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Fun Stuff => CLIKC => Topic started by: KvP on 17 Nov 2010, 13:56

Title: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 17 Nov 2010, 13:56
(http://social.bioware.com/uploads_user/1000/172/63068.jpg)
Bigger image (http://www.gamereactor.se/media/93/bildbiowaresnasta_229399b.jpg)

It's going to be shown at the VGA on Dec. 11.

Looks like another ME game, possibly a prequel, based on the apparent ballistic nature of the gun. There are some "viral" marketing hints. A few redlaser app images:

(http://social.bioware.com/uploads_user/1000/172/63069.jpg)
This scans as the mass of iron.

(http://social.bioware.com/uploads_user/1000/172/63070.jpg)
-128.5, which is the coldest recorded temperature on Earth.

Quote from: Upsettingshorts
The first two clues (plus a Mass Effect rifle) point (http://"http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/141/index/5259889/5#5260536") to Aequitas (http://"http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Aequitas"), a planet in Mass Effect 2 known for its "Iron Canyons" and a surface temperature of -128.5F (-89C).  

It was also the site of a sidemission, N7: Abandoned Mine (http://"http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/N7:_Abandoned_Mine") in which a Reaper indoctrination device turned a research team into husks and abominations.

Here's the description:

Quote
Home to the famous Iron Canyons, Aequitas has reddish iron oxide dust (hematite) covering much of its surface and significant blue cobalt deposits that freckle the terrain. Turian (http://"http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Turian") explorers have discovered hot springs in the polar ice caps, heated by magma in the planet's crust. In a strange combination of science and hucksterism a small facility exports water from these springs, which is bottled and sold as having medicinal properties. The funds are then used to maintain a research station, which has discovered some fossil evidence that Aequitas once harbored microscopic life, based on deoxyribonucleic acids in these springs.

I have to say at this point I'm getting pretty sick of the "gritty" grey/black/brown color palette in my settings.

*edit
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 17 Nov 2010, 14:02
The gun appears to be a reskin of the M-29 Incisor (http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/M-29_Incisor), an ME2 DLC weapon.

Bio's Montreal studio was looking for QA testers who were familiar with the Unreal Engine and Multiplayer games. MP shooter set in the ME universe, maybe? First Contact War? It is a mystery!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Ozymandias on 17 Nov 2010, 14:17
Lost Planet 3: Mass Effect 2.5: Gears of War
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 17 Nov 2010, 14:27
Dragon Age: Origins: Origins: Mass Effect 0.5: The Rise and Fall of Something or Other


It's a Mass Effect prequel that has a team of soldiers/explorers/scientists discover a new planet with complex and intelligent life on it.

here comes the twist


IT'S THE PLANET FROM DRAGON AGE. HOLY SHIT. It's a prequel to one franchise but also a sequel to a different, unrelated franchise! MINDBLOW



 :|
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: snalin on 17 Nov 2010, 14:29
I'm to tired about making a joke about cover based FPS games.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Storm Rider on 17 Nov 2010, 15:11
Between the nature of the gun and the Montreal hirings, a multiplayer ME spinoff seems logical. Doubt they would introduce Mass Effect 3 with a non-Shepard human character. A spinoff makes sense because it allows them to experiment with the multiplayer stuff outside of the core trilogy in case it backfires.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 17 Nov 2010, 16:32
Mass Effect: Reach
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Jace on 18 Nov 2010, 02:30
IT'S THE PLANET FROM DRAGON AGE. HOLY SHIT. It's a prequel to one franchise but also a sequel to a different, unrelated franchise! MINDBLOW

This is like the old fluff that the world from Warhammer Fantasy was just a feral world stuck in the Eye of Terror in the 40K universe.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KharBevNor on 18 Nov 2010, 12:26
They bought the Slann back in 40k like five years ago and I don't think they ever killed the old Warhammer Fantasy 'Slann Warp Gates' backstory.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Snuffletrout on 18 Nov 2010, 12:55
Mmmm graphics look nice so far. A bit uninteresting photo though, definitely just a fan-reach and not meant as PR I hope.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: mberan42 on 18 Nov 2010, 15:46
There are some "viral" marketing hints. A few redlaser app images:

This scans as the mass of iron.

-128.5, which is the coldest recorded temperature on Earth.
All I get is binary when I scan the two on RedLaser. (Granted, I just downloaded RL for this purpose, so maybe I'm not using it properly.)

--edit-- I threw them into a binary-to-text converter, 'cause I figured I should. Got 55.845 for the 1st one, which is the atomic weight of iron. Got -128.5 F for the second one.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Tom on 18 Nov 2010, 15:51
No, you got it. The binary => numbers, inferences were made from there by Bioware boarders.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Dr. ROFLPWN on 19 Nov 2010, 09:36
They bought the Slann back in 40k like five years ago and I don't think they ever killed the old Warhammer Fantasy 'Slann Warp Gates' backstory.

Seriously? Ahahaha, I love you Games Workshop.

As for the Mass Effect game, I have the feeling it may be the Human-Turian war. I'm kinda nonplussed about that, but then again I like the Turians. Except that Councillor, but no one fucking likes him.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Buttfranklin on 19 Nov 2010, 19:55
Ah, yes.  The

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v114/Xegar/reapersairquotes.gif)

"First Contact War"
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: McTaggart on 19 Nov 2010, 23:20
Mass Effect: Arena
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Felrender on 20 Nov 2010, 00:22
Day of Defeat: First Contact
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Dr. ROFLPWN on 20 Nov 2010, 02:03
Q: What was the secret weakness of the Turian Hierarchy's weapons systems in the First Contact War?

A: They were never ready to fire because the crews always had to run more CALIBRATIONS
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Ozymandias on 20 Nov 2010, 09:30
Mass Effect: Modern Warfare
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: David_Dovey on 20 Nov 2010, 14:36
Call of Mass: Effect of Honour
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 20 Nov 2010, 15:42
They stopped imply that sigmar was a primarch though, though I am not sure if the "old ones" of both settings are the same.

Jesus why do I still know this!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KharBevNor on 20 Nov 2010, 17:11
Oh yeah, they got rid of stuff like that.

The connection between the two that they've never even tried getting rid of is the fact that Chaos works in exactly the same way in both settings, with the same Gods, Demons etc. Could a link not be logically inferred from that?

Plus of course in 40K Slaanesh is originally created by the fall of the eldar. Is there a similiar backstory for Fantasy Slaanesh? If the Realm of Chaos and The Warp are in fact the same place could we not argue that the WFB and BB universes (though not necessarily the WFRP universe)* must be contingent with the 40K universe and that they must occur chronologically sometime after the fall of the eldar?







*There are actually thee conceptually different Warhammer Fantasy settings. Blood Bowl takes place in a sort of alternative reality where Blood Bowl has all but supplanted war, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (first and second edition) takes place in a darker, less stupid version of the Warhammer setting.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 21 Nov 2010, 02:01
I think its more that the Chaos gods in warhammer simply ARE. Theres no background for them.

And I have got to admit, looking over some of the stuff that is written in the normal "warhammer" books I'm pretty sure I could write better stuff than they have. Their characters are cool, the concepts awesome and yet increasingly the writing seems to have been done by a toddler.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KharBevNor on 21 Nov 2010, 05:45
The standard of writing for Games Workshop has been getting dickier and dickier the more they resolutely aim their products at tweenagers. Black Library used to have fucking Kim Newman writing for them. Now arguably the best writer working for GW is I suppose Abnett? And he's just a very good hack.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 21 Nov 2010, 05:51
He's a hack I kind of like, but yeah so much of it is dross. I'd really prefer it if they hired some actually competent people to do the writing.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Alex C on 21 Nov 2010, 07:31
Yeah, I stopped paying attention to GW for a while and didn't get back into it until about a year before Dawn of War came out. At first the sort of goofy and over the top tone of that computer game hit me as pretty damn entertaining and all-around fun even if it was pretty absurd. Sure, it was silly and the orks in particularly felt more like Gorkamorka than "In the grim etcetera...", but I've never really believed in taking the hobby too seriously anyway, so that was OK too. I mean, I've played Blood Bowl before, for god's sake. Unfortunately, it does seem like in retrospect that game was less of an offshoot and more of a harbinger of where they're taking things. Especially with the orks.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KharBevNor on 21 Nov 2010, 11:03
Orks are a weird one. They've arguably been made LESS stupid since Rogue Trader came out. Who here remembers that Orks were once allowed to field weaponised Ork heavy metal bands?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Felrender on 21 Nov 2010, 11:44
Noise Marines still exist.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 21 Nov 2010, 13:45
I don't mind the orcs being the none "grahhh, dark and serious" army, they're cool in a different way.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Dr. ROFLPWN on 21 Nov 2010, 14:18
Noise Marines still exist.

Doesn't DOOOOMM RIIIDER (SUP GUYS WANNA DO COCAAAIIINNE?!) still exist too?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 21 Nov 2010, 16:15
Oh yeah.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Johnny C on 21 Nov 2010, 19:11
Imagine: Reaperz
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Blue Kitty on 21 Nov 2010, 19:27
Mass Effect: Ghost Recon: Black Ops
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Alex C on 21 Nov 2010, 19:37
Orks are a weird one. They've arguably been made LESS stupid since Rogue Trader came out. Who here remembers that Orks were once allowed to field weaponised Ork heavy metal bands?

There's definitely been an ebb and flow to the ridiculousness though, particularly where Fantasy Battle is concerned. Much like Skaven they've had periods of relative normality punctuated by periods where their army list just makes you say "Wait, it does what?"
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Alex C on 22 Nov 2010, 06:03
I'd kinda prefer Joss and Bioware stay the hell away from eachother.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: David_Dovey on 22 Nov 2010, 08:56
I just had a thought that there hasn't been a Firefly video game. Considering the fact that the crossover audience for Mass Effect style space RPG and Firefly must be huge, this seems like an oversight. Presumably getting the cast together wouldn't be too hard. Though I guess Bioware have their own franchise now so they probably wouldn't want to do it.

There's long been talk of a Firefly MMO but nothing's ever come of it. Just googling it now it seems like there hasn't been any solid news since 2008 or so, but once upon a time it had a developer and everything. I have to assume it's been scuttled.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KharBevNor on 22 Nov 2010, 09:37
There's definitely been an ebb and flow to the ridiculousness though, particularly where Fantasy Battle is concerned. Much like Skaven they've had periods of relative normality punctuated by periods where their army list just makes you say "Wait, it does what?"

I have no idea what the Skaven are like now, but to a lesser or greater degree their army list has always been mostly about the bizarre crap, which is what makes Skaven so fun. I used to play against a guy with a Skaven army that actually managed to destroy itself without taking anything more than a bit of desultory first turn Night Goblin missile fire. I can't remember the exact litany of misfortune that overcame him, though I definitely remember it began with some extremely bad roll on the Screaming Bell which caused large numbers of his own units heads to explode.

Also I could have sworn they got rid of Noise Marines and Doom Rider. Did they bring them back? Does Doom Rider not suck now? Should this be a new thread?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: David_Dovey on 22 Nov 2010, 10:31
yes
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Alex C on 22 Nov 2010, 15:06
I have no idea what the Skaven are like now.

Me neither. I just mostly remember being annoyed when I heard doomwheels were given the boot even though I wasn't really into Warhammer at the time. I think they're back in these days though, but don't quote me on it. Anyway, people always seemed to whine about Skaven in my area back in the late '90s and the internet often echoed their complaints. A contingent seemed to think everything but the gutter rats and assassin themed stuff was too stupid to live. Which honestly, always hit me as pretty god damned farcical considering that their vision of what they wanted skaven to be basically boiled down to "ZOMG, NINJAS!". Fuck that.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KharBevNor on 22 Nov 2010, 15:12
Part of what drew me to WFB was the ridiculous stuff. I used to play Orcs and Goblins ffs. I had a home-made Snotling Pump Wagon.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Alex C on 22 Nov 2010, 15:40
I wanted a skaven army so fuckin' bad. But my friends wanted to play 40k instead and as much as I wanted some poison wind globadiers I also wanted something I'd have a chance to play.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 22 Nov 2010, 16:51
Yes, Skaven are still as hilarious and random as ever, and the doomwheel is back.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Felrender on 22 Nov 2010, 17:11
There is also a new Screaming Bell model that looks boss as fuck

Also goofy shit for Orks owns, they brought back the Shokk Attack Gun and made Weirdboyz not blow chunks.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KharBevNor on 22 Nov 2010, 17:21
I have literally never seen a Weirdboy do anything except cause his own head to explode.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 23 Nov 2010, 04:13
^ And your saying that is a bad thing?

And yeah, the new screaming bell is awesome, but they seem to have gone for a real "kinetic" feel on some of the new skaven models, I mean looking at the new Queek headtaker model I couldn't help but feel impressed by how much time had gone into it.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Alex C on 23 Nov 2010, 06:49
I want some of the new stormvermin so much.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 23 Nov 2010, 14:15
So anyway, I have to admit that a shooter in the ME universe wouldn't be all that awful, considering how good ME2's combat was. I would even characterize myself as happy with such a development if Bioware shied away from the formula laid down by so many other games in the genre - it's been long enough that deathmatch games are officially a niche market, and team-based MP is all the rage (and fits comfortably in a war setting) but a CoD-style "start map->die->respawn->complete objective->repeat" template would be boring. I'd hope for something approaching a co-op version of Bioware's single player games, and not just in the way that you could play Baldur's Gate multiplayer with one main character and a number of silent player-controlled meatshields, but in a way that incorporates all the players into all aspects of the game. I figure they've got ambition to burn with their MMO, they might as well take a crack at the same problems on a smaller scale. But that's some wishful thinking on my part.

It's also worth positing that perhaps this is ME3 and the Montreal studio is a dedicated team for a MP aspect of that SP game. Wouldn't be the first time that another studio has been brought in to handle MP for a game, I don't think.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 23 Nov 2010, 14:20
Also Bioware looks to have a boner for redlaser, as they let slip another code.

(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs1223.snc4/155510_170612789632995_136219176405690_471392_6269382_n.jpg)

That one translates as the homepage url for the SIS (http://www.sis.gov.uk/output/sis-home-welcome.html). Hmmm.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Tom on 23 Nov 2010, 14:39
Okay, now that is interesting.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 23 Nov 2010, 14:50
Mass Protocol
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Alex C on 23 Nov 2010, 18:09
I prefer Alpha Effect.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 25 Nov 2010, 14:27
New code:
(http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs994.snc4/76756_172101152817492_136219176405690_481867_2685064_n.jpg)

Translates to this:
(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_oKEAgVG2Vik/SZLgNLdLcYI/AAAAAAAAAks/ocWoCxxe4wQ/s1600/_the_clash_the_singles_2006_retail_cd-front.jpg)

Either they're fucking with us or this game is going to be very, very british.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: cyro on 26 Nov 2010, 03:57
Sonic Chronicles 2: Rise of the Mass Effect.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: snalin on 26 Nov 2010, 05:08
It's going to be an alternate future where the conflict in Northern Ireland has expanded to be a full out war between England and Ireland over the gulf. The picture is you, the player character, a mercenary sniper working for the British Secret Services who has to uncover the ethereal conflicts that's really the grounds for the war.

Fight fanatic catholics and protestants through ancient Welsh and Irish monasteries, uncovering the deep, alien secret that threatens much more than two island nations in deep conflict. Accompanied by English and Irish punk rock, delve into a stunning FPSRPG set in the English and Irish back country. Will you help restore peace in the two nations by fighting off the Evil from Beyond that Looms, or will you master it's dark secrets to draw power from the conflict? Explore combat mechanics involving magic or guns, or combine them into powerful combos. Fight over 100 different kinds of enemies, from regular militia to cultists to special ops (or special ops cultists). Experience tons of side-quests like "catholic girl school mayhem" or "god sacrifice the queen", or delve straight into the 30 hour+ main storyline that will leave you alternatively gasping from fear and pumping with adrenaline.

M.A.S.S. E.F.F.E.C.T.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: David_Dovey on 26 Nov 2010, 11:09
would play
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Tom on 26 Nov 2010, 11:47
I can't think of a reason not to.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 26 Nov 2010, 16:06
 get out of here, sheperd

 get out of here, sheperd

 get out of here, sheperd

 get out of here, sheperd

 get out of here, sheperd

 get out of here, sheperd
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 28 Nov 2010, 01:29
The Clash

Mass Effect: White Riot.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: snalin on 28 Nov 2010, 05:18
Jens, that theme has been picked over quite extensively (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0761.html).
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: scarred on 29 Nov 2010, 09:29
Mass Effect: The World Is Not Enough
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Tom on 29 Nov 2010, 11:59
I think it's worth noting that Steam has KOTR going for 2.50 USD today.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 09 Dec 2010, 20:43
Joystiq has a source claiming that the new game is ME3 w/ multiplayer. (http://www.joystiq.com/2010/12/09/rumor-mass-effect-3-to-be-revealed-at-the-vgas-will-include-mu/)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 10 Dec 2010, 17:19
It's Mass Effect 3 (http://leakerz.net/wp/2010/12/10/so-it-is-mass-effect-3/).

Quote
Earth is burning. Striking from beyond known space, a race of terrifying machines have begun their destruction of the human race. As Commander Shepard, an Alliance Marine, your only hope for saving mankind is to rally the civilizations of the galaxy and launch one final mission to take back the Earth.

Sounds like a job for the Grey Wardens. Or Aragorn (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GondorCallsForAid).
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: David_Dovey on 11 Dec 2010, 09:35
Aragorn (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/GondorCallsForAid).

oh no you don't
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Buttfranklin on 11 Dec 2010, 11:33
Wait a sec, Shepard is Alliance again?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 11 Dec 2010, 14:23
Well they only reason they let go of shep was  because of death, this having changed (and still having friends like Hackett and Anderson) no doubt shep will get the heroes welcome we, sorry, Sheppard deserves.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: scarred on 11 Dec 2010, 17:33
that summary makes it sound like they completely shelved all the rpg elements that weren't discarded in me2.

booo.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 11 Dec 2010, 18:00
Considering how cluncky a lot of the stuff in ME1 was I can't say its a great loss.

And more importantly it looks as if we will be fighting on the streets of London.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: neomang5 on 11 Dec 2010, 18:32
Personally, as much as I understand the plot and reasoning behind it, I really wish Earth was not the primary target in the game. It's pretty unrealistically simple for an invasion thousands of years in the making, and it doesn't really give the sense of immediacy to the other races. It sounds like a lot of begging/intimidating the council and citadel space races into helping earth rather than rallying the galaxy against a common and dangerous foe. I really hope for a Mass Effect game to give a larger portion to the other races of the galaxy rather than just humans being the most important. We get these wonderful glimpses into a culture nothing like our own but then can investigate no further. Elcor, Hanar, and Drell have very little backstory and we haven't seen more than a sprinkling of any of them. I want to see how their civilizations work.

That having been said, there is NO CHANCE that this will not be a day 1 purchase for me. I loved the first, adored the second and look forward to the third.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Johnny C on 11 Dec 2010, 18:53
that summary makes it sound like they completely shelved all the rpg elements that weren't discarded in me2.

booo.

no it doesn't, it says literally nothing about gameplay
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: satsugaikaze on 11 Dec 2010, 19:04
wait

Since when was anyone supposed to give a shit about Earth for the past two games and now we're supposed to emotionally connect with this piddly rock in the Local Cluster somewhere at the bottom of the Galaxy Map


Yeah I'm real impressed.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Buttfranklin on 11 Dec 2010, 19:11
I'm a little disappointed that Earth is the target, too.

I'd prefer a thing where several major worlds are attacked and you go to each one and try to defend it, sometimes having to make a choice between which to protect, and maybe the climax is on Earth?  That would be cool, and more in line with the plot arcs of the previous installments.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Ozymandias on 11 Dec 2010, 19:16
We are analyzing and criticizing a game based solely on a leaked blurb on a storefront.

Have some perspective.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: satsugaikaze on 11 Dec 2010, 19:20
I am confident that Bioware will put absolute genius into the writing though and I do hope the game isn't just "Earth"

But that said, Earth is a reasonable location for a Reaper conflict. I just hope it isn't the "ultimate" one.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Buttfranklin on 11 Dec 2010, 19:32
We are analyzing and criticizing a game based solely on a leaked blurb on a storefront.

Have some perspective.
Wait, are you suggesting we entertain ourselves by playing video games that are actually out and playable rather than scrutinizing unreliable leaks about details that even if true are not finalized?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 11 Dec 2010, 20:05
My Bioware  :cry:
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: satsugaikaze on 11 Dec 2010, 21:37
We are analyzing and criticizing a game based solely on a leaked blurb on a storefront.

Have some perspective.

We're analyzing and criticizing the possible concepts based on the given trailers and leaks.

It's not the be-all-end-all of the game but we're going through the what-ifs.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Ozymandias on 11 Dec 2010, 22:44
You have 51 words written by a PR department and 3 seconds of a guy in the snow with a gun.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: JD on 11 Dec 2010, 23:37
They better fix those controls. I don't want the spacebar doing 3 completely different things again.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: maxusy3k on 12 Dec 2010, 00:16
Teaser! (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-10-mass-effect/708363)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: cyro on 12 Dec 2010, 02:15
Teaser! (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-10-mass-effect/708363)

omg
omg
 :psyduck:

Yay!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: satsugaikaze on 12 Dec 2010, 02:46
You have 51 words written by a PR department and 3 seconds of a guy in the snow with a gun.

Teaser! (http://www.gametrailers.com/video/vga-10-mass-effect/708363)

Thought you guys would have picked up on the link sooner though.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 12 Dec 2010, 03:24
Here I was hoping that the Reapers would be all about the star destruction and world-scarring mass accelerators they've been hinting
at since MEs two and one, respectively, but hey I guess epic ground battles will probably do.

Let's be serious, despite Bioware's gum-flapping to the contrary ME has always been about Shepard the Space Chosen One. The climax has to take place on Earth because this one dude is so aggravating to the Reapers that they're going to go after this one specific planet to conquer the galaxy. I'm sure the explanation will have something to do with making new Reapers, as shown at the end of ME2 - invariably in any setting with races other than humans, humans are exceptional in some special way, having to do with their adaptability or ambition or whatever.

Anyway all it really means is that the game will have a fuckin' lame final battle, but that will just make the series 0 for 3.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Storm Rider on 12 Dec 2010, 04:50
I thought both the fight down the side of the Citadel and the suicide mission were really well done, actually. Unless you're talking about the actual final fights, in which case yeah. To be fair, it's kind of hard to do boss fights well in shooters and Mass Effect is far from the only game to have that problem. Apparently the boss fight in the Shadow Broker DLC is actually good? I dunno, I haven't played it yet.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: maxusy3k on 12 Dec 2010, 05:32
The boss fight in the Shadow Broker was good in a kind of really challenging way. It was certainly very different. The lead-up to it was also really good and quite difficult. A huge counterpoint to the incredibly easy Overlord DLC boss fight.

I'm quite interested to see how they play out ME3. I've seen a lot of people whining that something as significant as the Earth being razed should not have been the first reveal of the game, but my counter on that was that "Shepard is dead." comprised the message behind most of ME2's hype and promotional material, so it's a possibility that Earth being under seige could - like Shepard's death - actually be something which starts the game rolling.

Thing is, I guess they could reveal that the game is now a God of War clone or something and I'd still buy it anyway.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Johnny C on 12 Dec 2010, 09:39
Let's be serious, despite Bioware's gum-flapping to the contrary ME has always been about Shepard the Space Chosen One. The climax has to take place on Earth because this one dude is so aggravating to the Reapers that they're going to go after this one specific planet to conquer the galaxy. I'm sure the explanation will have something to do with making new Reapers, as shown at the end of ME2 - invariably in any setting with races other than humans, humans are exceptional in some special way, having to do with their adaptability or ambition or whatever.

it's something about the number of human colonies & the increasing power & presence of humans in citadel space iirc
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Johnny C on 12 Dec 2010, 09:45
teaser looks badass, mass effect 2 was super good, this is going to kick ass
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: scarred on 12 Dec 2010, 16:23
so we went from "Save the galaxy" to "Save earth maybe sometimes"
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: JD on 12 Dec 2010, 19:57
Yeah I guess the aliens are fucked then huh
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Blue Kitty on 12 Dec 2010, 20:26
The aliens are always fucked.  Whether it be in Shepard's bedroom or out on the battlefield.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: JD on 12 Dec 2010, 21:00
(http://www.facepunch.com/fp/emoot/rimshot.gif) (http://instantrimshot.com/)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Johnny C on 12 Dec 2010, 21:21
so we went from "Save the galaxy" to "Save earth maybe sometimes"

don't think the premise is that they're going to destroy earth and then peace out back to dark space but ok
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: tHEfOOL on 12 Dec 2010, 21:34
i will buy it, i will buy it so hard, this game is going to be awesome, i hope there are 3 disks this time  :-D
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Tom on 12 Dec 2010, 22:20
Multiple discs are only a problem if you are to lazy to get off your arse or keep 12-13 GB free on your HD.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: JD on 12 Dec 2010, 22:21
Course I bought my game on Steam so it was all very seamless
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: scarred on 12 Dec 2010, 23:50
so we went from "Save the galaxy" to "Save earth maybe sometimes"

don't think the premise is that they're going to destroy earth and then peace out back to dark space but ok

yeah but that's what they're making out the focus of the game to be, which is pretty silly considering it's been a galactic-minded plot thus far.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Johnny C on 13 Dec 2010, 00:08
i mean based on a brief teaser and preliminary synopsis that's what it's going to be but they laid out a case for it in the last game anyways
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: tHEfOOL on 13 Dec 2010, 00:41
Multiple discs are only a problem if you are to lazy to get off your arse or keep 12-13 GB free on your HD.
i'm a console gamer all the way, just can't use a mouse, especially not for shooters. so i play my games on xbox360. when it's time to switch disks it tells me which to swich to and i get off my bed walk the 2 steps and change disks :psyduck:

i was just hoping for more disks because that will mean more game for me to devour
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: Josefbugman on 13 Dec 2010, 09:47
Okay lets put this in perspective shall we?

The reapers are used to arriving at the citadel and then expanding out to try and gather as much genetic material as possible whilst shutting down all of the mass relays to stop people getting actual help. This plan (the usual one as Ilos does not seem to have occured at any point prior during the cycles of exinction) has now been fantastically derailed and they are now going to be unable to ensure that the newer races are unable to communicate with each other.

So they send through Harbinger to do something in secret that they probably would have done overtly once they had taken over the citadel "assess for genetic opportunities". They focus on humanity and find that Whaddayaknow! These hairless apes will do just fine in making a reaper! Harbinger assesses the other races and basically goes "meh" to them, and so kills Shep and tries to get the corpse.

This fails, shep comes back and kills the collectors. The initial plan now completly gone to hell in a hambasket the reapers decide "you know what, fuck it" and decide to use brute force to win back the galaxy from these pesky "new races". So they decide to complete their usual plan but on a more local scale, especially in regard to Humanity. So they go after earth to take out the Systems Alliance high command and to take over the other human colonies, because then this disaster will not be a total waste.

They send out other ships to other areas ofc, but its earth they focus on because not only is it the most populous human planet, it is also the one which (if they can cripple it) will make the others easier to subdue. Now its up to Shep and his/her band of misfits, psychopaths and assorted arsekicking individuals to stop their plans on earth and then save the rest of the galaxy.

I personally really enjoyed both final battles, shooting games always have difficulties in making good final bosses and Mass Effect is no exception, but the big fight up the citadel and against Saren was a hell of a lot of fun and the big fight up to the Reaper Fetus in 2 was interesting and tense even if the final boss was easier to beat than a sackfull of kittens.

And as a final thing Sean Bean voices the guy in this trailer... AWESOME!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: KvP on 13 Dec 2010, 12:02
All the brits I know seem convinced that the guy in the trailer is far too Northern to be Sean Bean.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: ArcAirbender on 13 Dec 2010, 18:30
I hope the series can close with a high note and become a classic. The first installment had some technical problems but compensated itself with quite a strong Universe that I DEVOURED. I spent an ungodly amount if time reading the game's codex.
The second part of the series was far more refined game-wise but I think they ran into some bumps with the story.
For the final chapter it is in my hopes that the game won't lose focus on the main objective: tell a great interactive story. That means no multiplayer please! We already have a dime a dozen. No more "pleasing the Halo/GoW" crowd either! Not if it implies budget cuts at their story depth. I'm not into M.E. for the take-cover system.

Also, as neomang5 implied, I want to see more from other alien cultures and how they work. I wish for the "earth scene" to be a starter or middle event, and not the grand finale. I don't mind a little "we humans are important too" flavour to the mix. Lets just hope it isn't the main course. Shepard's "death" was the start of M.E. 2, and I hope Earth's invasion is M.E. 3 start as well.

Finally, I hope this isn't a prequel, nor any prequels follow. All wishful thinking though: Intellectual Properties have been beaten to death in the name of money. (see force unleashed 2)

Future spoilers? xD
This sounds awesome pawsome.

Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: ackblom12 on 13 Dec 2010, 18:33
This is actually a series where I want the company to rape and pillage the universe for all it's worth. I want a "First Contact War" game. I want a game set during the "Krogan Rebellion" and "Rachni Wars." It's easily one of the best and well fleshed out sci-fi universes I've seen in a very long time and I want more game exploring it and with the vast number of things they could go into they could even do it in just about any genre of game they wanted.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 13 Dec 2010, 18:52
Agreed.

Exploit this franchise, Bioware/EA. Show no mercy.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: ArcAirbender on 13 Dec 2010, 18:53
When I was a child I had the opportunity to watch Star Wars remastered at the cinema. This was a few years before the new trilogy hit. I, as you, wanted more of that Universe. After a few experiences similar to Star Wars, I learned to love short lived I.P.'s

It's easily one of the best and well fleshed out sci-fi universes I've seen in a very long time....
I'm left to wonder how much of that is because the Mass Effect Universe has not been explored and the gaps are being filled with each person's imagination.

There are no big revelations from my part. I do not know if an I.P. should be handled with a lot of different writers and opinions, maybe the opposite: a one person's vision with an iron fist policy, or something in between.
I do know I don't want Mass Effect to become the next Halo.

You most likely get your wish though, if trends are any indication.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 13 Dec 2010, 19:05
I'm pretty sure that Bioware has said that this the end of Shepard's trilogy but not of the Mass Effect Universe. 
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game
Post by: tHEfOOL on 13 Dec 2010, 19:57
For the final chapter it is in my hopes that the game won't lose focus on the main objective: tell a great interactive story. That means no multiplayer please! We already have a dime a dozen. No more "pleasing the Halo/GoW" crowd either! Not if it implies budget cuts at their story depth. I'm not into M.E. for the take-cover system.

Also, as neomang5 implied, I want to see more from other alien cultures and how they work. I wish for the "earth scene" to be a starter or middle event, and not the grand finale. I don't mind a little "we humans are important too" flavour to the mix. Lets just hope it isn't the main course. Shepard's "death" was the start of M.E. 2, and I hope Earth's invasion is M.E. 3 start as well.

i agree completley with everything you just said, but most strongly with the NO MULTIPLAYER PLEASE point. unless it is going to be coperative campaign where your friends can play as the squadmates then please don't sully a perfectly good game by slapping some stupid competitive mode on to the end. i play video games for the story and on a game like this adding a multiplayer mode would do nothing more than mean the people making the game have less time to bang out the awesome story mode and check for bugs and glitches and stuff.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 13 Dec 2010, 22:35
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and it's fucking brilliant multiplayer alongside its wonderful single player would like you to understand that that's not always the case.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 13 Dec 2010, 23:10
Brotherhood is a perfect example of how EA should approach their social gaming dreams. (http://www.gamesradar.com/pc/mass-effect-2/news/ea-single-player-games-are-finished/a-20101209155939923069/g-20090220153298083)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: ArcAirbender on 13 Dec 2010, 23:24
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and it's fucking brilliant multiplayer alongside its wonderful single player would like you to understand that that's not always the case.
And yet, it is the case most of the times.

A multiplayer portion will require a daunting amount of resources (including time), the engine doesn't seem very fit for a high frame gameplay experience, and more to the point: Mass Effect has been built around the single player experience crowd in mind.

I could not care less even if the multiplayer portion was built to be a masterpiece.
And I'm not even a misanthrope.
The cold, hard fact is that I do not go to Mass Effect to be competitive, meet new people, or do the same repetitive task over and over again until I lose my mind for the same reason I do not go to the gym to order a hamburger.
We already have great games for that.
 
Moreover, I think it would be better if you build a game to be multiplayer from scratch: that way you don't have to bend over backwards the story just to fit some marketing* director asinine sellout concept. Why can't a game remain specialized to an area?
Better to be King of something than a Jack of all trades.

* or whatever other division.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: tHEfOOL on 14 Dec 2010, 00:34
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and it's fucking brilliant multiplayer alongside its wonderful single player would like you to understand that that's not always the case.
yup that's why even though i absolutley loved the first two games and played through them several times each. i am boycotting brotherhood thank you very much, that game didn't need some gimmickey multiplayer to detract from disk space thus making the part of the game that made it good shorter
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 14 Dec 2010, 01:46
It really is your loss, Brotherhood is a very good game.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: imagist42 on 14 Dec 2010, 06:25
Yeah guys, I don't see how having multiplayer necessarily means they sacrifice quality in the rest of the game. Based on what I gather from credits and my general understanding of The Way Things Work, it's generally not the same people working on both parts. So it's not like someone's going to tell the story designers "fuck, we're running close to the deadline, you need to quit what you're doing and finish the multiplayer." Of course, the only company whose model I really understand is Blizzard, and they're the of the "wait till it's fucking finished the way we want it to be" mentality. That's how a supposed 1.5 year interval between WoW expansions turned into 2 years between WotLK and Cataclysm.

Also, disk space as a limitation is probably the dumbest argument at hand.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: ackblom12 on 14 Dec 2010, 07:34
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and it's fucking brilliant multiplayer alongside its wonderful single player would like you to understand that that's not always the case.
yup that's why even though i absolutley loved the first two games and played through them several times each. i am boycotting brotherhood thank you very much, that game didn't need some gimmickey multiplayer to detract from disk space thus making the part of the game that made it good shorter

The single player is around 20 hours, same as the single player in the first two games. Stop your bitchin or at least bitch about something valid.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 14 Dec 2010, 08:50
Man, if Brotherhood's multi is a gimmick, the video game industry would be much better off with more gimmicks. Clever as all fuck off.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 14 Dec 2010, 10:19
It's at least 30 hrs if you take your time and do everything, I've played 70hrs of ACII.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 14 Dec 2010, 10:21
Brotherhood is the business.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 14 Dec 2010, 12:25
I'd be pretty happy with some kind of multi-player feature in the next Mass Effect as long as it doesn't harm the quality of the game, or it isn't thrown in last second like Fable 2.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Josefbugman on 16 Dec 2010, 15:00
Apparently its not him, its just a rumour attached to the movie.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 20 Dec 2010, 12:08
Hiphopgamer (who is great) attends Bioware press event, has righteously pointed headline (http://www.hiphopgamershow.com/new/confirmed-mass-effect-3-will-have-timed-decisions-thanks-to-alpha-protocol-multi-player-should-be-next-hhgs-121910/).
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 20 Dec 2010, 12:18
Confirmed: Poorly coded, designed game contributes idea for better developers.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 20 Dec 2010, 12:25
Like Dragon Age with LotR, yeah?

Certainly better than "BIOWARE INVENTS INCREDIBLE NEW DIALOG SYSTEM, ARE BEST GAME GENIUSES *SMACK SMACK SMACK*"
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 20 Dec 2010, 12:46
Besides if you had actually played AP and had any sense in your fool head you would have realized that the Dialog Stance System was perfectly coded and brilliantly designed and executed.

I'm thoroughly looking forward to Bioware removing what was truly great about the system, the intricate choice and consequence. One of the best things they've said in the DA2  press push is that implementing content that most players won't see on a single playthrough is bad design.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 20 Dec 2010, 13:30
I could see the one well-crafted experience philosophy paying dividends if and only if Bioware cast off things like the half-baked morality systems (which, is a possibility given that Dragon Age didn't have really have one) and committed themselves to having one story with one outcome. That way at least they could avoid the player character schizophrenia that sometimes plagues their titles. With that said, I'd be disappointed if they went that route. Bioware has claimed a niche in my gaming library largely because I've been willing to live with some warts in exchange for some off-kilter frills and (admittedly still rather shallow) replayability you don't see with many other developers. Their core game play design has frankly always been just weak enough that I'm not sure they can afford to be more like other developers if they really want to continue claiming a good share of my hard drive.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 20 Dec 2010, 13:43
Confirmed: Poorly coded, designed game contributes idea for better developers.

Like Dragon Age with LotR, yeah?

Nah, this statement doesn't follow very well.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 20 Dec 2010, 14:28
my foot's going to follow your head up your ass if you don't take back what you said about one of 2010's best games
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 20 Dec 2010, 14:31
if you didn't like alpha protocol and mass effect 2 for like entirely different reasons on account of they both did entirely different things very, very well then Fuck You

well except for the thing they both did very well which was ownage writing
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 20 Dec 2010, 15:59
Nah, man, AP is cool, I just like playing into John's weird little false Bioware vs Obsidian dichotomy he's got going up in his brain for no good reason
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Storm Rider on 20 Dec 2010, 21:27
Obsidian and Bioware both make great games that I very much enjoy playing and I do not understand why so many people feel it is necessary to pick a side
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: imagist42 on 20 Dec 2010, 21:45
I swear I can't tell the difference between the two
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 20 Dec 2010, 22:14
I Can't Believe It's Not Bioware!! You Can eat As Much Of This Shit As you Want and It's Not Bioware
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 21 Dec 2010, 16:01
I hope we get the option to punch that turian council member in the face.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: neomang5 on 21 Dec 2010, 16:30
Speculation Time!

Given the growing demand for the inclusion of Hanar and Eclor teammates, who thinks we'll get one or the other in the next game? Or maybe a Batarian, the spacists.

Also, Turian, Krogan and Salarian Females? I think we've already seen a Female Salarian (council member) they just have not confirmed it, but the others I feel are likely to show in the new game.

Thoughts? Wild Mass Guessing?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 21 Dec 2010, 17:13
Female Salarians and Krogans are kinda rare for reasons stated in the codex but hey maybe we'll see a female turian.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 21 Dec 2010, 17:13
A female Salarian/Krogan companion will lead to a female empowerment/women's rights sub-plot. It is in inevitable.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: tHEfOOL on 21 Dec 2010, 21:20
i wanna see a female turian/salarian teamate, but hell i'd be happy just to even SEE a female krogan :D
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 21 Dec 2010, 23:22
There are female krogan in the Urdnot Camp in ME2. They look and sound just like males, if that's what you're wondering.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 21 Dec 2010, 23:30
I thought that was a representative of the female camp who happened to be male.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 22 Dec 2010, 01:08
I think ultimately I was disappointed by ME2. Assembling the crew was interesting but then the actual campaign was over in a moment and wasn't particular memorable either.

the ending mission was in a lot of ways, after you got done the cutscene into it, anticlimactic, but the game they built up to that was a lot of fun. if they can strike the balance between the stuff they did in this last game and the actual urgency or excitement that the main missions need, that'll be a hell of an accomplishment
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: neomang5 on 22 Dec 2010, 11:52
I thought that was a representative of the female camp who happened to be male.

If I recall, it was a basically neutered male since he was the only one who could be a trusted representative and not just go around the female camp pillaging and raping. Mostly raping.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Coward on 22 Dec 2010, 13:40
I'd like Anderson to bang out Udina again, then possibly the rest of the Council, before taking a comfortable seat by a window, lighting a fine cigar, and then nonchantly watch the Citadel get taken to pieces around him by the Reapers.

Then he sets off some sort of bomb, taking a few of the giant-cyborg-alien-ships with him.

Shepherd, lightyears away, tearfully swears revenge, then carries on with his mission to bum all of the Normandy's crew.

Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: snalin on 22 Dec 2010, 14:25
A female Salarian/Krogan companion will lead to a female empowerment/women's rights sub-plot. It is in inevitable.

Could you do this in New Vegas if you played for Ceasar?

It would also be a pretty bad idea to include it unless they skip the whole renegade/paragon scale for that one, unless they want to create more stupid media fuss than the first game.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 22 Dec 2010, 18:30
I thought that was a representative of the female camp who happened to be male.

If I recall, it was a basically neutered male since he was the only one who could be a trusted representative and not just go around the female camp pillaging and raping. Mostly raping.

I thought it was a female, but I couldn't really tell beyond the fact that her voice was a little different from the other Krogans.

I would love to have a Batarian teammate as part of the whole, "We must all come together," thing, but I have the feeling that he would constantly get shit on by everyone else.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: tHEfOOL on 22 Dec 2010, 21:22
i liked how in the first game if you got a weapon with 3 upgrade slots you could put a bunch of heat sinks in it and it would never overheat. i want them to bring that back  :psyduck: d(o.o)b but seriously i'm hoping it is somewhere between the first one and the second one, if they can nail it perfectly it will be one of those games that everyone who plays video games needs to play at least once
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: neomang5 on 23 Dec 2010, 08:27
I would love to have a Batarian teammate as part of the whole, "We must all come together," thing, but I have the feeling that he would constantly get shit on by everyone else.

I know I would constantly be sending him out as my meatshield, for one. Batarians are really the jerks of the galaxy, moreso than the Turians even.

Also, they better not give me Tali and then take her away. She seriously needs overload back as well, so I can actually use her in combat.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 23 Dec 2010, 14:48
It's not their fault, they come from a pretty closed society.


Then again most are just assholes and I want to shoot them in the face.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Thomas Edison on 25 Dec 2010, 03:36
I reckon a new feature will be the ability to have a romance with everything and anything in the game.

Anderson, Udina, the entire council (at the same time), your pistol, a Helper, the Normandy, the Citadel...
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: ArcAirbender on 25 Dec 2010, 12:47
There are female krogan in the Urdnot Camp in ME2. They look and sound just like males, if that's what you're wondering.

Are you sure about this? Mass Effect is one of the very few games I've ever obsessed about, and I don't recall seen a female Krogan nor a female Turian for that matter.
I've read in different places that this was due to technological limitations, and by now I'm seriously expecting some kind of galactic joke when the first female of both races (and some others) are introduced in Mass Effect 3.
The only resemblance of a female Krogan I saw was in an room where Mordin (the saladian doctor) founds a dead body of one female which was being experimented with. She was represented as a dead body completely covered, so the speculation remains.

I'm also expecting to see the bare face of the quarian race.
All in all, I might be expecting too much out of that franchise... yet I'm still hopeful Bioware can come through with this one.  :psyduck:

Sauce!
hxxp://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Krogan#Trivia
"Only one female krogan has been encountered thus far; she can be found during Mordin Solus' loyalty mission, lying dead on a table under a tarp. She is noticeably smaller than male krogan."

hxxp://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/Turian#Trivia
"No female turians are seen in any of the current games. This, at least in the original Mass Effect, was because there was insufficient development time and memory budget to support two different versions of the same species."
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 26 Dec 2010, 23:19
Only like one female Turian has even been mentioned, as well.  The one that Garrus found impressive enough to spar with in the bedroom.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 26 Dec 2010, 23:35
I think Garrus has a sister judging by the shadow broker dlc. It'd be rad if we could see her.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Josefbugman on 16 Jan 2011, 01:56
I just had a rather upsetting thought. You remember the Cerberus crewman who sent his family to earth in order to protect them?

Yeah...
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: LeeC on 20 Jan 2011, 01:04
I reckon a new feature will be the ability to have a romance with everything and anything in the game.
 the Normandy,
not if joker has anything to say about it...  :wink:
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: cyro on 25 Jan 2011, 03:14
I reckon a new feature will be the ability to have a romance with everything and anything in the game.

Anderson, Udina, the entire council (at the same time), your pistol, a Helper, the Normandy, the Citadel...

"Ah yes, 'Romances.' We have dismissed that claim."

Bow-chika wa whoo.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 28 Jan 2011, 02:54
There needs to be more "casual" options in these relationships Bioware insist on giving the player. It's kinda why doin that thang with Kelly seemed more fun than any of the other pairings, most of which involved some form of "UGH THIS IS SERIOUS BUSINESS SHEPARD THE BANGING IS JUST A REWARD ON THE SIDE"
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: snalin on 28 Jan 2011, 03:01
You're thinking of the way the Witcher pulled it off?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 28 Jan 2011, 09:46
yeah, having women be collectible was really great
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: ackblom12 on 28 Jan 2011, 09:57
I know what you mean. It's more akin to making casual encounters be casual and not horribly sexist collections like in Witcher.

The main problem is it's hard enough to portray sex in a way that isn't sexist, pointless or pure fan service without it also being a casual event.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 28 Jan 2011, 10:16
Will there ever be a game that contains an honest, realistic, player controlled relationship between two people?

Has that ever existed in any medium?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 28 Jan 2011, 10:33
People have gotten married in world of warcraft.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 28 Jan 2011, 18:16
Will there ever be a game that contains an honest, realistic, player controlled relationship between two people?

Has that ever existed in any medium?
Torment did it quite well, except that she had a tail. Also, no sex, just talking.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 29 Jan 2011, 00:09
Will there ever be a game that contains an honest, realistic, player controlled relationship between two people?

probably not but if you actually followed through on a lot of the sidequest stuff the relationship btwn york and emily in deadly premonition was one of the finest love stories in gaming. and brutal legend's was like completely & utterly natural. but neither of those are like ever broken into a "do you want to fall in love" binary.

also bringing up planescape: torment is interesting in conjunction with the above. i feel like the only way character romance feels, erm, authentic in video games is if the lead character is like a known quantity, you know? and ~player choice~ is in a lot of ways mutually exclusive to that.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: cyro on 29 Jan 2011, 01:50
The Witcher's relationships were the best.

"Here's some flowers."
"Awesome, wanna shag?"
"Yes."

Bow-chika-wo-wow.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 29 Jan 2011, 15:58
Well, I noted Kelly's 'romance' option as the direction to go in, but obviously some people will look at it and go "sexist" and others will see "oh it's just them having a casual relationship and who knows maybe she just likes stripper outfits"
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 29 Jan 2011, 16:00
The Kelly thing really isn't much of a relationship.

Naturally the Bioware boards were furious.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: snalin on 30 Jan 2011, 07:48
Will there ever be a game that contains an honest, realistic, player controlled relationship between two people?

Has that ever existed in any medium?

People usually bring up Ico whenever this question comes up. I haven't tried it, so I wouldn't know.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 31 Jan 2011, 23:16
Will there ever be a game that contains an honest, realistic, player controlled relationship between two people?

Has that ever existed in any medium?
Torment did it quite well, except that she had a tail. Also, no sex, just talking.
You could sort of romance a lady with wings, too.  But hers didn't culminate in a kiss, whereas the tail lady did.

Even without the hanky panky I feel that the relationships in Planescape: Torment felt more natural than the ones in BioWare's more recent games.  Not only that, they were just more entertaining.  Fall-From-Grace and Annah are just simply more interesting characters than, say, Ashley or Kaiden.  Sure, we don't get to see a cutscene of hot cgi blue alien butt, just a text description of a kiss with Annah, but the kiss with Annah was way more striking than the hot cgi blue alien butt.

As well, Dragon Age: Origins' romances felt more like a mini game of managing approval points than actual dialogue and character interaction.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 31 Jan 2011, 23:21
They kind of shot themselves in the foot with the gift system. But it was totally necessary for Morrigan, who apparently was impossible to please in some sections of the game via dialog alone.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 31 Jan 2011, 23:32
you can't have a good guy character who morrigan falls for without the gift system basically, the whole romance thing in da:o was broken from the start which is a shame because i found its characters largely interesting
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 31 Jan 2011, 23:48
The characters were the only thing I found interesting about the game.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 01 Feb 2011, 08:42
You guys didn't love the blood theme? It was so thematic!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 01 Feb 2011, 15:24
actually i thought that was pretty interesting because i love the consideration of biological processes in texts
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 10 Feb 2011, 04:56
So god of everything Clint Mansell is scoring Mass Effect 3.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/02/10/overture-clint-mansell-to-score-mass-effect-3/

I honestly can't remember the music from one or two, except that it wasn't the Star Wars music I kept humming to myself.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 10 Feb 2011, 08:41
That is a pretty significant coup.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 10 Feb 2011, 11:37
I'm sure he'd be a great fit for Mass Effect's cinematic ambitions.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Storm Rider on 10 Feb 2011, 11:47
I did like the work of Jack Wall and the two other guys whose names I can't remember on the first two games, but it should be interesting to see the direction Mansell takes.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 10 Feb 2011, 14:49
From the sound of it, Jack Wall either got fired or left the company, but he gives Mansell his endorsement, not that he needs it.

Hopefully he just uses the one or two good songs from the other soundtracks (those being the galaxy menu song and the Vigil theme from the ME1 title screen), perhaps improves upon them.

Basically Clint Mansell is perhaps the greatest.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 10 Feb 2011, 15:04
I liked the music in Eden Prime during the having to disarm the bombs sequence. I thought it was pretty appropriate in an '80s sci-fi action kinda way. Going to Clint Mansell is definitely an upgrade, but if we were voting video game soundtrack artists off the island, I wouldn't have started with Jack Wall.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Dimmukane on 10 Feb 2011, 21:07
The other guy was Sam Hulick, for those who were wondering.  This should be interesting, though.  I've always kind of wondered what Trent Reznor might do.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 13 Feb 2011, 08:13
You guys didn't love the blood theme? It was so thematic!

please don't get me started on how DA: O was the biggest pile of disappointment I played



Also I was kinda hoping Jack Wall would finish the series score. Or those motherfucking geniuses who composed for the DLC. BIM BAM SMASH SAY HELLO TO THE SHADOW BROKER'S PRIVATE ARMY

But yeah okay Clint Mansell. I only liked 1 or 2 tracks from the first game but ME2's soundtrack had some absolute brilliance. It'd be pretty stupid to dump the main themes from the 3rd game.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 14 Feb 2011, 07:56
They drove the main themes into the ground though. I get that having recurring motifs and reprises is always good for a moment of recognition and "SO EPIC" comments on youtube, but holy shit do they need to pace themselves better next time.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 17 Feb 2011, 06:38
Yeah I'll be fair and put it out there that the last 4 tracks of the main soundtrack are just mixes of the same 2 themes

But seriously they had a good thing going, it's sad to see the guy not come back to show how much he's improved at this thing.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Caleb on 17 Feb 2011, 10:25
I wonder if you can use your save data from the PC game for the Xbox version somehow.

That would be cool since I invested so much time in the PC version already.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 08 Apr 2011, 20:49
Game Informer spoilerz by way of RPS. (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/04/08/mass-effect-3-revenge-of-the-spoilers/#more-56490)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 08 Apr 2011, 22:04
I have to assume the Liara/Shitty Human Survivor/Garrus/"James" team is just at the beginning of the game, right?

Right?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 08 Apr 2011, 22:24
My money's on Bioware giving out as little info as possible this time round.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 08 Apr 2011, 23:19
I have to assume the Liara/Shitty Human Survivor/Garrus/"James" team is just at the beginning of the game, right?

Right?
Sounds like it. Garrus can also, you know, be dead.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 08 Apr 2011, 23:40
Yeah, that's true. Man, there seems to already be a shit ton of carry-over variables just from that tiny bit of spoilers.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Josefbugman on 09 Apr 2011, 01:34
I think that Bioware is going to have its work cut out just making sure that all the variables are covered, because knowing their "fanbase" someone will complain unless every single choice made across all of the games doesn't have earth shattering consequences.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 09 Apr 2011, 02:14
Their fanbase was pretty happy with ME2, actually.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Josefbugman on 09 Apr 2011, 04:48
You wouldn't know it from looking at the bioware forums *eyetwitch*.

They seem to attract all of the worst elements of fandom from people who would praise the games even if every time you turned the game on you got a shotgun blast to the face, to the people who would condemn it for not giving out blowjobs and heroin, to the people whose declarations of love for fictional characters is a tiny bit weird.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Rizzo on 09 Apr 2011, 07:55
I guess I need to play 2 again and create a whole lot of new variables...

So far my characters probably should be:
Play through 1 & 2 Paragon - Everyone/most survive (ensure Thane survives, he rules)
Play through 1 & 2 Renegade - Everyone/most survive (kill Miranda, she sucks)
Play through 1 & 2 Renegade - Only humans can survive (the xenophobe)
Play through 2 haphazardly - No one survives (new character(s) for 3?)
Play through 2 - see how it goes choosing a moderate path and deliberately picking the wrong people for the final mission, some will die

That's a lot of game time to set up. I'm fairly sure I've got the first 2 and the last one covered already.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 09 Apr 2011, 10:32
By no one survives you have to make sure that Shepard at least survives.  BioWare has confirmed that if Shep dies then you cannot export the save game to ME3.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 09 Apr 2011, 11:10
Yeah you need at least one other guy to pull you up at the end. Do legion since he isn't really alive anyway.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 09 Apr 2011, 12:45
I keep reading that Mordin, Wrex, and Legion are appearing in non-squad based roles and I just keep wondering WTF, since all three are fantastic characters.

Wrex and Legion actually make sense I guess, if you follow the theory that they're going to center the game around building up a galactic force to destroy the Reapers- they're the representatives of their races and can lead the charge from their respective fronts. Mordin hardly qualifies on that front, though. Especially if the council survives ME1.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 09 Apr 2011, 13:06
It makes the most sense, though, and it has since ME2 expanded the party NPC list. It's pretty much what they did from BG1 -> BG2. The majority of CNPCs from BG1 either made cameos or were killed off. Only the important ones (eg family, love interests and comedy relief via Minsc and Edwin) made it to the sequel as party characters. And considering it's highly likely that companions will have their own subquests (with or without "loyalty" mechanics) the permanent ME3 party pool is probably going to be ME1/ME2 standard.

If I were to gamble I'd say there are going to be sections where you can run with a former party NPC, but only for that mission (ala Lair of the Shadow Broker). A lot of people are going to be unhappy with this, but I don't see Bioware really shaking up their game design to avoid it with the given amount of development time they have, and the proven success of their formula.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 09 Apr 2011, 13:12
Mordin makes sense not coming back with an active role since he is getting very old by Salarian standards.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 10 Apr 2011, 08:03
I have to assume the Liara/Shitty Human Survivor/Garrus/"James" team is just at the beginning of the game, right?

Right?

Since Ashley is lookin' pretty bangin' for the third game I have to say that this is probably a combination I'd be quite happy with

 :psyduck:
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 10 Apr 2011, 12:02
Almost definitely.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: FIXDIX on 10 Apr 2011, 13:44
I can see the reasons why but damn if I ain't sad my boys Legion and Mordin won't be with me. Legion was an awesome alternative to Tali, because fuck that cunt after failing her loyalty mission, and Mordin is Mordin.

Since my 360 is fucked and my ME1 and ME2 saves are gone I thought it was high time I got ME2 for ps3. I thought the interactive comic was a nice touch but honestly thought there would be more options to choose from. One of the options I did pick was to leave Kaidan to die, but this was hugely discredited when I asked Jacob about my past team mates only to get a reply saying that he was fine and doing whatever he does if he survives. So that was a little bit of a let down. 
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 10 Apr 2011, 14:16
Yeah, Tali had the hook of being from a different culture without having any particularly annoying traits and ME2 did a good job of expanding her character a bit.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Ozymandias on 10 Apr 2011, 16:04
Yeah, if for some reason you're beyond the standard Renegade dick and give the fleet the truth about Tali's father, you lose her loyalty.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 10 Apr 2011, 16:41
She did ask you not to do so.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Rizzo on 10 Apr 2011, 16:49
Yeah, she was fairly specific. I was such a damn hell as king that I was able to choose the "none of this is even relevant, fuck you all, Tali rulz" and get away with it.

Am I the only person who hated Miranda? Useless character, boring loyalty, fought with Jack (also boring but far more useful in combat). I made sure she died.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 10 Apr 2011, 17:22
I'm not a Miranda fan but she's anything but useless.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 11 Apr 2011, 16:11
Yeah, she's pretty much one of the best squadmates.

She can counter all defenses with Warp and Overload, and she can hella buff yr party with her Cerberus Officer skill.  Squad weapon damage +15%?  Yes please!

Jack is good if yr playing a on a lower difficulty, or if you really want Squad Warp Ammo.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 11 Apr 2011, 16:44
Ironically, the feuding ladies do extremely well when paired together. On lower difficulties the mook squads don't have much in the way of defenses so they can team up for entertaining biotic combos with Pull+Warp/Slam, while on higher difficulties Miranda's ability to peel defenses lets Jack use Pull more freely.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 11 Apr 2011, 17:13
Jack is good if yr playing a on a lower difficulty, or if you really want Squad Warp Ammo.

If you really want squad warp ammo, just do her loyalty mission.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 11 Apr 2011, 17:27
Yeah, but then you're passing up on stuff like Geth Shields or Reave. Bringing Jack along for Warp Ammo isn't so bad when you consider her decent CC ability.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 11 Apr 2011, 22:43
i hated miranda and thought her character was stupid but then i got to her loyalty mission and warmed up to her and then at the end of the game she got like the best fist-pump moment so like there's that
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 11 Apr 2011, 22:54
I didn't warm up to Miranda, but Grunt was much, much better than he had any right to be. Same with Samara, though all in all she seems as slight a character as Jacob. Ditto Zaeed, who's just fun.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 11 Apr 2011, 23:00
conversely, i never gave two shits about samara, and cared even less about morinth. zaeed is the fucking man though
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Storm Rider on 11 Apr 2011, 23:31
I also warmed up to Miranda considerably by the end of the game, and the ending solidified it. I thought Samara was done pretty well too.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Josefbugman on 12 Apr 2011, 15:20
I think (overall) I liked Thane and Garrus the best, with Legion a close second, so its good to hear that at least one of them is coming back.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 12 Apr 2011, 15:29
Miranda was probably the best human companion of the series, which isn't saying much.
I liked both the DLC characters a lot more, despite neither of them being all that fleshed out, mostly because I thought Miranda was a little too fleshed out (I get it Bioware, she has a giant rack and a peach-like ass) and her inferiority complex (AM I PERFECT OR REALLY REALLY PERFECT?!) was never anything less than irritating. Plus hers was probably the last companion mission I went on so I was all "Great, more family trouble"
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 12 Apr 2011, 17:12
Legion>Tali>Thane>Jack

Didn't really wanna "sync environmental suits" with Tali though, I think a interview with gaider turned me off to that before the game even came out.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 12 Apr 2011, 17:15
He really does that to you. Best to avoid him if you're interested at all in the romances.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Dimmukane on 12 Apr 2011, 19:30
One thing I recently noticed: my non-imported campaign Shepard didn't know much about the Genophage that Moradin talks about for his loyalty mission and just kinda went along with it.  Finally went through with one of my imported saves (saved Wrex), and Shepard was PISSED that Moradin was involved.  Like, right off the bat.  I'm still kinda surprised at the differences I'm finding.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 12 Apr 2011, 19:48
Quote
I never noticed anything about Miranda's figure to be honest, she just seemed to look like the generic ME female to me.
Her art ass (http://i.imagehost.org/0028/MassEffect2_2010-01-26_21-02-17-21.jpg)ets are significantly larger.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 12 Apr 2011, 19:50
Saw that joke coming a mile away.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 12 Apr 2011, 20:03
 :-D
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 12 Apr 2011, 20:05
I think they did as well as they good with a supposedly brilliant individual. I know a few incredibly attractive and talented people who seem constantly haunted by the prospect of being anything less than perfect in every way. It's not like if you're super smart and ultra cute you have no problems, sometimes it ramps them up even more and I think they managed to just about capture that dichotomy.

revisiting this (and because i've been on a kick of his stuff for like a YEAR at this point), from david foster wallace's 2005 commencement speech at kenyon college:

Quote
In the day-to-day trenches of adult life, there is actually no such thing as atheism. There is no such thing as not worshipping. Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship -- be it J.C. or Allah, be it Yahweh or the Wiccan mother-goddess or the Four Noble Truths or some infrangible set of ethical principles -- is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive.

