So with the recent news that BioWare does not intended to follow the story of a Shepard-like protagonist in ME3's sequel and maybe not even follow the same time period, I started wondering how many people get excited concerning how ME4 could turn out.

Is the established universe and set of characters rich and interesting enough for you to want to want to engage once more in the world of Mass Effect (presuming you've played the three main games already) or have you had your fill of the ME lore and the Reaper story, perhaps influenced by the infamous ending?

For me, I'm really excited to see what they'll do with Mass Effect 4. I don't think they should even try to pretend they'll have a player's decisions affect things on a large scale with how things turned out and, instead, perhaps execute things on a smaller scale. I'm thinking something like The Walking Dead, where one's decisions don't necessarily signficantly influence the story but still influence characters' perception of the main character and other minor events.

Also, perhaps things should be on a smaller scale in general. A huge conflict culminating to the biggest war the universe has ever known against god-like entities has been done, so I think less great but still stories as interesting could be told. All of that said, I'm looking forward to ME4.

I would like to see what else they could do in the universe, certainly, but my confidence in Bioware as a developer of quality games has also been significantly reduced in the past few years. Ask me when they actually announce something.

I don't want to think about Mass Effect for a while. They released a trilogy. I enjoyed every game.

Do something else and bring it back later.

The universe of Mass Effect and it's wild characters is what I fell in love with.. The entire time I was playing 3 I enjoyed what was going on but really wanted a smaller more focused game.. That's the reason I like 2 more then the rest because it's about you on this ship recruiting this rag tag team of crazy characters and there story and relationships..

The possibility of not only playing as an alien in a completely non-reaper story (Hopefully a Salarian! because there awesome), but seeing a new side of this universe that they haven't explored is super interesting!

Yes, it still does. However, after seeing prototype footage of Mass Effect Team Assault and playing XCOM, I wouldn't mind them taking a break from third-person shooters and venturing into different types of games like them. XCOM, especially. I had freaking 12 dudes in Mass Effect 2 and I could only use 2 of them at any time, the same thing happens in a lot of other games, too, and it always bothers me. If only I could put them on a large-scale battlefield and use them all at once...

I don't know. I love mass effect, I wan't more, but do I want another Dragon Age 2? no.

@ArbitraryWater said:

I would like to see what else they could do in the universe, certainly, but my confidence in Bioware as a developer of quality games has also been significantly reduced in the past few years. Ask me when they actually announce something.

This.

Mass Effect universe is amazing and has a lot of promise for potential games. If they somehow are able to realize (and make people realize) that there's more to the universe than just Shepard or beefneck Vega there's a lot of things for me to be excited about in ME4.

Big giant save the galaxy explodey game? No.

Anything that focuses on characters and making a tonne of meaningful decisions? Yes.

They should do something with the First Contact War.

Then call it Mass of Duty ...

oh snap.

Totally. The Mass Effect universe has amazing fiction. Mass Effect 2 and 3 were great games, and I'd love to see what they do with a fourth.

We'll see. The ME universe is rife with potential for more stories, but I can't see myself approaching a Bioware joint with anything but extreme skepticism going forward.

By the time the 'extended' ME3 ending came out... I was so over the game that I never even bothered to check it out.

That being said, I think I would eventually enjoy getting back into the Mass Effect universe. The alien races and complicated relationships have always been very interesting to me.

If they can debut a new time period, with a (real) commitment to player choice and a revamped combat system, I'd be game.

(and I could care less about multiplayer)

Since Bioware has now successfully introduced a bunch of different races to players, they could do something like "Dragon Age: Origins" where players could choose which character they would like to make.

Choose a race, starting planet etc.

People could play as a Salarian scientist wiping out Krogans or as a lesbian blue alien doing lesbian blue alien stuff.

Meh. Not really excited about another game to be honest.

In regards to Mass Effect I've already gone through the 3-step process of "it's done, it's over, let's move on" so I'm more interested in other stuff than visiting the MA universe again. I'll probably check in on it after it comes out and see what people say about it.

Only if it has time travel.

Not in the least. In retrospect, I'm glad I hated the ending of ME3 since it means I'm no longer invested in the Mass Effect universe. I thought ME2 was an alright game but I didn't like the direction it was going in compared to ME1. ME3 just sealed the deal and eventually left me feeling indifferent to the Mass Effect franchise and Bioware itself.

I am excited for al the reactions against it and the series.

In terms of gameplay, no. I had stack and stack of fun with ME2 (one of my favourites from this gen) and decent fun with 3, but I am done with the formula just as I am with Gears

Very much so. That universe has so much content and is so fleshed out that I'd love to see another story in it.

Yes, absolutely.

Unless the word 'prequel' features into it in any way, shape or form.

Also, give me Mass Effect: Origins. I wanna be a krogan.

Assuming it will be on the next gen systems then yes I would like to see ME running on Unreal 4 and prospects that entail along with that.

They are doing what i wanted with it so bring it on, i wouldn't say 'immediate' excitement since i don't really feel that for any game series but either way my interest is mildly peeked for it.

Just no more gather your party around the universe stuff please.

Yes. I've always said I'd want more from the universe after their trilogy was over. The universe is interesting and they spent too long creating it to let it drop now.

Just evolve the gameplay a little, because as much as I loved the combat in all of the games, I'm not sure I'll be so thrilled actually playing it if it's too similar to 2 and 3.

@Draugen said:

Yes, absolutely.

Unless the word 'prequel' features into it in any way, shape or form.

Also, give me Mass Effect: Origins. I wanna be a krogan.

Man, it would be fantastic if they took the best part of Dragon Age: Origins (the origin stories and variations to the story that follow) and used it in a new Mass Effect game.

No. The place where they left the Mass Effect Trilogy makes me sad, and I don't believe in prequels.

I am excited to see what Bioware does with Frostbite 2, and their push for more organic, less D&D panel-y worldbuilding - which I assume will continue in Mass Effect 4 - at least if Dragon Age 3 is going to start that trend in a positive manner, like they're promising it will.

Bioware is in a tough spot right now, and I'm looking forward to see them finding their groove again - at least I hope they do, because I do love me some Bioware games.

Not really, mostly because a) I'm burned by ME3 and b) they've written themselves into a clusterfuck with 3.

However, if it was a prequel and wouldn't be humanity-centric, then yeah, I might be on board. Even though it will never happen, especially considering how the female aliens look like.

Yeah let's just keep milking the cash cows. Gears of War 4, Mass Effect 4, Halo 4. They're tired, they're exhausted, let them fucking rest. Jesus Christ.

@Pinworm45 said:

I don't know. I love mass effect, I wan't more, but do I want another Dragon Age 2? no.

Too late.

I was thinking that its a shame they went with regular DLC for ME3 the way they have done. I have no interest in expanding a trilogy I've already completed, but something like a full on single expansion pack would have worked really well, in the vein of DA:O:Awakenings. Work out which characters survived ME3, give them a particular threat to deal with, and let me see what happened immediately after the game finished through fresh eyes. It would have given some much-needed context to the end of ME3, and you could see how the galaxy coped with all the loss and rebuilding.

On topic though, I think the Mass Effect fiction is so good that you could probably pick up on the smallest detail and spin an interesting new game out from that. Also, given the fact that ME3 multiplayer came out and the universe didn't explode, I'd be really interested to see if they could expand on that in a new game.

It doesn't, no. I loved 1 and 2, and liked 3, but I would be pretty happy if they took a few years break.

But, they won't.

Can I be a dirtbag Turian with ego issues on a trading station? That's all I want...

The story of a middleman so nearsighted he can't see the galaxy out of his office. Can Bioware give me that?

I loved the first game, thought 2 got boring and 3 I haven't touched.

I'm open for a 4th if things change drastically.

i clicked "other" before really reading the topic, i wouldn't want a ME4 in the traditional sense of a sequel, however new story, new characters, preferably a more focussed story because the original trilogy got a little silly with the whole "player choice" aspect. For some reason i immediately think Space Pirates along the lines of Firefly or something, but there are so many other possibilities, id buy whatever Bioware decide to do with the Mass Effect games

I didn't even play 3, so not really.

Just assuming bioware went back to be good bioware I could be interested. ME1 never really did it for me but the universe they built was pretty interesting. I'm not sure how they could do another one though as the story gets pretty messy by the end and retcons mess it up more while a prequel about the contact war (I think that is what they called it where they met/fought the turians) would be way to much like halo.

I think taking the series in a new direction like you not being a solider but instead a smuggler and maybe not even human could be interesting

Not in the least. ME 1 is my favorite game of this generation, but what they did with 2 and 3 was downright depressing.

I'm not too hopeful considering Bioware's recent output.

@ArbitraryWater said:

I would like to see what else they could do in the universe, certainly, but my confidence in Bioware as a developer of quality games has also been significantly reduced in the past few years. Ask me when they actually announce something.

I agree.

That said, I love the Mass Effect universe. It's really great. I'm thinking they would expand upon the story around the First Contact War, maybe as Anderson or some other named but not really known character from the series.

EA. Nope.

If it's a clean enough break I'd be interested. Like so far in the future that the Shepard-era events are barely even remembered, and maybe focus on the inevitable collapse of the Council and the descent into civil war between the dominant races.

If it's all "Hey remember that thing that happened in ME3??" *cameo*, then no thank you.

Not really. I think the universe is interesting. Something could be done with it. I just don't have much confidence in BioWare. If it turns out well, great; I'm simply not expecting much.

Not unless they work on new gameplay systems.

It doesn't 'immediately' excite me, so I voted no. However I am interested in another game in the Mass Effect universe. If they do a completely new cast with some nods to any existing characters as cameos or as interesting side-stories, with a whole new plot of a new unknown enemy, then I would definitely be interested with low expectations. I'm better off keeping expectations low so that I'll be pleasantly surprised if the game turns out real good.

At this point it would have to be a game without any of the major characters from 1-3. I'm done with that bunch.

No, no it does not! I still have to play 3 at some point when I finally muster up the will to do so.

I enjoy ME when it play them, but I really hate the franchise due to the absurd gushing praise they get. I just dont get the love. Everything in ME seems so marginal. So in all honesty Id prefer they be done with ME. Id say Id like Bioware to get back to their roots, but they pretty much fucked that up too with DA. I dont have high hopes for anything Bioware does anymore.

I want my favourite video game series to embrace more of my favourite film: Blade Runner. I want more Omega, more morally grey, more noir detective stuff like the opening to Shadow Broker. If they do that, I'm so fucking on board.

No. ME3 killed all interest in ME I ever had. Any interesting plot-thread was resolved in the most rote, dull way imaginable. 
 
The ending was bad, but whatever, to me ME3's real sin was squandering all the potential its universe held.

I think the only way I would be able to get way back in to a new Mass Effect is if it went back to being much more of an rpg than a shooter with loot, customizable armor, weapons, stats etc on top of having a fantastically compelling story with a new protagonist and a plot that doesn't involve most of the big things that were part of the previous trilogy (in order to be more interesting and different). I have very little doubt Bioware will do this sadly. I think ME4 is going to just be Gears in Space, like many games recent or future EA seems intent on merging everything in to a single unidentifiable grey sludge of unoriginal mediocrity. Creative freedom in their studios is slowly being leeched out as the years go on. I'll be genuinely surprised if Bioware is a company I care about at all next gen.

Yes, but as long as it is very different from the previous games. By the time ME3 was released, the franchise had become a standard third-person shooter with cover. I don't want that in ME4. The formula needs to be changed. I personnaly would like to see them make a game along the lines of XCOM, or other strategy games such as Fallout Tactics or Jagged Alliance. The gameplay of these games would lend itself very well to the Mass Effect games, considering recruiting other members is a key element of them. As long as they keep the role-playing elements, I'm fine with pretty much any change.

If they stop pretending and make it a full on third person shooter, sure.