Favorite Class(es)

Trilogy: Soldier overall.

MEA: there aren't really classes, so *shrug*

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I played ME1 6 times through as Soldier when I first started before I did any other class. Pretty ridiculous.

I always thought the outrage over the changes to Adept for ME2 was way overblown. In all honesty, I probably like ME2 adept more than any other adept in the trilogy or MEA. A lot of that comes down to relative balance and class design. For instance, when you look at ME1, the hybrid classes were generally better than the pure classes since there weren't "trademark" powers yet, and you could just poach the best talent as a bonus.

MEA is the real oddball though. I played a pure combat character first, as is my ME tradition, but I don't really know how to rate my preference here. Probably my "favorite favorite" is Cryo Beam, Turbocharge, Invasion, which would make the character an "infiltrator." All in all that is still really a "shooty" character (except for blowing up rooms of redbars) and I would run it on Explorer profile.

I think all 6 classes have something diffreent to offer but yeah Sentinels are very tanky.

Yea hVanguard can be hard t oplay in ME2  aswhils tBiotic charge is powerful it does also leave you vulnerable. Adepts aren' ttoo bad though as Singularity can be useful as a trap combine that with eithe ra shockwav or a warp blast and you can d osom esreious damage Same with Pull and warp really. Especially if you'er also using warp ammo. I think i treally depensd on what tactics you use though. Been enjoying life as a Vanguard Ryder atm. Been a lot of fun so far.

"A bullet in the head solves everything."

Soldier all the way for me. It certainly feels like there isn't quite a lot out there as damaging as a soldier with a Mattock or Cerberus Harrier and his Adrenaline Rush. Being more of a shooter player and also given Shep's reputation as a deadly battering ram on the field, it always felt right to play the game this way.

I tried out the Engineer and Vanguard as well, however I never really liked that using those powers behind cover makes you unable to move for 1-2 seconds and it's impractical using the abilites for corner peaking. The idea of the Vanguard class is cool in general, but more or less transforming into a violet bubble for the charge attack wasn't really what I hoped for. What also felt weird in terms of class design is the Vanguard's focus on knocking enemies down, which will often move them out of your line of fire.

Hard to believe Engineer is up there. I'm playing it now. It's got some good points to it but I wouldn't call it a favorite. Never played Infiltrator so I can't speak to that. I think Vanguard is best for me because it's got that Soldier/Biotic mix that I love. And who else can do that Charge/Nova combo? It is the best of anything I've had so far.

Vanguard=Sentinel>Adept>Engineer>Soldier>Infiltrator.

I've already voted, but soldier is my favorite. Engineer is fun because the class gives a combat drone and a sentry turret. It's like having two extra squadmates. Adept is the hands-free class. No weapon needed. The only time is when the game forces a weapon to be used.

Sentinel I can't anything since I've never completed a playthrough as one.

Infiltrator I did once. It was ok.

Vanguard was good.

^^^ That's kind of a deep post dude.

I wanted to yell at you "noob" and stuff, but then I read.

I disagree with you on the adept class, particularly for ME3. Biotic Expolosions don't care about your shields, Mr. Marauder. If you have Area Reave (which cheeses all defenses) and then follow with Cluster Nade, Shep laughs and they're dead.

Engineer is top tier, no doubt. Infiltrator is OP, which we all know and love (for SP... I am with Feneckus for MP on Inflitrators, but that's a big digression).

I don't think there is really a weak class for Shep to play. If I had to go with weakest, I'd probably say Vanguard which is ludicrous but it checks out with my experience and was my knee jerk reaction.

The Drell Adept Shepard build (Reave+Cluster) is not a "vanilla" kit. Takes modding to be able to choose both IIRC. Same goes with an Annihilation Field Vanguard, which can solve all the problems you mentioned for Vanguard on Insanity.

Vanilla Vanguard is a blast on Insanity, but you have to know the Boss Unit sync-kill rules or you will get Brute slammed. Nova is the thing that must be abused, but it has so much potential for abuse - it's the invulnerability frames.

Playing the MP enough makes all the SP difficulties trivial. Gold MP is significantly harder than SP, and Platinum is another big jump up from that. So, those of us who poured thousands of hours into MP have warped views on what is good in life and this game, but it is knowledge gained through experience and comes with some authenticity.

By "vanilla" I simply meant the original, unmodded game. No bad connotation intended at all, I love the "vanilla" gameplay.

You will enjoy that combo I think, Area Reave is key so that you prime multiple targets for the BE that results from your Cluster grenade. Extra Shrapnel is a good evolution to choose for this Shep build. Together, multiple BE's when you have a group of enemies. The onslaught on Priority Earth can be played aggressively as an Adept, on Insanity it gets a little intense at times but really fun!

ETA - Reave is a great bonus power for Vanguard. Gives you DR, primes for a BE that you can detonate with Charge for easy nigh-invincibility.

Am rapidly growing to love Sentinel. All those different offensive and defensive powers does a lot to make ME1's otherwise pretty static combat feel more reactive and strategic.

With the added punchiness of the shotgun - which I've always thought of as the dumb boring jock of the weapons - combined with the tankiness of Electronics and Barrier, and the focus on power usage leading me to be more aware of my squad's various abilities, I'm actually experiencing a Shepard who feels like both a veteran squad leader, a badass-but-still-killable martial hero in her own right, and a trained specialist in several different styles of combat the way an N7 is supposed to.

Playing this way, I suddenly realize that it's always bugged me that Shepard's class specialization meant they don't really live up to the ideal of a special forces soldier whose training is both extremely thorough and rounded. Like, there's no way the first human Spectre should have so much trouble hitting the broad side of a barn with a scoped rifle, let alone a garden-variety assault rifle.

But a shotgun sentinel comes very close to hitting all those marks, at the cost of not getting any one thing to distinguish them from everyone else. At least until the second game. Am curious to finally see that power armor thing in play.