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Scarecrow’s Compendium of Proposals to BioWare for Mass Effect Gameplay Improvements (UPDATE 2)
Introduction
This topic is meant to serve as a means of consolidating access to several other topics I’ve created in order to propose and discuss various gameplay improvements that can be made for the next title in the Mass Effect series.
I openly apologize for the format of this topic. It was not my intention to put up such a great wall of text, but I no longer have any choice in the matter. I’ve been asked by the moderation staff to consolidate my individual proposal threads into a single compendium thread, and this has resulted in a much longer topic than I had originally intended.
Firstly, I want to state that I am an avid fan of both Mass Effect games, and consider the franchise to be one of my all time favorites. That said, while the gameplay present in the Mass Effect series is at the top of its genre, there is always room for improvement. It is not my goal to propose changes that radically alter gameplay, but to refine and otherwise improve what already exists. I am not here to inspire controversy, but to propose ideas to end it. It is not my interest to propose ideas that change the gameplay in a way that is not in keeping with the spirit of Mass Effect. I do not want to adapt the series into a different one. It is also not my goal to address gameplay issues that already work well but are simply not to my liking. As I am a great supporter of Mass Effect, I want nothing more than for the series to shine even brighter.
Update 2 of this Compendium incorporates new ideas and refinements that have resulted from 30+ pages of discussion within this thread. Some of the newly incorporated material expands the scope of the thread from simply those items that “must” be fixed to include some items which should or could be fixed with relative ease, and would provide a better gaming experience.
Rather than simply use the forum to complain about something I’m not happy with, I’ve decided to employ constructive criticism instead. In these posts, I describe what problems exist within Mass Effect gameplay, of course, but also what solution I propose to resolve said problems, and how this solution will affect the gameplay. As a result, my posts will be quite long. Though, rest assured, if you are able to get through them, I believe you will find the ideas presented to be well worth your time.
Again, these are LONG posts which must be fully read to get the full effect of my proposals, but you’ll be glad you did!
You have been warned.
Abridged Table of Contents
Below you will find an abridged table of contents which will highlight the individual proposal sets. Below each proposal name is a brief description of what each proposal topic entails, and a search tag can be found next to the category name for easy navigation.
1) Concerning Weapons, Armor, and Equipment Inventory Refinement {INVNT}
Modifications to the existing inventory system, to include a greater variety of distinct but balanced weapons within each category, increasing the number of armor pieces, and upping the effect of passive buffs on them, as well as providing additional squadmate outfits.
2) Concerning Customization, Research, and Upgrade System Modifications {UPGRD}
Reintroduces weapons customization through a slot-based mod system. Modifies the manner in which the player acquires new research, upgrades, and useable skills or weapons.
3) Concerning Hybrid Weapon Heat System {WEAPS}
Introduction of a hybrid heat management/thermal clip system for weapon heat/ammunition management that incorporates the slow heat dissipation system of ME1 and the swappable thermal clip system of ME2 to overcome overheat scenarios.
4) Concerning Improvements to Power/Skill Customization and Usage {PWRSKLL}
Proposes a change from the current Global Cooldown system for power usage to one of a tiered, multiple-use cooldown system. Reasserts class customization through limited choice of assigned class powers, and introduces a segregated and incremental skill point assignment system to eliminate unusable skill points and add customization to power effects. Proposes a modification to power evolution that produces truly evolutionary, rather than minor incremental, changes to class powers and introduces a charge system for evolved powers to expand power gameplay. Also introduces a revamped controller scheme to account for proposed power modifications.
5) Concerning Planet Scanning and Resource Management {SCNSMGMT}
Expands and modifies the planet scanning and resource management system to break up potentially tedious gameplay through the introduction of varied mini-games and resource management strategy systems. Adds expanded uses for acquired minerals.
1. Concerning Weapons, Armor, and Equipment Inventory Refinement {INVNT}
Specifically for this topic I will discuss changes to the weapon, armor, and equipment inventory system that should satiate fans of the Mass Effect 1 inventory system while remaining true to the nature of the streamlined (and in my opinion, ultimately better) Mass Effect 2 system.
The removal of dropped loot and the elimination of redundant equipment is an improvement over the Mass Effect 1 system; however, the system in Mass Effect 2 is possibly more limited than it should be. It would not take much expansion to reach a point that would be acceptable to fans of the old system, while keeping the nature of the new system.
Weapons
I have never been a fan of shooters that provided you with a selection of weapons that were virtually identical, or ones where there was a clearly superior choice – an uber version, if you will. Instead, especially for the Mass Effect franchise, I believe a small selection of weapons, with a global upgrade system, each with unique but otherwise equal attributes, would be best. In this regard, I prefer the weapon system in Mass Effect 2 to the loot-heavy system of Mass Effect 1. Having said that, what we see in the basic line-up of ME2 weapons is just too few, and not nearly varied enough.
If you’ve read my topic on changes to the weapon heat management/ammo system (included below), you know that I prefer a hybrid system, combining the ME1 and ME2 systems in preference to either. As such, heat management in weapons would be a factor in gameplay again. Accordingly, weapons in a given class could vary in how they manage heat, as well as other factors such as damage and accuracy. Each individual class of weapons – whether pistol, submachine gun, assault rifle, shotgun, or sniper rifle – would still have their particular type of function that differentiates it from other classes, but also each weapon within in a class would have certain attribute trade-offs that are balanced against each other to produce the several different weapons within each class. Below is how I see those trade-offs creating the various versions you have available:
Balanced - Your base (starting) weapon in any class would be a simple weapon balancing heat management, damage, and accuracy equally. The result is a weapon that is a good, all-around weapon with no particular strengths or weaknesses.
+Damage/-Capacity(Cooling) - Increasing the damage a weapon is capable of doing per shot will increase heat output, and thus the weapon would have fewer rounds fired before overheating - thus trading heat management for damage.
+Accuracy/-Damage - Increasing the accuracy of a weapon may be achieved by changing the shape of the projectile to cut through atmosphere better, but the round will not have the same level of impact on the target, reducing damage – thus trading damage for accuracy.
+Capacity(Cooling)/-Accuracy – Increasing the heat management ability of the weapon allows the weapon to fire more rounds before overheating or fire at an increased rate (but overheat in the same amount of time), but the looser clearances between components needed to allow for more efficient cooling result in a less accurate weapon – thus trading accuracy for greater firing time.
UNIQUE – This weapon in a class will be unique in nature for the class. It may offer certain characteristics that remain balanced but give it unique personality. It could include using attributes that go against the class standard – such as in a class where the weapons are strong against health, but weak against shields, barriers, or armor, the unique weapon instead may trade some of the prowess against health for increased effectiveness against armor types. Or it may have certain secondary effects – for instance trading some damage for impact force that can knock an enemy to the ground. The unique type is an opportunity to shake up the class.
The Heavy Weapons category offers a great opportunity to introduce weapons which are unique, and so demonstrate unique associated gameplay. It would be very easy to expand upon the system already in place and introduce an even greater variety of heavy weapons, as has already been done with the Flame Thrower and other such weapons. BioWare has done a good job of keeping the heavy weapons coming, so I have no doubt this will remain possible in the future. Maintaining a separate Heavy Weapon ammo system, using Power Cells found in crates throughout the game world makes sense in limiting the ability to continually use these weapons in combat. However, like with Medi-Gel in Mass Effect 1, a station should be placed aboard the Normandy (in the Armory) to refill Power Cells between missions.
Also, rather than finding these weapons on missions (thus ensuring a user does not have access to the weapon he may like until the story says he can be, or missing out on a weapon or item permanently if he doesn’t immediately find it in a mission), new weapons should be available to receive when the user chooses, either through shops, research, licenses, or whatever system seems best. Keeping the current Mass Effect 2 research-based upgrade system (without one-time, missable mission pick-ups) allows all weapons in a category to grow as the user does.
The above system insures that there are enough weapons in a class to provide variety, but also that each weapon has a unique personality which may appeal to different users. This eliminates the need to have many variations of the same weapon class, but also allows for 2 weapons within a category to behave differently enough that this difference can be noticeable to the user - ultimately the few weapons will feel like many.
Armor
The armor system for Mass Effect 2 is much improved; though, again, it is more limited than it could be. For the user’s Commander Shepard, improvements to this system will be no more difficult than adding a wider variety of mix-and-match armor pieces with various unique qualities. For the next game, though, I propose that the armor pieces chosen have a more profound effect on the wearer.
While bonuses to weapons damage for a particular type of gauntlet are a great idea, upping them by merely 3 to 5% is not enough to make any piece or armor significantly more attractive to wear than any other. With the bonus so insignificant, the aesthetic qualities of the armor might override the skill improvement for many players. Raising the bonus to, say, 10 to 15% is necessary to really make the decision of what armor piece to wear that much more difficult, and makes the choice more profound. Further, certain “special” armor pieces could be found that offer unique ability enhancements that go beyond basic improvements to health, shields, or weapons damage – we could see biotic or tech enhancements, for instance, that make a real difference in gameplay. I won’t go so far as to make those up myself, but there is opportunity there. Suffice it to say, we need only increase the number of options for each type of armor piece to, say, no more than 10 to provide enough options.
As far as party member armors, I agree to a large extent that it is unnecessary to give them the same armor options we have for Shepard, and managing armor pieces and upgrades for up to 10 part members can become tedious. At the same time, though, it is not enough to be given access to only 2 outfits which are little more than texture swaps, with no change in properties. It’s not likely we’d need more than a handful of outfit options for each character (perhaps no more than 3) – and certainly the mix-and-match approach is not necessary – but each outfit should use different architecture, appear different in more than just color scheme, and should endow unique bonuses in a similar fashion to our own armor suits (like the Terminus, Inferno, or Collector armors available to Shepard) to the party members who wear them. This allows us to outfit our party in ways that not only greatly affect their appearance, but provide meaningful enhancements to their abilities.
Beyond that, party member armors should be appropriate to the nature of combat. While it is certainly necessary and largely advantageous to demonstrate a character’s unique personality as reflected in their choice of attire, it’s absolutely ludicrous for any individual to enter into a combat situation wearing essentially no clothes. As such, party armors should remain effective for combat while sharing the character’s sense of style. It is not necessary for all characters to wear fundamentally similar combat hard-suits in the ME1 style, but surely a happy medium can exist between dress casual Fridays and hardened military grunt. It if is necessary for Shepard to wear a full closed environmental helmet when entering a combat zone, it’s likely that his support squad would need more than a hospital mask… and sleeves always help. A terrific solution is shown with the handling of Shepard’s armor. Aboard the Normandy, Shepard wears casual attire, and outside wears his combat gear. Party characters can be handled in roughly the same may, wearing their unique casual outfits on the ship, and being combat ready outside.
Further, for Shepard, a clear problem exists in having a full environmental helmet as a selectable armor piece, as helmets are not toggleable items as they were in ME1 and thus interfere with much of the dialog in-game when there is no conceivable reason for Shepard to be wearing his helmet. While having a toggle option is one way to approach it, another is to simply not have the full helmet as a choice in armor customization, and thus the fully enclosed headgear only appears when the mission environment dictates it, and it can be made to disappear again when not required (again, a al ME1).
Summary
I think the above changes to the weapon and armor inventory system would more than satiate detractors of the Mass Effect 2 system who insist that the prior elaborate, but ultimately tedious and redundancy-ridden, system was better. Further, I think these small refinements provide a selection of equipment which offers variety and imbues each piece of equipment with more meaningful, and therefore valuable, qualities that make only a handful of choices seem like that much more. Those advantages are offered without deviating much from the systems already in place.
2) Concerning Customization, Research, and Upgrade System Modifications {UPGRD}
There has been much call in the community to return to a customizable weapon system as existed in ME1. While I would support some degree of weapon customization, I would not support a system with the same degree of inventory clutter we saw in that game. A reasonable solution has already been proposed numerous times in the forums in the way of a slotted mod system similar to that which existed in the Knights of the Old Republic games. My proposed weapons customization system takes a cue from this much-requested system.
