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[EatChildren]

Gonna start playthrough two tonight, collect the Leviathan DLC on Tuesday, and wrap it up afterwards. Woop woop!

 

[Dilly]

How many SP DLC packs are they going to release? I'd like to wait for all of them before I start a new playthrough.

 

[EatChildren]

How many SP DLC packs are they going to release? I'd like to wait for all of them before I start a new playthrough.

They haven't specified. Most people figure we'll see Take Back Omega eventually. Probably depends on how well the DLC sells.

 

[Ajacx]

Never thought I'd see EatChildren more excited about Mass Effect than myself.

BioWare, I hate you.

 

[Bisnic]

Here's hoping that Bioware learned something with the whole ending fiasco and that the story of the DLC will be decent and that Walters/Hudson didnt lock themselves in a room writing it alone. Tuchanka and Rannoch and some side missions were pretty good, so i have some hope.

 

[Gui_PT]

Honest Game Trailers: Mass Effect 3 (SPOILERS!!!)

 

[DTKT]

Here's hoping that Bioware learned something with the whole ending fiasco and that the story of the DLC will be decent and that Walters/Hudson didnt lock themselves in a room writing it alone. Tuchanka and Rannoch and some side missions were pretty good, so i have some hope.

believe

 

[Dany]

I just played through the epilouge.

I loved it. I still went destroy and Liara was my LI. It was nice of them to explain the Normandy and joker throughout the battle, that was the biggest issue I had with the ending. Seeing Liara leave wounded saying "I am Yours" was great. Every piece of dialogue they added to the kid wasn't needed, she would ask explain and the kid would speak n riddles, not needed.

But the actual destroy ending was still impactful, still my favorite ending and every piece of scenary of the reapers destroyed on the asari and krogan home world was a nice touch. The speech by hackett was really nice and deserved. I still don't get why the Normandy was stuck on that planet but whatever.

I never really wanted bioware to explain the ending, just make it better and they did.

 

[Gui_PT]

I just played through the epilouge.

I loved it. I still went destroy and Liara was my LI. It was nice of them to explain the Normandy and joker throughout the battle, that was the biggest issue I had with the ending.

How do you feel about Garrus backstabbing his homie and ordering Joker to fly away?

They were best friends and he just leaves like that?!? Not cool bro!!!!

 

[Dany]

How do you feel about Garrus backstabbing his homie and ordering Joker to fly away?

They were best friends and he just leaves like that?!? Not cool bro!!!!

He didn't backstab shepard. Did they know if anyone made it through? They had to leave or else be destroyed by that red aura. Its not liked they could have helped.

 

[Bisnic]

How do you feel about Garrus backstabbing his homie and ordering Joker to fly away?

They were best friends and he just leaves like that?!? Not cool bro!!!!

I see people saying this often, but like Dany M said, what could Garrus and Joker do? The Crucible was just about to shoot his magic beam of unknown destruction and they had no idea where Shepard was and there was no chance to reach him/her in a few seconds.

But hey, if you think Garrus dying for nothing while he was fully aware of that would have made a better ending...

 

[Gui_PT]

Cearly you do not follow the bros b4 hoes pact

They were bros and the crucible was the hoe





It was all a joke btw

 

[rozay]

Would anyone here happen to remember who it was that talked about the note EA included with ME3 review copies telling them stuff like "play the game from the perspective of a newcomer to the series?"

 

[Typographenia]

I recall Jeff Gerstmann talking about something like that on the Giant Bombcast, but I don't know if he said it that specifically. I'm wanting to say he did, but I might just be misremembering.

It's in this episode, I'm quite certain - http://www.giantbomb.com/podcast/?podcast_id=285

 

[CorrisD]

Would anyone here happen to remember who it was that talked about the note EA included with ME3 review copies telling them stuff like "play the game from the perspective of a newcomer to the series?"

While I don't remember that, I do remember someone posting what one of the developers said which was along the lines of telling people they should play the game without importing a save to see the changes or something.

It was a peculiar thing to say though, I remember it gave us a bad feeling about importing trouble.

 

[hateradio]

Not having the source is annoying, but I believe review copies didn't have the import feature.

