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Post by Element Zero on Apr 1, 2024 2:08:00 GMT
Back in the Nomad, thanks to the Forward Station, we continued west, searching various structures along the way. Being several years rusty, I made the mistake of interacting with the dead Angarana, whose water filters had been sabotaged, before visiting Charybdis Point. I would've let the idiots at the hostel live, but Ryder is automatically judgmental and the idiots automatically violent. Oh, well; that's another half-dozen bodies on Ryder's mountainous pile. I always thought that was poorly written in regard to the ending that mission. Both parties were equally guilty in that The Angaran's exploited the exiles and were seemingly happy to literally bleed them dry of resources and thus starve. And of course, the Exiles were guilty of murdering them for it. It would have been nice to have some agency in the outcome noy just go full judgemental.. Exactly. I would never presume to lecture someone for resorting to violence in such a situation. They chose to kill the selfish Angara rather than die of deprivation. If Ryder had been with them, such as with a side quest, he'd probably have gotten all full of righteous fury and either stolen from the Angara or killed them. At least the exiles tried to reason with them, and then to steal the design, before resorting to killing. Given their desperation, I certainly wouldn't have tried to "bring (posthumous) justice" for the Angara. 🙄
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 2, 2024 2:47:41 GMT
Ryder reached level 50, today, so I scrapped the Ai Spearpoint Armor and crafted some Hyperguardian Armor. I also updated my Metamaterial Blade (Asari Sword) and my Hornet-FABE/bio (autofire, beam emitter, bioconverter). I'm currently still using the Andromeda Elite Helmet, despite crafting the Hyperguardian Helmet, because I crave XP. 😆 I will see how big a difference it makes, if I don't get sick of looking at it.
The sword is loaded with Combo Damage augments, adding a total of +25% combo damage. Armor pieces are adding a variety of effects, both offensive and defensive. I expect that Scott will feel substantially more deadly with his new gear.
On the Skills front, I've added another full Profile now, my Tactical Soldier (Soldier-Assault Turret/Tactical Cloak/Turbocharge). I'm in the process of fully evolving TacCloak and Turbocharge. Once that's accomplished, I think I'll evolve Charge and Shotguns and add a Vanguard Profile (Charge/Annihilation/Energy Drain). Then, I'll finally evolve Assault Turret, and then Incinerate. That might take me nearly to the end-game. We'll see. If not, I have two more Combat Passives and Weapons skills waiting for love.
Today was all about Kadara. Rather than recount everything, I'll say that all I have left is to investigate the rumors of a Kett presence in the badlands. So, we're in the stretch run on Kadara. Scott is still trying to determine whether an understanding can be reached with Sloane Kelly, or if the Charlatan might be the more viable option. Having to choose between the jaded Queen of Thugs and a brutal criminal mastermind isn't the best situation, but that's how it has to be.
Some of you probably remember that I'm one of the few people who doesn't readily side with the Charlatan. I'm kind of leaning that way, but I don't know if I can stand idle and let Sloane get sniped like that. It feels grimy. I also still think the small time warlord with no greater ambition is a safer long-term choice than a crafty, interstellar mob boss. (Scott doesn't yet know that his new buddy, Reyes, is the Charlatan. So messy.)
The game clearly pushed us in one direction, but I wish we could've gotten a sequel that showed us how these choices might've resolved. Maybe some answers might be provided in the next Mass Effect game, but I'm honestly not too hopeful that such a game will ever be released. ☹️
Oh, well. Future games or not, it's been a fun ride... er, ryde?... in the Heleus Cluster. Once Kadara is resolved, we have personal missions and tons of fires to put out across the cluster. Good times ahead.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 3, 2024 12:52:58 GMT
I played a lot, yesterday, but was far too sleepy to post in the evening. We're definitely moving into a new stage in the game.
We finished Kadara. I'd forgotten about the annoying the back-and-forth travel near the end. The slow doors, elevator to the slums, and helmet-hiding bug all combine to create some minor annoyance. In the end, Scott saved Sloane and did not shoot at Reyes as he escaped.
As predicted, I finished "Nexus Uprising" the night before. That was good timing. Tann, Addison and Sloane would've been really good at their intended jobs, if things didn't go off the rails. They each had some character flaws that created the poor outcome of so many being exiled. The Krogan leaving was pretty much entirely on Tann. I'd forgotten the scene in which Morda comes to Tann to appoint the Krogan representative. That was cool. Sadly, Tann's racism can't allow him to see Krogan as intelligent beings. 🙄
From Kadara, it was on to "urgent" side quests that started piling up rapidly, some of which brought us back to Kadara. We stopped Nye's attack on the Nexus without shooting; stopped an infectious idiot from being used as a bio-weapon; and killed some pirates who traced back to Addison. We saved Prodromos from a Roekarr plot, and cleaned up Liam's reckless mistake. We also discovered the ZK Trackers and Addison's moronic, selfishly impulsive friend.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 4, 2024 0:35:28 GMT
I managed to squeeze in a few hours of MEA, today. We saved Jaal's siblings from a bad path; saved the Forge, an Angara cultural site from destruction; and effectively ended the Roekarr threat to the Initiative by exposing Akksul's wrong thinking. Even Akksul himself was humble, afterward.
