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If Mass Effect 4 were to bring back "uncharted worlds", how would you have them?
- Thread starter EatChildren
- Start date
MrTroubleMaker
Member
I would pick A. Most of these planets have little to no settlements to them. The first game had it right. Any outpost would be made from modular prefab designs.
yes, mako!!!!
Clarkus Darkus
Member
Never thought id reach a point of no interest in ME, I loved ME1, ME2 was ok, But 3 really turned me off the series.
But to answer the OP, It has to be ME1.....How anyone wasnt immersed in the galaxy landing the MAKO is beyond me, And who was thinking recycled assets in 2007 playing the game? Its ok looking back thinking it. It was upto ME2/3 to flesh out those worlds and expand upon them not remove them.
If next-gen is proving anything, Its open world type games are the new craze, And if Destiny turns out to be a mega hit then Bioware really need to make the next ME as explorable as possible.
But to answer the OP, It has to be ME1.....How anyone wasnt immersed in the galaxy landing the MAKO is beyond me, And who was thinking recycled assets in 2007 playing the game? Its ok looking back thinking it. It was upto ME2/3 to flesh out those worlds and expand upon them not remove them.
If next-gen is proving anything, Its open world type games are the new craze, And if Destiny turns out to be a mega hit then Bioware really need to make the next ME as explorable as possible.
Succinct Verbosity
Member
As others have said, a mixture of missions is preferable. I wouldn't mind more smartly implemented MAKO sections (and yes, they do need to come back). Something that would be interesting is to have missions that don't just exist in isolation... Why not have the ship under attack as a ground crew rush to fix a problem?
Basicaly, just watch Star Trek TNG.
Basicaly, just watch Star Trek TNG.
Look at this shit. Beautiful game.The only icy planet I can remember is this one(Klensal), but there wasn't much blizzard,
SenatorBot
Member
I really loved ME1 styled exploration.
I don't see how hard it is for them to design some breathtaking skyboxes for 10 worlds then have the engine randomly generate a terrain under set perimeters. Jungle world, Desert world, Water world, Ice world and so on like what they've shown with Dragon Age Inquisition.
Then design one of two side missions that are specific to that world that needs to be triggered by the player encountering a large enemy creature or a random NPC.
Then for the coup de grace, add in ubisoft styled collectibles that are randomly placed through the maps with side missions of helping NPCs, find a probe, collect an element, discovering ancient alien artifacts and so on. If they really want to expand it EA style for longevity, make it so that you can build and establish a colony for each planet and you can play off a set of missions to help defend the colony from invading pirates/monsters, gather resources to build colony building and so on (with microtransactions for you the players to get more extra buildings and missions, buy blue energy to get your buildings to build faster!). Also have some new styled multiplayer where you see other player colonies and have to invade them in order to gather more resources.
I don't see how hard it is for them to design some breathtaking skyboxes for 10 worlds then have the engine randomly generate a terrain under set perimeters. Jungle world, Desert world, Water world, Ice world and so on like what they've shown with Dragon Age Inquisition.
Then design one of two side missions that are specific to that world that needs to be triggered by the player encountering a large enemy creature or a random NPC.
Then for the coup de grace, add in ubisoft styled collectibles that are randomly placed through the maps with side missions of helping NPCs, find a probe, collect an element, discovering ancient alien artifacts and so on. If they really want to expand it EA style for longevity, make it so that you can build and establish a colony for each planet and you can play off a set of missions to help defend the colony from invading pirates/monsters, gather resources to build colony building and so on (with microtransactions for you the players to get more extra buildings and missions, buy blue energy to get your buildings to build faster!). Also have some new styled multiplayer where you see other player colonies and have to invade them in order to gather more resources.
Exploratory
Banned
Here's the thing Mass Effect isn't Star Trek. I don't think massive explorable world's are what ME is about. I'd rather have highly detailed stories that play out on these worlds because that's BioWare is so great at. I felt Overlord while a great piece of DLC felt like it had a lot of empty space. I'm not a fan of the vehicle segments though.
ElDuderino
Member
Ditch multiplayer and have a handful of planets to explore like ME 1.
