Mass Effect 3's level up screen spotted. Looks great.

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

It's the same as ME2 but blue. I swore Shepard had more or the same in ME2 with Bonus powers. But they could change. Garrus kinda has a para/renegade meter. You can change him in ME1 and 2. I'm a bit skeptic, but it looks great.

Yup. Abilities look the same to me, only thing to be excited about is "frag grenade". Which were in the first game, removed in the second, now they're back. Stepped back, then forward. Nothing new.

The screen itself looks nice though. I guess I'll wait to see what else is "new" about the other classes.

It will be much the same, except with a few new abilities.

Also, the abilities will 'split' multiple times. Remember how in ME2 at the highest level of each ability, you had to choose two slightly different forms? (Usually one variant for area of effect and one for single targets.) Well, now that will happen several times with each ability instead of just once.

That sounds awesome. It will make characters feel more unique and will add replay value.

 

[procyonlotor]

The single meter was the de facto system in both ME1 and ME2. It was simply not practical to have one half Paragon, one half Renegade, because it didn't help you with anything. The game was designed to make you pick between paragon and renegade, which is a design flaw, in my opinion, because it takes a lot of choice out of the game. In fact, the less choices you are given (i.e. just go renegade in spite of personal preference) the more choice you actually had later, because you could persuade people, but you could also shoot them in the face. If you did whatever you wanted then all you could do really is shoot people in the face and take the long way round. So this is Bioware just saying, yeah, this is how it is, deal with it. I don't expect Shepard to get a neutrality bonus, which would actually be harder to get because it would be difficult to actually balance one system of morality versus the other.

The rest of the system looks the same as ME2, except blue, as other people have pointed out. Hopefully, there will be more customization.

I wonder they will justify Shepard losing all his abilities this time 'round.

 

[Zhukov]

Single karma metre? Really?

I remember dual metres being a selling point. Coz it makes sense. If you're generally nice, but do an evil thing, is shouldn't someone negate or balance a good thing you did. It should, and did, add to how much of a git you were. Invididual metres for companions....hmmm. Influence from Kotor2 methinks? Otherwise, well I don't need a metre to tell me what my companions are like, they have defined personalities, which granted have changed over time (see Liara in Shadow Broker) are still the same person.

So yeah, single karma metre, they've removed another unique feature. I was also sad to see they kept with ammo. I was hoping that they'd had some flash of sense and retconned back to the old system, coz it was unique and fit with their own lore. That change really did feel like a pandering to the console boys.

Misinformation extermination agent reporting!

If you look closely you'll notice that Shepard's meter is building in both directions from the middle. He has one little bar of Paragon and one of Renegade.

(How he got to level 18 with that low score I don't know. I'm guessing it's because the screenshot comes from a demonstration version. Those usually start the player out at mid/high levels in order to show off more stuff.)

 

[duktapeman90]

Why is the Paragon Renegade on a single slider now? That could cause problems.

I don't think it is. Look closely at Shepherd's, there's two small red and blue bars that start at the center. At least I hope so.

 

[ResonanceSD]

<3 GARRUS!

Also, does each individual squad member get their own Paragon --> Renegade continuum?

 

[Ben Legend]

Its not a single karma meter as such. There are obviously two notches in the middle, one blue, one red, representing renegade and paragon. So both will fill, they've just changed it from two to one.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

Ahh, it's got the basics but then branches off into different upgrades. Good, this eliminates some of the linearity in leveling of ME2.

Also, it appears that Garrus is more durable than soldier Shep, which hopefully means they gave them back the weapon damage and durability they could have in ME1.

 

[Justanothergamer300]

As long as it doesn't go all the way back to mass effect 1's level up screen then it should be fine

 

[TheAmazingHobo]

Its not a single karma meter as such. There are obviously two notches in the middle, one blue, one red, representing renegade and paragon. So both will fill, they've just changed it from two to one.

I guess I´ll have to take your word for it, because even after zooming in to the pixel level, I´m still unable to find a blue bar. Just a slightly blueish blob above the clarly visible red bar, where his armor is discoloured by the overlay.

And if it they actually did ditch the two seperate meters, I will find whoever is responsible and punch him in the dick.

 

[hazabaza1]

Looking good. The splitting tree skills will make it more unique for each playthrough, but not make it Mass Effect 1's YOU CAN BE 1% MORE EFFECTIVE WITH THIS YAAAAAY problem.

