One big factor BioWare can definitely play around with though is all the dead Reapers everywhere and the technology/knowledge they can extract from them. The Protheans, on their own, eventually figured out how to build a relay small enough to fit on a large ship. Who knows if the races stuck in Sol can't just figure out relay-speed travel for individual ships with everything they salvage from the Reapers? Not to mention all the secret shit in the Citadel the council spent 2000 years ignoring.
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The Mass Effect Community Thread
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One big factor BioWare can definitely play around with though is all the dead Reapers everywhere and the technology/knowledge they can extract from them. The Protheans, on their own, eventually figured out how to build a relay small enough to fit on a large ship. Who knows if the races stuck in Sol can't just figure out relay-speed travel for individual ships with everything they salvage from the Reapers? Not to mention all the secret shit in the Citadel the council spent 2000 years ignoring.
ZeroMaverick
Member
So any of you think ME 1-3 will be ported to next-gen?
EatChildren
Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
If it is indeed a sequel, going by the juicy details I got about meeting new races, I'd love to see a post-Reaper war galaxy set a little while after Mass Effect 3 where effectively every species is somewhat stabilised but still in the lingering stages of cleaning up after the war. There's the aura of a "golden age" throughout Citadel space as the high of having conquered the largest known threat in the galaxy encourages a culture of propagation, and so the modus operandi of most flourishing species is to start (carefully) opening locked relays (alternatively: death of the Reapers automatically unlocked all relays as they're no longer linked to their system) exploring the millions upon millions of unknown systems in a quest for resources and colonisable planets. You play as part of these many expedition teams.
If the PAX leak is correct (and I suspect it is), I'd like to see one of the new species encountered to be one that managed to evolve to space faring without Reaper tech influence. The technological constant of the trilogy is that all mass related tech was deliberately planted by the Reapers as a method of tech evolutionary control. Though they had a stranglehold on the galaxy entire, it would be nice if they did miss a system or something that was disconnected from the relays, where sentient life evolved unexpectedly, that then evolved to a space flight civilization totally absent of mass tech influence. Independent technological evolution curve basically, just like the Reapers once did with the mass tech.
Also I can fuck them.
If the PAX leak is correct (and I suspect it is), I'd like to see one of the new species encountered to be one that managed to evolve to space faring without Reaper tech influence. The technological constant of the trilogy is that all mass related tech was deliberately planted by the Reapers as a method of tech evolutionary control. Though they had a stranglehold on the galaxy entire, it would be nice if they did miss a system or something that was disconnected from the relays, where sentient life evolved unexpectedly, that then evolved to a space flight civilization totally absent of mass tech influence. Independent technological evolution curve basically, just like the Reapers once did with the mass tech.
Also I can fuck them.
They can use the PC code, I suppose. As long as Unreal Engine 3 is ported to the consoles, it should work. It would be cool if they could use UE4. However, BW has been focusing on Frostbite.
Mass Effect: The Complete Trilogy... 1080p, every DLC, shiny steelbook case... I would buy that instantly.
Mass Effect 3 cut the polygon/texture budget of the characters. You can tell just by comparing the character customization screen and looking at the face section, or seeing how Kelly Chambers looks between Mass Effect 2 and 3.
They wanted to fit a lot more enemies on screen and have areas like the citadel etc that had a LOT more npcs etc.
I love the Asari race, and was dissapointed that this never came up.The resulting child is, genetically speaking, 100% Asari since the Asari re-interpret the genes of their non-Asari mate for conception and considering their lifespans, it is probable that many of their non-asari mates do not end up procreating outside of this relationship.
They are a race that is deeply insecure about a great many things to do with themselves, and this situation is only one of many interesting aspects that should really be considered for future games.
I can see from another races perspective that they might be considered parasites, but in the bigger picture it is an invaluable reproductive edge.
They are a race that is deeply insecure about a great many things to do with themselves, and this situation is only one of many interesting aspects that should really be considered for future games.
