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The Mass Effect Community Thread

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Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
Even after around 10 full trilogy playthroughs, I still listen to all of the codex entries during the run.

BioWare, if you are reading this, Codex guy must return!!
 

DOWN

Banned
Even after around 10 full trilogy playthroughs, I still listen to all of the codex entries during the run.

BioWare, if you are reading this, Codex guy must return!!

I wish they kept it consistent with ME1 and onward. If you listen to the ones recorded for ME1 back to back with one recorded for ME2, the ME1 guy sounds way cooler. Like a Tomorrowland news anchor.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Is the Mass Effect codex narrator the same guy from Rogue Squadron?
 
They experimented with that in Inquisition, tied to inquisition perks. I like the idea but it didn't seem to change a lot in practice from what i could see.

A way of doing it in Mass Effect might be:

80% of dialogue available to everybody
10% associated with persuade skill
5% based on class (tech, soldier, biotic)
2% based on character background (Earth/Spacer/Colonial)
2% based on military background (sole survivor/war hero/ruthless)
1% based on gender

(percentage figures pulled from my anus)

I like this breakdown. Always thought the games didn't give enough dialogue about Shepard's background/class enough. Kaidan has a line in ME1 that's supposed to reference if Shepard is a biotic, but I think it just plays for everyone (I was a soldier my first playthrough, and Kaidan still said something about me being an L3).
 
Woo hoo! got the Defender Achievement, and decided to beat the game right away since I've never got to experience it with max readiness. Not much changes, the cutscene at the beginning of the fight is way better since they allied forces don't get slaughtered and of course I choose the Green Ending [best ending] and is as great as I remember. Only need two achievements to get them all!!! =D
 
My gf absolutely loves mass effect 1and 2 but hated the third one thanks to the shit ending, I literally can't wait for current gen mass effect.
 
My gf absolutely loves mass effect 1and 2 but hated the third one thanks to the shit ending, I literally can't wait for current gen mass effect.

Shit better be less of a technical mess than DA:I. Stuttering, bugs everywhere.

I'll be running like an UltraTitanHD+ by then so I'm hoping to crush it mercilessly downsampling from 4k
 

Sou Da

Member
Are we talking about the Paragon Renegade nonsense again?

I think they need to go, they're just a relic from Casey's time with Kotor where those meters made sense. Here, they hurt far more than they help.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I did a run playing through the games deliberately not selecting any of the paragon/renegade choices or interrupts, it was actually kind of fun because you can't save everyone and you have to live with your choices.

That's what I'm after. I mean, I guess it really personifies an entire style of design that I like the most in my games; blurred lines between the game systems and the act of play. Like how in Mass Effect you can land on a planet, fight past some dudes, enter a camp, get a quest, then embark on the quest often without any load screens or mission activated stuff and that always felt much, much more immersive than the way Mass Effect 2 and 3 compartmentalised everything. Dialogue is the same. It so much more satisfying and complex when you're presented with choices on what you want to say (thus, how you want to role play) but the game doesn't hang consequences or outcomes in front of you before you've even selected your option. For a long time now BioWare hasn't been very good at doing this, I guess because spelling it out and having distinct options is part of their design philosophy. But on a personal level I definitely prefer more ambiguity.

Inquisition does a great job of environment/camp/combat blending so I remain very hopeful that Mass Effect 4 will go back to the ways of Mass Effect. Dialogue/narrative is another matter entirely.

Neil Ross? Apparently.

(I mostly recognize him from Doom 3).

I have zero memory of him from Doom 3 and I find that concerning.

Omg that's why he was always so familiar.

Played the ever loving shit out of RS and RS2.

First codec entry from the first time I played Mass Effect and the memories of Rogue Squadron flooded back.
 

Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
I was just playing TLoU Factions MP on PS4, and realised how amazing ME3 MP could be again if rejuvenated by a remaster.....

*Hopes Mr Flynn is reading, and taking notes on his BW watermarked pad* :D
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
and realised how amazing ME3 MP could be again if rejuvenated by a remaster.....

Given the timespan between ME3 and ME4 I was hoping they'd just pull ME3's multiplayer off the game and release it as a F2P title with continued support.
 

X-Frame

Member
I would definitely play it.

I think I put somewhere around 600 hours into the ME3 MP (I'm just missing Ultra-Rares), and yes if they released it as a stand-alone or part of a remastered ME3 I would jump back in. Adding extra content would definitely be a bonus.

I'm not sure if they'd be able to maintain our MP progress, but even if they couldn't or didn't want to I would still start over from scratch. It would be fun starting from nothing because there is tons more content now than there was at launch, so more chances to get guns/classes/mods as opposed to just consumables.
 

Hahs

Member
The first Mass Effect was a dream come true.

