Recommended Posts

as far as i know it only works inside mass effect 3 demo as soon as you leave the demo you go back to sliver status.

Thanks for the response. If that is the case then I'm confused because a GiantBomb article I read said:

"When the Mass Effect 3 demo goes live on February 14, Silver members will temporarily graduate to Gold, and get all the benefits that come with that, including access to Hulu Plus, Netflix, etc."

I would have been perfectly fine if combat had not been at all between ME2 and 3. I only played through ME2 once and that was two years ago so I am ready to do it again. The story is what matters the most to me by a long shot. I just really hope that isn't the real starting point for the game.

I swear I read that the game begins with the trial, I hope it is just being saved for release.

I would have been perfectly fine if combat had not been at all between ME2 and 3. I only played through ME2 once and that was two years ago so I am ready to do it again. The story is what matters the most to me by a long shot. I just really hope that isn't the real starting point for the game.

I swear I read that the game begins with the trial, I hope it is just being saved for release.

I thought that too. However, going by the demo it appears to of already happened, hence why Shepard is not a Commander anymore (at the start). I doubt the full release will be any different, BioWare already stated you get the very beginning mission and another mission further on in the campaign (just like the ME2 demo). To be honest, having the game start based on what happens in a DLC is never a good idea because you can't assume everyone bought the DLC and know what is going on (I know some people who refused to buy the ME2 DLC because they disagreed with paying for it). That is my 2 cents, take with a grain of salt.

I thought that too. However, going by the demo it appears to of already happened, hence why Shepard is not a Commander anymore (at the start). I doubt the full release will be any different, BioWare already stated you get the very beginning mission and another mission further on in the campaign (just like the ME2 demo). To be honest, having the game start based on what happens in a DLC is never a good idea because you can't assume everyone bought the DLC and know what is going on (I know some people who refused to buy the ME2 DLC because they disagreed with paying for it). That is my 2 cents, take with a grain of salt.

Yeah, I think it's better this way. It's possible that it was different but BioWare realized that they shouldn't expect people to have played The Arrival DLC.

The problem with the opening scene is that Shepard has been discharged and forced into retirement in the interm between ME 2 and 3. Nothing he did in either ME 1 or 2 deserved that kind of "punishment". So for people who didn't play the DLCs this development makes no sense. The only thing that would cause such an outcome would be the events from Arrival. It's the only way the beginning of ME 3 would make sense.

If what was in the demo is the 100% complete beginning of the game, it was woefully lacking in exposition and framing. I even played through Arrival (and really enjoyed it, even though I'm against DLC in principle) and I still felt that it was lacking a lot of information. I would loved to have seen the trial where Shepard had to defend his actions. Regardless of knowing the outcome, it still would have been great to see something. The way it is now just feels incomplete in my opinion.

Can we get some liberal use of spoiler tags here? I've already found out something I didn't want to :(

If you're referring to my recent post, everything I talked about is all from available/playable content from ME2/3. I don't think spoiler tags are required. I'm sorry if you saw something you didn't want to, but that's the risk you take when you read the official thread for a game such as this.

i played the demo on PC last night - does anyone feel that the camera is very 'tight' and 'attached' to Shepard? it's almost like the camera is too close and too tight to the back of him. i got used to it eventually, but it just seems too close.

Thanks for the response. If that is the case then I'm confused because a GiantBomb article I read said:

"When the Mass Effect 3 demo goes live on February 14, Silver members will temporarily graduate to Gold, and get all the benefits that come with that, including access to Hulu Plus, Netflix, etc."

its probley an error , every test i have run as soon as i got back to the dashboard i was silver again , while in the demo i had gold status.

Cover system borked, animations look like from a game before ME1, not impressed by the demo one little bit. Looks like one too many for this series, shame as I adored the first two. :(

Cover system and animations are drastically improved over ME1/ME2, at least on the 360. Seems like they are hitting their stride with this one.

As for spoilers, I agree. People should use them. No need to be lazy.

If you're referring to my recent post, everything I talked about is all from available/playable content from ME2/3. I don't think spoiler tags are required. I'm sorry if you saw something you didn't want to, but that's the risk you take when you read the official thread for a game such as this.

