5257 réponses à ce sujet

[Invisible Man]

Aethgeir wrote...

Invisible Man wrote...

@Aethgeir
I can see what you mean, and it does make sense. though I do like how ammo is modded by omni-tools in me3, and it does make sense to me as well.

Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with using omni-tools to "mod ammo", instead of actual ammo-mods. What doesn't make sense to me - either in the game universe, or from a game design perspective - is restricting which "classes" can have what ammo types, powers, etc.

This goes back to a discussion I was having only a page or two back: The only reason to have different "classes" in a game at all, is if they actually run on different dynamics.  The "classes" of Mass Effect, are all basically the same, just "limited" in what "powers" they can develop.  Why shouldn't players be able to just build any character - with any powers - they want, within the confines of the experience they've earned?

Part of what I suggested earlier was that all "tech powers" (which in this case would include "ammo powers"), should be "omni-tool applications" - actual software/gear that characters can buy, sell, upgrade and "swap in and out" of omni-tools and combat-drone "pets". This would give players who chose to develop Omni-Tool or Combat-Drone "skills", the added dynamic of being more versatile than players who favored the benefits of other dynamics like the added power of biotics or the simplicity of weapon and armor.

Limiting what characters/classes can do, causes players to try FEWER things - Bad game design!
Limiting what weapons, gear and skills can do, encourages players to collect and try MORE things - Good game design!

from what I understand the "ammo types", drone, tech armor etc. aren't generic omni-tool programs, or constructs. these upgrades are custom built by the characters using them, and the differences between the character classes seems to dictate what and how they can upgrade their omni tools to do. though this isn't hard fact ,it's simply implied by the codex for the most part. as for biotic powers I guess it also follows the same line of thought.

---edit
take note: I'm mostly guessing here. so take it as you will.

Modifié par Invisible Man, 30 décembre 2013 - 04:08 .

[Aethgeir]

Invisible Man wrote...

from what I understand the "ammo types", drone, tech armor etc. aren't generic omni-tool programs, or constructs. these upgrades are custom built by the characters using them, and the differences between the character classes seems to dictate what and how they can upgrade their omni tools to do. though this isn't hard fact ,it's simply implied by the codex for the most part. as for biotic powers I guess it also follows the same line of thought.

---edit
take note: I'm mostly guessing here. so take it as you will.

You may be right, but as with "limited ammo", these "explanations" given in the codex merely serve to justify the limitations of the game.

If classes actually worked off different dynamics, such justifications wouldn't be necessary as it would be perfectly obvious why different classes exist - allowing the codex to freely explore these aspects of the universe.  In short: Classes based on different dynamics, instead of limitations on one dynamic, is better for players, better for the lore - Better for the game!

[biowaregeek]

 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue

LOT!! more dialog options bigger  better dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger  better dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger better  dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger better  dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options biggerbetter   dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger better   dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger  better  dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger better  dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger better  dialog wheel
LOT!! more dialog options bigger better  dialog wheel

 unforgettable party members from all age groups something similar to kotor 1 party members ages
 By the way this shouldn't just be for the next ME game but for every Bioware game from here on.

                                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                                                 
HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

Modifié par biowaregeek, 01 janvier 2014 - 05:02 .

[cinnamonbride73]

I just finished playing through ME1, ME2, and ME3 for the first time about a month ago (actually the whole process took me about 6 months, and I played through each game at least twice) so the whole experience is still somewhat fresh and new. And yes, I'm somewhat depressed and going through ME withdrawals but playing through ME3 with *all* the DLC is helping that (only tried the Citadel and Omega so far - no Leviathan or Extended Cut yet). So here's my opinion from a GenX GamerGirl.

I'm late to the party and reading through these posts I see so many people have put a lot of thought into what they would like to see from the next ME.

What I would like to see more of in the next ME installment is what I liked most of from the original three games. Here's my thoughts (which I know are like many others but they are my *own* opinion).

ME1: I liked the exploration aspect of ME1, meeting new characters and cultures and finding treasures and discovering what they could be used for. For that, it was my favorite of the three games. Right off the bat I was pleased that I could choose to be a male or female character (FemShep forever!!) and I liked that I could choose a little bit about my character's history that might influence the rest of the story. To me, that's what really SOLD me on the Mass Effect franchise: the CHOICES. The CHARACTERS.  The STORY.

ME2: I liked the expanded romance options that happened in ME2 (I only play FemShep so was happy I had so many more choices) and more dialogue choices, but I missed the exploration and discovery. The combat interface was better but honestly I'm not into combat games unless they involve more strategy and not just endless upgrades and weapon hoarding. I thought the combat situations themselves in ME2 were a little ridiculous; it was way too easy even on Insanity to have all your squadmates survive the "suicide" mission. The story line itself wasn't as engaging as ME1 but the interaction with the characters was more satisfying - however I would have liked to have been able to see more of the citadel and travel to more locations. Again, I missed the exploration of ME1. And the planet "scanning" was so boring... many times I fell asleep at my console while scanning planets for minerals. I also missed the Mako and while the Hammerhead was interesting it didn't offer the same level of interaction with a new alien planet that the Mako did. I played both "Overlord" and "Arrival" which were good but DLCs but "Arrival" made much more sense as to the beginning of ME3's story and should therefore have been included in the main game. I romanced Thane in ME2 as he seemed like the most interesting male character for my FemShep and I found that to be a satisfying story line, better than the romance with Kaidan, who I had chosen in ME1.

ME3: First playthrough was with no DLC and I wanted to curl up in in a dark room and cry afterwards. I did like the action sequences of ME3 and the ship layout and transitions were nice - great job designers and programmers. Combat was MUCH better - more challenging combat situations that forced you to use your squadmates, powers and weapons more thoughtfully and the interface was even more streamlined and improved though I missed some of the powers that I had in ME2. If I'm going to be playing a combat game I want to use my brain, not just have the biggest gun and outgun my opponents every time, and so ME3 was more satisfying in that aspect (I started on Hardcore this time after being so disappointed with how easy ME2 was). Story line I knew was going to be sad but man it was BLEAK. So terribly bleak. And the romances?!?! Not even halfway through the person I had romanced in ME2 dies and my FemShep and the rest of the crew didn't even seem to care (at least with the Citadel DLC you gave him a decent funeral - thanks). My only other male romance option was Kaidan, who treats my relationship with the person I romanced in ME2 as "cheating" (you really need to get some female writers working on those female/male relationships). I was disappointed that I had no other romance options besides Kaidan and that my relationship with my ME2 romance was apparently not worth anything. C'mon; if you are going to give us the option to play as a female character, then give us ladies better options than that!! At least give us as many options as the male characters for love interests. I mean, I could romance two women but only one other guy. I know you sell your games to mostly guys, but can you at least not be so obviously pandering to the male audience? And it's cool that you included bi/gay options, but for us straight ladies in ME3 the options were really poor. My only other option at this point is to go back and replay ME2 to romance Garrus just so I have another romance option. Okay I guess the universe is ending so love really shouldn't be the priority but at least let us continue the relationship we had going in a more satisfying way than you did with my ME2 LI. I know many others spoke at length on that topic so I'll leave it at that. And next time make sure your whole team is in on writing and vetting the ending so that it makes sense to the storyline and doesn't potentially kill/enrage your fanbase, eh? While I didn't *hate* the original ending, it just doesn't make sense with the entire story you created with ME1, ME2, and ME3 all together. Keep in mind that I just played them one after the other so the story is all fresh. It's like one team of writers was writing the ME story up until that point and then someone else took over... Even with the extended cut, the endings still don't make sense with the entire story line, but I'm not here to argue about that.

So what would *I* like to see in the next ME game?

-*****More about exploration and discovery; I'd love to see the MAIN character be a scientist type (like Mordin) who also happens to be a kick-ass fighter, and NOT a soldier*****
-Less combat, and when there is combat make it challenging and require the use of strategizing (make it impossible if you choose certain squadmates that don't have the right combination of strengths or weapons/armour for the terrain/enemy)
-More CHOICES; please continue to allow us to customize our characters as male/female and choose at least some other aspects of their characters such as powers or background)
-More developed character interactions and storylines, and equal choices of romances between male/female characters

-STORY: Maybe this entire story take place in a different galaxy? A team of humans/asari/turians/salarians/etc discover a way to travel via wormhole to another galaxy but it's a one-way trip for now and you have been chosen with this elite team of other scientists (and soldiers for protection) to explore this new galaxy. They have a way to send data back through the wormhole to the Milky Way so you can communicate (with a couple of days of delay), but anything with actual mass as of yet they haven't figured out how to bring back once they send it through. They are hoping that while you are out there exploring they can continue working on developing a way to bring you back, but in the meantime... Maybe they discover the Creators of the reapers? Maybe we will finally find a way to make sense of the bungled-up mess of the original story line of ME. Or maybe it's just a fun adventure all on it's own that's fairly disconnected with the original ME storyline.

Just my thoughts.

Modifié par cinnamonbride73, 02 janvier 2014 - 05:42 .

[cinnamonbride73]

Oh and one more thought to add to my above post: please let's have some more non-humanoid aliens. As someone who works in a scientific field I think we need to think more outside the box when imagining and creating "aliens". The Hanar and Rachni are the only non-vaguely humanoid aliens in the ME universe (maybe the Elcor too, but they resemble gorillas which are Primates as are humans so I don't count them). Why do we assume that you need to walk upright on two legs to evolve into sentience and have civilization? I'd like to see more non-humanoid alien species in the next ME game to give it more of that real Sci-Fi feeling.

Modifié par cinnamonbride73, 02 janvier 2014 - 05:26 .

[EliotNesss]

@cinnamonbride73:

A few thoughts on your comments and ideas. I agree with several of them and disagree with some others. I'll give a few examples.

1. I agree with your opinions of more exploration on the Mako. IMO that was a big omission on ME 2 & 3. I also think they should have added more depth, secrets and combat to the explorations.

2, Endings-I completely disagree with your take on those. You'll have to read some of my opinions on that to get where I'm coming from. I think they start on about page 149. I think the ending choices were close to perfect for the way I played the game. Which was Paragon. Most complaints on the endings came from those who played as Renegade. And they seemed to want heroic, survival Paragon effects/outcomes/options for Renegade choices.

3. I disagree with the opinion about lack of diversity of alien species. The ME ecosystem was dominated by non human alien species up until the end. That was one of the main reasons that formed the personalities of Illusive Man and Renegade Shepard. Examples outside of the obvious are; EDI, Geth, Leviathan, Catalyst, Volus, Elcor and etc. But I sympathize with your perspective that we should be allowed to explore the alien uniqueness much more.

4. Relationships- Well, what can I say about this without appearing insensitive. So here goes. You could have taken a spin with Jacob or James. But you appear to view them as below Alien or invisible as love interests.

5. Reapers-Their creators and source was clearly identified at the ending of ME3 and Leviathan DLC. How did you miss that?! Catalyst was pretty specific about it. IMO Leviathan DLC was one of the very best. You need to give it a try. Especially if you want to see where future ME content may be headed.
 
Your overall comments were quite interesting. With some very good perspective IMO. Good Post  But I do think Bioware need to take pause before taking your larger point to heart. And that one is making the Franchise more Estrogen centric at the expense of testosterone and adrenaline. They may well attract more females. But would turn their core male audience off. I think they got the balance just right. But I am as heterosexual male as they get. So you are free to completely discount my take on that one.

Modifié par EliotNesss, 02 janvier 2014 - 06:05 .

[cinnamonbride73]

@EliotNessss, thank you for your reply to my post.

2, Endings-I completely disagree with your take on those. You'll have to read some of my opinions on that to get where I'm coming from. I think they start on about page 149. I think the ending choices were close to perfect for the way I played the game. Which was Paragon. Most complaints on the endings came from those who played as Renegade. And they seemed to want heroic, survival Paragon effects/outcomes/options for Renegade choices.

While I REALLY don't want to argue about the endings, keep in mind I haven't played with the Extended Cut yet, and I just played all three games from start to finish.  I played Paragon as well, and after encouraging EDI to develop her "humanity" and supporting her individuality (and Legion's), then brokering peace between the Geth and Quarians, it didn't sit right to have to destroy all synthetic life even though there was the "you can rebuild them again the future" line.  Synthesis didn't seem right either - I didn't trust this thing posing as a kid, and I didn't know what the ramifications would be; it was the most appealing option at first, but I didn't like feeling forced to make the choice it seemed to like best with so little information.  Control - sure maybe I could achieve what the Illusive Man couldn't without becoming indoctrinated, but I wasn't sure I wasn't already in danger of being indoctrinated (all my dreams full of increasing whispers and oily black shadows).  So to me Destroy was the best option, but I hated it because it went against all my efforts to support EDI and Legion and broker peace with the Geth.  I didn't *completely* hate it though because in war you do have to make hard sucky choices and in the game they remind you of that several times - in dialogue with Garrus and James and Anderson.  So I made the choice to sacrifice my friends in order to save the galaxy. 

The choices themselves *weren't* my main objection to the ending... I didn't like the inconsistencies in the story; what happens to your teammates who were with you?  How did Anderson get there ahead of you?  Why do I end up in a pile of Earth rubble in the end even though I was supposedly in the Citadel?  I know they apparently "fixed" some of those things in the Extended Cut but not all of them.  And the entire premise of having a Conduit on Earth up to the Citadel... well, I don't want to write a novel here   The whole thing just seemed very rushed and inconclusive.  We never really learn who the Creators are, why the Reapers do what they do and it still makes no real sense why the whole "cycle" exists.  Even if this is explained elsewhere in another DLC it wasn't explained in the main game and so my Shep at that point had no information to go on other than three sucky choices being rammed down her throat.  I wanted to just shoot the kid and fight it out, which I've heard is an option in the Extended Cut.  I've read many arguments that people have made about the endings pro/con but I'm just going from what I've learned in the game itself.  It's a contradictory and unsatisfactory ending for an otherwise great story.  I can live with the three choices if they were set in a better context and given better explanation *in the main game itself*.

3. I disagree with the opinion about lack of diversity of alien species. The ME ecosystem was dominated by non human alien species up until the end. That was one of the main reasons that formed the personalities of Illusive Man and Renegade Shepard. Examples outside of the obvious are; EDI, Geth, Leviathan, Catalyst, Volus, Elcor and etc. But I sympathize with your perspective that we should be allowed to explore the alien uniqueness much more.

When I say "humanoid" I mean standing upright walking on two legs with a head up on top.  I didn't say non-human, I said non-humanoid, as is not resembling humans as much.  Does that make a little more sense? Walking on two legs really isn't that efficient - why should that be the model on which we base most alien species?  Just hoping for more diversity  

4. Relationships- Well, what can I say about this without appearing insensitive. So here goes. You could have taken a spin with Jacob or James. But you appear to view them as below Alien or invisible as love interests.

Well Jacob really isn't interested in FemShep in ME3 - he wants his family, and can you blame him?  And James is really only a one-night stand at best.  My FemShep wasn't a **** lol.  Plus I as an avid Sci-Fi enthusiast, I'd rather date Garrus or Thane because I can date humans on Earth; games are fun because you can do things you can't normally do in real life so of course I'd want to get giggety with aliens ;-D

5. Reapers-Their creators and source was clearly identified at the ending of ME3 and Leviathan DLC. How did you miss that?! Catalyst was pretty specific about it. IMO Leviathan DLC was one of the very best. You need to give it a try. Especially if you want to see where future ME content may be headed.

The regular ending of ME3 does NOT identify the creators of the reapers, and nope haven't played Leviathan.  Just finished Omega though and that was fun so I'll have to give Leviathan a try - thanks for the rec!!

And that one is making the Franchise more Estrogen centric at the expense of testosterone and adrenaline.

I'm not asking for "Estrogen-centric" - merely equality, dear sir.  Merely equality   Thanks again for your discourse.
 

Modifié par cinnamonbride73, 02 janvier 2014 - 07:39 .

[EliotNesss]

@ cinnamonbride73:

Great responses. And it cleared up all of the confusion I had on a few of your points. LOL! C'mon. Give Big James a whirl . One night flings often turn into long committed relationships. Remember, Big James was being mentored by Shepard to become an Officer or Spectre. I'd love to play a big budget DLC or game just as his BadAss character in the future.

1. I didn't have any of the emotional conflicts you had with the Paragon Choices. Synthetic and Control just seemed to be a normal extension of decisions I'd made along the way with different species and life forms. From either perspective, I could resurrect the best qualities from past and current species to establish a new Genesis. That's what Catalyst required to freely give up its existence to merge with a superior "Solution". It couldn't achieve that by merging with itself (an Indoctrinated option). It needed freedom form the limitations imposed upon it by Leviathan and its own programming. Shepard was already as much Synthetic as he/she was organic. So he (in my case) was the obvious choice for this merger. I never thought Shepard was being indoctrinated in any of the ME sagas (1-3). I always felt I was being scanned by something else. And at the end, that instinct was revealed as the truth. It was both Catalyst, Reapers and Leviathan that was tracking/scanning Shepard/us.

2. Anderson got to the Citadel ahead of Shepard because Shepard delayed his attack to save a couple of his Squad Mates from the assault.

3. The Shepard awakening from the pile of rubble could easily be Clone Shepard from "Citadel" DLC. In fact, that is the most likely scenario, since Clone Shep's demise was decidedly vague. And here is the real kicker. Bioware intentionally left itself a back door to such a story line in case ME4 bombs. Because that Clone Shep awakening in the rubble could be scripted as a resurrection caused by the evolved real Shepard/Catalyst (Synthetic or Control ending). It's certainly a good way for Bioware to merge the 3 endings into a more coherent narrative going forward. If it choses too. Along with a great bailout or extended DLC option, Clone Shep could become a bridge character to the new trilogy. Remember how Shepard pleaded with him to not sacrifice himself at the end of Citadel? That is the back door.

4. LMAO on your point 4   ! Jacob was vague in ME2. He had a prior relationship with Miranda but was open to Bi stuff. I never took the bait. But you easily could have doinked his brains out. The family wishes came to full flower in ME3. You should have got giggy wit him! A new play through is required whereby you bang the brothers before moving on with Drell assasins. For the record my true blue was Miss Blue Babe herself (Liara T'Soni) and it was a great and poignant ending. But I had different end scenes in ME1-3 where I played the field as a Uber sexed Paragon. So; Ashley, Miranda, Jack, Kelly Chambers, Diana, Tali all bit the bullet. Heck, I even thought about  mercy nailing old Chakwas. But better judgment prevailed. I was seriously disappointed that Samantha had a fetish for AI females. Those romance options were really the only areas where I let old Renegade fly free.

Have a ball with Leviathan. It is a vital DLC. I don't want to spoil it for you. Hope you played "From Ashes" too. It is an important piece of the puzzle. CAIO Bella!

Modifié par EliotNesss, 02 janvier 2014 - 10:28 .

[Abraham_uk]

biowaregeek wrote...

 NO!!! water down dialogue options and auto dialogue
 
LOT!! more dialog options bigger better  dialog wheel

 unforgettable party members from all age groups something similar to kotor 1 party members ages
 By the way this shouldn't just be for the next ME game but for every Bioware game from here on.
                                                                                                                                                                                                  

Agreed.

[Metallica93]

mhmbaSR1 wrote...
so I hope this helps, I am an undergrad student in physics

Edit: one of the reasons why I love mass effect is because they do their physics research!! of course its sci-fi so they screw up more than they get right but hey

Started off as a Physics/Renewable Energy double major myself, but I'm in Music now (yea, I know - wtf)  Nevertheless, the fact that BioWare put so much time and effort into containing the back story in the Codex was one of the greatest features I've ever seen in a video game. One of the coolest bits of the first Mass Effect was going to another galaxy and seeing that they even put down statistics for the planets (orbital period, AUs from the local star, etc). Absolutely jaw-dropping. Granted, I spotted a few errors (lol), but just the fact that they actually took the time to research at least some physics was beyond comprehension. Movies, shows, and games don't like to get into the nitty gritty, but when they do it's fantastic. It's not even the fact that I enjoy plot devices or 'media science' that are more plausible, but when a writer goes into detail with a plot device they created is when things really start to shine.

Modifié par Metallica93, 03 janvier 2014 - 12:00 .

[cinnamonbride73]

@Metallica93 I'm an avid astronomer and I appreciated the nod to the physics in the game as well; I just wish the biology and chemistry had been a little more well-thought-out, in regards to the diversity of species (which I mentioned in my post above - the aliens should not all have been so humanoid) and dextro proteins (which we can eat without killing us).  But hey, it IS just a game after all, and I loved the heck out of it 

@ElliotNessss .... 

LOL! C'mon. Give Big James a whirl. One night flings often turn into long committed relationships. Remember, Big James was being mentored by Shepard to become an Officer or Spectre.

LOL - I have to admit, my FemShep was tempted by all the flirting and in her lonely vulnerable state after the lost of her LI she was very VERY tempted.  But in the end she was just too loyal a Siha.  What can I say?  I'm a die-hard romantic.

3. The Shepard awakening from the pile of rubble could easily be Clone Shepard from "Citadel" DLC. In fact, that is the most likely scenario, since Clone Shep's demise was decidedly vague. And here is the real kicker. Bioware intentionally left itself a back door to such a story line in case ME4 bombs. Because that Clone Shep awakening in the rubble could be scripted as a resurrection caused by the evolved real Shepard/Catalyst (Synthetic or Control ending). It's certainly a good way for Bioware to merge the 3 endings into a more coherent narrative going forward. If it choses too. Along with a great bailout or extended DLC option, Clone Shep could become a bridge character to the new trilogy. Remember how Shepard pleaded with him to not sacrifice himself at the end of Citadel? That is the back door.

Hmm... I could see this as a possibility; but I'm guessing it was just texture from another "alternate ending" that got tacked on there that they hoped no one would notice - perhaps they didn't want to spend the time and $$ to make a new "Shep lives" ending set up in the Citadel.   From what I've read there was such a cluster---- of writing (or rather lack of) and lack of communication within the ranks that I think this might just be a mistake that got overlooked.  But who knows?  Bioware/EA ain't talking

Have a ball with Leviathan. It is a vital DLC. I don't want to spoil it for you. Hope you played "From Ashes" too. It is an important piece of the puzzle.

I dl-ed From Ashes first, then Omega, and just dl-ed Leviathan and the Extended Cut.  I actually just finished playing Leviathan.  Not sure I'm happy with the "explanation" of the Reaper/cycle origin, but it is what it is, so I'll roll with it.  Again, this is something that should have been included in the main context of the game and not a DLC so that Shep has more info to go on when making the final choices; because for sure this does make me rethink the choices a bit, and maybe this time give Synthesis a whirl.

[Roux72]

DanNormandy wrote...

Mass Effect 3 Remake, with Karpyshin and Weekes leading the script.

I am all about this life.

[Maximillion46]

Had a strange dream where a lot of stuff gets mixed up (this happens a lot), though I could control some of it.

ME NEXT Multiplayer idea:

It basically came down a Normandy-like lobby where people could walk around and talk, looking for people to form a squad and go 'down below' to a planet. You could talk to the ship's doctor to get supplies, buy stuff in the armory or upgrade your armor and so on.

It would feel homely, though I'm not sure if people would like this 'delay' in getting to a game... unless you make the lobby a sort of community of people gathering and talking about stuff:). Then again, most people don't hate running around the Normandy to talk to squad members and do other stuff, so why not have that in MP?

Romance options in Multiplayer... let's not go there (just taking SP things and seeing if they fit in MP or not, not really a plan here), though a status showing how well you work together with people after repeatedly fight in the same squad (let's call it Friendship status or whatever xD), that could be nice.

That and more just for fun ideas when I think of them^^

[Jedi Octagon]

As long as they don't make the classic mistake of underestimating fan loyalty. ME2 threw Spectre status out the window after ME1 made a big part of the game about becoming a Spectre. Not to mention the ME 3 ending.

I understand that creative people want to make their mark in the world and not repeat what has been done but as history shows you've got to acknowledge the efforts made in past games or you risk stirring up a hornets nest from your loyal fan-base. Just a thought.

Halo, Splinter Cell, Metal Gear go on forever cause they stay true to the orignal.  Dropping everything to start a brand new story in the old universe is a taking a huge risk.  Most people don't like change, there's enough of it already in the real world.  They want to log into a continuing story base. 

Modifié par Jedi Octagon, 04 janvier 2014 - 01:18 .

[cinnamonbride73]

Jedi Octagon wrote...

As long as they don't make the classic mistake of underestimating fan loyalty. ME2 through Spectre status out the window after ME1 made a big part of the game about becoming a Spectre. Not to mention the ME 3 ending.

I understand that creative people want to make their mark in the world and not repeat what has been done but as history shows you've got to acknowledge the efforts made in past games or you risk stirring up a hornets nest from your loyal fan-base. Just a thought.

EXACTLY.  There was a bit too much retconning in ME2 and ME3.  Some of the redesigns were good because they were easily believable - the Normandy crashing et al gives us a new ship for example.

I hope the writing team will spend some time building out at least the framework of the basic story of the next saga from the beginning to end and agree on some basic premises so that there aren't as many inconsistencies and contradictions.  That must be hard to do but just reading through all the fanfic here and given they've had years to think of the "what comes next" (I know I would have been thinking of that already as a writer) they should have lots of great material to choose from. 

Now we just have to wait and see

[EliotNesss]

cinnamonbride73 wrote...
I dl-ed From Ashes first, then Omega, and just dl-ed Leviathan and the Extended Cut.  I actually just finished playing Leviathan.  Not sure I'm happy with the "explanation" of the Reaper/cycle origin, but it is what it is, so I'll roll with it.  Again, this is something that should have been included in the main context of the game and not a DLC so that Shep has more info to go on when making the final choices; because for sure this does make me rethink the choices a bit, and maybe this time give Synthesis a whirl.

Yeah; You gotta think a little out of the box on it to fully get it. Before the Reapers, Leviathan was the Galactic force that was Brain screwing all organics. And it could have recurred over and over just like the Reapers. Because Leviathan was the template for Catalyst's "Solution". Leviathan's great mistake was delegating governance of its hegemony and empire to AI. Which quickly created a solution beyond its own control. In many ways Starchild/Catalyst left itself open to a similar fate with Shepard. The difference being it was willing to cede "Control" or "Synthesize" with a higher moral authority. Leviathan was not willing to cede its hegemony. And it will be interesting to see if Bioware resurrects their threat. Because they fully scanned Shepard. But in the process were discovered and scanned by Reapers themselves. Organic hegemony like the Prothean empire and Asari ascendance was influenced by the hidden hand of Leviathan. Who was using organics to try to pry control back from The Reapers. Leviathan in alliance with Clone Shepard could be the source of an organic rebellion against "choices" we made in the first trilogy. And Bioware could do this in the next trilogy. Or they could resurrect it in a latter day trilogy. After we have developed new characters , possibilities and threats. The Mass Effect Ecosystem is Huge! And can grow in a lot of directions, for a long time. So Stay tuned IMO.

Glad to hear old James had you heating up for awhile!  Go ahead and give it a shot. I doinked with reckless abandon. But always defaulted to the save of my beloved "Blue Babe" to start a new series. But I think I will replay all 3 episodes again soon. And default to Miranda. Just to see where that one takes me. BTW. The best way to play the DLC is to finish them all before the final Rannoch Mission (saving Admiral Koris). And make sure you save him. Otherwise you will have no choice but to lose either the Geth or Quarians (Tali). I almost left him to die a heroic death. But I'm sure glad I didn't. Because it gave me the very best ending scenarios.

Modifié par EliotNesss, 03 janvier 2014 - 11:44 .

[Aethgeir]

@cinnamonbride73

Greetings, I hugely agree with your overall analysis of the Mass Effect trilogy. Especially on the aspects of ME1 that pulled you in and your reaction to the dismally bad endings. (I mean come on, if you spent 90% of the game pursuing the central plot of 'Uniting the Galaxy against the Reapers', you'd expect that effort to be pivotal to the resolution of the plot. You wouldn't expect a subplot, in which you have virtually no involvement, to hijack the climax with a literal Deus Ex Machina device and present you with "multiple-choices" that simultaneously deprive you of all agency in the game and render all your previous efforts irrelevant - But I digress with deepest apologies - I can't resist ranting about this once in a while!)

I especially agree with your point about having one or two female writers on staff. Straight femshep does indeed get rather shafted in ME3 on the romance front (although you HAD to know Thane was going to die - he's terminal ill - and frankly I think his passing was one of the best written and most emotional moments I've ever seen in any game.)  And while I'm not big on Freddy Prince Junior's performance, I actually liked the character of James who absolutely should have been a fully developed romance for femshep.  I've also always thought that Joker should have been a possible romance for femshep.

Although I'm just one of those guys who prefers playing lady characters in games, I can't stand the misogynistic character designs for Miranda, Samara, and EDI (I actually bought the alternate appearances pack for ME2 just so that Miranda would be walking around in actual armor instead of that ridiculous cat-suit.) Personally, I think the sexiest female character in Mass Effect is femshep herself! She's honorable, smart, confident, and most importantly she never NEEDS to exploit her femininity to succeed. This is exactly the kind of female characters we should see MORE of in gaming.

I'm a big believer in the concept of designing games to reach-out to the broadest possible range of gamers out there, and female gamers are imo a huge untapped market.  I really hope someone at BioWare is still paying attention to this thread because the aspects of Mass Effect you cite as appealing to you - Story, Characters, Cutomization, "Smart" combat situations, etc. - are all things that can appeal to 'girl-gamers' and will ultimately make a better game by giving more to the players!

Modifié par Aethgeir, 04 janvier 2014 - 01:05 .

[Aethgeir]

cinnamonbride73 wrote...

Oh and one more thought to add to my above post: please let's have some more non-humanoid aliens. As someone who works in a scientific field I think we need to think more outside the box when imagining and creating "aliens". The Hanar and Rachni are the only non-vaguely humanoid aliens in the ME universe (maybe the Elcor too, but they resemble gorillas which are Primates as are humans so I don't count them). Why do we assume that you need to walk upright on two legs to evolve into sentience and have civilization? I'd like to see more non-humanoid alien species in the next ME game to give it more of that real Sci-Fi feeling.

YES! Again HUGE agreement here! I had post earlier on this thread about aliens being "too human" in Mass Effect but also in sci-fi and gaming in general.  I'm also very interested in biology and evolution, and as likely as alien life is, I think it is EXTREMELY unlikely that we're going to find "humanoid" life anywhere out there. The only excuse for "humanoid aliens" in sci-fi is casting human actors as aliens, or using "industry standard" animation software to design characters.  Personally, I think the best alien in Mass Effect was the Thorian.  A giant, sessile fungi (as it really doesn't resemble a "plant") that uses broods of "creepers" as tools and drones: Brilliant!

I would also like to see exploration make a comeback and you got me thinking about some ways they could do that.

As much as I loved the Mako in ME1, I think that wide spread, open-world ground-based exploration would take too many resources away from other aspects of the game.  I'd rather they did fewer places really well, than more places that are mediocre.  I think vehicle play in Mass Effect was best done in "Overlord" where you use the Hammerhead to go from one mission to the next on one planet and there vehicle-centric challenges to get there.

I would actually prefer to see exploration revolve more around the ship in space.  In ME1 you basically just click on planets and hit "scan": too simplistic.  But as you pointed out the "mining" in ME2 is tedious and doesn't even really make any sense.

Here's what I'd suggest:  On every "layer" of the galaxy map (galaxy, cluster, star-system, planet/ship/asteroid/etc.) you have several "sensor filter" buttons, which when activated allow you to "scan" for specific things.

• One could be some kind of LIDAR for detecting solid objects like ships, space-stations, asteroids, buildings, etc.
• Another could be an "emissions sensor" that looks for energy sources, communications signals, etc.
• There could be some kind of spectroscope to tell us the actual composition of objects, mineral concentrations (eg: light metals, heavy metals, rare earths, etc.)
• And there could be another that scans for mass effect fields indicating advanced technology, biotics, eezo, etc.

At any layer on the galaxy map the player could cycle through these filters and pan around the cluster/system/planet/etc. looking for "anomalies".  When something jumps out at you, you can travel there or launch a probe for more information.  Sometimes the probe might comeback empty, or you'd need to investigate further (travel there/zoom-in and repeat the scanning process); or the probe might come back with hidden lore, loot, resources, maybe even a few side missions. There'd be none of this 'scanning-every-square-inch-of-a-planet-by-hand' nonsense.  It would streamline the whole process, while at the same time actually expanding the player's role in it!  Essentially, you'd be "surveying" systems, planets, derelicts, etc. - which is what explorers actually do!

Another thing I think might be interesting is if they took this element OUT of the "galaxy map screen" and actually projected the galaxy, star-clusters, systems, planets, asteroids, ships, etc. right into the CIC itself. So instead of seeing all this against some random star-field, you actually have the CIC as the backdrop. They could even have several different consoles around the CIC to control different aspects of exploration. For example, a command-console to actually control the galaxy map, and a sensor console/officer to cycle through different filters. You might have to talk to your pilot to actually travel somewhere, and your weapons officer to (among other things) launch probes.  Obviously this would requiring totally redesigning the CIC around this new dynamic for ease and convenience (i.e. don't put the pilot down at the end of hallway for no reason!)

A system like this could even form the basis for some "space battles" which many players felt were lacking (especially in ME3), but keeps the onus is on making decisions (like a commander actually would) rather than personally moving ships around on a map like an actual strategy game.

The only other thing I want to mention is your suggesting regarding 'less overall combat but more challenging combat encounters'. While I think this sort thing would apeal to both of us, I don't think that appeals to the broadest range of gamers.  Ideally a mix of both would be preferable.

This also goes back to some suggestions I made a page or two back, about getting rid of classes in favor of totally customizable character creation/development; or basing "classes" on game dynamics that are actually unique to the class.  The reason I feel they should do this is again - to appeal to the broadest range of gamers.  Casual gamers who like to simply "Rambo" their way through a mission can build "combat heavy classes" who draw their abilities from weapons and armor.  Character-building and fighting-game enthusiasts could build the ultimate biotic with all kinds of nasty combo attacks, high jumping, slow falling, and knocking down walls, etc.  Whereas gamers like you and me, could play "tech heavy" classes who use stealth, guile, clever tactics, and drones/omni-tool "applications" (actual software gear) to overcome or avoid enemies.

By designing a game to appeal to broadest range of gamers, you build a game that gives a lot to the player - and THAT is the secret of every great game!

Modifié par Aethgeir, 04 janvier 2014 - 01:17 .

[Invisible Man]

as for combat becoming less frequent and harder... that doesn't sit well with me. I'd like something a little more realistic. for instance: I don't want every single encounter to fell like I'm up against military grade commando units. mercs & pirates (which I'm guessing will be the prevailing threats) shouldn't be quite that well organized, experienced & equipped. and I would like a good amount of combat, don't drown me in it, but give me enough to sink my teeth in to. now, I'm not saying make all opponents dull and weak, but give us some variety.

[SilJeff]

How about the return of the Veteran difficulty?

[chris2365]

Don't know if anyone has seen this article: http://business.fina...__lsa=b89b-739d

It takes a comparison with Assassin's Creed 4 and the ship you used (The Jackdaw). Having recently played this game (and really enjoying it), I'd be cool if we could integrate our next space vessel into the environment and gameplay. In the ME trilogy, the Normandy was your safe heaven, but you only ever saw it in cutscenes. At some points, it just felt like a space where everyone was located, and not your own actual ship. In AC4, you could pull up to any island and just swim to it, all with no cutscenes or loading. I'm not saying to turn the next ME game into a space combat simulator, but adding more exploration and seamless transitions seems to be the way to go.

[Seival]

I believe that Killzone: Shadow Fall demonstated what a next-gen game should be pretty well. I think NME should inherit some features from the game. Personally, I'm against open worlds or explorations of any kind. Massive dynamic backgrounds can make the world really vast and beautiful, even through you "can't go there" (most of the times), and actual gameplay occurs (mostly) in quite small environments.

Please, do not make open worlds, explorations, side quests, credits hidden in some trash cans, etc. Concentrate on the story and on the visual part of the game.

Many RPG elements could be sacrificed in order to make the story's execution much better. It doesn't need too many interactive dialogues or overcomplicated character development system. Interesting gameplay can be achieved without turning the game into EvE Online. And reduced quantity of interactive dialogues will allow to achieve much better quality of all remaining dialogues.

Modifié par Seival, 04 janvier 2014 - 04:06 .

[EliotNesss]

Invisible Man wrote...

as for combat becoming less frequent and harder... that doesn't sit well with me. I'd like something a little more realistic. for instance: I don't want every single encounter to fell like I'm up against military grade commando units. mercs & pirates (which I'm guessing will be the prevailing threats) shouldn't be quite that well organized, experienced & equipped. and I would like a good amount of combat, don't drown me in it, but give me enough to sink my teeth in to. now, I'm not saying make all opponents dull and weak, but give us some variety.

This is an excellent point IMO. I agree 100%. Don't degrade and weaken the combat. In fact, keep it pretty much at the level of ME3 & some of the DLCs. But make it more realistic in key places. For example: like the Yahg in "Lair of The Shadow Broker". Make some enemies unbeatable. Meaning you have to figure out how to use the environment, other skills or strategic escape/retreat to progress. That is much more realistic. As long as they don't include way too much difficulty and frequency of it. It should only be used to diversify & expand the interest level. Not to make it masochistic hard & virtually unplayable/unenjoyable. Let us fight in vehicles like Mako, Citadel Attack/defense shuttles. Flying attack vehicles deployed from "Normandy" type motherships.

Again; Excellent points. I hope they really take this to heart. Make the next trilogy even more interesting and expansive than the first. Even harder to follow on the plot side would be okay. But not harder from a combat situation. That would make it seem sort of fake IMO. 

Modifié par EliotNesss, 04 janvier 2014 - 06:18 .

[dreamgazer]

Seival wrote...

I believe that Killzone: Shadow Fall demonstated what a next-gen game should be pretty well. I think NME should inherit some features from the game. Personally, I'm against open worlds or explorations of any kind. Massive dynamic backgrounds can make the world really vast and beautiful, even through you "can't go there" (most of the times), and actual gameplay occurs (mostly) in quite small environments.

Please, do not make open worlds, explorations, side quests, credits hidden in some trash cans, etc. Concentrate on the story and on the visual part of the game.

Many RPG elements could be sacrificed in order to make the story's execution much better. It doesn't need too many interactive dialogues or overcomplicated character development system. Interesting gameplay can be achieved without turning the game into EvE Online. And reduced quantity of interactive dialogues will allow to achieve much better quality of all remaining dialogues.

Ew. Ew. Ew. EW!

[MassivelyEffective0730]

Seival wrote...

I believe that Killzone: Shadow Fall demonstated what a next-gen game should be pretty well. I think NME should inherit some features from the game. Personally, I'm against open worlds or explorations of any kind. Massive dynamic backgrounds can make the world really vast and beautiful, even through you "can't go there" (most of the times), and actual gameplay occurs (mostly) in quite small environments.

Please, do not make open worlds, explorations, side quests, credits hidden in some trash cans, etc. Concentrate on the story and on the visual part of the game.

Many RPG elements could be sacrificed in order to make the story's execution much better. It doesn't need too many interactive dialogues or overcomplicated character development system. Interesting gameplay can be achieved without turning the game into EvE Online. And reduced quantity of interactive dialogues will allow to achieve much better quality of all remaining dialogues.

Or you could just stop buying from BW.

I can't help but feel this is blatant trolling.