VenomousCoffee
Member
Okay, I thought Liam's loyalty mission was pretty funny.
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Mass Effect: Andromeda |OT| Ryders on the Storm
- Thread starter Blue Ninja
- Start date
They ain't going back- and even if they did it'd be so far in the future the setting would be unrecognizable.
captainnapalm
Member
Bioware really needs to ditch the open world or semi-open world approach. They're just not very good at it. I've now finished Eos and Voeld and they were both very underwhelming. There is little to nothing on those planets to justify such a vast expanse. Everything looks the same, nothing really interesting happens.
Like DA:I, ME:A has good stuff in it but it's intent on wearing you down and making you forget about its virtues. Thought that was cool? Well here it is 30 more times, what do you think of it now?
Create massive maps, toss a bunch of generic lookalike structures on it, sprinkle enemies, and then worry about the tough stuff later - if you ever get to it at all. Sometimes you get the feeling they still meant to have something happen in a location but they didn't have time so you're left with basically a placeholder that never got filled. The characters they dotted around these worlds that you can talk to all seem like afterthoughts too.
It seems like a very cynical approach to crafting explorable worlds.
Like DA:I, ME:A has good stuff in it but it's intent on wearing you down and making you forget about its virtues. Thought that was cool? Well here it is 30 more times, what do you think of it now?
Create massive maps, toss a bunch of generic lookalike structures on it, sprinkle enemies, and then worry about the tough stuff later - if you ever get to it at all. Sometimes you get the feeling they still meant to have something happen in a location but they didn't have time so you're left with basically a placeholder that never got filled. The characters they dotted around these worlds that you can talk to all seem like afterthoughts too.
It seems like a very cynical approach to crafting explorable worlds.
Get another detonator like Shockwave or Lance and you're good to go in the meantime.Shockwave is nice thanks to the big radius.
I've been using charge, annihilation, and lance at its working pretty well for me. I just wanted to know why charge and annihilation wasn't working together.
They could have cut the size of Elaaden in half and it would still be too big. In a game that already has issues with huge, empty, boring maps and still manages to stick out with how needlessly big it is. Traveling across it is just a chore.
If every planet was as interesting as Havarl, the game would be significantly better.
If every planet was as interesting as Havarl, the game would be significantly better.
FoxnHurley
Member
I actually found Harvarl to be boring, especially while trying to reach the upper village for one of the quests. But to each his own. Elaaden, on the other hand, was awesome. Totally got Tatooine vibes from it, and it was teeming with personality since it was pretty much the badlands for exiled individuals and (spoilers for inhabitants)
the Krogan
I'm surprised by how many people like Havarl the most of the planets. Havarl was my least favorite planet by a pretty wide margin. From a mechanics perspective the traversal times on Havarl vs Elaaden felt roughly equivalent, given that while Havarl is smaller and more condensed, there's no Nomad so all traversal is done on foot. You cross longer distances on Voeld and Elaaden but you get to do it in the Nomad. I really enjoy the Nomad mechanics, so traversing the big empty spaces is enjoyable for me in a way that Havarl wasn't.
But the biggest problem, I felt, was the way Havarl highlights the difficulties of capturing the vastness of space and entire species/civilizations in a videogame. Very minor spoilers:
Havarl is the Angara homeworld, and even though it's been ravaged by war with the Kett and is struggling with a broken ecosystem, it's still difficult to believe that what the game presents to us on Havarl (maybe half a dozen Angara structures, and at most maybe 20 angara citizens) is the remains of their empire. What should feel big instead feels extra small. (TBH, basically every Mass Effect game has this problem to some degree, and it's not a dealbreaker for me but I do think Havarl exacerbates the issue). On Elaaden and Voeld we're presented with mostly empty planets and a few small pioneer outposts. It works so much better with the theming of the game.
To each their own, obviously!
I didn't like traversing any of planets besides the one that looks like you're on the
surface. Eos has the most interesting features with valleys, plateaus and Kett structures. The rest were just giant buckets of whatever theme.
Thinking on it I don't feel like any of these planets gave me the wow factor or sense of discovery that ME1's basic ass scenescape planets did, except for the very final one that you just drive through.
moon
Thinking on it I don't feel like any of these planets gave me the wow factor or sense of discovery that ME1's basic ass scenescape planets did, except for the very final one that you just drive through.