If you worship money and things -- if they are where you tap real meaning in life -- then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It's the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you.

On one level, we all know this stuff already -- it's been codified as myths, proverbs, clichés, bromides, epigrams, parables: the skeleton of every great story. The trick is keeping the truth up-front in daily consciousness. Worship power -- you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart -- you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out. And so on.

Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is not that they're evil or sinful; it is that they are unconscious. They are default-settings. They're the kind of worship you just gradually slip into, day after day, getting more and more selective about what you see and how you measure value without ever being fully aware that that's what you're doing. And the world will not discourage you from operating on your default-settings, because the world of men and money and power hums along quite nicely on the fuel of fear and contempt and frustration and craving and the worship of self.

Our own present culture has harnessed these forces in ways that have yielded extraordinary wealth and comfort and personal freedom. The freedom to be lords of our own tiny skull-sized kingdoms, alone at the center of all creation. This kind of freedom has much to recommend it. But of course there are all different kinds of freedom, and the kind that is most precious you will not hear much talked about in the great outside world of winning and achieving and displaying. The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day.

for some reason, in some weird way, i thought of this quote when reading tommy's comments. the slight variation in miranda's character is, of course, that she doesn't so much worship these things as much as she was created to embody their worship. i don't think that's "am i perfect or am i super perfect" at all.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 12 Apr 2011, 20:19
Miranda has to live with that constant nagging thought in the back of her head that everything she enjoys about herself is there by design.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 12 Apr 2011, 20:33
I think they did as well as they good with a supposedly brilliant individual. I know a few incredibly attractive and talented people who seem constantly haunted by the prospect of being anything less than perfect in every way. It's not like if you're super smart and ultra cute you have no problems, sometimes it ramps them up even more and I think they managed to just about capture that dichotomy.
I get that, I just don't think it's worth writing, hearing about, or playing therapist with in the hopes of having digital sex. Listening to people wrestle with privilege is very rarely interesting. I'm pretty much over companions with deeply ingrained self-esteem issues. I don't think it's a coincidence that my line between "interesting" and "intolerable" amongst ME2 companions neatly divides characters who are confident in themselves (Mordin, Tali, Grunt, Thane, Samara) and characters who nurse some deep insecurity (Miranda, Jacob, Jack). Unsurprisingly, those characters make up the majority of romance options. Garrus gets a pass because his vendetta/PTSD isn't inherently stupid.

This pattern is likewise reflected in Dragon Age 2, with Aveline and Varric being the best characters and Merrill / Anders being the worst.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 12 Apr 2011, 20:55
sorry that you're sick of one corner of human experience, john
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 12 Apr 2011, 21:06
I'm sorry Aerie has become a gold standard character concept.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 12 Apr 2011, 21:07
what does that even have to do with anything, games didn't invent the idea of archetypes
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 12 Apr 2011, 21:15
I never said they did? I said the ones they're using are boring to me. But the "healing touch of friendship" approach compresses the course of a relationship from "just met" to "ready to die for you" to <25 hours better than anything else, I suppose. They wouldn't keep using it otherwise.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 12 Apr 2011, 21:40
I think they did as well as they good with a supposedly brilliant individual. I know a few incredibly attractive and talented people who seem constantly haunted by the prospect of being anything less than perfect in every way. It's not like if you're super smart and ultra cute you have no problems, sometimes it ramps them up even more and I think they managed to just about capture that dichotomy.
I get that, I just don't think it's worth writing, hearing about, or playing therapist with in the hopes of having digital sex. Listening to people wrestle with privilege is very rarely interesting. I'm pretty much over companions with deeply ingrained self-esteem issues. I don't think it's a coincidence that my line between "interesting" and "intolerable" amongst ME2 companions neatly divides characters who are confident in themselves (Mordin, Tali, Grunt, Thane, Samara) and characters who nurse some deep insecurity (Miranda, Jacob, Jack). Unsurprisingly, those characters make up the majority of romance options. Garrus gets a pass because his vendetta/PTSD isn't inherently stupid.

This pattern is likewise reflected in Dragon Age 2, with Aveline and Varric being the best characters and Merrill / Anders being the worst.
I dunno if Jack is insecure. It seems more like she's a cold and impersonal person who struggles to get close to people. Which is rather like Lisbeth now that I think about it.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 12 Apr 2011, 22:52
Never thought there'd be a game with a 'stock gmilf' but yeah

Samara
How bout those implants honey


Friggin' Obligatory Space Babes.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 13 Apr 2011, 01:59
I dunno if Jack is insecure. It seems more like she's a cold and impersonal person who struggles to get close to people. Which is rather like Lisbeth now that I think about it.

That's an apt comparison.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 13 Apr 2011, 11:02
Yeah, I suspect that I have a decent overall impression of Miranda in large part because I didn't pursue that thread the first time around. Once you do take on the romance thread (Can we vote on a term other than romance? Please?) she actually seems sulkier about how the mission is "no time to for emotional entanglement" and "idiotic hormones" than she did about her perceived inadequacies. It adds another round of "Miranda has vulnerabilities" when I liked her better without quite so much baggage. Plus, at one point she asks you to promise her you won't die, which will always and forever make me think of Team America.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Rizzo on 13 Apr 2011, 18:02
It seemed like every single way I played this game Garrus was really distant and basically refused to talk to me. I've played through twice, once with a continued campaign (male) and once with a new character (female) and Garrus was a dick the whole time. wtf?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 13 Apr 2011, 18:36
He has a lot of calibrating to do.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 13 Apr 2011, 20:50
Well he did lose parts of his face, and he came to terms with you being dead.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 13 Apr 2011, 22:47
Garrus is basically a stone wall unless A, he's doing his side quest or B he's in it with Shepard's vay-jay (sort of)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 13 Apr 2011, 23:10
I still like him a helluva lot better than I did in the first game though. He's more interesting when I'm not holding his hand through every impromptu ethics lesson.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Storm Rider on 14 Apr 2011, 02:07
I think giving Garrus a chip on his shoulder did his character worlds of good. He's much more enjoyable now that he's a little more sarcastic. He has some of the funnier cracks in the game in my opinion.

And I haven't done it myself because I actually haven't finished a playthrough as female Shepard yet, but I heard from people who did that Garrus's romance is arguably the best one Bioware's ever done precisely because it acknowledges how weird the situation is.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 14 Apr 2011, 02:30
It even has a Paragon interrupt.

SOLD
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: cyro on 14 Apr 2011, 06:39
And I haven't done it myself because I actually haven't finished a playthrough as female Shepard yet, but I heard from people who did that Garrus's romance is arguably the best one Bioware's ever done precisely because it acknowledges how weird the situation is.

Definately arguable, but it's good partically for that reason, partically because it didn't feel the need to pander the whole "sex with space babes" (and anti-space-but-still-babes babes) compared to the other romances of the series. It was pretty tactfully handled rather than a romance for the sake of a romance (and implied banging.)

Actually the Tali romance was kind of like this too, but not as well done.

On a vaguely related note, the Miranda romance is probably the stupidest one in the whole series. "I feel only cold shallow resentment for you despite my respect for your abilities. Oh, you rescued my not-twin twin sister? Lets bang. Now I love you."

The fuck?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 14 Apr 2011, 10:28
Space women are Complicated, it seems.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 14 Apr 2011, 11:38
I think giving Garrus a chip on his shoulder did his character worlds of good. He's much more enjoyable now that he's a little more sarcastic. He has some of the funnier cracks in the game in my opinion.

Also, this will sound kind of weird, but I kinda liked how going all Paragon on his ass in the first game wasn't apparently enough to make him do everything by-the-book once left to make judgement calls on his own. Now, I suppose if you were feeling uncharitable I guess you could just chalk that up to Bioware not having a cost effective way to incorporate both attitudes, but in a game in which a fair amount of stuff carries over from the first I kinda liked the idea that Garrus wasn't someone you could just mold into an ersatz Shep.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 14 Apr 2011, 19:45
And I haven't done it myself because I actually haven't finished a playthrough as female Shepard yet, but I heard from people who did that Garrus's romance is arguably the best one Bioware's ever done precisely because it acknowledges how weird the situation is.

I love any romance option that has you talking with Mordin about protection.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 20 Apr 2011, 23:54
(http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4347/screen1280.jpg)

(http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/2077/screen1152.jpg)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Torlek on 21 Apr 2011, 00:11
Well, looks like the Citadel's going to get fucked up again. And I am getting a serious Shep vibe from that lead bot thing in the second pic.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 21 Apr 2011, 00:19
Some high quality scans of a recent game informer article (http://masseffect.livejournal.com/938886.html)

Ashely looks silly.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 21 Apr 2011, 00:24
Well, looks like the Citadel's going to get fucked up again. And I am getting a serious Shep vibe from that lead bot thing in the second pic.
The article they're from indicates that the pics are from a mission on the Salarian homeworld (my money on ME2 companions being temporary / location-based in ME3 is looking smarter), so it looks like the Reapers are probably just hitting all the racial homeworlds in the galaxy. The Citadel's probably on the list, though I could see it being the resistance base and all. With the Conduit shut there's only one way in and it's through the front door.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 21 Apr 2011, 04:19
Ashely looks silly.

seriously
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 21 Apr 2011, 04:23
Liara and Kaidan look really good, though.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 21 Apr 2011, 06:34
You all have bad taste.




;-;
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: cyro on 21 Apr 2011, 07:16
I have taste?

Huh.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 21 Apr 2011, 09:04
Nah man, sorry. She looks kinda drag queen.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 21 Apr 2011, 09:51
Ashely looks silly.

seriously
She done got Flemeth'd!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 21 Apr 2011, 10:04
I stand by the opinion that the flemeth redesign wasn't that bad.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 21 Apr 2011, 10:07
Smexy Grandma
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 21 Apr 2011, 10:14
the proper term is foxy
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 21 Apr 2011, 10:16
The difference between a Smexy Grandma and a Foxy Grandma is I want to nom her face
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 21 Apr 2011, 16:54
As opposed to what, motorboating?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 21 Apr 2011, 21:23
Squeeee
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 22 Apr 2011, 02:15
they just made ashley's face weird, is all. like it doesn't look like her. i'd be ok with the seven of nine jumpsuit if it wasn't for the weird face they gave her.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 25 Apr 2011, 05:51
You should see the other guy (read: Kaiden)

EDIT: Apparently Ash/Kaiden is now a Spectre in 3.
Interesting.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 25 Apr 2011, 16:59
How they made some of them aliens (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/22/mass-effect-the-origin-of-species.aspx).

I'll finally have something to throw at the bros who insist that Asari aren't female.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Scandanavian War Machine on 25 Apr 2011, 17:52
i don't know why i'm looking at these scans online when i have the article sitting in my room unfinished....

....but yeah ashley's face looks fucking wonked out and i'm not feelin it
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 26 Apr 2011, 19:44
New promo vid: Casey Hudson on the beginnings of Mass Effect (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/26/casey-hudson-interview-how-mass-effect-began.aspx)

"These relationships, you really have to pursue them, it's not just, you press A then you're in a relationship." - LOL
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 26 Apr 2011, 20:45
Oh it was hudson not gaider that turned me off to tali
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 26 Apr 2011, 23:45
New promo vid: Casey Hudson on the beginnings of Mass Effect (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/26/casey-hudson-interview-how-mass-effect-began.aspx)

"These relationships, you really have to pursue them, it's not just, you press A then you're in a relationship." - LOL
To be fair to him I played on PC so I clicked my mouse button
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Storm Rider on 27 Apr 2011, 11:21
New promo vid: Casey Hudson on the beginnings of Mass Effect (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/26/casey-hudson-interview-how-mass-effect-began.aspx)

"These relationships, you really have to pursue them, it's not just, you press A then you're in a relationship." - LOL

He's right, really. You have to push the A button like, four or five times.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 01 May 2011, 04:11
How they made some of them aliens (http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/22/mass-effect-the-origin-of-species.aspx).

I'll finally have something to throw at the bros who insist that Asari aren't female.

Man he even used the phrase "space babe".
But yeah this is actually pretty fascinating, although design like character or species design does generally require well-distinguished silhouette work. I can see why they chose that asari scalp folding over the other similar sketches.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 04 May 2011, 13:55
Delayed (http://www.shacknews.com/article/68332/mass-effect-3-delayed-to)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 04 May 2011, 14:07
Given the rushed shitheap that was Dragon Age 2, I don't particularly mind this delay.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 04 May 2011, 14:43
Best bad news all year.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 04 May 2011, 14:46
I agree with both of you.  If it means that it gets done right, versus being released faster - go ahead and delay.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 04 May 2011, 16:29
More time to play Witcher 2 then
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 04 May 2011, 21:43
Excellent news that it's being delayed.

More games need to be delayed.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 05 May 2011, 00:30
Only cases where I'd actually be annoyed at delays is if representatives of the developer team have said beforehand that the game is virtually complete, but they're going to delay it by a few months anyway for some obscure reason


(Hint: Gears of War 3 + Bulletstorm)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 06 May 2011, 13:23
Quote
PC Gamer UK posted:
-Tali is confirmed squadmate
"Garrus, Liara, Kaidan, Ashley and (newly confirmed) Tali are all full
time members of your team if they survived the previous games."


-Wrex?
"I asked point blank about Wrex and got as close to a 'no' as I think Bioware will come at this early stage: exceutive producer Casey Hudson simply re-emphasised that such characters canplay a role and fight alongside you without necessarily being permanent squad members."


-No new LIs in ME3

-Biotics are more potent in combat
"Biotics can use their Pull ability to rip a shield out of someone's hands" (I dont get this)

-Multi Layered combat areas
"The games combat spaces have graduated from the often-familiar open areas dotted with low walls. They're now multi layed encouraging you to seek high ground for a better vantage point...[the rest is about Cerberus rocket boot dudes using this to their advantage]

-class Specific Melee attacks
Engineer: Omni-tool fire lash attack
Adept: Melee (biotic) attack that knocks everyone near them away and stuns

-Powers Evolve more than once
"In ME3 this is just the start. A Vanguard player can customise their devastating Charge move first to slam people harder, then do more damage, then to reduce the cooldown.

-Powers combine
Example given with Soldier: "Soldier still has an arcing attack called Concussive Shot, but it now behaves differently depending on the ammo ugrade he/she is using. Cryo ammo lets you use that same trajectory to deliver a blast of ice that canfreeze every enemy in the area."


-Story is more like ME1 than ME2

-Places being visited (at least what the Magazine reports):
[...]mission takes you to the Salarian homeworld, the Quarian homeworld, the Asari homeworld, and the human homeworld - Earth. You'll even go to Mars [...]

-Every major character you have met will play a role in the last game

-Why is Cerberus after Shepard? They are working with the Reapers
"If your wondering why we were fighting Cerberus, having worked closely with this shadowy organisation in Mass Effect 2, the answer just raises further questions. They are wokring with the Reapers"

-Reaperized enemies include Asari, Krogan, Rachni
"In Mass Effect 3 we'll fight the Reapers other experiments, with other species.
One is a hideously bloated pregnant Asari, her gums stripped away and a robot skeleton showing through her rotting flesh"

"The Reapers take on the Rachni, who were already viscious insect monsters,are covered with bulging savs of lesser creatures. Rather than hitting their weak spot for massive damage, you want to avoid it like the plague: bursting any of these sacs before the creature is dead wit will unleash a swarm of horrible mini-rachni that crawl all over your body"

"The Reaperised Krogan wears heavy armor plates that can shear off with enough focused fire. Once you do the creature changes its behaviour to be more defensive clutching its lurid blue intestines to its stomach as its lumbers towards you"

Casey Hudson summarizing ME3 (This is an article quote):
"Casey sums up Mass Effect 3 as being about victory through sacrifice, the scale of that sacrifice has been increasing with each new chapter" [Rest is authors speculation about saving(or not saving) Wrex and Rachni consequences]
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 09 May 2011, 03:37
Well considering they've only announced one brand-new character companion, "No new LIs is not really a big thing"

Quote
"In Mass Effect 3 we'll fight the Reapers other experiments, with other species.
One is a hideously bloated pregnant Asari, her gums stripped away and a robot skeleton showing through her rotting flesh"

read: Bioware attempts to #1 for Nightmare Fuel
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 09 May 2011, 11:29
Quote from: OXM
Apparently, according to OXM, you can jump and roll, and blindfire has been introduced.

As well as gaining civilisation's alliegance, you can lose them to the Reapers if you don't play right, similarly to losing squadmates in the suicide mission.

Your weapons have three upgrade slots -scope barrel and grip, and you can change the colour and camoflage of weapons.

The magazine rumours that Garrus is being built up to a dramatic death.

Cerberus and husks will be main enemies, and cerberus is divided into three main types of troops - heavy bruisers, medium and light.

You may be able to get an eyepiece, like Garrus's, that will allow non-sniper weapons to scope in further, which also hints at armour having more of an effect on gameplay.

Bioware are going to announce something big at E3 - a lot of the gameplay features and more squadmates.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: johnny5 on 10 May 2011, 15:40
kind of discourage by it seems there's mostly human companions this time around. on average in this series, human companions are the worst/most boring/useless. ashley/kaiden were horrible in ME1, and jacob was even worse. miranda is polarizing at best. oh great! another boring white marine guy.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 11 May 2011, 01:34
I would have to disagree on both Miranda and Ashley being the "worst/most boring/useless" squadmates. Miranda as a squadmate has Overload and Warp, which covers all forms of protection in Mass Effect 2, making her a decent all-round squadmate to go with. Ashley in is a really useful tank and can draw a lot of fire away from Shepards who might not have as much health, although it's true that she isn't the biggest bruiser of the ME1 team. They're both perfectly useful squadmates depending on what class your Shepard is.

As for the characters themselves, they are arguably quite boring, yes, although by a point of comparison I did find Ashley's xenophobia (especially when you explore the context of her xenophobia) and gradual changing of ways a slightly more interesting character progression than Kaiden, who... doesn't really do anything for me since y'know he's worked out all his issues before the game even started.

And Miranda is just plain silly.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Lupercal on 11 May 2011, 12:43
I'd have to agree that Jacob isn't useless - at least at the beginning of the game when you can get caught short a lot of the time, its really useful to just use Pull (Big Red Shepard only has soldier abilities). Ashley was a fairly good team mate in the first game, had her on most of my missions due to being a stable member of your team with a lot of fire-power. She got the second best weapons, poor Garrus had to make do with Polonium Rounds V.

I think human companions are necessary as ME are essentially games of choice - if you just had aliens to choose from, well, some people might not like that. You should always have the ability to have an all alien or all human team, but I think that most people mix it up a bit.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 11 May 2011, 13:28
Any ally who can use a shotgun is useful in Mass Effect 1 or 2.  Fact.

Miranda is also the most useful squadmate from a gameplay perspective IMO since she can effectively deal with any defense type (Warp for Armor + Barrier, Overload for Shields) and she has GREAT passive squad bonuses.

Jacob is good at the beginning if you have the Cerberus Network since he gets that shotgun.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 11 May 2011, 19:11
Some things you might not know (http://ca.kotaku.com/5800972/five-new-mass-effect-3-details-you-might-want-to-hear)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 11 May 2011, 19:12
Spoilers.  D}:

Would a kindly poster give us the juice on the gameplay details (if any are given) without spoiling the plot for us spoil-plague avoiders?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 12 May 2011, 04:49
Better cover-based shooting.
Dodges and rolls implemented Gears-style.
Shootery customisation of weapons.
Larger, more expansive battlefields.
Nostalgia hits and trips to planets previously mentioned but not travelled to.


That's about it.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 12 May 2011, 06:29
man, I've been waiting for blindfire to be more of a thing ever since Kill.Switch perfected everything to do with cover years ago (pc version only)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 12 May 2011, 10:42
Thanks, sats!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 12 May 2011, 17:17
Oh yeah there's blindfire too.

In short, there's a lot of Gears of War action  :-P
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 13 May 2011, 06:06
That doesn't have to be a bad thing.  As long as it doesn't start a trend that ends with "Mass of Gears" I'm alright with it.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 13 May 2011, 06:43
Gears of War has genuinely impressive set design and dressing in general. Much better than Mass Effect's horribly outdated rooms with two boxes in etc.

Ummm - K.


I don't think anyone is arguing that with you.  I wasn't trying to take a shot at Gears, I like Gears.  I just don't want it mixed in with my Mass Effect.  That's all.

Unlike Reese's, I don't think those two great flavors would go great together.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 13 May 2011, 23:03
Gotta agree there.

They need to take a cue from Valve in terms of level design.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 13 May 2011, 23:04
Really? Playing GoW2 (and Gow1 to an even greater extent) I was really struck by how much I noticed the abdomen-level walls that litter pretty much every level. Every single third-person shooter has them (even the MEs) but for some reason they were stood out in GoW. I think the main problem was that UE3, such as it was, restricted the size of areas thus making every level a linear corridor shooter with blockades you could blind-fire behind. They're promising much, much larger levels and a greater degree of tactical movement (along with an AI boost) in ME3. Hopefully they deliver.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 14 May 2011, 01:43
I think it's the very idea that both Mass Effect's and Gears of War's combat is cover-based shooting, so chest-high walls of some design are involved by default. Gears of War, however, doesn't have the liberty of using RPG mechanics such as latent spellcasting to mix things up, so combat in Mass Effect comes off as slightly more flexible than being forced to take pot-shots from behind cover until the other man falls down.

All this being said, things like blindfire and dodging/rolling are things that I'd generally consider to be a welcome addition to Mass Effect. They're not humongous innovations to third-person shooters, but established mechanics that would most definitely improve the shootery side of 3. And while Gears of War doesn't really have the most inviting palette design, there are enough changes in environment to spice things up a little, as opposed to the repeated dungeon crawling and corridors-with-flanking-opportunities in Mass Effect 1 and 2.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 14 May 2011, 10:45
Really? Playing GoW2 (and Gow1 to an even greater extent) I was really struck by how much I noticed the abdomen-level walls that litter pretty much every level. Every single third-person shooter has them (even the MEs) but for some reason they were stood out in GoW. I think the main problem was that UE3, such as it was, restricted the size of areas thus making every level a linear corridor shooter with blockades you could blind-fire behind. They're promising much, much larger levels and a greater degree of tactical movement (along with an AI boost) in ME3. Hopefully they deliver.

i was gonna say, the cover in gow doesn't exactly feel natural either
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 14 May 2011, 10:47
frankly i think my favourite example of a cover system in games is still splinter cell: conviction, which has you using, like, parked cars and garden planters and desks in an office and a bunch of other things that are actually convincingly native to the environment
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 14 May 2011, 12:04
The parts that really struck me when playing Gears were the times when the level designers came so close to getting it just right but then made an obvious nod to providing the grubs some cover so you can't just instantly crush them from your obviously superior vantage point. For example, they'll give you an old cement monument to work with and it looks great and even makes a degree of sense as the obvious focal point in a plaza but then they go and blow it by making sure there's some random free standing tummy walls around.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 15 May 2011, 02:09
frankly i think my favourite example of a cover system in games is still splinter cell: conviction, which has you using, like, parked cars and garden planters and desks in an office and a bunch of other things that are actually convincingly native to the environment

Upcoming Deus Ex looks about the same thing too


In fact, y'know what? Stealth games have gotten this down pat for like forever.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 15 May 2011, 02:13
heck, rockstar games have been pretty good with cover
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 15 May 2011, 04:43
yeah, being able to drive your car into the spot where you need cover is pretty good.

