Lurker > CaptainOfCrush

I understand that there's a symbiotic relationship between athletes and sports media. Without the media, professional athletes probably won't make quite as much money as they currently do.

Still, I 100% side with Naomi and credit her for prioritizing her health *and* disrupting the system . Again, while the media probably helps boost the athletes' pay to an extent, these interviews are much more beneficial for the media themselves, the venue, the administrators (like the tournament director who tried to play hardball with Osaka and then wouldn't take media questions himself LOL), and sponsors. The leverage here has grown increasingly in the athletes' favor, as they can now grow their own name brand through social media and are less dependent on traditional media to do it for them. I think more athletes will follow Naomi's example here, and it'll be up to sports media to either adapt or fuck off toward further irrelevance.

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Yoblazer
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Yeah I love how unapologetically Bri-ish XC is.

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Yoblazer
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I can't recall - is there a downside to Control aside from the potential of losing control?

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Yoblazer
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You tell em Sholk

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Yoblazer
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I don't think there's a "right" decision between Ashley and Kaiden. I don't even think there's a "less wrong" decision - both are wrong!

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Yoblazer
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I never played Omega and Citadel back in the day. They'll be my last bits of "new" trilogy content, so it's disappointing to learn that one of em kinda sucks (and may not even work properly).

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Yoblazer
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Liara ftw

I've seen people trashing her characterization because she completely changed between ME1/2, but it made sense given the context of Shepard's death and a two-year passage. It would have made less sense if she had remained a doe-eyed scholar beyond ME1.

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Yoblazer
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At least they picked the most annoying normal enemy in the game!

(dunno if that makes it even worse)

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Yoblazer
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Yeah, I remember Shadow Broker being more unique a decade ago, but at least it tried bringing some new stuff to the table. If nothing else, it had a lot of fun easter eggs, and I thought the broker's ship was a really cool looking area.

Arrival, conversely, was a complete chore that did nothing new apart from the 30 seconds Shepard got to control a basic mech. I also hated how it handled Shepard's most significant moral dilemma yet (the killing of 300,000 innocent people near that mass relay) - by not giving the player any voice in the decision and having Shepard just go through with it on autopilot. It's like a precursor to ME3's ending!

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Yoblazer
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Shadow Broker is decent but still wasn't nearly as good as I remember. Overall I agree with you, but I'd have to call Arrival the worst of the bunch - which is quite a feat when Firewalker is one of your competitors.

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Yoblazer
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I don't remember the Arrival DLC being so... awful. I can't be the only one who thought that sucked, right.

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Yoblazer
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I think some of these trophies are glitched. I didn't get the "Paramour II" trophy despite getting with Liara in both games. Serves me right for choosing flirty dialogue options for every character and then dropping them at the end to stay faithful.

I guess canon Shep is thirstier than that.

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Yoblazer
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Sweet deal. The first was fun enough to earn the Platinum.

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Yoblazer
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I died quite a few times in this ME2 run. Even in Normal difficulty, enemies can shred through your shields if you patter around all overconfident (which I do all the time). I may have died more in ME2 Normal than I did in ME1 Insanity.

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Yoblazer
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I had multiple crashes during ME1, but 2 has been smooth outside of one hiccup during Legion's loyalty mission where I had to reload because enemies stopped appearing.

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Yoblazer
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Garrus >_>

Though yeah, noted. At least Garrus avenges his fallen comrades. Zaeed laughs en route to a bigger cut of the profits.

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Yoblazer
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I "selected correctly" my first time because I felt the game pointed players in the right direction pretty strongly. The human Cerberus duo are jack-of-all-trades type characters, whereas some of the later squadmates are true specialists.

Jack being a biotic force was layered on so damn thick, and Samara has been using her biotics in combat for 400 years - it had to be either of those. As for the tech specialist, Legion was portrayed as so far beyond everyone else, that I feared he was the *only* viable choice. I really wanted him in my party though, so I gambled on Tali, who had been the can-do techie for two games.

IMO, the toughest choice is for the Fire Team leader, as that's the most subjective. I assume Garrus is the runaway favorite there, but for players who really want him in their own squad, Miranda/Jacob luckily work as well. Even that makes sense, as most of the powerful specialists (Samara, Thane, Jack, Grunt, Kasumi) are loners who would be awful heading a team (or in Grunt's case, are about ten days old).

I guess one can argue that Zaeed got disrespected as a possible Fire Team leader, since he's been running dangerous missions (often team-based) for decades, and since Kasumi can actually function as the tech specialist despite being the other DLC character. But I mean... Zaeed's probably the most invisible person in the squad, so I doubt many people would pick him for anything.

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Yoblazer
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I forgot how epic the goddamn *role selections* are in the suicide mission. Yeah, I think this was worth neutering the ME3 cast. People still talk about this level all the time.

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Yoblazer
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There's no way way to unequip heavy weapons (ME2), right? This is a silly gripe, but I've always disliked the way they look strapped to Shep's back, and I never use them so I'd rather have them gone forever.

