What if Obsidian picked up Mass Effect after ME3...

[Condiments]

I really want Obsidian to be given the time to release a product with no interference or outside meddling. Why? Unlike most other RPGs developers these days like Bethesda and Bioware, they have genuine ambition that extends beyond making their game accessible to the average joe. They have stories with actual themes, complex RPG mechanics and choice systems, and emphasis on player choice. Not flashy games with 'CINEMATIC MAJESTIC IMMERSION' where the space marine/fantasy hero saves the day for world/galaxy ending ancient threat. Its just unfortunate that this very ambition is often their Achilles heel as they are unable to fulfill what they set out to make.

I'll take any flawed ambitious game or the same rehashed crap over and over again. Obsidian will always get respect in my book.

 

[lordtec]

I'm not embarrassed. It ultimately falls on their head, since they created the game. If LucasArts wouldn't let them make an official patch, make an "unofficial" one. Not like that has never happened before. They took the job, they made the game, they released it in a deplorable condition. Justify it however you like, it is still their mess. They can either take the steps to fix it, or they can not. They didn't.

You're being completely unrealistic in your expectations of Obsidian here.

The time constraints they were under meant that problems couldn't just be solved by re-writing a few errant lines of code, or tidying up a sloppily written script. There were entire sections of game and story which had yet to be properly rendered, animated, voice acted, etc.

If Lucasarts wasn't willing to fund extra money for post-game patching, where exactly Obsidian get the money to call back all the voice actors for extra recording, get the animation team working on all the scenes that were cut, the level designers working on fixing up unfinished levels, etc? Especially when there's going to be no financial return at the end of it?

Asking Obsidian to pay through the nose for Lucasarts' fucked up business strategy is completely unreasonable. Lucasarts forced Obsidian to ship the game early. Obsidian should have every gamer's sympathy for that. Obsidian should not have been obliged to then spend their own money and resources fixing a game that was only broken because of the publisher's fucked up reasoning. That's like getting the victim of a burglary to pay the costs of court, even if the burglar gets a guilty sentence...

I'm asking Obsidian to stand by the product they made. That's called integrity. Everyone knows that LucasArts is a pain to work with. They took the job. They owe it to us to finish it. They didn't finish it. So I'm done with them.

Right because after one game that is rushed by an external entity you call it quits? Jesus fucking christ the whine in this thread off the charts. Its an 8 year old game people. MOVE ON. This isn't 2004, this is 2012.

Its star wars, the most beaten dead horse around and yet people still find a reason to ***** years after the fact. I still find it amazing people still ***** about Episode I over a decade later. Its just a game, nothing to obsess about.

If I can get over my disappointment when Simcity finally died with Simcity Societies in under a year, then people should be able to move on from a forced release in 8 years. Seriously, holding obsidian responsible for KOTOR II is the same level of whine of Episode I's debacle.

Welcome to the internet where you make a game that isn't good enough in people opinions (which may or may not be your fault) and it is remembered for the rest of eternity, Make a very good game and you only get enough good rep until the next game, if it is a great game you get enough rep to make one game that is a little bit less. A lot of people don't like KoTOR 2 because you know at the end that much is missing, even if you have no internet. I'm still sure that they could have made the ending much better.

Star Wars isn't a beaten dead horse. It is a beaten old horse that just refuses to die. (And thanks to George it is mutating and smells worse than a dead horse) (still like TOR though) Live with it, if there are going to be 3 things that survive the end of the universe, it will be Star Wars, Star Trek and the guy trying to make a profit out of them. (the bad rep that Obsidian has for KoTOR 2 will be stitched to Star Wars, so it will also survive)

BTW, I don think most people wouldn't really remember KoTOR2 if TOR hadn't just reminded everybody about it.

 

[Ironbat92]

Well, Bioware will probably keep the franchise and lore going after 3(last time I checked this series still makes millions of dollars), but if Obsidian does make a Mass Effect game, it will disappointing and not up to snuff with the trilogy Bioware made(examples include Knights of the Old Republic 2 and Fallout: New Vegas).

 

[wolf thing]

they'd give it great writting and deep story's but because of studio pressure it will have to be released before it is finished and everyone will blame them because there fuck tards who dont know what a publisher is.

 

[Twilight_guy]

First thing I'd do: "Oh Obsidian, getting the table scraps of other developers again... sigh"

I'd sure they'd do fine. They can make some pretty good stories even if there programmers kind of suck at fixing all the bugs... sorry guys it's true.

 

[JRCOBRA]

For the love of god NO NO!!! Obsidian must never be allowed to tuch anything good ever.

 

[CJ1145]

Absolutely not. The thing I like about Mass Effect is that it's a setting with tons of grim, dark things that show that it's really kind of a crapsack place to be most of the time. BUT, it has just enough optimism to let you genuinely, seriously make it a better place.

