If you install this mod and the buttons appear, but do not delay the missions, it is likely that there is an issue with Mod Manager updating your Plot Manager file. This is an inconsistent issue that can affect users who applied the mod after textures, or users of some pirated repacks. This will also happen if you try to manually install the mod. It must be installed using ME3Tweaks Mod Manager.
KNOWN ISSUE WITH MORE GAY ROMANCES (NOW FIXED!)
The previous issue with More Gay Romances has been resolved thanks to the ME3Tweaks Team fixing the bug in the mod manager. Use ME3Tweaks Mod Manager version 7.0.6 (build 124) or higher and everything should work fine now!
MY BUTTONS DON'T WORK, I'M NOT A PIRATE, AND I HAVEN'T INSTALLED ANY TEXTURES!
The general fix is to restore your game to a vanilla state, install content mods (via ME3Tweaks Mod Manager or direct file replacement), then texture mods, via Mass Effect Modder (or ALOT installer).
If this does not work, please let me know so I can assist you in fixing the problem.
In order for me to help you, you will need to post a log and diag:
I'll be honest: I wasn't that convinced by the mod at first. Like most players, I used to dislike ME2's system at first, where the plot is forced upon you and the game imposes the order in which you have to complete the missions. But runs after runs, I made my peace with it and decided that Shepard having less agency was the point of that story and that I had to deal with it.
And then comes your mod that changes everything: not only it kinda negates my canon but it changes the game's narrative a lot which I'm not a big fan of. Thing is I'm also a very curious girl who LOVES playing these games over and over because I get to see different scenes and listen to new dialogues! LOL
So, yep, I cave and installed your mod and I am NOT disappointed. It works like a charm and paired with Early Recruitments, I can watch many new scenes and I loooooove it.
i'm sorry for the late reply here, i completely missed this comment. thank you very much! i'm glad the mod won you around. i can admit that i'm not personally that upset by the ambush missions either, but i had a fun making the mod because it was interesting to come up with a (hopefully!) elegant technical solution. and it's nice to be able to give more control to the people who want it and as you say, on later playthroughs its nice to be able to vary the experience, and play through the game in different ways. i appreciate the endorsement!
Upon further inspection, the button IS appearing to trigger the Collector Ship mission, but not the Horizon mission. I loaded up saves just before the Collector ship and it appears just as in the image.
if it's appearing for the collector ship it should be appearing for all missions, unless you're not at the point when the mission would normally trigger anyway. if you provide a save where you think the button should be visible but isn't, i can check this for you. i can't see anything on first glance in your log that would be an issue, so my first thought is the mod's working but either there's a misunderstanding about Horizon's timing, or there's an issue with your save.
please be warned - while you can install this mod partway through a game, if you install it at the point a mission is supposed to trigger the button will appear but you'll be locked out of the galaxy map. this is explained on the main page. you need to install the mod at least one mission prior to the event triggering for it to work properly.
you can also reply to comments rather than posting a new comment each time, that keeps the discussion clearer.
Playing the trilogy again (thanks to finally buying LE) and for some reason was finding ME2 sort of... exhausting/stressful. Then realized this effect is because of the goddamn forced missions which cause me to "micromanage" if I want the most out of the game and its' characters. Somehow that experience just grows worse with each playthrough. So I finally went mod-hunting and this mod... it's a true godsend. Eliminated all that previous frustration and let me experience the game in ways I haven't been allowed to before.
the diagnostic you generated is missing half of the information. you've posted the log of mod manager activity but not the actual record of your system setup and what's currently installed which means i can't check to see what may be overriding or whether it's an installation problem.
please follow the animated gif exactly. note that you need to select options in both dropdowns.
Hey, here's something new and interesting: When I hit the Abduction button, it works exactly as it should, (though the shuttle flyby seems to run slowly,) until the point where EDI says, "I am detecting a virus in the ship's systems," at which point my display goes dark, but the audio continues to play as events unfold.
