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The Mass Effect Community Thread

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Bisnic

Really Really Exciting Member!
You're aiming way, way too high here.

I expect something on par with Inquisition, maybe a tad bit higher.

Inquisition was built with PS3 & 360 in mind. Andromeda is not. How can you except this game to be on par with Inquisition(graphically speaking), that I do not know.
 

Patryn

Member
Inquisition was built with PS3 & 360 in mind. Andromeda is not. How can you except this game to be on par with Inquisition(graphically speaking), that I do not know.

Look at it this way. If I set my expectations there, and that's what they achieve, then I'm satisfied.

If they end up way above it I'm pleasantly surprised.

If, however, I set my expectations at Uncharted 4 levels, like The Artisan, and they achieve only a bit better than Inquisition then I would be supremely disappointed.

I also am making a guess that they're focusing on breadth of content over super impressive graphics. But that's a total guess on my part.
 
The thing is Bisnic is right though. I think it is rational to say Me4 will look much better than Da3 because it's not a cross generational game. Maybe I am aiming too high with saying it'll have close to Uc4 visuals (but come on now...look at the Me4 E3 trailer again) but I think saying it'll be close to Da3 is aiming too low.
 

Patryn

Member
The thing is Bisnic is right though. I think it is rational to say Me4 will look much better than Da3 because it's not a cross generational game. Maybe I am aiming too high with saying it'll have close to Uc4 visuals (but come on now...look at the Me4 E3 trailer again) but I think saying it'll be close to Da3 is aiming too low.

Plenty of games have done trailers that are "in-engine" that has little relationship to how it will look during the moment-to-moment gameplay.
 
Plenty of games have done trailers that are "in-engine" that has little relationship to how it will look during the moment-to-moment gameplay.
but you agree then that if Me4 comes out looking like what it did in that trailer then it would be amazing maybe even close to Uc4 looking?
 

Patryn

Member
but you agree then that if Me4 comes out looking like what it did in that trailer then it would be amazing maybe even close to Uc4 looking?

No, I don't believe the trailers look nearly as nice as UC4.

I also don't expect the actual game to look like the trailer. Certain cutscenes, yes.

Actual gameplay, no.
 

Patryn

Member
Okay forget the Uc4 part. If it comes out looking like the trailer, cutscenes & gameplay & all, would you say that it's far beyond Da3?

Sure.

But, again, I also honestly do not expect it to look like that. It's a circular argument: "If it comes out looking great, would you agree it looks great?" Of course I would, but that's not my argument.

When I said I am fully expecting it to look like DA:I, I wasn't lying.

I honestly expect it to look extremely similar to DA:I. I'm guessing the major changes we'll get going from a cross-gen title to a current-gen isn't in the graphics, but in the size, scale and arrangement of the world and the systems.
 
Sure.

But, again, I also honestly do not expect it to look like that.

When I said I am fully expecting it to look like DA:I, I wasn't lying.

I honestly expect it to look extremely similar to DA:I.
alright, I guess that's fair. I agree with bisnic though. I think this game's graphics will blow Da3 outta the fuckin water
 

diaspora

Member
Plenty of games have done trailers that are "in-engine" that has little relationship to how it will look during the moment-to-moment gameplay.
Like Battlefront- a Frostbite have that incidentally met the visual target from the original trailer. I haven't seen EA not reach its in engine trailer visuals when it comes to games on Frostbite, I fully expect the final product to look very similar visually to the first in engine trailer as did Battlefront.
 
Like Battlefront- a Frostbite have that incidentally met the visual target from the original trailer. I haven't seen EA not reach its in engine trailer visuals when it comes to games on Frostbite, I fully expect the final product to look very similar visually to the first in engine trailer as did Battlefront.
battlefront is an incredible feat. it's 60fps isn't it? even if it's not 1080p (or is it), having graphics like that with that framerate is just, damn.

ND couldn't even pull that off and they've been hailed lately as the best devs ever
 

diaspora

Member
battlefront is an incredible feat. it's 60fps isn't it? even if it's not 1080p (or is it), having graphics like that with that framerate is just, damn.

ND couldn't even pull that off and they've been hailed lately as the best devs ever
I think so, yes. 60FPS.

Either way, EA has proven to meet visual targets for games on Frostbite, I don't expect this to change fit Andromeda. I'm not worried about 1080p either since I'm on PC.
 
I think so, yes. 60FPS.

Either way, EA has proven to meet visual targets for games on Frostbite, I don't expect this to change fit Andromeda. I'm not worried about 1080p either since I'm on PC.
you should also keep in mind that it ain't ea who's doing the developing here. wasn't it dice? and i'm guessing Me4 is bioware's first take on using frost
 

diaspora

Member
you should also keep in mind that it ain't ea who's doing the developing here. wasn't it dice? and i'm guessing Me4 is bioware's first take on using frost
No, their second. Inquisition was the first Bioware Frostbite title. Though there's no reason to believe the development and advancement of Frostbite wouldn't be taken advantage of by Montreal team since it's why EA went all in on the engine.
 
No, their second. Inquisition was the first Bioware Frostbite title. Though there's no reason to believe the development and advancement of Frostbite wouldn't be taken advantage of by Montreal team since it's why EA went all in on the engine.
oh, I didn't know da3 was on frostbite too. well I guess that's that
 
The DA:I team has gone on the record several times talking about their difficulty getting the Frostbite engine to do the things they need. Apparently, it wasn't the easiest experience.
maybe that's because they had to get it to work also on Ps3 and 360?
Do you guys recommend the ending mod for ME3 even if I have the extended cut and Citadel DLC installed? I think it's called MEHEM.
I've heard of that and I think Johnny posted a video on here. I would say yeah, go for it. Anything is better than that pathetic, atrocious excuse of a fucking ending in the original game.
 
That wasn't the problem.
you sure? we know that everything that was cut from Me3 was shit that the Ps3 couldn't handle coz of the split ram. hell that's something I learned from this very thread. if you ask me, they should've included whatever that shit was in the 360 and PC versions instead of o omitting it entirely.
 

Patryn

Member
you sure? we know that everything that was cut from Me3 was shit that the Ps3 couldn't handle coz of the split ram. hell that's something I learned from this very thread. if you ask me, they should've included whatever that shit was in the 360 and PC versions instead of o omitting it entirely.

Oh, they definitely cut stuff from DA:I due to the older consoles. If you watch the early vids of DA:I, it includes whole systems that had to be cut due to older console limitations. That had nothing to do with Frostbite, however.

Their problem was getting the Frostbite engine to work in an open-world RPG context. Keep in mind it had previously only been used for racing, shooters and sports games.
 
Oh, they definitely cut stuff from DA:I due to the older consoles. If you watch the early vids of DA:I, it includes whole systems that had to be cut due to older console limitations. That had nothing to do with Frostbite, however.

Their problem was getting the Frostbite engine to work in an open-world RPG context. Keep in mind it had previously only been used for racing, shooters and sports games.
damn, that's fucked up though. Like I said with Me3 they should've just included what they wanted in the Ps4/xbone/PC versions and omitted them on the versions that couldn't do it.

Is Me4 gonna be "open world" though? I know there was talk of it having no load screens but I wouldn't really call these games open world, but I guess you could make the case for it too.
 

Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
Do you guys recommend the ending mod for ME3 even if I have the extended cut and Citadel DLC installed? I think it's called MEHEM.

I wouldn't, the original ending is fine with the EC and Citadel played before it.
I'm an indoctrination theorist though, so maybe the blue light is making me say this.. ;)
 

Patryn

Member
damn, that's fucked up though. Like I said with Me3 they should've just included what they wanted in the Ps4/xbone/PC versions and omitted them on the versions that couldn't do it.

Is Me4 gonna be "open world" though? I know there was talk of it having no load screens but I wouldn't really call these games open world, but I guess you could make the case for it too.

