Mass Effect Mechanics

[The Citadel]

No, this is not a thread for the Citadel Restoration Workers Union.

Instead, it's a thread about how to go about writing and roleplaying stuff from the game. The Mass Effect tie-in novels - which are written by the game's lead writer, Drew Karpyshyn - describe some stuff in pretty cool ways: explaining with "science" how a biotic's barrier and singularity abilities work, for example.

The objective is to look at the stuff that is very much a game mechanic - abilities, weapons, armour, and all that jazz - and twist it in such a way that makes it easier to explain. You don't have to talk about your character swapping out their thermal clips, but if you did want to describe that, this thread is here to help you do that.

There is a lot of stuff to get through: I will try and be as sussinct as possible. I'll also be avoiding plot spoilers (though their will be gameplay / game mechanic spoilers) where possible. If there are plot spoilers included in a post, I will warn you in a hopefully eye-catching way, like so:

SPOILERS! :hurr

[The Citadel]

1 - Weapons

Over the course of the next few posts, there will be a slightly more comprehensive look at weapons for individual classes and factions. In this post, I'll cover off a few of the basic questions.

Overheat or Thermal Clips?

Both. Thermal clips are a great way of making Mass Effect 2 feel more like a first person shooter, but because Pistols and Shotguns had such a small amount of ammo, it made them a bit useless.

Thermal clips (for us) work like a sponge. If your gun is meant to be overheating, the thermal clip soaks up that extra heat. If you stop firing, the weapon cools, and the thermal clip stops soaking. Once your thermal clip is completely saturated, it will stop working. You can either swap and go back to square one; alternatively, if you've run out of clips, the gun functions just like the first Mass Effect game.

To see whether or not a gun uses thermal clips, refer to the posts below.

Can I run our of ammo?

Guns in Mass Effect fire tiny grains instead of bullets. Damage is caused because these grains are moving at a speed referred to by scientists as "bloody fast". Because the rounds are so small, you can fit thousands of them into a weapon. Chances are you will never run our of ammo.

However, if you want the "Oh, shit! I ran out of bullets!" moment, having your weapon Overheat is the writing tool to use. Pistols will overheat if you fire two-dozen shots in quick succession: that's like emptying a magazine from a Beretta in one go. You get the same oh-snap effect, but in a way that fits with Mass Effect mechanics.

Can I change the type of ammo in my gun?

In a word, no. Incendiary Ammo and it's fellow upgrades and powers are very cool in-game, but they don't fit with the "bullet the size of a grain of sand" premise that the codex and novels have established.

To avoid the whole bean counting "Ah, but I used Disruptor Ammo, thus overpowering your shields!" issue, we'll just assume that ammo is ammo, with no extra complications.

That said, some Special Weapons have effects that are similar to ammo types. Take a look at the Geth Pulse Rifle (Disruptor Ammo) and Geth Plasma Shotgun (Incendiary / Inferno Ammo), and others, in the posts below.

What about grenades?

We are all player characters which, under the rules of Mass Effect, means we can all throw grenades. Similarly in Mass Effect 2, you can unlock Flashbang Grenades and Incendiary Grenades as a loyalty power.

You have the option to either throw grenades by hand, or fire them from a Grenade Launcher. I would expect that for the most part we will use either Flashbang or Incendiary Grenades, but if a situation calls for it we can potentially factor in Smoke Grenades, Gas Grenades, High Explosive Grenades, and so on.

What guns can I carry?

The humanoid body has six weapon slots.
There are two Pistol Slots, located on either side of the humanoid's waist / hips. These can hold a Pistol or a Heavy Pistol.
There is one Carbine Slot, located at the humanoid's lower back. These typically hold a Shotgun, but can also hold a small weapon like a Sub-Machine Gun.
There are two Rifle Slots, located on the humanoid's Backpack, over their shoulder blades. These typically hold an Assault Rifle or a Sniper Rifle, but can also hold a Shotgun (but not a Sub-Machine Gun).
There is one Heavy Slot, located between the Rifle Slots on the Backpack, along the humanoid's spine. These typically hold a Heavy Weapon.Not all weapons fall into quite the same categories that they do in the games (for a whole host of reasons). See the individual weapon description to see what kinds of slots it can plug into.

