Editorial Mass Effect 2, RPG or Shooter?

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Tags: BioWare; Mass Effect 2

GameZenith attended the GDC lecture given by BioWare's Christina Norman and they took an <a href="http://www.gamezenith.com/?p=132">indepth look</a> at what they learned there.
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<p style="margin-left:50px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;border-top-color:#ffffff;padding:5px;border-right-color:#bbbbbb;border-left-color:#ffffff;border-bottom-color:#bbbbbb;"><b>Fans complaining (About lack of RPG experience in ME2) is a small percentage of the overall post (In the Bioware forums)</b>
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This is a real slap in the face to those core RPG gamers who have followed Bioware over the years. It is as if Bioware does not care about the lesser percentage of their audience, as long as the larger percentage loves it and they get their profits. Bioware seems to not recall who built them in the first place. They fail to remember who bought their products and put money into their pockets from the beginning. I know Bioware is on a quest to seek profits, thus broadening their audience, but please do not act like the voice of RPGers are not that important because we are a “small percentage”. RPG gamers are loyal and will support you as long as you respect their desires. Shooter gamers are itinerant, once you think you’ve gotten their attention, they will move on to the next big thing. Remember this Bioware while developing Mass Effect 3.
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<b>Mass Effect 1 was very RPGish</b>
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There is no way to elucidate this in words as you just had to be in the room when she said this, but when she said this, there was a lot of disgust, like she was exasperated that ME1 was so RPGish. In a way, this really sets the mood for what they really wanted to do with Mass Effect 2, make it feel less like a RPG more like a shooter while still holding on to some RPG mechanics like interactive dialog and player progression.
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Christina Norman also explains that in Mass Effect 1 when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.
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That happened all the time to me, I was suddenly forced to level up and afterwards I had no fucking clue what was going on. I'm glad BioWare addressed this issue.
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Spotted at: <A HREF="http://www.gamebanshee.com/news/97308-mass-effect-2-rpg-or-shooter.html">Gamebanshee</A>

 

[Derper]

:codexrage:

 

[Naked Ninja]

WHERE IS MY INVENTORY!1!!

Most important RPG feature right there.

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

WHERE IS MY INVENTORY!1!!

Most important RPG feature right there.

Wrong. The feature that is actually missing is the epic lootz. If you want to have your loot you'll need an inventory.

 

[Fat Dragon]

It is as if Bioware does not care about the lesser percentage of their audience, as long as the larger percentage loves it and they get their profits. Bioware seems to not recall who built them in the first place. They fail to remember who bought their products and put money into their pockets from the beginning.

lawl Bioware doesn't owe anybody shit.

 

[Multiple Sarcasm]

Christina Norman also explains that in Mass Effect 1 when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.

Go raise kids, woman, and leave the mature serious business like video games to the core role-playing game gamers like GameZenith.

All that showed was that BioWare knows their audience. Still fun, though.

 

[Micmu]

If it has level-up screen then it's an RPG!!1

 

[treave]

Bioware seems to not recall who built them in the first place.

Yeah, there was a distinct lack of Carth Anomen in Mass Effect 2.

The 'core RPG gamer fans' that GamerZenith keeps defending the entire article... he's referring to the Codex, isn't he?

 

[Sceptic]

while still holding on to some RPG mechanics like interactive dialog

Cool. Secret of Monkey Island is now an RPG.

Christina Norman also explains that in Mass Effect 1 when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.

Speak for yourself retard. Some of us have an attention span longer than 5 seconds.

 

[Jim Cojones]

while still holding on to some RPG mechanics like interactive dialog

Cool. Secret of Monkey Island is now an RPG.

I wouldn't say Monkey Island's dialogues were interactive. You just had to click every single line you were offered and sometimes you got a fake choice between "I'm selling these fine leather jackets" and similar text so player's role was rather just reading than influencing dialogue in any way. Oh, wait...

 

[FeelTheRads]

Mass Effect 1 was very RPGish

What the fuck is very RPGish? Kinda like a Chihuahua being Rottweiler-ish?

WHERE IS MY INVENTORY!1!!

Most important RPG feature right there.

Indeed, let's remove all features because by themselves don't define an RPG.
Let's have 3 dialog choices including "Goodbye" and items automatically equipped or however the fuck works in ME2. This is what RPGs are about.

And what the hell is with this "what we learned" shit? It's the same shit Bethesda is spewing. They're companies who have developed games from fuck knows when. Do they still need to learn not to make stupid mistakes?

 

[SerratedBiz]

As usual, comments for the lulz.

The only “annoying” thing about not having an inventory in ME2 is that I’m not able to put on my helmet when combat comes around, since I prefer it off for conversations.

There's your RPG right there.

 

[FeelTheRads]

How else can you role-play a gentleman, huh? Think man!

 

[Sceptic]

Can you role-play an XTREME collar-grabbing gentleman? If not it's not an RPG.

 

[Gosling]

The only “annoying” thing about not having an inventory in ME2 is that I’m not able to put away my monocle when combat comes around, since I prefer it on for conversations.

fixed

 

[random_encounter]

Christina Norman also explains that in Mass Effect 1 when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.

If you forget that you’re supposed to be shooting down the Geth after you have leveled up your character then you should not be playing videogames in the first place, instead you should be talking to your doctor about possible hardcore memory lose because it does not interrupt anything.

So ADD is required behavior nowadays? If so, then I'm surprised that anyone can hold a job, much less make cereal in the morning. It's nice to see that Bioware doesn't think much of the intelligence of its audience.

"Damn these Cheerios, chewing made me forget that I'm supposed to swallow next! FFS!!"

 

[Silellak]

I've never really understood the point of trying to pigeon-hole a game into a genre. I guess it's useful if your intent is to compare it to other games in said genre, but really I only tend to rank games by "Was it entertaining, and if so, how entertaining was it?"

I don't particularly care if ME2 was a action game with some RPG aspects or an RPG game with some action aspects - either way it was damn entertaining.

 

[Volourn]

"Bioware seems to not recall who built them in the first place."

STFU BIO knows who build them up. BIo build themselevs up with no help. FFS The so called 'hardcore BIO fans' don't give a shit about BIO so STFU.

BIO's job is to make sure they stay a healthy business, and to do so they make games they (well.. EA) will do that.

They don't owe anyone shit except try to deliver what they say they will.

FFS this attitude that 'fans' make companies is fuckin' bullshit. Companies make themselves by delivering what the customers want. FFS

And, BIO so far, has fuckin' done that in spades. The vocal minority means fuckin' shit.

 

[Jasede]

*plays Wizardry 8*
*levels up*
"WHAAAT!? OMG HALP WAT IS GOING ON"

New genre:


"New shit RPG"

Features:

- Fully voice-acted dialogue

- "Character development" (scripted, sometimes can go good/evil/neutral, good = saint, evil = baby-killer, neutral = kill babies sometimes, be saint to balance it out other times)

- roleplaying choices to define your character
example:
NPC: Do you want to buy it?
PC: 1. Fuck yeah!
2. Hell yeah!
3. Yeah!

- you get items (e.g. chainsaw, chain gun, rocket launcher, shotgun)

 

[mondblut]

If you have to ask...

 

[JarlFrank]

Christina Norman also explains that in Mass Effect 1 when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.

I SPENT FIVE SECONDS IN A MENU INSTEAD OF SHOOTING I FORGOT WHAT WAS GOING ON I HAVE A VERY SHORT MEMORY OMG PLEASE FIX THIS

 

[Jasede]

I just had a brilliant idea for new RPGs: players want to feel empowered and strong. So from now on, start games at level 50 and make sure every ability is already at least halfway mastered. So instead of going from shit -> mediocre -> okay -> good -> god you go from -> awesome -> uber-awesome -> king of the world. It'd empower players and synergise their disparities to maximize pro-active playing epiphanies. = $$$

And there really needs to be a feature that if you lose a battle you get to continue anyway. Scratch that, make it so you never lose a battle. Game-over screen = no more immersion. When your health gets critical just activate super-kill attacks and health-adrenaline regen.

 

[JarlFrank]

There go my hopes for a good modern low-level RPG ever being made

 

[VentilatorOfDoom]

Jasede:
maybe you should apply for a job at bio or beth you seem to understand game design well

 

[Jasede]

I think we should license the best dress-up engine there is for our next game. People in Champions Online spend 30% of their time just fiddling with their avatar to make it look nicer. In Everquest 2 people sometimes roll need on good items just to put them into an appearance slot. --> If you can customize who you are, it'll be like it's really you who is slaying all these monsters.

Oh just got another good one: level scale enemies DOWN. That way it'll feel like the player is getting stronger and stronger with minimal effort.