So, I'm going to an event here in Sweden where they will debut the Co-op of Mass Effect 3 and actually let people try it out. Me and my team are going to shoot both radio and video interviews and hopefully they'll let us post a little clip of us playing the game. Now, my question - do you want me to look after anything specific? If so, just post it below. And yes, I am totally going to ask them why they are using "this is the perfect starting point for new players" in every interview.

So, I'm going to an event here in Sweden where they will debut the Co-op of Mass Effect 3 and actually let people try it out. Me and my team are going to shoot both radio and video interviews and hopefully they'll let us post a little clip of us playing the game. Now, my question - do you want me to look after anything specific? If so, just post it below. And yes, I am totally going to ask them why they are using "this is the perfect starting point for new players" in every interview.

Lucky mother******. All I want to know is if it's fun.

Oh, can you (try) to ask them if the co-op maps are exclusive for co-op missions or if they appear in-game?  
Does other races have special abilities that are unique to them/do they have a unique playstyle?  
Can more than one people use the same race? 
It's just a Horde Mode ripoff? 
 And the most important question evar: 
WHY WOULD ANYONE PLAY AS A HUMAN!? 
 
Thanks, duder.

Try to get more information about the "Galaxy at War" system that the co-op is tied to.

@CarlSmith: You should make a blog on GB afterwards =)

Tell me if Salarian headshots are as funny as it sounds.

See if there's the possibility of a competitive co-op element? I guess?

Ask questions, if you could, about achievements surrounded co-op. I'll give you 5 cool points.

I'd like to know what mission structures they're using, for example, if they're using multi-objective missions, or single objective missions, and whether this will just be a shoot 'em up, or will it have rpg elements to it. On top of that, will these missions be set up in their own campaign? If so, what is the ballpark length we're looking at?

The races and classes are another point of interest: will each race have specific classes locked to them? Will the race you pick have race-specific stats or abilites?

And, not to push my luck here, this question only applies if it's not screwing with your chances of getting more interviews: What's to stop this from being a crutch for single-player? How will they prevent lazy players from abusing this system and then easing their way through the SP campaign? Also, why does the combat look very gears of war-like? Are they ever going to explain why Shepard can roll like he's wearing space-latex, despite wearing heavy armour?

Hell if you can even tell me about the first question, I'd be happy!

Thanks, and enjoy!

Any news you can show/tell us is good news.

I will try to ask all these questions, but don't get your hopes up to high! With that said, expect tons of gameplay impressions!

@Brodehouse said:

@Dookysharpgun Not only is Shepard a cyborg, along with all the hideous strength that implies, but high-grade military armor comes with fiber muscle weave, not to mention minor mass effect dampeners to off-set weight and friction. This gives soldiers in 2185 maximum mobility without sacrificing protection. See, it's that easy.

None of which came into play during the previous two titles. You should really have told the devs that when they were making the second game, because now it seems like we're going to get a very lazy answer along the lines of: because he/she is a cyborg. Not good enough. That part was also corresponding to the gears of war question. More and more, it would seem that this is becoming a TPS, as now we have Cliffy freaking B talking about the game, and the ME2 facebook page giving away gears of war codes...this doesn't bode well for the series in my view. Unless the rolling and whatnot are upgrades, all we're getting is a very half baked answer that seems to be disregarded when the developers and script call for it. Of course, we have all the information that explains this, but no, it's not that easy, especially when it comes down to implementation, and the reasons for doing so.

@Dookysharpgun: I feel like you're kind of using rolling as the bringer of Doom. I played the game and these improvements do make the game more fun to play, which is always a plus. I'm sure there's going to still be lots of opportunities to talk, and in response to being able to roll with the suit on it's the future. The same laws of physics don't entirely apply I think.

@CarlSmith: Try to see if all this is being done at the Bioware Monteal studio which is what I heard (meaning none of the main Mass Effect team is really doing much with it)

@cabelhigh: It's not spelling doom, I just feel like we need more of an explanation than: because he's a robot. Fun is fun, I get that, but every time I see any form of gameplay for this game, and I see Shepard hugging cover and rolling in a firefight, I feel disheartened because all I'm seeing is gears of war. I can't really explain it better than that. It's only one of my questions about the game, I've plenty more involving the minefield that is co-op, but as far as I can tell, this game is getting all the wrong sort of support for all the wrong reasons, and by the looks of it, which are supposed to get someone like me excitied for a games release, I feel that this game just won't suit me. If I could say anything, it's that adding another element that we could have used two games ago in the third installment seems like a kind of addition for the sake of it, besides any real benefit. I'd like to say otherwise, but something about the way this game seems to play makes me less excited than I should be.

Just answer if it's worth our time or not.

@Brodehouse: Can you type and roll because you're a cyborg?

We all know why they're saying ME3 is a good entry point, but maybe straight-up asking them will produce an amusing situation.
 
As for the co-op, just tell us how playing a krogan feels. No interest whatsoever in this mode, but goddammit I want to know if you can shoulder-charge a dude.

@Dookysharpgun: Ok, I see what you're saying. Hell, I felt the exact same way when they first started rolling (HA) out screenshots and videos, ESPECIALLY after Dragon Age 2. But after playing the game I have more hope, just because these improvements ARE fun. And I also think they're showing all this combat stuff because that's what demos well; you can really just have a demo of the dialog trees, or the hungry masses would get bored, or something. But yea, I do feel they've sacrificed the fiction at times in exchange for gameplay purposes (seeing Shepard in the turret section they showed off at E3 made me go 'What?') but that's sadly just the nature of games I think.

Are you talking abotu Gamex?

@cabelhigh: Dragon Age 2 is also one of the reasons I've been bricking it for this game, I enjoyed the pun too, you could say it was...pun-tastic...I'm sorry *hangs head in shame*. I know it has a different team working on it, I'm just not sure about the direction they're taking with their games nowadays. Well you've played it, and if they work well then I can live with that, it's just one of those niggling things. Although it couldn't hurt to see at least one or two dialogues between characters in a demo, but I get what you're saying. I'm hoping the turret section is a one off kinda thing, that element can be abused. It really is a pity at times, because with a game like Mass Effect, the mythos is so expansive they could get away with a good explanation if they used it, and it wouldn't hurt. Still, I'll wait to see this demo, I'm holding a little hope for this game, but it's going to have to really convince me.

I just want to know if making love to your teammate in co-op is required for a separate achievement, because my friend is more than likely going to play as a girl and I want first crack at him.

@cabelhigh:

What do you mean when you said they've sacrificed the fiction in exchange for gameplay purposes? Could you elaborate a bit more?

Just got back from the event. No Co-op today, it got pushed back until the weekend. Anyhow, I played a bit of the singelplayer and heard about the Co-op stuff from a couple of friends. Will write a blog about it later!

@probablytuna: I just mean that the second I saw Shepard manning that turret to fight the giant reaper in the E3 demo, I was like 'this feels wrong.' I felt like that was a very videogame-y move that didn't jive with the Commander Shepard character, who up until now has been portrayed pretty believably. I know that on-rails sections in videogames these days is pretty much a given, but still I felt like that was not something Commander Shepard would have done.

@cabelhigh said:

@probablytuna: I just mean that the second I saw Shepard manning that turret to fight the giant reaper in the E3 demo, I was like 'this feels wrong.' I felt like that was a very videogame-y move that didn't jive with the Commander Shepard character, who up until now has been portrayed pretty believably. I know that on-rails sections in videogames these days is pretty much a given, but still I felt like that was not something Commander Shepard would have done.

Well if you think about it, Shepard did do a turret sequence of some kind in Mass Effect 2... When he was cleaning out space monkeys in Tuchanka. Jokes aside, maybe I just haven't gotten "turret fatigue" like a lot of people have, but I think that scene feels fine. Having Shepard on the turret fighting against the Reaper instantly reminds you that you are up against seemingly-impossible to defeat enemies and makes you feel insignificant as it towers over your character. It's not that different from taking down that final boss in Mass Effect 2.

@Dookysharpgun: Alright, you have reason to worry. Apparently, there was a leaked version of the beta, and for story you can pick "action mode," with AUTOMATICALLY chooses conversations for you. Seriously, that's kind of gross. Who plays Mass Effect like that?

@cabelhigh: ...I'm hoping that it only applies for the demo...if that happens to be true, and applies to the full game, I'm going to break something with my face, because that would suck. At least call it something cool. Best part of Mass Effect is how the dialogue options change the outcome of the situation you're in, how would that even work? Wouldn't it render the entire point of the dialogue inconsequential? I'm praying it's just a rumour...please let it be a rumour :(

@Brodehouse: And again, I ask...how would that even work? Would there be a pre-selected paragon/renegade option chosen by the player before the game begins? What I'm saying is that given the fact that this mode is, in fact, part of the game, it's not too far off to assume that maybe the dialogue has no weight to it, seeing as this action mode thing just skims through it for you. Optional or not, it's still in the game, and what it could mean wouldn't bode well for the final product. Seems like an unnecessary addition to cater for a whole different demographic, one that was never interested in the RPG elements of an RPG, and it would seem to me, that Bioware are now spreading themselves over too great an area, to appeal to everyone, or at least, as many people as they can draw in.