I tried to start through Ops Alley, walking blind, but can't get Joker to where he needs to go before I hear the reapers get him. Then I see the three choices you get after disastrous failure: Restart, Load, or Exit, but nothing else. (Kinda like the vanilla ending to ME3, yaknow? :-)
The first time it happened, I assumed it was a failure that might not repeat, so I hit EXIT, generated a log (https://me3tweaks.com/modmanager/logservice/logviewer?logid=5b098aca39ff616f12f35745b5cb4803), rebooted the machine, reloaded my save (exiting the lift at the CIC) and tried again. (MyriadProBegone had a 1.2-to-1.2.1 upgrade that I applied; I doubt it had any real effect.) Same problem: black display. So I fumbled aft, got Joker killed, and this time tried RESTART. It reset me back to the point where the display had gone black, but now it wasn't black. Joker unshackled EDI, connected to the main controls, EDI made good their escape, Joker got chewed out by Miranda, and I saved again.
Some might consider this a non-problem, but as a purist, I don't like that Joker got his ticket punched because my display was dark. (Not on my watch.) My own perusal of the log offered no insight, but I am only a wannabe modder (I want to build a EDI-as-LI mod, not unlike the Hatboy Project, and I think AI can help.) Can you divine any insight about what happened? Is there another better (or more relevant) way to troubleshoot this? I didn't see anyone else report anything remotely similar in the other comments or Bug Reports, and will actually be surprised if it really is a Trigger Buttons problem, but I'm not sure where else to start. (And your technical understanding is manifestly apparent.)
FWIW, I don't bugger up things with textures because it seems any DLC update (or anything else) after modding textures will cause the coughing of hairballs (and those eezo-powered hairballs are really unpleasant.) I installed all the content mods before starting this playthough, and have been tweaking my mix along the way with updates, but no new mods were installed after starting (just updates.) If you have no insight, I'll let it be my problem, and thanks for your time.
(Also, since I didn't say it anywhere else, your mods are masterworks, especially this one. While there's a certain unpredictability about real life that I think the original design has created effectively [and I played it so cautiously that it wasn't actually a problem!] as I've learned about the game lore, and how Legion's role is reduced to a shadow of its original, I see even more value in being able to meet Legion on Alchera. Great work!)
hey - thanks for the kind words about the legion recruitment, i'm really glad that continues to be a fun experience for you. unfortunately i don't know what the issue is here and it's not something i can really debut easily given the sheer amount of mods you have installed, not all of which i'm familiar with.
the only two ideas i have are:
1) you mentioned that you installed some mods as you went (though not after textures). as noted on the mod description, if you installed trigger buttons at the exact point one of the missions can trigger, it can lead to a blackscreen on the galaxy map. this shouldn't happen here because there's no galaxy map entrance during this sequence (and i expect i would have gotten more reports about it if so). but it's the only thing i can possibly think of that could lead to TB being responsible, so it may be worth rolling back to a save a mission prior if you have one and seeing if that resolves it, just in case.
that said, i agree that TB is unlikely to be the culprit. it amends conditionals that allow these missions to start, but it does nothing to them after that fact. it sounds like somehow the screen is being set to black but not being unset again (i.e. it's sometimes set to black during loading and then unset again later). it sounds like a sequencing issue in a file TB doesn't ship. which leads to:
2) the other mod you have that seems to be actively editing the abduction sequence is the normandy project. i know nothing about that mod's edits during the abduction at all. but based purely on the files it ships i'd try disabling that and seeing if it fixes the problem.
if that doesn't help then you're down to brute force to identify the problem/conflict. literally all i can suggest is disabling all your mods, then re-enabling them one by one (or in batches, perhaps starting with stuff that's least likely to be responsible) until it breaks again. once you work out what mod it seems to be, i'd see if it happens with only that mod installed or if it's a conflict between mods.
this will be very time consuming so you may or may not find it worth your while, but it's honestly all i can suggest if it's not either of the suggestions above.
Thanks for all the enlightenment; sorry it took so much of your time, but don't think it isn't appreciated. Yup, sounds like a time sink I'd rather not invest in, which is about what I expected. Thanks again, and please keep up the fantastic work!
Holy fucking shit... this mod is a must have, regardless of whatever kind of playthrough you want to make! And for that matters, it addresses what I always considered the worst flaw of Mass Effect 2, those fucking forced missions. You made this game thousands of times more enjoyable, here's to you!
