Mass Effect 2 Scanning (NO SPOILERS)

[JackSpadesSI]

I'll start off by saying that I LOVED the original Mass Effect. Sure, of course, it had some issues like the bland planets where you just drove around rock mountains to find mineral deposits. When they said that this would be a non-issue for Mass Effect 2 I was overjoyed that the sequel would only retain only the positive portions of the original.

However, is it just me, or was driving the Mako around a bland planet in search of mineral deposits between rock mountains WAY, WAY, WAY more fun that the planet-scanning mini-game for resource mining?

It is complete BS that the scanning reticule is the same size whether you're scanning a tiny dwarf planet or a gas giant. Also, why would the planet's star stay in the same point relative to the planet when the planet spins? That tells me that the Normandy isn't moving around the planet, but rather staying in one spot while the planet's whole day goes by underneath.

Finally, even WITH the scanner upgrade the process takes SO FREAKIN' LONG! Couldn't they have made the mineral deposits glow or something so I wouldn't have to drag the reticule over every inch of the entire planet? It is just SO BORING!

/rant

 

[Slick5150]

I would have liked the scanning upgrade to show where the mineral deposits were as well to make it go a little quicker, but overall I didn't really have an issue with it.

 

[sourceninja]

Wait!! You can upgrade the scanner? Spoilers people!!!

 

[Qbah]

On my Xbox I use both sticks to the right or left and run circles - for some reason the scanner goes faster if I do it this way.

Also, mine only when you need it for an upgrade. No other reason for the resources. So no need to mine every possible planet there is.

EDIT: Also, no need to look for "the best spot" from a deposit. It's enough your probe hits it anywhere - the graph is there to tell you how big the deposit is (so if it's worth it or not) and not to find the best location to fire the probe.

 

[gorcorps]

I really didn't have a problem with it. I prefer this way greatly over the mako bullshit because of how long it took to explore planets with the thing. Both are boring, but the scanning takes a lot less time so I hold it's an improvement.

Also, are you just holding the trigger down the whole time you're scanning? That would be why it takes so long. Just sweep the planet tapping the trigger, and if you see a spike go back in and find it.

 

[maziwanka]

On my Xbox I use both sticks to the right or left and run circles - for some reason the scanner goes faster if I do it this way.

Also, mine only when you need it for an upgrade. No other reason for the resources. So no need to mine every possible planet there is.

EDIT: Also, no need to look for "the best spot" from a deposit. It's enough your probe hits it anywhere - the graph is there to tell you how big the deposit is (so if it's worth it or not) and not to find the best location to fire the probe.

the edit is super helpful. i've been trying to locate the best spot. now that that's the case, i'll just find a spike and fire without tryign to pinpoint where the peak on the graph is.

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

I really didn't have a problem with it. I prefer this way greatly over the mako bullshit because of how long it took to explore planets with the thing. Both are boring, but the scanning takes a lot less time so I hold it's an improvement.

I agree.

On my Xbox I use both sticks to the right or left and run circles - for some reason the scanner goes faster if I do it this way.

I will have to try this. Right now, I go up and down the planet, but I will try and go left to right.

Wait!! You can upgrade the scanner? Spoilers people!!!

Wow. That "joke" was lame the first time you tried it. Seriously, troll elsewhere.

 

[sourceninja]

That was the first time I tried it.

And it was funny on two fronts.

Front 1) Making fun of people who want to discuss how to play a video game, but at the same time don't want to know anything about said game in advance.
Front 2) The fact that upgrading scanning doesn't appear to do anything, thus pretending like although I have beaten the game, I didn't know you can upgrade it.

But I'm sorry, I'll stop trying to be funny from now on.

And for the record, I don't troll. Maybe take that stick out of your ass once in a while.

 

[Beev]

I actually liked the Mako from ME1. Other than a few issues with driving up mountains etc. I loved it. Scanning isn't terrible, but I wish it was the Mako instead 😛

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

I actually liked the Mako from ME1. Other than a few issues with driving up mountains etc. I loved it. Scanning isn't terrible, but I wish it was the Mako instead

And the fact that you couldn't actually aim where the reticule was? You would shoot in the direction it was facing, but moving it up and down was useless. Hence, why I usually got out on foot in order to deal with enemies. That, and the increased EXP awarded by doing so. 😛

 

[JoshGuru7]

Scanning isn't particularly fun, so as a game dynamic it does fail a bit there. However, it isn't that painful either. You really don't have to scan very much in order to afford all the upgrades.

I think I probably depleted 1/3 of the planets or so, upgraded everything, and still had 100k of every resource but element zero left over. Scan left to right and send your probes after the really large deposits only, and only when you actually need the resources.

 

[Phobic9]

And the fact that you couldn't actually aim where the reticule was? You would shoot in the direction it was facing, but moving it up and down was useless. Hence, why I usually got out on foot in order to deal with enemies. That, and the increased EXP awarded by doing so. 😛

Yeah that was really annoying when I replayed ME1 a few weeks ago. If the Mako was on anything but a flat surface, forget trying to aim the gun and have it hit where you wanted. Like you said though, you get way more XP for killing on foot anyway. 😀

 

[RyanPaulShaffer]

Yeah that was really annoying when I replayed ME1 a few weeks ago. If the Mako was on anything but a flat surface, forget trying to aim the gun and have it hit where you wanted. Like you said though, you get way more XP for killing on foot anyway.

Cannons were really tough on Insane, because they could shoot you from twenty miles away and would one-shot your guys. Bring Down the Sky was interesting with all of those bases surrounded by a ton of cannons... 😉

 

[warcrow]

I didnt read the entire thread, but just incase it hasnt been mentioned, here is the best thing you can do with and without the upgrade:

Press left on BOTH the LS and the RS and then throttle the LT so that you lift your finger off of it for 1/2 a second. Do this every 1-2 seconds.

Mining is much quicker using this mething. Oh and only mine planets that are >Moderate level too--there are a lot.

 

[JackSpadesSI]

Great tips! Though, Qbah, what is the point of the peak rising in d falling depending on your coordinate? Shouldn't it be more digital than analog (peak vs. no peak) if exact location didn't matter?

Yeah, maybe I didn't have the best method: I go down one grid line, then up the adjacent grid line to the right. I keep LT down the entire time. It takes FOREVER.

 

[Qbah]

Great tips! Though, Qbah, what is the point of the peak rising in d falling depending on your coordinate? Shouldn't it be more digital than analog (peak vs. no peak) if exact location didn't matter?

Yeah, maybe I didn't have the best method: I go down one grid line, then up the adjacent grid line to the right. I keep LT down the entire time. It takes FOREVER.

The graph is there for you to see if it's a big deposit or not (that's what I think). So you know if the deposit is worth the probe (as you're on a tight budget and won't be able to afford all the upgrades if you'e gonna blow all you credits on probes and depleting planets 😛 Hell, I think you won't be able to afford them anyway 😀). Notice that sometimes you're given two minerals even if your graph shows one at the particular point for the probe (because it's "attached" to the same deposit area). You can also easily test it yourself - just find a big spike, move the cursor to an "edge" of the deposit (where the spike is low but still from the same deposit) and fire the probe - you will still get 2k+ of the mineral. And when you find a small deposit, that has a highest graph that's really low (but around the same height as during the test deposit), you will get like 200 or 300.