Bioware General (Mass Effect/Dragon Age/Other)

[Hackett923]

Take this however you like but....

Liam Hesketh-Jost @liamhjost
@macwalterslives Can we expect the codex to be as thorough as the codex from the trilogy?

Mac Walters ‏@macwalterslives
Given that we have many entries from the Milky Way as backstory, plus everything new about the AI, and then everything about Andromeda......

[TheodoricFriede]

No.

I didnt.

Like, at all.

And dont tell me what i need. You dont live in my brain.

[Mazder]

No.

I didnt.

Like, at all.

And dont tell me what i need. You dont live in my brain.

So what DO you want?
Because right now all I can see is you want magic to happen that can not be done with normal every day people and hyper fans of each sect, ourselves included.

So please, enlighten us on what you'd like to see, other than what goes onto your dick, obviously.

[SciFlyBoy]

In other Mass Effect news, the whole trilogy is now backwards compatible on XBOX One.

[TheodoricFriede]

So please, enlighten us on what you'd like to see, other than what goes onto your dick, obviously.

I could, but I dont really like your tone.

[Mazder]

So please, enlighten us on what you'd like to see, other than what goes onto your dick, obviously.

I could, but I dont really like your tone.

I am sorry about that and my behaviour.
I have been recently insulted, implied any capacity for creation I, or anyone else as the insult was aimed at another, was always comparable and inherently proven to be justified by the errors of one piece. I found umbridge with this as it implies I can be held accountable for one small mistake years after making my very first big mistake. And that any creator should be judged more so on the mistakes rather than the triumphs.

Please, could you explain what you meant?
I am genuinely curious as right now I am keeping myself as neutral as I could be and so far you've not weighed in as much today so I would like your input as to how you feel this doesn't fit into what you wanted.

[Alienmorph]

So you didn't want a side story self contained so it can try something new but ultimately leaves the entire milky way alone so they could return to it if needs be and continue on with the story after taking some time to craft an effective story that isn't just "clean up" the game?

I mean, seriously, I am getting the impression that a lot of people WANT them to address the ME3 thing, make it a massive fucking issue again and ruining the franchise.

I, for one, am kind of glad they're making a side story enough to expand the universe a bit more. It means they're going to be able to return to the canon.
Yeah this one game you might not get everything you want, but you might just get what you need, a break away from ME3. Because honestly the franchise needs it.
It's going to be a "how could the stormtroopers be beaten by a bunch of teddybears" moment all over again.

You know what a good side-story would have been? Something that was actually set in the Milky Way, and happened slightly before the original trilogy and and had fuck-all to do with it but let you move and see through the setting we already knew and love, visiting both places you were already familiar with as well as new ones, and that was just a fun mix of space opera elements and good action RPG gameplay.

THIS ISN'T IT.

This is the equivalent of a bunch of rats leaving a sinking ship, and finding a new one they can cover in filth all over again.

This is EA and BW starting a new series, pretending to do something new, while it's gonna be instead more of the same, just with different characters and fancier graphics.

Those may be called different names and look slightly different, but they ARE the Reapers. Ryder Jr. IS Shepard 2.0. except it has a different name instead of N7 or Spectre. It's a Pathfinder. Well, whooptie-doo. What's he/she's gonna do? Drive around with his/her Mako-like thing and shoot bad guys. And what are we gonna do on Andromeda? Dig into alien ruins, looking for a macguffin to stop the totally-not-Reapers.

I would have preferred a First Contact War spin-off/prequel game to... this. Honest to God. And I always thought that would have a terrible idea!

[TheodoricFriede]

Please, could you explain what you meant?

30 years after the end of the reaper wars, galactic society embarked on a marvelous journey to a new galaxy. 20 years in cryo and they arrived and set up a relay to make travel quicker.


This game is more intimate. Theres no fade to blacks every 3 seconds. Theres no BWAAAAAAAHHH. Its a game about exploring, interacting with natives, and trying to maintain your humanity in the face of 1800s American style frontier expansionism.

Coexistence or manifest destiny?

Further confounding the problem. Corrupt corporate fatcats want more money and power, so they try to take over the operations and block all connection to the Milky Way, going so far as to threaten to destroy the relay entirely.

[Dragaros]

He kinda looks like a cross between a Vorcha and a Collector.

[Dragaros]

[Dragaros]

[Riptide]

Its probably not a reaper Rip, because that would imply some connection to the stuff they royally fucked up.

