Difficulty spikes!

[Josh Kurber]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

 

[Indiscrimi]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

I know! Your teammates are so completely useless in ME2. In ME1, even on Insanity, your teammates got shit done without you taking every single bullet for them. Is it normal for AI to get worse in a sequel? Or did Bioware just not bother to balance the difficulty this time?

(I forget to say this earlier: Good luck with your English degree.)

 

[Josh Kurber]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

I know! Your teammates are so completely useless in ME2. In ME1, even on Insanity, your teammates got shit done without you taking every single bullet for them. Is it normal for AI to get worse in a sequel? Or did Bioware just not bother to balance the difficulty this time?

(I forget to say this earlier: Good luck with your English degree.)

(Oh, why thank you, sir. I need it >_<)

Well, they got a little dumb between Star Wars: KOTOR games too. I also love how you have to hold their hands through EVERYTHING! "No, Jack, use your pistol for longer distance, not your shotgun." "No, Garrus, you little idiot, use your sniper because you are better with it." It's like, sheesh! They are little children. It's why being an asshole Renegade guy gives me so much joy. He says the stuff I, myself, want to say to them. Then come the creepy glowing eyes while talking in darkness. Sooooo omnious and amazing, hahahah.

I am actually going to start working on Female Shepard (Paragon, of course) because the second game isn't so tempting to make you cheat on your ME1 lover as a female. As a guy I can never turn down Miranda. I just can't. Compared to Ashley, especially. Ashley is too butchy and "Grr" for my tastes. Miranda is gorgeous, fun, flirty, everything. And a better fighter than Ashley, stupid A.I. or not.

 

[drzoidbergmd]

LOTR: The Third Age. Three hours of badassery, slight jump in Theoden's Hall. What happens next? Helm's Deep...nine constant fights with no save points at ALL! And your enemies consistently have better armor and almost four times as many hit points as your previously unprepared party. So, being caught off guard as such, you do what any sane person would do and rely on the movie insertion characters to save you from taking an Uruk-hai long-spear up your newly presented backside.

I definately had problems with this. 9 fights with no save points... That was hell. I just had to keep using Idrial's spells to keep her and the movie hero alive. Your party gets screwed but they live. Anything else and you just get destroyed.
Also, on the same game, Sauron without Morgul Decay (The thing that takes away all enemy armor, regardless if it's a boss or not. IE: The most overpowered thing in the game. Shame you only get about 2 of them.). That guy is tough.
It's still one of my favourite games ever though. I may go and play it now you've reminded me. Thanks

Anytime. I sold my copy about a year ago, but I've really been wanting to play it lately.

 

[Indiscrimi]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

I know! Your teammates are so completely useless in ME2. In ME1, even on Insanity, your teammates got shit done without you taking every single bullet for them. Is it normal for AI to get worse in a sequel? Or did Bioware just not bother to balance the difficulty this time?

(I forget to say this earlier: Good luck with your English degree.)

(Oh, why thank you, sir. I need it >_<)

Well, they got a little dumb between Star Wars: KOTOR games too. I also love how you have to hold their hands through EVERYTHING! "No, Jack, use your pistol for longer distance, not your shotgun." "No, Garrus, you little idiot, use your sniper because you are better with it." It's like, sheesh! They are little children. It's why being an asshole Renegade guy gives me so much joy. He says the stuff I, myself, want to say to them. Then come the creepy glowing eyes while talking in darkness. Sooooo omnious and amazing, hahahah.

I am actually going to start working on Female Shepard (Paragon, of course) because the second game isn't so tempting to make you cheat on your ME1 lover as a female. As a guy I can never turn down Miranda. I just can't. Compared to Ashley, especially. Ashley is too butchy and "Grr" for my tastes. Miranda is gorgeous, fun, flirty, everything. And a better fighter than Ashley, stupid A.I. or not.

I'm pretty sure bedding someone just before having to decide the fate of the galaxy and then disappearing for two years constitutes a "one night stand", so fidelity isn't really an issue. I just can't stand Ashley. She keeps flirting with you, and every time you flirt back, suddenly she's miss "I could kill you with one hand". A lot of people complain about the poetry; I don't mind it, but what puts me off most is the fact that she's religious. I'm sorry, but religion and sex don't go well together. Bottom line: I always go for Liara T'Soni. She's smart, attractive, soft-spoken, psychic, and...well...she's an alien! Come on! It's worth it for the novelty alone!

