Aaron-GS: The queue is now open, so ask away! =D


Guest-9: Hello Casey and everyone! How are you? I know you aren't going to give us any information about the male LIs, so I'm not asking for this. But it seems you like to tease, so how about teasing us fangirls a little more? Several juicy details to keep our minds and imagination occupied in the nearest two weeks, like space-blouses or space furniture getting in the way of human-alien couples? I would love you for that <3

CaseyH-ME2: For Guest9A: You'll have a lot more options for love interests this time around. Some of the male love interests are Jacob Taylor of course, the exotic Thane, and some other surprises I wouldn't want to spoil

CaseyH-ME2: The really cool thing is that because you have more characters to develop relationships with, whether romantic or not, the conflicts they have with each other will affect your relationships with them.

Guest-15: how will stats work in the transition of profiles from mass effect 1 to 2

CaseyH-ME2: For Guest-15 - We have a similar power progression system as ME1, but the powers are significantly upgraded to make each class really powerful and more unique in combat. That means that there is no direct conversion from ME1, but we did want to make sure your hard work in developing your ME1 character is rewarded. So, you'll get more points to apply to your starting character if you were a level 40, 50, or 60 character.

CaseyH-ME2: And, you'll get a starting bonus to your paragon / renegade status based on where you were at in ME1

trekkieb47: Hi Casey, I am curious about the pre-order sales of the game so far... have they exceeded or meet your expectations?

CaseyH-ME2: Trekkieb47 - Pre-orders have been incredibly strong! We had high expectations for ME2, and it looks like people are really excited to ensure they've got their copy pre-ordered. Most importantly though, I'm really excited that what people will be playing on January 26 is a really solid and rewarding game.

cpm: what systems will it be on?

CaseyH-ME2: CPM: ME2 is coming out on Xbox360 and PC, simultaneously.

DarthBill52: Casey, You guys rock, you could call me a bioware fan boy. I enjoyed mass effect 1 and many other of Bioware's game's since KOTOR and the gui has been great everytime, including dragon age. My question is i noticed in the pre-order stuff a insentive armor noted -extra armor clip has the weapon system changed from bar to ammo?

CaseyH-ME2: The weapons work the same in the fiction as they did in ME1 with the concept of overheat, but we added a mechanic that ultimately works similarly to "ammo" in other shooters - instead of your weapon overheating and leaving you unable to fire for a while, it ejects a heat sink so you can get back in the action. The tradeoff is that you have a limited number of heatsinks. The result is something that works with our fiction, but has the tension of an ammo system - and makes it more rewarding to pull off a head shot or a carefully aimed sniper round.

malevolente: I hope I'm not spoiling anything for anyone, but the devs have stated that all squadmates (and Shepard) can die at the end of ME2. Or everyone can survive. And given that Ashley or Kaidan could die in ME, wouldn't that make having a squad in ME3 of any of the squadmates from both games (except Liara) difficult? Are you still considering this option, or is an entirely new squad likely to be present in ME3? I'm sure that putting ME2 and ME squadmates on the backburner for the final installment of...

CaseyH-ME2: Yes, it's definitely difficult to continue the fiction when we allow major characters to be **bleep**ed off by player actions. But, that's part of the fun, and the impact of major consequences. One reason that the love interests were not recruitable in ME2 (but are still part of the story) is that they need to be around for the ongoing story in ME3.

Guest-18: Sorry for the noob question but I'm just now about to start playing ME1. How much would I be missing or be lost jumping straight into ME2?

Aaron-GS: To trekkieb47 This chat is queued and moderated, so please allow time for Casey to review and respond to your comments. To be fair to all participants, please also refrain from asking complex, multi-part questions.

Aaron-GS: This chat is queued and moderated, so please allow time for Casey to review and respond to your comments. To be fair to all participants, please also refrain from asking complex, multi-part questions.

CaseyH-ME2: Each Mass Effect game is designed to be a stand-alone piece of fiction. So you don't need to have played ME1 to really enjoy ME2. ME2 has a self-explanatory beginning that will suck in players new to the universe, and it has deeply satisfying ending. What players of ME1 get is the advantage of setting certain things as a result of their decisions, and knowing why certain things are the way they are in the universe.
Assassin: 1. Has anything been done to improve the vehicle segments of the game. I.E.. Upgrading your vehicle, making driving segments more fun, etc. 2. When you visited a planet, it was always very empty. Has anything been done about this? 3. Are you able to change your characters face during the game this time around? In ME1, you had to keep restarting the game until you were happy with...


