Mass Effect 3.6: Are you engaging in reproductive behavior with this thread?

[Zevox]

How does one do reload canceling?

After the actual reload part is complete (ammo is now in the gun), do anything besides try to shoot. Toss a power, do a melee attack, go into or out of cover, start running, whatever, it all works. This will cancel the rest of the animation of the reload. Works with all guns, it's just most useful with those with only one shot per clip.

Zevox

[Dhavaer]

Really? Cursory examination and testing showed no increase in damage through headshots.

I think that's what he was saying.

[Wraith]

Just out of curiosity, has anyone else playing in Firebase Goddess found it to be particularly.... twitchy?

I've only played it a couple of times, and yet each time I've found it to be bugged in a number of places. There's no one deal-breaker, but I'm constantly clipping into scenery, getting caught on 'invisible' walls, having my weapon misfire (particularly with sniper rifles and one-shot assault rifles like the Falcon) and, when playing my Infiltrator, keep randomly losing my Cloak even without firing anything.
While I have periodically experienced this on other maps, never all in the same game, never in such quick succession, and never so consistently over more than one sitting.

I don't *think* it's all due to lag - my XBox is rarely anything other than 'perfect' or 'atrocious' - but it'd be nice to know if I'm not alone.

[SiuiS]

Thanks Zevox, I've been trying that but my timing is atteocious. I interrupt the reload, like as not.

I think that's what he was saying.

I read that as headshots didn't matter because even if they were hard to pull off with the scope, you mulched targets anyways. My faux pas.

Just out of curiosity, has anyone else playing in Firebase Goddess found it to be particularly.... twitchy?

I've only played it a couple of times, and yet each time I've found it to be bugged in a number of places. There's no one deal-breaker, but I'm constantly clipping into scenery, getting caught on 'invisible' walls, having my weapon misfire (particularly with sniper rifles and one-shot assault rifles like the Falcon) and, when playing my Infiltrator, keep randomly losing my Cloak even without firing anything.
While I have periodically experienced this on other maps, never all in the same game, never in such quick succession, and never so consistently over more than one sitting.

I don't *think* it's all due to lag - my XBox is rarely anything other than 'perfect' or 'atrocious' - but it'd be nice to know if I'm not alone.

The only Thing I've have happen is the decloak, really, and that happens on any map where I use the cloak/power/fire trifecta too often. It hasn't been all that bad, except it is entirely too close a map for casting characters. Especially biotics, as area is important. And it makes sniping, even shotgun to the base of the neck sniping, a chore.

[Morty]

The claymore shines in places you don't want to be with other shotguns. I removes a full half of a brute's armor in silver, before you Krogan the other half away.

Like I said, I'm using it in Singleplayer. I have it in Multiplayer, but I haven't tried it there. Unless I manage to find a Krogan Soldier or a Vorcha (doesn't matter which Vorcha, they're pretty much identical) I don't have a character to give it to.

[Sagonene]

actually I had a vanguard jumpy problem as leader on Jade...

Mind you it was round 9 when it started and I tend to vanguard like a little league team at a pizza buffet (lots of charging, little more than crumbs in the aftermath) so it didn't actually impact the round... I think I was either 5 feet over or under the extraction circle at the very end... odd part is for all the height changes and random crap lying around in Goddess, it doesn't seem to happen there. Maybe map size has something to do with it?

Seems like I get the worst lag issues on the dlc maps but the vanguard abuse happens mostly on maps with significant height issues.


Anyhoo, just got Vorcha Sentinel to add to the Cerbi Adept of the new ones. I noticed the immortality on Bronze right away but found new and interesting ways to kill myself against Cerberus... Atlas + 2 Guardians + Troopers in the middle of a grenade farm actually downed me.

Still not sure what weapon I should carry on that guy... the Reegar lightning shotgun was effective but while my aim isn't the best, I'm not sure how 'lightning blob' qualifies as an aimed weapon.

