Mass Effect 4

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**Mass Effect 4** is an action role-playing video game developed by BioWare and Vedewan for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlaStation 3 and PlayStation 4. The game will be released on October 17, 2016, and marks the first chapter in the New Age trilogy of the Mass Effect franchise.

The combat system in Mass Effect 4 has been altered slightly and overall refined, with the core mechanics staying the same. In particular, the cover and melee systems have been improved, prompting smoother and more exciting gameplay. Improved artificial intelligence was introduced, as well as a sixteen player multiplayer mode which has been added to the already existing four player co-op mode. Gameplay in Mass Effect 4 can be influenced by decisions made in the past three games who have imported their save files.

## Gameplay

Aspects of gameplay from the previous games have been changed, such as an improved melee system with the option to equip an omni-sword, and a biotic stiletto which prove for faster and more reliable melee combat. An element of stealth was added as an optional path, improving on the primitive stealth system from the Mass Effect 3 DLC: Citadel. A more expansive skill leveling process was introduced, with much more perks, advantages and other options. Player's criticized the amount of effort put into side missions in Mass Effect 3, prompting the developers to put more time into side missions and space exploration, with over 85% of landable planets being free to explore. The squad system from the past games has been altered to fit the story, there is a maximum of one follower at a time, and the player may choose to play the game solo.

Mass Effect 4 has a larger focus on combat than any other game in the franchise, with an average 60% of game time spent in combat. Roleplay elements have been improved upon too, including Paragon/Renegade decisions while in combat, which can be triggered by saving/killing a civilian etc. Each landable world has a special story of its own.

### Multiplayer

Mass Effect 4 changes the four player co-op mode from "Galaxy at War" to "Combat Refinement". The end of the Reaper War signifyed an age of peace, leaving the galaxy not at war, but at peace. Most soldiers either needed training to defend against terrorists, petty criminals or gang fights. Most larger threats have been long gone since the Reaper War. Vedewan Studios improved upon the co-op mode, creating a more diverse range of maps and enemies, as well as adding a few new elements to the system.

Mass Effect 4 also features a sixteen player multiplayer element, called "Gang Wars" which focus on the criminal element still present in the Mass Effect universe. Most battles take place on criminal ridden areas, such as Omega, Illium and the wards of the Citadel. Gang Wars is an eight vs eight PvP mode, where teams must work together to either steal enemy supplies, invade enemy territory, exterminate enemy gangs and much much more.

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## Plot

*Hey readers, this is my third rendition of my Mass Effect 4 idea. My ideas keep changing and yeah. I dunno, I felt as if my older Mass Effect 4 articles would have made for a really boring story. This is still a work in progress. Happy reading :) VeteranCookie (talk) 14:05, September 24, 2014 (UTC)*

### Prologue

The game opens with Ghost walking around Pheonix, a crime ridden world located in the Terminus Systems. It is ruled by a Turian mob group that call themselves *Alpha Traxus.* Ghost meets with Elanus in a bar, a turian female who is one of Ghost's only friends. She tells Ghost of how Alpha Traxus are planning to overtake the entire world, and are going to create a planet wide holocaust. With Ghost being a heartless mercenary, he declines the offer to intervene. Right after, a group of Alpha Traxus soldiers enter the bar and order everyone to get down, as they start to commence the holocaust, which the soldiers call *Project Purify*. As Ghost and Elanus fight through the enemies with only their tech and biotics, one krogan in the bar is impressed and fights alongside you. After clearing out all the enemies, the krogan is named Vorj. The trio exits the bar, only to find Alpha Traxus members patrolling the streets. Elanus asks them to find Keisha, one of her close asari friends. Ghost can either stealth or fight their way through to Keisha's apartment. They enter to find a wounded Keisha, who can't walk. Vorj carries Keisha while they try to reach her ship.

Ghost and Elanus make it to the ship, and just before Vorj and Keisha make it, they are both shot multiple times. Ghost and Elanus return fire, before they retrieve the bodies back onto the ship. Ghost goes to pilot Keisha's ship while Elanus tends to their wounds.

Ghost pilots the ship, which is called the Nemesis. He evades Alpha Traxus ships before they can spot him and they hit the mass relay and travel to Illium. Ghost goes to the back of the small ship and sees that Keisha has died of her wounds, but Vorj survived and will need medical attention. Elanus is shattered and tells Ghost that they need to execute revenge on the Alpha Traxus. Ghost initially declines, but after Elanus holds him at gunpoint, Ghost says that he will consider it.

### Act I

The Nemesis arrives at Illium, in the city of Nos Astra and Vorj is taken to the hospital. Ghost goes to visit an old accomplice, Ethan Otero, the new head of Eclipse. The two talk and Ethan offers Ghost two mercenaries, Sallipha, an asari commando and Kailin Wofir, a salarian infiltrator. Ghost can choose to take one or none, as the Nemesis only has room for 3 people. Elanus calls Ghost and tells him to meet her at the hospital.

Upon arriving there, Elanus or Vorj is nowhere to be found. Myriad, a geth platform (if alive) asks Ghost what he is looking for. Ghost replies with a description of Elanus, and Myriad directs him to a room down the corridor. As he enters the room, he sees that the room is full of members of the Alpha Traxus, and before Ghost can say anything, he is knocked out.

