In the other Mass Effect games there were two ways of playing out the storyline. I used to call them "The Good Guy" and "The Douchebag" You could make positive choices or you could be as previously stated, a douchebag. In this game I feel like no matter what choice I make, I'm always going to * someone off. Without giving out any spoilers I just made a judgement call during a priority mission and I wonder if it was the 'right' one. Spoiler (Highlight to read)It's the when you infiltrate the Archon's ship and you have to decide whether to save the Salarian Pathfinder or Drak's scouts. I went with the Pathfinder and now Drak's pissed off at me.It's the when you infiltrate the Archon's ship and you have to decide whether to save the Salarian Pathfinder or Drak's scouts. I went with the Pathfinder and now Drak's pissed off at me. I can't help but feel I'm not really making game choices because there is always a counter to every decision I make. I suppose that this is more like 'real life' than not but I would rather be the 'hero' than the 'douchebag.'

I have noticed a few things as far as choices go that shows a lack of depth to the story and really lowers the ability for the story to draw you in and immerse you into the 'new' Mass Effect. That is the individual story lines. Your interaction with your crew. There is very little growth. You find out pretty much everything about every npc in the game from the first conversation. There is no depth. Your interaction and the choices you made in the other games effected your conversations with your fellow crew members and other npc's as well as the story of the game itself. The simple side story of Conrad Verner is a great example. Choices made during missions and loyalty missions would effect future conversations with everyone, even nothing npc's. The problem is, there are very few interactions with your crew after the first one or two, and then only a couple for each loyalty mission. As I said, I left Drack's guys on the Kett ship and it was completely forgotten after the one interaction after the mission. I could really forgive all of the bugs ect. because EA did not give them the extra time to flesh out the game that they (Bioware) asked for. The story however, is the main reason why the original trilogy became so hugely popular and remains so today, years after it was completed. Even the so obvious main choices leave you with a who cares what I decide feeling. They leave you feeling no impact what-so-ever. Those same type of choices in the original felt like they mattered. I also want to say that Liam is one of the most lame characters in any game ever. Crisis response, but he freaks out over everything and screws up everything he does? Just a lame story line.

Personally I felt the choices here are easier compared to the original series, where you have to choose between Kaidan vs Ashley and if you dont play your cards right Tali vs Legion, Miranda vs Jack, to a certain extent Wrex vs Mordin. What annoys me is not the decisions I have to make but the inability to defend those decisions after I make them. Especially the final decision you make if you make certain choices you will get some racist comments and cant even retaliate or firmly defend yourself(keeping it vague so I dont spoil anything).

@mckrackin5324 My glasses are not very rose colored since I just finished playing through all three as a female character for the first time while waiting for this game. Say what you want, but the story and decisions made, as well as the characters is what made the series so popular. No, they were not perfect, but the story and how it continued was ahead of it's time and has never been successfully repeated, and I am afraid that it definitely won't be here. @VladVonCastein I agree with everything you said. And your points on the rehash of the story is exactly what some of us have been saying. It's the same story, they just changed the names, who is doing what and the setting. Spoiler (Highlight to read)The Kett are the reapers and collectors. The, forget what they are called who used the remnant tech and Maridian are the Protheans. Someone made it before them. Etc. etc. etc. Nothing new except better environments and slightly better combat and movement. I mean, I liked the game, but it felt hollow.The Kett are the reapers and collectors. The, forget what they are called who used the remnant tech and Maridian are the Protheans. Someone made it before them. Etc. etc. etc. Nothing new except better environments and slightly better combat and movement. I mean, I liked the game, but it felt hollow.

Spoiler (Highlight to read)Exalted Krogans are a beeotch to fight anywhere. Best to never leave them behind. lolExalted Krogans are a beeotch to fight anywhere. Best to never leave them behind. lol

Some of the choices are designed not to have an impact on the future of the story but to have an impsct on the characters and by extension, you. On the one hand you have the Asari Pathfinder, a pretty important person for the Asari, which being the human pathfinder Ryder would know. Not only that, she also just swooped in and saved your *, do you return the favor? Or on the other hand you have one of your best buddies right there asking for people he cares about to be saved. You've been through a lot together. He has had your back many times, do you have his back now when he askes for it? It doesn't need to have a future impact, just an immediate, in the moment one. I enjoy those kinds of choices as much as the future impact choices.

Is there a 'right' way? | EA Forums

12 Replies

Anonymous
8 years ago
Approved
For the most part, other than a select few - there are no right or wrong decisions. Just hard choices where you have to make the call between two perfectly valid, equally moral decisions. The hard part about being the pathfinder because normally one way or the other, someone looses, someone dies etc.
mckrackin5324
8 years ago
Spoiler
Exalted Krogans are a beeotch to fight anywhere. Best to never leave them behind. lol
onemadvagabond
8 years ago
@Philbe63 I have thought about this, and I honestly don't think it really matters. The story isn't really thought out enough that it will really matter anyway. Besides, Drack is only upset for about two seconds and then it's forgotten by the writers just like everything else seems to be forgotten as soon as you get past the moment.
Anonymous
8 years ago
Approved
Some of the choices are designed not to have an impact on the future of the story but to have an impsct on the characters and by extension, you.

On the one hand you have the Asari Pathfinder, a pretty important person for the Asari, which being the human pathfinder Ryder would know. Not only that, she also just swooped in and saved your *, do you return the favor?

Or on the other hand you have one of your best buddies right there asking for people he cares about to be saved. You've been through a lot together. He has had your back many times, do you have his back now when he askes for it?

