Look at Kaiden, some people hate him because they say he has no depth. Truth is not that he has no depth, it's that he has no drama. Many people don't want to see an emotionally well adjusted professional. They want DRAMA! with all capitals. But in reality, soldiers like Kaiden are who you really want on a battlefield. Professional, disciplined, skilled. There is no fucking way I would ever want a person like Jack on a fire team on a real mission.
again: mordin is an emotionally well adjusted professional, and also interesting as a person. people do not get turned off characters because they don't have daddy issues, they get turned off them because they aren't strong.
Nuzak on
0
Options
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
I feel it's just a writing thing. It's hard for writers and game makers to place functioning government/military command and execution in a game simply because most of them have never served in the military or government position. They add drama because that is what hooks players to the characters and stories. Without conflict, people lose interest in the plot because there is no connection to what is going on.
Look at Kaiden, some people hate him because they say he has no depth. Truth is not that he has no depth, it's that he has no drama. Many people don't want to see an emotionally well adjusted professional. They want DRAMA! with all capitals. But in reality, soldiers like Kaiden are who you really want on a battlefield. Professional, disciplined, skilled. There is no fucking way I would ever want a person like Jack on a fire team on a real mission.
But, I'm able to suspend my disbelief and enjoy the story by looking beyond the obvious and appreciating what is there. That's good writing. When you can have flaws, but make sense of it in context of the world written. I imagine if Bioware tried to emulate a real military action, it would be pretty boring to most of you. Because outside of firefights and raids, there is a lot of waiting in real combat.
Just because they're disciplined and reliable doesn't have to mean they're boring. Mordin, Kasumi, Garrus, and Tali aren't boring. They're funny and interesting now (in ME1 Garrus and Tali were fairly boring). It's the characterization, not the character archetype. Or if you wish to go further afield, look at most of the characters in Wing Commander Prophecy. Maniac lives up to his billing, and I hate having him on my wing, but most of the rest follow orders but aren't automatons.
Overlord is good, lots of stuff to do in and out of the Hammerhead.
Kasumi is quick (1 mission) but you get a new squad member and a new gun.
Firepower pack has some awesome guns.
That was pretty much everything I was going to type before I went to the bathroom and missed my oppertunity to be timely.
Kasumi is probably the most worth it if you plan to do future play throughs. She is a pretty awesome character with a couple of unique powers. Its alot of fun to have her slip behind the enemy ranks and assassinate annoying stuff like Heavies or the collectors with the particle beams of death.
Also the SMG in her mission is hands down the best one available.
Thanks for the recommendation.
I'll be waiting until Sept 7th for Shadow Broker so I can play it through again all at once. Maybe an Insanity run!
Is it....insane?
everything has some form of shielding. even husks. even those little biped robots from the first mission.
everything does shitloads of damage, and uses their powers more. also, the fuckers aren't shy about flanking you or advancing.
Nuzak on
0
Options
TrippyJingMoses supposes his toeses are roses.But Moses supposes erroneously.Registered Userregular
edited August 2010
A story about a cop trying to solve a murder or crack a drug ring can be just as interesting as a cop trapped in a building with terrorists holding his wife hostage.
Look at Kaiden, some people hate him because they say he has no depth. Truth is not that he has no depth, it's that he has no drama. Many people don't want to see an emotionally well adjusted professional. They want DRAMA! with all capitals. But in reality, soldiers like Kaiden are who you really want on a battlefield. Professional, disciplined, skilled. There is no fucking way I would ever want a person like Jack on a fire team on a real mission.
again: mordin is an emotionally well adjusted professional, and also interesting as a person. people do not get turned off characters because they don't have daddy issues, they get turned off them because they aren't strong.
Yeah, but Mordin also has funny one liners and his views on the world are pragmatically awesome. Plus the way he talks is funny too. You always get bonus points for making people laugh AND are awesome.
Edit: In my other post, I was mostly trying to compare how silly it is to compare real life to a story. Kaiden an Jack was an example and I guess I lost my focus on the subject. Of course funny characters will be popular. As long as they can make the audience laugh. Wether it's the grim stories of Zaeed or the humorous dialog of Mordin or HK-47's views on life.
Mild Confusion on
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
Naw. But I do get tired of being the most important person ever.
