Re: Mass Effect Thread

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Completely agree.

I'm clinging to the hope that there's a remaster coming too, i want to replay those games again before this comes out.

[Kaladin]

You think they might actually delay it for a bit?

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

I wouldn't be surprised, we know nothing about the game and it's supposed to be out in like 4 months lol.

I wouldn't even mind it either, gives me time to play Zelda lol. As it is right now, something is going on the back-burner because there's so much in the first 3 months.

[RealGunner]

Read that there is no chance of a remaster since the entire studio is busy with andromeda

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Read that there is no chance of a remaster since the entire studio is busy with andromeda

In fairness they can get other studios to do it, Naughty Dog didn't work on the Uncharted remasters for example.

I want to believe

[RealGunner]

No one would want a remaster more than me. Let's hope so.

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Gameplay reveal at TGAs in December and still says Spring 2017.

[Pedram]

[RealGunner]

Waiting for ES

[Pedram]

The biggest reveal is how companion loyalty missions work. Whereas in Mass Effect 2, they were a necessary part of the overall plot and impacted the ending, they're "much more optional" in Mass Effect: Andromeda—and the kicker? You can complete them after the critical path is done.

Creative Director Mac Walters reinforced the idea of detaching the companion narratives from the main story, saying, "As a writer, one of the things I loved was the freedom to say ‘I know this character is coming along,’ so they can carry a lot of the narrative. That made my job easier, but it also made it more fun, because I could tell a more specific story in one of those missions.”

Personally, I'm into the idea of playing a series of far space vignettes as opposed to character episodes that are obligated to tie into whatever space opera lies at the center of Mass Effect this time around. As the folks at Game Informer say, the philosophy allows for more experimentation in terms of writing and gameplay. The more variety, the merrier, if you ask me.

A few more details are touched on in the story, citing a "a wide array of side content that players can choose to pursue—including various exploration activities and a mystery surrounding the Ryder family," but that side content could be anything. Let's hope it doesn't do as Dragon Age: Inquisition did and pepper the world with empty collectibles.

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Not sure if there's any new info here but whatever..

Mass Effect: Andromeda takes you to the Andromeda galaxy, far beyond the Milky Way. There, you'll lead our fight for a new home in hostile territory - where WE are the aliens.

Play as the Pathfinder - a leader of a squad of military-trained explorers - with deep progression and customization systems. This is the story of humanity’s next chapter, and your choices throughout the game will ultimately determine our survival in the Andromeda Galaxy.

As you unfold the mysteries of the Andromeda Galaxy and the hope for humanity lies on your shoulders – You must ask yourself… How far will you go?

Key Features:

Be the Pathfinder. Chart your own course in a dangerous new galaxy. Unravel the mysteries of the Andromeda galaxy as you discover rich, alien worlds in the search for humanity’s new home.

Return to the Mass Effect universe you love. Lead the first humans in Andromeda on a desperate search for our new home. In this new chapter of Mass Effect, meet and recruit all-new, interesting characters caught up in an epic space saga filled with mystery and galactic conflict.

Battle like never before. New additions like destructible environments, boosted jumps for added verticality, and all-new weapons and Biotics make combat more thrilling than ever.

Play your way. Build a formidable hero with amazing weapons, powers and tech. With a much more flexible skill and weapon progression tree, you can replicate your play style to make you unstoppable against powerful alien enemies.

Join the APEX Forces. Multiplayer in Mass Effect Andromeda places you into a class-based, 4-player co-op fire-team experience. Team up with three of your friends to take on the enemy threat and protect the interests of the Andromeda Initiative.

Also Loyalty missions are back

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2016/11/07/loyalty-missions-return-in-mass-effect-andromeda.aspx

Seems like Pedram beat me to it lol.

[Pedram]

Mass Effect Andromeda's new Andromeda Initiative website has laid out exactly when the events of BioWare's new game take place - and how it skirts around that whole Mass Effect 3 ending.

Your new character Ryder will leave the Milky Way galaxy on their 600-year journey to Andromeda in 2185.

That's the year that Mass Effect 2's events conclude, and that game's Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC takes place.

The following year, 2186, is when Mass Effect 2's Arrival DLC is set, when the Reapers actually invade the Milky Way, and when Mass Effect 3 begins.