 

[rozay]

Not having the source is annoying, but I believe review copies didn't have the import feature.

jesus I just looked through google results for an hour with no luck. Too many people angry about this game online lol

 

[Dany]

Not having the source is annoying, but I believe review copies didn't have the import feature.

what really?

I remember it being all marketing when they say "this game is for newcomers, the best entry into the series"

 

[rozay]

what really?

I remember it being all marketing when they say "this game is for newcomers, the best entry into the series"

reviewers were advised to review the game from the point of a newcomer to the series but I'm not sure if they were either forbidden from importing for the purpose of the review as per the note that came with early review copies, or the review code simply took out the import functionality.

All we know is it's true as it took a while for news to come out that face import was broken. Some reviewer would've had to run into it if it was in the review code.

 

[EatChildren]

I'm fairly certain review copies had the import feature the same as the vanilla game had at launch. However, EA had apparently provided review guidelines requesting reviewers approach the game from the perspective of a new player, and not to judge import variables and content, as this was considered a 'bonus'. Most, if not all reviewers probably imported. The review requirements probably caused them to avoid mentioning the broken face importing.

As far as I'm concerned the broken face importing is just one more piece of evidence on top of an ever growing pile that the game needed another ~12 months in the oven, and EA's desperation to meet quarterly reports, appease shareholders, and have the game making them money as fast as possible resulted in an overly rushed product. BioWare cop a lot of shit but both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 were planned to be bigger projects than they were, and almost all of the criticisms directed at certain chunks of both games come down to content being cut, and content is only cut because deadlines had to be met.

Like the Mass Effect 2 suicide mission. It was supposed to be much longer and more involved, with the mission itself showing you the various stages of development and construction of the human Reaper. Instead it was short, undercooked, and the human Reaper just kinda came out of nowhere. Cut because of time.

And to think EA wanted Mass Effect 3 out for Christmas 2011.

 

[Bisnic]

I'm fairly certain review copies had the import feature the same as the vanilla game had at launch. However, EA had apparently provided review guidelines requesting reviewers approach the game from the perspective of a new player, and not to judge import variables and content, as this was considered a 'bonus'. Most, if not all reviewers probably imported. The review requirements probably caused them to avoid mentioning the broken face importing.

As far as I'm concerned the broken face importing is just one more piece of evidence on top of an ever growing pile that the game needed another ~12 months in the oven, and EA's desperation to meet quarterly reports, appease shareholders, and have the game making them money as fast as possible resulted in an overly rushed product. BioWare cop a lot of shit but both Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 were planned to be bigger projects than they were, and almost all of the criticisms directed at certain chunks of both games come down to content being cut, and content is only cut because deadlines had to be met.

Like the Mass Effect 2 suicide mission. It was supposed to be much longer and more involved, with the mission itself showing you the various stages of development and construction of the human Reaper. Instead it was short, undercooked, and the human Reaper just kinda came out of nowhere. Cut because of time.

And to think EA wanted Mass Effect 3 out for Christmas 2011.

Yeah, and i kinda fear ME4 is going to be another rushed product. Unless all the shitstorm they got with ME3 will make them realize a better prepared product released when ready is better than a rushed product released too soon.

 

[EatChildren]

I'm not sure what they'll do. I think we'll see more Mass Effect titles for sure, as despite the negativity surrounding ME3's ending the series still makes a quid. EA isn't going to drop it.

But I also think the mainline Mass Effect developers have moved on to something else. BioWare does seem to follow a "new IP per generation" kind of philosophy, and Mass Effect was only ever envisioned as a trilogy. Casey Hudson I think has implied he's moved on to a new project now. I suspect the core team at Edmonton, that works on starting major projects, has moved on.

Montreal, on the other hand, may have moved on to become the mainline Mass Effect, given their increase in staff and role in developing ME3.

Whether or not we see a true "Mass Effect 4" is up for debate though. Shepard's arc is over, forever. And I wouldn't be surprised if BioWare/EA shifted Mass Effect titles to 'smaller', stand alone games versus huge action RPGs like the trilogy we know.