Thanks so much for this mod. Love it. Can confirm that if you get the Reaper IFF as soon as you can (thus recruiting Legion), then go about your business for dozens of missions, you can safely postpone the "Crew Abduction" event until the absolute endgame and still save the whole crew.
It was the absolute last thing I did in my playthrough, and correctly triggered the crew abduction, allowed me to go straight through the Omega 4 Relay & rescue the full crew.
If you're like me and wanted this one so you could take Legion throughout more of the game without losing your crew--it 100% works. Thanks again!
It seems I have run into an issue here which I can guess why, I completed a lot of side quests and loyalty missions and have myself left is starting the main quest: Tali: Treason & Stop the Collectors & now the Side Quest: Project Firewalker: Prothean Ruins & Overlord. I think it's because I have everyone to which the game can't register so the main mission is soft-locked me out. I also think I can "fix it" using the Trilogy Save Editor and...remove one or so companions so I can progress through the story and simply get them back, I don't know. Hopefully, I can get a response and hopefully get a better understanding.
This is a very confusing explanation. "Stop the Collectors" is an umbrella term for the entire main quest line, so it's impossible to know where in the mission you are. It's impossible to know what you mean by "all" the squadmates because that means different things at different times - are you save editing them in? Using a mod? Sticking to vanilla behaviour? How is the main mission locking you out? Like what is the behaviour you're experiencing - is the button not appearing? Is the conversation with TIM not triggering? Are you getting a softlock on the galaxy map? These all indicate different problems.
I suspect that since you didn't read and follow the instructions on reporting your issues in the pinned comment (which would have cleared up some, though not all, of my questions above), you may also have skipped the section on Existing Saves and Playthroughs which warns users of a possible softlock.
So to rule out one possibility: did you install this mod after you'd returned to the Normandy when the Illusive Man will want to speak to you? Like install it right at the point you wanted to start using it? Because that will give you a galaxy map softlock, as explained on the main page. To fix it, either temporarily disable the mod and play the mission with its usual timing, then re-enable the mod afterwards and it'll work for the other missions. Or if you have a recent save earlier than on the Normandy itself, then you can just go back to that save and it should work.
If that is not your issue, then post a log+diag as instructed in the top comment, and provide a save file. You will need to provide your own download link for the save file.
I have an issue explaining things, so hopefully, the video I made helps what I mean and how far I am into the game to give a better explanation of what I mean.
This is not helpful, and also doesn't show any kind of softlock. You have access to the galaxy map and missions available. I told you that I need a log+diag. There is a clear, visual explanation of how to create one in the pinned post. I also told you I need a copy of your save file.
I am not trying to be mean, but I'm not sure how else to be clear. I can't help you without these things. I'm not being difficult, I literally cannot troubleshoot your issue based on that video and what you've said. It could be a LOT of different things that you're not going to understand if I ask for and you might not know how to find in the save file. But I know what I'm looking for and can find quickly. Like, another mod might be overriding the buttons due to a wrong patch. Or maybe your save is fine you just used Early Recruitment and only just did Horizon which means you need to keep playing before the next mission will trigger (you need 5 missions after Horizon) and you just think this is when you should get the next mission. Or maybe my mod is broken! No way to tell from this video. Just...do what I've asked and I'll try my best to help.
Like to apologize I myself didn't mean to cause any annoyance. I have what you require of me to see what is the issue: https://me3tweaks.com/modmanager/logservice/logviewer?logid=e52c81a7e275382dd56bdb9e68e7e673 And here is my save file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JP8Eu6mpJWsVndVjt-mmDvE5SFrUbbNU/view?usp=share_link
Thank you, like I said, it's just what I need to help. I have sent an email asking for access to the save on your gdrive. Once you've granted that I should be able to take a look at what's going on.
The Collector Ship mission happens a while after Horizon. You need 8 squadmates (you have 11) and you need to have completed 5 missions after Horizon. Your save says you have completed only 2. I don't know if that's right or not, but it's what the save says. I'm surprised because you have Thane, Samara and Tali so you should have done at least 3 missions after Horizon unless you save edited them in? Or were using Early Recruitment but uninstalled it?
