First, what we know at the moment is that shortly after mass effect 3's, the studio behind it stated that they wanted the next one to be set far enough away (continuity wise) that the impact of the three endings would be minimal, given that one of the variations of those endings results in the destruction of earth, I can definitely understand that. So with that in mind I suggest that the story behind ME4 would be a stranger in a strange land tale. Mostly because it allows it to be set in the same continuity, without having to delve too deeply into the after effects of mass effect 3 for too long.
Second, the pitch:
Given the major ramifications (aside from the destruction of earth) of the three endings there could be potentially a wild difference between the beginnings of the game, so setting it in a future that is far enough away would be key.
The game is set 100-200 years after the events of the third mass effect. By this time the galaxy has mostly united. Depending on the ending you chose in 3, those who chose the convert ending would get a beginning devoid of very many aliens except for those directly on your crew (particularly the ones on your away team)) due to the fact that humans would be the dominant species in the galaxy due to their technological superiority. Those who chose the destroy ending would feature a much more unified galaxy that was, however devoid of artifical AI creations such as the geth and the Quarians would only be just now able to live life outside their suits (if at all, they could chose to forego this, or if the quarians were destroyed as well as the geth then they dont appear). Finally those who chose synthesis would have the most united galaxy, where all races are working together due to the fact that they can all see each other's point of view, even the batarians are coming back (simmilar to how the geth worked) and would have evolved to every so often you can see a green flash in their eyes (denoting what was physically done to them at the end of the synthesis ending). All three choices would eventually result in basically the same scenario, but with subtle changes, all three the galaxy ends up united, but one is by force (destroy), and two are by cooperation (convert, synthesis).
The game begins with a voice over, talking about your character and the origin you created, simmilar to how mass effect 1 began, except this time you're not a soldier, not strictly speaking anyway, this time you work for the UGA (made up placeholder acronym, here standing for United Galactic Alliance) and you are an explorer and a scientist who may have combat experience (if you're thinking star trek, youre thinking along the right lines) let's call you Smith (the new Sheperd). The project they are talking about is Project Shuttle (made up placeholder name) wherein they are working on interstellar travel between galaxies using reaper technology, something that was heretofore impossible. You are about to go on your maiden voyage in a ship that was designed to withstand the device which would allow such travel (any other ship would be ripped to shreds). You begin by taking an elevator/tram through the compound as you (not your character) listen to the voiceover, as the voiceover concludes they make a reference to whichever version of the universe and who worked on it and how hard it was to get the cooperation of the other species, before mentionioning the name of the ship just as the tram your in stops going through a tunnel and enters an enormous chamber where the ship is, and you get a good long look as the tram continues strafing the ship (if youre thinking half life youre getting the right idea for how this scene will appear).
As the voiceover concludes your character stares at the ship in awe, and someone standing behind you, chief engineer on the project, Call him/her Engineer David, speaks up. He (I'm calling him a he because its easier than typing He/she every time) says something along the lines of "she's a real beauty aint she" and talks about how he designed her along with the "Super Relay" using remnants of reaper tech (replace "remnants" if it was either of the endings wherein the reapers were not destroyed) and that this ship was specifically designed to be able to not only take the trip, but to build another, one-time-use "super relay" on the other side so they could return.
As this bit of exposition ends your tram comes into station at a large security facility, wherein you check in, get scanned, and move on to the briefing room wherein you are congratulated and thanked for your help on the project. On your way out of the room and before entering the ship you pass by a plaque, if you chose to read it your companion (Engineer David) speaks up and tells you why its there, there are possibly 1 or 2 names on there, the first is the name of your Sheperd, the second (if you chose to romance anyone) is the name of whomever you chose to romance, who apparently spearheaded this project as a means of continuing your Shep's legacy after your death, but died as a result of an "accident" resulting from the initial form of the "super relay".
After this you continue down to an airlock, wherein you are scanned again and a tram brings you to the ship itself, upon entering the ship a cutscene starts. Detailing the events of the launch of the ship, (where it appears that the installation was in space the entire time, just on the other side of the moon), followed by pre launch checks for the first use of the "super relay". Everything is within normal limits and the countdown begins. Upon launch the screen lurches forward (think the first time you ever saw someone go into hyperspace, like that, thats how it will appear) and then goes dark. Several things flash before your eyes, including personal memories (influenced by your origin choices), the ship being on fire and crashed on a planet, followed by the ship not on fire but destroyed and devoid of gravity (one where space has taken the ship) the corpses of your crew float around the cabin as the final flash comes a vision of an older Sheperd (or maybe not, I just think that would be cool).