Succinct Verbosity
Member
Aspiring to be the video game equivalent of Star Trek is not a bad thing. Arguably, Mass Effect was/is at its best when you were exploring strange new worlds. The weakest part of Mass Effect's design came from its Space Opera stuff.
The only icy planet I can remember is this one(Klensal), but there wasn't much blizzard,
Think I found it, Antibaar right?
Antibaar is the one, thanks! But both of those are incredible. Actually, I take it back, I want ME 1 exploration back.
Exploratory
Banned
Get out get out get out get out get out get out.
Mutanthands
Member
God, the Mako was awesome.
GustyGardens
Banned
Like most have said, I'd prefer a mix between Mass Effect 1 & 2. I'd actually like to see a more archaeological side to the uncharted planet side-quests; Less guns, more puzzles. I wasn't really a fan of the vehicles, though.
You are not. Cutting the mako out was one of the biggest mistakes Bioware did in game design for the series.
oneils
Member
Turn Uncharted Worlds of Mass Effect into something like Borderlands. Mix it up with the Mass Effect 3 multiplayer horde mode style.
Your goal is to find new and better weapons to better take on the enemy.
All of the uncharted worlds have tons of enemies or enemy waves to fight off, with some exploration (don't know how that would look, yet). A the end of the waves, you get a reward pack with random items.
Some worlds have a better chance to spawn a certain type of item/weapon. So now you can farm that world for a particular weapon.
You could also include some sort of choice and consequence system, with a narrative to please the rpg crowd (I include myself in this), into these worlds. This needs to be integrated somehow. I'll leave that to folks smarter than me.
Do this for about 5 or 6 worlds.
Laugh at me if you like, but I think this would be awesome!
Your goal is to find new and better weapons to better take on the enemy.
All of the uncharted worlds have tons of enemies or enemy waves to fight off, with some exploration (don't know how that would look, yet). A the end of the waves, you get a reward pack with random items.
Some worlds have a better chance to spawn a certain type of item/weapon. So now you can farm that world for a particular weapon.
You could also include some sort of choice and consequence system, with a narrative to please the rpg crowd (I include myself in this), into these worlds. This needs to be integrated somehow. I'll leave that to folks smarter than me.
Do this for about 5 or 6 worlds.
Laugh at me if you like, but I think this would be awesome!
Mutanthands
Member
As a spinoff. Otherwise, save it for multiplayer.
It's tough to to use it as a direct example because we have seen so little of it, but the best example I can give as to how I want to see space exploration/world charting done seems to be how No Mans Sky is handling it. Allow me to explore a new planet discover all kind of New things on said planet, and then let me seamlessly get back into my ship, take off and then fly back into space.
Its one of those things that I really wanted to see a big budget space game/rpg do and it seems like it's taking an indie studio to make it happen. It's a shame that Bungie could not do something similar with Destiny, and I expect Mass Effect 4 will just give us small linear areas to explore again like they did with the second and third games.
Its one of those things that I really wanted to see a big budget space game/rpg do and it seems like it's taking an indie studio to make it happen. It's a shame that Bungie could not do something similar with Destiny, and I expect Mass Effect 4 will just give us small linear areas to explore again like they did with the second and third games.
Eatchildren asked for a realistic scenario
Game is on Frostbite 3, there wont be procedurally generated geometry there. Procedurally generated content from pre-made blocks? It could happen.Reticent Rhino
Member
What I want: Mass Effect-style but with more content (i.e. less barren worlds). That content could even be randomized and procedurally generated. The vehicle would be some middle-ground between the Mako's sturdiness and the Hammerhead's speed and agility. Maybe you could have a few ME2 style scripted missions when you enter a building or installation on these planets.
What we'll get: ME3-style multiplayer maps repurposed for single-player. The most efficient, cheapest option for EA, making it the most likely. More planet scanning and fuel and probe management garbage.
The series has trended towards less exploration, so I have little hope that ME4 will give me what I want on this front. Mass Effect 1 felt you were exploring a huge, dangerous universe hostile towards human life. I haven't felt that way since the first one (although I appreciated Overlord's attempt to bridge the gap; IMO it was one of ME2's only saving graces, aside from Mordin and Legion).
Prove me wrong Bioware. Please.
What we'll get: ME3-style multiplayer maps repurposed for single-player. The most efficient, cheapest option for EA, making it the most likely. More planet scanning and fuel and probe management garbage.
The series has trended towards less exploration, so I have little hope that ME4 will give me what I want on this front. Mass Effect 1 felt you were exploring a huge, dangerous universe hostile towards human life. I haven't felt that way since the first one (although I appreciated Overlord's attempt to bridge the gap; IMO it was one of ME2's only saving graces, aside from Mordin and Legion).
Prove me wrong Bioware. Please.
Mass Effect 1's open sandboxes, where you may or may not discover a mission, were awesome. Sometimes, you just existed in the world... and that was neat. The whole "oh we have to have a quest for everything, so here's a short, crappy mission" in ME2 and 3 was annoying. The more worlds that just kinda... exist out there, the better. It would feel like the universe is actually big again. Part of the point of exploring is that you don't always find stuff. So... there'd have to be content, for sure, but sometimes, it's just... y'know, maybe you find some minerals, or maybe you see a new species of monster, and that's it.
I would love--absolutely love--to see more flora/fauna/vegetation in Mass Effect 1-style levels. Maps that actually offer exploration. Procedurally generate the terrain (those horrible unplaytested heightmaps in ME1 were just odd), then have artists go in and polish it up.
I would love--absolutely love--to see more flora/fauna/vegetation in Mass Effect 1-style levels. Maps that actually offer exploration. Procedurally generate the terrain (those horrible unplaytested heightmaps in ME1 were just odd), then have artists go in and polish it up.
Eatchildren asked for a realistic scenario
I will admit to being a bit uneducated on how these things work, but I have a hard time understanding how a 4 man team and potentially pull something like that off yet a studio like Bioware with the backing of EA no less can not do it bigger, or atleast better.
family_guy
Member
I know space travel is a large part of these games but I say save that for main story missions and scrap uncharted worlds. Have one planet that is your main hub that is completely explorable. Your goal is to colonize the planet, but it's completely optional. A mix of Sim City and Suikoden.
dr_rus
Member
ME1 + ME2.
Let us explore the planet beyond the scope of a "side quest" and find interesting stuff and other side quests on it.
This was an apparent way of improving the ME1 exploration - make less planets but with more detailed missions. Also - make their exploration optional for those who'd like to just go through the main quest in 10 hours.
Also - driving >>>>>>>>>>>>>> flying. Bring back Mako.
Let us explore the planet beyond the scope of a "side quest" and find interesting stuff and other side quests on it.
This was an apparent way of improving the ME1 exploration - make less planets but with more detailed missions. Also - make their exploration optional for those who'd like to just go through the main quest in 10 hours.
Also - driving >>>>>>>>>>>>>> flying. Bring back Mako.
Most of the imperfect elements of a new IP get leveled in the sequels, despite the fact that they're often the among the most interesting and innovative aspects of the game.
Go back to ME1's style of exploration, but improve and refine it. There's nothing interesting about ME2 and ME3's approach to exploration.
Go back to ME1's style of exploration, but improve and refine it. There's nothing interesting about ME2 and ME3's approach to exploration.
The reason why they can do it, is because they are generating stuff on the fly the based on algorithms that specify how something look. Its idea for making thousands planets or unlimited geometry, but You dont have full control over it.
Frostbite wasnt designed for procedural geometry generation.
We are unfortunately still years away from making games like Mass Effect in procedural fashion. For example Star Citizen guys made a special team that will research procedural generation for a game and maybe in few years they get to a point when they will have good enough tech to make planets exploreable with fidelity and detail they are want in their game.
Boombloxer
Member
I would add co-op worlds where 2-4 people could explore and establish an outpost, with the framework of ME3's Horde Mode for combat and classes.
AuthenticM
Member
Overlord-style, but better executed.
Aces&Eights
Member
All I ask is those goddamn scan for assets planets all die in hot fire. One of the worst mini games ever created.
As for exploration, I'll take detailed and somewhat short areas to explore over driving over long distances of boring red or blue to fight it out at some outpost the size of a walk in closet.
As for exploration, I'll take detailed and somewhat short areas to explore over driving over long distances of boring red or blue to fight it out at some outpost the size of a walk in closet.
archangelmorph
Member
ME1 style with the following changes:
- More terrain variety to the landscapes
- Proc Gen a city or two to explore (make it an abandoned, ancient ruined one if it's too much effort)
- Add more side-plots for each planet
- Add more creatures to fight on each planet (this alone would have made wandering barren, desolate landscapes far more entertaining, if the enemies were varied and you'd fight them frequently enough)
- Improve the rewards for exploring these worlds, I want to see the best gear/weapons in the game, sourced from having to wander the galaxy. This (+ the added EXP from more combat on the explorable worlds) will give me a stronger incentive to keep doing it...
- More loot to find per planet
- Some connected side-quests that require you to planet-hop (e.g. discover ruins on planet A with logs that tell you to find X on planet B, which you discover and bring back to planet A to access the secret mines and fight your way through to obtaining an awesome weapon etc...)
- Add a new form a transport as well as the Mako (i.e. a submarine for underwater exploration)
If they do this, ME4 will be the pinnacle of awesome IMO.
Hated the shitty faux-RPG-ness of ME2 + 3 (they were good action games but crap RPGs)
- More terrain variety to the landscapes
- Proc Gen a city or two to explore (make it an abandoned, ancient ruined one if it's too much effort)
- Add more side-plots for each planet
- Add more creatures to fight on each planet (this alone would have made wandering barren, desolate landscapes far more entertaining, if the enemies were varied and you'd fight them frequently enough)
- Improve the rewards for exploring these worlds, I want to see the best gear/weapons in the game, sourced from having to wander the galaxy. This (+ the added EXP from more combat on the explorable worlds) will give me a stronger incentive to keep doing it...
- More loot to find per planet
- Some connected side-quests that require you to planet-hop (e.g. discover ruins on planet A with logs that tell you to find X on planet B, which you discover and bring back to planet A to access the secret mines and fight your way through to obtaining an awesome weapon etc...)
- Add a new form a transport as well as the Mako (i.e. a submarine for underwater exploration)
If they do this, ME4 will be the pinnacle of awesome IMO.
Hated the shitty faux-RPG-ness of ME2 + 3 (they were good action games but crap RPGs)
Something similar to Overlord (though with the Mako).
The land between settlements etc doesn't have to be quite so detailed and intricate, so it can be a little bit larger for exploration purposes. The spin off area's can be like ME2's side missions.
Sure there wouldn't be the number of worlds to explore as there was in ME1 but I would rather have 10 worlds with alot to do than 30 were I drive for 10 minutes over mountains just to collect a bloody dog tag.
However, for me the biggest factor would be reintroducing ME1 style hub worlds. Damn it was such a kick in the teeth going from the Citadel in ME1 to the single corridor variety in ME2 and the smaller area's with load screens in ME3.
So for gods sake Bioware, give me Mako's & elevators
The land between settlements etc doesn't have to be quite so detailed and intricate, so it can be a little bit larger for exploration purposes. The spin off area's can be like ME2's side missions.
Sure there wouldn't be the number of worlds to explore as there was in ME1 but I would rather have 10 worlds with alot to do than 30 were I drive for 10 minutes over mountains just to collect a bloody dog tag.
However, for me the biggest factor would be reintroducing ME1 style hub worlds. Damn it was such a kick in the teeth going from the Citadel in ME1 to the single corridor variety in ME2 and the smaller area's with load screens in ME3.
So for gods sake Bioware, give me Mako's & elevators
I was a Mako fan when everyone hated the controls. Out of the options presented in the OP the Overlord variety would be my favorite. I also fully understand the budgetary limitations when asking for a lot of that kind of content. Some compromises are acceptable. There are great opportunities for bite-sized experiences that flesh out the universe.
N7: MSV Estevanico
N7: Endangered Research Station
Both of these Mass Effect 2 missions were small non-combat sequences. I really enjoyed stumbling on these during my exploration. They were both too linear and perhaps they weren't as striking as some ME1 worlds. However, I really admire the ideas behind these two missions. Even in their current state to me they were more memorable than most of ME1's large sprawling palette swaps. With a little more love and not being limited to some tiny 512MB RAM friendly package I believe there's a great future for this style of Mass Effect side mission.
The closest to nailing it all was N7: Abandoned Research Station. Well executed side missions with minimized combat encounters are really important for pacing. I hope ME4's theme of exploration encourages a return to this kind of experience.
So maybe there's a best of both worlds? One of these ME2 mission encounters plopped onto a large sprawling environment?
N7: MSV Estevanico
N7: Endangered Research Station
Both of these Mass Effect 2 missions were small non-combat sequences. I really enjoyed stumbling on these during my exploration. They were both too linear and perhaps they weren't as striking as some ME1 worlds. However, I really admire the ideas behind these two missions. Even in their current state to me they were more memorable than most of ME1's large sprawling palette swaps. With a little more love and not being limited to some tiny 512MB RAM friendly package I believe there's a great future for this style of Mass Effect side mission.
The closest to nailing it all was N7: Abandoned Research Station. Well executed side missions with minimized combat encounters are really important for pacing. I hope ME4's theme of exploration encourages a return to this kind of experience.
So maybe there's a best of both worlds? One of these ME2 mission encounters plopped onto a large sprawling environment?
ClivePwned
Member
I liked the Mako. I didn't like the cut and paste side quest bases.
I hated the scanning in ME2. That can die in a fire with with some nice Jack Wall synth music playing over the top.
I hated the scanning in ME2. That can die in a fire with with some nice Jack Wall synth music playing over the top.
BouncyFrag
Member
I'd like less worlds to explore but with more content.
funkystudent
Member
I wouldnt mind if they took another stab at the Mako.
Just like how the rest of the controls and level design got refined in ME2 I bet they could do the Uncharted worlds thing a lot better now.
I didnt hate what they did in ME3 though. Could have been fleshed out more but I thought it was a good use of the multiplayer maps for single player padding and wouldnt mind if they kept that in ME4 as well.
Just like how the rest of the controls and level design got refined in ME2 I bet they could do the Uncharted worlds thing a lot better now.
I didnt hate what they did in ME3 though. Could have been fleshed out more but I thought it was a good use of the multiplayer maps for single player padding and wouldnt mind if they kept that in ME4 as well.
Mass Effect should take its marching orders from Star Trek. I'm sure Kirk and company visited hundreds of worlds that were barren and mountainous crapholes, but we never got to see it because exploring them was boring.
I don't get why BioWare assumed people would want to drive its shitmobile across barren and lifeless worlds collecting space junk.
Game fans are dumb, generally, and want more worlds, bigger worlds, any thing to tack on some gameplay -- even if it means the gameplay is not at all engaging. Star Trek got it right: Make it interesting or don't bother.
I don't get why BioWare assumed people would want to drive its shitmobile across barren and lifeless worlds collecting space junk.
Game fans are dumb, generally, and want more worlds, bigger worlds, any thing to tack on some gameplay -- even if it means the gameplay is not at all engaging. Star Trek got it right: Make it interesting or don't bother.
Yes! It's all about that wanderlust... The only thing that warms my cold and bitter soul.
chrominance
Member
I actually kind of liked the way ME2 handled it, where you had to search a system for signals and pinpoint it to a moon/planet, but then you just went straight to the mission. But I also like some aspects of ME1's exploration, where you drove around a planet's surface. I just didn't like the Mako itself--what an awful vehicle to use. That monkey planet in particular highlights just how awful the thing is; you're on the side of a mountain, you're not supposed to run over any monkeys, and it's practically impossible to do anything without causing the Mako to slide right into a bunch of monkeys, killing them. This is not the kind of control I want over my exploration buggy designed for harsh terrain.
I would say make the initial discovery easier (please don't make me ping all over a planet's surface just to maybe find a side mission, can't remember if ME2 would alert you to active signals in a system or not) and bring back a Mako-like planetside area, but with an aerial vehicle instead of a ground-based one. Take out some of the pain of having to travel across a planet; I fly in a goddamned spaceship, why should a mountain getting in the way cause me so much grief?
I would say make the initial discovery easier (please don't make me ping all over a planet's surface just to maybe find a side mission, can't remember if ME2 would alert you to active signals in a system or not) and bring back a Mako-like planetside area, but with an aerial vehicle instead of a ground-based one. Take out some of the pain of having to travel across a planet; I fly in a goddamned spaceship, why should a mountain getting in the way cause me so much grief?