 

[DTKT]

I'm definitely interested in what the current ME team is cooking next. Even with the disappointment with parts of ME3, I still love the ME series. They have a lot of talent and I just wished they had the budget or the time to actually do something right all the way. At the same time, I'm worried that they are going to go in a wildly different direction just because they can.

I think that the import feature from Mass Effect is going to be dropped since it seemed like it was a nightmare to implement and pushed the writing team in a corner. They had so many variables to consider, that they simple cannot afford to spend a lot of times on the consequences of the stuff you imported. If this means that they can create more unique sequence and actually spend more time few, but complex stuff, I'm okay with it. But if they are just dropping it because it's too much work...

Then, what does the Edmonton team do? Create another universe? Picks the ME but with a different perspective?

Or, what if they pick the Star Wars license and we get KOTOR 3 or some other Star Wars related game? TOR is almost dead in the water and 1313 is the action heavy spin-off. As I type this, I know it will never happen but I can dream.

Anyway, I guess it's E3 next year or this Christmas till we know something. Or some big Game Informer reveal. I live in Montreal and I'll try to find out what the Mtl team is doing!

 

[v0mitg0d]

God. Can you imagine the next Mass Effect on a next-gen console?

 

[EatChildren]

I doubt we'll hear about a new Mass Effect for a little while. Dragon Age 3 will be BioWare's next big game, and they've got their other next generation projects to show. I'm pretty confident in saying if any team has become the mainline Mass Effect team it's BioWare Montreal, but what kind of Mass Effect game they might be working on and when we'll see it is up in the air.

God. Can you imagine the next Mass Effect on a next-gen console?

On Frostbite 2, no less .

 

[DTKT]

Bah, next-gen games will look a tad better than current gen but since you'll see games released on the 360 and the next Xbox, they'll look pretty similar.

 

[Bisnic]

God. Can you imagine the next Mass Effect on a next-gen console?

Just having a Mass Effect game with high res textures on armor and cloth is going to be "OMFG".

 

[Jooney]

Does anyone know where I can get an mp3 of the music played during the starchild sequence at the end? It's not on the OST.

 

[hateradio]

I think you can listen to it on here.

 

[Jooney]

I think you can listen to it on here.

cheers

 

[EatChildren]

Bah, next-gen games will look a tad better than current gen but since you'll see games released on the 360 and the next Xbox, they'll look pretty similar.

No way. They'll look leaps and bounds better. I just hope BioWare can keep the trademark Mass Effect art with an engine shift.

 

[EatChildren]

 

[Melchiah]

Are those comics more directed to adults than kids? If the former, I might be interested, although they probably feature a male Shepard which totally ruins it for me. My Shepard is woman!

 

[Blue Ninja]

Are those comics more directed to adults than kids? If the former, I might be interested, although they probably feature a male Shepard which totally ruins it for me. My Shepard is woman!

I think they don't feature Shepard at all. I mean, the previous novels and comics didn't, only indirectly referencing him/her instead.

 

[EatChildren]

Are those comics more directed to adults than kids? If the former, I might be interested, although they probably feature a male Shepard which totally ruins it for me. My Shepard is woman!

I wouldn't say they're aimed at kids any more than the games are, but they're mostly pretty awful as Walters penned most of them. The Homeworld comics seem to be the better ones as they're single issue stand-alone stories filling in some background, versus the other four issue arcs. Like, Evolution is hilariously bad in every conceivable way, and should have been a glaring sign Walters has no grasp on and/or care for the series lore.

Shepard isn't in any of them in order to keep the canon vague. She/he is technically in the very first comic series, but that's because in the missing part of ME2's story where Liara hunts down Shepard's body. And that's kept gender neutral.

 

[HP_Wuvcraft]

A Bullet For Your Sins sounds like something out of Frank Miller.

 

[EatChildren]

Patrick Weekes wrote the Tali comic, and I thought his blurb at the back was quite interesting.

The best part about writing Tali is that she's flawed.

