# Mass Effect Legendary - my thoughts while I play these games (spoilers as I play) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [May 13, 2021, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984 "2021-05-13T11:38:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/41 "2021-05-14T16:11:22Z")
Just my $0.02 but I would recommend reading everything in the Codex as they come up. It is not necessary but it helps a lot with the world-building in the game. Plus, the person they got to voice some of the entries is great and fun to listen to. Like a future David Attenborough. There is no time pressure to read the entries. Just go in and review them when you feel like it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/42 "2021-05-14T16:27:25Z")
Put about an hour in and am just kind of figuring it out. I didn’t have enough gel or skill to hack things on the first mission. I tried to have my sidekick Kaidan hack it using his sabotage skill, but he wouldn’t do it. I guess that is not how it works. Female Shepard. Soldier class. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/43 "2021-05-14T17:23:12Z")
ME1 is playing VERY differently than I remember it. Not a bad thing…just…different. Of course, it has been a very long time since I played ME1 and I could be remembering it wrong. Also, reminded that I always thought it was a shame that Dr. Chakwas can’t be romanced. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/44 "2021-05-14T17:24:06Z")
I am a soldier class and I can hack things. Kinda like playing Frogger. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/45 "2021-05-14T17:30:41Z")
(Apropos of nothing, my country’s postal service misrouted my package and now I’m waitin’ till Monday. Very annoyed. I might run to the shop in the morning to have it in hand, and then return the unopened shipped package later.) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/46 "2021-05-14T17:35:47Z")
That is frustrating. You can’t download it? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/48 "2021-05-14T17:38:20Z")
What difficulty setting are you playing on? ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/49 "2021-05-14T17:51:32Z")
I prefer physical media. I don’t like being at the mercy of a service license. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/50 "2021-05-14T18:32:06Z")
I am roughly 3 hours in and would describe the spot I’m at as: I am now a spectre and the game opened up to the universe-map. I have several quest options and a lot seem to be on other systems. Questions I have: - Are a lot of these planets just “survey them”? I can’t land on a few. - Do my team members not in the party gain any XP when not with me? I currently have the big guy(Wrex) and the lady with the mask (Tali) active with me, but I would love it if my other team members would not be dormant ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/51 "2021-05-14T18:39:01Z")
It had to be him. Someone else might have gotten it wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/52 "2021-05-14T18:45:35Z")
IIRC team members that are not in the party receive XP anyway, not sure if they receive the same amount of XP but probably they do. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/53 "2021-05-14T18:53:19Z")
These days you are always at the mercy of a service license even using physical media. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/54 "2021-05-14T18:54:48Z")
Yup yup. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/55 "2021-05-14T18:56:03Z")
Offline party members do receive XP but, as you noted, no idea if they get more on a mission. But they do fine chilling on the Normandy. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/57 "2021-05-14T19:30:16Z")
Ummm…we aren’t doing spoilers of plot points ahead, are we? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/58 "2021-05-14T19:33:37Z")
Removed. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/59 "2021-05-14T19:42:15Z")
I don’t mean to stifle spoiler discussion. I think a fully-spoiled thread would be a good idea for folks since this is an older(now) series and people probably want to share experiences. I had asked if people wanted me to make a “first time through the games” thread for myself and the consensus was that people were curious to hear thoughts from a newcomer. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/60 "2021-05-14T21:36:14Z")
I did go and read a little bit of a non-spoiler beginner guide. It recommended taking an electrician when you are a soldier so they can open locked containers, which I agree with. Who are the electronic experts? Kaidan? Note: I have all but the final squad members activated in the “squad screen”, so I am willing to learn who has good hacking/unlocking abilities. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/61 "2021-05-14T23:05:29Z")
I’m 4-5 hours in and kind of suffering from “where do I go” or to be more specific, “am I even in the right place?” syndrome. I decided to look for Laila, a main quest choice now that the open map has opened up. OK, so I went to the system that they told me to go to. But the system is more of a quadrant of our or five systems. There were perhaps 4-5 planets I could land on and none indicated it was the right one for Laila. I ended up on a long journey on a lava planet and did find her. I had about zero confidence I was supposed to be there, though. I could use a little more guidance in terms of “yes, this is a good place to look” or hints that suggest I’m in the right area. They did not put a plot ! on the planet even, which might clue me into it being the right planet. I just…decided to go for it and got it right. Kind of odd. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984/62 "2021-05-14T23:42:01Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > Personally, I think there are a number of things in ME2 that were a step backwards in terms of story and gameplay (from my point of view). Like the weapons suddenly needing ‘ammo’? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mass-effect-legendary-my-thoughts-while-i-play-these-games-spoilers-as-i-play/941984.md?page=4)