The Vanguard of your Destruction: Let's Play Mass Effect!

DFM · 10-17-2010, 02:22 AM

LET'S PLAY MASS EFFECT

[BROUGHT TO YOU BY MIRAI GEN]

Who purchased this game for me on the PC so I could do this Let's Play which is kind of like being paid to write a Let's Play which is kind of like being a published author sort of in a way if you squint and hold your breath WHICH MAKES ME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR NOW FFFFFFFFFFFF YES

Mass Effect is a 2007 action RPG from Bioware where you are Commander Shepard, space badass, who is leading a team of other space badasses to stop a giant asshole from skipping around the galaxy and wrecking up the place.

You get your own ship, your own crew, and this space tank monster truck called the Mako which is named after the fact that if you threw a shark into a sand pit it would look a lot like you trying to drive anywhere in this fucking thing. It comes in handy later but I have no idea why they don't just drop you at the front door for most of these missions, it's not like most of the people you fight are set up to fight off a military frigate but whatever we get to climb up walls at two feet per minute in something that was meant for water so that's cool. That's cool Bioware.

As an ARPG/Shooter hybrid, you get stats and skills you level up throughout the game, and like any good RPG some are worthless and you'll die if you put any points in them. This scrub has Marksmen what a worthless power that never did anyone any good I can't believe it's even in the gavvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvshp that was the sound of a pistol unloading a million rounds in one point five seconds with pinpoint accuracy.

There's also a Paragon/Renegade morality scale which is basically "By the Book Simon" and his partner "Loose Cannon Garfunkle". If you get a high enough Renegade score your cybernetics start to break through your skin because they smell the blood of the innocent at your feet. But that's only in Mass Effect 2 so we don't have to worry about that. We can totally give ourselves bitchin' ass scars from the start though, ME2 ain't got nothing on that.

I guess that's sort of the gist of the game, I dunno, if you don't know what Mass Effect is you'll pick it up as we go along. Now it's time for everyone's favorite part of these things and that is CHARACTER CREATION where we forge our fearless colonial soldier MAX HARDON.

There's our default Male and Female Shepards. Now's where we customize. Vote for one sex, one origin, one psych profile, and one class. If you want to throw in suggestions for appearance, that's cool too.

ORIGINS

PSYCHE PROFILES

CLASSES

I told Krylo I'd include "Emo-Goth Biotic Super Chick" or something as an option so THERE, THERE IT IS KRYLO.

Basically I'm going to try and make this work like my VtM:B LP, where I do first person narration and monologues and observations while throwing in the occasional audience vote on a moral/tactical choice. The character/personality Shepard has is going to come from whatever combination of options you choose above, and I'll probably do a short little written introduction before the screenshots start.

ANYWAY THERE YOU GO. THERE IT IS. THE MASS EFFECT LET'S PLAY, LET'S HOPE MY COMPUTER DOESN'T FALL OVER AND DIE AGAIN FOR THE THIRD AND POSSIBLY FOURTH TIME.

As an aside are the actual screenshots too small? I wanted to make them more manageable than the last one. (Past this, there won't be any text on them for you to strain to read as far as I can remember).

Odjn · 10-17-2010, 02:28 AM

Earthborn Ruthless Soldier or Vanguard, male. Fuck Krylo what did he ever do that was worth anything.

DON'T forget this one fucker.

Viridis · 10-17-2010, 02:31 AM

Man, that's a lot of options. Screenshots are fine in size.

Don't have an option of most of this. Vanguard, Adept or Sentinel, I guess?

You just reminded me that I still have to watch most of the Freelance Astronaut's Mass Effect stuff.

Krylo · 10-17-2010, 02:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DFM

I told Krylo I'd include "Emo-Goth Biotic Super Chick" or something as an option so THERE, THERE IT IS KRYLO.

Love you too, baby bear.

Also--this is my vote.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Odjn

Fuck Krylo what did he ever do that was worth anything.

Your mom.

...So basically nothing.

synkr0nized · 10-17-2010, 02:46 AM

While these pictures are fine on my resolution, I'd prefer not to have them be any bigger.

So, here's what I recommend!

