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Next Mass Effect: Now Is Your Chance to Leave Feedback for BioWare

Developer launches survey in hopes of making the next Mass Effect game "the best one yet."

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BioWare has launched a fan survey asking fans to provide feedback to help make the next Mass Effect game "the best one yet." Producer Mike Gamble tweeted a link to the survey, which asks players what games they have played recently and what aspects of a new Mass Effect game they are most looking forward to. The options include Story, Exploration, Combat, and Customization. You can rank those choices from 1 (least) to 7 (most). The survey also asks you to elaborate on your choices and mention if BioWare left anything out.

The Mass Effect survey also asks how many hours you spend per week playing role-playing games and asks you to rank your top three RPG activities; options include engaging in combat, leveling up, and exploring alternative story outcomes, among others. In addition, the survey asks if you are planning to attend San Diego Comic Con (July), Gamescom (August), or PAX Prime (August-September), and if you enjoy cosplaying.

Not long after the survey was distributed last night, Gamble said BioWare has seen an "overwhelming response to the survey so far." He went on to say that he has "reading material for a month" and that he doesn't want responses to stop yet. "Keep 'em coming," he said.

If you're eager for more news about the next Mass Effect game, you don't have much longer to wait, as BioWare designers will talk about the project at San Diego Comic-Con next week. The new Mass Effect game does not have a release date yet and platforms have not been announced.

What we do know is that it leaves the story of Commander Shepard and the first three games behind. BioWare began teasing images from the new game in November 2013, and shortly thereafter we learned it is already playable. Overall, the next Mass Effect game is described as "fresh but recognizable."

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Avatar image for Gankstar_VX84
Gankstar_VX84

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Go back to it's roots, Mako exploration like the original mass effect, new characters new dynamic new politics, each character has a role on board the ship, each with their own attributes left up for you to decide who is what, promotions and such, have the ability to upgrade ships into bigger ships, take passengers to earn more credits, make life hard and challenging, hard games breed good players.

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mjfn_4617

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I wish Mass Effect have Strategy Game like war in the races. A 4x space strategy offers to complete a mission within planet to planet inside the terminus system.


another thing for Mass Effect 4, I wish for more expandable, a massive open world experience like go to the planet and fighting with Reapers not just standalone missions but also random missions like when you are in the planet then the mission engage that there is an enemy contact in sector xxx at this coordinates and the player will allow to explore every detail of the planet that can cause much time to finish the quest.


I mean the total experience, imagine that you are a soldier and come for war. And when you walk it not just a small map but a large map in every detail.

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digitm64

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As long as they add controller support on PC.

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brusher

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Think I'll pass o the survey. Bioware already has shown their once loyal fans what they think of their fans and their opinions. And, after being lied to during prerelease of ME3, and not owning up to the hatchet job they did to the ending of what could've been a great story, I don't believe a word they say.

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kaladan78

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Real space flight,not just a mini-map with a tiny ship...please !!!! I have seen a game (or was it a mod, I just cannot remember) done by just one dude with planet landing and planet take-off and it was so cool ...Real persistent Universe and that way of traveling like I have played in Freelancer (that made the map feel so huge)...that will step up Mass effect 4 to the next level...after all it's the Universe, with all the races, that actually is or should be the real main character, right?...And what better way to underline a majestic Universe and make it believable if not by actually traveling in it...Might just become 2 games in one though :(...but that was just a secret dream I have...a space-sim with missions on planets mass effect style :)

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gunm3ta1

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Anyone like me who hate the microtransactions/DLCs for most of the weapons n armor?? now is the time to feedback!

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Bhemont

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Good luck, it's EA we're talking about, the queen of MTs

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Gankstar_VX84

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> atleast ea have shown an interest in bettering their reputation, ubisoft games just suck in some major way always, and activision.. well put it this way, if they used the CEO of activision instead of kevin spacey for the new cod aw campaign it really would of been realistic.

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fgjnfgh

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I've completed the survey but their questions are so general and I don't see them help in developing the game. like they ask you rank from 1(lowest)-7(highest) on story, combat, exploration. Those are basics in any RPG and I don't see anyone would give lower than 7 in any of those categories.

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yoda101280

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Heh, I still haven't finished ME3 yet, I go back every so often and play a little bit, the last time I think I was close to the end though so I guess I should finish it up.

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yoda101280

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Meh, just make it open world and I'll probably be happy I generally liked the Mass effect games. Only issue I had is the same I had with basically all of Biowares RPG's they take place in fairly enclosed spaces and are very linear. So open up the game space like they seem to be doing with Dragon Age and don't make the story so one directional and I will be happy.

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thphaca

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<< LINK REMOVED >> I actually prefer linear stories, which is why I've always loved Bioware. Open-world stories never really feel like stories, they just feel like a sequence of missions that hardly tie together. There tends to be a trade off between the quality and flexibility of the story. The more choices you give the player, naturally the more difficult it is to create something emotionally gripping like the ME series was.

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SmithsonianGame

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<< LINK REMOVED >> No. ANYTHING but open world. There are way too many of them already. It wouldn't be a BioWare game without the linearity. I'm not saying you're wrong for liking open world games, it's just that too many developers are making open world RPGs. I liked BioWare because they didn't do that. Now I'm a bit worried about Dragon Age 3.

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jasswolf

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Because in Mass Effect games, your choices matter (TM).


Wait a second...

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Darkrayne

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<< LINK REMOVED >> pfft, your choices affected the story and the gameplay... not at the end but everywhere else. The journey is more important than the destination.

