BioWare Breaks Down Mass Effect 3 Game Modes

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Beryl77

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I don't want the game to choose important decisions for me, neither do I want the game to be too easy and boring, so RPG mode for me.

I don't get why people don't like it that it has those options. it's not like they miss out on anything, they're just options for people who like to play it differently.
 

OManoghue

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I'll be choosing role playing, because I'll be damned if anyone's gonna make any kinda choices in this game other than me.
 

shado_temple

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Honestly, the most exciting part about this for me is a game that I may finally be able to use to convince my COD/FIFA playing friends to step towards the RPG side of gaming. They may play it without the choices (i.e. their "Action Mode"), but what I'm hoping to do is get them invested in the story and setting; with that, they may be inspired to jump into the previous iterations, which would slowly introduce them to more and more of the "other" game genre. A good story can convince anyone to try something new, and if I can get them started by going with something they're more familiar with, I'm all for it. The mode's not for me, of course, but I get why it's there.That, and I find it a bit funny that people are that stressed out about "ruining" the story by actually making the decisions.

Also, I've heard the argument made several times remarking how folks loved the story but hated the "everything else" (aka the fighting scheme); the other third of this system (which I don't hear people talk about much, since the "COD Mode" is obviously the thing that's going to "ruin" the game) seems to be a direct response to people giving suggestions, which I appreciate.

Foxblade618 said:
I think this is a fine idea, so long as the RPG mode also has the option to increase difficulty via their old system; I like control over my story and enjoy challenging combat scenarios.
According to people on the ME facebook group, they've already made mentions towards the fact that the traditional difficulty levels will be in there, provided to the player after they've selected their mode.
 

Sonic Doctor

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Jan 9, 2010
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RPG mode for me, because I'm buying the game for a full experience not halved sections of an experience.

Xaositect said:
It seems pretty stupid to me, having to choose an option to play the game in its optimal condition, as opposed to half-ruined, but thats why I think this idea is stupid. But since its the optional kind, Ill just have to ignore it and concentrate on other things that arent optional like how much gameplay variance there is or how good the plot and dialogue is and how much of it there is.
I totally agree. Why buy a game and then not play it (considering what ME and ME2 are like) as it is intended to be played? No real point to not play the whole experience. It would be like me going to a new action/drama movie and then either staying for only the action scenes or only the deep dramatic narrative/plot scenes.

To put that in the terms of what choosing the experience in ME3 is equivalent to:

Action mode: Mass Duty: Future Warfare

Story mode: Combat so easy that the player doesn't realize it is there because there is no challenge: That is like having a friend play the RPG mode and while he plays the combat part, the other person sits back and and tells him what dialogue choices to pick, because the other person doesn't want to do any work to get to said dialogue, he/she just wants to sit back listen to and watch the pretty movie.

It's the equivalent of back in the day when I my brother would play Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, while I sat on the bed and directed him to things by reading from the strategy guide.

RPG: What the game experience is suppose to be. The player is actually playing a full game.

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If people don't like certain parts of games, then go find and play a game that meets only those certain requirements.

It is just stupid to try and make a game accessible to every style of player. This is why we have different genres of games with each genre game having multiple styles of games that can be played in that genre.

Different games for different people.

To the people, that want to play just the action mode, because they don't want to have to deal with choices on how the story goes: Go play FPS's where you get cut-scenes after certain parts of the action. If you like the series and story, but don't like making choices to move that story along, tough, play the game, the full game that was made.

To the story mode players: Go play some other game that has basically just interactive cut-scenes, if you don't like having to actually play and do things to get to these cut-scenes, too bad that is the game. If you played ME and ME2, and like the story, just man up and play the game, the full game that was made.

If I did develop games, I would never set out to please everybody that might pick up my game. That is just development suicide because trying to please everybody takes way too much time, time that could be used to perfect certain parts of the game, or make the game a longer and better experience for the people it is made for, or time needed to find bugs.

If you try to please everybody, there's no doubt that the game will suffer and have more problems somewhere, and lack the shine of a properly crafted game.

Raiyan 1.0 said:
Are you listening to yourself? Mass Effect a complex game? My friends and I were playing fucking C&C Tiberium Sun when we were 11.

Yeah, moving around 3D space might be daunting for new-comers - which is why they've the first level always much easier than the others (fewer enemies, constant info drip on controls, linear levels, etc). And there's literally nothing complicated about Mass Effect that isn't explained away in the first few minutes i.e. moving, shooting and taking cover. The first game's modding system and item management has been removed as well.

What more hand holding would you need in such a linear game?

