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The Mass Effect Community Thread

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Nokterian

Member
Loved the first one and second but i think they removed to mutch in the second. I like exploring on planets just like a real explorer wants to do. But 3 well after that i do not give it change anymore to me it killed the franchise because EA was rushing it.
 

Jay-T

Member
even though in 2007 when i first played ME1 i was a little disappointed that the game wasn't as awesome as KOTOR, ME1 is still one of the best games this generation, it's probably my favorite game this gen after NIER, and one of the games which i replayed 3 times, which is something i rarely do.

loved ME1, loved ME2 (also replayed 3 times), but really hated ME3, it was one of the biggest disappointments i had this gen, and i can't believe most people only complained about the ending, neglecting all the other problems the game had.

i hope ME4 is a return to awesomeness that is ME1 and ME2, but we'll see.
 
The next game should be a prequel in my opinion. They should stay away from humans. Fuck humans, we're boring. I hope they do something like the Rachni Wars or Krogan Rebellions. That would be much more interesting. But I know that's not going to happen. It's going to have humans and they will be the main focus.

At least give us the First Contact War or something. Hell, I'd be happy with it being set in no great conflict in particular, and focused more on exploration and the ME universe. Actually, that's exactly what they should do; have the new game based around exploration, the lore and the universe rather than some great conflict. No need for some overarching story, just give us mini stories (pretty much what ME2 was).

But in complete and all honesty, I don't have much hope left for the franchise (or Bioware).If DA3 turns out to be good, I may have hope for this series again.

EDIT: Also, they better keep the galaxy map music. It's a staple at this point.
 
I sort of miss the sense of discovery and mystery that was in the first game, but I certainly don't miss the overall jankiness of that game either. ME4 better have some polish. Mass Effect 2 had the best squadmates out of the series, so I hope the next game reaches that level of quality again. Basically, all I want is the overall design of ME1 married to the polished combat seen in Mass Effect 3, with the characters like those in ME2.

I'm not really sure if there's anything specific from ME1 you would want to take, other than that which is already in the rest of the series. Visual direction, maybe? You can take some of the ambitions but you have to completely reinvent them to make it work well. If "exploration" is taking the Mako onto ME1 planets again, I'm not interested. Huge empty environments with nearly nothing to do except drive to blips on your radar and look for Matriarch Writing #1 / 23. It's all extremely shallow and the levels themselves are terribad, mountains everywhere. I actually think the Hovertank from ME2 was a fuckin' boss, and I was disappointed that ME3 didn't use the Hammerhead in any capacity at all.

ME2's characters were the best because of the structure of the game allowing them to each have two missions focused specifically on them. The tangential nature of their recruitment and loyalty missions and their total length compared to the rest of the game meant it was like 60% character missions, 30% side quests, 10% main plot. This had no small part to play in why the overarching story is so weak in the second game. It's my overall favorite of the series, but it doesn't feel like a mainline entry when looked at it from a story perspective. I always liken it to a short story collection, or a season of a TV show where only 5/26 episodes are directly arc-related.

I would also like to take yet another opportunity to point out that part of why ME1 is so loved is because it was writing cheques that it didn't have to cash in until the later entries in the series. It's easy to place the blame on ME2 and ME3 for trivializing your choices, but the first game is equally at fault for promising the sky to begin with.


But I can comment on their visuals, right?

You have a 3 screenshot per game hard limit, do you hear me!?!
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
im cringing already at it taking place years after the trilogy and everyone talking about THE SHEPARD and you finding fucking statues or whatever

please none of that, or make it a one time thing

Yeah, but I'd rather take that than dwelling on the trilogy universe. The framework built up in ME/ME2/ME3 has been dismantled. All plot threads have either met a conclusion (satisfyingly or not), or cast aside as scrap. Anything they do will be restricted to known canon limitations, or run the risk of bastardising an already bastardised canon (see: Evolution).

I'll take the wankery of The Shepard if it means they've got a clean template to work with in telling a new story. New factions, new politics, new alliances, new characters, and new goals. And best of all no restrictions in what stories they can tell.

