Hibiki Kurosawa
Member
Noiiice! Sounds awesome. Liking the ME1 vibes. Gotta have the exploration and RPG flexibility. Getting pymped for this game!
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Mass Effect Gameplay Impressions Game Informer Show First hour spoilers
- Thread starter cleveridea
- Start date
I haven't watched the video because I figured the OP did a good job of summarizing, and I don't like to have beginnings spoiled. I'm basing it off how the summary corroborates the fears I had from the survey leak (also posted in this thread) and the other(?) leak reaffirmed on Eurogamer recently. Philosophy of DAI just seals the deal. As are battle zones for rare loot.
Corypheus was a terrible, one-dimensional villain that made Skeletor look competent by comparison, but the underlying story about the gods was covered in some detail in dialog (with Solas) and especially when exploring the Eleven temple. It's even spelled out explicitly in dialog at the end of the game (depending on your dialog choices). I honestly can't see how you missed the twist if you did play all the way through.
Excited by the talk of feeling like ME1. Horrified by the mentions of Dragon Age Inquisition. A pretty game but one of the biggest disappointments for me in a long time. A huge chunk of that game was terribly designed and implemented and if this is at all like that game its a huge warning sign in my opinion.
AHA-Lambda
Member
This. The shite side quests may not have at least been so egregious if they weren't bloody mandatory
Ugh, I've said since launch that game has problems that go far beyond just its ending
What eurogamer leak?
cleveridea
Member
Didnt create new thread for this, but this is from
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bioware-re...meda-companion-characters-liam-peebee-1591222
After unveiling an intense, action-packed cinematic trailer for Mass Effect Andromeda on N7 day (7 November), BioWare has revealed some interesting details about some of the new characters in its much-anticipated sci-fi RPG. During a cover story visit to BioWare's offices, developers shared some information with GameInformer about the upcoming game's new characters, Liam and Peebee, their skills and personality traits.
According to creative director Mac Walters, Liam is an ex-police officer who is part of the Pathfinder team and assists with security.
"Liam is the youthful, enthusiastic, and in some cases, the idealistic follower that you get," Walters told GameInformer. While Liam tends to react with frustration and anger when things don't quite go as planned, Walters says, "he's got Ryder's back". He adds that Liam is hopeful for humanity's new future.
Peebee, on the other hand, is a super smart Asari who is interested in alien technology, discovering new things in Andromeda and has a passion for adventure. Constantly interested in learning and studying new things, Walters says she can be a very frank, straight-forward character given the fact that she isn't a fan of social etiquette and formal behaviour.
"Her mind goes quickly as does her mouth," Walters said. "It's hard keeping up with her." He adds that although she is an Asari, she is very different from Liara.
"She's very bubbly," Walters explains. "Liara was very serious. Peebee will buck the norm at any given time. She's not about rules or culture or anything like that. She's not about teams or teamwork. Her role in this is helping you find out more about this alien technology."
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/bioware-re...meda-companion-characters-liam-peebee-1591222
After unveiling an intense, action-packed cinematic trailer for Mass Effect Andromeda on N7 day (7 November), BioWare has revealed some interesting details about some of the new characters in its much-anticipated sci-fi RPG. During a cover story visit to BioWare's offices, developers shared some information with GameInformer about the upcoming game's new characters, Liam and Peebee, their skills and personality traits.
According to creative director Mac Walters, Liam is an ex-police officer who is part of the Pathfinder team and assists with security.
"Liam is the youthful, enthusiastic, and in some cases, the idealistic follower that you get," Walters told GameInformer. While Liam tends to react with frustration and anger when things don't quite go as planned, Walters says, "he's got Ryder's back". He adds that Liam is hopeful for humanity's new future.
Peebee, on the other hand, is a super smart Asari who is interested in alien technology, discovering new things in Andromeda and has a passion for adventure. Constantly interested in learning and studying new things, Walters says she can be a very frank, straight-forward character given the fact that she isn't a fan of social etiquette and formal behaviour.
"Her mind goes quickly as does her mouth," Walters said. "It's hard keeping up with her." He adds that although she is an Asari, she is very different from Liara.
"She's very bubbly," Walters explains. "Liara was very serious. Peebee will buck the norm at any given time. She's not about rules or culture or anything like that. She's not about teams or teamwork. Her role in this is helping you find out more about this alien technology."
Ploid 3.0
Member
Dragon Age Inquisition does not require side quests farming. You can skip them and if you need any power points you can just buy them. Don't get fixed on doing side quests anyway. It's best to just stick to the main Inquisition missions, or if you wish, do some of the party members missions, they are pretty good, though some require world hopping with the member in your party. In the journal stick to the top category (probably Inquisitor. I will check the game and edit).
