Mass Effect 2 - Shooter or RPG?

aries100

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During this year's GDC, Bioware's Christina Normann gave a lecture which people from Game Zenith attended. After GDC, Game Zenith has published an article where they frankly scorn Bioware for the lack of major rpg elements in Mass Effect 2.

The included some authentic quotes from Christina Norman in the article. Here's a direct quote from Chritina Norman and Game Zenith's reaction:
"Fans complaining (About lack of RPG experience in ME2) is a small percentage of the overall post (In the Bioware forums)"
This is a real slap in the face to those core RPG gamers who have followed Bioware over the years. It is as if Bioware does not care about the lesser percentage of their audience, as long as the larger percentage loves it and they get their profits. Bioware seems to not recall who built them in the first place. They fail to remember who bought their products and put money into their pockets from the beginning. I know Bioware is on a quest to seek profits, thus broadening their audience, but please do not act like the voice of RPGers are not that important because we are a "small percentage". RPG gamers are loyal and will support you as long as you respect their desires. Shooter gamers are itinerant, once you think you've gotten their attention, they will move on to the next big thing. Remember this Bioware while developing Mass Effect 3.
Christina also mentioned that in Mass Effect 1:
when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.
Apparently, Bioware is going the shooter route with the Mass Effect series. Will ME3 then be pure shooter? And do you think Bioware should go this route?
More information.
 
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What an awful piece of writing.
Ranty editorial dude needs an editor. Badly.
 
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I got my copy of ME2 but still have not played it. Just finished DA and started Awakening. I don't mind if Bioware goes the shooter route for ME3, as long as they say and market it as a shooter. Even though ME1's RPG mechanics where fair at best, it still was a fun game to play and I would consider it a shooter-rpg hybrid. But if the RPG elements in ME2 are stripped down (like it seems), and there is no real inventory systems, I can't really see how this is an RPG. Maybe a shooter/interactive movie hybrid from what I've read? I'll have to play the game and see for myself.
 
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I got my copy of ME2 but still have not played it. Just finished DA and started Awakening. I don't mind if Bioware goes the shooter route for ME3, as long as they say and market it as a shooter. Even though ME1's RPG mechanics where fair, it still was a fun game to play and I would consider it a shooter-rpg hybrid. From what I've read of ME2, it seems to barely deserve being named an RPG, but seems to be a good game.

That's how it is. ME1 was about 60% shooter, 40% RPG. ME2 is 90% shooter, 10% RPG.
It's a fun game, a shooter where you make choices.
 
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Unlike others that call Diablo "RPGaction", I tend to call it RPG-light.
ME2 is another RPGlite game.
What's good for both of them is that they're fun. Another such example is Fate. Or Dink Smallwood.

However, there is not so small number of disgustingly bad RPGlite games. I'm not goin' to number them.

We can't predict if Bioware will make ME3 in this direction, but when it comes to Bioware, honestly, fun is guaranteed. Al least it was so far. And because of that, I'm buying anything from them, no brainer there.
 
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It's a ShooPG. I guess you can read that as either Shooter + RPG or Shoo, RPG!

The article (or at least the excerpt here) sounds like a forum rant.

I'll pick up the game when I'm in the mood for a good shooter. I have to be in the mood for those. That's my only disgruntlement with the M.E. franchise. I'm usually in the mood for an RPG, but less often in the mood for a shooter. I expect to enjoy it either way, though.
 
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Using the phrase "X is a slap in the face" should instantly disqualify someone from posting on the internet for 30 days.

Just sayin'. Anyway. Make ME3 whatever the hell you want to, just make it fun. Listening to people on forums and bloggers is a fantastically awful way to decide what's fun. I heartily support Bioware doing some serious ignoring.
 
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when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.
That's probably because the skill system is so complicated that it takes a long time to carefully consider all the countless options.

Well if the RPG elements are in fact so distracting then I guess Bioware would be justified in removing them completely. I for one will forgive them if they do so (though I will probably not buy the game) - even if they apparently still owe me for buying Baldur's Gate back then.
 
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Its hard to believe anyone could be confused by ME1's RPG elements. The only thing confusing was the silly ammo system and trying to keep under the capacity limit. If you weren't careful to Omni-gel worthless drops the game would force you to Omni-gel the latest drops that put you over the limit. Also when you pick thing up and you havent fully "taken" them? I never did understand that one. The valuable skills on level up however couldn't have been more obvious.
 
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when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.

Does this woman have very, very bad short-term memory? Or is she someone who smokes weed while playing? I can't imagine most people having a problem remembering what was going on during the few minutes, or seconds, it takes to level up in ME1. From what I heard it should be even easier in ME2.
 
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what a stupid rant... Bioware doesn't care for rpg players? what, Dragon Age is not and rpg? they are basically the only one who had the guts to go back to those full price tactical group based rpgs. no other developer make them, only indie developers and sorry, i want my games to look modern.
 
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what a stupid rant… Bioware doesn't care for rpg players?
Well, I think they care for RPG players, at least a bit; they just don't really listen to them. ;)

(Instead they seem to listen to other types of players. That is the problem. "Not listening" in itself is not necessarily bad and can even be a Good Thing To Do to keep a concistent artistic vision.)
 
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Not sure what players Dragon Age is catering to if it's not RPG players? It might not be Baldur's Gate 3, but it's the best attempt we've seen since.. well, Baldur's Gate 2.
 
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My brother loves ME2 , he hates RPGS and only plays shooters , i trust his 20 years of experience and i will not touch it .


what a stupid rant… Bioware doesn't care for rpg players? what, Dragon Age is not and rpg? they are basically the only one who had the guts to go back to those full price tactical group based rpgs. no other developer make them, only indie developers and sorry, i want my games to look modern.

We are just pushing things so they will stop making stupid party oriented games , "role play 7 characters including 5 annoying ones and a retard who can not die" kind of stuff .

:D
 
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Not sure what players Dragon Age is catering to if it's not RPG players? It might not be Baldur's Gate 3, but it's the best attempt we've seen since.. well, Baldur's Gate 2.
True … hm. But Mass Effect 2 was the latest and was marketed as an RPG, so obviously that's reason enough to spell doom for the entire genre and Bioware as a whole. ;)

Ah, whatever, dead horse and all.

To be fair, some parts in the game (the big hubs) felt more like an immersive RPG to me than most "normal RPGs".
 
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when you level up, it interrupts gameplay and when you pause the game to level up and jump back into the action, you do not know what’s going on.

Leveling up is gameplay. Gameplay is more than action, strategy for example. By this idea, chess wouldn't be a game if people spend some time planning their next move.
 
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I don't even get that quote. What is she talking about? From what I recall, the game doesn't stop because you level up.. ? There are even places in the game where you risk getting several level ups before noticing. You can choose when and where to actually place the skill points, so it certainly doesn't "interrupt gameplay".
 
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