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ME Andromeda: Early Impressions Out, Divert All Power To Spoiler Tags

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    ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    I used everyone at least a little bit but Garrus and Tali got significant play in all three games

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    AistanAistan Tiny Bat Registered User regular
    ME1 was Garrus+Tali, ME2 was Garrus+Grunt, ME3 was Garrus+Liara, with Javik swapped in instead of Garrus on Thessia.

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    I needed anime to post.I needed anime to post. boom Registered User regular
    i hope i can take the protagonist out of the party

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    DarkPrimusDarkPrimus Registered User regular
    i hope i can take the protagonist out of the party

    This is a Bioware game, not an Obsidian game.

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    I needed anime to post.I needed anime to post. boom Registered User regular
    i didn't say it was a reasonable hope

    i just want the most boring character to not be in my party

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    ShenShen Registered User regular
    i didn't say it was a reasonable hope

    i just want the most boring character to not be in my party

    No one makes you bring Jacob along.

    3DS: 2234-8122-8398 | Battle.net (EU): Ladi#2485
    ladi.png
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    RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    i didn't say it was a reasonable hope

    i just want the most boring character to not be in my party

    The protagonist isn't always the most boring character. I mean, The Warden and The Inquisitor, sure. But Hawke and Shepard? They've got a lot of attitude.

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    PreacherPreacher Registered User regular
    And just to add to that, the warden and inquisitor are boring because they are fill in characters. They have no story of their own, but the ryders are more shepard/hawke.

    I would like some money because these are artisanal nuggets of wisdom philistine.

    pleasepaypreacher.net
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    -Tal-Tal Registered User regular
    I like the story hooks they gave the inquisitors

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    FencingsaxFencingsax It is difficult to get a man to understand, when his salary depends upon his not understanding GNU Terry PratchettRegistered User regular
    I really hope if anyone tries to pull "best of the best" shit on you, you can point out that Shepard stayed in the Milky Way.

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    -Tal-Tal Registered User regular
    Fencingsax wrote: »
    I really hope if anyone tries to pull "best of the best" shit on you, you can point out that Shepard stayed in the Milky Way.

    she died two years before they left, on the normandy, when the geth blew it sky high

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    RainfallRainfall Registered User regular
    -Tal wrote: »
    I like the story hooks they gave the inquisitors

    Inquisition would have been so much better as a story with an intro cinematic.

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    BlankZoeBlankZoe Registered User regular
    Rainfall wrote: »
    -Tal wrote: »
    I like the story hooks they gave the inquisitors

    Inquisition would have been so much better as a story with an intro cinematic.
    Eeeeeh, I liked that your character basically existed in the world prior to your starting the game and you just get thrust into it and get context for your character other ways, personally

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    TrippyJingTrippyJing Moses supposes his toeses are roses. But Moses supposes erroneously.Registered User regular
    Okay, but did they bring every issue of Fornax with them to the Andromeda galaxy?

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    -Tal-Tal Registered User regular
    yeah I didn't need full on cinematic intros for the origins, a little flavor text can go a long way when it comes to getting those roleplay gears turning

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    Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    Don't let anything take away from Inquisition having the best Start screen of any video game

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    MancingtomMancingtom Registered User regular
    TrippyJing wrote: »
    Okay, but did they bring every issue of Fornax with them to the Andromeda galaxy?

    Of course they did, they're not crazy.

    They've got to be ready for cultural exchanges, after all.
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    HeatwaveHeatwave Come, now, and walk the path of explosions with me!Registered User regular
    edited February 2017
    TrippyJing wrote: »
    Okay, but did they bring every issue of Fornax with them to the Andromeda galaxy?
    They did better.

    The magazine's publisher had their best creative staff to set up shop on the Nexus to bring Fornax to a new galaxy.
    I wish

    Heatwave on
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    Steam / Origin & Wii U: Heatwave111 / FC: 4227-1965-3206 / Battle.net: Heatwave#11356
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    SolarSolar Registered User regular
    The most interesting part of Inquisition for me is the religious and cultural war that is breaking apart after centuries of status quo. Reformation of the Chantry and the Circle, a split away of the Templar Order, the culmination of many years of a division between the Black and White divines, the decline of the traditional feudal empires in favour of wealthy city state trading alliances, the Qunari reaching a high point of their invasion; it all contributes to a feeling of a fantasy setting based on that sort of late Medieval period where the Ottomans were making their way through Eastern Europe, the Hapsburgs and the Valois were constantly fighting, the Protestants and Catholics were at each other's throats and religion, feudal society was almost dead etc.