As for ME2, I hate Miranda. I lived in Australia for four years, so the accent does nothing for me at this point. And she's a straight-up *****. It's always, "wah wah! Daddy didn't love me! Me me me!" Shit, I've dated girls like that in real life. It f*cking sucked, dude.

...This exchange has wandered pretty far from the initial topic of difficulty spikes, eh?

 

[Jerious1154]

I found GTA 4 pretty easy for the most part. Most of the missions can be beaten just by being patient and staying behind cover until everything is dead. But I don't even remember how many times I died on that mission where you have to steal the heroin from the bombed out hospital and then escape the cops.

The building is a maze, there are cops and gang-members who apparently have decided to team up to take you out, and as soon as you find a way outside there are more cops, no cover, and no vehicles. I eventually managed to steal a cop car with a sliver of health and make it out of there.

 

[Josh Kurber]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

I know! Your teammates are so completely useless in ME2. In ME1, even on Insanity, your teammates got shit done without you taking every single bullet for them. Is it normal for AI to get worse in a sequel? Or did Bioware just not bother to balance the difficulty this time?

(I forget to say this earlier: Good luck with your English degree.)

(Oh, why thank you, sir. I need it >_<)

Well, they got a little dumb between Star Wars: KOTOR games too. I also love how you have to hold their hands through EVERYTHING! "No, Jack, use your pistol for longer distance, not your shotgun." "No, Garrus, you little idiot, use your sniper because you are better with it." It's like, sheesh! They are little children. It's why being an asshole Renegade guy gives me so much joy. He says the stuff I, myself, want to say to them. Then come the creepy glowing eyes while talking in darkness. Sooooo omnious and amazing, hahahah.

I am actually going to start working on Female Shepard (Paragon, of course) because the second game isn't so tempting to make you cheat on your ME1 lover as a female. As a guy I can never turn down Miranda. I just can't. Compared to Ashley, especially. Ashley is too butchy and "Grr" for my tastes. Miranda is gorgeous, fun, flirty, everything. And a better fighter than Ashley, stupid A.I. or not.

I'm pretty sure bedding someone just before having to decide the fate of the galaxy and then disappearing for two years constitutes a "one night stand", so fidelity isn't really an issue. I just can't stand Ashley. She keeps flirting with you, and every time you flirt back, suddenly she's miss "I could kill you with one hand". A lot of people complain about the poetry; I don't mind it, but what puts me off most is the fact that she's religious. I'm sorry, but religion and sex don't go well together. Bottom line: I always go for Liara T'Soni. She's smart, attractive, soft-spoken, psychic, and...well...she's an alien! Come on! It's worth it for the novelty alone!

As for ME2, I hate Miranda. I lived in Australia for four years, so the accent does nothing for me at this point. And she's a straight-up *****. It's always, "wah wah! Daddy didn't love me! Me me me!" Shit, I've dated girls like that in real life. It f*cking sucked, dude.

...This exchange has wandered pretty far from the initial topic of difficulty spikes, eh?

lol they tend to wander when I get in conversations with people in these forums.

And I mention it, because if you keep your romance going, without cheating, up until ME3 you get a bonus. If you cheat on your ME1 lover in ME2, then there will supposedly be consequences. And I dunno, Liara never really got a rise out of me (not meant to be a sexual pun neither -.-). And then she became a ***** in ME2. Made me do Renegade things. But they are making another DLC where you can continue your relationship with her.

Now, is it me, or did you also spend a loooong time choosing on who to give up on Illos? I HATED the decision... I liked Ashley, but Kaiden was Shepard's best friend (or closest thing to) in ME1... I honestly hate myself everytime I make the choice, except when I am a Renegade.

As for Miranda, I don't know... it was her, Tali, or Jack... and honestly, out of the three, Miranda was the best. She was very good looking, especially her Mo-Cap actress. Amazing... assets. And despite all the whining, it was hard for me not to like her, especially when she became LESS of a ***** later on.

 

[Freshman]

"reach out with the force and grab that destroyer" (force unleashed) it took me 2 hours to bring down the damn destroyer, because if it wasnt oriented just right, you couldnt pull it down, and if you got that far, you couldnt pull it down the rest of the way because tie fighters spawn to attack you before you can totally crash it, so you have to defend yourself, in which time, it has magically floated back up and turned.

 

[ServebotFrank]

The Persona series had several spikes in difficulty that it made me want to crunch up my controller and throw it. Beginning of Persona 4 was quite easy until you get to the first real boss that loves to kick your ass by spamming fire on your party member Chie who has a fire weakness so the boss gets extra attacks. then the game gets easy again then the second boss kicks your ass until you grind five levels then the game slowly goes down easy street for the rest of the game.

