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What do you think...?

Débuté par Guest_Donkson_* , juin 20 2015 08:22

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#1
Guest_Donkson_*
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 08:22

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After lurking here in the Mass Effect: Andromeda forums since the trailer was released, I've noticed a lot of negative, counter-productive discussions going on.

 

I can understand people's frustrations, don't get me wrong. But devs are less likely to take notice of the fans if this is happening.

 

The goal of this thread is simple; I'll ask three questions, and if you want, you can answer them. The idea is to be constructive and give the devs a basic consensus of what we (the fans) want to see in the latest ME installment.

 

I have but one request; as this fanbase is diverse, obviously not everybody is going to agree. Posts will be made that will perhaps prompt or encourage other posters to debate. This is fine; but try to focus on the "goal" of the thread, in case this happens to be read by the devs or other staff at BioWare, that they may read these ideas bouncing around and listen, if we're lucky. ;) Ultimately, keeping this constructive will work in our favour.

 

1. Pick three things that you think make a BioWare game great. (Feel free to add more if you can't decide on three things, or add something of your own to the list if it isn't already there)

 

- Storytelling

- Characters

- Combat/gameplay

- Graphics

- Romance

- Political themes

- Multiplayer

 

2. List in order your favourite games in each franchise (DA and ME) from first to last. Then explain why.

 

3. Do you have an idea, something new to add to the upcoming game?

 

As an example, I will start off.

 

1. My three things are storytelling, characters and combat/gameplay. Now that isn't to say that the other options listed aren't important or don't make a great game, I just think those three are what makes a BioWare game addictive and keeps you going back for multiple playthroughs. Thus, to me, those three things are what, in my opinion, BW need to focus on.

Good storytelling, interesting characters and combat/gameplay. Of course, then there is the argument that is subjective to each individual. E.g some people thought DA:I's story was weak, while others say it is solid. Same goes for the other two options, really.

Good combat/gameplay to me = smooth, not clunky (much like ME3 and DA2)

Good storytelling example = Basically the entire ME trilogy, save for the ending of ME3.

Great characters can be applied in every game. To me they have never faltered on that front.

 

 

2.

ME: I was torn between ME2 and ME3 as my most favoured option, but I am leaning toward ME2.

ME3 is second and sadly, ME1 is last. ME1 was a great entrance to the series and deserves its respect, I just have a preference for the other two. One downside to ME1 for me, was the combat. The storytelling and the characters is what got me hooked.

 

DA: My favoured option is DA2, despite its many flaws. Coming in second is Origins and lastly Inquisition. DA2 wins out for me, because it had interesting characters and fun combat/gameplay. The storytelling, while good for most of the game, fizzled out in the end.

 

 

3. As for an idea?

I did think of a "mini-game" or side-quest of sorts, where in this particular galaxy the inhabitants compete in a sport that is played by operating mechs. As a player-character you could enter into this sporting competition and play on a team. As for this actual sport idea itself, I have no clue.

 

 

 

 


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#2
AlexiaRevan
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 08:47

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Nice Topic! 

 

for me storytelling and Charachters . Story come first , I would forgive ALOT of things , crash , bugs , empty rooms (kotor2) , Lags , crappy gameplay , crappy cc and hairdo . But I will never forgive if they screw me in what in my opinion make an rpg : STORY  

 

I don't care about graphic , skyrim said to have breath taking views . But at some point you will need more then that . I need a Story ! an engaging story , a Vilain I want to hunt and that make me go on a rollercoaster of emotions ! 

 

Charachters I get attached to , charachters I will hate , charachters that gonna stab me in the back . Combine these 2 and you have your setting for a Good engaging story . 

 

I liked ME3 best . Not for the Story and certainly not for its ending . But in Gameplay , it felt more solid . Some quest had an urgency about them that was missing . 

 

I liked Me1 for landing and seeing different planets . even if they were pretty empty , I hope this new Game would change that . While I wasn't a big fan of the Mako , it took the making of the Hammer in ME2 to start loving the Mako  :lol:

 

I liked The Suicide Mission of ME2 , the music was just mind blowing . I guess I liked the music more then the mission  :P That walk was painful ! 

 

Idea ? 

 

Focus on telling a Story . Come back to driving us in a story that will take us away from real Life . Give us a Vilain we want to chase down . Consequences we have to be torn because we made choices that actually matters . 

 

As for idea ? nuke the probing Planet for ressources . That was just..painful . I rather land on a planet and scan mineral or send someone to do it and wait like in the war room of DAI . 


#3
Lady Artifice
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 08:56

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- Things that I think make Bioware games great

 

1. Characters, which I think is easily Bioware's strongest aspect, much more than their story crafting. 

2. Character story arc and relationship building, both friendships and romances. 

3. The exploration of political and moral themes.

 

- Favorite games in each franchise

 

This is incredibly difficult, because every single game has huge, glaring aspects that I dislike and aspects that I love.

 

ME: Mass Effect 3 takes it by virtue of being the game that includes all of the characters from the past in some way. The ending damages the experience, but doesn't destroy it for me. It also had the Tuckanka arc, which was my favorite of the entire series. ME2 had a great cast of characters and the pulpy storytelling style was just to my taste, and the only--the only--ending of any Bioware game ever that I really love. ME1 was a perfect introduction. It also had side quest aspects that I detested. I hated the hack system, I hated the gathering quests, and since I played it so many years after it's initial release, I hated the CC as a huge step down from what I was used to. 

 

DA: Dragon Age 2 claims that spot, just barely, thanks to some of the most tightly written and personal storytelling of the series. Again, an imperfect ending that I struggle with, but it still has some of the most powerful over all themes, my favorite protagonist, and easily my favorite voice acting. I also choose it in spite of it having my absolute least favorite art style of the series and a really awful equipment system. DAI has my over all favorite group of companions (my two most favorite companions of the entire series). DAO has...Well, it was an excellent introduction to the world. It's the Dragon Age game I've played the most, easily. It also has my favorite beginning of any Bioware game with it's playable origins. 

 

- My idea hopes. 

 

I'd like a very personal conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, in the sense that it has nuance to it. It isn't as simple as Corypheus' "You're in my way, worm." I want a personal loss for the PC to blame on the antagonist, or a grudging respect, or...something that adds layers to the struggle. 

 

I also want a few more elegant armor options. 


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#4
Guest_Donkson_*
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 09:35

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Nice Topic! 

 

for me storytelling and Charachters . Story come first , I would forgive ALOT of things , crash , bugs , empty rooms (kotor2) , Lags , crappy gameplay , crappy cc and hairdo . But I will never forgive if they screw me in what in my opinion make an rpg : STORY  

 

I don't care about graphic , skyrim said to have breath taking views . But at some point you will need more then that . I need a Story ! an engaging story , a Vilain I want to hunt and that make me go on a rollercoaster of emotions ! 

 

Charachters I get attached to , charachters I will hate , charachters that gonna stab me in the back . Combine these 2 and you have your setting for a Good engaging story . 

 

I liked ME3 best . Not for the Story and certainly not for its ending . But in Gameplay , it felt more solid . Some quest had an urgency about them that was missing . 

 

I liked Me1 for landing and seeing different planets . even if they were pretty empty , I hope this new Game would change that . While I wasn't a big fan of the Mako , it took the making of the Hammer in ME2 to start loving the Mako  :lol:

 

I liked The Suicide Mission of ME2 , the music was just mind blowing . I guess I liked the music more then the mission  :P That walk was painful ! 

 

Idea ? 

 

Focus on telling a Story . Come back to driving us in a story that will take us away from real Life . Give us a Vilain we want to chase down . Consequences we have to be torn because we made choices that actually matters . 

 

As for idea ? nuke the probing Planet for ressources . That was just..painful . I rather land on a planet and scan mineral or send someone to do it and wait like in the war room of DAI . 

 

I hope they don't bring back the resource probing myself. :lol: After firing up ME2 recently I was thinking damn, I wanna get this over and done with so I can have some fun damn it. A war table scenario is a good idea -- provided the resources come in bulk and we don't have to wait for long periods of time for whoever is gathering the resources to come back.

