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[SmoothRunningGun]

I was assuming 2017 anyway.

 

[RUSHv4]

Mass Effect in Frostbite? Yes, yes.

 

[AYF 001]

The studio just wanted to approach the full unveiling->launch similar to Fallout 4.

So things are going smoothly with development then? Between the delay and management changes, I was worried they might've had to redesign half the game.

 

[_woLf]

Still waiting to be able to play as NOT a human....someday...

a delay was expected after the conference call. Hopefully it doesn't get delayed again like Mirror's Edge did.

 

[Mass Effect]

We'll finally get to see it. I hope we get enough to get a feel for the game.

I need more ME in my life.

 

[shinobi602]

So things are going smoothly with development then? Between the delay and management changes, I was worried they might've had to redesign half the game.

More than fine, they're well on track from what I'm told. The game's playable from beginning to end. The delay is only by a few months for extra polish and there really hasn't been any management changes. Chris Wynn was a senior development director and not really in charge of creative ideas, and he was only on the team for about 18 months. Schlerf was lead writer and his role was pretty much done before he left. They've brought on some good talent in the meantime too, including from Naughty Dog.

Having seen a decent chunk of gameplay in action, I think people are going to love what they see. It looks fucking amazing.

 

[rashbeep]

Having seen a decent chunk of gameplay in action, I think people are going to love what they see. It looks fucking amazing.

Comparable to BF1?

 

[anexanhume]

More than fine, they're well on track from what I'm told. The game's playable from beginning to end. The delay is only by a few months for extra polish and there really hasn't been any management changes. Chris Wynn was a senior development director and he was only on the team for about 18 months. Schlerf was lead writer and his role was pretty much done before he left. They've brought on some good talent in the meantime too, including from Naughty Dog.

Having seen a decent chunk of gameplay in action, I think people are going to love what they see. It looks fucking amazing.

Do you know if the Schlerf departure was amicable? Did he just want to move on?

 

[Stat Flow]

I think it's quite awesome that this is one of the few games that has been known about for so long but had NOTHING major leaked on it. And we are less than a year away from release? Impressive.

I think we've all had enough time to get that shitty ME3 ending out of our system and are ready for some new Mass Effect .

 

[Angel_DvA]

More than fine, they're well on track from what I'm told. The game's playable from beginning to end. The delay is only by a few months for extra polish and there really hasn't been any management changes. Chris Wynn was a senior development director and he was only on the team for about 18 months. Schlerf was lead writer and his role was pretty much done before he left. They've brought on some good talent in the meantime too, including from Naughty Dog.

Having seen a decent chunk of gameplay in action, I think people are going to love what they see. It looks fucking amazing.

Interesting, can't wait to see it in June.

 

[DouglasteR]

Every time i see a new Mass Effect Andromeda topic i imagine Shinobi, breathing heavily

I can´t wait too. Hopefull will be VR ready.

 

[CHC]

I really hope they don't try to do something overly "innovative" with this or totally reinvent the wheel.

Just looking for a solid, single-player, space RPG out of this. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[TangoAlphaLima]

It's been a while, but I'm fairly sure they didn't go to a new galaxy, just a different quadrant of the Milky Way (Delta Quadrant I think?).

You're totally right. I forgot that it was only a different quadrant (and it was the quadrant the Borg originated from, no?).

Regardless, the same concerns apply.

 

[Mediking]

More than fine, they're well on track from what I'm told. The game's playable from beginning to end. The delay is only by a few months for extra polish and there really hasn't been any management changes. Chris Wynn was a senior development director and he was only on the team for about 18 months. Schlerf was lead writer and his role was pretty much done before he left. They've brought on some good talent in the meantime too, including from Naughty Dog.

Having seen a decent chunk of gameplay in action, I think people are going to love what they see. It looks fucking amazing.

 

[Jibbajabbawockky]

I'm sure the game will look gorgeous and play fine but with modern BioWare I'm remaining incredibly skeptical of the actual RPG aspects of the game since things like actual dialogue choices were progressively whittled away in the previous ME games.

