Support NeoGAF

[Nirolak]

Since this is definitive info, and apparently some of the old info is wrong, I thought a new thread might be appropriate.

Transcript: http://www.nerdappropriate.com/2014...charting-a-course-mass-effect-panel-coverage/

Excerpts focused on clarification:

Timeline/Setting:

Mass Effect 4, where in the timeline is it? “It’s not called Mass Effect 4, damn it! What I will say is that (long sigh) you’re NOT playing as Shepard and Shepard is not a central part of the story, so you can assume whatever you need to assume from that. We want to give players new places to explore [and] uncharted areas that haven’t been explored before.” – Mike Gamble

Main Character:

Is the protagonist strictly human, or can we play as a Turian? “So that is a big one, we haven’t locked down the specifics of that one yet. For sure your main character will be human but in terms of other playable races… we can’t talk about that at this point.” -Mike Gamble

PvP:

Is there any plan to add player vs. player multiplayer? - “At this point there are no plans, but things could change. Competition is always critical, but at the same time cooperation is bigger for us.” – Mike Gamble

Mako:

“So, the Mako is back [note: crowd goes crazy], but this isn’t the Mako that you remember, this is a DIFFERENT Mako. The point here is that it is a really agile Mako, it’s different than the one you’ve seen before. There is no cannon on it. Maybe it can hover, maybe it can jump, I don’t know. We’ve [had] a lot of help designing it, it’s gone through a lot of iteration.” – Mike Gamble

“The Mako is meant to be a fast response, point to point vehicle at this point. It’s something you can tear around planets in really quickly and get to where you need to go without a whole lot of fuss. We’re kind of working on the tweaks and the physics, the important part is that the Mako is going to be fundamental to the game. We’re building a game that’s about exploring places, and obviously [if you're] exploring places [you're going to need] a really handy vehicle.” – Mike Gamble

Returning Characters:

Will we be seeing characters like Aria T’Lok again? “We haven’t decided… well, we’ve decided (but aren’t telling yet). The theme is [that] we want to create new experiences for the player, but we still want to bring in elements of what you know and love about the previous trilogy that might include certain characters and it might not. So guaranteed, either way that we end up going you’re going to see a certain amount of the old with the new.” -Mike Gamble

Other Notes:
-Unlike with Unreal Engine 3, they no longer set animation limits for themselves.
-The armor is built in layers and your casual outfit can actually be your main armor with plating removed. It's also built to be something that could actually exist. The female armor will also be notably more appropriate.
-They want to add vehicle customization.
-There will be new and returning alien races.
-They want to notably increase the variety of creatures in the galaxy, and add a lot more that are not 4-6 foot tall humanoids.
-There's more at the link.

 

[digoutyoursoul]

Thanks OP

 

[Portugeezer]

Nice.

Will there be a full video of the panel eventually, or not?

 

[TC McQueen]

Nice.

Will there be a full video of the panel eventually, or not?

There is one, but the sound and video quality are so bad that the article is the best version.

 

[Ralemont]

So where did the "game will take place during Shepard's lifetime" thing come from? Fan speculation that was misinterpreted as fact?

 

[TC McQueen]

So where did the "game will take place during Shepard's lifetime" thing come from? Fan speculation that was misinterpreted as fact?

One of the people live tweeting the panel, IIRC.

 

[Phamit]

So where did the "game will take place during Shepard's lifetime" thing come from? Fan speculation that was misinterpreted as fact?

Someone didnt understand what Mike Gamble said, but tweeted that she understood that the next Mass effect place during Shepard's lifetime and was confused by Gameble words

 

[raphier]

Is the protagonist strictly human, or can we play as a Turian? “So that is a big one, we haven’t locked down the specifics of that one yet. For sure your main character will be human but in terms of other playable races… we can’t talk about that at this point.” -Mike Gamble

Is there any plan to add player vs. player multiplayer? - “At this point there are no plans, but things could change. Competition is always critical, but at the same time cooperation is bigger for us.” – Mike Gamble

I bet that you play as a human, but your coop-buddy will be an alien.

 

[10k]

This is what I like to hear.

 

[Mindlog]

The armor is built in layers and your casual outfit can actually be your main armor with plating removed. It's also built to be something that could actually exist. The female armor will also be notably more appropriate.

They're saying a lot of things I want to hear and that's a nice little cherry on top. Some of the armor designs got a little ridiculous. Hopefully this extends to a general level of appropriate armor.

Inappropriate.
This is a case where form over function sacrifices both.

