Tale Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Some fun numbers I just put together. Mass Effect: 10:26 Mass Effect 2: 11:07 Mass Effect 3 demo: 13:03 This is distance from start of game (right after character creation on 1 and 3 demo) to action. Not doing any unnecessary dialogs, but no skipping cutscenes and mandatory ones. I did use action mode for ME3 demo. This implies that action mode has very little chance of fixing their appeal to the action gamer. But maybe they make up for it in the long run. I also did Baldur's Gate 1 for the heck of it. 2:36 That's to one of the assassins in Candlekeep. I think more meaningful numbers would be time to map, time to player input, and time to combat while skipping cutscenes. If I go insane, I might try collecting those on future games. Insanity is a genuine possibility. "Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobSmith101 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Well.. something I missed. Beware nittpicking ahead. "blah-blah-blah.. This allows them to survive the thousands and thousands of years it takes for organic civilizations to rebuild itself.. and blah-blah-blah" Hmm, the magic keyword here being 'rebuild' itself.. Rebuild, as in the same people building the same things all over again.. ?! Organic civilization isn't a specific group of species but any advanced organic life forms. In the time of the Protheans, they were organic civilization. In the time of the games, humanity, asari, turian, korgan, and such are organic civilization. If Shepard failed and the Reapers win, there are likely other organisms living at a pre-industrial level that will become space faring and discover the Citadel in the next 50,000 years. To use a metaphor, imagine an alien race comes to earth and wipes out all existing civilization, sending humanity back to the stone age but somehow leaving all the natural resource intact. When I say 'human civilization will rebuild itself' I'm not saying that China, Russia, and India will reappear, I'm saying that some form of civilization will arise over time. The problem is while 50,000 years might be enough to go from "caveman" to space. It's not enough to go from organism to "caveman". Thats on the millions scale so the Reapers would soon run out of targets unless they were doing something else. I'm not even sure if Bioware knows what that is... In the intro to ME3 it says the Reapers appear every 50,000 years to cleanse the galaxy of ALL organic life. Considering how long the Reapers have been doing it, they must be really bad at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithe Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I'm not even sure if Bioware knows what that is... In the intro to ME3 it says the Reapers appear every 50,000 years to cleanse the galaxy of ALL organic life. Considering how long the Reapers have been doing it, they must be really bad at it. The Prothean VI you talk to in ME1, actually talks about the Reapers targeting "advanced organic life" if I recall. Which, when combined with the whole.. leaving the Mass Relays around as it helps guide species into developing specific technologies..which the Reapers know how to deal with, makes more sense of the theory they only bother with species at a specific stage of evolution/advancement. And since they are supposed to be somewhat smart, I'm pretty sure they'd figure in the whole "don't eat your feed stock" concept that most competent farmers/ranchers know... "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoonDing Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I doubt whether any "lore" ME1 established even matters anymore. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Caliban Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 (edited) I still love you BioWare, but... The problem is while 50,000 years might be enough to go from "caveman" to space. It's not enough to go from organism to "caveman". Thats on the millions scale so the Reapers would soon run out of targets unless they were doing something else. I'm not even sure if Bioware knows what that is... In the intro to ME3 it says the Reapers appear every 50,000 years to cleanse the galaxy of ALL organic life. Considering how long the Reapers have been doing it, they must be really bad at it. The intro to ME3 is a six sentence long scroll. Yes, they should have said 'advanced organic civilizations,' they've already established that the Reapers don't go after all organic life. Edited February 18, 2012 by Maria Caliban "When is this out. I can't wait to play it so I can talk at length about how bad it is." - Gorgon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoonDing Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Frederik Pohl's Gateway has a similar story as well, and that's a game from 1992. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Caliban Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I haven't played either of those games. Okay guys, this might be a spoiler or it might be a fake, but this is supposedly a . "When is this out. I can't wait to play it so I can talk at length about how bad it is." - Gorgon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tale Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Virumor posted that earlier in a spoiler tag. heh It's genuine. As far as we know, he's from the day 1 DLC. Which was reported at one time as included with the CE. But I can find no confirmation from official sources that it's still the case. "Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Caliban Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 (edited) I ordered the Collector's Edition (and Best Buy already charged me for it, which actually makes me more worried about not getting it) so I hope he's still included. Edit: It's still included. On the bottom left. Edited February 18, 2012 by Maria Caliban "When is this out. I can't wait to play it so I can talk at length about how bad it is." - Gorgon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tale Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Yeah, I saw your thread. I double checked Origin. Apparently it's listed as part of the N7 arsenal pack. You get a whole new companion and they hide it behind the shotgun. Thanks for looking into it. "Show me a man who "plays fair" and I'll show you a very talented cheater." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greylord Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Yes, but is it on the disk and installed quick with a quick verification check from origin, or is it still DLC and you still have to DL it, even though you have the collectors edition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maria Caliban Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I'd bet money on you having to download it. "When is this out. I can't wait to play it so I can talk at length about how bad it is." - Gorgon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobSmith101 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Don't know if this is bothering anyone else (or if it's been noticed).But when you compare the size of the ME2 demo and what you got on it and the size of the ME3 demo and what you get on it. ME3 seems to take up a lot of space for a lot less content. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nepenthe Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Arrival? I was probably hoping there would be an in-game explanation Wasn't the original Normandy an experimental prototype? Thats where I got the idea that they would be quite rare. A highly successful prototype and time has passed in-universe. There's a webcomic that ties Arrival and ME3 together, I can google it for you when I'm back home. But I can see why they chose to start in medias res, the explanation might come up when talking with Vega/in the codex later on. I'm not believing anything I hear re who's coming back in what capacity, bio have played those cards really close to the chest as well as suggested that they might be breaking away from their traditional "recruit&hold" system. That could be wishful thinking on my part, as I've seen the powers for a shortish list of characters, which recycle nearly all the bonus powers from me2 (while adding new ones - every npc has 2 bonus powers as you can see from the demo). Btw. I find the division of people claiming to not be interested in the game obsessing over minute details in it amusing at best, terrifying at worst. You're a cheery wee bugger, Nep. Have I ever said that? Reapercussions Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobSmith101 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Btw. I find the division of people claiming to not be interested in the game obsessing over minute details in it amusing at best, terrifying at worst. Interested in my case is the difference between a Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Majek Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Why Mass Effect is the Most Important Science Fiction Universe of Our Generation 1.13 killed off Ja2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gorth Posted February 18, 2012 Author Share Posted February 18, 2012 Why Mass Effect is the Most Important Science Fiction Universe of Our Generation ...and I thought *we* were being silly “He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would surely suffice.” - Albert Einstein Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meshugger Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 (edited) I think that this is the most appropriate answer to that article. Edited February 18, 2012 by Meshugger "Some men see things as they are and say why?""I dream things that never were and say why not?"- George Bernard Shaw"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."- Friedrich Nietzsche "The amount of energy necessary to refute bull**** is an order of magnitude bigger than to produce it." - Some guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobSmith101 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 I think that would have any real sci fi fans (hehe) spitting blood. I'd certainly say ME had a lot of potential but it was squandered in favour of Hollywoodesque values. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raithe Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 The one that I'm finding a wee bit amusing is that in-game, apparently Jack has ended up in the position of a teacher at Grissom Academy, and has partially grown out her hair so she's no longer "the crazy bald chick". Actually, has anyone figured out the time frame between ME2 - Arrival - ME3? Are we talking days, weeks, months, or a year+ ? "Cuius testiculos habeas, habeas cardia et cerebellum." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobSmith101 Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 (edited) 2183-2186 ME-ME3. I think it's just a year. http://masseffect.wi...m/wiki/Timeline Edited February 18, 2012 by BobSmith101 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morgoth Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Full version of ME3 will include Hi-Res Textures that were omitted in the demo. Source (German). Rain makes everything better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greylord Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 (edited) Why Mass Effect is the Most Important Science Fiction Universe of Our Generation The above article is interesting. I consider things like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica more space opera than anything Science Fiction. I also am not certain I agree with the writer's idea that humans are shown as insignificant in the universe. By the end of the game you can have a human who saves cvilization as they know it, a human fleet that saves the rest of them, and depending on your choices, maybe even a council that is dominated by humans. In the least you'll get a human on the council which shows that humans are NOT second class citizens. This get's even stronger in ME2 where you have the Reapers suddenly so interested in Humans that they have their mindslaves harvesting them to recreate one of themselves (a Reaper) in man's image! If the rumors in ME3 are true, humans are even more important overall in many ways. Edited February 18, 2012 by greylord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcador Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Humans are always special, in the end. 1 Why has elegance found so little following? Elegance has the disadvantage that hard work is needed to achieve it and a good education to appreciate it. - Edsger Wybe Dijkstra Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoonDing Posted February 18, 2012 Share Posted February 18, 2012 Arrival? I was probably hoping there would be an in-game explanation Wasn't the original Normandy an experimental prototype? Thats where I got the idea that they would be quite rare. There's a webcomic that ties Arrival and ME3 together, I can google it for you when I'm back home. But I can see why they chose to start in medias res, the explanation might come up when talking with Vega/in the codex later on. http://masseffect.wi...ect:_Conviction Days after the events of Arrival, the galaxy is in turmoil over Commander Shepard's actions. While the Citadel Council denounces the Commander and Councilor Udina deflects blame from the Systems Alliance, the Batarian Hegemony calls for retribution for the apparent terrorist acts. On Omega, Alliance soldier James Vega plays cards in a bar as he watches a newscast about the uproar. Without warning, he rips the screen from the wall, offering to pay the krogan bartender for the damages. The batarians Vega was playing cards with become confrontational and accuse him of being a "Shepard Lover". Vega tries to calm them down, but they charge him. He bashes one batarian over the head with the screen, then rushes the leader of another group, both of them crashing through a window. The rest of the batarians surround Vega and attack. The fight is interrupted by the arrival of Admiral Anderson and a contingent of soldiers. Anderson informs Vega that he is being brought in for more training. As they board an aircar, Anderson tells Vega that he must get past "the incident on Fehl" and "be the soldier we expect of you". Vega argues, demanding that Anderson throw him in the brig as they approach the Normandy SR-2. Anderson then explains that Vega will actually be guarding the brig, and one special prisoner: Commander Shepard. Sounds pretty lame. The ending of the words is ALMSIVI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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