Mass Effect 3

[Yegolev]

One of the editors - an enthusiastic gamer but a complete novice with shooters - was used to test ME2's difficulty for casual players. When she died multiple times in the tutorial (a feat the designers had convinced themselves was impossible), she attracted a crowd of very unhappy looking senior designers behind her, jotting down notes on all the things that tripped her up.

I cannot fathom how this could be possible unless the editor was someone's grandmother.

[rk47]

  I thought TOR had good rep amongst disabled gamers or something?

AbleGamers praised SWTOR for "many accessibility options such as full subtitles, queue-able actions, multiple action bars, area looting, auto looting, and built-in mouse sensitivity." Other global design traits included the way characters face the enemy they're engaging, full control through the keyboard or mouse and, near and dear to my heart (or eyes), a colorblind-friendly minimap.

[HaemishM]

You might figure that if you play enough games you would get pretty good at them and also understand them

I am living proof this is not the case in the slightest. 

[Simond]

Not mentioning the details (and don't mention the details btw), but is that leaked script of ME3 seriously true? Because goddamn it's fucking bad.

Given the speed and viciousness which EA cracked down on it plus the frantic denials from Bioware saying "It's an early draft! Honest..." then all signs point to yes.

[Fabricated]

Not mentioning the details (and don't mention the details btw), but is that leaked script of ME3 seriously true? Because goddamn it's fucking bad.

Given the speed and viciousness which EA cracked down on it plus the frantic denials from Bioware saying "It's an early draft! Honest..." then all signs point to yes.

Hahahah, wow. Are you sure you weren't the only writer at Bioware that wasn't a hack Stormwaltz? Did they start putting something in the water?

[eldaec]

Not mentioning the details (and don't mention the details btw), but is that leaked script of ME3 seriously true? Because goddamn it's fucking bad.

Given the speed and viciousness which EA cracked down on it plus the frantic denials from Bioware saying "It's an early draft! Honest..." then all signs point to yes.

Something I find fascinating is the number of people still differentiating between EA and bioware, as if bioware's output didn't change dramatically (for better or worse) after DAO and ME1, and as if they in some way operate as separate body corporates.

[Merusk]

All the studios of the past I can think of received the same treatment until fully assimilated and dissolved into the different hierarchies of EA along with the retirement of the company logo.

[eldaec]

Possibly I wasn't paying as much attention.

[Reg]

Bioware is doomed of course but it won't really be gone until the founders leave their positions at EA and they're forced to release a couple of truly awful games.  If they're lucky they'll last as long as Maxis did.

[Rasix]

Not sure if green. 

[Reg]

Hah, no it wasn't green. I really do think that the worst effects of being taken over by EA haven't been felt yet at Bioware.  There are too many of the original staff still around. When EA makes itself obnoxious enough Zeschuk and Muzyka will take their millions of dollars and leave and that'll be the end.

I'm sure some would argue that EA has already forced them to release crappy, unfinished games.  I disagree.  I didn't like DA2 as much as DA1 but I still got like 3 playthroughs out of it.

[Ingmar]

I don't think the quality of the writing changed between DA:O and DA2 or ME1 and ME2 either. Remains to be seen with ME3 of course.

[Velorath]

Not mentioning the details (and don't mention the details btw), but is that leaked script of ME3 seriously true? Because goddamn it's fucking bad.

Given the speed and viciousness which EA cracked down on it plus the frantic denials from Bioware saying "It's an early draft! Honest..." then all signs point to yes.

Something I find fascinating is the number of people still differentiating between EA and bioware, as if bioware's output didn't change dramatically (for better or worse) after DAO and ME1, and as if they in some way operate as separate body corporates.

It's a knee-jerk reaction to say that's all EA's doing.  I'd say a bigger factor was Ohlen moving to the Austin team to do SWTOR given that he was the lead on most of Bioware's earlier stuff.  Beyond that, how many studios have had a consistently high quality output over a long period of time?  These things just change naturally as people come and go.

[tmp]

I don't think the quality of the writing changed between DA:O and DA2 or ME1 and ME2 either. Remains to be seen with ME3 of course.

There seems to be some shift of focus between these respective titles, which resulted in more lukewarm final experience, to me -- if i had to dare a guess (based on various lead devs comments and whatnot) it's like they've convinced themselves (in part as result of feedback) that "companions is something we do really well, that's what our fans love so that's what they want/need more of first and foremost", and --combined with tighter schedules-- there's less attention paid to to how overall plot plays out as the result, which leaves said plot lacking. And their companions even with that extra attention aren't really that interesting to carry the game themselves.

[Stormwaltz]

The backchatter I was privy to suggested that some parts were reasonably current (at the time of the leak), and other parts were long-superseded drafts. I have no idea what was what. I didn't read the leaks myself, so I can't even venture a guess.

