[Mass Effect 3] - Multiplayer Demo out now!!

[Fish Of Doom]

damn, this is good popcorn.

on an unrelated tangent: anyone going to wait past march to get the game? (see this). i'm not, but i already pre-ordered, so i don't consider it as counting (and i'll try not to buy anything else in march itself).

[Starblade]

Yes, I'm aware of the fact that many groups use the Bioware name and that the same developer with the same name has different teams working on different games (see; Dragon Age, Mass Effect), same thing with Rockstar and about a dozen other companies. No, I wasn't aware they were bought out.

[Mokino]

People are misunderstanding me. My info is mostly cobbled together from the script leak and what has been revealed by a couple folks who have playtested the game over at SomethingAwful (one's a Bioware employee, the other has some connections in the company and was able to play the game fully as a part of a tour or some such.)

Yes, the From Ashes dialogue is in the script leak (well, some of it. The leak wasn't nearly 100% complete) but it also heavily implies it was always intended to be DLC.

As for Liara and the other squadmate

Spoiler

The Prothean is just a foot soldier who was born well into the Reaper cull of the Prothean race so he really doesn't know the Prothean Empire at its peak or how most of their tech works. He knows nothing of the Prothean devices that are essential to ME3's plot. Liara and Shepard find out that information from another, equally logical source. He's also rumoured to be in the game but just not playable without the DLC.

Also a slight correction on the Generals 2 information. Some of the C&C 4 team were actually laid off during the game's development and most of the rest were given their pink slips during it (they lost their jobs when the game was completed, which may explain some of its quality issues.) The current team is mostly new folks.

[Rincewind]

Massive Spoilers concerning the spoiler above by Mokino

Voice Files

[LoneWolf666]

With the amount amount of spoiler tags in this thread (thanks for being considerate, btw) I wonder if there's anything people DON'T know about the plot of ME3 yet... And what the point of actually playing the game is.

[Misiok]

Considering the script leaked (full or not, that's big) it's hard not to know :P

[Starblade]

I don't know anything about it (well, one thing) and if anyone ruins it for me I will be very upset.

[Inquisitor Lok]

I know very little about the story and what i do was leaked by the damn art book xD

[Hirmetrium]

I guess that's the hazard of releasing the art book before the main game. I mean, you buy an art book you expect the art for the whole game :P

[LoneWolf666]

Considering the script leaked (full or not, that's big) it's hard not to know :P

Why on Earth would you read it, assuming you intend to play the game?

The only reason I know of the DLC character was the video linked earlier, and only because the guy used the term "mild spoiler". ("mild"? That's pretty f'in major...) As a result, what would have been an amazing WTFBBQ moment in the game I will see coming a mile away, which is pretty bleh.

[Mokino]

One of the folks at SA who has played through the game in its entirety has confirmed that the script did go through some significant changes. I've avoided reading it just to be safe.

[Shuma]

Mind posting a link?

Edit:

So apparently the new endings have been "leaked"(haven't actually seen/read them myself, so i don't know if it's true or not), but people over at the official forums are so pissed that they're asking Bioware to release better endings... As paid DLC:

http://social.bioware.com/forum/1/to...ndex/9514412/1

The first post may contain a small spoiler depending on if you have common sense or not.

Edit:

Nevermind, here are the endings: http://pastebin.ca/2122325 , apparently people are just pissed because of the

Spoiler

romance part being screwed

[Mokino]

Those endings are wrong according to the strategy guide. The guide lists 7 endings, one of which is limited to new game+ (it does not tell you the details of this NG+ ending, just the complicated steps needed to get it)

The "leak" is based on the old script and 4 FMVs ripped from one of the Space Editions. These FMVs contain very little dialogue and are out of context so the meaning is hard to discern.

[Shuma]

Weird, considering a guy owning said guide claims that those endings are right and disappointing in the official forums. He only makes mention of the extra NG+ ending, and people argue that since the games were data-mined(or something) that it's impossible, i don't even know.

[Starblade]

Why don't you wait until the game is out and find out yourselves?

[Mokino]

I do plan to wait since all that's known are what was in the FMVs. I suspect it'll be put together and be more coherent in the full game.

[Shuma]

I don't, this is Bioware we're talking about. If it's better i'll be pleasantly surprised, hell, from what i've read it's not as bad as some are making it out to be(speaking strictly about the endings here), but i sure as hell don't expect them to be better.

[Langy]

I intend to avoid any 'this is the ending!' spoilers like the damn plague, no matter how bad or good the endings might be, until after I've actually played through the game. Having the entire ending spoiled is one thing I truly, truly do not like.

[Mokino]

Beware of youtube then. Somebody's leaking FMVs from a Space Edition copy.

[Mokino]

Sorry to doublepost but there's a few new promo vids up:

Citadel tour (some spoilers)
Normandy tour (minor spoilers involving a couple non-DLC squadmates)
bigger Normandy tour (warning: serious non-DLC squadmate spoiler)

[Fish Of Doom]

i am annoyed at the uneven release dates for various locations. i am assuming that this will apply even for online purchases?

[Jonny]

I think it does. Pretty sure I can't get it until the 9th off Origin.

The revamped Normandy has some nice new rooms in it.