    Considering that, it's never really surprised me that Dwarfs and Elves have always seemed the most interesting in their role as segregated minorities, and the Qun as an alien enemy. But I do wish that the game forced you to be more of a product of the society you are from, and I think it would reinforce the setting as well as making the main character less of a blank slate.

    Example; when Cassandra asks you whether you are a believer in Andraste and the Maker. As a human, I think your character should be flexible in how devout they are, but definitely be a believer in some sense, because that's the cultural milieu. I know people disagree, but I feel like it would make your background and character more interesting.

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    DemonStaceyDemonStacey TTODewback's Daughter In love with the TaySwayRegistered User regular
    Dragkonias wrote: »
    I tend to use all the characters to some degree but not sure who my "main" party is gonna be.

    I think Garrus was on my main squad in all three installments of the original trilogy.

    I'm one of those weirdos that uses a set squad in every game.

    Even games designed around swapping teammates around. I ignore those sort of mechanics and stick to my squad of choice.

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    Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    There was not a single time where Garrus was an option and wasn't included in my squad

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    DeadfallDeadfall I don't think you realize just how rich he is. In fact, I should put on a monocle.Registered User regular
    I used party members based on the level. Taking down a merc base? Zaeed and Garrus. Lots of Geth? Tali and Legion. Asari Biotics? You better believe I'm sending out Jack and Miranda (because I want them to get along.)

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    xbl - HowYouGetAnts
    steam - WeAreAllGeth
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    Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    Some producer did an interview with PC Gamer and said expect the sidequests in Andromeda to be less like Inquisition and more like Witcher 3

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    WybornWyborn GET EQUIPPED Registered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Some producer did an interview with PC Gamer and said expect the sidequests in Andromeda to be less like Inquisition and more like Witcher 3

    ...Is there more details for this, because that's pretty interesting (and also would just place them clsoer on the spectrum to older Mass Effect games)

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    Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    Wyborn wrote: »
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Some producer did an interview with PC Gamer and said expect the sidequests in Andromeda to be less like Inquisition and more like Witcher 3

    ...Is there more details for this, because that's pretty interesting (and also would just place them clsoer on the spectrum to older Mass Effect games)

    Not that I can get at, because the full interview is in the magazine
    PC Gamer wrote:
    Open-world games often spoil us with intricate and engaging main stories, however the genre has a tendency to undo its good work by way of lacking sidequests. BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition is particularly guilty of this, which is something the developer is addressing in its incoming Mass Effect: Andromeda—taking its lead from CD Projekt Red's The Witcher series.

    For me, Fallout: New Vegas, is a big offender on this front. It's one of my own all-time favourite open-world games, yet I wasted a sizeable chunk of my first playthrough undertaking tedious handiwork for the game's minor factions to the point where the central narrative ultimately became less effective. Writing in PC Gamer's recently released March magazine issue, our Samuel dubs this concept in relation to Inquisition the "Hinterlands problem"—where players get stuck in one location and are forced to gratuitously grind through less important side ventures.

    Andromeda's producer Fabrice Condominas tells Sam that while he and his team aren't necessarily discouraging players from adopting this approach, they are tackling sidequests with more thought than before.

    "We are approaching the completionist aspect very differently, because we've done and learned a lot from Inquisition," Condominas says. "But we've also observed what other games have been doing, like The Witcher."

    Condominas continues, stressing that bigger isn't always better in that sidequests must be "meaningful" in order to be impactful—something The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in particular carried off particularly well. "And it was very important for us that the quantity of scope doesn't downgrade the quality of whatever your are doing there."

    Basically it sounds like there will be less MMO bullshit and more actual story

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    crwthcrwth THAT'S IT Registered User regular
    Solar wrote: »
    The most interesting part of Inquisition for me is the religious and cultural war that is breaking apart after centuries of status quo. Reformation of the Chantry and the Circle, a split away of the Templar Order, the culmination of many years of a division between the Black and White divines, the decline of the traditional feudal empires in favour of wealthy city state trading alliances, the Qunari reaching a high point of their invasion; it all contributes to a feeling of a fantasy setting based on that sort of late Medieval period where the Ottomans were making their way through Eastern Europe, the Hapsburgs and the Valois were constantly fighting, the Protestants and Catholics were at each other's throats and religion, feudal society was almost dead etc.

    Considering that, it's never really surprised me that Dwarfs and Elves have always seemed the most interesting in their role as segregated minorities, and the Qun as an alien enemy. But I do wish that the game forced you to be more of a product of the society you are from, and I think it would reinforce the setting as well as making the main character less of a blank slate.

