Interview BioWare on surprises, inspiration and tough decisions

[Storyfag]

I think that kind of catering first started in Mass Effect 1 with Liara and her whole lolicon vibe.

BG2 first had romances but JE and KOTOR had the cake there with the romances being a big part of the game, though ME1 and DAO were the ones with "let's fuck half the party"-shtick.

Eh? The romances in KOTOR were a big part of the game? I know they were there, but I never pursued them (couldn't stand talking to either Bastila OR Carth), and still finished the game seven times...

What does he mean, "All the characters have been given a redesign for Mass Effect 3"? They got new uniforms or their actual faces have changed?

Also, I DEMAND TALI FACE IN ME3

Even Crispy will play ME3 now.

pic

Also, I DEMAND TALI FACE IN ME3

Massive

 

[Mrowak]

I think that kind of catering first started in Mass Effect 1 with Liara and her whole lolicon vibe.

BG2 first had romances but JE and KOTOR had the cake there with the romances being a big part of the game, though ME1 and DAO were the ones with "let's fuck half the party"-shtick.

Eh? The romances in KOTOR were a big part of the game? I know they were there, but I never pursued them (couldn't stand talking to either Bastila OR Carth), and still finished the game seven times...

7 times?! :shock:

Dear God it heavens, how can one stand attrocity such as KotoR I don't even. Taking into account that the gameplay was pure shit on rollerblades I cannot imagine anyone sane playing through this more than once. A good plot would have offered some excuse but there's no such thing out there. I know you are a storyfag Storyfag but I thought your tastes were of more kind.

Also, Storyfag, you have just officially joined Skyway's club

 

[Clockwork Knight]

To us, the RPG experience isn't necessarily about stats and loot. It's about exploration and combat and making a good character-driven story and good progression.
HAHAHAHAHAHA Now thats awesome RPGs are not about RPGs its all about action advventures and cutscenes...

To us, the RPG experience isn't necessarily about stats

They're a bunch of dumbfucks yes, but at least they're honest dumbfucks now.

People really want us to deepen the RPG aspect of the experience. We interpret that as being about the kind of intelligent decision making around how you progress. To us, the RPG experience isn't necessarily about stats and loot. It's about exploration and combat and making a good character-driven story and good progression.

At least we now know why don't they have a clue about good RPGs.

On the other hand, Diablo is all about stats and loot, but if you call it an rpg people will want you tarred and feathered.

While I don't really agree with their vision as a whole, I also don't think rpg = spreadsheet.

"My fondest memory of an rpg is when I found that sweeeeeet Sword of Assfucking +4 in Tombs & Trolls for the Amiga 64"

 

[tanjo]

this forum is full of fucking retards

 

[Storyfag]

I think that kind of catering first started in Mass Effect 1 with Liara and her whole lolicon vibe.

BG2 first had romances but JE and KOTOR had the cake there with the romances being a big part of the game, though ME1 and DAO were the ones with "let's fuck half the party"-shtick.

Eh? The romances in KOTOR were a big part of the game? I know they were there, but I never pursued them (couldn't stand talking to either Bastila OR Carth), and still finished the game seven times...

7 times?! :shock:

Dear God it heavens, how can one stand attrocity such as KotoR I don't even. Taking into account that the gameplay was pure shit on rollerblades I cannot imagine anyone sane playing through this more than once. A good plot would have offered some excuse but there's no such thing out there. I know you are a storyfag Storyfag but I thought your tastes were of more kind.

I can't help being a hopeless Star Wars addict, pure and simple. Come on, I get to be a Sith Lord in that game!

 

[mangsy]

Also, I DEMAND TALI FACE IN ME3

On the other hand, Diablo is all about stats and loot, but if you call it an rpg people will want you tarred and feathered.

While I don't really agree with their vision as a whole, I also don't think rpg = spreadsheet.

An excellent point.

Dear God it heavens, how can one stand attrocity such as KotoR I don't even. Taking into account that the gameplay was pure shit on rollerblades I cannot imagine anyone sane playing through this more than once. A good plot would have offered some excuse but there's no such thing out there. I know you are a storyfag Storyfag but I thought your tastes were of more kind.

