51 réponses à ce sujet

[yodes]

Nicodemus wrote...

The term "horde mode" is slightly confusing, as it seems to be indicating a different dimension to the game.. eg.. we have normal, hard and insanity modes that make the game harder. I think you are talking more about a scenario rather than a game mode.

What you are basically describing are games like Deadspace and System shock 2 but for Mass Effect. To a certain degree we've had some of what you have suggested already with one scenario within ME2. Your idea does have some merit and all of us would love to see more content for our Sheps to have a crack at, however if the Devs do develop a scenario like this it could feel somewhat lacking as the games mentioned above have already been there and done that to a high standard. That is the main concern, not the idea itself, but the delivery.

Again... the point of my post was to supply narrative to the idea of a horde mode.  I gave an example of how one could create an interesting story around a horde mode.  As far as games having "already been there and done that to a high standard'... you mustn't be afraid to dream bigger, darling.  That is a truly lame excuse.  No offense.  

And yes... horde mode as nothing to do with difficulty.  I could suppose if implemented, BioWare could increase the difficulty as you go deeper... but, for all intents and purposes, horde mode is exactly this... a multitude, crowd, mass of enemies presented either at once or in intervals.  

[JustValiant]

 At least I really would love to see an actual dreadnaught finally - neither ME1 nor ME2 had it in it. 

[Last Darkness]

Sounds like Gears of War too much.

[yodes]

 Maybe I would be better served to label this as a HORDE SITUATION lol.  From the previous threads I researched... I concluded 'horde mode' was the common term.  My apologies for that.  

[rolson00]

yodes wrote...

This may seem long-winded... you'll find it is necessary though.  Most won't take the idea of a horde mode seriously until it is presented in digestible manner.  Thoughts are welcomed!  All I ask is you take the time to read my post before you provide a response.  

I was thinking about how BioWare could introduce a horde mode to the Mass Effect universe, yet at the same time introducing a new story and possibly, a new species.
- For the species, I would like something we haven’t seen before; something completely animalistic.  Think Xenomorph (Alien).  I would want a frightening, silently deadly, basic instinct driven, organic race of alien for the ME franchise.  I initially felt the rachni would be that... but then they had to go and talk about pretty colors.  That alone has removed any ‘primal’ fear I might have felt.  This could possibly be a parasitic species… one that thrives in the dark and requires a host for reproduction.  There are many avenues BioWare could take. -  

 

The bulk of my thought, however, has been devoted to how BioWare might be able to add a horde mode… while not making players think they are playing a horde mode.  Add a new story that doesn’t grossly affect the main cannon... but still provides an interesting narrative.  Something that seems reasonable and adventurous.  Say… a Hardy Boys adventure… only scary lol.      
This is how my imagination would like to see it implemented… let’s see if I can make sense of it.  

Shepard receives a dirty, worn, written journal from Liara.  Liara, finding no immediate interest in it of her own, decides to send it to Shepard… for the journal is signed ‘Kahoku.’  The journal is in tatters and seemingly unintelligible.  Shepard, unable to make sense of the journal, asks for the opinion of the crew.  None of the crew can make sense of it either… except Zaeed.  The message employs an ‘ancient’, written technique of using a key word, or cipher, to unlock the message.  Zaeed claims he used this technique extensively… stating something like, ‘Most mercs don’t take written text seriously… and even fewer are willing decipher it.’  Start mini-game lol.  Discover the key word and unlock the message.  Much like what is used in the movie ‘The Prestige’ if you have seen it.    

Shepard discovers it is actually a 'lost', written journal of past Admirals… a journal that has been passed down through ages, containing secret after secret.  Maybe it was meant to find Shepard.  Shepard also discovers that the journal contains several star map coordinates, meal recipes, poems, possible treasure locations… and the mention of a ‘ghost ship.’  A huge dreadnaught named… the Holy Bell.  Jacob remembers ‘stories’ of this vessel and begins the tale.

Rumor has it that the vessel predates the First Contact War.  The Holy Bell was sent out to the fringes of space… to find intelligent life… to offer peace and share knowledge, and much like a satellite, compile information.  You know… 'to boldly go’, Jacob might say.  But something happened and contact was lost.  The Holy Bell traveled into uncharted space, never to be heard from again.  Many, many secrets and unknown treasures rest aboard this vessel.  One might think… possibly information on the Reapers.  Pirates use the ‘Holy Bell’ story much the same way early pirates used the story of the ‘Flying Dutchman’.  If you venture out to the fringes of space, be wary of the Holy Bell… for it will gladly take your soul.  Joker laughs mockingly… doing some pirate impersonation. 

