Mass Effect drops Nov. 20

[Riggswolfe]

Is that true?  I was kind of feeling "meh" on Mass Effect because it looked (from the early videos I'd seen) like there was fairly little customization, at least for the main character.  Gender, already chosen.  Name, already chosen (this really bugged me).  Job, already chosen.  Background, already chosen.  It looked like the main character was less customizable than JC in Deus Ex, to me.  Has that changed since whatever I saw last, or was I misinterpreting something?

Things you can customize about your main character in Mass Effect:

Gender
Looks: almost every facial detail has a slider much like some MMOs use these days. I don't know if it is impossible not to look like a chimp like it was in Oblivion
Background: You have 3 backgrounds to choose from.
Reputation: You likewise have 3 starting reputations to choose from.
Class: You have I think 6 base classes to start with.
First name. The last name is set as Shepard but that's partly for dialogue purposes, so all the NPCs don't have to call you "Hey you."

You can also customize your ground vehicle, weapons, and armor. Though how much I'm unsure about.

As for no good Bioware stuff, ummm...yeah: KOTOR and BG1, BG2, and Jade Empire were all better than 75% of the Jap stuff. And honestly, I think Schild didn't like KOTOR because it was Star Wars. Had it had a similar storyline but in an original setting he'd still be ranting about it today.

[Stormwaltz]

There are a few pictures of character customization here:

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/816/816533p1.html

[Signe]

Oooo.  I can have boobies AND and romance.  This should be an MMO so my character could have an affair with my husband's character in space.  (I'm so dangerous!)

[Sky]

And yet, I've hated nearly everything that came out of Bioware since BIS folded. I really don't think it's coincidence.

And yet, everything Obsidian does gets shoved out the door unfinished and buggy.

Go go pc version of Mass Effect!

[schild]

And yet, everything Obsidian does gets shoved out the door unfinished and buggy.

This, my friend, is a completely different barrel of shit for me.

:(

[Sky]

Agreed.

Also, just watched that character creation video and now it's going to be hard to wait for the pc version. I know the guy next door will get the 360 version, so I'll have to boycott him.

[Phildo]

Wow, I can't believe I missed this thread.  I feel like I'm late to the party.  Is it too late to rag on bioware?  I played the hell out of KOTOR and Jade Empire, but still...

[Miasma]

If Black Isle had survived intact they would have been forced to go 3D at some point and would have wound up putting out the exact same KotOR/Masquerade type games.  And those games are great, ragging on them makes no sense.  Mass Effect will be great too unless it suffers from too much consolization.

[Velorath]

If Black Isle had survived intact they would have been forced to go 3D at some point and would have wound up putting out the exact same KotOR/Masquerade type games.  And those games are great, ragging on them makes no sense.  Mass Effect will be great too unless it suffers from too much consolization.

A game designed specifically for a console can have too much consolization now?

[murdoc]

Seriously, the consolization word gets thrown around by everyone who doesn't get the PC game they wanted.

[Lt.Dan]

First name. The last name is set as Shepard

THE PATH OF THE RIGHTEOUS MAN....

[Amaron]

A game designed specifically for a console can have too much consolization now?

Yes?  Since consolization is a word applied to games which are specifically designed for consoles in the first place.

Seriously, the consolization word gets thrown around by everyone who doesn't get the PC game they wanted.

You mean it gets thrown out when the game is just bad even if it doesn't display consolization?  I don't think it's unfair to toss it out pretty liberally.  It's a pretty specific thing and pretty much every console game that should of been designed for the PC has some degree of consolization.  Even Kotor had very small consolization flaws here and there.

[Velorath]

A game designed specifically for a console can have too much consolization now?

Yes?  Since consolization is a word applied to games which are specifically designed for consoles in the first place.

Seriously, the consolization word gets thrown around by everyone who doesn't get the PC game they wanted.

You mean it gets thrown out when the game is just bad even if it doesn't display consolization?  I don't think it's unfair to toss it out pretty liberally.  It's a pretty specific thing and pretty much every console game that should of been designed for the PC has some degree of consolization.  Even Kotor had very small consolization flaws here and there.

I guess the nitpick I have is the feeling that since the game is an RPG developed by Bioware that it "should of been designed for the PC".  It's not being developed for the PC though.  It's being developed for a console, and as such we aren't talking about "consolization" we're talking about developing a game to take advantage of the fucking system it's being released on as opposed to developing it with a PC port sometime in the distant future in mind.

[Tebonas]

Its not taking advantage though, its usually a workaround to avoid the disadvantages. No RPG gets better because of some console feature.

[Riggswolfe]

Its not taking advantage though, its usually a workaround to avoid the disadvantages. No RPG gets better because of some console feature.

No, but it is my feeling that the devs can worry less about compatibility issues and such and more on the game.

[Yegolev]

I consider X-COM to be a RPG.  Maybe it's a BRPG due to country of origin.  Point is, the core game mechanics are of the same sort as Disgaea: turns, squares, equipment, etc.  Makai Kingdom has base-building of a sort which can be compared at least loosely to X-COM.  The idea that something is preventing the westerners from trumping Nippon Ichi at turn-based tactics games other than a complete lack of talent is very interesting and I'd love to know what that is.

