Interview Beyond Mass Effect 3

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare

<a href="http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1066954p1.html">Biodoc talks ME.</a>
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;"><b>IGN: There's a renewed focus on the shooter aspect for Mass Effect 2. Was there a concern that it would put off BioWare's more traditional RPG fanbase?</b>
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Ray Muzyka: The RPG features are still there. A lot of the reviews I've read are very interesting and accurate, because at first glance the RPG features are not as strong, but keep playing and you can see that they're there in a different fashion. For example, you can grab weapons off the rack when you send your team off on away missions, and you progress your ship, which is almost a character – that you're adding research modifications to increase your chance of surviving the final battle. That's a progression mechanic in its own right, and it's pretty satisfying and deep.</p>
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The RPG features are still there. You just have to dig deeper.
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How did you feel when pressing the *research* button to apply the 4 or 5 ship-upgrades? Was it satisfying and deep?
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.rpgwatch.com/#14346">RPGWatch</A>

 

[Darth Roxor]

you can grab weapons off the rack

I, for one, am glad Bioware don't neglect the most important RPG elements.

 

[Malakal]

I fear that shooter features are more outlined than rpg features. Perhaps in ME3 we will need at LEAST 4 times more things to research to balance this.

 

[thesheeep]

Ouch.

This guy is wrong on so many levels, it's almost... almost... no idea, it's just weird.

"That's a progression mechanic"
RPG = progression mechanic. lol. Wtf?

The ship being "almost" a character...
Ehr, no?
EDI is, but even she/it doesn't have any sort of player influenced.. anything. She/it is just EDI.

 

[catfood]

Guys I think he is right. I mean I was playing NFS Porsche yesterday and you can buy car parts just like an RPG and install them on your car before you go racing and so your car is like a character itself and then as you progress through the career mode you get better and faster cars and parts and there's your progression right there. Just like in an RPG.

 

[Longshanks]

Wow. So, not even Bioware can come up with a credible response to - "what makes this game an RPG?". Weapon selection and progression? A ship that gets stronger as the game goes on? An RPG requires player controlled character development, as a baseline. You'd think he'd at least mention it.

 

[bat_boro]

What can change the nature of a shooter?

Some upgrades and some pretty cut-scenes, and a ton of shit blowing up in the course of the main storyline?

I don't think so

 

[entertainer]

Guys I think he is right. I mean I was playing NFS Porsche yesterday and you can buy car parts just like an RPG and install them on your car before you go racing and so your car is like a character itself and then as you progress through the career mode you get better and faster cars and parts and there's your progression right there. Just like in an RPG.

 

[Luzur]

*cries*

 

[entertainer]

im pretty shur that sheperds going to die in the next one and i hope you can be gay
Posted by: studmaniko on February 07, 2010 02:20 PDT

the key to understanding mass effect players

 

[RK47]

Shallow Character ability advancement is quite disappointing.

However, touting its Shooter qualities is just plain lying.
Poor weapon diversity. 2-3 type of weapons per class is just piss-poor. And giving the most choice for HEAVY WEAPON is just unnecessary since you can't even carry more than one per mission.

Whatever happened to weapon customization? All the linear 10% bonus damage is just pathetic. God, I can't even replenish ammo in Normandy, nor can I buy bullets / heavy weapons ammo. Shooter elements are already this bad when they can copy pasta ideas easily from other games.

I hope ME 3 would at least grow up in terms of itemization. x2 , x4 scopes on rifles. Faster reload mods. Upgraded ammo capacity mag. Pistol Overcharge mod. I could fucking go on, but these things seem to escape Bioware TPS design team who are still new to the concept of shooter.

 

[Krraloth]

im pretty shur that sheperds going to die in the next one and i hope you can be gay
Posted by: studmaniko on February 07, 2010 02:20 PDT

the key to understanding mass effect players

What he/she said

 

[relootz]

You look at DA as an example. It's a fresh take on fantasy that hasn't really been done.

Seriously.. why does he say stuff like this.

you progress your ship, which is almost a character – that you're adding research modifications to increase your chance of surviving the final battle. That's a progression mechanic in its own right, and it's pretty satisfying and deep.

