I'm pretty sure ME1's journal is such an example of what you're describing. As far as I can tell, the journal entries contain no more information than Shepard herself can read from computer data or hear from an NPC.
Doesn't it group them into categories so you can tell which ones are plot relevant?
How often did that happen though? And how often was it a especially beneficial strategy? I can't remember any instances where jumping on a ledge or flanking gave me a significant advantage. Most fights were on either relatively flat terrain or strict corridors. I even found it difficult to make use of higher ground because I couldn't reliably lock onto enemies below.
I'll agree that it was difficult to engage from above. It worked in action mode if you just wanted to use a basic attack (because that worked from everywhere), but as soon as you wanted to use an ability or switch to the tac cam, the character would abandon the position.
However, there were zones (Emprise du Lion is a good example) where parkouring up a mountain put in you in an unassailable location, so you could rain death down upon your enemies and there was nothing they could do about it (though, again, using the tac cam would often teleport you back to a location on a recognizable path, sometimes so far from the combat encounter that it would reset.
We're being a bit of a broken record here, but the problem isn't that there are collectibles and busywork, but that there are only collectibles and busywork. If someone gets pleasure from checking off those lists, go ahead, but it'd be nice to have something for the rest of us. I only suggest BioWare replace shards with better content (rather than have both) because it'd be less work for them for nearly the same payoff.
I disagree. Look at the Fallow Mire. Rescuing those soldiers was a proper quest, and it provided both tangible benefits to the Inquisition and had an easy roleplaying justification (unlike the mosaics, for example)
Most of the zones had a quest like that, and then you'd stumble across some of the other content on your way (like closing rifts, or siting camps).
Quelling the Blades of Hessarian on the Storm Coast is another good example.
Doesn't it group them into categories so you can tell which ones are plot relevant?
Well as I mentioned before you don't actually need to fill the areas with cut-scene side quests to make it interesting. That's just one of two main routes you can go.
The other one is what Skyrim does and lets you craft your own stories through the use of random encounters. The problem with DA:I is that, while the zones are more open and beautifully crafted, the encounters aren't actually all that random. There is no "This one time I ran into a Sabre Cat and nearly died so I ran off into a cave where I found this really cool item" like you can get in Skyrim because everything just feels so scripted.
I'm not advocating that they get rid of stuff like the shards or even the bottles and mosaics. I'm advocating that they make wandering around their zones more interesting, one way or another. I'm not personally against filling them with interesting side quests like The Witcher 3 did(which also had its share of the busywork stuff, too).
How often did that happen though? And how often was it a especially beneficial strategy? I can't remember any instances where jumping on a ledge or flanking gave me a significant advantage. Most fights were on either relatively flat terrain or strict corridors. I even found it difficult to make use of higher ground because I couldn't reliably lock onto enemies below.
I wish DA:I had a greater emphasis on maneuvering in or before combat, because that would have made each encounter potentially more unique. I hope that's what the jetpack does for Mass Effect.
We're being a bit of a broken record here, but the problem isn't that there are collectibles and busywork, but that there are only collectibles and busywork. If someone gets pleasure from checking off those lists, go ahead, but it'd be nice to have something for the rest of us. I only suggest BioWare replace shards with better content (rather than have both) because it'd be less work for them for nearly the same payoff.
Disagree with the 'feels' part, but that is based on opinion, and ours differs. In my time in Skyrim, I chose to go most of it solo, as the Follower AI was rather annoying (though mods did help). And the random encounters appear to be much the same; bears spawn in forests, bandits near ruins, etc.
Now I am all for making the side content more relevant to the character, story, and lore. But from what I have watched, not that impressed with TW3 side quests either, esp as it uses more cut-scenes.
I always went solo in Skyrim because companion AI was as dumb as a brick. Only I would prefer the brick because then I could hit people with it.
The main thing with DA:I is that the random encounters aren't actually random. Enemies have precise spawn locations and will simply respawn over a period of time. It's basically like the bandits in the forts of Skyrim, except everywhere. Wandering around in DA:I just feels more "scripted" for lack of a better word.
If you don't subscribe to the self created stories thing then any side quests they introduce are likely to have cut scenes. Especially after all the complaints over DA:I not using the cinematic cut scene view in more conversations.
I always went solo in Skyrim because companion AI was as dumb as a brick. Only I would prefer the brick because then I could hit people with it.
The main thing with DA:I is that the random encounters aren't actually random. Enemies have precise spawn locations and will simply respawn over a period of time. It's basically like the bandits in the forts of Skyrim, except everywhere. Wandering around in DA:I just feels more "scripted" for lack of a better word.
If you don't subscribe to the self created stories thing then any side quests they introduce are likely to have cut scenes. Especially after all the complaints over DA:I not using the cinematic cut scene view in more conversations.
In that case, I approve of ME1's journal.Not as such, although DLCs often put their additional secondary Codex entries into new separate categories. I guess that's so people who have already played know where to look for the entries they've never read.
Some complaints. Personally, I thought it was a tremendous return to form.If you don't subscribe to the self created stories thing then any side quests they introduce are likely to have cut scenes. Especially after all the complaints over DA:I not using the cinematic cut scene view in more conversations.
I already use head canon and RP to self create stories. And while I do not mind tighter camera shots of conversations, I know that I do not want the lengthy Go Get A Snack cut-scenes that plagued ME gameplay.
I know the forums aren't the only source of feedback but based on what I've seen here, I wouldn't be surprised to see BioWare move back to the cinematic camera more often.
