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Post by kotoreffect3 on Apr 29, 2024 15:49:52 GMT
For each of the 6 classes which mass effect game or games do you feel have the best fit for that particular class?
Note:
Since the profile system in MEA is based off the old class system I think MEA should be included as an option along with the trilogy games though I personally am not a fan of the profile system.
Here is my list
Adept-ME1, Adepts are certainly overpowered in ME1 especially in bunkers and warehouses where enemies just dangle helplessly in the air
Soldier-ME2, Is there any question? In ME2 you are practically a walking weapons platform with all of your base weapons and heavy weapon and no cooldown penalties.
Engineer-This one is a bit tougher for me, I guess it is a split between ME3 and MEA. You fabricate a bunch of constructs to help you out.
Vanguard-ME3 is the natural fit here. ME3 has more physicality to it's combat than the others and the vanguard was made for punching things in the face while blasting them with your shotgun. Charge, nova, punch and repeat;)
Sentinel- Almost indestructible in ME2 but alot of fun to use in ME3. Just ask that tech armor turian on the citadel.
Infiltrator-MEA, open level design mixed with Ryder's mobility make an infiltrator feel at home in Helius so many opportunities for sniping, flanking, and moving around undetected.
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Post by RedCaesar97 on Apr 30, 2024 2:34:37 GMT
Thinking about this for a moment, I feel like you are really asking "What was the best game for each class". I will give it a shot.
Soldier: Mass Effect 2. It actually feels like the weapons specialist it was meant to be, where Adrenaline Rush + ammo powers gave you lots of options for every occasion.
Adept: Mass Effect 1. Had all the biotics where biotics were overpowered.
Engineer: I am going to say Mass Effect 2, where Combat Drone was it its peak, and the other powers lent to a good defense-stripping or crowd-control playstyle. But you could easily say that Engineer was better in Mass Effect 3 or Mass Effect Andromeda because of power combos.
Vanguard: This class pretty much dominates every game, although I think it takes a bit more skill to make it godlike in ME2. I will probably say Mass Effect 3 if I had to pick just one game because of obvious Charge-Nova and power combos.
Infiltrator: Like the Vanguard, this class pretty much dominates every game. I did not particularly like it in Andromeda, and specced out of it. If I had to just pick one game, I would say Mass Effect 3 because Tactical Cloak is just so overpowered in the game and pairs well with a lot of weapons, powers, and playstyles.
Sentinel: Assault Sentinel is fun in Mass Effect 2, but this class is probably best in Mass Effect 3 where power combos shine. Power combos in Mass Effect Andromeda exist (and are really good with the Fusion Mod of Adrenaline), but the Sentinel profile is just a passive damage reduction buff that did not feel all that noticeable when I used it.
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Noxluxe
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Post by Noxluxe on May 3, 2024 14:19:12 GMT
Am gonna interpret the question more in terms of theme and atmosphere, then.
Soldier: ME3. It's the game with the strongest war themes, and Shepard operating in concert with the military elements of every species in the galaxy, so a consummate Soldier Shep would feel right at home. It's also the game where Shepard functions most as a leader and commander, coordinating allied factions to win larger battles rather than just personally duking things out in hallways to advance one operation or other, which does a lot to justify them having such a unique impact without either biotics or specialized tech or know-how.
Adept: ME1 and ME3. In 1 it's kind of like taking the series by the horns, diving right into the mechanics that make this universe stand out by having the protagonist rely directly on them in combat. The games' arenas are more open and feel less railroad-y, which in normal RPG terms feels like it would support utility/indirect combat-focused characters better, even though the difference is actually very shallow and mostly cosmetic here. In addition, the team's other pure Biotics character is a potential latecomer, and Shepard has reason not to trust her as part of the fireteam on top of being the least martially-inclined of all the companions in personality. She's also intimately central to the story and Shepard's own part in it, and being an adept gives Shepard some common ground to build a dynamic with her. And in ME3, the heightened verticality of the arenas and the prevalence of combo explosions and rapid power interactions across classes highlight the incredible crowd control potential of biotics in military skirmishes and coordinated assaults.
