Mass Effect 4 protagonist...

[Agayek]

Well, duh, there is only one answer here - a volus adept. The only thing that can measure up to commander Shepard is a biotic god.

This man(?) speaks the truth. We should all listen to him and maybe absorb some of his wisdom.

 

[Mister K]

Nah I say they should go Dragon Age Origins style and let you choose a race and class with their own tailor made backstories.

Maybe it should be like this: you play as one of the refugees from defeated planets (Earth, Palaven, Thessia, etc.). The story takes place after victory over the Reapers and your character plays a huge (or minor, but important) role in forming post-war galaxy by, for example, becoming a member of the council, or the biggest "Big Boss" of the criminal world.
Oh, yeah your carrier choice does not affect your morality: you can become a Robin Hood crossed with Vito Corleone or a corrupt poltitian.

 

[JediMB]

I could go for either a Dragon Age: Origins approach (i.e. a traditional cRPG approach), or maybe something like Eternal Darkness (where you play as many different characters from various eras).

 

[Fappy]

DAO style would be the way to go imo. I am a bit confused though... if they plan to keep the same combat style in ME4 how the fuck do they expect someone without super-awesome commando training to do what Shepard does? Maybe they'll scale down the combat/set-pieces to make it more believable?

Fuck. Who am I kidding?

 

[Fappy]

DAO style would be the way to go imo. I am a bit confused though... if they plan to keep the same combat style in ME4 how the fuck do they expect someone without super-awesome commando training to do what Shepard does? Maybe they'll scale down the combat/set-pieces to make it more believable?

Fuck. Who am I kidding?

Yay! Fappy's here! Because everybody knows ME is not ME without fapping. (JK JK!)


By the way what's with the new avatar?

Is it a Brovenger thing?

Well I was caught in the middle of the ME3 ending debate here in the forums back in the day. I posted in nearly every thread about it. Oh lord... I'm glad that's over.

As for the avatar: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.391818-The-Daystar-Day-Thread

 

[Roofstone]

Nah I say they should go Dragon Age Origins style and let you choose a race and class with their own tailor made backstories.

I am with you, silent protagonists are fine to me. It means I get to give them whatever voice I want in my head! That and I wanna play a peace loving, flower picking krogan.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I think whatever they do they should set the story at least 100-150 years after Shephard dies. That way you can still have some characters from the first trilogy around, like Liara and Wrex (I'm pretty sure I remember krogans living that long, maybe not).

That way you can really see how the galaxy's changed and how different places revere the Legend of Shepard, but it's not so far into the future you don't recognize the galaxy.

I'd assume they'd have you import your ME3 save to follow how you handled the Reapers. Of course, for the default story, they'd have to pick one of the options, which would probably incite fan rage. Again.

 

[Judgment90]

I say they do something like DA: Origins, and pick the backstory as well as the race of the character.

I really want to play as a Krogan, or a Turian, or one of those large, dull guys (forgot the race name)

 

[The_Waspman]

I've been saying for years that I'd love to play as a Quarian on his/her pilgrimage. It doesn't have to be some big, bombastic epic. I hate it when people say, "How can you get bigger than a Reaper invasion?". You don't have to.

I'd love it to be an Asari Ardat-Yakshi. It'd be an interesting turn of events, considering those who aren't conforming to the law are usually on the run.

See, now I really like these ideas. I mean, I know there is absolutely zero chance of this ever happening, because it wouldn't be profitable, but how about having an anthology game? You dont need a massive overarching story. Just have a whole bunch of different episodes that could possibly overlap.

This could actually keep more fans happy. You want to play as a quarian? There's a story for you. Want to play as an Ardat-Yakshi? Yup, we've got you covered. Want to play as a hanar, an elcor, or a varren, sure, we've got stories for all of you. It gives players the chance to play smaller more personal stories against the backdrop of this larger universe, and it also allows us to explore more varied places.

It could also take into account the choices you've made throughout the course of the trilogy.

Of course, this is EA we're talking about here, so they'd release a few very basic storylines, and you'd have to buy the rest as dlc...

Remember that forgettable, no-necked, fauxhawked dump-truck that was forced into your squad in ME3? What was his name again? Tank, or Brick, or Toughguy or some shit? Welcome to Bioware's future.

Brick? Sure. We can have a Mass Effect/Borderlands crossover! Having Lilith team up with Liara to take people down super biotic style would be awesome. And after a hard day of tearing people apart at a molecular level, they can retire home, and Liara can regale Lilith with stories of Shepard, as they lie entwined in bed together...

Hmm, that took a weird turn. Sounds kinda fan fictiony. I, uh, I gotta go...

EDIT:

Either that or a hot asari lesbian stripper, who is about to be forced into unwanted marriage to Hanari priest by her mother.

Scratch all that. Just this. Bioware, just do this. For 40 hours. I'd buy it.

 

[AnarchistFish]

They should go for a character completely unlike Sheperd. Unknown, brought up in the depths of Omega (or something) and trying to climb up that grimy, bloody ladder. An anti-hero. They should go for full grit. I'd buy that game.

They have.

Its called Star Wars: 1313

So getting that.

But I prefer the Mass Effect universe to the Star Wars one, and I think it'd work better there.

 

[KissmahArceus]

I want to play as Joker in flight school, in a Walking Dead style game. Use his wit like a weapon!!

