Mass Effect Andromeda Tone

Fireflyesque, a setting where life is harsh but still with time for levity/humour too.

Well I instead hope we DON'T get the ME3 feeling I don't want the desperation without hope feeling we got there. I don't want to be too light-hearted either. I'd say something like "life will be hard, we still mourn what we lost but here in this new galaxy a new hope shall arise and a bright future for new generations that will call Andromeda their home. The path is dark but there is a light at the end of it, we will prevail so that the sacrifice made on the MW shall not be in vain". In a few words "realist about the present but optimist about the future".

Uncertain but hopeful; a mix of gravity and levity where appropriate.

Hope. That's… optimistic. But this makes sense. We're dealing with a group of volunteers hoping to find a better life. And a safer one in a safer galaxy. Safer than one populated by Reaper dreadnoughts, anyway.

Now light-hearted, i'm not so sure. There's going to be the fear of the unknown. There's also going to be levity for the sake of sanity but the fear's going to there. The fear's a natural aspect of exploring and i do hope they keep it because facing one's fear is scary but also thrilling.

Interesting options, I especially liked the Firefly answer, I agree. That movie/series has a brilliant tone and overall setting.

If we keep examples strictly on Bioware then I personally think Mass Effect 2 had the best overall tone of the series. It had disturbing, it had dark, it had creepy and yet, it still had humor in it to keep it from completely going into some sort of "edgy" territory. If Andromeda could recreate some of ME2s tone (and overall writing imo) I would be pleasantly surprised.

I just hope it doesn't end up as some Guardians of the Galaxy "Woah... So Random xDD" type of light hearted tone with quips every few seconds and silly stuff like the Asari girl doing the Scooby Doo run.

We already know that the Tempest is outfitted for exploration rather than warfare. So that puts boundaries around the tonal range right there. It can't be anything like ME3, even a little.

I'm not saying there isn't going to be combat, it's a cover-based shooter after all. But shooting a charging beast (as shown in the trailer) in self-defense is a very different tone than fighting for the survival of the galaxy with Reapers kicking your collective asses.

I'd expect the tone to be upbeat, inspirational, with sense-of-wonder and curiosity rather than paranoia and xenophobia. For the sake of drama and a good story, tension and danger will be introduced more-or-less by accident, stumbling into things no one could have anticipated, or poking into things without realizing how dangerous they were. Plus, a good dose of internal tension will be present -- because they will bring their societal baggage with them. You aren't turning a krogan into a diplomat just by shipping them 2.5 million light-years away.

Remember the GDC talk that Patrick Weekes & John Epler gave about Trespasser and Building An Emotional Theme? Where they used Captain America: Winter Soldier and Raiders of the Lost Ark as inspirational guideposts? It might be helpful for us to guess at what two movies they might be using for MEA for the same purpose, and that would inform the likely tone.

Using that technique, I'd elevator-pitch the tone as The Right Stuff meets Jurassic Park.

"Jurassic World, I've seen Jurassic Park. I knew Jurassic Park. Jurassic Park was a friend of mine. Jurassic World, you're no Jurassic Park. (Prolonged shouts and applause.)"

I'd like it convey the duality of the exploration and conquest, with some moral qualms, and hard choices. Rougher than BioWARE's game normally are. I want some light and happy moments, but overall I want a serious story not a happy Voyager-like feel. I really don't want desperate atmosphere though, it was really grating on me in ME3. I don't know if Serenity is quite applicable there, because Serenity had a strong outcast motive, more like Battle-star Galactica. I think it will be great.

I"m hoping "Farscape".

Adventure as Firefly (Far West in space! Misfits smuggling things, humour and WASH!)
Moments of gravity Interstellar-esque (survival of species, relativity of time, family...)
But the most important feel: the feeling of coming back home, MASS EFFECT (which is ironic because we go to another GALAXY, the opposite of home )

Edit: PLUS...
Space Opera as Titan AE (Earth has been destroyed, WE NEED A NEW HOME vibe is perfect; also, Planet Bob).

Name all of these colours properly. Then we talk.

I would only go as far as E. No F. Too much green.