Mass Effect: Andromeda

[Jericho]

(There was an existing thread from 2 years ago, but it had turned into a sour bitch about dragon age.

Let's keep this one about the new game and avoid unnecessary bashing on the ending of ME3 or the reused locations of DA2. We've done that a million times already.)


So! Another new cinematic trailer! The game is looking more like Mass Effect, now that they've added some lens-flair and a bit of color-grading. Leaving me more hyped than ever.

Also a new Andromeda Initiative briefing... But to me the graphics always look a little 'off' in those briefings, like they are being rendered with a different system. The characters all looked a little derpy and stylized, with odd body proportions (almost like the next generation of WoW characters.)

The music in the trailers and the Inititave briefings is amazing... But I don't think that there's been any notice about if it is the game music or not (I think so far, it is mostly stock music from Really Slow Motion (you can you tube them))

My biggest concer for the game so far is, that it sounds a little bit too much like DA:Inquisition...

Now, I LOVED Inquisition when it first came out. Then after about my 40th hour playing, I realized that yes, this was just another unnecessary fetch quest in an optional desert location, and yes this was just padding. So replaying Inquisition is not really fun for me (I much prefer Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2).

Bioware have said that there are not fetch/collect quests. Which is a relief. But it still sounds like were making forward bases "This looks like a good place to camp", and clearing out strongholds.

I kind of have mixed feelings about the game so far. I always remember loving Mass Effect 1... But when I go back and play it, it is bloody awful in places.



A lot of people are criticizing the way that you can remap your skills whenever you want. I too think this is an odd choice. Surely the point of replaying is to try a different class? Surely the point of having multiple characters is so that you have to balance your team based on your character build? BUT! No one is forcing you to do it of course. And the more points you put into a 'traditional' class, the more bonuses you get as reward for playing in the classic mode.


Also, Multiplayer!
I've given up on multiplayer, I just hate the formula these days. But ME3 multiplayer was awesome. 4-player co-op, where people actually help each other and revive each other, and guard you while you complete a task. It took me right back the awesome fun we used to have right here with Wolfenstein Enemy Territory on the server we hired (Some of you old enough to remember that? Think it was Pixel that did the hard work of setting it up).

So I'm really looking forward to the co-op again.



So... Yes... I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, I really cannot wait for this game (Comes out the same day I go on holiday. #FirstWorldProblems). The recent tour of the Tempest ship really whetted my appetite. But on the other hand, I don't want it to be too 'Inquisitiony'.

But on my third hand, I can't waiting for the opening cinematic with Mass Effect music piping through my headphones!!!!!! To me that is just as awesome as the Star Wars opening crawl, or that little piano jingle at the start of the Back To The Future films.

If you haven't seen the Andromeda Initiative briefings, give them a quick go. Either youtube, or go to MassEffect.com and watch them (You DON'T need to sign up for the Initiative).

[clakclak]

[...]
Also, Multiplayer!
I've given up on multiplayer, I just hate the formula these days. But ME3 multiplayer was awesome. 4-player co-op, where people actually help each other and revive each other, and guard you while you complete a task. It took me right back the awesome fun we used to have right here with Wolfenstein Enemy Territory on the server we hired (Some of you old enough to remember that? Think it was Pixel that did the hard work of setting it up).

So I'm really looking forward to the co-op again.[....]

I try to avoid anything about the single-player as mutch as I can (because I want to go into Andromeda blind), but if the multiplayer only does what ME3 did and does it as good as ME3 I am in. That was addictive and you really felt like you had accomplished something if you beat it on the highest difficulty.

[Jericho]

I try to avoid anything about the single-player as mutch as I can (because I want to go into Andromeda blind)

I wish that I had. I know too much now... Perhaps large quantities of Tequila might help me forget?

That was addictive and you really felt like you had accomplished something if you beat it on the highest difficulty.

