While playing through Mass Effect these past couple of weekends, I’ve noticed that the strategy guide likes to repeatedly tell me to make sure I’m prepared for battle. Every time I see it, I think, “Really? Because battle happens so little in this game?”
This phrase is littered throughout the ME guide, but I know I’ve seen this same piece of advice in multiple other guides (those just didn’t state it as often, but that’s not the point here).
The point is, this phrase should never be mentioned in any strategy guide for a game that has fighting, unless the fighting happens very, very sparsely. Even new gamers know that in games like this, you have to be prepared for battle. Unless you have some tips for what one should prepare their characters with, like certain armor, abilities, or weapons, then don’t mention they should be prepared at all.
In the page I’ve scanned in to the right, I can tell from the headers that I’m about to run into battle, so it’s really not necessary to tell me to start preparing. In fact, just from the dialogue I had with Qu’in beforehand, I KNOW there is a battle coming. Even without that knowledge, I’m always expecting some idiot to pull a gun on me as I turn the corner. You can’t get through the first two chapters without realizing that.
So please, no more telling me to prepare for battle. I’m well aware that I should always be prepared for battle in these types of games, and any gamer with any ounce of brain matter should be able to figure that out as well. Save the words and space for useful tips.
I’m reminded of how they do things on Star Trek where someone will order “Mr. Worf, prepare to fire!” during a battle. The Enterprise is in the middle of a fight. Of course Worf is ready to fire! Just tell him to fire and be done with it!