This sounds good because the load times, especially the really long elevators, were a big downer in the original game. I hope they also make more variety with character equipment, cause everything seemed to be about the same, just different stats.
I'd been dreading writing up what happened at the last GDC panel I attended, and not because it was boring to sit through.
Far from it – BioWare showed off a couple Mass Effect 2 videos with combat and cut scenes; two journalists I admire almost got in a fight...
“We have a completely new system to handle transitions between areas that speeds the load times and turns the loads themselves into part of the game experience. It’s one of many points of feedback we’ve heard and directly responded to in enhancing the gameplay in ‘Mass Effect 2.’” - Ray Muzyka
To talk all things role-playing, we sat down with BioWare bosses Greg Zeschuk (Vice President BioWare and Electronic Arts) and Ray Muzyka (General Manager and CEO BioWare, and VP and GM EA). It's a busy time for the duo, as Mass Effect 2 is expected sometime in 2010.
I've learned some of the things. I don't mean to tease people. The teams are just so brilliant and the story writing is so good that straight out from the beginning of Mass Effect 2, people are going to be in awe.
Any saved game that you make from Mass Effect 1 you should be able to carry that same character into to Mass Effect 2 ... You'll be able to take that save game and create a character in Mass Effect 2.
According to CMPevents, the sequel to BioWare rather smashing RPG, Mass Effect, will feature at GDC 09.
Corey Andruko (Project Manager, BioWare) and (Lead Technical Designer, BioWare) will be conducting “a session examines the BioWare Mass Effect team’s new level-creation process, which is focused on maximizing iteration for quality while minimizing rework and cost,” says the piece.
1