Mass Effect 2 Randomizer FAQ

Mass Effect 2 Randomizer (ME2R) is a randomization program designed to work with the 1.02 / 1.03 INT (English) localization of Mass Effect 2 on PC. It heavily uses code from ALOT Installer, ME3Tweaks Mod Manager, and ME3Explorer. If you have issues with the program, please come to the ME3Tweaks Discord.

Why would I want to use this?

Because you want something different. Maybe you want to change up the gameplay, or maybe you just want to have a good laugh. Many people have played ME2 and just want to mix it up and have a good time. If that's not your cup of tea, this program is probably not for you.

What versions of the game does this program work on?

Mass Effect 2 Randomizer is tested against the Origin and Steam versions of Mass Effect 2. It should work on the DVD release as well, as long as it's updated to the latest version. It is not tested against non-english versions of the game, nor is it tested or supported on unofficial copies of the game.

Why does this require 20GB of disk space? MER didn't.

Mass Effect 2 Randomizer uses a DLC mod to override the original versions of game files. This allows for things such as text overrides as well as simplifying the internal codebase for the randomizer. It also means you can re-roll nearly instantly without having to do a full game-restore, and it also makes it easy to remove changes made by the randomizer.

Does HDD vs SSD matter for disk space?

Without texture mods, it shouldn't make any difference. I tested ME2R exclusively on HDD, and had no problems.

Do I need to have certain DLC? Is it safe to pick options that are for a DLC I don't have?

Yes, you can pick options for a DLC you don't have, as ME2R will check if the files it operates on before it edits the files. As such, if you pick an option for a DLC you don't have, the changes will effectively be skipped. That said, having DLC gives the randomizer more internal options, like allowing enemies to have DLC weapons and powers.

What's the difference between Quick and Full restore?

Since ME2R uses a DLC-mod to override game files, removing the DLC component uninstalls nearly all of the changes. Some files must load before DLC, and thus must be manually restored between rolls. You can perform a 'Quick' restore to have ME2R restore only these select files, which is much faster than a full restore, which copies the entire game from backup. ME2Controller users will need to reinstall the mod to have it work properly before attempting to play the game again, as ME2R and ME2Controller modify the same files, and as such, a quick restore will revert the game to keyboard and mouse.

Can I "re-roll" a randomization?

Yes, and no. It's complicated. If you uncheck the "re-roll" option, the DLC component will be deleted and remade from the original game files, so you get a "clean slate" roll. Files that are loaded before DLC load, such as SFXGame, will not re-randomize without a game restore, either using the 'Quick' or 'Full' option from within the randomizer. Randomizations do not stack by default.

Can I add an additional option and keep the same "roll"?

If you uncheck the "re-roll" option, the DLC mod component will not be deleted, and randomization will take place on the randomization DLC component. If you wanted to add an option in this case, you should ONLY select that option - do not select others, otherwise the effects will stack, which in most cases is likely undesirable.

Help! I'm stuck unable to move after a cutscene

This can occur if your pawn you were randomized to was 'disabled' in the script, which can happen after you walk off screen. Save the game and load again.

Help! A door will not open

The skip minigames randomizer should work on all doors, but it may be there is one or two that I missed. Please report to the door to my discord. You can use the ghost and walk commands to move through a locked door. Use the Tab key to open the console.

Does this work with ALOT?

ALOT should be compatible, but the randomization must be run before installation of ALOT. Compatibility is not guaranteed as the memory usage of the game is significantly increased due to porting of new assets into files.

Does this work with other mods?

Other mods in theory should be compatible, as long as they are installed first. Randomizer will pull whatever file the game would have used if the DLC mod for it was not installed, which means it will pull in DLC overrides that mods use. No mods are tested however, except for ME2 Controller, which was heavily used during development.

It won't find my installation! How can I point it to my installation?

Properly installed versions of the game will automatically be detected. I have chosen to not allow manual setting of the path because it will end up like the other programs I support: lots of pirates asking for support and wasting my time. You can launch Mass Effect 2 Randomizer from ME3Tweaks Mod Manager's tools menu, and it will pass the installation target for ME2 through to ME2R as long as it is a supported copy of the game.

The text randomizers don't appear to work?

Text randomization only occurs once the DLC component has loaded. This means that the splash screen's text will not be modified as DLC does not load until the main menu appears.

What happened to the rewritten galaxy map from MER?

While rewriting the galaxy map in Mass Effect was fun, the amount of effort we put into it did not seem to pay out, and very few people appear to have actually read through or looked at the new map. While it could be replicated into ME2, I decided to put effort elsewhere instead.

Are you going to make a randomizer for Mass Effect 3?

Maybe. Working on this project was very time consuming and at times a very frustrating experience. It will likely be years before I revisit this concept, it may be remade for Mass Effect Legendary Edition games, but it is too far out to tell.

Is this safe? My antivirus is detecting it as a threat.

Yes it is safe. Some less reputable antivirus vendors typically flag my modding software as suspicious because it is not widely used and is designed to bulk modify other files, which is sometimes seen as suspicious. You can build the program yourself if you want using Visual Studio 2019.

Is this safe for streaming?

Yes. There is nothing I would consider stream-questionable. The vowel randomizer might make some possibly offensive things, but it's due to randomness, not by design.

Can you randomize X/Y/Z?

I always appreciate suggestions, but they take time and work to implement. You're free to suggest things on the ME3Tweaks Discord.

The game or program crashed, what do I do?

Please come to the ME3Tweaks Discord and post in the #me2-randomizer channel for support. Please include a log.

I have another question not listed here

Please come to the ME3Tweaks Discord and post in the #me2-randomizer channel.