 

[Driekan]

I'd prefer if they made spin-offs, allowing themselves more freedom to take unexpected angles within the Mass Effect universe - different genres, different views, different kinds of narratives. Of course, a lot of these would demand completely different teams and resources from what Bioware has available, but... Not like we're giving realistic suggestions anyway. Just make-believe.

I'd like a game where I play as a Justicar, with some investigating, a lot of biotics (Making them a system unto themselves, instead of a skill activated from a menu) and a serialized, mission-based narrative more akin to what Alpha Protocol got us.

Alternatively, I would be cool with playing a salarian special forces character in a similar set-up. That would probably be strongly lacking in the sexiness, though, so less likely.

A game with strategy elements where you play a Krogan trying to unify Tuchanka - maybe before the timeline of the games themselves, so you don't end up having to kill Wrex or anything.

A Spacesim where you pilot a fighter in one of the fighter-carriers that the human alliance is apparently famous for (But which I don't remember seeing much of).

A mercenary or smuggler or any other kind of outlaw, and a more openworld-ish bent, where you can follow a plot, or you can just go around making ends meet (Read: Firefly in ME galaxy).

Someone mentioned an Ardat-Yakshi game, and that might be cool - though certainly it would be a huge narrative challenge.

A Grand Strategy game where you play as leader of a group (or race) and try to lead them to prominence, prior to the events of ME1. Colonize worlds, negotiate treaties, seek protean relics.

A City Sim where you lead one of the human colonies close to the Terminus Systems - build your city, hire mercs or train a militia, keep yourself safe and thriving. Become the new Eden Prime.

I've been saying for years that I'd love to play as a Quarian on his/her pilgrimage. It doesn't have to be some big, bombastic epic. I hate it when people say, "How can you get bigger than a Reaper invasion?". You don't have to.

If someone made anything like this, I'd shove my money at them so forcefully they might die.

 

[Legion]

Nah I say they should go Dragon Age Origins style and let you choose a race and class with their own tailor made backstories.

Seeing as they couldn't even be bothered to do that to Dragon Age: Origins sequel, I doubt we will be seeing that level of effort on Bioware's part again.

 

[sunsetspawn]

1. Never compare a video game company to the fucking Nazis. I understand your point and I hate EA as much as you do, but for God's sake, calm yourself down.

Lighten up, I'm neither nuanced nor politically correct. The metaphor applies because EA management HAVE completely changed the atmosphere at Bioware studios, and I can think of at least one EA takeover that used a frivolous lawsuit to weaken the enemy, er, studio so it had no choice but to sell. This isn't a matter of, "ow shucks, Bioware just hasn't quite gotten the same magic out of their last few games, but they're probably pull it together for this next one," because it's no longer the same working environment. A game studio is like any other organization or business; the people at the top set the tone. It literally is EA's fault that ME2, ME3, DA2, and SWTOR are inferior products (DA:O was finished around the time of the hostile takeover... er, acquisition)

EA has destroyed plenty of studios, and if you look at their track record you would understand my ire.

2. Vega wasn't EA's fault. Bioware has had bad characters before. Remember Jacob "the Priiiiiize" Taylor? If they had just given less screentime to Liara and more to Vega and bothered to give him more of a backstory and a way to resolve it like with every single other character in the series, it would have been fine.

Jacob was EA's fault too. Not so much the traits of the character, but the rushed conditions under which the character was created.

I do agree that EA is almost certainly going to work their usual magic and make it as genericized and rushed as they possibly can. Making ME4 is a bad idea. The story Bioware set out to make at the very beginning is done. Nobody wants to continue this franchise anymore except for EA. Even if all the writers leave in protest, they'll just find new ones. Nobody plays Mass Effect for the gameplay alone, so risking the story aspect by tacking on unnecessary crap would be shooting themselves in the foot.

To be fair, the Mass Effect universe is beautiful and if done properly a new game could be great. "Could" being the operative word, and I guess I'm only saying that in light of the disappointments of 2 and, much more so, 3. I expected things to get even more like Star Control 2 (which was the inspiration for the wonder of the galactic exploration), but they turned out more like Call of Duty.

Maybe I'm just still waiting for a proper Star Control 3. And just so everyone's on board, here's a comparison pic...

and a little video


I wonder if that game is too old to be played nowadays. Anyway, if you LOVED the first Mass Effect then Star Control 2 would be right up your alley, I promise.

Oh, come on, Phlakes. Sunsetspawn's got a chip on his shoulder that might come from a somewhat defensible position, but I'm not as pessimistic as he is. Yes, BioWare is and forever will be stuck catering to the Dudebro camp for as long as EA wants to siphon the CoD crowd's precious, precious money. Despite James Vega and Diana Allers, ME3 was an enjoyable game. If you didn't want to deal with either of them, you didn't have to.

Pessimism comes from experience, and also, I just don't like my entertainment to be sub-par, and I will ***** about it when it is. You don't want to be in a room with me when someone brings up pop music.

And it isn't Tank and Boobs that bothered me really because I was, in fact, able to avoid them. The game just lost its spirit. It lost some in ME2, and more in ME3, and that still bugs me because I know where the series could have gone.

Anyone who complains is whining with a golden spoon firmly inset between molar and cheek.

Your passive aggressive name calling is noted.

The difference between us is that I'll call a spade a spade.

Prometheus stunk, the Star Wars prequels stunk, the ending to Battlestar Galactica stunk, and I'm not going to roll over on my opinions because people on the internet don't like it.

On a side note, Stargate Universe was actually pretty damn good, and THEY CANCELLED IT, so, you see where writing good sci-fi gets you. Dudebros for the win.