Mass Effect Topic

[Ninja D!]

You both shame me. I have not really roleplayed the character and I kept the default name. I've pretty much gone for renegade in any situation I can stomache that option (which is most of the time). The only overall exception to that is not being a racist.

I know they usually fail here but if there were interest, I would very much support someone running a Mass Effect universe play-by-post here, even if that someone had to be me. It could be set up quickly using a published Star Wars system. That would probably cover all the bases since, from a purely mechanical standpoint, biotics = the Force without any mind-influencing stuff.

[SA]

I got everybody (including myself) killed on my last ME2 playthrough.

Would it be too much to ask for a zombie-Shepard option in ME3?

[Ninja D!]

That wasn't even an option in ME2, it was a requirement. I would think there will be SOMETHING that will give you a boost for having played ME2, even if you died.

[Ninja D!]

Sometimes things behave strangely when I post from my phone. Ignore this post.

[Elemental_Elf]

I know they usually fail here but if there were interest, I would very much support someone running a Mass Effect universe play-by-post here, even if that someone had to be me. It could be set up quickly using a published Star Wars system. That would probably cover all the bases since, from a purely mechanical standpoint, biotics = the Force without any mind-influencing stuff.

Star Wars Saga edition is the easiest fit for a Mass Effect game system. If your goal isn't to emulate the ME games' classes, then the conversion process is quite easy - eliminate the Jedi, eliminate use the force, eliminate force powers that aren't "mass effect-y" and allow any class to pick the Force Sensitivity feat (i.e. Biotic Sensitivity).

So, if you can't tell, I am totally up for a Mass Effect Play-by-post!

[Ninja D!]

Star Wars Saga edition is the easiest fit for a Mass Effect game system. If your goal isn't to emulate the ME games' classes, then the conversion process is quite easy - eliminate the Jedi, eliminate use the force, eliminate force powers that aren't "mass effect-y" and allow any class to pick the Force Sensitivity feat (i.e. Biotic Sensitivity).

So, if you can't tell, I am totally up for a Mass Effect Play-by-post!

That sounds about right. I'm sure it wouldn't take much to find someone that has already statted up good-enough races, too.

[Steerpike]

Found this after a quick search.  I don't agree with all the stat bonuses/penalties they assign to the various races (they seem excessive and sometimes incorrect... like Intelligence/Charisma penalties for Turians, who IMO should probably have no penalties and maybe an LA, or Dexterity bonuses and Strength penalties for Asari, who aren't presented as being ether quicker or frailer than most human women).  Still, might be worth a look.

EDIT: they also don't have stats for Drell, which I'd guess every man and his dog would want to play, or for Vorcha, who would be ENORMOUS fun to play, I think!

[sparkletwist]

Considering Mass Effect is essentially just adapted and "genericized" KoTOR, and KoTOR is just Star Wars d20 adapted to a video game, it does not surprise me that adaptation would work well.

Given the video game's popularity, there will probably be an official P&P RPG eventually. Dragon Age got one, so there's precedent, anyway. :D

[Ninja D!]

Found this after a quick search.  I don't agree with all the stat bonuses/penalties they assign to the various races (they seem excessive and sometimes incorrect... like Intelligence/Charisma penalties for Turians, who IMO should probably have no penalties and maybe an LA, or Dexterity bonuses and Strength penalties for Asari, who aren't presented as being ether quicker or frailer than most human women).  Still, might be worth a look.

EDIT: they also don't have stats for Drell, which I'd guess every man and his dog would want to play, or for Vorcha, who would be ENORMOUS fun to play, I think!

There could be more or we could collaboratively throw something together.

Considering Mass Effect is essentially just adapted and "genericized" KoTOR, and KoTOR is just Star Wars d20 adapted to a video game, it does not surprise me that adaptation would work well.

Given the video game's popularity, there will probably be an official P&P RPG eventually. Dragon Age got one, so there's precedent, anyway. :D

Mass Effect has been around a lot longer than Dragon Age and not gotten an official P&P. Dragon Age probably only did because of the similarity to D&D. Dragon Age Origins actually played like an RPG, too. Also, that game sold poorly and I've heard nothing positive about it...so I don't think it's likely that Mass Effect will get the same treatment.In any case, that wouldn't do us any good right now. :P

[Elemental_Elf]

Found this after a quick search.  I don't agree with all the stat bonuses/penalties they assign to the various races (they seem excessive and sometimes incorrect... like Intelligence/Charisma penalties for Turians, who IMO should probably have no penalties and maybe an LA, or Dexterity bonuses and Strength penalties for Asari, who aren't presented as being ether quicker or frailer than most human women).  Still, might be worth a look.

EDIT: they also don't have stats for Drell, which I'd guess every man and his dog would want to play, or for Vorcha, who would be ENORMOUS fun to play, I think!

I like some of the abilities listed for each race but dislike the stat modifiers. Why are Turians getting a neg to INT? It makes no sense.

