Fun and Games: Mass Effect Online Part One

Before anyone gets too excited I'll remind any readers that this is purely theory-crafting speculation, concept design and more of my own time and fun, no information leaks here, just some idealistic fantasizing.

Mass Effect has been one of the largest and most successful Roleplaying games of this generation (certainly mine), and definately the most popular Science Fiction series to come about in the past 20 years. With the conclusion of the Commander Shepard story, the question most on several people's minds is, can the world series on its own, without Shepard? 

My answer is; Yes. But, with the most recent failure of Star Wars: The Old Republic, the biggest issue with continuing the series stands with its developer Electronic Arts, which brings into doubt whether an open experience is possible. With blinding optimism of the sudden and completely unexpected act of EA wanting to salvage its reputation, I bring my idea to the table.

Mass Effect Online. The idea itself is ambitious, let alone the game design. The game (as I'm writing it) is set in a time of turmoil (not cliche at all) some time after the fall of the Reapers. Following the completion of the reconstruction of the Relays and the Citadel, a bloody and viscious war breaks out among the forerunners of the Council Races. The Asari, Salarian, Human, Krogan, Turian, and Quarian face off in a territorial war that spans the whole of the Milky Way. The ideal is a six sided conflict along racial lines, but there is potential for two factions along Council (Asari, Turian, and Salarian) and the Outcast (Human, Krogan, Quarian). 

Players take the character of a military recruit in one of the 6 races and slowly distinguish themselves as heroes of the war. Progressing through the game and the story raises the rank of the player character. 

Gameplay will take a form very close to the style of the original, attempting to make the combat variable, skill-based, and visceral. Players will independently control their weapon with left and right mouse clicks, and have a series of quick-slot bars for abilities, quick weapon mapping, and items. Players will also be able to take cover in  and will be a major function in upper difficulty game and instance play. 

Players at the start of the game will pick a discipline of either Tech, Arms, or Biotics. This selection will be a permanent part of your character, and unlock specific abilities depending on the discipline, and will dictate the player class later on.

Every twenty levels the player will be able to select a specialization, or a secondary discipline. Specialization will allow players to customize their playstyle and their character as they get stronger.

With the selection of the player's second specialization (their third discipline) the player will receive special abilities based on their combination.

Keep an eye on Myx Theory for more information to come.