Weapons Customization
Unlike with player armor pieces, which contain only passive buffs, a case can be made for allowing a degree of user customization for the active buffs present in weapons. While there is a danger of returning to a cluttered and overt customization mess that existed in ME1, it is possible to allow customization in such a way that allows for unique applications of modifications for weapons without the loot-intensive system ME1 preferred. My proposal revolves around several basic principles.
The first is that weapons modifications are made in a slot-based system similar to that in KotOR, whereby the player can apply modifications to individual components of the weapon. The number of components that can be modified will be limited to no more than 3 or 4 per weapon, and will be entirely appropriate to the class the weapon belongs to. Each class of weapon will have select moddable components to include barrels, scopes, firing chambers, chassis, electronics, etc. It is possible, if the scope of model interaction allows it, that various mods can cause a visual change in the basic weapon model it is applied to – though simple color or texture swaps can convey the same differences.
Each mod will boost one attribute of the weapon while also lowering another. There will ALWAYS be some sort of stat trade-off within the basic weapons attribute stats (damage, accuracy, capacity/cooling). This is necessary to ensure that each modded weapon remains balanced, that it will not be possible to create an “uber” version of a particular class of weapon, and to ensure that each permutation of weapon that could result from player modification feels unique and different. Certain “goofball” mods may also exist that imbue unique qualities to the weapon, such as a firing chamber mods that allow for burst fire, barrels that trade damage for increased impact force or penetration, scopes that provide thermal detection, or electronics packages that enhance target acquisition, auto aim, etc.
The second basic principle of the mod system is that mods are acquired in the form of schematics, rather than being physical items that the player finds as loot or purchases individually in stores. Much like research items the player finds or purchases out in the game world (or acquires through additional research on the ship), players will find or purchase schematics for various types of weapon mods also in the game world. These schematics will either unlock new mods the player can use, or improve existing mods the player has already found. Improved mods will have a greater benefit boost with a smaller corresponding trade-off, but the basic trade-off will still exist.
Mods will then be created on the ship using minerals found via the resource management system. Players will go to the Armory on the ship and access the armory customization and inventory systems. From there, the player will be able to examine the weapon selections of each squadmate, build and apply mods to weapons, examine mod inventories, and perhaps even create saveable weapon templates for easy access later. Individual mods will be created using select minerals the mod requires, and if the player no longer needs a mod he’s already created, he can choose to either apply the mod to a different weapon, or break it back down into basic minerals again (though a slightly reduced amount than what it took to produce it). There will be no inventory system to store unused mods. Further, if an upgraded schematic of a given mod is found, all existing versions of that mod already applied to a weapon will be automatically upgraded.
This system allows for a weapons customization system to exist that does not require the tedious and redundant loot and inventory systems of ME1, while also allowing for a more robust and expanded upgrade system than even that game had. The player need not worry about carrying around hundreds of obsolete mods for dozens of similar weapons, or spending hours of play time simply updating every squadmember’s inventories every time a slightly better version of a mod is found.
Research, Upgrade, and Modifications System Modifications
Certain tweaks to the manner in which players acquire research materials and upgrades need to be implemented to ensure a smooth upgrade path that does not include the possibility of missing out on upgrade items that appear only in mission maps that are then locked out once the player completes said mission. Adding a customizable weapon system and expanding the role of minerals to gameplay allows further modifications to the upgrade systems as well.
Much of the problem stems from the fact that situations in which you can acquire potential upgrades in ME2 are fixed within the game world. You will always be able to acquire a specific upgrade at a specific location, and if, for whatever reason, you’ve missed a particular upgrade location and you are no longer able to return to that area, that upgrade is gone forever (this applies to weapons as well). Beyond that, the player’s ability to develop his character is then entirely dependent on the order he chooses to progress through the game world, rather than being dependent on the level he’s at while he progresses through the game world. As such, I propose a modification to how upgrade items are acquired.
Essentially, I propose, rather than having fixed drops of specific, one-time upgrades, that instead the game system is far more flexible as to which upgrades are dropped at upgrade opportunity scenarios. In the background the game will monitor basic player progression factors, such as character level, game completion percentage, specific mission completion staging, which types of upgrades the player has already collected, etc. Then, the system will automatically create a list of which upgrades the player is qualified to have access to, based on the previously mentioned factors. For instance, if the player has already attained Assault Rifle Damage 3, and has reached a specific point in the game or his character’s progression, then this will unlock Assault Rifle Damage 4 as an available upgrade to add to the drop list.
Within the game world there will be certain points that are earmarked for upgrades to become available. These can be at stores, during/after specific cutscenes (talking to specific NPCs or Squadmates), or even after completing a certain milestone within a mission (such as defeating a mini-boss). At these points, one of the available upgrades will become available to the player – it will show up in designated shop inventories, appear in a conspicuous place within a mission, or will be on the corpse of the now-defeated boss. Which available upgrade that appears (except at stores) will be chosen at random from the list of available upgrades (all upgrades will become available to purchase at stores that specialize in those types of upgrades as soon as the player has reached the milestone for them to become available).
If, for whatever reason, the player misses the opportunity to snag the upgrade when presented to him, such as moving on within a mission without picking the upgrade up first, that particular upgrade will then return to the availability list, to be recirculated at another point. This ensures that the player can NEVER miss an upgrade. If the player passes through a “drop point” but has no available upgrades to be dropped, he will instead receive a monetary amount (or a minerals package) that he can use at a store later to purchase the upgrade once it becomes available. All upgrades a player has already unlocked and acquired will become “locked out” and displayed as “purchased” or “already in inventory” in store menus once either purchased at the store or found elsewhere.
Other than being unable to miss available upgrades, there is another advantage to this system in that the upgrades the player receives are determined entirely by the progression of the player’s character. The player will only receive upgrades that are the next logical step from where the player is already at, and so player progression is no longer determined by the order in which he chooses to tackle missions. The player can exert slight influence over which upgrades he gains access to sooner by purchasing in stores upgrades or research items he finds useful, thus ensuring that he’s already met at least one of the requirements to unlock the next level of that upgrade (should it exist), and making it more likely to appear in the availability list sooner.
This system would apply both to weapons mods schematics, as well as character upgrades such as weapon, biotic, tech, and armor, health, and shield upgrades that appear in the research lab. Also, the system of having to perform research in order to occasionally unlock the next tier of upgrades would also still apply, although this could be done more intelligently and be only applied to certain upgrades that imbue unique qualities to character progression.
Summary
Through the above discussed proposal, it would be possible to return to the oft-requested option of weapons modification without having to also revert to the cumbersome loot-based system that ME1 perpetuated. The system I’ve proposed allows for significant and distinct modifications to weapons that emphasizes true differentiation and customization, without the need for a cluttered inventory system. Further, I’ve proposed changes to the upgrade system that allows for more natural player progression – eliminating missable upgrades and expanding player upgrade options.
3) Concerning Weapon Heat System {WEAPS}
This topic is intended to put forth a proposal for gameplay refinements concerning the ammunition or heat management component to weapon combat in Mass Effect. The minor changes I'm suggesting will improve the fluidity of weapon combat and give the player greater tactical options by introducing a hybridized ammo/heat management system that should satiate fans/detractors of the systems present in either Mass Effect game.
Heat Management vs. Ammunition
For Mass Effect 2 the "infinite" ammunition and slowly draining heat/overheat system of the first game has been replaced for what is, essentially, an ammo/magazine system by another name... in this case replacing thermal clips for ammunition clips. While I must say that the new system offers certain advantages over the previous one, namely a greater ability to handle higher-intensity, sustained-fire battles (so long as clips are available), it also offers significant disadvantages over the previous system with regard to lower-intensity firefights - certain weapon types suffer here more than others.
What I propose for Mass Effect 3 is, at essence, a hybridization of the two systems. Let me explain.