Sago

[Partof1]

Okay, so I started using my Graal Spike thrower, and I am pleasantly surprised. I had avoided it because of travel time complaints, but I found it quite manageable. With Smart Choke on it, I ran it more as a sniper most of the time.

It also got me a spectre pack with a Batarian Soldier. I have yet to test him out.

[Landis963]

Looking for a 4th player for a White/Geth/Gold run right now. Current team: 2 lv. 18 Salarian engineers and a quarian infiltrator, also lv. 18.

[Wraith]

Does anyone know what counts as an Extraction, for the purposes of the Personal Goal pack?

I finished a Silver game yesterday with my Vorcha Soldier, and though I was alive I was just short of the Extraction Zone. As well as that, another guy was down, so we got a 2/4 Partial Extraction - does that count? Or do I *really* have to grind out another game with the shaved monkey, because I haven't found ANY of the other races yet?

[Morty]

...
Damn. I completely forgot that while I was unable to play multiplayer due to my Internet connection flailing about throughout the weekend, a weekend goal went right past my head.

[Tebryn]

Does anyone know what counts as an Extraction, for the purposes of the Personal Goal pack?

I finished a Silver game yesterday with my Vorcha Soldier, and though I was alive I was just short of the Extraction Zone. As well as that, another guy was down, so we got a 2/4 Partial Extraction - does that count? Or do I *really* have to grind out another game with the shaved monkey, because I haven't found ANY of the other races yet?

Only one person has to extract. It doesn't have to be the Rebellion DLC character. You can also do the Squad Goal on Gold.

[Krade]

So, I don't know anout you guys, but I'm totally looking forward to opening my two packs tomorrow and being "surprised" with an Eagle IV and an Eagle V. I mean, I've pulled it the last three times in a row so might as well maintain the trend.

[Wraith]

Only one person has to extract. It doesn't have to be the Rebellion DLC character. You can also do the Squad Goal on Gold.

Awesome, no more shaved monkey for me!

Still, the omens are good so far - I already received my Victory pack and it contained my first N7 Crusader. Normally I don't like shotguns, but this one has a sufficiently large clip, low reload time and satisfyingly loud noise that I actually quite enjoyed it.

And then, I opened a Spectre pack and unlocked the Phoenix Vanguard - the one class I wanted all along. Now if only I can get a Geth Infiltrator in my Commendation pack, it'll have been a perfect event for me....

[Morty]

I also an N7 Crusader from the Victory pack. Coincidence? Of course, I already had it. It's a very good weapon for my Krogan Sentinel.
I also got the Phoenix Vanguard from the pack. I'm wondering how to develop him...

[Edge]

So, I don't know anout you guys, but I'm totally looking forward to opening my two packs tomorrow and being "surprised" with an Eagle IV and an Eagle V. I mean, I've pulled it the last three times in a row so might as well maintain the trend.

Well, look at it this way. At least once you've got the Eagle quickly maxed out, you'll never have to worry about it again.

I've only tried the Eagle out in single player, and only on Normal, but I found it really useful there. Though it's classed as a heavy pistol, it's actually closer to an SMG, which made it useful for my pure caster Adept early. Helped strip shields nicely. Thus, I don't really get all the hate it receives.

[Wraith]

I also an N7 Crusader from the Victory pack. Coincidence? Of course, I already had it. It's a very good weapon for my Krogan Sentinel.

I tried it with my Turian Sentinel - It's a little bit too heavy to be a 'really good' choice, but when I max out Tech Armour in a couple of levels time I can see it becomming a regular feature.

I also got the Phoenix Vanguard from the pack. I'm wondering how to develop him...

So far I'm maxing out Charge/Lash/Smash to get Fastest Regen as my top priority, followed by highest amount of damage. Phoenix Training will be all about Extra Power Damage and whatever's left should get me Rank 3 of Health, just for good measure.

Essentially it'll be the same as a Charge/Nova Vanguard that can also yank shielded enemies out of a group; while it seems to hit harder, even with 200% recharge it's not quite as fast in-and-out of a fight and I'm finding myself struggling to keep my Barriers up. I'll post more if I find a better work-around.

