I heard rumor of a tweet that Bioware had soliciting for feedback and ideas for the newest version of Mass Effect 4.
I loved Mass Effect. The next one went downhill considerably, and felt like it had been 'dumbed down' to a common norm. The third one went right over that edge and dove into firefights - losing the story and content in massive ways.
Here's a few ideas to 'capture the magic' and appeal to a broader fan base without having to water down your content to a common norm:
- Allow for simultaneous 'storyline' playing modes - that is - there's always a bit of intrigue and subterfuge with this series - so introduce espionage and/or non combat mechanisms as an alternate way to develop and advance your character. You make one choice and choose one path - this reinforces that path and that storyline which can always swerve around to the same outcome. The replayability of the game comes if you want to engage in the storyline and see that content or play it like you would a shooter.
- EXPAND the city areas more. It doesnt take too much work to add in some AI interactions that make a city seem alive. And while you have done a great job so far in making some of these stories seem alive, this also is self limiting - as it also seems like these 'areas' are 'containers' - and I constantly get the feeling of 'whats beyond these doorways that wont open.
- Allow for the users to NOT have to go into combat. How do you do that? heck if I know, but I'm jonesin - chompin at the bit - to see what peoplw with wonderful imaginations such as yours depict futuristic civilizations to be - how they may actually function - outside of war and violence. WHAT makes an engaging game futuristic single player game when it doesn't have combat? Heck I am having a difficult time finding that happy median in real life, and I think we're looking to our content creators to come up with ideas on how to advance the digital civilizatons we spend so much time in, let alone consider integrating these ideas into our own culture!!
- DIFFERENT VERSIONS of the game for DIFFERENT system specifications. Why? I'm in Hollywood. And most people here have apples and many have older computers and simply do not want to upgrade. I'm homeless, and have a netbook - and I sadly can't play any newer games because of the crazy specifications. Now I am NOT saying do NOT support the newer systems. But to us peeps who sunk our teeth into XBOX 360 versions of your content - it would be nice to know development actually considers supporting the older systems who don't just play the game differnetly because of our system specs, but we play it differently because we enjoy strategy, role playing and story telling which is what mass effect originally was created for (that and kick butt terrain generation for planets)...
Long story short: I'm developing a game leveraging XNA right now (yup, on this Asus Netbook 1.l5ghz system without video accelration). And I already know it's going to take some crafty development to contend with lag and dynamic object loading - and is going to force me down a different development path in contrast to if I had gobs of memory like on my past machines. But one look at the beauty of Grand Theft Auto vice City which plays magnificientally on this machine, I have no doubt I can figure it out without having to backwards engineer their system.
Now if I - just a regular joe smoe homeless developer can do that. And GTA Vice City can make their wonderfully beautiful game work on this machine - running Windows XP. I KNOW YOU CAN! I Challenge you to target your system specifications on these older machines and focus instead on content and creativity with the engine!
Multiplayer ideas
- I detailed 'expanding the cities' above - I think it would be super cool to interact with and build these cities in a multi-roled way - and have different careers outside of multiplayer PVP action. Not everyone likes combat you know?
- Can you build a MMORPG that can span systems and networks (ie: XBOX One, Xbox 360, PC, And PS4?) I throw that gauntlet down at you. I have YET to see any developer with the juevos (look it up) to create a MMORPG which spans systems and networks.
- TAKE YOUR TIME and make it right. I know the publishers want to push you. But what you are doing is art. Definitive. Beautiful. and fun. Ther'es absolutely no reason you have to release the multiplayer at the same time as the single person. That, and you can work the single player kinks out of the game before you release the multiplayer.
- Storyline - Is it possible for you to allow the user to generate content and missions? Again, stray away from the traditional PVP - maybe dabble in property ownership and different career choices and options in the multiplayer in contrast to the 'primary storyline of the single player? Look at Assasin's Creed 3+ leader boards as fantastic ways to gauge your progress as a user - but as horrible ways to limit your playability of a game. Once you have someone dominating your charts, it's all over. I mean. Look at Bill Gates for instance in my world's MMORPG. No one can top him!
I'm homeless - but I dont stink. So If you need in house QA with development experitise and an opinion that will drive most developers insane, I am probably your man.. I can play games like a madman. Well, you know how us homeless people are, we can sleep anywhere. so If you had beanbag chairs and mountain dew, and let me play games for a living, i might think I went to heaven.
Send me a private message if you'd consider me for employment. I can't apply through traditional channels. I used to work for the NSA for 8 years, and they are making sure everything I send for resumes falls into a black hole. I guess they like me being homeless. Bastages.
And no, I am not crazy. My mom had me tested.
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