How to save Mass Effect: Don't run back to Shepherd.

They have limitless possibilities in the universe to essentially reboot and learn from the mistakes made in ME3 and add more focus back to exploration and choice, two areas ME3 felt castrated in. (in comparison to 2, especially in comparison to 1)

The exploration was never huge in Mass Effect (the planets were boring as shit on ME1) but the previous 2 games definitely had more hub areas you could walk around and find things to interact in. It kinda makes sense narratively to not have that in 3, but at the same time there's many examples of 'we're at war, brb gonna have a drink on the citadel'.

I suppose your thread topic was referring to the Mass Effect series needing saving, and not Mass Effect 4 right? Because a game that hasn't even been announced can't possibly need saving.

@brendan: The head of Bioware is bragging on twitter that they have a playable version.

Everything about the Mass Effect world is amazing except for the ending of Mass Effect 3. There's a lot of solid content for Bioware to make an incredible game. I have full faith.

I just hope it's not a fucking prequel.

I hear ya, ME3 didn't live up to the hype, but that's only because the hype was built up to gargantuan proportions. Very few games that have had a 3 attached to it ended up delivering on the promise (in terms of wrapping up a story, maybe Gears of War 3...for me at least). However ME3 wasn't a bad game, it was still well reviewed and sold well and the excitement for a new entry isn't entirely gone, so there's really no reason to sit there and ask "how to save the franchise".

Nevertheless, I feel like what you really wanted from us is to tell you what we want to see from Mass Effect 4, and there have been some great responses so far. I'm excited for a new game and here's some of what I'd love to see:

• Make it a one and done deal. Tell a story that can be told in one game. If the team can focus on one game and one story instead of thinking about a trilogy it could lead to better writing. I know the ME franchise is known for save imports and all, but they can focus on that later with a ME trilogy unrelated to ME4 (working title).
• Less serious tone. I'm not saying give it crazy over-the-top story about some nonsense but don't make it about the end of the universe. A more personal story could lead to better interactions between the characters and actually make the romances meaningful for once.
• Add a timer to the dialogue options. I may hate almost everything about Alpha Protocol, but at least they got that right. Nothing quite as dumb and hilarious as watching Shepard mull over a decision as shit is exploding non stop behind him.
• You know that map where the tiny ship flies around in the different star systems? Why not make that real time? See that planet over there? Fly to it. Need some fuel? Stop by the depot. Need to go to another system? Set a route for the mass relay. There's nothing wrong with the current travel system, but why not have this little bonus in there?
• With new technology available, I'd love to see hubs that are more than just a corridor with different doors and elevators. I'm not saying the Citadel should be like Liberty City in GTA 4, but at least have different sections and locations that bleed into each other rather than just a hallway with a door here and there. It would be rally cool to see a cab on the citadel move in real time rather than just having a load screen...
• No allegiance to anyone. This would open the doors to play as any race and would allow the player's decisions to make more sense. I have some really strong doubts about the Alliance allowing someone who is so space racist (depending on how you play your Shepard) to be promoted to commander. I've made so many decisions that were in such sharp contrast to the organizations I allied myself with throughout all 3 games. It would be cool to play as someone who only has their own best interest in mind.

1. There is no way to set a game after the Reaper war without either A) choosing a canon ending which goes against everything that ME stands for, or B) putting it so far in the future that it might as well be in the past or in the Star Wars universe instead.

You could set the game at any point before ME1 and have nothing to do with the Reapers. What about the First Contact war? I think that would be pretty sweet.

2. This is irrelevant. The Alliance is a broad enough entity that you could have more or less any game you wanted regardless. I also find it hilarious that you want it to focus on C-Sec after the war when there is no more C to Sec.

3. Sure, although the artifact hunts were things you happened to do while you were doing other, more interesting things, so it seems like an odd sticking point.

4. You clearly didn't play the multiplayer, or at least not enough of the mulitplayer to develop a meaningful understanding of it. The game was incredibly well balanced for players that ignored microtransactions. They were merely a shortcut for people who did not want to go through the reasonably paced progression. The only people the microtransactions hurt were the players obsessed with maxing out everything for hilariously irrelevant incremental power gains.

Best way for that series to continue forward

Self contained stories that begin and end in one game. There are still choices, there are multiple outcomes, but it isn't tied to anything but the universe, which is the best part of that whole series anyway. This gives more creative freedom to the developers, and can keep things fresh for the foreseeable future

Im still holding out hope for a detective/noir story set in the mass effect universe.

Mass Effect doesn't need saving.

/thread

Seriously this is like some game journo type stuff.