Most of the crew mocks Jacob… Shepard is in disbelief… but entertained.  Most are laughing… not Tali.  She remembers this story all too well and takes over. Years ago… after the First Contact War, a quarian scouting vessel discovers an abandoned human dreadnaught floating dead in space, just beyond the Perseus Veil… and decides to salvage it.   Upon boarding they discover they are not the first to attempt this… the ship’s log shows dozens of pirate vessels have made contact with this ship, yet the ship remains unsalvaged.  More then slightly unnerved, the scouting vessel decides otherwise and leaves the ship. 

The Normandy crew is still found in disbelief… taking what Tali says as nothing more then a tall tale.  She continues... what the quarian crew saw there was a nightmare.  Fading light where it wasn't pitch black.  Hundreds of bodies hanging upside down from the ceiling… an eerie calm in the air, aside from a faint, gnawing whisper in your ear … you could hear a pin drop.  The two quarian crew members who relayed the information were never seen again.  In fact, only minutes after entering the vessel, the two brave crew members … vanished.  Zaeed seems unsettled.

The majority of the crew is now interested.  Garrus states, ‘… hmmm, adventure.  Secrets, ghosts, treasure… possibly secret ghost treasure.’  Grunt asks, ‘Will my shotgun kill this ‘ghost’?’  Garrus replies, ‘uhh… Can it wait for a bit?  I’m in the middle of some calibra… tion…s.’  The entire crew looks at Garrus… contemptuously.  Mordin, seen walking towards his lab, states, ‘ We would need illumination.  Portable. Rechargeable. Nonrestrictive.  Yes.  Attached to the weapon or the helmet?  Hmmm...’    

Unexpectedly… EDI comes over the intercom. ‘Shepard… I have taken it upon myself to scan the star maps found in the Admiral’s journal.  One map provides coordinates just beyond the Perseus Veil.  I suspect this may be of interest.’   Shepard, ‘ Well… who wants to check this out?’  Jacob, Garrus, Mordin, Grunt, Garrus, Thane, Jack, and Joker all raise their hands… yes, Garrus raises both hands lol.  Miranda seems exhausted… she would surely not fall for such childish excursions.  Shepard, ‘ It’s settled then. Joker, set a course…’  Suddenly, Zaeed speaks up, ‘This is not a good idea.  I have seen this ship.  The smell of death permeates from it... it… was hell… offering invitation.  Shepard, I consider myself fearless… but this thing sent a chill up me that no ‘treasure’ could sedate.’ We now pan to Shepard… obviously in thought.

This could be the possible intro and history for the horde mode.  A large ship housing an unknowable evil… much like ‘Dead Space.’  An unrelenting challenge that is sparsely lit.  Much like a ‘haunted house’ on Halloween, once you enter there is no turning back.  When the main hatch locks... you have no choice but to make it through.  There could be safe areas… much like ‘Left 4 Dead.’  This could be explained upon entering.  EDI finds ‘some’ control over the dreadnaught and is able to supply scattered safe areas.  Replenish ammo, health, and a possible flash light battery in these locations.  Maybe the ship could provide 'hallucinations' that affect the two companions.  Maybe the two companions could get broken off at one point... further increasing the intensity.  This would be a different adventure… different from what we have seen in the ME universe... yet still believable in context.  This would give the horde mode a purpose and a back-story, while making it a memorable, frightening, single event.

What do you think BioWare? Release date October 31, 2010? 

this would make a killer DLC   this is a dlc i would pay for defo

Modifié par rolson00, 11 août 2010 - 10:04 .

[Nicodemus]

yodes wrote...

Nicodemus wrote...

The term "horde mode" is slightly confusing, as it seems to be indicating a different dimension to the game.. eg.. we have normal, hard and insanity modes that make the game harder. I think you are talking more about a scenario rather than a game mode.

What you are basically describing are games like Deadspace and System shock 2 but for Mass Effect. To a certain degree we've had some of what you have suggested already with one scenario within ME2. Your idea does have some merit and all of us would love to see more content for our Sheps to have a crack at, however if the Devs do develop a scenario like this it could feel somewhat lacking as the games mentioned above have already been there and done that to a high standard. That is the main concern, not the idea itself, but the delivery.

