so intuitive, and gameplay is smooth and easy to pick up again, I don't feel too worried about having momentarily set aside my ME for Drakensang. I know I'll pick it up easily again soon...
Yes, as soon as my Drakensang itch is scratched a bit more, I'll be coming back to ME and also Gothic 2 NOTR. :
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| 10 MAR 2009 at 4:50pm |
CrisGerSchattenjger
Posts : 2548
Joined: 28 APR 2007
Location: US
Status : Offline | enjoy your adventures in Jharkendar... ME is indeed a wonderful adventure and it awaits when you return....
[img]http://img124.imageshack.us/img124/245/aviewofnearbymoon.jpg[/img]
i am going to look at Drakensang have looked forward to that one for some time now
Admin
3D Worlds and Game Developers
Linkedin
http://3dworldandgamedevelopers.blogspot.com
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| 10 MAR 2009 at 9:18pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | hehe I see we're in a screenshot mood.. let me add some too
[img]http://screenshot.xfire.com/screenshot/large/dfaaa253223501c81fc6ee0d58d43d5d45e93c87.jpg[/img]
[img]
http://screenshot.xfire.com/screenshot/large/cff7902e67c89d11e5ef6dfcf51b99e4ff920877.jpg[/img]
[img]http://screenshot.xfire.com/screenshot/large/f9cf274626aa9d7bde2a5279d7918ed872b6b6ac.jpg[/img]
[img]
http://screenshot.xfire.com/screenshot/large/016f7b47be9a5c9a90c526f30fc012630ff06205.jpg[/img]
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 12:57pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | the most frustrating thing in my game life just happened to me.
Just as I was moving towards the end of Mass Effect a major bug, that affects many people (see links below) surfaced.
In the Mako, as I run to the conduit, instead of being a bit near it, the car is way further so as I only got 40secs to get to the conduit, I can never pursue it.
It's really frustrating as it's really by the end of the game.
I think ill just uninstall it and see the final on youtube....
http://meforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=633616&forum=123" target="_blank">
http://meforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=633616&forum=123
http://meforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=634576&forum=125" target="_blank">
http://meforums.bioware.com/viewtopic.html?topic=634576&forum=125
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 1:06pm |
StilerJourneyman
Posts : 1477
Joined: 27 SEP 2004
Location: US, TN
Status : Offline | That sucks , really because with Mass Effect 2 coming soon you would be able to take all the things you did in Mass Effect 1 and carry it over to 2 2which can affect the characters and storyline.
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 1:14pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Stiler (26 AUG 2009 1:05pm)
That sucks , really because with Mass Effect 2 coming soon you would be able to take all the things you did in Mass Effect 1 and carry it over to 2 2which can affect the characters and storyline.
really?? now I feel even worse
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 1:24pm |
| Deleted User | Originally Posted By Stiler (26 AUG 2009 1:05pm)
That sucks , really because with Mass Effect 2 coming soon you would be able to take all the things you did in Mass Effect 1 and carry it over to 2 2which can affect the characters and storyline.
Really? Are you saying one can ex/ (im)port your character? (to ME2)? I never got to finish ME, and now I'm suddenly feeling deeply sorry that I started Jade Empire before finishing a few more unfinished games like this one...
Posted by: Andromus Posted on: Feb 14th, 2009, 6:18pm
TheTraveller wrote on Feb 14th, 2009, 8:29am:
All that said, I find the "limited activation" idea deeply repugnant. If I paid for the game, I want to be able to play it for life, not just a limited period of time.
As do I. I boycotted the game at first because of that. Then I decided if the game ever gave me any trouble on that account I could and would crack it without compunction.
Um - as long as you bought the game legally, and paid for it, I don't see what is wrong with using a no-CD patch at all. I've starting doing it for almost all my games now. It's just so much easier to simply click on the icon on my desktop, and voila, the game starts, than to search for the game disc on your shelf, and fiddle with putting the disc in the tray; then waiting for the disc to start up, etc. It just simply saves me a lot of time and trouble.
EDIT: Ines, have you patched it up to the very latest patch and still get that bug?
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 2:59pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | Well guess what, I lowered my graphics resolution and suddenly the MAKO started to run way smother. I finally reached the conduit!
Now im off to get Saren's ass!
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 3:25pm |
StilerJourneyman
Posts : 1477
Joined: 27 SEP 2004
Location: US, TN
Status : Offline | Yes, you guys didn't know that ME2 was going to use the things from the first game? It was one of the main things they mentioned when ME2 was first announced.