It's like when people gush over the Citadel and how awesome it would be to go back. I too would like C-Sec investigations...as a game I know BioWare will never make. Otherwise the Citadel blew its load to a satisfying conclusion in the first game and is now a boring shit heap. Anywhere else can look just as pretty, if not more so. New places, please, not retreading Mass Effect fan favourites.
 
I want a fuckton of squad mates to choose from next game, each with their own stories and unique abilities. One of my favorite aspects of ME2 was the amount of different teammates you had. I was so disappointed when playing ME3 that they shrunk that number down so much (6/7 in 3 compared to 10/12 in 2)
 

Salsa

Member
Yeah, but I'd rather take that than dwelling on the trilogy universe. The framework built up in ME/ME2/ME3 has been dismantled. All plot threads have either met a conclusion (satisfyingly or not), or cast aside as scrap. Anything they do will be restricted to known canon limitations, or run the risk of bastardising an already bastardised canon (see: Evolution).

I'll take the wankery of The Shepard if it means they've got a clean template to work with in telling a new story. New factions, new politics, new alliances, new characters, and new goals. And best of all no restrictions in what stories they can tell.

It's like when people gush over the Citadel and how awesome it would be to go back. I too would like C-Sec investigations...as a game I know BioWare will never make. Otherwise the Citadel blew its load to a satisfying conclusion in the first game and is now a boring shit heap. Anywhere else can look just as pretty, if not more so. New places, please, not retreading Mass Effect fan favourites.

I agree, but at the same time I kinda don't trust them on being able to keep the shepard as a small part of the game. I bet if it happens it'll be an integral part of the plot, or mentioned to hell and back. And you finding kids of ME's characters or something just for the sake of making people go "oh cool I get this reference!" without any other meaningful reason.

I'd like to believe im wrong but I really dont think they'll go as clean slate as i'd like. As much as I hate 3 i'll definetly give them a chance with whatever the announcement/first footage is.
 

Vashetti

Banned
All I want is Liara to be in the next game. Asari live for a stupidly long time so it's not beyond the realms of possibility.

They really did write themselves into a corner with the Reapers though.

Assuming the new ME follows on from ME3, what about those players whose galaxies were doomed?

Will Bioware be forced to choose an ending as canon (Destroy!) and write the others off as 'what-ifs'?
 

Ovek

7Member7
Ohh I just had an awful thought.... You could play as Liara's and Sheapard's kid, remember the bonding bit at the end of 3. You all know bioware could do it.
 
Maybe a bone for the Halo Wars fans by giving us the First Contact War or Krogan Rebellions as an RTS in the vein of FTL, Legend of Galactic Heroes, or Alpha Centauri
 
Ohh I just had an awful thought.... You could play as Liara's and Sheapard's kid, remember the bonding bit at the end of 3. You all know bioware could do it.

Wont that kid have to be an Asari?
Oh God, please no.

I will LOL if you play ol' grampa's grandkid in ME4 when he told him about the Sheperd at the end of the game..
 
Possibly my favourite new IP this gen. I hope they bring back the Mako exploration segments from ME1, with refinement, they would have easily bested the mining segments from the sequels. I still remember the 1st time a Thresher Maw jumped out at me! The ambience of roaming on some of those planets, coupled with an impressive skybox and soundtrack, were highlights of the series for me.

The mission structure in ME1 was the best for me as well. You couldn't always tell that a battle was going to occur, as you could in the sequels. Plus the way they mixed it up with Mako segments (the drive to the labs on Noveria was beautiful) wasn't really matched, until the chase segment in TLoTSB DLC for me.

They should also bring back Jack Wall for the soundtrack. I'm aware that Clint Mansell did the Requiem for a Dream OST and harbours a lot of goodwill from his Pop Will Eat Itself days, but he bought nothing to the table in ME3 for me. He certainly never composed anything as iconic as the series theme, last mission in ME1 and the Suicide Mission track from ME2.
 
I'm just still pissed at the way they ended 3, if I ever got into the next game I would be worried. What if they shit the bed again? I don't want to get invested in a new series and have it happen again.
 

sono

Member
Cannot wait for ME4. I have just completed playing the entire triology end to end in order on the PS3 over the last few months. Truly some of my best gaming experiences ever (amongst some frustrating deaths..)

