Mass Effect: ANDROMEDA

[VDCNI]

As I previously mentioned even when you save them up you still find yourself having to repeatedly pop back and forth to planets you've already cleared. They never really did that in DAI and it was a lot easier to move around from area to area in DAI than it is here.

But yes the main problem is how generic all the quests are - can anyone think of one that was particularly fun or out of the ordinary? I mean all games like this have dull quests but they usually sprinkle in a few livelier ones to keep you interested. Kadara probably had it best as it was much more populated and with different factions so there was more you could do.

It didn't help that some of these planets didn't have any real history or lore to discover outside of the vaults. They kept trying to sell the loss of the colony on Eos as some big tragedy but it didn't really cut through. Maybe it would have been better to start on Eos as the Kett were killing the colonists and rescuing the last survivors who then tell you want has been happening as you take them to the Nexus.

So no DLC then it looks like, between that and the lack of difference in outcomes if you use different dialogue/tone options I can't see myself going back to my second playthrough. Who'd have thought Mass Effect would fall from grace so fast.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I am really bummed out about the fact we won't get DLC in any form. Omega was so much fun. That was a fun DLC

 

[mimic]

Generally the point of quests like that isn't to focus on just that one and following it to conclusion, but wait until you have a bunch saved up so you have something waiting for you while exploring. or put another way: have a reason to explore.

Trouble is, the particular quest I cited is written as time sensitive/urgent, like any second an epidemic might break out if you don't immediately find the person.

 

[Reverend]

I am really bummed out about the fact we won't get DLC in any form. Omega was so much fun. That was a fun DLC

So far as I'm aware, that hasn't been confirmed, just assumed given the recent behind the scenes shuffling.
Remember that it took them a good 6 months of damage control on ME3 before they finally came out with Leviathan, so I wouldn't be expecting any announcements anytime soon regardless.

Trouble is, the particular quest I cited is written as time sensitive/urgent, like any second an epidemic might break out if you don't immediately find the person.

You're not wrong in that this is a problem from a narrative standpoint. But from a purely game mechanic POV, it's pretty normal for these sorts of games.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Trouble is, the particular quest I cited is written as time sensitive/urgent, like any second an epidemic might break out if you don't immediately find the person.

And then you find while playing it is not at all time sensitive. Which turns it into a joke.

BTW don't ever walk or drive to the NW corner of KADARA... That part of the map and game has a bug where the game freezes or crashes on all platforms. This has happened since the 1.06 patch.

Some people haven't had issues but most have. Only problem is that this particular corner has two quests you need to complete.

 

[Jetboogieman]

Waited for the price to go down and some of the issues to be fixed.

Actually really.

Really.

Enjoyed this game.

It has problems and I ran into a couple of technical issues but I think I've almost done everything.

I think the characters are solid, I actually thought the writing wasn't half bad, although I would say that some of the one or the other choices you are forced to make, are a little convoluted, I think in other Mass Effect games, there was a third option on some of those things to muddy the waters.

Loved the exploration, wished there had been a few more planets to explore, wished they could have done a bit more in terms of customization, of a few different aspects, namely there was a lost opportunity to add aspects onto the colonies that you created, not all that different to Inquisition adding the towers and other things, to see it grow and really be a part of it, instead of plonking it on the ground and it remaining static, you do some quests after but it's nothing substantial in my opinion.

The crafting was a bit lackluster, too many different materials involved, it needed to be refined and simplified, not to make it easy, but just more user friendly and clear.

UI of course is not the best but after a while you get the hang of it.

I thought, overall, actually a very solid game and the thing I'm most sad about is that after the disastrous launch, I'm worried we may not see another one, either they'll reboot mass effect in a different way or they'll abandon it all together and we'll only see some different iteration years from now:

https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mass-effect-reportedly-on-hiatus-changes-made-at-b/1100-6449945/

I personally would like to see further iterations of Andromeda, I think there is value there.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I hated that we couldn't go exploring on Meridiam after all that effort to get it you can't even explore the bloody thing.

Also the lack of darker choices.... There was no true paragon / renegade option for those of us that like to make things difficult.

It's also I think a mostly fully rendered location so seems a waste.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Hey what's that ticking sound you hear near the forward station on Podromos?

It seems to move around too if you walk around the area so you can't pin it down.

 

[Reverend]

Hey what's that ticking sound you hear near the forward station on Podromos?

It seems to move around too if you walk around the area so you can't pin it down.

