Mass Effect 2 Speeds Up Elevator Rides

[Keane Ng]

Mass Effect 2 Speeds Up Elevator Rides

BioWare is working on a new system for loading in Mass Effect 2, which hopefully means we can say goodbye to awkward minute-long elevator rides with Wrex.

Aside from featuring one of the more publicized elevator rides [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/80900-EA-Responds-to-Mass-Effect-Report-on-Fox-News]. These rides, which were used to mask loading times, sometimes lasted nearly a minute. Being so drawn out, they replicated the real world awkwardness of standing in a metal box with someone you know but don't really know for longer than is comfortable pretty well.

But people play videogames to imagine themselves as badass space soldiers doing cool things like shooting rifles, not as badass space soldiers waiting for an elevator to finally get to their floor. BioWare's more than aware of this, and they're trying to fix it for Mass Effect 2. Asked by MTV Multiplayer [http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/03/31/bioware-answers-your-questions/] what they were improving for the sequel, BioWare's Ray Muzyka said that they were working on "small things...like reducing the elevator speed times."

Maybe Muzyka was joking or maybe he literally means that elevator rides will be shortened. Either way, the developer is working on new loading solutions that'll make ME2 a smoother experience. "We have a completely new system to handle transitions between areas that speeds the load times and turns the loads themselves into part of the game experience," executive producer Casey Hudson said. "It's one of many points of feedback we've heard and directly responded to in enhancing the gameplay in Mass Effect 2."

Guess you'll have to find somewhere other than the elevator to get to know your squadmate Wrex. Maybe ask him out for a cup of coffee or something?

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[Lord_Panzer]

Guess you'll have to find somewhere other than the elevator to get to know your squadmate Wrex. Maybe ask him out for a cup of coffee or something?

So long as it isn't hot coffee.

*shudders*

 

[confernal]

But that was the time I used to yell out my window at the nebiours dog fights....

 

[Lord Harrab]

You know, i found the Elevator rides rather funny, all they needed was the god-awful elevator music that some buildings have.

 

[Vanguard_Ex]

But that was the time I used to yell out my window at the nebiours dog fights....

Eurgh, the horrors of neighbours dogs. I like to slam my window shut very loudly. I also like to think they pick up on the hint when they probably don't give a shit ^^

 

[ThaBenMan]

I didn't think they were that big a deal. They were even funny sometimes when your squadmates had conversations. I'd rather Bioware not expend the effort on trivial things and focus on more important stuff, like, maybe, the gameplay?

 

[Nova Tendril]

Sometimes I thought my game was stuck in a loop because the elevator took so long.

 

[Brotherofwill]

April fools?

They won't get rid of them, they are as much as a staple to the series as Ashley's behind.

I would have liked them if they had a bit more conversation, often they were just silent and odd. Elevator rides...now that's what I call entertainment!

*goes and plays Scrabble*

 

[The Infamous Scamola]

Before doing that they should make sure the combat doesnt suck like the first one.

 

[Nexus424]

Guess you'll have to find somewhere other than the elevator to get to know your squadmate Wrex. Maybe ask him out for a cup of coffee or something?

So long as it isn't hot coffee.

*shudders*

Awww why?

On another note those elevator rides were actually quite interesting depending on who was in the elevator.

 

[Kiefer13]

I didn't think they were that big a deal. They were even funny sometimes when your squadmates had conversations. I'd rather Bioware not expend the effort on trivial things and focus on more important stuff, like, maybe, the gameplay?

I agree. I actually found the elevator sequences humorous, when you're desperately trying to save the galaxy.

[cue dramatic music]
"Let's go, we have to stop Saren from reaching the conduit! The fate of the universe depends on it! Quick, down that elevator!"
[cue elevator music]
"So...umm...yeah."
*One minute later*
[Elevator door opens]
"Alright, let's go!"
[cue dramatic music]

 

[anguaji]

the only ride that annoyed me was the loadtime in the lift in your own ship to the engineering bit.

other than that, i didn't feel they got in the way of the gameplay though. i must be the most patient gamer in the world... i'm like the gamer equivalent of your grandma, who doesn't care what the movie's like, she just marvels at the cinematic spectacle of it all... :}

 

[Nova Tendril]

the only ride that annoyed me was the loadtime in the lift in your own ship to the engineering bit.

other than that, i didn't feel they got in the way of the gameplay though. i must be the most patient gamer in the world... i'm like the gamer equivalent of your grandma, who doesn't care what the movie's like, she just marvels at the cinematic spectacle of it all... :}

Yeah that lift was painfully slow. At least with the Citadel you got to listen to the news.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Guess you'll have to find somewhere other than the elevator to get to know your squadmate Wrex. Maybe ask him out for a cup of coffee or something?

So long as it isn't hot coffee.

*shudders*

At least he won't be able to get you pregnant. Well, maybe he can but the odds are pretty against him.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I didn't think they were that big a deal. They were even funny sometimes when your squadmates had conversations. I'd rather Bioware not expend the effort on trivial things and focus on more important stuff, like, maybe, the gameplay?

I feel the same way. Hell they actually made good use of some of them, using them to give you side missions.

 

[ElephantGuts]

I loved Wrex. I fully enjoyed those elevator rides. I don't see what everyone's problem with them is. But then again they were never that long for me.

 

[Nova Tendril]

I didn't think they were that big a deal. They were even funny sometimes when your squadmates had conversations. I'd rather Bioware not expend the effort on trivial things and focus on more important stuff, like, maybe, the gameplay?

I feel the same way. Hell they actually made good use of some of them, using them to give you side missions.

Yeah I don't mind them keeping the conversations in, but sometimes after these conversations the elevator still takes forever. Just shorten the length of that awkward silence.

 

[Baby Tea]

I played the game a lot, and I don't remember the elevator rides being that long. Almost a minute? Really? I can't imagine they'd be more then 15 seconds or so...but maybe my memory isn't what it was.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

Guess you'll have to find somewhere other than the elevator to get to know your squadmate Wrex. Maybe ask him out for a cup of coffee or something?

So long as it isn't hot coffee.

*shudders*

He DOES have four testicals...