 

[Mass Effect]

Hmm, thanks.

What I still want to know is about this "new galaxy" business. Have we got clarification on that?

 

[Enduin]

Sounds like the original reports were filled with a lot of excessive speculation.

 

[Marvel]

Beloved, Mako.

 

[TC McQueen]

Hmm, thanks.

What I still want to know is about this "new galaxy" business. Have we got clarification on that?

Someone specifically asked about it, but got a vague nonanswer.

 

[Nirolak]

I bet that you play as a human, but your coop-buddy will be an alien.

Yes my thought process is that you can play campaign co-op as an alien and/or you can pick which squad member you're controlling in combat a la Dragon Age.

 

[Alucrid]

Ugh, boring humans. Playing as an alien would have been nice.

 

[shinobi602]

Hmm, thanks.

What I still want to know is about this "new galaxy" business. Have we got clarification on that?

Hmm.

 

[Nirolak]

They're saying a lot of things I want to hear and that's a nice little cherry on top. Some of the armor designs got a little ridiculous. Hopefully this extends to a general level of appropriate armor.

Inappropriate.
This is a case where form over function sacrifices both.

This is their new armor image of male and female designs:

 

[Coffee Dog]

Oh what the fuck. Dragon age lets you select the race of your protagonist, why not mass effect?

 

[XaeonBE]

Hope they not bring back to many characters references are cool but not too many...

 

[funkypie]

I really wish they ditched the meko. The worst thing about the entire series was the boring generic exploration using the car.

 

[Marvel]

This is their new armor image of male and female designs

Oh... I do not like that.

 

[Kurdel]

This is what I like to hear.

Wait, is this a Joel version of the Jack nicholson gif?

 

[figadapaura]

Okay, this makes me much happier. I expected the PC to be human, so I'm not too bothered about that.

Wait, is this a Joel version of the Jack nicholson gif?

Yes.

 

[Harlock]

Ok, lets imagine Shepard looked at a christian calendar in the ending of Mass Effect 3. Now the character in the next ME game looks at the same christian calendar. The date will be after, before or the same weekend?

 

[Nirolak]

Oh... I do not like that.

It sounds like they're going to have lots of options, so I'm assuming the ODST armor isn't the only choice.

 

[Ivory Samoan]

Beloved, Mako.

I'm hyped on Mako mk2, it's going to be Gamble-tastic.

 

[Kurdel]

Yes.

Amazing

 

[figadapaura]

Not really a fan of the armour though. I assume it's customisable.

 

[MormaPope]

Oh what the fuck. Dragon age lets you select the race of your protagonist, why not mass effect?

It honestly pisses me off, a lot.

I've wanted to play as a Turian, Krogan, or Salarian since Mass Effect 1. Humanity doesn't need to matter in this franchise, yet the savior of the galaxy is always some military human dude. Dragon Age Origin style of introductions based on what alien race you choose. NPCs treating your character differently based on the player character's alien race, meaning different dialog options altogether.

Human only brings my hype down a lot.

 

[eot]

I really wish they ditched the meko. The worst thing about the entire series was the boring generic exploration using the car.

What is with the EEEEEEEs when it comes to Mass Effect?
Meko
Shepherd

argh!

 

[adj_noun]

Aww, I would have liked to be an alien.

 

[Marvel]

It sounds like they're going to have lots of options, so I'm assuming the ODST armor isn't the only choice.

For sure, I change my armor frequently and it's nice to be able to do so. Glad they are bringing that back because those early default designs don't get the juices flowing like Onyx Armor used to.

I'm hyped on Mako mk2, it's going to be Gamble-tastic.

I'm sure it will turn out fine, I myself loved it in ME1! was hilarious to use.

 

[TheXbox]

So the main character is human, but there may be other playable races. That probably indicates more MP, but hopefully it might mean playable party members.

 

[Gumbie]

We get it bioware, it's a whole new story with new characters in new places, but for fucks sake quit being so god damn dodgy about WHEN it takes place compared to the original trilogy.

 

[Nirolak]

So the main character is human, but there may be other playable races. That probably indicates more MP, but hopefully it might mean playable party members.

Well several other parts of the panel talk about MP as a given, so I think they're taking about the campaign (which could also conceivably be co-op).

 

[scarybore]

Bioware are talking a pretty good talk so far though I still have certain worries and reservations, would be nice if the new game reinvigorates my love for the Mass Effect universe as it took a real hit with ME3.

I hope they don't go mad with returning characters, it's the sort of thing that always feels cheap and that is made even worse when you have a whole galaxy to explore, yet you keep running into the same people over and over.

