Future 'Mass Effect' game

[SofaJockeyUK]

I thought I'd make a thread as there have been recent comments from Casey Hudson and Mike Gamble, to suggest that Mass Effect as a franchise is very much not dead.

As there won't be a sub-forum until something is officially announced, here is as good a place as any.

In a recent Game Informer article: Casey Hudson said:

Casey Hudson: "...as for Mass Effect? “It’s my baby. I helped start Mass Effect from the beginning. Of course we intend to get back to it at some point."

In a recent Eurogamer article, Mike Gamble said:

Eurogamer: "Where do you see the future of Mass Effect lying? Is it another game, or will it just be comic books from here out?"

Mike Gamble: "I don't know - Casey [Hudson, BioWare boss] and Mark and I and EA leadership have to sit down and work out what that looks like. You're very near and dear to it - so are we, as creators, and we want to make sure there's a future. But that comes after Anthem, after all that stuff we're talking about. That's future."

So, when it eventually arrives, what do you think it should be?

[fudgietroll]

I actually see a lot of potential games that could be made, although I have my favorite 3.

1) MEA2: The Ryders are trying to deal with the fallout of their decisions and the war with the Archon, while continuing to expand and explore. Kett, Angara, and MW people are struggling with rebellion and political upheaval, even as the arrival of new arks, lost colonies, and the further complicate matters, while in the shadows conspiracies continue to maneuver.

2) ME Fall: Shepard defied Catalyst, and now both are gone. Leaderless Reapers turn on each other as the harvest continues. As members of the resistance, you are fighting to save as many lives as possible from the harvest. Possibly episodic, playing alternatively as resistance fighters on Earth, Palavan, and Thessia from day one of invasion, a Hammer member shot down before reaching London, and an Allied Command Operative/leader.

3) ME Rogue's Gallery: A prison ship of the galaxy's worst, including Shepard's prisoners, captured Cerberus, outlaw mercs, gangs, BSS Purgatory survivors, and general scumbags, suffers critical damage leading to a prisoner takeover and an impromptu trip through the Omega 4 relay. After playing a key role in the revolt and determining the fate of the surviving crew you evacuate the failing ship with your chosen prisoner faction. Depending on your faction, choices, and Shepard's choices you can acquire different teammates and alliances with some (not all) of the other factions as you seek to survive the dangers of the wreckage field and gather the resources to suvive and make your way back to reclaim your place in the galaxy at large.

4) MEA Outcast Path: Play as an outcast after the Uprising, fighting for survival and a new home, and picking a side as the Charlatan rises

5) ME4: The Galaxy is struggling to rebuild after the victory at Earth, but without Shepard and the Reapers to unite them old scars are tearing apart the fragile new alliances, and past mistakes come back with a vengeance. Play as a Specter trying to keep the peace, a colonial soldier seeking independence, or a merc out to build a personal empire. Find resources and allies, and tip the delicate balance of the galaxy to save the council worlds or tear them apart.

6) MEA Plymouth: Play as a colonist aboard a failing post-Reaper invasion ark attempting a desperate landfall in an uncharted cluster in Andromeda. Collect Supplies and Survivors, establish bases, and scout the hostile planet as you try to forge a survivable colony against all odds.

[EgoMania]

I think that a new ME game, as well as the new DA game are not going to follow the traditional format anymore that we've gotten to know from BioWare. It seems to me that if Anthem that won't have companions and won't have love interests and won't have decision wheels might be their test to see if they can get away with not having these staple elements and use that as the template for the future.

EA is still pretty convinced that single-player games are out and I can't see BioWare not going open-world with their games as a standard. So as much as it's good news that ME is not dead, I'm not at all convinced that a next ME game is going to be what I hope it to be.

[melphina]

I truly hope EA and Bioware read this post ya made , I really think it has good ideas they could use

[stevenomes]

after saving the galaxy from reapers there is some peace for a number of years but inevitably it doesnt last. the reapers are gone but other races have begun to quarrel and turn against each other. the genophage is cured and Krogan are overpopulating quickly wherever they have room. but are not concentrated on any one world. it could be played in multiple chapters from the perspective of different races. you start as turians who team up with salarians to devise another plan to stop the krogan who are now spread out. then quarian have rid themselves of geth finally but now have their own issues internally with a power struggle. drell armies are assisting asari in trying to keep order in the galaxy. geth are still around but so far away they don't matter yet, but are looking for their own world to start over with.

I think something like above where you also get perspective of each race by playing as new character. eventually they somehow all become intertwined and you have to decide which race should take the kead.