After the final flash the results would be one of two things, not based on player choice, but if you remember (I think) Casey Hudson said it would be cool to do a prequel, so if they decide to go that route then the trip will be unsuccessful, in a sense, they will crash land on an earth like planet and find out that this is Earth, that they did not travel to another universe and in fact they traveled a couple billion years in the past (to the time where the Protheans were invading planets). Personally as much as I'd like to see more of the Protheans, the fact that this will still be shrouded in the war with the reapers kind of bores me, even with all of the time travel implications, so I really hope they don't do this. I am however, much more excited by my second option.
If the new studio decides to go this route, then the first leg of the trip will be successful, they will have traveled to another galaxy, but there was a problem, the ship came out of warp inside the atmosphere of a planet, causing an explosion and causing the ship to go down. You watch as the ship gets closer and closer to the ground and attempt to get systems back online, talking to several crew members in the process before issuing an altert to the entire crew via a shipboard message, telling them to "Brace for Impact". You crash, the ship is largely intact, but you find out later, upon returning to the ship, (after the crash you actually wake up outside the ship in a grassy field that you mistake for one back on earth, only to hear explosions and screaming, you get up and find yourself in the middle of a battle, more on that later) that the power was knocked out, and that the one time use "super relay" was damaged, making it unusable until repairs are made.
You wake up on your back, in a field of tall grass, staring up at a blue sky awfully reminiscent of Earth, before you become aware of two things: One, there are explosions and screaming in the distance, reminding you that your ship crashed and your crew is in danger, and two, that you are being carried on a makeshift stretcher by humanoids you've never seen before (or if they decide to go the time travel route, Protheans) and that your hands are bound using holographic shackles. at this point you are able to interrupt (like a conversation) or let the moment pass, after which you are freed by an explosion which kills two of the creatures and sends you flying. If you chose to interrupt (renegade) you grab your gun (conveniently well hidden it folds out from something that looks nothing like a gun, which is why it was not taken) and shoot one of them, causeing these green and buglike humanoids to drop you and go for their own guns, they try to kill you, you kill them first. The fight triggers more of these bug-like creatures to come after you, you find yourself outside of a burning village and decide to take refuge in the ruins until you can figure out what is going on. You head in, are attacked by more bug like creatures using staff weapons and riding on horse-like creatures that are also bugs (different species) and you manage to find one of your crew mates (particularly one of your away team) chained up, A Krogan who goes by the name Ugly (side note, I named my krogan ugly in the multiplayer, it has nothing to do with my feelings towards the krogan, I just like the character's name). You kill the bugs guarding him and he frees himself (it can be noted that even if you did not cure the genophage, this is still within the time period that krogan will still exist, they'd just be rarer).
Together you fight to a church-like building wherein you find a priest who clicks at you (you cannot understand what he is saying) and in the middle of the building you find an artifact that is like the one found on eden prime, except this one is broader, and is basically meant to empart a basic intelligence of the way things are in this galaxy to any race (used as teaching tool, so children don't have to spend years in school, they just know how to plow fields or soldier, as long as they ask the right question, here your question is what the hell is going on and what the hell is this, so it imparts a basic knowlege of many of the languages and the history of this planet, most of which comes to you over time, at the moment the only thing you get is the languages bit). You approach the artifact and it lifts you up into the air (like the eden prime artifact and imparts the knowlege to you). Afterwards you understand (and speak to) the priest, who tells you "get out of here, outsider, leave this place "deathbringer".
You escape with the Krogan who upon touching you becomes "infected" with the same knowlege you recieved (same thing happens when you meet the rest of your crew as well) and you return to your ship, which you find (as mentioned previously) mostly undamaged, as after the power returned (it was fixed by engineer David) the shield is on, preventing access to unauthorized personel, you pass through it ineffectually (you are authorized) where you meet David, again, who tells you the short version of what happened to the ship and why it crashed via a cutscene.
Okay, so that's the pitch, and the opening level. The game itself features the same spacetravel gameplay as before (this galaxy has created its own version of the relays), the story revolves mostly about chosing sides in an intersteller war between the two factions (the story can remain constant as far as who you do missions for and stuff (think dragon age 2, as much as I am loathe to reference it, how you work for both the templars and the mages, except here the choices actualy effect things and are more about informing you about the two sides) or it can work like the war in skyrim, where the war exists, and you exist in the middle, you can chose a side or forego the war missions entirely (like recruitment/loyalty missions in ME2) resulting in the same ending but with different results. The story would also focus on your crew, reassembling your crew who were captured after the crash and sold/freed/etc. and dispersed throughout the galaxy, protecting your crew, and getting the "super relay" fixed so you can get your crew home. Working for either side will have its benefits, there are twists to be had, and this is definitely in the same style of storytelling that bioware does great.
This is my best guess as to the best scenario we're going to see with the new game, it is of course entirely possible that the"prequel' option i mentioned before might happen as something that occured slightly before or during the events of the original trilogy, I REALLY hope that doesnt happen.
Modifié par Morogrem, 20 mai 2013 - 04:35 .
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