I don't have a strong preference for gender, but having played the game multiple times myself I must admit making a male Shep and having a boys' club party the whole time (Garrus, Wrex, and Shep 4LIFE) is fun as Hell. It is even greater when you're more renegade and convince Garrus to do whatever the fuck to complete his objectives. Wrex does that already anyway, and Paragon Shep can arguably get the same chat without any penalty though I feel like it's out of character, but it's great bein' all, "haha Let's shoot some bitches in their faces." and Garrus going all, "Oh man you have taught me how to be so awesome." It flows so great into the second game. But that can be done regardless of gender!

So I'm not really picking either one for that.

Pick colonist. Spacer always feels too much like an ass-kisser to me, but it may also be that I don't like the idea of the whole soldier-family tradition crap. You get enough of that from Ashley, the racist marine! Colonist always let me feel justified on top of the hilarity of always being cruel to slavers (read: Batarians) regardless of what was happening. Earthbound isn't bad, I guess, with the orphan story and gangs; it worked for Tasha Yar [despite not being on Earth], but I like colonist more.

I would then go with sole survivor. Ruthless would work with what I am building up here/thinking of, but I'm feeling a little personal tragedy is better than just being an ice-cold jerk.

This leads up to aiming for a Renegade style playthrough, of course.

Paragon is quite fun to play, and often I find myself not wanting to select the obvious "renegade" choices in conversations regardless of what I am doing, so it's not like I will be disappointed either way. However, I've always liked the idea of playing the game with the mindset of developing your Shep as a person as you play rather than reducing it to what it all actually is -- did you press up or down on your conversation wheel and spend your points in angry or happy. I've had fun in Renegade playthroughs using these simple character foundations/background bits as the starting point and letting the conversations I end up having chisel out the rest. ~~Because I am such a huge nerd like this~~ I think this will really help a narrative-driven LP of this game, and I know DFM can make that happen.

Lastly, I vote for either Adept or Infiltrator. Of the classes, being able to kill everything without even using guns or destroy even the biggest enemies from afar with a sniper rifle [and get really close to playing a SC Ghost] were the most fun for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Viridis

You just reminded me that I still have to watch most of the Freelance Astronaut's Mass Effect stuff.

The first couple of videos were hilarious, but then Maxwell started having to actually fight things. He is pretty terrible at the game, and it's been making it difficult to enjoy it, spawning tanks and all.

Marc v4.0 · 10-17-2010, 03:20 AM

Male Soldier Full on Renegade, and immediately punch the female Shepard in the face.

Also, Sole Survivor, no origin preference.

Punch. Everything.

DFM · 10-17-2010, 03:24 AM

This is pretty unrelated to the thread, but my canon Shep is Sole Survivor and it made ME2 awkward as hell since there weren't any dialog options that involved panicked shooting at everyone and everything in the facility.

Melfice · 10-17-2010, 04:28 AM

Male (I like Synk's idea of the dysfunctional Men's Club)
Colonist
Sole Survivor
Vanguard

Renegade. SHOTGUN TO THE FACE FOR EVERYBODY!

**Revising Ocelot** · 10-17-2010, 05:09 AM

Whichever you pick out of FemShep/MaleShep, go for the default looks. I've always found custom Sheps, especially the male ones, to look hilariously out of place.

As for class... go Infiltrator since it's awesome in ME2, although I've only played Soldier in ME1 so it might be terrible, but whatever. Morality? Eh, I'll buck the trend so far and say Paragon. Although ParaShep in ME2 is much better in ME1. (Punch Zaeed! Quarian tummy-aches!) Background can be whatever.

greed · 10-17-2010, 06:20 AM

Female (not gonna make you listen to Mark Meer), I always liked Spacer and War Hero just cause it made you a badass. Also as for name, call her Helen or Helena or something. Completely fucked up continuity right there. Also Paragon most of the time, Shepard paunch still must happen regardless however.

Class and appearance, eh let's go with Krylo's pick.

Edit: Also if Male Shepard ends up winning, don't use the default, he looks like a tool.