It's the sound effect for the beacons that sit there before you establish the base. For some reason while the flashing beacons themselves get deleted, the associated sound effects persist.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Stupid question: what is that random "bang!" thunderclap/sonic boom thing you occasionally hear while driving around on Elaaden? I keep hearing it at about the same spots, always while driving around through mountain passes or rocky slopes. It sounds like an explosion or a tremendously loud rifle shot, but I can never figure out where the hell it's coming from.

I hated that we couldn't go exploring on Meridiam after all that effort to get it you can't even explore the bloody thing.

Pretty sure that'll come out in a DLC eventually. Probably, so will the Quarian Ark. They way they've set it up, it almost seems like sequel fodder, except in modern times like this they never EVER tease sequels that aggressively. So that to me feels like a "Stay tuned for DLC!" thing.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

Also, why the fuck can't we kill Liam?

He's annoying, he's irritating, and everyone hates him. Seriously, EVERYONE. Like any time I take him out, the very first time he opens his mouth he says something arrogant or self-righteous and your other squad member, whoever it is, says something to the effect of "Shut up, Liam. You suck." He's a good squad member in terms of power and combat ability, but this does not quite offset the pain of having to listen to him talk to anyone about anything ever.

It's like Jacob Taylor and Ashley Williams had an ugly baby and then Kaiden Alenko adopted it.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Actually Liam yeah he seems like a bit of a dick..

I'd probably off everyone human except Cora and Suvi, and Gil So guess who that leaves?

OH and what the hell was that thing with him and Jaal naked in his quarters? It just looked over the top stupid and, yeah just plain stupid. Swapping armour so that becomes embarrassing?

If it was intended as humour it came out wrong.

I did love the scene where Ryder tells Suvi she's cute..... I don't know if it plays out awkwardly if you are a male Ryder but if you pick female it's super awkward but funny. Love Kallo's line "kill me now"

 

[Reverend]

I'd already found Liam to be an obnoxious self-absorbed tryhard of a gobshite, but this is where he totally lost me for good.
If there had been an option to let him die, I'd have taken it without hesitation.

And this is coming from someone who actually liked Ashley, at least in ME1.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I'd already found Liam to be an obnoxious self-absorbed tryhard of a gobshite, but this is where he totally lost me for good.
If there had been an option to let him die, I'd have taken it without hesitation.

And this is coming from someone who actually liked Ashley, at least in ME1.

Thank you for posting that. That was interesting. Some of the banter, and Liam does sound like a bit of a dickhole.

 

[captainkirk]

Why does Mass Effect seem to have a problem making the Human squadmates interesting and likable?

 

[Reverend]

Maybe because they're the first ones you get and they want to make sure you're interested in switching them out for someone else?

Mind you, like I said I actually quite liked Ash in ME1. in ME2 Miranda started off a little abrasive but kind of grew on me after a while. Jack, Kasumi & Zaeed were lots of fun. Vega...I'm pretty sure the only reason I didn't dislike him was FPJ's performance. On paper, he wasn't very interesting, but Freddie pulled it off regardless.

No, I think the problem seems to be whatever characters they pick to be the primary romantic interest for heterosexual female players. Which so far means Kaiden, Jacob & Liam. Interesting that for ME3 they didn't seem to bother creating a new one, or even just making Vega romanceable. Maybe they figured by that point everyone so inclined were already more invested in either Kaiden or Garrus? (Mostly Garrus I think!)

As to why they ended up making these three so irritating; at a guess I think the common factor seems to be overcompensating one way or another. With Kaiden it seems like they tried to make him sensitive, but overshot into whiny and wishy-washy. With Jacob it seems like they were going for cool and suave but ended up in creeper territory.

With Liam...this one is actually a bit of a mystery to me as the squad banter seems to indicate, the decision to make him abrasive seems to be a conscious one. He rubs literally everyone up the wrong way. Now other Bioware characters in the past have been intentionally abrasive (Morrigan leaps to mind) but they all had some depth as well as redeeming features like charm and wit. So maybe the problem here is under compensating?

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

Liam was invented for testing airlocks

 

[Praetorian]

The first hour of this game was the closest it came to being a Star Trek simulator. Landing on a unknown planet, first contact protocols, misterious ruins. It was amazing.

Then it became a running/driving collectathon simulator. A shame.

 

[Reverend]

Apropos of nothing: if you own ME1 or ME2 but never bothered much with the DLC, it seems EA have it all up for free right here. They even provide a code for installing Pinnacle Station.

Oh and they also have all the DLC for DAO & DAII up for grabs. I'm assuming this is mostly for non-Origin copies, since Origin already installs some of this by default.

 

[Gingerbread Demon]

I'm trying to find the space cheese....

Supposedly if you do a 2nd game with the same character you can find a system that has a cheese wedge in space.

It's an easter egg for one of the Dragon Age games I think.