Suggestions/Ideas for Mass Effect 2

[RebelRising]

Interview:
http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/14235013/mass-effect-2/videos/bioware_inv_mass2_32709.html

GDC alpha footage:
http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24193
http://gamevideos.1up.com/video/id/24194
http://www.dagbladet.no/2009/03/29/kultur/spill/mass_effect/xbox_360/pc-spill/5518560/
(last one is longer and better quality, contains TWO videos, same content as first and second video listed here)

gttv extended interviews (includes content not shown in episode):
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47188.html
http://www.gametrailers.com/player/47190.html

This was copied from the Bioware forums, with thanks to Anexanhume for putting them all together.

* * *

I am quite looking forward to this game, as I'm sure a lot of you guys are as well. Let's talk about what we'd like to see in Mass Effect 2. I'll start us off.

More Reward/Incentive for Exploration: This, I think, is vital to an RPG. There should be good reasons for exploring beyond the shortest route to an objective. Bioware hit it on the mark on a few occasions, most notably the Prothean construct on Eletania, in which you are narrated through a scene of a human Neanderthal being observed, and later examined, by aliens (most likely Protheans studying them). It was a really intriguing little bit there, especially because I can see it being developed in the sequel and possibly playing into the main story. Although I would have preferred for it to be cutscene of some sort, it's still one of my favorite parts of the game. Outside of that, however, you are relegated to combing an area for rocks and Matriarch writings that you can't even read. Rare weapons, fleshed-out story elements, and such should encourage more exploration and taking the time to take in environments.

Special Items: This sort of ties into my previous point; while Fallout 3 is hardly the same sort of Role-Playing Game as Mass Effect, I though that one of the things they got down was having rare items or weaponry (an improved version of a regular gun, such as The Shocker or The Terrible Shotgun). To have more-powerful, exclusive weapons (that can't be bought or found randomly) would also help.

Keep Our Teammates from the First Game: If they aren't our teammates in Mass Effect 2 (though i doubt that, judging by some footage shown at GDC), at least let them play a significant part in the story. I think it's pretty much a given that Shepard will be alive (if not immediately obvious), so they should be present. I'm confident that they can work with the Kaiden/Ashley situation, as well as Wrex, but anyone that lived through the first game should be in the second game. If not, they should have a pretty good reason. I imagine that both Wrex (with the whole Genophage thing), and Tali (with the Flotilla thing), would return. I, personally, am holding out for Garrus.

Contribute!

 

[Simriel]

Don't kill my Shepard! I wanna still be Shepard. And more of the captain. And bring my team back!

 

[teisjm]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

So i guess my suggestion is to include something that'll get mentione apart from the sex

 

[RebelRising]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

Good lord...that's the only thing you've heard about it?

Excuse me while I go cry in a corner...

 

[Paragon Fury]

More side boob for controversy. Just so I can watch those idiots squirm so more when someone ith knowledge comes on and decimates them.

 

[teisjm]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

Good lord...that's the only thing you've heard about it?

Excuse me while I go cry in a corner...

Well at least it's 90% of what i hear or read about it... I know it's a sci-fi rpg with human on alien sex

 

[haruvister]

I'd like them to not ruin the next one with hideously unintuitive combat controls.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

So i guess my suggestion is to include something that'll get mentione apart from the sex

Good god...how is that the selling point? Honestly, Fox News fiasco aside, I've heard barely any mention of the sex. It really is a good game, the optional sex scene is only 40 seconds out of a 20-30 hour long epic.

Anyway, I think more variety in the side missions would be good, which they've said they're doing. Making a lot of obscure references to the first game (i.e, the shifty looking cow) would be good too.

Also, if they make Shepard die, then come back to life, I want whatever they used to bring him back to life used on Nihlus immediately. Seriously, they should have his corpse, no reason why not.

 

[Nostalgia]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

Good lord...that's the only thing you've heard about it?

Excuse me while I go cry in a corner...

Well at least it's 90% of what i hear or read about it... I know it's a sci-fi rpg with human on alien sex

Because it was controversial at a point and news groups made a huge stink about it. Of course that's going to be flinged around a lot.
Read an actual review.

 

[teisjm]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

So i guess my suggestion is to include something that'll get mentione apart from the sex

Good god...how is that the selling point? Honestly, Fox News fiasco aside, I've heard barely any mention of the sex. It really is a good game, the optional sex scene is only 40 seconds out of a 20-30 hour long epic.

not saying it's a bad game, or trying to flame it, just saying that when it's brought up n the internet most people i've seen has most often referenced it in context to games with sex.

a little off topic, has aliens been rule 34'd yet?

