Preview Bioware Blogs on Mass Effect 2

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Tags: BioWare; Mass Effect 2

After the E3 hubbub, Bioware took the time to clarify some of the details contained in many of the previews and expand a little bit on them in <a href="http://blogs.ign.com/BW_MassEffect/2009/06/17/123208/">a blog piece over on IGN</a>.<blockquote>In Mass Effect 2, you (as Commander Shepard) are faced with what appears to be a suicide mission: taking a team into the heart of enemy territory where you shouldn’t have any chance of coming back alive. Your survival therefore is based on how well you’ve built a team – who you recruited, how well-equipped they are, and whether they’re loyal to you. Loyalty (and the things you’ll do to earn it) is a central part of the game, and it is critical to Shepard surviving the final mission.
<br>
[...]
<br>
If you do die in the ending of Mass Effect 2, it will not come as a surprise, nor will it be random. It will be pretty obvious that you headed into the final mission knowing that Shepard probably wouldn’t make it out alive. Throughout the middle of the game you are building up information, resources, a team, and a ship that will be able to do the job, and although you can jump straight to the final mission at a certain point, you’ll have a good feel for whether you’re likely to survive it.
<br>
[...]
<br>
But Mass Effect is a trilogy about Commander Shepard’s journey - if your Shepard dies in the end of Mass Effect 2, that’s the end of him / her. In that case, you can play Mass Effect 3 as “a” Shepard – just not “your” Shepard. As in real life, not being able to keep living is really the main down-side of death. So if you care about playing the next game with your character, make sure you survive this one.
<br>
[...]
<br>
If you have completed Mass Effect and you still have your savegames, you can view each playthrough you’ve completed, and choose the one you want to continue from. The Mass Effect savegame doesn’t just contain a couple of your big choices. It contains countless decisions you’ve made, both large and small. These things could each potentially carry forward and affect your story in Mass Effect 2. This has never been done before on this scale, and it means you’re actually continuing your own story from exactly where you left off.
<br>
[...]
<br>
Some have asked “I built a level 60 character with lots of loot in Mass Effect – will it all carry over to Mass Effect 2?” We will definitely provide benefits for those who put time into developing their character in Mass Effect. But to support all the improvements made in combat and inventory, the skills and items are pretty much completely redone for Mass Effect 2. So if you import a character from Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2 will adapt the key assets of your character into starting benefits that work in the new system.
<br>
[...]
<br>
And the two most common questions: “Did you fix the slow elevators?” and “Will there be alien love scenes?” Yes and yes. We actually had our new level transition system on display in the demo, which replaces elevators and other transitions from the first game. The new system did its job perfectly in the demo– it was a natural part of the visual narrative and went by fast enough that no one noticed it even happened. As for whether there will be alien love in an elevator, you’ll have to play to find out.</blockquote>Sounds mostly good. It's strange how differently Bioware handles Mass Effect 2 as compared to Dragon Age.
<br>
Spotted at: <A HREF="http://gamebanshee.com/">Gamebanshee</A>

 

[Volourn]

Eh. Not too surpised by how they plan to handle the 'Sgepard detah' for ME3. *shrug* Would have been much cooler if you used a ME2 save that had Shepard dying when starting up ME3, you'd have to create a different character that shows up with a different backstory. Ahh well.. not a biggy.

Alien love in an elevator! R00fles!

 

[Barrow_Bug]

Wow, sounds pretty fucking rad. I'm looking forward to this. Volourn, just don't PM love letters, okay? :D

 

[Fat Dragon]

Looking forward to this, should be a fun action romp.

In before skyway.

 

[Shannow]

Sounds mostly good, but:

Throughout the middle of the game you are building up information, resources, a team, and a ship that will be able to do the job, and although you can jump straight to the final mission at a certain point, you’ll have a good feel for whether you’re likely to survive it.

So they've done away with level scaling?
Nah, I assume you'll know when you've built enough loyalty that your organic companions won't betray you in favour of death or slavery. (Sounds like companions aquiring a death wish in DA if you don't suck up to them).

If you have completed Mass Effect and you still have your savegames, you can view each playthrough you’ve completed, and choose the one you want to continue from. The Mass Effect savegame doesn’t just contain a couple of your big choices. It contains countless decisions you’ve made, both large and small. These things could each potentially carry forward and affect your story in Mass Effect 2. This has never been done before on this scale, and it means you’re actually continuing your own story from exactly where you left off.

This is the kind of hype you can come up with when you sell one game in three parts.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

• it means you’re actually continuing your own story from exactly where you left off. This has never been done before on this scale

... because normally game developers don't split the one game into two separate pieces AMIRITE.

 

[Volourn]

Except ME is as long if not longer than most games.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

But Mass Effect is a trilogy about Commander Shepard’s journey - if your Shepard dies in the end of Mass Effect 2, that’s the end of him / her. In that case, you can play Mass Effect 3 as “a” Shepard – just not “your” Shepard. As in real life, not being able to keep living is really the main down-side of death. So if you care about playing the next game with your character, make sure you survive this one.

Shit shit shit shit

I was expecting them to avoid a "right" way of playing the game and allow you to play as another character in ME3 if Sheps dies in 2. Now everyone will just see how is the death scene, reload and survive the mission. Who would want to play as a generic Shepard in 3 if you had the same one for 1 and 2

 

[Multi-headed Cow]

Yeah, that "A" Shepard bit is disappointing. I was tickled pink they were supposedly letting you kill Shepard off in ME2 and have a different protagonist in ME3, but that's not the case I guess.

Still looking forward to it, especially if the rest of their CHOICES AND CONSEQUENCES BETWEEN GAMES DERP DERP DERP is as good as they're hyping it up to be (It won't be).

 

[Gylfi.Fenriz.Conquests]

Im totally ecstatic. So far in most rpg's there's not much of an actual reason to choose one side of things over the other, what you get? A tag signed "ima baaad", and more eqiujpment, or if anything, someone going blah blah blah on you. Now there's a GREAT reason to choose, it's a deadly match against the pc, it's like the seventh seal all over again.

Every choice you make can lead you to certain death, you have to decode those moments to understand... the difficulty is to make this a real challenge, the choices can't be too obvious or too obscure, the game must provide a way to decypher them... maybe with a few lines scattered somewhere in a document of the database. Wouldn't that be agreeable?

 

[Ogg]

So they went with a good idea (letting your main character die) and completety ruined it since dying has actually no impact at all. That's C&C at its best.

And the two most common questions: “Did you fix the slow elevators?” and “Will there be alien love scenes?”

I thought that "Did you get rid of the Mako boring piece of gameplay?" would be a more common question.

 

[Gylfi.Fenriz.Conquests]

So they went with a good idea (letting your main character die) and completety ruined it since dying has actually no impact at all. That's C&C at its best.

And the two most common questions: “Did you fix the slow elevators?” and “Will there be alien love scenes?”

I thought that "Did you get rid of the Mako boring piece of gameplay?" would be a more common question.

Honestly, i think DEATH itself is SOME impact.

Regarding the connection between ME1 and 2, now this is the way i got it, it would appear they mean that even tho in ME1 not many choices were important, only 2 or 3, they now intend to make MOST of those choices of some impact in the 2nd, also those that seemed non-consequential.

 

[Micmu]

As for whether there will be alien love in an elevator, you’ll have to play to find out.

Better and cheaper variant is to read the Codex. Looking forward to it

 

[Ogg]

Every choice you make can lead you to certain death, you have to decode those moments to understand... the difficulty is to make this a real challenge, the choices can't be too obvious or too obscure, the game must provide a way to decypher them... maybe with a few lines scattered somewhere in a document of the database. Wouldn't that be agreeable?

I wouldn't have too high expectations about the investigation. ME was pretty enjoyable but the story was all but surprising. I doubt Bioware can build a challenge through this kind of gameplay. Most probably it'll simply be:
PARAGON: you sacrifice yourself for the sake of humanity.
RENEGADE: you send easily replaceable NPC private to die at your command.

Honestly, i think DEATH itself is SOME impact.

At the very end of the game? Yeah sure.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

Honestly, i think DEATH itself is SOME impact.

At the very end of the game? Yeah sure.

BUT IT WILL HAVE TOTALLY AWESOME CONSEQUENCES IN THE NEXT GAME! Mass Effect 3: The Return of Avenging Son of Vengeful Shepard is sold separately.

 

[Gylfi.Fenriz.Conquests]

Every choice you make can lead you to certain death, you have to decode those moments to understand... the difficulty is to make this a real challenge, the choices can't be too obvious or too obscure, the game must provide a way to decypher them... maybe with a few lines scattered somewhere in a document of the database. Wouldn't that be agreeable?

I wouldn't have too high expectations about the investigation. ME was pretty enjoyable but the story was all but surprising. I doubt Bioware can build a challenge through this kind of gameplay. Most probably it'll simply be:
PARAGON: you sacrifice yourself for the sake of humanity.
RENEGADE: you send easily replaceable NPC private to die at your command.

Honestly, i think DEATH itself is SOME impact.

At the very end of the game? Yeah sure.

Absolutely. They might forget it should be a challenge. After all, it's what modern games are about, lack of challenge, lots of boobs. We can only hope that Bioware sees heavy C&C as something every console-head enjoys(tho i bet they won't, if it's THAT hard and punishing), and make it worth our while.

As for the 3rd game beginning, "A shepard" can't talk like Shepard, it would be ridiculous if he had his memories and the same attitude and style...he's gotta have entirely new dialogue lines and all, unless he's a clone.

