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LostCat wrote:

tanker27 wrote:

Believe me when I say, I wish all game dev studios could do their own thing like Blizzard.

Err, the Blizzard that is owned by Activision?  ...

I'll be happier when Activision starts acting like it. Blizzard can't get out of their own way when given a chance. Remember Diablo 3 at release?

It's like Star Wars and Disney - evil, whatever; they know what people want and they're going to give it to them (both meanings).

Edit: I'm talking about World of Starcraft MMO - get on it, Bobby; Take my money or GTFO.

tanker27 wrote:

Correct....but they host their own games; You don't see other Activision games on their launcher. And you buy directly to Blizzard....so.......

I'm just saying once you take other peoples money you're at their mercy, so 'doing your own thing' only goes so far.

Vhalidictes wrote:

It's like Star Wars and Disney - evil,

You're crazy. Disney is the best thing that's happened to SW. Take for instance how well they have done with the MEU/Marvel. Hands down top notch offerings. Even their weak stuff (Ant Man, Dr. Strange) is heads and shoulders better than what DC is doing.

Once the train gets rolling I cannot wait and see what is going to be brought forth for Star Wars Universe. Just think about it. A gritty Netflix show much like Daredevil but is about Boba Fett! That would be awesome!

(I also have to say that even though I am starting to tire of Superhero/Comics stuff there are still some things I would love to see on the big and little screen.)

Vhalidictes wrote:

I'll be happier when Activision starts acting like it. Blizzard can't get out of their own way when given a chance. Remember Diablo 3 at release?

I seem to remember the state of D3 at release (Auction House, RMAH, etc) being blamed on Activision's constant thirst for microtransactions.

it didnt last long though....Wheres the AH and RMAH now???? It's nothing but a bitter distant memory. Blizzard won out. But I dont fault them or even Activision for trying. You needed to try something new. It's a really old genre and there really isnt much in the way of bringing innovation to it.

tanker27 wrote:

Vhalidictes wrote:

It's like Star Wars and Disney - evil,

You're crazy. Disney is the best thing that's happened to SW. Take for instance how well they have done with the MEU/Marvel. Hands down top notch offerings. Even their weak stuff (Ant Man, Dr. Strange) is heads and shoulders better than what DC is doing.

Once the train gets rolling I cannot wait and see what is going to be brought forth for Star Wars Universe. Just think about it. A gritty Netflix show much like Daredevil but is about Boba Fett! That would be awesome!

(I also have to say that even though I am starting to tire of Superhero/Comics stuff there are still some things I would love to see on the big and little screen.)

You're right - Disney is the best thing to ever happen to the franchise. You're also crazy if you think Disney is benign. The great thing about the purchase is that they want to make money, and that means more and better movies.

That's not to say they have the best interest of the fans in mind - if anything, it's more the opposite. Google "Disney Lawyers" and see for yourself. Don't forget about the Mickey Mouse  Copywrite Term Extension Act while you're at it.

I'm well versed in Disney's modus operandi when is comes to lawyering and copywriting up. But still......it's the best thing still happen to the franchise.

Oh how I missed the ME universe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNG_szaXNNU

tanker27 wrote:

Oh how I missed the ME universe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNG_szaXNNU

Yeah, I normally avoid watching YT from the office, but I had to check that out.
Argh. I'm going to need a Origin account.  May as well finally play ME3 while I'm at it.

Vhalidictes wrote:

tanker27 wrote:

Oh how I missed the ME universe:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NNG_szaXNNU

Yeah, I normally avoid watching YT from the office, but I had to check that out.
Argh. I'm going to need a Origin account.  May as well finally play ME3 while I'm at it.

Make sure to get all the DLC. The original story was a bit thin, and the DLC really fills it out (though nothing can fix that ending).

Looked good.  A little cheese but good.  Still definitely Mass Effect, can't argue with that.

Airmantharp wrote:

Make sure to get all the DLC. The original story was a bit thin, and the DLC really fills it out (though nothing can fix that ending).

