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Mass Effect: Andromeda - Game Informer Details (Combat, story, more) [Up: All Info]

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Not too surprised.



The multiplayer in ME2-3 was an amazing surprise. And unlike other games like CoD, there has been no new iteration or remaster to replace it.

I was pleasantly surprised when I found out. It's the sort of thing you'd want to believe (longevity rewarding quality) that isn't always true, you know?

But you're right that it's largely unique. Fantastic blend of horde gameplay with RPG elements, wide variety of maps and enemies, tons of dramatically different weapons and characters to unlock. One of a kind. Cannot WAIT for a real successor.
 

Garnox

Member
This GameInformer info is actually all I've been wanting to know, the when, where, and how detailed.

It all sounds good to me. Really looking forward to this game now.
 

ZeroX03

Banned
Damn I'm really happy reading most of that. I kind of figured it'd be more of the same from the last two titles but that all sounds like meaningful improvements.

I still don't care about customization, and the family plot sounds lame but as long as the other world building is good I'm happy.
 
Exploration is the only thing holding ME from a 10 for me. If this game has interesting areas to explore and the secrets and optional stuff has good gameplay it could be one of the greatest games ever made. I cannot wait.
 
Believe what you will. They say they listened to the feedback.

BioWare says that every single time. And with pretty much every sequel they've done since Baldur's Gate 2, they "listen to feedback" and maybe fix some issues from a past game but wind up creating about a dozen more significant issues often by not really fixing the previous issues but just getting rid of the "issue" altogether.

I'm just super skeptical of anything prerelease modern BioWare claims in their pre-release PR cycles. So often the come across as saying what people want to hear rather than what the game actually is.

It's problematic, don't get me wrong, but it's also the polar-opposite of the bare, limited, street and dungeon-driven design of DA2 that felt cramped, shallow, and restrictive.

DA:I is big and vast... and empty. Again, don't get me wrong, it's got problems, but you can clearly see them making it with the mindset to avoid the trappings of DA2. They just stumbled into new ones when making the shift.

Right, DA2 to DA:I was clearly BioWare trying to open things up with their worlds. And like you mention, they opened the world up, except somebody forgot to tell them to populate the world with anything interesting to do in it. And I just have a hard time reconciling the talk of having huge open worlds the likes of DA:I while tossing loads of meaningful content in those worlds.

Like I said, modern BioWare rarely seems to iterate on their games. They seemingly toss a ton out game to game in the interest of "fixing" whatever perceived problems were in the past game but in the process create tons more issues that seem really obvious when you sit down to play the game.
 

Garlador

Member
BioWare says that every single time. And with pretty much every sequel they've done since Baldur's Gate 2, they "listen to feedback" and maybe fix some issues from a past game but wind up creating about a dozen more significant issues often by not really fixing the previous issues but just getting rid of the "issue" altogether.

I'm just super skeptical of anything prerelease modern BioWare claims in their pre-release PR cycles. So often the come across as saying what people want to hear rather than what the game actually is.

Right, DA2 to DA:I was clearly BioWare trying to open things up with their worlds. And like you mention, they opened the world up, except somebody forgot to tell them to populate the world with anything interesting to do in it. And I just have a hard time reconciling the talk of having huge open worlds the likes of DA:I while tossing loads of meaningful content in those worlds.

Like I said, modern BioWare rarely seems to iterate on their games. They seemingly toss a ton out game to game in the interest of "fixing" whatever perceived problems were in the past game but in the process create tons more issues that seem really obvious when you sit down to play the game.

Right. It's almost as if game development is trial and error, a hundred moving parts at once that gets cobbled together and you hope it works. Someone made the big, giant worlds and probably hoped that someone else on the team would fill those areas with meaningful content... and that side of the equation let them down.

I mean, DA:I's big, open, empty worlds aren't that far removed from Mass Effect 1's big, open, empty planets, are they? Only the jury's still out on whether the Mako was more enjoyable to control than horses for fast travel.
 

Lren

Member
It all sounds really good so far, can't wait to see more as time rolls on. Kinda hope it's at PAX EAST in March but that might be wishful thinking.
 

Speely

Banned
Love what I'm hearing. No classes sounds great. I will still specialize, but it will be great to be able to do so the way I want.

No GCD YES.

Swords? Finally I can make my kick murder biotic blademaster in a space opera. Let's go.
 
