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[Sai]

The more I think about it I really don't like the sound of being a one man army switching profiles. I rather just be a jack of all trade with 3 core skills. Switching profile seems to be against fighting as a team. I should pick my squad mates based on my weaknesses: maybe I'm not good at long range combat so I pick someone that excels at long range combat.

I get what you're saying, but a positive take from this is that it might encourage players to switch up their squadmates along with their available profiles, and experiment with them more often.

Even in some of these recent threads about Andromeda we've had people talking about who they're going to stick with throughout most of the game. I'd be happy if the profiles can discourage that even a little.

 

[AWizardDidIt]

Meh, I see plenty of room for different characters from different races, but I don't see much evidence Bioware does.

Like, why not have a human scientist and an Asari soldier, rather than yet another human soldier?

(Vetra seems fairly new, but it would be hard for her not to be considering how little we've seen of Turians outside of Garrus)

Literally only 1 out of the 4 asari that have been potential party members in the trilogy was a scientist. Also PeeBee seems like she couldn't be any more different from Liara. And neither Liam or Cora are affiliated with the military.

 

[jtb]

Don't know if it's a joke with the expert thing, but... I've read the novels (except the non-canon turd Deception), and his name is never mentionned. His name is Jack Harper and its revealed in a comics series (Evolution).

It's a joke. (I mispelled my post, it's actually MacGuffin!)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacGuffin

Illusive Man's character was unequivocally terrible though.

 

[saskuatch]

can you sleep only with your main squad mates? or with secondary characters too?

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

The more I think about it I really don't like the sound of being a one man army switching profiles. I rather just be a jack of all trade with 3 core skills. Switching profile seems to be against fighting as a team. I should pick my squad mates based on my weaknesses: maybe I'm not good at long range combat so I pick someone that excels at long range combat.

The problem with that is in previous games your weakness was locked into your profile. So once you compete your character setup there are 2 teammates you SHOULD have with you the majority of the time. By going against the optimum setup you were just giving yourself a handicap with the payoff being a few quips of banter.

 

[Tovarisc]

can you sleep only with your main squad mates? or with secondary characters too?

Squadies and secondary both are available. Not sure if going for Emma Engineer down in engineering closes off changes with Cora.

 

[Schlorgan]

Squadies and secondary both are available. Not sure if going for Emma Engineer down in engineering closes off changes with Cora.

Some people are gonna be really upset if Dormer-Asari isn't romance-able.

 

[jtb]

Jack of all trades characters are boring, just from an RPG/gameplay perspective.

The whole point of an RPG is the opportunity cost of choosing one skill/power/whatever over another, creating unique hybrids, etc. Having access to everything (and then being artificially limited)... ugh... it's just not good design, imo.

Certainly takes away a lot of the incentive to replay the game imo.

 

[Wulfram]

Literally only 1 out of the 4 asari that have been potential party members in the trilogy was a scientist. Also PeeBee seems like she couldn't be any more different from Liara. And neither Liam or Cora are affiliated with the military.

Cora served in the Systems Alliance. She's a soldier.

With Peebee, in 3 out of 4 games our Asari is a loner Asari Scientist in her 100s

 

[Tovarisc]

Some people are gonna be really upset if Dormer-Asari isn't romance-able.

It's when Rule34 and fanfic will come to rescue.

 

[darkwing-buck]

Oh me oh my, didn't know Natalie Dorner was voicing the Asari girl!

 

[Saucycarpdog]

Jack of all trades characters are boring, just from an RPG/gameplay perspective.

The whole point of an RPG is the opportunity cost of choosing one skill/power/whatever over another, creating unique hybrids, etc. Having access to everything (and then being artificially limited)... ugh... it's just not good design, imo.

Certainly takes away a lot of the incentive to replay the game imo.

Are you talking about the ability to switch ability loadouts?

I understand to a degree why it exists. Yes it does takeaway the pro and con element of leveling up but one thing I didn't like in the original mass effect was being unable to deal with heavily armored threats just because I choose a biotic character.

 

[Schlorgan]

Oh me oh my, didn't know Natalie Dorner was voicing the Asari girl!

She's not voicing PeeBee, she's a secondary Asari character.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1346782

 

[Wulfram]

Jack of all trades characters are boring, just from an RPG/gameplay perspective.

The whole point of an RPG is the opportunity cost of choosing one skill/power/whatever over another, creating unique hybrids, etc. Having access to everything (and then being artificially limited)... ugh... it's just not good design, imo.

Certainly takes away a lot of the incentive to replay the game imo.

You don't have to play a jack of all trades though. In fact it'll probably be sub-optimal. You still have limited points, so you're probably best off focusing on getting a one or two good sets of powers working rather than spreading yourself thin. Particularly since switching profiles seemed to have a fairly punitive effect on your cooldowns.

