Casey Hudson Talks Decisions and Consequences in Mass Effect 3

Andy Chalk

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Nov 12, 2002
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Casey Hudson Talks Decisions and Consequences in Mass Effect 3


Casey Hudson says the decisions you made in previous Mass Effect games won't necessarily keep you from a happy ending in Mass Effect 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-3-Pc/dp/B004FYKWZU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1305752228&sr=8-2], but they might end up making things a lot harder for you when the crunch comes.

It's not exactly news that the decisions you make in Mass Effect can come back to bite you in the ass later. That's one of the game's biggest selling points: decisions have consequences. Had a rocky relationship with Wrex? Didn't get that Thanix cannon installed? That's the kind of thing that'll cost you in the long run, particularly when the rubber hits the road in Mass Effect 3.

"I think a way to think about it is if you made decisions early on, you'll see them affecting [Mass Effect 3]. And the decisions you might want to make that go against those prior things are gonna be harder," Hudson explained. "Killing the Rachni might present opportunities in Mass Effect 3 that you wouldn't otherwise have, but if you don't take those opportunities and you try and do something in opposition to that, then it would be harder for you than if you work with it. Similarly with the decisions at the end of Mass Effect 2 [http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-2-Pc/dp/B001VJ4DHK/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1305752228&sr=8-8], for whether you saved the base or destroyed it."

And much like Mass Effect 2, immersing yourself in optional bits like side quests will ultimately make life easier and, more importantly, more satisfying. "If you just rip straight down the critical path and try and finish the game as soon as you can, and do very little optional or side stuff, then you can finish the game. You can have some kind of ending and victory, but it'll be a lot more brutal and minimal relative to if you do a lot of stuff," he continued. "If you really build a lot of stuff and bring people to your side and rally the entire galaxy around you, and you come into the end game with that, then you'll get an amazing, very definitive ending."

I can't imagine being thrown into the middle of a huge, immersive sci-fi epic like Mass Effect and not rolling around in it like a drunk pig in a mud hole, but apparently that's how some folks prefer to handle the looming intergalactic apocalypse: jump in, kick ass and call it a day. Efficient, I suppose, but it sounds like a good way to miss out on a lot of cool stuff, too. [And for the record, I let the Rachni go.]

Mass Effect 3 is currently expected to come out in early 2012 for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.

Source: PC Gamer [http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/05/17/bioware-on-how-your-choices-determine-mass-effect-3s-ending/]


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Dyp100

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Because Bioware side quests are really boring I'll end up getting a boring and crappy ending? Thanks Bioware, you jerks.

Can't wait for ME3 still, even if they delayed it for the most stupid reason ever.
 

manythings

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I wonder how long it is before someone complains about DA2.

Dyp100 said:
Because Bioware side quests are really boring I'll end up getting a boring and crappy ending? Thanks Bioware, you jerks.

Can't wait for ME3 still, even if they delayed it for the most stupid reason ever.
That reason being? It seemed pretty vague in the article here. Also how are you getting a crappy ending?

OT: All my various Shepard's will take a lot of time to get through.
 
Dec 14, 2009
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Prepare for the Bioware haters in 3-2-1...



It should be really cool. I like seeing the consequences of my actions in RPGs, but it's the little ones that really make the world feel unique to you.
 

Sniper Team 4

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Dyp100 said:
Because Bioware side quests are really boring I'll end up getting a boring and crappy ending? Thanks Bioware, you jerks.

Can't wait for ME3 still, even if they delayed it for the most stupid reason ever.
Yeah, BioWare's side quests, at least in Mass Effect, seem to be lacking that extra...something. The League of One Medallions from the first game are a good example. I was expecting to, after finding all of them, get some sort of optional boss or something. Instead, nothing. Just random collection of pieces of junk.

I want them to kill Shep if you constantly put Humanity first. That would be the ultimate sacrifice for someone who thinks that way. Then again, I'm betting all the people that play hardcore Renegade would be unbelievably furious if that happened. Looking forward to seeing how this all ends.
 

Dyp100

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manythings said:
I wonder how long it is before someone complains about DA2.

Dyp100 said:
Because Bioware side quests are really boring I'll end up getting a boring and crappy ending? Thanks Bioware, you jerks.

Can't wait for ME3 still, even if they delayed it for the most stupid reason ever.
That reason being? It seemed pretty vague in the article here. Also how are you getting a crappy ending?

OT: All my various Shepard's will take a lot of time to get through.
That seems to imply if you didn't do side-quests you'll end up loosing a massive chucnk of the ending.
 

Orcus The Ultimate

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Daystar Clarion said:
Prepare for the Bioware haters in 3-2-1...



I should be really cool. I like seeing the consequences of my actions in RPGs, but it's the little ones that really make the world feel unique to you.
Yes, these mechanics should be amplified, like in The Witcher 2 with 16 different endings and lots plus lots of choices in between that affects future levels...

ps: you guys should see the sarifindustries fake website! sounds like a cool preview of what we can expect in Deus Ex 3 !
 
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rsvp42 said:
Daystar Clarion said:
Prepare for the Bioware haters in 3-2-1...
I love how it's become so predictable lately. Folks need to chill.
Indeed. Instead of whining about the game, why don't they simply not play it? If you don't like where the franchise is going then bail, nobody is forcing you to play it.