Dead Rising does not have the difficulty spikes everyone says in my opinion and I beat that game when I was just turning 11.

Resident Evil 5 has one annoying bit where you're playing co-op against the final boss and the second player has to constantly press the button but will almost always fail. After about an hour I took the controller from my friend and did it in about six tries. With my other friend we had to cheat to win.

 

[Swinedog08]

God of War 2, Theseus on Titan Mode. After 20 minutes of fighting, getting hit by one of his ice bolts, which stunned you for just long enough for the minotaurs to do the big overhead axe smash and one shot you.

Or if that failed accidentally rolling into the one hit kill ice spikes in the ground. >_>

 

[Tomster595]

Psychonauts has a well documented case of this. The first half is easy, but still brilliant, and then there's that sudden huge spike in difficulty. With controls as imprecise as that, it's quite frustrating.

Also, CoD 4. The Pripyat mission, with the end of level defence. It was going so well up to that point.

Ahhh yes. I hate that mission with a passion.

 

[Indiscrimi]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

I know! Your teammates are so completely useless in ME2. In ME1, even on Insanity, your teammates got shit done without you taking every single bullet for them. Is it normal for AI to get worse in a sequel? Or did Bioware just not bother to balance the difficulty this time?

(I forget to say this earlier: Good luck with your English degree.)

(Oh, why thank you, sir. I need it >_<)

Well, they got a little dumb between Star Wars: KOTOR games too. I also love how you have to hold their hands through EVERYTHING! "No, Jack, use your pistol for longer distance, not your shotgun." "No, Garrus, you little idiot, use your sniper because you are better with it." It's like, sheesh! They are little children. It's why being an asshole Renegade guy gives me so much joy. He says the stuff I, myself, want to say to them. Then come the creepy glowing eyes while talking in darkness. Sooooo omnious and amazing, hahahah.

I am actually going to start working on Female Shepard (Paragon, of course) because the second game isn't so tempting to make you cheat on your ME1 lover as a female. As a guy I can never turn down Miranda. I just can't. Compared to Ashley, especially. Ashley is too butchy and "Grr" for my tastes. Miranda is gorgeous, fun, flirty, everything. And a better fighter than Ashley, stupid A.I. or not.

I'm pretty sure bedding someone just before having to decide the fate of the galaxy and then disappearing for two years constitutes a "one night stand", so fidelity isn't really an issue. I just can't stand Ashley. She keeps flirting with you, and every time you flirt back, suddenly she's miss "I could kill you with one hand". A lot of people complain about the poetry; I don't mind it, but what puts me off most is the fact that she's religious. I'm sorry, but religion and sex don't go well together. Bottom line: I always go for Liara T'Soni. She's smart, attractive, soft-spoken, psychic, and...well...she's an alien! Come on! It's worth it for the novelty alone!

As for ME2, I hate Miranda. I lived in Australia for four years, so the accent does nothing for me at this point. And she's a straight-up *****. It's always, "wah wah! Daddy didn't love me! Me me me!" Shit, I've dated girls like that in real life. It f*cking sucked, dude.

...This exchange has wandered pretty far from the initial topic of difficulty spikes, eh?

lol they tend to wander when I get in conversations with people in these forums.

And I mention it, because if you keep your romance going, without cheating, up until ME3 you get a bonus. If you cheat on your ME1 lover in ME2, then there will supposedly be consequences. And I dunno, Liara never really got a rise out of me (not meant to be a sexual pun neither -.-). And then she became a ***** in ME2. Made me do Renegade things. But they are making another DLC where you can continue your relationship with her.

Now, is it me, or did you also spend a loooong time choosing on who to give up on Illos? I HATED the decision... I liked Ashley, but Kaiden was Shepard's best friend (or closest thing to) in ME1... I honestly hate myself everytime I make the choice, except when I am a Renegade.

But the way that choice is set up is so brilliant: Most games would try to FORCE you to bond with the characters somehow (precisely the uncreative purpose of the loyalty missions in ME2), but in ME1, they start you off with two squadmates whose abilities complement each other's perfectly. Ashley and Kaiden are designed to work together. On my first playthrough I was kinda hoping I could play matchmaker for them while Liara was "getting a rise out of me" (I can't pass up a perfectly good innuendo...sorry).

By the time you get alien squadmates you're comfortable with the humans as friends and familiar with their combat abilities. The obvious path forward has been set before you, and deviating from it is a daunting prospect when the vast, unknowable hostility of an entire galaxy is bearing down on you and it's your first time facing it.

