129 réponses à ce sujet

[Stakrin]

Again this is all just person view.

Modifié par Stakrin, 18 octobre 2013 - 03:03 .

[Bardox9]

TheMyron wrote...

Bardox9 wrote...

Nooooo to the prequel! Forward! Never saw a prequel that didn't diminish the story.

I don't think the Krogan would go extinct without the cure... provided you spared Wrex in ME1. True you will have to kill Wrex in ME3, but his plans in ME2 are the best path forward for strengthening the Krogan without risking them becoming a threat to the galaxy. If Wreav is in charge the possible results will be... less than ideal, but I believe the Krogan will survive regardless. They are just too violent at the time of ME3 IMO. The whole reason their numbers have fallen to the level they were at the end of ME3 is because they are constantly trying to kill each other. Perhaps in ME4 they will have calmed down some and they can then be cured.

Anyways, no prequel! Noooo NO!

I know, I know, its true, but I would like to see the First Contact War, and I would especially like to see just how the Asari and the Salarians "Intervened" and put a stop to the war before it got out of hand.

I did some snooping, and all I could find was a pathetic comic book that focused entirely the beginning of TIM.

I'd like to see something about the First Contact War too. The Rachni Wars and Krogan Rebellions as well, but not as the next game. These are past ME:U events that should be observed and not participated in. Those are things best left to comic books or novels or movies [Mass Effect: Rise of the Horde???].

Sooooo... ME4... No Prequel... *rolls up newspaper* No prequel BW...No!  FORWARD!!!

[Vicious]

It would truly be gears of war with dialogue trees

[Dr. Megaverse]

Vicious wrote...

It would truly be gears of war with dialogue trees

Too...cheese um crepes (read MODs believe you aren't ready for profanity) good lol. 

[3DandBeyond]

wright1978 wrote...

A clean break from the player's universe set in one of the distant futures, after the time of Shep & all the characters from ME1-3 is personally the only way i can see as workable. Prequel or midquel seem non-starters to me.

Yes, because that's the only way they can totally ignore 3 of the 4 endings rendering the events of ME1-3 meaningless.  Except that means they will just also ignore anyone that felt refuse/reject was the canon ending.  As I see it they really can't win here no matter what.

A prequel or midquel ends with the reapers and RGB or refuse.  A parallel universe would be sooo contrived (but sort of fits with other contrived things), and would seem just wrong.

No matter how far in the future they go, they can't stave off the effects of refuse which would mean that all current known races would be gone.  By adding refuse to the mix but not making it fully satisfying or lead to an ending that leaves the races more or less intact, BW shot themselves in the foot.  They've already pissed off a huge segment of fans some of whom may still buy any next ME, but they're quickly becoming a company that routinely pisses off groups of fans.  Someone, some group will not be happy with how ME4 (or ME Next) begins.  That's the problem with trying not to create a canon ending or at least a canon scenario based upon how a series ends and then considering starting up the series again, even with new characters.

[MrFob]

Did they really say there will be no references? As far as I understood, Mr. Walters just said that they want to tell a story without Shepard and company. Doesn't mean no one will ever tlk about it in any way. Although that would be hilarious.
NPC1: "Yea so remember last year, when that huge thing happened, you know when She..."
NPC2: "Shhhshshsh, we don't talk about that anymore."

In general, as far as I am concerned, I am ok with whatever they choose to do. Personally, I think I ould have gone for a midquel but it looks like that's not going to happen.
So, if they want to make a prequel, why not, frnakly I don't get why everyone is so opposed to it. The Deus Ex prequel for example was almost as good as the original and that's quite the compliment.
In my view, I'd even be ok with them going with one ending, why not? It doesn't invalidate the others, it just tells one possible future, that's fine with me.
What does matter is that - wherever they go - they make a good story again and that they preserve the feel of the ME universe. That's why I would be more skeptical if they went e.g. into the far future. Because if they do that, they'd have to significantly change every aspect of the universe. If they do that, they might as well make a new IP. If they don't the universe appears very stagnant, which I wouldn't want (that is one of the major problems I have with the Star Wars universe, although there it kinda fits. It wouldn't fit to Mass Effect).

