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[Gestahl]

This is likely a side effect of the ending being different from what was originally planned.


However, us developing along the path that the Reapers desire is still somewhat useful to them. If I lock you in a room with 12 doors, each with a puzzle to unlock, and unkown prizes or perils behind them, but instead, afer 8 hours I open the door I want you to go through, you wont find your own way, you will find my way.


If we had not found the Relays, and developed in the exact way the Reapers desired, who is to say we may not have invented something ourselves, something different, or even better than the relays. That is an amount of chaos and unpredictability that would make something like a harvesting cycle needlessly more difficult for the Reapers.


Without the relays guiding our path, we could be anywhere in the Galaxy(which as we know, is huge). With the Relays, all civilizations are within reach of the Relays, and basically plotted on the map for the reapers to harvest. Hell, even with this path it still takes hundereds of years for them to route out and find everyone for harvest.

Yeah left unchecked and outside of the guided path, we might not even develop murderous super AI, and boy would that put the Reapers in a pickle

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

Eh? ME2 had actual non-shooting missions, ME1 didn't. The diversity of gameplay was much higher in ME2, also than in ME3 sadly, wish there would've been more non-shooting missions.

In new environments. The only non-shooty bit I remember is tracking Thanes son, which took place in the Citadel.

 

[HK-47]

In new environments. The only non-shooty bit I remember is tracking Thanes son, which took place in the Citadel.

A part of the Citadel that is new. Samara's mission is non combat. A few of the N7 missions are non combat.

 

[Papercuts]

In new environments. The only non-shooty bit I remember is tracking Thanes son, which took place in the Citadel.

There was a mission where you boarded a deserted space vessel with the hacked AI that has no combat and just has you do a few puzzles. Another where you're on a ship teetring off a cliff with no combat as well.

 

[Confidence Man]

BioWare calling Call of Duty an RPG is irrelevant to what Mass Effect 3 actually is relative to Call of Duty. Your examples stand where they stand, as you ignore all of my others.

Conversations with varied outcomes are present in a game like Heavy Rain, but I don't think anyone would call that an RPG element in that game. Without the character's skill to inform that bit of gameplay it has as much to do with an RPG as a choose your own adventure book.

Side missions? Yes there are several, but I referred specifically to story missions.

As far as the leveling system, they added a few binary choices to powers, but then let any class use any weapon with equal proficiency, which means only a handful of abilities differentiate the classes now. Purchasing weapon upgrades and getting some small bonuses from Liara's holoball are nice but hardly RPG elements worth considering.

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

There was a mission where you boarded a deserted space vessel with the hacked AI that has no combat and just has you do a few puzzles. Another where you're on a ship teetring off a cliff with no combat as well.

Ah ok, I though there was some amazing planet full of interesting things I had missed.

 

[EatChildren]

Conversations with varied outcomes are present in a game like Heavy Rain, but I don't think anyone would call that an RPG element in that game. Without the character's skill to inform that bit of gameplay it has as much to do with an RPG as a choose your own adventure book.

But the branching conversational options and weight of impact on story outcomes is what I define as an element of role playing game design. The ability to have choice, and those choices weighted with consequences. I do not consider role playing game design as one hinged specifically on a numerical statistical variable of your choices and skills.

And regardless, these options and branches are present heavily in Mass Effect 3. They are not in any Call of Duty game.

Side missions? Yes there are several, but I referred specifically to story missions.

Right, and I cannot discuss the linearity of mission selection if we're going to ignore 50% of the missions present in the game, especially when many of those optional missions are tied into the main story. The essential main story missions, like in many RPGs, is very short.

As far as the leveling system, they added a few binary choices to powers, but then let any class use any weapon with equal proficiency, which means only a handful of abilities differentiate the classes now. Purchasing weapon upgrades and getting some small bonuses from Liara's holoball are nice but hardly RPG elements worth considering.

I consider them because they're there, allow choice, and impact play style.

 

[Psychoward]

In new environments. The only non-shooty bit I remember is tracking Thanes son, which took place in the Citadel.

The MSV Este-whatever side quest. There was another where you hacked a mech and there was no shooting.

 

[hao chi]

The MSV Este-whatever side quest. There was another where you hacked a mech and there was no shooting.

And your reward was something like 5000 platinum.

I was like "Thanks, toss that on the ship with the 350,000 platinum I already have."

 

[HK-47]

I figured less ships meant that the Crucible got damaged during transport and couldn't work properly.

Of course this is never shown, explained or even hinted at.

 

[Papercuts]

Conversations with varied outcomes are present in a game like Heavy Rain, but I don't think anyone would call that an RPG element in that game. Without the character's skill to inform that bit of gameplay it has as much to do with an RPG as a choose your own adventure book.