Again... the point of my post was to supply narrative to the idea of a horde mode.  I gave an example of how one could create an interesting story around a horde mode.  As far as games having "already been there and done that to a high standard'... you mustn't be afraid to dream bigger, darling.  That is a truly lame excuse.  No offense.  

And yes... horde mode as nothing to do with difficulty.  I could suppose if implemented, BioWare could increase the difficulty as you go deeper... but, for all intents and purposes, horde mode is exactly this... a multitude, crowd, mass of enemies presented either at once or in intervals.  

No offense, but games dedicated to that exact style of play have already been done and years were spent on developing them.  The point you missed was that the Bioware Devs have a limited amount of time to develop, test and then deliver the content to us. If they develop a scenario as you describe then they have to spend time actually producing it, if once it is delivered it fails to actually be interesting then the players will point to said previous games and say why did you bother with this when we can play these games that are much better?

Don't get me wrong, your idea has merit but it has limited appeal because of a number of factors:

Story continuation
Development time
Playability (there will be enough people who will take one look at the idea and not pay for it)
Profit (see above)

I'm not afraid to dream, but dreaming tends to get burnt by the bottom line and the bottom line on this points to how dedicated games of that type did.

[Nicodemus]

yodes wrote...

 Maybe I would be better served to label this as a HORDE SITUATION lol.  From the previous threads I researched... I concluded 'horde mode' was the common term.  My apologies for that.  

That makes more sense

[BlackbirdSR-71C]

yodes wrote...

This may seem long-winded... you'll find it is necessary though.  Most won't take the idea of a horde mode seriously until it is presented in digestible manner.  Thoughts are welcomed!  All I ask is you take the time to read my post before you provide a response.  

I was thinking about how BioWare could introduce a horde mode to the Mass Effect universe, yet at the same time introducing a new story and possibly, a new species.
- For the species, I would like something we haven’t seen before; something completely animalistic.  Think Xenomorph (Alien).  I would want a frightening, silently deadly, basic instinct driven, organic race of alien for the ME franchise.  I initially felt the rachni would be that... but then they had to go and talk about pretty colors.  That alone has removed any ‘primal’ fear I might have felt.  This could possibly be a parasitic species… one that thrives in the dark and requires a host for reproduction.  There are many avenues BioWare could take. -  

 

The bulk of my thought, however, has been devoted to how BioWare might be able to add a horde mode… while not making players think they are playing a horde mode.  Add a new story that doesn’t grossly affect the main cannon... but still provides an interesting narrative.  Something that seems reasonable and adventurous.  Say… a Hardy Boys adventure… only scary lol.      
This is how my imagination would like to see it implemented… let’s see if I can make sense of it.  

Shepard receives a dirty, worn, written journal from Liara.  Liara, finding no immediate interest in it of her own, decides to send it to Shepard… for the journal is signed ‘Kahoku.’  The journal is in tatters and seemingly unintelligible.  Shepard, unable to make sense of the journal, asks for the opinion of the crew.  None of the crew can make sense of it either… except Zaeed.  The message employs an ‘ancient’, written technique of using a key word, or cipher, to unlock the message.  Zaeed claims he used this technique extensively… stating something like, ‘Most mercs don’t take written text seriously… and even fewer are willing decipher it.’  Start mini-game lol.  Discover the key word and unlock the message.  Much like what is used in the movie ‘The Prestige’ if you have seen it.    

Shepard discovers it is actually a 'lost', written journal of past Admirals… a journal that has been passed down through ages, containing secret after secret.  Maybe it was meant to find Shepard.  Shepard also discovers that the journal contains several star map coordinates, meal recipes, poems, possible treasure locations… and the mention of a ‘ghost ship.’  A huge dreadnaught named… the Holy Bell.  Jacob remembers ‘stories’ of this vessel and begins the tale.

Rumor has it that the vessel predates the First Contact War.  The Holy Bell was sent out to the fringes of space… to find intelligent life… to offer peace and share knowledge, and much like a satellite, compile information.  You know… 'to boldly go’, Jacob might say.  But something happened and contact was lost.  The Holy Bell traveled into uncharted space, never to be heard from again.  Many, many secrets and unknown treasures rest aboard this vessel.  One might think… possibly information on the Reapers.  Pirates use the ‘Holy Bell’ story much the same way early pirates used the story of the ‘Flying Dutchman’.  If you venture out to the fringes of space, be wary of the Holy Bell… for it will gladly take your soul.  Joker laughs mockingly… doing some pirate impersonation. 

