18 réponses à ce sujet

[Han Yolo]

One thing has been bothering me about the whole power system in mass effect for a long time now. That is the fact that tech powers like incinerate and tactical cloak are excluseive to certain classes even though there is absoutely no justification for that. Why wouldn't a biotic or soldier use them in combat? Is there any canon reason?
The technical expertise of the class can not be the reason since the technology is so advanced that manual input seems proposterous.

[katamuro]

Gameplay, classes, without them there would be only two basic characters biotic and non biotic.
Also while manual input might not be required technical expertise would still be needed, practice to do certain stuff. There is a reason why military doesnt train everyone to be the same, there is a limit to how many things one person can learn. and since in ME universe it seems brain-computer implants do not exist or at least are not used for increasing the natural abilities of a person then you cant have a good engineer with understanding of different systems and a straight up combat specialist.

[Derpy]

Because BW are a bunch of meanies that don't want you to be a tech master. Save that crap for the Salarains and Quarians and save that biotic crap for Asari. Real men don't use powers. They use headbutts.

[tanisha__unknown]

Balancing, I guess.

If you don't like that, just stick to the motive that magic (biotics) and technology (tech power) won't work well together, since magic causes too much interference or whatever.

[AlexMBrennan]

The technical expertise of the class can not be the reason since the technology is so advanced that manual input seems proposterous.

So, you are saying that every soldier can be trained with every weapons system under the sun and operate all of them effectively?

Simply put, a biotic class is a biotic because they chose to focus on using biotic powers in combat over tech powers, else they would be labelled engineer (or sentinel)

[Darkstar Aurora]

The Omni-tool is just that--a tool. It still requires skill to use, and dramatically greater skill in order to perform tasks and functions under duress and/or with increased alacrity and effectiveness (i.e. in the middle of a firefight).

The training from your background is determined by your class/kit, and your training in the field is the expertise gained with experience (represented with levels and talent points). A single person is only going to specialize in so many fields in their lifetime, having multiple professions or areas of expertise invariably incurs costs in time and resources that are unrealistic in an overpopulated society or a highly specialized military force.

[voteDC]

The only thing that puzzled me about Mass Effect 2 and 3 was why using a tech power with one of the mixed classes would stop me using one of their biotic abilities.

I can understand a global cool-down for tech and a global cool-down for biotics, but why does one affect the other?

[ItsFreakinJesus]

Gameplay balance and because not everyone is Batman.

[Darkstar Aurora]

voteDC wrote...

The only thing that puzzled me about Mass Effect 2 and 3 was why using a tech power with one of the mixed classes would stop me using one of their biotic abilities.

I can understand a global cool-down for tech and a global cool-down for biotics, but why does one affect the other?

Biotic talents require focus and mental concentration.  Tech talents likewise require focus and mental concentration.  It is not a matter of the power source, its a matter of the concentration involved and the limitations of a person's mind in performing complex tasks under duress.

And yes it would make hybrid specialization classes overpowered under the new system.  

[Shotokanguy]

I do wish that the ideas behind class powers was based almost entirely on logic and the lore of the universe.

I can understand that the tech classes are skilled enough with their omni-tools to throw out all kinds of attacks, but what exactly is incinerate or cryo blast? They look like actual munitions, something a soldier should be able to carry. On the other side, why is only a soldier capable of shooting a concussive blast? What is it actually firing from the gun? Or why can only the soldier press a button on his gun that activates a different kind of ammo?

I think sticking to the Codex would've helped them come up with more imaginative powers. The biotic classes are fine (although the powers become more and more fantastical as the series went on), the tech classes should use the omni-tool to launch attacks on combat hardsuits of enemies and buff their own, and soldiers should be able to tap into their implants to pull off superhuman feats. And maybe give them some kind of gun ability...

[Heimdall]

Because if they made classes based only on lore, there would only be two classes, biotic and non-biotic, but the biotic would have access to all non-biotic skills anyway.

[Han Yolo]

So there is no lore explaining this? Because let's be honest, the tactical cloak or incinerate will hardly be operated by anything more than the push of a button (else what would you have to concentrate on?). I mean I could maybe tolerate hacking (even though this should be on a level the human mind is incapable of understanding and therefore totally reliant on the tech you are using) or sentry guns but the others like overload and incinerate seem to me like apps for your omni tool.

Anyway thanks for the replies.
Maybe someone has come up with an explanation that would make sense in game, to ease my troubled mind?

[Maximillion46]

I suppose we should consider why you can do a thousand overloads and incinerates without needing to 'reload'? Or why you can use any grenade on the field and turn it into inferno grenades or arc grenades and the like?

Yes yes, field fabrication kits and stuff, but that's still technology you're carrying and you need energy for.

Perhaps it's like I figured classes work: you have suit/omnitool functions made into your armor and you can't put all of them in, either because they would weigh too much or they all take up space and you can't sacrific ballistic armor, mass effect field generators, etc. So people specialise with the best combinations of powers they have the technology and/or biotic potential for (I'm guessing biotic powers like Reave are harder to learn and they mix better with some tech powers; the hole in that theory is some mp characters being quite useless because they don't have certain fitting powers).

And it weighing something would actually cause your biotic cooldown to be affected (just like weapons), though why firing overload would make you unable to launch a warp as a Sentinel... Maybe suit energy is drained to use a tech power and it's taxing on the wearer, or you have to use your biotic abilities to supplement the suit's kinetic barriers?

[Beerfish]

Why do we need rogues to pick locks? It's irritating? Why can't my mage wield a sword?

[AlexMBrennan]

Why do we need rogues to pick locks? It's irritating? Why can't my mage wield a sword?

Then can if they multiclass, which brings us right back to my point: A mage is called a mage because he chose not to use swords; someone using both magic and spells would be called a spellsword or similar.

[Beerfish]

AlexMBrennan wrote...

Why do we need rogues to pick locks? It's irritating? Why can't my mage wield a sword?

Then can if they multiclass, which brings us right back to my point: A mage is called a mage because he chose not to use swords; someone using both magic and spells would be called a spellsword or similar.

It all goes back to the amount of time required to become profficient in any skill, thus limiting the overall number of skills you can become profficient in.

[Nitrocuban]

That's why.

[Remix-General Aetius]

I've created a powerhouse hybrid with edited Coalesced, I'm not complaining

[Maximillion46]

TheGarden2010 wrote...

I've created a powerhouse hybrid with edited Coalesced, I'm not complaining

It's a monstrosity, it's the vampire/werewolf love child, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!