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magnetite2

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<< LINK REMOVED >>

Correct, that is how the game is designed to work. A lot of people who say their choices don't matter don't understand how this game is supposed to work. It was said all the way back in 2011 at E3, that your choices will shape how the war against the Reapers plays out "Game choices from ME1 & ME2 will affect the war in ME3. The Reaper war doesn't begin in the last 5 minutes. The war begins when you actually begin the game. They took it as "every single decision will shape the final minutes of ME3". Followed by going to the government, etc, when that didn't happen.

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lilhurk1985187

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> i would have liked to have a better destination than what was given,which was a middle finger.

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magnetite2

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@lilhurk1985187

For me Shepard is alive, Reapers are dead. I don't see the issue here. If your EMS was really low, then yeah, you won't get a good ending. They make you work for it. Besides, they kind of ended it where there was no clear-cut good or bad ending. Each final decision has a positive and a negative. Some people want to have all positives, but forget that this game is about consequences for your actions. If you choose to destroy the Reapers, there will be consequences (depending on your EMS). If you choose control, synthesis, or refuse, there will be consequences.

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jasswolf

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<< LINK REMOVED >><< LINK REMOVED >> Wholeheartedly agree on your take, but it's not much with the funnies. :P

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Pelezinho777

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Make a good game as the first three Mass Effect's and there will be no winter for any of us....

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lilhurk1985187

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<< LINK REMOVED >> I think you mean the first TWO. Even though they dumbed down ME2 too much.

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Pelezinho777

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<< LINK REMOVED >> No, honestly I mean all three parts.

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streamline

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Just those for survey options? I wanted to vote for Liara.

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greasemonkey42

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I think more companies should do these kinds of things!

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Coseniath

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"First Release on Dec 31, 2097"

Hmmm why not 2099 or 2100? What's so important about 12/31/2097?World ending? :P

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thatguy2001

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I would love a new mass effect game where you get to play as a Mass Effect Relay. Imagine how much fun that could be.

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HipHopBeats

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So far ME 2 is my favorite of the series. Granted ME 1 had a better story and ME 3 had the best gameplay, ME 2 felt like the most complete game with an epic suicide mission and an ending that payed off depending on your choices.

I'm hoping ME 4 is a complete game with no cliffhanger nonsense endings that reflect the player's choices. Also, no more auto dialog and give us more hubs than the Citadel to explore.

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yoda101280

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<< LINK REMOVED >> Well they've said they will be jumping to a new protagonist this time so there will likely be some sort of cliff hanger ending unless 4 is going to be the last effect they make, which is not likely. So since we're getting a new lead character you can expect the story to end w/o all the answers.

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VoidSECT

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No multiplayer is a good start

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daviz88

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PR

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Cabronado

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last time i did a survey was for Tiberium Twilight... need i say more?

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roman4545

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<< LINK REMOVED >> yes say more.... u lacking in details

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Cabronado

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@roman4545 what i wrote in the survey had nothing to do with the final game.

And i doubt the majority of the people that took the survey wanted the gameplay to change almost completely.

So, in my experience, surveys are pointless.

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ank000

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1st- Story ( because without it ME4 will be nothing. No compromise here)

2nd- Combat/Weapons (should have a little bit more combat then previous games. Also, would love to see weapons like Cain and Blackstorm in this game.)

3rd- Exploration ( should have fair amount of exploration, so that player can take break from story and combat)

4th- Customization ( I'll leave this to the pro's)


Long story short the game should have good story, enjoyable combat and quality explorations. Lastly repeating what everyone already said, don't go the Prequel route...lol

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Naquada

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It gives me some slight feeling of hope, them doing the survey.


As long as they go back to the kind of freedom of choice ME2 offered, continue to deliver decently on the various interpersonal relationships, and keep the save importing thing going, they're fairly likely to get my money.


I agree with others on one thing in particular - if they start making prequels, I'm going to start punching babies... And puppies.

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darktruth007

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Don't worry Bioware is going to make a GREAT game - just as good as Mass Effect 1 2 and 3 and Dragon Age 1 and 2 were.


Let the ignorant contrarians who claim that Mass Effect 2 and 3 were terrible go back to playing their lackluster, dull-as-bricks Fallout and ES games and save the truly worthwhile rpgs for the real gamers.

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porcupine-fur

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<< LINK REMOVED >> You kind of buried yourself with "the real gamers" - that's something very childish to say. Everybody has their own preferences, and if they like Fallout they can go ahead and play it. I just wish they could find some other free time distraction than saying Bioware has gone to the s*it and EA is the evil mastermind behind it. Give those guys and gals a break, no one is forcing you to even read news about them let alone play their games. Find another hobby.

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magnetite2

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@porcupine-fur

Anyone who thinks EA is plotting to ruin Bioware or the gaming industry in general needs to get their head checked or at the very least take off their tinfoil hat.

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surrealme

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<< LINK REMOVED >> All three of them are great RPG franchises. If you only like ME then perhaps it's you that's not the "real gamer" (and oh how I wish that idiotic self congratulating BS expression would go die in a fire).

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corrus

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<< LINK REMOVED >> How i hate dumb fanboys

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The-Neon-Seal

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<< LINK REMOVED >> ME3 was an RPG? WHO KNEW!

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T-_-K

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<< LINK REMOVED >> lol what? yeah right go play DA2 it's really great!

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lilhurk1985187

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The only things i want from them is for them to keep their promises and not make CRAPPY endings and hide behind "Artistic Integrity". Make choices actually matter.Also make the other species playable instead of just human characters.

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meedokicky

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cool survey.

Thank you Eddie and Bioware.

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Boddicker

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A branching story structure where your decisions not only affect the ending but what missions become available to you would be a nice start.



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