Author Topic: Mass Effect Andromeda (Read 28959 times)

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #60 on:** February 17, 2017, 12:20:15 PM »

Combat trailer. Lots of gameplay

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #61 on:** February 17, 2017, 12:27:47 PM »

I confused the Origin Access release date and thought I was gonna be able to play it yesterday

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #62 on:** February 17, 2017, 01:19:57 PM »

The Melee weapons

The new abilities added to biotic Pull

The cryo beam combined with biotic Charge exploding enemies into icy chunks

tiesto · « **Reply #63 on:** February 17, 2017, 02:27:09 PM »

I totally forgot there was a new Mass Effect coming out. Environments look pretty varied, which is cool... but Bioware character modeling is still so

Trent Dole · « **Reply #64 on:** February 18, 2017, 05:56:51 AM »

Little over a month away, huh. I guess I'm up for some more ME.

Beezy · « **Reply #65 on:** February 18, 2017, 07:01:46 AM »

Combat looks awesome. Now show me the multiplayer!

TakingBackSunday · « **Reply #66 on:** February 19, 2017, 10:50:10 AM »

I bought a Pro for this ffs

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #67 on:** February 19, 2017, 02:33:03 PM »

Let's see if I can fit in a replay of ME 3 before it releases...

edit: lol apparently there are mods to try to fix the ending.

http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect3/mods/66/?
http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect3/mods/180/?

I guess I know what I'm doing for the rest of the evening.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #68 on:** February 23, 2017, 02:42:33 AM »

Really enjoying the replay of ME 3. It's been so long and I've forgotten so much that it almost feels like a new experience. There just aren't very many games out there that scratch that Mass Effect itch so it still feels really fresh. At the pace I'm going I may be able to squeeze in ME 2.

Graphically and artistically its still pretty sharp for a 5 year old game. Throw on A lot of textures mod and the Sweet FX ENB and its just about a modern gen game. The janky animation quality is the major thing that gives it away.

http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect3/mods/363/?
http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect3/mods/417/?

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

I'm glad they are removing the forced cover style. Manipulating yourself into and out of cover and around corners gets annoying. I also completely forgot that Jessica Chobot was in the game as your in ship reporter lol. wtf. And Freddie Prinze also sucks.

But there is a lot to really enjoy. There is another mod called Expanded Galaxy mod that I think is kind of essential to the experience now. It adds a lot of minor stuff but its a lot of fun.

http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect3/mods/350/?

There is another great mod that brings over a few of the mp only powers into the single player.

http://www.nexusmods.com/masseffect3/mods/344/?

This is really getting me amped to play Andromeda.

Positive Touch · « **Reply #69 on:** February 23, 2017, 09:30:14 AM »

did Bioware ever patch the game so your war assets or whatever don't constantly deplete?

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #70 on:** February 23, 2017, 11:13:43 AM »

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-22-four-hours-with-mass-effect-andromeda

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #71 on:** February 23, 2017, 11:23:41 AM »

Quote from: Positive Touch on February 23, 2017, 09:30:14 AM

did Bioware ever patch the game so your war assets or whatever don't constantly deplete?

Not sure because the expanded Galaxy Mod changes some aspects of that, and I'm playing the game completely in offline mode which I also seem to remember affecting that.

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #72 on:** February 23, 2017, 03:52:44 PM »

The more they show off, the more excited I get.

Previews are overwhelming positive from the sites and channels I care about. The combat looks like ME3 multiplayer on steroids with added mobility. Let's do this thing.

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #73 on:** February 24, 2017, 04:22:15 PM »

https://twitter.com/bioware/status/835217802755715072

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #74 on:** February 24, 2017, 10:11:59 PM »

Quote from: Let's Cyber on February 23, 2017, 03:52:44 PM

The more they show off, the more excited I get.

Previews are overwhelming positive from the sites and channels I care about. The combat looks like ME3 multiplayer on steroids with added mobility. Let's do this thing.

Sorry. GAF says the beards look like shit. Game is a complete fail. Get your refund now.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #75 on:** February 28, 2017, 12:24:11 PM »

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #76 on:** March 14, 2017, 12:09:15 AM »

Finished up Mass Effect 3.

It was interesting to replay it now years later and get a post mortem take on everything.

I think my biggest takeway for Mass Effect Andromeda will be the fact that the cover system is reduced and the game will emphasize more mobility. There are certain levels in the older Mass Effect games where you have to move because they introduce stuff like the Banshee who can warp in on you but most of the enemies are more than content to hang back and just try to popshot you from cover and hope to win via numbers. It will be a nice change if they put in more enemies that push you a lot more and flank so you actually have to move and not rely on static cover as much.

I also played the DLC's which I never bothered with because the whole concept of DLC with the ending of Mass Effect 3 being so grim and final seemed silly to me.

Leviathan was interesting from a story perspective. It kind of put the front end of the story on the reapers which was nice.

Omega was the weakest of the group for me. The idea of having to work for the amoral Aria seems like fertile ground but the dlc is so black and white and obvious about how it telegraphs everything that it never felt compelling to me.

The Citadel was obviously the most praised one and I can see why. The tone doesn't really fit the grim dark vibe of ME 3 but its the most fun and at the same time most silly content they probably ever put out for Mass Effect. It's pure fan service and its completely enjoyable and its understandable why it was so well received after the disappointment and lack of closure in the proper game ending.

I probably don't have time for Mass Effect 2 but I'll at least give it 10 hours or so just to get nostalgic before Andromeda.

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #77 on:** March 14, 2017, 04:43:48 AM »

I wasn't a fan of the hyper fanservice-y nature of the Citadel DLC (so pretty much the entire party angle $:-\$ , the whole thing felt kitschy and forced) but I actually really liked the battle arena. It was cool to be able to run with some of the old squadmates in combat scenarios again, even if it was limited to that arena.

I replayed and completed ME1 and 2 probably 6+ times each over the years but only did ME3 singleplayer once. Not because it was bad game, it wasn't, but the ending did make it weird to replay. Once I knew what the game was building up towards, it just felt awkward pushing toward that conclusion. Luckily ME3 MP was awesome so I ended up putting a ton of hours into that instead.

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #78 on:** March 14, 2017, 09:02:17 AM »

So preload already started on PS4 and has been available Xbox One. EA access is in two days.

This week is going to be awful with this thing sitting on my PS4 hard drive and not having the ability to play it.

bork · « **Reply #79 on:** March 14, 2017, 11:59:49 AM »

I might sign up for Access to try this out on PC. Still not sure if I want to get this at launch, and then there's the platform to get it on. I'd prefer PC, but if the multiplayer is good, there might be people on PS4 to play with...

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #80 on:** March 14, 2017, 01:21:55 PM »

bork · « **Reply #81 on:** March 14, 2017, 02:29:19 PM »

Joe Molotov · « **Reply #82 on:** March 14, 2017, 07:26:18 PM »

mfw I open the wrong Necronomicon in the forest cemetery

Klelk · « **Reply #83 on:** March 15, 2017, 12:02:57 PM »

It sounds like ME: Inquisition from the previews. That and the developer being openly racist (towards whites so it's ok) makes this easy to wait until bargain bin prices

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #84 on:** March 15, 2017, 12:18:23 PM »

Quote from: Klelk on March 15, 2017, 12:02:57 PM

It sounds like ME: Inquisition from the previews. That and the developer being openly racist (towards whites so it's ok) makes this easy to wait until bargain bin prices

I don't know who you are but you already sound stupid. Go away.

benjipwns · « **Reply #85 on:** March 15, 2017, 12:24:00 PM »

Positive Touch · « **Reply #86 on:** March 15, 2017, 01:00:27 PM »

Quote from: Klelk on March 15, 2017, 12:02:57 PM

the developer being openly racist (towards whites

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #87 on:** March 15, 2017, 03:23:15 PM »

IGN is currently streaming Multiplayer.

https://www.twitch.tv/ign

Also

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #88 on:** March 15, 2017, 03:40:26 PM »

Playing through 2 now and trying to get as far as I can before Andromeda comes out.

