Mass Effect 3 Party Members: A Step Backwards?

[GartarkMusik]

In my opinion, a smaller squad leads to greater characterization. Just look at Star Wars: RC, it was only a squad of four, and they all had unique and fleshed out personalities. I'm really hoping the give the new human (James Vega, I think?) a decent character arc.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Legion is going to have a much bigger role.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was a team member.

 

[Undead Dragon King]

Legion is going to have a much bigger role.

I wouldn't be surprised if he was a team member.

As much as I would like to have Legion on the team, from a gameplay perspective, I'm not so sure. Legion's skills were almost completely identical to Tali's in ME2, even if he was more of a ranged fighter. It was alright while there were 10+ people on the team. Now with 6, I think we need to go back to the traditional ME1 format of everyone having a specific set of skills to bring to the team. Even if Legion's skills were revamped, I think they would still be too similar to Tali's.

 

[JamesStone]

Wait, wait, WAIT. SIX? ARE YOU FUCKING SHITING ME? Did Bioware already confirmed it? I am really expecting that they suprise us, something like: "No, no, what we actually ment is that you have to have 6, but the rest depends on you, you can choose your characters", because if this is true, I just lost most of my hype for this game. The ME2 characters don´t even need much more characterization, that´s one of the reasons Loyalty missions existed, to characterize the fucking squad members (I liked Miranda a lot more after doing her loyalty mission)

This.. is... just...

Hey, wait a minute. After ME1, 5 members survived, Wrex, Liara, Kaidan/Ashley, Tali and Garrus.

If we take Wrex, Tali and Garrus (because they can die), and add James Vega (the new ME3 member), some other prick, and the mandatory 2 companions required to avoid the death of our Shepard in the suicide mission, we get 6 squad members. I´m begging for this, or something like that to be the surprise, plus one or two temporary squad members. If it is, I´ll be proud of Bioware. If it isn´t, and it is true that after all our trouble in ME2, after some players (like me) spend multiple playtroughs perfecting it all so in Mass Effect 3 we could have the most badass team in the history of the universe, for then Bioware lack the guts to keep their highly varied, cool and mostly likeable (in my opinion) characters in ME2 just to please the horde of "ME1-lovers ME2-haters" fans who demand that everyone forget ME2 companions and get the "olde team" back with one or two exceptions (I´ve met at least 3), then I will be very, very disapointted.


Of course, the game isn´t out yet, and I have faith that Bioware will do something that will please both parts, or at least present a new, pleasent and surprising ideia, because, let´s face it, they deserved it. (Dragon Age 2 can go wait outside, they must have learned with their mistake, right? ...right?)

 

[neonsword13-ops]

So, We get Mordin and Garrus.

What about Thane? Or has he died from his illness? I sure hope not, I really connected with that guy.

 

[General BrEeZy]

if we still get to fight with them, im good. but if not; lame i say!

but thats too bad for me, ME3 will rock im sure! i have no worries.

 

[Decamper]

http://social.bioware.com/forum/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect-3-General-Discussion/ME3-Known-Features-Updated-16th-June-2011-Several-new-information-added-7649262-1.html

Everything that's known for sure is in there.
You guys worry too much.

 

[ImprovizoR]

I think it's better to have a smaller team. That way writers can dedicate their attention to those characters. All I care about is having Garrus around for one last fight! And then at least 5 more fights in next 5 playthroughs. And having everyone around at some point in the game is kinda epic. Mass Effect is so great.

 

[OmniscientOstrich]

If they died in ME2 they won't be back in the next one. That's all that has been confirmed so far, as much as I can see.

However, my fears may be unfounded, since while writing this I forgot about the suicide mission. What if Garrus or Tali were killed? Who would replace them to fill up the six party slots?

Exactly people seem to be making unfounded claims based on very meagre and vague information about the game, wait till a clear and substantial announcement has been made. Then make judgements, I'm sure Bioware have prepared for the event that most of the cast dying in the suicide mission otherwise they wouldn't have advertised so much as a selling point. I'm looking forward to see what they do, if they half-ass it I'm going to be pissed but right now there is really nothing to go on and people are reading way too much into the very little information we've been given.

 

[MarsProbe]

I've not really been keeping up on the squadmates that will be included in ME3, besides trying to think of some way in which that new male human character they introduced a while back migt seem interesting. So far: no luck.

One thing that got me a bit worried about Mass Effect 3 was in one of the interviews with [Dr] Ray Muzyka that was up on XBL. It wasn't really the part where he announced that ME3 was really just the beginning of another story in the Mass Effect universe about this big galactic war, it was more the part where he said that Mass Effect 3 was on Earth. Maybe I'm settng the alarm bells ringing a little too early here, but they never said that Mass Effect took place on Feros, or that ME2 was "on Illium".

I know I'm quite keen in seeing what Earth looks like in Mass Effects version of the future but I don't exactly cherish the thought of an entire Mass Effect game being set on a single planet. I'm sure they'll soon release some shiny footage of the Hanar/Drell homeworld or some such place, and I'll be able to rest easy. Hopefully.

Edit:

You will be able to punch the reporter again. [115]

Scratch that, I'm happy. Roll on ME3 !

 

[Stalydan]

Because they were going for a more "personal" team ... I'm just glad we still have Garrus and Tali, but I woud've preffered if every character from Mass Effect 1 & 2 could be on your team ... I miss Wrex

Why are you me and where can we meet to discuss how we both play Mass Effect?