Look back on Obsidian's history of refusing to let the good guys win under ANY circumstances. I fucking guarantee you they would turn Mass Effect into the most depressing game conceptually possible, short of an End of Evangelion game.

EDIT:

they'd give it great writting and deep story's but because of studio pressure it will have to be released before it is finished and everyone will blame them because there fuck tards who dont know what a publisher is.

That justifies KotOR II being a buggy disgrace of a game. It does NOTHING to waft away the stench of Neverwinter Nights II, or Fallout: New Vegas. Buggiest games I've ever played, and the former had one of the most pointlessly player-fucking games I've encountered.

 

[sgtshock]

"I'm Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citade-store on the Citade-store on the Citade-store on the Citade-store on the Citade-"

ERROR: The instruction at "0x00d04350f" referenced memory at "0x0055901f". The memory could not be "read". Click OK to terminate program.

 

[Ariannus]

I'd like to say in Obsidian's defense KOTOR II was unfinished because Lucas Arts wanted get it out in time for Christmas sales. That however doesn't excuse the fact that there are still game breaking bugs that were never patched.

I don't think that Mass Effect is going to be farmed out to any one else though. It's Bioware's own IP and I can't imagine them selling it off or franchising it out. I mean the whole point of making their on IP was that they would have complete creative control of it and not have to pander to the IP holders or compete with other companies to get the rights to make more games.

I think Bioware is going to keep developing the ME franchise for some time.

 

[endtherapture]

I love Obsidian, that game could be awesome i'd buy it in a heartbeat.

^^^ Works for Obsidian.

Yes, I am really Chris Avellone you have figured it all out.
Actually I just think Obsidian make good games and I like Mass Effect so I'd buy an Obsidian made Mass Effect.

But Obsidian doesn't make good games. They take sequels of great games and then BREAK them.

This is pretty much my thoughts on Obsidian.

Hey I have a better idea, why doesn't Obsidian make their own IP instead of taking other great games from other developers and making an inferior sequel? While F:NV and KOTOR2 were still good games for sure, IMO, they cant compare to their predecessors in any way shape or form. No matter how good their STORIEZ is (which I also think is a myth IMO).

Seriously, its like they cant come up with their own ideas for a game, so they have to take a templete of a time, setting, and gameplay of one and go from there. I will never look at Obsidian in a good light until I see them make THEIR OWN IP!

Alpha Protocol.

 

[Harper0341]

You can't patch a game that you have no funding to work on. Nor can you add content to an IP you do do not own.

Lucasarts took something like 6-8 months of dev time away in the middle of production and Obsidian was forced to do everything they can just to get the game working at all.

Lucasarts ruined KOTOR II. Not Obsidian.


I think a ME game from obsidian would be pretty sweet, but I would prefer them to pick up Dragon Age.

 

[The Madman]

That justifies KotOR II being a buggy disgrace of a game. It does NOTHING to waft away the stench of Neverwinter Nights II, or Fallout: New Vegas. Buggiest games I've ever played, and the former had one of the most pointlessly player-fucking games I've encountered.

I can understand people complaining about Kotor 2, but what was wrong with Neverwinter Nights 2? It was released in a somewhat buggy state but then so was the original Neverwinter Nights as much as people like to forget that fact, most rpg are really. But just like with the first game over time thanks to patches and support NWN2 blossomed into a fantastic experience. Indeed I'd say that in many regards NWN2 is superior to the original, it beyond doubt is singleplayer-wise with Mask of the Betrayer easily blowing all of Biowares work in the NWN franchise out of the water.

So I don't get it. Is it just nostalgia making people overlook the flaws of the original game especially upon release, or do most people not remember when NWN was released and just played the 'Diamond' version? Because with Neverwinter Nights at least Obsidian did nothing wrong. Nothing that Bioware themselves hadn't done before anyway. But given time and funding NWN2 became an incredible experience worth playing.

Honestly I think a lot of people just rush to conclusions whenever they heard the name Obsidian. Oh they're far from perfect, but the way some people ***** and complain about them you'd think it was the goddamned apocalypse every time they release a new game. It's getting old.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

I'd rent it first, obviously. There's a protocol to uphold, here. Can't just run off supporting things at will. You have to make them wait a bit, then reward them for their diligence in supplying just the right amount of bugs into a fairly solid sequel that sways a bit more in the wind than the predecessor. Don't get me wrong, the care is still there, but between Bioware, the extinct Black Isle, and Bethesda, Obsidian always seems to get, dare I say it, the sloppy seconds for a project, usually the bits that didn't fit into the first (or second, even). It's still good, just slightly sullied, and a little bit less proud of itself.