So long story short, I'd urge everyone to keep an open mind as to where they are taking us as long as the quality of the next game is right and the integrity and consistency of the universe is preserved (something I am not so sure of, given the track record).

[Trav-O]

ME has a rich cast of characters, but prequels are terrible to use them in for lack of suspense. You know who's going to live. BW is great at making new characters, I don't see why everyone has to be fighting the Reapers if they used present timeline. Make a story less grandiose and it might work. Prequels and future arcs are just distancing from the already loved setting.

[Iakus]

MrFob wrote...

Did they really say there will be no references? As far as I understood, Mr. Walters just said that they want to tell a story without Shepard and company. Doesn't mean no one will ever tlk about it in any way. Although that would be hilarious.
NPC1: "Yea so remember last year, when that huge thing happened, you know when She..."
NPC2: "Shhhshshsh, we don't talk about that anymore."

In general, as far as I am concerned, I am ok with whatever they choose to do. Personally, I think I ould have gone for a midquel but it looks like that's not going to happen.
So, if they want to make a prequel, why not, frnakly I don't get why everyone is so opposed to it. The Deus Ex prequel for example was almost as good as the original and that's quite the compliment.
In my view, I'd even be ok with them going with one ending, why not? It doesn't invalidate the others, it just tells one possible future, that's fine with me.
What does matter is that - wherever they go - they make a good story again and that they preserve the feel of the ME universe. That's why I would be more skeptical if they went e.g. into the far future. Because if they do that, they'd have to significantly change every aspect of the universe. If they do that, they might as well make a new IP. If they don't the universe appears very stagnant, which I wouldn't want (that is one of the major problems I have with the Star Wars universe, although there it kinda fits. It wouldn't fit to Mass Effect).

So long story short, I'd urge everyone to keep an open mind as to where they are taking us as long as the quality of the next game is right and the integrity and consistency of the universe is preserved (something I am not so sure of, given the track record).

Well the exact phrase used was:

"Well, I can't get into details, but the idea is that we have agreed to tell a story that doesn't relate necessarily to any of the Shepard events at all, whatsoever," 

http://gamerant.com/...-shepard-story/

Now I can't imagine how they could continue down any of the paths based on the endings without relating to the ending choice, which is a major Shepard-event.

And for myself, if they try, it's an instant no-buy.  I have zero interest in any galaxy that proceeds down any of those paths.  I'm not playing anything that builds off any of those choices.  That line above is my only thread of hope for the future of the Mass Effect series.

[SwobyJ]

I agree iakus.

But 'relate' can mean a lot of things. In the strictest way, then yeah, your worst fears are true

In a loose way, it would just mean that we're:
-not getting Shepard as protagonist, and may or may not see him in the game itself (depends if they're dealing with ME3 save files or not at all)
-the war and lead up to it, at least the stuff Shepard was involved with, don't get touched
-no squadmates/allies that were in ME1-ME3
Key words: "Shepard events"

That's still a hell of a lot of room. But yes, if they don't address the ME3 ending choice taken, or at least what it means in some real way, then I'm already pessimistic. I don't need to play as Shepard persay, give me a friggin bone here.

[AlanC9]

3DandBeyond wrote...
No matter how far in the future they go, they can't stave off the effects of refuse which would mean that all current known races would be gone.  By adding refuse to the mix but not making it fully satisfying or lead to an ending that leaves the races more or less intact, BW shot themselves in the foot.  

Good thing too. The worst possible continuation for ME  -- IMO, naturally -- would be grinding all the endings into indistinguishable mush, the way KotOR 2 handled KotOR 1's LS/DS endings. Since Refuse makes that impossible, I'm all for it.

Modifié par AlanC9, 23 octobre 2013 - 05:25 .

[SwobyJ]

AlanC9 wrote...

3DandBeyond wrote...
No matter how far in the future they go, they can't stave off the effects of refuse which would mean that all current known races would be gone.  By adding refuse to the mix but not making it fully satisfying or lead to an ending that leaves the races more or less intact, BW shot themselves in the foot.  