Sterling's_Gold
Member
Going back and replaying the trilogy after finishing my Andromeda playthrough has brought constant contrasts in style, structure, content, quality, etc. with what came before.
Something particular that stands out is replaying the two DLCs that were headed up by Bioware Montreal before Andromeda: Arrival and Omega. Replaying these DLCs makes me feel stupid for having certain expectations about Andromeda. Both are amateurish in terms of writing, cinematic direction, and general storytelling. Both are quite nice to look at and Omega especially has very strong combat. Some of the better designed encounters of ME3 are contained within this DLC. I previously considered the shortcomings of these pieces of content to be a result of budget, but after playing Andromeda, maybe it's just the studio? Arrival is kinda weak all around, but Omega, Andromeda, and the ME3 multiplayer are all very strong on the combat front as well as with visual design. None of Montreal's content has shown that they have a knack for strong storytelling, however.
It really makes me think that Montreal should have been the studio heading up Bioware's new Destiny-esque game, with Edmonton continuing to pursue more traditional story driven content.
Something particular that stands out is replaying the two DLCs that were headed up by Bioware Montreal before Andromeda: Arrival and Omega. Replaying these DLCs makes me feel stupid for having certain expectations about Andromeda. Both are amateurish in terms of writing, cinematic direction, and general storytelling. Both are quite nice to look at and Omega especially has very strong combat. Some of the better designed encounters of ME3 are contained within this DLC. I previously considered the shortcomings of these pieces of content to be a result of budget, but after playing Andromeda, maybe it's just the studio? Arrival is kinda weak all around, but Omega, Andromeda, and the ME3 multiplayer are all very strong on the combat front as well as with visual design. None of Montreal's content has shown that they have a knack for strong storytelling, however.
It really makes me think that Montreal should have been the studio heading up Bioware's new Destiny-esque game, with Edmonton continuing to pursue more traditional story driven content.
TheUnsunghero26
Member
Finally have had a chance to really dive in during the past few days. There's a lot I like but also a lot of design decisions I'm not fond of.
I'm really warming up to the new crew. Jaal, Cora, and Drack are my favourites (Not unlike how Garrus, Ashley, and Wrex were my favourites in ME1). The combat is superb, I'll never get tired of using biotics to pull an enemy, throw him, and then charge in the air towards him. It's nice to have the mobility options, it often feels like Halo 5 in third person.
I also really like the family dynamic. I thought it was a great move to have both male and female Ryder be in the game, no matter which you play as.
The loyalty missions have been a highlight. I've done both Liam and Cora's and thought they were great, especially the former.
Maybe it's telling that the best stuff is the more linear, focused missions.
I think I'm of the opinion that Mass Effect works best as a 20-30hr game, rather than a 70hr one. Between fan complaints of DAI and the critical reception of Andromeda, one thing I hope BioWare seriously takes to heart is that there is no need for so much filler/bloat in the side quests. I would happily do almost every side quest throughout my playthroughs of the trilogy. There are just way too many unsubstantial ones in Andromeda to bother with (though I do find myself doing them to get XP). The easy answer is "just don't do the ones you don't want to!" But here's the thing - and perhaps my main issue - having so many of these filler quests takes away from the sense of discovery and exploration. In the past (ME1 and 2 in particular) I was always eager to discover an NPC I could talk to in the hubs. While I'm not going to tell you the side quests they gave were always amazing gameplay-wise, they more often than not succeeded narratively. From ME1's cerberus arch, to the missions impacted by your Shepard's background, there were some great little stories that played out. Again, that's not to say that Andromeda doesn't have any good sidequests - I actually quite enjoyed the decision you make at the end of the Nexus' first murderer quest - it's just that I'm not enjoying the discovery as much as I should.
My other main issue is the lack of history in Heleus Cluster. Part of what made ME1 such a great introduction to the series is how it struck such a good balance between making the universe feel lived in, but leaving so much out there to discover. Andromeda is hurt by its lack of new species. The Angara are fine, but it just doesn't compare to the diversity of the Milky Way. The Milky Way had so much to draw on that even the text descriptions of planets you couldn't visit were interesting. I like seeing the return of ME1 style exploration, but at the same time I miss seeing futuristic cities. I did enjoy the atmosphere of Kadara port (the bars in this game feel severly lacking though), it's just a shame it is separated from the exploration part. I wish BioWare would look at something like Noveria as a blueprint for how to design main worlds.
Still enjoying it overall, but its made me miss the old galaxy more than anything, and that probably wasn't BioWare's goal.
I'm really warming up to the new crew. Jaal, Cora, and Drack are my favourites (Not unlike how Garrus, Ashley, and Wrex were my favourites in ME1). The combat is superb, I'll never get tired of using biotics to pull an enemy, throw him, and then charge in the air towards him. It's nice to have the mobility options, it often feels like Halo 5 in third person.
I also really like the family dynamic. I thought it was a great move to have both male and female Ryder be in the game, no matter which you play as.
The loyalty missions have been a highlight. I've done both Liam and Cora's and thought they were great, especially the former.
Maybe it's telling that the best stuff is the more linear, focused missions.
I think I'm of the opinion that Mass Effect works best as a 20-30hr game, rather than a 70hr one. Between fan complaints of DAI and the critical reception of Andromeda, one thing I hope BioWare seriously takes to heart is that there is no need for so much filler/bloat in the side quests. I would happily do almost every side quest throughout my playthroughs of the trilogy. There are just way too many unsubstantial ones in Andromeda to bother with (though I do find myself doing them to get XP). The easy answer is "just don't do the ones you don't want to!" But here's the thing - and perhaps my main issue - having so many of these filler quests takes away from the sense of discovery and exploration. In the past (ME1 and 2 in particular) I was always eager to discover an NPC I could talk to in the hubs. While I'm not going to tell you the side quests they gave were always amazing gameplay-wise, they more often than not succeeded narratively. From ME1's cerberus arch, to the missions impacted by your Shepard's background, there were some great little stories that played out. Again, that's not to say that Andromeda doesn't have any good sidequests - I actually quite enjoyed the decision you make at the end of the Nexus' first murderer quest - it's just that I'm not enjoying the discovery as much as I should.
My other main issue is the lack of history in Heleus Cluster. Part of what made ME1 such a great introduction to the series is how it struck such a good balance between making the universe feel lived in, but leaving so much out there to discover. Andromeda is hurt by its lack of new species. The Angara are fine, but it just doesn't compare to the diversity of the Milky Way. The Milky Way had so much to draw on that even the text descriptions of planets you couldn't visit were interesting. I like seeing the return of ME1 style exploration, but at the same time I miss seeing futuristic cities. I did enjoy the atmosphere of Kadara port (the bars in this game feel severly lacking though), it's just a shame it is separated from the exploration part. I wish BioWare would look at something like Noveria as a blueprint for how to design main worlds.
Still enjoying it overall, but its made me miss the old galaxy more than anything, and that probably wasn't BioWare's goal.
48 hours and 90% complete as I finished the story. For what it's worth, I really enjoyed this game.
What's the best way to get the last few levels I need to hit level 60 now I've got no side missions left? I'm level 55, and only have the tasks left to do which don't give much XP - does NG+ carry over my level and let me get to 60 from there?
What's the best way to get the last few levels I need to hit level 60 now I've got no side missions left? I'm level 55, and only have the tasks left to do which don't give much XP - does NG+ carry over my level and let me get to 60 from there?
So I never played Mass Effect 1, I started with 2 and played on through Andromeda.
I've read some really enthusiastic posts from people who loved the Mako sections in 1, despite obvious criticisms. I'd love to hear someone's perspective on the exploratory elements in both games from someone who's played both 1 and Andromeda.
I've read some really enthusiastic posts from people who loved the Mako sections in 1, despite obvious criticisms. I'd love to hear someone's perspective on the exploratory elements in both games from someone who's played both 1 and Andromeda.
MrTroubleMaker
Member
I couldn't agree more.
Edmonton is kind of a well oiled machine at this point they been making these kind of games for years. I guess I shouldn't have expected a new studio to perform as well simply because it has the same name and a handful of veterans working on it. The fact that Bioware at large hasn't nailed it's open world design yet probably doesn't help either.
That would be the point, exactly.
In the case of the "4th option" in ME3, it would take awhile for a new civilization to establish themselves.
The Mako sections in ME1 are basically indefensible from a gameplay standpoint. Its controls are comically awful, and in the exploratory sections on random planets the route to your destination is often less than apparent, meaning that you often end up crawling slowly up the side of some jagged formation, slipping, cursing, and repeating. Whatever you think of ME:A, the controls on the Nomad, and the structure of the scenery you navigate, are much improved over ME:1.
The Mako sections in ME:1 included combat, which was also pretty dreadful. For one thing, the game is rigged ludicrously in your favor, as your enemies' missiles are slow -- like, so slow that you can drive away from them, or jump over them -- while yours impact instantaneously. On the other hand, your cannon will often miss its target because of some weird angle in the terrain, meaning that the combat is simultaneously easy and frustrating.
But there's a reason many people remember the Mako sections fondly, and I think it's because it gave ME1 a sense of scope and loneliness that ME2 and 3 totally lack, and that ME:A mostly lacks. When I played ME1 near release, I would occasionally stop to marvel at the feeling of being essentially alone at the edges of civilization, driving on a nearly or entirely uninhabited rock under a beautiful and alien sky. ME:A tried to capture this sense of exploration, but undercut it by making its explorable planets feel settled before you even arrive. That is, it kept the irritation of having to navigate in the Mako (although again, the Nomad handles much, much better), but lost the sense of isolation and strangeness that permeated ME:1's much emptier locations.
The thing I really missed about the Mako, though, was the way it expanded the scope ME1's main-story missions. Typically, you start at one location (e.g., an administrative station on Noveria, a frozen and loosely-regulated world at the fringes of civilization), then get in the Mako and drive seamlessly to somewhere else to advance the story (e.g., through a blizzard to a research center located a few kilometers away from the station, at which certain people have been up to no good). ME2 and 3 just threw this away in favor of interconnected corridors and cinematic transitions, and I thought it was a significant loss. ME:A doesn't really replicate it, either: your travels in the Nomad are mostly in the service of sidequests in MMO-ish playgrounds, not tightly-constructed missions.
ME1's explorable planets were large generic maps with a handful of points of interest. Typically you'd land, clear an outpost or two, find some beacon with loot and leave. What made them interesting was the variety of terrain, weather, and art direction. An icy planet with a heavy blizzard, a beautiful grassy planet with dandelion seeds in the wind, stuff like that. Because they aren't the meat of the game they end up being these self contained areas you can freely explore to find extra info, sometimes uncover plot secrets or hints, occasionally find ancient alien structures, or often just loads of mercs and geth. They weren't about narrative meat, just pure desolate exploration in remote worlds.
By contrast the planets are the meat of Andromeda and most things in them are tied to missions. You ride off and you find some wreckage or even a full empty base that will give or tell you nothing until you activate some side mission somewhere, frequently making it fruitless to just pick a direction and explore. On the other hand, having the various large fleshed out planets directly tied to story and missions arguably adds a better sense of presence. We could say that the planets are big characters too, but Andromeda is so devoid of music that it fails at lending each world a memorable personality.
As for the Mako, stupid as it was, it was often hilarious and always fast and versatile. The Nomad feels like a slower less capable version.
Cornbread78
Member
LOL, my buddy was all excited he found this t-shirt online and had to show me..
RyanHardy101
Banned
After 100% on Eos and almost that on Voeld, don't like Harvald so will not do in that one.
Is it really worth trying to do the side missions on this planets, or would I be good with sticking with Main Missions and Loyalty missions? Because so far, no side mission (except
) has my interest.
Is it really worth trying to do the side missions on this planets, or would I be good with sticking with Main Missions and Loyalty missions? Because so far, no side mission (except
the one on Eos you fight that large robot
LOL, my buddy was all excited he found this t-shirt online and had to show me..
That's not how you spell Reyes Vidal.
Cornbread78
Member
No idea. He has an uncanny affection for Gil from this game and Cor from FFXV. His boyfriend actually shaved his beard to match Gil's lol.
true love
Just avoid those from the "Additional tasks" section mostly.
If you want to be extra sure, well... yeah, stick to main missions and the ones that usually have your squadmate names in them. That and movie night & the memories from your father too maybe.
I remember Bioware clearly stating that they had learned from the criticism of Inquisition's mmo style quests, but here we are again. Sure, they dont have the same explicit collectathons, but its honestly just a superficial difference. Instead of "collect 10 of X" they now have "clear out 3 bases" or "activate X amount of beacons" or things along that line. The narrative elements of those quests are mostly boring or straight up non existant, many of them delivered to you in text form. Its like they thought that simply refomulating some superficial elements of that style of quest design was a sufficient condition for it to not be a "MMO" style quest anymore.
Been watching some YouTube videos of Sara playthroughs (I played as Scott so I hadn't had a chance to see what playing as Sara is like) and it's sort of come to my attention that she and Scott are actually written with distinct personalities in mind. I mean, functionally speaking, most of their dialogue is the same as they both occupy the same role of mutually exclusive protagonists, but there's a few instances where each character actually has unique dialogue (e.g., when flirting, or during certain scenes involving auto-dialogue, or while making some non-emotive dialogue choices) and you can see that BioWare intended for there to be differences in their personalities (which makes sense given that they're supposed to be different people as opposed to male and female versions of the same person like Shepard, but it's still cool to see it applied practically).
It seems like Sara is more endearingly awkward than Scott in general. She sort of stumbles over her words at times or says inappropriate things and generally seems to be the geekier one of the two. It's kinda cute and interesting to watch and contrast with her brother's more charming and easygoing personality. Watching Sara trying to flirt with Jaal and Liam is especially funny.
Anyway, just a minor thing that I noticed.
It seems like Sara is more endearingly awkward than Scott in general. She sort of stumbles over her words at times or says inappropriate things and generally seems to be the geekier one of the two. It's kinda cute and interesting to watch and contrast with her brother's more charming and easygoing personality. Watching Sara trying to flirt with Jaal and Liam is especially funny.
Anyway, just a minor thing that I noticed.
Yup. The thing that I don't think they've realized is that in order to make sidequests feel less fetchy, you have to polish them to something approximating the same luster as the main quests. Even if you pen narratives and character traits in your quests, if you don't present them to the player in a way that's similar to "important" quests in the same game, the player's brain is going to check out. This includes things like customized camera angles, animation and voice acting, and even cutscenes. The problem is that this is a metric fuckton of work, and Bioware doesn't seem to be up to it.
I did a lot of sidequests in ME:A, and I remember almost none of them, even though most of them had at least some attempt at a story. Often, by the time I got back to the questgiver to wrap things up I could barely remember what I'd done for him/her/it and why (although this is probably partly a result of the game forcing you to work on many quests simultaneously, for geographic reasons).
Also, there remain some straight-up "collect 10 of X" quests in ME:A, sometimes in really annoying places - Ryder Family Secrets, for instance.
bonesmccoy
Banned
To be fair, this is a problem with side quests in virtually every RPG. If they're not related to the larger story in some way, chances are you're not going to remember them long after you're finished with them.
Witcher 3 - whom many believe has the *best* side quests - suffers from this greatly. Sure, you'll remember the fetch/kill quests you do with Vernon Roche, but you don't recall the fetch/kill quests you did for the aldermen/lonely farmers/sour peasants in the rando villages across Skellige/Velen/Novigrad.
I absolutely disagree with this statement. The Witcher 3 had extremely memorable side quests, even better, they actively piqued your interest because of how high the production values were and how well they were written. And because the world itself felt so rich and alive, going out to solve these quests became a pleasure. The quests often had narrative milestones, twists and turns along the way, it wasnt just a matter of getting the quest, killing the target, and then returning to quest giver for a short thank you.
I disagree re: TW3, actually. That's a game that *did* take the time to polish its sidequests, and was in fact the game I was thinking of when I started musing about the effects of presentation (I didn't mention this because I think using it to beat on poor ME:A is likely to get tiresome).
One example, of many many choices - did you do the apparently simple witcher contract that unexpectedly spins off into the "Cave of Dreams" sidequest in Skellige? It's not a significant quest, but it was very memorable for me, largely because that entire quest chain was polished to a level pretty close to that of the main narrative. I could rattle off many other examples. In general, sidequests in TW3 are presented to the player in approximately the same way that "important" quests are, and it makes a huge difference (I'm sure there are exceptions, but I think this is generally true).
The other point -- which I tried to clarify with an edit to the line you quoted after the fact -- is that ME:A forces you to do quests in parallel or go insane, while TW3 mostly encourages you to play each one through to its end, so you don't end up back at the questgiver having completed 8 other quests and visited 2 other planets, with no clue why you're even there other than that there's a marker on your map.
I think one of the differences in The Witcher 3 is that most of the simpler quests that utilize the "go to a place and do a thing" type structure in that game are done in a way that compels you to fulfill the quest right away, or at least, does not actively repel you from doing so (unless the quest is far above your level or something). Most of the time the "place" you have to visit in your map to complete the quest is not too far away from the quest giver (often it's just outside their village), so you don't feel like you have to go too far out of your original way to complete this extra bit of work, and typically the quests involve killing a monster of some sort and collecting payment, which is harmonious with the concept of Geralt as a witcher and his general purpose in the context of the game. In other words, you feel like you're doing what you're "supposed" to do in the game, as a witcher.
