Trailers: Mass Effect 2: Arrival

[Tilted_Logic]

And then there's Mass Effect. All that shit about the Citadel being the only entry to the galaxy from deep space?

If someone already responded to you, then sorry for this post, I haven't read the whole thread; I think the whole thing about the Citadel was that it was the only means for the Reapers to quickly access our galaxy from dark space. When the ability for them to use it was cut off in Mass Effect, the reapers had to physically enter our galaxy by way of non instantaneous travel. (Which we see at the end of Mass Effect 2) Because they don't have the convenience of using the Citadel, they have to instead reach a Mass Relay in order to spread through the Galaxy. Had they been able to use the Citadel, they would have arrived already and presumably killed off everyone.

So it really isn't just a convenient plot portal, it's simple logic: can't take the short cut, so you take the long way.

Nah dawg, here's the convenient plot portal and access to ALL OF THE RELAYS. ALL OF THEM.

I don't really understand your point here, Mass Relays exist to connect the galaxy - an easy way of getting from point A to point B, or point F, R, X etc...

I'll put the rest in spoilers for those who haven't played the Arrival DLC.

Spoiler

In the arrival, you're at the far edge of the galaxy; the whole point of the DLC is to hammer out the fact that even though you've stopped the Reapers from invading via the Citadel, they are still determined to reach our Galaxy - it's just taken them a few years. If you can disrupt their ability to use the closest Mass Relay available to them, then it will take them even longer to spread through the galaxy.

Everything thus far has been about disrupting/delaying the Reapers. That's all you can really do when you don't have a solid means by which to destroy the threat presented to you.

 

[kasperbbs]

My opinion on what me3 will be: A lot of kissing ass for help defending earth for at least half of the game and fixing their problems, now i`ll probably need to explain to batarians why i killed 300k of their people.

 

[dkyros]

did anyone else just get pumped?

 

[gbemery]

Believe it or not, some people actually enjoy the action parts of an Action RPG.

Umm action ADVENTURE rpg...the adventure means it's better. sorry just thought it was funny how they put that "adventure" part on the game box.

 

[Haagrum]

To all the people crying "Ruined FOREVER!" about this DLC, may I address one small flaw in your reasoning: you are assuming that the events of ME1 & ME2 provide the full story, or even hint at the full capabilities of the Reapers.

The Reapers are not stupid megalomaniacs. They know exactly what they're doing and why. They make contingency plans. They can get annoyed and they're dismissive of lesser life forms, but they don't lose focus and they are thorough. They've been doing this stuff for a long time while leaving no evidence.* One can safely assume they have a tendency to ensure that, one way or another, they achieve what they set out to achieve.

What they most definitely would NOT do is only have one plan, or leave anything to chance. If you can operate on their time-frame, you have plenty of opportunity to make sure there are no convenient holes in your overall plan which would undermine the end goal. A few delays here and there will make no difference, so long as you succeed in the end. Plan A (ME1) was Plan A because it would be impossible for the opposition to come back from. Plan B (ME2) was Plan B largely because it made a re-run of Plan A possible. Both were more efficient than anything else they could do.

The existence of Plans C onward SHOULD just be met with a response of "Yay, more Mass Effect!"

But, if you still don't like the DLC, then don't play it. Simple. Please just don't waste time whining or trying to start an argument about it.


* = props for anyone who got the Invader Zim reference

 

[Tilted_Logic]

Thus eliminating the whole point of them being trapped in dark space. Without FTL travel, the distance required for them to reach the edge of our galaxy from where they were at the end of ME2 would be a couple of thousand light years. It's not as easy as going from a solar system to another; the galaxy is pretty big.
ME2 was an unplanned sequel with different writers; the original intent was that Reapers could not enter our galaxy so easily without the Citadel relay.

I never claimed traveling from dark space to a galaxy would be quick, but I was under the assumption the Reapers were ridiculously resourceful and powerful beings; I don't see why they couldn't have some method of travelling faster than say, an Alliance ship could.

You didn't pay much attention to the DLC, did you. That particular relay was *special* - it allowed access to all the other relays at the same time, while normal relays could only connect one at a time. Which is a bit too convenient for my taste.

I must have missed that part then. The Reapers having access to any Mass Relay seems like a scenario that would end in mass devastation, regardless of whether they could spread through the galaxy instantaneously or through a few relay jumps. Either way, as other people have pointed out, the Alpha Relay was likely in place as a contingency plan in case the Citadel failed.

Your dislike for this all seems to be rooted in the fact you don't like Bioware making things simple or easy, but in reality wouldn't it make sense for the Reapers to have things set up that way?

 

[Legion]

I just hope ME3 isn't centered around Earth. I don't care about Earth. I'm here to save the galaxy, not to play favorite with certain races.

I feel the same way but it will be. For some reason Bioware have decided to focus Shepard's story on humanity rather than the galaxy as a whole. Shepard even specifically mentions that "humans" will fight the Reapers, he doesn't mention the other races at all (which he did in Mass Effect 1), I don't get why they think we need another cliché "humans save the day" plot, I really don't.

To all the people crying "Ruined FOREVER!" about this DLC, may I address one small flaw in your reasoning: you are assuming that the events of ME1 & ME2 provide the full story, or even hint at the full capabilities of the Reapers.

The Reapers are not stupid megalomaniacs. They know exactly what they're doing and why. They make contingency plans. They can get annoyed and they're dismissive of lesser life forms, but they don't lose focus and they are thorough. They've been doing this stuff for a long time while leaving no evidence.* One can safely assume they have a tendency to ensure that, one way or another, they achieve what they set out to achieve.

What they most definitely would NOT do is only have one plan, or leave anything to chance. If you can operate on their time-frame, you have plenty of opportunity to make sure there are no convenient holes in your overall plan which would undermine the end goal. A few delays here and there will make no difference, so long as you succeed in the end. Plan A (ME1) was Plan A because it would be impossible for the opposition to come back from. Plan B (ME2) was Plan B largely because it made a re-run of Plan A possible. Both were more efficient than anything else they could do.

The existence of Plans C onward SHOULD just be met with a response of "Yay, more Mass Effect!"

But, if you still don't like the DLC, then don't play it. Simple. Please just don't waste time whining or trying to start an argument about it.


* = props for anyone who got the Invader Zim reference

My Business ... Is Done!

I agree, just because they said in Mass Effect 1 that they used the Citadel to get into normal space, does not mean that it's the only way, the people in the game who said these things were basing it off of assumptions and what little information they had to go on. It does not mean the Reapers were not capable of doing anything else.

I really cannot fathom how people don't get this is a trilogy, where we don't know everything from the start.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I just hope ME3 isn't centered around Earth. I don't care about Earth. I'm here to save the galaxy, not to play favorite with certain races.

I feel the same way but it will be. For some reason Bioware have decided to focus Shepard's story on humanity rather than the galaxy as a whole. Shepard even specifically mentions that "humans" will fight the Reapers, he doesn't mention the other races at all (which he did in Mass Effect 1), I don't get why they think we need another cliché "humans save the day" plot, I really don't.

It would render Paragon Shepards pretty non-canonical. Seeing as Paragon=pro-galaxy and Renegade=pro-human. But with the missteps Bioware has been making recently, I wouldn't doubt it.

 

[Legion]

I just hope ME3 isn't centered around Earth. I don't care about Earth. I'm here to save the galaxy, not to play favorite with certain races.

I feel the same way but it will be. For some reason Bioware have decided to focus Shepard's story on humanity rather than the galaxy as a whole. Shepard even specifically mentions that "humans" will fight the Reapers, he doesn't mention the other races at all (which he did in Mass Effect 1), I don't get why they think we need another cliché "humans save the day" plot, I really don't.

It would render Paragon Shepards pretty non-canonical. Seeing as Paragon=pro-galaxy and Renegade=pro-human. But with the missteps Bioware has been making recently, I wouldn't doubt it.

Remember that we were forced to work with Cerberus in Mass Effect 2 (which my Paragade Shepard would never have done given the choice) so it isn't that far fetched really, and they are an anti-alien group.

I don't see Bioware forcing us to not care about other races, but I believe that the game will be spent recruiting the others to save Earth. This has been hinted at quite strongly so far, and when they accidentally leaked the release of ME3 on the EA site, it mentioned this.

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I just hope ME3 isn't centered around Earth. I don't care about Earth. I'm here to save the galaxy, not to play favorite with certain races.

I feel the same way but it will be. For some reason Bioware have decided to focus Shepard's story on humanity rather than the galaxy as a whole. Shepard even specifically mentions that "humans" will fight the Reapers, he doesn't mention the other races at all (which he did in Mass Effect 1), I don't get why they think we need another cliché "humans save the day" plot, I really don't.

It would render Paragon Shepards pretty non-canonical. Seeing as Paragon=pro-galaxy and Renegade=pro-human. But with the missteps Bioware has been making recently, I wouldn't doubt it.

Remember that we were forced to work with Cerberus in Mass Effect 2 (which my Paragade Shepard would never have done given the choice) so it isn't that far fetched really, and they are an anti-alien group.