 

[JohnSmith]

could i perhaps have some form of small gun turret on the front of the tank since you can't angle the turret below horizontal. Also how about not making the later ammunition types less good than the earlier ones, this happened because the earlier types had straight percentage bonuses with no drawbacks unlike the later ones.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

So i guess my suggestion is to include something that'll get mentione apart from the sex

Good god...how is that the selling point? Honestly, Fox News fiasco aside, I've heard barely any mention of the sex. It really is a good game, the optional sex scene is only 40 seconds out of a 20-30 hour long epic.

not saying it's a bad game, or trying to flame it, just saying that when it's brought up n the internet most people i've seen has most often referenced it in context to games with sex.

a little off topic, has aliens been rule 34'd yet?

I understand. Just read some reviews, Xplay actually did an alright one before they got bad, check it out.

Oh, and yes. It's Rule 34, that means everything.

 

[letsnoobtehpwns]

Just make it not suck. It's that easy.

 

[Vrex360]

Seriously it better work like an expansion or something, so that everything I did in the first game has impact on the sequel. For instance in my version Wrex lived and became Shepard's best buddy, I want to see him come back.
In my version I saved the council and humanity joined the council, I wanna see that too.
In my version I saved the Rachni from extinction, I want closure on that.
Finally Ash was my late night lover in the first game and I kind of want to see that continue.

Basically I want to think my choices from the first game made an impact on the second one. Shepard really better not die either, without him I don't see how I can have fun in the sequel.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Seriously it better work like an expansion or something, so that everything I did in the first game has impact on the sequel. For instance in my version Wrex lived and became Shepard's best buddy, I want to see him come back.
In my version I saved the council and humanity joined the council, I wanna see that too.
In my version I saved the Rachni from extinction, I want closure on that.
Finally Ash was my late night lover in the first game and I kind of want to see that continue.

Basically I want to think my choices from the first game made an impact on the second one. Shepard really better not die either, without him I don't see how I can have fun in the sequel.

They've claimed that all your choices from the first game will have an impact on ME2 through imported saves. Still, if Molyneax(sp?) has taught us anything...

 

[Vrex360]

More side boob for controversy. Just so I can watch those idiots squirm so more when someone ith knowledge comes on and decimates them.

Yeah, if they want to REALLY piss fox off, have the OPENING scene of Mass Effect 2 have a tit shot, and have a subliminal message between Shepard and the female character with the tit shot saying hopw Fox news are total wimps who condemn anything.
THAT would be funny.

 

[teisjm]

Haven't played mass effect myself... i just have a hard time believing a game is good when the only thing i hear about it is "it has tEH sexxorz"... I'm not against sexual content in games, but if it's the selling point i'm just gonna go find some rfee internet porn instead tbh

So i guess my suggestion is to include something that'll get mentione apart from the sex

Good god...how is that the selling point? Honestly, Fox News fiasco aside, I've heard barely any mention of the sex. It really is a good game, the optional sex scene is only 40 seconds out of a 20-30 hour long epic.

not saying it's a bad game, or trying to flame it, just saying that when it's brought up n the internet most people i've seen has most often referenced it in context to games with sex.

a little off topic, has aliens been rule 34'd yet?

I understand. Just read some reviews, Xplay actually did an alright one before they got bad, check it out.

Oh, and yes. It's Rule 34, that means everything.

Aliens gangbang predators, gives a while new meaning to the term horror movies

 

[Vrex360]

Seriously it better work like an expansion or something, so that everything I did in the first game has impact on the sequel. For instance in my version Wrex lived and became Shepard's best buddy, I want to see him come back.
In my version I saved the council and humanity joined the council, I wanna see that too.
In my version I saved the Rachni from extinction, I want closure on that.
Finally Ash was my late night lover in the first game and I kind of want to see that continue.

Basically I want to think my choices from the first game made an impact on the second one. Shepard really better not die either, without him I don't see how I can have fun in the sequel.

They've claimed that all your choices from the first game will have an impact on ME2 through imported saves. Still, if Molyneax(sp?) has taught us anything...

Yeah... don't hope too hard I guess.
There's no such thing as magical pixy dust in the game world.

 

[Avatar Roku]

Seriously it better work like an expansion or something, so that everything I did in the first game has impact on the sequel. For instance in my version Wrex lived and became Shepard's best buddy, I want to see him come back.
In my version I saved the council and humanity joined the council, I wanna see that too.
In my version I saved the Rachni from extinction, I want closure on that.
Finally Ash was my late night lover in the first game and I kind of want to see that continue.

Basically I want to think my choices from the first game made an impact on the second one. Shepard really better not die either, without him I don't see how I can have fun in the sequel.

They've claimed that all your choices from the first game will have an impact on ME2 through imported saves. Still, if Molyneax(sp?) has taught us anything...

Yeah... don't hope too hard I guess.
There's no such thing as magical pixy dust in the game world.

Yeah. Still, by the time it comes out (assuming it sticks to it's timetable) they'll have been working on it for 3 years (more, actually, since they claimed to have started working on it before the original even shipped). If such a system is feasible, chances are they've found it.

 

[JMeganSnow]

I could write thirty pages, easily, of recommendations for this game, but I'll condense them into essentials for the sake of brevity:

1. NEW MAIN CHARACTER--this should go without saying, in fact, the gameplay needs a rebuild from the ground up starting with the main character. What I would personally REALLY like to see is Bioware introduce another character with a significantly different background (a civilian trader, I think, would work best with what I anticipate the plot being about). I'd like to see a completely different set of classes and skill sets oriented around this theme. I'd also like to see this middle game revolve more around solving puzzles and less around shooting things up--maybe only have a single type of weapon available for the main character but a lot of interesting skill and puzzle-related options as would be appropriate for a civilian. I also think it would be quite neat if your character in the 1st game became an NPC in the 2nd game, finishing up in the projected third game with your first two characters as NPC's and forming your three-person team for the Grand Finale. Which is why I think having dramatically different skill sets for the games would be Awesome, because you could end up with some seriously interesting combos in the final game.

2. SHIP TO SHIP COMBAT--If you have a cool spaceship, there should be a ship-to-ship combat mini-game. THIS SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING. This would work quite well if your character in the 2nd game is a civvy and hence the pilot of his/her own ship, which could result in some fun convos with Joker and maybe some friendly (or unfriendly, depending) competition.

3. MODS FOR THE SHIP and/or MAKO--Everyone loves pimping their ride.

4. GEAR THAT IS ACTUALLY INTERESTING AND CAN BE UNEQUIPPED SO YOU AREN'T CARRYING 3 SUPERFLUOUS WEAPONS YOU NEVER USE AND THE NPC'S STOP SWITCHING TO WEAPONS THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE PROPERLY--self explanatory

5. NO QUESTS THAT ARE BASICALLY BIG POINTLESS SCAVENGER HUNTS

6. STOP TELLING ME WHERE I NEED TO GO TO DO THE MAIN PLOT SO I CAN ENJOY EXPLORING AND FIGURING IT OUT FOR MYSELF--every time you would logically need to figure something out in the first game (how to get evidence to indict Saren, where to go to LOOK for Saren) they told you right where to go so there was no possible legitimate reason other than completism why you would wander around and do side-quests. MUCH better to have told you, say, "we need X so you're just going to have to go look for it on your own". Then, each time you completed a side-quest, you could get some minor info about Saren's operations that would at least add to the story and make you feel like you were accomplishing something by all this exploring. The people who just want to skip the sidequests can buy the guidebook or use Google to figure out exactly where to go.

7. NO AUTO-SCALING OF ENEMIES--I know it can suck to accidentally jump into more enemies than you can handle, but it ALSO sucks to have the same constant level of Moderate challenge throughout the game with very little variation. I think it's better to have the enemies be the same toughness regardless of what level you are and let you pick up from clues how tough an area is going to be. This also gives more legitimacy to the side quests because you need CASH to get good gear to tackle the big stuff.

8. MORE INTERESTING NPC'S ABILITIES-WISE--If you are going to have more NPC allies than party slots, the game should FORCE you to take certain characters along at certain times. Even more fun would be a setup as in KotOR where occasionally two or three of your party members run off and you control them without the benefit of your primary character. This would make managing the multiple characters a lot more interesting and complex. All characters should also have unique abilities that are not available to the primary character. You should also have periodic chances to SOLO as your primary character. Always having an entourage can be a downer and variety is always more fun.

9. ALL BACKGROUND INFO INTEGRATED INTO THE GAME INSTEAD OF DELIVERED IN MULTI-PAGE CODEX ENTRIES--A game should not incorporate an encyclopedia. That is just bad writing.

Okay, okay, that's enough. I've clearly been spending way too much time on this idea.