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The Art of Mass Effect outs two more ME3 squadmates (spoilers)

Shepard

Member
Question about character 2:
So we know if he really is a Prothean? Looks exactly like a Collector
How are these statements indicative of people that don't care about the franchise?
Yep, people who really care but have the need to state the same things in every ME thread. Again, better be back on topic.
 

thetrin

Hail, peons, for I have come as ambassador from the great and bountiful Blueberry Butt Explosion
The first one can fuck right off. What a terrible choice that panders directly to Quarian Sweat Fans.

The second is intriguing. That could be cool.

Mass Effect 3 ends with a choice: you can save the world, or you can take it on as a love interest

Reaper love interest. Calling it now.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
What the hell happened? How could a franchise go from creating moments like that to this? To relying on cheap fan service, to contradicting all the previously established lore, to turning a story about establishing Humanities place in the galaxy through the defeat of a global threat into the Shepard saga, Master Chief 2.0?

Mass Effect was always one big Shepard wank and you're deluding yourself if you thought otherwise.
 
Question about character 2:
So we know if he really is a Prothean? Looks exactly like a Collector

Collectors used to be Prothean. Though they're supposedly so warped from forced genetic mutation over thousands of years... and the statues on Ilos look nothing like Collectors.

So yeah, apparently Protheans REALLY looked like Collectors... with more conventional nostrils and human mouths. :|
 

Dennis

Banned
I remember that moment in the original Mass Effect wherein you stumbled upon that broken Prothean VI and learnt of the Prothean extinction. I don't know what it was about that scene - the sombre music, the lifeless tones of the VI, the way everything fit in nicely into the plot; the juxtaposition with the Sovereign conversation earlier in the game. Either way it worked; it seemed epic, the remains of what was meant to be an ancient and powerful civilization trying to warn you from the same fate.

And now this, we have, confirmed, a Prothean squad member? EDI, the AI from the [awful] second game as a squad member?

What the hell happened? How could a franchise go from creating moments like that to this? To relying on cheap fan service, to contradicting all the previously established lore, to turning a story about establishing Humanities place in the galaxy through the defeat of a global threat into the Shepard saga, Master Chief 2.0?

Mass Effect was an epic space opera with a magnificent colorful 1970s sci-fi visual style. In many ways the game I had been waiting for my whole life.

But unfortunately Bioware became convinced that the franchise had the potential to sell much more if they made it more dudebro shooterish and with a more grimdark visual style.
 

Solo

Member
What are the odds that you can have a three-way in the game? Shepard tagging an AI and a Hanar at the same time am confirmed.
 

CrazyDude

Member
Mass Effect was an epic space opera with a magnificent 1970s sci-fi visual style. But unfortunately Bioware became convinced that the franchise had the potential to sell much more if they made it more dudebro shooterish and with a more grimdark visual style.

Also boobs and ass shots, don't forget about those.
 

Shepard

Member
Dunno if you played ME2, but that is sort of intentional. Required, you might say.

Protheans are collectors. They just say that they didnt melt his brain or whatever

I'm trying to avoid spoilers for the 3rd game,
but aren't collectors heavily mutated protheans? I guess very little of the prothean race is still in they're DNA, so I assumed you were talking about a Prothean that survived without the mutations.
 
I don't even understand the body. Why now? The stakes have always been "end of galaxy" so why would we only just now decide the ship's AI needs a body to help the cause? It doesn't make sense; it's not like the people in the Mass Effect universe just realized androids were a thing, the whole fact that she was an AI and not an android had to have been purposeful. That goes out the window in exchange for... the worst things, that I don't even want to think the fanbase is going to do with.

Possible list of EDI's escapades : Joker, Shepard, Tali, then the rest. :p
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
So yeah, apparently Protheans were REALLY Collectors... with conventional noses and human mouths. :|

I think that's what annoys me most. BioWare tries so hard to anthropomorphise everything that it takes away the quirky, alien edge. Even something like
EDI's body
does away with anything really outrageous, weird or unorthodox in favour of a typical human look, from the body to the face. There's no unique, distinguished features.
 

Doodis

Member
I really wish I hadn't clicked on the spoilers, but only because I would have liked to have these be surprises in the game. I'm not really sure why everyone here is having such a heart attack over these characters. Doesn't seem as terrible to me as everyone is making it out to be.
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
I'm trying to avoid spoilers for the 3rd game,
but aren't collectors heavily mutated protheans? I guess very little of the prothean race is still in they're DNA, so I assumed you were talking about a Prothean that survived without the mutations.

They are heavily mutated but apparently this guy wasnt mutated enough. The original Protheans look nothing like Collectors. You can see them on Ilos. Genetics is like magic in the ME universe so this is likely.
 

Salvadora

Member
I think that's what annoys me most. BioWare tries so hard to anthropomorphise everything that it takes away the quirky, alien edge. Even something like
EDI's body
does away with anything really outrageous, weird or unorthodox in favour of a typical human look, from the body to the face. There's no unique, distinguished features.

I'm sure that's why we won't get any of the other races as squadmates. It could be a sight to see.
 
Mass Effect was always one big Shepard wank and you're deluding yourself if you thought otherwise.

True; but I always thought the franchise used the right kind of themes and characterization to push beyond that after establishing the lore and core storyline in the first game.

Obviously it didn't, in fact it turned into 'Shepard is the lone competent person in the entire universe'. Though the first game had a theme of humanities struggle through side-missions and dialogue.
 

Mad_Ban

Member
Actually, #2 could be really interesting if you get to have proper conversations with them.

Being the last living member of a long-dead alien race will play on your conscience I bet.
 
I'm trying to avoid spoilers for the 3rd game,
but aren't collectors heavily mutated protheans? I guess very little of the prothean race is still in they're DNA, so I assumed you were talking about a Prothean that survived without the mutations.

Unlikely because since even there're traces of their DNA in the collectors, they're basically a new total specie without the ability to think for themshelves, my take is that is probably some human and prothean crossover
 

Shepard

Member
They are heavily mutated but apparently this guy wasnt mutated enough. The original Protheans look nothing like Collectors. You can see them on Ilos.
Yes, that's why I thought it was strange to call it that. Guess he is the "middle-term" then.

Unlikely because since even there're traces of their DNA in the collectors, they're basically a new total specie without the ability to think for themshelves, my take is that is probably some human and prothean crossover
Maybe he was "created" by humans, using prothean DNA
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
True; but I always thought the franchise used the right kind of themes and characterization to push beyond that after establishing the lore and core storyline in the first game.

Obviously it didn't, in fact it turned into 'Shepard is the lone competent person in the entire universe'. Though the first game had a theme of humanities struggle through side-missions and dialogue.

Except Shepard in both games is hilariously incompetent, just with plot armor. The council scenes in the first game are cringeworthy.
 
I would love to see you guys out and about on a weekend night.

GAF Guy #1: Man, check out that girl! So hot!
GAF Guy #2: Are you serious? Look at her tits and sex-appeal? Pass.
GAF Guy #1: God, you're right. Thanks for keeping me in check.


If it was up to me there'd be double D's on every Mass Effect character.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
True; but I always thought the franchise used the right kind of themes and characterization to push beyond that after establishing the lore and core storyline in the first game.

Obviously it didn't, in fact it turned into 'Shepard is the lone competent person in the entire universe'. Though the first game had a theme of humanities struggle through side-missions and dialogue.

I can partially agree with this, I just don't subscribe to the revisionist history so many seem to adopt in regards to Mass Effect. Mass Effect 2 might have taken it further, but Mass Effect was still thematically all about Shepard and humanity. I think a lot of people just don't like to admit the novelty of being the universe's best and greatest soldier wore off.
 

Wallach

Member
I'm trying to avoid spoilers for the 3rd game,
but aren't collectors heavily mutated protheans? I guess very little of the prothean race is still in they're DNA, so I assumed you were talking about a Prothean that survived without the mutations.

