Mass Effect 4 Wishlist

What's a list of things you would like to see in ME4? Here's mine:

1. More Lore Porn: I remember the first time I read how a mass effect field enables ships to go FTL, warp space time, and how the ship looks like to the outside observer at FTL speeds, and how mass accelerator weapons and mass effect armor functioned. I remember reading about the Faraxen treaty, the Terra Nova party, and other socio-political issues. I remember being amazed at how every single planet I explored had their own unique codex entry with interesting features (the huge trench caused by mass accelerator fire, the leviathan of dis, etc, etc). I remember reading about the goddamn governmental structure of the Quarian flotilla and how holograms and translators work for f*cks sake. The Codex is the best part of all of the Mass Effect games, bar none. It's what makes the series the cream of the crop when it comes to immersive science fiction universes, putting it on par with all time greats like Deus Ex. I can't wait for the next series to take the technology and lore even further than before.

2. No Renegade/Paragon: In my wishlist for Fallout 4, I mentioned that one of my top desires was the elimination of the Karma system. The same goes here, for the same reasons. Mass Effect is a franchise that, in terms of story telling quality and immersive ability, is far beyond the rather elementary need to mark good or bad choices as such for the player (and yes, that means eliminating the colors of the dialogue options on the left side of the wheel). I realize that paragon and renegade don't necessarily conform to "good" and "bad" as much as "uncompromising morality" and "the ends justify the means" mentality, but the fact remains that labeling choices as such breaks the immersion by reminding you that you're playing a video game, and it simplifies decisions that could be ethically challenging. For example, the instance in Mass Effect 3, on Rannoch, siding with the Quarians is actually the renegade option, whereas siding with the Geth is the paragon option, and compromising between the two is the... more paragon option? It might be me, but I hate it when games destroy a good ethical conundrum by literally telling you what the right or wrong choice is. Which is a nice segue to my next point...

3. Harder choices: Mass Effect seems to be a universe full of almost hard choices. Choices that verge on being truly ethically challenging and thematically profound, but stop just short of that. Sometimes it's due to the (IMO antiquated) Renegade/Paragon system, or offering an easy third way out. It doesn't seem that hard to take the extra step and carry the choices you face in Mass Effect to new heights, but whether Bioware thinks that fans can't handle any more thematic complexity, or whatever the reason is, there's always caveats to make the choices easier. For example, take the Enders-Game-like Thorian queen in ME1, dealing with hard questions like accountability, compassion, the sins of the father vs the son, etc. Very compelling stuff. But there's a copout. If you choose the paragon option, the Thorian Queen just takes her shit somewhere else and promises not be a bother ever again. This takes some of the weight out of the decision and makes the paragon choice more obviously the right one to pick. It would be a far harder (and more realistic) choice if the Thorians had to reintegrate themselves into galactic society and become a resource drain on the other civilizations. There other examples of what could have been great choices falling just a wee bit short, e.g. Legion's loyalty mission in ME2, the ending to ME3 (lets be honest here, if you didn't choose Destroy you're either an idiot or don't understand the game, the developers even wanted you to choose destroy because it's the only one with the Shepard lives ending).

4. Flight Control/Ship customization: I'm not trying to turn Mass Effect into Space Commander, but I want to be able to fly whatever ship is going to be in the new game, and I want to be able to customize it so it feels like my own.

5. No character classes: An organic skill progression tree like Skyrim or Wolfenstein is a far more fun progression than being limited to classes.

Bad Ideas I've heard from other wishlists that Mass Effect should absolutely NOT do:

1. Choose your own race: No no no no no no no no. The games would be far too different to plausibly do this concept right. Mass Effect has too rich a background to do this, and race is sort of a big deal in the Mass Effect Universe. This could only lead to one option-- an option where the three races wouldn't be that different at all, and it would cheapen the lore and disappoint fans as a result.

2. Versus multiplayer: When ME3's multiplayer came out and surprised everyone by actually being good, I thought they would later ruin it by adding a PvP mode. I'm glad they didn't. Tech/biotic/soldier powers would almost impossible to balance (imagine being spammed by stasis or charge or something, that would get old FAST) and without that it would just become a rather dull copycat of people who do it better like GoW. They struck gold with the co op mode, expand on that instead.

I like the Renegade/Paragon system its like using Force Persuade.

You could still persuade people through dialogue options without them being color coded and being told which one is bad and which one is good. It's the one stupid thing about one of the best dialogue systems in gaming.

I guess my post flew right over your head lol.

Phew, glad you're not making the game.

Sorry, Mass Effect is dead.

Also, your idea of Mass Effect would be executed horribly.

Yikes 0___0

I would like to see ME4 not be created :D

This would be great too.

What are you on about?

@jaken7: Eh, I think the Mass Effect franchise should end, before EA & Bioware completely milk it for all it's worth.

@beaconofstrength: It's a massive multimedia franchise with potential on par with something like Star Wars. Did you want it to end with just one game or what? It has games, books, comics, toys, anime movies, memorabilia, clothing, apps, etc. That's what franchises are. I'm just not exactly sure what you're complaining about. And just because you want something doesn't make it a true statement. Saying "Mass Effect is dead" is just ridiculous and false.

@jaken7: Well I could be wrong : )

Karma systems are what give games higher replay value and really impact choices. Same with character classes. Biotics had their own school! You can't just get rid f that. I'd rather them revamp the classes and make entirely new ones.

Versus Multiplayer? No thanks. Too many game tac that on. I'd rather them expand on the co-op which was amazing (liked it more than the campaign)

What I want is for the game to be like Mass Effect 1 but bigger. I want to go and explore other planets again. Scan minerals, wildlife, find secret missions. That's why ME 1 was the best to me. It was a true RPG with space exploration game.

You are. :)

@jaken7: Fantastic and what do you think if this OP's idea good sir ?

@shadowswordmaster: I only agree with #1, #3, and #4.

@jaken7: I should of probably stated that I found Mass Effect dead. Mass Effect 3 wasn't the most pleasant way to end Shepard's story, and I honestly wish that another game for it wasn't made. I'm afraid that EA & Bioware are going to pile drive it into the ground, and milk the series as hard as they can. I love the series, but I don't want it to become utter crap.

Also, I really don't think Mass Effect has potential on par with Star Wars. It had some, but not to Star Wars' degree.

@beaconofstrength: They're also working on another project aside from ME but it'll be like it. Plus Star Wars has been out way longer and has WAY more stuff besides video games and a few comics. It's had decades to flesh itself out. Shouldn't compare the 2.

@jaken7: Agreed

*should have

Sorry, that's just a huge pet peeve of mine.

There isn't much more that they can do to the franchise that hasn't already been done. They're all in man, as they should be. An indirect sequel is on the way, and fans are eagerly anticipating it. You don't have to buy it though. The Earth will keep spinning either way.

The lore is just as, if not more expansive and detailed than Star Wars. I'd also argue that Mass Effect is the greatest science fiction trilogy of all time. The only disadvantage it has versus Star Wars is that Star Wars started as a film, which has a much larger audience in general than a Mature rated video game.

I'll have to repeat myself I suppose:

The multi-player. Highly underrated for the awesome, wave surviving madness that rewarded you very well after each match.Also because I was the best there was at it!

@jaken7: How does clothing, toys, and memorabilia expand on the universe? The number of mass effect comics and books pales in comparison to Star Wars. SW has had TV shows, movies, AND games. Me just isn't at that scale yet. There's still a ton to learn on the world of Mass Effect and that's why they're making a somewhat sequel.

@darthaznable: I know all that. I'm just correcting you, as you claimed all ME had was "video games and a few comics." That just isn't true at all.

I actually agree with getting rid of the Paragon/Renegade thing. Morality alignments aren't necessarily a bad thing (a Star Wars RPG without a Light Side/Dark Side system just wouldn't be right) but it just seems silly and unnecessary in a game like Mass Effect. Even Dragon Age doesn't have the classic D&D Good/Neutral/Evil Lawful/Neutral/Chaotic alignments.

I don't see the point of not being able to choose your own species though. Dragon Age: Origins already proved that Bioware can handle different species and how different people will react to you and your background (and I'm hoping to see more of that in Inquisition).

@jaken7: Y U GOTTA BE CORRECTING ME MAYNE?

@smashbrawler Yeah Origins was amazing. If they could take some of the things from that and add it to ME. It would be perfect/10. We'll have to wait and see what they do though.

@jaken7: Eh, my mistake on the errors, it's late.

Don't get me wrong, I love Mass Effect, but I just can't trust EA. I'd love for them to make another amazing trilogy, but I don't see it happening. Of course the world will keep spinning, and people will buy their games regardless of the quality, but I just don't want to a series I love go to absolute crap. Bioware & EA didn't even care enough to give us a good ending; They literally categorized the endings by colors. They also found it acceptable to take one of the main characters of ME3, and change him into a DLC character. While I really hope I'm wrong, I just don't see Mass Effect going uphill.

I'm afraid that one day I'll wake up, and see they're making a Mass Effect multiplayer only game, Mass Effect FPS, and a Mass Effect MMO. I can't trust Bioware with MMO's, after the TORtanic.

Also, while Mass Effect has a pretty cool universe, I personally wouldn't say it's on Star Wars' tier.

You absolutely need to give Bioware more credit. They are the most empathic company I've ever met. It truly hurts them when fans get upset, and they go out of their way (sometimes to a fault) to listen to what fans have to say. The entirety of Dragon Age Inquisition is a testament to that. They built that game from the ground up around fan's requests. They also gave use the Extended Cut ending for ME3, which I felt filled all the plot holes from the original ending, and totally gave me the closure I needed. And I don't know why you're worrying about EA now. The only Mass Effect game not published by them was the first one. You liked 2 and 3 alright, yeah? DLC is a whole 'nother discussion, and has more to do with the industry as a whole than it does just Mass Effect or EA.

But TOR was made by a completely different studio in a completely different country. Bioware Austindeveloped TOR, Bioware Edmonton developed the Dragon Age games and the Mass Effect trilogy, and Bioware Montreal is developing the next Mass Effect game.

The lore is as detailed and expansive, it just hasn't had 40+ years worth of material to flesh it out like Star Wars had.

@darthaznable: Cuz you said the wrong thing. Duh.

Only mostly wrong!

I guess so, but then again it's not like your post was clear. How are having paragon renegade options anything like Force persuade?

Why is that?

What do you mean "my idea of Mass Effect would be executed horribly"? They've already done the things on my list to some extent (except for the ship and class thing), I'm just saying that these need to be priorities in making the next game to really take the storytelling to the next level.

This makes no sense. You can still make choices in dialogue and have replayability without a karma system in place, that's ridiculous. All a Karma system brings is a outdated unrealistic notion of black and white. I'm not saying that you can't make choices any more, I'm saying that your choices are better. And when did I ever say I wanted to get rid of biotics?

You want to drive around a shitty, repeated, barren map with a vehicle with crappy handling mechanics until you happen to come across a thresher maw or two? You want to spend your time looking for and scanning minerals? What? To me, the driving around and looking for minerals aspect was the worst thing about ME1.

I don't know whether you're talking quantity or quality, but quality wise, Mass Effect's Universe by the first game alone already far outstripped the entire Star Wars universe, or at least, as much of it as I have experienced.

In terms of sociopolitical, scientific, and story quality, Mass Effect surpassed Star Wars in the first game to me. Whereas Star Wars is a, lets face it, drab repeating universe filled with cliches and uninteresting caricatures, Mass Effect's universe is both realistic, fantastic, and intriguing. And obviously more well thought out.

@force_echo: So you want them to remove paragon and renegade even though they were just titles? It would literally do nothing, I'd say keep them, it'll give players a good indication at where they sit morally and what other characters will think of you. You said get rid of classes but in wouldn't work. Biotics need implants, unless you're suggesting the character just gets some with a skill or something that just gives them implants which...won't work. I'd rather you start off as a basic version of a class then branch off into a ton of different variations or new classes. Kind of like it already was but with a lot more depth. ME needs to go back to its RPG roots imo. Hey man that's like, totally your opinion bro. I love exploring but that is MY opinion :D

That's why they'd improve on the exploration. hurdur. Like they'd keep everything the same rofl. please use your head and watch the language.

@jaken7:

@jaken7: I'm not denying that I enjoyed 2 & 3, but EA is a terrible company, and I don't trust them. They've ruined Sim City with DRM, made PvZ littered with micro-transactions, rushed out BF4, even though it was an unfinished game, molested Dungeon Keeper, and decided to cut a main character out of ME3 and use his as day 1 DLC. There's a reason why I don't trust EA. Also, I'm bringing up DLC, because they obviously cut an extremely important character, so they could make an extra buck. I don't have an issue with DLC as a whole, but when you're cutting out parts of the original game to make an extra buck, I Also, the Extended Cut meant nothing to me; it didn't change the fact that most your choices didn't matter, and you still had the same 3 colored endings. I don't see Mass Effect going uphill. I'm very afraid that Mass Effect will join the EA grave.

Yes I want them to remove the titles because it feels like a copout. Nothing pulls me out of a realistic, high stakes choice more than seeing one blue icon and one red icon flashing on the screen for GOOD and EVIL, it feels freaking ridiculous. Also, your opinion that players need a literal bar with red and blue colors to determine where they sit morally with their decisions is laughable. If you need the game to tell you what kind of moral decision you're making rather then you're own head, then perhaps you're the kind of gamer Bioware is worried about when they try to make positive changes to create more in-depth storytelling methods. I don't understand why this is a hard concept for you to grasp, but I don't just want them to remove the title, I want them to remove the concept entirely. In the real world, there are often no right and wrong decisions, but grey ones. I want choices where none of the choices are the obvious paragon option and none of them are the obvious renegade option and they aren't labeled as such. I literally can't think of any other way to put this.

hurdur? Yeah, it's easy to say they'd improve on the exploration, that statement requires no brainpower at all to make and contributes literally nothing to any meaningful discussion about the game. Obviously they'd want to improve things as much as everyone wants to improve everything, it's a known fact that improvement is good, that's what the word means. It's how they're going to improve that drives discussion. You saying "that's why they'd improve on the exploration" is meaningless and idiotic. Use my head? You're right, maybe I should use my head like you use your head, erase my entire first post, and just write:

Mass Effect 4 Wishlist:

IMPROVE IT (revolutionary idea courtesy of darthaznable)

EA is pretty bad lol. But they're taking their time with Mass Effect. Not even really done with it. All they should was some concept art and a 3D image thing of what looked like a Krogan on a desert planet. They said themselves that they don't even have a story yet! We probably won't be getting this game for another 2-3 years. The extended cut might have left us wanting more but at least they put it out to help bring closure. They could of said f*** it and not done anything. EA could change around. I mean Battlefield Hardline played better than BF4 on release and that was just a beta! lol

@force_echo: No need to be so snide. I get you're over the computer but seriously, that gives you no right to be an ass. You're trying to bring "real world" logic to a video game based on interplanetary travel. You're entitled to your own opinion and I understand what you're saying but what you say isn't law. Just because you don't like it doesn't mean others won't. They way you put it, you made it seem as if they were going to copy and paste the exploration from ME1 and put it into ME4. Man these internet tough guys. smh

I never got what exactly people expected when they say that their "choices didn't matter". Every single choice you've made over the past 3 games links to your galactic readiness score, which pretty much solely determines the ending of the game. What more do you want?

You're right, I should have been the model of civic discussion like you, and use completely innocuous phrases like "hurdur" and "please use your head". Glass houses.

I hope there's more dialogue in between missions. Sometimes I would go to Wrex or Grunt and their only response would be "Shepard!"

Also, hopefully the game isn't about Shepard anymore. They'll just drag him out for some other new unknown enemy that appears out of nowhere. I got tired of it with Master Chief. If they start with a new character, I wonder how long after Shepard and the reapers it'll be at.

@force_echo: At least you admit we both have faults. Good on ya mate.

@silkyballfro94: They said his saga is done and it should be but the legend will still most likely be referenced. I'd rather it start off kind of like Origins where there are multiple ways for your character to get involved in the story, be it they're a regular citizen sucked into a war or a new recruit (by now not very original) but I don't want to be some already high ranking member of the military who basically becomes elite within a couple hours. ME1 didn't have a ton of choice in regards to character origin. Reapers will most likely return if not, some other universe threatening being will appear.

How about instead of "no races," the developers actually expend the energy required to make race a valid choice that affects gameplay and storyline in a unique and noticable way.

Races, however, would open the door to an MMO. I don't see them putting the effort in any other way.

... which I'm not necessarily opposed to, but...

ME3 multiplayer is considered good? O_o

I mean, it's okay at best, but it had absolutely no need to be there, other than the absurd recent obligation for a multiplayer option to be in every game.

Who wants to be anything other than a Turian? ;)

#turianmasterace

@jedixman: Is it really SO much to ask to have a single player RPG that makes species an important part of gameplay? Dragon Age: Origins was doing that s*** five years ago and yet Skyrim's all "lol you're basically all nords" and Mass Effect's like "F*** man, no, too lazy for that s***."

@darthaznable: I would be playing a quarian or asari.