Anyway, this isn't really a problem, you just need to keep playing the game. You need to do 3 more missions and then after that the Collector Ship mission should trigger. This is just normal behaviour for the game. You have at least 3 missions left, and more loyalty missions will unlock as you play as well.
If somehow you've also done all the loyalty missions then I have no idea how (maybe save editing them to be loyal or something?), and it wasn't something this mod did. You can increase Integer 23 to 5 and it shoudl force the mission to trigger, but I really don't recommend that if you can avoid it. It could cause problems later and I am not gonna be able to help you with those/may not have any idea what they are from if it's due to other save editing.
That's what I've been thinking from the very beginning. I went too far with whatever was left of the Main/Side Quest that the mission on the second monitor doesn't appear anymore, it use to be there but I just kept continuing until it just went poof. I tried using the TSE to remove Thane and Samara since they were the last two that the mission on the second monitor was there but even then it didn't work. Now the mods I have installed are here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xfux0_fQpIcLjynDL_abGwrlfJJuRo72/view?usp=sharing , I haven't added anything or removed any mods and these are the ONLY mods I've been currently using since the beginning. Now maybe I need to remove a third member (because I only removed two & needed to remove a third one) and that would work, maybe if I know where to go in the TSE and figure out where to go step by step to make it work because I have no idea OR using the console commands and be teleported to the required mission that I was supposed to go (the last two was told by me by someone else and still waiting for a response). So as of right now, I'll see if I can just remove a third companion this time and hopefully, that would work until then I'll wait for your response if you wish to continue to help me, it would be much appreciated. I'm like very new about TSE and how it works. Anyways, side note it would be funny if a simple solution is that remove the Trigger Mod for now play the mission normally to a point and reapply it and I'll be fine throughout the game.
I don't think you understand me. Is English your second language? Are there other languages you understand better? I might know someone who speaks them who can help. Because your answer sounds like you didn't understand anything I said. I will try to speak in short, clear sentences. I'm not angry, I just want to be clear.
Your game is not broken. The next mission is not supposed to start yet. You need to do 3 more missions.
Trigger Buttons does not let you start missions early. It only lets you delay them. This mission hasn't started yet (normal game behaviour) and so Trigger Buttons isn't doing anything (normal mod behaviour).
There was something a little weird about your save (looked like you'd edited in some loyalties, etc., which can cause issues) so I asked some other questions, and tried to give you some advice in case there was something else wrong. Clearly this was a mistake and has left you very confused. So ignore that. That was just me trying to stop other problems for you.
Here is the important part:
Play 3 more missions. Then the button will appear for the next mission. Your game is not broken. I don't know why you think it is.
Do not use the save editor to remove squadmates. That is not your problem. You will actually break your game.
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117 comments
KNOWN ISSUE WITH MORE GAY ROMANCES (NOW FIXED!)
The previous issue with More Gay Romances has been resolved thanks to the ME3Tweaks Team fixing the bug in the mod manager. Use ME3Tweaks Mod Manager version 7.0.6 (build 124) or higher and everything should work fine now!
MY BUTTONS DON'T WORK, I'M NOT A PIRATE, AND I HAVEN'T INSTALLED ANY TEXTURES!
The general fix is to restore your game to a vanilla state, install content mods (via ME3Tweaks Mod Manager or direct file replacement), then texture mods, via Mass Effect Modder (or ALOT installer).
If this does not work, please let me know so I can assist you in fixing the problem.
In order for me to help you, you will need to post a log and diag:
And then comes your mod that changes everything: not only it kinda negates my canon but it changes the game's narrative a lot which I'm not a big fan of. Thing is I'm also a very curious girl who LOVES playing these games over and over because I get to see different scenes and listen to new dialogues! LOL
So, yep, I cave and installed your mod and I am NOT disappointed. It works like a charm and paired with Early Recruitments, I can watch many new scenes and I loooooove it.
So, congrats and mod endorsed.
please be warned - while you can install this mod partway through a game, if you install it at the point a mission is supposed to trigger the button will appear but you'll be locked out of the galaxy map. this is explained on the main page. you need to install the mod at least one mission prior to the event triggering for it to work properly.
you can also reply to comments rather than posting a new comment each time, that keeps the discussion clearer.