By the time this happens, your ark ship (and four others) is already on its way to Andromeda, and its crew is in cryo-sleep. Hence, your characters will not have seen the Reaper war or how you chose to conclude it.

Or, if they are somehow informed after they awake, it already took place 600 years ago and was already resolved. Handy!

This places the main action of Andromeda somewhere in the region of 2785.

BioWare's Andromeda Initiative website will include a series of training videos (only the first is currently viewable). Watching all of them will unlock a special helmet in Andromeda when it launches.

Previous dates in the website's timeline detail the events of Mass Effect 1 and the various prequel novels and comics - such as the First Contact War and humanity gaining its seat on the Citadel Council.

The website also has information on your in-game father, Alec Ryder, and his own personal history:

Here's your Mass Effect dad, Alec Ryder. He's described as Pathfinder - a role you later take on - so it's not looking good for him. pic.twitter.com/BXnKsnFxjv

— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsEG) November 7, 2016

Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 are coming to Xbox One Backward Compatibility today. #HappyN7Day https://t.co/qPMRNrLoTQ pic.twitter.com/7QhGCbrutd

— / Larry Hryb / + 1m (@majornelson) November 7, 2016

[RealGunner]

@sony

[Kaladin]

The trailer https://i.imgur.com/7wuXfar.png https://i.imgur.com/7wuXfar.png  https://i.imgur.com/7wuXfar.png https://i.imgur.com/7wuXfar.png https://i.imgur.com/7wuXfar.png

[Vibe]

Won't play trilogy unless remastered?

I just played it recently and nothing ever bothered me graphically, it was amazing.

[Kaladin]

Mass Effect Andromeda Deluxe Edition pic.twitter.com/D7JbaQn8Ww

— Wario64 (@Wario64) November 7, 2016

[MJ]

So. Damned. Hyped.

Replayed the trilogy a few months ago. Going to do it again with all the DLC in every game but ME1 now. Vigil gives me goosebumps whenever I hear it, loved that they had it playing in the background of the War Room in ME3. So much beautiful nostalgia to it. Can't wait to see what this game brings.

I hope it's not too abstract and out there. I liked the Citadel in the last game. A meeting place for all the races and a city of sorts to return to after a mission.

So. Damned. Hyped.

[Bellabong]

@sony

They're available on EA access as well. Except Sony blocks that too

[RealGunner]

Instead we'll get shitty playstation now

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Won't play trilogy unless remastered?

I just played it recently and nothing ever bothered me graphically, it was amazing.

It's not about that, it's just the PS4 doesn't have them or play them and I cba to either get my 360 out and replay them or get my ps3 out and buy them all.

I'd take a port, because the graphics don't matter I just want to play them again without dealing with that hassle.

[Kaladin]

You can always get it on PC

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Info from Gameinformer.

Backstory
-Around 2185, at the height of galactic progress, unaware of the impending Reaper invasion (though after Sovereign), several species band together for the "Andromeda Initiative"
-4 Arks, each carrying a different race, are built, housing thousands of individuals to chart a course to Andromeda

More on the Andromeda Initiative:
"Founded in 2176 and launched in 2185, the Andromeda Initiative is a civilian, multi-species project created to send scientists, explorers and colonists on a one-way trip to settle in the Andromeda Galaxy. With powerful benefactors lending their support, the program has grown substantially in scope since its inception. The Initiative’s ultimate goal is to establish a permanent presence on the seemingly resource-rich frontier of Andromeda, and eventually create a reliable route between it and the Milky Way Galaxy."

-Turians are confirmed in the game
-The Heleus Cluster is noted as having a significant amount of "Golden Worlds", or planets ripe for life
-Each ark is led by a "Pathfinder"
-The Pathfinder, recon teams and others onboard are in cryosleep, unaware of what transpires in the Milky Way after they depart
-You play as either Scott or Sara Ryder, the children of Alec Ryder (pathfinder of the human ark)
-Alec Ryder is voiced by Clancy Brown
-Events at the start of the game occur that pass this role down to you, you are untested and unproven, unlike Commander Shepard of the previous trilogy
-This doesn't mean Mass Effect is Ryder's story from now on, they want the game to feel like a complete story (while teasing other stories that could happen)
-More customization options than previous games
-You can customize your father and your sibling, though not as extensively
-The "Nexus" is basically a forward command center staffed by multiple species that arrives in Andromeda early to pave the way for the Arks
-The Hyperion (humanity's ark) arrives at an incorrect location that's volatile and loses contact with the other arks and Nexus

