Mass Effect 1 Worst PC Game I Have Ever Played

[TetraSky]

I played and completed ME1 three times by now, never had a single problem with it.

Then again, I didn't play it through the pile of dog poo that is Origin, where the servers are not responding half the time. Always ran without problem through steam and was able to add some DLC to it that I downloaded on the bioware website as well.

[xaeleep]

Never had a problem with it during my two full play-through's. Rather unfortunate that you have had such a bad experience with it, I enjoyed it.

[deathjester]

Hey guys, so don't get me wrong I love every single Mass Effect in the series. So why is ME1 so bad? Well when I played Mass Effect through the first time I originally played the first installment on Xbox then the second and third on PC. Well I recently decided I'd play through the trilogy again but as the same character and changing my play style so I bought the game on Origin.

 

After I purchased the game I downloaded and installed it. I went to launch the game and... nothing. Nothing at all happened, I tried running as an administrator reinstalling, nothing worked. I looked it up online and it was an issue a lot of people were having where sometimes the full game didn't even download and a few files were missing as well as the version being outdated.

 

After having to patch the game (from BioWare's website), crack it, and create a pseudo Launcher file the game finally launched. I got through the beginning perfectly fine but then the game started seeming a little odd to me. I couldn't really tell what but I knew it was there. After playing awhile longer I figured it out, most of the controls only worked half of the time, I would attempt to aim and the reticle wouldn't change as well as not even appear on some of my guns. The running was extremely clunky and even seemed like I was going way faster than was originally coded.

 

The cover mechanics barely functioned and powers didn't even work when I would press them or they would do the same things. For example I pressed my hotkey for the "Throw" power and I suddenly had a shield on me. When I got to thee area at the beginning when you have to defuse the bombs as soon as I would attempt to defuse them my mouse cursor would appear on screen. After completing the action the sensitivity would be completely screwed. At that point I just couldn't play anymore.

 

I don't know if I can get my money back, I bought the game about 3 days ago but I really feel completely cheated by EA. A similar debacle happened with me purchasing Crysis but that game, after similar practices, functions perfectly fine. It just absolutely baffles me that this could be such an issue if the game would've been on sale on Steam I would have gotten it there instead. At least I'd know my game would actually work.

 

 

Game ran perfect for me and the only problem I ever had with it is Therum lava (fix included). This is probably fixed on newer versions. On older games always run as admin, install as admin. Some older games also need compatibility mode. I didn't need this on Win 7.  

 

 

Also some changes to make the game look pretty (console version looks like arse once you do this). I saved this as a text file years ago.

 

To fix widescreen, game directory, binaries, masseffect config. Choose widescreen and choose resolution.

 

Fun with INI settings to give much better looking faces, outfits etc without needing texture packs.

 

Bioengine.ini found at...

\Users\[user]\Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect\Config in Windows Vista. This .ini file can be viewed and edited using a text editor like Windows Notepad

 

Press F3 to search for these lines (like put MaxAniso in the field), many of these settings are together. This may sound complicated, but literally all you are doing is changing some numbers to higher settings in the ini file. 

 

MaxAnisotropy=4

Change 4 to 16.

 

 

Now onto this group.

TEXTUREGROUP_Character_Diff=(MinLODSize=32,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=0)

TEXTUREGROUP_Character_Norm=(MinLODSize=32,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=0)

TEXTUREGROUP_Character_Spec=(MinLODSize=32,MaxLODSize=256,LODBias=0)

 

Note that the MinLODSize portion is 32 while it says the max is 512 and 256 respectively. These are the lines that we are going to edit. Change the MinLODSize to the max values shown to the right. It will look like this;

 

TEXTUREGROUP_Character_Diff=(MinLODSize=512,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=0)

TEXTUREGROUP_Character_Norm=(MinLODSize=512,MaxLODSize=512,LODBias=0)

TEXTUREGROUP_Character_Spec=(MinLODSize=256,MaxLODSize=256,LODBias=0)

 

Scroll halfway down to the section entitled "[systemSettings]" (without the quotations). Change "Trilinear=FALSE" to "Trilinear=TRUE" (again, without the quotations).

 

Two sections further down the document you will see the "[TextureLODSettings]" (without the quotations). Replace the top 11 lines (12 including the section title) with the following:

 

[TextureLODSettings]

//TEXTUREGROUP_Character=(MinLODSize=1024,MaxLODSize =4096,LODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_CharacterNormalMap=(MinLODSize=1024,M axLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_Effects=(MinLODSize=1024,MaxLODSize=4 096,LODBias=0)

TEXTUREGROUP_LightAndShadowMap=(MinLODSize=1024,Ma xLODSize=4096,LODBias=0)

TEXTUREGROUP_RenderTarget=(MinLODSize=8,MaxLODSize =4096,LODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_Skybox=(MinLODSize=1024,MaxLODSize=40 96,LODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_UI=(MinLODSize=1024,MaxLODSize=4096,L ODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_Vehicle=(MinLODSize=1024,MaxLODSize=4 096,LODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_VehicleNormalMap=(MinLODSize=1024,Max LODSize=4096,LODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_Weapon=(MinLODSize=1024,MaxLODSize=40 96,LODBias=0)

//TEXTUREGROUP_WeaponNormalMap=(MinLODSize=1024,MaxL ODSize=4096,LODBias=0)

 

Save the file,

 

In Nvidia Control panel or ATI alternative choose Masseffect.exe  under manage 3D settings. Antialiasing ON (game doesn't have it natively), and under antialiasing Transparency put Supersampling.

 

Game should look much prettier.

 

Therum fix (steam version prob fixed this).

 

The file you need to delete is in two different locations.