Its will most likely be a "not reaper" where its a reaper in everything but name.

I know.

That's why I'm covered in so much god damned salt right now.

[TheodoricFriede]

Whatever. Im numb to it anyway.

[Mazder]

30 years after the end of the reaper wars, galactic society embarked on a marvelous journey to a new galaxy. 20 years in cryo and they arrived and set up a relay to make travel quicker.


This game is more intimate. Theres no fade to blacks every 3 seconds. Theres no BWAAAAAAAHHH. Its a game about exploring, interacting with natives, and trying to maintain your humanity in the face of 1800s American style frontier expansionism.

Coexistence or manifest destiny?

Further confounding the problem. Corrupt corporate fatcats want more money and power, so they try to take over the operations and block all connection to the Milky Way, going so far as to threaten to destroy the relay entirely.

Well firstly the fade to blacks are just an editing technique used for the trailer, it's intent is to keep us disoriented just enough so that we only get flashes and thereby not analyse what we see too much. deceptive, yes, but a lot of editing is deceptive in ways that are good. But that's neither here nor there.

Well with this there are a few things I can see being asked with this.
1) Does our humanity not translate to the races around us? How do you represent 1800's Western society with a bunch of people who are like the romans, a bunch who are like the Ancient Egyptians and a bunch who are like modern day scientists, Turians, Asari and Salarian respectively. How do those values fit those beings and if possible how do they relate to us today?

2) Is it going to be more technobabble to explain the vast distances? If so why is it not Reaper Technobabble, how is it different, how does it work, etc.

3) How do you add things that happened in ME3, like the Genophage cure, without making them the focus due to what is clearly going to be an early onset of nostalgia?
And thereby tainting the objective nature of making something new.

I am not saying it isn't interesting, far form it. I am just not seeing how it differs terribly from making it too different from what could happen now, without the focus on big companies.

I mean if anything you could turn your idea on it's head and say we intend to start like the way yours outlines, except with 600 years still instead of the 30, but we find out we're a teeny tiny Barbarian army attacking the Roman Empire (in scaling and tech wise it'd be translated up, obviously).

You know what a good side-story would have been? Something that was actually set in the Milky Way, and happened slightly before the original trilogy and and had fuck-all to do with it but let you move and see through the setting we already knew and love, visiting both places you were already familiar with as well as new ones, and that was just a fun mix of space opera elements and good action RPG gameplay.

THIS ISN'T IT.

This is the equivalent of a bunch of rats leaving a sinking ship, and finding a new one they can cover in filth all over again.

This is EA and BW starting a new series, pretending to do something new, while it's gonna be instead more of the same, just with different characters and fancier graphics.

Those may be called different names and look slightly different, but they ARE the Reapers. Ryder Jr. IS Shepard 2.0. except it has a different name instead of N7 or Spectre. It's a Pathfinder. Well, whooptie-doo. What's he/she's gonna do? Drive around with his/her Mako-like thing and shoot bad guys. And what are we gonna do on Andromeda? Dig into alien ruins, looking for a macguffin to stop the totally-not-Reapers.

I would have preferred a First Contact War spin-off/prequel game to... this. Honest to God. And I always thought that would have a terrible idea!

I disagree.
Anything set in the Milky Way would have one salient problem, it's waaaay too close to Mass Effect 3. Everyone would instantly be reminded and would go "this is what we should have had!" instead of "This is fun and great, I wonder what is coming next?!" This is especially true of a prequel story.

This is not the equivalent of a bunch of rats leaving a sinking ship. Because the ship isn't sinking. Hell it's barely even dry-docked. This is a ship that's sailing alongside the current one, merely far, far away.

So far there is little confirmation that it IS a new series completely separate form what was before completely. Yeah there are some implications, I'll grant you that, but there is not one confirmation for any footage, words or writing staff/creators yet to know anything for certain, only our fears.

Again you don't KNOW the story yet, you're only drawing parallels based on what you have known before. Now there is nothing wrong with that, and even if it is how is that so bad?
Is that not EXACTLY what Episode 7 did for Star Wars and yet it's getting a whole new revival of new and interesting (and even old and good) things after the EU was declared non-existent?

I mean would you really be so cynical and ruthless for the lore to say that you can't EVER accept a "this didn't happen" or "this is just us showing how it is for the audience but it happened completely differently in the universe" moment if it means we can actually continue?
Are you seriously going to hold the franchise to ransom just because you're unable to see when you should honestly let things just fall so things can be done for the future?
If that means taking a break to do a side story and then coming back to the Milky Way then so be it. I can honestly live with them spending time away. If it means this stupidity with the ME3 ending can finally at lest be dropped then let's fucking do it already.

Now I know this business is all very difficult to get around but honestly this is just going to burn us if we keep up this negativity as anything small that would have been taken with concessions WILL kill this franchise and it'll be OUR fault.

[TheodoricFriede]

Well with this there are a few things I can see being asked with this.

Ugh... Im just not interested in discussing it Mazder.

i dont want to analyze each and every detail of what i said because, frankly, i dont have the fucking time.

You want to know what I wanted?
NOT FUCKING THIS.

[Grand Admiral Cheesecake]

No. It'll still be their fault. They took the franchise out back and Hilary'd it in the head years ago.

Now they're trying to Frankenstein it and I'm not interested.

[DarkStorm]

Personally for me, Mass Effect series died after 3. So it would take some serious stuff for me to consider playing this.

[Alienmorph]

I disagree.
Anything set in the Milky Way would have one salient problem, it's waaaay too close to Mass Effect 3. Everyone would instantly be reminded and would go "this is what we should have had!" instead of "This is fun and great, I wonder what is coming next?!" This is especially true of a prequel story.

This is not the equivalent of a bunch of rats leaving a sinking ship. Because the ship isn't sinking. Hell it's barely even dry-docked. This is a ship that's sailing alongside the current one, merely far, far away.

So far there is little confirmation that it IS a new series completely separate form what was before completely. Yeah there are some implications, I'll grant you that, but there is not one confirmation for any footage, words or writing staff/creators yet to know anything for certain, only our fears.

Again you don't KNOW the story yet, you're only drawing parallels based on what you have known before. Now there is nothing wrong with that, and even if it is how is that so bad?
Is that not EXACTLY what Episode 7 did for Star Wars and yet it's getting a whole new revival of new and interesting (and even old and good) things after the EU was declared non-existent?

I mean would you really be so cynical and ruthless for the lore to say that you can't EVER accept a "this didn't happen" or "this is just us showing how it is for the audience but it happened completely differently in the universe" moment if it means we can actually continue?
Are you seriously going to hold the franchise to ransom just because you're unable to see when you should honestly let things just fall so things can be done for the future?
If that means taking a break to do a side story and then coming back to the Milky Way then so be it. I can honestly live with them spending time away. If it means this stupidity with the ME3 ending can finally at lest be dropped then let's fucking do it already.

Now I know this business is all very difficult to get around but honestly this is just going to burn us if we keep up this negativity as anything small that would have been taken with concessions WILL kill this franchise and it'll be OUR fault.

They kept bragging how much large and how much potential the ME setting had, and I completely agreed on that, and then they made literally EVERYTHING about Reapers and Cerberus. Why not setting a spin-off/parallel story mostly in a cluster of the Milky Way we've seen little or nothing of, and making it about an interesting bunch of characters that have get themselves out of some troubles that do NOT involve the fate of billions and some messiah-complex crap? ME2 was under many aspects the most interesting game in the series because it was about all about the characters' stories. It has so little to do with the main plot, it's glorified filler, and it's one of the best parts of it. What does that tell you? I really didn't need to start another Space Jesus narrative, I'm sorry if that counts as "keeping the franchise ransom".

And I'm drawing parallels because I'm not blind, thei're all right in front of us. If they end up with some completely different narrative and main characters, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong, and be happy about it.

The parallel with Star Wars also, is not very fitting. Disney trashed the old EU, which Lucas tolerated for money's sake, but always saw as non-canonic because he wasn't the one making it, but it's integrating some of the most interesting characters and lore elements of it in the actual core canon of the SW universe. And Force Awakens had alot of similarities with A New Hope, but as you said yourself it both introduces new characters and continue old ones' stories.

For the parallel to have sense, Force Awakens should have been set 1000 years after the fall of the Empire, and we should still care because there are still Jedi around, even though everything and everyone we gave a rat's ass about is gone forever.

With that said, I think I'll just agree to disagree and get back to draw stuff. Damn... I'm so grumpy right now I'm not even in the mood to draw porn...

[Hackett923]

Pathfinder Avaryss @thezarosianmyth
@tibermoon Any information about Quarians in Andromeda?

