What can Mass Effect 3 do to be better than its predecessors?

[Mozared]

They could expand upon the gameplay. It's pretty enjoyable as it is, but there's no denying that the only thing that really changes per level is the story. The actual parts where you move are all "move into a zone, see chest-high walls, anticipate enemies will be coming in, take cover, kill said enemies when they spawn, repeat".

Another thing I could think of is something they'll never do; make your class actually impact the story. Right now your class just slightly changes your playstyle and the difficulty. It would be fun if Soldiers really got soldier-specific quests, or if Infiltrators had specific stealth-missions.

 

[octafish]

More armours than in 2 and for all characters . Cut down on the ridiculous boobage that happened in 2, seriously does everone have to have their tits out?. Better designed levels. Like scatter some cover around in areas that aren't combat so that you don't know where the combat is going to happen, and bring back crouch. Clearly dilineated shooter and talker levels was my biggest gripe with ME2. Oh and the loading screens really broke the immersion, as annoying as the Mako may have been (I didn't mind it but it did get a bit grindey)and as tedious as the elevator rides may have been at least you stayed with the characters. Some of the elevator dialogue was really nice character development. As you can see I prefered 1 over 2.

 

[TurtleBay]

I'm not sure what the complaints mean when they say 'Be an RPG'.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be variance, I'm asking the people who complain; what else are you expecting? I mean; I get you didn't like it but what RPG qualities should it have had that it didn't?

RPGs aren't defined by item gathering, inventory management, squad selection, classes or skill leveling. RPGs are about giving players in-game choices that matter in the progression of their character(s) to make the player feel like they are playing a pivotal role in determining how the game will unfold and to make the character(s) feel unique to the player who created them. Item gathering, inventory management, squad selection, classes and skill leveling give the player choices, but in Mass Effect those choice don't feel like they matter.

For example it doesn't matter what type of armor you choose, your armor related skill will be shield boost. Also it doesn't matter if you just put a few points into armors or max them because you just get a slightly enhanced shield boost instead of a unique skill. If you got a different skill than someone who chose to spend more points on biotics or weapons skills would miss out on it would feel like it matters more. Most of the skills are like this where once you unlock the first level of each skill it doesn't seem to matter much how you spend the rest of your skill points.

 

[thenumberthirteen]

Be on the PS3. It's simple really. That way more people can enjoy it.

 

[coolman9899]

Moar nudity


jk I think they dont have to do any improvements really all they have to do is make a decent storyline

 

[Digitaldreamer7]

To see more the effects in amore massive way. Yes I saved the Rachni. I'd like to have a whole subplot related to it not just some random nod.
I'm also hoping they don't do a complete reset again. I do not want to hunt down new squad mates again!

I think what they will probably do is make you hunt down your OLD squad mates. With the amount of possibilities, you can choose up to 5 or 6 and THAT's what will make the story different every time you play through it.

I want a 4 disc game.. I think anything less would be a slap in the face to the end of an amazing series.. I'd pay 80 for a game that has well over 100 hours of gameplay/story.

 

[Tattaglia]

Make it better than the others. Also, more Wrex. He never died on Virmire, alright? That never happened, BioWare, you dirty lying liars.

On the upside I'm pretty sure someone from the development team for Mass Effect said they royally screwed up on the planet scanning mechanic and it won't be making a return for future iterations. Instead, planet scanning in elevators. The perfect combination!

 

[Vrex360]

Bring back Ashley, seriously she was my favorite female character in the first game and her absence was one major thing that really killed the experience for me in Mass Effect 2. I want my badass vixen back!!
Come to think of it, also bring back Wrex and Garrus and indeed everyone from teams 1 and 2, because I managed to save the whole team and I'd rather not have to go and rebuild the whole team from scratch again.
Although if I must can I please just do what the original Mass Effect did and have a joint mission that recruits like three people in one sitting? Rather than go all over the galaxy looking for people to bring along?

Also I would prefer it if the dark theme presented in Mass Effect 2 is gone for Mass Effect 3 and replaced with that same brightly colored exciting sense of awe and wonder that was simply gone in Mass Effect 2 because everything was so dark and broody. There are enough games now that are dark and broody and I'd rather not see any further grit in this series.

 

[Cooperblack]

Remove the fucking Paragon/renegade system.

 

[Siegreich]

Remove paragon and renegade and make choices less obvious.

 

[Digitaldreamer7]

Bring back Ashley, seriously she was my favorite female character in the first game and her absence was one major thing that really killed the experience for me in Mass Effect 2. I want my badass vixen back!!
Come to think of it, also bring back Wrex and Garrus and indeed everyone from teams 1 and 2, because I managed to save the whole team and I'd rather not have to go and rebuild the whole team from scratch again.
Although if I must can I please just do what the original Mass Effect did and have a joint mission that recruits like three people in one sitting? Rather than go all over the galaxy looking for people to bring along?