Then, we located Ark Leusinia and saved it from Kett forces. It has since arrived at the Nexus. Sarissa Theris is the new Asari Pathfinder.
Next, we traveled to Remaav System. On the shattered remains of what might've been a new home for Turians, we found lots of exiles. Most were part of a sophisticated operation with plans to attack the Initiative. At a smaller, abandoned mine, we found Syderis Nyx's pet project. We saved the exiles she'd been helping, and saved Syd, from an exile with a grudge.
Then, we uncovered and reactivated a Remnant Tiller. The shattered planet, unprotected and bombarded by its star, is rich in Helium-3. The Tiller will churn the "earth", exposing more material and allowing for the production of more Helium-3.
I used to shred the Remnant Progenitor on Insanity. With the right build and gun, it can be destroyed in about 7 seconds. I did this mission earlier than usual, and my build wasn't really ready, so it was a chaotic battle. I ended up swapping into my Vanguard Profile and Charging for my life. It took some time, but we won. 😆 Next time, I'll have my Tactical Soldier build ready beforehand.
Tomorrow, Elaaden is next.
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Post by dazk on Apr 4, 2024 2:24:00 GMT
I managed to squeeze in a few hours of MEA, today. We saved Jaal's siblings from a bad path; saved the Forge, an Angara cultural site from destruction; and effectively ended the Roekarr threat to the Initiative by exposing Akksul's wrong thinking. Even Akksul himself was humble, afterward. Then, we located Ark Leusinia and saved it from Kett forces. It has since arrived at the Nexus. Sarissa Theris is the new Asari Pathfinder. Next, we traveled to Remaav System. On the shattered remains of what might've been a new home for Turians, we found lots of exiles. Most were part of a sophisticated operation with plans to attack the Initiative. At a smaller, abandoned mine, we found Syderis Nyx's pet project. We saved the exiles she'd been helping, and saved Syd, from an exile with a grudge. Then, we uncovered and reactivated a Remnant Tiller. The shattered planet, unprotected and bombarded by its star, is rich in Helium-3. The Tiller will churn the "earth", exposing more material and allowing for the production of more Helium-3. I used to shred the Remnant Progenitor on Insanity. With the right build and gun, it can be destroyed in about 7 seconds. I did this mission earlier than usual, and my build wasn't really ready, so it was a chaotic battle. I ended up swapping into my Vanguard Profile and Charging for my life. It took some time, but we won. 😆 Next time, I'll have my Tactical Soldier build ready beforehand. Tomorrow, Elaaden is next. Man you are really powering through the game.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 5, 2024 1:34:49 GMT
I somehow just erased a long, detailed account of my time on Elaaden. 😫
I'm mildly crushed, so short version: I'm having lots of fun. I like fighting exiles, especially the elites: Agents, Anarchists, Berserkers, Pariahs, Saboteurs, and Hydra Mechas.
I realized I'd forgotten how to kill Destroyers, properly, shooting them in the "eye". That explains why the Progenitor didn't easily melt for me, yesterday.
There were lots of stories resolved: * I love Elaaden's Vault. It really rewards the player who explores and solves puzzles. * Annea is out as custodian of Elaaden's water. A tragic backstory doesn't entitle her to withold water from anyone. * The Flophouse has been cleansed of life. I love that big, beautiful battle. (More like a slaugher, but it's fun. 😒) * Friendly Scav Barrett got a new place, but we cleaned out the ordnance locker before giving him the keys. (I love that fight, too.) * All the randomly generated side quests popped up readily, which was awesome. * PeeBee recovered POC, and has since finished her Rem Tech scanner.
Essentially, everything outside New Tuchanka has been finished. I saved that for last. We will start with the Greenhouse and seed vault tomorrow. I enjoy that mission, and I want to finally have Drack at peak strength. (I've never loved having every tier-6 evolution be mission-gated for so long a time.)
I started the day at level 60, and finished at level 67. Continuing to wear the Andromeda Elite Helmet seemingly has made a significant difference. I'm usually finish the game around level 74, and it looks like I'll blow that away, easily. The helmet only boosts XP from combat, but that's still a lot of XP.