Engineer: ME1 and ME3. On top of the open level RPG atmosphere that also benefits the Adept by implicitly encouraging indirect combat, in ME1 the primary enemy type being the Geth gives the Engineer a particular sense of relevance, which fades a little in 2 and then comes roaring back in 3 where the Geth and Reaper story threads are both resolved. With the ultimate question poised by the series being centered around AI sentience and the value of robotic life, it'd be fair to say that an Engineer Shepard is the most qualified one to try and answer it in the end. Like with the Adept, the use of offensive hacking and mechanical overloading even in personal combat is also one of the Mass Effect series' main conceits, and Engineer Shepard reinforces that part of the worldbuilding in 1 and demonstrates the potential of it in all-out war scenarios in 3.
Vanguard: ME3. The action in the third game is more cinematic, and the relative verticality of the arenas provides a better setting for the Biotic Charge. If you want Shepard to feel like an anime character or superhero fighting an existential war for life everywhere with their own body, Vanguard in ME3 is it. In the original trilogy, the Vanguard absorbed some of the Adept's worldbuilding relevancy while underscoring Shepard's status as a military character, making them almost as suited for ME1 and better for ME2 than Adept. But the Legendary Edition evens that playing field a lot by making sniper rifles and such universally viable.
Infiltrator: ME2. If the first game is space adventure, and the third game is space war, then the second game is space black ops. The story is essentially you investigating a foreign kidnapping ring stealing your citizens, infiltrating their hideout without sanction and blowing it up by leveraging morally ambiguous mercenary and terrorist factions with their own agendas. Classic pulp secret agent/special forces adventure. Most of the game is spent sneaking through hallways and taking out security in order to sabotage, extract individuals and gather information. The claustrophobic fighting arenas in ME2 are technically the worst suited in the trilogy for the sniper rifle, but thematically the game couldn't be more suited for the Infiltrator if it tried.
Sentinel: ME1 and ME3. Read Adept and Engineer, combine the paragraphs where they don't already overlap and then water it down a little bit. Sentinel Shepard is uniquely well-rounded and hits a lot of the different marks of the other classes.
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Post by kotoreffect3 on May 4, 2024 20:34:04 GMT
Am gonna interpret the question more in terms of theme and atmosphere, then. Soldier: ME3. It's the game with the strongest war themes, and Shepard operating in concert with the military elements of every species in the galaxy, so a consummate Soldier Shep would feel right at home. It's also the game where Shepard functions most as a leader and commander, coordinating allied factions to win larger battles rather than just personally duking things out in hallways to advance one operation or other, which does a lot to justify them having such a unique impact without either biotics or specialized tech or know-how. Adept: ME1 and ME3. In 1 it's kind of like taking the series by the horns, diving right into the mechanics that make this universe stand out by having the protagonist rely directly on them in combat. The games' arenas are more open and feel less railroad-y, which in normal RPG terms feels like it would support utility/indirect combat-focused characters better, even though the difference is actually very shallow and mostly cosmetic here. In addition, the team's other pure Biotics character is a potential latecomer, and Shepard has reason not to trust her as part of the fireteam on top of being the least martially-inclined of all the companions in personality. She's also intimately central to the story and Shepard's own part in it, and being an adept gives Shepard some common ground to build a dynamic with her. And in ME3, the heightened verticality of the arenas and the prevalence of combo explosions and rapid power interactions across classes highlight the incredible crowd control potential of biotics in military skirmishes and coordinated assaults. Engineer: ME1 and ME3. On top of the open level RPG atmosphere that also benefits the Adept by implicitly encouraging indirect combat, in ME1 the primary enemy type being the Geth gives the Engineer a particular sense of relevance, which fades a little in 2 and then comes roaring back in 3 where the Geth and Reaper story threads are both resolved. With the ultimate question poised by the series being centered around AI sentience and the value of robotic life, it'd be fair to say that an Engineer Shepard is the most qualified one to try and answer it in the end. Like with the Adept, the use of offensive hacking and mechanical overloading even in personal combat is also one of the Mass Effect series' main