Compare that to the quests in Andromeda which usually involve travelling to what feels like the other side of the map from the quest giver (and sometimes to other planets, even), as well as making multiple, long journeying stops in order to complete what feels like menial work, especially for the role of Pathfinder (e.g., collect this many plants) and it's not difficult to see why so many quests in Andromeda feel like just busywork and not worth the bother. It just doesn't feel like you're doing anything compelling or interesting or even relevant to your role in proportion to the amount of drudgy work you have to put in, and a lot of the time it just takes way too long to do it, to boot.
Compare that to the quests in Andromeda which usually involve travelling to what feels like the other side of the map from the quest giver (and sometimes to other planets, even), as well as making multiple, long journeying stops in order to complete what feels like menial work, especially for the role of Pathfinder (e.g., collect this many plants) and it's not difficult to see why so many quests in Andromeda feel like just busywork and not worth the bother. It just doesn't feel like you're doing anything compelling or interesting or even relevant to your role in proportion to the amount of drudgy work you have to put in, and a lot of the time it just takes way too long to do it, to boot.
I totally agree with this, and I think the real big issue is that you pick up 2-3 quests in the way to fulfilling the first quest, and eventually you forget which plotline is which and become disconnected from whatever vignette is trying to be told. That's a big reason why I feel so many of the quests are tough to remember: they become extremely fragmented and you lose track of things.
On a positive note, finished the game last night. I feel the same way about this game as I did about DAI: it's a great 30-40 game the experience of which degrades the higher your hour count is. I'm actually very excited for a replay of story missions+loyalty missions+ vaults.
Man Called Aerodynamics
Member
I think this is an insightful observation. In Skyrim (for example), you can pick a direction, wander off, and chances are something unexpected and cool will happen to you. A bit of story will be told.
In Dragon Age Inquisition, and again in Andromeda, the map may be big and filled with neat places, but unless you already have the proper quest active and already know your destination, it's just an empty environment to look at. Nothing is going to happen.
That makes the open world feel pointless.
royox
Member
Random conversation with Jaal at the tempest
This coming after Jaal heard Cora yelling
made it even better.
My gosh, best bro companion since Garrus. Jaal+Drak+Scott = Best Mass Effect party banters.
Scott: "Heh, don't push your luck"
Jaal: "B-but luck can't be pushed...It just comes or-. Oh....Idiom"
Scott: "Yup"
Jaal: "SHIT"
Jaal: "B-but luck can't be pushed...It just comes or-. Oh....Idiom"
Scott: "Yup"
Jaal: "SHIT"
This coming after Jaal heard Cora yelling
"SHIT!!" and saying "Aaah, so this <shit> word has diferent meanings and uses based on the context!"
My gosh, best bro companion since Garrus. Jaal+Drak+Scott = Best Mass Effect party banters.
I really like Jaal/Peebee/Ryder too, it's sort of goofy and awkward. Vetra/Peebee is cute because they actually start out not getting along and then gradually become friends complete with nicknames for each other.
Peebee/Cora get super bitchy. And the things Peebee says when you've been flirting with both of them...dang.
Peebee/Cora get super bitchy. And the things Peebee says when you've been flirting with both of them...dang.
Man Called Aerodynamics
Member
It's very interesting, the different relationships within the squad. Liam and Vetra HATE each other.
Cornbread78
Member
Is it me, or is Gil VERY direct in his approach when it comes to flirting?
Peebee is the same way...
Vetra gets kind of shy, same for Cora.
Mr. Frenchie told me me to f-off, but wanted to know what I was attracted about him and the reporter was a little flirt as well. Oh, the girl on Jaal's planet, right before he boards the ship was pretty subtle about it as well.
Is there a "bad" harem scene in the game if you flirt with too many people? I just want that trophy, lol
Peebee is the same way...
Vetra gets kind of shy, same for Cora.
Mr. Frenchie told me me to f-off, but wanted to know what I was attracted about him and the reporter was a little flirt as well. Oh, the girl on Jaal's planet, right before he boards the ship was pretty subtle about it as well.
Is there a "bad" harem scene in the game if you flirt with too many people? I just want that trophy, lol
LOL, my buddy was all excited he found this t-shirt online and had to show me..
...him?
As far as squadmate banter/interactions go, this one between Drack and Vetra is probably my favorite. That thing Vetra mentions about
BioWare games always have little things like this, which I greatly appreciate. Little bits of writing or characterization that feel extremely touching and genuine. The fact that it's often tucked away in segments of party banter or incidental dialogue only makes it all the more special, I think.
feeling compelled to remember everything about your kid as they grow up,
even as they themselves forget, hit me especially hard as someone who has children in their life who only seem grow bigger and bigger with each passing day.
even as they themselves forget, hit me especially hard as someone who has children in their life who only seem grow bigger and bigger with each passing day.
BioWare games always have little things like this, which I greatly appreciate. Little bits of writing or characterization that feel extremely touching and genuine. The fact that it's often tucked away in segments of party banter or incidental dialogue only makes it all the more special, I think.
Captain Tuttle
Member
But you just drove the Mako along a long corridor to do those missions (Noveria, Virmire). It's not like you could explore along the way, you were just driving instead of walking or running.
SlimySnake
Flashless at the Golden Globes
The Mako sections in the first game especially during the story missions sucked. They gave the game a sense of scale, but other than that they sucked.
We bitched about lack of Mako and complained about ME2 turning into a lienar third person shooter but guess what? It made the game better, more focused and allowed the combat to shine. The quests weren't spread across different planets and everything was self contained.
We didnt know this back then but after 4 years of 'Everything was open world' I have come to the realization that we were wrong and devs were right to make everything linear. I know we like to shit on devs every time they get something but maybe it's time for us to admit that we were wrong about asking for Mako to make a comeback and have ME go back to being more open. We did this. This is on us.
We bitched about lack of Mako and complained about ME2 turning into a lienar third person shooter but guess what? It made the game better, more focused and allowed the combat to shine. The quests weren't spread across different planets and everything was self contained.
We didnt know this back then but after 4 years of 'Everything was open world' I have come to the realization that we were wrong and devs were right to make everything linear. I know we like to shit on devs every time they get something but maybe it's time for us to admit that we were wrong about asking for Mako to make a comeback and have ME go back to being more open. We did this. This is on us.
Yes, yes and yes. I agree completely with you, this trend of making everything open world in my opinion doesn't translate well to all games. Some are unique by it, but others suffer from a lack of focus, lack of polish and lack of meaningful and unique enemy encounters. A lot is sacrificed, and honestly, I miss a lot the linearity and the focused storytelling. Even the planets, the planets in ME2 felt so much more alive a detailed even though they were a series of hallways. This barren huge expanses do little to me in the form of believable, they just look like giant sandboxes, which they are. This works for a lot of games, and some actually gain from this, but many games I feel have suffered from the "let's make it as big and expansive as possible", I think scope needs to be balanced with polish, plot and gameplay so that those don't suffer.
Now I don't think we need to point the finger at ourselves, because I do believe Bioware knows this, but the game definitely suffered from it, and maybe, we need to accept that limited scope and more linearity has its advantages, and some games benefit from it. Developers have been promising for years that perfect open world that has all the attention to detail, storytelling, gameplay, level design and overall quality of a linear game, and so far none have deliver, there are always trade offs. And again, it all depends on the game, some games are meant to be Open World, and benefit from it, like Witcher 3(although that is one huuuge game) and GTA V, but not all of them.
Blue Ninja
Member
My god, you've put into words exactly what I hate about BioWare's 'open worlds'.
Ok, but as the poster immediately above noted, ME1 wasn't really open world - the Mako sections, at least in the main quests, were essentially much longer corridors. The random planets were more open world-ish, but they were also relatively self-contained, typically having one or even no significant quest locations. Both were generally pretty quick to play through (or at least they would have been if the Mako weren't a nightmare to handle), and added a sense of scale without sprawl. The Mako didn't cause the kind of bloat that afflicts ME:A.
I think you're conflating two things: open worlds making it harder to design good questlines (true!), and the Mako somehow inhibiting quest and combat design (false!). If nothing else, they easily could have ditched the semi-open explorable worlds while keeping larger locations that are tightly focused around one or two quest chains but still require a vehicle to traverse.
I agree with this so much. The Mako sections in ME1 served the theme of the game. Maybe the gameplay in those sections wasn't excellent, but the mood conveyed was excellent and more important anyway.