Mass Effect 3

[Falconeer]

Is DA:O so much better than DA2?

[Sjofn]

Nah, I like them both, it's just been longer since I've played DA:O and I had an odd twinge of "maybe I should play that again" the other day. It's also the Bioware game I have spent the most time with.


It ... it was a lot.

[Fordel]

It ... it was a lot.

 

[Sjofn]

I see the part of Rasix is being played by Fordel today. 

[Fordel]

It's his day off.

[Bunk]

Is DA:O so much better than DA2?

Totally different games in my opinion. DA2 I finished in a couple of weeks, and quite enjoyed it. Probably put around 40 hours in. Never really touched it again though.

DAO, I've restarted about seven times, made it through three of the first four "planets" three times, never completed the Dwarven area. Probably put close to 100 hours in, yet never finished the game. I attribute that to mostly loving the origin stories, but finding things slogged down the farther I got.

[tmp]

new trailer out

(see a boogeyman of the series failing to cope with an oversized bug a single human had murdered single-handedly and repeatedly both on foot and in vehicle with awful handling)

[Ingmar]

That was probably 10x the size of the ones we've seen before.

[tmp]

That reaper is way than 10x bigger than Shepard or Mako, too 

(hard to say how big the older bugs really are. They seem to spring up 3-4 stories high, but look like most is still underground when they do that)

[Stormwaltz]

That's a terrible trailer. Most of it is a barrage of images that make no sense out of context. The rest reduces Mass Effect from it's own unique bird to a cheeseball-SF version of Modern Warfare.

WTH, guys? WTH?

[lamaros]

Mass Effect has always been cheeseball SF with strong FPS elements...

[Merusk]

That's a terrible trailer. Most of it is a barrage of images that make no sense out of context. The rest reduces Mass Effect from it's own unique bird to a cheeseball-SF version of Modern Warfare.

WTH, guys? WTH?

FPS are hot and focus-test better with the 16-24 demographic?   

[UnSub]

Blowing those things up was the best part of Halo 3.

[Tannhauser]

From that video I've learned that the Reapers aren't that big a threat when a thresher maw can take one of their world killers.

I don't understand what Bioware was trying to do.  If they are trying to do CoD: ME then why show the thresher?  Show up close combat, not Shepard running for his life while fighters and a monster fight for him.

In short, it really cheapens the Reapers.

[tmp]

WTH, guys? WTH?

[Sjofn]

That's a terrible trailer. Most of it is a barrage of images that make no sense out of context. The rest reduces Mass Effect from it's own unique bird to a cheeseball-SF version of Modern Warfare.

WTH, guys? WTH?

BioWare's trailers are always shitty in that way, though. DA:O and DA2 both had X-TREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEME marketing, which for DA:O in particular was sort of hilarious once you actually played the game.

[jakonovski]

Mass Effect 3: the "Reapers"

Also

[Stormwaltz]

Mass Effect has always been cheeseball SF with strong FPS elements...

What disturbs me about what was shown is it seemed to dramatically increase the Modern Warfare / Uncharted 3 element of "this level is a scripted sequence set up to show off our level art and effects, please keep your avatar on the rail at all times." I hope that's an illusion based on editing choices.

And when I left it, Mass Effect still had a underpinning of what I called "drywall" SF. It seemed hard, so long as you didn't lean on it to heavily. I spent six months hashing out the technical base of the IP with the leads and the other writers to balance realism, game mechanical needs, and cinematic opportunities.

[Ratman_tf]

What disturbs me about what was shown is it seemed to dramatically increase the Modern Warfare / Uncharted 3 element of "this level is a scripted sequence set up to show off our level art and effects, please keep your avatar on the rail at all times." I hope that's an illusion based on editing choices.

We knew it was headed that way with ME2. Much as I loved it, the rails were very visible.

[tmp]

There's still a way to save it.

[Ingmar]

I'm nearly certain that's going to turn out to be some singular super thresher maw.

[Sjofn]

That Wrex raised from a pup. He orphaned it when he killed its mother during his Rite.

[Reg]

Another attempt at a bot?

[KallDrexx]

Newegg is allowing you to preorder for $48 using the promocode EMCYTZT1034

*edit* I believe that works for the console versions too.

[Merusk]

I was about to say "Steam or Nothing" then I remembered EA is being derpy and this will probably be Origin-only.   Guess it's "or nothing" then.   Thanks for the link anywho.

[bhodi]

And when I left it, Mass Effect still had a underpinning of what I called "drywall" SF. It seemed hard, so long as you didn't lean on it to heavily. I spent six months hashing out the technical base of the IP with the leads and the other writers to balance realism, game mechanical needs, and cinematic opportunities.