 

That's actually given me an idea; a war table scenario that's expanded upon, where you can use a strategy interface to build alliances with other planets, trade, buy resources, gather them, etc. Of course that all depends on what sort of protag we get to play; whether we are in a leader type role like Shepard was, or simply a nobody soldier. I wouldn't actually be surprised if BW went down the "nobody soldier" path, to avoid a replica character of Shepard and to give us something different.

 

If the game is going to be open world then I think a vehicle such as the Mako is a must. Hopefully the controls aren't too clunky if that was to happen.

 

 

- Things that I think make Bioware games great

 

1. Characters, which I think is easily Bioware's strongest aspect, much more than their story crafting. 

2. Character story arc and relationship building, both friendships and romances. 

3. The exploration of political and moral themes.

 

- Favorite games in each franchise

 

This is incredibly difficult, because every single game has huge, glaring aspects that I dislike and aspects that I love.

 

ME: Mass Effect 3 takes it by virtue of being the game that includes all of the characters from the past in some way. The ending damages the experience, but doesn't destroy it for me. It also had the Tuckanka arc, which was my favorite of the entire series. ME2 had a great cast of characters and the pulpy storytelling style was just to my taste, and the only--the only--ending of any Bioware game ever that I really love. ME1 was a perfect introduction. It also had side quest aspects that I detested. I hated the hack system, I hated the gathering quests, and since I played it so many years after it's initial release, I hated the CC as a huge step down from what I was used to. 

 

DA: Dragon Age 2 claims that spot, just barely, thanks to some of the most tightly written and personal storytelling of the series. Again, an imperfect ending that I struggle with, but it still has some of the most powerful over all themes, my favorite protagonist, and easily my favorite voice acting. I also choose it in spite of it having my absolute least favorite art style of the series and a really awful equipment system. DAI has my over all favorite group of companions (my two most favorite companions of the entire series). DAO has...Well, it was an excellent introduction to the world. It's the Dragon Age game I've played the most, easily. It also has my favorite beginning of any Bioware game with it's playable origins. 

 

- My idea hopes. 

 

I'd like a very personal conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, in the sense that it has nuance to it. It isn't as simple as Corypheus' "You're in my way, worm." I want a personal loss for the PC to blame on the antagonist, or a grudging respect, or...something that adds layers to the struggle. 

 

I also want a few more elegant armor options. 

 

That is a great idea, in regard to the antagonist.

 

Something personal, rather than the whole "save the universe from evil" scenario?

 

One idea I've come up with (pretty typical mind you) is a situation where the antagonist is personally responsible for the death of the protagonist's family, friends, hell, perhaps an entire colony or planet?

 

You could add all sorts of ideas to this one; for instance, the antag could be a religiously motivated terrorist, or perhaps a rebel that is gaining power and support by going against the political authorities..

 

The protag, assuming he/she is a "nobody" soldier, is then motivated by vengeance and perhaps rises to power. This is similar to Shepard's situation, however the story could be about the protag's gradual rise to a high position and towards the end, implements this new found power to take on the antag?


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#5
Chardonney
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 09:49

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1.

- Romances  (BW's specialty and one of those things that keeps me playing again and again) 

- Storytelling (I feel that a good story is the backbone of a good RPG) 

- Characters (What is a game without good characters, really)

 

2. From best to last: ME1, ME2, ME3, KotOR, DAO, DAI, DA2

 

Edit: I thought about new ideas and one thing game to mind just now. There could be a place, a central or market, a space station or something similar which would act as kind of a neutral zone for every race... a more like DS9, instead of the Citadel. A place where we could see some of the new species without getting our face kicked in first. Of course, it wouldn't be under human control - naturally - and some skirmishes might still happen.


#6
AlexiaRevan
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 09:50

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One idea I've come up with (pretty typical mind you) is a situation where the antagonist is personally responsible for the death of the protagonist's family, friends, hell, perhaps an entire colony or planet?

The Paragon in me..wont go far..Guilt will make me go Critical Mission failur just after the intro cutscene  :lol:

 

And it was already done , Kotor 1 vilain is a bit like that . I liked Kotor 2 , 3 Vilains to go against . Now that was goddamn Impressive !!! 


#7
Guest_Donkson_*
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 09:53

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1.

- Romances  (BW's specialty and one of those things that keeps me playing again and again) 

- Storytelling (I feel that a good story is the backbone of a good RPG) 

- Characters (What is a game without good characters, really)

 

2. From best to last: ME1, ME2, ME3, KotOR, DAO, DAI, DA2

 

Romances, while playing minor roles in the games, are very popular. It makes me wonder if BW would lose a hell of a lot of people if they decided not to do it this time around?

 

 

The Paragon in me..wont go far..Guilt will make me go Critical Mission failur just after the intro cutscene  :lol:

 

And it was already done , Kotor 1 vilain is a bit like that . I liked Kotor 2 , 3 Vilains to go against . Now that was goddamn Impressive !!! 

 

Remember, I've yet to really play KOTOR 1 and 2 :lol:

 

So should BW focus on a villain that differs from what's already been done?


#8
Malleficae
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 10:07

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1. Storytelling; Political themes - the rest are medium core for me. They should work on characters, romances including. DA2 was great because of characters and it was somehow... lost. Don't know why. [+combat but only for ME, DA has awful fights]

 

2. Mass Effect: ME2, ME3, ME1 - I think ME2 had the most appealing, good vibes. Maybe because it was my first ME game? Tho I didn't enjoyed ME1. Too much humanity for me.

Dragon Age: DA2, DAO, DAI - started with DAI, then DAO and last was DA2 but it ended my favourite. That was best game from BioWare. Characters were amazing and finally you don't need to save whole world. Possibly my favourite game ever.

 

3. Add more depth to characters. Let them react to your actions like they did in DA2. I thought you can't make companion your enemy until I played DA2 which was my 6th game from BW. Also stop forcing us into human protagonists, I'm begging you.


#9
AlexiaRevan
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 10:07

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Romances, while playing minor roles in the games, are very popular. It makes me wonder if BW would lose a hell of a lot of people if they decided not to do it this time around?

 

 

 

Remember, I've yet to really play KOTOR 1 and 2 :lol:

 

So should BW focus on a villain that differs from what's already been done?

That would be nice , kinda tired of copy of a copy . If a Game is new..it shouldnt be new just cose its using a new engine . even when its set in the same world , it can still be new . Take BG 2 and Icewind Dale they are both on faerun , yet completely apart and different even if using same Infinity engines . 

 

NWN1 had 2 expansions + main campaign and I still was able to immerse in each one , for each was a different location and narrative . 

 

If this Mass effect Game want to be new , then it will have to come up with something original for charachter , story and Vilain . Not wow us with graphics and flashy robots and pew pew . 


#10
Panda
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 10:11

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1. Storytelling, Characters, Romance

 

2. DA: 2, O, I.

    ME: 2, 1, 3.

 

DA2 had freshest story in my opinion and best characters. It had lot of tough choices and it had least dull moments. DAI was great otherwise, but too many meaningless fetch quests and also bugs and problems with PS3 version did take my enjoyment away from the game. With DAI there wasn't many moments that kept me captivated when DA2 and DAI had many.

 

ME2 I like ME2's characters best, squad members there are my favorites. Thane, Kasumi, Garrus and Legion all my ME fav characters. ME1 wasn't as good, but very good still. ME3 had really strong story as well and I might have enjoyed it most from the games.. but the ending screwed over whole series. And I hated some enemies like Banshees and Brutes so I didn't enjoy combat as much.

 

3. Of cource romance-wise I'd like to see more alien romances, female Turian or male Quarian for example. Alien LI for gay male character would be nice.

 

I'd like if we had bit tomb raider moments when discovering new planets and what they keep inside of them. I'd be more into discovering than conquering myself. Maybe find hidden cities and ruins, find out what

 

And maybe some hard choices to make if we have to play rich European countries during Imperialist period.. that we could have choice to find some sort of compromises and cooperation with native alien races of Andromeda or then be brutal colonialists if we choose so.


#11
Chardonney
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 10:11

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Romances, while playing minor roles in the games, are very popular. It makes me wonder if BW would lose a hell of a lot of people if they decided not to do it this time around?

