5257 réponses à ce sujet

[DesioPL]

Dear Casey Hudson...

 

I got only one wish to you to make with new ME...

 

Don't screw it like ME3 MP year ago, k? Reward for this quest...

 

Moar loyal fans...

[Paragon Gabriel]

Guess he isn't listening anymore so no need for this thread.

[Fufunette]

I don't think Casey Hudson was the only one reading the forum. If he asked, it was for Bioware, not for him. <.< So let's post more ideas, or wishes. ^^

[Danimals847]

I really think the best/only way forward to maintain series continuity is the sometimes-suggested "exodus" approach. I am quite closed-minded about intergalactic travel because of the huge distances, but interstellar travel within the Milky Way has plenty of canon-established explanation (a mass relay can transport starships instantaneously to another relay within the network, allowing for journeys that would otherwise take years or even centuries with only FTL drives [Source: http://masseffect.wi...wiki/Mass_Relay).

 

I suggested a while back that there is no reason the next game can't be a chronological sequel. A few things to realize: the Milky Way Galaxy is big. Like, really big. 100,000 light years across big. The codex describes known civilization as "a number of densely-developed clusters thinly spread across the vast expanse of space", and although "it appears this territory encompasses most of the galaxy. In reality... less than 1% of the stars have been explored." [Source:  http://masseffect.wi...Citadel_Space_2] Due to Council law banning the activation of dormant relays, we know that those exist as well. What this means is that regardless of which function of the Crucible was used, or if it was used at all, about 99% of the galaxy would probably be completely disconnected from the reaper cycle and not know anything even happened since it is out of range of the relay network.

 

This opens the door for at least 2 major possibilities:

1) The player character is an active part of the "exodus". Calling anything the "Ark" just reeks too much of cliché. MAYBE I could accept that one organization's efforts be called the Ark Project or something of that nature, but I think the premise where small groups of people from many different worlds flee in every direction possible, using everything from single ships to small caravans, is much more believable. This may or may not involve activating dormant relays and/or destroying them afterward. Naturally, the player could be faced with making these decisions, which could have outcomes similar to those which led to the council prohibition on activating dormant relays in the first place.

 

2) The story takes place after above-mentioned exodus. I think the ideal next game would start a few decades or century or so later with the premise that the remote small colonies formed by the refugees are nearly out of resources and the only option is to return to "known" space. Upon returning they would find that there were many others, perhaps milions, doing the same thing. The player would be on some kind of expeditionary force, and depending on the race/background of the MC you chose, that could mean mercenary, military, private, etc..

 

In either case, exactly what happens/happened with the reapers would be left intentionally vague. In the "during exodus" scenario, the player is gone by the end of ME3. In the post-exodus, the player returns well after those events. All we would know is that the reapers are gone. Maybe a straggler would pop up here and there having escaped the effect of the Crucible, but they would be about as much of a threat as Cerberus from ME1; deadly, but isolated and thin in the ranks. Bonus points if there are assorted pieces of evidence simultaneously purporting all of the 4 endings.

 

As to who or what the antagonist would be in this game? I don't really care as long as it's interesting.

[Danimals847]

Controversial as the decision to implement it was, I think ME3's multiplayer component is good. In its current state it is sufficiently fun that I've dropped 150 hours into it, and many others have spent several hundred or even thousands of hours. It could be expanded so that friends could control your squad mates in the single-player campaign and there could be co-op campaign missions similar to Dead Space 3. There could be objective-based missions, such as a survive point A to point B, which could feel a bit like Left 4 Dead. There could be "assault the base", where you have to get in and destroy/take over an enemy command center, where a stealthy infiltrators could go in undetected while a krogan battlemaster distracts the enemy by smashing through another entrance, and perhaps once you get to the command center, you might have options similar to the collector base at the end of ME2 (destroy it or use it), where destroying it would get you bonus credits while using it might give you gear upgrades. No matter what, however, one thing that ABSOLUTELY needs to happen for multiplayer is take down the boss missions, where you fight something like geth armatures/colossi (ME1), thresher maws (ME2), reaper harvesters (ME3), collector oculus (ME2), etc.!