I suspect that was all discarded. Unless you're sitting in the meetings, beating people over the head with it, no one cares.

Which is a real shame, since a consistent world is critical for any other media spinoffs such as books/side games in the game world.

[TripleDES]

Ran across some news items about ME3 requiring Origin, for activation and runtime. Well, how fucking surprising. And apparently, it messes with Windows permissions and scans your shit.

Well, cue me being fucking surprised.

[K9]

Not that I was going to play this (didn't play two, I just don't seem to click with Bioware games); but that Origin stuff is bullshit.

[Reg]

Below are answers to the most commonly asked questions about Origin and Mass Effect 3. Thank you for your patience as we have worked to answer them.

1) Will Origin be a requirement to play all versions of Mass Effect 3? (Digital and/or from a retail brick and mortar store)
Yes, Origin is required for all PC editions of Mass Effect 3, physical or digital.

2) Is constant Origin connection required or is it a single one off authentication when the game is first installed. Is there also a limit to the number of installations available?
Mass Effect 3 will require a one time, single authorization for the single player game. There is no limit to the number of installs. Playing Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer will require a constant connection.

3) Is Origin required for the retail versions of the game?
Origin is required for the PC versions of Mass Effect 3, both physical and digital.

4) Will ME3 be available on Steam?
During initial release Mass Effect 3 will be available on Origin and a number of other 3rd party digital retailers, but not on Steam at this time. Steam has adopted a set of restrictive terms of service which limit how developers interact with customers to deliver patches and other downloadable content.  We are intent on providing Mass Effect to players with the best possible experience no matter where they purchase or play their game, and are happy to partner with any download service that does not restrict our ability to connect directly with our consumers.

5) Is there an opt in or opt out clause for data collection?
Users will be allowed to opt-out of Mass Effect 3 data collection from inside the game.

6) I’ve seen reports that Origin is spyware.  Is this true?
Origin is not spyware, and does not use or install spyware on user’s machines.  In order to allow Origin to install games and their patches for everyone to use, Origin implements a permission change that results in Windows, not Origin, reviewing the filenames in the ProgramData/Origin folder.   This is an ordinary Windows function, not an information-gathering process.

7) Has the Origin EULA been updated following recent questions in Germany?
The German Origin EULA has been updated.  For more information, please review the Origin EULA here: http://www.ea.com/1/product-eulas.

8) Is there a double-opt in for Mass Effect 3 marketing emails for German residents?
Yes, we always adhere to the German requirement of a double opt-in standard for marketing emails.  Mass Effect 3 users must opt-in twice to receive these emails.


I appreciate everyone's patience on this topic. Please continue to ask questions about Mass Effect 3 and Origin and I will continue to try to get the answers for you.

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/topic/323/index/8975536

So basically it seems that ME3 is going to require Origin exactly the same way Skyrim requires Steam.  A one time online activation, no install limiit and no need for an internet connection unless you're playing the multi-player part.

I don't see much to be indignant about here.

[luckton]

I don't care.  Origin can DIAF. 

[rk47]

Buy it. And download a torrent. 

[luckton]

I would rather have my money go to a company that actually cares:

A) About it's employees
B) About it's customers
C) About the PC gaming industry

...than a leeching corporate slob that EA is.  I don't care how much they 'claim' to clean up or polish Origin.  It's not just about how EA has a history of pants-on-head antics with electronic distribution.  It's about EA and their drive for money.  By buying through Steam, at least some of that money goes to Valve to keep things afloat.

Download a torrent.  

FTFY  

[HaemishM]

I don't see much to be indignant about here.

Other than Origin being a buggy piece of shit that does everything Steam does only worse, yeah, nothing worth worrying about. 

I bought BF3, run it fine at home, but for some reason, cannot get Origin to download or patch jack and shit on my work machine. Attempts to get help on their official help me forums have so far run into the great wall of fucking silence. In short, the Origin people are cunts who are pissed off at paying Steam for providing a good service, so want to punish their fans with a shittastic service that they get all the revenue from. Fuckers.

[Ingmar]

I would be sort of surprised if your workplace had the ports open that Origin needs, being as it is a workplace. But, then again, I don't know anything about where you work.

[HaemishM]

Well, the weirdest part is that the BF3 beta worked just fine with Origin, no changes required, no ports needed opening. Then I get the retail game and zip. I can't even download Dragon Age 1 or 2 that I bought during the Christmas sale. I've tried with and without the firewall, nada.