BioWare aims to "enrich" Mass Effect 3's role-playing mechanics without burdening players with heaps of trivial statistics that barely impinge on the action, according to senior designer Christina Norman.
"We want to enrich the role-playing aspects of the game, while making sure that they're always meaningful in combat," Norman told OXM when asked whether the threequel's fleet-footed tactical gunplay might clash with its RPG elements.
"We don't want to have any meaningless behind-the-scenes stat games, where the output is very minor in combat. Every single thing you do has a real impact in the battle."
Fans of Mass Effect 2 might not notice many of the alterations to the combat system at first, Norman went on.
"We got combat the way we wanted it for ME2, so you're going to feel right at home straight away. But there are so many subtle improvements that you'll miss them if you go back."
If you've yet to play Mass Effect 2, rejoice - there's plenty of time to catch up. BioWare pushed Mass Effect 3's release back to 2012 today.
Look out for more from Norman - and much, much more on Mass Effect 3 - in the next issue of OXM, out 10th May. Would it kill you to set up a subscription, guys?
10 comments so far...
Maverick_McCool on 5 May '11 said:
No meaningless stats , does that mean they will fill it with meaningless fetch-quests , meaningless space hamsters , meaningless fishtanks , meaningless... well you get the point , sorry , just finished this game again the other day and the amount of meaningless fluff that replaced most of the good stuff from the original is just mind boggling.
vind4loo on 5 May '11 said:
Just what we need, more 'streamlining'.
.
CunningSmile on 5 May '11 said:
I liked the hamster. I called him Hammy.
Maverick_McCool on 5 May '11 said:
I called him "wish I could buy a gun".
O.k O.k , I called him "cuddles"
Erasable Druid on 6 May '11 said:
I called mine Maverick McCool...
Bezza89 on 6 May '11 said:
I bought some fish and Kelly said she'd feed them for me, I go to change my armour mod things and check on my fish... all upside down at the top. Bitch!
Maverick_McCool on 6 May '11 said:
You have just made my day , from hence forth , the fish in Zakeera ward I bought because there were no decent weapons on sale , will always be known as Erasable Druid.
Rob606 on 7 May '11 said:
The hamster wasn't meaningless, it was a reference to a game BioWare were previously involved in - Baldur's Gate.
One of the more crazier party members (and IMO best companion for any game ever) Minsc carried with him at all times a hamster called Boo, which he claimed was a minituare giant space hamster.
This appearance of Boo was just a little reference to that and a small tidbit for people like me who loved Minsc (long live Jim Cummings!) and his hamster.
Erasable Druid on 7 May '11 said:
Yes!!! Thanks, McCool! You have made mine.
TheElderMan on 8 May '11 said:
I hope they don't strip too much. I like seeing the character stats in an RPG. The gradual increase in skills is one of the elements that gives a feeling of character progression.
While getting new weapons and equipment is cool, you do not get the same impression that your characters are developing - just finding new toys. Seeing skill increases, activating new abilities - it all increases connection to the characters, and adds to that achievement collecting 'just one more level'.
If you do away with clear levelling stats, the design needs to ensure that there is no grinding, as there won't be any immediate rewards, and that could mean a potentially shorter game.