At the very least I want to see the squad size vary from mission to mission depending on the objectives, from just you, to you and one squad member, to you and two, or three.
I liked the Kasumi and Arrival DLCs for offering different squad sizes (one and none* respectively), so I wouldn't mind seeing that again.
*I know about Kenson but she's there for about 5 minutes as a squad member compared to the rest of the 1 hour 30-ish length of the DLC.
They would need to cut down on powers/abilities since it was already becoming unwieldy in the earlier installments.
Could work though.
I'd like to see different missions requiring different sized teams, that would be cool.
The final mission is usually going to be more dramatic than the others, or set during the climactic battle, so it might make more sense to have the full team involved in the finale than earlier, if it can only be done for one mission.
Apparently the end mission in ME3 wasn't dramatic enough to warrant having all squadmates for the mission
The question here is: Can the consoles handle a bigger team? Not just display additional characters, but control their behaviour in combat? The calculations increase exponentially with every extra companion. (Which is why you don't actually fight -with- your friends in the Citadel DLC, that's all scripted on their side.)
I hope it stays 2, as I prefer a smaller squad. I really don't need 3 squad mates. For Mass Effect it is perfectly fine as it is, and I can't see them change it for ME:A.
Also, since I play on console, there's not enough buttons to map more than 1 of each squad mates' powers to the hot keys already, it would be a nightmare with 3 squad mates for the current system they're using.
If they would ever add a 4th squad mate, I think - at least for consoles - they'd need to seriously overhaul the combat system and make it more tactical which sounds way too close to Dragon Age. Which I really don't want for Mass Effect to happen.
I think 2 is good.
A 3rd squadmate would not really change gameplay or anything, just result in an additional powerset and available powers.
But it would likely lead to the absence of mission specific squad banter, which we had in ME3 and which I really liked.
Having 3 squadmates drastically increases the number of possible combinations at each mission (assuming there are more than 4 squadmates in total).
I haven't played DA:I, but I guess it has the same rather generic comment exchanges between 2 squadmates as DA:O had.
I would prefer two or fewer squadmates in combat areas. Two is company, three's a crowd. I don't want to haul around a third corpse squadmate in combat. It's just better if I do all the shooting and squadmates hang back, you know for moral support.
I would subscribe to more missions involving the whole team similar to the suicide mission and citadel DLC however.
I imagine designing missions where the whole squad is involved is more work for the dev team, so something like ME2's Suicide Mission probably isn't practical for every main story mission. That said I'd love it became the standard at least for every end run of a Mass Effect game.
Or, say, for when they need the crew to be away so that the reapers can kidnap your crew.
The question here is: Can the consoles handle a bigger team? Not just display additional characters, but control their behaviour in combat? The calculations increase exponentially with every extra companion. (Which is why you don't actually fight -with- your friends in the Citadel DLC, that's all scripted on their side.)
I don't quite see why next-gen consoles would have trouble controlling a third or even fourth crewmate when current-gen consoles can handle dozens of enemies in addition to two mates.
I think 2 is good.
A 3rd squadmate would not really change gameplay or anything, just result in an additional powerset and available powers.
But it would likely lead to the absence of mission specific squad banter, which we had in ME3 and which I really liked.
Having 3 squadmates drastically increases the number of possible combinations at each mission (assuming there are more than 4 squadmates in total).
I haven't played DA:I, but I guess it has the same rather generic comment exchanges between 2 squadmates as DA:O had.
An additional powerset and available powers, the "squad" not feeling quite as hopelessly outnumbered all the time when they have absolutely no reason to be, and giving you the sense that you're building an actual team instead of just broadening the selection a bit when it comes to picking your hangout buddies, yes. Not exactly the end of the world.
I can't count the number of times in all three games where i had one mission and three or four squadmates whom I figured had strong personal motivation to want to take part in it, except that only two were allowed to come along even when it would have made perfect sense and in fact been stupid and irresponsible not to bring the full force of the group to bear.
I played the trilogy back-to-back some three weeks ago, and except for the exchanges between Javik and Liara on certain missions at no point did the party banter feel anything less than generic. Mostly they were one character pointing out something obvious and the other offering their verbal equivalent of a shrug. I'd take DA:O's banter any day.
I don't quite see why next-gen consoles would have trouble controlling a third or even fourth crewmate when current-gen consoles can handle dozens of enemies in addition to two mates.
The problem is not the actual number on screen, but the ability to assign powers to the controller. I'm on PS3 and I have 3 hot keys for Shepard and 1 for each squad mate. That's it.
Now, I used to be someone who played with the power wheel all the time because I sucked at real time combat. I had to pause the game and select each power from there. Which would of course be doable with a 3rd squad mate. But once I learned how to play not pausing the game all the time anymore I loved the fluid combat and the fact that I don't have to use the power wheel anymore at all, unless I wanted a specific power from a squad mate I couldn't map to my hot keys.
The thing is that the power usage is just really limited on a console already, and that's where I see major problems with a 3rd squad mate.
I imagine designing missions where the whole squad is involved is more work for the dev team, so something like ME2's Suicide Mission probably isn't practical for every main story mission. That said I'd love it became the standard at least for every end run of a Mass Effect game.
since so many problems could have been solved if Shepard bothered to bring an extra person along.
...wat
I'm fine 2. I just don't want forced companions again, like you have to take this guy to that mission and that guy to that mission... e.g. EDI in ME3.
The problem is not the actual number on screen, but the ability to assign powers to the controller. I'm on PS3 and I have 3 hot keys for Shepard and 1 for each squad mate. That's it.
Now, I used to be someone who played with the power wheel all the time because I sucked at real time combat. I had to pause the game and select each power from there. Which would of course be doable with a 3rd squad mate. But once I learned how to play not pausing the game all the time anymore I loved the fluid combat and the fact that I don't have to use the power wheel anymore at all, unless I wanted a specific power from a squad mate I couldn't map to my hot keys.
The thing is that the power usage is just really limited on a console already, and that's where I see major problems with a 3rd squad mate.
I'm on the PS3 too and have only ever used the triangle button for class powers and wheel for the rest, so I can't attest to how the game feels using exclusively hotkeys. It does sound fun so I'll probably give it a try next time I'm overcome by nostalgia. Thanks for the tip. Even so, the need for more hotkeys on consoles still seems like a solvable problem with some clever button mapping. And again, I'd personally continue to be happy with just using the power wheel. Okay, that's a lie, it does break immersion a bit having to open the wheel every two or three seconds when you get up in levels and get more abilities with shorter cooldowns, but I'd prefer making some compromises for those extra hotkeys over staying on just two active companions when it makes no sense in the narrative.
Or, say, for when they need the crew to be away so that the reapers can kidnap your crew.
That was so bizarre that I wonder whether they might have originally planned for a mission there that didn't make the game.
That was so bizarre that I wonder whether they might have originally planned for a mission there that didn't make the game.
The main plot - such as it was - of ME2 was so screw-y that I wouldn't be surprised if no one even thought about this point.
A better way to control your squadmates would be good, as well as more options.
Something like in Republic Commando was pretty good with a four-clone squad.
I don't think a 4 man squad
Squad
quad
quad = 4
I'm fine with just 2 squadmates on the mission. I'm skeptical they could increase the number without dumbing down squad control.
I'm fine with just 2 squadmates on the mission. I'm skeptical they could increase the number without dumbing down squad control.
Best case scenario would be utilizing the bumpers on that Elite controller, but that would leave the PS4 players out in the cold and there are way more PS4 players than XB1 players.
I don't want more decoys and decoys stealing my kills. I want a solo option this time around. I'm Commander Shepard. I can handle it.
Having two or three companions doesn't matter that much to me (although three would be nice), what I would prefer instead is:
- More banter between companions during missions! This is an awesome way not only of getting to know the characters themselves, but also their relationship with the other members of the crew.
- Being able to "assume direct control" like you can in DA and switch between companions. It feels weird that the moment Shepard is incapacitated the mission fails; I would like it if we could keep on playing as the one of the other companions. The thought that bad-asses like Garrus and Jack would have given up the moment Shepard was unconscious is just not plausible.
- Missions where the other companions are present but doing something else off-screen. Like others have mentioned, why leave so many competent people behind all the time? It doesn't always have to have a big impact (like ME2's suicide mission), it would be enough just to hear some radio-chatter between the companions.
These are just my wishes though, and I'm guessing there are reasons why some of them are not implemented.
I'd be happy if they done away with companions tbh, BioWare games are far far far to predictable an "same"
Wont happen for ME or DA i know but this new IP there doing i really hope it just no a modern day DA or ME that would just bore the crap out me, they need to up there game an diversify there games, try somein totally new with new formulas
Please yes...for the people saying they want less, if people want just 3 person squads (or 2, or solo) they should have the option to do that
I'm fine with just 2 squadmates on the mission. I'm skeptical they could increase the number without dumbing down squad control.
I'm curious what exactly you're talking about when you say "squad control". The "someone go there!" function? Even if that for some reason couldn't be implemented with more than two squadmates, or made relevant in the slightest for that matter, I could certainly learn to live without that level of hive-mind-like coordination. In fact, I already have for quite a number of playthroughs.
Retour en haut