Opinions on the Dragon Age and Mass Effect Universes?

[Doppel]

DA is nothing more than stereotypical fantasy bore.

ME was much easier to get into and care about. I think the history of all the different races is done well enough to care about, and the characters themselves are usually memorable. While not particularly original overall it's still easy to get caught up in. Something I rarely do with video games.

THANK YOU. I got the same impression with Skyrim. It's why I mostly hate the fantasy genre now, it's just a whole lot of fvcking rubbish and nonsensey names made up with stupid crap. I found it interesting when I was a kid, but as an adult it just seems extremely lazy because it has no confines whatsoever. Mass Effect is true science fiction, a story written around a fictional, but theoretically plausible human future (similar to Star Trek).

 

[Dumac]

THANK YOU. I got the same impression with Skyrim. It's why I mostly hate the fantasy genre now, it's just a whole lot of fvcking rubbish and nonsensey names made up with stupid crap. I found it interesting when I was a kid, but as an adult it just seems extremely lazy because it has no confines whatsoever. Mass Effect is true science fiction, a story written around a fictional, but theoretically plausible human future (similar to Star Trek).

As someone who reads both sci-fi and fantasy, ME isn't any less generic than DA is. I feel like a lot of people are more experienced with fantasy than sci-fi, and thereby think that DA is been-there-done-that while ME is somehow cutting edge, but that isn't the case at all.

Almost nothing about ME is interesting, and especially not its blue tittied aliens and big tittied robot women. The development of the races (and the reapers) was handled very poorly, and it is easy to see that nothing was fully thought out. A lot of elements are ripped directly from other sci-fi novels.

 

[Gooberlx2]

A lot of elements are ripped directly from other sci-fi novels.

Such as? I'm genuinely curious. Aside from elements common to a whole helluva lot of sci-fi (space, spaceships, alien races, governments, lasers, FTL, struggle) I've not witnessed much of the core aspects to ME's backstory in other fiction (mass effect concepts, tech based on previous civilizations, reaping cycles, human inferiority, etc...). But I don't read a whole lot of sci-fi, so I probably wouldn't know.

 

[RampantAndroid]

As someone who reads both sci-fi and fantasy, ME isn't any less generic than DA is. I feel like a lot of people are more experienced with fantasy than sci-fi, and thereby think that DA is been-there-done-that while ME is somehow cutting edge, but that isn't the case at all.

Almost nothing about ME is interesting, and especially not its blue tittied aliens and big tittied robot women. The development of the races (and the reapers) was handled very poorly, and it is easy to see that nothing was fully thought out. A lot of elements are ripped directly from other sci-fi novels.

Isn't ME a copy of freespace?

 

[dighn]

Such as?

cycle of extinction, organics vs synthetics, uplifting of violent races as soldiers, discovery of ancient technology leading to a interstellar society, god-like machines, popular use of mass driver weaponry etc. i can think of plenty of novels with those themes.

however, I don't believe the use of previously used concepts is necessarily a flaw. good ideas can be reused. I just don't think ME executed them particularly well as a cohesive piece. but then again Bioware did something new and the result deserves some applaud. there really aren't many good sci-fi RPGs out there.

 

[AstroManLuca]

....and yet it's selling millions of copies and is one of EA's best selling series of all time.

Hmmmmmm............

(According to the laws of the Internet this is the part where you say that most people have no taste because the vast majority disagrees with you.)

Come on man that's a terrible argument and you know it. Pointing that out doesn't help you at all.

40K universe. You know why? Because there are no good guys or bad guys. The entire universe is a race to the bottom, a race to see who will be able to survive and who cannot. The "good" guys (a.k.a the guys who we are supposed to root for) is run by a genocidal, facist, inefficient, all-powerful government which thinks nothing of killing billions of civilians to prevent even a single loss to its overall influence

The "bad guys" are the ones who are fighting for the freedom to live and fight the way they want to or were cast out by society and are persecuted for something they can't even control.

No matter the sacrifices, no matter the pain caused, and victories attained, peace is unattainable. Every sacrifice is in vain and every single soldier is merely a cog in a bureaucracy that is so slow that entire planets can go missing in the paperwork.

This is a universe where blatant racism, witch hunts, the torture of billions, and the systemic rape of entire systems of people was the ultimate saving grace of mankind. Without the deaths of billons of people for being "different" mankind would have been destroyed.


The universe uses many tropes and cliches, but combined with its unique setting, there is nothing quite like it out there. No other universe really gets across that the galaxy is a huge place filled with conflict. No soldier, no matter how powerful or influential, can change the outcome of a war. How does a single person stop an invasion that is happening simultaneously across the entire galaxy? How does a single person, no matter how strong, stand up to a orbital bombardment? The fact that the universe acknowledges that nothing anyone can ever do can stop the entire galaxy from continuing its everlasting war is what is so interesting to me. Its a deconstruction of the clean and happy sci fi that is prevalent.