I'm not moaning about the modes themselves, I'm just baffled at today's gamers.
How is Mass Effect linear? For me, the definition of a linear game is one that doesn't let the players choose their own path.

In both ME and ME2, I got to choose which planets to go to and when which battles to take part in and how those battles turned out. I could choose whole lived, who died, who I romanced, and who I brought into battle 98% of the time.

The games will only be linear if they listen to the NPCs, because usually the NPCs will say this has to be done first and fast, but in actuality the player has all the time in the world with the vast majority of the game.

The only time players(at least ones that wanted to get everybody to live) didn't have a choice on what to do next, was at the end of ME2 with the Collector IFF mission. With that there was only one open mission spot before the player had to do Collector IFF mission, or practically everybody dies.

Unless there is a moral system aspect, most linear games have one ending.

There are many different endings in the Mass Effect series.

The series is definitely not one of linearity.
 

Sonic Doctor

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Jan 9, 2010
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Peuter said:
I'll still pick it up, but I'll wait til the price has come down a bit; pre-order prices are exuberantly and ridiculously high, in typical EA fashion.
I don't know what you are talking about.

The price is the same as all triple A titles as they have been for at least the past three years.

Every major game(console or PC; handheld is always cheaper of course) I have bought on release date, if I didn't buy the collector's edition, has always been $59.99 USD before tax. Mass Effect 3 is no different, it is $59.99 USD for the standard edition. Though, since I'm getting the collector's edition, I'll be paying $79.96 USD(the price on Amazon, for some weird reason they lowered it by 3 cents), free shipping.

Now I don't know where you live, so I don't know if there is some funky separate pricing system for games, where some triple A titles release for less then others.

Playing on PC doesn't really doesn't matter anymore(at least for triple A titles) since companies finally saw how stupid it was to charge more or less depending on whether you get it for PC or a console.

So, while EA has done stupid things in the past with different things, they really have no part in the pricing; it is an industry/market thing.

I don't even know why you mention pre-orders prices anyway. I for one have never paid more for a pre-order of a game, than somebody that walks into the store on launch day or a day in the next few months before the price does go down because of time, and buys the game straight off the shelf.

All pre-ordering is, is paying money down before the game is launched, no extra money is paid. In the case of Amazon.com, no money is put down period. You just pre-order and when the game launches, they take the game out of your account.
 

infohippie

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Andy Chalk said:
It's still possible to die in story mode, it's just quicker and easier to blow through the combat and get back to the serious business of macking on Jack.
Jack's still in it? Damnit. Now I've gotta go make an ME2 save to import where she's dead.

This sounds like what Jennifer Hepler was talking about in an interview a while back. I didn't think it was a good idea then and I still don't. It means that the story is going to be played out pretty much entirely in conversations and cutscenes. There is likely to be little scope for story development as part of combat otherwise people who choose to play story mode would have a lot of their choices cut off. As a result, the game will fall short of what it could achieve in order to cater to those, like Hepler, who don't actually want to play a game but for some reason can't just pick up a fucking book instead.

I loved ME1, I loved ME2 almost as much, but I'm giving serious consideration to not bothering with ME3 and just watching a playthrough on Youtube.
 

shado_temple

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lithium.jelly said:
Andy Chalk said:
It's still possible to die in story mode, it's just quicker and easier to blow through the combat and get back to the serious business of macking on Jack.
Jack's still in it? Damnit. Now I've gotta go make an ME2 save to import where she's dead.

This sounds like what Jennifer Hepler was talking about in an interview a while back. I didn't think it was a good idea then and I still don't. It means that the story is going to be played out pretty much entirely in conversations and cutscenes. There is likely to be little scope for story development as part of combat otherwise people who choose to play story mode would have a lot of their choices cut off. As a result, the game will fall short of what it could achieve in order to cater to those, like Hepler, who don't actually want to play a game but for some reason can't just pick up a fucking book instead.

I loved ME2, I loved ME2 almost as much, but I'm giving serious consideration to not bothering with ME3 and just watching a playthrough on Youtube.
I think you're reading into the "Story Mode" part incorrectly; The combat portions are simply made easier, not skipped. Based on the latest trailer, I might imagine that the combat does, in fact, play a part in the story, which is likely why they won't let the player completely skip them.
 

KageUsagi

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This is a pretty cool idea for a lot of people, but just not for me. I personally loved ME1 but I couldn't really get into ME2. So this new mode kind of tells me that I'm not getting this game.

Don't get me wrong though, I'm not trying to be one of those ignorant jerks. This game just isn't my thing.

I wish more people could be understanding though. I mean sheesh this isn't the end of the world.
 