IaN7 Frazier ‏@tibermoon
Not yet, sorry!

[Mazder]

Ugh... Im just not interested in discussing it Mazder.

i dont want to analyze each and every detail of what i said because, frankly, i dont have the fucking time.

You want to know what I wanted?
NOT FUCKING THIS.

I am sorry but that is incredibly vague and the only way to truly garner what you do and don't want is by spending time.
I am not trying to be negative towards you, it's not my intent, I am just stating that if all we want it "Do not want" you have said that and it has been noted.

No. It'll still be their fault. They took the franchise out back and Hilary'd it in the head years ago.

Now they're trying to Frankenstein it and I'm not interested.

Personally for me, Mass Effect series died after 3. So it would take some serious stuff for me to consider playing this.

From all these comments it's starting to sound like nobody actually gives a shit about the Mass Effect franchise existing any more...

They kept bragging how much large and how much potential the ME setting had, and I completely agreed on that, and then they made literally EVERYTHING about Reapers and Cerberus. Why not setting a spin-off/parallel story mostly in a cluster of the Milky Way we've seen little or nothing of, and making it about an interesting bunch of characters that have get themselves out of some troubles that do NOT involve the fate of billions and some messiah-complex crap? ME2 was under many aspects the most interesting game in the series because it was about all about the characters' stories. It has so little to do with the main plot, it's glorified filler, and it's one of the best parts of it. What does that tell you? I really didn't need to start another Space Jesus narrative, I'm sorry if that counts as "keeping the franchise ransom".

And I'm drawing parallels because I'm not blind, thei're all right in front of us. If they end up with some completely different narrative and main characters, I'll be the first to admit I was wrong, and be happy about it.

The parallel with Star Wars also, is not very fitting. Disney trashed the old EU, which Lucas tolerated for money's sake, but always saw as non-canonic because he wasn't the one making it, but it's integrating some of the most interesting characters and lore elements of it in the actual core canon of the SW universe. And Force Awakens had alot of similarities with A New Hope, but as you said yourself it both introduces new characters and continue old ones' stories.

For the parallel to have sense, Force Awakens should have been set 1000 years after the fall of the Empire, and we should still care because there are still Jedi around, even though everything and everyone we gave a rat's ass about is gone forever.

With that said, I think I'll just agree to disagree and get back to draw stuff. Damn... I'm so grumpy right now I'm not even in the mood to draw porn...

It still HAS that potential. It never went away.
And Andromeda seems to be suffering from every post-trilogy story out there, it needs to keep the audience's attention y keeping thing big. I mean even Star Wars did it by keeping everything "not-Empire". I don't see why you think the trend couldn't and wouldn't continue here. It'd be more jarring if they HAD gone another way.
You say ME2 was the strongest game and yet these days people are saying it's the weakest of the series. Which is it? Is it good or not?
Is strength derived on how good something is or not?
And are we really going to ignore the almost literal messiah complex Mass Effect has had in the past? I mean honestly that almost seems to be par for the course and part of that familiarity people seem to want to keep.

Holding the franchise to ransom was a clue on how you're willing to let NO story happen in replacement for a less good one. You don't KNOW if Andromeda is going to be nothing like ME2 because you're not even letting it exist in your minds that that could be a possibility. I mean look at the marketing for ME2.
Originally it had no previous characters, no previous settings and no previous story connected to ME1, apart form the main character. Here is almost the same.
Yet because it draws that parallel it's bad now?
Being safe is bad?
Not wanting another ME3 fiasco is bad?
Forgive me if I don't see why them trying is better than there being absolutely nothing to do at all in the universe ever again. Forgive me if taking the small chance that we could finally get past the bullshit that we can at lest try and get a little bit of Mass Effect back, rather than it dying.

I mean, yeah but we could have a EU parallel here where some good things can come back, we just have to get past the things we can't drop for our own reasons.

But, I'll drop it.
Fine.

If this franchise dies because everyone is so hung up on ME3 bullshit though I don't know what I'll do...

[TheodoricFriede]

I am sorry but that is incredibly vague and the only way to truly garner what you do and don't want is by spending time.
I am not trying to be negative towards you, it's not my intent, I am just stating that if all we want it "Do not want" you have said that and it has been noted.

Mazder.
I know what I do and dont want.
I dont need to discuss it to figure it out.

This is a failure on so many levels to me that i cant even analyze it.

