Mass Effect

[Strangelove]

Ugh. Another game with tacked on co-op.

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

Why would anyone cancel a pre-order over this? Just play the singleplayer game and ignore the co-op mode.

 

Really, the major reason is anti-piracy I'd say. Multiplayer is a big incentive for purchasing a legit key.

[deanb]

Multiplayer is a big incentive in a predominantly single player franchise? I guess that's why Brotherhood came with UbiDRM eh?

[TheMightyEthan]

People (not me, I don't care) might cancel a preorder if they feel that developing the multiplayer would have taken away focus from the single-player experience, thus reducing it in quality, or even if the coop campaign is the same as the singleplayer if they think designing the campaign with coop in mind would have adversely affected the singleplayer experience.

 

Or if they just don't want to support a dev falling into the trap that apparently now every game has to have multiplayer.

[Strangelove]

Im getting this used now. I still want to play it because I still think its going to be a good game, but I can't give companies money and make them think I encourage this tacked on multilayer bullshit. It is honestly that big of a deal to me.

[Vargras]

The tweet from Casey Hudson (the executive producer of the ME series) was more positive. Honestly, I'm very excited over this. I've always loved coop anything, so put coop in one of my favorite game series, and I'm gonna adore it.

 

Yes, co-op MP missions for #ME3: they're real, and they're spectacular. Rest assured it's nothing of what you've feared. More soon...

[TheMightyEthan]

I'm not sure how they're going to make it work though, ME is such a character driven game.

 

I may be reading too much into the hints we're getting, but it sounds like it's an entirely separate mode, divorced from the single-player campaign. If that's the case why tack it on here like Strangelove said, why not wait and release it as a standalone game or expansion. They've already established that ME3 is the end of the Shepard trilogy, so why not make it a separate game released after ME3?

 

I'm definitely in the "worried it will take focus away from the SP campaign" group, but not enough to say categorically that I'm not getting it.

[Vargras]

I may be reading too much into the hints we're getting, but it sounds like it's an entirely separate mode, divorced from the single-player campaign. If that's the case why tack it on here like Strangelove said, why not wait and release it as a standalone game or expansion. They've already established that ME3 is the end of the Shepard trilogy, so why not make it a separate game released after ME3?

 

I'm definitely in the "worried it will take focus away from the SP campaign" group, but not enough to say categorically that I'm not getting it.

 

It's separate, and from what I understand from Casey Hudson's previous tweets, the singleplayer has actually been done for a while now. They're still doing playtesting and such in order to tweak it, but for the most part, it's done. Multiplayer shouldn't have any impact on the quality of it, if that's the case. Besides, if they release it as an expansion, fans will say it's a cop-out - release it as a full game, and fans may say it's not worth the price.

 

I'm not sure how they're going to make it work though, ME is such a character driven game.

 

Portal 2 is fairly character driven, and they pulled off coop in that just fine.

 

EDIT: What a shocker. I check GameInformer and Escapist Magazine, and people are acting like this news is the end of the world. BIOWARE IS RUINED FOREVER NOOOOO.

 

Shut up. Just shut up. They know what they did wrong. I didn't realize the developers weren't allowed to try anything different either.

Edited October 10, 2011 by Vargras

[Hot Heart]

Considering all the extra effort going into the combat I can see how it might work. It looks very Gears-like. And I mean, single-player already has squadmates, now powers can be split across actual players.

 

Are you asking why tack it on for free (for new purchasers) instead of selling it separately? I imagine they are 'testing the water' rather than trying to sell it on its own merits. The game's release was pushed back supposedly for this (plus Kinect features?) so I doubt there is any focus taken from the single-player.

 

(And, of course, Vargras sums it up well before me)

 

Basically, major overreaction going on.

[Vargras]

The squad AI is notoriously derpy. On hardcore and insanity, they're basically just there to distract things while you do the work.

 

I know the coop will be separate from SP, but I'm looking forward to having someone intelligent with me.

[Hot Heart]

I only used them for their powers...or their looks in Miranda's case.

[Vargras]

Miranda was the only one that felt truly "required" because of how useful her skillset was. The last slot was basically "whoever you want".

 

Also, missed this earlier.

 

Im getting this used now. I still want to play it because I still think its going to be a good game, but I can't give companies money and make them think I encourage this tacked on multilayer bullshit. It is honestly that big of a deal to me.

 

This has likely been in development for months now. You can hardly call that "tacked on".

 

Rage multiplayer, though... that seems tacked on.

Edited October 10, 2011 by Vargras

[TheMightyEthan]

I know the coop will be separate from SP, but I'm looking forward to having someone intelligent with me.

This. I'm actually torn between being worried and excited, because I am ridiculously in love with coop just in general. Really my only source of worry is what I said above, that I fear (regardless of what they've been saying, which does make me feel a *little* better) that the development of the coop mode(s) diverted resources from the SP, and that the SP suffered as a result.

 

About whether or not it's tacked on, I think something's tacked on if it didn't need to be there, and was added more or less as a bullet-point on the box. How much work they put into it doesn't really factor into whether it's tacked-on or not, IMHO.

[Vargras]

About whether or not it's tacked on, I think something's tacked on if it didn't need to be there, and was added more or less as a bullet-point on the box. How much work they put into it doesn't really factor into whether it's tacked-on or not, IMHO.