You forgot how much of its era the combat was in 2. It's definitely of that Gears and Uncharted era even more so than 3 was obviously. It also is still trying to balance a little bit of the rpg combat from the first where as 3 solidly moves into the shooter category for combat. It's an interesting evolution. It will be fun to play Andromeda on the heels of these experiences.

Not sure if I want to do the first run of Andromeda on Insanity or Hardcore.

tiesto · « **Reply #89 on:** March 15, 2017, 04:32:51 PM »

Quote from: Klelk on March 15, 2017, 12:02:57 PM

That and the developer being openly racist (towards whites so it's ok)

why do you say this?

(though I'll be waiting for the bargain bin for this one - too much else to play that takes priority, even though I got pretty invested in the ME universe)

Klelk · « **Reply #90 on:** March 15, 2017, 06:42:25 PM »

Manveer Heir's twitter is filled with what amounts to "fucking whites lol" but not in a jokey way. I consider it racist but eh
Game itself looks bad from the giant bomb stream

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #91 on:** March 15, 2017, 08:32:28 PM »

Decided to get Origin Early Access and play Andromeda a bit [gonna take forever to download, though]. If I don't like it, it's just $5 spent. If I do like it, I can actually save a dollar because of the EA discount.

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #92 on:** March 15, 2017, 09:14:40 PM »

So...single player impressions aren't great so far. $:-\$

Luckily 98% of my time will be spent in MP and so far the combat looks good. The added mobility options and verticality of the levels are game changing. During the IGN stream, they were all huddled up on top of a building as the robots were swarming from all sides. Actually reminded me a bit of Helldivers.

Positive Touch · « **Reply #93 on:** March 15, 2017, 09:15:14 PM »

i want this game real bad but just like re7 I'm gonna hold off because spending $60 or $80 when I have so many other games is silly. gonna be stressful as hell on opening week tho.

bork · « **Reply #94 on:** March 15, 2017, 11:39:15 PM »

Quote from: Great Rumbler on March 15, 2017, 08:32:28 PM

Decided to get Origin Early Access and play Andromeda a bit [gonna take forever to download, though]. If I don't like it, it's just $5 spent. If I do like it, I can actually save a dollar because of the EA discount.

Yup. Just tried it out for a bit. So far, so good. It's more Mass Effect in a shinier and prettier package. Will buy it if it stays this solid after a few more hours of playtime.

Trent Dole · « **Reply #95 on:** March 16, 2017, 01:33:06 AM »

Looks quality

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #96 on:** March 16, 2017, 07:10:36 AM »

I played for about 2 hours last night.

$:-\$ Yikes.

My girlfriend and I discussed it for longer than I actually played it felt. It's a huge mess. Nothing seems to come together correctly. It feels janky and unfinished. Everything from the characters, to the dialogue, to the animations and character models, and the cover shooter gameplay. It's really rough.

I'll need to unpack my feelings a little more, but I didn't like anything about what I played so far.

MMaRsu · « **Reply #97 on:** March 16, 2017, 08:36:45 AM »

Sounds like a game made by the Dragon age inquisition team allright. Garbage

Positive Touch · « **Reply #98 on:** March 16, 2017, 09:45:14 AM »

tbh i thought dai was alright aside from the shit sidequests and aimless maps :shrug

hearing a bunch of divided opinions on this which means I'll prolly means I'll think it's fun but flawed

bork · « **Reply #99 on:** March 16, 2017, 10:36:48 AM »

Quote from: Positive Touch on March 16, 2017, 09:45:14 AM

fun but flawed

That's all the Mass Effect games in a nutshell already.