Good thing too. The worst possible continuation for ME  -- IMO, naturally -- would be grinding all the endings into indistinguishable mush, the way KotOR 2 handled KotOR 1's LS/DS endings. Since Refuse makes that impossible, I'm all for it.

I'm not so sure. They could make it 'soft not-'canon'', like Shepard-Dies in ME2 is.

No one seriously considers that outcome to have happened, due to existence of ME3 with Shepard in it.

Could be the same fate for Refuse...

[Xamufam]

the next game will not have anything to do with shepard, bioware has stated this
won't even be linked to the trilogy

Mass Effect 4 Unlikely to Relate to Shepard 'At All'
http://www.ign.com/a...-shepard-at-all
http://www.ign.com/v...late-to-shepard

[SwobyJ]

Troxa wrote...

the next game will not have anything to do with shepard, bioware has stated this
won't even be linked to the trilogy

Mass Effect 4 Unlikely to Relate to Shepard 'At All'
http://www.ign.com/a...-shepard-at-all
http://www.ign.com/v...late-to-shepard

You don't need to spam this. My reply is here http://social.biowar...476938#17477086

It may be that there's NOTHING from ME3 in the next game, at all, but we don't know this yet. We only know:
-No Shepard
-No Shepard events

Well duh. In fact, I'm almost glad for that.

[3DandBeyond]

iakus wrote...

MrFob wrote...

Did they really say there will be no references? As far as I understood, Mr. Walters just said that they want to tell a story without Shepard and company. Doesn't mean no one will ever tlk about it in any way. Although that would be hilarious.
NPC1: "Yea so remember last year, when that huge thing happened, you know when She..."
NPC2: "Shhhshshsh, we don't talk about that anymore."

In general, as far as I am concerned, I am ok with whatever they choose to do. Personally, I think I ould have gone for a midquel but it looks like that's not going to happen.
So, if they want to make a prequel, why not, frnakly I don't get why everyone is so opposed to it. The Deus Ex prequel for example was almost as good as the original and that's quite the compliment.
In my view, I'd even be ok with them going with one ending, why not? It doesn't invalidate the others, it just tells one possible future, that's fine with me.
What does matter is that - wherever they go - they make a good story again and that they preserve the feel of the ME universe. That's why I would be more skeptical if they went e.g. into the far future. Because if they do that, they'd have to significantly change every aspect of the universe. If they do that, they might as well make a new IP. If they don't the universe appears very stagnant, which I wouldn't want (that is one of the major problems I have with the Star Wars universe, although there it kinda fits. It wouldn't fit to Mass Effect).

So long story short, I'd urge everyone to keep an open mind as to where they are taking us as long as the quality of the next game is right and the integrity and consistency of the universe is preserved (something I am not so sure of, given the track record).

Well the exact phrase used was:

"Well, I can't get into details, but the idea is that we have agreed to tell a story that doesn't relate necessarily to any of the Shepard events at all, whatsoever," 

http://gamerant.com/...-shepard-story/

Now I can't imagine how they could continue down any of the paths based on the endings without relating to the ending choice, which is a major Shepard-event.

And for myself, if they try, it's an instant no-buy.  I have zero interest in any galaxy that proceeds down any of those paths.  I'm not playing anything that builds off any of those choices.  That line above is my only thread of hope for the future of the Mass Effect series.

Pretty much the same here. 

The only thing they can do at this point is a total reboot, ignore the events of ME1-3, start over, and act as if none of that happened--or maybe they'll start ME4, or whatever it's to be called with someone backing away from a war simulator.  The person will have been playing "Shepard and the Reaper Wars" on the simulator-a game that was not based on any real events, but was a complete fiction.  That person could then say something "humorous" related to this whole debacle, like, "no matter what I do, I keep getting the same endings. Who wrote this?"