I cant even begin to do so because, no matter what the game was, its already a failure by being separated from the universe by 600 years and several hundred trillion miles. Everything past that is just lesser disappointments stacked upon one big disappointment.

My answer is "Not fucking this" because what we got is a failure in sentence 1.

[Alienmorph]

I think you misread a couple things I wrote, Maz, but I wasted enough time time discussing this.

And if the franchise dies because of ME3, it's their damn fault, and you'll just have to find something else to entertain you.

[Riptide]

If this franchise dies because everyone is so hung up on ME3 bullshit though I don't know what I'll do...

I think the biggest problem is the developers are still so hung up on it. I mean, they're having the Andromeda Initiative exist in the time it makes the absolute least amount of sense in just to accommodate that. Between ME1 and 2, when we should of been gearing up for war with the geth, we built ships that dwarf dreadnoughts, and a station the size of the Citadel, which also has a drive core big enough to propel it through space, all on private funding, with humanity being one of the species to get its own ark ship despite having been a council race for like, a year or two, undertaking the biggest undertaking in galactic history, which NO ONE EVER TALKED ABOUT.

Like, the leaps of logic they're taking to avoid addressing the endings is staggering. Somehow we managed to pull this off, and so non-chalantly that no one ever talks about it, but building the crucible nearly bankrupted the entire galaxy.

...

Like, HOW.

It's just ridiculous that in response to them breaking the lore, they decide to break even MORE of it with the sheer PREMISE of the next installment.

[Vol]

I have to admit, Hollywood schmaltz trailer aside, the idea of "You're going to sleep for 600 years, and when you awaken" is literally something I intend to do if the science is sound.

[TTTX]

You say ME2 was the strongest game and yet these days people are saying it's the weakest of the series. Which is it? Is it good or not?
Is strength derived on how good something is or not?

in terms of story it's the weakest, because of various of reason, lack of a proper plot, we spend like 80% of the main plot recruiting people who most are basically worthless in the suicide mission expect for one part, Shepard dies fall down onto a planet, somehow there is still enough of them and the brain is still some intact, Shepard isn't really important to the plot in ME2 (in ME1 they were touched by the beacon hence is why they are important, in ME2 they are just a symbol and can lead people) and not to mention stupid they know the Reapers are coming and they are just stopping instead I don't know do more then that, not to mention there is foreshadowing that goes nowhere in ME3 and stupid logic like Mordin's dialog about human genetic code asari have greater variety of skin color but don't have more genetic code then humans that's not how genetic code work.

however the gameplay, characters and so on is pretty much perfect and on as a self contained game it is the strongest of the trilogy, but as part of the trilogy it is the weakest when it comes to the plot what little there is.

[TTTX]

I have reheard the what I assume is the main bad guys voice in the trailer and it's sounds very similar to Harbingers so maybe it's the same voice actor.

the "now I know what makes you.... special" guy.

[SciFlyBoy]

If this franchise dies because everyone is so hung up on ME3 bullshit though I don't know what I'll do...

I got over that a long time ago. In fact I'm kind of sick of it. Like when I run into someone who tells me why The Force Awakens is the worst Star Wars movie ever because it pandered too much to the general audience instead of the core believers.

The franchise will stay alive if they make the game enjoyable to play and instill a desire to have multiple play-throughs. The enjoyment comes from the game play, the multiple play-throughs comes from the story. They do those two things I'll buy ME:A:2.

[Mazder]

I got over that a long time ago. In fact I'm kind of sick of it. Like when I run into someone who tells me why The Force Awakens is the worst Star Wars movie ever because it pandered too much to the general audience instead of the core believers.

The franchise will stay alive if they make the game enjoyable to play and instill a desire to have multiple play-throughs. The enjoyment comes from the game play, the multiple play-throughs comes from the story. They do those two things I'll buy ME:A:2.

Well, yeah but if it dies the audience shrinks and the spark along with it.

I don't want to turn around and one day see a quarian and be reminded of what cold have been instead of what was.

Mazder.
I know what I do and dont want.
I dont need to discuss it to figure it out.

This is a failure on so many levels to me that i cant even analyze it.

I cant even begin to do so because, no matter what the game was, its already a failure by being separated from the universe by 600 years and several hundred trillion miles. Everything past that is just lesser disappointments stacked upon one big disappointment.

My answer is "Not fucking this" because what we got is a failure in sentence 1.

