Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

New Mass Effect interview: Cap'n Shepard = Jack Bauer

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
This post is dedicated to LCJr.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/756/756883p1.html - a 4-page long interview

IGN: So let's start from the beginning with the storyline. BioWare is always known for their great stories, so where did the inspiration come for the universe and characters of Mass Effect?

...You want to be able to have a starship and walk around inside it and all these really great moments. Reasons to, not just the ability to travel across the galaxy, but reasons to scour the galaxy and go out there and look for stuff.
How very Todd Howard. Sci-fi for us is scouring the galaxy on a spaceship and looking for stuff.

We wanted players to be really empowered. We wanted them to feel like they're somebody special even from the beginning, which is a challenge in a role-playing game.
A challenge? Every fucking game starts by explaining why you are teh emPOWAH'ed chosen one and how awesome that is.

We wanted people to feel like all throughout the game they're somebody really important and special and to have that kind of feeling that when you arrive on a scene, people take notice.
Priceless. "Someone really important and special". I guess the target audience is insecure losers with self-esteem issues.

IGN: So you just spoke about how you want players to feel that they're somebody special. We know that you take the role of Commander Shepard as the main character and I've read that you can create your own character and build him from the ground up. How do you manage to make this game where the two ideas co-exist, where you can create your own character and build your own persona an still fit him into this world and story where he is special?

Casey Hudson: Well it's an interesting balance and I think it's a different balance than anyone has ever done before in a role-playing game. I think typically role-playing games in the past have been more about creating a completely empty vessel that you then fill up with whatever choices that you make. And that can be really cool but it also kind of leaves out a little bit of the texture of what it's like to be someone specific or to have a specific spirit to an adventure. So if you think about some of the really great, memorable science fiction stories or even characters, like Captain Kirk or JACK BAUER.

So we created the persona of COMMANDER Shepard. And Commander Shepard is an N7 ELITE which is a member of the human military that really is among THE VERY BEST OF THE BEST and he's already PROVEN himself. And you can also, of course, create a female Commander Shepard. But because we give you a certain kind of experience which is that NOTHING IS GOING TO HOLD YOU BACK. You will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to solve your mission, to get through that door, to accomplish your objective. And you will GO TO THE EXTREMES to do that. That's really the essence of the experience of being Commander Shepard.
Well, looks like Jack is definitely back.

But then everything else is up to you. You can create a female Commander Shepard, you can decide everything about the way you look, and you can even decide how you got to be that kind of a character by choosing different kinds of your back story.
I can pick a gender, customize the face, and write my own backstory? How awesome is that?

Even if you're talking to a character about something, we always give you an out so you can say, "Alright, that's enough. Talk to you later."
Cutting edge stuff, right there.

It's interesting to note that the game is already rated 8.6 by the IGN retards. I meant readers. Honest typo.
 
Joined
Jul 30, 2006
Messages
5,933
Location
Scotland
And no matter how big-shot-mighty-important-huge-penis your Captain Kirk is, I bet you still start off at level 1 killing spacerats under the spaceinn.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
In a very extreme fashion, of course. Doing whatever it takes, without anything holding you back. Because you are elite. The best of the best.
 

Volourn

Pretty Princess
Pretty Princess Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
24,924
"I can pick a gender, customize the face, and write my own backstory? How awesome is that?"

Stats, skills, and class as well.


"Cutting edge stuff, right there."

In some ways, yes. Many RPGs have certain dilaogues that are forced upon the player no matt what through script. From the sounds of it, you get to choose who you talk to just like in RL. I just hope there are actual consequences if you ignore the wrong person.


"Well, looks like Jack is definitely back."

L0L I haven't seen one second of 24 not counting commercials.



"I guess the target audience is insecure losers with self-esteem issues."

Absolutely. What proof? www.rpgcodex.com There's your proof.



"A challenge? Every fucking game starts by explaining why you are teh emPOWAH'ed chosen one and how awesome that is."

Big whoopp. You start off as a Commnader. Not really a 'chosen one' per se outside of being the main protaganist so, of course, the game's story is focused on you. Duh.


