30 réponses à ce sujet

[billywaffles]

My take on fan service is very personal, but I think I should share it as I think it is becoming a major trend in many games, especially in the ME franchise, and I am concerned about the amount of fan service we will get in ME: Andromeda.

 

First off, I do not think fan service is a bad thing. It is something that players demand and somehow the devopers want to do to please the fanbase.

 

I think that explicit content made to please part of the fanbase is fine. What it is not fine is to milk the same contents over and over again (via DLC or subsequent installements) because it doesn't add any quality to the story. Yes, I am talking about Citadel DLC. For the most part I found it boring and stupid, especially the house-warming party, to the point that I only played it once, despite the fact I had at least 4 different characters. I may be a minority here, but I would have prefered other dlc more story-focused and less fan service.

 

We all know bioware is going to implement romances in ME:A, but the thing is how far do they want to get with it via core content or DLC. I like romances and I think ME1 made it right in both quantity and quality. In ME2 they went a bit further and in ME3 they went too far in terms of quantity (but not on quality) to the point that Shepard is more known for the "We'll bang ok?" than for his story fighting the reapers.

 

What would be the correct balance of fan service for ME:A? The approach of ME1 or the approach of ME3?

 

So feel free to share your opinion, agree or bash the hell out of my post

[Mcfly616]

Fan service is a detriment to overall quality and creativity. 

[SNascimento]

Fan service is a detriment to overall quality and creativity. 

Not as a rule. Citadel DLC is pretty much pure fan service and its an awesome DLC. 

But I do agree that overall, thinking to please the fans might lead to poor creative decisions. The Asari are an interesting example of this, no matter how much work they put into developing their lore, I can't help but to see them as a primarily a fan service decision. 

[KaiserShep]

The asari were always a weird sort of fan service, because while they're the universally attractive race for everyone else in the MEU, they were also usually the most unpleasant, snotty blue-holes that comprised a great deal of the enemy forces we gunned down in ME1 and 2. 

 

I don't see how ME3 went over ME2 in terms of quantity. Heck, a number of romances in ME3 were dependent on whether or not you initiated them in ME2. But I would disagree on ME1 being top with its quality overall. They were far fewer, but the dialogue around them was a lot more wooden and awkward, especially with Liara. 

[Vapaa]

They were far fewer, but the dialogue around them was a lot more wooden and awkward, especially with Liara.

And for god's sake those laughable "I'm gonna walk behind the LI and s/he will turn around like in romantic movies" cutscenes.

There's a lot of things in ME1 that are better left to history.

[Panda]

I don't mind fanservice that much, usually it leads to something that majority of players like. For example Garrus and Tali's addition as LI's was very good add even if it was something that fans had requested a lot. Haven't played Citadel yet, I have been meant to though, but isn't it very loved by fandom in general?

[General TSAR]

Obnoxious fan service takes a bit away from the quality. 

[Nomen Mendax]

I wasn't hugely impressed by the Citadel DLC, but I get that a lot of people liked it. I also don't really know how you define fan service - one person's fan service is probaly another person's well crafted plot (I find the possible romance with Tali kind of creepy, and other people love it).

 

I generally see romances as an intergral part of the plot of a good story, and if I'm going to spend a hundred or so hours with the PC I want to spend a reasonable amount of that time doing more than just killing things. When you look at ME3 a tiny fraction of the game is spent on romance so I'm surprised that people think it's too much.

[Mcfly616]

Not as a rule. Citadel DLC is pretty much pure fan service and its an awesome DLC. 

 Imo, yes, as a rule. Citadel DLC was awesome because it didn't take itself seriously at all. It was a parody of itself. It knew it was completely over-the-top fan-service. An entire game of that type of fan service would be a joke. Utter garbage.

[AlanC9]

I'm with Nomen Mendax. I have no idea what we're even talking about here. What counts as "fan service" for purposes of this thread?

[Feybrad]

Fanservice in moderated Amounts is absolutely okay, however, if it threatens to take more Attention than more important Parts of the Plot, then something is wrong.

[nici2412]

The general rule of fanservice: It's great as long as I'm the one being served. Otherwise it's awful and hurts the quality.

[Sanunes]

I will echo what others have said for it really depends on what you qualify for fan service.  I know people that consider all of Dragon Age: Inquisition to be completely fan service because after Dragon Age II there were a lot of comments on the boards about how that is the direction that Dragon Age needed to go in because "Bethesda knows how to make RPGs".

 

I also think it is silly to have any specific fan service in Andromeda because it is trying to be a fresh start and including nods or throwbacks to the past games might hinder what they are trying to do.