This Prothean probably is not from pre-Reaper invasion period.
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
I would love to see you guys out and about on a weekend night.

GAF Guy #1: Man, check out that girl! So hot!
GAF Guy #2: Are you serious? Look at her tits and sex-appeal? Pass.
GAF Guy #1: God, you're right. Thanks for keeping me in check.


If it was up to me there'd be double D's on every Mass Effect character.

Thanks for the input, Scarecrow!
 

IoCaster

Member
Hyperbole is commonplace in Mass Effect threads, as people desperately find any and every excuse they can to show how disinterested they are in the series.

I generally have no problem with the moderation on this board, but there's something to be said in support of a moderator that chooses to voluntarily recuse him or herself from a topic due to a vested (fan oriented) interest. I don't mean to impugn anyone, but the quoted comment is a gross generalization and unworthy of serious debate. There are plenty of honest and valid complaints about the story progression in this franchise that don't rely or hinge on hyperbole. *shrug*
 

Solo

Member
What ME1 did so well that stroked all the right emotions in me was in building a seemingly endless universe and filling it with an interesting mythology. I remember vividly how impressed I was in 2007 with the scope of the world and the lore.

Then ME2 came and compartmentalized or cut out every last thing I loved about the series. Sure, the gunplay was better, but that means little to me when it came at the expense of what I loved about the first game.

And now, ME3 is basically in the ME2 vein, only twice as offensive.
 
I think the idea of the
Prothean
squadmate (#2) could be pretty cool.

Not sure how I feel about
EDI
yet though. Far from thrilled by her design, I thought some of the concepts on that page looked way better actually.

Will reserve judgement till I see her in motion though.
 

inky

Member
I think that's what annoys me most. BioWare tries so hard to anthropomorphise everything that it takes away the quirky, alien edge. Even something like
EDI's body
does away with anything really outrageous, weird or unorthodox in favour of a typical human look, from the body to the face. There's no unique, distinguished features.

I think they are really afraid that people won't "connect" with them, like the thing about Liara having more expressive eyes and eyebrows. It was cool that they sort of explored this idea in ME1 with the Rachni queen and whether you'd ultimately consider it a capable, sentient creature or just a bug, the thing is that they never take it too far to challenge the audience. The other obvious problem is that they are reusing animations for everyone, so if they are going to make character that resemble humans for the technical side of the game, might as well make them look super close, and that includes facial animations.
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
I think they are really afraid that people won't "connect" with them. It was cool that they sort of explored this idea in ME1 with the Rachni queen and whether you'd ultimately consider it a capable, sentient creature or just a bug. The other obvious problem is that they are reusing animations for everyone, so if they are going to make character that resemble humans for the technical side of the game, might as well make them look super close.

lol the rachni queen. there is a another failure of choice.
 
I would love to see you guys out and about on a weekend night.

GAF Guy #1: Man, check out that girl! So hot!
GAF Guy #2: Are you serious? Look at her tits and sex-appeal? Pass.
GAF Guy #1: God, you're right. Thanks for keeping me in check.


If it was up to me there'd be double D's on every Mass Effect character.

You have bad opinions.
 

Shepard

Member
What ME1 did so well that stroked all the right emotions in me was in building a seemingly endless universe and filling it with an interesting mythology. I remember vividly how impressed I was in 2007 with the scope of the world and the lore.

Then ME2 came and compartmentalized or cut out every last thing I loved about the series. Sure, the gunplay was better, but that means little to me when it came at the expense of what I loved about the first game.

And now, ME3 is basically in the ME2 vein, only twice as offensive.
I thought ME2 was a necessary bridge between two games. Don't know how people can say that the story is shit when is in ME2 that we learn the most important details of the ME universe. Also, I think you read the script of ME3 to know how offensive it is, well, I can't comment on that but I sure hope it isn't as bad as most of you are making it look.
 
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