How should BioWare move forward with Mass Effect?

Well Andromeda  made  almost 200 million dollars(~3 million copies) so far. It's not good but also not a financial disaster. Just imagine what they could have done if this game had a budget like the Witcher 3 had(81 million dollars). And that was in 2015.
All i wanted to say is, if Bioware wanted MEA to be a AAA-title they need a AAA-budget and at least a few experienced developers. Even ME3 got a bigger budget considering they got 40 million dollars, too. But only 3 years.

They've got to sell more to make the investment of a bigger budget worth it. Doubtful it'll happen cause bioware games don't sell like the top games do. People ask why bioware gets such a small budget each game, well it's because they can't over extend on it in case a game does bomb, or else they lose far more than they should. Get a game to sell 10+ copies and maybe you'd see a budget increase, till then they've got to make do like they always have. Plus, throwing money at a game doesn't make it better, in fact, I'd say it can actually hurt more than anything cause you then have them tinkering around with things before making a decision on what to do.

Either direct sequel, or just throw the IP in the trash bin til you hire some actual writers again.

The problems that the game has on a technical level, can be improved on by the same people that made it initially, they'll get better at their jobs.

But the writing, these writers aren't going to get better, this is what we will be getting going forward, I expect DA4 to be about the same level, maybe worse.

They might not be the same, but they're at the same level.  Except Weekes is weaker than Walters.

This is a bit difficult, I wish we could pick a Top 2 or 3.

Am I good with a second (or maybe even more) game with Ryder and an Andromedan continuity? Sure. Do much better, but sure. Hope that SP DLC happens that has me more enjoying of the setting.

But perhaps more of an indirect sequel. I've said how I'm good with a 'fresh start' (as I see it), with an ark more revolving around Andromeda (sure, though the writing to enforce that in MEA was too heavy handed for my liking). But involve Milky Way more. Up to (whether in a next game or beyond) revelations about ME3. Calm any replies - this is just me, my opinion, where I've arrived.

So to express this, I'm going with Option 2.

Make things just more ...compelling. To me, that can mean expanding existing MEA into something bigger and more interesting, but it can also mean a few new thing, ...but it can also mean the journeys of the past meaning more than one may think.


-Direct Sequel to ME3: No, I think that has passed. However, I have never dropped it, never dropped the galaxy, never dropped Shepard (however I agree with any sentiments of Bioware that Shepard's story has 'ended', but more in terms of never protagonist and core element of things again).
-Direct Sequel to MEA: I have doubts it would be responded to well. I know I won't be preordering, etc.
-First Contact War: Side game.
-Prothean Cycle: Uh no.. however, I wouldn't mind at all weird storytelling putting us there.
-Let Mass Effect rest in its grave: I have enough in me to give a last chance. Guess I'll have to wait for Dylan, DA4, maybe more, before that though.


Just make a goddamn great Mass Effect game. That's all.

Sequel to Andromeda feels like a most logical answer and a route I would have expected couple a months ago, but I seriously don't trust enough to this team atm to make it wortwhile. I don't think they have more resources to spend than to Andromeda and it seems that 40 millions wasn't even enough.

IF they fix the face creation, bring back the most beautiful asari and correct enough things with a DLC, I consider changing my attitude towards MEA2.
Otherwise, I will be bold enough to send my CV to the writing team and offer my ideas (not even joking) how to change the course at BioWare. Starting with going back to the old days and real rpg's without forgetting multiplayer community - which has decreased since ME3MP.

Whatever their approach, i'd like to see a leadership change and big investment in better writing staff.

Many people said the Assassin's Creed series should stop after AC3 but we would never have gotten Black Flag if they did. So direct sequel

I think they should go in another direction with different leadership. They probably won't do that though.

The quality of the writing really needs to be addressed. The overly simplistic trends of Politicians and Bereaucrats = bad, maverick space cowboys = good is wearing very thin. And I insist that the Kett and Remnant were dull and the Angara weren't much better. Tbey'll get nowhere by focusing on such things again.

Even as someone who quite enjoyed MEA, its hard to know where they could go. Because the whole main plot with the Kett and Remnant was such unutterly dull sub Halo tripe. By far my least favkrite thing about the game.

Better than a sequel to ME:A (they should've kept that game) and more freedom to do whatever you want and make your own story. I like this idea.

Doubtful. They're adding on more studios to expand. One studio will most likely head one franchise and the other one the other. I imagine we're stuck with Montreal being head of ME, but I'm at least hoping they'll do better next time since this was their first full game.

really it's at a point where any franchise could take a blow. Move the experienced team to ME and DA may suffer from it, move them to DA and ME suffers. Can't forget they also have the Dylan project going at full sail right now as well.