I don't see Bioware forcing us to not care about other races, but I believe that the game will be spent recruiting the others to save Earth. This has been hinted at quite strongly so far, and when they accidentally leaked the release of ME3 on the EA site, it mentioned this.

I'd set up a trap for the Reapers and sacrifice Earth. I just feel like we should be given a choice. Save your own planet, but all other races take a huge hit or sacrifice Earth and focus on protecting the galaxy.

 

[Legion]

I just hope ME3 isn't centered around Earth. I don't care about Earth. I'm here to save the galaxy, not to play favorite with certain races.

I feel the same way but it will be. For some reason Bioware have decided to focus Shepard's story on humanity rather than the galaxy as a whole. Shepard even specifically mentions that "humans" will fight the Reapers, he doesn't mention the other races at all (which he did in Mass Effect 1), I don't get why they think we need another cliché "humans save the day" plot, I really don't.

It would render Paragon Shepards pretty non-canonical. Seeing as Paragon=pro-galaxy and Renegade=pro-human. But with the missteps Bioware has been making recently, I wouldn't doubt it.

Remember that we were forced to work with Cerberus in Mass Effect 2 (which my Paragade Shepard would never have done given the choice) so it isn't that far fetched really, and they are an anti-alien group.

I don't see Bioware forcing us to not care about other races, but I believe that the game will be spent recruiting the others to save Earth. This has been hinted at quite strongly so far, and when they accidentally leaked the release of ME3 on the EA site, it mentioned this.

I'd set up a trap for the Reapers and sacrifice Earth. I just feel like we should be given a choice. Save your own planet, but all other races take a huge hit or sacrifice Earth and focus on protecting the galaxy.

With any luck, Bioware will remember that they are a company that supposedly make RPG's, and will give us some choices, I cannot fathom the lack of choices (with consequences) that they have been including in their recent games.

 

[sumanoskae]

I just hope ME3 isn't centered around Earth. I don't care about Earth. I'm here to save the galaxy, not to play favorite with certain races.

My guess us Mass Effect 3 will be structured similarly to Dragon Age: Origins, having to navigate various races political issues, pick sides, do some less then savory stuff to get them off their asses to combat the Reapers... fly th damn Normandy properly for once

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I just hope ME3 isn't centered around Earth. I don't care about Earth. I'm here to save the galaxy, not to play favorite with certain races.

I feel the same way but it will be. For some reason Bioware have decided to focus Shepard's story on humanity rather than the galaxy as a whole. Shepard even specifically mentions that "humans" will fight the Reapers, he doesn't mention the other races at all (which he did in Mass Effect 1), I don't get why they think we need another cliché "humans save the day" plot, I really don't.

It would render Paragon Shepards pretty non-canonical. Seeing as Paragon=pro-galaxy and Renegade=pro-human. But with the missteps Bioware has been making recently, I wouldn't doubt it.

Remember that we were forced to work with Cerberus in Mass Effect 2 (which my Paragade Shepard would never have done given the choice) so it isn't that far fetched really, and they are an anti-alien group.

I don't see Bioware forcing us to not care about other races, but I believe that the game will be spent recruiting the others to save Earth. This has been hinted at quite strongly so far, and when they accidentally leaked the release of ME3 on the EA site, it mentioned this.

I'd set up a trap for the Reapers and sacrifice Earth. I just feel like we should be given a choice. Save your own planet, but all other races take a huge hit or sacrifice Earth and focus on protecting the galaxy.

With any luck, Bioware will remember that they are a company that supposedly make RPG's, and will give us some choices, I cannot fathom the lack of choices (with consequences) that they have been including in their recent games.

I'd be happy with a DA:O setup. You have the approaching army (Reapers) and they throw you into the game to recruit people. You'd essentially be picking one faction over another (this may test your companions' loyalty). Such as Quarians or Geth, Council or Cerberus/Alliance, etc. Would it be original? No. Would it work really well? Yes.

 

[sumanoskae]

It makes sense.

I never argued that it doesn't make sense, though i would if i was in the mood to get into a lengthy discussion. Judging by the state we're in right now and the nigh-invincibility of the reapers as seen in ME1, all we've done with the first 2 games was delay the inevitable. Of course, Shepard's gonna find the special maguffin grenade that one-shots all the reapers when it's used and everything will be fine, but that doesn't make the first 2 games any more redundant.

But my main argument was that the plot twist is utterly uninteresting. "The Reapers just walked the distance" is utterly anticlimactic and not worthy of a game that wants to be deep and rich in story.