Ha ha ha, hardest difficulty! Ha ha ha. Bronze all the way #MLG

[clakclak]

I try to avoid anything about the single-player as mutch as I can (because I want to go into Andromeda blind)

I wish that I had. I know too much now... Perhaps large quantities of Tequila might help me forget?
[....]

While I think tequila is by far the worst drink to ever exist I must say your chances of forgetting could hardly be better granted you drink enough.

[pjknibbs]

So long as it's not necessary to play the multi-player in order to get the best ending for the single-player game, as happened in ME3, I'll be happy. Optional multi-player modes should be exactly that--optional, so I can happily ignore them as I ignore any other multiplayer aspect of a game.

[Jericho]

So long as it's not necessary to play the multi-player in order to get the best ending for the single-player game, as happened in ME3, I'll be happy. Optional multi-player modes should be exactly that--optional, so I can happily ignore them as I ignore any other multiplayer aspect of a game.

Optional. Has no effect on the ending.
Only difference is that you will win some resources in multiplayer for your single player. But even that is supposed to be a bonus, and not 'needed' for crafting in the single player.


I didn't think the multiplayer was necessary in ME3, I thought it just 'helped' if you didn't want to do any of the extra missions in ME3 or 'rescue' any of the people on the planets with your scanner. I usually get everything to max in single player (as I'm anal retentive and have to complete everything), and then go into multiplayer for 100% for the same reason, even though I'm not sure it's needed.

I've certainly had the 'extra' scene with renegade Shepard without playing multiplayer for example.

[clakclak]

Btw are there any informations about the Mass Effect 2 and 3 dlc going on sale when andromeda comes out? The way they are sold is a bit ridiculous. You still have to pay full price (15€) for Mass Effect 2s bigger dlcs.

[Jericho]

You still have to pay full price (15€) for Mass Effect 2 dlc.

That's crazy. It's a great game, but... Not exactly current. Lair of the Shadow Broker is quite good as DLC goes, but still suffers from the usual DLC problems of any games: They don't pay for voice-overs for the other characters. Only yours (And Liara's). True, the number of team mates you can have in ME2 is huge, and they'd have to record lots of dialog that would never be used. But always having a mute companion is a pain in the backside while you and Liara are talking.

Citadel DLC for ME3 though... That is the benchmark of DLC. That is how it should be done. Proper cutscenes, all dialog for all characters. And a drunken party at the end
(I'm more than happy with all the free maps and races/classes/weapons in the ME3 multiplayer too. Always happy to not pay for DLC).

[Golden_Gonads]

You still have to pay full price (15€) for Mass Effect 2s bigger dlcs.

Apparently 'Bioware Points' (which you have to buy in order to buy the DLC) was something concocted by some other company and then licensed to EA. EA and this company had a falling out, but due to the contracts signed, EA can't reduce the price of the DLC without this other companies permission - Which is not forthcoming.

If you want the DLC cheap, then you'll have to play on console as they don't use Bioware Points and the PS3's version of ME2 contains all but the last DLC straight off.

[X2-Illuminatus]

@Mass Effect: Andromeda
I'm really looking forward to it. Like clakclak I haven't consumed much of the available materials (trailers etc.). Although with such a famous franchise it is hard to ignore everything, especially when the release date comes closer. A good story and storytelling, which is actually what Bioware is famous for, are the things I'm hoping for. A bonus would be if they don't change the style or type of the games too much this time, as they did from Mass Effect 1 (RPG) to Mass Effect 2 (Shooter with a very few RPG elements).

You still have to pay full price (15€) for Mass Effect 2s bigger dlcs.

Apparently 'Bioware Points' (which you have to buy in order to buy the DLC) was something concocted by some other company and then licensed to EA. EA and this company had a falling out, but due to the contracts signed, EA can't reduce the price of the DLC without this other companies permission - Which is not forthcoming.

Do you have a source for that information? It's really the first time I read anything like that and to be honest it sounds a bit strange to me that Bioware back then would have agreed to such terms and conditions.