It's more so that I know where you're coming from and what you want.

So is The Old Republic a failure because it's so separated from The Empire Strikes Back?
I mean I see where you're coming from but where others have been given a chance you won't give this the smallest glimmer.
I find it confusing, but I shall accept your stance, as unknown as it is to me.

I think the biggest problem is the developers are still so hung up on it. I mean, they're having the Andromeda Initiative exist in the time it makes the absolute least amount of sense in just to accommodate that. Between ME1 and 2, when we should of been gearing up for war with the geth, we built ships that dwarf dreadnoughts, and a station the size of the Citadel, which also has a drive core big enough to propel it through space, all on private funding, with humanity being one of the species to get its own ark ship despite having been a council race for like, a year or two, undertaking the biggest undertaking in galactic history, which NO ONE EVER TALKED ABOUT.

Like, the leaps of logic they're taking to avoid addressing the endings is staggering. Somehow we managed to pull this off, and so non-chalantly that no one ever talks about it, but building the crucible nearly bankrupted the entire galaxy.

...

Like, HOW.

It's just ridiculous that in response to them breaking the lore, they decide to break even MORE of it with the sheer PREMISE of the next installment.

All true, but what if we treat it as a side story without the connections, what then?

I'm only asking if possible CAN we try and just see if it stands on it's own merits without the few connections it has to the previous trilogy?

That's all I ask.

[Dragaros]

welcome to die

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS_ND_XcIwM

[Dragaros]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49L3CCxFjiM

[Dragaros]

neogaf: Mass Effect: Andromeda - Game Informer Details (Combat, story, more) [Up: All Info]

[FrozenShadow]

https://www.masseffect.com/andromeda-initiative

Scroll to the very bottom and you'll see it.

Andromeda Initiative launches in 2185.

During the events of ME2, one year before the Reaper Invasion.

God.

Fucking.

Dammit.

So, let's see if I got this right.

Two years earlier, one reaper was close to destroy the whole galaxy with its Geth allies. It was so powerful, that it single-handedly beat huge deal of Allience and other council races navy. Yet, in two years after that, this privately funded and owed initiative was able to build well over the top notch Citadel like spaceships that were able to travel 600 years independently.

All this, while regular armies had their run of the mill ships for all that time, which resulted to huge problems against Reapers a year later.



I mean, sure I have heard the saying that private sector always have things better and their stuff is higher quality, more powerful and so on. Even Cerberus managed to build greatly improved Normandy and in secret too. But this....this is taking it too far. This is so going over any and all suspension of disbelief limits I can think of here.

And do you know guys, what actually makes this even worse. The way they have set this is huge middle finger for all people wanting continuity and clearance for what happened in ME 3, especially with the endings. This is clear way of them perfectly acknowledging that ME 3 did happen and that they know that they royally messed it up with the endings. But now they can literally write it off as if nothing happened.

Just..... fuck it.

One last point. If I just ignore all that I said above and all the upset and disappointment visible there, I have to question the game makers and especially writers sense of story telling.

If you want to establish a new game, that shouldn't have anything at all to do with Shepard, why basically start to whole story, when Shepard was in active duty and relevant for ME universe? Why they just couldn't send the expedition at year 2182 or so. Then Shepard would have been total no name and no one wouldn't even think of questioning why Shepard's wasn't part of this. He/she would have been just one more soldier around.

Now, only way they could still save this issue, is that Shepard was supposed to become part of this Andromeda Initiative after happenings of ME1. They could even make it so that the mission, that ended up getting him/her spaced by Collectors, would have been Shepard's last one before he/she would have joined initiative. But because Shepard died, they had to find someone else.

This wouldn't even need to be anything big, just some files or holo conversation this new hero would find at some point.

[Dragaros]

Garrus: Hey, Shepard. Did you ever see this? These guys are heading to another galaxy. Crazy, huh?
Shep: What? Why am I finding out about this now, when we're right about to attack the Reapers in the final battle?!
Tali: Uh… We thought Liara told you.
Liara: I thought Wrex told you.
Wrex: My bad. Never found the time.
Shep: Thanks a lot!

Question: this project to go to another galaxy was public knowledge. So the Reapers would have known about these arks out in the middle of dark space heading to Andromeda through raiding databases, picking up broadcasts, downloading the extranet or whatever. So if Shep had failed, once the milky way was pacified, would they have hunted them down, or let them go?