Also I would prefer it if the dark theme presented in Mass Effect 2 is gone for Mass Effect 3 and replaced with that same brightly colored exciting sense of awe and wonder that was simply gone in Mass Effect 2 because everything was so dark and broody. There are enough games now that are dark and broody and I'd rather not see any further grit in this series.

because the coming apocalypse is "happy" with Bunnies and Rainbow Sherbet shit coming out of my ass?

The world is on a downward spiral and the game should show that. If it were all vibrant it would lose the atmosphere it needs to tell the story.

 

[kommando367]

Take ME2's gameplay, add in ME1's "more powers per teammates", mods, weapons(keeping SMGs and heavy weapons), and armor system with less items found so they won't clog the inventory, change the paragon/renegade system back to ME1's, and remove the armor that can turn 1200 newtons of force into the effect of a fucking shove.

That, and add new powers, guns, enemies, areas, etc...

 

[McNinja]

[Have Mordin Solus sing Never Gonna Give You Up.

That would be AWESOME.

But really, make it more RPG, which they have stated they are doing. So really, nothing.

 

[TheDoctor455]

Be a fucking RPG.

I know inventory management was a pain in ME1, and ME1 was already light on the RPG elements, but ME2 dumbed it all down to shooter levels.

Bioware, inventory management only sucked because you gave us so much shit that we had to stop every 15 minutes and clean out the inventory. Just give us a bit less stuff.

Or the pet from Torchlight. The one who would go to town and sell your items for you. Because let's face it, converting to Omni-Gel was discarding, since Omni-Gel was nearly useless.

RPGs aren't about loot. They're about the STORY... in which case...
well... I will admit that the renegade/paragon system is pretty bloody stupid... so... Bioware... please scrap it... I don't need YOUR interpretation of what was the "proper" choice getting in my way. SPOILER WARNING: How the hell was brainwashing the Geth better than wiping them out?

 

[Vrex360]

Bring back Ashley, seriously she was my favorite female character in the first game and her absence was one major thing that really killed the experience for me in Mass Effect 2. I want my badass vixen back!!
Come to think of it, also bring back Wrex and Garrus and indeed everyone from teams 1 and 2, because I managed to save the whole team and I'd rather not have to go and rebuild the whole team from scratch again.
Although if I must can I please just do what the original Mass Effect did and have a joint mission that recruits like three people in one sitting? Rather than go all over the galaxy looking for people to bring along?

Also I would prefer it if the dark theme presented in Mass Effect 2 is gone for Mass Effect 3 and replaced with that same brightly colored exciting sense of awe and wonder that was simply gone in Mass Effect 2 because everything was so dark and broody. There are enough games now that are dark and broody and I'd rather not see any further grit in this series.

because the coming apocalypse is "happy" with Bunnies and Rainbow Sherbet shit coming out of my ass?

The world is on a downward spiral and the game should show that. If it were all vibrant it would lose the atmosphere it needs to tell the story.

Not really, the original Mass Effect was bright and colorful and awe inspiring with amazing visual locations such as the Citadel and it still delivered a feeling of huge intense epicness and in the final battle was still able to deliver a sense of dread and approaching doom that I feel was made more effective by the fact that we had seen the beautiful world laid out at our feet and now it was being destroyed.

Mass Effect 2 meanwhile didn't really have that. It was far more interested in looking like a Blade Runner inspired Sci Fi crime story then it did an actual epic 'universe is in jeopardy' kind of tale. With dark red cities and brooding atmosphere and everything on a much smaller scale it isn't doing a lot to remind you what you are fighting for by looking at all the criminals and racists and mercenaries piling up all over the place.

My point is, the final epic encounter should be huge and awe inspiring and bright colorful giant space stations and exotic backgrounds and planets work a lot better at conveying that then say, dimly lit alleyways.

 

[crazypsyko666]

Just a few things:

Larger environments- Every single level in ME2 could be boiled down to corridor and warehouse fights. We don't need any more corridor and warehouse fights. Do any of you remember those huge rolling hillsides that were sometimes filled with Geth, or psychotic L2 biotics? I don't actually care whether or not you bring back vehicle sections, just bring back the larger scale battles. That would be a hell of a lot of fun.

Improved inventory- Everyone knows that the inventory system in ME1 was awful, and given the time constraints, I can see why they cut it out altogether so they could just work on the game. Wouldn't it be better then, to simplify the system? Instead of lots of different types of armor, stick with one suit and lots of modifications. Instead of dozens of each kind of weapon, stick with a few weapons of each type and research upgrades. Give us different attachments. I should get a flogging for this, but we could learn a lot from Modern Warfare's weapon customizations. All of the basics are there.