 

Using Rage as my example once more, the racing in that game truly does feel tacked on because it doesn't really have anything at all to do with the actual story. It's just sorta... there. In Portal 2's case, the coop adds additional info to the singleplayer story. It's too early to tell what the ME3 coop might be like, though.

[Strangelove]

Ummm...that's exactly what "tacked on" means. Just a halfhearted add-on made at the last minute so people dont sell it after theyre done. The bad news if that it if sucks, people will still sell it after theyre done. Fuck, even if they like it theyll still sell it after theyre done and just get back to their REAL preferred multiplayer experience. Multiplayer needs to be added and developed from the first single fucking day that the game started developing. Otherwise it is literally an afterthought.

[Hot Heart]

I'm all for developers experimenting with co-op or multiplayer stuff. Uncharted 2 has good multiplayer, ODST and Reach have Firefight, Gears of War has Horde, and I know people like Assassin's Creed MP. Would people say they detracted from the single-player?

Edited October 10, 2011 by Hot Heart

[Vargras]

I'm all for developers experimenting with co-op stuff. Uncharted 2 has good multiplayer, ODST and Reach have Firefight, Gears of War has Horde, and I know people like Assassin's Creed MP. Would people say they detracted from the single-player?

 

According to Strangelove, yes.

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

Meh, co-op's always been good when Bioware's handled it, so I'll approach this one optimistically. As someone smarter and quicker than I pointed out above, Portal 2 added co-op to great results, so why not ME3?

[excel_excel]

Looking forward to it. Baldur's Gate had multiplayer, so its not like Bioware haven't done it before.

[P4: Gritty Reboot]

Neverwinter Nights too.

[Vargras]

Taken from: http://kotaku.com/58...iled-by-bioware

 

Multiplayer is finally coming to Mass Effect, BioWare confirmed today. Next year's Mass Effect 3 adds four-player cooperative multiplayer missions and the campaign "bonus" Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War. BioWare's Chris Preistly explains, in detail, on the game's official forums.

 

Mass Effect 3's four-player co-op missions—there's no "versus" multiplayer, they say—lets players "choose from a variety of classes and races, form an elite Special Forces squad, and combine their weapons, powers and abilities to devastating effect as they fight together to liberate key territories from enemy control."

 

That cooperative multiplayer is said to have "a direct impact on the outcome of the single player campaign, giving players an alternative method of achieving ultimate victory against the greatest threat mankind – and the entire galaxy – has ever faced."

 

BioWare also details Mass Effect 3: Galaxy at War, "a new way for players to manage and experience the galactic war from multiple fronts, including a new 4-player co-op mode." Galaxy at War, BioWare says, affects a player's "'Galactic Readiness' level, measured by Commander Shepard's ability to apply every possible asset – people, weapons, resources, armies, fleets – in the final battle against the Reapers."

 

That "Galactic Readiness" level in the game's campaign is not just affected by multiplayer, BioWare stresses. "Other platforms and interfaces will be announced in the coming months," says the developer, also noting that the Galaxy at War system is "entirely optional" and that "it is still possible to achieve the optimal, complete ending of the game in Mass Effect 3 through single-player alone."

 

"Mass Effect 3 is a complete, standalone game that will deliver a satisfying story experience, even if you choose not to try multiplayer," BioWare adds, like you don't really believe them.

BioWare has a Q&A on multiplayer and Galaxy at War posted to the game's forums, explaining one more key detail about multiplayer—that Commander Shepard and the stars of the single-player campaign won't be playable in multiplayer.

 

"In multiplayer, players will create custom characters to fight on different and unique fronts in the war," the developer writes. "This will include the ability to play as favorites like Turians, Krogans, Asari and more… each with their own unique set of abilities."

 

Much more at the Mass Effect 3 forums.

 

Brb making a turian and krogan.

 

Also, related tweets from Casey Hudson, one of which completely shoots down what someone else on this forum said earlier (I forget who).

Lots of interest in character-oriented DLC. Note that for #MassEffect3 especially, DLC could take place in settings other than post-game.

“@gregwarren2: @CaseyDHudson Tell me I won't have to play multiplayer #ME3 to achieve single player outcomes." Right - totally optional.

“@DeltaPhoenix08: Does the MP have to do with the 4 month delay?” No, we needed the time to make sure #ME3 is the best of the series.

“@ItsOkICarryYou: The multiplayer seems to avoid exactly what everyone was afraid of: ruining the core single player experience.” Well said.

 

If you're still paranoid about SP being ruined at this point, then I'm not sure what to tell you.

Edited October 11, 2011 by Vargras

[Hot Heart]

That did sound worrying at first but since it's completely optional that's cool. Nice to have more 'options' too and it does sound quite interesting.

[TheMightyEthan]

The coop does sound very extremely cool, though I'm still a little worried it's hurt the singleplayer. I mean, I know they say it hasn't, but of course they're going to say that, it's not like they'd be like "Oh yeah, we totally diverted resources to developing this that otherwise would have been used to improve the SP campaign." So I'm taking their reassurances with a grain of salt.

 

That said, I'm also not assuming that it's hurt the SP, just aware of and slightly troubled by the possibility.

[Luftwaffles]

The addition of co-op just makes me even more worried ME3 will be an Origin exclusive. Besides that, though, the way they handled it sounds like the best way they could have. I'm just fairly sure none of my friends will pick it up if it's not on Steam, unfortunately.

[TheMightyEthan]

I got it on 360 back when it was exclusive, and the save-file importing has me locked to that system. Oh well.