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

[Tome]

Then there are 4 new missions I don't have.
-Arrival (560 points)
-Shadow Broker (800 points)
-Overlord Pack (560 points)
Kasumi-Stolen Memory (560 points)

Lets see here that comes to 2380 points. I would have to buy 2400 points to get them all and that comes too...

30 bucks? O_O

That is more then I paid for game 1 and 2 combined. Okay, sure, I got it 50% off but still. Anywhere I can get it cheaper? Also, is this absolutely all the content? Why doesn't BioWare seem to sell ME1? That's really wierd.

Shadow Broker is considered by far the best of the lot, simply due to how good it is. Get that, if nothing else.

Stolen Memory is also well regarded, if not quite so much. You can skip it if you really want, but it's probably worth buying.

Arrival is intended to serve as a linking piece between ME2 and ME3, but some folks find it disappointing. You can probably skip it and loose nothing form the overall plot.

Overlord is decent, and has some good writing in places, but can also be skipped if cost is an issue.

Yes, that's basically all the content (Zaeed, Kasumi and Shadow Broker are the important parts). No, there is no way of getting it cheaper.

[tomaO2]

Well, I can manage it. This game has given me a lot of fun. Not planning on getting ME 3 any time soon though. I'd rather wait for the price to drop. So, sure, I can pay 30 to get all the story.

Still, I'm kinda surprised that the packs are still so high priced. Especially compared to the actual game. Shouldn't there have been a price reduction by now? Also, why can you only get up to 1600 points at most? No bulk discounts. It's just kinda weird.

[Xondoure]

Well, I can manage it. This game has given me a lot of fun. Not planning on getting ME 3 any time soon though. I'd rather wait for the price to drop. So, sure, I can pay 30 to get all the story.

Still, I'm kinda surprised that the packs are still so high priced. Especially compared to the actual game. Shouldn't there have been a price reduction by now? Also, why can you only get up to 1600 points at most? No bulk discounts. It's just kinda weird.

Because Microsoft Points are a scheme currency to make it seem like you're spending slightly less than you actually are. (it's only 2400 points as opposed to 30.00 dollars.)

[Joran]

Still, I'm kinda surprised that the packs are still so high priced. Especially compared to the actual game. Shouldn't there have been a price reduction by now? Also, why can you only get up to 1600 points at most? No bulk discounts. It's just kinda weird.

Welcome to Monopoly Pricing 101. Since DLC is only sold by Bioware, there's no incentive for them to lower the price. Lowering the price on the base game gets more people interested in playing the sequels (and more money!) as well as fresh blood to sell even more DLC. ;)

Occasionally, they'll bundle everything together in a game of the year edition or whatever they call it; I bought a Dragon Age collection despite owning Dragon Age already just to get all the expansions, since it ended up cheaper than buying each DLC individually.

Because Microsoft Points are a scheme currency to make it seem like you're spending slightly less than you actually are. (it's only 2400 points as opposed to 30.00 dollars.)

Also, if they structure it so that you always have a balance remaining (I'm looking at your Riot Points), it's free money for them until you put more money in. I had 1 buck in EA points that never went away until I just bought a Veteran pack =P

[tomaO2]

Hmm, how come they have a monopoly on the DLCs? Why isn't there another place to buy it? Also, I don't actually see a place to buy the game proper on their website. Although there might very well be one.

I would have gladly waited to buy a complete edition set if I had known they are coming out. Too late now though. I guess I'll spring for the DLCs.

This is actually the first time I have come across DLC content. It's kinda weird. Almost as much money as a full fledged expantion pack but far less content and hard to find to boot.

[Dhavaer]

Hmm, how come they have a monopoly on the DLCs? Why isn't there another place to buy it?

Why would there be? They make it and it's a download rather than a physical object they'd need a store to sell.

[tomaO2]

Even so, you can download the game itself on different website, so why not the DLCs as well?

[Joran]

Hmm, how come they have a monopoly on the DLCs? Why isn't there another place to buy it? Also, I don't actually see a place to buy the game proper on their website. Although there might very well be one.

I would have gladly waited to buy a complete edition set if I had known they are coming out. Too late now though. I guess I'll spring for the DLCs.

This is actually the first time I have come across DLC content. It's kinda weird. Almost as much money as a full fledged expantion pack but far less content and hard to find to boot.

As far as I know, there's no ultimate edition (that contains all the DLC) for Mass Effect 2 like there was for Dragon Age 1. You have to buy them separately.

DLCs are something that have crossed over from consoles. I remember when small DLCs like Bringing Down the Sky were considered part of the support of a computer game and thus free. Anything larger were an expansion, which were sold separately, though those are long gone.

I remember Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion really setting the stage with the horse armor ;)

Even so, you can download the game itself on different website, so why not the DLCs as well?

Simple answer: because they can. EA is a large enough company that it can create its own back-end, marketplace, and bandwidth to sell DLC on the PC. Some companies, who can't afford to do so, will sell DLC via Steam, but early on, Steam didn't sell DLC.

EA created the infrastructure to sell DLC, so they might as well keep that portion of the business to itself and keep prices high. Why involve a middle man when you can sell directly to the consumer?

[Xondoure]

Even so, you can download the game itself on different website, so why not the DLCs as well?

Game prices are driven down because you're competing with all the other games out there. ME2 DLC is only competing with other ME2 DLC.

[tomaO2]

Okay, thanks for explaining how the DLC market works.

Anyway, the store sucks.

-First, I was told the address was wrong.
-I found out that it was because they don't accept apostrophes.
-Then it tells me that the credit card is not unique to my account.
-Then it passed through after changing the address to "test". I was trying to figure out the problem.
-Then I needed to edit the address but couldn't.
-Then I tried to delete it but couldn't from the screen.
-Then I made a new credit card but it wouldn't accept it.
-Got fustrated and just hit buy. Not like they need my address, right?
-It worked so I hit buy again.
-Got an error message.
-Tried again.
-Got another error message.
-Looked at my account. Now I have 3200 points.
-I bought 1600 points with an error message and didn't get confimration email.
-Figured out how to edit my address. I had to go to my main account page to do it. One problem solved.

Currently looking to send an email but apperently all complaints go to electronic arts and I need to make a new account to post? There doesn't seem to be a spot to contact them on the conformation email. What is the point of sending it if you can't contact them about a mistake happening?

[SiuiS]

Got to try out the demolisher proper. It really is flimsy; without my shield/recharge package I had no chance. The number of times I got shot down doing dumb stuff is pretty high.

Playing with two destroyers and another demolisher (and playing at level 12) didn't work out well. I played fifth fiddle in a four man band, using my particle laser and trying not to die.

Getting into a game where I was the only one to use grenades made things easier. Homing grenades maxed out at 1560 came
In handy, but did indeed seem maxed. At passive 5, I had a +45% power damage. This boosted my listed grenade damage... However, going up to +65% power damage did not raise the listed damage on the grenade. I was rather disappointed.

Homing grenades are nice and potent. The fire effect is handy, the delay in flight speed coupled with the amazingly tight homing capacity means even phantoms can't avoid it, often getting lit on fire despite putting up their handy no-status-effects bubble. Coupled with a good gun and a nice spot to hunker and we were ace.

On the downside, anyone can run by and pick up your grenades, even if their class doesn't actually have grenades. So a random guy running by for an ammo grab or just to dodge past a rocket will screw me out of fifteen seconds of recharge. And given the number ofttimes the holes boost had saved myself or my allies, I am considering giving the pylon a wider radius instead of speed.

The acolyte is also still a mixed blessing. The level of enemy fire is prohibitive. The yield was nice though! Ripped straight through shields, except on the heavies who took a couple shots. Definitely a back row weapon but darn fun. The grenade function makes it more viable than the arc pistol (which I'm tempted to try now that it's at 7 ranks, given the neatness of the acolyte!).

I also acquired an N7 Fury, the earth special forces adept. They are indeed a new thing. I anyone gets a shot, we suggest ignoring radius boosts on annihilation field. You get a choice between radius and damage. With damage, toucan accidentally kill husks, even of they wander by your downed corpse, an you can also;

Walk at an enemy, priming them
Hit them with throw to detonate
Step back two steps
Step forward two steps
Repeat steps 2-4 until it dies

Which is bloody amazing. Don't go in or melee or any of the other power set ups, they're a trap. Just Nuke things.

[Dhavaer]

I also acquired an N7 Fury, the earth special forces adept. They are indeed a new thing. I anyone gets a shot, we suggest ignoring radius boosts on annihilation field. You get a choice between radius and damage. With damage, toucan accidentally kill husks, even of they wander by your downed corpse, an you can also;

Walk at an enemy, priming them
Hit them with throw to detonate
Step back two steps
Step forward two steps
Repeat steps 2-4 until it dies

Which is bloody amazing. Don't go in or melee or any of the other power set ups, they're a trap. Just Nuke things.

I also just got a Fury, and they absolutely rule the roost at Glacier. The tight quarters with lots of walls you can teleport through play very well to her strengths. Dark Channel is pretty awesome too; very high damage for a DoT with an obscenely long duration.

