Man do I have to do EVERYTHING around here?!

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

After getting Mass Effect for PC and seeing that video in E3 where I could tell my squad mates to do more than just "stand over there, and kill this guy..." I feel an incredible amount of dissapointment, bringing my squadmates with me who spend all that time leveling up and such, only end up as just some teammates to help you shoot things and blow them up. I still have to do all the fucking decrypting, repairing, etc. and hell - it's not even just in the "combat" - if my Mako gets damaged and I go back to the Normandy, NO ONE WILL FIX IT! I even see that Garrus guy inspecting it and crap.

I don't understand, why didn't they just go with the old system where Squadmates were extra useful and not just fire support? I'm a commander, not a "commando" - I need some more help in areas I haven't grinded XP into.

In general, why have games that use squad commands taken a big step backward?

The old Rainbow Six games (basically, the "Non-Vegas" ones, and I haven't played the console ones) - SWAT 4, Full Spectrum Warrior, heck, even the very "limited" BIA had better squad commands, and so many games like it, used squad commands to the fullest. Yet now, in a "Squad Command Game" that isn't an RTS - you would be lucky if you could control a single individual and not just telling your entire team to move to one spot.

I don't get it, why have Squad Commands in games taken such a huge step backwards? I want to blame casual gamers and console-tards (Just to clarify, console tard doesn't mean "console gamer" - console tard is like a person who has trouble just trying to get the controls right kind of "tard" - yet blames it on something else.) but even that doesn't add up, if older games that were also on consoles had in depth squad commands, then why not now?! Something doesn't make sense.

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

EA hates you

 

[Johnn Johnston]

In GTA:SA, I found that the gang control was good and my allies would actually stay put, or would follow you over walls.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

EA hates you

Oh yeah, I forgot to blame EA, I know you were joking but I think you're onto something >_>

 

[stompy]

First of all, what do you mean by 'limited BiA'?

And, yeh, it's most likely EA pissing on you, the consumer.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

Brothers in Arms still couldn't let you control a certain indiviidual, your team either had to bunch up on one side, and you had to go flank and then rambo the Nazi's while you are trying to avoid suppressing fire from your own Team. Yet, BIA would sometimes let you get a hold of Tanks, which you could climb on top of and use the .30 cal mounted on top, and you could also tell your team to do all sorts of different things, even though you would end up telling all 3 soldiers to do the same thing, their AI would be good enough to make sure to cover each other while advanced.

Yet now, a whole generation later, The AI squad mates in Mass Effect don't even know how to fucking crouch in cover shorter than them, and end up getting shot in the face with a sniper rifle, after I've told them over and over to get out of my way in the first place.

 

[Sib]

The best thing to do is just to give them a little toy rattle and get on with it yourself. Mind you their decryption + whatnot skills apply to you when you're decrypting.

 

[Johnn Johnston]

The best thing to do is just to give them a little toy rattle and get on with it yourself. Mind you their decryption + whatnot skills apply to you when you're decrypting.

I actually got an A* in Decryption, but I dropped out of my whatnot class. I transferred to jiggery-pokery.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

I actually got an A* in Decryption, but I dropped out of my whatnot class. I transferred to jiggery-pokery.

I wish I'd done that. There's no job market for whatnot these days.

 

[doomgaze3]

I wouldn't say squad command games have taken a step backwards so much as they just haven't kept up. Devs still don't seem to be able to figure out a streamlined way to control individual squad members or give more specific commands or even (*gasp!*) context sensitive commands.

My honest response to this is "Never fear. Sooner or later, some developer will realize this gap and release a game that concentrates almost exclusively on squad control. Then, everyone else will have to improve their games to compete. Then we'll be back on level ground."

 

[aussiesniper]

I wouldn't say squad command games have taken a step backwards so much as they just haven't kept up. Devs still don't seem to be able to figure out a streamlined way to control individual squad members or give more specific commands or even (*gasp!*) context sensitive commands.

My honest response to this is "Never fear. Sooner or later, some developer will realize this gap and release a game that concentrates almost exclusively on squad control. Then, everyone else will have to improve their games to compete. Then we'll be back on level ground."

yes, but after that, we will be flooded with games where squad control is great, but shooting mechanics and actual gameplay are pushed into the corner.

 

[stompy]

yes, but after that, we will be flooded with games where squad control is great, but shooting mechanics and actual gameplay are pushed into the corner.

Kinda like how now, it's a push to get the best graphics, and every shooter having recharging shields?

 

[Kermi]

First of all, what do you mean by 'limited BiA'?

And, yeh, it's most likely EA pissing on you, the consumer.

Man, I hope you're joking. EA didn't acquire BioWare until Mass Effect was finished.