Mass Effect 2 - Pre-E3 Interview @ GameSpy

[Dhruin]

BioWare's Casey Hudson chats to GameSpy about Mass Effect 2 and what they will show at E3. On decisions:

GameSpy: In the original Mass Effect, decisions had a real impact on the game. Has that changed significantly in Mass Effect 2?
Casey Hudson: It's definitely a continuation of the idea that you can have agonizing choices and that they all have very real consequences to the story. The fun thing is that Mass Effect 2 is going to make people realize that their actions in the first game really did have consequences, because the results go beyond those in the first game.
I think it's something where people are going to realize that to such a degree that they'll want to go back and play the first game again with that in mind. For example, from the moment you start Mass Effect 2, you'll realize that the world that you left behind in Mass Effect 1 is where you start in Mass Effect 2. It starts out being shaped a little bit differently based on your endings and the choices you made.
All throughout the game, you'll see that if you made a decision in the first one, like where someone died in the first game, that character will be dead in the second. It makes you really think that when they reach a moment in Mass Effect 1, or Mass Effect 2, they're decisions that can impact the ending of the trilogy. That realization will make an impact. You'll recognize characters from the first game, and the consequences of decisions from the first game.

More information.

 

[booboo]

"It starts out being shaped a little bit differently based on your endings and the choices you made."

Only if you played ME or still have your save games - which is quite a big ask. I often
remove played games (and save games) a few months later - if I want to replay (usually years later) I reinstall and start a new game (so why keep the old games? I'm sure I'm not alone in this) So now, if you did play the game before and killed X, they may still be in the generic intro/story (whatever that is) - or dead ("noooo! noooo! XYZ is dead?") when they were with you at the end. So this may actually make the experience less satisfying rather than more. Seems like rather a double edged sword for non-episodic game content.

"Casey Hudson: That's too bad! The cool thing about Mass Effect 2 in that sense is that there are all these tie-ins to the first one, but it's also an excellent entry point for people that didn't play it or no longer have their save game, and then you can dovetail really nicely not knowing anything about what Mass Effect 1 was, because much of what's great in Mass Effect 2 is that it plays better, it's more accessible, everything about it is better and more broadly appealing."

Oh god...he's babbling like loon. "and...and...and...It's just the best thing ever!!!"
I just have a vision of Spongebob Squarepants in my mind...:lol:

 

[Prime Junta]

I would expect this to be handled the same way as in KOTOR 2 (or, for that matter, in ME when you set up your background) -- there's a conversation with someone in the intro that lets you tell what choices you made. (Obviously this doesn't rule out using a savegame, in which case the conversation would be skipped, or would play out differently.)

 

[PatrickWeekes]

"It starts out being shaped a little bit differently based on your endings and the choices you made."

Only if you played ME or still have your save games - which is quite a big ask. I often
remove played games (and save games) a few months later - if I want to replay (usually years later) I reinstall and start a new game (so why keep the old games? I'm sure I'm not alone in this) So now, if you did play the game before and killed X, they may still be in the generic intro/story (whatever that is) - or dead ("noooo! noooo! XYZ is dead?") when they were with you at the end. So this may actually make the experience less satisfying rather than more. Seems like rather a double edged sword for non-episodic game content.

I'm sorry, I know that any kind of irritation turns me into an unprofessional jerk, but... really?

We talk about a series where choices made in the first game carry on to the next, and you're complaining because you might have deleted your save?

That is idiotic. Don't get me wrong, if you want to complain, you can certainly find reasons. Maybe we're dividing our time too much trying to make people who played the previous game happy! Maybe there's a razor-thin line we have to walk in terms of what level of immersion we can assume on the part of the player and we could very easily either have Shepard having to not remember something obvious or leave the player in the dark because we assumed everyone would remember a given character!

But "What if I deleted my save?" ranks right up there with "What if I punch myself in the face while reading the conversations?" in terms of stuff that is not our problem. If you care enough about the game to suffer a loss of immersion from choices not carrying forward, then keeping the saved game for a game the developers told you would have choices carrying forward is your responsibility.

 

[Squeek]

I have to admit it usually never occurs to me that I might want to save my savegames until right after I delete them. I don't punch myself in the face much, though. So I suppose I ought to be grateful for that.

It's a loony world out there where people always seem to smoke where they're specifically directed not to, or loiter or litter around "No Loitering" and "No Littering" signs. I imagine those people stop sometimes and ask themselves, "Which will it be today? Shall I smoke, loiter or litter?" And then they see the sign, and bingo! That helps them decide.

If they were called Deletegame files, more people would save them, I bet.

 

[wolfing]

I remember I used to keep the saved games for many years (over 5), just in case the game had a sequel and I would be able to use it. Sadly, most sequels didn't so I ended up not doing it. I don't think it's a bad idea to have the game start like someone mentioned, with a conversation with someone where you select what you did in the first game, but if you have a saved game, ME2 could read it and skip this part or something.
No big deal though, I bet I can download the appropriate saved games from somewhere.

 

[Foss]

It might be a nice thing (nothing negative about it atleast), but I am not sure how positive it is compared to how much effort and PR that seems to be put into it.

I usually never keep my savegames. Don't see the point when I have finished the game.
Removed ME + save games after I completed it the first time. Didn't know about the ME2 use of those files at that time.
However, I just checked my files and it seems I have ME savegames lying around, so must have remembered to not delete them after my 2nd playthrough.
Now, hopefully I don't end up deleting them by mistake.
But the biggest issue I might have is that I can't remember what choices I made in ME, so I am not sure how much I get out of this. Plus, it wouldn't surprise me if I made the wrong choices in my 2nd playthrough, simple to get a different experience, but not something I want to affect the next game with.
Wouldn't it have been easier just to go through some sort of questionaire where you could make up the choices you did in the first game?

 

[Maylander]

I rarely delete save games, just in case I want to go back and check something out. Besides, it's not like you can't play ME2 without having a savegame - you'll just get the default decisions (most likely Paragon).

I honestly fail to see how this can be a bad thing. Besides, all of BioWares sequels/add-ons (BG2, Throne of Bhaal, Shadows of Undrentide, Hordes of the Underdark) had some sort of import option - however, in ME2s case, I suspect the feature will change the game a bit more than previous incarnations of the feature.

If you've followed BioWare for years, this should hardly come as a surprise.

 

[DArtagnan]

I think it's a welcome nod to old times when this was relatively common for series of RPGs - like the Goldbox games.

However, in the case of Mass Effect, the character/loot systems are so meaningless and hollow - that I don't see much of an incentive. The only aspect that might be worth saving your character for would be the dialogue choices you make during the first game, and given how most developers handle this - it generally turns out to have a minimal impact anyway. However, if they've done something special and your previous choices WILL have a significant and meaningful impact, this just might be pretty cool.

It could also be an extra incentive to replay Mass Effect before release, and that's always nice.

I'd have to see this in action before making a determination though.

 

[Maylander]

I'm fairly certain the biggest consequence will be:

Spoiler

Whether you saved the Council or not. If you don't save it, you get a human dominated galaxy. If you save it, it continues to be a controlled by several different races.

 

[DArtagnan]

Oh, really?

Sounds pretty cool. Way to go Bioware - I must say.

 

[Prime Junta]

I'm sorry, I know that any kind of irritation turns me into an unprofessional jerk, but... really?

We talk about a series where choices made in the first game carry on to the next, and you're complaining because you might have deleted your save?

That is idiotic.

You gotta love your customers, eh?

 

[DArtagnan]

I'm sorry, I know that any kind of irritation turns me into an unprofessional jerk, but... really?

We talk about a series where choices made in the first game carry on to the next, and you're complaining because you might have deleted your save?

That is idiotic. Don't get me wrong, if you want to complain, you can certainly find reasons. Maybe we're dividing our time too much trying to make people who played the previous game happy! Maybe there's a razor-thin line we have to walk in terms of what level of immersion we can assume on the part of the player and we could very easily either have Shepard having to not remember something obvious or leave the player in the dark because we assumed everyone would remember a given character!