 

[Hümmelgümpf]

As for the 3rd game beginning, "A shepard" can't talk like Shepard, it would be ridiculous if he had his memories and the same attitude and style...he's gotta have entirely new dialogue lines and all, unless he's a clone.

They'll do it the easy way, and even if Shepard survives ME2 he'll be reduced to a secondary NPC in ME3.

 

[Gylfi.Fenriz.Conquests]

As for the 3rd game beginning, "A shepard" can't talk like Shepard, it would be ridiculous if he had his memories and the same attitude and style...he's gotta have entirely new dialogue lines and all, unless he's a clone.

They'll do it the easy way, and even if Shepard survives ME2 he'll be reduced to a secondary NPC in ME3.

Heh interesting solution

 

[Forest Dweller]

In Mass Effect 2, you (as Commander Shepard) are faced with what appears to be a suicide mission: taking a team into the heart of enemy territory where you shouldn’t have any chance of coming back alive. Your survival therefore is based on how well you’ve built a team – who you recruited, how well-equipped they are, and whether they’re loyal to you. Loyalty (and the things you’ll do to earn it) is a central part of the game, and it is critical to Shepard surviving the final mission.

Sounds interesting, if implemented well. Unfortunately I bet it will be very transparent and gimicky.

But what happened to your original party? Is the second game "too dangerous" for them? Gay.

If you do die in the ending of Mass Effect 2, it will not come as a surprise, nor will it be random. It will be pretty obvious that you headed into the final mission knowing that Shepard probably wouldn’t make it out alive. Throughout the middle of the game you are building up information, resources, a team, and a ship that will be able to do the job, and although you can jump straight to the final mission at a certain point, you’ll have a good feel for whether you’re likely to survive it.

Well nice job taking any surprise out of the situation. Seriously it would be a nice mechanic if the player wasn't expecting it. Unfortunately Bioware have now made sure that that will never happen.

But Mass Effect is a trilogy about Commander Shepard’s journey - if your Shepard dies in the end of Mass Effect 2, that’s the end of him / her. In that case, you can play Mass Effect 3 as “a” Shepard – just not “your” Shepard. As in real life, not being able to keep living is really the main down-side of death. So if you care about playing the next game with your character, make sure you survive this one.

A completely different character in the third game? So they'd effectively double all voice acting work? I'm skeptical. Who wants to bet that this "new Shepard" is just a clone or somesuch?

If you have completed Mass Effect and you still have your savegames, you can view each playthrough you’ve completed, and choose the one you want to continue from. The Mass Effect savegame doesn’t just contain a couple of your big choices. It contains countless decisions you’ve made, both large and small. These things could each potentially carry forward and affect your story in Mass Effect 2. This has never been done before on this scale, and it means you’re actually continuing your own story from exactly where you left off.

If one of those choices carried over involves the Rachni Queen, that would be good. I'm not keeping my fingers crossed though.

And the two most common questions: “Did you fix the slow elevators?” and “Will there be alien love scenes?”

:facepalm: Is the typical Bioware fanboy really this retarded? Sometimes I want to give them the benefit of the doubt, but shit like this just makes me want to watch them burn, and laugh.

As for whether there will be alien love in an elevator, you’ll have to play to find out.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

But what happened to your original party? Is the second game "too dangerous" for them? Gay.

They only team up with you to kill Saren. They went to live their lives, I guess.

Kaidan or Ashley may still be with you

 

[Forest Dweller]

And after seeing the danger of the machines they wouldn't realize that Saren was just the beginning of the threat? No, sorry, it's gay no matter how you try to rationalize it.

 

[Ogg]

They could be sent on other frontlines. It's a war, man! A fucking war!

 

[Shannow]

I wonder if you're all not misinterpreting the "not your Shepard, but a Shepard" part. To me it sounds as if when your Shepard dies in the end of ME 2 you'll simply continue playing with a Shepard (as in: doesn't follow your choices from the previous games, you get the choices Bioware choses for you) in ME 3.
No clones needed, just some (quite common) retconning.

 

[Volourn]

Shannow wins.


"ME was pretty enjoyable but the story was all but surprising."

That's because BIO decided to spoil the netire story prior to its release. L0L

 

[Qwinn]

I wonder if you're all not misinterpreting the "not your Shepard, but a Shepard" part. To me it sounds as if when your Shepard dies in the end of ME 2 you'll simply continue playing with a Shepard (as in: doesn't follow your choices from the previous games, you get the choices Bioware choses for you) in ME 3. No clones needed, just some (quite common) retconning.

This.

All that part meant is that if you die in ME2, you -can't- import that game into ME3, and you'll have to play with the vanilla "default" Shepard that anyone who didn't buy ME1 or ME2 will get. Just like, if you buy ME2 and you didn't buy ME1, you'll of course get a "default" Shepard in ME2. This seems perfectly logical, dunno how else it -could- be done, really, or what the whining is all about.

Qwinn