Well, 40k is too grimdark for me, but on the other hand, it basically INVENTED grimdark. Gotta give them points for originality.

I still don't think Mass Effect is bad solely because it makes use of a lot of sci-fi tropes. Warhammer 40k makes use of a lot of tropes as well, although it invented many of them where Mass Effect did not. So you can definitely say that 40k is more original.

I think at this point all we can do is say opinions are going to differ wildly on which work of science fiction is "better."

 

[Gooberlx2]

I think at this point all we can do is say opinions are going to differ wildly on which work of science fiction is "better."

Yup.

And even then, the original question was "thoughts about how those universes stand up on their own, say in terms of literature?"

OP went on to say he though they were inferior compared to whatever. As far as the core question goes, I say: yes, they can stand up on own their own merits. The backstory and setup in ME (dunno much about DA) is definitely serviceable and could lead to very compelling literature in the future.

While many might consider them inferior franchises compared to others, they're hardly the worst out there.

 

[Todd33]

Let's not forget the X-files ripoff in ME2/3 - what was his name? The smoking man guy?

 

[xSauronx]

Dragon Age bored me to tears. The combat was great, but you had to suffer through unbelievably long and drawn out conversation screens.

Mass Effect has a better storyline IMO, and much more engaging gameplay. I felt like I was playing in a movie while playing the Mass Effect series (in fact, I'm replaying ME2 right now before I play ME3).

i like the dragon age gameplay, as i got into micro managing my characters in battle to do this, that and the other, but the story and cut scenes werent memboralbe

the mass effect universe/story is more interesting to me, but the game play is not always amazing (only played ME2 on the PS3), though it was fun enough.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Let's not forget the X-files ripoff in ME2/3 - what was his name? The smoking man guy?

Illusive man? His story is fleshed out in the books on why he is a "racist". He believes in human superiority and fought in the original war against the Turians. His beliefs led him to easily be indoctrinated.

I never saw the X-Files so I cant compare.

 

[micrometers]

i like the dragon age gameplay, as i got into micro managing my characters in battle to do this, that and the other, but the story and cut scenes werent memboralbe

the mass effect universe/story is more interesting to me, but the game play is not always amazing (only played ME2 on the PS3), though it was fun enough.

Dragon Age 2 was the first true KOTOR sequel that Bioware has made itself. At least for combat.

Bioware's art team is still lacking, unfortunately. The art simply doesn't have the wondrous quality that so much of Blizzard's art has.

 

[Glitchny]

Illusive man? His story is fleshed out in the books on why he is a "racist". He believes in human superiority and fought in the original war against the Turians. His beliefs led him to easily be indoctrinated.

I never saw the X-Files so I cant compare.

There is a man in X-Files referred to as "The smoking man" who is often seen in shadows and manipulates things behind the scenes. He alternates between being helpful and harmful, and is always working some angle.

He is similar to the illusive man, but so are most shadowy conspiracy types in sci-fi.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

I honestly like both the DA and ME universes.

DA:
Yes, I was one of the people in the "generic-age" boat with all the preview trailers, then the HOLY GOD WHAT IS BIOWARE DOING with the Marylin Manson trailers. But the game itself is a nice throwback to fantasy of yor and the world it has created is almost like a bizarre fantasy sci-fi thanks to the consistency with which Magic is explained (heavily regulated Psykers draw from the warp... Oh i mean Mages of the circle draw their power from the fade and everyone risks demonic possession). Yeah so DA rips off WH's Warp/Psyker aspect almost to a T, but hey if you're gonna rip someone off, might as well rip off the best...

ME: (Note, I have not played ME3, but have played ME1/2 extensively)
The Universe is really great, well developed. You have politics, intrigue and if you ever choose to really go deep into the codex entries a remarkably fleshed out and well thought out universe. Then you actually play the game and its like... WTF? I think Bioware has some serious opportunities with their IP but they really hamstrung themselves trying to make Shepherd in the mold of Master Chief and framing everything in military dress.

If... no, WHEN they make a spin off of the Mass Effect games I would really love to play as a small time privateer (since nothing is original, think Firefly) running a small time operation. You take jobs, form alliances and build a crew; you work your way to Merchant Prince/Mercenary Warlord, along the way uncovering a plot to bring the Terminus Systems and Citadel into epic conflicts with one another. Something a little looser, a little more light hearted, something that will let me loosen my collar and maybe even wear a cowboy hat. Something like that.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

There is a man in X-Files referred to as "The smoking man" who is often seen in shadows and manipulates things behind the scenes. He alternates between being helpful and harmful, and is always working some angle.

He is similar to the illusive man, but so are most shadowy conspiracy types in sci-fi.

Just wikipedia-ed it. Although the illusive man started off as a shadowy conspiracy, by the end of ME2 and start of ME3 you know that Cerberus is essentially a terrorist group set on human superiority. They were pretty vocal and blatant in their actions.