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Post by dazk on Apr 5, 2024 3:22:51 GMT
I somehow just erased a long, detailed account of my time on Elaaden. 😫 I'm mildly crushed, so short version: I'm having lots of fun. I like fighting exiles, especially the elites: Agents, Anarchists, Berserkers, Pariahs, Saboteurs, and Hydra Mechas. I realized I'd forgotten how to kill Destroyers, properly, shooting them in the "eye". That explains why the Progenitor didn't easily melt for me, yesterday. There were lots of stories resolved: * I love Elaaden's Vault. It really rewards the player who explores and solves puzzles. * Annea is out as custodian of Elaaden's water. A tragic backstory doesn't entitle her to withold water from anyone. * The Flophouse has been cleansed of life. I love that big, beautiful battle. (More like a slaugher, but it's fun. 😒) * Friendly Scav Barrett got a new place, but we cleaned out the ordnance locker before giving him the keys. (I love that fight, too.) * All the randomly generated side quests popped up readily, which was awesome. * PeeBee recovered POC, and has since finished her Rem Tech scanner. Essentially, everything outside New Tuchanka has been finished. I saved that for last. We will start with the Greenhouse and seed vault tomorrow. I enjoy that mission, and I want to finally have Drack at peak strength. (I've never loved having every tier-6 evolution be mission-gated for so long a time.) I started the day at level 60, and finished at level 67. Continuing to wear the Andromeda Elite Helmet seemingly has made a significant difference. I'm usually finish the game around level 74, and it looks like I'll blow that away, easily. The helmet only boosts XP from combat, but that's still a lot of XP. Elaaden is definitely one of my favourites with Havarl (more for the scenery) and Eos for combat and Voeld for it's main missions and their combat.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect Andromeda, Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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Post by Ravenfeeder on Apr 5, 2024 12:19:54 GMT
* The Flophouse has been cleansed of life. I love that big, beautiful battle. (More like a slaugher, but it's fun. 😒) Best battle in the game!
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 5, 2024 13:25:14 GMT
* The Flophouse has been cleansed of life. I love that big, beautiful battle. (More like a slaugher, but it's fun. 😒) Best battle in the game! I also like the compound Barrett asks Ryder to liberate, the Kett Base on Voeld, the Archon's ship, etc... There are a few great ones. I think I enjoy fighting the various exiles the most, in comparison to Kett and Remnant. They're all fun, but the non-Kett humanoids are the most fun, in my opinion. I'm not sure why. It could be the timing of when I'm fighting them in Ryder's power curve.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Baldur's Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Mass Effect Andromeda, Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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Post by Ravenfeeder on Apr 5, 2024 16:01:18 GMT
I also like the compound Barrett asks Ryder to liberate, the Kett Base on Voeld, the Archon's ship, etc... There are a few great ones. The Kett bases on Voeld and Eos are great too.
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Post by dazk on Apr 5, 2024 23:59:14 GMT
I remember playing on Insanity the first time and the first really big challenge that daunted me was The Kett Base on Eos. I struggled doing it on normal the first time and on Hardcore and just thought this is going to be terrible but it was actually a lot of fun and got the adrenaline and fun pumping. I love The Kett Base on Voeld for that as well and The Archon's Ship but yeah the Flop House is just down right awesome especially waiting for the console countdown when they pour across the bridge. "Like Fish in a Barrell" old earth saying.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 6, 2024 1:33:43 GMT
I remember playing on Insanity the first time and the first really big challenge that daunted me was The Kett Base on Eos. I struggled doing it on normal the first time and on Hardcore and just thought this is going to be terrible but it was actually a lot of fun and got the adrenaline and fun pumping. I love The Kett Base on Voeld for that as well and The Archon's Ship but yeah the Flop House is just down right awesome especially waiting for the console countdown when they pour across the bridge. "Like Fish in a Barrell" old earth saying. I had a fun run-in with a Pariah in the final stronghold of the Flophouse. Pariahs are the Asari who use Backlash (the biotic shield). I'm playing primarily a Sentinel (Lance/Annihilation/Energy Drain) with the Fusion Mod of Adrenaline. At its most basic, my gameplay loop is to strip and prime with Energy Drain, detonate with Lance, and finish the kill with a second Lance or my gun. All the while, I'm closing on enemies to get them into the Annihilation radius. Anyway, that final control room is full of exiles, Agents, Anarchists, a Pariah, and a Berserker. You don't just run in and expect to live. In a case like that, I largely use the same strategy at range, not worrying about Annihilation until the herd is thinned. As I was picking off exiles, a Pariah rounded the corner. I'd just used Energy Drain on an exile, and Cora stole my kill, so it was on cooldown. I immediately fired on the enemy as I registered movement, and she reflected that OP beam back on me. Ryder nearly died. I immediately hopped backwards, over the railing, back downstairs. I darted over a health box and turned to the stairs. As expected, she'd followed. Right in her face, I stripped her Barrier and Backlash shield with Energy Drain. Annihilation lifted her, and Lance finished her. That's why I love the Flophouse and similar fights. As strong as Ryder is, those moments when you make a tiny mistake can kill you. Of course, the moments when you're just mowing 'em down are also a blast. 😁
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 6, 2024 2:04:21 GMT
I continued on Elaaden today. We started with Drak's mission to save Vorn and the seed vault. I love the set design in that mission. It looks so cool, and it's fun to navigate. It's surprisingly short, and ends so quickly.
Ryder has four fully realized Favorites, at this point. I swapped into the my Tactical Soldier (Assault Turret/Tactical Cloak/Turbocharge) for the final fight, in order to shred those Hydras quickly. It also saw a lot more action, later on in the day.
I picked up the side quests involving Dr. Okeer's research data, the Rite of Joining, finding Ljeta, etc... before dealing with Brenk, Strux, and Morda.