Bioware's response to criticism was usually just excised completely the thing that their players complaining about, lol.

So often it's

Game 1
Major problem with A
Minor problems with B and C

Game 2
Major improvement on A
Major problem on B or C

They can't fix one thing without fucking up something else. Let's see if that's the case here.
 

Squire

Banned
Really glad to see the approach they're taking with romances and dialogue choices. Inquisition was really good with both and I was hoping they'd continue down the same path. With dialogue especially I don't want to choose based on good/evil, I just want to make the choices that make sense and feel like the right thing to do.

The combat haves sound like this will be their best playing game by a country mile.
 

Tovarisc

Member
For the love of God, tell me this isn't like Fallout 4's dialogue options.

I think it will be 2.0 of this;
kbl5u0suewmdx5t8lf68.jpg
 

Dmax3901

Member
I finally got a chance to read up on all the new details and I take back what I said about it seeming too similar to previous Bioware games, it sounds interesting and overall I'm excited. Here's some general thoughts I've had.


Ok so the character model here looks great, but shit those fucking rocks man. Those rocks were everywhere in Inquisition and I'm sick of them. Enough is enough. Whoever it is in the environment design team who visited Northern Ireland that one time needs to move the fuck on.
I really don't like those rocks

Stuff I like:
-Events at the start of the game occur that pass this role down to you, you are untested and unproven, unlike Commander Shepard of the previous trilogy
-You can customize your father and your sibling, though not as extensively

Inspiration
-The (much improved) Mako of ME1, the loyalty missions of ME2, the multiplayer of ME3

Combat
-Global cooldowns are now replaced by individual timers
-Dynamic cover system (ala TLOU)
-Less emphasis on linear, clearly telegraphed environments that tell you a combat encounter is coming (though linear areas are still in the game)

-Class system is gone; instead you have full access to abilities from all classes, you can mix and match skills from tech, soldier or biotics
-Goal is to allow players to try different approaches to combat without being locked in at the start
-There is a narrative reason that allows you to reconfigure your points throughout the game so that you can try out multiple gameplay approaches without making multiple characters
-You can customize your helmet, chest, shoulders, arms and legs, more extensive than previous trilogy

Enemy/Environments/Crafting
-BioWare did not want to repeat having things like mineral nodes and multiple identical outposts scattered across planets

The Tempest (Your Ship)
-There are no loading screens as you move through the ship
-You don't pilot the ship manually, but it feels seamless as you go from planet to planet and see them from your bridge getting closer in the window
-They wanted a seamless experience from picking a planet to walking down to your cargo hold, hopping into the Nomad and landing on a planet. There is a landing sequence and you get off the ship. No more loading screens and instantly popping up on the surface of a planet.

Relationships/Characters
-The squadmate with the least amount of lines in Andromeda has more lines than the squadmate with the most amount of lines in ME3
-Due to complications in the awakening process, your sibling won't join you in combat but you can interact with them and build a relationship
-Many of these dealings are optional, and discovering more about the Ryder family is a plot thread
-BioWare is confident the details of this story are what differentiates it from a traditional "hero's journey"
-Emphasis that relationships don't just culminate in a sex scene, but rather characters can just want to get in the sack, while others are interested in long term relationships and others still aren't interested at all. Bioware wanted to capture more "shooting bottles with Garrus" moments in the game, of which there are plenty

Choices
-No more Paragon/Renegade system

Things that I don't like/sound worrying
-On planets, one of your priorities is to scout for drop zones for your crew that drop "forward stations" that establishes a foothold for you
-These stations allow for changing up your loadout, fast travel point, etc

This sounds too much like Inquisition and the outposts that you had to set up, which were pretty meaningless. Hopefully they make them feel unique and purposeful.

-Peebee (nickname): Asari squadmate shown in previous footage. Went off on her own after arriving on the Nexus and described as having a "bubbly personality". She's smart and not concerned with social norms and "niceties".

I may be jumping the gun, but this sounds like Sera. I did not like Sera.
 

levyjl1988

Banned
Please have a good character creation system. Fallout 4 was terrible in a way that you can't recreate other players creation as there are no sliders and numbers to copy.

I also liked how if you missed an item during a mission in Mass Effect 3 you can get it from a shop or kiosk for a higher fee than missing it forever as past Mass Effect games did.

Also planet scanning for resources sucked. I have OCD and depleted every single planet.
I hated DA: I with its echo thingy by pressing on the analog stick. I stopped altogether as my collective obsession could not take it.