Give that they fired the main writer, the end was what it was. I never had a problem with it, at least, not the ending itself. I more had a problem with there no longer being a interesting reason behind why the Reapers were reaping. It was kind of where the story needed to go with what they had.

Origin was the real reason that I didn't play it. Steam or GTFO, but I guess enough people put up with Origin that it didn't fail. Unfortunately.

Vhalidictes wrote:

 I guess enough people put up with Origin that it didn't fail. Unfortunately.

What people don't seem to get is they already had a strong marketplace when it was EADM.  Not as strong as Steam no doubt, but once Valve demanded a cut of DLC sales it was like 'why should we?'
So they built up their client, rebranded it, and gave up on Valve.
Considering Steam post Greenlight is so amazingly full of **** I consider that a great call.

LostCat wrote:

Vhalidictes wrote:

 I guess enough people put up with Origin that it didn't fail. Unfortunately.

What people don't seem to get is they already had a strong marketplace when it was EADM.  Not as strong as Steam no doubt, but once Valve demanded a cut of DLC sales it was like 'why should we?'
So they built up their client, rebranded it, and gave up on Valve.
Considering Steam post Greenlight is so amazingly full of **** I consider that a great call.

Greenlight is horrible and I stay away... but every other Distributor just gives Valve their cut and calls it a day, I don't see what's any different for EA. For that matter, I don't understand why EA doesn't publish to multiple online stores - sure run Origin, but set up other options. Heck, just raise the price in the Steam store and I'll pay the Valve tax for them.

Vhalidictes wrote:

For that matter, I don't understand why EA doesn't publish to multiple online stores - sure run Origin, but set up other options.

Err, they do.  Everyone but Steam has EA games.

LostCat wrote:

Vhalidictes wrote:

For that matter, I don't understand why EA doesn't publish to multiple online stores - sure run Origin, but set up other options.

Err, they do.  Everyone but Steam has EA games.

Oops. I guess I should branch out and install other people's invasive software on my PC then. 

Wait... I don't think that's true - isn't Origin required to get updated and validate the copy? I remember buying a "physical disc" copy of DA3 and finding out that it was a coaster because you couldn't finish installing it without signing in. I guess since I plunked down the $60 I should play that at some point, although reviews for it weren't stellar IIRC.

Vhalidictes wrote:

Wait... I don't think that's true - isn't Origin required to get updated and validate the copy?

Yes it is, just like Steam is required for any Valve games.  But you can still buy EA digital games pretty much anywhere except Steam.
For example: https://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-Andr ... =andromeda

LostCat wrote:

Vhalidictes wrote:

Wait... I don't think that's true - isn't Origin required to get updated and validate the copy?

Yes it is, just like Steam is required for any Valve games.  But you can still buy EA digital games pretty much anywhere except Steam.
For example: https://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-Andr ... =andromeda

Yeah the entire point is not installing Origin, so it's pretty much irrelevant where I get the games. If only they had a web interface for Origin I wouldn't mind using it, the battle over password proliferation is already lost. I don't mind having the account itself.

Vhalidictes wrote:

If only they had a web interface for Origin I wouldn't mind using it......

uhhh they do: www.origin.com

I dont understand the aversion to Origin. /shrug

tanker27 wrote:

Vhalidictes wrote:

If only they had a web interface for Origin I wouldn't mind using it......

uhhh they do: http://www.origin.com

I dont understand the aversion to Origin. /shrug

I'll check it out again, but IIRC the DRM portion requires the software client. 

I'm done installing and updating random software on my home PC - not in that mode any more. Other than that, no particular aversion to any one vendor. I recently uninstalled the Blizzard client, so that's one more box crossed off.

I decided that Valve is going to be the preferred local-client game vendor, which dovetails nicely with my plan to eventually transition my main desktop to Linux Mint.

That was an odd little tangent... and conclusion.

Vhalidictes wrote:

I'm done installing and updating random software on my home PC - not in that mode any more. Other than that, no particular aversion to any one vendor. I recently uninstalled the Blizzard client, so that's one more box crossed off.

Weird and curious. Those clients act and work just like STEAM. They update themselves and the games associated with auto-magically. But hey whatever floats your boat. To each their own. /shrug

Getting Mass Effect 1 & 2 running under Origin has been a bit of a chore, much better under Steam, but ME1 was a pre-Origin game and ME2 was released on Steam first.

Overall, especially for releases in the past five or six years, it's been pretty smooth.


------

Back to Mass Effect, I finished the series again. Tried a male paragon vanguard, and initially tried an Insanity run from the beginning (did that before, starting with ME2), but quickly gave up while picking up Liara. ME1 just doesn't have the cover built well enough, and I couldn't get out of that elevator. And then I decided that I'd rather just run through the game quickly, and enjoyed being able to take different teammates on missions that they otherwise wouldn't have been suited for due to limited abilities, i.e. in ME2 it's pretty much Mordin and Liara for incinerate, overload, and warp, and in ME3 it's pretty much EDI and Liara, for the same abilities.

Certainly looking forward to figuring all that stuff out in Andromeda!

Hey I just completed the same! Went Vanguard and pumped everything into Biotics. Normally I just run and gun with the Soldier type. I can't believe I didn't try Vanguard before, by the end your Biotics were just OP.

If Andromeda keeps with the same classes I'll probably stick with Vanguard. Oh and Femshep FTW...or what ever the female lead in Andromeda is named.

So I've been reading reddit about Andromeda and it seems that Cerberus could rear it head again. That'll be interesting.

Airmantharp wrote:

 And then I decided that I'd rather just run through the game quickly, and enjoyed being able to take different teammates on missions that they otherwise wouldn't have been suited for due to limited abilities, i.e. in ME2 it's pretty much Mordin and Liara for incinerate, overload, and warp, and in ME3 it's pretty much EDI and Liara, for the same abilities.

Certainly looking forward to figuring all that stuff out in Andromeda!

Wait, what? I didn't know that Liara was a teammate in ME2, although she's in it as a questgiver... I need to check on that.

I would love to play the first three games again but they're long and I have other things to finish.

Vhalidictes wrote:

Airmantharp wrote:

 And then I decided that I'd rather just run through the game quickly, and enjoyed being able to take different teammates on missions that they otherwise wouldn't have been suited for due to limited abilities, i.e. in ME2 it's pretty much Mordin and Liara for incinerate, overload, and warp, and in ME3 it's pretty much EDI and Liara, for the same abilities.

Certainly looking forward to figuring all that stuff out in Andromeda!

Wait, what? I didn't know that Liara was a teammate in ME2, although she's in it as a questgiver... I need to check on that.

She is in the Lair of the Shadow Broker- but she's not a regular, I messed that up- now I'm trying to remember who I typically take...

...and I had to log in to remind myself. It's Mordin and Miranda, in the second game. That's why at the higher difficulty levels, you always go straight for Mordin (as recommended), cause you need his incinerate.

LostCat wrote:

I would love to play the first three games again but they're long and I have other things to finish.

Last run on Normal took me 70 hours (just under 20 for ME1 and ME2, then 30 for ME3) for all three games and all DLC (no online crap). I did have the benefit of having played before and imported my character from one game to the next, which in the second and third games gives you a pretty big boost all around, never really hurting for cash or minerals (in ME2) in ways that would hold up the story.

Airmantharp wrote:

.........Miranda

mmmm miranda.....I'll be sad if she doesn't make an appearance in Andromeda. But hey I will take another character modeled after Yvonne Strahovski.

tanker27 wrote:

Hey I just completed the same! Went Vanguard and pumped everything into Biotics. Normally I just run and gun with the Soldier type. I can't believe I didn't try Vanguard before, by the end your Biotics were just OP.

If Andromeda keeps with the same classes I'll probably stick with Vanguard. Oh and Femshep FTW...or what ever the female lead in Andromeda is named.

So I've been reading reddit about Andromeda and it seems that Cerberus could rear it head again. That'll be interesting.

Vanguard in ME2 + ME3 = Biotic Charge + Nova and shoot target until it dies.