I dunno...I didn't experience any glitches when I played it. Will keep on going tonight and see if that changes.

tiesto · « **Reply #100 on:** March 16, 2017, 10:40:59 AM »

Quote from: Trent Dole on March 16, 2017, 01:33:06 AM

Looks quality
(Image removed from quote.)

LOL, she's running around like she just shit her pants!

It's weird, there are some things about this game that look phenomenal (like the skyboxes and the different alien planets look more varied and interesting than the other ME games), but other things that look horrible (anything involving character models/animations)

archie4208 · « **Reply #101 on:** March 16, 2017, 11:08:46 AM »

Quote from: Trent Dole on March 16, 2017, 01:33:06 AM

Looks quality
(Image removed from quote.)

eleuin · « **Reply #102 on:** March 16, 2017, 01:02:43 PM »

Wtf were they doing for 5 years

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #103 on:** March 16, 2017, 01:08:59 PM »

Quote from: eleuin on March 16, 2017, 01:02:43 PM

Wtf were they doing for 5 years

It seems that it was in development hell for a good chunk of the time. And it really shows. It really shows.

bork · « **Reply #104 on:** March 16, 2017, 01:38:47 PM »

Boredfrom · « **Reply #105 on:** March 16, 2017, 08:52:19 PM »

I really remember that ME 2-3 were not as wonky face animation wise as Andromeda.

thisismyusername · « **Reply #106 on:** March 16, 2017, 09:53:17 PM »

What's up with the default girl's face?

Like her eyes are lazy and making her look like she has semi-downs. That's not meant to be an insult, it just looks "off," from them trying to have a wider face.

Great Rumbler · « **Reply #107 on:** March 16, 2017, 10:14:21 PM »

Character creation is pretty junk, tbh. Very few options, unless I'm completely missing something.

That aside, I played it about 5 hours today and I liked it okay. Exploring new worlds and cruising around in the land rover looking for stuff is a nice change from the more rushed progression of ME3, feels more like ME2 overall. The Krogan is best character, as usual.

Positive Touch · « **Reply #108 on:** March 16, 2017, 11:00:39 PM »

this can't be real

what the fuck happened to their animation team

Rufus · « **Reply #109 on:** March 17, 2017, 12:12:23 AM »

Quote from: Positive Touch on March 16, 2017, 11:00:39 PM

this can't be real

what the fuck happened to their animation team

My guess is most of them moved on.

Anyway, from Wikipedia:

Quote

Mass Effect: Andromeda was built using EA DICE's Frostbite 3 engine, which required that BioWare construct all systems, tools, and assets from scratch as the series was previously built on Epic Games' Unreal Engine.[58] BioWare tried to push the boundaries of the software, particularly in the area of character animation, which Mac Walters [director] felt was at an "all-time high".

Welp.

mormapope · « **Reply #110 on:** March 17, 2017, 12:36:34 AM »

Game honestly feels dated and generic as fuck. This is a okay 2013 or 2014 game released in 2017.

thisismyusername · « **Reply #111 on:** March 17, 2017, 12:37:14 AM »

Why didn't they get EA Sports' team to help them? IIRC, A.N.T. was the animation system DICE picked up for Frostbite 2 (and on). Since EA is making DICE and the Frostbite team their in-house engine... surely, they had animation support teams?

Trent Dole · « **Reply #112 on:** March 17, 2017, 02:25:59 AM »

Quote from: 213372bu on March 16, 2017, 10:27:30 PM

http://i.4cdn.org/v/1489626548275.webm
Unintentional gif screw up by gaf is hilarious too:
spoiler (click to show/hide)
[close]

OMG, how and why the fuck does this look so much worse than the previous games?

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #113 on:** March 17, 2017, 07:29:04 AM »

I boot this up to give it a try and I play for maybe 20 minutes and encounter some kind of weird gameplay issue, or get incredibly bored by what I'm being asked to do and shut it off. This game is a real fucking bummer dude.