But I forget. RPG purists are self entitled.
 

nifedj

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I wonder what exactly he means by side quests. Andy said "Much like Mass Effect 2", and in ME2 the missions which seriously affected the ending were optional but still distinguishable from other small missions. There's a big difference between the optional-but-very-important loyalty missions in ME2, which were some of the game's best missions, and little side quests without much meaning.

I think having some missions which obviously affect the outcome of the game is good, and throwing in a couple of ones which are easily missed but not too obscure is good also.
 

Canadish

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Daystar Clarion said:
rsvp42 said:
Daystar Clarion said:
Prepare for the Bioware haters in 3-2-1...
I love how it's become so predictable lately. Folks need to chill.
Indeed. Instead of whining about the game, why don't they simply not play it? If you don't like where the franchise is going then bail, nobody is forcing you to play it.


But I forget. RPG purists are self entitled.
Well, if you pay $60 for a product, and the product is garbage, the customer has the right to complain. And also to warn others about both the product and the company that produced it.
Bioware has been producing poor games of late. And so, your seeing critique all over the internet.

Why is it suddenly being treated as wrong to give criticism?

Otherwise and on topic, glad to hear, if expected. I suspected that your choices were not going to be "Wrong" or "Right", but set you on a path which you must follow in order to get the best/ideal ending.
 

Icehearted

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HankMan said:
Me two Andy
Hey wouldn't it be cool if you could get a Rachni crew member?
I'd be afraid they'd try to make a love interest of that :\

I'll be glad if these consequences are more than an occasional walk-in or a cheesy email at my terminal. If anything the last one showed that the consequences of our actions are minute in the grand scheme of our own story. A few tiny changes in detain aren't exactly blowing my mind here.
 

ZehMadScientist

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Yeah I'm wondering what the impact of killing/saving the Council is. Ironically, in my paragon playtrough of ME 1 (my first play ever), I decided to kill the motherfuckers for ignoring SCHEIB FUDGE everything I said.

In my renegade run, I was very, VERY tempted to kill 'em again, but after having a great "The thinker pose" moment, I decided to save the goobags for the hell of it.

Seeing them again in ME 2 really made me regret that decision though, they'd better promote me to supreme ruler of the galaxy in ME 3, otherwise I'll have three more names added to my "Ima nuke these twats" list. The illusive man is also on that list btw.
 
Dec 14, 2009
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Canadish said:
Daystar Clarion said:
rsvp42 said:
Daystar Clarion said:
Prepare for the Bioware haters in 3-2-1...
I love how it's become so predictable lately. Folks need to chill.
Indeed. Instead of whining about the game, why don't they simply not play it? If you don't like where the franchise is going then bail, nobody is forcing you to play it.


But I forget. RPG purists are self entitled.
Well, if you pay $60 for a product, and the product is garbage, the customer has the right to complain. And also to warn others about both the product and the company that produced it.
Bioware has been producing poor games of late. And so, your seeing critique all over the internet.

Why is it suddenly being treated as wrong to give criticism?

Otherwise and on topic, glad to hear, if expected. I suspected that your choices were not going to be "Wrong" or "Right", but set you on a path with you must follow in order to get the best ending.
Subjective.

I thought Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age 2 were great games. Read reviews, make sure that you're going to like the direction the game is going before you buy it.

You have a right to complain, but you won't get any sympathy from me if you basically jumped into making a purchase without knowing anything about what you were buying.
 

Frotality

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this is...good and bad actually. your previous choices have consequences, but it sounds like they will railroad you into following a certain path and demean what choices you make in ME3. thats a problem with the whole concept really; especially with how little ME1 affected ME2, making up for that is probably going to entail some drastic and im sure to some overblown consequences.

we'll see how it turns out; provided half the consequences arent in day-one/ preorder dlc across 130 retailers, that is.
 

morotorno

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If it turns out all my paragon decisions based on love and "thinking about the long term effect" will actually make the game harder, then I'll rage and QQ about realism in games.

And then play again with my second renegade shep <3
 

ryo02

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I did everything in both games I hope saving the rachni wont have bad consequences

I hope to have the geth quarians rachni krogan aliance and all the council races rolling with me into battle against the reapers.
 

Fr]anc[is

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Sniper Team 4 said:
I want them to kill Shep if you constantly put Humanity first. That would be the ultimate sacrifice for someone who thinks that way. Then again, I'm betting all the people that play hardcore Renegade would be unbelievably furious if that happened. Looking forward to seeing how this all ends.
As someone who exclusively plays renegade, I don't really get a human supremacist feel from renegade Shepard. There's one line at the end of ME1 that's pretty out of place, considering she says "screw this shit" every other time politics come up. Otherwise renegade shep does the same stuff as a paragon, just with a few more broken faces along the way
 

Poptart Invasion

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morotorno said:
If it turns out all my paragon decisions based on love and "thinking about the long term effect" will actually make the game harder, then I'll rage and QQ about realism in games.

And then play again with my second renegade shep <3
That's why I like my Shep. He's generally a decent guy (mostly paragon, spared the Rachni), but if the rest of the galaxy has a problem with me riding an army of Rachni to victory, then he's enough of an asshole to whip them into line.

Either that, or have his hardass side blow up in his face. Either way, ought to be fun. :)