In the end, Morda got her drive core and the Initiative and Krogan are once more on a good path. I wish Morda could've been as cool in game as she was in the novel and lore. I still get a laugh out of Ryder and Drak's reactions during the Morda vs Strux slap-fight. Ryder looks horrified and Drak is laughing. I think it's because they too find it appallingly bad. 🤣 Bad fight scene aside, or maybe even including 😆, it was all fun.
After making rounds at the new outpost, driving away the Remnant (again with the Tactical Soldier), and setting up the HNS Receiver, we headed off-world and found the final ZK Tracker. That led us to Voeld, where we saved the idiots and their child from Roekarr and Kett. (I guess the Kett wanted to take the baby for analysis? Killing babies out of spite isn't their thing.)
We also saved some suicidally foolish young Angara from themselves, and aced the Angaran Heskarl Trials (with the Tactical Soldier). The trial in which you steal data files from a Kett base is fun. You're essentially trying not to freeze while under heavy fire.
After Voeld, it was nearly time for me to stop for the day. I squeezed in a few social obligations. I tracked down Ljeta, had some drinks and a bar fight with Drak, and returned to the Nexus. There, I turned in a handful of collectibles side jobs, talked with my Heskarl friend, gave Kesh the flower Vorn created for her, and brought down Spender.
Eliminating Spender is always good. Between the scrambler data and Aroane's corroborating testimony, we got him exiled. I'm sure the Krogan will track him down in short order. I'm not sure why he hated them so much. Maybe it was racism mixed with insecurity over the broken deal with Morda?
We also called Avitus Rix and agreed to meet at coordinates in Remav. I saved for the night with Tempest "parked" beside Ark Natanus. This and PeeBee's newly accessible personal mission are the final two things to do before heading to Tafeno to find the Archon's ship. I know it's inefficient, but I have saved that mission all this time.
Ryder started today at level 67, and ended at level 72. I recall generally finishing MEA around level 74, so I'm going to blow that away this time. I haven't gotten tired of the Andromeda Elite Helmet, so I'll keep on wearing it through the end of this playthrough, at least. Maybe I'll use it in a NG+, as well, to see if I can reach level 132 in a single NG+.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 7, 2024 2:19:42 GMT
I didn't get to play as much today, but I squeezed some gaming into the day.
We started by exploring Ark Natanus with Avitus Rix, solving the mystery of its journey, and learning Macen Barro's fate. Scott convinced Avitus to assume the role of Pathfinder.
Then, we went in search of PeeBee's Rem Tech. Ignoring the idiotic way we arrived, the mission is fun, much like Liam's mission. Ryder shot Kalinda off the ledge. I don't think I'd ever do that in real life, but games let me do things like take petty vengeance. 😆
Then, we were finally ready to go after the Archon's flagship. (I thought I was being inefficient saving this for so long, but quickly realized that this is the way I've always done it.) It's a fun mission. Pathfinder Raeka was lost, but Ryder saved the long-missing Krogan scouts.
The Tactical Soldier melted that Behemoth (exalted Krogan) shockingly easily. I checked to make sure it was still set to Insanity. I'd forgotten how truly nuts the Beam Emitter is against armor. I might check to see if it has some kind of escalating damage feature, as in it deals more and more baseline DPR as you hold the trigger. That's something I would've known a few years ago, but I've now forgotten.
After, Scott did many little personal moments. He met Jaal's family; played soccer at Prodromos; had a really deep conversation with Drack; and planted a garden (and smooched) with Cora.
Drack's scouts had noted Kett infighting on Elaaden, and that eventually led to a holo-meeting with the Kett Primus. Ryder declined her offer to assist against Archon. She said, "I hope you at least gained some satisfaction in tracking me here." I did. I love fighting Kett and stacking XP. 😁
Sara's awake. She actually looks great. I did a better job of achieving the desired look thsn I'd realized. A few minor tweaks will be all that's needed, when her time comes. Scott saw Alec's final hidden memory, learned about the Reapers, and saw the final messages exchanged by Jien Garson and Alec Ryder. Scott and Sara now know that Ellen Ryder is alive in cryo-stasis aboard Hyperion.
Scott is currently level 76, already beyond the usual ceiling for my initial playthroughs. He maxed out all of the weapons skills and Combat Tools, and is now back into Tech in order to master Invasion. After that, I'll jump back into Biotics, maybe adding Pull and Throw? I'm curious to see where the leveling peaks. It's been fun seeing even the more minor elements coming together, like improving my jump melee radius and damage. I love how every point spent in MEA broadly improves your character.
At level 80, I'll get to build "final" versions of my present gear. I'll also be free to start expending Research Points in new directions, setting up my future NG+. I'm already thinking it might be Sara playing primarily as the Tactical Soldier. I'll build her a good gun and some good armor before wrapping up Scott's run.