The future of RPG's is pimping your car. Satisfying and deep. Is this guy the head of marketing?

 

[Hobo Elf]

I've nothing to say, really. This *is* Bioware. What else did you expect from them?

 

[ChristofferC]

IGN: Have these past experiences of not owning the properties driven BioWare's aim to create original properties?

Ray Muzyka: Somewhat. You look at DA as an example. It's a fresh take on fantasy that hasn't really been done. It's not the same as a high fantasy game; it's a dark heroic fantasy, so it's a little bit different.


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


Also, gay relationships are important to IGN.

 

[Arcanoix]

Guys I think he is right. I mean I was playing NFS Porsche yesterday and you can buy car parts just like an RPG and install them on your car before you go racing and so your car is like a character itself and then as you progress through the career mode you get better and faster cars and parts and there's your progression right there. Just like in an RPG.

Stats =/= RPG, fucktard.

 

[Castanova]

Wooooosh.

 

[Dyspaire]

They'll never say so, but it's pretty clear that the Doctors favorite game of all time is Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger.

It's also pretty obvious that whatever good can be found in the Baldur's Gate games... is there almost by accident.

Maybe it's the Forgotten Realms license. Maybe it was the budget/technology constraints. All I know is that every game they've released since KoTOR plays exactly like Wing Commander III.

Only the setting and plot change from game to game. The actual mechanics of KoTOR, Jade Empire, Mass Effects, and Dragon Age are all exactly, exactly the same as that found in WCIII.

Set combat piece : Cinematic : Dialogue Choice : Set Combat Piece : Etc : Etc.

Bioware makes Interactive Movies (tm). They are in the Interactive Movie business.

Not the crpg business.

Now, they do make great Interactive Movies. They have the resources now to really pull out all the stops. Top tier writing and production values, definitely.

They just need to stop pretending they're something they're not in order to potentially satisfy a target demographic.

 

[TwinkieGorilla]

I've nothing to say, really. This *is* Bioware. What else did you expect from them?

moar alien secks?

 

[orao]

I didn't read the whole thing but this is hilarious:
He reiterates the same thing about 5 times here.
IGN: Will there be gay buttsecks?
Ray: Here's how the games are different: Dragon Age is a first person narrative, where you're taking on an origin and a role, and you are that character at a fundamental level. It's fundamentally about defining your character, including those kinds of concepts. In Mass Effect it's more a third person narrative, where you have a pre-defined character who is who he is, or she is. But it's not a wide-open choice matrix. It's more choice on a tactical level with a pre-defined character. So they're different types of narratives, and that's intentional.

We're not saying that one approach is better than the other. In our previous games, ... we enable those kinds of choices, whereas in Mass Effect it's more about Shepard as a defined character with certain approaches and worldviews.... So we constrain the choice set somewhat, but enable more tactical choices and enable a deeper, richer personality, because it's more focused around defining one character, it's not as wide open. But that's by choice.

It's first person versus third person narrative,... whether you've got a pre-defined character or a wide-open character. Some of our games have been wide open, and some have been more constrained, and we'll probably continue both kinds of character development in the future.

 

[aries202]

I don't understand wht the biodocs just don't say straight out that ME2 is mostly a shooter game, bcause that's how we wanted to make this game. Maybe it's a bad shooter game? then... Or it could be a good game, in its own right?

 

[Clockwork Knight]

The ship being "almost" a character...
Ehr, no?
EDI is, but even she/it doesn't have any sort of player influenced.. anything. She/it is just EDI.

"character" also means npcs, not only pcs. EDI is a npc.

The ship is just the ship, though. EDI is just a explanation guy npc type. She states she can't control the ship directly, so she isn't the ship itself.

 

[Black Cat]

@ Dyspaire

"Bioware makes Interactive Movies (tm)."

And, like, what else is new, nya?

 

[Hobo Elf]

Or it could be a good game, in its own right?

I can't wait for developers to go on interviews and say that their game is "good for what it is".

 

[Jaesun]

im pretty shur that sheperds going to die in the next one and i hope you can be gay
Posted by: studmaniko on February 07, 2010 02:20 PDT

the key to understanding mass effect players