 

Well, they probably would at least lose me as their loyal customer. Without romance there wouldn't be anything special to expect and nothing special to come back to from missions. The romances/relationships are what keeps me interested, not just the combat, which alone would get boring. Also, I need clips for my vids.  :D 


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#12
Guest_Donkson_*
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 10:57

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1. Storytelling; Political themes - the rest are medium core for me. They should work on characters, romances including. DA2 was great because of characters and it was somehow... lost. Don't know why. [+combat but only for ME, DA has awful fights]

 

2. Mass Effect: ME2, ME3, ME1 - I think ME2 had the most appealing, good vibes. Maybe because it was my first ME game? Tho I didn't enjoyed ME1. Too much humanity for me.

Dragon Age: DA2, DAO, DAI - started with DAI, then DAO and last was DA2 but it ended my favourite. That was best game from BioWare. Characters were amazing and finally you don't need to save whole world. Possibly my favourite game ever.

 

3. Add more depth to characters. Let them react to your actions like they did in DA2. I thought you can't make companion your enemy until I played DA2 which was my 6th game from BW. Also stop forcing us into human protagonists, I'm begging you.

 

DA2 would have been a lot better if more work was put into it. Which brings me to a question that is directed at anybody, really.. would you be happy with waiting a little longer for a game?

 

As for the companion thing. In DAO and returning in DAI, if you made someone hate you enough they left the party, or at least fought you. I recall playing Origins and getting really annoyed with Sten dictating me on how I should do things, to the point he challenged me to a fight. When I won the fight he backed off.

 

It was different for DA2. You could make companions hate you but they didn't leave you.. though I heard if Isabela was neither friend or rival she doesn't return after the Arishok debacle. If you side with the mages in the end of the game you would probably end up killing Fenris, mind you that was what happened every time I played.. I never romanced him or anything so I'm unsure if this changes depending on that, or if you managed to be his friend.

 

It would be interesting if this system was implemented in ME. We've seen something similar; if you don't win the loyalty of companions they will die in the suicide mission. This came as a surprise to me on my first run, but I applauded it. It made you think carefully about your next playthrough, hell even future games. The upgrades in DAI actually made me think it was going to be a similar situation.

 

I would love the option of playing an Asari. I understand it may be a lot of work for the devs to include other alien races, I wonder if they would change their mind and compromise if we were happy to limitthe choice between maybe two or three? That could include, asari, turian or quarian, off the top of my head.

 

 

1. Storytelling, Characters, Romance

 

2. DA: 2, O, I.

    ME: 2, 1, 3.

 

DA2 had freshest story in my opinion and best characters. It had lot of tough choices and it had least dull moments. DAI was great otherwise, but too many meaningless fetch quests and also bugs and problems with PS3 version did take my enjoyment away from the game. With DAI there wasn't many moments that kept me captivated when DA2 and DAI had many.

 

ME2 I like ME2's characters best, squad members there are my favorites. Thane, Kasumi, Garrus and Legion all my ME fav characters. ME1 wasn't as good, but very good still. ME3 had really strong story as well and I might have enjoyed it most from the games.. but the ending screwed over whole series. And I hated some enemies like Banshees and Brutes so I didn't enjoy combat as much.

 

3. Of cource romance-wise I'd like to see more alien romances, female Turian or male Quarian for example. Alien LI for gay male character would be nice.

 

I'd like if we had bit tomb raider moments when discovering new planets and what they keep inside of them. I'd be more into discovering than conquering myself. Maybe find hidden cities and ruins, find out what

 

And maybe some hard choices to make if we have to play rich European countries during Imperialist period.. that we could have choice to find some sort of compromises and cooperation with native alien races of Andromeda or then be brutal colonialists if we choose so.

 

That last part.

 

While I do love paragon/renegade, I would actually like the option where choices and outcomes of such weren't so obvious. Instead of the blatant blue/red, we are given options only to find out the potential consequences after. I'd like the writers to challenge what we think is "right" or "wrong".

 

On the other side of that I wouldn't mind a clear moral alignment either. But consequences need to be obvious and make a massive difference and I don't see this happening unless the game is purely a stand alone title and not part of some upcoming trilogy. Of course the downside to that is, many fans will be unhappy that the potential endings will be left unaddressed or unresolved.

 

 

Well, they probably would at least lose me as their loyal customer. Without romance there wouldn't be anything special to expect and nothing special to come back to from missions. The romances/relationships are what keeps me interested, not just the combat, which alone would get boring. Also, I need clips for my vids.  :D

 

That's actually a good point. In a way romances play out like a "reward". And helps motivate you to finish the game, gives your character an extra sense of purpose, etc.

 

I can take or leave romances but I would definitely prefer them to keep it. Just so long as focus on romance doesn't take away other important aspects of the game. Balance is key, I think. :)


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#13
Kappa Neko
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 11:09

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Good thread!

 

1. Things I love the most about Bioware games /what they do best

 

- Characters / party banter / friendships / romances

This is all one thing to me. It's Bioware's biggest and, one could argue, only strength. It's what sets them apart from other games or franchises like The Witcher. Emotional character-driven stories, while the story part is usually highly unoriginal and all over the place. The Witcher on the other hand (I can only compare to W2 currently, though) has vastly superior story-crafting but (to me) lacks emotion. W2 did anyway. I miss that in non-Bioware games. Few get me as emotionally invested as Bioware because of their party based stories and gameplay.

 

- Political and moral themes

I admit it, I LOVE their strong focus on morality that is often showcased in social and political storylines. I loved everything about the mage/templar conflict and the quarian/geth conflict. I love playing "good" characters who try to make peace between opposing groups. Bioware tends to be a bit too black and white about it all from time to time, but there was plenty gray in the genophage. On the other hand I like that Bioware games usually have a morally right way of doing things, whether one agrees with their definition of right or not, it's there. And I pretty much always agree with their notion of right that is usually all about resolving issues to the benefit of everyone. So Bioware games make me feel good about my own morality.

 

- Storytelling

Not their strong suit at all, but the story is what matters to me most about games these days. I will suffer through the most atrocious gameplay if the story is good. But good gameplay with a bad story will turn me off. Their character-focused side quest storylines are great, but their overall main story usually sucks. ME1 being an exception but only because Bioware stole most of it from various sci-fi shows. In fact, Bioware shamelessly copies other works of fiction all the time, but let's not get into that here.

Also, DA2 had a rather well-told story but that was because it had a more personal touch, which plays into their strength after all. Bioware's epic badass storylines are very unoriginal and boring (DAO's main story was such a cliche of fantasy tropes).

 

2. Raking of ME and DA

 

- ME1 >ME3>ME2

ME1 had by far the best main story and well-integrated side quests. Everything felt "organic". No immersion-breaking loading screens. Good party banter. Pretty nice squad of rather down to earth believable characters. Game felt very geeky which was awesome. Great space RPG despite the (awful) shooter combat. ME2 had a paper-thin main story, the loyalty missions were the actual game, which is fine. But they injected a bit too much flashy-cool into the franchise. The new characters, though great fun, were totally over the top. Ridiculous outfits for the ladies. There was a very noticeable shift to a broader (younger) audience, which I did not like. Everything got streamlined, everything felt cramped. A much smaller game. I thought combat was a BIG improvement for years, until ME3 made me realize what lazy pathetic rail shooter it was. Duck, fire, duck, fire...

ME3 corrected many of the flaws of ME2 and brought back some of the ME1 charm: no more emotionless terminator Shepard, party banter was back, better than ever!!! Best combat mechanics by far. Biotics in ME2 were seriously crippled, not cool. Ash/Kaidan were back. Great team spirit, your party interacted with one another, moved around the ship. Loved it! If the ending hadn't been such a rushed and lazy disaster (as well as the crappy intro), it might have been the best in the series for me. Game sort of fell apart halfway through, story-wise. The DLC should have been in the game, made it SO much better!

 

- DAI > DAO > DA2

Yes, I actually think Inquisition is the best one. The whole elven reveal hit me like a steam-roller because I wasn't paying attention to the lore at all. Totally preoccupied with the mage rebellion, well played! I LOVED The Temple of Mythal. One of my favorite quests ever in a Bioware game. They set it up perfectly. In fact, I am somewhat in awe of how Bioware has crafted the elven gods storyline as the ACTUAL main story of the entire franchise (or so it looks anyway) under the radar. DAI makes you question everything, and that's pretty awesome.

