Stolen Pixels #257: The Electronic Artists

[StriderShinryu]

Awesome! I wonder what else happens in the future. Surely Shamus knows.

I have no issue with speculation about the future of the ME series or any other series and, despite the fact that apparently my definition of RPG is different than it is to the majority of those on this site, I too think there`s some troubling info leaking about about the series. I don`t, however, have the same crystal ball that everyone else seems to have.

The game isn`t out yet. In fact, at this point we haven`t seen anything from the actual gameplay of ME3 at all. We`ve seen teaser trailers and basically cut scene stills. Period.

Don`t you think it may be just a teensy weensy tad early to be definitely stating how the game will play and how deep the RPG elements are at this point.

 

[NickCaligo42]

What's more disconcerting about the conflicting statements that they give to investors is... well, what's the truth? Are they telling the investors the truth, or are they telling gamers the truth? Never mind what the game will actually be like, this kind of talk seems like it's inherently designed to breed uncertainty and doubt in the fanbase. Neither we nor Bioware should be surprised about the reaction.

 

[JonnWood]

This comic is extra hilarious to anyone who watches Spoiler Warning. Not because of flaws in the game itself, but because of all the complaining Shamus did about Bioware.

And now he's complaining about EA taking control away from Bioware.

And then you get meta, and realize the this comic is doing the same thing it's mocking EA for doing.

 

[Spygon]

There we have it the whole deciding if a game ia any good before playing it has now turned into deciding if a game is any good before they have even released it.

I will let time tell and play the game before i decide it is any good as i am one of those odd people that cant have an opinion on something before i have even tried it.

 

[spectrenihlus]

Concerning rpg elements I still stand that if they made a hybrid from Kotor and Jedi Knight it would be the greatest game ever.

 

[DTWolfwood]

Eh i'll say this now to quantify where i stand with this whole issue.

I loved playing DA2 and ME2, and looking back on their predecessors, i can't say i was having more fun with more of those RPG elements still in the mix.

SO im all for the streamline approach. I really am, less inventory management and stat tracking is definitely what i've grown more accustom to.

Should ME3 story be completely generic and characters be without any depth but the game is a fantastic cover based shooter, then i have a reason to be pissed. But until then i'll keep my hopes that the story will still shine through regardless of the game play mechanics

 

[Ghengis John]

The minute you used the word "betrayed" I knew you'd jumped aboard the train to crazy fanboy town. How can I talk you down? I can't. You'll just have to keep rambling about your paranoid, unsubstantiated misinterpretations of bioware's statements until you work yourself into a self-entitled berserker frenzy and spend a year planning to hate a game you haven't even seen yet. Yes that seems perfectly reasonable doesn't it?

I wish I could be more pragmatic about it but I'm sick of melodramatic mouthpieces like you who have some mythical preconception of what an RPG has to be and define every attempt at innovation or cross pollination with words like "betrayal" and "abandonment". You can either learn to adapt with the times or you can hitch your pants up to your chest and mutter about the "damn kids" and how the world's going to hell in a handbasket. It seems you've chosen your strategy.

I for one can't wait to see you bust out a chalkboard and walk us through your best Glenn Beck impersonation: "Shepard, let's take the letters in Shepard and find out what they stand for... Shooter!... Hates, ... Every... Previous... Archetypal... Roleplaying ... Demographic!" If you were "loyal" enough to be "abandoned" then you'd probably place more faith in the developer. If you're expecting to be betrayed and you're hoping that jumping ship first will soften the blow then allow me to say this to ease your mind: "This will be a good game. Even if it's not everything you want it to be, few things in life are, and you will probably be happier you played it than not." As for your concerns, the conversations and combat are pretty much two separate systems. There's no contradiction in terms to say both are being improved.

It was a fantastic ass though wasn't it?

 

[shadowmagus]

Way to grab that low-hanging fruit, though I sometimes wonder if the writers of both comics don't prefer low hanging fruit.

 

[elilupe]

...I am tired of going through 3 inventories worth of crap weapons and armor to find one that actually helped me live.
RPG's should be fun, not a timesink in which the quest for stats is the penultimate goal. Thats what MMO raids are for.

I agree with you, and I would bet Shamus agrees with you on this too, but the thing bothering me, and presumably Shamus,(I don't want to put words in his mouth)about the new direction Bioware has taken with ME2 and possibly ME3, not because it is less WoW stat-obsessed but because they are slowly removing the creative story, tough moral decisions, and (mostly)interesting characters that Bioware is known for.

 

[Stevepinto3]

Considering all we have to go on so far are a few screenshots and EA blurbs it's a bit early to start assuming that ME3 is gonna be dumbed down in the RPG department.

I think I kind of get what they're suggesting (or at least I'm hoping they're suggesting). You can have a deep RPG and good shooter elements side by side. What I assumed they meant by "behind the scenes stats" was that you wouldn't be wasting time with stats that had little observable effect or were just dead-ends that didn't help with anything else. Remember the SPECIAL stats from Fallout 3? There were only 2 or 3 that really mattered, and the others were just meh (I got through 90% of the speech challenges with 2 Charisma). How can that be considered a good RPG system?

I guess what I'm saying is that the stats or skills you choose should have a real, tangible effect. Gradual upgrades are ok, but too often in RPG's I'll level up and think "well I don't really feel any stronger". That's what should be avoided.

 

[Tarakos]

Yeah, I'm personally pretty nervous about ME3. The more I hear, the more "tweaked" it seems to be. The "tweaks" made to ME2 combined w/ the....well, combined with Dragon Age 2 has me concerned BioWare is being "EA'd." Which is what I've been afraid of since they were bought by EA.

I guess we'll have to wait till next year and see for ourselves how ME3 plays, all the while pouring over trailers and demos.

 

[Sixcess]

There's something innately funny about Shepard's facial expressions.

(Just default male Shepard's of course. My Femshep always looks cool and awesome)

And it confirms my opinion that the renegade conversation options are always the most entertaining.

 

[Ladette]

I'll reserve judgment until i've played the game. As is I don't feel that Bioware has ever dissapointed me with any of their games and i'll be buying ME3 the day it comes out.

I do find the whining, doom-saying, and jumping to conclusion to be quite amusing though. Dance puppets, dance!

 

[Biodeamon]

I hate to admit it, but it's so true.

So painfully, truthfully, true...

 

[Dectilon]

If I had to guess I'd say they're planning on making the combat closer to a full out shooter while the talkin' remains more or less the same.

Also I feel like I'm missing the significance of the last panel if there is one.

 

[Dogstile]

I still think people should stop acting like idiots about the whole thing.

Meaningful effect on combat guys. Remember how you all whined about that? I reckon that'll just make it so its actually worth farming planets this time. Dear god, I could barely notice the difference in ME2.

 

[Desert Tiger]

This assertions aren't particularly disingenuous.

 

[RelexCryo]

Tits In, Thinky Out.

On that subject: http://www.nerfnow.com/comic/481

Some people actually percieve a trend towards less sexuality in Bioware games. But whatever. The core point Shamus made is correct: The statements made be EA imply that the guys running the company are liars, which is a serious issue.

 

[Knight Templar]

Why can't it be an RPG that plays like a shooter?

 

[BloodSquirrel]

I think this thread just about makes it official. Nu-Bioware fanboys have become one of the most obnoxious groups of fanboys, with one of the most zealous intolerances for criticism of their beloved company, of the current gaming community.