[Krade]

And now a word from our sponsor:

Krysae Sniper Rifle
- Damage decreased from [476.0-595.0] to [429.0-548.0]
- Rate of fire decreased from [50] to [35]
- Recoil Increased from [5.0] to [10.0]
- Zoom Recoil Increased from [3.0] to [5.0]
- Total ammo dropped from [9-21] to [9-18]

N7 Typhoon
- Distance Penetration decreased from 100cm to 25cm

Cobra Missile Launcher
- Rate of fire decreased from 140 to 50
- Charge up behavior disabled to fix rocket glitch

- Fix for some uncommon gear not showing up in Spectre + Spectre Premium packs
- Increased XP bonus for common characters in Spectre + Spectre Premium from 62.5k to 250k XP
- Enemies in Gold and Platinum will stomp downed players now

Nerf hammer critical strike against the Krysae. Glad I never enjoyed using it. Even when it was stupid powerful.

Not concerned with the reduced penetration on the Typhoon, I always use the AP mod anyway.

YAY missle glitch fix! Hopefully it actually works...

[CreganTur]

Such utter crap. The Krysae may have ruled the field in lower tiers, but on Gold it was hardly equal with the Black Widow against heavies or armored enemies. Sure, it would explode the little guys, but a headshot from the BW would do the same. The fact that you couldn't headshot with the Krysae made it <= to true sniper rifles.

No one will be using that gun now.

[Joran]

Such utter crap. The Krysae may have ruled the field in lower tiers, but on Gold it was hardly equal with the Black Widow against heavies or armored enemies. Sure, it would explode the little guys, but a headshot from the BW would do the same. The fact that you couldn't headshot with the Krysae made it <= to true sniper rifles.

No one will be using that gun now.

Seems like it was a response to the Krysae's glitch in that you can double tap rockets out quickly (zoom out -> hold the fire button until it zooms out more -> let go of fire button (rocket flies) -> tap fire again (rocket flies)). I guess they couldn't fix that glitch, so nerf it!

[CreganTur]

If this was a PVP multiplayer, than I would support the nerf. Since it's not, it really doesn't do anything except show that Bioware likes nerfing stuff.

[Wraith]

Well, that was perhaps the weirdest bug that I've encountered for a long time....

I, with my QFI, dropped into Wave 1 of a Bronze game at Firebase Goddess... And there was no one there. Just me on the scoreboard, no one else running around the map, nothing. Apparently, I'd jumped into a game at the exact moment that everyone else had jumped out.... Except I hadn't.

Although I couldn't see anyone or their effects - weapon flashes, grenades, etc - my teammates were there, fighting away in their own little world where I couldn't see or interact with them. The game went nearly 20 minutes, and no one turned up until Wave 7 when someone else entered the game after me.

Truly, truly bizarre.... And also slightly disappointing. I thought I was being awesome, and inadvertently soloing the whole map!

[Yana]

That and they don't enjoy the notion of giving us weapons that can take some of the work out of fighting. Either that or they didn't understand how powerful these DLC weapons truly were.

[Zevox]

If this was a PVP multiplayer, than I would support the nerf. Since it's not, it really doesn't do anything except show that Bioware likes nerfing stuff.

That seems like an odd statement, given the vast majority of their balance adjustments have been buffs, not nerfs. Every time someone posts those patch notes it seems like more and more weapons get increased damage, increased rate of fire, or decreased weight, while any changes that decease anything's effectiveness have been very rare.

Zevox

[Partof1]

I can understand the nerf. I haven't played in a while, but when I did, the krysae was easy mode.

[Dhavaer]

When they say the cobra has 'charge up behaviour disabled', does that mean it fires as soon as you press the button now?

[Aotrs Commander]

When they say the cobra has 'charge up behaviour disabled', does that mean it fires as soon as you press the button now?

That'd be favorite. I lose more Cobras, trying to get them to fire right...

[Mr._Blinky]

Well, that was perhaps the weirdest bug that I've encountered for a long time....

I, with my QFI, dropped into Wave 1 of a Bronze game at Firebase Goddess... And there was no one there. Just me on the scoreboard, no one else running around the map, nothing. Apparently, I'd jumped into a game at the exact moment that everyone else had jumped out.... Except I hadn't.

Although I couldn't see anyone or their effects - weapon flashes, grenades, etc - my teammates were there, fighting away in their own little world where I couldn't see or interact with them. The game went nearly 20 minutes, and no one turned up until Wave 7 when someone else entered the game after me.

Truly, truly bizarre.... And also slightly disappointing. I thought I was being awesome, and inadvertently soloing the whole map!