Side missions? Yes there are several, but I referred specifically to story missions.

As far as the leveling system, they added a few binary choices to powers, but then let any class use any weapon with equal proficiency, which means only a handful of abilities differentiate the classes now. Purchasing weapon upgrades and getting some small bonuses from Liara's holoball are nice but hardly RPG elements worth considering.

Being able to use any weapon with equal proficenciy was a gameplay contrivance that still holds merit for class changes. You are not going to be an adept holding a sniper, shotgun, and assault rifle if you actually plan to use their biotics. It impacts playstyle but keeps each class versatile.

Do you not consider JRPGs to be RPGs? I'm playing Tales of Graces f right now and every single element of character building is all for combat, there's zero choice and the actual world map has a lot of invisible walls and is linear by nature. I guess I bless Call of Duty for apparently leading this movement. Mass Effect may not meet your checklist of personal wants, but that does not mean it somehow is no longer an RPG.

 

[hao chi]

Of course this is never shown, explained or even hinted at.

Who needs explanations when you can have lots of speculation?

 

[Papercuts]

Unless I missed it I'm really surprised they never mentioned where the Crucible was being built and why it was being ignored by Reaper attacks. Seems kinda majorly important.

 

[B_Rik_Schitthaus]

Unless I missed it I'm really surprised they never mentioned where the Crucible was being built and why it was being ignored by Reaper attacks. Seems kinda majorly important.

It was in a plot hole, the only thing big enough to house it.

 

[Randolph Freelander]

Unless I missed it I'm really surprised they never mentioned where the Crucible was being built and why it was being ignored by Reaper attacks. Seems kinda majorly important.

It was built behind the moon of Endor. No bothans were willing to die to get that information to the reapers.

 

[HK-47]

Being able to use any weapon with equal proficenciy was a gameplay contrivance that still holds merit for class changes. You are not going to be an adept holding a sniper, shotgun, and assault rifle if you actually plan to use their biotics. It impacts playstyle but keeps each class versatile.

Do you not consider JRPGs to be RPGs? I'm playing Tales of Graces f right now and every single element of character building is all for combat, there's zero choice and the actual world map has a lot of invisible walls and is linear by nature. I guess I bless Call of Duty for apparently leading this movement. Mass Effect may not meet your checklist of personal wants, but that does not mean it somehow is no longer an RPG.

Well people have always wondered if JRPG actually count as RPG when you nearly always play a predefined role of a predefined character with no choice outside of how you kill things with swords.

This doesnt mean it cant be fun.

 

[senador]

It was in a plot hole, the only thing big enough to house it.

Ha!

Yeah that bothered me too. It bothers me that the Crucible plans are just suddenly found and has nothing to do with prior games. Then it bothers that it's "the answer" to the Reapers but we never go see it, know where it is, or know much about it period. It's just silly.

 

[HK-47]

Ha!

Yeah that bothered me too. It bothers me that the Crucible plans are just suddenly found and has nothing to do with prior games. Then it bothers that it's "the answer" to the Reapers but we never go see it, know where it is, or know much about it period. It's just silly.

Because they knew if they did, we'd rip them apart for it when their explanation wasnt good.

 

[Metroidvania]

Ha!

Yeah that bothered me too. It bothers me that the Crucible plans are just suddenly found and has nothing to do with prior games. Then it bothers that it's "the answer" to the Reapers but we never go see it, know where it is, or know much about it period. It's just silly.

Not only that, its explicitly stated that we have no idea of how it works, if it'll even work, or what it's supposed to do/how it will beat the reapers.

It's a last ditch effort that isn't explained at all. :/

But oh, it suddenly docks with the citadel to form the ultimate crucible for the catalyst to evolve in.

 

[senador]

Because they knew if they did, we rip them apart for it when their explanation wasnt good.

Not only that, its explicitly stated that we have no idea of how it works, if it'll even work, or what it's supposed to do/how it will beat the reapers.

It's a last ditch effort that isn't explained at all. :/

Exactly. To both.

I enjoyed the game but it's clear it didn't get the time and fleshing out it deserved. In super disappointed that the short timeline decision was made and kept to, and for what? It's a shame.

 

[Replicant]

Ha!

Yeah that bothered me too. It bothers me that the Crucible plans are just suddenly found and has nothing to do with prior games. Then it bothers that it's "the answer" to the Reapers but we never go see it, know where it is, or know much about it period. It's just silly.

And it bothers me that everyone immediately believes it to be the solution to the Reapers and without hesitation throws a bunch of money and efforts to build it.

