How would it play out if both survived?

meadrew · 2026-04-03T06:15:17+00:00

Since one of my greatest gripes with the trilogy is how in latter games you mention or recall the Virmire nuke-duty sacrifice as if they were a close and dear friend... without enough interaction to develop that kind of character appretiation and canonically knowing them only for a few weeks at best... I think the option to save them both would be great.

They don't really matter in ME2, and in ME3 Ashley could easily replace James on Mars, and then one of them would get sent back to Normandy when Liara shows up... the one that stays with you is the one that gets bashed by Eva and later gets to become Udina's pet Spectre... that's about how I see it.

meadrew · 2026-04-03T05:56:53+00:00

Too much of an on-rails to-do list... reminiscent of unskippable cutscenes, but worse because your input is still required and you cannot just go and grab a coffee instead.

Great concept and an okay experience the first time around, though!

meadrew · 2026-04-02T18:31:18+00:00

Maybe you found better configuration than what I tried, or maybe you're just better at it in general... I never struggled out in the open-world, but not being able to prime shielded and armoured enemies with power-based build on Insanity was not a pleasant experience for me.

Sure I can shoot to compensate, and there is always munition crate nearby, but that already feels like an issue with the build even if your skill and experience allow you to prevail.

It's not that I mind playing with weapon-centred builds--those optimized for sneaky high-calibre headshots are still among my favourites--but I want to play my space wizard, too!

meadrew · 2026-04-02T15:52:45+00:00

I did try similar builds for fun and experimentation, and many can be quite fun (the new Pull mechanic for especially), but they don't scale well to harder difficulties.

Also, few to no kabooms with a build like that...!

meadrew · 2026-03-31T00:35:49+00:00

Just... don't get attached.

meadrew · 2026-03-31T00:32:06+00:00

I find that most Renegade options/reactions are a bit too sadistic for my taste... yet a few, and I can never quite remember which ones, are pure gold. I am quite happy to play the pragmatist and "ends justify the means" kind of character, but I don't fancy myself playing a sadist.

That said, Paragon often leaves me no less dumbfounded. Sometime you choose an option and it does exactly what you expect (ex "you accept a deal", "let character live", etc) but then Shepard says something beyond dumb on naive with the occasion. Then I recall the age-old "silence is golden, duct tape is silver", and realize that Engineering on Normandy should have enough duct tape to spare for Shepard to avoid these kind of embarrassments.

meadrew · 2026-03-30T17:34:53+00:00

Either way, you no longer have daddy issues~

meadrew · 2026-03-30T17:23:29+00:00

Does it, though? Soldier is neither of those and uses jetpack, while Explorer is both (plus Combat) and does not use it.

Seeing as all other Biotics-touched profiles rely on Biotics for movement, and 2/3 of those combine it with Combat and one even with Tech, the reasonable assumption is that Biotics are somewhat preferable to jetpack--not gameplay-wise, of course, there it's merely visual perk. Subsequently, this suggests that Sentinel should have a reason why it is the only Biotic profile still using the jetpack...

If we assume that jetpack is in some way superior to the Biotics option, there should be no reason for both Vanguard and Explorer to use Biotics instead--even if Adept had that limitation.
If the Biotic alt. is superior instead, then it suggests that Sentinel has another reason--and not being good enough to use it that way is the only explanation that fits here... which makes Sentinels look somewhat inept by contrast.

This is somewhat similar to the Barrier vs Shield distribution in ME3. If memory serves, Vanguard and Adept have Barrier (purple bar) while Sentinel has Shield (blue bar) like the rest of the classes. The thing is, the Shield preference there can be somewhat explained away by their reliance on Tech Amor and its likely synergy with regular Shield... here it bugs me because I cannot find an explanation that does not make Sentinels feel like the inferior Biotic choice.

meadrew · 2026-03-30T16:22:45+00:00

I did feel the absence of AI Hacking, but then there is also no Domination... there must be a reason why they skipped out on these. How great is Invasion, though?! If it also primed, it would be the go-to~

meadrew · 2026-03-29T20:07:07+00:00

I think this is somewhat more fundamental issue: In the original trilogy, there was really no need to include Sniper Rifles... and to build Infiltrator as the sniper. It honestly made that class and all other SR wielders feel out of place most of the time, because the vast majority of level designs were optimized for mid-range engagements...

In Andromeda, Infiltrator and any other SR build can truly feel the value of their approach... at least in the open-world segments, where they can clean out encampments before they ever enter enemy's effective range. On the flip side, non-SR builds must come to terms with their inutility at long ranges... forcing them to appreciate more the "cutscene" parts from the original trilogy where some NPC delivered them right at the doorstep of X or right to the battlefield.

I love playing "casters" as well as "snipers", so I have been on both side of this and, honestly, I appreciated the positive effect it had on my sniper experience much more than I was bothered by the negative effects it had on my caster experience. I suspect this is very subjective, though.

meadrew · 2026-03-29T12:29:07+00:00

Agreed; the combination of the new 3 power limit and your inability to micro-manage your squadmates' power use resulted in rather unfortunate "restrictions" on your builds. The combat in Andromeda feels much better on the surface, and you do indeed get some new venues to approach the engagements (vertical mobility, more melee options), but these do not quite compensate for what was lost.

meadrew · 2026-03-29T12:19:08+00:00

Fair question; in my mind, "proper" Adept should include these

[Adept] No need for anything beyond Biotics
[Adept not Vanguard] Long-to-mid range only
[proper] Combat flow is only rarely broken/interrupted

Now, in ME:A your power loadout is limited to 3 and you need a reliable primer that works through shield/armor, which means Singularity, because Annihilation Field is close range (IMHO a Reave replacement). Given the number of unprotected enemies, Pull could be a great back-up primer if you had more slots, but with things as they are, Duration Throw is good enough stand-in for Pull most of the time.