    Example; when Cassandra asks you whether you are a believer in Andraste and the Maker. As a human, I think your character should be flexible in how devout they are, but definitely be a believer in some sense, because that's the cultural milieu. I know people disagree, but I feel like it would make your background and character more interesting.

    the religious part was actually the least interesting to me i guess because i find religious history very boring and any time i read a codex about andraste my eyes just kinda glazed over

    it got a little more interesting later but i prefer stuff like elven and dwarven history/mythos/religion i think

    then again, maybe i'd be more invested had i played the first two dragon ages

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    DracomicronDracomicron Registered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Wyborn wrote: »
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Some producer did an interview with PC Gamer and said expect the sidequests in Andromeda to be less like Inquisition and more like Witcher 3

    ...Is there more details for this, because that's pretty interesting (and also would just place them clsoer on the spectrum to older Mass Effect games)

    Not that I can get at, because the full interview is in the magazine
    PC Gamer wrote:
    Open-world games often spoil us with intricate and engaging main stories, however the genre has a tendency to undo its good work by way of lacking sidequests. BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition is particularly guilty of this, which is something the developer is addressing in its incoming Mass Effect: Andromeda—taking its lead from CD Projekt Red's The Witcher series.

    For me, Fallout: New Vegas, is a big offender on this front. It's one of my own all-time favourite open-world games, yet I wasted a sizeable chunk of my first playthrough undertaking tedious handiwork for the game's minor factions to the point where the central narrative ultimately became less effective. Writing in PC Gamer's recently released March magazine issue, our Samuel dubs this concept in relation to Inquisition the "Hinterlands problem"—where players get stuck in one location and are forced to gratuitously grind through less important side ventures.

    Andromeda's producer Fabrice Condominas tells Sam that while he and his team aren't necessarily discouraging players from adopting this approach, they are tackling sidequests with more thought than before.

    "We are approaching the completionist aspect very differently, because we've done and learned a lot from Inquisition," Condominas says. "But we've also observed what other games have been doing, like The Witcher."

    Condominas continues, stressing that bigger isn't always better in that sidequests must be "meaningful" in order to be impactful—something The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in particular carried off particularly well. "And it was very important for us that the quantity of scope doesns't downgrade the quality of whatever your are doing there."

    Basically it sounds like there will be less MMO bullshit and more actual story

    W3 was bonkers with the amount of story. Like, every camp of bandits or nest of monsters in Hearts of Stone was connected by their logs and journals to other locations. Now, the treasure in that game is so plentiful that the completion rewards for each location are largely meaningless, but I remember the researcher who scoffed at the guy in the castle's plan to make an army of harpies, told off some drug dealers, and ended up dying because he activated an inert golem.

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    DragkoniasDragkonias That Guy Who Does Stuff You Know, There. Registered User regular
    Random Inquisition thought.

    I kind of hope focus is per character instead of team-based in the next one. They can rebalance as needed but I never used some of the focus moves cause some of the others were so much better.

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    SolarSolar Registered User regular
    crwth wrote: »
    Solar wrote: »
    The most interesting part of Inquisition for me is the religious and cultural war that is breaking apart after centuries of status quo. Reformation of the Chantry and the Circle, a split away of the Templar Order, the culmination of many years of a division between the Black and White divines, the decline of the traditional feudal empires in favour of wealthy city state trading alliances, the Qunari reaching a high point of their invasion; it all contributes to a feeling of a fantasy setting based on that sort of late Medieval period where the Ottomans were making their way through Eastern Europe, the Hapsburgs and the Valois were constantly fighting, the Protestants and Catholics were at each other's throats and religion, feudal society was almost dead etc.

    Considering that, it's never really surprised me that Dwarfs and Elves have always seemed the most interesting in their role as segregated minorities, and the Qun as an alien enemy. But I do wish that the game forced you to be more of a product of the society you are from, and I think it would reinforce the setting as well as making the main character less of a blank slate.

    Example; when Cassandra asks you whether you are a believer in Andraste and the Maker. As a human, I think your character should be flexible in how devout they are, but definitely be a believer in some sense, because that's the cultural milieu. I know people disagree, but I feel like it would make your background and character more interesting.

    the religious part was actually the least interesting to me i guess because i find religious history very boring and any time i read a codex about andraste my eyes just kinda glazed over

    it got a little more interesting later but i prefer stuff like elven and dwarven history/mythos/religion i think

    then again, maybe i'd be more invested had i played the first two dragon ages

    I think it makes it more relevant when religion and faith are powerful political forces here and now, and not simply for religious reasons. The reform of the Chantry is very significant and relevant to your character, where do you stand on that? What is your view on the Templar split? It's important because they are an army and they are right there. I think that religion becomes something more than just a dry historical subject when you're playing someone who is the subject of theological debates over whether they are blessed by The Maker directly and tangibly.

