Bioware General (Mass Effect/Dragon Age/Other)

[Alienmorph]

Hey, if even the Klingons nowadays are supposed to be "a metaphore from Trump supporters" you're probably right...

[TTTX]

Im sure Bioware will be able to recognize the differences between slavery as it appeared in ancient Rome (and as Tevinter has it) compared to slavery in antebellum America.

They will probably write a subtle story about the complexities of how slaves effect an economy and how, even with the best intentions, rapid and dramatic freeing of all the slaves in a country built entirely on the structure of slavery will destroy the foundations of the-- I CANT EVEN FINISH! THOSE HACKFRUADS PROBABLY ALREADY HAVE CONCEPT ART FOR DONALD TRUMP AS THE ARCHON!

well you lasted longer then I expected to writ that.

[TTTX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWM3GKxcYAo

[Deano]

I don't really mind politics in games as long as it shows both sides and doesn't just hard push a single agenda. The agendas they pushed in Andromeda were a big part of the reason the writing sucked to me, when you don't resonate with said agenda it becomes difficult to enjoy. Subtlety is key but BioWare isn't particularly good at that.

I could see them doing the same as the Witcher and buy the rights for a good series of sci-fi novels and make an RPG series out of it. And there's quite a few of those with very Mass Effect-like scenarios. The Alastair Reynolds Revelation Space novels are alot like a less dumb version of Mass Effect, for example, Reapers-like evil machine civilization and everything.

They've heavily implied the next IP for them will be something built from the ground up, obviously this can change though.

[Raga]

So the game director of the new Dragon Age already confirmed that the game is gonna have a heavily political story, with lots of emphasis on "celebrating" (aka exploiting with bullshit in-your-face tokenism that doesn't do any good to anyone) diversity and minorities. And that he gives not a flying fuck of people who are tired of media being too political and preachy, because everything SHOULD be political in his opinion. Made a whole rant on his social media with all the "right" buzzwords, the usual asshole-y attitute and even calling out Gamergate, as if that shit's still relevant.

Boy I'm fucking glad we're NOT getting another Mass Effect. Let it all burn down!

Does this mean "Expect more didactic, one trick pony pointless NPCS such as Krem" or does it mean "Solas is right because he's for 'marginalized' people and the game will consist of God Baby Solas lecturing you at the end and giving you 3 completely empty choices so that you get to chose the flavor of the verbiage used to describe how he gets his way." That first is stupid, but I can deal with it. That last is utterly intolerable.

What we know about Solas as of DAI puts him squarely in the *evil* category. Not sadistic evil, but evil nonetheless.

[Alienmorph]

We don't know yet. Of course there is no straight up details about the plot and characters, but I'd prepare for the worst...

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCakB5x6xjw

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8kEqYPght4

[Dragaros]

[Alienmorph]

The Grey Knights called...

[TheodoricFriede]

Warcraft 40,000 Dawn of Bore

[Alienmorph]

Kinda looks like Reinhart from Overwatch too, looking closer at it. Tho the backstory about legions and fighting Chaos sounds very VERY much like a 40k ripoff.

Either way... what a unique and original concept. Truly.

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHW9bmaZqLI

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIdiLX8RW7w

[Dragaros]

https://mobile.twitter.com/northernfanc ... 363840?p=v

[Dragaros]

Yeeeaaaah, I don't believe those rumors.

[Dragaros]

"I was recently asked to voice a dossier on a certain constantly-calibrating Turian by the @masseffect fans at @TemplinEdu, and how could I refuse? After all... there's no Shepard without Vakarian."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwSedLNxDcc

[Alienmorph]

Yeeeaaaah, I don't believe those rumors.

I don't want to believe them. Leave the original characters be, I don't want them to dig back up the Normandy Crew and parade their corpses around to try sell one more game before they go kaput.

[TheodoricFriede]

I don't want to believe them. Leave the original characters be, I don't want them to dig back up the Normandy Crew and parade their corpses around to try sell one more game before they go kaput.

I believe it in as much as Bioware and EA are going to get gradually more and more desperate.

I have no doubt that there will be a ME4 teased with the original characters coming back, but I think it will almost assuredly never come to be.

When I talk about Bioware not existing in a few years, its not facetious. Not anymore. It is something I believe is cold hard fact.

DA4 is not going to release. The only reason it was announced is because they are absolutely desperate for good will. ME4? Thats beyond even a pipe dream.

[Alienmorph]

I think DragonAge4 will be the last game that what's left of BioWare makes. Unless Anthem flops beyond belief, EA is probably gonna keep the company around for 2 or 3 more years, and let them finish DA4 to pretend thei're still "the RPG company" then once that one inevitably flops as well, thei're gonna be done.

And yes, they're probably gonna at least tease a Mass Effect 4 or an ME:A2 to pretend thei're not gonna be extinct before making more games, but that's not gonna happen. All the more reasons to not give us a final middle finger and remember us of the better games they used to make.

[TTTX]

Yeeeaaaah, I don't believe those rumors.

I don't even see how they could do it without choosing a cannon ending to ME3 or outright ignore them.

[Someone With Mass]

EA's out of touch ineptitude knows no bounds, so even if they got all the original actors back and somehow made a decent sequel to Mass Effect 3, EA would kill the studio and the support for the game because it didn't manage to sell 14 quintillion copies. They're making games for their greedy, mentally inbred, short-sighted shareholders, not us.

[TTTX]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12n35evy0Y

[FrozenShadow]

Yeeeaaaah, I don't believe those rumors.

I don't even see how they could do it without choosing a cannon ending to ME3 or outright ignore them.

If there will be ME4 continuing ME3, I see two ways for it.

1. Destroy ending.

Most logical as then we can get whole crew back, Shepard included. That said, Shepard is probably not playable character, but more like Andresson like NCP for whoever is the main character with most of few fightable missions here and there. This would actually be best way to do it, as that way they can use every possible save file from the trilogy. They can easily write all romance options in dialogues with Shepard and even easily make a scene or two with changing romance option based on your save file.

All of your other choices would've effect too, but those will be somehow limited, like your relationship with those races. Same way probably all races will be back too (like even geth and quarians, if the other was destroyed), but in much more limited fashion and probably in the form of enemy in some mission. There will be group of Geth/Quarian, who survived and looks for a revenge. If both survived, then it's just some splinter group getting up in arms.

As for enemy and type of gameplay, I think they will go somewhat WOW or Diablo style. You will have single player campaign and you can do things solo. But at the same time you have option to do same missions with friends too to earn extra credit, xp and stuff or just have more fun that way. Naturally this "friend play" is optional, but you could play through single player campaign with friends and get extra enjoyment form the action.
Same way your enemy is more like other aspects of other races with some mutated reapers remaining as "bigger" bad.

Other option for multiplayer would be GTAV or RDR online type of far greater multiplayer set up in same singleplayer world.

2. Synthesis ending.

Every other character, but Shepard could get back and story wise synthesis ending as canon could create the most interesting story. Most likely story would revolve around the fact that while synthesis appeared a good choice for many, lots of people started to dislike it. They felt like that they had lost individuality as an individuals and as a races. Because of this, some people started to find ways to get rid of their synthesis nature and return to what they thought as "normal" state for them.

When the game starts, your character is thrown in the world, were there is growing tension between "naturals" and "evolved beings". When you create your character, you can then which one of "state" your take as starting point. But then throughout the story, you will witness how both of these sides are right and wrong at somethings, while trying to do both good and bad. You make then make choices through the story and through those choices during the story will get a point, where your character had chose the side for the end game. Options you've there are based all of your previous choices, reputation or relationship system. With low amount, you had to choose one side, which ends up hurting the other greatly. But if you got enough reputation, charm, relationship points, you can talk some sense to these people. In all cases you will have huge end battle, but your opponent is based on those choices of yours. Going with "naturals" or "evolved beings" makes the other forces as enemy that had to be stopped. If you get "talk sense" option, some of the both forces lets things go, while you're then forces to fight hardcore members of both sides as they can't let things go without a fight.

With this type, your gameplay would be more like traditional ME/DA gameplay with possible ME3/ME:A type co-op fighting along the side. You have clear obvious "external" enemy, but your choices affects to the gameplay more directly.



In either case, only way either of these or anything ME4 related could happen is that Bioware says "fuck EA" and goes solo again. Unlike option and there was no chance for this to happen few years ago. But after all of these AAA game companies fuck ups recently, exploding lootbox/microtransaction debacle and crashing stocks, with even the whole AAA game industry crashing and burning, there is actually a chance for Bioware to go on their own again.

It will be difficult, but if they actually do it right with proper "old school" style ME4 game, Bioware could really well do it. They just have to get rid of EA and this current "shareholder focus and business people leading" way or making games.

Or to be simple, these game companies should remember what it felt like they make effort on games and could actually feel "pride and accomplishment" that game release.

[Dragaros]

I don't even see how they could do it without choosing a cannon ending to ME3 or outright ignore them.

Just speaking on what I've seen, I think a lot of people out there want them to choose a canon ending. I'm too far removed from the larger ME fandom these days to ever make a claim of having a finger on the pulse of the fanbase's wishes and wants. That would be arrogant, presumptuous, and intellectually dishonest of me; I do not possess nearly enough information or a large enough sample size to back up any assertions or proclamations with objective facts. So I will not. All I have is my subjective opinion based on what I see, hear, and read. Just speaking from my own personal observations I've made since the days of ME3 to now, I see a lot of ME fans that want BioWare to just make Destroy or Control canon and move on from there, for good or ill.

EA's out of touch ineptitude knows no bounds, so even if they got all the original actors back and somehow made a decent sequel to Mass Effect 3, EA would kill the studio and the support for the game because it didn't manage to sell 14 quintillion copies. They're making games for their greedy, mentally inbred, short-sighted shareholders, not us.

This.

[Dragaros]

"Fresh off announcing the upcoming Anthem comics series, Dark Horse is excited to announce the continued expansion of our Anthem publishing partnership with BioWare to include a limited edition The Art of Anthem hardcover volume. The Art of Anthem Limited Edition features hundreds of pieces of artwork with developer commentary detailing the creation of BioWare’s groundbreaking new game. Our expertly-designed limited edition volume features a die-cut clamshell case, a gallery-quality art print, an exclusive cover, and a metallic-printed and embossed miniature replica of an ancient Fort Tarsis mural, making it an essential addition to any hardcore gamer’s collection! The Art of Anthem Limited Edition HC goes on sale March 26, 2019, and is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop. This gorgeous 160-page hardcover volume retails for $79.99. The Art of Anthem HC goes on sale March 26, 2019, and is available for pre-order at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local comic shop and retails for $39.99."

[Dragaros]

"Penned by Alexander Freed (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Mac Walters (Mass Effect: Foundation), with art by Eduardo Francisco (Infinite Crisis: Fight for the Multiverse), the Anthem comic series follows a boy named Kismet who is rescued from an ambush by Yarrow—one of the javelin pilots known as Freelancers. Now an orphan, Kismet and his adoptive sister Jani must build a better future for themselves, and humanity, in a world filled with danger. Anthem #1 (of three) goes on sale February 27, 2019, and is available for pre-order at your local comic shop."

"This prequel to BioWare's science fantasy Action RPG introduces two gifted siblings struggling for survival in a world full of danger. From the video game developer that has defined roleplaying games with seminal franchises such as Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate, and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comes a world brimming with new heroes, new threats, and new stories. Yarrow--one of the brave warriors known as Freelancers who pilot powerful Javelin exosuits--rescues a lone boy, Kismet, from an ambush. With no family left alive, Kismet is placed with a family in Fort Tarsis, a human outpost surrounded by untamed wilderness. His adoptive sister, Jani, struggles with Kismet's withdrawn personality at first, but over the years, the two become close friends. As they grow, Jani learns to fly and fight in Javelin armor, while Kismet trains to join the ranks of the mysterious Cyphers. The pair find themselves split, each pursuing their own craft of war, until an enemy force--large and vicious--appears on the horizon, bringing them together to face their ultimate test. They vowed to defend humanity, but can they protect each other?"

[magnuskn]

Guys, I've told you all along that there would come a day when BioWare would want to return to the Milky Way. A prequel is something only a few people are excited for and continueing in the Andromeda galaxy was, frankly said, a stillborn idea from the start. As the influence of Casey Hudson and Hack Walters fades (the only people invested in keeping the status quo forever with any pull in the company), other people will want to return to the place where fans have actual emotional attachements. That's a currency which is invaluable for gaming companies.

As for what ending they will choose... it's either Destroy or an "what ACTUALLY happened..." alternative ending. Control and Synthesis are not viable. Nobody wants all the Robot Hitlers still around honking their giant airhorns at jaywalkers. Nobody wants the the Lovecraftian horror of Synthesis, where actual Banshees, Cannibals, etc. are still walking around and have to live out their horrific existance among the general populace. Not even to mention that the Reapers are also still around (and somehow half organic as well. Wonder how that works out for kilometers high squid spaceship/walkers).

I mean, I could be blowing hot air here, but seeing at least some rumors that it could happen is a very encouraging thing to end the year on. That being said, merry christmas, y'all!

[Mazder]

I still think my idea of making the true ending unknown and them doing a parody of whatever ending we chose as a Blasto movie and people walking out of the theatres pissed off would be the only easy way to do it without a massive "thing" being made out of it.

I mean, imagine there being a scene, with Blasto and Starchild, one tentacle to Control, one to Destroy, one to Synthesis and one wrapped around that smug little shit's throat!
If needs be we get to pick which "one" is chosen and Blasto does all 4 at the same time and boom, goes to white, pan up over movie theatre's exit from crowd of angry/chatting fans and pans up to the skies of the Presidium, maybe over earth, maybe dragged back to the serpent's nebula (I'd prefer this one) and a ship blasts out of Hyperspace/warp/ME Fields FTL next to the NEW Mass Relay that looks similar and yet slightly different in it's rebuild. That ship has the main protaganist for this new story on it and we cut to inside it. Boom, done, new ME game has started.

There, that took me, what, five minutes to come up with a half decent, in-universe, step-around of the whole endings which could easily be cut down to just the latter half from the pan up from a Blasto poster with red, green and blue on it.

[Alienmorph]

I just see it as a non-issue. Anthem is going to underperform, DragonAge4 is a traiwreck in the making. BW is not going to live long enough to make a direct sequel to the original Mass Effect Trilogy. Assuming that's even a thing thei're thinking about rather than just a wishful rumor.

[magnuskn]

Well, maybe they'll be led out to the backyard and shot in the back in the head, like so many gaming companies before. Maybe not. EA really doesn't need any more bad PR at this point.

We'll need to see if DA4 will really be a disaster. Yes, yes, they want to force diversity, blablabla. That's not necessary a bad thing. Bland companions and unmemorable storylines for them would (and probably will, to be honest) be a disaster. Hanging the storyline on Solas, the blandest of whitebread blandy-bland companions in DA3 certainly doesn't bode well. But let's wait it out, first.

Anthem looks pretty disappointing from the standpoint of being a BioWare game, though.

[Alienmorph]

That's the thing. Right now they only have a Destiny clone and a sequel of a series of games that have gotten almost constantly worse (I'd say except for DA2, which is more divisive than straight up bad) with every new entry. And all the people who might have reversed that trend are long gone.

And EA is losing a crapton of money, and rather than changing things and trying a different way to do business, thei're more likely to cut their losses and get rid of anyone and anything that doesn't immediately provide a good economical return, even if it makes them look even more like the assholes they are.

So yeah... if BW is still a thing past 2020, call me surprised. And there's no way we're gonna get even an hint of an official confirmation of a new ME before that.

[magnuskn]

Alright. Your take is equally valid to mine and if I didn't have a hint of optimism right now because at least there's the rumor of a ME4 set in the Milky Way, I'd probably share it. Also, it's christmas. And in that vein, merry christmas to y'all!

[Alienmorph]

Merry Xmas, magnus!

[TheodoricFriede]

As someone who genuinely enjoyed Andromeda, I feel like this is probably the best criticism I have seen of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12n35evy0Y

[TTTX]

As someone who genuinely enjoyed Andromeda, I feel like this is probably the best criticism I have seen of the game.

I know I posted the video on this very page not that long ago.

[TheodoricFriede]

I know I posted the video on this very page not that long ago.

Oh well sure, but it was your opinion then, so it mattered way less to me.

Now that its MY opinion I care.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12n35evy0Y

This is absolute nonsense and garbage.

As someone who genuinely enjoyed Andromeda, I feel like this is probably the best criticism I have seen of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D12n35evy0Y

THIS however, is brilliant.

In other words, oops.

[TTTX]

THIS however, is brilliant.

In other words, oops.

[TheodoricFriede]

That same guy does some really good videos for the rest of the games in the series.

I recommend them to anyone looking for a sort of autopsy for the Mass Effect series as a whole.

[magnuskn]

Yeah, I liked the video quite a lot as well, although I enjoyed ME:A much less than you.

[TTTX]

That same guy does some really good videos for the rest of the games in the series.

I recommend them to anyone looking for a sort of autopsy for the Mass Effect series as a whole.

yep, he is very fair on the series and point out it's flaws in a respectful way.

[FrozenShadow]

Guys, I've told you all along that there would come a day when BioWare would want to return to the Milky Way. A prequel is something only a few people are excited for and continueing in the Andromeda galaxy was, frankly said, a stillborn idea from the start. As the influence of Casey Hudson and Hack Walters fades (the only people invested in keeping the status quo forever with any pull in the company), other people will want to return to the place where fans have actual emotional attachements. That's a currency which is invaluable for gaming companies.

As for what ending they will choose... it's either Destroy or an "what ACTUALLY happened..." alternative ending. Control and Synthesis are not viable. Nobody wants all the Robot Hitlers still around honking their giant airhorns at jaywalkers. Nobody wants the the Lovecraftian horror of Synthesis, where actual Banshees, Cannibals, etc. are still walking around and have to live out their horrific existance among the general populace. Not even to mention that the Reapers are also still around (and somehow half organic as well. Wonder how that works out for kilometers high squid spaceship/walkers).

I mean, I could be blowing hot air here, but seeing at least some rumors that it could happen is a very encouraging thing to end the year on. That being said, merry christmas, y'all!

The funny thing, as much as I dislike synthesis ending and what it represents, if it would be done right, it would create most interesting base ground. There are so many options with it. You can divide the galaxy to people who praise the new form, yet you can have people who absolutely despise it and wants to return to old. And because of this "merger" of synthesis and organic and the very advanced intelligent coming with this "merger", it's completely believable that some create ways to get rid of synthetic nature. That itself is interesting story point, because like with everyone, some people would want to forcefully use this "cure" to change everyone in the galaxy, while others just want to have option to make their own choice. The same way there would be people on other side, who are fanatical of being this merger of synthetic/organic and would do everything to destroy any potential cure, yet some could actually come to like it all. Like I said, there is much of story potential here.

I also don't see reaper forces existence all that difficult to deal with. Most of the reaper forces after synthesis either died on complications like not being able to eat, lost their minds because of the horrors they went through and/or made suicide. Left to an exile to live in some isolated communities and that way not being active part of galactic community.

You can't also deny the fact oh how interesting a well written ex-reaper force character would be. There are again so many option to make someone like this a strong character. Arguable, Marauders would be easiest choice here followed by husk. A Banshee could also work, if they would have went through some genetherapy or so to trying to chance their form. Basically, these ex-reaper character could be like forsaken in Wow world. There is also the fact that ex-huskified Cerberus troopers would belong in this group too.

Also, Reaper being alive in synthesis and control is easiest part to deal with. All you need is to create a scenario, were Reapers themselves are used to repair all damaged Mass Relays. These repairs are done by using Reapers mass drives/shielding system resulting the destruction of the Reaper ad voila, existing Reaper problem is gone. Best of all, this also works with destruction ending, if Reaper corpses are investigated and people would realize the potential use through find some files/informantion or through attempts of reverse engineering attempts of those Mass drives/shields. Either way, point is, in all three color endings, Reapers themselves could be used to fix the galaxy and partially undone the mess of ME3 ending, before we get rid of them once for all.

As matter of fact, this last part is so ridiculously simple that I can't understand why it wasn't done already.

[TTTX]

As matter of fact, this last part is so ridiculously simple that I can't understand why it wasn't done already.

Probably because the writers don't want to first of all answer the ending question to begin with and well most of the good writers have pretty much left BW at this point or just writ the typical world ending story as we saw in Andromeda and by the looks of it their upcoming game Anthem instead of coming up with interesting scenarios.

[magnuskn]

Yeah, Synthesis doesn't do it for me. I actually want a Mass Effect story in the Milky Way which is decidedly post-Reapers, with no more of their shenanigans affecting the different races. Also, I don't think that making everybody all circuit-y is a good look on all the different races. And I as well don't want my Shepard to have been the biggest mass rapist in history.

And using Reapers for anything never has ended well for anybody. That should be pretty clear after three games of people going insane just by being near a Reaper.

[FrozenShadow]

Yeah, Synthesis doesn't do it for me. I actually want a Mass Effect story in the Milky Way which is decidedly post-Reapers, with no more of their shenanigans affecting the different races. Also, I don't think that making everybody all circuit-y is a good look on all the different races. And I as well don't want my Shepard to have been the biggest mass rapist in history.

And using Reapers for anything never has ended well for anybody. That should be pretty clear after three games of people going insane just by being near a Reaper.

The funniest thing is, it's possible to write ME4 in a way that the general story line could work with all three different endings. All that's needed is to have different dialogue options based on your choice of color and some change characters looks or character models (like swapping Asari with human model and so on).

And imagine if they would do that? That would truly not only make ME4 amazing and unique experience for all, but it would help making even ME3 with it's horrible endings a meaningful one.

For example, you can have Shepard and old crew member back truly easily as Anderson type NCP.

- For destroy, Shepard is alive and you get to meet him/her. And when you meet him/her, you can ask them question about old crew and so on. You can also easily deal with Shepard's LI situation by having pictures around the with Shepard and their LI. Shepard and Tali on Rannoch, Shepard/Liara on Thessia/some archeological site, FemShep and Garrus on Palaven with Garrus family, MaleShep and Ashley on Earth with her family, MaleShep and Miranda on somewhere and so on. In either case, easy and simple thing to do.

- For Control/Synthesis, Shepard is replaced by their LI, who takes to role of NCP. All the pictures are replaced by some moments taken before going to final battle on ME3, like for example from Citadel DLC party.

- For no LI at all or LI died on ME2 or ME3, Liara is used as a base option. Otherwise pictures are the same, just of the crew in general. If Liara died by some miracle, then you can have some other option from surviving crew members taking this role.

In any case, a simple example of how to make gaming experience unique for many many variation of save files, yet it only requires different dialogue and changing character model based on people saves.

[Raga]

I actually want a clean slate in the Milky Way. Like whatever happened with Shep and crew happened, say, 100-200 years ago and it's done and they are all dead or off doing other things (for asari and krogan). Canonize any ending but Synthesis (which would make no sense) and move on.

The issue with Andromeda wasn't that Shepard and crew weren't in it. The issue is that Andromeda is a big empty heap of rocks with nothing interesting in it that we left a vibrant galaxy brimming with life for.

[TTTX]

The issue with Andromeda wasn't that Shepard and crew weren't in it. The issue is that Andromeda is a big empty heap of rocks with nothing interesting in it that we left a vibrant galaxy brimming with life for.

I feel like that was the real issue with Andromeda (and I enjoyed it for what it was), but the systems were empty of lore at best or we had seen it all before.

There was only the whole the vanished species, created the Angara and other life in the systems which was really the only new interesting thing, but it never gets explored as it happens so late in game.

[Alienmorph]

Also I would love a story that doesn't suffer of Saviour Complex. I will admit that BW TRIED to not make Rider a Shepard clone, as promised, but he was still essentially just another guy/gal who had to explore alien ruins to save an whole civilization from doom. I'd much rather get something like a space pirate, or a bounty hunter, or any other person who has an excuse to explore the galaxy that DOESN'T involve becoming a Chosen One type.

Of course, assuming the nigh-impossible happens and BW lasts long enough to make another ME.

[Joblom]

Yeah, Synthesis doesn't do it for me. I actually want a Mass Effect story in the Milky Way which is decidedly post-Reapers, with no more of their shenanigans affecting the different races. Also, I don't think that making everybody all circuit-y is a good look on all the different races. And I as well don't want my Shepard to have been the biggest mass rapist in history.

And using Reapers for anything never has ended well for anybody. That should be pretty clear after three games of people going insane just by being near a Reaper.

I've always felt that Mass Effect has a rich enough setting with plenty of conflict to allow for epic and satisfying stories without the Reapers. Really, in a lot of ways I find them to be the least interesting aspect of the setting. The stakes are interesting, but the big Old Machines themselves? Eh, not really. They're more like a force of nature.

Think about it though, it wouldn't be that hard to re-imagine the Saren and his plot as him being a sort of Palpatine-ish figure who attempts to overthrow the Council in a violent way so that his own people can take charge. The batarians and their slavery and terrorism could easily form the basis for another game, as could the Quarians and their battle to retake their homeworld. Then you could bring things full circle with a Cerberus/TIM plot where this time the Palpatine is one of our own people. The whole series could be an anthology about the first human Spectre and how s/he shaped humanity's role in the galaxy. Then you wouldn't even need to nuke the setting at the end.


Though if they were to pursue games after ME3 I've always favored a sort of post-apocalypse version myself. Take Destroy I suppose and then let time pass for a century or two. You'd have all these cut off clusters and solar systems that would have defacto independence. Some would whither and die but others would thrive and expand. Meanwhile Earth would have become home to the survivors of the big battle at the end, with multiple species trying to eek out an existence on a planet ravaged by the Reapers, falling debris, missed mass accelerator shots, and eezo pollution.

[TTTX]

I've always felt that Mass Effect has a rich enough setting with plenty of conflict to allow for epic and satisfying stories without the Reapers. Really, in a lot of ways I find them to be the least interesting aspect of the setting. The stakes are interesting, but the big Old Machines themselves? Eh, not really. They're more like a force of nature.

Think about it though, it wouldn't be that hard to re-imagine the Saren and his plot as him being a sort of Palpatine-ish figure who attempts to overthrow the Council in a violent way so that his own people can take charge. The batarians and their slavery and terrorism could easily form the basis for another game, as could the Quarians and their battle to retake their homeworld. Then you could bring things full circle with a Cerberus/TIM plot where this time the Palpatine is one of our own people. The whole series could be an anthology about the first human Spectre and how s/he shaped humanity's role in the galaxy. Then you wouldn't even need to nuke the setting at the end.


Though if they were to pursue games after ME3 I've always favored a sort of post-apocalypse version myself. Take Destroy I suppose and then let time pass for a century or two. You'd have all these cut off clusters and solar systems that would have defacto independence. Some would whither and die but others would thrive and expand. Meanwhile Earth would have become home to the survivors of the big battle at the end, with multiple species trying to eek out an existence on a planet ravaged by the Reapers, falling debris, missed mass accelerator shots, and eezo pollution.

Problem is the a good portion of BW villains are pretty stereotypical evil and don't have much character, sometimes they even take potentiel future evil characters that has at least good chance of becoming interesting and turn basically what they did with the TIM in ME3 or the Shadow Broker in ME2 (where they are just evil because the script demands it and don't have much reason beyond that).

Saren and the Arishock from DA2 are probably the best villains that BW have created so far only because those can understand where they are coming from and their plans weren't completely idiotic compared to the other villains plans (Like the Collector one that makes no sense in the grand scheme of thing) BW have made over the years.

There is also the thing that BW don't really writ stories that doesn't have a like chosen one vs the ultimate evil guy who wants to end the world, the only RPG where it's really the case is DA2 and that story could really be disjointed at times (because the game was put together in less then 2 years) and most fans didn't like that among other things from DA2, still not a bad game, it just had problems.

Still judging by Anthem's trailers and DA4 trailer they are doing the ending the world story that we have seen so many times at this point.