We have some field notes for the now famous Mass Effect 4 reveal from this year’s E3.
This was the same panel that revealed the Mako’s return, as well as concept art. What follows is a recap of the whole panel.
You may remember the concept art showing the male and female hero. They are designing male and female characters in tandem, perhaps for some form of parity. The male’s armor sports a red and blue color scheme, while the female armor is mostly blue. You may also notice slight differences in stature between them. The female armor holds a more slender figure, and it has no snap-on pieces.
They are thinking of making cloth based underarmor, with a free range of motion. The helmet is also designed to allow freedom in conversation and movement. It will not have to be on the player all the time, and the idea is to make it realistic, in the sense that it can be built in real life.
Getting back a bit to female armor concept, it may be possible that snap-on armor will be used as customization options. The devs state they have had no problems bringing these models to Frostbite thus far.
Now, the new Mass Effect Mako will be different from Mako that you know. It will be more agile, have no cannon, and it might be able to jump. It is meant to be a fast response, point to point vehicle, which as we already know is going to be central to the game’s design, which will have a focus on exploration.
The vehicle went through a lot of iterations already, but Bioware is looking for continuous feedback.
And now, some details from the Q&A:
When asked where the game fits in the timeline, Bioware answered that you will not play Sheperd, that Sheperd will not even be a part of the story. There will, instead, be new places to explore.
Regarding diversity, Bioware promises there will be a mix of races you know, and new races. They cannot provide details, but different interactions with different species, which is what fans really want.
One fan asked about customizing casual outfits, and also about making less slutty female outfits. The devs agreed with the sentiment, recognizing what they could change from prior games. In fact, they are thinking of designing the female armor so that default underarmor can be casual outfit.
Another fan shared their enthusiasm for Mass Effect 3’s multiplayer, and wondered if Bioware was bringing it back in the new game. In turn, the devs acknowledged that they saw how fans liked how it fostered more friendly than cutthroat competition, and they are looking at it as inspiration, but they have no concrete plans right now.
They received an odd question about piracy, and had to outright deny that the game was going in that direction. They do want you to explore, find new things, and make them your own.
They were equally cagey on the issue of load times. Long story short, Bioware deliberately chooses to get the most out of the platforms they have, and they consider load times a necessary evil.
When asked about the Mako, they revealed that they are still figuring out Mako physics, and may add thrusters or other elements as they see fit. They are also looking at customization for the Mako.
Bioware was asked about the game’s music. They revealed here that they have worked closely with composers since the start. They work with them for months before a piece even gets finalized, and they also work with multiple composers.
One fan was really enthusiastic about the Volus and shared a lot of ideas, such as adding one to your crew, and making them a playable race. All Bioware would say is that they were good ideas. In fact, when asked about playable races separately, they shared that the lead character will be human, and they had nothing else to share.
Now for the juicy stuff. Bioware was asked about what they learned from Mass Effect 3, and by this, of course we are referring to the uproar over the ending.
Bioware revealed that the controversy definitely had an impact on the studio. In fact, this is precisely why they made the extended endings, although some fans were still not satisfied with that. They did not intend to make player choices irrelevant, but were looking at the ending from a design perspective (AKA an efficient way to end the game).
They have now learned to the value of making choices that matter, and now, this will be a pillar of their game design. They want fans to get the most out of the emotional experiences from seeing choices reflected.
Regarding animation, Bioware pointed out that the jump in tech in next gen set a higher bar for quality. Next gen is not going to affect motion capture, which is what Bioware uses as the base layer of animation.
The fans was complaining about animations that repeated too often. Bioware explained that the issue was not that there were few animations, but that the conversations were using so few of them. The design is now being reworked to use the full range of available animations more often.
Regarding animation all the dialogue, Bioware agrees that facial mocap is great, but they are still looking at it. After all, Bioware games have so much dialogue (6000 lines on average!).
One fan wanted more epic encounters in the style of the Thresher Maw. Bioware replied that they are working on making creatures of all sizes, a galaxy with biodiversity. If they are going to do it at all, they intend to do it correctly.
One fan noted that the trilogy was set in the Milky Way galaxy, and asked if Bioware considered intergalactic encounters for the new game. Bioware humorously replied that they have considered it.
A fan asked if there would be combat and social issues in a game based on exploration. They replied that they would not say there is no combat, rather, combat is a point of exploration. Regarding social issues, Bioware’s writers have free rein in terms of content, so it is entirely up to them.
Finally, one fan revealed his love for the Omega DLC. He wanted to know if Bioware would bring back Aria T’Loak, given there are so many ways available to bring her back. Bioware replied that they want to create new experiences, but bring in elements from previous trilogy you know and love. So, whatever final form this new game will take, it will be a blend of the old and the new.
Stay tuned to GameRanx for the latest news on Mass Effect 4.