I believe it's supposed to be open-world in the same way that DA:I is.

That is, there likely won't be a single seamless landmass, but rather larger areas that you can explore all over, with objectives scattered across that can be hit in almost any order.

Keep in mind this is all my supposition.
 
I believe it's supposed to be open-world in the same way that DA:I is.

That is, there likely won't be a single seamless landmass, but rather larger areas that you can explore all over, with objectives scattered across that can be hit in almost any order.

Keep in mind this is all my supposition.
I could see that happening. I hope it doesn't end up happening too much like dragon age though, as if it Me4 turns out to just be like the futuristic version of dragon age. there were enough differences between the two franchises aside from the settings, you know?

like on the last page the idea of just connected stories but different main characters were proposed. personally, i'd prefer if they stuck with the same protagonist through (i'm guessing) a trilogy.
 

Mindlog

Member
I was pretty happy with the response to that concern last time around :]
I've seen a few thoughts like this recently, and thought I'd weigh in as much as I can right now. I have a good idea where it's coming from. All of our games are using Frostbite now. We've said the next Mass Effect (and our new IP, but I won't expand on that yet) uses some of the technology from DAI. We've been enjoying building larger areas that you can explore with less friction, so that'll be there as well.

But after that, the next Mass Effect will be (and should be) drawing on its own rich and successful past more than what DAI would say it should do. Take the Mako, something we've already shown in prototype form. We had that in ME1, and bringing it back is more related to a feeling that we can do it much better than we did before and fulfill the original promise of that gameplay. That has nothing to do with DAI. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that dropping the older consoles has had more impact on the overall gameplay goals of the next Mass Effect game than what DAI successfully accomplished.

We're very proud of what DAI has achieved, but that does not set a "template" for what every other game we make needs to be. Each game franchise needs to innovate and improve their experience based on what's best for it, not just what another game had success with because "well that was successful".

Hope that helps!
Man I've been reading too much ME related stories lately without even playing the game. No way I'll last through a blackout. Just waiting for them to announce a new novel in the series authored by Ian McDonald.
 

diaspora

Member
Oh, they definitely cut stuff from DA:I due to the older consoles. If you watch the early vids of DA:I, it includes whole systems that had to be cut due to older console limitations. That had nothing to do with Frostbite, however.

Their problem was getting the Frostbite engine to work in an open-world RPG context. Keep in mind it had previously only been used for racing, shooters and sports games.

The problem was getting a top-down camera out of it. The tactical cam/ cursor in its current form is essentially just an invisible character which is why it gets fucked sideways on elevation. Getting astounding looking open worlds out of Frostbite has been done in Battlefront and others. There's no reason to believe this game will be the first to not hit its target.
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Okay it's been a few years for me, what is the indoctrination theory again?

There are a few youtube of documentaries on it, but the very very short version is that it was believed that the during the game Shepard was being indoctrinated and by the end of the game he was entirely indoctrinated and that the entire ending was actually playing out in Shepards mind.

There was initial hope that Bioware was going to surprise everyone and confirm the indoctrination theory to be real and then release the real ending a few months afterwards. That obviously didn't happen, but I think it would have been brilliant if it were true.

Watch some of the documentaries you will likely be very impressed with how its put together.

Some of them are wayyyyy too long.

But this one should suffice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZOyeFvnhiI
 
What type of squadmates do y'all not want to have?

I don't want any carbon copies of previous ME squadmates because those had their time and place. Garrus is Garrus, I don't want another turian that is basically Garrus.

Oh yeah, and no fangirl that worships and is obsessed with the player character and has more screentime than any other squaddie.
 
What type of squadmates do y'all not want to have?

I don't want any carbon copies of previous ME squadmates because those had their time and place. Garrus is Garrus, I don't want another turian that is basically Garrus.

Oh yeah, and no fangirl that worships and is obsessed with the player character and has more screentime than any other squaddie.
I'm not really sure, but I wouldn't mind if the amount of people on the team you could bring wasn't HUGE. In Me2 and even 3 I often found myself having characters very unused, and the only time I did use them was because I wasn't using them and wanted to hear their special dialogue in the loyalty mission n shit.
 
I'm not really sure, but I wouldn't mind if the amount of people on the team you could bring wasn't HUGE. In Me2 and even 3 I often found myself having characters very unused, and the only time I did use them was because I wasn't using them and wanted to hear their special dialogue in the loyalty mission n shit.
I'm with you there. We get about 7 squadmates in Andromeda which is the same amount as ME3 including Javik so I think everyone will have their fair share of playtime. ME1 had 6 pre-Virmire.
 

Nyari

Neo Member
What type of squadmates do y'all not want to have?

I don't want any carbon copies of previous ME squadmates because those had their time and place. Garrus is Garrus, I don't want another turian that is basically Garrus.

Oh yeah, and no fangirl that worships and is obsessed with the player character and has more screentime than any other squaddie.

i don't want to see bland soldier type squadmates like Ashley, Kaiden or Sgt. Meathead.
Give me as much alien squadmates as possible: Hanar, Volus, Vorcha or even Elcor would be amazing
 
I'm with you there. We get about 7 squadmates in Andromeda which is the same amount as ME3 including Javik so I think everyone will have their fair share of playtime. ME1 had 6 pre-Virmire.
yeah, 7 or even a little less sounds good to me. I could settle for that.

now just because i'm also a sucker for local multiplayer, i'd really love it if they added a splitscreen drop in drop out coop whereby one of the two squadmates you choose to bring with you gets controlled by a second player.

i know the chances of that happening are second to fucking none but i can dream can't i :p
 

Patryn

Member
yeah, 7 or even a little less sounds good to me. I could settle for that.

now just because i'm also a sucker for local multiplayer, i'd really love it if they added a splitscreen drop in drop out coop whereby one of the two squadmates you choose to bring with you gets controlled by a second player.

i know the chances of that happening are second to fucking none but i can dream can't i :p

I remain steadfastly opposed to any campaign co-op, simply because I'm certain it would degrade the single-player experience.
 

Ralemont

not me
Do you guys recommend the ending mod for ME3 even if I have the extended cut and Citadel DLC installed? I think it's called MEHEM.

MEHEM is terrible fan fiction, even worse than the official ending.

As for DAI's development problems, Patryn is correct that the problems were widespread, a lot of them dealing with how to make an RPG out of a shooter engine. For example, BioWare went to dice and said, "We need quadripeds." DICE said, "Well, there's nothing built in the engine for that." "Uh but, our games kinda need dragons and animals and we need mounts, too."

The nice thing about Frostbite collaboration is that it will hopefully only get easier with each game. For example, BioWare has said they will be collaborating amap with the Need For Speed team on Mako driving. However you feel about NFS as a legit driver, that shit will feel like a godsend compared to ME1 Mako.
 
There are a few youtube of documentaries on it, but the very very short version is that it was believed that the during the game Shepard was being indoctrinated and by the end of the game he was entirely indoctrinated and that the entire ending was actually playing out in Shepards mind.

There was initial hope that Bioware was going to surprise everyone and confirm the indoctrination theory to be real and then release the real ending a few months afterwards. That obviously didn't happen, but I think it would have been brilliant if it were true.

Watch some of the documentaries you will likely be very impressed with how its put together.

Some of them are wayyyyy too long.

But this one should suffice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZOyeFvnhiI
Watched the whole thing, and then Angry Joe's take on the Extended Cut. Fascinating, thanks! I'm about to replay ME3 for the first time since launch.

Oh yeah, and no fangirl that worships and is obsessed with the player character and has more screentime than any other squaddie.
Who does this refer to?
 
Going to assume it's Liara.

liara and garrus seem to overall be the fan favorite squadmates. i don't like garrus that much and my favorite is probably kasumi. shame because she was dlc that they didn't give her complete dialogues off missions in Me2. she woulda been a rad romance option too
 
Going to assume it's Liara.
1157.gif
 

kosmologi

Member
What type of squadmates do y'all not want to have?

I don't want any carbon copies of previous ME squadmates because those had their time and place. Garrus is Garrus, I don't want another turian that is basically Garrus.

This. If there's a Turian, it should be closer to Saren (or maybe Nihlus) than Garrus. Nihlus was more like Garrus, but Saren (before he was indoctrinated) was probably closer to a typical Turian than the other two: a perfect professional with very reserved attitude towards humans.
 

Ralemont

not me
what's your take on the indoctrination theory?

Interesting when the game first released but unlikely (BioWare doesn't do subtlety) and debunked very quickly, when the Final Hours app that released a few days after ME3 talked about having to cut an indoctrination section at the end of the game (if it's cut, then it's not in the game, and if the intent was to release IT DLC, they wouldn't have talked about it in Final Hours).
 
Interesting when the game first released but unlikely (BioWare doesn't do subtlety) and debunked very quickly, when the Final Hours app that released a few days after ME3 talked about having to cut an indoctrination section at the end of the game (if it's cut, then it's not in the game, and if the intent was to release IT DLC, they wouldn't have talked about it in Final Hours).
I think it is debunked by default since bioware didn't really acknowledge other than mike gamble's stupid ass "prescriptive" comment, but there were still a lot of plot holes in the ending before and after the extended cut.
 

Ralemont

not me
IT would have been a really interesting part of the ending, though. Star Wars Old Republic actually does what BioWare said they wanted to do with ME3's indoctrination section: you get mind-controlled and have all these dialogue wheels where you're trying to say things but what your character actually says it completely different. It's really cool.

The big conceptual problem with IT has always been it's not actually an ending, either. The orthodox IT view was that the Starchild encounter was a struggle in Shepard's mind, and that if you pick Destroy you "wake up" at the beam where you got knocked out. Ok....and then what? You still have to beat the Reapers, lol.
 

Patryn

Member
why would it degrade the single player? it would be simple drop in drop out like resistance, gears of war, and (originally) halo

Because of the concessions that would be needed to facilitate a second player, mostly focusing on out of combat stuff. Think the dialogue system and the like.
 

Bisnic

Really Really Exciting Member!
IT would have been a really interesting part of the ending, though. Star Wars Old Republic actually does what BioWare said they wanted to do with ME3's indoctrination section: you get mind-controlled and have all these dialogue wheels where you're trying to say things but what your character actually says it completely different. It's really cool.

The big conceptual problem with IT has always been it's not actually an ending, either. The orthodox IT view was that the Starchild encounter was a struggle in Shepard's mind, and that if you pick Destroy you "wake up" at the beam where you got knocked out. Ok....and then what? You still have to beat the Reapers, lol.

You mean, how it always was in the original trilogy? ;)

Dialogue Wheel option : "Shut up."
What Shepard actually said : "You're a pain in the ass."
 

diaspora

Member
IT would have been a really interesting part of the ending, though. Star Wars Old Republic actually does what BioWare said they wanted to do with ME3's indoctrination section: you get mind-controlled and have all these dialogue wheels where you're trying to say things but what your character actually says it completely different. It's really cool.

The big conceptual problem with IT has always been it's not actually an ending, either. The orthodox IT view was that the Starchild encounter was a struggle in Shepard's mind, and that if you pick Destroy you "wake up" at the beam where you got knocked out. Ok....and then what? You still have to beat the Reapers, lol.

Like in Witcher 3?
 
Because of the concessions that would be needed to facilitate a second player, mostly focusing on out of combat stuff. Think the dialogue system and the like.
I don't think so. The two player option would be prompted only when going on missions and it would be just that, optional. I don't see why it'd affect single player. The second player would only be there during the combat so during the dialogue all activity reverts back to the first.
 
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