[MuppetFace]

Nice Shepard. It kind of looks like she's thinking about something else while Treynor is talking though.
 
Like, "hmm.. I wonder if there are any Cerberus protein bars left in the mess hall from the renovations...."

 

[MuppetFace]

Also as an infiltrator, I'm a bit disappointed with the Black Widow myself. The Mantis is pretty much equal in power, but weighs a whoooooole lot less. In ME2 the original Widow was definitely the gun-de-jour for any infiltrator, capable of dealing with an adult thresher maw all by itself.
 
But now with the weight system in place, unless you invest in a ton of light materials upgrades or don't want to use your powers much (and don't mind the long recharge times), then it loses its edge. The Mantis III is more than ridiculous with the extender barrel V, concentration mods, and an armor selection that caters to transferring excess power reserves into your rifle. Trigger some damage-boosting cloaking before a critical shot, and you're pretty much set to take care of most threats with ease.
 
 

Spoiler: Fun%20achievement

It's amusing to line up shots in those tiny slots the guardians need to see out of their shields. As a sniper you can aim right into that vent and blow their heads clean off. You get a "mail slot" achievement if you do it enough.

 

 

[Kukuk]

I had liked the Black Widow on the easier difficulties because it would one-hit pretty much anything, and had three shots. I'd usually have it paired with the scope upgrade and the cover piercing upgrade, then I'd have the Armor Piercing ability tuned to add extra cover piercing. I'd be able to one-hit anything through like 6 feet of cover!

 

[MuppetFace]

Do they remove the weight limits on the easier difficulties?
 
And one-hit kills are part of the joy of being an infiltrator. In ME1, it's fun to exit the Mako and just pick off Geth destroyers on foot from miles away. Ah, memories.

 

[Kukuk]

No, but tech and biotics are a lot less useful since guns are so strong, and ammo so plentiful.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I was underwhelemed by the Sniper Rifles in ME3. They really toned down their effectiveness.

The Geth Shotgun is still beastly, and all the sniper you'll ever need, lol. It's not 100% accurate, but DAMN accurate at long range. One of the three 'bullets' will tend to hit their mark at long range, and still deal devastating damage. If more than one hits, it's almost a guarantee to kill whatever you're shooting, lol. You don't even need to charge it up. The damage is that ludicrous.

Honestly, if you use the Chakram Launcher from playing and 'beating' the KoA:Reckoning demo, you don't need a sniper rifle. That AR is just stupid strong. Like broken strong, even in Hardcore. I chose a weaker AR on purpose, because the Chakram Launcher was killing things too damn quickly. The 'discs' attach to an enemy and explode. When you pump an enemy with a clip of those discs, yeah... they die.

I have to say, I REALLY felt bad ass when I used that Geth Javelin Sniper Rifle (the one with a delay before it shoots). The sound coming off it gave me shivers. It's SOOOOO awesome. None of the snipers are that effective in comparison to other weapons, but that sniper was still fun as hell to use, and strong for a sniper. Easily the coolest weapon in the game for me. The scope was one of a kind, and the sound effect just makes it sound like it can kill a thresher maw in one shoot.

One tip for other ME players... NEVER equip weapons you pick up on the field once you get them. They'll be less effective than whatever you currently have, assuming you maxed out the upgrades (which is pretty much a guarantee after the first few missions, unless you're upgrading everything you find)

What I do is wait until after the mission, go to the Citadel and test the weapons out in the firing range and see if I like them, THEN upgrade them.

 

[Kukuk]

Yeah, the Geth Shotgun's awesomeness can't be overstated. The homing on the projectiles is very generous, so much so that from time to time I'd hit an enemy behind cover.
 
Never tried the Chakram Launcher though, might have to give it a try on a later play-through.

 

[SkinnyPuppy]

DAE just adore the ending?

 

[MuppetFace]

With the Mantis III and the right armor set and upgrades, most enemies die in one shot with cloaking enabled. I'm maybe half-way through the game? I don't think I'm want for damage dealing enough to use a shotgun as a sniper. The weight alone will offset any benefit for me, since I like using powers like incinerate when dealing with husks and cannibals.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The versatility of the Geth Shotgun outweigh anything any of the Sniper Rifles can do. It works at any range, and half the time, you don't even need to zoom in. It's a godly weapon. I played Hardcore... the Geth shotty is brutal. Smart of Bioware not to give it to us until late game. Pre-Geth Shotty, it's all about the Chakram Launcher. Just that and maybe an SMG for Shield/Barrier purposes, is all you need.

