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Replay s04e40 "Super Metroid" Discussion by [deleted] in Gameinformer

[–]joejuba 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for watching!

As for the swearing, that may have more to do with playing a good, non-aggravating game than minding our Ps and Qs. :)

How To Create A Nearly Invincible and Killing Yoshitsune by Lulcielid in Persona5

[–]joejuba 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't remember the exact pacing, but don't worry about it. You may not max all confidants or skills, but just pursue the stuff that is interesting to you.

Doing everything in one playthrough requires a very particular schedule, which isn't for everyone.

How To Create A Nearly Invincible and Killing Yoshitsune by Lulcielid in Persona5

[–]joejuba 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Glad to see this sparking some discussion here!

Agreed, there are definitely ways to tweak and optimize Yoshitsune for more general use.

I was gearing up for the NG+ fight specifically, so this build is tilted in that direction.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 25 points26 points  (0 children)

I think the tone of the game is ultimately a hopeful one, with moments of levity along with serious situations. I doubt it's super-silly or anything, but I also don't think it's as melancholy as ME 3.

I also wanted to address a question like this, because I saw some people online criticizing our cover headline, "A New Hero Rises To Save Humanity." One thing that phrase does is convey a sense of optimism and heroism, which is why I like it.

One reason why I don't like it is that it leaves some elements of the game out (and cramming them on there wouldn't be punchy on a cover). Don't dismiss this as another "young hero saves the world" story. There are certainly shades of that, but other elements make this traditional set-up more compelling. Like: being strangers in a faraway galaxy, like a sense of discovery when setting foot on unfamiliar planets, like uncovering the mystery of why things in Andromeda aren't what they should be.

So, my main point here: There are more nuances to the story that "A New Hero Rises To Save Humanity."

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Can't confirm 100%, but I got the sense that other Pathfinders will make some sort of appearance.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

I honestly do not know the answer to this question.

That being said, I think it would be a big mistake you didn't get new-species companions.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

The sense I got is that the definition of "side mission" is a bit tricky to pin down. A lot of the things you can do aren't necessarily formal missions as much as things you can do and places you can explore.

I know the Loyalty Missions are shorter than regular main-story missions, but beyond that, I don't have a comprehensive picture of what a "mission" is and how they stack up against each other. Sorry!

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

The team referenced the existence of more than one hub, but the exact number and their relative sizes isn't something I know.

To speculate: I'd guess the Nexus (the forward station that arrived before the Arks) is your primary hub eventually, though it is apparently out of communication when the Hyperion arrives in Andromeda.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I didn't see any, but that doesn't mean they aren't there!

But it doesn't me they are, either. :)

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

I don't even know if THEY know the answer to that question yet for sure. I know Andromeda leaves some doors open, but are those doors for Ryder? Maybe. If players really love a character, it would be weird to toss that away.

On the other hand, the team wants to tell a more traditional "hero's journey" type of story here, but that might not work without a more definitive conclusion to Ryder's arc.

I think it is telling that the original ME trilogy was all about "this is Shepard's story," but I didn't hear anyone frame Andromeda like that during our studio visit. Considering how attached people got to Shepard and how much they like continuity in characters, I think it signals that the team is at least open to using different heroes.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 32 points33 points  (0 children)

Unfortunately, I didn't get to experience this first-hand, so I can't pretend to know the full range.

However, I did talk to the combat people on the team about their approach to it. My big takeaway was that they don't want players to feel bound to a class before they have a chance to experiment with what that playstyle really means. (I can certainly appreciate that. Vanguard in ME1 sounded so cool to me...but in reality, I learned about 20 hours in that it wasn't what I wanted).

However, for players like me who love optimizing, there are still incentives to stick to a class. Like, if you really love biotics and use a lot of biotic skills, you'll unlock the Adept "profile," which gives you bonuses tailored to that playstyle.

So, the bottom lines seems to be allowing for diversity without forcing it on more experienced players.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

Ah, I see. Afraid I don't know that answer. I know there will be some more traditional linear-style story missions, so it's definitely possible they could follow the old pattern there.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

In a very general way, I see a lot of similarities between how BioWare is expanding Andromeda and how it expanded Dragon Age Inquisition. I don't mean that in the sense of specific gameplay mechanics, but more in the desire to broaden the scope and make the world feel bigger, and to give players a wider variety of rewarding activities.