But "What if I deleted my save?" ranks right up there with "What if I punch myself in the face while reading the conversations?" in terms of stuff that is not our problem. If you care enough about the game to suffer a loss of immersion from choices not carrying forward, then keeping the saved game for a game the developers told you would have choices carrying forward is your responsibility.

I tend to agree with you that it's a pretty strange and unreasonable complaint, so I don't see how that would make you unprofessional or a jerk for thinking that.

That said, maybe it's unprofessional to refer to it as idiocy - but if that's how you feel, so be it

Anyway - have you considered making those choices a part of character creation in ME2? I mean, maybe ask the player some key questions and let him answer to affect the story - either during the creation itself or perhaps some kind of introduction. I believe they did something like this in KOTOR 2 IIRC. Should make it easier on people who didn't play the first game but who'd like to have an influence on events in the second one. Oh, and those who didn't keep their savegames and who don't feel like replaying ME again.

Just a thought.

 

[Maylander]

Well, this feature adds replayvalue to ME1 - a lot of people will probably replay ME1 once ME2 is out to see the differences in ME2. Or do full runs through the entire series when ME3 is out: Start in 1, import to 2, then 3, giving it a massive scope (similar to what people do with BG1 -> BG1: Tales -> BG2 -> BG2: Throne). Also, it's tricky to solve situations like Shepards gear/skillset (if such things get imported) without the questions turning into a massive quiz.

Then again, it could be part of character creation similar to the current background thing for Shepard (spacer, earthborn, war hero, etc) - either go by default, or specify certain things (i.e the big events: Who is ruling the galaxy, were the Rachi released or killed, was the colony saved or doomed, etc).

 

[DArtagnan]

Well, this feature adds replayvalue to ME1 - a lot of people will probably replay ME1 once ME2 is out to see the differences in ME2. Or do full runs through the entire series when ME3 is out: Start in 1, import to 2, then 3, giving it a massive scope (similar to what people do with BG1 -> BG1: Tales -> BG2 -> BG2: Throne). Also, it's tricky to solve situations like Shepards gear/skillset (if such things get imported) without the questions turning into a massive quiz.

Nah, the skillset and gear would be the easy part - as I assume the character is going to start at an appropriate level. You could simply give Shephard the amount of skillpoints he would have had, and let him assign it to skills freely. This has been done countless times in the past - and it's standard practice in games like NWN and IWD.

The gear is equally simple, if they choose to implement a carry-over - which I doubt because the tradition is to NOT carry gear over. The reasons for this are obvious, because it lessens the incentive to find new stuff at first - and it forces them to balance around what kind of gear they MIGHT have had at the time. But if they DID choose to carry it over, then they could just hand out some credits and make a "shop NPC" during the introduction - and have them force expenditure.

Many other ways of doing it, naturally, but it's hardly a challenge to implement.

 

[booboo]

I'm sorry, I know that any kind of irritation turns me into an unprofessional jerk, but... really?

<snip...snip, snip snip>

But "What if I deleted my save?" ranks right up there with "What if I punch myself in the face while reading the conversations?" in terms of stuff that is not our problem. If you care enough about the game to suffer a loss of immersion from choices not carrying forward, then keeping the saved game for a game the developers told you would have choices carrying forward is your responsibility.

Yes, your (over-) reaction was a tad excessive -> PR check: fail. This 'feature' seemed quite important - perhaps its an irrelevance? Well, that wasn't clear in the article. I do not think that many people keep savegames indefinitely - unless thery're planning to play an expansion, which this ain't. So if the 'tailored' beginning is predicated on having a savegame, then clearly it wouldn't work as expected. Unless (as suggested elsewhere) we have a handy questionnaire at the start of the game which allows you to detail what you did in the original, which seems like rather a poor second option. Quite frankly, I do "not care enough about game to suffer a loss of immersion" I simply detest marketing spin where companies talk up every feature when it may, in fact, be a 'non-feature' in the end.

 

[Gorath]

I agree with Patrick. That's a nice feature for dedicated fans. You no longer have your saves? Fine, then play without them, this feature isn't for you. But stop criticizing everything.

 

[Dhruin]

Yes, I can't see they've done anything wrong here. It's a nice service for the fans and otherwise, play the default setup or whatever solution they use.