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Mass Effect

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Template:Infobox Mass Effect (series)

Version Differences

Digital and retail versions differ only in the fact that there is a problem with installing a retail version on Windows 7. Retail versions can be registered with Origin.

Save game location

C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents\My Games\Bioware\Mass Effect\profile\save games\

Issues and Fixes

Steam

Steam must be running in administrator mode or Mass Effect will not load.

In some cases, character and weapon textures will display at low resolution even if the game settings are set to higher quality. To fix this, follow these instructions from the Steam Forums.

Intel Integrated Graphics

Mass Effect does not officially support Intel graphics chips. However, the game is still playable. The game will crash if the main menu is called up (through Esc). It is still possible to play through Mass Effect if one uses shortcuts to access desired menu item, for example, quick save or codex).

While the aforementioned method works, it is still bothersome and is a detriment to gameplay. An updated Intel driver fixes the problem entirely. The driver in question is the 2622 Intel driver.

Windows 7 Retail Install

Mass Effect retail copies do not run under a Windows 7 environment. This, however, was fixed with the 1.02 patch. The real reason of this issue is originated by the MassEffectConfig.exe file, which crashes under Windows 7. Digital copies, however, are not affected by this issue. If you are unwilling to download the patch, you can start the game from MassEffect.exe to bypass the MassEffectConfig.exe crash.

Black screen after loading a save

If the whole screen is black except for the UI, then Shepherd fell through Normandy and the save is bugged. Only happens on Normandy, in the Engineering part of the ship. Never save there.

Therum missing textures

If when you get to Therum most of the ground is black, then you've got a common texture problem. Some of the black area is safe to drive on but some of it will kill you outright, making it quite hard to navigate. To restore the texture, go to My Documents\BioWare\Mass Effect\Published\CookedPC and remove the file LocalShaderCache-PC-D3D-SM3.upk. Restart and Therum should look fine.

People and Objects Become Black Pixles

Your squad, enemies, and objects that can be interacted with become boxy black blobs. This is a problem on newer ATI graphics cards. To fix change the viewmode to unlit. First you will need to enable the developer console. To enable the developer console you need to edit the configuration file BioInput.ini wich is stored in ...Documents\Mass Effect\Config\BioInput.ini. Add a line below Engine.Console so that this section of the file looks like: 

[Engine.Console]
ConsoleKey=Tilde

Boot up Mass Effect, open the developer console by hitting "~" and type in viewmode unlit. Should be good to go.


Garrus's face fix

It has been noted that the textures on Garrus Vakarian's face are extremely low resolution. While this issue can be fixed by using Texemod to import Mass Effect 2 textures and use those instead, there is an easier method that doesn't require Texmod to be running.

  • Navigate to the BioEngine.ini file, which can be found in Documents\Bioware\Mass Effect\Config
  • Back up the file.
  • Open the file using Notepad and find the section under [TextureLODSettings]
  • Find these 3 lines within this section (use CTRL + F if unable):
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)
  • Change the MinLODSize so it equals the MaxLODSize (but not any higher - this will render the game unplayable). The edited text should therefore be
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)
  • If this edit has caused your Mass Effect to cease functioning, delete the file and replace it with your backup.


IGameExplorer --> Verify Access. Unable to verify access to the game.

If you receive this message, it may be fixed by running the .exe in compatability mode for Windows XP Service Pack 2. Be sure to do this for the actual MassEffect.exe and not the launcher. The final folder tree will be \Mass Effect\Binaries\MassEffect.exe. The preceding folders will of course depend on how you installed the game (via Steam, via Origin etc).

DLC

Unavailable DLC

The Pinnacle Station DLC is no longer available for purchase via the official website. In order to obtain this DLC, users must contact EA support.

Free DLC

The Bring Down the Sky DLC is still available for free. Simply go to this EA pageand follow the instructions for the Bring Down The Sky DLC. This DLC also works with Steam.

System requirements

Template:System Requirements