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Games: Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age Inquisition, Mass Effect Andromeda
Origin: KrrKs
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Post by KrrKs on Apr 7, 2024 16:40:04 GMT
The Tactical Soldier melted that Behemoth (exalted Krogan) shockingly easily. I checked to make sure it was still set to Insanity. I'd forgotten how truly nuts the Beam Emitter is against armor. I might check to see if it has some kind of escalating damage feature, as in it deals more and more baseline DPR as you hold the trigger. That's something I would've known a few years ago, but I've now forgotten. The beam augment itself does not have any escalating damage feature, or even bonus damage against armour or shields. It does apply the correct weak point bonus though, which is kinda uncommon in the game The Valkyrie does have insane dps, especially with autofire or beam augments that ignore the refire delay in their calculation. And the soldier profile does have the 'Marksman Focus', which grants a 50% damage bonus. You have to kill two enemies within 5 seconds to receive that bonus, and it remains active for 10 seconds, resetting the timer after with each subsequent kill.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 7, 2024 17:09:07 GMT
The Tactical Soldier melted that Behemoth (exalted Krogan) shockingly easily. I checked to make sure it was still set to Insanity. I'd forgotten how truly nuts the Beam Emitter is against armor. I might check to see if it has some kind of escalating damage feature, as in it deals more and more baseline DPR as you hold the trigger. That's something I would've known a few years ago, but I've now forgotten. The beam augment itself does not have any escalating damage feature, or even bonus damage against armour or shields. It does apply the correct weak point bonus though, which is kinda uncommon in the game The Valkyrie does have insane dps, especially with autofire or beam augments that ignore the refire delay in their calculation. And the soldier profile does have the 'Marksman Focus', which grants a 50% damage bonus. You have to kill two enemies within 5 seconds to receive that bonus, and it remains active for 10 seconds, resetting the timer after with each subsequent kill. I was thinking about it again this morning. I had decided that there's no way I'd have forgotten such a feature, and it turns out I was right about that, at least. 😄 I was shooting him right in his head with that steady beam and a Soldier who'd dropped a few Kett. He had a lot of damage flying his way. I was using a Hornet, rather than a Valkyrie. It's almost as good, and cheaper. I'll probably research and craft a Valkyrie for my NG+ in which I play with Soldier as my primary. I'd like to play an Adept Primary, but Combo Damage isn't up to snuff. It's fine with a CQC Annihilation Sentinel or Vanguard. It's not so fun when your Adept detonates living enemies 100m away and can't end encounters and collect XP without hunting them down to finish it.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 8, 2024 1:20:56 GMT
I finished MEA, today. Some of the run-around-the-galaxy side quests that pop up in the 11th hour slow things down too much, but the game otherwise has a strong ending that I always enjoy.
Scott romanced Cora; built Science Outposts; saved the Angaran prisoners from Exaltation; secured Sloane Kelly as leader of Kadara Port; rejected Primus' offer; and chose Moshae Sjefa to be Heleus' voice to the Nexus.
He was primarily an aggressive, CQC biotic Sentinel, but toggled into a TacCloak Soldier against heavies, particularly in the late game.
I usually wear Andromeda Elite Helmet + Initiative Spearpoint Armor until level 50 to accrue XP/those levels as quickly as possible. Doing that, I end the game around level 74. This time, I wore the Andromeda Elite Helmet for the full game. It gives +10% XP for combat. That got Scott to level 81. It's not a huge deal, but I think it is a difference of 42 skill points. More importantly, it means I can build fully optimized Level X gear for a NG+. I think I'll do this in the future, whenever I find it cosmetically acceptable.
I didn't have enough MW Research Points to get the Valkyrie blueprints to X, so I'll probably mess around for an hour, killing Kett on Eos or Voeld. I should be able to get a few hundred MW Points via Vitality Point Cryo Perks deliveries and APEX missions rewards. I still need to hit shops, too, to buy some level X mods, though those aren't urgent. The crafting is more significant, since I won't start the NG+ with the extra augment slot that I have right now.
I really enjoyed myself. This was my 16th full playthrough, but my first since an abandoned save in 2019. I'll definitely not let such a long gap happen again. I will likely jump right into NG+ with Sara. Scott is my preferred protagonist, and this face is my favorite. I already have a great Sara that I usually pair with him, but I'm trying to perfect another option that uses the youthful version of Ellen Ryder's face. It might be tough to get what I want, but I'm going to try.
I will probably favor Soldier and Combat Engineer (Tech Sentinel) playstyles with Sara, but I might mix in some Biotics. I've never really used Shockwave, and might mix it in at some point during the journey. I'll need to look things over to decide.
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A blade answers only to the hand that wields it
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Post by dazk on Apr 8, 2024 1:42:17 GMT
I finished MEA, today. Some of the run-around-the-galaxy side quests that pop up in the 11th hour slow things down too much, but the game otherwise has a strong ending that I always enjoy. Scott romanced Cora; built Science Outposts; saved the Angaran prisoners from Exaltation; secured Sloane Kelly as leader of Kadara Port; rejected Primus' offer; and chose Moshae Sjefa to be Heleus' voice to the Nexus. He was primarily an aggressive, CQC biotic Sentinel, but toggled into a TacCloak Soldier against heavies, particularly in the late game. I usually wear Andromeda Elite Helmet + Initiative Spearpoint Armor until level 50 to accrue XP/those levels as quickly as possible. Doing that, I end the game around level 74. This time, I wore the Andromeda Elite Helmet for the full game. It gives +10% XP for combat. That got Scott to level 81. It's not a huge deal, but I think it is a difference of 42 skill points. More importantly, it means I can build fully optimized Level X gear for a NG+. I think I'll do this in the future, whenever I find it cosmetically acceptable. I didn't have enough MW Research Points to get the Valkyrie blueprints to X, so I'll probably mess around for an hour, killing Kett on Eos or Voeld. I should be able to get a few hundred MW Points via Vitality Point Cryo Perks deliveries and APEX missions rewards. I still need to hit shops, too, to buy some level X mods, though those aren't urgent. The crafting is more significant, since I won't start the NG+ with the extra augment slot that I have right now. I really enjoyed myself. This was my 16th full playthrough, but my first since an abandoned save in 2019. I'll definitely not let such a long gap happen again. I will likely jump right into NG+ with Sara. Scott is my preferred protagonist, and this face is my favorite. I already have a great Sara that I usually pair with him, but I'm trying to perfect another option that uses the youthful version of Ellen Ryder's face. It might be tough to get what I want, but I'm going to try. I will probably favor Soldier and Combat Engineer (Tech Sentinel) playstyles with Sara, but I might mix in some Biotics. I've never really used Shockwave, and might mix it in at some point during the journey. I'll need to look things over to decide. Congrat's on the finish, I agree they really didn't need to throw the annoying side missions in the end as yeah it tarnished a really engaging and solid finish to the game. I have made an Ellen Ryder "Sarah" before I quite liked it. Cora is by far my favourite romance, thanks to MODS on PC she can be as well with Sara.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 8, 2024 1:56:39 GMT
dazk, she looks good. I've used the face preset before, but this time she's half-black. It can be tricky to achieve that look on some faces, but I did pretty well. I think I can improve it with a few tweaks. I'm also trying to stick with the corresponding face texture, since it's really what keeps her looking like her mom, in my opinion. I can tell that's Texture #1, an Asian texture, in your pic. The smooth, almost texture-less, monochrome hair was an unpleasant surprise. I'd sort of forgotten how bad it is. Seven years of age only make it worse. I gave her the ponytail in her role as twin, but might switch it up to get a more lifelike texture. The edges of the ponytail hairline also seem to clip into that face preset. 🙄 I'll likely use the hairstyle that frames her face, if I can get the color right. I'll probably have her romance Liam, immature as he is. I can't bear the cringy flirting with Suvi, and PeeBee annoys me. I'd completely redesign PeeBee's face, if I could, though I do like the speckles on her head.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 8, 2024 21:30:17 GMT
I played around for about 90 minutes, earning the 300+ MW Research Points I needed via AVP Perks. I finalized my Level X gear for a NG+ and started it.
I got Sara's face just right, changing her hair and a few features. I played as far as the Nexus before reality set in for me: I've never really liked Sara Ryder. Her voice is often so high-pitched that it annoys me, and Scott's VA does a way better job of landing lines believably and appropriately for each scene. (Honestly, he's phenomenal. It's sad to me that MEA wasn't Tom Taylorson's big break. He's a great VA.)
I didn't delete Sara, but I started a Scott NG+. I don't know if I'll continue either, but Scott is far more likely.
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A blade answers only to the hand that wields it
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Sept 29, 2024 2:08:48 GMT
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Post by dazk on Apr 8, 2024 22:07:53 GMT
I played around for about 90 minutes, earning the 300+ MW Research Points I needed via AVP Perks. I finalized my Level X gear for a NG+ and started it. I got Sara's face just right, changing her hair and a few features. I played as far as the Nexus before reality set in for me: I've never really like Sara Ryder. Her voice is often so high-pitched that it annoys me, and Scott's VA does a way better job of landing lines believably and appropriately for each scene. (Honestly, he's phenomenal. It's sad to me that MEA wasn't Tom Taylorson's big break. He's a great VA.) I didn't delete Sara, but I started a Scott NG+. I don't know if I'll continue either, but Scott is far more likely. I don't mind Sara's voice, I agree at times her delivery is off but that's more on the VA than the her voice I think or maybe (and this not an insult to any female) I have just dated a few with similar voices and am used to the tone/pitch.
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melbella
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Post by melbella on Apr 8, 2024 23:59:30 GMT
I played around for about 90 minutes, earning the 300+ MW Research Points I needed via AVP Perks. I finalized my Level X gear for a NG+ and started it. I got Sara's face just right, changing her hair and a few features. I played as far as the Nexus before reality set in for me: I've never really liked Sara Ryder. Her voice is often so high-pitched that it annoys me, and Scott's VA does a way better job of landing lines believably and appropriately for each scene. (Honestly, he's phenomenal. It's sad to me that MEA wasn't Tom Taylorson's big break. He's a great VA.) I didn't delete Sara, but I started a Scott NG+. I don't know if I'll continue either, but Scott is far more likely.
