Mass Effect 3 - How does Bioware perfect the grand finale?

With the uber praise that Mass Effect 2 has gotten (and for good reason), I started thinking about the minor tweaks and annoyances that I had with the game. Its not perfect (nothing with this kind of ambition will ever be) so what do you think they can improve upon this great formula to make ME3 the greatest finale of all time? My suggestions:

-Scratch all the mini games. Honestly, they dont provide any kind of challenge (memory with 4 characters could be accomplished by a 5 year old) and they just break up the pacing of the main missions. Also, the planet scanning is dreadfully boring after about the 4th or 5th time. Eliminate that whole mechanic and make the side missions more robust and less linear, putting in those minerals as collectibles.

-The cover system is pretty solid, but too many times when I would expect I was locked into cover I would pop out when I turned the cursor left or right, and subsequently get blasted with a biotic power. Not really a huge deal, but could use tweaking.

-Put stairs in the Normandy dammit!

Thats all I can think of. What do you suggest?

Get rid of the planet scanning.
Bring back grenades.
Bring back my crouch button.

Throw in some cuddly teddy bear type aliens.

Seriously though, there needs to be more interaction between squad members. There wasn't enough in ME2.

My only complaints with the game:

- Helmet toggle. Add it.

- Please give me a crouch button.

That is all.

My only complaints with the game:

- Helmet toggle. Add it.

- Please give me a crouch button.

That is all.

[QUOTE="psn8214"]

My only complaints with the game:

- Helmet toggle. Add it.

- Please give me a crouch button.

That is all.

h575309

Didn't mind it. It was better than the Mako... :P ... and the reticule really didn't move all that slow.

More explosions and louder orchestrated pieces.

I'd like to see the levelizing taken out (the summary screens after each "mission"). Just breaks up the immersion way too much. It's a minor point, of course, but they're totally unnecessary. I know what I did while I was out and I know who I recruited. The exposition and narrative are good enough that I don't need a Cliff's Notes version of it after the fact.

I'd also like the scanning cut. Doesn't add to the experience at all (worse than driving around the Mako which was at least ocassionally fun).

And I don't like the redesigned HUD which gives you almost no information, and none of it is useful.

Um simple less walking around and talking didnt buy a game to watch a movie dont care about the story point me at an army and let me kill themmurat8

[QUOTE="murat8"]Um simple less walking around and talking didnt buy a game to watch a movie dont care about the story point me at an army and let me kill them3KindgomsRandy

Well Bioware said they are trying to appeal to the "Halo crowd", so I would assume he's in the right place.

The guy with the major spoiler... seriously tags or delete it.

[QUOTE="murat8"]Um simple less walking around and talking didnt buy a game to watch a movie dont care about the story point me at an army and let me kill them3KindgomsRandy

[QUOTE="3KindgomsRandy"]

[QUOTE="murat8"]Um simple less walking around and talking didnt buy a game to watch a movie dont care about the story point me at an army and let me kill themYandere

Well Bioware said they are trying to appeal to the "Halo crowd", so I would assume he's in the right place.

No planet scanning, they can do a mini-game for planet scanning if they want, but make it something more fun then scrolling across a planet, or like TC said, get rid of the mini-games all together if you can't make them more fun.

More dialog amongst party members, both in the field and back on the ship, I think each character might have like 3 or 4 major convos, plus the loyalty mission, but amongst a 30+ hour game, that amounts to very little, felt a little annoying to get "Can we talk later I'm too busy doing the same thing as 7 game hours ago".

Some kind of vehicle would be cool to have, Mako was awful, so it would be better to have none than a bad one, but I was hoping for some ship control at some point or some such. :P

More armors, research seemed okay sometimes, but it would be nice to have a more.. streamlined upgrade system, and don't make customizable options only for one specific armor.. 80% of the full armors were DLC only anyways.

[QUOTE="3KindgomsRandy"][QUOTE="murat8"]Um simple less walking around and talking didnt buy a game to watch a movie dont care about the story point me at an army and let me kill themmurat8

Don't get me wrong, it is a good choice and a great game; just don't expect it to be what it isn't. You need to let the narrative unfold or you just don't get the full experience.

I'd like to see the levelizing taken out (the summary screens after each "mission"). Just breaks up the immersion way too much. It's a minor point, of course, but they're totally unnecessary. I know what I did while I was out and I know who I recruited. The exposition and narrative are good enough that I don't need a Cliff's Notes version of it after the fact.

I'd also like the scanning cut. Doesn't add to the experience at all (worse than driving around the Mako which was at least ocassionally fun).

And I don't like the redesigned HUD which gives you almost no information, and none of it is useful.

[QUOTE="Yandere"]

[QUOTE="3KindgomsRandy"] You sir, are playing the wrong game. In fact, it sounds like you're playing the wrong genre. In fact, I would submit that it needs MORE walking around and story as you call them.

3KindgomsRandy

Well Bioware said they are trying to appeal to the "Halo crowd", so I would assume he's in the right place.

Oh sorry, it's Modern Warfare, not Halo.

Now that they've embraced two disks for the series, let's see them go all out and fill both of them.