This may sound odd coming from someone who counts himself as one of Tali's biggest fans, but that's what I love most about her. From her defensive griping with Garrus in the elevators to her stubborn justification of her people's actions against the geth, Tali has believable blind spots and weaknesses. That was why she was always in my squad in Mass Effect, and that was why I was so thrilled to get the chance to write her in Mass Effect 2.

Tali can be sarcastic and hotheaded when she feels that people are patronizing her. When it comes to the geth, she is flat-out racist. She grew up with a demanding and emotionally distant father, and she's far too willing to martyr herself for her people.

When a person with no real flaws triumphs, it's nothing less than what you expect. Flawed people are the ones I can invest in, because they're the ones who face challenges beyond enemies with guns. Watching Tali take the ship name "vas Normandy" with pride, watching her argue with Legion and come out wiser for it, watching her grow from a brash young pilgrim into a confident woman who can think beyond her people's prejudices...I loved writing those scenes. I loved watching her grow. With the guidance of Mac Walters and the amazing work of the cinematic designers, the character artists, the voice-over directors, and the fantastic voice of Ash Stroka, I'm proud to have helped bring Tali to life.

This story is from Tali's pilgrimage, back when she had a few more rough edges (and no turian sniper to keep her grounded). I hope you enjoyed this look at Tali's early days...and the hints of the woman she'd grow up to be.

 

[Melchiah]

I think they don't feature Shepard at all. I mean, the previous novels and comics didn't, only indirectly referencing him/her instead.

I wouldn't say they're aimed at kids any more than the games are, but they're mostly pretty awful as Walters penned most of them. The Homeworld comics seem to be the better ones as they're single issue stand-alone stories filling in some background, versus the other four issue arcs. Like, Evolution is hilariously bad in every conceivable way, and should have been a glaring sign Walters has no grasp on and/or care for the series lore.

Shepard isn't in any of them in order to keep the canon vague. She/he is technically in the very first comic series, but that's because in the missing part of ME2's story where Liara hunts down Shepard's body. And that's kept gender neutral.

Ok, if there's no male Shepard I'm a game. I'll have to see if the Homeworld comics are coming, or can be ordered, to the library, as I really don't want to buy them without knowing their quality firsthand. Especially if they're written by the same guy, who's responsible of the ME3 ending.

 

[EatChildren]

Ok, if there's no male Shepard I'm a game. I'll have to see if the Homeworld comics are coming, or can be ordered, to the library, as I really don't want to buy them without knowing their quality firsthand. Especially if they're written by the same guy, who's responsible of the ME3 ending.

Homeworlds is the only comics series that isn't completely written by Walters (ME2/ME3 lead), as far as I'm aware. He wrote the first issue I think, about James Vega, but the wrest are written by different members of the team (eg: Weekes for Tali).

The three four part stories, Redemption, Evolution, and Invasion, were written by Walters.

There's also three eight page mini-comics release for free: Incursion, Inquisition and Conviction. You can search and find them pretty easily as they were released digitally. Walters also penned those, but they give you a good idea of the overall quality of the comics.

Homeworlds definitely seems to be the least shit though, and I suspect that's due to giving other, more talented members of the team a chance to write the comics.

 

[dark10x]

Hmm, I just finished the game after all this time with the original ending and I actually really enjoyed it. The whole last hour or two of the game was fantastic, I thought.

I see they fell into the typical trap of trying to explain too much at the end but it certainly didn't RUIN the experience by any means. Perhaps my expectations of a poor ending colored my opinion, but I really didn't think it was bad.

I mean, if you want to talk about awful endings just look at something like Rage where there literally IS no ending. The game just stops, basically. That's crap.

Mass Effect 3 could have gone in any number of ways but it definitely satisfied me.

 

[Bisnic]

Hmm, I just finished the game after all this time with the original ending and I actually really enjoyed it. The whole last hour or two of the game was fantastic, I thought.

I see they fell into the typical trap of trying to explain too much at the end but it certainly didn't RUIN the experience by any means. Perhaps my expectations of a poor ending colored my opinion, but I really didn't think it was bad.

I mean, if you want to talk about awful endings just look at something like Rage where there literally IS no ending. The game just stops, basically. That's crap.

Mass Effect 3 could have gone in any number of ways but it definitely satisfied me.

The original ending? Why would you do that when the extended cut is free and explain a bunch of crap that made people confused, like how did our squadmates reached the Normandy or what happen to the rest of the galaxy.

 

[hateradio]

Hmm, I just finished the game after all this time with the original ending and I actually really enjoyed it. The whole last hour or two of the game was fantastic, I thought.

I see they fell into the typical trap of trying to explain too much at the end but it certainly didn't RUIN the experience by any means.

When did that happen in my game?

http://www.abload.de/img/whya8icx.jpg

Will Suck Cock While GDGF BioWare Watches

 

[Bladenic]

About to do the final missions. Well tomorrow but I gotta say, I'm excited to see this ending.

Also love how Miranda blasted her asshole father. Love her. I would never let it happen, but if she had died, I would have been devastated.

 

[Bisnic]

About to do the final missions. Well tomorrow but I gotta say, I'm excited to see this ending.

Also love how Miranda blasted her asshole father. Love her. I would never let it happen, but if she had died, I would have been devastated.

She could have. If you dont meet her the 2(3?) times she is on the Citadel, Kai Leng will kill her on Horizon.

Hopefully you got the extended cut for the ending unlike dark10x. :lol

 

[Bladenic]

She could have. If you dont meet her the 2(3?) times she is on the Citadel, Kai Leng will kill her on Horizon.

Hopefully you got the extended cut for the ending unlike dark10x. :lol

Yeah I heard about that, that's why I said I would have never let it happen. Although, God forbid, had Bioware made Kai Leng kill Thane and Miranda, it would have increased my hatred of him to ridiculous levels.

 

[EatChildren]

She could have. If you dont meet her the 2(3?) times she is on the Citadel, Kai Leng will kill her on Horizon.

Hopefully you got the extended cut for the ending unlike dark10x. :lol

Even if you meet her, you have to

Spoiler

read Anderson's email report on Kai Leng. Else Shepard doesn't know to warn her.

Will Suck Cock While GDGF BioWare Watches

I imagine the day I truly, honestly, legitimately give up on this series is also the day Half-Life 3 gets released.

 

[dark10x]

The original ending? Why would you do that when the extended cut is free and explain a bunch of crap that made people confused, like how did our squadmates reached the Normandy or what happen to the rest of the galaxy.

I actually downloaded the extended cut before reaching the end but the download was corrupted despite being complete so it didn't actually install itself. I didn't realize this until after I finished the game, however, at which point I re-installed it and ran through the ending again.

While watching the ending I was not actually sure if what I was seeing was the extended cut or not. When people were trashing the ending I was really expecting something more along the lines of Rage (where the game just ends) rather than what we got.

I enjoyed both endings but I don't really feel the extended ending was necessary.

 

[Bladenic]

Okay here we go. I just beat the game. At the choice, I made the "paragon" one, but I'm actually a bit confused. From the outcome, it seems I chose to control the Reapers correct? Given that EDI survived as well as the Geth, and reapers are seen helping the world.

Now can someone tell me what the extended cut brought to the table that was not there previously? More importantly, can someone tell me WHY people went nuts over this ending? Because I'm honestly not at all disappointed. If anything, I'm sad. Sad that my character, my Shepard, sacrificed himself to save the galaxy, but the ending was worth it. It was a beautiful ending, and I got teary eyed. I have a feeling I'm like the 0.001 percent who feels this way though.

GOTY2012.

I also need to see what happens in the other two choices. Which is considered the "best choice", the one that you needed the most EMS for?

 

[HadesGigas]

The entire Fallout-esque slideshow is new, previously all three choices resulted in just the ending video that was almost exactly the same no matter what. Additions were made to that video to make it more unique depending on your choice.

There are a lot of additions to Starchilds dialogue as well, and a retcon to reduce the level of "damage" done to the mass effect relays (previously it looked to be totally destroyed relays, dooming the species on and around Earth).

 

[Moaradin]

I also need to see what happens in the other two choices. Which is considered the "best choice", the one that you needed the most EMS for?

Destroy ending has the "best" ending. I also think it's the best from a story perspective as well.