If they'd tried to force me to like the characters by making me spend more time with them or learn their backstories, I would have known something was afoot. If they'd tried to make them perfect people - without quirks, without "issues", without all of the personality defects that make me want to bite their faces off - they wouldn't have felt real, and I wouldn't have gotten attached to them. "These are the people you know; these are the people to whom you want to stay close." This is the message that every first-time ME1 player has subconsciously planted in their mind before they've even left the Citadel. Every single person I know who has played ME1 - myself included - played through every mission with Kaiden and Ashley, right up to Virmire. And for every single person I know who has played ME1 - myself included - that choice was absolutely, heart-rendingly tragic.

The first time, that is. Now I know before I even start a playthrough whom I'm going to let die. It's a bit callous but, well, one of them has to go, so, watcha gonna do?

 

[Free Thinker]

FF13...DHAKA!!!!!!!!!!!
You and your instant-death fire blast of doom and your 2.3 million health!

 

[Josh Kurber]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

I know! Your teammates are so completely useless in ME2. In ME1, even on Insanity, your teammates got shit done without you taking every single bullet for them. Is it normal for AI to get worse in a sequel? Or did Bioware just not bother to balance the difficulty this time?

(I forget to say this earlier: Good luck with your English degree.)

(Oh, why thank you, sir. I need it >_<)

Well, they got a little dumb between Star Wars: KOTOR games too. I also love how you have to hold their hands through EVERYTHING! "No, Jack, use your pistol for longer distance, not your shotgun." "No, Garrus, you little idiot, use your sniper because you are better with it." It's like, sheesh! They are little children. It's why being an asshole Renegade guy gives me so much joy. He says the stuff I, myself, want to say to them. Then come the creepy glowing eyes while talking in darkness. Sooooo omnious and amazing, hahahah.

I am actually going to start working on Female Shepard (Paragon, of course) because the second game isn't so tempting to make you cheat on your ME1 lover as a female. As a guy I can never turn down Miranda. I just can't. Compared to Ashley, especially. Ashley is too butchy and "Grr" for my tastes. Miranda is gorgeous, fun, flirty, everything. And a better fighter than Ashley, stupid A.I. or not.

I'm pretty sure bedding someone just before having to decide the fate of the galaxy and then disappearing for two years constitutes a "one night stand", so fidelity isn't really an issue. I just can't stand Ashley. She keeps flirting with you, and every time you flirt back, suddenly she's miss "I could kill you with one hand". A lot of people complain about the poetry; I don't mind it, but what puts me off most is the fact that she's religious. I'm sorry, but religion and sex don't go well together. Bottom line: I always go for Liara T'Soni. She's smart, attractive, soft-spoken, psychic, and...well...she's an alien! Come on! It's worth it for the novelty alone!

As for ME2, I hate Miranda. I lived in Australia for four years, so the accent does nothing for me at this point. And she's a straight-up *****. It's always, "wah wah! Daddy didn't love me! Me me me!" Shit, I've dated girls like that in real life. It f*cking sucked, dude.

...This exchange has wandered pretty far from the initial topic of difficulty spikes, eh?

lol they tend to wander when I get in conversations with people in these forums.

And I mention it, because if you keep your romance going, without cheating, up until ME3 you get a bonus. If you cheat on your ME1 lover in ME2, then there will supposedly be consequences. And I dunno, Liara never really got a rise out of me (not meant to be a sexual pun neither -.-). And then she became a ***** in ME2. Made me do Renegade things. But they are making another DLC where you can continue your relationship with her.

Now, is it me, or did you also spend a loooong time choosing on who to give up on Illos? I HATED the decision... I liked Ashley, but Kaiden was Shepard's best friend (or closest thing to) in ME1... I honestly hate myself everytime I make the choice, except when I am a Renegade.

But the way that choice is set up is so brilliant: Most games would try to FORCE you to bond with the characters somehow (precisely the uncreative purpose of the loyalty missions in ME2), but in ME1, they start you off with two squadmates whose abilities complement each other's perfectly. Ashley and Kaiden are designed to work together. On my first playthrough I was kinda hoping I could play matchmaker for them while Liara was "getting a rise out of me" (I can't pass up a perfectly good innuendo...sorry).

By the time you get alien squadmates you're comfortable with the humans as friends and familiar with their combat abilities. The obvious path forward has been set before you, and deviating from it is a daunting prospect when the vast, unknowable hostility of an entire galaxy is bearing down on you and it's your first time facing it.