It would be quite different to do a prequel for a game that didn't have the level of disgust the ending garnered as this one has.  Had they ended things with a gamut of possible sensible endings that featured something almost everyone could like and could achieve, things would be different.  If for instance, ME3 had ended with a non-choice, and previous decision and actions-based range of situations with a great set of epilogs to go along with the outcome of a war with the reapers, I'd be all in for a prequel, sidequel, midquel, parallel universe, and so on.  I've said it before-the ending of this game and the way it and BW just dumped a huge section of fans on the curb and ran a semi truck over us for good measure, makes anything prior to the ending as it now stands, pointless and not something I want to play.

All roads lead to an ending or set of endings that I totally dislike.  So, consider if they decide to explore the Prothean civilization-gee, just what I want, lots of egotistical, cutthroat, despots that rival the Leviathans for idiocy-but that's only part of it.  The rest of it is once again seeing the end of the Prothean empire-I've played this game before.  And at whose hands, er tentacles, er whatever--the reapers.  And we'd get to watch as the Protheans theorize all this stuff that they're mostly wrong about-I'd be screaming at the tv for them to wise up and be watching them attempt to build the crucible.  Ok, again-I've seen this all before.

Bottom line--horrid ending for the current games just means I don't want to see a prequel that funnels into what I already dislike.  If I liked it, it would be different.  The corollary would be for me Star Wars.  I liked the original 3 movies, and didn't feel they ended badly-I liked the ending even if it was sappy-that was the genre so it was fine.  I waited many years for the prequels and The Phantom Menace wasn't great but it was enough for me to want to see the next 2.  However, had the original trilogy ended with Luke getting 3 choices on how to end things and 3 out of 4 meant he died and one killed C3PO and R2D2 and left Luke laying in a pile of rubble, taking a breath based upon some glowy kid's promises, I'd have been done with Star Wars a long time ago.


As to what was said about what the game might contain, when it was first announced that the Montreal team would be working on the next ME, the team leader (can't recall his name) stated something similar to what's been said.  His idea was that it could take place with a whole new set of people, sort of like if WWII were happening-we've been focusing on one squad or group of people, but there are others out there with a story too.  Some will be from races we recognize, but the individuals will be different.  Take that for what you will.  I can't see how you could make a story that takes place at about the same time as the previous 3 and not at all reference Shepard or reapers, so they've got their work cut out for them.

Modifié par 3DandBeyond, 23 octobre 2013 - 06:40 .

[3DandBeyond]

AlanC9 wrote...

3DandBeyond wrote...
No matter how far in the future they go, they can't stave off the effects of refuse which would mean that all current known races would be gone.  By adding refuse to the mix but not making it fully satisfying or lead to an ending that leaves the races more or less intact, BW shot themselves in the foot.  

Good thing too. The worst possible continuation for ME  -- IMO, naturally -- would be grinding all the endings into indistinguishable mush, the way KotOR 2 handled KotOR 1's LS/DS endings. Since Refuse makes that impossible, I'm all for it.

I agree with you but there seems to be only a few ways they really could do any sort of sequel (meaning a game with events that take place at some point after current events).  Almost all of them lead to that mush.  If they did pick a choice as the flavor of the new galaxy, it will leave many people's canon out of the mix.  For some, refuse is just as much canon as synthesis, destroy, or control are for others.  And there's a great deal of possessiveness as far as the "correct" ending that some adhere to.

Some say it's ok as long as in the future Synthesis is a foregone conclusion, but the problem is many see this as idiotic to assume no matter what Synthesis will happen.  It's why I think they made a mistake in trying to make endings that had variety in the way they created them.  If the variety had more been related to reaper and/or galactic destruction there might have been an easier segue into a next ME.  It would have been a foregone conclusion that the preferred ending was a saved galaxy with dead reapers, so any next game could have been built off of that.  And those that thought it was more fun to have a totally destroyed galaxy would have that in ME3, but most likely would have understood that was not the ending Shepard and team were going for.

The fact that refuse is in the mix does mean it's not possible to just grind it into mush, but it means that they will have to find a way to just ignore what happened.  Refuse is the most obvious but the other choices have their problems as well.  It's just that without refuse, they're easier to just magic wand away.

