A flaw in Mass Effect 2

[Normalgamer]

Let me guess this out of the way, I LOVE mass effect 2, it surpasses the first one easily in my opinion, and is easily one of my favorite if not my favorite game. But there is one thing that tires me to no end about this game:
Your chat options are a lie!
For instance, (Spoilers) when Grunt is talking about how he hates Turians, I saw an option "What about Garrus?". I thought my character would just ask a simple question, but instead he points his finger at him and yells "Don't start any shit on my ship!". This was completetly different from what option I had, and I noticed this happens fairly option were I'll click something thinking it'll be what I want, and end up saying something totally different.

So I have to ask, is this system flawed? Or am I just ranting about something that doesn't matter?

 

[Spiner909]

Yeah, I noticed a few paragon interruptions weren't really all that paragon-ish. The game could maaaaybe have used just a few more fixes.

 

[Inco]

Your chat options are only a generalization of what your character says. Like the message that is being conveyed across, there would be too little room for some conversations if it was exact.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

They were branching out this game so paragon didn't equal pussy. Paragons actually rough up people who deserve/need it within reason.

 

[Loop Stricken]

We have just started playing as a Paragon Infiltrator, and were surprised at the verbal tongue-lashing we were giving the Illusive Man right off the bat.

 

[blarg363]

Yeah, I noticed a few paragon interruptions weren't really all that paragon-ish. The game could maaaaybe have used just a few more fixes.

Yeah no kidding i was trying to get a guy to let someone out of a bad deal
and i ended up threatening to brake his legs, doesn't seem like something the good guy would say to me

 

[Zacharine]

Upper rightaragon
Lower right; renegade.

Simple as that. When that isn't followed, then there are no specialized paragon/renegade responses as far as mood is conserned.

The 'what about garrus' option is lower corner if memory serves....

I consider the plant scanning/probing to be a far more serious flaw, as well as the fighting system: once I understood I could sit behind cover and not get hit for ten minutes traight, the game became ridiculously easy. Sure, flanking attacks yadda yadda yadda.... Who cares, when you can heavy-pistol those predictable flanks in the head?

The dialogs vere actually a somewhat positive surprise for me. I had expected the new system to be somewhat akward or function poorly or come at the cost of quality to the dialogues.

Ahh, good-cop, bad-cop routine with Thane...I shall remember that interrogation for a long time...

 

[Loop Stricken]

Ahh, good-cop, bad-cop routine with Thane...I shall remember that interrogation for a long time...

We suggested the expedient removal of testicles for viable transactions with Krogan. Fun times.

 

[The Madman]

I dislike it as well and much prefer the old-school dialogue options over a vague word which may or may not mean what I think it means.

I remember in Mass Effect 1 there was a situation where I accidentally ended up sexing an Asari because of vague dialogue. "What the... when I meant 'is that all' I didn't mean 'OMG BOOBS', seriously Shepard, can't you keep your pants on for five minutes? You're worse than Kirk sometimes. I just wanted money, geez."

 

[Jandau]

The somewhat vague dialogue options were there in ME1. However, in my experience it's fairly rare for the option you select to not reflect what is being said. Also, as someone else already stated, most of the time it's Upper Right = Paragon, Lower Right = Renegade (unless you're doing the Investigate).

As for the slightly edgier Paragon options in this game, I liked them. I tend to play good guys and it was really nice not to be a total pussy this time around. What people fail to understand is that Paragon isn't about being polite, it's about not compromising yourself and other people to get results and the ends do NOT justify the means. ME2 communicates that better.

What DOES irk me a bit is that some actions are deemed Renegade, when they are just cool. For instance, shooting the gas tanks during Mordin's Loyalty mission to shut the blabbering Krogan. That was just plain awesome, and you'd just end up killing him anyway. Same thing with killing the Gunship engineer during the Archangel mission. However, I don't cry and moan if I get a few Renegade points along the way, so it's all good.

 

[Omikron009]

It has happened a few times, but I think the point is that you don't dictate exactly what your character says, you just guide his/her actions.

 

[Amnestic]

"I won't be second guessed on my own ship, by my own ship."

"What about Garrus?" is the lower right option, which means it's Renegade, which mean's Shepard's going to either be a jerk or shoot/punch something.

Just be glad he didn't whip it out.

 

[Knight Templar]

"I won't be second guessed on my own ship, by my own ship."

"What about Garrus?" is the lower right option, which means it's Renegade, which mean's Shepard's going to either be a jerk or shoot/punch something.

Just be glad he didn't whip it out.

You can't do that with Grunt...

Oh you meant his gun, gotcha.

 

[Volafortis]

I didn't go in with a Paragon/Renegade mindset. I went in doing what I wanted and got pure awesome out.

 

[Agayek]

I didn't go in with a Paragon/Renegade mindset. I went in doing what I wanted and got pure awesome out.

This.


Though somehow doing that got me a full Paragon meter, and ~40% of a Renegade meter.

 

[nick_knack]

I dislike it as well and much prefer the old-school dialogue options over a vague word which may or may not mean what I think it means.

I remember in Mass Effect 1 there was a situation where I accidentally ended up sexing an Asari because of vague dialogue. "What the... when I meant 'is that all' I didn't mean 'OMG BOOBS', seriously Shepard, can't you keep your pants on for five minutes? You're worse than Kirk sometimes. I just wanted money, geez."

Didn't you listen to the dialog? It was prety heavily implied, and I think, very obvious.

 

[Fappy]

Where your response is placed on the wheel should give you a good idea of what you're going to say.
Top Left = Usually a blatant question
Bottom Left = Question or pressing question
Top Right = Paragon or Nice response
Middle Right = Usually neutral ground
Bottom Right = Renegade or hostile

When I picked that option I assumed Shep would have an attitude.

 

[GloatingSwine]

"What the... when I meant 'is that all' I didn't mean 'OMG BOOBS', seriously Shepard, can't you keep your pants on for five minutes? You're worse than Kirk sometimes. I just wanted money, geez."

Bear in mind that the asari you're talking to is basically a high class prostitute. What do you think you're gonna get?

Also, to the OP, you're talking to a Krogan, you have to speak fluent badass to make them understand. (Or headbutt them in the face, that works too).

 

[Aardvark]

Two things really bugged me about ME2. Firstly, you've got this hyper-advanced AI on board, yet you have to scan planets manually, inch after painful, agonising inch. Secondly, you've got this hyper-advanced AI on board, yet you have to MANUALLY FEED YOUR FUCKING FISH! One of the most advanced, futuristic pieces of equipment in the galaxy and you can't even ask the thing to check on your fish if you forget.

Jesus H Christ on a stick, Humanity, if you can't even figure out how to do an automatic fish feeder, what hope has the galaxy really got?

Also, I feel ripped off. The only reason I sat through that hideous, painful romantic sub-plot dialogue was to see that Quarian's face. What do I get? Precisely squat! I hate you, Bioware.

Ok, make it 4 things. Now that I'm starting again from scratch, why couldn't they have done more of those vacuum sections? You get one little 2001-esque sequence at the start, then nothing else, ever.