Most of the crew mocks Jacob… Shepard is in disbelief… but entertained.  Most are laughing… not Tali.  She remembers this story all too well and takes over. Years ago… after the First Contact War, a quarian scouting vessel discovers an abandoned human dreadnaught floating dead in space, just beyond the Perseus Veil… and decides to salvage it.   Upon boarding they discover they are not the first to attempt this… the ship’s log shows dozens of pirate vessels have made contact with this ship, yet the ship remains unsalvaged.  More then slightly unnerved, the scouting vessel decides otherwise and leaves the ship. 

The Normandy crew is still found in disbelief… taking what Tali says as nothing more then a tall tale.  She continues... what the quarian crew saw there was a nightmare.  Fading light where it wasn't pitch black.  Hundreds of bodies hanging upside down from the ceiling… an eerie calm in the air, aside from a faint, gnawing whisper in your ear … you could hear a pin drop.  The two quarian crew members who relayed the information were never seen again.  In fact, only minutes after entering the vessel, the two brave crew members … vanished.  Zaeed seems unsettled.

The majority of the crew is now interested.  Garrus states, ‘… hmmm, adventure.  Secrets, ghosts, treasure… possibly secret ghost treasure.’  Grunt asks, ‘Will my shotgun kill this ‘ghost’?’  Garrus replies, ‘uhh… Can it wait for a bit?  I’m in the middle of some calibra… tion…s.’  The entire crew looks at Garrus… contemptuously.  Mordin, seen walking towards his lab, states, ‘ We would need illumination.  Portable. Rechargeable. Nonrestrictive.  Yes.  Attached to the weapon or the helmet?  Hmmm...’    

Unexpectedly… EDI comes over the intercom. ‘Shepard… I have taken it upon myself to scan the star maps found in the Admiral’s journal.  One map provides coordinates just beyond the Perseus Veil.  I suspect this may be of interest.’   Shepard, ‘ Well… who wants to check this out?’  Jacob, Garrus, Mordin, Grunt, Garrus, Thane, Jack, and Joker all raise their hands… yes, Garrus raises both hands lol.  Miranda seems exhausted… she would surely not fall for such childish excursions.  Shepard, ‘ It’s settled then. Joker, set a course…’  Suddenly, Zaeed speaks up, ‘This is not a good idea.  I have seen this ship.  The smell of death permeates from it... it… was hell… offering invitation.  Shepard, I consider myself fearless… but this thing sent a chill up me that no ‘treasure’ could sedate.’ We now pan to Shepard… obviously in thought.

This could be the possible intro and history for the horde mode.  A large ship housing an unknowable evil… much like ‘Dead Space.’  An unrelenting challenge that is sparsely lit.  Much like a ‘haunted house’ on Halloween, once you enter there is no turning back.  When the main hatch locks... you have no choice but to make it through.  There could be safe areas… much like ‘Left 4 Dead.’  This could be explained upon entering.  EDI finds ‘some’ control over the dreadnaught and is able to supply scattered safe areas.  Replenish ammo, health, and a possible flash light battery in these locations.  Maybe the ship could provide 'hallucinations' that affect the two companions.  Maybe the two companions could get broken off at one point... further increasing the intensity.  This would be a different adventure… different from what we have seen in the ME universe... yet still believable in context.  This would give the horde mode a purpose and a back-story, while making it a memorable, frightening, single event.

What do you think BioWare? Release date October 31, 2010? 

Too much (unfitting) interaction between Squadmembers.

[s0meguy6665]

javierabegazo wrote...

Every time I see the "BIOWARE" logo under a thread and I get excited and open it up only to find a small comment, I get a little sad

i bet they're pretty much not allowed to say anything of substance here, especially about features of future DLC or ME3.

[yodes]

Nicodemus wrote...

yodes wrote...

Nicodemus wrote...

The term "horde mode" is slightly confusing, as it seems to be indicating a different dimension to the game.. eg.. we have normal, hard and insanity modes that make the game harder. I think you are talking more about a scenario rather than a game mode.

What you are basically describing are games like Deadspace and System shock 2 but for Mass Effect. To a certain degree we've had some of what you have suggested already with one scenario within ME2. Your idea does have some merit and all of us would love to see more content for our Sheps to have a crack at, however if the Devs do develop a scenario like this it could feel somewhat lacking as the games mentioned above have already been there and done that to a high standard. That is the main concern, not the idea itself, but the delivery.

Again... the point of my post was to supply narrative to the idea of a horde mode.  I gave an example of how one could create an interesting story around a horde mode.  As far as games having "already been there and done that to a high standard'... you mustn't be afraid to dream bigger, darling.  That is a truly lame excuse.  No offense.  

And yes... horde mode as nothing to do with difficulty.  I could suppose if implemented, BioWare could increase the difficulty as you go deeper... but, for all intents and purposes, horde mode is exactly this... a multitude, crowd, mass of enemies presented either at once or in intervals.  

No offense, but games dedicated to that exact style of play have already been done and years were spent on developing them.  The point you missed was that the Bioware Devs have a limited amount of time to develop, test and then deliver the content to us. If they develop a scenario as you describe then they have to spend time actually producing it, if once it is delivered it fails to actually be interesting then the players will point to said previous games and say why did you bother with this when we can play these games that are much better?

Don't get me wrong, your idea has merit but it has limited appeal because of a number of factors:

Story continuation
Development time
Playability (there will be enough people who will take one look at the idea and not pay for it)
Profit (see above)

I'm not afraid to dream, but dreaming tends to get burnt by the bottom line and the bottom line on this points to how dedicated games of that type did.

I appreciate your response... honestly I thought I would receive wave after wave of "Gears of War clone' from people who don't care to read... however, to base you opinion upon the 'if' and the 'but' does my post a disservice.  You also seem unwilling to believe BioWare could pull it off.
 
Story continuation?  Explain your thoughts.

Development time?  Sure... it would require development time lol.  You do realize that 'October 31, 2010' was a joke?  

Playability?  Playability is used to describe the ease by which the game can be played, or the quantity or duration that a game can be played, in other words, the quality of gameplay.  Not sure you used that accurately and if you feel you did, you misspoke.   

Profit?  Care to explain the lack of profit?

So people will take one look at a BioWare Mass Effect DLC and not pay for it?  Seriously?  I wholeheartedly disagree and so does most everyone's pocketbook.  It seems your post is solely for the sake of... argument.

If you don't like the idea... that is more then ok.  But to be convinced it wouldn't or couldn't be done... I'm not buying it.  

Modifié par yodes, 11 août 2010 - 10:40 .

[Mecha Tengu]

eh someone TLDR this for me

[Spartas Husky]

If there is more ammo to be found yes.... why not.... although is not something to be "sold" outside the game though....



If is within the game, count me in, I'll buy it just for that.

[SirVincealot]

OP: are you suggesting turning MASS EFFECT into HALO or DEAD SPACE?



Explanation how that makes a better ME game appreciated.

[The_ilest]

well to be honest i really want this. halo has firefight, gears has horde mode, call of duty has **** zomibies, just imagine how cool it would be to fight crap loads of enemy waves. just imagine a wave of krogan battlemasters. hmm i think im a go call up my friends to see if we can mod mass effect to make a "wave" mini game.

[dreman9999]

"SIGH".....Virtual Arena

Modifié par dreman9999, 12 août 2010 - 07:37 .

[Nicodemus]

yodes wrote...

Nicodemus wrote...

yodes wrote...

Nicodemus wrote...

The term "horde mode" is slightly confusing, as it seems to be indicating a different dimension to the game.. eg.. we have normal, hard and insanity modes that make the game harder. I think you are talking more about a scenario rather than a game mode.

What you are basically describing are games like Deadspace and System shock 2 but for Mass Effect. To a certain degree we've had some of what you have suggested already with one scenario within ME2. Your idea does have some merit and all of us would love to see more content for our Sheps to have a crack at, however if the Devs do develop a scenario like this it could feel somewhat lacking as the games mentioned above have already been there and done that to a high standard. That is the main concern, not the idea itself, but the delivery.

Again... the point of my post was to supply narrative to the idea of a horde mode.  I gave an example of how one could create an interesting story around a horde mode.  As far as games having "already been there and done that to a high standard'... you mustn't be afraid to dream bigger, darling.  That is a truly lame excuse.  No offense.  

And yes... horde mode as nothing to do with difficulty.  I could suppose if implemented, BioWare could increase the difficulty as you go deeper... but, for all intents and purposes, horde mode is exactly this... a multitude, crowd, mass of enemies presented either at once or in intervals.  

No offense, but games dedicated to that exact style of play have already been done and years were spent on developing them.  The point you missed was that the Bioware Devs have a limited amount of time to develop, test and then deliver the content to us. If they develop a scenario as you describe then they have to spend time actually producing it, if once it is delivered it fails to actually be interesting then the players will point to said previous games and say why did you bother with this when we can play these games that are much better?

Don't get me wrong, your idea has merit but it has limited appeal because of a number of factors:

Story continuation
Development time
Playability (there will be enough people who will take one look at the idea and not pay for it)
Profit (see above)

I'm not afraid to dream, but dreaming tends to get burnt by the bottom line and the bottom line on this points to how dedicated games of that type did.

I appreciate your response... honestly I thought I would receive wave after wave of "Gears of War clone' from people who don't care to read... however, to base you opinion upon the 'if' and the 'but' does my post a disservice.  You also seem unwilling to believe BioWare could pull it off.
 
Story continuation?  Explain your thoughts.

Development time?  Sure... it would require development time lol.  You do realize that 'October 31, 2010' was a joke?  

Playability?  Playability is used to describe the ease by which the game can be played, or the quantity or duration that a game can be played, in other words, the quality of gameplay.  Not sure you used that accurately and if you feel you did, you misspoke.   

Profit?  Care to explain the lack of profit?

So people will take one look at a BioWare Mass Effect DLC and not pay for it?  Seriously?  I wholeheartedly disagree and so does most everyone's pocketbook.  It seems your post is solely for the sake of... argument.

If you don't like the idea... that is more then ok.  But to be convinced it wouldn't or couldn't be done... I'm not buying it.  

No, I'm not doing your post a disservice I'm actually being a bit realisitic is all. Can Bioware pull it off, definately, the concept isn't that hard to actually do however there are aspects that would require a lot of effort from Bioware and expence. That's where the ifs and buts come in.

Bioware have stated that the content that they are going to release as we get closer to ME3 will be more about the continuation of the story, the Shadow Broker dlc is just that. I am sure that they are working on others as we speak to prep us all for ME3. How would your idea slot into that timetable? I am sure they have already laid out the ground work for the story arc continuation for future dlc, however that said there is nothing to say that your concept couldn't be implemented in ME3 for example.

The development time is key, do you take extra resources from the team doing ME3 to help create this concept for dlc or do you add an extra burden to the dlc dev team? If you take the resources away from the main project you have potential for delays thus your customers might find that the end product of ME3 is not as complete as you thought. Likewise if the dlc dev team have a set schedule adding something that isn't necessarily that important to their list may compromise the quality of the important story continuation dlc. I think a lot of folks would feel very upset if the dev team spent time on your concept only then to rush an important story continuation dlc. (not saying it would happen just giving an example)

Playability means a lot more than just the quality of gameplay, it's also how the concept feels, how many times would you redo it, does it actually attract people to want to try it. For example, Pinnacle station in ME1. For a number of folks they downloaded the dlc and played it. A lot would never play it again, a number of folks didn't even download it as they read the concept and decided not to. Another example is buying a game and never replaying it, for me a mark of a good game is the ability to replay it time and again and still enjoy it. I did Pinnacle station on my second play through of ME1 and to be quite honest i'd never, ever play it again. Your concept appeals to some and not to others, as some replies have indicated.

Profit is easy, would it actually make enough to cover the dev costs? Well that depends on what you would expect from this concept. If you are thinking of lots of dialog and cut scenes etc then that's a lot of inital outlay that you have to recoup. If you are thinking of making something that has minimal character interaction but is just a shoot em up then it is cheaper. The latter just requires minimal additional costs (limited voice acting, cinematics etc) while the former requires a hefty cost. That cost has to be recouped, so if your concept would cost 1000 bioware points to download how many would actually download it? likewise if it only cost 200 points and yet feels lacking in it's atmosphere how would the players feel? The bottom line is would it sell? And that entirely depends on the amount of time spent in creating something.

There are a lot of people who don't buy the DLC. There are a lot who don't buy it until they have seen other peoples reactions to dlc releases, there are some who have bought and have been disappointed and won't buy again, and there are those who buy everything. If I am going to spend my money on something it either has to be something that I really want to play (Shadow Broker for example) or something that a majority of people have given positive reviews to (overlord). I, like others, have been left disappointed before (Pinnacle Station)  so tend to wait until there are enough positive reviews to make a purchase. Your concept is one that would have me hesitate before buying, do i waste my bioware points on this content or save it for something else as I have games that roughly do what your concept proposes already.

[yslee]

"Think Xenomorph (Alien)."



Wall of Text lost me right there. Space Marine is coming out next year, you might want to look into that instead.

[Jebel Krong]

firefight against the geth with AI team-mates would be awesome. still it was done (in a way and not very well in pinnacle statiion, for me1).



oh and chris p: i don't think you understood the concept of "horde" - YOU are not the horde, the enemy is...

[joriandrake]

Chris Priestly wrote...

While you make a well thought out post, Mass Effect is a single player game. Hard to be a horde of only 1 person.

NPC-s, with switching characters to companions sometimes, think simultanius events, would have worked for suicide mission too, with playing every group/character's role and not just Shepard's

Modifié par joriandrake, 12 août 2010 - 10:39 .

[xHazySpyx]

Please for the love of all that is holy Bioware, do not release a multi-player ME game. We have way too many online games out there these days. Single-player games that let you get lost in the world and lose yourself are sadly a rarity and you are one of the few developers who can pull off a properly decent one.

The game does not need a horde mode. If you want that mode go play a game with it in.

[yodes]

Nicodemus wrote...

yodes wrote...

Nicodemus wrote...

yodes wrote...

Nicodemus wrote...

The term "horde mode" is slightly confusing, as it seems to be indicating a different dimension to the game.. eg.. we have normal, hard and insanity modes that make the game harder. I think you are talking more about a scenario rather than a game mode.

What you are basically describing are games like Deadspace and System shock 2 but for Mass Effect. To a certain degree we've had some of what you have suggested already with one scenario within ME2. Your idea does have some merit and all of us would love to see more content for our Sheps to have a crack at, however if the Devs do develop a scenario like this it could feel somewhat lacking as the games mentioned above have already been there and done that to a high standard. That is the main concern, not the idea itself, but the delivery.

Again... the point of my post was to supply narrative to the idea of a horde mode.  I gave an example of how one could create an interesting story around a horde mode.  As far as games having "already been there and done that to a high standard'... you mustn't be afraid to dream bigger, darling.  That is a truly lame excuse.  No offense.  

And yes... horde mode as nothing to do with difficulty.  I could suppose if implemented, BioWare could increase the difficulty as you go deeper... but, for all intents and purposes, horde mode is exactly this... a multitude, crowd, mass of enemies presented either at once or in intervals.  

No offense, but games dedicated to that exact style of play have already been done and years were spent on developing them.  The point you missed was that the Bioware Devs have a limited amount of time to develop, test and then deliver the content to us. If they develop a scenario as you describe then they have to spend time actually producing it, if once it is delivered it fails to actually be interesting then the players will point to said previous games and say why did you bother with this when we can play these games that are much better?

Don't get me wrong, your idea has merit but it has limited appeal because of a number of factors:

Story continuation
Development time
Playability (there will be enough people who will take one look at the idea and not pay for it)
Profit (see above)

I'm not afraid to dream, but dreaming tends to get burnt by the bottom line and the bottom line on this points to how dedicated games of that type did.

I appreciate your response... honestly I thought I would receive wave after wave of "Gears of War clone' from people who don't care to read... however, to base you opinion upon the 'if' and the 'but' does my post a disservice.  You also seem unwilling to believe BioWare could pull it off.
 
Story continuation?  Explain your thoughts.

Development time?  Sure... it would require development time lol.  You do realize that 'October 31, 2010' was a joke?  

Playability?  Playability is used to describe the ease by which the game can be played, or the quantity or duration that a game can be played, in other words, the quality of gameplay.  Not sure you used that accurately and if you feel you did, you misspoke.   

Profit?  Care to explain the lack of profit?

So people will take one look at a BioWare Mass Effect DLC and not pay for it?  Seriously?  I wholeheartedly disagree and so does most everyone's pocketbook.  It seems your post is solely for the sake of... argument.

If you don't like the idea... that is more then ok.  But to be convinced it wouldn't or couldn't be done... I'm not buying it.  

No, I'm not doing your post a disservice I'm actually being a bit realisitic is all. Can Bioware pull it off, definately, the concept isn't that hard to actually do however there are aspects that would require a lot of effort from Bioware and expence. That's where the ifs and buts come in.