That's the only reason I stick with the flamethrower - it's the least ugly looking.

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Yoblazer
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Thanks! Time to finally recruit my favorite ME2 squadmate.

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Yoblazer
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TheRock1525 posted...

I forgot there's no save after the credits and you transfer your save file based on the autosave before fighting Robo-Skeleton Saren.

Speaking of, what about the save transfer from ME2 -> ME3? In keeping with canon, I want to complete Shadow Broker and Arrival after the Suicide Mission, but I'm not sure if the save will carry those over.

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Yoblazer
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I forgot about that (lol those two).

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Yoblazer
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Wait a minute, you can beat ME1 without ever recruiting Garrus? That means that after Virmire, your squad options can be limited to Liara, Tali, and one human.

I was set to end this realization by saying "ME3's party looking a little better!" but then I started comparing the bare minimum squads, aaaand

Liara, Tali, Ashley/Kaiden
vs
Liara, EDI, James, Ashley/Kaiden

Yeah I think ME3 still loses.

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Yoblazer
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Wtf I'm in the money on AMC (bought at 14.93 during the boom and held)

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Yoblazer
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KamikazePotato posted...

I would have waited two years.

Yeah, I think the fanbase would have been quite patient for the culmination, but EA was acting as Harbinger to a hive of Collector bioware employees. I can't even imagine how stressful the working conditions were on ME3.

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Yoblazer
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Would you have waited an six months of development time to get Mordin/Legion/Wrex as proper ME3 squadmates y/n

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Yoblazer
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Alright, I do gotta give major credit to Bioware for releasing ME3 TWO YEARS after ME2. Seriously, a two-year development cycle for a game like that - and this wasn't in the mid-90s when a developer could make annual Mega Man or DKC games - this was well into the age of AAA blockbuster releases which require a huge investment of time and resources.

So I totally understand why they couldn't bring more ME2 characters into your ME3 squad. It would have been just too hard given their time restraints, so they picked the two most popular teammates (who had been with you the longest) and gave the rest cameo roles. I get that.

But DLC Javik is complete corporate greed which they knew they'd get away with - James should have been the DLC character (but no one woulda bought him LOL).

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Yoblazer
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It was definitely a big deal, but EA/Bioware had the fanbase by the balls and knew it. None of the hardcore fans would actually boycott ME3, and most would spring extra for a Prothean teammate given how instrumental that race's lore was in shaping the first two games. What a douchey move.

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Yoblazer
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The only thing about ME2's streamlining that annoys me is the total lack of weapon stats. I know every acquired weapon is better than the starters, but there's no good way to actually compare them to each other.

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Yoblazer
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I always found it disappointing how you can't speak to Kasumi and Zaeed the way you do with "important" NPCs, including any other parry members. They just repeat their list of one-liners and can't actually have a conversation with Shepard, as if they weren't important enough to be given any cinematic camera angles or something.

It especially sucks with Kasumi because her design is so cool.

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Yoblazer
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Teenager is growing up and wants to do their own thing. Controlling parent overreacts and pushes her away despite his good intentions. Teenager rebels, runs away, does something foolish. Parent regrets his overreaction. A bunch of Disney stuff happens. Parent realizes that his child has grown and it's time to let her live her own life.

Look past the Disney plot points and required happy ending, and Ariel/Triton are very human, relatable characters. Theirs is the story countless fathers and daughters have lived, but because it's a Disney cartoon, it gets a perfectly happy ending and is told in the span of like a week versus several years.

Also, I don't think Ariel's actions are necessarily painted as "heroic" - she's just a flawed protagonist.

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Yoblazer
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They're probably a lot more affordable in the Southwest US, where land is plentiful and pools often come standard in many suburban homes. I assume that isn't the case in the Midwest or East coast.

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Yoblazer
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Dude, this is amazing. So happy for you!

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Yoblazer
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Oh yeah, Liara's gotta be first. This time around, I began Bring Down the Sky immediately after recruiting my full team, but I didn't finish it until near the end because I wanted my reward to scale at the highest level.

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Yoblazer
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You mean last before Ilos/endgame? Yep.

Noveria - Feros - Virmire has always seemed like the "correct" order in my headcanon.

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Yoblazer
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During my first run, I only bought recipes and inventory space upgrades. I didn't upgrade a single weapon - saved it all to splurge on an infinite magnum. I found there to be enough resources to craft ammo, even when playing with base-level weapons.

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Yoblazer
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The game crashed when I was about to beat the last boss on Insanity.

Twice in a row.

Fucking Bioware really wanting me to relive the old days.

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Yoblazer
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Yoblazer
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I now have more total XP than required to reach Level 30, but I was never given the level-up prompt. I probably never will be and will be stuck at 29 forever.

"the more things change"

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Yoblazer
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Berserk is lauded for its incredible art, dark setting, and Guts's character arc (one of the greatest nerd-genre protagonists ever) - but I think Miura's humor deserves some credit as well! I remember a lot of Puck's hijinks cracking me up.