[Landis963]

Good news bad news from my Victory Pack:

Good news: I got a new N7 weapon: That would be the Hurricane. Might just edge out the Geth SMG, if I could test it in a match.

Bad news: I got the Quarian male engineer. Of course, I can't use him at all because the only engineer I use is the Salarian Engineer, for use in gold farming runs. And I just promoted my only other usable chars (both Sentinels) and am uncertain as to which direction I should go next. Meh, maybe a character will pop in my Commendation pack, or my next string of Spectre and Recruit packs, and that'll tell me where to go next.

Also, when exactly does the Commendation Pack pop? Because it hasn't appeared yet for me. I finished a Silver match, with a Vorcha sentinel (really fun, BTW, especially with a GPS and an emphasis on tearing fleshy bodies with heavy melee), to Extraction, and I'm not sure whether it's just glitched or something else stupid has happened.

[Corvus]

My Victory pack had the Crusader II (still no Hurricane, alas) and the Vorcha Soldier. Unfortunately it is one of the 2 new classes I had :/

No Commendation Pack yet.

[Edge]

Yeah, my Victory Pack netted me the Valiant I. I'm not really one for sniping, but I quite liked it in my test run. It also netted me more appearances for the Vorcha Sentinel.

I already have all the character classes. Sometimes, it makes me feel bad.

[Arbitrarity]

I win! Valiant II and Hurricane I.
Hurricane is now the only gun I plan to use on Turians and probably Vanguards. It is SO GOOD. It's like the Reegar, but with range.

Also, patch notes:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 12, 2012
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saber Assault Rifle
- Damage increased from [389.0-486.2] to [427.9-534.8]

Talon Pistol
- Encumbrance reduced from [1.25-0.7] to [1.1-0.6]

Scorpion Pistol
- Encumbrance reduced from [1.5-0.9] to [1.1-0.6]

Reegar Carbine
- Encumbrance increased from [1.75-1.0] to [1.75-1.25]

Krysae Sniper Rifle
- Damage reduced from [531.2-664.0] to [476.0-595.0]

Hunter Mode Power
- Base damage bonus decreased from 10% to 5%
- Rank 3 damage bonus decreased from 5% to 2.5%
- Base vision range decreased from 20 meters to 15 meters
- Evolution 5 vision range bonus increased from 50% to 60%

Smash Power
- Base cooldown decreased from 8 to 5 seconds
- Base damage increased from 500 to 550
- Range increased from 6 to 8 meters

Shockwave Power
- Base range increased from 10 to 16 meters

Shockwave might actually be viable now. BIG Smash buff, looking forwards to seeing that. Geth nerf, Kyrsae/Reegar nerf, Saber buff. Good stuff.

[Zevox]

Well, holy cow. So, I logged on today real quickly to grab my victory pack, because even though I haven't been playing for a few weeks, free stuff is free stuff. And to my shock and awe, it had just about the best combination of stuff it could. Besides the requisite expendables, I got the Crusader, the one N7 weapon I still thought I might want to try, and unlocked the Ex-Cerberus Adept, easily the class I most wanted but didn't yet have (I had everything but the Geth Engineer before the expansion dropped, haven't played since it did).

Gotta admit, I'm even a little tempted to play a few matches to try those things out (not together mind you). But, no, Dragon's Dogma and BlazBlue call. Still, amazing luck. If this is what happens when I don't play, maybe I should make a habit of only playing once a month or something.

Zevox

[Krade]

So I got the Crusader I and (big surprise) Eagle IV.

I did try out the buff to Shockwave and I have to say it's amazing how much that extra 6 meters range helps. It almost puts the original human Adept on par with the Asari.

[SiuiS]

So, I don't know anout you guys, but I'm totally looking forward to opening my two packs tomorrow and being "surprised" with an Eagle IV and an Eagle V. I mean, I've pulled it the last three times in a row so might as well maintain the trend.