Spoiler

I'm not sold on the cables everywhere, tacked together look though. If Cerberus can make a nice shiny ship I'd have thought the Alliance could handle rebuilding it. Unless Shepard does all that over the course of the game, a War Room would be an odd thing for a scout ship to originally come with.

[Fish Of Doom]

wait, i've literally just gotten an email that said i can pre-download it, and apparently get it on the 7th (which would be the 6th in the us)

FUCK YEAH!

[Mokino]

Jonny, there is a plot reason for that

Spoiler

Shep has to take the Normandy before renovations are finished.

[Inquisitor Lok]

Damn Preloads.... And damn my midterm schedule! I likely wont be able to play this till next Friday D: Oh well... gives me something very awesome to look forward to i guess..

On a more happy note; The official Launcher Trailer

[Ewokz]

Well that trailer is amazing, its made me go from looking foward to ME3, to, OMG I MUST HAVE THIS GAME! The space battles look like everything I hoped they would be, and the scale is as epic as I hoped.

[Shuma]

Trailer only makes me think "they should've just made a movie".

[Akranadas]

@Shuma, the writing isn't quite movie material.

[Jonny]

wait, i've literally just gotten an email that said i can pre-download it, and apparently get it on the 7th (which would be the 6th in the us)

FUCK YEAH!

I just got one saying it'll unlock on the 8th. Random release dates ftw, apparently.

Jonny, there is a plot reason for that

Ah, cheers Mokino, didn't realise that.

[Inquisitor Lok]

going by email release dates, mine says the 5th xD

[Kirjava]

the writing isn't quite movie material.

I dunno, it's certainly up there with Transformers...

That said, "Go to hell!" seems more like a Jerk Shepherd response than anything any sane editor would put in a movie trailer.

[Saberdark]

I'm trying not to watch any trailers with in-game scenes in them cause I watched the launch trailers the last two times and I really felt like that spoiled a lot of things for me. So I'll have to take you all at your word that it was sufficiently awesome.

This is the game I've been most looking forward to for the last year. Can't wait for Tuesday.

[DoomKnights]

So pre-Load is up. I could do what people did with Battle field 3 and Break the Pre-load check. mmm SOooo tempted. Sooo wanting too!

[Harper]

Well this is the first time I have tried Amazon's release day delivery option. Here's hoping it works the way it is supposed to!

[Fish Of Doom]

it's not random release dates, i think it's all at the same time, adjusting for time zones.

[Hirmetrium]

I shall let you wonder no more!!!

I'm going to VPN on monday. I can't wait.

[Jonny]

it's not random release dates, i think it's all at the same time, adjusting for time zones.

Can't be, the 6th in the US is not the 8th in the UK. I highly suspect those e-mails are cobblers anyway, I've just finished pre-loading and installing, when I tried to run it the activation date check told me to sod off and come back at 0:00 09/03. So I'd guess no matter what they say it'll unlock Tuesday morning for America and Friday morning for everyone else.

*edit*

*cough* Didn't read Hirm's link *cough*

Why is is 8/03 for some parts of the EU and 9/03 for others?

[Fish Of Doom]

fucked up release dates are fucked up.

[Mokino]

Jonny, I think it's the exact time across Europe, so for some folks the time will fall very late on the day before.

[Hirmetrium]

Actually, I think this is commonplace now - Europe's releases, especially in the UK, seem to be very staggered. I think it might be something to do with distributers and retailers having to get copies out to people. Unless its say, Star Wars old republic with a pre-release play period, you won't have the game. MMO's are unique in this regard since they need the internet however.

Look at the preload - its the same for both EU territories, yet the outer EU activate a full 23 hours later. Central EU however, which has easy distribution? all good.

[Starblade]

Meanwhile because I own an Xbox and pre-ordered on Amazon I'll get it for cheaper because I had some sort of credit but I get to not play it for a week or however long it takes Amazon to ship.

[Mokino]

Such is the same for me Starblade (though Future Shop instead of Amazon)

[Niftyeye]

That trailer... oh my god, im speechless.

[DoomKnights]

I wish I knew if there is any risks for breaking the release date time. I totally want to play now while I have free time... Bah

[Langy]

Pretty sure there's no real risk, though I have no idea how you'd play it right now - as far as I know, you've got to wait until it's been released in at least one territory first before breaking it. That means you have to wait until Monday, around 3PM (EDIT: GMT), I think, when it's released in Hong Kong.

[Fish Of Doom]

how does the release date breaking stuff work, anyway?

[Hirmetrium]

Might want to check your times Langy. Korea is +9 GMT, and EST is behind GMT surely? When I worked it out, it came out as 3GMT for me, as earliest release.

EA generally don't give a crap about breaking release dates. Crash, the BF3 guy said it was fine and the only problem was MP server load, or the servers being inactive. All the threads on bioware social about it have been left alone (so far, when I checked earlier today). The jist of it, you take a big risk using a VPN - and that risk is on your own shoulders. EA don't give a crap, as long as you don't go crying to them.

[Ewokz]

Yeah 3pm (GMT) on Monday is the earlier I can get it, which is great because the UK always gets screwed over when it comes to release dates. VPN FTW

[LoneWolf666]

VPN seems awfully complicated at first glance. How does that even fool the datecheck?

[Inquisitor Lok]

It was really easy to do for BF3, as in just inputting a server number i think it was in the options. And it fools it by making the server think your in another country i believe (so one where its already released in this case)