 

[jtb]

Are you talking about the ability to switch ability loadouts?

I understand to a degree why it exists. Yes it does takeaway the pro and con element of leveling up but one thing I didn't like in the original mass effect was being unable to deal with heavily armored threats just because I choose a biotic character.

Well, imo, the problem in that scenario isn't being forced to choose skills, but poor balance between those skills. If anything, this just encourages bad/lazy balance of the RPG/gameplay mechanics.

You don't have to play a jack of all trades though. In fact it'll probably be sub-optimal. You still have limited points, so you're probably best off focusing on getting a one or two good sets of powers working rather than spreading yourself thin. Particularly since switching profiles seemed to have a fairly punitive effect on your cooldowns.

I hope that's the case. We'll see.

You can definitely go too far in the other direction -- the Witcher 3 comes to mind. The reason why combat is so repetitive in the game is because your skills never really change/evolve the core dynamics of the game (and it takes way too many skill points investment to unlock new "abilities"). So there's a balance to be found.

 

[R0ckman]

I'm okay with the selection of companions and the designs but it seems like a missed opp to have so few companions gained through recruitment in a game about exploration. How many are with you from jump?

 

[Tovarisc]

I'm okay with the selection of companions and the designs but it seems like a missed opp to have so few companions gained through recruitment in a game about exploration. How many are with you from jump?

Cora, Liam and PeeBee most likely are ones you get very early on.

 

[Tosyn_88]

Jack of all trades characters are boring, just from an RPG/gameplay perspective.

The whole point of an RPG is the opportunity cost of choosing one skill/power/whatever over another, creating unique hybrids, etc. Having access to everything (and then being artificially limited)... ugh... it's just not good design, imo.

Certainly takes away a lot of the incentive to replay the game imo.

I think your skill points won't give you upgrade for all of them

 

[Sai]

I think your skill points won't give you upgrade for all of them

Apparently, if you grind enough you can level up almost every ability in the game. You certainly can with New Game+

 

[VpomRurd]

Apparently, if you grind enough you can level up almost every ability in the game. You certainly can with New Game+

There's the incentive to replay then.

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

I'm okay with the selection of companions and the designs but it seems like a missed opp to have so few companions gained through recruitment in a game about exploration. How many are with you from jump?

IMO it makes sense because if you were travelling to some far off galaxy where you know very little about what you are going to encounter you would travel with your own group of trusted companions. You wouldnt want to be picking up strangers belonging to races you just discovered an hour ago.

 

[Mifune]

I feel like Bioware has leaned on the recruitment story enough at this point between Mass Effect and Dragon Age so am frankly excited that Andromeda is doing something different.

 

[prag16]

The Giantbomb video and impressions have kinda unsold me on this game.
It just doesn't look that good.

Defiantly a wait on reviews case.

Giantbomb was the most negative out of the ones I watched and read. And it wasn't even that negative. The guy who played it just didn't seem to be a big Mass Effect fan. Came off a little indifferent.

The amount of assumptions about characters from their race or "just another human" here is astounding.

The amount of assumptions being made about a lot of things is astounding.

 

[Sub_Level]

Some people are gonna be really upset if Dormer-Asari isn't romance-able.

Source Filmmaker

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Squad selection screen:

This looks so fucking good.

 

[Admiral Woofington]

Squad selection screen:

should have

Blasto
Hanar Spectre

 

[Gojeran]

There isn't a Salarian party member again? Fucking robbed again. It's there most interesting race.

I agree. I always played a Salarian in the multiplayer. Why can't we have one as a squad member! Feelsbadman

 

[Poodlestrike]

Jack of all trades characters are boring, just from an RPG/gameplay perspective.

The whole point of an RPG is the opportunity cost of choosing one skill/power/whatever over another, creating unique hybrids, etc. Having access to everything (and then being artificially limited)... ugh... it's just not good design, imo.

Certainly takes away a lot of the incentive to replay the game imo.

fwiw, with 12 favorite options, you can still only carry around less than 2 full disciplines worth of skills. Combat has 6 actives, Tech and Biotic both have 9. You're still going to have to specialize if you want to make the most of your favorites slots.

 

[ebev91]

PeeBee is NOT Liara, at all.

I've said PLENTY of times that I only matched them together based on SPECIES/RACE.

Obviously these characters will have different personalities and behavior than the ME1 crew.

 

[Tovarisc]

https://twitter.com/tibermoon/status/835168786147852288

 

[Sai]

Aw, that's kind of a shame.

Oh, well.

 

[eot]

Giantbomb was the most negative out of the ones I watched and read. And it wasn't even that negative. The guy who played it just didn't seem to be a big Mass Effect fan. Came off a little indifferent.

Brad is a pretty big Mass Effect fan, he single-handedly argued ME3 onto their GotY list 2012.

