at what point should i stop to complete side missions before i continue with main?

[Doddery]

i remember i seen someone say u should stop at a certain point

[Enter Mask]

It's when you go to Ilos that the game locks you in. Although it's wise to get them all done before you do the four main missions (Feros, Noveria, Therum (Liara's dig site), and Virmire) because you will probably be wrapped up in the story. Also anything involving the Citadel has to be done before those four main missions because you won't be able to go back to the Citadel.
http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/930279-mass-effect/61800254

[Kenny32673]

You're "locked down" once you have completed all 4 of the main mission worlds.

So to ensure you can do all the side missions only do three of the four main mission worlds (Therum, Feros, Noveria and Virmire in any order you prefer).

Once you have done all four you'll be returned to the Citadel and can no longer do any sidequests (except any on the Citadel itself) due to story reasons.

[Doddery]

so the expose saren is the 4th main mission right?

[Kenny32673]

Originally posted by Doddery:

so the expose saren is the 4th main mission right?

My bad, when I said main mission I meant mission world.

Basically if you just don't go to Virmire until you have done all the side missions and are ready to go to the end game you'll be fine.

[Doddery]

thank you both for the replies and clearing things up

[SwobyJ]

1)Eden Prime
2)Citadel
3)Therum/Feros/Novaria
4)Therum/Feros/Novaria
5)Therum/Feros/Novaria/Virmire
6)Therum/Feros/Novaria/Virmire
7)Citadel --> Ilos
8)Ending Area (spoilers)

To be the most safe, DO EVERYTHING BEFORE ENTERING #6. Doing this one (the last one of Therum/Feros/Novaria/Virmire) will turn the Citadel into another format, where you can enter it and advance main story and hand in sidequests, but you CAN'T LEAVE IT until you advance the main story, and the main story doesn't allow any more exploration but instead takes you down a more direct line.

So basically, do everything (all sidequests, all DLC?) to be safe, before doing the 4th/final of the mid-game missions (again, Therum/Feros/Novaria/Virmire).

I also listed them in the most common/suggested order, but that's not necessary. You can save, for example, Therum for the 4th one - it just means a few different lines and a much more limited exposure to the Liara squadmate. Most people leave Virmire for last, especially since it has more of a lead-up to the story's climax, but that's not necessary.


TLDR; Ilos is technically the area that is the Point of No Return, but more practically, the PONR is the 4th mid-game mission.

[Doddery]

i have another question i dont know what they mean by background on the mass effect wiki

http://gyazo.com/447dd149bb89dbe224452125ce2caf0f

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Assignments

[Kenny32673]

When you create your character at the start of the game you choose a background for Shepard.

First you choose their "Pre-service history" (Spacer, Colonist or Earthborn) then you choose a "Psychological profile" (Sole survivor, War Hero or Ruthless).

http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Commander_Shepard#Pre-Service_History

[SwobyJ]

^ MonkeySeeker is correct. 'Background' is not a big deal, but it may get sidemission or conversation nods (or even slight Para/Rene bonuses?) throughout the trilogy.

[Doddery]

another question does any of these side missions have anything that carries to mass effect 2

http://gyazo.com/03124c9092902be4618e838213a8a5f6

havent complete any of them since they look like they're not worth the effort except all others like

Citadel , Feros, Noveria assignments

it looks like im almost to the end in vimire

[SwobyJ]

Many of them affect ME2 and ME3, though all or almost all of them only affect these games in smaller ways.

Examples:
-Rogue VI gives you your class specialization, but also affects dialogue with a character/squadmate in ME2-ME3. This is a very nice one to do.
-Asari Writings is one part of a few things that affect a sidemission in ME3, needed to get the best result (though it doesn't have much 'structural' impact to things)
-Asari Diplomacy is cool because a character from it is seen again, in an awesome scene, and Shepard recognizing them makes the scene better

etc etc etc