Mass Effect 3: Into The Unknown
#226
Posté 01 mars 2013 - 09:30
#227
Posté 02 mars 2013 - 01:42
Renleech wrote...
A similar stuation in KOTOR 2. HK-50 & HK-47.Sometimes it's simply hard to be creative.
Is that the story BW put behind the new EDIs? Kinda weak. Then again, I suppose its fine for MP. I've never thought that any of that should take itself too seriously lorewise.
In other news, played the ME2 Suicide Mission today for the first time in months. Just built a new PC so I decided to test it out. Turns out I'm out of practice with the ol' SM. Got Mordin killed holding the line, as I never thought that maybe sending Grunt to escort the crew and taking Garrus and Legion with me to face the Reaper might leave my team a little weak holding the line.
Whoever said the SM was too easy? I've just shown that you can go through it with a 12 strong loyal squad and not make a mistake with the specialists, and still get someone killed. No doubt more so if you don't have DLC installed.
#228
Posté 05 mars 2013 - 12:08
It looks like Bioware actually took some time to actually give their fanbase something that they want, but at the same time this could all be a huge disappointment. Hard to judge from a trailer. I'll let you know my full thoughts after youtubing it, so any links would be appreciated. However, I don't know what Bioware thinks to achieve with this. I can't see them repairing too many bridges.
ME3 will still suck, regardless of what this DLC does. Nothing short of a rewrite can fix that, and Bioware don't appear to care about the story, about Shepard, enough to do that.
This whole thing has a very strong feeling of 'we screwed up the whole Reaper War thing so badly, we're not even going to try to fix that. Here's some of your virtual buddies drinking and gambling instead.'
The fact that this alone appears to be appeasing so many fans is a worrying trend to see in the gaming medium. Its something I don't want the developers and publishers seeing as a valid way to treat their consumers. I don't think we should forgive Bioware for ME3. I don't think Bioware should be allowed to forget, for their own good. Its the only way to make sure a debacle like this doesn't happen again.
I doubt we'll see an ME3 rewrite, though I hold out hope. Nevertheless, it is my sincerest hope that Bioware are never allowed to forget and cover over this whole mess. Learn from this, you and every other game company out there.
Modifié par fainmaca, 05 mars 2013 - 12:29 .
#229
Posté 05 mars 2013 - 12:11
#230
Posté 05 mars 2013 - 11:26
The plot running through it seems weak, I don't hold any illusions over that. If the villain is what I've hear it is, then its outright lame. I'm only maybe halfway through the plot side of things though, so my opinion of thatmay improve.
Most of the character bits are silly, out of place in the surroundings of the Reaper war, and at times make your eyes roll, but sometimes they are fun, touching, and satisfying. However, I can't get over the feeling that those heartwarming moments were absent from the game itself when they really needed to be there at launch. It still galls me that something as basic as squad interactions like this wasn't included in our core game and had to be shipped separately like this. Feels like we the fans are being fed the core game piecemeal while paying an exorbitant sum for it.
It does nothing to fix ME3, so sadly there's nothing there to convince me to buy it, otherwise it is good enough on its own to be worth buying. If I could have played it separate from ME3, then I'd buy it, but I can't bring myself to slog through several hours of crap to restore a save that allows me to play this.
TL:DR its okay so far. Don't expect miracles from the plot. If ME3 itself was even remotely acceptable to me, then I'd buy this DLC like a shot. But because Bioware refuse to fix the core experience, I won't pour good money after bad.
#232
Posté 10 mars 2013 - 05:58
#233
Posté 10 mars 2013 - 10:14
#234
Posté 11 mars 2013 - 05:05
#235
Posté 11 mars 2013 - 06:31
if you have time i'd love to know what you think of my fic, the link is below.
#236
Posté 11 mars 2013 - 09:55
#237
Posté 13 mars 2013 - 11:34
#238
Posté 17 mars 2013 - 07:37
#239
Posté 17 mars 2013 - 09:19
Splub wrote...
I've finally got to the latest chapter and I must say this is an awesome fic. Keep up the good work!
Thanks! I'm working on 52 as I type here! Will get it published ASAP.
#240
Posté 22 mars 2013 - 03:49
#241
Posté 23 mars 2013 - 11:38
Looking forward to the next chapter. Keep up the great work
#242
Posté 08 avril 2013 - 09:53
#243
Posté 24 avril 2013 - 09:21
Just to let you know I'm still alive, but haven't managed too much writing recently. Been a crazy month. That and I discovered thatguywiththeglasses.com, which has eaten up almost all of my free time (also saw Watchmen for the first time ever. My thoughts on that movie are... varied and interesting). I have managed a few things, though, and thought I'd post up a short passage to see what you all think.
"Shepard."
The first thing to register in the Commander's brain as the single word brought him back to the realm of the conscious was that it was very cold. So cold, in fact, that he found himself shivering, even under the bedsheets. He opened his eyes, turning his head to see the empty half of the bed that Jack had left behind. Crumpled sheets and a dent in the pillow were the only sign that she had ever been there, save for the ghost of her scent lingering on the blanket. Faint light glimmered from the aquarium, its lights lowered for the night cycle. This weak luminescence played its way around the furnishings of his cabin, the shadows stretching and dancing in sinister patterns. Overhead, the skylight in the ceiling showed the blackness of space. Obviously, the Normandy was making a quick stop as she altered her heading for the next FTL jump.
"Shepard."
There it was again, the faint whisper on the edge of his hearing. Shepard sat up slowly, groggily. He stifled a yawn, pressing his forehead into his palm.
"What is it, EDI?"
There was no response.
"EDI?"
Silence filled the cabin, deafening in the Commander's ears.
Shepard glanced around, eyes struggling to adjust to the gloom. He saw the faint outline of his hamster cage, sitting on the coffee table. Glancing behind himself, he saw his models displayed proudly on their hooks over his bed. Not a thing was out of place, he knew full well that everything was as he'd left it, but something was bothering him, and he couldn't say what it was.
With heavy limbs, Shepard rose from his bed, wincing as bare feet met the cool metal of the deck. He padded across the room, climbing the steps into the upper half. He stepped over to the bathroom door, and came to an abrupt halt as he bumped into the unyielding metal of the door.
"What the-"
He brushed a hand against the door, trying to summon a control interface, but nothing was forthcoming. The door, normally responsive to his mere presence, stubbornly refused to budge.
"Hey, EDI? Is there something wrong with this door?"
The AI didn't respond.
"EDI?" Shepard waited another moment in silence. "Damn it."
Still in the same clothes he had been wearing in bed, a loose-fitting pair of cotton trousers and a white T-shirt, the Commander turned to head for the elevator. He could use the facilities on the Crew Deck, and report the malfunctions to somebody on the engineering team.
Inside the lift, Shepard found himself confronted with the control panel, but the malfunction appeared to have spread to these controls, too. Instead of the normal five options he'd expect, only two were lit up: the Loft and the Command Deck. The Crew, Engineering and Hangar Decks were blacked out. Bemused, Shepard selected the Command Deck, tensing as the elevator shuddered down a level.
The door opened before him and Shepard stepped out, coming to an abrupt halt as a scene of busy confusion greeted him. Crewmen bustled past, going about their normal duties. Engineers worked on small repairs, while others went about the normal tasks assigned to them during any average day. Standing at the head of the Galaxy Map, Executive Officer Pressley turned at the Commander's approach, offering a crisp salute.
"Commander. Wasn't expecting you to be about so early. Trouble sleeping?"
"Pressley? What are you doing here?" Shepard asked, his mind racing.
"Sir?" A note of concern entered the XO's voice.
"But the Collectors... The SR-2..."
"SR-2?" Pressley asked, his eyebrow lifting. "We haven't gone through the SR-1 yet, Commander. And let's pray we never do. I don't want to know what could take down this tough old bird."
Shepard turned, looking around himself. Features of the room began to register with him, the lower ceiling, the dimmer lighting level, the tighter confines. Turning to face back the way he came, Shepard found himself confronted with the doorway to the comm room, with its circular array of seats and holographic communications centre against the back wall. The Normandy SR-1 thrummed beneath his feet as he completed his spin.
"What-?"
Shepard's query came to a swift end as he turned back to Pressley, only to find him absent, along with the rest of the CIC crew. The entire deck was suddenly deathly silent.
Unnerved, Shepard moved to the door on his right, unsure of what would greet him beyond it. When it opened, a darkened staircase was all that awaited him, rather than the corridor leading to Mordin's lab that he'd have expected on the SR-2. Tentatively, he made his way down the staircase and onto the Crew Deck. More silence met his ears, this deck similarly deserted. A knot of worry clenching in his gut, the Commander stepped up to the elevator, putting in the command that would carry him down to the hangar and Engineering Deck.
The elevator door opened again, allowing Shepard to step out into the brightly lit hangar. It seemed as though he was aboard the SR-2 once more, with its much larger dimensions and brighter lighting scheme, as well as the Hammerhead, Nathak and skycar fastened to the ceiling in their normal spaces. Other than that, the hangar was bare, all other components, cargo and crewmen missing. Even the massive fan units that normally dotted the hangar floor were missing.
Instead, the Commander's eyes were drawn to the walls, where thousands of small metal plates had been affixed. They covered almost every inch of the walls, even spreading across the hangar door at the far end of the room. As Shepard's eye was drawn to that far side, he spotted a small figure moving slowly along the wall, tending to the plates. White and pink armour silhouetted a familiar shape, although a helmet hid the face from view.
"Ashley?" Shepard's tongue caught in his throat as he spotted the old comrade, his heart beating painfully in his chest. "Ashley!"
He ran to the figure, the journey across the hangar taking an eternally long time. When he finally reached her, he placed a hand on her shoulder, but couldn't move her at all. Confused, he stared at what she held in her hands.
It was a small plate, identical to the others that covered the walls. About ten inches wide and three inches tall, it was inscribed with lettering of some sort, hidden by Ashley's hand. Curious, the Commander looked to the other plates, noting similar inscriptions. His heart turned to stone as he realised what he was staring at: a memorial. His guts clenched as he read a few of the names.
Private L. Jenkins. Sha'ira. Major Kirrahe. Etarn Kol'mehk. Stanara Gaellion. Admiral Kastanie Drescher. Mordin Solus. Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Andairas. Urdnot Grunt. Legion. Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. Every name on the wall struck at the Commander, like a hammer blow to his chest. Horrified, he took a step back, trying to comprehend the immense mass of names before him. As he did so, Ashley finished affixing the last plate, stepping away so that he could get a clear view of it. Ice-like dread filled Shepard's veins as he read this final name. Jack.
"No!" He growled, grabbing Ashley forcefully and spinning her around. "This isn't going to happen! I won't let it."
There was a clink, almost lost even in the silence of the hangar. Shepard looked down, spotting a plate that had slipped from Ashley's hand, striking the deck. Cautiously, the Commander picked it up, turning it over to read his own name, spelled out in clear lettering. The knot his guts had become clenched once again.
He heard a clicking sound, looking back up to see that Ashley had reached up to her helmet, unbuckling it and sliding it up off her head. Shepard gasped as he beheld the twisted mess that her face had become. Burnt flesh glowed an angry red, while monstrous augmentations broke through her skin, stretching and distorting her face. The tech was clearly Reaper in origin, one of her eyes even being replaced by the pale blue lens Shepard had come to associate with Husks. Her mouth twisted into the abused imitation of a smile as she spoke.
"Hey Skipper," Her voice came out of her mouth, but a hideous echo bounced around the hangar behind Shepard, deep and threatening.
The hangar shook, a loud shriek of tearing metal filling the Commander's ears. With a bone-shattering rumble, the walls fell away, exposing Shepard to raw blackness, not even the stars of space to comfort him. The rest of the Normandy fell away, leaving just a tiny patch of metal, all that remained of the Hangar Deck, wheeling through nothingness. Shepard quailed from the sight, finding himself alone on this tiny platform with the creature that mimicked his former comrade.
Ashley's eyes blazed with light, transfixing Shepard as he found himself left with nowhere to run. As she advanced, a black shape approached from behind her, enormous, menacing. It towered over the tiny scrap of existence, four yellow eyes blazing brilliantly. When Ashley spoke, the four eyes brightened and dimmed in unison with her voice, the Reaper's thunderous tones echoing her.
