User blog:Xaero Dumort/Fixes that could strengthen re-releases and the like.

As they say, "Hindsight is 20/20". That is true of many things in life. As an industry, developers can and will often look back at titles and lament about things that could have been fixed or changed. Usually with GotY releases or compilation releases, these same issues are ignored because there is no funding to improve or fix them. This is a series of things that in my opinion would guarantee another purchase from me in an anniversary edition. A business move I think would be very savvy to do before releasing new entries on the new console generation. I will present these game by game. Some will be simple, others more complex. I will try and justify them if I think they need to be in order for one to understand why I desire the fixes or changes.

Mass Effect

1. Better loot tables. Loot tables should be affected not just by level, but by main story progression. This would help players feel more rewarded for playing and help balance. It would also prevent some insane players (me) from sinking over 100 hours into one character trying to get all of the gear they want.

2. Better merchants. Randomized merchant stock was fine. But if operating as the same as suggested loot progression and stock changing after every mission instead of story planet will give the player more reason to visit merchants, and help get value out of all those armory licenses. Up those chances of getting Rage/Berserk/Battlemaster and Phantom armor.

3. Restore missing armories. Mostly for the armor designs to add variety, partially for small bits of lore. If only a few, Cerberus Skunkworks, Hahne-Kedar Shadow Works and Batarian State Arms

Mass Effect 2

1. Full arsenal capability. If I choose to play through the game enough times, regardless of my class, I should be able to get sniper/AR/shotgun training and the Widow/Revenant/Claymore. I understand to an extent why it isn't that way now, but it wouldn't have really been gamebreaking.

2. Off the top of my head IIRC I had one ability that only had two ranks. Some way needs to be done to add three more points to the game. At perhaps after Horizon, after the Derelict Collector Ship and either after the tutorial planet (name escapes me) or after bursting through the Omega Relay. That would allow me to hit another rank in ME2. I only mention that because...

Mass Effect 3

1. Importers from ME2 are short 3 points IIRC when hitting 60. I'm not asking to max out my last ability, all I'm asking is to not have 2 unspendable points staring me in the face. 

2. This one is a long one, to read my diatribe on it, I refer you to the second point of my blog post, [http://masseffect.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Xaero_Dumort/%22Synthetics%22_as_applied_to_the_ending_and_the_sentence_that_nullifies_IT. Synthetics as applied to the ending.] I feel like it would have help at least some of the issues many had with how the ending choices were handled.

3. Citadel DLC. OK so this is one thing that I really expect most of everyone to disagree with. I feel a major opportunity was missed concerning the villain of choice for the DLC. Spoilers ahoy. Clone Shepard was a bit cheesy. Personally I think it should have been a clone or clone-cyborg of the Virmire sacrifice. It could have been explained just as the clone was, a back-up plan to resurrecting Shepard. Someone who worked with them, had similar goals and drive. The emotional resonance would have been incredible. Forcing Shepard (and to a smaller degree, members of the old team) to really confront all of their decisions in this war as the face of the one person they couldn't save. It would have meant more VO for the DLC, but the vibe that would have occurred would have been surreal. People playing other files they hadn't touched just to get a taste of it with the other sacrifice. The turmoil the sacrifice would have in hating that they were left behind, but the understanding that Shepard couldn't have saved them. Knowing they sacrificed themselves, but hoping in the back of their mind even a little, that it wouldn't be the end, Shepard would find a way. That said, the story and how it was working would have remained largely the same. They could have even (with granted a bit of work) make the whole Spectre thing still work.

So that's all I can think of right now. Opinions on other things that should be added or changed (that don't warp the series to a large degree) are very welcome as well as civil discussion as to why one or more of these is not necessary.