[3DandBeyond]

SwobyJ wrote...

AlanC9 wrote...

3DandBeyond wrote...
No matter how far in the future they go, they can't stave off the effects of refuse which would mean that all current known races would be gone.  By adding refuse to the mix but not making it fully satisfying or lead to an ending that leaves the races more or less intact, BW shot themselves in the foot.  

Good thing too. The worst possible continuation for ME  -- IMO, naturally -- would be grinding all the endings into indistinguishable mush, the way KotOR 2 handled KotOR 1's LS/DS endings. Since Refuse makes that impossible, I'm all for it.

I'm not so sure. They could make it 'soft not-'canon'', like Shepard-Dies in ME2 is.

No one seriously considers that outcome to have happened, due to existence of ME3 with Shepard in it.

Could be the same fate for Refuse...

Not given the level of discontent over all of this.  Those that choose to refuse, often do so for some very significant reasons-they can't hand wave that all away.  First off, it addresses one of the biggest complaints for the original endings-that Shepard at the end is not Shepard.  It's often said by a whole lot of people that Shepard is the most like the Shepard that was, in refuse, and that that speech is one of the best.  People that choose it also do so believing that Shepard would just not make a choice based on the kid's baloney and that refuse is preferable.  It's actually the hardest "choice" to make given that it's known to be futile.  If BW just totally ignores it, as I said before they will have alienated another already unhappy group of players.  They are very adept at doing that and as a business need to stop doing that.

As I see it, ME3 ushered in the constant use of the term "ending haters".  It may be that the next game will usher in "beginning haters". 

[Iakus]

3DandBeyond wrote...

Pretty much the same here. 

The only thing they can do at this point is a total reboot, ignore the events of ME1-3, start over, and act as if none of that happened--or maybe they'll start ME4, or whatever it's to be called with someone backing away from a war simulator.  The person will have been playing "Shepard and the Reaper Wars" on the simulator-a game that was not based on any real events, but was a complete fiction.  That person could then say something "humorous" related to this whole debacle, like, "no matter what I do, I keep getting the same endings. Who wrote this?"

From a now-defunct thread:

Here's how I hope Shepard gets mentioned

Codex Entry:  Commander Shepard "The First Human Spectre" is a fictional character and the subject of several interactive films published by Tethras Enterprises. These films were wildly popular due at least in part to the player being able to customize Shepard, from gender to appearance.  Shepard could even have romances with several of the colorful cast of characters.  The viewer was able to experience the adventures using Shepard as an avatar, making choices for Shepard and customizing the story to suit individual tastes

Over its five year run, numerous adventures where made available for Shepard's fans to experience.  Though the central plot invovled foiling the "Reapers" a mythological race of sentient AIs the films credited for the extinction of the Protheans.  

Shepard's run ended with the so-called "Shepard Incident". The conclusion of the final film was considered so controversial that it caused an unprecedented uproar which even a rereleased ending could not quell.     

Currently Tethras Enterprises has no plans to bring back Shepard for other stories.  However, they are looking into the liscensing Blasto for a new series.

[fainmaca]

Bioware certainly are in a corner here with regards to continuing the franchise. It seems as though no single idea could ever please the existing fanbase.

If they go with a prequel, then (as has been pointed out) many players will express frustration over seeing the setting regressed back to an earlier date. Things learned by ME civilisation as a whole (e.g. smarter, more organised Krogan society, Geth/Quarian conflict resolution, Humanity welcomed by the Galaxy as a whole rather than shunned, etc.) are taken away from the setting. Now, in other settings, this can work because they have their roots in TV, movies and books. But when the root of the setting is a video game, particularly a choice-based one, the participants have an active role in achieving these goals, and feel a sense of ownership over the setting due to it taking time and effort on their part. Taking this progress away detracts from the enjoyment of many because we worked hard to establish the current state of affairs (or, rather, feel like we did. After all, Bioware did all the coding). We end up feeling like someone just trod on our sandcastle.

