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[The Artisan]

I did (xbone s) and I made sure to get hdr for my tv. I was happy to hear md:a will have hdr

which 4KTV did you get?

 

[jediyoshi]

News update

 

[Garlador]

News update

Love the talking elcor plushie on the floor.

 

[The Artisan]

News update

that's one ugly ass sweater

 

[Poodlestrike]

Ah man, ME3 multi is so good, but I am so bad at it, lol. I used to run Golds with friends, what's happened to meeeeee

 

[JeffG]

which 4KTV did you get?

I got a Phillips 6921

It may be an 8 bit panel using FRC to create the HDR effect

But its 4k, The 4K looks good. The hdr looks good enough and I got it for $800 Can (Its $750 now)

Maybe in the store beside the $2000 TV it may not be good enough, but its a whole bunch cheaper.

and I am ok with that.

(I had $500 from work 15 yrs of service. So for ~$400 out of pocket, I got a 5 inch bigger TV that has 4K and HDR and upgraded my Original XBone to an S)

 

[The Artisan]

I got a Phillips 6921

It may be an 8 bit panel using FRC to create the HDR effect

But its 4k, The 4K looks good. The hdr looks good enough and I got it for $800 Can (Its $750 now)

Maybe in the store beside the $2000 TV it may not be good enough, but its a whole bunch cheaper.

and I am ok with that.

(I had $500 from work 15 yrs of service. So for ~$400 out of pocket, I got a 5 inch bigger TV that has 4K and HDR and upgraded my Original XBone to an S)

for 55", a deal like that seems pretty damn good. I just did a quick search on ebay of 4K tvs with brands that matter and there are like non popping up less than $800. there is this but I feel like samsung while you can't go wrong with it, is kinda overrated.

anyways, you say "it may be an 8 bit" that seems to imply that 8 bit is a crutch? what exactly does 8 bit mean? as opposed to like what, 10 bit? what's the difference?

 

[Mindlog]

News update

That's the most magnificent sweater I have ever laid eyes upon. I feel blessed and will tell my grandchildren of the very moment it first entered my memory.

 

[DeadlyParasite]

Pretty sure they're selling that sweater on the BioWare store right now.

 

[Officer.Sanchez]

 

[Patryn]

Hey, I'm actually wearing that sweater right now.

 

[Sou Da]

Link me to the source right now.

 

[BrassDragon]

Facial animation looks great.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Facial animation looks great.

Yah, but do you SEE those textures?

Bioware stays losing.

 

[Mindlog]

Only LG and XL left on the sweater, but also only $19.99.
That's a value play right there.

 

[JeffG]

for 55", a deal like that seems pretty damn good. I just did a quick search on ebay of 4K tvs with brands that matter and there are like non popping up less than $800. there is this but I feel like samsung while you can't go wrong with it, is kinda overrated.

anyways, you say "it may be an 8 bit" that seems to imply that 8 bit is a crutch? what exactly does 8 bit mean? as opposed to like what, 10 bit? what's the difference?

8 bit vs 10 bit describes the difference in color depth. 8 bit says that a screen has a possible color display of 16.7 million colors. 10 bit is just over 1 billion.

hdr (specifically hr10 a hdr specification) uses 10 bit color. older/cheaper hdr tv's use software to make the 8 bit screens behave like a 10 bit screen.

it is a compromise, but does work.

hope that makes sense

 

[Sub_Level]

Just played my first ME3 Gold match with a level 1 weapon. Not a smart idea. But were able to scratch by a victory thanks to other people who were carrying us lol. Phew.

And it was Geth too which is the easiest enemy. So many Primes. So fucking many.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Just played my first ME3 Gold match with a level 1 weapon. Not a smart idea. But were able to scratch by a victory thanks to other people who were carrying us lol. Phew.

And it was Geth too which is the easiest enemy. So many Primes. So fucking many.

noice

I'm thinking of just doing Geth for a while; I got this anti-synthetic rifle I wanna try out.

 

[Militaratus]

Currently doing my platinum runs on the Trilogy, forgot that I didn't do them on my main PSN Account yet. Starting of course with Mass Effect 1.

So any word yet on the Andromeda Closed Beta?

 

[JohnnyFootball]

has anybody bought a 4KTV for the Ps4 pro/xbone S? I figure it'd make Me4 more worth playing with the 4K graphics. they certainly hyped it up at that playstation premier or whatever

I have a 1080p TV and I can say unequivocally that the Pro is still worth it, especially games that are internally rendered at 4K such as Skyrim or Ratchet and Clank.

The resolution increase makes a TON of difference.

Far more than I thought it would.

 

[JohnnyFootball]

Yeah I agree. Nice point about the geth developing a cultish worship of Sovereign in ME1, btw, I hadn't considered that angle and how it relates to their surprising irrationality as a synthetic species.