I also want a side game where you play the shuttle pilot in ME3 and develop his relationships and character in that role.
 
I want story set after trilogy, and playable alien races (seeing ME3 multiplayer made them playable).

More RPG elements, no fucking kai leng/diana allers shit

Perhaps some party of explorers flew through the omega 4 relay and borked up in a galaxy far far away..
 

Hindle

Banned
For me to be interested in this series again, they need to broaden the RPG aspects. I've no time for just another shooter.
 

Simzyy

Member
Mass Effect 2 was the best of the trilogy. Sure 1 was a better RPG, but man 2 was just perfect. My most replayed game probably ever.

For the future I hope they go with a sequel and not a prequel. Not at all interested in playing through the first contact war or the krogan rebellions. Too much that is set in stone and there would be a huge lack of mystery which is one of the series strong points.

So for ME4, I don't mind how far in the future they need to set it to avoid the endings from 3 as long as it is a sequel.

Also I want to be a space pirate.
 
Playing ME1 for a second time after finishing the trilogy is pretty tough, i'm changing my class, going from paragon to rogue and even switched my shepards gender. Problem is, takes forever to get quests done. And all I want is the reward of nobody dying and having a party at my house in the citadel :(
 

prag16

Banned
dont think i've ever been as excited for the potential future of a new IP as I was after I played the first Mass Effect

then 2 and 3 happened

fool me once..

if Bioware doesn't want to make Mass Effect RPGs anymore, can they please hire someone who does? because I fucking loved Mass Effect 1.

great moment: landing on the moon in ME1. great skybox.

also Virmire probably tops my favorite levels/sections of all games this gen. great great section, rivaled only by the endgame. shame about the rest of the series eh?
Did you guys read the OP?
 

Darklord

Banned
- Set in the next-generation. 80 years or so after the Reaper attack.

- New races how shown up over that time and significant changes to some other races have occurred after being devastated by the war.

- Don't make it a trilogy, make the main character the universe.

- No Reapers.

- Let us explore the galaxy more. Full open world(galaxy?) with lots of side things to do.

- Let us be able to command our ship.
 

KKRT00

Member
Best IP and series of this generation, cant wait for new one on Frostbite 3 and new Mako :) Planet exploration is a must for this series.
 

Jamie OD

Member
Bought the trilogy in March and am currently playing through 3. Loved 1 and 2 but I wasn't really into the game turning more and more into a 1st person shooter (at least that's how it felt to me when I played through it). However I favour 2 slightly more than 1 because I enjoyed the mission layout and the crew. Kind of wish I didn't play through 2 so fast (completed most of it in a weekend) as I was enjoying the loyalty missions for each crew member but felt burned out by the end.

Struggling to keep my interest with 3 though. The sights of the world being attacked in the background is impressive but the whole "universe is ending" elements become a buzzkill. I hope the next series of games avoid having your character become the Chosen One whose Destiny is to save or destroy Life, The Universe and Everything. I'm fine with saving planets and galaxies but what's happening in 3 is a bit too much for me.

Anyway, even if I end up being disappointed with 3 the series is one of my highlights of the generation.
 
Here's what I want to see: It's 5 years before Mass Effect 1. Garrus and his partner (you) are working cases on the citadel. Investigating hanhar crimes and beating down bad dudes. It's the renegade buddy cop Mass Effect everyone really wanted with none of the reaper bullshit that ruined everything.
 
There is a distinct lack of femshep in the op I am disappoint (but then thinking about it default femshep for ME 3 was nothing short of a ginger cheerleader).

op said:
Also, are you hyped as fuck for next-gen Mass Effect?

After 1000 hours in ME 1, nearly 900 hours in ME 2 and 24 hours in ME 3. I can honestly say NOPE I am not hyped as fuck for next gen ME.

For me everything that made Mass Effect is being ditched from what I hear. There will be no Shepard and most of the characters we know and love will not be present.

Now couple that with the fact I have zero faith in them producing something with any payoff (maybe the end will be C,Y,A or N this time). For me Mass Effect is over and if they do a shitty prequel it will be over for a hell of a lot more people too.

They also said the ending to 3 wouldn't be A,B,C or D choices and look how that turned out.

