No "Meaningless Stat Games" in Mass Effect 3

[ThisIsSnake]

Wow, the Waaaah is strong in this thread.

Removing meaningless stat games behind the scenes, the important part being behind the scenes. You know, the stats you can't see whilst playing the game. Instead they are making everything have a real effect in combat. How the hell are reactionary people managing the stretch to Call of Duty from that?

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Why are people going on about the RPG elements of this game?
It's not even an RPG. It just managed to be one in the first game, and from what I hear the second one stretched that quite drastically.

If you didn't have the face customisation, it wouldn't be an RPG title at all. Would there be anything 'rpg' that hasn't been implamented into games like 'Infamous'? I'd certainly never call that an RPG title after all.

'Behind the scenes stats' pretty much include everything that can be customised by numbers. Skills, items, levelling... I doubt they mean all that, but if they're placing 'it shoots nice' above those elements, I don't blame people who actually play the game for being mad.

 

[Talvrae]

There was behind the scene stats in Mass Effect 2??

Why are people going on about the RPG elements of this game?
It's not even an RPG. It just managed to be one in the first game, and from what I hear the second one stretched that quite drastically.

If you didn't have the face customisation, it wouldn't be an RPG title at all. Would there be anything 'rpg' that hasn't been implamented into games like 'Infamous'? I'd certainly never call that an RPG title after all.

There is dialogue options, not only facial customisation...

 

[ThisIsSnake]

I'm hoping here that by "meaningless stat games" they are actually referring to that bloody morality bar, and will start letting us make moral decisions based on what we think is right and wrong rather than what will get us the most paragon and renegade points.

I'm hoping they replace it with the Dragon Age style approval meter, where instead of morality being affected by decisions it's your party member's opinions that are affected.

 

[Yarpie]

Woo, Bioware's managed to break the fanbase in a week. Again. >.>

Personally I think this more a case of the fanbase breaking itself because they are actively looking for a reason to rage. Neither of the statments that have been put out over the past few days have really told us anything, yet people are acting as if though they have flat out said that they intend to make the game worse in every possible respect, just to be mean and unreasonable.

Hell, at this point Bioware could probably get flamed for saying the game will come in a plastic box, because true RPG:s came in carton boxes with a CD-casing inside.

 

[Tallim]

Mass Effect 3...by the producers of Heavy Rain.

Press X to "Reapers".

I literally thought that two posts before reading this. Good one.

 

[Yarpie]

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.

That's rather funny seeing as how I consider the characters and storylines, plus the players explicit choice based involvement in them, to be pretty much the defining aspect of an RPG, and there's no question that's a pretty huge aspect of both ME1 and ME2. Calling labelling ME an RPG a stretch is only a stretch if you define RPGs not by RP but by dice rolling and stat management.

No, no, no, you have gotten it all wrong, my friend! An RPG is defined by the number of stats in it and the number of inventory slots in your backpack. These are the rules and if a game breaks them, it can never be considered an RPG. Story, characters and choices have nothing to do with role-playing, one would think that to be obvious. Oh, and let's not forget: if you can aim and shoot, it can under no circumstances be considered an RPG. These are the rules, they are set in stone and can never be changed, anyone who attempts to alter the formula has stabbed the RPG-community in the back.

 

[Krantos]

I've pretty much accepted that BioWare doesn't make RPGs anymore, and I've adjusted my expectations. That said, ME3 looks like one of the few potential titles this year (the others being Skyrim, LA Noire, and Deus Ex).

 

[Amondren]

Okay now I'm worried.

I second that.

 

[Sieggy]

That's stupid. Why not just make it a 'deep' art game in 8-bits then? With Mass Effect's finite enemy implementing this would only make it frustrating when you want to suddenly change your play style. Sure, it makes good repeatability but a lot of players will just ragequit halfway as they're stuck in a level with a boss nearly invincible against your current skills.

P.S. If it really became something like DA2, I hope Yahtzee will take some time to verbally rip it apart.

 

[Antari]

Always with the claims of reinventing the wheel. But never an acknowledgement that maybe the wheel is perfectly fine the way it is. Ahh well nothing good lasts forever, especially in gaming.