Last night I got the Nomad and I went to the place I needed to go on my map. I pressed Y on the controller to exit and I saw it was filling a circle, I figured-OK it needs to fill in to confirm getting out of the Nomad. The circle was a little bit obscured by the terrain texture so I didn't see it in time before it filled. The game immediately booted me out of the world and back into space. I was kinda shocked. There wasn't a "Are you sure?" menu. So then I went back to the planet. But I couldn't find my Nomad. I thought it was just be deployed near the ship. NOPE. It's nowhere to be found. And the game isn't throwing up any tutorial to say how I summon it. I assume the game didn't expect I would be in this situation so it didn't bother teaching me yet? I couldn't be bothered to figure it out and I shut it off.

This morning I figured out how and played a little more.

I have to scan some Glyphs to solve a shitty puzzle. I failed twice because I'm super uninterested in this and I'm not sure what it wants. After two failures I try to go back to the panel... but I can't interact with it. The minimap is pointing to it. The objective says to interact with it. But the option doesn't come up when I walk up to it. So I shut it off.

The mission design so far feels like I'm doing some of the tedious side missions and I'm only on the first story mission. It's so friggin dull and boring.

fistfulofmetal · « **Reply #114 on:** March 17, 2017, 07:32:21 AM »

Also: I find out what the shitty meta-game is in this. I'm gonna have to build up my Planet Viability as I play this game. I honestly am fucking sick of this kind of extraneous game design. Having to worry about bars and meters and numbers and shit. I just want to pick up quests and do quests for people. They're not even trying to naturally work it into the game context. It's just a big number that goes up the more settlements I setup and enemies I kill.

Rufus · « **Reply #115 on:** March 17, 2017, 12:18:09 PM »

So it looks like they made Dragon Age: Inquisition, but in space. Bummer.

MMaRsu · « **Reply #116 on:** March 17, 2017, 02:18:07 PM »

Quote from: Rufus on March 17, 2017, 12:18:09 PM

So it looks like they made Dragon Age: Inquisition, but in space. Bummer.

T was to be expected. I had no hopes for this game from the start, after the horrendeous Dragon Age Inquisition.

Most things Ive read make it seem like it's just the same MMO boring shit from DAI

Positive Touch · « **Reply #117 on:** March 17, 2017, 02:21:13 PM »

am I the only one who thought dai was alright outside of the shitty sidequests

Let's Cyber · « **Reply #118 on:** March 17, 2017, 02:27:50 PM »

Quote from: Positive Touch on March 17, 2017, 02:21:13 PM

am I the only one who thought dai was alright outside of the shitty sidequests

Nope! I agree.

Stoney Mason · « **Reply #119 on:** March 17, 2017, 03:05:57 PM »

The biggest problem with Dragon Age Inquisition wasn't necessarily the shitty sidequests although they are by no means great. The larger issue for me was the fact that when you first get in its really not clear that this stuff is truly unimportant and tangential so you don't have to do it. You can spend dozens of hours doing sidequests before you realize ultimately what you are doing is optional and in some cases pointless. Yes in a perfect world you could ultimately remove most of that sidequest content and spend that time making actually meaningful story based content.

It was always an issue but it became magnified after the release of Witcher 3 which has some seriously good side quest content. (Along with still some of the ubisoft/DA I mini-map filler which people seem to conveniently forget) I think Final Fantasy 15 has a good deal of filler sidequest material that could fall under the DA I label. Still enjoyed the game.

I haven't played Andromeda yet so I can't speak to the quality of the game. I do know that the animation stuff that people go on about doesn't bother me at all. If you are going to start basing your enjoyment of games on janky animations then you might as well quit the hobby. Not saying some other people don't have legit criticisms.

For me Mass Effect effect is about fun combat and rolling around and having conversations with my space bros and getting into moral complications. That's what I care about. If it fails on those accounts then that's an issue. And if people have issues with those aspects of the game then that's more concerning for me. But whether somebody has a space gun facing the wrong way in a cutscene as an art bug, I could give a crap about.

We'll see about the other stuff when I dig into it on Tuesday.

News:

Author Topic: Mass Effect Andromeda (Read 28959 times)