Aesthetically DAI is my favorite too. Love the new colorful art style (not a fan of dark and gritty). DAI has the best companions overall to me. I don't dislike any of them as characters, though I gotta say my overall favorite character is Morrigan, then Alistair. But Cassandra seriously challenges them. And DAI has Dorian also... speaking of Morrigan, amazing character arc! Mommy Morrigan made me cry. Everything featuring her in DAI was pure gold.

DA2 is not a bad game to me at all, I even think it has the best overall storytelling AND great party dynamics. LOVED how they visited each other in their homes, had their own agendas. I wasn't too fond of the companions though with he exception of Aveline. The only romance I did I HATED. DA2 had the best combat imo. However, DA2 was clearly rushed, even smaller than ME2. DAO was overall the better game, though the archdemon story was very cliche and bland. The best storyline was Alistair's. DAI's main villain was a joke but the elven reveal made up for it.

Hawke was my favorite hero by far in DA. I could rate DA2 on par with DAO, it's really really a good game if one ignores the map recycling and weak third act/ending.

I LOVED exploration in DAI, but Bioware needs to improve the experience. Unlike many, I want Bioware to build on DAI, not DAO. DAO had terribly slow combat with too many useless skills just for the heck of it. Needlessly confusing. The romance system in DAI was the best one imo.

When I think about it, DAO scored so high with me at the time because it was my first "real" western RPG (I come from JRPGs like Final Fantasy). In retrospect, the best thing about DAO were the characters and the easy narrative flow of a rather unoriginal story. Both DAI and DA2 have issues with pacing.

 

To sum it up, as others have stated, each game has strengths and weaknesses. None were bad to me. It comes down to personal preferences, I guess.

 

3. As for an idea?

I did think of a "mini-game" or side-quest of sorts, where in this particular galaxy the inhabitants compete in a sport that is played by operating mechs. As a player-character you could enter into this sporting competition and play on a team. As for this actual sport idea itself, I have no clue.

This is actually an awesome idea!!!

Ever since my Final Fantasy days I want something like a card game (W3 is not the first one who did this, but I applaud them for it) or a unique sport (like Blitzball in FFX, gawd, how many hours I spent playing it..). Sitting down after a hard day of exploration with a cheerful round of Mass Effect poker, or blowing off steam kicking each other's butt in capture-the-eezo-crate. This would be an amazing opportunity for building friendships and hilarious party banter.

Make this happen, Bioware!


#14
Malleficae
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 11:10

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DA2 would have been a lot better if more work was put into it. Which brings me to a question that is directed at anybody, really.. would you be happy with waiting a little longer for a game?

 

As for the companion thing. In DAO and returning in DAI, if you made someone hate you enough they left the party, or at least fought you. I recall playing Origins and getting really annoyed with Sten dictating me on how I should do things, to the point he challenged me to a fight. When I won the fight he backed off.

 

It was different for DA2. You could make companions hate you but they didn't leave you.. though I heard if Isabela was neither friend or rival she doesn't return after the Arishok debacle. If you side with the mages in the end of the game you would probably end up killing Fenris, mind you that was what happened every time I played.. I never romanced him or anything so I'm unsure if this changes depending on that, or if you managed to be his friend.

 

It would be interesting if this system was implemented in ME. We've seen something similar; if you don't win the loyalty of companions they will die in the suicide mission. This came as a surprise to me on my first run, but I applauded it. It made you think carefully about your next playthrough, hell even future games. The upgrades in DAI actually made me think it was going to be a similar situation.

 

I would love the option of playing an Asari. I understand it may be a lot of work for the devs to include other alien races, I wonder if they would change their mind and compromise if we were happy to limitthe choice between maybe two or three? That could include, asari, turian or quarian, off the top of my head.

 

 

2017 is already too long for me so it won't change anything if I will wait a little longer. Damn, I will be adult next year so I could make money for exclusive edition. Hell yeah! ;D

 

I couldn't make any of companions hate me. Like my every decision ended with their approval. That was different in DA2. Fenris hated me for siding with mages, etc etc. I killed him at the end, also Isabela escaped. I'm about to finish DAO and play DA2 again. I hope to save Fenris because after playing so much I understand that templars are da real mvp and unspoken heroes. It would be great to catch Isabela, give her to arishok and let her suffer for making innocent people suffer for her crimes. I need things like this. I don't want to love everybody. And I want to gave my beloved character that is hated by the rest (all hail Vivi!).

 

I don't like idea of companions dying ONLY because you hadn't done their loyalty mission. They SHOULD leave you for some time because they went to do their loyalty mission alone and you could join them to save them or if they were trained well enough during your playthrough they will come back alive and thank you for making them stronger so they could deal with it by themselves. I hope they won't go back to DAO system where you needed to take companions with you to get mission because I mostly have my favs and can't go without them (Garrus, Grunt, Mordin; Sten, Zevran, Morrigan; Vivienne, Varric, Bull/Cass).

 

Actually I think includin only asari as second playable race isn't that hard. After all character creator can let them make NPC in it. 3 options is max, I pref 2 with human and asari because I can't recall any other alien so close to human with face assets. I wanted to play quarian but they've made it too human in comparision to concept arts (I imagined them as something like this blue dude from Hellboy but with purple skin and I was like REALLY sad for them to have normal nose, meh). I'm a fan of quarians by myself (not including this nose, meh) because I'm big allergic and I felt close to them. I still hope for races. Asari are really great. Psst, BioWare, you can't make hair and they don't even have them!


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#15
AlexiaRevan
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 11:19

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That's actually a good point. In a way romances play out like a "reward". And helps motivate you to finish the game, gives your character an extra sense of purpose, etc.

Hum...the romances were always like a reward . Thats one of the issue after so many games with them . Peoples wanted them to be fleshed out and be more then just a reward /fade to black and get some azz . 

 

One of the issue is the lenght of the romance . Some peoples want that their Li still have something to say after main quest is done . Like say after you are done with corny , you have Cass still talk about the romance . 

 

Another issue , is that if they tie companions to the main story (like in ME2) you cant get ride of them . If you get the option to ditch anyone you want (wich in my opinion is unrealistic , it should be the other way around  :lol: ) then it make you wonder why x and y is with you ? 

 

BG2 was the only game where companions are the one who ditch you , running away with everything they were carrying... :crying: Mah LOOT!!!...good times though  ^_^


#16
Guest_Donkson_*
Posté 20 juin 2015 - 11:42

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Good thread!

 

1. Things I love the most about Bioware games /what they do best

 

- Characters / party banter / friendships / romances

This is all one thing to me. It's Bioware's biggest and, one could argue, only strength. It's what sets them apart from other games or franchises like The Witcher. Emotional character-driven stories, while the story part is usually highly unoriginal and all over the place. The Witcher on the other hand (I can only compare to W2 currently, though) has vastly superior story-crafting but (to me) lacks emotion. W2 did anyway. I miss that in non-Bioware games. Few get me as emotionally invested as Bioware because of their party based stories and gameplay.

 

- Political and moral themes

I admit it, I LOVE their strong focus on morality that is often showcased in social and political storylines. I loved everything about the mage/templar conflict and the quarian/geth conflict. I love playing "good" characters who try to make peace between opposing groups. Bioware tends to be a bit too black and white about it all from time to time, but there was plenty gray in the genophage. On the other hand I like that Bioware games usually have a morally right way of doing things, whether one agrees with their definition of right or not, it's there. And I pretty much always agree with their notion of right that is usually all about resolving issues to the benefit of everyone. So Bioware games make me feel good about my own morality.

 

- Storytelling

Not their strong suit at all, but the story is what matters to me most about games these days. I will suffer through the most atrocious gameplay if the story is good. But good gameplay with a bad story will turn me off. Their character-focused side quest storylines are great, but their overall main story usually sucks. ME1 being an exception but only because Bioware stole most of it from various sci-fi shows. In fact, Bioware shamelessly copies other works of fiction all the time, but let's not get into that here.

Also, DA2 had a rather well-told story but that was because it had a more personal touch, which plays into their strength after all. Bioware's epic badass storylines are very unoriginal and boring (DAO's main story was such a cliche of fantasy tropes).