I ran into a similar glitch last week, where one person in my game couldn't see me but the others could. Since we were in party chat and could talk, I spent the whole game following him around and stealing his kills right before he made them, or else doing things like shouting "Get down!" and killing a Phantom that was sneaking up on him. We were cracking up the whole time because it was like he had a guardian angel that he couldn't see but was randomly causing guys heads to explode around him.

[SiuiS]

If this was a PVP multiplayer, than I would support the nerf. Since it's not, it really doesn't do anything except show that Bioware likes nerfing stuff.

On the contrary. As a collaborative game, anything that makes it so your team mates can't have fun - like destroying every available target within seconds of its arrival without effort - is worth nerfing. I've dropped out of games and reported people for using it because unless I want to go in and purposefully reap cash for nothing, it's a pain in the flank. It's just as bad as that guy who shows up, hides in the corner and shoots stuff jst often enough to not get auto-kicked.

I don't like spending my time whittling down an atlas on gold, only to have a guy stand over my cooling body and rocket the last three bars of health off with his krysae X and leave me to die while he mops everything up. I don't like running around a map behind an Asari and watching ashes appear whenever I'm close enough to highlight a target. In short, I don't like a guy using a massive equipment advantage from dropping $100 dollars on Microsoft points to turn a group game into his solo run. I've held back when I get too far ahead, am doing too much. I've asked guys who were soloing the map to calm it down a bit. I've had people decide to try and grief me for a polite request. Making I mathematically harder for people to do so is a benefit.

That'd be favorite. I lose more Cobras, trying to get them to fire right...

Or that thing where there a wind up and then an explosive sound but nothing happens... Man that sucks.

[Zevox]

When they say the cobra has 'charge up behaviour disabled', does that mean it fires as soon as you press the button now?

Almost. It seems to still have a slight startup delay, but... well, let's just say that I was able to fire it before I finished drawing it a couple of times today.

Speaking of, I played quite a bit today. I promoted my Engineer class, since I really wanted to change that selection for my Demolisher's Arc Grenade but ran out of respec cards thanks to that bug when respecing my Slayer the other day. I've leveled back up to 18 now (practically 19 - the xp bar is so full that I could do a solo run of the first wave of bronze and level up), alternating my Human, Salarian, and Quarian Engineers while doing so (I still don't have the Geth or male Quarian Engineers unlocked).

Got two Premium packs for all that play, with mixed results. On the good side, both gave me a rank in gear that just increases biotic power damage, which will be good for my Adepts, plus I got a rank up for my Claymore (now rank 6, tied for my highest-rank rare weapon). On the "eh" side, I got the Pirannha shotgun and Cerberus Harrier AR, both of which seem too heavy for me to use without plenty of ranking up, if then (and the latter is ultra-rare, so...). On the bad side, an ex-Cerberus Adept card. So not bad I guess, but nothing to make me particularly happy or excited.

Zevox

[Joran]

On the contrary. As a collaborative game, anything that makes it so your team mates can't have fun - like destroying every available target within seconds of its arrival without effort - is worth nerfing. I've dropped out of games and reported people for using it because unless I want to go in and purposefully reap cash for nothing, it's a pain in the flank. It's just as bad as that guy who shows up, hides in the corner and shoots stuff jst often enough to not get auto-kicked.

I don't like spending my time whittling down an atlas on gold, only to have a guy stand over my cooling body and rocket the last three bars of health off with his krysae X and leave me to die while he mops everything up. I don't like running around a map behind an Asari and watching ashes appear whenever I'm close enough to highlight a target. In short, I don't like a guy using a massive equipment advantage from dropping $100 dollars on Microsoft points to turn a group game into his solo run. I've held back when I get too far ahead, am doing too much. I've asked guys who were soloing the map to calm it down a bit. I've had people decide to try and grief me for a polite request. Making I mathematically harder for people to do so is a benefit.

I don't feel anywhere close to what you feel. For me, the prime annoyances in the game are the non-team players, the ones who wander alone and get picked off and I have to constantly go and revive them. Or the people who blow a Cobra missile at Wave 5, for no apparent reason, leaving one less missile in case we need it at Wave 10. Or the people who ignore the King of the Hill objective so they can score more kills and waste my time.

The super competent ones tend to result in nice clean runs for me and I appreciate that. I do get a tinge of annoyance when a Vanguard interrupts my line of fire, or someone kills the person I was about to prime a biotic explosion off of, but the goal (getting to extraction and getting my sweet, sweet credits) is what matters.