Yes it's good, and I'm a person that liked DA Origins combat more because of the tactics. They changed a lot, and you could get the GOTY version for $20 a while ago so it should be cheap. Put it on Nightmare + enable a lot of Trials (risk reward difficulty increased each trial/challenge enabled) and the gameplay becomes a blast.
You don't have to do side quests at all, especially now with the latest patches. You can buy power points in the game. Look up how to manage your AI, though you probably don't have to worry about them if you don't play on the highest difficulty and with the new changes with Trespasser your AI have even more survivability options.
The online mode is probably dead now though. It was my most played mode, and thankfully I can solo stuff if I wanted to play it but there's little point.
If you followed the story of Dragon Age Origins, and DA2, there's a lot of good treats in DAI. I enjoyed the story and crossing old pals a lot. The characters in the game are awesome as well, great party members, great moments and banter. Look up some youtube videos to see if it's the kind of game you'd like.
Yes it's good, and I'm a person that liked DA Origins combat more because of the tactics. They changed a lot, and you could get the GOTY version for $20 a while ago so it should be cheap. Put it on Nightmare + enable a lot of Trials (risk reward difficulty increased each trial/challenge enabled) and the gameplay becomes a blast.
You don't have to do side quests at all, especially now with the latest patches. You can buy power points in the game. Look up how to manage your AI, though you probably don't have to worry about them if you don't play on the highest difficulty and with the new changes with Trespasser your AI have even more survivability options.
The online mode is probably dead now though. It was my most played mode, and thankfully I can solo stuff if I wanted to play it but there's little point.
If you followed the story of Dragon Age Origins, and DA2, there's a lot of good treats in DAI. I enjoyed the story and crossing old pals a lot. The characters in the game are awesome as well, great party members, great moments and banter. Look up some youtube videos to see if it's the kind of game you'd like.
Don't think it's a leak, the leak itself is apparently just the survey leak, but I read something extra on Eurogamer regarding the deployed strike team, which is just DAI/MGSV F2P cookie clicker game design. http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-11-02-mass-effect-andromeda-story-leak-gameplay-release-date
As someone who didn't care for the closing rifts, etc, this is 100% false. There are definite moments where it forces you to do so.
Ploid 3.0
Member
Uh, closing rifts is part of the main missions at some point, especially at the start, you don't have to close them all. I'll start a new game to see what you are talking about. You do not have to go around hunting rifs. I think you mean the "Close 3 Rifts" quest at the start of Hinterlands. That's basically a introduction and part of the main quest iirc. Maybe I can just find it in my completed quests as I planned on trying FFXV today.
These are the missions you follow. Buy power points if you are short and can't do Fallow Mire (probably intimidating).
Inner Circle and Inquisitor's Path.
Edit: Turns out I will just play this game. Started one of the base characters I have saved for replays. Unfortunately they are all past the point where you reach Crossroads, clearing it of mages. Anyway, my next main mission needs 4 power points, and the way I go about getting them is establishing camps in Hinterlands, or I could do Haven's introduction missions (talk to potions guy, give Minaeve a item to research that's set up for me, or speak to the smith, quartermaster, and apothecary around Haven).
The power points guy isn't available until Skyhold, but if Bioware put a power system in Mass Effect Andromeda I doubt they would save this type of merchant for a later base. They'd probably rather have it so side quest didn't give power points, and you only get them from doing things you'd do anyway, like establishing forward operating bases. Said FOB spots may be occupied by enemies, but this is a game where you fight enemies so it should be no problem, or expected. Also during normal gameplay, I try to avoid rifts, but sometimes I just have to go ahead and clear one because it's too close for comfort, and +1 power after just by playing and making a map safe for myself, or because I know there's some treasure past it which is blocked by the rift.
"Get out of the Hinterlands" was TERRIBLE advice. It completely broke the focus of the game and made the fetch quest aspect 10 times worst.
Turdburger
Member
The OP threw the DAI thing in there just to get a reaction out of people and it worked. Anytime GAF reads the letters "DAI" people instantly get triggered without reading any context to it and it's fucking irritating.
The GI people referenced DAI SOLELY in the context of the explorable planets being these big, open zones similar to the different "zones" of DAI.
There was absolutely ZERO comparison or mention made to DAI with regards to quest structure or how exploring these planets affects (or doesn't affect) the progression of the main storyline, which is what you are all getting triggered by.
