Mass Effect 3 Discussion Thread

wasn't going to play me3coop last night, played two plats and extracted, finally get an UR upgrade
Harrier 6

damn you game, keep me coming back
 
Another good "look back" blog post. I'd really like it if they started to share more about the development of the game and dlc. For instance, I'd love to hear the initial thoughts regardi g the multi. I wonder how it evolved.
 
Just wanted to say from that article, dat ship!
normandy_promo_small-1024x576.jpg
 
[quote name='theredworm']http://blog.bioware.com/2013/04/10/mass-effect-3-multiplayer-map-survey/

they are doing a survey about multiplayer maps if you have a few minutes to fill it out[/QUOTE]

On it! Hahaha I got London and Vancouver mixed up, wow. Both I didn't necessarily like either.

Mmmm, hard to pick my favorite map but I eventually went down to Jade. We needed more maps with a Salarian world setting and I loved the height variety on that map.
 
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[quote name='Spybreak8']Well ex co-founder Greg disputes the perception of EA. I'd have to say he probably wouldn't talk about the publisher forcing them to release the game and thus rushing finalizing the product, as it initially just seemed rushed imo. Looking forward to what they can do with the resources that they have now for ME4.[/QUOTE]

Right now I'm just more excited to see a ME universe game on the Frostbite (3.0?) engine (and dragon age for that matter). I'm highly cautious about any new story direction.
 
[quote name='Anexanhume']Right now I'm just more excited to see a ME universe game on the Frostbite (3.0?) engine (and dragon age for that matter). I'm highly cautious about any new story direction.[/QUOTE]

ME4, ME universe game yes that's what I meant.
 
[quote name='Spybreak8']Well ex co-founder Greg disputes the perception of EA. I'd have to say he probably wouldn't talk about the publisher forcing them to release the game and thus rushing finalizing the product, as it initially just seemed rushed imo. Looking forward to what they can do with the resources that they have now for ME4.[/QUOTE]

Because if he said something bad about EA, it could come back and bite him (or the rest at BioWare) in the ass. I'm still surprised how many people people bash Activision for releasing CoD year after year, when EA gets a free pass for Madden, Tiger Woods, and just about every other stupid move they've done. "Worst Company of the Year"? More like "Worst Company of the Decade".

And yes, I'm cautiously optimistic about what happens next in the ME universe. I'm just worried what EA will do to the final product.
 
There's a good article in the latest issue of OXM (June 2013) that has the series main contributors providing insight into the series. It includes Casey Hudson, Preston Watamaniuk, Mac Walters and more. Nothing earth shattering, but it's interesting to hear their thoughts on character deaths, why we didn't have an elcor squadmate, etc.



Plus.....I hated seeing our beloved thread so far down on the page. Just being honest. ;)
 
Thanks Chubbs, I might check out the digital version of that, just got a Android tablet.

Yeah haha Minecraft does that to you, aside from Pinball FX 2.
 
Ok, so I think I know the answer already but I would like confirmation

I got the digital deluxe version of ME2 on PC, then later got the vanilla version on Xbox as well. Since BSN kept track of your in game content, I was able to use the bonuses (collector armor & incisor) on both versions.

When I got ME3 I got the vanilla Xbox version, and after seeing how good the N7 weapons are in MP I'm kicking myself. I see this week on GMG the digital deluxe version of ME3 for PC is $12.

So my question is does it work the same way? If I bought it on PC would I be able to use the bonuses on the Xbox version? Or did they change it when they made it activate on Origin. Thanks.
 
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I'd save the money. The N7 weapons aren't that great in singleplayer. You get better weapons as the story goes on. Or, if you really want good weapons, buy one of the weapon packs. Some good weapons in those and cheaper.
 
I'm not only interested in the weapons. I like having the games on both platforms, plus am interested in the comic, soundtrack, etc that comes with it. I was just wondering if it was even possible to share the weapons across platforms like it was with the second.
 
I'll put it this way, from playing the previous games multiple times, I only have two profiles (Manshep, FemShep respectively) for ME3. Maybe a little bit distracted by the multiplayer but I tend to feel that relates to the ending.

And that coffee metaphor doesn't work.

Ahh damn it I just deleted my Mass Effect game installs lol.

