Lessons re-learned

ChetChesterson

Shared on Fri, 09/04/2009 - 14:44

I downloaded the Mass Effect DLC, Pinnacle Station, and even though I was mildly disappointed with it, the DLC did re-spark my interest in the game....That and the new one is coming soon and I hear that you can upload previous game saves...Awesome.  After completing both Pinnacle Station and Bringing Down the Sky I would say that the DLC department at Bioware needs to learn a lesson or two about additional content.  But I will leave that for more qualified writers to write about.

As I said, these DLCs did renew my interest in this game.  Mass Effect is a fun game and a great RPG experience if you haven't had the pleasure.  However, since it's been exactly one year since i had played it last I had a few lessons that needed to be relearned. 

As I was playing the DLCs I was bitching and moaning that I couldn't point and tell my squad to go somewhere or kill something and that the game would be SOOOoooo much better if I could do that.  Yeah, how soon we forget, after starting over with a new character I sit through a whole training item on how exactly to maneuver your squad...damnit...that would have saved me a LOT of time on Pinnacle Station.  Now I have relearned this lesson I have since gone back to Pinnacle Station and replayed it in about 1/4th the amount of time.  Ugh...up on the D pad...mutherfucker.

The other lesson I have relearned is this...Save and Save often.  You'd think one who has spent a lot of time playing games such as Oblivion, Fable, Jade Empire, Mass Effect (first time around), Fallout 3, Red Faction and various other RPG games that I should know that I should be Saving...all the fucking time...but, no.  Mass Effect is one of the better games about teaching you this lesson.  Last night I spent a fair amount of time and made a bit of progress in what I was doing and one stupid mistake and I died and had to start all over on that planet.  Ugh...so stupid.

Perhaps I need to go back and play Gears 2 or Fable 2 or Fallout 3 from the beginning, I bet there is something that I missed...perhaps this revisiting of Gears will aide in me betting pwned less on the multiplayer (doubtful).

Truth be told though, I love these experiences.  They teach you these lessons of patience and what not to throw your controller at. 

Comments

TheBookNerd's picture
Submitted by TheBookNerd on Fri, 09/04/2009 - 18:00
I think one of the great benefits of DLC for developers and players alike is that it can maintain or renew interest in an old game. Somewhere there is a "sweet spot" of DLC release, such that if a developer keeps to it they can maintain a relatively high level of interest between one game and its sequel. Maybe it's every quarter. Or maybe every six months. I don't know. But yes, the issuing of Mass Effect DLC is baffling. They release the game in November '07, they release some DLC five or six months later (March, I think), and then they wait another SEVENTEEN MONTHS before releasing the second DLC. Whatever the "sweet spot" is for DLC release, that's not it. Oh, and it's worth mentioning that Bioware never formally announced Pinnacle Station. It just...showed up. Their commitment to Mass Effect is questionable at best. Good write-up, Chet. Keep 'em coming.

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