CaseyH-ME2: Assassin - we've got some great stuff coming regarding the vehicle, but we won't be announcing that for another week or so. We still have the uncharted worlds, but we have a completely new approach that makes each one a hand-crafted and unique experience. You don't have to do any mundane resource gathering on planets - now you get that stuff through an orbit minigame. Then you can reveal places on planets to land and do a specialized on-foot mission.


CaseyH-ME2: You can change your face from ME1 if you import an ME1 character. We know lots of people would have wanted to update their appearance or change their nose etc.


Aaron-GS: The queue has been temporarily closed to allow Casey time to respond to all of the questions/comments that have already been submitted. Thank you for your patience.


Guest-15: I played a soldier in the first mass effect and it seems to be the last class yet to be shown for mass effect 2. What do I have to look forward to over the other classes?


CaseyH-ME2: Now that each of the classes is more about the specific fantasy-fulfillment of that type of gameplay, you can expect the soldier to be even more... soldier-y! Soldiers can carry all classes of weapons, and are the only ones who can carry assault rifles. You also have special powers like Adrenaline Rush, which slows time so that you can blast enemies more precisely before they can react.


Xeyska: What inspired the creation of the Drell species?


CaseyH-ME2: The creation of the Drell happened as part of coming up with a new love interest that would be a male alien. We knew he'd be a stealthy assassin, and would have to be attractive, so that presented a lot of challenge to the art team. In the end, we created a look that worked for Thane, but also became the basis for other Drell that you'll see in the ME universe.


SatiricFX: Hi Casey. In Mass Effect 1, experience was earned by completing quests, fighting enemies, getting items, etc. Will this be similar in Mass Effect 2 where you gain experience and level up?


CaseyH-ME2: The overall breakdown of gameplay is very similar in ME2 as ME1. You are going out and completing missions in a non-linear way, and the story advances as you progress through them. You explore cities, take your ship to distant planets, but things in stores, get into combat, talk to characters etc. There is however more of a sense of completing a mission, and that's where most of your XP comes from. So that means that there's more emphasis on getting the job done in a variety of possible ways, versus only getting hits of XP off of each enemy you **bleep**.


Guest-23: Hello there, sorry to be a bother but we've been aware that Mass Effect Galaxy has a reward associated with Mass Effect 2 for some time now. Will we know what that reward is any time soon?


CaseyH-ME2: Guest-23 The Mass Effect Galaxy tie-in is definitely in ME2, but you'll have to talk to Jacob Taylor in the game to find out what it is.

Guest-24: Since Kelly Chambers is a non-squaddie romance interest (presumably for males), will Joker be the femshep non-squaddie romance interest?


CaseyH-ME2: Kelly isn't necessarily a love interest. But since much of the fun of the relationships is to find out who will do what, I won't spoil that for you.


Guest-67: Will we ever see Earth in the Mass Effect trilogy? I'm very curious as to see what Bioware's vision of a futuristic Earth would be.


CaseyH-ME2: At some point we intend to visit the Earth in the Mass Effect trilogy. But that's such a big moment that we're going to be very careful with how and when that happens.


Guest-33: The OXM review of Mass Effect 2 stated that Pressly would live(among other folks who would be on the new Normandy) is this true or is it an issue on the side of OXM?


CaseyH-ME2: We showed the intro sequence at E3, and I think Pressly looked like he was unlikely to survive based on what we showed. Beyond that, I wouldn't want to give away what happens, or who survives the opening.

Guest-56: is Tali a romance option?


CaseyH-ME2: In ME1 Tali was kind of a young character, on her "pilgrimage", so she wasn't a love interest option. One cool thing ME1 players will notice is that the characters they know and love from the first game have grown up and moved on a bit. Tali is more mature now. We were surprised to see how many people were interested in her as a love interest, given that she wore a mask, was an alien, and as one of our team members said, she had "chicken feet". Will she take things further with you? There's a great story there, but I won't spoil it for you!


Aaron-GS: Again, thank you for your patience. The queue has been temporarily closed to allow Casey time to respond to the questions that have already been submitted. It will be re-open shortly.

WhisperPiano: By now, we are aware that most of the characters from the first game have been given greatly reduced roles, including the three potential love interests. While the new crew is intriguing, many of us are irked by what appears to be a disregard for the personal subplots through which each of our Shepards' stories were individualized. My question is: wil those of us who choose to have our Shepards remain faithful to one of the original romance options be able to come away as satisfied with the roma...


CaseyH-ME2: WhisperPiano - this is an interesting question that we see a lot. Here's our take...


CaseyH-ME2: While Mass Effect fans have grown to love our characters, you can imagine that after spending years crafting them, we have at least as much of an attachment to them. So it's definitely not a case of the team disregarding player's decisions with them or interest in those characters - in fact, it's the opposite...

CaseyH-ME2: We actually want to make sure these characters survive the ME2 story, which ultimately is a suicide mission: some of your crew will almost certainly die. Some of the ME1 characters are back, and recruitable (more than you might think), and the ones that aren't still play an important role in the story and will be around for ME3 - which we can't say for the new characters.


CaseyH-ME2: Another important thing to consider is that much of the fun of ME1 was the discovery of new people and places. If we made ME2 out of the same characters, you'd miss out of the fun of that discovery.

CaseyH-ME2: Finally, if you are worried about the role of the ME1 love interest in the trilogy, consider that the romance itself is told across the trilogy, in 3 acts. Apply the 3-act concept to what's happening in your relationship with them, and you might guess where we're going with it.

CaseyH-ME2: The real challenge is that many people will be unfaithful to their ME1 love interest because the ones in ME2 are really compelling.

DarthBill52: I hope not to spoil anything either but i noted in one of the previews and screens..Joker is wearing a Hat with"SR-2" on it. What happened to the orginal Normandy Sr-1 or is that something that will be revievaled on the release


CaseyH-ME2: I don't want to spoil anything either, so I'll just say that you do end up with a new version of the Normandy. It's probably the coolest addition to the game, because it's a lot more interesting to be in - more to do, faster to get around it, etc.

Guest-47: Will ME2 feature many of the planets and systems from ME1?

CaseyH-ME2: ME2 definitely will return to some of the places from ME1. You'll notice a similar galaxy map with a lot of familiar names. But now you can go out deeper into space and find new systems, though you need to spend fuel to get out to those further reaches.
Guest-65: There are rumors that Miranda is not going to be one of the romance options because of her loyalties to TIM and Cerberus, and that she may in fact be involved with TIM. Can you confirm if this is true, and if she is an option or not?

CaseyH-ME2: Miranda is a great "femme fatale" character. She is obviously very close with the Illusive Man, which makes it interesting for Shepard to navigate a relationship with her. As for whether she (or other characters) are romanceable, I want to let you discover that on your own.

Guest-45: Can anyone elaborate on how lockpicking works in ME2? Electornics and decryption seem to be absent from the skill screen. Can any class open locks? I ask bc I would like to know for planning my first playthrough of ME2.

CaseyH-ME2: To Guest-45 You now do hacking and bypass through new minigames, versus the skill based approach from ME1

Guest-73: Is it possible for imported Shepherds to change history when asked questions about the past, 1984 style?

CaseyH-ME2: There's some confusion about how the game sets your "canon" for the backstory. One report said that you just answer some questions to set what has happened - not true...

CaseyH-ME2: The way it works is that if you import an ME1 character, that sets all the backstory details of what has happened so far. If you start from scratch, there is a set of default events that work better for new players to the ME universe....

CaseyH-ME2: Then, when you get through the intro, you have a conversation where you are asked a few questions - if you are in an imported character, they're just testing your memory and will tell you if your answer is wrong. But if you have a new character, you are able to set some last details through the answers to your questions.

Guest-87: What characters served as inspiration for some of the newer party members?

CaseyH-ME2: At this point, we have the luxury of using our own universe for inspiration for new things. Grunt for example was based on the backstory of the Krogan, and finding a great way to create a character based on the fiction that exists. And Mordin was an opprotunity to make a Salarian into a squadmember for the first time.