    In any case, the setting taking what is at least ostensibly an actual Medieval view towards religion is much cooler than the classic weird formless dnd pantheonism whee your beliefs are almost as personal and free as modern liberal society.

    And honestly, it follows a Browser trend of great setting with fascinating cultural elements; shit video game-y main bad guys

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    Virgil_Leads_YouVirgil_Leads_You Proud Father House GardenerRegistered User regular
    edited February 2017
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Wyborn wrote: »
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Some producer did an interview with PC Gamer and said expect the sidequests in Andromeda to be less like Inquisition and more like Witcher 3

    ...Is there more details for this, because that's pretty interesting (and also would just place them clsoer on the spectrum to older Mass Effect games)

    Not that I can get at, because the full interview is in the magazine
    PC Gamer wrote:
    Open-world games often spoil us with intricate and engaging main stories, however the genre has a tendency to undo its good work by way of lacking sidequests. BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition is particularly guilty of this, which is something the developer is addressing in its incoming Mass Effect: Andromeda—taking its lead from CD Projekt Red's The Witcher series.

    For me, Fallout: New Vegas, is a big offender on this front. It's one of my own all-time favourite open-world games, yet I wasted a sizeable chunk of my first playthrough undertaking tedious handiwork for the game's minor factions to the point where the central narrative ultimately became less effective. Writing in PC Gamer's recently released March magazine issue, our Samuel dubs this concept in relation to Inquisition the "Hinterlands problem"—where players get stuck in one location and are forced to gratuitously grind through less important side ventures.

    Andromeda's producer Fabrice Condominas tells Sam that while he and his team aren't necessarily discouraging players from adopting this approach, they are tackling sidequests with more thought than before.

    "We are approaching the completionist aspect very differently, because we've done and learned a lot from Inquisition," Condominas says. "But we've also observed what other games have been doing, like The Witcher."

    Condominas continues, stressing that bigger isn't always better in that sidequests must be "meaningful" in order to be impactful—something The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in particular carried off particularly well. "And it was very important for us that the quantity of scope doesn't downgrade the quality of whatever your are doing there."

    Basically it sounds like there will be less MMO bullshit and more actual story

    I mean, I kind read "Less Sidequests, more Main Quests" here though,
    specifically at their New Vegas callout. That's a game that handles sidequests quite well in my experience.
    I'm expecting a far more Linear Mass Effect, if the criticism is that this content was a waste.
    Less investigating the towns and factions and getting involved in the setting, and more grand sweeping content.

    In of that the content of Fallout wasn't

    "Kill 5 raiders"
    but
    "Investigate The Disappearance of ____, or (Oh shit there's vampires/it's a trap/ there's a local dispute)"

    Virgil_Leads_You on
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    Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    That's editorial from the PC Gamer writer, not the producer

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    ShortyShorty touching the meat Intergalactic Cool CourtRegistered User regular
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Wyborn wrote: »
    Mr. G wrote: »
    Some producer did an interview with PC Gamer and said expect the sidequests in Andromeda to be less like Inquisition and more like Witcher 3

    ...Is there more details for this, because that's pretty interesting (and also would just place them clsoer on the spectrum to older Mass Effect games)

    Not that I can get at, because the full interview is in the magazine
    PC Gamer wrote:
    Open-world games often spoil us with intricate and engaging main stories, however the genre has a tendency to undo its good work by way of lacking sidequests. BioWare's Dragon Age: Inquisition is particularly guilty of this, which is something the developer is addressing in its incoming Mass Effect: Andromeda—taking its lead from CD Projekt Red's The Witcher series.

    For me, Fallout: New Vegas, is a big offender on this front. It's one of my own all-time favourite open-world games, yet I wasted a sizeable chunk of my first playthrough undertaking tedious handiwork for the game's minor factions to the point where the central narrative ultimately became less effective. Writing in PC Gamer's recently released March magazine issue, our Samuel dubs this concept in relation to Inquisition the "Hinterlands problem"—where players get stuck in one location and are forced to gratuitously grind through less important side ventures.

    Andromeda's producer Fabrice Condominas tells Sam that while he and his team aren't necessarily discouraging players from adopting this approach, they are tackling sidequests with more thought than before.

    "We are approaching the completionist aspect very differently, because we've done and learned a lot from Inquisition," Condominas says. "But we've also observed what other games have been doing, like The Witcher."