CaptOfSerenity

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I just hope Mass Effect 3 finds that happy middle ground between 1 and 2. An inventory that isn't stupid, is logical, and most of all, concise, and better combat, because ME2's can be improved upon a great deal. I also want my choices to matter, because if it turns out that they write around it, instead of according to my actions, I'm going to be disappointed.
 

Gather

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We have a rule in our franchise that there is no canon
Wish Dragon Age 2 had that. Leliana IS ALIVE EVEN IF YOU KILLED HER. KK, I AM WRITER; I AM RIGHT. YOU PETTY CUSTOMERS ARE WRONG.
 

sifffffff

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I still cannot believe some of these comments. I just don't understand how some of you are reaching the conclusions you're posting here.

Somebody please. Explain to me how by having different game modes the player gets to choose to play = they've removed all RPG elements from the game?
 

Sigma Van Lockheart

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Jun 7, 2011
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I cant agree with you more. I am at the moment teaching my girlfriend how to play games on pc and at first i instantly thought she would pick it up in about a minute or 2 but that was not the case i quickly learned that she needed a bit more help and guidence so as to better learn how to play. Games not as easy as you think.
 

Sarge034

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Feb 24, 2011
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Hudson was quick to clarify that "default" does not mean canon. "We have a rule in our franchise that there is no canon. You as a player decide what your story is,..."
Unless you screw up the porting process and don't feel like fixing it? I'm looking at you Conrad, the Consort, and Serta Foundation. <.<

OT- So long as there is a mode similar to what I play in ME 1 and 2 I'm ok with this. I'm really curios about the multiplayer though.

Gather said:
We have a rule in our franchise that there is no canon
Wish Dragon Age 2 had that. Leliana IS ALIVE EVEN IF YOU KILLED HER. KK, I AM WRITER; I AM RIGHT. YOU PETTY CUSTOMERS ARE WRONG.
Yea this too, but to be honest I have tried to compleatly forget about DA2.
 

Seneschal

Blessed are the righteous
Jun 27, 2009
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I was relieved when I read the article, and then the comments smacked me silly. Why do you people care about options you're never going to use?!

"@_@ NO PAIN NO GAIN. I PLAYED NETHACK AT AGE 8!"
Good for you; Dark Souls recently came out, btw. Also, that's no reason to belittle those millions of gamers that didn't spend their early childhood plodding through Fallout 2 clueless and scared because they're the wrong demographic. I guess you have to wear such misadventures as a badge of pride to separate yourselves from the sheepish masses gamers that began with conventional games.
 

badgersprite

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Sep 22, 2009
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Yeah, I really don't have a problem with the presence of different modes.

I mean, sure, I definitely want to experience the thrill of maximum difficulty combat and experience every single piece of dialogue in the game the first couple of times I play it and get the full game experience with nothing cut down or left out, but if I just want to blow through it on a weekend after the tenth time playing the game, then the presence of different modes might feel like a godsend. I've even had that experience going back and playing ME1 and 2 before, where I'm like, "I can recite this whole conversation by heart; I don't need to hear the full fifteen minute dialogue again."

Really, of all the things people might have to complain about in Mass Effect 3 when it finally comes out, I highly doubt this mode thing is going to rate up there, considering it has no impact on the final game product any more than giving a player the option to manually lower difficulty in the options menu or to manually skip dialogue, which all ME games already do. All it does is do it automatically.

If people are going to get their underwear in a twist about ME3, you'd think it should be about the actual content of the game rather than an arbitrary option and difficulty setting which didn't require the designers to add or cut anything from the finished product. It's a bit like saying a game is ruined because its opening menu screen sucks or because you can alter the brightness and sound settings.
 

luckshot

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Jul 18, 2008
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Camoman said:
For those of you you who think that the different game modes are a bad idea, I have something to say to you.

Get over yourselves. Just play it in RPG mode like you always have and this will not be a problem.

I for one am happy the options exist. Example: My brother loved the combat mechanics in ME2 but could not be bothered to play through the game because he simply found that the long conversation sections just to boring. Now he can sit there and let the conversations play like cinematics, before resuming the ass-kicking.
i cant speak for anyone else, but to me it just seems like doing something like this takes away from the overall quality take for example flying cars: yes over the past 100 years several have been made, but they have suffered on the road and in the air and never really gave what was desired

the more i hear about this game the less i want to hear
 
Apr 5, 2008
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Why BW? The previous two games were popular, well made and polished and went down well critically, financially and with fans. Why do you have to broaden your games so much like this? You're cheapening them and the work your people have put in over the years. Why not add a Wii/Kinect option for grandparents to wave their arms at? Or an educational version for the below 4 year olds? Then you can please EVERYONE.