 

[Fritzo]

In conclusion:

This thread has determined that if you enjoy any game at all, your opinion is wrong.

Thanks for reading.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

In conclusion:

This thread has determined that if you enjoy any game at all, your opinion is wrong.

Thanks for reading.

In further news, ask for opinion on a game story, get ripped on for unoriginality and plot holes in game story, claim to be victim.

 

[QuantumPion]

I like the ME universe, it is very similar in style and scope to Star Trek. It is well fleshed out and has a nice character to it.

I never liked the DA universe. I even read the two books before DA:O came out. The setting is just too dull, it lacks any soul. In Forgotten Realms you have planes of good and evil and a Pantheon of gods and a rich and epic backstory with lots of cool historical events and figures. In Elder Scrolls you have Deadra as well as an Atlantian-esque race which mysteriously vanished. The DA just has no meat on it by comparison, and even if it did it just seems boring to me.

 

[alent1234]

Just wikipedia-ed it. Although the illusive man started off as a shadowy conspiracy, by the end of ME2 and start of ME3 you know that Cerberus is essentially a terrorist group set on human superiority. They were pretty vocal and blatant in their actions.

i thought that they were based on Cobra from GI Joe

 

[micrometers]

I honestly like both the DA and ME universes.

DA:
Yes, I was one of the people in the "generic-age" boat with all the preview trailers, then the HOLY GOD WHAT IS BIOWARE DOING with the Marylin Manson trailers. But the game itself is a nice throwback to fantasy of yor and the world it has created is almost like a bizarre fantasy sci-fi thanks to the consistency with which Magic is explained (heavily regulated Psykers draw from the warp... Oh i mean Mages of the circle draw their power from the fade and everyone risks demonic possession). Yeah so DA rips off WH's Warp/Psyker aspect almost to a T, but hey if you're gonna rip someone off, might as well rip off the best...

ME: (Note, I have not played ME3, but have played ME1/2 extensively)
The Universe is really great, well developed. You have politics, intrigue and if you ever choose to really go deep into the codex entries a remarkably fleshed out and well thought out universe. Then you actually play the game and its like... WTF? I think Bioware has some serious opportunities with their IP but they really hamstrung themselves trying to make Shepherd in the mold of Master Chief and framing everything in military dress.

If... no, WHEN they make a spin off of the Mass Effect games I would really love to play as a small time privateer (since nothing is original, think Firefly) running a small time operation. You take jobs, form alliances and build a crew; you work your way to Merchant Prince/Mercenary Warlord, along the way uncovering a plot to bring the Terminus Systems and Citadel into epic conflicts with one another. Something a little looser, a little more light hearted, something that will let me loosen my collar and maybe even wear a cowboy hat. Something like that.

You know why DA isn't so great though? because it is too dark and gory.

Warcraft has magic being used for evil, sure, but it also has lots of wonders and impossible architecture being made possible by magic.

Dragon Age is too focused on suffering, basically.

 

[Bateluer]

Dragon Age 2 was the first true KOTOR sequel that Bioware has made itself. At least for combat.

Oy . . . DA2 shouldn't even be said in the same sentence as KOTOR1. The combat in DA2 was about the most mind-numbingly idiotic ever made. Between the lame animations, the poor skills, the lousy UI, the poor dialog, the endless spawning enemies, and the generally poor story, there's no limit to being able to attack that game. Bioware needs to distance themselves from it in DA3, everything in DA2 is something they should not do in DA3.

 

[Gunbuster]

The Mass Effect 3 writers lost me when the reapers came to earth and started shooting individual air cars with their lasers.

Pew pew pew. Yeah no, reaper doom force would have slagged the entire planet from orbit and moved on. You don't cull all life from the universe by killing one little boy at a time so Shepard can have a sad.

 

[Sonikku]

Mass Effect always seemed too clinical and serious.

Give Blasto 6: Partners in Crime a look.

 

[alent1234]

The Mass Effect 3 writers lost me when the reapers came to earth and started shooting individual air cars with their lasers.

Pew pew pew. Yeah no, reaper doom force would have slagged the entire planet from orbit and moved on. You don't cull all life from the universe by killing one little boy at a time so Shepard can have a sad.

the reapers don't just kill, they "harvest" life to make new reapers. kind of like in that tom cruise war of the worlds movie where the aliens would suck people in for their DNA

 

[dighn]

the reapers don't just kill, they "harvest" life to make new reapers. kind of like in that tom cruise war of the worlds movie where the aliens would suck people in for their DNA

far more efficient to nuke from orbit any military and industrial targets, and then swoop in for the harvest. then again, if the reapers were half as smart as they were made out to be, organics wouldn't stand a chance.

 

[alent1234]

same thing as any movie with a standoff where the villain talks some nonsense and then gets killed because he was too dumb to kill the hero right away. or where the hero is some loser who proves the people in charge are dumb and he's really the smart one

and the reapers did try but in ME1 they failed to take the citadel. in ME3 they hit arcturus station first and then earth