 

[Frankster]

Oh yeah I forgot about that one. How well did that game do though?

Poorly. Lambasted by critics due to horrible QA, glitches and game balance and became a pariah for most gamers due to its rep and buggyness. Which hasn't been fixed because the plug was pulled on it soon after.

The actual game though? Tons of good ideas that bioware would have done well to take notes from and should you persist through the bugs with the patience of a saint, you were treated to a real diamond in the rough, with a great story and characters and ways to interact with that story. Nevermind that most of the interesting characters have tragically short appearances due to time and budget constraints...eugh, obsidian you make it hard to defend you

Seriously, obsidian have potential >< They are like the under achieving kid in school who always does bad due to internal matters but you just know they can give the heads of class a run for their money if they get their act together...

 

[GiantRaven]

Alpha Protocol.

Yes. More like that please.

 

[CJ1145]

That justifies KotOR II being a buggy disgrace of a game. It does NOTHING to waft away the stench of Neverwinter Nights II, or Fallout: New Vegas. Buggiest games I've ever played, and the former had one of the most pointlessly player-fucking games I've encountered.

I can understand people complaining about Kotor 2, but what was wrong with Neverwinter Nights 2? It was released in a somewhat buggy state but then so was the original Neverwinter Nights as much as people like to forget that fact, most rpg are really. But just like with the first game over time thanks to patches and support NWN2 blossomed into a fantastic experience. Indeed I'd say that in many regards NWN2 is superior to the original, it beyond doubt is singleplayer-wise with Mask of the Betrayer easily blowing all of Biowares work in the NWN franchise out of the water.

So I don't get it. Is it just nostalgia making people overlook the flaws of the original game especially upon release, or do most people not remember when NWN was released and just played the 'Diamond' version? Because with Neverwinter Nights at least Obsidian did nothing wrong. Nothing that Bioware themselves hadn't done before anyway. But given time and funding NWN2 became an incredible experience worth playing.

Honestly I think a lot of people just rush to conclusions whenever they heard the name Obsidian. Oh they're far from perfect, but the way some people ***** and complain about them you'd think it was the goddamned apocalypse every time they release a new game. It's getting old.

Notice that you took an argument I never made to roll with there. When I said that Neverwinter Nights 2 was cadaverous with bugs, I never said that the original was better. You seem to have assumed I thought it was better based on my implied (though never stated) preference to BioWare over Obsidian games. You are wrong, at least in this situation. I hated Neverwinter Nights 1. It was so frustrating an experience to me I kind of wished they didn't even make a sequel. But, I think you will find that both Neverwinter Nights 1 and 2 are anomalies on their companies' records. Whereas that was the last time BioWare made a shitty game (no, Dragon Age 2 does NOT count. It was mediocre at worse) it was the last time Obsidian genuinely stuck with a game until most of the bugs were gone. Even New Vegas didn't get that kind of star treatment. They're usually content to leave a game sitting after two, maybe three big patches, none of which address the glaring 50% of the bugs within those games.

I am not denying they're good games. I'm denying that they're not buggy messes, and I'm also asserting that Obsidian has too many dark fuck fetishes to be allowed anywhere near a series as idealistic as Mass Effect.

 

[Elfgore]

I do not like Obsidian. To me they failed at giving decent support for Fallout New Vegas. Several places in the game practically freeze the game, and there are countless amounts of bugs they won't fix. I really enjoy mass effect and to me obsidian would just mess the entire series up. If bioware did allow obsidian work on a game my guess would be dragon age. Plus obsidian appears to me as people who can't think of their own ideas so they just ask Bethesda and bioware if they can make the next game in their series.

 

[Elfgore]

I do not like Obsidian. To me they failed at giving decent support for Fallout New Vegas. Several places in the game practically freeze the game, and there are countless amounts of bugs they won't fix. I really enjoy mass effect and to me obsidian would just mess the entire series up. If bioware did allow obsidian work on a game my guess would be dragon age. Plus obsidian appears to me as people who can't think of their own ideas so they just ask Bethesda and bioware if they can make the next game in their series.

 

[TheOneBearded]

As long as it has nothing to do with the original trilogy. It either has something to do with another cast of characters and story or nothing at all. It would be best for Obsidian to not trample on the toes of the original MEs.

 

[sb666]

I do not like Obsidian. To me they failed at giving decent support for Fallout New Vegas. Several places in the game practically freeze the game, and there are countless amounts of bugs they won't fix. I really enjoy mass effect and to me obsidian would just mess the entire series up. If bioware did allow obsidian work on a game my guess would be dragon age. Plus obsidian appears to me as people who can't think of their own ideas so they just ask Bethesda and bioware if they can make the next game in their series.

You know Bethesda did the bug testing for New Vegas right?