And all the talk of "freedom" takes me back to Inquisition's empty MMO landscapes filled with junk quests like that leaked survey sort of hinted at.

I'll try to remain hopeful here but I have a feeling the game will wow everyone with its visuals just like Inquisition but actual substance of the RPG aspects might be a little slim.

hope they announce a new DA too

Me too, but I have to imagine any new mainline DA game is the lowest priority for BioWare right now, with ME coming up and probably their new IP after that. Maybe they announce some smaller DA game, like that Tactics thing they were teasing earlier.

 

[BigTnaples]

Take your time Bioware.


Can't wait for the return of the King.

 

[K' Dash]

Would it make sense, tho?

 

[shinobi602]

Comparable to BF1?

Well, we haven't really seen legitimate Battlefield 1 gameplay yet so that's hard to say. I don't think it'll be comparable, DICE are masters at their own engine. It's a huge step up from DAI though, some things are comparable to Battlefront, and Bioware's implemented things in Frostbite 3 that even DICE hadn't yet, so they're no slouch in the technical department. The explorable spaces in Andromeda are massive so it's hard to compare directly to Battlefield.

Character models look incredible. Animations are a huge upgrade too.

Do you know if the Schlerf departure was amicable? Did he just want to move on?

Well, that's an employee related issue so that kind of stuff isn't really shared with me, but it sounded amicable to me.

 

[AYF 001]

More than fine, they're well on track from what I'm told. The game's playable from beginning to end. The delay is only by a few months for extra polish and there really hasn't been any management changes. Chris Wynn was a senior development director and he was only on the team for about 18 months. Schlerf was lead writer and his role was pretty much done before he left. They've brought on some good talent in the meantime too, including from Naughty Dog.

Having seen a decent chunk of gameplay in action, I think people are going to love what they see. It looks fucking amazing.

That's very reassuring; glad to hear it! I don't suppose they've let Drew Karypshyn see or give his $0.02 on the project as well? I know he was re-hired by a different Bioware studio, but I feel like they both might appreciate the thought and input nonetheless.

 

[muzzymate]

Can't believe how little information has been released about this game, but I'm still so hyped for it. One of my favorite new franchises last generation.

 

[BrassDragon]

I hope we're finally getting some real insight into the narrative beats and setting.

I'm sure it looks beautiful and open but that was never in doubt since committing to the next gen.

But arguably BioWare's slow decline has been in the story department, particularly the overall arcs and consistency / internal logic of their world building. Although individual character arcs and beats worked fine in isolation, I feel they haven't really managed to bring it all together for a long time. Mass Effect 3 stumbled (some would say fell on its face) at the finish and Dragon Age: Inquisition, despite moments of brilliance and great polish, was a clunky story with a poor final act. Not until I saw how seamless and rich the Witcher 3 presents its story, world and characters did I realize how far BioWare lowered the bar for itself.

This doubling down on open world mechanics and shooting is all fine and dandy but I'm really rooting for BioWare to get back to telling memorable stories above fan fiction level.

 

[Bisnic]

Well, we haven't really seen legitimate Battlefield 1 gameplay yet so that's hard to say. I don't think it'll be comparable, DICE are masters at their own engine. It's a huge step up from DAI though, some things are comparable to Battlefront, and Bioware's implemented things in Frostbite 3 that even DICE hadn't yet, so they're no slouch in the technical department. The explorable spaces in Andromeda are massive so it's hard to compare directly to Battlefield.

Character models look incredible. Animations are a huge upgrade too.

Well, that's an employee related issue so that kind of stuff isn't really shared with me, but it sounded amicable to me.

What about lip sync? It seemed to have gotten worse with ME3.

Good to hear about animations. Hopefully they don't reuse them too much, it was always so annoying to see the same animations used all over the place in the trilogy.
So much that when they actually DID make new animations, it was like a miracle. Like when Kasumi climbed and jumped onto that helicopter in her DLC.

 

[Akronis]

Give me ME3 multiplayer with more everything and I'll buy it just for that.