I think the decision to make the Reapers an almost invincible force was a mistake. From that point on, what else can you do but invent a Deus-ex-machina device to defeat them?

 

[riceandbeans]

I think by Bioware's definition, the best ending is Synthesis, which unlocks at 3000 EMS, and they probably do not count the iPad game as multiplayer either. Strictly, the best possible EMS one can possibly end the game with at 50% readiness, best choices for that purpose across the entire trilogy, all DLC played, can't possibly reach 5000. 4000 maybe, but hardly that.

That's a big bummer. So Bioware made extra ending sequences unattainable for single-player only people in a series that's been predominantly single-player focused? I don't like the multiplayer, I'm awful at it, and the netcode is terrible. I don't think I'll pick up another Bioware game now. I feel a little betrayed here.

 

[Rufus]

Spacekid says that organics will always eventually reach a singularity point to where their creations (synthetics) will rebel against them and destroy all organics. I wonder...

Why do the Reapers (and thus spacebrat) allow all those species to discover the Citadel and the mass relays then? It seems to go directly against their thinking. Allowing them to find the Citadel and mass relays jumpstarts their technology hundreds of years and drives them down that "destructive" path even faster...so in hindsight, they're in effect hastening their doom?

It just doesn't fit their grafted on motivation, that's all. That thread pointed to them entirely being self-interested, growing species like crops so come harvest time they have something of value to add to their own. It doesn't have to be more. But then the writers decided otherwise and we got a motivation that makes them look like their program was flawed from the very beginning, but hey... If there's something they should have been vague about it's that, the Reapers' motivation. Let them hint at something grand and leave it at that.

 

[harriet the spy]

That's a big bummer. So Bioware made extra ending sequences unattainable for single-player only people in a series that's been predominantly single-player focused? I don't like the multiplayer, I'm awful at it, and the netcode is terrible. I don't think I'll pick up another Bioware game now. I feel a little betrayed here.

If you don't mind the bore and have an iphone, you could always play the ME3 datapad thingie.

 

[Tajin]

ME3 removed from Amazon Uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004T8C3NG/

lol

 

[Divvy]

I just realized the ME3 ending sorta ripped off the ending of Power Rangers in Space. But at least in that show, it didn't come out of nowhere.

 

[hateradio]

I think the decision to make the Reapers an almost invincible force was a mistake. From that point on, what else can you do but invent a Deus-ex-machina device to defeat them?

But two of the options don't defeat the Reapers. One makes the go away, and the other makes them useless, according to their purpose. Plus, it's a very volatile solution, because of the destruction. That's why I think it's more of a diabolus ex machina. Stupid vent kid.

 

[Rodhull]

ME3 removed from Amazon Uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004T8C3NG/

lol

Wow. What the hell.

 

[BigTnaples]

That's a big bummer. So Bioware made extra ending sequences unattainable for single-player only people in a series that's been predominantly single-player focused? I don't like the multiplayer, I'm awful at it, and the netcode is terrible. I don't think I'll pick up another Bioware game now. I feel a little betrayed here.

I could understand your point if it was competitive multiplayer. But it is not.


How are you awful at it? You are fighting the exact same enemies as SP.

In fact the maps are even the same. It is basically the same in every way exept you have one more teamate and they all have exponentially better AI. (usually).

 

[WrenchNinja]

I could understand your point if it was competitive multiplayer. But it is not.


How are you awful at it? You are fighting the exact same enemies as SP.

In fact the maps are even the same. It is basically the same in every way exept you have one more teamate and they all have exponentially better AI. (usually).

Maybe he plays on lower difficulty settings. Either way its not a good excuse of gating single player content. Silver members don't get that extra scene and that's uncool.

 

[HK-47]

99% of the time I find myself leaning naturally towards paragon anyway. I want to bring people together and be reasonable. I usually have to deliberately try to be the lord arsehole/renegade prick to actually pick those choices.

That being said, if I feel like a non-paragon choice reflects my personality better, I'll pick them. Often the games do acknowledge these choices as viable. Mordin's loyalty mission in ME2 is a good example of this. The "MORDIN YOU ARE A GENOCIDAL MAD MAN" options are where the paragon choices would normally be, but the middle ground choices, that neither condone nor dismiss the genophoage, reward you with points as well. ME1/ME2 are not as binary in their paragon/renegade point handing as people probably think.

Except for the red/blue dialogue choices. Those are pretty clear cut.

ME2 punishes you severely for doing anything other going straight on one side. Since ME2 works on percentage of total morality points, you can easily end up not being able to pass the tougher speech checks later on the game, the ones that decide loyalty.

 

[DTKT]

I could understand your point if it was competitive multiplayer. But it is not.


How are you awful at it? You are fighting the exact same enemies as SP.

In fact the maps are even the same. It is basically the same in every way exept you have one more teamate and they all have exponentially better AI. (usually).

What if I don't have an internet connection?

You can't defend that kind of design decision.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

ME3 removed from Amazon Uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004T8C3NG/

lol

That's fucking stupid.

Do they even vet customer complaints?

That's like when Lowe's stopped supporting that Muslim reality TV show because a Christian group said it didn't show radical Muslims, and thus was a bad show.

 

[HocusPocus]

I had 7100 with 100%. I don't think I could possibly get much more, so with 50% I doubt 4K can be reached.

Yeah I ended up with the high 4000's as I think it is a mistake to do to many of the major quests first (such as to cure / not cure the genophage).

 

[Jintor]

Wow. What the hell.

Probably just an automatic measure after a certain amount of conusmer complaints

 

[Apophenia Overload]

I want to make a grand list of characters in ME 3 who could have/should have been squadmates but weren't because of Bioware squandered the potential. How about:

* Balak

* Major Kirrahe

* Kal'Reegar

* Kolyat Krios or Feron

* a Vorcha

 

[HK-47]

This was just posted in the ME3 PC thread:

Incredible.

Dont try and mod your game to give yourself a better experience. Buy our fuck you dlc instead.

I'd actually like clarification if its just a mod misunderstanding or true

 

[Dany]

I want to make a grand list of characters in ME 3 who could have/should have been squadmates but weren't because of Bioware squandered the potential. How about:

* Balak
*Blasto

updated

 

[HK-47]

I want to make a grand list of characters in ME 3 who could have/should have been squadmates but weren't because of Bioware squandered the potential. How about:

* Balak

* Major Kirrahe

* Kal'Reegar

* Kolyat Krios

* a Vorcha

Lets not do this...

Also why would you want Kolyat? A large part of Thane's story is how he doesnt want him to be a killer like himself.

 

[senador]

That's fucking stupid.

Do they even vet customer complaints?

That's like when Lowe's stopped supporting that Muslim reality TV show because a Christian group said it didn't show radical Muslims, and thus was a bad show.

Meh, its nothing. This happens often enough for Amazon products. Its temporary while they check into it. It could be due to a number of reasons. I wouldn't look much into it at all.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Dont try and mod your game to give yourself a better experience. Buy our fuck you dlc instead.

What the fuck.

That's phenomenal.

 

[Apophenia Overload]

Need a drell.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

Origin/EA is going to lose so much business. Oh my God.

 

[HK-47]

Need a drell.

Then why not Feron?

I want a new Mass Effect game were you play as members of the shadow broker's wet squad, pulling off assassinations, poisonings, showing kai leng how to be a real space ninja.

 

[MrTroubleMaker]

Dont try and mod your game to give yourself a better experience. Buy our fuck you dlc instead.

banning over SP mod is so stupid

 

[rdrr gnr]

Need a drell.

gottahaveadrell

 

[Zomba13]

I want to make a grand list of characters in ME 3 who could have/should have been squadmates but weren't because of Bioware squandered the potential. How about:

* Balak

* Major Kirrahe

* Kal'Reegar

* Kolyat Krios or Feron

* a Vorcha

I want my Major Kirrahe game. Squad based stealthy TPS.

 

[EatChildren]

ME2 punishes you severely for doing anything other going straight on one side. Since ME2 works on percentage of total morality points, you can easily end up not being able to pass the tougher speech checks later on the game, the ones that decide loyalty.

All three Mass Effect games 'punish' you severely for playing a certain way. But you can still play that way and make it through the game. Almost all, if not all, of ME2's most severe stat checks (paragon/renegade) still allow for at least two paths to be chosen: paragon and renegade. And yes, if you didn't go all in with one the choice would be locked off. That's because the paragon/renegade design is shit, and has been shit since the first game.

If you want everybody to live, everybody to feel good, and everybody to offer everything, you play pure paragon. That's the way Mass Effect is (stupidly) designed.

 

[Derrick01]

Dont try and mod your game to give yourself a better experience. Buy our fuck you dlc instead.

I'd actually like clarification if its just a mod misunderstanding or true

And some people wonder why Bioware is hated so much.

"Is it because of DA2 still? Let it go fanboys!"

 

[Nome]

Dont try and mod your game to give yourself a better experience. Buy our fuck you dlc instead.

I'd actually like clarification if its just a mod misunderstanding or true

It was clarified by another employee already. You'll only be banned if you're trying to cheat in multiplayer.