That one pistol you get that can be charged up is also DAMN good. I don't even charge it up. The damage spec is very high (exceeds most ARs actually), it's accurate, and shoots relatively quickly. I THINK it's called the Arc Pistol. I don't think people like it for the multiplayer, but I sure as hell know how to destroy with it in SP.

 

[MuppetFace]

Quote:

The versatility of the Geth Shotgun outweigh anything any of the Sniper Rifles can do. It works at any range, and half the time, you don't even need to zoom in. It's a godly weapon. I played Hardcore... the Geth shotty is brutal. Smart of Bioware not to give it to us until late game. Pre-Geth Shotty, it's all about the Chakram Launcher. Just that and maybe an SMG for Shield/Barrier purposes, is all you need.
That one pistol you get that can be charged up is also DAMN good. I don't even charge it up. The damage spec is very high (exceeds most ARs actually), it's accurate, and shoots relatively quickly. I THINK it's called the Arc Pistol.

 
What class do you play?
 
There are different ways of playing Mass Effect. Some people prefer using powers and directing teammates, others prefer a mix of powers and weapons. For someone who wants to use powers, a shotgun is going to add a lot of weight into the mix. Also sniper rifles as a weapons class can slow down the in-game time and allow for precision targeting.
 
Again, it ultimately comes down to play style. There's no one right or wrong way to play Mass Effect.
 
And yes, it's called the Arc Pistol. : )

 

[MuppetFace]

On a semi-related note, I remember the days when the developers would restrict the types of weapons you could use based on the class you played. As an infiltrator, I couldn't even use a shotgun well in the first and second games. It's kind of weird being able to use everything in ME3 without any limitations. Because of that, I pretty much stick to my class weapons as it's what I prefer playing with (perception slow-down, distance targeting, the slow reload times--- it adds to the challenge of the game and creates a rhythm I get into). It's also part of my character: she pretty much sticks to her beloved rifle.

 

[Kukuk]

Quote:

The versatility of the Geth Shotgun outweigh anything any of the Sniper Rifles can do. It works at any range, and half the time, you don't even need to zoom in. It's a godly weapon. I played Hardcore... the Geth shotty is brutal. Smart of Bioware not to give it to us until late game. Pre-Geth Shotty, it's all about the Chakram Launcher. Just that and maybe an SMG for Shield/Barrier purposes, is all you need.
That one pistol you get that can be charged up is also DAMN good. I don't even charge it up. The damage spec is very high (exceeds most ARs actually), it's accurate, and shoots relatively quickly. I THINK it's called the Arc Pistol. I don't think people like it for the multiplayer, but I sure as hell know how to destroy with it in SP.

Damn you, you're making want to do a 5th playthrough to experiment with weapons!

 
Quote:

On a semi-related note, I remember the days when the developers would restrict the types of weapons you could use based on the class you played. As an infiltrator, I couldn't even use a shotgun well in the first and second games. It's kind of weird being able to use everything in ME3 without any limitations. Because of that, I pretty much stick to my class weapons as it's what I prefer playing with (perception slow-down, distance targeting, the slow reload times--- it adds to the challenge of the game and creates a rhythm I get into). It's also part of my character: she pretty much sticks to her beloved rifle.

 
That's why I kind of regret doing a solider on ME3. They don't get very interesting abilities, and all their weapon upgrade skills just give small amounts to all weapon types (though they do get a pretty sweet damage bonus to ammo powers).

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

I always play the generic Soldier class on first playthroughs. So I don't use my powers too much, aside from ammo, armor, and the very occasional slowdown/concussive shot.

Powers in Hardcore are almost absolutely useless on everything with the exception of Husks and the very weak mobs. A lot easier to take down with the weapons w/special ammo.

Powers are fun to use, but they're mostly useful once you've gotten the target down to Health, which they tend to die from bullet fire before the powers even become a factor.

I love powers... but I save those for easy/normal runs, where the enemies tend to be on Health to start, or quick to get to.

My fave powers are the flashy ones like a good pull/push/slam combo, or Singularity/wide radius Push, etc. Again, only works when the enemies is already pretty much dead.

Infiltrator does have it's uses, but I don't play that class. I like a good old Adept or Vanguard for my 'fun' runs.

My initial playthorugh had to be Hardcore, because I knew Normal would be too easy. I'm a damn good TPS/FPS gamer, so I had to ramp up the difficulty just to feel like it was 'Normal'.

Having done Insane on ME2, you DEFINITELY need to rely on weapons over powers, so Soldier/Sentinels are pretty much a must for those runs.

 

[Kukuk]

Oh yeah, I wanted to ask you guys, do you have NPC's do this very often?
 

 
Happens pretty often for me, and it's unsettling, to say the least.