If they'd tried to force me to like the characters by making me spend more time with them or learn their backstories, I would have known something was afoot. If they'd tried to make them perfect people - without quirks, without "issues", without all of the personality defects that make me want to bite their faces off - they wouldn't have felt real, and I wouldn't have gotten attached to them. "These are the people you know; these are the people to whom you want to stay close." This is the message that every first-time ME1 player has subconsciously planted in their mind before they've even left the Citadel. Every single person I know who has played ME1 - myself included - played through every mission with Kaiden and Ashley, right up to Virmire. And for every single person I know who has played ME1 - myself included - that choice was absolutely, heart-rendingly tragic.

The first time, that is. Now I know before I even start a playthrough whom I'm going to let die. It's a bit callous but, well, one of them has to go, so, watcha gonna do?

Aye, I was the same. I never expected to make a choice. And when it came down to it, I literally sat there for about ten minutes racking over my brain... sadly enough, only once did I let Ashley live lol. In real life, I dunno though... in the game it would be choosing best friend or girl you like. At the time I was dating a girl I thought I would spend my life with, and I always knew I would choose to save her over the friend. I hate games that make me choose these things lol. HATE them. inFamous did it... but way worse... and for the life of me I can't remember any other games, but Iknow some that did.

And actually, I always used Kaiden for his Decryption skills and whatnot, and then usually Wrex. Loved them. I rarely used Ashely except the profile where I was going to let her live. If I was going to kill them off there was NO way I was going to give myself to get attached to them. Ya know?

 

[Varanfan9]

A bit old school but the Frankenstein level of Castlevania. Before that the game was challenging but you were not going to be stuck on a level for like months on end. And then this level comes a long and just gives you one giant fuck you. First part is filled with instant deaths the second has Flea men constantly coming and the final part has you fight two bone dragons before fighting a boss that has an invincible Flea man that can shoot a fire ball at you. Holy shit,

 

[Tomster595]

I found GTA 4 pretty easy for the most part. Most of the missions can be beaten just by being patient and staying behind cover until everything is dead. But I don't even remember how many times I died on that mission where you have to steal the heroin from the bombed out hospital and then escape the cops.

The building is a maze, there are cops and gang-members who apparently have decided to team up to take you out, and as soon as you find a way outside there are more cops, no cover, and no vehicles. I eventually managed to steal a cop car with a sliver of health and make it out of there.

Oh my god, I hate that mission. I was playing , multiplayer the other day and stumbled upon that building.. soooo many bad memories haha. I think I jumped in the river then swam across

 

[Drexlor]

The ATAC and Radec boss fights in Killzone 2. I beat the ATAC by it somehow shooting itself to death, I still haven't beat Radec. The rest of the game is fun and (for the most part) easy.

 

[JWW]

The Forest level from The Hobbit computer game.

 

[Akihiko]

LOTR: The Third Age. Three hours of badassery, slight jump in Theoden's Hall. What happens next? Helm's Deep...nine constant fights with no save points at ALL! And your enemies consistently have better armor and almost four times as many hit points as your previously unprepared party. So, being caught off guard as such, you do what any sane person would do and rely on the movie insertion characters to save you from taking an Uruk-hai long-spear up your newly presented backside.

You managed to get that far? I gave up at this town over-run by goblins. Forget what it was called, since it was a good 5/6 odd years back, don't think it was that far into the game though. Mind you, if I'd of kept the save maybe I'd have got past it now.

Final Fantasy had a few for me, although I guess I wasn't that old at the time of playing. Excluding any side bosses, as they were meant to be hard. Demon Door/Gate in Temple of the Ancients FF7, Fujin and Raijin in FF8(FOund all the other bosses insanely easy, and yet they were somehow hard for me. I never understood it), Dragon at the start of Disk 4 FF9. Seymour at Mt Gagazet FFX(Although, that said, last time I replayed it I found him incredibly easy, guess I have more experience now).

Actually the JRPG genre in general has a lot of them, where you suddenly have to stop and grind.

 

[Indiscrimi]

Mass Effect 2, Collector Ship mission: No opportunity to prepare beforehand; enemies with shields, armour AND regenerating health; limited ammunition; teammates who die in eight seconds; and NO COVER. I beat it by turning the difficulty to the easiest setting. I'll be trying the higher difficulty again when Bioware decide to make some decent weapons and armour available for download. (I know about the Firepower and Aegis packs, but I know there will be better stuff yet.)