CaseyH-ME2: As a scientist, Mording is true to the concept of Salarians being intelligent and resourceful, but we had to find a way to make him tough and dangerous enough to join your squad. So he's got a surprisingly tough personality and a fairly ruthless moral system.

Guest-68: are squad member outfits merely alternative appearances or do they incorporate stat differences and/or research upgrades?

CaseyH-ME2: We found that the main attraction to customizing appearance was on your own character, and managing armor etc on all 10 squad members would be onerous. So we deepened the customizability of Shepard's armor so now you can do it piece by piece, and we made the appearance of your squadmembers more of an aesthetic choice that you earn by gaining their loyalty.

Noelle: In the plot scenario we all know that the plot involves The Collectors taking human hostages and Cerberus who hired you, will the Reapers have anything to do with the plot of Mass Effect 2?

CaseyH-ME2: The Reapers are definitely the major threat to life in the galaxy, and how they figure into the disappearance of humans and the attacks by the Collectors in the story of ME2 is what Shepard is trying to figure out.


Guest-183: Casey, can you give us FemShep Players an excact number of how many female / female romance options are in ME2? And are there other options for us than with an Asari?


Aaron-GS: We're at the half-way point!

Aaron-GS: Missed the first few minutes? Don't worry! A transcript of the chat will be posted in the Gaming board within the next 24 hours.


CaseyH-ME2: To Guest-183 There were no female / female romances in ME1, same with ME2. Most people count Tali, but her species is female-looking but asexual. Female shepards (and males) will have 3 possible love interests (if I count correctly!)


Guest-131: Casey, I always recall your description of Shepard as representing "the speartip of humanity" in the galaxy. The exploration of planets was one of my favorite things in ME1. I loved driving around and discovering new things. The Mass Effect story is as much humanity's story as it is the story of Shepard and the Reapers. How do the side quests and (if you can talk about it) DLC speak to that larger narrative?


Guest-120: Are upgrades to the Normandy going to create an actual aesthetic change to the ship's exterior, and if so, will these changes be seen in the game's cutscenes?


CaseyH-ME2: Being a sleek starship, the Normandy carries the upgrades internally - however anytime you're in the ship, there is a central hologram of the inside of the ship while fills up with upgrades over the course of the game. From that you get a sense of how you're doing, and then you'll see the effect of these upgrades (or lack thereof) at certain points in cutscenes.


Guest-23: Good afternoon, Casey. I assume that almost everybody in this chat room has seen the "terminator" Shepard screenshot, from what we know it can be removed all together after an event in the game itself. My question is, do the paragons only get a healthier appearence or do they also get cybernetic eyes and glowing scars, should we remain with these implants?


CaseyH-ME2: What you're seeing in the shot of Shepard with scars and glowing implants is the result of some surgery that's required at a certain point in the story. The idea is that the microsurgery technology requires you to be calm, stay positive etc for the flesh to heal properly. So if you're a paragon and you're generous etc you'll heal up nicely over time. If you run around being a hot-headed jerk, the healing technology won't "take" and it will gradually expose implants under the skin that are trying to heal you. And if you're a rich jerk, you can put resources into a technology that will heal you up regardless of your attitude.


Guest-96: In ME1 there was quite a bit of weapon and armor modding available, how does the equipment upgrades/customization in ME2 compare BESIDES cosmetics?



CaseyH-ME2: Modding is done through a new research system. Getting Mordin allows you to have a research lab. Then, mining planets in the orbit game allows you to obtain resources. Finally, as you run around the game you'll find research projects. You can then give Mordin a research project along with the resources it requires, and build an upgrade to potentially anything - weapons, armor, even the ship.

CaseyH-ME2: These all have stat-based improvements.

Guest-300: What kind of DLC can we expect? Seperate sidequests (like the batarians in ME1), storyline DLC (expanding on the main story), extra NPC's? I already heard the rumour that the pre-order items might be released as DLC, but I'm fishing for the possibly bigger DLC options that might come in the future...

Guest-45: Any chance of retroactive trilogy-spanning DLC? ie. starting a new story arc in ME1 and continuing it through ME2 and ME3? Any chance of new ME1 DLC ever in the future?

