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Mass Effect: Andromeda PAX Livestream

PepperedHam

Member
That's not how QA works at all. Besides, Bioware is fine with using this segment for public showing despite the glaring error.



That's your playing a 40 hour AAA game, this is Bioware having a cutdown slice of gameplay for public dissemination that has an pretty glaring bug.

You seem pretty invested in this game, though. Don't take criticisms of multimillion companies and their consumer products too personal.
Nothing in their reply implies they're taking it personal, just pointing it out that bugs happen in big games. Yeah it's a bummer it happened in a clip released for public consumption as part of their marketing... but... they were just pointing out bugs happen.
 

LexW

Neo Member
It still bugs me how this is, presumably, a galaxy devoid of Reaper influence. So shouldn't the civilizations here be incredibly advanced? The only reason tech in the Milky Way is where it is is because the Reapers would kneecap any civilization that reached a certain point. That concept doesn't exist in Andromeda, yet it seems like the writers conveniently forgot about it entirely.

You seriously don't think this is going to be a major plot point in ME:A?

Because I'm pretty sure it will be, given the trailers and especially the "first 13 minutes" one.

I think we can 100% guarantee that this will be addressed and you be the one "conveniently" forgetting you made this post...
 

kitzkozan

Member
Persona series total sales is 6.9 million including Persona 5 up to the end of November and spin off titles. Mass Effect series is 14 million with three games.

EA is expecting ME: Andromeda to sell around 6+ million copies LTD. :p However, this level of sloppiness is just hilarious. Bioware does deserve to be shit upon when I see characters holding guns backward lmfao. Even so, critics won't have time to notice all of the flaws while a site like GAF will scrutinize every frame of animation lol.

EA is expecting Andromeda to sell ~3 million copies in the first week of release.
 

LexW

Neo Member
EA is expecting ME: Andromeda to sell around 6+ million copies LTD. :p However, this level of sloppiness is just hilarious. Bioware does deserve to be shit upon when I see characters holding guns backward lmfao. Even so, critics won't have time to notice all of the flaws while a site like GAF will scrutinize every frame of animation lol.

EA is expecting Andromeda to sell ~3 million copies in the first week of release.

Pretty sure both the gun thing and the codex thing were originally picked up by people on /v/ who were framestepping through the videos looking for things to mock, not people on GAF.
 

Remmy2112

Member
It still bugs me how this is, presumably, a galaxy devoid of Reaper influence. So shouldn't the civilizations here be incredibly advanced? The only reason tech in the Milky Way is where it is is because the Reapers would kneecap any civilization that reached a certain point. That concept doesn't exist in Andromeda, yet it seems like the writers conveniently forgot about it entirely.

In science fiction civilizations, even spacefaring ones, rise and fall all the time. There's no golden standard for how fast or slow a civilization advances to the point of traveling through space, colonizing other planets, interacting with other alien races, waging peace or fighting wars, etc.

Plus not all races invent the same technologies. In the game Milky Way tech are almost all railgun-centric, propelling solid pieces of metal at tremendous velocities. They've said that some Andromeda races use plasma-based weaponry, though what form that takes remains to be seen. Typically plasma-based weaponry in science fiction are presented as projectiles made up of superheated gas contained in an energy bubble that disperses on impact, flash frying flesh.

And then there's the Remnant, that appear to be some form of super advanced autonomous machines employing actual energy-based weaponry, something no Milky Way race ever used outside of super close range point defense for shooting down enemy ordnance and a focused radiation-based weapon. Even Reapers didn't have energy weaponry, their "beams" were in fact a liquid alloy of multiple metals suspended in an energy field that was then propelled at insane velocities, giving the illusion of it being an energy beam.

There are billions upon billions of stars in every galaxy. Even with all the Mass Relays in the Milky Way Citadel races only explored a very small percentage of the galaxy, so who knows how many races existed that the Reapers never got to. The same can be said of Andromeda. We're only going to be exploring one cluster of a much larger galaxy, because of the lack of Mass Relays.
 
PAX has been going for two days now, and the multiplayer has been on the show floor the entire time. Where is the footage?! I can't find any anywhere. Is there some sort of NDA?
 
That's your playing a 40 hour AAA game, this is Bioware having a cutdown slice of gameplay for public dissemination that has an pretty glaring bug.

You seem pretty invested in this game, though. Don't take criticisms of multimillion companies and their consumer products too personal.
It's rough to not notice that for a display of public consumption sure, but in the end, the game's *huge*. It'll have some oddities. I'm sure the end result that people play will be polished overall and these things will be little blips on an otherwise great game.
 

Bod

Neo Member
Really looking forward to this. Liked most of what's been shown . Does anyone know if EA early access is the 16th as well in UK, as the game releases a couple of days later
 
Like Neir and Persona 5? Mass Effect series is bigger than those two series.
Mass effect isn't a super mainstream blockbuster. It averages about 5 million per entry. The majority buying it are the hardcore gamer, who are definitely going to have wallets impacted by the Japanese pseudo exclusives, the Switch, Horizon, Prey, and judging by NPD, GTAV still.
 

RedRum

Banned
D4qQXLc.gif


Lol, this game has the bestest gifs and it's not even out yet!

I can't stand her face AT ALL.
 

prag16

Banned
Mass effect isn't a super mainstream blockbuster. It averages about 5 million per entry. The majority buying it are the hardcore gamer, who are definitely going to have wallets impacted by the Japanese pseudo exclusives, the Switch, Horizon, Prey, and judging by NPD, GTAV still.

5 million per entry is a pretty big series. It has far more "mass" (ha ha) appeal (in the west) than Nier, Nioh, and Persona, easily. You also cite the hardcore, but lump GTAV into that. Unless we're down to quadruple dippers at this point, the people just buying that now aren't "the hardcore".

i dont watch anything pre release, how does the performance look?

Fine but they probably are running it on a monster rig. We won't know much until people start loading up the Access trial on the 16th.
 
5 million per entry is a pretty big series. It has far more "mass" (ha ha) appeal (in the west) than Nier, Nioh, and Persona, easily. You also cite the hardcore, but lump GTAV into that. Unless we're down to quadruple dippers at this point, the people just buying that now aren't "the hardcore".



Fine but they probably are running it on a monster rig. We won't know much until people start loading up the Access trial on the 16th.

Was just adding breadth with GTA. Prey, Horizon and For Honor are definitely wallet competition though. Also, part of my original reasoning was that it's just not that big a name any more. It has to review really well for people to take notice, and then you've got the mass effect 3 backlash on public opinion of the franchise going forward. The fact that there are other games out during the same time period just makes it a harder sell. If it reviews well and public perception is good then I fully expect Andromeda 2 to do really well.
 

LKSmash

Member
Was just adding breadth with GTA. Prey, Horizon and For Honor are definitely wallet competition though. Also, part of my original reasoning was that it's just not that big a name any more. It has to review really well for people to take notice, and then you've got the mass effect 3 backlash on public opinion of the franchise going forward. The fact that there are other games out during the same time period just makes it a harder sell. If it reviews well and public perception is good then I fully expect Andromeda 2 to do really well.

I think you're sorely overestimating those 3 games impacting Mass Effect. Horizon is on one platform, Prey isn't out for 2 months and For Honor is an entirely different genre. ME is easily the biggest name of the 4 and despite Gaf's persistent drum beating about ME3, 5 years is a long time for people to move on and want to dive back into a series.
 

prag16

Banned
I think you're sorely overestimating those 3 games impacting Mass Effect. Horizon is on one platform, Prey isn't out for 2 months and For Honor is an entirely different genre. ME is easily the biggest name of the 4 and despite Gaf's persistent drum beating about ME3, 5 years is a long time for people to move on and want to dive back into a series.

Yeah; the "more casual" Mass Effect fans didn't get nearly as angry about the ending as the vocal minority (I was part of that vocal minority at the time). I still played through ME3 4-5 times. The game still sold and reviewed well. And five years have passed.

Nioh, Persona, Nier, Prey, and For Honor I don't think are factors hardly at all (outside of the hardcore gaf bubble). Zelda there's some overlap, but I wouldn't overestimate it. Horizon may have an impact since it benefited from a great reception and Sony's hype machine; but as you said it's on one platform.
 

Isn't deviant art artwork free to use unless you put a copyright on it?

I mean, you don't even know how flattered I would be if I where the artist that made that artwork and it ended up in the game.

Now, if I did have a copyright on it and they started using large amounts of my artwork with no compensation or without asking or being recognized in some way then I might start to have a problem. But yeah, a lot of artists just shoot stuff out there to gain recognition and their stuff is fair game.
 

J_Viper

Member
I'll rephrase. The face is fine, but in time where it seems her face should show strain, struggle, or anger.. it just looks like she's always smiling.

Oh I know lol, just wanted to show how badly Bioware fucked up.

I'm just hoping the character creator is decent
 

MadYarpen

Member
Oh I know lol, just wanted to show how badly Bioware fucked up.

I'm just hoping the character creator is decent

If anyone manages to recreate face of the lady who, as I understand, served as a model for Sara's face, I'll be quite happy to play as her. Just make sure to post instructions;)
 

Eolz

Member
It's rough to not notice that for a display of public consumption sure, but in the end, the game's *huge*. It'll have some oddities. I'm sure the end result that people play will be polished overall and these things will be little blips on an otherwise great game.

But what if it isn't?
Let's be honest, it's not the only big open world (or even semi open world) game releasing those past years. "Oddities" sure happen, but it'll suffer from comparisons to other games (some even bigger and with less issues).
Obviously, when a game is excellent, those "little blips" are put aside (like we've seen on Horizon), but when it's "just" really good, it's just stuff that adds up and tarnish an otherwise nice title.

Well, unrelated, but at least we know it won't end up GOTY in most media outlets, unlike DA:I (which frankly, had less issues but didn't deserve it).
 

Wulfram

Member
Isn't deviant art artwork free to use unless you put a copyright on it?

I mean, you don't even know how flattered I would be if I where the artist that made that artwork and it ended up in the game.

Now, if I did have a copyright on it and they started using large amounts of my artwork with no compensation or without asking or being recognized in some way then I might start to have a problem. But yeah, a lot of artists just shoot stuff out there to gain recognition and their stuff is fair game.

There's no real question of copyright because its a not very original work based on Bioware's IP. The only person with a legal claim on it would be Bioware.
 

TheYanger

Member
It still bugs me how this is, presumably, a galaxy devoid of Reaper influence. So shouldn't the civilizations here be incredibly advanced? The only reason tech in the Milky Way is where it is is because the Reapers would kneecap any civilization that reached a certain point. That concept doesn't exist in Andromeda, yet it seems like the writers conveniently forgot about it entirely.

That's not entirely true though, the reapers were simultaneously feeding advancement and technologies to the races of the milky way as they were cutting them down, we have no basis to assume that they would advance at even REMOTELY the same rate, plus it's really reductive to assume that would be the case in the first place, the technologies and availabilities of resources and whatnot are already wildly different (the game even distinguishes between milky way and helios technology within its systems for crying out loud).

I mean, even here on earth you had civilizations effectively in the industrial age while others were in the near stone age, because that's an archaic way of looking at advancement and culture. Most civilizations here on earth weren't advancing scientifically at the same rate because of different needs and different resources. If it weren't for the interference of the more 'advanced' groups of people, would most of the planet still be covered in agrarian or nomadic societies? who knows, but we have no reason to assume it wouldn't. I think it's safe to say that the Milky way is significantly tainted by the reapers and making any assumption is pointless.
 

Wulfram

Member
It still bugs me how this is, presumably, a galaxy devoid of Reaper influence. So shouldn't the civilizations here be incredibly advanced? The only reason tech in the Milky Way is where it is is because the Reapers would kneecap any civilization that reached a certain point. That concept doesn't exist in Andromeda, yet it seems like the writers conveniently forgot about it entirely.

Eh, civilisations are quite capable of wiping themselves/each other out without the Reapers. It might not be such a clean and regular cycle but it'd still happen.
 
Mass effect isn't a super mainstream blockbuster. It averages about 5 million per entry. The majority buying it are the hardcore gamer, who are definitely going to have wallets impacted by the Japanese pseudo exclusives, the Switch, Horizon, Prey, and judging by NPD, GTAV still.

I'm bought NieR Automata And Persona 5 over Mass Effect Andromeda despite being a huge ME fan so you are right about that. EA and Bioware have either done a piss poor job of marketing or the game will be a disappointment.
 

daftstar

Member
Was it already known that companion armor and weapons are fixed and can't be changed?

https://mobile.twitter.com/tibermoon/status/840651077049540608

Seems a little silly given the focus on research and development, if you can only ever use it on yourself.

Unless he misspoke, of course. If it's true I'm curious how companion weapon damage scales. I don't remember how it worked out in previous titles.

Wait really? Didn't ME2 and 3 have alternate armor for squadmates? That sucks.
 

Axiology

Member
One thing I can't stand is when people criticize the model for Sara Ryder and people treat it like it's an inherently misogynistic critique. As if you can't think the face modeler at Bioware fucked up without being a Gamergater. Sure there are "anti-SJW" types whose specific complaints are that the women in Andromeda are all deliberately unattractive to pander to minorities and women, but it's not really the same thing.

Also, the defense that she's actually based on an attractive model doesn't really fly when she looks so different from her. The art style is somewhat stylized anyway, so it's not really a direct comparison.
 

LexW

Neo Member
Was it already known that companion armor and weapons are fixed and can't be changed?

https://mobile.twitter.com/tibermoon/status/840651077049540608

Seems a little silly given the focus on research and development, if you can only ever use it on yourself.

Unless he misspoke, of course. If it's true I'm curious how companion weapon damage scales. I don't remember how it worked out in previous titles.

No, it wasn't already known.

The armour thing is... okay I guess.

The weapon thing... that's really bad, potentially. If we really have NO control over their weapons, like, can't even tell them to swap or whatever, then they'll do whatever stupid thing they like and that could be very annoying unless Unity or it's equivalent is free (probably picking people up like ME3 MP), esp. if Liam who "loves omni-blades" keeps suicidally charging people.

It'll also be super-lame if some of the alien weapons we find are really cool, and they won't use them. Or even worse, if their default weapon is just awful, like, say a shotgun that's slow-firing, low-damage, and inaccurate.

I'm hoping he just means we can't give them Ryder's weapons, but... if we have zero control... wow. That's the first thing about ME:A that actually worries me.

As for scaling, it worked differently in each game:

ME1 - You literally give them weapons, and they also have a skill with each weapon (and possibly a character-specific skill as well) that boosts weapon stats.

ME2 - You choose which weapon they are using from a small list (which may include a character-specific OP weapon), and you upgrade "All SMGs" or "All Shotguns" or the like for the entire crew including you by purchases and at the Research Station. Characters are limited to specific weapon types (for example, Heavy Pistols and SMGs for Miranda).

ME3 - You pick from the giant list of all weapons for each character - restricted in the same way as ME2 - and you an also choose which weapon mods are equipped on each. The weapons and weapon mods are each upgrades separately, but for all squad members, including Shepard.
 

LexW

Neo Member
One thing I can't stand is when people criticize the model for Sara Ryder and people treat it like it's an inherently misogynistic critique. As if you can't think the face modeler at Bioware fucked up without being a Gamergater. Sure there are "anti-SJW" types whose specific complaints are that the women in Andromeda are all deliberately unattractive to pander to minorities and women, but it's not really the same thing.

Also, the defense that she's actually based on an attractive model doesn't really fly when she looks so different from her. The art style is somewhat stylized anyway, so it's not really a direct comparison.

I think it's easy to avoid people treating the criticism that way if you make clear that you're not criticising it because it doesn't make you horny, but you are going to need to make that clear, because the vast majority of criticism of all the female characters of ME:A has seemingly been along the lines of "I don't want to fuck this chick enough, so she sucks".

It's a case of "this is why we can't have nice things", I guess. You can't just criticise the model and expect no blowback, because most people who criticise it are doing so for sexist reasons. So you need to be a more clear. Sad? Maybe, but that's life.
 

Garlador

Member
One thing I can't stand is when people criticize the model for Sara Ryder and people treat it like it's an inherently misogynistic critique. As if you can't think the face modeler at Bioware fucked up without being a Gamergater. Sure there are "anti-SJW" types whose specific complaints are that the women in Andromeda are all deliberately unattractive to pander to minorities and women, but it's not really the same thing.

Also, the defense that she's actually based on an attractive model doesn't really fly when she looks so different from her. The art style is somewhat stylized anyway, so it's not really a direct comparison.

I get that. They screwed up last game with Jessica Chobot too.
mass-chobot.jpg


I think it's the lightning more than anything.
 

Zolo

Member
I think it's easy to avoid people treating the criticism that way if you make clear that you're not criticising it because it doesn't make you horny, but you are going to need to make that clear, because the vast majority of criticism of all the female characters of ME:A has seemingly been along the lines of "I don't want to fuck this chick enough, so she sucks".

It's a case of "this is why we can't have nice things", I guess. You can't just criticise the model and expect no blowback, because most people who criticise it are doing so for sexist reasons. So you need to be a more clear. Sad? Maybe, but that's life.

For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure the default male character model has gotten more criticism or flak. On Neogaf anyway.
 

Axiology

Member
For what it's worth, I'm pretty sure the default male character model has gotten more criticism or flak. On Neogaf anyway.

I don't think so. I've seen a lot of people say he sucks compared to Shepherd, but Sara Ryder's face has pretty much become a meme all in itself.
 

Zolo

Member
I don't think so. I've seen a lot of people say he sucks compared to Shepherd, but Sara Ryder's face has pretty much become a meme all in itself.

Eh. Possibly. If so, it feels more because of that one gif than anything though. Personally, I think both characters look fine, but I always go for the character creator.
 

Eolz

Member
I don't think so. I've seen a lot of people say he sucks compared to Shepherd, but Sara Ryder's face has pretty much become a meme all in itself.

This. Only issue I've seen talked about for the male default character is basically his size (bad proportions), but it's nothing compared to the female one and her animations (face or not) issues, as well as the weird modelling for the face (compared to the RL model).
 
That's your playing a 40 hour AAA game, this is Bioware having a cutdown slice of gameplay for public dissemination that has an pretty glaring bug.

You seem pretty invested in this game, though. Don't take criticisms of multimillion companies and their consumer products too personal.

Well, there was that infamous Brom GIF, so there were definitely examples in Horizon's marketing too if you had a mind to look for them. I was on media blackout for that game, but I'm sure there were more.

At any rate, I think it's real special that you've got the balls to call me out on providing the counterpoint to your point. What? You think all this flak Bioware's been getting is infallible truth? Speak to me in terms of what I'm saying, and don't ascribe things to me in a clear attempt to insult me.
 
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