Really? I never had trouble in that mission. Mass Effect, one and two, was kinda straight-forward, normal game difficulty for all difficulties.

But I know what you mean. First time I played it I had no idea what was going to happen. I kept constantly saving lol.

I suppose I neglected to mention that I was playing on the hardest difficulty level (for the Achievement, naturally). It was a cakewalk in Mass Effect 1, being able to build up a character in one playthrough and keeping everything on the next, but Mass Effect 2 makes you buy all your upgrades again on successive playthroughs. Take this with the fact that biotics aren't as useful in ME2 as the were in ME1, and you have a significantly more challenging game - that one fight in particular because of the reasons I mentioned, and there are only so many upgrades you can buy back before being forced to do it.

And yes, biotics weren't as powerful, save for Jack. I stuck with Vanguard for Paragon and Soldier for Renegade. I am on Insanity as Renegade, and am doing a pretty good job. Albeit dying several more times than usual lol.

I wasn't a fan of the very few powers and upgrades you get. Plus most weren't very useful. My Renegade, though, had Reave as an extra skill. Surprisingly enough that works wonders, especially on Vorcha and Krogan, since it stops their ability to regenerate and gives you Health back.

That's uncanny. I use a Paragon Vanguard and a Renegade Soldier too. The Vanguard just sucks in ME2, though. It's annoying. His special power is to charge enemies and his primary weapon is useless at further than three metres, but getting close to enemies gets you dead, fast, even on Casual.

A friend of mine is currently trying to beat Insanity mode with a Sentinel that can use a sniper rifle. He's made it past the Collector Ship, so he might just make it all the way.

I'm assuming you haven't done the Collector Ship on Insanity yet. I wish you the best of luck when you get there. You're going to need it.

That IS quite odd xDD

And I have never used anything besides a Vanguard or Soldier in all my times of playing these two games. Can't force myself to lol. I give my own characters their own stories in my mind (me being an aspiring novelist and all) and I am just not a fan of a sniper, or some tech-savvy mofo. I quite enjoy the killers, or the killers with powers.

And really? My Vanguard rocked the shit out of all. More so than my Soldier. And my Soldier reached 60 on ME1, though that is quite irrelevant, 'cept for the ME2 bonuses. I never powered up Charge. I mostly spent on, first, the Vanguard Status. Then I built up my Inferno Ammo and Cryo Ammo. Never used my powers in ME2, oddly enough. Kinda a waste to be a Vanguard, but oh well lol.

And thanks. It's going to suuuuuuck. But my Soldier is pretty powerful. I think just the feel of being an uber bad ass with glowing eyes and grotesque, yet awesome, scars kinda just pumps me up through the fighting xDD

(Momentarily off-topic.) As a writer and teacher of English, I can tell you that there is no such thing as an "aspiring novelist"; there are only published and unpublished novelists. Good writing is not something to be aspired to; you can either do it, or you can't. Getting a publisher to recognize good writing is the tricky part.

(Back on-topic.) My biggest problem with Insanity mode is that I keep running out of ammo, so when I was using my Vanguard I was usually standing behind cover and spamming shockwave (hence cover being such an impediment for my established combat methods on the Collector Ship). I don't think I used my shotgun at all on Insanity; if I was close enough to use it, I was already dead. And I see absolutely no point in sinking skill points into two different kinds of special ammo - setting things on fire works well for me every time.

Say what you like about that long-range "tech-savvy mofo", but having a shield that can absorb a thousand points of damage and a gun that takes off half of an enemy's health bar in one hit from 100 metres away has worked well for my friend so far.

Aye, I am hoping to one day be a published writer. Big time. I am also going for my English degree, coincidentally.

Well, see, Cryo Ammo was perfect against the big hordes of Husks, I learned. If you shoot their legs with cryo ammo their legs shatter in one shot and they go down. I found it perfect for when I got stuck on that damned Derelict Reaper. I usually used my Fire Ammo for the shields and whatnot, since it burned through quite well. And I learned Mordin (I think I spelled that right) is PERFECT for the battle through the Collector Ship. His Inferno tech worked WONDERS. Plus, having him on your final team makes it that much easier to have every teammate survive. And sending Tali off with the crew members you rescue, since they are the weakest of all the fighters.

And I know what you mean: I have occasionally used the sniper rifle with my Soldier, but I just don't like to for some reason. I refuse to touch one in any shooter I play unless absolutely necessary.

Wow. I didn't know that about Cryo Ammo. And I don't think I've ever tried Mordin's Inferno tech. Thanks for the tips: I'll keep them in mind for my next run at Insanity.