conceits, and Engineer Shepard reinforces that part of the worldbuilding in 1 and demonstrates the potential of it in all-out war scenarios in 3. Vanguard: ME3. The action in the third game is more cinematic, and the relative verticality of the arenas provides a better setting for the Biotic Charge. If you want Shepard to feel like an anime character or superhero fighting an existential war for life everywhere, Vanguard in ME3 is it. In the original trilogy, the Vanguard absorbed some of the Adept's worldbuilding relevancy while underscoring Shepard's status as a military character, making them almost as suited for ME1 and better for ME2. But the Legendary Edition evens that playing field a lot by making sniper rifles and such universally viable. Infiltrator: ME2. If the first game is space adventure, and the third game is space war, then the second game is space black ops. The story is essentially you investigating a foreign kidnapping ring stealing your citizens, infiltrating their hideout without sanction and blowing it up by leveraging morally ambiguous mercenary and terrorist factions with their own agendas. Classic pulp secret agent/special forces adventure. Most of the game is spent sneaking through hallways and taking out security in order to sabotage, extract individuals and gather information. The claustrophobic fighting arenas in ME2 are technically the worst suited in the trilogy for the sniper rifle, but thematically the game couldn't be more suited for the Infiltrator if it tried. Sentinel: ME1 and ME3. Read Adept and Engineer, combine the paragraphs where they don't already overlap and then water it down a little bit. Sentinel Shepard is uniquely well-rounded and hits a lot of the different marks of the other classes. It is a bit different when looking at it thematicaly instead of mechanically. |
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Noxluxe
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Post by Noxluxe on May 4, 2024 21:23:51 GMT
It is a bit different when looking at it thematicaly instead of mechanically. Of course, themes are ephemeral and open to interpretation. I'm sure there are ways to look at each game as being particularly poignant for any of the classes. I've been too attached to the original classes and too stingy with my talent points to make real use of the profile system in Andromeda yet. But sticking to one class at a time, Engineer and Sentinel are clear winners for me in that one. Engineer leans hard into the working with AIs and manipulating foreign tech aspect of Ryder's journey. Sentinel has a bit of that too, while also making Ryder a representative of the Milky Way's tradition of biotics, which doesn't seem to be a thing in the Andromeda Galaxy. Both of them support Ryder's comparatively sheltered career and lack of real combat experience, and both of them strengthen the sense of Ryder as Alec's heir/heiress, what with him being extremely tech savvy and using that to reinforce his biotics and combat training through SAM. But in gameplay terms, I totally agree that the Infiltrator suits the terrain best in Andromeda. My "canon" and most enjoyable playthrough to date was as a biotic infiltrator type, ruling combat through Tactical Cloak and Pull combined with the sniper rifle.
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Post by AnDromedary on May 8, 2024 18:51:35 GMT
Adept: ME1 - Biotics are totally overpowered in ME1 ... and that's awesome.  Soldier: ME3 - Worked best in that one IMO. I could also see ME1 here because the promo shots featured a soldier Shepard in heavy armor a lot. Engineer: Tough to say for this one. I kinda want to say ME3's Omega DLC because that's where the engineer has a bonus action entirely exclusive to the class (I think this is the only time this ever happens in the entire franchise). Otherwise not sure. Never played them much tbh. Sentinel: It's a head to head between ME2 and 3 for this one. I think I'm gonna give it to 3 because this is where the combos really took center stage. Vanguard: ME:A. If you ever played a biotic god vanguard build with Charge, shield powered Nova and Barrier. Ok, technically, I use the Adept profile with this, so I have Biotic Echoes but it feels like a Vanguard for sure. Otherwise, I'd give this to ME2 because while it is the most tricky to play as Vanguard, ME2 did introduce charge, which really defined this class IMO. Infiltrator: ME:A because it has open areas where you can really feel like a sniper. The Infiltrator may have technically been more powerful in ME2/3 but I always felt that most areas are actually too confined to really justify the sniper rifles. In ME1 (especially in MELE) there is no really great incentive to get out of the MAKO in the open areas, so it kinda has the the same restriction in a way. |
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Post by n7double07 on May 13, 2024 7:16:26 GMT
Soldier: ME2
Adept: ME2
Engineer: ME2
Infiltrator: ME2
Vanguard: ME2 or ME3?
Sentinel: ME1, ME2, or ME3?
*Andromeda is not being considered. I haven't completed a playthrough since 2017, only beat it once, and have no desire to return to it in the foreseeable future.
I can't say I care for the power-combo argument for choosing the ME3 version of a class without any other qualifications, if you happen to choose the ME1 or ME2 version of another class. This wouldn't be as questionable, in my opinion, if the ME3 combo system didn't make gameplay significantly easier for all of the classes, but it basically does. It's not "wrong" to think this way; it depends on what properties of the ME1 and ME2 classes you do or don't value at the end of the day. But it begets elaboration. I guess it wouldn't be as questionable if you only applied that reasoning to the caster classes, either (Adept, Engineer, Sentinel). I'll reason along the lines of [uniqueness + functional diversity + fun factor], which is how I rank the classes normally anyway.
Right away, the ME2 classes are at an advantage as I find ME2 to have the best mechanics (contentious) and the highest level of class uniqueness among the trilogy (less contentious). For Soldier, Adept, Engineer, and Infiltrator, I indeed think their ME2 incantations represent their peak. On top of possessing the uniqueness factor (that being, they're the most differentiated from the other classes in their respective game,) they're more fun and rewarding compared to their ME1 and ME3 counterparts and have a fair amount of functional diversity (Adept with maybe the least). Because of the over-expansive combo system in ME3, the ME3 versions arguably have greater functional diversity.
Vanguard and Sentinel are the hardest for me to determine. That said, I don't think lumping these two into the ME2 category would be unwarranted. There are a handful of considerations:
- The Sentinel had the strangest course-trajectory (and could be viewed as the strangest in general) of the classes because of the fact that it was introduced as a jack-of-all-trades caster archetype, then changed somewhat dramatically in 2 to an unusual (albeit interesting) mix of a paladin archetype and jack-of-all-trades archetype. You can play a caster Sentinel in 2, but it has a range of problems that affect its versatility and functionality (points in Tech Armor are required to unlock some of its abilities, which makes certain min-max builds impossible, along with Tech Armor having a long base cooldown). In this way, it ends up being a mix of the two aforementioned archetypes, yet the 'Paladin' aspect holds the reigns in a number of popular builds.
- 2's Vanguard tends to be touted as 'more tactical' than 3's. This perception exists primarily due to the introduction of Nova. Despite that, Nova is optional. The heightened difficulty in 2 is a (real, meaningful) contributor to this perception, I believe. You can take some steps to ameliorate the difficulty problem (putting no points into Fitness, for example). In 3, the Vanguard can detonate biotic combos by itself and is closer to an Adept-proxy (as with ME1,) but while also sporting its own signature ability.
Vanguard and Sentinel I'm ultimately undecided on, and I currently need to play through 1 LE with both, as well as experiment more with them in 2 and 3. When it comes to the Sentinel, it depends on what you're looking for. If it's a versatile caster in its own right, 1 or 3 might be the class' peak; if you're looking for something very distinct (The ME2 Sentinel is possibly the most uniquely 'Mass Effect' class, along with or even ahead of the ME2 and ME3 Vanguard, for not corresponding as neatly to certain established archetypes as the other classes do,) then 2's Sentinel is a strong contender.
For Vanguard, it's a toss-up between making it work with the heightened difficulty and superior mechanics of 2, versus its competency as a biotic and repositioning potential (which I've seen people discuss and am looking into ways to maximize this) in 3. I haven't done a complete playthrough of a ME3 Vanguard with 0 points in Fitness. If it results in its difficulty becoming comparable to 2's, that could tip the scales in its favor. I also enjoy using Nova sparingly.
A brief aside on the Infiltrator in 3:
Although one can argue that the mechanics of the Infiltrator improved in noticeable ways from ME2 to ME3, I had less fun with it in 3. Shotgun Infiltrator doesn't hit the same. I think it's partly the reduced difficulty, but the airiness/lack of 'fixity' in 3 makes traversal and the handling of shotguns feel off to me. I can't get as satisfying of a tempo with a Shotgun Infiltrator as I did in 2.
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