Combat
-Global cooldowns are now replaced by individual timers
-Powers are instead hotkeyed for quick use, no longer pausing to bring up a wheel and aim (you can still pause the combat but it's not how BioWare intends combat to function)
-Dynamic cover system (ala TLOU)
-Still a cover based shooter with a goal to get the player moving around the battlefield more
-Jetpack allows for more movement variety; you can quick dash instead of rolling
-Jetpack has a hover function that allows you to hit enemies seeking cover or survey your surroundings
-Less emphasis on linear, clearly telegraphed environments that tell you a combat encounter is coming (though linear areas are still in the game)
-Game Informer's hands on was positive, feel the game has a clearer identity in combat than previous games
-You still queue up attacks, combos, order your squad, etc
-All key elements are still intact but the studio wanted to encourage more experimentation and wider variety of abilities

-Class system is gone; instead you have full access to abilities from all classes, you can mix and match skills from tech, soldier or biotics
-Goal is to allow players to try different approaches to combat without being locked in at the start
-However, you can still specialize once you invest enough points into a category of skills, you unlock a profile that can get you bonuses for your particular play style
-This is where class names like "Vanguard" (invest in combat and biotics) and "Adept" (invest in biotics) resurface
-Invest in multiple categories and you unlock the "Explorer" profile
-There is a narrative reason that allows you to reconfigure your points throughout the game so that you can try out multiple gameplay approaches without making multiple characters
-You can customize your helmet, chest, shoulders, arms and legs, more extensive than previous trilogy
-Many familiar weapons return, as well as new melee options like swords and hammers

Enemy/Environments/Crafting
-The 'Kett' are the main enemy
-The team wanted players to experience the first time encountering a new alien species vs already having it established in prior games
-Rather than painting them as mortal enemies, BioWare wanted to make them feel foreboding but not ugly as they want you to also empathize with them
-Instead of having "linear slices" of planets that you land on, you explore these planets from the surface to their underbelly
-Critical paths, optional planets, major hubs, loyalty missions return
-Your land vehicle is designated the "Nomad", and the team got special guidance from NFS developers on its handling.
-The Nomad isn't sluggish and cumbersome like the Mako, it's very fast, still boosts and maneuvers much better
-The Nomad doesn't have weapons, you can customize things like its speed and appearance
-BioWare did not want to repeat having things like mineral nodes and multiple identical outposts scattered across planets
-Points of interest include combat encounters, puzzles, narrative beats etc on planets
-One planet, called 'Elaaden', is flagged as a possible habitat zone, however the surface is hazardous (no water, extremely hot); you can be pointed in this direction in multiple ways, for example, a Krogan can request the Pathfinder to find a missing colony ship or you can just choose to land on the planet yourself and see what you find
-On planets, one of your priorities is to scout for drop zones for your crew that drop "forward stations" that establishes a foothold for you
-These stations allow for changing up your loadout, fast travel point, etc
-Planets can have multiple dangers like acid pools, burning wreckage, weather etc that can all kill you
-Most planets have at least one major enemy base
-Planets can have areas, encounters and "super bosses" that are too tough for you to handle at first, encouraging players to come back later
-Since Andromeda is a new galaxy, Ryder can actively scan and discover things in the environments; that gets sent back for analysis and unlocks new technologies for the player
-Scanning and discovering these things also allows you to obtain blueprints to craft weapons and armor for yourself
-You can create a wide array of items, not just ammo types and weapon mods, items that haven't been seen before in the Milky Way (thanks to new alien tech)
-Some plot threads and missions lead you across multiple planets

Squadmates
-Peebee (nickname): Asari squadmate shown in previous footage. Went off on her own after arriving on the Nexus and described as having a "bubbly personality". She's smart and not concerned with social norms and "niceties".
-Liam: Arrived with the Pathfinder, former police officer and described as having a "light attitude", bringing levity to situations

The Tempest (Your Ship)

-Important to harken back to the Normandy as it was a fan favorite
-There are no loading screens as you move through the ship
-Galaxy map returns but rather than piloting a mini ship on a map, it is more immersive, you select a planet, the game gives you sense of traveling towards that planet, and when you back out, you're immediately at your destination
-You don't pilot the ship manually, but it feels seamless as you go from planet to planet and see them from your bridge getting closer in the window
-They wanted a seamless experience from picking a planet to walking down to your cargo hold, hopping into the Nomad and landing on a planet. There is a landing sequence and you get off the ship. No more loading screens and instantly popping up on the surface of a planet.

Relationships/Characters
-There are more relationships in the game than any other Bioware game (as they noted fans make a big emphasis on romance in the games)
-The squadmate with the least amount of lines in Andromeda has more lines than the squadmate with the most amount of lines in ME3
-Due to complications in the awakening process, your sibling won't join you in combat but you can interact with them and build a relationship
-Many of these dealings are optional, and discovering more about the Ryder family is a plot thread
-BioWare is confident the details of this story are what differentiates it from a traditional "hero's journey"
-Loyalty missions return but they are not critical to the ending of the game; you can complete them after you complete the main story path for example
-Emphasis that relationships don't just culminate in a sex scene, but rather characters can just want to get in the sack, while others are interested in long term relationships and others still aren't interested at all. Bioware wanted to capture more "shooting bottles with Garrus" moments in the game, of which there are plenty

Multiplayer
-More evolved and refined form of ME3
-Card based economy where you earn XP and credits
-There are microtransactions but no real world money is required, you can unlock normally
-You still set the map, enemy, as before but you can also activate modifiers that can give you decreased health (for greater reward) or more damage (less reward)
-Bioware also plans to release custom crafted missions with unique modifiers that players can't change themselves
-These custom missions give you a 3rd currency, "mission funds" which allow you directly purchase items and weapons vs the mercy of random card packs; however these items are only available for a limited time in the store and can change often
-In MP, you play as the "Apex Force", a militia strike team from the Nexus
-Different enemies require you to use different tactics (some are shield heavy, some use heavy biotics etc)
-Playing MP will have advantages for the single player but it absolutely does not affect the ending of the game
-New "Prestige" mechanic added: With several types of characters, you earn regular XP and prestige XP. The prestige XP goes into every character of that 'type', for example 'tanky' characters. Earning enough prestige can grant you added health for all tank characters, etc.

Choices
-No more Paragon/Renegade system
-They want more nuance and subtlety and giving the player more opportunity to express themselves
-You can agree or disagree with someone without being punished or cornered into a paragon or renegade choice
-Dialogue option tones: heart, head, professional and casual.
-These don't affect you or sway a meter one way or another, rather they allow you freedom without worrying about unintended consequences
-"Narrative actions" (previously "interrupts) return but rather than giving a "red"=bad or "blue"=good choice, it can say "shoot", leaving more ambiguity to your choice
-Decisions aren't necessarily obvious "right" or "wrong", there are pros and cons to each and you'll just have to play the game the way you want

The future
-Mass Effect: Andromeda leaves the door open for more games (obviously)
-New game+ mode allows you to change your gender if you choose
-BioWare is coy about multiple endings; "it's a suprise", "it's different than the trilogy"

The choices part has me hyped as *bleep*, after the grey storytelling in Witcher 3 i don't think i can get back to the black and white storytelling of Paragon and Renegade.

[Bellabong]

Get an EA access sub and install on your computer? iirc the minimum requirements for even ME3 is a 9800GT. That's an 8 year old GPU

[Great Leader Sprucenuce]

Get an EA access sub and install on your computer? iirc the minimum requirements for even ME3 is a 9800GT. That's an 8 year old GPU

Tbh my Laptop can probably run the original trilogy it's quite new, but i never bothered to check if push comes to shove i'll probably do that.

Obviously different games but it can run the new Civ lol so i might be good.

[Pedram]

Yeah it's not exactly a demanding game, you can play all three games with a low end PC, hell i've heard some people playing it on systems with no graphic card (Intel HD).

[Kaladin]

Its not graphically intensive, you can run ME1 smoothly for sure, ME2~ depends on how recent your setup is i guess

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