Also, any experience we have with the.... I guess 'negative flavours' of the setting (the prejudice so prevalent in the societies, inequality of living standards, the divide between synthetic and organic and the outright lawlessness many have to accept as a way of life) in a prequel will not be satisfying, because we know that we have to wait until later to deal with them. IMO, a lot of the setting is defined by these darker aspects and how we as Shepard reacted to them, influenced them and, ultimately, resolved them for better or for worse. We define Humanity's place in the Galaxy, in spite of the opposition we face from other factions (Cerberus/ Terra Firma wanting to dominate other races, other races fearing our rise to power, etc. In fact, I think its only the Krogan, Geth, Quarians and Rachni who are completely ambivalent towards our position in the Galaxy. Odd how they're the people we end up helping more than the Citadel races, isn't it? Hell, even that Volus in the Presidium in ME1 (Din Korlack?) resented us for progressing so quickly in comparison to his race!). So regressing back to a point where Humans are once again feared/resented by the Galaxy will always have that taste of futility, because we know that it's Shepard who resolves it across his story. anything we do as someone else won't really mean jack-squat because the situation and attitudes have to be entirely present in time for ME1 to begin. Same goes for any of the many other ideals that we triumph (one way or the other) as Shepard. Organo-synthetic conflict, the rampant lawlessness of everything beyond the Citadel Tower's front door and the upper class' deliberate ignorance of the fact, the ugly nature of our own species that Cerberus often embodies, these are all things Shepard resolves himself. That doesn't leave that much within this setting for other characters to achieve beforehand other than shooting people who look different to ourselves. Anything they try to do is fated by canon to not have a significant impact.

Maybe its largely because these themes get resolved in such an unsatisfying way that we rail against a prequel in a setting so defined by them. Maybe that just adds to the sense of futility such an experience would engender.

P.s. Iakus, I love that quote you have in your sig!

[KaiserShep]

fainmaca wrote...

Maybe its largely because these themes get resolved in such an unsatisfying way that we rail against a prequel in a setting so defined by them. Maybe that just adds to the sense of futility such an experience would engender.

I think that's likely part of the problem. If the Mass Effect trilogy was capped off with LOTR levels of satisfaction, I doubt people would care as much about whether or not the next game is a prequel or midquel or whatever. Many would likely just happily add it to the canon, even if the ending is fixed because of how it leads into the rest of the games. 

[KR96]

iakus wrote...




Here's how I hope Shepard gets mentioned

Codex Entry:  Commander Shepard "The First Human Spectre" is a fictional character and the subject of several interactive films published by Tethras Enterprises. These films were wildly popular due at least in part to the player being able to customize Shepard, from gender to appearance.  Shepard could even have romances with several of the colorful cast of characters.  The viewer was able to experience the adventures using Shepard as an avatar, making choices for Shepard and customizing the story to suit individual tastes

Over its five year run, numerous adventures where made available for Shepard's fans to experience.  Though the central plot invovled foiling the "Reapers" a mythological race of sentient AIs the films credited for the extinction of the Protheans.  

Shepard's run ended with the so-called "Shepard Incident". The conclusion of the final film was considered so controversial that it caused an unprecedented uproar which even a rereleased ending could not quell.     

Currently Tethras Enterprises has no plans to bring back Shepard for other stories.  However, they are looking into the liscensing Blasto for a new series.

Again, God no. I mean, I can understand that some players would just want that to happen. But if that really were the case then I would not be able to take any Bioware game seriously, ever again. Don't like the way the trilogy ended? Well, let's pretend it never happened and you were actually playing a fat kid in another universe playing a game that just happened to have a story and character you fell in love with over the years. 

Modifié par killerrabbit1996, 23 octobre 2013 - 08:38 .

[3DandBeyond]

iakus wrote...

3DandBeyond wrote...

Pretty much the same here. 