Because hell yes! ME1 it was Tali and Wrex on my team and then on ME2 I was thinking "Grunt will probably be my new Wrex". Wrong. No biotic powers, no place on my team. If I needed any biotics then I chose Mordin. So Garrus became my new backup because he's really awesome. Unless I really needed a Sniper team then I just got Legion and Thane (minor biotics)

 

[FFHAuthor]

http://social.bioware.com/forum/Mass-Effect-3/Mass-Effect-3-General-Discussion/ME3-Known-Features-Updated-16th-June-2011-Several-new-information-added-7649262-1.html

Everything that's known for sure is in there.
You guys worry too much.

They put "more accurate handshakes" as a known feature to be included.

What?

Did I miss out on the legions of fans outrage about the inaccurate shaking of hands? How it just seemed wrong the way Shepard did it and it shattered players immersion in the game to the degree that gamers were horrified and disgusted with such a flagrant oversight in game play? Am I alone the single person who did care...or even notice?

[end amused statement]

 

[Da Orky Man]

Hey, as long as I've got Garrus and Tali, I'm happy. The others are just bonuses.

 

[Souplex]

I personally don't think they should bring back Garrus and Tali, as I'd like to have other Turians, and Quarians, plus Tali is horrible.

 

[Simeon Ivanov]

Because they were going for a more "personal" team ... I'm just glad we still have Garrus and Tali, but I woud've preffered if every character from Mass Effect 1 & 2 could be on your team ... I miss Wrex

Why are you me and where can we meet to discuss how we both play Mass Effect?

Because hell yes! ME1 it was Tali and Wrex on my team and then on ME2 I was thinking "Grunt will probably be my new Wrex". Wrong. No biotic powers, no place on my team. If I needed any biotics then I chose Mordin. So Garrus became my new backup because he's really awesome. Unless I really needed a Sniper team then I just got Legion and Thane (minor biotics)

I'm ... in Bulgaria dude xD I doubt we can meet in person, but hey! We have the internetz for that!. In ME1 I always used Wrex because he's just so awesome (and had took a crapload of bullets for me) and Tali or Garrus (Garrus most of the time because I needed a long-range sniper). In ME2 I always brought Tali and Garrus/Thane. And yeah, Grunt is kinda ... not-Wrex-y ...

 

[RYjet911]

I've not really been keeping up on the squadmates that will be included in ME3, besides trying to think of some way in which that new male human character they introduced a while back migt seem interesting. So far: no luck.

One thing that got me a bit worried about Mass Effect 3 was in one of the interviews with [Dr] Ray Muzyka that was up on XBL. It wasn't really the part where he announced that ME3 was really just the beginning of another story in the Mass Effect universe about this big galactic war, it was more the part where he said that Mass Effect 3 was on Earth. Maybe I'm settng the alarm bells ringing a little too early here, but they never said that Mass Effect took place on Feros, or that ME2 was "on Illium".

I know I'm quite keen in seeing what Earth looks like in Mass Effects version of the future but I don't exactly cherish the thought of an entire Mass Effect game being set on a single planet. I'm sure they'll soon release some shiny footage of the Hanar/Drell homeworld or some such place, and I'll be able to rest easy. Hopefully.

As far as I know from the ME wiki, homeworlds of various races will be visited in the game, including Earth, Rannoch (Quarian), Sur'Kesh (Salarian), Palaven (Turian), Tuchanka (Krogan) and Thessia (Asari). So don't worry, it shouldn't be largely set on Earth at all. :3

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I've not really been keeping up on the squadmates that will be included in ME3, besides trying to think of some way in which that new male human character they introduced a while back migt seem interesting. So far: no luck.

One thing that got me a bit worried about Mass Effect 3 was in one of the interviews with [Dr] Ray Muzyka that was up on XBL. It wasn't really the part where he announced that ME3 was really just the beginning of another story in the Mass Effect universe about this big galactic war, it was more the part where he said that Mass Effect 3 was on Earth. Maybe I'm settng the alarm bells ringing a little too early here, but they never said that Mass Effect took place on Feros, or that ME2 was "on Illium".

I know I'm quite keen in seeing what Earth looks like in Mass Effects version of the future but I don't exactly cherish the thought of an entire Mass Effect game being set on a single planet. I'm sure they'll soon release some shiny footage of the Hanar/Drell homeworld or some such place, and I'll be able to rest easy. Hopefully.

As far as I know from the ME wiki, homeworlds of various races will be visited in the game, including Earth, Rannoch (Quarian), Sur'Kesh (Salarian), Palaven (Turian), Tuchanka (Krogan) and Thessia (Asari). So don't worry, it shouldn't be largely set on Earth at all. :3

I say Earth should be blown up anyways. It'd be a nice change of pace from saving the world.

 

[Xaositect]

Mass Effect 2s squad wasnt very good to be honest. They went for quantity over quality. People who say they are better developed are just plain wrong.

We are talking about the same squad where there were constant complaints for things like "calibrations".

Honestly, the ME2 squad was a bit of a holdover gimmick. The ME3 squad isnt being chosen for the same reasons.

I played ME2 and only really liked Mordin and Samara. Im afraid if anyone has a problem with the ME3 squad, like I got told with ME2, its just tough.

Im really happy with the way the squad is shaping up for ME3, and the things they say they are doing. One of the few areas Im 100% positive about. Even this James Vega guy intrigues me now Ive heard his voice actor is a big secret.

 

[DestinyDriven]

If Legion isn't a team member with a bigger part to play than in ME2, I will rage so hard. :x