Yeah I see your point. It's a little too "easy" a twist.
I think the idea behind it (if there is one, it's probably just lazy design) is intriguing though. It kind of emphasizes the danger that we have to use every slightest advantage we get to stop the invasion. It doesn't just focus on the one and only solution, but shows the efforts to stall the invasion in order to make time to find one. I got that feeling at the end of the first game already, when in the end it was still all yeah we killed Saren but the Reapers are coming anyway.
That is not to say, however, that ME2 as a whole was not pretty pointless plot-wise. If the Reapers could've just started going the distance quietly instead of telling us with fanfares and Collectors that they're still there, the whole thing would've been much more surprising.
I can totally see why you'd find that premise uninteresting or even boring, but in my twisted mind the anticlimactic nature of it kind of works, because I was already thinking the Reapers could just take some time and get their asses over here. So now they do, and we're trying to hinder their progress until we find the inevitable Deus Ex Machina/McGuffin device you mentioned.

I dunno I guess I just think it's nice that they actually make the Reapers out as this unstoppable force that will inevitably destroy us no matter what. Only they won't of course. But they still tell it that way. You get the idea.

My hope is that there is an ending when the Reapers just come and fuck our shit up, everybody dies, we tired, but we screwed up, show Sheppard having one last heartwarming conversation with his friends/love interest, fade to black, sad string music over credits.

They might also go with a sort of Jesus ending(With all the Biblical subtext, it would make sense(I think I'll name any of my future Sheppard's Jesús, for good measure)), when Sheppard fails to defeat the Reapers, but in his death he exemplifies all the good things about humanity, and the Reapers decide to leave us alone. Hell, knowing Sheppard, he could probably juts talk them out of it anyway

 

[Haagrum]

It would render Paragon Shepards pretty non-canonical. Seeing as Paragon = pro-galaxy and Renegade = pro-human. But with the missteps Bioware has been making recently, I wouldn't doubt it.

I'm not sure that's accurate. Shepard, first and foremost, gets shit done. The Paragon/Renegade dichotomy is not about whether Shepard is sweetness and light or eats babies. It's about how he/she gets the job done, and whether he/she cares about whether others approve of his/her methods.

Frankly, a moral compass that isn't at least a little flexible (in such circumstances as Arrival) would result in everyone getting killed. Thankfully, Shepard's not Rorschach, and appreciates a bit of black-and-grey morality. Bring on ME3 - I want to know how it ends.

 

[psivamp]

did anyone else think it was some sort of saw knock DLC off a the begining of the film

Yes. I heard Harbinger/Jigsaw tell Shepard that it/he wants to play a game.

 

[dpixie]

For all the people going "Paragon Shepard would never do such a thing!!!" I'm going to have to disagree with you on that one.

Spoiler

The thing is Shepard literally has less than an hour to destroy the relay and if s/he doesn't do it in that time frame? Then the Reapers are here and we're all dead. Simple as that. Yes, sacrificing 300,000 lives is horrible, but by doing so you could be saving 3,000,000,000,000 lives at least. Look at those numbers. And as a Paragon you can try to warn them, though Kenson does f*ck that plan over.

My Shepard would make that choice and she's the paragon of paragons. Granted it mentally and emotionally f*cked her over and I'm pretty sure she'd turn herself in for war crimes after the Reapers are dealt with but she'd do it.

 

[Discord]

Saw it downloaded and played.

Kinda short but it felt like it was there to move the story along a bit and set up some SERIOUS stuff in Mass Effect 3 which is all good.

I kinda got the feel it was suppose to be a Stealth Mission (in my opinion) if the guns were silenced because I got to the doctor without fireing a shot (I thought there was a Achivement for doing that )

In the end...

Spoiler: WAIT, WAIT, WAIT Think back to Mass Effect 1

I saw the doctor betrayal comeing a mile away, didn't see the whole slaming a astroid thing though; Kinda reminded me of the "Bring Down the Sky" DLC from Mass Effect 1. Which Ironicly Introduced the Baterians, Now we destroyed a Baterian System kinda doing the same thing with a big ROCK.

My Theory - Since I let that Terrorist from Bring down the Sky Go WAAAAYY Back in ME1; will he come back HARD in ME3 trying to do the same... Alittle Payback?

Just a thought

One more thing

Spoiler: I thought that was Cool sorta

It was nice to see what Admiral Hackkett Looked like; I kinda saw him looking as he did but...

Something tells me there is going to be a Hackkett/Alliance, Illusive Man/Cerberus "Who will you ally with Help" Choice in ME3