 

[BreakfastMan]

Looks like a combination of 1 and 2. 2, for the less useless upgrade bar things, 1 for all upgrade ranks are same size, cost as much. The whole "choose a different upgrade at certain points, not just at the end" things is new (but welcome). All in all, it looks to be shaping up well. Can't wait!

 

[Irridium]

Well, at least Garrus finally has a repaired suit of armor now... And that armor looks like armor instead of plastic(yes I know you could set material in ME2, but it still looked like plastic no matter what I picked).

As for companion paragon/renegade, I'm guessing it'll work like frendship/rivalry in Dragon Age 2.

 

[rembrandtqeinstein]

They should do away with the RPG pretense and leave out the leveling entirely. Give you a pre-set loadout based on your dialog and exploration. Have a mission screen on the Normandy so you pick where to go. And have lots o cutscenes because the game developers really wish they were making a movie.

If its like ME2 none of the choices will be meaningful gameplay wise other than what color bullet you shoot people with.

There is no inventory management, there is no scarcity of resources or allocation decisions, the respecs are infinite so the leveling choices don't matter anyway. This is basically Halo except with mega-man level decision making where you get to pick missions from a hub until you get railroaded back into the main plot.

 

[AwesomeNinjaPowers]

Oooooooh I am likeing the look of this. Soooo shiney <3

 

[Irony's Acolyte]

Definitely like what I see so far. Not tons of options to put points into, but still more than the 4 or 5 you had in ME2. I'm liking this as it looks like a nice middle ground between ME1 and ME2. Which I hope much of the game is like (all the best parts from both games, none of the bad). The stat bars showing the exact numbers under the skill trees will definitely be useful I think.

The single paragon/renegade meter I don't know about. I can kind of understand, but I also don't really see the problem of two meters. The paragon/renegade meter for allies will probably work something like the friendship/rivalry meter in DA2.

Overall, this looks very good IMO. Hopefully the rest of ME3 will turn out just as good.

 

[coolguy5678]

I'm liking the Paragon/Renegade bar on the squadmates. I guess we'll be able to influence which way they build up, which could make the character development more interesting.

 

[LetoTheTyrant]

Single karma metre? Really?

I remember dual metres being a selling point. Coz it makes sense. If you're generally nice, but do an evil thing, is shouldn't someone negate or balance a good thing you did. It should, and did, add to how much of a git you were. Invididual metres for companions....hmmm. Influence from Kotor2 methinks? Otherwise, well I don't need a metre to tell me what my companions are like, they have defined personalities, which granted have changed over time (see Liara in Shadow Broker) are still the same person.

So yeah, single karma metre, they've removed another unique feature. I was also sad to see they kept with ammo. I was hoping that they'd had some flash of sense and retconned back to the old system, coz it was unique and fit with their own lore. That change really did feel like a pandering to the console boys.

Misinformation extermination agent reporting!

If you look closely you'll notice that Shepard's meter is building in both directions from the middle. He has one little bar of Paragon and one of Renegade.

(How he got to level 18 with that low score I don't know. I'm guessing it's because the screenshot comes from a demonstration version. Those usually start the player out at mid/high levels in order to show off more stuff.)

Well if that's the case I stand happily corrected! Really can't see those little bars though!

 

[Spoonius]

It might just be Shepard's bar, visible at all times.

 

[spartan231490]

Still looks like too few abilities, not excited at all.

They should do away with the RPG pretense and leave out the leveling entirely. Give you a pre-set loadout based on your dialog and exploration. Have a mission screen on the Normandy so you pick where to go. And have lots o cutscenes because the game developers really wish they were making a movie.

If its like ME2 none of the choices will be meaningful gameplay wise other than what color bullet you shoot people with.

There is no inventory management, there is no scarcity of resources or allocation decisions, the respecs are infinite so the leveling choices don't matter anyway. This is basically Halo except with mega-man level decision making where you get to pick missions from a hub until you get railroaded back into the main plot.

Disturbingly accurate. I was disappointed with ME2 as an RPG, and I've seen nothing about ME3 that even makes me want to buy it.

 

[Irriduccibilli]

Looks sorta like a hybrid from Mass Effect 1 & 2's abilities