Now that they've embraced two disks for the series, let's see them go all out and fill both of them.

psn8214

take away all physical player customization aspects (essentially already been done)

release the game in 30 minute episodes for 20$ a piece

the ending to the entire series will be a cliffhanger

take out level ups

release dlc before the game even comes out

WIN...?

I also want a mission on planet Earth.

I want to see what it looks like in the year 2246(if I'm correct).

• Make it not buggy.
  I've run into this collision detection bug where I float up in the air and run around in some parallel universe with invisible floors and walls. The first time it happened right at the end of a 15 minute side mission where you weren't allowed to save. Luckily I managed to find and fall through an invisible hole in the invisible floor. The second time me and my squad were magically placed on top of a box. Had to reload that time.
  
  Sometimes skips lines of dialog. I see subtitles but I don't hear anything. Mostly happened during the first couple of hours.
  
  Does not pause game when battery runs out. I mean, what the **** kind of **** is this? Don't games go through a certification process to make sure they meet certain standards?
• The load times are still loooong.
• Navigating the Normandy is annoying. I'm one of those people who like to talk to my crew members. Loading a deck and running around the ship to find out that the person doesn't want to talk is kind of annoying. Intercoms. Stairs. Don't force me to go up to my cabain to change armor, which is pretty much the only purpose of that floor.
• Scanning. It is tedious and completely mindless.
• Inventory, looting etc. There's basically none of this.
• Cerberus Network. Make it go away.

take away all physical player customization aspects (essentially already been done)

release the game in 30 minute episodes for 20$ a piece

the ending to the entire series will be a cliffhanger

take out level ups

release dlc before the game even comes out

WIN...?

krunkfu2

You forgot faster health regeneration and vita chambers.

[QUOTE="psn8214"]

Now that they've embraced two disks for the series, let's see them go all out and fill both of them.

110million

Hell yeah. I'm playing the series on PC anyways, so bring on the disks, I say.

I also want a mission on planet Earth.

I want to see what it looks like in the year 2246(if I'm correct).

Lto_thaG

I was hoping to see that in this ME unfortunately I did not.

[QUOTE="Lto_thaG"]

I also want a mission on planet Earth.

I want to see what it looks like in the year 2246(if I'm correct).

6matt6

I was hoping to see that in this ME unfortunately I did not.

[QUOTE="murat8"][QUOTE="3KindgomsRandy"] You sir, are playing the wrong game. In fact, it sounds like you're playing the wrong genre.3KindgomsRandy

Don't get me wrong, it is a good choice and a great game; just don't expect it to be what it isn't. You need to let the narrative unfold or you just don't get the full experience.

[QUOTE="Lto_thaG"]

I also want a mission on planet Earth.

I want to see what it looks like in the year 2246(if I'm correct).

6matt6

I was hoping to see that in this ME unfortunately I did not.

[QUOTE="3KindgomsRandy"][QUOTE="Yandere"]

Well Bioware said they are trying to appeal to the "Halo crowd", so I would assume he's in the right place.

Oh sorry, it's Modern Warfare, not Halo.

Moar... tehe of what made Kotor such the gem.:D

Nope, too much work to spell it all out to those who don't already know what that means but Bio, yeah they know what I'm talkinbout ... :P

Romance with WrexBattleTurtles

They will streamline it, like the picture above shows.

[QUOTE="Yandere"]

[QUOTE="3KindgomsRandy"] Appeal to, yes, cater to, no.h575309

Oh sorry, it's Modern Warfare, not Halo.

What I got out of what he was saying is:

"Our game has little rules and regulations, we want to simplify things for gamers with short attention spans and enjoy games with tons of flash and no substance"

But I'm not saying Mass Effect 2 is simplified or anything, I would have to play the game to decide that.

[QUOTE="BattleTurtles"]Romance with Wrexmirriorman

Speaking of character interaction, it feels kind of weird when you drag a second person along with you on a loyalty mission, and it's like they basically don't exist. They never say anything. And I was expecting something to happen when I brought Garrus to recruit Tali, but nope. I feel like there should be more interaction between the crew members, not just between you and them.

The only exception I can think of is when I took Mordin to Jack's old home. At least he commented on the rooms and whatnot, making it feel like he was present.

[QUOTE="murat8"]Um simple less walking around and talking didnt buy a game to watch a movie dont care about the story point me at an army and let me kill them3KindgomsRandy

It will streamline it, like the picture above shows.

RichardStallman

I lol'd. Sad that it's true.

Id like to maybe see the ability to combine powers. For instance, Cryo and Throw or Incinerate and Throw, so as the Throw aspect hits them, they freeze, leaving a trail of ice. Basically, Im just asking for a bit of creativity, and allowing us to play around with it a bit. I know they are going for simplicity, but I dont think it would complicate things much.

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh208/vash478/masseffect2.jpg?t=1265748687

It will streamline it, like the picture above shows.

RichardStallman

It will streamline it, like the picture above shows.

RichardStallman

[QUOTE="3KindgomsRandy"]

[QUOTE="murat8"]Um simple less walking around and talking didnt buy a game to watch a movie dont care about the story point me at an army and let me kill themInsaneBasura

That would have been SO great!

[QUOTE="RichardStallman"]

It will streamline it, like the picture above shows.

fzdk

Well, it looks like Bioware really is focusing towards the Call of Duty crowd.