Introduction
Mass Effect thread here
I'm Commander Shepard and this is my favorite store on the Citadel
Mass Effect 2 was released in January 2010 for Xbox/PC and for PS3 in January 2011. Continuing the story of Commander Shepard after the events of Mass Effect, it begins a month after Shepard and crew defeat Sovereign, the vanguard of the Reapers - sentient machines that show up every 50,000 years to wreck everyone's day. After the success of the original ME it released to glowing reviews and to this day is considered by many to be the best entrance in the trilogy. Bioware changed a lot of things for 2, most of them for the better. The graphics got a shitton better and they really limited the crap you get in your inventory. Leveling up also got simplified and some of the dumb shit like needing someone with an encryption skill in your party to unlock stuff got axed which really frees up your choices for party members. They removed the cooldown system on weapons and replaced it with ammo. They also switched to a universal cooldown on powers; you can't use any power until your cooldown expires which means less biotic spam (sad). You can now create combos which result in big explosions, but getting them to trigger can be a pain in the ass unlike in 3 where you are comboing all the time off of every goddamn thing. The PS3 version that we're playing comes with all the DLC missions and even the rare promotional weapons/armor since we got it a year late. I bought a couple of cosmetic packs too, so you might see characters sporting some funny outfits.
Since this is a sequel, many of your choices from the first game carry over if you import a character. In addition to continuity of story, you also get bonuses for importing to your XP, Paragon/Renegade score, and resources. Many of the "interactions" of previously-met people involve getting emails from them at your private terminal (most hilariously your own mother if you went with the Spacer origin) so you don't actually see them again. However, we purposely did some stuff in the first game so we would see folks again and they turn up in different places. There's a new mechanic known as an "interrupt" where you can, well, interrupt people in the middle of something with a Paragon or Renegade action. Lots of times the Renegade option involves punching or killing somebody in a hilarious way to shut them up. The only thing I don't like about this is that the prompt doesn't last very long and usually cuts dialogue short where you might have wanted to hear something.
Most importantly, Bioware included the ability for Shep to get drunk all the goddamn time, which is the basis for this LP.
I can't target them!
The biggest upgrade to ME2 is gameplay. Getting into cover is much more responsive and can be done with a button press instead of humping a wall or barrier. You don't have to crouch first, Shep will do it automatically when going into cover behind something waist-high. They also added some neat things like Tech Armor for Sentinels, which can tank a shitload of damage and then explode, hurting and knocking back enemies within range. And then there's the vanguard charge, the best thing to come along since the invention of videogames. This involves smashing yourself face-first into an enemy at high velocity, either killing them outright or seriously fucking them up. It's the whole reason we went with vanguard in the first place. The only downside (as far as I'm concerned) with vanguard is that the targeting can be a bit wonky and it's possible to get yourself stuck on things with no way to get off, resulting in needing to reload the previous save.
Other improvements include being able to order squadmates to position individually as well as binding powers for them to use on command. You're also able to bind 3 powers using a controller instead of the single one in ME. Powers only have 4 levels and if you take a power to level 4 you have the option to "evolve" it - making it do one of two things that provide a different bonus.
Assuming direct control
ME2 gives you a huge squad you can recruit, 12 if you get all the optional/DLC people. Each one will have their own loyalty mission like Wrex did in 1, and like that mission if you choose not to do it (or fuck it up in a few circumstances) then that squadmate will not be loyal and it can have bad repercussions in the end game. Sometimes this will affect a loyal character so if you don't know what you're doing it's best to consult a walkthrough or wiki. We'll be recruiting everyone and doing their loyalty missions. In addition, if you make bad choices during the last mission people can die, aka sending Thane through the vents.
Drunk off our butts
I decided to try something new and fun (hopefully) for this LP. Each update will have its own themed drink. Your mission should you choose to accept it, will be to make the drink and consume it while watching the video. Sometimes a drinking game will be involved. I will post the ingredients required a couple of days prior to the next episode. There will also be a simplified drink for each update in case you're unable or can't be arsed to get some liquor you might never use again. If you're really cheap or poor and still want to play along then get yourself a 40 for 3 bucks and pound it.
Updates
RIP Butts Shepard 2154-2183 (post)Veetoriffic (post)
Ship of tools (post)
What a pisshole (post)
The very model of a scientist Salarian (post)
Vorcha merchandise doesn't sell (post)
Rust, dust, and a bust (post)
K/G/B (post)
My favorite store on the Citadel (post)
Jailhouse Rock (post)
Getting the blues (post)
Bone Zone (post)
Just happily drunk (post)
Event Horizon (post)
Whine and cheese party (post)
Everything old is new again (post)
Just need to vent (post)
Migrant Fleet Enema (post)
A great biotic wind (post)
Work is the curse of the drinking class (post)
The family jewels are in Hock (post)
Peas in a pod (post)
2 live crew (post)
Puberty Love (post)
UHC Tuchanka style (post)
Galaxy's greatest dad (post)
Niket in the bud (post)
Make Zakera Ward Great Again (post)
Sidequest cleanup, aisle 6 (post)
Inspectre gadget (post)
Riding the whip on a sick ass ship (post)
More like Dead Pirate Roberts (post)
Take work to your daughter day (post)
Cerberus Camp for Wayward Children (post)
Harkin back to days of yore (post)
Ina Godda da Vido (post)
Random shit (post)
Identify Friend or F- oh fuck (post)
Quarian kangaroo court (post)
(God)winning the war with the Geth (post)
Going viral (post)
Suicide hotline, please hold (post)
How babby is formed (post)
Another quality Cerberus project (post)
Fuck Cerberus (post)
That's for Mindoir, bitches (post)
Important things
How to vanguard:
Skoolmunkee's awesome ME2 coloring book. If anyone wants to color some pictures and upload them I'll post them here
http://www.masseffectsaves.com/MESS/ME2ColoringBook.pdf
Skoolmunkee also made a sequel! She said there weren't any good jokes in it but she lied: http://masseffectsaves.com/MESS/MECAB_2.pdf