Mass Effect

[The Mighty Mollusk]

In 2 and 3, at least, engineer is a support job. You're best off with a heavy hitter like Grunt to distract enemies while you set up your turrets and snipe from a distance, using tech powers to steal enemy constructs and take down defenses (and also overload flamethrowers, it never gets old).

Plus Grunt gets all that extra dialogue from the Blood Pack during the Recruit Archangel mission, so it's worth grabbing him for that anyway.

 

[Caldwin]

That is one thing about being an Engineer that bugs me is being in a support role. I mean, like you said, overloading flame throwers never gets old. Neural Shock was almost OP in 1 (though seems a bit nerfed in 2). But being in a support role instead of being the one to blast things to hell myself is counter to my play style.

I also makes me worry about when I get to Arrival and I have no choice but to go it alone.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

By that point you should have big enough guns that it won't be a huge problem. If you're that worried about it, then just do it before the suicide mission, the time limits are far more relaxed. As in, the final part gives you two hours, rather than the half hour you get doing it last.

 

[Caldwin]

Wow! I was worried about doing Shadow Broker, but he was even easier using an engineer. That shield of his might as well have not existed against my Overload and Incinerate. I think I may have seriously underestimated the Engineer class.

Though I must admit, I do miss my biotic charge, for movement as well as offense.

 

[Caldwin]

I...hate...Arrival! Whether as a Vanguard, a Soldier, Adept or Engineer...I.hate.Arrival. At least it behind me now for this play through.

I will say this though, Pyro enemies hav gone from a dreaded pain in my ass to a fun little game of Pop Goes the Weasel. It's like a free grenade.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

I've never really minded Arrival, but it's probably my least favorite DLC in the trilogy. (Barring Pinnacle Station, which I've never played.) It sets up 3 pretty well, but in terms of game play it's a solo shooting gallery in a squad-based shooter.

 

[Caldwin]

For me, it's just the feeling of, I don't care how generous the clock is, I don't like timed missions. Which is weird I know considering how much I love Metroid. But still, you put a tim on it, and something that's supposed to be a fun hobby becomes stressful.

Still, it's behind me now. Now all I have left are two loyalty missions and Overlord before I collect the IFF.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

It occurs to me that ove never really played with the biotic classes. They were so buggy in 1 that I gave up and swapped to guns. Maybe I should give it a shot some time. Gotta finish Dad of War Ragnarok first, though.

 

[Caldwin]

I've usually go for Vanguard, and boy oh boy do I miss biotic charge this play through. I've also had more than one play through with soldier and adept.

I will agree that ME1 was not the best when using the power wheel. Particularly during the final battle against Saren, it was a good way to crash the game (luckily the Legendary Edition corrected this issue).

But 2 and 3 make powers much better to use, especially with the hot buttons and the on screen indicator of when the cooldown is finished.

If I can, I still plan on making Flare my bonus power in 3. It's a great disk 1 nuke, even with the long cooldown.

 

[Caldwin]

Well, that's ME2 done. I'll probably start 3 after dinner.

Playing as a class that's not my usual has kinda made this into a new game for me. Like usually I may bring Tali along to help with the more synthetic-heavy missions, but I can typically count on my own brute power to handle everything. This time I've had a real nervous factor taking on missions I've literally done a dozen times over just because I wasn't sure how my Engineer powers would fare.

It's not completely like playing it again for the first time since I still know the story beats and what decisions to make. But it's like a whole new coat of paint on how I approach battles I use to just bull-head my way through.

EDIT:
How is it I always forget just how many "eyes up here, Shepard" moments there are with Liara at the beginning of 3?

EDIT EDIT:
That feeling of panic when you go up against a Guardian and you realize you don't have Pull in order to yank its shield away.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Pst. Mail Slot.

 

[Caldwin]

I'm trying. I really am. Maybe with a lot of ammo and even more luck, I might just get lucky.

 

[Caldwin]

Well, I got the Mail Slot trophy. I played a little dirty with with Quick Save at Grissom Academy, but I got it.

Now I just need Gunsmith and The One and Only.

Edit:
I loaded up an old career and knocked out The One and Only. I Cheesed it by going through the battle arena on narrative mode and then switching to normal for the last guy.

Hey, don't judge me. I just want the trophy. Stand among the ashes of a trillion dead souls And ask the ghosts if honor matters!

Now I just need Gunsmith.

 

[Caldwin]

Aaaaand, I got my Platinum! Yay! That gives me a Platinum in ME1, 2 and 3. The dream has come true. I can now die happy...and can also now just focus on playing.

 

[Caldwin]

Mass Effect 2: Wrex is talking to someone, sees Shepard and breaks through the crowd with the enthusiasm of a puppy and runs to Shepard, calling her name.

Mas Effect 3: Grunt is talking to someone, sees Shepard and breaks through the crowd with the enthusiasm of a puppy and runs to Shepard, calling her name.

Shepard has such a way with Krogan!

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Turns out, treating the giant alien murderlizards like friends and valued allies rather than dumb brutes earns their trust and respect. Who would've thought?

 

[Caldwin]

Yeah, same pretty much goes for Rachni, Geth, Quarians...it's like the galaxy needed the humans to come along just to show everyone what empathy is.

 

[Caldwin]

You've never done an Engineer before? They get the only job-specific prompt in the entire Trilogy, during Omega in 3.

Yup, that was fun! Alas, it was over too quickly.

 

[The Mighty Mollusk]

Just remembered part of a dream I had last night. A geth was trying to sign up for N7 training, then being told that it couldn't, because as a synthetic, its lack of need for food, water, and air invalidates a large part of the first test. Cue a sad/disappointed geth.

No idea what would've happened next because my alarm went off.

 

[Caldwin]

The Geth rebels against the human alliance because of its inherent racism. Humans lose planet Earth and go to war against the Quarians because they created the Geth. The Council sees this as an unprovoked attack and the humans are reduced in galactic status just like the Batarians. Humans become dregs of the galaxy only welcome on Omega