Bioware have stated that the content that they are going to release as we get closer to ME3 will be more about the continuation of the story, the Shadow Broker dlc is just that. I am sure that they are working on others as we speak to prep us all for ME3. How would your idea slot into that timetable? I am sure they have already laid out the ground work for the story arc continuation for future dlc, however that said there is nothing to say that your concept couldn't be implemented in ME3 for example.

The development time is key, do you take extra resources from the team doing ME3 to help create this concept for dlc or do you add an extra burden to the dlc dev team? If you take the resources away from the main project you have potential for delays thus your customers might find that the end product of ME3 is not as complete as you thought. Likewise if the dlc dev team have a set schedule adding something that isn't necessarily that important to their list may compromise the quality of the important story continuation dlc. I think a lot of folks would feel very upset if the dev team spent time on your concept only then to rush an important story continuation dlc. (not saying it would happen just giving an example)

Playability means a lot more than just the quality of gameplay, it's also how the concept feels, how many times would you redo it, does it actually attract people to want to try it. For example, Pinnacle station in ME1. For a number of folks they downloaded the dlc and played it. A lot would never play it again, a number of folks didn't even download it as they read the concept and decided not to. Another example is buying a game and never replaying it, for me a mark of a good game is the ability to replay it time and again and still enjoy it. I did Pinnacle station on my second play through of ME1 and to be quite honest i'd never, ever play it again. Your concept appeals to some and not to others, as some replies have indicated.

Profit is easy, would it actually make enough to cover the dev costs? Well that depends on what you would expect from this concept. If you are thinking of lots of dialog and cut scenes etc then that's a lot of inital outlay that you have to recoup. If you are thinking of making something that has minimal character interaction but is just a shoot em up then it is cheaper. The latter just requires minimal additional costs (limited voice acting, cinematics etc) while the former requires a hefty cost. That cost has to be recouped, so if your concept would cost 1000 bioware points to download how many would actually download it? likewise if it only cost 200 points and yet feels lacking in it's atmosphere how would the players feel? The bottom line is would it sell? And that entirely depends on the amount of time spent in creating something.

There are a lot of people who don't buy the DLC. There are a lot who don't buy it until they have seen other peoples reactions to dlc releases, there are some who have bought and have been disappointed and won't buy again, and there are those who buy everything. If I am going to spend my money on something it either has to be something that I really want to play (Shadow Broker for example) or something that a majority of people have given positive reviews to (overlord). I, like others, have been left disappointed before (Pinnacle Station)  so tend to wait until there are enough positive reviews to make a purchase. Your concept is one that would have me hesitate before buying, do i waste my bioware points on this content or save it for something else as I have games that roughly do what your concept proposes already.

You seemingly read my wall... so, it is only fair I read your slightly lessor wall lol.  You have very valid opinions, although I still disagree with your opinion on playability.  And I do appreciate that you thought well enough of my original post to spend so much time in trying to discount it.  I do think you are attempting to count my eggs before they hatch though. And as in previous posts, your main defense is 'someone has already done it.'  True.  Someone has already done most everything we are doing right now.  And maybe you are missing the point of my original post... which may be my fault in not being able to help you understand.  All your preconceived notions aside... the point was... the 'horde' concept could be used in an intelligent way.  One that involves an interesting narrative, coupled with a difficult scenario.  It was one possible piece of a huge ME pie.  Disagree with it all you want.  My point was made and some agreed... which is good enough for me.  Hopefully you can handle that lol.   

[nhsk]

Event Horizon much?

[yodes]

xHazySpyx wrote...

Please for the love of all that is holy Bioware, do not release a multi-player ME game. We have way too many online games out there these days. Single-player games that let you get lost in the world and lose yourself are sadly a rarity and you are one of the few developers who can pull off a properly decent one.
The game does not need a horde mode. If you want that mode go play a game with it in.

Outstanding!  What amazing insight and tact you have lol.  There is nothing in my OP that changes your ME universe lol.  Where did I state 'multiplayer' in my original post?  Where did I state 'online game' in my original post?  

I'll say this for you and all those similar... if you can't be bothered to read my post... don't respond.  If you read it and don't like it... fine lol.  That was an understood risk .  However, if you want to troll, do it elsewhere please.    

[xHazySpyx]

Sorry to offend you lol.

But by adding a horde mode you're just turning Mass Effect into the next Halo or Gears of War and we have enough games like that already. Just because it has guns in does not mean it has to have a pointless horde mode. If you want to play that mode so badly go play a game with it already in.