A commenter of that article posted a link to this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=OZoXla3QVTA

Damn it, I'm at work, and in an office full of DUST! God, if they only did something as powerful as that initially... fuck that's epic.
 
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man, did those Garrus Play Arts figures go out of print or something? They disappeared from ThinkGeek and the Bioware Store, and 3rd party sellers on Amazon are selling about $10 over the original retail. Guess I should have bought one already...
 
[quote name='shrike4242']Good article. Very much worth the read for the usual suspects in here.

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2013/05/the-simple-lesson-i-learned-from-369-hours-of-mass-effect/

EDIT: Reading through the comments is also recommended, mainly so that people can see how opposite in position some of the ME players can be to the article's author.[/QUOTE]

Great article. I liked this part in particular as it sums up my feelings on the debate over the endings very well: "Articles discussing the ending of the game draw commenters who say that the ending destroyed the entire experience of the game and ruined everything and also killed their dog. But I would argue that no ending can invalidate the rest of the game or take away the incredible experience of playing the series."
 
That pretty much sums up the ending debate, Sim. It gets real old every time there is a bioware news story or biowarestore product post on Facebook and without variance, 3/4 of the posts are whining about "I ain't buying shit til they fix the ending!" It's so over already.
 
Umm... Chubby, look away lol.
biowarepistolme3.jpg

BioWare has just revealed this snazzy real-life replica version of Mass Effect 3's M-77 Paladin pistol, available for pre-order today. The weapon weighs 7 pounds, is hand-finished and hand-painted, and is one of a set of only 200 made by collectible firm Triforce.

Buying one for yourself will run you a total of $400: You'll need to put down $200 now to reserve your own fake space gun, and then another $200 when it's ready to go, which is expected to be later this year. That's not cheap, but then again nobody said fighting off the Reaper Invasion would be.
Click to expand...

Does it go PEW PEW!?
 
[quote name='chubbyninja1319']It's so over already.[/QUOTE]

I know man. It's like, people genuinely didn't like the ending and they have the right to express that, but... the game's been out for over a year. At some point, maybe it's time to move on, stop obsessing about something that makes you angry, and leave the franchise to the people who still like it.
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']I know man. It's like, people genuinely didn't like the ending and they have the right to express that, but... the game's been out for over a year. At some point, maybe it's time to move on, stop obsessing about something that makes you angry, and leave the franchise to the people who still like it.[/QUOTE]

I think of it this way: I didn't particularly like the ME3 ending (I liked his idea about the catalyst being Kaiden or Ash though), but when I think about the next ME game, my thoughts immediately jump to wondering whether it will live up to the previous games, missing the characters I love and know, and sadness about Shepard not being the protagonist. I think that's a pretty good sign the overall damage to my impression was minor.
 
[quote name='Anexanhume']I think of it this way: I didn't particularly like the ME3 ending (I liked his idea about the catalyst being Kaiden or Ash though), ...[/QUOTE]

Yes that would have been a lot better and would have been people talking about the ending with Contact instead of the Matrix. In Contact her father was chosen as the avatar to communicate with her so I think Shepard could have been given the visual of either Kaiden or Ashley - which ever character they could not spare from their past. Might have been something implemented if they had more time.
 
I also really like the idea of using Kaidan or Ashley as the Catalyst's appearance. I would be willing to bet that the idea was considered, but they decided to go for something that was self-contained in ME3 rather than something that would rely entirely on the player's memories of ME1.
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']I also really like the idea of using Kaidan or Ashley as the Catalyst's appearance. I would be willing to bet that the idea was considered, but they decided to go for something that was self-contained in ME3 rather than something that would rely entirely on the player's memories of ME1.[/QUOTE]It's not like that the choice from ME1 hasn't been covered in the Genesis comic, the Genesis 2 comic or the other "you didn't play ME1, so let's pre-pick your choices" options you've had.
 
I mean in the sense that someone new to the series with ME3 or even coming in from ME2 without having played 1 would likely have no emotional attachment to Ashley/Kaidan whatsoever. Not that the random kid turned out any better...
 