I was confused.
So I finally went mod-hunting and this mod... it's a true godsend. Eliminated all that previous frustration and let me experience the game in ways I haven't been allowed to before.
https://me3tweaks.com/modmanager/logservice/logviewer?logid=b1b381c7f56c06521282aa406d865778
I am attempting to install but the prompts do not appear. Is this mod compatible with the Risky Suicide Mission Mod?
please follow the animated gif exactly. note that you need to select options in both dropdowns.
I am attempting to install the mod. Is this mod compatible with the Risky Suicide Mission Mod?
I tried to start through Ops Alley, walking blind, but can't get Joker to where he needs to go before I hear the reapers get him.
Then I see the three choices you get after disastrous failure: Restart, Load, or Exit, but nothing else. (Kinda like the vanilla ending to ME3, yaknow? :-)
The first time it happened, I assumed it was a failure that might not repeat, so I hit EXIT, generated a log (https://me3tweaks.com/modmanager/logservice/logviewer?logid=5b098aca39ff616f12f35745b5cb4803), rebooted the machine, reloaded my save (exiting the lift at the CIC) and tried again. (MyriadProBegone had a 1.2-to-1.2.1 upgrade that I applied; I doubt it had any real effect.)
Same problem: black display.
So I fumbled aft, got Joker killed, and this time tried RESTART. It reset me back to the point where the display had gone black, but now it wasn't black. Joker unshackled EDI, connected to the main controls, EDI made good their escape, Joker got chewed out by Miranda, and I saved again.
Some might consider this a non-problem, but as a purist, I don't like that Joker got his ticket punched because my display was dark. (Not on my watch.)
My own perusal of the log offered no insight, but I am only a wannabe modder (I want to build a EDI-as-LI mod, not unlike the Hatboy Project, and I think AI can help.) Can you divine any insight about what happened? Is there another better (or more relevant) way to troubleshoot this?
I didn't see anyone else report anything remotely similar in the other comments or Bug Reports, and will actually be surprised if it really is a Trigger Buttons problem, but I'm not sure where else to start. (And your technical understanding is manifestly apparent.)
FWIW, I don't bugger up things with textures because it seems any DLC update (or anything else) after modding textures will cause the coughing of hairballs (and those eezo-powered hairballs are really unpleasant.) I installed all the content mods before starting this playthough, and have been tweaking my mix along the way with updates, but no new mods were installed after starting (just updates.)
If you have no insight, I'll let it be my problem, and thanks for your time.
(Also, since I didn't say it anywhere else, your mods are masterworks, especially this one. While there's a certain unpredictability about real life that I think the original design has created effectively [and I played it so cautiously that it wasn't actually a problem!] as I've learned about the game lore, and how Legion's role is reduced to a shadow of its original, I see even more value in being able to meet Legion on Alchera. Great work!)
the only two ideas i have are:
1) you mentioned that you installed some mods as you went (though not after textures). as noted on the mod description, if you installed trigger buttons at the exact point one of the missions can trigger, it can lead to a blackscreen on the galaxy map. this shouldn't happen here because there's no galaxy map entrance during this sequence (and i expect i would have gotten more reports about it if so). but it's the only thing i can possibly think of that could lead to TB being responsible, so it may be worth rolling back to a save a mission prior if you have one and seeing if that resolves it, just in case.
that said, i agree that TB is unlikely to be the culprit. it amends conditionals that allow these missions to start, but it does nothing to them after that fact. it sounds like somehow the screen is being set to black but not being unset again (i.e. it's sometimes set to black during loading and then unset again later). it sounds like a sequencing issue in a file TB doesn't ship. which leads to:
2) the other mod you have that seems to be actively editing the abduction sequence is the normandy project. i know nothing about that mod's edits during the abduction at all. but based purely on the files it ships i'd try disabling that and seeing if it fixes the problem.
if that doesn't help then you're down to brute force to identify the problem/conflict. literally all i can suggest is disabling all your mods, then re-enabling them one by one (or in batches, perhaps starting with stuff that's least likely to be responsible) until it breaks again. once you work out what mod it seems to be, i'd see if it happens with only that mod installed or if it's a conflict between mods.
this will be very time consuming so you may or may not find it worth your while, but it's honestly all i can suggest if it's not either of the suggestions above.
