Steal from Other Games to Improve Mass Effect!

Oh my gosh, thank you. I can't scream this from my corner of the internet loud enough...

I think the keyword was "steal" not "poorly imitate with no planning or forethought".

The alleged procedural world setback is a perfect example of the former.




I'd want them to steal the tone balance of Metal Gear. That's a series that knows how to do serious drama and suspense in a very cinematic way (and actually say something in the process) but gleefully takes the piss out of itself throughout. Mass Effect hasn't been sensible for some time. I think embracing that sort of mix would do it wonders. Also, stealth mechanics.

Failing that, I want the QA testing/perfectionism of pre-2012 Valve (but not the timeline, obviously). You know, before they decided to just retire off Steam and play with peripherals. EA would never allow it, because the monies, but still, a man can dream.

Well they "stole" the open world thing back in DAI as I understand it and there are people who still say they didn't get it right. My example of procedurally generated worlds is more to the point though.

And what are we expecting from BioWare? I think the core staples are far simpler than they may first appear. The dialog wheel for example. Implement conversations where you can choose responses and have NPCs react/respond accordingly. That's really the core mechanic from which everything else stems. "Talking" to NPCs this way allows not just for efficient character development but also character attachment- NPCs become your buddies and some of them your lovers as a logical extension of that. That alone is responsible for much of the feelings of "immersion", and "great characters you care about". If the conversations are well crafted, there are plenty of leads, allowing you to inject subtext and your own perceptions into not just the PC but the NPCs as well. It's a neat trick, but if you really analyze it, that's all it is. Combat-wise, it's fun, but there's nothing really special about it. People might say the squadmates but meh. I can take them or leave them.

So really, I think as long as you have a dialog wheel and a band of NPCs to use it on, you can stick that core into any other frame work (like a stealth game) and it'll still be "BioWare" enough. Throw in some story tropes they always use and an upgrade/inventory system and bam- you've got the next title.

I'd rather they just steal stuff from the first three Mass Effect games.

Bioware games are all about characters, so more focus on their development and how it effects gameplay/storyline.

Dialogue(s) need to feel less interrogative and more interaction, on both sides. Less blunt exposition. More spontaneity in relationship development...New Vegas had a crazy idea on romance with Cass ( that they ditched): you both get drunk, mourning after discover you got hitched.

I think you need to step away from your computer, get outdoors and have a restful sleep afterwards.  

As for adding something to the game, my humble desire remains SWTOR-like cosmetic companion appearance changes as rewards for accomplishments.

stealing is wrong