[Golden_Gonads]

Do you have a source for that information? It's really the first time I read anything like that and to be honest it sounds a bit strange to me that Bioware back then would have agreed to such terms and conditions.

'fraid not, it's just something I heard many a year ago and have seen repeated occasionally since. It makes sense to me though - EA have reduced just about every other piece of DLC they've ever made for all their other games, so why not this?

I did spend an hour or so trying to track down when Bioware Points were first introduced, to see if there was any mention of another company there but I didn't have any luck.

[Jericho]

So 'apparently' the multiplayer in Andromeda works like this:

1) You have some form of missions board, I'm guessing a bit like the war-table in Inquisition or the similar thing in The Old Republic (where you can send your companion out for a few hours to do a mission).

2) You can choose to send a team to automatically do that mission (Just like Inquisition or Old Republic).

3) Instead of choosing a team, you can do it yourself in co-op multiplayer. So you don't have to go tot he main menu and choose multiplayer or anything like that, you can just launch it from right there, choose your player, and jump into a game. So you get the same rewards that you would have gotten if you'd have done it automatically.

4) I 'guess' that there will also be a traditional method to get into multiplayer through the menus for when you don't want to play through the game.


That is how it sounds from tweets and podcasts.

The new cinematic trailer is quite nice, the Tempest slamming to a halt before it crashes into the alien ships.

Also, (this is just my theory), the alien race The Kett, have odd names (Anointed, Archon) and I wonder if it is because they are literal translations from your universal translator? You've just arrived, so they language hasn't been refined, and this is the best literal translation that the computers can do?

[Sorkvild]

Huuuge fan of ME, but basing on what I've seen so far. I'm not that exited with Andromeda. Whole thing borrows much from DA:Inuisition in terms of game mechanics, quests. Wasn't big fan of kill and fetch procedural quests, visiting hundreds of non important poi's and there this thing with characters. I'm sure everyone remembers Sera. In MEA we have this charming shrek-asari with "bubbly personality", this is so annoying. Compare this moron to noble and serious Liara from original trilogy.
When it comes to other characters - they all look terrible with their rubbery and childlike faces. Ryder girl - a smartass midschool. Biotic companion Cora - square jaw, eew. Frostbite engine fails when it comes to creating good looking faces. I highly doubt if MEA will create hype larger than during the original trilogy.
A lot has changed since then, key artists have left, writers and programmers. The main plot will be good yet short able to beat in 10-20h, yet there will be this "open world" grind and filler crap to keep player doing other things but the plot.
This is why I'm really anti towards huge and overblown open worlds, much better prefer smaller yet well designed sections packed with better content. Examples Bully, Mirrors Edge Cataclyst, Deus Ex MD. Less = better. I get the feeling MEA will go huge with only 10 up to 20% plot related locations. Will see about that, but like I said - I'm skeptical this time.


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[pjknibbs]

I think calling CD Projekt Red "Slavs with a budget of 10 Adidas tracksuits" is rather underselling them...it's a company with nearly 400 employees and which made a profit of around 90 million dollars in 2015, according to Wikipedia. Also, they never gave the player the option of changing faces in the Witcher games, so it's maybe not surprising that their faces look better; the ME and Dragon Age engines use the same mechanisms for NPC faces as the one the player uses to create their own character, as far as I know, which limits how much they can do with them.

[Jericho]

Huuuge fan of ME, but basing on what I've seen so far. I'm not that exited with Andromeda. Whole thing borrows much from DA:Inuisition in terms of game mechanics, quests. Wasn't big fan of kill and fetch procedural quests, visiting hundreds of non important poi's

Yes, I'm a bit concerned that it will duplicate too much from Inquisition. But the developers have said that there are no fetch quests. Personally I don't mind visiting points of interest to unlock lore. But hunting bloody bear claws? Nope.

there this thing with characters. I'm sure everyone remembers Sera. In MEA we have this charming shrek-asari with "bubbly personality", this is so annoying. Compare this moron to noble and serious Liara from original trilogy.


