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Mass Effect Hints
Decryption Minigame
1 of 3: The first thing to know about this minigame is that you usually only have one chance to get it right, after which your only option is to spend omni-gel to achieve the same result. Because of this, you should always quicksave right before doing anything that brings up a decryption minigame -- that way, you can restore and try again if needed. There are a few exceptions that let you re-try -- mainly the surveys needed for the various Collection Assignments -- but if you're ever offered an option to spend omni-gel, that's a good sign you only get one chance at the minigame.
2 of 3: Another thing is that you won't even be able to attempt a decryption minigame if neither you nor anyone in your squad has a high enough Decryption or Electronics talent (depending on which one the item keys off of). When this happens, you can often (but not always) return later after changing your squad to include someone with more points in the relevant talent.
3 of 3: The exact controls and goals of the game are a little different, depending on whether you're playing on the PC or Xbox.