"It is useless to resist. Continue to fight, and you will fall."
Shepard stepped back as she stepped forward, drawing closer to the edge.
"You cannot win. Submit, and you shall be spared."
"We are the key to your salvation. Serve us. Serve us!"
Shepard took another step back, his foot suddenly meeting with nothing. His arms flailed for a moment before he truly lost his balance, pitching over into the darkness as Ashley's disfigured visage snarled one last time.
"SERVE US!"
That's about all I have for now. Got some fun scenes coming up, including (hopefully) another cameo character, permission pending. Stay tuned!
Fainmaca Out.
#244
Posté 25 avril 2013 - 09:14
fainmaca wrote...
Hey guys.
Just to let you know I'm still alive, but haven't managed too much writing recently. Been a crazy month. That and I discovered thatguywiththeglasses.com, which has eaten up almost all of my free time (also saw Watchmen for the first time ever. My thoughts on that movie are... varied and interesting). I have managed a few things, though, and thought I'd post up a short passage to see what you all think.
"Shepard."
The first thing to register in the Commander's brain as the single word brought him back to the realm of the conscious was that it was very cold. So cold, in fact, that he found himself shivering, even under the bedsheets. He opened his eyes, turning his head to see the empty half of the bed that Jack had left behind. Crumpled sheets and a dent in the pillow were the only sign that she had ever been there, save for the ghost of her scent lingering on the blanket. Faint light glimmered from the aquarium, its lights lowered for the night cycle. This weak luminescence played its way around the furnishings of his cabin, the shadows stretching and dancing in sinister patterns. Overhead, the skylight in the ceiling showed the blackness of space. Obviously, the Normandy was making a quick stop as she altered her heading for the next FTL jump.
"Shepard."
There it was again, the faint whisper on the edge of his hearing. Shepard sat up slowly, groggily. He stifled a yawn, pressing his forehead into his palm.
"What is it, EDI?"
There was no response.
"EDI?"
Silence filled the cabin, deafening in the Commander's ears.
Shepard glanced around, eyes struggling to adjust to the gloom. He saw the faint outline of his hamster cage, sitting on the coffee table. Glancing behind himself, he saw his models displayed proudly on their hooks over his bed. Not a thing was out of place, he knew full well that everything was as he'd left it, but something was bothering him, and he couldn't say what it was.
With heavy limbs, Shepard rose from his bed, wincing as bare feet met the cool metal of the deck. He padded across the room, climbing the steps into the upper half. He stepped over to the bathroom door, and came to an abrupt halt as he bumped into the unyielding metal of the door.
"What the-"
He brushed a hand against the door, trying to summon a control interface, but nothing was forthcoming. The door, normally responsive to his mere presence, stubbornly refused to budge.
"Hey, EDI? Is there something wrong with this door?"
The AI didn't respond.
"EDI?" Shepard waited another moment in silence. "Damn it."
Still in the same clothes he had been wearing in bed, a loose-fitting pair of cotton trousers and a white T-shirt, the Commander turned to head for the elevator. He could use the facilities on the Crew Deck, and report the malfunctions to somebody on the engineering team.
Inside the lift, Shepard found himself confronted with the control panel, but the malfunction appeared to have spread to these controls, too. Instead of the normal five options he'd expect, only two were lit up: the Loft and the Command Deck. The Crew, Engineering and Hangar Decks were blacked out. Bemused, Shepard selected the Command Deck, tensing as the elevator shuddered down a level.
The door opened before him and Shepard stepped out, coming to an abrupt halt as a scene of busy confusion greeted him. Crewmen bustled past, going about their normal duties. Engineers worked on small repairs, while others went about the normal tasks assigned to them during any average day. Standing at the head of the Galaxy Map, Executive Officer Pressley turned at the Commander's approach, offering a crisp salute.
"Commander. Wasn't expecting you to be about so early. Trouble sleeping?"
"Pressley? What are you doing here?" Shepard asked, his mind racing.
"Sir?" A note of concern entered the XO's voice.
"But the Collectors... The SR-2..."
"SR-2?" Pressley asked, his eyebrow lifting. "We haven't gone through the SR-1 yet, Commander. And let's pray we never do. I don't want to know what could take down this tough old bird."
Shepard turned, looking around himself. Features of the room began to register with him, the lower ceiling, the dimmer lighting level, the tighter confines. Turning to face back the way he came, Shepard found himself confronted with the doorway to the comm room, with its circular array of seats and holographic communications centre against the back wall. The Normandy SR-1 thrummed beneath his feet as he completed his spin.
"What-?"
Shepard's query came to a swift end as he turned back to Pressley, only to find him absent, along with the rest of the CIC crew. The entire deck was suddenly deathly silent.
Unnerved, Shepard moved to the door on his right, unsure of what would greet him beyond it. When it opened, a darkened staircase was all that awaited him, rather than the corridor leading to Mordin's lab that he'd have expected on the SR-2. Tentatively, he made his way down the staircase and onto the Crew Deck. More silence met his ears, this deck similarly deserted. A knot of worry clenching in his gut, the Commander stepped up to the elevator, putting in the command that would carry him down to the hangar and Engineering Deck.
The elevator door opened again, allowing Shepard to step out into the brightly lit hangar. It seemed as though he was aboard the SR-2 once more, with its much larger dimensions and brighter lighting scheme, as well as the Hammerhead, Nathak and skycar fastened to the ceiling in their normal spaces. Other than that, the hangar was bare, all other components, cargo and crewmen missing. Even the massive fan units that normally dotted the hangar floor were missing.
Instead, the Commander's eyes were drawn to the walls, where thousands of small metal plates had been affixed. They covered almost every inch of the walls, even spreading across the hangar door at the far end of the room. As Shepard's eye was drawn to that far side, he spotted a small figure moving slowly along the wall, tending to the plates. White and pink armour silhouetted a familiar shape, although a helmet hid the face from view.
"Ashley?" Shepard's tongue caught in his throat as he spotted the old comrade, his heart beating painfully in his chest. "Ashley!"
He ran to the figure, the journey across the hangar taking an eternally long time. When he finally reached her, he placed a hand on her shoulder, but couldn't move her at all. Confused, he stared at what she held in her hands.
It was a small plate, identical to the others that covered the walls. About ten inches wide and three inches tall, it was inscribed with lettering of some sort, hidden by Ashley's hand. Curious, the Commander looked to the other plates, noting similar inscriptions. His heart turned to stone as he realised what he was staring at: a memorial. His guts clenched as he read a few of the names.
Private L. Jenkins. Sha'ira. Major Kirrahe. Etarn Kol'mehk. Stanara Gaellion. Admiral Kastanie Drescher. Mordin Solus. Admiral Tali'Zorah vas Andairas. Urdnot Grunt. Legion. Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko. Every name on the wall struck at the Commander, like a hammer blow to his chest. Horrified, he took a step back, trying to comprehend the immense mass of names before him. As he did so, Ashley finished affixing the last plate, stepping away so that he could get a clear view of it. Ice-like dread filled Shepard's veins as he read this final name. Jack.
"No!" He growled, grabbing Ashley forcefully and spinning her around. "This isn't going to happen! I won't let it."
There was a clink, almost lost even in the silence of the hangar. Shepard looked down, spotting a plate that had slipped from Ashley's hand, striking the deck. Cautiously, the Commander picked it up, turning it over to read his own name, spelled out in clear lettering. The knot his guts had become clenched once again.
He heard a clicking sound, looking back up to see that Ashley had reached up to her helmet, unbuckling it and sliding it up off her head. Shepard gasped as he beheld the twisted mess that her face had become. Burnt flesh glowed an angry red, while monstrous augmentations broke through her skin, stretching and distorting her face. The tech was clearly Reaper in origin, one of her eyes even being replaced by the pale blue lens Shepard had come to associate with Husks. Her mouth twisted into the abused imitation of a smile as she spoke.
"Hey Skipper," Her voice came out of her mouth, but a hideous echo bounced around the hangar behind Shepard, deep and threatening.
The hangar shook, a loud shriek of tearing metal filling the Commander's ears. With a bone-shattering rumble, the walls fell away, exposing Shepard to raw blackness, not even the stars of space to comfort him. The rest of the Normandy fell away, leaving just a tiny patch of metal, all that remained of the Hangar Deck, wheeling through nothingness. Shepard quailed from the sight, finding himself alone on this tiny platform with the creature that mimicked his former comrade.
Ashley's eyes blazed with light, transfixing Shepard as he found himself left with nowhere to run. As she advanced, a black shape approached from behind her, enormous, menacing. It towered over the tiny scrap of existence, four yellow eyes blazing brilliantly. When Ashley spoke, the four eyes brightened and dimmed in unison with her voice, the Reaper's thunderous tones echoing her.
"It is useless to resist. Continue to fight, and you will fall."
Shepard stepped back as she stepped forward, drawing closer to the edge.
"You cannot win. Submit, and you shall be spared."
"We are the key to your salvation. Serve us. Serve us!"
Shepard took another step back, his foot suddenly meeting with nothing. His arms flailed for a moment before he truly lost his balance, pitching over into the darkness as Ashley's disfigured visage snarled one last time.
"SERVE US!"
That's about all I have for now. Got some fun scenes coming up, including (hopefully) another cameo character, permission pending. Stay tuned!
Fainmaca Out.
Funny. Had a Mass Effect-related nightmare recently that was almost exactly like this. One of the differences was, Pressly was replaced by Jenkins, and he acknowledged the existence of the SR-2.
#245
Posté 08 mai 2013 - 11:40
Anyhow, I'd best get back to it. See you soon!
Fainmaca Out.
EDIT: I have also just found out about MEGAN FOX being cast as April O'Neil in the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie. Megan 'Transformers 1&2' Fox. Megan. Fox. Words cannot express how mad I am right now.
I may not be the most fanatical geek. I don't read comics, I wasn't religiously watching animated shows of nerd icons as a youngster, and there are a lot of geek essential franchises I just haven't invested myself in. But if there were one thing in my childhood that I take seriously even today, it'd be TMNT.
When I heard Bay was getting his paws on this franchise, I was worried, but I had hoped that the casting would be solid for the roles. Misplaced faith, it would seem. Fox may be talented, but she has no place in this role, and her casting here shows the exact same problem we had with the Transformers movies. With the biggest names of the cast being tied to the Human characters, its clear they'll get the limelight over the Turtles. What we're going to get is a movie about a reporter who discovers these creatures, rather than a movie about the creatures and their reporter sidekick.
I know this isn't the place for this kind of discussion, but damnit I'm cheesed off tonight.
Okay, ranting over. For now.
Modifié par fainmaca, 08 mai 2013 - 11:57 .
#246
Posté 09 mai 2013 - 05:27
EDIT:
About that excerpt you showed; it actually made me think of that Star Trek: NexGen episode where the Enterprises of the multiverse come together, including one from a universe where the Borg won. Mind-numbing if the logical progression is made.
Anyway, that makes it look a little like the Reapers have a Red Phone directly to Shepards head...the plot thickens.
Anticipating your next release
Modifié par V-rcingetorix, 09 mai 2013 - 05:34 .
#247
Posté 09 mai 2013 - 12:39
V-rcingetorix wrote...
Anyway, that makes it look a little like the Reapers have a Red Phone directly to Shepards head...the plot thickens.
That... or maybe Shepard's coming down with a Grade-A case of PTSD.
Or he should have scanned that cheese he had before bedtime. after all, Garrus has been pretty careless about packing up his Dextro supplies lately.
Just to muddy the waters a little more...
#248
Posté 11 mai 2013 - 05:17
Or maybe he got infected with nanites and the nanites are actually trying to cause a chemical reaction in his body (with despair or stress) by triggering emotions so they can take over more easily.
I can spin theories too
#249
Posté 12 mai 2013 - 04:05
Modifié par fainmaca, 12 mai 2013 - 04:06 .
#250
Posté 13 mai 2013 - 03:13
Example, Sad Sam becomes Happy Harry?





Retour en haut






