Mass Effect

[Winter]

I had always thought that player choice or the outcomes of game actions should have played a role.

It would have had a lot more impact if for example, Shepard could sacrifice himself to destroy the Reaper threat permanently. Or alternatively he survives and helps rebuild the galaxy after the war is over.

Either way works and like the original pitch for how the series was meant to unfold. The player gets to shape their own personal story.

I am half expecting this to be the case with Dragon Age 3 through 5 as I don't think we're going to be dealing with Solas and his plan until DA5 with DA4 working as the dark middle chapter of the Solas Trilogy. The way I see it DAI is the first chapter of this Trilogy that is grand and epic while DA4 is the smaller character driven story and DA5 is the finally that is the build up of all you're choices throughout the Trilogy and that Solas will either be killed or redeemed by your actions by showing him the good in the world or just proving to him just how messed up everything can get.

If done right this could be what the Mass Effect Trilogy could have been, a epic told in three parts that deals with the fate of the world and your choices will be the ultimate factor in how this story ends. One of the issues with ME3's ending was that it was so out of genre for Mass Effect which was more of a straight up Sci-fi and then in the last ten minutes it became surreal and borderline fantasy with the inclusion of the Little Blue Troll and the Space Magic and neither is given a proper explanation. Both the LBT and the nature of the Crucible fall into that old and hated explanation, It's Magic. We don't have to explain it!

With the Solas Trilogy/Saga to be what Mass Effect should have been it has to do the following. One Avoid the magic doesn't need to be explained trap, while DA has magic there is reason and logic behind how it all works. Two, don't try to cheat the players out of our choices, make sure that each out come is a direct or indirect result of our choices throughout these games. And finally Three satisfactory answers to all our questions that are handled throughout the stories end with so the finally proper can be more about the emotions instead of a bunch of clunky exposition just shoved into justify two plot elements that were never alluded to before and have now taken over the story.

[Fixer]

I am half expecting this to be the case with Dragon Age 3 through 5 as I don't think we're going to be dealing with Solas and his plan until DA5 with DA4 working as the dark middle chapter of the Solas Trilogy. The way I see it DAI is the first chapter of this Trilogy that is grand and epic while DA4 is the smaller character driven story and DA5 is the finally that is the build up of all you're choices throughout the Trilogy and that Solas will either be killed or redeemed by your actions by showing him the good in the world or just proving to him just how messed up everything can get.

If done right this could be what the Mass Effect Trilogy could have been, a epic told in three parts that deals with the fate of the world and your choices will be the ultimate factor in how this story ends. One of the issues with ME3's ending was that it was so out of genre for Mass Effect which was more of a straight up Sci-fi and then in the last ten minutes it became surreal and borderline fantasy with the inclusion of the Little Blue Troll and the Space Magic and neither is given a proper explanation. Both the LBT and the nature of the Crucible fall into that old and hated explanation, It's Magic. We don't have to explain it!

With the Solas Trilogy/Saga to be what Mass Effect should have been it has to do the following. One Avoid the magic doesn't need to be explained trap, while DA has magic there is reason and logic behind how it all works. Two, don't try to cheat the players out of our choices, make sure that each out come is a direct or indirect result of our choices throughout these games. And finally Three satisfactory answers to all our questions that are handled throughout the stories end with so the finally proper can be more about the emotions instead of a bunch of clunky exposition just shoved into justify two plot elements that were never alluded to before and have now taken over the story.

Regarding magic systems. Independent George mentioned Bandon Sanderson. I was introduced to his books recently by a girl I know and spent the last couple of months bingeing the Mistborn trilogy.

He managed to put three fleshed out and logically consistent magic systems into the universe. The plot twists and changes were possible to forsee, and you felt satisfied when you were proven correct or impressed when something came up that made perfect sense in hindsight.

If it's magic, you don't have to explain it but it's best to if you don't want insult to insult the intelligence of your audience.

[Independent George]

I was just being a smartass; I mentioned Sanderson mostly because he was the author selected to close out Robert Jordan's sprawling magnum opus posthumously - and, by most accounts, did a magnificent job of it. (I personally gave up on Wheel of Time while Jordan was still alive, so I really can't say so firsthand). He's also one of the most prolific writers in the genre, so he probably could squeeze in outlining a couple 30h+ games in between the half-dozen novels he writes in a month.

I do love Sanderson, though. I actually prefer Wax and Wayne to Mistborn, if for no other reason than the presence of Steris.

[Admiral X]

Thought I'd share this:


youtu.be/MVJJMlDn41o

[Winter]

If we're sharing funny Garrus antics here's a personal favorite of mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPbB4qfsA14