I will say, though, that the whole Shepard's armor piece thing is a known sore spot for Chris L'Etoile, Legion's ME2 writer. He didn't want Legion showing any preference for Shepard, and the N7 armor thing was a higher up's idea to show Legion as being particularly interested/obsessed with Shepard. So for those who more prefer L'Etoile's ideas about the geth truly being without emotion/irrationality, I think that's worth noting as a way to explain the apparent incoherence of Legion's character.

Personally? I think higher ups had it right. Legion being unable to explain why he chose Shepard's armor to mend itself gave some mystery to the character that wouldn't have existed otherwise. if the geth had truly only been represented as a cold, calculating machine race, then that feels like a narrative developmental dead end to me. There's nothing more to interest me about their race once Legion tells me of its workings. The N7 armor suggested something else was developing under the hood between typical synthetic and organic thought processes and made me more invested in how the geth were to develop.

This is why I was so receptive to the Rannoch conclusion in ME3. The geth evolving into something that wasn't quite synthetic but certainly not organic imbued them with novelty, and I also felt it made sense given their apparent irrationality previously in the series re: the N7 armor and branching consensus. Had they stuck with their giant server idea it would have been supremely boring to me.

The one big issue I have with Rannoch is how much changes between the end of ME2 and the beginning of ME3. It's totally jarring and confusing. At the end of ME2 you might guess Rannoch would be set up as: Legion goes back to the consensus, Tali is with her people, and together they start negotiating for peace on Rannoch. But the Reapers (or Cerberus, indoctrination in general) undermine the treaty and get them at each other's throats instead, which you have to solve. Instead the second Morning War begins between games and I found it difficult to orient myself regarding the geth and Legion's current status.

Yeah, the Rannoch arc IMO story wise was pretty terrible in ME3. Totally made the quarrians unlikeable.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Yeah, the Rannoch arc IMO story wise was pretty terrible in ME3. Totally made the quarrians unlikeable.

Wow, that's not what I got out of his post at all lol.

Personally, I really liked the Rannoch arc; it was pretty clearly geared to make the Quarians into the villains of the conflict, but that's honestly not so bad.

 

[The Artisan]

8 bit vs 10 bit describes the difference in color depth. 8 bit says that a screen has a possible color display of 16.7 million colors. 10 bit is just over 1 billion.

hdr (specifically hr10 a hdr specification) uses 10 bit color. older/cheaper hdr tv's use software to make the 8 bit screens behave like a 10 bit screen.

it is a compromise, but does work.

hope that makes sense

Of course that makes sense you explained it in a very understandable way.

The thing I don't get about HDR is why is it so vital to 4K? Like, what would 4K look like without HDR on would it not look as detailed or is 4K automatically HDR and can't be turned off

Because I've seen some people complaining about HDR, saying things like it looks madd white washed, etc. stuff is kinda hard to understand tbh

I have a 1080p TV and I can say unequivocally that the Pro is still worth it, especially games that are internally rendered at 4K such as Skyrim or Ratchet and Clank.

The resolution increase makes a TON of difference.

Far more than I thought it would.

Johnny, I almost didn't even know that was you with the changed avatar.

Anyways, you must have a dope 1080P TV then because I have a really old no-name brand that's 1080P and I can't see a difference at all. Granted I've been playing the same old games (Uncharted 4 and Rocket League) but I expected to be able to see something different.

 

[JeffG]

The thing I don't get about HDR is why is it so vital to 4K?

Its not. Thats the kicker

Manufactures have tied it to 4K to force you to buy a new TV, but the technology doesn't require 4K.

Like, what would 4K look like without HDR on would it not look as detailed or is 4K automatically HDR and can't be turned off

HDR typically give greater detail in the brightest and darkest parts of an image. Because the range of colors is greater, subtle differences can be displayed which under normal 8 bit display would be merged into one blob of either white or black. Color intensity is also a big thing. This is why how bright the TV comes into play.

An example of this would be extra details in clouds in a bright sky or rock details shown in a dark cave.

Because I've seen some people complaining about HDR, saying things like it looks madd white washed, etc. stuff is kinda hard to understand tbh

Ummmm...I have an opinion on this, but most people wouldn't like it. lol

But IMO I see many people making interesting decisions on display settings which would lead me to think they are over thinking the issue.

If the image is washed out, it can only be 1 of two things. The TV/Console settings are incorrect (high probability) or there is a bug in the either the TV or console (low probability, but not unheard of)

 

[DevilDog]

I don't understand the obsession with 4K. The emotion it gives you wears off pretty quickly.

Same with most "technically advanced" video games. Art style is the most important thing.

What is so appealing that people feel justified dropping so much cash on it?

 

[JeffG]

I don't understand the obsession with 4K. The emotion it gives you wears off pretty quickly.

Same with most "technically advanced" video games. Art style is the most important thing.

What is so appealing that people feel justified dropping so much cash on it?

[this is so offtopic now]

You ask that on a forum where peoples eye's bleed if video isn't refreshed every 1/60 of a sec? or where things are a blurry mess based on what AA is being used?

lol

I on the other do understand it, but on the internet where everything is black/white or shit/great I am an oddity.

I do like new technology, but it needs to live in a world where price vs return has to be addressed.
[/this is so offtopic now]

I am looking forward to HDR on Mass Effect and I also hope they support Microsoft's Scorpio with greater resolution. (There...I am trying to get it back on Mass Effect Topic lol)

 

[Poodlestrike]

I don't understand the obsession with 4K. The emotion it gives you wears off pretty quickly.

Same with most "technically advanced" video games. Art style is the most important thing.

What is so appealing that people feel justified dropping so much cash on it?

Part of it's just wanting to be on the cutting edge, tbh. A lot of the rest is PC standards being brought over to consoles. Super high res is a lot more important on a 20 inch screen 2 feet away than a 60 inch one 6 feet away, but the expectation has changed.

HDR tho is legit gamechanging stuff. Outrageous improvement.

 

[Mediking]

Any good fan art yet? FemRyder art?

 

[DevilDog]

It's that different? I really really doubt it, but then again I've never seen a game played on a 4K monitor.

I mean, I would sacrifice 4K i feel for 144 fps. Graphics are usually wowing you in the beginning, but gameplay is what remains.

Maybe I need to buy a 4K monitor after I...

 

[diaspora]

Graphics and art style are linked. Ass-tastic textures affects art as does low-res shadows. It matters.

 

[Sou Da]

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?p=227055965#post227055965

VA Contest winner thread.

 

[DevilDog]

Graphics and art style are linked. Ass-tastic textures affects art as does low-res shadows. It matters.

1080p vs 4k textures don't really matter

 

[Sub_Level]

Just had a 2 player Silver match where I was an asari justicar adept and this other person was asari adept but different, dunno which character she was. We survived and kept doing the heavy melee scream animation in tandem.

I feel like I need to make a craigslist posting for missed connections.

 

[DeadlyParasite]

My knowledge on the in-game topic is somewhat limited but it's my understanding that quantum entanglement communicators are not limited by distance or time correct?

Wouldn't it be a glaring omission on the initiatives part to not have one aboard the Nexus that links directly to some place in our own galaxy as some way to establish communications?

 

[Poodlestrike]

My knowledge on the in-game topic is somewhat limited but it's my understanding that quantum entanglement communicators are not limited by distance or time correct?

Wouldn't it be a glaring omission on the initiatives part to not have one aboard the Nexus that links directly to some place in our own galaxy as some way to establish communications?

Might be that it was. A lot of stuff seems to have gone wrong, and once a QEC goes down, there's no way to repair it (since the whole point is the unique pair of particles).

Or maybe there is a technical limitation--maybe there is a range issue, or the paired particles would just degrade over the expected 600 year travel time.

 

[DevilDog]

My knowledge on the in-game topic is somewhat limited but it's my understanding that quantum entanglement communicators are not limited by distance or time correct?

Wouldn't it be a glaring omission on the initiatives part to not have one aboard the Nexus that links directly to some place in our own galaxy as some way to establish communications?

QEC are not limited in-game, or in real life. They can work from wherever.

Yeah it would be unacceptable if they didn't bring at least one with them. Even if it has a low Bandwidth, just to tell them that they have arrived safely.

 

[Garlador]

My knowledge on the in-game topic is somewhat limited but it's my understanding that quantum entanglement communicators are not limited by distance or time correct?

Wouldn't it be a glaring omission on the initiatives part to not have one aboard the Nexus that links directly to some place in our own galaxy as some way to establish communications?

They probably had one on the Citadel...

 

[DevilDog]

They probably had one on the Citadel...

Had one in the citadel linking to where?

 

[Patryn]

It's also possible that they didn't include one because Reapers. Or it broke. Or a wizard did it.

Just accept the handwave. Bioware wants to leave the Milky Way behind. Expecting anything else is setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[DeadlyParasite]

Not expecting anything really. I just think it's interesting that the more they try to distance themselves from the other games the more things established by their own lore work against them. Anyone with a passing interest in the workings of the Mass Effect universe will have to fight hard against their own suspension of disbelief.

 

[Ralemont]

It's sounding like BioWare plans to connect Andromeda and the MW possibly as early as the end of this game. If so they will probably have some BS about QECs interfering with Remnant tech and preventing calls back. Once you (presumably) harness the Remnant tech at the end of the game Im sure QECs will be back.

 

[DevilDog]

It's also possible that they didn't include one because Reapers. Or it broke. Or a wizard did it.

Just accept the handwave. Bioware wants to leave the Milky Way behind. Expecting anything else is setting yourself up for disappointment.