When it comes to other characters - they all look terrible with their rubbery and childlike faces. Ryder girl - a smartass midschool. Biotic companion Cora - square jaw, eew. Frostbite engine fails when it comes to creating good looking faces. I highly doubt if MEA will create hype larger than during the original trilogy.

The current Sara Ryder face looks bloody awful. The current Scott Ryder face looks bloody excellent. They said that the Sara Ryder was an early version. I've found that there has been a real mix so far. Some excellent work, and some average work. The character creator in Inquisition was capable of making wonderful characters with detailed skins (on my PC anyway). Hoping this will only improve.

Regarding Cora, I really like her face shape. Everyone seemed to love Miranda in ME2, but she had a very odd jaw/chin/cheek shape ratio.
PeeBee the asari has a different face shape in every picture/video I see. Sometimes hot, sometimes derpy-derp-derp.

Personally I HATE 'bubbly' or 'quirky' game characters, because they don't hire comedians to write their dialog. In Inquisition, a lot of Sera's 'funny' dialog was just painful, and her line delivery wasn't the best. But when she was talking about how stupid other elves were, it was well written and well delivered.

Regarding Liara in the original trilogy, I think there is a lot of rose-tinted-spectacles about her. I've just finished replaying ME1&2 and half way through 3. In ME1, her acting and script are terrible, and her face is fairly bland. 2 improves slightly, but she isn't really in it. In ME3 her acting is much better as is her script, but her face is still fairly bland-18 year old.

I'm hoping that Cora is going to be like Cassandra (who had an excellent face).
Solus was a boring character (until the final scene post-credits But his face had so much detail.

[Sorkvild]

I think calling CD Projekt Red "Slavs with a budget of 10 Adidas tracksuits" is rather underselling them...it's a company with nearly 400 employees and which made a profit of around 90 million dollars in 2015, according to Wikipedia

Joke of course. Actually there is a tiny grain of truth

At their very, very beginnings were like that. After the commie system has fallen in Poland back in 89 there were few years of good, wild capitalism and ... no copyright right.
There were these "computer bazaars" (gielda komputerowa) where you could buy everything from imported computers and electronics related stuff to games, music and vhs'. Golden times - reminisced by many veteran computer users in Poland http://www.ppe.pl/publicystyka/1374/gie ... losci.html

So all games were copied and sold "legally" without persecution up to '93 or '95 (don't remember exactly) when the government introduced proper intellectual copyright laws. But that only made "pirates" a bit more careful. By the selling pirated games in Poland ended between around 2001-03 when retailers (like CDP) started selling localised games in prices everyone could afford (not to mention these beautiful paper boxes, deluxe editions etc..)
Prior to that there were almost no distributors of original games (which were crazily expensive back day) - people had to deal somehow. I remember vising a guy in a travel office in my city. Guy who had access to a fast computer in his office and disc copiers. After leaving your order you had to wait or come back in hours for the pick up That was his side business besides selling travel to Greece and Egypt

Bazaars turned up to be a good springboards for many now-respected computer business owners like Mr Kicinski and Mr Iwinski of CDP.

"Funnily enough," Iwiński adds, "especially in Poland, I was many times asked, 'Oh, so you were a pirate - your roots are from the computer games market?' I say, 'Hey, for starters it wasn't illegal and second, look at a lot of the presidents or the founders or the key shareholders of IT companies in Poland now: who are these guys?' These are the guys learning the ropes at the computer markets as well." link the full interview below

They made their first money by selling copied games on gielda. Money they made were enough to buy original games from the UK and distribute them locally. Some veteran dealers from gielda remembered them and young, sharp and well oriented.
Over the time they grew up and expanded. From selling "raw" non-translated games into one of the largest retailers and publisher of localized games. Their first HUGE success was localizing of first Baldurs Gate in Poland. Massive endeavor involving top Polish actors for voice acting. BG1 turned out be a bestseller and ideal of how games should be localised.
CD Projekt is a games publisher while CD Projekt Red is responsible for software development. Their first Witcher was a bestseller in Poland and since then they skyrocketed again. Next BIG thing that they are working on is Cyberpunk 2077.