Quality of Life, that is all.
 

Radaway666

Neo Member
If you follow this sop here: https://twitter.com/tibermoon

Lead Designer on the game he's releasing some pretty cool info.

Your sibling WON'T be your squad mate.

Both are in the early 20's

Expect big Ultima references since he loves that shit

Nexus is separate of the other 4 arks
 

goodfella

Member
Oh my it sounds like they are doing a LOT right with this game.

I will miss seeing built up civilisations, but maybe there will still be some of that.
 

Sou Da

Member
If you follow this sop here: https://twitter.com/tibermoon

Lead Designer on the game he's releasing some pretty cool info.

Your sibling WON'T be your squad mate.

Both are in the early 20's

Expect big Ultima references since he loves that shit

Nexus is separate of the other 4 arks

Dude who wrote the Sith Warrior story in SWTOR is doing P.B

Luke K, who was the lead writer on BG2 is doing Liam
 

KorrZ

Member
Like what I'm hearing based on the info round up.

Still though...a cinematic trailer, at this point? Isn't think game supposed to drop early next year? I'm starting to doubt that's happening.
 
I'd also like to know what the camera positioning for conversations is going to be like. Please don't use that awful third-person camera featured in Inquisition. I want to see my characters faces talk like in Mass Effect 1-3, and Dragon Age 1 and 2.
 

SDBurton

World's #1 Cosmonaut Enthusiast
I may be jumping the gun, but this sounds like Sera. I did not like Sera.

I forgot to touch on this.. but yeah. Please Bioware for the love of all that is holy, do not give us another crazy person for our F/F romance. Appreciate it.
 

Dimorphic

Member
After reading the OP I think I'm done with everything now. I'll watch today's trailer at some point (haven't seen it yet) but other than that I think I'll go dark now and just wait for release.

THE HYPE IS REAL PEOPLE!
 

JeffG

Member
Both are in the early 20's
the bad part about this is that I usually do one playthrough as male then a second as female

the male playthrough i base on myself....an old balding fart. That worked good as shepard or the Inquisitor, but will not work now. Darn, i will have to try and remember a time when I had hair lol
 

Jumeira

Banned
Sounds delicious! ME is by far the greatest new IP of last gen and my favourite RPG series looking forward. Just keep the DA team as far away from this version as possible, don't want them to spread thier taint to my beloved Mass Effect .
 

Tovarisc

Member
So instead of A, B and C, we just get one ending?

ME3's ending still burns.

What I understood from tweets of lead dev ending of MEA will leave door open for more Ryder or something all new. So most likely one specific ending with few threads opening for future.
 

Holundrian

Unconfirmed Member
Sounds delicious! ME is by far the greatest new IP of last gen and my favourite RPG series looking forward. Just keep the DA team as far away from this version as possible, don't want them to spread thier taint to my beloved Mass Effect .

Pretty sure ME tainted DA given that DA "needed" to evolve from DA:O and become more actiony because pressing A was not awesome enough. :-x

They're saying the right things but fixing what the community doesn't like is only a small part of the battle. They still need to make a fun game.

Honestly par for the course. They did the same thing with DA:I.
As for the right thing. I'm waiting for them saying no space jesus, no shitty early deaths nobody can emotionally invest in, no companions that are just there to jerk your character off and instead stand for themselves.
 

GorillaJu

Member
They're saying the right things but fixing what the community doesn't like is only a small part of the battle. They still need to make a fun game.
 
Never played any of the original trilogy but I'm semi-curious about this game. I guess I'll have to wait for the Game Awards to see some gameplay for myself.
 

Shoeless

Member
Do I really have to be named Scott in this game...?

Probably not. Past BioWare games let you have whatever first name you liked, because no one ever addressed you that way anyway. You were either Shepard, Inquisitor, Warden or insert-rank/title-here.

So even if you named yourself Gandhi Ryder, it wouldn't matter. No one's going to call you Gandhi anyhow.
 

carlsojo

Member
Probably not. Past BioWare games let you have whatever first name you liked, because no one ever addressed you that way anyway. You were either Shepard, Inquisitor, Warden or insert-rank/title-here.

So even if you named yourself Gandhi Ryder, it wouldn't matter. No one's going to call you Gandhi anyhow.

It sounded like your first name is locked. People will still call you Ryder though because you're playing as one or the other.
 
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