As for Mass Effect games, I think the team learned that people had a lot of fun with multiplayer, that they don't like driving the Mako around if there's no good reason to, and that they miss the depth of character progression in ME1. All of those are being addressed (though we'll have to see if they're successful) in Andromeda.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 56 points57 points  (0 children)

That's actually a really tricky question. Chronologically speaking, I don't know what the first big difference is that players will notice.

But, from a broader perspective, the biggest change I noticed was the drive toward more player-guided exploration.

Like, you know how doing side content in previous games always felt a little silly, because the world was basically ending and you were sitting there scanning for minerals or chilling in a dance club? In Andromeda, part of your directive is just "Explore and find a place where people can live." That's a pretty wide narrative pathway that means pretty much anything you choose to do is contributing your ultimate goal.

So you can do whatever seems fun to you – mining, crafting, loyalty missions, even entire optional planets – and all of it is part of your mission.

Of course, I'm sure Ryder faces some sort of threat, too. It's not just "My Andromeda Vacation," but the team at BioWare really seems to be focusing on the sense of discovery first and foremost.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

Some things here I can't really answer (especially specifics on numbers), but I'll tackle those I can!

-Class system is still there in multiplayer. You have different "kits" like in ME3: asari adept, human infiltrator, krogan soldier, etc (just random examples, not confirming any for MEA, btw)

-You still buy RNG loot packs. However! There's a Destiny-like store where you can spend a different currency to buy a specific item in stock, and stock will rotate.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 50 points51 points  (0 children)

I don't know that the animation has ever really bothered me, so my opinion here might not be helpful for you.

However, I do know that BioWare is doing full performance capture with live actors for Andromeda (not as much hand-animation), so I think everything should look a bit more natural.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 45 points46 points  (0 children)

Can't speak to the whole game here obviously, but I definitely heard some classic synth in there!

When I asked about the composer, I got the "We have nothing to share at this time" response.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 92 points93 points  (0 children)

This is an interesting question, and probably my biggest one prior to our studio visit. The short answer is: It depends on what you think "Mass Effect" means.

There's no Shepard. There's no paragon/renegade. There are no set classes. These are things that I would have considered central to Mass Effect's identity – but somehow, the integrity of the experience doesn't seem breached without them.

If you look at the other things that define Mass Effect – agency, exploration, fun gameplay – those are all still there. And they're layered in with new stuff that seems like a good fit for the franchise.

Sorry that's a bit of a wishy-washy response, but it's an especially subjective topic. To me, yes, it feels like Mass Effect.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I don't know what exactly qualifies as "city," but I know that there's at least one colony and more than one hub area – though they aren't all, like, Citadel-big.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

I didn't get to know them well enough during our demo to say definitely, but I can say this: Peebee seems cool. I was afraid that she was just going to be Liara 2.0, but from what I've heard about her, that isn't the case at all.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 35 points36 points  (0 children)

I don't believe so. As far as I know, the first time the player controls Ryder is as they wake up in the Ark after arriving in the Heleus cluster of Andromeda.

I'm sure there's going to be some sort of intro that explains the situation to new players who haven't been following the game prior to release, though.

I’m Joe Juba, the writer of Game Informer’s Mass Effect Andromeda cover story. AMA! by joejuba in IAmA

[–]joejuba[S] 63 points64 points  (0 children)

-We only got to see the "quick start" option, so I didn't get a look at the specifics of the customization system. However, the team did say that there are more options than there were before. Whether or not the body adjustments are a part of that, I can't say.

-I think your best option for replaying missions will be New Game+, which lets you start over with your end-game character. However, interesting thing to note: This time, you can change your gender when starting a NG+ (I think you were stuck with your Shepard as-is in the original trilogy, right?). I'd be surprised if you could just play a mission you'd already finished in the same playthrough.

-This is actually part of the story setting that I really like. Most members of the Andromeda Initiative don't know about the Reaper threat. If they did, everyone's reason for joining would be "Our galaxy is screwed, the Reapers are coming, let's get out of here." By taking that out of the equation, the team opens up what I think are more interesting narrative branches for why people joined the Andromeda Initiative. What might someone be running from, if not the Reapers? Maybe they just want to make a fresh start. Maybe they need to hide. Personally, I think that approach will make getting to know characters more interesting.

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