Seven times may be overkill, but KotOR wasn't bad. And while certain aspects of the game's plot were predictable/contrived, there are a lot of parallels to it and the original Star Wars (in terms of story arcs, motifs, etc.). Its story fits well in the Stars Wars mythos; if you liked the original movies (but maybe you didn't), I can't see why you'd be so critical of the narrative elements of KotOR.

 

[Monocause]

To us, the RPG experience isn't necessarily about stats

They're a bunch of dumbfucks yes, but at least they're honest dumbfucks now.

Dude, please leave my Zakharov alone. We've an informal rule here that posters should use unique (as in - those that are not in current use) avatars.

 

[G.O.D]

I'm so glad i haven't touched any of that crap of theirs.
Alot of wasted rage that would have been.
It's not like you couldn't see it comming TBH

I'll let you guys to it, and enjoy..

 

[Zarniwoop]

To us, the RPG experience isn't necessarily about stats

They're a bunch of dumbfucks yes, but at least they're honest dumbfucks now.

Dude, please leave my Zakharov alone. We've an informal rule here that posters should use unique (as in - those that are not in current use) avatars.

I agree with that rule, I just didnt know someone else was using it, what with being new and all its hard to know which are being used. Maybe there should be some sort of indication?

My apologies kind Provost, I will look for another one.

/waits patiently for someone to inform me that they're using this one as well...

 

[MasterSmithFandango]

RPGCodex

ShooterCodex

 

[Freelance Henchman]

What does he mean, "All the characters have been given a redesign for Mass Effect 3"? They got new uniforms or their actual faces have changed?

Also, I DEMAND TALI FACE IN ME3

Even Crispy will play ME3 now.

Subtle.

 

[DragoFireheart]

So now Bioware is being honest with their level of shit? Well, guess Mass Effect 3 is a confirmed failure I suppose.

 

[Erebus]

I'm sure Mass Effect can include C&C in its sex scenes : http://www.hentai-foundry.com/pic-61708.html

(NSFW but tasteful, I promise)

 

[Volourn]

"Who in their right mind would go about trying to fuck half their crew while desperately struggling to save the galaxy from raepers, and worrying what some alien skank's face looks like? It's retarded on the face of it."

HOW THE FUCK DARE YOU INSULT THE FUKKIN' KIRK!!!!

 

[Serious_Business]

this forum is full of fucking retards

 

[Azrael the cat]

What does he mean, "All the characters have been given a redesign for Mass Effect 3"? They got new uniforms or their actual faces have changed?

Also, I DEMAND TALI FACE IN ME3

I'm not surprise that they've redesigned characters, actually. It was pretty clear once I saw that they'd decided to doll up Ashley in the ME3 footage revealed so far:

Compared to this in ME1:

Good marketing move. IIRC, Ashley was perceived as "bitchy" and "racist" (tho her conversations about that were actually kinda cool) and was probably less popular than the annoyingly stalkerish Liara, who has a pretty big fanbase on account of loli appeal. Not saying that Ashley was an amazing character or anything, but I'd say that she was just about the only BioWare character to pull off a "strong woman" thing remotely convincingly since it didn't seem like she needed Shepard's cock to solve all her problems, at least.

Agreed. I actually suspect that was semi-accidental on Bioware's behalf though - it's clear that Liara was their main focus in terms of 'romance' writing, and was thought of as the canonical option, with Ashley's one written in more as an afterthought into an already established character. Which is why most of her dialogue options explore things other than how much she needs Shepard's cock in order to solve her deep-rooted psychological issues. Consequently, she comes across as much less needy and more assertive than most Bioware 'romance option' characters.

Similar to how they produced a decent female PC with fem-Shephard. They wrote the part for a man, and just had a female voice-actor with minimal alteration of lines and character interactions, saving us from the godawful writing that usually accompanies B-grade game writers who attempt female leads. Normally, writing female parts as male is pretty crap, but the standard is so low in gaming that it's actually a decent improvement.

