Major trading ports SHOULD have Skycharts. So Illium, Omega, the Citadel, etc. Just run around a bit. I know there is one place in Illium where you can get some.
I'm now seriously thinking about making a 2nd playthrough with my Infiltrator . . . wouldn't hurt to get up some levels and max everything out, and when I really need to make a new character I have enough money for everything I need.
Just was up playing till 5:30 AM. As far as the characters and story go, they're great. There's some good plot going on, and most of the characters have, well...character. Though their respective 'missions' feel a little forced, overall for the most part it's good. What I don't like is how far they went to simplify the experience. I don't consider Mass Effect 2 an RPG. I had trouble even calling the original an RPG, but ME2 has removed a significant amount of whatever RPG elements there were. Yes, some of the additions are pretty cool, but I just feel the gameplay is so...hollow. I think ME2 classifies more as a high-quality Third Person Shooter than a Roleplaying Game...though most games are in some kind of mix between genres. To give an example with a recent game, it's like Borderlands, except third person and with much more emphasis on story and characters. Some people love that stuff, personally I much prefer to have to think out encounters strategically if we're going to be in third person. The game is unquestionably fun...I'm just sad they scrapped so much and added a good amount of stereotypical elements, and probably just to meet the new wave of people to buy their game. I've never really been a big fan of anything third person that isn't a straight up RPG, and this isn't particularly different. Great game - but it just doesn't engage my mind, at all. Some examples of what I mean: ammo is now universal. You don't have an inventory. Upgrades are severely limited, especially level-up upgrades. The game follows a very linear path - with multiple options of course, but in the end it ends up about the same with minor changes - probably for simplicity's sake. Along with countless other things. ME never really started as a strong RPG and I suppose it's found it's calling as a weak RPG-strong TPS mix, however I feel a little cheated at the 'great reviews' this has been getting. I've never been one to really listen to reviewers and I'm still not particularly impressed. It's very fun, but not what I was hoping for.
If you prefer more strategic gameplay, you should try Bioware's Dragon Age, it's alot like Mass Effect, with major gameplay differences. E.g. Rather then ME2's circular menu to pick which skills your squadmates use, you swap into the squadmate with the same controls as the normal character, then the uncontrolled characters (e.g. the main one) resort to their default (or custom, one set by a player) simplistic "programming". About the "Programming" - it's just a simple "If - Then". (Like a simplified version of Kodu, with battle-aimed features) "If" would be something like Attack Closest/Farthest Enemy, Character Attacked, Health < (number), etc. "Then" would be something like: normal attack, use skill/spell/talent, heal, use item, etc. You get about 3 or 4 lines, then one of the types of level upgrades (Talents) allows more lines. Skills/Spells are another type of level upgrades, you get one Talent per 3 levels, 2 skills/spells per three level, and I think 3 stats per level. (The standard stats you'd find in an RPG) It also doesn't use a universal backpack, you can equip items during battle, and one of the skills which you start with is "Swap Weapon Set" - This lets you set armour/weapons/quick-select-skills, talents and items, and is very strategic, also you always start with "Party-Stop". (Stop the party automatically following you/moving to an enemy) The main difference is with normal attacks (some talents/spells/skills) you don't aim, you simply press "a" and it attacks your target. I personally prefer Mass Effect 2 due to the TPS Shooter part, but still love Dragon Age: Origins. I think you might prefer Dragon Age as it has many qualities you were talking about.
I have Dragon Age, of course. I love it. In a way I'm more of a 'hardcore gamer' than anyone else I know, not because I'm better than them but because I buy and play so many games, and generally break them down fairly quickly to strategies. Dragon Age had some irritating glitches, and I'm even considering re-buying it on the computer just to have some extra control. Dragon Age is the same as any given RPG, no need to explain it. Also, remember this is Mass Effect 1 and 2 discussion, though I'd be happy to discuss some of the stuff in Dragon Age in different thread.
Today I found out you can change character class when importing characters , which was so good because my level 59 (I can get him to 60 I just didn't feel like doing all side quests at the time lol) was a vanguard, and while Vanguards were the class to be in ME1 they are actually rather sub-par in the second when there is such a strong emphasis on using powers instead, which is why he decided to retire his shotgun for some more powers. That's right Adept, by far my favorite class now, just because powers are sick nasty and useful in the second. That and adding slam as my advanced power is awesome, making Mr. Shephard an all out offensive biotic. I have to say I was glad when I chose to do Adept, since it just is such a great class for this game, if you have strong enough throw and Nemesis you can be a devastation to husks and the like, because one throw annihilates them (especially since they are always crawling from edges, a well placed throw can toss them off the edge). I don't think I can ever return to a hybrid class, just because it's way more fun wreaking havoc with a specialization class.
I'm playing as an Adept right now. I've turned the difficulty down to normal, simply because I'm tired of having to destroy enemy armor, shields, and barriers just to use biotics on them. Not being able to use biotics on protected enemies (which is the majority of enemies on anything higher than normal) seems to make most biotic abilities all but useless on higher difficulties, seeing as how everything dies with just a few bullets anyway, once they are exposed. I had way more fun with my Vanguard class. Sure, I played on normal difficulty with that one as well, but it allowed me to play the game the class was intended: to get right up in people's faces and shotgun them down. This feels more like they stripped away most of my weapons and I can do some cool looking powers on people that, when it comes down to it, just aren't very practical.
Oh I'm just terrible at video games, and any shooter aspect, so I play normal anyway. I can understand the frustration, so I always have Mordin with me to destroy armor, and either Garrus/Miranda to overload shields. It's a good combo, and ends up being very efficient, since Heavy warp just annihilates barriers, and enemies. EDIT: and for Thane lovers they have a thread for him on the Bioware forums lol.
The only reason it really irked me was because I was planning on playing on HC so I'd be ready for my Insanity playthrough, and the way protection and armors work, I changed it down to veteran, and eventually normal. I usually play on normal as well. And yes, I like running with Mordin and Miranda a lot, mainly because Mordin's powers are all good in a pinch (plus he's my favorite character) and Miranda is good for taking down any type of barrier. Mordin's heavy incinerate says it's effective against armor and health, but when it's fully upgraded it will even take shields and sometimes barriers off in one go. Plus his cryo and neural shock are good to use when I didn't realize enemies end up getting close.
A lot of the reviews I've read compared the game more to Gears of War than any RPG in terms of combat. Mass Effect 2 is like Gears of War with powers and a standard Bioware conversation system added to the mix. Also, unrelated to Insane's post, I finished the game on Insanity hooray for me lol. 1015 gamerscore in ME2. Next playthrough is gonna be a soldier on Insanity, just to see how fast I can get it done. That won't be for a while though, I've had enough for now.
After the "first level" where you're in the SR-1 you're given the option when you're being recreated.
Most of you guys probably know that if you romance Tali, you take her mask off but don't see her face. On the official forums there's a thread that has a bunch of these pictures of Tali's exposed face. They are some of the funniest images I've ever seen. Here are a few: Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler Spoiler One that I made. Spoiler Definitely the best so far Spoiler
I don't think so, it only gave me Facial Appearance, then went to "Select a Harddrive", then "Your Achievements give you a bonus talent bla bla bla", then I played.
Lol, it's for importing from a ME1 game I was trying to say. I wasn't sure if it was like that for importing from a ME2 character.
For those confused about changing your class, it only presents the option to change your class when importing a ME1 save. If you play through a second time on the same character from ME2 you're stuck with the same class.