Bioware has specifically stated that they took people's critical feedback with regards to DAI's quest structure seriously. So why do people keep going out on a limb with absolutely no basis to justify being triggered? No one who has seen the game has compared the questing structure in MEA to DAI, yet people in these ME threads love to instantly jump to conclusions. It's almost like you guys want the bland sidequests to be in ME:A just so you can say "TOLD YOU SO!"
Are you kidding?! I want to have my fears assuaged so you can say I told you so!
Really? I had forgotten all about that, will have to look into it. I was so focused on Corgyphos that all else kinda just got eclipsed.
He is still an awful villain though, I'll stand by that.
Hollywood Hitman
Gold Member
Sounds awesome, my body is ready... Take thy money already bioware
Son Of Sparda
Member
You caught me. After sinking more than 300 hours into the original trilogy (around 200 hours of them were on ME2 alone) that's definitely what I'm hoping to happen here.
Nice catch.
Poodlestrike
Banned
That + the first post sort of dictated the thread, tbh. Wish we could have a redo, the impressions are really good overall
Yep.
Masterbrew
Member
This thread is full of troll comments like this that trigger my "someone is wrong on the internet" instinct.
Poodlestrike
Banned
Original class system is still in place. They're expanding on the match modifiers system, so there'll be a load of different options there. Lootcrates make a return, but now you can earn special currency by completing certain missions that can be used to buy specific pieces of gear and specific characters from the store.
Sanctuary
Member
Not really sure what anyone was expecting. Months ago, when it was announced that the game would have larger areas with more of an emphasis on exploration, the first thing to come to mind was DA:I. It probably won't be 1:1 in terms of layout and filler, but it will most likely follow the same, dull, Ubisoft/offline MMORPG formula that every single "open world" type game has been suffering from for the last decade.
Still going to get it though. I got really burned out with DA:I, but it was mostly due to the combat. It was fun for a while, until it wasn't.
Still going to get it though. I got really burned out with DA:I, but it was mostly due to the combat. It was fun for a while, until it wasn't.
cleveridea
Member
The DA:I was a quote from the video so it wasnt made up just for reactions. I summarized every single comment that was made in the video, so ME fans get the full info. There wasnt anything meaningful in the video that I omitted, or spent overly long talking about.
I dont get the pure hate that DAI gets. I thought it was a decent game, not amazing but not bad. A big part of why DAI was so huge was a reaction to Dragon Age 2 which had a fixed set of maps that were literally repeated over and over with not a single change, and DAI was designed to provide enormous optional areas that provided a sense of exploration missing from DA 2. People ended up getting upset that it was TOO big but again that was direct reaction of the team from the prior DA.
I actually like the idea of going back to exploration like the original ME 1 had with the uncharted planets and using the mako, though I will miss having weapons like mako had.
Open world games are the holy grail of gaming and the only aspect of gaming still to be improved by better hardware.
The rest of gaming is stagnant.
cleveridea
Member
There wasnt anything specifically mentioned in the video about MP, however we can tell just from the contents of the deluxe editions of the game that MP is a VERY important focus of the game. The most expensive version of the game adds only digital MP focused items, ie 20 weeks of MP items. You only get additional physical content by buying a separate package from a different company (the Nomad model and remote control mode, + steelbook).
I had someone tell me back with ME3 that internally EA found ME3 MP sales (ie those packs you could buy) exceeded expectations substantially, so I think its going to be a big focus on ME Andromeda.
Hendrick's
If only my penis was as big as my GamerScore!
I'm very worried for this game. Giant Boss battles, DAI "world" structure, re-specing characters. Just dunno.
Rexatality
Member
Open world games are the holy grail of gaming and the only aspect of gaming still to be improved by better hardware.
The rest of gaming is stagnant.
Dennis, is that you?
Calm down, calm down. Read the context of the quotes, not the quote itself.
As a counter, here...
Son Of Sparda
Member
Open world games are the holy grail of gaming and the only aspect of gaming still to be improved by better hardware.
The rest of gaming is stagnant.
The philosophy changes he mentioned was "opening things up more, more things to do and places to explore, more optional content"
None of that implies inane grindy bits.
It's very neutral language. It simultaneously implies 'everything you ever wanted' and 'everything you ever didn't want.'
So only time will really tell what "things to do" and "optional content" actually mean.
Pop On Arrival
Banned
got my interest in it up, thanks. WIll definitely check it out if I can get it for semi-cheap from where I live (origin charges crazy prices in my region) Thanks for the write-up, again
Rhazer Fusion
Member
More filler, collectathons and pointless side quests?