[aTigerslunch]

Danimals847, the issue that I would garner from what you said is this. The Reapers or those that created the reapers are all one, they know where those are unless a relay got moved due to a supernova. They may not know which worlds is colonized without current databases but they know where the relays are.

 

I agree that Milky Way is only been opened up with 1%, it is likely that there are more to be filled in, but still the issue of Reapers knowing the Relay system. I don't care much for the Reapers being the enemy again though, but its not to say, the story ending could be affected by someone giving something to Shep to alter the events in some way cause it was an unknown. I'd rather stay away from Shep's story or person all together, even the crew. Fifth Fleet commander is alright to go with though, so is any others that were mentioned that could be effectively used.

[Danimals847]

Danimals847, the issue that I would garner from what you said is this. The Reapers or those that created the reapers are all one, they know where those are unless a relay got moved due to a supernova. They may not know which worlds is colonized without current databases but they know where the relays are.

 

Right, which is why the refugees would try to find systems as far from any relays as possible. Maybe go into cryo-sleep for a few months/years on their ships in FTL until a world suitable for colonization is found.

[StrawHatMoose]

I'd just like to have multiplayer like the previous one since I've heard you can only play as a human in SP. Don't bother with PVP if it means nerfing powers.
Since this isn't the reaper war afaik, and there's no need for promoting and all that jazz, let us create our own characters like in SP and play through it like a campaign.
A level editor would be quite cool as well.

[StrawHatMoose]

I have played all three games & DLC.
 
Elcor are slow, but just because we have only ever seen them walk (and we have only seen them in 'civilian areas' to boot) doesn't  mean that they are incapable of bursts of speed. We never see Shepard and Co. Eat, or go to the bathroom either, that doesn't mean that eating and pooping is nonexistent in the ME setting.
 
Besides, even if the Elcor are deemed incapable of moving faster then a standard walk, we still have a precedence of a slow lumbering ally in the form of the Geth Juggernaut in ME 3 MP; also add to the fact that the lore describes the Elcor in combat as capable of carrying the equivalent of tank cannons on their backs I can easily see an Elcor functioning as a mobile weapons platform, or a giant, high offensive character kit, to the Geth Juggernaut's giant, defensive character kit.
 
Also, let's not forget the other non-humanoid aliens like the Rachni, who are quite capable of taking out armored columns with nothing more then acid spit and claws; and then only a few weeks after establishing a colony. I can see a Rachni soldier being a melee "monster" in combat; plus there are even biotic capable Rachni (according to ME 1) so it's not like the Rachni only have to rely on tooth and claw to fight.

Please show me anywhere it says Elcor can have bursts of speed as you describe, other than you saying "it could happen". And how can you compare that to taking a dump or a ******? Of course we know it happens we just don't wanna be involved in it because it's boring and adds nothing unless you have a fetish or something. That's not the same thing. Just because I haven't seen a lion pick up a paintbrush and paint an exact copy of the Mona Lisa doesn't mean it will happen.
I never said anything about rachni anyways and they are one of my favourite races. They also are capable of using guns with their tentacles (or something like that, it says in the codex somewhere).
But I will say you have swayed me about the Elcor. Even if they are slower than an asthmatic snail, I guess they could still be somewhat fun.

[Farangbaa]

The Codex on the Elcor is very clear: they are incapable of moving fast. Because on their high gravity world one wrong step would equal death, so they are slow and deliberate.

 

Them being capable of bursts of speed is nothing but headcanon and wishful thinking.

[ShinsFortress]

Wasn't Casey the one mainly responsible for the ME3 ending?  If I had upset that many customers, I would have either lost my job or been "re-allocated"....

 

What would I suggest?  The bits Bioware get right, they don't need my help with.  It's the downsides (subjective examples below) they, especially the last few years, have been getting so wrong that I haven't bought anything Bioware at full price since the original DA:O and ME1 came out.

 

1) Improve QA/QC.  No more bugs like Silverite Mines, DA:O v1.3 (breaking a core mechanic like PP), not to mention DA2 and beyond.

2) stop taking things away that people like or feel comfortable with.  "No more holstering for you!" = bad.  I don't care why or how, make it work or don't have it in the first place.