I can see from another races perspective that they might be considered parasites, but in the bigger picture it is an invaluable reproductive edge.
Atraveller
Banned
But they aren't making children for the entirety of their lives, meaning there would probably be a couple of children per Asari in the span of 1000 years.
True. I guess the extent of the problem depends on the Asari population. I'm not sure on numbers and how it compares to other races.
Was it Protean intervention which allowed the Asari to reproduce with any race? Seems a strange trait to get through evolution. Especially if sticking with your own race produces space vampires. That kind of genetic problem without an alternative would lead to extinction.
dead monkey uk
Member
That does sound tempting, its been years since I have played Mass Effect 1 and I would love to play it again with improved visuals. Also any excuse to listen to that sound track again.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
No, just bad writing.
I'd love to meet a race that somehow developed outside the mass technology confines. That could be a really interesting way to go.
I think it would also be interesting if we met another race that is just opening up a mass relay for the first time. Basically one that hasn't had any contact with alien races before.
That's the main premise I really want to see used. And I agree that I think it would be best to have the game be placed right on the cusp of a "Golden Age" or at least the exit of the hard and long reconstruction era post ME3. While the effects of the war with the Reapers could have profound effects on the makeup and near term development, or lack there of, of the galaxy I think it would be best to begin a new game at the start of the up swing rather than dwell on the after effects so much.
I've kind of warmed up to the idea that your role of being in charge of one of these expedition crews isn't exactly an honor but something that is forced upon you because it is somewhat high risk high reward type situation that most people don't take up willingly. A situation much like most of the major expansions and rushes throughout history, you can win big, but most people end up getting screwed over. And in this case that means dying out in uncharted regions of space.
I would totally be down for an El Dorado type quest for glory where you start out with your small crew, forced for one reason or another to go off and explore this uncharted stretch of galaxy and you find some ruin that hints at some imaginable civilization or race somewhere deep outside the Mass Relay System. From there you spend the game building your crew and searching for more clues and means to penetrate this space. When you do find it, things turn out to be a bit more than you bargained for.
digoutyoursoul
Member
As long as we can adopt a Krogan baby I'm cool
Are you prepared to headbutt a baby Krogan every night in order to get it to sleep?
digoutyoursoul
Member
prag16
Banned
This is a cool thought. I like it. I also like the idea of the player character being involved in "reactivating" relays, or discovering new ones that had been "disabled" and helping connect and reconnect he galaxy. Though that'd be kind of boring as a main plot.
Hmmmm...let my LI do it
But a Hanar can't headbutt. Not even Blasto.
Melchiah
Member
I saved every time before attempting to unlock one of those, as it often took more than one try to do it. I didn't really enjoy ME1's customization, because it was too tasking to constantly change the equipment of team members when new gear was obtained.
Max 3 I think. But I may be in the minority here. I love the different races, but ME already has quite a few, they just happen to only focus on a few.
I think a lot of us agree that discovering a new race, that developed outside the Mass Relays would be a great focus for the next game. But I wouldn't want to introduce too many new races. There is a still a lot we don't know about the ones already present. There are the Elcor, Hanar, Volus, Drell, Rachni, Vorcha and Batarians that we have had varying exposure too but normally pretty limited and superficial and we've never seen one of their home planets or colonies. Hell we haven't even seen a Turian world, just a freaking moon with some bunkers.
So I vote for one new major race and then one or two supporting races. But that it for a while. I don't want ME to turn into a gallery of shallow alien races that we know nothing about.
digoutyoursoul
Member
JohnnyFootball
GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
If they do re-release the trilogy for PS4/360 I wonder if they will enhance it in anyway. It would be awesome if they updated ME1 so that it has ME3 gameplay and removed some of the linear constraints from ME2 (not being able to recruit squad in any order) or ME3 (doing Tuchanka or Rannoch in any order). Yeah, ME3 ending would be nice, but ain't gonna happen.
The Blue Jihad
Member
Nostremitus
Member
Well, during the Leviathon DLC you learn about a dead Reaper found in space that was killed by a Leviathan. This would mean that they can survive in a vacuum and move about of their own volition in space. I don't remember how many their were, but I seem to remember a cutscene that showed quite a few of them ascending from the depths.
Also, what happens to the Collectors reawakened by the Leviathans? The Leviathans returned the collectors' sense of self, they started fighting the Reapers to avenge the fallen Prothean Empire.
From the Mass Effect Wiki...
Considering how UE3 (engine) runs super-good on PC-architechture it's a perfect fit on PS4 if I'm not mistaken. Of all the PC ports I own ME3 runs really smooth in 1080p and so does Arkham Origins compared to other games like LA Noire or Sonic Generations which both can't even keep steady framerates in 720p on my PC.
And I wanna beat myself for saying this, but I'd totally replay the trilogy for a sixth time just because I could get the PS4 version. Ever since ME2 I felt console-mappings worked better and the focus on cinematic storytelling and action made it more of a couch-game than other straight-up RPGs.
Again, I'm with the idea of the Citadel races just figuring out relay-speed travel without relays at all, or at least without the original Reaper-built ones.
Hell, why not make Earth/the Citadel the El Dorado of space? Maybe another system has risen to become the center of human civilization after the war, and no one's been in contact with Earth since the collapse of the mass relay network 250 years ago (or what have you). I kind of like the idea of "Lost Earth" taking on an almost mythical status as the site of the galaxy's last great battle with the Reapers. And ending a game with your ship's slow approach to the Citadel, hanging in orbit above Earth, the first to return there in centuries... It'd make for a powerful finale, I think.
I'm with you on that. A couple of brand-new races would be fun, but I'd love to see some of the less-developed ones as crew members this time around. How about a vorcha, or a volus? Maybe even an elcor as a technician or other support personnel.
Lost Earth is like the oldest cliche in space genre history. Every space sim game practically does it and would require some serious leaps in logic and time to even begin to work in ME. I'd prefer it be a Prothean like race that developed outside the Mass Relays that is though to be some kind treasure trove of advanced tech.
Much like we stumbled upon Liara in a Prothean ruins in ME1, I think it would be cool to stumble upon a new character of a new race in a similar ruins that begins the chase for this fabled planet of unimaginable wealth and technology.
Where it goes from there is anyone guess. Could be a dead race, that lives up to the hype. Could be a living race that decided expansion was not in the best interest. Could be all tall tales like El Dorado, aggrandized by some primitive race that thought visitors were far more amazing than they really were. It could be handled in any number of ways, in this case it's most definitely all about the journey not the destination. Though it would be important for the future of the series to not make the destination end up being a massive plot hole that messes things up, but an interesting side not that enriches the whole.
I don't play a lot of space sims, so it's not a particularly tired cliche for me. ; ) And the notion of "lost Earth" has emotional resonance, particularly after the events of the trilogy, that discovering some advanced alien race just doesn't. The idea of humanity being cut off from its birthplace (and the Citadel, which has been established as the heart of the ME universe thematically) due to the collapse of interstellar travel, and reestablishing contact after a long absence, just resonates with me more.
I also don't think it'd require "serious leaps of logic" to make a scenario like that work in the aftermath of ME3, either. Just some serious bad luck when attempting to rebuild or reactivate a mass relay. Or perhaps there's a suspicion that contact was deliberately not reestablished, and there's a lingering mystery surrounding that. One thing that I really liked about the ME universe was its sense of mystery, but all the big questions have been resolved by the end of ME3, regardless of what you think of the answers. (They might do something with the nature of eezo and why it responds to organic life the way it does, but that's about the only mysterious aspect of the setting that hasn't been explored.)