I feel that when the rules of the game's universe have to be bent to make you an unstoppable juggernaut, it does more harm than good.
Don't get me wrong, I love the wish-fulfillment of being an unstoppable badass as much as everyone else. Just that sometimes...I would like not to be. You know, be someone who is given an important task, but also make it so I'm not only only competent person in the game.
well you can cross your fingers and hope for Accountant in Space: Super Spreadsheet Edition
while the rest of us can go play big guddamn heroes like real men
In the end you have to produce a report proving that Volus Madoff is running a ponzi scheme, only to realise it's too late and everyone is fucked anyway.
Seriously though, you can still be the hero, but small scale is just so much more interesting and personal then 'zomg everyone is is gonna die'. And setbacks add to the tension, and takes out to an extent the crazy level of wish fulfilment.
Yeah, this is basically what I was talking about. You can still be a professional (agent, mercenary, whatever the story calls for) without being the space messiah. I'm just kind of tired of the story basically shoving "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THE ______" in my face. Honestly, it would be refreshing to be a character who feels human (regardless of species), who has real setbacks, who isn't always in the right, who struggles a little. Shepard, at least to me, feels like playing a demi-god. You're basically an untouchable killing machine who not even death can faze (seriously, you come back from the DEAD and you shrug it off like its nothing).
Yeah, this is basically what I was talking about. You can still be a professional (agent, mercenary, whatever the story calls for) without being the space messiah. I'm just kind of tired of the story basically shoving "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THE ______" in my face. Honestly, it would be refreshing to be a character who feels human (regardless of species), who has real setbacks, who isn't always in the right, who struggles a little. Shepard, at least to me, feels like playing a demi-god. You're basically an untouchable killing machine who not even death can faze (seriously, you come back from the DEAD and you shrug it off like its nothing).
Listen, this is a valid thing to want, but after playing ME1 you knew what you were getting into. Ditto with ME3 when it comes out. Mass Effect is what it is, and wishing for it to be something else is pissing into the wind.
Wyborn on
0
Options
joshgotroDeviled EggThe Land of REAL CHILIRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
Go play SIMS is the alternative.
joshgotro on
0
Options
DragkoniasThat Guy Who Does StuffYou Know, There. Registered Userregular
Yeah, this is basically what I was talking about. You can still be a professional (agent, mercenary, whatever the story calls for) without being the space messiah. I'm just kind of tired of the story basically shoving "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THE ______" in my face. Honestly, it would be refreshing to be a character who feels human (regardless of species), who has real setbacks, who isn't always in the right, who struggles a little. Shepard, at least to me, feels like playing a demi-god. You're basically an untouchable killing machine who not even death can faze (seriously, you come back from the DEAD and you shrug it off like its nothing).
Listen, this is a valid thing to want, but after playing ME1 you knew what you were getting into. Ditto with ME3 when it comes out. Mass Effect is what it is, and wishing for it to be something else is pissing into the wind.
Nobody is wishing this for ME. This whole discussion started off when something thinking about the next game Bioware makes.
This would pretty much be the best thing, hell maybe they wouldn't jack the player off at every turn, making them feel the most awesome guy/girl ever.
Still stand by Mass Effect: C - Sec being the perfect setting for such.
But people have to know they're special snowflakes who can solve all their problems with a stare and a buckshot because no one would dare do anything about it.
do you people just hate fun or something
I never got this complaint, either.
"Ooooo, why are stories always about the heroes? It makes me so mad!"
Well I wonder, guys. I wonder.
There are other mediums like film and litterature which also handle storylines, and a lot of the time they do not need to have apocalyptic and bombastic scenarios incorporated somehow, like most games like to do
It would not be a bad thing for the mainstream gaming genre to start using subtlety in its approach or at least using less formulaic storylines
Personally I am curious about the Mass Effect universe and the alien cultures and the galactic scene more than I am about the Reaper-Terminator with big red glowing eyes. I am not saying that they should get rid of the 'adventure', but there's other ways of doing 'adventure' than just throwing the whole "EVERYONE GON' DIE" story at the player
Yeah, this is basically what I was talking about. You can still be a professional (agent, mercenary, whatever the story calls for) without being the space messiah. I'm just kind of tired of the story basically shoving "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THE ______" in my face. Honestly, it would be refreshing to be a character who feels human (regardless of species), who has real setbacks, who isn't always in the right, who struggles a little. Shepard, at least to me, feels like playing a demi-god. You're basically an untouchable killing machine who not even death can faze (seriously, you come back from the DEAD and you shrug it off like its nothing).
Listen, this is a valid thing to want, but after playing ME1 you knew what you were getting into. Ditto with ME3 when it comes out. Mass Effect is what it is, and wishing for it to be something else is pissing into the wind.
Nobody is wishing this for ME. This whole discussion started off when something thinking about the next game Bioware makes.
I think some people are specifically wishing this for ME (playing as a C-Sec agent was mentioned before), but my assumption isn't that unreasonable anyway, since this is the Mass Effect thread.
This would pretty much be the best thing, hell maybe they wouldn't jack the player off at every turn, making them feel the most awesome guy/girl ever.
Still stand by Mass Effect: C - Sec being the perfect setting for such.
But people have to know they're special snowflakes who can solve all their problems with a stare and a buckshot because no one would dare do anything about it.
do you people just hate fun or something
I never got this complaint, either.
"Ooooo, why are stories always about the heroes? It makes me so mad!"
Well I wonder, guys. I wonder.
There are other mediums like film and litterature which also handle storylines, and a lot of the time they do not need to have apocalyptic and bombastic scenarios incorporated somehow, like most games like to do
It would not be a bad thing for the mainstream gaming genre to start using subtlety in its approach or at least using less formulaic storylines
Personally I am curious about the Mass Effect universe and the alien cultures and the galactic scene more than I am about the Reaper-Terminator with big red glowing eyes. I am not saying that they should get rid of the 'adventure', but there's other ways of doing 'adventure' than just throwing the whole "EVERYONE GON' DIE" story at the player
Time for a noir styled Mass Effect detective game based on a murder mystery in the Citadel
Yeah, this is basically what I was talking about. You can still be a professional (agent, mercenary, whatever the story calls for) without being the space messiah. I'm just kind of tired of the story basically shoving "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THE ______" in my face. Honestly, it would be refreshing to be a character who feels human (regardless of species), who has real setbacks, who isn't always in the right, who struggles a little. Shepard, at least to me, feels like playing a demi-god. You're basically an untouchable killing machine who not even death can faze (seriously, you come back from the DEAD and you shrug it off like its nothing).
Listen, this is a valid thing to want, but after playing ME1 you knew what you were getting into. Ditto with ME3 when it comes out. Mass Effect is what it is, and wishing for it to be something else is pissing into the wind.
Nobody is wishing this for ME. This whole discussion started off when something thinking about the next game Bioware makes.
I think some people are specifically wishing this for ME (playing as a C-Sec agent was mentioned before), but my assumption isn't that unreasonable anyway, since this is the Mass Effect thread.
I think most people were talking about the Mass Effect universe after Shepard's story is concluded (which presumably it will in ME3). Bioware has already noted that they plan to expand on the universe after ME3, so I think people were just voicing hopes for what they do with the IP going forward.
The tone of ME3 is pretty set in stone in this point, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm fine with Shepard's story being what it is (as you noted, I know what I signed up for). I (and others I think) are just hoping Bioware can break out of the mold a bit for other games set in the ME universe.
I think most people were talking about the Mass Effect universe after Shepard's story is concluded (which presumably it will in ME3). Bioware has already noted that they plan to expand on the universe after ME3, so I think people were just voicing hopes for what they do with the IP going forward.
The tone of ME3 is pretty set in stone in this point, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm fine with Shepard's story being what it is (as you noted, I know what I signed up for). I (and others I think) are just hoping Bioware can break out of the mold a bit for other games set in the ME universe.
In that case I agree wholheartedly; the codex entries and Cerberus Daily News are some of the most interesting parts of the Mass Effect experience, to me, and seeing concepts presented therein expanded on would be a treat.
I think ME2 hits on quite a few right notes, actually, since so many of the missions are intensely personal experiences and tied into the development of other characters. That they're framed in the context of a galactic conflict is all right; it shows that BioWare has a firm grip on smaller-scale stories.
Wyborn on
0
Options
mojojoeoA block off the park, living the dream.Registered Userregular
I think most people were talking about the Mass Effect universe after Shepard's story is concluded (which presumably it will in ME3). Bioware has already noted that they plan to expand on the universe after ME3, so I think people were just voicing hopes for what they do with the IP going forward.
The tone of ME3 is pretty set in stone in this point, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm fine with Shepard's story being what it is (as you noted, I know what I signed up for). I (and others I think) are just hoping Bioware can break out of the mold a bit for other games set in the ME universe.
In that case I agree wholheartedly; the codex entries and Cerberus Daily News are some of the most interesting parts of the Mass Effect experience, to me, and seeing concepts presented therein expanded on would be a treat.
I think ME2 hits on quite a few right notes, actually, since so many of the missions are intensely personal experiences and tied into the development of other characters. That they're framed in the context of a galactic conflict is all right; it shows that BioWare has a firm grip on smaller-scale stories.
So we need an odst game where you are just a nobody trying to survive in this crazy galaxy...
mojojoeo on
Chief Wiggum: "Ladies, please. All our founding fathers, astronauts, and World Series heroes have been either drunk or on cocaine."
This would pretty much be the best thing, hell maybe they wouldn't jack the player off at every turn, making them feel the most awesome guy/girl ever.
Still stand by Mass Effect: C - Sec being the perfect setting for such.
But people have to know they're special snowflakes who can solve all their problems with a stare and a buckshot because no one would dare do anything about it.
do you people just hate fun or something
I never got this complaint, either.
"Ooooo, why are stories always about the heroes? It makes me so mad!"
Well I wonder, guys. I wonder.
There are other mediums like film and litterature which also handle storylines, and a lot of the time they do not need to have apocalyptic and bombastic scenarios incorporated somehow, like most games like to do
It would not be a bad thing for the mainstream gaming genre to start using subtlety in its approach or at least using less formulaic storylines
Personally I am curious about the Mass Effect universe and the alien cultures and the galactic scene more than I am about the Reaper-Terminator with big red glowing eyes. I am not saying that they should get rid of the 'adventure', but there's other ways of doing 'adventure' than just throwing the whole "EVERYONE GON' DIE" story at the player
Time for a noir styled Mass Effect detective game based on a murder mystery in the Citadel
A lower-key game set entirely on the Citadel would be really interesting, actually. It'd give a much better appreciation for the scale of the thing, considering how small the portions you run around in the ME games are.
Yeah, this is basically what I was talking about. You can still be a professional (agent, mercenary, whatever the story calls for) without being the space messiah. I'm just kind of tired of the story basically shoving "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THE ______" in my face. Honestly, it would be refreshing to be a character who feels human (regardless of species), who has real setbacks, who isn't always in the right, who struggles a little. Shepard, at least to me, feels like playing a demi-god. You're basically an untouchable killing machine who not even death can faze (seriously, you come back from the DEAD and you shrug it off like its nothing).
Listen, this is a valid thing to want, but after playing ME1 you knew what you were getting into. Ditto with ME3 when it comes out. Mass Effect is what it is, and wishing for it to be something else is pissing into the wind.
Nobody is wishing this for ME. This whole discussion started off when something thinking about the next game Bioware makes.
I think some people are specifically wishing this for ME (playing as a C-Sec agent was mentioned before), but my assumption isn't that unreasonable anyway, since this is the Mass Effect thread.
I think most people were talking about the Mass Effect universe after Shepard's story is concluded (which presumably it will in ME3). Bioware has already noted that they plan to expand on the universe after ME3, so I think people were just voicing hopes for what they do with the IP going forward.
The tone of ME3 is pretty set in stone in this point, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm fine with Shepard's story being what it is (as you noted, I know what I signed up for). I (and others I think) are just hoping Bioware can break out of the mold a bit for other games set in the ME universe.
I'd like to think that not being to pull the ol' "Hey, you're actually the messiah, surprise!" requires developers exercise their brains in a slightly different, and potentially exciting way, when coming up with the dramatic plot they desire.
Let's see if Bioware can do it. My experience with them is limited (NWN, MDK2, KOTOR, ME), so I wouldn't know if they could. After Mass Effect, of course.
No one said it had to be a game where you pretend to be the Messiah. Or are a stalker.
