Hey do you remember that time when you broke your friend Jack out of a prison and she ripped through like 3 ymir mechs without a gun? Did you ever ask yourself " hey why can't I do that?" Clearly the full potential of biotic users like Samra and Jack are capped in gameplay. It's time to throw that cap out the window.
Not sure if serious of troll, but if serious I'd say that so are the capabilities of weapons and also the effectiveness of melee attacks against kinetic armors in mass effect.
It's a failure of many writers: Most can't think of an intelligent way to use (super)powers. It's almost always just brute force and that has to be fitted into the gameplay, which means you can only use a very limited version of what should be available in universe.
I approve of this, but I'd like some sort of drawback. Have biotics be pathetically useless at low levels, or do uncontrollable AoE friendly fire damage or something.
It's a failure of many writers: Most can't think of an intelligent way to use (super)powers. It's almost always just brute force and that has to be fitted into the gameplay, which means you can only use a very limited version of what should be available in universe.
I think it has more to do with how they originally designed the gameplay and levels. The levels were so small and playing Shepard was playing playing as a brick, you couldn't jump, there was no diving, no sliding. Now that I think about it, we were so limited.
It's a failure of many writers: Most can't think of an intelligent way to use (super)powers. It's almost always just brute force and that has to be fitted into the gameplay, which means you can only use a very limited version of what should be available in universe.
warp, singularity, energy drain, neural shock, reave, seeker swarms (technically not brute force even though they're thrown out), tactical scan, stasis, hunter mode....
Also, brute force is a tried and tested way to kill ****, so it makes sense for them to gravitate towards it.
Magic worked this way in Baldur's Gate. The Fireball and Cloudkill spells were absolutely devastating, but that devastation applied to both your enemies and any allies caught in the blast.
My ideas would be:
1) Self-damage when using biotic powers, reflecting the physical strain of using them.
2) Some sort of exhaustion effect after using them, like you can't sprint, you take increased damage, your screen blurs so it's harder to aim, etc.
3) AoE friendly fire, as Sylvius suggested.
I prefer friendly fire then. There are always way to work around that. In BG1/2 my tanks had near 100% fire resistance, so they rushed in and when they had all enemies in position, my wizards cut loose and burned the entire area to the ground. ^^
I detest screen shakes and blurry effects. Why should my screen shake each and every time someone uses a power next to me? Am I not able to compensate for that, not even after years of combat?
Self damage would be negated by either healing powers or the regeneration between fights.
Mainly because the Asari would kick everyone's arses. Although there is some in game lore justification for that anyway, e.g.:
The Serrice Guard set out to stop Blood Pack mercenaries attempting to enslave asari colonies in the Terminus Systems. After a ship-to-ship fight, the commandos and mercs crash-landed. With no means to contact Thessia, the surviving asari continued to engage the grounded Blood Pack, whittling down the frustrated slavers with traps, ambushes, and nighttime offensives. After nine days and more than 100 casualties, the Blood Pack surrendered. And the mercenaries were astonished to learn they had only been battling five asari commandos. Although the Guard downplayed their heroics, they became instant celebrities upon their return to Thessia.
I can just imagine how that would go down on the BSN.
warp, singularity, energy drain, neural shock, reave, seeker swarms (technically not brute force even though they're thrown out), tactical scan, stasis, hunter mode....
Also, brute force is a tried and tested way to kill ****, so it makes sense for them to gravitate towards it.
I know but that's not what I meant. Warp is totally brute force btw. 
All those powers are combat only. Intelligent use means finding ways using your powers to make everything easier/better, not just combat. If I can drain energy, why do I need to shut down the power grid? If I'm biotic, why do I have to solve a puzzle to get past a barred entrance instead of blasting it open or levitating the object I'm after to me?
Biotics can control mass/gravity with their mind and they don't use it for fun? For transportation? For reaching high shelves or lifting heavy crates?