[The Citadel]

1.1 - Weapons of the Alliance

As a general rule of thumb, any gun from Mass Effect 2 that has an M and a number in front of it is supplied under contract to the Alliance military. That doesn't prohibit the rest of the galaxy from buying them as well: but for the sake of convenience, all of the M weapons are grouped here.

There is also a little extra backstory thrown in to incorporate some of the weapons from Mass Effect, and some details from the novels.

Manufacturers of Alliance Weapons

Though founded in 2149, it wasn't until after the Alliance was granted an embassy on the Citadel in 2165 that the galactic market began to open up to them. Even then, it is only in the last decade that the Alliance has started procuring it's weapons from alien manufacturers.

Originally, the sole military contractor for weapons was Hahne-Kedar. Their designs for simple, collapsable weapons proved to be enduring, and while other companies have taken over contracts in the last few years, Hahne-Kedar equipment was still standard issue on the front lines as late as 2183.

Kassa Fabrication developed a range of imitation Alliance weapons, in the hopes of taking over the Hahne-Kedar contracts. Though unsuccessful, they also developed the M-12 Locust, which became one of the Alliance's most popular Submachine Guns.

Several companies developed imitation Alliance weapons to be sold to civilians and private enterprises. Elkoss Combine developed a variant of the M-7 Lancer that was so effective that the Alliance military granted them a contract to produce it - without alterations - as the M-8 Avenger. They also supply the M-4 Shuriken Machine Pistol.

Elanus Risk Control Services is a turian security firm that tried to get in on the human market by manufacturing imitation Alliance weapons, and selling them to colonists and civilian transport crews. The Alliance military awarded them a contract to produce the M-3 Predator, a military version of their Striker Pistol. They also provide the M-9 Tempest Submachine Gun - the most common carbine in Alliance use - and the M-29 Incisor Sniper Rifle.

A small Japanese company, Ariake Technologies bought the rights to the Scimitar Shotgun from Elkoss Combine. It now produces both the M-23 Katana and M-27 Scimitar under contract, making it the almost exclusive shotgun supplier to the Alliance military.

In the last few years, a number of independent manufacturers have started to supply the Alliance, including Carnifax and Lieberschaft.

List of Alliance Weapons

Pistol Slot:
M-1 Kessler Pistol - (Hahne-Kedar)
Standard issue sidearm. Does not use thermal clips.
M-3 Predator Pistol - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Military issue variant of the Striker Pistol. Standard sidearm for special forces. Does not use thermal clips.
M-4 Shuriken Machine Pistol - (Elkoss Combine)
Fully automatic Heavy Pistol. Often a second sidearm for expeditionary forces. Does not use thermal clips.
M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol -
Salarian-designed SOCOM pistol, complete with laser sight. Does not use thermal clips.
M-6 Carnifex Heavy Pistol - (Carnifex)
Standard issue heavy pistol. Popular for it's stopping power with forces who regularly engage krogan mercenaries. Does not use thermal clips.Carbine Slot:
M-9 Tempest Submachine Gun - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Standard issue submachine gun. Used by naval security and military police. Uses thermal clips.
M-12 Locust Submachine Gun - (Kassa Fabrication)
Alternate submachine gun. Popular as stored weapons on fighters and shuttles due to it's compact size. Uses thermal clips.
M-21 Storm Shotgun - (Hahne-Kedar)
Standard issue until 2183. Does not use thermal clips.
M-22 Evicerator Shotgun - (Leiberschaft)
Restricted-use shotgun: a trade embargo prevents the bulk purchase of this weapon by the Alliance military. Does not use thermal clips.
M-23 Katana Shotgun - (Ariake Technologies)
Standard issue shotgun as of 2183. Does not use thermal clips.
M-27 Scimitar Shotgun - (Ariake Technologies)
Originally developed by Elkoss Combine; design was bought by Ariake Technologies in 2183. Does not use thermal clips.Rifle Slot:
M-7 Lancer Assault Rifle - (Hahne-Kedar)
Standard issue assault rifle until 2183. Uses thermal clips. Carried in a Rifle Slot.
M-8 Avenger Assault Rifle - (Elkoss Combine)
Upgraded version of the M-7 Lancer. Standard issue assault rifle since 2183. Uses thermal clips.
M-15 Vindicator Assault Rifle - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Alternate assault rifle. Based on a standard Turian Hierarchy design. Uses thermal clips.
M-29 Incisor Sniper Rifle - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Designed for precision shooting by law enforcement. Fires three shots per trigger depression, with minimal recoil. Uses thermal clips.
M-76 Revenant Light Machine Gun - (Elkoss Combine)
Squad support weapon. Fully automatic: fires at 700 RPM. Uses thermal clips.
M-91 Python Sniper Rifle - (Hahne-Kedar)
Standard issue sniper rifle until 2183. Does not use thermal clips.
M-92 Mantis Sniper Rifle - (Devlon Industries)
Standard issue sniper rifle as of 2183. Does not use thermal clips.
M-96 Mattock Heavy Rifle - (Kassa Fabrication)
High-velocity precision-fire semi-automatic assault rifle. Does not use thermal clips.
M-97 Viper Sniper Rifle - (Rosenkov Materials)
Military issue variant of the Volkov Sniper Rifle. Popular with expeditionary forces. Uses thermal clips.Heavy Slot:
ML-77 Missile Launcher - (Armax Arsenal)
An anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon, developed by the turians. Does not use thermal clips.
M-98 Widow Anti-Material Rifle -
Squad support weapon. Does not use thermal clips.
M-100 Grenade Launcher - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Grenade launcher originally designed for crowd control. Can fire any grenade, as well as gas canisters, and non-lethal "beanbags". Does not use thermal clips.

[The Citadel]

1.2 - Weapons of the Turian Hierarchy

While the Systems Alliance has dozens of weapons in active use, the Turian Hierarchy has far fewer. They operate under the assumption that, having designed an extremely effective set of weapons, why would they ever want more?

Manufacturers of Turian Weapons

There are several small manufacturers of turian-designed standard issue weapons. However, the one best known to the galaxy is Haliat Armory. Unlike most manufacturers, they were granted a licence by the Turian Hierarchy to sell surplus weapons to the public.

Weapons for the turian elite are much harder to come by. Produced by Armax Arsenal, they are almost identical to the weapons produced by Haliat Armory and others, but bost significantly higher performance.

List of Turian Weapons

Pistol Slot:
Stiletto Heavy Pistol - (Haliat Armory)
Standard issue heavy pistol for basic troops. Does not use thermal clips.
Brawler Heavy Pistol - (Armax Arsenal)
Standard issue heavy pistol for elite troops. Does not use thermal clips.Carbine Slot:
Tornado Shotgun - (Haliat Armory)
Standard issue shotgun for basic troops. Does not use thermal clips.
Avelanche Shotgun - (Armax Arsenal)
Standard issue shotgun for elite troops. Does not use thermal clips.Rifle Slot:
Thunder Assault Rifle - (Haliat Armory)
Standard issue assault rifle for basic troops. Does not use thermal clips.
Crossfire Assault Rifle - (Armax Arsenal)
Standard issue assault rifle for elite troops. Does not use thermal clips.
Equalizer Sniper Rifle - (Haliat Armory)
Standard issue sniper rifle for basic troops. Does not use thermal clips.
Punisher Sniper Rifle - (Armax Arsenal)
Standard issue sniper rifle for elite troops. Does not use thermal clips.Heavy Slot:
ML-77 Missile Launcher - (Armax Arsenal)
An anti-aircraft and anti-tank weapon, developed by the turians. Does not use thermal clips.

[The Citadel]

1.3 - Weapons for the Public

The galaxy is a very dangerous place, and private citizens often need weapons to protect themselves. This is even more true for colonial militias, and the crews of civilian freighters.

Most weapons available to the public are based on a military design: appealing to the sense of security people feel when wielding a gun that looks like it belongs to a soldier.

Manufacturers of Imitation Weapons

Devlon Industries is a volus company best known for producing armour that can withstand harsh environments. However, they also developed a range of environment-resistant weapons, based largely on turian designs. They are supposedly able to withstand anything: the extraterrestrial AK-47s of the 22nd Century.

Though Elanus Risk Control Services is a turian company - and thus buys turian firearms from legitimate manufacturers - they began to produce a range of Alliance imitation weapons during humanity's early expansion into the Terminus Systems. Their Striker Pistol imitation proved so successful that the Alliance signed a contract for ERCS to supply them with the M-3 Predator military variant. Elanus Risk Control services also produces a small number of imitation turian firearms; though again, these are aimed mostly at the human market.

