Mass Effect 2 most horrible bug 3: broken eyelids on Shepard

[Blín D'ñero]

I cannot say, I have no knowledge of the engine ME2 uses, and this kind of thing is entirely dependent on that. It could take a team several days, or a single person a single hour, it varies from engine to engine because none are built the same or have the same tools to go with them. Though from what I know, such things should be easily fixed through the ME2 engine. the major issues, like the level-popping, are not easily fixed and are unlikely to be properly fixed because its an error in the engine physics and pathing system. I doubt they will be rewriting and rebuilding source code, the best bet would be for them to find problem areas where the bugs are most likely to occur, and rearrange level components, and props, to better avoid causing the issues.

I see, thanks Shigee.

[Blín D'ñero]

WATCH ON YOUTUBE, THEN SELECT 1080p AND WATCH FULL SCREEN!




The video is only 1 second.
This is one of the blinking frames:



WATCH ON YOUTUBE, THEN SELECT 1080p AND WATCH FULL SCREEN!

The video is only 2 seconds.
These are two of the blinking frames:





WATCH ON YOUTUBE, THEN SELECT 1080p AND WATCH FULL SCREEN!

The video is only 3 seconds.
This is a blink-frame:

[Blín D'ñero]

Which means the game given tool to morph your own Shepard does not work correctly and needs to be fixed.

I did not search for the best view on her eyes. While gaming i thought "might as well launch fraps and record right away". Shepard's eye distortion is like this everywhere in the game, though from several different angles it is worse. And when she "closes her eyes" they actually stay open. This is the main character of the game, the player is given the tool to morph their own Shepard face. It's part of the attraction of the whole game, giving it a personal touch.
Bioware/EA are responsible to get this tool working correctly. The game isn't cheap (i bought the Collector's Edition).

[Blín D'ñero]

WATCH ON YOUTUBE, THEN SELECT 1080p AND WATCH FULL SCREEN!



WATCH AT 1080p and FULLSCREEN.
This one (6 seconds) shows the eye bug even more clearly. Watch those eyes! Especially the slow one at the end.

[Blín D'ñero]

[Blín D'ñero]

Some suggested, that this eye bug was caused by importing an ME1 Savegame/career/character.
That is not true.
The 'bug' -or rather programmers fault- is in ME2. Here is the proof.
Starting a New Game. No import.

Building a NEW face, based upon the default ME2 female,
the error occurs with "Eye Shape" bar to the far right, also 1 step back to the left. And gets less or worse with "Eye Depth" and "Brow Depth"
Screenshot while building (still a raw, disbalanced face):

[Blín D'ñero]

It's not a completely new game apparently. In the last stage of character building, the game refers to a previous playthrough: "Your achievements give you access to the following bonus powers; select one".
My previous playthrough had been from an imported career (with a ME2 rebuilt face though).
Could it be that the fact that i previously imported an ME1 career, already has bugged the game's engine? I would have to reinstall the game from scratch. I'll do that anyway as i planned to reinstall Windows one of these days, then we'll see.

---
Oh my god, this is worse; now she doesn't have eyelashes at all, eyes completely hairless.

---
I renamed the Savegame folder. Created a new one (empty).
Start a new game.

---
Fixed!
I renamed the old Save folder, created a new one (empty), and started a New Game.
This time the face i newly construct has lids and lashes.
Despite the new empty save folder, the game knows i have played it already, as in the last stage of character building, the game still refers to previous playthrough: "Your achievements give you access to the following bonus powers; select one".
I start the game and in Lazarus when Shepard is seen on the bed, she has her eyes truely closed.
But i wasn't entirely happy with the face, it was only a quick creation to test.

---
Now i leave one explanation still open: it could depend on the face preset you start with, whether your face gets borked/idiotic eyes or just fine. I'm pretty sure i always started with the same girl, but i have seen the others too and have experimented a lot before hitting "apply selection".

[Blín D'ñero]

I started all over. Renamed the Save folder again, and created a new empty one.
I tried to recreate that bug where the lashes disappeared, using the sliders, but that didn't happen again.

Based on the exact same Code i recreated the still 'raw, disbalanced face' and it now looked bug free, because of the thick lashes covering the cracks:



But this is not my Shepard yet, so i went on and created the good face and it still seemed to look bug-free.

Started the game. When meeting Jacob, during the conversation, sadly the eye bug appeared again.

---
Renamed the Save folder again, and created a new empty one.
Created the good face and it still seemed bug-free.
Started the game. Unfortunately, in Lazarus her "closed" eyes have no lids.



---
However ME1 is actually still installed, i renamed the ME1 folder in Documents to rule out that ME2 imports automatically.
Nevertheless: after i created a face with good eyes (at least they looked good), when i started the game the bug was back.

---
Deleted save, created new empty one.
Recreated face, this time on the eyes part staying closer to the default.
In Lazarus Shepard now had half the bug: semi-closed eyes. During conversation with Jacob it was just as bad though.

[Blín D'ñero]

I again retried. New empty Save folder.
Created a new face, this time chose another "Eye shape" (the ruler positioned in the middle).
Now it is bug free in the game.


In the face customizing tool, the Eye Shape with the ruler to the very right was the culprit, and the one i used the most. With the Eye Depth, Brow Depth and Brow Height rulers you can make the eyelid penetrating the eyeball in realtime!
(You have to look very close, so i didn't notice it earlier).

Now i only have to find out if that one eye maybe is a remnant of my previous ME1 import, still deep in the game's data since i installed it, and that would be the reason it won't really fit. I'll find out when i un/reinstall the game.
I planned to format/reinstall Windows anyway, after that i'll have a 'virgin' install of the game too.

[Blín D'ñero]

WATCH ON YOUTUBE, THEN SELECT 1080p AND WATCH FULL SCREEN!



Source is 1920x1200. Only 13 seconds.

Turns out that the eye bug is already in the morph tool where you customize Shepard's face. This also means that it can be avoided. The Eye Shape at the far right is the one i always used because it looked the most natural to me. Well it turns out that just this one does not fit correctly into the face, as any setting combination of the Eye Depth, Brow Depth and Brow Height ruler causes interference, overlapping, penetration and a bugged pair of eyes in the game. Just choose an other eye shape and enjoy a Shepard with bug-free eyes in the game.
Although this is from a New Game / no ME1 import / Save folder emptied and ME1 directory renamed / face entirely newly built in ME2, i am still not sure if this eye shape is a remnant of a previously imported ME1 Save still remaining somewhere deep in the game's data, thus not exactly fitting.
But i will be 100% sure when i un/reinstall the game, which i will do after a format/reinstall of Windows that i planned to do one of these days anyway.

SOME CLOSEUPS FROM WITHIN THE TOOL: