Mac Walters answers 101 questions about Mass Effect Andromeda

Is Andromeda gonna be one of those RPG’s for dummies?
No. But, that said, dummies might like it.

When you choose a Ryder twin is the other twin eaten in the womb?
We considered that.

Can I customize the way my dad and twin look?
Yes.

Can they be of different ethnicities?
Yes.

Can they be elcor?
Not in this game.

Can you get married in this game?
No, not traditionally.

Is there a new game plus?
Yes there is.

This game is going to be more [BLANK] than fans’d expect.
More bigger.

Natively in 4k?
No.

30fps?
On some platforms.

What does that mean?
Faster PC mean more framerate

PS4 pro?
To be decided.

Is this Shepard canon? [shows picture of abomination]
That’s Shanon[?], that’s shanon[?] .Lets go with that.

What your favorite store on--I don’t want to ask this.So remember that time when you guys announced a Mass Effect movie in 2010?
I do remember that time.

Ever call up Casey Hudson for a nice chat?
I do actually. Yeah.

Has that Mass Effect 3 piano song ever made you cry?
Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure.

Are there going to be moments in Andromeda that make us cry?
Already are. Especially in development.

Is Andromeda harder to make than Mass Effect 1?
Both the same, actually.

Is there background music on your ship?
Uh, I can’t remember.

Is the galaxy map music back?
There is galaxy music.

Is the galaxy map back?
We have a galaxy map, but it is very different.

Does Andromeda contain the line “We’ve got company?”
If it doesn’t I’d be surprised.

Are there gonna be those random grab bag card things in multiplayer?
Yes .

What is the best fourth thing?
The fourth quad, I guess.

Is this based on a true story?
Yes.

Can you buy fish for your room and if you do, do they die instantly?
No and no. Because they’re alien fish.

What does the N stand for in N7?
I don’t know if we ever said.

Is Saren’s theme going to play when you die?
No, probably in your head. But, no.

Other than Andromeda, what’s your favorite Mass Effect?
Probably 2.

Will your save from Andromeda carry forward?
To be determined.

So then would it be called: Mass Effect: Andromeda 2?
To be determined.

What was Ashley’s problem?
She just wasn’t a nice person sometimes.

How is everything going up here?
It’s busy, you know, but it’s going great.

Are you ever scared to Google Image Search Mass Effect characters?
Not scared.

Remember that time Donald Trump tweeted the Mass Effect 2 trailer?
Yes, unfortunately. Sadly.

Bio-?
-Vations

What’s Garrus up to?
Ah, he’s just calibrating.

What is the last word of Andromeda’s script?
Period?

“FemRyd--?”
“--Er?”

Do you consider this the start of a new trilogy?
Uh, no.

What percentage of people save Kaidan? 2?
Poor Kaidan.

If the universe is infinite does that mean that somewhere out there’s a planet with a species that looks like salarians and they’re playing a game with a Shepard that looks like a salarian and the other aliens are all weird and stuff.
If it doesn’t work like that I’m very disappointed in the universe.

You do realize that alot of players are going to make their Ryder look like their Shepard and that’s just really going to muck up your lore?
Ah, you know People can pick like the hell they want to look like.

Will there be Renegade and Paragon dialogue choices?
Not called Renegade and Paragon, but there will be choices that might feel Paragon or Renegade.

What about those trigger things?
Yes, the interrupts? Yes, there will be those.

How nice is it to not have to worry about save importing or branching storylines just right out of the gate?
It’s a huge relief. Like, just got years back of my life.

Is there mineral scanning?
It’s different than what we’ve seen before, but yes.

Are their any original crewmembers in the game?
No.

Do you guys regret naming her “Chakwas?”
No. I stand firm.

Does any character sing at any point?
Yes, I think so.

Can I use the jetpack inside the Tempest?
No, unless it’s a bug.

Can I play the campaign offline?
Uh, yes.

Will there be downloadable characters?
To be determined.

Who is the best love interest from the trilogy?
Garrus, it has to be Garrus.

Which 3 ending is canon?
[Laughs] Never answering that.

When were these folks sent to Andromeda?
Right after ME2, but before ME3.

Is anyone homesick?
Oh, I think they get homesick for sure.

Did they volunteer for this mission?
Yes. Except that one guy.

How many years after Mass Effect 3 does Andromeda take place?
Well, they arrive 600 years after they left.

Is Shepard dead?
Well, 600 years. I’m gonna say yes.

Is every character from the original trilogy dead?
No, I would assume some could survive 600 hundred years. Long lifespans.

So they did it once, so why not just keep cloning Shepards’?
Maybe they are.

But, the reapers are gone right?
There are no reapers in Andromeda.

Do you guys ever take cosplay into account when designing those weirdo aliens?
No, but we are curious to see what happens.

Do we have to fuel up the tempest?
No.

Is there anyway of communicating with the Milky Way Galaxy?
Not in this game.

Is there a Council I can hang up on?
There are people like the Council that you will want to hang up on.

Is omnigel still a thing?
They didn’t really bring it with them. They didn’t have room.

Can crew members die in this game?
Crewmembers, no.

Companions?
Companions, no.





[The iconic ME dialogue wheel appears!]
Is this an open world game?
Anybody that’s sexually attracted to Garrus is weird right?
What’s scarier Banshees or Buzz Aldrin’s acting?
[Is this an open world game? is chosen.]
It is a game with open world elements.

Would you consider this a mako or breako moment for the series?
It’s definitely a mako moment.