[Fred_vdp]

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@stevenomes wrote:
the genophage is cured and Krogan are overpopulating quickly wherever they have room.

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The problem with this scenario is that Mass Effect 3 leaves us with several outcomes. The possibilities I know of are:

1. The genophage is cured

1.1 Wrex and Bakara rules the krogan. - High chance of stability

1.2 Wrex rules the krogan but bakara is dead. - Medium change of stability

1.3 Wreav rules. - Everyone is screwed.

2. The genophage is not cured

2.1 Wrex rules the krogan and withdraws from the war. The krogan will rebuild on their own and retaliate at one point.

2.2 Wreav rules the krogan and doesn't know the genophage wasn't really cured.

2.2.1 Mordin is still alive and will cure the genophage after the war if he deems it safe.

2.2.2 Mordin is dead. The krogan will likely go extinct.

If they're doing another Milky Way game, then one threat they can deal with is the Leviathans, but whether they are really a threat depends on the ending the player chooses. If the Reapers are controlled, then the Leviathans will be no match for them.

[mcsupersport]

That doesn't even factor in the endings which could cause all sorts of issues....unless they break down and finally decide to go Indoctrination theory and rewrite the ending.

Control ending....

Shepard is the new star child so he controls the Reapers.  I took this to mean the Reapers hung around and would be basically galactic police...thus limited wars possible.

Destroy...

Reapers dead, the Galaxy recovers, many variables but they could jump 200 years in the future, shoot some cataclysm to destroy the races that are "questionable" and restart everything.  Not neat but works.

Control...

Everything is linked, Leviathans likely too, Reapers, people, animals, everything....should mean peace and massive data dump and advancement, but peaceful.

Basically, only two of these endings support at most support a next game conflict, as a linked together galaxy should be peaceful, and Control likely has Reapers as sentinels protecting/overlording the galaxy.  So unless they do a massive rewrite, I don't see the next game as POST-Reaper.  I could see a Pre-Reaper, or even a Pre-Human Mass Effect with the setting being either human first contact war, OR something like the Rachni war before humans got involved. 

Personally I have always said they messed up on the timeline for humans joining the Citadel anyway, they said it was only 30 years, which is awful short time to advance and expand as much as they did.  I personally think the timeline should have been closer to 80-100 years but hey, it is there game.  I think the most likely setting for the next game is Andromeda again, followed by Pre-Reaper Milky Way, and lastly post-Reaper Milky Way.

[Fred_vdp]

If they do another Mass Effect in the Milky Way they could start it with a prologue in which the Crucible is deployed again to undo synthesis and destroy the Reapers. I think people will be upset that their choices aren't taken into account, but oh well!

[fudgietroll]

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@mcsupersport wrote:

That doesn't even factor in the endings which could cause all sorts of issues....unless they break down and finally decide to go Indoctrination theory and rewrite the ending.

Control ending....

Shepard is the new star child so he controls the Reapers.  I took this to mean the Reapers hung around and would be basically galactic police...thus limited wars possible.

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Catalyst wasn't destroyed though, so If Shep does something he doesn't agree with he may try and take the Reapers back. Voila! Instant galactic war. Plus, if the relays were disseminating the Crucible blast some Reapers may be out of range and can be grabbed by the Leviathans. Finally, do you really think that the Humans, Krogan, Turians, Salariens, any remaining Cerberus and Batarians, and Admiral Xen won't be working on Reaper Killers?

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Control...

Everything is linked, Leviathans likely too, Reapers, people, animals, everything....should mean peace and massive data dump and advancement, but peaceful.

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Two words: Heretic Station

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Personally I have always said they messed up on the timeline for humans joining the Citadel anyway, they said it was only 30 years, which is awful short time to advance and expand as much as they did.  I personally think the timeline should have been closer to 80-100 years but hey, it is their game.  I think the most likely setting for the next game is Andromeda again, followed by Pre-Reaper Milky Way, and lastly post-Reaper Milky Way. 

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Based on human history, once we get the colonization fever, it doesn't take very long for us to expand explosively, especially when we are told things like "No", "You can't", or "Die underdeveloped monkey people!"

[fudgietroll]

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@Fred_vdp wrote:

If they do another Mass Effect in the Milky Way they could start it with a prologue in which the Crucible is deployed again to undo synthesis and destroy the Reapers. I think people will be upset that their choices aren't taken into account, but oh well!

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Except for all the people who thought the Crucible should be doing that in the first place