Also: Which race brought krogan onboard the arks and for what purpose? Considering the Krogan were still afflicted with the genophage at the time the arks departed for their journey, and most people looked down on them for various reasons.

[Dragaros]

Great work, daddy Ryder.

Scenario 1: N7 dad dies a tragic hero trying to save the arks, but never told the Ryders siblings he loved them, leaving them afflicted with terrible daddy issues.
Scenario 2: N7 dad is a secret Cerberus supporter and plans to wipe out the alien arks leaving only humans, and he goes on a big monologue about conflict and standing alone like the bad guy in Star Trek Beyond, leaving the Ryder siblings afflicted with terrible daddy issues.
Scenario 3: N7 dad gets assimilated by the BIG BAD, and the Ryder siblings are forced to kill him, leaving them afflicted with terrible daddy issues.

[FrozenShadow]

I know a lot of us are bummed there seems to be no quarians but I ask you, during the events of 2185 where were the quarians exactly?

Travelling from system to system in the Terminus Systems. Not allowing outside contact unless for trading or they need help.
Now, how would a project like this had invited them along if it HAD begun during this time?
The only way Shepard saw the quarians was because Tali was called back to the Flotilla.
So that could be why no Quarians and they went to the Salarians.

Well, I can think one reason to make Quarians valid option right of the bat. Their obvious technological expertise.

Yes, quarians mostly stay on flotilla and maybe they didn't want to make another "Quarian pilgrim becomes galactic superhero" route. But if you really think of this Andromeda initiative and it being privately funded "bring together the brightest and best" collection, there is no way someone wouldn't have though of Quarian and trying to get their expertise there.

It was just easier for them to not add any quarians.

Oh God Cerberus is still around.

And Mac Walters is the creative director.

WELL THAT IS GREAT

Yeah, I too fear they are making this possible Cerberus connection to become much larger issue than it should be.

But I also can't ignore the story telling possibilities this allows. They just had to keep it simple. For example, one of your crew is secret Cerberus member and you have to win their loyalty during this returning loyalty mission. But instead of this being like LM's in ME 2, this mission should have more visible impact. As in, getting the loyalty of the means that he/she joins you in destroying this Cerberus sell. Failing LM means this guy openly turns against you and you're forced to kill them with the rest of Cerberus guys.

Something like this would keep Cerberus part small, yet make it impactful for the story.

Sadly I doubt they are going to keep it nice and simple.

The Initiative’s ultimate goal is to establish a permanent presence on the seemingly resource-rich frontier of Andromeda, and eventually create a reliable route between it and the Milky Way Galaxy.


Holy shit. That last line...

OKAY. YOU KNOW. MAYBE. MAYBE I MIGHT BE ON BOARD WITH THIS AGAIN.

Because really, all I want is for Andromeda to not be forever divorced from the Milky Way. And if we really are looking to set up a means of making the trip between the two?

You know, if they do this right, it could be really good thing. Like ME trilogy fucked up the galaxy, but Andromeda trilogy ends up with Initiative finding resources and technology and then create this reliable route...only for the first "returners" to get back to find much different Milky way than they left.

[TheodoricFriede]

Not to start on this shit again but...

Is that a quarian? If you zoom in its easier to see, but those sure as hell aren't human legs.

Or its an optical illusion.

The male. On the left. Ratty looking clothing. Different helmet. Weird curvy shin area.

[Vol]

It's the optics, that's a human. But with quarian-esque hips and the abdomen area has a envirosuit look to it.

[Mazder]

Well, I can think one reason to make Quarians valid option right of the bat. Their obvious technological expertise.

Yes, quarians mostly stay on flotilla and maybe they didn't want to make another "Quarian pilgrim becomes galactic superhero" route. But if you really think of this Andromeda initiative and it being privately funded "bring together the brightest and best" collection, there is no way someone wouldn't have though of Quarian and trying to get their expertise there.

It was just easier for them to not add any quarians.

Yeah, thought of is one thing.
Spending the money to track down the constantly moving Flotilla down and then ask and then hope they agree is another.
It's still highly doubtful someone affiliated with the council or systems alliance could have managed it, let alone some company.

So to me it's still very doubtful in "in-Universe" terms.

[TheodoricFriede]

Most likely i guess.

[Mazder]

Not to start on this shit again but...

Is that a quarian? If you zoom in its easier to see, but those sure as hell aren't human legs.

Or its an optical illusion.

The male. On the left. Ratty looking clothing. Different helmet. Weird curvy shin area.

Maybe.
We need a bigger image though, hopefully once the mag is out in better circulation we can see easier.

[FrozenShadow]

I mean, seriously, I am getting the impression that a lot of people WANT them to address the ME3 thing, make it a massive fucking issue again and ruining the franchise.

I, for one, am kind of glad they're making a side story enough to expand the universe a bit more. It means they're going to be able to return to the canon.
Yeah this one game you might not get everything you want, but you might just get what you need, a break away from ME3. Because honestly the franchise needs it.
It's going to be a "how could the stormtroopers be beaten by a bunch of teddybears" moment all over again.

Well, I guess I'm one those people, who want them to address ME3 and the endings. But I have also accepted the fact that they will never do it and never will. Simply because it's impossible situation for them as there is no way to make people happy. ME3 had too many large scale decision, like Genophage, Geth/Quarian conflict, not to mention of endings, that

There are millions of different playthroughs, which had left the galaxy for various states. With that, people have formed their own canon and ideas of the galaxy that was left behind. Because of that, how can they possibly make some established canon, which majority of player base would accept.

Just like many americans had to choose lesser evil in next 24 hours, same way developers had to choose lesser evil. After all, no matter what Bioware would have decided here, they would end up upsetting and angering people. They just saw Andromeda's "clean slate" approach a lesser evil for them.

[FrozenShadow]

Well, I can think one reason to make Quarians valid option right of the bat. Their obvious technological expertise.

Yes, quarians mostly stay on flotilla and maybe they didn't want to make another "Quarian pilgrim becomes galactic superhero" route. But if you really think of this Andromeda initiative and it being privately funded "bring together the brightest and best" collection, there is no way someone wouldn't have though of Quarian and trying to get their expertise there.

It was just easier for them to not add any quarians.

Yeah, thought of is one thing.
Spending the money to track down the constantly moving Flotilla down and then ask and then hope they agree is another.
It's still highly doubtful someone affiliated with the council or systems alliance could have managed it, let alone some company.

So to me it's still very doubtful in "in-Universe" terms.

Well, Cerberus managed to track them down and they were in many company like.

And even if we disregard above, there many other ways, even free or cheap like to find Flotilla.

Because I refuse to believe that Flotilla (even just ship or two of it) never did any sort trading with other planets or races. Another way to track Flotilla would have been when they were mining asteroids. Yes, this is from wiki, but Quarian's were sometimes "bought" to leave by industrial/corporations from mining in certain location. But hearing about this would have provided a way to get in contact with Quarians.

And let's not even ignore the most obvious one. Contacting Quarians through members on pilgrimage. Easy way to pass message, especially if the company was the one to provide this gift in the first place. It would have even been cheap, considering the rather low quality requirements for these gifts.

All of these are simple ways that anyone could have done. Why none of this was done or even really implied in any ME material was not because it was all that hard to do. It was more of because majority of galaxy didn't like quarians, so they got no reason to try to contact them. But this initiative, I doubt they would ignore the possibility.

Really, I thought all of this in 15 min and all of these are simple ways to get in contact with Flotilla. Top of that, all of them are viable "in-universe" wise.

So, if Bioware really would have wanted Quarians there, they could have explained their presence easily. It just seems to me, that they didn't want to do that.

[TheodoricFriede]

I really dont think it would be that hard to contact the quarian fleet.

Especially if they call was "Hey if you have people interested in this project, send them to us and we will give your fleet stuff as compensation."

[Riptide]

The quarians not being involved would be nuts. Seriously, who needs a new homeworld MORE THAN THEM.

[TheodoricFriede]

FYI i dont think they will be in the game, im just saying theres really no excuse.

[Riptide]

FYI i dont think they will be in the game, im just saying theres really no excuse.

I know, that's what I'm saying too.

[Hackett923]

They probably got stuffed on the Nexus.

[TheodoricFriede]

They probably got stuffed on the Nexus.

actually i was thinking they'd be with the turians. Same food and all.

[FrozenShadow]

FYI i dont think they will be in the game, im just saying theres really no excuse.

To be fair, there is few lore reason for why quarian are not in game.

First one being that there are so few quarians. When you combine this with the ideals of being part of the fleet, they simply might not have wanted to leave. Second reason is of course their poor health. Having quarians on board would mean extra medical facilities and extra care, which is costly.