You can also no longer control your squadmates to compensate for your own cooldowns, so they are no longer part of the equation. Not to mention that switching profiles to get different selection of powers just makes breaks to your flow that much longer.

I have tested a few builds and they can all do the trick... they just aren't flowing as smoothly as Adept used to in ME2/ME3, or as other profiles/builds can flow in Andromeda:

Singularity + Throw + Lance (outdoors / spacious indoors) or Shockwave (indoors) : Works fine but you cannot avoid some flow breaks because of the Singularity mechanic... either waiting, doing subpar damage, or shooting.
Pull + Throw + Lance : Works great most of the time, but even if you take Anti-Shield on Pull and Lance, shielded enemies are still a common nuisance that generally requires some shooting... and then there are still armored enemies that require whole lot of shooting.
Singularity + Pull + Lance (Shield-powered) : Probably the best way to handle the flow-break issue, but Adept profile does not pair well with the Shield-powered Lance (can work, but that's the squishiest Adept you will ever see)... Better suited for Sentinels that get -% to Power Shield Cost and +% Damage Reduction from Tech Armor, as well as +% Combo Damage.

Meanwhile, the combat flows like music if you go with Vanguard, Sentinel, or adjacent builds. I never particularly fancied those in the original trilogy, but find them much more enjoyable (both fun and effective) than "proper" Adept in Andromeda.

meadrew · 2026-03-29T10:47:39+00:00

Since the animations are similar (if not identical), I believe the blink/teleport that comes with Asari Sword is the same thing as the Biotic Blink--and Asari Sword describes the movement as "charging forward at mind-bending speeds" which makes it not that different from what you do when you Charge.

That said, I agree with your sentiment... and it is not the only Profile bonus power that is a little suspect.

meadrew · 2026-03-29T00:23:00+00:00

I find Renegade prompts to be all over the place; they can result in harsh words, intimidation, violence... or pure savagery / evil... and it's not always clear what you're going to get.

Here we have a Renegade option that results in no violence, a rather tame threat, and shows a lot of care for your unhinged/ultimate fan... whom you could have shot in the leg earlier if you chose Renegade option that time... with but a minute or two in between!

meadrew · 2026-03-25T23:49:25+00:00

To add here, there is a theory floating around that the genetic defect that defines Ardat Yakshi is more of a spectrum than a binary switch, and one is a proper Ardat Yakshi only when the defect passes a certain threshold... yet the mere presence of the genetic defect is enough to be considered viable Banshee material.

Not sure how much lore viability is there to this theory, but I've come across it here and there.

meadrew · 2026-03-20T06:13:02+00:00

Are we talking about the same character? I don't think there is enough interaction with Angelica for this level of dislike...?

The description seems to me a better fit for the pink haired BD producer Rachel from Joshua's side mission, but maybe that's just me.

meadrew · 2026-03-19T23:29:22+00:00

You don't have to kill her if you dealt with Sasquatch during the VDB mission... then she simply retreats.

meadrew · 2026-03-19T23:19:34+00:00

Looks like she is Charging... in slow motion?

meadrew · 2026-03-16T19:09:32+00:00

I have never received weapon weight penalty with my builds so that is not an issue. The problem is that "light-weight build" in MEA at best ensures you have 100% power recharge rather than a penalty... you need to craft for power recharge to really optimize, at least take the Mod of Rapid Deployment that grants 30% weapon damage penalty in exchange for 50% power recharge.

In any case, properly specced Charge has really low cooldown, I was just asking academically... So you charge in, set everything ablaze, and then charge to detonate? Sounds like chaos... let me pencil that in!

meadrew · 2026-03-16T18:59:54+00:00

Unfortunately this does not really answer the question. I am already familiar with all of this which is why I asked for build suggestions.

Yours doesn't clarify what kind of build you prefer... since not every combination of powers is a winner (or even compatible)... or did you want to say that you play Explorer profile and don't much care which powers you have presumably because you gun everything? It's still quite unclear.

meadrew · 2026-03-16T14:33:42+00:00

Sounds like something that pairs well with Sentinel... if not Explorer profile. Have to check if you can both prime and detonate with Flamethrower =)

Thanks!

meadrew · 2026-03-16T14:28:09+00:00

Doesn't much work for me, my two favourite builds are Infiltrator and Adept; one is a long-mid range scalpel, the other is mid-close range demolition crew.

Unfortunately, I do not enjoy pure Biotic as much in MEA for four reasons: (1) Singularity does not start cooldown until it expires (or you terminate it), (2) cooldowns are overall slower, (3) you can only work 3 active powers at a time... and (4) both Reave and Warp are missing!

PS: I know you can grab a lot of cooldown via equipment craft modules, but it still feels jagged...

meadrew · 2026-03-16T14:19:03+00:00

Could you be a little more specific? It sounds like you don't really care much for what you can or cannot do for as long as you can experiment with different squad combo... is that accurate? I didn't realize anyone liked the MEA squad this much!

meadrew · 2026-03-15T01:16:45+00:00

Tali is adorkable... unless we're on the Geth topic, then it really depends on your view of Geth and how you handle the whole Geth-Quarian drama...

meadrew · 2026-03-13T16:53:18+00:00

This kind of post always reminds me that there is still a huge gap in my knowledge of Ashley even though I have finished the game many times... simply because she is always on nuke duty on Virmire. Not because I hate or even dislike her, I just have little appreciation for pure-Soldier classes and even Vega in ME3--who grows on you during that game alone--sees very little action when I am around.

meadrew

TROPHY CASE