MassMffect Q & A @ Gamespy

[Volourn]

http://xbox360.gamespy.com/xbox-360/mass-e...t/776248p1.html

 

 

The focus on this interview was mainly non combat stuff including something long suspected but now confirmed. This quote wins all:

 

"There are lots of non-combat abilities as well, which can affect your ability to intimidate or persuade those that you talk to."

 

 

ME will be awesome. It will no doubt, no matter how bad it is, be sueprior in EVERY WAY to KOTOR.

 

Up with ME!

 

Down with KOTOR!

 

ME > KOTOR

[Volourn]

More class details at BIO's own site:

 

http://masseffect.bioware.com/galacticcode...s_part_one.html

 

Not only are there 6 starting classes, there are also 6 specialized classes you cna unlock later in the game. I preusme they'rebasically ME's version of Prestige Classes.

 

Awesomeness abopunds!!!

[Maria Caliban]

I agree that ME will be better than KotOR, except in one important aspect. I could actually play KotOR, but I don't have an X-Box 360.

[Volourn]

Oh SNAP!

 

Sucks to be you.

[Pidesco]

I don't know. It sounds a lot like KOTOR with a different combat system. And the combat system reminds me of a lite version of Jagged Alliance. But, as I will never own an Xbox 360, it doesn't really matter to me.

[Volourn]

Short; but mysterious video:

 

 

"It sounds a lot like KOTOR with a different combat system."

 

In some ways, yes, but it's also vastly supeiror to KOTOR in every way unless you are a SW fanatic.

 

Wasn't Jagged Allinace turn base? ME isn't... I don't think it's trying to be JE combat wise, and definiitely not rpg wise.

 

 

I do have some worries about the game, however....

[Pidesco]

Wasn't Jagged Allinace turn base? ME isn't... I don't think it's trying to be JE combat wise, and definiitely not rpg wise.

 

 

Yes, It seems to me that its combat is to X-Com type games what BG was to turn-based RPGs. Of course, I haven't played ME, so I guess I'm just talking out of my other end here.

[Volourn]

Neither have I. All we can do is make educated guess on what we know about the game and our experience playing games. Nothing wrong with that. Afterall, that's how *anyone* decides whether not a game is worthy of even playing. And, that even goes for those who think ME will suck. *shrug* It's all good.

Edited March 28, 2007 by Volourn

[Maria Caliban]

Volourn:

"Oh SNAP!

 

Sucks to be you. "

 

So true.

 

" I do have some worries about the game, however....'

 

Abstracted dialogue choices will take getting used to, but I ended up enjoying them in the Bard's Tale. Save for that one 'snarky' response that cause me to *murder* someone! I said snarky, not psychotic!

 

Pidesco:

" I don't know. It sounds a lot like KOTOR with a different combat system. And the combat system reminds me of a lite version of Jagged Alliance. But, as I will never own an Xbox 360, it doesn't really matter to me. "

 

Other than the tropes common to most science fiction (aliens, space ships, blaster guns), I don't see it as being much like KotOR at all. For one thing, there are no light/dark side points, so I expect few dialog options like this:

1) Sure, I'll save your puppy, for free!

2) Sure, I'll save your puppy, but it will cost you.

3) *rips head off of puppy* *drinks puppy blood*

 

I wish they'd show the female avatar, however. Seeing the same bald guy in all the previews is annoying.

[Joseph Bulock]

I want to like this game, simply because if it's good, we might see less of the Oblivion clones and more interaction based RPG's and games that allow for better tactical gameplay without going the boring military sim route. So far from the gameplay videos my primary worry is about the shooting mechanic. The footage I've seen makes it seem like the guns aren't very lethal, and have the weird "in the future, guns are worse at killing people" feeling. All the tactical gameplay in the world is a waste if the guns don't pose enough threat to stop me from charging up the middle and dropping grenades at people's feet.

[Pidesco]

Other than the tropes common to most science fiction (aliens, space ships, blaster guns), I don't see it as being much like KotOR at all. For one thing, there are no light/dark side points, so I expect few dialog options like this:

1) Sure, I'll save your puppy, for free!

2) Sure, I'll save your puppy, but it will cost you.

3) *rips head off of puppy* *drinks puppy blood*

 

I wish they'd show the female avatar, however. Seeing the same bald guy in all the previews is annoying.

 

 

I have to say I'll be quite surprised if the dialogue choices that decide the outcome of quests in ME aren't exactly like that.

Edited March 28, 2007 by Pidesco

[Maria Caliban]

How's *this* for great conversation choices:

 

[Joseph Bulock]

How's *this* for great conversation choices:

 

Maybe these will make a bit more sense when they get set up in the game...

[Volourn]

HAHA! Not very pleasant, is he? Yeah, hopefully, you have options to be a tad more calm then that. Where's the option of:"Yes, tell me the enw orders." Hehe.

 

That dialogue screen needs one more option added then it be cool..

[SteveThaiBinh]

Isn't that screenshot from the RPGCodex fake interview? Or was it a genuine screenshot?

[Pidesco]

How's *this* for great conversation choices:

 

 

Like Mr Bulock pointed out that doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

 

And besides a rude option, a violent option, and a matter-of-fact option don't seem particularly impressive to me.

[Maria Caliban]

He's Commander Shepherd, he doesn't *need* to know the orders.

 

(Just so everyone is clear, that screen shot is a fake)

[Volourn]

"Isn't that screenshot from the RPGCodex fake interview? Or was it a genuine screenshot?"

 

As Maria pointed out, it's fake. BIO has alreayd said there should be at least 3 distinct dialogue choices for most scenarios: the aggresive, over the top one that Commander Shepard is now famous for (heh), the semi passive, calm voice (more goodie-goodie), and the the inquisitive/curious type.

 

Don't let photo shop fake screenshots fool yeah though it's done well enoguh to be sneaky. Bets way to figure out what a real screenshot is; is go to the official site or a professional game site like IGN or Gamespot (but not on April 1st, lol).

 

Screenshot is well done; though. I'll give 'em that.

Edited March 29, 2007 by Volourn

[Pidesco]

BIO has alreayd said there should be at least 3 distinct dialogue choices for most scenarios: the aggresive, over the top one that Commander Shepard is now famous for (heh), the semi passive, clam voice (more goodie-goodie), and the the inquisitive/curious type.

 

That's sounds a lot like the same old crap.

[Volourn]

Just like your post is. L0L

 

Anyways, that's ok. If BIO makes the 'same old crap'; I'll happily play the game. R00fles!

Edited March 29, 2007 by Volourn

[Joseph Bulock]

Just like your post is. L0L

 

Anyways, that's ok. If BIO makes the 'same old crap'; I'll happily play the game. R00fles!

 

 

I'd love to see them try to pioneer in the dialog as much as they are trying to pioneer with the system. RPG dialog is tricky, but I'm sure they could switch it up a bit, and if nothing else, hopefully make the "evil" options a bit less psychotic and a bit more subtle than their previous titles.

[Pop]

Hell, what else am I going to look forward to this year?

 

RPG dialog is tricky, but I'm sure they could switch it up a bit, and if nothing else, hopefully make the "evil" options a bit less psychotic and a bit more subtle than their previous titles.

I'd like to see that too, but before even considering it you'd have to make a conscious effort to make the "evil" path just as relevant to a game as the "good" path, and it doesn't seem like anybody's willing to really, truly do that. The "good = talk / evil = violence" rut is just too easy to fall into. If you're planning on incorporating both combat and dialogue into a game, it's much easier to just tie "good" to the latter and "evil" to the former, rather than put extra work into accomodating both good and bad meaningfully into both aspects of the game. Even when the evil path is a legitimate choice in a game, it's always the lesser behind the good path. Even in a game like Fallout 2, which gives quite a bit of freedom, there's karma at work, where being evil is generally more difficult than being good (both in the sense that it was difficult to have negative karma without resorting to random violence often, and in that plot-critical sequences like Vault 13 are made virtually impossible to get through without violence when significant negative karma points are accumulated)

 

I don't know if I really got my meaning through there.

 

 

*edit - added response.

Edited March 29, 2007 by Pop

[Maria Caliban]

Pop:

"Hell, what else am I going to look forward to this year?"

 

BioShock?

Edited March 29, 2007 by Maria Caliban

[Pop]

BioShock?

It ain't grabbing me, I must say. I look forward to it as much as I look forward to this, but I like Bioware in general, the only real letdown they gave me that I can think of was the NWN OC, so this has a slight edge.

[Gromnir]

Just like your post is. L0L

 

Anyways, that's ok. If BIO makes the 'same old crap'; I'll happily play the game. R00fles!

 

 

I'd love to see them try to pioneer in the dialog as much as they are trying to pioneer with the system. RPG dialog is tricky, but I'm sure they could switch it up a bit, and if nothing else, hopefully make the "evil" options a bit less psychotic and a bit more subtle than their previous titles.

 

 

josh always complains when people not offer plausible alternatives. you not wanna cheese off josh, do you?

 

evil options that not gonna break quests/critical path needs be insular. so, how you makes mature evil options that not gots impact beyond the immediate quest, and still seem evil 'nuff to be recognized as evil w/o resorting to thuggish kinda crap?

 

in traditional stories the mature evil stuff typical involves the Evil Plan, which requires stringing together multiple actions that in and of self probably not seems overt evil. is at least as much effort as a typical romance to put together something like an Evil Plan.... and there is some obvious obstacles even so. Gromnir made some suggestions 'bout integrating an evil plan sequence o' dialogues into a bio crpg, and developers not seem to thinks it were worth effort.

 

so, what is bullocks ideas... mature evil that not break the otherwise heroic critical path, and at same time not seem petty or small.

 

don't make josh angry.

 

HA! Good Fun!