The Ryder's Arc in Mass Effect Andromda

[Winter]

So, I was going over the Tapestry at Mass Effect Archive along with the tapestry at Dragon Age Keep and I noticed something interesting about Ryder vs. other BioWare protagonists. Of all the Protagonists in BioWare the Ryder siblings are the only ones with a personal arc in the game. To show what I mean in Dragon Age with the Warden and Hawke your most notable choices outside of gender and race is whether or not your warden is alive or dead and what sort of personality Hawke has. And over on Mass Effect you have the option of whether Shepard is Paragon or Renegade.

The Ryder's honestly have the usual gender but also whether you have a close or distant relationship with your sibling, if you found your mother's cryopod and if you found all of your father's memory fragments. This is all a lot more personal then other BioWare protagonists as while there maybe some elements of your personal life that you are allowed to explore for the most part it's usually a one and done thing. In Mass Effect 1 you get one bit where you meet someone who has a connection to your past and then once that's done they're never seen or heard from again outside of one or two emails in the next two games.

In DA2 the fate of Hawke's family is decided for and the most you can do is befriend your one remaining sibling before they're taken away and hopefully hand them a decent life once they are taken away. Now I do think that the Hawke family is well written overall and I got a lot more attached to Bethany, Leandra and Gamlen then I did any of the Ryder family but I did like how you had more say in how you shaped the fate of the Ryder family.

There's also Revan and the reveal to their arc but this is something is pretty much resolved right after learning it, you either go and destroy the Star Forge or plan to over throw Malak and it's a major plot point that will decided the fate of several of your companions.

I like how Ryder's arc is disconnected from your squad or the fate of the galaxy giving Ryder something few BioWare protagonists have, a personal character arc, one that is shaped by the player. I mentioned before the idea that we might play as a clone of Shepard and one of the reasons that I'm a little open to that idea because it can be something that could use the personal arc for the player. While the galaxy as a whole would likely have a reaction to the idea of this not being the "Real" Shepard I think it's something that can be used as a more personal story for the player.

And while it would be difficult it could also be done with other BioWare characters. Fans have long been demanding that Dragon Age have returning Origin stories as it gives us more personal investment in our characters. Now imagine the Origin stories with a personal arc during the main story. Like you start the game as an Antivine crow and during the main game you have a arc that is about finding your lost family and this arc is done throughout the main game and you can bring your companions along for the ride.

Again, I think the arc for the Ryder's isn't as good as it could be but I see a LOT of potential here that can depend the story in BioWare's games.

[CharlesPhipps]

I feel like it was an ENORMOUS missed opportunity not to have the Ryder you don't use as a Bethany or Carver figure.

That was some of the best parts of DA2.

[Winter]

I feel like it was an ENORMOUS missed opportunity not to have the Ryder you don't use as a Bethany or Carver figure.

That was some of the best parts of DA2.

I agree but I do like how the relationship with the Ryder you don't play is something that is on ongoing thing throughout the game instead of just being limited to the first act of the game. There are good ideas in MEA that I feel should return, not only in future Mass Effect games but other BioWare games.

Have the personal arc of MEA with the more personal interactions we get from the Hawke family in DA2. Part of the problem with the Ryder family is that we don't get much of a chance to personally get to know any of them and our connection to the Ryder we play is rather weak due to how limited our control over them are which is not helped by the lackluster dialogue options from the, IMO, WORST Dialogue Wheel in all of BioWare.

Again, keep the personal arc but give us A) a chance to really explore this arc and B) a better dialogue wheel so we can interact with this arc as we see fit.