I guess one of the things I'm worried about here, listening to you talk about this, is seeing Mass Effect 4 become yet another generic "interstellar science fiction" franchise. A bunch of rogues in a starship tooling around a galaxy full of fractious races in search of the mcguffin that'll make them rich doesn't feel particularly Mass Effect-ish at all to me, tbh.
Yeah, creating a roadmap for a possible trilogy ahead of time (and actually sticking to it for the most part, particularly with regard to big intended reveals) would probably be a welcome change this time around.
ArchedThunder
Banned
It would be pretty smart to release an HD collection a few months before ME4, I know I'd buy it.
ArchedThunder
Banned
Do we get to have steamy relations with that Elcor? If so I'm in.
EDIT: Shit, double post, I meant to hit edit.
I don't play a lot of space sims, so it's not a particularly tired cliche for me. ; ) And the notion of "lost Earth" has emotional resonance, particularly after the events of the trilogy, that discovering some advanced alien race just doesn't. The idea of humanity being cut off from its birthplace (and the Citadel, which has been established as the heart of the ME universe thematically) due to the collapse of interstellar travel, and reestablishing contact after a long absence, just resonates with me more.
I also don't think it'd require "serious leaps of logic" to make a scenario like that work in the aftermath of ME3, either. Just some serious bad luck when attempting to rebuild or reactivate a mass relay. Or perhaps there's a suspicion that contact was deliberately not reestablished, and there's a lingering mystery surrounding that. One thing that I really liked about the ME universe was its sense of mystery, but all the big questions have been resolved by the end of ME3, regardless of what you think of the answers. (They might do something with the nature of eezo and why it responds to organic life the way it does, but that's about the only mysterious aspect of the setting that hasn't been explored.)
I guess one of the things I'm worried about here, listening to you talk about this, is seeing Mass Effect 4 become yet another generic "interstellar science fiction" franchise. A bunch of rogues in a starship tooling around a galaxy full of fractious races in search of the mcguffin that'll make them rich doesn't feel particularly Mass Effect-ish at all to me, tbh.
Yeah, creating a roadmap for a possible trilogy ahead of time (and actually sticking to it for the most part, particularly with regard to big intended reveals) would probably be a welcome change this time around.
It would be very difficult to lose track of Earth in the wake of ME3 given that the Citadel ended up right next to it.
I also am so over Earth being the be-all, end-all. I think a lot of the weakness of ME3 revolved around "humans are special" and "Earth is more important than anything else!" I'm happy being human, but I'd be perfectly happy to never again visit Earth in the series.
I'm using "lost" in the sense that no one has been in contact with the place for centuries (if we pick up, say, 250 years after the end of ME3), not "lost" as in "nobody knows where the planet is these days". ; )
I wasn't so much unhappy with the idea of Earth being an important place, at least to humanity, as how it was made to be important in ME3 (which felt contrived to me).
ME1 and ME2 were almost the same too.
ME1 : "Humans saved the Citadel after we treated them like crap! All hail humans, our saviors!"
ME2 : "Humans are being abducted by the Collectors! They don't care about the other races!"
Spectral Entity
Member
Hahaha, same here!
Also, as someone who went 85% Paragon, playing through Omega as a Renegade is much more satisfying.
The way I saw it, Omega was Aria's domain. I was simply a soldier helping her reclaim her empire from TIM.
I wouldn't mind doing both. But I think elements of the setting like the Citadel should still be important moving forward, and I like the idea of making that a goal/endpoint rather than just, "Okay, the Citadel was rebuilt and towed back out to the Widow system during the intervening years, and everything's like it used to be".
I mean a story could work out that you are a citizen of one of the remote colonies shortly after ME3 setting out to reconnect with whatever remains of Citadel space. Or more like Fallout in space. You are from a refugee group that traveled to a far off system and hid away from the Reapers and are now venturing out to see what remains of the Galaxy. But that would be a very very different kind of game and not something I really suspect BioWare or most players would be interested in.