I wasn't aiming specifically at you :), but I don't think I'm making an unreasonable request here. It's not like I'm asking anything more than for people to wrap their text in [ spoiler] [/spoiler ]. If we have to add spoiler tags for plot points when discussing movies, why not for games? I won't have an opportunity to play ME3 until a few weeks after release date, and I accept that I'm going to get some spoiling, but I'd still like to participate in this thread without people giving away all the cool bits for me.

A little consideration goes a long way.

look like they might have better textures in the final version

The final edition of the game will have hi-res textures included in it, no additional pack will be required to download.

https://twitter.com/#!/masseffect/status/170241954423123968

I wasn't aiming specifically at you :), but I don't think I'm making an unreasonable request here. It's not like I'm asking anything more than for people to wrap their text in [ spoiler] [/spoiler ]. If we have to add spoiler tags for plot points when discussing movies, why not for games? I won't have an opportunity to play ME3 until a few weeks after release date, and I accept that I'm going to get some spoiling, but I'd still like to participate in this thread without people giving away all the cool bits for me.

A little consideration goes a long way.

Yeah but we were talking about the events of ME2 and what Bioware already came out and told everyone about dealing with the start of ME3. The spolier tags normally do show up when a game releases.

look like they might have better textures in the final version

https://twitter.com/...241954423123968

Oh good (Y) I did notice in the demo the textures seemed not as sharp as what I was used to on ME2 (talking about PC version here), glad it's being fixed :happy: Guessing they left them out to reduce the download size (also left things like the Codex out as well, which was included in the ME2 demo), that is understandable.

Apparently I already had an Origin account, so it looks like I don't have to skip ME3 coop. I had an EA account for Bad Company 2, which apparently turned into an Origin account. As much as I hate the idea of having yet another videogame account to keep track of, the fact is, I already have it so I might as well use it.

I'll be playing the coop with my brother this evening, from everything I've read I have a feeling we'll really enjoy it.

For those of you who have tried it, can any race be any class? Or, are certain races restricted to a few classes each? I'm not really sure how it works or how much customization you have.

For those of you who have tried it, can any race be any class? Or, are certain races restricted to a few classes each? I'm not really sure how it works or how much customization you have.

in the demo its certian races per class.

http://oxcgn.com/2012/02/17/get-mass-effect-3-early-from-space/

The hype for

Mass Effect 3 is through the roof.

Literally.

EA will be launching

weather balloons over key cities around the world very soon, with copies of Mass Effect 3 on them.

Is this one of the greatest

PR stunts of all time?

I?m not even kidding.

Electronic Arts will be launching copies of the game into (or rather, near) space using weather balloons.

They will be released in New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Berlin, London and Paris.

Each one will be carrying a

GPS, so fans can track them on the official website with the hopes of them landing in their front yard for an early look at the game.

This truly is one of the more interesting PR stunts in recent years.

Let?s just hope it doesn?t flop like

THQ?sHomefront fiasco.

Worst comes to worst, they all land in the ocean, and the sharks get it before we do.

What do you think? Will you be tracking them? If any of them make their way to Louisiana, I?ll be sure to post pictures.

in the demo its certian races per class.

I figured as much. Hopefully it won't be as limiting as I'm imagining.

Does the co-op scale based on the number of players? Can I play the co-op by myself and actually finish a 10-wave set, or whatever they're called? Or is the difficulty so high, that that is nearly impossible?

I figured as much. Hopefully it won't be as limiting as I'm imagining.

Does the co-op scale based on the number of players? Can I play the co-op by myself and actually finish a 10-wave set, or whatever they're called? Or is the difficulty so high, that that is nearly impossible?

It apparently does not. I tried the multiplayer a little bit on my lunch break. It's solid, but it's way too hard for one person; even on "bronze".

I really like the way the game handles unlockables. You buy item packs, which behave kind of like CCG packs. You get random stuff, all immediately useful with the chance to get rare stuff. I imagine this can be very addicting provided you can earn enough credits to buy them...which I didn't.

I played enough games to level a soldier to level 3 (which, given the retarded difficulty mean playing a lot of games to the first/second wave) but never once earned any credits. How do you earn credits?

It apparently does not. I tried the multiplayer a little bit on my lunch break. It's solid, but it's way too hard for one person; even on "bronze".