    Condominas continues, stressing that bigger isn't always better in that sidequests must be "meaningful" in order to be impactful—something The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in particular carried off particularly well. "And it was very important for us that the quantity of scope doesn't downgrade the quality of whatever your are doing there."

    Basically it sounds like there will be less MMO bullshit and more actual story

    I mean, I kind read "Less Sidequests, more Main Quests" here though,
    specifically at their New Vegas callout. That's a game that handles sidequests quite well in my experience.
    I'm expecting a far more Linear Mass Effect, if the criticism is that this content was a waste.
    Less investigating the towns and factions and getting involved in the setting, and more grand sweeping content.

    the new vegas callout I think is from PC Gamer, not Bioware, and yeah, I'd agree that it's a little weird

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    KanaKana Registered User regular
    The biggest reason I'm such a fan of the elf inquisitor with Solas romance is that it REALLY adds a lot of depth and complexity to the inquisitor.

    Like as a human you show up, everyone likes you and how dreamy you are, and they name you the Inquisitor because they wanna follow you. It's a super standard, straightforward RPG / fantasy plot.

    Unless you're an elf. As an elf, you are not really invested at all in the human kingdoms, and are actually an opponent of the status quo. When Josephine wants to make small talk about where you're from you're like, yeah sorry, you seem nice but telling outsiders that kind of thing gets elves killed, and the rumors against the inquisitor have a much more dangerous racial angle to them. You and Solas agree that you need to be head inquisitor because when the humans figure out a way to blame all this shit on elves, you'll need to be around to redirect that pressure. Solas is even like yo, you're gonna act like you just went and discovered this glorious castle, so you get some more cred with the humans.

    And unlike say, the Sera romance, which is hamstrung by being required to agree with her on all things, with Solas the two of you are constantly butting heads. But the arguments are because both of you really care about helping your people, something that Solas won't admit to if he's talking to a human PC. And by arguing it does a lot to characterize both Solas AND the inquisitor, because you're not just agreeing with some other character's opinions.

    So like, instead of the inquisition being your plucky band of friends, it's you riding a lion, with the constant implied tension that if it throws you off you'll be the first one eaten. You don't dislike your party members, but they're not your people, and their goals are not entirely your goals. Which adds an interesting subtext to a ton of your interactions with other party members.

    It also really changes the dramatic impact of certain scenes. Heading to the Ancient Pool of Creepy Elven Knowledge as a human is like, lol, why the fuck would I go near that thing. But as an elf it's knowledge of your people's past, it's something that we've already seen by your interactions with Solas is a HUGE deal to the inquisitor. Of course it's a bad idea, and of course the inquisitor would never, ever allow a human to use it instead of her.

    A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
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    Virgil_Leads_YouVirgil_Leads_You Proud Father House GardenerRegistered User regular
    I just now realized I misread your post! I had read
    Kana wrote: »
    Like as a human you show up, everyone likes you and how dreamy you are, and they name you the Inquisitor because they wanna blow you. It's a super standard, straightforward RPG / fantasy plot.

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    KanaKana Registered User regular
    I just now realized I misread your post! I had read
    Kana wrote: »
    Like as a human you show up, everyone likes you and how dreamy you are, and they name you the Inquisitor because they wanna blow you. It's a super standard, straightforward RPG / fantasy plot.

    well I mean, that is true too

    A trap is for fish: when you've got the fish, you can forget the trap. A snare is for rabbits: when you've got the rabbit, you can forget the snare. Words are for meaning: when you've got the meaning, you can forget the words.
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    Rorshach KringleRorshach Kringle that crustache life Registered User regular
    okay so mass effect one my party was ashley and garrus

    mass effect two it was zaeed and morinth

    mass effect three it was javik and ashley

    i am hoping i can continue team space dicks through to andromeda

    6vjsgrerts6r.png

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    SorceSorce Not ThereRegistered User regular
    I'd be more surprised if you couldn't.

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    WeaverWeaver Who are you? What do you want?Registered User regular
    Still can't believe I did something like 12 playthroughs of ME2 with all different options for importing to 3 and then 3 was just shit. Still mad about how bad the animations were, like when people can't turn their heads to look sideways without tilting their head forward.

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    JuggernutJuggernut Registered User regular
    I don't remember anything about these games but none the less, I am a'cited

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    Mr. GMr. G Registered User regular
    i am hoping i can continue team space dicks through to andromeda

    Your best hopes currently may be Cora, the second in command and Robin Wright Penn standin, and Drack, the Krogan warrior who is very, very old

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This discussion has been closed.