You can read their story here, needs transating. "From selling diskettes to 6 millions copies of Witcher 3".
http://www.forbes.pl/historia-cd-projek ... 2,1,1.html

Also there is a good article on Eurogamer covering early "happy times". Also quoted on wiki.
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2013- ... cd-projekt

___

Huuuge fan of ME, but basing on what I've seen so far. I'm not that exited with Andromeda. Whole thing borrows much from DA:Inuisition in terms of game mechanics, quests. Wasn't big fan of kill and fetch procedural quests, visiting hundreds of non important poi's

Yes, I'm a bit concerned that it will duplicate too much from Inquisition. But the developers have said that there are no fetch quests. Personally I don't mind visiting points of interest to unlock lore. But hunting bloody bear claws? Nope.

there this thing with characters. I'm sure everyone remembers Sera. In MEA we have this charming shrek-asari with "bubbly personality", this is so annoying. Compare this moron to noble and serious Liara from original trilogy.


When it comes to other characters - they all look terrible with their rubbery and childlike faces. Ryder girl - a smartass midschool. Biotic companion Cora - square jaw, eew. Frostbite engine fails when it comes to creating good looking faces. I highly doubt if MEA will create hype larger than during the original trilogy.

The current Sara Ryder face looks bloody awful. The current Scott Ryder face looks bloody excellent. They said that the Sara Ryder was an early version. I've found that there has been a real mix so far. Some excellent work, and some average work. The character creator in Inquisition was capable of making wonderful characters with detailed skins (on my PC anyway). Hoping this will only improve.

Regarding Cora, I really like her face shape. Everyone seemed to love Miranda in ME2, but she had a very odd jaw/chin/cheek shape ratio.
PeeBee the asari has a different face shape in every picture/video I see. Sometimes hot, sometimes derpy-derp-derp.

Personally I HATE 'bubbly' or 'quirky' game characters, because they don't hire comedians to write their dialog. In Inquisition, a lot of Sera's 'funny' dialog was just painful, and her line delivery wasn't the best. But when she was talking about how stupid other elves were, it was well written and well delivered.

Regarding Liara in the original trilogy, I think there is a lot of rose-tinted-spectacles about her. I've just finished replaying ME1&2 and half way through 3. In ME1, her acting and script are terrible, and her face is fairly bland. 2 improves slightly, but she isn't really in it. In ME3 her acting is much better as is her script, but her face is still fairly bland-18 year old.

I'm hoping that Cora is going to be like Cassandra (who had an excellent face).
Solus was a boring character (until the final scene post-credits But his face had so much detail.

I can't really say anything bad about alien races available in game. They pretty much like their counterparts from the original ME. What wonders me is why Bioware hasn't shown any Asari? Are they all shrekey looking ones or it is just Peebee. You say Liara' looking really young, indeed she is. Don't forget she is very young to human standards ~23-24yo also she is pure-blood hance her near perfect face and serious attitude. When it comes to her look in ME1 I agree, but notice this - ME1 is from 2007 What really surprised me was her attitude change between ME1/2. From innocent and shy researcher into someone manipulative with serious powers.

Solus? Did you mean Mordin Solus or Solas from DA:I? Mordin Solus from Mass Effect series was one of the most interesting characters ever met in video games. Well written, fast and accurate in his thinking and judgements and very precise when it comes to working in the lab or packing a bullet into someones head. There is also his comedian skill https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxrO5-HPIAw

Cora. Matter of preference. IMO they exaggerated her "thigh gap" in MEA Andromeda Briefing 4. Here is her face after replacing the square jaw with more feminine http://i.imgur.com/Hk1aoYE.jpg She is definitely a choice for a straight guy player since Peebee is eeew and bubbly. Turian female is a lesbian. There is also this Jamaican fella, probably Kaidan 2 when it comes to orientation

Till then

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[Jericho]

I meant Solas from Inquisition.
(I had Mordin Solus on my mind, as I've just cured the genophage )

Regarding other Asari, you start the game separated from the other arks, so I guess you might meet their ark later in the game. It is rumored that your doctor is asari, you can see her briefly in one of the trailers, traditional cookie-cutter face.