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Yoblazer
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The 97 anime is pretty dated (tons of exposition, hokey voice acting from most characters apart from Guts), but it hits emotional high notes and I still love it. The manga is amazing from what I remember - I haven't kept up in a decade, but I'm obviously thinking about re-reading from start to finish now.

I've heard the anime from a few years ago is terrible.

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Yoblazer
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7X0hq0ug9q4

"yep"

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Yoblazer
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Holy shit... I'm gutted.

I just randomly thought about Berserk like two weeks ago, mentioned it to my gf and asked if she was down to watch the 90s anime. She wound up absolutely loving it despite the shocking ending, and she even started to consider reading the manga. Just two days ago, she asked me to replay the episode where Guts and Casca get romantic.

The timing of this is unreal. I'm shocked and she's going to be devastated.

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Yoblazer
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Try to unlock Lift as early as possible and then max that out. The biotic powers are pretty broken, so Lift, Throw, Barrier, and Warp should take heavy precedence over firearm skills. In combat, you should be accessing your ability wheel constantly and always using your biotics (it's easy to forget about them and focus on constant shooting).

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Yoblazer
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Didn't realize RE2Make sold that well - definitely deserved it!

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Yoblazer
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Yea, getting all the tech/biotic usage trophies is really easy this time regardless of Shepard's own abilities, since you can just get your squadmates to spam whatever you need.

Had I known this, I would not have been an Engineer. Oh well, time for ME2/3 Vanguard fun runs!

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Yoblazer
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Beat ME1 (Engineer, Level 28, 32:45 playtime, Platinum, nearly 100%)

I was progressing at a leisurely pace and doing considerably more side content than needed for the Platinum (in fact, I got the trophy for completing a "majority of the game" between Noveria and Feros). I feel like the Plat can be comfortably obtained inside 25 hours, with a playthrough of only the main planets in 10-12. That's a bit faster than I remember back in the day, so I'm sure some of the Legendary Edition alterations made things more efficient and streamlined.

It's probably been a decade since I played the original, and I'm pleasantly surprised after going in with tempered expectations. My general feelings are about the same: this is a flawed game with a wonderful core, one that created a rich and engrossing universe. The main plot, visuals, music, lore, and Sci-Fi essence are the high points for me. The broken ass economy - one where I max out on money midway through the game and then have no idea what to do with my remaining gear as I repeatedly approach the item limit - was the low point this time around.

Also, it seems like I *don't* have the option to re-spec my Shepard in NG+. If I want to tackle Insanity, it'll be as a flippin Engineer. =(

Oh one last thing: I finished at Level 28, but the gap between 28 and 29 was enormous - the first huge level-up chasm of the game. Despite completing all but two side quests, I was so far from Level 29 that it seems impossible to hit the 30 cap in one playthrough.

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Yoblazer
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ME1 does have more customization. Yeah it has more gear, but from what I recall, each character also has access to more abilities, and weapons are quite customizable as well (in the late game, you can swap in up to three unique upgrades per weapon). Combine that with all the different types of weaponry, and you can easily do something like customize your pistol to rapid-fire ice rounds like a submachine gun or fire devastating explosive rounds like a sniper rifle.

Now obviously, that's not to say that ME1 does its inventory management particularly WELL (this is actually my biggest gripe with the game at the moment, even more than mountainous Mako traversal), but the options for tweaking your team is significant.

IIRC, ME2's customization options were far more limited. This was a big plus for most people, as it was more accessible and resulted in each ability upgrade being much more impactful, but again, there will always be those gamers who prefer little tweaks and inventory management.

Also, it's totally unfair that ME1's overall plot gets slept in whenever the series is discussed. A lot of the side content sucks, but the main plot is tightly focused and super well executed.

Oh and for the love of god, here's the Mass Effect Hill I die on forever:

Sovereign >>> Harbinger

Harbinger was a troll who spawned a bunch of memes. Sovereign was an actual mind-fuck supervillain, and the conversation with him on Virmire might still be my favorite moment in the series. I remember it leaving my wide-eyed back in 2007.

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Yoblazer
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I agree with shine. No, I wouldn't call the original better than 2, but it does have certain things going for it, like an impressive sense of scale (especially when considering you can somehow rush through the game in like four hours), an amazing sci-fi feel, more open exploration, and the franchise's origin story (I'm a sucker for those).

Most people are going to prefer the much better polish, more unique individual missions, and infinitely funner ensemble cast of ME2, but it isn't a pure upgrade in the way something like REMake > RE1 would be. The games are different enough that I can understand people preferring the original despite its flaws. And honestly, I'm 30 leisurely-paced hours into ME1, am well on my way to 100%ing it, and am enjoying the experience more than I thought. With all the technical improvements and quick loading times, I'd say the game holds up surprisingly well.

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Yoblazer
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Michio Kaku

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