Poll: ME2 Save progression

[LGC Pominator]

I really liked having the progression as:
1: It means I don't have to fiddle around in the character creator to get myself exactly how I was in ME1
2: The choices (even small ones) made in the first game actually have some impact
3: Same character, moar pixels

Personally I think more adventure game sequels should have this feature, it would be awesome if they ever do a dragon age 2, I understand there is a similar thing in guild wars 2 (not exactly the same as it is set many years after the first game so our character is dead and gone, but the hall of heroes is said to contain a shrine to the activities of your character).

 

[Mcface]

Hey ,

I have an issue with ME2 save progression feature.
If by ME3 you don't like a choice you made in ME1 you have to replay the whole series as I hear that the quiz at the beginning of each game won't cut it.

What do you, the honorable Escapist members, believe ?

They want to reward players who played through ME 1 with a little something extra in the forum of their own choices impacting the game. If you didn't play the first, you don't get to experience that.

It's their way of rewarding their fans.

 

[TheyTookOurJobs]

My computer broke in January and I only got it fixed afew days before ME2 came out and I gladly locked myself indoors for half a week just so I could finish the first one again, just to get the small rewards in ME2.

And I belive the whole point of the system is having to live with your descisons from the first one, hence why one of the tips in the loading screen warns you about the consequences of your actions.

 

[reg42]

If you don't like a choice you made in ME, then why did you make it?
I think it's also to give the game more realism, after all I can't change what happened yesterday.

 

[leeloodallasmultipass]

If you're on the PC, you can just use a savegame editor to only need an ME2 playthrough.

What are these save game editors you speak of... i completed mass effect 1, but lost my save file in a reformat. Wishing my choices of saving the council and such were carried over to the 2nd one. but alas i had no choice in creating a fresh characer for ME2... So atm im runnning around everyone thinking i Killed the council when i didnt in my original play through

Spoiler: Save Game Editor Explanation

Give me a minute, I'll find a link...Here we go. [http://mod.gib.me/masseffect2/saveedit_rev25.zip]

Download, extract the files into a folder of your choice, doesn't matter where.
To create a new import file (which is actually more of a NG+ due to how it's handled), go File->New. Setup your character's class, name and all that stuff under the 'Basic' tab.

Then, under the Plot->Player tab, check "Played Mass Effect 1", ignore the Plot->Henchman tab for now, that's not going to change anything. The Plot->Mass Effect 1 tab has most of what you want for this stuff. Read the notes for the Values tab.

Not done yet! If you start like that, you'll have the default Shep head (depending on your gender) so you'll likely want to import a new head. Best way to do this is to make a new game yourself, make your own head (either using face codes from here [http://www.masseffect2faces.com/] or making your own), load up a second copy of the editor, load that save file with the new head, export the head mesh, then re-import it into your desired custom-made Shepard.

Finally, head to the Raw tab, scroll down to the Plot section of the table and there will be a End Game State line, click the drop down menu where it says 'NotFinished' and change it to LivedToFightAgain. Click save, make sure you save your new Shepard in a folder of their own in your ME directory (mine is Anna_11_Vanguard_110210. It goes Name_XY_Class_DD/MM/YY. The 'XY' refers to your Origin. X is Origin. Y is Notoriety. So in Anna's case, she's 11 which is Spacer Survivor. 32 would be Earthborn War Hero. You can find the numbers under the Plot->Mass Effect 1->Notes tab.)

You then boot up the game and import your character. If you LOAD your character, none of the changes will be in effect and you'll get the basic New Game settings.

Hope that all made sense. There are some other cool things you can do with the Editor like give yourself the Illusive Man's eyes (only come in red so far, the next version should come with the ability to change them.)

Rawr Thanks very much for the detailed response =) IM gonna create a New save/modify one once i complete this play through. The story/ Game just doesnt real right with the Difference in storyline from my ME1 Playthrough.

 

[razing32]

If you don't like a choice you made in ME, then why did you make it?
I think it's also to give the game more realism, after all I can't change what happened yesterday.

No, that's not what i meant. Let's say in ME1 i helped those scientists scan the keepers and because i did that, in ME3 some Liberated Keeper refuses to give me a quest.
(-it's an assumption i know)
Do i replay ME1 & 2 ??? - that was my issue , not the choice system , not rewards or anything else

 

[reg42]

If you don't like a choice you made in ME, then why did you make it?
I think it's also to give the game more realism, after all I can't change what happened yesterday.

No, that's not what i meant. Let's say in ME1 i helped those scientists scan the keepers and because i did that, in ME3 some Liberated Keeper refuses to give me a quest.
(-it's an assumption i know)
Do i replay ME1 & 2 ??? - that was my issue , not the choice system , not rewards or anything else

Ok I get you now.
That's why I think they make your changes not impact the storyline too much. I think they should let you choose what your choices were if you start a new Shepard.

 

[razing32]

Has anyone else noticed that some actors from Star Trek Next Generation are voice actors in ME games ?

Also I wonder what effect the romance options will have ) - female shepards get pregnant and male shepards pay child support - lol !

 

[Nomanslander]

When I saw how cold Liara had become in the second game, I went back and got with Ash instead, good thing I had saved before that choice was made, and even though still a xenophobic *****...Ash was a lot warmer.

I'd say good choice.....lol

If you don't like a choice you made in ME, then why did you make it?
I think it's also to give the game more realism, after all I can't change what happened yesterday.

lol

 

[Tharwen]

The progression feature only really for people who have played the prequels, and if you haven't it has to make a compromise. It also encourages people to buy prequels, getting BioWare more moneyz.

 

[razing32]

Yeah,

Marketing at its finest ....

ATARI did better with Swordquest. It was a puzzle game and the marketing did great, if you completed the game and found all clues you would get an actual prize - gold crown , chalice. - no joke -> THAT was marketing done for the consumer.

 

[Steampunk Viking]

I think the beauty and ideal of the Mass Effect series is just that, it's a series. I found Mass Effect 2 much more engaging since I actually experienced the first episode in the series, all choice making aside, I loved already having a personal connection with the characters (including my Shepard).

As a stand alone game, Mass Effect 2 is still brilliant but I don't think I would have found it as engaging had I not played the first game, and yeah it improved the system, but the point I'm making is that, for me, replaying the entire series as another character is almost a must purely because it would give me a greater appreciation of the series progression as a whole.

Think of it this way, all the renegade options that are forced upon you as a new character in Mass Effect 2 you probably wouldn't care about, afterall you weren't there to see how much it impacted you as a player. However, if you consciously made those choices whilst playing Mass Effect 1 you'll feel the impact of those decisions as you play on. In the end, is replaying the series really a punishment? Is starting a new character really a punishment? I personally don't think so.

 

[razing32]

It's your opinion and I respect it.

I personally find it punishment because it feels like grind, like redoing something you already did. I know what will happen and why , it just feel repetitive , that's all.

I guess in the long run , we'll have to see how history will judge the series as a whole...

 

[matt_newgrove]

Well if you've got a lot of spare time when ME3 is released you could pull a Mass Effect marathon.

 

[t.tocs]

I think it's a good idea to have this save progression. If you don't like a choice you made, just make a new character with part 2. Sure, it won't count for all the little things in the first game, but oh well. They didn't have to put this in the game. You can't always please everyone, so you might as well try to please as many as possible.