A reduction in plot variables will result in a simplified game with a narrower focus which people won't stop complaining about for years. Ironically, it'll be the same people who so hate the franchise that they've spent the last year kvetching about everything in the sun, saying they'll never buy another BW game again.
Will a reduction in plot variables improve the next ME game?
Débuté par
Big Bad
, juin 14 2013 02:57
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#52
Posté 17 juin 2013 - 12:25
AsheraII
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Plot variables are definitely a good thing. The thing is, they have to be implemented in a way that does NOT affect the overall continuity of the setting.
A very good example would be the Kaiden/Ashley decision. Whether you pick Kaiden or Ashley doesn't majorly affect the setting. It's a rather minor variable. But to the player it's an important variable. It's about his or her character and his or her squad! Still, the setting as a whole remains intact.
So making decisions matter to the player and his or her squad is a good thing, plot variables should put more emphasize here.
On the other hand, a decision that affects an entire species, especially species as important as the Krogan, the Quarians or the Geth, affects the entire setting. It means there can not be continuity after the game, because the game universe becomes too different.
There are some ways to get around that.
1) The writers could decide on a canon playthrough, though that would be a bad idea, since it'll certainly drive away about any fan who picked a different path.
2) The writers could "retcon" the decisions and continue the setting as if nothing happened, which again, would drive away masses of fans.
3) The writers could introduce a new variable, which has the sole purpose of braiding the segregation together. For the Mass Effect IP, I'd suggest some means of traveling between "alternative realities", a little bit like they did in the TV series Sliders. Instead of making your Mass Effect playthrough obsolete, it would make your Mass Effect playthrough the starting point, with a journey towards a singular stable universe as a destination. Your decisions would matter, but not on a universal level, but instead on squad-based and personal level. Kaiden or Ashley, or whatever other decisions shape your squad and character. No decisions between Quarians or Geth, no decisions between Genophage or Cure. The universe as a whole has to be maintainable for this setting to have a future. The composition of the painting should remain the same, the variety should come from the shades being used on the details.
A very good example would be the Kaiden/Ashley decision. Whether you pick Kaiden or Ashley doesn't majorly affect the setting. It's a rather minor variable. But to the player it's an important variable. It's about his or her character and his or her squad! Still, the setting as a whole remains intact.
So making decisions matter to the player and his or her squad is a good thing, plot variables should put more emphasize here.
On the other hand, a decision that affects an entire species, especially species as important as the Krogan, the Quarians or the Geth, affects the entire setting. It means there can not be continuity after the game, because the game universe becomes too different.
There are some ways to get around that.
1) The writers could decide on a canon playthrough, though that would be a bad idea, since it'll certainly drive away about any fan who picked a different path.
2) The writers could "retcon" the decisions and continue the setting as if nothing happened, which again, would drive away masses of fans.
3) The writers could introduce a new variable, which has the sole purpose of braiding the segregation together. For the Mass Effect IP, I'd suggest some means of traveling between "alternative realities", a little bit like they did in the TV series Sliders. Instead of making your Mass Effect playthrough obsolete, it would make your Mass Effect playthrough the starting point, with a journey towards a singular stable universe as a destination. Your decisions would matter, but not on a universal level, but instead on squad-based and personal level. Kaiden or Ashley, or whatever other decisions shape your squad and character. No decisions between Quarians or Geth, no decisions between Genophage or Cure. The universe as a whole has to be maintainable for this setting to have a future. The composition of the painting should remain the same, the variety should come from the shades being used on the details.
#53
Posté 17 juin 2013 - 04:21
remydat
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Two possible solutions. Just pick a canon ending. Just like if you didn't play ME1, the canon is Wrex dies then you could simply start the next game under the premise that Destroy was chosen since that is the most picked ending. Then we can watch as a new synthetic race is created and they surprise surprise decide that organics need to go because they try to kill them and also because they destroyed the previous synthetics at the end of ME3.
Another more sci fi option would be to assume there are 4 alt universes that represent the 4 choices (refuse, control, synthesis, destroy) and you start out in the universe that correspondes with your choice before based on choices in ME4 maybe getting to explore one other universe to stop.
It would increase replay value as people mix and match the outcomes but would probably require shorter playthroughs to be able to fit all the content unique to a particular choice. You could also incorporate the other big decisions. So for example, if you don't cure the genophage, the Krogans find a way to cure it themselves and in this new universe you have a mission to somehow try and stop them. Same thing happens if you saved the fake Rachni Queen.
Another more sci fi option would be to assume there are 4 alt universes that represent the 4 choices (refuse, control, synthesis, destroy) and you start out in the universe that correspondes with your choice before based on choices in ME4 maybe getting to explore one other universe to stop.
It would increase replay value as people mix and match the outcomes but would probably require shorter playthroughs to be able to fit all the content unique to a particular choice. You could also incorporate the other big decisions. So for example, if you don't cure the genophage, the Krogans find a way to cure it themselves and in this new universe you have a mission to somehow try and stop them. Same thing happens if you saved the fake Rachni Queen.