Yeah, my first Sara Ryder experience wasn't great. I was keen to play FemRyder first but didn't get far in the early access before switching to Scott, then kept him for my first run. Second game was Sara with a Jaal romance and it was terrible for multiple reasons. I played Sara again later so I could romance Liam, which I really enjoyed, but still felt like I had to suffer through her VA. I much prefer Scott too.
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Mass Effect Trilogy, Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age 2, Dragon Age Inquisition, KOTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effect Andromeda, Mass Effect Legendary Edition
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 9, 2024 0:28:42 GMT
I played around for about 90 minutes, earning the 300+ MW Research Points I needed via AVP Perks. I finalized my Level X gear for a NG+ and started it. I got Sara's face just right, changing her hair and a few features. I played as far as the Nexus before reality set in for me: I've never really liked Sara Ryder. Her voice is often so high-pitched that it annoys me, and Scott's VA does a way better job of landing lines believably and appropriately for each scene. (Honestly, he's phenomenal. It's sad to me that MEA wasn't Tom Taylorson's big break. He's a great VA.) I didn't delete Sara, but I started a Scott NG+. I don't know if I'll continue either, but Scott is far more likely.
Yeah, my first Sara Ryder experience wasn't great. I was keen to play FemRyder first but didn't get far in the early access before switching to Scott, then kept him for my first run. Second game was Sara with a Jaal romance and it was terrible for multiple reasons. I played Sara again later so I could romance Liam, which I really enjoyed, but still felt like I had to suffer through her VA. I much prefer Scott too. That Jaal romance... 🙂☹️😳🤢 Once was enough. I wish I liked Sara more. Alternating helps keep it fresh. Her VA isn't as polished, but it's her goofy tone that ruins it for me. Other than a couple of unavoidable scenes, I can get Scott to convey calm professionalism. Sara veers into goofy college kid too often for my liking. I've decided what I'm going to do. I'm going to start a fresh NG+ with Scott. Before I do, I'm going to deconstruct the Valkyrie I made. I don't need two Beam Emitter guns. I'll make it with Autofire, Bioconverter, Kinetic Coil ×2, and a Dual Mod Extension. The last piece will let me add all the good mods. Having a ballistic Valkyrie gives me gameplay variety. Sometimes you want to hear that sound. Also, you sometimes want to shoot through solid barriers, which a Beam Emitter can't do. I hate how NG+ messes with the colors of Ryder's armor and clothing at the start. Why not just import what I have, or stick with the default? The black + red + random white helmet and weird blue highlights annoys the heck out of me. It's one of the things I'd have wanted them to correct if we'd gotten more than a few patches. Fortunately, I think I recall being able to immediately swap it back to my saved colors as soon as I get aboard Tempest. I'll squint my way through Habitat 7, and dialogue skip my way through the Nexus, so I can get back to playing. My last playthrough felt too quick, so hopefully I'm up for another run. EDIT: I just tagged my Ryders for import on Mass Effect Archives. Hopefully, this will allow me to bypass that annoying NG+ color swap.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 10, 2024 1:00:17 GMT
I started my NG+ with Scott Ryder. I thought about swapping his face for a different one, but I stuck with the same one. Despite spending some effort to get create a mixed-race Sara who uses Ellen's face, I ended up using a different Sara that I already had and really like. Though she uses a different face texture, she looks like she could be the daughter of Ellen and Black Alec.
Anyway, I got as far as founding Prodromos and saving Axel Jennings and his crew. I found three of the four shuttle egress points. I have Darket Trevian and Grace Lito to pull from cryo when I return to the Nexus.
I've been experimenting with different skill loadouts. I definitely have favorite skills, and those skills are all fully evolved. I don't have the full compliment yet, but I can at least mix up my combinations.
On Habitat 7, I used my favorite Sentinel, minus Annihilation. I swapped in Singularity for the first couple of encounters. It makes quick work of Kett with two detonators, Lance and Energy Drain. For the first Kett structure we investigate (the one getting pummeled by lightning), I swapped in Assault Turret (cryo). It is great for crowd control, drawing aggro, priming, etc... A strategically positioned Assault Turret dominates the two big battles on Habitat 7 (the dropships at the shuttle and holding the Vault entrance for Alec).
On Eos, I've been using Sentinel (Lance/Assault Turret/Energy Drain) a lot. It's not as flashy as my favorite with Annihilation, but it's even better against Remnant and in long-range battles.
I broke out the Valkyrie and Tactical Soldier Favorite when fighting the Kett and Remnant at the Monoliths. That build is just too powerful to use full-time. The enemies die as soon as they arrive. I ended up swapping my Favorite back to Sentinel, even for gunplay. I still use the Valkyrie to shoot Kett through cover. I will probably only break out Tactical Cloak and Turbocharge, though, for Destroyers, Architects, Hydras, etc... I'll also stick to my Armor built for Combo Damage. Buffing my already OP guns is just too much.