3) As much as "infinite ammo" might have been a bit of a stretch in the first place, it was in in the first ME and arguably best game Bioware's made for some time.  Thermal clips?  The explanation given, even if some could see a logic to it, was so weakly delivered that credibility was bottom.

4) Make character development believable again.  E.g. Liara's 'evolution' to Shadow Broker was almost as poorly delivered as thermal clips.  Females in ME can be believable and strong, e.g. Miranda, Samara or Morinth.  Liara, having had so much air time, should have been better.

[ForgottenWarrior]

Reading this thread i actually start realizing why Casey leaved Bioware.

[Iakus]

I don't think Casey Hudson was the only one reading the forum. If he asked, it was for Bioware, not for him. <.< So let's post more ideas, or wishes. ^^

 

I don't think anyone really read this forum.  Not seriously, at least.

[InWeirdPeril]

Since I am pretty sure noone will read it, and I may come of as another nostalgic fan...

I leave my ideas here that mainly concern fanservice for those who still havent lost hope that the games will have some ties.

I have voiced them in other threads already, but still. Because of reasons.

 

All depends on Savegames from ME3 and I consider them "nods to past adventures" with a new main char. And yes, I know these are pure fantasy and no ones cares.

 

1.) New Main Character ist part of the Team that looks for survivors in the rubble of the aftermath. If Shepard lives, there is his/her tie in cameo. If shepard does not live, he finds characters from the team that went on the assault. No matter who they find, they will be brought back to the medevac. With shepard alive, love interest is there. If not, maybe a few family members of the rescued ones. I know I know.. illusion... but at least I voiced it.

 

1.1) A Shepard/LI/Crew Cameo in general would be lovely. Maybe as an DLC. I mean you have the perfect opportunity to give fans a slightly more cheerful closure combined with a fresh start. No harm in that right? Like I said, it would depend on the ending of ME3.

 

2.) if not that, at least some more aftermath in archive datapads on shepard and the squads. No vaque stuff would be preferred though. Bring some sweet into the downer!

 

3.) Make it a Sequel NOT too far into the future. keep it between 1 to 5 years.

 

4.) Maybe just jumping Galaxies could be avoided?

 

5.) Holstering Weapons would be great.

 

6.) Keep the Thermal Clips. I really liked the idea. Just flesh it out a bit please.

 

7.) Planet Exploration sounds like a good idea. As long as they are diverse enough.

 

8.) Don't ditch any of the races.

 

9.) Please don't tell a story about a char, that fled from the Crucible with the fleet but was catapulted to a different galaxy. And is now the only hope to help them get back. Or even worse, is their new leader because of other reasons. That is too much cliche and also done to death.

 

10.) IF you bring back old Squadmates, for the love of who ever is listening... make sure they are not a possible love interest, if you import saves and the char was a LI in the trilogy... and they are willing to go with it... that would be the ultimate insult.

 

11.) Finally, whatever you do. Do NOT let anything like the ME3 debacle happen again. Hearts where broken.

 

 

I said my piece. That's all I can do. Hope dies last, right?

[Terca]

Multiplayer Recommendation: Challenge-Based weapon progression.

 

Key Points:

• Keep the RNG
• Integrate challenges into RNG Pool
• Change weapon levels
• Different types of packs

 

My examples are going to pull from the ME3 weapons options...

 

(1): On MEN multiplayer entrance you have access to base Alliance weaponry. Single AR, SR, SMG, HP, SG. In order to unlock potential for new guns, you have to complete certain challenges pertaining to them. Different weapons have different requirements to unlock, with 'higher tier' (in terms of value in the universe) guns and gear and characters requiring progressively higher challenge completion stats to be put into the pool

 

I'll use an SMG unlock tree as an example...

 

Start with the shuriken. At 50 000 points (so roughly a silver game as soldier) of points with it you gain access to a weapon that has SMG points requirements, say the Tempest. The tempest would then become part of the weapons pool under a specific category, call them general weapons. It might be uncommon or common, meaning you'd have an x% chance of running into it. Those 50k Shuriken points would also go towards a burst-SMG like the Hornet. Say the Hornet has a requirement of 100k Shuriken points and then a certain number of Assault Troopers killed in general. Then, once the two requirements are met (100k Shuriken points, 100k Assault Trooper points) the Hornet would become available in the 'Outsider' weapon pool.

 

Other weapons, like the Locust, would be part of the general weapons pool, while the CSMG would become part of the outsider weapon pool, The GPSMG part of the Machinist Weapon Pool, the Hurrican part of the Earth weapon pool, so on and so forth. Becoming part of allied pools, like say the Commando group (Disciple, Venom, Scorpion, Acolyte) would require either rounds played as a species like the Asari or Turians, or waves completed on a firebase in Council space.

 

Guns with obvious alignments (CSMG, Harrier, PPR, BPP, Talon) would have waves or points received requirements, whereas general weapons (evis, Locust, Viper) would be won with simply gaining points from using weapons in their class. As the requirements are unlocked, they're put into their weapon pools based on their related challenges.

 

(2) Diversify packs, or remove the, altogether in lieu of challenge packs. If you are looking for a disciple, you put money into a commando pack, if you are looking for a GI, put money into a Machinist pack. It's not going to get you what you want all the time, since RNG will mean you are still likely to get something you don't want. In order to balance this, make the challenge packs include two or three 'alien' challenges, and the general weapon packs include all those weapons. So put Machinist and Outsider together, Commando and Earth together, Blood Pack and Retaliation together. Resurgance and Rebellion together. For Reckoning, see part 3.

 

(3) Create end-of-game bonus chars. By this, I mean reward completionists. Place the Reckoning characters, along with the TGI, Lancer, Typhoon and Justicar together into one large pack. It would include all the 'special operatives' characters, the Juggernaut, Warlord, Cabal, AIU, etc that have the incredible abilities without letting them be the scrub way out.

 

TGI and AIU should be the easy mode for people who have completed a large amount of challenges, Cabal and Justicar should become high-DPS characters and the hard mode for those same people who have proven their abilities with the Commando Challenges. The Warlord and a Batarian should become the reward for dominating the Blood Pack challenges. The Juggernaut and MQE should be for those who have completed the Machinist challenges, so on, so forth.

 

For keeping the RNG at the fore, I recommend keeping a fixed ratio of probability in each of the packs. By that I mean is that if you purchase a Reckoning pack, the breakdown would look like this...

 

For each gold slot, 60% chance of being Ammo IV or gear, 40% chance of being a weapon or character.

 

If B, 60% chance of being a weapon, 40% chance of being character.

 

If B, 100/#of challenge sets completed.

 

If commando (ex), 1in x chance of being character y.

 

Or something like that. This way the RNG remains, but it's a bit more manageable in how to try and figure out what's what. It makes completing challenges also a bit more of an active experience for some, as opposed to a passive one, and makes sure that the trolol easy classes (because they will exist) aren't going to just drop into a pugs lap (like the jugg) and suddenly make them think they're invincible.

 

Anywho, that's my half-baked idea.

[XCopperCrowX]

Honestly, I want to see our protagonist start on the opposite end of the spectrum.  As opposed to the previous installment which Shepard was granted the backing of the alliance military (or Cerberus), a bunch of 'next level' tech, and endless amounts of funding- I'd like to see a more rag-tag rogue beginning...

 

If reference is needed- think 'Firefly.'  The idea of starting out as a rogue, rather than a Commander in the Alliance military (in my opinion) gives the opportunity for a more customizable protagonist.  Everything from his/her past to the type of man/woman they'll become along the way.  What's more- it offers a less constricted combat system, in a sense.  Everything from weaponry to biotics can range from Alliance conformed to chaotic self teachings.

 

Also- I like the idea of dual-wielding pistols/SMGs.  With Mass Effect's combat system, it's far more possible to become more diverse in the way your character could dual-wield weapons and where they're shooting.  Coming into a room full of enemies, freezing the moment w/ your combat system and selecting targets or bullet trajectories in the system would definitely add that extra bit of flair.

[Abraham_uk]

A suggestion for this thread.

Since Casey Hudson has left Bioware, perhaps the thread can be renamed...

 

Fan Suggestions For New Mass Effect Game

 

 

 

Anyway. Loving the thread. Millions of great suggestions on a great thread.

[Danimals847]

Honestly, I want to see our protagonist start on the opposite end of the spectrum.  As opposed to the previous installment which Shepard was granted the backing of the alliance military (or Cerberus), a bunch of 'next level' tech, and endless amounts of funding- I'd like to see a more rag-tag rogue beginning...

 

If reference is needed- think 'Firefly.'  The idea of starting out as a rogue, rather than a Commander in the Alliance military (in my opinion) gives the opportunity for a more customizable protagonist.  Everything from his/her past to the type of man/woman they'll become along the way.  What's more- it offers a less constricted combat system, in a sense.  Everything from weaponry to biotics can range from Alliance conformed to chaotic self teachings.

 

I agree - see #2 in my post above. Also I just finished watching Firefly last week and watched Serenity the other night, so I dig the influence.

[Vazgen]

Honestly, I want to see our protagonist start on the opposite end of the spectrum.  As opposed to the previous installment which Shepard was granted the backing of the alliance military (or Cerberus), a bunch of 'next level' tech, and endless amounts of funding- I'd like to see a more rag-tag rogue beginning...

 

If reference is needed- think 'Firefly.'  The idea of starting out as a rogue, rather than a Commander in the Alliance military (in my opinion) gives the opportunity for a more customizable protagonist.  Everything from his/her past to the type of man/woman they'll become along the way.  What's more- it offers a less constricted combat system, in a sense.  Everything from weaponry to biotics can range from Alliance conformed to chaotic self teachings.

 

Also- I like the idea of dual-wielding pistols/SMGs.  With Mass Effect's combat system, it's far more possible to become more diverse in the way your character could dual-wield weapons and where they're shooting.  Coming into a room full of enemies, freezing the moment w/ your combat system and selecting targets or bullet trajectories in the system would definitely add that extra bit of flair.

 

Agreed completely. I made a post on a different thread, but this seems more appropriate place for it. Here it is:

 

Stealth gameplay inclusion. And I'm talking about both the traditional sneaking and camouflage, disguise in crowds mechanics. Mass Effect was always focused on combat, with the main character being a member of military. New character should not be a soldier IMO, in fact, I'd love for him to be a double agent or a criminal, like protafonists of Harry Harrison's Wasp and Eric Frank Russell's Stainless Steel Ratcorrespondingly. Such a character will allow to explore the parts of galactic society that were only briefly touched in previous games and have more variety in combat approaches.

 

More customization. Customize vehicles (both ship and new Mako) with mods and appearance. Having a personal ship you can tinker with would be just awesome! More armor options like cloaks, hoods, environmental protection... Have the bonuses be reflected in the armor design, like extra shields will have slots for bonus shield batteries. Armor mods to customize each set. I liked the weapons in ME3, there were a lot of them, each useful for its own purposes (except a few shitty ones like Katana and Shuriken). 

 

Environment utilization in combat. See Spec Ops the Line sand mechanics, for example. Add to that Frostbite Engine, destructible cover, different environments of other planets and it would be a great addition. 

[Danimals847]

Agreed completely. I made a post on a different thread, but this seems more appropriate place for it. Here it is:

 

Stealth gameplay inclusion. And I'm talking about both the traditional sneaking and camouflage, disguise in crowds mechanics. Mass Effect was always focused on combat, with the main character being a member of military. New character should not be a soldier IMO, in fact, I'd love for him to be a double agent or a criminal, like protafonists of Harry Harrison's Wasp and Eric Frank Russell's Stainless Steel Ratcorrespondingly. Such a character will allow to explore the parts of galactic society that were only briefly touched in previous games and have more variety in combat approaches.

 

More customization. Customize vehicles (both ship and new Mako) with mods and appearance. Having a personal ship you can tinker with would be just awesome! More armor options like cloaks, hoods, environmental protection... Have the bonuses be reflected in the armor design, like extra shields will have slots for bonus shield batteries. Armor mods to customize each set. I liked the weapons in ME3, there were a lot of them, each useful for its own purposes (except a few shitty ones like Katana and Shuriken). 