CaseyH-ME2: So, DLC...!

CaseyH-ME2: We've made some big improvements to the quality and quantity of DLC we can deliver.

CaseyH-ME2: So you can expect a really strong schedule of DLC, from soon after release and extending out for many months.

CaseyH-ME2: And we have the ability to do micro-downloads (like an awesome helmet) all the way up to several-hour adventures or expansion packs.

CaseyH-ME2: We'll announce a few specific DLCs in the near future.

CaseyH-ME2: There won't be any more ME1 DLC - we're now focused on delivering DLC for ME2. We will however have the opportunity to do some really fun things with the storyline, and we will continue to tell the ongoing story of the trilogy, even through the DLC.

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Guest-79: *cue elevator music* So Casey, who would win in a fight between you and Commander Shepard? ;) On a serious note though, loyalty is likely to play a huge role in survival for ourselves and our team. Are we likely to encounter situations where we have to sacrifice loyalty of one mate to gain that of another or even possibly to just recruit another teammate? If so, what scale of ramifications can we expect to see? Thank you.


CaseyH-ME2: I'm not sure I could take Commander Shepard. Maybe the male version, but the female one talks like she could kick my butt. Now that we have actual Commander Shepard armor in the office though, I could probably make it an even fight.

CaseyH-ME2: As for loyalty, yes, much of the fun of combining really strong personalities with a loyalty system is seeing what happens when you try to keep two very different people happy, in the close confines of your ship.

CaseyH-ME2: You'll definitely have to figure out how to solve some disagreements if you want to get everyone loyal at the same time.

mercenar1e: OK, so I finished ME1 a few days ago and I didn't totally complete some of the missions, *collecting natural resources* 19/20, will this have a significant impact? or does it depend with how much you collect in the first? And with the purchase of ME2 you can get a Cerberus network card, my other question is, will it have bonus content on there 1st day launch?

CaseyH-ME2: Since the resources, money, weapons etc don't directly map over to ME1, you don't have to worry about not getting every mineral (or scanning every keeper!). But you do get bonuses for having lots of money, a high level character, and other major accomplishments. Overall, the main tie-in between the games is that the universe continues the way you left it.

CaseyH-ME2: As for the Cerberus Network card, we will be announcing very soon exactly what it will give you access to, but it's a great way for people to get bonus content and stay connected to the ongoing fiction of the ME universe, and it comes free with a purchase of ME2.

DarthBill52: Do you think Video games especially cinematic ones like ME and Dragon age, are earning respect in the media and Hollywood. Due to the fact your getting primo voice talent that adds some much awesome ness to ME2/ME trilogy

CaseyH-ME2: To SatiricFX Resulting from the interest in making a Mass Effect movie, we've talked a lot with people throughout hollywood and the movie industry, and there's certainly a lot of respect there for our approach to storytelling. Games and movies are heading to an interesting convergence. A movie like Avatar for example, being made from CG characters performed through animation and voice acting, ends up being a very similar experience to playing a highly cinematic game. The additional challenge - and opportunity - we face, is that in a game you can control everything that happens and see everything from different angles. Not to mention, a game like ME2 must do all that while allowing the player to reveal their own path through the story.

Guest-117: Hi Casey, I'm a huge fan. I love RPG's and always want to get the most out of all the them, which includes doing every side mission possible. I'm wondering what kind of steps you and the development team took in improving the side missions in ME2 - are there more, are they more intertwined with the main plot, etc?

CaseyH-ME2: We took a different approach to side missions in ME2. Instead of making them out of more re-usable "light" content, we came up with a concept we call "N7 Missions". You scan planets using an orbit minigame, and through that you can find landing locations that only Shepard can investigate: an N7 Mission! N7 Missions are adventures that allow you to do something special and unique that doesn't exist anywhere else in the game, so by definition each one is really fun and unique. They also tie back into the main story in some way.

SatiricFX: I have read both of the Mass Effect books (hopefully there will be more books written) and I am curious about Kahlee Sanders. She is an amazing character in both of the books. Will she be making an apparence in the Mass Effect Trilogy as well as other characters from the books?