Speaking of armor, I'm still rocking my Hyperguardian Armor with the Andromeda Elite Helmet for +10% Encounter XP. I also threw together some level X Andromeda Spearpoint Legs for an additional +12% Encounter XP, for a total of +22% Encounter XP. (I usually use N7 Legs, rather than Hyperguardian Legs, for the superior aesthetic.) This is a minor nerf to overall effectiveness, but worthwhile to see how quickly I can pile on those last 45 levels. (I'm currently sitting at 87.) The quicker I level, the more skills I'll have to mix and match.
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Post by Element Zero on Apr 11, 2024 1:28:59 GMT
I was mistaken when I said that Scott was level 87, yesterday. He was 85, and is now one combat away from 91. At this point, the level-ups come slowly outside of combat. I tend to go out of my way to fight, though, so I earn a lot of XP that way.
Today, Scott returned to the Nexus after establishing Prodromos. He began the "clerical" side of the job, waking sleepers for the outpost. At Drack's urging, he began an investigation into William Spender, the Ass in Assistant Director. Scott also got to speak with comatose Sara, thanks to SAM. She was pretty upset by all the bad news, but it didn't seem right to lie to her.
From there, we headed to Aya, met the Angara, and agreed to prove ourselves by working alongside Jaal Ama Darav. This meant heading to Havarl, the world the Angara consider their homeworld. There, Ryder and SAM demonstrated their mastery of the Vault technology by first freeing Angara researchers in stasis, and later by restoring Havarl's Vault to full functionality.
Then, we returned to Eos. The radiation had cleared from the local region, allowing wider exploration. Ryder and team picked up many tasks, large and small, to help Prodromos. The most significant were tapping underground rivers, and warring on the Kett.
Using seismic hammers, Ryder redirected subterranean flows, making them more accessible to Prodromos. Scott met water prospectors from an independent "nation' called Advent. They too were chasing the underground flows. They'll need to buy their water from the Initiative, as the Pathfinder prioritized Prodromos.
The seismic hammers ultimately provoked the original source of the tremors and shifting waters, a giant Remnant machine called an Architect. Ryder used his Tactical Soldier skillset to swiftly kick the Architect into orbit. (That autofire Valkyrie sounds amazing, particularly during Turbocharge. Brrrrrrrrr.)
Warring on the Kett meant killing them all across the region before meeting Bane Massani, the "Kett Expert" who'd left word in Prodromos for the Pathfinder to find him. Ryder, Cora, and Drack stomped several Kett barracks before destroying the Kett Power Facility/Stronghold. Killing Invictor, the Ascendant Commander of the Kett on Eos, was a pleasure. We'd become well acquainted with his casual cruelty via numerous audio logs. Jogging out of that base, leaving it a smoking ruin, was very satisfying. As Drack said, "There's nothing like a victory lap." 😄
From there, we continued exploring further afield. We destroyed a Kett operation aiming to relay intelligence concerning Prodromos. Again, the Tactical Soldier was deployed. The numerous Kett, pouring in via dropships, soon found that they had nowhere to hide. Hunkering behind cover was useless, since Scott could simply shoot through it.
I saved atop Blackrock Tande, just outside the entrance to a Remnant subterranean structure. I really wanted to keep playing, since I was having a blast.
I've mostly settled into my favorite, err... Favorite, the BioTech Bomber (Sentinel->Lance/Annihilation/Energy Drain), but I switch often. I swap Assault Turret in for Annihilation when it's more advantageous. I also use the Tactical Soldier (Soldier->Assault Turret OR Invasion/Tactical Cloak/Turbocharge) whenever I want to quickly wreck enemies at range and whenever I fight a Remnant Destroyer.
I've fully evolved a couple more skills, namely Shockwave and Overload. I'm now working on Omni Grenade. This looks like a really fun skill that I need to work into the rotation, at some point. They do a lot of damage, and grenades are fairly abundant, between ammo stashes and forward stations.
I'm finished with Tech, for now, lacking only the three I never use: Cryo Beam, Flamethrower, and Remnant VI. I like the latter, but they messed around with Zap in one of the later patches and made me like it less. I simply prefer Assault Turret, as cool as Zap is.
In Biotics, I lack Pull, Throw, Nova, and Backlash. I'll probably add Nova first, then Pull, then whatever. Nova is weird in MEA, incongruously not being a detonator. It can prime, if evolved to do so. I get that they were trying to avoid the Broken Charge->Nova of ME3 and the broken combo that it would've made with Annihilation. Still, it feels weird.
I'll probably focus on Combat for a handful of levels. Once I finish Omni Grenade, I'll also add Concussive Shot. It's not awesome like it was in ME3, but it will boost those overall Combat numbers.
With all of the essentials long since in place, I'm mostly just filling in the edges and pumping the passive and background numbers. If anyone has any fun builds to suggest, please share. I don't like combos that toss enemies far away, making them harder to kill. I'm thinking about situationally trying Overload with Singularity, to see if it avoids the annoying ragdolling of the Throw detonator.
There are lots of possibilities. Maybe Shockwave (primer) / Remnant VI (primer) / Overload (or something) as a detonator?
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