I really like the aprt where they talk about party interactions. But, hey, you ignore thjat part as it actually discusses role-playing, choices, and consequences. R00fles! Can't have that ruin your attack, after all.



"It's interesting to note that the game is already rated 8.6 by the IGN retards."

Meh. Every game gets rated prior to release. i agree that it's a dumb practice. btw, I bet some of those 'reader rratings' ar elow scores given by BIO haters. L0LLERZ!


R00fles Galore!!! :D
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
Volourn said:
"I can pick a gender, customize the face, and write my own backstory? How awesome is that?"

Stats, skills, and class as well.
Class too? Holy fuck! I'm not sure I can handle all the choices. Will you help me make a character, Volly?

I really like the aprt where they talk about party interactions. But, hey, you ignore thjat part as it actually discusses role-playing, choices, and consequences. R00fles! Can't have that ruin your attack, after all.
Well, if I biasedly overlooked something, post it here, don't be shy.
 

Volourn

Pretty Princess
Pretty Princess Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
24,924
"Class too? Holy fuck! I'm not sure I can handle all the choices. Will you help me make a character, Volly?"

So... you admit you'll buy a xbox 360 for this game? I know you will. You've certainly been spending a lot of time searching for article on a non PC game. How many ME threads have you started, btw? LOL


"Well, if I biasedly overlooked something, post it here, don't be shy."

Nah. You can read the article. Besides, I know the Codex too well. We cna twist anything to make it sound good or bad as much as we wish.
 

Amasius

Augur
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
959
Location
Thanatos
IGN: A lot of the BioWare "flavor" is that you give choices. You make the player take the good side or the bad side or somewhere in the grey area, but it's always about making choices. How are those choices going to play into how the story is told and how the game plays?

Casey Hudson: You may have seen how we have a new interface for interacting with characters in the world. So it's based on a circular wheel that represents different directions for emotional responses. The neat thing about this is that when you interact with another character, you're able to do things that you can't normally do if it is just conversation or just picking dialogue options. So here, you can see the whole spectrum from something that is a simple verbal response to taking a fairly extreme action or making an important decision. But you can do these things almost instantaneously because you start to learn how to react through the system. It's really amazing how fast you learn it and then how much value it has in being able to instantly react to somebody. Your action might be as extreme as hitting them with the butt of your rifle and then when they're on the ground you tell them how things are going to go. It can be very extreme.

Those interactions that have a much more visceral and tangible flavor to them, that's where you start to have an experience that immerses you inside the story in a way that we were never able to do before.

The question is about choices and Mr. Casey "Hype" Hudson answers at lengh how cool the conversation wheel is? So there are no choices or what?
 

Volourn

Pretty Princess
Pretty Princess Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
24,924
Eh? The whell is about chocies. It's what is used by the PC to interact/react to whoever they are talking to. It's basically the used in the same manner as dialogue trees in every BIO game as well as Fos, Troika, Obsidian, and any decent RPG.

Did you even read the very answer you quoted? GAH.
 

RK47

collides like two planets pulled by gravity
Patron
Joined
Feb 23, 2006
Messages
28,396
Location
Not Here
Dead State Divinity: Original Sin
It's X360 only...so...no. Until they port it over with functional mouse support. I won't even bother.
 

Cthulhugoat

Arbiter
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
Messages
1,214
Location
Land of big butts
Human Shield said:
This is exaggerating too far VD. Bioware isn't at Todd's level yet.

No, not BioWare. Casey Hudson is.

Oh, well really we were able to start from first principles because we were faced with creating our own universe for this game. So knowing that we were able to really do whatever we wanted with it, it kind of comes down to what do you want to do? What do you most want to do in a science fiction story? That was really the beginning of it is just thinking about what do you really want to do? You want to be able to have a starship and walk around inside it and all these really great moments. Reasons to, not just the ability to travel across the galaxy, but reasons to scour the galaxy and go out there and look for stuff.

Oblivionish.
 

Amasius

Augur
Joined
Sep 24, 2006
Messages
959
Location
Thanatos
Volourn said:
Eh? The whell is about chocies. It's what is used by the PC to interact/react to whoever they are talking to. It's basically the used in the same manner as dialogue trees in every BIO game as well as Fos, Troika, Obsidian, and any decent RPG.

Did you even read the very answer you quoted? GAH.
Nah, the wheel is only a way to choose between different answers like the good old dialogue trees but that dosn't mean that there are real choices like in "choices with consequences". Mr. Hudson answers "how the game plays" but says nothing about the impact of choices on the story or gameworld.

Oh shit, I forgot that it is against my principles to discuss with Volourn. :oops:
 

bylam

Funcom
Developer
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
707
Vault Dweller said:
Volourn said:
"I can pick a gender, customize the face, and write my own backstory? How awesome is that?"

Stats, skills, and class as well.
Class too? Holy fuck! I'm not sure I can handle all the choices. Will you help me make a character, Volly?

If you re-read the article it acutally says choose parts of your backstory. So basically what Troika did in Arcanum and Obsidian did in NWN2? I think this is a step in the right direction. We shouldn't be criticising Bioware for moving back towards more customization after their terrible char systems in both Jade Empire and KOTOR.
 

elander_

Arbiter
Joined
Oct 7, 2005
Messages
2,015
Human Shield said:
This is exaggerating too far VD. Bioware isn't at Todd's level yet.

This site is about rpgs and in terms of role-playing Bioware is even worst. If you like Bioware games theres no shame in it. Some of them are quite entertaining but not as rpgs.

Just because they have one or two quests where you make one or two lonely choices it doesn't make it a good rpg.

Bioware games are railroaded down a linear story like a wore mouth down a 4 inch black dick for a couple of bucks.

All quest and i mean all of them must have multiple solutions and repercutions in the world and factions. Theres no room for any kind of linearity. For an hibrid action/rpg the minimum would be spliting this 50/50 with a railroaded main quest and proper role-playing quests.

"Eh? The whell is about chocies. It's what is used by the PC to interact/react to whoever they are talking to. It's basically the used in the same manner as dialogue trees in every BIO game as well as Fos, Troika, Obsidian, and any decent RPG. "

Roleplaying choices mooooooooooron. Not just being able to choose an answer from a glorified dialog tree.

bylam said:
If you re-read the article it acutally says choose parts of your backstory. So basically what Troika did in Arcanum and Obsidian did in NWN2?

You are mistaken. Troika and Arcanum did it for different reasons and in different contexts.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
bylam said:
Vault Dweller said:
Volourn said:
"I can pick a gender, customize the face, and write my own backstory? How awesome is that?"

Stats, skills, and class as well.
Class too? Holy fuck! I'm not sure I can handle all the choices. Will you help me make a character, Volly?

If you re-read the article it acutally says choose parts of your backstory. So basically what Troika did in Arcanum and Obsidian did in NWN2? I think this is a step in the right direction. We shouldn't be criticising Bioware for moving back towards more customization after their terrible char systems in both Jade Empire and KOTOR.
Step? What step? Adding " you were teh fightar: +100 to combat, -100 to boring stuff" lines? Takes about 10 minutes to add them to the game. Now, ToEE's and Dragon Age's vignettes are a different story and definitely a step in the right direction.
 

mister lamat

Scholar
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
570
definately has a very unique convo engine. actually looking forward to trying it out.

what's the difference between hitting the 'angry' button and wading through some dialogue until you get the 'angry response' anyways? how many pc lines, across every rpg you've ever played, would you actually repeat under any circumstance anyway? kinda superfluous really.
 

mister lamat

Scholar
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
570
Vault Dweller said:
Step? What step? Adding " you were teh fightar: +100 to combat, -100 to boring stuff" lines? Takes about 10 minutes to add them to the game. Now, ToEE's and Dragon Age's vignettes are a different story and definitely a step in the right direction.

toee's vignettes were a step in the right direction? one room dungeon... small dark alley... no choice whatsoever... yes, utterly ensconcing.
 

bylam

Funcom
Developer
Joined
Oct 30, 2006
Messages
707
Vault Dweller said:
Step? What step? Adding " you were teh fightar: +100 to combat, -100 to boring stuff" lines? Takes about 10 minutes to add them to the game. Now, ToEE's and Dragon Age's vignettes are a different story and definitely a step in the right direction.