Until your car blows up, that is.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 15 May 2011, 05:24
I actually didn't really get the hang of the cover system until that elizabeta coke mission.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 15 May 2011, 19:37
Only game I played where the cover seemed natural and believable was Killzone 2.  Even then it had some glaring exceptions, but for the most part, where there was cover it just made sense.  That was first person, though.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 16 May 2011, 00:32
Quote from: Casey Hudson's Twitter Account
Happy to confirm #ME3 supports wider options for love interests incl. same-sex for m&f chars, reactive to how you interact w/them in-game.
You don't just press a button either!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 16 May 2011, 10:21
But can you fulfill a fantasy everyone has had since the first game?

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 16 May 2011, 14:31
the ability to get wrex pregnant hasn't been confirmed yet, no
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 16 Jun 2011, 12:57
Finally some gameplay (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRR-VgE5jPU&feature=related)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 16 Jun 2011, 13:57
And it's on rails punctuated by video segments, not sure that counts.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 16 Jun 2011, 19:12
the ability to get wrex pregnant hasn't been confirmed yet, no

Oh yes, that

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 17 Jun 2011, 02:52
pass the mind bleach plz
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 17 Jun 2011, 07:21
also, yayyyyyyyyyy for femshep (http://www.dualpixels.com/profiles/blogs/female-shepard-will-finally-be)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 17 Jun 2011, 11:58
I never thought about the fact that they didn't use female Shepard to advertise.  But yeah, it'll be interesting to see if more people react, and play as the female Shepard now.  I've enjoyed playing both of them, multiple playthroughs each.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 17 Jun 2011, 19:08
While I don't think (anymore) that Mark Meer is inherently bad at the job, I believe Jennifer Hale does a far better job at sounding both emotive and authoritative at the same time, and she gives a better voice experience as Shepard.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: cyro on 18 Jun 2011, 01:56
Personally I think Hale's Paragon lines are great but a few of her Renegade lines can out-ham even Meer.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: TheEvilDog on 20 Jun 2011, 18:38
See, I don't know what it is about Jennifer Hale's voice, but no matter what game I play she always sounds so grating.

That said, kinda looking forward to ME3, even if my only experience with the franchise was through ME2.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 21 Jun 2011, 18:36
I just found the default female a far more interesting concept than the regular white-guy-in-a-power-suit concept that's been plaguing a lot of other sci-fi shooters these days.

Personally Mark Meer sounds a tad flat about certain things, not least of which was his annoyance that Legion forgets to announce that the geth 'mothership' isn't shielded against their massive frying shockwave. He's all, "uh. We go back to the ship quickly I guess", while Hale sort of really passes along the vibe that she's pissed off about it.

Also

(https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/263928_10150210272481645_85811091644_7302047_436106_n.jpg)

Official Jane Shepard is a pretty fine-lookin' lady if I do say so myself.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 26 Jul 2011, 08:07
Actually it looks like they have six that they are letting the fans choose from.

Check it out on ze book of faces (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150244340101645.322035.85811091644&type=1%20)

Looks like number 5 is the one though
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 27 Jul 2011, 04:29
V. disappoint that people would even consider going for the platinum blonde

But hey I guess the game needs a generic white girl to go with the generic white guy


(personally I think they should have just kept that auburn shade of above-shoulder crop that the default femshep has had for, I dunno, the past two games)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 27 Jul 2011, 04:38
Even then, you can always just tweak it to that. Personally, I like the stern looking vamp one with the blackest bowl cut.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 27 Jul 2011, 05:14
I would have preferred 4 or 6 either one, rather than 5.  But oh well.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: snalin on 27 Jul 2011, 11:25
I'd go for 1. I've always liked butch women, and that hair looks more practical when you're killing aliens and stuff.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 28 Jul 2011, 03:44
I would have voted for the redhead (if I had facebook).

Or, as some of the smarter voters said, model it after a younger Jennifer Hale. She does have the look, after all.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 28 Jul 2011, 19:55
Who cares what the default is, I'm going to be making full use of that face editor!
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 29 Jul 2011, 14:20
On Femshep (http://www.richardcobbett.com/journal/shepards-war/)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: KvP on 29 Jul 2011, 16:06
Quote
This directly leads to one of the most important reasons why a female Shepard works so well: not only does she benefit from equally elite status to her spear counterpart, she’s never subject to the usual incredibly tired tropes, like her authority being called into question on account of her gender, or everyone obsessing over her looks instead of her heroic achievements.
You know what would be terrible, if female characterization in games reflected the common female experience
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 31 Jul 2011, 18:17
Last night I got linked to a "news article" telling me things about how 3 of Shepard's companions can get preggers and that some of them can be murdered by other companions and all this stupid shit I thought was trolling

Can someone verify that this is really trolling before I flip the fuck out?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 31 Jul 2011, 18:53
sauce?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Johnny C on 01 Aug 2011, 11:33
Quote
This directly leads to one of the most important reasons why a female Shepard works so well: not only does she benefit from equally elite status to her spear counterpart, she’s never subject to the usual incredibly tired tropes, like her authority being called into question on account of her gender, or everyone obsessing over her looks instead of her heroic achievements.
You know what would be terrible, if female characterization in games reflected the common female experience

ok i'm going to call a little bit of bullshit on this since i think it's ultimately fair for their video game set several centuries in the future to assume that female military starship commanders don't catch shit because of their gender
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: imagist42 on 01 Aug 2011, 12:52
then again, there's ashley
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Alex C on 01 Aug 2011, 16:41
The "FemShep is really the only way to play" bandwagon kinda bugs me. Not as much as bioware's handling of the FemShep boxart does, but it bugs me.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 01 Aug 2011, 17:12
Yeah!  I totally prefer FemShep, but I've also done plenty of MaleShep playthroughs and they were just as good.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 02 Aug 2011, 06:37
I just think that Jennifer Hale is a better VA than what'shisbutt
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Buttfranklin on 02 Aug 2011, 11:25
Marcus Meercat is his name, I think
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 02 Aug 2011, 20:38
then again, there's ashley

I AM A WOMAN IN THE MILITARY AND YOU WILL APPRECIATE IT OTHERWISE I WILL CAVE YOUR FACE IN

(still imo more interesting than that other guy though)

Also, said my piece on Jennifer Hale already (With the way The Old Republic is going I don't think she's ever going to run out of work)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: look out! Ninjas! on 03 Aug 2011, 02:55
Marcus Meercat is his name, I think
that's a pretty great last name
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 03 Aug 2011, 06:25
(http://art.penny-arcade.com/photos/i-QWvWPbx/0/L/i-QWvWPbx-L.jpg)

Sometimes I love Penny Arcade.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 03 Aug 2011, 08:59
I don't think Bioware, or at least the person posting for them on facebook, understood the comic
Quote
Voting is not yet final and we haven't announced which FemShep has won, but it looks like Penny Arcade is rooting for blonde!

I do love Tycho's front page rant/speech thing though.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 08 Aug 2011, 17:38
Yeah looked like that just flew way over their heads.

Welp, as long as we can go customs with the same sliders I'm all set
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 12 Aug 2011, 09:10
http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/324/index/8093964/1

ME3 is going to be at Gamescom in Cologne.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 17 Aug 2011, 21:08
purdy new trailer (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SoGlDpzFuQ)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 18 Aug 2011, 09:06
the "Roll to cover" thing looks kind of cool.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 21 Aug 2011, 17:32
Doesn't really say anything other than what we've already seen in the E3 vids.

Also, idk some of those animations look pretty stiff. It'd probably be less noticeable when actually playing the game.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 28 Aug 2011, 06:00
So it seems the official FemShep is still a short-haired redhead (now with freckles?)

http://i.imgur.com/0spuw.jpg (http://i.imgur.com/0spuw.jpg)

I like to think of this as a "fuck you" to the way the voting turned out on Facebook, although this probably just means that they preferred to stick to an artist's rendition of the default Femshep from the previous games. Still, I'm happy, since at the very least the hairdo seems practical enough.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: imagist42 on 28 Aug 2011, 11:44
Actually, BioWare responded to the fanrage about the blonde being chosen and decided that the Facebook contest was just to determine FemShep's style, so they opened up a second round of voting to determine the hair color and the redhead won: http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150264015271645.327924.85811091644

Not really a "fuck you" so much as caving to the public.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Tom on 28 Aug 2011, 13:20
Now, let's get rid of the derp face.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 29 Aug 2011, 17:32
imo the hair style was the thing that needed changing, not the other way around D: I was in the bandwagon of people who thought whoever voted for the long-haired blonde needed some serious re-evaluation.

And yeah, I don't really like the new face either, but things could be worse. I much prefer the GameInformer rendition, although it ain't all bad. Are those freckles? Keep those freckles, the freckles I can live with. A lot.

Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 30 Aug 2011, 08:48
I guess this is Commander Shepard's last hoorah

Quote
"After this, Commander Shepard's story is complete," Mazuka told PC Gamer, adding that they were "correct" in suggesting that Shepard absolutely will not be present in any future games set in the Mass Effect universe.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blyss on 30 Aug 2011, 09:55
I guess this is Commander Shepard's last hoorah

Quote
"After this, Commander Shepard's story is complete," Mazuka told PC Gamer, adding that they were "correct" in suggesting that Shepard absolutely will not be present in any future games set in the Mass Effect universe.


A trilogy is more than a lot of characters get.  Less than a few get, but still, more than most.  I'm fine with that.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: JD on 03 Sep 2011, 10:38
Not that shocking. Pretty sure they said that before around the time ME2 launched.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Blue Kitty on 12 Oct 2011, 07:33
So, after months of on again off again rumors, Bioware finally confirmed it, Mass Effect 3 is getting multi-player (http://kotaku.com/5848484/mass-effect-3s-co+op-multiplayer-fully-detailed-by-bioware)
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Lupercal on 17 Oct 2011, 02:04
Sweet. Or perhaps not, Mass Effect is weirdly one of those games that becomes yours because there IS no multiplayer. You have your own way of getting through things and completing missions, etc. But the co-op does sound like fun, something to do after you've spent 40+ hours completing the game yourself first.

Oh, yeah I need to finish ME2.

The whole FemShep thing? Well I think it's good that she's out there but the redesign was possibly unnecessary; however, the 18% populace that DO choose FemShep first time around isn't a strong enough group to warrant keeping the FemShep's of  yore at the forefront of the last ME game. Beautification doesn't seem worth it, to me. But hey, probably won't even play as FemShep anyway. The thing is, I don't think women in video games is a problem. The reason there is underrepresentation has got to be based around the fact that majority of males make the games for another majority of males. If video games as a form of entertainment was a party, it would be an official sausage-fest.

I mean, Metroid did fine with Samus being a power suit lady that didn't get a load of sexual undertones (although I haven't played any recent ones)...protagonists aren't the problem (and neither are the supporting cast, like Miranda, as you ARE encouraged to pursue romantic relationships) but any characters from Dead or Alive, or Mortal Kombat, etc, where story falls far behind looks and the visual feel of the game, encapsulate the male-centric institution that modern video games are a product of. Sex sells, apparently, so Bioware are fine with slightly appeasing a percentage of their fanbase while at the same time shifting some sexy FemShep limited edition copies and making it look okay. I don't know if it is okay or if it isn't, I won't play as FemShep, and Bioware are clearly trying to make FemShep an equal part of the ME universe.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: ackblom12 on 17 Oct 2011, 08:06
Men are still a majority, but not by much anymore. Is around a 42% female player base now. Besides that, saying that female portrayal in games isn't a problem (improved, sure) is kind of akin to saying DC's portrayal of women is just hunky dorey.
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: Candlepin Paul on 14 Dec 2011, 23:15
I really, really want Wrex as a permanent squadmate again, but I know that's not gonna happen. Anyone else know what was specifically leaked during the story leak that BioWare let loose upon the internets?
Title: Re: Bioware's New Game: It's Mass Effect 3.
Post by: satsugaikaze on 22 Dec 2011, 01:50
iirc there was a story arc that involved Wrex + a fertile female Krogan VIP, but that was already shown in presentations beforehand sooooo

I expect a plot presence, definitely, but not really a right-hand-man thing anymore D: