[ALL] Mass Effect 4

[Swarley]

Mass Effect 4 Will Use Frostbite Engine

BioWare has confirmed that the next Mass Effect will use a version of DICE’s Frostbite engine. In a blog post on BioWare’s official site, BioWare Montreal studio director Yanick Roy noted that the game “will be built with the amazing technology of Frostbite as its foundation” and that it will be “enhanced by many of the systems that the Dragon Age III team has already spent a lot of time building.”

It’s worth noting that Roy doesn’t mention Frostbite 2 specifically, suggesting that this could be a next generation version of the engine. Roy also mentioned that the game “will be very respectful of the heritage built over the course of the first three games,” but that “with the original trilogy now concluded and the switch over to a new engine, we are exploring new directions, both on the gameplay and story fronts.” However, “you can still expect the pillars the franchise is known for to be fully intact, including diverse alien races, a huge galaxy to explore, and of course rich, cinematic storytelling.”

Roy added that Casey Hudson will remain executive producer, “but he will have a Project Director under him, working in Montreal, leading our development team and making day-to-day decisions for the game.” With the “core” of the team in place, Roy writes that “the next step for us is to have the BioWare Montreal studio grow at an accelerated pace over the next year as we build a team large enough to support the production of what we know is going to be an amazing game in the franchise.” As such, BioWare Montreal is currently hiring for positions including artists, designers, animators, programmers and a development manager.

Last week, Hudson said the next Mass Effect is in the “early stages” of production and asked what fans would like to see included. Previously, BioWare hinted that the game will go somewhere new and said it won’t star a character similar to Shepard.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/11/12/mass-effect-4-will-use-frostbite-engine

 

[jms493]

still have to fire up 3....but motivation is low...

 

[Slateman]

Looks like I'll be buying a new laptop for ME4

 

[Swarley]

still have to fire up 3....but motivation is low...

I kind of fucked myself going into ME3. I hadn't played them before and I wanted to check them out. I played ME2 first (kind of stupid, I know) and put about 45 hours into it. I loved it so much that I wanted to run through the series so I'd have a save ready for ME3. So then I played ME1 and ME2 (again) and totalled about 75 hours in those two play throughs. Thing is, I did this all in February. So by the time ME3 came out in March, I was completely burned out. I only have about 5 hours played in ME3 right now. I need to get it played before GOTY podcast time.

 

[padman59]

I'm eager to see the full potential of Frostbite 2. We'll get a good taste with BF4 since it'll be primarily for PC and next gen consoles, but this game should take it a bit further.

 

[Swarley]

Mass Effect 4 Planned For 2014...or 2015

Full development on BioWare's next Mass Effect game only just started a month or so ago, but it sounds like the studio is already aiming for a Late 2014 to mid-2015 release. Are you feeling patient?

While talking to Gamer Syndrome, Mass Effect 3 producer Mike Gamble said that the next Mass Effect game would be coming in, "Late 2014 to mid-2015. I honestly can't tell you an exact because full development on the game started a month or two ago."

Gamble also stated, "BioWare Montreal is a great studio and they did fantastic with the multiplayer for Mass Effect 3, so fans should know the series is in good hands. The game isn’t far along in development so I can’t comment on specifics because they isn’t any yet, Frostbite 2 is a really good game engine that we are also using on Dragon Age 3...You’ll hear more about the new Mass Effect game [next year] in 2013."

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/12/12/mass-effect-4-planned-for-2014-or-2015.aspx

 

[killgod]

New game engine, diff studio, more EA influence. I'm doubting how great this is going to be.

I'm playing through ME1 again as noted in the general ME thread. Playing it feels like an actual RPG. Feels like I'm playing Baldur's Gate, you can see the roots of where Bioware came from all over the game.

While ME2 was a great game, all that true RPG quality was ultimately lost for the sake of "cinematic super duper buzz word innovative cutting edge" EA garbo, to sell the game like hotcakes. It worked, the game was great and sold a ton...but the series changed and looking back now, I don't know if it was for the better.

A great game, franchise was made, but I think it's sold it's soul to do it as I continue to saunter through the one true space RPG of the ME trilogy.

 

[Champ]

The game isnt coming out for 2 more years. I guess ill just play through the series again by then.

 

[Swarley]

 

[ThomasTomasz]

For ME4, it looks very promising from what they are talking about, but I hope their vision isn't too big that they lose sight of it. I think in a world they are talking about, it can be very easy to lose that.

As for their new IP, it sounds like they are doing another MMO, or something very similar to the concept of Destiny, and I am not sure how they can support it with SWTOR still there and how much money they didn't make on that game.

 

[j.hen]

I'm wondering when this next one will take place. Will it be before or after the events of the other games? Either way it would be way better if we could select which race we want our character to be and not just use a human by default. Best part about the series is the different races for sure, let us explore them all more. Would also add extra replay ability to dive into a story mode with each of them. Also the online in ME3 was some of the most fun I had online with my PS3. Definitely need to expand on that as well.

Actually they should just focus on a new Mass Effect and not ME4 and also a whole new IP. People are chomping at the bit for a new ME, just make us one amazing game we're already excited about and not two (hopefully) good ones.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I'm wondering when this next one will take place. Will it be before or after the events of the other games? Either way it would be way better if we could select which race we want our character to be and not just use a human by default. Best part about the series is the different races for sure, let us explore them all more. Would also add extra replay ability to dive into a story mode with each of them. Also the online in ME3 was some of the most fun I had online with my PS3. Definitely need to expand on that as well.

Actually they should just focus on a new Mass Effect and not ME4 and also a whole new IP. People are chomping at the bit for a new ME, just make us one amazing game we're already excited about and not two (hopefully) good ones.

See for a console, I just don't see how you do it. If you ran this as an MMO, you can have factions and definitely make it succeed. I am struggling to think of a way you could have the main character be a different race and still be part of a group.

Bioware has a lot on their plate, and they seem to think they can handle it. They have ME, the new IP, Dragon Age and SWTOR they are supporting, and working on having all of them on the Frostbite 3 engine. Wikiepedia also states they have an unnamed Star Wars game in development.

 

[j.hen]

At the very least they could have the first 1-2 hours of the game (preferably longer) or at least the set up of the game be different for each race. Then bring the character into the situation that sets up the rest of the game which would be the same for whichever race you picked. Throw in race-specific dialogue/side missions/etc. and that's that. It was more subtly pulled off in Skyrim, where you could be any race and the story was still for the most part the same regardless.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

At the very least they could have the first 1-2 hours of the game (preferably longer) or at least the set up of the game be different for each race. Then bring the character into the situation that sets up the rest of the game which would be the same for whichever race you picked. Throw in race-specific dialogue/side missions/etc. and that's that. It was more subtly pulled off in Skyrim, where you could be any race and the story was still for the most part the same regardless.

I just don't see that happening with all the different motivations based on race, at least one that could make a compelling story. I think the best you could hope for would be an MMO for that, which I feel is coming at some point. It just isn't going to be immediate because of the issues with SWTOR. If Mass Effect remains a big mover and popular franchise for the 4th and 5th editions, I can see that MMO being green-lit.

I really like the thought and wish they would do it, I'm just looking at it from their end and I am coming up with a blank. Unless of course, you have the character start out in a pirate group or something along those lines. Even then, I can't see a compelling story for a game like that. It could be done with an MMO like SWTOR and the Bounty Hunter, and you have the choice to have good or bad morality and play out accordingly.

 

[j.hen]

It would take a lot of work for sure, not to mention all of the voice acting with the possible races your character could be. If we're stuck as a human again then they damn well better expand the amazing online from ME3. The mode itself was pretty bare bones but the execution was truly remarkable at times. More customization and maps/match types would be excellent. Let us have our own online character to customize who can be any of the races and be separate from our offline story mode character. Having them cross paths or mentioned/shown would be icing on the cake.

Online character could help out the progression or something along those lines of the story mode like how it sorta did in ME3.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

It would take a lot of work for sure, not to mention all of the voice acting with the possible races your character could be. If we're stuck as a human again then they damn well better expand the amazing online from ME3. The mode itself was pretty bare bones but the execution was truly remarkable at times. More customization and maps/match types would be excellent. Let us have our own online character to customize who can be any of the races and be separate from our offline story mode character. Having them cross paths or mentioned/shown would be icing on the cake.

Online character could help out the progression or something along those lines of the story mode like how it sorta did in ME3.

Or....you end up with a couple recycled generic lines of speech for the alien races like SWTOR and have subtitles capture all of the dialogue, which was awful at times.

Increasing online would be great, but I caution two things. One, don't have it count against having completion over the game so far as getting an ending. Some people still play without ever going online, and that ruined the game for them. Second, be careful what you wish for with online. Everyone said the same thing about Assassin's Creed after the second game came out. They added online for AC Brotherhood, and since then, have increased the depth of the online game, and many argue it's slowly chipped away at the quality of the single-player mode.

Note that I thought ME online was ridiculously bare bones, and they can add some to it without taking away from the single player. My post is just stating not to go too far.

 

[Nevermind]

I think going with a new race for single player would be the best way to go. At this point the humans story has been dealt with a lot. We played as the first human spectre during a time where humans were quickly showing how valuable they were to the galaxy. During the trilogy we had the first human council member and the last stand take place on earth. At this point all that is really left is when humans discover the other races. With that I feel like we heard so much about it that a game based around that wouldn't be all that compelling.

As for the choice of multiple races. It would no doubt be cool but a huge undertaking. Creating an awesome story around someone that could basically be anyone proves to be a lot more difficult than the human with the default name, Shepard. Then again Bioware did Dragon Age: Origins and from my limited time playing it they had something very interesting with the way the game started out based on your race and backstory selection. So we could see something done in a similar fashion.

All of this is of course assuming they place it in the timeline that we know. They seem to have a lot of background lore stuff going on so we could be just about anywhere.

Also something that I just thought of is how different a game or series of mass effect would be if it is set during a time where the reapers are still in hibernation. It would offer the opportunity to discover and explore without that feeling of limited time.

 

[ThomasTomasz]

I think going with a new race for single player would be the best way to go. At this point the humans story has been dealt with a lot. We played as the first human spectre during a time where humans were quickly showing how valuable they were to the galaxy. During the trilogy we had the first human council member and the last stand take place on earth. At this point all that is really left is when humans discover the other races. With that I feel like we heard so much about it that a game based around that wouldn't be all that compelling.

As for the choice of multiple races. It would no doubt be cool but a huge undertaking. Creating an awesome story around someone that could basically be anyone proves to be a lot more difficult than the human with the default name, Shepard. Then again Bioware did Dragon Age: Origins and from my limited time playing it they had something very interesting with the way the game started out based on your race and backstory selection. So we could see something done in a similar fashion.

All of this is of course assuming they place it in the timeline that we know. They seem to have a lot of background lore stuff going on so we could be just about anywhere.

Also something that I just thought of is how different a game or series of mass effect would be if it is set during a time where the reapers are still in hibernation. It would offer the opportunity to discover and explore without that feeling of limited time.

I would love a prequel, and think that is the direction they've been rumored to be trending. I am sure they can come up with some kind of war/conflict that would fill that spot before you actively take on the role of Shepard. You also can have Easter Egg characters appearing at different times as well, as many of the companions were active at that point, before you even get to other characters you came across.

 

[j.hen]

Or....you end up with a couple recycled generic lines of speech for the alien races like SWTOR and have subtitles capture all of the dialogue, which was awful at times.

Increasing online would be great, but I caution two things. One, don't have it count against having completion over the game so far as getting an ending. Some people still play without ever going online, and that ruined the game for them. Second, be careful what you wish for with online. Everyone said the same thing about Assassin's Creed after the second game came out. They added online for AC Brotherhood, and since then, have increased the depth of the online game, and many argue it's slowly chipped away at the quality of the single-player mode.

Note that I thought ME online was ridiculously bare bones, and they can add some to it without taking away from the single player. My post is just stating not to go too far.

I'd say they learned their lesson of not forcing you to go online to get a certain ending when they patched it in ME3 so you could get your readiness up without ever going online. But reward the people who do go online with little easter eggs in the offline. Even hearing about something you did online in one of their audio news reports that just comes on when walking around in offline would be enough. Just to establish that it is happening in the same universe and not ignored.

As far as Assassin's Creed online goes.... It's ass. It always was ass and they didn't even try with it. Mass Effect's online is already more fleshed out than AC, AC was as bare bones as it gets. I don't know how anyone could've played that shit for more than an hour. If you're going to have AC work online it has to be the way it is in Unity.

 

[j.hen]

I would love a prequel, and think that is the direction they've been rumored to be trending. I am sure they can come up with some kind of war/conflict that would fill that spot before you actively take on the role of Shepard. You also can have Easter Egg characters appearing at different times as well, as many of the companions were active at that point, before you even get to other characters you came across.

If Liara is in ME4 I will literally spontaneously combust with feels. :yup: