No "Meaningless Stat Games" in Mass Effect 3

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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No "Meaningless Stat Games" in Mass Effect 3


BioWare says there will be no "meaningless behind-the-scenes stat games" in Mass Effect 3 [http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-3-Pc/dp/B004FYKWZU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1304650564&sr=8-2] and that everything the player does will have a real impact on combat.

Mass Effect Senior Designer Christina Norman told OXM [http://www.oxm.co.uk/28080/news/bioware-no-meaningless-stats-in-mass-effect-3/] that when it comes to blending shooter action and RPG elements in Mass Effect 3, the focus is on ensuring that nothing is wasted. "We want to enrich the role-playing aspects of the game, while making sure that they're always meaningful in combat," she said. "We don't want to have any meaningless behind-the-scenes stat games, where the output is very minor in combat. Every single thing you do has a real impact in the battle."

I find it difficult to imagine how Mass Effect 3 will be even more streamlined than Mass Effect [http://www.amazon.com/Mass-Effect-2-Pc/dp/B001VJ4DHK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1304650640&sr=8-3]. But Norman said while numerous improvements are being made, they won't be so obvious this time around.

"We got combat the way we wanted it for ME2, so you're going to feel right at home straight away," she said. "But there are so many subtle improvements that you'll miss them if you go back."

The role-playing nerd in me bristles at the suggestion that "behind-the-scenes stat games" can be so easily tossed aside and I'm a little iffy about the apparent focus on combat above all else, but I have to admit that similar reservations about Mass Effect 2 dissipated very quickly once I actually started playing the game. Calling Mass Effect an RPG is a pretty serious genre stretch at this point, but that doesn't mean it won't be a hell of a good game when it comes out.

BioWare announced yesterday that Mass Effect 3 has been pushed back [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109781-EA-Tweaking-Mass-Effect-3-to-Appeal-to-Wider-Market] from its planned launch target at the end of 2011 so that it can be tweaked to appeal to as wide a market as possible. The game is now scheduled to come out in early 2012 for the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


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Duskflamer

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Nov 8, 2009
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I for one am extremely nervous about this news. "Behind the scenes stat games" makes me think of things like, weapon upgrades that add some percent damage increase or firing rate increase, does this announcement mean an end to the game's weapon customization?
 

RedEyesBlackGamer

The Killjoy Detective returns!
Jan 23, 2011
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I'm so glad that my love of leveling, looting, and tactics is now relegated to "meaningless stat games".
 

Arehexes

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Jun 27, 2008
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Compatriot Block said:
Oh god, incoming rage. Prepare thyselves, Bioware. Hell hath no fury like an entitled gamer scorned.
*sigh* It's not really entitled when fans of a series expect it to have some way resemble to the rest of a franchise, why do you think long time Final Fantasy sames might not like 13 as much? Now should people be able to complain, sure they should be able too it's a forum. But lets hope Bioware fans aren't stupid and feel they should have it their way.
 

Pzest

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Nov 15, 2007
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I think it was a really bad idea for them to announce that they're making fairly large changes to the gameplay without giving us ANY details. If they would just tell us some specific things they're tweaking, there wouldn't be nearly as many freakouts.
 

Traun

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Jan 31, 2009
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Compatriot Block said:
Oh god, incoming rage. Prepare thyselves, Bioware. Hell hath no fury like an entitled gamer scorned.
So anyone who has some standards is somehow branded "entitled" these days? Nice...
 

Mikeyfell

Elite Member
Aug 24, 2010
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So the way to blend shooters and RPG's is to completely do away with all the RPG aspects?

Hwy Bioware! Gears of War already exists! Make Mass Effect 3 for fucks sake!
 

Agayek

Ravenous Gormandizer
Oct 23, 2008
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This accurately summarizes my feeling on this issue. Why the hell do RPG developers keep removing the RPG from their games?
 

Jumplion

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Mar 10, 2008
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Yeah, yeah, yeah, okay, whatever, we get it, combat is more fluid and smooth and whatever.

What about the non-combat aspects? I want to know where I'll be traveling, will vehicles return? Will these still be linear corridors? Can I explore planets like I did in the first Mass Effect? Will areas have more branching paths rather than point A to point B missions? What customization options do I have? Who is on my side and who isn't? What is the state of the Citadel and the Council in the wake of Earth's invasion? What choices will have the most impact from the previous two Mass Effect games? C'mon, it's supposed to be a friggin' Space Opera, not another action-packed blockbuster as much as we may love those at times!
 

Duskflamer

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HankMan said:
Andy Chalk said:
"We want to enrich the role-playing aspects of the game, while making sure that they're always meaningful in combat," she said. "We don't want to have any meaningless behind-the-scenes stat games, where the output is very minor in combat. Every single thing you do has a real impact in the battle."
What they mean by that last bit is "Every single thing you do will has a real impact only in the battle."
And I don't think any of the "Stat Games" in Mass Effect were meaningless.
We don't think they're meaningless because we're used to RPGs and used to incremental damage increases. My big fear is that this means that there will be no subtlety in any level ups or upgrades, no incremental progress where your gun gets a 20% damage boost or your cloak skill lasts 6 seconds longer, every upgrade will be so overhauling that you become immediately and noticeably more efficient at the skills job.

Why is this a bad thing? Exhaustion for one, getting worn out over the fact that skills keep only having radical increases. Balance for another, if the progress is too sporadic and radical, then something that's impossible with one level of the skill could become too easy with the next level.

Incremental progress (or, "meaningless stat games") provide a more gradual curve of efficiency, keeping the players from getting overwhelmed and making the game easier to balance.
 

therandombear

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Sep 28, 2009
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Just don't you dare touch my Adept class...I love throwing black holes around with people floating around and then throwing ball of energy at them to explode the damn thing...simply put ;)

What "meaningless" stats are they talking about? Can't really think of any meaningless stats in ME2...are they removing the "gathering" aspect of the game? I don't have to literally farm entire galaxies to just upgrade Garrus' calibration cannon, or?
 

Roboto

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Nov 18, 2009
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I for one am glad for this news. Mass effect 1: Level this skill up for a measly "1% accuracy bonus"

That isn't something I feel right away so I generally ignore that skill path for ones that actually do, like new skills. Now I imagine all of those having a meaning (rather than some little -1 second recharge time) and being tempting options.