 

2. Raking of ME and DA

 

- ME1 >ME3>ME2

ME1 had by far the best main story and well-integrated side quests. Everything felt "organic". No immersion-breaking loading screens. Good party banter. Pretty nice squad of rather down to earth believable characters. Game felt very geeky which was awesome. Great space RPG despite the (awful) shooter combat. ME2 had a paper-thin main story, the loyalty missions were the actual game, which is fine. But they injected a bit too much flashy-cool into the franchise. The new characters, though great fun, were totally over the top. Ridiculous outfits for the ladies. There was a very noticeable shift to a broader (younger) audience, which I did not like. Everything got streamlined, everything felt cramped. A much smaller game. I thought combat was a BIG improvement for years, until ME3 made me realize what lazy pathetic rail shooter it was. Duck, fire, duck, fire...

ME3 corrected many of the flaws of ME2 and brought back some of the ME1 charm: no more emotionless terminator Shepard, party banter was back, better than ever!!! Best combat mechanics by far. Biotics in ME2 were seriously crippled, not cool. Ash/Kaidan were back. Great team spirit, your party interacted with one another, moved around the ship. Loved it! If the ending hadn't been such a rushed and lazy disaster (as well as the crappy intro), it might have been the best in the series for me. Game sort of fell apart halfway through, story-wise. The DLC should have been in the game, made it SO much better!

 

- DAI > DAO > DA2

Yes, I actually think Inquisition is the best one. The whole elven reveal hit me like a steam-roller because I wasn't paying attention to the lore at all. Totally preoccupied with the mage rebellion, well played! I LOVED The Temple of Mythal. One of my favorite quests ever in a Bioware game. They set it up perfectly. In fact, I am somewhat in awe of how Bioware has crafted the elven gods storyline as the ACTUAL main story of the entire franchise (or so it looks anyway) under the radar. DAI makes you question everything, and that's pretty awesome.

Aesthetically DAI is my favorite too. Love the new colorful art style (not a fan of dark and gritty). DAI has the best companions overall to me. I don't dislike any of them as characters, though I gotta say my overall favorite character is Morrigan, then Alistair. But Cassandra seriously challenges them. And DAI has Dorian also... speaking of Morrigan, amazing character arc! Mommy Morrigan made me cry. Everything featuring her in DAI was pure gold.

DA2 is not a bad game to me at all, I even think it has the best overall storytelling AND great party dynamics. LOVED how they visited each other in their homes, had their own agendas. I wasn't too fond of the companions though with he exception of Aveline. The only romance I did I HATED. DA2 had the best combat imo. However, DA2 was clearly rushed, even smaller than ME2. DAO was overall the better game, though the archdemon story was very cliche and bland. The best storyline was Alistair's. DAI's main villain was a joke but the elven reveal made up for it.

Hawke was my favorite hero by far in DA. I could rate DA2 on par with DAO, it's really really a good game if one ignores the map recycling and weak third act/ending.

I LOVED exploration in DAI, but Bioware needs to improve the experience. Unlike many, I want Bioware to build on DAI, not DAO. DAO had terribly slow combat with too many useless skills just for the heck of it. Needlessly confusing. The romance system in DAI was the best one imo.

When I think about it, DAO scored so high with me at the time because it was my first "real" western RPG (I come from JRPGs like Final Fantasy). In retrospect, the best thing about DAO were the characters and the easy narrative flow of a rather unoriginal story. Both DAI and DA2 have issues with pacing.

 

To sum it up, as others have stated, each game has strengths and weaknesses. None were bad to me. It comes down to personal preferences, I guess.

 

This is actually an awesome idea!!!

Ever since my Final Fantasy days I want something like a card game (W3 is not the first one who did this, but I applaud them for it) or a unique sport (like Blitzball in FFX, gawd, how many hours I spent playing it..). Sitting down after a hard day of exploration with a cheerful round of Mass Effect poker, or blowing off steam kicking each other's butt in capture-the-eezo-crate. This would be an amazing opportunity for building friendships and hilarious party banter.

Make this happen, Bioware!

 

Thank you for your detailed feedback :)

 

Moral and political themes, I admit, make the stories interesting. To be able to choose a moral alignment for your character and make decisions based on you or (PC you're role-playing's) views.

 

The only downside to this is like any sensitive political topic, the fanbase can be rather negative about it and often complain, which encourages the devs to water it down as to avoid offending people.

 

Fair enough if you don't mind this; as you stated, you don't like dark and gritty content. In regard to DA:I though, I noticed many people still found things that they found offensive so in that situation you can't win either way. One way of fixing it would be better choices on how to deal with dark, gritty and potentially offensive themes/situations.

 

Personally I think there should be room for a bit of dark/gritty plus feel good happy times.

 

2017 is already too long for me so it won't change anything if I will wait a little longer. Damn, I will be adult next year so I could make money for exclusive edition. Hell yeah! ;D

 

I couldn't make any of companions hate me. Like my every decision ended with their approval. That was different in DA2. Fenris hated me for siding with mages, etc etc. I killed him at the end, also Isabela escaped. I'm about to finish DAO and play DA2 again. I hope to save Fenris because after playing so much I understand that templars are da real mvp and unspoken heroes. It would be great to catch Isabela, give her to arishok and let her suffer for making innocent people suffer for her crimes. I need things like this. I don't want to love everybody. And I want to gave my beloved character that is hated by the rest (all hail Vivi!).

 

I don't like idea of companions dying ONLY because you hadn't done their loyalty mission. They SHOULD leave you for some time because they went to do their loyalty mission alone and you could join them to save them or if they were trained well enough during your playthrough they will come back alive and thank you for making them stronger so they could deal with it by themselves. I hope they won't go back to DAO system where you needed to take companions with you to get mission because I mostly have my favs and can't go without them (Garrus, Grunt, Mordin; Sten, Zevran, Morrigan; Vivienne, Varric, Bull/Cass).

 

Actually I think includin only asari as second playable race isn't that hard. After all character creator can let them make NPC in it. 3 options is max, I pref 2 with human and asari because I can't recall any other alien so close to human with face assets. I wanted to play quarian but they've made it too human in comparision to concept arts (I imagined them as something like this blue dude from Hellboy but with purple skin and I was like REALLY sad for them to have normal nose, meh). I'm a fan of quarians by myself (not including this nose, meh) because I'm big allergic and I felt close to them. I still hope for races. Asari are really great. Psst, BioWare, you can't make hair and they don't even have them!

 

One thing I disliked about the loyalty disposition in ME2 was the fact that every time I did Thane's quest I failed. I despise time limits because that is pressure, which ultimately leads me to fail.

 

I liked Thane and I didn't want him to die in the suicide mission, yet I didn't really have a choice in the matter due to sucking at time limits. :lol:

 

 

Hum...the romances were always like a reward . Thats one of the issue after so many games with them . Peoples wanted them to be fleshed out and be more then just a reward /fade to black and get some azz . 

 

One of the issue is the lenght of the romance . Some peoples want that their Li still have something to say after main quest is done . Like say after you are done with corny , you have Cass still talk about the romance . 

 

Another issue , is that if they tie companions to the main story (like in ME2) you cant get ride of them . If you get the option to ditch anyone you want (wich in my opinion is unrealistic , it should be the other way around  :lol: ) then it make you wonder why x and y is with you ? 

 

BG2 was the only game where companions are the one who ditch you , running away with everything they were carrying... :crying: Mah LOOT!!!...good times though  ^_^

 

One thing I don't like about the whole disposition thing is you can't really play the character you want without upsetting somebody, potentially losing them as a companion when, depending on how the ending of the game is played out, you may need them. The only way to fix this really is to have a variety of companions with different moral compasses, so some may agree with an evil deed or disagree with a good deed, or vice versa so you don't lose so many people.

 

As for romance.. it is very popular, many people are asking for it, so when you've completed the game throw in something fun and romantic for the chosen LI. Many people requested this for DA:I. I admit I was a little disappointed going back to see Sera when the main story was finished, and she didn't have much to say really, though the ending when you go into your room with her, was nice.


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#17
Shinrai
Posté 21 juin 2015 - 11:26

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Interesting and nice thread. I will take my time and try to write my thoughts. English is not my native language, so i apologize for upcoming misspronounciation and grammatical failures.

