Active abilities in ME:A (Updated)

I suspect that the jetpack is just linked to whatever the jump button is in the game

I don't think it's a fourth power; it popped up when most of the cooldowns were in effect, so I think it's a way to swap between a second profile mid-combat; maybe the most recent two that were used.

Or at least, I hope this is the case.

Haha I love your (and colfoley 's) optimism and I also hope you're right. I did wonder before if that's what it did. But both overload and flamethrower are off cooldown when it's flashing. Ammo also isn't an issue and shields are still partially up.

If I'm right then I'm crossing my fingers that tech shield will be the profile skill for the sentinel, which means I'll be able to set overload and a biotic primer and detonator as my skill loadout.

Not to mention that it's the right decision to make from a user interface point of view
You don't have different interfaces in the same application. It's confusing for people who use both interfaces and makes even less sense story-wise.

Haha, yes please please be true!

Either what you're saying about swapping to another set of three powers with one button press, or having a fourth "class" power on that button.

The PC version has native controller support, but I doubt that means much since Dragon Age had far more complex control scheme with a controller or with a keyboard. Mass Effect is more 1-8 for powers, wasd for movement, an interact key, and the squad movement keys. Far less input to adjust, even with new mechanics, so there's less to screw up.

Not sure it would be allowed during missions only on the ship most likely. But that might also depend on whether you end up leveling up during a mission I'd guess. As you'd likely have an extra point or so to spend then. I think it depends on the levelling system they've gone with but it looks like that on this game you can level up pretty high as I'm hearing that the cap is 90/100 or something I read in another thread.

Well, not necessarily.

The design mandate for it would be strategic planning by the player, vs tactical planning of the world. It's a game design choice probably done to make the class-system/encounter groups much more diverse than before, instead of spamming the same loadout for thirty or so hours you can mix and match it based on your whims. 

The point of contention you have is it's a game design limitation though, which I get, but I see why they are doing it from a game standpoint. Considering the high praise for the combat/loadout system found in Mass Effect 3 and the Multiplayer, deviating from that was probably never in the cards.

It's funny, but none of BioWare's game found immersion through gameplay if you ask me. It was their presentation and story instead that really pushed that, gameplay was always second from it (like the only class-based interrupt being on the Omega DLC in my recollection) Classes and powers, and abilities and all of that is always abstractly gameified because of a video games limitations or because it's a seperate part of the game compared to the story. In fact, the few times it was married it lead to loss of control by the player, such as the end of Dragon Age 2 or Mass Effect 3. 

Id argue most video game RPG's never achieve immersion unless you "gameify" parts of it's system anyway, so it's hardly unique to BioWare. Elder Scrolls, Witcher, Ultima, all of them are kind of guilty of this. 

You are also kind of implying the game is not going to be a challenge due to more diverse player options, but wouldn't the challenge be figuring out the weaknesses of an enemy anyway? Enemies always had exploitable weaknesses (even going to tabletop settings) that the players had to use to their advantage to be efficient at killing them. Is this not the same, but just putting the potential of power in the players hands all the time? 

Origins id say wasn't that immersive save for a few points (mostly tied to acquiring specializations, and a bit of the mages involvement in Redcliffe. Otherwise kind of weak) 

Thing is, because it's a video game it's stuck with limitations. Take Elder Scrolls, those games are never immersive unless the player puts strict limitations on what they do (for example, you role play a specific character and not do everything that is expected of you) or by installing mods to help simulate real-world effects/to promote such limitations on you.

Ive yet to see a game out of box to do it well enough for me to say it's something that can be improved upon. It's why it's up to the player to set that limitation. So, if you want to role-play a specific specialization just do it....don't deviate from a class choice and only mix and match given powers you have for your loadout. I kind of planned on that anyway with an Infiltrator class-build anyway, since I like sneaking and sniping in Mass Effect a lot. It also solves your enemy weakness question- if the enemy had that weakness before and you didn't have access to an ability based on a specific class you follow...the goal now is to exploit it via squadmates while you support, just like in the previous Mass Effect games.

It's a personal choice to limit yourself. In most cases it's how I get enjoyment out of most RPGs in a second or third playthrough as a challenge- at least through gameplay and combat.

Well, those limits were always there.

You used a lot of tech powers to go after Geth before right? So Mass Effect 1 it's a wise move to keep an engineer or tech-based power handy for most levels to disable or harass Geth patrols.

Wouldn't it be the same thing if you face a robot/A.I enemy here? If you don't have the powers to fight it, it wouldn't matter much because of the restriction there that is an inexploitable weakness. 

Now, if what you are referring too is removing such strengths/weaknesses to enemies, wouldn't that be less immersive then? Perhaps I am not understanding the problem fully, because I don't see any harsh restrictions here outside of number of abilities you have.

If the question is simply the number...then i'm not sure I can answer that question. Personally, I don't see that as less immersive.