The game is going to reflect the choices and other things which you made in the first game (from your save files on your xbox or pc). Which I assume would be things like:
Spoiler AlertWhich character you choose to have a romance with, which character you let die, etc. So if you let Ashley or Kaiden die then they won't even be in ME2 for you.
I am not sure about direct importing of your character in terms of their looks (I hope so) but the choices and events will be reflected as well as some perks depending on what you achieved there's a long posts on te ME2 boards about what players would like for having did vairous things in the first game, Ie your spectre gear, bonus to whatever skill you maxed out).
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 3:48pm |
| Deleted User | Originally Posted By Stiler (26 AUG 2009 3:25pm)
Yes, you guys didn't know that ME2 was going to use the things from the first game? It was one of the main things they mentioned when ME2 was first announced.
The game is going to reflect the choices and other things which you made in the first game (from your save files on your xbox or pc). Which I assume would be things like:
Spoiler AlertWhich character you choose to have a romance with, which character you let die, etc. So if you let Ashley or Kaiden die then they won't even be in ME2 for you.
I am not sure about direct importing of your character in terms of their looks (I hope so) but the choices and events will be reflected as well as some perks depending on what you achieved (there's a long posts on te ME2 boards about what players would like for having did vairous things in the first game, Ie your spectre gear, bonus to whatever skill you maxed out).
Wow. ..and if I'm not mistaken ME2 is set for a November release? Hmm, but what happens if you never played ME 1 at all, and just bought yourself ME 2?
Anyway, I'm glad you guys posted all of the above, because I now have some serious motivation to up and finish my game of ME. [smiley=zombie.gif] [smiley=jumping.gif]
Glad to see you got your game working now, Inesrocks! [smiley=rockin.gif]
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 4:26pm |
InesrocksPrivate Detective
Posts : 682
Joined: 16 OCT 2008
Location: PT
Status : Offline | just finally beat Mass Effect (and Saren's ass). I'm so proud of myself lol
[img]http://screenshot.xfire.com/screenshot/natural/cfa2e2de1e9cc06e1ef9f8ac6958f6a497acc5ce.png[/img]
So Stiler, now I must keep the saves to I can use it on ME 2?
Playing: Skyrim (ongoing)
Last Finished: can't recall, been too long.
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| 26 AUG 2009 at 7:13pm |
XerNosamSorcerer Apprentice
Posts : 339
Joined: 3 SEP 2007
Location: US, California
Status : Offline | I've played about 4-5 hours of ME (not meaning much as I tend to take my time when playing games) and I am thoroughly in love with it...
Graphics, story, voice work, controls and action are top notch. I've encounterd zero bugs at this point.
Driving the MAKO reminds me of when I first learned to drive and I oversteered every turn
I love ME's action/RPG hybrid implementation. Bioware pulls off some amazing things... already looking forward to ME2, and I've yet to scratch the surface of ME.
Playing: Skyrim: Dragonborn/Dawnguard; Torchlight 2; To The Moon; Far Cry 3
Finished: HomeFront; Far Cry 3; Dishonored
Always Playing: Half Life 2
Looking Forward To: BioShock: Infinite
Reading: BioShock: Rapture; SW: Revan
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| 27 AUG 2009 at 9:27am |
StilerJourneyman
Posts : 1477
Joined: 27 SEP 2004
Location: US, TN
Status : Offline | Originally Posted By Inesrocks (26 AUG 2009 4:26pm)
just finally beat Mass Effect (and Saren's ass). I'm so proud of myself lol
[img]http://screenshot.xfire.com/screenshot/natural/cfa2e2de1e9cc06e1ef9f8ac6958f6a497acc5ce.png[/img]
So Stiler, now I must keep the saves to I can use it on ME 2?
Yep just keep your saves/data (not sure what folder the character info is one) and it it should have it when you install.
I really want to get this game for my pc, but the first one I played through on the 360 and I don't want to lose my character/choices so looks like I'll go that way again instead of a pc this time.
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| 28 AUG 2009 at 6:16am |
jedicriSpace Cadet
Posts : 111
Joined: 13 MAR 2005
Status : Online | FYI:
Mass Effect 2 will be released simulataneously on 360 and PC in the first quarter of 2010.
http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/20704/Mass-Effect-2-to-Launch-Simultaneously-on-Xbox-360-PC/
I've been following the development of this game and there will be different endings available, one including having Shepard die permanently and not have his character continue into the final trilogy.
More info found at its Official site:
http://masseffect.bioware.com/agegate.html?ref=%2F
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