How many times has someone tried to make a X-COM sequel?  Perhaps the problem is that Disgaea has too much stuff, meaning some people would in fact enjoy Disgaea (or any NIS game) if a stripped-down version was made.  This is how we got the castrated version of early Final Fantasy games, because Westerners were viewed at too unsophisticated to appreciate the original, full game.  Maybe we are, collectively.  I'm not going to say that someone is wrong for wanting a simpler or more pure game, though, since that can be loads of fun.

Shodan.  All others are number two or lower.

[Megrim]

I consider X-COM to be a RPG.  Maybe it's a BRPG due to country of origin.  Point is, the core game mechanics are of the same sort as Disgaea: turns, squares, equipment, etc.  Makai Kingdom has base-building of a sort which can be compared at least loosely to X-COM.  The idea that something is preventing the westerners from trumping Nippon Ichi at turn-based tactics games other than a complete lack of talent is very interesting and I'd love to know what that is.

How many times has someone tried to make a X-COM sequel?  Perhaps the problem is that Disgaea has too much stuff, meaning some people would in fact enjoy Disgaea (or any NIS game) if a stripped-down version was made.  This is how we got the castrated version of early Final Fantasy games, because Westerners were viewed at too unsophisticated to appreciate the original, full game.  Maybe we are, collectively.  I'm not going to say that someone is wrong for wanting a simpler or more pure game, though, since that can be loads of fun.

Shodan.  All others are number two or lower.

I choked on my coffee. How did this view come about?

[Velorath]

I consider X-COM to be a RPG.  Maybe it's a BRPG due to country of origin.  Point is, the core game mechanics are of the same sort as Disgaea: turns, squares, equipment, etc.  Makai Kingdom has base-building of a sort which can be compared at least loosely to X-COM.  The idea that something is preventing the westerners from trumping Nippon Ichi at turn-based tactics games other than a complete lack of talent is very interesting and I'd love to know what that is.

How many times has someone tried to make a X-COM sequel?  Perhaps the problem is that Disgaea has too much stuff, meaning some people would in fact enjoy Disgaea (or any NIS game) if a stripped-down version was made.  This is how we got the castrated version of early Final Fantasy games, because Westerners were viewed at too unsophisticated to appreciate the original, full game.  Maybe we are, collectively.  I'm not going to say that someone is wrong for wanting a simpler or more pure game, though, since that can be loads of fun.

Shodan.  All others are number two or lower.

I choked on my coffee. How did this view come about?

I don't know.  To the best of my knowledge, FFIV was really the only FF game where we got an easier version (went it was released on the SNES as FFII).

[Morfiend]

Everything past FF3 (thats right I used a number not roman numerals. bitches) is dead to me.

[Amaron]

It's not being developed for the PC though.  It's being developed for a console, and as such we aren't talking about "consolization" we're talking about developing a game to take advantage of the fucking system it's being released on as opposed to developing it with a PC port sometime in the distant future in mind.

Perhaps you are using the old fashioned meaning of the word where it was applied to arcade games which got ported to the console?   I don't think that particular meaning has very little to do with what PC gamers mean when they use the word.   I ask because what you said is in fact consolization from a PC gamers point of view.

[Yegolev]

I choked on my coffee. How did this view come about?

Perhaps my view is exaggerated because I am still annoyed at Mystic Quest.  And bothered a lot by FFIV -> FFII US.  Since it was brought up and I have thought about it, I cannot remember any specific gimping on FFVI during localization so I may me imagining it.  In any case, it's history as far as I know.

I'm going to go home and blow shit up in an underwater city until my wife goes to sleep, at which point I will play some sort of convoluted combat-centric game.

[Velorath]

It's not being developed for the PC though.  It's being developed for a console, and as such we aren't talking about "consolization" we're talking about developing a game to take advantage of the fucking system it's being released on as opposed to developing it with a PC port sometime in the distant future in mind.

Perhaps you are using the old fashioned meaning of the word where it was applied to arcade games which got ported to the console?   I don't think that particular meaning has very little to do with what PC gamers mean when they use the word.   I ask because what you said is in fact consolization from a PC gamers point of view.

I understand what PC gamers mean when they use the word.  Usually though,  they use it when describing a game that's made for both the PC and consoles in order to express the idea that the PC version was in some way hampered by the fact that the developers had to design the game with a console version in mind also.  In this case it's just a console game, and I just think that it's a bit stupid to worry about consolization in a console game.

[Amaron]

In this case it's just a console game, and I just think that it's a bit stupid to worry about consolization in a console game.

How is it just a console game?  Kotor was supposed to be just a console game too but Bioware clearly only says that sort of thing to appease MS.  It's almost certain it's a PC game too.

[Velorath]

In this case it's just a console game, and I just think that it's a bit stupid to worry about consolization in a console game.

How is it just a console game?  Kotor was supposed to be just a console game too but Bioware clearly only says that sort of thing to appease MS.  It's almost certain it's a PC game too.