Resource gathering/Side quests- I didn't buy Mass Effect to play as an SCV (Or, for a more appropriate metaphor, just drop MULEs) Currency should be acquired by side missions, money should buy upgrades. None of this scanning planets or scrounging through enemy equipment nonsense. In fact, why have stores at all? I don't care if you buy it from your government. I am not a PMC (unless ME3 tells me that I am.) I get ISSUED weapons. Why not just BUY the upgrades? EDI is a state of the art AI, and I assume I have the capabilities to design and manufacture arms on a small scale. I mean, where else did those resources go in ME2?

Driving sections- I see you testing out the successor to the Mako, Bioware. The hammerhead is a little bit better, with the ability to jump better and sprint, and feels a bit better than the Mako, but don't make it arbitrary. I don't want to hover back and forth to get through a linear mission. I'd rather have some kind of automatic transport, preferably so I don't get bored and hurl myself off of a cliff. The elevators sucked in ME1, but those or trams could easily be a good excuse to skip off the travel time (which doesn't add to anything.) Here's a simple comprimise: You can use trams and elevators to show off your beautifully rendered environments, and we can have the option to skip them all, and you can use them in place of driving from area to area.

Party members- Let us customize them. So far, all you've let us do is play dress up and choose which guns they get to play with. I want more control over how their guns work, and how their armor is set up.
Actually, you know what would be interesting? A 'take your pick' button. The lets the chosen squad members take whichever weapons and upgrades they want from the unavailable, unused ones. To those of you who watch Extra Credits, I think you know what I'm talking about. Storytelling through gameplay. One of the best ways to show a character is to let them do their own thing. If the upgrades and modifications were to make a somewhat more profound impact on the way the game plays, it would certainly bring out how your characters want to act. Which segues perfectly into the next part of this topic...

Artificial intelligence- Look, AI is hard. We get it. But well-designed AI can make or break a game. As far as I can see, the AI is very very samey. Everyone acts the same. Variation and individuality should always be valued in an NPCs actions. Why does every Krogan or Vorcha act the same? Most of them have no strict military training (Humans/Turians), and are not programmed to all act the same way (Geth, VI Security). Having varied and somewhat randomized encounters is what made the original Halo so memorable, and so much fun to play; even after a few deaths in the same area I could stand to play through it again. That leads me back to a previous point, of larger battles, where the missteps of a few doesn't affect the outcome so gravely.
Personality in your teammates AI is extremely important. Think of how much more reckless and powerful Grunt would have seemed if he had always charged at the strongest adversary, showing his excitement over a challenge, or his apathy for long-term survival. And if thane had fired more rapidly and accurately? What if Jack had more biotic powers, and used them more frequently? Wouldn't these people be more memorable? Wouldn't you immediately get to know them better, just by how they act off-script? Actions speak volumes more than words here.

 

[Arctodus_Simus]

I can think of only one thing to improve upon 2, and I think I read it here actually, a long while back.*

In ME1, when you went to get off the Normandy and onto a planet/station/whatever.....you walked to the airlock door. In ME2 you simply appeared on the planet/station/whatever.

It always seemed to me (although admittedly only once it'd been pointed out)that this made everything feel less connected, feel smaller somehow.

Other than that I have been very happy with the upgrades of 2 over 1 (especially now we have the Mako-clone from DLC - while it wasn't brilliant in the first game, it was serviceable and dare I say it, enjoyable albeit in small doses). Plus the Shadow Broker stuff was pretty damn decent










*think it might have been yahtzee, but upon re-watching the vid, I'm not so sure

 

[Evil mr dave]

There are many things i want for ME3 and most of them center around the combat, so i'm going to start listing them off.

1. Have Mass Effect weapons use a system like hit scan (similar to in ME 1): meaning that when you pull the trigger you bullet will hit almost instantly, these are after all future space railguns so i would think that they would hit a target at any range that you would be fighting at in much less then a second (i.e 1/10th of a second or less). and with this they could add some cool disintigrsting particle effect as the surface of the round is disintigrated by the intense air resistance.

