Any advice for a new Mass Effect player.

[Your Salad]

Game is old and kinda clunky but I like it. I got the legendary edition a while back and I want to play through it.
I'm about 30 hours in and I feel like I don't really know how to play the game. I don't really understand how to use the powers in combat especially concerning my squad mates.
I installed a bunch of mods that seem to be the agreed upon as the best way to play the game.

 

[Morning Star]

1st one, yes? What class are you?

 

[Your Salad]

1st one, yes? What class are you?

ME1 yes.
Im not sure even what class I am. Soldier maybe? The interface is difficult for me to understand.

 

[Morning Star]

ME1 yes.
Im not sure even what class I am. Soldier maybe? The interface is difficult for me to understand.

You on PC? You want to get to the Squad Screen to see what your Class and Powers are, think it's the 'U' Key. Default is Soldier Class. Soldiers can wear the heaviest armor and have the best guns. Guns suck until you put points you get when leveling up into the skills for them.

Personally I find Soldier boring as you don't get any biotic powers or tech powers. You get more durability and Gun Powers but I find Biotics and Tech powers to be more game changing or life saving when in a desperate situation. I always used to play as Vanguard or Infiltrator in ME1 because they are both Hybrid Classes, however if you go Biotic/Adept you're essentially a force god once you power up singularity.

As far as combos, I remember them working better in ME2 and ME3. But if you use biotics like lift or singularity you're essentially putting an enemy in the air like a floating target. You can use another squadmates special ability to finish them off. I recall Soldiers can use special ammo and have rapid fire, while others have various burst damage or dot damage skills, been a while. Just try different powers together until you find something that works.

 

[mb23100]

Just know that the next two play MUCH better than 1. I would also add that Andromeda, while not quite up to par with the original trilogy, is definitely worth a playthrough despite what some people say.

 

[Morning Star]

And if you are soldier upgrade your armor and guns whenever you can since that's the strength of your class. Make sure to bring squadmates that have different powers than you so you have a little bit of everything for all situations. And for ME1 specifically there's so many geth missions so it's essentially to have someone with tech skills to make your life easier. Tali is a straight up engineer and Garrus is a good option too as he has some tech skills but is more durable and deadly than Tali. Also Wrex is an absolute Tank I would always bring him with me, but I was never a Soldier so you might want more variety.

 

[Morning Star]

Last thing. ME1 is super dated with combat but the story is incredible. Stick with it until ME2, the combat gets much better and everything is streamlined and simplified.

 

[Your Salad]

And if you are soldier upgrade your armor and guns whenever you can since that's the strength of your class. Make sure to bring squadmates that have different powers than you so you have a little bit of everything for all situations. And for ME1 specifically there's so many geth missions so it's essentially to have someone with tech skills to make your life easier. Tali is a straight up engineer and Garrus is a good option too as he has some tech skills but is more durable and deadly than Tali. Also Wrex is an absolute Tank I would always bring him with me, but I was never a Soldier so you might want more variety.

Cant seem to find any armor for Tali maybe I sold some before I realized armor was species specific.

 

[Morning Star]

Cant seem to find any armor for Tali maybe I sold some before I realized armor was species specific.

Just go to the Citadel or a planet you know with shops and try and buy something even if it's cheap in the meantime till something else drops. You should have a ton of loot to sell. Damn game has way too much loot.

 

[Your Salad]

Just go to the Citadel or a planet you know with shops and try and buy something even if it's cheap in the meantime till something else drops. You should have a ton of loot to sell. Damn game has way too much loot.

I'm carrying a gigaton of loot.
Classic reaction to playing an RPG you aren't familiar with.

 

[blaseblase]

First one is definitely clunky. The combat gets a lot better in 2 and 3.

Biotic powers are OP in the first game. Throw, pull, and singularity. If you aren't a biotic you're definitely gonna want Liara on your team.

 

[method115]

I'm carrying a gigaton of loot.
Classic reaction to playing an RPG you aren't familiar with.

honestly none of it really matters much. I beat the first one easily on hardest difficulty and no upgrades except for guns.

Just get some biotic characters on your team, level up their bio abilities, and be a god among men.

 

[Your Salad]

honestly none of it really matters much. I beat the first one easily on hardest difficulty and no upgrades except for guns.

Just get some biotic characters on your team, level up their bio abilities, and be a god among men.

Should I bother micro managing them in combat?

 

[Morning Star]

I'm carrying a gigaton of loot.
Classic reaction to playing an RPG you aren't familiar with.

My least favorite part of ME. Spent way too much time in Inventory and selling loot.

Should I bother micro managing them in combat?

Isn't there shortcuts you can set? I know by ME2 you can set shortcuts for one power for each squadmate and there a button for each to move them and it doubles if you click on an enemy to attack. Definitely want to use your squads powers to set up your kill shots.

 

[HereticBD]

Keep it simple in ME1. It has a bit of a weird RPG system that didn't work all that well with the combat. Just stick to a simple class, and upgrade the fuck out of it. You can get creative with biotics n' shit, but if you stick with the "Soldier" class, your teammates will make up for it.

I also wouldn't worry too much about the undercooked "squad" commands. They're in every game, but the best you get out of it is setting up an initial attack formation. When the bullets start flying, it really doesn't matter. There's a few early missions where you're underpowered and it might helpful, but that's about it. ME2 irons out all the kinks. ME1 was still kind of stuck with a bit of a refined KOTOR system, that just didn't hit the mark.

 

[milliniar]

Play Andromeda forget the rest, it's the best game!













I haven't actually played Andromeda but do own it.

 

[Slobodan]

Bang Liara.

Also when you get to Mass Effect 2, you will see our forum's very own @lsa make a cameo.

What a fat bastard.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Bang Liara.

Blue pussy is the best pussy.

 

[GearSolidMetal]

Bang Liara.

Blue pussy is the best pussy.

 

[Slobodan]

Blue pussy is the best pussy.

Blue pussy is the best pussy.

So good you had to say it twice!