Kotor was released on the PC only about 4 months after the Xbox release.  It was being developed at the same time as the Xbox version (in fact, I think the PC version was announced first) and developed with both platforms in mind.  Jade Empire for the PC was released almost 2 years after the Xbox version.  It was pretty much an after-thought.  Mass Effect being part of a planned trilogy, I imagine that even if it does get ported to the PC a year or two down the road, the job of porting the game will probably be handed off to some other team since I'm guessing the main team will go straight into working on part 2.

[Amaron]

Kotor was released on the PC only about 4 months after the Xbox release.  It was being developed at the same time as the Xbox version (in fact, I think the PC version was announced first) and developed with both platforms in mind.  Jade Empire for the PC was released almost 2 years after the Xbox version.  It was pretty much an after-thought.  Mass Effect being part of a planned trilogy, I imagine that even if it does get ported to the PC a year or two down the road, the job of porting the game will probably be handed off to some other team since I'm guessing the main team will go straight into working on part 2.

All of this matters why exactly?  It's still consolization if it comes out 10 years from now on the PC and it has console flaws due to being originally designed for a console.   Why do you have to try and change the word?  Is there some reason you object to the definition they are using?  As long as you can understand what they are saying it should be fine right?

[Velorath]

Kotor was released on the PC only about 4 months after the Xbox release.  It was being developed at the same time as the Xbox version (in fact, I think the PC version was announced first) and developed with both platforms in mind.  Jade Empire for the PC was released almost 2 years after the Xbox version.  It was pretty much an after-thought.  Mass Effect being part of a planned trilogy, I imagine that even if it does get ported to the PC a year or two down the road, the job of porting the game will probably be handed off to some other team since I'm guessing the main team will go straight into working on part 2.

All of this matters why exactly?  It's still consolization if it comes out 10 years from now on the PC and it has console flaws due to being originally designed for a console.   Why do you have to try and change the word?  Is there some reason you object to the definition they are using?  As long as you can understand what they are saying it should be fine right?

10 years down the line then, when the game comes out on the PC you can say "man, PC ports of 10 year old console games kinda suck".  Right now though, worrying that a console game might play too much like a console game is just stupid, and the only reason one would do it in this instance is if they somehow feel that PC gamers are Bioware's true audience and the 360 version is just there to make money selling to the masses.  Otherwise why not go into the Warhawk thread or any other thread about a console game and complain about consolization?  It makes about as much sense.

[Amaron]

Right now though, worrying that a console game might play too much like a console game is just stupid

This was not your original argument.  I only objected to you claiming a game designed for a console can't have too much consolization.   Such a statement is completely at odds with the very definition of the word.

Although to discuss what you just said you are completely wrong in saying that I shouldn't worry about it.  Console games suck.   There are many things that console games should not do even when they are purely console games in the first place.   I should DEFINITELY worry that Mass Effect will have shitty consolization problems.  Maybe you want it to have consolization but that sure as hell doesn't apply to me.

Your warhawk analogy is fucking stupid by the way.  I don't even have to justify that.  You knew it was fucking stupid lawyering when you typed it just like I did when I read it.

[Rasix]

This is getting pathetic. 

[LK]

I gotta give them a load of props for not falling to the excuse of many people prior to them about how creating a protagonist that can be both male and female is too difficult.

[Calantus]

I actually dislike it when the protagonist can be changed nowdays. What it means is that you can't show them in FMVs and you cannot voice them because doing those things twice for male/female is crazy. I even dislike naming the protagonist because in today voiced games it just means you can never say their name. FFX was particularly jarring here because they called Tidus "you" or "he" all the way through the whole goddamn game. Why? So we could rename him? Who gave a toss? It's Tidus. The one thing FFX-2 did better was have a set protagonist. Of course it then pissed it away by making the game so jarringly girly and japanese that I nearly choked on it, but hey you can't have everything.

[murdoc]

Although to discuss what you just said you are completely wrong in saying that I shouldn't worry about it.  Console games suck.   There are many things that console games should not do even when they are purely console games in the first place.   I should DEFINITELY worry that Mass Effect will have shitty consolization problems.  Maybe you want it to have consolization but that sure as hell doesn't apply to me.

This is not the game you are looking for. You can go about your business. Move along... move along.

[Strazos]

People still care about FMVs?

[caladein]

I actually dislike it when the protagonist can be changed nowdays.

I think it can work well (see: Master Chief or maybe Persona 3), but in RPGs, yes, every time the voice-overs have to do grammatical backflips, it really detracts from things. FF12 also had a fixed protagonist/POV, but it was basically an ensemble cast, so I don't know how applicable that is to Mass Effect.

As for visually being able to tweak the character, I love that stuff (the only "FMVs" I've liked recently have been Persona 3's). I guess Mass Effect is getting around that by calling you Shepard, avoiding the need for any cringe-inducing grammatical jujitsu.

Bring on the ass slider!

[rk47]

hmm i wonder when are we gonna get a robo-voice to just pronouce our names. 'Commander *in Terminator style tone* Asshole *return to normal voice actor* we have a problem'

[Velorath]

Console games suck.

I'm glad you could finally just come out and say it.  Now get the fuck out of a topic about a console game.