 

[shinobi602]

What about lip sync? It seemed to have gotten worse with ME3.

Good to hear about animations. Hopefully they don't reuse them too much, it was always so annoying to see the same animations used all over the place in the trilogy.
So much that when they actually DID make new animations, it was like a miracle. Like when Kasumi climbed and jumped onto that helicopter in her DLC.

Yea they're specifically trying to address the repeating animations in the last trilogy. It's really to do with the limited memory of old gen. They've implemented a lot of new techniques for Andromeda.

And I was mostly talking about facial animation too. It's a huge step up. Pleasantly surprised.

 

[BigTnaples]

Yea they're specifically trying to address the repeating animations in the last trilogy. It's really to do with the limited memory of old gen. They've implemented a lot of new techniques for Andromeda.

And I was mostly talking about facial animation too. It's a huge step up. Pleasantly surprised.

So hyped to see this game.

 

[Spring Drive]

Edit: misread the OP

 

[ROUGE_BLOCK]

How is the renegade being handled? Is it murdering puppies for 30 hours like ME3, or more like the previous installments where you're kind of a dick making the hard decisions no one else will.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

How is the renegade being handled? Is it murdering puppies for 30 hours like ME3, or more like the previous installments where you're kind of a dick making the hard decisions no one else will.

Nah, that's boring, I want to punch more people in the face and alienate my best friends.

EDIT: Also with this delayed, can we get that Remaster Trilogy for PS4/XB1 that totally isn't ever happening never ever ever this Fall? Thanks.

 

[Hyrule Warrior]

I wish I could care...I was someone who loved Mass Effect for a long time during last generation. Between Mass Effect 2 and 3, I would often say that it was my favorite new IP of that generation...after Mass Effect 3, I just don't give a shit anymore.

 

[anexanhume]

Yea they're specifically trying to address the repeating animations in the last trilogy. It's really to do with the limited memory of old gen. They've implemented a lot of new techniques for Andromeda.

And I was mostly talking about facial animation too. It's a huge step up. Pleasantly surprised.

 

[ROUGE_BLOCK]

Nah, that's boring, I want to punch more people in the face and alienate my best friends.

EDIT: Also with this delayed, can we get that Remaster Trilogy for PS4/XB1 that totally isn't ever happening never ever ever this Fall? Thanks.

I think if they were going to do it they would have done it by now so I don't see EA committing to that.

And no! No more killing teammates because "right trigger prompt". I'm all for punching reporters in the face though

 

[benzy]

Well, we haven't really seen legitimate Battlefield 1 gameplay yet so that's hard to say. I don't think it'll be comparable, DICE are masters at their own engine. It's a huge step up from DAI though, some things are comparable to Battlefront, and Bioware's implemented things in Frostbite 3 that even DICE hadn't yet, so they're no slouch in the technical department. The explorable spaces in Andromeda are massive so it's hard to compare directly to Battlefield.

Character models look incredible. Animations are a huge upgrade too.

Is there a day and night cycle in Andromeda?

 

[Nirolak]

Isn't Q1 2017 getting a little crowded due to delays? And especially with the NX launching March.

I think an argument for late January could be made if they want to give it some space.

To follow this up again, it's "Late Q4", which translate to late Q1 from a calendar perspective: http://files.shareholder.com/downlo...475-AF1D3A6E302A/Q4_FY16_Prepared_Remarks.pdf

Late in the fourth quarter, Mass Effect: Andromeda will bring an all-new story to the critically-acclaimed RPG series from BioWare.

 

[SliChillax]

Yea they're specifically trying to address the repeating animations in the last trilogy. It's really to do with the limited memory of old gen. They've implemented a lot of new techniques for Andromeda.

And I was mostly talking about facial animation too. It's a huge step up. Pleasantly surprised.

Maybe you have already answered this but how does the game compare to DA:I? Not in terms of graphics but in terms of how the game plays, how it's structured etc

 

[APZonerunner]

Hey, Shinobi, do you have any idea who's been tapped to do the score? I'm curious if they're going with the same set of guys from ME3, if they're at all likely to get back Jack Wall (who did 1/2 but was passed over for 3), etc.