Ghost wakes up in a dark room by himself, and he has been stripped of all his weapons. On the far side of the room, a door opens, and a distorted voice tells him to walk to it. He exits the room, and looks around and sees Elanus locked up behind a thick glass window. Ghost can either choose to save or leave Elanus, as Alpha Traxus forces are inbound, according to the distorted voice. Either way, the Alpha Traxus soldiers do not appear and the voice reveals it is just testing Ghost's morality. After exiting the room, the two find their weapons and exit the building. The voice still talks to Ghost, and it is revealed that somebody has inserted something into Ghost's head and can do a variety of things, including being able to talk to him and to explode his head. The voice, now calling himself 'Revenant' orders Ghost to take passage on an Eclipse frigate, as the Nemesis has been stolen.

Ghost and Elanus are required to find Derit, a drell assassin on Kahje. While on board the Eclipse ship, the two hear the Eclipse men planning to kill them. After a long firefight aboard the ship, they emerge victorious and have the ship for themselves. They arrive at Kahje and fight through Kahje Security and find Derit in prison. Derit is freed by Ghost, and joins his squad. After they fight their way back to the Eclipse ship, which Ghost named the Nemesis, Derit gives Ghost 3 dossiers on other people who are being influenced by Revenant.

***To Be Continued***

## Missions

Most missions are located on Omega, Illium, Citadel Wards and other cities.

### Random Encounters

Random encounters from 'Hunters' would occur at anytime, later on in the game they can even work together and infiltrate your ship. Sometimes, during an assassination contract you would be stopped by a hunter, allowing your target to escape. Hunters are Garrus, Grunt, Jack, Jacob, Zaeed, Ashley, Vega, Wrex and Javik. There are three options for dealing with them; Killing them, which would not add to your infamy, but would stop them from attacking you forever. Ghost also has the option to injure them beyond repair, heavily adding to your infamy, but would also stop them from attacking you forever. The last option would be to temporarily injure them, slightly adding to your infamy and delays their next attack.

### Contracts

Contracts are various randomly generated missions that allow you to earn money. These contracts can be interrupted by random encounters, but these contracts can be revisited at a later time, albeit in a different setting/location. Depending on how you execute the target, you will receive different amounts of credits, for example if the contractor wants the target to suffer, you will earn more credits for making them suffer. The way you go about completing contracts is up to you, but different styles will result in different consequences. Besides your infamy, there is professionalism. Executing a contract as it is requested and on time will result in a higher professionalism rating. If you execute your contract brutally (for example, slow deaths) your infamy rating will be raised.

### Reputation

Ghost's reputation is a major mechanic. Your infamy will change the behaviour of enemies. With a higher infamy rating, less trained enemies will become cowards and run or surrender, while more trained enemies will become more determined to kill/capture you. Your professionalism rating will change the behaviour of contracts. Certain contracts will only appear with a certain professionalism. Both of these ratings can increase and decrease at any time. You can decrease your infamy rating by going silent for some time, which either means not killing at all or killing very carefully. Another option is to kill important individuals that are making your name known.

### Crew

During the course of the game, you will encounter different individuals that will offer to join you, whether it be for money or loyalty. At the start of the game, Ghost operates without his own ship, and instead takes passage on an Eclipse mercenary cruiser. When Ghost recruit an individual, they will follow you until you dismiss them, and they would return to their original location. As soon as you buy your own frigate, once you dismiss a recruit they will return to your ship. However, if some recruits are not already on your frigate, you will need to return to their location and tell them to live on your frigate. Even though you house them on your ship, you would still need to pay the mercenaries that require credits to follow you.

### Ship Battles

After you buy a frigate, you may encounter random ships while exploring. Some ships are aggressive and attack you on sight, and you can choose to escape or fight. Ship combat is similar to the ship combat mechanics used in *Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.* You can upgrade your ship for durability, attack damage and types of attack. When escaping, the perspective will turn into a third person over the ship. To escape, simply navigate towards the mass relay. At anytime during the escape you can decide to return fire, and vice versa (you can escape in the midst of battle). Some ships are neutral and will not attack you on sight, but you can still attack them and they will fight back. Once any enemy ship is down to very low health, you can board them with a choice of two crew members. When boarding, you have to eliminate the commander and do two actions that are designated once boarding commences (destroy armory, capture pilot etc.) After your victory, you have three options, to spread the word of Ghost, repair your ship and send to your fleet (which can be used later).

## Save Game Transfer

Due to next-generation consoles, some players may want to transfer save games between consoles. Bioware released *Mass Effect Save Uploader* which uploads your Mass Effect 3 save files to your Origin account. Using this, you can transfer your game saves between any platform, even consoles not in the same family (for example, Xbox 360 to PS4). The *Mass Effect Save Uploader* was distributed through Origin, XBLA and PSN for free.

### Impact from Mass Effect

Rachni Queen: If saved, an additional squad mate is available to recruit.

Wrex: If alive, Wrex will become a hunter of Ghost

Ashley/Kaidan: Ashley will become a hunter of Ghost. Kaidan is encountered in the Revenant base.

Council: Enemies are less intimidated if the Old Council is alive.

### Impact from Mass Effect 2

Loyalty Missions: *Impacts on Mass Effect 5.* Zaeed can be a squadmate if not loyal to Shepard.

Suicide Mission: Some survivors will become hunters/part of the Insanity ending. Miranda is part of the Insanity ending.

Collector Base: Extra equipment available.

### Impact from Mass Effect 3

Krogan/Salarian: 2 krogan squadmates if chosen, 1 salarian squadmate if chosen. Different dialogue choices all around.

Geth/Quarian: Squadmates, dialogue choices, appearances. (No geth seen if you chose Quarian etc.)