Is the new mako gonna suck?
Ah, no the nomad is awesome.

Are you sick of these yet?
We’re getting close.

Why can’t you just bring everyone into combat?
Cause some people suck at combat.

Does this galaxy contain that strain I’ve heard so much about?
That Andromeda Strain?

Is there a bar on the Tempest?
On the Tempest, no.

Is there a pre-cursor race?
No, wouldn’t call it that.

Are you flirting with me, Walters?
Yes.

Has Ryder seen Battlestar Galactica?
Which Ryder?

Female?
Maybe.

Can you stab people with holograms in this one?
Yeah, you can.

How many classes are there?
There are seven, technically.

What’s the best class?
Uh--

Vanguard?
I actually like Infiltrator.

Is Ryder Revan?
No.

Which Mass Effect alien race smells the best and which one smells the worst?
Do you mean which one has the best smelling capabilities?

No.
Vorcha and asari. You pick.

Excluding Bioware games what is the best RPG ever made?
Bard’s Tale the original.

Think a co-op campaign could ever work in a Mass Effect game?
I do.

With the power of Frostbite 3 how kickass of a Sonic RPG could Bioware make now?
Probably the best.

Do you remember what my Origin password is?
No.

When’s this game coming out?
Springish next year.

Feeling confident on that?
Oh, I’m feeling confident . Yeah.

Coughdrop? [Offers coughdrops in blue, green, and red variety]
[Laughs] I prefer all three.

Is animating a sex scene, sexy?
No, it’s actually uncomfortable to animate it. But, just fun to watch.

How come all the aliens still kinda look like people?
That’s a good question. [Pause] Don’t know.

Wouldn’t it be kinda funny if you brought back the aiming system from Mass Effect 1 for Andromeda?
Oh, yeah that’d,that’d be a hoot?

Can you tell me another story about the Shepard?
One day. One day.

Isn’t Mass Effect just the best thing?
I like to think so.

Walters.
Yes? Joe.
Walters.
Joe.


*Joe Juba is always first speaker in new paragraph.
Mac Walters is the second.

1. Yeah, I see what you mean. Maybe they're taking this approach precisely because it opens up intriguing possibilities for a sequel, but they want to test the waters with the first game before committing to one? I dunno.

2. I'm one of those people who's endlessly frustrated by the way pretty much all romance stories - but particularly romance anime - end, instead of start, with the couple finally getting together after an extended series of will they/won't theys, so I'm totally with you here. (Not that marriage and the start of a relationship are actually analogous, obviously.) I'd love to have the story spend more time actually exploring the details of the couple's long-term relationship, for a change.

And yeah, I've been getting the impression that they want to have more flings in Andromeda, so I reckon that's where the number's coming from. I'm actually really into the idea of potentially being able to play a Ryder who prefers more casual relationships, and isn't interested in/isn't ready for anything serious and long-term. Heck, it opens up a lot of potential for roleplay variability--you could have a Ryder who only ever had eyes for the one person from the very start of the game, and then another Ryder who never settles down, and then a third who isn't really interested in anything serious to start with, but through the power of Character Development (TM) ends up finally finding that perfect person. You could technically do some of that stuff with Shepard, but it required that you basically ignore most of the romance content in the game--or, at the very least, you always felt like you were working against the way the system was intended to function.

7. Honestly, I'm kinda at the point where I want the franchise to just move on from the Reapers, to as great an extent as is possible, so - while it could feel like a contrivance, I suppose - I'd be totally cool with them just, I dunno, saying that the Initiative had its communication facilities based on Arcturus Station--which was wiped out so quickly that it's pretty easy to believe no one got a message off, particularly as I don't imagine cluing the expedition in would've been much of a priority. (They're as safe from the Reapers as anyone could possibly be, after all.) I'm totally cool with just roleplaying my Ryder as out there to explore, no Reaper baggage necessary. (This is all just my personal preference, obviously.)

1. Yeah, that's definitely my preference as well--though I certainly understand why they might be wary of going down that route again, after how difficult it clearly become with the original trilogy... Ah well, here's hoping BioWare - for once! - resists the temptation to employ their 'Burn it and start over!' approach to game design , and tries to actually build on the lessons of the previous games.

2. Yeah, here's hoping. Marriage is a very specific thing to include, though, so I think it might take them a little longer to learn that lesson than it did with the sex scenes, sadly. 

I generally prefer a more intimate sort of romance, as well, but I think I could certainly enjoy roleplaying someone who takes a more casual approach, too--I'd love it if the game let me play a woman in the 'A New Hope' Han Solo, 'lovable scoundrel' mould. One of the things I like about BioWare games is that they allow you to subvert a lot of traditionally gendered tropes by just, well, picking a different gender! So, yeah, really it's just about being able to roleplay a wider variety of characters. (I also like the idea of playing a Ryder who actually takes some time, and goes through some failed relationships, before she finds someone who's right for her. Not exactly anyone's ideal romantic fantasy, but it'd feel 'real' in a way most gaming love lives do not.)

I tend not to have that issue with relatability in romance stuff, honestly--it's a character trait I'm pretty malleable on. And sex stuff... Well, there's certain things that are instant, 'Nah, don't think so' moments for me, but I guess I've spent too much time on the Internet to get uncomfortable that easily. Iron Bull's BDSM stuff was a laugh, for example.

7. Well, yeah, that's pretty much what I'm thinking'll happen. 'The VI tried to check in with the Milky Way soon after launch, but all the Arcturus QECs were dark', or something.