The volus company Elkoss Combine began to manufacture affordable imitation Alliance firearms, with the intention of selling them to human colonists. The weapons are usually decorated in red: harder to conceal, but popular with law enforcement and security forces as a visible deterrant. The civilian Avenger Assault Rifle was such a good weapon that the Alliance military gave Elkoss Combine a production contract, without requesting an improved military variant.

Kassa Fabrication produces a range of high-spec imitation Alliance firearms. They were originally developed in the hopes of taking military contracts away from Hahne-Kedar, but they proved too expensive to be viable. They are now sold mostly to wealthy private owners.

The Rosenkov Materials manufacturer on Earth was an early producer of imitation turian firearms, making them available to the Alliance Military. The M-97 Viper is a military variant of the Volkov Sniper Rifle.

Imitation Alliance Weapons

Pistol Slot:
Edge Pistol - (Elkoss Combine)
Imitation Alliance pistol. Does not use thermal clips.
Karpov Heavy Pistol - (Rosenkov Materials)
Imitation turian heavy pistol. Does not use thermal clips.
Razer Pistol - (Kassa Fabrication)
Imitation Alliance pistol. Does not use thermal clips.
Stinger Heavy Pistol - (Devlon Industries)
Imitation turian heavy pistol. Resistant to harsh environments. Does not use thermal clips.
Striker Pistol - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Imitation Alliance pistol. Civilian version of the M-3 Predator. Does not use thermal clips.Carbine Slot:
Armageddon Shotgun - (Kassa Fabrication)
Imitation Alliance shotgun. Does not use thermal clips.
Firestorm Shotgun - (Devlon Industries)
Imitation turian shotgun. Resistant to harsh environments. Does not use thermal clips.
Hurricane Shotgun - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Imitation Alliance shotgun. Does not use thermal clips.
Scimitar Shotgun - (Elkoss Combine)
Imitation Alliance shotgun. Design sold to Ariake Technologies. Does not use thermal clips.
Sokolov Shotgun - (Rosenkov Materials)
Imitation turian shotgun. Does not use thermal clips.Rifle Slot:
Avenger Assault Rifle - (Elkoss Combine)
Imitation Alliance assault rifle. Civilian version of the M-8 Avenger. Uses thermal clips.
Banshee Assault Rifle - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Imitation Alliance assault rifle. Uses thermal clips.
Breaker Assault Rifle - (Kassa Fabrication)
Imitation Alliance assault rifle. Uses thermal clips.
Hammer Sniper Rifle - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Imitation Alliance sniper rifle. Does not use thermal clips.
Harpoon Sniper Rifle - (Kassa Fabrication)
Imitation Alliance sniper rifle. Does not use thermal clips.
Kovalyov Assault Rifle - (Rosenkov Materials)
Imitation turian assault rifle. Uses thermal clips.
Raptor Assault Rifle - (Devlon Industries)
Imitation turian assault rifle. Resistant to harsh environments. Uses thermal clips.
Reaper Sniper Rifle - (Elkoss Combine)
Imitation Alliance sniper rifle. Does not use thermal clips.
Striker Sniper Rifle - (Devlon Industries)
Imitation turian sniper rifle. Resistant to harsh environments. Uses thermal clips.
Volkov Sniper Rifle - (Rosenkov Materials)
Imitation turian sniper rifle. Civilian version of the M-97 Viper. Does not use thermal clips.Heavy Slot:
M-100 Grenade Launcher - (Elanus Risk Control Services)
Grenade launcher originally designed for crowd control. Can fire any grenade, as well as gas canisters, and non-lethal "beanbags". Does not use thermal clips.

[The Citadel]

1.4 - Special Weapons

Special weapons are anything that you can't get "off the shelf" - that need to be salvaged during missions, custom-built, or obtained through other means.

Arc Projector

An experimental weapon, designed to combat the Geth. It projects a non-visible beam towards the target, and then uses that stream of photons to direct a pulse of electrical energy, overwhelming the targets shields and overloading electronics. Carried in a Carbine Slot.

Geth Plasma Shotgun

Multiple projectiles are fired from this weapon at once, each carrying a charge. In flight, they cause the air around them to become ionized, creating a cloud of heated plasma that can cause thermal damage and incendiary effects. Carried in a Carbine Slot.