PeeBee looks very different in every shot I see of her. Sometimes she looks really cute, sometimes really derp. Luckily she doesn't have Sera's crazy elf mouth.
(They've revealed her real name now, and you can see why it's shortened to PB)

That final shot of Sara Ryder you showed is horrifying. They have said that it was from the early version where her face doesn't move. Also, you can completely change her. Scott Ryder looks very well created.

Cora has a great face, but from a certain angle, she had a nose like Pinocchio. The tip seems to stretch on to infinity.

I didn't notice the thigh gap in the Initiative briefing, too busy trying to read the text
All the characters look more cartoonish in the Andromeda Initiative briefings. and have slightly-off body proportions (narrow shoulders, big heads).


Regarding the plot of the game, stuff of note:

1) Daddy Ryder has been researching (and has created) an AI called SAM. That is against all the laws in alliance/citadel space.

2) Cora Harper is his second in command. She shares a last name with The Illusive Man (Jack Harper I think), the leader (founder?) of Cerberus.

3) The Andromeda Initiative has many financial backers.


So, is Cora the daughter of The Illusive Man? Is the initiative partially funded by Cerberus to ensure that humanity survives in another galaxy? (Even if the rest of the initiative doesn't know about their backing). Was the separation of the human ark from the alien arks deliberate?

[Sorkvild]

Cora has a great face, but from a certain angle, she had a nose like Pinocchio. The tip seems to stretch on to infinity.

I didn't notice the thigh gap in the Initiative briefing, too busy trying to read the text Smile
All the characters look more cartoonish in the Andromeda Initiative briefings. and have slightly-off body proportions (narrow shoulders, big heads).

IMO she isn't the best ME female type. Square jaw, Pinocchio nose and robot-like posture (seen here https://youtu.be/K2zTyRopbZ8?t=2m ). IMO no start to Ashley from ME3, but in MEA for a guy Ryder it's either her or "bubbly Asari".

All the characters look more cartoonish in the Andromeda Initiative briefings. and have slightly-off body proportions (narrow shoulders, big heads

I couldn't agree more. Just watch this. Aliens look allright, but human females look really comical and unnatural. their mimic and facial expression are so fake. Not to mention bouncy running animation.

https://youtu.be/NOIzH6UcoW4?t=1m18s

Regarding the plot of the game, stuff of note:

1) Daddy Ryder has been researching (and has created) an AI called SAM. That is against all the laws in alliance/citadel space.

2) Cora Harper is his second in command. She shares a last name with The Illusive Man (Jack Harper I think), the leader (founder?) of Cerberus.

3) The Andromeda Initiative has many financial backers.


So, is Cora the daughter of The Illusive Man? Is the initiative partially funded by Cerberus to ensure that humanity survives in another galaxy? (Even if the rest of the initiative doesn't know about their backing). Was the separation of the human ark from the alien arks deliberate?

I don't think the Harper connection is coincidental. This will definitely serve a purpose or at least a remark by Cora about her and TIM relationship. She will probably say "yeah, he's my father but I was raised by my mother since mum and dad split right after I was born" or something like that.

[Sorkvild]

Found on reddit

Ryder vs Shepard body comparison. No wonder the guy on the left hasn't qualified to N7 program.
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What we get after scaling Ryders head to Shepards head
[ external image ]

They look tiny, rubbery, buttery and comical. ME1 characters look better than them, seriously.

[Jericho]

Yup, like I said, they look out of proportion.

If you just made his head a fraction smaller, it would work better.
Although, to be fair, the Shepard picture is a much lower camera angle looking up, while Ryder is a higher camera looking down (To hide his double chin for his Tinder profile).