Extensive Analysis by Noah Gervais

People do not want conversations. People want to launch into tirades of verbal diarrhea and for others to agree with them and tell them just how right they are...that their opinion is amazing, they are amazing, and they are important. They want to be recognized as intelligent without actually having to put in the work or don't bother to even define what makes a person intelligent or a conversation intelligent....or put that trait above others like compassion, humility, a sense of humor, open mindedness...

People don't think anymore. They react. 

And what's worse is that they can do it now and have hundreds of strangers see it, agree with it, like it, share it...and feed the insatiable inner monster in all of us that is our deeply rooted narcissism. We don't even have to know the name of who we are talking to anymore, we don't have to look them in the eye, we don't even have to feign the appearance of paying attention and not look like we're just waiting for the other person to stop talking so they can finally say what they've been preparing to say. 

We also have gotten into a bad habit of associating any and all opinions to be a testament of a person's entire identity. They said they liked this thing, but that's impossible because I do not...and that means one of us is wrong...but if I am wrong about this that means I'm at fault...If I am at fault that means I'm not as awesome as all these people liking and sharing my opinion made me think I am. I cannot allow that possibility; therefore, I have determined the other person is the faulty one, they are deficient, they have to have some agenda, they have to be dumber than me, they are an enemy to my sense of being and I must destroy them or else I might begin to doubt myself.

People cannot stand the doubt. It creeps into our minds and poisons us. Doubt forces you to think and explore options that are unpleasant and we've grown so accustomed to distancing ourselves from anything that gives negative feelings. 

People need to stop running away from doubt. They need to embrace that little voice in their heads that says "hey maybe I am wrong?" as soon as you accept that sometimes you are just going to be wrong or that there isn't a clear right or wrong answer - you start to feel better about yourself. You don't get so wrapped up in this mentality that you constantly have to fight for every opinion, statement, and belief you have because it will somehow assert your dominance in the least meaningful and most pathetic way possible (in an online forum for video games) 

A lot of the time I just shit post on here for the mediocre lols, and occasionally try to put out a post or two that had at least some thought put into it. If it's something subjective I realize a lot of people will not agree with it and that's okay. It's okay that I want to romance Peebee and it's okay that you think she's Shrek in raccoon make-up. I don't feel like it's impossible for those two opinions to exist in this world or that it somehow someway HAS to be a statement about me as a person. It really doesn't matter and it's not worth getting worked up over.

If it's something objective like how something works in the lore, a character did or didn't say something...if I'm wrong about that I need to try to own up to that and admit I made a mistake rather than go into denial or start delving into alternative facts. 

I have to stop typing because I'm starting to get all self-righteous and sounding like one of those long winded assholes that I seem to dislike so much. Ultimately this post is just a tiny one in a sea of bullshit opinions in favor of or against calling this a good game. After a certain point you just have to stop the bullshit, go outside, do something else, and get the fuck over other people and yourself.

End of unsolicited rant. 

I'm at the point where I usually don't watch the more negative vids about MEA, because they all say the same thing and frankly I'm just tired of hearing it. I decided to give this guy a chance based on the praise he's receiving in this thread. I made it about halfway through. I agreed with a couple of his points but mostly I felt like he, too, was beating a very dead horse just in a much more long-winded fashion.

I do appreciate the time he put into it, and that he gives clear examples from the game to explain his reasoning. That puts him a step above most of the bashers out there. I'll look into some of his other vids, its very possible I might like his content more when it's not saying something I've already heard a hundred times over.

So thank you, OP, for posting this.


Would you mind explaining this a little more? When I initially heard people say "played it safe" I thought it was just in reference to the ending but there's clearly more here I'm not seeing.

I'm at the point where I usually don't watch the more negative vids about MEA, because they all say the same thing and frankly I'm just tired of hearing it. I decided to give this guy a chance based on the praise he's receiving in this thread. I made it about halfway through. I agreed with a couple of his points but mostly I felt like he, too, was beating a very dead horse just in a much more long-winded fashion.

I do appreciate the time he put into it, and that he gives clear examples from the game to explain his reasoning. That puts him a step above most of the bashers out there. I'll look into some of his other vids, its very possible I might like his content more when it's not saying something I've already heard a hundred times over.

So thank you, OP, for posting this.


Would you mind explaining this a little more? When I initially heard people say "played it safe" I thought it was just in reference to the ending but there's clearly more here I'm not seeing.

And we have nothing but ourselves to blame in the long run. 

...Well if his opinion is that 'Andromeda played it safe' kind of glad I elected not to watch it.

As do I.

It's why we're to blame though. We don't know what we want as a collective at all. The "heart" of the matter is wildly complex because of us and how we react, and BioWare trying to roll a boulder up a hill to please as many as possible, while admirable, is causing a lot of problems. So many people want different things, so many people will be disappointed regardless of what happens. And now, critically, most of those people have axes to grind when they get the chance because "it's BioWare"

I was not surprised that Andromeda played it safe, because people didn't like the deviations in the trilogy, especially 3's ending overblown outcry. I was not surprised by the open world of Inquisition, since the claustrophobic city of Dragon Age II was a problem that many made well known. I will not be surprised if the next Dragon Age and Andromeda game deviate wildly from what was given to us now too because of all of this either.

Because BioWare cares too much, aiming to please the thankless. 

Yep! I sure can see you want to have a reasoned argument based off that video. Keep batting a thousand champ!


how to post a picture in a forum online site

For some people, others opinion is only relevant when it coincides with theirs. Like for example Totalbiscuit likes MEA, so he is someone's favorite and the only opinion that is valid and noteworthy.

Its only human after all.

But whatever. This game sold like hotcake for better or worse.

www.vgchartz.com/article/268027/mass-effect-andromeda-sells-an-estimated-103m-units-first-week-in-the-west-at-retail/

And add another mil on that on digi sales.

Yes, they should take risks. But smaller risks.

Risks carry the possibility of failure. That's why they are "risks".

If you take a big risk, sure it may pay off, but you can also fail spectacularly (and they did in ME3) That should be kept in mind going forward: don't gamble what you're not willing to lose.

And if we are not clear enough in expressing what we don't like, they should make an effort to clarify. "Oranges and peaches" after all.

There are many tools (besides Twitter) that can help with that.

Shame that a good video is finally posted and no one can be bothered to care.

I guess good critique is irrelevant in the face of overwhelming and uninformed opinion from other videos.