As it is not known what the background stories might be,we can only speculate. In Arcanum they were far more than simple stat modifiers (e.g. Hydrophobia, Nature Mage) because they encouraged the player to think about how he/she would like to play the game- before the game had even begun.
Even in NWN 2 they were referenced by in-game characters, a consequence of a choice made at character creation.
I don't consider the TOEE viginettes a step in the right direction - they were so poorly implemented that I think they actually harmed the cause.

In the end features like this don't make or break a game - but I'd rather see them in than out is all I am saying.

Edit: For my own poor grammar
 

Volourn

Pretty Princess
Pretty Princess Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
24,924
TOEE's system was shit. NWN2's was even worse. Arcanum was better than the other two; but not all that much. ME's will likely be better than either.


"Nah, the wheel is only a way to choose between different answers like the good old dialogue trees but that dosn't mean that there are real choices like in "choices with consequences". Mr. Hudson answers "how the game plays" but says nothing about the impact of choices on the story or gameworld."

You truly are retarded. The dialogue wheel lets you interatc/react with other characters which leads to CONSEQUENCES. Moron.


"Oh shit, I forgot that it is against my principles to discuss with Volourn."

If you keep making up shit; you'd be doing both of us favors. LOL


"This site is about rpgs and in terms of role-playing Bioware is even worst. If you like Bioware games theres no shame in it. Some of them are quite entertaining but not as rpgs."

Bullshit. BIO makes RPGs/Action RPGs, and damn good ones at that. The fact you actually believe Bethesda does it better shows how retarded youa re. Pathetuic.

Most quests in JE have multiple solutions. Same with KOTOR. Dumbass.


By your defintion, not even FO qualifies as a RPG. Idiot.
 

Vault Dweller

Commissar, Red Star Studio
Developer
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
28,024
mister lamat said:
toee's vignettes were a step in the right direction? one room dungeon... small dark alley... no choice whatsoever... yes, utterly ensconcing.
Which is why I called them a "step" instead of "pinnacle of role-playing". They added a certain unique element to your characters, giving them a fitting motivation, different start point, and a quest, if I'm not mistaken.

bylam said:
...because they encouraged the player to think about how he/she would like to play the game- before the game had even begun.
How's that different from choosing stats?

I don't consider the TOEE viginettes a step in the right direction - they were so poorly implemented that I think they actually harmed the cause.
Something is always better than nothing.
 

Volourn

Pretty Princess
Pretty Princess Glory to Ukraine
Joined
Mar 10, 2003
Messages
24,924
"Something is always better than nothing."

Bullshit. If I had to choose having sex with a 500 lb man and no sex at all; no sex at all would win. Every. single. fuckin'. time. Period.
 

mister lamat

Scholar
Joined
Mar 23, 2006
Messages
570
Vault Dweller said:
mister lamat said:
toee's vignettes were a step in the right direction? one room dungeon... small dark alley... no choice whatsoever... yes, utterly ensconcing.
Which is why I called them a "step" instead of "pinnacle of role-playing". They added a certain unique element to your characters, giving them a fitting motivation, different start point, and a quest, if I'm not mistaken.

"CHICK IZ DEAD IN ALLY!!!"

"GET MCGUFFIN, YO!"

"WE'S A TAKE DIS TO PRIEST FOR LOOTZ AND XP!!! LOL!!1!!"

*miss*

*miss*

*spell failure*

*miss*

*miss*

*you hit thief for 3 points of damage*

*thief dies*

"THAT WUZ HUUUURD"

they were what they were, shitty little vignettes. nothing more. no real motivation for the story. nothing explaining why my dwarf cleric is hanging out with a half elf bard and half orc barbarian... sorry, i like a cinimatic flavour and story in my opening.
 

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom