I always thought the mass effect universe was just begging for more of an open style of game, all the right elements are there and the universe is just so rich. What I would propose is a game with an underlying main plot, but with the goal of the game to be to gather influence and money in order to advance the underlying plot at your discretion. You would start the game by choosing from 2 or 3 background stories that would determine your underlying plot. Then you would be cut loose to travel the galaxy, make money, accumulate property, ships and followers. Money could be made any way you want, and would be one way to gain "influence" with which to advance the plot.
Ways to get rich:
1. Mercenary contracts. Standard shooter missions picked up from NPCs, government figures or mercenary boards. Completing contracts would improve your mercenary reputation and influence, thereby opening up more access to more lucrative and difficult contracts. You could take followers on missions, but as you became more famous, you could hire mercenaries to do missions for you and take a cut of the profit. Eventually, you could form your own mercenary company and take more of a managerial role, hiring mercs and team leaders and assigning them to missions, allowing you to take on very big contracts and complete multiple missions at a time. Eventually, your company could be a rival to the Blue Suns, or Eclipse.
2. Shipping contracts. Buy or hire a ship, and fly some cargo. Prices of goods reflect the local economy and spontaneous news events. Like the mercenary contract, you could eventually start a company with multiple ships, guards, pilots, etc working under you. Success would open up more contracts, etc. Of course there might have to be some raids on warehouses, assassinations and whatnot to further your shipping empire. Eventually you could move into manufacturing, buying factories or farms to have constant generation of certain trade products that could be sold for a bigger profit margin. The renegades could dabble in the illicit drug trade or drug production, but would then have to deal with law enforcement. Missions there could involve blackmailing a key official on a planet to allow shipping of drugs to that market.
3. Exploration. Landing on uncharted planets and derelict ships looking for loot. As your reputation as an explorer builds, gain access to new star maps with new ships. Follow leads to find legendary lost treasures. Watch out for derelict reapers!
4. Eezo mining. Start as a freelancer, end as a mining magnate. Some mines might have to be reopened from hostile forces, etc.
5. Skills. Time could be spent building up skills in things like weapon and armor modification, allowing you to modify or create specialized weapons and armour, which could be used or sold for a profit.
Along the way you accumulate followers, do missions related to them, and buy property on various planets to use as a home base.
Ideas for a backstory to choose from:
1. Earthborn. You grew up on Earth in an affluent family, but were betrayed by a politician family friend, leaving your family dead and you destitute. Your goal is to gain money, power, and influence so that you can get revenge. As you progress throughout the game, your enemy will also accumulate influence, rising through Earth's bureacracy, constantly pushing the requirements for your final revenge higher. The final mission to take him down on Earth could coincide with the Reaper invasion, creating a interesting background for the final mission.
2. Spacer. Your brother and sister (or wife, or parents, or whatever) worked for the alliance. When your sister was taken by Batarian slavers, your brother went AWOL in search of her after the alliance refused to help, even though she was taken while working on a covert mission for the brass. Your brother goes missing as well but he does, however, send a cryptic set of coordinates months later for a location deep into the unknown space beyond the Terminus Systems. The goal of the game would be to gather information from key NPCs on how to reach the coordinates, and build a specialized ship capable of getting there. As you progress towards this goal, a conspiracy within the Alliance unfolds.
3. Colonist. You are from Eden Prime. During Saren's attack you and your childhood bestfriend came in contact with Sovereign. You felt an intrusion into your mind but resisted - your friend however failed too. She confides her strange dreams to you, before becoming distant. Eventually she vanishes off-world, and you are worried she has had some psychotic break as her personal belongings suggest she's gone off on some bizarre mission to kill the first human spectre, Shepard. You go after her hoping to get her help, and become increasingly worried after the attack on the Citadel and rumours of the reapers start to pop up.
Some ideas of traits to choose from at the start of the game.
Silver-tongue - prices are 5% better for all transactions
Swagger - your reputation counts as 15% better when it comes to unlocking contracts
Attractive - lower thresholds for correct choices in romantic dialogues
Built like a Krogan - extra hit points
Artisan - 15% better effects from weapons, armour, and biotic amps modified or produced.
None of this stuff is really original, but I do think the ME universe would be the absolute perfect setting for a game like this!
Retour en haut