CaseyH-ME2: We have some really great things happening in the broader fiction of the Mass Effect universe, when you include the books and comics. They all tie in to the same large story, and some characters and places appear in multiple media. But each one tells a unique story that's worth paying attention to. Kahlee, from the novels, is becoming an epic character in her own right. At some point, it would be great to see her in the game universe. Likewise, the Dark Horse comic is out now, and Liara meets some new characters that would also be great to see in the game at some point.

Guest-273: If your Shepard is a class which has biotic abilities will this be acknowledged by other characters and/or the plot?

CaseyH-ME2: Generally Shepard is treated as a highly competent operative, regardless of your choice in class or powers etc so the plots and characters dont revolve around those decisions. That ensures that you don't miss out on storylines by making a decision about which class to choose or which power to develop.

Guest-262: are we going to see and females from some of the all male aliens this time around, such as female turians, or female slaraians, and krogan

Aaron-GS: We've got roughly 30 minutes left and will be re-opening the queue shortly for one last batch of questions.

CaseyH-ME2: Interesting question about the female aliens. Who's to say that the aliens you've met so far weren't female? We all know what a gecko looks like - but how many of us can identify a male gecko from a female? And most people can identify crocodiles from alligators, but which ones are male and which are female? Likewise, how can one really be sure about the gender of the salarians and krogans you've met? That's our excuse anyway. And, we do have male Quarians in ME2, whereas the first game only had Tali.

Guest-278: Will gravity levels have more effects on the physics of actions like running and biotic lift. I.e.. Easier or harder.

CaseyH-ME2: We've got some more levels that have different gravity levels, and since the biotic powers (and some weapon powers) have more impressive physics in ME2, you'll really notice when you're in a low-gravity environment,.

ValkyrieMiu: How does the loyalty system work in the game? Is it to the system in Dragon Age: Origins where companions approve/disapprove of the way you do things and you earn/lose approval points?


CaseyH-ME2: It's different from Dragon Age. You'll earn someone's loyalty by developing a relationship with them and helping them do something that's important to them. But you can also do things that will cause them to bail on you if they can't accept what you've done. You'll still have an opportunity to get them back on your side if this happens.


Guest-46: Is Samara a romance option?


CaseyH-ME2: I don't want to spoil the discovery of which characters are open to you as love interests, so all I can tell you is that Samara is a really interesting character with one of the most interesting character developments we've done. The characters are the real story of ME2 - recruiting them, equipping them making them loyal - then seeing if they can keep you alive in the final mision.


Guest-416: Hey, Casey. Will it be possible to change the outlooks and attitudes of squadmates? For instance, can we talk Miranda around to being a little less icehearted if we are a paragon sheperd? Cuz she's super good looking, but a little scary personality wise.... ;)


CaseyH-ME2: Yes, talking to your squadmembers definitely causes them to change over time. And Miranda is a great example. Obviously if there is a lot more to these characters than their exterior, you can imagine how developing a relationship with her would allow you to see a side of her other than her cold, genetically-engineered exterior.


Guest-556: Casey, will we be able to eliminate one of our squadmates if you don't like them? or just not recruit them at all?

CaseyH-ME2: You will be able to choose not to recruit most characters. Some characters are particularly interesting in that you can choose to not take them even after doing the mission where you recruit them. In other situations, they could die depending on how you make your decisions about where your own loyalties lie.

Guest-81: Will we ever go to a Palavan or another Turian planet at some point in the series?


CaseyH-ME2: Part of the fun of having a huge universe to play in is in finding out what players want to do next, and where they want to go. In ME2, we explore places that have never been seen before like the quarian migrant fleet or the Krogan homeworld. In the future, visiting a Turian homeworld is a definite possibility.


Guest-23: Concerning ME1... Can I still recruit Tali if I refused to give her the Geth data in the first one (she hates my guts now >.>) Does the personality of "Archangel" change depending on what you thought him back in Mass Effect 1 with his personal sidemission, or does he follow a personality regardless of what you did or did not do?

CaseyH-ME2: To Guest-23 Actions like the one with Tali or other squadmembers from ME1 definitely carry over. ME1 players will probably chuckle at coming across countless bits of evidence that their decisions from the previous game have affected the world of ME2.

trekkieb47: How many of the incredible Fight for the Lost trailers are left to be seen? And is Blur responsible for those character animations as well?