[Battlebloodmage]

I love Citadel. It was almost touching on the fourth wall in a way, like they're aware of their own characteristic and got flanderized. Not all DLC have to be fan service, but one or two don't hurt anyone.

[LordSwagley]

More Bewbz in ME:A plzzz...

But seriously, if people like something (like say... bewbz) why have less of it? Just as long as it does not become absurd (Traynors Galaxy-saving toothbrush), out of place (my tough female templar struts like a diva), or awkward (Wait did Tali just flirt with Shepard? Not really sure how to feel about this...). A slippery slope to balance now that I think about it...

[billywaffles]

 

The Asari are an interesting example of this, no matter how much work they put into developing their lore, I can't help but to see them as a primarily a fan service decision. 

I think asari are fine, although I can understand why you feel that way. The thing is they were established to be like that since the very beginning, without anybody asking for it. The fact they all look hot is more of a programming issue of developers not bothering in creating more body shapes, but that applies to human characters too, so even old ladies look hot.

 

More Bewbz in ME:A plzzz...

But seriously, if people like something (like say... bewbz) why have less of it? Just as long as it does not become absurd (Traynors Galaxy-saving toothbrush), out of place (my tough female templar struts like a diva), or awkward (Wait did Tali just flirt with Shepard? Not really sure how to feel about this...). A slippery slope to balance now that I think about it...

Not less content, just the right amount. Having more of the same is just milking out things without adding anything valuable to the gaming. You could argue that watching femshep dancing with Garrus was really worth it but I think it was completely unnecessary.

 

I love Citadel. It was almost touching on the fourth wall in a way, like they're aware of their own characteristic and got flanderized. Not all DLC have to be fan service, but one or two don't hurt anyone.

The thing is there should be a balance to everything. You could analyze ME3 without any DLC (including EC) and you would a fan service amount which would might be balanced. However, you add all major DLCs (EC, Leviatan, Omega and Citadel) and you are getting an overwhelming amount of fan service that makes the experience completely different. Longer? For sure. Better? Not for everyone.

[N7Jamaican]

Fan service DLC, that's optional and doesn't really impact the game (like Citadel DLC), then go for it.

[Kappa Neko]

I'm less concerned about fan service than greedy publishers/developers going for the easiest cash grabs from the easiest to please gamers.

Gamers vote with their wallets and what they vote for the most lately worries me.

 

I guess one could call that fan service too. I prefer the term "highly sophisticated crack dealers". I admit I loved the ME3MP, but man, it probably ruined future Mass Effect titles...

[MrStoob]

Fan service in the context of something like Citadel DLC is fine because it's apart from the main game, so the in-jokes and general silliness can be dipped into, then back to the actual story.  Previously, occasional one-liners like Tali's "I have a shot gun." weren't too bad but if it was continuous throughout, it'd grate.

 

Difficult to say without knowing the tone of the game exactly what level of 'service' is wanted.  With the ME trilody, it was always going to be near impossible to balance the fan service to the various LI 'factions' so it would be nice if everyone felt they got handled more evenly this time around.

[Beerfish]

Fan service is a detriment to overall quality and creativity. 

I couldn't disagree more.  The lack of fan service and the general feeling that it is a bad thing is what gives you crap totally unsatisfying endings like ME3.

[Mcfly616]

I couldn't disagree more.  The lack of fan service and the general feeling that it is a bad thing is what gives you crap totally unsatisfying endings like ME3.

 Agree to disagree then. I was satisfied with the endings. So, there's that...

[Drone223]

 Imo, yes, as a rule. Citadel DLC was awesome because it didn't take itself seriously at all. It was a parody of itself. It knew it was completely over-the-top fan-service. An entire game of that type of fan service would be a joke. Utter garbage.

I agree fan service is good so long as its done in moderation there's no harm in having fan service like the Citadel DLC every now and then.

 

P.S given how the Citadel DLC was the last experience for Shepard in the trilogy its pretty reasonable for it to be full of fan service.

[wright1978]

Fan service is one of those derogatory terms people bandy about to criticise content they don't like.

 

Personally for me Citadel was a fond farewell from the Devs to the series. It also addressed some of the legitimate feedback that there wasn't sufficient content for sidelined characters as well as a moment of downtime in the bleakness. I think it served its purpose, i don't agree with people crying out for every DLC to follow this path, not least because the mission element was deliberately weak and cheesy.

 

I don't agree that romances were overly fanservice. Tali and Garrus were good racial additions in me2, the fact that some people asked for them shouldn't mean the devs can't pursue such paths. That ME accumulated romances across wasn't a fanservice issue but one of the fact of the changing rosters over multiple games and understandable desire to add same sex options. I certainly think MEA should work off a smaller base but that should be easy as its the first game without baggage.