I don't like sniping either, but when I'm playing on the hardest difficulty, fighting fair is not high on my list of priorities. Do whatever works, right?

To be honest, I didn't know either lol. While playing through that one random side quest on a planet, the one FILLED with Husks, I accidentally turned on my Cryo ammo and shot one in the legs and it died right then and there. Surprised the hell outta me. And yeah, I never liked using Mordin, and honetly wouldn't have if he hadn't died the first time I played Mass Effect 2. (when it came out on 360 I rented the next day. I just recently bought both games for my new laptop.) And When I looked through his moves I used Inferno and it busted right through Harbinger's Shield. Amazed the hell outta me, so I now have a new respect for the hyper-active alien.

What I found funny about his death the first time I beat ME2, was how much I HATED him. Couldn't stand him to even talk to him once I finished his Loyalty quest. So I spent a long while pondering to myself, "Hmm... the only teammate to die was the one person I never liked. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

And you are quite right on that. I just hate how my teammates (Usually Miranda and Garrus) just stare, dumbfounded, as enemies walk right past them and blast me in the only cover nearby for like a mile (major exaggeration). I kept dying in the mission to get Jack because they were complete buffoons. I mean, it's hard to play unfair when your teammates don't even fuckin' HELP you play unfair.

I know! Your teammates are so completely useless in ME2. In ME1, even on Insanity, your teammates got shit done without you taking every single bullet for them. Is it normal for AI to get worse in a sequel? Or did Bioware just not bother to balance the difficulty this time?

(I forget to say this earlier: Good luck with your English degree.)

(Oh, why thank you, sir. I need it >_<)

Well, they got a little dumb between Star Wars: KOTOR games too. I also love how you have to hold their hands through EVERYTHING! "No, Jack, use your pistol for longer distance, not your shotgun." "No, Garrus, you little idiot, use your sniper because you are better with it." It's like, sheesh! They are little children. It's why being an asshole Renegade guy gives me so much joy. He says the stuff I, myself, want to say to them. Then come the creepy glowing eyes while talking in darkness. Sooooo omnious and amazing, hahahah.

I am actually going to start working on Female Shepard (Paragon, of course) because the second game isn't so tempting to make you cheat on your ME1 lover as a female. As a guy I can never turn down Miranda. I just can't. Compared to Ashley, especially. Ashley is too butchy and "Grr" for my tastes. Miranda is gorgeous, fun, flirty, everything. And a better fighter than Ashley, stupid A.I. or not.

I'm pretty sure bedding someone just before having to decide the fate of the galaxy and then disappearing for two years constitutes a "one night stand", so fidelity isn't really an issue. I just can't stand Ashley. She keeps flirting with you, and every time you flirt back, suddenly she's miss "I could kill you with one hand". A lot of people complain about the poetry; I don't mind it, but what puts me off most is the fact that she's religious. I'm sorry, but religion and sex don't go well together. Bottom line: I always go for Liara T'Soni. She's smart, attractive, soft-spoken, psychic, and...well...she's an alien! Come on! It's worth it for the novelty alone!

As for ME2, I hate Miranda. I lived in Australia for four years, so the accent does nothing for me at this point. And she's a straight-up *****. It's always, "wah wah! Daddy didn't love me! Me me me!" Shit, I've dated girls like that in real life. It f*cking sucked, dude.

...This exchange has wandered pretty far from the initial topic of difficulty spikes, eh?

lol they tend to wander when I get in conversations with people in these forums.

And I mention it, because if you keep your romance going, without cheating, up until ME3 you get a bonus. If you cheat on your ME1 lover in ME2, then there will supposedly be consequences. And I dunno, Liara never really got a rise out of me (not meant to be a sexual pun neither -.-). And then she became a ***** in ME2. Made me do Renegade things. But they are making another DLC where you can continue your relationship with her.

Now, is it me, or did you also spend a loooong time choosing on who to give up on Illos? I HATED the decision... I liked Ashley, but Kaiden was Shepard's best friend (or closest thing to) in ME1... I honestly hate myself everytime I make the choice, except when I am a Renegade.

But the way that choice is set up is so brilliant: Most games would try to FORCE you to bond with the characters somehow (precisely the uncreative purpose of the loyalty missions in ME2), but in ME1, they start you off with two squadmates whose abilities complement each other's perfectly. Ashley and Kaiden are designed to work together. On my first playthrough I was kinda hoping I could play matchmaker for them while Liara was "getting a rise out of me" (I can't pass up a perfectly good innuendo...sorry).