I propose that we return to a system largely similar to Mass Effect 1's ammunition management system, with certain key changes. Like in the original system, each round of a weapon fired will produce heat, which will build up over successive shots. The weapon will have certain heat dissipation qualities, so when the user stops firing, the heat will be slowly vented. Fire too many shots, thus building up an excess of heat, and the weapon will go into overheat status. This is all basically how ME1 handled it. What I propose that is different, however, is that once a weapon goes into overheat status, it cannot dissipate heat automatically after a short period of time as in ME1, and will require that the "thermal clip" (though I prefer the term "heat sink") will have to be replaced in the same fashion that ME2 uses.
There is, of course, scientific reasoning for this change, and the Mass Effect lore masters have essentially set up the precedent already. The amount of energy expended from firing a weapon in the ME universe would be such that if left to vent to atmosphere directly, it could certainly do damage to the user. As such, I would say that each weapon has, as part of its operating system, a sort of heat sink or coolant system that will absorb the heat generated by firing the weapon and disperse it slowly into the atmosphere in a safe way. I'd also say that if the heat sink is exposed to too much heat too quickly, it will become damaged and no longer function. Perhaps if there is a coolant involved, super-heating the coolant could make it volatile and prone to explosion, thus requiring that the coolant be immediately vented overboard in what some forum posters here have dubbed a “blast vent” type system. The on-board heat management system of the weapon, in order to prevent unsafe use of the weapon would thus lock out any further use of the weapon in an overheat condition until the heat sink, coolant, or "thermal clip" is replaced.
This change would add a new dimension to the ammo/heat management aspect of combat. A player may fire a few rounds and wait for the weapon to cool down before firing again, or fire at a suitably low rate of fire, which allows the weapon to remain cool and not require a thermal clip swap. At this lower, controlled rate of fire, a player may be able to fire for long periods of time at low intensity. However, this would not be ideal for higher-intensity combat, as waiting for the weapon to cool can leave the player unable to deal with the greater level of threat. Thus, the player could continue firing, and allow the weapon to overheat, and simply exchange the thermal clip for a new one. Of course, thermal clips would be universal for all weapons that use them, but would be in relatively short supply as compared to the ME2 system, and thus it would not be possible to keep up sustained fire for long – risking burning through the small cache of available clips and rendering the weapon useless. This creates a greater tactical component to weapons combat while ensuring balance.
A player could be slow and methodical with his shots, ensuring his weapon will not overheat but limiting the amount of rapid damage he can do, or a player could go all out, guns-a-blazing, but would not be able to keep this up for long, and he risks completely disabling the weapon in combat if he runs out of thermal clips. There will certainly be situations which will call for either approach or maybe some that will call for both.
While “thermal clips” will not be dropped randomly and in great amounts on the battlespace by enemies, as they are in ME2, they will not be so rare that players will not be able to resupply between big battles. Much in the same way that medical kits are placed strategically in levels to provide players with medi-gel to heal downed squadmates, coolant stations or crates can be placed throughout the game space as well for players to partially refill their used stock of coolant or clips. Players should remain cautious about using too many thermal clips in a fire-fight, as you’ll never be able to fully replenish your supply immediately if you run out, but a player should also not be punished mercilessly by being denied a way to get a weapon working again if he got a little trigger happy in a battle.
This modified system could also allow for an expanded upgrade system for weapons, taking into account the improvements made in ME2, but also incorporating certain upgrade balancing as in ME1. For instance, weapons with a higher rate of fire do more damage more quickly, but also build heat more quickly. Increasing the damage output of a weapon my also increase the heat produced. It may be possible, then, to add research projects aimed at increasing the cooling efficiency of thermal clips to allow weapons to remain cooler or dissipate heat more quickly. The expanded upgrade system is sure to please detractors of the current system.
Summary
I believe that this new hybrid system will please fans of both the new and old system while simultaneously refining weapon gameplay in a way that will greatly benefit the third installment in the series. This system combines the tense atmosphere created with dwindling ammo supplies in the face of overwhelming enemy force with far greater tactical options for weapon combat, and also adding a bit of relief for less intense but more strategic combat sections. This system offers significant advantages over both the ME1 and ME2 systems in combat variety and in balancing.
The topic continues below with proposal Section 4 Concerning Improvements to Power/Skill Customization and Usage {PWRSKLL}
Modifié par Scarecrow_ES, 11 juillet 2010 - 04:15 .
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