BioWare's development processes are collaborative and iterative. Nothing is good the first time. Nothing. Not the combat, not the dialogue, not the UI, not the plot. Over the weekend I found an ancient synopsis of Mass Effect 1 on my hard drive. I was one of the first 15 or so people on the team, it dated from when I got there. It was two pages, and while the basic shape of the final game was there, it was cheesy as hell. A lot more melodrama, a lot more Star Warsy prophesy and magic nonsense.

You sketch it out on paper, throw it into the shark tank of peer and lead review, and you knit the shreds back into something better, stronger, and faster. Repeat as necessary. And these days, I guess, you hope the internets don't dig up the corpses in your backyard.

In two months we can see how close the final product is. Personally I still hope to see the geth show up in a godawful powerful, singularity-chucking Dyson Sphere and save the Migrant Fleet from a Reaper attack. "The creators are under our protection. You will withdraw." (I too have urges to create melodrama...)

I'd say a bigger factor was Ohlen moving to the Austin team to do SWTOR given that he was the lead on most of Bioware's earlier stuff.

There might be something to that. I remember James as the harshest critic of my work. He definitely had a style he preferred, and he was more amenable to excessively complicated plots (there's a legend about him sealing himself in his office for a week with a sign on the door saying something to the effect of, "Yes, Jaheira's romance is broken. Don't bother me, I'm fixing it"). When my early DA stuff went to him for review I'd be sweating, and when he liked it I didn't quite believe it.

Of course, this may have just been tough love to quickly break me into the house style.

[koro]

"Yes, Jaheira's romance is broken. Don't bother me, I'm fixing it"

Well we all know how that one ended up! 

[Ratman_tf]

I don't think the quality of the writing changed between DA:O and DA2 or ME1 and ME2 either. Remains to be seen with ME3 of course.

I think there was a definite change in tone. If I had to describe it, ME1 was sci-fi with some action in it, and ME2 was action with some sci-fi in it.

[Ingmar]

I think that's just a matter of them having gotten all the universe background exposition out of the way in 1.

[Simond]

I don't think the quality of the writing changed between DA:O and DA2

[Ingmar]

Whatever, Spelljammer-lover.

[Fabricated]

I just saw some pictures from the ME3 artbook and it confirmed something I heard. Ahahahahah, it's so bad. It's so, so bad. Literally execute the writers or the executives or whatever responsible.

[Simond]

Whatever, Spelljammer-lover.

E: I would pay real money for Obsidian to make a Spelljammer RPG.

[UnSub]

There is possibly an issue with BioWare diluting the main story with too many companions. Especially companions with storylines that don't quite fit with the main narrative.

There's also perhaps a problem of BioWare adhering too much to a house style and not enough in the way of 'new voices' coming through.

But we'll see when ME3 comes out how well BioWare finishes what they started.

[Lakov_Sanite]

Can someone link to said "terrible plot" because while I loved 1 and 2, 2 started going in a direction I wasn't happyt with so 3 is a bargain purchase months away from release, so I don't mind spoiling myself.

[calapine]

http://forums.gamertheory.com/general-gaming-discussion/mass-effect-3-plot-details-leaked-(massive-spoilers-you-have-been-warned)/

[koro]

I just saw some pictures from the ME3 artbook and it confirmed something I heard. Ahahahahah, it's so bad. It's so, so bad. Literally execute the writers or the executives or whatever responsible.

Without you even saying it, I know exactly what it is. It is the worst.

[Yegolev]

E: I would pay real money for Obsidian to make a Spelljammer RPG.

Match made in heaven, I guess.

[Simond]

Black Isle/Obsidian games: Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale series, KOTOR2, Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas. So yeah, it'd be awesome.

E: http://kotaku.com/5878284/mass-effect-will-set-a-record-for-most-expensive-dlc
I wonder how many people will buy these, use the code and throw the doll action figure away?

[tmp]

E: http://kotaku.com/5878284/mass-effect-will-set-a-record-for-most-expensive-dlc
I wonder how many people will buy these, use the code and throw the doll action figure away?

The best part of these figures is, supposedly the codes that come with them give randomized results. So even if you "catch them all" you aren't actually guaranteed to get all the DLC.

They've effectively attempted to implement RPG loot drops in RL, that you pay for with real money.

Wonder if it doesn't fall under lottery laws in some manner.

[Merusk]

Not yet. Get your money now, then buy a senator to extend the haul.

[caladein]

Black Isle/Obsidian games: Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale series, KOTOR2, Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas. So yeah, it'd be awesome.

Assuming you could get it to run for more than 45 seconds .

[Yegolev]

Black Isle/Obsidian games: Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Icewind Dale series, KOTOR2, Alpha Protocol, Fallout: New Vegas. So yeah, it'd be awesome.

KotOR2 was not awesome.  Black Isle, sure, but Obsidian not as much.

[Ingmar]

KOTOR2 was like 98% awesome. (And 2% non existent unfortunately.)

[TheWalrus]

What he said. I was really pleased with K2 until the ending that didn't happen. Friday must have come early.

[Sjofn]

I remember Ingmar and I (I was watching him play through it, this was before I was capable of finishing that sort of RPG myself) both being completely baffled at how the whole thing completely came apart at the end. Very weird.