They actually have a super controlled population. Their homeworld, Thessia only has a population of 7 billion. Earth has over 12 in comparison.
What I wish they really focused on was Asari using biotics to trick species into looking more like them so they can better relate to them. It fits with their ability to mate with any species.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
They don't do that, though. If they did, it would be trivial to prove because of photographs, video recordings etc. In ME1 they wear human armors. Their bodies are morphologically identical to humans, and this is no trick. Just bad alien design.
You have a point. They are way to human looking for my likes
get the fuck out of here quarians
Though I suppose they wanted a Twi'lek which also looks very human looking.
ThoseDeafMutes
Member
The Asari were designed to be a love interest from the beginning, and this is really obvious when you look at them. An entire species of females, human-style boobs, human facial features, human body. The only major difference in appearance is the blue skin and head tentacles. None of them are ugly, either. And they live for a thousand years or more. And they all have psi-powers. And they're all really wise. Blue space elves, except without those pesky men getting in the way of your fantasy. They're like mary-sue species as designed by an incredibly thirsty team of neckbeards.
The Drell in ME2 were a much better job of designing a species as a potential romance option, IMO. Still have a lot of human like things, but not nearly to the same degree as the Asari, and they're generally more interesting.
The Drell in ME2 were a much better job of designing a species as a potential romance option, IMO. Still have a lot of human like things, but not nearly to the same degree as the Asari, and they're generally more interesting.
exmachina64
Banned
How utterly generic.
Boombloxer
Member
Heh, about that first part...
That's the trick, really. Bioware needs to do something that's new and interesting, but still manages to feel like Mass Effect rather than Generic Space Opera # 942. That means whatever they do has to tie in to what's gone before in some meaningful way.
I guess I'm just not sold on this idea of Mass Effect-as-Firefly. Firefly's great, don't get me wrong, but it's its own thing. "Scruffy explorer/trader with ragtag alien crew flying around the galaxy trying to strike it rich" just isn't what I want out of an ME game, tonally or thematically. : /
So, exploration, sure. But if we're exploring the galaxy in the wake of the collapse of the relays, reestablishing contact with systems that have been cut off would be as big a priority as exploring new ones, if not bigger. (And I'm still partial to the idea of Sol system being cut off and not being a major player at the outset. I can imagine this thriving system-wide culture of humans and other Fleet races marooned in Sol system during the final battle with the Reapers, developing in isolation from the rest of the galaxy for a couple of hundred years until contact's finally reestablished.)
I'd be good with the idea of Earth at the center of a Systems Alliance revival, and the focus solely on exploring uncharted worlds rather than reconnecting with Earth/cut-off civilizations, but then I'd want a better, more Mass Effect-y-feeling goal than "search for the mcguffin and strike it rich", you know?
No, leave it in the Solar System. And I'm not saying restore everything, I'm just tired of Earth and humanity being the main focal point of Mass Effect. The interesting thing about Mass Effect is exploring everything in the galaxy OTHER than Earth.
Plus, I think making a game totally about reconstruction spends too much time dwelling on the past and restoring what was lost. I'd rather look at this as an opportunity to explore totally new stuff. The galactic civilization should be reconstructed, but with a new face and a new balance of power as it charts a new destiny.
What I never understood was that when the Asari first landed on the citadel they must have spent years if not decades going through everything, only to realize that in this giant device there was a deep hidden core that nobody could get into and there existed weird green things that couldn't be examined and nobody knew where they want, what they wanted or what their purpose was.
Then the salarians showed up and they both thought "welp lets make this the political and cultural center of the universe lol" and completely disregard the hidden core and even outright outlaw the keepers because of failed attempts to examine them?
Damn lucky the asari didn't find that dead reaper first.
Then the salarians showed up and they both thought "welp lets make this the political and cultural center of the universe lol" and completely disregard the hidden core and even outright outlaw the keepers because of failed attempts to examine them?
Damn lucky the asari didn't find that dead reaper first.
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