in one of my 3 playthroughs i could only save part of the crew members (not the squad), i only did the Legion loyalty mission after the IFF thing, which was exactly the same as another playthrough i had before, and i saved all the crew members. how come this one i could only save part of them? so sad that chambers is gone!

Exactly what happened? Were you too late to get to them?

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no, i don't think so. all i took was legion's loyalty mission before heading to the base. exactly the sequence i had in my other playthrough, which ended up everyone saved. only this time i got only part of the crew saved from those pods. i did not expect to loose kelly.

Ok, that's what did it. If you do ANYTHING before going to the base you will lose people! This is from the wiki:
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Note: The time limit for Reaper IFF installation is unpredictable. In some cases, where all previous missions have been completed prior to the IFF mission, the IFF can be activated immediately after the IFF mission. (In this situation, it is important to activate Legion prior to accessing the Galaxy Map. Otherwise, it is impossible to perform Legion's loyalty mission and also save the Normandy crew.) In other cases, the player is allowed many more missions to be completed before the IFF is installed. More confirmation is needed.

Once the IFF is installed, EDI will inform the Commander that the IFF is almost ready. Accessing the Galaxy Map will trigger an irreversible event where the Collectors will ambush the Normandy and abduct the entire crew minus Joker.

Note: Once the IFF is installed you have a choice, either head to the Omega 4 Relay, or continue completing assignments. If you choose to go immediately, you will save the entire crew. If you do 1 to 3 assignments, then you will lose half the crew, including Kelly Chambers. If you do 4 or more assignments, then you will lose the entire crew except for Doctor Chakwas.
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I've cut it close where I had the countdown for the IFF BUT the game allowed me to do Legion's loyalty mission before taking the shuttle. If you take that shuttle and you haven't done all of them and wait till you get back and finish any missions, you WILL lose some of your team. Next time, if you cut it too close, go ahead and chart a course for Legion's loyalty mission, I bet the game won't stop you (as long as Edi hasn't sait for you to take the shuttle, if she says that, you've had it and go back to a prior save) when you get back, you'll go into the shuttle scene where you take over Joker and the rest of the game will follow.

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thanks for the info, saturn. i guess i might have not remembered right about the playthrough i had when i was able to save the whole crew. i kept thinking i completed Leigon's loyalty mission before heading to Omega 4. anyway, will be more cautious on my next playthrough.

You're welcome! I started playing again to kill some time today and it's easy to make mistakes. Just make sure to save and you can always redo a few missions intead of the whole game! That helps! Have fun and keep us posted on your game.

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Just a sidenote, last night I was playing the ending and I see how easy it is to let the same thing happen in any game as what happened in yours. I have always disliked the way ME2 forces you into the 3 major missions, Horizon, the Collector Ship and the Collector Takeover. But this is what you do. If you get Legion really late (I always wait till last and after everyone else's loyalty missions are done), then it only takes a short time for Edi to announce the IFF is installed. This is how you prevent losing some of the crew AND do Legion's loyalty mission.

1. As soon as you get Legion, wake him up

2. IF Edi is saying the IFF is installed--DO NOT CLICK ON ANYONE BUT LEGION! DON'T TALK TO KELLY, don't do anything, just wake up Legion.

3. He will say almost immediately that the data has been collected and he can talk to you, so ask him whatever you want then say Goodbye but don't leave him.

4. Click on him again, right away and he will tell you about the heretics and the virus and launch his loyalty mission right away.

5. Immediately go to the galaxy map and plot the course for Legion, do not talk to Kelly!

If you do this right, you will have the chance to do Legion's loyalty mission but once you talk to Kelly or go near that galaxy map BEFORE you wake up Legion, or talk to him twice, you will not be able to do his loyalty mission.

By doing it the way I described, I even had time to go to the Shadowbroker Lair and retrain all my crew to have their powers updated then hop on over to do Legion's loyalty mission.

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yeah, a little confusing and tricky as there is no guarantee of getting what we want in any particular formula. but this is also a good thing for a game if we look at the bright side. we can play and play and never get bored.

so legion's loyalty mission is better to do after the whole game is completed if we want to whole crew saved!

NO! That's not what I said. Do it before. As long as you don't talk to Kelly and you wake Legion immediately after that little chit chat with Jacob and Miranda, wake him up. Talk to him, he will tell you immediately the data has been collected. Then talk to him again and he will give you the loyalty mission. Don't talk to Kelly or anyone and go to the galaxy map as soon as Legion gives you the loyalty mission. You WILL be able to do that mission FIRST! Then you're free and clear for the Collector take over of the Normandy and hence the Collector Station suicide mission. Assuming you pick the right teams and do everything right and have upgraded the ship totally, you won't lose any crew, even Kelly.

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got it. thanks again.

very curious to know how ME 3 will import the saved ME2? will it take the very last saved file from ME2 or "the end game" saved file right after the suicide mission.

(so whether playing DLC etc. before or after the suicide mission will make a difference towards ME3)

any idea?