 

1. Pick three things that you think make a BioWare game great

 

A) Characters: always a strong point in BioWare-Games. I mean the whole palette:

 - a rich, deep & realistic background for the game protagonist, the companions, the villians and races

 - personality & personality development throughout the game for the protagonist and his companions. I love to see how we and our companions become stronger and wiser through difficult moral dicisions and conflicts. The ppl in the games have their own personality, opinions, go into dialog with you, discuss things, flame you, threaten you. Thats so immersive and pushes the story further and further.

 - give and receive emotional support (in the team, in love, maybe between friends & family members > hell, i soooo wanted to meet my mother in ME - especially in Part  3 where the stress broke my femShep -good that Garrus was there-  and i loved my family in  DA:O -> Cousland ftw).

 - I really think family background is essential for maincharacters and their sidekicks to be explored, because there we have the explenation why we are who we are.

   Not just for the protagonist, but for the companions, too. Big + in ME3 und DA:O, DA 2 & Jade Empire for example.

 - Romance (yeah, you want me to rescue and save the planet/universe? Then i need someone by my side who gives me strength in times i lose hope, who listens to my complains in times i struggle to much with myself and finds the right words in the right time. Someone who receive support for himself and needs my help in his losses.) Big + in all BioWare-Games and something i miss in so much non BW-Games. And i think it is nice that romance is optional for those who don't like this part in the BW-Games. It is not forced like in a lot other rpgs, where you have to engage with someone specific for the story.

- I can create my own character with the chargen in almost every game (beautiful or not is not the question here, because it is a matter of taste) and see him in so much scenes in the eye (or through his eyes). I can choose different backgrounds, i can choose how he will fight and i choose his opinions in the game that push the whole story and the story outcome further. Even gender choosing is a thing many games lack. I thing that's a very nice feature for more immersion.

 

B) Story

 

I think the other strength in BW-Games is the cinematic like storytelling, which is a mix of character cast, world politics, cultures, a lot of conflicts and emotions. A very strong immersive atmosphere. They don't scribble things on a paper in a week and say "Now thats our story, have fun". They spend month or even years to create a realistic, creative and deep story which is individual and should entertain us. A lot of work and i think as a player i always notice this hard work in the games. Is there a story path i don't like? Never mind, there are plenty other storypaths in the same game that will satisfy my needs.

 

C) Combat/Battles

 

I think another huge aspect is the action in the game, that is not so much storyrelated. You have to fight a lot to get your reward in the end. You have to learn it fast, you have to act fast. You have to think strategic and tactical. Or you can just bash your opponents away with all of your might. But you need good controls (with mouse and keyboard or controller) and a good view on the battlefield (two things that sometimes don't work out in BW-Games). Like in DA:I i think it is ok to choose as a player if you want to fight in tactical mode or action based. Not every player likes action based combat nowadays and not every player likes to be tactical. The skills should be balanced and complementary. The monsters or villians you have to find in the games should have powers and weaknesses and as a player you have to learn how to handle a fight with them even if it means you die 2 or 3 times, but the 4th you are the winner and proud of yourself. But is is always a lot of fun and like a nice break after tons of dialogs.

 

2. List in order your favourite games in each franchise (DA and ME) from first to last. Then explain why.

 

Thats a hard question. DA and ME are both strong game triologies. Both have lots of good things and lots of things i don't like. So i work myselfthrough both series.

 

DA:O was my first BW-game and a completly new experience for me. The dialogs, the story, the world & culture, the romance. The graphics were good, but always something where i said to myself that it could be polished. The battles felt clunky, but i had fun to combine the different skills of my party in a strategic way.

In DA 2 i loved the smoother battles and the better graphics (but not so polished as other games that time). I didn't like that most of the story you were on the same maps again and again, always Kirkwall in and out. I thought i was in a cage or something. The story was interesting, but not so deep like in DA:O. Same goes for the romance options. I liked my companions but i always had the feeling they lack something important. They were more shallow and followed a streamline (sorry don't know the right english words :/) And i missed to play other races like in Part 1.

In DA:I i had the feeling that the game used to come with good old working standarts more: You could play different races and backgrounds again. The world was immersive, there was this huge world to explore, but the sidequests and crafting gave me a  grindy feeling somehow. I loved the battle system and i played the game with a controller, so i had not this much problems with the game controlls. I loved the companions and romances, they had background, they had personality, they gave emotional support and received the same from the protagonist. Some companions had stronger storyparts than others, but it was ok. The story was interesting again, but i was frustrated with the villian Corepheus (i hope thats the right spelling >.<). I felt like i had no direct detechement to him, it was more like i had to fight him because i was the Inquisitor and everybody said so. The final battle was not very exciting, the siege on Haven was much more of a thrill then that. "Oh i won? *shrug* Where is Cullen? We want to play chess again....Hey, can you call the janitor to clear this mess?"

 

In ME1 i loved the feeling of "Hey i experience something new". I met Shepards worlds, learned about the races, learned to fight with all kinds of guns and biotics, learned to appreciate every single companion i had and i was like a little adventurer who jumped into the deep sea of the milky way and beyond with all the wonders there. I loved the renegade and paragon system and i was so happy to find it in all other ME-Games.  I hated the battlesystem, it was so clunky. The targeting was a mess. And the camera view in battle- ouch. But it was fun as hell xD. the graphics where not so good on my pc, a little hazy. but my pc wasn't the best at all and BW has other strong points than graphics so yeah, i enjoyed the game very much.

In ME2 there was more action, more speed and despied all the boring sidequests (some exeptions) and the long long farming for ressources on planets i loved it and thought "Hey, a nice continuation". The cast was nice, i liked all of them. The romances were more sexual based, which i didn't like so much, but i was happy to get Garrus, who i adored in Part 1, to get on my dating list :P. And that romance was pure and dialogbased. But i missed so much more dialog chances in the game. The graphics were better, but not topnotch.  And i liked the battle system. It was a lot smoother than in Part 1, easier to handle and you got a better view on your surroundings. the camera was smoother, too.

ME3 was a blow in my face. I loved the game. The chargen was updated, the game was more dialogdriven, the companions from Part1 were all back again (played a greater or smaller role). You could get so much more backgroundinformation about Shep and the companions and politics. The battlesystem was polished and overworked and the graphics were better (but i always ask myself: why is there always this hazyness?). The story was a nice change between action, dialog, emotion and action again. Shep got more human, got more insecurities. So the companions. Although i was a little bit said, how small roles the companions from Part 2 got.  And then came the ending and "booom" i sat there with a lot of questionmarks over my head. That was the first time i loved and disliked a game in an even way. And it was the first time i didn't understand what the ending meant. I read a lot afterwards and i never got a satisfactory explenation. And i was so greatful for the overworked ending (and fanmods). But i still think that Part 3 is the strongest of all ME-Parts because as a player you noticed, that BW learned a lot through the years and listened to fans. Same goes for the DA-Series. I love all games, some more, some less. But i appreciate every minute i played these games.

 

3. Do you have an idea/wish, something new to add to the upcoming game?

 

Like LadyArtifice said: a very personal conflict between the playercharacter and the antagonist. Something that adds layers to a direct emotional conflict.

Better/easier controls for Mouse/Keyboard and Controller (to avoid problems like in DA:I)

You want us to fam ressources, than in form of a shorter not so time consuming way like in DA:I or ME2. Maybe a plantation and mining deck in the spaceship or a personal farm or lots of Pharmacys/Alchemists/Smiths and Hospitals, where we can buy ressources for a smaller fee. A black market could be another option.

Please add storages, storage chests or an infinite bag to collect things without getting claustrophobia. It was a nightmare in DA:I.

Last but not least: try to create decent looks for the chargens. Especially spend time on hair (not 20x bald, 5 others), make up and eyes/mouth, noses and skinoptions. There are lots of fan suggestions, mods or sites & magazines with models for barbers, stylists and fashion where you can get nice ideas.

Edit: Please add a saving-option to the chargen or usethe facecodesystem from ME. A feature totally forgotten in DA:I.

 

Wow that was a lot. Sorry for all the blabber *spamspam*. So long have a nice day


#18
Avilan II
Posté 21 juin 2015 - 07:02

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For some reason my post never made it.

 

Repeating the short version:

 

1. Characters

2. Storytelling (not to be confused with STORY, which Bioware is so-so on)

3. Politics

 

ME3 - Because good balance between story, atmosphere and gameplay

 

DAO - Because I have to pick  DA game.*

(DA2 sucked, I refused to finish it because I hated it so much. DAI never worked right on my old computer, and I have yet to start it on the new one)

 

*Bioware's best game to date is Baldur's Gate II

 

 


#19
RatThing
Posté 21 juin 2015 - 07:47

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Question 1: I can only speak for the Mass Effect games.

 

1. The setting. I like space exploration settings and Mass Effect is one of the few good games (game series) that uses it. I hope that the exploration of uncharted space and interacting with unknown races will be the main focus of the upcoming game.

 

2. The possibility to shape your story and character with choices and dialogue options. Hopefully they expand the possibilities and don't restrict them anymore by removing the neutral dialogue option or having too much autodialogue.

 

3. The gameplay and the multiplayer of the last game. with the new game engine and all I expect the next game to be even better in this regard.

 

Question 2: Because of the best gameplay, the third game was my favourite. It also had the best soundtrack and cutscenes and a gripping main story. It was the best implemented game. When it comes to content, the first game was my favourite, because of the exploration part. The second is my least favourite game. Too little possibilites to explore and not a great story either. It was fun but it wasn't great (except the suicide mission which was awesome).

 

Question 3: How about being able to fly one of those shuttles on a planet? Or being able to control your space ship in battles? I'm up for everything that gives me more mobility and more freedom.


#20
Guest_Donkson_*
Posté 22 juin 2015 - 11:12

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For some reason my post never made it.

 

Repeating the short version:

 

1. Characters

2. Storytelling (not to be confused with STORY, which Bioware is so-so on)

3. Politics

 

ME3 - Because good balance between story, atmosphere and gameplay

 

DAO - Because I have to pick  DA game.*

(DA2 sucked, I refused to finish it because I hated it so much. DAI never worked right on my old computer, and I have yet to start it on the new one)

 

*Bioware's best game to date is Baldur's Gate II

 

That part I highlighted there. Interesting. Could you please elaborate? I always thought the two were one and the same. Do you mean that BW write average stories but are great at how they put it across, or present it?

 

 

Question 1: I can only speak for the Mass Effect games.

 

1. The setting. I like space exploration settings and Mass Effect is one of the few good games (game series) that uses it. I hope that the exploration of uncharted space and interacting with unknown races will be the main focus of the upcoming game.

 

2. The possibility to shape your story and character with choices and dialogue options. Hopefully they expand the possibilities and don't restrict them anymore by removing the neutral dialogue option or having too much autodialogue.

 

3. The gameplay and the multiplayer of the last game. with the new game engine and all I expect the next game to be even better in this regard.

 

Question 2: Because of the best gameplay, the third game was my favourite. It also had the best soundtrack and cutscenes and a gripping main story. It was the best implemented game. When it comes to content, the first game was my favourite, because of the exploration part. The second is my least favourite game. Too little possibilites to explore and not a great story either. It was fun but it wasn't great (except the suicide mission which was awesome).

 

Question 3: How about being able to fly one of those shuttles on a planet? Or being able to control your space ship in battles? I'm up for everything that gives me more mobility and more freedom.

 

That's an excellent idea.. I always thought that actually flying a ship was missing. It was all about interactions on the ship and combat on ground. If they could pull it off I think flying would be fantastic! Give us a real space feel. Add to that the option of perhaps buying new, different ships throughout the course of the game would be good.


#21
Jester
Posté 22 juin 2015 - 12:13

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The name of this thread remind of clickbait titles on news websites.

 

 

. Pick three things that you think make a BioWare game great. (Feel free to add more if you can't decide on three things, or add something of your own to the list if it isn't already there)

 

1. Lore of the world - That's the best one. Both Mass Effect and Dragon Age created vast, believable worlds with interesting and rich lore, created with imagination, mysterious and alluring, with secrets around every corner. World design is definitely BioWare's strongest feat.

2. Characters - Each game creates plenty of interesting characters, with complex personalities and give the player plenty of interactions with them. From the antagonists to companions - most of them are excellent.

3. Story - While BioWare specializes in "the hero saves the world" cliche, there is a lot of nuance, emotion and great writing everywhere. They are still in the absolute elite when it comes to creating stories, although they are not the best anymore (at least for me).

 

2. List in order your favourite games in each franchise (DA and ME) from first to last. Then explain why.

 

Dragon Age Franchise:

 

1. Dragon Age: Origins - Has origin stories, making it easier to identify with your character and provides interesting and unique backgrounds, and has great replayability. Main story, while full of cliches is actually good enough to make you take interest in the world and interact with various factions. It also provides you with quite difficult decisions that have some consequences during the epilogue and are referenced in the ending. Characters are quite interesting, though not as much as in some other entries of the franchise. The world is well constructed, believable, and incredibly varied with rich history and lore. There is huge attention to detail, visible everywhere. Mediocre combat with too much emphasis put on it (I'm looking at you Deep Roads...) and too many lazily designed side quests hold it back from being legendary.

 

2. Dragon Age: Inquisition - Astonishing visuals, improved character mobility, combat system and animations, great cast of characters, spectacularly done main story missions (setting a new standard on how this element should be done in RPGs from now on) interesting main antagonist, great crafting system and varied locations - as well as expanding on the world's rich lore and possibilty to play some clever politics make it a great game. A pathetic last mission that is not influenced by our progression through the rest of the game, problems with pacing (tension decreases as the main story progresses) and an even more lazily done side quests filling the empty world hold it back and make it not as good as the first entry of the series, but significantly better than Dragon Age II.

 

3. Dragon Age 2 - Diluted story lacks focus and clear objectives.  Horrible map design, with repeated locations. Choices you make hardly have any effect on the world, which makes you feel like a spectator the the story. Riddiculous, over the top abilities, wave based combat messes with immersion and makes it hard to treat the game seriously. Broken friendly fire and boss HP horribly bloated take away from otherwise improved combat system. The change in graphical style and art direction, as well as lack of detail make graphics actually look worse than it's predecessor - although character animations and facial expression are far better. The game is somehow saved by better side quest design (despite repetitive maps), interesting characters and interactions, plenty of companion missions and exellent DLCs (especially Legacy).

 

4. Dragon Age: Awakening - Take the first entry to the series and strip it of everything that was good. Boring characters, lack of moral choices apart from the very end, copied main story design (visit 3 places and do quests there) stripped from interacting with interesting factions, overpowered characters that strip any challange from already luckluster combat... The only redeeming qualities are a possibilty to play a bit of court intrigue and expanding on the Darkspawn lore - along with excellent antagonist - the Architect.

 

 

Mass Effect Franchise:

I don't have a ranking here. Unlike Dragon Age, I view Mass Effect as basically one coherent story. The story, characters, writing, the world  - all narrative elements are very well done in all three entries, Main differences are in combat (with Mass Effect 3 being the best, and Mass Effect being the worst) and the dissatisfying conclusion to the trilogy. 

 

3. Do you have an idea, something new to add to the upcoming game?

 

 As the game will probably be focused around exploration - I would like to have a real reactive world, that changes over time based on main and secondary missions that we do throught the game. How particularly it should look like - I don't know, without knowing some specifics about the game. I can only ask to look at how The Witcher 2&3 handled it and expand upon it, making it even better. 

 

 

 

For some reason my post never made it.

 

Repeating the short version:

 

1. Characters

2. Storytelling (not to be confused with STORY, which Bioware is so-so on)

3. Politics

 

ME3 - Because good balance between story, atmosphere and gameplay

 

DAO - Because I have to pick  DA game.*

(DA2 sucked, I refused to finish it because I hated it so much. DAI never worked right on my old computer, and I have yet to start it on the new one)

 

*Bioware's best game to date is Baldur's Gate II

 

Funny, I have the exact opposite opinion. Their stories are very good - but the storytelling aspect is not. It's particularly visible in Dragon Age 2 and Inqusition. The story of Hawke is interesting, but the storytelling lacks direction, fails to engage player into it, breaks the story into a series of unrelated menial work and has serious problems with pacing. The same with Inqusition - after Battle of Haven, everything goes downhill - each mission tells a separate story, villain is potrayed as incompetent, the tension decreases instead of increasing...

 

On the other hand, storytelling is Mass Effect is actually good (as well as the story). 


#22
jak11164
Posté 22 juin 2015 - 12:48

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I will make it short

first I love in ME trilogy is:

Romance

Story telling (except Me3)

.

.

.

Gameplay

Graphics

what is good Bioware also.... well.... in giving empty promises: that our choices will really matter

 

and ME>ME2>>>>me3

why? ME had great story with a lot of consistency and mystery/twist of action. I really like to play it again and again. And why Me 3 is so thin? It is because we had to kiss goodbye to Shepard and game was more concentrated on running around the block with gun than the story. I just don't want to go trough that traumatic experience again.

 

So I hope Andromeda should be nice new begging. Not spin off, not continuation just "N7 Andromeda" because what happened in Milky Way may still have some influence on nearby galaxy and I do not like that


#23
Guest_Donkson_*
Posté 22 juin 2015 - 01:03

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The name of this thread remind of clickbait titles on news websites.

 

 

1. Lore of the world - That's the best one. Both Mass Effect and Dragon Age created vast, believable worlds with interesting and rich lore, created with imagination, mysterious and alluring, with secrets around every corner. World design is definitely BioWare's strongest feat.

2. Characters - Each game creates plenty of interesting characters, with complex personalities and give the player plenty of interactions with them. From the antagonists to companions - most of them are excellent.

3. Story - While BioWare specializes in "the hero saves the world" cliche, there is a lot of nuance, emotion and great writing everywhere. They are still in the absolute elite when it comes to creating stories, although they are not the best anymore (at least for me).

 

Dragon Age Franchise:

 

1. Dragon Age: Origins - Has origin stories, making it easier to identify with your character and provides interesting and unique backgrounds, and has great replayability. Main story, while full of cliches is actually good enough to make you take interest in the world and interact with various factions. It also provides you with quite difficult decisions that have some consequences during the epilogue and are referenced in the ending. Characters are quite interesting, though not as much as in some other entries of the franchise. The world is well constructed, believable, and incredibly varied with rich history and lore. There is huge attention to detail, visible everywhere. Mediocre combat with too much emphasis put on it (I'm looking at you Deep Roads...) and too many lazily designed side quests hold it back from being legendary.

 

2. Dragon Age: Inquisition - Astonishing visuals, improved character mobility, combat system and animations, great cast of characters, spectacularly done main story missions (setting a new standard on how this element should be done in RPGs from now on) interesting main antagonist, great crafting system and varied locations - as well as expanding on the world's rich lore and possibilty to play some clever politics make it a great game. A pathetic last mission that is not influenced by our progression through the rest of the game, problems with pacing (tension decreases as the main story progresses) and an even more lazily done side quests filling the empty world hold it back and make it not as good as the first entry of the series, but significantly better than Dragon Age II.

 

3. Dragon Age 2 - Diluted story lacks focus and clear objectives.  Horrible map design, with repeated locations. Choices you make hardly have any effect on the world, which makes you feel like a spectator the the story. Riddiculous, over the top abilities, wave based combat messes with immersion and makes it hard to treat the game seriously. Broken friendly fire and boss HP horribly bloated take away from otherwise improved combat system. The change in graphical style and art direction, as well as lack of detail make graphics actually look worse than it's predecessor - although character animations and facial expression are far better. The game is somehow saved by better side quest design (despite repetitive maps), interesting characters and interactions, plenty of companion missions and exellent DLCs (especially Legacy).

 

4. Dragon Age: Awakening - Take the first entry to the series and strip it of everything that was good. Boring characters, lack of moral choices apart from the very end, copied main story design (visit 3 places and do quests there) stripped from interacting with interesting factions, overpowered characters that strip any challange from already luckluster combat... The only redeeming qualities are a possibilty to play a bit of court intrigue and expanding on the Darkspawn lore - along with excellent antagonist - the Architect.

 

 

Mass Effect Franchise:

I don't have a ranking here. Unlike Dragon Age, I view Mass Effect as basically one coherent story. The story, characters, writing, the world  - all narrative elements are very well done in all three entries, Main differences are in combat (with Mass Effect 3 being the best, and Mass Effect being the worst) and the dissatisfying conclusion to the trilogy. 

 

 As the game will probably be focused around exploration - I would like to have a real reactive world, that changes over time based on main and secondary missions that we do throught the game. How particularly it should look like - I don't know, without knowing some specifics about the game. I can only ask to look at how The Witcher 2&3 handled it and expand upon it, making it even better. 

 

 

 

Funny, I have the exact opposite opinion. Their stories are very good - but the storytelling aspect is not. It's particularly visible in Dragon Age 2 and Inqusition. The story of Hawke is interesting, but the storytelling lacks direction, fails to engage player into it, breaks the story into a series of unrelated menial work and has serious problems with pacing. The same with Inqusition - after Battle of Haven, everything goes downhill - each mission tells a separate story, villain is potrayed as incompetent, the tension decreases instead of increasing...

 

On the other hand, storytelling is Mass Effect is actually good (as well as the story). 

 

 

:lol: Good observation. "Clickbait" indeed. I intentionally titled that because I know people love to voice their opinion. ;)

 

I've always had a preference for Mass Effect over Dragon Age in pretty much every category. Well.. save for romance. DA:I did the best romance but I felt lacked in every other department. Having said that I don't play a game with romance as a top priority, it's just a bit of fun on the side.

 

A changing world over the course of time -- even based on choices -- would be fantastic. Hell, I would even look to the Fable series. While it was pretty cliche'd/black and white, it was still great. I played both good and evil characters and saw major differences between the two.

 

 

I will make it short

first I love in ME trilogy is:

Romance

Story telling (except Me3)

.

.

.

Gameplay

Graphics

what is good Bioware also.... well.... in giving empty promises: that our choices will really matter

 

and ME>ME2>>>>me3

why? ME had great story with a lot of consistency and mystery/twist of action. I really like to play it again and again. And why Me 3 is so thin? It is because we had to kiss goodbye to Shepard and game was more concentrated on running around the block with gun than the story. I just don't want to go trough that traumatic experience again.

 

So I hope Andromeda should be nice new begging. Not spin off, not continuation just "N7 Andromeda" because what happened in Milky Way may still have some influence on nearby galaxy and I do not like that

 

So you would like a clean slate?

 

I think you will be safe there, as the controversy surrounded the endings of ME3 is, like many people say, too hard for the devs to deal with. Everybody had different choices.

 

Unless they decide to make an "ME keep" I don't see it happening.


#24
themikefest
Posté 22 juin 2015 - 01:21

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- storytelling

- gameplay

- replay value

 

DAO>ME2>ME3>DAi>ME1>DA2

 

- I would add more control who to have as a squadmate. I want squadmates that I can trust. I don't want them pretend to be my friend and then not live up too it.  I don't want to play mother to them. If I do, I want to be able to give them a pacifier. This works for crew members as well

- I like to see a lot more renegade interrupts or at least the option to use some very harsh dialogue. ME3 needed a lot more renegade interrupts

- I like to have the ability to complete the mission without taking squadmates. ME3 was easy enough that I could complete the game by myself without having squadmates


#25
jak11164
Posté 22 juin 2015 - 01:25

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So you would like a clean slate?

 

I think you will be safe there, as the controversy surrounded the endings of ME3 is, like many people say, too hard for the devs to deal with. Everybody had different choices.

 

Unless they decide to make an "ME keep" I don't see it happening.

 Yes... we killed Reapers in our galaxy with one shot gun and they  definitely are capable of learning so if we meet them again there will be no mercy, crucible or catalyst. Who knows how many of them stayed outside of our galaxy or were wandering trough the universe. What we know that they are capable of travelling to Adromeda and far beyond our local cluster of galaxies.

I just hope devs will not give customers such bitter game as ME3. You create your character care for him/her for entire trilogy and at the end watch him /her die because devs just decided. There is "better solution" ---> bitter one.. for the sake of your crew mates.

So I want clean new start. No Mass Effect Andromeda just N7 Andromeda


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