Well technically they didn't lie, it was most definitely not A, B, C or D it was R,G,B ;p
 

JimmyRustler

Gold Member
I don't really care where they set the sequel, I just want planet exloration back...:(

I still can't believe they dropped this aspect in 2 instead of improving it... For a space freak ME1 was a dram come true but the copy and paste dungeons where just lazy. still loved it and therefore want it back.
 

AJ_Wings

Member
What I would definitely like from the next Mass Effect:

- Ditch the original trilogy's canon and start fresh. At the end of ME3, lore and plot threads have been completely mangled beyond repair. I would like Bioware to keep the Alien races and some of the original conflicts between them but spice them up a little or approach them from a different perspective (I would really like if they don't re-introduce the genophage in some form because I thought that was one of the few stories that have been resolved in a satisfying way) . Introduction of new alien races would be incredibly welcome.

- I would like the next game to focus on one solar system instead of an entire galaxy. I think this would help focus the story much more if it took place in several fewer but varied locations. The game should also be more personal with decisions that can affect both foe and friend instead of entire races for some arbitrary reason. Decisions that can affect faction affiliation on the other hand would be much more interesting. I would like if the structure was close to ME2's minus the atrocious main plot. A bit of non-linearity in the main plot would also be much appreciated.

- Bring back hacking skills and put more focus into mechanics and activities that don't necessarily involve combat. A significant reduction of combat encounters would also be much more appreciated since dialogue sections are my favorite in the trilogy.

- Last but not least, No Reapers and Cerberus.
 

Kadayi

Banned
Now couple that with the fact I have zero faith in them producing something with any payoff (maybe the end will be C,Y,A or N this time). For me Mass Effect is over and if they do a shitty prequel it will be over for a hell of a lot more people too.

Surely C, M, Y, K ?

Albeit I enjoyed the series largely up until that abortion of an ending, I kind of think in large part they've played out the possibility space of the setting. Especially if you played Shepard as space Jesus and fixed all the galaxies wrongs.

A lot of the world building of the series was in defined by the restrictions of what could be achieved by the technology at the time of its conception (the 360s hardware) and in a lot of ways carrying those world building constraints through onto next gen hardware is counter productive.

Personally I'm interested to see what they do, but at the same time I'd also rather they just develop a new IP instead that really leverages all the strengths of next gen technology in terms of bringing more complexity and granularity to the world building beyond simply using a shinier game engine. Going down the same route as before might lead to a rather staid experience.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
The worst part is that had they not gone with the whole starchild control/destroyeverything/synthesis ending they would have set up excellent framework for the rest of the series, even if more or less everything in Mass Effect 3 proceeded as it did.

By ending Mass Effect 3 with a simple resource intensive galactic battle, you'd have an interesting universe state to follow on. Think post WW1/WW2 (especially the latter). The Reapers gone, and now every species playing clean-up. The war doesn't end with the Reapers, as you're then tasked with rebuilding, resources, refugees, food, diplomacy, and so on.

It would also be an interesting narrative premise that avoids the "other big bad guy" trope so much fictional literature succumbs to. No "bigger threat" to the Reapers, but now having to deal with each other.

They could still do this if they pick an ending, or make up a middle ground, and go with it. But I don't think they will.
 
Just from glancing on my phone I can already tell I love this thread, can't wait to give it a proper read later today.

Nice work, Shinobi!
 
Alongside Metal Gear Solid, my favorite game series of all time.

Played all three games numerous times, 100%ed Mass Effect 2 & 3 on the 360, love the games to death. Was disappointed by the ME3 ending, after a while I let it go.

Really looking forward to the new game.
 

Omerta

Member
I played these games on ps3 and accordingly, all I want from the next iteration is for me to not have to wait ten minutes while the thing loads the next floor of the ship.

I loved these games, by the way ;)
 
Mass Effect 4 Wish list.

Smaller Ship (Think Ebon Hawk/Millennium Falcon or Serenity)
25+ Recruit-able crew members but onlya max of 7 per play through
Enhanced weapon and armor customization building on ME3
Playable Alien species
New Aliens (set it long after ME3 have some races return like the Asari and Krogan but bring the Yagh into the fold and maybe have the Protheans return because the Salariens did magic science to clone them)
Move outside "known" space, If it's the start of a trilogy it could be done really well, ME4 updates players on the state of the universe (due to the leap forward in time from ME3) ME5 casts the player out into unknown space and the game can function like Star Trek Voyager in a way with the player coming across very little familiar to fans of the series ME6 returns the player to familiar space but now the player must work to stop the impending threat they discovered coming for them in ME5.
 