 

[Ivory Samoan]

I'm sure it will turn out fine, I myself loved it in ME1! was hilarious to use.

Mate, it was one of my favourite things

So satisfying rolling in the Mako, heading past Zhu's Hope on the Skyways... blasting Geth Primes with the canon *swoon*

 

[Coffee Dog]

So why is everyone talking about the mako like it's even relevant to the game at large? Is it because every other question regarding development would just be "So Bioware is notriously incompetent, what are you doing to change that"?

 

[Bisnic]

It honestly pisses me off, a lot.

I've wanted to play as a Turian, Krogan, or Salarian since Mass Effect 1. Humanity doesn't need to matter in this franchise, yet the savior of the galaxy is always some military human dude. Dragon Age Origin style of introductions based on what alien race you choose. NPCs treating your character differently based on the player character's alien race, meaning different dialog options altogether.

Human only brings my hype down a lot.

I haven't played Dragon Age games, but Mass Effect is so story/cutscenes heavy as a franchise that if you start to allow different races for the main protagonist, you're going to have to sacrifice a lot on that side, since all those races would have major differences in their background story and the main story of the game will just suffer too much because of it.

Best is to stick with human, and put some missions in there where you might temporarily control an alien squadmate because the commander was captured/knocked out/whatever.

 

[shinobi602]

So why is everyone talking about the mako like it's even relevant to the game at large? Is it because every other question regarding development would just be "So Bioware is notriously incompetent, what are you doing to change that"?

.

"the important part is that the Mako is going to be fundamental to the game. We’re building a game that’s about exploring places, and obviously [if you're] exploring places [you're going to need] a really handy vehicle.”

 

[TheChaos]

Oh what the fuck. Dragon age lets you select the race of your protagonist, why not mass effect?

My guess is because of the romances.

 

[Jibbed]

It sounds like they're going down the Dragon Age route of being able to control party members in combat. I'm guessing that's why they won't categorically rule out playing as other races alongside your human 'man character'.

This I can get behind.

 

[MormaPope]

I haven't played Dragon Age games, but Mass Effect is so story/cutscenes heavy as a franchise that if you start to allow different races for the main protagonist, you're going to have to sacrifice a lot on that side, since all those races would have major differences in their background story.

Best is to stick with human, and put some missions in there where you might temporarily control an alien squadmate because the commander was captured/knocked out/whatever.

Hell, dialog choices don't need to be that varied. In Dragon Age Origins you choose a race, which funnels you down a path where you make another choice. Three races. Two backgrounds for each race. The origin of your character is playable.

For Mass Effect 4, the same system could apply. One quick playable background story for each race, and some, not all, important dialog choices or conversations are changed in the future.

 

[Razia]

They're saying a lot of things I want to hear and that's a nice little cherry on top. Some of the armor designs got a little ridiculous. Hopefully this extends to a general level of appropriate armor.

Inappropriate.
This is a case where form over function sacrifices both.

The armor in your pic not armor Shepard can wear normally.

 

[thechristoph]

As much as I'd like it the ability to play other races like DAO, it would have a heavy impact on the story and it may not end up making any sense. Plus I understand the tone they go for with Mass Effect is for us to feel like the alien. We humans are existing in a galactic community in which we're the newcomer. They'd have to abandon that.

 

[George Oscar Bluth II]

The stuff regarding casual clothing is the opposite of what I wanted to hear. I want to be able to wear awesome looking casual clothing into firefights, like Mal from Firefly or Star-Lord from Guardians of The Galaxy. Basically I want to be able to wear a leather duster.

 

[EmCeeGramr]

There is no cannon on it. Maybe it can hover, maybe it can jump, I don’t know.

what do you mean "maybe"

 

[CushVA]

I bet that you play as a human, but your coop-buddy will be an alien.

That or you can take full control of your squadmates when in combat

 

[Bisnic]

Hell, dialog choices don't need to be that varied. In Dragon Age Origins you choose a race, which funnels you down a path where you make another choice. Three races. Two backgrounds for each race. The origin of your character is playable.

For Mass Effect 4, the same system could apply. One quick playable background story for each race, and some, not all, important dialog choices or conversations are changed in the future.

Maybe.... but Dragon Age is Dragon Age, and Mass Effect is Mass Effect. ME4's story building/framework (for lack of better word) will probably be the "same" as ME1-2-3, where if you could change Shepard to some Turian or Salarian hero instead, the whole story of these games would be far far different.