It doesn't need to have a future impact, just an immediate, in the moment one.

I enjoy those kinds of choices as much as the future impact choices.
VladVonCastein
8 years ago
Personally I felt the choices here are easier compared to the original series, where you have to choose between Kaidan vs Ashley and if you dont play your cards right Tali vs Legion, Miranda vs Jack, to a certain extent Wrex vs Mordin. What annoys me is not the decisions I have to make but the inability to defend those decisions after I make them. Especially the final decision you make if you make certain choices you will get some racist comments and cant even retaliate or firmly defend yourself(keeping it vague so I dont spoil anything).
onemadvagabond
8 years ago
I have noticed a few things as far as choices go that shows a lack of depth to the story and really lowers the ability for the story to draw you in and immerse you into the 'new' Mass Effect. That is the individual story lines. Your interaction with your crew. There is very little growth. You find out pretty much everything about every npc in the game from the first conversation. There is no depth. Your interaction and the choices you made in the other games effected your conversations with your fellow crew members and other npc's as well as the story of the game itself. The simple side story of Conrad Verner is a great example. Choices made during missions and loyalty missions would effect future conversations with everyone, even nothing npc's. The problem is, there are very few interactions with your crew after the first one or two, and then only a couple for each loyalty mission.

As I said, I left Drack's guys on the Kett ship and it was completely forgotten after the one interaction after the mission. I could really forgive all of the bugs ect. because EA did not give them the extra time to flesh out the game that they (Bioware) asked for. The story however, is the main reason why the original trilogy became so hugely popular and remains so today, years after it was completed. Even the so obvious main choices leave you with a who cares what I decide feeling. They leave you feeling no impact what-so-ever. Those same type of choices in the original felt like they mattered.

I also want to say that Liam is one of the most lame characters in any game ever. Crisis response, but he freaks out over everything and screws up everything he does? Just a lame story line.
mckrackin5324
8 years ago
Players seem to remember the trilogy with rose colored glasses.

Pick any of the three Mass Effect games. Do you know what made it great?

The other two.

I played Mass Effect 3 first and didn't think it was anything special.

None of my choices mattered at all in the big picture.

It was only after I backed up and played the first two that it started making sense.

But each game...on it's own...was not great.

I've played all three in the past few weeks. I am a huge fan.

None of them are great alone.

Let's see where this game goes.
VladVonCastein
8 years ago
@onemadvagabond

Spoilers ahead

Spoiler
Yes totally agreed! During my first playthrough, being so used to the massive repercussions ME typically throws at the player, I was sitting here wondering should I choose a scientific or military outpost for EOS. Seemed like a very significant decision at that time. Finally I chose to bite the bullet and went with scientific. On my second playthrough I chose Military, with a few minor conversation changes there's really no significant difference between the 2. BTW Conrad's Sister is in Andromeda, not sure if you met her lol. Doesnt even come close to Conrad though. I miss the original ME series where even minor characters like Conrad, Matriarch Aethyta had such great scripts and voice acting given to them that they stand out more than even the main characters in MEA. MEA tried to create some sob story about the Erics. Father's a technician who died and had a series of recorded messages of his son giving him motivation and every time you complete a part of the quest the message will play.... OMG that was so poorly executed . I cringed so badly when Ryder gave a little "sob sniffle" at the end after the mission is completed, so lame. Now compare this with the blue rose of illum storyline in the original series. Classy and tastefully done, shown the growth of the couple in 2 games and its tragic end. Total time featured is probably less than 2 mins but added so much value to the game. That's what is lacking in MEA, smart intelligent classy writing and execution. As for the main storyline, well it's all been done before... The Kett is just like the collectors/reapers, the converting the enemy theme. I am hoping that when MEA2 is out, it wont be the same story presented in a different package. The whole benefactor storyline could be similar to cerberus and the remnant race could be like the protheans, wiped out but leaving some tech behind...
onemadvagabond
8 years ago
@mckrackin5324 My glasses are not very rose colored since I just finished playing through all three as a female character for the first time while waiting for this game. Say what you want, but the story and decisions made, as well as the characters is what made the series so popular. No, they were not perfect, but the story and how it continued was ahead of it's time and has never been successfully repeated, and I am afraid that it definitely won't be here.

@VladVonCastein I agree with everything you said. And your points on the rehash of the story is exactly what some of us have been saying. It's the same story, they just changed the names, who is doing what and the setting.

Spoiler
The Kett are the reapers and collectors. The, forget what they are called who used the remnant tech and Maridian are the Protheans. Someone made it before them. Etc. etc. etc. Nothing new except better environments and slightly better combat and movement. I mean, I liked the game, but it felt hollow.
mckrackin5324
8 years ago
@onemadvagabond wrote:

@mckrackin5324 My glasses are not very rose colored since I just finished playing through all three as a female character for the first time while waiting for this game. Say what you want, but the story and decisions made, as well as the characters is what made the series so popular. No, they were not perfect, but the story and how it continued was ahead of it's time and has never been successfully repeated, and I am afraid that it definitely won't be here.

@VladVonCastein I agree with everything you said. And your points on the rehash of the story is exactly what some of us have been saying. It's the same story, they just changed the names, who is doing what and the setting.

Spoiler
The Kett are the reapers and collectors. The, forget what they are called who used the remnant tech and Maridian are the Protheans. Someone made it before them. Etc. etc. etc. Nothing new except better environments and slightly better combat and movement. I mean, I liked the game, but it felt hollow.

I do agree that the story in this game is very familiar. Too familiar.