The only thing they can do at this point is a total reboot, ignore the events of ME1-3, start over, and act as if none of that happened--or maybe they'll start ME4, or whatever it's to be called with someone backing away from a war simulator.  The person will have been playing "Shepard and the Reaper Wars" on the simulator-a game that was not based on any real events, but was a complete fiction.  That person could then say something "humorous" related to this whole debacle, like, "no matter what I do, I keep getting the same endings. Who wrote this?"

From a now-defunct thread:

Here's how I hope Shepard gets mentioned

Codex Entry:  Commander Shepard "The First Human Spectre" is a fictional character and the subject of several interactive films published by Tethras Enterprises. These films were wildly popular due at least in part to the player being able to customize Shepard, from gender to appearance.  Shepard could even have romances with several of the colorful cast of characters.  The viewer was able to experience the adventures using Shepard as an avatar, making choices for Shepard and customizing the story to suit individual tastes

Over its five year run, numerous adventures where made available for Shepard's fans to experience.  Though the central plot invovled foiling the "Reapers" a mythological race of sentient AIs the films credited for the extinction of the Protheans.  

Shepard's run ended with the so-called "Shepard Incident". The conclusion of the final film was considered so controversial that it caused an unprecedented uproar which even a rereleased ending could not quell.     

Currently Tethras Enterprises has no plans to bring back Shepard for other stories.  However, they are looking into the liscensing Blasto for a new series.

Ha ha ha!  Thanks for that.  I did not see that post before but it's so in line with what I was thinking, but I came late to that thought. 

This is exactly how I think they should deal with all of it as long as they also have learned something from all of this.  I'd say do reference Shepard and the whole debacle, be self-effacing and somewhat humorously contrite, and never ever forget the story you've been telling and always remember that people do form an emotional bond with your characters if written well (they were) and especially the hero that the player plays the game as.  This idea of Shepard's story being totally fictional as a segue into the true stories of Mass Effect truly could work well.  Perfect.

[Iakus]

killerrabbit1996 wrote...

iakus wrote...

Here's how I hope Shepard gets mentioned

Codex Entry:  Commander Shepard "The First Human Spectre" is a fictional character and the subject of several interactive films published by Tethras Enterprises. These films were wildly popular due at least in part to the player being able to customize Shepard, from gender to appearance.  Shepard could even have romances with several of the colorful cast of characters.  The viewer was able to experience the adventures using Shepard as an avatar, making choices for Shepard and customizing the story to suit individual tastes

Over its five year run, numerous adventures where made available for Shepard's fans to experience.  Though the central plot invovled foiling the "Reapers" a mythological race of sentient AIs the films credited for the extinction of the Protheans.  

Shepard's run ended with the so-called "Shepard Incident". The conclusion of the final film was considered so controversial that it caused an unprecedented uproar which even a rereleased ending could not quell.     

Currently Tethras Enterprises has no plans to bring back Shepard for other stories.  However, they are looking into the liscensing Blasto for a new series.

Again, God no. I mean, I can understand that some players would just want that to happen. But if that really were the case then I would not be able to take any Bioware game seriously, ever again. Don't like the way the trilogy ended? Well, let's pretend it never happened and you were actually playing a fat kid in another universe playing a game that just happened to have a story and character you fell in love with over the years. 

Eh, I'm already not going to be able to take Bioware games seriously.  Not Mass Effect games, at any rate, with it's dartboard continuity and "Taking away choice is totally okay in a choice-based rpg"  makes my problem with allergen-mask helmets in ME2 look minor in comparison. 

And it's still a better fate for Shepard than we got with the endings.

[3DandBeyond]

killerrabbit1996 wrote...

Again, God no. I mean, I can understand that some players would just want that to happen. But if that really were the case then I would not be able to take any Bioware game seriously, ever again. Don't like the way the trilogy ended? Well, let's pretend it never happened and you were actually playing a fat kid in another universe playing a game that just happened to have a story and character you fell in love with over the years. 

I mean no disrespect for your opinion.

But how bad would that idea be as opposed to the pile of excrement we will have to take seriously when most of it is ignored in some new same name, same places franchise with all new characters? 