I really like the way the game handles unlockables. You buy item packs, which behave kind of like CCG packs. You get random stuff, all immediately useful with the chance to get rare stuff. I imagine this can be very addicting provided you can earn enough credits to buy them...which I didn't.

I played enough games to level a soldier to level 3 (which, given the retarded difficulty mean playing a lot of games to the first/second wave) but never once earned any credits. How do you earn credits?

You earn credits by completing secondary objectives like taking out high-value targets or retrieving data from various points on the map. These objectives come up after a certain number of waves are survived.

[PC] So far I'm really enjoying the SP and MP demo. The only minor annoyances I have are the cover system sometimes just tweaks out when you want to run away. And the quickslots in multiplayer are broken. And I've only been able to do like 1 objective solo (wave 3). Bronze on 2p coop is quite fun, but the ingame voice sucks so I use Mumble. :) Went to gold first thing and got rolled pretty bad with level 1 sniper.

You earn credits by completing secondary objectives like taking out high-value targets or retrieving data from various points on the map. These objectives come up after a certain number of waves are survived.

And how many credits do you get for completing an objective?

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Posts

    • It STILL has horrid theme support. Hard to look at for me. The white is too bright, and the black too dark. I'm using classic outlook for the Dark Grey theme. It's just right for me.
    • inb4 someone leaves the usual "what an unfortunate name" comment
    • Cuktech 10 Ultra charger review: big display, four ports, 110W total power by Taras Buria Cuktech recently announced a couple of Ultra-branded chargers, including a desktop 300W charger, which I reviewed a few weeks ago. For those who do need that much (or who do not want to spend that much on a charger), Cuktech also offers the 10 Ultra, a traditional wall charger with similar features. Four ports, a big display, and up to 110W of power output. After using it for a few weeks, here are my impressions. Disclaimer: Cuktech provided the review unit without any editorial input or pre-approval. Like the 30 Ultra, the 10 Ultra arrived in a box made of nice cardboard with quality print all over it. Inside, besides the charger, you will find a 240W 6A charger, which, this time, is fully braided. While Cuktech always bundles high-power cables with its chargers and power banks, they are usually regular and unassuming. This time, the cable is much nicer, matching the charger's $59.99 price tag. The charger itself measures 67 x 76 x 33 mm or 2.6 x 3.0 x 1.3 inches and weighs about 250 grams. Considering the charger has four ports and a big display, I would say the compact size is quite impressive, albeit a little hefty. The overall design is similar to other chargers from the manufacturer, minus the chrome Cuktech logo next to the four ports. The Cuktech 10 Ultra has retractable prongs for better portability. Its front side is covered with piano black plastic housing two elements: a capacitive button with backlight and a quite large display for various charging stats. Ports are downward-facing, and I have mixed feelings about such a design. It is not the most convenient when you frequently connect and disconnect cables. It makes you bend over to find the right port to connect, and it is a no-go with outlets mounted closer to the floor. On the bright side, design like this eliminates clutter and sagging, especially when using four cables at once. Plus, you get plenty of space for a big display. Ports include two high-speed USB Type-C ports, one Type-C for less demanding devices, and one classic USB Type-A. The first two ports deliver full 100W, while the third is capped at 45W. As for the Type-A port, its maximum output is 18W. In total, the charger delivers 110W of power, but in my testing, I managed to squeeze 117W when charging two power banks and a tablet. Quite impressive. Type-C1 Type-C2 Type-C3 Type-A Single-port 100W 100W 45W 18W Two ports 80W 20W - - Three ports 65W 20W 20W - Four ports 65W 20W 10W 10W The charger can detect handshake protocols and balance power across all four ports according to each device's needs. As such, power is not limited to the values in the table above. You can have two ports charging at 55W, three ports at 45W + 20W, and more. For some reason, Cuktech is not listing the supported protocols, but a quick test showed that it is compatible with PD3.0, PPS, QC5, DCP, and UFCS. When you connect a compatible device, the charger automatically detects its charging standard and displays it on the screen, for example, Apple 6A or Samsung 3A. Speaking of the screen. The main highlight of the 10 Ultra is its 1.57-inch display with a maximum brightness of 700 nits and 160-degree viewing angles. The display takes up most of the front, and it shows various charging-related information, including total output power, current temperature, power distribution across ports with watts, volts, and amps, a screensaver, and more. You can toggle between the different views by