Ditto. Luckily I hear they boosted its output, but...

I win! Valiant II and Hurricane I.
Hurricane is now the only gun I plan to use on Turians and probably Vanguards. It is SO GOOD. It's like the Reegar, but with range.

Nuts. Still the only one I don't have. Ah well. I don't have a Reegar either so it's not like I know what I'm missing

Also, patch notes:

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
June 12, 2012
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saber Assault Rifle
- Damage increased from [389.0-486.2] to [427.9-534.8]

Talon Pistol
- Encumbrance reduced from [1.25-0.7] to [1.1-0.6]

Scorpion Pistol
- Encumbrance reduced from [1.5-0.9] to [1.1-0.6]

Reegar Carbine
- Encumbrance increased from [1.75-1.0] to [1.75-1.25]

Krysae Sniper Rifle
- Damage reduced from [531.2-664.0] to [476.0-595.0]

Hunter Mode Power
- Base damage bonus decreased from 10% to 5%
- Rank 3 damage bonus decreased from 5% to 2.5%
- Base vision range decreased from 20 meters to 15 meters
- Evolution 5 vision range bonus increased from 50% to 60%

Smash Power
- Base cooldown decreased from 8 to 5 seconds
- Base damage increased from 500 to 550
- Range increased from 6 to 8 meters

Shockwave Power
- Base range increased from 10 to 16 meters

Shockwave might actually be viable now. BIG Smash buff, looking forwards to seeing that. Geth nerf, Kyrsae/Reegar nerf, Saber buff. Good stuff.

The debuffs don't surprise me at all. Smash getting a faster cast is nice, it was too unwieldly. Fun though; need to respec him as a melee critter.

Shockwave getting a six meter boost makes me gleeful.

So I got the Crusader I and (big surprise) Eagle IV.

Ditto, though it was crusader II for me. The eagle isn't so bad though. It's just different. If anything, the eagle's only crime is you can't carry it and another pistol.

I did try out the buff to Shockwave and I have to say it's amazing how much that extra 6 meters range helps. It almost puts the original human Adept on par with the Asari.

The human is brute force where the Asari is finesse. they both have their place. I wonder though, now that they have fixed the minor bugs on the adept, whether the distance boost is worth it. You gain a lot (theoretically) but lose a huge chunk of damage.

[Sholos]

Valiant I and Hurricane III in my packs. I'm satisfied. Still only one Rebellion character, though. I need to play some more gold...

[Edge]

And my Commendation Pack netted me the Eagle I. Unlike others, I am fine with this. I've only used it in single player, and only on normal, but I did like it there. Whether it stands up in MP, I have no idea, but I intend to find out.

[Morty]

You know... is there any actual benefit to Fortification in Mass Effect 2? It works like Barrier and Geth Shield Boost, but doesn't recieve any bonuses from research projects because it's a combat power.

[Aotrs Commander]

Thrilling. Victory pack with +250000 XP to Human Vanguard (that seems a stupidly high amount...) and an N7 Eagle. Yay?



Still considering I didn't actually play since before my holiday...

[ShinyRocks]

Victory Pack got me Valiant III (I love the Valiant) and Phoenix Adept (which I've wanted to try sooo bad). Super happy.

Phoenix Adept is so much fun. Smash is ridiculous for its damage and knockback. And I was hitting people with the initial wave of the whip before they hit the ground, so even the cast time isn't that much of a problem. (Unless that's a glitch.)

Lash is great. Just tossing folks left, right and centre. That it breaks through Shields and Barriers is awesome. Lashing guys who are in a Singularity is great.

I have a horrible feeling, though, that it'll make me a bad team-mate, because it's just too fun to run around whipping stuff.

[Morty]

Another Spectre pack I bought gave me Striker II. I doubt it's going to be any less useless than Striker I...

[Binks]

Valient II and Valient III. Very interesting N7 weapons, especially since I loved the I on my Gethfiltrator. Also got a Vorcha soldier, who is all sorts of fun. Health Regen + Flamer = Good times.