Conrad joins a clandestine organization that's focused solely on following SPECTREs around and trying to get their autographs and other paraphernalia, as well as creepier things like looking in their windows at night and creeping in and stroking their...
...egos.
TrippyJing on
0
Options
mojojoeoA block off the park, living the dream.Registered Userregular
No one said it had to be a game where you pretend to be the Messiah. Or are a stalker.
No No No. More like "Mass effect : lets go smugglin' "
You have a ship but its a junk bucket and barely runs. The citadel is too expensive to dock at. so you are stuck with smaller systems and shadier, cheaper places. Doing whatever it takes to keep fuel in the tanks and food on the table.
mojojoeo on
Chief Wiggum: "Ladies, please. All our founding fathers, astronauts, and World Series heroes have been either drunk or on cocaine."
Naw. But I do get tired of being the most important person ever.
I feel that when the rules of the game's universe have to be bent to make you an unstoppable juggernaut, it does more harm than good.
Don't get me wrong, I love the wish-fulfillment of being an unstoppable badass as much as everyone else. Just that sometimes...I would like not to be. You know, be someone who is given an important task, but also make it so I'm not only only competent person in the game.
well you can cross your fingers and hope for Accountant in Space: Super Spreadsheet Edition
while the rest of us can go play big guddamn heroes like real men
Bit late to the party here, but we already HAVE EVE Online.
NEO|Phyte on
It was that somehow, from within the derelict-horror, they had learned a way to see inside an ugly, broken thing... And take away its pain.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
you can have a ton of cool conflict and story without having to resort to galaxy-ending scenarios and monster invasions
In fairness, I'm doing Thane's loyalty mission and just did Samara's. They do pretty all right. So did Mordin's actually. ....All the loyalty missions are good in this regard.
Overlord is good, lots of stuff to do in and out of the Hammerhead.
Kasumi is quick (1 mission) but you get a new squad member and a new gun.
Firepower pack has some awesome guns.
That was pretty much everything I was going to type before I went to the bathroom and missed my oppertunity to be timely.
Kasumi is probably the most worth it if you plan to do future play throughs. She is a pretty awesome character with a couple of unique powers. Its alot of fun to have her slip behind the enemy ranks and assassinate annoying stuff like Heavies or the collectors with the particle beams of death.
Also the SMG in her mission is hands down the best one available.
Thanks for the recommendation.
I'll be waiting until Sept 7th for Shadow Broker so I can play it through again all at once. Maybe an Insanity run!
Is it....insane?
everything has some form of shielding. even husks. even those little biped robots from the first mission.
everything does shitloads of damage, and uses their powers more. also, the fuckers aren't shy about flanking you or advancing.
God, shielded husks? Suddenly now I understand why everyone is bitching about certain areas on the Collector ship. Those goddamn husks.
Overlord is good, lots of stuff to do in and out of the Hammerhead.
Kasumi is quick (1 mission) but you get a new squad member and a new gun.
Firepower pack has some awesome guns.
That was pretty much everything I was going to type before I went to the bathroom and missed my oppertunity to be timely.
Kasumi is probably the most worth it if you plan to do future play throughs. She is a pretty awesome character with a couple of unique powers. Its alot of fun to have her slip behind the enemy ranks and assassinate annoying stuff like Heavies or the collectors with the particle beams of death.
Also the SMG in her mission is hands down the best one available.
Thanks for the recommendation.
I'll be waiting until Sept 7th for Shadow Broker so I can play it through again all at once. Maybe an Insanity run!
Is it....insane?
everything has some form of shielding. even husks. even those little biped robots from the first mission.
everything does shitloads of damage, and uses their powers more. also, the fuckers aren't shy about flanking you or advancing.
God, shielded husks? Suddenly now I understand why everyone is bitching about certain areas on the Collector ship. Those goddamn husks.
husks have armor, which is a little easier to destroy
two shots and a heavy incinerate is all it takes to do away with one for the most part
i can imagine them tearing some classes to shreds, though
God, shielded husks? Suddenly now I understand why everyone is bitching about certain areas on the Collector ship. Those goddamn husks.
Their armor is immensely weak and can be knocked off by one or two shots with any handgun. Your bigger priority should be in getting enough Health upgrades to reduce your melee damage taken, because they hit hard.
Wyborn on
0
Options
OrcaAlso known as EspressosaurusWrexRegistered Userregular
How does Mass Effect's politics even work. I mean, should I seriously believe that a three man council reigns over an entire galaxy?
Because that's not how politics work.
Was this discussed before?
How does one man reign over three hundred million people?
The Council representatives are chosen by their respective races. I assume they are all some of the most powerful and influential members of their species (except the salarian representative who as a male can't rise to important political offices in his society, so I assume he is simply a pawn for the matriarchs). The Asari one comes from a hyper-democracy, so I assume pretty much every asari citizen has a part in electing her. The Turian representative is most likely one of the Primarchs, or chosen by them to represent their interests. Salarian society, as said, is a hyper-matriarchal one, so I assume that guy calls his momma every day to check out what he needs to decide.
The Council doesn't actually RULE the galaxy. The representatives dont have any power over their own species or the species of another - the individual representative doesn't decide on taxes or military spending or anything. They represent their species' interests. The three-man leadership is the consensus of the three biggest species, who combined have more power then all the rest combined. The Council has power in the issues that touch more then one species - so while the Asari OR Turian councilor have no say in turian internal or general foreign policy, if the turians declare war on another species without any good reason, they can intervene (First Contact War). But if the turians and humans decide to co-operate and build a hyperawesome ship and the Asari get jealous, they can't do anything about it because it doesn't break any of the Citadel laws.
The Citadel Fleet also doesnt intervene in battles that touch only a single species.
If you aren't part of the Citadel, you don't have to abide by any of their laws, but that means that you are closed to the massive commerce, don't enjoy the protection of the other species in case of a war with an outside entity (eg. Rachni, Krogan Rebellions). But you get to eg. practice slavery and all that in peace. But if you are part of the Council and enjoy free access to the markets, diplomatic offices in the Citadel, etc. you have to follow the rules that the three-man consensus sets for you. So for example, set limits for your military, no AI development, no weapons of mass destruction aganst inhabited worlds and so on.
so basically, it's not exactly a fair deal, but it's not like they force you to be a part of the Council, and let's face it, all the rules they enforce are pretty damn sensible. And as a bonus you get to access the most massive economy in existence and profit with all sorts of deals.
So basically, it's a super-European Union, with the Security Council of the UN. Shared economy and currency. Laws limiting some things, but mostly autonomous. Top level membership (executive and judicial authority) limited to the biggest species. Own militaries, with the top level having it's own peacekeeping arm.
DarkCrawler on
0
Options
jefe414"My Other Drill Hole is a Teleporter"Mechagodzilla is Best GodzillaRegistered Userregular
edited August 2010
Miranda + Mordin. Incinerate or warp strips off the armor, using concussive shot = dead husk (they die as soon as they leave the ground). Option 2 - revanant LMG with incendiary ammo and aim for their legs. they will take high damage then trip and fall over for a little while.
Any crowd control ability will instantly kill a husk without armor. Ideally you want to have a crowd control ability that has a three second cool down. So if you don't have Throw or Pull, train Neural Shock as your bonus power - it has a three second cool down and instantly kills unarmored husks and you only need one point in it.
Then it's just shoot shoot ZAP shoot shoot ZAP shoot shoot ZAP, etc.
Save your Incinerations for the Scions.
EDIT: Oh, and the Arc Projector will jump from Husk to Husk briefly stunning anyone it jumps to. Makes it my heavy weapon of choice for... well... everything.
The turian military would be a shadow of what it is today if the volus didn't finance and administrate it. Creating and maintaining the galactic economy, which appears to have stayed pretty stable for thousands of years, is kind of a big deal.
The turian military would be a shadow of what it is today if the volus didn't finance and administrate it.
actually the turians were very good at military things, it was commerce and such they didnt care for that the volus helped them with, in exchange for being a client species.
Posts
again: mordin is an emotionally well adjusted professional, and also interesting as a person. people do not get turned off characters because they don't have daddy issues, they get turned off them because they aren't strong.
Just because they're disciplined and reliable doesn't have to mean they're boring. Mordin, Kasumi, Garrus, and Tali aren't boring. They're funny and interesting now (in ME1 Garrus and Tali were fairly boring). It's the characterization, not the character archetype. Or if you wish to go further afield, look at most of the characters in Wing Commander Prophecy. Maniac lives up to his billing, and I hate having him on my wing, but most of the rest follow orders but aren't automatons.
everything has some form of shielding. even husks. even those little biped robots from the first mission.
everything does shitloads of damage, and uses their powers more. also, the fuckers aren't shy about flanking you or advancing.
Yeah, but Mordin also has funny one liners and his views on the world are pragmatically awesome. Plus the way he talks is funny too. You always get bonus points for making people laugh AND are awesome.
Edit: In my other post, I was mostly trying to compare how silly it is to compare real life to a story. Kaiden an Jack was an example and I guess I lost my focus on the subject. Of course funny characters will be popular. As long as they can make the audience laugh. Wether it's the grim stories of Zaeed or the humorous dialog of Mordin or HK-47's views on life.
Battlenet ID: MildC#11186 - If I'm in the game, send me an invite at anytime and I'll play.
Yeah, this is basically what I was talking about. You can still be a professional (agent, mercenary, whatever the story calls for) without being the space messiah. I'm just kind of tired of the story basically shoving "YOU ARE THE CHOSEN ONE! ONLY YOU CAN STOP THE ______" in my face. Honestly, it would be refreshing to be a character who feels human (regardless of species), who has real setbacks, who isn't always in the right, who struggles a little. Shepard, at least to me, feels like playing a demi-god. You're basically an untouchable killing machine who not even death can faze (seriously, you come back from the DEAD and you shrug it off like its nothing).
Listen, this is a valid thing to want, but after playing ME1 you knew what you were getting into. Ditto with ME3 when it comes out. Mass Effect is what it is, and wishing for it to be something else is pissing into the wind.
Nobody is wishing this for ME. This whole discussion started off when something thinking about the next game Bioware makes.
There are other mediums like film and litterature which also handle storylines, and a lot of the time they do not need to have apocalyptic and bombastic scenarios incorporated somehow, like most games like to do
It would not be a bad thing for the mainstream gaming genre to start using subtlety in its approach or at least using less formulaic storylines
Personally I am curious about the Mass Effect universe and the alien cultures and the galactic scene more than I am about the Reaper-Terminator with big red glowing eyes. I am not saying that they should get rid of the 'adventure', but there's other ways of doing 'adventure' than just throwing the whole "EVERYONE GON' DIE" story at the player
How does Mass Effect's politics even work. I mean, should I seriously believe that a three man council reigns over an entire galaxy?
Because that's not how politics work.
Was this discussed before?
I think some people are specifically wishing this for ME (playing as a C-Sec agent was mentioned before), but my assumption isn't that unreasonable anyway, since this is the Mass Effect thread.
Time for a noir styled Mass Effect detective game based on a murder mystery in the Citadel
I think most people were talking about the Mass Effect universe after Shepard's story is concluded (which presumably it will in ME3). Bioware has already noted that they plan to expand on the universe after ME3, so I think people were just voicing hopes for what they do with the IP going forward.
The tone of ME3 is pretty set in stone in this point, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm fine with Shepard's story being what it is (as you noted, I know what I signed up for). I (and others I think) are just hoping Bioware can break out of the mold a bit for other games set in the ME universe.
In that case I agree wholheartedly; the codex entries and Cerberus Daily News are some of the most interesting parts of the Mass Effect experience, to me, and seeing concepts presented therein expanded on would be a treat.
I think ME2 hits on quite a few right notes, actually, since so many of the missions are intensely personal experiences and tied into the development of other characters. That they're framed in the context of a galactic conflict is all right; it shows that BioWare has a firm grip on smaller-scale stories.
So we need an odst game where you are just a nobody trying to survive in this crazy galaxy...
A lower-key game set entirely on the Citadel would be really interesting, actually. It'd give a much better appreciation for the scale of the thing, considering how small the portions you run around in the ME games are.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
I'd like to think that not being to pull the ol' "Hey, you're actually the messiah, surprise!" requires developers exercise their brains in a slightly different, and potentially exciting way, when coming up with the dramatic plot they desire.
Let's see if Bioware can do it. My experience with them is limited (NWN, MDK2, KOTOR, ME), so I wouldn't know if they could. After Mass Effect, of course.
No one said it had to be a game where you pretend to be the Messiah. Or are a stalker.
Conrad joins a clandestine organization that's focused solely on following SPECTREs around and trying to get their autographs and other paraphernalia, as well as creepier things like looking in their windows at night and creeping in and stroking their...
No No No. More like "Mass effect : lets go smugglin' "
You have a ship but its a junk bucket and barely runs. The citadel is too expensive to dock at. so you are stuck with smaller systems and shadier, cheaper places. Doing whatever it takes to keep fuel in the tanks and food on the table.
Although either of them could be pretty awesome.
Also a Bailey C-Sec game.
xbl - HowYouGetAnts
steam - WeAreAllGeth
Bit late to the party here, but we already HAVE EVE Online.
Warframe/Steam: NFyt
In fairness, I'm doing Thane's loyalty mission and just did Samara's. They do pretty all right. So did Mordin's actually. ....All the loyalty missions are good in this regard.
Mass Effect: PIMP Edition
God, shielded husks? Suddenly now I understand why everyone is bitching about certain areas on the Collector ship. Those goddamn husks.
husks have armor, which is a little easier to destroy
two shots and a heavy incinerate is all it takes to do away with one for the most part
i can imagine them tearing some classes to shreds, though
Their armor is immensely weak and can be knocked off by one or two shots with any handgun. Your bigger priority should be in getting enough Health upgrades to reduce your melee damage taken, because they hit hard.
How does one man reign over three hundred million people?
The Council representatives are chosen by their respective races. I assume they are all some of the most powerful and influential members of their species (except the salarian representative who as a male can't rise to important political offices in his society, so I assume he is simply a pawn for the matriarchs). The Asari one comes from a hyper-democracy, so I assume pretty much every asari citizen has a part in electing her. The Turian representative is most likely one of the Primarchs, or chosen by them to represent their interests. Salarian society, as said, is a hyper-matriarchal one, so I assume that guy calls his momma every day to check out what he needs to decide.
The Council doesn't actually RULE the galaxy. The representatives dont have any power over their own species or the species of another - the individual representative doesn't decide on taxes or military spending or anything. They represent their species' interests. The three-man leadership is the consensus of the three biggest species, who combined have more power then all the rest combined. The Council has power in the issues that touch more then one species - so while the Asari OR Turian councilor have no say in turian internal or general foreign policy, if the turians declare war on another species without any good reason, they can intervene (First Contact War). But if the turians and humans decide to co-operate and build a hyperawesome ship and the Asari get jealous, they can't do anything about it because it doesn't break any of the Citadel laws.
The Citadel Fleet also doesnt intervene in battles that touch only a single species.
If you aren't part of the Citadel, you don't have to abide by any of their laws, but that means that you are closed to the massive commerce, don't enjoy the protection of the other species in case of a war with an outside entity (eg. Rachni, Krogan Rebellions). But you get to eg. practice slavery and all that in peace. But if you are part of the Council and enjoy free access to the markets, diplomatic offices in the Citadel, etc. you have to follow the rules that the three-man consensus sets for you. So for example, set limits for your military, no AI development, no weapons of mass destruction aganst inhabited worlds and so on.
so basically, it's not exactly a fair deal, but it's not like they force you to be a part of the Council, and let's face it, all the rules they enforce are pretty damn sensible. And as a bonus you get to access the most massive economy in existence and profit with all sorts of deals.
So basically, it's a super-European Union, with the Security Council of the UN. Shared economy and currency. Laws limiting some things, but mostly autonomous. Top level membership (executive and judicial authority) limited to the biggest species. Own militaries, with the top level having it's own peacekeeping arm.
EDIT: Or just bring Grunt.
Then it's just shoot shoot ZAP shoot shoot ZAP shoot shoot ZAP, etc.
Save your Incinerations for the Scions.
EDIT: Oh, and the Arc Projector will jump from Husk to Husk briefly stunning anyone it jumps to. Makes it my heavy weapon of choice for... well... everything.
Volus don't have their own military.
This has already been covered, Tal.
Rock Band DLC | GW:OttW - arrcd | WLD - Thortar
actually the turians were very good at military things, it was commerce and such they didnt care for that the volus helped them with, in exchange for being a client species.