This goes even further with actual superpowers. People have written a lot about finding better ways to use those than beating up criminals. A tech genius could revolutionize the world and get rich, too. You can teleport and bring people with you? People will pay outrageous sums for that. Your powers create energy out of nothing? Let me introduce you to someone working at a power plant...
Of course, biotics are very limited in their application compared to superpowers but you can't tell me there are no non-combat uses for them.
No thanks, I would like the other classes to actually have a reason to exist. And I say this as someone who plays Sentinel.
I think the only way to resolve the consistency issues with biotics would be to remove biotics as an option for players, and I really don't want that.
Perfect story and gameplay integration would render balancing a squad with biotics impossible, and it would destroy balance in MP. It would be a shame to reduce rp and combat options, even if it would mean developing better lore consistency.
I think the only way to resolve the consistency issues with biotics would be to remove biotics as an option for players, and I really don't want that.
This is true, I mean if we go by the lore, you should be exhausted for several minutes after just using a single power to lift or throw or something.
You'd need a snack break and everything to get back into the fight.
This is true, I mean if we go by the lore, you should be exhausted for several minutes after just using a single power to lift or throw or something.
You'd need a snack break and everything to get back into the fight.
Depends on what you mean by lore, if you go by cutscenes about Biotics, that's obviously not true, especially not for powerful ones.
Did you ever ask yourself why she can only do that in a cutscene and not during gameplay?
The reasons are obvious, but there should be some correlation...
Did you ever ask yourself why she can only do that in a cutscene and not during gameplay?
No.
Just like I didn't ask why Malak could singlehandedly hold his own against three Jedi and was bested one by combatant who wouldn't have even been in his league a month before.
Its game play.
The reasons are obvious, but there should be some correlation...
Why don't you mention how obvious they are?
I think the only way to resolve the consistency issues with biotics would be to remove biotics as an option for players, and I really don't want that.
Perfect story and gameplay integration would render balancing a squad with biotics impossible, and it would destroy balance in MP. It would be a shame to reduce rp and combat options, even if it would mean developing better lore consistency.
If the protagonist is always biotic, it would work out. I mean, Shepard was always biotic, even if they didn't use it. (Which is yet another plothole)
Infiltrator Shepard with Tactical Cloak > Flare (Aria's unique OP biotic power) took out entire groups instantly, there was zero balance.
MP (well, do we even know that there will be an actual MP?) doesn't have to feature characters like that, we could play just the normal grunts again.
If you go by cutscenes
I rarely go by cutscenes for anything.
They tend to be nonsensical most of the time.
THIS!I know but that's not what I meant. Warp is totally brute force btw.
All those powers are combat only. Intelligent use means finding ways using your powers to make everything easier/better, not just combat. If I can drain energy, why do I need to shut down the power grid? If I'm biotic, why do I have to solve a puzzle to get past a barred entrance instead of blasting it open or levitating the object I'm after to me?
Biotics can control mass/gravity with their mind and they don't use it for fun? For transportation? For reaching high shelves or lifting heavy crates?
This goes even further with actual superpowers. People have written a lot about finding better ways to use those than beating up criminals. A tech genius could revolutionize the world and get rich, too. You can teleport and bring people with you? People will pay outrageous sums for that. Your powers create energy out of nothing? Let me introduce you to someone working at a power plant...
Of course, biotics are very limited in their application compared to superpowers but you can't tell me there are no non-combat uses for them.
Why don't you mention how obvious they are?
Gameplay balance etc. all those tired concepts that games supposedly can't work without.
That said, you can't have Jack destroying an army by herself, and then in game provide her with the most useless biotic options in the game...
Gameplay balance etc. all those tired concept that games supposedly can't work without.
That said, you can't have Jack destroying an army by herself, and then in game provide her with the most useless biotic options in the game...
She will try and fail to destroy you.
She will try and fail to destroy you.
The way she played in game was just... sad.
At least she and Samara got an option to show their power during the long walk, but otherwise? srsly...
but otherwise? srsly...
You expect better?
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