Though personally I don't really care much between the two.
I know the forums aren't the only source of feedback but based on what I've seen here, I wouldn't be surprised to see BioWare move back to the cinematic camera more often.
Though personally I don't really care much between the two.
So this is my big fear with Bioware right now. Every game they make seems to be going further away from the great storylines that once were the backbone of every Bioware game. I mean Dragon Age 2 had a story that was rushed and completely nonsensical. Mass Effect 3... well that ending. And Dragon Age Inquisition had a short by the numbers story with a mustache twirling villain.
So I really hope Andromeda turns out to be more than a big space exploration sim with a tacked on story mode.
LoL, I couldn't agree more. DA:I was so disappointing that I couldn't even bear to finish it... I want characters and story lines like those in DA:O and ME2 back.
LoL, I couldn't agree more. DA:I was so disappointing that I couldn't even bear to finish it... I want characters and story lines like those in DA:O and ME2 back.
Love DAO; consider it a classic in storytelling cRPG's. But I consider ME2 the worst game in the series, if not one of the worst examples of a Bioware game overall.
The strange thing is that I love Mass Effet 2 but as a part of a trilogy, I feel it should have had more to do with the Reaper conflict such as their arrival and the war because as a part of the trilogy, it feels like unnecessary filler.
I felt like a lot of the elements introduced in Mass Effect 2 were not given the proper weight they were due: an example is Shepard's death and resurrection. This made some of the elements feel unnecessary and like they could have been swapped out with something else that did not warrant a weight that they could not provide.
The ME games are sufficiently short that it's not hard to finish them, even if you're not enjoying them.Love DAO; consider it a classic in storytelling cRPG's. But I consider ME2 the worst game in the series, if not one of the worst examples of a Bioware game overall.
However, I did finish it; once. Have three fairly exhaustive campaigns in DAI at 1000+ hrs, and have more than that in both the other ME games.
I generally like cut-scenes when they aid telling the story; not become it. In ME3, there were scenes that took up to 10 minutes (eg; Javik's reveal). DAI was an answer to requests like mine to restore gameplay.
And a loud vocal presence on the forums does not equate to a majority.
Well, Mass Effect 3 had plenty of issues when it came to story telling. A cutscene shouldn't be overly long no matter what style you're going on.
I know that a vocal presence on the forums aren't a majority, but BioWare doesn't need for the majority to be making noise in order to go back to a more cinematic style conversation camera.
The ME games are sufficiently short that it's not hard to finish them, even if you're not enjoying them.
That's not a strength.
I'm well aware that I won't ever play the majority of my Steam library.Though shorter playtimes can be seen as a strength for other reasons. My Steam backlog's bad enough now. It'd be a lot worse if all of them were 200+ hour experiences.
Omg get your hands off ME2. Some of us worship ME2 as a divine masterpiece.
Then you worship at the alter of a false god.
Kidding, of course 
Though shorter playtimes can be seen as a strength for other reasons. My Steam backlog's bad enough now. It'd be a lot worse if all of them were 200+ hour experiences.
While true, I'd probably say in BioWare's case it's a weakness because the main draw of a BioWare game is supposed to be a massive engaging single player experience.
On the other hand, a game like Portal played well with the short length. It was a fun little trip through without it overstaying its welcome. A 50+ hour campaign of Portal would get incredibly boring and repetitive.
However if you're going to run a 200+ hour experience then it can hurt it if it's not well crafted. DA:I in my opinion suffered because it was trying to give us too much and the zones ended up offering very little in the way of engaging content. The result is that I beat the game in considerably less time than many others, because I couldn't be bothered to do much of the side content as I found most of them really boring.
While true, I'd probably say in BioWare's case it's a weakness because the main draw of a BioWare game is supposed to be a massive engaging single player experience.
On the other hand, a game like Portal played well with the short length. It was a fun little trip through without it overstaying its welcome. A 50+ hour campaign of Portal would get incredibly boring and repetitive.
However if you're going to run a 200+ hour experience then it can hurt it if it's not well crafted. DA:I in my opinion suffered because it was trying to give us too much and the zones ended up offering very little in the way of engaging content. The result is that I beat the game in considerably less time than many others, because I couldn't be bothered to do much of the side content as I found most of them really boring.
Wait, are people saying that ME games didn't have enough content? 'Cause I'd strongly disagree. All 3 games had heaps of content, given their production values. A full playthrough of each game usually takes me about 40 hours (probably more like 30-35 without DLCs). Given that it's a hell of a ride, I think that's fair.
Sure, I could spend more time in the ME universe (and of course I selfishly hope that ME:A will be bigger) but as long as I get high quality content, I am good with 40 hours.
Though shorter playtimes can be seen as a strength for other reasons. My Steam backlog's bad enough now. It'd be a lot worse if all of them were 200+ hour experiences.
Even 40 hours for one game can be a bit of a hassle for some folks. Usually I find I've got about 2 hours a day of free time at the most to play, and I don't have kids nor a job outside of the house. Three dogs of vastly different ages eats my time up too, with one 10 months (Wilbur,) one 5 years (Vivi, not a reference to DA) and one 12 years old (Zoidberg.) I typically play games with little to no cinematics where I can just level grind or whatever so I can save at a moments notice.Some of us - remember kids, gaming can be a lifelong hobby - now have jobs sufficiently demanding that a 200 hour game means less "yay fun!" and more "I'll finish this in 2029".
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