10-17-2010, 02:22 AM	#1
DFM Om Nom Nom Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,850	The Vanguard of your Destruction: Let's Play Mass Effect! LET'S PLAY MASS EFFECT [BROUGHT TO YOU BY MIRAI GEN] Who purchased this game for me on the PC so I could do this Let's Play which is kind of like being paid to write a Let's Play which is kind of like being a published author sort of in a way if you squint and hold your breath WHICH MAKES ME A PUBLISHED AUTHOR NOW FFFFFFFFFFFF YES Mass Effect is a 2007 action RPG from Bioware where you are Commander Shepard, space badass, who is leading a team of other space badasses to stop a giant asshole from skipping around the galaxy and wrecking up the place. You get your own ship, your own crew, and this space tank monster truck called the Mako which is named after the fact that if you threw a shark into a sand pit it would look a lot like you trying to drive anywhere in this fucking thing. It comes in handy later but I have no idea why they don't just drop you at the front door for most of these missions, it's not like most of the people you fight are set up to fight off a military frigate but whatever we get to climb up walls at two feet per minute in something that was meant for water so that's cool. That's cool Bioware. As an ARPG/Shooter hybrid, you get stats and skills you level up throughout the game, and like any good RPG some are worthless and you'll die if you put any points in them. This scrub has Marksmen what a worthless power that never did anyone any good I can't believe it's even in the gavvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvshp that was the sound of a pistol unloading a million rounds in one point five seconds with pinpoint accuracy. There's also a Paragon/Renegade morality scale which is basically "By the Book Simon" and his partner "Loose Cannon Garfunkle". If you get a high enough Renegade score your cybernetics start to break through your skin because they smell the blood of the innocent at your feet. But that's only in Mass Effect 2 so we don't have to worry about that. We can totally give ourselves bitchin' ass scars from the start though, ME2 ain't got nothing on that. I guess that's sort of the gist of the game, I dunno, if you don't know what Mass Effect is you'll pick it up as we go along. Now it's time for everyone's favorite part of these things and that is CHARACTER CREATION where we forge our fearless colonial soldier MAX HARDON. There's our default Male and Female Shepards. Now's where we customize. Vote for one sex, one origin, one psych profile, and one class. If you want to throw in suggestions for appearance, that's cool too. ORIGINS PSYCHE PROFILES CLASSES I told Krylo I'd include "Emo-Goth Biotic Super Chick" or something as an option so THERE, THERE IT IS KRYLO. Basically I'm going to try and make this work like my VtM:B LP, where I do first person narration and monologues and observations while throwing in the occasional audience vote on a moral/tactical choice. The character/personality Shepard has is going to come from whatever combination of options you choose above, and I'll probably do a short little written introduction before the screenshots start. ANYWAY THERE YOU GO. THERE IT IS. THE MASS EFFECT LET'S PLAY, LET'S HOPE MY COMPUTER DOESN'T FALL OVER AND DIE AGAIN FOR THE THIRD AND POSSIBLY FOURTH TIME. As an aside are the actual screenshots too small? I wanted to make them more manageable than the last one. (Past this, there won't be any text on them for you to strain to read as far as I can remember). __________________ [14:26] ManoftheRus: YOU GODDAMN SNEAKY DEE Last edited by DFM; 10-17-2010 at 02:36 AM.

10-17-2010, 03:20 AM	#6
Marc v4.0 Fight Me, Nerds Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 3,470	Male Soldier Full on Renegade, and immediately punch the female Shepard in the face. Also, Sole Survivor, no origin preference. Punch. Everything. __________________

10-17-2010, 03:24 AM	#7
DFM Om Nom Nom Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 3,850	This is pretty unrelated to the thread, but my canon Shep is Sole Survivor and it made ME2 awkward as hell since there weren't any dialog options that involved panicked shooting at everyone and everything in the facility. __________________ [14:26] ManoftheRus: YOU GODDAMN SNEAKY DEE

10-17-2010, 05:09 AM	#9
Revising Ocelot Douchebag Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Probably somewhere in England. Posts: 1,897	Whichever you pick out of FemShep/MaleShep, go for the default looks. I've always found custom Sheps, especially the male ones, to look hilariously out of place. As for class... go Infiltrator since it's awesome in ME2, although I've only played Soldier in ME1 so it might be terrible, but whatever. Morality? Eh, I'll buck the trend so far and say Paragon. Although ParaShep in ME2 is much better in ME1. (Punch Zaeed! Quarian tummy-aches!) Background can be whatever. __________________ magic sucks