I didn't play through the romance options in ME2, so I don't know what happens in that regard, but I suspect the fandom re: Tali in ME1 was again because she wasn't written as a romance option. Hence, the Bioware writers didn't immediately leap into the hole of fitting her into one of their pre-conceived notions of what a 14-year-old male gamer's fantasies might be

Compare that to love the DA2 thinking, where female love interests must either be a cliched-slutty-sex-obsessed-type or cliched-virginial-with-loli-aspects-type - and from a female author at that. Not to mention, she (the bioware-writer) actually studied fiction-writing at university, yet somehow managed to miss all the criticism about the whore/virgin/mother trichotomy being an obvious sign of a shit writer. Even if you put aside any flaws in their game design (the whole 'cinematic experience' thing), how the fuck do they expect to live up to that goal if they're hiring lead writers who blatantly want to be writing romance novels but aren't good enough. If all you've got are the folk who couldn't even manage to enter the literary or film industries, you aren't going to be able to create a 'cinematic experience' that competes even with the worst of those industries.

 

[Zarniwoop]

Even if you put aside any flaws in their game design (the whole 'cinematic experience' thing), how the fuck do they expect to live up to that goal if they're hiring lead writers who blatantly want to be writing romance novels but aren't good enough. If all you've got are the folk who couldn't even manage to enter the literary or film industries, you aren't going to be able to create a 'cinematic experience' that competes even with the worst of those industries.

 

[felipepepe]

Question to you, mr. Zarniwoop: Do you TRULY understand this scene? it really impress me how amazingly usefull this image is, so I would like to read your view on this. Thank you.

 

[Metro]

You know it's a shame that most of the people who use the Citizen Kane clapping gif have probably never even seen the movie. What was this thread about again?

 

[Zarniwoop]

Question to you, mr. Zarniwoop: Do you TRULY understand this scene? it really impress me how amazingly usefull this image is, so I would like to read your view on this. Thank you.

To be honest, it's from a bit before my time. And unless you're a World War 2: (Electric Boogaloo) relic, it's from before all of ours. I placed it here merely as the best, simplest expression of my complete agreement with Azrael the Cat's previous post without just +1'ing or quoting him. It's Kane, the most of all gentlemen expressing his agreement, which is why I thought it fitting. If there was one of me slow-clapping I would use it. Please let me know if it's wrong in whatever your view is.


Also: [grammar nazi] "it impresses me" and "useful" has one "l" [/grammar nazi]

 

[turul]

She looks like a guy. A trans or herma. Did anyone mentioned it before?

This could be a great shocker for the romance option. You end up romancing Ashley and they show a sex scene and she is having a giant dick, fucking Shepard in the ass.

 

[Roguey]

It's Kane, the most of all gentlemen expressing his agreement, which is why I thought it fitting.

Snrk. The expression on his face gives it away. Also you should watch Citizen Kane, it's entertaining.

 

[Freelance Henchman]

She looks like a guy. A trans or herma. Did anyone mentioned it before?

Not that Ashley was an awesome character, but this really does her portrayal from the earlier games a disservice and makes ME3 already a little bit worse for me (and I fucking loved ME2). I really hope they pull out all the stops for self-mocking here and have her comment on how she went all slutty for no apparent reason.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I can understand Ashley having a slight redesign, her original appearance was a little weird, but come on, that screen/artwork looks like Miranda. Miranda already had that long-haired brunette vibe going.

As for others, I wonder if they really need to be touched up. Liara looked great in ME2. The only character I think should be changed is Morinth, because she is a much different personaliy from Samara but still wore the same clothes. But she might not be back for ME3.

 

[Edward_R_Murrow]

Tenbux says that Bioware also "improved" her, at fan request, by making her a multikult lover in the third installment. It will probably be something to the effect of "Oh I saw how great I got along with three (or four if she didn't have to pew-pew one of them) aliens when we stopped Saren and now renounce all that humanity first stuff!".

Shame, because she's one of the few decent female companions in a RPG. I mean, shit, I can count them on one hand probably. Ashley and one character by Avellone (guess who) are also probably the least derpy hookup options I've ever seen in an RPG...not like that's saying much when emotionally damaged elves who want player character cock after a few therapy sessions are the norm.