Geth Pulse Rifle

Projectiles fired from this weapon carry an electrical charge, which has a disruptive effect on kinetic barriers. The weapon has a variable rate of fire which follows a sine curve: it peaks at around 1000 rounds per minute. It is believed this variable rate of fire is a countermeasure against the weapon overheating: as the rate of fire drops, the weapon is able to cool. Carried in a Rifle Slot.

[The Citadel]

1.5 - Weapons by Class

The biggest consideration in whether or not your character can carry certain weapons is whether or not they are wearing a "Backpack" - specifically, a backpack containing their Rifle and Heavy Slots.

If you have a military-orientated character - a Soldier, Infiltrator, or Vanguard - it is likely that you will wear a Backpack for weapons. These professions are used to lugging around large quantities of gear, and want to have as much equipment on-hand as possible.

Specialist characters - an Engineer, Sentinel, or Adept - might not want to wear a Backpack. They might instead have an actual backpack in which to carry special equipment, or might want to retain their mobility in order to climb about conducting repairs, or to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

Just because you have particular weapons slots doesn't mean you need to fill them. Heavy Slots are generally reserved for squad support weapons: it may not be appropriate for your character to carry them. You have two Pistol Slots, but you may decide to use one for

Below are some possible loadouts as food for thought.

The Quarian Machinist
M-3 Predator Pistol
M-12 Locust Submachine Gun
Flashbang GrenadesQuarians need to be particuarly careful to protect the integrity of their suits. A Pistol like the M-3 Predator can be drawn quickly, allowing them to react if someone should suddenly attack them. The M-12 Locust is a compact weapon that is unlikely to get in the way, but has a long range compared to other submachine guns. The presence of Flashbang Grenades allows the Quarian to distract and disorientate their opponents, either buying them time to escape, or time for reinforcements to arrive.

The Quarian has no backpack in this configuration, in order to maintain their mobility, and to avoid interfering with their isolation suit.

The Salarian Scientist
M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol
M-4 Shuriken Machine Pistol
M-22 Evicerator ShotgunThe Salarian Scientist is likely to have his attention focused elsewhere most of the time: carrying an M-5 Phalanx with it's easy-to-grab handle provides a weapon that can be drawn quickly when needed, and the laser sight adds an extra degree of accuracy if required. The M-22 Evicerator meanwhile has a longer range than most Shotguns, allowing them to deal damage to targets before they get too close. Rather than grenades, the Salarian Scientist has a Machine Pistol in their second Pistol Slot: compact enough so as not to get in the way, but with an impressive rate of fire.

The Alliance Infiltrator
M-5 Phalanx Heavy Pistol
M-6 Carnifex Heavy Pistol
M-12 Locust Submachine Gun
M-23 Katana Shotgun
M-29 Incisor Sniper RifleThe Infiltrator wants as compact an array of weapons as possible, to make moving in confined spaces easier, but also wants to be armed and prepared for whatever might happen. Grenades are too loud for his purposes, so he carries a quick-draw M-5 Phalanx with it's added laser sight, and has a heavy M-6 Carnifex just in case he runs into a krogan. The M-12 Locust is compact but well-ranged: ideal for combat in corridors and confined spaces. He carries an M-23 Katana in a rifle slot rather than on his lower back, so that his array of weapons is more compact. The M-29 Incisor is also compact, and makes for a nicely portable sniper rifle. He has no Heavy Weapon, since they would make too much noise.

The Alliance Shock Trooper
M-3 Predator Pistol
M-27 Scimitar Shotgun
M-76 Revenant Light Machine Gun
M-96 Mattock Heavy Rifle
M-100 Grenade Launcher
Flashbang GrenadesWhile the Infiltrator was all about remaining quiet and subtle, the Shock Trooper is the opposite. He carries Flashbang Grenades that he can throw by hand, but also has Incendiary Grenades (or something equally destructive) ready in his Grenade Launcher. He carries an M-3 Predator as his standard sidearm, but also has an M-27 Scimitar in easy reach in case anyone gets too close. His M-76 Revenant gives him a high rate of fire for mowing down the opposition, while the Mattock gives him the option for slow-but-deliberate high-powered shots if he needs to clear a room without causing collateral damage.

[The Citadel]

2 - Armour