tapping the button, and holding it changes the screen orientation (portrait or horizontal, plus flipped) according to your socket position. The screen is very nice. It is sharp, vivid, and the fonts are easy to read. As for settings, you can change the following: Keep the screen on or off Lock the screen orientation (hold the button to change the screen orientation) Keep the USB Type-A port on Toggle power modes The charger has three power modes: AI: standard mode that automatically allocates power to each connected device. Power Priority: prioritizes power for high-demand devices, such as laptops or power banks. Balanced: splits power evenly across connected devices according to their needs I was skeptical at first, but after testing a few devices in different modes, I can see the benefit of these three modes. The most useful is power priority, which gives the first Type-C port more power. When I was charging a 100W power bank (port 1) alongside a 140W power bank (port 2), Power Priority split the total output about 75-30. Balanced mode, as the name suggests, splits the total output between the two ports more or less equally. As for AI mode, the charger uses its brain to detect which device needs more power. In my testing, it figured out that the 140W power needs a bit more juice. As I said, I expected this to be more of a gimmick, but the three built-in modes turned out quite useful. For example, you can prioritize your laptop while giving other ports a little less power, but still enough to charge at acceptable speeds. Unfortunately, unlike the 30 Ultra, this charger cannot display the battery level of the device being charged. This small feature turned out to be very useful when I was testing the 30 Ultra, as it allowed me to see my phone's battery level without picking it up. Like other Cuktech chargers I tested, the 10 Ultra one proved itself reliable and well-made. It uses Gallium nitride semiconductor technology to reduce the charger's size and improve efficiency. It is also better at dissipating heat, but I have to say that when charging two power banks at 117W total, the charger got hotter than what I would call comfortable (hold it for a few seconds, and you start feeling a burning sensation at your fingertips). However, the built-in thermal indicator remained below the temperature threshold, with the screen reassuring that the device operated at "High performance" (I tested it in a 21 °C / 69 °F room). Overall, the Cuktech 10 Ultra is a solid choice. If you need four ports and you like to nerd out on various stats, it is a very easy recommendation. It will take care of your laptop, phone, tablet, and power bank without breaking a sweat, plus the build, material, and cable quality are top-notch. The mode switcher is handy when charging different devices with different power needs, too. I cannot say a display is a must-have in a charger, especially when it makes you more conscious about where to plug it, but it is a neat addition if you have a socket at your table or bed level, so that you can actually use the display and its features. The more important fact is that despite its size and quality, the display does not make the charger that much more expensive than similarly powerful chargers from competitors. Plus, you can save 10% on the 10 Ultra with a promo code on Amazon. Buy Cuktech 10 Ultra charger - $53.99 on Amazon with a promo code As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
    • Last week I was investigating an issue with contacts and tried using the new Outlook. In the real (Classic) Outlook, you can easily go to any Outlook folder and present it in a Table View, then customize the columns to show/sort any field, which was exactly what I needed. But of course, the new Outlook doesn't have this feature at all. I gave up. Oh, and can we possibly stop claiming the new Outlook has PST support? What it really has is the ability to use the real Outlook in the background to pretend to have PST support. There is no PST support without the real Outlook installed.
    • Honestly just before Panos left it started to feel like MS just wasnt interested in them so they were being less innovative with them, and then when he DID leave for Amazon its kind of clear the direction is gone. It felt like Panos had both goals and drive, and a vision, but it felt like no matter what his title/department was the Surface devices never had the full interest of the rest of management and he was just pushing a bolder up a hill that MS was adding dirt to as he went.
  • Recent Achievements

    • Conversation Starter
      mobandz earned a badge
      Conversation Starter
    • Apprentice
      fernan99 went up a rank
      Apprentice
    • One Month Later
      nothanks earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Month Later
      B2Proxy earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • One Year In
      MadMung0 earned a badge
      One Year In
  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      477
    2. 2
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      247
    3. 3
      Skyfrog
      79
    4. 4
      FloatingFatMan
      76
    5. 5
      Michael Scrip
      60
  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!