[quote name='Ryuukishi']I mean in the sense that someone new to the series with ME3 or even coming in from ME2 without having played 1 would likely have no emotional attachment to Ashley/Kaidan whatsoever. Not that the random kid turned out any better...[/QUOTE]In that case, yes, I see where that wouldn't have the weight for someone you didn't know in any fashion.

I guess it would have made sense somewhere to check for a ME1 save and if it's there, use the Ashley/Kaiden construct in place of the space kid. It's not like the character models for both Ashley and Kaiden weren't already in ME3 to begin with.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']In that case, yes, I see where that wouldn't have the weight for someone you didn't know in any fashion.

I guess it would have made sense somewhere to check for a ME1 save and if it's there, use the Ashley/Kaiden construct in place of the space kid. It's not like the character models for both Ashley and Kaiden weren't already in ME3 to begin with.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, it would have been an added bonus that made ME1 supporters feel appreciated.

I still wish there had been a Hyperion like situation where Shepard realized it was impossible to beat the reapers if the relays still existed and he made the decision to blow them and fight the reapers through a war of attrition all by himself. Would have been a heavy choice.
 
[quote name='shrike4242']In that case, yes, I see where that wouldn't have the weight for someone you didn't know in any fashion.

I guess it would have made sense somewhere to check for a ME1 save and if it's there, use the Ashley/Kaiden construct in place of the space kid. It's not like the character models for both Ashley and Kaiden weren't already in ME3 to begin with.[/QUOTE]

Mmm, good point.
 
Bioware have been discussing what’s next for the Mass Effect series. Not in a “this is what’s happening” kind of way. More, “wouldn’t it be good if we did something like this, NOT THAT WE ARE.” Speaking to OXM, the Mass Effect development team talked – in the vaguest, most theoretical terms – about the possibility of a spin-off starring one of the characters or locations made famous by the series.

“There’s so much that could be told in the Mass Effect universe,” said director Casey Hudson. “It’d be cool to do something completely unrelated to the larger storyline, like a story about a private investigator on the Citadel. Or maybe something detailing Garrus’ time in C-Sec.”

Or, combine the two! Garrus hires a PI after finding one of his guns had been calibrated by another officer. Classic noir.

Other suggestions included a game centred around Krogan melee combat, and a story involving Javik, Prothean star of the From Ashes DLC pack. Less specifically, developer Mac Walters noted the breadth of possible stories in this context: “Aria. The Illusive Man. Kai Leng. Any henchman. The list goes on. I think most of them could have successful spin-offs of their own in some fashion.”

As great as the epic, sweeping plots of the Mass Effects have been, there’s clearly enough depth in the universe to support a more focused spin-off. And approaching the series from this oblique angle would be a welcome respite between all-out Save The Universe heroics.

In which case, I’ll just leave this idea for a Thane prequel spin-off here:

Hitman: Blood Money IN SPACE.

That one’s a freebie, BioWare.
Click to expand...
I'd love to see the pile of aborted prototypes at the Bioware office.

Call me crazy but the best thing about the, before they screwed it all up Call of Duty, Modern Warfare was the multiple character storylines approach. Now if they did that where you could play as Asari with heavily forced biotic gameplay, Krogan with heavily forced melee and brute force gameplay, and Salarian heavily focused stealth gameplay I'd be all over that shit (each Species correlating with respected Faction Group, ie Salarian - STG)!
 
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I'm not enthused about fighting conflicts we already know the outcomes of. If you spin-off, it has to have a sense of discovery, not just with characters but the universe's lore. It'd be hard to answer a current question (like, what's up with the Keepers) without somehow also hiding that knowledge from the current/future trilogy.

A prequel would need to be exceptionally clever in order to give a personal story the same weight as the galaxy-saving one. Something like Baldur's Gate 1
(stopping a conspiracy to overthrow a single city's government, while revealing the bhaalspawn plot)
was well done in scale and urgency.

But really, what I'd like to see?
Indoctrination Theory - Finish the fight. As one last ME3 DLC. Because every other Bioware game ever* has had a "Twist". And lots of other debatable reasons.

*
Ok, maybe not Shattered Steel? And I haven't had a chance to beat DA2 yet.
 
[quote name='Spybreak8']I'd love to see the pile of aborted prototypes at the Bioware office.

