Active abilities in ME:A (Updated)

Actually, nope, it has nothing whatsoever to do with micro-transactions. While MTX remains a part of our MP experience (like in ME3), it's not part of SP at all and has never been a strong driver for our overall design.

The actual reason why we've built SP and MP's core gameplay as much alike as possible is very simple: Quality.

Like every other game project, our resources are finite--you never have endless time, people, or focus. And when it comes to your core gameplay, you want to pour as much love and attention into it as you can. While we could make combat work quite differently between SP and MP, that would spread our focus and attention. Creating the best combat experience possible was very high on our list of priorities for MEA, so instead of trying to build two games, we asked ourselves "what would be the most fun Mass Effect combat experience, period?" and then did our absolute best to build that. By having fewer differences between SP and MP, we were able to put more polish and love into every element of combat. It's a smoother, more fluid, and more responsive play experience than we've been able to do in the past as a result, and I hope you'll enjoy the results.


Note: I'm not commenting one way or the other on the "are there only 3 active abilities?" question at this time. We'll be talking about that pretty soon. In this post I'm purely responding to the question of "why did you guys try to make SP and MP more similar?"

You seem to be grasping at straws. There is literally no reason to present something in such a misleading way if the 3 ability limit is not true, in fact it would be outright dumb precisely because
it has the potential to cause consumers to decide that they don't like what they see. The only reason to show this would be if the final game was similar.

MAYBE they will add that some powers have a "charging" ability, but that still changes the mechanic itself very little.

Don't really know what you are referring to, but I think that those icons signify other things, such as primer/detonator status and perhaps other status effects.
Also, the screenshot I added seems to indicate only 3 powers.

Our BW guest says that there is more to it than that, and while I am somewhat skeptical due to the "power loadout" containing only 3 slots, I guess we'll see.

But yeah, if we can have up to 9 abilities I'll certainly be happy. For a game like ME it will be more than enough. Although I seriously doubt it.

Well, as I only watched people using controllers and never actually used one myself, I can only vaguely understand the problem. Still, EA probably designs games these days with controllers first in mind, and that includes BW.
I doubt that they will release an awkward design considering that you see their developers using controllers just about all the time.

Well, if you remember the CES video then I'm pretty sure you saw this image, it was of the three powers, but above it were two downward (at an arc) pointing arrows.  I'll bet those were the left and right either triggers or bumpers.

So, this is great.  We have to be holding 8 while trying to move out of the way,  Terrific.

 

You've played ME:A? Because that's the only way that you'd know what does what. Or are you saying that in DAI or in ME3 it did that? I'm honestly asking, because I have no idea. All that I know is that in DAI, it had four little squares over in the bottom right, all of a sudden it changed over and there were four new powers there.

I dunno dude. I have literally 0.00001% experience with controllers that you do. I keep on playing fighting games with mine and keep on breaking them. Eventually, I just stopped buying them as well as fighting games. It's not for me to figure out what those two little downward pointing arcs were (I don't believe).

At this point, yes, I think it's possible that we might have to hold a button.


EDIT : 

@1:00 exactly.  Right by the powers.

The icon for that button flashes up on the screen at around 1:30 in the CES footage, indicating that the player should press it.

I don't think it's either, if you read their descriptions their effects are entirely passive (Marksman's Focus was +weapon damage on kill and Combat Drone is cooldown reduction/EM pulse when enemies get in your face...granted, there was more text we couldn't see, so maybe there are other skills/they have active component, we will see)

Triangle, the equivalent on the PS gamepad, is now reserved for scanning.  Now the question is why can't it be both, and I suppose its possible it still is...scanning out of combat...something else in...but I bet its just going to be your scanning button.