 

[Nokterian]

More Freedom: One of our biggest ambitions is to give players an unprecedented level of freedom for a Mass Effect experience –where you’ll go, how you’ll get there, and how you’ll play.

Good this was really needed even in Mass Effect 1 i liked being on planets even if barren it was still fun to explore it.

 

[K.Jack]

CANT_WAIT.GIF

HYPERVENTILATE.GIF

 

[Lakitu]

Kind of expected really but the fall is going to be busy enough as it is, March 2017 makes much more sense. I just can't wait to see some gameplay of this. Still hoping for a Citadel like hub...

 

[Playsage]

Shinobi, stop! My hype is overflowing thanks to this informations!

Spoiler

GIVE US MORE!

 

[jdstorm]

Isn't Q1 2017 getting a little crowded due to delays? And especially with the NX launching March.

I think an argument for late January could be made if they want to give it some space.

Launch Title ??????

Spoiler

In My Dreams

 

[Strike]

Nothing new with the release date, but I'm looking forward to seeing this at E3.

 

[theWB27]

Mass effects ending wasn't enough to sour me on the franchise. It was a monumental experience playing through the trilogy last gen. Have no doubts this will be the same.

 

[papo]

This all reads like the kind of PR bs that will never be real. Over promising freedom only to be disappointing. At least when Molyneux did it, it was himself, not some generic PR guy.

As for the actual reveal I am pumped.

 

[MK_768]

Late Q1? So launch title for NX right?

Honestly, I'm excited. Mass Effect is one of my favorite series.

 

[Mindlog]

Like it was yesterday.

Give me ME3 multiplayer with more everything and I'll buy it just for that.

 

[chaislip3]

Well, we haven't really seen legitimate Battlefield 1 gameplay yet so that's hard to say. I don't think it'll be comparable, DICE are masters at their own engine. It's a huge step up from DAI though, some things are comparable to Battlefront, and Bioware's implemented things in Frostbite 3 that even DICE hadn't yet, so they're no slouch in the technical department. The explorable spaces in Andromeda are massive so it's hard to compare directly to Battlefield.

Character models look incredible. Animations are a huge upgrade too.

I want it now

 

[orthodoxy1095]

So what, that means four of our Top 10 Most Anticipated Games of 2016 won't make it in 2016?

Sheesh,

 

[shinobi602]

Maybe you have already answered this but how does the game compare to DA:I? Not in terms of graphics but in terms of how the game plays, how it's structured etc

Can't really comment on specifics but there are things that are similar to DAI but much more that's very different.

Hey, Shinobi, do you have any idea who's been tapped to do the score? I'm curious if they're going with the same set of guys from ME3, if they're at all likely to get back Jack Wall (who did 1/2 but was passed over for 3), etc.

No idea, but I will say the music was very reminiscent of the original Mass Effect. I immediately thought of ME1 when I heard it. So good.

In fact from everything I saw, all I could think of was "This is what Mass Effect 1 was envisioned to be."

 

[yanipheonu]

We've seen so little of this game, I'm not even entirely convinced it even exists yet. Hope we actually finally see something substantial.

 

[dancrane212]

More than fine, they're well on track from what I'm told. The game's playable from beginning to end. The delay is only by a few months for extra polish and there really hasn't been any management changes. Chris Wynn was a senior development director and not really in charge of creative ideas, and he was only on the team for about 18 months. Schlerf was lead writer and his role was pretty much done before he left. They've brought on some good talent in the meantime too, including from Naughty Dog.

Having seen a decent chunk of gameplay in action, I think people are going to love what they see. It looks fucking amazing.

Can't really comment on specifics but there are things that are similar to DAI but much more that's very different.


No idea, but I will say the music was very reminiscent of the original Mass Effect. I immediately thought of ME1 when I heard it. So good.

In fact from everything I saw, all I could think of was "This is what Mass Effect 1 was envisioned to be."

Got a funny feeling my usual Mass Effect blackout is going to be really hard to maintain this time around.