 

[Wicky_42]

If this means no more "+2%" stats, then cool - I'm all for bigger stat shifts than an upgrade that makes no practical difference (seriously, if a damage upgrade won't actually reduce the number of shots needed to kill a target, what's the point?)

If they mean "no more stats" then wtf? I like some stats, I like progression in more ways than sonme sort of linear story and getting bigger guns as pre-determined points. I don't expect them to make it as bad as the average fan seems to be taking it, I am I somewhat concerned.

 

[johnnnny guitar]

Oh my GOD FUCK YOU EA I FUCKING HATE WHAT YOU'VE DO TO MY beloved Bioware

R.I.P. Good Biowaregames you will be missed

P.S yes I know I shouldnt judge something without ever a gameplay video but the announces the make arent getting my hopes up

 

[The.Bard]

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.

This is the smartest thing I've read all day, but I'm guessing they don't want to reveal too much until they have some video to go with it.

 

[GoddyofAus]

Gamers are being too paranoid about this whole "COD simplification" plague that is rippling threw the industry. Noticed any patterns in this? No, because you've been too busy freaking out over a game that has only had a few screenshots and one trailer released.

This plague as I called it, is hardly a plague at all, because guess who is applying it; the big fucking players! EA and Activision. This is NOT an industry wide problem and if you think it is and are freaking out as such, you're a moron.

Calm. The. Hell. Down. Wait until E3 when we'll see actual game footage and reserve judgment until then, instead of causing a massive scene because you're bored.

 

[The.Bard]

Honestly, I'm not even going to be going through this thread properly or any other one about ME3 for that matter, because while I personally am very excited about this being basically a very intelligent shooter as opposed to a very 'dumb' rpg(which is a statement I disagree with, but hey), I'm getting really tired of reading comment after comment of people pissing on a game that noone knows anything solid about yet.

Come here, brother, and embrace me. I was beginning to fear I was the only one. I've made the mistake of reading posts, and it's DRAAAAAAAAAAAINING. The game isn't the one being dumbed down here... I AM. (I can't afford to lose the precious few brain cells I have left!)

Is it naive to hope that all these people getting their undies in knots are just getting into character for their Renegade playthroughs?

 

[HerbertTheHamster]

Removing everything which doesn't work properly is so fucking Bioware.

It's been 10 years since they made a good game, I ain't buying gears of war with a worse story.

 

[JeanLuc761]

Honestly, I'm not even going to be going through this thread properly or any other one about ME3 for that matter, because while I personally am very excited about this being basically a very intelligent shooter as opposed to a very 'dumb' rpg(which is a statement I disagree with, but hey), I'm getting really tired of reading comment after comment of people pissing on a game that noone knows anything solid about yet.

Come here, brother, and embrace me. I was beginning to fear I was the only one. I've made the mistake of reading posts, and it's DRAAAAAAAAAAAINING. The game isn't the one being dumbed down here... I AM. (I can't afford to lose the precious few brain cells I have left!)

Is it naive to hope that all these people getting their undies in knots are just getting into character for their Renegade playthroughs?

I'm with you. We know barely anything about Mass Effect 3 and the only information I've heard has been good:
- Returning RPG elements.
- More fluid combat with swat turns and rolls (a la Gears of War)
- Weapon mods are returning from Mass Effect 1
- Melee will be improved with each character having a "kill" animation.
- Larger environments with less "chest-high-walls" level design.
- "Meaningless" stats will be replaced with real impacts (which is EXACTLY what this article says).

I'm sure there's more, but that's just the basics.

Would someone like to explain to me how ANY of that is a bad thing?

 

[shadowmagus]

Good. If this means I don't have to fish through "Adds 2% damage upon crits while running" and "+5% damage while screwing a goat" kind of upgrades to actually get something meaningful, then more power to them. I am so sick of RPG meaning "fishing through stats", and I've been playing them since the Nintendo days. More focus on the game and less focus on me shifting through inventory, yes please. Hell, Mass Effect 2's system was really where it needed to be and the accolades from gamers and critics proves it.