Call me crazy but the best thing about the, before they screwed it all up Call of Duty, Modern Warfare was the multiple character storylines approach. Now if they did that where you could play as Asari with heavily forced biotic gameplay, Krogan with heavily forced melee and brute force gameplay, and Salarian heavily focused stealth gameplay I'd be all over that shit (each Species correlating with respected Faction Group, ie Salarian - STG)![/QUOTE]

All those spin-offs they're talking about sound like action or FPS games, not RPGs. Bioware's RPG style lends itself to grand stories - see lackluster response to DA2.

My take? Retcon ME3 ending. Shepard is alive. Reapers are still in other galaxies. Whole new set of aliens and locations to explore. Everybody wins :lol:
 
Oh come on, let Shepard go. This is the time to be an alien as the human story side of things were Mass Effect 1-3 and Shepard's story is over. From playing the different aliens in the multiplayer of Mass Effect 3 I'm salivating just thinking about visiting more exotic worlds as a non-human species. They could really get in deep here, they've created a lot of backstory in the codec to pull from.
 
[quote name='Spybreak8']Oh come on, let Shepard go. This is the time to be an alien as the human story side of things were Mass Effect 1-3 and Shepard's story is over. From playing the different aliens in the multiplayer of Mass Effect 3 I'm salivating just thinking about visiting more exotic worlds as a non-human species. They could really get in deep here, they've created a lot of backstory in the codec to pull from.[/QUOTE]

Ha, I was (half) kidding :D People are so polarized about the shep.

I was serious about the RPG and scale comments though.
 
[quote name='Spybreak8']Oh come on, let Shepard go. This is the time to be an alien as the human story side of things were Mass Effect 1-3 and Shepard's story is over. From playing the different aliens in the multiplayer of Mass Effect 3 I'm salivating just thinking about visiting more exotic worlds as a non-human species. They could really get in deep here, they've created a lot of backstory in the codec to pull from.[/QUOTE]

I actually don't have a great attachment to Shepard or much of the supporting cast. They supported the galaxy spanning and saving tale of
Star Trek meets Cthulhu
. If you remove part of that equation, it isn't the same universe. It'll take some solid writing chops to fill that kind of a void, if you can't just work with the "save the galaxy" from
giant squids from a dark dimension, worshiped by cultists and those they drive insane, that harvest all sentient life to ascend it
premise anymore.

My problem with the ending of ME3 was actually that
Shepard Lives
, which made no sense. I literally jumped up, said "What the Shaqfu?!", and went over to the guide book (which I hadn't opened and was saving for a 2nd playthrough). It confirmed it in big bold text. Until then,
things felt off, but I had been going along with it.

Something was going on... and given the narrative arc of the previous titles individually, the series on a whole, and past Bioware traditions, it seems the most logical. Certainly not definitive, but the largest body of evidence and coincidence that I've found.
 
I'd prefer something post-ME3 events. It'd be swell if they tied up the loose ends. It's really hard to think about a game taking place even 500 years in the future without addressing the outcome of ME3 but I can see Bioware writing their way around it to avoid addressing it.

Regardless, I'd also like to see the stakes lowered. I think the best moments in ME were more contained than events that tied more heavily into the fight against the Reapers. A scale more along the lines of the team assembly from ME2. Or maybe trying to prevent war.
 
[quote name='ArmyOfFun']I'd prefer something post-ME3 events. It'd be swell if they tied up the loose ends. It's really hard to think about a game taking place even 500 years in the future without addressing the outcome of ME3 but I can see Bioware writing their way around it to avoid addressing it.

Regardless, I'd also like to see the stakes lowered. I think the best moments in ME were more contained than events that tied more heavily into the fight against the Reapers. A scale more along the lines of the team assembly from ME2. Or maybe trying to prevent war.[/QUOTE]

Those are my feelings as well. A prequel might be fun but I am a lot more interested in what's next for the races and societies of the ME universe. I can see BioWare making the Destroy ending canon (because it alters the status quo the least) and jumping forward a few hundred years or so-- enough to allow some time to rebuild the galaxy and get some distance from the Reaper conflict, but not so much that things are unrecognizable as the ME universe from the first three games. (Liara and Wrex could even take part in the story since they'd likely still be alive.)