The techno-optimist with 1970s-inspired Sci-Fi visuals space opera I always wanted to play.
Agreed! The music, color and lighting - and the whole graininess options. There is truly no equal in that respect.

If ME4 or whatever it's gonna be can get these feels to bubble back up - even in the slightest...
 
Yeah, I can go along with this. Leave it off the remaster and just release it separately.

Why_not_both.jpg


Make a remaster/trilogy port for those that one to revisit it and make the standalone multiplayer free for everyone instered in the combat. Should be a great way to gather attention, throw some hints of the new story hidden in the MP to really get people to try it.

Also I finally got all the achievements in the game WOO HOO!!! 68/68
 

Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
Oh, both is definitely the best possible scenario... I'm pretty sure everyone would prefer that, but if it's either nothing or F2P ME3 MP: I'll take the MP for sure.

1080p/60fps, few new maps and weapons/classes.. I'd take it in a heartbeat.

Alternatively, a full Remastered Trilogy with the multiplayer suite included would be far, far, far, far better :D
 

foxdvd

Member
Add me to the group that would love to see the MP of Mass 3 on the ps4 or xbox one. I would pay for it without hesitation.
 

Laughing Banana

Weeping Pickle
Add me to the group that would love to see the MP of Mass 3 on the ps4 or xbox one. I would pay for it without hesitation.

Oh yea...

Not looking forward to unlocking everything again though... If some sort of transfer system can be made, that'd be great.

ME3MP is my most played game last AND current gen... that shit is addicting as hell.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I think it's too late to re-release the multiplayer at this point given how much of the team has moved on to other things. It was just something I was hoping they'd do way back when Mass Effect 3 was kinda lingering, Inquisition's date was far away, and the new consoles were launching. Given that it was apparently a big success due to the booster packs, and there seemed to be room for more expansions (eg: only some of the maps have hazard variants), I figured it would have been a pretty easy buck to re-release it as F2P on all systems and have a small team chip away at updates. Give new console owners something to play, the existing audience happy, and roll on dollars until Mass Effect 4 comes around.

EDIT: Also echoing the addiction. Put crazy hours into it when I expected to be pretty meh on it, given few hoarde modes have grabbed me. The continued support really sold me though. Fantastic new maps, interesting classes, new enemy type, objectives, etc. Loved fighting the Collectors all over again.

Well, I don't want to nag for details, I am just a bit surprised is all.

Haha, nah that's cool. I stepped down as I don't have the time to do it any more. Mostly the abundance of PMs. I wasn't an active mod, per say, so to me it didn't make sense being one.
 
There were a couple parts to it, there was a "final hours of ME3" iOS app that came out with a bunch of info, and it is here that Mac's infamous "lots of speculation" line came from.

The "bigger" part though was alleged whistleblowing done by Patrick Weekes (one of the writers). His post was removed, but the internet forgets nothing. And consensus is that it was probably really him. Feast your eyes: http://www.gameranx.com/updates/id/...-writer-allegedly-slams-controversial-ending/
what the... I don't agree with what the guy wrote. Towards the end he says the Shepard sacrifice and the character flashbacks were right, I don't think that. Earlier we were blaming Casey Hudson, cutting Mac Walters some slack, but here it looks like they're both equally to blame. What's penny arcade btw?

I remember the entire Me3 script leaking onto the internet. I downloaded when I had the chance but I didn't read through it so I dunno if it was the same one they used in the game. Do you think that also had something to do with the ending?
 

JohnnyFootball

GerAlt-Right. Ciriously.
Oh, both is definitely the best possible scenario... I'm pretty sure everyone would prefer that, but if it's either nothing or F2P ME3 MP: I'll take the MP for sure.

1080p/60fps, few new maps and weapons/classes.. I'd take it in a heartbeat.

Alternatively, a full Remastered Trilogy with the multiplayer suite included would be far, far, far, far better :D
If it's F2P what would it matter if its included or downloadable?
 

prag16

Banned
what the... I don't agree with what the guy wrote. Towards the end he says the Shepard sacrifice and the character flashbacks were right, I don't think that. Earlier we were blaming Casey Hudson, cutting Mac Walters some slack, but here it looks like they're both equally to blame. What's penny arcade btw?

I remember the entire Me3 script leaking onto the internet. I downloaded when I had the chance but I didn't read through it so I dunno if it was the same one they used in the game. Do you think that also had something to do with the ending?

I think the script leak had something similar though not exact. Still the three options I believe. I don't see the issue with the flashbacks (other than that they were bugged when the game launched such that the "wrong" ones would show). Shepard sacrificing himself (the concept) I didn't have big problem with either.

The point is the absurd route Mac/Casey decided to take in shutting eveyone else out of the process entirely. The only thing I don't agree with is the idea that what Casey did with the ending was really intellectual. He made it sound at least in part like people didn't like it because they weren't intellectual enough while Casey is just so intellectual and philosophical and above everyone else in some way. That's absurd.
 

Ivory Samoan

Gold Member
If it's F2P what would it matter if its included or downloadable?

True, it doesn't... OK I'll rephrase: I'd pay a fair amount for the MP remastered stand-alone, in a heartbeat.
I would pay $60 for the Remaster+MP however, in half-a-heartbeat.



Having thought about it, let's just leave F2P out of it perhaps.. that just invites dreaded microtransactions galore.
 

foxdvd

Member
True, it doesn't... OK I'll rephrase: I'd pay a fair amount for the MP remastered stand-alone, in a heartbeat.
I would pay $60 for the Remaster+MP however, in half-a-heartbeat.



Having thought about it, let's just leave F2P out of it perhaps.. that just invites dreaded microtransactions galore.


The mp already has a built in micro transaction system that made them a good amount of money I would guess. As it stands if they released the MP of the third game for say 10-20 bucks they would not only sale a bunch of copies, but they would also generate some money with those that need more loot.

The only two reasons I can see them not releasing it is..

A: they don't think the amount of time and money needed to get it ready for next gen would pay for itself..

B: They plan on releasing the older games next gen anyway, and so giving out the mp early would not make sense.
 
Congrats!

I'm shocked that you haven't heard of them.
I have heard of them, just never knew what it was.
What do you not agree with it? It seems spot on to me.
the whole premise of: choose 1 of 3 options, as well as synthetics vs organics being a main theme of ME. I don't agree with those.
I think the script leak had something similar though not exact. Still the three options I believe. I don't see the issue with the flashbacks (other than that they were bugged when the game launched such that the "wrong" ones would show). Shepard sacrificing himself (the concept) I didn't have big problem with either.

The point is the absurd route Mac/Casey decided to take in shutting eveyone else out of the process entirely. The only thing I don't agree with is the idea that what Casey did with the ending was really intellectual. He made it sound at least in part like people didn't like it because they weren't intellectual enough while Casey is just so intellectual and philosophical and above everyone else in some way. That's absurd.
Yes, Walters and Hudson shutting everyone out was definitely wrong. But the wrong for me goes far beyond that

I guess it must be just me, but I didn't like the character flashbacks because I didn't want to be under the impression that Shepard would die no matter what. that entire concept was an issue for me because I wanted post ending gameplay. I hated how the game redirected you to pre-Cerberus strike after you beat the game.
 
I didn't have much to say about Weekes' alleged comments when they came out, and I still don't, but I do agree that synthetic-organic conflict is one of the main themes of Mass Effect. This was clearest in the first game, before the Reapers were described as "synthetic and organic" (somehow) in ME2. The geth-quarian conflict, the ban on AI research, the rogue VI on Luna, EDI's unshackling--they're all expressions of that theme.
 
If we do get the ME3 mp in a remaster, I hope we can import our characters and weapon unlocks.

That'd be sweet, but unless they had the flags properly set up in the original I suspect it wouldn't be possible.

Also, starting with a fresh slate probably increases the chance people use the microtransactions.
 

PrankT

Member
They would need to provide me with my multiplayer unlocks before I start to play it again. Or they need to make unlocks occur 100x faster. Like everyone else, I was a 600 hour multiplayer junkie on PS3 and loved all the characters and playing the maps on platinum. Then I picked it up on Wii U and had to play bronze with a predator pistol...no bueno. It would take hundreds of hours just to get to play at the difficulty and characters I enjoy, and I won't do it.
 

wolfhowwl

Banned
I think it's too late to re-release the multiplayer at this point given how much of the team has moved on to other things. It was just something I was hoping they'd do way back when Mass Effect 3 was kinda lingering, Inquisition's date was far away, and the new consoles were launching. Given that it was apparently a big success due to the booster packs, and there seemed to be room for more expansions (eg: only some of the maps have hazard variants), I figured it would have been a pretty easy buck to re-release it as F2P on all systems and have a small team chip away at updates. Give new console owners something to play, the existing audience happy, and roll on dollars until Mass Effect 4 comes around.

EDIT: Also echoing the addiction. Put crazy hours into it when I expected to be pretty meh on it, given few hoarde modes have grabbed me. The continued support really sold me though. Fantastic new maps, interesting classes, new enemy type, objectives, etc. Loved fighting the Collectors all over again.



Haha, nah that's cool. I stepped down as I don't have the time to do it any more. Mostly the abundance of PMs. I wasn't an active mod, per say, so to me it didn't make sense being one.

Hopefully now that there is proven interest in the multiplayer they will consider a F2P spinoff for ME4 or at least plan greater and longer support.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I didn't have much to say about Weekes' alleged comments when they came out, and I still don't, but I do agree that synthetics-organic conflict is one of the main themes of Mass Effect. This was clearest in the first game, before the Reapers were described as "synthetic and organic" (somehow) in ME2. The geth-quarian conflict, the ban on AI research, the rogue VI on Luna, EDI's unshackling--they're all expressions of that theme.

Yeah. I mean, the themes were there consistently, as is so common in sci fi. I don't think that's debatable. Moreso how they ultimately handled them and the underwhelming conclusion. Half the fun of AI / organics is exploring (if unoriginally) concepts of identity, self awareness, "the soul", etc. And Mass Effect 3 seemed intent on deconstructing anything interesting about these themes to regurgitate a Pinocchio story. The Geth went from an interesting concept exploring their own place in the universe and their own concept of a singularity (the hive mind hub), along with the way they process data, to "no we must all be "individuals" exactly like organics through space magic via reapers". It made them less interesting. Same with EDI. It's fun to ponder what defines her identity, mind and body, the ship and AI core, etc. But then she must transplant herself into a physical body, have a boring physical presence, and again regurgitate a Pinocchio story.

And the climax with the Reapers was just an immensely unsatisfactory outcome to the whole conflict. Though I critique how the Geth turned out, at least engaging with them and the Quarians diplomatically and unifying the two comes with a sense of satisfaction for the work you've done. The "problem" presented to you by the Catalyst is that Synthetics and Organics cannot co-exist in their current form. That's contradictory, deals with absolutes, and is boring. Then the only real solution is using synthesis space magic to merge the two into a super species. Which too is lazy and boring.

Outside of the generally clusterfuck of an ending, as a whole that's where I feel Mass Effect 3 (and to a lesser extent Mass Effect 2) really fucked up and disappointed me. A lot of interesting themes, concepts, characters, backgrounds, lore, and narrative arcs were ultimately delivered in very underwhelming, empty, and uncreative ways. Cerberus is another example. They were a pretty silly concept to begin with, but could be explored in an interesting way. But no, Mass Effect 3 indoctrinates The Illusive Man and regresses them to absolutely depthless "evil guy" fodder.
 
Synthesis ending doesn't make sense on any level really. Synthetics aren't killing organics just because they have a biological basis and vice versa. Organics kill organics, and synthetics kill synthetics. There's literally a civil war going on between different Geth and the Reapers. An AI doesn't automatically cooperate with every other AI. Organics don't cooperate with all other organics.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Synthesis ending doesn't make sense on any level really. Synthetics aren't killing organics just because they have a biological basis and vice versa. Organics kill organics, and synthetics kill synthetics. There's literally a civil war going on between different Geth and the Reapers. An AI doesn't automatically cooperate with every other AI. Organics don't cooperate with all other organics.

Right, it's inherently illogical, silly, and contradictory to anybody who gives it a little thought. Which contributes immensely to how unsatisfying it is. But also, and frustratingly, I think the "game lore logic" argues it's the right/best ending. It's just outright bad writing; a story that refuses to compromise on the idea of inevitable destruction between synthetics and organics as if it were an absolute. And the magic of synthesis, a vague concept, that solves this absolute as organics/sythentics have finally reached a point where they're ready (eg: each civilization contributing to the crucible without knowing its purpose, only this cycle the one truly finishing it and opening up synthesis). It's literally the whole purpose of the Catalyst; organic/synthetic destruction inevitable and absolute, the only solution at the time being a race of mass murdering synthetics that preserve organics. Eons of evolution and civilization of organics and synthetics alike finally culminate with a finished crucible, a device that enters both into a technological singularity not unlike the Reapers themselves but unified as the whole. Because reasons or something I don't know.

My brain hurts from the dumb.
 

Roulette

Member
Also agree. Destroy was the only thing that made logical sense, but to force you to destroy a sentient race in the form of the Geth in the process? That was insulting as hell. Space Jesus or no, uniting the galaxy is a recurring theme, yet then they turn around and say "oh but mechanical dudes can't come to the pool party after all, sorry bro." I guess Legion doesn't count for shit, huh.
 
Psst peasants, synthesis the only answer. No wonder people are pissed at the ending, you are not picking the superior option.

Edit: I cannot pick Destroy as I spend the entirety of the game making Edi feel like living being, I sacrificed all the Quarians so the Geth can live. Choosing Control means Cerberus was right and sure Shepard controlled the reapers but that doesn't necessarily stops the cycle, it just means shepard can make the repears destroy future rebel synthetics instead of organic. Synthesis gets rid of the problem at it's core.
 
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