Interview Mass Effect 2 Statistics Interview

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; Mass Effect 2

<p>Ever heard of them crazy Mass Effect 2 stats and what they're used for? <a href="http://uk.xbox360.ign.com/articles/111/1117896p1.html" target="_blank">Here's your chance to learn more about it</a> and from no one else than Mr. Casey "Mass Effect" Hudson.</p>
<blockquote>
<p>But as it turns out, Big Brother is watching; not in an effort to control you but rather to learn from you. You're not just playing videogames anymore. You're actively providing feedback about what parts you like and which you don't. How you play could ultimately help shape the future of videogame design.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>"The only data that we get are in terms of events -- little things that happen in the game," explained Hudson. "Let's say if we want to know whether players skip lines of dialogue, we can have that become a little event that gets sent up. It's all completely anonymous, so all we get is raw numbers for how many times these kinds of events occur. Then we can start getting ratios and comparing proportions and things like that. It becomes this mass of numbers, and then we have to try to figure out how we would interpret that."</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>"Ultimately it doesn't always give you the answers, but it sometimes raises questions or gets you to ask the right questions&hellip;More people played the soldier class than all of the other classes combined. If you know that, then you can start thinking about future games. Is that good? Is that a problem? Should we look at the other classes and start thinking about ways to make them selected as often as soldier? As part of asking these questions, we can design games in the future a lot better."</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I think most people played Soldier because it was the most powerful class by a large margin. It has access to the best weapons and the most powerful spell (adrenaline rush), the only class that doesn't need heavy weaponry while fighting Ymir mechs for example because shooting them with the assault rifle/disruptor ammo while adrenaline rushed kills them quickly. In comparison Vanguard is a mere gimmick class, fun to play but its trademark biotic charge isn't really a viable approach to combat since you can pull that trick only if the enemies are few in numbers like after you've shot the lot of them already from behind cover. Especially at the highest difficulty level there's just no way you can kill enemies quickly enough (to succeed in certain missions) unless you're a Soldier. The stupid decision to make biotics useless against armored/shielded enemies doesn't help much either.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/99618-mass-effect-2-statistics-interview.html">GB</a></p>

 

[StrangeCase]

Soldier also requires minimal brain activity. You don't need to fart around with Force powers or cooldowns or even tactics, really, you can more or less run around, shoot things, and if they shoot back, hide behind a box and pop them in the head once they're distracted.

Plus, it's just a more fitting profession. Think about it:

Adept: Isn't that some kind of priest? Plus I bet they die easy like big sissies.
Engineer: It sounds like I need a degree to play this class, no thanks.
Vanguard: My parents get letters from these guys, I think they do mutual funds or something. Boring.

I don't remember the others, hold on I'll look them up:

Sentinel: You mean the flying camera things from Halo that die in like 2 shots? Oooh, sign me up.
Infiltrator: Can't use assault rifles? That's it, I'm gone.

So yeah. Soldier all the way.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

I played through the game as Soldier, Adept and Vanguard on Insanity (hardest difficulty), and I think both Soldier and Adept are pretty easy. Soldier has hugely strong offense and the time slowing power, Adept can use those Singularities to stop anyone from coming near.

Vanguard was really hard at first, but once you get the feel for it it's the most fun class I think. To anyone who hasn't yet, try the Vanguard and stick to it, you will be surprised how fun it is once you get past the frustration treshold (small tip: max out Charge as quick as possible so that it gives a shield bonus and slows time, and get used to doing melee strikes after every shotgun blast).

 

[Freelance Henchman]

I suspect Femshep and Soldier are in danger of getting streamlined away for ME3.

 

[4too]

Half Full Or Half Empty?

Half Full Or Half Empty?

... Roughly 50% of the players who started Mass Effect 2 finished the game ...

Granting that world view might determine whether this factoid spins into the heady absolutes of black and white, or sinks into the miasma of shades of gray.

Is this 'finis interupt-us' of B-o-ware's Mass Effect 2 a symptom of anemic gameplay, boring story arch, or satiated attention span?

Gameplay, story arch, or attention span?




Or, too many games, the same, and so little time?


//////addendum///////

And.

... Players skipped 15% of conversations in Mass Effect 2 ...

How was this determined if 50% of the players of Mass Effect did NOT finish the game?

Is there a statistician in the house!

An honest number manipulator?

I doubt the raw summation of these two factoids is 65%

Still conversations a.k.a. dialogue does not appear to hold the literary attention or the simple curiosity of 50% of the players.




4too

 

[commie]

I suspect Femshep and Soldier are in danger of getting streamlined away for ME3.

I would have thought that since soldier was the most popular, then all the other classes would be streamlined away.

Also if such a popamole is only finished by 50% of players then it means that ME3 will have to be even more retarded and half as long as to paraphrase Sid : "Games need to be easy enough for everyone to finish and feel rewarded"

 

[Freelance Henchman]

Oh sorry, I meant "every other class than soldier will get streamlined away", since most people don't even bother with those.

 

[zeitgeist]

Why can't people, especially developers, understand that once you begin using data like this to shape your sequels, there is only one possible path it will eventually lead to, if you keep at it long enough.

Or, if they do understand, which is more likely, are they just using the data as an excuse to "streamline" the next game, even though they wanted to do it in the first place for their own reasons? They have to make a decision on where to stop regarding this simplification and taking away features, and it has to be a personal decision. Which makes the data ultimately useless except as flimsy justification for their own choices.

 

[KalosKagathos]

On the PC for example, people did Miranda's loyalty mission quite a bit, which is where she is trying to connect with her sister and it's more of a touchy-feely plot. Not a lot of Xbox 360 players did that one. But the Xbox 360 players did do Grunt's mission a lot more than PC players.

