Forum:Mass Effect 4 Squad Ideas

"XYZ"

Just looking for some input/opinions on selecting members for your team, squad setup, and so forth for Mass Effect 4.

I would have to say Mass Effect 2 was the best of the series, due to the intricate squad selection and diversity. To be honest, I would say the squad was a bit too large for me; but that's all opinion left to the individual player. However, I did enjoy the wide range of character roles (biotic, assassin, thief, etc.), and the fact that they each had a unique storyline.

I think all would agree that the defining trait of Mass Effect is its choice factor, allowing for a more "freewill" and less "forced" gaming experience. Which is where the problem arose for me with creating a team, as there really wasn't much "creating." Most characters were sort of forced on to your team one way or another. Even those who weren't you felt the strong necessity to include them anyways. I understood its importance as far as the story went, and I thoroughly enjoyed most of the characters, but I wasn't a fan of the process or lack there of. Which is where my point comes in for Mass Effect 4.

I feel that a needed implication for ME4 is to allow the player to create a team "from scratch." Meaning that the individual should have full reign over who he/she allows to join their team. You could give an upper and lower limit on team number (5-10 teammates) and have the player evaluate the members individually (possibly through a mission of sorts) to see if they are worthy to be a part of the player's squad. And also I can't stress enough the importance of diversity among the selection, not just in race but individual characteristics, background, and abilities; which again made ME2 such a good game in the series and in its own right. You could even allow the player to drop or trade teammates for others during the game if they get bored of a particular member or if they come to find that member is not as well suited as they thought for their squad. And of course allow the player to develop whatever kind of relationship it is they want to with the member (causal, friendly, uneasy, neutral, etc.).

Here is an example on what I mean by a diverse team: Leader: Male (Soldier) Weapon(s): Assault Rifle, sidearm, omni-tool blade. Secondary: Female (Biotic) Weapon(s): Duel Sub-machine guns. Krogan Brothers: Krogan (Biotic) Weapon(s): Heavy shotgun, sidearm Krogan (Engineer) Weapon(s): Flamethrower, omni-tool shield/blade. Turian : Female (Biotic Assassin) Weapon(s): Sniper Rifle, sidearm, poison blades. A.I. Mech: (Infiltrator) Weapon(s): Omni-tool blade/gun, shotgun.

So, tell me how you feel about the subject (pros/cons) and give suggestions on how you think the team selection should work as a whole for future Mass Effect games. And give an example team if you would like.