It seems the alternative is no matter if you did or didn't like the ending of the trilogy, either they create a prequel that inevitably ends in RGB and sometimes refuse or some sort of midquel that incredulously takes place in the same galaxy where galaxy killers are running amok but are not involved in actually fighting or running from those galaxy killers or some sort of sequel that ignores most or all of what happens at the end of ME3.  Let's see. BW already sort of jumped the shark as far as "no ending like Lost", so why not then go all the way-it all was a hallucination of dead people who thought they were still alive.

I can't take BW seriously right now and I couldn't all while playing ME3 whereas others say it was so much darker than the other games so it had to end in this nihilistic way.  No, it wasn't.  It was actually a lot funnier than the other two and a lot was tongue in cheek about it-I can't consider a game grim dark that has Liara's father in it or Blasto or that has Shepard saying "there's a reaper in my way, Wrex".  And one that has such trumped up things as Leviathan and the EC evac scene to explain things they never thought needed explaining but that didn't make sense (and that make less sense even after that new content).  I also can't take any game or company seriously when epilog content (the Citadel) is released as DLC that takes place chronologically before the end of the game and yet is so obviously meant as a reunion that a lot of people wanted. 

BW was best at ME when they truly didn't take things so seriously and understood this to be more like the sort of thing that was mostly humor interrupted by shooting and reapers.  No way I can put together that hamster AND the kid, and say yes it was a serious attempt at some sort of avant garde intellectual passion play of humanity and the meaning of life on a galactic scale.  I'd rather it was a fat kid playing a video game (but I was going more for some military training exercises) because at least that would mean I wasn't playing as some hero that BW thought at best deserved to end up killing his/her friends and left under a pile of rubble like some garbage.

[3DandBeyond]

KaiserShep wrote...

fainmaca wrote...

Maybe its largely because these themes get resolved in such an unsatisfying way that we rail against a prequel in a setting so defined by them. Maybe that just adds to the sense of futility such an experience would engender.

I think that's likely part of the problem. If the Mass Effect trilogy was capped off with LOTR levels of satisfaction, I doubt people would care as much about whether or not the next game is a prequel or midquel or whatever. Many would likely just happily add it to the canon, even if the ending is fixed because of how it leads into the rest of the games. 

It's one of the core reasons why a prequel would be so wrong, IMO.  If ME had ended well (based upon a wide segment of wishes with even minimal content that fit a broader range than suicide, suicide, large scale suicide, and genocide with Torso Rubble Shepard), then I think most everyone would welcome a prequel and it would be a huge hit.  But, not only do we have what I consider to be horrid endings, we also have the other high hurdle-we know what all of this leads to for those we'd interact with.  That would only work well if the current game trilogy had ended well.  You referenced LOTR, and I referenced Star Wars.  The first trilogy ended well so people were excited for prequel content and though Phantom Menace was widely criticized, it still did well and set the basis for 2 more films.

Prequels are hard enough to have be accepted-even if the thing they precede is really good, they have to funnel into known things.  As it is any prequel for this would funnel into known things that a lot of people are still really unhappy with.

[sH0tgUn jUliA]

They'll get around "refuse" by stating there was "no achievement" for the refuse ending and it was a critical mission failure, hence, it is being ignored. They could do a TES with it. 400 years out in the future. That's about how long it would take to recover anyway. The reaper war would be "ancient history" to most people except the asari and krogan.

Now they canon the geth and quarian peace and the geth survive. The virtual aliens survived. Wrex is still ruling the Krogan and very old. Liara is say the Asari Councilor and about 509 years old. New character, and you're ready to go. What ending did Shepard pick? It doesn't matter. The reapers are nowhere to be found. Leviathans are nowhere to be found. There's a statue of the default Shepard on the Presidium with a plaque of the names of Shepard's crew. And the Quarians don't need their suits anymore.

So there is your little if any reference to the previous story, but there is a reference to it.

PS: if Shepard died in the end it wouldn't matter anyway because at 400 years out Shepard would be dead anyway. So control, synthesis, a reimagined destroy, whatever.

Modifié par sH0tgUn jUliA, 23 octobre 2013 - 09:33 .