CaseyH-ME2: There are a bunch of Fight for the Lost trailers that you'll see, not sure the actual count, but they feature some of the most prominent characters in ME2. The CG parts were done by Blur.

Guest-740: will we hear or see anything involving Saren again or will he just be forgoten in ME2 (liked how i skipped the first round with him in ME1 with my paragon response)(i like demos :) )

CaseyH-ME2: Saren was obviously a huge part of how the main story launched, and you can expect his shadow to cast across the trilogy in some form.


Guest-231: First off, thanks for taking the time to chat with the community, and thanks for all the work on Mass Effect 1 and 2 and the beginning work on 3. I think I saw a rough approximation of the sheer number of decisions in the game that will have an effect on your "personal" story. There were certain assignments in Mass1 that would reasonably increase the tension between You(Shepard) and the Cerberus Organization, is this something that's been accounted for? The Illusive Man (And Cerberus as general)...


CaseyH-ME2: My pleasure! You will see the results of that type of decision from ME1, but now that you're more closely associated with Cerberus, and they have a vested interest in you, some of those things are bygones.

Guest-552: I was curious if in ME2 if you chose not to cheat on your ME1 love interest (Liara for me) will you be able to continue your ME1 romance in ME2 or will it be a few short lines of dialogue? Is Tali a Romance option? Also when you say the universe continues the way you left it does that mean any side missions you may have forgotten to do will still be able to be done? Do all the side missions effect ME2 or just some?


CaseyH-ME2: To Guest-552 One thing I'm really excited to see is the achievement data that will show how faithful players are to their ME1 love interest. And the best part is, even though I expect most (almost all?) players will cheat on their ME1 love interest, that decision too will come back to haunt them in the next game!


Guest-620: Will it be easier to get all our teammates to survive the mission in a new game +?


CaseyH-ME2: When you finish ME2 and take that character back into a new ME2 game (some call it new game plus), you will have a really powered-up character to blast through the game with, but who is alive or dead at the end still depends on choices you make, who you have in your team, and who is loyal.

Guest-383: Hello Casey! A few of us noticed a destroyed Reaper in the Blur trailer...will this be a big part of the game or was that just thrown in to add a background story element? Can I buy your Shepard Armor?? Thanks for taking the time to discuss with the fans! Very much appreciated! --Derek


CaseyH-ME2: You wouldn't really want to know what that Reaper was doing in one of our videos, would you? But obviously if the Normandy and a Reaper were in close proximity, that would make for a pretty major story event. And, no, our Shepard armor is not for sale - we only have one copy that we use for tradeshows - and for me to wear to important meetings.


Guest-576: I noticed that nearly all of the potential squad members have some form of biotics. Was this intentional? Is there a reason for this?

CaseyH-ME2: Considering that 3 of the 6 classes allow some kind of biotics, it's natural that a lot of the characters have some ability there. We've also only shown part of the total group of 10 characters. There's a good spread there across the classes I think.

DarthBill52: You mentioned ME is a trliogy, are you doing the lucas trilogy plan (2-3 years between episodes) to give programing/art folks time to create and the like ..so ME3 will be what like 2012 or 2013?


CaseyH-ME2: We are currently focused on ensuring we have a fantastic launch for ME2, and some really strong DLC to start with. At the same time, we're starting to design ME3, and will be listening closely for your feedback on ME2 so we can incorporate it into the 3rd game as well as a great lineup of DLC for ME2.

Aaron-GS: Well, that's all the time we have for this evening folks! A transcript of the chat will be posted in the Gaming board within the next 24 hours.

Aaron-GS: Thank you all for joining us, and a big thank you to Casey for being here tonight!
Aaron-GS: Still looking to pre-order your copy of Mass Effect 2? You can do so here: http://bit.ly/4TylmF
Aaron-GS: And if you're a Reward Zone Gamer's Club member, make sure to check out the next newsletter for an exclusive Mass Effect 2 offer

Was a great read, didn't read some of the question because of possible spoilers but they are taking this thing VERY serious.
I should begin finishing my perfect playthrough of ME1 for the release of ME2. Damn you World of Warcraft! ><