 

Environment utilization in combat. See Spec Ops the Line sand mechanics, for example. Add to that Frostbite Engine, destructible cover, different environments of other planets and it would be a great addition. 

 

I'm with you for most of this. I think the way to go would be to make your class and race have a heavier influence on combat than in the Shepard Trilogy. As a drell infiltrator it would behoove me to play stealthy and avoid direct confrontation. If I'm going as a krogan battlemaster, I'm going out of my way to headbutt everything into oblivion until my blood rage subsides and there is nothing in sight left moving. If you replace the word "criminal" with "vigilante", "mercenary", etc. I am on board.

 

As I have said before, choosing your race instead of just a pre-service history would give a lot more variety to the campaign. Maybe the human background options are alliance soldier or mercenary, the asari can be a commando or exiled Ardat-Yakshi, the krogan can be a mercenary or "upstanding" clan member, the salarian can be a special ops or a scientist, so on and so forth.

 

I think the weapon system needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. A lot of weapons are extraneous, and the increased difficulty of trying to keep things balanced has resulted in pretty much all uncommon/common level weapons and even some rares like the Argus or the Geth SMG becoming useless. The sheer number of weapons in ME3 leaves many of them completely outclassed by weapons that are functionally the same but better in every aspect.  Maybe next time they should limit the number of weapons and focus on having each one serve a functionally different purpose, or even make special conditions that would allow access to tiers of weapons, for example:

 

ARs typically fall into full-auto, semi-auto, burst-fire or "special" (Striker/Falcon) categories. So you would start with the basic Avenger and certain conditions would let you get the Mattock, Phaeston and Vindicator. Using the Mattock would eventually unlock the Sabre. Using the Vindicator would unlock the Argus, which would in turn unlock the Valkyrie. Using the Phaeston would unlock the Revenant and then the Harrier. Maybe by getting unlocking both the Revenant and Argus would unlock the Typhoon, etc. etc.. The "challenges" instead of being tied to a specific weapon would be tied to the weapon category. It would be nice if the weapon mods had more noticeable effects and significantly altered the functionality of the weapon. Also, ammo mods should not be powers or consumables but should return as a mod that is applied to the weapon like it was in ME1.

[Vazgen]

I'm with you for most of this. I think the way to go would be to make your class and race have a heavier influence on combat than in the Shepard Trilogy. As a drell infiltrator it would behoove me to play stealthy and avoid direct confrontation. If I'm going as a krogan battlemaster, I'm going out of my way to headbutt everything into oblivion until my blood rage subsides and there is nothing in sight left moving. If you replace the word "criminal" with "vigilante", "mercenary", etc. I am on board.

 

As I have said before, choosing your race instead of just a pre-service history would give a lot more variety to the campaign. Maybe the human background options are alliance soldier or mercenary, the asari can be a commando or exiled Ardat-Yakshi, the krogan can be a mercenary or "upstanding" clan member, the salarian can be a special ops or a scientist, so on and so forth.

 

I think the weapon system needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. A lot of weapons are extraneous, and the increased difficulty of trying to keep things balanced has resulted in pretty much all uncommon/common level weapons and even some rares like the Argus or the Geth SMG becoming useless. The sheer number of weapons in ME3 leaves many of them completely outclassed by weapons that are functionally the same but better in every aspect.  Maybe next time they should limit the number of weapons and focus on having each one serve a functionally different purpose, or even make special conditions that would allow access to tiers of weapons, for example:

 

ARs typically fall into full-auto, semi-auto, burst-fire or "special" (Striker/Falcon) categories. So you would start with the basic Avenger and certain conditions would let you get the Mattock, Phaeston and Vindicator. Using the Mattock would eventually unlock the Sabre. Using the Vindicator would unlock the Argus, which would in turn unlock the Valkyrie. Using the Phaeston would unlock the Revenant and then the Harrier. Maybe by getting unlocking both the Revenant and Argus would unlock the Typhoon, etc. etc.. The "challenges" instead of being tied to a specific weapon would be tied to the weapon category. It would be nice if the weapon mods had more noticeable effects and significantly altered the functionality of the weapon. Also, ammo mods should not be powers or consumables but should return as a mod that is applied to the weapon like it was in ME1.

 

Yeah, criminal is not a good word to describe it, I was thinking of more like Han Solo character

Choosing the race would be great, though I would not want to have the same voice actor for my krogan, quarian and human characters (which seems to be the case in Dragon Age: Inquisition). 

I'm against weapon unlocks via usage, it would lock weapons for late game and you'll end up using inferior gear for some time. For the same matter I'm against weapons being mission-locked like they are in ME2 and 3. I'd prefer to have them available in shops with different pricing, so you could get the weapon you want early in the game.

I found weapons to be quite balanced in ME3, currently running a build with Predator and Scimitar - works great!

Rapid fire weapons are wonderful with ammo powers and they have a lot of ammo.

Weapons with slow fire rate have better damage instead (and more weight). 

There are few weapons that are completely outclassed with high level weaponry, Shuriken and Katana are two that I can think of. Well, and maybe Viper, though upgraded and with weapon mods it becomes a fast firing version of Mantis

[breakdown71289]

More input is great for this thread, but the title needs to be changed.

[MaxMagnus]

From what I've heard, the plan is to set the game in a complete new part of the galaxy and introduce two new alien races. This would also cause a return to the theme of exploration. What follows is my idea for story and setting of the new Mass Effect game:

 

To make this work, my idea for the story would be to set the game about a century after ME3, and make the choice of the Destroy option canon (Although that really hurts with the geth being destroyed and all, but hey, that's ME3s ending for you ...). With the Protheans' construction of the Conduit (from ME1) as a basis, the Council races have figured out how to build new mass relays on their own. As the game starts, the first new relay is about to be built, and it's being placed to link up with a number of mass relays previously cut off from the main network.

 

It would then be awesome if the player could choose the origin of the main character, even though we know they're going to be human. For example, there could be a choice between Council Spectre, Alliance N7 Spec Ops marine or Cerberus Operative (or a similar new rogue faction, seeing what Cerberus became in ME3). In any case, the player would then be sent through the new relay along with the Council exploration flotilla.

 

In the new galacic region, which is based around a network of 5-10 relays (this keeps the number of planets relatively low, allowing us to care more about each one) we discover two new races, that have independently advanced to a spacefaring level of technology, learning from the Protheans in the same way as most others. A meeting with the Citadel representatives is called, and the Council takes first steps towards a diplomatic relationship. Enter our antagonist, a power hungry individual from one of the two new species seeking to take control of both empires. He uses this opportunity to assassinate much of the leadership from both sides, as well as the Citadel envoys. Our protagonist barely escapes the carnage, as the diplomatic ship is utterly destroyed.

 

This shows the power of the antagonist, and sets the stage for a civil war in the new space sector, which our protagonist will seek to resolve. Depending on their morality (P/R) and their origin (Spectre/Alliance/rogue faction) would influence how the conflict is finally ended. There would hopefully be a lot of opportunities to make important decisions that would affect future sequels.

 

The rest of the game will be a tale of exploring the new space sector and influencing political and military mechanics, as well as finding new crew members as the story progresses. 

 

Regardless of the setting, here are some general wishes for the new game:

 

1. More gameplay variety

It seems like they are already adressing this one with the reintroduction of the Mako, but more can be done. In ME3 almost all missions consisted of just Shepard+2 shooting their way through a level. Instead, consider introducing stealth mechanics in some levels. In other missions, we could be given allies to fight alongside, or sometimes even given control of air support from our awesome personal frigate. Some levels could have us operating alone, other missions could allow us to assign roles to more than just two crew members, similar to the ME2 suicide mission. Also consider implementing the next point . . .

 

2. Starship combat

Given ME3s relative lack of innovation in the single-player game, Bioware should be looking to give us new features in the next Mass Effect game. I would not presume to tell anyone exactly how this should be done, but it would not take much more than a simple system for describing your ship's combat effectiveness, the option to make some basic combat decisions, and you would be set for a feature that would guarantee new interest from all fans and add a new level of immersion to the game.

 

3. More combat variety

Throughout the Mass Effect series, most combat encounters have taken place in similarly restricted environments, where there is only one path available to get to the enemy. The few moments where this was not the case stood out as being more interesting in fun. An example is the fight against the Geth Colossus on Haestrom in ME2. We are given a powerful enemy to face, and the narrative points out three alternate paths we can take, each requiring a different playstyle. This is all that is required to make combat more challenging and interesting, as each different player character would be better suited to a different way of playing out that particular scene. Also, with planetary exploration in the Mako, there is a lot of potential for combat engagements where the player can fight on his/her own terms. All that's needed is to realize such potential.

 

4. A return to randomized loot

This is a common feature in RPGs and for good reason. Loot is a further motivator for players to explore and go on missions. This was present in Mass Effect 1 and contributed greatly to the game experience. The system in ME2 and ME3 worked, but isn't suited to RPGs. I think a system similar to ME1s would work very well in a new game focused on exploration.

 

5. Make characters plot integral

As awesome as the Mass Effect supporting characters are, it sometimes feels like they don't impact he story much, besides accompanying the protagonsit on combat missions. I want to stress the importance of giving each character a moment to shine, a part of the story where their skills and motivations are shown off in a way that directly impacts the main plot. A good example for this is Mordin Solus in Mass Effect 2, as he develops the Seeker Swarm countermeasure, which makes him integral to the plot. However, a lot of the other ME2 characters lacked such involvement in the story.

 

6. Let us play an active protagonist

In the Mass Effect trilogy, Shepard is constantly sent on missions by his superiors, and thus often feels like a very passive character. In a new game focused on exploration, I would like the player to be able to discover the plot by him/herself through exploration and talking to people. I'll provide an example: Say our enemy in the story has a secret orbital facility hidden above the moon of a planet near a distant solar system. We, as the protagonist, only know that the enemy has a lot of ship production capabilities, but nobody is going to call us and tell us where or how. Instead, we might stumble across the facility while we are exploring. Or we could pay a lot of money to an information broker to find out about it. Or maybe a dockworker we helped in a side quest tells us that his brother is working there. This type of active story empowers the player, and makes us feel like we shape the story ourselves.

 

Regardless of what Bioware will do with the game, I wish them good luck. I also want to say that I'm incredibly excited by the potential this game has to become really awesome, and I hope that this shines through in my post.

[Raecino]

Bioware, PLEASE PLEASE include some kind of face capture via the Kinect or PS4 camera so that we can use our own faces (or the faces of our friends, spouses, etc.) in the game.  That would truly make the character ours, as I had to rely on Faces of Mass Effect to come up with different looks (the face creator in ME1 was horribly difficult to use btw).  I was thinking of going through another playthrough with my first Fem Shep with my wife's face...  unfortunately it's pretty hard to do.

[XCopperCrowX]

Honestly, I want to see our protagonist start on the opposite end of the spectrum.  As opposed to the previous installment which Shepard was granted the backing of the alliance military (or Cerberus), a bunch of 'next level' tech, and endless amounts of funding- I'd like to see a more rag-tag rogue beginning...

 

If reference is needed- think 'Firefly.'  The idea of starting out as a rogue, rather than a Commander in the Alliance military (in my opinion) gives the opportunity for a more customizable protagonist.  Everything from his/her past to the type of man/woman they'll become along the way.  What's more- it offers a less constricted combat system, in a sense.  Everything from weaponry to biotics can range from Alliance conformed to chaotic self teachings.

 

Also- I like the idea of dual-wielding pistols/SMGs.  With Mass Effect's combat system, it's far more possible to become more diverse in the way your character could dual-wield weapons and where they're shooting.  Coming into a room full of enemies, freezing the moment w/ your combat system and selecting targets or bullet trajectories in the system would definitely add that extra bit of flair.

 

Along with this line of thinking, I'd like to see a more customizable ship- to be able to really make it 'our own/one of a kind.'

Just out of curiosity, let's say that the next game takes place from AFTER the Shep-trilogy- since the Mass Relays are destroyed, what about a sort of 'mass relay' tech being built into the ship(s)?