I think if we were to play a Mass Effect PbP, then we should probably just stat out the races ourselves. Personally, I'd favor a more minimalist approach, like Star Wars Saga does with its races, rather than the D&D 3.5 approach that gives races a ton of special rules.

Considering Mass Effect is essentially just adapted and "genericized" KoTOR, and KoTOR is just Star Wars d20 adapted to a video game, it does not surprise me that adaptation would work well.

Given the video game's popularity, there will probably be an official P&P RPG eventually. Dragon Age got one, so there's precedent, anyway. :D

Mass Effect has been around a lot longer than Dragon Age and not gotten an official P&P. Dragon Age probably only did because of the similarity to D&D. Dragon Age Origins actually played like an RPG, too. Also, that game sold poorly and I've heard nothing positive about it...so I don't think it's likely that Mass Effect will get the same treatment.In any case, that wouldn't do us any good right now. :P

I actually found the Dragon Age: Dark Fantasy p&p RPG to be quite good. Its a very basic, rules light game. It wasn't popular because the designers only gave you 5 levels to play with and never bothered to release the second box set until just a few weeks ago (which was around a year+ wait). Sad really, it could have become popular if they had only supported it.

[sparkletwist]

I've never played it, or don't even know much about it, really. But you raise a good point saying it's similar to D&D. People likely just thought "hey, I could just play D&D" and didn't buy it. On the other hand, it seems to me there's not really a "hey, I could just play ___" as pervasive in the sci-fi niche, maybe Star Wars, but I don't think it's anywhere close. So who knows. If the Dragon Age one didn't sell well they probably won't want to try again, though... oh well. :P

[Ninja D!]

I think that the main reason the system didn't see more support was because of how unpopular it was upon release. I've looked at teaching my girlfriend P&P games and I had hoped that would be a great place to start since she loved Dragon Age Origins. Basically, I was hoping that it would be a P&P version of the rules from the video game and it sounds like it is absolutely not that, which is disappointing. I was looking forward to it and so I read a lot of reviews when it first came out and none of them were good. If someone here likes it, it may be worth a second look...

If there is some interest in a Mass Effect universe play-by-post, maybe a thread should be made about it. There would be a little bit of conversion to do to make it work. I'd either like to find someone that has already done that or see if the potential group could do it more or less collaboratively. Sound about good? I'm not calling GM at this point, either. I'll do it if no one else wants to and there are people that want to play but I would just as soon take the role of a player. Either is good for me.

[Elemental_Elf]

I think that the main reason the system didn't see more support was because of how unpopular it was upon release. I've looked at teaching my girlfriend P&P games and I had hoped that would be a great place to start since she loved Dragon Age Origins. Basically, I was hoping that it would be a P&P version of the rules from the video game and it sounds like it is absolutely not that, which is disappointing. I was looking forward to it and so I read a lot of reviews when it first came out and none of them were good. If someone here likes it, it may be worth a second look...

The game is very rules light and very easy to teach a complete newbie in 15 minutes. It takes a bit of getting used to (since most RPGs are not rules light) but once you get the hang of it, its quite easy. Its definitely not a system I'd use long term but for teaching, its pretty good.

[Superfluous Crow]

Although the following might appear to be a diatribe, I'm really just curious: was I the only one who found Mass Effect (or the first game at least, which is the only one I have played to date) a little bland? It has its moments, but mostly it felt like a rather gray, dull world? Just shining metal and glowing lights. Not exactly inspiring visuals (I'm not talking graphics, just visual design).
The plot seemed to derail a bit towards the end and once again we are left with a "Save the World, oh Chosen One" storyline (although no prophecies, phew) with Giant Robots of Evil.
The Geth were also bloody everywhere. I could have used some more diversity... Also, the biotic powers are particularly uninspiring: some blue light and then not much else. I would almost rather have gone without.  
[spoiler]Also, the end-boss killed himself (admittedly, my own fault for trying to talk him down with maxed speak skill), which was kind of anti-climatic, and if you forgot to buy stuff you got pretty much all the best equipment in the game from the merchant on the Normandy, making discovering new equipment largely unecessary...[/spoiler]
Some of the side-quests had some pretty fun conclusions though (e.g. the Rachni) and I was duly impressed by ME2 when I got to try it at a friend's house. Major improvement.

[Ninja D!]

Thanks, EE, maybe I will take a look at the initial release.

The first game, looking at just the game, is a little bland. As sparkletwist said, it was basically meant to be KotOR 3 without having to license IP so it was made a little generic. If you explore all the speech options, it comes to life a little more. They really did detail a full setting in the codex and every planet had a decent description...but, yeah, it was a little bland. Go back to it knowing the setting better and it's much more enjoyable.

In ME2, at least they got away from all the sidequests being nearly identical...and replaced it with very few sidequests, some of which are incredibly short and some are rather stupid.

They're both very good games that are lacking in different ways. I'm sure ME3 will be the same, improved. At least Bioware games are of good length, I just wish they didn't work with EA.