Yup, sounds like a time sink I'd rather not invest in, which is about what I expected.
Thanks again, and please keep up the fantastic work!
And for that matters, it addresses what I always considered the worst flaw of Mass Effect 2, those fucking forced missions. You made this game thousands of times more enjoyable, here's to you!
It was the absolute last thing I did in my playthrough, and correctly triggered the crew abduction, allowed me to go straight through the Omega 4 Relay & rescue the full crew.
If you're like me and wanted this one so you could take Legion throughout more of the game without losing your crew--it 100% works. Thanks again!
I suspect that since you didn't read and follow the instructions on reporting your issues in the pinned comment (which would have cleared up some, though not all, of my questions above), you may also have skipped the section on Existing Saves and Playthroughs which warns users of a possible softlock.
So to rule out one possibility: did you install this mod after you'd returned to the Normandy when the Illusive Man will want to speak to you? Like install it right at the point you wanted to start using it? Because that will give you a galaxy map softlock, as explained on the main page. To fix it, either temporarily disable the mod and play the mission with its usual timing, then re-enable the mod afterwards and it'll work for the other missions. Or if you have a recent save earlier than on the Normandy itself, then you can just go back to that save and it should work.
If that is not your issue, then post a log+diag as instructed in the top comment, and provide a save file. You will need to provide your own download link for the save file.
I am not trying to be mean, but I'm not sure how else to be clear. I can't help you without these things. I'm not being difficult, I literally cannot troubleshoot your issue based on that video and what you've said. It could be a LOT of different things that you're not going to understand if I ask for and you might not know how to find in the save file. But I know what I'm looking for and can find quickly. Like, another mod might be overriding the buttons due to a wrong patch. Or maybe your save is fine you just used Early Recruitment and only just did Horizon which means you need to keep playing before the next mission will trigger (you need 5 missions after Horizon) and you just think this is when you should get the next mission. Or maybe my mod is broken! No way to tell from this video. Just...do what I've asked and I'll try my best to help.
Otherwise, I'm not replying further.
https://me3tweaks.com/modmanager/logservice/logviewer?logid=e52c81a7e275382dd56bdb9e68e7e673
And here is my save file: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JP8Eu6mpJWsVndVjt-mmDvE5SFrUbbNU/view?usp=share_link
The Collector Ship mission happens a while after Horizon. You need 8 squadmates (you have 11) and you need to have completed 5 missions after Horizon. Your save says you have completed only 2. I don't know if that's right or not, but it's what the save says. I'm surprised because you have Thane, Samara and Tali so you should have done at least 3 missions after Horizon unless you save edited them in? Or were using Early Recruitment but uninstalled it?
Anyway, this isn't really a problem, you just need to keep playing the game. You need to do 3 more missions and then after that the Collector Ship mission should trigger. This is just normal behaviour for the game. You have at least 3 missions left, and more loyalty missions will unlock as you play as well.
If somehow you've also done all the loyalty missions then I have no idea how (maybe save editing them to be loyal or something?), and it wasn't something this mod did. You can increase Integer 23 to 5 and it shoudl force the mission to trigger, but I really don't recommend that if you can avoid it. It could cause problems later and I am not gonna be able to help you with those/may not have any idea what they are from if it's due to other save editing.
Your game is not broken. The next mission is not supposed to start yet. You need to do 3 more missions.
Trigger Buttons does not let you start missions early. It only lets you delay them. This mission hasn't started yet (normal game behaviour) and so Trigger Buttons isn't doing anything (normal mod behaviour).
There was something a little weird about your save (looked like you'd edited in some loyalties, etc., which can cause issues) so I asked some other questions, and tried to give you some advice in case there was something else wrong. Clearly this was a mistake and has left you very confused. So ignore that. That was just me trying to stop other problems for you.
Here is the important part:
Play 3 more missions. Then the button will appear for the next mission. Your game is not broken. I don't know why you think it is.
Do not use the save editor to remove squadmates. That is not your problem. You will actually break your game.