Delete the file named LocalShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM3.upk in the following directories:

 

My DocumentsBioWareMass EffectPublishedCookedPC

 

C:Program FilesSteamsteamappscommonmass effectBioGameCookedPC

 

Anyways here is an old screenshots with a GTX 260 216C. My vanilla Mass Effect looked like this, with that card and just some ini changes. I should prob play the series again with my GTX 770 now that they have a happy ending mod. 

 

Game still looks pretty damn good for a GTX 260 216C compared to what consoles had. Keep in mind that is a 2008 GPU. Higher AA, higher res would look even better. 

 

 

 

[Humbug]

I was able to play through mass affect 3 maxed out at 1080p using my old geforce 9600gt 512MB which i purchased almost 6 years ago. That surprised me.

The card died a couple of weeks later though lol.

[Scionyde]

I've actually never played the Mass Effect series, but it's on my list. Is it true that the save file from one game has some minor effects on the following games? If that's the case, is it preferable to try and play all 3 on Origin since you can't get ME3 on Steam?

[Humbug]

I've actually never played the Mass Effect series, but it's on my list. Is it true that the save file from one game has some minor effects on the following games? If that's the case, is it preferable to try and play all 3 on Origin since you can't get ME3 on Steam?

the game can import the save files from the game directory. regardless of the store it was purchased from. And Yes your choices matter. For example dead party members will stay dead for the entire trilogy.

[AmusedGoat]

Mass Effect 1 was by far my favorite of the series, if only for the planet side missions and the Mako. I still remember getting out of my Mako on the moon in my spacesuit and staring at the Earth. Magnificent.

 

ME2 was pretty good, the story was decent. A shame they removed the Mako though.

 

Never even played ME3 after hearing about how horrible the ending was. Plus no mako either, so no point.

 

If I had to rate them:

 

Mass Effect 1 - 10/10

 

Mass Effect 2 - 8/10

[Kevin_Walter]

Mass Effect 1 was by far my favorite of the series, if only for the planet side missions and the Mako. I still remember getting out of my Mako on the moon in my spacesuit and staring at the Earth. Magnificent.

 

ME2 was pretty good, the story was decent. A shame they removed the Mako though.

 

Never even played ME3 after hearing about how horrible the ending was. Plus no mako either, so no point.

 

If I had to rate them:

 

Mass Effect 1 - 10/10

 

Mass Effect 2 - 8/10

 

You MUST be trolling.

 

I can't even...

[GzeroD]

Never even played ME3 after hearing about how horrible the ending was. Plus no mako either, so no point.

ME3 was a good game and I would not call the ending horrible it was just not satisfying for a game that was ending such a massive trilogy.

 

 

 

You MUST be trolling.

 

I can't even...

 

 When people say they like the ME1 planet exploration missions my head hurts as well.

[Ja Krispie]

That's extremely weird, I actually never had an issued with ME1 on my PC, played through the whole game no issues.

[Humbug]

ME3 was a good game and I would not call the ending horrible it was just not satisfying for a game that was ending such a massive trilogy.

for me the first half of mass effect 3 was the most enjoyable of the entire trilogy. So many great moments. And i had Heard everyone complain about the ending so i just enjoyed the game, it's the journey.

[Ryoku]

Hey guys, so don't get me wrong I love every single Mass Effect in the series. So why is ME1 so bad? Well when I played Mass Effect through the first time I originally played the first installment on Xbox then the second and third on PC. Well I recently decided I'd play through the trilogy again but as the same character and changing my play style so I bought the game on Origin.

 

After I purchased the game I downloaded and installed it. I went to launch the game and... nothing. Nothing at all happened, I tried running as an administrator reinstalling, nothing worked. I looked it up online and it was an issue a lot of people were having where sometimes the full game didn't even download and a few files were missing as well as the version being outdated.

 

After having to patch the game (from BioWare's website), crack it, and create a pseudo Launcher file the game finally launched. I got through the beginning perfectly fine but then the game started seeming a little odd to me. I couldn't really tell what but I knew it was there. After playing awhile longer I figured it out, most of the controls only worked half of the time, I would attempt to aim and the reticle wouldn't change as well as not even appear on some of my guns. The running was extremely clunky and even seemed like I was going way faster than was originally coded.

 

The cover mechanics barely functioned and powers didn't even work when I would press them or they would do the same things. For example I pressed my hotkey for the "Throw" power and I suddenly had a shield on me. When I got to thee area at the beginning when you have to defuse the bombs as soon as I would attempt to defuse them my mouse cursor would appear on screen. After completing the action the sensitivity would be completely screwed. At that point I just couldn't play anymore.

 

I don't know if I can get my money back, I bought the game about 3 days ago but I really feel completely cheated by EA. A similar debacle happened with me purchasing Crysis but that game, after similar practices, functions perfectly fine. It just absolutely baffles me that this could be such an issue if the game would've been on sale on Steam I would have gotten it there instead. At least I'd know my game would actually work.

 

I've played ME on console and PC and I had more issues playing it on console then PC (which I had no issues, worked perfectly), probably just the game not liking a specific component in your pc, like how my PC will not run BF4 without crashing after a short while but every other game works perfectly.

[RelentlessAF]

I've played ME on console and PC and I had more issues playing it on console then PC (which I had no issues, worked perfectly), probably just the game not liking a specific component in your pc, like how my PC will not run BF4 without crashing after a short while but every other game works perfectly.

My PC doesn't seem very unorthodox to warrant non-compatibility. Also there was an issue with the download from Origin itself not containing the Launcher for the game which is why I had to do all of that. If the Launcher downloads with the game it will start right up. If not you have to do all of that. Also BF4 is a buggy mess I wouldn't blame that on your system.