Besides, I'm roleplaying a Krogan and Krogan don't hold back for anything ;)

P.S. I'd argue the reason they balance is to make the game challenging and to make more options viable. So, if something is heads or tails better to the exclusion of everything else (early Falcon, I'm looking at you), then it's not as fun, because then everyone will be using that gun and the difficulty will be trivial. Other times, something is lackluster, like Shockwave or old Paladin was, and they can buff it into something that at least has some use.

[Xondoure]

I don't feel anywhere close to what you feel. For me, the prime annoyances in the game are the non-team players, the ones who wander alone and get picked off and I have to constantly go and revive them. Or the people who blow a Cobra missile at Wave 5, for no apparent reason, leaving one less missile in case we need it at Wave 10. Or the people who ignore the King of the Hill objective so they can score more kills and waste my time.

The super competent ones tend to result in nice clean runs for me and I appreciate that. I do get a tinge of annoyance when a Vanguard interrupts my line of fire, or someone kills the person I was about to prime a biotic explosion off of, but the goal (getting to extraction and getting my sweet, sweet credits) is what matters.

Besides, I'm roleplaying a Krogan and Krogan don't hold back for anything ;)

P.S. I'd argue the reason they balance is to make the game challenging and to make more options viable. So, if something is heads or tails better to the exclusion of everything else (early Falcon, I'm looking at you), then it's not as fun, because then everyone will be using that gun and the difficulty will be trivial. Other times, something is lackluster, like Shockwave or old Paladin was, and they can buff it into something that at least has some use.

I don't know if the missile thing is really fair. It's possible the player has more than two, and sometimes you just don't feel up to taking on two brutes. A lazy missile here or there can be tremendously satisfying. But yeah, blowing them all out before the late rounds / a critical moment is asking for trouble.

[Zevox]

I don't know if the missile thing is really fair. It's possible the player has more than two, and sometimes you just don't feel up to taking on two brutes. A lazy missile here or there can be tremendously satisfying. But yeah, blowing them all out before the late rounds / a critical moment is asking for trouble.

I do sometimes see players who toss out missiles the moment they see an Atlus/Prime/Banshee, which makes me shake my head and sigh. Unless you're totally new and playing on bronze, there's no reason to be that afraid of them.

Anyway, I put in the last few matches to finish bringing my Engineer class to 20 again. Did those as my Demolisher, and yeah, the shield upgrade at rank 6 of Arc Grenade was definitely the right choice. Just a couple of those things take down a Banshee's barriers now, they make a solid dent in Atlus and Prime shields, and strip anything else of shields/barriers instantly (well, except Phantoms - damn "I'm immune to powers" shield they can put up at a second's notice...). All on silver, of course, for context's sake. Found myself using those a lot more than I did when I had taken the armor upgrade, because they were just that much better.

Also, I'm noticing that the class is getting me to do something I've never done before: use the ammo replenishing expendables. Because those replenish grenades as well, and having grenades is the different between raining death on huge swaths of enemies and just being some girl with a gun for that class.

Made just enough from those games to get another Premium pack, and I got the Ex-Cerberus Vanguard in it. So expect me to try that next time I play. I decided to spec it for Charge/Smash and ignore Lash. I figure I'll play it as a regular Vanguard but with Smash giving me a huge damage AoE that can set up combos for Charge. I figure my alternatives would just make it too similar to my Ex-Cerberus Adept anyway.

That actually brings me up to having all the Vanguard classes unlocked again. I still have a fair number to go overall though: Fury Adept, Paladin Sentinel, Shadow Infiltrator, Geth Engineer, and Male Quarian Engineer, to name the ones I want; both Vorcha, the Destroyer Soldier, and Salarian and Male Quarian Infiltrators, to name the ones I don't.

Zevox

[Aotrs Commander]

I do sometimes see players who toss out missiles the moment they see an Atlus/Prime/Banshee, which makes me shake my head and sigh. Unless you're totally new and playing on bronze, there's no reason to be that afraid of them.

Atlases and Primes I'll agree with you; the latter especially are dead easy (you can safely solo them in melee, which is more than I can say for any of the other big guns, even on bronze). Banshees have killed me often enough (with their damn teleport and frequent murder-kill-grab) that they can get a rocket to the face as soon as they show up because they are freaking annoying.

There's a reason I then to play verses Geth for preference...

[Mr._Blinky]

So is anyone else hoping the go back to the "no stomp on higher difficulties"? Because I was playing some earlier, and having Atlases smash guys I'm about to revive on Platinum makes the game so much harder. I mean, I'm all for increased difficulty, but it's almost an absurd jump and manages to kill some of the fun, at least from my experiences today.