Heckler456
Banned
Optional content isn't inherently filler or pointless. Optional content can serve the narrative and world by fleshing it out while not being crucial to the main plot. It's extra world building.
captainnapalm
Member
The worlds or zones in Inquisition just felt absolutely dead. It's because they had almost no narrative content. If they don't fix this in the new ME, the game will be DOA.
I can pick any DA:I zone at random and I defy anyone to highlight some memorable or interesting moments that happened in any of them outside of the few main missions. There were none. Seriously, tell me anything exciting or interesting or compelling that happened in the Exalted Plains. Any reason you would ever want to play the game again and visit that place.
It's like if the Witcher 3 was all question marks outside of a handful of quests. And you had to travel back to your hub if you actually wanted to experience any storytelling. Awful.
I can pick any DA:I zone at random and I defy anyone to highlight some memorable or interesting moments that happened in any of them outside of the few main missions. There were none. Seriously, tell me anything exciting or interesting or compelling that happened in the Exalted Plains. Any reason you would ever want to play the game again and visit that place.
It's like if the Witcher 3 was all question marks outside of a handful of quests. And you had to travel back to your hub if you actually wanted to experience any storytelling. Awful.
The main thing that really worries me about this game is the "respec on the fly" thing, but also the behemoths.
If we're able to respec on the fly, it just comes down to, "What types of enemies are these? Oh, a bunch'a brutes? Incinerate. Phantoms? Overload." In other words, it takes out the strategic layer of having what you have, and figuring out a way to deal with these guys and just makes it what's the best way to deal with these guys.
The behemoths, if they drop loot like the dragons in DAI did, I'm not sure I'd even wanna play.
EDIT : It's going from more of a sci fi settings to more of a fantasy one. Kill the monster, get the loot.
If we're able to respec on the fly, it just comes down to, "What types of enemies are these? Oh, a bunch'a brutes? Incinerate. Phantoms? Overload." In other words, it takes out the strategic layer of having what you have, and figuring out a way to deal with these guys and just makes it what's the best way to deal with these guys.
The behemoths, if they drop loot like the dragons in DAI did, I'm not sure I'd even wanna play.
EDIT : It's going from more of a sci fi settings to more of a fantasy one. Kill the monster, get the loot.
It is nice and all but after they've said they learned with DAII mistakes when they were making DA:I, dev promisses dont exactly fill me with confidence.
Poodlestrike
Banned
It doesn't say that you can respect on the fly, just that you can respec between what would've been classes in previous games.
And from what I understand, they don't drop loot, nothing drops loot. They drop stuff you can scan, which you can then use to make loot. Like an extension of how it worked in ME3.
They did respond to DA2 criticisms with DA:I. Hell, if anything, they overresponded.
And DA:I, to its credit, DID avoid the mistakes of DAII. It just made brand new mistakes.
So saying they learned from DA:I's mistakes just means you're scared of something else they may or may not have done, but they've acutely stated that the bland and monotonous fetch quest tedium was something they are aiming to address.
None of what he said implied inane grindy bits though.
Don't want to derail the thread with DA:I stuff, but one of my main problems with DA:I is the PC interface, tactical view and mouse control. It is shit, almost unplayable (no hyperbole). They had lots of interviews prior to release telling how they've learned with DAII and were going to bring the great DA:O PC support back. Sorry that I didn't explicity said that.
HalfBakedProphet
Member
There was a time when a lot of GAFers really liked Inquisition too.
It wasn't until 4 or 5 months later that the backlash really started.
Dozens of Batman Arkham detective mode rip-offs, follow them red trails.
Some sidequests required X # of herbs. Optional, but so are DA:I's.
Many complaints about DA:I, from herb picking to grind gating to Ubisoft POI, W3 has them too.
Son Of Sparda
Member
Which in some cases (like DA:I) aren't really that "optional" to begin with.
That was not the case with DA:I at all, which is the main focus of this discussion and what has many (including myself) worried.
Well, unless there are some people out there who think picking up thousands of shards and closing the same old same old rifts for the hundredth time to be more serviceable to narrative than just damn right tedious.
Heckler456
Banned
That's not the type of optional content being talked about here. I'm also relatively confident that they've explicitly said that they were trying to actively avoid that type of content from here on out.
Also, Dragon Age Inquisition is the product of an age where Assassin's Creed and Ubisofts formula regarding that and similar games were super popular. People LOVED filling those meters for a good long while there. You can hardly fault them for playing into the trends at that point in time.