 

[X-Frame]

https://twitter.com/tibermoon/status/835168786147852288

I noticed this too during the gameplay video. Mac narrates that he is going to throw down a sentry turret and then switch profiles, but it ends up being pointless from what I saw because everything disappears the moment he switches anyway.

 

[A-V-B]

https://twitter.com/tibermoon/status/835168786147852288

Um, wtf? So this is actually worse than having cross-class powers in the trilogy? Make sure all your powers are in a single favorite preset?

 

[Deleted member 752119]

This is looking fantastic for me. Hope it sells well, given how many people seem down on it.

Of course, this is just GAF and the community tone is very negative about DA:I that reviewed super well, sold well and one bunches of GOTY awards, so I probably shouldn't read into the pessimism on here about ME:A in terms of how it will sell (or not) to the masses.

 

[Staf]

Brad is a pretty big Mass Effect fan, he single-handedly argued ME3 onto their GotY list 2012.

He did, though not to the extreme level he pushed for Destiny lol.

 

[Jarmel]

https://twitter.com/tibermoon/status/835168786147852288

lol wut

This is stupid. What's the fucking point then?

 

[Sai]

I'm wondering if that's due to a technical/resource limitation, or balancing concerns.

 

[prag16]

lol wut

This is stupid. What's the fucking point then?

What do you mean what's the point. You thought the point was to switch profiles mid-combo? They were more likely trying to prevent that from being possible rather than encouraging it.

The "point" seems to be encouraging experimentation, and adding some versatility for different scenarios instead of being totally locked down as in the trilogy. But you already know that. You apparently just disagree hyperbolically.

 

[Deadstar]

Why do the aliens have stupid face tattoos? I really hate that.

 

[Schlorgan]

Why do the aliens have stupid face tattoos? I really hate that.

It's part of their culture.

Spoiler

Check your privilege. ;p

 

[The Strokes]

Welp, this is certainly a strong deviation from previous games. Looks a bit stiff but I'm getting hyped

 

[Jarmel]

What do you mean what's the point. You thought the point was to switch profiles mid-combo? They were more likely trying to prevent that from being possible rather than encouraging it.

The "point" seems to be encouraging experimentation, and adding some versatility for different scenarios instead of being totally locked down as in the trilogy. But you already know that. You apparently just disagree hyperbolically.

Fucking please. If all things like Singularity or turrents disappear then you can't really combo and you're mostly limited to just three skills. So it comes across as an even more restrictive version of the Powerwheel in ME3. You're actually MORE locked down in some ways than in ME3.

You could just as easily 'encourage experimentation' by letting things like the turrent stay up. In fact they could have played around with that by fostering more power combinations.

 

[A-V-B]

The "point" seems to be encouraging experimentation, and adding some versatility for different scenarios instead of being totally locked down as in the trilogy.

But if powers in effect don't persist across favorites, isn't that... also being locked down? I thought the power cooldown was enough of a limiter, but making all previously activated powers disappear like they were holograms... it seems a bit harsh.

I mean the power wheel had eight powers on it that you could combo, too, so it's not like you were never ready for more than one situation.

 

[SoRuffShoNuff]

Fucking please. If all things like Singularity or turrents disappear then you can't really combo and you're mostly limited to just three skills. So it comes across as an even more restrictive version of the Powerwheel in ME3. You're actually MORE locked down in some ways than in ME3.

You could just as easily 'encourage experimentation' by letting things like the turrent stay up. In fact they could have played around with that by fostering more power combinations.

The point isn't to combo between profiles. The profiles should be set up to handle a specific situation on their own. You should combo within a specific profile with your teammates

 

[Lunafreya Nox Fleuret]

These characters look unbelievably bland.

 

[A-V-B]

The point isn't to combo between profiles. The profiles should be set up to handle a specific situation on their own. You should combo within a specific profile with your teammates

Why? Outside of trying to cram a whole arsenal of powers into a controller instead of a keyboard and not wanting players to go into a wheel to activate them...

Why? Why any of this?

 

[Jarmel]

The point isn't to combo between profiles. The profiles should be set up to handle a specific situation on their own. You should combo within a specific profile with your teammates

However unless you fuck up initially, you shouldn't need to change profiles now. You should have one geared for armor, one for shields, and another for humans. Since you only have three powers, you're more restricted in your options in moment to moment situations.

There's little upside to how this is handled and is a step backwards from ME3.

 

[Schlorgan]

Why? Outside of trying to cram a whole arsenal of powers into a controller instead of a keyboard and not wanting players to go into a wheel to activate them...

Why? Why any of this?

Why play video games? Why post on NeoGaf?!

 

[A-V-B]

Why play video games? Why post on NeoGaf?!

WHO ARE YOU?

WHO AM I?