Tue, Dec 08, 2009 | 15:08 GMT
Mass Effect 2 will have regular loading screens instead of elevator loads

Mass Effect 2′s associate programmer, Thomas Roy, has said on the official forums (login required) that the game’s ditched the elevator loading from the first game for typical load screens.
But, instead of boring old hat, the load times will offer “interesting visuals and information” instead of the long, boring screens with a progress bar.
Speaking of elevators, last week, BioWare’s Casey Hudson explained the “new” elevator scenes a bit more, via an interview with VideoGamer.
“The whole ship is so rich and full of things to do,” he said. “Even better, what used to be slow elevators or slow transitions from one deck to another now is faster transition and it actually is part of the narrative.
“You go to the elevator control and then you see what’s on the elevator control panel as the schematics of the Normandy reveal where you are in the ship, and they show you different decks as you transition. Then all of a sudden you’re there.
“So it makes it an interesting part of the narrative. I find that now, in between missions out in the universe, I come back to the Normandy and I just want to run around and do all the new things and check out the stuff I bought, talk to everybody, because it’s a lot smoother and there’s just so much more to do. I think people will be really excited about that.”
More through Joystiq.


10 comments
#1
bobbymington
08/12/09, 3:13 pm
If we can stop fighting each other
Long enough for us to see that, see that, see that
That we are stronger together than separate babe
You gotta believe that -lieve that -lieve that
But you love me today, don’t want me around tomorrow
Every time you change your mind,
I follow caught up, all up in your maze and I’m so dizzy babe
Can’t keep going back and forth on these waves
I’m getting sea sick, sea sick, sea sick
Like the way we were before and I wanna know
If we can go back to the days when we was close
Sometimes I think I’m so low
Think you don’t want me no more
And I’ve gotta get up off this see-saw
Like an elevator, we go up, and we go down
Down, down, like an elevator
We touch the sky and touch the ground
Ground, ground like an elevator
You’re stuck on one while I’m pressing three
Then we end up on the fourth floor
And then we disagree
Then you keep on blamin’ me
But I wish that you would see that
I’m just trying to elevate you
Like an elevator
Take you higher, t- t- take you higher
That I’m just trying to elevate you
Like an elevator
Take you higher, t- t- take you higher
That I’m just trying to elevate you
Like an elevator
And I feel like we’re speaking two different languages
It’s hard to read ya, read ya, read ya
But I know if you at least try to make it half way
I swear that I’ll meet ya, meet ya, meet ya
But we can’t have a conversation without beefing
Yellin’ back and forth for no good reason
I won’t let you leave and you keep asking me to stay
One of us better figure out what we want
Cause I’m getting a headache, headache, headache
Like the way we were before and I wanna know
If we can go back to the days when we was close
Sometimes I think I’m so low
Think you don’t want me no more
And I’ve gotta get up off this see-saw
Like an elevator, we go up, and we go down
Down, down, like an elevator
We touch the sky and touch the ground
Ground, ground like an elevator
You’re stuck on one while I’m pressing three
Then we end up on the fourth floor
And then we disagree
Then you keep on blamin’ me
But I wish that you would see that
I’m just trying to elevate you
Like an elevator
Oh if there’s any man who understands what I’m saying
Won’t you help me
Say yeah, yeah, yeah
Oh there’s gotta be some women who feeling the way I’m feeling
Say yeah, yeah, yeah
I’ll take the blame if it that’ll make this go stop
I’ll hold for you if we can make it to the top
But we gotta find a way to break down these walls baby
I’m waitin’ on you, stop waitin’ on me
Damn this elevator!
Like an elevator, we go up, and we go down
Down, down, like an elevator
We touch the sky and touch the ground
Ground, ground like an elevator
You’re stuck on one while I’m pressing three
Then we end up on the fourth floor
And then we disagree
Then you keep on blamin’ me
But I wish that you would see that
I’m just trying to elevate you
Like an elevator
Take you higher, t- t- take you higher
That I’m just trying to elevate you
Like an elevator
Take you higher, t- t- take you higher
That I’m just trying to elevate you
Like an elevator
slow news day
#2
Jadeskye
08/12/09, 3:20 pm
aww i liked the elevator banter.
#3
Digital Forge
08/12/09, 3:37 pm
@Jadeskye – Same here, hoping there’s at least something similar in ME2, or at least an output for the dialogue between characters.
Elevators didn’t annoy me that much, it was the frequency of them that was the main problem.
#4
joshua nash
08/12/09, 4:06 pm
i didn’t have a problem with the elevators either, and i think for the most part that bioware is missing the point, it wasn’t that the fans hated the elevators it was the fact that the speed at which they weht was the problem(slower than a snail taking a shit), but still they decided that since some of the fans were bitching about it they would just have loading screens instead, and now that this news is getting out there its funny to see all the people who flamed the elevators be hypocritics and say they actually like them
#5
Petulant Radish
08/12/09, 4:09 pm
Pussycat Dolls aside I quite liked the elevators, I liked the little radio stories that were aired about what I’d been getting up to secretly in the rest of the galaxy. Now how will people know unless I go round shouting it in their worthless faces.
#6
Phoenixblight
08/12/09, 4:10 pm
@3 They stated on the forums they will have more banter as much as or more than what was in DAO which to me is a plus. I shouldn’t have to look forward to an elevator for my squadmated to speak to eachother.
#7
Hunam
08/12/09, 4:16 pm
I’d wager there is the same amount of banter just the game is no doubt around a third of the length of dragon age, not saying that’s a bad thing, but it will be a more packed and slick experience rather than obsessively expansive.
#8
Phoenixblight
08/12/09, 4:31 pm
Well WHat made DAO so expansive is the lack of VO for the PC. They also stated that the Main story is just as long as the first Mass Effect but the side quests are nearly double of that of the original. I am not saying this is true or not just repeating what they have stated.
#9
theevilaires
08/12/09, 7:07 pm
people complain about installs on PS3 but even when you installed ME1 on the 360 the loading times were still loooooooooog. I hope they get advise from naughty dog and guerilla when they do the PS3 version.
#10
distraet
08/12/09, 8:13 pm
There’s an elevator sequence in ME? Here I thought, I was bouncing up and down while listening to the daily news.
But seriously.. I don’t mind them at all. They might take some time, but rather that than some random info screen that keeps repeating itself.