Buy or Loot?

[Deathlok]

Most games I've ever played have one common flaw: Merchants are largely worthless, except for selling your loot. I'm starting to think this game has the same problem.

Aside from licenses and a few key upgrades, is it best NOT to buy from vendors, but instead stick with whatever you find laying around? It certainly seems a good way to save vast sums of credits.

I must add that the only suit of Quarian armor I've stumbled across was found at a Citadel vendor. "It's rarity is likely due to the fact that quarians rarely leave the Flotilla." So there's that.

Maybe there's an über-vendor out there I haven't met yet?

[FEZ. TF7]

It's best to save your cash and buy the Spectre weapons which will be listed as something like this ''HMWVII'' best weapons in the game

There's a guy on the Normandy, in the area by Garrus that sells them or there is a Turian that sells them to you on the Citadel, he's in one of the side area's by where you appear when you fast travel to C-SEC

The only thing other than licenses you might want to buy is armor types for Tali and maybe Garrus because they are rare, especially armor for Tali, but there is one piece of armor which you can get as a reward for a quest in Bring down the sky which is the best armor for her and i don't think you'd need to find or buy any another piece of armor for Tali as soon as you get this

[iXenite]

I honestly never bought very much armour when I played this game on PS3. Unless I thought the armour set I had, or my companions had, was to ugly - I never felt the need to spend the money. Although, I did buy the Spectre weapons.

So, I suppose just save your Credits and use it to buy the best weapons you can for your team (and yourself), and only pick armour that makes everyone look the best. Why? Because you'll be killing most of the enemies anyway, so that should keep everyone alive (including yourself). Plus, with your Spectre skill tree and proper investments in other trees (like first aid), your companions are covered in the health department (as are you). Just keep yourself alive and all should be good.

However, the loot can be pretty cumbersome (ammo mods in particular stack up), so if you're hard for Credits (and you inventory is filling up) just sell all of the worthless ammo mods to the guy on the Normandy. Anyway, I kinda rambled here, hopefully I made some sense.

[The vintage feeling]

Mostly, loot will cover your needs for the majority of the game.
By the time you reach the final parts of the story, you will have gathered everything you need.

Even the Spectre weapons aren't a necessity. You will do great damage even with regular ones. I've finished my insanity playthrough and I did just fine without them.

As for saving your credits, except for buying licences and upgrades, you won't need them that desperately. Their significance raises in Mass Effect 2 & 3.

Of course, that's just my opinion. Experiment with a couple of playthroughs and you'll see for yourself.

I hope I helped.

[Choke]

Originally posted by Deathlok:

Most games I've ever played have one common flaw: Merchants are largely worthless, except for selling your loot. I'm starting to think this game has the same problem.

Aside from licenses and a few key upgrades, is it best NOT to buy from vendors, but instead stick with whatever you find laying around? It certainly seems a good way to save vast sums of credits.

I must add that the only suit of Quarian armor I've stumbled across was found at a Citadel vendor. "It's rarity is likely due to the fact that quarians rarely leave the Flotilla." So there's that.

Maybe there's an über-vendor out there I haven't met yet?

If you download the Bring Down The Sky DLC there will be kind of an ubervendor bt it's not really a vendor. I don't want to spoil anything for you though.

[FEZ. TF7]

I think the above poster means Pinnacle Station DLC, and not Bring Down the Sky

[SwobyJ]

Buy some rare pieces (especially for the alien characters you like), licenses, medigel and grenade upgrades, and eventually the Spectre VII and X items. Otherwise, nah.

The inventory+shop system in ME1 is nearly universally disliked.

[MaximumEffort]

BioWare hates merchants. The best items in their games you either find or get as 'exclusive' bonuses. Except few high-end-game items. Spectre gear in MEs and the uber dagger in DA:OA

[Smoke Eater]

Ive seen amazing armor from a hanar once

[talgaby]

Still, the RNG 'R' Us vendors from Pinnacle Station are hard to top: especially since they have ultra rare and very high quality stuff.

[Deathlok]

Yeah, I don't think I have the DLC. I got my game through Steam, and I don't see any DLC mentioned on the Store page.

Besides, DLC that unbalances a game (Dead Space 2) is not something I'm into.

[FormlessOedeon]

id say looting will serve you better until youve done a full playthrough then when you have extra money on a second you can buy some really nifty things

[Deathlok]

One thing I didn't realize was that the player's inventory is large for a reason. You're supposed to hold on to various types of ammo for maximum effect against a wide range of enemies. And then there's all the weapon mods.

I've sold a lot of stuff I should not have, and actually have squad mates without any decent mods or ammo. Unfortunately, merchants don't sell much of that stuff!

Oops!