2. Make weapons feel and act much more powerful: when i fire an assault rifle i don't want to hear a little grinding noise and see a little flash out the front of my gun, these things are suposed to fire rounds at something like 7 times the speed of sound (i think) so why are these weapons so underwelming? automatic wearons should fire with a loud RIIIIIIIIIIIIPP, shotguns should BOOM-CRACK there way into the nightmares of enemies of enemies, and they should all visibly recoil more while emiting a larger muzzle flash and maybe a small shower of sparks, while having weapons do much more damage.

on top of that have sheilds flare bright and emit a large cracling flash when knocked out, armour become visible pitted and damaged (and even have the option to retain or swap out armour panels that are scard or damaged, so you can make your shepard look like a battle hardend maniac, or wearing a shineing new(also make everthing shinier)hot off the assemnly line suit, or mix and mach damaged and undamaged peices))

3. Give me better customization options or give me DEATH: look at halo, look at all the different armour peices they have (even though they don't do anything), so why is it so bloody hard to give me all sorts of different armour peices with which to deck out my shepard. maube do a thing similar to two worlds were you can combine the effects of a lesser helmet with those of a better one but take the appearence of the one you want. or give us a system were we pick what each individual peice would look like and then assign them certain stats in the armoury. If i could have the range of options to create somthing akin to the mjolnir armour from halo, giving me much more sheids and melee damage to maybe a skin tight latex suit that provides a permminent shifting camo patern to better disguise myself then they have hit the mark.

4. Give me better weapon custimization: lets say that im a soldier, and i find that my assault rifle is lacking some respects (lets say accuracy, damage, and magazine capacity). so we go to the armoury, add a different breach, one that fires larger, anti-armour rounds, an extension for my weapons barrel so it can excellerate the rounds to a faster velocity (but a longer barrel=more friction=more heat) a scope, and upgrade to larger heat sinks. then of course i would paint it hot pink. but the point is i want really deep weapon customization, be able to take any particular gun and modify it to fit into another catagory of weapons (maybe add a stock and longer barrel to your smg so it becomes a rapid fire rifle, or break down a sniper rifle so its a powerful assault rifle, or add burst fire and a scope to a pistol and you see were im going)

5. let me fully customize my classes: while i think the classes are well put together i see no reason why i shouldn't be allowed to make my own classes. maybe i want to be a stealth focused biotic super comando, or a soldier with some engineer abilities, or an adept that can use incinerate but if you do want these then you can eat shit in the eyes of bioware, at least until maybe ME3.

6. make companions cool and useful in combat...nuff said.

7. make not going full renegade or full paragon an option that doesn't get you screwed out of an ending/ plot development/ screwing crew members, etc.

8. bring about a conclusion to the love interests sub plots that isn't retarded. as ive said on more then a few threads i want to see a conclusion to my shepards ashley, shepard, tali love triangle in ME 3 that is satisfactory and also worth waithing this long for.

9. HAVE CHARACTERS WHOS ONLY PROBLEMS ARN'T DADDY ISSUES, here is a list of squad mates off the top of my head who have daddy issues

i)tali
ii)jacob
iii)miranda
iv)samara (more being a parent issues but still aplicable)
v)morinth
vi)jack (mostly because of being raised by cerberus)
vii)garus
viii)thane (once again fatherhood issues)
ix)grunt (raised in a tank dude, hes bound to have issues)

well thats everthing i can think of for now, all i can say is make the game better and also add space combat or jetpacks... and allow weapns to fire when out of thermal clips, they would just function like in ME 1. peace.

almost forgot 10. give shepard and other squad mates better hand to hand combat moves: so if we are to understand the game shepard is a top tier operative in the allience marine special forces, SO WHY IS THE ONLY THING HE KNOWS HO TO DO IS STRAIGHT UP PUNCHING BLOKES AND HITTING THEM WITH HIS GUN! if we could see some more interesting attacks, maybe some graples, throw in a combat knife for which to slot into the joints of your enemies armour and were golden.

 

[Optimystic]

Good, because that last part is something they COMPREHENSIVELY failed to do in ME2, so Ill believe it when I see it. ME2s story sucked and its RPG elements were barebones afterthoughts.

But it never works out that way. Developers always sacrifice one aspect for another, it can't be full shooter and full RPG. I think it's quite shooty enough now. Just right in fact.

You both are overlooking the obvious: they've already pared down the RPG aspect in ME2. If they trim it anymore, it will cease to be an RPG, I agree; but they have no need to lessen it any further. It's not like they can remove your inventory twice, or remove stats twice.

So with the RPG elements down as far as they can go and the game still a roaring success [http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/106/1062898p1.html] (even compared to its predecessor [http://pc.ign.com/objects/704/704283.html]) further streamlining of the RPG elements simply are not necessary. Improving the core combat, however, will yield significant fruit.

Face it - the RPG fans are already on board. It's the shooter audience that is on the fence. ME2 has the potential to double its playerbase, and in so doing show other developers that story doesn't need to be sacrificed to make a good (and successful) shooter.

 

[_Cake_]

Lots more talking to your crew and more romance(yes I know I'm lame for saying it but at least I'm honest). I feel like I knew my party way better in Dragon Age.

Oh and little thing, NO more driving... anything! Yes the hammerhead was way better then the mako, but I'm not playing Mass Effect for that. It could be the best driving sequence in a game ever and I would still be pissed it's interrupting my RPG/shooter