By the time you get alien squadmates you're comfortable with the humans as friends and familiar with their combat abilities. The obvious path forward has been set before you, and deviating from it is a daunting prospect when the vast, unknowable hostility of an entire galaxy is bearing down on you and it's your first time facing it.

If they'd tried to force me to like the characters by making me spend more time with them or learn their backstories, I would have known something was afoot. If they'd tried to make them perfect people - without quirks, without "issues", without all of the personality defects that make me want to bite their faces off - they wouldn't have felt real, and I wouldn't have gotten attached to them. "These are the people you know; these are the people to whom you want to stay close." This is the message that every first-time ME1 player has subconsciously planted in their mind before they've even left the Citadel. Every single person I know who has played ME1 - myself included - played through every mission with Kaiden and Ashley, right up to Virmire. And for every single person I know who has played ME1 - myself included - that choice was absolutely, heart-rendingly tragic.

The first time, that is. Now I know before I even start a playthrough whom I'm going to let die. It's a bit callous but, well, one of them has to go, so, watcha gonna do?

Aye, I was the same. I never expected to make a choice. And when it came down to it, I literally sat there for about ten minutes racking over my brain... sadly enough, only once did I let Ashley live lol. In real life, I dunno though... in the game it would be choosing best friend or girl you like. At the time I was dating a girl I thought I would spend my life with, and I always knew I would choose to save her over the friend. I hate games that make me choose these things lol. HATE them. inFamous did it... but way worse... and for the life of me I can't remember any other games, but Iknow some that did.

And actually, I always used Kaiden for his Decryption skills and whatnot, and then usually Wrex. Loved them. I rarely used Ashely except the profile where I was going to let her live. If I was going to kill them off there was NO way I was going to give myself to get attached to them. Ya know?

Before I forget again: I don't believe you about the reward for not cheating on your partner. It isn't Bioware's style to punish players who haven't played both prequels. Although I might be inclined to be a little more credulous if I knew your source.

I actually only let Kaiden live twice: My first playthrough, because, after much deliberation, I decided that, from a military point of view, a superior officer is less expendable than a grunt soldier. The other time was when I was playing a female Adept (I never really bonded with her, though) and ended up with Liara anyway...oh, cruel irony. Every other time I've played, I've decided that I would rather have a teammate who can use a real gun rather than one who can pick a lock.

I actually like having those kinds of decisions in a game. It makes me feel more invested in my character. Usually it doesn't really feel like a choice because I just choose whatever option is in line with the alignment I'm playing (Fallout 3 is a prime example, as are most of the choices in ME1 and 2), but I always get a little thrill from the knowledge that I COULD have chosen an easier path, and didn't. But choosing between Kaiden and Ashley...there's no right or wrong, no good or bad...there are only consequences. That was fantastic...in retrospect. At the time I was pissed off 'cause Ashley was carrying some of my best equipment and I didn't get it back after she blew up.

Oh? You would have chosen the girl over your friend in real life? That's dangerous, man. I've been there...kinda. I would never choose the girl over a friend, but there was one girl...I would've chosen her over myself without hesitation. When that relationship blew up in my face, it was my friends who were there for me. I would choose them over absolutely anything else. ...I'm getting the sense that you really put a lot of yourself into your characters: You play what you live. That's remarkable - a very useful skill for a writer to have. I usually try to keep who I am and who I play a few steps removed from each other. Being a bit detached feels...safer, somehow.

I hate to break off this fascinating correspondence but my business online is concluded for the evening and all this talk has me jonesing to get back into biotics-slinging. Feel free send me a personal message if you ever want to exchange tips or news about Mass Effect or RPGs in general, or even if you just want a sounding-board for your writing projects. Do let me know where you got this piece of news about some sort of fidelity bonus in ME3, and do let me know how the Collector Ship works out for you.

I'm serious. Don't start thinking, "oh, I haven't sent him a message in a while, so it probably wouldn't be appropriate to do so now. He probably won't remember me." Dude, if it's been so long that I don't remember you, I'll just look through my messages to remind myself. Your opinions and goals interest me; this doesn't happen very often with people I meet online. I have too many people on my 'friends list' with whom I've only ever conversed once. I feel like one of those facebook asshats who "friends" people he doesn't know. It's pathetic. So, just drop me a line whenever you want to talk about whatever. It's no imposition at all. Just be aware that I might not get back to you for a couple of days; I'm not on here regularly.

Wishing you good luck for the third time feels redundant, so I'll just finish by saying, "good night."