360 players know them bitches can give you cooties and put bros before hoes.

 

[waywardOne]

this is from the same guy that thought mining was well-liked.

i'm pretty sure he's a douche.

 

[Micmu]

Yes yes collect statistics then "design" you next excrement around them.

 

[commie]

Oh sorry, I meant "every other class than soldier will get streamlined away", since most people don't even bother with those.

Funny I never played as soldier. Was an infiltrator on my one play through. Haven't bothered to start ME2 with my character yet as I'm waiting for all the DLC crap first so I can do it all in the one go.

 

[SoupNazi]

I played whatever class had the "Warp" special power because it was really the only worthwhile and even remotely fun skill in the entire game. Also, if female Shepard is streamlined away then I won't even pirate ME3 (let alone buying it ahahahahah) ... then again I really don't think that can happen.

Or can it...

 

[denizsi]

I wonder if they will add a "Pow! Factor"

ME1 was super easy with Soldier. A proper combination of weapon and ammo mods made most everything go down in 2-3 shots.

 

[chzr]

i played vanguard and it was quite fun, when you learn headshots and timing you can kill almost any enemy in the game in 1-3 shots. But yea, you'll die a lot. Especially thanks to the 'jump over crate when you want to cover' button.

You're not just playing videogames anymore.

he's right, we're now playing terrible films with corridor shooter parts.

 

[deuxhero]

Vanguard: My parents get letters from these guys, I think they do mutual funds or something. Boring..

It's an investment co-op.

I have to wonder how much of the skipped cutsceens have been already seen by the player (that is, they loaded from a save after dieing/replayed the game).

 

[Achilles]

Re: Half Full Or Half Empty?

... Roughly 50% of the players who started Mass Effect 2 finished the game ...

You know what this means, right? Bioware: "Guys, only 50% of all players finished the game, the rest missed out on our amazing ending! Make the next one shorter! SHORTER!".

As much as I would love to think that the 50% that didn't finish it saw it as the plain shooter it is, a more reasonable explanation is that these people were distracted by some other shiny new next-gen game and forgot all about ME2.

 

[commie]

Re: Half Full Or Half Empty?

As much as I would love to think that the 50% that didn't finish it saw it as the plain shooter it is, a more reasonable explanation is that these people were distracted by some other shiny new next-gen game and forgot all about ME2.

They were distracted by the awesum 4 hour campaign of COD MW2 then after that epic journey they forgot what they were playing beforehand.

 

[zeitgeist]

Re: Half Full Or Half Empty?

You know what this means, right? Bioware: "Guys, only 50% of all players finished the game, the rest missed out on our amazing ending! Make the next one shorter! SHORTER!".

Yeah, this is a perfect example of a completely bogus extrapolation derived from the data in question. They can interpret the data as they wish and use it to support their practices - it could mean that the game was too dull, and it could also mean that the game was too long. Of course, presented with the choice, they'll go with the second interpretation and convince the audience that everything they're doing is for their own good - after all, it was them who "thought that the game was too long".

Taken almost to the extreme, it would mean that the game would end up being a slightly longer Hollywood blockbuster movie with a bit of shooting and button pressing, mostly related to the simulation-of-actually-having-friends-and-lovers part of the game. We're pretty close to that model now. Taken to the extreme, and depending on the developer's level of dishonesty and manipulation, it would end up even more simplistic than that. I mean, human beings aren't that complex, they derive pleasure from pretty basic things, and games can be constructed so that they only hit the right buttons. It's ultimately a moral choice on the part of the developers and publishers that boils down to designing and selling a drug, or writing a good book.

Given that corporations as entities are inherently immoral (or rather amoral, but that's more of an ideal than practice), and that the masses will of course rather consume crack than a decent book, we get what we get.

 

[Overweight Manatee]

So, 85% of ME2 players can't read? Sounds about right.

Male/Soldier being the most used gender and class is probably due to the fact that its the default. If you randomized what the default selection was you would probably see the classes much more even and the female option would probably be used more. But then, I modded my game so that Biotics could work on shielded enemies so the game was actually fun to play with them.

 

[Phelot]

Average time spent watching boobs and ass: 44.2 hours

 

[Vagiel]

I really don/t undestand this (well i do but at leat i can't accept it) Why is it acceptable in gaming to shamelesly say that you just give people what that they want. I am not going to go into the art arguement although the matter gravitates twards it. I always believed that in any creation the "creator" has a vision of what he wants to put into a medium then goes on to realise it as close as he can then that product is offered to the public. It is such a simple procedure yet so often forgotten.

To claim that you develop something based on what people want is to accept that you have no vision and are simply patching simple features which appear enjoyable. That can only lead to meat pies with custard, jam and chocolate.

 

[Mister Arkham]

Okay, now they're saying "skipped 15 % of conversations" but what does that mean exactly? Are they referring to conversations that were possible but never initiated? Or are they referring to people clicking through the conversation as fast as possible? I can't imagine that they would track the first one, or that it would even really apply since you can pretty much only ever talk to people you're told to or people who give quests...but how do they interpret the results of the second? There's no way to know if these were things that were intentionally skipped by uninterested players, players who were on a second or third playthrough, or just people like me who can read the subtitles a hell of a lot aster than ol' Slow-and-Steady Mark Meer can read his damn lines?

Culling this kind of information from the game is an interesting idea and has potential merit as a development tool, but ultimately it's useless without greater knowledge of the context in which the player made the decisions he did.

 

[PorkaMorka]

Third hand anecdote from another forum

I actually know a guy who wasn't even aware that there were multiple classes until I asked him which one he played as. Apparently there was "too much to read" at the beginning of ME so he just ended up with a default, male soldier Shep.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

redding si teh hrad