Data West

coaches in the WNBA
Give me Mass Effect Origins

so like you pick your race like in Dragon Age then you pick a Origin. Like I'd be Salarian then I choose either scientist or salarian special forces or something.
 

Nethaniah

Member
Here's +1 for more Mass Effect.....1, i liked the rest of it quite alot but that first game man.

Favourite moment: the conversation you have with Sovereign, nothing else in the series comes close to that imo.

Few points.

1.A button for all mechanics, the spacebar does everything in the 2 later games drove me up the wall. (sure this was partially fixable in 3 but did not work for the MP and could get you banned)
2.Another simple thing, higher FoV 3 especially is unplayable vanilla, the guy that had the decision over it said a higher FoV didn't look good, wonder how he felt after all the fixes for it making the game look better than it ever did in his hands.
3.Planet exploring, ofcourse no more boring landscapes like in ME1 but damnit improve on that concept.
4.Drivable vehicles that don't suck (mako/that tissue paper hovercraft thing in 2)
5.Better voice-acting, never in the entire series did i feel like i experienced an actual conversation due to the VO not sounding convincing and having a complete lack of any real emotion (shepard especially).
6.Main character is devoid of all emotion / has no real personality even during the choices you make, this to me shows that Bioware never should have left the mute character concept behind, it might have benefited this game alot.

Overal though i wish that if they are gonna do another trilogy i would like them to first think of all the key points that just have to happen one way or another, imo they just made it up as they went along in the first 3 games despite them saying otherwise.

Still, lots of good stuff in this series off-set by some simple stuff that can be fixed, let's hope they do so.
 

nacimento

Member
Amazing trilogy, the best I've ever played. I played the second first and it stayed my favorite, even after playing through them in order.
I agree with almost everybody that a prequel would suck, though. I'd also like a little less saving the universe and more playing with polical frictions and skirmishes between the universe's species.
 

Brannon

Member
I want C-Sec shenanigans. Most likely in the period during the rise and fall of Harkin. There could be some off-Citadel action, too, but that place is hella huge and we haven't seen the other four arms, or even most of the ONE arm we're usually on.
 

Bisnic

Really Really Exciting Member!
Currently replaying ME1 with high res mods. Looks great(no more pixelated cloths on npcs lol). Sucks how the game takes like 5-6 mins to launch with Texmod. Not to mention all the UI glitches, is that normal with Texmod?

Love the soundtrack of ME1, hated how little of the soundtrack of ME2 and ME3 has that synth style of music.

Pleeeease Bioware, if you're watching, give the next ME game a soundtrack similar to ME1. You had something good in ME3 with Mars, but multiply this by 100x! It makes a soundtrack much more memorable than orchestrated or "hollywood" stuff.


Oh yeah, i want exploration that feels similar to ME1, without the copy & paste buildings and planets being all barren. And a vehicule that is easier to control, i'm sure you can do it Bioware... Driving around a planet with a wonderful skybox that has a giant blue sun and that synth music in the background... there is nothing like this.
 

Nethaniah

Member
Currently replaying ME1 with high res mods. Looks great(no more pixelated cloths on npcs lol). Sucks how the game takes like 5-6 mins to launch with Texmod. Not to mention all the UI glitches, is that normal with Texmod?

http://sourceforge.net/projects/me3explorer/ This should work for all Mass Effect games (though i'm not sure how far the development is) i have not personally tried it myself but i've heard good things, it should have none of the issues that Textmod has.
 

Nethaniah

Member
I had more issues with the technical flaws of 3 as opposed to 2, weird ass animations / lip-syncing being completely fucked / graphics somehow being worse? It was all pretty weird, the game seemed rushed.
 

Blinck

Member
What I really want is more planet exploration and decent side-quests.

Seriously, Mass Effect 3 has the shittiest side-quests of any game I have ever played.
 
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