And yes, the stakes need to be lowered. Not much you can do to top an enemy that has exterminated all advanced life in the galaxy thousands of times. Maybe this time they can just save one planet. IMO the game with the best storytelling in the series is ME2, and it's not a coincidence that that's the game that has the least to do with the Reaper conflict directly and is a lot more about the characters, societies, and factions that make up the ME lore.
 
I would be totally down for a prequel that highlights the STG. Make it similar to Star Wars Republic Commando (an underrated game IMO) where you play as an STG alongside Kirrahe, Mordin, Padok, etc. you could encounter young Garrus, Wrex, Anderson, Saren, and more. Lots of great potential there.
 
I'd play that and the reference to SW republic commando is a great one. A very underrated game and that model would work well with STG stories.
 
Here's my idea for ME4. $It's set x00 years in the future after the conclusion of ME3. $Only Liara and maybe Grunt are still alive, due to their species long life span. $The Normandy is an antique in a war museum on Earth. $Civilization rebuilt and has carried on from the events of the Reaper threat. $Shepard is remembered as a hero, a bloody icon. $Not only for humans, but for all species. $A statue dedicated to him (yes him!) has been erected on the Citadel, which has been rebuilt and expanded upon with satellite installations.

Life is good for the galaxy until the Leviathan emerge. $Now feeling safe from the Reapers, they have built up their numbers and want to retake their spot as the dominant sentience in the galaxy. $The are prepared to do so using the tactics they employed before. $Namely, mind control and brute force when necessary. $They've already taken over the Yahg species and are apparently looking for species similarly closed off from the galactic community or haven't developed to that level yet (new critters!).

In order to combat this threat, the galaxy must reassemble and it is determined that large scale AI is needed to fend the Leviathan off. $We need to build Reapers. $The quarians and salarians are the only races with the scientific and technological capability to construct such a thing. $Yet, the quarians refuse, having learned the error of their ways. $A small, but diverse, team of ambassadors are deployed to the Quarians to convince them to cooperate. $That's when the Leviathan strike.


ME3 spoilers ahead, so beware!

Okay, so obviously, I haven't touched on the geth. $I could accept a 'canon' ending being chosen for me (I'd prefer destroy) or maybe my story could work carrying over your decision from ME3. $I think just about everything could be easily worked into the story. $If you chose control, by that time the remaining Reapers would have pulled back into deep space (maybe the goal is to get word to the reapers to come help!), If you chose destory they're now gone and Shepard would have died due to the Human's short life span or died on the citadel at the end of ME3. $If you carry over a save and chose green/assimilate, maybe you get an extra mission with the Geth and everyone has that faint green techno dna glow thing going on. $All three endings can be covered with relative ease from a story perspective.

In order to get back to the RPG roots, you could have a dragon age origins like option to select your character. $You could choose the Human diplomat (a descendant of a Normandy crew member maybe? $James Vega's grandson/daughter maybe?) driven into battle when the leviathan strike, or the reluctant Quarian chief engineer that makes a difficult decision that puts him/her at odds with his people when the leviathan attack, or how about the plucky, brash young Asari who is accompanying her matriarch, who is killed, when the leviathan attack? $You could have 3 to 6 different species to choose from and then the story moves forward and you pick up a new crew and operate out of one of the new, top secret Destiny Ascension like Citadel installations as your home base. $You have a cutting edge space fighter to use in space battle (yes! $space battles that you command!), but it's different than the Normandy in that the new ship is small, like an X-wing.

So, it does mimic the original ME games in a way with the "big threat, need to fight them off with an alliance of diverse species", but you're going in hardened and the galaxy is less naive. $The Leviathan race is acknowledged (because Shepard told Liara all about it, of course, who shared the info with the galaxy's academic and military community) yet there are still a lot of unknowns. $To me, this does four things 1) it moves the story forward but doesn't bring anybody back from the dead 2) it moves it away from Shepard, the Normandy and the Reapers 3) yet, it is familiar enough to make you feel comfortable and 4) leans the RPG/Shooter angle of the ME games back to the RPG side a bit yet introduces fresh and exciting things like space battles that you command.

What do you think? $Anybody from Bioware trolling the CAG forums that want to swipe my idea?? $:p $
 
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