Yeah, well said, although I'm sure that some people will try and make connections to the original trilogy, no matter what.

Anyone with a passing interest in the workings of the Mass Effect universe will have to fight hard against their own suspension of disbelief.

This has been the case for every ME game after ME1.

I'm willing however to let them make a clean surgical cut, and let them build a believable universe once more.

 

[Bisnic]

I'm half expecting us to go back to the Milky Way in the future anyway. I doubt Mass Effect games from now on will stick to Andromeda only, unless Bioware intend Mass Effect to become the "RPG Adventures in our Neighbor Galaxy" franchise of video games.

 

[DeadlyParasite]

This has been the case for every ME game after ME1.

I don't think so. In terms of basic technology everything has remained relatively consistent throughout the trilogy.

I'm willing however to let them make a clean surgical cut, and let them build a believable universe once more.

Is it a clean surgical cut though? As long as it's a continuation of the timeline and not a full reboot the inconsistencies remain.

The only way things truly become separated is the refusal ending, otherwise you have 3 very disinct outcomes in which the denizens of the post-war Milky Way are likely to reverse-engineer reaper technology and become so advanced that the prospect of leaving the Milky Way to explore again becomes easier and more tangible than the Andromeda Initiative.

The Andromeda Initiative videos tell us that one of the primary goals is to eventually re-establish communications with the Milky Way. In that sense BioWare has at least committed to an attempted connection between the two galaxies, regardless of it being successful or not.

 

[DevilDog]

I don't think so. In terms of basic technology everything has remained relatively consistent throughout the trilogy.

I was talking about consistency in general, thought the inclusion of thermal clips in ME2 was pretty damn contrived. Especially when you found them during Jacob's mission.

Is it a clean surgical cut though? As long as it's a continuation of the timeline and not a full reboot the inconsistencies remain.

Fine then:

-During an accident in the Citadel/Ark, due to <reason x>...

or

-Due to the political state of <year y>...

...the QEC pairs of the Andromeda mission were caused to be ineffective, restricting all communication.

 

[DeadlyParasite]

Pretty big Gameplanet interview with Mike Gamble

- Massive information and gameplay systems drop coming January. Expect more details on the dialogue system, inventory "system", deeper information on combat and squad controls, and who's doing the music.

- Players looking for stealth or diplomacy options as opposed to combat are likely to be disappointed.

- Unlike the original trilogy the male and female protagonists will have distinctly different dialogue choices and personality. Gender-based responses will also be featured. However the main story remains unchanged for both.

- Instead of classes you now have class templates that you can change on the go at any time without cost to the player. A person can switch between a Vanguard and an Infiltrator template they've made as the situation calls for it.

- Reiterates that multiplayer is not required for singleplayer but those wanting to delve into the Strike System will be rewarded. Apparently it ties into what the other settlers of Andromeda are doing. More information in January(?) on that.

Are there going to be references to characters from prior Mass Effect characters in addition to the Shepard mentions confirmed earlier?

Mike Gamble: Yep, for sure.

 

[Bisnic]

Are there going to be references to characters from prior Mass Effect characters in addition to the Shepard mentions confirmed earlier?

Mike Gamble: Yep, for sure.

Considering the Ark launched during or just prior to ME2, I'm expecting those characters other than Shepard to be...

A) Saren
B) Sovereign
C) The Council?

Because everyone else are not important enough at this point in the trilogy to be worth mentioning in another galaxy. But hey... I'm sure Bioware will find a way to shoehorn a Liara or Wrex reference somewhere in there.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Had one in the citadel linking to where?

The Nexus, I'd guess. Then maybe another on Earth linking to the Hyperion, one on Palaven to the Turian ark, and so on. So I guess another possibility is that the MW terminals just got blown the fuck up.

Considering the Ark launched during or just prior to ME2, I'm expecting those characters other than Shepard to be...

A) Saren
B) Sovereign
C) The Council?

Because everyone else are not important enough at this point in the trilogy to be worth mentioning in another galaxy. But hey... I'm sure Bioware will find a way to shoehorn a Liara or Wrex reference somewhere in there.

I'd have to double check the timeline, but Wrex would be the de-facto leader of the Krogan by the time the mission launched for sure, and Liara might be the Shadow Broker at that point, so both could merit references.

 

[DevilDog]

Because everyone else are not important enough at this point in the trilogy to be worth mentioning in another galaxy.

I'm sure that the brightest of every race will look up, or have heard of their representative on board the Normandy.

 

[Mindlog]

D) The Illusive Man

He created the Arks to save Yoomanity, but required assistance with funding. He made sure that the other Arks would fail along the way.

Also,

Spoiler

he has a clone on one of the Arks secretly running the show.

Also,

Spoiler

E) The Reapers are now slowly moving to invade the Andromeda Galaxy.